Dairy News 13 December 2016

Fonterra opens $360m dryer at Lichfield. PAGE 8-9

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BREEDING MILESTONE 10,000th bull tagged PAGE 16

DECEMBER 13, 2016 ISSUE 370 // www.dairynews.co.nz

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DAIRY NEWS DECEMBER 13, 2016

NEWS // 3

Floating wetlands to the rescue. PG.11

Fonterra emergency response team members help recover a collapsed fertiliser tank in Kaikoura.

Unsung heroes Wasps save $158m annually. PG.17

Mixer wagon key to success. PG.26

NEWS �������������������������������������������������������3-11 OPINION �����������������������������������������������12-13 AGRIBUSINESS ������������������������������14-16 MANAGEMENT ���������������������������������17-19 ANIMAL HEALTH ��������������������������� 20-21 MACHINERY & PRODUCTS ����22-24 TRACTORS & MACHINERY �����25-27

SUDESH KISSUN sudeshk@ruralnews.co.nz

THEY CAN be described as Fonterra’s unsung heroes.

A group of trained 129 Fonterra employees stationed at 11 sites around the country; they make up the co-op’s elite response team (ERT) and when disaster strikes some of them are mobilised and deployed to help farmer shareholders recover.

After the Kaikoura earthquakes on November 14, a seven-member team headed by Fonterra’s ERT leader Kevin Lockley was flown into Kaikoura.

The team included a refrigeration engineer from Fonterra’s Tip Top factory in Auckland, one staffer from Tirau site, two from Whareroa and three from Clandeboye.

They spent two weeks helping farmer shareholders milk cows,

MILK COLLECTION PROGRESSING MILK COLLECTION in quake-affected Kaikoura is progressing well, says Fonterra.

Fonterra tankers are being allowed to collect milk but trailer units are still prohibited on roads.

Fonterra chief operating officer global operations Robert Spurway says single tankers collect milk from farms around Kaikoura and transport it to a farm, from where contractor tanker trailers cart them out of the region.

fix broken water pipes, help install power generators and repair effluent systems.

Lockley says quake-affected farmers in Kaikoura were very welcoming.

“They were under a bit of pressure when we arrived,” he told Dairy News.

For most of them Lockley’s team was the first contact they had apart from Fonterra’s farm assessment team and area manager.

The initial problem facing farmers was a lack of electricity; the ERT, with

the help of a local electrician, helped install generators. Farms with damaged milking sheds walked their animals to nearby farms for milking.

Lockley says at one farm 1400 cows were being milked each time.

“They were some pretty tired farmers and farm workers, so we took over milking, allowing them to rest and recover.”

Lockley says his team is happy to provide help for farmer shareholders following natural disasters.

“It’s all part of the cooperative spirit; it also shows the skills of our employees.”

Lockley says employees with previous trade experience are selected for ERT; they are trained at their respective sites where they are based.

Lockley and his team were deployed to Christchurch after the two big earthquakes; they have also helped farmers after major floods around the country. The team also spent a month in Australia helping suppliers following the Black Friday bushfires in Victoria.

Fonterra chief operating officer global operations Robert Spurway says the ERT’s contributions were appreciated by shareholders.

Spurway, who visited quakeaffected Kaikoura dairy farmers and hosted a barbarcue for them, says farmers faced tough situations after the quake. @dairy_news facebook.com/dairynews

DAIRY NEWS DECEMBER 13, 2016

4 // NEWS

Quake-hit but looking on the bright side NIGEL MALTHUS

DON GALLETLY’S

Loch Ness dairy farm on the Emu Plain, near Waiau, remains the only one in North Canterbury unable to milk in the wake of the November 14 quake.

While farms either side were back up and operating within a few days, Galletly’s rotary shed is deemed a write-off.

“Three-quarters of the season is down the drain for us,” he says.

Loch Ness lies on the north bank of the Waiau river, opposite the Waiau and Rotheram townships.

The farm covers 500ha, about 300ha as the milking platform and the rest as wintering runoff.

Some dry stock remains on the runoff but the milking herd of just under 1000 animals has been moved to other farms. With little prospect of income he has had to let

Don Galletly shows the damage to his rotary shed.

his staff go. Some might get casual work on the farm, others he is helping to find other positions.

The shed and adjacent concrete pad are riddled with large cracks and the rotary platform lies about 30cm off-centre. Steel fences set in the concrete look fine at first but on closer inspection are bent

and twisted, as is the steel roof.

“We’re working through the insurance but it looks as though it will be a rebuild.”

A geotechnical inspection may yet determine that the new shed will have to be built on firmer ground.

“But they’re pretty

positive that they’ll get a shed up for me before next season,” says Galletly.

The farm’s effluent ponds are also damaged, one left out of shape because the shingle base shifted and collapsed towards the centre, under the plastic lining.

Galletly says working through the quake damage has been a long process.

His first priority has been making sure all the staff living on the farm are safe, then the cows.

By lunchtime on the first day his bank manager, farm adviser and vet had arrived and helped get the milking stock away to other farms, mostly in the Culverden area.

Next was the stock water systems for the remaining dry stock, followed by fencing.

“Then we’ve been worrying about irrigation for the past fortnight really.

We’ve basically got it running again.”

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Galletly now gets no income from the cows moved off-farm, but he’s happy to know they’re being milked, and mated – the farm was about half way through AI when the quake hit -- and he’s look-

ing forward to getting them back when the time comes.

“They’ve taken them to make sure those cows get milked and looked after.

They need to be milked; it’s pretty hard on them if

they aren’t milked – mastitis and all sorts of things.”

“So it’s pretty good of those jokers to take them on a few hours notice.”

Galletly says he has to be positive and look at the silver lining.

Fonterra tankers at a Kaikoura farm last week.

Tankers roll in KAIKOURA’S DAIRY farms are back in business, a convoy of tankers having resumed milk collection exactly three weeks after the 7.8 magnitude earthquake cut off all road access.

Five Fonterra tankers and 12 contract tankers went in on December 5 over the strictly controlled and still-fragile inland Kaikoura Road from Waiau.

Fonterra’s North Canterbury area manager Mike Hennessy says they were able to collect from all the dairy farms in the area.

Of the 22 farms, just three have unusable milking sheds. Of those, only one has sent cows out of the area and they are now being milked on six different farms in the Culverden area. One is owned by a farmer with a second adjacent farm and he is milking both herds in his second shed, while the third is also milking at a neighbouring property.

Outside the Kaikoura region, Hennessy says only one farm in the wider quake zone – Don Galletly’s Loch Ness

dairy near Waiau – is unable to milk.

“A lot of sheds were damaged, their platforms jumped off their rollers and things like that, but they were up and running within two days. So they were very lucky.”

Power and water had been the first problem for the Kaikoura farms, but without pickups they were forced for three weeks to dump milk via their effluent systems.

Barring further closures because of poor weather or further slips, Fonterra intended to run tanker convoys through Inland Road every day.

Hennessy is pleased to be able to service the area. “Not as pleased as the farmers, but it’s another sign of things getting back to where they used to be.”

Meanwhile, Synlait confirms its halfdozen supplying farms in North Canterbury are also back in operation; milk was being collected within about two days of the quake. It has no suppliers in the Kaikoura region. – Nigel Malthus

DAIRY NEWS DECEMBER 13, 2016

NEWS // 5

Expect more flak in upcoming silly season PETER BURKE peterb@ruralnews.co.nz

EXPECT MORE flak from politicians and others as New Zealand moves into general election mode, says Federated Farmers Dairy chair Andrew Hoggard.

He told Dairy News that election year traditionally means people put the boot into dairy farmers for whatever reason; it’s a time when various parties offer solutions which normally mean taxing farmers more.

He says this past year has been pretty tough for farmers and everyone has dug deep to get through it, a few people dropping out because the going has got too hard.

“But it’s not only the payment side of it, but all the SAFEs and Greenpeaces who have put the boot into us.

Everyone seems to have nitrogen myopia when it comes to water quality.

They seem to forget that phosphates and E.coli and sediment are also problems that can occur in waterways. We have been under a siege mentality for the last year. But the payment side of things is looking positive.”

In an attempt to counter negative criticism Hoggard says he’s made a point of getting on the front foot by telling the public the true story about the dairy sector.

Much of the criticism is due to the expansion of the dairy industry, he says.

“Dairy has done well and this has had an impact to some degree. I don’t know if the criticism was unjust, but certainly the level of it was.

“I get annoyed that the good things dairy does don’t get recognised. There has been a concerted effort by farmers to mitigate things and the industry has improved the situation and it would be nice to occasionally get some credit for that.”

Hoggard says most New Zealanders have some understanding of dairying’s contribution to the economy, but he acknowledges it is hard for someone in, say, retailing in a city to think about the value of dairying.

Various mayors of Palmerston North, near where he lives, have said that if dairying was to go the local economy would be severely impacted.

Looking back on the last two years of low

farmgate milk prices, Hoggard says dairy farmers should learn from this, especially the pressure of excessive debt.

“Farmers must budget on the fact that the industry will be up and down, and structure their businesses to meet that.”

They must

also consider the environment, animal welfare and treating their staff well. @dairy_news facebook.com/dairynews

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ANDREW HOGGARD has paid tribute to Prime Minister John Key. He says Key was strong on aspects of trade and did not attempt to ‘micro-manage’ the dairy industry – a good thing.

“As prime minister he was approachable, one of the better ones.

“I once went along to a function he was at and cheekily took along a birthday card for my daughter whose birthday was in a few days, hoping he’d write in it, which he did. In the end he wrote a lot more than I was expecting.

“That’s why he is so liked: he comes across as an approachable, down-to-earth bloke. I could never imagine asking any other prime minister for such a favour.”

Hoggard says John Key at National Fieldays caused a sensation by allowing people to talk to him. But his greatest legacy will be the economic stability he brought to the country during difficult times.

DAIRY NEWS DECEMBER 13, 2016

6 // FONTERRA AGM

Smit ‘thrilled’ to be third time lucky SUDESH KISSUN sudeshk@ruralnews.co.nz

BAY OF Plenty farmer Donna Smit says she is “thrilled to bits” at her election to the Fonterra board.

She was welcomed by chairman John Wilson and shareholders at the co-op’s annual meeting in Canterbury last week.

Smit, who has twice stood unsuccessfully for the board, says she came “pretty close” on both occasions. “They told me to get more experience, so I set about expanding my network.”

Smit became a trustee of Taratahi Agricultural Training Centre and Eastern Bay Energy Trust. She also joined the boards of Ballance Agri-Nutrients, Primary ITO and Dairy Womens Network.

“These got me working with more people and boosted my network,” she told Dairy News.

Smit will now resign some directorships to concentrate on Fonterra; she has already resigned as a trustee of Easter

Bay Energy, She has been a vocal critic of Fonterra and says she will now air her concerns to the board.

“In the past Fonterra has always highlighted the positive aspects of the business; I tried to place focus on the rest of the business. I will continue to do this on the board and hopefully this will make me more effective.”

Smit says the new independent selection process worked well. “The 60 minutes spent with the panel has turned out to be the most defining moment of my life.”

Smit is the third woman on the Fonterra board; she joins Leonie Guiney and Nicola Shadbolt.

Shareholders Council chairman Duncan Coull congratulated Smit and returning director Michael Spaans.

“On behalf of the council I welcome Donna to the role and congratulate Michael on his re-election.

“Most importantly I thank our shareholders for their continued engagement

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Key was a great supporter FONTERRA CHAIRMAN

Returning director Michael Spaans at the Fonterra annual meeting last week.

throughout an incredibly demanding year onfarm and within our co-op.

“As farmers, we often speak about our commitment to the principle of 100% shareholder ownership and control, and it is great to see this continuing to be displayed through participation in our co-

op’s decisionmaking processes.”

Canterbury farmer and former Fonterra director Stuart Nattrass was unsuccessful in his bid to rejoin the board. @dairy_news facebook.com/dairynews

Our one and only focus is agribusiness

93

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John Wilson says former PM John Key was a great supporter and advocate of the dairy industry.

Speaking at Fonterra’s annual meeting last week, Wilson said he had the pleasure of joining Key on trade missions over the years.

“He has been a great supporter and advocate of dairy within New Zealand and globally.

“He had deep understanding of our co-op, and an inquisitive mind.”

Wilson says it’s important Fonterra works closely with the new prime minister.

“We have to ensure our trade strategy adapts to a changing global environment that has seen significant political change.”

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DAIRY NEWS DECEMBER 13, 2016

FONTERRA AGM // 7

Global milk supply dips, demand firm sudeshk@ruralnews.co.nz

THE

GLOBAL supply/ demand is beginning to rebalance, says Fonterra chairman John Wilson.

It is driven mainly by farmers responding to lower milk prices and cutting back production; major suppliers Europe and Australia are producing less milk. And the wetter spring in New Zealand has seen milk production fall 5.7% from levels last year.

Speaking to Fonterra shareholders at its annual meeting last week, Wilson said demand is growing at an average of 2% in key markets.

Demand for dairy in China is growing, however it remains patchy in oil producing countries reeling under low oil prices.

In November Fonterra revised its forecast payout – a 75c increase in milk price to $6/kgMS and a dividend payout of 50c-60c. The revision reflects the rebalancing of demand and supply, Wilson says, and though the co-op expects returns to remain volatile it is maintaining its 50-60c range dividend.

Wilson says despite the rise in forecast payout, Fonterra is aware of the poor start to the season.

“For many businesses a lot of catch-up is required given the two poor seasons many have endured.”

The latest Global Dairy Trade (GDT) saw the average price rise 3.5% to $US3622 a tonne. This follows a 4.5% rise at the previous auction and is the fourth consecutive positive result.

The important whole milk

FONTERRA HAS paid tribute to two retir-

Fonterra managing director Theo Spierings with farmer Gerard van Beek.

powder price has risen 4.9% to $US3593 a tonne, comfortably in the break-even range

for farmers who budget on about $US3000 a tonne to cover their cost of produc-

tion. @dairy_news

ing senior directors.

Malcolm Bailey and Ian Farrelly ended their directorship at last week’s annual meeting in Canterbury.

Fonterra director Michael Spaans said Bailey had “pretty much done it all” during his 12 years on the board.

He said Bailey’s expertise on international trade is recognised beyond Fonterra.

Bailey will remain chairman of Dairy Companies of New Zealand (DCANZ).

Director John Monaghan says Farrelly’s nine-year stint will be cherished by the co-op.

Bailey said it was pleasing to be part of “one helluva journey”. He recalled highlights from board meetings; one was when a director brought a chainsaw in a bag, thumped it on the table and told the chief executive to use it to cut costs.

Farrelly urged farmers to continue to work with one another and the community.

Fonterra’s board has been reduced by one to 12; the new director elected is Donna Smit.

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DAIRY NEWS DECEMBER 13, 2016

8 // FONTERRA LICHFIELD DRYER OPENING

Big picture determines spending on plants – Wilson SUDESH KISSUN sudeshk@ruralnews.co.nz

FONTERRA CHAIRMAN John

Wilson says the co-op does not make investment decisions based on a single season.

Speaking at the opening of a $360 million milk

powder dryer at Lichfield, South Waikato, he said milk volumes have continued to grow; total volumes increased from 1.2 billion kgMS in the 2001-02 season to 1.9b kgMS in the 2014-15 season.

“As milk volumes have continued to grow, we’ve built ahead of the milk curve and are significantly

better placed to take all the milk at peak and get it processed into the most valuable products at the time,” Wilson says.

He noted that Waikato milk volumes are down 14% on last year.

Nationally, volumes are down 5% for the season as farmers optimised businesses in response to

From left Fonterra chairman John Wilson, Taupo MP. Louise Upston, operations manager Sam Mikaere, Raukawa iwi member Ruthana Begbie, South Waikato Mayor Jenny Shattock and Fonterra chief operating officer Robert Spurway at the opening.

lower global prices and poor weather.

Wilson says with less milk this season, Fonterra will be looking carefully at how it will meet market demand, specifically whole milk powder.

“But we don’t make investment decisions based on a single season,” he says.

To be competitive Fonterra needs the most efficient farmers, the most efficient milk collection and logistics, and the most efficient manufacturing facilities.

Wilson says last year these efficiencies helped to add $560 million to the milk price.

“If you have the

LICHFIELD INVESTMENT ■■

The $360 million project was completed on time and under budget.

30 tonne/hour dryer started in September

■■

Capable of processing 4.4 million L of milk each day

■■

3000 people worked one million hours to finish the project, completed under budget

■■

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money and some supply, anyone can build a milk processing site, and anyone can drop a large format, high efficiency dryer onto that site.

“But what makes our plants like Lichfield different is scale, which means greater efficiency, lower cost of production per litre and, ultimately, more value out the back end when that product reaches the market.

“What sets us apart is our ability to keep our assets full of milk, keeping our cost of production low, and getting the best price for our ingredients and higher value milk products through our strong customer relationships.

“These highly efficient plants are critical to our success in global markets.” @dairy_news facebook.com/dairynews

LOOK AGAIN AT DIRA FONTERRA CHAIRMAN John Wilson says the Government needs to revisit the Dairy Industry Regulations Act (DIRA).

He says making the most of the improving global market depends on Fonterra farmers’ proven ability to produce quality milk at a low cost and on the co-op’s investment in capacity to process that milk.

“In some cases our freedom to make those investment decisions is still restricted by DIRA, which the Government needs to go back and revisit.

“Given the competitive market for milk in New Zealand, our co-op should not be obliged to accept every new milk supplier, particularly when this impacts our processing investment decisions.

“The requirement to pick up all milk is inconsistent with our strategy to create the maximum value from our farmers’ milk, and with the Government’s desire to maximise value from NZ’s primary industries.”

DAIRY NEWS DECEMBER 13, 2016

FONTERRA LICHFIELD DRYER OPENING // 9

It’s about balancing assets FONTERRA’S NEW

Lichfield, South Waikato, dryer is the largest in the world, co-equal with the Darfield D2 dryer in the South Island, says the coop’s chief operations officer, Robert Spurway.

It will allow the processing of an additional 4.4 million litres of milk each day, taking total daily processing capacity to 7.6m L. Processing such large volumes is a resourceintensive business that needs careful handling, he says. “We focus on making

sure impacts are minimised wherever possible.

“A new biological wastewater treatment plant ensures we can treat any waste [entering] potable water before it is irrigated to land near the site – the most environmentally sustainable solution.

“We’re making good use of rail to move product to port, eliminating up to 40 truck movements from the site every day, which free up local roads and reduce our carbon emissions.

“A by-product from the treatment plant is a high quality fertiliser used by local farmers.”

Larger scale dryers such as Lichfield are part of balancing Fonterra’s assets to give the best value for farmers.

“As we’ve seen in recent GDT auctions, premium milk powder is a

valuable product for Fonterra in its own right.

But people often underestimate the strategic importance of powder production to Fonterra’s overall asset mix.”

The new plant will help the co-op balance its processing, allowing it to switch between products quickly to meet demand

changes in global markets, increase production when milk volumes dictate, and achieve the best product mix for returns.

Fonterra chairman John Wilson and chief operations officer Robert Spurway in the new warehouse.

“I like everything about the robots,

Mayor laud’s co-op’s citizenship

cows are happy and relaxed”.

- Graham Barlow

SUDESH KISSUN sudeshk@ruralnews.co.nz

SOUTH WAIKATO mayor Jenny Shattock says Fonterra has acted as a “remarkable corporate citizen” during its $360 million expansion at the Lichfield plant.

Speaking at the opening of the new milk powder dryer, Shattock heaped praise on the co-op for how its liaised with the community. “From day one you have kept our council, the neighbours and the community in general informed every step of the way.

“You’ve worked through issues that have come up and been very free in meeting and answering questions from neighbours and people in the community -- transport concerns, the thought of any smells, how the Putaruru siding will work and how environmental concerns will be handled. Your communication has been superb.”

The 30 tonne/hour dryer began operating in September this year, capable of processing 4.4 million litres of milk per day. At least 3000 people worked one million hours to finish the project, which was completed under budget.

Shattock noted that many local workers and tradespeople involved in the project, which has contributed much to the local economy.

“You have enhanced the skill base of our tradespeople and you created the Maori apprenticeship scheme with Raukawa that will be ongoing.”

Shattock thanked Fonterra for its foresight in recognising the South Waikato as the right location to invest. This recognised the importance of dairy farming to our district, she says.

“They recognised our dairy farmers’ innovative thinking and drive for excellence. They recognised our central position. Fonterra’s leadership in investing in our district and recognising our strengths has sparked other industries to follow suit and look to the South Waikato for growth and new developments.”

Almost 50% of South Waikato is in dairy farms, producing milk from 380 herds that generate $289 million (based on 2015 payout).

Shattock says 80% of the payout is spent locally, “a significant contribution to our economy”.

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DAIRY NEWS DECEMBER 13, 2016

10 // NEWS

Snap and win!

Last year’s winner of the Rural News Group ‘Show US Your Summer’ photo competition was Megan Heale with her image ‘Taking a Stroll’.

BUDDING PHOTOGRAPHERS take note, our annual photo competition is on again.

Last year the Rural News Group ‘Show Us Your Rural Summer’ competition attracted a heap of quality photographs: sweeping rural landscapes, kids at play, animals, working farm shots – the whole gambit of summer in the country.

Entries are being accepted now, with entrants competing for the $500 cash grand prize, hardback NZ Geographic photography books and more prizes, but most importantly, for the fun (and glory) of seeing their creative endeavours published online and possibly in the pages of Dairy News.

Entries are open until mid-January.

Enter at: www.ruralnews.co.nz/summer

New generation needs to roll in grass PETER BURKE peterb@ruralnews.co.nz

DAIRYNZ’S EXTENSION man-

ager Andrew Reid says there’s some truth in the suggestion that a whole generation of farmers have never relied solely on grazing their cows on grass.

He says some have fed nothing but supplements, their use having coincided with the higher farmgate milk prices.

But the last 18 months have been a wake-up call for farmers to rely more on pasture as the main source of feed.

New Zealand farmers’ ability to manage grass pastures gives them a competitive edge over other dairy farmers in the world, Reid says. This is the point of DairyNZ’s Pasture First message.

“The main thing now is for them to grow quality pasture and make efficient use of it. They can’t relax on that and should note what stock demand is and not be as ready as they have been to call in the feed truck,” Reid says.

In this season farmers should “have their finger on the button in terms of their pasture” to ensure during summer they don’t waste opportunities.

Response to the Pasture First message has been good, Reid says, but some farmers find it challenging to implement this philosophy because they appear to lack confidence to run such a system.

“For years people could afford to buy in feed; but now the fundamental message is to have the confidence to make decisions on pasture management because many cannot afford to buy in extra feed. The Pasture First message is getting through; it’s the implementation that requires extra skill.”

The season has so far been pretty variable,

Reid says. The weather hasn’t been favourable in the North Island, with rain during spring, while the South Island has had the opposite. But now this is reversing.

“The challenge now is for farmers to lock in the gains they have made in the last 18 months. Their confidence in the lift in the GDT should not be a reason for farmers to take their eye off the ball in terms of the pasture message.

“They should look closely at where their farm working expenses are going and capitalise on the efficiencies from a production perspective.”

Predicting weather is difficult; in hindsight farmers last year took the El Nino forecast too literally. Reid forsees an average Andrew Reid summer.

DRIER-THAN-USUAL DECEMBER METSERVICE IS predicting a drier-than-usual December, except for the West Coast of the South Island, and from Taranaki to Wellington, where near normal rainfall is expected.

Spokeswoman Georgina Griffiths says a relatively warm December is predicted in eastern areas of both Islands, and near average monthly temperatures elsewhere.

“Highs are likely to favour the North Island in December, with

westerlies prevailing over the South Island. Monthly temperatures are predicted above average for eastern areas of both Islands, and near average elsewhere.”

The change in North Island weather will benefit dairy farmers hit by a very wet spring, and commercial growers who have also struggled with the ongoing rain.

Coastal sea temperatures remain variable, with waters now

warmer than usual along the southern and eastern coast of the South Island, but cooler than average around the North Island and Nelson.

Griffiths says La Nina-like patterns have been observed in the tropical Pacific Ocean over the last month or so but the influence from the tropics is likely to be minimal for New Zealand over the summer, given the late start and weak magnitude of this event.

DAIRY NEWS DECEMBER 13, 2016

NEWS // 11

Wetland rafts hold promise for farms FARMS ARE expected to

benefit from experimental work by the Department of Conservation and Fonterra as they jointly trial floating wetlands in Waikato.

Developed by Massey University, the wetlands consist of native wetland plants in buoyant ‘rafts’ that sit on the water surface. These are capable of

technology. The drains are “nutrient enriched”, the trial partners say.

DOC ranger Michael Paviour, leading the work in Waikato, says good early results are seen in the trial.

“The wetlands have only been installed for a short time, but initial tests and rapid plant growth show they’re doing a good

Brandenburg says the floating wetlands could help farmers manage nutrient levels in ponds and drains.

“Floating wetlands don’t just remove nutrients from waterways, they also attract birds and insects

and the grasses can be harvested as a feed supplement.”

The trial will run until mid 2017 and if the good results continue the floating wetlands could be in waterways nationwide.

Milking Robots they work for me.

“The floating wetlands are not a ‘silver bullet’ for raising water quality but, used with silt traps and riparian planting, they are practical and effective.” removing large amounts of nutrients: the rafts filter water in drains and runoff before it enters waterways.

This ‘Living Water’ project has located floating wetlands in drains around Lake Areare (near Ngaruawahia) to monitor the

Floating treatment wetlands filter nutrients from waterways before they leach Lake Areare, Waikato.

job of removing nutrients from the water.

“The floating wetlands are not a ‘silver bullet’ for raising water quality but, used with silt traps and riparian planting, they are practical and effective.”

Living Water leader Tim

424 entries in for 2017 dairy awards A TOTAL of 424 entries for the 2017 New Zealand Dairy Industry awards contest is a great result, say the organisers.

Awards general manager Chris Keeping says given the economic climate in the industry over the last few years, the level of entries is pleasing.

“To achieve this number of entries, on the back of a low payout for the second year in a row, is a superb result and we are pleased with the high calibre of entries in the three competitions.”

There are 103 entered in the Share Farmer of the Year competition, 170 in the Dairy Manager of the Year and 151 entered in the Dairy Trainee of the Year.

Keeping says the regions have worked hard to attract entries and are rapt with the quality of entrants and that all three competitions will be run in all 11 regions.

“We are lucky to have enthusiastic and knowledgeable volunteers. Regional managers and committees have worked hard for eight weeks to give people the chance to challenge themselves, earn a regional or national title and have a chance to share in the regional and national prize pools.”

Entrants will first compete in one of 11 regional competitions nationwide in February and March 2017.

The 33 winners will contest the national finals in May. Most regions will now hold an event to show entrants what to expect and how to prepare for judging. “And it’s an opportunity to meet other entrants in a social environment.”

The awards are sponsored by Westpac, DairyNZ, DeLaval, Ecolab, Federated Farmers, Fonterra Farm Source, Honda Motorcycles, LIC, Meridian Energy, Ravensdown and Primary ITO.

People talk about robots and staff as if you need one or the other. The fact is, robots aren’t just the best thing I ever did for my in-calf rate, they’re also the best thing I ever did for staff retention. It’s an approach that works for me, it works for my staff, and there’s no reason it wouldn’t work for you. Visit DeLaval.co.nz/robot to find out how I made attracting and retaining good staff easy by putting DeLaval robots to work for me. Much more than milking robots.

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John Fisher, Cambridge, 320 cows

DAIRY NEWS DECEMBER 13, 2016

12 // OPINION RUMINATING

EDITORIAL

Time for a breather

MILKING IT...

Marooned cows inspire quake relief pic

THE EYE-CATCHING images of cows stranded by the Kaikoura earthquake went worldwide, prompting as many headlines as the quake itself.

Now a Kiwi artist is transforming the image to raise money for the relief effort.

Becca Aiken drew an A3 sketch of the cows and is selling it on TradeMe. The money will go to the Red Cross earthquake fund.

“I saw that all over social media and international news the cow pictures were going off,” Aiken said. “There is some humour in it, but I have taken to the more serious side of it all.”

Searching for more milk

FONTERRA IS circling disgruntled Australian farmers in the heart of the country’s largest farming collectives.

Fonterra has met with 20 dairy farmers at Kergunyah, northeast Victoria, because it anticipates needing more milk for its factory at Stanhope, west of Shepparton.

Fonterra has virtually no presence in the MurrayGoulburn heartland; the Aussie collective MG holds 90% of dairy farm contracts in northeast Victoria and Parmalat takes the remaining 10%.

The co-op is in the middle of a multi-million upgrade of the cheese plant at Stanhope and could do with more suppliers.

Schmaltz celebrates cow rescue

FIRST A poem, now a song; the three cows left stranded on an ‘island’ near Kaikoura, after the massive earthquake, are getting more popular.

A farmer’s daughter from Woodville submitted a poem to Newshub, and The Breeze presenter Robert Scott liked it so much he decided to turn it into a song called: ‘We Three Bovines Were On The Moove’ It started out, just like any old day Just munching on grass, and munching on hay Us three bovines happy as, for all to see life as we knew it, wasn’t going to be.

While settled down, for a blissful night We three bovines awoke, with fright The ground below us, started to shake Oh noooooooo, that’s got to be an earthquake.

Our lovely, cosy bed, started to slide And we three bovines had nowhere to hide.

Suddenly, scarily, the ground began to recede We were left, with no water and nary a weed.

By the light of the dawn, all could see our plight What had happened to us, during the night Our plaintive pleas, went far and wide While we waited for the jolts and the shakes to subside.

The rescue team, came to the fore For us three bovines, they couldn’t have done more They dug and they dug, and got us all out A successful mission, without a doubt.

Once we were saved, we three bovines were full of glee For us were paddocks and grass, as far as the eye could see So thanks to you all, you just made our day We’re munching on grass, and munching on hay, once again.

Anon

WAIKATO REGIONAL Council’s Plan Change 1 was always going to be controversial.

The plan is to change the way farming is done in the heart of dairy country, Waikato, home to 30 % of New Zealand’s dairy herds.

Farmers are further irked to learn that part of northeast Waikato is to be withdrawn from the notified Proposed Waikato Regional Plan Change 1 – Waikato and Waipa River Catchments, to allow for consultation with Hauraki iwi.

The 120,000ha to be withdrawn fans out from just north of Morrinsville, northward along the eastern side of Lake Waikare to Tuakau, across to the Hunua Ranges, to the northern regional boundary. This is about 11% of the Waikato and Waipa river catchment. It has 6135 ratepayers (about 6% of landowners affected by the plan change), including those in small centres like Te Kauwhata.

The area includes the towns of Te Kauwhata, Meremere, Mercer, Pokeno, Waeranga and Maramarua, and key water bodies including part of the main stem of the Waikato River, the Whangamarino Wetland, Maramarua River, Whangamarino River, Mangatawhiri River, Mangatangi Stream, Upper Mangatawhiri Reservoir and the Mangatangi Reservoir.

This is another kick in the stomach for farmers in other parts of the region.

The council stresses that the area being withdrawn may be reincorporated into the plan change process next year.

Federated Farmers, quite rightly, calls this a mess.

Its right to call for everyone to take a breath here and step back until the situation is sorted out and there’s more clarity.

Plan change 1 has been put together in a holistic and integrated way dealing with the whole catchment, and pulling an important part of it out undermines the integrity of the whole plan change.

With a general election less than a year away, politicians are jumping on the bandwagon.

New Zealand First leader Winston Peters was in Morrinsville this month; he announced the iwi withdrawal as “breaking news” to the audience.

“The Hauraki tribal rohe covers a land area of up to 750,000ha, which now has a free pass for nutrients, water quality and farming. If you are white, brown or Maori from the wrong iwi, no such privilege exists for you.

“This makes a mockery of one law for all. It is one law for some iwi and another for the rest of us.”

This may be typical play-the-race-card Winston Peters. However, his message will resonate with Waikato farmers facing massive bills to make their farms compliant with Plan Change 1.

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DAIRY NEWS DECEMBER 13, 2016

OPINION // 13

Dark clouds receding, profitability returns NICK CLARK

THE FINANCIAL

system is still sound but housing, dairy, and bank funding costs remain key risks, according to the Reserve Bank’s latest sixmonthly Financial Stability Report.

Regarding dairy, the bank observes that low dairy prices in the 2014-15 and 2015-16 seasons caused the average dairy farm to make losses. Commodity prices have improved over recent months and this has prompted Fonterra and other dairy companies to increase their forecast milk prices which, if met, would return the average

to take the survey. Please complete it and tell us how things are going.

The growth in agricultural debt is continuing to slow, according to the Reserve Bank’s October sector credit statistics. Agricultural debt was $60.9 billion, up $32 million on September. The annual rate of growth is down to 3.8% (from 9.2% a year ago).

In the Financial Stability Report the Reserve Bank says that while lending for farm working capital has continued to grow, lending for capital investment (including farm purchases) has been falling.

Business confidence slipped in November but remains positive, indi-

(down 3.7%), meat (down 3.1%), and forestry (down 4.1%). Goods import prices were down a more modest 1%.

The terms of trade is a measure of the purchasing power of New Zealand’s exports abroad. It

has fallen in four of the last five quarters but with dairy prices recovering more recently the terms of trade should start improving again.

• Nick Clark is general policy manager at Federated Farmers NZ

Rising dairy prices will return the average dairy farmer to profitability.

INTRODUCING THE ALL NEW

The growth in agricultural debt is continuing to slow. dairy farm to profitability.

However, the bank warns that parts of the dairy sector remain under pressure and some farms will struggle to be profitable, especially the 20% of dairy farms that account for 50% of dairy debt.

The good news is that fears of a severe scenario in which many farms would go out of business have receded. However, high debt levels leave the sector vulnerable to further weakness in dairy prices.

Watchlist loans and non-performing loans, although both relatively low at present, are likely to increase even as farm incomes improve. So some farmers are likely to remain under pressure from their banks.

With this in mind, Federated Farmers will continue its banking surveys. The November survey is now in the field. Federated Farmers members will have received an email late November inviting them

cating solid growth to come, according to ANZ’s monthly Business Outlook Survey.

Overall, a net 20.5% of respondents expect the economy to improve over the next 12 months, down four points on October, while a net 37.6% expect their own activity to increase, down one point. The latter is a better indicator of growth prospects and it remains elevated.

Agriculture for a change was more upbeat than businesses generally, with a net 27.2% expecting the economy to improve, up 20 points, and a net 32.3% expecting their own activity to increase, up eight points. Improved dairy prices will have been a big factor.

The terms of trade slipped 1.8% in the September quarter, according to Statistics NZ’s quarterly overseas trade indexes. Export goods prices fell by 2.8% in the quarter, with falls for dairy

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DAIRY NEWS DECEMBER 13, 2016

14 // AGRIBUSINESS / OPINION

Should Fonterra Oz merge with MG? BERNHARD LUBITZ

WHY HAS the Australian dairy industry gone down the path of pushing its farmers into flattening their milk supply curve when there is no real need to do this?

And has this now gone too far? Has it happened at the expense of farmers incurring onfarm operating costs that make them no longer competitive with New Zealand?

This situation farmers and the industry need to address because processors may lack the ability, or be unwilling, to fund these higher onfarm operating costs by paying higher milk prices, putting the Australian industry at great risk.

Is pricing clarity the real problem, as the UDV and ADF are indicating, and is it enough to improve farmer returns?

Does the Murray Goulburn milk payment structure truly reflect the product mix it presents to the market? The same question can and should be asked of Fonterra.

How much milk

achieved outside the traditional seasonal calving pattern does MG actually need from its farmers to meet the requirements of its fresh market needs?

This is important because the most profitable and low risk farming system, according to industry consensus from a farm perspective, is seasonal.

How much MG milk is truly in the daily fresh milk market? Once this is met, can seasonal pricing be applied to send the correct market signals?

I question the need to chase shoulder milk if farmers are not truly in the flat milk-supply world.

Can you have a foot in both camps?

Can MG be in both camps but be pushing supply into the flat supply curve with such large disparity in pricing amongst its suppliers, considering this truly fresh milk volume and market is such a small proportion of the MG and Fonterra total product mix?

MG, with its milk pricing, seems to be turning itself, by stealth, into a flat milk-supply company like Parmalat, when there is no

Will a merger of Fonterra Australia and Murray Goulburn resolve issues facing Oz farmers.

real need to.

Its product mix is too wide and is still mainly various value added commodity products.

Both MG and Fonterra have nowhere to move to grow their respective businesses, given the present state of the Australian industry. It’s a Mexican stand-off and their futures are limited along with their farmers, so it’s time to look at options.

Is this pricing model leading to a declining or at best stable southern total milk pool?

Can any change be pos-

sible without a wholeindustry response now that Canberra is paying attention?

MG’s new plants have no chance of going ahead without a growing Australian milk pool or rationalisation of the processing sector. At this point it seems to be fracturing even more into smaller and smaller players, doing nothing for processor efficiency. Our processors are not world class and lack scale.

Competition for local milk supply is destroying our international competi-

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tiveness, because supplier numbers are declining and growth is stagnant, with no thought about the farming systems, their resilience and profitability, and how they relate to the strategy.

MG is critical to the future of the Australian dairy industry, as the ADF and some other industry bodies confirm.

The Australian dairy industry cannot afford to let MG get smaller or the Australian milk pool to shrink. For the good of the Australian dairy industry both need to grow.

The next question for the whole of the Australian dairy industry is, how do we make this happen?

This is a whole-industry issue. The industry has been at a crossroads for the last 10 years and very little has changed.

It is time to decide in which direction this industry is headed. We have to decide if we want to be a world-class industry that can compete with the rest of the world, or be alsorans.

This is something our Kiwi friends are very good at. They know where they

want to be and know how to get there, with the Government in the loop.

Read the Horizon 2020 report, a good document (produced in 2013 with funding from Dairy Australia, the Geoffrey Gardiner Foundation and ADF).

Right now, we are in the bottom left corner of the strengths and weaknesses axis, exactly where the document said we would be if our leaders did nothing and we kept going as we were.

It’s now crunch time for this industry.

MG and Fonterra Australia have to merge for the good of New Zealand and Australian farmers and their respective industries.

Both are, after all, co-ops.

The question for the whole of the Australian industry and the Government is, what will it take and how do we convince Fonterra to let go of its Australian business so it can merge with MG for the good of both nations and industries?

This has to happen.

That is the challenge for the ADF and the Australian industry as a whole.

Do we want to shape the future of our industry or will we allow our competitors to do it for us?

Are we mature enough as farmers, and as an industry, to have the conversation and engage with New Zealand as a whole? It would be a tough conversation but, in reality, much more important that any free trade deal we are likely to negotiate.

Can we put aside our prejudices and biases long enough to have the debate or shall we hide behind the mask of a Government that will never allow it to happen?

If we are to have this debate, we should be discussing it at the next UDV conference.

If, after this discussion, we decide there is no need for a large Australian owned co-op to act as the foundation of this industry long term, so be it. At least we would have had the discussion and would be informed.

• Berhnard Lubitz, a dairy farmer in Gippsland, Australia, is an MG supplier. @dairy_news facebook.com/dairynews

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DAIRY NEWS DECEMBER 13, 2016

16 // AGRIBUSINESS LIC’s 10,000th bull, Arkan MGH Believer, with breeders Stewart and Kathryn Anderson.

10,000th bull tagged A MILESTONE 55 years in the making was passed in a split-second: with one clamp of a tag punch LIC tagged its 10,000th sire proving scheme (SPS) bull calf.

It happened on the farm of dairy cattle breeders Stewart and Kathryn Anderson of Otewa, near Otorohanga.

“The young bull symbolises the huge contribution the scheme makes to New Zealand dairy farming,” says LIC chief executive Wayne McNee. Today most dairy cows grazing NZ pastures are from LIC bloodlines.

The scheme started in 1961.

The tagging of the

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If his resulting daughters end up high-performance in efficiency and productivity, he will ‘graduate’ to LIC Premier Sires status.

Potentially he’ll be worth millions of dollars to LIC and to the national economy by helping drive up genetic gain in the

national dairy herd.

“It’s lovely of LIC to have chosen this farm to tag its 10,000th SPS animal,” says Kathryn Anderson. “It was exciting to have the co-op mark the occasion, and we felt humbled at having the honour and recognition of LIC marking the milestone here.”

Simon Worth, LIC bull acquisition manager, says the calf’s sire, Mourne Grove Hothouse, is among LIC’s best bulls, siring many outstanding daughters.

New Kidd on the block JUSTINE KIDD, a former chair of the Dairy Women’s Network, began work last month as chief executive agribusiness, responsible for 16 Central North Island Justine Kidd farms owned by The Land Tahi Farm Group and 13 South Island farms owned by Purata Farming Ltd. Making the announcement, Milk New Zealand managing director Terry Lee refers to Kidd having been a director of Pengxin NZ Farm Management Ltd, the joint venture with Landcorp, since 2013.

Lee refers to her “passion for creating value for farming business through innovative connections and partnership from farm to customer”.

Says Kidd, “The Milk NZ business has demonstrated a true partnership approach to its business model, it has invested heavily in developing onfarm assets – people, land and livestock – and I am looking forward to... the opportunity”.

IN BRIEF Oz cheese expansion THE FIRST cheese vat has been installed at Fonterra’s Stanhope cheese plant in Australia, as work progresses on the multi-million dollar facility.

The installation of the vat, the first of several, will help the Stanhope cheese plant produce about 45,000 tonnes of cheddar, mozzarella and parmesan cheese each year.

Site manager Jason Wright says installing the vat was a major milestone, almost two years to the day since a huge fire that destroyed the old cheese plant in December 2014.

“Seeing the first of the vats go in has given the team a boost and lifted our spirits heading towards Christmas,” says Wright.

“The plant is taking shape before our eyes, and with the walls up, roof on and first of the vats in place we can see the project coming to fruition.”

The vat installation came during a busy month for Stanhope, as site visitors arrived from across Fonterra, including the global ingredients team, who are awaiting the plant’s completion to better service growing Asian demand for cheese.

“The teams from China and Japan have a friendly rivalry about which will get the first shipment of Stanhope cheese for their market.

As western diets become more popular in Asia, cheese demand has grown.”

The plant will be completed in mid-2017.

DAIRY NEWS DECEMBER 13, 2016

MANAGEMENT // 17

Killer wasp saving farming $158m annually AN IRISH wasp is saving

the agriculture sector hundreds of millions of dollars, AgResearch says.

Savings are reckoned at least $158 million annually as the wasp kills the highly destructive clover root weevil.

Since this biological control began in 2006, when the wasp was released experimentally,

farming has saved at least $489m, AgResearch says.

This is stems from lower production losses on sheep and beef farms, and reduced use of urea fertiliser to compensate for damage by the weevil.

“It’s a great example of science making a profound difference to our agricultural sector and economy,” says AgResearch science

team leader Alison Popay.

“It’s also a success story in the continuing battle against pests on New Zealand’s farms.”

The clover root weevil, an invasive pest from the northern hemisphere, was first detected in NZ in 1996. Its effect on clover was such that a 2005 study predicted that, if left uncontrolled, the weevil

could cut farm margins 10-15%.

AgResearch began R&D in 1996, tested to ensure its safety then in 2005 cleared the wasp for release. It spread nationwide via release by AgResearch and farmers.

The R&D cost was about $8.2m.

The wasp injects its eggs in the adult weevil,

The Irish wasp injects its eggs in the adult weevil.

and the resulting grubs inside the weevil render it infertile. Once fully grown the grubs kill the weevil as they eat their way out.

One wasp can kill about 85 clover root weevils.

“The wasp was so successful the team found that it reduced weevil populations by about 90% in monitored areas where the wasp is well established,” Popay says.

Supporting the control programme were DairyNZ, Beef + Lamb NZ, Federated Farmers, the Clover Root Weevil Action group, the NZ Landcare Trust and fertiliser companies.

Beehre leads Northland campaign A HUKERENUI farmer will lead a project to get Northland farmers working together to improve agriculture’s performance in the region.

Extension 350 was launched earlier this year to help farmers share knowledge and get specialist advice. It is a joint effort by Northland Regional Council, DairyNZ, Beef + Lamb NZ and Northland Inc economic development agency.

Farmer mentors and farm consultants will support target farms seeking to improve their performance, and neighbouring farmers will share knowledge and learn from the

target farmer’s experience.

Dairy and sheep and beef farmers will take part.

Dairy farmer and former bank manager Luke Beehre was appointed project leader for Extension 350 in November. He was prompted by his passion for agriculture and Northland.

He and his wife Lyna farm in Hukerenui, near Whangarei, and run a dairy genetics business.

“The opportunity to contribute to the success of businesses and people in Northland was too good to pass up,” he says. “Motivated people and organisations here want to make this project work and

year – 10 dairy and five sheep and beef – and plan to add to this over time.

We want to represent the diverse range of farming businesses in Northland.

“This is farmer-tofarmer learning. The farmers will drive the decisions

and identify areas for opportunity.”

Expressions of interest are now being sought from the region’s agri consultants interested in taking part. Target farmers are expected to be selected by February next year.

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DAIRY NEWS DECEMBER 13, 2016

18 // MANAGEMENT

Grass proves most profitable at r A GRASS-SYSTEM

dairy farm returned the best profit in the 201516 season compared to a cropping farm and a PKE supplement system in an ongoing trial in Northland.

The trial, on the Northland Agricultural Research Farm (NARF) is run by the Northland Dairy Development Trust (with NARF) and is funded by DairyNZ, MPI’s Sustainable Farming Fund and Hine Rangi Trust.

Farm working expenses per kg of milk solids were $3.59, $4.20 and $4.01, respectively, for the grassonly, cropping and PKE farms, says Chris Boom, AgFirst Northland, and Kate Reed, NARF farm manager, speaking at a field day this month.

At a $3.90/kgMS payout, the grass-only farm had the highest operating profit at $975/

ha followed by the PKE farm at $642/ha and the cropping farm at $444/ha.

A milk payout would have needed to be $6/ kgMS before the PKE farm was the most profitable and $18/kgMS before the cropping farm was the most profitable.

The trial started in June 2015 and is now half way through the second year.

It will run for another two years. It compares three farmlets at NARF, just north of Dargaville: 1. Grass-only farm: No imported supplement, home grown grass silage may be used. Stocking rate of 2.6 cows/ha (73 cows calving on 28ha) 2. Cropping farm: No imported supplement, crops grown on farm (turnips, fodder beet and maize silage). Stocking rate of 2.8 cows/ha (80 cows calving on 28 ha)

3. PKE farm: Importing PKE as required to optimise profit from pasture. Stocking rate of 2.8 cows/ha (80 cows calving on 28 ha).

The stocking rate is 7% lower on the grass-only farm than on the other two farms. The weather has been relatively kind over the 18 months resulting in good pasture growth and covers on all farmlets.

In response to these conditions, supplement use has been much lower than expected on the PKE farm.

During 2015-16, crops were established on the cropping farmlet: 23% of the farm area was in turnips, fodder beet and maize (silage). Turnip yield was estimated at 9t DM/ha, fodder beet 15.5t/ ha and maize silage 22.0t/ ha.

For the 2015-16 season,

Northland Agricultural Research Farm (NARF) field day this month.

milk production was highest on the cropping farm at 1049kgMS/ha versus 870kgMS/ha on the grass-only farm and 1028kgMS/ha on the PKE farm.

Pasture Growth Good pasture growing conditions prevailed through the 2015-16 season, with calculated pasture growth of 17.4t

ryegrass sown) on each of the farms.

Supplement and crop use The use of PKE on the PKE farm was well below expected levels during the 2015-16 season, with 469kg/cow being fed versus an expected requirement of 1047kg/ cow in an average season.

To date, 226kg/cow has

DM/ha versus an historic annual production of 13.7t DM/ha.

Pasture covers have generally been much higher on all farms than was expected through farm system modelling.

The drop in pasture cover during March/April 2016 was largely brought on by all kikuyu pastures being mulched (and Italian

Task: Tractor Time Grass Only Farm Moving cows/Fences Tractor Time Cropping Farm Moving cows/Fences Tractor Time PKE Farm Moving cows/Fences

been fed during winter 2016 and none during spring.

During spring 2015, crops on the cropping farm were sown – 9% of the farm in maize silage, 7% turnips and 7% fodder beet. Turnips were fed to the cropping cows during January and February 2016, while fodder beet was fed February-early

2015/16 Hours 0 0 114 313 100 193

2016/17 Hours 30 0 63 59 47 23

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DAIRY NEWS DECEMBER 13, 2016

MANAGEMENT // 19

t research farm Labour and tractor time were recorded as activities over and above the operations commonly required on all farms.

Compared to grassonly, in 2015-16 the cropping farm required 114 hours more tractor time and 313h more moving cows and fences. (See table p18).

The PKE farm needed 100h more tractor time and 193h more moving cows and fences in 201516.

The mobs were 70-80 cows – larger mobs would bring more efficiency per cow.

Additional capital is required to develop infrastructure, machinery and extra cows for the more intensive systems.

Body condition score Body condition score has been assessed every two weeks. The grass-only farm started the 201617 season (June 1, 2016) below target and did not achieve the target of 5.0 prior to calving. Body condition was better on the cropping and PKE farms. Mating results have varied between all three herds, however these differences are not

considered a consequence of the farm treatment.

Once-a-day milking was used for cows with BCS of 3.5 and under from two weeks prior to mating.

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May. Cropped paddocks were sown into either perennial or annual ryegrass.

Cropping for 2016-17 season will occur on 21% of the cropping farm – 7% in maize silage, 9% in turnips and 6% in fodder beet.

Soils at NARF are mostly marine clay and there were high levels of pugging on the ex-crop paddocks during the 2016 winter, challenging the cropping farm.

Milk production The cropping farm had the highest milk production and grassonly the lowest during the 2015-16 season.

Light conditioned cows were dried off on all farmlets from early April.

Remaining cows were dried off on the grass-only farm on May 3 and on the other two farms on May 13.

The grass-only farm started well in the 2016-17 season, being 6% ahead of the previous year while the cropping and PKE farms are 6% and 2% behind last season respectively. On a per-cow basis, the grassonly farm has the highest production.

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DAIRY NEWS DECEMBER 13, 2016

20 // ANIMAL HEALTH

A top herd doesn’t have to cost big GREG AULT’S Holstein

Greg Ault’s herd ranks among the top in Australia for genetic merit but he doesn’t use the most expensive bulls on the market.

herd ranks in Australia’s top 10% but he doesn’t use the most expensive bulls.

His experience proves you don’t have to pay top dollar to breed a top herd.

The average balanced

performance index (BPI) for the Holsteins cows is 75 (versus a national average of zero), placing the herd 49th in Australia.

Ault and his wife Joanne farm near Rochester, northern Victoria,

milking about 400 cows -two thirds Holsteins and the rest Jerseys.

To achieve a relatively flat production curve, the herd calves in three batches: six weeks each in autumn and spring and a three-week batch in November.

While Ault takes a strong interest in breeding cows and selecting sires, it is a business decision and a cost that has to be justified.

“Apart from land, our herd is our biggest asset and our cows’ ability to turn feed into milk is fundamental to our profit.

“If I can breed cows that produce more milk from a tonne of feed I’m more likely to stay in business, regardless of the seasonal conditions.

“But we don’t have to spend more on semen to achieve this, and we certainly don’t go for the most expensive bulls in the catalogue.”

Greg describes his approach as “one third, one third, one third”.

“A third of the straws we buy are young progeny test bulls, a third are young genomic sires and a third are proven. The lower cost of the PT and young genomic straws offsets the higher cost of the proven sires.”

This approach does not involve any compromise in genetic gain; mainly it is a way to avoid “having too many eggs in the one basket”.

“I’m confident in the young genomic bulls and the science behind their breeding values. They represent the latest genetics, so if I was looking for value for money I’d always choose a young genomic bull over a discounted ‘proven’ bull from yesterday.”

Ault selects from the top BPI sires, and within that group he looks at their Australian breeding values (ABVs) for protein, mastitis and fertility.

With two breeds in the herd he is also mindful of stature to avoid breeding larger Holsteins or smaller Jerseys.

Like all dairy farmers, Ault made budget cuts in response to this season’s

milk price but he doesn’t expect any impact on genetic progress.

“The first thing I looked for is better efficiencies, especially in growing and utilising feed,” he says.

He decided early to cull more heavily than normal, while the chopper price was good.

With at least 90% of the herd bred to AI and the use of sexed semen in recent years, Ault consistently had surplus replacements, so he culled for mastitis, fertility and production, knowing he had the capacity to build up numbers again next season if needed.

He says herd testing would be among the last things cut from the budget.

“Herd testing pays for itself on cell count alone, but its value goes way beyond that. With three calving batches I rely on the results to make routine decisions about drying off and breeding.

And it comes into its own in a difficult season when we need to make hard decisions about reducing herd size.”

Next time he’s due to order semen, Ault will review the quantity of more expensive straws (proven sires and sexed semen) in the context of the milk price outlook.

“We can save money by using more young genomic or PT straws and fewer proven bulls. That has no impact on genetic gain because the young bulls represent the latest genetics,” he says.

The decision about sexed semen is less clearcut. While the upfront cost is higher, Ault considers the returns are greater, in the short term (more replacements) and longer term (genetic gain).

“We’ve been happy with the results from fresh sexed semen. We’ve contained the cost by using it over about half the maiden heifers. This fast-tracks genetic gain by breeding replacements from our latest genetics and we can generate income by selling any surplus replacements,” he says.

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AUSTRALIAN DAIRY farmers considering housing their cows should offer them choices, advises a visiting Canadian animal welfare researcher.

Professor Dan Weary told a Dairy Australia webinar on November 23 that welldesigned housing will allow access to outdoor areas, a quality lying environment and clean, well-managed walking areas.

He cautions farmers to ensure that engineers designing the barns know about cows.

Weary, from the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, co-founded the university’s animal welfare programme and co-directs a research group.

He says farmers spending a lot on an indoor facility must ensure it works well for their animals.

“There are ways of making it better, but providing animals with opportunity for choice is an important advantage of some systems. Even within a herd, different cows can have different preferences.”

Despite some problems, Weary says indoor housing has benefits and a role to play for Australian farmers.

“We have the idea that cows outside on grass is the gold standard. People will say the ideal option is pasture, but there’s an important role still for housing. The ideal is to give cows opportunity for choice.”

Most cattle are housed in Canada “so we have lots of experience in what goes wrong,” Weary says.

He cited design and management flaws, notably, “people build beautiful cubicles set for one cow per cubicle; then every sixth cubicle will have a post (to support the barn roof) going right up the middle where the cow needs to stick her head.

That’s a case of the builder not thinking like a cow.”

Farmers must get the right advice at the right time.

“Once you’ve poured the concrete, you might see, for example, that the drinker is in the wrong place or the food alley is too small, so a dominant cow will block the lane and the subordinate cows will be waiting for hours. These can be avoided if the farmer gets the right advice

at the right stage.”

He says a quality resting environment is essential and farmers shouldn’t skimp on bedding; cows need “copious amounts of dry, well-maintained bedding”.

People may try to “sell the idea that you can house cows indoors with a low-bedding or a no-bedding system, using mattresses or rubber mats. But for the most part those options don’t work very well; they cause skin lesions, leg injuries and lameness.”

Designs should also include good standing areas.

“Our indoor environments are designed and built by engineers who love concrete and steel, which are highly resilient materials but not the surfaces the cow would choose,” Weary says.

“A lot of time, standing on concrete is hard on cows’ feet, especially if the surface is wet, and especially if it is covered in the manure slurry often found in indoor environments.”

Getting the design right is only half the battle; management is just as important.

“It’s one thing to say you have a deep bedding system, but you have to manage that so the surface remains dry, clean and even for the cows,” Weary says.

“It’s the same for standing surfaces: keeping manure off the surfaces is a good start; a housed environment requires a high level of management.”

Weary encourages farmers to give cows access to outdoor areas, ideally pasture.

“Think of it as a rest area for the cows so they are no longer standing on dangerous concrete surfaces.”

North American cows offered both options tend to spend the warmer times of the day in the shade of the barn then, mostly at night, go outside to pasture.

“From the cow’s perspective, the opportunity to choose to be on grass when they want, or be out of the sun and in a dry environment, can be very important. If well managed it is a relief from extreme weather.”

The same principles apply to feed pads.

“If you have a concrete pad to keep cows off wet pasture, does it provide a suitable lying down area? Concrete is not suitable and wet concrete and concrete with manure on top is particularly damaging for their feet.”

Bedded surfaces must be able to drain properly and stay reasonably dry.

Weary says Australian dairy has a big advantage in its green pasture based image.

However, he says non-pasture options are important in regions with less pasture growth.

The full webinar can be viewed at www. dairyaustralia.com.au/People-and-skills/Education-and-careers/Webinars

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DAIRY NEWS DECEMBER 13, 2016

22 // MACHINERY & PRODUCTS

Put your ute loads under the lash MARK DANIEL markd@ruralnews.co.nz

THE QUESTION of load

restraint can be an issue on any ute used for work.

Various makers have their own solutions, normally anchor points built into the well-deck floor, which have limitations if the deck is full, or if the load sits higher than the sides -- perhaps in the case of a loaded pallet.

A clever solution from Transhold Systems in the shape of their Rope Grip kit might be the answer.

Each Rope Grip fitting is made from high grade alloy and serves two purposes: first, via a cleverly shaped profile, a rope

can be pulled over the load and ‘wedged’ into the fitting, removing the need for loops or truckers’ knots to keep things secure; second, the fitting acts as a mount for the side rails which run

Slick 50 range.

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Rope grip fitting made from high grade alloys keeps the load stable.

the length of the well-deck.

The combination of the grip and the side rail means users can choose whether to use rope or

ratchet tiedowns for added security, or use both together.

Each Rope Grip is NZS certified to 215kg, and the system is said to be suitable to use with tonneau

covers.

Each kit includes two side rails, each carrying five Rope Grip grips; mounting is straightforward, requiring 6mm holes drilled along the edge of the well-side and secured

with a Nyloc nut.

Dairy News is also reliably informed that in the spirit of Kiwi ingenuity the Rope Grips make perfect bottle openers. www.transholdsystems. com

applied PTFE coatings to the insides of vehicle engines, says NZ distributor Griffiths Equipment.

Now there’s even more slickness – synthetic engine treatment, supercharged Onelube spray and recharged high mileage treatment.

The aim is to get maximum power and performance from a vehicle “by fighting power-robbing friction and heat,” says Griffiths.

Slick 50 “fights friction 18% more than the leading synthetic motor oil alone,” achieved by a friction modifier that creates a better layer of lubrication to minimise heat produced by friction”.

Meanwhile “a ZDDP anti-wear agent forms a continuous, self-regenerating shield between engine parts to prevent metal-to-metal wear and enhance oil durability. An additional hydro-ethanol inhibitor fights ethanol, rust and water build up in the crankcase”. www.griffithsequipment.co.nz

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DAIRY NEWS DECEMBER 13, 2016

MACHINERY & PRODUCTS // 23

This red steed won’t upset the bull MARK DANIEL markd@ruralnews.co.nz

LOVED BY dairy farmers, the humble twowheeler still has a place on many farms, being nimble and more agile than quads or side-by-sides.

The Honda CTX 200 Dairy News got its hands on looks to be the cream of the crop, not least for quality and attention to detail that it in the premier league.

Its compliant frame, generous wheelbase and sensible seat height of 823mm made it easy to swing the leg over, and it is comfortable and light to steer over all types of terrain.

The 197cc, 4-stroke motor has electronic ignition, so it starts easily on the electric push-button without choke, and it has a kick-start back-up for flat battery moments.

Moving off is easy with a light clutch lever and, once mobile, power and torque come in bucketloads, a quick response to

throttle is available when required and the engine is at home moving at tickover behind a herd of cows at milking time.

Bringing things to a halt is simple with twinpot disc brake at the front and a low-tech drum brake at the rear Coming from the Honda stable, reliability is never likely to be an issue -- a little routine maintenance of oil level, checked via a dipstick at the filler cap, and chain tension and lube.

On the point of attention to detail, our reviewer particularly liked the dual side-stands that allowed parking on any slopes and kept the bike upright in a mob of cows paused at a new rubbing post. A park lock on the front brake lever also came in for praise.

Dairy farmers will like the front and rear carry racks that can handle standards and wire reels, though the dog will need a rubber mat to stay on board.

A hefty sump guard,

fully protected, and foot guards and substantial hand protectors, will keep the rider in one piece.

A lockable fuel cap and toolbox takes care of security. Any gripes? Perhaps tweak the engine sprocket

to give a slightly lower speed at tick-over for following cows, and take a hacksaw to the oversize rear guard which tended to hook up with electric fence wires. www.honda.co.nz

Honda CTX 200.

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John Deere’s new F441R fixed chamber round baler.

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Highly suitable for AMS (Robotic Farming Systems) with low milk flows – Packo Milk Tanks

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WITH TWO machines in New Zealand for final test-

ing, it can’t be long before John Deere introduces the new F441R fixed chamber round baler recently seen at European shows.

Said to be able to increase production by up to 9% (about five bales per hour), the machine has a wider bale chamber – 1.21m rather than the previous 1.17m – which results in a heavier bale, supported by the fitting of an 18th roller in the chamber.

Buyers can choose between a 2m or 2.2m pickup; this feeds to a high capacity MaxiCut HC chopper rotor that will be offered with 13 or 25 blades.

The designers are said to have concentrated on versatility and durability, especially the pick-up which now has Hardox steel wear plates, heavier drive chains, and larger bearings with better sealing properties. www.deere.com.au

no risk of freezing the milk.

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DAIRY NEWS DECEMBER 13, 2016

24 // MACHINERY & PRODUCTS

Step up to the plate MARK DANIEL markd@ruralnews.co.nz

PLATE METERS give a valuable indication of how much grass is in front of cows, allowing timely grazing management for maximum yield.

The Lely Rapid plate meter takes the concept of the rising plate meter a step further: it works fast and accurately and can seamlessly transfer data, including GPS coordinates, via a suitable smartphone.

Power requirement is 12V. Notably, the plate measures density of grass, rather than average crop height as is common with other types. A quadrant linked to a potentiometer gives an accurate readout of dry matter/ha after 70m of travel.

Designed to be towed by a quad, side-by-side or farm ute, it has a robust alloy steel parallelogram linkage carrying the plate, and is controlled by a foam-filled tyre which follows ground contours.

In the paddock the operator can choose a speed of 8-20km/h. Towball coupling and a swivel allows the device to track accurately during

A self-propelled feeding machine in collaboaration with Storti.

Keenan goes back to drawing board

Lely Rapid plate meter.

Data can be sent to the farm office for interpretation by software – no need for manual recording or re-entering data as is common with traditional entry-level hand-held devices.

turns. Working height is 200320mm.

At the driver’s seat a touchpad controls raise/lower and start/stop functions, and if GPS is being used the unit will automatically recognise paddocks.

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New from Plucks Engineering One of our latest model Pond Stirrers V Only 1.1kW driving a 1.0 M Ø blade V Two year warranty on the new type of motor and planetary gear box V New to the world of agriculture – the latest in five-lip sealed bearings V No greasing required – ever!

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IRISH MIXER wagon builder Keenan, rescued from receivership by global nutrition company Alltech, appears to have been rethinking things.

Industry talk is confirmed: a selfpropelled machine will enter the range, a result of collaboration with Italian diet feeder manufacturer Storti.

Located near Verona, Storti has made diet feeders since 1956, specialising in auger style machines in horizontal and vertical layouts, and probably offering the industry’s biggest range of self-propelled machines.

For years it has insisted that this type of machine, which mixes the ingredients by tumbling and compression, creates a homogenous mix that averts the problem

of cows being selective, i.e. shaking out the tastier morsels.

In contrast, the Keenan machines have a large tub with a cement mixer style paddle which tumbles the load, its minimal compression resulting in a ‘light fluffy’ mix more suited to ruminants.

For years that initial concept has been developed, in the early stages to accept high dry-matter ingredients in round bale format like hay and straw, and lately using electronics to relay information on recommended rations and feeding data.

Now it seems the product range will include both types of machine, though Keenan suggests its chief lessons from the collaboration will be faster mixing, larger capacities and, of course, access to selfpropelled machines. @dairy_news facebook.com/dairynews

DAIRY NEWS DECEMBER 13, 2016

TRACTORS & MACHINERY // 25

Just tell this robot tractor what to do labour during the most intense seasons, makes 100% use of the periods of favourable weather for various farming activities and maximises the rational use of resources.” www.newholland.co.nz

The autonomous tractor can be controlled via a computer or tablet.

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AT FIRST glance, the T8 Blue Power tractor on display at the Farm Progress Show in Iowa, USA, appeared a standard tractor, but a closer look shows this to be a peep into the near future.

Developed by CNH Industrial and Autonomous Solutions Incorporated (ASI), the New Holland NH Drive autonomous (unmanned) tractor can be monitored and controlled via a desktop computer or a portable tablet interface. This enables farmers to access tractor and implement data, from different locations, for timely decisions about operating efficiency and productivity.

A path-plotting screen shows the tractor’s progress, another shows its live camera feed, and a third enables the operator to monitor and modify machine and implement parameters such as engine speed, fuel levels and implement settings, including seeding rate or coulter downforce.

The NH Drive concept tractor is equipped with a seeder and it can autonomously seed the next crop straight behind the combine, working 24/7, helping

responsible for ensuring the availability of food produced in an efficient and sustainable way”.

“An autonomous tractor able to work day and night helps solve the problem of a lack of specialised

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reduce the risk of human error – it’s been ‘totally’ told what to do.

Further development will enable the NH Drive to completely automate grain handling during harvest when equipped with a trailer – including unloading, transport and offloading activities.

The concept tractor’s cab is identical to that of a standard T8, allowing it to do tasks in which complete autonomy is not yet possible, such as frontloader work and high speed road transport.

Around the farm the tractor can travel on premapped paths.

Thanks to a combination of radar, LiDAR (range finding lasers) and RGB cameras the tractor can detect all sorts of obstacles in paddocks, communicate with users and take instructions on how to avoid the obstacle.

The NH Drive is a big milestone for New Holland as it celebrates ten years of its Clean Energy Leader strategy of using renewable fuels and technologies that reduce the environmental impact of farming and maximise farming efficiency and productivity.

Says Carlo Lambro, brand president of New Holland Agriculture, “Farming is increasingly

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MARK DANIEL

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The new 5-Series G tractors from Deutz-Fahr deliver unparalleled on-farm productivity with industry leading features such as true four-wheel braking, Stop & Go, double-displacement steering, a 100% locking diff, and a super quiet, ergonomically designed cabin.

These new four-cylinder models (105hp and 115hp) provide the benefits of a big tractor in a compact, muscular workhorse ideally suited to New Zealand farming.

Around the farm the tractor can travel on pre-mapped paths.

Call your local Deutz-Fahr dealer for all the details and prepare to be impressed.

deutztractors.co.nz * Normal lending criteria & conditions apply. Contact your local Power Farming dealer.

deutzNZ

DAIRY NEWS DECEMBER 13, 2016

26 // TRACTORS & MACHINERY

Dinner for 800...

MARK DANIEL markd@ruralnews.co.nz

PANNETTS DAIRIES

in Mid-Canterbury is a 215 ha platform including 200 ha of irrigated pastures which utilises two freestall barns and a 60-bale rotary dairy, to deliver an average production

Willy Leferink with the new Trioliet Solomix wagon.

of around 555 kg MS per cow and an expectation to hit 750 kg once the herd matures.

Willy Leferink, who oversees the management of the enterprise says a new Trioliet Solomix 2 2800 ZKX-T mixer wagon will become the most important piece of machinery on the prop-

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erty as it will be used to provide 800 cows with up to 24 kgs per day of a total mixed ration.

“The right wagon can make you a lot of money, not just in operating efficiency but in nutritional consistency, cow health and production. Conversely, a bad machine can cost you a lot of money,” he says.

The purchase follows the successful demonstration of a slightly smaller Trioliet unit over winter and spring and a comparison with two other brands demonstrated, where the Trioliet mixed each load more consistently and quickly.

“Labour, diesel and tractor costs are a triple whammy if you’re running a machine 365 days a year says Leferink “With our old wagon, feeding used to take about eight hours a day during winter, whereas with the new Trioliet, we can do a better job in six”.

The wagon is used to mix and feed out up to 20 tonnes a day of a total mixed ration comprising maize, lucerne and grass silage, supplemented with wheat, canola and a vitamin-mineral premix.

Engineered to process and thoroughly mix large quantities of feed in a very short time, the 2800 ZKX-T features an integrated tub-chassis design and a capacity of 28 cubic metres. The heavy-duty

construction includes a 15-mm wear ring on the tub floor, 10 mm thick walls, 22 mm augers and 25 mm auger wings. The twin vertical augers, each with nine knives, allow quick and even mixing of each 10-tonne load, while only requiring a modest 130hp tractor because of the decision to specify an optional reduction gearbox.

This set up is said to allow the operator to select a lower auger speed during loading and an increased auger speed during discharge.

The new wagon will be equipped with the optional Triotronic 3610 programmable weighing system. If desired, this will allow the mixer to be run with the CC330 ‘app’ for smartphones, which offers an alternative to mounting a weighing indicator in the loading vehicle.

Rowan O’Connor, a nutritional consultant to Pannetts Dairies, says feeding accuracy can have a major impact on profitability. “Feed ingredients, such as protein and minerals, are very expensive,” he says, “Going five percent over on a particular day or even a week won’t hurt much. However, if you do that every day over a year, then it’s going to make a huge difference to your bottom line”. www.claasharvestcentres.co.nz

Good in light soils THE VADERSTAD Carrier X, a mounted disc culti-

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Now’s the time to load up on value with a Massey Ferguson 4600 ROPS Series tractor... because, the Loader’s on us! And features like this: Japanese built reliable and manoeuvrable tractor with a 3 cylinder, tier 4 emission compliant AGCO POWER engine Creeper gears come as standard with an 18F/18R power shuttle transmission Change between forward and reverse directions without clutching Large 3 point linkage lift capacity of 2,500kg

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vator available in 4.25, 5.25 and 6.25m working widths, is designed for high speed shallow cultivation and effective stubble mixing down to 10cm.

When equipped with the maker’s single SoilRunner packer the rig is said to offer unique benefits in the paddock.

The packer rings of the SoilRunner are constructed with a u-profile, designed to be filled with soil, resulting in a ‘soil on soil’ effect that results in a cultivated open surface and good structure in light soils without bulldozing.

The single SoilRunner has a diameter of 575mm and is 30% lighter than the alternative steel packer SteelRunner, so it requires a lower lifting capacity of the tractor, and because the u-profile of the packer is filled with soil, it incurrs less wear.

Equipped with the latest 470mm TrueCut discs, whose conical shape and milled cut-outs maintain an aggressive penetration over time, the Carrier X can handle large volumes of trash and residue but has only a low draught requirement.

Transport is easy because the rig is only 2.4m wide. www.vaderstad.co.nz

DAIRY NEWS DECEMBER 13, 2016

TRACTORS & MACHINERY // 27

Keen edge to new MF 5700 SL tractors MASSEY FERGUSON

has announced its new MF 5700 SL series – four tractors (100-130hp) powered by AGCO Power 4-cylinder engines, and said to have best-in-class visibility, manoeuvrability

and transmission control.

Riding a 2.55m wheelbase and weighing just 4.8 tonnes, the MF 5700 SL series builds on the previous MF5600 range, which will still be available in three models

of 85-105hp.

The MF 5700 SL series also includes a newly added 100hp, 4-cylinder model – the MF 5710 – to complement the 3-cylinder MF 5600 tractors.

A common rail fuel injection system improves overall performance.

MF 5700 SL series tractors are powered by the AGCO Power 4.4L, 4-cylinder engine, with an ‘all in one’ SCR/DOC package that meets Tier4 final emission regulations and is sited unobtrusively under the right side of the cabin.

Other changes include a new electronically controlled waste-gate turbocharger combined with a fourth-generation common rail fuel injection system to improve overall performance.

All the MF 5700 SL series tractors can be specified with the Dyna-4 or Dyna-6 transmissions which offer a useful braketo-neutral function and the option of AutoDrive, which provides automatic changing of the four or

Massey Ferguson’s newlydesigned duo mowers.

Front linkage and loader fitted in tandem.

six powershift steps in fieldwork and main ranges in transport operations.

Dyna-6 offers six powershifts in four ranges, giving a total of 24F and 24R speeds, while the more basic Dyna-4 choice offers 16F and 16R speeds with four shifts in four ranges. Electro-hydraulic control also provides clutchless range changes.

MF 5700 SL tractors are available with optional front axle suspension, developed and built by MF in-house; this has a suspension arm mounted between a special cast engine oil sump and specific, new front axle support with electrohydraulic control. The clever design allows the

fitting of a front linkage and loader in tandem, and no compromise of overall functionality.

A new Speedsteer option makes it possible to vary the number of steering wheel revolutions needed to turn the wheels from lock to lock – particularly useful for loading operations and headland turns. The system is easy to activate or disengage and turns off automatically at speeds greater than 20km/h.

All models have a 100L/min combined flow system that can supplement the flow from the 58L/min linkage pump with 42L/min generated by an additional high pressure pump, and said to

be particularly useful for loader operations.

When not combined, one pump supplies the linkage, the other the spool valves, and an extra separate pump provides all the internal services for brakes and transmission lubrication.

The MF 5700 SL uses the same cab as larger MF models, offering good visibility over the droopnose hood; and in the cab a colour display taken from the MF 8700 series provides better visibility in daylight.

Options include AutoGuide 3000 automatic steering and AgCommand for performance monitoring and job recording.

Grass gear for miles THE RECENT EIMA 2016 exhibition in Bologna,

Italy showed a full line-up of forage tools from Massey Ferguson, whose mowers, tedders and rakes are used by contractors and farmers across New Zealand in a huge range of crops and conditions.

Designed and made at the AGCO Feucht factory near Munich, Germany, the DM series of disc mowers includes mounted units from 2.06-4m; 3m and 4m semi-mounted mower conditioners; trailed centre pivot Mo-Co’s; and the high output 8.3m and 9.3m mowers in triple-butterfly set-ups.

On the tedder front, the TD series offers machines from 5.2m to 12.7m working widths; the range includes four mounted machines with four, six or eight rotors, and a brace of trailed units with eight or ten rotors.

The RK series of rakes includes four single-rotor machines from 3.6m to 4.5m, four twin-rotor semimounted rigs up to 10m, and a flagship trailed four rotor leviathan which clears up to 12.5m in a single pass. www.masseyferguson.com.au

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Ripcord® is the perfect product to use.

Don’t settle for fly-by-night treatments. Insist on Ripcord®.

Visit agro.basf.co.nz for more details or visit your local distributor.

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