THE COST FACTOR
Co-op unveils progress
Page 7
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Record milk price ‘to help reduce debt’
SUDESH KISSUN
sudeshk@ruralnews.co.nz
A RECORD $10/kgMS forecast milk price is a great Christmas present for Fonterra farmers, says Federated Farmers Waikato dairy chair Matthew Zonderop.
He says the 50c lift in the forecast milk price mid-point would have put a smile on every face in the dairy sector.
Zonderop was scanning cows on his farm and had not seen the email from Fonterra on the forecast milk price increase when Dairy News contacted him for a comment.
He knew that Global Dairy Trade prices, especially whole milk powder prices, had been rising steadily.
“But this 50c jump is huge and will be a pleasant surprise and an early Christmas gift for many of us: I knew prices were strong and the forecast milk price could rise but you believe it only when you see it.”
Zonderop believes Fonterra farmers will be using the extra cash to reduce debt and in some cases upgrade and replace machinery.
But debt reduction is key, he notes.
“The high interest rates, cost creeps and rate of inflation have resulted in more debt and overdrafts for many of us.
“Now it’s time to get things out of the road and debt is the key one.”
Zonderop notes that December is a busy month on dairy farms: farmers need to pay for making silage,
mating cows and pay for bulls.
“We can now pay them off will within a month,’ he says.
Fonterra chief executive Miles Hurrell says the co-op is committed to providing farmers the highest sustainable milk price.
“We’re seeing a recovery of demand in Greater China as domestic milk production rebalances and demand from Southeast Asia continues to be strong.
“Looking at supply, milk production out of the US and Europe continues to be impacted by local factors, while production out of most regions of New Zealand has increased.
“We’re continuing to monitor factors that may influence
global supply and demand dynamics, including any potential impact from heightened geopolitical uncertainty,” says Hurrell.
Fonterra’s forecast earnings for FY25 remain unchanged at 40-60 cents per share.
“Our forecast earnings range reflects an expectation our underlying operating profit will be stable as we offset the higher cost of milk in the second half of the financial year through improved sales volumes, product mix and pricing. It also reflects the change in Fonterra’s tax status,” says Hurrell.
Fonterra isn’t the only milk process to lift its forecast milk price.
Taupo-based Miraka has raised its base Milk Price mid-point to
$9.60/kgMS and a range of $9.10 to $10.10/kgMS.
Miraka general manager, on-farm excellence Joan Barendsen says their dairy farmers work hard to be industry-leaders when it comes to milk quality, kaitiakitanga and animal welfare.
“We’ve come out with a strong milk price update to underpin their efforts and commitment to farming excellence.”
Dairy farmers who supply milk to Miraka can earn an additional premium of up to $0.20/kg/MS under the company’s on-farm excellence programme, Te Ara Miraka. Miraka has paid more than $25 million in premiums to milk suppliers since 2015.
Matthew Zonderop says the 50c lift in Fonterra’s milk price is an early Christmas gift for farmers.
Dairy can afford methane technologies - Dr Carr
THE DAIRY industry is well placed to front the cost of new technologies to deal with methane emissions, but the sheep industry isn’t.
That was one of the messages from the chair of the Climate Change Commission, Dr Rod Carr, a keynote speaker at last week’s Agriculture and Climate Change conference in Wellington.
More than 400 delegates attended the twoday event and heard from a wide range of speakers on topics like market drivers for agricultural emissions reduction, investment in new technologies and the emission targets and tools to deal with them.
Carr says in the case of the dairy industry, it’s likely that a solution will be found in the form of a vaccine or bolus to deal with methane emissions because of the profitability of that sector.
“If it costs $50 per animal a year to vaccinate or put a bolus or whatever down the down the gut of a cow, the dairy
industry can afford that cost and still be profitable,” Carr says.
But he says the same can’t be said for the sheep and wool industry. He notes that with just under 25 million sheep, producing $4.4 billion worth of meat and wool, farmers are only getting about $180 in gross revenue per animal.
“Consequently, they don’t have any margin to pay for methane emissions technology and I think this cost should be taken up and be paid within the dairy sector. I don’t know how we get
CLIMATE-FRIENDLY COWS CLOSER
DAIRY FARMERS are one step closer to breeding cows with lower methane emissions, offering an innovative way to reduce the nation’s agricultural carbon footprint without compromising farm productivity.
A study, jointly led by artificial breeding companies LIC and CRV, began in 2020 with a small-scale pilot trial involving methane testing of 20 bulls.
Since then the programme, funded by the New Zealand Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Research Centre (NZAGRC), has continued to evolve, and by the end of 2024 more than 1000 young bulls and 393 yearling heifers will have had their methane emissions and feed intake measured, with the goal of introducing a methane breeding value to all LIC and CRV artificial breeding bulls from late 2026.
The study findings were presented last week by LIC’s senior scientist Dr
Lorna McNaughton at the New Zealand Agriculture & Climate Change Conference in Wellington.
The findings show that genetic variation can influence how much methane is produced by heifers and that bulls identified as low methane emitters pass this trait on to their daughters.
In the first phase of the research, it was found that bulls varied by up to 20% in the amount of methane emitted per kilogram of feed consumed. During this phase, the highest and lowest emitting sires were selected to produce a herd of daughters at Pāmu Farms of New Zealand’s Wairakei Estate in the Central Plateau, with the emissions from these daughters having recently been measured.
“Throughout the programme we’ve been able to rigorously monitor and measure bulls and heifers to confirm that bulls with low methane emissions could produce daughters
emitting less methane per kilogram of feed consumed,” says LIC chief scientist Dr Richard Spelman.
a methane technology that works for pastoral sheep farming in NZ that is affordable to farmers given the current value of the product they produce,” he says.
Conversely, Carr says the dairy industry is more profitable in most ways in terms of methane emissions than sheep farmers, including per hectare of land, per hour of labour and gross revenue per hectare of land.
results are promising, and closely aligned to our predictions, this next stage of testing will allow us to confirm the research finding across generations,” says Peter van Elzakker, grass fed genetics manager at CRV.
With nearly half of New Zealand’s carbon emissions attributed to methane, this research illustrates how the agri-sector is working together to support the nation’s climate aspirations.
“I’m extremely proud to be part of the solution when it comes to emissions-intensity reduction targets and I am excited by the future prospect of offering farmers low methaneemitting genetic solutions,” says LIC chief executive, David Chin.
To support this next step, a stateof-the-art research barn is being constructed to allow for the large-scale monitoring of these lactating cows.
“While the last three years of
“This proof-of-concept study demonstrates the genetic variation between high-emitting and low-emitting bulls and we’re now looking forward to the next critical step where we’ll measure emissions from their daughters during their first milking season in 2025.”
“This research is just one example of how we must work together and continue to innovate as we look for new ways to address climate challenges and I’m excited to see the work progress into 2025,” says CRV managing director, James Smallwood.
Calves being fed lucerne cube as part of the trial.
Climate Change Commission chair Dr Rod Carr.
Farm Source turns 10!
HUNDREDS OF Fonterra farmers visited their local Farm Source store on November 29 to help celebrate the rural service trader’s tenth anniversary.
To mark the occasion, ‘Pie Day Fridays’ at Farm
Source stores was turned that into ‘Cake Day Friday’ with local store teams putting on spreads.
Farm Source group director Anne Douglas says it was a special way to recognise the milestone.
Minister raises tariffs dispute
TRADE MINISTER Todd McClay has used a meeting of the CPTPP hosted by Canada to take that country to task for defiantly refusing to open up its dairy market to NZ.
The Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) is a goldstandard free trade agreement of which both NZ and Canada are members. Canada is obliged to comply with the rules of the agreement, which means allowing NZ access for its dairy exports.
But in what is seen as a hypocritical and illegal stance, and despite winning arbitration actions, NZ has been unable to budge the Canadian government to comply with CPTPP rules.
McClay has in the past described Canada’s action as cynical, while the head of DCANZ, Kimberly Crewther says Canada is a recidivist breaker of international trade rules and has cost the NZ dairy industry in the order of $120 million. The Canadian dairy industry is very small – there are just 1.3 million cows, but the dairy farmer lobby there is strong.
Before he left NZ for Vancouver for the meeting, McClay told Dairy News that he’ll be meeting his counterpart Mary Ng and will be raising this dispute with her directly. He says officials have met and have scheduled ongoing formal dispute process meetings, and continue to encourage Canada to meet their obligation to New Zealand.
“I have been clear, we have a good relationship with Canada, and we can work through issues, but in this case, they are not upholding their obligations to us and as a result, NZ dairy farmers are missing out on market access that was negotiated and granted under the CPTPP. This is a matter of principle and we take our obligations seriously and expect others to do the same,” he says.
McClay says the ball is now squarely in Canada’s court and NZ reserves the right to take any action deemed appropriate, including imposing tariffs sanctions on Canadian exports to New Zealand if this cannot be resolved at the diplomatic level.
As host of a free trade summit, this is not a good look for the Canadians who are clearly out of step with the other eleven member states. – Peter Burke
“It was fantastic to see so many of our farmer owners and other valued customers join us in store. Out store teams really embraced the spirit of the occasion and there were some very creative cakes. I was at our store in Waiuku and I know the farmers I met there were delighted to be part of the celebration.”
Farm Source is Fonterra’s farmer facing team and was rebranded from RD1 in 2014.
The co-op says it has taken relationships with farmer shareholders to a whole new level by providing on-farm sport and advice, lowering on-farm costs and giving back to rural communities –building closer connections with farmers and delivering the strongest farmer offering.
“Farm Source exists to service the co-op’s farmers, offering the tools and support they want and where they need them,” says Douglas.
“It’s their co-op and Farm Source is here to help them continue to sustainably produce some of the world’s finest milk.”
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Fonterra chief executive Miles Hurrell (left) cuts the 10th
birthday cake with Farm Source head Anne Douglas (middle) and managing director co-op affairs Mike Cronin.
Regional council agenda ‘to just reduce cow numbers’
SOUTH CANTERBURY
dairy farmer and recentlyretired Fonterra director
Leonie Guiney has welcomed an announcement from the Canterbury Regional Council (ECan) that development of its Regional Policy Statement has been paused.
ECan says it has put a halt on it until January 2026 “in light of recent changes in government direction on freshwater management”. New legislation states that councils must not notify freshwater planning instruments for public consultation before 31 December 2025 or until a new National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management is gazetted, whichever is the earlier.
Guiney welcomes the halt but says farmers need more.
“It’s progress, but right now their land use consent to farm settings force me to reduce my productivity irrespective of water quality outcomes.”
Guiney was among about 400 people who attended the recent Fed-
erated Farmers-organised “Restoring Farmer Confidence” public meeting in Ashburton, with speeches by Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, Associate Agriculture Minister Nicola Grigg, and Feds President Wayne Langford.
It was the second such meeting of a nationwide tour, the first being at Mystery Creek, Waikato, and the third at Waimumu, Southland.
The major theme of the Government speakers was that they were working to reform the RMA and reduce other red tape to increase the productivity and efficiency of farming and the economy in general.
But speaking from the audience during the Q&A session, Guiney said the Government was “not entirely in control” of those productivity settings because the Regional Council was so influential.
“We do care about the environment, and what we would love is to be able to use the data that we collect on water quality to determine our settings when we are applying for consents to farm.”
The only levers farmers can use under ECan models to show they are reducing nitrogen leaching were reducing cow numbers and fertiliser input, she said.
“As farmers for years and years we know how to optimise what our stocking rates should be. And it’s a core compar-
ative advantage that we stay in control of that.
“At the moment ECan is controlling it. I must prove, to get my next consent to farm, that I will reduce my productivity in 2028.
“They won’t let me use my data showing that our nitrate levels in our rivers in Fairlie are well below the targets.”
Luxon said he had spoken with the ECan deputy chair that morning to make the point that the new government was here to grow the country.
“We’ve got to bust up the RMA. We’ve moved quickly in 12 months. This thing’s quite a beast and a whole cottage industry has built up
around the RMA.”
Over 20 years the country had started building a horse but ended up with a camel, said Luxon.
“It affects everything that we’re doing in this country.”
To enthusiastic applause, Luxon said it had turned what used to be a can-do kind of place
into an “obstruction economy and bureaucracy”.
Asked later if she was happy with Luxon’s response, Guiney said ECan was still in control of her consents to farm.
“If I sign up to what they want now, it’s reduced stocking rates, it’s reduced fertiliser inputs. Even though my fortnightly data shows there’s no issue over nitrates in the water around us.
“So, there’s no linkage between actual environmental outcomes and the settings that ECan is demanding of us and our land use consents.”
“Of all our elected representatives, we seem to have people in there [ECan] with just an agenda to reduce cow numbers.
“They’re not interested in any of our data on water quality outcomes, they’re just interested in reducing cow numbers.
“They’ve got this mindset that fewer cows will mean better water quality outcomes, but we want to measure water quality outcomes and make our own decisions.”
NIGEL MALTHUS
Former Fonterra director Leonie Guiney at the Federated Farmers meeting in Christchurch.
Fonterra ‘on track’ to meeting climate change, coal targets
FONTERRA SAYS it remains on track to meet its climate targets and be coal free in its North Island manufacturing.
Last month, the cooperative turned off the coal boiler at its Waitoa site, marking a significant milestone in achieving its emissions reduction targets outlined in its Climate Roadmap released in November 2023.
Fonterra director of sustainability Charlotte Rutherford says the Climate Roadmap is central to guiding Fonterra’s journey toward achieving its near-term climate targets and ambition to be net zero by 2050.
“We’ve made a great start. While progress may not be linear, we are on track to meet these targets. I’m particularly proud of the work the team has done to achieve SBTi validation, the progress in providing tools and services for farmers, and the efforts of decarbonising our man-
HELPING FARMERS
■ Validation of the co-op’s near term targets by ScienceBased Target initiative (SBTi).
■ 93% of Fonterra New Zealand farms now have Farm Environment Plans, up from 85% 12 months ago.
■ Continued investment in AgriZeroNZ who have committed $34 million to emissions reduction technologies and R&D including Ruminant BioTech’s methane inhibitor, BioLumic’s UV seed treatment, ArkeaBio’s methane vaccine and Hoofprint Biome’s gut health supplements.
■ In an industry first, the co-op launched the NZMP Carbon Footprinter emissions calculator in February, helping customers understand the average emissions of major New Zealand-sourced NZMP products, including the emissions from shipping to key destinations around the world. Since launch, there have been over 4000 users of the tool.
ufacturing sites,” says Rutherford.
“While it may be one year on from the release of our Roadmap, we have been focused on reducing our emissions, particularly from our manufacturing and operations, for some time now and being free of coal in our North Island manufacturing
is something the team should be proud of.”
This year alone, three renewable energy projects at Edendale, Hautapu, and Clandeboye have reduced emissions by a total of 62,500 tonnes, equivalent to taking 27,750 cars off the road.
Rutherford says just as important has been the work over the past year
to lay the foundations to support farmers in reducing their emissions.
“Reducing emissions through driving greater on-farm efficiencies is also a priority for the co-op. Our approach is about empowering farm-
ers with tools, insights and support to make meaningful changes.
“Over the past 12 months our farmer facing teams have been working on a range of tools and services for farmers, including targeted con-
versations to understand what the future may look like, and mapping tools that will help identify woody vegetation for carbon sequestration.
“As we move closer to 2030 we will begin to see the impact of these
tools and services in the results. We know there’s more work to be done, and right across the value chain we continue to invest in innovative technologies and solutions that will set us up for success.”
EDNA CALENDAR 2025
Fonterra director of sustainability Charlotte Rutherford
Bovaer BS
ONE OF the world’s largest dairy co-operatives has come under fire for embracing a new methane-reducing additive fed to cows. The claims, made on social media, says the use of a feed additive by Arla Foods farmers could ‘contaminate’ milk and allegedly cause cancer.
Shoppers also threatened to boycott dairy products made by the Danish firm and sold in Tesco, Morrisons and Lidl, which include Lurpak butter, after the company announced a trial that would involve giving a feed additive called Bovaer to its cows.
Arla Foods has hit back pointing out that the chemical, which would be introduced to cattle’s food, is designed to reduce the amount of methane they produce in digestion, a gas that contributes to climate change.
It has been declared a safe additive by both European and UK regulators as it doesn’t transfer into milk.
Misinformation
STILL ON Bovaer, a wave of misinformation is circulating online wrongly linking Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates to the feed additive.
Gates has invested in a similar bovine animal feed additive through Rumin8, not the one he is being linked to online. In June of this year, Rumin8 announced positive top-line results from its three cattle trials of its investigational methanereducing feed additive.
According to reports, the additive has not yet received regulatory approval in the US.
Many social media users are citing unsubstantiated claims about the additive’s safety, wrongly linking Gates to Bovaer and yet another Gates conspiracy theory.
Seaweed the hero?
A NEW study, published recently in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, adds to some existing evidence about a simple way to cut emissions dramatically - seaweed.
Researchers from the University of California, Davis, tested a seaweed-based supplement for grazing beef cows on a ranch in Montana. They gave 12 cows the supplement but left another 12 without it; the cows wandered around for 10 weeks, burping as usual, but the ones that ate the supplement produced 37.7% less methane than their buddies — and showed no differences afterward in terms of health or weight.
That’s an enormous improvement, especially of a greenhouse gas that is substantially more powerful a warming agent than carbon dioxide, though on a shorter time scale.
Milking fish
IT COULD be cod on your cornflakes and sardines in your smoothie if food innovators in Indonesia have their way.
With almond milk, oat milk and pea milk already here, standby for… fish milk? A shortage of dairy cows in some regions of Indonesia has seen scientists suggest a novel source of protein, fish ‘milk’.
The Wall Street Journal reports that fishermen off the coast of Indramayu are taking boatloads of the local ponyfish to a factory to be deboned and ground down to powder. The protein-rich product is then mixed with either or chocolate or strawberry to make it ‘palatable’.
“It just tastes like normal milk, at least to me,” one deluded fisherman told the WSJ.
Budi Gunadi Sadikin, Indonesia’s health minister, told the WSJ that other options to deal with declining dairy cow stocks should be pursued first.
“We can grow cows… or we can import the milk from Australia. Or we can buy an Australian cow company or milk company,” Sadikin says. “There are many, many, many options to do before we are milking the fish.”
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EDITORIAL
THE LATEST New Zealand Dairy Statistics report paints a picture of an industry trending towards fewer but larger herds.
Farmers are focused on rearing high-producing cows with good milk quality. This is shown by record-high percentages of milkfat and protein in herd-tested cows, alongside the lowest-ever average somatic cell count of 161,000 cells/ml in the 2023-24 season.
The report by DairyNZ and LIC show the dairy sector’s resilience with production remaining stable despite tight and uncertain economic conditions.
In 2023-24 season, dairy companies processed 20.5 billion litres of milk containing 1.88 billion kgMS - compared with the previous season, this was a 0.8% (161 million litres) decrease in litres and a 0.5% (9 million kgMS) increase in kgMS processed. This reflects a greater proportion of milksolids in the milk processed.
Average milk production per cow across the country was 400kg of milksolids (made up of 225kg milkfat and 176kg protein). Average milksolids per effective hectare (1105kg) was near 2020/21 levels.
Cow numbers increased by 0.6% in 2023/24, reaching 4.70 million, though this is still 2% below the five-year average of 4.8 million. The average herd size increased and the number of herds decreased. There were 10,485 herds this season – 116 fewer than the previous season. The national average herd size was 448, which was seven cows more than the previous season.
The national herd composition has evolved, with a growing preference for crossbreed genetics. The proportion of HolsteinFriesian/Jersey Crossbreeds has increased significantly, from 34% in 2005/06 to 60% in 2023/24.
DairyNZ says structural and genetic trends underscore the resilience and adaptability of the New Zealand dairy sector, which clearly focuses on productivity, quality, and sustainable performance.
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Getting Wellington out of farming
Agriculture and Trade Minister Todd McClay spoke at the Federated Farmers ‘Restoring Farmer Confidence’ tour meeting at Mystery Creek, Hamilton last month. Here’s what he said:
FARMERS AND rural communities are the backbone of New Zealand’s economy. Over the past year, the Government has delivered practical reforms to reduce costs, cut red tape, provide certainty, and get Wellington out of farming. With 80% of all the goods exports coming from the primary sector and more than 359,000 kiwis employed because of rural activity, farming, forestry, and horticulture remains a mainstay of NZ economic activity.
The Government’s ambitious target of doubling exports by value over ten years is an opportunity to work with the primary sector to add value and deliver greater returns at the farm gate.
The Government has huge respect for our world leading farmers, growers, fishers and foresters. We will continue to partner with them to produce the high-quality, safe food and fibre international market’s demand.
Our agricultural team – comprising myself, Biosecurity, Food Safety and Associate Minister responsible for Animal Welfare Andrew Hoggard, Rural Communities Minister Mark Patterson and Associate Minister responsible for Horticulture Nicola Grigg, are working hard to deliver for the primary sector.
The Government has acted decisively to reduce burdens on the primary sector, including:
■ Introducing practical rules for on-farm water storage.
■ Restoring common sense to regulations for intensive winter grazing and stock exclusion.
■ Halving ETS charges for forest owners.
■ Pausing the rollout of Freshwater Farm Plans.
■ Repealing the burden-
some Log Traders legislation.
The Government is committed to providing clarity on emissions, with actions including:
■ Disbanding the previous government’s failed He Waka Eke Noa partnership.
■ Launching an independent review of methane targets.
■ Passing legislation to remove agriculture from the ETS.
We’re taking balanced steps to improve environmental outcomes, such as:
■ Increasing investment in catchment groups to empower local decision-making.
■ Establishing a Pastoral Sector Group to explore methane reduction solutions.
■ Providing more funding to clean up debris on the East Coast.
■ To support our rural areas, the Government has:
■ Increased the cap on the Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) scheme to bring in more workers.
■ Launched a select committee inquiry into banking.
■ Boosted investment in Rural Support Trusts.
■ Supported a record number of graduate vets to bring essential skills to rural areas.
■ Provided significant investment into animal facial eczema research.
■ Looking ahead, we are fixing freshwater rules and the RMA to give farmers more certainty.
Key initiatives include:
■ Limiting council notifications of freshwater plans and removing requirements for new Significant Natural Areas (SNA).
■ Introducing a replacement National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management by the end of next year.
■ Passing an RMA amendment bill focused on primary sector needs, simplifying farm plan processes, and ensuring
councils can consent discharges from farm activities.
This Government trusts farmers to deliver for New Zealand. We
will continue to partner with them to ensure rural communities are supported, costs are reduced, and opportunities for growth are maximised.
Agriculture Minister Todd McClay meets farmers at Mystery Creek last month.
Taking heat stress out of cows
WITH THE advent of climate change, dairy farmers could expect to be dealing with more days where their cows are suffering from heat stress.
That’s the message from DairyNZ’s Jacqueline McGowan, an expert in animal behaviour. She says her gut feeling is that the actual heat stress itself will not be worse than the past, the frequency of it will likely be greater.
So farmers will need to be aware of the symptoms of heat stress and have mitigations in place to deal with it more often.
She adds that there are now technologies that can help farmers detect heat stress in their cows at an early stage.
McGowan says, in terms of temperature and humidity, cows are com-
MIGRATION OPTIONS
THE OPTIONS for mitigating heat stress are obvious with providing shade the logical one.
McGowan says this could mean utilising shade in other farm buildings or moving stock to parts of a farm where there are groups of trees. Water sprinklers in the yards and making sure that there is plenty of drinking water in paddocks are other obvious solutions. In a broader sense, some rearrangement of the farm manage -
fortable at between four and twenty degrees Celsius, but above twenty
ment system can also help deal with heat stress.
McGowan says one example is changing milking times.
“A lot of farmers are milking once a day through summer or just altering their milking times so that cows are milked early in the morning. Also, getting the cows away from the concrete around the shed before the heat of the day starts up, and maybe moving their milkings later in the day or
degrees they tend to be looking for some kind of shade or cooling.
bringing them a tad earlier in the morning to avoid the heat of the day,” she says.
Another thing that farmers can do to make life more comfortable for their cows is switching around the time of the day they are feeding their cows. McGowan says when you load the cow up with feed, the rumen generates a lot of heat from digestion. So farmers could consider giving the cows more feed at night when
“But that depends on humidity and the availability of shade and con-
it’s cooler to avoid that problem where the heat load from digestion isn’t going on top of the heat from the sun,” she says. But heat stress isn’t just a cow problem, says McGowan – it’s also a people problem and some of the mitigations suggested for cows will also take the stress off farm staff. She’s heard of people saying that the misters in the dairy shed are more for the people than the cows.
sidering things like wind and cloud cover. You could have quite warm temperatures with no heat stress if there is a lot of wind or you could have the risk of heat stress at lower temperatures if there is blazing sun and no wind,” she told Dairy News
McGowan says the signs of heat stress tend to develop gradually and one of the first signs is the breathing rate.
She says if the cow starts taking more than seven breaths in ten seconds, that’s
an indication that she is starting to feel uncomfortable.
The next sign will be drooling and panting and that needs to be avoided. She says new technology in the form of rumen boluses are good aides for detecting heat stress.
While more research need to be done on the precise impacts of heat stress, McGowan says it does reduce milk production, but just how much is still the unknown.
Moving stock to parts of a farm where there are groups of trees will help reduce heat stress.
Probiotic additive helps farmers achieve target lightweights
THE COMPANY behind probiotic additive Calf Xtreme says around 450 dairy farms are successfully rearing calves with the help of the product.
Probiotic Revolution says that while many of these farms were already achieving target liveweights, Calf Xtreme has enabled them to exceed those benchmarks.
The company claims that by incorporating the product, farmers are reaching target weaning weights about eleven days earlier. This is achieved through feeding higher volumes of milk on a once-a-day schedule within the calves’ first week.
“Calf Xtreme is avoiding scours on this high feeding regime but it’s
the carry-over effects that we are even more excited about. It’s like putting icing on the cake,” says Chris Collier of Probiotic Revolution.
“We’re introducing the right microbes into the rumen, promoting better grass consumption
after weaning, and there’s solid evidence of stronger resistance to worms.
On heifer grazing blocks with high worm burdens, calves reared with Calf Xtreme show noticeably improved growth rates during their first summer.”
Te Awamutu farmer Nick Palairet was among the first to adopt Calf Xtreme.
“When I started rearing calves 12–15 years ago, the focus was on early weaning onto meal, which restricted early growth,” Palairet says.
“With Calf Xtreme, I can easily transition calves to 6 litres of milk once a day within a week. Last year, by grazing them at home and managing summer feed more effectively, my calves reached 280kg by June— 40kg above the target
liveweight for that age.”
Palairet and Collier emphasise the importance of maximising calf growth during the first 3-5 weeks of life. They point out that European research supports this, showing that better udder tissue development in very young calves translates to improved milk production later. Additionally, they advocate for calving heifers at the same liveweight as mature cows, ensuring comparable production levels.
Palairet’s herd starts calving on July 10th, and by March, most of his rising two-year-old heifers weigh around 500kg—approaching the liveweight of mature cows. His goal isn’t just
to meet conventional targets but to surpass them, unlocking the full genetic potential of his heifers. To achieve this, he has for the first time this year fortified their 6-litre milk feed with 400 grams of a whey-based powder.
Palairet’s calves, bred from Friesian sires over mixed-breed cows, are thriving on this latest change. By November 20th, they were averaging one kg of growth per day from birth, weighing between 100 and 170kg — 15kg above the target for their age.
“If I want my heifers to milk as well as mature cows I need to grow better heifers. It all starts with how quickly I can accelerate their growth at a young age,” he says.
Probiotic Revolution says that while many farms are already achieving target liveweights, Calf Xtreme has enabled them to exceed those benchmarks.
Refrigerant gas swap making good sense
HOROWHENUA
FARMER Cam Lewis is in the business of growing superb quality produce – milk, asparagus, and strawberries.
Lewis says a small, but environmentally important change to his refrigeration equipment is helping shore up smooth operations and delicious fresh food for years to come.
Lewis is the manager of Lewis Farms and one of many farmers and horticultural managers who have worked with Dairy Technology Services (DTS) to swap out R404A refrigerant gas from dairy and packhouse chillers to the lower GWP refrigerant, R499A.
Lewis is fourth generation on the family’s Dunoon property between Foxton and Levin. As a multigenerational business, he says that they understand the need to look after the environment.
“We hope our family legacy will continue for years to come. We take a long view of looking after the environment and for us, it needs to make
financial sense as well.
The DTS R404A gas swap out ticks all the boxes.
“There’s no downside,” says Lewis. “Some people are driven by their environmental footprint. This obviously ticks that box. Some people are driven purely by financial metrics. Again, it ticks that box. Some people, like me, are driven by both.”
The R404A-R449A swap out scheme provides a changeover from R404A gas to R449A, a significantly lower impact gas. Eventually, 95% of gas leaks out – so when refrigerant leaks do happen, if units are charged with the newer R449A, the environmental impact is reduced by 67 percent.
On top of that, farm-
ing and commercial refrigeration systems, such as those operating in vineyards, breweries, fisheries, butcheries and horticultural operations, can improve energy efficiency up to 10% if they move to the lower impact gas. In turn, the lower power generation reduces emissions further.
“The move was an absolute no-brainer
because we are moving to a more environmentally friendly gas. The old gas was incredibly expensive. Every time we had a gas leak and we had to buy more, it was eye-watering numbers. And the swap out itself was cost neutral, seamless and no risk.”
Gavin Thwaite, DTS chief says the interest to address climate impact is
growing across business owners from the primary sector and every reduction counts towards a healthier planet and sustainable future.
In the first year of the R404A swap out campaign, DTS has extracted four tonnes of R404A –a gas considered one of the worst refrigerants in the country for greenhouse gas emissions.
Four tonnes of R404A leaking into the atmosphere is the equivalent to 10,000 tonnes of C02e or a diesel vehicle being driven 60 million kilometres.
“This gas-to-gas swap is one easy way business owners and operators can make a change. We’re confident that, this time next year, we’ll have retrieved at least another four more tonnes of gas removed from the supply chain. We’d like to see a figure much higher than that,” says Thwaite.
Industry reports estimate around 700 tonnes of R404A is circulating through New Zealand’s refrigerated cold food chain. DTS is open to work with government and other refrigeration and primary sector companies to make a more significant dent in New Zealand’s R404A store.
The company is also exploring new technical and manufacturing initiatives to accelerate these efforts to reduce reliance on harmful hydrocarbon gases across dairy and other parts of the cold food chain.
Farmer Cam Lewis (left) and DTS regional manager Aaron Evans.
Chilled milk partnership
LAST MONTH marked one year since the launch of an innovative collaboration known as the PAUS Programme (PayAs-You-Save), which has made it easier for Fonterra farmers to access next generation milk chilling technology.
Since the launch of the programme, around 50 Coolcare milk chilling units have been installed on Fonterra farms across the country, resulting in approximately 5800 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalence (CO2e) being avoided - based on a total emissions warming impact (TEWI) calculation carried out on each farm’s conversion to a VariCool milk chilling system
Coolcare – a New Zealand-owned and operated milk refrigeration company – has been col-
laborating with Fonterra, Purpose Capital, the New Zealand Green Investment Finance and CoolSafe to deliver the PAUS Programme.
It’s an exclusive deal for the co-operative’s farmers whereby they
can lease new milk chilling systems that are costeffective to run and use fourth generation refrigerant gases that have CO2e of around 80% less than those typically used in older systems.
Joe and Becky Laming
from Altavady Group near Oamaru are among the farmers who have signed up to the PAUS Programme, and they say they highly recommend it to others.
“It’s hassle-free and it works. Over 30 days in
Take the next step in efficiency…
September 2024, it saved us $972 in dairy shed electricity and hot water generation compared to our previous system,” says Joe Laming.
Timaru-based Bruce Murphy of Murphy Farms is another early adopter who says he’s enjoying the benefits of the new system.
“Our old unit was out of date, and this came as a good option,” says Murphy.
“What really appealed to me was the fact that the lease is seven years. Technology is moving at a fast rate, and in the end, we will have the ability to replace that unit with current technology.
“Murphy Farms are planning to convert all six of our farms to the PAUS Programme over the next couple of years.
“We are very happy
with it, and it’s easy to operate.”
Fonterra and Nestle’s Net Zero Pilot Dairy Farm in the Taranaki is also using one of the units.
Anne Douglas, group director for Fonterra Farm Source, says the cooperative is delighted to be part of a collaboration that’s delivering tangible benefits to farmers.
“We’re always looking at ways to help make things easier on farm, and this includes working with others where it makes sense to,” says Douglas.
“Through the PAUS Programme, co-op farmers have a quality milk chilling option that’s not only cost effective and hassle free in terms of maintenance – but also delivers benefits such as reduced emissions and
electricity savings.
“As more farmers take part, the positive impact on both the industry and the environment will continue to grow,” Douglas says.
Coolcare chief executive Allan Steele says the first year of the partnership has been about laying great foundations, including ensuring the best possible support in place for participating farmers.
“Farmer feedback has been positive overall, and the interest is growing,” says Steele.
“We are starting to scale up production of the units from our facility in Hamilton and we look forward to assisting more farmers through this initiative over the next 12 months.”
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…with the Lely Astronaut milking robot!
Reduced physical strain and fewer staff issues are some of the main benefits we’ve heard from many of our customers about their robotic milking system. Additionally, the individual cow data from the Lely Horizon system helps farmers with decision making and overall farm management. Are you looking for more efficiency on your farm? Are you looking for a better-quality family time and less strain on your body? Scan the QR code to learn more, and feel free to inquire about an obligation-free visit to a robotic milking farm near you.
Bright farming is yours by choice
Allan Steele, Coolcare.
Pushing the boundaries
MARK DANIEL markd@ruralnews.co.nz
CAN-AM IS pushing the boundaries of performance with its Outlander line-up of all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) with the launch of the new 850 and 1000R models, said to offer industry-leading horsepower, increased suspension travel and refined handling.
The 2025 Can-Am Outlander 850 and 1000R are equipped with a new double-overhead camshaft, 999cc V-twin Rotax engine, making the Outlander 1000R the first ATV with triple-digit
horsepower, at 101hp, while the Outlander 850 also offers impressive power at 82hp. Both models include Work, Standard and Sport ride modes, optimising power delivery and performance for the task at hand.
Both models feature an all-new continuously variable transmission (CVT) that delivers smooth power to the ground, consistent shifts, improves torque and reduces maintenance requirements. The latest pDrive primary clutch is paired with a new, dual-roller-driven pulley, offering instant response and excellent reliability.
The Outlander
features a new suspension configuration with wide, arched A-arms front and rear, allowing for enhanced vehicle dynamics, including an
improved attack angle for smooth obstacle and ditch crossing. Front suspension travel has increased by 1.6 inches to 10.8 inches, while rear
suspension has increased by 2.1 to 12 inches of travel, said to offer superior performance and comfort, along with additional ground
clearance.
Complementing the updated suspension, the steering geometry is also revised, increasing highspeed stability, steering precision and turning radius, while a highstrength steel frame enhances durability and rigidity while decreasing weight, with a full-length skid-plate providing protection to the underside of the machine.
The 1000R also features a new four-disc system for improved braking control, using new metallic brake pads and a new front brake lever with optimised ergonomics.
When it comes to
work, the Outlander continues to impress with a class-leading towing capacity of 1830 pounds and a heavy-duty, twoinch hitch receiver. Meanwhile, restyled components include front and rear LED lights with a four-point design, a centralised exhaust with an aluminium muffler tip, new wheel designs and integrated front and rear bumpers.
A new 10 litre rear LinQ removable storage box and 30 litres of front dropdown storage offer plenty of room for tools and supplies while some packages feature a cell phone storage compartment.
COMPACT DESIGN, MORE CAPABILITIES
CASE IH has added to its telescopic loader range with the introduction of the Farmlift 626, said to offer a more compact design, reduced turning radius for greater manoeuvrability and lower overall height.
The design should offer better access to low doorways, buildings and around yards, meaning the machine should be well suited to livestock operations or around grading lines and packhouses.
The machine is powered by a 74hp (54.6kW) four-cylinder engine, driving through a single-range 30km/h hydrostatic transmission, while a mechanical electroproportional hydraulic system features a gear pump providing 80 l/min of oil flow at 210 bar pressure.
Maximum lift capacity is 2600kg, with a maximum lift height of 5.9m, an increase of 200mm over its predecessor. Headstock rotation is 155 degrees, aimed at greater dump angles and quicker unloading times.
Key dimensions are an overall length
of just over 4m, combined with a wheelbase of 2.52m, said to deliver exceptional stability when lifting heavy loads or travelling at speed. Enhanced manoeuvrability is achieved by a 1.89m overall width, 1.93m height and a turn radius of 3.25m.
Despite the narrow overall width, the 960mm-wide cab is broader than the model it replaces, providing increased operator comfort.
A range of new options includes a factory-fitted trailer hitch and hydraulic or pneumatic trailer braking. Carbon cabin filters for the ventilation system to protect operator health in particularly dusty conditions.
An optional telematics package provides identification of location, plus automated monitoring and recording of operating and performance data. Via the Case IH FieldOps app, data from the 626 and all connected machines in a fleet can be monitored via any online smart device or PC. – Mark Daniel
Ideal for Cattle Troughs
High Flow
Side/Bottom Mount
Detach to Clean
Compact/Robust
Up to 50mm Inlet
Flows up to 600L/min
For Storage Tanks
Easy Access to Valve
Inlets Upto 50mm
Avoids Starting &
Can-Am’s new Outlander models come with more horsepower and suspension travel.
A JAC for all trades
WHILE THE NEW Zealand ute market is dominated by three main players, “disruptors” are never too far away.
The latest to show its colours is the Chinesebuilt JAC, pronounced Jack. With a launch price of $49,990 including GST, it appears to offer serious bang for buck in an increasingly competitive segment.
wireless mobile charging, and a 220V power-point socket for charging power tool batteries. Of course, tradies will also be pleased to see a hot/cool box in the centre console, meaning there’s always access to cold drinks or hot pies.
The load bed benefits from a protective sprayed-on bed liner.
JAC has a 60-year heritage, claims to be the number one light commercial builder and is 50% owned by the mighty VW group. Ute production started in 2015, starting with the T6, had reached 200,000 units by 2022, climbing to 320,000 units by the end of 2023, and are sold in 132 countries.
JAC New Zealand is backed by NZ Automotive Limited, a subsidiary of the Colonial Motor Company which operates in the passenger car, heavy truck and agricultural tractor and machinery sectors.
Looking at the T9 in more detail, the distributor puts much emphasis on components sourced from top-end suppliers such as Bosch, Honeywell, ZF, Borg Warner and Eaton.
This manifests itself in a modern looking ute with a turbo-charged 2-litre, 4-cylinder pushing out 125kW and 419Nm, with an 8-speed transmission, a high/low 4WD transfer case, diff-lock and ECO, Sport and Snow drive modes and a hill descent function.
Interestingly, building on the ‘Jack of All Trades’ marketing hype, the JAC T9 is available in a single spec’ that as standard includes rock-slider side steps, black sports bar, power adjusted and heated faux-leather seats,
Aimed at demanding work, the chassis features heavy-duty galvanising, with wax also injected into any cavities, hopefully ensuring that the choice of seven external colours is protected for the vehicle’s life. The load bed benefits from a protective sprayed-on bed liner.
In the cabin, the supportive seats are complemented by ambient lighting, ISO-Fix mounts and a large central screen are standard, as is Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, alongside seven charging points, 360degree cameras, front and rear parking sensors, and an automated electronic park brake.
Safety is taken care of extensively with 18 ADAS functions, seven airbags and a recently awarded 5-star ANCAP safety rating. Peace of mind is taken care of with a 5-year/200,000km warranty, alongside 24/7 roadside assistance.
Towing capacity is rated at 3000kg - a little behind the 3500kg norm - complemented by a 1045kg load capacity, and wide enough to handle a standard Euro pallet.
The new JAC dealer sites via Colonial Motor Group will include New Plymouth, Pukekohe, Masterton, Lower Hutt, Kapiti, Timaru, Dunedin, Invercargill and Queenstown. JAC’s existing dealerships are in Manukau and Christchurch. Order books will open in January, with deliveries expected from February 2025.
FOUR GREAT REASONS TO CHOOSE A SIP SPIDER TEDDER:
1: Spread Pattern:
Smaller diameter rotors with different length spring tynes, ensures even and optimal spreading, without bunching. This leads to faster drying, while still maintaining the feed quality.
3: Adaptability:
The spread pattern can easily be adjusted depending on the feed quantity and moisture. The hydraulic steering allows the tedder to be angled, to spread the forage away from fence lines or water ways, and the hinged single rotor sections allows the tedder to adapt to the ground contours.
2: Robust Construction:
Round Tyne Arms, Five Coil Spring Tynes & Heavy-Duty Hinges ensures longevity when working in tough conditions. The Round Tyne Arms are securely bolted to the upper rotor plate as well as further reinforced by an additional ring under the tyne arms.
4:
Three Year
Warranty:
The SIP Spider range of Tedders come standard with a full Two-Year Warranty, plus an additional third year of warranty subject to regular dealer servicing, resulting in worry free operation.
MARK DANIEL markd@ruralnews.co.nz The latest offering in NZ’s ute market –Chinesebuilt JAC.
Protect Your Pump
✔ Adjustable Minimum & Maximum on/off control
✔ Lengthen your pumps life with less on/off cycles
✔ Delivers high volumes of water (1275 lpm @ 12 bar) HIGH PERFORMANCE TANK / RESERVOIR VALVE
Monitor Water Levels
✔ See at a glance your tank water level
✔ Protect your system from water loss damage
✔ Suitable for any type or size tank
✔ 50% STRONGER - 16mm stainless steel tubes offer 50% more strength than 12mm tubes
