Rural News 505 1 Dec 2011

stinging rebuke

riding into history

Call for tougher action against repeat biosecurity offenders. page 13

Vintage truck, IH 1-tonner, shows off its stuff. page 40

Rural NEWS

strategy rethink Feds’ vice president William Rolleston says clean and green tactic is outdated.

page 11

to all farmers, for all farmers

december 1, 2011: Issue 505

www.ruralnews.co.nz

Lamb numbers rebound p e t e r bu r k e

THIS SEASON’S lamb crop will be the second lowest in 55 years.

And, like last year, it will leave the sector short of meeting all its export market requirements.

A total of 26.5 million lambs were tailed this season. While this is a 7% increase on the previous year, it comes off last season’s all-time low of 24.79m. This season’s national average was 119 lambs born per 100 ewes (119%) compared to 110% last season. North Island lamb numbers are up by 7.3% to 12.41 million, while South Island lamb numbers are up by 6.7% to 14.10 million.

Rob Davison Beef + Lamb New Zealand director economic service Rob Davison, who conducted the survey, attributes the improvement to reasonably good weather for lambing and particularly during the peak of lambing compared with last year – where it was just a case of “bad luck because we were hit by storms at the peak lambing period”.

This year there have been better conditions over most of the country, although Southland, in the early stages of their lambing had a particularly cold wet period and early lambing down there was pretty tough, Davison says.

Federated Farmers says its gutting the best trading conditions in a decade correspond with our second smallest lamb crop in 55 years. Meat and fibre

chairwoman Jeanette Maxwell wants farmers to maximise value from their stock.

“We know from Beef+Lamb NZ and from our processors, that we’ve got the markets it’s just that we don’t have the available product.

“We’re now feeling the latent impacts of the Gisborne and Hawke’s Bay droughts, as well as the 2010 spring storms that struck the Manawatu, Southland and South Otago. In some key sheep farming areas, flocks are still in the process of being rebuilt.”

As farmers start to consign lambs for processing, Maxwell wants them to talk with their companies.

“This is to ensure the best return for the processor and for us as farmers.”

While the smaller lamb crop will affect our international trade, Davison says the lift in the lambing percentage is great in terms of productivity.

“You only have to go back to 1990 when we were only getting 100 lambs per 100 ewes and at the time that wasn’t bad,” he told Rural News.

“But nationally we are coming back to the 119% to 120%. This is showing the improvement in fertility. So there’s been a lot of management change, breed change and technology applied and management skill that’s lifted our lambing percentage and we still have to work with nature to achieve this,” he says.

Of the 26.5m lambs tailed this season, just over 20.5m will be destined

for our export markets.

While there has been an increase, it is revealing to note that 2011-12 will be the second lowest export lamb slaughter in 49 years. Only last season was lower. Davison says while in theory New Zealand may like to produce more lambs for export, the ability to do so is

limited given land use changes.

“A lot of our prime land for finishing lambs and prime cattle on has been converted to dairy farms in recent years.

The sheep and beef land is down in our estimation by about 24% since 1990, which explains why a lot of the sheep flocks have declined,” he says.

Another significant trend to show up in the survey is the weight of lambs.

Davison says last year New Zealand was hard pushed to supply its export lamb markets and even though the total tonnage of lamb will be up 5.3% on last year it’s still not huge in terms of world markets.

Canterbury’s winning formula SYNLAIT’S NEW $100 million milk plant- the Southern Hemisphere’s largest and most sophisticated infant nutritional facility- was officially opened last week. The Canterbury processor will make ‘Pure Canterbury’ infant formula for the growing Asian markets.

Priced at $80/can, the new formula will hit Shanghai supermarkets in December.

More than 300 guests, including global customers and local milk suppliers, gathered to celebrate the opening.

Full coverage on page 7.

Synlait’s chief executive John Penno with a can of ‘Pure Canterbury’ infant formula.

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Rural News // december 1, 2011

news 3 issue 505

www.ruralnews.co.nz

$7m NAIT bill looms PETER BURKE

News ������������������������������ 1-13 World ������������������������������ 15 Agribusiness ������������ 16,19 Markets �������������������� 20-21 Hound, Edna ������������������� 22 Contacts ������������������������� 22 Opinion ����������������������� 22-25 Management ����������� 26-29 Animal Health �������� 30-34 Machinery and Products ������������������ 35-40 Rural life ����������������������� 41 Rural Trader ���������� 42-43

THE TRUE cost of NAIT will hit dairy and beef farmers from next July when they may have to fork out about $7 million to fund most of the ongoing costs of the scheme.

Up until now, the government has paid the bulk of the establishment costs of the scheme, with farmers chipping in indirectly by way of levies paid through DairyNZ and Beef+Lamb New Zealand.

NAIT chief executive, Russell Burnard says once the scheme is properly established, it’s anticipated that the annual cost for running the scheme will drop to about $7.8 m of which $5.5 m will come directly from the industry.

But before all this is set in concrete, NAIT is consulting with interested parties on this proposal. A consultation document has been prepared and parties have until December 23 to make submissions.

A consultation document has been prepared and parties have until December 23 to make submissions.

However, from July 1, most of the cash to run NAIT will be collected directly from farmers by way of levy.

The budget for NAIT is set at $8.6m for the year beginning July 1, 2012 with the government picking up just $1.6 m of that in the first year.

But over time, it is planned that the industry will pick up about 65% of the cost of NAIT and government the balance.

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 online: www.ruralnews.co.nz Subscriptions: fionas@ruralnews.co.nz ABC audited circulation 80,327 as at 30.6.2011

Burnard says the cost will work out at about $2.50 per animal over its lifetime, the cost of which will be split between the purchase of a NAIT tag and a levy at slaughter. The tag levy would be $1.10 and slaughter levy $1.35.

“The levy cannot take effect until the NAIT legislation is passed by the new parliament, but it does have bipartisan support. This consulta-

tion is being carried out in anticipation of this legislation being passed and the scheme becoming operative from July 1 next year,” he says.

Burnard says the various interested parties will be informed about the proposal and it has been widely circulated in the media.

New funding tag: farmers will be asked to fork out $7m for “It’s on our web site. NAIT next year.

We are not planning to do a road show, as it’s the wrong time have got lost in the drawn out discussions on when NAIT would or of the year for that. But obviously if wouldn’t happen. anyone wants us to go out and talk to “Certainly Feds will be aware of them we are happy to do so,” he says. it at the political level. We’ve been Following this consultation, NAIT informing them all the way through will analyse the submissions early in the new year and get this advice to the this process. We’ve engaged a broad sector working group to try and get Minister of Biosecurity. the best levy structure that works.

Burnard says the industry fund“That includes the policy analysts ing of NAIT should not come as a surat the levy funder level and includes prise to farmers whose leaders have the MIA and the Federation, but been kept informed throughout the whether the rank and file members process. are aware of it, that’s in the eye of the However, he admits the fact beholder,” he says. that farmers will have to pay, might

‘Wool sector needs a spin’ THINGS ARE not right in the wool industry and if reappointed as the Agriculture Minister, David Carter is promising action.

Just days before the election, Carter told Rural News that there needs to be discussion with the wool unity group to see what can be done to reinvigorate the industry. He says there have been a couple of capital-raising issues which have tended to unsettle the industry.

“The big one was with WPI and the current one with Wool Equities.

Until the latter is sorted, one way or the other, not much can be done and it would not be appropriate to try and bring the wool unity group together to discuss the matter.”

Carter says once the capital raising issue is out of the way, that would be the time to get the wool unity group back around the table and see what can be done to get some solidarity and confidence back into the wool industry.

“The question will be are there appropriate people or do we need to widen the focus and see whether there are other leading players who aren’t involved and what can be done to reinvigorate this industry? I don’t think any other Minister of Agriculture has done more than me to try and drive some unity in the wool industry,” he says.

Carter says he understands why many farmers are disillusioned with the wool industry, but he says the

good news is that the price of wool has increased significantly in the past 18 months.

“As a New Zealand industry, we have done nothing to consolidate that price increase. We need to look back and see what’s happening here in New Zealand in its totality and see if we can get some coordination, drive and confidence into the wool industry,” he says.

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Rural News // December 1, 2011

4 news in brief Hogget mating grows IN RECENT years there’s been much talk about the value of hogget mating and farmers have been encouraged to get ewe hoggets up in weight to mate them.

This year’s BLNZ’s Economic Service estimates that 1.16 million lambs were born to hoggets – a startling increase of 28.3% over last season.

The director of the economic service, Rob Davison says a combination of good feed supplies, low stocking rates and strong

prices have encouraged this move.

“The trend is fairly significant and we are just returning to where we were going back about four years ago we would have about 4% of our lambs tailed this year will be from hoggets,” he says.

While the North Island produced slightly more lambs from hoggets than the South Island – as it did in the previous year – much of the increase this year came from the Otago and Southland regions.

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Weakening dollar to offset price drop A LEADING economist is predicting the New Zealand dollar to drop buffering farmers from lower commodity prices in the coming year.

Dominick Stephens, Westpac’s chief economist, told Rural News that the slowing global economy will cause a dip in New Zealand’s export prices. He notes this is already happening with dairy prices and believes there will also be a shakedown for meat prices with both lamb and beef prices dipping in the short term.

But he’s confident for the longer term outlook.

Stephens is predicting that a fall in the New Zealand dollar will continue to provide a buffer for farmers.

“We’ve pointed out over the years is that the New Zealand dollar does act as an effective buffer at least for dairy farmers and for sheep meats, although not necessarily for beef. So what tends to happen is that as global food prices fall, the dollar falls and the impact for farmers is moderated.”

Stephens says there’s a double reason why we can expect the exchange rate to fall. “Firstly we expect a dip in global food prices, but the other one is that investors around the world are becoming wary of small volatile places like New Zealand and so we think the decline in the exchange rate could be bigger than you’d normally expect.”

Stephens expects the New Zealand dollar to be around US70c. At the end of last week, the dollar was

hovering around US74c.

The main reason why global food prices will fall is because of what’s going on in Asia, he says.

“The Asian economy has been fairly resilient to what’s going on in Europe, but China and India has been steadily tightening monetary policy and I think they are going to get their wish to slow their economy and therefore bring food prices down a little bit.”

Stephens says the best case scenario in the Eurozone is a recession involving banks tightening up on lending and governments cutting back on spending.

The worst case scenario would be a banking crisis which would be pretty severe.

“But whatever happens, we do think the Eurozone is heading into recession and it’s just another cause of lower demand really for food products although the effect on New Zealand will be minimal. The main impact in New Zealand from Europe will really be credit.”

He believes with the banking systems in Europe stretched, New Zealand banks may find it more difficult to obtain funds from overseas and that could precipitate an increase in interest rates – including lending to farmers.

Overall, Stephens thinks that interest rates in New Zealand need to rise.

“We have huge reconstruction tasks ahead of us in Christchurch and I think what could happen there is as we drag people

A lower dollar is good news for meat and dairy exporters

into the construction industry, unemployment will fall rapidly. The cost of construction will rise which will have impacts for farmers. Those two things will put a bit of pressure on inflation forc-

Dairy priceS rise THE AVERAGE price for dairy prices in Fonterra’s online auction rose 2.6% two weeks ago.

It had fallen 1.2% in the previous event two weeks earlier.

The average price of wholemilk powder, the main product on the Global Dairy Trade auction platform, was up 2.6% on the last sale at $US3574 per tonne, while average prices for anhydrous milk fat climbed 8% to $US3571.

Milk protein concentrate was up 11.3% to $US6247. But rennet casein average prices took a hit, falling 9.7% to $US8420.

The next auction will take place on December 6.

In October, Fonterra reduced its 2011-12 season forecast payout by 45c to $6.70$6.80/kgMS. The co-op blamed the drop on a continued softness in commodity prices and a stronger New Zealand dollar.

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Rural News // december 1, 2011

news 5

‘Fruit and veg prices fair’ SUD ES H K I SSUN

EAT MORE seasonal fruits and vegetables and take advantage of specials.

That’s the message from David Smith, the new chairman of United Fresh, an umbrella body representing growers, wholesalers and retailers.

Smith doesn’t agree that fruit and vegetable prices are out of reach of many consumers. It’s all about smart shopping, he says. He points out that supermarkets run six to eight specials daily on local fruit and vegetables.

While United Fresh doesn’t dictate pricing to retailers, he believes New Zealand prices are still economical compared to Australia.

“Bananas in Australia have been priced at $10/kg for the last six months and in New Zealand you can buy a banana for 50c,” he told Rural News. “If people

buy seasonal fruit and vegetables and take advantage of specials, they can feed their families economically.”

He says United Fresh is always looking at delivering fruits and vegetables in the most effective way to consumers. This is being done while supply chain costs like internal freight, cool storage and quality control are on the increase.

At the same time, he says changes in the way people shop are also important. Online shopping and farmers markets make the retail business complex.

Horticulture New Zealand has come under fire from consumers for high fruit and vegetable prices.

But it says supermarkets increase margins based on their costs.

Smith says United Fresh doesn’t discuss pricing at its meetings for

David Smith

commercial reasons.

United Fresh, which recently celebrated 20 years of service to the produce industry, includes the two big supermarket chains Progressive and Foodstuffs as well as HortNZ. It represents an industry valued at more than $5 billion with more than 60 fresh products, providing 50,000 jobs and exporting to more than 120 countries.

Smith believes that the organisation has achieved

in brief

significant milestones during its 20-year history. He says it is unusual to have powerful players like Progressive and Foodstuffs along with wholesalers and growers all at the same table, making decisions and acting in the best interests of the industry and ultimately the consumer.

“That’s been a big challenge, but we have got there, and I’m very proud of the industry’s achievement,” he says.

Smith says the 5+ A Day programme, launched 16 years ago, has been an outstanding success. The 5+ A Day message is now taught to more than 500,000 primary and intermediate school students.

The programme is highly respected internationally.

He says that while other countries have similar 5+ A Day programmes operating; New Zealand’s is one of the few to be

The 5+ A Day campaign has been a success for United Fresh.

entirely driven by the produce industry. In addition, United Fresh supplies 100,000 pieces of fruit and vegetables to decile 1 and 2 schools each school day as part of the Fruit in Schools programme. That equates to 12 million pieces of produce each year.

“We are actually working in an area of public

health which is very rewarding for everyone, whether they are a grower or a supermarket manager,” Smith says.

Other United Fresh achievements include; the tightening up of food safety (especially in the ‘ready to eat’/pre-prepared market), traceability issues (tracking produce

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It is running an online survey of members on the issue. Feds’ Dairy chairman Willy Leferink says it believes farmers and consumers should have the option of selling and buying raw drinking milk from the farm gate.

“What we’re consulting members on is the legal means to sell raw milk from the farm gate. Not that we want to compete with the supermarkets,” he says.

“Why on earth would we when you can buy two litres of fresh milk cheaper at Karori New World than at Coles in Sydney?

from farm to consumer), standardising packaging material to increase efficiencies globally, labelling (to show country of origin) and bar coding of fruit.

Smith has replaced long-time horticultural leader, Ron Becroft who headed United Fresh for 10 years.

“Perhaps some have realised consumers aren’t being ripped off; let’s face it milk has fallen off the electoral radar.

“What we’re talking to our members about is the old ‘five litre rule’ for selling unpasteurised or raw milk from the farm gate. These rules are long in the tooth and come from a time when pasteurised milk in rural areas was hard to get and fridges were a luxury item.

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Rural News // December 1, 2011

6 news

Strawberries leave MAF red-faced FARMERS ARE concerned that imported strawberry seed kits went on sale without proper biosecurity checks.

HortNZ president Andrew Fenton says the situation is serious and urges people to destroy Buzzy brand strawberry kits if they have purchased them from The Warehouse.

“People might think that these are just little plants in their backyard but they could carry viruses that could damage our industry,” Fenton says.

There is potential for any diseases carried on these seeds to be transmitted to New Zealand strawberry plants, he adds.

“Unless we get 100% of these kits destroyed, there is still a risk left out there, which could eventually cost growers in lost production and higher crop protection costs.

“We are very concerned that this

mistake has happened. MAF’s rules are very clear that these seeds should not have entered the country.

“Vigilance at the border is absolutely critical. We need to make sure we have the resources at the border to do the job properly.”

About 7000 packs were imported from China and 1,362 of them remain unaccounted for.

MAF response manager Glen Neal says the seeds in the kits were imported and mistakenly released for sale when they should have been quarantined and tested for a range of plant viruses.

“If these seeds are planted and get into the wider environment, they have the potential to introduce viral diseases to several horticultural crops including strawberries,” he says.

“While we think the risk of the seeds in the kits being infected and then

viruses subsequently being transmitted from adult plants to commercial horticultural operations are very low, we are keen to get back or account for as many kits as possible to further minimise any risk.

“The seeds and any resulting plants or fruit do not pose any human health risk. The concern is about plant health,” Neal says.

MAF is still investigating the circumstances behind the importatio.

Wayne Reynolds (left), with one of the judges Errol Thom, DairyNZ (right) and farm assistant Loel Alaiza.

Region names pasture kings

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WAIKATO’S BEST pastures have been identified.

According DairyNZ, Gordonton dairy farmers Wayne and Raewyn Reynolds and Cambridge farmer Andrew Myers have the best pastures in the Waikato/Bay of Plenty.

The farms were entered into the pasture renewal persistence competition, run by the DairyNZ-led pasture renewal leadership group – which includes researchers, the seed industry, farmers and agricultural contractors.

Judges, Chris Glassey and Errol Thom from DairyNZ, Bay of Plenty farmer Stuart McHardy and last year’s winner of the competition, Paul Vossen, were impressed with the quality of the entries.

“All the finalists showed excellent pasture management skills across the board and had Field day details an eye for detail November 30, 10.30am when it came to Wayne and Raewyn Reynolds grazing man377 Woodlands Road agement, endoGordonton phyte selection, weed control, December 8, 10.30am and nitrogen Andrew Myers usage,” says 243 Reynolds Road Glassey.

RD3, Cambridge The Reynolds won the best pasture sown more than three years ago, while Myers took out the category for best first year pasture.

The winners each receive $1000 of pasture renewal products, including seed from Agriseeds and Agricom, and herbicide from Gavin Grain.

The judges believe Myer’s preparation and planning were key to his success.

“To date everything has been done correctly and you won’t see a much better result,” says Glassey. “Andrew identified that the process of pasture renewal is costly and time consuming so you may as well look after it to get a return on your investment.”

For Thom it was the Reynolds’ exceptional record keeping that made them stand out.

“Each paddock’s pasture production and condition was carefully monitored through weekly farm walks and this information was used to draft a plan that prioritises the paddocks for renewal,” says Thom. “Regrassing decisions are based on where ryegrass persistence is poor and not just on pasture production.”

Farmers will be able to hear more detail about the farms at two field days.

Rural News // december 1, 2011

news 7

Synlait milking it with baby formula sales tony b e nny

THE FIRST product from Synlait’s new $100 million infant formula plant will appear on supermarket shelves in Shanghai in the next fortnight.

The factory was officially opened last week

by Trade Minister Tim Groser, while at the same time the first baby formula product, ‘Pure Canterbury’, was launched.

Synlait’s 51% owner, Chinese company Bright Dairy, is also its first customer and will sell the New Zealand manufactured product for about $80 a can.

“What we are finding is there’s premiums available for products from this part of the world and it’s all about the trust that’s provided when you make and finish a product here when it goes into the market sealed,” says Synlait Milk chief executive John Penno.

“If it’s got all the good things about New Zealand sealed up in a can, they’re prepared to pay premiums for that and that’s something you can’t take away.”

Penno says demand for infant formula is growing worldwide and New Zealand is recognised as a source of quality product and that’s what has

FTA triggered investment – Penno NEW ZEALAND’S free trade agreement with China was a key in Synlait’s decision to build a $100 million infant formula plant, says chief executive John Penno.

He says the free trade agreement applies to its new ‘Pure Canterbury’ product from February next year.

“You sit down with the Chinese customers – at times they don’t know these things are in place, you have to explain what they are, what it means to them and they go and do their homework and suddenly they’re there talking to you about taking product.”

Trade minister Tim Groser says New Zealand agricultural companies have often been criticised for exporting

driven the factory expansion in Dunsandel, Canterbury.

‘Pure Canterbury’ brand formula.

“The infant formula plant we’ve built is very

commodities and not adding enough value to their products, but it was often out of their control because of tariffs.

“There’s a very technical thing in international trade negotiations called tariff escalation and what it means is the tariff escalates, or grows, the higher up the value chain you go.

“Many of our customers before we were able to open these markets give you essentially duty free trade up to certain levels for the base product and then prohibitive tariffs and other barriers on the processed stuff,” Groser says.

But with the FTA taking effect, Synlait can now supply its high value product to China.

large and it will be supplying lots of different customers – we would expect be supplying up to ten customers in five countries within 12 months,” Penno says.

“Bright is one of our customers, but they’ll be one of many. As a new product coming into the market, we would expect it to start small but grow and Shanghai’s a pretty important market.”

The plant is the largest baby formula maker in the Southern Hemisphere and Synlait general manager Neil Betteridge says it’s also the

most sophisticated.

He says the nutritional customers around the world demand the best and you only have one chance to get it right.

“The mix kitchen end, we think, is world leading – we’re mixing up batches to the customers’ specifications that they require in their cans so every can has to be consistent and identical. It’s paramount that we get it correct every time so we’ve invested a lot of money in automation and checking that all those compositional systems are accurate.”

Penno says the move from commodities to higher value products is

Synlait’s new $100 million milk plant.

very significant for Synlait.

“We’re starting to earn more from the same inputs, from the same farms, the same fertiliser, the same labour and it’s so important for us to do that.

“We’re aiming to put as much as we can into finished cans because we can capture the most value for ourselves and for the country the further along the value chain we get. For us, the strategy is about building volumes of this product because it’s so

much more valuable than the other products we can make.”

Synlait also unveiled its new branding last week, “repositioning the company as a global nutrition business”. But the strategy for the infant formula is to work with established brands rather than launch products under the Synlait banner.

“The plant’s new, we’re building into this market, we’re learning a huge amount by working in partnership with those

people and we’ll see what happens next,” Penno says.

“It takes considerable equity to develop a brand and do it properly so you need to be in a strong financial position which our partners are,” Synlait chairman Graeme Milne added.

“And it’s a careful decision that you would make if you make a decision to go into competition with your customers – sometimes that’s not a very good idea.”

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Index 52

Contact Information Back Cover

Rural News // December 1, 2011

8 news

Bank launches $60m young farmer fund Graham Turley

A NEW $60 million scheme, designed to help more young people own or have a financial interest in a farm, has been launched

by ANZ. The bank says it will offer unsecured loans of

up to $50,000 in a bid to help what it describes as ‘talented young people’ into farm ownership. ANZ plans to spend $60 million over the next five years on the venture, which will also include a series

of seminars and special coaching for those applying for loans under the scheme The ANZ’s managing director, commercial and agri, Graham Turley says the amount of capi-

tal required to buy a farm has now soared to over $1 million. He says there is “a lost generation” of New Zealanders turning their backs on agriculture with the average age of farmers increasing. It now stands at 50.

Turley says ANZ is relaxing its credit criteria to make loans of up to $50,000 without any security. He says quite often young people don’t have any assets on which to secure a loan to get up on the first rung of the ladder to ownership.

“It’s really hard for a young person working on a farm to try and get into a lower order share milk position or to lease some property. We’re saying we can help you on an unsecured basis if you can demonstrate the skills that are required to get into farming and you don’t have the financial backing.

We are happy to back you

to get on that first rung of the ladder and hopefully you’ll be away laughing,” he told Rural News.

However, the bank says it is not being reckless with this offer. Turley says it won’t be available to anyone who walks into the bank and says they want to go farming.

“People will have to demonstrate, by way of a business case, about what they want to do and we’ll help them with that by offering training on budgeting and business planning. This is a start up package which will help young people and speed up their entry into farm ownership,” he says.

In terms of interest rates, Turley says these will be standard market rates which he adds are currently pretty low.

“The hardest part of getting people into farming at the moment is not interest rates.”

West Coast battles floods

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FARMERS ON the West Coast were busy last week repairing fences and tracks as a result of floods.

One farmer was reported as having more than 100 metres of fences damaged by the torrent of water which came down the Grey River.

Federated Farmers West Coast president Katie Milne flew over some of the worst affected areas of the Grey Valley and saw small farm bridges washed away and farm tracks damaged by slips. She says the flood was on a par with the big floods in 1988 and 1997-98.

“There’s a lot of silting damage caused by slips and some of the river banks have been eroded. There have been stock losses, mainly sheep but we still don’t know the exact numbers. Dairy Katie Milne farmers were able to move stock a little easier and they don’t appear to have suffered many stock losses,” she says.

Milne says some dairy farms had floodwaters through their sheds and they had to wait until the floodwaters receded before they could pump out the pits and resume milking. Milk collection was also delayed because of floodwaters blocking both main and arterial roads.

She says one of the unique features of the West Coast’s rivers’ is while they rise quickly; they also fall quickly and this helps recovery.

“The lower Grey River was where most of the floodwaters accumulated. The other problem was with the Ahaura, which has a steep gorge and feeds into the Grey River.”

The exact cost of the damage is still being assessed and Milne says while the floods will be disastrous for some individuals, overall it may not be as bad as others.

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Rural News // December 1, 2011

10 news Two Bay of Plenty kiwifruit growers plan to merge as Psa causes havoc in the industry.

Kiwifruit merger vote BARBA RA GILLHAM

THE PROPOSED merger between kiwifruit companies Satara and Seeka will be voted on by Satara shareholders this week.

The amalgamation is an effort by the post-harvest operators to help the kiwifruit industry survive and grow despite the devastat-

ing effects of Psa, which is now impacting the entire industry.

Chief executive of HortNZ Peter Silcock believes the amalgamation of Seeka and Satara highlights the ability of New Zealand’s horticultural industry to adapt, change and position itself for the future.

“Psa is impacting on the entire kiwifruit industry and the amalgamation of these two post-harvest entities is just part of the wider restructuring the industry is facing.

It is critical that the industry makes these changes quickly and retains the capacity and expertise that it needs for the future.”

Seeka chief executive Michael Franks describes it is a “positive” deal that will allow the two companies to concentrate on fruit volumes in the face of a severe crop reduction due to Psa and combine their most efficient pack houses.

“The post-harvest sector is currently quite fragmented and whether further consolidation of the industry is needed is hard to say.

“Crops have been significantly affected and some orchards have now been removed.

“This impacts on the whole community, because it is not just the growers being affected.

But also those who work for them, the businesses in local towns that provide services to them and that rely on their custom – it really affects the local economy.”

Satara chairman Hen-

drik Pieters says the impact of Psa disease on crop volumes is very difficult to gauge.

“Currently we are down about 10% on our gold crop and that figure is climbing as is the level of Psa in our green orchards.

It’s difficult to have an answer, there are a lot of decisions to be made about what to do and those decisions will ultimately come down to the individual growers.

“We’ve done our numbers and decisions do need to be made as our harvest will be down next year, we will need to show leadership.”

Pieters comments echo those of Silcock who sees Psa impacting significantly on kiwifruit next year.

“Psa has had a devastating effect on the kiwifruit industry and amalgamation may be one way more companies will go in the future,” he says.

Psa in Auckland?

PUKEKOHE KIWIFRUIT growers fear the deadly virus Psa may now be in their vines, with two suspected outbreaks detected recently.

If tests confirm growers fears’ it will be a major blow for the kiwifruit industry which has already been hit hard by the disease.

Biosecurity agency Kiwifruit Vine Health general manager John Burke has described the potential new cases as “disappointing”.

An incursion tracing report on the two affected orchards is currently underway, it is hoped this may provide clues as to how long the disease has been in New Zealand.

Depending on test results, Pukekohe may soon join the Waihi and the Katikati regions which have been declared priority zones by the agency since Psa was discovered in local orchards.

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Rural News // december 1, 2011

news 11

‘Clean and green strategy invalid’ p e t e r bu r k e

THE DAYS of selling New Zealand products based solely as ‘clean and green’ are gone, says Federated Farmers vice president William Rolleston.

He believes the “real fundamentals” are good science, secure safe food and freshness, “Those are the things we have a good reputation for,” he told Rural News.

“With clean and green we’ve heard a lot of talk about it. But the difficulty is it’s more a fad than a long-term sustainable marketing ploy.”

Rolleston says New Zealand’s marketing position long-term should be based on good science, secure safe food and freshness.

He says supermarkets follow fashion and fashion comes and goes.

While he doesn’t have any issues about New Zealand selling itself as clean and green, we’ve got to use science to prove it.

“That may be difficult, but if New Zealand wants long-term, sustainable wealth we’ve got to build our products on things that are long-term and sustainable.”

He says while traceability is important, it needs to be market driven so farmers will respond to market signals.

“The other thing about traceability is that it does offer an ability to add value to your products – particularly if you can add value at the farm gate level you can get higher returns back to the farmer.

But again, I say, it has to be market driven, not driven by some regulation.”

On the issue of science funding for agriculture, Rolleston believes

William Rolleston

this decreased when the system moved from the DSIR to CRI’s. He says New Zealand is too small for the competitive model of allocating money for science and the system hasn’t really worked.

“We’ve got limited resources so we need strategic collaboration to actually deploy those resources in an efficient way. The Ministry of Science and Innovation is now moving to do that.”

Rolleston says he hasn’t done a good analysis of what proportion of the funding is allocated to applied science.

He adds that one of the big advantages is New Zealand has good medical research and this has a link to agriculture.

“Medicine and agriculture are one in the same thing, in that you are looking at the cellular level and you can then use these processes to move into more applied research and eventually deployment onto the farms,” he says.

Rolleston wants Federated Farmers to look at science funding at a strategic level and ensure the government is putting in place strategies that build up New Zealand’s capability in agricultural science sector.

Rolleston believes the science sector needs to go through a rebuilding phase in terms of agricultural science-related issues.

Inhibitor helps boost nitrogen – study FARMERS USING urea treated with a urease inhibitor can expect a better nitrogen boost to pasture and crops, according to independent research conducted by AgResearch.

Ballance Agri-Nutrient says the research demonstrates that its SustaiN Green product, which is urea treated with the urease inhibitor Agrotain, offers farmers more flexibility to apply nitrogen when it’s needed most or when it suits them better – even if the weather or soil conditions are not optimal.

Urea is most common form

of nitrogen fertiliser used in New Zealand and promotes rapid pasture and plant growth. However, nitrogen uptake can be weatherdependent with farmers trying to time applications to coincide with rain so the nitrogen gets quickly into the soil.

Balance’s head of research and environment Warwick Catto says without rain, urea tends to convert rapidly to ammonium (ammonia volatilisation), which reduces its effectiveness and also raises the soil pH. “SustaiN Green has shown

increased yields compared with standard urea. And because Agrotain-treated urea is less volatile, it gives farmers more flexibility,” he says.

“Typically farmers need to watch the weather carefully before they apply urea and hope they get good rainfall within a couple of days to ensure the nitrogen is diffused into the soil away from the surface.”

Catto says years of research show many factors that influence nitrogen loss.

The rate of application, level

of rainfall and low soil moisture all contribute to ammonia volatilisation.

“So if there’s little rainfall after application, nitrogen loss will increase. This is where SustaiN Green can produce major benefits for farmers.”

Ballance sales and marketing general manager Graeme Smith says while the price of SustaiN Green is slightly more than the company’s standard urea price, there are still savings to be made from reduced nitrogen loss and returns via better production.

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Rural News // december 1, 2011

news 13

‘Serial offenders should be stung’ Poor beekeeping practices to blame

gar e t h gillat

PROSECUTING REPEAT offenders is required to stop multiple American Foulbrood outbreaks, say bee industry leaders.

The disease has broken out in Hawke’s Bay and Northland, and has the potential to spread to other parts of the country.

The Hawke’s Bay apiary community was rocked with two major American Foulbrood outbreaks during the last two months.

The first, in the Waiohiki and Taradale areas, resulted in 36 hives being destroyed in September and more cases discovered in late November. The second, in the Bay View area, claimed 14 hives with more still to be checked.

A total of 74 hives have been burnt in the region this spring with apiarists on the lookout for more infected hives. Hawke’s Bay Beekeepers Association president, John Berry, says ‘repeat offenders’ had a significant part to play in the outbreak.

“In one case, an apiarist took 40 diseased hives they knew were diseased and put them in an apiary in the centre of the main apple growing area of Hastings surrounded by about 1000 hives.”

Hawke’s Bay isn’t the only region to be hit with higher than normal American Foulbrood incursions with Whangarei AP2 inspector (a beekeeper approved by AsureQuality to inspect other hives) Michael Fox saying that he had seen a 50% increase in American Foulbrood in his region during the last 12

Beekeepers want tougher action taken against those responsible for American foulbrood outbreaks.

months.

“And that is only in hives we know about.

There has been an increase in both registered and unregistered hives in the past 12 months.”

being prosecuted when there have been gross breaches,” Berry asks.

MAF senior policy analyst Paul Bolger attributes this reluctance to a shortage of funds and the dif-

“It can be frustrating to spend thousands putting together a case and go to court only to have the defendant burn the offending hive the night before.”

– Paul Bolger Fox and Berry are among a growing number of beekeepers calling for MAF and American Foulbrood National Pest Management Board to take a tougher line on beekeepers that repeatedly breach standards set down by the American Foulbrood Pest Management Strategy, which falls under the umbrella of the 1993 Biosecurity Act. “They’ve got the ability to do it [prosecute] but they hardly ever do,” says Fox. “Why are people not

ficulty of gathering the necessary evidence to court.

He says for a case to be taken in front of a judge it would be necessary to prove either that a beehive infected with American Foulbrood hadn’t been destroyed within an allotted time period or an infected hive had been taken and moved to another location where it could be ‘robbed out’ by other bees.

“It can be frustrating to spend thousands putting together a case and go

to court only to have the defendant burn the offending hive the night before, telling the judge: ‘I’ve been under a lot of stress’ and seeing the judge letting them off with a warning”.

Bolger suggests that having photographic evidence of all of the frames of an infected hive, both at the site it was reported to be infected and then again in the new location could potentially be enough – but even then he was not sure.

He admits it is difficult on a limited budget.

“The AFB strategy gets something like $200,000 – $300,000 a year in resources, while TB gets something like $60 – 80 million.”

However, beekeepers and AP2s say that American Foulbrood has the potential to be a great deal more serious than TB. According to Fox, American Foulbrood spores can live for up to 50 years in old beekeeping equipment and hives.

WHILE AMERICAN Foulbrood is spread from one insect to another, poor beekeeping practices and hive management are probably the most common reasons for its distribution. They are: • Poor management practices like using equipment which has been used on an infected hive to inspect a new hive.

• Getting it from another hive within a 5km radius. Bees look for food in other hives during winter. If a hive is dying because of an American Foulbrood outbreak then it becomes an easy target for other hives in the area.

• If you have a hive that has died or doesn’t appear to be healthy call a local inspector to check it out. If you have confirmed that it is American Foulbrood destroy the hive and your equipment and notify MAF immediately.

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Rural News // december 1, 2011

world 15

Motion to disaband MLA voted down A MOVE by Australian beef producers to wind up the industry’s umbrella body, Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA), has failed.

A motion filed by Australian Beef Association received support from only 10.39% of votes cast at MLA’s annual meeting this month. Outgoing chairman Don Heatley says the industry should put the vote behind it and come together.

“I thank MLA members and the industry for the enormous support that they have shown the company. It is now time to work together as an industry and look to the future,” says Heatley, who retired after six years at the helm.

The Australian Beef Association had not expected the motion to pass. But it remains hopeful the MLA will be disbanded in the longer term and replaced with a more streamlined organisation focused on keeping and expanding key markets.

“If there was anything positive to come out; it was the admission that a change needs to be initiated,” ABA spokesman Brad Bellinger told reporters.

The motion required 75% support to pass. The Australian Meat Producers Group opposed the motion saying there was nothing to be gained from winding up the MLA and was satisfied with its commitment to review operations.

Managing director, Scott Hansen reiterated

MLA’s role within the industry.

“MLA is not the industry representative body, it is not a policy or a regulatory body, we are a marketing and R&D services company,” he says.

“MLA’s role is to create opportunities across the cattle, sheep and goat supply chains by optimising the return on collective investment in marketing and R&D.” He says this includes investing in R&D to create opportunities to reduce the cost of production, improve the feed base and animal welfare for livestock. It also includes investing in marketing to create opportunities for increased demand for your products.

New South Wales cattle producer Rob Anderson was appointed as the new MLA chairman.

Anderson says he is looking forward to working with management and the board to ensure MLA continues to create opportunities for the Australian cattle, sheep and goat industries from the investment of their levies in R&D and marketing.

He paid tribute to Heatley on his successful term as MLA chairman.

“Don Heatley’s unwavering commitment to the Australian red meat and livestock industry has provided strong leadership through some of the most challenging times for our industry.”

In his final chairman’s address Heatley paid tribute to the resilience of the

in brief Helping Chile THE HEAD of Massey University’s Institute of Natural Resources Unit has just returned from southern Chile.

Professor Peter Kemp has been helping farmers and scientists in that country improve production. Chile is an area which has strong New Zealand connections going back over 40 years and where Fonterra runs a processing facility.

Kemp, who’s an expert is pasture science, has been involved in a research project in Chile which is aimed at improving sheep and dairy pastures.

“They use the same species of grasses that we do.”

livestock industry.

“Looking back over the 13 years on the MLA board, I’ve seen the resilience of Australian livestock producers displayed

time and time again. We’ve seen drought, floods, the Aussie dollar swing from US49c to US110c, demand in global markets run hot and cold. But no matter

what’s been thrown at us, we’ve knuckled down and got on with the job of producing safe, quality meat for the world’s consumers,” he says.

Rob Anderson

Rural News // December 1, 2011

16 agribusiness

Funding for bio farming THE DAIRY industry is funding a scoping study into biological farming systems.

DairyNZ will sponsor the study by New Zealand Biological Farming Systems Research Centre (NZBFSRC).

The study will identify research interests and needs on biological farming systems in New Zealand. This will be done by contacting farmers, firms and other research organisations who have been working in the area of sustainable farming.

The scoping study will help to identify areas of research where biological farming will add to the sustainability of New Zealand farming. It will identify independently verified research that has already been done on biological farming systems in relation to New Zealand dairy farming and aim to put science behind the various claims around bio farming.

NZBFSRC’s Gifford McFadden says stakeholder input is vital for this and for future research on sustainable farming systems.

Participants at last month’s first national conference are being contacted for their input.

“The stakeholder list includes well

Rural business network ropes in service sector bership as broad as possible and to provide an opportunity for those pasA SERIES of rural business networks sionate about agriculture to meet and are being set up in the lower North gain knowledge and swap ideas.

Sara Russell, Young Farmers, says Island.

This is a joint initiative between many people in the rural sector have their social networks, the Primary Indusbut what is missing is a try Capability Netbusiness network to help work and New Zealand become innovative and Young Farmers and have some form of peer includes running a pilot review. She says while programme to estabthe network has a strong lish three network hubs farmer base, it’s critical based in the Hawkes Bay, that it is wider than just Manawatu and Waira- Sara Russell farmers. rapa/Wellington.

“It’s not only farmers who are pasRecently a meeting was held at Massey University to establish a hub sionate about agriculture. In fact, the there. This attracted about 80 people majority of the people who are workincluding: farmers, bankers, farm ing in the sector are in the service advisors and consultants, veterinar- industries.

“These people have come off ians, rural contractors, accountants and others working in the rural ser- farms, gone though Massey or Lincoln, and have got their Ag science or vice sector.

The function was hosted by Wil- business management degrees and liam Morrison acting chair of the they are just as passionate about agriWestern North Island Sheep and Beef culture as farmers.”

Council. Morrison says the purpose For more information contact sara. of the network is to make its mem- russell@youngfarmers.co.nz pet e r bu r k e

Gifford McFadden with soil water collected from under a biological farm in Edgecumbe,

known consultants among the farming community who raised interesting questions about biological farming,” says McFadden.

Following the announcement of the establishment of NZBFSRC, there were a number of positive responses from farmers, companies dealing with bio-

logical fertiliser, researchers, and the general public, says the centre’s senior scientist Guna Magesan.

The NZBFSRC is the trade name of the Rotorua Lakes and Land Trust Inc (RLLT), a joint venture between Te Arawa Federation of Maori Authorities and Rotorua/Taupo Federated Farmers.

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Rank Stag

Index Breeder

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Deer Improvement

2

Luciano

21.31

Deer Improvement

3

Gagarin

20.93

Deer Improvement

4

Czar

20.50

Deer Improvement

5

Bremen

20.13

Deer Improvement

6

Ardlussa

19.31

Deer Improvement

7

Kremlin

19.18

Deer Improvement

8

Tuscany

19.04

Deer Improvement

9

Franchise

19.00

Deer Improvement

10

07376

18.48

Peel Forest

11

Dresden

18.44

Deer Improvement

12

Berlin

18.28

Deer Improvement

13

Commodore

17.46

Deer Improvement

14

Moscow

17.42

Deer Improvement

15

Verona

17.34

Deer Improvement

16

R293/04

17.30

Landcorp

17

R337/07

17.14

Landcorp

18

205/07

17.13

Landcorp

19

Warlord

17.04

Tower Farms

20

Corleone

16.93

Deer Improvement

21

07360

16.85

Peel Forest

22

Munich

16.49

Deer Improvement

23

Corona

16.46

Deer Improvement

24

90337/08

16.18

Landcorp

25

06168

16.11

Black Forest

Gerald Johnson 027 687 7085 Upper South Island

www.deerimprovement.co.nz

Rural News // december 1, 2011

agribusiness 19

Farmlands eyes 50 stores RURAL RETAILER Farmlands says it has taken another step in its quest to become the North Island’s dominant player.

The rural co-op will open its 47th store in Inglewood, Taranaki on January 30 when it takes over the former RD1 premises. The refurbished and refitted store will open under the Farmlands banner, with five fulltime staff.

Farmlands chief executive Peter Ellis says the new store supports its rapidly expanding presence in Taranaki.

“In addition to our existing stores in New Plymouth, Hawera, Stratford and Opunake, the new Inglewood store gives our Taranaki customers excellent regional coverage.”

The new store will be managed by Rochelle Worthington, a local from Tarata, currently assistant manager of Farmlands Stratford branch.

“It’s all about locals supporting locals, and our staff offers service and knowledge to meet

the needs of this area whether it is dairy, beef, sheep, horticulture, lifestyle or residential - and if we can’t supply it ourselves, we can direct our customers to one of the 3500 places nationwide that accept the Farmlands card,” she says.

Farmlands says the new store forms part of a long term strategic growth plan, further activated through the recent sale and leaseback of six stores around the North Island.

“Our growth strategy allows us to become a larger player; increasing our turnover, profits and shareholder numbers, and ultimately boosts our payouts to shareholders,” says Ellis.

The co-op is seeing the benefit in this increased store coverage, with a 5% increase in shareholders in the past year, taking the current number to 27,000.

Ellis says during the last 12 months Farmlands has undergone a period of rapid growth with new stores opening in Putaruru, Opunake and Helensville and a new store in

Huntly currently underway.

“This means there are only three more locations in the Farmlands ‘pipeline’ to complete the company’s stated target of 50 stores by the end of 2012, thus delivering comprehensive geographic coverage to the North Island.”

He says Farmlands continue to trade well and achieve growth, despite ongoing economic challenges around the globe.

The rural co-op recently posted an annual turnover of $683 million, 22% up on the previous year. It also distributed over $44 million of trading and loyalty

rebates amongst its members, an increase of 23% over the previous year.

Mexico drops kiwifruit levy TARIFFS ON New Zealand kiwifruit exports to Mexico are ending and this will pour an additional $1 million into the industry coffers.

The New Zealand and Mexico Governments have agreed to end the tariffs after discussions during the past two years. New Zealand was the only kiwifruit producing country to face a tariff on its exports to Mexico Zespri general manager grower and government relations Simon Limmer says eliminating the tariff makes New Zealand kiwifruit more competitive in Mexico and removes a barrier to growing this market further.

The elimination of the tariff could not come at a better time for the industry with returns under pressure from lower crop volumes and returns as a result of Psa. “This is a small, but important win for us to deliver growers. It will reduce the almost $40,000 burden that tariffs were estimated to have cost New Zealand kiwifruit growers in 2010,” says Limmer.

“The result also underlines the benefit of an industry structure which can work with government in a coordinated manner to achieve outcomes that benefit the entire industry.”

Trade Minister Groser says the removal of the tariff demonstrates the strength of the relationship between the two countries.

The elimination of Mexico’s tariff on kiwifruit will level the playing field for New Zealand, which had been at a disadvantage against its major competitors in the market which profited from trade preferences with Mexico, he says.

“This has been a tough time for New Zealand growers as they grapple with the effects of Psa on production and this is a little bit of good news for them,” says Groser.

New Inglewood Farmlands manager Rochelle Worthington

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Rural News // December 1, 2011

Market Snapshot North Island c/kgCWT

Lamb - PM 16.0kg

Lamb Market Trends

Meat South Island

Change c/kg

Last Week

Change c/kg

Last Week

-15

7.93

-10

Lamb Prices c/kgCWT

+3

4.68

4.65

7.88

M2 Bull - 300kg

+3

4.65

4.62

3.76

PX - 19.0kg

-15

7.95

8.10

6.11

P2 Cow - 230kg

+3

3.63

3.60

2.95

PH - 22.0kg

-15

7.96

8.11

6.11

M Cow - 200kg

+3

3.38

3.35

2.85

MX1 - 21kg

n/c

4.70

4.70

3.93

Local Trade - 230kg

n/c

4.45

4.45

4.05

-10

7.88

7.98

5.82

P2 Steer - 300kg

n/c

4.35

4.35

3.70

PM - 16.0kg

-10

7.88

7.98

5.85

M2 Bull - 300kg

n/c

4.12

4.12

3.47

PX - 19.0kg

-10

7.88

7.98

5.86

P2 Cow - 230kg

n/c

3.40

3.40

2.52

PH - 22.0kg

-10

7.88

7.98

5.86

M Cow - 200kg

n/c

3.20

3.20

2.39

n/c

4.41

4.41

3.65

Local Trade - 230kg

n/c

4.25

4.25

3.70

4.12

Venison - AP 60kg

-15

8.55

-15

9.00

NI Lamb

YM - 13.5kg

Mutton SI Lamb

YM - 13.5kg

North Island 16.0kg M Lamb Price $8.5 Mutton

$7.5

New season price

MX1 -

21kg

NZ Slaughter

$6.5

1000s

$5.5 5yr Ave Last Year This Year Jan

2Wks Ago

Change

3 Wks Ago

Last Year

New season price

Sep

Nov

Dec

190

204

Cattle NI

-4%

20.2

21.0

32.1

150

193

Cattle SI

-14%

8.5

9.9

7.9

7.7

Lamb NZ

-25%

218

290

340

397

Cattle NZ

-7%

28.7

30.9

40.0

35.1

Mutton NZ

+22%

47

39

107

107

7.8 1.4

Str & Hfr NI

-5%

11.5

12.1

16.0

13.9

-17%

5.4

6.5

4.9

4.6

Cows NI

-2%

4.8

4.9

6.9

5.8

Cows SI

-5%

1.9

2.0

2.1

1.7

NZ Weekly Beef Kill Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Last Year

60

Jan

This Year

40

Last Week

2 Wks Ago

Last Year

5yr Ave

£/lb

-43

1.95

2.38

2.30

1.55

NZ$/kg

-184

8.91

10.75

10.45

8.45

20 0 Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Oct

Nov

NZ$/kg

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Jan

Change

3 Wks Ago

Last Year

5yr Ave

% Returned NI

+15%

92.0%

76.7%

59.8%

56.6%

% Returned SI

+15%

89.8%

74.4%

57.4%

59.8%

100%

$8.0

Last Year

5yr Ave

n/c

2.05

2.05

1.75

1.42

+12

5.93

5.81

4.96

4.47

$2.00

Last Year This Year

$1.60 Aug

Sep

Change

Last Year This Year

95%

3 Wks Ago

Last Year

5yr Ave

-1%

77.9%

79.2%

75.77%

79.9%

-1%

69.5%

70.1%

70.5%

73.8%

Procurement Indicator - North I. Last Year

Jan

Procurement Indicator - South I.

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Jan

Feb

South Island 60kg Stag Price

$10.5

This Year

75%

This Year

70%

Last Year

85%

$6.0

60%

Sep

Nov

Jan

65% 5yr Ave Last Year This Year

$9.5

55%

Procurement Indicator - South I.

85%

45% Sep

Nov

Last Year This Year

Jan 75%

$8.5

Venison Prices $7.5

Change

$6.5 Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Jan

2Wks Ago

80% $7.0

Dec

% Returned SI

90%

Nov

Nov

% Returned NI

60% 50% Sep

Oct

Procurement Indicator

Procurement Indicator - North I.

70% 5yr Ave Last Year This Year

2 Wks Ago

$1.80

2Wks Ago

80%

$9.0

Jan

Demand Indicator - US 95CL Beef

This Year

90%

North Island 60kg Stag Price

Dec

Last Year

Jan

Jan

Nov

Last Week

Change

£1.60 Aug

Dec

Oct

Export Market Demand

Demand Indicator - UK Leg Price

95CL US$/lb

5yr Ave Last Year This Year Sep

0.9

Str & Hfr SI

Procurement Indicator

Aug

9.2

1.4

£2.10

$4.0

$3.0

4.0

1.2

This Year

Change

South Island 300kg Steer Price

$3.5

3.9

Last Year

$3.0

$4.5

-3% -14%

450

£2.60

Sep

Bull NI Bull SI

600

$4.5

Aug

27.5

151 138

UK Leg

$3.5

5yr Ave

106

North Island 300kg Bull Price

5yr Ave Last Year This Year

Last Year

112

Jan

$4.0

3 Wks Ago

-24%

Export Market Demand $5.0

2Wks Ago

-26%

0 Aug Oct

Change

Lamb SI

150

5yr Ave Last Year This Year Aug

1000s

Estimated Weekly Kill

Lamb NI

300 $5.5

SI

5yr Ave

NZ Weekly Lamb Kill

$7.5

NI

NZ Slaughter

Estimated Weekly Kill

South Island 16.0kg M Lamb Price

$3.5

3.88

P2 Steer - 300kg

6.10

n/c

$4.5

Last Year

6.07

4.65

$6.5

2 Wks Ago

8.08

+3

$8.5

Last Week

8.06

Bull - M2 300kg

Dec

Change

7.93

4.35

Nov

c/kgCWT

7.91

n/c

Oct

Last Year

-15

4.68

Sep

Change

2 Wks Ago

-15

+3

$3.5 Aug

Beef Prices Last Week

PM - 16.0kg

Steer - P2 300kg

$4.5

Beef Market Trends

Dec

Jan

65%

Last Week

2 Wks Ago

Last Year

5yr Ave

NI Stag - 60kg

-15

8.55

8.70

7.80

7.23

SI Stag - 60kg

-15

9.00

9.15

8.00

7.67

55% Sep

Nov

Jan

Beef & venison prices are reported as gross (before normal levies & charges are deducted). Lamb & mutton prices are reported nett (after levies & charges are deducted). Note: Freight is paid in the North Island but not by all companies in the South Island.

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Rural News // december 1, 2011

Beef Wool Price Watch North Island cattle prices find another gear North Island export cattle prices firmed slightly last week.

300kg cwt steers lifted to average $4.68/kg with 300kg cwt bulls at $4.65/kg. Processors are still struggling to find decent numbers as most farmers continue to add weight to killable cattle given the current strong store prices are prohibitive to re-entering that market. Meat companies are now benefiting from the weakened NZ dollar and solid US market returns so there is a bit more give in the system dependant on the number of cattle offered in a line as well as breed in some regions. South Island export cattle prices are steady this week with solid US market pricing and the weakened NZ dollar helping to underpin the market. 300kg cwt steers held firm at $4.35/kg with similar weighted bulls averaging $4.12/kg.

The latest slaughter rates show weekly the kill is above the same time last year as good feed conditions mean cattle are finishing earlier. This could pressure prices in the coming weeks if other market conditions deteriorate.

US imported beef market pushes through $2/lb The US imported beef market has fired again with 95CL bull prices breaking through US$2/lb. This is certainly helping underpin current farmer operating prices.

100kg weaner calf market still strong As farmers kill cattle and look to replace on the store market, many are opting for 100kg weaner calves.

Support for this market continues to hold with prices across the North and South Island stronger than this time last year. With numbers reared well down previous years, prices are reflecting the stronger demand/supply position with 100-105kg Friesian bull calves making between $380-$400/hd in the North Island. In the South Island the market is more like $340-$380/hd.

Lamb

Dairy Price Watch Change

17-Nov

10-Nov

Last Year

Coarse Xbred Indic.

-8

6.31

6.39

4.83

Butter

Fine Xbred Indicator

-11

6.55

6.66

5.09

Skim Milk Powder

Lamb Indicator

-

-

-

5.01

Whole Milk Powder

Mid Micron Indic.

-

9.20

-

7.48

Cheddar

Indicators in NZ$

Wool Indicator Trends

750

Indicators in NZ$/T

6,000

550

5,000

450

4,000 CXI

350 Nov

Jan

Mar

FXI

May

3,000 Nov

Sep

Coarse Xbred Indicator

750

Last Year

-40

4953

4993

5781

+230

4310

4079

3918

+369

4631

4262

4496

+175

4985

4810

5331

SMP But.

LI

Jul

Prev. 2 Wks

Dairy Prices Trends

7,000

650

Last 2 Wks

Change

Jan

WMP Ched.

Mar

May

Jul

Whole Milk Powder Price (NZ$)

5,500 Last Year

650

This Year

550

4,500

450

Last Year

350

This Year

250 Sep

3,500 Oct

Nov

Dec

Jan

Feb

Indicators in US$/T

Sep

Overseas Price Indicators

Oct

Change

17-Nov

10-Nov

Coarse Xbred Indicator

-15

4.83

4.98

3.74

Butter

Fine Xbred Indicator

-18

5.02

5.19

3.94

Skim Milk Powder

Lamb Indicator

-

-

-

3.88

Whole Milk Powder

Mid Micron Indicator

-

7.05

-

5.79

Cheddar

Indicators in US$/kg

Wool Indicator in US$

585

Mixed market for manufactured dairy products Production of manufactured dairy products is in full swing but current prices remain mixed. While there has been an improvement in whole milk powder market with prices lifting by US$100/tonne recently, there has been less support for butter and cheddar cheese prices. The market for butter has eased by as much as US$250/tonne in recent weeks.

Dec

Jan

Last 2 Wks

Prev. 2 Wks

Last Year

-250

3850

4100

4500

n/c

3350

3350

3050

+100

3600

3500

3500

-75

3875

3950

4150

Change

4,500

3,500 SMP But.

LI 2,500 Nov

Sep

Last Year

Jan

Mar

May

Jul

3,600 3,400 Last Year

3,200

This Year

3,000 Sep

Feb

2 Wks Ago

4 Wks Ago

Last Year

0.777

0.794

0.778

0.571

0.576

0.570

0.488

0.503

0.485

0.766

0.775

0.787

60.35

60.98

64.91

Oct

Nov

Dec

Jan

US Dollar Last Year This Year

0.85 0.75 0.65 Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Jan

UK Pound

Last Year This Year Oct

Sep

3,800

This Year

Last Year This Year

0.53

Sep

WMP Ched.

Whole Milk Powder Price in US$/T

4,000

0.62 0.60 0.58 0.56 0.54 0.52 0.50

Aug

Feb

Dairy Prices in US$/Tonne

New season lambs see some downside 485 Export lamb prices in the North Island took a knock last 385 week with a 16kg cwt new season lamb losing 15c/kg to 285 average $7.91/kg(nett). Kill rates are still well behind CXI FXI 185 normal for this time of the season however meat Nov Jan Mar May Jul companies are looking to minimize the impact of price slumps in some of our main overseas markets. Numbers Coarse Xbred Indictor in US$ coming forward for kill are on the rise so more seasonal 600 drops are expected in the coming weeks. New season export lamb prices in the South Island slipped by 10c/kg 400 last week. A 16kg cwt lamb is now earning $7.87/kg (nett). Average carcass weights are up nearly 2kg on the same time last year with most farmers holding to heavier 200 weights given most are inundated with feed at present.

Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Mutton returns remain strong with some companies upping the anti in this market in an attempt to fill up plants.

Currency Watch UK market plummets Last vs. NZ Dollar There have been some startling reports out of the UK in the last fortnight Week regarding prices for some frozen imported lamb products. The indicator US dollar 0.762 price for UK CKT leg has dropped below ÂŁ2.00/lb. The immediate impact Euro 0.565 has been an artificial spike in procurement rates. However with the bulk UK pound 0.483 of New Zealand lamb still heading to UK shores this dramatic fall in prices Aus dollar 0.760 is likely to show up in farm-gate prices in the coming weeks, especially as Japan yen 58.59 the flow of lambs into the processing plants seasonally picks up in the run Euro to Christmas.

Dairy

Nov

Overseas Price Indicators Last Year

685

Sep

Nov

Dec

Jan

0.48 0.43 Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Jan

Rural News // December 1, 2011

22 opinion editorial

edna

Getting the sheep sector back on track THINGS ARE mostly looking up for the sheep sector, but it’s still playing catch-up.

While banks are predicting a slight fall in export prices for lamb in the coming year, it appears that farmers will be ‘saved’ by a lower dollar.

The other good news is that the national lambing percentage has bounced back from last year’s terrible 109.6% to a respectable 119.3%.

While the percentages look good, they mask the fact that we still have a lot of catching up to do.

There will be more lambs for export, but probably not enough to fill all the orders.

The reality is that this season’s export lamb crop will be our second lowest ever in nearly 50 years – just piping the all-time low of last season.

Because lamb worldwide will be in short supply, prices for farmers are pretty good, but we don’t have the product to sell. We’ve got the markets it’s just that we don’t have the available product.

It’s indeed gutting the best trading conditions in a decade correspond with our second smallest lamb crop in 55 years.

Also, a few more lambs out of New Zealand will not offer much relief to the consumer because prices both internationally and domestically will ensure that lamb remains a luxury food.

For the sheep industry, the slight increase in lamb numbers shows improvement in fertility, management and breed changes. And the use of new technology has also helped.

While we remain at the mercy of the weather, the industry is doing all it can to get back on its feet.

It’s a joint effort and everyone- farmers, processors and Beef + Lamb NZ must play their part.

Special mention must be made of BLNZ’s economic service director Rob Davison and his team, and his predecessors, who have given exceptional service in providing data that enables farmers, business people and policy makers to make quality decisions.

The economic service data base and its ongoing surveys are a real treasure.

Without this work, which goes back decades, the meat industry would not be as well placed as it is today to deal with the ongoing challenges that it faces. – Peter Burke

RuralNEWS Head office Postal address: PO Box 3855, Shortland Street, Auckland 1140 Publisher: Brian Hight...................................................... Ph 09 307 0399 General Manager: Adam Fricker.................................................... Ph 09 913 9632 Editor: Andrew Swallow............................................. Ph 03 688 2080 editor@ruralnews.co.nz................................... Ph 021 745 183

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Crap hitting the fan?

Submerged leaders

Now that’s a protest!

Perception meets reality

The things that matter…

THIS OLD mutt has been reliably informed that a current Fonterra director has a court case coming up in the middle of next year related to an alleged effluent breach.

He can be forgiven for wondering out aloud whether it will impact on his possible selection as the new co-op chairman with Sir Henry retiring at the end of next year.

We’ll keep you posted.

AT FONTERRA’S annual meeting in Whangarei this month, retiring Fonterra director Greg Gent recalled the first time he met outgoing chair Henry van der Heyden.

It was during a tour arranged for so-called ‘emerging leaders’ arranged by then Dairy Board chair Sir Dryden Spring for upcoming dairy leaders to visit other dairying nations.

However, most of the other ‘emerging leaders’ on that tour then failed to win their next election and were soon gone.

The tour was renamed the: ‘submerging leaders’ tour and was the last of its kind, says Gent.

In the past, there has been a great deal of posturing and protests by some of our local MPs (mainly of the Green or Winston First persuasion) highlighting their opposition to free trade deals. However, their protestations pale into insignificance when compared to one recently carried out in the South Korea – where an opposition MP set off a teargas canister in the parliament in a failed attempt to prevent the ruling party passing a free trade deal with the US. The Hound reckons this type of antic makes Hone Harawira look like a moderate – a scary thought, indeed!

IN CASE people think claims made about the Greens as being a bunch of PC, bicycle-riding, vegetarian, trendy lefties are a little unfair – then consider the official biography of its agriculture spokesman Kevin Hague on the party’s website: “Kevin has a long history of engagement and advocacy around the Treaty of Waitangi, conservation, including the West Coast Tai Poutini Conservation Board, and a wide range of cycling issues and gay rights.”

Oh… and your canine crusader can confirm that Hague is also a vegetarian.

After John Key had finished speaking at the recent Federated Farmers national council meeting reporters dutifully encircled the PM and – instead of asking any questions about rural sector issues or even the new irrigation fund/company the National Party was proposing to introduce after the election – they focussed on the ‘really important’ issue of what might or might not have been said on the teapot tapes?

It is good to know just how important the reef fish in the political reporting world take the country’s major export industry and the main income earner!

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Rural News // december 1, 2011

opinion 23 ag twits Rural News’ irreverent and hypothetical look at what’s happening in the farming world Top Bleats view all henryfonterra: Yah, only one more annual meeting left and then I can tell that bunch of inbred ingrates what I really think of their incessant whinging and whining. #whatireallythink fonterrapr: @henryfonterra: Please keep a lid on it for another year. Those inbred ingrates are still somewhat stroppy re TAF and the last thing we need is you telling them a few home truths! #donotscarethehorses littlejohnnywilson@henryfonterra: Thanks for your dedicated service over the past decade. I’m guessing you’re looking to pass the baton on to a young, dedicated admirer. By the way, have I told you recently just how much I admire you? #giveittome bigcolarmer@henryfonterra: No doubt you are looking for a safe pair of hands, with solid corporate and dairy management experience to be the chair. Now, let me think who has that skill mix on the current board? #itismine averagejmonaghan@henryfonterra: Remember when they said the French didn’t have a chance in the RWC final and then the Frogs nearly stole it. Never underestimate a dark horse! #donotcountmeout kcoopersilverfernfarms: Well bugger me; we actually made a profit this year!

How the hell did that happen? Aren’t we in the meat business and therefore supposed to lose money? #slightlyconfused egardensilverfernfarms@kcoppersiverfernfarms: Don’t worry about it too much, Keith. I’m sure we’ll be back to making losses again next year. #normalservicewillresume dcarterministerofag: Hardworking and extremely good looking agriculture minister desperate to please PM so he can keep job and the baubles of office for another term. #loveyourworkjohn

Write and Win! 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 R. Dawson, Papakura.

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.

ONLINE POLL Should agriculture be removed from the emissions trading scheme (ETS)? ●

Yes

●

No

Have your say at: www.dairynews.co.nz

Greedy Greens IT IS very clear the leader of the Green Party has an anti agriculture policy.

During the TV debate on November 16, when told that plants such as grass require carbon dioxide to grow, Russel Norman attempted to dispute the facts.

The Greens have made it clear they are anti farmers and given the chance will over tax farmers in spite of the

fact that agriculture has already created a massive carbon credit.

Our town folks should be told the following facts; • As of 2010, New Zealand had 3 million less stock units to what we had in 1990. Therefore, less livestock means less gas.

This equals to a carbon credit.

• Since 1990, New Zealand farmers have planted trees in single rows

for wind breaks and shade trees for livestock. As these trees measure under 30m wide farmers cannot use these as carbon sinks.

This is also a massive carbon credit.

• Since 1990, New Zealand farmers have started planting crops like maize. But again, the Greens do not consider plants that use carbon dioxide to grow should be considered as reducing

carbon pollution. This is another carbon credit.

• From trials around the Waikato, farmers have noted their top soils are growing.

Top soils form part of New Zealand’s carbon sink so this is another carbon credit.

Given the facts above, why should we continue to listen to the Greens?

Maxwell Hill RD1, Taupiri

Rural News // December 1, 2011

24 opinion

Succession plan vital for family businesses owe n co o ney

“FAMILY BUSINESSES play a major role in the New Zealand business landscape.....The majority of family businesses are in their first generation and the numbers decrease significantly for those residing in later generations, indicating a certain lack of longevity… A lack of longevity of New Zealand family businesses detrimentally impacts on the country’s economy in terms of provision of employment, GDP per capita, as well as business growth.” (Decoding Family Businesses – Rebecca Hirsch, University of Auckland NZBLQ126) Studies show that an incumbent’s inability to let go is the most cited barrier to effective succession.

If this incumbent is too attached to the business, the potential successor might not be given the opportunity to develop the skills or earn the respect necessary to manage the business. Letting go, however, can be a double-edged sword and history will show that letting go is also a path littered with disaster tales.

Owen Cooney

If this incumbent is too attached to the business, the potential successor might not be given the opportunity to develop the skills or earn the respect necessary to manage the business.

Therefore, letting go in a planned and managed process offers the best chance of success.

The transition business ownership should not happen overnight and it needs planning, discussion and commitment.

From the incumbent business owner’s point of view, it is much easier to let go if the first stage of the transition is not too intimidating. An initial stage lets everyone get comfortable with change, allows the incumbent to assess the contribution of the successor, and the successor to gain confidence over time.

Implemented correctly, it is akin to

putting on training wheels before going solo!

One of the best ways to enable staging to happen is to develop a management succession plan, have it implemented over time before ownership succession is implemented. It is easier for the incumbent to implement management succession to whatever degree the he or she is comfortable with, if they still retain control of ownership of the business.

This also provides the opportunity to set a review date. This allows progress of the initial stage to be reviewed, preferably with the assistance of an independent advisor.

If all is going well, then the incumbent may consider moving to a further stage. If not, then the incumbent can either defer making further decisions until the desired outcomes have been achieved. Or, alternatively, formulate a new direction.

This way, there is less risk for the incumbent. Also a firm message is given that performance is required and the successor is given the opportunity to get their feet under the table in a more comfortable environment.

Sometimes the best plan is no succession. However, getting to that point is just as important as planning for succession. This is because it means that a different course of action will be needed

by those that get to that point.

Staging the transition is one of five key ingredients that we have identified as being required for succession of family businesses.

Our 2011 Special Report: “Five Keys to Success” is available free of charge by sending an email request to info@ clmlaw.co.nz or by telephone 07 927 0548.

• Owen Cooney is a partner in law firm Cooney Lees Morgan. Based in Tauranga, he specialises in family business and commercial property investment advice.

The information in this article is general only and cannot be relied on as specific advice. Contact your advisor before taking any action.

Not buying claims on ETS YOU QUOTE both the Minister of Climate Change “Mr Smith” and the Minister of Agriculture “Mr Carter” as offering platitudes to farmers to catch their votes. (Rural News November 15).

Promising National will delay agriculture’s entry into the ETS, more reviews and no entry until practical mitigation techniques are available etc, etc.

Their fundamental concerns (supposedly) about the cost of ETS inclusion at this time puts us too far ahead of our trading partners. Meanwhile, Carter persists in claiming farmers are warming to the idea and there are now fewer sceptics. It is clear, however, from the Prime Minister John Key’s recent discussions on NewsTalk ZB that he has no intentions

of any of this and what is more I don’t think he even cares. Why? There have been no less than three reviews of this ETS scam, carefully and skilfully without a review of the science involved under his watch.

A Weather Watch poll some years ago suggested 97% against such an ETS, while more

recently a NZCPR poll suggested 99% were opposed to an ETS scam.

My guess is there are but three people still in favour of such a scam tax – Key, Smith and Carter.

There is no support for this ETS scam. There isn’t even any science to support it and farmers’ hearts will harden even more as they face up to

the 21% or more of gross farm income it will cost them for this scam tax for absolutely nothing.

Should National be favoured with another term in office, review the ETS only this time – for the sanity of your rural voters – include the science.

G Edmeades Putaruru

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Rural News // december 1, 2011

opinion 25

Country will stay true blue By the time this column is published, the votes will have been counted and we will know – or be well on the way – to seeing what shape our new Government is going to take.

At the time of writing, five days out from polling day, it is a fairly safe bet that most of the booths in rural New Zealand will have again mostly punted for National.

However, much of this support is probably more by default than desire.

Some rural votes will have gone to ACT in support of former Fed head Don Nicolson.

However, that party’s ugly struggles throughout the campaign will have scared many off. There will have been some pockets of organic-supporting, hippy types in the country who will have gone Green and even some rural support – more than likely those with early stages of senile dementia – for NZ First and its odious leader.

It is also pretty safe to assume that both the Maori and Mana parties will not have garnered

too much support in the rural hinterland – save for Northland and the east coast of the North Island.

Meanwhile, Labour’s ever-so tenuous advances for the farming/rural sector vote probably died about the same time it released its election manifesto. The prospect of being lumped with higher taxes, having agriculture dumped into an ETS, landed with a new capital gains tax; as well as commercial charges for irrigation and extending working for families for beneficiaries will have been an anathema to most in the rural heartland.

Just how is it economically or environmentally sensible to penalise New Zealand agriculture – and one of the few sectors with the ability to help the country out of the current economic malaise – by imposing even more taxes on it when our international competitors are not doing the same?

Surely all that will do is shift the production of agricultural greenhouse gases from

New Zealand to even less environmentally– responsible countries.

Talk about cutting off our nose to spite our face!

National made a sensible decision by ruling that agricultural emissions will only be included in an ETS when and if practical technologies are available to enable our farmers to reduce their emissions and more progress is made by our trading partners to reduce their agricultural emissions.

It was also somewhat disingenuous of both Labour and the Green Party to claim that current high export commodity prices are proof that farmers can afford to pay any costs imposed by agriculture’s introduction into an ETS. The fickle nature of commodity markets means prices

A failed experiment THE NOVEMBER 15 issue of Rural News included a statement by ACT candidate, and immediate past president of Federated Farmers Don Nicolson, that total reform of the RMA was a major election plank of his party, with the aim of reducing bureaucracy and better respecting private property rights.

But much more surprising was, an article attributed to the chair of the Greater Wellington Regional Council, Fran Wilde, under a banner headline of “RMA complex, costly and timeconsuming”.

Wow! Is this a Damascus Road conversion? Given Wilde’s background as a very liberal

member of the Labour Cabinet that introduced the RMA in the 1980’s? I, of course, had to re-read the article to make sure she wasn’t making the point that the RMA wasn’t complex, costly and timeconsuming enough. But no, it seems she is actually seeking similar reforms to Don Nicolson.

Many ordinary folk might be superficially attracted to the idea of such “flexible” legislation which allows for “individual circumstance”. But the reality of the RMA is a bit like going to a strip club… pictures of the curvaceous “Miss Permissive” on the outside, but once entry is gained (after an eyewatering fee) one encounters the more severe “Ms

Prescriptive” dressed in tights, boots and carrying a whip. She tells you to watch the show, “The Dance of the Seven Fees and Levies” and advises that actual flesh will only be seen after you have bought expensive drinks for the row of bored but expectant young ‘consultants’ lining the bar. You stumble blindly from the club with warnings about the role of the “enforcers”…the big guys in dark suits and matching shades, a much poorer but perhaps wiser citizen.

There are few other pieces of legislation more antagonistic to the ordinary property owner than the RMA. It is a failed experiment.

R Dawson R D 5 Papakura

are likely to drop sooner rather than later.

You can be assured a Labour/Green government would not offer ETS rebates to farmers if meat and dairy prices suddenly took a dive There is already evidence that the agriculture sector is reducing its greenhouse gases. Emissions per unit of product from agriculture had fallen by about 1.3% a year over the past 20 years – due to improved management practices, animal genetics, pasture and crop genetics and technological changes.

National will have also strengthened its rural support with its proposal to pump $400 million into boosting on farm-water storage and irrigation.

Not surprisingly, the idea was shot down by its political opponents. But, again, the rationale for this opposition seemed more based on ideology than any sound policy reasons.

Much of this opposition stemmed from the idea of funding for these schemes coming from the Future Investment Fund – which will use the proceeds from National’s part asset sales proposal. While Labour and the Greens may have

had problems with where the funding was coming from; surely even they could not argue with the concept of creating a more reliable source of water for farmers will in turn mean higher productivity

and income for the nation – in turn leading to more tax and jobs.

Reliable water means growth – both for our economy and the environment. All political parties – no matter if they TM

are left, right or just plain bonkers – should have been supporting such a plan.

Those are just a couple of reasons why the countryside stayed blue this election!

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Rural News // December 1, 2011

26 management Small tasks add up to make a huge difference on farm vi vi e nne H ald e n e

WINNING RABOBANK’S 2011 Farm Manager’s Programme business development award has been the high point of Mark Watson’s year, but he admits it took a bit of persuading to enter.

Watson, who farms at Highland View, in Sherenden, Hawkes Bay, says he wanted to be sure of a return on his invest-

ment, as well as the time required to attend the course – which has been run in Sydney since 2005.

Watson used to work in Sydney in banking and finance. However, a change of heart saw him asking: “Do I want to be doing this when I’m 50”?

So, eight years ago he returned to New Zealand to join parents Judy and Neil Watson, who had relocated from their farm

Mark Watson with his dogs at Highland View farm, Hawke’s Bay.

in Garston, Southland in 2000. He hasn’t regretted the decision, but does miss the Friday night beer with the lads at his ex- local pub in Manly.

The course and his subsequent winning project

Highland View farm

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taught him that it’s not always the big things that nudge your business in the right direction.

“If you add the small things up it can make a big difference. It could mean making time to rotate your bulls in the afternoon, rather than waiting for the morning, or checking your water system. Taking 10 minutes to fix something now, can save time and money later.”

Watson also learned that it’s what you do over a couple of years that will eventually count – rather than those first few weeks after the programme: “when you think you can change the world.”

Watson targeted two areas to work on.

“I had a personal improvement plan and one for our business. The latter required strategic planning and in the area of personal improvement, I needed to concentrate on interpersonal communication and time management.”

He realised that as a family they’d never discussed their goals and so now, they have weekly meetings to remind them what they need to achieve. “ My wife Amanda and both my parents are really involved in the farm and we make major decisions as a group - at the moment we are tossing up whether we will buy spring lambs.

I organise the day to day

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things, like contractors, stock rotations, drenching stock and communicating with stock agents.

Their business plan is straight forward - the Watson’s stick to what they are good at; finishing lambs and trading ewes rather than breeding ewes. They also run Friesian bulls and beef steers, plus dry dairy cows to clean up pasture.

These come from Watson’s brother Donald, an ex-veterinarian who now sharemilks in the King Country.

“We decided we were better at finishing and received a higher return for our stock. We never achieved our targets with lambing percentages.

It wasn’t an easy deci-

• 750ha rolling to medium - steep summer dry country.

• Stock units: winters 9,000 sheep (Suffolk, Romney and Perendales) and finishes approximately 13,000 lambs/hoggets.

300 two year old Friesian bulls and steers.

150 carry over dairy cows.

• Breed: all terminal and no composites.

Livestock processed at Progressive Meats.

(Hastings) • Feed crops - ‘Hunter’ leafy turnips, and triticale.

• Focus on improving live weight gains over Summer and Autumn

sion to change over from the 4,000 breeding ewes they previously had. “Part of me wanted to keep them to prove I could reach better targets, but that was just pride getting in the way of a business decision.”

Watson is involved in the preparation of the accounts and closely monitors the farm’s budget and planned financial forecast.

“I do a cash budget for the year and update it

monthly - we are in a business where at the moment the price of stock is increasing and you have to be careful with the money involved.”

He says it’s important to try and have even a limited knowledge of the financial part of your business.

“You can have the best accountant in the world, but if you don’t understand what he’s saying, it doesn’t mean anything.”

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Rural News // december 1, 2011

management 27

Awards bring more than just prizes SOUTHLAND FARMERS Willie and Phillipa Menlove didn’t enter the Ballance Farm Environment Awards (BFEA) to win prizes.

They entered to learn more about sustainability.

As it turned out, their 2000ha sheep, beef, deer and dairy support operation, north of Lumsden, collected two category awards in the 2011 BFEA. But that was just the ‘cherry on top’ for what proved to be a rewarding experience for the couple.

Willie has run his family’s third-generation farm ‘Sweetacres’ for 18 years, and during this time he and Phillipa have undertaken considerable development work. The aim of the project, initially started by Willie’s father Ted, was to lift the farm’s carrying capacity and improve long-term profitability.

BFEA judges noted the “huge investment of time, money and planning in fencing lanes, developing 250ha of grass from tussock, irrigation on the flats, taking on dairy grazing and creating an asso-

ciated water scheme. This has changed the balance of the farm, increasing options and income.”

Willie admits much of the development was done “using trial and error”. But care was taken to retain areas of native tussock and these areas now act as buffer zones to improve water quality.

He says a key reason for entering the awards was to get an outside opinion of the farm.

“We’ve never been ones to stick our heads above the rails. But we’ve done a lot of work over the last 18 years and felt it was time to find out what other people thought of it.”

Feedback from the BFEA judging team was extremely positive, reassuring the Menloves they were on the right track.

Willie says the judging process was “a nopressure situation” and he enjoyed listening to the advice offered by the expert judges and the detailed feedback report they provided.

“It was more like a general discussion. I still contend the judges did much

more work than I did. All I had to do was show them around the farm for half a day and try not to tell any lies.”

He says the process of preparing for the awards was a worthwhile exercise “because it made us reflect on what we had done and where we were heading”.

On awards evening, the Menloves were named winners of the Ballance Agri-nutrients Nutrient Management Award and the Hill Laboratories Harvest Award.

This caught Willie offguard because he hadn’t prepared anything to say at the podium.

Despite this, he and Phillipa thoroughly enjoyed the “well-run” awards evening. He says the entire awards experience was extremely beneficial for their farming operation.

“The competition seems to get bigger and bigger each year. Most people who enter it aren’t in it for the prizes, they enter because they want to learn about sustainability and find out if they can do better.

“I’d definitely recommend the competition to anyone.”

Willie and Phillipa Menlove

Promoting good land use THE OVERALL objective of the Ballance Farm Environment Awards is to promote sustainable land management on New Zealand farms. Its ethos is that role models and education are effective tools to improving farming practices.

This objective is achieved by: • The judging process, which is kept

mutually enjoyable and informative • Commitment to practical solutions, which benefit people as well as the land • Support for diversity – there’s never one right answer, it’s about what works • NZBFEA deed requires judges to use objectives criteria to determine sustainable management where practical

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Rural News // December 1, 2011

28 management

Good cow frow saves time su e edm o nds

IF YOU spend 57% of your time in the farm dairy, then finding out ways to reduce this makes good sense.

DairyNZ’s Milksmart courses – run right across the country, focussing on cow flow and cow behav-

iour – are aimed at those who can make changes to both milking equipment and methods.

Starting with access through the race and into the yard, Neil Chesterton – a Taranaki vet with a passion for preventing lameness – had his groups busy with tapes and spirit

levels, studying race width, camber, surface, fencing and the point where it meets the yard concrete.

He believes that some contractors create too much camber, resulting in cows walking in narrow file up the centre line.

Wide and easy access to the yard is essential, and

the latter must be large enough for cows to move about to their preferred milking order. Yard slope and surface can see cows slipping and going down, when fresh dung gets spread about. Chesterton is enthusiastic about a concrete etching process he calls scabbling, which

prevents this.

Backing gates and their use also came in for much attention. These aren’t meant to push cows, but to reduce the space they have while waiting. A siren or other noise before moving the gate, slowly, helps cows get ready to move.

Aidan Bichan, Wair-

Vet, Neil Chesterton

arapa, explains that the design of the on and off bridge to a rotary platform can make a huge difference to cow flow.

It can also prevent bails going round empty, or cows requiring milker attention to get things right.

He says the final entry point should allow for one cow only and the overall space must be free of any protruding metal which could injure cows. The off space must be nonslip underfoot and wide enough to let cows turn comfortably. A squirt of water or some dangling device will encourage cows to exit.

In a herringbone shed, Bichan recommends zigzag rump rails for most efficient row filling and the exit gate must swing

high enough to allow cows of any size to pass under it.

Bruce Eyers, animal husbandry expert from DairyNZ, gave some sage advice on the three cow senses of vision, hearing and smell.

He says while cows have a very wide range of vision, it’s more limited up and down, and to tread safely they need to see where to put their feet – as both front and back go down in the same place.

Cow hearing is less specific than humans’ and they take longer to pinpoint its source. Their sense of smell is amazing, and can pick up scents from up to 8km away. A spooked cow excretes cortisol in the urine, and the smell of this can put fear into an entire herd. www.milksmart.co.nz

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COMPETITION The Canterbury A&P Association congratulates the semi finalists in the 2011 Mint Lamb Competition, judged on the hook for Best Yield in their class. Congratulations to all winning entries.

Place Entrant/Area

Breed

Taste Test Total Points Yield

1st

William Feetham, Hastings

S/S Romney X

72.00

60.19

2nd

Sarah Rodie, Amberley

Texel

70.50

61.86

3rd

Dave & Rosie Clark, Rangiora Dorset Romney 70.00

60.29

4th

Allan Paton, Christchurch

Texel X

67.50

59.14

5th

Sarah Rodie, Amberley

Texel X

67.00

58.50

6th

Richard Bell, Rakaia

Dual Purpose

66.25

59.43

7th

William Feetham, Hastings

S/S Romney X

65.50

58.30

8th

Christina Jordan, Blenheim

Southdown X

64.75

58.33

9th

Ken Tomlinson, Amberley

Rom/Composite 63.50

58.27

10th

Anton Gibson, Middlemarch

Suffolk/Romney 62.00

58.06

Agent/Drafter of winning lamb - Ross Dyer

www.theshow.co.nz

Rural News // december 1, 2011

management 29

To till or not to till?

TO TILL or not to till, which is best?

Is there any difference? And if so, what fertilisers to apply to and how do the costs compare?

As a general rule of thumb, 1 kg of fertiliser applied down-the-spout during no-tillage is equivalent to about 5 kg of the same fertiliser broadcast on the surface. Field experience and unpublished recent trials by Ballance AgriNutrients have demonstrated that both nitrogen and phosphate give benefits. Apparently potassium and sulphur are not as important in a starter fertiliser mix.

So what is happening with N and P? Nitrogen For nitrogen (which is highly mobile in the soil) there are several mechanisms at work. The first is the temporary immobilisation (“lock-up”) of nitrogen in the soil by micro-organisms decomposing the abundance of organic matter present on the surface during no-tillage.

The second is the fact that little mineralisation occurs in no-tillage, due to the lack of soil disturbance.

This contrasts with tillage in which maximum disturbance (mineralisation) is the order of the day. Often, even the small amount of disturbance caused by a temporary loss of traction by tractor rear wheels will create enough mineralisation in that specific area to make emerged no-tillage seedlings look stronger than elsewhere in the paddock. General tillage aims to do the same thing on a paddock scale.

But most mineralised nitrogen is derived from the soil organic matter.

Unless it is replaced by nitrogen from elsewhere, disturbance and tillage simply mines that soil organic matter cumulatively over time.

There is often minimal response to broadcast N during no-tillage. Water (with N in solution) can flow preferentially down old root and earthworm

channels causing soluble nitrogen to bi-pass juvenile seedling roots.

While no-tillage avoids mining nitrogen from the soil organic matter (indeed performed correctly, no-tillage builds soil organic matter cumulatively) the temporary nitrogen shortage from any or all of the above causes needs to be compensated for by application of nitrogen early in the crop/ pasture growth.

Even though nitrogen demand increases as plants grow, placement of nitrogen near the seed at sowing ensures that N is available when the plant first requires it. Later applications of bagged N, to drive canopy development and weed suppression, can be surface applied as N is very mobile in the soil and the plants roots are by then more extensive to intercept it.

So nitrogen banded under or beside (but not touching) the seed at no-tillage drilling is important.

But only a small number of no-tillage drills are capable of doing this.

Mixing nitrogenous fertilisers with seed is risky because of the potential for seed “burn”.

Up to 150 kg/ha of DAP or MAP is about the upper limit for mixing, but even this can be dangerous in dry conditions. On the other hand, almost unlimited amounts and types of nitrogenous fertilisers can be safely banded alongside the seed in 150 m�m rows with those no-tillage drills that separate the seed and fertiliser into two distinct bands in the sown slot.

Phosphorous The issue with phosphate and notillage is quite different because phosphate is not readily mobile in the soil, making it even less effective than nitrogen when surface applied, particularly if no rain falls.

P is important to drive early root and shoot development and enters the roots primarily through osmosis

(concentration gradients). The higher the P concentration in the soil solution around the developing roots, the more P will be absorbed. Again, with no-tillage, limited mineralisation occurs, limiting not only N, but also P in the soil solution.

To overcome this it is as simple as placing P close to the seed so that juvenile crop roots can get early access to it.

Costs Obviously, no-tillage drills that are capable of banding fertilisers separately from seeds cost more than drills without this capability.

Turnip yields in the order of 15-20 t/ha DM have been common in Waikato and Taranaki using such drills.

So when is it economic to choose such a drill? Contrast the front and rear plots of the photograph below.

Fertiliser was banded with sophisticated no-tillage openers in the rear plots but was broadcast at the same rate on the front plots. Otherwise the same no-tillage openers drilled the seed in both cases.

If a no-tillage contractor charged $200/hectare for the machine with fertiliser banding capability, or $100/ ha for a cheaper machine without this capability, at 25 cents/kg DM you would only need to get a 400kg/ha difference in yield (or about 2%, which is difficult to detect by eye) to justify using the more expensive machine. In fact, if you added-in the cost of broadcasting the fertiliser separately, the required yield difference might well be in the other direction.

The same differences are regularly seen with autumn and spring-sown pastures and spring-sown arable crops. So why isn’t everyone choosing to no-till their spring crops and pastures (spring or autumn) with drills capable of banding fertiliser with the seed?

Beats me!

• John Baker is the CEO and chairman of Baker No-Tillage Ltd, Feilding (baker@crossslot.com)

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Rural News // December 1, 2011

30 animal health

Genetic JV breeds success TWO GENETIC joint ventures claim they are stacking success on success to bring elite Jersey sires to the market.

JerseyGenome and Jersey Genes are joint ventures between Jersey New Zealand and CRV AmBreed. Established in 2008, about 42% of the shortlisted young bull candidates for the 2012 Jersey Genes team are products of the JerseyGenome programme.

CRV AmBreed says the JV is showing the potential to surpass expectations of the success anticipated for this programme. It says JerseyGenome scheme is structured to create wider opportunities for the breed, breeders behind the scheme and, ultimately, Jersey Gene.

The first crop of JerseyGenome bred bull calves have filtered through as nominations

in consideration for the (as at November 12). for the 2012 Jersey Genes Jersey Genes 2012 bull The most recognised team, adding a new dimenof these sires, Okura Man- team with 17% of nominasion to the selection protions originating from the hatten ET SJ3, has been cess.

JerseyGenome scheme exported to over nine Internationally recogand 12 bulls nised, Jersey have been Genes has selected to supplied 26 advance to proven Jersey the genomic bulls over a testing phase. period of 19 Five of the years, making shortlist origit one of the inates from country’s JerseyGenmost successome with the ful young sire balance stemtesting proming directly grammes. via nominaCurrently the tions from scheme boasts the Jersey three sires – New Zealand Canaan Nevvy membership.

Pioneer, SubsePukeroa TGM quent to the Manzello and Pukeroa TGM Manzello – Jersey Genes latest graduate.

Jersey Genes Okura Manselection process, 26 of hatten ET SJ3 in the top 30 countries and has sired the remaining 138 nominaJersey bull list (10% of the over 32,500 daughters in tions have been picked up ranked graduates) and two New Zealand.

by CRV AmBreed for their In total, 150 bull nom(Pioneer and Manzello) in own PT scheme, includinations were received the top 30 All Breeds list

ing an additional five from the JerseyGenome programme.

CRV marketing manager Peter Berney is not surprised by the success of the joint venture programmes.

“The combination of CRV AmBreed’s expertise and technical capabilities with the passion, experience and commitment of Jersey New Zealand members was always going to be a good one,” he says.

“The fact that these programmes are significantly represented, not only in our young Jersey teams but in our proven products, is a testament to the success of the JerseyGenome and Jersey Genes programmes.”

With such pleasing results so early in the creation of the JerseyGenome programme, the future for the Jersey breed looks positive, says Berney.

Remedy for apple pest A NEW insecticide, Movento 100SC, from Bayer, kills apple leaf curling midge and armoured scale.

An original formulation, Movento 240SC, was launched here in 2009 for killing armoured scale in kiwifruit and psyllid in potatoes.

This extension of Movento into apples coincides with the insecticide winning an international Agrow award for most innovative chemistry.

Movento is a relatively new insecticide from the Ketoenol family, says Bayer. Its “two-way systemicity” distributes the active ingredient upwards and downwards in the plant, killing pests wherever they are on the plant.

Bayer CropScience New Zealand country head Holger Detje says he is delighted with the success of Movento.

“Movento is an increasingly important tool for combating pests in New Zealand, so it’s reassuring to see it winning an international award.

“It shows recognition of the innovative character and originality of this new molecule, and it highlights new opportunities the compound offers our customers.”

“I think it’s also important that Bayer is able to provide such innovative chemistry to local New Zealand growers.”

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Rural News // december 1, 2011

UK research aims to keep footrot flat PROPER MANAGEMENT of footrot could cut lameness from one in ten to one in 50 sheep, according to researchers at the University of Warwick, UK. The research promises a sea change in tackling the endemic disease, which causes lameness in around 9 million ewes and lambs in Great Britain each year.

The work – part of a $3m Biotechnological and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC)-funded project at the University of Warwick in collaboration with the University of Bristol – was recently presented to members of the farming and pharmaceutical communities.

Professor Laura Green, University of Warwick’s team has established that footrot and interdigital dermatitis are two presentations of the disease caused by the same bacterium Dichelobacter nodoss – a concept that was not accepted in the

veterinary community in the UK before this project.

These results also highlight that it is possible to maintain the prevalence of lameness at below 2% by prompt administration of an injection of antibiotic to sheep with either condition, a reduction from the current average flock prevalence of 10%.

As a result of the University of Warwick research, the UK’s Sheep Veterinary Society is drafting new recommendations which will be published nationally on the treatment and control of footrot and interdigital dermatitis in sheep.

The treatment has been tested in India and is as effective there as it is in the UK. Green says footrot is contagious and extremely painful for diseased sheep and costly to the farming industry.

“Our research is significant because it can have an immediate impact on the disease with rapid cure in

three to five days – minimising the time that sheep are lame as well as increasing productivity for farmers.”

During their research,

University of Warwick scientists also identified a gene that might be linked to the bacteria’s ability to invade the skin. They are now aiming to identify

the structure of the protein from this gene to help understand how invasion occurs in a bid to further reduce the prevalence of the disease.

animal health 31

Proper management of footrot can reduce lameness.

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Rural News // December 1, 2011

32 animal health

Revised strategy for TB eradication j o hn dalz ie ll

THE PAST financial year heralded the completion of the review the National Pest Management Strategy for bovine TB – a big landmark for the future eradication of the disease from New Zealand.

This marks a major shift in focus for the Animal Health Board’s (AHB) bovine TB control programme. Under the revised strategy, our key objective will be to eradicate the disease, from both herds and wildlife, across 2.5 million ha of the 10 million ha known to contain TB-infected wild animals. This represents one quarter of New Zealand’s most at-risk areas, where disease-carrying wild ani-

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mals, mainly possums, are largely responsible for passing TB to farmed livestock.

The revised strategy is designed to provide proof that TB can indeed be eradicated from New Zealand, particularly in very difficult bush and mountain country. Eradication of TB from New Zealand has been our aim from the outset.

It’s a certainty that if TB cannot be eradicated from possums and other wildlife, New Zealand will always face substantial ongoing costs to maintain the disease and protect our cattle and deer herds from infection.

In the meantime, we have effectively maintained that protection,

John Dalziell

with just 81 cattle and deer herds being infected at the end of 2010-11 – compared to more than 1700 in the mid-1990s.

Our work is having a positive effect on both the management of TB and the protection of New Zealand native birds and bush, which are being devastated by predators – such as possums, rats and

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Two independent reports during the year highlighted the success of the TB programme and the importance of possum control in conserving our country’s native ecosystem. The first report, carried out under a Cabinet directive, investigated the cost-effectiveness of the TB strategy. It found the programme is delivering “ahead of expectations” in an “efficient and effective manner”.

The other report of note – Evaluating the use of 1080: Predators, poisons and silent forests – was compiled by Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment, Dr Jan Wright. The Commissioner looked at the effectiveness of aerial 1080 application and expressed the view that more of the toxin should be used to protect our forests.

In spite of these endorsements, maintaining funding support for the programme remains one of the greatest challenges and risks. Our funders are balancing a demand for increased activities within their respective organisations with an underlying need for fiscal restraint. We acknowledge the significance of our stakeholders in maintaining our funding base over the past year, particularly in the current financial climate.

The entire country benefits from the export of our agricultural products.

With so much at stake, we

Cattle tested for TB.

cannot afford to expose our farming industry – the country’s undeniable economic base – to the risks associated with bovine TB. Any reduction in funding of the programme would

It’s a certainty that if TB cannot be eradicated from possums and other wildlife, New Zealand will always face substantial on-going costs to maintain the disease and protect our cattle and deer herds from infection. seriously compromise our efforts to manage and eventually eradicate the disease, as well as protect the conservation gains that have been made – an important additional benefit of controlling infected wild animals.

The TB programme greatly adds to the pest management work of regional councils and the Department of Conser-

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Last year’s Project Kaka in Tararua Forest Park was an outstanding example of the two organisations working together for maximum pest management benefit and value for money.

We have also been active in developing new avenues of communication and education around TB and the benefits of controlling the dis-

ease. This year we formed a strategic partnership with New Zealand Young Farmers to communicate directly with the next generation of herd owners.

We have also worked to enhance our relationships with various stakeholder groups and with farmers themselves. These partnerships help ensure we can continue to advance the TB control programme.

This brings me to another very important highlight of the year – the award of the Queen’s Service Order to AHB TB eradication and research manager, Paul Livingstone, for his outstanding contribution to veterinary science. A most well-deserved honour bestowed on someone who has worked tirelessly for years to tackle TB and protect New Zealand’s economic future.

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Rural News // december 1, 2011

animal health / nutrition 33

Spring good for stock condition p e t e r bu r k e

VETERINARIAN AND farm consultant Trevor Cook says the mild winter and wet spring – which has produced better pasture growth – will give hill country farmers a chance to ‘get back in control’ of their operations.

Cook, Totally Vets, Feilding, says the weather has favoured sheep and beef over dairy farm operations and believes that hill country farmers should focus on getting condition back on their breeding stock.

“They should also be able to put some focus on replacement stock particularly in sheep breeding systems, which have really struggled over the last three to five years because there hasn’t been the feed around.”

Cook says feed conditions from what he’s seen are as ‘comfortable’ as farmers have had for many years.

“The only negative is that it’s been a bit colder than we would expect.

In many areas it’s been wet and this has limited some of the cropping programmes. It has also meant that farmers have not been able to harvest supplements, especially hay because of the wet conditions.”

Cook says grass growth on the hills is much better, relative to other springs.

He says with stocking rates back to what they were four or five years ago, this has meant more feed is available and overall conditions are pretty good.

“My advice for hill country breeding farms is – given the positive effects of the spring –they don’t have to focus on their breeding stock much over the summer in terms of regaining condition and getting ready to set up for next season. The fact that stock have come out of the spring in good condition

gives a lot more flexibility in the summer.”

From what he’s heard, Cook says ewes are in pretty good condition and farmers are reporting good lamb survivability and weights.

He says the condition of breeding cows on the hill country is the best he’s ever seen.

While there’s been talk about hill country farmers applying fertiliser, Cook says he’s seen no evidence of this so far. He says some was put on last autumn and he believes that farmers will apply it next autumn.

Overall, Cook believes that the hill country is still fertiliser deficient.

Good pasture growth in hill country is helping sheep condition

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Science behind the rain WET AND cloudy conditions in the Manawatu are causing pasture growth to slow and it’s also affecting quality, according to Professor Peter Kemp.

Kemp, Massey University’s head of pasture science, says it’s rained for 17 out of the last 19 days in the region and it’s a long time since it has been so consistently dull and cloudy in the months of October and November.

“These conditions, especially the water logging on heavier soils, means there’s not much oxygen in the soil.

Roots don’t grow as well, so the plant doesn’t grow as well and you particularly notice that when you get more tap rooted plants or crops.

The wet waterlogged conditions affect root growth.

“Also, the wet soil is colder so the temperature drops and this slows the growth down a bit at this time of the year,” he says.

However, plants on freer draining soils are growing better.

According to Kemp, cloudiness or lack of sunlight can actually limit pasture growth.

“In winter it’s cold anyway and this probably limits the growth more than the cloudiness. But at this time of the year, cloudiness, or lack of light, seems to be limiting growth as well.

Kemp says it’s hard to quantify the effects of lack of sunshine but the sugar level in plants is a bit lower and doesn’t build up as quickly.

“Typically on a nice sunny day, the sugar levels in plants increase as they photosynthesise through the day, but when it’s cloudy the plant is struggling more to grow,” he says.

This results in pasture quality not being the same as it would normally be at this time of year.

Kemp adds that another impact of the wet weather on heavy soils is a potential nitrogen deficiency.

“With the heavy rain, nitrogen tends to leach at a time when farmers are applying pasture for crops to grow.”

He says farmers may have to put on nitrogen to make up for this potential deficiency.

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Rural News // December 1, 2011

34 animal health

Animal health edge in early finishing andrew swallow

NOT ONLY will getting your lambs away early normally command the best prices – it also will have animal health benefits long-term, says Justin Bailey, Novartis.

Bailey was among the speakers at a recent Beef

Getting your lambs away early is good practice, says Justin Bailey, Novartis.

+ Lamb New Zealand field day at Lone Star Farms’ Caberfeidh Station, South Canterbury.

He told the 450-strong crowd the sooner lambs are gone, the less the worm burden they leave behind on pasture.

“The longer you have lambs on pasture going

“The longer you have lambs on pasture going into the autumn the more you are leaving a problem for the future.” into the autumn the more you are leaving a problem for the future,” he warned.

Bailey believes the starting point for an effective drench and worm management programme, on any property, has to be a full faecal egg count reduction test (FECRT) to determine what works.

He says this should be repeated every third year, yet only 5-10% of producers have done one.

“I find that amazing in an industry where farmers are so switched on about a lot of things that they can leave [worm control] to guesswork,” he told the field day.

Bailey acknowledges that part of the problem is information overload on the subject.

But drenching stock without knowing the resistance status of parasites on the property is like putting fuel into a vehicle without knowing whether it’s diesel or petrol, he says.

Surveys have found “BZ” or white drenches to be “less than fully effective” on 77% of farms, and

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clears to be less than fully effective on over 50% of farms. Even some combination drenches are less than fully effective on about 35% of properties, Bailey points out.

What constitutes “effective” in drenches is another issue. While 95% control might be considered highly effective, the chances are the worms left will carry some resistance.

Bailey says one way to manage that is by refugia. However, at 95% efficacy, about 34% of a mob has to be left undrenched to achieve the same dilution effect that just 1% undrenched achieves with a 99% effective drench.

“It’s [34% undrenched] not a really good option... so don’t just think about using refugia, think about using refugia in tandem with highly effective drenches.”

He adds that besides quarantine drenching livestock coming onto a property, within farm quarantine drenching can and should be used strategically, and drench classes rotated.

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Rural News // december 1, 2011

machinery & products 35

Postdrivers... now cultivators n e il k eat ing

A “PASSION for engineering” motivates Jim Fairbrother, head of Fairbrother Industries, through thick and thin. And since last week the passion is extended to soil cultivators: his company has bought the business of Hooper Machinery Ltd (see story below).

Like his new associate Paul Hooper, Fairbrother sees big potential in good machinery that keeps pace with farming’s resurgence.

Fairbother’s terse manner, contrasting with zany humour, mask a keen appreciation of the market for his company’s postdrivers – a market far from saturation, he says, describing yet another model he’ll

launch early next year. And now there’s cultivators.

“Our new postdriver will tackle hills and gullies mounted on something different from your usual farm tractor – which let’s face it often isn’t the easiest platform for a postdriver.”

Fairbrother years ago quit his maintenance job at AFFCo to buy a postdriver business. He “threw caution to the wind and borrowed $250,000,” only to find the interest rate in 1986 hitting 28%. “They just threw farming out the window.”

Steel is in his genes. His grandfather was a blacksmith in Featherston, also selling MJ Hooper & Co parts. As early as 1940 the grandfather was repairing discs. As a to page 36

Paul Hooper: making ready to vacate the Henderson, West Auckland, building his company has occupied since 1954.

No end to discs A FILM studio: that’s the new owner’s plan for Hooper Machinery Ltd’s former factory in central Henderson, west Auckland. It’s a snapshot of change typical of New Zealand’s new era, says Paul Hooper, who last week sold his business to Fairbrother Industries Ltd, Beachhaven, Auckland.

No sentiment for Hooper though, partly because his big, yellow discs and harrows will live on at Fairbrother, where for 12 months he will hand over “a lifetime of knowledge of discs and harrows” – said with a grin. Five tradesmen will go with him.

There’s helpful synergy in the hook-up:

“We tend to be busy six months from June/ July, then we go quiet. For Fairbrother it’s the reverse.”

Meanwhile in the noticeably quiet Henderson building he’s taking a shovel (“I’m a bit of hoarder”) to 90 years of history. Papers, photographs, ‘antique’ office furniture, factory gear. He retrieves a product/company brochure of cartoontype drawings by maternal grandfather John Hill, for years cartoonist at The Auckland Star. It shows an astonishing range of gear: heavy and medium-light disc harrows, chain and tine harrows, to page 36

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Fairbrother Industries management (from left) Bruce Parker, purchasing manager; Ken Lawson, sales manager; and (at right) Jim Fairbrother, managing director, with (second from right) Paul Hooper, coming on board to oversee the cultivator division.

Rural News // December 1, 2011

36 machinery & products

No end to discs from page 35

seed drills, fertiliser spreaders, rollers, tractor-mounted sawbenches, subsoilers, scufflers, ‘Kiwi’ shearing machines (including a tractormounted model) and grinders, and cattle bails.

The finished goods were carried by forklift straight to the nearby Henderson train station and loaded aboard freight cars. They ended up in China, Yugoslavia, Antarc-

tica, New Hebrides, Rarotonga, Fiji, Tasmania….

The best days, he says, coincided with the early National Fieldays, where “the manufacturers were mates, got on well, did the stuff on a handshake and had a lot of laughs.”

(Now the Fieldays organisation is “Not answerable to anyone; they don’t care about the exhibitors.”)

Decades of farmland development meant Hoopers perfected design

and building of machines up to 18ft wide: “We could do it; we still can.” Discs came from Europe, England, Australia.

The 1970s were great for sky-high beef prices and machinery sales to Australia. “We sold 100s of Hooper cultivators there.”

Meanwhile day-to-day business can be a grind; he’s not sorry to see it off. He has three sons, in Australia, none in farm machinery.

“I’ll be able to sleep at night. I’ve had a few friends die and that’s a reminder of something.

Jim [Fairbrother] has got me into the Les Mills Fitness Gold Card brigade.”

If he could he’d still be sailing the Hauraki Gulf and beyond (he’s done the essential Kiwi yachties’ trips to Pacfic islands) but a crook shoulder prevents more. His favourite boat was a Farr 727 (quartertonner).

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Postdrivers from page 35

10-year-old in 1955 Jim remembers the shop floor there.

An apprenticeship followed, then seven years in the merchant navy: Union Steamship, Shaw Savill, then a Swedish-chartered banana boat in the Caribbean and South American eastern ports, buying bananas cheap and selling them wherever the price was best.

“We’d pick up a load and start heading for Brazil then we’d get a signal saying prices were best in New York…. You had no idea where you’d end up. It was a great life: every night was Saturday night.”

Aspects of his popular Kinghitter postdriver he credits to Jock Arthur, a salesman with his grandfather’s company, and “the only soldier wounded in action in New Zealand during WWII” – the infamous riot on February 25, 1943, by Japanese PoWs at their Featherston camp. “Jock got a bit of metal in his shoulder in that incident.”

The Kinghitter attracts Fairbrother the sincerest form of flattery, i.e. an Irish company is making a copy – the patents have run out – and selling it in Europe. But Fairbrother isn’t greatly put out by this.

“April 1 this year our market took off. From 2010, when we were looking at a three-day working week, to now… well, we’ve seen our monthly turnover go from $20,000 to $200,000. The lamb prices have a lot to do with it.”

But it’s not only sheep that keep Fairbrother Industries barreling along. “Postdrivers are so much more versatile now; there’s heaps more you can do with them.” He cites internal subdivision/fencing of lifestyle properties, vineyards, house piling, even undersea piling, as examples of uses beyond the traditional farm fencing.

“And now we’re adding Hooper Machinery products.

And Paul has a lifetime’s experience of cultivation gear.”

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Rural News // december 1, 2011

machinery & products 37

Power steer impresses TONY H OPKINSO N

Smoking turn-on THREE NEW tractor pulling events are an extra draw to this popular motorsport.

Tractor Pull NZ will run a standalone event (not linked to any other show) Dec 11 at Reporoa.

The organiser is Reporoa Lions, as part of a gala fund raiser for the community.

Entries on the day cost $40 per driver.

A special attraction will be a local super-modified tractor, Brutus, owned by Art Maandonks.

A second new, standalone event will be run January 14 at Matakana, north of Auckland.

And a new contest on January 28-29 at Edendale, Southland, will run concurrent with Edendale Vintage Machinery Club’s annual Crank Up of vintage tractors, machinery and traction engines.

Tractor Pull NZ says ‘official’ tractor pulling events at the South Island Field Days, Waimumu, at Hawera, and at Central Districts Field Days, Feilding, will continue as qualifying events for the national finals during National Fieldays at Mystery Creek, June.

POWER STEERING and a winch are two features of the Can-Am XT ATV that ‘spin the wheels’ of New Zealand’s newest brand franchisee – NV Motorcycles, Morrinsville, owned and operated by Nick and Vicki Kampenhout.

They were until recently specialist speed and dirt-bike retailer and repairer. “And that’s where my strength is – racing, selling and servicing these machines,” says Kampenhout.

Then came the Can-Am ATV franchise, and a certain “surprise” at the interest the brand generates among farmers, typically the features referred to above.

The power steering has three stages – soft, medium and hard – changed at a flick of a switch.

This helps in the case of, say, a farmer who mounts a 50kg spray pump on the front carrier.

The steering gets easier especially during difficult hillside turns, Kampenhout says.

“When I send out a demo model and the farmer’s wife has a drive I usually make a sale when they realise how much easier it is for a lady to steer, in many cases with one hand.”

Similarly the winch broadens the machine’s scope. It has a 3000 pound cable, a strap for towing out and a snap hook for attaching. Remote control makes it easier to get out of the ‘swamp’.

XT range engine choices are 500, 650, 800 and top-of-the-range 1000cc.

All have wheels with aluminium rims. The XT Max model has the length

for legal driver-and-pillion riding, with a dual seat and passenger footrests and handgrips.

Two satisfied customers are Andrew and Ashlea Kowalski, contract milkers on the 87ha (eff.) farm of Dave and Mary Muggeridge, at Tatuanui, near Morrinsville. They milk 280 F x J cows through a 26 aside herringbone shed, supplying Tatuanui Co-op.

Says Andrew, “Since we got on the Can-Am 500 XT we have not looked back.”

They like the Rotax motor, winch, power steering and the 3-year warranty. “And we like the wide footrests and grip, safer with muddy boots.”

The Kowalskis bought as an extra a farm kit including bullbars and mudflaps.

Tel. 07 889 1007 nvmotorcycles@xtra. co.nz

Nick and Vicki Kampenhout.

Ashlea and Andrew Kowalski.

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Rural News // December 1, 2011

38 machinery in brief with david linklater Plastic solves effluent-handling problem TURNING AWAY from traditional materials has enabled a New Zealand company to solve one of the major issues facing ‘weeping wall’ effluent separators.

The walls are a longstanding method of separating liquids from solids in the dairy industry. Traditionally they’ve been made of timber – effective in ideal conditions, but prone to expansion and contraction, which alters the size of the gap for the solids and can give inconsistent results.

DairyNZ approached RX Plastics for a reliable alternative that could be supplied to resellers. The end product had to be a cost-effective way to separate effluent, with the liquid channelled straight to pasture using simple small-diameter

pipelines and pumps.

The real challenge for the company was the huge amount of variation that exists in dairy effluent to start with.

Consistent results had to be achieved with dramatically different effluent makeup – affected by, e.g. grazing management and milking times.RX Plastics settled on parameters of 4mm, 6mm and 8mm, in fabricated units. The system was installed in two farms and closely moni-

tored by the company. It claims that the greater the area of weeping wall, the more effective the system is.The plastic wall was launched at National Fieldays earlier in the year. Initial interest, plus the flow-on effects from the exposure of the new product to such a wide audience, have resulted in a pile of orders that keeps growing. Much of the demand is from effluent system designers. www.rxplastics.co.nz

Hustler gets good wrap BETTER-QUALITY, MORE protective wrapping than ever is the claim for Hustler’s 2012-model Mega Softhands bale loader/ handler. A new “refined contoured design” removes pressure points from the bale, virtually eliminating the risk of the plastic wrap stretching during handling. When stretching occurs, it can lead to mould.The 2012-series machine is better in various ways.

The pivots are stronger (added gussets counter

the stress), endowing the loader with a two-tonne rating.

And the chassis is reinforced with solid nudge bars, to minimise flex. Two bales can be handled at once thanks to the ‘two hands’ system.

Paint preparation and finish are better, with a sandblasted base and better quality paint.

Hustler says the decals will now last longer than on the previous machine, even when the bales rub together during handling

or tight stacking on trucks.The new machine has an equaliser bar for precise control/safety and three-position adjustable hands, which

can deal with rounds and squares with reduced wrap stretch. Price is $3999. www.hustlerequipment.co.nz

intended to give high performance in mixing time and feed quality.

Parallel flighting reduces mixing time while thoroughly blending the ration. The Supreme range is distributed in New Zealand by Tulloch Farm Machines, which is facilitating a factorysupplied money-back guarantee for the

machines. Providing buyers have paid cash and filled out a simple questionnaire about their requirements from the processor, Supreme will give them their money back within 12 months should the processor not perform to expectations.

This is in addition to the standard warranty. www.tulloch.co.nz

Feed that’s a cut above THINK OF it as gourmet feed: the new Supreme range of high-volume feed processors cut and blend, rather than mix and grind as is traditionally the case.The first model in the new series was the 1600T (41.9m3, twin vertical screw, tandem walking-beam axle). Then came the 800T – half the capacity of the larger mixer. The

625-75 is the latest evolution in agricultural handling solutions.

800T (21.3m3 capacity) has twin vertical screws and a tandem walkingbeam axle in common with the bigger model.

Also available are the 700T (18.4m3) and the 900T (24.1m3). The 900T is 530mm wider than the 700T at 3.12m.

The 900T is 100mm higher at 3.22m. The 800T at 21.3m3 is lower than both the 700T and 900T at only 2.95m and is 3.02m wide. Their respective lengths for 700T, 800T and 900T are 6.15m, 6.4m and 6.93m.Also new with the 800T is the option for a plastic conveyor which runs quieter than the metal version.

The vertical screw on all Supreme models has a patented design

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Rural News // december 1, 2011

motoring 39

Volvo SUV rings bells for Sweden AN SUV credited with “swinging the technology pendulum in favour of [this vehicle type] compared to conventional sedans,” has become the most valuable export product for its country of origin, reports the New Zealand distributor.

The SUV is the Volvo XC90. It came late to the market segment – in 2002 – but suffered none of the problems of earlier SUVs, the company says. By 2005, annual XC90 sales peaked at 86,000 vehicles, making it Sweden’s most valuable export product.

The “technology pendulum” comment is from Popular Science editor and North American Truck of the Year juror Dan McCosh: “The XC90 successfully answers most of the criticisms aimed at today’s upscale SUVs. From the boronreinforced roof, to the technology monitoring occupants, to the antirollover system, the XC90 actually has managed to swing the pendulum....”

Volvo president and chief executive Stefan Jacoby says the XC90 was the first of the next-generation SUVs. “Its blend of SUV roominess, true passenger-car qualities and groundbreaking safety features made it an instant success in a segment tainted at that time by several issues.”

In North America the look, spaciousness and high seating position made the vehicle type a favourite among North American families. But many SUVs’

truck-like driving properties also helped push them high in rollover statistics.

Project director Hans Wikman set out to solve those issues when in May 1999 the XC90 was cleared for development by Volvo Car Corp president Tuve Johannesson at the Arizona Proving Ground.

Wikman recalls the project team inspecting three design alternatives and feeling “a bit tense.”

“The SUV programme had been canned twice before. Now we kept our

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‘unisteel battleship’ construction – larger doors, larger glass area and threeacross bench seating.

Versatile and practical, the ‘48 pickups were popular with drivers wanting more than just a ride. They were workhorses for American families, Bunce Motors says.

And now US farm communities and service vehicles still depend on descendants like the Silverado to get the job done. www.bunce.co.nz

to page 40

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ASKED TO name their ‘best Chevy of all time’, to celebrate the marque’s 100th year, Americans voted the ‘muscle-era’ 1969 Camaro into top spot.

But sneaking into the ‘top 10’ came the humble 1948 ‘pickup’, one of Chevrolet’s post-war wave of new cars, reports Auckland Chev dealer Bunce Motors, Takapuna.

Soldiers returning from WWII saw somewhat familiar restyled-Chevy ‘vehicles of victory’, based on war designs – but more comfortable. The cab had

fingers crossed that our favourite design was so good the executives would approve it without hesitation. That’s what happened.”

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Rural News // December 1, 2011

40 vintage

Trucking began with 1913 ‘wagon’ EVER WONDERED when and where the motor ‘truck’ got started?

Roger and Glenys Mahan, of Milburn, South Otago, say the word was first used of the 1913 International 1-ton model. Until then motorised goods

vehicles were called ‘auto wagons’.

The Mahans showed and drove their IH 1-tonner at Don Robertson’s recent vintage and veteran rally at Hinds, Mid Canterbury.

It was one of a “very

successful” run of such trucks, powered by a 2-cyl. horizontally opposed 20hp motor driving through a 2-speed gearbox. Top speed was 30-40km/h.

Their truck was a service and delivery vehicle used by Treasure Imple-

Roger and Glenys Mahan, South Otago, drive their IH 1-ton truck.

ment Co., Pennsylvania, an International Harvester agent. The truck served the company until the 1960s.

Say the Mahans, “We have rallied this truck extensively in Australia for past three years, had

no problem and estimate we have driven it over 5000km. “It still has its original headlights and fit-

tings. The only work done to its body is replacement of some tray timber, seat upholstery and paint.”

SUV rings bells from page 39

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group helped lots, says the ‘father’ of the winning design, Doug Frasher.

A majority of SUVs were driven by women and “our ladies gave us great input,” he says. The reference group included Swedish Hollywood actress Maud Adams. They inspired the shape of the XC90 by asking for masculinity instead of ‘macho’, says Frasher.

“One lady making a sweeping gesture that almost sketched the sleek shape of the bonnet flowing up on the A-pillar. We put a lot of effort into creating a design that felt

strong and protective without the impression of sheer size.

“The XC90 is muscular,

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but not aggressive.”

The XC90 has seven seats in a vehicle no longer than 480 cm— an achievement still unrivalled in the segment.

And in 2002 it ushered in five automotive worldfirsts: roll stability control (RSC), using a gyro-sensor to detect and counteract the risk of a rollover; inflatable side curtains for all three rows of seats; an integrated sliding centre booster seat for children in the second row; seatbelts with ‘pre-tensioners’ for all seats; and Dolby 5.1 Pro Logic II surround sound stereo.

The combined reinforced roof structure, seat belt pre-tensioners and inflatable side curtains lifted rollover protection for passengers.

This safety was demonstrated in 2002 when Volvo ran a violent rollover test with the XC90 at Gothenburg, Sweden. A video of the test (see it on YouTube) shows the XC90 rolling three times, ending up on its right side.

Says Hans Wikman, “The roof structure was more or less intact after the car finished rolling.

Spontaneous applause from the media representatives confirms we made a real impression.”

And Volvo’s crash investigation files include few accidents where XC90 occupants have been killed or sustained severe injuries.

Since its introduction, the XC90 has received 110 awards around the globe.

Rural News // december 1, 2011

rural life 41

Technology takes kitchen table idea to new heights THE WOMAN who helped turn the internet into a means of communication between the country’s dairying women is stepping down as a founding member of the Dairy Women’s Network (DWN) board.

Putaruru dairy farmer, Christina Baldwin attributes the group’s beginnings to the place where many good rural ideas come from – around the kitchen table.

“I got together with Hillary Webber, Robyn Clements and Willy Geck after returning from an international conference on women in agriculture,” she says.

“It was an incredibly invigorating conference that left me convinced there was an opportunity for us to achieve more here in New Zealand for dairying women.”

Baldwin says from the very start she recognised the value the internet could play in connecting women scattered around the country, often constrained by work and family, and unable to make the commitments of evening meetings.

“We wanted the network to be just that, a network connected through the internet from the very start.

“Dairying women were

Inger’s Loaves Inger was given this recipe by a friend years ago, as she is not a big baker and it is very easy. She made it regularly and was often asked for the recipe. As she couldn’t remember where she got it from originally, her friends started calling it ‘Inger’s Loaves’.

500g self raising flour 5000g brown sugar 3 teaspoons cinnamon 1 teaspoon nutmeg or 4 teaspoons mixed spice 1 teaspoon ground cloves 1 cup raisins Pinch salt

quickly recognising the value of computers on farms.”

She had just invested in her first computer during her studies for a masters degree at University of Waikato, and quickly saw numbers grow in a “pretty organic” manner.

A key appeal of the early network was the ability to share ideas and suggestions through the online forum. Communications since the E-forum started back in 1999 have increased four-fold.

With most women being the “gate keepers” for information that comes into the farm, electronic communica-

tions have proven ideal for fitting around busy farming and family schedules. However, it is also the face-to-face contact through hugely successful annual conferences that have engendered the Dairy Women’s Network to new and long-term members, says Baldwin.

“There has always been a big focus on having good annual conferences, with speakers that are there to motivate and inspire. I think a couple of the first we had with one in the South Island and one in the North really marked the point where the network became so much more than what it had

been.”

The network’s growth has also accompanied a doubling of dairy cow numbers in New Zealand over the past 10 years.

Baldwin and her board have recognised this growth, ensuring contacts and regional representatives now in all parts of the country – literally from Kaitaia to Bluff.

She says her interpretation of what a dairy farming woman is has always been a broad one.

“She may not be milking every day, but she may well be preparing meals at home, helping rear the young farmers of tomorrow – either way she is still

Christina Baldwin

very much part of the dairy partnership, wherever she is working.”

The last 20 years have seen an incredible amount of energy and commitment from Baldwin to family, farm and study where she has completed two degrees, including a Masters from Waikato University.

After being admitted to the doctoral programme, her PhD thesis

was on women’s involvement in the dairy industry, but was unfortunately put on hold due to family commitments.

Her greatest hope for the Network is to see it continue to build on its grassroots growth. Given dairying’s rapid growth in recent years she believes there are still hundreds of busy dairy women out there who are potential members.

TAIHAPE FARMER SAVED BY QUADBAR

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Emailed to me October 2, 2011.

Hello Stu, just a note to tell you that I fitted a quadbar to my bike only a month ago (purchased 24-8-11).

Last Saturday I managed to reverse (trying to unjamb the gear lever) over a sheer bank into a small creek and landed on my back on the other side of the creek with bike not having flipped but landing on it’s side.

There is no question that the quadbar has saved me from a serious injury, but more probably my life! Not only that, no damage to the bike, just a small tear on the sponge rubber. Yesterday I went to see an old mate who is home for a week from Burwood after six months wheelchair bound, and likely to be for the rest of his life, due to a pretty simple roll over. I asked him if he had any sort of roll bar. The answer was, of course, no, but that if he had, he wouldn’t be in a wheelchair today!

Stu, I can’t thank you enough for bringing these into the country and even though I complained at the time about the price, when you consider the easing of fitting it, it becomes very reasonable.

If you would like to have a yarn about this experience of mine (have some photos), give me a ring.

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Footnote:Two farmers died in October from crush injuries – neither had a crush protection bar.

For a Quadbar, call me, Stuart Davidson, owner of Quadbar NZ, on 021-182 8115. Email sales@quadbar.co.nz or for more info go to www.quadbar.co.nz

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Rural News // December 1, 2011

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Rural News // december 1, 2011

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• Ideal addition to your lifestyle block • Grow vegetables all year round and reduce your grocery bill • Very affordable and easy to install • Totally NZ made by family business making tunnelhouses for 30 years • Range of models from 2m to 8m long

T/F 03 214 4262 E morrifield@clear.net.nz • www.morrifield.com

Get upto date news at www.ruralnews.co.nz

• Hidden Cameras • Sheds and fuel tanks • Driveway and registration plates recorded day and night

“Wouldn’t be without Duals!”

Farm packages available anywhere in NZ

All Seasons Security Ltd ~ LICENSED ~

FREEPHONE

0800 474 911 Wild, rugged and remote this dvd captures the beauty of this Southern Land with breath taking aerial footage.

South Coast Productions show case Murihiku from the mountains of Fiordland to the fertile Southland Plains, along the Catlins Coast to the most remote and lonely shores of Stewart Island.

CRAIGCO SENSOR JET DEAL TO FLY AND LICE • Cost Effective

30

$

includes GST & postage

• Complete Package

on Duals for more traction, stability, flotation, towing power, versatility.

• Unbeatable pricing • Performance Guaranteed

Clic Wheel Systems Ltd, Rotorua

Ph/Fax 07 347 2292

www.clicdualwheels.co.nz

Rubber Safety Matting

Happy Birthday

Available from CRT, Whitcoulls, Farmlands, Hunting and Fishing Stores or from South Coast Productions PO Box 58, Riverton 9847.

Ph 03 234 8109 www.videosouth.com

P 06 835 6863 - www.craigcojetters.com

To mark a birthday, retirement or any milestone, give that special someone, something special - a personal cartoon portrait by Edna cartoonist Malcolm Evans - $200 plus GST Send no money - just email a few up-to-date photos of subject, with a note of details you’d like included, to; malcolm@evanscartoons.com

• ATV Carrier Mats • Exit/Entry Areas • Calf Trailers • Horse Floats & Trucks • Weigh Platforms • Bale Mats • Comfort Mats for Wet & Dry Areas • Utility Deck Matting

Phone: 0800 80 8570 www.burgessmatting.co.nz .

Or post your inquiries to; M. Evans, 39J Cape Horn Road, Hillsborough, Auckland 1041 . and don’t forget to include your return address.

FREE DELIVERY NZ-WIDE FENCE PAINT AND SHED PAINT 10 LITRE ✓ Black and White $60.00 ✓ Green, Brown, Grey and Redwood $35.00 ✓ Excellent cover, generally only one coat required.

Your bunded tank specialists Fully bunded HSNO Compliant Optimum clean fuel Minimise fuel theft Easy and safe to fill and dispense Also manufacturers of Waste Oil Recovery Containers, SCR Stations for Adblue and Transportable Tanks

Visit our website for a full list of products and features

clean safe secure

0800 473 226 www.sebco.co.nz

Proudly made in Ashburton, New Zealand

MADE IN NZ 10 YEAR GUARANTEED

info@enviropaints.co.nz www.enviropaints.co.nz 0800 50 ENVIRO (0800 50 368476) 14 Riverbank Rd, Otaki

STOP RATS

ZERO TURN

NESTING IN HOMES, BUILDINGS

• Pest Free commercial puts 50Hz pulse into live cables (active, neutral and ground) • Rats stress, dehydrate, exit

90 $6,5 US GST PL

• Suits buildings/plant to 1000sq.m • NSW-made, patented, science proven Used in ten countries

MOWERS

FROM

NEW

• $1800 incl. GST • Household model for up to 100sq.m $159.90 incl. GST • 100% 60-DAY MONEY-BACK GUARANTEE FAQs, testimonials: Rushton Farmer, 09 833 1931 or 021 230 1863. rushtonfarmer@orcon.net.nz

22HP 42” / 27HP 48” USA MADE / LOW NZ PRICE FULL RANGE AVAILABLE

0800 38 44 50

Actual tanks may vary to image shown.

UPGRA D AND GE E TO A PROM AX TAN T K WORTH A FREE ICEB OX $150!*

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FREEPHONE: 0800 00 13 54 www.promaxplastics. co.nz *Offer ends 31st January 2012. Terms and Conditions apply; see www.promaxplastics.co.nz for full details. Offer applies to Promax 10,000L, 25,000L & 30,000L tanks only and does not include xPress tanks. xPress tanks are only available through selected stores.

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24/11/11 9:54 AM