Dairy News 24 January 2017 by Rural News Group

Gongs for dairy leaders. PAGE 4

TECHNOLOGY UPGRADE 5R series coming PAGE 26

ASTRONAUTS LAND Robotic milking joy PAGE 19 JANUARY 24, 2017 ISSUE 371 // www.dairynews.co.nz

MILK BOTTLE IS BACK

“We think the time is right to provide a way for them to drink milk fresh from the farm in a one-litre glass bottle.” – Julian Raine. PAGE 9

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DOES YOUR DAIRY COMPANY SUPPORT YOU THROUGH THE TOUGH TIMES?

Any dairy company can do well by its suppliers in good years – but how about when times are really tough? While this seaon has been challenging, it’s also served as a good example of how Fonterra continues to maximise value for its farmer shareholders. This year we’ve helped our farmers to manage the drop of income that has followed sustained low dairy prices. The Farm Source Support Package, our Fonterra Co-operative Support Loan and advancing dividend payments are just some of the ways Fonterra is supporting our farmers. So let’s talk about being stronger together. Call 0800 65 65 68 and speak to one of our local Business Development Managers.

STRONGER TOGETHER.

DAIRY NEWS JANUARY 24, 2017

NEWS // 3

$6/kgMs or better SUDESH KISSUN sudeshk@ruralnews.co.nz

DAIRY MARKETS remain finely balanced but

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NEWS ��3-13 AGRIBUSINESS �� 14 OPINION �� 16-17 MANAGEMENT ��18-19 ANIMAL HEALTH ��20 PASTURE & RENOVATION ��21-22 MACHINERY & PRODUCTS �� 24-26

with most of the season’s product sold, farmgate milk price is expected to hold above $6/kgMS. ANZ rural economist Con Williams says the bank is retaining its $6.25/kgMS forecast, but it could rise to $6.35 towards the end of the season. “That’s based on the current indicators,” Williams told Dairy News. Williams says a payout above $6 would be great for farmers. It will help cashflow and allow Fonterra farmers, who took bank loans to rescue their businesses over the past two seasons, to repay some of the debt. “In the past two seasons a lot of Fonterra farmers took loans; when the payout gets above $6 those loans have to be repaid. Any upgrade in milk prices will mean a good portion of that goes into repaying debt.” While prices are expected to hold this season, which ends May 31, long-term prospects are hard to predict. Williams says how the supply seasons in Europe and China play out remain to be seen. The high farmgate prices are also trickling to other farmers. A glut in milk production could trigger another price slump.

Williams says recent Global Dairy Trade results, which saw prices dip and then stabilise, weren’t surprising. Short term the market expects whole milk powder prices to settle at US$3200US$3300/tonne. The GDT price index rose 0.6% to US$3517, up from US$3463 at the previous auction two weeks ago. Some 22,030 tonnes of product was sold, edging lower from 22,396 tonnes at the previous auction. Whole milk powder slipped 0.1% to US$3283 a tonne. The results are indicative of the overall dairy market which is relatively balanced; at present there is neither a shortage of dairy products nor an excess. This situation is likely to persist for the next few months during which time prices will most likely bob up and down from week to week. ASB senior rural economist Nathan Penny suspected recent increases in the whole milk powder offer volumes had been counterproductive. Last week’s result cemented recent WMP weakness; at the previous auction WMP dropped 7.7% although a lack of buyers hinted the fall could have been put down to a ‘‘holiday effect’’. Buyers returned last week but prices stayed low.

While it made sense to take advantage of production flexibility and, in this case, switch to more profitable WMP, that switch had ‘‘slammed the brakes’’ on WMP prices, Penny said. The recent weak auction results had introduced some downside risk to ASB’s 2016-17 milk price forecast of $6.50 but it was sticking with it at the moment.

Con Williams, ANZ.

Milk flows down but grass growing FONTERRA’S DECEMBER milk collection

was down 4.8% versus the same month in 2015. In the North Island, milk collection was down 6% year-on-year, while milk collection in the South Island fell 2.9% for the month, according to My Farm agri global report for January. Meanwhile, while consistent rain and low summer temperatures have kept grass green and growing in most parts of the North Island, though dry conditions prevail in Northland and Hawke’s Bay.

In Northland cows are being milked on supplements with the region reportedly at its driest for 10 years, affecting production. However, pastures in the South Island are much greener, as a mild summer has created excellent conditions for grass growth. In North Canterbury, farms have moved out of the drought, however in Southland rain, warmth and sunlight have all tracked below normal in recent weeks, putting pressure on pasture.

But palm kernel expeller (PKE) imports have tanked, accord to the report. During the first 11 months of 2016, PKE imports declined 29% versus the same period in 2015 to 1.36mt. On this basis, PKE imports in 2016 were the lowest since 2012 (1.16mt), suggesting plentiful local stocks as a result of strong purchases during late 2015 and early 2016, and reduced supplement use in the prevailing low farmgate price environment.

DAIRY NEWS JANUARY 24, 2017

4 // NEWS

Dairy leaders honoured pamelat@ruralnews.co.nz

A KEY contributor to

New role for Vilsack

Justine Kidd

Bank of New Zealand to develop their Farm First Growth Programme and DairyNZ in creating a farm governance programme.” Last November she took up the position of chief executive of Milk NZ Management which includes Purata Farming in Canterbury and Theland Tahi farms through the North Island, milking about 26,000 cows. She is chair of the Agricultural Leaders Health and Safety Action Group, a primary sector initiative to support creating ‘Healthier, safer NZ farms’. Kidd was a founding director of Synlait and started Avance Ltd, a company designed to create a family farming asset by helping other

farm businesses achieve their goals. Kidd told Dairy News when she won Dairy Women of the Year that she likes to help farming families who make a massive contribution. And she wanted to build bridges across the urban-rural divide. She was in China las week and could not be reached for comment. Kidd has been chef’dEquipe for the NZ Dressage Young Rider Programme and Equestrian Sports NZ high performance manager for the 2004 Olympic Games, and was chief executive of Equestrian Sports NZ from 2004 to 2007. She has also held governance roles with Eventing NZ, Equestrian Sports NZ and Horse of the Year

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HB Ltd. Former DairyNZ chairman John Luxton has been made Companion of the Order of New Zealand (CNZM) for his services to the dairy industry. Luxton oversaw the development of DairyNZ, stepping down as chairman last year, having held the position since 2008. Luxton was also an MP from 1987 to 2002 and held many Cabinet portfolios including agriculture, housing and commerce. He played a key role in many important policy and legislative changes, including the foundation policy work that led to the formation of Fonterra and the deregulation of producer boards. Luxton is a former chairman of Tatua Co-op and a founder of Open Country Dairies and Kaimai Cheese compa-

John Luxton

nies. He is co-chairman of the Waikato River Authority, and chairman of the Asia NZ Foundation and the Hauraki iwi-owned Pouarua Farm Partnership. Meanwhile Gore farmer Laurie Paterson has been awarded an ONZM for services to the beef industry. Laurie and his wife Sharon, with their son Ross and his wife Steph, farm a leading Hereford stud – Waikaka. They have about 200 stud Hereford cows and

supply bulls to commercial beef clients and the dairy industry. Paterson was a director of the NZ Hereford Association from 1991 to 2010 and president from 1997 to 1999. In the 1980s he introduced the Breedplan genetic evaluation software, which calculates estimated breeding values, to Hereford breeders and this eventually led to its use for other breeds in NZ and the combining of NZ data with Australia for trans-Tasman genetic evaluations.

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FORMER US Department of Agriculture secretary Tom Vilsack will head the US Dairy Export Council (USDEC), starting on February 7. USDEC is a nonprofit, independent organisation working to promote global demand for US dairy products and ingredients. “Growing the global market for US dairy products is essential to the future of the dairy industry and America’s dairy farmers. “I’ve spent my career in public service as an advocate for farmers and American agriculture and can think of no better way to continue this service than by leading the US Dairy Export Council,” said Vilsack.

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Jailed for theft A DAIRY genetics company administrator took $52,000 of work funds and spent it on furniture and a car. Shirley Joan Wright (54), siphoned the Waikato genetics company’s cash over 10 months until an investigation uncovered her misdeeds. Wright ended up in the dock of Hamilton District Court facing 15 charges of theft by a person in a special relationship, and pleaded guilty. She was sentenced to two years in jail by Judge Philip Connell this month.

PAM TIPA

the dairy industry for 20 years, Justine Kidd, was awarded the New Zealand Order of Merit in the New Year Honours for services to dairy and equestrian. Kidd, BAgSc (Hons), who lives in Takapau, is the immediate past chair of Dairy Womens Network and was Dairy Woman of the Year in 2013. Her citation says she has traversed farm business consulting, farm ownership and property development, dairy production research, corporate farming leadership and governance. “As chief executive of BEL Group Dairy Farming, milking 9500 cows and employing 65 people, she led through the upheaval of an owner’s death to establish it as a successful family owned corporately structured farm business. “Alongside establishing Kitahi, a Hawke’s Bay farmers’ collective, she is a shareholder in her own dairy farming business, seeking opportunities for primary producers to grow product value and market access and providing strategic consulting to business projects such as the Organic Dairy Hub and the Dakang New Zealand farm business. “She worked with

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DAIRY NEWS JANUARY 24, 2017

NEWS // 5

Future up in the air NIGEL MALTHUS

THE ROADS to the south have mostly

reopened but the uncertainty remains for the dairy farmers of Kaikoura following the November 14 earthquake. For about three weeks after the quake the 22 farms of the district had to dump milk, before Fonterra tankers could again make pickups. With the inland route now open and even the coastal road open – albeit only during daylight -- pickups are reliable but full recovery will be a long process. Graham Collins milks about 700 cows on two family farms either side of Red Swamp Road, a few kilometres outside the town. He says one milking shed survived the quake “without a hair out of place,” while the other, built by his father in 1971, is in use despite being badly damaged. The concrete has split and buckled and washdown water and effluent no longer drains from some areas. Aftershocks are continuing and Collins says

that after a shaky night, nervous cows baulk at shadows and are reluctant to step over the cracks. Alongside the damaged shed a feed silo used for meal pellets fell into the creek on the night of the quake. On the day Dairy News paid a visit – nine weeks on from the quake – a team from Dan Cosgrove Ltd, Timaru, was on the farm erecting a replacement. The quake hit at a crucial time, three weeks into mating. Collins says the lack of feed, coupled with the need to reduce stress on the animals at a time when they needed to get into calf, meant he went from twice a day to once a day milking. So even with the feed restored, his milk yield is down 25% and not expected to recover this season. The uncertainty now is over insurance cover and the rebuild. He does not yet know if the milking shed will be a repair or replacement. And while Fonterra paid for the milk dumped during the three weeks when it could not be collected, Collins

Kaikoura dairy farmer Graham Collins’ old feed silo is a sorry sight after being fished by a digger out of the creek where it fell in the November 14 earthquake

is unsure how far loss of income insurance may compensate for the continuing reduced milk yield. “You just have to make the most of the situation. We had two years of drought and we had to make the most of that. “Now, well, the paddocks I got [the cows] out of the past two mornings,

Kaikoura dairy farmer Graham Collins at the dairy shed originally built by his father in 1971 and damaged in the November 14 earthquake.

probably a third of them have water a couple of inches deep in them. That’s just come up. It’s not blocked drains, it’s water that’s risen in the heavy ground all around the district.” Meanwhile, neighbour Grant Wareham’s rotary milking shed is unusable. For two days after the quake they had tried to milk his herd through Collins’ shed but the cows, used to a rotary shed, didn’t take to it. Wareham has now destocked, sending most of his herd to Culverden. He says he now has no income. He was harvesting grass on his land but was unsure how much he could sell without affecting his business interruption insurance. Nor does Wareham yet know whether his shed will be a repair or rebuild. “It was a rebuild a couple of weeks ago but now I’m not sure.” Collins is also unsure of his way forward. “To be fair I haven’t tried to ask anyone, with Christmas in the way. But we’re a bit short of a big schoolteacher coming along and saying ‘you can do this or you can’t to that.’ We don’t really know.” “We want to milk here to the end of

May. Then we want to be milking here again in August. So it only leaves a twomonth gap. I have tentatively booked a builder to do whatever. “We’re probably at a wee bit of a loss as to who actually makes the decision… you need a new cowshed or we can repair this one. But we haven’t chased people up. We’ve been too busy.” Collins says the quake has caused a lot of extra work, mostly stock water pipes breaking and sediment getting in. The ballcock in the header tank of the farm house domestic supply was repeatedly blocking for the first time in 27 years. The farm was also six weeks behind in harvesting fodder on runoff land because their contractor could not get into the district. Collins is also questioning why a government wages subsidy announced for quake-affected Kaikoura businesses is not available to the district’s dairy farmers. He employs three full-time staff and two part-timers, who he has kept on “because it’s not their fault that we’re milking only once a day now”. “The subsidy would have been quite handy, for them,” he says.

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DAIRY NEWS JANUARY 24, 2017

6 // NEWS

Co-op rolls out white butter FONTERRA HAS

developed a new white butter product to meet growing demand from manufacturers in the Middle East. Although Fonterra’s butter is known by Middle East consumers for its golden appearance, because of grass fed cows, a niche group of manufacturers prefer

White commercial butter specifically made for the Middle East market, compared with the golden consumer butter.

white butter as a processing ingredient for their food products. These Middle Eastern food manufacturers have traditionally used butter from grain fed cows, a product with a pale colour. Fonterra’s dairy foods category director of NZMP, Casey Thomas, says Fonterra developed

the white butter by a process that reduces its golden appearance without affecting its quality. “We saw an opportunity to tap into this new area for customers to use it in applications such as spreadable jar cheese, recombined cream cheese, and it could soon

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be used in ice cream.” NZMP general manager of Middle East and Africa, Santiago Aon said, “This is already seeing strong results. Our customers have had positive feedback about the white butter; it is performing to our expectations.” With the co-op’s R&D centre, NZMP is

behind the new product; both have a history of partnering with customers to create business solutions with them. The product is now available in Saudi Arabia, Iran, Bahrain, Turkey and Pakistan. It may be launched in Egypt, Algeria, Morocco and South America.

Little rest for contestants WHILE MANY people have rested from the stresses

of work over Christmas and the new year, reality can be different for farmers. Summer is a busy time in the farming calendar, and the general manager of the New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards, Chris Keeping, says it is just as important for farmers to take a break as any other person. “Farming is a 24/7 commitment: the cows don’t milk themselves and the hay doesn’t get cut by itself, however it is vital that farmers find time to rest and relax with family and friends,” she says. “The summer has been a mixed bag weather-wise, which can add a different type of stress to the mix.” However, Keeping says entrants in the New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards who used their summer holiday to prepare for the 2017 competitions will be one step ahead of their competitors, as awards activity heats up. The awards scheme, which embraces the Share Farmer of the Year, Dairy Manager of the Year and Dairy Trainee of the Year competitions, received 424 entries prior to Christmas. Keeping says information events for entrants and sponsors have already been held in some of the 11 regions, and the rest will take place over the next few weeks. “These events provide an opportunity for entrants to meet, and to learn more about the awards and what to expect, as well as connecting people within the industry.” The New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards are sponsored by Westpac, DairyNZ, DeLaval, Ecolab, Federated Farmers, Fonterra Farm Source, Honda Motorcycles, LIC, Meridian Energy, Ravensdown and Primary ITO. Full details of the entrant and sponsor events can be found at www.dairyindustryawards.co.nz. Keeping says the events are useful for entrants as they prepare for judging, which begins for the dairy trainee competition in Taranaki, Hawkes Bay/Wairarapa and Northland on January 24. There is no onfarm judging component in the dairy trainee competition. Instead entrants participate in a short practical session covering everyday farming tasks and an interview. The time allowed for onfarm judging is two hours in the Share Farmer of the Year competition and oneand-a-half hours in the Dairy Manager of the Year competition. Each entrant determines how best to meet the judging criteria, so they must make the most of that time and plan well. “This is where time spent planning over the summer will pay off,” says Keeping. The first regional winners will be announced in Hawkes Bay on February 27, while the Southland/ Otago region is the last to name its winners on March 25. All 33 regional winners will progress to a national final in Auckland on May 6.

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DAIRY NEWS JANUARY 24, 2017

8 // NEWS

Milk powder industry ‘in mature phase’ PAM TIPA pamelat@ruralnews.co.nz

THE MILK powder manufacturing industry is in a ‘mature phase’ of its economic life cycle, an Australian report says. However the outlook for the next five yeurs for the milk powder industry globally is more positive than the last five years, IBISWorld senior analyst Nathan Cloutman told

Dairy News. Prices rose to a peak in 2013-14 then dipped suddenly the next year and are only just starting to recover. But volatility will be ongoing for the next five years. The Australian and New Zealand industries both export about 90% of their product so are exposed to similar influences, he says. The industry’s contri-

bution to the Australian economy is expected to fall at an annualised 0.9% over 10 years through to 2021-22, says the report from IBISWorld, a business intelligence and research company, on Milk Powder Manufacturing in Australia. “Typically, an underperformance is indicative of a declining industry, which is shrinking as a share of the economy,” it says.

FONTERRA OUTPERFORMS IN OZ FONTERRA AUSTRALIA’S milk powder revenue is forecast to decrease at an annualised 7.3% over the five years to July 2017. “This represents a marginal outperformance of the industry, which is forecast to decline at a faster rate over the period,” the IBISWorld milk powder report for Australia says. “The volatility of Fonterra’s Australian operations is due to the unpredictability of international

dairy product prices, particularly milk powder,” says the report. “Fonterra is one of the most internationally exposed dairy companies in Australia. The company is able to offset some of this exposure through its size, with a dominant position in global dairy markets backed by its New Zealand operations.” Other companies do not have a similar scale of foreign milk powder production capabilities.

“The industry is well established, with brand names and producers that have been in operation for many years. The rudimentary nature of production makes it difficult for producers to be particularly inventive with their product lines or formulations. “Consequently, the industry appears to be in a mature life cycle phase.” However, given the significant portion of revenue generated by exports, there remains some room for growth and innovation, the report says. “Volume growth is expected to be the dominant driver of industry growth… which is supported by rising demand for milk products in Asia.” Cloutman says milk powder prices are expected to make only a minor recovery during 2016-17. Milk powder especially relies on global markets and in Australia, like New Zealand, it is

Fonterra is a reputable global producer of milk powders.

90% exported. Profit margins have fallen in the past five years for Fonterra Australia, as for other dairy companies. “But we are predicting Fonterra’s and the industry’s performance will be a bit more positive as the oversupply starts to rebalance and we see more demand from China, particularly for infant milk formula. “We are starting to see a rise in prices but it hasn’t been felt as strongly in Australia at the moment.” Australian farmers were slower to feel the effects of the global slowdown in prices as Fonterra and MG were protecting farmers. “Then it just hit them, he says. Milk producers have reduced their milk

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powder production, he says. But strong demand is predicted from China and Asia over the next five years. Because of the growing middle class and the free trade agreements signed by Australia with Asian countries, tariffs on milk powder will begin to be reduced. Those will reduce slowly until 2026 so that will increase the competitiveness of Australia milk powder. “Global over-production will start to rebalance, and EU production plateau, so that has also been factored into our slightly more positive outlook for the next five years -- more positive than what has happened over the last five years. “This mainly pertains to Australia but can also be seen globally. A couple of years ago there was oversupply. It is starting to become more positive.” New markets include South East Asia – Indonesia is becoming a big one – and the Middle East. Free trade agreements will open up markets. There’s bigger demand

for Australian product in Thailand and Vietnam with a growing middle class. Australian produce, the same as New Zealand produce, is marketed over there as high quality. “But milk powder is highly internationally exposed. Milk powder is so reliant on global price it will be reliant on global matters such as supply and production and demand. “Volatility will continue, depending on global factors.” The industry is highly concentrated. The larger players in Australia are looking to expand more into global markets, and also take more of the domestic industry. Chinese companies are starting to invest in Australia to cater for their own market. Australian trade barriers with China, its biggest export market, are falling. The Australian and New Zealand markets are fairly similar in that they are based on milk powder and export markets in both countries.

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DAIRY NEWS JANUARY 24, 2017

NEWS // 9

Aunt Jean’s throws light on cows PAM TIPA pamelat@ruralnews.co.nz

TRYING TO bridge the disconnect between urban customers and dairying is a motivation for seventhgeneration dairy Nelson farmers Julian and Cathy Raine to start a new venture named Aunt Jean’s Dairy. The Raines are teaming up with glass manufacturer O-I to bring A2 cows’ milk fresh from the farm to milk lovers around New Zealand, in one litre glass bottles. Initially, Aunt Jean’s Dairy milk is available in the top of the South Island and in selected Auckland outlets, with plans for wider national distribution this year. Already an innovator in the dairy field, Julian, who is also president of Horticulture NZ, says he likes to try new things “We are trying to get the customer to understand milk doesn’t come from a supermarket – it actually comes from a cow,” Julian Raine told Dairy News. “We have a viewing room in the dairy (at Oaklands) and we bring school groups onto the farm. You’d be surprised at the comments that come back from not only the kids but also from the parents and teachers. It is a serious issue for the dairy industry: we’ve become disconnected from our communities.” For example, one mother did not realise you had to calve a cow before you got milk from that cow. “That disconnect seems to be becoming greater so we’ve got to do something positive about getting it back. That’s what I am doing with this.” Aunt Jean’s Dairy launched in Auckland late last year in Farro Fresh and in Nelson at Raeward Fresh, with plans to go nationwide. “The thinking behind

the product is to provide a specialty item which firstly is in glass and secondly is from A2 tested cows and thirdly it is fully traceable milk back to our farms,” Julian explains. “I can tell you what they had for breakfast this morning and tea last night so we can have a direct link to our customers and we can answer any queries people might have on animal welfare, environmental standards, etc. “We have two farms: one milks about 200 cows and the other milks about 400. Our home farm of 200 is all A2 cows and the other is about 50%.” The family have been dairy farming in Stoke for at least 80 years and has been on the same farm continuously for 170 years. They have another brand, Oaklands Milk, which has been around for nearly four years, all in the Nelson area. “We have dispensers, we have a home delivery service and we’ve been supplying cafes and restaurants in Nelson,” Raine says. “This is the next step to go more nationwide on a supermarket brand.” With the new product he points out that any glass bottle can be recycled. Glass is infinitely more recyclable than plastic: about 90% of glass is recycled in NZ but only about 20% of plastic. Anecdotally he has heard from customers that milk tastes better from glass. “We firmly believe that milk in glass bottles tastes better,” says Raine. “We know that NZers were reluctant to shift to plastic. We think the time is right to provide a way for them to drink milk fresh from the farm in a onelitre glass bottle. After all, glass is infinitely recyclable and that has to be a good thing.” Aunt Jean’s Dairy uses milk from A2 cows with no palm kernel expeller

Check out the latest news and information at www.dairynews.co.nz

in their feed, and they are mainly grass-fed. The milk is bottled onfarm, contains no permeates and is not homogenised so the cream rises to the top.

The cows that produce Aunt Jean’s Dairy milk products are A2-tested cows that produce the less commonly found A2 type of beta-casein milk protein.

Nelson dairy farmer Julian Raine with the bottled milk.

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DAIRY NEWS JANUARY 24, 2017

10 // NEWS

South Korea FTA good for cheese FONTERRA IS bracing for a boom in cheese exports to South Korea. It says the 12-monthold free trade agreement with South Korea offers huge potential for its

All South Korean tariifs on NZ cheese will be remoevd within 15 years.

dairy products there, particularly cheese. Since the FTA was signed in December 2015, New Zealand has seen 16% growth in exports of food and beverages

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to South Korea. It is NZ’s fifth-largest cheese market, worth $70m a year, comparable to the cheese trade with the US. NZ’s new annual duty free quota of 7000 tonnes of cheese to South Korea will increase by 3% a year. Tariffs on cheddar and block mozzarella will be removed after seven and 12 years, respectively, and all cheese tariffs will be eliminated and quotas removed after 15 years. Quotas and tariffs on butter, anhydrous milk fat and infant formula will also be phased out over 15 years. Fonterra’s country manager South Korea, Jason Murney, says many existing customers and new customers are approaching the co-op to develop new business opportunities. “The FTA will help Fonterra deepen its commercial relationships in the market over time, as our access continues to increase. “We have already seen positive results, with government import statistics

showing that NZ’s share of the Korean cheddar market has grown 60% in 2016, up from 50% in 2015.” Fonterra has developed a new cheese specifically for pizzas, to be launched in South Korea. Koreans have a growing taste for pizza and ‘fusion’ foods. Fonterra has increased its South Korea workforce and will buy a warehouse from which to distribute more of its products. South Koreans are consuming more dairy products. In 1990 they consumed 43.8kg liquid milk equivalent per capita but by 2014 that had risen to 72.4kg. The access under the FTA allows Fonterra to invest in product and supply chain innovations, and its South Korean business from low risk ingredients to higher value food service. “The development of the Korean market is in line with Fonterra’s strategy of moving more milk volumes into higher margin products,” says Murney.

Fert co-op appointment RAVENSDOWN HAS appointed George Williams as its new regional manager eastern North Island. Williams has managed agribusiness in the East Coast region for 18 years. Originally from Gisborne, he has spent the last two years in Dunedin as Ravensdown’s technical manager animal health for George Williams the lower South Island. “The opportunity to lead people achieving great results and service has brought me back to the East Coast,” Williams says. From Ravensdown’s Napier site at Awatoto he will cover from the top of the East Coast region, Waikura Valley, central Hawkes Bay and Dannevirke. Ravensdown is a large employer in Hawkes Bay and last year its Napier site won Large Business of the Year at the 2015 Hawke’s Bay Chamber of Commerce Awards. The farmer-owned co-op seeks to optimise soil fertility and farm profitability in a sustainable way. Along with fertiliser it markets nutrient management services, technical advice and farm inputs.

DAIRY NEWS JANUARY 24, 2017

NEWS // 11

Unrelenting wind adds to dry PAM TIPA pamelat@ruralnews.co.nz

NORTHLAND AND some upper regions of Waikato are highest on the radar for concern about summer dry, says Andrew Reid, DairyNZ’s general manager, extension. Lack of moisture but also the unrelenting wind are drying the pastures so farmers in those regions are very conscious of what the rest of the season will hold for them, Reid says. “That doesn’t seem to be so much the case for the rest of the country

though,” Reid told Dairy News. “Temperatures slightly back from where we would normally find them and good rainfall over spring means the lack of rain over the last month has had less impact than we would have expected. “Certainly Northland is the area of greatest concern for us. “For those farmers who are concerned about what to do, we have local consulting officers they can refer to, or our website where we have fact sheets to help inform farmers what their options are.” Taranaki seems to be faring well

Andrew Reid

and so does most of the South Island, Reid says. “It is particularly the Northland

region that seems to be getting hammered by the lack of rain over the last month or so.” This is typical of the middle of summer and most farmers would have planned for this dry period. The areas prone to dry are Northland, Hawkes Bay, Wairarapa and some parts of Canterbury. From most reports from around the country they would define the season as “pretty typical” so far. He expects pasture growth to be down on normal for this time of year due to lower soil temperatures, coupled with lack of moisture.

He says one of DairyNZ’s regional team pointed out that due to the wet spring less supplement was harvested. That means there is less of a buffer for farmers to feed out to stock if they get short of feed later in the season. Fortunately there is a lot of kikuyu in Northland and it thrives in the dry weather so that will be helping farmers in those regions. Production will definitely be down this year due to the destocking last year and also less feed going into the cows. @dairy_news facebook.com/dairynews

Milk matters, beyond Waikato MARK DANIEL

developed by Fonterra in the late 1990s. (Kaipara

Co-op Dairy marketed a spreadable butter in the

early 1970s. ed.) Developed by the

markd@ruralnews.co.nz

WHILE RICHIE McCaw helps Fonterra sell its Dairy for Life message to the nation, in Cow Central (Hamilton) the Waikato Museum is looking to tell a broader story about the white stuff via its Milk Matters exhibition which opened recently. Aimed at children aged seven-twelve, but equally valid for the ‘mature’, the exhibition is sponsored by Fonterra and Dairy NZ; the theme is milk, the technologies that turn it into a vast range of products such as whey proteins and supplements, and spreadable butter,

museum science curator Salina Ghazally, the display has taken 15 months to bring to fruition and will run until April 2018. Beyond the many uses for raw milk the exhibition looks at why dairying is important to New Zealand, why Waikato is the heart of the industry, and explains land use in terms of topography and climate. Looking beyond the practical, the visitor gets a taste of the science, and audio-visual stories of local dairy farming families. Youngsters are encouraged to crawl inside a mock-up of each of a cow’s four stomachs to see what goes on there, are offered a display

about breed types, and may learn that modern dairy cows result from 10,000 years of evolution traceable back to the DNA strings of 80 animals first domesticated in the Middle East. No modern exhibition in Waikato would be true to form if it didn’t consider issues such

as nitrate leaching, soil erosion and global warming caused by cows’ creation of methane. Possible solutions are discussed simply, allowing audiences to easily understand. Well worth a look if you’re in town. www.waikatomuseum. co.nz

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12 // NEWS

14 million milk tests and counting IN THE time it takes you to read this article, Fonterra will have run 60 more tests on its milk and products. The co-op does 14 million tests on its raw milk through to final product every year – one test every two seconds. Testing begins onfarm where the tanker operators look for anything out of the ordinary, check the temperature of the milk and take sam-

ples for later random testing. Fonterra group director food safety and quality Greg McCullough says at the processing plants every 26,000L tanker load is tested. Between a farm and any point of consumption, product is tested for 70 different things, e.g. safety and quality aspects, fat and protein levels, and final product taste and smell. Technology and human instinct

Testing is done by Fonterra and independent laboratories, such as Milk Test NZ, which tests for most NZ dairy companies; it does 8.6 million tests each year for Fonterra. Every raw milk sample collected is tested for composition and undergoes up to eight random tests. This process also includes Fonterra’s milk fingerprinting technology which can help determine which product the milk is best suited for.

are needed to determine the freshness and quality of milk. Hundreds of samples of raw milk are smelt every day by a sensory tester who picks up any whiff of milk not up to standard. Pizzas are cooked hourly to test the stretch and taste of the mozzarella at the co-op’s Clandeboye site. “We know fresh when we taste and smell it, so it’s an important part of the process.

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can now be imported into New Zealand to kill the giant reed (Arundo donax). This follows a decision by the Environmental Protection Authority(EPA) made under the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act (1996). An application by Northland Regional Council to introduce the arundo galling wasp and the arundo scale insect to NZ has been approved. The giant reed is mainly found in the Far North, but there are fears it may spread south as temperatures increase, harming riparian and other sensitive habitats. The committee noted that giant reed effectively grows and expands its range via a strong rhizome network. This generates large colonies of giant reed plants that directly impact the environments it invades. Giant reed harms the biodiversity of insect and plant life in habitats where it grows prolifically, and has been shown to displace endemic and endangered species in the US, Mexico and the Canary Islands. “The arundo galling wasp and arundo scale insect have been successful in curbing the vigour and abundance of giant reed stands in those habitats,” says EPA scientist Dr Clark Ehlers. “The galling wasp lays its eggs inside giant reed shoot tips, which swell as gall tissue builds up. Growing wasp larvae feed on this tissue. A single wasp can produce 20-30 offspring. “The arundo scale insect attacks the giant reed by puncturing plant tissue and sucking out nutrients, reducing plant growth. As the two insects’ feeding niches do not overlap, their combined impact on the giant reed can be significant,” Ehlers says. The committee considered various potential risks and costs, including those to the environment, human health and safety, the market economy, Māori culture and tradition and the Treaty of Waitangi. It noted there are no native plants closely related to the giant reed and considered the results of containment and field-tests done in the US, Spain and NZ to assess the insects’ preference for the giant reed over other food sources. The committee also noted a Landcare Research survey showing the number and diversity of insects living in and around giant reed was low. As there are no native insects closely related to those covered by the application, the chance of them hybridising is negligible, the committee found. “The committee concluded it would be beneficial to establish a population of the two insects, and that neither would be likely to cause adverse effects in the NZ environment. It also noted it was highly improbable that the arundo galling wasp or arundo scale insect would form undesirable self-sustaining populations,” Ehlers said.

DAIRY NEWS JANUARY 24, 2017

NEWS // 13

Sustainable farming engages ambitious youngster SUSTAINABILITY IS the watch-

word for Ngāi Tahu Farming’s big Te Whenua Hou dairy conversion project on the former Eyrewell Forest land north of the Waimakariri River. Ash-Leigh Campbell (26), recently named as one of the three inaugural winners of the NZ Young Farmers Excellence Awards, is having a busy summer as sustainability co-ordinator for Ngāi Tahu Farming, implementing various benchmarking and data collection projects to ensure Te Whenua Hou meets the highest environmental standards. The 6700ha project is steadily converting the forest to a complex of 20 farms – 13 dairy and seven grazing and support units. While some blocks of exotic forest will remain until ready for harvest, most of the project is now well underway, with seven dairy units already producing. “Ngāi Tahu are strong believers in best farming practice,” says Campbell. She says Ngāi Tahu Farming has to report back to the Manawhenua Working Party, made up of members of Ngāi Tahu hapū (sub tribes), Ngāi Tūāhuriri and Ngāti Kurī, who hold manawhenua (authority) over the Hurunui and Wai-

makariri catchments associated with Ngāi Tahu Farming’s Te Whenua Hou and Balmoral developments. “We keep them informed on everything we do in relation to water, animal welfare and our environmental footprint.” Te Whenua Hou is on the Waimakariri irrigation scheme but the development includes ponds for every farm so that irrigation can continue even at times of low flow when water cannot be drawn from the river. Native plantings will be a big feature of the development, with 1.5 million plants to go into reserves, corridors along fence lines and around the perimeters of the irrigation pivots, and landscaping around the sheds. Seedlings are raised in an onsite nursery. Fruit trees and gardens are also planned for the project’s many staff houses. “We have a sustainability matrix at Ngāi Tahu Farming – projects I’ve been conducting such as water quality testing for our households and electricity benchmarking for the dairy farms,” says Campbell. The matrix is part of Ngāi Tahu Farming’s quadruple bottom line reporting – tracking progress of social, economic, natural environment and values and cultural outcomes. “We’ve also electromagnetic map-

ping of one farm in December to assist with nitrate leaching and help us monitor that and be more efficient.” Campbell also recently helped set up a ReGen irrigation programme, which uses rain forecasts to help plan irrigation needs and reduce wast Of Ngāi Tahu descent, Campbell says she did not initially plan to get into agriculture but took a part-time job relief milking while at Lincoln High School. She went on to become a herd manager on a Dunsandel dairy farm at age 21, and ran a drystock farm in Canterbury before completing a Diploma in Agriculture. She is due to graduate with a Diploma of Farm Management this year then intends to complete a Bachelor of Commerce in Agriculture, while hopefully continuing her work with Ngāi Tahu Farming part time. A previous finalist in the Ahuwhenua Young Māori Dairy Farmer of the Year awards, she was also a Whenua Kura Māori Scholarship winner, which enabled her to recotnnect with her Māori roots and to develop her leadership skills. As the Young Farmers Tasman regional vice-chair, Campbell was one of three inaugural winners of the NZ

Young Farmers Excellence Awards announced just before Christmas. The awards, which recognise outstanding young leaders among the membership of the Young Farmers clubs nationwide, also went to a young airline pilot and a Wyndham sheep, beef and dairy farmer. The Young Farmers Waikato/Bay of Plenty Regional chair, Hannah Cameron (27), a former Te Kauwahata dairy farmer, is now a flying instructor at CTC Aviation, Hamilton, as she works towards her dream of flying with Air New Zealand. The third winner is Wyndham sheep, beef and dairy farmer, Dean Rabbidge (31), recognised for his leadership in environmental issues among his peers. He is also the 2016 winner of the Zanda McDonald Award, recognis-

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DAIRY NEWS JANUARY 24, 2017

14 // AGRIBUSINESS

Robotic farmers to meet in Tasmania TOP ROBOTIC pastoral farmers operating in Oceania will gather in Tasmania for the 2017 Grasslands Robotic Convention. Run by DeLaval Oceania from March 21-23,

Gala Farm, Tasmania.

the convention follows on from the DeLaval Robotic Convention held in the US last year, where robotic farmers from many countries swapped notes. “It was clear this con-

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vention should be replicated on this side of the world to provide the same opportunity, with a focus on pasture based farming,” a DeLaval spokesman said. “Some of the world’s most productive and efficient robotic pastoral farmers operate in Tasmania, making this an obvious place for the convention.” Terms such as voluntary milking, variable milking frequency, 3-way grazing, and cow longevity are synonymous with robotic milking. The technology is used by farmers in Australia, New Zealand, Ireland and Chile with various grazing farm systems -- many run by their cows. At the convention, farmers, experts and scientists will be on hand to share their experiences and knowledge gained in owning and running robotic dairies.

The event will cater for current robotic milking farmers and those interested in finding out more. A highlight will be a visit to three robotic grassland farms. One is Gala Farm, where the Dornauf family operates a 24 bail robotic rotary (DeLaval AMR), milking 600 cows on a voluntary basis – home of the first commercial automatic milking rotary in the world. The other two farms are operating DeLaval voluntary milking systems using the ‘box’ style of milking. On Monday, March 20 a one day training session on pasture management principles for grasslands robotic operations will be offered. Nick Dornauf, of Gala Farm, will explain how he manages his pastures, pasture quality, cows and voluntary cow traffic in a seasonal calving system.

Co-op appoints comms head FONTERRA HAS appointed Helen Moore as director of communications. Moore, acting head of communications since September, has 15 years’ experience in business management. Chief executive Theo Spierings says Moore is the ideal leader for internal and external communications. “Helen will draw on her extensive commercial leadership, in-depth business knowledge and strong connections, with support from a capable leadership team of communication experts, to further strengthen Fonterra’s reputation in New Zealand and globally. “She’s an enthusiastic leader, with a passion for developing strong teams, and her recent leadership of our transformation programme has shown her ability to accelerate our co-op’s performance.” Moore formerly led the co-op’s global supply chain, responsible for 2 million tonnes of exports per year to 100 countries. Before joining Fonterra in 2010 she held management roles in insurance and financial services. She will report to Mike Cronin, managing director corporate affairs.

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DAIRY NEWS JANUARY 24, 2017

16 // OPINION RUMINATING

EDITORIAL

Battle won, war not over

MILKING IT... Too eager

DID GREENPEACE jump the gun on an Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) ruling on pollution in waterways? DairyNZ says unfortunately Greenpeace commented on the ASA’s ruling publicly before the ASA complaints process was complete, resulting in media coverage. The industry body is working with the ASA to complete the process towards a final decision. Appeals should have been filed by January 23. The advert contained images and statements about rivers, industrial dairy farming and irrigation, effectively saying dairying is the sole polluter of NZ waterways. Greenpeace is accused of disseminating misleading information; it ignored information provided by DairyNZ at a meeting late last year.

Clock is ticking

IN A protest to show that Switzerland’s new rules on Swiss-made are too lenient, a luxury watchmaker has made a ‘100% Swiss’ timepiece, made only of locally produced natural resources such as a strap of cowhide rather than alligator leather, plus a more unusual ingredient – cheese. At the recent Geneva annual watch fair, H. Moser & Cie unveiled the one-ofa-kind piece, presented in a case made of resin mixed with pasteurised Vacherin Mont d’Or cheese. The ‘Swiss-made’ designation is so meaningless that the company will no longer use it, a spokesman said. “As much as 90% of components can be made in Asia, but the watch could still carry the Swissmade label,” said chief executive Edouard Meylan. “The Swiss watch industry doesn’t want people to know that. We don’t want to be compared with a label that’s not strong enough and that many brands are abusing.”

That’s not milk

STOP CALLING your product milk! That’s the message from a US Senator to non-dairy producers. Wisconsin Sen. Tammy Baldwin introduced legislation this month that would force the FDA to enforce the agency’s current food standards and ban plant-based products from being called “milk,” “cheese” and “yoghurt. Baldwin argued that the products are mislabeled under the FDA’s current definition of milk and so are misleading consumers. And they hurt dairy producers. “Dairy farmers work tirelessly every day to ensure their milk meets high standards of nutritional value and quality; imitation products are using dairy’s good name for their [makers’] benefit.”

Cow salute

EUROPEAN SCIENTISTS say they are on the way to resurrecting an ancient species of super-cow revered by the Nazis after it went extinct 400 years ago. The auroch roamed the grassy plains of Europe for 250,000 years until it died out in Poland in 1627, and Adolf Hitler’s followers tried to breed a similar beast as part of their Aryan mythology. The Rewilding Europe group is breeding the Tauros from a number of current species with auroch ancestry; these have been released into regions of Spain, Portugal, Croatia, Czech Republic and Romania, where they contend with wolves and other predators. The scientists believe that by 2025 the seventh generation of neo-aurochs will be as close as possible to the originals.

SOME NEWSPAPER headlines refer to a victory for Greenpeace, but is it? Using misleading information to portray the whole dairy industry as guilty of polluting waterways is an old Greenpeace trick. It has worked with the Advertising Standards Authority this time, unfortunately. Let’s hope DairyNZ’s appeal helps undo the injustice caused by the ruling. DairyNZ lodged a complaint with the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) late last year about a Greenpeace television advert. The advert contained images and statements about rivers, industrial dairy farming, and irrigation, effectively saying dairying is the sole polluter of our waterways. Eleven other complaints about the advert were also received by the ASA. DairyNZ is appealing the decision because it believes the information provided by Greenpeace in its response to the original complaint made by DairyNZ and other complainants is also misleading. Nor does it reflect any of the information DairyNZ provided to Greenpeace when they met in November, about the extensive work on dairy farms to protect the environment. More such work is needed, but dairy farmers have made tremendous progress in fencing waterways, riparian planting, restoring wetlands and installing effluent management systems. Over the last five years farmers have spent at least $1 billion on this work – voluntarily. The countryside is where dairy farmers live and work, and they are great stewards of their environment. Water measurement is succeeding, notably in Waikato and Manawatu, and to this long-term effort dairy farmers are fully committed. Greenpeace has used the ASA ruling to garner media coverage. Right now it’s winning the publicity war. Farmers must not take this lying down. As individual farmers, if you’re on social media and you have a good story to tell about the water quality on your farm, tell it. Andrew Hoggard says Federated Farmers members have posted pictures of themselves drinking from farm waterways. “I have been amazed at the number of environmentalists, who supposedly want clean waterways, who get upset at seeing us in our clean rivers and drinking from them.” A final decision on Greenpeace’s misleading advertisement is pending. It is basking in glory after winning this battle. But let’s not let them win the war by spreading lies about the dairy industry.

Publisher: Brian Hight ...................... Ph 09-307 0399 Head Office: Top Floor, 29 Northcroft St, Takapuna, Auckland 0622 Phone 09-307 0399. Fax 09-307 0122 Postal Address: Published by: Printed by: Contacts: Advertising material: Rural News on-line: Subscriptions:

PO Box 331100, Takapuna, Auckland 0740 Rural News Group PMP Print Editorial: sudeshk@ruralnews.co.nz davef@ruralnews.co.nz www.ruralnews.co.nz subsrndn@ruralnews.co.nz

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Dairy News is published by Rural News Group Limited. All editorial copy and photographs are subject to copyright and may not be reproduced without prior written permission of the publisher. Opinions or comments expressed within this publication are not necessarily those of the staff, management or directors of Rural News Group Limited.

WAIKATO: Ted Darley ........................... Ph 07-854 6292, 021-832 505 ted@ruralnews.co.nz WELLINGTON: Ron Mackay ........................ Ph 04-234 6239, 021-453 914 ronm@ruralnews.co.nz SOUTH ISLAND: Kaye Sutherland ..............Ph 03-337 3828, 021-221 1994 kayes@ruralnews.co.nz

DAIRY NEWS JANUARY 24, 2017

OPINION // 17

What can we expect in 2017? NICK CLARK

WELCOME TO a new year. 2016 was a turbulent year to say the least. Globally there was political turbulence, much of it surprising and shocking to the pundits, if not to the public. Partly associated with this turbulence was heightened financial and economic volatility and concerns about the apparent rise of nationalism, populism and protectionism. In New Zealand the domestic economy seemed to shrug off these worries. Net migration and tourism continued to set records, GDP and employment grew strongly, business confidence was robust and the Government posted a healthy surplus. However, we also had our own political surprise with John Key’s resignation and there was the Hurunui/Kaikoura earthquake which caused great damage and disruption. 2016 is over and many will be glad to see the back of it, but 2017 should prove no less challenging. Donald Trump will be inaugurated as US president and Britain and the EU will begin Brexit negotiation once Article 50 is finally invoked. There will be elections in France, Germany and the Netherlands which will test the strength of Eurosceptic parties. China and Russia will continue to display their recent assertiveness. At home we will have our own election, which will no doubt be closely fought. The economy is relatively strong and most people think NZ is heading in the right direction. However, inequality, immigration, housing and law and order will be key battlegrounds so the election is not a foregone conclusion. The relatively strong fiscal position will likely see plenty of promises to spend more and/or cut taxes. Economic news was typically fairly quiet over the holiday period but there were a couple of items worth remarking on.

Dairy prices dropped in the year’s first Global Dairy Trade auction, held last week. The GDT price index was down 3.9%, with whole milk powder, which makes up nearly half the trade by volume, down 7.7%. Other commodities were mixed, with skim milk powder up 2.3% and butter up 0.5%. The average winning price was US$3463 and 22,396 tonnes were sold. Last week’s 3.9% fall followed a 0.5% fall in 2016’s last auction held on December 20. Nevertheless, the GDT price index remains 31.9% higher than at the same time last year and most economists still expect the season to deliver a payout in excess of $6/kgMS. The broadly positive picture for dairy was confirmed by the ANZ commodity price index which rose 0.7% in December. The December rise was the eighth in a row, up 19% for the year. When converted into NZ dollars, the NZD commodity price index was up 2.0%. This was the fifth month-on-month rise in a row and the fourth monthly gain above 2%. During December the NZ dollar depreciated against the US dollar and UK pound but was up against other currencies. Dairy was the star with prices up 3.9% in December, thanks to tight global milk supplies and improved Chinese import demand. However, nondairy prices fell 1.9%, with only three of the 12 nondairy commodities in the index rising in December. The falls were centred mainly on the meat and fibre group. The largest fall was a 6.2% drop in wool prices, making the 2016-17 season a tough one so far (prices down 26% annually). Beef prices also fell 5.5% and lamb prices were down 2.4%. These results are consistent with surveys showing improved farmer confidence overall but it was ‘two-speed’: dairy farmers feel better about the economy and their own fortunes (albeit off

The outlook for dairy prices look positive.

a low base) and sheep and beef farmers feel worse. This doesn’t seem likely to have changed as we enter the new year. • Nick Clark is Federated Farmers general manager policy.

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DAIRY NEWS JANUARY 24, 2017

18 // MANAGEMENT

Wetlands ‘kidneys’ of landscape BALA TIKKISETTY

INTENSIVE FARMING

practices can discharge lots of contaminants – notably nitrogen, phosphorus, sediment and pathogens – into our waterways. Wetlands are like giant kidneys protecting the health of waterways: they help dilute and filter material that could otherwise harm our lakes, rivers and other waterways. Natural wetlands have been appropriately called the ‘kidneys of the landscape’ because of their ability to store, assimilate and transform contaminants lost from the land before they reach waterways. With World Wetlands

day occurring on February 2, it is a good time to reflect on these and other benefits that wetlands provide. Wetland is a generic term for the wet margins of lakes, ponds, rivers, streams, estuaries, lagoons, bogs and swamps. Wetlands once covered large areas of the country. Now they are some of our rarest and most at-risk ecosystems. They contain a diverse range of plants and animals and are home to many rare and threatened species that are remnants of the original biodiversity of the area. It is estimated that about 90% of New Zealand’s wetlands have been drained. This is one of the largest wetland losses

AUT

anywhere in the world. Wetlands now occupy only about 2% of the country’s total land area. So the combination of more agriculture and less wetland contributes to the risks to our rivers and streams, but this also indicates strategies for reducing the effects of agriculture – by incorporating wetlands into farms. Sometimes it may be as simple as fencing out existing wet areas, or it might involve creating one with a low bank. Many farms have low lying and wet areas that can be managed as small wetlands with minimal impact on farm production, but potentially major benefits for water quality and biodiversity. Nitrogen and phos-

T E AT C I T OMA

SPRA

phorous enter waterways through ground water and surface runoff. Wetland vegetation uses these nutrients for growth. Research indicated that wetlands remove up to 90% of nitrates from ground water through a process called denitrification. Wetland plants trap sediment suspended in water, improving water quality. In riparian areas, their roots hold stream banks together, reducing erosion. Nutrient loss from farms is greatest when the volume and speed of runoff water is greatest, either through surface runoff or through the soil profile. Therefore, slowing down and controlling water movements across farm land is a critical

Wetlands help protect health of waterways.

factor in reducing nutrient loss into waterways. A series of small, shallow sediment traps or sediment retention dams can be constructed throughout a catchment to take some of the energy out of the water and if these are managed to remain wet for most of the year they will replace those kidney-like functions and enhance a farm’s environment. They will also regulate the flow

of water by soaking up excess floodwater and then slowly releasing it to maintain summer flows or recharge ground water. Bigger is generally better, but within a farm small areas are good because you can create more of them, they are generally easiest to fit into a farm’s budget and topography, they treat the contaminants close to where they come from, and they can generate a

more widespread biodiversity benefit on a farm. Waikato Regional Council can offer free advice to landowners on managing wetlands, including information on fencing, planting and weed control. • Bala Tikkisetty is a sustainable agriculture coordinator at Waikato Regional Council. Contact 0800 800 401 or bala. tikkisetty@waikatoregion. govt.nz

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DAIRY NEWS JANUARY 24, 2017

MANAGEMENT // 19

Three astronauts land in Manawatu MARK DANIEL markd@ruralnews.co.nz

BRIAN AND Margaret Schnell bought their Bunnythorpe, Manawatu dairy farm in 1984, and were joined by their daughter Amy and husband Greg Gemmell, who became sharemilkers in 2003. Fast forward to 2016, when they decided to replace a tired 24-aside herringbone set-up with three Lely Astronaut robots, meaning labour requirements dropped from 1.5 to 0.5 units, and a change from being milkers to supervisors. The Schnell and Gemmell Partnership farms 240 Friesians, split 75:25 between spring and autumn calvers, now producing about 390kgMS/cow on an all grass system, and expected to rise to 450500kgMS/cow within three years.

the Gemmells suggest can be explained by general improvements in overall health, fewer cases of mastitis – only three this season so far – and a general ‘calmness’ about the herd. Greg Gemmell says this calmness results in less stress for the cows, which seem to thrive on being left to their own devices. At the robots the cows patiently wait their turn, and on entry they step onto the platform which measures their weight while a rotary brush system cleans and stimulates their teats. Next a robot arm moves under the cow and laser guidance is used to attach the cups to the appropriate teats and milking commences. As each quarter is milked out the teat cup is removed so there is no risk of over-milking. During the process milk is held in an interceptor vessel, with individual

they will milk themselves more frequently and subsequently control the problem. The system is giving Greg a permanent break from standing on

concrete – a relief after 25 years of it – and more time to be with his three boys all under nine and, most importantly, show them how to play rugby properly.

Brian and Margaret Schnell.

BUILT TOUGH.

Cows are encouraged to visit the shed with offers of molasses in that 24-hour period. After an initial ‘training period’ that coincided with calving – during which stock were introduced to the robotic way – the herd seems to have adapted well to self-service. Cows are encouraged to visit the shed up to three times during any 24-hour period, the average now sitting at 2.4 visits. With the help of Lely Center Manawatu, the farm uses the Lely ABC pasture management system that allows cows to alternate between three races in a 24-hour period and gain access to fresh pasture. This is said to reduce pressure on pasture, and allows increased recovery times between grazings. Cows are encouraged to visit the shed with offers of molasses in that 24-hour period. So, with four months of automation under their belts, what does the partnership think about the decision they made? Production looks to be rising by about 15%, which

cow’s milk being analysed for volume, colour, somatic cell count, fat and protein content, and any indications of ketosis or acidosis. Once the output is deemed ‘clean’ it is transferred to the bulk vat, while any irregular output is passed to a calf feeding vat. Once milking is completed cows are released to a yard, and might use the rotary back scratcher before returning to the paddock, while the plant goes through a cleaning cycle before the next cow. From the operator’s point of view, the automation releases them to spend more time on animal husbandry and other farm duties without being shackled by traditional twice-aday milking. Health issues appear to ‘self-regulate’ when humans are taken out of the equation. The Astronaut dashboard might show that a cow is experiencing a spike in cell count, but it appears

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DAIRY NEWS JANUARY 24, 2017

20 // ANIMAL HEALTH

Bovine viral diarrhoae – a cautionary tale NITA HARDING

BOVINE VIRAL

diarrhoea (BVD) is a surprisingly common viral disease of cattle and other ruminants. It is serious and widespread in New Zealand, an estimated 60% of dairy and beef cows having been exposed to the disease. BVD infection can have major impacts during mating and pregnancy. It can cause infertility, embryo loss, abortions (slips), small slowgrowing calves, deformed calves and the birth of dead calves. The most damage is

done when BVD infects pregnant cows. If a cow contracts BVD in the first four months of pregnancy while the developing calf’s own immune system is forming, she may give birth to a persistently infected (PI) calf. PI animals are the main source of infection within a herd. Farmers share BVD experience Northland Share Farmers of the Year Glen and Trish Rankin know this all too well. Four seasons ago, as lower order sharemilkers with a herd of 300 cows, they had a serious BVD outbreak. The impact on

the farm and the team was devastating. Rankin says he still shudders every time he thinks about the experience. It started with a PI bull brought in for mating. The farm was part of three farms under the same ownership that were essentially closed herds, with all bulls born and reared on one location and provided for the other two farms. BVD was not considered a major risk, as outside bulls were not being purchased. Rankin runs two bull teams with three bulls in each team. One bull didn’t look well but he didn’t think too much of it. Not

Northland farmers Glen and Trish Rankin.

until calving did the scale of the problem became apparent, he says. “We had 50-60 dead and deformed calves: blind calves, calves with bows in the neck and calves born dead. Many of the surviving calves were weak. Trish normally looked after the calves on her own, but when this happened, we needed 2.5 labour units to help. “We were tubing 42

calves several times a day and the worst cases were also on IV drips. “We were struggling to keep them alive. Fifty calves made it through to weaning but after BVD testing 12 PI calves had to be destroyed. The worst thing was they were 100kg healthy looking calves, so PI calves aren’t always scrawny animals.” By the time the Rankins found out what

WHAT YOU CAN DO RANKIN’S RECOMMENDATIONS to other farmers: Learn about the BVD disease so you can recognise the symptoms. Know the status of all incoming stock by testing for BVD. Test home-reared and brought in-bulls for BVD before they move, vaccinate the negative bulls and cull the positive bulls. Test replacement calves. If they are infected and proven to be PIs they should be culled to prevent them from acting as a source of virus for the rest of the herd. Bulk milk test and make sure you also test milk that’s not going into the vat. Test in groups and then individual animals if a positive result occurs.

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was causing the problem, they had unwittingly spread the infection by keeping their PI calves in the same pens as healthy animals. PI calves are the main source of infection onfarm because they spread large amounts of the virus for their entire lives. Control them and you control the disease. Rankin says they have learnt from the experience. “We took pride in looking after our own and

other people’s stock and we set high standards. It was a case of shock and horror because we didn’t know what was happening. We were all beside ourselves. It was four years ago, but the experience is still fresh in our minds.” *This article first appeared in Getting the Basics Right 2017 edition. • Nita Harding is DairyNZ technical policy advisor (veterinary) @dairy_news facebook.com/dairynews

FACTS AND FIGURES Bovine viral diarrhoea (BVD) is widespread. Most dairy herds in New Zealand have been exposed to the virus. ■■ It causes reproductive losses, an increase in general disease, reduced growth rates and lowered milk production. Losses are estimated at $70,000 per infected average-size herd each year. ■■ Most BVD effects go undetected by farmers. ■■ The disease is maintained in a herd and spread to other animals by persistently infected (PI) animals. ■■ Throughout their lives, PI animals excrete large amounts of the virus. This occurs when an early pregnant (first four months) cow gets infected with BVD. The resulting calf is born PI. ■■ To control the disease, you must prevent the formation of PI calves by making sure earlypregnant cows do not become infected with the virus. ■■ Control is a four-step process: ■■ Define if BVD is in the herd. ■■ Assess the level of risk for your farm. ■■ Action a control plan to mitigate these risks. ■■ Monitor to make sure it’s working. Ask your vet to work through the process with you. They have the tools to help control the disease. ■■

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DAIRY NEWS JANUARY 24, 2017

PASTURE & RENOVATION // 21

Electric drill causes a buzz IT’S ELECTRIC! says a Central Otago

farmer and contractor of his latest direct drill, a Duncan Renovator Mk4 direct drill with an electric drive, bought last August. This is the sixth Renovator for Mark Reid, of Fruitlands, near Alexandra. He bought it from McLaren Machinery, Ranfurly. Central Otago soils are very productive, but they are also rocky, abrasive, undulating and shallow, says Duncan Ag, the manufacturer. Paddocks are often small and strangely shaped because of rocks, watercourses and irrigators. Reid bought his first Renovator in the early 2000s, seeing the design and function as ideal for his work. “I thought the Renovator Mk3 was the ultimate in drills, but the next one was even better, and now the electric drive is better still. “Lots of the old-school guys think electric motors break, but wire lasts longer than mechanical linkages and parts, so the reliability of the electric is better. “Also this technology isn’t new for Duncan. They have had it on their Enviro disc drills and their recently released TFD spring tine drill, so it is proven.” Electric drive Renovators are available in 3m or 3.5m working widths. Reid chose the smaller one to fit the odd shaped paddocks he deals with. “And I have better depth control with a smaller drill,” he says. The Renovator Mk4 can be specified with disc openers, but Reid does not need them because there is not much thatch build up in Central Otago and “it is better to put as little steel in the

ground as possible.” The drill uses T-boots to open the slot and tine harrows to cover the seed. “The spring coils of the tines work well. They vibrate aggressively to bring tilth into the slot where the fert and seed are placed. Tine harrows smooth the soil over the slots and the job’s done.” The drills come in 150mm or 125mm row spacings. Reid chose 125mm to narrow up the rows. The Renovator Mk4 can be specified with up to four bins, and Reid ordered two. He likes the big boxes and says they are accurate enough that he can still precisely sow small seeds like clover or turnip down to 1.0kg/ha. “The size of the bins matches the size of half tonne fert bags. They have designed the drills so you have one bag for one fill.” Reid’s machine has stainless steel bins. “I run a lot of fertiliser and the stainless steel protects them from corrosion.” He likes the way the coulters place the fertiliser near the seed, but not so close as to damage the early shoots. The electric motor makes calibration easy, he says. “With the electric drive you can change it in the cab.”

DRAINAGE AND SOIL AERATION PAY BIG DIVIDENDS Don’t put good fertiliser on compacted soil which can’t absorb it. If your soil can’t support 15cm root growth and good worm population check for compaction. You could need aeration. In dollar terms, what would 20% production increase mean to your yearly turnover?

Tackling perennial weeds ANNUAL RYEGRASS in a pasture renewal cycle gives farmers an opportunity to clean up dirty paddocks, says Dow Agro Sciences. In such paddocks deep rooted perennial weeds have become seemingly impossible to control, the company says. “A proven strategy is to build a cropping programme around pasture renewal. “The decision to renew a pasture is triggered when pasture production drops significantly, usually as a result of heavy infestations of deep rooted perennial weeds that resist ‘clover friendly’ herbicides. “The economic benefit of spraying out underperforming pastures and replacing them with new high performing varieties is usually far greater than the decision to persist with old underperforming pasture.” The cropping phase of pasture renewal gives a rare opportunity to achieve long term control of hardto-kill weeds such as Californian thistle, dock and, in more recent years, oxeye daisy, that are often not well controlled by ‘clover safe’ pasture herbicides, Dow says. While glyphosate is effective

against grasses, broadleaf weeds are not so well controlled by glyphosate alone. Various broadleaf herbicides and adjuvants are often added to glyphosate to improve broadleaf weed control, but deep rooted perennial broadleaf weeds such as dock, Californian thistle and oxeye daisy often re-grow because their root systems are not totally killed. So while it may look as though a good kill has been achieved twothree weeks after a spray application, a short time later these weeds re-emerge having re-grown from live root remnants. If these deep rooted perennial broadleaf weeds are not well controlled in the cropping phase of the pasture renewal cycle they quickly become an issue and little is gained.

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A reliable solution to this problem is seen in its product T-Max, says Dow. Its active ingredient (aminopyralid) readily moves through the sap stream and completely kills the root system, killing deep rooted perennial broadleaf weeds. A new registration for T-Max allows tank mixing with glyphosate at spray-out, prior to sowing annual ryegrass. While ryegrass can be sown straight after T-Max in a sprayout application, it is recommended to wait at least six months before re-establishing clover. Tank mixing T-Max with glyphosate prior to sowing annual grass in autumn provides a buffer to ensure good clover establishment the following season.

0800 200 600 www.farmlands.co.nz

DAIRY NEWS JANUARY 24, 2017

22 // PASTURE & RENOVATION

Time to plan to renew pastures in autumn They resist pests and disease better ■■ They are more palatable, making them easier to manage ■■ They have a higher feed value (ME) so stock do better ■■ They grow more feed than weed grasses in winter and summer. ■■ There are a variety of cultivars that have been bred for specific conditions to suit every farm type and operation. Replacing poor-producing paddocks with new pasture is profitable. It is among the simplest ways to invest onfarm for a significant and relatively predictable return. The higher a farm’s performance, the more it can gain from intensifying its pasture renewal programme. But the benefits of pasture renewal are easily achieved in any sort of farming operation. Pasture renewal is not just a ‘high input’ farming practice; it can be incorporated into any farm management programme. And the benefits are obtainable by all grazing-based enterprises. So why should I renew pasture? Because pastures deteriorate over time. Most productive pastures deteriorate over time from a combination of natural and induced causes: weed invasion -- particularly low quality grasses such as browntop, sweet vernal, crested dogstail, fine fescue, Yorkshire fog, or summer grasses such as paspalum and Mercer grass, dry/drought conditions, wet/flooding, poor fertility, poor ■■

TIM WOOD

NOW IS THE time to plan to renew pastures in autumn and to consider renewing more than in the past. Pasture renewal rates in New Zealand are very low, i.e. about 2.5% for sheep and beef farms and 8% for dairy farms, yet reasons and evidence abound that suggest much benefit from renewing older pastures. Research shows there is awareness of the benefits of planting new pastures, but there are perceived barriers: ■■ It is expensive ■■ New grasses don’t persist ■■ They need greater maintenance ■■ It is too hard (to take paddocks out of production/difficult to fit into current farm management, etc) Planting new pastures is an ‘intensive’ farming practice, therefore unattractive to farmers who see themselves as running low input farming systems. Thus, some farmers may appreciate the benefits but lack the knowledge or confidence to give it a go. Yet done properly the risks are minimal. A big difference exists between your poorest-producing pastures and your best paddock; that difference in dry matter production will be affecting your bottom line. Modern forage cultivars have been bred to improve productivity: ■■ They establish quickly ■■ They produce more dry matter per hectare

New pastures offer more production benefits than old pastures.

drainage, diseases, insects, pugging, soil compaction, overgrazing and poor management. Over time, the population of desirable, productive plants in a pasture declines, while populations of undesirable or unproductive plants increase and pastures become ‘runout’. Typically old pasture produces less dry matter, is lower in ME and stock preference, and this decline compounds as the pasture ages. New pasture is significantly more productive Typically successful pasture renewal will increase dry matter per hectare per year by about 3-6 tonnes (each year). This is true of all farms, whether they are dairy or sheep, intensive or extensive, irrigated or not. Differences between these groups arise, of course, in the extent to which that extra production can be converted into additional income. Control over seasonality of production Modern pasture cultivars allow the farmer to choose the periods of the year when a new pasture will be most productive and when it goes to seed. Cultivars can be chosen to produce more grass in winter, summer and autumn than traditional pastures. Rye-

grasses can be chosen with a more than six-week difference between the earliest and latest seeding dates. Farmers can pick cultivars to achieve the seasonal production peaks that create the best opportunities for them. Consistently higher ME New pastures consistently produce an average of 0.5 more megajoules of ME/kg DM. (Note this benefit is over and above the extra dry matter produced by a new pasture.) Reasons include: ■■ Higher proportion of desirable species ■■ Later and more uniform flowering ■■ Leafier sward, with fewer seed heads produced ■■ Less dead leaf material. Higher ME produces compounding benefit These attributes make a new pasture sward more attractive to the grazing animal, and thus easier to manage for the control of quality during late spring and early summer, so helping maximise animal intakes and pasture utilisation. As these pastures are grazed more uniformly, farmers can more easily control the quantity of residual dry matter when the animals are removed. Optimum post-grazing residual means

optimum ME regrowth and therefore increased animal performance at the next productive grazing. Access to new endophytes Most new perennial ryegrass cultivars are available with the ‘novel’ endophytes developed to solve particular problems in different regions. The endophyte occurring naturally in NZ ryegrass pastures (variously called standard or wild endophyte) confers resistance of its host ryegrass plants to some insect pests, but it was found in the 1980s to cause ryegrass staggers and heat stress in animals. Novel endophytes are continuing to be developed to maintain good animal health while enhancing the grass’s pest resistance characteristics. As well as Argentine stem weevil, novel endophytes confer resistance to pasture mealy bug, black beetle and root aphid, with more pests likely to be added to this list. DairyNZ ran a three-year study comparing pastures with the novel AR1 and standard endophyte; the former produced 9% more milksolids than the latter. • Tim Wood is project manager at the Pasture Renewal Charitable Trust • This article first appeared in Getting the Basics Right 2017 edition

OLD PASTURE

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RENEWING YOUR PASTURE GROWS MORE THAN JUST GRASS:

DAIRY NEWS JANUARY 24, 2017

24 // MACHINERY & PRODUCTS

Comfort and cargo in one THE NEW Kubota RTV-X1140, with an innovative K-Vertible cargo conversion system, can be transformed with minimal effort and time from a two-passenger vehicle with a large cargo bed to one that carries four passengers and still retains a cargo bed. This is done in three simple steps: swing in the cargo bed sides, fold the bed up, and flip down the rear seat, which is quickly and easily performed by one person. The new five-point ROPS design helps increase the RTV-X1140’s workhorse characteristics, allowing for more cargo and side loading, given its hydraulic dump bed with 0.28 cubic metres/0.54 cubic metre capacity, two-seat and fourseat configuration, respectively. The Kubota liquid-cooled 24.8hp diesel engine drives through a variable hydraulic transmission that offers a wide torque band and large oil cooler that boost’s performance and durability.

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Front and rear independent suspension ensures an exceptional ride, along with drivability and handling in most off-road conditions, aided by 275mm of suspension travel that tackles bumps and rugged terrain. The vehicle’s split-bench style seat is designed for smooth riding, while a digital meter cluster with bright, easyto-read indicators keeps the operator informed of critical driving conditions, including speed, hours, and kilometres travelled. Secure lockable storage is provided in a large glovebox on the passenger side and under-seat storage compartments beneath the split-bench. The RTV-X1140 will start arriving in New Zealand and at Kubota dealers nationwide during March.

Four passengers while retaining a cargo bed.

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Holland says it will offer real-time forage analysis for its FR Forage Cruiser self-propelled harvesters in 2017. It will partner with Italian specialist company Dinamica Generale, to offer units initially for the after-sales market, but ultimately they will be available as a factory fit during production. NIR OnBoard uses near infrared (NIR) light generated by a sensor mounted in the base of the harvester, which measures

reflected light to perform a crop analysis. Data collected can give a readout for dry matter, crude protein, crude fat, starch, neutral detergent fibre and ash, while on the move and with a claimed accuracy of +/-2%. Recorded data can be transferred to the farm office via a USN thumb drive or a suitable wi-fi connection; the unit can be recalibrated annually by DG via an internet upgrade service. www.newholland.co.nz

DAIRY NEWS JANUARY 24, 2017

MACHINERY & PRODUCTS // 25

Four into one will go MARK DANIEL markd@ruralnews.co.nz

KVERNELAND HAS

introduced a pair of new 4-rotor rakes for the 2017 season in the shape of the 97150C and 95130C machines, which join the 94125 introduced in 2016. The top-of-therange 97150C uses the company’s ProLine maintenance-free rotor drive gearboxes, and clever design geometry allows continuous adjustment from 9.8 to 15m working width. That geometry extends to an elbow joint in the frame which allows lateral movement of the rotors, which fold back for

transport. For safe transport, the machine folds to a 3m travel width, and an overall height of just under 4m, without the need to remove tine arms. In operation, the existing Terralink Quattro suspension system allows the machine rotors to rake the ground cleanly, by allowing the machine to work in three dimensions, and utilises the clearing capacity of the Duo tines mounted on curved tine arms. Implement control is via ISOBUS technology which allows operators to alter the lift-andlower sequences of the front pair of rotors, the ability to lift separately,

or lift each side of the machine as a pair. This is achieved via the IsoMatch Tellus or Tellus GO terminals which with the addition of GPS can allow the machine to plot its position and make automated headland sequences, said to result in neater, high quality swaths.

The smaller 95130C operates to a maximum width of 13m, and has headland management functions including timed delays for lifting and lowering. www.powerfarming. co.nz Kverneland’s new 4-rotor raker.

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Highly suitable for AMS (Robotic Farming Systems) with low milk flows – NEW YEAR has brought some upgrades to the Kuhn

FB 3135 fixed chamber balers, for example, a fully automated version which controls chamber open and close, and unblocking functions. Automate offers three key components: Automate, Autodeblock and automated knife cleaning. Autogate takes care of chamber opening and closing without the need for operator intervention, allowing greater daily outputs, but keeping the user aware of progress with visual and audible warnings from the control terminal. Should intake be greater than capacity, Autodeblock consists of an overload clutch, which cuts feed, causing the knives to retract, and then lowering the Dropfloor to clear any build-up. After the PTO restarts, the baler’s feed rotor carries crop to the bale chamber, at which point the knives are reset to the chopping position, again with progress confirmed visually at the terminal. Automatic knife cleaning helps remove debris build-up in the Opticut system, and operates after a pre-determined number of bales have been produced. The action keeps the knife slots clean and is said to result in better chop quality and easier knife removal and replacement. The Automate system can be operated in fully automatic or semi-automatic modes or be overridden manually at any time. www.kuhn.co.nz

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DAIRY NEWS JANUARY 24, 2017

26 // MACHINERY & PRODUCTS

JD’s 5R series on its way MARK DANIEL markd@ruralnews.co.nz

MANY OLDER tractor

operators will shout “just give me plain vanilla; I can live without all this technology”. But younger drivers like ‘bling’, as seen in more tractors in the all-important 100-140hp sector, using technology taken from their larger models. 2017 will see industry giant John Deere introduce the new 5R series to New Zealand, heralding a marked lift in specification from the current 5M range and featuring technology from the 6R models. The four-model range

contains the 5090R, 5100R, 5110R and 5125 tractors (90, 100 ,110 and 125hp respectively). Power is from a 4-cylinder, Tier3B, 4.5L John Deere PWX engine, with the maker’s Transport Power Management that delivers an extra 10hp at speeds over 15km/h. Three transmission options include a Command Quad Manual or Command Quad Auto, both offering 16forward and 16 reverse speeds via four ranges and four powershift steps. Topping the range is the Command8 Auto offering 32F and 16F speeds, with the same four ranges but with 8 powershift steps, and an

ECO option with 40km/h delivered at 1759 rpm. All options feature a gate located park lock function. In the cab, a major rework of the right-hand console tidies things up for an uncluttered look, and the option of the 6-series style CommandArm makes control a breeze. The replacement of multiple gear levers with a stubby gear shifter will be well received by loader or livestock users, who will also welcome the new autodeclutch function which works when the brakes are depressed. Forward visibility is enhanced by a smaller central binnacle, with more information being moved

John Deere’s new 5R series.

to the right-hand A pillar, a one-piece windscreen and the front of the engine hood being lowered by about 7cm. Driver comfort

Three transmission options are available.

and access is improved by a tiltable steering column and 15 degrees of seat swivel. A re-work of the cast steel chassis allows a tighter turning lock, and it has a new integrated engine sump. A new front suspension option with individual control

arms offers +/- 45mm of suspension travel from the central position, offering auto, manual or lockout functions, and can be complemented by a new optional cab suspension system with mechanical actuation and twin shock absorbers. Wheelbase is 2.25m and

kerb weight 4.3 tonnes; the maximum permissible load rating of 8.6t results in a 4.3t payload. Lift capacity is 4.7t, delivered with the standard 96L/min opencentre hydraulic system or the optional closed-centre PFC set-up delivering 117L/min. www.deere.com.au

Entry-level SUV from Toyota MARK DANIEL

SWEEPERS V E R S AT I L E & R E L I A B L E • Attaches to forklifts, wheel loaders, yard loaders, tractors, unimog-trucks and special vehicles • Stable and rigid machine casing construction • Working width from 1250mm-3500mm • Brush diameter from 520mm-920mm • Free sweep and collect • Powerful Gerotormotor hydraulic drive • Heavy duty support wheels

www.tulloch.co.nz

0800 88 55 624

DEALERS NATIONWIDE

markd@ruralnews.co.nz

AS IF Toyota doesn’t have a big enough range of SUVs, the industry leader is about to make the offering bigger with the all-new C-HR crossover. In a market segment that has grown three-fold over the last five years (22 models compete for sales in the small SUV sector), this coupe-like vehicle has upperbody styling over SUV underpinnings. In New Zealand it will be available in a single, high specification version, the only choice being 2 or 4WD. Power will be from a 4-cylinder, 1.2L turbocharged petrol engine said to offer maximum torque over a wide band from 1500-4000 rpm. Derived from Toyota’s ‘new global architecture platform’, the vehicle is said to have a rigid chassis offering responsive handling, agility and stability, and allowing the engine to be placed low and angled rearwards to minimise the centre of gravity and body roll when cornering. Safety features include autonomous emergency braking, all-speed adaptive cruise control, lane departure alerts with steering assistance, automatic high beam actuation and a rear-view camera. www.toyota.co.nz

Ripcord Insecticide

Annoying aren’t they?

Rip into nuisance flies, lice and ticks with the proven power of Ripcord®. Just one easy application provides long lasting protection from nasties around the herd and in the milking shed. And because Ripcord® is MPI approved for use in dairy sheds, there is no milk withholding period. 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.

BASF560275B

WANT A FAIR DEAL? THE FEELING’S MUTUAL. FMG is 100% New Zealand owned. We’re also a mutual, so the owners are the people who insure with us – farmers and growers just like you. As a mutual, the profits we make don’t disappear overseas. They go straight back into the business to keep your premiums affordable. And that’s something we think is a pretty fair deal. Ask around about us, or better still call us on 0800 366 466.

We’re here for the good of the country. FMG0520DNFPD