Dairy News 25 June 2013 by Rural News Group

Infant formula exports to China under scrutiny. Page 3

farming at your fingertips

Mobile tech summit Page 11

cow on catwalk

Fieldays wrap-up Page 43

June 25, 2013 Issue 293 // www.dairynews.co.nz

taf helps fulfil farm ownership goal “I always have been passionate about dairying and have always had the desire to be significant within the industry.” – Zach Mounsey PAGE 5

Dairy News june 25, 2013

news // 3

Top guns focus on our China reputation PAM TIPA pamelat@ruralnews.co.nz

Snow storm wreaks havoc. PG.04

New Young Farmers president. PG.8

Can we breed better cows? PG.26

FOUR GOVERNMENT ministers are now focused on our food assurance systems following negative publicity in China about New Zealand infant formula traceability. The media attention in China is not about our food safety – it is about having confidence in our food assurance systems, says Food Safety Minister Nikki Kaye. Infant formula is obviously emotive because “we’re talking about babies here” who are obviously so precious to their mothers, says Kaye, and the subject has a history in China. The four ministers include Kaye, Minister for Primary Industries Nathan Guy, Trade Minister Tim Groser and Economic Development Minister Steven Joyce. Other countries want confidence in where our products are derived from, the traceability of certain nutrients in our products and our testing programmes, says Kaye. “Regardless of our strong record on food safety, when these questions arise the Government needs to be able to respond relatively quickly to either counter these issues or provide appropriate information for our markets,” Kaye told Dairy News. “Part of the reason these issues are being raised is we are trading more and more with complex and emerging markets, like China, that don’t have the

developed food systems we have. “With regard to infant formula, we are trading hundreds of millions now in infant formula and we have had an explosion in the number of companies that want to trade on the New Zealand brand.” As of last Thursday, MPI requires brand information for export certificates for infant formula. That includes details on where that brand is registered, to provide Chinese authorities with greater information about where those brands may be connected. “That’s about traceability of product – nothing to do with food safety,” says Kaye. “It is giving those [Chinese] authorities greater assurance about where our products are derived from.” She says it will also help them identify products not derived from New Zealand but trading on our name. Kaye says the four ministers are working together on the issue because they are all involved in some way in the food supply chain. For example, she has responsibility for certification issues, while Joyce has a strong interest in growing the New Zealand brand. The four are looking at what else can be done at Government level to give emerging markets greater confidence in our food systems. “While this work is looking generally at food assurance, we are specifically looking at infant formula,” Kaye says. @dairy_news

Food Safety Minister Nikki Kaye says infant formula is an emotive issue.

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News ��3-18 opinion �� 20-21 Agribusiness �� 22 Management �� 23-25 Animal Health �� 26-28 Effluent & Water Management ��30-42 Machinery & Products �� 43-46

What we can and can’t control MISLEADING STATEMENTS in overseas media about a New Zealand brand or about New Zealand can be “quite damaging,” says Kaye. “We are asking ‘are there things we can do to potentially counter that at media

level?’,” says Kaye. “The one word of caution we have here is that we have to manage some expectations about what we can and can’t control. That is part of that piece of work – to ask, ‘what do we have control over in terms of

the food supply chain and New Zealand companies?’ “There are some things where we might have to say ‘that’s not us’ – it might be Chinese authorities or another country and that’s their issue,” Kaye says.

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Dairy News june 25, 2013

4 // news

Farmers battle snow storm to feed stock

Strong interest in milk price plan

DAIRY FARMERS and drystock colleagues win-

andrew swallow

tering dairy cattle, were battling to keep feed in front of stock, and shelter behind them last week as winter struck with a vengeance. Southland, Otago and Canterbury were the worst hit as Dairy News went to press, with up to a metre of snow dumped inland, and floods in coastal areas. Near Fairlie, farm manager Glen Goad was moving these New Zealand Superannuation cows into a fresh, sheltered paddock of kale. “These are the easy ones. We’ve got more up the

top where there’s two feet of snow. It’s going to be a long day,” he told Dairy News. That was Thursday morning. The snow wasn’t forecast to stop until Saturday, with double digit frosts to follow. “That’s when it gets really difficult because it all goes hard on top.” Down country, near Pleasant Point, Michael Brosnahan was feeding wintering cows on an old railway embankment due to flooding. “Their paddock’s a lake.”

The weather was “getting up there” with the worst he’d experienced, having farmed in the area all his life, he said. In Otago, David Wilson’s farm on the Taieri Plain was surrounded by flood water all week. “The Taieri’s come up and overflowed into all the ponding areas, which is what it’s meant to do. We’re protected by flood banks all around us.” Whether the situation worsened would depend on further rain and snowmelt inland. King tides over the weekend could “compound problems,” Wilson said.

Michael Brosnahan (right) braves the cold to feed stock while Glen Goad (left and above) move cows to another paddock in South Canterbury last week.

andrews@ruralnews.co.nz

FONTERRA EXPECTS to have

more than enough applications for its guaranteed milk price (GMP) of $7/kgMS to effectively pilot the policy this season. “It’s gone really well,” director of commodity risk and trading, Bruce Turner, told Dairy News. With a day to run until Friday’s closing deadline, at least 15m kgMS has been offered to the scheme, with a good spread of applicants geographically and in scale. “We’ve now got to work out the best process to allocate it,” Turner said. About 200 farms will be accepted into the scheme, ideally with a few in each management area. “The objective is to educate the Fonterra side of the business as well [as the farm side]. We want our area managers to learn about this as well so we’d like to make sure every area manager has a few farmers participating.” Initial expressions of interest in the scheme were mostly from the central South Island but that “diversified” as the deadline approached. Turner says Fonterra’s market research shows long-term 25-33% of suppliers are interested in selling some product on guaranteed pricing, which would amount to 10-15% of total supply. “That’s consistent with similar schemes in other parts of the world.” GMP gives farmer and co-operative certainty, he adds. “It allows us to lock in contracts with customers at a set price, so that we can make sure we have the right margins so there is no impact or risk if there is a fall in prices.”

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Dairy News june 25, 2013

news // 5

Young farm owner got to grips early with TAF sudesh kissun sudeshk@ruralnews.co.nz

ZACH MOUNSEY (23), from Otorohanga, will next month send his first tanker of milk to Fonterra. He has achieved his goal of entering dairy farm ownership earlier than most but won’t be resting on his laurels. Mounsey is passionate about dairying and Fonterra and hopes to represent the industry at governance level. He holds a finance and strategic management degree from Waikato University, and works in TAF support for Fonterra. He credits TAF for allowing him to become one of the co-pop’s youngest suppliers. Fonterra suppliers needed one share for every kgMS they supplied to the co-op. Under TAF, all Mounsey needs is 1000 shares to lock in a six-year

milk supply contract with the co-op. He doesn’t have to buy any shares in the first three years but over the following three he must buy one-third of shares each year to be a fully shared up supplier at the end of his contract. Mounsey says the three year ‘share holiday’ is a great help for farmers who join Fonterra as a shareholder supplier. He is now on the lookout for Fonterra shares. “I will have to go through a broker to buy the shares,” he told Dairy News. “The share price is around $7.20 which is a bit steep. I’ll be looking at the share price on NZX every morning and hope to be able to buy them priced a bit lower.” Mounsey says he understands the confusion and uncertainty around TAF. He attended all TAF meetings held by Fonterra directors in his area. “I didn’t understand everything at first. If I didn’t as a fourth year finance student, I know what the farmers went through.”

Zach Mounsey

While buying the conversion farm and dealing with Fonterra and his bank manager, Mounsey grasped the inner details on TAF. This knowledge helps with his current role at Fonterra. After completing his degree, Mounsey left a copy of his CV with Waikato University’s career department. “I emphasised to them my strong interest in dairy farming. Fonterra called into the university a few days later seeking young graduates to aid in the implementation of TAF. One afternoon while driving the tractor, I got a call from a recruiter at Fonterra and wanted to arrange an interview.” Mounsey, who lives at Otorohanga, thanks his parents Andrew and Anita Coombe for their support. He grew up on the family’s 180ha dairy farm

milking 450 cows. “I’ve always been passionate about dairying and have always had the desire to be significant within the industry. My parents have fully supported me and backed me all the way.” After Mounsey completed his finance degree, he gained the confidence to sit with the bank manager to discuss buying into his first farm. For youngsters eyeing a career in dairying, M0unsey says it’s all in the mindset. “Work out your end goal first and then map out the best route and play your strengths.” Mounsey acknowledges he’s one of Fonterra’s youngest suppliers in an industry where the average farmer is now approaching 50. He believes his passion for the industry is opening doors for him.

Formula register followed Chinese requests REQUESTS FROM China for more

information on infant formula export documents led to the requirement for infant formula exporters to China to register with MPI. The quick move by MPI to set up the register is welcomed by the New Zealand Infant Formula Exporters Association which says it will help provide “confidence and clarity” to the Chinese

“Chinese authorities are looking for systems to better identify in-market those brands that have legally entered the country.” This lead to the urgent requirement, issued on June 7, for manufacturers and exporters to register their products with MPI and to supply brand information by last Thursday, as well as approved labels by July 6, 2013. Knox says brand information provided on health certificates and maintained in MPI databases is seen by the Chinese as an important tool. “This will

permit these products to be differentiated in-market from those which may be making false or misleading claims as to their New Zealand origin, and will better safeguard the assurances provided by New Zealand.” Chris Claridge, chief administration officer of the New Zealand Infant Formula Exporters Association, welcomes the move. “This means for the first time we are linking what is crossing the border and available in China to what’s manufactured here in New Zealand,” says Claridge, in answer to ques-

tions from Dairy News. “That’s a relatively significant step, and it’s a good one because it provides confidence and clarity to Chinese consumers. It means the chance of brands misrepresenting that they were made or manufactured in New Zealand is lessened. Our concern has always been over the label claims that we saw appearing in the marketplace in China. “We couldn’t verify as an independent body whether or not that brand originated from New Zealand, although it made the claim that it did.

As the dry flow granules poured into the dispenser, I relaxed, knowing the herd was being looked after.

T E

G Y

pamelat@ruralnews.co.nz

consumer. The move comes as a series of critical news stories about New Zealand’s milk manufacturing industry were broadcast by the state-run CCTV news network in China last month. MPI director of market assurance Tim Knox says China asked for brand information added to all export certificates MPI issues for infant formula being exported there. “The authenticity of various brands currently in the Chinese market is being regularly questioned by Chinese consumers, media and regulators,” says Knox.

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Dairy News june 25, 2013

6 // news

Dairy debt caution from MPI PETER BURKE peterb@ruralnews.co.nz

MPI IS sounding a caution about debt

in the dairy sector. In its latest Situation and Outlook report, MPI says some of the most heavily indebted dairy farmers may have difficulty servicing their debt even with the higher payout predicted by Fonterra for next season. It says the higher payout will benefit some but not all farmers. But Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy is not too concerned about the debt in the sector, saying dairy farmers have been good at repaying debt and have realised the country has been in a tricky situation. “Of course the $7 payout forecast by Fonterra has been extremely well received and that is going to help farmers repay the debt. Drought affected some farmers by up to $100,000 – some more, some less depending on the locality of the farm. The debt is an issue but by and large farmers have responded by paying it down.” Guy says Fonterra and other milk companies are signalling an incredibly bright future. “The world wants to

consume more of our products because we’ve got the best food safety system in the world,” he says. Dairy sector debt has trebled in ten years to reach $30.5 billion, the report shows. About half is held by 10% of farmers. While the level of debt is in itself concerning, the dairy sector’s expansion must be kept in mind. MPI says it would be more concerned if the debt had been incurreed for non-productive rather than productive purposes. The debt is due mainly to dairy conversions, in particular higher land prices, MPI says. This leaves a “significant number” of dairy farmers vulnerable to a fall in the price of milk or a fall in land prices. And the drought has hit especially North Island dairy farmers with a double whammy – lower prices and less production. The drought’s impacts are, predictably, reflected in the drop in milk production of 1.2% to 1.65 million tonnes MS for this season. Dairy export revenue was also down 5.5% to $12.9 billion due to a combination of the drought, lower prices and the higher exchange rate. But it would seem that this is just a

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blip: a modest increase in production to 1.70 million tonnes MS is predicted for the 2013-14 season, rising to 1.95 million by 2017. Revenue from exports is also predicted to rise in the new season by 8.1% to $13.9 billion and will reach $17.7 billion by 2017. Like the minister, MPI is upbeat about dairying’s future: expect to see nearly 500,000 more cows by 2017 as conversions to dairying continue. But despite this expansion, the likelihood of the industry achieving the Government’s goal of doubling exports by 2025 is slim; other sectors are not enjoying the same growth as dairying. China is now New Zealand’s biggest market for dairy products (23% of exports), followed by the OPEC countries and SE Asia; the European Union takes a mere 3%. With butter OPEC is top of the list, then SE Asia and China. The EU market, in which New Zealand fought hard in the 1970-80s to retain butter access, is a shadow of its past – now taking just 6% of total exports. But with this shift in exports to Asia and China there is a word of caution, timely given recent hiccups in China over meat exports. The report notes that “cultural and language differences

Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy (right) seen here with Prime Minister John Key at the National Fieldays says dairy farmers are good at repaying debt.

are the foremost barriers for New Zealand companies doing business with emerging markets”. It goes on to say that “long term proactive and strategic thinking by companies and government will be needed to overcome these challenges”. The report’s authors might have

Maori agribusinesses advance MAORI AGRIBUSINESS is in the spotlight

in this year’s MPI Situation and Outlook report. In dairying, Maori are major producers – about 10% of the total milk solids. Outstanding dairy operations include Parin-

inihi ki Waitotara (PKW), Taranaki, Fonterra’s largest milk supplier in that province. And in the central North Island, Wairarapa Moana and Tahara Moana are among the major producers. The report singles out

the Miraka dairy plant near Taupo as an example of the strides Maori have made in developing and growing their contribution to the economy. Many Maori these days jokingly refer to Miraka as ‘Monterra’. Jokes aside,

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Miraka has shown it can compete with Fonterra and is known to have a waiting list of would-be suppliers Miraka recently did a deal with Shanghai Pengxin to produce branded UHT milk for export to China. It has a strong partner in Vinamilk, a large Vietnamese dairy company. Miraka is a model of excellence and one Maori are proud of. The MPI report says Maori are shifting from being passive to active owners. There has been much frustration in Maoridom that they are essentially ‘ticket clippers’ – meaning collecting rent for their land without being able to develop it to their potential. PKW has bought land back, as have many other Maori trusts and incor-

porations, and are now reaping benefits. The MPI report acknowledges a “significant increase” in the capability of Maori landowners and mentions the need to raise the productivity of the remainder of Maori land. The report acknowledges the work of the Federation of Maori Authorities (FOMA) and points to its goal of getting Maori dairy entities to work more together. But the report’s mention of ‘amalgamation’ of Maori land is likely to raise the ire of Maori. Attendees at a Fieldays MPI seminar strongly rejected the concept of ‘amalgamation’ but accepted the ‘aggregation’ of lands. It’s about people retaining their identity with their land and not losing it through ‘amalgamation’.

in brief Waiting on offer THE MAORI trust that’s bid to buy two dairy farms in the central North Island from the Chinese company Shanghai Pengxin is still waiting for a response. Te Hape B Trust, near Bennydale, King Country, has tried several times to buy the farms formerly owned by Allan Crafar. Trust chairman Hardie Pene says a bid to buy the farms was lodged this month.

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Dairy News june 25, 2013

8 // news

Dairy farmer chairman for Young Farmers In action: the ANZ Young Farmers Contest was new chairman Cole Grove’s introduction to the organisation.

Cole Groves, a 26-year-old sharemilker from Pleasant Point, South Canterbury, is the new chairman of New Zealand Young Farmers. Andrew Swallow relays Groves’ thoughts on Young Farmers and dairying. THE NEXT generation of

dairy farmers is secure and while there’s a bottleneck in the traditional career path, alternative avenues are developing, says the newly elected chairman of New Zealand Young Farmers (NZYF), Cole Groves. “I don’t see there being many challenges getting into dairying as a manager or 2IC. It’s just that next step has nearly been eliminated,” the 26-year-old sharemilker from Pleasant

Point, South Canterbury, told Dairy News. “There’s just not the [sharemilker] jobs out there that there were, or they’re just not turning over. And with the price of cows, it’s a million dollars for 500 cows now.” He and his wife Virginia started their herd by buying carry-over cows at $450 the first year they went lower-order sharemilking. “They’d be a $1000 now,” he notes.

Three years later they moved onto a farm owned by Virginia’s parents, milking their own herd of 900 cows. Groves admits they’re lucky to have such a position. “Two years ago there was a sharemilking job near Ashburton that had over 100 applicants. Just to get in the top five you have to be pretty outstanding and can still miss out.” But there are alterna-

tives emerging, such as equity partnerships, and/ or operational roles for big corporate farms. “There are some great opportunities for young guys. You get a great salary and need to make sure it’s working for you with an asset, whether it’s leasing cows into their system, or buying heifers and trading stock.” Groves hails from Auckland but was bitten by the dairy bug at an early

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age. “I had an aunty who was a sharemilker when I was about seven and that’s how I got into dairy farming, because we used to go down there for holidays.” By the time he was old enough to work on farms the aunt was out of the industry so he put a ‘job wanted’ ad on Fencepost and found a summer placement near Whangerei. “It was minimum wage, living in an old pool shed, but I loved it.” A string more dairy jobs in the Waikato followed, all with Lincoln graduates, which sold him on a move south for his further education. “I went to Lincoln in 2005. I was the only one from Auckland at Lincoln at that stage doing ag, which was a bit of a scary

prospect because I didn’t have any friends there.” He was already engaged with Young Farmers having entered the contest in the Northern region, chasing a scholarship prize to Lincoln, which he duly landed. At Lincoln he got more involved, going to the meetings and functions of the Dunsandel club. “A group of about eight of us went along from Lincoln. That’s really how I got into the Young Farmers.” Graduating from Lincoln he managed a 1000cow unit for eight months then went lower-order sharemilking on one of Lincoln lecturer Marv Pangbourne’s farms, with then girlfriend, now wife, Virginia, sharemilking

Pangbourne’s other property. A year later, they took another lowerorder sharemilking job at Oxford, while still running Pangborne’s properties at Rakaia, with the Oxford job going 50/50 a year later. In June 2012 they moved everything to their current position on Virginia’s parents’ 300ha irrigated milking platform at Pleasant Point, South Canterbury. They aim to start buying bits of land of their own in the area, and eventually buy into the dairy farm itself. “But at the moment we’re just working on paying off debt!” @dairy_news facebook.com/dairynews

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GROVES SEES Young Farmers’ role, as an organisation, as a way to encourage young people into agriculture. “We’ve got this really good pipeline concept where we do AgriKids, TeenAg, which is the high school years, and then into Young Farmers. It’s not only a succession plan for Young Farmers, it’s driving interest in agriculture, which noone else is really doing at the level we are. “And we’re making it fun. There are always people saying ‘Oh, farming’s too hard’ but there’s a fun side to it too, and kids love competition. “Also, we do a lot of industry work in educating kids in school about agriculture, getting them out to field days like the Get Ahead programme. This year we had just under 1300 students attend across the country which is pretty amazing.” The social side, as well as personal and career development, is a key driver for older club members too. “There are not many organisations where you can show up at a meeting at the pub and have 30 people interested in what you’re doing, especially for a young

person or couple moving into a district.” Active clubs have two or three events a month. Groves’ wife Virginia notes how much their former club, Dunsandel, did. “During the summer our club would have netball on a Monday night, lawn bowls on a Thursday night, then touch on a Friday night. It was really social.” Just by being involved in organising such activities members are “upskilling” themselves, even if they don’t realise it at the time, adds Groves. Nationally, membership has leapt from a nadir of 400 less than a decade ago to 2000 today, in about 90 clubs. Groves says the focus now isn’t so much on growth, but consolidating that structure and membership, ensuring “members who have paid their $70 get a lot of value out of it, and making sure they’re aware what they can get out of it.” For instance, the Generate Leadership course is free to members – one example of how the organisation leverages its funds and position in the industry, procuring sponsorship and bringing benefits to members. “Membership only makes up 3% of our budget now.”

Dairy News june 25, 2013

10 // news

Sustainability remains key david mcdonald

DAIRYNZ CHIEF executive Tim Mackle is warning the dairy industry to improve its environmental sustainability. He told a National Fieldays seminar on trends and challenges facing the dairy sector, “environmental sustainability has to be making a difference on the farm while allowing farmers to stay profitable. If we get this wrong, we are in serious trouble in New Zealand.” These core values of profit and responsibility are pivotal to a DairyNZ sustainability strategy due for release in July. “It aims to make dairy farming work for everyone,” Mackle says. “We believe these two things will lead to what we call sustainable dairy farming.” Mackle listed as “responsible and competitive” farming goals – animal welfare, environmental compliance, industry information systems, work conditions, research and development, community participation and profitability. The whole industry needs to

be able to demonstrate tangible outcomes and evidence to New Zealanders and people overseas, Mackle says. Joining initiatives such as the recent ‘Sustainable Dairying Water Accord’ will help improve public perceptions and understanding. The accord demands water quality of all rivers and lakes be maintained and enhanced. Referring to controversy over a New Zealand Herald photograph showing a cow being shot during the drought, he said though the photo was misleading, it showed how quickly public perceptions of farming can be affected. “We are farming in a goldfish bowl. Consumers are having more say on how we farm; we need to respond. The dairy industry must get things right on the farm if it is to improve its image with urban dwellers.” Mackle encourages dairy farmers to more community service and involvement. The Fonterra ‘Milk in Schools’ scheme is a good example and he suggests farmers work alongside communities in part-

nership. On economic trends and the dairy industry’s competiveness, Mackle says though New Zealand is responsible for 75% of international dairy trade, and enjoys healthy profits, it must not become complacent, particularly given the recent drought. He says a trend shows that operating expenses per kgMS have not declined since it rose during the 2007/2008 drought and there has been an increase in average cost of debt by $0.70/ kgMS. Liquidity and cash risk continue for many farmers. “40% of North Island dairy farmers are in a shaky position and will not be able to meet their working expenses and interest costs this season as a result of the drought.”

Tim Mackle

While the milk price is up he believes these trends are concerning. But there is huge potential for farmers to lift their operating profit. @dairy_news facebook.com/dairynews

MPI names new TB body THE ANIMAL Health Board is relinquishing its role as the management agency for the national bovine TB pest management plan at the end of this month. The role will pass to a new limited-liability company TBfree New Zealand Ltd. From July 1, 2013 TBfree New Zealand Ltd and National Animal Identification and Tracing (NAIT) Ltd will become whollyowned subsidiaries of Operational Solutions for Primary Industries (OSPRI) New Zealand Ltd. Minister for Primary Industries Nathan Guy has appointed TBfree New Zealand Ltd as the agency responsible for the national bovine tb pest management plan. “Bringing together what was formerly the Animal Health Board and NAIT Ltd will enable the more efficient and flexible delivery of the Bovine TB management plan and the NAIT scheme,” says MPI director of preparedness and partnerships David Hayes. “The revised corporate structure will deliver a range of outcomes to protect and enhance the primary sector. This new structure will leverage the competencies and expertise already developed within AHB and NAIT, and the strong partnership with the MPI. “It is envisaged that new strategies and services would be developed in areas such as pest and risk management, design and delivery of partnership programmes between Crown and industry, and the delivery of a combined ‘farmer facing’ contact centre and other outreach services,” says Hayes.

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Dairy News june 25, 2013

news // 11

‘Hokey’ tech stuff fun and useful pam tipa pamelat@ruralnews.co.nz

NEW MOBILE technol-

ogy coming out for onfarm use “sounds a little hokey” but can be useful, says Paul Brislen, chief executive of the Telecommunications Users’ Association (TUANZ). “The most fun stuff is drones – flying ‘model aircraft’ that use a GPS system and can map out farming, such as where your stock is, and where it isn’t, and report it back to your iPad so you can see it all in real time,” Brislen told Dairy News. Asked about applications for dairy farming, he says there are a lot of applications for farming in general to help manage a farm. “You’ve got a lot of mapping tools and location-based stuff. So you can drive around the farm on your quad and take your iPad and GPS beacon and map your farm, know where you’ve put down fertiliser and where you haven’t, where your water pipes run within millimetres. “There’s a lot of effort going into things like that which sound a little hokey but generally are pretty cool.” His comments come ahead of a a MobileTECH Summit for the primary sector in Wellington on August 7-8. Brislen says

TUANZ usually holds an annual event for the rural sector but is not doing so this year because of a lack of sponsors. Any initiative that promotes mobile technology is “terrific”, he says. The two-day programme at the James Cook Hotel, organised by Connex, will bring together communications specialists, technology providers and those working in the primary industries. Organisers say primary industries can come to grips with just what the technology is, how it can be used, adopted and integrated into existing operations and what’s being rolled out in the next 12 months. The event will showcase a wide range of mobile technologies, including new innovations in smartphones, tablets, mobile apps, satellite and communication systems, intelligent data, machine to machine communications, real-time analytics and web platforms. “We’re delighted with the calibre of presenters that have come on board for this year’s MobileTECH Summit 2013,” says Ken Wilson, Connex programme manager. Companies include Mobile Mentor, AlcatelLaurent, GPS-iT, Hawkeye UAV, GeoSystems, Aerial Surveys, Lindsay Inter-

national, IrrigationNZ, ECONZ, SST Software Australia, FarmIQ, NZ RFID Pathfinder Group and HitLabNZ. They will discuss tools, plat-

forms and technologies to improve users’ productivity and financial performance. Dairy Women’s Network and Federated

Farmers are among primary industry organisations helping promote the summit.

Paul Brislen

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WOULDN’T IT BE GREAT TO MANAGE SCOURS WITHOUT CAUSING LUMPS?

Google loon ‘a bit loony’ GOOGLE LOON, a global internet trial launched in Canterbury this month, won’t carry the answer for New Zealand remotest farms struggling for fast internet access, says Brislen. But it’s good for New Zealand’s profile that they chose to launch the global trial here. “Gooble Loon is a bit loony; it is designed for extremely remote areas where there’s little chance of ever having a decent connection,” Brislen told Dairy News. Because the balloons are at 20km altitude you get problems with latency – like the “bad old days when you phoned Britain and you would get a lag on the phone and end up talking over the top of each other”. “You get that, but in the internet world. The connection goes 20km up to the balloon and 20km back down to the earth station which passes it on.”

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Dairy News june 25, 2013

12 // news

Think before locking into ‘herd scheme’ pam tipa pamelat@ruralnews.co.nz

A DECLINE in dairy livestock values of 12% since last year has created opportunities for farmers

With the increased payout, herd values are likely to rise.

to enter the ‘herd scheme’. Joining the scheme means stock are valued as a capital asset so any changes in value are not subject to tax. With the increased payout and the need to rebuild livestock

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numbers following the drought, values are likely to rise. But BDO rural sector expert Mark Irving says proposed changes to the scheme potentially ‘lock’ farmers in permanently, so careful consideration is required. Irving told Dairy News there’s the normal ways of valuing the stock on hand at balance date, the same as any other business, but there’s another option with the proper name of ‘national average market values’, colloquially known as the herd scheme. “If taxpayers elect to use that methodology for valuing their livestock then as market values go up and down their book values go up and down by the same amount, but that has no impact on their taxable income,” he says. “With any of the other schemes, the movement in the book value on hand does affect taxable income.” The herd scheme is unique to farming and takes people a year or two to get their head around it. “It has a lot of rules on what you can and what you can’t do. In response to what the IRD perceived as people taking advantage of those rules, proposed changes to legislation will change the rules on what people can and can’t do with that herd scheme. “The main one is that once people are in the herd scheme then, contrary to what they could do in the past – which was elect to get out at a point in time – once they are in they will be locked in forever. So people need to consider that if they are putting livestock into the herd scheme. “Whereas before they could get out with about a couple of years’ notice, now once they are in, it doesn’t matter how many years notice, they won’t be

able to get out again.” Irving says decisions need to be made on a caseby-case basis. Generally this revolves around whether the taxpayer is likely to keep owning the livestock. “If they are likely to sell, they are much better

Mark Irving

off to have livestock in the ‘national average market values’ [herd scheme]; then their sale value will be the same as the book value so they won’t generate any taxable profit on them.” But he says there are companies or trusts where the shareholders or owners may change, such as inter-generational farms, but the herd will not be sold for 20 or 30 years. “With the proposed changes, if that company has made its decision to have livestock in the herd scheme, and the company is around for two or three generations, the livestock will always be in the scheme. “You may not want to have your livestock in the herd scheme if you are a company and there for decades. “But if you are a sharemilker and could be selling your stock in 5-10 years, you would be thinking more about having your livestock in the herd scheme so you wouldn’t generate any taxable profit when you sold.” Any decisions about introducing additional stock to the herd scheme “need to be considered and tailored very carefully”, he says.

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Dairy News june 25, 2013

14 // news

Precision ag can also benefit dairying

C-Dax pasturemeter’s original prototype was designed by Professor Ian Yule’s team at Massey.

ANDREW SWALLOW andrews@ruralnews.co.nz

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fit from the approach, says a convenor of a Precision Dairying Workshop this week. The Precision Agriculture Association of New Zealand (PAANZ) event, on Wednesday at Lincoln immediately following the South Island Dairy Event,

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“A case study that will be presented at the workshop by Taranaki farmer Hayden Lawrence will show how he’s managed to grow more grass, and produce more milk, with less fertiliser.” That case study will conclude a session that begins with a presentation on automation and robotics in dairying, followed by ones on herd management systems, precision irrigation and labour organisation. “It’s not just about the equipment,” stresses Yule. “It’s how you use the equipment, and manage the human side, that’s

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For example, effluent applications can be tracked by GPS and flowmeters to show how much is applied and where, which, with analysis of the effluent, can give a much more accurate picture of nutrient application and fertiliser requirements. Similarly, use of GPS to do multiple samples of soil from exactly the same points across a paddock and farm, year after year, or every few years, gives a more exact picture of how nutrient levels are tracking. With about $180 spent on fertiliser per cow milked on New Zealand dairy farms, nutrient management is one of the areas where a more precise approach promises substantial gains, notes Yule.

really important too.” After afternoon tea the programme resumes with sessions on nutrient use efficiency, pasture accounting and precision feeding in pasture-based systems. Besides informing delegates of what’s already available and in the offing, the workshop is designed “as a bit of a pump primer”, in that it will guide future research and development into a more precise approach to dairying, adds Yule. “We want to find out what are the really relevant things that people in dairying are concerned about.” The workshop is free to attend and a live webcast is planned. @dairy_news facebook.com/dairynews

in brief CEO search underway A RECRUITMENT campaign will start in August for a new chief executive for Dairy Women’s Network. The network’s board made that decision at its recent board meeting, the network’s chairwoman, Michelle Wilson told Dairy News. “This will give the board time to complete the network’s five year business plan, ensuring the chief executive role is accurately scoped before advertising.” Former chief executive Sarah Speight stepped down in April after two years in the job. Wilson stepped in to lead the network’s day-today operations. Speight had been the 15-year-old network’s first fulltime chief executive. She had been commuting from her home in Tauranga to the network’s Hamilton-based office and said at the time of her resignation she believed the role required someone based in Waikato.

Dairy News june 25, 2013

16 // news

NZ eyed by milking pioneer as grazing system hub SUDESH KISSUN sudeshk@ruralnews.co.nz

NEW ZEALAND is being viewed by a multinational milking technology pioneer as a ‘hub’ for the development and marketing of its grazing systems. GEA Farm Technologies is using New Zealand to deliver grazing system technologies around the world, and is meanwhile gauging Kiwi farmers’ interest in its new MIone automated milking system. GEA last year bought dairying equipment and milking systems maker Milfos, Hamilton. It is one of five GEA subsidiaries, with Westfaliasurge (milking machines), FIL (animal health and hygiene), Houle (effluent

management equipment) and Norbco (barn equipment). At the National Fieldays this month GEA marketed itself as a one-stop shop for the New Zealand dairy farmer. GEA president and chief executive Ulrich Hullmann, at Fieldays with other executives, describes New Zealand as a significant market for the company. This wasn’t always the case but Hullmann says with the acquisition of Milfos, GEA has strengthened its position in the market and pastoral farming overall. While New Zealand provides a suitable hub for its grazing system business, GEA also plans to bring its worldwide experience and prod-

ucts into the New Zealand market. “Some of GEA’s technology is world leading, for example effluent management and cow comfort in barns,” Hullmann told Dairy News. “For the Milfos and FIL brands, the investment that GEA will put into research and development means we can keep moving the technology of our products and services forward. “It is not about reinventing the wheel but using global experience and New Zealand experience to create the best products and services for the market.” Hullmann acknowledges the uptake of robotic milking is limited in New Zealand though the oppor-

tunity is huge. But he cautions it will require more than just putting robots on farms. New Zealand farmers will need holistic farm management changes before adapting to robotic milking. Hullmann believes GEA can use its robotic milking expertise from Europe and the US to help here. Visitors to the GEA site at the Fieldays saw live footage of the MIone in action on European farms as the company gauged interest. GEA marketing manager Nicky Bowden says MIone is unique in having one robotic arm that can milk cows in five bails simultaneously. ’We’re looking at bringing it into New Zealand as a cost-effective auto-

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GEA Farm Technologies chief executive Ulrich Hullmann (left) chats with vice president sales Jamie Mikkelson and guests at the Fieldays.

mated milking system. We haven’t given it a big push but we are aware competitors are already operating in that space.” A small group of farmers has shown interest, she says. Hullmann says it is about making sure farmers have the right level

of automation for their market. “We… have created a rotary robot called Dairy Pro Q which is our next step. This is mostly for larger farms and may be more suited to pastoral farming. “Robots [are misunderstood] – “that you put

in a robot and walk away. Not all cows will fit or work with technology and many other farm management practises will require alterations to really benefit from robotics.” @dairy_news facebook.com/dairynews

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farming culture impresses visitor GEA FARM Technologies chief executive Ulrich Hullmann is impressed by the New Zealand dairy industry. Hullmann, who visited farms around the country, described New Zealand farmers as passionate. “What you see marketed about New Zealand is what you actually see here and on farm. “Dairying is at the core of the New Zealand economy; nowhere else does agriculture play such a vital part in society, politics and culture. “Other parts of the world look to NZ for pastoral based farming expertise.”

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Dairy News june 25, 2013

18 // world

Oz processors lift opening forecast FONTERRA AND listed Australian

milk processor Warrnambool Cheese & Butter (WCB) have announced an

Judith Swales

opening price of A$5.60/kgMS for this season, 5c more than rival Murray Goulburn. The opening price is 25% higher than last season’s opening price. WCB is forecasting an end of season price range of A$5.90 to A$6.10/kgMS. Fonterra’s full year forecast is A$6/kgMS “plus or minus 10c”. However, farmers are being warned things could change quickly. WCB chief executive David Lord says as the Industry has experienced in recent years, markets and exchanges rates are volatile and can move quickly up or down. “In this environment we need to be aware that this volatility can impact on the industry and on milk prices paid,” says Lord. Global dairy prices have firmed in recent months, mostly on the back of supply concerns out of New Zealand. But with the New Zealand drought over, prices have eased, though they

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remain historically high. The recent easing of the Australian dollar has also helped export receipts. Lord says these movements have been positive and give the industry confidence for the first half of the season when prices are expected to remain strong. “Given the volatility of the many external factors, such as milk supply growth, market demand, world dairy prices and exchange rates, it is difficult to predict in the longer term, and we maintain a cautious approach to the second half of the year.” Fonterra’s managing director Australia Judith Swales says its strategy is have the most competitive dairy supply chain and it starts with profitability for suppliers. “That’s why we are pleased to reflect the improved market conditions with a strong opening price for next season.” Murray Goulburn opens the season with an effective initial price of A$5.60/ kgMS and forecasts an end of season

Australian processor Warrnambool Cheese & Butter warns dairy prices will remain volatile.

price range of A$5.80-$6/kgMS. The actual opening price is $5.47/ kgMS with an option of a 13 cent prepaid final step up. MG’s opening price last year was A$4.50/kgMS. MG managing director, Gary Helou, says MG’s opening price reflects the positive impacts of the A$100 million operational savings, higher world dairy ingredients prices and a softening Australian dollar. “Demand for dairy food remains strong in key markets in Asia and the Middle East with growth in traded global dairy market expected to exceed 5% per annum. “On the other hand, global supply of dairy products was hampered by negative seasonal conditions in key exporting regions, including New Zealand,

Australia and Europe. “Growth in global traded milk supply this year is expected be less than 1%, or half the previously forecast 2%. This shift in the balance between supply and demand has resulted in the recent surge of international dairy prices.” Helou agrees with Lord that although prices were expected to stay strong during the next six months, factors like growth in supply, foreign exchange and continued strong demand would shape prices during the second half of the year. Independent Australian processor United Dairy Power has flagged an opening milk price of A$5.80/kgMS. UDP is seeking as much as 80 million litres in extra milk supply in 2013-14.

CONNECTING RURAL NEW ZEALAND

Dairy News june 25, 2013

20 // OPINION Ruminating

EDITORIAL

Destined for the coffee table

milking it... Did he or didn’t he?

THE NATIONAL Fieldays PR team operated like a well-oiled machine at the recent event. But they got mixed up about one machine. A media release headed ‘Prime Minister choppers in for a glimpse of Fieldays action’ spoke of John Key arriving by helicopter. Half an hour later came a correction: ‘He arrived by car and did not helicopter in to the Mystery Creek Fieldays expo.’ Oops!

Adding colour to feed

THE FEEDER Leader company of Taupo, makers of bale feeders, has taken client choice to a new level. Bale feeders for Waikato customers come in the province’s favourite colour codes. A Fieldays display at Waikato Tractors Ltd’s caused some eyes to roll. “I was responsible for independent tests that proved conclusively that local cows preferred hay and silage fed from these machines,” quipped one person at the site. Feeder Leader says it’s not expecting many orders from the Canterbury and Southland regions.

Boozy cows

INDIAN STATE Kerala’s love affair with beer seems to have found an unlikely spinoff. Dairy farmers in the state are increasingly recycling malted barley from breweries to feed their cows. According to state animal husbandry department sources, a majority of large dairy farms in the state have included spent barley as a cattle feed of choice due to its low cost and high protein content. And farmers have reported getting about 30% more milk from this feed.

Water beds for cows

BUSINESS IS booming for a US company that build water beds for cows. Advanced Comfort Technology (ACT), a Wisconsin family business with eight employees, had US$4 million gross revenue last year. The business started in the late 1990s, when most cows spent their days and nights lounging around on mattresses or sand. In the years since, the company has gained a following among farmers who like its dual-chamber cow waterbeds (DCC waterbeds) which have an extra front pillow to cushion a cow’s descent onto the bed. The amount of rest a cow gets, and the quality of that rest, directly affect how much milk she produces, says Wendy Fulwider, an animal care specialist who has researched different types of bedding for cows.

THE UNDOUBTED star of MPI’s Situation and Outlook Report (SOPI) is the dairy sector. Yes, the drought has caused considerable pain to many North Island dairy farmers, but unlike the sheep and beef sector, the pain will quickly disappear as the new season begins and the milk cheques start to arrive. The promise of a $7 payout will ease the pain. All that’s needed now is a good season and our customers in Asia and elsewhere to pay good prices. Perhaps the Reserve Bank could effect a miracle drop in the exchange rate and farmers would be super happy. SOPI provides an interesting snapshot of the primary sector, particularly dairying. It’s a glossy publication with lots of beautiful pictures, and graphs and tables that highlight trends. It contains good commentary in places but it’s not as insightful as we might expect from the government agency supposed to provide leadership for the sector. One complaint going the rounds in Wellington is that SOPI uses data gathered from a range of sources but has virtually none of its own original information. It’s a far cry from the past and the use of ‘aggregated data’ raises issues about its accuracy. For example Beef + Lamb NZ has for decades collected its own data, regarded as reliable and good for decision making. That aside, SOPI is balanced in that it paints a generally positive outlook for dairying but raises useful flags – debt, market volatility, the exchange rate and the need for good understanding of our emerging markets. To be fair to the sector, it has an excellent track record but, as the report indicates, it can’t afford to relax its game. SOPI is a good effort, but perhaps in future MPI could increase the amount of hard data and turn the document into one on which on-farm decisions could be based. As it stands SOPI is a not bad coffee table mag for those interested in the primary sector.

Got something on your mind? GOT SOMETHING on your mind about the latest issues affecting our dairy industry? Put your pen to paper or your fingers to your keyboard, and let our readers know what you think. Contact us by either post or email. Don’t forget to put your name and address. Note: Letters may be edited. post to: Letter to the Editor PO Box 3855, Auckland 1140. or Email: dairynews@ruralnews.co.nz

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Dairy News june 25, 2013

opinion // 21

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sent the future of a dairy farm. They are also a significant investment with the cost of rearing a heifer to her first lactation estimated to be $1200. Optimal weight gain and health during rearing are essential to ensure the newly calved heifer produces milk to her genetic potential, gets back in calf quickly and has good health so she stays in the herd long-term. Unfortunately young stock often suffer the most during times of feed shortages because: ■■ They are usually given a lower grazing priority than the milkers. ■■ They are frequently grazed off-farm. ■■ It is difficult to “eyeball” how much they weigh relative to how much they should weigh. While there has been on-going focus on ensuring calves meet weaning weight targets, nutrition of older young stock is just as critical. A large New Zealand study1 showed increased liveweight as a result of post-pubertal nutrition increased milk production. It is therefore

important to target liveweight gain after puberty which usually occurs around 11-12 months of age.

Taking this research into consideration, DairyNZ targets2 for young stock are: ■■ 30% of mature liveweight at 6 months of age. ■■ 40% at 9 months. ■■ 60% of mature liveweight at 15 months (mating). ■■ 90% of mature liveweight at 22 months. What does that mean right now? If you have a spring calving herd, your rising one year heifers should be close to 50% and your in-calf heifers 90% of the weight of the mature cows in your herd. Well grown rising one

year heifers will cycle earlier and get in calf sooner. This will result in earlier calving in their first lactation and increase the chance they remain in the herd long-term. Meeting the breed weight targets for in-calf rising two year heifers will help ensure you get more milk in the vat in the coming season. Irrespective of breed, each kilogram of liveweight at 22 months is worth 0.14kg fat and 0.10kg of protein3. At a milk price of $7.00/kgMS this translates to a return of about $1.66/kg of liveweight up to the target. Maize silage for young stock Maize silage is an excellent supplement for heifers for a number of reasons: 1. Maize produces low cost drymatter. Most farmers can grow maize silage crops that yield 18 - 24 tDM/ha for 15.8 21.1c/kgDM. Crops can be grown in high fertility dairy paddocks without the need for additional fertiliser for 11.6 – 15.5c/ kgDM. 2. Maize silage can be stored and fed when required. Having a buffer

of maize silage on-hand allows you to supplement young stock whenever liveweight gains are below target levels. 3. Maize silage is a ‘clean’ feed. Young stock grazing to low residuals are more susceptible to worms and facial eczema spores than older animals. Feeding maize silage reduces worm and spore intakes. 4. Safe to feed. The mix of highly digestible grain as well as fibre from the plant makes maize silage highly palatable and safe to feed. There is only one reliable way to determine whether your heifers are on track to meet these targets and that is to weigh them. If they are too light, it is well worth investing in extra feed to get them up to target weight. 1 Macdonald, et al., 2005. Journal of Dairy Science 88: 3363-3375. 2 DairyNZ farmfact 3-22 Recommended liveweights for young stock. 3 Replacement heifers – rearing the next generation. DairyNZ Technical Series March 2011. • Ian Williams is a Pioneer forage specialist. Contact him at iwilliams@genetic. co.nz

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Dairy News june 25, 2013

22 // agribusiness

Dairying women beef up networking TWO NEW appointees

to the Dairy Women’s Network will help grow membership in regional groups, offer more training and support emerging leaders, says executive chair Michelle Wilson. DWN has 30 regional groups – 12 in the South Island and 18 in the north. Two new convenor coordinators will each spent 20 hours per week supporting the 30 dairying women who voluntarily lead the regional groups. This effectively doubles support, Wilson says. Cathie Cotter, a farmer and registered nurse, is the

South Island appointee. She lives at Woodlands where she and husband Phillip own and run 119ha, milking 340 cows this season. They also graze their young stock, take on grazing winter cows and operate a rock quarry on an extra 184ha. Cotters sharemilked in Southland in 2000, also that year winning the Auckland/North Waikato sharemilker of the year competition. Cathie is a longstanding member of the DWN and has led the Invercargill/Southland regional group. She was until

recently a nurse at an oncology/medical day-stay at Invercargill Hospital. “Convenors are the face of the network in their local regions and they are the conduit for translating information from the network into the regions.” North Island appointee Emma Gardiner, Waikato, grew up on a farm and lives 10 minutes from her parents’ 67ha Gordonton dairy farm. She worked in dairying during university studies and will rear calves for her family this year when she’s not working at DWN.

Making the most of a higher milk payout MAKING THE most of a higher milk

price will be discussed at a Northland Focus Farm field day on the farm of Alister and Lyn Candy, at Okaihau on July 2. DairyNZ will be in support. A farm accountant and top award winner in the 2013 Northland Ballance Farm Environment Awards, Charmaine O’Shea, will talk to farmers about how to best take advantage of a rise in payout. Also speaking will be dairy farmer Roger Hutchings. The two will offer a practical approach to managing finances and look at the opportunities and pitfalls of a higher milk price. A review of the Okaihau farm’s 201213 season will also be given. Focus farm facilitator Gareth Baynham says the field day will help farmers plan for a successful spring. “The forecast milk price has resulted in some smiling farmers, but the challenge will be making sure the expected increase in milk price translates into generating profit on the farm. The goal

is to set up the farm to hit targets this spring. In Northland, that starts with winter management. “On the focus farm, for example, the Candys are planning to increase milk production this season by building on their experiences from the 2012/13 season and delivering on the focus farm goal of profiting from pasture.” Farmers Dave Gray and Peter Flood will expand on the ‘profiting from pasture’ theme. “Dave and Peter have successfully built their farming businesses on profitable pasture management and will provide tips and tools to make pasture management simple and effective,” says Baynham. “Good pasture management starts with getting winter management right and these field days provide a good opportunity to glean some ideas off other farmers.” Tel. 09 433 7527 gareth.baynham@agfirst.co.nz

“I will be supporting regional groups to plan their events and get some synergy going between them all. We are also improving how we communicate between groups to help the regions connect more easily and share information; we are doing this within and across the islands.” Gardiner discovered the network while researching an assignment for her university studies. She was impressed by the network’s purpose and its formal recognition of the contribution women make as dairy farmers.

Dairy Women’s Network new convenor coordinators Cathie Cotter (left), South Island, and Emma Gardiner, North Island.

Wilson says the combined experience and fresh thinking of the new appointees is a valuable resource. Among other responsibilities, the convenors will develop the network’s first regional

group strategy, which includes using social media tools such as Facebook, to improve communication. They will also review the network’s regional areas to identify gaps

where new groups could be created or where boundaries could be increased or reduced. The network is looking for regional convenors to for groups in Taranaki, Taupo and Cambridge.

in brief Fonterra expands coolstore

Synlait names quality manager

FONTERRA IS spending $30 million to expand its dry distribution centre at the Whareroa site in Taranaki. This follows a $23 million upgrade of the Whareroa coolstores last year, bringing the total investment on the site to at least $50 million since 2011. Fonterra director of logistics Mark Leslie says the project is part of Fonterra’s drive to simplify their supply chain and reduce the associated costs. “These investments are part of a strategy to deliver more products, more directly to ports for export. Our capacity to process milk continues to increase, so storage capacity must grow to meet this. Where possible we want to store product at the point of manufacture to reduce costs.” Fonterra has since 2008 built four distribution centres: at Crawford Street, Waikato; Mosgiel near Dunedin; Kauri in Whangarei; and Darfield in Canterbury. “This investment at our Whareroa facility will improve our logistics network’s storage capacity and address existing capacity constraints in the region. This means we are able to reduce the number of freight movements from where a product is manufactured through to delivery to the customer.” Construction is expected to be complete by August 2014.

SYNLAIT MILK has appointed Michael Stein, a former Mead Johnson executive, as general manager quality. Chief executive officer John Penno says Stein’s experience and reputation will reinforce the company’s reputation as a trusted supplier of ingredient and infant nutritional products. “Michael topped the company’s target list of candidates and we are thrilled he has agreed to join us.” Synlait Milk’s product integrity has been noted by the Infant Nutrition Council which represents the major exporters of infant formula in New Zealand. It won the top sward at the recent HSBC New Zealand China Trade Association business awards. At Mead Johnson Nutrition, Asia-Pacific, Stein led quality and technical units in China, South East Asia, Oceania and the Middle East. Mead Johnson has infant nutrition business in 50 countries and is one of three big suppliers of such products to China. At Synlait Milk, Stein will head quality throughout the business.

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Dairy News june 25, 2013

management // 23

Keeping lucerne weed-free GEORGE KERSE

TIMING IS critical when targeting weeds in stands of lucerne. After the drought reduced covers going into winter, spring feed will be critical so early winter is the time to protect lucerne crops. The benefits of lucerne as a feed crop have long been known. In fact, remains of lucerne roots have been found dating back to 6000BCE. Lucerne is a legume with the potential to fix up to 500kg/ha of nitrogen per year. Its long roots are commonly found at a depth of 3–5m which helps with water filtration, biological activity and improved nutrient cycling. These deep roots also prevent soil erosion and soil pans from forming. The legume is a high quality feed that can be grazed, cut for baleage or taken as hay a number of times over the season. It has proven itself as a drought-tolerant feed source in dry regions. The catch is that lucerne is a relatively expensive crop to establish, so it is vital to protect it and ensure the stand reaches its potential longevity through annual winter spraying. Often stands of lucerne last only three to five years with little or no weed control compared to the expected 8-15 years of

weed-free stands. Winter weed control is cost effective in established lucerne stands. The use of paraquat (Parable) is common combined with one of the Triazine family herbicides of atrazine (Atratec/ Atraflo), simazine (Simaflo) or terbuthylazine (Terbaflo), depending on weeds present and period of residual required in the soil. The key to using these types of herbicides is the reliance on the winter dormancy, the removal of green leaf and the deep taproot of lucerne plants. Lucerne should be grazed hard when frosts have stopped growth, with chemical application being made 7-10 days post-grazing in order to allow weeds to freshen up. The removal of green tissue will reduce damage to the lucerne from the desiccant paraquat. The deep taproot of lucerne protects the plant from the residual herbicides such as Terbaflo and Atratec due to the chemical only being active in the top 2-3 inches of soil, thus only affecting plants with their root zone in this area. From late winter onwards, lucerne starts developing new shoots in preparation for spring growth, therefore timing is important because spraying in early winter will negate any damage to these new shoots. The herbicides above generally control seedling

or young weeds. Perennial weeds left untreated over a 12 month period mature, multiply and may require other means of control. Therefore annual spraying is essential to pre-

vent weed establishment, transfer of weed seeds in hay or a reduction in feed quality. • George Kerse is Ravensdown business manager agrichemicals.

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in brief Soil moisture monitoring WHILE SOIL moisture monitoring isn’t widespread yet, irrigators are starting to recognise the value of this tool, says Aqualinc senior water resource engineer Matt Bubb. “Regional councils are not generally requiring soil moisture monitoring yet, but pressure is now on to improve performance. Having an understanding of your soil moisture is an important part of the irrigation decision-making process.” While farmers often associate monitoring with compliance, Bubb says on-farm savings can be more significant. “ It’s not only a compliance tool. Making sound irrigation management decisions based on real time data helps optimise water use often leading to reduced water use, lower power costs and less leaching of nutrients. The cost of monitoring typically pays for itself within a season or two.” Aqualinc is an independent provider of research-based consulting services.

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Dairy News june 25, 2013

24 // management

Getting a life with OAD milking PETER BURKE peterb@ruralnews.co.nz

SAM CAPES is switch-

ing permanently to oncea-day milking to restore some sanity to his hectic life as dairy farmer. Sam and his partner Belinda are about to become 50/50 sharemilkers on his parents’ farm near Eketahuna, northern Wairarapa, and will simultaneously switch to OAD. Capes’ farm recently hosted an OAD forum attended by nearly 100 people from around the North Island. The weather was typical for this high rainfall area, but it eased sufficiently for participants to do a small farm walk and hear Capes explain his reason for going to OAD. He says he’s been farming for five years and producing good results, but

still be good. they go OAD, made possiwhile he enjoys farming “The profitability will ble by a run-off block. On he’s had to work 24/7/365 be helped by the fact that TAD, milk solids producto do it. costs are down a bit. You “To get everything run- tion has been 202,000kg, are saving on shed runbut Capes expects this to ning smoothly it’s been slip to about 160,000kg at ning costs, imported feed, time consuming, a lot of worst, though he is hoping animal health and labour. effort and I have tried to overcome that by employ- to do 170,000kg. OAD will While milk production is down I’ll have ing staff, but more heifers have been let “I’m a perfectionist and the and cull cows down quite a job is more rewarding when to sell.” bit. I’m a perCapes is fectionist and things are done properly. It’s the job is more a personal thing and I haven’t not planning to change rewarding had much luck with staff his farmwhen things ing system are done prop- in the last couple of years. much with erly. It’s a per- Going OAD should improve sonal thing the work/life balance without the switch; he will continue and I haven’t relying on others as much.” to feed grass had much silage and luck with maize. He aims to get as make the whole job easier staff in the last couple of much milk out of the cows for him personally and years. Going OAD should as possible with OAD and improve the work/life bal- any staff he employs. He feeding them well will be acknowledges there are ance without relying on critical to achieving this. downsides, but believes others as much.” The OAD conversion the positives will far outThe farm presently idea came to Capes during weigh the negatives, and runs 460 cross bred a lecture at Lincoln Uniwhile production may be cows, but Capes plans to versity while he worked on down, profitability will increase this to 500 when

Sam Capes and partner Belinda.

a diploma in farm management – specifically during a class analysis of the different farming systems for sheep and beef, goats, deer and dairy. “The general consensus was that dairy farming was going to make you money but you wouldn’t have much of a life; but if you did something like sheep farming and had your weekends off you’d get a lifestyle. I thought ‘if you only had to milk those

cows once daily you’d get a lifestyle’. “I’d never heard of OAD milking but I googled it and the information that came back surprised me, as I could see potential to make a profit out of OAD milking. I’m lucky my parents agree with this point of view. I’ve also met with people who’ve been successful at OAD. That’s where the idea came from.” It has been a hard and

high-risk decision to make, but he is looking forward to less stress and more enjoyment from farming. “If things don’t work out, it is easy enough to flick back to the TAD regime, although I’ll do my best to avoid it.” He and Belinda are looking forward to the new season with a new system, and hope it works for the sake of others in the industry who are thinking along the same lines.

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Dairy News june 25, 2013

management // 25

Early research showed OAD would succeed A FORMER DairyNZ scientist, Dave Clark, says much of the early research into once-a-day milking has given farmers today the confidence to do it. Research in Taranaki in the 1990s set the benchmark for what could be achieved by OAD, he said at a recent seminar at Eketahuna. It was a ‘powerful experiment’ that took four years to compare the Friesian and Jersey breeds, looking at increasing herd numbers for OAD by 15% and at the results over several seasons. “What came out – and we didn’t realise this – was that 1000kgMS/ha was some sort of psychological barrier, and once our Jersey herds on OAD had got to the 1000kgMS/ha, it gave a lot of farmers confidence that their whole system wasn’t going to break down.” Clark says they never really looked strongly at the profitability because his feeling was that every farm was different and every farm is going to make a deci-

sion. Some with large mortgages were not going to look at OAD while others with less financial pressure could see benefits. The early research was quite small – herds of 45 cows – but the work proved that essentially nothing ‘nasty’ would happen to cows on OAD and this has continued to give farmers the confidence to go with it. “Today farmers are doing a lot of stuff themselves in terms of BCS and especially reproduction because we just don’t have the resources in science to take 1000 cows that might be needed to show a small difference in reproductive performance. Yet a small difference in reproductive performance that you might get from putting cows on OAD for

OAD farmers haven’t lost sight of the need to be profitable, says Dave Clark (inset).

part of the year is very important.” OAD farmers haven’t lost sight of the need to be profitable, but Clark says going that way they are able to achieve a balance which includes lifestyle and to consider other aspects of their farming businesses. Often OAD helps improve managerial capability of a farm. The drought has highlighted some benefits of OAD, including flexibility, Clark says. “Farmers have been much more innovative than some of us research-

ers. They are happy to use OAD in the first month of lactation which a lot of people thought was a complete no-no but they’ll do that because of labour issues. They’ll use it at mating time because they perceive an advantage and they’ll use it after Christmas because of the climate variability it enables them to handle it better.” One early myth about OAD was that it would ‘destroy the cows’, but research proved otherwise, particularly with one cow. “She came in at the start of the trial as a two-year-old. She gave 200kgMS

which was pathetic. Next year she did 300kgMS, the following year 400kgMS and final year of the trial she did 500kgMS in a lactation. She had come in as a small cow and by the time we had finished she was well over 600kg and in those first two years she was putting the energy into her frame.” The message from that is for people who are going into OAD, if they have young stock, especially Holstein Fresian, and they want them to do well, they must be well grown otherwise they will put energy into growing rather than into the vat.

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Dairy News june 25, 2013

26 // animal health

Can we breed better cows? PETER BURKE peterb@ruralnews.co.nz

A LEADING geneticist says he thinks the breeding of cows could go further in New Zealand. Associate professor Jon Hickford, Lincoln University, says to create new and unique dairy products New Zealand must improve the diversity of its dairy herd, probably using the genes sitting there now. You can’t make genetic gains unless you’ve got diversity, he says. And he points to the need to breed traits into our cows to ensure they cope with the changing environment in which they are farmed. “Currently one of the biggest problem is the distances cows have to walk on bigger farms. These farms are more efficient

economically but the cows are walking vastly longer distances and I don’t think we are yet breeding genetics that can

will cope with the present genetics. “But I don’t want us to move away from having that BW base and using that to give us

“You can’t make genetic gains unless you’ve got diversity.” cope with that. “We’re breeding genetics in Waikato, for example, for herds that walk only a couple of kilometres a day at most. But when they go to Canterbury and Southland they are walking 10-15km a day and I don’t think we have got our heads around that one yet.” Hickford also sees an issue with lameness and mastitis, and he questions how cows can cope on hilly terrain on which some are farmed. He’s not sure how well some

the production.” Hickford points out to his students that the cow has not changed much over centuries compared with, say, the dog. “I tell my students… we have Chihuahuas right up to Alsatians and Great Danes. Dogs are effectively common wolves and the genes are identical but we have bred that diversity by mating fathers to daughters and doing that sort of thing. It’s had a genetic cost but

New Zealand needs to improve the diversity of its dairy herd, says Jon Hickford (inset), Lincoln University.

we’ve got a huge amount of diversity.” Hickford says it’s possible similar diversity may well be in cows as well.

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“There are possibly traits sitting there we never thought about that we might need in the future that we can draw into our industry. Our industry is very homogeneous with dominance by Holstein Frisian genetics and it’s working. “But maybe as mar-

kets shift we need a little bit more diversity. Take for example the Guernsey cow. The milk is yellow and you get a lot more butterfat with the Guernsey. But there may be a market opportunity there that one-size-fitsall genetics and breed can’t provide.” Hick-

ford says if New Zealand is to go down a pathway of differentiated and unique branded products and move away from bulk commodity trading, we may have to see what some new genetics can offer. @dairy_news facebook.com/dairynews

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you want to vaccinate to minimise the risk of a rotavirus outbreak in your calves this spring. And just because youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve never had rotavirus in your calves, it doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t mean it isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t present on the farm, warns DairyNZ. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Adult cows often carry the virus asymptomatically,â&#x20AC;? says senior scientist Gwyn Verkerk. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t say itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s on 100% of farms here but thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s quite likely to be the case. It is a widespread virus.â&#x20AC;? Many of those using vaccines do so because theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve experienced the horrors of a rotavirus outbreak in their calf shed in previous seasons, says Verkerk. â&#x20AC;&#x153;People who have had an outbreak and are using vaccines say they would never go back to not using it,â&#x20AC;? she notes. Vaccines work by promoting an antibody response in cows, which is passed onto calves in colustrum. At least three weeks between vaccination and calving is needed for antibody levels to build, explains Stephen Hopkinson, of Taranaki Veterinary Centre. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Untreated cows do produce rotavirus antibodies but just not at very high levels and there are often issues with the amount of antibody uptake from colostrum anyway,â&#x20AC;? he told Dairy News. Once a calf is 12 hours

old the amount of antibody uptake is already substantially reduced and by 24 hours old uptake is completely blocked. â&#x20AC;&#x153;By vaccinating you get about 400-times the antibody level in the colostrum and provided the calf has something in its first six hours, it will have a good level of immunity.â&#x20AC;? Giving all calves a feed of first-milk colostrum (ie colostrum from the cowâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first milking after calving) when they arrive at the shed is also good practice. While some farms selectively vaccinate, Hopkinson says best results are achieved with whole herd vaccination. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It means every cow is contributing to those antibodies in the colostrum store. But itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not a cheap vaccine so there are a lot of options.â&#x20AC;? With veterinary advice, vaccination is something that can be done by farmers and farm staff, but self-injection is a serious safety risk and the injection should be made in the neck, not rump. Some vaccines require two shots three weeks apart the first time an animal is vaccinated â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a sensitiser and a booster â&#x20AC;&#x201C; then an annual booster in subsequent years, but thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s also a one-shot option for previously unvaccinated cows. Which will suit your circumstances is part of the discussion that should he had with the vet, says Hopkinson. Mortality from rotavirus alone isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t that high

but growth rate of calves that come through an infection is often reduced and, because the virus is highly infectious and can sweep through mobs of calves if immunity isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t adequate, the stress on staff from an outbreak is considerable. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s why many bigger farms go for whole herd vaccination. If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re only dealing with 50 calves then you might be able to manage but if you have 250 itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s much harder.â&#x20AC;? DairyNZ senior scientist Gwyn Verkerk echoes the workload consideration as a key factor. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If you get an outbreak of rotavirus youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re facing feeding electrolyte three or four times a day to affected calves on top of the already busy spring workload.â&#x20AC;? Outbreaks can affect hundreds of calves at a time, depending on the size of the farm, and while rotavirus alone is rarely a killer, it weakens the gastrointestinal tract allowing secondary infections such as clostridials or coliforms to gain a foothold, and these can prove fatal. â&#x20AC;&#x153;In a severe case 80% can dieâ&#x20AC;Ś This is why rotavirus vaccination seems to work so well because it deals with the primary infection which sets up the pathway for a more complex infection.â&#x20AC;? Both Hopkinson and Verkerk acknowledge the logistical challenge of vaccinating cows that are being wintered away but Verkerk says cows should be brought home at least

a couple of weeks before due date anyway, to avoid transporting too close to time of calving, so they should be home just in time for rotavirus jabs. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Other management operations can be done at this time as well, such as mastitis checks, body condition scoring, drafting out into different groups according to time of calving.â&#x20AC;? At calving, Verkerk stresses â&#x20AC;&#x153;gold colostrumâ&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201C; colostrum from a cowâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first milking â&#x20AC;&#x201C; should be kept separate from subsequent colostrum milkings and reserved for calvesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; first feeds. Provided that feed is within 12 hours of birth it will protect the quarter to one third of calves which research has shown fail to get an adequate amount of colostrum from their mothers in New Zealandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s systems, she says. Whether to vaccinate the whole herd, or selectively, depends on farm infrastructure and management. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Some people only vaccinate their three, four and five-year-old cows. They will produce more than enough gold colostrum for all the calvesâ&#x20AC;Ś but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s much easier for staff if they know that every cowâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first milk has to be kept separate.â&#x20AC;? If calves do succumb to rotavirus on a farm where cows were vaccinated, it points to a problem in colostrum feeding, not a problem with the vaccine, adds Hopkinson.

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Dairy News june 25, 2013

28 // animal health

Understand the context of filling feed gaps – nutritionist FEED PALM kernel extract (PKE) when grass is limited but be aware of its limitations, says an animal nutritionist. Ingham Feeds & Nutrition consultant Pip Gale, of Tasmania, affirms the use of PKE as a forage replacement and provider of total energy when pasture supply is limited, “but be aware of its strengths and weaknesses in the context of your herd’s nutrient requirements and milk solids production goals.” Gale agrees with a recent DairyNZ article stating that metabolisable energy is the main factor limiting milk production in grass-fed cows. “As DairyNZ says, PKE is reasonable quality feed for cows when they’re short of pasture and total feed intake. However in lactating cows, what we’re really trying to optimise is rumen fermentation and productivity, and PKE doesn’t contribute much in this regard.” Gale says when there are more adequate volumes of pasture available for intake and/or farmers target higher levels of milk production per cow, farmers need to consider the type of energy

required. “Then it does matter whether a supplement contains fibre, starch or sugar.” Gale says the objective of any dairy farming system is to encourage the rumen bacteria to produce volatile fatty acids, particularly propionate. This is a precursor for the production of blood glucose and the metabolites that circulate in the blood before reaching the mammary gland. “If a farmer is looking to increase milk volumes and maintain milk solid percentages, it is blood glucose that drives the synthesis of milk. PKE provides energy to the cow, but it doesn’t have the same impact on blood metabolites as other higher starch and carbohydrate-based feeds, because it doesn’t change your cows’ volatile fatty acid ratios that much.” He says if a farmer is mainly interested in filling a feed gap, PKE can play a role. This can particularly be so in the second half of the dairy season, once peak production has been achieved and the farming system is intended to main-

A nutritionist says PKE has its strengths and weaknesses.

tain cow condition. “But there are too many constraints in PKE for fresh cows, and if you’re after milk production, responses will simply be limited. By all means, know its constraints and its value, and use it accordingly.” He says for that reason farmers can’t

evaluate feed value on metabolisable energy (ME) alone. MJME/kg DM is a calculated or estimated figure from laboratories that is being used with no constraint or context. “Quite often the cow won’t realise the energy from a feed in the same

manner that a lab equation does,” says Gale. “I see over-inflated ME specifications on feed inputs all over the country, but there is no accountability. Dairy industry bodies in New Zealand owe it to their constituents to progress the discussion on dairy nutrition, providing concise messages which clear up the current confusion.” Gale says the importance of driving and optimising the feeding of rumen bugs can’t be overstated. “These bugs are keen on non-fibre carbohydrates and they have a strong influence on VFA ratios. That’s what you should be looking for in a good quality feed to boost milk production.” Gale says $/MJ ME has served well historically, but that the discussion needs to move from total energy to the type of energy required by lactating cows at different levels of production and stages of lactation. “Claims that supplementary feed values are high in energy despite low digestibility only add to the confusion,” says Gale.

Interest in ‘strategic’ OAD milking peter burke peterb@ruralnews.co.nz

DAIRYNZ SAYS it’s getting a lot of

inquiries from farmers about once-aday (OAD) milking of heifers, for all or part of the milking season. Speaking at a recent OAD forum at Eketahuna, DairyNZ scientist Dr Claire Phyn said she believes this is because some farmers appear to be finding they have poorly grown heifers they want to put on OAD to improve their chances of remaining in the herd. Phyn says there’s little research of this issue. “Heifers milked OAD for their first lactation gain more live weight and body condition compared

with those milked twicea-day (TAD). They will also have better energy status following calving and going into mating, but no research has specifically looked at heifer reproductive performance under different OAD scenarios. “We have been doing Claire Phyn quite a bit of research on the strategic use of OAD over the past few years. During the 2000s it was about full season OAD, but more recently we have taken a broader approach and looked at strategically using OAD at the start of lactation to help with labour requirements during busy periods or

during a short term feed restriction.” Phyn emphasised the need to ensure OAD cows are well fed. If full season OAD farmers increase their stocking rate after switching from TAD they have to be careful to ensure the cows are not underfed, otherwise production losses will increase. “Make sure pasture residual targets of 7-8 clicks on the plate meter are still being met,” she says. Meanwhile a recent trial by Dr Jane Kay at DairyNZ has confirmed the dry matter intakes for part season OAD cows are the same as TAD cows. Claire

Phyn says the trial involved looking at cows on OAD and TAD from January to dry-off in May. “We have measured it accurately and there is no difference in feed intake. These results are hot off the press. What the preliminary results also show is that on OAD you get a drop in milk production of about 10% from January to May. But because about 60% of milk for the season has already been produced by Christmas, the drop over the whole season is about 5%. At the same time you get about 0.25 BCS increase by dry-off relative to TAD. It’s not straight away and it’s not dramatic, it’s gradual.” Phyn says BCS at calving has long been a focus for DairyNZ, whose data show farmers can achieve a target BCS

5.0 at subsequent calving by using OAD through late lactation. But it takes time, especially during a summer feed shortage. OAD is not a magic bullet to quickly cure low herd BCS in late lactation. Phyn referred to speculation about breeding particular types of cows more suitable for OAD. DairyNZ has contracted genetics research company AbacusBio to evaluate whether an OAD genetic evaluation system is justified. “They’ll be looking at this from an ‘industry good’ perspective. So they will calculate the costs and benefits of various breeding schemes for full season OAD and we are going to supply those results to NZAEL for their consideration,” she says.

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Dairy News june 25, 2013

30 // effluent & water management

Pond site studies starts with soil SOIL PROPERTIES

form an important part of the effluent pond building process. According to the Institution of Professional Engineers New Zealand (IPENZ) practice note on pond construction, site investigations must be detailed enough to identify the variations in soil types present at the site. Early in the investigation the designer needs to consider whether a clay-lined or synthetically lined pond is most likely required. This will ensure the investigation is more precisely conducted to collect relevant information. Clays and silty clays are the most appropriate natural materials for pond construction. In some

cases where sand, gravels, pumice, and other highly permeable soils prevail, the only solution will be a synthetic lining material or a CCL using suitable imported/borrowed materials. A synthetic lining should be considered at sites where soils are unlikely to be able to meet the liner permeability requirement specified by the regional council When siting a new pond, it is appropriate to investigate where a pond will be sited and to avoid installing design elements that allow for the pond’s proximity to sensitive features. These features can include surface water bodies, artificial watercourses, installed subsurface drains, groundwater level, bores, registered drinking-water supplies,

coastal marine areas, trees, stop banks, homess, places of assembly, urban areas, property boundaries, milking areas, and sites of cultural significance. It should be noted that prevailing winds can carry odour a long way. Unknown sites of cultural significance are unlikely to be identified before works begin. However, if discovered during construction, works should cease and the site should be reported immediately to the authorities and local iwi representatives. Pond placement and orientation should also take into account potential slope instability, inundation from flooding, diversion of flood flows, and stormwater in-flows. In areas subject to actual

or potential inundation, the pond base should be at least one metre above the highest known flood level if possible. If not, then specific engineering design should be undertaken. It is also preferable that long ponds be orientated along the floodplain rather than across it, and perpendicular to the prevailing wind to reduce the effect on wave action and potential spillage if the pond level is high. When assessing a site for its suitability for pond construction and the availability of materials the following factors should be considered: ■■ The type of soil material is present at the site ■■ The soil profile to at least one metre below the finished base

WE RECOMMEND.

Clays and silty clays are the most appropriate natural materials for pond construction.

■■

depth. How the soil texture may vary down the profile and if there are inherent potential problems due to layering of the materials present. The materials available for bank construction, and/or for lining the inside of the pond The potential for variation in the soil profile across the pond site Proximity to natural ground slopes acting as an outer dam embankment wall Whether the base of

■■

the pond is well above the maximum predicted level of groundwater; the slope stability and landforms present. Other recommendations: Locate the pond clear of any watercourses, including secondary flow paths; also stream/ gully channels Check the ability to gravity feed the FDE to the pond from the dairy shed rather than needing to pump Place the site as close as possible to a suit-

■■

able power source to minimise cost of getting power to the pond if required. Ponds should be located well clear of trees or shelter belts (about 20m or two thirds of the tree height) to: Avoid damage to synthetic liners from wind-thrown branches Minimise debris which would otherwise collect and block pump screens Avoid ingress of tree roots into the pond walls.

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Dairy News june 25, 2013

effluent & water management // 31

Well-designed system and efficient irrigation GOOD EFFLUENT

management is a combination of having a welldesigned effluent system and processes for irrigation, says DairyNZ. The effluent collected by the system has to be applied to pasture in the right amount at the right time. To achieve this, the system must reliably: ■■ Store effluent until conditions are suitable to apply it to land, and ■■ Apply effluent to land in a controlled way – at a depth and intensity which match the soil moisture and infiltration conditions and topography. ■■ On-farm benefits of good effluent management include: ■■ Fertiliser savings by using the nutrients in effluent, and reducing nutrient losses off the farm. ■■ Preventing animalhealth issues such as milk fever which can be caused by a build-up of potassium (K) levels in the soil ■■ Improved soil condition from the addition of organic matter, including microbial and worm activity, as well as aeration, drainage and water holding capacity ■■ Complying with council rules or resource consent, this may lead to less frequent compliance visits and reduced monitoring fees. Planning the right system for your farm is

essential. The design and construction of an effective dairy effluent system is a complex process. It requires the assistance of experts who are qualified and experienced in the field. Communication with the system designers, installers and contractors will be crucial to ensure the end result is fit-forpurpose in your farming situation. A good effluent service provider will offer: ■■ certainty that their product will perform ■■ guarantees and producer statements ■■ after-sales care, service and support, and ■■ farm team training on the operation and maintenance of the system. Designers and installers should be involved in the project from start to finish supervising the quality and standard of workmanship during the installation and commissioning of the system. They should be willing to stand by their work. Also make sure the system will be up to the job. A poorly designed system will be expensive and frustrating in the long term, particularly for the farm team. Like milking too many cows through a dairy, it can be done but it takes longer and the likelihood of fatigue, breakdown and general frustration is extremely high. A system which is poorly designed may

what needs to be captured? ALL AREAS where effluent is generated should be incorporated into the effluent system design. Effluent includes liquids, sludge, slurries and solids from cow dung and urine. Other contaminants such as milk and silage leachate must also be collected, contained and not allowed to reach waterways DairyNZ says a good way to do this is to use the effluent system to capture and distribute these sources. Regional council requirements for each may vary, but if you are building or upgrading any of the areas listed below, it is good practice to use sealed surfaces to capture all effluent and contaminants.

result in problems such as: ■■ high risk of non-compliance with regional council requirements ■■ no contingency for adverse weather events, staff absence or system breakdown ■■ high demand on labour

■■

and time expensive to operate and maintain the need to irrigate on days when ponding, runoff, and leaching risk is high additional pressure on the farm team over

■■

calving or wet weather unrealised investment in the system if it is not user-friendly or doesn’t achieve compliance, and little room for future expansion.

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Dairy News june 25, 2013

32 // effluent & water management

Keep council regulations in mind THINKING ABOUT

building a new effluent pond? The Institution of Professional Engineers New Zealand (IPENZ) says each regional or district council has different requirements. “There is wide variation between regional plan specifications for FDE ponds,” it says. Councils often consider the following in their guidance documents: the pond liner’s maximum seepage rate at full hydraulic loading; the pond’s spatial separation from bores, wetlands, waterways, and waahi tapu; design and construction sign-off protocols. Some regional councils require land use consents for ponds. Environment Southland, for example, requires a land use con-

sent for every FDE containment structure with a capacity >22.5m3. This includes ponds, tanks, and sumps irrespective of whether they need a building consent. The RMA and regional plan requirements and specifications vary in relation to directing FDE pond management and construction. Much of the regional council guidance concerns the impact of FDE pond discharges on the environment. District councils generally view FDE pond construction and operation as a permitted activity. “This permission can be given specifically or by default. Separation distances from roads, houses,

or property boundaries are often specified,” IPENZ says. These may be greater than the separations required by regional councils. In some districts (for example, Horowhenua and Queenstown Lakes District) there are additional limitations on earthworks where they

may compromise visual landscape values. Under section 9 of the RMA, any land use is permitted unless stated otherwise in a regional or district plan. Care is needed to ensure FDE ponds are allowed (that is, a permitted activity) in the zones involved, so the regional and district plan should always

be consulted for certainty. The plans may also include performance standards that must be maintained. Effluent can be contained in a variety of structures including tanks, pits, dams, and ponds. It is therefore important for the FDE system designer to have some understanding of building consent and building code requirements. While a tank and pool are mentioned in the building code, they are not defined. While no explicit definition is made of a “tank” in the building application, it is generally accepted that some effluent structures, for example concrete-lined ponds, should be classified as tanks. Tanks in the application context may also refer to pools, sumps, some ponds, and some other containment structures. Presently building

consent requirements for new tanks and alterations to existing tanks attract varied interpretations around the country. A definition for the elements associated with FDE design has not been agreed, so for the purpose of this practice note the following definitions for tanks and ponds associated with agricultural effluent are used. (Note that these definitions do not have legal status.): ■■ Tank (effluent) is constructed of man-made materials such as concrete, steel, plastic, or milled timber, or other products; its purpose is to retain and store or collect fluids (including sludge/effluent). The tank materials are

used as the structural elements to retain the fluid. A tank may or may not have a lid and has essentially vertical sides. ■■ Pond (effluent) is either constructed of compacted soil or rock embankments, or excavated into the existing ground – or a combination of both these methods – to provide a containment facility for fluid (including sludge/effluent). Ponds may have a liner installed to seal the pond from leakage; however, the earthen materials are used to provide the structural elements for confinement. The internal batters are less than 45 degrees and do not have lids.

key points ■■

Pond consents required will depend on whether they are not a dam, a dam, or a large dam.

■■

Regional council and building consent requirements vary within New Zealand.

■■

Tanks may need building consents.

■■

Health and safety requirements including fencing and means of escape must be considered.

■■

All ponds must meet the performance requirements of the Building Act.

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Dairy News june 25, 2013

effluent & water management // 33

Taranaki’s green ribbon award

Dairy farmers benefit from having skilled people building their ponds.

Pond course raising industry skill levels A NATIONWIDE course

helps dairy effluent pond designers and builders raise their expertise and stay abreast of industry developments. DairyNZ, InfraTrain NZ, and NZ Water and Environment Training Academy Consultants (NZWETA), last year set up the Farm Dairy Effluent Pond Design and Construction Course. People from 70 pond design and build firms have completed the course. Venues this year are Hamilton, Taupo, Oamaru, Palmerston North and Christchurch. Opus International Consultants led Industry professionals in developing the course; they will lead the events. DairyNZ sustainability team leader Theresa Wilson says dairy farmers benefit from having skilled people building their ponds and is urging companies to attend. “The courses are specifically designed to help them meet the standards for the design and construction

of ponds, outlined in the Institution of Professional Engineers New Zealand (IPENZ) Practice Note 21. “The entire process of constructing an effluent pond is covered by this pond design and construction course, from planning through to testing and commissioning. Everyone in the construction process has an important part to play and will benefit from familiarising themselves with the standards.” Hugh Ratsey from Opus says the companies are put through their paces during the course. “Dairy farmers can be confident that those who have completed this course

have the knowledge to provide an effluent pond built to industry good practice. It includes workshops emphasising practical learning.” InfraTrain chief executive Philip Aldridge says, “effluent management has been a priority for the dairy industry over the last few years. These courses acknowledge that by including information on new developments, regulations and research that result in better management of effluent.” See course graduates at www.infratrain.co.nz/dairy_ effluent.htm Register to attend at www.nzweta.org.nz.

TARANAKI’S REGION-WIDE streamside fencing and planting programme has won national recognition with a prestigious Green Ribbon Award. The award, in the ‘Caring for our Water’ category, was presented to Taranaki Regional Council chairman David MacLeod by the Minister for the Environment, Amy Adams in Wellington this month. MacLeod says the award is pleasing recognition for the council’s Riparian Management Programme, one of New Zealand’s most significant voluntary unsubsidised environmental enhancement projects. “It’s huge – the equivalent of fencing and planting

both sides of the highway between New Plymouth and Auckland about 20 times over,” he says. “We’ve already got 3 million native plants in the ground, and there are millions more to come.” MacLeod says the Green Ribbon Award is an honour for the whole Taranaki region, not just the council. “In particular, it is for the hundreds of Taranaki farmers who have been working with the Council and other partners for two decades now to protect and enhance the region’s waterways by fencing and planting thousands of kilometres of streambanks,” he says “They are literally transforming Taranaki.”

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Dairy News june 25, 2013

34 // effluent & water management

Washdown system makes best use of ‘green water’ RECYCLING WATER

Recycling water for yard washdown is becoming popular.

for yard washdown is becoming popular, given the attention now paid to efficient use of fresh water. This is especially so in the Waikato as farmers quantify their water use under the regional council’s Variation 6 clause. Reusing ‘green water’ minimises the need for extra fresh water for

cleaning yards, feed pads and barn alleys, says GEA Farm Technologies, whose flush system maximises the flush volume over a defined area to effectively clean the washdown area every time. The Houle system has a 300mm valve installed at concrete level, air operated to start and stop the flush cycle. The valves

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operate at 7000L/min, allowing sufficient flush to clean the areas properly. Each valve covers a 5.5m working width, is robust and stock friendly. The air operation allows the system to be automated, making it a one push button operation, or allowing the flush cycle to be pre-programmed to suit the specific wash area. Two flush cycles are typical with automatic start up and shut off. The first step involves a ‘pre wet’ cycle where the valves will all open briefly to wet the area which minimises manure sticking to concrete, especially during hot weather. The next step is the main flush cycle, cleaning by alternating flow through the valves and maximising the volume available for each. Feed pads may get dirtier at certain times of the year as cows spend more time on the concrete, so the flush cycle duration can be easily changed to cater for this. This allows a clean area every time, and minimises any labour involved. The GEA flush system can be designed using a purpose built Houle flush pump located on the stor-

age pond, drawing green water off the top of the pond and feeding the flush line directly. Tanks can be installed at the top of the area to be flushed for a bulk release of recycled water. The flush system design depends on considerations such as wash area dimensions, slope and the amount of waste to be shifted and the flush liquid available. Successful utilisation of effluent for washdown also requires considerations of green water quality. If the waste water becomes too reused and stale this may leave the concrete surface greasy. Solids removal from the effluent stream prior to reuse is a priority. Complete solid separation systems such as GEA’s unique sand trap and Slope Screen Separation System ensures minimal sediment, fibre and other material go through to the storage facility. The passive slope screen separator removes all particles greater than 1mm in size (90% of the particles in the liquid less than 0.5mm). Tel. 0800 GEA FARM (432 327)

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Dairy News june 25, 2013

effluent & water management // 35

Pond lining specialist wins global award gareth gillatt

WAIKATO COMPANY

Pondco has won a smallproject award from the International Association of Geosynthetic Installers, reports Cosio Industries product manager Vaughan Podbielski. It beat competitors from other countries to win the award, announced in April at the Geosynthetics 2013 conference in California.

first geoliner in the country to get such an accolade. “It’s a big feather in their cap and they’ve done well to accomplish that in a short time. It’s giving farmers a lot of confidence that they can go with someone reputable, accredited and who has won an award.” Assurance that a job will be done correctly are necessary given the amount of money poured into effluent pond construction and the relative

youth of the industry, Podbielski says. “They hear horror stories… and there are a lot of new players in the dairy effluent industry. Dairy farmers are spending a lot of money and it’s a huge investment to build a dairy effluent pond or do a dairy effluent pond upgrade, so there’s a lot of concern out there.” DairyNZ sponsors the formalising and introduction of effluent international best practice standards under the IPENZ Farm Dairy Effluent Practice Note 21. This is intended to assure farmers that companies which follow these standards will perform as required.

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“It’s giving farmers a lot of confidence that they can go with someone reputable, accredited and who has won an award.” IAGI managing director Laurie Honnigford says the company, which uses a Firestone pond liner supplied by Cosio Industries, won the award for “exceeding international standards” in its projects. “Dave McLaury made a fantastic presentation,” Honnigford says. The IAGI was formed in 1995 to devise an international accreditation system for the installation of geomembrane structures. It has members in 17 countries, four in New Zealand. Podebielski says Pondco is the first Firestone pond liner installer in New Zealand to win an award and probably the

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Dairy News june 25, 2013

36 // effluent & water management

Travelling irrigator boasts rain-gun performance TONY HOPKINSON

A NEW travelling

irrigator, called GB Magnum, made by Williams Engineering,

“GB Magnum combines the “combines the performance of performance of a static rain gun a static rain gun with the reliability of our Greenback with the reliability of our Greenback travelling irrigator.” travelling irrigator,” says Andrew Williams. prides itself on meeting the company’s principal, He says the firm regional councils’ evolving regulations by designing New GB Magnum from Williams and building compliant Engineering. equipment, “aiming to get wider spreading widths to reduce application rates and labour requirements.” The GB Magnum comprises a Sime rain gun mounted on a Williams Greenback travelling irrigator. One arm is blocked off. This unit at least doubles the wetted width with similar flows and half the application rates and depths. The GB Magnum is

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capable of applying to depths of 3mm at rates of 10mm/hour. Wetted widths range from 45m to 90m depending on operating pressure and nozzle size. “Previously static sprinklers or pods were the only way to apply rates below 10mm/hour with

many shifts, but now a 150 x 250m paddock can be covered evenly with only two shifts of the GB Magnum.” Tests are said to have shown the GB Magnum can achieve application rates of 7mm/ hour and application depths as low as 2.4mm

per pass. It can operate at pressure and flows equal to those of other effluent pumps. The gun can be retro-fitted to previous models of Greenback irrigators. www.williamsirrigation. co.nz Tel; 0800 4 33358

r Self cleaning ponds r Effluent is clean enough to be pumped into a pivot system if required r Screens out everything bigger than 1 mm

Pluck’s can adapt our ADR 500 and twin pond effluent system to work with your current effluent set ups, keeping your upgrade costs down. • Durable and UV resistant, 1.5mm HDPE Liners • Comprehensive Material and Installation Guarantees • QA documentation specific to your project

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Main South Road, Rakaia 7710, Mid Canterbury

Dairy News june 25, 2013

effluent & water management // 37

New high pressure, high-head pump saves power released at Fieldays is believed to be the first of its type capable of passing fibre and small solids in low-flow and high-head situations. Worthwhile power savings result, compared to using single-stage high-head pumps, says the maker, Reid and Harrison. The company’s principal, Seaton Dalley, says the new Yardmaster pumps are “ideal for pumping high pressure to high head”. They have a non-clogging impeller that breaks down soft material so that solids will not pass into the line and cause blockages. The deflecting shaft can move 12mm either side of centre which

Seaton Dalley with a self-priming horizontal multi-stage pump at the Fieldays.

GREEN WATER RECYCLING flood fed and suits pumping from the bottom of tanks or with suction hose into a pond and can be connected to a float switch or manually operated. It is

not self-priming but can be fitted with a non-return valve. Tel. 07 888 8224 www.yardmasterpumps.com

Project to help protect rivers “It’s important we work with others on gathering this type of detailed information so that we make the soundest possible decisions. “The information gathered… will feed into the work of the technical alliance and consultative stakeholder group (part of the Healthy Rivers project), ensuring expert and stakeholder input into the way ahead for the rivers.”

WRC policy group manager Vaughan Payne says joint venture studies are a great way for the council, the WRA and industry to contribute to the development of national policies. “Through collaborating with others we can share costs, while the results assist national evidence gathering and the development of local water quality policy,” Payne says.

You can significantly reduce fresh water usage and associated costs with the ability to recycle green water for wash down. With a Houle flush system, wash-down can be as quick and easy as pressing a button. Our specially engineered flush pumps, flush valves and control systems are designed to transfer and discharge flush water at high flow rates for a supreme cleaning result every time. Integrated with this is our Houle slope screen separation system. The slope screen separates effluent into solid and liquid components which makes managing your effluent easier with greater flexibility for application and the ability to recycle water.

FFLUEN T RY E AI

STEM SY

FARM D

catchments but it will support the WRC and its iwi partners in looking at changes to the regional plan to better protect these two rivers. WRC water quality subcommittee chair Norm Barker says the project allows the council to work with key agencies on information that would support good decisions for waterways at local, regional and national levels.

DES

A PROJECT has begun to analyse potential economic and environmental tradeoffs involved in managing water quality in Waikato rivers. Taking part are Waikato Regional Council (WRC), government agencies, DairyNZ and the Waikato River Authority (WRA). The ‘Waikato economic impact joint venture studies’ project stems from a Government request for cost/benefit analysis of protecting water quality from the effects of intensive agriculture and erosion. Especially in view are the likely economic and environmental trade-offs in setting water quality objectives and limits. The studies will model water quality limits in the Waikato River catchment, to help the Government develop policy, and other regional councils to achieve national fresh water objectives. The analysis is separate from the ‘Healthy Rivers: Plan for Change/Wai Ora: He Rautaki Whakapaipai’ project in the Waikato River and Waipa River

With a Houle effluent management system, you can manage effluent storage and improve water use efficiency

A MULTI-STAGE pump

enables the impeller to ‘walk over’ obstacles until cleared. Smaller models have a by-pass to agitate the material around the head so it is always liquid. The bearings sit above the liquid level to make them trouble free and long lasting. Four models are offered with or without motors, each available with one of four motors 10-25hp. The vertical multi-stage model is ideal for floats, pontoons and storage ponds; it has no seals or bearings. “Farmers prefer this pump as it can run dry,” Dalley says. A vertical multi-stage pump, with seals, also suits pontoons, floats and storage ponds. The horizontal multistage end-suction model is

AC C R E D

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FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL US TODAY - 0800 GEA FARM (432 327) Waikato River

Dairy News june 25, 2013

38 // effluent & water management

Less effluent, lower costs REDUCING EFFLUENT volume will save

time and money on handling and pumping, and will reduce the amount of

storage you require. DairyNZ advises farmers on the following ways to reduce water use: • guttering and down-

pipes to direct roof water away from the effluent collection system • bund the concrete tanker apron to prevent

water from the tanker loop flowing onto it • if permitted by your council, use a stormwater diversion system to

Is your pond level right? HAVING AN empty pond will give you the capacity you need when you can’t irrigate because of unsuitable conditions, or if you have factored in extra storage for times of year such as calving. A full pond may overflow or cause odour problems, and may result in financial loss as you lose control of effluent and capital investment tied up in the pond.

Seasonal targets ■■ Spring – the pond is filling with effluent, particularly during wet weather, or when the farm workers are too busy to manage the effluent system. Small volumes of effluent can be irrigated as soil water deficits allow ■■

Summer – the pond should be kept as low as possible

■■

Autumn – the pond should

be maintained at a low level. It is important to try to get the pond as low as possible while conditions still permit ■■

Winter – the pond should be kept as low as possible. Where possible prevent stormwater entering the pond, off unused yard areas etc. Any areas contaminated with dairy effluent cannot be diverted. Ponds should be kept as low as possible in winter.

take clean rainwater off the yard into stormwater drains and not into the ponds • if you are standing your herd off, consider a system that requires less water for effluent collection (e.g. bark peeling pad or a barn system with slats/bunkers to collect effluent • in high rainfall areas,

consider covering and diverting the roof water from large feed and standoff pads to reduce the catchment area for the effluent system • pre-wet the yard before milking to speed up the hosing process • use a rubber scraper to remove solids before hosing • low water-use backing

gate wash-down options • look at ways to reduce the water usage on the milking platform, e.g. water used to get cows off platform, and automatic cup wash systems and repair any leaks • consider using recycled water for flood wash systems for yard and pad wash-down. www.dairynz.co.nz

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Dairy News june 25, 2013

effluent & water management // 39

Storage calculator sheds light on volume needs HAVING ADEQUATE

storage offers flexibility for effluent application to fit around farm activities and irrigation conditions, says DairyNZ. Storage facilities must be sealed so they do not leak. All areas where effluent or leachate is stored should be sealed to prevent leachate losses to groundwater. Avoid placing effluent storage facilities in sites with high water tables or a risk of flooding. The use of well installed and guaranteed synthetic (e.g. plastic, rubber or concrete) liners is recommended by DairyNZ. It cautions farmers that they may be asked for a producer statement to demonstrate the pond and liner can meet the construction and sealing requirements for your district or regional council. You need enough storage for: • rainy periods when the soil is too wet to irrigate • busy periods when farm labour is stretched and you do not want to irrigate • equipment failures (pumps or irrigator) when you cannot irrigate. Adequate storage will allow you to keep effluent for use when nutrients

are most needed (i.e. drier months or when putting down a crop). A dairy effluent storage calculator developed by Massey University and Horizons Regional Council allows calculation of effluent storage volume requirements. The calculator uses farm specific data such as: • soil risk for effluent irrigation (high risk, low risk soil types • milking routine (number of cows, water use in the dairy, etc.) • rainfall catchment area – what is the total surface area collecting rain water and directing it into the storage facility • storage facilities onfarm • irrigation system and equipment • climate (annual daily rainfall). The calculator provides a storage volume recommendation based on daily rainfall over the last 30 years and the number of days conditions would have been suitable to apply effluent. The calculator is now available in most regions. DairyNZ recommend you take storage volume advice from a qualified and reputable consultant. Contact your regional council, your milk processor or DairyNZ to find a suitable person to

do the calculation for your farm.

Enough storage is needed for rainy periods when the soil is too wet to irrigate.

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Dairy News june 25, 2013

40 // effluent & water management

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THERE ARE four key principles to capturing the value of effluent, says DairyNZ. Know the depth of effluent application, keep it in the root zone. Don’t exceed the soil water deficit when you irrigate. Be aware of spray patterns: test your irrigator’s output to see how even it is and know the nutrient loading from effluent application. Depth of effluent application Test the application depth at the location which puts the pump under the greatest work load, e.g. at the greatest distance from the pump, or at the highest elevation above pump station. When testing you can use either rectangle trays with straight sides, rectangle trays with sloped sides or standard round buckets. You will need about 20 of these. You must use a different calculation depending on the type of collection container. Soil water deficit (SWD) This is measured in mm (sometimes %), and is the amount of available water removed from the soil within the plants’ active rooting depth. It is also the amount of water required to refill the root zone to bring the soil moisture conditions to field capacity. ■■ Field capacity refers to the amount of water held in the soil after excess water has drained away. This is typically a day after soil saturation (e.g. from rain or irrigation). Adding water/effluent at this point will result in ponding, runoff or leaching. A SWD increases with drainage and evapotranspiration, and decreases with rainfall or irrigation. ■■ Deferred irrigation means irrigation is delayed (or deferred) until there is a big enough SWD to allow for more water to be added to the soil without causing runoff, ponding or leaching. ■■ The greater the application

The nutrient value of effluent for your farm is based on stock, feed and management practices.

depth and intensity of the irrigator (i.e. travellers vs. sprinklers), the greater the SWD required for irrigation. It may be inappropriate to proceed with effluent irrigation if: ■■ the soil is too wet following rainfall or irrigation – effluent may pond, run off to waterways, or leach through to groundwater ■■ the soil is very dry and cracked, especially over tile or mole drains – effluent may travel through soil cracks to underground drains and then flow into waterways ■■ the soil is compacted or frozen. Take care when applying effluent at the same time as fresh water irrigation. The SWD principles still apply, and total water application should be considered otherwise there is a risk of leaching or ponding if soil is over-irrigated. Measuring soil water deficit The most accurate way to mea-

sure the SWD is with soil moisture technology. Getting good advice before investing in measuring devices is vital. Get a qualified technician to calibrate the system for your farm and provide a soil moisture deficit range for safe irrigation. Make this system simple for the farm team to use. Here are some different methods for measuring soil moisture: ■■ handheld instantaneous probes are the cheapest option. They need to be calibrated to your soil type and situation by a qualified technician ■■ permanent in-ground sensors can be read either by hand-held devices or via telemetry and software systems. ■■ Telemetry systems allow for remote monitoring: ■■ an integrated system will monitor climatic data, effluent pond level, soil moisture levels, soil mapping, irrigator positioning and run recording and can be used for full irriga-

tion scheduling, with remote monitoring. You can send text alerts and recommendations based on your farm’s irrigation system. These systems are more costly but allow for precise monitoring and are particularly good for large operations or absentee owners. Staff training in these systems is essential. Nutrient value of effluent Farm dairy effluent offers a source of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), magnesium (Mg) and sulphur (S), as well as trace elements to increase pasture or crop production. Your nutrient budget will calculate the nutrient inputs and outputs from all sources on your farm. The nutrient value of effluent for your farm is based on stock, feed and management practices. The amount of nutrient coming in can be determined in the budget and this can also be translated to the equivalent fertiliser value.

Dairy News june 25, 2013

effluent & water management // 41

Prevent nitrate leaching this winter bala tikkisetty

FOR ECONOMIC and environmental reasons, it is best to be cautious when applying nitrogen fertiliser to pasture during winter. Winter applications of nitrogen are generally least effective in promoting grass growth. Slow growth of pasture and high rainfall in winter can result in nitrate leaching before plants can take it up. The leached nitrogen eventually makes its way to waterways, damaging rivers and streams, and literally sends money down the drain for the farmer. Farmers should get clear information about the risks involved with winter nitrogen applications on their individual properties.

ensures there is sufficient leaf area for photosynthesis leading to good pasture growth. The impact on profitability of applying N is dependent on the utilisation of the extra feed. Therefore, N needs to be applied to fill genuine feed deficits. Anticipation of feed deficits and application of N fertiliser four to six weeks in advance is critical to filling these deficits with quality feed and getting the best economic response from fertiliser use. The best response to N fertiliser occurs on fast growing pasture, when other factors such as moisture and soil temperature are not limiting growth. Response rates also depend on the season

Farmers should get clear information about the risks involved with winter nitrogen applications on their individual properties. A property’s nutrient budget, combined with a feed budget, helps farmers understand whether they are using too much or too little fertiliser. From there, they may manage costs better and reduce their impact on the environment by working out a pragmatic nutrient management plan. In this context the key term to understand is the ‘response rate’ – the amount of pasture grown in terms of kilograms of dry matter (DM) per hectare (ha) per kilogram of nitrogen (N) applied. For example, when 20kg N/ha is applied and an additional 200kg DM/ ha of pasture is grown the response rate is 10kg DM/ kg N applied. The response rate is dependent on a number of factors such as soil temperature, plant growth, soil moisture, the deficiency of available N in the soil and the rate of N applied per application. The timing of N fertiliser application is a key consideration when it comes to ensuring nutrient uptake. It is good to apply nitrogenous fertiliser when the pasture cover is 1500-1800kg DM/ha. This

and on the N application rate. In winter, at the same application rate, responses are lower and slower than other times of the year. The response rate also declines when the application rate (single dose) is higher than 40kg N/ha. Nitrogen fertiliser reduces N fixation by clover by about 1kg/ N/ha/ year for every 3kg N fertiliser applied. In addition, clover content will be further reduced if nitrogen boosted pastures shade the clover. This effect is seen during spring. The amount of N cycling in pastoral systems is greater than other nutrients and is also more mobile than most other nutrients. This leads to the potential for significant losses of N into the environment through leaching to groundwater. Excess nitrate levels in groundwater can restrict the use of the water for drinking and can have other impacts on water quality. Groundwater nitrate moves laterally into streams and lakes where it can affect algae and plant growth, fish and other animal habitats. Progressive farmers, irrespective of farm-

ing types, are focussing on achieving increased productivity with an aim of minimising environmental impacts. Farmers wanting to maximise their N use efficiency should talk to their nutrient manage-

ment advisor to discuss the options for their property. • Bala Tikkisetty is a sustainable agriculture co-ordinator at Waikato Regional Council. Contact him on bala.tikkisetty@waikatoregion.govt.nz or 0800 800 401.

Slow pasture growth and high rainfall in winter can result in nitrate leaching into waterways.

0800 454 646 www.containment.co.nz

MYSTERY CREEK MOWER PROMOTION SIMPLY PURCHASE AN AGRISHIELD POND LINER FROM VIKING CONTAINMENT BEFORE THE END OF JULY TO RECEIVE A MASPORT MSV GENIUS 4’N’1 LAWNMOWER! TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR THE AGRISHIELD POND LINER PROMOTION. 1. Entry is gained into the promotion by purchasing an Agrishield Pond Liner from Viking Containment during the promotional period. 2. The promotion commences on Monday 3 June 2013 and closes at 5pm on Wednesday 31 July 2013. 3. Entries to be made through your Viking Containment Sales Representative and are based on the purchase of qualifying product • Agrishield Pond Liner for Dairy Effluent or Water Storage • The minimum Sales Order Value is $15,000. • Installation of the liner must be completed by 20 December 2013 4. The promotion is not transferable and cannot be exchanged for cash. 5. Masport MSV Genius 4’N’1 Lawnmower to be delivered to the recipient following completion and full payment of the pond liner. Please contact a Viking Containment sales representative for a full copy of the Terms and Conditions.

Dairy News june 25, 2013

42 // effluent & water management

SOE chooses Southland effluent monitoring A SOUTHLAND

avoiding illegal discharge of effluent. SFS director Janet Brooker says equipping Landcorp farms was a challenge. The farms have different effluent systems and on some farms

software in a telemetry system for monitoring effluent. It can monitor travelling irrigators (with TIM) or K-Line irrigators (KIM). If the irrigator malfunctions, the system will shut off,

company gained a vote of confidence in its systems when Landcorp chose it for its 48 farms nationwide. Smart Farm Systems, Invercargill, markets farm

Janet Brooker with sales manager Doug Hawkins (South Island), left, and Paul Chalmers (North Island).

At last:

the requirement was for monitoring of both travelling irrigators and K-line systems. Effluent management systems on some dairy farms in the country are inefficient. “These farms were set up 10 years ago as a 100cow farm. Over the years it has grown to 500 cows but it uses the old effluent infrastructure,” Brooker told Dairy News. “With regional councils coming down hard on non-compliant farmers, the onus is on farmers to get it right. “With a Smart Farm System monitoring your irrigation, you can be

Farm effluent monitoring system will automatically shut the effluent irrigator off, whether K-line KIM or Travelling TIM, in the event of, say, end of travel, irregular pressure, irrigator travelling too slow, and many other situations. The reason for shutdown is displayed on the hub receiver. Other dairy farm monitoring applications include automatic transfer from effluent

receiving sump to holding ponds activated by the high and low level problems, monitoring water trough flow rates and pressure which would indicate leaking water trough lines, field moisture sensors and water tank levels. Smart Farm Systems comply with the latest dairy effluent standards. www.smartfarmsystems. co.nz

A Traveling Effluent Irrigator …

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Applied Depth – Depth 54 0 –5 32 No 1 Overlap mm 0

sure irrigators shut off if they malfunction to avoid illegally discharging effluent into waterways.” Smart Farm Systems can provide vital information to a farmer wherever he may be via text messaging. Absentee owners are finding the ease of viewing the application graphs on their PC is providing them with peace of mind, Brooker says. In particular the Smart

just 5 mm applied depth!

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Our New Irrigator and Booms have to be seen in action to be believed and are covered by NZ Patent No. 578084 Our new irrigator has been tested, proven and approved by the independent company—Irricon Resource Solutions Ltd from Ashburton. The new irrigator is still backed up by our very tough and well proven drive system, no blockage mast, booms and nozzles.

The new model irrigator boom modifications can be made to all existing Plucks LP series irrigators (so give your supplier a quick call) and most other makes of effluent irrigator of similar size. Covered by:

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Smart Farm Systems ensures peace of mind irrigation, the company says.

Dairy News june 25, 2013

machinery & products // 43

Cuppa, chat make for a relaxing 2013 Fieldays A CUPPA and a chat for LIC’s Fieldays site visitors made the event the “most relaxed” event the co-op has run at Mystery Creek, says sales and marketing manager Grant Longergan. The site’s open environment proved welcoming for visitors, he says. “It’s the most relaxed Fieldays we’ve had…. As always, people who visit us know what they want to see and discuss. It’s a two way conversation. “This year we launched our new Facebook page at Fieldays. Now we’re able to talk to people here in person, then continue to talk beyond today – this is true for the mobile apps farmers want to see developed.” Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy says the 2013 Fieldays has reinforced just how important the primary industries are to New Zealand’s economy. Visitors numbered 125,127, including 700 international visitors and 22 delegations. “MPI ran a high-profile site including well-attended seminars. The beagle detector dogs were a big draw card. “Farming communities have shown enormous resilience to the worst drought New Zealand has faced in 70 years. Grass growth has recovered and many regions now realise how important the Government’s support for water storage projects is.” Fieldays had 28,445 visitors on its final day. Chief executive Jon Calder commented on a large number of quality visitors attending exhibitor’s sites. “The positivity evident among exhibitors and visitors signals confidence and a buoyant mood in the agricultural and primary sector.”

Action from the 2013 National Fieldays.

Dairy News june 25, 2013

44 // machinery & products

Screw press separators bigger, faster and safer GARETH GILLATT

SCREW PRESS separators new

from PPP Industries are bigger and more powerful than earlier models and will need less maintenance, says general manager Nick Morison. The new models – EYS SP 400, 600 and 800 – suit farms with 2003000 cows. Morison says the new offering gives farmers the option of smaller but still robust separators for herds from 200–400, then two larger machines for greater cow numbers. The SP 400 (2.2kW) suits herds of 200–400 cows; the SP 600 (5.5kW) suits 400–1800 cows. It has a high capacity outlet. For herds bigger than 1800 cows, the SP 800 has a longer screen and 11kW power. Teflon guide rails, fitted as standard, make maintenance easier. “If the seal goes in this there is no risk of liquid getting into the gearbox. For considerably less money we can offer customers a better machine.” Morison says the separators also

Nick Morison

use cutter bolts to deal with long fibers, and have tungsten carbidecoated stainless steel augers and reinforced stainless steel screens. PPP Industries has imported screw press separators since 2002. Applications include piggeries, meat works and truck wash stations to separate solids from liquids. Morison says the processing is so

effective that it removes anything larger than 0.50mm from effluent. “It reduces the volume of slurry by separating it into stackable, drip-free solids and easily spreadable nutritious liquids. “The solid product becomes very easy to spread with a spreader.” Tel. 0800 901 902 www.pppindustries.co.nz

Gallagher’s national sales manager Peter Nation with the HR4 EID tag and the award.

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days prize: the 2013 International Innovation Award, for its hand-held HR4 EID tag reader and data collector. “We had four new productions entered in the Innovation Centre competition,” said national sales manager Peter Nation. Next in line from the company’s HR3 model, the HR4 has a large, easily read, backlit colour screen. It can hold 100,000 readings with cross reference tables for better ID. The handle is ergonomically designed and lightweight, which really matters at the end of a working day, Gallagher points out. It can read continuously, ideal for sheep running through a race or drafting system, and with Blue Tooth technology all gath-

ered information can be easily downloaded, the maker says. Farmers can enter their customised settings to suit their farms. The HR4 was developed in a joint venture between Gallagher and a Massey University College of Creative Arts team led by associate pro vice-chancellor Tony Parker. “The reader is backed up by an animal database which pulls in data from the reader and integrates data from a range of sources including devices made by other manufacturers and data provided by independent service providers,” Parker says. Parker had previously worked with Gallagher on its energisers, livestock weighing and electronic identification products. At least three years of research went into developing the HR4 reader, which updates an earlier version of the device.

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Dairy News june 25, 2013

machinery & products // 45

Three in a row HONDA EVENTS and ATV training manager Paul Stewart stands outside the Honda site at the Fieldays 2013 which was awarded the best large outdoor site for the third time in three years. Blue Wing Honda has won the prize five times in the last ten years and has hosted thousands of customers over this period, giving them a true Honda experience. Stewart attributes the success in making the experience at the site as inclusive and friendly as possible. “We create a customer friendly environment so that they can have a hands on experience with the Honda product.” “We always ensure that our staff are focused on the customer and everyone that enters the site is greeted. 2013 may be the last for Stewart who is retiring this year although he says he gets a little stick as he said the same thing last year. “Last year I said it was my last year but I must have had a moment of senility or alzheimer’s or something and said that I’d do it again this year.”

Land Rover milestone THE 2013 Defender, evolved from the Land Rover first

produced in 1948, undergirds the brand, having sold two million vehicles worldwide. The 65th anniversary of Land Rover sees the company offering the Defender LXV in New Zealand in a limited edition of 20 vehicles – six Defender 90 station wagons and 14 110 station wagons. Launched at National Fieldays, the LXV is available in Indus Silver, Santorini Black, Orkney Grey and Fuji White. It also has a contrast roof, gloss black Sawtooth Alloy wheels and black side protection runners. There is a new front grille and lights on the LXV, with the grille painted the same colour as the contrast roof. Black tread plates and wingtop protectors, rear light guard and a raised air intake are standard. All seats and cubby box upper have premium leather with orange stitching and the 110 station wagon comes in seven seat configuration. In the front, the LXV seats have the ‘LXV’ logo embossed on the headrest. The LXV also has an upgraded audio system with subwoofer and Bluetooth connectivity. The LXV is based on the standard Land Rover Defender powered by a 2.2-litre diesel engine through a 6-speed manual transmission, producing 90kW@3,500rpm of power and 360Nm@2,000rpm of torque. The 90 Station Wagon retails for $83,000 and $88,000 for the 110 Station Wagon.

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AGROTRON K410 (100HP)

• 24x8, 3 speed P/Shift ZF trans • 40kph • 3 rear remotes

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

Defender LXV

■■

Repayments from just $175 per week

55,990

• 24x8, 3 speed ZF trans • Cabin suspension • 3 rear remotes

• 2 rear remotes

96,990

Repayments from just $271 per week

+gst

• 20x20 shuttle trans • True 4 wheel braking

+gst

35,990

SAME IRON 110 (112HP)

SAME EXPLORER 85 (85HP)

Repayments from just $467 per week

To locate your local SAME dealer, visit www.powerfarming.co.nz

ALL TRACTOR PRICES INCLUDE LOADER**

KIOTI DS4510 (45HP)

KIOTI DX100 (100HP)

• 4 wheel drive • 8x8 shuttle trans • Power steering

29,990

KIOTI MECHRON 2200 UTV (22HP)

Repayments from just $146 per week

• Perkins diesel engine • High spec air con cabin • 16x16 wet clutch trans

• Daedong diesel engine • 2-speed CVT • Power steering

59,990

Repayments from just $290 per week

To locate your local Kioti dealer, visit www.kiotitractors.co.nz

19,990

+gst

■■

• 12x3 trans • 4 wheel drive • 4 wheel braking

+gst

■■

SAME COMMANDO 603 (60HP) +gst

■■

65 year anniversary model Limited to 20 units – Six Defender 90 Station Wagons and 14 in the 110 Station Wagon guise Exterior highlights include: Sawtooth alloys, new front grille and lights, black tread plates, wingtop protectors, side protection runners, rear light guard, raised air intake, contrast roof and LXV badging. Interior highlights include: LXV seats with premium leather with orange stitching. The 90 Station Wagon retails for $83,000 and $88,000 for the 110 Station Wagon Launched in at National Fieldays at Mystery Creek in June.

+gst

■■

ALL PRICES INCLUDE LOADER**

Repayments from just $98 per week

* Minimum 30% deposit required. Repayment holiday available till 1/1/2014. Total GST to be paid in month 3. Normal lending criteria applies. Offer available for a limited time only. Rates may change without notice. ** Loaders provided in combo deals may differ from those shown above.

B&POW0184B

■■

Repayments from just $290 per week

WHANGAREI PUKEKOHE MORRINSVILLE TE AWAMUTU PUTARURU TAURANGA WHAKATANE ROTORUA

Power Farming Northland The Tractor Centre Maber Motors Power Farming Te Awamutu Maber Motors Capital Tractors Jacks Machinery Truck & Tractor Services

09 438 9163 09 238 7179 07 889 5059 07 870 2411 07 882 1310 07 543 0021 07 308 7299 07 349 6528

GISBORNE HASTINGS HAWERA FEILDING MASTERTON NELSON BLENHEIM GREYMOUTH

Power Farming Gisborne Power Farming Hawke’s Bay Power Farming Taranaki Power Farming Manawatu James Trucks & Machinery Brian Miller Truck & Tractor Marlborough Tractor Services Power Farming West Coast

06 868 8908 06 879 9998 06 278 0240 06 323 8182 06 370 8240 03 544 5723 03 572 8787 03 768 4370

CHRISTCHURCH ASHBURTON TIMARU ALEXANDRA DUNEDIN GORE INVERCARGILL

Power Farming Canterbury Power Farming Ashburton Power Farming Timaru Peter Watt Machinery Power Farming Otago Power Farming Gore Power Farming Invercargill

03 349 5975 03 307 7153 03 687 4127 03 448 8490 03 489 3489 03 208 9395 03 215 9039

Dairy News june 25, 2013

46 // machinery & products

Wagon holds seven or lots of stuff THE NEW 7-seater Kia

Carens is a class of its own, says Kia Motors. Offered as a stylish wagon companion to the new Cerato range, the 2013 Carens can take seven passengers in comfort or convert into a roomy carry-all. The Kia Carens is reckoned the best-priced 7-seater in New Zealand -$37,990 for the model EX. “We believe the Kia Carens is without peers in New Zealand,” says Todd McDonald, general manager of Kia Motors New Zealand.

“It can seat seven people, is not an SUV, is easier to get in and out, plus it’s not bulky when trying to manoeuvre in tight city streets and carparks.” Kia chief designer Peter Schreyer says his aim was to give it a “sleeker look and feel, to create a design that envelops its functionality and versatility in something more athletic and dynamic”. Its design shares nothing with the previous Carens, being built on a new floorpan with a longer wheelbase: at

JUNE FENCING WITH TARAGATE TARAGATE – the ORIGINAL Multi Strand Electric Gate The preferred choice for over 20 years! – Taragate 4 Strand – Taragate 2 Strand – Taragate 4 Strand ‘Lifestyler’

The new 7-seater Kia Carens is a roomy, versatile family wagon.

Speed matched with power

2750mm. The roomy interior has three rows of seats, the second and third rows individually moveable seats for maximum adjustment. And they all fold forward to provide a flat floor capable of hold-

ing 1650 litres of cargo, or if five people are carried, 492 litres. The front passenger seatback also folds forward to accommodate long items such as step ladders. One-touch sliding outer middle-row seats

make third row entry and exit easy. “There are 14 handy storage areas around the Carens cabin, in addition to the multiple ways you can configure the seating – it’s amazingly flexible and versatile,” says McDonald.

THE HEAVYWEIGHT IN POSTDRIVERS

☐ ✓NEW ZEALAND MADE ☐ ✓12 MTH WARRANTY ☐ ✓PROVEN FOR 35 YRS HEAVY DUTY PULLEYS

THE NEW Carens is powered by a high-compression, direct-injected 2-litre GDI CVVT engine that delivers 122kW @ 6500rpm of peak power and 213Nm of torque @ 4700rpm. It drives through a 6-speed sequential sports shift automatic. There is a greater emphasis on torque with this engine compared to the similar unit that powers the Cerato and an ECO function helps reduce fuel use. Kerb weight is reduced by 55kg through greater use of high tensile steel and other measures, further improving the power-toweight ratio. The suspension has been upgraded and a new electronic Flex-steer system enables the driver to dial up a choice of comfort/normal/ sport modes to match their driving style and physical requirements. Kia is hoping for a 5-star ANCAP safety rating because of the vehicle’s stronger bodyshell, standard ESP programme, frontside airbags and horizontally adjustable front headrests. Other features include remote keyless entry with standard alarm, power windows, power/heated/folding door mirrors, reversing camera and parking sensors, steering wheel-mounted cruise and audio controls, 6-speaker audio systems with Bluetooth, multifunction trip computer, dual zone climate air control, rain-sensing wipers, 17” alloy wheels, smart cornering lights, projection-style headlights and front fog lights.

CLIP-AWAY Gatebreak – the gold standard in gate handles – clips away on to the wire with unique second hook – extra heavy duty

SPACE-LINK – space your wire off the post – attaches directly to Taragate Doubler Dtm or Tarapin Insulator – simply the best outrigger on market today

QUALITY WITHOUT COMPROMISE

DOUBLE SKINNED BEAM Serious about Fencing!

More electric fence options, it just gets easier!

VARIABLE RANGE WEIGHTS

Multi Wire Tread-In Posts * Unique angled clip prevents unintentional tape detachment * Unique foot wedge design provides superior holding performance * Heavy duty, UV resistant polymer

SAFETY CAP

Taragate Ltd

RD2 Hamilton, New Zealand Phone 07 843 3859 Fax 07 843 3952 Email info@taragate.co.nz Web www.taragate.co.nz

☎ 0800 476 868 or visit www.kinghitter.com

Contact your local rural supplies merchant or phone 0800 266 258