Dairy News 31 August 2021

Overseer ‘not fit for purpose’. PAGE 3

HAVE A GO BACK ON TRACK Overcoming floods PAGE 17

Award winners urge farmers to enter PAGE 13

AUGUST 31, 2021 ISSUE 478 // www.dairynews.co.nz

GOAT MILK GOODNESS Matt Bolton, Oete Goat Farm, says thousands of years ago no one milked cows and the family goat was the source of high quality A2 milk.

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DAIRY NEWS AUGUST 31, 2021

NEWS // 3

Overseer ‘not fit for purpose’ PETER BURKE peterb@ruralnews.co.nz

Mobile app developer changing hands.

PG.16

Bouncing back after floods. PG.17

Bigger bite for diet feeder range. PG.22

NEWS ������������������������������������������������������3-13 OPINION ���������������������������������������������� 14-15 AGRIBUSINESS ������������������������������������16 MANAGEMENT ���������������������������������17-18 ANIMAL HEALTH ���������������������������19-20 MACHINERY & PRODUCTS ����������������������������������������21-22

OVERSEER, THE tool used by dairy farmers and others to measure nitrate loss and by regional councils to enforce this, is not fit for purpose and should be scrapped altogether.

That’s the view of Adjunct Professor in Industrial Mathematics’ and a long-time critic of Overseer, Graeme Wake.

However, he concedes the soil science treated as components of the system is very likely solid science and up to date.

But this is not all the expertise required here.

“My modelling colleagues and other internationally recognised experts in the science of systems are very concerned from a system perspective,” Wake told Dairy News.

“While I am not a specialist in the particulars of soil science, my colleagues and I are able to recognise when the components of an interacting system have been incorrectly combined, and how serious errors result from using the naïve methods Overseer has,” he says.

Wake says applied mathematics is in part the science of interacting time dependent systems.

Their expertise is in taking the knowledge of other scientists working on the system components and linking this knowledge to provide predictions of system outcomes and

Overseer says its science models are driven by decades of dedicated research into New Zealand farming and conditions but is it fit for purpose?

underpinning decisions.

He says this requires advanced mathematics to calculate correctly, and without this, the Overseer designers have fallen into adopting a naïve approach that has led them into serious errors.

Wake says the owners of Overseer have claimed it’s been peer reviewed.

But the recent Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) report says that the review was not done by people versed in systems science. Yet, he says NZ is quite wellendowed with experts in this field.

“Overseer is definitely not suitable as a regulatory tool, which is what the science panel that has just reviewed the tool have said.

“Overseer is an overly simplistic approach that does not incorporate temporal ‘cause and outcome’ effects and system interactions,” he says.

Wake says Overseer relies on averages, and in a dynamical system evolving in time, the mean or average can be a very poor statistic to use.

“In Overseer the key science is not woven together as proper sci-

ence would dictate,” he says.

Wake says if he was asked by government what to do in light of the science review panel report, he would say start again; get a competent team to develop an algorithm that meets the needs of NZ and find or develop a software package that would work.

Also have it peer reviewed and patented if necessary. But he says the key to all of this is having the right people with the right qualifications doing this work. @dairy_news facebook.com/dairynews

DAIRY NEWS AUGUST 31, 2021

4 // NEWS

DairyNZ eyeing a boost in rural vaccinations CONFUSION OVER ALERT LEVELS CHANGES

PETER BURKE peterb@ruralnews.co.nz

DAIRYNZ’S HEAD of farm performance, Sharon Morrell, says she’d like to see if they can facilitate more dairy farmers to be vaccinated against Covid-19.

Morell says it’s often forgotten that dairy farmers and others in the primary sector are classed as essential workers and need to be protected against the virulent Delta variant of Covid. She says there was a recent event in the Taranaki township of Stratford which saw farmers get vaccinations.

“It would be great to see a boost in rural vac-

DairyNZ’s Sharon Morrell (inset) wants to see more dairy farmers vaccinated against Covid-19.

cinations,” she told Dairy News.

Morell says the present outbreak of Covid has struck at the start of the dairy season and there is a lot at stake for farmers

who need to get through it with as little interruption and stress as possible. Compounding the Covid issue is the fact that many dairy farms are understaffed and there are

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few options to fix this situation.

“Everybody is busy at this time of the year; they all have their heads down working hard so it puts extra weight on taking the precautions necessary for safety around Covid,” says Morrell.

“It’s about thinking about the bubble on their farm and ensuring it is not being extended in directions that farmers hadn’t anticipated.

This could involve people coming into the farm, such as other family members, caregivers or contractors,” she says.

Morrell says if for any reason farmers can’t keep their bubble tight, they then need to take that extra step in terms of hygiene, following all the protocols around cleaning and personal hygiene. She says being in lockdown can be stressful, with the temptation to go off farm, which breaks the bubble.

A MAJOR unresolved issue for the dairy industry and other primary sectors is what happens if different regions go into different alert levels.

In the past, this has created chaos and it’s one issue that Sharon Morrell says DairyNZ is getting many requests for help on.

In the case of dairy, the problem arises if the farm is split between regions and travel is restricted between these regions. In the present situation this appears highly likely – especially along the border of Auckland and Waikato.

There is a myriad of issues that can add stress to farmers and staff who are already stretched to the limit. Classic examples are: staff living in different regions to the farm; the run-off block in a different region; the nearest farm supply shop or supermarket in another region. Morrell says they are getting inquiries from farmers who had to deal with these issues during previ-

She says it’s up to managers to take the lead and make sure the business is Covid free.

“I know it is super hard for managers to pause their work for a while and take the time to ask the other people on the farm how they are doing.

“All will have different responses to these kinds of situations, with some more anxious.

Then there are complications of children at home and partners trying to work at home. So taking a moment to ask people

ous lockdowns.

“So we have an exemption letter template on our website for people moving from home to farm or other parts of the farm runoff, if they are deemed essential to the farming operation. That is reasonably straight forward, but having that letter and ID with them at all times is really important,” she says.

As Dairy News went to press, DairyNZ was working with the Ministry of Health and Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) on practical and sensible protocols for this situation. However, it is important to note the final decisions around this rest with a high-level government committee and MPI can only “advise them and advocate for the rural sector”.

Morrell says they would like to know those procedures before any lockdown level changes, rather than the scrambling about that occurred last time.

how they are doing is a good thing to do,” she says.

Morrell says the good news is past experience has shown them how to deal with the Covid lockdown. A lot of material was prepared during previous lockdowns and they have been able to take this and update it to deal with the Delta situation.

“By and large, we have found we have a lot of material there that is entirely appropriate for the present situation and we have just had to tweak it so there is more empha-

sis on care and risk avoidance,” she says.

DairyNZ has been getting information out to farmers though a variety of online platforms like Zoom meetings and social media, according to Morrell. She notes that Waikato has a regional Facebook page and most other regions have got social media connections aimed at farmers in their district.

“Every region connecting with farmers in this way,” she says. @dairy_news facebook.com/dairynews

BOOST FOR SCIENCE FAIRS BALLANCE AGRI-NUTRIENTS has announced a nation-

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wide programme of sponsorships for science fairs.

The sponsorships will see Ballance launch a new Sustainable Agricultural Award category at several regional science and technology fairs across New Zealand.

Ballance will sponsor the award in the Central Northland, South and East Auckland, Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Taranaki, Canterbury-Westland and Otago science and technology fairs.

The Auckland North Harbour and Marlborough science and tech-

nology fairs will receive additional sponsorship activity from Ballance.

Ballance’s Sustainability Food and Fibres Futures programme manager Suzanne Young says that by sponsoring the science fairs, the company hopes to get students interested in the career options the food and fibre sector has to offer.

“We wanted to find an innovative and meaningful way to connect New Zealand school students with all the amazing work happening in the food and fibre sector to improve the environment for a sustainably productive future.

“For the Auckland North Har-

bour science fair, we are sponsoring the Living World category, which celebrates students’ understanding of the living organisms such as NZ plants and animals, their investigations into local ecosystems and understanding the interdependence of living organisms, including humans and their relationship with their physical environment.”

Young says that Ballance will be a gold sponsor for the Marlborough science fair. Ballance will also provide a local judge and help promote the science fairs through targeted and localised communications.

– Jessica Marshall

DAIRY NEWS AUGUST 31, 2021

NEWS // 5

A2 goat milk launched AFTER WORKING

on the concept for six years, one of the country’s largest goat farms has launched its own brand of fresh milk.

The 1-litre bottle of ‘Before Cow’ (BC) A2 goat’s milk was launched four weeks ago by Oete Goat Farm, South Auckland. While only available in supermarkets throughout Auckland right now, plans are afoot to distribute the milk to other parts of the country.

Oete Goat owner Matt Bolton says he has been “blown away” by consumer demand for the

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Dairy goats at Oete and Oakdale farms, South Auckland are raised on mostly fresh grass feed.

milk.

“People are getting more educated about

the benefits of goat milk, and the product is gaining traction,” Bolton told

Before Cow goat’s milk is available in 1L bottles.

Dairy News.

BC goat milk’s brand story is simple: thousands of years ago, no one milked cows, Bolton points out. “So when your ancestors needed fuel, the family goat was the source of A2 milk that’s high in vitamin A, naturally homogenised, better for people with cow’s milk intolerance, and better for the environment.”

Nine thousand years later, BC goat’s milk has launched in Auckland supermarkets – with plans to go nationwide.

“New Zealanders drink 400 million litres of milk a year, but with so much pressure being placed on the dairy cow industry, consumers are desperate for alternative milks with less environmental impact.”

Bolton has been working on his farm for the past six years to get the flavour tight.

Through selective breeding trials and many tasting sessions, any traces of “goaty flavour” were eliminated. It now tastes just like the cow’s milk people are used to drinking, Bolton says.

If anybody turned up on their farm to sample the milk, no one would

notice that it is different from cow’s milk, he says, but that’s where the similarities end.

He claims goat milk is easier on our tummies, easily digested and better for the bowel system.

“We now know that the natural calcium in goat’s milk helps digestive enzymes. While the fat content of cow and goat milk is similar, the fat globules in goat’s milk are smaller, making it easier for your body to digest.

“Goat’s milk digestibility resembles human milk more so than cow’s milk.”

Bolton owns two farms, Oete and Oakdale, where about 5,700 goats are milked daily. For BC

TO LAUNCH BC goat’s milk, Matt Bolton enlisted Auckland marketing agency Pitchblack Partners as a partner.

Pitchblack’s Jono Key says a chance meeting three years ago led to the collaboration with Oakdale Farm to bring an “amazing product” to market.

“From the brand name, logo, bottle design, supermarket sell-in, to the ATL campaign, we’ve been at the centre of branding and building this product.”

He says Pitchblack (PB) believes in the potential of ‘Before Cow’ (BC) goat’s milk so much that they’ve taken a significant stake in the Oakdale Farm.

Bolton says, “The PB team have become my marketing team and business partners and we’re looking forward to changing the face of NZ dairy.”

goat’s milk product, goats are milked at Oete and up to 4,000 litres of milk goes to the Green Valley Dairy plant in Mangatawhiri.

Milk from goats milked at Oakdale ends up at the nearby NIG Nutritional plant and is turned into goat milk powder for export.

Bolton says he has strived to be a flagship for the goat industry and provide an alternative to cow’s milk for consumers.

He is thrilled to see the product in 45 Auckland

supermarkets.

“To see six years of hard work on the supermarket shelves of New World, Countdown and Pak’nSave is incredible.”

Getting the taste right has been the key.

“In order to change Kiwi dairy habits, taste is king, and the truly special part to BC goat’s milk is the taste. Use it wherever you’d normally use cow’s milk: cereal, coffee, baking, luxurious milk baths like Cleopatra.” @dairy_news facebook.com/dairynews

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❱❱ Positive engagement brakes that cannot slip ❱❱ Large ground wheels for easy rolling DAIRY GOAT farming has less impact on the environment than ‘industrial’ dairy, says Matt Bolton.

He says there is less nitrogen and phosphorous leaching: on average, dairy goat farming has 73% less nitrogen and phosphorous runoff into waterways.

Bolton says Oete and Oakdale farms have managed through redesigning of farming practices, testing and monitor-

ing soils to reduce nitrogen loss to 11kg per hectare.

“Our goal is to reduce this nitrogen leaching to less than 10kg N/ha,” he says.

For their environmental efforts, Matt and his wife Sarah won the Auckland region supreme award in the 2020 Ballance Farm Environment Awards.

A farm manager and nine fulltime staff contribute to the

success of this goat farming operation that involves pasture being cut and carried daily to feed milking goats. About 85% of the feed comes in the form of freshly cut grass.

To boost protein when required, brewer’s grain is fed to the animals.

Bolton says animal welfare is a top priority. “We ensure our milk comes from goats who live a very happy life on the farm.”

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DAIRY NEWS AUGUST 31, 2021

6 // NEWS

‘Keep in contact with each other’ PETER BURKE peterb@ruralnews.co.nz

KEEP CONNECTING.

That’s the message to farmers from the chair of the Rural Support Trust, Neil Bateup.

He told Dairy News that since lockdown the trust probably haven’t had as many requests as they normally get, but the trust is still there to help.

He says because of the Covid lockdown they won’t go out to a farm unless it’s an emergency we won’t go out on farm but people can still do things by phone.

An issue that has cropped up, and one that is hard to deal with, is when farm staff change jobs and problems arise.

Bateup says the best they can do is refer individuals to MPI or Federated Farmers, who can help

“My message to farmers is, just make sure they look after themselves, stay connected to friends and family by phone, Facetime or Zoom.” deal with contractual matters.

Another problem is the staffing situation on many dairy farms: “Since the start of the season there has been a shortage of staff… we have many farms that are understaffed and the people left on the farms are working too hard and getting tired. This started last season and has probably got worse. It is unlikely to

Rural Support Trust chair Neil Bateup says farmers must look after themselves and each other during these trying times.

change under the present Covid conditions.”

Bateup says the Rural Support Trust is closely monitoring the situa-

tion and is pretty agile; if they see a problem, they will act. He says in time of stress the trust would normally go into an area

under pressure and stage an event such as a barbeque, a function with a guest speaker, or a dinner and get people together to

share problems and help each other.

“Unfortunately, through Covid we have had to cancel a number of

events. We just ask people that, if they are under pressure, to let us know and we’ll get someone to talk to them by phone or Zoom. We are always happy to take calls,” he says.

Bateup says because it is still early days with the present lockdown, the Rural Support Trust hasn’t organised any webinars, but says he understands other organisations have. Once the lockdowns are over they will organise events. He points out that farmers are pretty good at looking after each other in times of crisis.

“My message to farmers is, just make sure they look after themselves, stay connected to friends and family by phone, Facetime or Zoom. Keep the social connections going even if you can’t do it in person.

Don’t lock yourself away – keep connecting.”

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long-term outlook looks positive despite a big drop in profits in the last financial year.

The company says it experienced a very challenging year ending June 30, 2021 with total revenues down 30% to $1.2 billion and net profit down 80% to $80m.

Releasing its annual results last week, the company said it was hit by unprecedented levels of uncertainty and volatility due to the prolonged impact of Covid-19 and a rapidly changing China infant nutrition market.

“Over the past year, China market growth has reduced significantly from globally high rates to be flat, and cross-border trade has been disrupted significantly which has had a profound impact on the

company’s results,” it says.

While certain areas of the business performed well, with market share gains in China label infant nutrition and Australian fresh milk, the company was impacted by a significant decline in cross-border English-label infant nutrition and other nutritional sales through daigou/reseller and e-commerce channels.

This created substantial demand and supply volatility, which caused material excess inventory issues that exacerbated the impact, it says.

The company says it responded by addressing excess inventory issues, rebuilding the management team, increasing brand investment to drive demand, reviewing its growth strategy and reviewing capital deployment options.

“These actions have put the company in a far better position now than it would have been otherwise to navigate the challenges ahead and enable it to return to growth in the medium term,” it says.

“The board and management are confident in the underlying fundamentals of the business and that the growth opportunity in core markets remains strong.

“Coupled with opportunities for product innovation, category expansion and new markets, and supported by a healthy brand and strong balance sheet, the long-term outlook is positive. “ However, a2 warns that the outlook for this financial year remains challenging and uncertain and it will take time to recover.

DAIRY NEWS AUGUST 31, 2021

NEWS // 7

Milk factory ‘in a box’ NIGEL MALTHUS

A PIONEER in small,

local, low environmental-footprint milk supply hopes to have his “milk factory in a box” up and running and selling milk to the public by early November.

Christchurch-based Glen Herud has developed a system based on microprocessor-controlled pasteuriser/chillers contained in a “hub” beside a milking shed, and portable tanks which are connected to the hub for filling, pasteurisation and chilling.

The farmer then delivers the tanks to his network of retailers, which could be anything from corner stores and cafes to workplaces and schools.

There, customers will bring their own containers for filling by internetconnected dispensers.

The prototype tanks are 60 litres, but they will be bigger in future, he says.

Herud says it means farmers don’t have to handle the milk after filling the system, or worry about bottling.

“We call it our milk factory in a box, basically. That box complies with all the regulations around a milk factory. It’s just you can’t really fit a person inside it,” says Herud.

“Our software basically steps the farmer through the process. They just click the button and the tank will pasteurise the milk and then cool it down.”

Herud has announced that Chris Falconer, who milks 400 cows at Waerenga, North Waikato, is his first participating farmer. He is expected to be operating with a small number of cows by late October or early November. A Canterbury farmer may also be signed up by then.

“We’re just finalising the MPI approval stuff at the moment,” says Herud.

Trading as Happy Cow Milk, Herud has been

publicly known for his efforts to establish what he calls “a more caring, kinder and fairer” dairy system. One of his principles was that calves should stay with their mothers until they wean naturally.

He first featured in the pages of Dairy News in 2016 when he was milking a small herd at Ohoka using a 15-metre custom trailer housing a milking machine with seven sets of cups, pasteuriser and bottling plant. He delivered milk under his Nature Matters brand, much of it in reusable glass bottles, to a small customer base including cafes and supermarkets.

He also won an environmental award for the way the mobile plant could be taken to where the cows graze, to minimise pugging.

By 2018, however, he had to concede that it was too difficult and expensive to process and bottle milk on farm and distribute it efficiently at small scale.

“Everyone loved our milk but it was just very expensive to do it profitably. So we shut down.”

However, a loyal fan base supported him through donations for the next year and a half while he developed the new system.

A fundraising push in 2019 raised enough to prototype a working model. A second crowdfunding campaign a few weeks ago successfully raised more than $500,000 which he will use to scale the system for a working farm.

Herud says a regime of sampling and testing to ensure compliance is all part of the system.

“We use technology basically to take care of all the regulatory compliance, so that farmers don’t have to do that.

“There’s no bottling of milk or anything like that.

So farmers are processing their milk efficiently.

“We supply their local retailers and cafes and so on with our milk dispensers, which connect to the

internet and take care of all payment. Our system pays the farmer, pays the retailer, and charges the customer.

“So it’s an all-in-one system to basically enable farmers to supply their local market and to do it efficiently.”

Trading as Happy Cow Milk, Glen Herud is known for his efforts to establish what he calls “a more caring, kinder and fairer” dairy system.

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DAIRY NEWS AUGUST 31, 2021

8 // NEWS

Finishing properties in hot demand JESSICA MARSHALL jessica@ruralnews.co.nz

DATA RELEASED by

the Real Estate Institute of New Zealand (REINZ) shows an increase in farm sales for the three months ended July 2021 on the same period in 2020.

This comes despite an easing in the volume of sales.

Brian Peacocke, rural spokesman for REINZ, says the sales volumes reflect an easing in most categories, while still remaining stronger than the equivalent periods for 2019 and 2020.

“The exception to the easing trend which is expected during the winter period, is the category of finishing properties sales which continue to hold at current strong levels, this being a continuing feature in the current marketplace,” he says.

In the finishing category, 117 farms were sold for the three month period ended July 2021, at a median sale price per

Real Estate Institute of New Zealand (REINZ) says it was mostly farmers snapping up finishing properties around the country.

hectare of $33,345.

Peacocke told Dairy News that it was farmers who were buying these farms in most instances.

“There will be occasionally people stepping up from a lifestyle block but mostly people would be looking for finishing blocks to add to an existing property base or a retirement block to move on to from a bigger property,” Peacocke says.

The median finish-

ing farm size for the three months ended July 2021 was 42 hectares.

Overall, there were 359 farm sales in the three months ended July 2021, compared with 400 farm sales for the three months ended June 2021, and 333 farm sales for the three months ended July 2020.

In the year to July this year 1,720 farms were sold, 42.5% more than were sold in the year to July 2020, with

146.7% more Dairy farms, 17.9% more Dairy Support, 27.8% more Grazing Farms, 58.4% more Finishing Farms and 38.1% less Arable farms sold over the same period.

The median price per hectare for all farms sold in the three months to July 2021 was $27,015 compared to $24,050 recorded for the three months ended July 2020, up 12.3%.

The median price per

hectare decreased 0.6% compared to June 2021.

The REINZ All Farm Price Index increased 10.4% in the three months to July 2021 compared to the three months to June 2021.

Compared to the three months ending July 2020, the REINZ All Farm Price Index increased 16.9%.

Seven regions recorded an increase in the number of farm sales for the three months ended July 2021

compared to the three months ended July 2020, with the most notable being Otago (+14 sales) and Northland and Nelson/Marlborough (+12 sales).

Manawatu-Wanganui (-14 sales) and Wellington (-8 sales) recorded the biggest decreases in sales.

“While issues such as the Covid-19 pandemic and the recent Olympics have dominated the media in recent weeks, the rural

community has continued steadily with the demands of feeding animals during wildly variable weather conditions, which is situation normal for the July period,” says Peacocke.

“Calving in the national dairy herd is well advanced, as is the case for lambing in the national flock, apart from southern high country, so to date, flooding has been more of an issue rather than heavy dumps of snow.

“On the livestock front, reasonable feed reserves have resulted in extra-ordinarily high prices being paid for last season’s lambs to be finished for the late winter / early spring market; the beef schedule is moving upwards on an incremental basis with a promise of more to come, and the dairy industry pensively observes the recent pattern of volatility in the global dairy trade auction system with questions regarding the impact on the payout for the current season.”

STUDY GRANT FOR FUTURE LEADERS APPLICATIONS HAVE opened for

the Kellogg Rural Leadership Scholarship.

Valued at $6,000, the scholarship, funded by the Whangarei A&P Society, was designed to assist Northland’s future leaders in the primary sector and will pay for one recipient to attend the Kellogg Rural Leadership course.

The first recipient of the scholar-

ship, Andy Mouritz, is nearing the end of his course and describes the experience as one of personal growth and learning.

“The networks you make on the course are amazing and opportunities you get to question how leaders in the sector got to where they are, and what makes them successful leaders in their field, is invaluable. I’m loving the course and how much I’ve learnt

and grown already,” he says.

“It has exceeded my expectations and I know, as I work through my project, it will continue to do so.”

Andy says he thanks Whangarei A&P for the opportunity to attend the course and supporting him financially to do so. He says he encourages others not to hesitate and get their applications in.

“I highly recommend the pro-

gramme to anyone looking to develop and test themselves as well as learn from some of the most respected people in the primary sector.”

Northlanders interested in attending the Lincoln-based leadership programme in January 2022 can apply for the $6,000 scholarship now.

Applications close at 5pm on 22 October 2021, applicants will then be processed and go through an inter-

view process prior to the application closing date of 14 November 2021.

To apply, applicants should send a covering letter explaining why they would like to complete the programme, along with the completed Kellogg Rural Leadership Programme application form to business@wap. org.nz. @dairy_news facebook.com/dairynews

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DAIRY NEWS AUGUST 31, 2021

NEWS // 9

ENSURE THEY REACH THEIR PEAK POTENTIAL The essential building blocks for optimal health including vitamin B12 in one convenient injection.

The DeLaval team with the 2021 New Zealand Dairy Industry Award winners, at the gala dinner held in Hamilton in May this year.

DeLaval back as key sponsor ENTRIES FOR the 2022 New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards (NZDIA) open October 1. Organisers say planning is well underway with national sponsors continuing to back the programme. DeLaval has renewed its sponsorship for the next three years.

NZDIA general manager Robin Congdon says this is a significant commitment.

“We’re rapt to have world leaders in milking equipment and solutions for dairy farmers as part of our national sponsor family,” he says.

“DeLaval strives to make sustainable food production possible, ensuring milk quality and animal health and the NZDIA programme is an important vehicle to help them do that.

“We couldn’t do what we do without the support from our national sponsors and it’s fantastic to have their ongoing

support,” he says.

DeLaval Oceania marketing and communications manager Sharon Yeeles says it remains committed to supporting New Zealand dairy farmers.

“At DeLaval, we too are dairy farmers and have been supporting NZ dairy farmers since 1926, and have also milked our own herds for over 135 years.

“As part of our DNA we understand and recognise the key challenges that all dairy farmers face today and we look forward to supporting NZDIA and all the entrants in the coming 3 years,” she says.

Entries open for the 2022 New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards on October 1st 2021 with registrations of interest able to be made now at dairyindustryawards.co.nz An announcement on the date and location of the 2022 National Awards gala dinner is expected by the end of August.

Grass-fed cream on the way to Chinese bakers development project has harnessed the grass-fed goodness of milk from New Zealand’s West Coast in a product suitable for discerning Chinese bakers.

Resident director for Yili in New Zealand, Shiqing Jian, said the two-year collaboration between Westland Dairy and parent company Yili had managed to overcome the inherent variability of grass-fed milk to produce cream with a consistency suitable for Chinese bakers.

The product, Yili Pro UHT Whipping Cream, will be available to Chinese consumers this October.

Jian said Yili’s growth as an international brand relied strongly on innovation and longstanding research and development investment.

New product sales accounted for 16% of Yili’s total revenue in 2020 with Yili now ranked the fifth largest dairy producer globally.

The dairy company was also recently awarded most valuable dairy brand in the world for the fourth year

running as well as the second most valuable food brand in Brand Finance’s annual global brand rankings.

“Yili’s international growth has been based on a philosophy of ‘global mindset-local operations’,’’ Jian said.

“It’s extremely rewarding to see an international vision translated into new business capabilities in New Zealand and Asia through this kind of global collaboration.’’

Westland chief executive Richard Wyeth said overcoming the different milk and production methods of New Zealand and China was the first hurdle teams from China and Westland had to overcome in proving the long-standing New Zealand dairy operation could produce a whipping cream suitable for the Chinese market.

“Chinese whipping cream is produced from milk from dairy cows commonly housed in feedlots,’’ Wyeth said.

“The consistency of this feed creates milk with more consistent properties compared to our nutrient-dense, grass-fed product.”

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DAIRY NEWS AUGUST 31, 2021

10 // NEWS

‘World-first’ technology cleans wastewater from milk plants A SOUTH Auckland milk

processor is taking part in a world-first project that delivers clean water from the processing of milk and milk products.

NIG Nutritionals has been working with clean technology company Hydroxsys during the past 12 months to deliver the technology. Since January this year, NIG has been trialling Hydroxsys equipment at its facility at Paerata, south of Auckland.

Hydroxsys chief executive Mark Hartstone says the company has developed proprietary “world first” filtration technology that challenges current clean in place (CIP) and waste treatment systems, not only in dairy, but also wider food and beverage

manufacturing and industries like wastewater and mining sectors.

For now, he says, Hydroxsys is focusing on food and beverage (including dairy) manufacturing. Water is a key resource in the manufacturing of all food products and especially milk products.

Hydroxsys comes from the same start-up technology space in Auckland where New Zealand technology champions LanzaTech, Rocket Lab and Mint Innovation found their feet. Now it is following their developmental path by building a commercial sized plant.

The plant at NIG Nutritionals will be complete in about four months and will also

A company claims to have a world-first technology that delivers clean water from the processing of milk and milk products.

be used to demonstrate Hydroxsys’ technology to

potential customers.

NIG Nutritionals chief

executive Chris Macbeth says liquid milk process-

ing activities generate liquid waste products that need to be treated prior to discharge under consent from Auckland Council and WaterCare.

“NIG Nutritionals values and ethos are built around nurturing our customers with the best in nutritional solutions,” Chris Macbeth says. “This extends to our environment as we believe that what we put into the environment is what we will receive from it in the future.

“With this in mind, we wanted to find new ways of reducing our environmental impact and improving our contribution to environmental sustainability.”

By introducing the Hydroxsys system, NIG

Nutritionals substantially improves the quality and cleanliness of its wastewater discharge.

“We can effectively reduce our ‘waste’ and return up to 90% of the wastewater volume back to our system as a source of clean water,” Macbeth says.

“Further work will be required to provide assurances that this clean water is able to be recycled back into our manufacturing plants or returned to the environment to replace the water that we take from the aquifer. However, we are very confident, based on the results we have gathered over many months of trials, that we can deliver clean water from our manufacturing processes.”

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DAIRY NEWS AUGUST 31, 2021

12 // NEWS

$33m rebate for shareholders RAVENSDOWN FARMER sharehold-

ers will get $33 million in rebates for the 2020-21 financial year.

This follows the cooperative announcing a profit of $53m for the year, compared to $67m the previous year.

Ravensdown says that gearing up for the growing demand for farm environment planning and investing in future capabilities meant it could not match the previous year’s record profit.

“We were right to view 2020-21 with cautious optimism,” says chairman John Henderson.

“Our shipping joint venture and long-term relationships with reliable suppliers proved extremely valuable as the supply disruption resulting from the pandemic impacted so many other

industries.

“Along with sustained focus on product availability, we will continue to invest in the science, technologies and services that can help the ag sector thrive into the future.”

Taking care of its own environmental footprint – carbon emissions, asbestos removal, new stormwater systems and dust control – is a priority for the co-op. It says it has also been helping many more farmers accommodate upcoming regulation.

The customer-facing team invested a significant amount of time adding to their expertise, Ravensdown says. The time spent on training in order to improve its ability to help farmers with their farm environment plans (FEPs) was four times greater than the

Ravensdown’s new chief executive Garry Diack.

previous year, but only a 0.5% increase in training spend.

Nearly $6 million was invested in R&D with a

focus on the environmental benefits of nutrient use efficiency. Research concentrated on better soil testing for soil nitro-

gen to avoid over-application, coated nitrogen products that reduce losses to air or water, and a HawkEye “heat map”

that helps assure compliance with the new national N limit of 190kg/ ha. The fertiliser industry as a whole reported a reduction of 8% in the supply of total manufactured nitrogen last year.

Ravensdown says that more precise aerial diagnostics and spreading technologies meant fertiliser was not applied on 42,000 hectares of hill country farmland which had been identified as not in need of nutrients.

In terms of its own greenhouse gas footprint, the co-op’s core emissions reduced by 9% and are tracking well towards its target of a 30% reduction by 2030 (16% reduction against base year 2017-18).

Ravensdown’s new chief executive Garry Diack says this is a strong result in a Covid-ravaged world and highlights its

role in helping New Zealand earn vital export income.

“A better New Zealand depends on smarter farming, more than it ever has.”

He says in the year ending 31 May 2021, the team worked incredibly hard to secure the flow of essential nutrients so that they were available to farmers and growers in the right amount at the right time “Rising shipping prices and risks of supply disruption in a world where global demand for fertilisers is increasing, highlights the value of all the effort to ensure nutrient availability.”

Forecast revenue is $712 million – 5% down on 2020 revenue due mostly to global price rises for raw materials and commodities.

DAIRY NEWS AUGUST 31, 2021

NEWS // 13

Award winners urge farmers to enter THE SUPREME winners of 2020 Ballance Farm Environment Awards Northland region are urging farmers to enter the competition.

Jeff Martin and Helen Linssen, Te Karoa Farms in Kaeo, are telling farmers and growers taking part in the awards is an “incredible experience”.

Helen Linssen says their motivation to enter the awards was to highlight how much work goes on behind the scenes in farming, and to put their local community on the map.

“We’d developed the property using 18-30 years of knowledge. It was a blank canvas, and we were careful to future proof and take in mind the environmental footprint as we worked.

“We wanted to show the public the engine room, the behind the scenes! It also felt like we were showing leadership in our community and putting a spotlight on Kaeo.”

Helen encourages other businesses to enter the awards, even if they don’t think they’re doing anything extraordinary.

“A lot of the time, people are already doing great things, they just don’t realise what they’re doing is great! Entering these awards really made us realise how much of

Jeff Martin and Helen Linssen, Te Karoa Farms in Kaeo, say taking part in the awards is an “incredible experience”.

what we were doing was taking us in the right direction.”

Robin Nitschke, a keen committee member and winner of several of the awards in 2018 also highlights the benefit to businesses to have an independent judge give feedback on your property.

“I knew it would have a big benefit for us, our business was assessed from a fresh set of eyes.

“The report came through and we hadn’t picked up on a few of the comments and we made improvements. It was really valuable having your operation assessed by independent people. It was also great promotion

for our orchard and business and so valuable for ongoing growth.”

Entries are now open for the 2021 Northland Ballance Farm Environment Awards.

All farmers and horticulturists, including orchardists, vegetable growers and viticulturists, within the geographic area covered by the Northland Regional Council are eligible to enter until October 15. The first round of judging takes place in November.

Farmers and growers can enter online at www. bfea.org.nz or contact regional coordinator Ellie Ball at northland@bfea. org.nz or 09 430 3109 ext 6.

‘Future-focused’ farmers sought DAIRYNZ IS urging “future-focused” farmers to consider standing in its upcoming board election.

Sitting director Jacqueline Rowarth is retiring by rotation after serving three years on the board. She is seeking re-election.

Nominations must be received by the Returning Officer by noon on Friday, September 3.

In a statement DairyNZ says farmers with a strong interest in supporting the sector’s success are encouraged to apply for a position on DairyNZ’s board.

DairyNZ chair Jim van der Poel says the past year has presented its own set of challenges for farmers and the sector, including workforce shortages, regulatory change and extreme weather events. “Our farmers are currently the most sustainable milk producers in the world and have made significant

progress to prepare for the future, but farmers are operating in a challenging climate,” says van der Poel.

“DairyNZ is in a unique position to support dairy farmers with leading research and science, and to advocate on behalf of farmers to influence future policy changes.”

The DairyNZ board oversees the industry-good body’s strategy, which guides future investments into a range of programmes, including industry research and development; sustainable farming; promoting careers in dairy; advocating for farmers and monitoring the strategy’s delivery.

“The DairyNZ team are dedicated to helping farmers face upcoming challenges and continue improving their businesses to prosper,” says van der Poel. @dairy_news facebook.com/dairynews

TO ALL FARMERS. FOR ALL FARMERS. www.ruralnewsgroup.co.nz

RURAL NEWS TO ALL FARMERS, FOR ALL FARMERS

HORTNEWS

DAIRY NEWS AUGUST 31, 2021

14 // OPINION RUMINATING

EDITORIAL

What is driving research in NZ?

MILKING IT...

Side effects A RECENT side effect of the misinformation easily spread on Facebook is a spike in reports of poisoning due to ingestion of ivermectin meant for livestock. Among the many myths circulating about Covid-19 – including falsehoods like microchips in vaccines; vaccinated people being dangerous etc – is a belief that ivermectin is suitable to treat and prevent Covid.

Not equipped to properly assess online sources when ‘doing their own research’, many in Mississippi have ingested ivermectin approved only for livestock. The State’s department of health warns that animal drugs are highly concentrated for large animals and can be highly toxic to humans, which the label no doubt also advises.

Takeover rumours LISTED NEW Zealand company the a2 Milk Company – once a darling of the stock exchange – is the subject of takeover rumours.

Australian media reports that the world’s largest dairy company Nestlé is eyeing the underfire manufacturer of A2protein milk. a2 Milk’s market capitalisation had fallen from $16.1 billion to $4.7b over the past year. As the pandemic disrupted sales of its infant formula to Chinese consumers through the daigou channel, falling infant births in China and excess supply of its products also curbed consumer demand. The company had struggled to get on top of these challenges which resulted in it downgrading its earnings guidance four times in nine months.

The takeover rumour though has boosted the share price.

Taste trickery?

THE WORLD’S fourth largest dairy company Danone is spending more money to spruce up its vegan dairy offerings in a bid to boost sales.

It plans to launch new technology: ‘plant-based 2.0’ under the company’s current plant-based milk brands as Silk NextMilk and So Delicious Wondermilk in the US, and Alpro Not Milk in Europe.

Danone says it wants to make key improvements to the taste and texture of its products so that they appeal to the majority of consumers who don’t currently purchase plantbased milk beverages.

It points out that 60% of consumers are still not buying vegan milk products, the barrier being primarily product taste and product texture.

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The cows are back TWENTY-ONE years ago, about 500 fibreglass cows decorated by artists, celebrities and schoolchildren were placed around New York City.

The vibrantly colourful cows ‘grazed’ in parks and on pavements, where tourists snapped photos, children clamoured to climb up on them and thieves plotted attentiongetting heists. The cows are back but this time watched by security guards and cameras.

Last week, 78 fibreglass cows were settled in eight locations in the city, mostly where they can be watched 24/7.

The company in charge of the public art exhibition, CowParade, did not want a repeat of the events of 2000, when cows were defaced with graffiti, had their ears cut off or disappeared from their podiums. In one case, two young men were in the process of loading a painted cow into their Jeep on West Houston Street when the police arrived.

THE POLITICS of science or is it the science of politics that is driving research in New Zealand?

So often we hear the call for more hard science on which to base decisions or regulations – the cries are almost deafening at times.

Yet it seems that often the real crunchy hard science is being ignored or watered down and replaced in some instances by pseudo or false science which is easily accessible on the internet, social media and some books. Science is often manipulated or selected to justify a political decision.

It’s no secret that certain pieces of science are sometimes deliberately excluded from a report to achieve a certain outcome.

Not for one minute should one say that science must always have the last word and that society as a whole should be excluded from having a say. Democracy is about weighing up the options and making decisions that are best for society.

At the moment, the primary sector is seeing the inner scientific workings of the software tool Overseer which is widely used, by the dairy industry in particular, come under some intense scrutiny. Overseer has doubtless much to offer as a tool to help farmers measure nitrogen loss.

But it’s become obvious in the past week or so that the wisdom of the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment, Simon Upton, along with countless farmers and consultants, has at last been vindicated.

The Science Advisory Panel that have recently reviewed Overseer for first time in its long history were finally able to access the science on which this tool is based.

Others, such as industrial mathematician Graeme Wake have for years being saying that Overseer is flawed as a regulatory tool.

This begs the question, why hasn’t it been properly reviewed before now? Who stopped this? Did the owners of Overseer – AgResearch, MPI and the Fertiliser Association – honestly believe their product was fit for purpose as a regulatory tool to police water quality? According to Graeme Wake, Overseer is overly simplistic, relies on averages and has mathematical flaws.

That’s damning stuff to go alongside the science panel’s 70 page report.

Overseer is arguably an embarrassment. In regional plans there is embedded a tool that is now deemed unfit for regulatory purposes. Why? – Peter Burke

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DAIRY NEWS AUGUST 31, 2021

OPINION // 15

Why the rush with regulations?

BARBARA KURIGER

THE PACE of regulatory

change for rural communities has been relentless under the current government.

It’s the concern I hear most when I move among them around the country and speak with rural advocacy groups.

It’s the reason why Groundswell NZ founders, Otago farmers Bryce McKenzie and Laurie Paterson, organised a tractor protest in Gore against the National Policy Statement on Freshwater in November.

The group’s overwhelming national support since then led to the Howl of a Protest’ on July 16.

Agricultural and horticultural communities aren’t the types to jump up and down, so when

they take to the streets in their thousands, you can bet there’s a reason.

Labour is raining regulations down on Rural NZ. Since 2017, the Government has introduced a raft of rules drafted by people who obviously have no connection to rural communities at all, let alone stepped on a farm.

And it shows.

For the uninitiated, the list includes the National Policy Statement on Freshwater changed

by Labour in 2020; the National Policy Statement on Indigenous Biodiversity, the push for councils to enforce the Significant Natural Areas policy; climate change response proposals which are incentivising land change use and lucrative incomes as large areas of farmland are put under trees; the Crown Pastoral

The rush of Government regulations has given rise to farmer protest groups like Groundswell NZ, says Barbara Kuriger (inset).

Land Reform Bill affecting South Island high country farmers; the Clean Car package — aka the ‘Ute Tax’ — to incentivise the greater use of electric vehicles.

Then there’s the latest — the Water Services Bill — where the Government is, with its new water regulator Taumata Arowai, aiming to register about 70,000 rural water schemes across the land,

each of which will require safety and risk management plans.

The bill will also affect holiday homeowners sharing a bore, marae and subdivision water schemes.

National managed to secure some concessions during the Select Committee process re this last bill, but we’re fearful of the compliance costs and administration burdens this will create for farmers

and growers, while any supposed safety gains will be minimal.

So we’ll be voting against it and have launched a petition we’d like you to sign — www. national.org.nz/stop-raining-regs-on-rural-nz.

But this is just a sample of the range the Government wants imbedded in law.

It does not include other proposals sweep-

ing the country like Three Waters, freshwater farm plans and winter grazing regulations so unworkable they have been postponed until May 2022.

Some of my sample list is being enacted under the Resource Management Act, which the Government is dumping in favour of three others.

So why the rush?

Has the Government not drafted legislation which tackles all their concerns?

The biggest thing missing from all of these legislative changes is consultation with the communities they affect.

No-one’s bothered to ask, prior to committing pen to paper, as to whether any of the regulations are warranted and workable.

A lot of them purport to tackle climate change and protect our unique

environments.

But these broad brush sweeps do not include regional/local differences or support the hundreds of grassroots initiatives, catchment, conservation and land care groups that have been working well for years, if not decades.

Nor do they consider the voluntary work done by rural communities, farmers and private landowners, who have already placed thousands of hectares under covenants.

The common-sense thing is for the Government to do is… stop!

Take one piece of whatever you want to do Labour and talk to the people affected first.

Then you might be able to draft something that makes sense to everyone.

• Barbara Kuriger is National MP for TaranakiKing Country

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DAIRY NEWS AUGUST 31, 2021

16 // AGRIBUSINESS

Mobile app developer changing hands SOFTWARE SPECIALIST Company–X

is acquiring advertising agency Hot Mustard’s mobile app developing business.

The acquisition on September 1 comes after Hot Mustard’s Sales App Centre managing director Paul Bell sought Company-X out.

“We were a specialist software company focused on agribusiness with a small team looking for an opportunity to work with a larger development company with more expertise and resources,” Bell says.

“One of the reasons we approached Company-X is that it has some agribusiness clients, and a very good understanding of the

agribusiness sector.”

DeLaval, the worldwide leader in milking equipment and solutions, is a long-term Company-X client. Company-X built a

global e-learning solution for DeLaval. Company-X used the text to voice editor it built, Voxcoda, to provide narration in multiple languages.

Sales App Centre was incorporated in March 2012 and developed the first mobile apps for Ballance Agri Nutrients, DairyNZ and Zespri International.

“We specialise in apps for agribusiness,” Bell said. “Including a lot of farmer-facing apps that need to work in the field where there is no internet connectivity.”

Other Sales App Centre clients include CRV Ambreed, Farmlands Co-op Society, Giltrap Engineering and Primary ITO. CompanyX will assume responsibility for app and systems development, including the associated databases and application programming interface (APIs).

New executive appointment

Hot Mustard’s new business unit Hum will retain responsibility for website development.

Bell said Sales App Centre clients could only benefit from the acquisition, as they will be working with a larger, better resourced, broadly experienced team, with a proven software development track record. CompanyX also had comprehensive testing and support services.

Company-X co-founder and director Jeremy Hughes says while Hot Mustard’s key strength is media and design, having Company-X own the software development space lets the two companies work to their respective strengths.

FONTERRA HAS appointed Kate Daly as managing director people & culture.

Daly joined the co-operative earlier this year as director HR chief operating officer (COO) and as a member of the people & culture lead team.

Fonterra CEO Miles Hurrell says COO is the engine room of the co-op with around 12,000 employees in manufacturing, supply chain, innovation, IT, sustainability, technical excellence and global qual- Kate Daly ity and safety.

“Kate has hit the ground running and has already made a difference during an important time as the co-op has continued to deliver on its strategy at a time of significant global uncertainty.

“Kate is an experienced people leader and is passionate about creating the environment where people can develop and thrive and where inclusion and diversity is a key focus.

“We are very lucky to have someone of Kate’s calibre and experience and I’m looking forward to her contributing to the co-op in her new role.”

She will report to Hurrell and will be a member of the Fonterra management team.

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DAIRY NEWS AUGUST 31, 2021

MANAGEMENT // 17

Bouncing back after two seasons of major flooding AFTER TWO seasons of

extreme flooding, Taieri dairy farmer James Aitken says he is finally on track to have his best season ever.

He and wife Celia have been on their 90ha dairy farm for the past 10 years and have battled the region’s often-wet conditions and heavy soils.

“Twice in the last few seasons we have been under water or have had serious floods come through. It’s an ongoing battle to keep the drains clear and pumped out but it’s just part of where we farm.”

Just 30 minutes from Dunedin, the couple farm 240 cows; just over half their herd are Holstein Friesians, and about 100 of them are registered.

James says after doing around 430kgMS per cow they are on track to deliver 460kgMS per cow this season. He puts it down to kinder weather this season.

“I’d love to be able to say it’s the cows, but after the last two seasons it really is the weather.

This year we got a good soaking in early January, but it has stayed pretty dry since then. We’re in a bit of a green drought at the moment.”

The couple moved onto the farm 10 years ago. James had been working in hospitality on the Gold Coast and knew he wanted to return home and give dairy farming a go. Celia moved back to New Zealand and initially worked for a software company in Dunedin before they started having children.

Farm facts ■

Owners: James & Celia Aitken trading as The Poplars Dairy Co Ltd

■

Location: Taieri Plains, Otago

■

Farm size: 90ha

■

Cows: 240 cows about 60% Holstein Friesian

■

Production: 460kgMS average

■

Stud name: Airdrie

The couple have two boys, Harvey (9) and Carlos (6) and Celia has since launched an online fashion store for women, Harlos.co.nz.

James says when he came back to New Zealand, he initially picked up work at Busybrook Holsteins with Nathan Bayne.

It was there he was reintroduced to dairy farming, breeding and a passion

for herd improvement.

“It’s nice to be getting up at 5am now to go milking instead of going to bed at 6am when I was working nightclubs on the Gold Coast,” James says.

Their herd was put together with carry-over cows and R2 heifers purchased from throughout New Zealand back in 2011.

James says he has focused on continuing to breed

Taieri farmers James and Celia Aitken, with children Harvey (9) and Carlos (6), are heading for one of their best seasons on their farm.

from some of his better Holstein Friesian lines.

The herd is milked twice a day before moving to milking three times in two days around March.

By May, they are once-aday and then dry off in mid-to-late May. The main herd is wintered at a family runoff in Middlemarch and James’ R2s are brought home to winter on the milking

platform.

James says his breeding decisions have been directed towards breeding from Holstein Friesian bulls, but has started finding it harder to find New Zealand bulls he wants to use.

“With rump angles becoming a trait I’m working on improving, I’m finding it increasingly difficult to

find New Zealand bulls with positive rump traits,” he says.

“You go through the catalogues and it’s hard to find anything now that doesn’t go back to Fairmont Mint-Edition, Telesis Euon Firenze or San Ray FM Beamer-ET S2F. I’ve started using a small amount of overseas bulls to bring in some new genetics.”

The herd starts calving in the last week of July and will be done by the first week of October. James says this year they completed five weeks of AI and then put their own Friesian bulls out for another five weeks, reducing his calving spread to 10 weeks.

He rears all his replacement heifers, and any bull calves are reared through to 100kg for the beef market.

James says they classify their three-year-olds every year; his father Denis Aitken is a TOP Inspector with a passion for breeding Holstein Friesians.

The herd has about six excellent cows, most of them older cows, by MintEdition or Firenze.

James says he classifies his heifers because it helps him identify where the faults in his herd are and he can make breeding decisions based on that.

“I know I have a problem with rump angle and wide front teats so that’s something we’re focusing on, along with fertility and production,” he says.

“I guess you do it to try and get the perfect cow – that’s what everyone wants, isn’t it?”

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DAIRY NEWS AUGUST 31, 2021

18 // MANAGEMENT

Wetlands could combat nitrates THE WAIMAKARIRI

Water Zone Committee in Canterbury is considering a pilot wetlands project which would aim to reduce nitrate, phosphorous, sedimentation

and E. coli levels in local waterways, while improving biodiversity in the district.

This follows a recent presentation on the benefits of integrated con-

structed wetlands by wetland scientist Dr Michelle McKeown of science and engineering consultancy Wallbridge Gilbert Aztec (WGA).

An integrated con-

structed wetland is an engineered water treatment system that uses vegetation and microbes in the soil to treat water from farms and other sources, while also inte-

The size of each wetland is determined by the level of contaminants entering the land area.

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Sheep milk demand soars.

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PAGE 21

Farmers welcome sale of loss-making China Farms. PAGE 3 NEW CHAIR COMPACT ALLR0UNDER Coull takes reigns PAGE 16

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TO ALL FARMERS, FOR ALL FARMERS OCTOBER 20, 2020: ISSUE 712

www.ruralnews.co.nz OCTOBER 13, 2020

Payout lifts

ISSUE 457 // www.dairynews.co.nz

GOOD NEWS PETER BURKE

SUDESH KISSUN sudeshk@ruralnews.co.nz

THE FORECAST milk payout for this season has gone up by 40c and Fonterra farmers can thank Chinese consumers.

The co-operative last week announced a new range of $6.30 to $7.30/kgMS with a new midpoint of $6.80/kgMS. The revised forecast comes just a month after Fonterra announced its annual results.

BNZ senior economist Doug Steel told Rural News that he’s not surprised by Fonterra’s announcement, as “underlying tones” in the dairy markets have been improving in recent weeks.

In the latest Global Dairy Trade (GDT) auction, the price of flagship whole milk powder price topped US$3,000/metric tonne. The New Zea-

land dollar has also stabilised.

Steel says a stable NZ dollar and strong demand for WMP normally provides upward pressure on the payout.

However, he says the wide range of Fonterra’s forecast payout means “anything could still happen”.

“There’s a wide range of possible outcomes, we are seeing so much

Crisis looms Growers are warning of looming “significant price rises” for fruits and vegetables thanks to the Government’s refusal to allow overseas workers into the country for harvesting and packhouse duties.

Pukekohe’s Hira Bhana and Co Ltd say their business grows a lot of spring crops and needs overseas labour to supplement permanent workers like Taniela Vaioleti, (pictured) who was helping harvest lettuce on one of their farms last week. Growers fear that unharvested crops will lead to shortages and price hikes.

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uncertainty lingering around...anything could still happen, but for now we are seeing better prices.”

Steel says New Zealand’s close attachment to China, especially in terms of selling them dairy products, is paying dividends.

“They were first in, first out of Covid and the strong demand for

WMP there gives us hope going forward.”

Fonterra chief executive Miles Hurrell says the stronger 2020-21 milk price forecast is largely being driven by improved demand in China. He says at a $6.80 milk price, more than $10 billion would flow into regional New Zealand.

peterb@ruralnews.co.nz

NEW ZEALAND’S sheep and beef farms are already close to being carbon neutral and Beef+Lamb NZ believes this strengthens calls for the formal recognition of on-farm sequestration.

A study led by Dr Bradley Case at Auckland University of Technology (AUT) estimates the woody vegetation on New Zealand sheep and beef farms is offsetting between 63 and 118% of their on-farm agricultural emissions.

B+LNZ chief insight officer Jeremy Baker says the study was initiated as a result of a report last year, which showed that there were about 1.4 million hectares of woody vegetation on sheep and beef farms.

He says they wanted to understand how much of that was still sequestering carbon and at what level.

“The problem with the ETS scheme is that it is based on planting pines and is very much for the short term and gives a quick hit for carbon sequestration,” he says. “Whereas natives take a lot longer to sequester because they are slower growing but they are there for a longer period and they are also biologically and ecologically more secure.”

Report author Bradley Case says there is a strong case for farmers to get credit for the sequestration happening on their farms.

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grating the wetland structure into the surrounding landscape fabric.

These wetlands, which have been used in Ireland, the USA, and the UK since around 2007, act as a biofilter to remove suspended solids, pathogens, and nutrients from waterways.

Waimakariri Zone Committee chair Michael Blackwell says he is excited by the potential of integrated constructed wetlands to improve rivers and streams, and to be incorporated with the vision of Te Mana o te Wai as a vehicle for the community to work together on improving water quality.

“Wetlands are the kidneys of our ecosystem, and we’ve already lost over 90% of our wetlands across New Zealand. It’s important to think outside the box to reduce contaminants and increase biodiversity values.

“We can also learn from current projects underway elsewhere in Canterbury, including the Whakaora Te Ahuriri project near Lake Ellesmere, which will create a constructed wetland at Ahuriri Lagoon to improve mahinga kai, water quality and biodiversity values.”

Blackwell describes the concept as a “reanimation” of the landscape using an approach that not only integrates ecologists, soil scientists, hydrologists, and engineers but also the community.

People can have an active input into what they would like the space to be used for recreationally, while also delivering key environmental benefits to society. Constructed wetlands do not provide all the benefits of a natural wetland but in areas where wetlands have been completely

lost, they can provide an alternative to traditional wastewater treatment plants.

“We facilitate natural processes through an engineered ecosystembased approach, which act as landscape kidneys to filter nutrients from water, which is carried out by vegetation and microorganisms living in the soil.

“These systems can also act to sequester carbon through capturing and storing atmospheric carbon dioxide in their highly organic soils.

The carbon is essentially locked into the system.

Their carbon sequestration potential works in a similar way to forests and there is a real potential that these integrated constructed wetlands could qualify for carbon credits in the same way forests do.”

Blackwell says spending an adequate amount of time on planning and research cannot be underestimated when it comes to designing a successful integrated constructed wetland. Factors such as the size of the wetland and land type are key, plus ensuring any development does not have adverse impacts.

“You need to spend a good amount of time consulting with the community, experts and iwi and get everyone to decide on the purpose and use of the wetland area.

“The size of each wetland is determined by the level of contaminants entering the land area. You need the right amount of land to purify the contaminated water.

Through a series of interconnected wetland cells, that mimic marsh wetlands, you can achieve a reduction in contaminant levels.

“The wetland cells should ideally be on flat land.”

DAIRY NEWS AUGUST 31, 2021

ANIMAL HEALTH // 19

Jerseys pull their weight JERSEY COWS are not normally syn-

onymous with high input systems, but one farming couple are proving that Jerseys can hold their own under any system.

Paul and Christine Frecklington milk just over 1,000 cows across two farms at Tangimoana in the Manawatu.

The herds average around 617 kgMS/ cow, but the smaller herd has produced up to 670kgMS in good seasons.

While the production figures are impressive in their own right, the numbers are even more remarkable when you take into account that the herd liveweight is around 500 kg/cow. At that weight, the cows are producing more than 1.2 times their liveweight, with the top cows producing in excess of 900kgMS – more than 1.8 times their liveweight.

The couple says it has been a journey to achieve these results. Early on in their farming career they found it frustrating being at the mercy of the weather and other variables beyond their control.

“We had good quality genetics that were capable of high production but they milked off their backs and it

Paul & Christine Frecklington with farm manager, Hayden Bishop

was a struggle to keep them in condition through wet winters or summer droughts.”

The lightbulb moment for the couple was at a conference in Bali back in 1993 when they heard Te Awamutubased consultant Sue Macky present.

She talked about how better cow nutrition would improve production and cow health and allow farmers to max-

imise the potential of good genetics.

“Sue told us that how you feed your cows two weeks before and two weeks after calving was critical to set the cow up for the season,” says Paul.

Since then, feeding their herd well, lifting weaning weights for calves, and growing young stock to target liveweights has become a focus of the Frecklington’s business.

“When we go on tours with Jersey groups, everyone looks at the cows. I look at the management systems and the way they are fed. I have learned a lot from Australian and American systems and taken the best of that and applied it to our own business,” says Paul.

The farm is run as a system 5 with around 70 hectares of maize grown on a support block, and a small amount of soya-PKE blend purchased in as well as some barley straw.

Paul says that having the farm virtually self-contained in terms of feed insulates them from price fluctuations.

One farm has a herd home and the other a feed pad to maximise utilisation of feed, while also protecting pastures in wetter weather.

Despite using high levels of supplementary feeds, Paul says good pasture management is critical to their success.

“From September to December we mow paddocks pre-grazing to make it easier for the cows to consume more and maintain pasture quality. We also re-grass 10-15% of the farm annually.

“We are fortunate to have a farm manager who is highly knowledgeable

in this area and he is involved in trialling different pasture species on farm,” says Paul.

Also vital to the herd’s success is the quality of their young stock.

Calves are weaned at around 100kg and fed meal to support their continued growth.

“We manage all of our young stock ourselves and are very proud of how our heifers are grown out.”

Paul has farmed both Jerseys and crossbreds in his career and considers himself a commercial farmer.

“I don’t have any breed preference just whatever is profitable, but Christine loves Jerseys.

“Christine grew up with parents who were Jersey breeders, and when we married she bought a purebred Jersey with her. That animal formed the foundation of our Cartref Jersey stud.”

The herd is mostly overseas genetics but Paul believes that the production is also possible from quality New Zealand genetics.

The couple’s surplus calves are in high demand with most being sold as natural mating sires or as heifer replacements in other herds.

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DAIRY NEWS AUGUST 31, 2021

20 // ANIMAL HEALTH

Sustainability of maize silage NEW ZEALAND

research and farmer practice shows that pasture-based dairy systems supported by maize silage can be highly profitable.

I have written about this topic extensively in the past.

There is an increasing amount of data that shows maize silage sys-

tems are not only good for profit but that they are also good for the environment.

I have previously written about the fact that maize is a deep rooting plant capable of drawing nutrients from depth and that because it produces high dry matter yields, it has a relatively

high demand for nitrogen (N). In fact, every tonne of maize silage drymatter harvested removes 12-13kg of N from the soil.

Until recently, we were lacking robust New Zealand data on N-loss under a maize silage, catch crop system. Because there is increasing regulatory pressure on farmers to

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reduce nitrogen losses to water, we felt that it was important to address this.

My colleague Dr Rowland Tsimba and the rest of the Pioneer research team set up a trial specifically designed to measure N loss from a maize silage/winter catch crop system.

The trial began in the spring 2018 and was designed as a randomised complete block design.

The plots had maize growing in them over summer, followed by four winter catch crop treatments (fallow, oats, oats + annual ryegrass, annual ryegrass). Nitrogen loss from these plots was measured using an elaborate (and expensive) ceramic sampling cup system and lysimeters placed below the plots at 70cm and 120cm depth.

The results of this trial are shown in the graph below.

What have we learnt from the trial?

Catch crops work.

The ryegrass and oats catch crop treatments showed a 90% reduction in N loss when compared to the fallow treatment.

Catch crops reduce N-leaching. Catch crops need water and nitrogen to grow. They help reduce N-leaching by using soil nitrogen and water. The water is used for transpiration and this reduces drainage.

The depth at which you measure N-loss under maize is important. Because maize is a

deep-rooted plant, 70cm (the standard measurement depth for pasture plants) is too shallow to measure N loss from maize silage catch crop systems. In the Pioneer trials the N loss at 70cm was 3.5 times greater than that measured at 120cm.

How deep can maize roots go?

For most of my career, I have parroted what I was told when I first started working with maize, namely that maize roots grow to two thirds the height of the plant.

Pioneer’s research team wanted to see whether this “fact” was accurate, and they so built a rhizotron to measure maize rooting depth. A rhizotron is a tall box of soil which has a perspex front closed off by doors to exclude light.

The researchers planted maize at the top of the box and root depth was measured weekly. A week after tasselling, the maize roots had reached the bottom of the box…

3.8 metres deep!

Those who read my column regularly know how important good science is to me. This is great science which will be peer reviewed and published. We plan to use it to help drive the development of sustainable farming systems. There is more to come, so watch this space.

• Ian Williams is a Pioneer forage specialist. Contact him at iwilliams@genetics.co.nz

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DAIRY NEWS AUGUST 31, 2021

MACHINERY & PRODUCTS // 21

Upgrades for precision seed drills around the corner ARABLE SPECIALIST

Lemken has announced several upgrades to its Azurit 10 precision seed drill, available as early as next month.

Alongside the existing four, six and eight-row

variants that offer row spacings of 70 to 80cm, the new Azurit is also available in six or twelve row formats with a 50cm row spacing.

Upgrades include a furrow former that has

been added to the seeding coulters to improve the quality of seed placement, while drilling pipes have been fitted with an inlet liner, which can be easily replaced when worn.

Another new feature

Lemken says its Azurit 10 precision seed drill is facing an imminent upgrade that will offer bigger row spacings and formats.

is automatic seed singling for maize, with a system that monitors and adjusts the quality of seed singling. It is available as a retrofit to older machines, while a new fertiliser

monitoring system automatically alerts the operator if individual fertiliser coulters become blocked.

The company also offers the option of the MicroHub 5, a spreader

unit allows microgranules to be applied in the direct vicinity of seeds. These microgranules contain water-soluble nutrients, which are rapidly available to plants, so are particu-

larly useful in the early stages of crop development. The initial nutrient requirements of fledgling crops can be easily covered by relatively small amounts of microgranules, said to be particularly important in cold, dry spring seasons.

Available for machines with up to eight rows, MicroHub 5 is controlled via the Azurit on-board terminal.

The system has a capacity of 200 litres of fertiliser, which can currently be applied at rates from 1 to 40 kilos per hectare. The metering unit is operated electrically and delivers granules pneumatically to the seed furrow. www.lemken.com

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DAIRY NEWS AUGUST 31, 2021

22 // NEWS

Bigger diet feeder range KUHN HAS added triple vertical auger models to its cross conveyor equipped range of diet feeders.

The three vertical augers, along with the polygonal shape of the hopper interior, are specifically designed to achieve rapid break-up of whole bales, while the seven knives with asymmetric teeth are said to deliver a self-cleaning effect. The auger knives work in conjunction with two fixed counter knives for faster chopping and optimum mixing.

All Euromix 3 CL models are fitted with an anti-overflow ring at the top of the hopper, that helps prevent the loss of coarse and fibrous fodder during the chopping phases.

Unloading is via a large discharge hatch to

The three vertical augers, along with the polygonal shape of the hopper interior, are specifically designed to achieve rapid break-up of whole bales.

the right or left of the machine onto a broad cross-conveyor with a hydraulic motor at each end. The PVC belt struc-

ture of the conveyor ensures a quiet and efficient feed-out and easy maintenance.

Rear discharge is also

available as an option, to the right or left side of the machine.

Euromix 3 CL models have a programmable

weighing system as standard, allowing pre-set mixing times, storage of ingredients and rations in the system memory, and

the accurate control of rationing.

Kuhn’s Intellimix advanced mixer control system, available as

an option on all models, works via a continuously variable transmission that is integrated into the tractor controls through the ISOBUS system. This allows a reduction in start-up torque by up to 50%, automatically changing the auger speeds in response to loading, while also optimising the use of power throughout the mixing and feeding process.

With opening and closing of the hopper door automatically triggering the switch between automix and auto-feed modes, and with auger speed able to be pre-set in relation to varying conditions in the hopper, the operation is fully automated and requires no operator intervention. www.kuhn.co.nz @dairy_news facebook.com/dairynews

EIGHTEEN LITRES MEANS LESS FUEL BURNED MARK DANIEL markd@ruralnews.co.nz

JOHN DEERE has signalled the latest additions to its self-propelled forage range with the 9500i and 9600i models.

Producing 700 and 750hp respectively, both are fitted with the new in-house, 18 litre in-line 6-cylinder engine, said to fill a gap in the range, with 10% lower fuel costs per tonne harvested, compared with current V12 Liebherr equipped models.

The engines feature HarvestMotion Plus which delivers more torque as engine revs reduce, while

pushing peak power outputs to 766 and 787hp respectively as engines drop to 1,350rpm.

Besides replacing the previous V12 engine, the two new foragers are fitted with a wider 850mm chopping cylinder, a reinforced drive train, a strengthened mainframe and a 20cm longer discharge spout. The configuration is said to offer users a slightly smaller machine, but with the power density of the larger V12 equipped models.

Kernel Processers take the form of the current standard saw-tooth design or the spiral grooved X-Cut options, each available with the Dura Line HD coating for durabil-

ity and an extended service life.

Both machines are available with the John Deere Intelligent Solutions Group (ISG) precision farming systems, that include HarvestLab 300NIR for yield, moisture and constituent measurement, while also allowing AutoLoc, automated length of chop adjustment based on Dry Matter content. Other options include AutoTrac automated steering, Machine Sync to control the position and speed of trailers and AutoFill for precise trailer filling to maximise loads and reduce driver strain.

Expects machines to start hitting paddocks in 2022.

John Deere has signalled the latest additions to its self-propelled forage range.

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TAKE TIME BEFORE YOU SIGN

PLANNING YOUR NEXT DAIRY PARTNERSHIP. As you progress, it pays to have good people on your side to help with due diligence.

DairyNZ, Federated Farmers and the team at FMG are here to help so that your sharemilking and contract milking relationships can be the successful business partnership that you intend it to be. Check out DairyNZ’s ‘Progressing Farmer Checklist’ at and have a chat with your FMG Adviser to help you understand your insurance options and provide you with risk advice to help you establish a successful partnership.

You can download the DairyNZ checklist here at dairynz.co.nz/progressing-farmers Pictured: Sophia & Bert Vanden Bogaard (Sharemikers), Ben & Fieke Meyer (Farm owners) and FMG Senior Rural Manager Candice Batty.

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