SEPTEMER 20, 2022 ISSUE 503 // www.dairynews.co.nz James Barron to step down. PAGE 3 HAY & FEATURESILAGE Making good feed PAGE 21A potential gamechanger? PROFITGREENCLEAN Northland BFEA supreme winner Geoff Crawford believes in balancing profit with the environment. PAGE 5 M5-1 ROPS POWER PERFORMTOKUBOTAM5SERIES
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THE RISKS ARE LESS RISKY WHEN WE’RE PART OF THE PICTURE.
Barron says the council has been planning for chair succession for some time now.
PG.14 NEWS 3-10 AGRIBUSINESS 11 OPINION 12-134 MANAGEMENT 14-15 ANIMAL HEALTH 16-17 MACHINERY & PRODUCTS 18-19 HAY & SILAGE 20-27
He is impressed by the skill sets and knowledge of the remaining councillors. “Iwillbe leaving the council in very capable hands.”
He believes he has made posi tive contribution to the council in
ative. “As a council we’ve worked really hard to implement the changes from the review of representation in 2020 and I think they are all resonating well with both farmers and the board.” Barron notes that just like their farming businesses, Fonterra has continued to evolve during his time on the “There’scouncil.always more work to be done but a culture of continuous
Barron told Dairy News that he was confident now was a good time to step down and hand over the reins to someone else.
“I’m confident now is a good time for succession to happen,” he says.
Barron was first elected to the council six years and took over the chairmanship in 2019.
his three year term as chair.
improvement is beginning to emerge and we are starting to see the results of the new strategic choices flow through to results.
“As a council we’ve worked really hard to implement the changes from the review of representation in 2020 and I think they are all resonating well with both farmers and the board.”
Outgoing someoneovergoodbelievesJamesCouncilCo-operativeFonterrachairBarronit’satimetohandthereinstoelse.
Right time for Barron to pass on the baton
DAIRY NEWS SEPTEMBER 20, 2022 NEWS // 3
Barron says while this change will allow him more time on the farm and with his young family, he will remain a staunch supporter of the industry. “The NZ dairy industry and our co-op have both a proud history and a brightBarronfuture.”isone of two councillors stepping down this year; the other is Coastal Taranaki representative Vaughn Brophy.
Native algae to reduce leaching.
FONTERRA CO-OPERATIVE Council chair James Barron is step ping down after three years in the role.Barron, who represents South Waikato on the council, retires by rotation this year and isn’t seeking re-election.Hewillhand over to a new chair man, to be elected by the 25 coun cillors, at Fonterra’s annual meeting in early November. A new council lor for South Waikato will also be elected at the annual meeting.
SUDESH KISSUN sudeshk@ruralnews co nz
Putting safe feed on the radar. PG.09
“It helps that Fonterra is now guided by a clear purpose - our cooperative, empowering people to create goodness for generations, you me us together, tatou tatou.”
“The council now has three clear goals: firstly to understand co-op members’ views and expectations and represent them to the board, secondly, to seek explanation, from the board, of Fonterra’s strategy and performance and thirdly, to enable shareholder control of our co-oper
New Silocut shear grab. PG.19
“There has been a lot going on in the co-op over the last few years. Now we are in a period of relative stability and that allows me to step back and focus on other areas.”
“It’s pretty simple really, the council is there to represent Fon terra farmers, but that used to mean different things to different people.
cattle would go up by a round number but the beef cattle fee has remained the same.
underpinned by what I would call a ‘social movement’ and a set of practices which lead to things getting better. I think most of the debate is about practices and the sci ence behind them and what practices genuinely make things better,” he says.
Helevels.says levies are adjusted to reflect the latest industry farm gate values and slaughter vol umes for both dairy and beef“Thisstock.year there is a need for a change in the levy rate for dairy stock, which is being driven by market conditions. The reason for the change in dairy cattle slaugh ter levies is the reduced slaughter volumes we’re seeing, combined with farm gate price increases for dairy this year.”
this. He says common thinking among regenerative agriculture practitioners is the planting of more than ten grass species and seeing how these evolve over time, as opposed to sowing rye grass plantain and clover, which he says some people would view as a diverse“Let’spasture.faceit, everybody wants to be better and farmers believe quite correctly that many of the things they do now as standard farm practices are, in other parts of the world, regarded as leading-edge regenerative farming. So by getting some science behind the regenerative philosophy, farmers, policymakers and others will have the scientific evidence to support good
He says dairy farmers
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in order to deal with that drought. Farmers like regenerative agriculture because it gives them the flexibility,” he says.DairyNZ has not done any promo tion on it, but is an integral part of the overall project and have invested in it alongside MPI and the Taranaki Dairy Trust.
“One of the things that farmers really like about regenerative agricul ture is that it is not deeply prescrip tive. You change and adapt in a way that suits the variability of your farm ing situation, unlike an organic farmer who is facing a drought.
JESSICA MARSHALL jessica@ruralnews co nz
He says it is strange that the levy for dairy
Thorrold says regenerative prac tices not only vary from country to country but also from farm to farm. He says for example the practices of a beef and deer farmer in Hawke’s Bay will vary considerably from a South land dairy farmer.
DAIRY NEWS SEPTEMBER 20, 2022 4 // NEWS
‘Why only dairy?’
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are happy to pay the levy, so long as it makes sense.
GETTING SOME quality science behind the philosophy of regenera tive agriculture is critical, according to DairyNZ’s strategy and investment leader Bruce Thorrold.
“We’re all happy to pay our fair share, it’s not about trying to get away
FEDERATED FARM
His comments follow the announcement by the Government recently to spend $26 million on a comprehensive study into the sus tainability of the New Zealand farming sector and determine what regenera tive agriculture might look in an NZ context.Thorrold says regenerative agricul
that there has been no change in the levy for beef cattle.From 1 October, the dairy slaughter levy for dairy cattle will change from $9.00 per head to $10.50 per head. Mean while, the cattle slaugh ter levy for beef animals will remain unchanged at $5.50 per head. Also remaining the same, at $11.50, is the live export levy.McIntyre says that for a dairy farmer with a herd of 450 cows the increase could equate to as much as $135 per year.
Thorrold says in terms of dairy, one of the issues in focus is what is known as hyper-diverse pastures and there is debate about the definition of
PETER
a number that wouldn’t be a round number,”
“They may have a problem because they have a very restrictive set of practices that they are allowed to do
ERS’ new dairy chair says he’s uncertain why OSPRI is only raising the TB Slaughter Levy for dairy cattle.Richard McIntyre, who took over the dairy chair role in July, says OSPRI has been unclear as to why levy changes are only being targeted at dairy farmers.“Dairy farmers already pay a significant levy via their milk produc tion, which is collected on OSPRI’s behalf by DairyNZ,” he says.
BURKE peterb@ruralnews co nz facebook@dairy_newscom/dairynews
ture to him is a philosophy of farm ing and in ways that make it better in the future than it is today. He says that is across a whole range of met rics such as people, animals, the envi ronment and the quality of the food we produce.“Thatis
McIntyre says.
decision making,” he says.
from that, but we want to understand that it is our fairOSPRIshare.”disease man agement general manager
Danny Templeman says the change was part of an annual review under the TBfree Funders Agree ment, designed to ensure that the overall funding of the TBfree programme agrees with agreed fund ing
He says, aside of this project, a lot of other research is being done on best farming practice. He points to work on winter grazing, animal care, plantain and farming systems which reduce nitrogen loss and lower dairy’s environmental footprint.
McIntyre told Dairy News that he doesn’t believe the change has been adequately justified to dairy farmers, partic ularly in light of the fact
SLOGANS NEED SCIENCE – THORROLD
He says the reasoning for the increase doesn’t seem to be immediately clear.“If there was a calcula tion that was made, theo retically, based on inputs from this year, you’d wind up coming up with
The Crawfords have also gifted a mountain on the property to the Queen Elizabeth II Trust.
grass and weeds. Then I will over sow with my chain harrow, fence them off and keep them in pro duction.”Judges described the Crawfords’ business as “a spectacular example of balancing profit with the environment”.”Theirmotivation to enter the awards was to demonstrate it is possible to run a profitable corpo rate size operation, while being conscious of the environment.”TheCrawfords says they entered the BFEA as a way of demonstrat ing how large-scale dairy farms can be both envi ronmentally and finan cially sustainable.
“I will come in with chemicals in the coming weeks and take out the
NORTHLAND FARM
They calve 60% of the calves in autumn and 40% in spring.Almost all calves are raised and finished on the beef unit they own, alongside trading cattle that are purchased and finished.Forfeed, a 50ha maize block supports the dairy farms; chicory, plantain and fescue are some of
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Jo says they have heard that the mountain is home to a rare centipede. “Not that we have seen it but it gives us a good feel ing.”Two years ago, the Crawfords started pest control with the hope of increasing bird life and introducing kiwis to the property one day.
amazing journey.
seeing more bird life on our property than what we had two years ago.”
Last month the area was under water again after 200mm of rain.
Jo Crawford told guests at the field day that the business means every thing to them.
Profit and environment go hand in hand for winners
“We’re definitely
ERS Geoff and Jo Craw ford have a simple mantra: put as much milk in the vat in the best envi ronmental way possible.
They have taken the lessons from the Crane Road property to the other“Thingsfarms.like not plant ing flax too close to the fences and having electri cal shorts,” she adds.
“It’s our dream and the culmination of our life’s work,” she says.
Geoff Crawford says farming in the flood-prone Hikurangi area is a challenge.
“We had a wet winter and we saw a lot of water come and go,” he says. “But we get over it, it’s just resilience, having a plan and moving on.”
DAIRY NEWS SEPTEMBER 20, 2022 NEWS // 5
Geoff Crawford told guests that farming in the flood-prone Hikurangi region was a challenge.
Geoff Crawford bought his first farm at 22.
NZ
He says the affected paddocks were already showing signs of life, with chicory and buttercup shoots visible.
SUDESH KISSUN sudeshk@ruralnews co nz
the feed grown across the dairy platform.
She says they bought the Crane Road property 29 years ago to base their contracting business near the“Andtown.over the 29 years, we have become passion ate about our environ ment,” she says. “We’ve done a lot of planting [along] drains and we have fenced off all bushes on the “It’sproperty.allpartof our desire to have a sustain ableJoenvironment.”saysithasbeen an
Dairy farmers for the past 30 years, the Craw fords have strived to bal ance profit with the supremeenvironment.AstheNorthlandwinnersof the Ballance Farm Environ ment Awards, the Craw fords hosted a field day at their Crane Road farm in Hikurangi this month. About 150 people turned up to hear their recipe for success.Geoff Crawford, who started as a contractor, bought his first farm aged 22. Today the couple own three dairy farms milking a total of 1,400 cows.
nod to Luxton being born in Morrinsville) and is on Saturday 24 September.
The netball match starts around 1.30pm and rugby aroundLuxton’s3pm.son Richard is playing in the rugby, DairyNZ DairyNZ chief executive Tim Mackle is on the wing and there’s a full front row from Fed erated Farmers – presi dent Andrew Hoggard, Wayne Langford, and Richard McIntyre. There’s
Farmers, MPs set for John Luxton memorial match
also a great cohort from the local Young Farmers branch. MPs expected to play include Mark Mitch ell, Louise Upston, Meka Whaitiri, Nicole McKee and Barbara Kuriger. Former MPs Alfred Ngaro and Kris Faafoi and former All Black Piri Weepu will bring extra energy to the team.
Duncum playing alongside the likes of Dairy Envi ronment Leaders chair Melissa Slattery and Poua rua Farms CEO Jenna
Parents, children and grandchildren, and people from rural communities and cities are all playing together in dairy sector versus parliamentary teams.
guralLuxton.inLuxtonteams.versustogetherandfromgrandchildren,Black.MPsfarmers,ballpetitivelight-heartedThefarming.eventinvolvesbutcomrugbyandnetgamesinvolvingdairysectorleaders,andaformerAllParents,childrenandandpeopleruralcommunitiescitiesareallplayingindairysectorparliamentaryTheDairyNZJohnMemorialEventishonourofthelateJohnHewasinauchairofDairyNZ,
Smith.Young Māori dairy farming leaders who are keen to actively encour age other young people to get into farming are in the dairy sector rugby team.
DAIRYNZ IS organising a fun event on behalf of the dairy sector, with the aim of attracting young people into a career in dairy
4,000 more people and the event dovetails with DairyNZ’s campaign to showcase the many posi tives of working in dairy.
Tangaroa Walker cre ated his own Farm4Life programme which offers how-to information for people starting out in dairy farming and Quinn Morgan is Ahuwhenua Young Māori Farmer Award winner. He also recently won the Emerg ing leader Award at the Primary Industries New Zealand Awards.
former Agriculture Min ister and the last Pākehā Māori Affairs Minis ter. He was regarded by many as a true leader in the New Zealand dairy sector, also being former chair of Tatua Dairy Com pany, and co-chair of the Waikato River Authority.
DAIRY NEWS SEPTEMBER 20, 2022 6 // NEWS
Luxton was very active in encouraging young Māori to work in the dairy sector and his family cre ated a trust to support young Māori into agricul tureDairyNZjobs. are organis ing the free community event on behalf of the sector – aiming to bring the community together to celebrate his life, show case the strength of the dairy sector, and help
For the netball, as well as the MPs, there’s radio personality Rowena
forge some strong rela tionships between the competitors. Akeygoal is to attract young people and career changers into the dairy sector. The sector needs
The event is at Camp bell Park, Morrinsville (a
The event, aiming to lure young people into dairying, is in memory of the late John Luxton. it up!‘s ’HAKE For a limited time, we’re shaking things up with two new flavoured feeders! 4,695from+gst includingdeliverytostore Banana The OT50S, Single Axle, 500L, 50 teat feeder The OT60LT, Tandem Axle, 1000L, 60 teat feeder As you can see, there’s nothing vanilla about these cheery OT feeders. But be quick! They’re only available for order in limited numbers throughout September 2022. Terms and conditions apply. Promotion available from all good farm stores nationwide in limited numbers. Valid from 1st - 30th September 2022. strawberry
“I took the first two heifers over in ‘77,” Warren told Dairy News
Ferguson’s family has had a special relationship with the late Queen Elizabeth II over the Warren’syears.father, Don, set up Ferdon Jerseys (now called Ferdon Genetics) in 1949. In 1975, he started breeding Jersey cows here in New Zealand after meeting the Queen’s herdsman.Afterthat, two bulls were sent over to the UK.
Don, with wife June, would go on to have afternoon tea with the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh at Te Rapa
A royal connectionfarming
JESSICA MARSHALL jessica@ruralnews co nz
the generations, so you’d like to think it’d continue.”
Same Cows. Same Pasture. Still Twice-a-Day. No Milkers.
says the Queen was great to talk to.
FARMEROTOROHANGA
“The friendship between Dad and the Queen had been going on since then, I suppose.”
Warren
Her eldest son, Charles III, ascended to the throne this month after his mother’s death and will be formally crowned sometime in the second half of 2023 or early 2024.
Queen Elizabeth II passed away earlier this month at Balmoral Castle in Aberdeenshire, Scotland at the age of 96.
DAIRY NEWS SEPTEMBER 20, 2022 NEWS // 7
“It was just like you and I talking now,” he says.“It was pretty easy, just like anyone else.”
Don and QueenhostedFergusonJunetheattheirfarmin1990.PHOTO:SUPPLIED
It was the start of a friendship between his late father, who died in 2017, and the Queen, Warren says.
says.He
Racecourse in Hamilton during the 1977 royal tour. In 1990, during the Queen’s 1990 tour of New Zealand, her seventh out of ten total tours, she visited the Fergusons’ farm,“When Dad passed away, I spoke to the Queen and we just continued it on,” Warren
“When Dad passed away, I spoke to the Queen and we just continued it on.”
Warren says he isn’t yet aware whether the breeding arrangement between his family and the royal family will continue.“Who knows? I mean, the herd at Windsor has been going since 1871… it’s been passed through
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He says other cattle went to the UK after that and the farm and the Queen co-owned cows here in New Zealand.
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THE WINNER of the Farmax Emerging Rural Professional of the Year says that without pastoral
Planting project
farming, New Zealand will lose its competitive edge.
“In the future, the tra ditional view that peren nial ryegrass is the answer to every question will change,” he told Dairy News
dinner late last month. He says winning the award has given him the confidence that the indus try values and is willing to support young up and comers.“Iam proud to be the
IN BRIEF
Farmax chief executive Gavin McEwen (left) with Emerging Rural Professional of the Year Blake Gunn.
A THREE-YEAR community-led project to replant the riparian margins of the Waitoa River between the Puketutu and Station Road bridges near Matamata has been completed.
David Stevens Senior Scientist AgResearch
Dawn Dalley Senior Scientist DairyNZ
DAIRY NEWS SEPTEMBER 20, 2022 8 // NEWS
Since then, he has held numerous roles within Agricom, beginning as the lower North Island exten sion“Iagronomist.believeone of the biggest challenges facing farmers is the level of complexity coming into the industry in the form of compliance and cus tomer givespastoralsays.lengescreateseeingclimatewith“Thisexpectations.accompaniedtheever-changingconditionswearemoreregularlywillanewlevelofchalforthefuture,”heGunnsaysthatitisfarmingwhichNewZealandits
Landowners on either side of the river between the two bridges have upgraded eight kilometres of fencing and, with funding and support from Waikato Regional Council (WRC) and Fonterra’s Sustainable Catchments programme, planted about 17,000 native plants andWRCtrees.Hauraki catchment team leader Aniwa Tawa says the project wrapped up with a final planting day involving staff from both Fonterra and WRC infill planting a further 200 trees and doing some weeding to release young plants put in the ground in previous years.
recipient of the Farmax Emerging Rural Profes sional for 2022, and will look to use this opportu nity to further my skill set to continue to add value to our Gunnfarmers.”started his jour
“This began the pas sion for the primary industries with any spare moment being spent help ing out on the farm,” he says.From there, he went on to study a Bachelor of Agriscience at Massey University, and during his final year he started to focus in on agronomy.
competitive edge, but that the views around it are subject to change.
“The climate across the country varies signif icantly from the top of the North to the bottom of the South, with each region facing a different challenge.“Knowing you cli mate and challenges will allow us to adapt to uti lise a whole range of dif ferent pasture tools, whether this is the use of alternative pastures such as tall fescue to increase summer resilience or more legume rich pas tures to increase feed quality.”Gunn says homegrown feed is still the cheapest form of feed for farmers to produce, “so whether it be peren nial ryegrass, tall fescue, hybrid ryegrass or others, pastoral farming will still be the way forward for New Zealand”.
Pastoral farming to remain paramount
Blake Gunn, an Agri com forage systems spe cialist, was announced as the winner of the Emerg ing Rural Professional of the Year at an awards
ney into the primary industries in high school when his family moved to a dairy farm in Rangitikei.
“The effort that has been put into this project by everyone has just been so awesome,” says Tawa.“All that is required to be done now is some ongoing maintenance by the landowners to keep the young plants free of weeds so they can flourish and grow to be big and strong.”
JESSICA MARSHALL jessica@ruralnews co nz
Comedian helps put safe animal feed on the radar
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He has partnered with the New Zealand Feed Manufacturers Associa tion (NZFMA) to front its latest campaign promot ing FeedSafe NZ accred ited animal feed.
Michael Brooks, exec utive director of the NZFMA, says having Te Radar front the organisa tion’s latest campaign is incredibly valuable as he is an authentic ambassa
part of that,” he says.
DAIRY NEWS SEPTEMBER 20, 2022 NEWS // 9
Te Radar will also be part of the FeedSafe stand at Fieldays, host a feed-related panel discussion on Fieldays TV and feature in a print campaign.TeRadar says that buying from a FeedSafe NZ-accredited manufac turer guarantees feed is well-managed throughout its lifecycle from process ing and blending to stor age and transport.
Te Radar is described by NZFMA as a genu ine advocate for quality animal feed. A lifestyle block owner with a pas sion for farming, Te Radar was excited by the oppor tunity to help raise aware ness for the FeedSafe NZ accreditation, so stock and animal owners can have confidence that what they are buying and feed ing their animals is of the
tural community,” says Brooks.Brooks says the key purpose of our cam paign with Te Radar is to help farmers and animal owners understand the importance of choos ing officially accredited FeedSafe NZ feed, and how easily they can go about this by simply going online to the NZFMA website to check if the feed brand or manufac turer they use is accred ited.As the face of the cam paign, Te Radar is pre senting two videos to help provide more informa tion about the benefits of locally produced stock feed and the FeedSafe NZ programme. The videos
dor who resonates with their agricultural audi ence.“Te Radar is a fantas tic ambassador for Feed Safe NZ. Aside from his knowledge of and interest in farming, he is also the
frontman of Fieldays TV, has hosted a panel at Fiel days events we’ve been part of, and is the MC of FMG Young Farmer of the Year. He is a much-loved and respected member of New Zealand’s agricul
Te Radar is described by NZFMA as a genuine advocate for quality animal feed.
COMEDIAN TE Radar is throwing his weight behind a campaign pro moting safe animal feed.
“No matter what ani mals you’re feeding – whether you’re farm ing cows for a living, or maybe just have some backyard chooks – you want them to live well and be healthy. What you feed them is an essential
highest“Animalquality.health and welfare is something I feel strongly about, so the opportunity to partner with the NZFMA to help spread the word about their quality assurance programme was a natural fit for me,” says Te Radar.
“If we are what we eat, and for many of us that includes animals and what they produce, then what animals eat should also be something we care about.
It also means farm ers can rear the best meat and produce the best milk and eggs, while spending less on costly vet bills as a result of poor nutrition.
will be showcased on the NZFMA website and be shown at Fieldays at the end of November.
The global markets for physical, mental and inner wellbeing nutrition are growing at 6% per year and worth US$66 bil lion today, while medi cal nutrition is valued at US$50 billion and grow ing 5% annually.
Farm Source group director Richard Allen says for generations the RST has been standing by rural communities and have a long history of showing up and helping when times are “Fonterratough.has worked successfully with the RST for some time but more action is needed and this new partner ship will help strengthen our wellbe ing support throughout the country,” he says.“Developing a national, long-term strategy with clear objectives and actions that address mental health and other rural challenges is simply the right thing to do.
facing growing pressure to accelerate their innova tion pipeline to respond to these dynamic con sumer demands, yet they face common challenges during new product devel opment and are looking for partners to fill their capability gaps.”
DAIRY NEWS SEPTEMBER 20, 2022 10 // NEWS
FONTERRA IS eyeing the nutritionmedicalmulti-billion-dollarandwellbeingmarketswith its new brand Nutiani.
She says Nutiani answers this need by pro viding a suite of solutions which help customers tackle the pain points associated with each step of the innovation jour ney – from identifying the opportunity to validating the final product.
The new business-tobusiness brand is another step in Fonterra’s strategy to be a leader in nutrition science and innovation.
“We see a clear oppor
FONTERRA AND the Rural Support Trust (RST) have announced a threeyear partnership to support rural New Zealanders by improving access to well being and resilience services for farm ing families who are doing it tough.
“A good example is the extreme weather and flooding experienced across parts of New Zealand recently.
“We’ve come a long way in the last decade or so, in that there’s more rec ognition that mind health is just as important as physical wellbeing, but we know there’s still a lot of work to do in this area.”
“Farming is an animal and pro duce business, but it’s also very much a human business. It’s right to show up for communities during events and emergencies, but the partnership also recognises an ongoing need for support of, and commitment to, New Zealand communities.”NeilBateup, chair of the National Council of RSTs, says Kiwi farmers and growers run pretty special businesses, but the businesses are vulnerable to a bunch of significant external factors –many of which are out of their control.
Farmers are also feeling increas ing pressures due to things like rising on-farm costs, the labour pinch and increasing compliance obligations.
CO-OP/RST DEAL TARGETS WELLBEINGFARMER
She points out that people are paying more attention to wellbeing and managing it through diet.
Research shows 96% of consumers actively manage their wellbeing, with more than half of these consciously manag ing their diet to improve their“Towellbeing.createa greater impact in the health and wellbeing space, we must not only capture the opportunities we see today but also look to the future, helping our cus tomers stay ahead of the curve,” says Mistry-Mehta.
Fonterra unveils nutrition brand
“Fonterra’s deep expertise in nutrition science gives us an incredible advantage here.
The new business-to-business brand is another step in Fonterra’s strategy to be a leader in nutrition science and innovation. ❱❱ Water troughs ❱❱ Feed troughs ❱❱ Precast panels ❱❱ Silage pits ❱❱ Weeping walls ❱❱ Effluent tanks ❱❱ Concrete bunkers ❱❱ Cattle stops ❱❱ Effluent sumps ❱❱ Pipes and Wingwalls 03-308 hanhamconcrete.co.nz4816
tunity to win in crit ical segments of the global wellbeing nutrition space,” says existingbleenceexpertise“Fonterra’sMistry-Mehta.deepinnutritionscigivesusanincrediadvantagehere.“WewilluseFonterra’sexpertiseinnutri
The first priority for the partnership is to develop a rural specific national strategy, which is expected to be in place early next year.
The co-op’s chief innovation and brand offi cer Komal Mistry-Mehta says the creation of the new brand brings to life concepts that help cus tomers tailor their prod ucts to meet consumers’ evolving wellbeing nutri tion“Ourneeds.health and well being customers are
Nutiani will offer end-to-end solutions to customers through a combination of wellbe ing nutrition products, concepts and services that leverage the co-op’s intellectual property and investments in research.
tion science to develop targeted solutions, while opening up opportunities for strategic partnerships to deliver access to new markets and consumers.”
• FAR NORTH & BAY OF ISLANDS (4 spots available)
The imported sweeteners often have artificial ingre dients added that don’t have any health benefits. This gap in the market presents a real opportu nity.”Milk producers from Canterbury, Hamilton, and Tauranga are provid ing raw product for the
“Our next challenge will be to turn the prod uct into a stable powder format that can be used in nutraceuticals. This will
Futures fund MPI is committing more than $111,000 to the $277,903 project.WheyTech Bion ics NZ’s chief executive officer Ben Van Rooy is excited about the poten tial of “Wewhey.need to stop over looking whey, as it’s a marvellous product,” he says.“We already have sig nificant support from many quarters, in particu lar beverages companies keen to try alternative sugars. Also, the choco
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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.
DAIRY NEWS SEPTEMBER 20, 2022 AGRIBUSINESS // 11
late and bakery sectors are interested in replacing what we know as normal sugars with whey-derived product.“Currently there are no New Zealand made sweet eners on retail shelves.
be technically tricky due to its stickiness but if we manage to achieve this, it’ll be a world first.”
8 days, depart 21 September A unique 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. details
• TAHITI & SOCIETY ISLANDS CRUISE
Company director Ben Van Rooy (right) at the agreement signing ceremony with MPI’s Adam Walker.
dream.”Steve Penno says the opportunity to make good use of a common waste product is also a compel ling reason to support this project.“One of the strategic objectives of the Fit for a Better World government and sector roadmap is the
WheyTech scientists working with whey.
Van Rooy says the most valuable part of the project lies in the nutra ceutical component of the product.“We’re hoping to even tually create a pharmaceu tical product that doctors will prescribe for type 2 diabetes. Of course, this will require extensive test ing and clinical trials so will be a few years away – but this is my ultimate
sustainable and profitable growth of value-added products from existing raw“Ifmaterial. thisproject is suc cessful it will make a pos itive difference to our dairy industry, our envi ronment, and potentially people with type 2 dia betes.”
• EAST COAST & NAPIER (6 spots available)
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.
Potential gamechanger for diabetes sufferers
• WAIKIKI BEACH & HAWAII CRUISE
• BEST OF THE SOUTH ISLAND
trials, which are being conducted by Plant & Food Research in Palm erston North and Food South at the University of Canterbury. “We’vealready man aged to make a liquid syrup but we’re still work ing on the flavour profile,” says Van Rooy. “We’re also conducting research to ensure our product is stable and consistent.
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
10 days, depart 21 July 2023 Set sail on board
• NEW PLYMOUTH 'CHRISTMAS LIGHTS'
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.
For full
ESCORTED TOURS 2022/23
8 days, depart 20 October A special place for a safe and relaxing close to home all inclusive holiday.
A NEW by-productalternativecompanyZealand-basedresearchingusesforafromcheesemakinghasitssightsondevelopingitintoaremedyforpeoplewithtype2diabetes.WheyTechBionicsNZispartneringwiththeMinistryforPrimaryIndustries(MPI)onatwo-yearprojectthataimstodeveloptechnologytoprocesswheypermeateasasweetenerproductwithanti-diabeticproperties.Wheypermeateisaby-productfromthecheesemakingprocess. “AnexistingpatentfromGermanyshowsthehighlevelsofglucoseinwheycancreateasugarwithpropertiesthatareanti-diabetic,”saysStevePenno,MPI’sdirectorofinvestmentprogrammes.WheyTechBionicshasaccesstothispatent.“Partoftheproject’sresearchanddevelopmentprocesswillinvolveexploringthemanufacturingandefficacyofanequivalentproductmadefromNewZealandwhey,”saysPenno.ThroughtheSustainableFoodandFibre
• CHATHAM ISLANDS DISCOVERY
Also, the panel chair is to be fully independent of Fonterra, and appointed only with the approval of the Minister.
Under Fonterra’s constitution, its farmgate milk price is set by the board using its milk price manual. A milk price appointed by the board supervises the calculation of the milk price and recommends a milk price to the board. Fonterra’s milk price is seen as the benchmark for the industry.
WAIKATO SALES REPRESENTATIVE: Lisa Wise Ph 027-369 9218 lisaw@ruralnews.co.nz
Alternative milks are often naturally lower in calcium and iodine, but may be fortified with these nutrients, and producers in the US are required to state their concentration on packaging But levels of some other minerals, including USFDAthemajorproductsyettoselenium,phosphorus,magnesium,zincandaren’trequiredbeonthelabelandmilkandotherdairyareusuallyasourceoftheminUSdiet,notesthe
The Commerce Commission also gets the power to issue binding directions to Fonterra on matters arising from its reviews of the manual and base milk price calculation.
OCD called for a new milk price panel independent of Fon terra.On the other hand, Fonterra believes that the independence of the panel is already assured through its current composition. The Government disagrees with Fonterra.
12 // OPINION
MILKING IT...
The Government sees new entrants bringing competitive innovation to the industry and they want to see that continue even if Fonterra doesn’t full agree with the Government.
peterb@ruralnews.co.nz Subscriptions:
Reporters: Peter Burke Ph
Fonterra’s protest that the changes will add significant addi tional annual cost for no clear benefit has fallen on deaf ears. The Government is making it clear that it wants to strike the right balance between supporting Fonterra’s shareholder mandate while taking the opportunity to improve transpar ency in the sector.
Sore losers
UK VEGAN activists, realising they are failing badly when it come to coercing consumers to give up dairy, are becoming moreLastdisruptiveweek,in a fit of self-righteous pique, they targeted four dairy production sites across England aiming to ‘shut down’ distribution of milk products for weeks
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
The findings come from the first large study to compare levels of these four minerals in eight different plant-based milk substitutes, carried out by the US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA)
MOST PLANT-BASED ‘milks’ have lower amounts of four key micronutrients –phosphorus, magnesium, zinc and selenium – than cow’s milk The exception is milk substitutes made from pea protein, which has broadly similar levels to cow’s milk
Dealing bobbieswith
Pricing milk 021-842 021-963 021-906 723 markd@ruralnews.co.nz 021-224 2184 Julie Beech Ph 021-190 3144 : Dave Ferguson Ph 027-272 5372 Becky Williams Ph 021-100 4831 : Jessica Marshall Ph 021 0232 6446
AUCKLAND SALES REPRESENTATIVE: Stephen Pollard Ph 021-963 166 stephenp@ruralnews.co.nz
177 Machinery Editor: Mark Daniel Ph
Dairy without cow?
Digital Strategist
Activists went to three sites operated by Müller as well as to the UK’s biggest dairy distribution centre operated by Arla Foods in Aylesbury, which produces 10% of the UK’s dairy Consumers will make up their own minds If vegans think they can gain the respect and allegiance of milk-loving consumers – or change buying behaviour – by doing this, then they are wrong!
FONTERRA’S CAPITAL structure changes are one step closer to fruition with the Government tabling legislation in Parlia ment last However,week.the champagne corks won’t be popping either at the co-operative head office or on farms around the country. This is because the Government has rejected Fonterra’s pleas to leave the milk price panel alone. Instead, the Gov ernment is adding further oversight to how the co-operative sets the milk price for its farmer shareholders.
Rival milk processors have complained to the Government about the need for a fundamental revision of the milk price manual and say a wider milk price-setting regime is needed.
Production
Competition for New Zealand milk is only getting stronger. New entrants are coming in every year.
DAIRY WITHOUT the cow is coming to a fridge near you in AustralianEdenAustraliaBrew,anstartup, is promising consumers “an alternative option, without an alternative experience” via its lab brewed version of ‘milk’ that it claims can credibly mimic cow’s milk in every way – without triggering allergies or ethicalSupportedconcernsby years of CSIRO research, the company says it can “produce the same proteins found in cow’s milk using Fader,differentmilk,buildingmilk”enablingfermentation,precisionessentially[it]to‘brew’“Ithasthesameblocksofcow’sit’sjustmadeinaoven,”saysJimthecompany’sCEOTimewilltell
Open Country Dairy, the country’s second largest proces sor, claims the capital restructure presents a serious threat to competition and to maintaining a level playing field for milk processors.Itpoints out that it’s highly unusual for a regulatory tool that sets prices for a whole market, like the milk price manual, to be held by the dominant firm in that market.
While it has rejected OCD’s call for a milk price panel inde pendent of Fonterra, it is increasing the number of ministerial nominees from one to two.
DAIRY NEWS SEPTEMBER 20, 2022 RUMINATING EDITORIAL
THE DAIRY industry has been under the spotlight for its bobby calves trade Farmers, criticised for sending bobbies off to processing plants, have been urged to look at beef calves as the industry edges towards a ‘no bobbiesHowever,policy’beef calves have been selling at local saleyards for as little as $10 each, making farmers question whether anyone who thinks they can replace bobby calves with more beef calves has thought this through There’s also a push by Fonterra and others for bobbies to enter a value stream but farmers are finding it difficult to find a processor which is fully staffed and operating at peakThe industry needs to stop, take a deep breath and rethink the whole campaign around the future of bobbies
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 by Inkwise • Distributed by Reachmedia
Fake milk fails the test!
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
226 Editor: Sudesh Kissun Ph
National claims that the Government is about to pile up to $100 million of “unnecessary” compliance costs onto farmers because its freshwater regulations are more than a year overdue National’s Agriculture spokespeople Barbara Kuriger had this to say
If New Zealand’s regional councils were to suddenly receive 10,000 applications, the consent ing teams would inevita bly be swamped, meaning the process would likely become a box-ticking exercise.Farmers are looking at paying up to $100 million for an expensive tick box exercise to cover David Parker’s failure to get these regulations sorted. It is pose.lationsNewwatermovesgetmonthsonputDavidcannotThisoutrageous.Governmentdeliveranything.Parkershouldthenewregulationsholdforafurther12whilehisofficialstheirprocesssorted.Nationalsupportstoimprovefreshmanagement,butZealandneedsreguthatarefitforpur
DAIRY NEWS SEPTEMBER 20, 2022 OPINION // 13
12 months. 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 Your Farm Source TSR is ready to work with you on developing a feed plan based on local insights, your farm’s requirements and topography, and your Farm Insights Report. Plus we’ve locked in prices on a wide range of products, including seed and ag-chem, until the end of November. Visit nzfarmsource.co.nz/spring for more information TRUSTED RELATIONSHIPSVENDOR& PRODUCTS TECHNICAL EXPERTISE & ONGOING FARMPERSONALISEDSUPPORTINSIGHTS GROW WITHON-FARMYOURFEEDCERTAINTY
The regulations have already been delayed by David Parker twice, but are now due to come into force in November. Because the guidelines will not be ready, many thousands of farmers will have no alternative but to apply for resource con sents for their winter grazing.Officials say as many as 10,000 resource con sents will be required, while industry estimates are higher. Each appli cation could cost up to $10,000.Thetotal cost to New Zealand’s farmers could be $100 million if David Parker continues to sit on his Mosthands.of the affected farms are in Southland, Otago and Canterbury,
Minister David Parker’s regulations, farmers must have a certified freshwater farm plan for winter grazing on sloping land. If they do not have a certified plan, they must obtain a resource consent.
Two years after the regulations were passed, the Ministry for the Envi ronment has not com pleted the framework allowing farmers to cer tify freshwater farm plans. Officials have indicated the framework will not be ready this year.
National wants proposed winter grazing rules put for
on ice
Pause grazingwinterrules
ENVIRONMENTUNDER
but farms will be affected in most parts of New Zea land.With New Zealand’s farmers already facing the highest inflation in more than 30 years and sharply rising interest rates, adding $100 million in unnecessary costs is a kick in the guts for New Zealand’s most productive sector.The worst part of this is that forcing farmers to apply for consents is unlikely to achieve any environmental gains.
Daniel Contract Milker, Dairy
•
DAIRY NEWS SEPTEMBER 20, 2022 14 // MANAGEMENT
•
It has two dairy units: Farm No.1 is 73ha and Farm No.2, where the trial is based, is 21ha. The herd is 420 cows, managed by a
One is on a property owned by the Paeahu Trust near Morrinsville.
Primary ITO encourages you to visit primaryito.ac.nz/valueoftraining to check out the videos of these teams (and more) sharing their on-job training experience and to get in touch. 0800 20 80 20 I www.primaryito.ac.nz What is the value of training your staff? There are a few good reasons to train your team: “ The learning that they get from the regular courses and classes is very valuable to our business, and then they can use that theory to put into practical use on the farm.”
As the drainage water flows down the channel, the algae remove
The biomass could be used for natural fertiliser and animal fodder; these and other uses are being explored by the research team and iwi partners.
Piakoiti Stream where a trial is underway growing algae to remove agricultural runoff.
“The guys bring a lot of new skills to the business and we can improve
underway in partnership with Tainui Group Holdings and the Paeahu Trust in the Waikato. Park says some pollution andpartnershipofwithkaiwhileenvironmentalhelpfreshwaterassociatedagriculturalagovernmentMāori,co-developcapacity. overwhelmednutrienthighconstrainedtechnologymitigationwasbyepisodicdrainageflowsandloadswhichtreatment“OuraimistoFANSwithindustryandpartnersasusefuloptiontoreducelossesanddegradationofandestuaries.” HesaysFANScouldmeetthenewstandardsprotectingmahingainaccordanceMāoriprincipleskaitiakitanga.ThewithMāoriincorporationof
you
your
NIWA IS working with Māori farming enterprises on a novel approach to remove nutrients from agricultural thesaysscientistinfordevelopresearchMBIEHamiltonMitigationNIWA’sinanddrainage,usedmanagementorNutrientFilamentousrunoff. AlgaeScrubbers,FANS,isawatersystemtotreatagriculturalanimaleffluenthumanwastewater. ThesystemisalreadyuseintheUSandAquaticPollutionGroupinisleadinganEndeavourFundprojecttoaFANSsystemuseinaruralcontextNewZealand. NIWAwaterqualityDrJasonParkon-farmtrialsofFANSsystemsare
family). •
Farm But don’t just take our word for it. Check out what some of our employers had to tell us about the value of training.
farm performance overall.”
LAWRENCE GULLERY
Cascade II
•
Using native algae to cut the
The floways have three different water depths to determine the best depth for algal growth. They are seeded with native algae from streams near
filamentous algae.
the trial sites, including Oedogonium, RhyzocloniumSpirogyra, and Cladophora
Water samples are taken at the inflow and outflow points of the floways every week to assess the concentrationsnutrientbefore and afterAntreatment. outdoorFANS trial was set up at the NIWA Ruakura Algal Research Facility in Hamilton in 2021 and then field scale trials next to streams on two Waikato dairy farms commenced in 2022.
John Arenas, PAMU Mayfield Manager A skilled team means more time for to focus on the strategic priorities of business (and to have more time for yourself and your The team can instantly apply their learning to the job and produce quality work – helping to grow a successful, sustainable business. Build trust between yourself and your staff. The skills your staff learn are relevant to your business as all qualifications are developed for industry, by industry. staff are working at a recognised industry standard. Literacy and numeracy support is available for those who need this support.
• Create a positive brand for your business, especially in a tight labour market. Why not set yourself apart from your competitors? •
Your
NIWA water quality technician Curtis Picken at the
Ditchburn,
dissolved nitrogen and phosphorus from the water and convert them into algal biomass. As the algae grow a portion of the biomass must be harvested periodically.
Māori knowledge is central to the research project. “With our iwi partners we will explore the potential of Mātauranga Māori to guide more holistic management of agricultural drainage and enhancement of downstream mahinga kai,” says MātaurangaPark. will be linked with international scientific advances to co-develop densedrainageorgentlyteam. EnvironmentTeinvolvementAdvisoryguidedapproaches. innovativeTheprojectisbeingbyaMāoriPanelwithofNIWA’sKūwaha,itsMāoriResearchFANSsystemsuseslopingfloways,channels,toconveywaterthroughstandsofattached
It had removed 370kg of nitrogen and 75kg of phosphorus from the waterway per hectare, per year through subsequent algal biomass harvest.“Weexpect the biomass pro duction and nutrient removal will more than double in the upcoming summer.”Datacollected from the field trials will help researchers and the Māori land managers determine the level of nutrients FANS systems canItremove.canthen be compared with other nutrient pollution mitiga tion systems such as wetlands, woodchip bioreactors and riparian
forward to positive updates from NIWA in the near thestepstionsimprovingdemonstratewhenua,entnegativeideasspeciesofRawiri,site. establishedDairyare,throughestrydairy,WaikatomoreWaikato-Tainui,ings,Tainuifuture.” GroupHoldonbehalfofownsthan4,000haoflandsupportingsheep,beefandforoperations.Asmallstreamflowsits200-hect620-cowTainuiRoadwhereNIWAhasaFANStrialTaiaoManager,Taroisayssustainabilitywaterwaysandtaongadependedonnewtohelpreducetheimpactsofnutrirunoff. “Askaitiakioftheseitisvitalweleadershipinfarmingoperatopromotepositivetowardsrestoringhealthandwellbeing
Park says larger trial sites will be established and tested during the 2022-23 financial year.
iwi is that we may one day see again the pris tine environmental state that was observed by second Māori King, Kingi Tawhiao, as he composed his lament for Waikato River and his homelands, noting their significance as a treasure for all gen erations.” TainuiRoad Dairy Farm manager Greg Boswell says the stream is crucial to the farm because it is the only waterway that runs all year. “We know watercress grows in the stream and we have seen freshwater crayfish in it too. There’s even an eel that comes out to say gidday near the NIWA trial site, so it is worth the extra atten tion it’s getting from the research.”
contract milker. Trust chairwoman
Project manager Jason Park with water quality
management.“Weknowalready a FANS system can be established in a few weeks and be operational soon af ter, much more cost effective than a constructed wetland, for example,” Park“Butsays.itrequires more mainte nance than a wetland, to regularly harvest the algal biomass. We are investigating whether a full-scale model could be harvested every month, quarter, or even just once a year.”The five-year FANS research project is now into its third year and data to date suggests that FANS could be used across a range of land types and nutrient loads.
technician Curtis Picken and research assistant Yeri Shim at the trial site at Paeahu Farm near Morrinsville.
of our“Thewaterways. visionofour
JASON PARK says monitoring from March to July 2022, showed the FANS trials had produced 16.4 tonnes of algal biomass.
leaching
DAIRY NEWS SEPTEMBER 20, 2022 MANAGEMENT // 15
Endine Dixon-Harris says the trust’s kaitiaki role is paramount when it comes to says. waterway,”thevaluesandwithproject. agreedexplainvisitsystemstheoptionsplantinghadandrunstributaries. theresponsibilityenvironmentalforwhenuaanditsThePiakoitiStreamthroughFarmNo.2inthepastthetrustdiscussedriparianandwetlandforthestream. NIWAapproachedtrustabouttheFANSandafterasiteandpresentationtomore,thetrusttosupportthe“TheprojectalignsourkaitiakitangamataurangaMāoritowardsrestoringMauriofourancestralDixon-Harris“Thetrustlooks
DATA COLLECTION
To ensure good BVD biosecurity, all animals which pregnant cattle have contact with should be BVD virus tested neg ative.Also implement bar riers, such as boundary fences with outriggers, and always separate preg nant cattle from untested animals.Ifyou share yards or equipment with cattle of an unknown BVD status, cleaning and disinfecting between mobs, and spell ing facilities you can’t disinfect for 7 days will minimise the risk of BVD transmission.Mostfarms in New Zealand are not biosecure, in fact from New Zealand research into New Zea land risk factors for BVD, only 2.1% of farms in New Zealand were completely closed (MSD funded research).Thismeans there is
PENNY MEHRTENS
NZFMA
DAIRY NEWS SEPTEMBER 20, 2022 16 // ANIMAL HEALTH Make sure your feed is FeedSafe NZ accredited
BVD vaccine has demonstrated six months of fetal protection following the initial sen sitiser and booster, and 12 months of fetal pro tection following a third dose (for example, an annual booster). This is the longest demonstrated duration of fetal protec tion available in New Zea land. Twelve months of
Furthermore, vaccinat ing so your herd has 12 months of fetal protection provides flexibility around the timing of the annual booster; if you need to give your annual herd booster pre-calving rather than pre-mating, the sub sequent mating season’s unborn calves will still be protected from BVD.
Protect your herd from BVD
There’s never a good time for a pregnant animal to get BVD; pro tecting pregnant cattle throughout gestation with biosecurity and/or vacci nation, and testing calves is the only way to break the cycle of BVD trans mission in the long-term, and to minimise the impact of BVD exposure now.
risk for diseases, includ ing BVD, to be introduced onto farms. If strict bios ecurity isn’t always pos sible, nor is testing and culling of all PI calves before the planned start of mating, then vaccinat ing cows and heifers prior to mating each year with a BVD vaccine is the best option. A vaccine that provides fetal protection will prevent transmission of BVD virus through the placenta to the calf, which means that even if the dam is exposed to BVD during pregnancy, the pregnancy should be pro tected.Bovilis
fetal protection covers the herd’s entire risk period for PI formation and con tinues to protect preg nancies from the late gestation effects of BVD.
Do you know if your feed Find out at the Fieldays
contact with any cattle of an unknown BVD status (i.e. any potential PIs).
ecurity, or by vaccinat ing cows and heifers prior to mating with a BVD vaccine that has a label claim for fetal protection againstRecentBVD.work revealed that 40% of New Zealand dairy herds monitoring bulk milk are considered “actively infected” with BVD, meaning that more than about 20% of the milking cows have had recent exposure to the virus. Often, the source of the recent BVD exposure isn’t obvious, e.g. no PIs are in the milking herd to be easily identified and culled. Instead, most dairy farms have biosecu rity risk factors that allow intermittent BVD expo sure from outside the milking herd. Examples include heifers away graz ing, over-the-fence con tact with other cattle and onto-farm cattle move ments.Biosecurity for preg nant animals means pre venting them from having
Penny Mehrtens is a veterinary advisor for MSD Animal Health.
Ezicalve make the best and safest beef bulls for dairy heifer and cow mating 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 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?
• Dr Penny Mehrtens is a veterinary advisor, for MSD Animal Health
BELGIAN BLUE
CRV ALSO partners with Bluestone Herefords in South Canterbury, which has been supplying Hereford genetics to CRV since Bluestone2014.focuses on producing a balanced Hereford bull with four main traits; low birth weight, short gesta tion, ease of calving and homozygous polled (hornless).
Hereford cross-bred animals are very popular, due to their easily identifiable coat colour markings, with great saleability and high value off-spring.
higher non return rates using Fertabull.”
An Irish study has shown that a Belgian Blue cross animal produces more meat from the same duration of feeding.
STABILIZER IS relatively new in New Zealand but is actu ally the result of 30 years R&D by leading North American genetics companies. They have captured the best attri butes of four breeds and combined them in a composite breed. Stabilizer is also a Polled breed.
DAIRY NEWS SEPTEMBER 20, 2022 ANIMAL HEALTH // 17
cross calves wean on average 4 days earlier and heavier with 19% more scanned eye muscle.
“Data from CRV recorded herds indi cates that farmers are getting up to 4%
CRV sources its Stabilizer genetics from Focus Genet ics - NZ’s largest independent red meat genetics com pany.Stabilizer
Mitchell Koot
BBG breeds dairy beef semen first and foremost for calving ease. Gestation length is also a key trait as is fertility, growth and meat quality.
screened carefully for short gestation, growth rates and calving ease along with other key traits. Short gestation is impor tant as it allows the calving pattern to be in line with earlier mated animals in the dairy herd. CRV says it works with key dairy beef partners to ensure they offer customers top quality sires whose progeny have traits tai lored to both dairy and beef farmer needs.
CRV OFFERS sires from the Belgian Blue Group (BBG) in Belgium. The size of the Belgian Blues comes from the breed’s double muscle gene, which is completely natural and the result of a focus on producing meat.
STABILIZER
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 NEWSALL FOR ALL 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 4JANUARYFEBRUARYOBSERVED YEARS NELSON Freephone 0800 833 463 Email info@veehof.co.nz www.veehof.co.nz “ Supporting farmers to become the best they can be ” The crush your cows prefer Hoof Trimming Crush • Your team will be happier using the WOPA crush and take action to treat cows sooner. • Cows are happier, antibiotic use is reduced, and you see the vet less often. • Faster recovery from lameness can save thousands in lost revenue. Faster and easier to use – helps your cows back to full milk productionStandardsooner.Crush$6,325+gst To find out more, call us today! Freephone 0800 833 463 * Picture shows standard crush with some of the optional extras. availableStockforimmediatedelivery
CRV SAYS its dairy beef sales have grown by 15% since last year as farmers take a more strategic approach to breeding and look to diversify their income streams.
HEREFORD
In the past, farmers used dairy beef pre dominantly towards the end of the mating season, but now more of them are using it as part of a more strategic precision breeding approach to increase their herds’ genetic gain, says CRV genetics product manager for New Zealand market, Mitch ell Koot.“That involves using dairy beef stra tegically over their lowest genetic merit animals, together with sexed and conven tional dairy semen, over their best perform ers. This approach helps drive genetic gains even faster and create a healthier, more effi cientKootherd.”says as an increasing number of dairy farmers are recognising the added value of dairy beef calves, they are consid ering a range of breeds to appeal to the beef market.“Our dairy beef Fertabull (Hereford, Angus and Belgian Blue) remain the most popular options within the respective breeds to give dairy farmers the best chance of getting cows in calf.
Demand soars for dairy beef
CRV has 20 breeds of dairy beef for farmers to choose from, ranging from breeds with easy to identify coat mark ings, such as Hereford and Belgian Blue, to breeds with high growth rates that appeal to beef finishers, such as Charolais, Angus andDairyStabilizer.Beef
sires breeding values are
“To be part of plan ning and building such a modern farm with a longterm focus is fantastic.”
will house 550 dairy cows and 500 young stock of the Swedish red cattle breed and Holsteins. In addition to the farm being run as a commer cial dairy operation, it is also used as a test facility where DeLaval products are tested and developed, alongside being a demon stration farm for visiting customers.DeLavalsays the invest
“To be part of planning and building such a modern farm with a long-term focus is fantastic.”
This is hoped to be achieved with the help of automatic solutions, more digital systems that will give the farmers impor tant information at the right time, and good animal knowledge and advice.The
MARK DANIEL markd@ruralnews co nz
Johan Bjurevall, man aging director at Hamra Farm says it has always had a big focus on animals and their well-being.
good yield. We are incred ibly happy with the new possibilities the invest ment gives us.
Hustler Equipment’s new Regener8r chain harrow.
DeLaval upgrades Hamra Farm
DAIRY NEWS SEPTEMBER 20, 2022 18 // MACHINERY & PRODUCTS
produce an average of 12,200kg energy corrected milk (ECM) per cow, per year, and with this new investment, DeLa val hopes to increase that number even further. The company says that Hamra Farm has always pro moted animal welfare and high quality as two of its main operating criteria.
Harrow for post grazing tidy up
The investment means doubling the number of cows, which the com pany said it has carefully planned during the past few years. The new barns
plan is to have the first animals move in at the beginning of 2024.
“That is part of our philosophy – good animal husbandry and long-term planning often result in
ment is being made to continue the develop ment of modern and sus tainable milk production, while continuously find ing new and innovative solutions for more sus tainability, with a high focus on animal health.
North Island - Winston Smith 021 220 1097 South Island - Scott Malcolm 021 228 4590 www.webbline.co.nz Our Ambition Is To Cut Emissions
Artists impression of the remodelled Hamra Farm.
At the front of the harrows, a folded, 8mm thick, levelling bar creates a smoothing effect that is fol lowed by the four row harrows that incorporate cast agitators for a longer service life. At either extrem ity of the harrow, heavy-duty, interchangeable skids protect the main harrow frames from any rocks, stones or foreign objects.
MILKING AND tech nology specialist DeLaval has begun an 18,000m² rebuild at its Hamra Farm in Sweden.Theupgrade and investment are centred around more modern and sustainable dairy produc tion, including new barns, four new automatic milk ing robots, DeLaval VMS V300, and more digi tal solutions to improve animal health, quality, and efficiency.Thecows at Hamra
As with any chain harrow the aim of the machine is to promote new grass growth by removing old thatch and moss, so increasing air movement and water infiltration, alongside allowing sunlight to provide vitamin D to the young plants.
THE LATEST release to an ever-expanding range at Hustler Equipment, based in Hastings, is the clev erly named Regener8r chain harrow.
Post grazing, chain harrowing is also useful to break up and spread any manure “pats” or clumps, while also moving any large piles of manure that might smother grasses, leading to bare areas that then become prone to growing weeds. There is also the benefit of utilising the nutrient values of the organic material, helping to reduce the overall cost of artificial Offeringfertilisers.aworking width of 6.3 metres, effec tively covering 13 square metres of ground, the LM 630 weighs in at around 360kg, the LM360 harrow features a 3-piece folding frame manufactured from S355 carbon steel-said to be 30% stronger than stan dard steels-incorporating six strengthening straps across the frame. Folded hydraulically, mechanical transport locks offer safe travel and remove any shock loading to the hydraulic system.
Alo, owners of the Quicke and Trima brands, claims to hold 30% of the
THE SWEDISH manu facturer Quicke says its new range of Silocut shear grabs deliver a cleanly cut clamp face to reduce secondary fermentation, using less power, but can also split and cut wrapped silage bales, while retain ing the film and net.
wagon, without need ing to remove the wrap or net beforehand. Pro file cut tuff tine versions can also be equipped with a push-out mechanism to ease unloading into mixer wagons or other areas where there is lim itedForspace.ease of operation, a new sequencer valve option allows two inde pendent hydraulic func tions on the implement to be combined using only a third service, with no need for a fourth hydrau lic service. The valve divert oil to the bale wrap handler after cut ting is completed, which the company says ensures bales are completely split.
The Silocut L+ offers the versatility to tackle different silage types and bales, alongside the bucket that can also handle loose material. The XL+ is a high-capac ity attachment for cutting clamp silage and splitting
Henrik Jonsson, prod uct manager imple ments in Sweden, said, “We pride ourselves on the strength, quality, and durability of our products, and the Silocut range is no different. It has been thoroughly tested in the field at locations around Europe. Customers who have tested the new Silo cut were so satisfied, they were reluctant to return the prototypes on com pletion of the field tests.”
MARK DANIEL markd@ruralnews co nz
The Silocut shear grabs deliver a cleanly cut clamp face to reduce secondary fermentation.
www.webbline.co.nz North IslandGerry Clare 021 245 4471 Canterbury/West CoastJethro Boakes 021 513 368 Otago/SouthlandScott Malcolm 021 228 4590
Suitable for tractor front-end loaders, com pact wheeled loaders and telehandlers, the new Silocut grabs are available there are three sizes: M+, L+ and XL+ sizes. Details include replaceable bolt on tines or as a cast tined implement, while the latter version of the M+ has profile cut tuff tines welded into the carriage.
The new Silocut grabs are available there are three sizes.
DAIRY NEWS SEPTEMBER 20, 2022 MACHINERY & PRODUCTS // 19
world market for frontend loaders in the 50hp+ segment, with sales for loaders and implements in 2021 totalling SEK 2.6 billion ($400,000,000).
bales.L+ and XL+ versions are available with a bale wrap handler, that allows a bale to be unwrapped, split and placed directly into a feed trailer or mixer
New shearSilocutgrabs
sons, it did a great job, so we were happy to buy another Krone rake,” says Broom.
THE NOR’WESTERS of North Canterbury can turn fresh grass destined for silage into hay within hours.For that reason, in 2021, contractor Simon Broom added a new Krone Swadro TC 1370 centre-delivery rake to his fleet. Offering vari able working widths from 10.8m to 13.5m, the rake offers the ability to bring together two big rows from his triple mower, to feed the forage harvester or round and square balers.“Having run a Krone Swadro 1400 for four sea
pivot ruts are a hazard of the job. Broom says the improved hydraulic sus pension system of the new 1370 floats over the pivot ruts. By comparison, the older Swadro uses springs on the two front rotors, while the new unit has hydraulic accumula tors, with adjustment to vary the degree of float, that when combined with the wider jockey tyres, is said to travel better over pivot“Whenruts. we hit peak season, we chop until we drop with the forage har vester, so raking is not the ‘boy’s job’ with us because it is critical to the whole operation,” notes Broom.
and jockey wheel tyres and an improved hydrau lic suspension system on the rotors.
Normally pulled by a 220hp John Deere 7930, not for power, but the ability to deal with a heavy machine, partic ularly on hill work, the Swadro 1370 is ISOBUS capable and can be con trolled by the tractor’s ownBroomscreen.prefers to run it with its own screen, because it offers him the flexibility of using other tractors from the fleet if the 7930 is busy.
“We purchased the new machine because our old one did such a good job and, in its first season, we haven’t any downtime, although the old machine is in good condition and will stay as a backup.”
“Pulling in the grouped rows together is not an easy job, but the new Swadro 1370 has stood up to the task without any problems.”
DANIEL markd@ruralnews co nz facebook@dairy_newscom/dairynews The new Krone Swadro TC 1370 rake. CHOOSE A SOLUTION. CHOOSE SUMO. MADE IN THE UK 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. 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. Third stage: Sumo’s 760mm multipacker roller with replaceable shoulders leaves a weatherproof level finish in the most challenging soil conditions. The Sumo Grassland subsoiler improves and revitalises compacted grassland that is suffering from the effects of continual livestock, rainfall and heavy machinery. • Leading row of adjustable individually suspended discs allow minimum disturbance on the pasture surface. • Hydraulic Subsoiler legs with working depths from 100-350mm to suit all types of compaction layer depths with quick change points. • Rear flat packer roller with scrapers to leave an aerated consolidated level finish across the full working width. OVER 3000 SOLD WORLDWIDE SOUTH ISLAND www.cochranes.co.nz Call Alastair Robertson | 027 435 2642 AMBERLEY | LEESTON | ASHBURTON | TIMARU | OAMARU | WEST COAST NORTH ISLAND www.gaz.co.nz Product Specialist | 027 203 5022 CAMBRIDGE | OTOROHANGA | ROTORUA
The new 1370 features several improvements over the previous model, including larger transport
DAIRY NEWS SEPTEMBER 20, 2022 20 // HAY & SILAGE
“Krone rakes just look bigger and stronger than other rakes,” he says.
“In the early part of the season, we tend to leave the grass spread out across the full mower width faster wilting, but later in the season, partic ularly if a nor’wester is on the way, we use the grou pers to bring in the grass from the outside mower. If we travel in both direc tions, the rake can grab two swaths from the mower and move 18m of grass into a single swath,” saysGivenBroom.that there is a plethora of pivot irriga tors is North Canterbury,
MARK
From October each year, SW Broom Con tracting October focuses centres around making baleage and bulk clamp silage. Operating triple mowers with groupers, the set-up can bring together grass from 9.1 metres into one swath.
Krone Swadro takes on North Canterbury nor’wester
■ For baled silage make sure that a high density baler is used.
■ Seal the stack com pletely with a weighted, airtight cover. Wash old polythene before use to avoid contami nation with the wrong bacteria.
Losses while grass is in the stack, pit or bale
■ Avoid wilting for any more than 24 hours.
■ Quick compaction and effective sealing will keep out oxygen, making conditions more suitable for bac teria to convert sugars into lactic acid.
According to DairyNZ, both the quality of the ensiled pasture and the quality of the fermenta tion must be considered.
However,feeds.apoor qual ity pasture silage (made from low quality pasture, or ensiled with low qual ity fermentation, or both) will not support high milk yield and will only be suit able for dry cows, or as a fibre source to reduce risk of acidosis. Lossesoccur as sugars and protein in the grass is broken down by enzymes, and bacteria. This process starts as soon as the grass is cut. Losses decrease quality as well as quantity, because it is the highly digestible components which are most rapidly broken down.
silagequalityhighMaking
IT IS impossible to pro duce high quality silage from low quality pasture, no matter how good the fermentation is.
With well-preserved silage, losses in feeding value during fermentation will be small, and the final silage will be only slightly lower in feeding value than the original pasture.
■ Fast production of lactic acid will quickly reduce the pH, to pre vent protein losses.
■ Cut in the morning of a sunny day, for rapid wilting. Cutting after 1-2 days’ sunny weather
Silage is pickled pasture: sugars are converted into lactic acid by bacteria.
■ Tractor wheels should not sink into the pile of pasture any fur ther than the depth of rubber.
■ Losses depend on the dry matter (DM) of the pasture. The optimum DM for silage is 25-30% because total DM loss is minimised.
will result in good sugar levels in the pas ture, even when cut in the morning.
Losses during harvesting
■ Once the silage is sealed, nothing can be done to change the fer mentation process. Poor fermentation (e.g. air in the stack) leads to major losses of pro tein quality. In poorly preserved silage pro tein is broken down into ammonia, which decreases the feed ing value of the silage. Getting things right while the grass is being harvested will maxi mise the chance of having a good fermen tation:
■ A fast wilt to 25-30% DM will leave good sugar concentrations in the pasture.
■ Don’t re-open a cov ered stack to add more pasture on another day.
DAIRY NEWS SEPTEMBER 20, 2022 HAY & SILAGE // 21
Silage is pickled pasture. When pasture is ensiled, its sugars are converted into lactic acid by bacteria.Itisthelactic acid which pickles the pasture, allowing it to be preserved for a lot longer than it would have been if left in the open air.
■ Compact the silage well. In a stack or pit, use the heaviest wheeled vehicle avail able.
Good quality pasture silage is a good source of energy and protein for a milking cow and can be used as a fibre source when feeding high sugar or starch
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Prior to the brainwave, Mitch’s work involved maintaining wildflower meadows or sites of sci entific interest, with any clippings needing to be removed to prevent fer tility build. This entailed cutting with flail mowers
The conversion was started in 2018, with the help of some employees and Mitch’s late father Roy, who was a skilled engineer. Roy’s experience was put to the test when it came to manufacturing pulleys for the driveline on a lathe and calculating rotational speeds.
tractor to send a fine mist of molasses into the rotor via four jets.
Invest in longevity and quality. Invest in the best. Pictured: EasyCut F - Push Type • The toughest cutterbar on the market. • SafeCut & SmartCut systems. • Front Mower - additional flexibility of utilising either a pull type or push type headstock - either is available as an option, allowing optimal adaptability. • Front, rear or trailed options - with or without conditioner. Our range of EasyCut Mowers are
Cut, bale, wrap in one pass
McHale Fusion 3 baler/wrapper.
A EUREKA moment in a pub led a Midlands, UK contractor to capitalise on his council mowing con tract by devising a novel way of turning the clip pings into saleable live stock feed.
EasyCut Mower Range rugged has and tested the
MARK DANIEL markd@ruralnews co nz
As well as creating silage that could be sold or given to his own live stock, his idea offered a considerable time and labour saving over his original system.
and user friendly. Their versatility
The lengths.grassmowerflailsY-shapedonthecuttheinto5cm
Mitch Platt’s plan involved a second hand McHale Fusion baler wrapper with the standard pick-up assembly removed and replaced with a flail mower, allowing him to cut, bale and wrap round bales in one pass.
wrapper from a dealer in Wales, its heavily worn pick up making it ideal for the project. The mowing element came by way of a 2.7m flail unit already on the farm, allowing a sub-3m transport width and the ability to deal with hidden, foreign objects.Much of the develop ment centred on getting
Up and running for the 2018 season, bar a few minor teething problems, it worked well, although lack of visibility of the cut grass entering the baler means the driver needs to stayWorkingalert. speeds range
with collectors, transfer ring the debris to trail ers with a grab loader then dumping on a muck heap. Although the system worked, it was labour intensive and decent grass was being dumped and left to rot.
He sourced a second hand, high bale count McHale Fusion 3 baler/
who cleverly designed a belt-driven system to accommodate the mis match of the baler run ning at 540rpm and the mower at 1,000rpm, via a split format and a rightangled gearbox.
The final part of the system was to add a molasses tank, to make poorer grass more palat able, using air from the
from 5km/h to 16km/h and cutting height is adjusted according to the condi tions. The Y-shaped flails on the mower cut the grass into 5cm lengths, delivery bales that typi cally weigh around one tonne. Due to travel dis tances, a JCB Fastrac 4220 is the preferred power unit.
DAIRY NEWS SEPTEMBER 20, 2022 22 // HAY & SILAGE
the mower positioned to throw grass into the baler rotor, and on a draw bar design that offered a way of adjusting cut ting height. Other tweaks included widening the baler intake and extend ing the side feed augers to match the width of the mower.The driveline was sorted by Mitch’s father
For more information call us on 06 370 0390 Dealerswww.tulloch.nzlocated nationwide
been tried
world over but more importantly, right here in New Zealand.
DAIRY NEWS SEPTEMBER 20, 2022 HAY & SILAGE // 23
Superior ground adap tion over the full working width is achieved by the new TerraFlow solution, that features a highly flex ible frame, allowing each of the 14 rotors to accu rately follow ground con tours.Aunique connection between the tedder unit and carrier frame means the rotors can flex and adapt to ground contour independent of the carrier frame. This ensures the tine- to-ground distance remains constant, provid ing clean work and a uni form crop Standardflow.380/55-
the single acting ram, which gives the machine adequate clearance and manoeuvrability.
The next logical step in was to incorporate a higher level of automation in both Bothseries.models have been enhanced by the addition of TIM (Tractor Implement Management) capability, beingremainderbalerfeedingatorTIMerrortheefficiencyworkallowingtractorcommunicationcomfort.andforandprofessionaltargetingfarmerscontractorslookingimprovedefficiencymoreoperatingTIMenablestwo-waybetweenandimplement,bothmachinestoinunison,increasingandreducingpossibilityofhumanduetofatigue.Whenworkingwithactivated,theopercanconcentrateonthecropintothepick-up,withtheofthecycleautomated.
The new Kverneland 85156 C offers a 15.6m working width, achieved using 14 rotors, with a general construction fea turing oversized elements to help increase produc tion and reduce down time.The small diameter rotor design provides a generous overlap between each rotor, resulting in efficient pick-up and inversion of the crop, as well as a regular distribu tion over the complete working width.
MARK DANIEL markd@ruralnews co nz
17 tyres are said to give increased stability of the tedder and ensure good ground protection, while larger section 500/5017 tyres are available as an option. Fitment to the tractor requires one single hydraulic for raising and lowering the tedder, alongside a double acting for machine folding/ unfolding, with a trans port width of less than 3 metres.Crossing crop already spread is achieved using
KVERNELAND HAS introduced a new 15.6m tedder aimed at high out puts, accuracy and opera tor comfort, incorporating a new ground-follow ing system, with easy and simple operations.
balerssmartertedders,Better
To reduce opera tional downtime, a clever design allows the Kverne land 85156 C to enjoy easy maintenance with long service intervals. Greas ing points are kept to a minimum, while drive line (except for the PTO), rotors and most of the joints are maintenancefree.Meanwhile, the 6500F, a new generation of heavy-duty fixed cham ber round baler intro duced in 2020, was joined by the variable chamber Plus Series in 2021, aimed at users focused on pre dominately baling silage. Both are designed to max imise efficiency, reduce operational downtime and lower servicing costs.
Kverneland 6500F, a new generation of heavy-duty fixed chamber round baler.
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A new border spread ing device helps keep the crop towards the body of the paddock when ted ding along borderlines and headlands, with the hydraulically activated swath board keeping the crop within the working width of the tedder.
The new models also feature VariLOC;
Big X models expand
MARK DANIEL markd@ruralnews co nz
Otherwise, the Big
In operating conditions where the full engine power is not required, PowerSplit allows the Big X to work in a fuel-saving eco-power mode, while X-Power is selected for situations that require the full power of the engine.
of aInbutton.operating conditions where the full engine power is not required, PowerSplit allows the Big X to work in a fuel-saving eco-power mode, while X-Power is selected for situations that require the full power of the engine. The function can also be
The latter comprises
DRIVEN BY increased global demand for selfpropelled foragers in the 900hp to 1100hp sector, German harvest ing specialist Krone has announced details of the new Big X 980 (979hp) and 1080 (1,074hp) models.Thetwo newcomers join the 2018-launched 1,156hp Big X 1180 launched in 2018..
DAIRY NEWS SEPTEMBER 20, 2022 24 // HAY & SILAGE
X 980 and Big X 1080 Sharing much of their technology with the range-topping Big X 1180, the Big X980 and 1080 feature six pre-compres sion rollers, the chop ping drum, OptiMaxx 305 CornConditioner and Var iStream system.
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XtraPower boost of 100hp for both models and a 200hp boost available for the Big X 980.
activated automatically and continuously variably from the various output levels. The optional engine speed management function helps to reduce fuel consumption by auto matically lowering the engine speed, as example, when changing trailers.
a spring-loaded floor beneath the chopping cylinder and a springloaded plate behind the crop accelerator which combine to ensure a smooth crop flow through the machine as it comes under crop volumes.
Other details include options of a dual-pur pose NIR control sensor which helps to measure and record nutrient levels in grass, maize and whole crop silage as harvest progresses, while both machines are equipped as standard with SmartCon nect - a telemetric unit that offers real-time col lection and transmission of all machine data.
Powered by the same Liebherr Stage 5, V12 engine as the flagship model, the Big X 980 and 1080 deliver 979hp and 1,074hp respectively, featuring a modified PowerSplit system which matches available engine power to current requirements at the touch
a gearbox inside the pulley that takes drive to the chopping cylinder, allowing drum speed to be reduced from 1,250 to 800rpm, thereby increasing chop lengths by up to Looking50%.at other design details, both new comers can be specified with the optional highlift cab and XtraPower, the latter allows addi tional engine power into the machine to be booked online for a lim ited period. There is an
German harvesting specialist Krone has announced details of two new Big X models.
DAIRY NEWS SEPTEMBER 20, 2022 HAY & SILAGE // 25
Machines in stock - seasonal hire options available
offers a maximum working
WHILE MANY operators prefer mower/condition ers, German manufacturer Claas suggests than many still want to achieve high daily outputs and knock grass down quickly.
MARK DANIEL markd@ruralnews co nz
South
North Island
Class Disco 1010 folds while travelling.
“We’re really impressed with this baler... and what’s even better is that our customers are pleased with the bales it produces.It’swaybetterthananythingwe’vehadbefore.”
Zac Malcolm 021 245 6730 | Winston Smith 021 220 1097 Island
www.webbline.co.nz
coversDiscoFlagship10m
The Disco 1010 width 9.9m.
of
This has led to the company launching a new top model to its mower range, dubbed the Disco 1010, that offers a maxi
mum working width of 9.9m, when paired with a the 3.4m front unit, or 9.7m with a more typical 3200F.Rear overlap is adjusted by moving the position of the support pivot pins, while a sub 4m transport width is achieved by ‘Vector’ fold ing, using the hydrau lic breakaway rams to tilt the mowers rearward to a 120-degree torPTOwardspositionedasfrommodels,andsmallerturerearheightbyportguardsHydraulicposition.endalsokeeptransdimensionstightreducingtheoverallonthe2.3tonnemowers.Whilethe‘Vector’feaisnotrequiredonthe8300(8.10/8.30m)9500(8.90/9.10m)theyalsobenefitdesigntweaks,suchthemaingearboxbeing75mmreartoproduceaflatteranglebetweentracandmower.Inaddi
Designed to allow safe operation safe operation and transport with trac tors of 150hp/ four-cylin der class, the MAX CUT mower bed, can be oper ated at a PTO shaft speed of 850rpm, offering a diesel saving of up to 20 percent. Looking at the bed more closely, on the DISCO 1010, each mower
Designed to ease rou tine maintenance, on all DISCO disc mowers built after 2022, the caps and mower blades of the anticlockwise rotating mower discs are also painted red.
Scott Malcolm 021 228 4590
As a result, replace ment blades can be imme diately assigned to the appropriate mower discs. The practical blade box is divided into three com partments for red and black replacement blades and used blades.
MarcJarvis-JarvisAg
COMFORT can be parked both in the working or transport position after attaching the supports supplied.
Designed to ease routine maintenance, on all DISCO disc mowers built after 2022, the caps and mower blades of the anti-clockwise rotating mower discs are also painted red.
tion, this repositioning has also straightened the driveline out to the later ally mounted mowers.
bed has nine contra-rotat ing mower discs, while the wave-shaped, onepiece base plate is made of 5mm thick steel profile and creates a dirt-remov ing tunnel effect in con nection with the skids.
Like the two smaller working width models, the DISCO 1010
a pulpy mess. Whatever the conditions, a visual inspection should be undertaken to ensure all stems are thesystemthespeed,effecters,ingtypicallyRoller-typedamaged.systemsuseinterlockrubbercoatedrollwiththeconditioningdictatedbyrollerrollerspacingandtensiononthespringusedtoholdrollerstogether.If
Using a mower-conditioner enables faster drying and helps preserve valuable nutrients in the forage.
AS THE weather warms and the grass moves sky wards, many will be pulling their mowing equipment out of the shed, or maybe the net tles, with a view to be ready to start producing next winter’s feed.
In addition to crop losses, poorly configured conditioners can lead to increased power demand and increased fuel con sumption.
being harvested.
In the case of flailbased systems, the inten sity of the conditioning will depend on rotor speed and the distance between the flails and any baffle plate. In heavier crops, the baffle usually needs to be opened wider as the crop is likely to become over-conditioned because of flow restric tion and typically lead to
Using a mower-con ditioner enables faster drying and helps preserve valuable nutrients in the forage, but it’s important to understand how the process works, to set up the machine properly and achieve the best results.
MARK DANIEL markd@ruralnews co nz
Plants have stems that are designed to move water from the roots to the leaves, with a small surface area and a thicker cuticle that stops evapora tion of the water. By con trast, leaves have a much greater surface area and a thinner epidermis, so dry out much faster than the stems.Conditioner units are designed to abrade or crush the stems to encourage water loss and speed up the drying pro cess, hopefully retaining key nutrients in the har vested crop. Conditioners fall into two types: swing ing fingers or flails or the rollerFinger-typetype. condition
adjusted to a wider spac ing, the condition effect will be less or even nonexistent. If, however, the spacing is too tight, crop flow will be restricted, and larger stems will not pass between the rollers and typically suffer a large degree of leaf loss. Ideally, the gap between the roll ers should be slightly nar rower than the average stem size of the crop.
helps to propel the crop through the machine and back onto the ground.
ers use plastic, nylon or steel fingers, that typi cally hit the crop at high speed and force it against an adjustable baffle in the conditioner hood. Pow ered by a secondary drive, sometimes with a choice of speed, conditioners of this type encourage a positive crop flow, along side a high air flow that
DAIRY NEWS SEPTEMBER 20, 2022 26 // HAY & SILAGE
Ideally suited to most types of grasses, they are not recommended for clo ver-rich or lucerne crops as their aggressive nature can cause ‘leaf shatter’, leading to loss of nutri ents.Roller-type condition ers, as the name suggests, crushes the plant stems
In both systems, proper adjustment can have a major effect on the overall quality of the crop, depending on the type and volume of the crop
It is also important to ensure that the co-ordi nation of the interlocking profile of the roller ribs is maintained (they often slip their timing if large items pass through the rollers) as any mis-timing can result in leaf damage or blockage and a resul tant reduction in yield.
Making the most of your conditioner
as they pass through between two rubber coated rollers, that are typically configured with interlocking raised ribs. Stems are cracked longi tudinally to enable rapid evaporation of water.
As a rule, visually inspect the conditioned crop and try to achieve 90% of the stalks being damaged. Also look at leaves closely, ensuring they are not turning black, which typically means they are being over-condi tioned. This quickly leads to leaves turning white and falling to the ground in subsequent operations.
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