Dairy News 23 August 2022 by Rural News Group

$10/kgMS still on the cards? PAGE 3 HEALTHRURAL Call betterforaccess PAGE 14 ALL IN FAMILYTHE Fourth generation PAGE 22-23 M5-1 ROPS ITWILLTHETHEWHATEVERTASKM5GETDONE. NOW AVAILABLE IN A NEW NON-CABIN VERSION. CONTACT YOUR LOCAL KUBOTA DEALER TO FIND OUT MORE. KUBOTA.CO.NZ SERIES 93-110HP M5POWER PERFORMTOKUBOTAM5SERIES Geoff and Rochelle Spark wins award for building connections between ‘town and country’, and sharing property with the wider community for farm visits . PAGE 12-13 OPEN GATE POLICY

KINGST_1900_LIC_DN_A

There's always room for improvement

Our Premier Sires ® teams have been expertly chosen to help you accelerate your rates of genetic gain. While our Sexed team provides a 90% chance of generating heifer replacements from your best cows. And every gain you make filters through the national database, building herd insights, and empowers other farmers to make better decisions for the next generation. Talk to your Agri Manager today about farming for the next generation. Farm smarter with Premier Sires.

Every generation. Better. Our farms and our futures depend on us farming smarter. We have reached peak cow numbers and the nation is calling for better cows. Cows that can generate more milk, more efficiently. Cows that can produce more milk solids with less liveweight. Cows that can better utilise nutrients with lower nitrogen and methane outputs.

DAIRY NEWS AUGUST 23, 2022 NEWS // 3 NEWS 3-14 AGRIBUSINESS 16-17 OPINION 18-19 MANAGEMENT 20-21 ANIMAL HEALTH 22-23 MACHINERY & PRODUCTS 24-27 Pause Three Waters!. PG.07 More bang for your buck. PG.21 Green bull to the rescue. PG.10 $10 milk price still on the cards?

THE FORECAST farmgate milk price is being tipped to hold ground despite plummeting prices on Global Dairy Trade (GDT). Analysts expect prices to rebound as dry conditions in Europe hit milk production in one of the biggest milk producing regions in the world. New Zealand milk production is also expected to take a hit due to adverse weather conditions. Also helping prop up the milk price is a weaker New Zealand dollar and demand recovering in China after Covid lockdowns end in major cities.ASB is still sticking to its ambi tious forecast milk price of a record $10/kgMS for this season. ASB economist Nat Keall notes that prices have had a correction over NZ’s autumn and winter, but the fundamentals continue to sug gest prices will regain ground over the coming months. The whole milk powder price indices have slid 30% since the beginning of March, pushing the overall GDT index lower by a sim ilar“Butmagnitude.that’snot dissimilar to the trajectory we saw last season, where prices staged a recovery over the spring and summer,” Keall points out.“There’s no guarantee history will repeat, but it’s a reason to be cau tious and focus on broader demand and supply dynamics for signals.” On that front, the global produc tion outlook continues to look weak. Keall says output among the major EU producers has been very poor through the typical peak pro duction months. NZ milk production isn’t faring well“It’seither.hard to have confidence in the local production outlook at this point in the season, but we suspect buyers who are hoping for a bumper NZ season to act as an offset may well be disappointed in our view,” he says.Keall expects NZ production fin ishing the season down 1-2% on 2021/22 based on where pasture growth is trending and the likelihood feed supply will remain constrained. “We’re still sceptical any easing in dairy demand will be enough to offset the price impact of that tight supply outlook as the season wears on – the outlook for global growth isn’t that “Beyondpoor.that, the NZD remains another substantial bolster to our forecast.“Weexpect Fonterra to end up with an effective exchange rate around 65 cents, which would rep resent the most favourable effective rate for at least the past dozen sea sons.”Westpac is also sticking to its fore cast milk price of $9.25/kgMS but adds that there are down ward risks. Senior agri economist Nathan Penny also notes that global dairy supply remains very weak.

“We continue to expect Chinese demand to rebound over coming months as Covid restrictions ease further and policy stimulus takes hold.“On that basis, and overall prices are down 29%. But he points out prices were extraordinarily high in March. “In annual change terms, the price decline is a more modest 3.5% for overall prices and 9.8% for WMP prices.“And looking over a longer period, the prices from over night sit 3.4% and 2.7% above the five-year all and WMP KISSUN sudeshk@ruralnews co nz

SUDESH

• Hydraulic Subsoiler legs with working depths from 100-350mm to suit all types of compaction layer depths with quick change points.

TRIBUTES FLEW last week at the official farewell in Wellington for the retiring chair of Dairy Companies Association of New Zealand, Mal colmDiplomatsBailey. from Ireland, the UK and Japan joined an array of senior government officials, parliamentari ans and former trade representatives to honour the outstanding contribu tion of Bailey to the dairy sector and the country as a whole. Also present was the new chair of DCANZ, Matt Bolger, who managed to have a spe cial chat to Ireland’s Ambassador, Peter Ryan, who leaves NZ this week to take up the post of Ambassador to Nigeria. The Bolgers have strong Irish connections.Theguests included Mike Petersen, Tim Groser, Ministry for Primary Industries chief executive Ray Smith, trade negotiator Vangelis Vitalis, DairyNZ chair Jim van der Poel and DairyNZ chief executive Tim Mackle. Also present were National MPs Todd McClay and Barbara Kuriger, Sirma Karapeeva from MIA, Beef+Lamb CEO Sam McIvor along with repre sentatives of the various dairy com panies that make up DCANZ. In paying tribute to her now former boss, DCANZ chief executive Kimberly Crewther said Bailey was very passion ate about the importance of free trade and forthright in his opinions. “In 2000 he was quoted as saying trade protectionism is nuts. Twenty years on he described trade protec tionism as just plain stupid and no one was left in any doubt about what Malcolm thought,” she said. Crewther quoted a top trade offi cial who said, “Malcolm combined all the best qualities that were tradition ally expected from this sector, partic ularly in these challenging times. His determined roll up the sleeves and get the shit done, combined with the real strategic vision and long term think ing”.She said, crucially, Bailey under stood the role that trade plays in NZ’s prosperity by ensuring we can con tinue to deliver high quality primary exports to the world in spite of all the international barriers, direct and indi rect, thrown in our path. “Along with his vision he had the skill to speak plain language and com municate clearly, whether that be [to] Prime Ministers, officials and others in the sector.” – Peter Burke

• Rear flat packer roller with scrapers to leave an aerated consolidated level finish across the full working width.

BAILEY’S SKILL TO SPEAK ‘PLAIN LANGUAGE’

The Sumo Grassland subsoiler improves and revitalises compacted grassland that is suffering from the effects of continual livestock, rainfall and heavy machinery.

Incoming chair of Dairy Companies Association of New Zealand (DCANZ), Matt Bolger. PETER BURKE peterb@ruralnews co nz

MATT THE MAN

facebook@dairy_newscom/dairynews

DAIRY NEWS AUGUST 23, 2022 4 // NEWS

A year later Bolger was back in Fonterra’s head office in Auckland where for five years he worked in a range of roles in strategy then op erations looking at commercialising technology.Thenhewas posted to Chicago for another five years managing some global accounts to the US food sector. He was also running a number of Fonterra’s relationships with some of the global food com panies that were headquartered in Chicago and who had sales teams all round the world. “That was an amazing time because I was working with some great people on the customer side trying to create value for them and… for NZ,” he says. Back in NZ at Fonterra, Bolger worked again on a wide variety of projects including environmental sustainability programmes, digital tools for farmers and different shareholding arrangements.

IT WOULD be grossly unfair to cast Matt Bolger in the mould of his famous father – former Prime Min ister Jim Bolger – because at just 42 he has an enviable CV and string of achievements.Althoughborn in Wellington, Matt Bolger says he and the family spent time on their farm in Te Kuiti and also in Taranaki where father Jim was Whenborn.hisfather was appointed as Ambassador to the US, Matt also went and studied at Georgetown University which prides itself as the nation’s oldest Catholic and Jesuit university, founded in the decade that the US Constitution was signed. It describes itself as a forward-looking, diverse communi ty devoted to social justice, restless inquiry and respect for each per son’s individual needs and talents. It was here that Bolger completed degrees in international business, English literature and Japanese. He also studied in Japan. “When I finished my studies I was looking to stay and work for a period in the US before coming home to NZ, which was always the plan,” he says. “So, I looked around at NZ companies and managed to get a job with Fonterra, which had just been formed and had set up a sales office in Harrisburg Pennsylvania. I was getting out on a plane or on the road every day visiting customers or on the phones or with the supply chain team moving product from NZ around the States.”

Third stage: Sumo’s 760mm multipacker roller with replaceable shoulders leaves a weatherproof level finish in the most challenging soil conditions.

THE DAIRY indus try has been one of New Zealand’s success sto ries, according to the new chair of Dairy Compa nies Association of NZ (DCANZ), Matt Bolger. Currently the Pro Vice Chancellor at Waikato University, Bolger took over the new role from Malcolm Bailey last week. Speaking to Dairy News, Bolger said that the industry has taken the great natural advantage that the country has and applied innovation, tech nology and a lot of hard work while at the same time reaching out to the world and developing some excellent relation ships.“When you look at how different sectors have come through the last couple of years with Covid and the supply chain disruptions, I think they have gone really well,” he says. “There are still a lot of challenges out there but in general I have been pretty impressed at the way they have continued on.”Bolger says there are real geopolitical chal lenges in a world, espe cially when you are dealing with a perishable product that has to be transported over long dis tances.Hesays in such diffi cult times, people often become protectionist and that can lead to trade, supply chain and physical sionsaitsandteredcessfulDCANZonehearelationshipsofhighlightdisruptions.“Thesechallengestheimportancealotofgood,genuinespreadoverlotofdifferentplaces,”says.AccordingtoBolger,ofthereasonshasbeensosucisthatithasfosstrongcollaborationrelationshipsamongmembers.Hesaysit’screatedforumwherediscuscantakeplaceand common ground found, especially on issues such as international trade. Bolger says when things start to get dif ficult, people get anx ious, suspicious of one another and retreat from the world. He says this is quite the wrong thing to do but points out you can’t force your ideas on someone else. “All industries, not just dairy, and the NZ gov ernment have generally worked very well together and have been open and positive in their approach to trade.“This needs to con tinue over the long haul because trade agreements don’t happen overnight. They are built on a lot of things and take a helluva long time,” he says. In a DCANZstatement,saysBolger will bring an important inde pendent perspective and deep knowledge of the New Zealand and global dairy industry to the role.

Bolger takes over as DCANZ chair

CHOOSE A SOLUTION. CHOOSE SUMO. MADE IN THE UK

First stage: Staggered row of subsoiler legs with a maximum working depth of 400mm. (both hydraulic and shear pin protection systems available) Secondary stage: Two rows of 500mm concave discs equipped with triple sealed bearings and Sumo’s famous double drive system giving unrivalled performance when working in adverse conditions.

• Leading row of adjustable individually suspended discs allow minimum disturbance on the pasture surface.

MOUNTED TRIO GLS SUBSOILERAs its name suggests, the Sumo Trio consists of 3 parts to help develop and create an ideal seed bed in all soil conditions.

An issue facing dairy farmers around the country is killing space. Allen says, while there aren’t many cull cows going out in the Waikato, there are problems with booking space for bobby calves. He says there are still staffing prob lems in the works due to Covid and they still haven’t quite finished the lamb kill. Now it’s a case of getting bobby calves killed and, with Silver Fern Farms run ning a booking system, unless farmers book early they have had to hold stock longer on Finally,farm.Allen believes that in the light of new regulations and unpre dictable adverse weather events, farm ers are going to have to review their respective farming systems. He says they are going to have to start thinking about what sort of supplement reserves are needed to manage the dry sum mers. Also, question whether spring or autumn calving is the best option and look at stocking rates. “With all the changes it’s a good idea for farmers to rethink their farm sys tems. But if they do this, they shouldn’t rush into it and make rash decisions, rather they should look at all the options and plan it carefully.” optimism’ among very aware that this is the time year

DAIRY NEWS AUGUST 23, 2022 NEWS // 5

can,”astoarearepeople’swhenheadsdownandjust[tryinggetthrough]bestthey

“So, the work is still being done, the milk is still going into the vat, the cows are still being well cared for, but it just means there are some of our farmers who are working a lot longer hours than we would like to see them working at this time of theSpeightyear.”says that while farmers are work ing longer hours, she does hope that they are taking into account that they will require some downtime when the season starts to wind down.

MORE RAIN could make for very challenging times for dairy farmers, according to AgFirst’s James Allen. He says farmers have consistently told him this is probably the wettest it’s been for five or six years. The challenge he says is that rain and recent frosts are slowing down pasture growth, leaving farmers frustrated and asking what will they do “Theynext.are just running out of options and probably the next two or three weeks is going to be the pinchpoint,” he says. Allen says tight feed supply is a con cern. He says crop yields were reason able but a lot of supplement did get used throughout the autumn. “So we are going to end up in a sit uation where there is virtually no sup plement left in the cupboard – it’s probably not the challenge now but more the challenge for the summer,” he says.Allen says on a positive note we have seen that farmers have been conscious about not pugging paddocks like they might have done a decade ago. He says they have done really well and it’s been largely positive. But he says there have been challenges about emptying efflu ent ponds on to saturated soils and run ning out of storage facilities. He says farmers also appear to be managing winter grazing reasonably well, but says some need to work out if they require consents for this in future. Allen’s key message to farmers in the short term is to stick to some old, basic farming practices. “Stick to old rotation lengths, because while it is tempting to speed up, that can be challenging if you get too quick, too early,” he says. “The other one is, if you are going to use supplements and you’re short of feed now, this is the best time to use supplement because you are going to get the best milksolids response now. So when you have that early lactation, that’s when you need to get to be get ting those cows up and firing,” he says.

One positive, Spei ght says, is that calving rates in terms of num bers have been good, but that too has its downsides with farmers impacted by labour shortages. “It just means that they’ll be keeping longer hours, working harder,” she says. “Particularly with wet weather, there’s all this management farm ers need to do in order to avoid pasture damage so… it just means farmers are working longer hours.”

WATER WOES PETER BURKE peterb@ruralnews co nz ‘Cautious

THE MOOD among farmers is cautiously opti mistic this season accord ing to DairyNZ’s new general manager farm per formance.SarahSpeight took over the role in July this year, having worked in the agricultural sector for over 25 Speight,years.afarmer her self, says it has been an interesting winter for those in the paddocks. With a drought that lasted through to autumn, followed by the current wet weather, compounded with cost increases and labour shortages, Speight says farmers have been hit “pretty hard”. She says farmers have been faring well despite these“Mostissues.ofthem are cau tiously optimistic,” she told Dairy News However, the wet weather has been “tem pering everybody’s opti mism”.“Ithink most farmers are pretty well prepared for the weather as best as they can be,” Speight says. She adds that DairyNZ has resources available on its website for farm ers who need a refresher on how to deal with the bad weather and she says there are DairyNZ team members available for those who are concerned about how to manage. “We’re [DairyNZ] doing the bits we can to try and help out but we’re very aware that this is the time of year when people’s heads are down and are just [trying to get through] as best they can,” Speight says.

   

farmers JESSICA MARSHALL jessica@ruralnews co nz doing[DairyNZ]“We’rethe bits we can to try and help out but we’re

Sarah Speight(inset) says calving rates in terms of numbers have been good.

DAIRY NEWS AUGUST 23, 2022 6 // NEWS

SUDESH KISSUN sudeshk@ruralnews co nz Open

within our forecast range when considering the softening of pricing over recent month,” he says. “We have taken the opportunity to adjust our outlook for the cur rent season: the forecast remains strong as overall fundamentals still support a strong milk price.” He flags that there is some caution around con sumer spend due to the geopolitical impacts being faced around the globe. Whether it translates into reduced dairy uptake remains to be seen. “If so then we expect this to be more detrimen tal on higher value prod ucts as opposed to our strong ingredients prod uct“Therestreams.is no doubt that many people are facing tough times but a good source of nutrition such as dairy is an essen tial part of most people’s diet.“Overall the global supply remains tight and although we may see some further softening in the short term, our expec tation is that pricing will recover going forward,” he says.The heat wave in the EU is hampering pro duction and those rely ing purely on pasture to feed cows are finding it extremelyTurningdifficult.tofeed sup plements is costly and the expectation is that EU production will struggle over the uctmorethisKoekemoerseason.expectsseasonwillseealotmovementinprodmixtoextractvalue. “That is certainly play ing out. We will optimise our flexibility as much as possible this season to ensure we are very com petitive.“Our factories are now all back online and milk is ramping“Otherup.than the normal minor teething issues at the start of the season, everything is back up and running.”

expects milk price to remain strong. To be in this special report contact your advertising representative now to promote your products and/or service to all NZ dairy farmers and sharemilkers. FEATURE: 4 OCTOBER BOOKING DEADLINE: 21 SEPTEMBER MATERIAL REQUIRED: 27 SEPTEMBER Contact your closest Sales Representative SPECIAL REPORTS MILK COOLING & QUALITY Dairy farmers know how vital it is to keep their sheds and herds clean and free from contamination. No one can afford to have their milk down-graded. Make sure your products are put in front of the nation’s dairy farmers by advertising in this report. Auckland Stephen Pollard Ph 021 963 166 Waikato Lisa Wise Ph 021-832 505 Wellington Ron Mackay Ph 027-369 9218 Christchurch Kaye Sutherland ........ Ph 021-221 1994

THE COUNTRY’S second largest milk pro ducer says a strong milk price remains on the cards despite successive price drop in global dairy prices.Open Country Dairy is paying its suppliers $9.84/ kgMS for milk supplied between February and May this year. The tosolidpaidmoerexecutiveinerslastsuppliedtimessupplierscompanyTalleys-ownedpaysitsfarmerinfullfourannually.FormilkinDecemberandJanuary,supplireceived$10.06/kgMSMarch.OpenCountrychiefSteveKoekesaysfarmerswillbeattheendofAugust.“Thiswasanotherresultandgoodseethefinalnumber

He says Open Coun try’s engineering and operational staff have once again done an out standing job over winter to prepare for another busyTheseason.company is com missioning new cheese plant equipment at Waha roa.Koekemoer says Open Country cheese is in hot demand and it seems the new plant will be ready as planned to take advantage of the additional capacity. Open Country oper ates four milk plants: in Awarua, Wanganui, Horo tiu and Waharoa. Its product mix includes milk powder, cheese, milk protein and organic products. Country Dairy

OCD pays farmers $9.84/kgMS

diluted if services

DAIRY NEWS AUGUST 23, 2022 NEWS // 7

FEDERATED FARM ERS say the controver sial Three Waters Reform should be paused before the legislation bill reaches its second reading. In a submission to a parliamentary select committee, Federated Farmers concernsexpressedaboutthe Water Services Entities (WSE) Bill. If passed, the bill would establish four publicly owned water services entities in place of local upberpliersfordeeplynotities.operatedblocks,toirrigation,andasruralcommunityarguessays.thebemeaningbytheireitherreadingnotarguesFederatedauthorities.FarmersthatthebillshouldproceedtoasecondinParliament.“Manyfarmersareself-suppliersorwaterissuppliedprivatewaterschemestheyshouldnotdirectlyaffectedbymovetoWSEs,”FedsThefarmerlobbythatnumerous‘mixeduse’watersupplies,suchhumandrinkingwaterwaterforlivestockorsupplyingwaterfarmhouses,lifestylemarae,ownedorbylocalauthor“TheGovernmentdidseemtohavethoughtaboutimplicationstheseruralwatersupuntillastDecemwhenitbelatedlysetaRuralWaterSupplies Working Group.” In June, that work ing group - the Rural Sup plies Technical Working Group - made 30 recom mendations in a report to the Department of Inter nalAmongAffairs. those recom mendations was that New Zealand’s 100 or so coun cil-owned rural water supply schemes be trans ferred to the four new cogoverned water entities, but that there needed to be a pathway for some council-owned rural water supplies to revert to own ership by their users. Federated Farmers say they agree with the work ing group’s recommenda tions if the WSE bill were to proceed.Earlierthis month, Federated Farmers national board member and local thedemocracy.”seecouncilscarelocalstronglynificantsheawaynextanding,ouslynationalisationisationcommitteeFaulknerspokespersongovernmentSandratoldtheselecttheorganwasagainsttheofprevilocalentities.“Willthelikesofroadwastemanagementbuildingconsentsbeforcentralisationfromlocalcouncils?”asked.“Manyfarmers,assigratepayersandrootedintheircommunities,stilldeeplyaboutourandwhattheyasanattackonlocalFaulknerarguedthatruralvoicewouldbe farm

ers rely on, like water sup plies, are centralised while local councils would be “hollowed out”. “There seem to be a lot more bureaucracy and cost associated with the four entities’ multi-tiered governance arrangements and the various advisory groups and forums that will be set up to try and replicate what we already have – local voice and accountability.” JESSICA MARSHALL jessica@ruralnews co nz Farmers say the rural voice would be diluted if services farmers rely on, like water supplies, are centralised. Same Cows. Same Pasture. Still Twice-a-Day. No Milkers. delaval.com With DeLaval VMS™ you don’t have to change how you farm, just how you milk. B&DEL0577

Pause Three Waters, farmers tell Govt

Moving ahead means making changes. And that usually comes with a few risks along the way. But with us as your partner, you can progress with more confidence. That’s because FMG offers the kind of specialised advice and knowledge that only comes from working alongside rural New Zealand for generations. To find out more, ask around about us. Better still, give us a call on 0800 366 466 or go to fmg.co.nz. FMG, your partners in progress. We’re here for the good of the country.

FMG1362HFPDF

THE RISKS ARE LESS RISKY WHEN WE’RE PART OF THE PICTURE.

DAIRY NEWS AUGUST 23, 2022 NEWS // 9

it was an outstanding year for PGW’s rural supplies business.“Rural Supplies has sustained the momentum of recent years and has investigated opportunities to expand into… catego ries where there is unmet client“Ourdemand.repscontinue to increase their usage of technical platforms which streamline their day-today activities and make their interactions with cli ents more efficient.”

PGG Wrightson says it was an outstanding year for its rural supplies business. season, but for many, many more to come. futureproducers.co.nz

RURAL SERVICE pro vider PGG Wrightson (PGW) has delivered a record financial result despite challenging trad ingForconditions.financial year ending June 30, 2022, PGW reported a net profit of $24.3 million, up 7% on the previous year. Total group revenue rose 12% to $952.7 mil lion.The company’s flagship retail and water achieved solid results: operating gross earnings jumped $15m to $52m. PGW chief execu tive Stephen Guerin says its core focus remains to add value to clients’ businesses, much of this through the technical abil ity of its “Duringpeople.theyear we continued to invest in training for our people from both a technical and sales perspective. Our commitment to the per sonal development and upskilling of staff sup ports a very stable and knowledgeable rep force. “As clients see the value in the expertise of our people, we continue to see new clients coming into stores and asking reps to come on-farm and orchard. This is in turn continues to be reflected in the incremental market shareSupplygains.”chain disrup tion impacted timelines in sourcing products. But Guerin says being able to get the right prod ucts to clients at the right time has highlighted the importance of the strong relationships the company has with suppliers. “To help mitigate supply chain risks, we have also sourced product earlier and carried more inventory than we have historically.”Guerinsays

PGW’s new chair man, Joo Hai Lee, says the financial year results are a record for the business and a result the PGW team is very proud of, especially after a challeng ing year at many levels. “Like all businesses, we have had to navigate man aging Covid-19 protocols, dealing with a high pro portion of health-related staff absences, respond ing to supply chain chal lenges, and resourcing the business in an extremely tight labour market.”

The PGW board has declared a final dividend of 16c/share, taking the total paid out this year to 30c/share.Thedividend will be paid out in early October. Commenting on the outlook for this year, Lee noted that the profitable run for most New Zealand agri sectors looks likely to continue through the remainder of 2022 and into the coming year. However, inflationary pressures on input costs will likely translate into reduced on-farm prof its, and exporters will still need to navigate high shipping costs and chal lengingWhilelogistics.inputprices are increasing, rising food prices are expected to be beneficial overall for New Zealand’s agricultural sector, he says. Lee remains cautiously optimistic about the financial year todairydairyrecentalthoughcommodityhaslabourhelpellersZealand’sentsourqualityrestrictions,continuetries“Consumersahead.incounthathaveandtoremovewanthigh-andsafefoodthatfarmerandgrowercliproduce,”hesays.“ThereopeningofNewborderstotravshouldovertimetoeasethetightmarket.“ThewarinUkrainetightenedtheglobalmarketandtherehavebeendropsintheglobalauction,elevatedpricesareexpectedremain.”

BOE1319

PGW delivers record result

COMMITTED TO NEW YOU.COMMITTEDZEALAND.TO We’re here for NZ farmers for the long haul. We’re Boehringer Ingelheim, the name behind the brands trusted by farmers. Season after season, brands like ECLIPSE®, E PRINEX®, MATRIX® and BIONIC ® have been trusted on farm to deliver exceptional health and production outcomes for farmers. Boehringer Ingelheim is the name behind these brands that continues to invest in NZ agriculture by developing and manufacturing these products right here in NZ, ensuring kiwi farmers maximise production - not just this

PROUDLY AVAILABLE FROM YOUR LOCAL PARTICIPATING VETERINARY CLINIC. Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health New Zealand Limited. Level 3, 2 Osterley Way, Manukau, Auckland, New Zealand. MARKS-MIN , EPRINEX , ECLIPSE®, MATRIX®, and BIONIC® are registered trade marks of Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica GmbH, used under license. Registered pursuant to the ACVM Act 1997, No. A011687, A007191, A009270, A011151, A009390, A011825. See product label for full claim details and directions for use. © Copyright 2022 Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health New Zealand Limited. All rights reserved. NZ-BOV-0009-2022.

DAIRY NEWS AUGUST 23, 2022 10 // NEWS

• NEW PLYMOUTH 'CHRISTMAS LIGHTS' 5 days, depart 23 December A Christmas get away featuring the magnificent light display at Pukekura Park along with some great sightseeing during the trip.

Yvonne Lee says reducing urinary nitrogen is important because about 20% of nitrogen in urine leaches into groundwater. and exciting tour around the East Cape and return via the Northern Explorer train

Le Paul Gauguin for an unforgettable journey to discover idyllic sands and atolls. Tour includes flights to/from Papeete. full details Phone 0800 11 60 60

THE NEW BLUE DISPENSER WITH STAINLESS STEEL DROPPERS INNOVATIVE AGRICULTURE EQUIPMENT Serving NZ farmers since 1962 www.pppindustries.co.nz sales@pppindustries.co.nz 0800 901 902 • installationsNew • Upgrades • supportgreatinstallsNationwide–backup LK0107792© ESCORTED TOURS 2022/23 "Hassle free travel for mature travellers’’ • FAR NORTH & BAY OF ISLANDS (4 spots available) 7 days, depart 17 September. A leisurely coach tour of the Far North including the new Hundertwasser Art Centre and day trip to Cape Reinga. • EAST COAST & NAPIER (6 spots available) 8 days, depart 21 September A unique

A CANTERBURY Her eford stud specialising in providing beef genet ics for the dairy industry is claiming a major break through in breeding for more milkurinaryMUN)(Milkureasuredgenetics,nitrogen-emittingworkaware“GreenmentlaunchedSouthBenfords,emissions.reducedfriendlyenvironmentallyanimals,withurinarynitrogenBluestoneHererunbyYvonneandLeenearCaveinCanterbury,havethedevelopunderthenameBull”.TheysaytheywereofCRVAmbreed’sondevelopinglowdairyusingthemeaconcentrationofnitrogeninmilkUreaNitrogen,orasthepredictorofnitrogen.However,testingisimpracticalin

• CHATHAM ISLANDS DISCOVERY 8 days, depart 20 October A special place for a safe and relaxing close to home all inclusive holiday.

beef breeds so Bluestone have pioneered testing for Blood Urea Nitro gen (BUN) instead. They believe they are the only beef breeders in New Zea land to do so. Results have found a strong correlation between BUN and MUN. Yvonne Lee told Dairy News that the work is important because 90-95% of their business is supplying beef bulls and beef semen (sold though CRV, Worldwide Sires and ST Genetics) to dairy farms wanting to maxi mise the value of those calves not intended for herdShereplacement.saysabout 70% of New Zealand’s beef pro duction originates on dairy“Reducingfarms. urinary nitrogen is important because about 20% of nitrogen in urine leaches into groundwater while some is released to the atmosphere as the green house gas nitrous oxide.”

www.travelwiseholidays.co.nz

‘Green bull’ to help reduce urinary nitrogen emissions

NIGEL MALTHUS facebook@dairy_newscom/dairynews

For

• TAHITI & SOCIETY ISLANDS CRUISE 10 days, depart 21 July 2023 Set sail on board

• WAIKIKI BEACH & HAWAII CRUISE 11 days, depart 25 May 2023 A 'Pride of America' cruise for 7 nights with a Waikiki highlights 3 day stop over including Pearl Harbor and Oahu round Island tour.

• BEST OF THE SOUTH ISLAND 15 days, depart 22 November A spectacular trip around the many highlights of the South Island taking in the wonders of Tekapo, Twizel, Stewart Island day excursion, the Milford Sound and Queenstown. Overnight cruise on the Milford Sound

In a media statement, Bluestone noted that Lin coln University research ers found that cows with genetics for low MUN excrete less urinary nitro gen but have more nitro gen in the milk in the form of valuable protein rather than Realisingurea.that that they couldn’t easily monitor MUN in beef cattle, Blue stone began monitoring BUN instead, and then had a genetic analysis on the results of animals. The work has been underway for about six years.They say the data indi cates that animals do differ genetically for BUN, and that this is heritable and should pass on lowBUN characteristics to theirLeeprogeny.saysthe data also suggests that animals with low BUN breed ing values tend to have higher breeding values for 400-day, 600-day and maternal liveweight traits – which means low-BUN animals may be parti tioning dietary nitrogen from the urea pools (milk, blood, and urine) and into growth.Shecalls that a “winwin”.Lee says a dairy farmer is generally looking for low birthweight, short gestation, easier calving animals.“And then what we’re also trying to ensure is that when they onsell them, then there is the carcass data and the growth.“We say the future will be the Green Bull because there’s a lot around about how much nitrogen is emitted into the ground and waterways and nitrousFurtheroxide.”research is still needed, with Bluestone now trying to initiate a programme to quantify the BUN-UN relationship. They are not yet mar keting semen with lowBUN genetics but for the last two years have iden tified the best low-BUN animals in their annual bull“Thissales.year we are mar keting seven bulls whose breeding values for BUN are significantly below average and these are identified in the cata logue. We are now includ ing BUN as a key part of our breeding programme.” Lee says pending changes to the dairy industry will only increase interest in higher-value, low nitrogen-emit ting calves. She cites the upcoming ban on live exports, and Fonterra’s directive that all nonreplacement calves from their supplying farms enter a “value stream” rather than be euthanised on-farm.

Protect your herd and the next generation

Use Bovilis BVD for 12 months of proven fetal protection1. The longest coverage available. Exposure to BVD could mean your unborn calves become Persistently Infected (PI’s) - spreading BVD amongst your herd. It is estimated that up to 40% of dairy herds are actively infected with the BVD virus at any given time. The convenience of the longest coverage available along with flexible dosing intervals2 means you can protect this season’s calves no matter when they are conceived. Avoid an outbreak. Ask your vet about vaccinating with Bovilis BVD or visit bovilis.co.nz 1Following a third dose (annual vaccine) Bovilis BVD provides 12 months fetal protection. 2Interval between dose 1 (sensitiser) and dose 2 is from 4 weeks to 6 months. 3rd dose given as annual single dose. AVAILABLE ONLY UNDER VETERINARY AUTHORISATION. ACVM No’s: A011866. Schering-Plough Animal Health Ltd. Ph: 0800 800 543. www.msd-animal-health.co.nz Copyright © 2022 Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA and its affiliates. All rights reserved.NZ-BOV-220700001

Farmers rewarded for connecting

DAIRY NEWS AUGUST 23, 2022 12 // NEWS

AN AWARD-WINNING North

Environment Awards. The couple moved onto the family owned Torlesse Farm in 1995, eventually buying it from Geoff’s parents in 2005. Geoff and Rochelle Spark entered the Ballance theybecauseEnvironmentFarmAwardstheybelievedhadapositive business story to share – understanding that in order for their rural commercial activity to be sustainable, it needed to perform at a high standard, not only from a production perspective, but also including stewardship.environmentalWithastrongfamily connection to the land, the Sparks are on a journey of continuous business improvement so that Torlesse Farm can thrive as a sustainable and profitable business. Good infrastructure and programmesmanagementonthe farm provide the foundations for that long sustainability,termand are enhanced by activities such as regenerating native bush, trapping possums, and fencing off feral deer on the hill country portion of the beefWithinfarm. Torlesse Farm is a 5.5-hectare irrigation storage lake which has been enhanced around its banks with native plants to provide a clean and totally swimmable amenity for a range of community events. The lake is the centrepiece for Torlesse Farm when hosting visitors for viewings and community events such as the Canterbury Primary School Triathlon which attracts between 800–Torlesse Farm, Waimakariri, runs about 1,700 dairy cows on 450ha and another 400ha are split between dairy support and beef grazing.

CanterburySectorPeopletheWaimakariri.TorlesseSparkcouplefunctionbridgeaingrazinghasyear,80andbetweenfurthersome1,700Waimakariri,community.tooperationdairyingCanterburyandbeeffarminghasevolvedbecomeahubofTorlesseFarm,runsaboutdairycowsacross450-hectares,witha400hectaressplitdairysupportbeefgrazing.Thefarmsellsaboutprimegradecattleeachandthebusinessexpandedtoincludeandgrasssales,additiontooperatingcommercialweighandapurpose-builtvenue.North-CanterburyGeoffandRochelleownandmanageFarminEyrewell,TheywonBayleysCanterburyinPrimarytitleatthisyear’sBallanceFarm

OPEN

1,000 competitors, and the OxMan multi-sports event for all ages and abilities, with around 400 participants swimming, cycling, and running. With a purposebuilt function venue overlooking the lake, the Sparks also host multiple charity and community organisations on the property –involving members of the public from across Canterbury’s towns, and even Christchurch city. The chic function rooms double up as staff accommodation quarters as required during busy periods on the farm. “These events help foster a long-termstoragearoundthanweaWeincountry.betweenconnectiontownandOurphilosophyfarmingislongterm.gobythemotto‘planttreeyouneversee’,haveplantedmore1,000nativeplantsourirrigationlake,”saysGeoff.TheSparks,theirsharemilkers of 12-years, and all their staff, operate with a positive ‘solutionsfocused’ approach –meaning production at the property has returned to previous output levels after sustaining a substantial challenge from the Mycoplasma bovis outbreak in 2017 which saw 2,500 cattle on the property killed. Geoff is also a dedicated advocate for the Farm Strong wellbeing programme –an initiative which helps farmers and primary producers to cope with the pressures of farming, ranging from drought and flood weather conditions through to RatherhostingpayingorganisersOxManwithcommoditytheonGovernmentevolvinglegislationtheruralsector,andunpredictabilityofprices.Geoffbecameinvolvedthecharityafterthesportingeventinsistedonavenuehirefortheirtriathlon.thanaccept

DAIRY NEWS AUGUST 23, 2022 NEWS // 13 with townies

“We need to protect the future productivity of the“Theland.replacement of k-lines and individual sprinklers in corners for more environmentally friendly and efficient set sprinklers, help reduce nitrate“Thislosses.focus on continuous improvement does, however, require a significant investment that farmers will need time to digest,” says Geoff. In addition to sponsoring the People in Pri mary Sector category at the Canterbury Ballance Farm Environment Awards, Bayleys Canterbury also supports The New Zealand Agricultural Show, The New Zealand Rural Support Trust, Surfing for Farmers, and Meat the Need. The company also proudly supports the Crusaders, and the South Island women’s rugby team the Matatu.Bayleys Canterbury rural manager Kevin Jenkins says the real estate agency was proud to be involved with the Ballance Farm Environment Awards, and in particular the People in Primary Sector category, which aligned perfectly with the company’s philosophies. TO VISITORS

IN ASSESSING the Spark’s entry into the Bal lance Farm Environment Awards, the judges commended the couple on actively building connections between “town and country,” along with sharing their property with the wider com munity for farm visits, and generously supporting rural health and wellbeing organisations such as Farm Strong and the Rural Support Trust. In addition to developing a strong community involvement programme across the region, Geoff and Rochelle Spark have invested substantially in Torlesse Farm’s infrastructure – such as pivot irrigation, the storage dam, soil temperature and moisture monitoring, irrigation scheduling, and effluent storage. The judges also commended Torlesse Farm’s winter grazing management –using catch crops such as oats after winter graz ing crops to extract as much nitrogen as possible from the soil profile.

Good infrastructure and management programmes on the farm provide the foundations for that long term sustainability.

the payment, Geoff researched various rural support organisations –and subsequently found Farm Strong as a worthy recipient. Geoff is also an area representative for the Rural Support Trust, which helped him and his farm team through the tough times resulting from the M. bovis period.

www.ruralnewsgroup.co.nz TO ALL FARMERS. FOR ALL FARMERS. HORTNEWS RURAL NEWS TO ALL FARMERS, FOR ALL FARMERS

a2MC

Time to act on rural health

THE A2 Milk Company (a2MC) is partnering with charity KidsCan to help children affected by poverty. As a major partner, a2MC will con tribute $130,000 per year for an initial term of three years to assist the fund ing of KidsCan programmes and will co-ordinate volunteering by staff and friends to help KidsCan deliver on its importantKidsCanmission.assists those experienc ing hardship by providing food, jack ets and health items to schools/kura and early childhood centres/koha nga across New Zealand. With these essentials, kids can participate in learning and have the opportunity for a better future.

DAIRY NEWS AUGUST 23, 2022 14 // NEWS

A2 MILK PARTNERS WITH KIDSCAN

RWNZ national president Gill Naylor claims rural communities are suffering through a lack of access to decent health services. managing director David Bortolussi.

COMMUNITIESRURAL are suffering through a lack of access to decent health services, according to Rural Women New Zealand.RWNZ national president Gill Naylor claims the situation is dire and it is time something was done about it. “The health and wellbeing of communitiesruralisat risk of further deterioration if something is not done soon to resolve the issues facing people who live, work and play in rural New Zealand,” Naylor says.“The challenges rural families face with access to health services are just about too many to list on one hand, however, a few that stand out are the lack of rural midwives, lack of rural nurses and GPs, lack of rural mental health services, delays in emergency services such as ambulances and long distances to travel for such services as allied health and cancer treatment.“Whilst we are pleased to see the Government commit to both a women’s health strategy and a rural health strategy – we [want] to see resource and plans activated to ensure rural women and girls do not miss out on health needs because of their post code.”RWNZ supports increasing the availability of telehealth but Naylor points out that it will only work where digital connectivity is fit for purpose.“There are many rural communities without this. “We know the challenges are because of a mixture of business models which don’t suit rural communities and global challenges with the Covid pandemic, staffing, and training, however, the Government really has to take the lead by resourcing solutions. “Rural communities are the backbone of Aotearoa New Zealand and deserve equity in the provision of health services. “RWNZ is looking forward to working with the Government and health providers to ensure that the rural health strategy and women’s health strategy work for rural communities – our lives depend on it,” says Naylor. “RWNZ is looking forward to working with the Government and health providers to ensure that the rural health strategy and women’s health strategy work for rural communities –our lives depend on it.”

0800 440 290 | www.polarisnewzealand.com | /PolarisNZ | /polarisorv_nz *Offer ends 30/9/22 or while stocks last. Offer only available at participating Polaris Dealers. Not valid with any other offer. Excludes fleet clients. ^^Accessories offer only valid with the purchase of a new Ranger 500, Ranger 1000 EPS, and Ranger Diesel HD EPS ADC. +Finance offer is only available on selected models. GST registered customers only. 24-month term contract. 20% Deposit required. Deposit may include Trade (Trade conditions apply). 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. 1000 EPS NO FIELD DAY - NO WORRIES GREAT DEALS FROM POLARIS DIESEL HD EPS ADC 1 STEEL HALF DOORS #AUST510 2 TIP OUT FRONT SCREEN #2881784 3 MATTE BLACK SIX’R ALLOY RIMS #1521507-521 4 PRO ARMOR ATTACK TYRES #5415613 5 CANVAS SEAT COVERS #P772Q 6 FRONT BRUSHGUARD #2879973 7 POLYSPORT ROOF #2883236 8 CARGO MAX SYSTEM #2882177 9 REAR POLY PANEL #2879812 10 REAR BRUSHGUARD #2879972 11 PRO ARMOR 25CM DUAL ROW LIGHT BAR #2882075 12 WORK BEACON LED LIGHT #2883265 500 1 PREMIUM POLY SPORTS ROOF #2882912 2 TIP OUT WINDSCREEN #2889031 3 POLY REAR PANEL #2883773 4 STEEL HALF DOORS #AUST508 5 SCRUB BAR AND SIDE RAIL KIT #AUST555 6 WORK BEACON LED LIGHT #2883265 7 RANGER SNORKEL KIT #AUST403 117 12 43 6 1 10 5 2 98 4.99% FINANCE P.A+ $1,000 FREE ACCESSORIES^^ $1,500 FREE ACCESSORIES FREE POLY ROOF 1 3 2 7 6 5 4 5 4 16 3 2 1 POLY SPORT ROOF #2882911 2 FIXED GLASS SCREEN #2889030 3 LOCK & RIDE TIP-DOWN HEADACHE RACK #2889182 4 FRONT POLY HALF DOORS # 2882559 5 STEEL BULL BAR AND SIDE RAIL KIT # AUST548 6 PRO ARMOR 33” COMBO LED LIGHT BAR #2882077 OPTIONAL EXTRA ACCESSORIES: OPTIONAL EXTRA ACCESSORIES: OPTIONAL EXTRA ACCESSORIES: 4.99% FINANCE P.A+ 4.99% FINANCE P.A+ $2,000 FREE ACCESSORIES^^

“We are absolutely delighted to be partnering with KidsCan to support a programme whose objectives and values are so closely related to our own,” says a2MC managing director and chief executive Officer David Bortolussi.“Justas KidsCan is focused on helping kids to conquer disadvan tage and live their best lives, a2MC is focused on helping people build a better life, starting with a strong nutritional foundation from infancy onwards.”a2MC’s support will be applied to helping to fund the ongoing costs of KidsCan’s early childhood pro gramme. It will initially be targeted to regions where the company has direct staff and/or operational ties – Auck land (where a2MC’s New Zealand head office is located), and Canter bury (where Synlait Milk, a2MC’s manufacturing partner for the New Zealand, Australia and China infant milk formula markets, is based). Kid sCan currently also supports schools in Southland, where Mataura Valley Milk, in which a2MC has a 75% inter est, is KidsCanlocated.supports more than 850 schools and more than 150 early child hood centres across New Zealand; over 200,000 children access its pro grammes.KidsCan chief executive and founder, Julie Chapman, is grateful to a2 Milk Company. “It’s a particularly tough time for families living in poverty, who are being hard hit by the soaring cost of living. The a2 Milk Compa ny’s support of our early childhood programme will make a great differ ence to vulnerable children at a cru cial time in their development,” says Chapman.

Bettercoverageteat for higherqualitymilk TEATWANDEXACT TEATWANDSTEPOVER SPREADEAE FOR ROTARY PARLOURS IN LANE TEAT SPRAYING POLYCARBONATE COMPOSITE info@onfarmsolutions.com VISIT OUR WEBSITE, SEND US AN EMAIL OR CALL US TODAY 0800 888 www.onfarmsolutions.com212 © Onfarm Solutions Limited 2022

Building on interna tional experience gained in the dairy industry, the business is set up to pro vide 24/7 support, with technicians who have been assimilated into the De Laval training regimes, covering product func tion, fault diagnosis and resolution, alongside topics including animal health and behaviour. “It’s a really exciting time to be involved in the sector given the ongo ing labour issues, but also as the new technologies come of age and can show a measurable improve ment to a businesses’ bottom lines,” says Ander son.“We are also entering a phase where the increased adoption of proven prod ucts is resulting in lower unit costs, making the technology even more affordable.” Services team, from left, Mark Saunders, Sebastian Carter, Alan Gellert and Sam Andersen.

To be in this special report contact your advertising representative now to promote your products and/or service to all NZ dairy farmers and sharemilkers. SPECIAL REPORTS EFFLUENT & WATERFEATURE:6 SEPTEMBER BOOKING DEADLINE: 24 AUGUST MATERIAL REQUIRED: 30 AUGUST Contact your closest Sales Representative Water and effluent can be both a valuable resource and a headache, depending on how they are managed. This special report will examine the latest technology available for efficient water and effluent management. Auckland Stephen Pollard Ph 021 963 166 Waikato Lisa Wise ................... Ph 027-369 9218 Wellington Ron Mackay Ph 021-453 914 Christchurch Kaye Sutherland Ph 021-221 1994

MARK DANIEL markd@ruralnews co nz Automation

DAIRY NEWS AUGUST 23, 2022 16 // AGRIBUSINESS

High-tech support for farmers

WITH MECHANISED milking just over 100 years old, the interven ing years have seen many changes in design, func tion and efficiency. More recently, much of attention at the milking shed has moved to products centred around automation and animal health.While there are many businesses in the key dairy areas focused on plant and machinery, they are usually removed from the high tech sector, rather choosing to con centrate on steelwork, plumbing and electricals. A recently formed business based in Mor rinsville is structured to support the high tech area of milk Automationharvesting.Services Waikato and Bay of Plenty will fill the gap by selling, servicing and supporting industry giant De Laval’s extensive range of tech products.Founded in January 2022 by industry experts Sam Anderson and Alan Gellert, the business will focus on products such as body scoring cameras, milk harvesting and teat spray robots and auto matic calf feeders. Anderson notes that tech nology is being adopted rapidly by progressive dairy“So,farmers.ourremit will be to offer a streamlined ser vice to offer advice, pur chase and installation of these new products into new or existing opera tions,” he Interestingly,says. with sourcing labour being a major problem that is never very far from the news, options of for auto mation are coming to the fore.The range of prod ucts from De Laval that address this issue con tinues to expand and includes robots, auto mated feed pushers for feeding areas and auto mated feeders for calves, lambs and goat kids. On the animal health front, products include milk sampling, pregnancy diagnosis, automate and powered cow brushes and peripherals such as camera monitoring and security.

DAIRY NEWS AUGUST 23, 2022 AGRIBUSINESS // 17

Record entries for ag award

2018 Farmax Emerging Professional of the Year, Laura Keenan, says that winning the award was integral to providing a pathway for her development.

TWO FARMERS are the lucky win ners this year’s Ruralco Instore Days prizeGrajandraw.Farms won a new Honda Pio neer 520 valued around $20,000 while Andrew Donaldson, Punawai Pastures, got a $10,000 House of Travel voucher. Ruralco launched the promotion on June 1: every $250 spent with Ruralco Instore Days participating suppliers until July 10 enabled co-operative members one entry in the draw. The draws were done under police supervision.Ruralcochief executive Rob Sharkie thanked everyone who spent with the co-op over the Instore Days period to gain entries in the prize pool. “We are thrilled with the support for this year’s Instore Days and look forward to bringing you this well-known event and promotion for years to come, and especially next year in what is a very special year for our co-operative,” says Sharkie.“Planning will get underway soon for next year’s 29th Instore Days which also occurs in the co-operatives 60th year of business – definitely a cause for celebra tion.”

NEVER CARRY BUCKETS TO THE CALF PENS AGAIN! • NEW TO THE MARKET IN 2022 • WILL MIX MILK POWDER / ADDITIVES / COLOSTRUM • FEED CALVES IN THE PEN • SIMPLE TO CLEAN OUT • NEW HONDA POWERED MOTOR Enquire now 0508 688 688 ✸ www.stallion.co.nz FEATURES INCLUDE: The MT250 mini tanker is ideal for mixing milk powder, carry milk and feeding calves in the shed. Easy to pull along the 250 litre tank has a milk meter, so you know how much milk your feeding out. Designed and built in New Zealand. Priced From $3650 PLUS GST

THE FARMAX Emerg ing Rural Professional of the Year Award has received a record number of nominations this year. The award, established in 2012, celebrates pas sionate and innovative young people in the agri cultural industry. The New Zealand Institute of Primary Industry themourofperspectivesvitality,asnised–land’speopleareindustry,isthetivetronicqualificationsopmenttour,project,optionsfessional$3,000Conference.atthelogistics(NZIPIM)Managementmanagestheoftheaward,andwinnerisannouncedtheannualNZIPIMThewinnerwillreceivetowardtheirprodevelopment:includearesearchanoverseasstudyprofessionaldevelprogrammes/orelecequipment.FarmaxchiefexecuGavinMcEwensaysnumberofentrantshugelypositivefortheasitmeanstheremoreincredibleyoungfuelingNewZeaagriculturalsectorandmorebeingrecogfortheirhardworkwell.“Youngpeoplebringcourageandnewinthefacechallengingtimesforindustry,andwithoutwesimplywouldn’t be able to flourish.

TWO FARMERS WIN GIVEAWAYSRURALCOFromleft,Ruralcoonfarmsalesmanager,AndrewMitchell,MarkThomas,GrahamThomas(bothofGrajanFarms)andRuralcoAshburtonstoremanager,BillCabout,withthenewHondaPioneer520.

“The calibre of entrants for this year’s awards is outstanding and I know the judges will have a hard time select ing a single winner,” says McEwen.Nominees are from businesses such as Green lea, AgFirst, BakerAg, Pamū, Zoetis, DairyNZ, Ravensdown and many others around the coun try, and organisers are pleased to see a diverse pool of nominees includ ing an even split of males andJofemales.Finer,chief execu tive of NZIPIM, says they are delighted to part ner with Farmax to rec ognise young talent in the sector and support their professional devel opment. “There are fan tastic career pathways for primary industry profes sionals and this award is a great way to showcase the opportunities.”Winnerofthe 2018 Farmax Emerging Profes sional of the Year Award, Laura Keenan, says that winning the award “was integral to providing a pathway for my develop ment and also exposed me to so many networks which I still utilise each and every day”. “Not only is this award a fantastic way to cele brate our industry, it pro vides a great sounding board for those new to their sector to start think ing about their profes sional development in a more strategic way,” adds Laura. Finalists will be announced next week and the award will be pre sented at the NZIPIM conference dinner at Sky City Hamilton on August 29. facebook@dairy_newscom/dairynews

•

The Government’s justification for WSEs is that the state of water infrastructure is poor and too many councils have failed to adequately maintain and improve it, which is affect ing health and environmental outcomes, among others.

GLOBAL WARMING could be more bad news for cows and humans, accord ing to some new research If the climate heats up, humans will increasingly suffer from rising tempera tures But how will climate change affect cows? Turns out more heat can be harmful to dairy cowsInrecent years, US scientists have found links inresearchture-controlledcowsaresearcherscount70%productionductiontoresearchersthey’reindiseasesproductionwhichchangehuman-causedbetweenclimateandheatstress,canlowermilkandleadtoandotherissuesdairycowsCowseatlesswhenhot—afactorbelieveleadsa50%dropinmilkproButthosedropsincanreachuptoinhotweatherInasearchtoacfortheother20%,conductedtrialwith48HolsteinhousedintemperastallsThewaspublishedthe

Bitter sweet NZ’S most loved chocolate maker Whittaker’s latest move has left a bitter taste in a few people’s mouths Whittaker’s recently released a teaser of a new wrapper ahead of Maori language week, covering one of the nation’s favou rite treats, Creamy Milk chocolate, in reo Māori “Our hope is that the label contributes to revitalising te reo in New Zealand, and we hope Chocolate Lovers enjoy a block of Miraka Kirāmi with their friends and whānau ” But not everyone was happy to see the sweet treat supporting the reo Māori kaupapa Online haters were quick to offer opinions: “I support people learning Te Reo, but not in this manner It feels like forced mandated injec tions”; “Shame on you Whittakers [sic] we cer tainly won’t be buying your chocolates anymore ”; and “Does everything have to be translated into Maori [sic]However, others have pushed back against the comments, pointing out the hypocrisy in such views

AUCKLAND SALES REPRESENTATIVE: Stephen Pollard Ph 021-963 166 stephenp@ruralnews.co.nz WAIKATO SALES REPRESENTATIVE: Lisa Wise Ph 027-369 9218 lisaw@ruralnews.co.nz WELLINGTON SALES REPRESENTATIVE: Ron Mackay Ph 021-453 914 ronm@ruralnews.co.nz SOUTH ISLAND SALES REPRESENTATIVE: Kaye Sutherland Ph 021-221 1994 kayes@ruralnews.co.nz Printed Inkwise • Distributed by Reachmedia

Farmers note that the Government argues that under cur rent service arrangements this would flow to huge increases in water costs to consumers, with costs of water services with out reform ranging from $1,900 to $9,000 per year within 30 years, depending on the council.

A JAPANESE dairy com pany has found an unlikely saviour in its efforts to reverse falling milk de mand: Wolfgang Amadeus MozartAwajishima Milk Co claims sales of its Mozart Milk, which is produced from dairy cows that listen to Mozart from 6:30am and 9pm each day, have risen since the product’s release in April last year The company has sold 25,000 cartons, expand ing its sales channels from Awajishima island, where it is based, into major Japa neseMediacitiesreports say com pany president, Toshihiro Torii, is a big fan of classi cal music When he played Mozart at his cowshed around 10 years ago, the animals, apparently more relaxed, became more docile and friendlier Feel ing confident, Torii, 73, recommended that Green Farm, the dairy producer from which his company purchases raw milk, do the sameAs a result, their milk contains higher levels of milkfat Global warningwarming

As a result of the pressures to better maintain and improve three waters infrastructure, a huge investment will be required, with the Government estimating $120 billion to $185 billion over the next 30 years.

The Government’s four entity ‘mega model’ is about ‘trans formational change’. It sees alternatives like voluntary change and collaboration between councils and/or a national three waters fund as “too piecemeal” and unlikely to solve the root causes of the problems. Farmers note that the Government is promising much lower water costs from its reforms ($800 to $1,640 depending on the council). However, what is not clear is whether the benefits will be as large or the costs as low as Theclaimed.ThreeWaters Reform is flawed; the degree of invest ment claimed to be needed is considerably overstated and the supposed cost savings under the proposal are highly implau sible. Critically, ownership and accountability will be taken away from the communities who actually own the assets. It’s time for the Government to rethink the proposal.

A majority of city and regional councils also remain ada mant that Three Waters isn’t the way forward. Recently Federated Farmers presented its submission to a parliamentary select committee. Farmers agree that reforms are needed, but not in the form of Three Waters.

A2 misses out NZ milk company A2 Milk’s plan to start exporting infant formula to one of the world’s biggest milk markets seems dead in the waterThe US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) told A2 that it is deferring further consideration of the company’s request to export its infant-formula products into the US The US produces almost all of its own baby formula for domestic con sumption, but the market is dominated by a few top players That’s led to some distressing shortages over the past few months, which has investors won dering if A2 Milk shares could receive some helpful tailwindsWhile A2 Milk (and even Fonterra) has yet to step in to help fill the void, some other international compa nies, like European based Danone, have tripled their exports to the States in recent months, Music to cows’ ears

FARMERS HAVE delivered a message to the Government –time to push the pause button on Three Waters Reforms and have a rethink. The Government has put forward legislation for New Zea land’s three water services – drinking water, wastewater and stormwater – to be managed by four new publicly-owned water entities (WSEs), replacing the services currently managed by 67 councils. But the Government is having a hard time con vincing ratepayers that this is the best way forward. Despite pouring millions into advertising and marketing their plan, the Government has made very little headway, even with com munity leaders.

Journal of Dairy Sci ence

DAIRY NEWS AUGUST 23, 2022 RUMINATING EDITORIAL MILKING IT... 18 // OPINION Time for a rethink Head Office: Lower Ground Floor, 29 Northcroft St, Takapuna, Auckland 0622 Phone 09-307 0399. Publisher: Brian Hight Ph 09-307 0399 General Manager: Adam Fricker Ph 021-842 226 Editor: Sudesh Kissun Ph 021-963 177 Machinery Editor: Mark Daniel Ph 021-906 723 markd@ruralnews.co.nz Reporters: Peter Burke Ph 021-224 2184 peterb@ruralnews.co.nz Subscriptions: Julie Beech Ph 021-190 3144 Production: Dave Ferguson Ph 027-272 5372 Becky Williams Ph 021-100 4831 Digital Strategist: Jessica Marshall Ph 021 0232 6446 Dairy News is published by Rural News Group Limited. All editorial copy and photographs are subject to copyright and may not be reproduced without prior written permission of the publisher. Opinions or comments expressed within this publication are not necessarily those of the staff, management or directors of Rural News Group Limited. Postal Address: PO Box 331100, Takapuna, Auckland 0740 Published by: Rural News Group Printed by: Inkwise NZ Ltd Contacts: Editorial: sudeshk@ruralnews.co.nz Advertising material: davef@ruralnews.co.nz Rural News on-line: www.ruralnews.co.nz Subscriptions: subsrndn@ruralnews.co.nz

Few disagree that there are problems and there is a strong case for change. But they point out that the debate has more been about what is the best solution.

DAIRY NEWS AUGUST 23, 2022 OPINION // 19

Starting our pasture to plate journey

aretechnology.mentsseenandthe1800srefrigerationwelcomingerallygroundtheane,ingourousfarms.190kgisertheticinducedandManagementaresynthetictude.erscouldwanttheNewwouldhavecuttinging,totionemissionstomembersenvironmentaltoricallyfibresupplyidlytrychanges;plans,igatingcomplianceindustry,lengesabilityenvironmentalexpectationstoitytorsmachinery,videdspreadingassurancetiliserhasGroundspreadwaterways.NZalsoSpreadmark,itsferplacementqualityprogramme.Thisschemeregisterscompaniesprotheyhavecertifiedtrainedoperaandappropriatequalmanagementsystems,ensurefarmer/groweraremetandsustainisprotected.Therearecurrentchalandriskstothemainlyofthekind—navdifferentcouncilhealthandsafetyfoodindusregulationsrapincreasingcostsandchainissues.Awarethefoodandindustrieshavehiscontributedtoimpacts,discussedwaysreducetheimpactsofandleaching.Therewasthesuggesoperatorsneededchangetheirthinkfromwhatimpactemissionswouldglobally,towhatthatmeanlocally.Theupshotbeing,Zealandcouldbecountry,otherswouldtofollow.Thatwebetheworld’sleadandIlikedtheirattiCurrentcontrolsforfertiliserusefoundintheResourceAct1991,inregulationsintrobythegovernment2020,whichlimitsynnitrogenfertilusetoamaximumofN/haonpastoralIhavesaidnumertimes,theanswerstoagchallenges,includfertiliserandmethwillcomefromgroundup,andthespreadersarelitatthestartingline.Likeourancestorstheadventofinthelateandtopdressingin1950s,today’sfarmersgrowershavealreadydramaticdevelopinscienceandManymoretocome.ButjustlikefossilBARBARA KURIGER fuels will remain in use until alternative energy sources are available in numbers we can all utilise; synthetic fertilisers will stay in the food and fibre producers’ toolkit, for now. Until then, my mes sage to the nutrient nay sayers is simple: without the primary industries, we’d starve. • Barbara Kuriger is National’s spokesperson.agriculture Ground spreaders write the first chapter of our pasture to plate story. Regularly running out of teat spray mix during milking? Wondering what your mix ratio actually is? Mix losing effectiveness from being stored too long in the bucket?SOUND FAMILIAR: THE MIXMAKER 3.0 Mix made fresh for every cow, all season Mix ratio accurate to every cow Mix adjusted instantly to seasonal conditions Mix drum low level alert –never run out Regional Headquarters Daniel Place, Te Rapa, Hamilton 0508.732.733 ECOLAB HAVE THE SOLUTION:

LIKE MANY of you, I’m so over the uninformed knockers of primary industries.Peoplewho are swayed by a headline, a social media post or a slick advertising campaign, without any in-depth knowledge of why sectors within it, operate the way theyOnedo.area which often gets a bad rap from these faultfinders is fertiliser. Fertiliser, like many pastoral and arable prac tices, grew out of neces sity.After the development of ryegrass to cope with New Zealand’s cold/wet conditions and heavy hoof traffic in the 1920s, our agricultural goal became production.Ascattle and sheep numbers grew, nutrients to aid our young soils grow grass (or crops) were needed. Aerial top dressing of phosphate rev olutionising hill country farming in the 1950s led theFastway.forward to today and that production target continues.Ground spreaders write the first chapter of our pasture to plate story. The fertilisers they lay are the foundation blocks for whatever the land is used for, pastoral or arable.Ican tell you, after attending last fertilisermoreodds.helpingratesensorsusingdowntotogroundwekale,rowswhoistsproduction.ingronment,toindustrygathering,Groundspreadmonth’sNZannualthatit’sangenuinelytryingdobetterfortheenviwhilesupportournation’sfoodLikeprecisionspecialtheagcontractors,planttheperfectofgrassseed,maize,turnipsandswedesseearoundournation,spreaderswantensurefertilisergetswhereitneedstogo,tothelastgram.Innovativetechnology,nitrogenopticalforvariableapplications,isimprovetheTheendresultisaccuratelyappliedatlowerrates, away from

WATER

ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF the Opuha Dam playing a significant flood buffering role was during the severe flooding of late May-early June of 2021.Parts of South Canterbury were hit by an ‘atmospheric river’ bringing incredibly high rainfall. At the time, the lake was only 15% capacity. When the rain hit, the lake rose by 11.84 metres in 48 hours, capturing 43 million cubic metres of water (1 cubic metre of water is 1,000 litres). At the peak of the event the lake had inflows of 440 cumecs but was only discharging approximately 14 cumecs into the Opuha River sys tem. On the 31 May 2021, the Opihi River, as measured at Saleyards Bridge (by Pleasant Point) the flow in the river reached around 800 cubic metres per second; the flow as measured at the State High way 1 bridge further downstream was higher again, with substantial flows backing up the Temuka River system.Hadthe Opuha Dam not held back the high flows from its catch ment, the lower reaches of the Opihi River system would have been higher again with likely substantial more community damage.

PHOTO An aerial

BUFFERING ROLE room for flood flows into the lake,” he says. “This reduces the potential impact of pre dicted floods in the catch ment.“This flood buffer ing ability came to the fore during the last four weeks when we experi enced large rainfalls from nor-west rain spill-over weather events. While the lake was at 84 percent capacity on 7 July, we were still able to absorb the impact of between 300 to 400mm of rain fall in the lake catchment over those four weeks. At one stage there were 230 cubic metres of water per second (cumecs) flow ing into the lake while we were releasing only 27 cumecs.”Mockford says it is important to note that the operation of the Opuha Dam cannot guaran tee there will be no cat astrophic floods in the lower Opihi catchment, partly because some of the large tributaries to the Opihi River come in below the dam. But the lake level at the time of a serious rainfall event is also an important factor. “The fuller the lake is, the less flood buffering it can effectively do.” Work is underway to further enhance the Opuha Dam’s ability to reduce lake levels prior to a predicted major rain event.This work, which will nearly double the dam’s capacity to release water, will provide OWL more ability to proac tively manage large rain fall events, and therefore hopefully reduce the dam ages incurred by the com munity. Stream Weir Spilling during flood OPUHA LTD view of Opuha Dam-

Lake Opuha is managed throughout the year to keep its level at the opti mum height for water supply surety during dry periods, but OWL also lowers the lake when flood-level rainfall is pre dicted. This means more flood water can be stored in the lake and held back from the rivers. “This is a real balanc ing act for OWL and with climate change causing greater weather unpre dictability, the job of man aging lake levels is even more gencyciviltricttrollerswithOWLchallenging.”liaisescloselyECanfloodconandTimaruDisCouncil(TDC)defenceandemermanagementbefore and during high rainfall events.“Planning can occur up to a week before rain actually falls and, if nec essary, the dam will start to release more water into the river early, to make

OPUHA WATER LTD PHOTO 2023 Edna Calendar T: 09-307 0399 then press 1 to be put through to reception E: julieb@ruralnews.co.nz ❱❱ $25 including post & packaging ❱❱ 12 of Edna’s best cartoons ❱❱ 330mm x 240mm, spiral bound ORDER EDNA!!NOW! EDNA CALENDAR 2023 “You do realise Edna, if we start to float, you’ll be breaking the law banning live animal shipments!” “Break my New Year resolution? no way – it must be the Aussie bushfires you can smell!” RURAL NEWSFARMERS, FARMERS HORTNEWS SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY 1 2 3 4 5 6 87 9 10 11 12 13 1514 16 17 18 19 20 2221 23 24 25 26 27 2928 30 31 1 2 3 4JANUARYFEBRUARYYEARS WELLINGTON ANNIVERSARY AUCKLANDANNIVERSARYANNIVERSARY

The Opihi River has not gone dry since the dam was completed, despite some very dry years from 2014 to 2016. The dam provides this water during drier periods because it buffers (holds back) flood flows during the wetter periods, storing the water in Lake Opuha to keep water flowing in the drier months. “But this same abil ity to hold back water can also be used to buffer heavy rain falling in the catchment during flood events,” he Mockfordsays.says flood buffering is an incredibly valuable tool for manag ing floods to mitigate the damage they can cause.

Down

DAIRY NEWS AUGUST 23, 2022 20 // MANAGEMENT

Dam helps keep flood water at bay from catchment

RECENT HIGH rainfall events in South Canter bury have highlighted the role the Opuha Dam plays in managing floods. Opuha Water Ltd (OWL) chief executive Andrew Mockford says that with climate change contributing to more fre quent flood events of greater severity, the role the dam plays in help ing hold back flood water from the upper Opuha/ Opihi catchment has come into focus. “A key driver behind the building of the dam was to ensure the lower reaches of the Opihi River didn’t dry up,” Mockford says.“The 1980s droughts were a catalyst in bringing this asset to life.”

Power Farming product manager John (JP) Chapman suggests fertiliser operators could look at some entry level GPS guidance to keep things on track this spring.

Ask William Morrison 027-640 1166 and Mike Cranstone 027-218 0123 why their Ezicalve bulls are different, safer and better!

www.ezicalve.co.nz 300 BULLS FOR SALE September 22 & 27

Ezicalve make the best and safest beef bulls for dairy heifer and cow mating

Get more bang for your buck

DAIRY NEWS AUGUST 23, 2022 MANAGEMENT // 21

co.nzwww.powerfarming.

THE TARANAKI Regional Council is looking into the extent of the alli gator weed infestation in the province. This follows the discovery of the weed – a low-growing non-woody perennial plant that is considered one the world’s worst weeds. Taranaki Regional Council envi ronment services manager Steve Ellis says the identification of the aquatic weed in a lagoon near Waitara is dis appointing but was perhaps inevitable, given it is widespread in neighbour ing“Obviouslyregions. we didn’t want it in Taranaki, but the fact it’s been found is good news. We are hopeful we have identified it relatively early, allowing us a window of opportunity in which to contain its spread. “Alligator weed is notoriously dif ficult and costly to control once it becomes widely established so we’re doing everything we can to prevent thatThehappening.”identification comes after the council and the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) launched a joint project focusing on pest pathways into the region and the identification of potential new pest species. A recent council Facebook post highlighted the threat of alligator weed, which led to an eagle-eyed local reporting a possible sighting in the coastal lagoon. The council took a sample and Landcare Research con firmed it was alligator weed.

The council is now working with experts to determine the extent of the infestation before making a plan for its Elliscontrol.thanked everyone who has reported suspicious weeds and urges the public to remain vigilant. “This example shows just how important community support is for biosecurity. The more eyes we have out and about, the less chance of new weeds being allowed to thrive.” The fast-growing weed can grow in both sea and fresh water, where it forms floating mats. It can block waterways, aggravating flooding and impeding access. In pasture, it can out-compete more favourable plants and be harmful to animals. It estab lishes and spreads aggressively from even the smallest stem fragments. It can also grow on land. TARANAKI

With the cost of fertiliser soaring, Mark Daniel called on advice from Power Farming product manager John (JP) Chapman to understand how to get the best bang for your buck as you set off on your spring application campaign

BEFORE WE get down to the nitty gritty, JP sug gests that if operators haven’t already done so, it might be worth a look at some entry level GPS guidance to keep things “on track”, particularly as basic units only cost around the same cost as a tonne of fertiliser. He says, “As opera tors look to spread prod uct wider, there is a greater potential for mismatched bouts, so it is worth remembering that even driving a half metre offline can result in 5 to 6% over or under appli cation.”Looking at spreading basics, firstly make sure the spreader is clean, any shutters open and close freely, while rotors and spreading vanes show no signs of excessive wear. Also, check rotor bear ings for signs of excessive wear that might affect target speed, check gear box oils levels and make sure the PTO shaft is lubricated and undam aged.Make sure that linkage drop arms are the same length and the machine sits level across the trac tor, any front to rear incli nation suggested by the manufacturer is set accu rately and, lastly, make sure that the recom mended rotor height is alsoToachieved.achieve accu rate spreading results it’s important to under stand the influence that properties of the fertil iser have on the target result. Spreading accuracy can be affected by prod uct density, granule size, the shape and surface of the fertiliser particles and the strength of the grains. The other variable that can affect results is wind speed, so always sit on the side of caution if it is very windy.JPsuggests the first point to look at is den sity, using a vessel of one litre, filling with product and checking the subse quent weight. Typically, an NPK blend will have a density of about 1kg/ litre, so it is important to understand, depending on individual characteris tics, lighter density prod ucts will likely need larger hopper aperture settings to achieve target rates and viceTheversa.next area to understand is particle size, realising that smaller, dusty particles will “fly” less than larger and heavier particles. Testing the product to understand its properties is achieved by using a shaker box text. Most manufacturers will typically supply a small shaker box divided into areas of 2mm and ranging to 4.75mm and above. Fill ing the box and agitating for around 30 seconds will indicate the range of par ticle size, with well made product typically achiev ing about 80% in the 2-5mmOncerangewehave estab lished the characteris tics of the product, we will have an early indica tion of its likely spreading characteristics, so now it’s time to move to the man ufacturer’s database of products, with most car rying out assessments of key materials on an ongo ingInputtingbasis. the details of density, particle range, surface type, target appli cation rates, preferred bout width and forward speed will lead to a rec ommended matrix of machine settings. These will include aperture opening at the hopper, rotor speed and the PTO speed needed to achieve this and any special rotor or spreading vane options, alongside any indications of incompatibility for the desired crossed.ingstartthatKverneland’stionbutconfirmpliedspreadersthatAdditionally,ponds.sideronmentalwastagework,borderbycanalthoughbesttingsturersUsinginputs.themanufacrecommendedsetshouldresultinthechancesofaccuracy,JPsuggeststhisbeimprovedfurtherunderstandinghowspreadingoptionstoachievelessandlowerenvidamagealongwatercoursesorhereportsaround60%ofnewarebeingsupwithweighcells,toapplicationrates,alsovariableapplicaapplicationssuchasGEOPOINTwillautomaticallyandstopspreadasheadlandmarksare

ALLIGATOR WEED REACHES

Do you know if your feed Find out at the NZFMA Fieldays DAIRY NEWS AUGUST 23, 2022 22 // ANIMAL HEALTH Make sure your feed is FeedSafe NZ accredited

RAY DICKIE says family is still a dominant fea ture of the farm business. He and Margaret have five children and two grandchildren. “They have all helped in the last few years,” Ray says. “We have a midwife and an accoun tant among them, but they all link back to the farm in some way.” Ray says their hope is that Rob and Bri – who hails from Newcastle, NSW – will take over the farm one day. “Rob is now the driving force behind the farm,” Ray says. “If it wasn’t for his enthusiasm and everyone’s willingness to pitch in and help, I doubt we would have carried on. “Rob is working to build a sustainable busi ness going forward, for his family and for gen erations to come.”

Sized for: • Cow sheds • Pump sheds • House standby TRAILERAVAILABLEOPTIONS 0800 10 7006 www.corkillsystems.co.nz POWER CUTS – CAN YOU AFFORD THE RISK? GENERATORINDUSTRIAL • Direct PTO driven (no gear boxes or belts) • Heavy duty construction (including drive shaft) • Dials facing cab (one person operator) • Designed and assembled locally for rugged conditions! • Three sizes to suit all sheds: 37.5KVA, 62.5KVA and 93.75KVA • Silent diesel available by pre-order only SILENT GENERATORSDIESELAskaboutourrangeof Do you know if your feed is FeedSafe accredited? Find out at the NZFMA Fieldays stand NZFMA Fieldays stand number AG 7C feedsafe-15x11.pdf 1 20/04/21 5:09 PM Do you know if your feed is FeedSafe NZ accredited?

A FAMILY AFFAIR sons (including Ray) took over under the name L A Dickie and Sons. During this period, the farm was milking 80 cows. Ray went straight into farming when he left school. “That was my leaving school present 50 years ago – a full time farm job,” Ray says. “We had the town milk supply, which was seven days a week.”

ACCORDING TO the New Zealand Holstein Friesian Association Cen tenary book, the name Dickie “seemed fated to make some mark in the Holstein Friesian world of theMakeday”. its mark, it did –and one arm of the Dickie family, who established the Glenstuart stud, is continuing to do so today. Glenstuart was founded in 1919 by WY Dickie near Mataura, Southland. His grandson, current owner Ray Dickie, says his grandfather’s main stipulation was that his herd must be easy on the“Heeye.said, if you have to look at cows twice a day, every day of your life they’d better be good looking,” Ray says. “That’s been the phi losophy of the farm ever Margaret, who was brought up on a sheep farm in eastern South land, have settled on the farm’s support block while their eldest son Rob and his fiancée Brianne have taken over manage ment of the farm. Although Rob is the “driving force” behind the farm, the business is still a family affair. “We all pitch in,” Ray says. “We have always had good family involvement throughout the years: from grandad to aun ties and uncles, they all pitched in.” In 1929, the busi ness’ name was changed to WY Dickie and Sons. The most involved sons were MV (Vic) Dickie and later L A (Alton) and Colin, who farmed in partnership at Glenstu art from 1954 until 1979 when Alton and his five

ANNE BOSWELL

Glenstuart has long had a reputation as an excellent show stud, exhibiting at many South land shows; Ray remem bers they used to travel as far as the Otago Show at Dunedin.“Wecould never understand why Dad would go so far, but as we got older we realised the show was a ‘shop window’ for the stud,” Ray says.

Four generations of Dickie

Ray Dickie and granddaughter Cassie with cow Glenstuart Unix Dolly VG88.

076 www.koanuiherefords.co.nz Chris

Gain

family make their mark

herd genetics, and find out more about

bull testing and bull selection. Wednesday

“Overseas genetics works for us; they are slower-maturing animals but last better on our country,” he says. “We breed a balanced ani mal: we have 10,000L cows but we are more than happy for the herd to be averaging 440-450 kgMS.”One outstanding production cow is Glenstuart Unix Dolly, who saw success in the 2020 Southland Oaks Competition 3-year-old class, and also as a 3-year-old in the 2021 Otago/ Southland HFNZ Semex On FarmClassifyingCompetition.forthe first time in 2021, Glenstuart had six cows classify Excellent including Royal Oak Laurento Remi S3F; Remi was exhibited at the 2021 Gore Show, the only show the Dickies still attend today. When selecting bulls Ray says good conformation is their number one criteria, due to the rolling farm terrain. “The cows do have to be sound, functional cows to last on the hills, with good feet and legs,” he says. “Good udders are important to us as well.” Ray says he is “quite chuffed” that Rob, despite not having attended any judging schools, has a natural talent for picking a good“Hecow.seems to have the family eye for conformation,” he says. The Dickies use Semex Immunity + bulls wherever possible, which support robust immune systems capable of dealing with a large variety of potential immune challenges, both viral and bacterial in nature. “If we can breed cows with greater immunity to mastitis and other major diseases and they last longer, then why wouldn’t we?” Ray says. “We also use some bulls of good genomic value.”

OUTCROSS GENETICS

The Glenstuart stud of Southland was founded in 1919. Lameness is now amongst the top three health issues on-farm and it is costing New Zealand dairy farmers millions of dollars every year. knowledge and practical skills. the standard of hoof care.

451

“He would head back in spring with bulls that had been sold during those trips.”Among the many royal Champion and Reserve titles Glenstu art won were those by Glenstuart KO Queen at Christchurch in 1955 and Glenstuart CP Count in 1969; more recently, the stud won several cham pionships with Excellent cows Glenstuart CP Glit ter, Glenstuart Linmack Heidi and Glenstuart OR Judy.Today, the property is 290ha, with a 120ha milk ingRayplatform.tooka hiatus from milking cows between 2007-2019 and worked at Semex during this time. When Rob showed an interest in farming in 2016, Ray and Marga ret bought the dairy unit off Ray’s brothers, taking over in August 2016. Rays says when it came time to build a herd, they bought 250 Holstein Frie sian cows from a vari ety of studs, half of which were in-calf heifers: from Cresslands, Royal Oak, B & D Haylock of Oihitu, and D & S Petheram of Sudarra.“In2016 they were genuine surplus cows,” Ray says. “We paid less than $1,300/cow to put the herd together, and there have been some real gems that have come through.“Unfortunately, there were not many of the original Glenstuart cows left.”They also bought a line of 50 crossbred cows. They are now in their 6th season, milking 340 cows producing 150,000 kgMS annually. In 2016 they were milking 250 cows and managed to achieve 80,000 kgMS annually.“We’ve almost doubled our production without doubling cow numbers,” Ray says. The farm is rolling country with ridges; the Dickies stopped grow ing crops as there wasn’t enough flat country to do so successfully.“Wewinterthe herd on feed pads which are sheltered by trees,” Ray says. “Best practice would be for us to build a win tering barn which we may do eventually, but the feed pads are working for us at the moment.” To supplement the pasture-based system, they buy in 3kg/day of dairy pellets and use a little baleage and PKE.

Raising

Ashburton, South Island BOOK NOW: $2,499 + gst per person This is an intensive 5-day course that covers both the theory and the practice of hoof care and hoof trimming techniques led by our director Fred Hoekstra, who is NZ’s only fully qualified hoof care instructor. Held at DHI headquarters and on local host farms. Register today at dhi.ac.nz the standard of hoof care. us on 03 662 8015 visit dhi.ac.nz Chesterman: 027 4888 Hollister: 027 3544 & Dean Koanui Major P469see in Koanui dairy our 7 September 11am - 1pm Mangamaire

DAIRY NEWS AUGUST 23, 2022 ANIMAL HEALTH // 23

the latest

Rd, Pahiatua All welcome, BBQ lunch provided.

Raising

Call

5th-9th December 2022, and May 2023

635 Dean

CALVING STARTS on farm on August 1, and mating on October 23 with 10 weeks of AI. Under Rob’s management they are in their second season using Afimilk collars on the cows, monitoring heat detection and“Therumination.collarsmake manage ment so much easier at mating time,” Ray says. “It works well with our drafting system.” Over the last 50 years, the genetics they have used have been of North American and Canadian descent, including Croteau Lesperron Unix, winner of the Holstein Premier Sire title at the 2021 World Dairy Expo 2021.“We’re always happy with Unix daughters,” Ray says. He says they are also looking forward to seeing daughters of Walnutlawn Sidekick, ValBisson Dorman and Westcoast Perseus coming through.

Advanced hoof care management course

Chris

Dairy Bull Education Day Come and

This week Mark Daniel takes a closer look at Agmax Industries Limited, catching up with Paul Whitley, managing director & owner at their East Tamaki, Auckland base Q- When was the company founded, by whom and why (was it to solve a problem or market a product)? Agmax Industries was founded 33 years ago by the then director, Paul Martin, with a plan to create an alternative to the traditional retailer and sales rep approach, to provide high quality products at fair prices, delivered direct to the farm. Q- Where is the busi ness located and how many people are employed? Agmax teamAuckland,singleistrationdistributionmanufacturing,andadminoperatesfromasiteatEastTamaki,employingaof10people.

Made in New Zealand looks at the wealth of design and manufacturing ability we have in the country, producing productive and cost-effective products for the agricultural sector

OVAL

Innovation, low costs making a real difference to farmers

bales • 24 feed positions • 24 48 animals • 4m long STANDARD

• 2 x 6

DAIRY NEWS AUGUST 23, 2022 24 // MACHINERY & PRODUCTS

• 3

Businesses MADEINNZ A LOOK COMPANIESHOME-GROWNAT

AgMax sells dairy hygiene and animal health products including liquid and powdered acid and alkali detergents, teat sprays, emollients and bloat products. FEEDER (S2 Pinned) x 4 foot bales foot FEEDER (C6 Pinned) GST $1325

Agmax manufacturing, distribution and administration operates from a single site at East Tamaki, Auckland.

+GST

facebook@dairy_newscom/dairynews

Q- What are your key prod ucts and which markets do they serve? We manufacture and distribute direct to the dairy farming indus try nationwide, concen trating on dairy hygiene and animal health prod ucts including liquid and powdered acid and alkali detergents, teat sprays, emollients and bloat products. All our prod ucts are MPI and ACVM approved or licensed, made in our GMP reg istered manufacturing plant.Our rigorous qual ity assurance programme ensures every product we make is tested and meets the required quality assur ance standards, featuring maximum concentration and a 100% money back guarantee. Q- Are your products unique? If so, what are the four key benefits? If not unique, what are the four unique selling points? Innovation and low costs have always been our key drivers, and have helped us made a real dif ference to farmers for convenience of use and an improved bottom line. Back in 1993, we were the first to nothemeasuredprovidingdetergentsintroduce dairyinsachets,accuratepre-doses,withoutneedformeasuring,spillsandnounder or over-dosing. They also retained their full prod uct strength without oxi dation so typical of loose product options, while the 100g/100l dilution rate, compared to competitors more typical 150g/100l, makes our product more cost-effective.WealsolaunchedTeatsweet,apowderedteat-sprayin a sachet, each sachet making 20l of readyto-spray solution, with the added bene fit of adding emollient when needed during the cold, wet months of the year. Agmax Vat Cleaner, an alkali detergent that works in cold water, was also another first, with no more scrubbing – just apply it to the vat wash and rinse it off. More recently, we introduced Megastart, a high energy drench for nutritionally stressed cows post calving, offer ing a powdered formula tion that doesn’t separate in storage, unlike liquid alternatives. Q- Looking at an everevolving market, what changes have you made to improve the service you offer? We are constantly working on cost-effective deliveries on farm, whilst meeting the transport regulations and require ments. Q- What has been the com pany’s greatest success since its formation? Providing dairy farmers with a direct to farm, lowcost alternative compared to the more expensive tra ditional retail channel. We also pioneered edu cation on milk quality, being the first company to create a milk quality handbook. This helped farmers to understand their milking plants and vats, alongside the use of acid and alkali detergents to clean milk deposits. It also offered the ability to investigate their own milk quality grade, how to rec tify them, then control any issues without wait ing for an external dairy inspector. Q- What has been the big gest “oh bugger” moment or the steepest learning curve? The arrival of Covid19 was definitely a real “oh bugger” moment, that left us wondering how we would source our supplies of raw materials in time for manufacturing, along side ensuring we fulfilled our customers’ orders. Q- If you were approached by someone looking to start a business, what would be your three key pieces of advice? Is there a market? Are there any barriers to entering that market? Can the proposed business offer something different or unique from the cur rent status quo? Q- Where do you see the company in the next three, five and ten years? Growing, while work ing through the increasing burden of yet more regu latory requirements.

• 1 x 6 foot bale • 2m diameter • 15 feed positions • 15 30 animals $950

service provided by Pear son, who designed and manufactured the bucket quickly and allowed them to support a local manu facturer. ing.co.nzwww.pearsonengineer MARK DANIEL markd@ruralnews co nz NOW READ IT ONLINE READING THE PAPER ONLINE HAS NEVER BEEN EASIER ■ BREAKING NEWS ■ MACHINERY REVIEWS ■ MARKETS & TRENDS ■ MANAGEMENT STORIES ■ COMPETITIONS ■ AND MUCH MORE... All the latest stories and more at www.dairynews.co.nz Featuring heavy-duty construction, the bucket/grab is said to handle maize silage or baled materials such as the lucerne or rye straw easily. ‘Dieci Does It All’ Tim Currie 021 221 5016www.webbline.co.nz “We use it for everything; it’s a multiuse machine. And it’s simple to usewe looked at other machines, but this was just so simple to use, and userfriendly for staff as well.” - John Whittington, Dairy Farmer, Taranaki

Clever bucket/grab makes loading feed a breeze

DAIRY NEWS AUGUST 23, 2022 MACHINERY & PRODUCTS // 25

PETER SCHERES, alongside son in law Aaron Pascoe and his wife Kate, operates Twin Oaks, near Lichfield in the Waikato. The property of 115ha runs 420 cows, delivering around 270,000 kgMS per annum under a System 5 Productionoperation.isdriven by a TMR feeding regime, delivery the cows around 18.5kg DM/day with a ration made up of lucerne, maize silage, rye straw, soya bean meal, tapioca pellets, molasses and min erals.Such a system requires reliable loading equip ment, so when a tractor/ loader needed replace ment, the business decided to settle on a dedicated compact wheel loader, in this case, a 51hp Kubota R540, that offered a very useable 1,510kg lift capacity.Realising that reach over the side of their large mixer wagon would be marginal, the farm approached local manu facturer Kaimai Steel –makers of the well known Pearson brand – look ing at the possibility of building a toe-tip bucket fitted with a top grab to deal with the farm’s wide range of feed inputs. The resultant unit, now with several months of operation under its belt, has exceeded expec tations, reports Aaron, “easily reaching and tip ping over the side of the mixer wagon, while the grab ensures a clean face on the maize clamp and helps reduce

butstructionpraisewheeledloader,ofthroughoutpointsheavy-dutytoe-tipprotectedfeaturescapacities,0.98widths,Availableitedgrabeasilyeasily,thebaledhandlebucket/grabdutyday.minuteseachsetpreviousloadingtionloader/bucketeachmakeswheneachofbucket/grabfermentation”.secondaryHealsonotesthatthetakesa“bite”around1,200kgwithmouthful,usefulthemaizesilageuparoundhalfof12,000kgmix.Interestingly,thecombinahasalsoreducedtimesoverthetractor/loaderbyaround45minutesload,resultingin90beingsavedeachFeaturingheavy-construction,theissaidtomaizesilageormaterialssuchaslucerneorryestrawwiththelatterpulledapartbythebeforebeingdeposinthemixerwagon.in2.1or2.4meffectivelyofferingor1.12cubicmetrethemachinekeyfeatureslikeramsforthemechanism,agrab,greaseonallpivotpinsandachoicemountingbracketsfortelehandlerandloaderset-ups.BothPeteandAaronthegeneralconofthebucket,importantlypraisethe

MARK DANIEL markd@ruralnews co nz

FOLLOWING COLLABORATION with the special ist Italian manufacturer Dinamica Generale, Kuhn has increased the ration programming and feed management capabilities across its diet feeder range with the launch of a new intuitive programmable weighing package as standard on all machines. In addition, the company offers the option of either a secondary display or a remote-control facility, available through pre-loaded apps on a smartphone or tablet. In addition, for full ration tracking and man agement, Kuhn also now offers a cloud-based data transfer function that provides a compre hensive package of monitoring and reporting op tions, controlled from a personal computer and with the potential to interface with other farm management software. The DG600 terminal is now a standard inclu sion on all KUHN Profile and Euromix trailed diet feeders, featuring a monitor with twin screens, the first displaying weights and a second that acts as a virtual keypad that allows ingredient names and quantities to be shown simultane ously. The DG600 has scrollable menus that make choosing and inputting data faster and easier. It has the capacity to store up to 99 mixes, with each having up to 24 ingredients, and up to 48 feed batches at any one time but can be used as a simple weighing display if required.

The Aura, scheduled for release in 2024-25, works autonomously to move around a farm, collecting and feeding out a total mixed ration.

Robotic diet feed is coming!

Are market?targetyourhittingyou Contact your local sales representative for more information Auckland Stephen Pollard Ph 021-963 166 Waikato Lisa Wise Ph 027-369 9218 Wellington Ron Mackay Ph 021-453 914 Christchurch Kaye Sutherland Ph 021-221 1994 www.dairynews.co.nz ■ BREAKING NEWS ■ MACHINERY REVIEWS ■ MANAGEMENT STORIES ■ AND MUCH MORE... For more information call us on 06 370 Dealerswww.tulloch.nz0390located nationwide EASYCUT FRONT MOWER The EasyCut Front Mower is a versatile & innovative compact design. It includes all the benefits of a KRONE mower but with the additional flexibility of utilising either a pull type or push type headstock - either is available as an option, allowing optimal adaptability. Invest in longevity and quality. Invest in the best. Pictured: EasyCut F - Push Type KW Series Tedder Low maintenance, high quality and dependable. Produce exceptional results with the Krone machinery range. Swadro Rake

DAIRY NEWS AUGUST 23, 2022 26 // MACHINERY & PRODUCTS

FRENCH FACTURERMANUKuhn has released details of its new self-propelled, autono mous diet feeder capable of feeding 280 cows, after heading to the clamp then loading and mixing up to three cubic metres of ingredients.TheAura, sched uled for release in 202425, works autonomously using GPS and RTK to move around a farm, col lecting and feeding out a total mixed ration (TMR), making use of inbuilt loading and weigh ing modules that calculate the exact blend of forage material like grass and maize, alongside any con centrates or minerals that may be required. The three cubic metre mixing tank features twin vertical augers that are said to lower the power requirement, while also featuring extensive use Kuhn’s K-Nox technol ogy to guarantee a service life said to be up six times longer than conventional steelFeaturingalternatives.a56hp diesel engine can power the Aura for up to a week of continual loading and feeding. Very compact, standing at 2.6m high, 1.9m wide and a little less than 7.0m in length, the unit can move easily around housing barns, feed pads, feed passages and, of course, storage clamps.Amulti-purpose mill ing head is used to load forage efficiently while weigh sensors calculate the TMR to the nearest kilogram. The machine can also load concentrates or minerals by auger from storage hoppers fitted with receivers to com municate with the Aura’s onboard transmitter. The time and fre quency of feeding can be set at numerous points during a 24-hour period to enable consistent feed ing without the need for operator interven tion. Additionally, Aura is fitted also with rotat ing brushes on each side of the machine that push up forage in the feed area and clean up any fallen material at the clamp. Mixing and chopping speeds can be adjusted to create a homogenous TMR blend, which is then fed out at a speed of 2 km/h via a bi-directional conveyor. Maximum travel speed is up to 7 km/h, with maximum gra dients of up to 20%. A guidance system uses GPS and RTK when operating outdoors, while LIDAR works inside, in conjunction with an onboard odometer. Farms operating Aura will be mapped and connected to Wi-Fi devices to enable connectivity throughout, while in-built sensors help avoid objects and bring the machine to a stop in emergencies.

www.kuhn.co.nz

SMART FEEDING

DAIRY NEWS AUGUST 23, 2022 MACHINERY & PRODUCTS // 27 Never carry buckets to the pens again AS THE calving season progresses, uineminutes.100replacers250andbeandmetrefeederself-distributingcleaning,aerodynamic,undercarriage,pellinganddrawnmobilemobileaccessersfortoingtanker/feeders,tandem-axleandsingle-axleforingwhoNewwillmobileintroducedNorth-basedPalmerstonStallionhasamid-sizecalffeederthatbewellreceivedbyZealandcalfrearersarefedupwithcarryendlessbuckets.Alreadywellknownitsbigger500-litreMTmixertankersthelarger1,000-litreMTFmixerofferthescopetofeedupfeedupto80calves,the2022season,rearwillalsobeabletotheStallionMT250feeder.TheMT250-litrecalffeederisbythreewheelsincludesseveralcomfeatures.Featuringatridemtheself-self-mixingandmobileincludesathree-deliveryhoseflowmeter,saidtocapableofmixingdeliveringamixoflitresofcalfmilktomobsof80tocalvesinfivetoeightEquippedwithagenHondafour-stroke motor, with the option of an electric start system, the unit also incorporates a stainless-steel mixing system.Already popular with calf rearers throughout NZ, Australia, England, France and Germany, Stallion’s Grant Allen said the request for a compet itively priced, mid-size mobile feeder originally came out of Ireland. Orig inally, the company made an electric option for enclosed barns, but real ised the need for a pet rol-driven option for Kiwi farmers, who often feed calves thatundercompanythealsotricbythemanyoptions,tricmarkettowhichreliableitytoeasyproof,soHonda-based“Everyoneoutside.likespumps,theseunitsarebulleteasytouseandtopull.Thereislittlegowrongasinrealthereisonlyanultra-fourstrokemotorisalsoinexpensiverun.”Availableinthehomewiththeelecandpetrol-drivenGrantnotesthatusersaretakingupeaseofuseoptionspecifyingtheelecstartsystem.Grantnotedthatduringdesignprocess,thedesignerswereinstructiontomakefeederlooklikeaFerrariratherthanamilktankonwheels,because it costs the same amount of money to design some thing bad as it does to design something good, so the slimline format was a deliberate move. As part of the design and proving phase, Grant Allen and wife, Andrea, own a 380-cow dairy farm near Palmerston North have the ideal testing base that has been used exten sively since their purchase of the company 13 years ago. MARK DANIEL markd@ruralnews co nz Stallion introducedhasa midsize mobile calf feeder. Stallion’s mobile calf-feeder is equipped with a Honda four-stroke motor. MF 2200 SERIES LARGE SQUARE BALERS MF RB SERIES FIXED & VARIABLE ROUND BALERS MF 1840 SMALL SQUARE BALER MF HAY RANGE A CUT ABOVE MASSEY FERGUSON’S HIGH PERFORMANCE HAY RANGE WWW.MASSEYFERGUSON.CO.NZFREECALL0800825872 is a global brand of AGCO corporation 212277_MF_HayTools_Q3_DairyNewsNZ_187x280mm MF TD SERIES TEDDERS MF RK SERIES RAKES MF TL-V VERTICAL-FOLD MOWERS GET ROLLING IN TIME FOR HAY SEASON With the extensive Massey Ferguson hay range, including Mowers, Rakes, Tedders, Conditioners and Balers. AVAILABLE NOW Loads of models are in stock now and ready to roll NOW IS THE TIME TO SECURE YOUR NEW HAY EQUIPMENT. Speak to your local Massey Ferguson dealer for more information.

New and Used MixerCallavailableWagonsNOW! North - Gerry Clare 021 245 4471 South - Jethro Boakes 021 513 368 www.webbline.co.nz