Dairy News 10 July 2018

Weaker dollar softens impact of price drop. PAGE 5

KING OF THE FIELD 30-year lineage PAGE 34

CLEANER WATER MitAgator on the case PAGE 22

JULY 10, 2018 ISSUE 404 // www.dairynews.co.nz

CO-OP MODEL WORKING “Around the world, farmers are arguing about the milk price, wondering why theirs is going down, while in NZ it’s going up”- Earl Rattray, corporate farmer PAGE 3

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DAIRY NEWS JULY 10, 2018

NEWS // 3

Kiwi farmers best paid in the world SUDESH KISSUN sudeshk@ruralnews.co.nz

Free range trademark. PG.04

Plant trees now. PG.23

Robots raise the bar. PG.31

NEWS ������������������������������������������������������ 3-17 OPINION ��������������������������������������������� 20-21 AGRIBUSINESS ����������������������������������� 22 MANAGEMENT ������������������������������ 23-24 ANIMAL HEALTH �������������������������� 25-26 CALVING �������������������������������������������� 27-30 MACHINERY & PRODUCTS ��������������������������������������� 31-34

CORPORATE FARMER Earl Rat-

tray says the co-op model is working wonders for New Zealand farmers, who get paid much more for their milk than farmers in the other big milk producing and exporting countries.

Rattray, a former Fonterra director with farming interests in NZ and overseas, points out that with the coop’s forecast milk price of $7/kgMS for this season, NZ farmers are getting about US41c/L for milk. Farmers in the US get 34c/L, in Europe US37c/L and in Australia US34c/L. “It’s a good example of the co-op working well for farmers; it’s a milk price no one can argue with,” he told Dairy News.

“Around the world, farmers are arguing about the milk price, wondering why theirs is going down, while in NZ its going up.

“But in NZ, no one can argue with the Fonterra milk price because it is set from externally verifiable prices, set by the market every two weeks at auction.

“NZ farmers can see what their milk is earning; it means it’s a milk price Fonterra has to pay farmers before it makes a profit and that puts us in a unique position.”

Transparency also means Fonterra is unable to quietly take into the milk price such market writedowns as its loss on Beingmate.

Rattray says in days gone by few EARL RATTRAY has farming farmers ever interests in NZ, Australia, Chile, knew of such the US and India. write-downs.

He was a Fonterra director “Today, for seven years and was the it is exposed chairman of Dairy Companies for what it is; Association of NZ (DCANZ). such losses He is now on the board of are taken out NZ Food Innovation (Waikato) of the profit Ltd and the NZ-India Business rather than Council. the value of milk.”

He also applauded Fonterra’s ability to switch its milksolids between different earning streams, maximising the value of milk.

“It’s an extraordinary situation where Fonterra is able to get the full value of milk fat, which is now In Southeast Asia and South Asia, worth 1.3 times more than protein.

Not every farmer in the world is the milk deficit is growing; and with getting those values passed back to the cost of producing milk rising, them but Fonterra supplying farmers food manufacturers are turning to are getting them. I think this shows reputable overseas dairy companies the true value of having a farmer- for reliable, affordable ingredients.

For example, Thailand’s dairy owned organisation of scale with product mix flexibility and a com- food manufacturers can buy local milk at US57c/L or buy milksolids pletely independent milk price.”

Fonterra is achieving a higher imported as ingredients at the equivpayout despite not having a massive alent of US42c/L. “For anything that requires dairy high value domestic market like EU, the US and even Australia, where the ingredients… manufacturers prefer home market consumes at least 60% cheaper imported inputs rather than paying high prices for local milk,” he of production.

Rattray says customers and con- says.

He says Fonterra, as a major supsumers in NZ’s export markets are willing to pay more for Fonterra’s plier and dedicated exporter, has built relationships for many years products.

GLOBAL FARMER

Former Fonterra director and corporate farmer Earl Rattray.

with large manufacturers.

“These manufacturers don’t haggle over price as long as they know they are getting quality dairy products, and not paying more than their competitors are; such relationships help Fonterra pay the $7 milk price.”

Rattray says the NZ dairy industry must maintain sustainable farming practices.

“Today’s consumers want food produced with a soft environmental footprint and a strong ethical footprint. Tightening environment standards are a given -- that’s the price of being in business. We have to embrace it because the market values it.”

DAIRY NEWS JULY 10, 2018

4 // NEWS

Mackenzie farmer ploughing on up their milk the farms would need to have all required environmental consents.”

Valentine said he was meeting the terms of his consents and did not want to comment further on Fonterra’s position.

“They’ve agreed to take the milk and I think I’d just leave it at that,” he said.

“It’s their decision to take whatever view they want to. I really can’t comment any more on what they’re saying.”

The property is 9600ha -- about 5500ha in pastoral lease and the balance freehold -- straddling State Highway 8 just south of Lake Pukaki.

Under the conditions of his consents agreed to through the Environment Court, Valentine will put about 40% of the property into a conservation area. Much of the rest will be irrigated by a pipeline now under construction, bringing water 8km down the side of the lake from the Tekapo canal.

NIGEL MALTHUS

GREENPEACE PROTESTS and even oppo-

sition from Fonterra are not affecting Dunedin businessman Murray Valentine’s plans for a large state-of-the-art dairy conversion in the Mackenzie Basin.

The Simon’s Pass conversion remains on track to begin milk production on newly irrigated pasture in the coming season.

“We’ve been saying for a while that our strong preference is for no further expansion in the Mackenzie Basin because we’re concerned it will have a negative impact on the region’s sensitive environment,” said Miles Hurrell, chief operating officer of Fonterra’s Farm Source.

“However, under the current Dairy Industry Restructuring Act, we are required to accept applications to supply us from farms within our collection zone. Before we pick

Although he has resource consent to run up to 15,000 cows, Valentine has said that was never his intention. He expects to take about seven years to develop the operation to its full size of about 5500 cows.

Fonterra’s remarks followed a high-profile protest against Valentine’s plans by Greenpeace, which sent 45 activists onto the site in a predawn incursion on July 2.

Greenpeace claimed in a statement that it had stopped construction of the farm’s main irrigation pipeline for nine hours by having its supporters shackle themselves to machinery. Twelve people, including an 88-yearold man, were eventually arrested after police moved in.

Greenpeace sustainable agriculture campaigner Gen Toop said the “iconic and fragile” area is “no place for cows”.

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Greenpeace said at least 30,000 people have now signed its petition calling on the Government to strengthen regulations on freshwater and agricultural pollution and

Police officers remove protestors from the Mackenzie Basin farm.

ban new dairy expansions.

Valentine was philosophical about his

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Ohaupo farmer Wayne Shaw.

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chances of preventing further protest incursions.

“There’s 50km of

on overseas farms prompted him to apply for certification for dairy and meat products from pastoral farms.

Wayne Shaw is in the final stages of registering Rangedfree as a trademark for dairy and meat products from animals raised and grazed outdoors.

Shaw, who farms at Ohaupo, says Rangedfree will capture the true value of exports, adding at least 5% to the sectors’ current export earnings. According to Statistics New Zealand, in 2017 dairy exports were valued at $14 billion and meat exports at $6.6b.

Shaw told Dairy News that while working on dairy farms in the US and Canada he saw no cows grazing grass.

“It’s quite a contrast to what we are used to; I found this unique. The way we farm in New Zealand, where our animals are allowed to roam freely outside and graze on pasture, is not common farming practice in many countries overseas, even though it’s so normal to us.”

Shaw says he learned from US and Canadian farmers that NZ farms and their farmers are highly regarded overseas.

“Overseas we’re seen as the pin-

nacle -- the top-end of meat and dairy producers,” he says. “The way we farm is so normal to us that we haven’t set our export price for meat and dairy accurately: we’re underselling ourselves.”

Shaw says the Rangedfree certification will provide an opportunity for NZ’s meat and dairy sectors to showcase the premium nature of their products with a widespread, industry-recognised brand. Exporters will be able to use a certification stamp or sticker on products to instantly tell international consumers that the product is sourced from outdoor-farmed animals.

“We produce premium meat and dairy products that are, by and large, from animals raised on outdoor farms, and consumers value this and are willing to pay more for these products.

“Through discussions and calculations with a research company and industry experts we’ve conservatively estimated that Rangedfree has the potential to add at least 5% -- more than $500 million -- additional profit to New Zealand’s meat and dairy exports a year.

“The Rangedfree certification fills the gap that currently exists in terms of having a widespread, rec-

ognised brand that showcases the premium quality of our meat and dairy products to our export markets.”

Shaw says most meat and dairy farms in NZ will meet Rangedfree criteria. Farms will have to show their animals are largely grazed outdoors and are not housed indoors for more than 110 24-hour periods (days) in a year. That is, they must be allowed to range freely outside for at least 255 days a year on a rotational grazing system.

Rangedfree certification will be approved for farms based on the records they currently supply to their manufacturers and suppliers which outline their farm’s housing structures and how long their animals spend indoors.

Shaw says the 110 days cap accounts for the colder winter and spring months where some animals are housed indoors for environmental reasons.

“As a farmer, I know most farms in New Zealand wouldn’t exceed 110 24-hour periods spent inside. This compares favourably to some of the standards I have seen overseas.”

He expects the Rangedfree trademark to be finalised within a year.

DAIRY NEWS JULY 10, 2018

NEWS // 5

Weaker dollar helps cushion price drop “Clearly, the ongoing trade frictions are having an impact on sentiment and therefore prices in the latest GDT Event.”

PAM TIPA pamelat@ruralnews.co.nz

A WEAKER New Zea-

land dollar may help offset the decline in Global Dairy Trade prices, but the reasons behind the lower dollar are more significant to dairy, says Rabobank dairy analyst Emma Higgins.

Both she and ASB’s senior economist Nathan Penny say ongoing trade friction and the growing US-China trade war contributed to last week’s GDT Event result.

That result, where the average price index slid 5% to US$3232/tonne was “ugly”, says BNZ senior economist Doug Steel. Whole milk powder (WMP) took the biggest decline with a drop of 7.3% to US$2905/t.

Higgins says this decline coincides with Fonterra’s announcement of May 2018 collections, which were up almost 7% for the month. And Fon-

Emma Higgins

terra has re-affirmed its “ambitious” expectations for 1.3% growth in milk production this season, to 1525 million kgMS. Higgins says the weaker Kiwi dollar seen since the announcement of opening forecasts may help to offset the decline in prices, although individual company FX hedging policies may limit the benefit. But the reasons behind it are more worrying.

“Clearly, the ongoing trade frictions are having

an impact on sentiment and therefore prices in the latest GDT Event,” she says.

Geopolitical volatility continues. The next round of trade war implications looked set to play out late last week, with the introduction of new trade tariffs by China and Mexico likely to be imposed on the US from July 6, 2018.

ASB’s Penny says the dairy auction price fall reflects nervousness stemming from increased trade tension between the

TRADE WAR FEARS SPOOK BUYERS WESTPAC’S SENIOR economist Anne Bonniface says they had been expecting prices to soften in the coming months, but last week’s fall was a surprise.

While it is difficult to pinpoint any one factor, the impact of trade wars on global growth prospects may have played a role.

The auction showed “the biggest threat for New Zealand is that

we get caught in the downdraft of a slowdown in global trade which puts downward pressure on commodity prices across the board”.

“Certainly this fear has been weighing on financial markets.”

The dairy price fall had no immediate impact on currency markets but they expect further falls would.

Westpac is maintaining a $6.40/ kgMS forecast.

US and China. Ironically the increased Chinese tariffs on US exports will actually make NZ products cheaper by comparison.

“For now though, dairy buyers are more nervous about the fallout from the increasing trade tensions and the potential impact this could have on dairy demand.”

Currencies for key dairy buyers have fallen: the Chinese yuan is down about 3% since the last auction and Chinese stock markets have been hit.

BNZ’s Steel points out that while WMP fell 7.3% at last week’s auction, longer dated prices fell by at least 11%.

“These are material declines and bigger falls than was anticipated on the day -- an ugly result,” he says. Prices are nearly 9% lower than a year ago.

“It is also important to note that the NZD has weakened over recent weeks, offering support to prices expressed in NZ dollars – the ones that

matter for milk price.

NZD/USD was down more than 2% since the previous mid-June auction, taking the edge off the drop in international prices,” he notes.

The RBNZ included lower dairy prices in its May monetary policy statement, but with WMP at an average of US$2905/t, prices have dipped below the RBNZ’s medium term view of US$3000/t.

News that Fonterra milk collections were up 6.6% year on year in May shouldn’t have surprised anyone, says Steel.

But coupled with product volume picking up seasonally on the auction platform – up 22% on last auction -- the strong milk growth headline may have checked some buyers’ enthusiasm, Steel says.

Other factors may have been the EU continuing to unwind its massive stockpile of skim milk powder, India re-entering the world market and renewed weakness in international grain prices.

Meanwhile, some growth concerns in China and a softer Chinese yuan may have curbed Chinese demand.

“There appeared no sign of extra Chinese demand for NZ or EU product as a result of the prospect at week’s end of higher Chinese tariffs on US product (in retaliation to US tariff threats).”

BNZ is sticking with its $6.60/kgMS forecast, but with the risk tilted to the downside.

“It is worth noting that prices often drop in June and July on seasonal

grounds so we wouldn’t over-react to one auction result especially with recent signs that global milk supply growth has been generally underwhelming,” Steel says.

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DAIRY NEWS JULY 10, 2018

6 // NEWS Dead cows have been dumped into a gully on a Northland farm.

The awful o PETER BURKE peterb@ruralnews.co.nz

THE COW carcases pho-

tographed by Farmwatch appear to have been tipped over a bank into a gully -- not an offal pit,

said spokesman John Darroch.

“When we arrived at the scene rats were running over the carcases.

The gully was within 10m of a stream and 20m from a swamp.

“I am certain the

owners must have been aware of this gully full of bodies; it appeared that the bones in it were many years old. I think this gully of bodies predates our [filming] the individual abusing animals,” he says.

Northland Regional Council, which is responsible for approving and monitoring offal pits, says it’s investigating the farm in question.

Colin Dall, group manager regulatory services, told Dairy News that if the photographs are correct, the so-called offal pit does not comply with NRC regulations which require pits to meet certain standards, one of which is that animals must be covered.

He says the pit on the Mangapai dairy farm has no consent so is illegal.

Dall said last week that

his staff were planning to visit the site soon and report fully.

The rules on offal pits in Northland require them to be not less than 50m from a waterway or bore, not less that 50m from a residence and there can be no direct discharge of leachate to surface water.

Offal pits and dead stock disposal sites must be covered to prevent nuisance odours and exclude vermin.

The rules also state that the volume of offal or dead stock dumped on any one property must not exceed 5cu.m per year.

With the involvement of NRC, this means that two separate investigations are now taking place on the farm: MPI is looking at animal welfare issues and the council at

NO NEED TO KILL STOCK DAIRYNZ VETERINARY technical policy advisor Nita Harding says normally not too many cows need to be slaughtered on dairy farms.

Farmers would be expected to monitor the health of their animals and attend to their needs in a timely manner, she says. But some may need to be put down, such as the injured and those not acceptable to a meat processor.

Clear regulations govern the humane slaughter of stock on farms and these are on the websites of DairyNZ and MPI. “We have also produced guidelines for humane onfarm slaughter and these are on our website.

They tell a bit more of ‘how’ to meet the requirements which can be useful for farmers working through procedures onfarm.

“We also have a template for farmers to fill in about who has been trained, what method should be used and contact numbers of veterinarians for people who want more information.”

Harding says three procedures are recommended for slaughtering cows: first, a captive-bolt firearm followed by a secondary method such as bleeding or pithing; second, using a normal firearm is also permissible followed by bleeding the animal out; third, employ a veterinarian to either euthanise the animal with drugs or kill it with a captive bolt firearm.

She says farmers are generally well aware of their animal welfare responsibilities and requirements.

Some dairy companies help farmers in this and in all cases the appropriate treatment of animals forms part of their supply agreement with the company.

“We encourage farmers with questions about onfarm slaughter to talk to their veterinarian or look at the DairyNZ website.

“The main goal is for farmers to treat animals in a proper and timely manner so that they recover and return to the herd.” – Peter Burke

DAIRY NEWS JULY 10, 2018

NEWS // 7

l offal pit the offal pit.

Dairy News asked DairyNZ to supply a contact phone number for the owners of the farm, but at press time had had no response. Dairy News had planned to ask the owners if they were aware of the acts of animal cruelty and the state of the offal pit before this was revealed by Farmwatch, when they last visited the farm and how often they visited.

DairyNZ issued a brief statement on the animal cruelty issue at the farm.

Strategy leader Dr Jenny Jago says the wellbeing of animals is at the heart of every dairy farm, that it’s not okay to treat any animal poorly -- ever -and that the vast majority of farmers care deeply about their animals.

“This footage is disturbing and it has been reported that a complaint has been laid. This type of appalling behaviour is absolutely not representative of the thousands of farmers who work with cows every day and are passionate about animal

welfare,” she says.

Jago says cruel and illegal practices are not in any way condoned or accepted by the dairy sector as part of dairy farming. Farmer who treat cows badly shouldn’t be working in the dairy sector, she says.

‘DAIRY INDUSTRY FEARS THE TRUTH’ MANY DAIRY farm workers and people in rural communities are too scared to go to MPI or speak out about animal cruelty for fear of being blacklisted in the industry or ostracised by their rural community.

That’s the view of John Darroch of Farmwatch which filmed the cows being beaten with a steel rod on a Northland dairy farm. He also photographed

dead cows dumped in a gully on the same farm.

He told Dairy News that every time they publicise abuse in the dairy industry people contact them saying they know of similar cases or of an even greater problem on the farm depicted.

“Because we are a small group of volunteers and don’t have a huge capacity to investigate, we tell them to talk to MPI

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which is responsible for investigating such incidents.

“But we know that most of the people won’t go to MPI because they are scared of raising their hand; they fear facing consequences from the dairy industry and/or other farmers if they go to officials about animal abuse.”

Because these people normally live in rural areas and

work on dairy or other farms they are scared they will be blacklisted or targeted, Darroch says.

Whistleblowers often give Farmwatch only scant information and above all they want to remain anonymous.

He says they learned of the abuse in Northland from a social media photo of a cow with a swear word on it. This

photo, widely shared, was seen

by Farmwatch. Some people saw the photo as quite funny, he says.

“But we thought it pointed to deeper cultural issues in the industry and showed disrespect for animals and that turned out to be correct. People eventually contacted us about the farm and we advised them to go to MPI,” Darroch says.

Mycoplasma bovis – some common questions and answers WHAT’S THE PLAN FOR CALF DAYS THIS YEAR?

HOW CAN I PROTECT MY FARM FROM MY NEIGHBOURS’ STOCK?

We recommend that schools and clubs don’t hold their calf days this spring. Bringing animals from different herds together can risk spreading disease. It’s a pretty low risk, but we are in a critical phase for tracking down and eradicating Mycoplasma bovis, and it’s helpful to not mix animals at events like calf days if possible.

If schools and clubs do go ahead with events, make sure you have talked with your communities and taken all sensible precautions. Our website has ways to minimise risks: www.mpi.govt.nz/bovis

The disease doesn’t easily spread over the fence – so far we’ve not seen this happen in New Zealand.

Talk to each other about how to manage your biosecurity. If your neighbour is grazing the boundary, keep your cattle back, and use electric fence outriggers on the boundary so there is no nose to nose contact.

WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF MY FARM CAME UNDER SUSPICION OF MYCOPLASMA BOVIS? If our tracing of cattle from infected farms suggests you may be at risk, you’ll have a call from our casing team. They’ll ask questions about animals you’ve brought onto your farm and when.

Information you give them, about things like the timing of movements, may rule your farm out as a risk. If not, one of our vets will book to come to your farm and take blood samples from some of your animals. At this point you may be put under biosecurity controls (a Notice of Direction or a Restricted Place Notice). Testing can take some weeks, and several rounds of tests can be needed to confirm if the disease is present.

About 70-80% of farms under Notice of Direction tested are negative, the controls are lifted, and you can carry on farming.

WHAT HAPPENS IF MY FARM TESTS POSITIVE? If infection is confirmed, the farm is an Infected Property. If you don’t have a Restricted Place Notice this will be issued now.

You will be given a personal case manager (Incident Control Point Manager/ICP Manager) to work with you on plans for your farm and culling of your cattle.

The Rural Support Trust and your industry organisations are available to help.

Your farm would be cleaned and disinfected (by a contractor and at our expense) and then would need to be kept free of cattle for 60 days.

If restrictions are lifted, your farm can then be restocked, which we can help you plan.

There is compensation available for culled cattle. Partial payments can be made within a fortnight of culling.

WHAT’S AN IP, AN RP AND A NOD? An Infected Property (IP) is a farm where a genetic test (PCR) confirms Mycoplasma bovis.

All cattle will be culled from these farms. Infected properties are under legal controls known as a Restricted Place Notice.

A Restricted Place (RP) is a farm where there is either confirmed disease or a very high suspicion of disease. Unconfirmed RPs have usually had test results indicating the disease is present, and are having more testing. Cattle and other risk goods (equipment, vehicles, farm equipment) cannot be moved on or off the farm without permission from MPI. Under the eradication programme, many RPs will be culled.

A farm under a Notice of Direction (or NOD) is where we believe there has been a risk movement – like a transfer of cattle from an infected or high-risk property and testing is underway. Farms under a NOD cannot move cattle and risk goods off the farm. 70-80% of farms under a NOD prove to be negative and the controls are lifted.

WHAT ADVICE CAN YOU GIVE ABOUT BUYING STOCK? The infected and most suspicious farms are in lockdown. This includes farms under Notice of Direction. Remember, 70-80% of these farms end up testing clear.

Do your homework about the original source of the cattle, their health history, and find out what milk was used when they were reared – whole milk or calf milk replacer.

If you don’t like the answers, don’t buy the animals.

Always apply good biosecurity measures when introducing new animals to your farm – like keeping them separate from the rest of the herd for a period to observe their health.

DairyNZ have a helpful pre-purchase checklist: www.dairynz.co.nz/pre-purchase

WHY DIDN’T YOU CLOSE COOK STRAIT TO CATTLE MOVEMENTS WHEN IT WAS FOUND IN THE SOUTH ISLAND? The risk of disease transfer across the Strait was assessed as low. Imposing legal controls would have needed strong scientific justification.

It would have created a disproportionate impact on normal farming activities, and have appeared internationally as a more severe biosecurity issue, creating a high risk of trade impacts.

The disease was in the country for 18 months before we were aware of it and a significant number of risk cattle movements had already occurred between the North and South Islands during this time.

CAN I PURCHASE RAW MILK FROM A DAIRY FARMER TO REAR CALVES? Feeding unpasteurised raw milk from cows infected with Mycoplasma bovis (or any mastitic or sick cow milk) is a high-risk activity.

You should try to get some confidence the source herd is Mycoplasma bovis-free. Ask for the results of the recent bulk milk tests.

If feeding whole milk, consider pasteurisation of the milk. In smaller operations it is possible to treat the milk with citric acid. You can also use calf milk replacer. Full information is on our website and on DairyNZ’s website.

Mycoplasma bovis – the numbers so far…

We have been working hard to hunt down the disease. Where it has been found, we have been working closely with affected farmers to eradicate it from their farms and return them to business as usual as fast as we can.

We’re making good progress. Some key numbers are:

WHY WON’T YOU TELL US WHERE THE INFECTED FARMS OR THE SUSPECT FARMS ARE?

• Since July last year, we have found over 50 properties where Mycoplasma bovis has been confirmed (these are called Infected Properties).

Along with the affected farmers, we will let immediate neighbours of Infected Properties or high-risk properties know that Mycoplasma bovis is present. This helps them to take steps to improve on-farm biosecurity and reduce the risk to their own stock. This balances the privacy concerns of individuals with the need for farmers to protect their own farms and support their communities.

NAIT numbers of affected animals will soon be published on the MPI website to give farmers another way to check movements of stock.

Farmers need to complete their Animal Status Declarations (ASDs), disclosing the health history of their stock, and whether their farm has been under any movement controls.

• Put in perspective, this is out of more than 20,000 dairy and beef farms nationally.

• Over half of those Infected Properties have had their cattle culled and been moved into a process of cleaning, disinfection and laying fallow for 60 days.

• We have finished this process on 11 of those, meaning those farmers have had controls lifted and can now restock.

• Overall there are currently some 180 properties where we have restricted the movement of animals on or off the farm – this includes the Infected Properties and properties where we have a strong suspicion that Mycoplasma bovis is present.

• We have been able to reduce the number of properties under movement restrictions, because of progress in our testing, where suspect farms have tested clear, restrictions have been lifted and they go back to normal farming.

The fight against Mycoplasma bovis is a joint effort between MPI, DairyNZ and Beef + Lamb New Zealand; with significant support from: - Dairy Companies Association of New Zealand

- Rural Support Trusts

- New Zealand Veterinary Association

- Rural Women NZ

- Meat Industry Association

MPB0031

- Federated Farmers

www.mpi.govt.nz/bovis

For more information: www.dairynz.co.nz/mbovis www.beeflambnz.com

www.rural-support.org.nz

DAIRY NEWS JULY 10, 2018

FEDERATED FARMERS CONFERENCE // 9

No future without China SUDESH KISSUN sudeshk@ruralnews.co.nz

NEW ZEALAND’S dairy farmer leaders have been told that while global demand for milk is great, there is no future without China.

Retired Lincoln University professor Keith Woodford told the Federated Farmers dairy conference that China is where “all the markets and opportunities are”.

“Europe and the US don’t need us, Africa can’t pay for it, so it has to be Asia and that’s where all the growth is occurring,” he says.

Woodford, who has visited China since 1973, says NZ continues to lack understanding of the China market.

“We have to work with China – spend more time in China understanding how the markets work and not repeating the big mistakes we have made there over the last 10 years.”

He also pointed out that NZ’s spring

GET SAVVY WITH A2 KEITH WOODFORD says the A1 versus A2 debate has the potential to tear the industry apart.

A strong advocate of A2 milk, Woodford says people had tried to “shut him up”.

But he told Federated Farmers dairy conference that the tide has turned.

“Fonterra did not lightly make the decision earlier this year to get into bed with the a2 milk company, having denigrated them on

occasions for 20-odd years,” he says.

“Nestle did not lightly take the opportunity earlier this year to start making its own A2 infant formula in China; and Mengniu, one of China’s biggest dairy companies, did not go that way lightly.”

He says dairy industry leaders must keep abreast of development in the A2 milk sector.

“There is science to go with it, don’t ever doubt that,” he says.

calving and grass-fed system work well for long-life commodities only, not for value added products, including infant formula.

Woodford points out that infant formula earnings in China are greater than for whole milk powder but NZ remains a small player with Synlait and Danone doing well. Fonterra has failed to make a dent in China’s infant formula market which is dominated by European processors.

He says NZ manufacturers marketing infant formula state on the cans the manufacturing and use-by dates; this may need to change.

“We talk about milk being a 48-hour asset, then it becomes a liability,” he says.

“What’s the first thing done when your milk reaches the factory? It all gets dried and goes into a storehouse; six months later when things are quieter in winter, the first thing they do is add water back again.

“We won’t be able to do that for too long; the Chinese are onto that and the only reason they are not moving right now is because they manufacture that way as well.”

Keith Woodford says NZ infant formla manufacturers would need to change the way they make the product for China.

ture for such markets.

“We are the only country in the world to have this calving system; let’s start thinking about other options.”

Woodford says infant formula manufacturing would need to become a one-line system; the manufacturing date for infant formula will be the date milk came to the factory.

He says the industry should start thinking about how it would manufac-

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DAIRY NEWS JULY 10, 2018

10 // FEDERATED FARMERS CONFERENCE

Prepare now for failure – Woodford SUDESH KISSUN sudeshk@ruralnews.co.nz

AGRIBUSINESS EXPERT Keith Wood-

ford is warning that the chances of eradicating Mycoplasma bovis are not high.

The retired Lincoln University professor told the Federated Farmers dairy conference in Wellington two weeks ago that a contingency plan is needed in case the eradication fails.

“It’s incredibly important that it’s thought through in advance; if this eradication doesn’t work, how are we going to manage it and who is going to take responsibility for it?” he asked.

“Is it the Govern-

RISK TO OTHER STOCK KEITH WOODFORD told Federated Farmers dairy leaders that Mycoplasma bovis can spread from cattle to other farm animals.

He says in a case documented in Austria M.bovis jumped from a cattle herd into pigs and in the following years found its way into a dairy herd grazing in an alpine region.

ment’s responsibility or should the industry take control?”

Woodford believes the dairy industry won’t be able to control M.bovis in the way it has controlled TB. He also rubbished claims that the Government’s technical advisory group had recommended eradication.

A lesson learned from the M.bovis outbreak was NZ’s lack of awareness: MPI had no programme in place to deal with it.

Woodford says the MPI executive in charge of the response team “had to go and google it to see what M.bovis was all about”.

“Everyone has been caught out including the veterinary profession.”

The 10 scientists and experts on the group were divided: four members took the view eradication wasn’t feasible while the remaining six said it was technically feasible.

Woodford says the six experts backing eradication “added a whole lot of caveats why it was not practical and why it may or may not happen”.

He also criticised the decision to forward trace M.bovis and not to trace the disease back to its origin.

Woodford also asked Federated Farmers dairy leaders whether they had heard of battle fatigue.

“This is a 10-year battle; the decision to go ahead with it was a decision of the Government

Keith Woodford makes a point to Feds president Katie Milne at the conference.

and the industry groups together.”

Woodford questioned whether anyone knows how long M.bovis has been in the country.

In late July last year, the Ministry for Primary Industries announced the detection in a South Canterbury herd of a cattle disease never before seen in New Zealand.

The ministry said 14 cows in the herd of 150 had tested positive for M.bovis – a potentially

deadly disease that caused mastitis, pneumonia, abortions and lameness.

But Woodford says three weeks after the first case international experts said this was highly likely to be the first case in NZ. “Right from the start I have been saying to MPI, ‘backtrace, backtrace don’t just forward trace’.”

MPI has now backtraced to 2015 but Woodford says the disease may have been present even

before that.

Woodford knows of one farmer who strongly suspects he had M.bovis on his farm in 2014; heifers raised on the farm have been sold all over the country and bulls used on the farm have moved elsewhere.

“MPI knows about this and apart from one conversation with the farmer no one else has come back to the farm.” @dairy_news facebook.com/dairynews

SPECIAL REPORTS

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DAIRY NEWS JULY 10, 2018

12 // NEWS

Spy returns to Waikato skies Waikato dairy farms will be monitored again from the air by Waikato Regional Council staff.

MARK DANIEL markd@ruralnews.co.nz

PINPOINT AERIAL

surveillance of Waikato dairy farms has been voted in by Waikato Regional Councillors as a ‘risk management’ move on farmers suspected of poor effluent handling.

But it will not be blanket watching of any and every farm, a practice stopped in 2014 when the milk payout turned downward.

Farmers said then that they found the monitoring stressful and intrusive and that they had nothing to hide.

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3 to resume surveillance.

Some say non-compliance is increasing among farmers who believe they can get away with it in disregard of its impact on the environment.

The councillors heard that an ‘effluent review’ three years ago -- farm visits by council staff -- had been dropped in favour of working with farmers and landowners to tackle the issue.

But now the council estimates 808 (19%) of Waikato’s 4255 dairy farms do not comply with the rule that effluent storage must be effective 365 days of the year.

The council will mount an aerial watch on these farms rather than blanket survey all farms.

Councillor Stu Husband, a dairy farmer at Morrinsville, opposed the move, calling it “a huge step back for this council”. He said the correct approach is to visit farmers, identify the problem and make a plan to put things right.

The 19% non-compliance figure is misleading, Husband said. 95% of farmers comply with the rules but might have management issues at certain

times of the year.

“We don’t like being spied on when the farms we operate are also our homes,” Husband said.

Helicopters are another way for council staff to ensure farmers’ compliance, said WDC resource use director, Chris McLay. “We are not seeking a blanket aerial monitoring initiative; we just want to target high-risk properties,” he said.

Te Aroha dairy farmer Andrew McGiven, the Federated Farmers Waikato president, said Feds agreed in 2014 with the stopping of helicopter surveillance, but times have changed and farmers now need to be seen doing things properly.

“We understand the new regime will be one of risk management, i.e. identifying farms with poor or borderline storage and discussing remedial actions face to face.

“We also understand this work will be done using the latest technology such as real-time satellite systems -- less invasive than helicopters and better value for ratepayers.”

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NOMINATIONS OPENED on June 29 for the Fonterra board for which three farmer-elected directors are needed.

This year John Wilson, Ashley Waugh and Nicola Shadbolt retire by rotation. All may stand for re-election if they wish; none has yet announced an intention to stand.

Waugh told Dairy News this information remains confidential until after the independent nomination process (INP) ending Monday July 23. The INP candidates will be announced on Monday, September 10.

A self-nomination process, whereby farmers may stand outside the independent nomination process, will run from Monday, September 10 to Thursday, September 20.

The returning officer will confirm all farmerdirector election candidates on Monday, September 24.

The election will be held using the first-past-thepost majority system via postal and online voting by Fonterra shareholders.

The independent selection panel search brief and the candidate handbook are now available from the returning officer. These give would-be director candidates information on all aspects of the election process including details of the skills and attributes the board is looking for in 2018.

Nominations for the shareholders’ council and directors’ remuneration committee elections will be called in September.

DAIRY NEWS JULY 10, 2018

NEWS // 13

Calf days good for biosecurity – disease expert PAM TIPA pamelat@ruralnews.co.nz

WHANGAREI MICROBIOLOGIST Dr Barry

Pyle says calf days are a perfect opportunity to educate youngsters and friends and family about biosecurity.

And attention may be needed to how some kids may react to seeing stock carted off for slaughter, he says. The Ministry for Primary Industries says it is sticking by its recommendation that schools and clubs don’t hold calf days this spring.

“Bringing together animals from different herds

can risk spreading disease,” MPI told Dairy News.

“It’s a pretty low risk, but we are in a critical phase for tracking down and eradicating Mycoplasma bovis and it’s helpful to not mix animals at events like calf days if possible.”

But Pyle asks why doesn’t MPI prepare now to use these days to educate rural youngsters and their families and friends about biosecurity?

“While the guidelines are a good start, there should be education on the disease: why animals shouldn’t make contact, what’s the point of dis-

infecting boots, etc and what are appropriate disinfectants and methods and so on,” he says.

“Since calves from farms under restrictions will be excluded, everyone is going to know who and where these are, and this could be good or bad.

“Another aspect that could be covered is our response to culling of animals. Some of the kids will have heard of, or even seen, a neighbour’s stock being carted off for slaughter.

“They need to be given help to deal with the gutlevel responses of their own, family members’ and friends’, and in particular

The Whangarei Group Calf Club.

PICTURE: HUKERENUI SCHOOL.

their response to others in the community who may have had their stock culled or be facing that prospect.”

As an environmental microbiologist Pyle strongly disagrees with one of the guidelines given out – that if calf days go ahead participants bring milk but do not share it.

“No natural milk should be brought to calf days as feed; it should all

be milk replacer to avoid any risk of cross-contamination,” says Pyle.

“Calves often salivate during and after feeding and may suckle the navels of other animals. These are instinctive traits and would be difficult to prevent especially for a youngster in control of a rambunctious calf.

“Maybe in future the parallels between M.bovis and foot and mouth control should be

made,” Pyle suggests.“We are now (again) in practice mode for that eventuality, but to raise it with school-age children may be too scary at the moment.”

Meanwhile MPI, DairyNZ and Beef + Lamb NZ are all still advising against calf days this year.

But MPI recommends if schools and clubs do go ahead with events, they should talk with communities and take all sensible

precautions.

They should refer to the fact sheet on the DairyNZ website for further advice: www.dairynz. co.nz/media/5789749/mbovis-calf-club-days.pdf MPI also has plenty of information about M.bovis on its website.

Anybody looking for educational materials or further information about M.bovis should refer to the MPI website www.mpi. govt.nz/bovis

DAIRY NEWS JULY 10, 2018

14 // NEWS

Ten years of price-making The transparent, market-based channel for globally traded comthe rules of engagement for buying modity dairy products, Global pricing Global Dairy Trade proand selling dairy commodities, says Dairy Trade’s auctions provided vides now has wide market interEric Hansen, director Global Dairy assurance to buyers that they were est and acceptance and furnishes Trade.

In the last 10 years to the end of June this year Global Dairy Trade has facilitated the trading of at least US$22 billion cumulative value of dairy products to buyers from 80 countries.

It held its first online auction ten years ago on the GDT Events platform, aiming to be the most credible and comprehensive maker of prices for core dairy ingredients.

“In the era before Global Dairy Trade existed, buyers and sellers were struggling to understand what constituted Global Dairy Trade (GDT) auctions have traded more than US$22 billion worth of products over the last 10 years. a current market price in the midst of unprecedented volathe references prices on which paying a fair market price. tility,” he says.

“Buyers and sellers were able financial risk management tools “Dairy farmers had limited access to information about what to better manage price risk. And are built.

In the early days, however, the the milk in their vats was worth in farmers had a regular marketbased price signal on which they Global Dairy Trade development international markets.

“By applying advanced auction could plan their farming busi- team was hard-pressed to prove that an online dairy auction platmethods to create a new sales nesses.”

GDT EVENTS auctions rewrote

form would work in practice, says Hansen.

“We started with a team of three people, selling just one product each month -- whole milk powder.

“We launched at a challenging time. Our first auction on July 2, 2008 delivered prices in the mid-range of expectations.

Not long after that, the global economy went into freefall. As the global financial crisis took hold, dairy prices crashed and they kept falling until February 2009.

“Then the recovery started.

The result achieved in the first trading event provided proof of concept; we just had to hold on until the market hit bottom and turned.

“We kept the monthly sales going and GDT Events provided price discovery in a world of huge uncertainty.”

Over time, more sellers joined GDT Events which is now a trusted and transparent platform for highvolume, high-quality generic dairy ingredients.

Dairy leader to chair OSPRI AGRIBUSINESS LEADER Barry Harris, MAgSc (Hons) is the new chairman of OSPRI, the unit that manages the TBfree and NAIT programmes.

Harris succeeds Jeff Grant, the recently appointed Meat Industry Association ‘ambassador’ to London, where he will help manage the red meat sector’s response to Brexit.

Harris, who lives in Hamilton, says he’s delighted and honoured Barry Harris to take the chair of OSPRI. “OSPRI has an important role… in the TBfree and NAIT programmes and I’m committed to working with shareholders and other key stakeholders to ensure it is a success,” he says.

“On behalf of the OSPRI management and other board members I wish Jeff the best of luck in the UK in his new role and thank him for his significant contribution to OSPRI and the beef, dairy and deer industry.’

Harris has longstanding links with agriculture, particularly dairy; he was a senior executive at Fonterra and a board member of DairyNZ. He is chair of McFall Fuel, Food Innovation Waikato and Wintec, and a director of DairyNZ and WEL Networks.

RURAL MEDIA HABITS

THE FACTS! ● ● ● ● ● ●

88% of farmers read rural print at least weekly 79% of farmers say print is their preferred format 82% of farmers are influenced by rural print 77% of farmers use rural print for business and research 74% of farmers pay attention to the adverts in rural print 90% of farmers act as a result of reading rural print

Per•ceptive

The Rural Media Habits Survey 2018 is independent research conducted by Perceptive Research on behalf of the majority of rural publishers. Participants were screened to exclude lifestylers and ensure a robust sample of 820 Commercial Farmers. Results show the majority of farmers read rural print, find it highly relevant to their businesses, and that it influences their purchasing decisions more than all other media.

DAIRY NEWS JULY 10, 2018

NEWS // 17

Good for business and the planet PAM TIPA pamelat@ruralnews.co.nz

SYNLAIT HAS seen a growing emphasis on issues of sustainability from premium customers worldwide, says chief executive John Penno.

The company’s recent news of its sustainability and environmental strategy is not only good for the planet – it is good for

business, he says.

Synlait plans to reduce its environmental impact significantly over the next decade in key areas of its value chain.

The sustainability emphasis is coming in particular from multinationals to whom they supply ingredients and customers who reach consumers with the finished product they manufacture for them.

“We see people concerned about the environment, animal welfare and people and community,” Penno says. “They want to work with companies who stand for the same things they stand for as people.

“With the internet, with people who have the world in their hands through their smartphones, they want to be associated with companies who believe the same

things they do and hold the same things important as they do.”

Penno says Synlait has wanted to lead New Zealand dairying and its Lead with Pride programme has been a key positioning idea “not just as a face externally but in the way we go about our business”.

“We have always tried to make sure our farmers are holding to the highest

PROGRESS ON METHANE IN RUMINANTS SYNLAIT IS working with companies in Europe to bring technology to NZ which will significantly reduce methane in the rumen of animals, says Hamish Reid, director of sustainability and brand.

“The technology has not yet been broadly publicly released,” he says.

“It is being developed by an organisation in the Netherlands and it is fed to animals in a feedstock. They have evidence over many years of testing to show it will result in a 30 - 60% reduction in methane in animals’ rumens.

“They have lots of peer-reviewed papers and evidence that it is absolutely possible.

“It has been designed for the barn-fed farming system in Europe so it is an experiment for NZ. But the product has been tested on farms here and they are getting really good results so we are looking forward to being one of their early commercial partners to pioneer this product within our systems.”

Methane is about 60% of Synlait’s onfarm impact, Reid says.

“There is a lot of media attention on methane being a short-lived gas and perhaps not being the priority over the other two major gases – nitrous oxide and carbon dioxide. But we think as minimum methane should be contained and in the best case reduced, so that is why we have set a strong target to reduce methane.

“There is a symbiotic relationship between nitrous oxide reductions which we have proven [reducible] on best-case farms.”

This could also result in gains in addressing methane.

BEINGMATE APPOINTMENT FONTERRA SAYS the appoint-

ment of a new general manager for a troubled Chinese infant formula trader is an important step.

Bao Xiufei (Bob) was this month appointed general manager of Beingmate Baby & Child FoodCompany.

Fonterra has an 18.8% stake in Beingmate, acquired in March 2105 at 18 RMB (Chinese Yuan) a share.

The share price last week was about 4.76 RMB. Earlier this year the co-op wrote $405 million off the value of its $750m holding.

Xiufei joins Beingmate from

Royal FrieslandCampina China, where he was most recently as Friso chief sales officer (CSO) and consumer dairy managing director.

He has also been sales director at Wyeth Nutrition and held senior roles at PepsiCo and Wahaha Food Group.

Fonterra chief executive Theo Spierings says the appointment signals an important step in transforming Beingmate.

“We know our farmers and unit holders expect a lift in in Beingmate’s performance, so influencing the right transformation steps

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through our 18% shareholding has been one of our top priorities.

“The appointment of a new and independent GM is the first of three key steps we communicated earlier this year in the Beingmate transformation plan. Now this appointment is made, the next priorities will be for Mr Bao to unlock Beingmate’s distribution network and take the right actions to meet Chinese customers’ preferences for e-commerce.

“There are opportunities to reverse Beingmate’s current performance,” says Spierings.

Synlait chief executive John Penno.

standards in animal welfare, the way they work in the environment and how they work with their people.”

The new programme is moving that up a notch, taking account of climate change in onfarm, manufacturing and supply chain commitments.

“And we’re doing it in a way that calls for significant change not just in our [business] but across the industry.”

Key customer Danone has affirmed the move, saying it will deepen the relationship.

“They and we see it helping us commercially because ultimately there is a group of consumers out there who are happy to put their hands in their pockets and pull out a

bigger note for a product that stands for what they stand for and a company that believes in the things that they do.”

Synlait wants a 35% reduction in greenhouse gases on its farms over the next 10 years.

It will not install another coal fired boiler; instead its advanced liquids plant will use an electrode boiler powered from the national grid.

The company will use technology and capital wherever possible to reduce its reliance on coal. With the likely cost of carbon in the future and NZ’s electricity cost changes over time, these will be sound economic decisions, says Penno.

“This programme is future focussed, based on

what our consumers will want and what we will be financially rewarded for through those supply chains; but pragmatically we have made sure the capital we need to commit over the next decade will be rewarded.”

“This gives our people the opportunity learn from new technology....

As the standard continues to change we can remain right at the innovative end of the production systems used to produce food for the world’s leading consumers.

“These are not things we just dreamed up and set ambitious targets for without doing the work to ensure they are sound business decisions as well as being good for the planet.”

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1 Glaswishnig Proc. Int Meeting on Dis. of Cattle, Wien (1962), 14

y and efficacy data. r. n efficacy

e Comes Easily”

2 Goff

J. Dairy Sci (1994) 77:1451-56

3 Oetzel

J. Dairy Sci (1991) 77:3900-12

3 Oetzel

Proc. Am Dairy Sci. Meeting. 1993, 304

4 Hiess

Proc. 6th EAVPT Congr. 1994, 97-98

5 Zepperitz

Proc. XVIII World Buiata. Congr. 1994, 1009-12

6 Schültken

Inaugural Disc., Vet Med, Justus-Liebig-Universität. Giessen 1993

7 Füril

Proc. XIX World Buiata. Congr 1996

8 Daniel

Proc. N.Z. Soc. Amin. Prod. 1990, 161-4

9 Oetzel

Proc. Am Diary Sci. Meet. 1993, 304

10 Wermuth

Proc. XVI World Buiata. Congr. 1990, 525-30

11 Chiez

Rec. Méd. Vét. 1992, 168 (5), 351-3

12 Wermuth

Proc. XVI World Buiata. Congr. 1990, 525-9

13 Schültken

Thesis, Vet. Med. Just Liebig, Univ. Giessen 1993

14 R.J.Jorgensen Dansk Vet. Tidsskrift 1990, 73. 140-1 15 Wentink

Vet. Quat., 1992, 14, 76-79

16 Wentink

Vet. Quat., 1992, 12, R24-25

17 Phillipsen

Dansk Vet. Tidsskrift 1990, 73. 653-5

18 Wermuth

Proc. XVI World Buiata. Congr. 1990

19 Andersen

Landskontoret for kvæg, Rapport nr. 4, 1991

20 Blom

National Commitee on cattle Husbandry, Pers. Comm

21 Massey

JAVMA (1993) 203, (6), 852-3

22 Brosberry

Vet Record (1989), 217-9

23 Scott & Wijk NZ Veterinary Journal 48, 24-26, 2000.

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DAIRY NEWS JULY 10, 2018

20 // OPINION RUMINATING

EDITORIAL

Thank goodness for Farmwatch

MILKING IT...

Questions to answer TWO INVESTIGATIONS are underway on the Northland farm where animal cruelty and slaughter is alleged to have taken place. And now the farm owners must face up to questions instead of just releasing a statement via DairyNZ. Dairy News asked DairyNZ to supply the owner’s telephone number but it wouldn’t, saying “we are not managing ongoing media inquiries on behalf of the farm owners in any way”. This seems odd given that they effectively gave the farm owners the Rural News email address.

We wanted to ask the owners if they knew of the animal cruelty and the state of the offal pit before this was revealed

by Farmwatch; we also wanted to know when they last visited the farm and how often they visit.

Sorry, no show

Stop that

MYCLOPAMSA BOVIS is now affecting agricultural shows: organisers are making the tough decision to scrap their cattle showings due to the threat posed by the disease.

Country kids with their calves and breeders wanting to show their bulls have been asked to stay home this year, the first time many can remember not being able to take part in the biggest day of the year on the rural calendar.

Organisers say the M.bovis outbreak was the last thing those showing stock wanted to see.

METHANE BELCHING cows are not found only in New Zealand.

California has 1.8 million dairy cows and a smaller number of beef cattle, emitting 11.5m tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent every year — as much as 2.5m cars.

Californian farmers are also trying every means of reducing methane emissions. One farm is trying to do so by supplementing cattle diets with a specific type of seaweed additive, as high as 30% substitution. One type of seaweed is found to slash enteric methane by 50%.

Not flying by the rules AIR NEW Zealand is making a song and dance about an overseas-made plant-protein burger and NZ farmers and politicians are not taking this lying down.

Former Agriculture Minister Nathan Guy took to Twitter to vent his frustration.

“It’s disappointing to see Air NZ promoting a GE substitute meat burger on its flights to the US. We produce the most delicious steaks and lamb on the planet -- GMO- and hormone-free. The national carrier should be pushing our premium products and helping sell NZ to the world.”

And he has support from the other side of the House. NZ First primary industries spokesman Mark Patterson says it is a “slap in the face” for NZ’s red meat sector.

Will the national carrier be introducing synthetic milk to its passengers next?

WHY IS it that the poorly funded and often despised organisation Farmwatch works at keeping the dairy industry honest?

Many organisations have some sort of relationship with farmers -- Federated Farmers, DairyNZ, Ministry of Primary Industries, local and regional councils, dairy and transport companies and others.

Yet it took Farmwatch’s expose of ill-treatment of bobby calves to get major legislative changes made to protect these valuable and vulnerable animals and the environment.

Yes, dairying has got stuck in to improve the environment and the care of animals, but the she’ll-be-right attitude is alive and well. And some mavericks still lean to the view that it’s a fun game to get around the regulations regardless of how that harms the industry and NZ Inc. Drink-driving for years got the blind-eye treatment -- it was even a bit of fun -- and few people would have dobbed in a mate driving home under the influence. Some police at the time also paid scant regard to this; drinking and driving was, well, OK. Not any more, and the road toll is half what it was in the 1970s.

But if today people are scared to report acts of animal cruelty for fear of losing their job, as Farmwatch claims, there must be an insidious problem in the farming sector -- especially in dairying.

It is well known that farm workers won’t complain about a terrible boss for fear of being blacklisted by the dairy industry. The same seems to apply to honest whistle-blowers who can see it’s important to care for people, stock and the environment.

Every day we hear talk about sustainability and the need to improve the industry. It’s now time to celebrate and reward the whistle-blowers and kick out of the industry the laggards who give it and New Zealand a bad name internationally.

Also let’s turn against ‘she’ll be right’ as an offensive saying.

GOT SOMETHING ON YOUR MIND? GOT SOMETHING on your mind about the latest issues affecting our dairy industry? Put your pen to paper or your fingers to your keyboard, and let our readers know what you think.

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DAIRY NEWS JULY 10, 2018

OPINION // 21

Full on and exciting 12 months Federated Farmers president Katie Milne last month notched up one year in office. She told the recent Feds annual conference in Wellington about issues dominating her first 12 months in the role.

IT’S BEEN full on and exciting.

But at times some tough decisions have had to be made, none more so than Mycoplasma bovis.

It’s fair to say that farmers were pretty much split down the middle on whether we’d be better off pushing for eradication or going for controlled management. The scientists and experts in the technical advisory group were split six for/four against, but that majority gave us the better odds.

What swayed it in the end was the Prime Minister telling the packed media conference last month, “We have one shot to try to knock M.bovis on the head. I for one – and I’m sure most in this room are the same – don’t want to get two or three years down the track and look back and say, ‘you know what, we might have been able to kill off this disease if we’d been bold about it’. ” You don’t know unless you have a go at these things.

I always knew the

president’s role involved a lot of travel and speaking engagements but I’ve been surprised at the level of it. It’s not just farming groups who want me to speak, but everyone from accountants to hotel and hospitality organisations.

The media stuff has been full-on too; and not just farming publications but mainstream media too – including The Listener and Mind Food magazine.

Interviews with reporters aren’t my favourite thing but as an organisation we need to grab all the chances we get to put our messages across, especially when we can chip away at that urbanrural disconnect.

I consider it a privilege to represent farmers -who are foodies as well as food growers -- to wider audiences and I know plenty of you provincial presidents take those opportunities as well.

We farmers know the issues and all the ‘good news’ stories because when we’re on social media we click the farm-

ing buttons, and we get all those farming publications through our letterbox – though they’re a dwindling number of publications, more’s the pity.

Town folk don’t get that same media diet.

So when a reporter wants to talk to me or someone else in Feds we shouldn’t shy away from the chance to reach out and introduce some of the realities of farming into the consciousness of those 84% of Kiwis who live in urban areas, some of them more than three generations [distant] from living on the land.

What about some of the challenges on our horizon?

You’d have to be living under a rock to be bypassed by all the talk about global warming and climate change. But while the world considers moving toward carbon net neutrality, and our own government considers how and whether to get agriculture biological emissions embedded in that process, let’s not forget there was another

Katie Milne with Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor at the Feds conference.

international agreement forged not long before the Paris Agreement.

Goal No 2 of 17 under the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is ‘Zero Hunger’. These 17 development goals were signed by 193 countries at the United Nations in New York in September 2015.

More than seven billion people already walk planet Earth. It’s predicted that by 2050, 9.7 billion of us will inhabit the planet and to adequately feed everyone, food production will have to rise by 50% – from less water.

So equally important as climate change is ‘how will we produce enough nutritious food to support this population? Particularly as it is predicted that sprawling cities will concrete over valuable soils and climate volatility will change the growing profiles of the districts we farm.

New Zealand can’t feed the world but we

THE WATER WARS LET’S TALK about another challenge: the battle over freshwater management. And yes, unfortunately, it all too often becomes a battle.

Farmers are going to need water to feed all those people.

To alleviate concerns about water use and quality, the government has signalled tougher standards on nutrient leaching, and farm environment plans are already compulsory in a number of regions in New Zealand. My catchment is one of them.

Our marketers also want these plans, along with traceability and certification, to help give a point of difference in a competitive and savvy consumer world.

Farmers -- an ever-adaptable

breed as we know – are taking that in their stride; one of the ways farmers can meet water challenges is by using precision agriculture and precision irrigation.

Getting better at keeping the nutrients of life and growth in the root zone is a no-brainer that is being refined constantly. Without irrigation we would start to struggle to feed our customers overseas; it would also mean food from overseas would start coming here in volumes never seen before; and it would mean fewer jobs here.

The mistake made about irrigation in some quarters is to consider it only in terms of what we use and need now for current farming types and systems.

What we should be doing is looking ahead and planning for what we’ll need to do in future, and the water resources we’ll need to grow all sorts of foods, perhaps including the alternative proteins available or now being developed.

In the irrigation, water use and other debates it’s becoming more and more apparent that we are the farming experts.

Too many times the people putting together strategies and regulations aren’t seeking input from farmers, who have the knowledge. The level of understanding of the practicalities of farming and food production in some quarters of central and local government is so low that it’s barely perceptible.

can and do feed many more people than live on our shores. As well as the nearly five million Kiwis and tourists here at any one time, it’s estimated that farmers here can produce enough food to feed another 35 million people.

Our climate has an impact on that ability; it has been a challenge for all life since life on Earth began.

Climate change does not care if you believe in it; it is not Santa Claus or the Tooth Fairy. It does not need your permission to exist.

As you all know, climate change policy devel-

opment has been a huge challenge for Federated Farmers, and it continues to be. We are working as closely as we can with the government, legislators, fellow industry bodies and other agencies to make sure the discussions are robust and all-encompassing.

You will hear us talking about treating gases separately, that methane emissions have increased by 4% since 1990. In that same time, road transport emissions have increased by 78%. In reducing carbon dioxide, transport is a big-ticket item that

we all can work on.

While a lot of promising work is being done on methane emissions there is still no ‘magic bullet’ to solve the problem of mammals -- especially ruminants – producing it. The fact that it does not add to warming if the number of animals does not go up needs to be part of the discussion, along with the efficiency of animal production here versus other less-efficient production and, therefore, efficient, secure food production. @dairy_news facebook.com/dairynews

DAIRY NEWS JULY 10, 2018

22 // AGRIBUSINESS

Software to keep contaminants out SUDESH KISSUN

OVERSEER CRITICS ‘OLD-SCHOOL’

sudeshk@ruralnews.co.nz

FERTILISER CO-OP

Ballance will commercially launch a new farm environment planning tool, MitAgator, by spring.

Developed by Ballance and AgResearch, MitAgator measures the loss of four main farm contaminants -- nitrogen, phosphorous, sediment and E. coli.

New Zealand-wide trials are pointing to a launch by late September.

Ballance chief executive Mark Wynne says MitAgator will contribute to the long-term viability of farming in NZ. “It has been trialled on hundreds of farms with thousands of data points; farmers love it because it is simple and practical.”

BALLANCE CHIEF executive Mark Wynne says criticism of the nutrient management tool Overseer is “very old-school”.

Critics are not aware of where Overseer is today, he says.

“Overseer is moving rapidly into a much more user-friendly tool; the science remains the complex part but the user face is much easier.”

Wynne says New Zealand had a choice: either control the input of nutrients as in Europe, or model the

In an effort to improve water quality, many regional councils are putting environmental compliance measures in place.

Wynne says increasingly more farmers are using Overseer data to set limits for the two nutrients and E coli and sediments on farms.

“But if you are a farmer up against that

output of nutrients.

“In NZ we’ve chosen the outcome approach that allows farmers to be more entrepreneurial; it’s a messy journey to get where we want to be but the trends are right.

“Overseer is the tool for the job; it’s a modeling approach and works well.

“We have hitched our wagon to Overseer; it will be the core measurement tool used in NZ for a long time.”

consent limit and you want to reduce that, the big question is how do you do that?

“There’s no easy answer; the broad-brush solution is to reduce your stocking rate but that can affect your profitability.”

Built on a detailed farm map, MitAgator software gives an overview of nitrogen, phosphorous,

sediment and E. coli loss onfarm.

The MitAgator Risk Map brings Overseer nutrient budget to life, giving a spatial view of where losses are occurring and identifying critical source areas on a farm; targeting these areas first will have the biggest impact on improving a farm’s environmental per-

Ballance chief executive Mark Wynne.

formance.

After identifying a farm’s critical source areas, MitAgator compares the effectiveness and cost of different mitigation scenarios, allowing farmers to weigh up the alternatives and choose the best option.

The programme contains 24 different scenarios, including stream fencing, riparian planting, constructed wetlands, grass buffer strips and feed pads. Some are tailored to specific farm types (dairy, dry stock or deer) but most suit all three systems.

Wynne likens MitAgator’s role to an “80/20

rule for the farm”.

“If you have high risk N paddocks, these will be highlighted on your farm so you don’t have to address your whole farm.

“You can hit the high risk areas first and MitAgator gives you three or four suggestions on what you could actually do and how much the improvement will be.”

MitAgator makes it easier to manage nutrient and sediment loses into waterways. This will be better for waterways and better for farmers, Wynne says.

Ballance strives to help its shareholders farm sustainably, he says.

“One of beauties of being a co-op is you can play the long game; yes, we can accelerate the sales in the next quarter but [our aim] is to win over the next 30 years and keeping our shareholders productive, profitable and sustainable.

“MitAgator will help create long term viability for farming.”

MitAgator’s development was half funded by the Primary Growth Partnership (PGP); Ballance and AgResearch prpvided the rest. The science is owned by AgResearch and licensed to Ballance. @dairy_news facebook.com/dairynews

CHINA PRODUCTION COULD TRIM MILK PRICE PETER BURKE peterb@ruralnews.co.nz

RABOBANK SAYS it doesn’t share Fonterra’s optimism about the international situation this season.

The bank predicts the farmgate

milk price to dairy farmers will be $6.80/kgMS, not the $7.00/kgMS promised by Fonterra.

Emma Higgins, Rabobank’s dairy analyst, says the reason for the 20c difference is the unfolding situation in China where local milk production is rising.

Higgins says while a softening of the New Zealand dollar has been helpful, Rabobank sees weakness in the second half of the 2018-19 season because the rise in local Chinese milk production is likely to reduce its imports of milk products, affecting NZ’s whole milk powder.

“NZ places a lot of emphasis on China; it’s our largest trading partner in dairy. That market has been really supportive in the price rally we have seen in this calendar year; it has also helped to underpin a recovery from the dairy downturn a couple of seasons ago.

“Also helping NZ in the last couple of years have been hot summers in China which reduced local production by about 6%. But assuming the current season improves we expect NZ milk production to rise which in turn will reduce China’s need for imports from countries such as NZ.”

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DAIRY NEWS JULY 10, 2018

MANAGEMENT // 23

Plant trees now for summer “We have trees around the perimeter of the property and trees for shelter in every AS WE head further into winter, it’s third or fourth padeasy to forget the sweltering heat of dock. They’re trimmed last summer. off at 3m so the pivot With climate forecasts suggestirrigation (set ing summers will lengthen at 3.8m) can go and grow hotter and drier in “Our cows like to have over them.” some regions, the challenge of somewhere to hide when the say their cows keeping cows cool will likely cold winds are blowing and on seekThetheHolmes trees out on hot and increase. cold days.

While we plant waterways hot days it’s not unusual to see “Our cows like to have it’s worth considering plant- many standing up against the somewhere to hide when the ing for shade and shelter too. A shelterbelt to get shade.” cold winds are blowing and on Chinese proverb says, the best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago; in Rakaia is a fortress of trees planted hot days it’s not unusual to see many standing up against the shelterbelt to during the last 20 years. the second-best time is now.

“Having farmed in Waikato we saw get shade,” Trudy says.

Providing shade for grazing liveThe plantings have been a labour of stock is one obvious way to prevent the value in having trees for shade and heat stress and advance animal welfare. shelter and aesthetics too,” Holmes love and Trudy enjoys gardening.

They say the shelterbelts also act as Who doesn’t appreciate the shade of a says. a good biosecurity measure, providing a buffer between properties.

HELPING HAND Trudy advises farmers looking at planting shelterbelts to ask a nursery NOT SURE where to start?

Landcare Research and councils) which trees would work best for their It’s a good idea to take a has produced 13 regional guides farm and how to look after them to get whole-farm approach before to set-back distances, planting them established. planting trees. Think about how density, plant species best-suited They’re also aware of research into you would like your farm to look to the region and when to plant. other shelter options such as miscanin future, and other benefits you The guides are available at thus, a tall grass that grows 2-4m high want the trees to provide, such as dairynz.co.nz/planting-guides. and doesn’t pose a risk to irrigators. soil stability and biodiversity.

For more information visit dairynz.

• Helen Thoday is DairyNZ’s animal To help you plan, DairyNZ (with co.nz/trees. care team manager. tree on a hot day? And as the mercury drops, trees also shelter cows from cold wind and rain.

Many farmers, like Matthew and Trudy Holmes based in Canterbury, have been planting trees for stock shade and shelter. Their 650-cow farm

HELEN THODAY

Matthew and Trudy Holmes.

Inset: Helen Thoday.

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DAIRY NEWS JULY 10, 2018

24 // MANAGEMENT

Embrace sustainable farming to survive – ambassador SUDESH KISSUN sudeshk@ruralnews.co.nz

TE KUITI farmer Jacqui

Hahn has been obsessed about protecting the environment ever since her childhood.

So it’s not surprising

that the Waikato Federated Farmers Vice President is one of 15 dairy farmers chosen as New Zealand’s climate change ambassadors.

“Ever since I was a little child, it was pretty much ‘fence off that bush for me’,” she says.

Hahn, who holds the degree of bachelor in environmental management, says she strongly believes sustainable farming is the future.

“If we don’t embrace sustainable farming, we won’t survive.”

Hahn and her husband

On the farms, about 30km of fencing have gone up. Inset: Jacqui Hahn

Sofus milk 1400 cows on three farms at Te Kuiti, including the one she was

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born and raised on.

She says they run the farming business profitably and sustainably and are serious about reducing onfarm greenhouse gas emissions.

She describes most of their farms as “intensive system one”; pasture and home-grown silage and maize make up the bulk feed for cows. Winter crops are fed and fodder beat is being trialled.

Palm kernel expeller (PKE) is on its way out; ast season one farm used a load of PKE. Hahn says “we are moving away from it”.

Buying extra PKE during the high payout year wasn’t all good, she adds.

“During the high payout year, when I looked at our figures I decided there was whole heap of PKE we shouldn’t have bought because we didn’t actually make any

more money from it.”

Hahn says they don’t put too much focus on productivity, instead micromanaging animal health and efficient pasture utilisation.

We avoid wasting inputs like fertiliser because “wasting it is losing money and likely increasing emissions”.

“We aim to apply to seasonal requirements this past season we used 69kgN/ha down from 120kgN/ha; you don’t have to add extra quality is more important than quantity” On their farms, Hahn has put up about 30km of fencing around any running water.

Work on protecting about 50ha of wetlands is progressing.

She says dairy farmers have done great work fencing waterways and continue working on environmental issues. But

she says what people call environment is NZ is different from what Europeans regard as the environment.

“In Europe, when they have cows outside they think it’s organic; as organic cows are required to be out 17% of the time.

We should be careful not to put labels on what others think.”

Hahn’s advice to other dairy farmers is don’t take the foot off the pedal on climate change and the environment.

“Pick off things you can do; look at critical source areas, take the worst of them and attack them,” she says.

“It’s a work in progress; keep working at it.

I still can see areas to improve, we’re not finished and see this journey as a life-long one but then I will never be happy because I’m a perfectionist.”

PLAN TO SUCCEED CHOOSING 15 dairy farmers as NZ’s climate change ambassadors is the next step in the dairy sector’s plan for a culture of climate conscious agribusiness, says DairyNZ chief executive Tim Mackle.

“These 15 men and women represent best environmental farming practice for their farm system,” says Mackle.

“They run their farms profitably and sustainably and are serious about reducing onfarm greenhouse gas emissions.

“Many farmers are already leading in environmental practices, but these 15 people have taken it a step further. They have not only been ahead of the game, but have undertaken to share their knowledge and learning with others.”

NZ has an opportunity under the Labour-led Government to set the global standard for climate conscious agribusiness.

Mackle says rather than focusing on cow numbers, we want to focus on how to keep improving the sustainability of NZ’s agricultural sector.

“The first step is ensuring everyone understands the opportunities that lie ahead.

“The climate change ambassadors are an important part of helping dairy farmers and our farming communities understand how they can make environmental improvements on their farms -the kinds of improvements that increase economic sustainability and help future-proof their farming businesses.”

DAIRY NEWS JULY 10, 2018

ANIMAL HEALTH // 25

Feed options in early lactation – quality trumps price every time IT IS safe to say the cat

is now truly amongst the pigeon’s when it comes to stock feed selection this upcoming season. The old policy of filling gaps with PKE from September comes with its very own headache – the FEI issue.

This season, farmers will need to seriously look at other alternatives and gain a better understanding of what to use and when.

So here are some basic take home messages and a bit of rationale for those wanting further information.

Quality Firstly, feed selection in early lactation is relatively easy to decipher and the simple message would have to be, base decisions on feed quality not just feed price!

Why such a statement? The rationale is simple. A freshly calved cow faces many significant metabolic demands relating to her achieving peak milk approximately two months after calving while re-establishing

fertility and subsequent pregnancy around three months after calving.

The major factor working against the cow at this stage is simply insufficient supply of nutrients to meet all of her demands.

Outputs (Lactose, Milk Protein and Milk Fat) far exceed inputs.

The net result is simple – loss of condition. This phenomenon is further exaggerated due to the fact that a cow’s Dry Matter Intake (DMI) does not reach maximum levels until two to three months into lactation. So even if there was an abundance of feed, the modern high producing dairy cow would struggle to ingest sufficient amounts to service her demands once

she has the taps turned on.

For this reason it seems ludicrous to select feeds with the potential to fill a cow up (high NDF) that have relatively low levels of starch and protein. Yet, the apparent low cost option of Soy Hull (1% starch, 11% protein, 61% NDF) that seems to regularly feature in early season meal blends is exactly that. In late lactation, when any form of dry matter is good, then these products have a place, but there are many better options for freshly calved cows that will provide significantly greater nutritive value supporting both production and reproduction.

Protein For many years we have accepted the abundance of protein in ryegrass based feeding systems typical to the NZ scenario. It is easy to assume that supplementation of protein based feeds (DDG, canola, soy – for example) has no place in early lactation. This

Choose feed carefully for cows in early lactation.

assumption would prove correct, but (and this is a big but) for the fact that the majority of farmers follow a spring rotational planner.

Because of this the majority of cows in early lactation under this system can be severely deficient in protein and as a result effectively ‘mine’ their own reserves to meet the demands of lactation.

The take home message here is, there is definitely a place for the addition of protein based feeds in early lactation until the point where the round is sped up allowing a greater amount of ryegrass pasture to be ingested.

Carbohydrates – Sugar & Starch The inclusion of these sugar and starch based feeds (Hi Starch pellet, Kibbled Maize, Tapioca, Molasses) into early lactation really serve two

major functions. Firstly, they provide the rumen ‘bugs’ with a readily available energy source allowing them to function efficiently. Secondly, these products provide a readily available source of building blocks for the cow to convert to glucose (which is predominately converted to lactose in the udder). So a diet lacking readily available carbohydrates will lead to decreased bug activity in the rumen and require the cow to manufacture glucose from her reserves.

The take home message here is a cow (and

her rumen bugs) in early lactation require energy, and supplements containing sugar and starch provide this.

Summary The typical interaction between biological requirements and nutrient supply in early lactation creates a perfect storm type scenario leading to rapid depletion of body reserves or BCS. Higher losses in BCS translate to reduced milk production and poor fertility.

Selection of feeds that not only supplement and complement shortfalls in her nutrient balance

will produce more positive results than simply plugging the gap with the cheapest option.

Early lactation is the business end of the season, hiccups at this stage will rob you blind in terms of less milk, high empty rates and more visits from your local Veterinarian.

It’s your call.

• Greg Jarratt is a vet and director of Matamata Veterinary Services.

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DAIRY NEWS JULY 10, 2018

26 // ANIMAL HEALTH

3-NOP set to block methane in rumens SUDESH KISSUN sudeshk@ruralnews.co.nz

A GLOBAL animal

health company says it is developing a novel meth-

Dean Plummer, DSM

ane inhibitor for cows’ rumens.

Dutch company DSM, which has a nutritional plant in Auckland, unveiled the 3-nitrooxypropanol (3-NOP) at the

Federated Farmers annual conference in Wellington two weeks ago.

Field trials in New Zealand are continuing and the company hopes to launch the product within

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two years.

DSM’s manager of its animal health and nutrition business in NZ, Dean Plummer, told farming leaders that the company set out 10 years ago to find a way to reduce enteric methane from ruminants.

“We worked very specifically to identify products which temporarily inhibit methane-producing organisms in the stomach of cows and other ruminants. The most effective product we found has the name 3-NOP,” he says.

3-NOP works in the cow rumen by preventing bacteria from converting carbon into methane.

Microorganisms in the rumen (called archaea) have, unlike any other bacteria, a respiration process that converts carbon into methane. This process, known as methanogenesis, is blocked when 3-NOP blocks a coenzyme in this pathway – M reductase.

“The best way I’ve had the mode of action explained to me by one of our biochemists is this: think of the methanogenesis pathway as a corridor with a series of locked doors,” Plummer says.

“3-NOP is a key almost the same as a key that unlocks one of the doors.

It’s similar enough that it can go into the lock but the tumblers won’t turn so the door won’t open.

While it’s in the lock it prevents the correct key from entering the lock.”

Plummer notes that 3-NOP does not act on the animal; it acts on the archaea.

Also important is to

understand that it doesn’t kill archaea; that’s not what DSM set out to do.

“But it does reduce their efficiency; the effect is rate dependent but a host of research gives us confidence that a 30% reduction in enteric methane production is a reasonable expectation.

“Critically, because archaea are genetically very distinct from bacteria in the rumen, 3-NOP has no effect on those bacteria in the rumen producing substrates used by the animals.

“The energy that was consumed by the methanogens simply becomes available to the animal.”

3-NOP is broken down in the rumen by its own mode of action so residuals cannot be detected in milk or meat.

Plummer says a few years ago DSM started working with NZ researchers on the practical challenges of turning 3-NOP into a material that can be fed to animals in local feeding systems.

The key challenge at the start was that the product had to be fed constantly, to create a continuous effect, he says.

“But the moment you stop feeding them, the methane production returns to normal [within 24 hours]. You therefore need to have 3-NOP and the feed present simultaneously for it to work.

“So, the challenge we’re working on for NZ is to create a format for feeding it to pasturebased animals so that it’s available when the animals are grazing.” @dairy_news facebook.com/dairynews

SHORT LIVED GASES DEBATE METHANE’S CONTRIBUTION to climate change continues to be debated but, what’s not in debate is the contribution of agriculture and specifically ruminant animals to methane emissions in NZ, says Dean Plummer.

He notes that Ministry for the Environment recently released a discussion paper that sets out our options for addressing climate change.

“What’s certain is that net CO2 emissions have to go to zero to achieve the targets set in the Paris Agreement.”

s

DAIRY NEWS JULY 10, 2018

CALVING // 27

Protect calves from M.bovis THE BACTERIAL disease Mycoplasma bovis now infects 36 properties in various regions and Biosecurity NZ expects to find more further infected properties.

M.bovis can lead to serious conditions in cattle and causes animal welfare and productivity issues.

Calves can contract M. bovis through direct contact with infected cattle or by consuming milk from infected cows.

Farmers buying or selling calves or milk can take simple steps to reduce the risk of spreading M. bovis and other diseases.

Stock movements are the highest risk for

spreading M.bovis.

DairyNZ’s advice is to buy from as few sources as possible; deal directly with the source farm or via an agent.

Don’t hesitate to ask questions about any M.bovis test results available for the farm, or whether the farm has been subject to

GO, NO-GO AREAS WHENEVER CALVES leave the farm on a truck, working with your trucker to make their job as easy as possible will help to ensure your calves are treated with care.

The position of your bobby calf pick-up point and slink collection point can improve onfarm biosecurity and reduce the risk of exposure to pests, weeds and disease.

Use the red, orange, green system to map out zones on your farm. Bobby calf and slink pick-up point should be in the green zone, and the bobby calf and slink truck should remain in the green zone while on farm.

Bobby calf rearing facilities are in the orange zone. If you have to load out of the bobby shed then ensure as little cross over as possible between

the truck and drivers and the inside of your bobby calf sheds. Ensure all slinks are covered and out of public view.

Red: No-go areas for visitors, tankers, livestock trucks, for example, paddocks and heifer rearing sheds. Red zones can only be entered after carrying out visitor biosecurity procedures.

Orange: Areas that are accepted to have a mix of cows, farm staff, visitors and equipment, e.g. the milking shed.

Green: Areas that have unrestricted access to visitors, their vehicles, tankers and livestock trucks but restricted access by cows, e.g. the milk tanker track and access tracks to houses on the farm.

Calves can get M.bovis by drinking contaminated milk.

M.bovis tracing by MPI. Ask about the stock trading practices of the farm and whether all stock movement records are up to date and recorded in NAIT. Ask about cow and calf health

on the farm for the past two seasons.

Avoid buying from saleyards because of the cattle mixing that occurs there; buy only calves with NAIT tags and promptly record all move-

ments.

Ask your trucker to avoid mixing calves with other cattle in holding yards or on the truck; keep purchased calves isolated from the main group for seven days and moni-

tor them for signs of disease.

Find a buyer now for your future weaned calves, if possible, and tell buyers about efforts to reduce risk of M. bovis exposure.

“Designed by a Farmer for Farmers” DON’T FEED INFECTED MILK FEEDING INFECTED milk is the second-highest risk of spreading M. bovis.

■■ Milk that has the lowest risk of containing M.bovis bacteria comes in these forms: calf milk replacer powder, acidified milk or pasteurised milk.

■■ If you’re using milk replacer powder, order now to avoid problems with supply.

■■ If you’re feeding whole milk, consider the following: ■■ Do not feed milk from cows under treatment for mastitis or other illnesses; this milk should be discarded. These cows are more likely to shed M.bovis into their milk than healthy cows.

■■ Acidification with citric acid to pH below 5 for at least eight hours

■■

■■

■■

will kill M.bovis, but below pH4 the milk will be unpalatable and the calves will refuse to drink it. Our recommended target is pH4.5.

Pasteurisation will kill M.bovis if the machine is working correctly and the proper procedures are followed. A pasteurisation machine is costly.

Addition of yoghurt to milk is a less reliable way to reduce pH, as this process takes more time and is temperature dependent to get the culture growing. If the pH doesn’t drop below 5 for at least eight hours, M.bovis will not be killed.

M.bovis is not killed by the addition of potassium sorbate preservative.

ORDER NOW for this coming Season

PHONE 0800 4 AGBITS | 0800 4 242 487 WEBSITE www.agbits.co.nz

DAIRY NEWS JULY 10, 2018

28 // CALVING

Knowing labour signs will raise your score KNOWING THE signs and stages of labour, how to calf a cow and the immediate care needed after calving, will increase the number of successful births.

Cows close to calving or springers must be inspected frequently; most farms arrange for them to be checked at least every six hours and sometimes more frequently if conditions require it.

If calving is not proceeding normally, remedial action must be taken and a moving vehicle must not be used to provide traction to assist calving.

Check springers for signs of labour regularly, quietly and thoroughly and record what you observe.

■■ Walk quietly through the springer mob; when cows are feeding is best. Don’t walk

through the mob when cows are hungry and are waiting to be moved to fresh grass or a new break. Look for cows showing signs of labour.

Check cows at least four times a day. Your manager will set a routine for springer checks.

Check all areas of the paddock and depending how good the fencing is check the paddocks next door as well. Check

drains, hollows, long grass, hedges – anywhere a calf could be sleeping.

Note the number of any cow or heifer starting to show signs of calving, or that has calved, and report to your manager so you can keep an eye on her progress.

Calving will progress at different rates for different cows. Some may show all the signs whereas others may show very few signs.

Generally labour can be broken into two stages: preparation for labour and delivery.

Preparation for labour The preparation phase can take up to six hours in cows and 72 hours in heifers. Look for these signs when observing springers: ■■ away from herd and reduced appetite ■■ pelvic ligaments

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■■

Swelling of udder can happen up to a month before calving.

■■

Milk dripping from teats.

■■

Mucus string from vulva (from plug of mucus that seals the vulva).

■■

Restless.

relaxed; vulva looks swollen and flabby ■■ dip between tailhead and pin-bones ■■ tummy less full as calf moves into birth canal/ birthing position ■■ mothering other cows’ calves ■■ discomfort – swishing tail, arched back, restless, peeing, kicking and nosing at her side, tail raising ■■ straining/contractions ■■ water bag protruding.

Cows should take 30 - 60 minutes to calve; no more than two hours.

Heifers should take two three hours; no more than four hours.

During a standard delivery the following process will occur: cow starts straining and pushing; two feet are visible within the water sack.

Once the feet are 10cm clear of the vulva the head has cleared the pelvis.

The chest of the calf has not passed through the pelvis at this stage and the umbilical cord is still attached so the cow is still providing oxygen to the calf.

Once the head has cleared the pelvis the cow may rest for a minute or two. Once the calf’s shoulders have cleared the pelvis the birth will continue quickly. The umbilical cord will have likely broken by this point and the calf will start to breathe on its own.

After a normal birth the cow will stand, sniff and start to lick the newborn calf. Licking will help dry the calf, stimulate blood flow and prevent the calf from getting too cold.

The placenta comes out within six hours of birth.

• Article sourced from DairyNZ

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DAIRY NEWS JULY 10, 2018

CALVING // 29

Time to plan CALVING SEASON is around the corner and now is the time to start planning and preparing.

According to DairyNZ, now is the time help your farm team get set up early for a smoother calving season.

Pre-calving checklist ■■ Supplies of metabolics, electrolytes, navel spray etc. on hand or ordered ■■ New team members up to date on farm policies and what to expect during calving ■■ Calf trailer and feeding equipment clean and disinfected ■■ Calf shed clean and disinfected and all repairs and mainte-

nance done Designated sick calf area ready ■■ Fresh bedding laid in calf shed ■■ Calving kit prepared.

A well-stocked calving kit will save you making trips between the paddock and the shed.

Planning and preparing for calving with your farm team will reduce stress when calving is in full swing and help it run smoothly.

Hold a team meeting prior to calving and decide who will do what and when. Record the plan where everyone can see it.

Introduce new staff to systems and processes so ■■

everyone is on the same page when calving starts.

Establish a roster and make sure staff know how to fill out timesheets.

Eating well is important and some owners provide staff with crock pots; keep healthy snacks at the shed or have a cooked breakfast together

after milking.

Watch for signs of stress, meet regularly and talk often.

Keep your calving kit at the gate of the springer paddock.

Have a team member in charge of making sure it is restocked regularly.

Calving kit

CALVING KIT CONTENTS ■■

Bucket with a lid to contain kit (tape a checklist of contents inside the lid).

■■

Metabolics (clearly labelled milk fever treatments and starter drench).

■■

3 calving ropes or chains (strong, supple and cleaned after each use).

■■

2 litre container of lube (a plunger pump is an easy way to dispense lube if hands are busy).

■■

Towel and soap for cleaning hands

■■

Notebook and pencil (A pencil will still work in wet conditions, unlike a pen).

■■

Ear tags or other calf identification system (Pre numbered tags with corresponding numbers on a record sheet will save time and reduce the chance of recording mistakes).

WITH FIBERGAIN® CALVES GET TO THE FUTURE FASTER. At seven weeks they’re ready to leave your milk in the vat and start on pasture. With the perfect blend of fresh cut lucerne, freshly kibbled barley and minerals, FiberGain® naturally builds healthy rumen development, gut function and provides high digestible energy. So, calves make healthy weight gains and reach their full potential.

■■

Spray paint, red plus another colour (red can be used as a warning colour. e.g. withhold milk. Communicate this with staff).

■■

Gloves for rectal or other exam

■■

Head torch and spare batteries

■■

Iodine spray pre-mixed with water (do not use teat dip as an alternative).

Order yours now from your local rural supplier or Fiber Fresh consultant.

■■

Key contact numbers (vet, manager) on laminated sheet. Save numbers in phone).

FIBERGAIN. THE BEST FUTURE A CALF CAN GET.

■■

Calving intervention guide

■■

Food/energy bars.

0800 545 545. www.fiber-fresh.com

DAIRY NEWS JULY 10, 2018

30 // CALVING

Start calves well for a healthy life TO SET up a dairy cow for a long, productive life you must give her the best possible start. Extra effort now will pay dividends throughout her milking life.

Heifers that reach target weights make successful milking cows, and growing them well starts from the day they are born.

All calves, including bobbies, must receive adequate fresh colostrum within the first 24 hours of life and should be fed colostrum, or a colostrum substitute, for at least the first four days of life.

Always handle calves gently and with care.

Do not allow anyone to throw, hit or drag a calf at any time. Electric prodders must not be used on calves.

Calves seperated from their mothers must be sheltered warm and dry.

Calf pens must be fit for purpose and well maintained. Bedding areas must be comfortable, clean and dry, with adequate ventilation, but draft-free at the calf level.

Exposed concrete, bare earth and mud are not acceptable.

Calves should be fed at the same times each day to minimise stress; always ensure your calves have access to plenty of fresh water. Feed calves adequate quantities of good quality feed to rapidly achieve weaning weight with a well-developed rumen.

Colostrum plays a big role in the lives of newborn calves.

The calf should drink

at least two litres of fresh colostrum during the first six hours of life to get protective antibodies; pick up calves twice a day and give them gold colostrum Gold colostrum is valuable even if it has blood or comes in clotty mastitis milk. It is best fed fresh but may be frozen for up to six months. Thaw/heat it in warm water; do not microwave it.

Test the level of antibodies in a batch of colostrum using a Brix refractometer, available from the vet, farm supply store or a home brew shop; brix higher than 22% is best for newborns.

Store colostrum in several drums (to reduce risk of loss) in a cool place and out of direct

Calves should be fed at the same time each day to minimise stress.

sunlight. Stir twice a day.

A colostrum keeper or yoghurt starter, available from supermarkets, can

be added to each drum to preserve it. Alternatively, preserve colostrum with potassium sorbate.

Ensure good routine hygiene and health practices: ■■ Scrub all feeding equipment well with hot water and detergent ■■ Remove sick calves promptly to a designated sick pen ■■ Frequently clean and disinfect pens where sick calves are treated ■■ Disinfect hard surfaces ■■ Ensure bedding is reg-

■■

■■

ularly refreshed Control the spread of disease by minimising movement between pens. Calves of the same age should stay in the same pen. However, small or unthrifty calves may be better off with a healthy younger group.

Vaccinate, treat for parasites and provide access to shelter.

HEALTH CHECK CHECK REGULARLY to ensure: ■■ Noses are clear of discharge, moist and cool ■■

Calves are alert and have responsive ears with no infection around the ear tag

■■

Navels are clear of infection

■■

Mouths are clear of ulcers

■■

Calves can stand and walk normally i.e. no joint ill

■■

All calves are feeding

■■

Calves have shiny, supple coats.

If you lightly pinch a calf’s skin and it is slow to return to normal it may be dehydrated and need electrolytes immediately.

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DAIRY NEWS JULY 10, 2018

MACHINERY & PRODUCTS // 31

De Laval robotic milker raises the bar markd@ruralnews.co.nz

GLOBAL MILK harvesting specialist De Laval, well known for robotic milking, says it has raised the bar with its recently launched voluntary milking system (VMS) -- the VMS300.

Ideal for farmers facing labour uncertainties or shortages, the system also addresses animal welfare and food safety needs, the company says.

It has been widely tested in Europe and is readily adaptable to New Zealand grass-based production.

The VMS 300 achieves 50% faster attachment at a 99.8% attachment rate, 10% higher capacity and it can harvest up to 3500kg/day/robot; it has a 99% teat spray hit rate.

Running costs are reckoned lower than for previous models and less farmer intervention is needed in the dairy.

De Laval’s new user interface InControl allows data access and control of the system remotely; it delivers data on individual cows -- activity, yield and cell count -- and allows control of cameras or automated sort gates.

Also new are DeLaval PureFlow, a transparent teat preparation cup designed to stimulate better milk flow, and DeLaval InSight that uses recent vision technology for fast and accurate attachment.

The new VMS300 Justin Thompson, De Laval’s stimulates better milk Oceania sales manager, says the flow.

VMS 300 achieves performance The unit uses the DeLaval InSerincreases not seen before by the vice system to support service, concompany.

“The level of data that can be sumables supply and maintenance gathered from each teat, due to the at a fixed price; it ensures that the individual quarter milking and auto- plant’s milking performance is at its mation, ensures complete milking best for each milking.

NZ’s first installation is being every time, and again sees De Laval raise the bar for robotic milking sys- negotiated and a nationwide trailer tour is underway. tems.”

Hospice fundraiser donate to such a worthy cause.”

Hospice Waikato, part-funded by Waikato District Health Board, needs to raise $3 million per year from the community, says the chief executive of Hospice Waikato.

“We appreciate the support of BKT and TRS say a big ‘thank you’ to them for choosing us as their charity of choice at Fieldays.

“Their generosity allows us to continue providing specialist palliative care in Waikato region.”

TYRE MAKER BKT and its NZ distrib-

utor TRS Tyre and Wheel again ran their Balls for Charity fundraiser at Fieldays.

TRS donated 4000 BKT-branded rugby and soccer balls, offered to Fieldays goers for a gold coin donation, with all proceeds going to Hospice Waikato.

The fundraiser was a winner, says Nikki Watson, marketing manager for TRS. “Most people seem to have used hospice services or know of someone who has, so visitors to our site were happy to

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DAIRY NEWS JULY 10, 2018

32 // MACHINERY & PRODUCTS

TeleSkid gets on track ALREADY SEEN 12 months ago in a wheeled version, JCB’s tracked version of its TeleSkid, the 3TS-8T, runs on 450mm wide belts at speeds up to

TeleSkid from JCB

12.6km/h.

It is powered by JCB’s own 4.4L EcoMax, 4-cylinder engine delivering 74hp.

A 90L/min hydraulic

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system gives rapid cycling and a 120L/min upgrade option can be specified for high demand applications.

Already proven in the standard wheel format, the 3TS-8W tracked machine has more capacity due to its greater tare weight, pushing beyond the wheeled units’ 4.4 tonnes to a useful 5.7t.

Rated capacity at full boom extension is 732kg.

Load-over heights of 2.9 - 3.8m and forward reach of 1.1 - 2.25m at ground level show the

versatility of the telescopic layout.

The machine is good for loading or unloading bales, pallets, boxes and bags from one side of a road truck or farm trailer; users can switch between fixed or selflevelling bucket control that combines with the Smoothride suspension system for ultimate load control.

Additionally, operators can manipulate the boom to mimic the actions of a frontloader with verticallift geometry.

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Water Saving with PIB’s – bore water pre-cooling is not necessary with the correctly sized PIB. This is ideal for drought prone regions or where water supplies are restricted.

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EASY TO USE TERMINAL A NEW Isobus terminal from Pöttinger – the Expert

75 – is easy and convenient to use, notably because of its one-hand operation.

It has a handle strip that allows a firm grip, and the control keys are arranged on the right in two rows -- easy to use one-handed.

Likewise, touchscreen and scroll wheel controls combine with a confirm button to give more comfort when working in the field.

This compact, robust terminal can be placed in most positions in a tractor cab without restricting the field of vision.

Its clearly laid-out 5.6” colour display has a wide field of view and illuminated keys (night operation mode) that allow easy reading in direct sunlight, at night and at any angle. In-built loudspeakers and a USB 2.0 port with protective cap round off the multifunctional terminal.

Its UT and AUX Isobus functions can be used with Isobus machines regardless of the manufacturer.

DAIRY NEWS JULY 10, 2018

MACHINERY & PRODUCTS  // 33

Gaskit sealant in a bottle AN

Airpro adds choice MARK DANIEL markd@ruralnews.co.nz

AITCHISON AIRPRO zero-tillage seed drills have a loyal following, with the 4.8 and 6.0m units forming the backbone of sales for ten years.

Now comes the new ASP-8140, a 6m folding version fitted with European sourced distribution and a locally designed e-drive monitoring system offering 150mm spacing. Also in view is a 3.0m rigid unit configured to drill 24 rows at 125mm spacing.

As with previous models, the drilling unit/toolbar takes the form of a leading disc gang to promote entry

and cut trash, followed by double-coil spring tines with a slimline point and an inverted tee boot.

The vibrations induced by the spring coils are said to create a shattering action that leaves a tilth behind each leg for zero-till operations.

The toolbar has a three-section chassis that allows contour following as each section works independently to follow its own course.

Twin seed and fertiliser bins mounted on the forward chassis allow the unit to be configured for seed-only or seed and fertiliser. A third bin can be added for small seed or slug bait.

Twin fans for air supply allow each tank to modulate air flow indepen-

dently to suit the task in hand.

A hydraulic drawbar assembly is easy to set up, a transport width of 2.9m allows easy moving, and large trailing wheels carry the 4400kg tare weight; power requirement is 160hp.

Seed rate and monitoring is by the e-drive system that offers easy calibration and seed rate adjustment on the move. Displays show the operator details of area sown, sowing rate, ground speed, bin levels and fan speeds, and jobs-done data can easily be transferred to the farm computer.

Options include a rear tyre packer for consolidation, a rear chain harrow for covering, and a mounting point for a crane to lift bulk bags.

Maximise production by ensuring your herd are getting a high quality Partial Mix Ration (PMR).

EASY-TO-USE

solution in a bottle is said to cure engine ills such as blown head gaskets, cracked cylinder heads or blocks and porous castings in minutes.

It lasts for the life of the engine and has a money-back guarantee.

The new K-Seal Ultimate head gasket repair works in minutes, getting vehicles going again for much less than the cost of normal engine repairs and faster, the supplier says.

Expensive head gasket repairs usually consign older vehicles to the scrapyard but K-Seal Ultimate might offer a cost-effective solution and extend vehicle life.

The formula is said to work with all water-cooled engines without the need to drain or flush the cooling system, irrespective of the type of

antifreeze or coolant used.

In use, K-Seal Ultimate is poured into the cooling system through the header or expansion tank (not into the core), the engine run up to operating temperature, and the solution circulates around the block and head, sealing cracks.

One bottle of the solution is enough to fix blown head gaskets and cracked heads in all types of cars, SUVs and small trucks; truck and bus engines may need two bottles.

A two-year test by the engineering division of Brighton University included comparisons with other products and certified the product to the stringent American Standard D-3147 after two test sequences in succession.

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DAIRY NEWS JULY 10, 2018

34 // MACHINERY & PRODUCTS

Outback front in the wagon wars MARK DANIEL markd@ruralnews.co.nz

IT’S NOT hard to believe that the Subaru Outback accounts for about 45% of all the Subarus sold in New Zealand each year.

It stepped into the void left by the exit of the Legacy wagon in 2015.

But there’s a surprise in the number of people who believe they need a bigger SUV despite not towing anything and not needing seven seats.

Your reviewer lived with an Outback for a week -- the 3.6RS, hero of the range -- driving it in Waikato and around the Coromandel Peninsula, discovering how good this vehicle really is.

It’s available in 2.5 or 3.6L, with the iconic flat-four or flat-six Boxer engine; both machines rev freely, are quick off the mark, sure of foot and eat up rural kilometres.

The 3.6RS pushes out 191kW at 350Nm torque, quickly hitting the 100km/h legal limit and just as quickly making speeds it’s best not to brag about.

This is coupled with Subaru’s well set-up Lineartronic CVT which allows the vehicle do its own thing in Auto, or you can drive it in manual mode using the steering wheel paddle shifters.

You have a car that is fun to drive, with the option of a little tweaking of throttle response via the SI-Drive engine management system.

Well-known for its Symmetrical AWD system, the Subaru is equally capable on- or off-road; the system feeds power to all four wheels simultaneously, offering grip, better handling through the twisty stuff and overall greater control.

Add to this the integral vehicle dynamic control and braking systems that combine to monitor the vehicle’s movement, and make sure things stay upright and under control.

A long list of functions includes ABS, traction control, electronic stability control, TCS limited slip control, electronic brake force distribution and active torque vectoring that uses the brakes and engine torque to promote better cornering.

Subaru Outback

Passenger safety is enhanced by the maker’s Eye Sight system of two cameras mounted high in the centre of the windscreen; these scan ahead and work with a central processor to provide adaptive cruise control, autonomous braking, pre-collision brake assist and throttle management, and lane sway and departure. It uses colour recognition to detect brake lights, so triggering the autonomous braking function.

Subaru’s safety system is among the best available; it really only needs a head up display for even safer driving.

In the cabin, leather seating is comfortable and supporting, particularly in twisty or rough stuff.

Ahead of the driver is a multi-function display of the vehicle’s functions, and in the central console an 8-inch LCD touch screen. Add to this keyless entry, push button starts, electric sunroof, powered tailgate, rear camera, front and side-view monitors, rain sensing wipers, adaptive headlights, and then you get to understand why for just under $60,000 the Outback is out-front in the macho-wagon stakes.

HAIL KING QUAD! SUZUKI, A key player in

Former All Black Tony Woodcock tries out the new King Quad.

the quad market and the first to bring out a fourwheel machine (Quadrunner) in 1983, has pulled the wraps off its 2019 range-topping King Quad 750AXI 4x4.

Its lineage dates back to the King Quad launched in 1991.

Nearly 30 years on, the latest King Quad is typified by a marketing line ‘Built tough

for every ride’. On the 2019 machine, extensive changes have been made to styling, chassis, engine and electrical systems, and the list of genuine accessories just got longer.

It’s available in X, XP or XPZ configurations; the first is a base machine, the second has electric power steering and the XPZ has power steering and cast aluminium wheels.

Looking at the restyling, broader front and rear fenders combine with new side panels to declare the machine’s rugged intentions, and it has new storage areas at the rear, to the left side, and within the front right fender, all amounting to a useful 11L. Under the skin, chassis upgrades are said to deliver better straight-line stability, low effort when cornering, and reduced

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shocks being transmitted to the rider. Towing capacity is increased by 150kg to 600kg, achieved by greater wall thickness in the main frame and greater rigidity and support in the rear suspension and final drives.

Power steering motors are bigger at 220W, meaning less effort required and giving more feel and comfort when cornering.

Upgraded shock absorbers (now gascharged) help improve the general ride quality and make for better manoeuvrability in rough terrain, also aided by a beefier rear stabiliser bar mounted in softer bushes.

At the rear, the trailer hitch mount is changed to a receiver type fitting for quick changes.

Power for the rangetopping 750 comes from the maker’s single cylinder DOHC unit of 722cc

that with fuel injection delivers 37kW at 6000rpm and 67 Nm torque at 5000rpm. This is coupled to an upgraded CVT with changed pulley weights and spring rates to provide crisper acceleration from standstill and increased engine braking during decceleration.

Up front, a new handlebar-mounted headlight shows the way and there’s a bright LED tail light unit with a low power draw.

A new multi-function LCD display gives the rider clear information on the machine status, e.g. speed, distance, gear selection, temperature and service reminders.

A wide range of accessories includes windscreens, front and rear bumpers, rack boxes, winches and a vast array of underbody skid and bash plates.

– Mark Daniel

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THE BENEFITS OF 100% NATURAL GYPSUM

Gypsum application is a standard practice worldwide for addressing the build up of sodium in soils, including soils receiving waste waters.

Gypsum is one of those rare materials that performs in all categories of soil treatment: an amendment, conditioner and fertiliser.

How Does Gypsum Work?

It is useful in the transition period in dairy cows 2 – 4 weeks pre & post calving, and can be used as an anionic salt to counteract the effects that high potassium & sodium concentrations have on increasing hypocalcemia.

Gypsum is hydrated calcium sulphate. Calcium from gypsum replaces sodium in the soil. The sulphate allows the sodium to be effectively leached out of the soil. The soil then has more ability to flocculate and form stable aggregates to improve drainage and soil quality.

Gypsum, a readily available form of calcium, is 100 times more soluble than lime and is more suitable for the digestive system during this period.

Gypsum in fertilising Soil tests throughout New Zealand shows sulphur deficiency is wide spread.

Although often overlooked, sulphur is needed in at least equal quantities to phosphorus. Many responses in crops are sulphur due to the sulphate radical (SO4‑‑).

• Readily dissociates into free calcium ions (Ca++) and sulphate ions (SO4‑‑), major elements in plant nutrition • Has an approximately neutral pH and can be used in heavy applications without causing undue alkalinity in soils

Gypsum in water savings • Promotes water infiltration, retention and conservation • Allows water to penetrate the soil without forming puddles or water logging • Conserves water by stretching intervals between irrigations • Tests show that farmland treated with gypsum requires up to 33% less water than soils without recent gypsum application

Na+ Na+ Ca++ leached CaSO4 + Soil Cation Exchange  Soil Cation Exchange + Na2SO4

Gypsum in soil conditioning • Breaks up soils compacted by sodium and clay, and compounded by farm animals and machinery • Reduces cracking and compaction following irrigation and retards soil crusting • Allows soil to dry more quickly after rain or irrigation so that it may be worked sooner • Decreases energy requirements for tillage • Binds organic matter to soil and checks soil erosion • Enhances friendly bacterial action and discourages plant diseases related to poor soil aeration • Conditioned soil allows for deeper, healthier root development and water penetration

Gypsum in amendment • Displaces sodium binding clay soils • Reduces high soil aluminium levels • Suppresses the soil acidification effects of growing crops and the prolonged use of acidifying fertilisers

For more about Natural Gypsum and soil stabilisation visit gypsum.co.nz 00527 - Gyspum - DairyNews June 02.indd 1

20/06/18 6:21 PM