Dairy News 31 October 2023

The power of probiotics. PAGE 3

OCTOBER 31, 2023 ISSUE 530

GIVING BACK TO COMMUNITIES Farmer-turnedwriter Page 11

SELF-PROPELLED MIXER WAGON Heavy duty feeder Page 22

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TURNING GRASS INTO MILK New DairyNZ chief executive Campbell Parker says turning grass into milk has been part of our industry’s global competitive advantage and we must continue to push on that.

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DAIRY NEWS OCTOBER 31, 2023

NEWS // 3

Co-op taps into the power of probiotics SUDESH KISSUN sudeshk@ruralnews.co.nz

FONTERRA IS using its vast trove of dairy culture A community effort. PG.12

Simple feeding rules. PG.18

Shade cloth keeps birds away. PG.20

NEWS ����������������������������������������������������������� 3-13 OPINION ����������������������������������������������������14-15 AGRIBUSINESS ��������������������������������������������16 MANAGEMENT ���������������������������������������� 17-18 ANIMAL HEALTH �����������������������������������������19 FARM TECHNOLOGY ���������������������������20-21 MACHINERY & PRODUCTS ���������������������������������������������22-23

collections to tap into a growing global health and wellness and medical nutrition markets.

Co-operative chief executive Miles Hurrell told a global dairy conference this month that it has one of the largest dairy culture collections in the world, with more than 40,000 strains.

Speaking at the International Dairy Federation world dairy conference in Chicago, Hurrell told delegates that they don’t need to be reminded about the nutritional benefits of dairy – it truly is one of nature’s super foods.

He pointed out that the global health and wellness market is valued at over US$60 billion, growing at 6% per year.

Medical Nutrition is valued at US$50 billion globally and growing at 5% per year.

“We’re also looking at how we can utilise our probiotics to tap into this market,” he says.

“Awareness around the positive impact probiotics can have on health and wellbeing continues to grow, and people are looking to include them in their diet.

“Two of our probiotic strains are currently highly regarded because of the depth of human clinical research backing their effectiveness.

“We are working to discover new probiotic strains with validated health benefits that also have the stability to be used in supplement, food, and beverage formats.”

According to Hurrell, partnerships will play a big part in helping the co-op grow in this area.

“We recently announced the establishment of a corporate ventures arm to seek out, partner with, and invest in global start-ups in the health space.

“These partners will benefit from access to Fonterra’s dairy science expertise and under-

Fonterra is utilising its probiotics to tap into the health and wellness market, says chief executive Miles Hurrell.

standing of the global market, while Fonterra will benefit from emerging technologies, advancements in science, and new channels to market provided by the partnerships.”

Fonterra’s first investment was in San Francisco based biotech company Pendulum that specialises in targeting metabolic health through evidence-based microbiome solutions.

It plans to co-develop and commercialise next generation gut health products for global consumers.

Recently Fonterra announced a strategic research partnership with APC Microbiome, a world leading research centre based at the University College of Cork.

Hurrell says this partnership will focus on the human microbiome and work to develop new probiotic products that have health and wellness benefits.

“We expect the Fonterra Microbiome Research

Centre will be operational by the end of this year, with the aim of bringing several new probiotic strains to the market over the next 5 to 10 years,” he says.

Meanwhile Fonterra is also using one of its probiotic strains to develop a methane reduction technology in cows.

Kowbucha is being developed at Fonterra’s Research and Development Centre.

“Kowbucha uses one of our probiotic strains and could potentially switch off methane production in cows.

“It’s early days, but initial results are promising. We’ve recently appointed a dedicated leader to explore potential commercialisation opportunities for Kowbucha.

“As well as finding a solution to methane production, our team of scientists are working to address the nutritional needs of a growing global population,” he says

DAIRY NEWS OCTOBER 31, 2023

4 // NEWS

Remaining the best at turning grass into milk SUDESH KISSUN sudeshk@ruralnews.co.nz

THE DAIRY industry must continue to be incredibly competitive around converting grass into milk, says new DairyNZ chief executive Campbell Parker.

He says the NZ dairy sector’s low cost of production and the ability to turn grass into milk has been part of its global competitive advantage and the industry must continue to push on that.

While the industry manages some of its environmental challenges, more feed pads, and barns will pop up, but not to the extent seen in other milk producing countries, he told Dairy News.

“Broadly, the industry will need to be incredibly competitive around converting grass into milk and balancing environmental challenges over time,” says Parker.

The former chief executive of GEA Farming Technologies took up the new posting this month, replacing Tim Mackle who stepped down in June after 15 years in the role.

He has spent the first few weeks getting to know the team and the

New DairyNZ chief executive Campbell Parker says he has real passion for agriculture, in particular dairy and the role it plays.

business.

“It’s good to come in at a time when things are busy, we had a board meeting on day five and annual general meeting of day six: I’ve been really trying to get to know the team and what the business priorities are,” he says.

“There’s lot of information to be processed and that’s good. I like to be busy.”

Parker brings good knowledge and understanding of the agriculture sector, finishing his agriculture degree in 1991, spending the past 30 years working across the ag sector,

including 19 years in banking, and the past eight years in agricultural manufacturing.

“Deeper than that, I have a real passion for agriculture, in particular dairy and the role it plays within the communities, the country and globally,” he says.

“I’ve always found in my career that if you doing something you can get passionate about, then it’s more enjoyable.”

Parker agrees that his new role is quite different from the previous ones.

“But this is quite a different role – to go from a lot of commercial experience to an industry-good

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organisation that is here for its farmers, and how do we bring some of that commercial focus and discipline to the business to make sure we’ve got the right priorities that farmers want us to focus on.”

On challenges facing the dairy sector, Parker says environmental is one of the big ones and the industry cannot shy away from it.

“That is being driven into us by consumers globally, so we’ve got to continue to improve in that space but we’ve also done lot of good work.

“So, how do we build on that and how do we

get the policies and settings right so that farmers can evolve their farm systems too.”

Attracting talent to the industry – both farm workers and succession within family farms – is another challenge and so is farmer confidence.

Parker says a higher level of confidence among dairy farmers is vital.

“When dairy is doing well, local towns do well, this means cities do well, so the contribution around economic prosperity in rural communities and how do we get that farmer confidence right.”

DON’T FORGET TO VOTE FONTERRA SHAREHOLDERS are being urged to vote in the director elections where two incumbent directors are unopposed in their bid for re-election.

Under Fonterra director election rules, the two sitting directors – Brent Goldsack and Cathy Quinn – require more than 50% support of the votes cast to be re-elected. Voting in the director election closes at 10:30am on Tuesday 7 November.

Fonterra Co-operative Council chair John Stevenson wants shareholders to realise that it is still very important to vote and give a clear mandate in the director election.

Stevenson says the council strongly encourages Fonterra shareholders to participate in the voting process.

“The ability to vote farmer-elected directors onto the board is a key part of maintaining democratic member control within our co-operative,” he told Dairy News.

“Whether you are a big farm or a small farm, your votes do count. Data shows that just under one third of votes are held by shareholders who supply up to 150,000 kgMS backed by shares, just under one third by shareholders who supply over 300,000 kgMS backed by shares, and the remainder by shareholders supplying between 150,000 300,000 kgMS backed by shares.”

Director candidates have been meeting with farmers across the country and online recently. A video of the online meeting is available for Fonterra farmers on the Fonterra Farm Source website.

Stevenson says eligible shareholders should now have received their voting packs. If they have not, they should contact the returning officer at Electionz, Warwick Lampp.

Stevenson says apart from the director elections, there are also important resolutions for shareholders to vote on. This includes the board’s proposal to reduce the board size from 11 to 9. The council is supporting the board proposal.

He says the board has consulted council on the proposal.

“Following this and further discussions, council was supportive of the board’s rationale and has voted to support the proposal.” – Sudesh Kissun

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DAIRY NEWS OCTOBER 31, 2023

NEWS // 5

Global fert prices ease but war could change things GLOBAL FERTILISER

prices are easing but things could change if the Israel-Hamas conflict spreads, warns RaboResearch farm inputs analyst Vitor Pistoia.

In its just-released Semi Annual Fertiliser Outlook, titled What is next?, the agribusiness banking specialist says while escalating tensions in the Middle East create some uncertainty in the outlook for fertiliser markets, the current impact for the food and agri sectors is manageable.

Pistoia notes that overall, farmers around the world may feel some negative impact due to

potentially rising costs of energy and fertilisers, at the margin, as well as slightly lower import demand and prices for grains and oilseeds due to the Israel-Hamas conflict.

“However, if the conflict spreads to the broader Middle East/ North African (MENA) region, impacts on fertiliser supply – as well as grain, meat, and dairy demand – could be notable,” he says.

The report says Israel is an important exporter of potash and phosphorus – in 2022 exporting 6% of the world’s potash and 8% of its phosphate fertilisers.

RaboResearch farm inputs analyst Vitor Pistoia.

It remains to be seen how much of those trade volumes will be impacted

in the coming months, Rabobank says.

The bank says the

broader MENA region accounts for about 30% of the world’s nitrogen fertiliser exports, more than 25% of global mixed fertiliser exports, approximately 10% of potassic fertilisers and almost half of the phosphatic fertiliser exports.

Pistoia says that we are still some months away from 2024 – this year has been a much calmer year for the fertiliser market – and 2023 can be seen as a transition year, even with some remnants of all the market complications from 2022.

The bank’s models indicate a recovery in

SYNLAIT APPOINTS INTERIM CHAIR FORMER TATUA chief executive Paul

McGilvary has been appointed acting chair of troubled milk processor Synlait. McGilvary’s appointment follows the sudden resignation of chair Simon Robertson last week.

In a statement to NZX, Synlait says McGilvary will act in the position until the position is permanently filled and that he was elected with the full support of the board.

McGilvary thanked Robertson for his contribution to Synlait.

“We wish Simon well with his future endeavours.”

Synlait’s constitution requires the listed processor to have three independent directors.

Pending appointment of a new independent director, the constitution contemplates a situation where there may not be three independent directors in

office. In those circumstances, the constitution requires that one Bright Dairy director abstains from voting on all resolutions put to a vote at a meeting of the board, until a third independent director is appointed to fill the vacancy.

The board confirms that one Bright director will abstain from voting on all resolutions with immediate effect until the vacancy is filled.

Bright Dairy of China owns 39% of Synlait. The other major shareholder is a2Milk (a2), which owns a 19.9% stake.

In recent years, the relationship between a2 and Synlait has soured.

Last month a2 issued a notice to cancel exclusivity arrangements under the Nutritional Powders Manufacturing and Supply Agreement (NPMSA) for the a2 Platinum and other nutritional products. Under this deal, Synlait manufactured infant formula for a2.

Synlait disputes that a2 has the right to cancel the exclusivity arrangements.

Representatives of the companies engaged in a period of good faith negotiations, but the dispute remains unresolved. The matter will now enter a confidential and binding arbitration process.

Synlait continues to hold the Chinese regulatory State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) licence which is attached to Synlait’s Dunsandel manufacturing facilities.

The licence is for a2’s Chinese labelled infant formula (stages one, two and three).

The company expects to manufacture those products for a2, for products destined for the China market for the period of that licence – currently expiring September 2027.

– Sudesh Kissun

global fertiliser usage in 2023, up by around 3%, compared to the 7% drop in 2022.

For 2024, Pistoia says the initial analysis suggests an increase in global fertiliser use of close to 5%.

“All this is aligned with our affordability index which shows a much higher value than a year ago,” he says.

Pistoia says local fertiliser prices were significantly lower than a year ago, but this would not necessarily lead to increased fertiliser usage across New Zealand farms over coming months.

“Farm margins are incredibly tight across the majority of New Zealand farming businesses due to lower commodity prices and ongoing elevated costs for other farm inputs – like fuel and feed – as well as higher interest costs,” he says.

“And a key question is how much the recent drop in the New Zealand dollar will offset the reduced cost of fertiliser in farmers’ budgets.

“When this lower dollar is combined with the recent crude oil hikes, how much is left in those budgets to increase fertiliser application rates?”

DairyNZ chair re-elected WAIKATO FARMER Jim van der

Poel has been re-elected chairman of DairyNZ. Following the board elections and annual general meeting this month, the board met to follow standard process and elect the chair.

The DairyNZ board comprises five farmer-elected directors along with three board-appointed directors. Van der Poel was re-elected to the board for another threeyear term this month while South Island farmer Cameron Henderson was elected to replace Colin Glass, who has retired.

Van der Poel and his wife Sue live in Ngahinapouri and have farming interests in Waikato,

Southland, Canterbury, and the US. In 2000, he was appointed to the foundation board of DairyNZ’s predecessor organisation, Dexcel, and was elected as Dexcel’s chairman in 2003. Van der Poel was a farmer-elected director on DairyNZ’s first board in 2007 and stepped down in 2009. He was reelected to the DairyNZ board in 2013.

He has previously served on Fonterra’s board and was an inaugural director on the Fonterra Shareholders Fund and has won a number of industry awards including the AC Cameron Award, 2002 Nuffield Scholarship, Sharemilker of the Year and Dairy Exporter Primary Performer Award.

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DAIRY NEWS OCTOBER 31, 2023

NEWS // 7

Wearable device use on the rise NIGEL MALTHUS

THE USE of wearable electronic monitors on the country’s dairy herds is rapidly increasing, according to DairyNZ polling.

DairyNZ senior scientist Paul Edwards says DairyNZ runs five-yearly surveys on technology trends. Wearables uptake has been historically slow but this year the survey found a large increase in adoption, and about a third of dairy farmers now have wearables on their wish lists.

Speaking at the recent Spring Focus Day on the Lincoln University Dairy Farm, Edwards said the question was how to maximise the value of the data that wearables provide.

He outlined recent research into using wear-

ables for grazing management – whether cow activity, as detected by wearable devices, can potentially be used to assess feed uptake and availability.

He said wearables are typically just used for animal health monitoring such as heat detection or health alerts.

“But it does represent a really large pool of data that potentially we could be doing other things with.”

Edwards outlined a controlled grazing experiment at the Ashley Dene research farm, carried out under the NZBIDA collaboration between AgResearch, Fonterra and DairyNZ. Four small herds of cows were fed differing amounts of pasture over four five-day periods, alternating between pastures estimated to

DairyNZ senior scientist Paul Edwards says wearable uptake is becoming popular among farmers.

offer 80%, 100% or 120% of their requirements.

The trial was repeated in Spring and Summer.

Edwards explained that the pasture estimates were “within the range of subjectivity” but the idea was to see if wearables data could provide a nonsubjective near real-time indicator of feed availability.

Every cow carried five different wearable devices

– IceQube, CowManager, AfiCollar, eShepherd and smaXtec – giving different combinations of metrics including steps, active time, lying time, rumination time and rumen temperature.

Edwards said that people might instinctively assume eating time was a good measure of how the animal is interacting with the pasture, but rumination time turned out to

be a much more useful behaviour.

“So as an individual predictor, rumination time was the strongest behaviour in terms of predicting those pasture metrics, which was not anywhere near as strong for eating time.”

Post-grazing residual, rather than pre-grazing availability, was the best predicted measure.

However, there was still “a lot of noise” in the data.

Edwards said it was a successful proof of concept but the next steps would be determining what value is in it and how might farmers use that data to change their decision making.

Meanwhile, LUDF has markedly improved its empty rate partly due to its use of monitoring collars.

Farm Manager Peter

Hancox told the Focus Day that the Not In Calf (NIC) rate went from an historic high of 18% to just 12% for the 2022 Spring.

The key changes were extending mating by 2-3 weeks beyond the farm’s usual 10 weeks, using ultra short gestation semen for the tail end, and using the collars to identify matings and monitor cow activity.

Interventions informed by the collar data were credited with more than half of the improvement in NIC rate, the rest being attributed to the longer mating.

Hancox said the cows were fitted with Allflex collars at the beginning of last lactation.

The key thing they did was help identify phantom cows that had been inseminated, failed to get pregnant but then failed

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They would show up on the collar data as being in calf but scanning then showed they were empty. They were then administered PG (prostaglandin) and inseminated again.

“We pretty much got every single one of those cows in calf,” said Hancox.

The farm administrator, Jeremy Savage, called the improvement “huge”.

Counting all the costs of getting in replacements a 5% improvement in the in-calf rate knocks about 20 cents a kilo off a farm’s cost structure, he said.

Hancox added that the longer mating did mean a slightly longer calving, with the last due to about October 15.

“So it hasn’t made too much of a tail - a wee bit but not too bad.”

DAIRY NEWS OCTOBER 31, 2023

8 // NEWS

Mistreating cows ‘not the norm’ among sharemilkers SUDESH KISSUN sudeshk@ruralnews.co.nz

THE PROSECUTION of a former Waikato sharemilker for injuring 84 cows is by no means the norm within the industry, says Waikato Federated Farmers dairy section chair Matthew Zonderop.

“I cannot stress enough how disappointed I am to see this occurring,” Zonderop told Dairy News.

“The vast majority of sharemilkers are extremely passionate about the animal welfare on farm, and they go to extreme lengths to ensure that their animals lead a happy fruitful and productive life.

“I cannot emphasise enough that they are our investments to our future and to see them being harmed in this way is not acceptable,” he says.

Last week Mark Donald Richardson, 48, was sentenced in the Hamilton District Court on two charges under the Animal Welfare Act that

Waikato Federated Farmers dairy chair Matthew Zonderop says most sharemilkers are passionate about animal welfare.

he had earlier pleaded guilty to.

Richardson was found responsible for causing tail injuries to 84 cows, leading to some tails being amputated He was placed on home deten-

tion for seven months and banned from being in sole charge of animals for two years. This followed a successful prosecution by the Ministry for Primary Industries.

MPI acting regional

manager, animal welfare and NAIT compliance, Richard Knight says it takes animal welfare very seriously.

“Most people in charge of animals treat their animals well. One

of the disturbing aspects in this case was that four of these animals had to have their tails amputated because their injuries were so severe,” says Knight.

A 50:50 sharemilker,

Richardson was in sole charge of a herd of about 165 cows at Te Awamutu between November 2015 and 1 February 2020. He sold the herd and because the new owner noticed lumps in many of the

cow’s tails, a veterinarian examined all the cows and found evidence of tail breaks.

“Richardson admitted that he may have broken some tails accidentally, but 84 cows had injuries and would have suffered prolonged and significant pain, along with distress and the loss or damage to a body part. When we find evidence of animal neglect or deliberate abuse, we take action,” says Knight.

MPI encourages anyone with information about potential animal welfare offending to use its confidential hotline number 0800 00 83 33.

Zonderop points out that farming can be a stressful environment.

“Farmers face feed shortages, weather conditions and staffing along with cash flow but there are plenty of avenues available for farmers to seek professional help and I would suggest that if you are feeling overwhelmed seek professional help immediately,” Zonderop says.

CHINA WILL COME BACK – MPI PETER BURKE peterb@ruralnews.co.nz

A MESSAGE to dairy farmers – be

patient with China and things will come right.

That’s the word from Ray Smith, the Director General of MPI, who’s just returned from a visit to China

where he met with three of his counterparts in the Chinese government who deal with agriculture, rural affairs, customs and importing of infant formula.

He says his engagement with these top influential government officials could not have been warmer and says both parties are working closely together to improve both our respec-

tive systems and trading relationships.

“I think what we must remember about the Chinese economy is that there are hundreds of thousands of people growing into the middle class as we speak. So we just have to be involved in China for the long run,” he says Smith says the Chinese economy

is slowly lifting after the challenges of the Covid pandemic. This he says has seen Chinese consumers acquiring conservative spending patterns but says this will ease over time.

He says NZ is dealing with a massive market and there will be dips along the away, but China will come back, and this will drag prices back up.

He notes that in recent weeks the GDT prices have been positive.

“The world needs protein and there are more consumers wanting it and just remember that China is one of the world’s largest economies.

China is coming back it’ll take a bit of time and it’s not what happens this year it’s what will happen over the next five years,” he says.

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DAIRY NEWS OCTOBER 31, 2023

NEWS // 11

Top young farmer lands brand ambassador role WAIKATO DAIRY farmer

and FMG Young Farmer of the Year Emma Poole is the first brand ambassador for New Holland Agriculture in New Zealand.

New Holland is a sponsor of the FMG Young Farmer of the Year competition, and Poole, the first woman to take the title in its 55-year history, said taking on such a high-profile role with the company was an easy decision to make.

“As a farming business we always look to support companies and businesses that invest back into our rural regions, so saying yes to an ambassadorial role

with New Holland made sense as they have been supporting something close to my heart for a very long time,” Poole says.

“Investing in our younger generations through Young Farmers highlights to me that their core values are aligned with everything that’s important to us in rural communities.”

Poole and husband Chris run a dairy farming operation at the base of Mt Pirongia in the Waikato region, and use a New Holland T5.105 across their two properties, where the utility tractor is in use every day, assisting with the

FMG Young Farmer of the Year Emma Poole is the first brand ambassador for New Holland Agriculture.

likes of feeding the couple’s 1100 cows, loading trailers, maintaining fences and unloading trucks.

In the next few

months, she will also take delivery of a new addition to their machinery fleet, a New Holland tractor that was part of her prize for taking out Young Farmer

of the Year. Emma had the choice of the tractor or an overseas trip, and once again the decision was an easy one.

“A friend said to me, ‘surely you’ll take the trip because tractors come and go’, but I said, ‘it’s quite the opposite, trips come and go but the tractor will be here to stay,” she laughed.

The Pooles will also have the opportunity to review a range of New Holland machinery and equipment, “putting them through their paces and offering our insights on the likes of the useability in everyday farming life”.

“Emma is a relatable

and strong role model who is passionate about what she does. She represents the diversity of a rewarding ag career and furthermore, she represents our future generation of industry leaders – which is why we continue to invest in the NZ Young Farmers program,” says Murray Grant, CNH industrial commercial business manager – New Zealand.

“She’s familiar with our machinery and appreciates the benefits it brings to the family’s business, and we know farmers like to hear from other farmers about what’s working for their operations. Being

a woman in the industry, too, is a different perspective to the traditional male voice associated with agriculture, which we think will resonate beyond a farming audience, and help spread the farming message to the wider community.”

Poole says since claiming the title, she’d enjoyed increased industry advocacy opportunities and multiple speaking engagements that brought her into contact with farmers, and in particular other women in the industry who saw her win as a positive reflection of the significant role women have long played in the country’s ag sector.

MULTI-TASKING DAIRY FARMER WHEN DAIRY farmer Rachel Numan started writing Tractor Dave children’s books for her sons, it soon turned into a positive initiative giving back to Kiwi communities nationwide.

Tractor Dave is a colourful character having adventures on a dairy farm. Rural children get to see their lifestyle in the books, and Rachel hopes to inspire children from towns and cities to consider farm life. A portion of the proceeds from the books go to charity.

Rachel is also involved in a wide range of local community and environmental initiatives in Pokuru, where she farms with husband Chris – between Te Awamutu and Pirongia.

“I love working with family, neighbours and community groups – we achieve so much more working together,” says Rachel.

For every copy of the first Tractor Dave book sold, Rachel donates 50 cents to the charity Meat the Need. The charity supplies meat and milk donated by Kiwi farmers to food banks and community organisations nationwide.

“It’s great contributing to a positive initiative that’s making a real difference in people’s lives,” says Rachel. Meat the Need was founded by dairy farmers Siobhan O’Malley and Wayne Langford, to help families in need.

For every copy of the second book sold (Tractor Dave – Digger Disaster), a native tree is planted

When farmer Rachel Numan started writing Tractor Dave children’s books for her sons, it soon turned into a positive initiative giving back to Kiwi communities nationwide.

on the Numans’ farm – to help protect waterways and enhance native birds and insect biodiversity.

“I’ve been inspired by nature and conservation since I was young and hope my story might inspire others to get involved in their own communities.

Rachel and Chris call their sons Jack (6) and Oscar (4) tiny farmers, so have their eyes firmly fixed on progressing a positive future for dairy farming and New Zealand.

“All Kiwis want their children to grow up in a healthy environment and supportive communities,” says Rachel.

The Numans pay the Pirongia Te Aroaro o Kahu Restoration Society to help plant trees on their farm, with over 5000 planted so far. Another 1000 will be planted every year. The couple donate to the society to support work to protect native kōkako on Pirongia mountain.

The Numans also receive trees from Trees that Count, a charity that matches seedlings gifted by Kiwis to planting projects nationwide. The goal is to strengthen projects in every corner of New Zealand – from community groups, schools, iwi, hapū and whānau projects to local councils and farms.

Rachel says many farmers get involved in local communities because they want to see them thrive. “Farming can be isolating so it’s great to get out and develop strong community connections. I find the more I give, the more I get back.”

The Numan farm lies between Mt Pirongia and Mt Kakepuku in the Waipā district. Rachel volunteers with the Kakepuku Mountain Conservation Society to re-stock bait-lines on the mountain several times a year, as part of the pest management programme.

A goal is to ensure the native

birds and chicks are safe during nesting, so the bird population continues to grow. Native birds on Mt Kakepuku include tūī, kererū and North Island robins.

“Going up the mountain makes me feel really connected to my community. It’s great for me – I’m out in nature, enjoying the beauty of the bush and getting exercise!”

Ensuring there’s never a dull moment, Rachel helps run the Pirongia Playcentre. She works alongside other parents and teachers to ensure the playcentre runs smoothly. Alongside other parents, Rachel attends playcentre sessions eight hours a week.

“Many of my friends are playcentre mums – you get great friends from getting off the farm and into your community!”

Rachel made the move to farming after seven years as a vet in Te Awamutu, where she worked mainly with dairy cows.

“I highly recommend both careers – it’s perfect if you love animals and being outdoors.”

For her next venture, Rachel is developing a small flower farm to trial different methods of improving soil health. Part sustainability science experiment, part relaxation, it’s also just because she loves flowers.

Rachel says she gets so much out of all her activities and shares what she learns with her children. She strongly encourages others to get in touch with their local community and environment groups and get involved.

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DAIRY NEWS OCTOBER 31, 2023

12 // NEWS

Farmers team up with community ŌTAKI DAIRY farmer Max Lutz says he feels hugely rewarded by volunteer work at the heart of his local community. He works alongside family members, dairy farming neighbours and

community members to give back in environmental and educational initiatives.

Max is a third-generation farmer and runs the family farm with brother Erwin and nephew Clay.

Max says giving back is a family tradition – inspired by his father Carl, who received a Queen’s Service Medal in 2009 and still helps on the farm in his 90s.

“My father showed me

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Max and Carl got involved 30 years ago in the development of the

Max and Debbie Lutz on their Otaki farm.

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Ōtaki River flood protection scheme with the Greater Wellington Regional Council and the wider community. A key goal was to ensure a scheme robust enough to protect the township from a one in 100-year flood.

In 1999, the Friends of Ōtaki River was formed as an environmental care community group, to oversee the scheme’s implementation and monitor its success.

“We’re a group of community volunteers including river users, farmers and many others from all walks of life, who want to give back,” says Max. So far, the group has planted about 130,000 trees and created their own nursery to grow local native seedlings and plants. Together, they plant about 7000 trees a year. They have also created a grove of ferns in the bush and an arboretum.

Max chairs the group of 400 volunteers and has done so for 19 years. He describes the group as care people for the river.

Once a week, he joins about 30 of the group’s members, volunteering to plant alongside the river to continually enhance it. At larger community planting days, about 60 community members volunteer to plant trees to stabilise the riverbanks and beautify the area.

“Now when we have floods, the water is contained and doesn’t enter neighbouring properties.

It has been really rewarding as a dairy farmer to help protect our local community, working with our friends, neighbours and other community members. It’s part of the sector’s commitment to progressing a positive future for dairy farming and New Zealand,” says Max.

The group’s work extends far beyond planting – they have built a 10km walkway for the whole community, bridges, a viewing platform and picnic tables.

Max says it’s important to ensure the public can access parts of the river that were previously inaccessible.

Every year the Friends of Ōtaki River, Greater Wellington Regional Council and local community do a walk-over alongside the river to inspect progress and assess further work.

“Friends of Ōtaki River has received funding from a range of organisations, businesses individuals and families over the years, including the council, Ministry for the Environment and Transpower,” says Max. Businesses and charities sponsor school planting days, including dairy company Fonterra. About eight schools have been involved so far. “It’s great to see young people learning how rewarding it is to contribute to their community.”

In another initiative at the heart of his community, Max chairs the Ōtaki College Alumni Trust (XŌtaki), supporting students to reach their full potential. Former students including dairy farmers set up the trust.

“There’s nothing more satisfying than going to the college prizegiving every year to present scholarships and celebrate the students’ achievements,” says Max. The trust’s fundraising supports subsidised dental care, counselling services and sustainable gardening lessons. “We’ve installed solar panels and the savings from lower power bills go into scholarships. We’ve upgraded the swimming pool, built a shade canopy and play areas.

DAIRY NEWS OCTOBER 31, 2023

NEWS // 13

Plan for dry summer, keep cows in milk AS A dry summer looms, dairy farmers need a plan for their herds’ nutrition now to keep their cows in milk, protect their cashflow and secure long term business profitability.

SealesWinslow consultant nutritionist Paul Sharp says the repercussions of a challenging summer, coupled with an unfavourable payout, extend beyond the current season.

“Reduced in-calf rates, lower body condition scores at calving, and diminished pasture reserves can compromise cows’ early lactation potential for the following season. Additionally, reduced cash flow from previous season deferred payments can add extra financial strain.

“At the most fundamental level, in-milk cows are more profitable than dry cows when it comes

to feeding supplements during a summer dry. So, keeping cows milking for as long as possible will be key to cash flow.”

Sharp says a lead indicator of expected total season production is milk generated pre-summer.

“The mantra ‘as much milk as possible before Christmas’ is especially relevant this season. Maximizing pre-summer production not only benefits cash flow but also provides farmers with more options.”

Sharp believes the crucial difference between an average farmer and a very good farmer lies in preparation and informed decision-making for the best return on investment.

“I urge dairy farmers to avoid making feed purchasing decisions based solely on price,” he says.

“While it’s tempting to opt for the cheapest feed

SealesWinslow consultant nutritionist Paul Sharp

when cash flow is tight, it may not yield the best return.

“By investing in a better quality feed with more energy and more starch to fire up cows’ rumen, the more efficiently they will use their entire feed ration (including pasture) and the more milk they will produce.”

So, what steps can dairy farmers take now to

VOLATILITY RATTLES PGW EARNINGS RURAL SERVICES trader PGG Wrightson (PGW) says its gross earnings this financial year will be lower than last year.

Acting chair, U Kean Seng notes that there is a significant degree of volatility in the global economy and international markets currently.

“The effects of New Zealand’s monetary policy are also being felt with inflation levels beginning to trend lower but with elevated interest rates raising borrowing costs,” he says.

PGW is forecasting earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisation (EBITDA) result for the year to June 30 2024 of around $52 million.

“As noted earlier, while the medium to long-term sector fundamentals remain strong, our short-term operating EBITDA is expected to be back from last year’s strong operating EBITDA result of $61.2 million based upon our current assessment of a more challenging operating environment,” says Seng.

“However, it is early in our financial year, and we will be in a better position to assess the full year forecast again after the spring trading period.”

Seng says while some parts of the rural sector are recovering from last summer’s cyclones there is also con-

cern about the potential for drought conditions in the coming months due to El Niño weather patterns.

Demand in key export markets has declined and China’s economic recovery remains subdued. These factors combine to hamper confidence and reinforce cautiousness as farmers and growers anticipate the impacts on the profitability of their business operations.

Although the sector faces a challenging year, this is nevertheless balanced by strong medium to longer-term fundamentals.

“We expect to see improvement as the economies of our key export markets recover. The global population and demand for protein is projected to show continued growth and the fundamentals for the agri-sector remain sound,” he says.

The Ministry for Primary Industries is projecting steady growth for New Zealand’s primary exports with annual revenue expected to reach $62 billion by 2027. As a market leader in the agricultural sector, PGW is in a strong position operationally to support our clients grow their businesses as they respond to this uptick in demand, Seng points out.

prepare? Sharp offers his advice.

“Now is the time to get your feed budget sorted and forward contract your expected feed

needs,” he says.

“The cost of feed is likely to increase as the summer dry drives up demand for a more limited supply, so having certainty around feed availability and cost will be crucial.

“Additionally, make sure your cows are in prime condition and maximise production levels before the dry season hits. Maintaining high feeding levels now will act as a springboard for the dry period.”

Generating as much surplus silage on-farm as possible should also be a priority. Paul says sourcing long-fibre sup-

plements during an extended dry can be prohibitively expensive.

Culling poor production and high SCC cows early is another essential step to ensure that limited feed resources are directed to cows with a higher feed conversion efficiency (FCE).

While zinc remains crucial for minimizing the risk of facial eczema (FE), Paul highlights the importance of monitoring other essential minerals such as magnesium, calcium, and phosphate, which become crucial as supplementary feeds become necessary during the dry period.

Sharp urges dairy farmers to seize the window of opportunity now and plan.

“Waiting is not an option. Low production levels leading into summer can force early dry-offs, reducing days in milk (DIM) and resulting in elevated somatic cell counts (SCC).

“Cows with lower condition scores may limit their ability to buffer summer production, potentially leading to early culling or dry-off to regain condition scores.

These are all costs dairy farmers can minimize by planning ahead and making sound decisions.”

DAIRY NEWS OCTOBER 31, 2023

14 // OPINION RUMINATING

EDITORIAL

Light at the end of the tunnel

MILKING IT...

Farm closure

Too hard to farm

AT A time when some people are working to narrow the ruralurban divide, one Canterbury school is closing its farm.

Rangiora High School is exploring opportunities to make its farm relevant in the 21st century, according to its board of trustees. The board is excited about moving away from “a more traditional farm to an outdoor lab or outdoor classroom”.

A review of the farm’s future means the future of animals at the school was under consideration. Options included moving from rearing lambs to fattening stock, or moving away from animals altogether.

The world is shifting to be more sustainable and shifting away from meat, so we need to prepare our students, says the school. Really? One would have thought that with 80% of students from urban areas, the farm would be an opportunity for the school to narrow that rural-urban divide and show what sustainable farming in NZ really is.

ANOTHER SCHOOL farm facing the chopping block is that of Te Awamutu College in Waikato.

For almost three decades, the Cambridge Rd farm has been owned by Te Awamutu College, thanks to a bequeathment by Dr Lindsay Rogers – a Te Awamutu Walk of Fame inductee for his international recognition as the “Guerrilla Surgeon” during World War II. Now the college is selling the farm as due to “changing legislation with regard to farming, it was becoming too hard” and running the farm was becoming complicated vs. the returns available.

The Rogers Charitable Trust (RCT), formed in 1995 and made up of four Te Awamutu College Board of Trustees representatives and two community representatives, has moved to put the Cambridge Rd farm the doctor bequeathed to Te Awamutu College on the market and use the proceeds to continue to honour Rogers’ intentions, but in a different way.

The board says the decision to sell the farm has been four years in the making and was not made lightly.

KiwiSaver to buy farms?

A CHANGE in government has given hope to a farming community wish: that young farmers be allowed to use their savings to buy their first farm.

KiwiSaver providers are hoping that National will change its mind about making small changes to the scheme and instead conduct a full-scale review, including requiring members to contribute larger amounts.

During the election campaign, National proposed allowing young people to tap into their KiwiSaver savings to pay for a rental bond, and allowing members to have accounts with more than one provider.

But KiwiSaver providers said it was not clear that these were problems that New Zealanders wanted solved – and people who wanted to could already spread their savings by using platforms such as InvestNow. But farming groups point out that young farmers dream of retiring with their savings in a farm and it makes sense for them to be able to use KiwiSaver to buy their first farm.

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Worried greenies THE GREENIES are worried that National will reverse decisions made by the outgoing Labour Government around sustainability and climate change.

While some of it may be related to dairying, their biggest worry is that PM-designate Christopher Luxon will repeal Labour’s ban and open up New Zealand’s waters to oil and gas exploration once again.

Jacinda Ardern’s April 2018 ban on new oil and gas exploration permits put New Zealand’s vast ocean territory off limits to new oil and gas exploration, except for a few areas where permits were released before the ban came into effect.

Greenies say that this was one of Labour’s best policies around climate change and they won’t let it be overturned without a fight.

AFTER TWO tough years, farmers are finally seeing some light at the end of the tunnel.

Dairy prices are on the rebound, with the last four Global Dairy Trade (GDT) auctions recording healthy price rises. Whole milk powder prices have nudged above the US$3,000/tonne mark.

Fonterra responded by recently lifting its forecast Farmgate Milk Price range to $6.50 - $8/kgMS, with a new midpoint of $7.25/ kgMS, up 50 cents.

Last week, a Rabobank report delivered further good news; after extreme market volatility and record-high prices in recent years, global fertiliser prices are expected to settle in 2024.

While we are still some months away from 2024 – this year has been a much calmer year for the fertiliser market – and 2023 can be seen as a transition year, even with some remnants of all the market complications from 2022, according to Rabobank.

The bank’s models indicate a recovery in global fertiliser usage in 2023, up by around 3%, compared to the 7% drop in 2022. For 2024, the initial analysis suggests an increase in global fertiliser use of close to 5%.

However, the bank points out that local fertiliser prices are significantly lower than a year ago, but this would not necessarily lead to increased fertiliser usage across New Zealand farms over coming months.

Farm margins are incredibly tight across many New Zealand farming businesses due to lower commodity prices and ongoing elevated costs for other farm inputs – like fuel and feed – as well as higher interest costs.

DairyNZ recently updated the national breakeven forecast to $7.78/kgMS, an increase from $7.51kg/MS. Many farmers may not be breaking even right now, but rising dairy prices and relief from expensive inputs like fertiliser hints that better days lie ahead.

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DAIRY NEWS OCTOBER 31, 2023

OPINION // 15

Investing in breeding the best cows, faster Murray King stepped down as LIC chairman at the co-op’s annual general meeting this month. He gave this final speech to LIC shareholders at the AGM in Ashburton.

KEY HIGHLIGHTS for us this year are the farmer uptake of premium genetics and the results they are delivering on farm, the growth of animal health and DNA testing and our continued focus on R&D and technology investment to help our farmers tackle the growing environmental challenges facing the dairy sector.

Our 2022-23 result was fuelled by an increased farmer uptake in premium genetics and herd improvement services to breed highly efficient cows, with a lower emissions footprint.

Farmer shareholders know that all cows aren’t created equal, and they are investing in solutions to breed the best cows, faster. Farmers consistently using LIC genetics have almost doubled the rate of genetic gain in their herds over the last 10 years – achieving 18 gBW per annum.

LIC’s premium genetics range accounted for 79% of the co-op’s total

artificial breeding (AB) inseminations, up from 71% the year prior. This shows more farmers are opting for LIC’s premium bull teams to breed high genetic merit cows, which goes hand in hand with the higher rates of increased genetic gain we are seeing in farmers’ herds.

Orders for sexed semen also increased, as more farmers factor this important tool into their breeding plans to accelerate the rate of genetic gain on farm.

We acknowledge that the non-return rate for sexed semen last season was below what we would usually expect and several enhancements and changes to processes have been made as a result. We have continued to monitor sexed semen NRR performance throughout the winter mating period, and the result is within the expected range.

It’s also pleasing to see that farmers have increased their investment in DNA testing ser-

vices and animal health testing, particularly Johne’s disease testing.

Johne’s disease testing remains one of our most popular diagnostic services, reaching a milestone of over 1.1 million test samples processed, an increase of 16% from last year. Overall animal health tests were up 13.2% accounting for $10.2m.

Over the next 12 months we will continue to focus on investing in the right R&D initiatives with an aim to deliver profitable and sustainable outcomes for our dairy sector.

We expect underlying earnings in 2023-24 to be in the range of $17-22 million.

Delivering on our commitments to farmer shareholders remains a key focus for 2023/24.

Our strategy is focused on building a strong sustainable co-operative, leading the world in our field and delivering outstanding value for our customers, shareholders

COMMITTED TO DAIRY HERD IMPROVEMENT is what we do and central to that is achieving faster rates of genetic improvement.

We are committed to helping the New Zealand dairy sector meet the environmental challenges we face, in particular animal efficiency, and methane mitigation.

One of the measurements of this commitment is to achieve a 15 BW increase per annum for our Premier Sires bull team on the previous year. Last year we achieved a gain of 22 BW points.

We strive to be operationally excellent, and we are committed to getting the basics right and delivering for you, on time, every time. One of the measurements of this commitment was to provide a herd testing result for 99.9% of all cows within 72 hours. We are pleased to report that we have fully achieved this target.

Another measurement of this commitment was to achieve a 5-week turnaround time for GeneMark tests. We have achieved 95% of this goal which is great to see as we have invested heavily in this area of the business. The turnaround time has reduced from 6 weeks to 5 weeks 95% of the time, and we are on track this year to reduce that

even further.

Lastly, I’d like to acknowledge that the performance of our sexed semen product wasn’t where we wanted it to be, but after thoroughly investigating the issue, we’re pleased to report that the winter inseminations show that the product is performing back in line with expectations.

For software performance and reliability, we committed to being better at delivering our software to our farmers and renewed our commitment to continuous improvement and transparency around delivery of new features.

One of the measurements of this commitment is to ensure our MINDA software is available to farmers 99% of the time, which we exceeded this year with MINDA availability sitting at 99.5%.

That is just a snapshot of the progress we have made this year. While these metrics have been recognised as important to farmers and where we believe we can improve and make a difference, we know that the needs of farmers can evolve each year.

Based on how we’re tracking and the needs of our farmer shareholders, the measurements and targets will be reviewed and updated in the future.

Murray King (left) has been replaced as LIC chairman by Corrigan Sowman.

and industry.

We create value through a focus on four key areas: our farmers, animal, data & digital

and innovation. I would like to cover a few examples from the past year that show our strategy in action.

Sitting in the data & digital area, we have partnered with eight leading cow wearable technology suppliers to integrate our

MINDA herd management system. This year we saw 426,000 wearables integrated with MINDA and it’s great to see farmers utilising this integration to unlock even more value from their wearables investment.

Genomics remains a key focus which will enable us to continue delivering value on farm. The board remains strongly committed to genomics and this is reflected in our investment in the technology over the past 12 months.

Our genetics offering has continued to go from strength to strength, with an increased focus on dairy beef genetics.

DAIRY NEWS OCTOBER 31, 2023

16 // AGRIBUSINESS

Maori farmer award entries open PETER BURKE peterb@ruralnews.co.nz

ENTRIES ARE open for

the 2024 Ahuwhenua Young Māori Farmer Award, for up-and-coming young Māori working on dairy farms around the country.

The award was inaugurated in 2012 and is designed to recognise the achievements of young Māori in the farming and horticulture sectors. In 2024 the competition is for dairy – in a threeyear cycle, young Māori involved in horticulture and sheep and beef are also recognised.

Nukuhia Hadfield, chair of the management committee which oversees both the AYMF and the senior Ahuwhenua Trophy competition, says Māori agribusiness continues to grow, and for this to be sustainable, the industry needs young innovative leaders. One of the pathways for developing this cohort of leaders is with the AYMF award. She says the growth of the sector also means that there are new career opportunities for rangatahi.

“In the rel-

atively short time the AYMF award has been running, it has brought to the fore some outstanding young Māori men and women who have already excelled in their careers. Since becoming finalists or winners they have moved up to new and more responsible roles and many have become inspirational role models,” she says.

Hadfield urges young Māori wāhine and tane to enter this competition and also asks that their employers and mentors encourage them to do so as well. She said that past finalists and winners have said that being involved in Ahuwhenua opens new opportunities and networks and gives them the self-confidence to achieve their full potential.

“The Ahuwhenua whānau that runs the competition is both welcoming and supportive – entrants will have a great time,” she says.

The 2021 winner of the competition, Quinn Morgan later went on to win the up and

coming farm leadership award Entries forms and further details are on the Ahuwhenua Trophy website. Entries close on Friday 9 February and the finalists will be announced in late

March 2024 with the winner being announced at the Ahuwhenua Trophy awards dinner on Friday 17 May 2024.

Ahuwhenua Trophy chair, Nukuhia Hadfield says the competition is an excellent opportunity for Māori to showcase their dairy farming operations.

SEARCH ON FOR TOP DAIRY FARM THE SEARCH is also on to select the top dairy farm for the main Ahuwhenua Trophy competition.

Entries are being sought from all Māori dairy farmers, trusts and other entities around the country. Like the AYMF competition, this one is held annually and rotates between dairy, sheep and beef and horticulture.

The competition was inaugurated in 1933 by the then Governor General Lord Bledisloe and one of Māori’s greatest leaders, Sir Apirana Ngata. The objective then was, and still is, to foster the growth and development of Māori in livestock farming and horticulture.

The initial judging of entrants takes place early in the new year with the finalists announced at Parliament in late February. The finalists then stage field days during late March and early April.

The winner of the competition will be announced at the awards dinner on Friday 17 May in Hamilton.

Ahuwhenua Trophy Chair, Nukuhia Hadfield says the competition is an excellent opportunity for Māori to showcase their dairy farming operations. She says not enough people in Aotearoa know about or understand the contribution that Māori make to the economy.

She notes it’s said that Māori contribute more than 10% of the total earnings of the dairy industry. Hadfield and her husband Bart are previous winners of the Ahuwhenua Trophy for sheep and beef and she says as farmers, being just entrants, let alone winners, was hugely beneficial to them.

“As part of the judging process, each farm is carefully evaluated by an experienced team of rural professionals and as part of the process they offer insightful comments that will benefit the owners. We certainly found this to be the case and others who have entered have said the same thing,” she says.

Hadfield says the organisers hope to see a significant number of entrants for the 2024 competition and she urges industry groups and rural professionals to encourage Māori farmers, trusts and incorporations to enter.

Jim van der Poel, chair of DairyNZ, is keen to see what comes out of the 2024 competition. He says it’s an extremely important event on the agricultural calendar and that’s the organisation is a strong supporter and sponsor of the event. He says the Ahuwhenua Trophy competition recognises Māori agribusinesses who are doing some great things.

“If you think about some of the winners over the past few years and what they have done and are doing, and how proud they are of their achievements, it is really positive. Every year more amazing stories emerge from the entrants in this competition,” he says.

Details on how to enter the competition, including judging criteria are on the Ahuwhenua Trophy website.

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DAIRY NEWS OCTOBER 31, 2023

MANAGEMENT // 17

Good things come in small packages HIGH PERFORMERS

ANNE BOSWELL

THEY SAY that good things come in small packages – and the modest but mighty Waiview Stud in Marlborough is certainly punching above its weight.

With 60 purebred, registered Holstein Friesians of notable breeding, excellent production, and decoration in the show arena, Waiview is small but perfectly formed.

Owned by Gregory and Adele Woolley, and children Bryn and Mackenzie (19) and Kate (16), the farm was first established in 1955 by Gregory’s father Graeme and grandfather Richard.

The farm was first leased, then purchased in 1961. The original cattle were sourced from Canterbury – mainly Elmwood, Pinevale and Pitcairns Holstein Friesian studs - with the herd becoming fully pedigree in 1968.

The herd was successful; it became the first in Marlborough to do over 500lb fat/cow, in 1963.

Today, the milking platform makes up 22ha of the 132ha property.

The rest of the property is split between 50ha of pine trees and 60ha on which they run sheep, young stock and rear bull calves.

Farm facts ■ ■ ■ ■

■ ■

From left: Kate, Gregory, Adele, Mackenzie and Bryn Woolley.

Owners: Gregory & Adele Woolley Location: Tuamarina, Marlborough Farm size: 22ha effective Cows: 60 purebred registered Holstein Friesians Production: 550 kgMS/cow Stud name: Waiview

The 60 purebred, 100 percent recorded cows produce 550 kgMS/cow.

The Woolleys aim for a fat content of over 4% and protein of over 3.6%; this has been reflected in them taking out the regional title of the Holstein Friesian Nutritech Performance Awards for three years running, meaning their herd is the highest dollar earning Holstein Friesian herd in the Nelson/Marlborough/ Golden Bay area.

Gregory supplements their diet year-round with a combination of molas-

ses and lucerne baleage made on farm, and dairy pellets are fed until the end of February.

Both lambing and calving is planned for early August, with calving underway on August 1; all heifers are reared until R2, and around 15 percent are kept as replacements.

“We rear all calves, and all bull calves,” Gregory says. “Depending on the season some may be sold as yearlings and the rest taken through to processing at 18-19 months.

“It is important to us that all animals are utilised, especially with the

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new Fonterra regulations coming in.”

Adele, who is from Fairlie originally, rears all calves and helps with milking when possible, on top of family responsibilities.

Mating is mostly AI over nine weeks, before tailing off with a bull.

Gregory says he aims for balanced breeding, across both type and production. The main aim is to breed a cow that is enjoyable to milk; that means a cow with good temperament with good milking speed, delivering both on milk volume and components.

“Udders in terms of capacity are important, as are legs,” he says.

“The dairy platform is all flat but the cows do

have to cross two roads, and the furthest paddocks from the shed are one kilometre away.”

To keep scope in their genetic pool, the Woolleys source their bull semen from North America and Canada.

“There’s more range in type traits compared to New Zealand,” Gregory says. “Bulls we have used with good success include Val-Bisson Doorman, Crackholm Fever, Mr GBM Dauntless-ET and Gillette Windbrook; they are probably the main staples.

“Some young stock coming on are by Jeffrey Chamonix ET, Claynook Barolo SG, Westcoast Redcarpet, Westcoast Perseus and Westcoast Alcove.”

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THERE ARE several high-performing cows in the herd, particularly from the ‘I’ family.

“We’ve got quite a large population of the ‘I’ family, a long-standing family from the original herd,” Gregory Woolley says.

“Waiview Windbrook Ice EX3, who is now 10, did her best production as a six-year-old with 727 kgMS. She placed first in the 2023 HFNZ-Semex On-Farm Regional Competition Veteran Cow class.”

Another successful Waiview cow family, the ‘C’ family, originated from Gregory’s first cow purchased in 1992 – Delorose Jed Cherie EX3, by Tahora Ultimate Jed and purchased from VQ Sutton & Sons in Nelson.

“Eight-year-old Waiview Windbrook Cheeky EX2 does alright production - her best production was 710 kgMS as a five-year-old,” Gregory says. “She was the 2020 HFNZ-Semex On-Farm National Competition four-year-old winner.”

“Six-year-old Waiview Dauntless Cloe EX2 placed sixth in the 2022 HFNZ-Semex On-Farm National Competition in the five-year-old class. She is out of the same cow as Cheeky, Waiview Idol Chik EX. “Waiview Dauntless Cloe EX2’s best production so far was 650kgMS as a four-year-old.”

The Windbrook cows in particular have seen great show success, in both local shows and the HFNZSemex On-Farm Competition.

In the 2023 HFNZ-Semex On Farm Regional Competition Waiview Mafia Iceblock VG89 placed second in the three-year-old class; Waiview Doorman Idella VG88 placed second in the four-year-old class; Waiview Windbrook Cheeky EX2 placed first in the Mature Cow class and Waiview Windbrook Ice EX3 placed first in the Veteran Cow class.

Gregory says they like to attend local shows in person, when time permits.

“We only have one show locally – the Marlborough A&P Show - which is back for the second time in a while after M.bovis and Covid,” he says. “The Holstein Friesian South Island Champs will be there this year, so that will be exciting.”

Gregory says the Holstein Friesian breed has longevity and permanence as one of the most reliable dairy breeds. “They’re high milk, high protein animals with the biggest genetic pool around, so you have extensive choice in terms of the traits you are looking for,” he says.

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DAIRY NEWS OCTOBER 31, 2023

18 // MANAGEMENT

Simple feeding systems, simple decision rules AT THE end of this year, and after nearly 25 years working for Pioneer, I will retire. My colleague Wade Bell will have the privilege of taking over the writing of this column. I have three columns to go before the end of the year and in these I want to cover: Where have we come from? Where are we at now? and Where do we need to be to meet the future challenges?

Where have we come from?

I started working for Pioneer in May 1999.

While I knew quite a lot about pasture-based production systems, I knew nothing about maize. I remember standing in a paddock with my boss and a farming couple listening to them talk about maize silage. I had this picture of a mountain in my mind, and I realised that in order to be good at my job, I need to climb very high, very fast.

Over the next three months I read everything there was to read about dairy production systems.

Systems research undertaken by Dr Eric Kolver, Dr John Penno, Dr Dave Clark, Kevin MacDonald, Dr John Roche, Arnold Bryant, and Dr Gary Waghorn expanded my understanding of pasture based dairy systems. I visited the few farmers who were using maize silage

and learned from them about the strengths and weaknesses of their systems. I also read the limited research there was on maize and maize silage systems in New Zealand.

It was very much a ‘learn as you go’ scenario.

In those early days, maize grew well in most of the North Island and some parts of the South Island. It yielded about 17-20 tDM/ha with some crops producing yields in the mid twenty tonne drymatter range. A committed group of farmers were using maize to carry more cows, harvest more pasture and make more milk and more money. Recently released (1998) trial data from the Waimate West Demonstration Farm in Taranaki showed that using maize silage to fill feed deficits in both spring and autumn was highly profitable.

Simple feeding systems, simple decision rules In many ways, farmers were leading the way as to how and when to

Some of the leading farmers used maize silage to manage their pasture and carry more cows to harvest more pasture.

feed maize silage profitably. Early on they developed simple systems to efficiently and effectively feed maize silage.

To reduce wastage, some farmers fed their maize silage along fence lines, others used old conveyer belts or pieces of carpet and fed out on those. Some of the leading farmers used maize silage to manage their pasture and carry more cows to harvest more pasture. Jim van der Poel spoke at the Ruakura Farmers Conference and said that on his farm, the person getting the cows out of the paddock determined how much supplements the herd got that day. If the cows left a residual of less than 1,500 kgDM/ha, they got fed more on the feed pad.

If residuals were above 1,800 kgDM/ha, they were fed less. Farmers and scientists proved that feeding maize silage in the

From left, Wade Bell, Ian Williams and Matt Dalley inspecting maize silage on a Waikato farm.

autumn was very effective at extending lactation, putting weight on cows and building pasture cover going into winter.

Change in farming systems.

Over the past 25 years

I have seen some significant changes in farming practices. When I first started with Pioneer, maize silage was the new feed on the block. Farms were mainly low to medium input.

When DairyNZ’s Economic Survey began in 2006, low to medium input farms made up 84% of all farms. Farms have gradually intensified and today the table has turned and medium

to high input farms make up 72% of the farms surveyed. The change has been due a number of factors including something I have written about almost every year.

The data shows that on average, higher input systems are more profitable than medium to lower input systems.

There is also general recognition that under pressure from pests and changing climate, annual pasture production is declining and has become more seasonally variable.

As a result, more supplements have been fed.

Farmers have increased stocking rate and fed their cows better resulting in a 34% rise in per cow and a 43% increase in per hectare production since 2000.

More cows per hectare fed better in a static or falling pasture production has meant many more farmers are now feeding more supplements and maize has become an integral part of many farm systems.

Fantastic Farmers Lastly, I’ve learnt that farmers are an amazing bunch of people. Their ability to adapt is second to none. I’ve loved meeting new people, learning from them and helping them refine their systems.

If you’ve been at a meeting where I’ve spoken or invited me onto your farm – thanks. I have appreciated all you have taught me.

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

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DAIRY NEWS OCTOBER 31, 2023

ANIMAL HEALTH // 19

Keeping leptospirosis at bay LEPTOSPIROSIS (LEPTO) is a disease

caused by bacteria that can be spread from animal to human, otherwise known as a zoonotic disease.

The impact lepto can have on farm is devastating, with severe flu symptoms in humans and in some cases debilitating illness requiring hospitalisation. A recent survey conducted by Massey University showed that half of those affected were still experiencing symptoms a staggering eight months after diagnosis.

Leptospirosis is contracted most through exposure to the urine of infected animals, either through direct con-

Leptospirosis is contracted most through exposure to the urine of infected animals, either through direct contact or via contaminated water.

tact or via contaminated water. The bacteria enter through cuts or grazes on our skin, or through the mucous membranes of our eyes, nose and mouth.

There are different types of lepto, with cows often showing no clinical signs. This means that

working with dairy cows can pose a significant risk for contracting lepto, so preventing exposure is vital.

Since the 1970s, the industry has had access to highly effective cattle vaccines, which have reduced the rate of human infections dramat-

ically. Unfortunately, in recent years there have been cases of lepto in farmers and staff (including teat sealing technicians) working on vaccinated farms, many of which are thought to be due to a newly discovered strain of lepto within dairy herds. This

new strain, known as Pacifica, wasn’t covered by the traditional dairy cattle lepto vaccines.

Recent research suggests Pacifica could be present in almost three quarters of dairy herds nationwide.

A new vaccine, Lepto 4-WayTM, has recently been developed to provide protection against the emergence of Pacifica as well as the 3 strains (Hardjo, Pomona & Copenhageni) previously covered by your traditional vaccines. Upgrading to Lepto 4-WayTM will likely mean a change to current lepto vaccination schedule for 2023/2024 - your vet will discuss this with you.

While vaccination is

an integral part of lepto management plan, strict health and safety on farm remains paramount to protect the farmer and his team.

“You should always stand clear of urinating cows, effluent spraying, cover up any cuts, and avoid eating, drinking or smoking/vaping in the pit.

Rats and mice can carry other strains of lepto, so good pest control and avoiding possible contact with rodent urine is also important.

“Because lepto survives well in water, care should be taken around surface water and flooding after rain events - effluent ponds and spreaders can also be a risk. And because lepto

can be treated with antibiotics you should always see a doctor as soon as possible if you suspect you have been infected.

“A case of lepto could have a huge impact on your team at a time you can least afford it.

“Prevention is critical, so staff education and upgrading your vaccine to Lepto 4-WayTM means you have done all you can to ensure the health and safety of you, your family and anyone who works on your farm.”

• Article supplied by Virbac. Lepto 4-WayTM is a Restricted Veterinary Medicine. Available only under Veterinary Authorisation. Registered pursuant to the ACVM Act 1997, No. A012030.

ANTIBIOTICS SALES DROP TOTAL SALES of veterinary and hor-

ticultural antibiotics in New Zealand have decreased for a fifth year in a row, dropping by 23% in 2022.

The drop was a key finding of the ‘2022 Antibiotic Agricultural Compound Sales Analysis’ released last week by New Zealand Food Safety (NZFS). The report summarises the trends in the annual sales of veterinary and horticultural antibiotics as part of a national action plan to reduce antimicrobial resistance (AMR).

“The World Health Organisation has identified AMR as one of the top 10 global health threats facing human-

ity, so seeing a 23% drop in the sale of antibiotics for plants and animals is good news,” says NZFS deputy director-general Vincent Arbuckle.

“Antibiotics are antimicrobial medicines essential to the health of humans, animals, and plants, but using them excessively can lead to the emergence of resistant bacteria that don’t respond to antibiotic treatment.

“With AMR increasing around the world, and few new antibiotics being developed, careful use of the antibiotics we have will help to keep them effective.”

Of the 16 classes of antibiotics NZFS monitors, five are critically

important for human health, meaning they should be considered the last line of defence in animal infections.

“We found that the total sales of antibiotics critical for human health decreased by 8% in 2022 to 6285kg.

This is the lowest they’ve been since 2017, when 8952kg of antibiotics critically important to human health were sold,” says Arbuckle.

“Overall, the sale of antibiotics has dropped from 71,361kg in 2017 to 41,033kg in 2022. That’s a drop of 42%.

“The ongoing decrease in the use of antibiotics can be put down to a concerted effort from industry and

NZFS to ensure these important medicines are used appropriately.

“The continued vigilance of veterinarians, farmers and other industry stakeholders, as well as our ongoing monitoring and support, are an effective way to minimise the incidence of AMR. “We are also reviewing our regulatory oversight of antibiotics used in plants and animals, which could lead to a further reduction in antibiotic use as controls for some antibiotics might be tightened. This extensive piece of work has a five-year timeframe as it involves reviewing hundreds of antibiotic products.”

In 2017, the New Zealand Antimicrobial Resistance Action Plan was jointly developed by the Ministry of Health, New Zealand Food Safety and representatives from across the human health, animal health and agriculture sectors.

Its vision is for New Zealand to manage antimicrobials as a valuable shared resource and to maintain their efficacy so they can be used to treat infections in humans, as well as to manage diseases in animals and plants. An update to the action plan is due to be released next year. @dairy_news facebook.com/dairynews

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DAIRY NEWS OCTOBER 31, 2023

20 // FARM TECHNOLOGY

Shade cloth keeps birds away SUDESH KISSUN sudeshk@ruralnews.co.nz

UNTIL RECENTLY Ingelwood farmer Nigel King’s 75-metre maize stack looked like an aviary and he was losing quality feed.

Led by pukekos, birds were feasting on the maize silage, stored on farm as supplementary feed for his 540 cows.

King says that with their long beaks, pukekos pecked large holes on the plastic cover to access maize silage: this allowed water to seep in and damage the feed.

“For the past two to three years I was losing silage, it’s hard to quantify how much,” he told Dairy News.

“The silage was mouldy because water seeped in through the holes and the cows didn’t

like it.

“There was also wastage because the birds took out silage from the holes and left them all over the place.”

King looked at his options; poison was ruled out because it would have killed not only pukekos but the other birds.

“And, I don’t like doing that,” he says.

He has a gun, used for shooting ducks, but that didn’t work because the pukekos “kept coming back”.

“It was like an aviary out there; the pukekos pecked these large holes and other birds joined the feasting.”

But things changed overnight. About four months ago, he bought CoverTex shade cloth, which goes on top of the plastic cover on the silage stack. King says he keeps some tyres in between

CoverTex, a heavy-duty knitted shade cloth, is fabricated in the Cosio Industries warehouse in Auckland.

the two layers for separation and this makes it almost impossible for a persistent pukeko to reach the plastic beneath.

While placing tyres on the silage plastic first is not essential, it has the effect of suspending the

CoverTex above the plastic making. While still easier than covering the entire plastic stack with tyres, this method uses slightly more tyres than placing the CoverTex directly over the plastic.

The birds have disap-

peared.

“We have not seen a single bird on the stack since the day CoverTex went up,” he says.

“The pukekos haven’t come back. Either they found that that their ability to peck holes has been

eliminated or they don’t like the texture and walking on the material.”

CoverTex, a heavyduty knitted shade cloth, is fabricated in the Cosio Industries warehouse in Auckland: manufactured in segments makes it

easier to handle.

Gravel bags - from Cosio Industries- are then used to ballast the CoverTex at the overlaps between segments and around the perimeter. The CoverTex cover holds down the silage cover. While this method eliminates the use of tyres altogether, tyres already on the farm could be used for the ballast in place of the gravel sausages. The gravel bags are filled on site with pebbles or pea metal and cable tied closed. They have user-friendly handles which make them easy to shift. When filled they can hold up to 13kg of ballast, they do not hold water which makes them easy to manage and compact to store.

Cosio says packing them away is like stacking potato bags on a pallet to store when not in use.

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DAIRY NEWS OCTOBER 31, 2023

FARM TECHNOLOGY // 21

GPS mapping, automation saves farmer time, money WITH THE fertiliser spreading season in full swing, a Central Otago dairy farmer has embraced the benefits of GPS mapping and automated data management, resulting in substantial savings of both time and money.

Jeorge Barroga contract milks a total of 1500 cows across two milking platforms and a support block covering 500 hectares in Ranfurly.

Given the extensive land area, fertiliser spreading has always been a significant investment and a big job each season, with a tractor driver employed to manage the process using an in-vehicle GPS map.

With the increasing

demands of nitrogen cap reporting and the looming 2025 deadline for Freshwater Farm Plans, the farm’s owner, Greg Kirkwood, realised the need for a more precise method of applying fertiliser and streamlining the compliance reporting process.

“We had a fertiliser budget allocated for each season, and up until now, we’d been relying on rudimentary GPS mapping tools within the tractor to determine where and when to spread fertiliser. Unfortunately, it wasn’t always the most accurate process,” says Barroga. In their search for better technology, Kirkwood discovered Precision Farming’s Spread-

Contract milker Jeorge Barroga says technology has been a game changer for the farm.

ify App, which has been a game-changer for the farm during the past two seasons.

Spreadify is a simple GPS guidance app for self-spreading that’s free

to download and use. It accurately maps, manages and records the application of fertiliser, effluent and spray. It can also guide irrigation sprinkler and pod placement.

By connecting Spreadify to Precision Farming for a small annual fee, Jeorge has fully automated his Proof of Application to MyBallance.

“Our old approach to spreading fertiliser often led to overlap and missed areas in the paddock,” says Barroga.

“Even with maps on hand, the process was prone to human error, sometimes varying by as much as 20 metres.

The Spreadify App provides precise guidance on where fertiliser has been spread, eliminating room for mistakes.”

All the essential data regarding the type, timing, and location of fertiliser applications is seamlessly recorded in

the app. Thanks to the integration with Precision Farming, the farm’s data is automatically sent to Ballance, simplifying compliance reporting and N-cap reporting at the end of the season.

“In today’s climate, we’re all striving to achieve more with less while seeking cost savings,” says Barroga.

“The Spreadify App has been instrumental in maximising the return on our fertiliser investment and reducing waste.

“It’s not only a substantial cost-saving to spread fertiliser more efficiently, but it also saves us a tremendous amount of time because all the reporting data is readily available.”

The app is userfriendly, making it accessible for anyone operating the tractor. The fertiliser applications are programmed for each month, ensuring there is no overlap or waste.

“Having all the farm’s data in one place also means we can easily order fertiliser as needed, as we have a clear record of our previous applications,” says Barroga.

“We’re confident that we are using our fertiliser investment wisely, and there’s no more manually calculating what we’ve applied over the year. The app takes care of all of that for us, making the compliance process significantly more straightforward.”

WORKING THROUGH ALL THE DATA IN AGRICULTURE, the emphasis for

the last 150 years has been on using technology to know more about orchards, fields, and crops, which has been great, according to Watermetrics.

“We’ve uncovered inefficiencies, learned more about our land, and optimised inputs through tools like weather stations, soil moisture probes, sensors, satellites, flow meters, and more. But as often hap-

pens, yesterday’s solutions have created today’s problems.

“Technology has enabled us to deeply understand our land and crops in the modern farming landscape through numerous tools. We’ve accumulated a treasure trove of data to maximise our yields and optimise our resources.”

But, there’s a hitch – we are now navigating through a sea of data, often struggling to decipher it into action-

able strategies, it says.

“Farmers in New Zealand are getting more and more data. Some of it’s expensive. Some providers are backward in sharing it.

“There are data gaps which can make a data stream unreliable.

You can pay a lot for data that just doesn’t do the job accurately enough in important situations. Some data is confusing like a trigger point to irrigate and noticeably varying responses

from an irrigation.

“Authorities want you to show that you are using data to manage water and nitrogen and be environmentally responsible and there can be variations around how- given the data interpretation.

“Dealing with data and transforming it into meaningful, actionable insights is actually quite difficult.

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teries. Mysteries require improved analysis and interpretation of data for resolution. At the end of the day this is grasping the key indicators that affect plant health and yield. This leads to profit and we all want that.

“Historically, many agricultural companies have operated by amassing asymmetric information – having more knowledge than the next person. www.watermetrics.co.nz

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DAIRY NEWS OCTOBER 31, 2023

22 // MACHINERY & PRODUCTS

Self-propelled mixer wagon now delivers better loads SPW INTENSE models are equipped with loading, desilting, weighing, mixing, and distribution functions.

MARK DANIEL markd@ruralnews.co.nz

KUHN HAS updated its

range of self-propelled mixer wagon to include heavy-duty models with SPW INTENSE. Available in 14, 16, 18, 19, 22, 25 and 27m3 capacities, the machines are fitted with a new 250hp Volvo PH5 engine with SCR emission controls, positioned at the rear of the machine to deliver better load transfer and ultimately, greater traction.

SPW INTENSE models are equipped with loading, desilting, weighing, mixing, and distribution functions. Up front,

a 2-metre wide milling head is used rapid filling of the mixing tub, making lading fast and efficient, before two vertical augers ensure a regular flow and a homogeneous feed mix.

A front-facing cross

conveyor belt discharges to either side of the machine, with the operator having excellent visibility of the whole process. For users with cramped buildings, rear unloading equipment and

4-wheel steering options are also available. As an optional extra, the mixing augers are available with K‑NOX technology, which increases service life and wear and tear resistance six-fold.

“The improved design features of the SPW INTENSE meets the needs of different types of users with the range catering for large and small operations,” says Andrew Johnson, KUHN

New Zealand’s brand manager.

The engine positioning has provided an opportunity for the new VISOSPACE cab as standard, with the left side door and fully glazed windshield offering a panoramic view in all directions. A new CCI800 full-colour touchscreen terminal presents information relating to the operation of the machine, displayed via intuitive interfaces, paired with a single, multi-function joystick for smooth and comfortable driving.

The weighing system offers paperless data transfer to allow users to manage essential information, using the web

interface or the smartphone app to also change feeding schedules remotely at any time, as well as accessing all reporting data.

Kuhn Connect connectivity functions allow MyKuhn portal allows users to keep track of the use of their machines, making it easier to find new ways to boost efficiency. The system also includes a digital, fully configurable maintenance dashboard displaying all maintenance information so that users receive a notification whenever a maintenance operation is required. www.kuhn.co.nz @dairy_news facebook.com/dairynews

SPECIAL REPORTS

DAIRY GOATS & SHEEP

The Dairy Goat and Dairy Sheep industry is a high-value and fast-growing niche within the dairy scene. Some serious players have entered this industry, producing quality goat’s and sheep milk and taking high-end nutritional products to market. With many similarities at the farm end to traditonal dairying, opportunity exists for dairy service and supply businesses to develop new revenue streams.

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.

Contact your closest Sales Representative

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

FEATURE:

14 November

BOOKING DEADLINE: 1 November MATERIAL REQUIRED: 7 November

DAIRY NEWS OCTOBER 31, 2023

MACHINERY & PRODUCTS // 23

New triple-combos from Claas MARK DANIEL markd@ruralnews.co.nz

CLAAS HAS closed

the gap in the DISCO 9200/9300 and the DISCO 1100 wide mower ranges, with the arrival of the new 9700 range triple set up.

Each uses Max Cut mower beds and Active Float suspension technology and a range of optional conditioning and auto-swathing functions.

With a variable working width of 8.8 to 9.5 metres, the new range is offered in five variants: the Disco 9700 Comfort, 9700 C Business (tine conditioner), 9700 RC Business (roller conditioner), 9700 C Auto Swather (tine conditioner and swath grouping) and 9700 RC Auto Swather (roller conditioner and swath grouping).

The mowers feature swinging arms that can be hydraulically extended outwards by 30cm and retracted by 5cm, allowing the working width to adjusted on-the-go by up to 70cm. This allows maximum overlaps on headlands to avoid strips or maximum working width when mowing in parallel lands.

Mower units are driven by new triple telescopic drive shafts with toughened large-diameter steel profiles that enable the wide adjustment range of the mower arms.

A new, higher capacity K-90 friction clutch is bolted directly to the universal joint shaft, for quick and easy servicing.

On the Comfort model, the Active Float ground pressure control, swing arm travel and protective cover folding are controlled via ISOBUS

CLAAS new mower range uses Max Cut mower beds and Active Float suspension technology and a range of optional conditioning and autoswathing functions.

system.

RC models feature two counter-rotating polyurethane rollers that are both actively driven and synchronised for maximum throughput and processing quality, extending fully across the width of the mower bed to gently crush the harvested crop and optimise crop flow. RC models are specifically developed for gently processing large volumes of lucerne, forage crops and whole-

and load-sensing, while the arms are lifted and lowered by operation of the hydraulic spool valves, allowing integration of the lifting and lowering functions into the tractor’s headland management system.

Business spec machines see all functions controlled using a continuous load-sensing hydraulic system via the ISOBUS terminal, function keys or the tractor’s headland management

crop silage.

AutoSwather models incorporate two newlydesigned 1100mm wide Kevlar-reinforced conveyor belts that consolidate harvested crop from the left and right hand mowers into a single, perfectly-shaped swath, ready for processing by a silage harvester, with a capacity to handle yields of up to 60 t/ha.

Each belt can be independently disengaged and folded away if swath

grouping is not required.

Additionally, one or both units can be folded hydraulically when using the ‘19 to 12’ method that consolidates 19m of material into 12m for the next pass with a 12.7m wide quad-rotor swather.

In lighter crops, the Max Cut mower beds can be operated at a reduced 850rpm PTO speed, helping to reduce fuel consumption by up to 20%, while new, optional wear skids provide an increased cutting height of 15mm, helping to reduce the amount of crude ash contamination introduced into the swath and promoting faster pasture regrowth.

Max Cut mower beds also incorporate Class’ rapid blade-change system, that sees the caps and mower blades of the clockwise and anti-clockwise rotating mower discs

RANGER 570 HD EPS ADC

RANGER XP 1000 HD EPS ADC

$22,895

INC GST

$30,995

FREE ROOF, GLASS SCREEN & REAR POLY PANEL

FREE FARM KIT (VALUED AT $5,000)

painted black and red, respectively, meaning replacement blades can be immediately assigned to the appropriate mower discs. This is complemented by a new blade box divided into three compartments for red and black replacements and used blades.

The Active Float system regularly and automatically continually adjusts the ground pressure, ensuring the mowers adapt perfectly to ground contours. Tried and tested for almost two decades, the contact pressure can be independently adjusted on either side for mowing borders and slopes, with a display in the terminal or via two gauges on the headstock.

An innovative hitch frame with angled arms ensures optimum centre of gravity during operation.

INC GST

FARM PACK INCLUDES A ROOF, GLASS SCREEN, WIPER KIT, REAR PANEL & A TOW HITCH VALUED AT $5,000^^

44 HP

ON DEMAND TRUE DUMP BOX ALL-WHEEL-DRIVE (AWD) CAPACITY - 227KG

VERSATRAC TURF MODE

SEAT BELT INTERLOCK

IRS WITH 25.4CM OF TRAVEL

82 HP

VERSATRAC HEAVY DUTY ENGINE BRAKING HIGH PERFORMANCE ON DUMP BOX DEMAND TRUE ALL- CAPACITY - 454KG TURF MODE FEATURES SYSTEM & ACTIVE WHEEL-DRIVE (AWD DESCENT CONTROL (ADC)

4.99% FINANCE ON ALL SXS MODELS

1/3

UPFRONT

1/3

IN 12 MONTHS

1/3

IN 24 MONTHS

Finance and accessories offer is available on a selection of in-stock models only, check with your participating Polaris Dealer for more details. Not valid with any other promotion. Excludes Fleet Clients. Finance is provided by Polaris Finance, a program operated by De Lage Landen Limited Company No 1355515 and available for business purposes only on a Hire Purchase Agreement. Credit approval, fees, terms and conditions apply. Finance rate is 4.99% and is based on a 24 month term, for full promotion details and structure please contact your Polaris Sales Representative. Delivery & Finance Settlement must be prior to 30th September 2023. *Terms and conditions apply. *Offer ends 31/12/23 or while stocks last. Offer only available at participating Polaris Dealers. Not valid with any other offer. Excludes fleet clients. ^^The free farm pack includes a roof, glass screen, wiper kit, rear panel & tow hitch valued at $5,000 inc GST. Must be claimed at time of purchase.

0800 440 290 | www.polarisnewzealand.com |

/PolarisNZ |

/polarisorv_nz