April 19, 2011 Issue 490
www.ruralnews.co.nz
super-size maize silo page 13
SLASH THE TRASH
page 36
page 8
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Milking management
farm succession
Banks deny lending rort PETER BURKE & ANDREW SWALLOW
LEADING RURAL lenders are denying they’re giving home owners a better deal than farmers. Most household mortgage rates tumbled immediately after the Reserve Bank’s March 10 Official Cash Rate cut to 0.5%. Now some farmers are asking when their loans will be lowered too. “They’re profiteering at the moment big time,” large-scale dairy farmer one large-scale dairy farmer told Rural News. “I thought the Reserve Bank rate cut was meant to stimulate the economy.” With farming such a large propor-
tion of GDP, and even more significant in export terms, surely it should be the sector to benefit, he believes. His concerns are backed up by Federated Farmers’ economics spokesman, Philip York. “The last thing we want to see is housing to go ahead, because that was where we got into the problem in the first place. The price of houses pushed up the dollar and before you knew it was affecting the export side.” York says his organisation is concerned banks are tightening farm credit criteria, while courting home buyers with low deposit and low interest rate loans. The Federation has spoken to the banks about this and is seeking a meeting with the Reserve Bank to get
policy changed. Last week, Real Estate Institute New Zealand released figures showing
“Farmers are not borrowing the same amount.” March house sales up 5.4% in volume and at a new record median of $365,000. Philip York York says farmers are not borrowing the same amount of money as they were before. “They are trying to pay off debt and certainly a few dairy farmers
are… That may be one of the reasons why the banks have got this cash and are trying to get it out to whoever will borrow it.” Ian Blair, general manager of business banking at Westpac, says it’s simply not true homeowners are getting preferential treatment. “Within minutes of the Reserve Bank announcing a cut of 50 basis points to the OCR, Westpac said it would pass on this reduction to all clients who have floating rate loans regardless of whether
they were business or housing borrowers.” Blair is unsure why there is confusion and says concerned farmers should contact their banker. “Certainly, if they’re a Westpac banker, they’ll have confirmed an immediate reduction in their rates.” Meanwhile, ANZ National’s managing director for agriculture and business, Graham Turley, says the effects of the reduction in the OCR will flow through slowly to rural and business borrowers. “I don’t expect the whole 50 basis points to be passed on immediately. But we operate in a very competitive world and I would expect something to be passed on in the next month or so,” says Turley.
PM confident on farm returns PETER BURKE
FARMING is the sector that will pull New
Zealand through the economic impact of the Canterbury quake and global recession says Prime Minister John Key. Speaking at a special briefing at Landcorp’s Achilles dairy farm, near Taupo, Key told Dairy Business Conference delegates the economy is under huge pressure because of the earthquake and it will be agriculture – and dairying in particular – that saves the nation. “What is booming is the agricultural
sector. It’s not just dairy as you know. Sheep farmers are making money for about the first time in 30 years. How they’ve managed to stay in business for the last 29 years is interesting, but they have managed to do it. Forestry is booming. Beef prices are very strong and so are fish prices.” Key says the ‘Asia effect’ is driving returns and the outlook for dairying is particularly bright. “In the seven hours you were in bed last night, we sold more product to China than we did in the whole of 1972. By the way if you think China is big, Fonterra
says India is just as big.” After his speech, the PM mingled freely with delegates. Geoff Spark, Rangiora, congratulated him on his leadership in dealing with the Canterbury earthquake then tackled him on water management issues in Canterbury – especially the need for better storage. Large Herds Association chairman Bryan Beeston asked about the Commerce Commission’s inquiry into the price of milk. And Allan Crafar sidled up and gave Key a piece of paper which he said was the blueprint for saving the economy. Key took it all in his stride.
Prime Minister John Key with Bryan Beeston - president of the Large Herds.
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Rural News // april 19, 2011
3
News In this issue News ....................... 1-13 World .....................14-16
GIA Biosecurity Bill gripes
Agribusiness ........ 17-19 Markets ................ 20-21 Hound, Edna ..............22 Contacts......................22 Opinion . ............... 22-25 Management ......26-28 Animal Health ..... 29-35 Machinery and Products ..............36-42 Rural Trader .............. 43 Head Office: Top Floor, 29 Northcroft Street, Takapuna, Auckland 0622 Phone 09-307 0399. Fax 09-307 0122 Postal Address: PO Box 3855, Shortland Street, Auckland 1140 Published by: Rural News Group Printed by: PMP Print Contacts: Editorial: editor@ruralnews.co.nz Advertising material: davef@ruralnews.co.nz Rural News on-line: www.ruralnews.co.nz Subscriptions:
subsrndn@ruralnews.co.nz
ABC audited circulation 80,488 as at 30.12.2010
Rural NEWS GROUP
SUDESH KISSUN
FARMER OPPOSITION to the Government’s biosecurity plans continues unabated with several Select Committee submissions in recent weeks slamming aspects of the Bill. In particular, the so-called Government-Industry Agreement (GIA) – a MAF proposal for shared decision-making in return for cost sharing – is in the firing line. Horticulture New Zealand says it has “strong concerns” about the GIA. “There appears to be a high level of detail about the collection of levies, but very little about the principles of GIA.” Federated Farmers says the GIA must be dropped until there is further discus-
sion among stakeholders. He hopes the GovSpokesman John Hartnell ernment will note How will the GIA wor says all industry groups are strong opposition to k? talking from the same page GIA and go back to the It will set the ground rul es for joint when it comes to GIA. discussion table. The decision -making and cos t sharing and “We fully support proFeds also point out will enable Biosecurity New Zealand and posals for a strong line of there is no provision each industry to: control to keep pests out,” for farmer compensa• decide which pests and diseases (risk he told Rural News. “These tion in the GIA. organisms) are a priori ty for readiness are good common-sense John Hartnell “By enacting this and response; proposals, which everyone clause there is a real • jointly design and ove supports but the problem risk that landowners rsee readiness plans and the managem lies with GIA.” will not report suspect organisms ent of relevant responses; Hartnell says the industry is not hap- for the fear that personal proper• agree on cost share py about meeting a percentage of cost of ty will be destroyed or livestock s for readiness managing pest incursions. movements restricted with no and response activities for each organ “Farmers cannot afford to spend mil- prospect of compensation.” ism, based on the pro portion of public lions on managing pests, which they Submissions to the Biosecuversus industry benefits . are not responsible for bringing into the rity Law Reform Bill are being country.” heard in Wellington.
Pig farms fume at MAF move NEIL KEATING
KIWIS’ NATIONAL pastime of keep-
ing pigs in the backyard will be the undoing of the pork industry, says New Zealand Pork (NZP) in the wake of MAF’s decision to change import standards. The problem is Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS), a devastating and highly contagious viral disease, which NZP believes will almost inevitably arrive with changes allowing the sale of up to 3kg cuts of fresh, untreated, imported pork. “We reckon there are 10,000-20,000 properties [nationally] with pigs,” NZP chief executive Sam McIvor told Rural News. “The risk is high that PRRS could enter New Zealand because of a border biosecurity slip-up; get past an unwitting food processor; go undetected and untreated for disposal past one of the 40% of sow herds that live outdoors.”
MAF maintains its import standards, removal of lymph nodes at processing and adherence to food waste disposal, means the risk is miniscule. Deputy director-general for stan-
dards Carol Barnao says the risk of the virus arriving on uncooked pork is “equivalent to an average of one outbreak per 1227 years” and would be “effectively managed”. “Managed by whom?” asks McIvor. “There are no pathologists in takeaway bars and supermarkets and few among
people cooking pork at home. “There are 15,000 outlets trimming pork. Do they have the necessary controls for proper disposal of infected tissue?” McIvor says there’s a “big gulf” in conclusions about PRRS risk: on one side the pork industry, advised by expert epidemiological opinion; on the other, MAF. Some believe the Government is “hanging New Zealand’s pig producers out to dry” because it does not want to fight for their survival in world trade talks. McIvor says the “world is still learning about this virus that has swept around it for ten years”. “It’s a virus that readily changes its form and the strain in Europe is different from that in the US. NZP estimates nationally 50,000100,000 pigs are sold annually through non-MAF-regulated properties. Many are going to ethnically diverse households and food outlets, says McIvor.
in brief Apple exports to India double
APPLE EXPORTS to India have doubled over the past five years and the launch of a new brand is set to further boost sales, says Pipfruit New Zealand (PNZ). PNZ sent 340,000 cartons to the subcontinent last year and chief executive Peter Beaven says last month’s launch of the ‘100% Pure Apples from New Zealand’ brand, coinciding with the cricket world cup, is a “significant step.” “It is the first move to differentiate the New Zealand apple industry since export deregulation in 2001.” Beaven says it was hard to come up with a brand that complemented, not competed with, exporters’ existing brands. Exporters have consolidated their offering under the one umbrella brand, so Indian consumers can easily identify premium-quality, New Zealand apples. Royal gala, Red delicious and Pacific series varieties will come under the banner, with Pure Apples adhering to quality, traceability and food safety compliances, he says.
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Rural News // April 19, 2011
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news
New level lamb prices sustainable SUDESH KISSUN
RECORD LAMB prices will slow down sheep farms switching to dairying, says Beef & Lamb New Zealand chairman
Mike Petersen. Petersen is confident high lamb prices can be sustained and is making sheep farming a more viable option. “The reality is that lamb prices have just
got to a level that makes sheep farming a viable option,” he told Rural News. “This is likely to see a slowdown in land use changes.” However, Petersen concedes viable sheep
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years of rapid expansion. March farmgate prices for lamb lifted to average
$6.20/kg – 31% above March 2010, according to Rabobank. Slaughter numbers also ramped up, with an additional 2.5m lambs processed. Season-todate processing has reached 11.5m. However, overall lamb slaughter continues to be 16% lower than the same period last year. Petersen says the high lamb prices should not surprise anyone.
Messages about food security and opportunities for New Zealand become reality, he says. “Food security is the number one issue facing the world today,” he says. “Also supply of food, but meat in particular, looks to be constrained and not likely to increase substantially in the near future. “Every sheep flock in the world is still in decline and beef production also looks stable.”
Processors doing well while times remain tough for
meat processors, they are also benefiting from higher prices, says Petersen. “All the meat companies are telling me the higher prices allow them to achieve profit margins as well,” he told Rural News.
But he admits meat companies are feeling the pressure. Lamb volumes are down and capacity is not being fully utilised. However, Petersen does not expect any meat processor to fold this year. “We can never say never, but I don’t expect any closures,” he says.
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farming is unlikely to see sheep-turned-dairy farmers return to the sector. Sheep and beef farmers don’t want to be in dairying, says Petersen. “Sheep farming is where their love is, they only change for financial reasons. I don’t think those who have turned to dairying will return, but there will be fewer conversions.” According to Beef & Lamb’s mid-season update, sheep numbers in the South Island remained static at 16.3 million after four years of decline. At the same time, South Island’s dairy cow population increased 4% to 2.15m over the previous year. It notes sheep profitability relative to other land uses has improved and cereal cropping uptake has slowed after two
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LANDCORP SAYS it supports a cooperative model approach for wool producers. The company is backing a new wool producers’ cooperative to rebuild New Zealand’s role in global markets as a producer and supplier of high quality wools. It says the wool industry needs a “Fonterra model” co-op. The state-owned farmer is ac-
tively engaged with other major wool sector parties to fund and mobilise a new entity, says chief executive Chris Kelly. “Landcorp, among others, has taken a positive view of developments in the New Zealand dairy industry since deregulation in 2001,” he says. “In broad terms, the “Fonterra model” is working for this country.
Kelly says Fonterra has promoted efficiencies in production and processing in dairy and developed the industry’s role on global markets with the prospect of sustained growth in returns. “We believe the red meat and wool sectors need the same type of strategic focus on behalf of all New Zealand producers and processors.” Landcorp half year results: p18
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news
Beef gains not so great John Stirling
kets dictate prices and it is a sad reality that all commodity products such as beef do not reflect inflation. The final price in the market place is governed by supply and demand, the exchange rate and tariffs. Davison adds that tariffs are where changes are possible and this is why Beef and Lamb is
AS ALL other farm commodity prices soar, beef’s long-term failure to keep pace has got one South Island farmer’s goat. But his concerns have been dismissed as pretty much a fact of life by Beef & Lamb New Zealands Economic Service. “Certainly it’s good to see beef returns rising, but one shouldn’t be cracking open the Champagne and celebrating too much given we were receiving $3.60/kg in 1994,” Dave Stanton, Geraldine, told Rural News. “Returns have not kept pace with inflation Dave Stanton which has been running at close to 3% per anputting so much effort num over the last twenty into lobbying. Unforyears… with compound- tunately this is a slow ing that’s something like process and often there is 75% which would be little to show for a lot of $6.30/kg today.” effort. However lobbying Indexing farm costs has made a breakthrough against beef returns will for NZ in China and the illustrate how profits outlook is promising in have been squeezed and USA. disappeared during the There are also changes past 20 years, he says. in lobbying with greater Beef & Lamb New emphasis put into the Zealand acknowledges ‘newly’ rich countries prices haven’t kept up – such as China, India, with inflation, but beBrazil and to a lesser lieves they will continue extent Russia. to improve as free trade Davison says supply agreements with China and demand is an area (as and USA kick in. Ecothis season has shown), nomic Service executive that can not be easily or director Rob Davidson quickly altered. says persuasive lobbyAlthough it is cold ing is in progress, led by comfort, the high exBeef & Lamb personnel change rate is not all bad and Government. news. Imports such as He says with more fertiliser and fuel would than 90% of New Zeacost much more if the land primary production exchange rate dropped. exported, overseas marHowever increases in
fertiliser and fuel prices affect all countries. He says the Beef & Lamb levy went into projects that put money into levy-payers’ pockets. Meanwhile, Stanton says Beef & Lamb has been “very quiet” on its efforts to reduce tariffs, which he believes is a fundamental task for the organisation. “If they don’t perform to a higher standard why should they expect farmers to vote to renew the meat levy? Or will it go the way of wool?”
THE NEW Zealand Farm Forestry Association held its annual conference last week with members from across the country congregating in Wairarapa to talk trees. Local branch president, Stuart Orme, says the week-long event went “spectacularly well” with top speakers and fascinating field days. ETS and Government’s controversial decision to set a minimum 100ha requirement for carbon payments – based on measurement rather than regional averages – was a hot topic. “For example, the Marlborough Sounds area has extremely good growth, but the regional average is dragged down by the dry areas.” Orme says as a consequence, some foresters’ payments will be down as much as 60% . Even in the Wairarapa some members will miss out on 40% of their entitlements, costing them tens of thousands of dollars. See www.nzffa.org.nz for more.
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Rural News // April 19, 2011
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N OW D A P P R OV E N FOR USE O MERINOS
Rural economy key says new ECan chief PETER BURKE
FAST, EFFECTIVE POUR-ON FOR LICE CONTROL IN SHEEP
ECAN’S NEW boss Bill Bayfield believes a strong rural sector is the key to helping Canterbury recover from the devastating earthquakes that have hit Christchurch. “The rural sector probably more than ever needs to be doing the right thing and getting on with the job of helping support and rebuild that economy and community,” he says. “While I’m certain the farming community will have paused and had some acceptance of the difficulties within ECAN because of the earthquakes. There’s going to be an expectation that we continue to roll out the water strategy and other things that involve getting water to work for Canterbury.”
Dealing with a range of issues relating to the February 22 earthquake in Canterbury are the top priorities for the new chief executive. Bayfield told Rural News that the big challenges for him right now are the staff at ECAN and how and where are they working. “That’s one of the first things I have to address when I get down there. The impact of the earthquake on ECAN is significant and acting chief executive Wayne Thomas and his crew are doing a first class job under extraordinarily difficult circumstances.” Bayfield – who takes up his new role in June – is currently CE of the Bay of Plenty Regional Council. He’s had a successful career in resource management having worked for the Taranaki
Bill Bayfield
Regional Council for 20 years and the Ministry of the Environment for five years – before taking on the BOP role. One of his successes in Taranaki was the work that he did to help build positive relationships with farmers, which in turn has lead to a high rate of compliance by dairy farmers of effluent management in that region. At MFE he headed a group that worked closely with the dairy industry and later headed up the
climate change group there. Bayfield says he applied for the ECAN position before the February 22 earthquake and admits the quake made him have second thoughts. “But it did make me think what an incredible opportunity to be involved in spatial planning, transport planning and just being part of the rebuild of a city that I remember fondly every time I ever visit it,” he says. Bayfield admits he applied for the job because it offered bigger challenges. “I guess the challenges in Canterbury over water allocation and management attracted and excited me. It’s the absolute cutting edge of water management issues in New Zealand.”
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RURAL PROPERTY owners can expect a call from MAF database FarmsOnLine in the near future. The $8.4 million project was officially launched last week and further strengthens New Zealand’s biosecurity, claims Agriculture Minister David Carter. It logs location, ownership and land use of rural property and aims to speed up response to biosecurity emergencies or natural disasters.
“Speed is the key to dealing with any emergency and FarmsOnLine will give our trading partners confidence that New Zealand can rapidly respond to disease outbreaks,” says Carter. “A significant animal disease such as foot-and-mouth would see major trade restrictions imposed, potentially costing the country billions of dollars.” Personal information in the
database can only be used for activities under the Biosecurity Act unless permission for wider use has been given by individuals. It has been collated from publicly available sources and covers 98% of properties. No action is needed by owners to ensure farms, orchards and forests are included. Landowners may view or update their details on www.farmsonline.maf.govt.nz
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news
‘Years to implement LAWF’ PETER BURKE
ENVIRONMENT MINISTER Nick Smith
says there is years of work ahead if all the recommendations of the Land and Water Forum (LAWF) are to be implemented. The report, which is seen as the most significant initiative to drive the future management of fresh water in New Zealand, was put together by a group of 58 organisations representing farming, tourism, industry, Iwi and recreational users. The Forum’s final report has just been released by Smith and Agriculture Minister David Carter and is largely unchanged from the one that has been out for public ‘engagement’ during the past six months. Its key recommenda-
“The government is going to take some time to work though the 53 recommendations that have come from LAWF. It’s such a large and comprehensive report that there is at least three or four years work required in responding to it.” tions include: Central government setting the standards, limits and targets for water quality and quantity; Provision for water storage; Provision for government to put its own representatives on regional councils or their committees dealing with water management; Production by government on a National Policy Statement (NPS) on Fresh Water; Improving the quality of fresh water science; Iwi to be represented on regional council;
committees dealing with water management; Smith told Rural News that early progress needs to be made on the NPS, but a heck of a lot of work is required if there’s to be a step-change around fresh water management. “The government is going to take some time to work through the 53 recommendations that have come from LAWF. It’s such a large and comprehensive report that there is at least three or four years work required in responding to it,” he says
Cheddar added to gDT
Nick Smith
Smith has ruled out any proposed legislative changes this year, but says he’ll be taking some options up to Cabinet in the next few months. “It’s my view that we need to get some early runs on the board and this will be in the form of the NPS. But the more substantive legislative reform to deliver on the objectives of the LAWF report are going to take longer to work through,” he says.
The ultimate hui? LAWF HAS achieved a general
consensus on the strategic direction needed to be taken to reform water management in New Zealand. It is the ultimate hui – the challenge now is the ‘doey’. The forum’s final report recommends the need for better governance of water management. It notes that regional council performance to date in this area has been ‘patchy’ and needs to be improved. The report also highlights the need for better coordination of fresh water science. While all the parties signed up to the report, some have expressed concern about how its recommendations might ultimately be implemented. There is clearly some
divergent thinking around this. “They all brought different “The devil is in the detail”, is a experiences to the table in quite phrase that is used. practical ways. I can’t see why But while there is some anxi- that isn’t a very valuable asset to ety about how the report may be the Government,” he says. finally implemented, there ap“Because it’s helpful having pears to be consensus that the all stakeholders working to move process has built up trust between forward with one another and besome pretty disparate parties. cause it produces good ideas and The person ultimatelyPHONE: respon- outcomes.” sible for the LAWF, Alastair BisBisley says itDEALER was no mean feat FOR YOUR NEAREST ley, believes collaboration is the to get a package of 53 recommenmain tool that will take the report dations together. He’s also confithrough its implementation phase. dent, now that the report is comIn his report to Ministers Smith pleted, individual members of the and Carter, Bisley argues for a Forum will not go back to earlier continuation of the forum in to the opposing views. future. Bisley says there is strong, “We’ve got to a position where widespread support for the final a whole lot of people can move report and a willingness to see it forward together. implemented.
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Rural News // April 19, 2011
news
Controversial farm succession plan PETER BURKE
COURTNEY OGILVIE will never manage or own the family farm. The only way she’ll run a farm is if she buys one herself or marries a farmer. The reason is a somewhat controversial succession strategy which her farmer-father Richard and his three brothers have in place. Their policy excludes family women from any role – now or in the future – on their beef farm, near Mt Gambia in South Australia. Ogilvie outlined his no female policy at a recent Beef & Lamb field day near Marton, in the central North Island. He admits it has made him and his brothers some enemies, but he is unapologetic. The Ogilvies run 5000 pure Hereford breeding cows on their 24,000ha property and finish a further 25,000 cattle, their last 60 days being in a feedlot system. It’s a very successful opera-
tion, which Richard Ogilvie credits to being a ‘boys only’ business. The key with succession, he believes, is to keep pruning the tree so that the farm is never over-weighted with people – especially those off-farm earning money elsewhere. “People go away to the big cities and earn a good wage and the older people in the business pass away. At this stage, the ones that have been away for 30 years who’ve got no affiliation with the farm, then grab their share because they’re entitled to it and make the farm go down the tube,” he says. Ogilvie says on his farm the next generation comes on board as soon as they are able, normally at 18 – but that is where the policy of no women kicks in. Only the sons can stay on to run the farm if they want to. If they don’t, they are effectively paid off by being given a ‘good off farm education’. However, that’s a full and final payment.
Courtney and Richard Ogilvie at a Beef & Lamb field day last week, near Marton, Rangitikei.
For females, such as Richard’s only daughter, Courtney, there is no way they can stay on the farm. “The girls are told right from a very early age about the ‘boys only’ structure so they
know that they will be given the opportunity to get a very good education and that will be their share of the farm,” he says. The policy even goes a stage further. As well as
daughters being kept out of the business – so are wives. “There are four brothers in this business and we’ve all married slightly different women. My sisters in laws are all good, but I’ve seen other
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families where the demise of the business has been because the wives start arguing the point about who’s got the best kitchen, which is irrelevant to the farming business but it causes angst.” As far as Ogilvie is concerned, the farm is the office and only the workers go there. No doing the accounts or any other farm tasks by the wives. It’s done by the boys or contracted out. “If you’re a teacher you don’t take your husband or wife along to the class room. Our policy is no different,” he says. “The wives do the messages into town, but have no financial say or involvement in the farm.” As far as 19-year daughter Courtney is concerned, the ‘no girls on the farm’ policy is not a worry. She’s into her second year of an agricultural science degree and sees herself making a successful career in agriculture off the farm and away from the boys.
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Rural News // April 19, 2011
lakes water quality symposium
The Rotorua Lakes catchment is up there with Taupo as one of the most environmentally difficult to farm in. Peter Burke and Sue Edmonds report from the Lakes Water Quality Symposium held in Rotorua earlier this month.
Associate Professor/Senior Lecturer in Farm Management Research (Vacancy number 11-16) Lincoln is New Zealand’s third oldest university; it was founded in 1878 as a School of Agriculture. Today it is a research-led institution with emphasis on land-based disciplines and their associated industries. Lincoln is a national university that draws its students from throughout New Zealand and from over 60 countries. The position of Associate Professor/Senior Lecturer in Farm Management Research is a newly established role at Lincoln University. As a member of the permanent academic staff of the University, the appointee is expected to integrate biological, commercial and social disciplines in a trans-disciplinary framework so as to make improvements to the management of New Zealand farming systems while stimulating, inspiring and preparing students for successful careers. The successful applicant will have a PhD and a proven research record in a field relevant to farm management research. The key requirements of the role are: • The ability to stimulate, encourage and facilitate learning at postgraduate level. • To supervise postgraduate thesis and dissertations. • To initiate and develop a personal research programme in farm management that contributes to the faculty research objectives. Appointment at the Associate Professor or Senior Lecturer levels will be commensurate with relevant qualifications, skills and experience. Initial enquiries can be directed to Richard Stevens, Head of Department of Agricultural Management and Property Studies (e: richard.stevens@lincoln.ac.nz). For further information on this position and how to apply, go to our website www.lincoln.ac.nz/jobs or contact Human Resources on 03 325 3687. Applications should be accompanied by a covering letter, application form and CV and must be received by 4pm on 26 April 2011. Lincoln University is committed to a policy of Equal Opportunity in Education and Employment
www.lincoln.ac.nz/jobs
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Management failing PETER BURKE
ENVIRONMENT MINISTER Nick
Smith says there is accumulating evidence that the country’s system of water management is failing. He says this to the detriment of both the economy and the environment. Speaking at the recent Rotorua Lakes Symposium, Dr Smith claimed the problem with water in New Zealand is that it’s been so plentiful in the past the way of allocating and managing it has not been very sophisticated. “Water to New Zealand is like minerals are to Australia. Managed wisely our fresh water resource, unlike minerals, will be available for generations to come,” he says. Smith says on an international scale, New Zealand water quality is very good with a Yale University study ranking us as second in the world only to Iceland. However, he warns this and other studies overlook the fact that many low-
land streams and shallow Nick Smith speaking lakes – especially in areas at the Lake where there is intensive farming – have signifi- Water Quality Symposium. cantly deteriorated. “I think the Crafar farms issue was a harsh wakeup call for the dairy industry. Now the dairy industry has decided it cannot allow its environmental reputation to be trashed by the operations of a small minority. “I believe there is a greater viability of the tourism industry. willingness in “Add in the contribution of meat, the farming community to have a dialogue and engagement about horticulture, cropping, fresh water improving freshwater management aquaculture and the wine industhan there has been in a long time.” tries and we are looking at an anSmith says freshwater is New nual contribution to the economy of Zealand’s key strategic asset that more than $30 billion.” Smith says the key to environgives our dairy industry its competitive advantage and is pivotal to the mental issues is engagement.
Better options than lifestyle and forestry Sue Edmonds
ONE SOLUTION proposed to cut
nitrate leaching into Lake Rotorua is to switch 30% of its pasture catchment to forestry or lifestyle blocks over the next ten years. According to Frank Boffa, of landscape consultancy Boffa Miskell, this is one way of reducing leaching into Lake Rotorua from its current 725 tonnes of nitrogen
per year to meet the 435 tonnes target set by Bay of Plenty Regional Council. The District Plan being formulated by the Rotorua District Council was based on the concept of: ‘Improve the Lake and Grow the City’. However, Boffa thinks a better focus would be: ‘Grow the District to Fix the Lake’. “Rotorua is already a tourist draw card and with the right planning ideas, interesting groupings
of activities attractive to high value tourism, coupled with some use of lifestyle blocks and forestry might be a more economically feasible project,” he says. Earlier ideas for lifestyle blocks had been for the creation of large numbers of 2ha blocks. However, areas of this size are now not considered economically feasible for the owners. Boffa proposes a mixture of slightly larger and smaller blocks.
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Rural News // april 19, 2011
11
lakes water quality symposium
Need to get smarter says water leader PETER BURKE
ENVIRONMENT CANTERBURY Com-
missioner and former Environment Court Judge, Peter Skelton says New Zealand farmers need to farm smarter and use water more efficiently. “We over-water because farmers haven’t had any incentive to do otherwise,” he told the Lakes Water Quality Symposium, Rotorua, earlier this month. “The over-watering that I’m talking about is putting too much water on for irrigation purposes, particularly in Canterbury. “They tend to err on the side of saying: ‘well it might be dry next week, so I’ll whack on a whole lot today and that will keep the water level up till I have to do it again’.”
Skelton claims farmers overuse water and don’t irrigate very smartly. “Just changing from border dyke irrigation to central pivot spray irrigation has bought huge efficiencies in water use. But even then, the spray irrigators are becoming more sophisticated. So we can make big savings in the quantity of the water we use without having to provide for more.” Skelton says for some farmers, the easy way to increase production is to simply put on more nitrogen. But he has a colleague who runs a successful 700 cow organic farm and he doesn’t put on any nitrogen. He says smarter farming includes managing the animals through winter without harming the environment. “All those sorts of
things will contribute towards better and more acceptable farming practices, which of course our markets in the northern hemisphere are going to insist on,” he says.
The challenge is to ensure recreational and farming interests can live side by side
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chief judge of the Maori Land Court Sir Eddie Durie told the conference about the difference between Maori and Pakeha views on water and land ownership. He says for Maori water has a metaphysical or spiritual aspect, originally engendered because water produced food such as fish and waterfowl, and is seen as a major life force. “Therefore, with 25 marae on the land surrounding the lake (Rotorua), improving its waters is an important cultural belief for Maori.” Durie also believes the 1860 Government decision to change Maori land from tribal ownership to individual/multiple-ownership has run its course. He says tribal interest in the land should be restored, with the land run under tribal management or possibly leased out for other uses by the tribe. “With so many Maori families crossing the ditch to Australia, much of the profits from Maori land is being sent to owners now living there. This is in direct contrast to the practice of most Pacific peoples, where they come to work in New Zealand and repatriate some of their earnings to families in their island homelands”. Durie says this meant that sufficient funds for improving and developing Maori land are not available to the tribe managing that land. Crystalyx Dry Cow helps maintain optimum blood magnesium and reduces the risk of milk fever. It is a de-hydrated molasses lick block specifically formulated for dry cows and colostrum cows. It also contains macro and micro-nutrients to alleviate mineral deficiencies, and promotes good health before and after calving.
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Rural News // April 19, 2011
12
Silver-lining found in new water meter regulations? Vivienne Haldane
IF YOU take more than 20 litres/second of water for irrigation then by November next year you must
TAKING CARE OF THE NEXT GENERATION
meter and log it. While many people’s first reaction to last year’s legislation is that it’s an extra burden, in practice most are finding meters a useful addition to their
systems, says Jared Halstead of WaterForce. “There’s a real change occurring as people discover that knowing what their system is doing is very useful and can save,”
he told a field day in Hawkes Bay. Halstead says meters can help identify system losses, which when corrected save substantial amounts of water and money. Just a 10% loss of capacity can equate to $100/ha/year, so across a farm it can run into tens of thousands. “If you don’t monitor it, how can you assess it? The big thing is problems are picked up before they become a real issue.” So what do farmers need to know to ensure their system is in order to comply with these new regulations? Waterforce’s list includes pump flow rates, delivery pressures, bore information, application depths, system capacity and soil knowledge. Halstead says modern technology makes gathering and managing this data increasingly simple. For example, well-level monitoring can feedback to variable-speed pumps, so if a well drops to a critical level the pump is reined back. If that’s logged, when you apply for a new consent
or renewal, it means you know exactly what your well has been doing. As for flow meters, there’s a raft of sensors that can be linked to telemetry systems. Halstead says telemetry is not complex, but just a way of moving data. Data loggers record water use and can fire it to the web by radio, cell phone, internet or satellite. Remote control means irrigators and pumps can be turned on and off from just about anywhere and readings monitored, so you know what your system is doing. It could be as simple as a text to turn pumps on, i.e. to sitting at a panel and operating the entire system remotely. Text alerts and updates can be generated from web-based data. Soil moisture monitoring means farmers know when to start irrigating and helps keep soil moisture in the ‘sweet spot’. This will avoid waste of both water and nutrients through over watering or – if crops get stressed due to under application – yield losses running into $’000s/ha.
BETTLE7066E_RN
Compliance key target GET TO grips with water management to ensure consent compliance or the consequences could be dire. That was the blunt message to delegates at a recent seminar in the Hawkes Bay from the regional council’s resource management group manager Darryl Lew. He says it goes like this: compliance, abatement, infringement, prosecution and the last three are to be avoided because they will be costly. “The moral of the story is to comply with your resource consents. They are there for a good reason.” Lew says there’s a “shift going on” between farmers with block water and those without, but who want to develop land with irrigation to boost production. “They are starting to have issues with people who do have it [water] but are not using it... there’s a whole range of complex contentions... It’s no longer just between environmental groups and farmers.” In Hawkes Bay 80% of water use is allocated for primary production irrigation, a level similar to Canterbury and a few other parts of the country. However, on average across the region in summer only 30% of what is consented is actually used. “If everyone was to take at the same time, [and] at their maximum rates of extraction, there would be a considerably lower set of flows during summer and the number of ban days would be doubled or tripled.” Lew believes the way forward is to “get stuck in” and have the arguments at the planning stage of setting allocation limits, rather than letting things run into contentious consent hearings.
Rural News // april 19, 2011
13
news
1080 row in Tararuas PETER BURKE
A ROW is brewing in the lower North Island over a proposed 1080 drop in the Tararua Ranges. Regional coordinator for AHB in the lower half of the North Island, Terry Hynes says the general public still does not understand the facts about 1080 poison. He says there are still a lot of myths out in the community and this makes his job very challenging. Next month’s, aerial 1080 drop in an area of bush in the Tararua’s and on some private land between the townships of Levin and Otaki to kill possums and rid the area of bovine TB.
But a group of locals opposed to the drop is taking up a petition to stop it. So far, they’ve collected about 400 signatures. Conversely local farmers have been very supportive of the operation. Hynes says there is a lot of misinformation about what 1080 does and doesn’t kill. However, he does concede that some of what opponents say is true. It can kill some species of birds in some situations – especially the small ones such as fantails, tomtits and wrens. But Hynes says the kill rate of these species is much lower compared with what it was several years ago. “We use cereal bait
these days rather than carrots and this limits the risk to bird life. As well a huge amount of technology has gone into the laying of bait aerially. “For example in the 1980s we’d use 20kg of bait per hectare, whereas today we use between 1.5 and 2 kg of bait per ha. That is distributed using GPS technology so we monitor the flight lines of helicopters and can be almost certain that the bait has not fallen in areas where it’s not supposed to go.” One reason for opposition to this particular 1080 drop is the area being targeted is close to reserve areas where people often walk their dogs. However, he says
great care has been taken to warn people of the need to keep dogs on a leash or muzzled to prevent them eating possums killed by 1080.
Super-size me silo PGG Wrightson started filling this
brand new grain silo near Matamata with maize last week. The bin – made by Chief Agri Industrial Silos, Nebraska, and supplied and erected by JP Marshall Engineering, Hamilton – is the biggest in New Zealand with a capacity of 10,000t. “We did the last two biggest which
were 8000t so this is definitely the biggest,” JPM director Kerry O’Neill told Rural News. With limited space on the feed manufacturing site and maize the main ingredient, the silo presented the best bulk storage solution with the necessary control systems for such a mass of grain, says O’Neill.
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Rural News // April 19, 2011
world
MLA’s beefy response to Japanese disasters SUDESH KISSUN
AUSTRALIA’S RED
meat industry is doing its bit to help disaster-hit Japanese consumers. Earlier this month,
Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA) hosted soup-runs in the disasteraffected north, where over 160,000 people are in temporary accommodation. More activities are being planned in the
coming months, including a charity barbecue in the heavily affected Sendai area with the assistance of Australians living in Japan. MLA Japan is also preparing 10,000 units of
Aussie Beef retort-pouch curries and stews to donate to the disaster area. The recent earthquakes, tsunami and nuclear crisis have caused damage to over 20,000 hectares (5%) of agricultural land
This country was built on the hard work of its farmers, and we pride ourselves on playing our part in supporting the rural community. It’s where our rural teams live too, and you’ll see us all over the country at local events: Field Days in Northland, Central Districts, Lincoln, the Wanaka Show and Mystery Creek Fieldays. We’ll be hard at work helping you create the future you want for your rural business. And you can be sure we’ll put our backs into it. See you at the events, or call us today on 0800 787 252 or visit asb.co.nz/rural
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Aussie Beef ambassador Ken Tanaka cooking soup for quake victims.
in the three affected prefectures. To show its support to the food-service sector, MLA Japan has launched special logos to be displayed in more than 2,000 outlets nation-wide with the familiar Aussie Beef brand accompanied with the message ‘We are with you’. “This initiative has been greatly supported by the Japanese food-service sector and will be on menus and in stores from April until June,” says Melanie Brock, Meat & Livestock Australia’s regional manager in Japan. While it is too early to know the effects on exports to Japan, it has been predicted that general demand for imported food will rise. Brock says Japanese consumer awareness for food safety has been heightened and Australia’s reputation for food safety, quality assurance, and reliable supply of beef and lamb will “stand us in good stead during the ‘rebuildJapan’ process.”
“This initiative has been greatly supported by the Japanese food-service sector.” Meanwhile, MLA’s $A5 million domestic beef marketing campaign is producing results. General manager marketing, Glen Feist says the ‘Nothing beats Beef’ campaign launched in October 2010 is successfully building the foundations to revive the emotional bond between Australians and beef. “The results show the campaign has been a great first step in entrenching the new ‘Nothing beats Beef’ message, reminding Australians to put beef on the barbie over summer,” says Feist. Market research shows a 6% increase in sales of beef and beef barbecue cuts over the promotional period compared to a year previously.
Beef a bright spot in UK organic slump ORGANIC BEEF sales in the UK rose 18% last year as sales across the organic sector slumped 5.9% to £1.73 billion overall, says the UK Soil Association’s market report. Other organic products bucking the downward trend were baby food up 10.3% and textiles up 7.8%. The report says shoppers spent more than £33 million a week on all things organic and 86% of households now buy some organic products. On average, consumers bought organic 15 times in 2010, compared to 16 times in 2009. Dairy products and fresh fruit and vegetables are the most popular categories, accounting for 30.5% and 23.2% of sales respectively. Organically-managed land fell 0.6% to 738,709ha or 4.2% of UK farmland. The number of UK organic producers tumbled 4.2% to 7567 from a record high of 7,896 in 2009. Production of organic vegetables and organic milk fell, but cereal production was buoyed by high grain prices and strong demand for milling wheat. The association’s outlook for 2011 is cautiously optimistic despite fragile consumer confidence in the wider economy as it says signs of resilience and recovery are emerging in organics.
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Rural News // April 19, 2011
world
Aussie milk prices defended AS FARMER representatives, retailers and even opposition and independent politicians work feverishly to relieve the pressure on farmers
caused by Coles’ decision to slash milk prices, there’s one party dragging its heels. That’s the Federal Government – which
has sat on the sidelines, watching proceedings. Federal Agriculture Minister Joe Ludwig claims lower milk prices should not be reflected
in a lower farm price and he has assurances on this from Coles. Ludwig has been accused of going missing on the current issue, making
only one public statement on the milk price cuts, reports Rural News Group’s Dairy News Australia. Queensland Dairyfarmers Organisation president Brian Tessman says the statement is very disappointing. “It was as if he was reading from the Coles press release. We have made several attempts to talk with Ludwig. The Government has shown a similar lack of interest in the findings of last year’s Senate inquiry into competition and pricing in the dairy industry, which were released last May – almost 12 months ago. It has not pursued any of the recommendations, and in fact voted down a crucial recommendation tabled by Greens Senator Christine Milne. The Government was supported by the Coalition
Coles’ in house milk at $A2/litre v $A3.43 for a branded milk.
in voting down a motion calling on the government to reinstate the anti-price discrimination provisions in the Competition and Consumer Act, as recommended by all members of the previous Senate Inquiry into milk pricing. A spokesman for MP David Bradbury, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasurer, says the Government will formally respond “in due course”. “While there are a range of proposals for changes to competition laws being put forward, changes to our competition law framework have economy-wide ramifications and they are not something to be em-
barked upon lightly. “We will continue to consider the recommendations... formally respond in due course.” Tessman says Government’s inaction on the former inquiry does not bode well for positive reform stemming from the current inquiry. “That is our concern. We want to get good and useful recommendations, but if the Government wants to ignore it – it can.” Australian Dairy Farmers vice-president Chris Griffen agrees. “We have had inquiries before, and recommendations get put forward, but the Government is unwilling or haven’t had the desire to make change.”
Watchdog to look at big processors too THE COMPETITION and
consumer watchdog in Australia is to examine the role of big milk processors as well as the major supermarket chains as part of an inquiry into discounted milk prices. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) is investigating milk pricing by Coles and Woolworths to see whether it raises competition concerns under the Competition and Consumer Act. ACCC chairman Graeme Samuel told the Senate Inquiry into milk pricing the focus to date has been on Coles, which initiated the price war when it slashed milk to $1 per litre. “We’ve actually got to start looking at others in the supply chain and treat with
a healthy scepticism some of these protestations about concerns of the farmer... “We want to be sure that the consumer gets the benefits of real aggressive competition, not workable competition.” ACCC chief executive Brian Cassidy told the Senate Inquiry that it has been in touch with Coles, but declined to give further details. He denies discounting is hurting dairy farmers or that milk is being sold below cost. Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasurer, David Bradbury, told Rural News Group’s Dairy News Australia; “Strong discounting is good for consumers and is not necessarily anti-competitive, but it should not be at the expense of dairy farmers,” Bradbury says.
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Rural News // april 19, 2011
17
world
Fonterra folds on Chilean JV SUDESH KISSUN
FONTERRA’S BID to merge its Chilean subsidiary with Nestle was doomed from day one – it has emerged – as the cooperative pulls the pin on the venture. Chilean farmers, unions and politicians opposed the proposed merger of Soprole and Nestle’s liquid and chilled dairy milk business claiming it would reduce milk payout and erode retail sector competition. The final nail in the coffin was delivered by Chile’s Competition Tribunal (FNE), which questioned the benefits of the proposed merger. This led to Soprole and Nestle withdrawing the bid two weeks ago. Fonterra chief executive Andrew Ferrier says Nestle and Fonterra assessed the conditions to continue with the application were not appropriate. He says there are no plans to present
a new application to the Chilean authorities. Soprole will now focus on continuing to grow its consumer business in Chile, Ferrier says. “Soprole already has a very strong position in the Chile market and has been posting strong growth in recent years.” Fonterra and Nestle launched their merger bid in November last year. The plan was to expand their successful joint venture, Dairy Partners Americas to Chile and merge strong local brands, manufacturing operations, sales, chilled distribution and marketing activities. The deal was to exclude Fonterra’s dairy ingredients and export business in Chile – Prolesur and Nestle’s milk-powder, condensed milks and export products. DPA-Chile was projected to achieve sales of $770 million per annum – with a large proportion of this coming from Soprole’s business. As
part of the deal, Fonterra was to receive $300m when DPA-Chile was established. But farmers vented their opposition and the Chilean Agriculture Ministry agreed with them. It warned the merger would be damaging to the nation’s milk producers, which could
delay the development of the sector. Chilean Agriculture Minister, José Antonio Galilea backed his ministry officials during a parliamentary debate. “This joint venture would run counter to government policies, which seeks to improve transparency in agri-
cultural markets by encouraging participation of more players,” he told Parliament. Chilean MPs also resolved to reject the merger proposal. Fonterra and Nestle’s decision to withdraw the merger bid was welcomed by farmers’ leaders as “a wise and logical decision”.
No deal; Fonterra’s Chilean subsidiary Soprole is not merging with Nestle.
NZ’S FASTEST GROWING AGRICULTURAL TYRE BRAND
Overseas supply strategy queried A KEYNOTE speaker at the recent Dairy Business Conference in Rotorua has questioned the wisdom of Fonterra investing in milk production overseas such as in China. Professor William Bailey, who’s the Director of Agriculture at Western Illinois University and spent 12 years as the Chair in Agribusiness at Massey University. “A key competitive point of difference for New Zealand milk is that it ‘it is New Zealand milk’”, Bailey told Rural News. “You can take the technology whether it’s the genetics or grass growing ability and shift that to another country and then it suddenly no longer becomes New Zealand milk. I think it loses value because of that.” Bailey says the question is then: is this lost value compensated by the additional supplies available? “I can’t answer that, but I would be concerned that it wouldn’t be a balance.” William Bailey However, Bailey is supportive of Fonterra’s strategy of focusing on the high value end of the market. He describes this as a very reasonable approach. “Because if you take a raw product and send it somewhere else for it to be processed and value added, then you are losing out on an opportunity.” He believes one of the issues confronting Fonterra, as it looks to the future, is how much bigger can it grow. He says every company runs the risk of being too big and says in some ways that’s a fun thing to do. But he subscribes to the theory that not everything big is always better. “My view is that it would be better to be small and be extraordinarily good – rather that try to be all things for all people.”
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Rural News // April 19, 2011
agribusiness
Bollard bullish about ag SUDESH KISSUN
AGRICULTURAL EXPORT prices are set to
remain strong for some time to come, continuing to boost the economy, says Reserve Bank Governor Alan Bollard. At the same time, the
high Kiwi dollar will make imports cheaper, he says. Speaking to farmer discussion group, Grasshoppers, in Ashburton last week, Bollard predicted the higher terms of trade to continue to be reflected in the exchange rate
The exchange rate will deliver the benefits of the rising terms of trade to the community at large – through higher wealth and cheaper imports, he says. Bollard notes global commodity prices have experienced the largest boom in 100 years. While hard commodi-
ties have seen the biggest surge, agricultural commodity markets are not far behind. Another surge in prices has seen food prices surpass the 2008 record level, boosted by supply disruptions, particularly in grain markets. Given this outlook, he says monetary policy will
SUPER
remain focused on medium-term inflationary pressures, rather than the terms of trade shift. “If households and firms use the income boost from higher commodity prices and exchange rates to bring forward consumption and investment, or increase
Alan Bollard
borrowing, then pressure on resources in New Zealand would lead to more inflationary pressure,” he says. “Monetary policy would need to counteract any rise in inflation expectations.” However, he says the
markets remain unpredictable. “One thing we do know is that the projection will remain uncertain. History shows it is fiendishly difficult to predict the future path of commodity prices.”
Landcorp sees profits rising
LOW
2.95%
#
FINANC
E RATE
A HIGH dairy payout has helped Landcorp post a $3.2 million half-year net profit. The state farming company lost $6.3m in the first half of the previous year. Landcorp’s dairy income jumped 32% to $52 million for six months ending December 2010. The SOE lifted its milk volume and benefited from higher prices, chief executive Chris Kelly says in its half year report. The 2010-11 payout is forecast to be above $7/kgMS, compared with $6.10-$6.40/kgMS last year. “During the half year, we carefully managed the adverse impacts on milk production of wet and stormy weather and thereafter early summer dry across much of New Zealand,” Kelly says. Landcorp, which also operates sheep, beef and deer farms, recorded total farm revenues of $92m, compared to $74m the previous year. The averages of indicator prices paid to farmers for beef and lamb were up 16% and 7% respectively. In-
Brackenridge on board
SUPER
SUPER
LOW
2.95%
#
FINANC
E RATE
LOW
2.95%
#
FINANC
E RATE
CHIEF EXECUTIVE of New Zealand Merino Company, John Brackenridge, has joined Landcorp’s board, replacing Wellington investment banker Falcon Clouston. Clouston was appointed in 2006. Former Agriculture Minister Jim Sutton remains chairman and Warren Larsen deputy. Other members are Bill Baylis, Marise James, Basil Morrison, Traci Houpapa and Jane Mitchell.
come gains were achieved despite high New Zealand exchange rates, an overall reduction in sheep and cattle numbers, and the impact on feed production of the extreme weather, he says. “Landcorp continues very tight management of expenditure,” says Kelly. Operating expenses were $80.5m for the half year, up 12% from 2009-10. Kelly attributes this to increased supplementary feed costs and other spending directly related to the management of weather impacts. Production also took a hit due to extreme weather, notably storms in August and September in both Islands. “The storms were of such duration that lamb and deer weight gain was set back across all ages, and the effects compounded by subsequent dry conditions.” As a result of the storms and 2009-10 North Island drought, Landcorp produced 60,000 fewer lambs than at the corresponding stage of 2009-10. The South Island lambing rate was down to 132% this season from a 2009 record of 140% while the North fell to 126%. Nevertheless, these results compare favourably with the national industry figures which saw a drop of around 12%, says Kelly.
Rural News // april 19, 2011
19
agribusiness
Innovation, passion and “shear hard work” NOELINE HOLT
LEAVING CORPORATE jobs in
Auckland and moving to rural Te Kauwhata, Waikato, to run a handmade, gourmet-food business was a big change for Belinda Cox and husband Tony. However, it is one they don’t regret. Their company – Savour The Taste – has grown substantially since 2007, when the couple made their move from the city to make chutneys, jams, sauces and vinaigrettes, using local fruit and timetested recipes. Cox is an entrant in this year’s RWNZ Enterprising Rural Women Award 2011 and her innovation and use of local raw materials is a recurring theme among the businesses entered this year. These include rural accommodation and beauty spas, baby clothing manufacturers, cheese makers, a publisher, market researcher, horse trainer and plant nursery. The artisan nature of the business is important to Cox, who describes the handmade food production process as very labour intensive. “We cook in pots over gas rings, hand pour and hand label. Each batch is slightly different because the fruit may be from a different tree or orchard.” A focus on quality is also important to Averill Turnbull, a Golden Bay Award entrant who milks 50 goats at her Meadowcroft farm and produces fresh, pasteurised goats’ milk in her modern factory. A third generation farmer on her land, Averill travelled to France to learn more about what makes good goats’ milk, including the breeding, feeding and processing – before moving from solely liquid milk production into cheese making. Sales continue to grow and Meadowcroft products can be
found in 20 North and South Island outlets. She also sells at farmers’ markets, helping overcome distribution and marketing hurdles that come with producing goods away from major population centres. Another award entrant, Helen Dorresteyn also developed an interest in farmers’ markets – although in her case the drivers were quite different. Where she lives in Clevedon, south-east of Auckland, rural productivity is threatened by subdivision into lifestyle blocks.
“We cater for the growing market for experiences, rather than simply accommodation.” “Watching good farmland turned into small, under-utilised blocks is, to me, a great shame,” says Dorresteyn. “It is natural for people to want to pursue the benefits of a rural lifestyle, but this trend should not spell bad news for local food production.” So she started her businesss – Clevedon Village Farmers Market, in 2005 – changing the lives of many local producers who can now spread their financial risk by growing a variety of interesting produce, instead of mono cropping. Recognising the business opportunities offered by rural tourism, several award entrants run boutique rural accommodation and retreats, often with a special twist that gives them an edge in attracting custom. Lisa Harper, of Sherrington Grange in Picton’s Mahua Sound, began her tourism business providing accommodation, meals and
activities for European and North American visitors wanting a nostalgic rural experience – as well as a bed for the night. But within a year she was offering cheese-making classes, after guests wanted to know more about the traditional cheeses that were made on the farm and served with their meals. The full-strength European style cheeses are made from heritage recipes, and nowadays most visitors choose to stay at Sherrington Grange to see cheese-making or take a class. “We cater for the growing market for experiences, rather than simply accommodation,” says Harper. The need for an alternative income through the “highs and mainly lows of drystock farming” saw Award entrant Robyn Marshall set up beauty therapy business, Beautiful Hush, on her farm in rural Waitara, Taranaki. It was also a way to work around her farm commitments of feeding calves and shearers. Since qualifying in 2005, Marshall has built a large client base and employs two other beauty therapists and a massage therapist, with the business growing steadily despite the current financial climate. Rural Women New Zealand is delighted to showcase rural women entrepreneurs such as these and all the 22 entrants in this year’s awards. Through innovation, passion and shear hard work they have brought new employment opportunities and income to rural communities throughout the country. A North and South Island winner will be selected, who will then compete for the Supreme Award, which will be announced on May 22 at our National Conference in Auckland.
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Rural News // April 19, 2011
opinion/hound Editorial
Science needs to step up WHAT IS “biological” farming? The definitions are myriad; some succinct, others rambling on and on filling pages with paragraph after paragraph of pseudo-scientific prose. Google it and you get 19.6 million links, 165,000 of them from New Zealand. Several well-respected scientists have issued warnings about products being peddled under the banner and rightly so. The snake-oil merchant is alive and well in New Zealand and just as keen to take a slice of improved farm returns as every other business serving the sector. But the mainstream scientists are also in danger of dismissing some potentially significant advances for agriculture. Show us the data they say to the biological brigade, knowing full well that it is at best limited, if not totally lacking. Ask the biological brigade why they can’t present published, peer-reviewed papers from reputable research organisations and a likely response is they can’t afford it – which is probably true. Replicated, applied agricultural trials do not come cheap, and those attempting to test a “systems approach” such as biological farming are nigh-on impossible. Even if a suitable experimental design can be devised, the variables are so many that achieving any statistically significant result is going to be a tall order. That’s not to say if you go to a biological farming field day or seminar you won’t hear the word science. In fact, you’ll probably hear it far more than you would at a “conventional” farming field day. Trouble is, the references will be vague or to research still several steps removed from practical everyday farming. For example, you might be shown how photosynthesis is increased, or soil microbial activity enhanced, but does that mean your yields will go up? You’ll be convinced it does with a swift switch to some farm figures, and a slick anecdote or two, but it’s highly unlikely the connection can be demonstrated with sound trials data. This is why we need our mainstream scientists and institutions to engage with these companies with an open mind, assess their claims and review what science there is. Problem is, that needs independent funding and our research organisations have to compete for government money, which often comes with a match-funding requirement. Levy-funds can only go so far; enter the big agrichemical firms with big investments in conventional farming technologies and big bucks to spend with the CRIs. Danger is that at that point the independence of the selection of what science is conducted goes out the window.
“So that’s why we weren’t invited to the royal wedding!”
Hippycritical protest
THE HOUND presumes the Greenpeace protesters disrupting oil exploration off the East Cape of the North Island, travelled there by horseback, paddled out to the sea in canoes or sail boats, and wore wet suits and life jackets not made of rubber. They wouldn’t be so hypocritical as to use products derived from the very product they are protesting about would they? If so your old mate suggests this makes Greenpeace hypocritical or maybe more correctly that should be ‘hippycritical’ – given the protest group’s dominance by soap-dodging, work-shy hippies!
Never mind the plastic Waka, what about a blow up sheep?
PLANS TO build a plastic Waka for the Rugby World Cup make this old mutt think ‘whatever next...’ Maybe a massive blow up sheep, filled with helium, floating over Eden Park, or tethered to Auckland’s Sky Tower? Come to that; why not fill it with methane as a symbol of our greenhouse gas emissions. Now that would be an image for the sporting world to remember.
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Aussie beef marketers surfing the tsunami...
MEAT AND Livestock Australia’s moves to “aid” Japan’s quake-hit and tsunami-soaked population are nothing but a thinly veiled marketing move. Talk about riding the wave of another’s misfortune. I’ll bet they haven’t had the gall to launch a similar initiative in Christchurch. Tasteless... just like their beef! I’d rather have a New Zealand grass-fed Hereford steak any day.
...But “Milking” good PR
WHILE MEAT and Livestock Australia’s activities in Japan may leave a little to be desired, The Hound has to doff his cap to another recent initiative. Fonterra, Fed Farmers et al here are always seem to be on the back foot: defending the price of milk in the local market; explaining not every cow in the country defecates in our rivers; etc etc. Meanwhile, our ANZAC mates are firmly on the front foot it seems, with Dairy Australia pulling off a real PR coup for their sector. They’ve teamed up with the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) to ramp up communication about milk and other dairy products’ role in sport performance. AIS delivers a worldclass sports nutrition service to athletes and sports teams. Maybe it is time the New Zealand’s dairy industry did something similar!
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More hot air
SO GOVERNMENT wants to cut greenhouse gas emissions 50% by 2050. Your old mate bets his dog box we won’t do this, because by 2050 the world’s nine billion people will be crying out for our produce and New Zealand will be pilloried internationally if we curtail our output in the name of climate change. Leave cutting carbon to those burning fossil fuels. With pastoral land already going into trees under the ETS, such targets will backfire on New Zealand big time, and sooner than politicians expect.
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Rural News // april 19, 2011
23
opinion
Biosecurity everyone’s responsibility With the Biosecurity Bill before select commitee, MAF’s director general Wayne McNee relays his views on this vital MAF function. OUR BIOSECURITY
system is designed to ensure that the trade so critical to our economy can occur and our unique biosecurity status is protected – and it’s working. New Zealand’s worldclass biosecurity system, and MAF the agency that leads it, comes under intense scrutiny by the Government, the primary sector and the public and with good reason. With some $28 billion generated by our primary sector exports in 2010, protecting New Zealand’s pest and disease status is critical to our economic success. In 2008/09, MAF cleared 4.5 million people arriving in New Zealand, checked 37 million mail items, seized 124,000 risk items, stopped more than 2400 plant pests at or just past the border, investigated 684 potential incursions, and ran some 34,000 tests for suspected exotic pests and diseases. MAF can’t do it all by itself – and nor should it! Enhancements planned for the system will enable and incentivise others to play important roles. Our biosecurity system is designed to balance the careful management of pest and disease risks with our ability to safely trade and travel internationally. It operates on three fronts: MAF works offshore, gathering and exchanging information with our trading partners about emerging risks around the globe, and establishing offshore protection programmes to manage pest and disease risks before goods arrive in New Zealand. At the border, MAF’s role is to efficiently confirm that goods, passengers and craft meet the relevant biosecurity requirements. A focus is placed on intercepting high risk and non-compliant passengers and goods, identified through a greater use of technology and risk profiling.
Finally, because there are pests that will slip through the net, MAF works with researchers, industry, regional councils and NGO’s to identify pests that have arrived and then eliminate or manage them. In order for New Zealand to successfully export its goods around the world, it needs to operate its biosecurity system in accordance with the same rules we expect others to follow. While some detractors talk of sharp increases in incursions, the number has been steady since at least 2005. That year, 32 organisms were found – in 2010 it was 34. Despite our best efforts and world-class system, the reality is that some organisms will get through. Some come via the border – both through intentional and unintentional actions, some drift here on ocean currents, others are simply blown in on the wind. Even if we closed our border tomorrow to travellers and trade, threats would still arrive. Keeping pests and diseases out or managing them when they arrive will remain a challenge and we must all play a part in reducing their impact on New Zealand. Primary industries, in particular, must factor biosecurity risks into their business planning. Many argue that importers should pay for New Zealand’s biosecurity system. They already do by paying 100% of the cost of their goods inspections to the tune of $30 million annually and total compliance costs for importers of between $83 and $123 million a year. It is against international trade rules to require importers to pay more than the true cost of this compliance to hedge against future incursions. The taxpayer also pays for our biosecurity system. However, unlike primary producers, they
What’s your view? Email editor@ruralnews.co.nz on this or any other farming related issues. -See page 25 for Letters and your chance to win a brand new pair of Red Band gumboots.
have limited ability to influence behaviour change that will increase New Zealand’s preparedness or ability to manage a biosecurity incursion. The current system when a pest or disease arrives makes the Government the sole decision-maker on when a response is required,
what is to be done and at what scale. Most biosecurity breaches do not require a full-scale response, but industry’s default position tends to be the request for a fullscale response to every incursion. That is neither feasible nor practical. The proposed Government Industry Agree-
ment (GIA) is about joint planning and decision making, and cost sharing for readiness and response activities that primary industries want. Participating in this way creates incentives for primary producers to invest in preparedness and will result in better overall pest management.
Wayne McNee
BASF ST2/11
Rural News // april 19, 2011
25
opinion
Been to a boatyard lately?
warned by some meat industry leaders that these present huge prices may not last as consumer resistance sets in. Other leaders are more optimistic, assuring us that the schedule is market related – even with the present high exchange rate (US78c). Our positive leaders do acknowledge the market is delicately balanced between what produce is available and what the customer will pay. Getting that balance right, it seems, is an art form. Good sales are now being made in the non-traditional Asian countries. These countries have wealthy sectors that are prepared to pay
higher prices. Along with meat, much better returns are being made for wool pelts and offal’s. For the first time in years, sheep and beef farmers are happy. It’s fun doing budgets that readily balance without any need to squint. From lamb, mutton, beef, venison, wool, grain and – of course dairying – we’re in demand. For most in the south the ducks are lined up. The unseasonable weather has resulted in a massive amount of extra feed. With four lambs, because of the spring storm, the most obvious answer is to send them to the works at heavier weights. So there’s no great rush to get stock into the works. Another incentive to hold on is a meat schedule that increases most weeks. Adding to the ‘good news’, are saleyard prices which are out in front of schedule prices. Warnings that farmers
are gambling on prices holding or getting better are – generally – being ignored. At this stage, the feed’s still there, prices keep on increasing and it’s still early autumn. The impact of the storm, which wiped out lambs and ewes, has meant more ewe lambs – along with cull ewes – being kept back to build up the breeding livestock numbers. For the first time, since the mid-1980s, it really is fun to be a farmer. Remember when old ewe prices were so low farmers protested by slaughtering some on Invercargill streets? Sheep and beef farmers are now feeling the warm glow-effect, stock agents, consultants and sales representatives are starting to look past the dairy farmers and see other farming sectors coming alive. Local consumers will complain about prices, as they have about milk. But really there’s no
easy answer – other than bringing in subsidies. I’m trying to remember consumer response when farm products hit the wall and sold well below the cost of production. There will be a massive tax bill unless something like the equalisation scheme is used.
Got a gripe? Want to air an issue? Rural News welcomes your letters on all matters affecting farming and/or the rural community. To boot, Skellerup has thrown in a pair of classic Redbands for one lucky letter writer every issue. So pull out the pen or keyboard and write, e-mail or fax The Editor. The winner of this issue’s Redbands is Dave Stanton, Geraldine. Send to: Letter to the Editor PO Box 3855, Auckland 1140. Email: editor@ruralnews.co.nz. fax: 09-307 0122 Correspondence should be brief and to the point. Rural News reserves the right to edit letters as necessary. Please supply name and locality for publication, plus contact details in case of need for clarification.
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Letter to the editor Keep quadbike stats in perspective CONSIDERING THAT most quad bike riders are young, testosterone-filled males who think they are invincible and bullet-proof, who also have the highest accident rate on roads with cars, is the accident rate high? We set these testosteronefilled lads loose on terrain which they need to learn to read, in all weathers, for long hours, six-days-a-week and often for 12-14 hours per day. Is the accident rate really that high considering all that? I mean, who operates a car for that amount of time per day? Given we have 120,000 farms employing on average two to three persons each and
about as many lifestyle blocks – where the whole family also ride – is the accident rate really that high? Any deaths and injuries are tragic and everything should be done to prevent them. However, after wearing a helmet all last summer and dehydrat-
ing something awful, I was so hot I couldn’t think. I suggest we avoid hysteria and tread carefully, before we make the problem worse. We know, for example, that dehydration is a major factor in fatal tractor accidents so compulsion in regards to helmet use may have to be coupled with the introduction of drink bottle holders on all bikes. Why doesn’t someone produce a good Quad Bike Safety DVD? That way, new farm employees can watch it then everyone gets full and comprehensive education and are well trained on Quad bike safety. Dave Stanton Geraldine
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SHEEP AND beef farmers are at last enjoying the thrill of what has to be called exceptional prices. Lambs that were making $70 last season are now close to $120 a head. Cull ewes making $55 last year are now about $110. Beef (18 months) that sold for $1000 a head last year have increased to $1300. These prices have dramatically changed the sheep and beef landscape. Even to the point of smoothing the ragged edges left by last spring’s devastating weather that in the south wiped out more than a million lambs. While they are still well behind their dairying mates some have been seen surreptitiously looking at boats. Sadly – out in the market-place – the forces of supply and demand have nothing to do with something as reassuring as ongoing sustainability. We have been seriously
Write and Win!
26
Rural News // April 19, 2011
management
Working out your irrigation needs Vivienne Haldane
GET THE correct information early when commissioning an irrigation system for your farm. Do that, and you’ll avoid heaps of unnecessary stress and expense later, says Irrigation New Zealand chief executive Andrew Curtis. However, that’s often easier said than done. “One of main challenges for the grower is putting on paper what they actually want,” he told a recent irrigation focussed seminar in the
Hawkes Bay. “Often, irrigation is a new part of the equation and they’re not sure. To help them, we’ve come up with case studies based on different types of irrigation systems that go through different design parameters.” However, Curtis is pleased about future developments. “We’re having a real push on design code of practice and the irrigation companies to present quotes in a way we can compare them.” He says for the first time they’ve had 25 de-
signers going through an irrigation design course. “This is stunning. All the irrigation companies have come on board so we’re going to have people doing things in a similar way.” He says one of the things people aren’t doing is really looking at the capital cost of the system versus your operating cost. “Decisions are being made just based on the capital cost because they are not aware of their operating cost. You can’t make an informed decision, unless you actually
Irrigation NZ chief executive Andrew Curtis.
know what that is.” money on sprinklers and Meanwhile, Curtis found more or less pure says the key questions sand was coming out the to ask when choosing an bores,” Curtis says. “It irrigator are as follows: wrecked the nozzles in Do you need a contract about three months.” with an irrigation You need to have designer? around-the-clockIt amazes him how information many people don’t have a about what you contract when they put in are growing. $300-400,000 worth of Irrigation NZ irrigation systems. came up with your own weather data What’s it for? five areas of information: does that happen? This factor influences what – although you do need This will drive the What your net return your design figures are to be careful with their design component. is going to be – this dicgoing to be. accuracy – you get what How long are you extates where you’re going You need to know your you pay for. pecting it to last? price-wise. Soil information That will help with Rooting depth of your climate information: It’s very rare that your decision making crop – is it a ground, per- evapotranspiration (ET) – how many milpeople go out and dig going forward as to what manent or variable one? limetres a day does the a few holes to see what to spend. How much water is crop need at peak and they’ve actually got, but How long are you prethe crop going to use at this is vitally important pared for it to fall over its peak? The crop factor through the season? to understand. for? Infiltration rate: As above. Essential soil information for how fast the water Are consents and effective irrigation. can go into the soil permits are a – that impacts on must? Infiltration (mm/hour) how the irrigation If you don’t Soil depth (m) designer designs tell your designer Total available water. how water is apwhat your permits Sources of soil information: plied. Significant are you’re in http://soils.landcareresearch.co.nz/contents/index.aspx loss occurs if not trouble. Soil survey – but pedologists are a dying breed! designed correctly. Do you know Texture calculator and hand method -www.irrigatornz.co.nz Soil depth: depth your water inforEM38 mapping and correlate to soil WHC to stones and from mation? that you can work Just because out what the total adjusts the evapotranspi- What’s the rainfall you have a bore, it available water is: how ration figure according to influence? doesn’t mean it’s going big your ‘bucket’ is. the particular crop. For The monthly rainfall to come up with clean “There’s a simple way then needs to be taken water. You need to know example, grapes use less to find out what your soil and potatoes more water. down to a certain reliwhere it’s coming from. is like: dig a hole to get How evenly do I ability that you are preThis will guide your a profile, if it changes need to spread water? pared to go to. Usually choice of nozzles and down the profile, do it With a permanent crop, it’s around 1 in 10 year filtration. a couple of times – take less even distribution is type scenario. “The classic thing soil and wet it up to do a sufficient, because the Information on this with ground water is roots go out over time. A is available from NIWA: texture test,” Curtis adds. people tend to sink a “Can’t roll it into a ball? row crop requires even http//cliflow.niwa.co.nz bore and think it will It’s sand. Roll it into a application. or Climate Explorer: be ok. Here in Hawkes Maximum allowable https://secure.niwa.co.nz/ worm – does it crack? Bay I was involved with Then its sandy loam. If depletion. How far can I climate-explorer/home. a couple of cases where it’s clay you can tie it allow the crop to dry out do they put in an irrigation round your back.” and what time of year You can also use system, spent tons of
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27
management
Look at positives in EID Peter Burke
WAIRARAPA FARMER
Matt Wyeth says EID (electronic identification) is one of the greatest tools that farmers have been given and those who criticise NAIT are failing to realise its benefits. Wyeth told a recent Beef & Lamb field day, at his farm, that he’s been using EID for four years and has about 15,000 animals on his farm tagged (including male lambs for export markets). It is useful for analysing kill reports from SFF, who he is running a pilot program with. He says farming in New Zealand is changing and farmers have to change with the times and take advantage of the technological tools that are becoming available. Matt and his wife Lynley farm just west of Masterton and run 6,200 ewes and 240 breeding cows. Wyeth says he could see that sooner or later he’d be pushed into complying with NAIT so decided to be proactive and focus on the benefits that EID offers.
“To me EID is like the dashboard on your car, having those dials and controls in front of you to make sure that you are tracking along where you want to go.” by increasing animal performance I can increase efficiency, which makes me more money.” Wyeth says of huge benefit to him is the Gallagher Touch Screen Indicator (TSI), which he has in the yards when weighing both his cattle and sheep. This enables him to see and report data about the animals instantly rather than sending the data away to be analysed. He says this tool allows him to make instant decisions based on hard data in the field and is an invaluable piece of equipment. “I’ve got all the information I need so I can direct stock out from the yards. I can also take it home and add different fields or different traits to different animals to get the results I need or want.” Wyeth says the options with EID are endless. “There are different ways that you can use
will ensure he gets top prices. He says if people buying his stock use EID they will see the liveweight gain is better than
another mob of cattle bought off another place. “Hopefully, they will come back and pay us a premium.”
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He believes its biggest benefit is being able to measure animals on an individual basis. “To me EID is like the dashboard on your car, having those dials and controls in front of you to make sure that you are tracking along where you want to go, using an animal’s performance and matching that with my feed budget to see if my whole operation is efficient.” EID is benefiting Wyeth financially. “All of a sudden I can increase animal performance by using EID and
the EID to increase your production or efficiency. The biggest one is keeping our ewe performance logged on the system and measuring performance right through and actually selecting ewes and replacements on that.” In a drive to improve stock performance, he grows a lot of forage crops including chicory, plantain and rape. Using the EID he’s now doing trials to see which grow his stock better and is yielding better. He says at the moment the chicory is outstripping everything. Wyeth believes EID
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Rural News // April 19, 2011
management
Modern-day milkmaids solve shed staff issue PETER BURKE Milly Barnes, one of the Landcorp farm’s milking team.
AARON KARAHA has quite a task. He has to manage 2100 cows on tricky terrain –
plus a few mature girls as well! Karaha is the farm manager of Achilles, one of six dairy farms run by Landcorp, about 20km north of Taupo on State
Highway 5. They’re all dairy conversions out of forestry on typical North Island pumice country. Achilles is 793ha, the closest to Taupo, and stocked with mainly kiwi cross cows. Karaha has been there five years. It’s a fairly tough life on the farm. For workers the day starts at 4am and by the time all the cows are through the automated 60 bail rotary shed it’s approaching 10am. At present, they are down to once-a day-milking, but in the peak the first of the cows are back at 2.30pm and milking runs well into the evening. Karaha says it’s not easy getting competent people to work these hours, but he’s found a group with the right skills and attitude to do the job well: mature women from the nearby Te Toki village. “We do long hours in the shed so we’ve got to
run the farm like a factory,” he explains. “In the case of the milking shed, the older women are best for the job. “They are more patient with the cows and they seem to like that environment. They like working with the cows and they seem to have a calming effect.” Karaha’s employment preference has become something of local folklore, but draws praise from his bosses. It’s because he’s had difficulty finding young men to stick with the task of milking. “They can’t hack it and they didn’t like the hours and staff turnover was very high. But the older women are great in this role and do a first-class job and stay.” That’s not to say the farm is all women. Karaha has a lot of younger guys working elsewhere around the farm where they do well.
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The country Achilles is on is not easy to farm. It’s what is known as raw pumice, which means there is no sub-soil to help hold moisture and establish grasses. “To get grass to grow well we need the rain, but our average rainfall is only 900mm a year here so that’s not a lot really,” Karaha explains. “We have to use a lot of new species of grasses. We use a lot of extreme AR37s, a lot of Sampson AR37 as well. “About 10% of the farm is in tall fescue and we also have grown chicory. But we won’t do it again because it just doesn’t seem to fit here. It only grows when it rains. It’s supposed to grow well in summer, but because we don’t get the rain there’s a problem.” Lucerne silage is bought from a local farmer and PKE is also used, along with some maize silage.
Rural News // april 19, 2011
29
animal health
New drench suits farmer A SLOW start to hoggets’ weight gain last spring prompted Maniototo, Central Otago, producer Scott Armstrong to try a recently launched combination drench with a new active, the supplier reports. Startect, launched last year by Pfizer, kills worms resistant to existing drenches. The novel ingredient is derquantel; the drench also contains abamectin. Armstrong finishes 4500 lambs a year on his family’s property at Becks where, he says, “we were having trouble with them; they simply were not growing the way they should” despite the spring lift in grass growth. Seeing the prospect of good returns. And in case worms were causing the problem he took his vet’s advice and began drenching with Startect. This year’s finishing weights averaging 18.5kgCW are 1kg up on last year’s, something
Armstrong attributes to exceptional summer growth and to his decision to use the new drench. Getting $115-$120 a head for this year’s crop in early March has been “hugely positive after a winter-spring period best forgotten for most in the industry.” The lambs were first drenched in December. Six weeks later Armstrong re-assessed the need for a second treatment, deciding to treat only the bottom 10% of the crop. “There was no real sense they all needed to be treated; they looked good and have done ever since.” The lambs stayed a lot cleaner, although the summer growth was a challenge to that. He says overall the animals look brighter and healthier. “I wanted to get the jump on everyone else and get them away quicker. We’re getting them to target weight
DAIRY NZ is warning of extreme facial eczema levels in the north and severe losses even in sub-clinical situations. “This is the worst I have seen it in seven years in Northland,” regional manager Tafi Manjala told Rural News. Some farms have seen milk volumes halve without spotting clinical symptoms, but spore or blood tests have subsequently revealed massive pressure. Others have lost cows. “I’ve never heard of that before up here,” he notes. Perversely, those grazing pastures most effectively have been some of the hardest hit because cows are eating into the dead material at the base where spores emanate from. High spore counts are also reported in Waikato and many other areas of the North Island. “If you think you might have a problem take a [pasture] sample and send it for analysis,” advises Manjala.
Pleased with lamb performance; Scott Armstrong.
faster and are about a month ahead of our usual killing schedule.” He says he would also consider using Startect as an exit drench on his 1000-1100 hoggets before winter. This would give a ‘final cleanout’
treatment, eliminating parasites remaining and the possibility of resistant populations building up. Armstrong knows worms have developed resistance to clear drenches and he has used
combination drench. Trial work done in New Zealand shows Startect has an extremely high efficacy rate, Pfizer reports – at least 99% efficacy against a broad range of worms including resistance strains.
Vets’ views vary on positioning VETS’ VIEWS vary on the need
to use a drench technically more advanced than a triple combination. AgResearch scientist Dave Leathwick says, it is imperative we better manage these new options. “Assuming other resistance management practices are implemented, bringing a new anthelmintic to market in com-
Extreme FE warning
bination with abamectin should greatly extend the useful life of the new active, and protect each active.” Richard Lee, of Vet Services Hawkes Bay, says Startect is “not racing out the door” but farmers have a “medium level of awareness [of the drench] and there is a quiet sales uptake.” “We held 30 woolshed meet-
ings with 400 farmers last spring and sowed seeds” about Startect and the Novartis drench Zolvix. “Now we’re in a bit of a quandary about how to position the two but we’re working on it.” Mark Colson, of Aorangi Vets, Geraldine, says they haven’t yet seen the need to go to Startect. “It is a bit pricey and there aren’t too many advantag-
es over a triple.” Paul Hughes, Taihape Vets, says there’s a “good point to Startect but you can get the same result with a triple. And we haven’t got any triple-combination resistance yet. “Farmers must to do their homework before they spend the money. Only a vet can help sort it.”
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30
Rural News // April 19, 2011
animal health
Neutering has many merits I RECEIVED an email from a friend, a retired vet who is now doing research at Massey on farm dogs, and he wanted to know my thoughts on the neutering of working dogs. People like me (a working dog enthusiast) who are interested in bloodlines and breeding are not going to be whipping all their dogs off to the vet. But I would like to see everyone else doing just that. Why? There are several very good reasons. Let’s firstly look at temperament, in particular male dogs. Male dogs want to be dominant, the leader of the pack, so they will naturally try to dominate other male dogs and also the owner if they can get away with it. It is hard enough con-
trolling several working dogs without having to battle against testosterone. Remove it and you will have a much more biddable and obliging dog to work with. There will also be less snarling and raised hackles in your team. Leg cocking - testosterone encourages several drops of urine to be placed on anything of interest whenever there is an opportunity. Remove it and the dog will go to the toilet when he needs
to, rather than marking anything and everything. Testosterone makes the rear end of any dog fascinating, particularly bitches. Remove it and you also remove the obsessive attraction. Sex – remove the testicles and the subject doesn’t exist. There isn’t so much to say about bitches, but it is of more importance. There is the natural occurrence of coming on heat and this can be very inconvenient if you have to work with male dogs. If you are responsible, one of the sexes has to stay home – but where does that leave you at a busy time? Lacking dog power! Pregnancy happens – the neighbour’s dog turns up from nowhere when your back was turned; or you didn’t realize your
Duck shooters, Farmers – Ensure ALL dogs are dosed for sheep measles at least 48 hours before going on or near sheep pasture For more information contact your veterinarian, phone Ovis management 0800 222 011 or go to www.sheepmeasles.co.nz
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the vet and all these problems are solved. You never have ‘heats’. You never have pups. You don’t have male dogs testing your authority. You don’t have to put everything two-feet above ground level or have dogs with a rear-end fascination.
Meantime, raised hackles and growling becomes a thing of the past. And then there is food. Many of you really struggle to keep the condition on your dogs. This is usually due to the fact that you are too miserable to feed them what they require. So imagine how fabulous it would be if they required less –
you can keep giving them a pittance, but they can finally carry some condition. Maybe even have a light in their eyes and a shine to their coats! When you look at all of this why on earth wouldn’t you do it? I know it comes at a financial cost, but it is small in comparison to the many benefits you will reap.
Mating management starts now EVEN THOUGH mating is six the cow’s coat due to suppression of and thus avoiding absorption of the months or more away on most dairy an enzyme involved in producing toxic compound. Rurtec’s Elemenfarms start thinking about causes the black pigmentation. tal boluses containing selenium, of cow infertility now, says Ian Carr Carr says symptoms can be as- cobalt and copper are an effective of Hamilton-based Rurtec. sessed against the animal’s intake prevention. As they last six months, One possible cause increasingly and blood levels looked at to deter- now is a good time to treat. in the spotlight is thiomolybdate mine if thiomolybdate is likely to “It’s better to set the animal up toxicity, he told Rural News. be a problem. now, rather than going in just before Australian research shows any“Molybdenum, sulphur and iron mating,” says Carr. thing above 0.5 parts per Increased ingestion million (ppm) molybdeof soil and consequently num in pasture can cause a iron, during winter grazproblem. ing, which would otherA recent survey in the wise result in increased Waikato found most pasthiomolybdate is combattures higher than this level, ed; molybdenum levels in and some above 1ppm. pasture are always high“The two main causes est going into spring, and are fertiliser use, often histreating now gives the cow torical... and peat soils,” selenium, cobalt/vitamin Carr explains. B12 for calving and early lactation. When eaten the mo“And the six month lybdenum combines with Beside condition, the role of thiomolybate in cow bolus life will ensure thiosulphur to form the thiofertility is increasingly being considered. molybdate protection not molybdate, which can impair the LH (luteinising hormone) are important in the formation and only at mating, but for early pregsurge, reducing heats and bulling absorption of thiomolybdates from nancy when embryo loss can be activity. Progesterone release is the rumen [so] intake of these ele- high,” he adds. Elemental’s boluses are a Realso reduced, which affects embryo ments by the animal should be assessed.” stricted Veterinary Medicine and survival. Copper binds with thiomolyb- are only available for purchase and A tell-tale sign that all this is going on may be seen in a “ginge date if a continuous source of cop- use under – and in compliance with tinge” to normally black areas of per ions is provided in the rumen – veterinary authorisation.
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32
Rural News // April 19, 2011
animal health
New worm test uptake pleases ANDREW SWALLOW
SELECTION OF parasite-
resistant sheep looks set to become faster and easier with a new test commercially available for the first time this autumn. The CARLA saliva test, developed by AgResearch and Beef & Lamb New Zealand joint venture Ovita, uses swabs from inside the
sheep’s cheek to identify and quantify the level of antibodies an animal is producing in response to a (larval) worm challenge. “The bottom line for commercial producers is it will make it easier to buy rams which will pass on these [resistance] traits. Also they will be able to use it to select their flock replacements,” team leader Ian Sutherland told Rural News.
“Those that do both [select rams and test flock replacements] will achieve genetic gain faster.” The cost of the test starts at $15/animal for batches of fewer than 100 samples, but drops to around $10/animal with higher numbers. Animals only need to be sampled once and estimated breeding values are generated by SIL. The price includes up to two
“monitoring” tests where a sample of the mob is checked for antibodies to see if the larval challenge is sufficient to warrant testing the whole flock. Sutherland says recent results show most flocks are reaching that point now, somewhat earlier than in recent seasons. “The reason for the monitoring tests is because we don’t know how many parasites are on the pasture at any one
time. In the past couple of years, drought has meant it has taken a long time for numbers to build but this year has been a lot wetter.” Unlike faecal egg count (FEC) testing to identify resistance, there’s no need to allow worm burdens to build to 800 eggs per gram or more. So there’s no need to accept a check on growth and/ or delay drenching in the name of identifying rams
Richard Shaw takes a saliva swab: cattle could be next after sheep for the parasite resistance test, he suggests.
or replacements with resistance. “And farmers don’t have to put their fingers up the sheep’s bottom which for some reason they don’t like,” jokes Sutherland. Each swab needs to be rubbed between the cheek and jaw for at least seven seconds. After placing in a labelled vial, the whole process takes about 30 seconds meaning a team of two should be able to test about 120/ head/hour. Of the 11 ram breeders who piloted the test
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for reduced resistance to internal parasites and the consequent increased reliance on drenches, says Sutherland’s colleague and test developer Richard Shaw. “One example came last year in a very high producing breeder’s flock were there was very poor expression of parasite resistance, whether it was measured by CARLA or FEC. So the wider industry has probably been breeding out resistance to parasites in pursuit of better growth rates.” By giving breeders a better tool to identify parasite resistant lines Shaw believes this unfortunate trend can be at least partially reversed. Reliance on drenches should also be reduced, which in turn should curb development of drench-resistant strains of parasites.
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last year, ten have returned to use it commercially this season. Plenty more have subscribed, including a few organic producers, although Sutherland is coy about exact uptake. “We’re very pleased with how it’s going without going into absolute numbers,” he told Rural News. Launched as a ram breeders’ tool, a MAFSustainable Farming Fund project is underway to assess how the technology can be put to best use in non-stud flocks.
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CARLA is an acronym standing for Carbohydrate Larval Antigen. The molecule which the sheep’s antibodies bind to is a complex carbohydrate and this is the molecule measured; “Larval” because these molecules are only found on the L3 stage of nematode parasites; and “Antigen” because the molecule is the bit “seen” by the immune system. All nematode parasites that infect livestock in New Zealand have a CARLA coat on their L3 stage. However, there appear to be different amounts of CARLA on different species. Shaw says further work on the ability of the different parasite species to stimulate a CARLA antibody response is planned.
Rural News // april 19, 2011
33
animal health
Reduced reliance: genetic resistance could ease pressure on drenches.
Users enthusiastic with results so far BAR NEARLY getting his finger
bitten off taking a swab, Robert Gardyne, Winton, is enthusiastic about CARLA as a way of building parasite resistance in his Perendale and Texel stud flocks. Its high heritability – “about the same as weight gain and muscling” – is one reason he cites, while the resistance mechanism identified is another. “This approach means they use a lot less energy fighting a worm challenge, so animals with high CARLA antibodies should be good producers. It’s proved very worthwhile and I intend to carry on working with it. “The only drawback is you have to wait until there’s a strong [worm] challenge and quite often that’s once mating has started.” This sentiment is echoed by Chris Earl, Scargill, North Canterbury. “Last autumn was very, very dry and we didn’t get significant rain until the end of May... so we couldn’t test until June. “This year we’ve tested the ram lambs as we put them out with the stud ewes.” As luck would have it last year, of the eight ram lambs tested, the best ram lamb on an index of other traits turned out to be the third highest on CARLA in the 1050-strong Longdowns Maternal stud flock. Earl believes CARLA is “one of those small, but significant advances in the battle against worms.” “It’s going to take a few years to breed our way into it, but the aim is to set up a breeding programme so that in three to five years significant numbers of our stud ewes have CARLA in them which will be an advantage to us in the stud and the people we sell to.” He says nearly 800 ewe lambs have also been tested this autumn which took a couple of half-days.
CARLA – key points • Tests saliva for antibodies to internal parasites • Quantitative result indicates strength of animal’s worm resistance • Highly heritable so trait likely to be passed on to progeny • Developed by Beef & Lamb NZ & AgResearch joint venture Ovita • Commercially available at $10-15/animal to be tested. • See www.carlasalivatest.co.nz for more. • Test kits from 0800 422752 (0800 4 CARLA)
“Three of us did one lot, but when there were only two of us it was a bit of a pain... You’ve got to swab for seven seconds or so, then physically write the tag number down on the tube and put the swab in the tube. You’ve got to be pretty methodical.” Gardyne says “it’s just a case of getting a system going and having some people to help.” “With FEC there are always
some [sheep] you can’t get a good sample from and even when you bring them back you might not get a sample. With this it’s very easy to get a sample from every animal.” His only hitch was with one of the early animals he tested, before he’d perfected his technique with the swabs. “I nearly lost the end of my finger... those back teeth are so sharp and strong.”
Rural News // April 19, 2011
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OTC stores
Albendazole Copper Selenium Abamectin
0.5mg Ivermectin per kg 7.5mg/kg 34mg/kg 75mg/kg 0.2mg/kg
1mL/ 20kg bwt
Jurox NZ Ltd
10mg/mL (1% w/v) 10mg/mL 1% w/v 150g/L 6.8g/L 1.5g/L 10mg/mL
200µg/kg
BOMECTIN GOLD POUR ON STRATEGIK mineralised CATTLE
Vets and selected OTC stores Vets and selected OTC stores OTC stores
1mL/50kg bwt
49 days
49 days
3 x dose rate
PARAMECTIN POUR-ON
Jurox NZ Ltd
OTC stores
Abamectin
10mg/mL
0.5mg/kg
1mL/20kg bwt
35 days
Nil
3 x dose rate
ALLIANCE
Coopers
All outlets
35 days
3x dose rate
All outlets
1mL/10kg bwt
10 days
35 days
3 x dose rate
SCANDA
Coopers
All outlets
1mL/10kg bwt
10 days
144 hours
3 x dose rate
SCANDA SELENISED
Coopers
All outlets
1mL/10kg bwt
10 days
144 hours
3 x dose rate
ALBENDAZOLE C
Merial Ancare
Veterinary outlets
4.53mg/kg 8mg/kg 0.2mg/kg 8mg/kg 0.2mg/kg 4.53mg/kg 8mg/kg 4.53mg/kg 8mg/kg 10mg/kg
10 days
Coopers
45.3g/L 80g/L 2gL 80g/L 2g/L 45.3g/L 80g/L 45.3g/L 80g/L 150g/L
1ml/10kg bwt
CONVERGE
Oxfendazole Levamisole Abamectin Levamisole Abamectin Oxfendazole Levamisole Oxfendazole Levamisole Albendazole
1mL/15kg bwt
14 days
35 days
ECLIPSE POUR-ON
Merial Ancare
Veterinary outlets
35 days
1mL/10kg bwt
91 days
91 days
3 x dose rate
ARREST C
Merial Ancare
Veterinary outlets
1mL/10kg bwt
14 days
35 days
3 x dose rate
OXFEN C PLUS
Merial Ancare
Veterinary outlets
1mL/20kg bwt
10 days
35 days
3 x dose rate
OXFEN C HI MINERAL
Merial Ancare
Veterinary outlets
0.5mg/kg 10mg/kg 0.5mg/kg 30mg/kg 10mg/kg 7.5mg/kg 4.5mg/kg 7.5mg/kg 4.5mg/kgmg/kg
35 days
Veterinary outlets
10mg/mL 200mg/mL 5mg/mL 300mg/mL 100g/L 75g/L 90.6g/L 150g/L 90.6g/L
1mL/20kg bwt
GENESIS ULTRA POUR-ON Merial Ancare
Abamectin Levamisole Abamectin Triclabendazole Albendazole Levamisole Oxfendazole Levamisole Oxfendazole
10 x dose rate 3 x dose rate
1mL/20kg bwt
10 days
5 days
5 x dose rate
DOUBLE STRENGTH OXFEN Merial Ancare
Veterinary outlets
Oxfendazole
45.3g/L
4.5mg/kgmg/kg
1mL/10kg bwt
10 days
5 days
GENESIS POUR-ON
Merial Ancare
Veterinary outlets
Abamectin
10mg/mL
0.5mg/kg
1mL/20kg bwt
35 days
Nil
10 x dose rate 3 x dose rate
GENESIS INJECTION
Merial Ancare
Veterinary outlets
Abamectin
10mg/mL
0.2mg/kg
1mL/50kg bwt
49 days
49 days
3 x dose rate
IVOMEC PLUS INJECTION FOR CATTLE IVOMEC INJECTION FOR CATTLE AND PIGS EPRINEX POUR-ON
Merial Ancare
Veterinary outlets
0.2mg/kg 2.0mg/kg 0.2mg/kg
28 days
14 days
Veterinary outlets
1% 10% 1.0% w/v
1mL/50kg bwt
Merial Ancare
Ivermectin Clorsulon Ivermectin
1mL/50kg bwt
28 days
35 days
Merial Ancare
Veterinary outlets
Eprinomectin
0.5% w/v
500mcg
1mL/10kg bwt
Nil
EXODUS POUR ON
Merial Ancare
Veterinary outlets
Moxidectin
0.5% w/v
500mcg
1mL/10kg bwt
Nil cattle 7 days deer Nil
NOROMECTIN INJECTION
Norbrook NZ Ltd
Ivermectin
1.0% w/v
0.2mg/kg
1mL/50kg bwt
49 days
NOROMECTIN POUR-ON
Norbrook NZ Ltd
Ivermectin
0.5% w/v
0.5mg/kg
1mL/10kg bwt
21 days
Not allowed (note 1) 11 milkings
PARAFEND LV
Norbrook NZ Ltd
Oxfendazole
90.6g/L
4.53mg/kg
1mL/20kg bwt
10 days
72 hours
FASINEX 10
Novartis
Vets, Agmax, some OTC Vets, Agmax, some OTC Vets, Agmax, some OTC All outlets
20 x dose rate 20 x dose rate 5-10 x dose rate 10 x dose rate 20 x dose rate 10 x dose rate 5 x dose rate
Triclabendazole
10%
12mg/kg
6mL/50kg bwt
28 days
5mg/mL 300mg/mL 10mg/mL
0.5mg/kg 30mg/kg 0.2mg/kg
1mL/10kg bwt
91 days
Not allowed (note 1) 91 days
20 x dose rate 3x dose rate
1mL/50kg
cattle 35 days sheep 28 days
35 days
5 x dose rate
Abamectin
49 days
3x dose rate 3x dose rate
Nil
FASIMEC CATTLE POUR-ON Novartis
All outlets
CYDECTIN INJECTION FOR CATTLE AND SHEEP Cydectin Pour On for cattle and Deer
Pfizer Animal Health
OTC/Vet
Abamectin Triclabendazole Moxidectin
Pfizer Animal Health
OTC/Vet
Moxidectin
5g/L
0.5mg/kg
1mL/10kg
DECTOMAX INJECTABLE
Pfizer Animal Health
Veterinary outlets
Doramectin
1% w/v
0.2mg/kg
1mL/50kg bwt
Nil meat withholding Nil Nil bobby calf Nil deer 35 days 35 days
DECTOMAX POUR-ON
Pfizer Animal Health
Veterinary outlets
Doramectin
0.5% w/v
0.5mg/kg
1mL/10kg bwt
35 days
Nil
Parasite Maturity
Tric. Axei
Available through
Ostertagia Type II
Company
Haemonchus
Product
Abomasum
Ostertagia
34
mature immature mature immature mature immature mature immature mature immature
ND
mature immature mature immature mature immature mature immature mature immature mature immature mature immature mature immature mature immature mature immature
★★★ HHH ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ HHH ★★★
★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★
★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH
nd
★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★
nd
★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★
★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★
mature immature mature immature mature immature
★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★
mature immature mature immature mature immature mature immature mature immature mature immature mature immature mature immature mature immature mature immature mature immature mature immature mature immature mature immature mature immature mature immature mature immature mature immature mature immature mature immature mature immature mature immature
★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★
★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH
★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★
ND
★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★
★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★
★★★ ★★★
★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★
★★★ ★★★
★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★
10 x dose rate
★★★ mature ★★★ ★★★ immature ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★
20 x dose rate 25 x dose rate
mature immature mature immature
★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★
bevan collie
Jim hore
John JacKson
OTAUTAU, SOUTHLAND
MANIOTOTO, CENTRAL OTAG0
TOTARANUI STUD, PAHIATUA
all over new Zealand, dairy and cattle, we get better results with eclipse. AVAILABLE FROM YOUR LOCAL VET.
no other pour on is more effective aga
Merial is the Animal Health susiduary of sanofi-aventis. MERIAL NEW ZEALAND. LEVEL 3, MERIAL BUILDING, OSTERLEY WAY, MANUKAU CITY, NEW ZEALAND
Rural News // april 19, 2011
★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★
Flukes Fasciola
Tapeworms Monezia
Trichuris
★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ND ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★
L/worms Dictyocaulus
Lge Intestine Chabertia
Oesphagostomum
Trichostrongylus
Bunostomum
Cooperia
Nematodirus
Small Intestine
This survey will give a ready and easy-to-follow reference to the efficacy and spectrum of the many cattle anthelmintics available. It is compiled from information supplied by animal health companies. While the information has been verified by our animal health advisor, Rural News cannot accept responsibility for any inaccuracies. Key to survey: Note 1: Do not use in lactating cattle when milk is to be used for human consumption, or ★★★ = 95% to 100% efficacy within 28 days prior to calving. ★★ = 75% to 95% efficacy Note 2: Extra care must be taken to use the correct dose in calves under 100kg, particularly ★ = 50% to 75% efficacy if they are in light body condition because they may be susceptible to overdosing. COMMENTS... ND = Not detected Controls sucking lice. Has persistent activity against Cooperia and Ostertagia. Must be administered subcutaneously.
★★★ ★★★
★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★
Also for the control of internal and external parasites in deer. Also for the treatment and control of biting and sucking lice. Extended activity 14 days Cooperia, Ostertagia. Rainfast.
★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★
Low dose formulation ideal for cattle.
★★★ ★★★ HHH ★★★
★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★
★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★
HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH
HHH HHH HHH
★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★
★★
★★★ ★★★
ND
★★★ ND ★★★
★★★ ND ★★★
ND
★★★ ★★★ ★★★
ND
★★★ ND ★★★
★★★ ND ★★★
ND
★★★ ★★★ ★★★
Contains eprinomectin. Nil milk. Suitable for beef and dairy cattle. Also for the treatment and control of sucking lice.
★★★ Also for the control of sucking lice, Chorioptes spp. and Psoroptes spp. mites and biting lice. Persistent activity – up to 14 days Ostertagia ostertagi, up to 7 days Cooperia spp, up to 21days Dictyocaulus viviparus.
Outlaw Pour-on is also highly effective in the treatment and control of mature and immature strains of Cooperia spp resistant to the endectocides (including eprinomectin and doramectin). Levamisole is also very active against benzimidazole-resistant strains. Also for the treatment and control of sucking lice. Saturn Pour-on is also highly effective in the treatment and control of mature and immature strains of Cooperia spp resistant to the endectocides (including eprinomectin and doramectin). Levamisole is also very active against benzimidazole-resistant strains. Also for the treatment and control of sucking lice. Ovicidal.
★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★
Contains selenium, copper, cobalt, zinc and iodine. Ovicidal.
★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★
Contains selenium, copper, cobalt, zinc and iodine. Ovicidal.
★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★
★★
★★★ ★★★ ★★★
★★★ ★★★ ★★★
★★★ ★★★ ★★★
★★★ ★★
Also controls sucking and biting lice and mange mites. Persistent activity 14 days for Cooperia, 14 days for Trichostrongylus, 21 days Oesophagostomum, 28 days for Dictyocaulus, 21 days for Ostertagia. Rain resistant.
★★★ ★★★ ★★★ *1mL/15kg bwt (adult liver fluke dose rate).
★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★
★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★
Persistent activity: Oesophagostomum 7 days, Ostertagia, Cooperia, Trichostrongylus 14 days, Lungworm 21 days. Do not treat calves under 16 weeks of age.
★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★
Persistent activity: Ostertagia spp, Cooperia spp 14 days.
HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH
Alliance is a triple combination oral drench for cattle and sheep. Alliance contains: 25mg Cobalt and 5mg Selenium per 5mL dose.
★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★
CONVERGE is a dual combination oral drench for cattle and sheep. Converge contains: 25mg Colbalt and 5mg Selenium per 5mL.
★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★
Scanda is a dual combination oral drench for cattle and sheep.
★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★
Scanda selenised is a dual combination oral drench for cattle and sheep. Scanda selenised contains: Colbalt 0.4mg/mL and Selenium 1mg/mL.
★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★
ND
★★★ ND ★★★
★★★ ★★★ ND ★★★
★★★ ND ★★★
ND
★★★ ★★★ ★★★ Selenium added - 1.5mg/ml. ★★★
★★★ ★★★ ★★★
★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★
★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★
Eclipse Pour-on is also highly effective in the treatment and control of mature and immature strains of Cooperia spp resistant to the endectocides (including eprinomectin and doramectin). Levamisole is also very active against benzimidazole-resistant strains. Also controls sucking-biting lice. ★★★ Also controls sucking-biting lice. ★★★
★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★
★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★
Effective against mature and immature strains of Cooperia resistant to the endectocides. Ovicidal. Contains Selenium.
★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★
"Ovicidal". Each 10ml contains 20mg of selenium and 97mg of copper. Also in plain form. Can be used in deer.
★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★
"Ovicidal". Each 5ml dose contains minerals iodine, selenium, cobalt, copper and zinc. Can be used in deer.
★★★ ★★★ ND ★★★ ★★★
★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★
Also for the control of internal and external parasites in deer. Also for the treatment and control of biting and sucking lice. Extended activity 14 days Cooperia, Ostertagia. Rainfast.
★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★
★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★
★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★
★★
★★★ ★★★
★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★
★★
★★★ ★★★
★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★
★★★ ★★★ ★★★
★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★
★★★ ★★★
★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★
★★
★★★ ★★★ ★★★
★★★ ★★★ ★★★
★★★ ★★★ ★★★
★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★
★★★ ★★★
★★★ ★★★ ★★★
Controls sucking lice. Has extended activity for 28 days against Trichostrongylus, Ostertagia L4, Haemonchus spp and 21 days against Oesophagostomum and Ostertagia spp and 14 days against Cooperia. Must be administered subcutaneously. Also available with B12. Contains 2mg/ml Vitamin B12. No sting formulation. ★★★ Also for the simultaneous control of sucking lice, psoroptes sp mites and aids in control of biting lice and chorioptes mites. Label claim for persistent activity – product continues to control certain worms for 7-21 days after treatment. (Lungworm and hookworm 21 days, Ostertagia 14 days, Cooperia spp. Up to at least 7 days.) NZ studies show product is effective (>95%) against adults. Simultaneous control of external parasites including sucking lice and aids in control of biting lice. Label claim for persistent activity product continues to control certain worms for 7-21 days after treatment. (Lungworm and hookworm 21 days; Ostertagia 14 days, Cooperia spp. up to at least 7 days.) Weatherproof including rainfast. Bobby calves from treated cows have no withholding period. Controls roundworms and lungworm. Approved for use in all ages and classes of deer at same dose volume and rate as for cattle. For control of sucking and biting lice and manage mites (sarcoptes and chorioptes). Has label claim for increased milk production.
Low sting formula, persistent activity Ostertagia 14 days, Cooperia 7 days, Dictyocaulus Oesophagostomum 21 days. Also for use in pigs. Also controls sucking, biting and mange mites. Ovicidal. ★★★ Note 1 ★★★
★★★ ★★★ ND ★★★ ND
★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★
★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★
★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★
★★
★★★ Controls all stages of liver fluke plus roundworms and sucking lice. ★★★
Non sting. Also treats and controls biting lice and mange mites and aids in the control of sucking lice on cattle. Persistent activity: Ostertagia ostertagi and lungworm for 28 days.
★★★ ★★★
Rainfast. Also treats and controls biting and sucking lice and mange mites on cattle. Persistent Activity: Ostertagia ostertagi 35 days, Trichostrongylus axei and Haemonchus spp 28 days, Bunostomum phlebotomum, Oesophagostomum radiatum and Lungworm for 42 days.
★★★ ★★★
Also now for use in sheep as well as pigs. Persistent activity up to 28 days Ostertagia, Dictyocaulus. Up to 21 Days Cooperia, Trichostrongylus, Oesophagostomum. Up to 15 days Bunostomum.
★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★
Rainfast. Not adversely affected if applied when the hide is wet or if rain falls shortly after treatment. Also controls sucking and biting lice, mange mites. Persistent activity against re-infection up to 28 days for Ostertagia, Trichostrongylus axei and Dictyocaulus and up to 21 days against Cooperia, Oesophagostomum and Bunostomum.
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36
Rural News // April 19, 2011
machinery and products
Rollers’ knives slice, dice crop trash TONY HOPKINSON
AN ALTERNATIVE to mulching or topping to speed the breakdown of crop stubble and trash is offered by Origin Agroup’s Dal-Bo Maxicut 600. This three-section knifed roller (5.8m working width, 1220mm dia., made of 7mm steel) is for use immediately after harvesting crops such as maize, sunflowers, wheat and potatoes. The roller consists of three steeldrum sections each fitted with 15 sets of knives 180mm apart, running the full width of each drum. Each drum can be filled with
water for extra weight. The whole rig then weighs 6 tonnes and applies sufficient weight to cut clean through stubble. “This machine can work at 18-25km/h so 10ha can be covered easily in an hour,” says Origin Agroup managing director David Donnelly. The Maxicut is highly productive, with low running costs, he says. Design features include 70mm axles with taper-roller bearings and double-lip seals to cope with the high operating speeds and working stresses. Travel between jobs is easy, Origin says: hydraulically fold up the two outside sections and
CAMBRIDGE FARM ROLLERS
NEW 10ft Roller with Extension Drawbar & Screw Jack $6200 Vee Ring Roller Seeder Drill with Vee bottom seed box, hydraulic clutch, ext. drawbar, ...................... $17,000 Special rollers made to order, • All prices ex-Factory, Excl GST • Spare parts, Rings and Bearings. Competitive freight rates to the North Island 26"dia rings ................... $79.00 24"dia rings ................... $73.00 Ph: 0800-838 963 AUSTINS FOUNDRY LTD 131 King Street, Timaru www.austinsfoundry.co.nz
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Standard Subsoiler & Chute For tractors up to 100hp Optional sliding back chute can lay up to 40mm alkathene
lower the two large road wheels.
Tel. 07 823 7582 www.dal-bo.dk
Widespan sheds priced in a jiffy A FARM shed builder servicing the South Island says its advanced engineering software has been the main driver of “huge growth” since its set-up three years ago. Wide Span Sheds, Ashburton, says it can design to customers’ requirements and price a job “in minutes”. Maximum clear span and height are 30m and 8m respectively. “We attribute some of our growth to our computer system and design software, the most advanced software we know of for building pre-engineered buildings,” a spokesman says. The company offers a range of pre-engineered steel sheds
and buildings 100% made from New Zealand Steel products, using high-tensile 450MPa (or greater) galv steel with sheeting in Zincalume and Colorsteel. Sheds can be supplied in kitset form or fully built. “We offer
McINTOSH McIntosh Bros. Engineers Ltd Palmerston North Ph 06-356 7056 www.mcintosh.net.nz
customers opportunity to design and customise a shed, warehouse, workshop, commercial cover, or barn within our pre-engineered and efficient design environment,” the company says. “This ensures economy, ef-
ficiency and value without compromising on design. “Wind and snow loadings are based on an exact location, not a general area.” Tel. 03 308 0324 www.sheds.co.nz
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Rural News // april 19, 2011
37
machinery & products
Tow-along sheep yards suit small-block jobs
Depth control easier DEPTH ADJUSTMENTS in the tractor cab take immediate effect on Vaderstad’s new Rapid A 400S. This optional hydraulic arrangement is accompanied by ‘interactive depth control’, allowing the operator even more accurate establishment on variable soils, resulting in perfect emergence. And it allows faster shut-off of metering at headlands. The system provides the ability to alter drilling depth in small intervals for maximum yields, the maker says. “Interactive depth control makes Väderstad seed drills unique in drilling precision.”
TONY HOPKINSON
SHEEP
shearing and drenching plant from Hecton Products took the eye of Kevin Harvey (pictured), from Lake Brunner, at South Island Field Days, Lincoln. He has shorn professionally here in New Zealand and overseas. Nowadays, along with dairy farming, Harvey shears small mobs (20-200) for local farmers, small block holders and other dairy farmers. Rumour has it some farmers pay up to $10 per head for shearing, with health issues extra, and give away the wool. Where permanent shed and yards are not viable this plant suits, say, small block holders or the contractors who shear for them. The plant can be put up or taken down in five minutes, and parked handy to a single-phase
power outlet or run by portable generator, it’s simple and easy. The catching pen holds 12-15 sheep. It has a loading ramp and exit chute and a raised board for collecting the wool. Steel is galvanised and all timber hardwood
ply. The trailer is single axle and it comes with a spare wheel, jockey wheel, stands and lighting and registered. Price $9500+GST Tel. 03 215 6228 www.hecton.co.nz
Self-powered barrow
Tel. 06 356 4920 www.vaderstad.co.nz
BERTI MULCHERS RELIABLE. STURDY.
• Heavy duty RHS headstock • Double skin mulching chamber • 60mm stub shafts • Drop forged flail lugs • Double row self aligning bearings • Fully enclosed bearings “It’s been a very reliable machine. It’s convenient after pruning for tidying up the orchard, and it’s more convenient than getting a contractor. They’re good reliable heavy duty machines.”
ATTRACTING LOTS of attention at Central District Field Days,
this motorised wheelbarrow takes the grunt out of heavy loads. The BarrowBull is powered by a 2.5hp 2-stroke motor with a thumb throttle and centrifugal clutch. It can haul a 100kg load up a a 40-degree slope, then free wheels down. Rough ground is no obstacle, says inventor Tim Porter (pictured). “BarrowBull is as manoeuvrable as a push wheelbarrow, whether shifting firewood, concrete or dirt for landscaping.” Price: $995+GST
HAWKES BAY ORCHARDIST, - OWNER OF A BERTI TFB/M 180 FOR YOUR NEAREST D E A L E R P L E A S E C O N TA C T
NDC : 09 275 5555 SDC : 03 437 9000
sales@farmgard.co.nz farmgard.co.nz
www.barrowbull.co.nz
The DEUTZ-FAHR GROUP is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of tractors, combine harvesters, engines and agricultural machinery.
150
YEARS
BETTLE8429/4
IN THE BUSINESS
Visit your local Deutz-Fahr dealer to check out the full list of 10 reasons your next tractor should be a Deutz-Fahr.
ANOTHER REASON TO CHOOSE
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TRANSPORTABLE
The hydraulics are self-compensating; at every lift to the top position, lifting and calibration occur automatically. One press of a button in the cab activates the drilling depth adjustment function. Depth can then be altered in 1mm increments using the hydraulic level. After this adjustment the main cylinder is locked in the new position by double hydraulic valves. This makes ‘interactive depth control’ secure, with no risk of involuntary changes in drilling depth, Vaderstand says.
Rural News // april 19, 2011
39
machinery & products
Tough going no obstacle on Cape IMPLEMENT DISTRIBUTOR Farmgard
reports Gisborne farmer and contractor Michael Stuart (JBM Enterprises) likes the RZ CIN model folding offset discs he bought last spring through AP Machinery, Gisborne. Stuart, who works from Gisborne through to East Cape, spent the summer working his 600ha maize crop and a further 500ha for contracting clients. “We used the discs to achieve depth when breaking up grass paddocks and stubble,” he says. “Although we worked the ground afterwards with rippers and power harrows, the finish after using only the discs was almost up to planting standard.” The discs are offset and fully trailed with a double-acting lift ram and cursor for depth control. Depth of cut is one of the RZ Series discs’ biggest advantages, Stuart says. “Unlike some other discs, you don’t have to set them on full cut to get them to work efficiently and they can be pitched forward or back to achieve an even cut with a level paddock finish.” Rear roller and harrow options are available on the CIN models to enhance finishing ability. The discs ideally suit larger farmers and contractors working large
areas, Farmgard says. Stuart says his discs – made of “very high resistance” boron steel – have held up “very well” to his extensive use of them during the season. Blade weights of up to 125kg per disc make the CIN models ideal for primary cultivation, crop residue incorporation and seedbed preparation, the company says. They say Stuart looked at many brands before buying. Features include easy adjustment: by pulling one lever the operator can fold the discs out, adjust the cut and fold them up in the opposite direction. Other disc brands might require four different actions to do that, Stuart says. And he likes the discs’ compactness (they come
in widths up to 4m), he says. “The discs hydraulically fold down underneath to a width of 2.5m when not in use – simple and safe to transport and manoeuvre. We built a roller the same width to match and can drive the discs through farm gates and across bridges.” The discs are the flagship product of Farmgard’s RZ range of trailed discs and cultivation equipment from Europe. Other products in the RZ Series include tandem discs, multi-disc stubble incorporators, rippers, cultivators, rollers, sub-soilers and aerators, also sold by AP Machinery.
Tel. 09 275 5555 or 03 437 9000 www.farmgard.co.nz
PTO Driven Concrete Mixers Two Models 1250 & 750 litre capacity Paddle style mixer Hydraulic drive option
sales@agriquip.co.nz www.agriquip.co.nz
PHONE: 06 759 8402
FOR YOUR NEAREST DEALER
With models ranging from 40-300hp, there is a Deutz-Fahr tractor available for just about every application. And whilst the specifications may differ, every Deutz-Fahr tractor has the same pedigree, build quality and outstanding value for money proposition. n.
BETTLE8429/7
Visit your local Deutz-Fahr dealer to check out the full list of 10 reasons your next tractor should be a Deutz-Fahr.
ANOTHER REASON TO CHOOSE
40
Rural News // April 19, 2011
machinery & products
Eaten, not trodden AN ASHBURTON dairyman is using 20 AgBrand
Waste-Not S5 bolted-oval stock feeders to save fodder formerly trodden into the ground. Mark Slee, of Melrose Dairies, in 2009 bought 20 of the S5 units for his 2000-head herd. Th 3.8 x 1.6m unit has 26 feed positions. It suits large round and rectangular bales and loose feed. One is enough for 80 cows. Filling them with bales of straw ensured the feed was eaten instead of 30% of it being trodden and wasted. Next, Slee in 2010 bought several AgBrand weaner feeders for his calves, plus six more S5s. The 30% feed savings he was making enabled him to increase the farm’s stock. The company says the success of the S5 in mid Canterbury has prompted other dairy farmers to use these big feeders, allowing cows to eat big bales in their own time. Filled every two days, they ensure “almost total utilisation of feed” and save a lot of tractor and man hours.
Tel. 0800 104 404
Shed, floor lift stock count WOODCHIP
deep-litter
floors in dairy feedpad shelters make a 10% lift in cow numbers commonplace, says shed maker Redpath Pacific Ltd. Director Glen Williams says many customers use these floors and gain these increases. “Covering the feedpad allows this by reducing stress on pastures and better environmental conditions for the cows when extremes of weather hit the farm. “An added environmental benefit is the roof virtually eliminates rain washing an intensively used feedpad area. A shelter on Shane and Michelle Lawson’s Kerikeri dairy farm, where Redpath recently ran an open day, is on a very wind-prone site. “A great test for the building and its covering’s durability for a year,” Williams says. The shelters’ main benefits are minimal pasture damage and less lameness and mastitis. Lawson says the flooring “pretty much looks after itself, and the ‘affordable’ cost of the
buildings makes them efficient – a system that works and pays for itself quickly.” Lawsons began building their pad and shelter in April 2010. The job took two weeks. “Once we’d scraped the site level and had the under-floor drainage positioned Redpath had the building up and covered [within 10 days],” Lawson says. “We were pleased to have the use
MS1188
of the building through the wetter months.” Redpath says the clear Durashelter roofing membrane used on its dairy shelter is 30% thicker than previously offered. This gives superior resistance to wind and service life is now at least ten years. Durashelter roofing is crucial to the shelter’s performance, allowing a high percentage of UV
light through to the soft litter floor, keeping the litter dry and bacteria levels low. For warmer weather, optional overhead shade systems and fully ventilated roofs are ideal. Williams says the average cost of a building does not exceed $350 per cow. Tel. 0508 733 728 www.standoffshelters. co.nz
Rural News // april 19, 2011
41
motoring Rally hopeful seeks self-improvement TOP KIWI rally driver
Hayden Paddon (23) recently drove in the Rally of Otago aiming to improve his own and his new Subaru’s performance, so to benefit his world campaign. With co-driver John Kennard, Paddon is contesting the Production Car World Rally Championship, the feeder series to the World Rally Championship. The pair started their 2011 PWRC title bid perfectly, three weeks ago winning the production car class in Portugal by the largest margin in the category’s history. Paddon is supported by Palmerston North
businessman and former rally scholarship champion Robbie Leicester; he bought a new Subaru STI for Paddon to drive in the rally here. “There are benefits in [driving] a Subaru in New Zealand very similar to the car we’re now running in the PWRC with our Europe-based team Symtech,” says Paddon from his home near Geraldine. “We’ve done limited miles driving a Subaru and we have a lot more development and work to do. Going into this event we’re also testing new things with this Subaru which came from Possum Bourne Motorsport. All
this adds to our learning and on-the-road performance.” The Otago rally’s three Friday-night stages were expected to be a challenge. “I’ve done only a little bit of night rallying a few years ago. It’s an interesting concept… something I’m looking forward to… like driving in a tunnel. The pace notes have to be spot on.” Following Otago, Paddon and Kennard heads to Argentina to experience WRC rallying in South America for the first time. Their P-WRC campaign also takes them to Finland, Australia, Spain
and Great Britain, with another New Zealand event – the International Rally of Whangarei, which they’ve won three times – also on the calendar. www.haydenpaddon.com
RZ RANGE DEDICATION TO CULTIVATION
Eyes roll over bars PRESSURE IS growing in Aus-
tralia to have rollover protection made mandatory for ATVs but New Zealand distributors remain opposed to the equipment. The Australian Center for Agricultural Health & Safety has recommended all owners of ATVs fit rollover protection, joining similar calls by NSW Farmers Association, Australian Workers Union and Queensland-based Australian Agricultural College Corporation (AACC), reports Weekly Times. ATV safety is under the spotlight across the Tasman following the deaths of three people in ATV accidents in ten days. The agricultural college’s senior
instructor of intensive livestock, Barry Harding, says ATVs are widely used for mustering and handling stock. “The AACC is at the cutting
edge of adopting safe work practices and reducing the likelihood of serious accidents, by rolling out Quadbars across its sites,” Harding says. “The organisation is fitting quad
roll bars on all its quads to keep its students safe when training them on the correct usage of the farm equipment.” The Australian-made Quadbar is sold in New Zealand and distributor Stuart Davidson told Dairy News demand here is strong. He’s sold 38 of the 60 bars he bought from Australia early this year. “I didn’t know how it would go but you can’t help but sell products at field days,” Davidson says. “I’m fronting up and finding people are quite receptive to the bar and wanting to save their lives. “I thought I’d have to do the hard sell but it’s not like that. People approach me with all sorts of weird stories about falling of bikes and then they buy one.” And he says he was visited by
• Offset and Tandem Discs • Multidiscs • Cultivators • Rippers • Subsoilers
“I know of another farmer who has just bought the same set after seeing mine in use.” – Gisborne Farmer, owner of a set of CIN discs FOR YOUR NEAREST D E A L E R P L E A S E C O N TA C T
NDC : 09 275 5555 SDC : 03 437 9000 sales@farmgard.co.nz farmgard.co.nz
To page 42
A tractor is a vital business tool, and as such it needs to deliver the best results over a sustained period of time. It may be possible to buy cheaper, but when all the factors are weighed together a Deutz-Fahr tractor is unbeatable.
BETTLE8429/9
Visit your local Deutz-Fahr dealer to check out the full list of 10 reasons your next tractor should be a Deutz-Fahr.
ANOTHER REASON TO CHOOSE
RA66
TONY BENNY
42
Rural News // April 19, 2011
vintage
Boyhood nostalgia prompts hobby USUALLY YOU’LL find
The pride of the collection he showed at the late-summer Harvest Festival – a New Holland Super 77 hay baler from the early 1950s. For Davis the machine is particularly significant. “I was born and bred in Koputaroa just over the paddock from where this festival is held. “When we were kids
Brian Davis making hay or silage and doing the normal work of an agricultural contractor. Brian and his son Gary run a contracting business in Horowhenua, but Brian devotes his spare time to tractor restoring. His modest collection comprises three tractors and two old balers.
One had come up for sale in Dannevirke. He jumped to the telephone and a deal was done. these machines did all the hay baling in the district. This was done by an agricultural contractor named Kernohan. “I also have one of the old F20s Kernohan owned. I’ve restored it
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Brian Davis, Horowhenua, born just over the paddocks from the festival.
Eyes roll over bars From page 41
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Dairy Construction
and it’s also on show.” Davis had searched for six years for a New Holland Super 77 when, quite by chance, he heard from a member of the local machinery club that one was for sale in Dannevirke. He jumped to the telephone and a deal was done. Davis keeps busy contracting most of the year; restoration is his “winter hobby”. He sneak a few days off annually to help run and participate in the Harvest Festival. He is vice-chairman of the local farm machinery club and was happy with this year’s event and turnout, which attracted people from as far away as Auckland.
staff from the Department of Labour who, while they couldn’t be seen to support one particular brand, did seem to support the Quadbar. “They say farmers are reluctant to put on helmets and if they’re not wearing helmets, at least they’ve got a bar at the back there. Their idea was these would go a long way towards stopping injuries.” But New Zealand Motorcycle Distributors Association head Paul Stewart says rollover protection will not make ATVs safer.
“Our position hasn’t changed as an industry. We don’t recommend them. Honda in particular have done research indicating the proposed safety these people are talking about isn’t there,” says Stewart “An ATV is designed with rounded mudguards and plastics and those sorts of items so if something does happen, it effectively rolls over the top of you. “You might end up with an injury of some description but you will get away from it, you’ll fall
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off it and the machine continues to the bottom until it stops. But if you somehow can get entangled in items such as rollover protection you will just keep going until you get to the bottom.” Stewart says the industry stands by manufacturers’ recommendations and supports the Department of Labour’s safety programme. “People have to learn how to ride them properly, ride them in the right circumstances, wear a hat, be trained and keep children off them.”
Don 027 433 2212
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Rural News // april 19, 2011
43
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