Dairy News 12 May 2020

Protectionism warning. PAGE 3

DAIRY GOATS OWL FARM FLYING HIGH

Drought management PAGE 16-17

MAY 12, 2020 ISSUE 446 // www.dairynews.co.nz

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Protectionism warning. PAGE 3

DAIRY GOATS

Healthy animals PAGE 25

OWL FARM FLYING HIGH

Drought management PAGE 16-17

MAY 12, 2020 ISSUE 446 // www.dairynews.co.nz

DAIRY WOMAN OF THE YEAR Farm manager Ash-Leigh Campbell hopes win will inspire women.

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DAIRY NEWS MAY 12, 2020

NEWS // 3

‘Don’t block trade’ PETER BURKE peterb@ruralnews.co.nz

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DAIRY PROCESSORS are warning that any suggestion that New Zealand should adopt a protectionist trade stance is “stupid”.

Dairy Companies Association of NZ (DCANZ) chairman Malcolm Bailey told Dairy News he’s concerned about remarks by certain politicians; they have been quoted as thinking along these lines, he adds.

Bailey says at some stage Covid19 will transition from being a health problem to an economic problem.

Any rise in protectionism will be bad for us.

He says as an economy NZ has done very well “because we have a trading mentality and we have to encourage that and tell other nations that we are able to sell products to them and they can do the same to us”.

“There is a huge lesson to be learned from way back in the 1930’s during the Great Depression when governments started retrenching and trying to balance the books and shutting down imports,” says Bailey.

“It just spiralled out of control and what was already a bad situation escalated and unemployment went to massive levels,” he says.

Bailey says putting up the shutters in terms of trade barriers would be bad for everyone.

He points to Singapore as an example. NZ has an excellent trading relationship with the tiny island nation.

Bailey says under a protectionist regime Singaporeans would virtually starve to death because they

Malcolm Bailey

are not a food producer and in turn New Zealanders would be deprived of quality, cost effective consumer products.

“Anyone advocating protectionist policies is just plain dumb,” he says.

Commenting on the dairy industry and Covid-19’s impact on processors, he says the market for dairy products has held up pretty well so far.

There have been challenges in terms of getting product to market, but exporters have found innovative and pragmatic ways of sorting these out.

He says the dairy sector is mindful that it is in the midst of a global

recession and the challenges that this brings.

“At this stage we are bucking the trend, but there are warning signs,” he says.

He notes that it may be possible to divert product from a market which closes down to one that opens up, providing that there are no trade barriers. Some of the tariffs can be prohibitive and there is a risk of disruption.

“In the US, milk being spilled down the drain from factories is mainly for the food service sector, which is almost non-existent at present with restaurants closed.

“That sort of disruption could

have significant consequences if those companies rejig their plants and start producing milk powder which could end up depressing milk powder prices,” he says.

Bailey says to some degree this has happened in Europe with forward prices there much weaker. He says the GDT has held up reasonably well so far, but there are predictions floating around that would suggest a lower farm gate milk price in NZ than hoped for.

“Having said that, NZ does have its own special chunk of the dairy market and hopefully it can remain in better shape than some other countries,” he says.

DAIRY NEWS MAY 12, 2020

4 // NEWS

Animals and drought remain top priority PETER BURKE peterb@ruralnews.co.nz

DEALING WITH the drought and animal welfare is more concerning to dairy farmers than Covid19 according to DairyNZ chief executive, Dr Tim Mackle.

He says while the pandemic remains a high priority for farmers, he says those in areas which have been badly affected by adverse weather events are preoccupied with making sure their animals are fed properly and that cull cows are being shipped off to the works in a timely fashion.

“For some of them, the drought is bigger than

Covid,” he told Dairy News.

“There is not a lot of supplementary feed around and for a number of weeks we have been encouraging dairy farmers to take action now and think about next season by doing such things as building the covers up and getting fertiliser on to get grass growing while soil temperatures are still warm.

“The other option is to dry cows off early to save feed and be in a good position for next season,” he says.

Mackle says the main areas affected by drought are Northland, the eastern seaboard and top of the South Island. Southland

was affected by severe flooding earlier this year.

“They had a wonderful winter then a tough spring and summer with heavy rain and flooding. So they haven’t had a good growing season either but for different reasons,” he says.

He says delays with the killing of cull cows, made worse by Covid-19, has added to the woes of farmers in Southland.

One bit of good news, says Mackle, is that they have been told that supplies of PKE will be available. He says there had been some nervousness in the farming community that this may not be available.

He says overall farm-

The drought is causng more concern for farmers than Covid-19.

ers have been coping very well under the strict Covid-19 regime.

“Partly it is because they are used to a degree of self-isolation already and the nature of most farm work means that physical distancing is not the issue it is in say a meat processing plant,” he says.

He says by and large farmers are just getting on with the business of farming, but some are worried about farm labour and in particular whether they will be able to get migrant workers back on the farm.

BROADBAND CRITICAL THE COVID-19 pandemic has shown just how crucial good broadband is to people throughout the world, says Tim Mackle.

His comments come following the news that the Government is allocating up to $15 million to improve rural broadband, including upgrading some existing rural mobile towers and installing external antennae on households to improve coverage in remote rural areas.

Mackle says food production is going to be so much more important over the next five to ten years for NZ. “It’s really a no brainer to make sure they have the tools they need

in rural communities and of course good broadband is one of the most important things that must be provided,” he says.

Mackle says every year the dairy industry needs about 5,000 new people to come and work on farmers to replace those who leave. He says unless there is good broadband some people are going to think twice about locating their families to areas where broadband is poor.

“Broadband like house and health are key elements of infrastructure that need to be provided if we are to attract people to work in our industry,” he says.

FUNDING TO MAKE OUR BUTTER YELLOW AGAIN THE GOVERNMENT has set up

a $500,000 fund to help farmers and growers recover from drought.

Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor says the fund will allow for grants of up to $5,000 to be made available to farmers and growers in areas badly affected by the 2020 drought: all of the North Island, the Chatham Islands, Christchurch, Marlborough, Nelson, Tasman, Selwyn, Kaikoura and Waimakariri districts and regions.

Farmers and growers who apply for grants will have to prove their businesses have been negatively affected by the drought and that they derive at least 50% of their income from the property.

The money is to be used by farmers to access a range of advisory services and drought-related

advice, including help with strategic planning, technical advice on soil, pastures, animal production and feed budgeting. Grants can also be used for land management and sustainable management techniques.

O’Connor says that as New Zealand rebuilds its economy, there is an opportunity to rebuild better than before the pandemic and factor in resilience for our productive primary sector. He says so far this year the Government has invested $17 million to help drought-stricken regions recover from what many are saying is the worst drought in living memory.

“Although there has been a bit of rain relief recently, it takes steady rain at the right time to get grass growing again.

“The flow-on effects of water

shortages and low feed availability take a long time to fully recover from and some farmers will be dealing with the effects of this drought for a year or more. One of the unusual consequences of the drought has already started to be noticed by consumers – that being the paler colour of our butter. As the saying goes ‘you are what you eat’ and the same goes for cows,” he says.

O’Connor says NZ’s unique pasture-based farming system gives our butter a wonderful yellow colour but the shortage of grass and reliance on supplementary feed has meant our butter has started to turn white.

“A return to yellow will maintain our competitive advantage in our export markets,” he says.

- Peter Burke

DAIRY NEWS MAY 12, 2020

NEWS // 5

Win to inspire young women SUDESH KISSUN sudeshk@ruralnews.co.nz

THE FONTERRA 2020

Dairy Woman of the Year Ash-Leigh Campbell hopes her win will inspire young girls to join the dairy industry.

Twenty-eight year old

Campbell, a Ngai Tahu farm manager, last week beat two other finalists to scoop the title and a $20,000 professional development scholarship.

She told Dairy News that the morning after her win, she received a congratulatory text from a farming family. A nine-

year old girl in the family said Campbell’s win had inspired her to become a dairy farmer.

“It felt great to read the text. My win proves that anything is achievable for a young girl if we put our heart and mind into it.”

Campbell was shocked

FARMING LEADER AS THE farming technical farm manager for Ngai Tahu, Campbell has been working for the South Island Maori iwi farming operation for over three years.

In her current role she is responsible for assisting with the management and performance of eight dairy and dairy support farms that includes 8000 cows.

After leaving high school she studied at Lincoln University doing diplomas in agriculture and farm management and a degree in commerce majoring in agriculture.

It was during this time she had her first taste of the Dairy Women’s Network, becoming a network regional leader and the driving force behind the DWN Lincoln group which has now merged into Selwyn.

She also assists with operational and environmental performance (audit and compliance), analytical projects and the implementation and improvement of sustainable farming practices.

Campbell is also chair of New Zealand Young Farmers.

with her win and delivered a teary acceptance speech from her home.

Due to Covid-19, there was no awards dinner.

Instead a virtual awards ceremony was hosted by Julia Jones. The winner was announced by Fonterra Farm Source head Richard Allen.

Campbell says it was a strange experience.

“There was no glitz and glamour, no getting on stage to accept the award, I was sitting there wearing a dress and woollen socks,” she says.

Campbell says when Covid-19 restrictions lift, she will make a point of personally meeting and thanking Allen and Farm Source for their sponsorship.

She also had special thanks for the two other finalists: Auckland based microbiologist and bio

chemist Natasha Maguire and West Coast dairy farmer Heather McKay. “It’s a pretty unique situation. I haven’t met them, we just exchanged emails, but they are incredible women.”

Campbell says women play a vital role in the dairy industry.

“There are many hats we put on: we do it because we love it,” she says.

She says the Dairy Women’s Network brings women together where they can share stories and inspire each other.

Dairy Women’s Network trustee who heads up the judging panel Alison Gibb said all three women contributed to the dairy industry in very different ways which highlighted the depth and diversity of how women are contributing to the

dairy industry in New Zealand.

“Ash-Leigh exudes energy and passion for the dairy industry and has actively sought opportunities to both contribute and grow in an industry she loves,” Gibb said.

Ash-Leigh Campbell

INAUGURAL REGIONAL LEADER OF THE YEAR MID-CANTERBURY FARMER

Tania Burrows is winner of Dairy Women’s Network inaugural Regional Leader of the Year award.

The award recognises grassroots dairy farming leadership efforts from throughout New Zealand.

Burrows says it is a “huge honour” to be the first winner of the award.

“I have a real passion for helping people grow…my goal is to be able to support regional leaders with a mentor programme to grow them-

Burrows began her selves as leaders in their leadership journey as an communities and in the early childhood teacher, industry.” progressing to manageWorking with her ment roles where she husband, Johno, the was responsible for up couple have three chilto 150 children, their dren and are lower families and a team of order sharemilkers seven teaching staff. farming 2,000 head of Now involved full stock between their Tania Burrows time in their dairy dairy farm and run off block. They employ four to seven business she volunteers as a regional team members on farm each season. leader for the Dairy Women’s Net-

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work and dabbles in leadership coaching.

DWN has over 70 volunteer regional leaders in the country.

Burrows beat three other finalists: Sue Skelton, Waiotira; Central Southland sharemilker Jessica Goodwright; and North Canterbury contract milker Rebecca Green.

The award is supported by insurance brokers Crombie Lockwood.

DWN chief executive Jules Benton says its regional leaders are the vital

lifeblood of the organisation.

“It’s so important to acknowledge their efforts and celebrate their leadership in the dairy industry and their communities. All four finalists showed a real passion for leadership and for making a real difference, not only in their farm roles but for the Network and in their personal lives as well. All were committed to ensure the dairy industry thrives.” @dairy_news facebook.com/dairynews

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DAIRY NEWS MAY 12, 2020

6 // NEWS

Online handover of Feds presidency SUDESH KISSUN sudeshk@ruralnews.co.nz

TWO MONTHS ago, Andrew McGiven was planning a formal annual meeting and 75th anniversary dinner for Waikato Federated Farmers.

As outgoing Waikato Feds president, he was looking forward to handing over the reins to the region’s first woman president.

But Covid-19 threw a spanner in the works.

Instead of a gala dinner, McGiven and Waikato Feds members conducted their annual meeting via online video conferencing site Zoom on April 30.

“How things can change in a short period of time,” McGiven said in his final report as president.

“Covid-19 will be remembered as the virus that stopped the world, and by extension New Zealand.”

McGiven, who farms in Te Aroha, believes Federated Farmers has become more relevant as politicians change their tune and look to agriculture to guide the country’s economic recovery.

“While our primary sector has been recognised as ‘essential services’, our economy has been effectively closed down.

“So, it is ironic that agriculture is now going to be relied upon to kickstart and save New Zealand’s standard of living, where only months ago we were being margin-

Retiring Waikato Federated Farmers president Andrew McGiven.

alised by all and sundry, especially politicians.”

McGiven notes that there will be some dark clouds on the horizon for New Zealand.

“For our pan-sector members, Federated Farmers will never be more relevant or necessary to keep all farming viable and sustainable.”

He thanked Feds’ 28-member policy and advocacy team for working in partnership with the board and national and regional elected representatives to get the best outcome for farming and agriculture.

He noted that Feds’ achievements during the year include campaigning against a capital gains tax.

“While the big cost of a capital gains tax would have been years away, all landowners (including small block holders) with over an acre of land

FIRST WOMAN PRESIDENT KING COUNTRY farmer Jacqui Hahn is Waikato Federated Farmers first woman president.

Hahn is currently vice chair of the Feds’ national dairy executive. She will relinquish that role.

“Although I greatly enjoy being on the national dairy executive, I don’t believe I could do both dairy vice chair and Waikato president justice, and I notified the National Dairy Council last year of my intentions,” she told Dairy News.

Hahn says she wants to see more women participate in Feds leadership.

“I would like to see more women on our board. I have

would have been required to pay for a market valuation on implementation of the new tax regime.

“That’s your membership fee paid for the next four to eight years, let alone having to pay about

heard some ladies would be interested and I encourage them to get to the district AGMs when these are held and get on boards.

“Diverse thought is what drives good Jacqui Hahn robust board decisions.”

As Waikato Feds president, Hahn says she is ready for the challenges.

“The challenges of environ-

30% of the increase in the value of your farm to the government when you sold it.”

On the Government’s healthy waterways proposal, Feds successfully fought for an extension to

mental regulation, the need to keep the primary sector working together as a whole.

“I’m a mixed farmer with an open mind who wants to get the best for our communities’ well being, and make them more resilient.

“I believe I am a good fit for the current challenges and I believe I am a good chair that encourages diverse and robust debate.”

public submissions.

“We will work with government in good faith, alongside farmer levy bodies, seeking to achieve a sensible, practical and affordable regulatory regime that has a

fighting chance of achieving healthy waterways,” he says.

According to McGiven, other achievements of the Feds include working for farmers on biosecurity, streamlining compensa-

tion claims for M. bovis affected farmers, ensuring farmers could use .22 and semi-automatic shot guns for pest control on farms and improving the farm debt mediation bill.

Water quality is also a hot topic in Waikato; a decision on Waikato Regional Council’s Healthy Rivers Plan Change One is imminent.

“At this stage Waikato Federated Farmers is happy with the adopted framework of the plan, but still have some concerns around some of the limits and numerical bands set down,” he says.

“I was especially proud how our staff and members were able to present comprehensive submissions within a tight timeframe and I am forever hopeful that a sensible, practicable and affordable solution is found.”

Waikato Federated Farmers has also been heavily involved with MPI and Rural Support Trust in recommending a medium-scale adverse event be declared with drought conditions holding on to most parts of the Waikato until midApril when some significant rain finally fell.

However, with many farmers having already fed out their winter and spring feed reserves, it could be a long and hard winter for some, especially with milk and meat price drops forecast, McGiven says.

He will remain on the Waikato Feds team as treasurer.

DAIRY NEWS MAY 12, 2020

NEWS // 7

Council review report due in August SUDESH KISSUN sudeshk@ruralnews.co.nz

A FINAL report into the

review of the Fonterra Shareholders Council will be handed to farmers by the end of August.

The steering group formed to review the council and its core functions started surveying Fonterra farmers and sharemilkers last week on “critical issues”. It is also seeking the views of Fonterra’s board and the council.

In an email to farmers this month, the steering group outlined its timetable.

Following a two-week survey, the group will analyse critical issues and identify options. In early June it will consult shareholders and sharemilkers on its core findings before identifying preferred options.

Any changes to the co-op’s constitution and council by-laws will be voted on by shareholders at its annual general meeting in November.

The steering group chaired by former public service executive James Buwalda told farmers it’s working towards a final report by the end of August, but is wary of Covid-19.

“This is slightly later than originally envisaged by the terms of reference, but still in good time for

any recommendations requiring shareholder approval to be voted on at this year’s annual meeting,” the steering group says.

“There is some risk the timeline might be affected further by the Covid-19 environment.”

It says the review process aims to encourage and support farmer participation and feedback.

“It is also committed to transparency, including by publishing feedback obtained through consultations.

“Farmer feedback will be sought at two stages and we encourage you to have your say.”

The future of the council featured at last year’s annual meeting: two motions filed by disgruntled shareholders seeking independent review of the council failed to reach the 50.1% threshold.

Southland farmer Tony Paterson, whose motion received 44% support, is keeping a close eye on the review process.

Paterson told Dairy News that he didn’t apply to serve on the steering committee.

“I didn’t apply for a position as we didn’t think the process outlined by council would deliver anywhere near the independent thinking and rational decisions that we where after,” he says.

“We are very interested to see how their process

VOTE YES DAIRYNZ CHIEF executive Tim Mackle says it’s more important in a time of crisis to have a strong industry good organisation.

DairyNZ is in the process of holding a vote to see whether farmers, sharemilkers or leaseholders who produce milk solids are prepared to continue to fund the industry good organisation.

At present, 3.6 cents per kg/MS is levied to fund the organisation and that will continue into next season as well. The vote is held every six years.

Mackle says the vote takes two forms. Each individual has a vote and then there is a vote based on the amount of milk solids produced. He says to get a ‘yes’ vote, both have to be over 50% of the total in each category.

He says getting people to vote in any election is not easy, but his organisation is doing its best through advertising and other communications to encourage farmers to vote – and hopefully vote yes.

A ‘no’ vote would mean the end of DairyNZ.

unfolds and whether they can deliver on their transparent process.”

A group of Waikato farmers, whose motion garnered only 22% support at last year’s annual

meeting, want the council scrapped.

They are urging shareholders to make their views known to the steering group.

Fonterra Shareholders

Council chairman James Barron says it’s important for all shareholders to participate in the review process. @dairy_news facebook.com/dairynews

James Buwalda

THE TOTAL REPLACEMENT THERAPY TEAM IS ON A MISSION A mission to regenerate New Zealand’s soils costefficiently and quickly, to introduce biology and enhance their activity, and to reduce farmers’ reliance on synthetic nitrogen.

Using the Albrecht/Kinsey Soils Program, and aided

by Perry Labs, the Total Replacement Therapy team balances soil chemistry to build a healthy home for new biology.

Biological additive Terragen Great Land is fed by liquid biological feeders, hydrolised fish and kelp.

And it’s working. Six months after implementing the Total Replacement Therapy programme on his Whakatane dairy farm, Alan Law has achieved increased pasture cover and milk production while reducing his synthetic nitrogen use by 55% - in a drought.

And that’s just the beginning.

The Total Replacement Therapy team is proving farmers can grow more grass with less synthetic nitrogen, reduce methane and leaching, while increasing soil water holding capacity.

Follow Total Replacement Therapy on Facebook or visit the website for more information and details on the upcoming virtual field day at the Whakatane demonstration farm.

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DAIRY NEWS MAY 12, 2020

8 // NEWS

Tough year looming, better times coming DAVID ANDERSON

KIWI DAIRY farmers are

being told to expect a significantly lower farmgate milk price in the coming season, as the global

milk market absorbs the impact of Covid-19.

However, there’s an expectation that any recovery could be only a year away as commentators believe nothing structural has changed in

the global dairy market, meaning it can bounce back relatively quickly.

Rabobank dairy analyst Michael Harvey told Dairy News that farmers need to brace themselves for a volatile 12-months ahead,

saying “things are going to get worse before they get better.”

Harvey says the impact of Covid-19 on global dairy prices has been magnified by the seasonal peak coming on from the

Northern Hemisphere, leading to demand destruction.

“The build-up in inventories in North America and Europe and a surge in exports from that part of the world will

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put downward pressure on prices.”

Harvey says this is going to have a knock-on effect on farmgate prices in NZ – and elsewhere in the world – for the year from June 2020 till May 2021.

This has led Rabobank to forecast a farmgate milk price of $5.60/ kgMS for the 2020/21 season. Accordingly, the bank is expecting New Zealand dairy companies to announce conservative opening forecasts for the coming season.

“Fundamentally, global dairy prices are going to be weaker. The question is how low will it go before it gets better?”

Harvey says the early signals of lower farmgate prices for the coming season give farmers time to prepare and to plan cautiously.

Farming budgets will be crucial over the season ahead, he says, and farmers will need strong financial discipline to be in a stable position coming out of this cycle.

Harvey says one silver lining is the low NZ dollar, which will help cushion any fall in milk prices.

“Compared with the dairy downturn at the

time of the GFC, the NZ dollar is 15 cents lower, which means a farmgate price with $5 in front of it rather than below $5.”

According to Harvey, even before Covid-19 there were signs of global dairy supply picking up.

“US milk production was up 2.2% in March alone.”

He told Dairy News that this modest supply growth, in conjunction with the economic shock of Covid-19, will mean lower farmgate prices.

Harvey added there are already signs of Northern Hemisphere farmgate prices falling. This financial pressure will lead to cows being culled and an eventual drop in global milk supply.

Meanwhile, Harvey says the impact of Covid19 has also influenced consumer sales of dairy produce around the world.

“There was a shortterm lift in retail sales (supermarkets) – especially at the start of lockdown as people stocked up,” he says. “However, we are now seeing retail trading conditions return to normal as supermarket chains report consumers going back typical shopping.”

INACCURATE SCIENCE RABOBANK DAIRY analyst Michael Harvey concedes that forecasting milk prices is a tough gig in normal times, but even more difficult when a shock like Covid-19 appears.

“Given the rapidly changing environment due to Covid, forecasting prices is incredibly difficult this far out. There are a number of upside and downside risks that could impact global dairy markets over the course of our forecast timeframe” Meanwhile, Harvey also points out that the return of China will be crucial to any recovery in dairy prices.

“Dairy will not come out of this cycle unscathed and one of the significant factors over the coming 12 months will be the level of Chinese activity.”

He says a slow recovery appears to be happening in China, as its economy moves to a post Covid footing.

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DAIRY NEWS MAY 12, 2020

10 // NEWS

Farmers backing broadband upgrade PETER BURKE peterb@ruralnews.co.nz

FARMERS ARE calling for an improvement of the rural broadband network.

Rural Women New Zealand (RWNZ) says improving connectivity is vital to successful business, health and safety, education and social connection in rural communities.

National President, Fiona Gower, says RWNZ would like to see the Wireless Internet Service Providers (WISP’s) included in the Government’s new rural broadband funding.

“We would also like to see a commitment to improving cellphone cov-

Fiona Gower

erage in rural New Zealand because with only 50 per cent coverage across New Zealand, it is the rural communities missing out. Covid19 has highlighted the issue of digital inequity with incredibly slow rural internet speeds and landlines overloading,” she says.

Gower says children now being schooled at home are often strug-

gling to get to their online classes.

“Across the board, selfisolation and restrictions on bubbles mean that it is vital that communities have the tools to connect, at the very least, to maintain mental wellness,” says Ms Gower.

Federated Farmers vice president Andrew Hoggard says surveys conducted by his organisation show there are some large

parts of the rural countryside which still have slow, or no, access to the internet.

“The vast majority of New Zealanders living in towns and cities have absolutely no idea how bad internet access still is in some parts of the country,” he says.

Hoggard says Feds surveys show internet speeds for rural users are still likely to make it difficult for them to complete tasks like internet banking, making orders online and using recruitment websites, not to mention the kids being able to do online schooling.

“If government are looking for a shovel-ready project, this would be a good one. The shovels are already in the ground.”

Future is zooming away WITH FACE-TO-FACE discus-

sion groups gone for the moment due to Covid-19, DairyNZ has been quick to embrace the virtual world and tailor webinars and other online tools to assist farmers during the crisis.

DairyNZ chief executive Tim Mackle says about half their normal discussion groups are now on-line Zoom discussions. But he says not all farmers want this and some have said they would prefer to wait until face-to-face discussion groups are possible in the future.

He says before DairyNZ runs a discussion session on-line, they consult the local farmers to see if they want to operate in that way.

But he says there are some interesting trends with those on-line group discussions that are taking place.

“One interesting thing, and it’s only anecdotal, is that there has been change in the type of people that turn up on-line: some people and groups that tune in are different to the ones that come to the face-to-face meetings.

“There seems to be a slight lift in the number of owner operators and decisions makers who are participating, which is interesting.

“Whether it’s because they want to know what’s going on or whether it’s because of the shorter format we don’t know, but it’s something that we will tease out,” he says.

On-line webinars in the evening is something that is appealing to some farming couples. While some want to switch off all things farming, others want to switch on and connect with experts offering new

information.

“To a great degree a lot of this depends on the topic,” says Mackle.

“We had a ‘smart wintering’ webinar recently and it attracted 350 people online. We also believe there could have been more than one person watching and in some cases it may have been the whole farm team, so that was quite a success.

“In my view, targeted topics with a quality guest speaker is the way of the future. It appears that many people favour a ‘crunchy hour’ in the evening and so we plan to be flexible and deliver whatever our people want and in a format that suits them,” he says.

Mackle says the aim is to get as many people engaged in discussion sessions of one sort or another.

DAIRY PRICES ‘HANGING IN FOR NOW’ DAVID ANDERSON

RABOBANK SAYS NZ dairy prices are

“hanging in there” following last week’s Global Dairy trade auction.

This saw the overall price index fall by only 0.8% compared with the auction held a fortnight earlier. Total volumes sold were 20% lower, associated to seasonal declines and within market expectations.

The NZ dairy sector’s all-important whole milk powder price (WMP) increased by 0.1% to US$2,745/MT compared with the previous GDT. The WMP price was much stronger than the 4% fall indicated by the futures market.

However, prices for butter and AMF took a hit – down 5.8% and 2.4%, respectively.

US-based RaboResearch dairy analyst Tom Bailey says volumes in the last week’s GDT were largely unchanged for both WMP and SMP. However, there was an increase in butter and AMF volumes, 42% and 3.5% respectively – which explains their price falls.

Bailey adds that North Asian (primarily Chinese) demand was back, with total

product volumes down by 45% compared to the previous GDT. He says increased buying from Southeast Asian and Middle Eastern countries buoyed last week’s auction, with purchased quantities up 46% and 37% respectively, against the prior auction.

However, Bailey has sounded a note of caution about the premiums Oceania product is currently maintaining over the international market.

“Oceania’s premiums are somewhat alarming,” he says. “Last week’s prices settled at an average premium of 36% compared to international markets. “Specifically, Oceania butter, SMP, WMP, and Cheddar prices are at 56%, 27%, 13%, and 46% respectively, above the combined average EU and US prices.”

Bailey says these premiums are well above their 2019 comparisons of -3%, 12%, -5%, and 7% respectively. However, it is not unusual for Oceania product to earn price premiums compared to global competitors.

Bailey says there is also a seasonal component and historically Oceania premiums show a tendency to peak February through April, as the region’s milk volumes slow and its products become scarcer.

Mac Calvert dies FORMER DAIRY industry leader Mac Calvert died recently.

Described by some as a “mover and shaker of his time”, Calvert rose to the position of chief executive officer of New Zealand Dairy Group (NZDG) – one of the largest dairy cooperatives in the country before it merged with Kiwi Cooperative to form Fonterra.

Controversy marked his departure from NZDG when he was sacked in 1992 amid a Serious Fraud Office investigation into alleged backhanders in the tendering procedures at the company.

At the time, he told Rural News he had been made a “scapegoat” and wanted

his name cleared. He said a “coup” had been staged against him while he was overseas.

No charges were laid against Calvert, who was a member of the Business Roundtable and a critic of producer boards, such as the single-desk Dairy Board that controlled the dairy industry up until the formation of Fonterra.

Calvert subsequently held roles as consultant, chairman and advisor for various organisations, according to a bio about him on the website of the Springboard Community Works, where he was still a trustee at the time of his death.

DAIRY NEWS MAY 12, 2020

12 // OPINION RUMINATING

EDITORIAL

Frighteningly different priorities

MILKING IT...

False claim?

ANOTHER DAIRY company, with partial Chinese ownership, is under fire for claiming the Government’s wage subsidy during Covid-19.

Mataura is backed by Chinese state-owned enterprise China Animal Husbandry Group, New Zealand company Bodco and local and farmer shareholders.

Mataura has also ruffled Fonterra’s feathers: it claimed $616,000 for 88 employees choosing not to process Fonterra milk.

The reason; it claims Fonterra has lower safety controls. The co-op isn’t impressed.

Drop in the bucket?

Transtasman milk delivery

Spraying powder in fields

NOT EVERYONE is impressed with the $500,000 fund announced by the Government last week.

The fund will provide advisory services to “help farmers and growers prepare their businesses to recover from drought”.

Opposition agriculture spokesman Todd Muller describes it as “merely a drop in the bucket”.

He wants the Government to help contribute to farmers’ rising feed costs or general business costs.

“Most farmers already know what is needed to help their business recover and it is insulting for the Government to tell them they simply need to seek more advice to get through the drought.”

OUR COUSINS across the ditch could soon run out of fresh milk.

Australian Agriculture Minister David Littleproud says in the past year, 500 dairy farmers have left the industry amid pressure from drought and market conditions.

He warns there won’t be enough dairy farmers in the country to continue to supply fresh milk for Australians right around the country.

With Scott Morrison and Jacinda Ardern talking about a trans-tasman bubble, could our dairy farmers soon be sending fresh milk across the ditch?

FARMERS IN eight EU countries sprayed milk powder in fields to protest against the European Commission’s “misguided” way of mitigating the milk crisis.

Instead of coordinated production cuts at EU level to rebalance oversupply in the market and mitigate coronavirus-related market volatility, the EC is offering private storage subsidies to producers to alleviate price pressures on producers who could then save quantities of milk powder, butter and cheese.

This has angered farmers in Belgium, Germany, France, Italy, Denmark, Lithuania, Luxembourg and the Netherlands.

Most farmers used machinery to spray the milk powder onto fields.

Not everyone approves of the action. The European Dairying Association says spraying milk on fields and hence wasting milk is more than a waste of hard work and precious resources, it is an irresponsible way to catch attention.

IN THE cities people are clambering over each other to get the first Big Mac or piece of deep fried chicken, not to mention a ‘real’ coffee.

So fanatical were some individuals for a fast-food fix that they were stupid enough to risk undoing the good work of the rest of the country by not sticking to the rules of physical distancing.

Having said that, a few idiot politicians and community leaders have yielded to temptation and broken lockdown rules, setting a poor example.

Their actions are insulting to the rural community – farmer, growers, people who work in meat processing plants, packhouses and other facilities to provide food for these unthinking individuals. And don’t let’s forget all the other essential workers that are the unsung heroes of this crisis.

While some city folk are obsessed with feeding their faces, back on the farm, farmers, their staff and a host of other workers have been focused on feeding the cows and other animals that are suffering as a result of the widespread drought.

For these people Covid-19 is almost a distraction. Yes, they are fastidiously complying with health and safety rules which add extra time to their day but their focus is on sourcing feed, drying off cows, trying to get culls to the works and wondering what the farm gate milk price might be next year. They are also concerned about labour with world travel stopped at the moment: will they get the staff from overseas who play such an important role on their farms? And, of course, will the bank be kind?

Rural folk – and I don’t just mean farmers – have the added hassle of dealing with poor, sometimes non-existent broadband as they try to obtain goods online, bank online and home-school their children online. City folk use high speed broadband for ordering coffee and pizza.

Unbeknown to most kiwis, how farmers and growers manage their way out of the drought will have a profound impact on NZ’s economic recovery.

It is encouraging to see the Government putting additional funds this way, but the real dollars need to go the way of broadband.

This lack of quality connectivity is one of the greatest inhibitors to this recovery and our future. - Peter Burke

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DAIRY NEWS MAY 12, 2020

OPINION // 13

The power of community ferent mandate and focus, but both are driven only the best interests of the farmers they work for – now and into the future.

Right now, we have an opportunity to choose the strength of community through the DairyNZ milksolids levy vote.

DairyNZ typifies that col-

JAMES BARRON

HE WAKA eke noa – we’re all in this together.

It’s a phrase that seems to be coming up a lot lately, and it reminds me how powerful community can be.

For wider New Zealand, the challenges brought about by Covid19 have been significant.

But they have also presented some unexpected opportunities – to rediscover community spirit, spend quality time with our families, and do what’s best for the greater good.

It’s been humbling to see how the vast majority of kiwis have accepted the guidelines, inconvenienced themselves, and in many cases suffered significant stress and disadvantages so that the common good can be put first. The ultimate outcome is too far down the track to predict at this stage, but it’s fair to assume that the collective effort so far has left us in a much better position than an ‘everyone for themselves’ alternative.

For us farmers, there were plenty of challenges well before Covid19 arrived. Some of these, like the recent crippling drought and devastating floods, are as beyond our control as the pandemic, but with others we have options.

More than ever for me in these testing times, belonging to the Fonterra Cooperative is one of them.

We’re all starting to focus on what the milk price may be as we prepare budgets for next season, and while at this early stage it’s too early to tell, we can be certain that Fonterra will be working hard to maximise the price for its suppliers, using a robust and transparent calculation. It feels good to know that all kiwi dairy farmers benefit from this, since Fonterra’s milk price guides the benchmark price for all New Zealand processors.

Beyond the milk price, a co-op with the scale and diversity of Fonterra is well placed to weather economic uncertainties and an ever-chang-

lective approach - by combining our resources with the brainpower of subject matter experts, our businesses receive the tools, research, and science that we all need to be profitable and sustainable into the future. These industry needs won’t disappear, so we as farmers

need to think very carefully about what it would look like for us without DairyNZ guiding this investment. In my view, choosing the efficiencies of a co-ordinated and cooperative approach is the obvious choice. I encourage you get involved in this important indus-

James Barron

ing world. With a wide mix of products and markets made possible by a large number of suppliers pooling their smarts and hard work, production can be adjusted to respond to market conditions and demand. In the recent months of trade uncertainty, this has held us in good stead to keep operating – our tanker drivers keep collecting the milk, jobs are protected so it can be processed and product dispatched, and it’s being delivered and sold to consumers that want and need it, in New Zealand and around the world.

Beyond the recent challenges brought about by Covid-19, Fonterra often leverages its resources and reach to help its farmers and their communities through challenging times. There have been emergency responses in the face of Edgecumbe and Southland floods, Kaikoura earthquakes and Northland droughts. In the past, support loans have been offered. Now, we have a simple Fixed Milk Price tool to help manage the uncertainty of milk price volatility. Underpinning every business decision is our purpose which includes ‘tātou tātou’ all of us together - and a mandate to ‘create goodness for generations’. In addition, farmers benefit from a dedicated Shareholders’ Council, made up of fellow farmers, whose role it is to represent their interests directly to the board – something you wouldn’t get in a typical corporate structure.

That spirit of collective effort that has built our New Zealand dairy industry is alive and well today, with industry bodies like DairyNZ and Federated Farmers working on our behalf. Each one has a dif-

CLEAN UP THIS SEASON. More than ever, New Zealand needs its dairy farmers to keep great quality milk flowing.

When you win, we all win.

To get you ready for success this season, we’re here to help get your shed hygiene basics sorted.

Reduce the chance of elevated SCC levels and improve hygiene performance with the best advice on rubberware, teat sprays, and more.

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try decision by informing yourself about the work that DairyNZ is doing to protect your business, now and into the future.

Voting is open now and closes on May 30.

When we all work together, we can achieve great things. We already have. If we get it right,

then the next generation can continue to do what we do best, producing world-class New Zealand milk, knowing that our industry has our back. He waka eke noa – we’re all in this together.

• James Barron is chairman of Fonterra Shareholders Council

DAIRY NEWS MAY 12, 2020

14 // AGRIBUSINESS

NZ butter booming in the US PETER BURKE peterb@ruralnews.co.nz

BOUTIQUE DAIRY,

Lewis Road Creamery, says sales of its premium butter in the US have skyrocketed during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Lewis Road Creamery founder Peter Cullinane

says with most Americans in some form of lockdown there has been an explosion in home cooking and butter sales have benefitted.

The company got its butter stock into the US market before the lockdown took effect there.

“At this stage the distribution in the US is still

working and while there have been some disrup-

GMO-FREE THE WAY TO GO PETER CULLINANE says NZ products are brilliantly positioned to gain huge traction in the US. He says he never realised how important it was that NZ animals that produce dairy products and meat are ‘grass fed’.

“The other thing that I have a hobby horse about is something that is reflected in some of the research done in the US. There, GMO free products are now rated as more significant than organic.

“There is move by some parties in NZ to remove our GMO-free stance, but I think it would be one of the greatest mistakes that we as a country could make,” he says.

Cullinane says the packaging on all their butter going to the US has on it the logo of the American GMO free organisation and says they make a real thing of this.

“Being GMO free is really important,” he says.

Cullinane praised the NZ Govern-

Peter Cullinane

ment’s handling of the Covid-19 crisis.

He says Jacinda Ardern comes across as a highly credible world leader who has handled the crisis well.

“I think the way NZ has been seen to handle Covid-19 will have long term benefits for the way NZ products are seen in the US,” he says.

tions, the food distribution system hasn’t fallen apart,” Cullinane told Dairy News.

“I don’t believe that we will have trouble getting more butter up to the US and our prediction is that demand for our product will continue to increase significantly,” he says.

Lewis Road Creamery has products in 700 stores across the US, forging a special relationship with supermarket chain WholeFoods, which specialises in selling organic and ‘natural’ products. WholeFoods is owned by Amazon and Cullinane says they are a perfect match for the products produced by his company.

“We are approved to sell in all WholeFoods stores, although at this stage we are not in all of them. We initially started off selling in California

and Texas, but now we have coverage right across the US and with WholeFoods we have coverage right up in the north east of the US,” he says.

Back in NZ, Cullinane says their sales have not decreased as a result of Covid-19.

Its Jersey Milk remains one of the standout products. He says when it was announced that NZ was going into lockdown, his board has a special meeting to see how they might deal with the situation.

“When the lockdown was announced we took advantage of the Government’s wage subsidy because we thought sales were going to be 30% below normal. But this was not the case and we had great pleasure in returning that subsidy in full,” he says. @dairy_news facebook.com/dairynews

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ROUGH ROAD AHEAD, WARNS OCD OCD – the country’s second largest milk proces-

sor – is warning its suppliers to expect lower milk prices in the months ahead as milk supply around the world increases.

In the May issue of its TalkMilk supplier newsletter, OCD chief executive Steve Koekemoer warns farmers that with the increased global supply of milk, “...we could be entering a rough few months if overall demand does not recover fast.”

Koekemoer says milk volumes continue to increase in the US, EU and even Australia, although from a lower base.

“NZ supply towards the end of the season is also trending higher than anticipated – indicating no real global slowdown,” he adds.

“Ireland is processing almost at full capacity with apparently only around 2% of processing capacity available across the country – but is managing to get all the milk processed.”

Koekemoer also warns that with NZ having more cows available – due to lower culling from meat work restrictions and feed surplus – will only mean more milk. “Although the WMP pricing outlook seems more positive than other commodities – due to our seasonal supply reduction, the downward pressure on prices is still evident based on market sentiment,” he adds. “The next GDT event will be key to providing us with an indication for the start of the new season.”

Koekemoer says for those suppliers who prefer securing a milk price for a portion of their milk next season, OCD has just released another Fixed Milk Price offer for 2020/21.

“We continue to look for pricing options that remove some future volatility, and our sales team have done a great job securing some more volume with key customers who share this sentiment.”

Koekemoer says milk quality from NZ’s predominantly pasture based system has always been a strong marketing proposition and one that customers understand.

“This is particularly important in a very competitive environment like we currently find ourselves in. We continue to push these benefits to attract market premiums over other sources, although now at a lower base.”

He says the company product mix is also helping ease any impact of falling milk prices.

“OCD has continued to move away from manufacturing standard whole milk powders and changed its powder products basket to include around 75% of powders with either premium functional performance or much tighter microbiological parameters than competitor’s products,” Koekemoer explains.

“This strategy has ensured that we are seen as a premium supplier, which during these tough times attracts demand and puts us in a strong position.”

– David Anderson

DAIRY NEWS MAY 12, 2020

AGRIBUSINESS // 15

Young manager for NZYF farm NEW ZEALAND Young

Farmers (NZYF) has appointed Sam Waugh as the farm manager of its 74ha dairy farm in Auckland.

Waugh, 27, a former NZYF board member, took up the role last month at the Donald Pearson Farm.

The position is sole charge with responsibility for managing the farm, reporting to the board and hosting visitors.

The commercial farm milks 100 jersey and 10 shorthorn cows.

Donald Pearson Farm (DPF) board chair Julie Pirie says it was a long process to find the right candidate for the role.

“The successful applicant needed to be well

organised, a good communicator and enthusiastic because the role of farm manager is effectively our chief executive officer,” she says.

The DPF board was hoping to attract a NZYF member to the role, she adds.

Waugh has served as chairman of the Lincoln Club, Christchurch District, Tasman Region and a previous NZYF board member.

“The late Donald Pearson was hoping that his farm could be managed by a NZYF member looking to learn skills of a dairy farmer and help the next generation. I think he would be proud to see Sam on his farm, fulfilling

that wish,” Pirie says.

Raised on a dairy farm and feed mill in the Manawatu, Waugh holds a Bachelor of Agri-Commerce from Lincoln University.

Excited to start a new challenge with the Donald Pearson Farm, he says it’s a privilege to have been appointed.

“I have a broad range of skills that I bring to farm with knowledge from a wide variety of different farming systems, and I’m keen for a new challenge. I am also very excited to be involved with developing the farm both from a farming perspective, but also in its role of encouraging the younger generation into the agricultural

sector.

“I really believe the Donald Pearson Farm can be a great asset to our industry, so I feel very privileged to have the chance to be involved with that,” he says.

He brings four years’ experience as a Dairy Farm Advisor with Farm Right in Canterbury as well as two years working in different farming systems in the United Kingdom with wife Liana.

“I worked on a 3,500 hectare cropping farm in the UK where the business was also developing a small beef unit.

“They operated a commercial grain store, did straw bale contracting where they bale about 100,000 bales per season

Sam Waugh

and ran a large game bird shoot. During my time in the UK I learnt a lot about farming systems in the northern hemisphere, and gained a much greater appreciation for the way in which we farm in New Zealand,” he says.

Speaking of his involvement with Young Farmers, Sam Waugh says he first became a member when he moved from the Manawatu to Lincoln University on the day of the February Earthquake.

“All of the roles I have had within Young Farmers has provided a huge learning for me, and has helped me make great friendships across the country,” he says. @dairy_news facebook.com/dairynews

DAIRY CAN HELP ECONOMY REBOUND FARMER and founder of HerdHomes animal shelter Tom Pow says the dairy industry must lift its game if it wants to play a role in revitalising New Zealand’s bruised economy.

Pow says farms must produce more milk from less imported fertiliser, increase on-farm profits and continue to work on animal welfare and the environment.

He says following the Covid-19 disruption, the economy needs a restart and the country will be looking to regional New Zealand.

Pow says local businesses like his offer farmers the opportunity to lift production per hectare and farm with

NORTHLAND

less environmental risk.

“Herdhomes shelters are designed for grazing cows and farms; not housing cows,” he says.

“There is a great amount of underperformance of NZ dairy cows and good land across all regions.”

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The life expectancy of a Herdhomes shelter, being a mainly concrete construction, is over 40 years.

Pow says his business has had a positive impact on NZ dairy farming for the past 20 years and is ready to help farmers boost efficiency.

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DAIRY NEWS MAY 12, 2020

16 // MANAGEMENT

Owl Farm flying high despite IT’S BEEN a tough summer for most dairy farms including Owl Farm, the St Peter’s School demonstration farm near Cambridge.

Like most drought-ravaged farms in Waikato, managing significant feed deficits has proved challenging for Owl Farm.

Farm manager Tom Buckley recalls that the warning lights started to flash towards the end of 2019.

Conditions were already dry after a winter with low rainfall and the last rainfall of note (23mm) occurred towards the tail-end of December.

Owl Farm had summer turnip and kale crops in the ground.

“In January we weighed the crops and they had gone backwards,” says Buckley.

“Each day when I went

supply.

They also purchased 40tDM standing silage: filling the shortfall when they were unable to meet their season’s silage target (220tDM) from their own surplus.

Then they looked at their stock management.

They lined up their pregnancy diagnosis date and organised for any

out there I could see they were shrivelling up.”

The team swung into action – rigorous monitoring, modelling scenarios using Farmax, and a proactive approach are key to their farm management.

They had paddocks shut up for hay, but were unable to feed that out as it was too mature, so they started to feed out PKE to preserve their pasture

empties to leave straight afterwards.

Flexible milking intervals are also a powerful tool in their kit for Owl Farm. They identified a group of young cows in the herd which required special management.

These were put onto OAD milking.

They also kept a close eye on their young stock, which were off farm grazing, to check that they were hitting their weight targets.

Moving into 2020, conditions continued to worsen. Their summer crops, strategic use of supplements, and drying cows off became critical to preserving pasture and hitting cow condition targets.

They continued to Owl Farm demonstration manager Jo Sheridan.

VOTE FOR YOUR FUTURE All dairy farmers, including sharemilkers and dairy farm leaseholders, are urged to have their say in the milksolids levy vote now underway.

DAIRYNZ: DELIVERING A BETTER FUTURE 1. DEVELOPING BETTER SOLUTIONS THROUGH SCIENCE 2. SHAPING A BETTER FUTURE FOR THE SECTOR 3. SUPPORTING BETTER FARMING LOCALLY

VOTE ONLINE OR BY POST BY 30 MAY

This is an important vote – and every vote counts VOTING OPEN IS NOW

2020 17 APRIL - 30 MAY

YOUR LEVY, YOUR FUTURE

Keep an eye out for your voting pack in the mail. For more information on where your levy goes, visit dairynz.co.nz/vote

YOUR LEVY, YOUR FUTURE

DAIRY NEWS MAY 12, 2020

MANAGEMENT // 17

big dry use flexible milking intervals too. In early January they shifted to 3-in-2 milking, and then on February 10 the whole herd was shifted to OAD. “Pasture and crop data let us know how much we had,” says Buckley.

“So looking at our pantry week-on-week, seeing how much we had to feed and how much we were growing, we could see we were well short on crop yield.

“That left a big hole, we couldn’t feed more PKE, because of FEI, so that meant we had to reduce our demand, or try and fill that hole. We did a bit of both, dried off a small mob first and bought in some silage.”

Owl Farm demonstration manager, Jo Sheridan, says they used the DairyNZ BCS Dry-Off calculator to work out which

cows needed to dry off to hit BCS targets.

“That showed us that we needed to dry off 58 cows at the end of February,” she says.

March came and went without much rain. There was also a struggle to get cull cows off the farm.

Buckley says they decided to dry off a further 110 cows.

“This left us with a core mob of cows that only needed maintenance feeding; they already had good condition, or they were late calvers.

“The plan was to feed 5kgDM/cow/day of kale from early March, We ended up feeding 3.5-4 kgDM/cow/day in February into early March instead.”

They also bought in an extra 35t baleage and PKE to add to their feed supply.

Owl Farm, Cambridge.

PASTURE RENEWAL PLAN AFTER A small amount of rainfall, March was also when they started putting their pasture renewal program into action.

By mid-March they had planted 47ha new pasture, and they were working on rebuilding existing pastures.

Nitrogen applications began (they have a target of remaining below 150kgN/ha/year), and in April they applied ProGibb to selected pastures which were for feeding to the remaining milking herd.

“Staying flexible and responsive is key for us”, says Jo Sheridan.

“Identifying at risk cows and managing them appropriately, using flexible milking intervals, and getting culls off as early as possible are all important.

“But also having the flexibility to respond to changing conditions. Because we have a lower stocking rate we need to build in some flexibility for a good autumn.

“The risk for us is if we

went for it until the end of March, then dried everything off, and then we had a massive recovery, we would have no flexibility to increase intake and we would have had no option but to make silage.

“Being lower stocked, the only lever we have to pull in a good autumn is our pasture intake. Whereas a higher stocked farm that relies on more supplement in the autumn has more room to play with.”

Come the end of April, the

farm is heading into winter on a positive trajectory, the pastures are recovering, and the herd is on the way to successfully achieving its BCS targets.

Sheridan is quick to point out that their approach is just one of many that have resulted in an acceptable end to the season - as the diagram of a comparison of Owl Farm to a farm with a different system in the Waikato shows.

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DAIRY NEWS MAY 12, 2020

18 // MANAGEMENT

Farm therapy lifts pasture cover SIX MONTHS after implement-

ing a groundbreaking new farming system, Alan Law’s Whakatane dairy farm is an oasis of green among drought-stricken neighbouring farms.

The Bay of Plenty farm has comfortable pasture cover, good milk production and an abundance of clover when most farmers are drying off.

The Law family, who currently milk 850 cows on a 260ha milking platform, historically farmed conventionally using 150-180kg synthetic nitrogen annually.

However, over the past few years Alan, wife Wendy and sharemilking sons Brandon and Cameron have started making changes that will allow them to farm more sustainably.

They implemented the total replacement therapy programme in October 2019, with phase one targeting an improvement of soil health to establish a strong clover presence. Clover fixes nitrogen naturally so synthetic nitrogen can be reduced dramatically without sacrificing pasture pro-

duction.

Wyndlea, the 89ha home farm, was given its first whole-farm round of total replacement therapy on October last year, with second and third treatments applied in December 2019 and March 2020. Ten hectares of the 120ha Oriini Farm was also added to the trial area.

Positive results snowballed with each application, particularly when summer drought took hold.

“The home farm has hung on far better than it has in previous drought years; our pasture cover is comfortable, and we haven’t needed to feed any additional PKE,” Alan says.

Milk production reflects the substantial feed available: in early summer 2019 the farm was producing 100kgMS/day more than last season, and in April 2020 the herd was still producing 1.5kgMS/ cow/day.

The amount of clover observed in the paddock has also increased exponentially, to around 70%, and the family has been able to reduce their synthetic nitrogen use from

180units/N to 80 units/N in the transition year.

They also felt confident enough to add another 50ha to the treatment area at the Oriini Farm.

With phase one complete the team will now steer the farm toward phase two, which will consider the concept of having the pasture rotation extended to around 50 days.

To prepare for this, they have over-sowed 5kg/ha of a three-clover mix and chicory into the soil to increase diversity in all paddocks, rather than planting individual specialty paddocks.

“We have never seen the farm look like this,” Alan says. “Our farm consultant said our farm has the most cover of all her clients.

“I think a huge potential exists with this exciting programme; the future has new potential for all of us.”

The total replacement therapy team intends to hold a virtual field day at the Law farm to showcase the results of the programme.

More clover means less N use on the Law farm in Whakatane.

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DAIRY NEWS MAY 12, 2020

ANIMAL HEALTH // 19

High-tech collars help get more cows in-calf IDENTIFYING COWS

on heat used to be a time-consuming task on Owen and Cathy Copinga’s Southland dairy farm.

The couple milk 650 Holstein Friesian cows at Isla Bank, near Winton, supplying Fonterra yearround, with 200 cows calving in the autumn and the remaining 450 calving in the spring.

Split-calving means mating occurs twice a year for a total of 20 weeks.

Applying and monitoring heat detection aids, such as tail paint or scratch-off patches, was a costly and daily job.

“We used Estrotech breeding indicators. You apply them to a cow’s backbone and they’d change colour if they were rubbed,” said Owen.

“It was another job that someone had to do.”

“Sometimes the indicator would only be partly rubbed, making it hard to tell visually if a cow was on heat. Consequently, she would be inseminated when she may already be in-calf,” he said.

Improving the accuracy of heat detection was one of the drivers behind the herd being fitted with Allflex smart collars last August.

The collars monitor a cow’s rumination and

Owen Copinga checks data from the smart collars.

Herd fitted with Allflex collars in August last year.

ANIMAL HEALTH ALERTS THE COPINGAS have a big focus on animal health and nutrition.

“We only had one cow go down with milk fever last spring,” says Owen Copinga.

“The collars helped us identify cows pushing themselves to the limit which needed a preventative bag of calcium borogluconate or dextrose.

That would trigger an immediate response and the cow’s rumination would be back to normal within 12 hours.

“We would not have picked up those problems that early without the help of the collars. They made a huge difference,” said Owen.

The Allflex system can even alert farmers if cows are active outside of their usual times, such as breaking out on a crop at night.

Owen and Cathy employ four full-time staff on their 480ha farm.

They receive technical and training support from the specialist Allflex IT team based in the South Island.

Their milking herd is increasing to 700 cows in the 2020-2021 season, meaning a further 50 collars will need to be fitted.

activity, alerting farmers when the animal is sick or on heat. Those alerts can be accessed on a smartphone app, or a desktop computer.

“We’ve saved a lot of time and money no longer having to buy and apply

heat detection aids,” he said.

“The collars have also enabled us to manage our non-cycling cows better.”

The Allflex programme automatically adds cows which have not cycled 35 days after calving to an

anoestrous group.

“Last spring was probably the first time we were able to proactively manage non-cycling cows because we had real-time, accurate information,” he said.

The collars ensure

cows having silent heats, which are usually undetectable to humans, are picked up.

“I do our artificial insemination. For a number of cows, there are no visual signs whatsoever that they’re cycling,” he said.

“But when I put my hand inside the cow, I can feel that she’s ready to be mated.”

It enabled Rivendell Holsteins to go bull-free for the first time and do 100% artificial insemination.

“The staff certainly do not miss having bulls around,” laughed Owen.

The monitoring system, which included collars for 650 cows, four antennas to relay data and computer software, cost the Copinga’s $140,000. It was a oneoff fee.

The cost of setting up the system varies between farms, depending on their size and contour. The collars have a life expectancy of seven years.

They were fitted and installed during the wet-

test winter and spring Owen and Cathy have experienced for 20 years.

Despite the rain and poor growing conditions, the farm managed to lower its empty rate (the number of cows not in-calf) by approximately 5%. The final figure was 13%.

The programme also provides data to help improve sexed semen conception rates.

“We use a lot of sexed semen, but it’s vitally important that you get the timing of the insemination correct,” he said.

“The system automatically colour-codes heats, so a farmer can easily tell how long it’s been since a cow’s had a standing heat.”

The Allflex technology is compatible with the Copinga’s automated Jantec drafting software.

Information from the collars is downloaded as cows walk past antennas on the way to the milking shed.

As the cows exit the 50-bale rotary, any with heat or health alerts are

automatically drafted.

The Copinga’s herd produced 410,000kgMS in 2018-19. It averages 650kgMS/cow/year.

“The modern high-producing Holstein Friesian is always living on the edge during the spring,” said Owen.

“That was another reason for us getting the collars. We wanted some extra technology that could help us identify cows who were struggling shortly after calving, but who were undetectable to us.”

Protocols have been put in place for staff to check cows drafted for a health alert.

“We had a freshlycalved heifer in the spring that triggered a health alert. We checked her milk and there were no visible signs of mastitis,” he said.

“However, when we examined the milk more closely, you could see she was developing mastitis.

It enables us to treat the infection earlier.” @dairy_news facebook.com/dairynews

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DAIRY NEWS MAY 12, 2020

ANIMAL HEALTH // 21

Ready for winter mating WITH WINTER around

the corner, LIC says farm staff are busy tending to bulls to ensure they capture the vital semen needed for New Zealand’s dairy herd.

Through artificial insemination, over 500 bulls have the role of getting millions of dairy cows pregnant each year, by producing five million straws of semen, thus helping maintain our milk supply.

The importance of dairy has arguably never been greater with the Ministry for Primary Industries expecting dairy exports to rise 6.3% to $19.2 billion for the year to June 2020. Domestically, Kiwis consume 400 million litres of milk each year.

Enabling this supply

are bulls farmed by LIC at two farms in Newstead, near Hamilton, and one at Awahuri in the Manawatu.

In total over 1,000 bulls are overseen by LIC farm manager Phil McKinnon who leads a team of 21 across all of LIC’s farming operations.

The tending to the animals to ensure continued semen supply and animal welfare means the daily feeding of bulls, some of which weigh in excess of a tonne (1,000kg) with supplement fed during the recent drought.

The team is undertaking regular ‘collections’ of bull semen for winter-supply for farmers doing artificial inseminations in June and July, and for export ahead of the more busy spring mating season from

$1m boost for genetics A NEW $1 million project will develop a new information system to help shape the genetics powering New Zealand’s dairy sector.

The project, backed by funding from the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI), will be used to record and collate data on a range of important traits of dairy cows.

Each year physical and behavioural traits of 50,000 dairy cows are assessed by breed societies to help evaluate the performance of New Zealand’s top breeding bulls.

“The data collected is hugely important. It enables the sector to fast-track genetic gains for traits important to farmers using artificial insemination,” says Brian Wickham, New Zealand Animal Evaluation Limited (NZAEL) manager.

The current system used by breed societies to collate the information is more than 20 years old and no longer fit for purpose.

“It’s a threat to the dairy sector’s competitive advantage. The system has major limitations and is inadequate to deal with the rise in the use of genomic technologies,” says Cherilyn Watson, Holstein Friesian New Zealand general manager.

“The data collected by breed societies on behalf of their members and genetics companies is accessible to all dairy farmers. It’s a vital industry-good service which is independent and impartial.”

The new database is being jointly developed

by New Zealand independent, not-for-profit dairy cattle breed societies, which include Holstein Friesian New Zealand and Jersey NZ. It aims to enable the whole dairy industry to have more options when selecting genetics for physical traits of cattle, like height and teat length.

MPI, through its Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures (SFF Futures) fund, is contributing $792,000 towards the 10-month project.

“Genetic improvement is good for the environment, animal welfare, and for the profitability of New Zealand’s dairy sector,” says Steve Penno, MPI’s director of investment programmes.

September to December.

McKinnon says his farm team’s biggest challenge in recent weeks has been training the new bull calves that arrived onfarm earlier this year.

“These calves are deemed the newest genetics and therefore likely to be among the best available in the indus-

try. They’re referred to as sire proving scheme (SPS) calves because the worth of their genetics is yet to be ‘proven’ to the industry.”

McKinnon says the first focus for the newest intake of SPS bull calves, numbering about 220, is orientating them with their new surroundings

and their roles.

With collections from these young bulls scheduled to begin in June the clock is ticking, says McKinnon.

However, his team is on track to ensure semen gets on-farm for cows to get in-calf this year and ensure milk keeps flowing.

Phil McKinnon, LIC

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DAIRY NEWS MAY 12, 2020

22 // DAIRY GOATS

History of dairy goats in NZ MARJORIE ORR

GOATS HAVE been used for milk production for at least 9,000

years, but in New Zealand dairy goats are a relatively recent introduction.

Sometimes milking does were kept on the ships that brought immi-

grants to New Zealand to provide dairy products en route.

Some were farmed for their milk by the early settlers, but the commer-

cial dairy goat industry didn’t begin to develop in earnest until the 1980s.

Since then it has become a small but well-established industry centred in

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the Waikato.

In 2005 there were about 26,000 milking goats in that region, and about 40,000 throughout the whole of New Zealand.

There is a small but steady market for dairy goat milk and dairy products in New Zealand.

Goat milk is popular because it has the reputation of being more readily digested and less likely to cause allergic reactions than cow’s milk, it’s suitable for a range of dairy products and is particularly good for making cheese.

Milk from many of the North Island commercial dairy goat operations is taken to the Dairy Goat Cooperative (DGC) factory in Hamilton where it’s made into milk powder and exported, mainly to China.

All the suppliers’ farm milk goats only and these are mainly Saanen, with some Toggenburgs and some Nubians.

Unfortunately for lifestyle farmers, the costs of maintaining the very high standards of hygiene required for the sale of milk are generally prohibitive. So most of us use our goat milk and milk

products only for our own families.

Most dairy goats in New Zealand (probably about 80%) are Saanen, a breed that originated in Switzerland. They are medium to large, with coat colour white or cream and they have erect ears. The Sable is a coloured variant of the Saanen developed in New Zealand.

The Toggenburg is of medium size, brown in colour varying from light fawn to dark chocolate, with distinct white facial stripes from above the eye to the muzzle and with white along the edges and tips of the ears, on the lower legs and the inside the legs to the trunk and around the tail.

The Nubian is a cross between the African Nubian goats and English goats. It is of medium size and has a distinctive aristocratic Roman nose and long pendulous ears set low on the head, wide and open.

The coat is usually mainly fawn or brown and there can be patches of white, cream, brown and black.

• Dr Marjorie Orr is a lifestyle farmer and retired vet.

This article is reprinted with permission from lifestyleblock.co.nz

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DAIRY GOATS, like meat and fibre goats, and possibly more than other species of livestock, need good feed, particularly if they are pregnant or lactating or both.

Lactating does of the dairy breeds, like lactating dairy cows, tend to be lean, but they shouldn’t be allowed to get too thin. It is rare to see fat dairy goats but dairy goats that are too thin are all too common.

The myth that goats will eat anything is totally wrong. They like a wide variety of plants and are good at eating down young thistles and dock weeds in pasture (and also expensive plants and trees!), but they won’t eat food that isn’t clean and fresh. Dairy goats need good quality pasture and browse and plenty of it all year round.

In winter, goats need supplementary feed particularly if they are producing milk, and this means hay, silage or concentrates.

DAIRY NEWS MAY 12, 2020

DAIRY GOATS // 23

Hoof trimming OVERGROWN HOOVES can cause a

lot of problems including stress on joints and bacterial and fungal infections, says NZ Goat Breeders Association.

“When your goat has sore feet, she/he will not eat properly and can lose vigour,” it says.

It recommends that at six-weekly intervals, use shears and a sharp knife to trim the sidewalls of the claws and sole.

“Put a glove on the hand holding the foot, as protection in case the shears or knife slip.

“Trim after rain or after goat has walked through wet grass, or after scrubbing the hoof with nail brush and warm water; the hoof will be softer to cut.

“You can cut safely until pink starts to shine through the white of the trimmed part; this shows you are getting near the ‘quick’, which will bleed if you cut deeper. This does not show as easily

COLOSTRUM VITAL FOR YOUNG ONES IT IS important that kids receive colostrum at birth. Where possible leave the kid with doe for 8- 12 hours after birth.

If doe colostrum is not available cow colostrum is a suitable substitute.

The utmost protection is received if colostrum is fed within 15 minutes to one hour. From then on, the degree of protection decreases with each passing hour.

After 24 hours, the kid’s intestine has changed and can no longer absorb the antibodies.

NZDGA recommends that farmers always have some colostrum frozen, just in case.

“From week one kids should be introduced to a high quality starter ration: water needs to be clean and fresh at all times.”

on black-hoofed goats, which usually have softer feet anyway, so go easily on them.

“Start on a front foot, and then move on to the back ones; the goat is less likely to play up,” it says.

If the goat kicks very hard with her back foot, pick it up by putting your hand tightly round the hamstring above the hock,

then run your other hand down to the foot, take up your usual grip, and get cutting; the hamstring grip immobilises the muscles of the lower leg long enough for you to get a firm grip without hurting the goat, and once she realises you have her, she will behave better. @dairy_news facebook.com/dairynews

GET SOCIAL WITH DAIRYNEWS Keep up with the latest stories from by following us at facebook.com/dairynews twitter.com/Dairy_News BREAKING NEWS

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DAIRY NEWS MAY 12, 2020

24 // DAIRY GOATS

Buying a healthy goat ACCORDING TO the

NZ Goat Breeders Association, the health status of the goats is the key when buying them.

“When you have purchased your first goat/ goats one of the first things to think about is what to do if your goat is not well,” it says.

“It is important to have found a compassionate vet who is interested in goats before illness strikes.”

The normal body temperature of a goat is 39.5 degrees so it pays to have a thermometer in your first aid kit.

The average life span

for a doe is eight years and a buck is six years.

There are a number of significant diseases that can affect goats in New Zealand, such as Johnes Disease and Caprine Arthritis Encephalytis (CAE).

“If a goat displays signs of these diseases, it

can be very distressing for the owner, especially as they may not show up for some time, but will affect the goat’s general health

and wellbeing, its capacity to breed and produce milk,” says NZGBA. “When you are buying a goat, it is important to

get a guarantee from the vendor that the goat has disease-free status. If you can, you should get it vet checked before you buy.

A blood test can indicate whether or not the goat is free of disease or not.” @dairy_news facebook.com/dairynews

DISBUDDING HORNS TO TELL whether a kid has horns or not, feel the raised bumps between the ears on the top of the head. If they are pointed the kid will be horned or check for whorls of hair, this indicates horns.

If in doubt leave the kid for a few days and investigate again. Make sure buck kids are done less than four days old otherwise there can be cases of scurs, NZGBA says.

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DAIRY NEWS MAY 12, 2020

DAIRY GOATS // 25

Keep pests and diseases away GOATS, PARTICULARLY lactating goats,

are susceptible to a number of pests and diseases.

Young animals are more susceptible to poor health, pests and diseases than mature goats.

Goats are also sensitive to a range of weeds.

AgriFutures Australia, a state-funded organisation working with goat farmers, notes that the main diseases that affect dairy goats include worms, Johnes disease, Caprine Arthritis Encephalitis (CAE), hypocalcaemia, pregnancy toxaemia, mastitis and caseous lymphadenitis.

Gastrointestinal parasites (worms) affect goats as they do sheep and cattle. Control relies on

paddock management, breeding for resistance and drenches. The latter are problematic in goats because few products are registered for use in goats and resistance may develop relatively quickly in goat worm populations.

Johnes disease (JD) is a slow-developing wasting disease that affects a number of grazing livestock species.

Goats can be infected with either cattle or sheep strains of the JD bacterium. Infection is picked up from direct contact with infected animals (such as kids sucking from teats) or from faeces in the environment (pasture, water, bedding).

Control of the disease is difficult once it is present in the herd.

It may involve vaccination, reducing the average age of the herd and/or removing kids from does before they suck. Vaccination and/or the removal of kids at birth offers the best prospects of controlling the disease.

Caprine arthritis encephalitis (CAE) is a disease which is mostly associated with dairy goats, but can be found in all goat breeds. It is caused by a virus (CAEV), which is spread between goats via milk and body fluids.

There is no treatment for CAEV. Some herds undertake repeated testing with culling of test-positive animals to provide assurance of a low level of CAE risk.

Diseases related

to pregnancy in goats include hypocalcamia (milk fever), pregnancy toxaemia, and mastitis. Hypocalcamia can be treated by ensuring the doe’s energy and calcium requirements are met and pregnancy toxaemia requires addition glucose

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in the diet. Mastitis is an infection of the udder causing inflammation and reducing milk production; treatment includes administering antibiotics and regularly releasing milk from the udder.

Caseous lymphadenitis (cheesy gland) is caused

by a bacterium which can survive for many months in the soil, feed troughs and around fences and is spread through broken skin. Abscesses form under the skin and contain a thick, highly contagious pus.

Abscesses under the

skin generally have little impact on the animal’s health; however internal abscesses, especially associated with major organs such as the lungs, may result in the goat becoming chronically ill. @dairy_news facebook.com/dairynews

DAIRY NEWS MAY 12, 2020

26 // DAIRY GOATS

Consumers want more goat milk products ANDY GEISSMANN AND GARY FEENEY

THE DAIRY landscape in New Zealand is changing, as it is around the world.

People are becoming more aware of the environmental impact dairy farming has on the land.

And as a result, consumers are looking for dairy products which have been made from farming practices with a lower environmental footprint.

Sheep dairy and goat

dairy are emerging as two industries which have real potential to meet those expectations.

Nutritional benefits, an awareness of lactose sensitivity, a change in consumers’ taste for dairy food and the expanding global middle-class are

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some of the drivers pushing up demand for sheep and goat dairy products.

Farming sheep and goats is more gentle on the environment, there’s less nitrogen loading required, a lot less water needed and a smaller area needed to farm the animals.

The sheep and goat industries are starting to gather momentum. This is what we discovered at Fieldays 2019, when we recorded keen interest from farmers looking for more information on small ruminants.

New Zealand is in a good position to explore opportunities to expand in the sheep and goat markets.

We’re seen as a clean, green producer. We have a positive image around environmental care. And as a result, milk products from cows, sheep and goats are becoming much sought after by global consumers.

Behaviour difference When it comes to best practice, it’s important to understand that the behaviour and physiol-

ogy of sheep and goats are very different.

Goats are always on the go, they are inquisitive animals that like to investigate things.

They like being up high, don’t like to lie around much and don’t like getting their feet wet.

Sheep are followers, have to have eye contact with each other and don’t like to be separated.

All of these traits need to be taken into account if you’re planning to convert your milking parlour from cows, to goats or sheep.

As underlined by Spring Sheep, animal welfare, whether that be for sheep, goats or cows, is

paramount to farmers.

The more care we put into looking after our animals, the better the animals will provide for us.

The animals are happier, farmers are happier.

Public perception of dairy farming has prompted changes to many things but overall, animal health is right up there at the top for in every farmer’s mind.

That’s clearly a view shared by the Dairy Goat Co-operative (NZ), which was formed in 1984 and now distributes to more than 30 countries around the world.

It uses New Zealand’s Code of Welfare for Goats

for its farming systems. It specifies what is considered to be optimal animal welfare and how this may be achieved for goats farmed under New Zealand conditions.

Dairy Goat Cooperative animals thrive on New Zealand grown, onfarm forages such as grasses, clover, lucerne, hay, silage or pasture plants.

Milk is collected from the collective’s farms and delivered directly to its production facility in Hamilton.

• Andy Geissmann and Gary Feeney are the small ruminant specialists at Waikato Milking Systems.

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MACHINERY & PRODUCTS // 27

Distributor focussing on farmer support MARK DANIEL markd@ruralnews.co.nz

AGCO AUSTRALIA and New Zealand—

whose brands include Massey Ferguson, Fendt, Challenger and Valtra – has announced plans focused around protecting the welfare and livelihood of its customers, employees and the community during the Covid19 pandemic.

Firstly, focusing on the agricultural industry: “Farming is vital, especially in countries like Australia and New Zealand who are net exporters,” says Warwick McCormick, vice president and managing director ANZ and Far East.

“During these unprecedented times, agriculture will need to keep producing to ensure that our home countries and those who rely on us for imports experience minimal disruption.

“For AGCO, that means keeping production running and keeping inventory open and accessible, so farmers across the country have the tools they need to keep work-

Warwick McCormick, vice president and managing director ANZ and Far East, Agco.

ing,” McCormick says.

AGCO will continue to work closely with its dealer network to ensure they provide support across all facets of the business including the critical after-sales functions of parts and technical support.

“While our working environment may look different for the time being, with the majority of our employees working from home, we are confi-

dent they have the technology to deliver the high standard of service our dealers and customers are accustomed to,” McCormick says.

With Australasian parts support centered on warehouses in Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth, supported by global distribution sites in Europe and the US, McCormick says they are achieving a 96% picking rate.

However, some parts

may be “a little hard to come by in NZ.” “We ask our end users to work closely with their dealers if they have some upcoming parts requirements so they can have time to deliver their orders.”

McCormick also notes that Qantas has announced an extra daily freight run to NZ, although there still might be some hold up on supply at the border.

The Australian Government is ensuring exports of VOR (vehicle off road) parts orders are heading to the Northern Hemisphere, which in turn means there is freight capacity on the return leg of flights.

On the factory front, he reports that nothing is completely closed, but production is being affected by some shortages from component suppliers, many who are domiciled in the ravaged industrial areas of Northern Italy.

Currently, harvest tools are readily available with good inventories, although customers who are traditionally making indent purchases around now, might see some slight delays on delivery.

“Our challenge over the coming weeks is to manage the situation closely, often with changes occurring daily. Unfortunately, no one saw this problem coming, but we ask that any of our customers who are encountering problems reach out to their dealers or AGCO and we will do our utmost to help.”

KEEP STOCK AWAY FROM UTE THEY SAY that invention comes from adversity.

However, in the case of Canterbury farmer, Kevin Frewer, the catalyst was the frustration of cattle rubbing up against his vehicle during feeding out – a problem he didn’t want to repeat with a new vehicle, following a $2,000 bill to panel beat his old vehicle.

Feeding around 40 cattle on his two blocks, Frewer set about designing a solution – The Stockaway. This comprises of a hot wire that surrounds the vehicle to keep cattle away. The design is collapsible and takes 15 to 20 seconds to re-position for use in the paddock.

The energiser unit is powered from the truck’s cigarette lighter socket, switched on via a remote switch on the upstand of the rear deck.

Frewer says that once stock have received a few ‘belts’ from the hot wire, they no longer congregate against the vehicle and quickly learn to keep their distance. The clever inventor also reports that there are no problems from interference with the vehicles electronic systems and confirms that a separate chassis-mounted earth is complimented by the tyres that also help create a positive grounding.

Positioned around 150mm away from the deck, the device also stops animals pilfering feed or baler twine that might end up on the paddock.

Fitting the unit on the ute only requires four small holes in the front bumper to carry the forward insulators, these can quickly be removed and plugged when the vehicle is moved on.

It costs $295 plus freight and you can check out Facebook/The Stockaway or call 027-2225965.

Front-mounted disc mower THE GMD 3123 F front mower, offering a compact size and less weight, is designed for farms with tractors from 80-90 hp.

Ideal for flat and hilly areas, a pendulum-type articulation function offers plus or minus 12 degrees to allow accurate ground following.

Twin swathing discs fitted as standard produce an average size of 1.30m, while the latest generation OPTIDISC cutter bar comes with isolation mounts, PROTECTADRIVE safety on the disc housings, easy FAST-FIT knife attachment to eliminate downtime and no oil changes.

Two coil springs coupled to the tractor maintain ground pressure to protect plant cover from damage, while a leaf spring keeps the machine stable during headland turns and road travel.

Sychronised disc rotation is said to optimise quality of cut and deliver crop flow-through to the centre of the machine. In order to avoid damage when mowing along field edges or next to obstacles, a flexible external cover system called FlexProtect, can deflect and return to its original shape, saving on repair costs.

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20-02-2020 11:29

DAIRY NEWS MAY 12, 2020

28 // MACHINERY & PRODUCTS

Amazone posts strong results MARK DANIEL markd@ruralnews.co.nz

FARM TECHNOLOGY

manufacturer Amazone has announced a strong financial result for 2019, despite a 2.9% drop in sales.

The company revenues reached $827 million in a season hampered by a second dry European summer, trade conflicts and infrastructure problems.

For the 2020 year, Amazone’s joint managing directors, Christian Dreyer and Dr Justus Dreyer, said confidence remains strong in the agricultural sector despite the current challenges posed by the coronavirus pandemic.

The company invested more than 7% of its turnover in R &D during the year, with a focus on pro-

The company invested more than 7% of its turnover in R &D during the year, with a focus on providing practical solutions key issues facing the agricultural sector. viding practical solutions key issues facing the agricultural sector. That focus saw the release of 30 innovations, including three Silver Medal winners, at last year’s Agritechnica exhibition in Germany. Other highlights included the opening new sales, parts, training and exhibition centres in Doncaster in the UK and Debrecen in Hungary.

On the product front, the company has recently introduced new straw harrow and knife roller units for the ‘03’ range of its popular Catros, Catros Plus and Catros XL com-

pact disc harrows, offered in operating widths of 2.5 to 9 metres.

Amazone product manager, Steve Gorman, says the optional tools further increase the versatility of the Catros range.

“The units are ideal for processing canola, maize or sunflower stubbles as they crush and distribute crop residues ready for incorporation by the discs, accelerating decomposition and reducing disease pressure,” he says.

The straw harrow comprises 12mm diameter tines with integrated coil springs, with height and angle adjusted mechani-

Amazone’s knife roller.

cally using a turnbuckle or hydraulically from within the cabin.

The 330mm diameter knife roller is divided into 1m, 1.5m or 2m wide segments to match the work-

ing width of the machine.

Each segment has six 8mm knives mounted in a V-formation across the shaft, which shred organic matter. Manufactured from tempered drill steel,

the 8mm reversible knives are simply turned over once they are worn.

Using oil-lubricated sealed bearings on the roller assembly for maintenance -free operation,

the roller is moved into the working position from the cab and tensioned hydraulically, then de-activated when not required, reducing fuel consumption.

LOWER LINKS WITH A TWIST HARVESTING

SPECIALISTS

Claas and front linkage manufacturers Sauter have jointly developed a front linkage with swivelling lower links that will be welcomed by those using front and rear mower combinations.

Manufactured by Sauter, with development input from engineers at the Claas Green Harvest factory at Bad Salgau, the new unit sees the front links actively swing inwards during turns.

The system is said to eliminate the unsightly and wasteful strips of grass typically left when the tractor makes a tight turn on the boundaries of a

paddock, or when travelling across slopes or sidling land.

While hydraulically-shiftable rear units have been available for several years, the only partial solution to the problem has been to fit oversized front mower units. In most cases, if strips of grass are left unmown, they become flattened by the tractor’s wheels to be wasted or contaminated.

Designed for new or retrofitting, the hydraulic lower links can be exchanged for the original “fixed” units, removing any need for modifications to the tractor

or mowers. The linkage can swivel by up to 30cm to the left or right, controlled via a double-acting service from the tractor’s spool valves.

For transport, the swivel action can be locked out for safety, while when the lower links are not in use, they can be folded vertically for storage, in the same manner as fixed units.

Currently, units are suitable for use with Axion 800 and 900 Series tractors, but also with Fendt 700, 800 and 900 models.The factory notes there will be limited supply in 2020, with full production in 2021.

– Mark Daniel

Swivelling front hitch.

OUR POLARIS DEALER NETWORK IS AVAILABLE ONLINE AND VIA THE PHONE TO ASSIST

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*Offer end 31/7/20 or while stocks last. Offers only available at participating Polaris Dealers. Not valid with any other offer. Excludes fleet clients. **Farm Pack includes Roof valued at $895 INC GST, Glass Screen valued at $1,045 INC GST, Wiper Kit valued at $595 INC GST, Rear Poly Panel valued at $565 INC GST & Tow Hitch valued at $80 INC GST. +Finance offer is only available on selected models. GST registered customers only. 24-month term contract. 20% Deposit required. Fees and conditions apply (normal lending criteria applies) Finance is provided by Polaris Finance a program operated by De Lage Landen Limited Company No 135515.

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DAIRY NEWS MAY 12, 2020

MACHINERY & PRODUCTS // 29

Helping comply with safety MARK DANIEL markd@ruralnews.co.nz

WITH ON-FARM safety being a real challenge, especially for employers, the Smart HS approach might offer some answers.

Developed by Donna Clarke and Graham Foote, the online resource delivers structured training delivered in a straightforward manner with common sense as a key driving force.

Both from a rural and corporate background, the couple now operate a kiwifruit orchard in the Bay of Plenty. Graham, who also worked as a dairy farmer, put his practical skills to good use in the training sector. This included working with Farmsafe, Drive Zone and Ag Challenge, training operators to NZQA standards for the use of quads, side-by-sides, tractors and 4WD vehicles.

He also did training for Fonterra, NorthPower, the Department of Corrections and of course many farmers and growers.

Smart HS offers a series of online training courses, covering the likes of motorbikes, quads, side by sides and tractors.

Each course is broken into modules. For example, with side by sides, the course covers the legal requirements and regulations, safety and mainte-

nance, machine controls, driving tips, load dynamics and recovering from awkward situations.

As the candidate moves through each of the modules – a process that can be monitored by the employer – they receive current, straightforward information, supported by video content that demonstrates the likely outcomes if good health and safety practice is not applied.

In the case of farm tractors, the modules consist of the legalities, safety and maintenance, controls, safe towing, safe use of 3-point linkage and PTO driven implements, managing tractor dynamics and common mishaps.

Once again, the information is practical, well thought out and clearly demonstrates Foote’s experience gained over many years.

Moving on from the study modules, the owner or operators can move onto practical modules, putting the theory into practice. Indeed, should farm owners or managers wish to upskill, they can also undertake courses to become a Smart HS assessor. This helps them to understand a trainees’ ability to understand, make behavioural changes and ultimately benefit from the content.

The online information is also available to

use as refresher training for existing employees, so with a typical theory and practical module costing around $270, it seems a small price to pay for

sound, practical advice that meets the requirements of the Health and Safety at Work Act of 2015. www.smarths.co.nz

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BRINGING FIELD DAYS TO THE FARM PUBLISHING MAY 26, 2020 Sadly, field days are out of the question while Covid-19 remains a threat. No tyres to kick, no bargains to bag! No hot dogs and chips! Fear not, we’re bringing the field days to your farm.

Dairy News will bring you all the innovative new products and services coming on to the market and, of course, the great deals - direct to your letterbox on May 26. Bringing Field Days to the Farm will run in print and online.

Keep an eye out for this great feature; you’ll have to provide the hot dogs and chips, but we will give you the chance to WIN a brand new Hustler Bale Feeder worth $10,000!

Read DAIRY NEWS on May 26 and

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