Rural News 11 April 2023

Time for a reset?

A remit from North Waikato farmer Jason Barrier for B+LNZ to exit the He Waka Eke Noa partnership immediately also narrowly passed.

He claims B+LNZ’s stance on primary sector climate action partnership He Waka Eke Noa (HWEN) “looks like a white flag to me”.

FARMERS HAVE sent a fairly compelling message to Beef+Lamb NZ to reset its advocacy work, claims Katikati farmer Rick Burke.

He says farmers will be hoping for a reset now the B+LNZ board has elected a new chair. His comments follow the release of farmer remit voting results from last month’s annual general meeting.

Burke’s remit, for B+LNZ to take an advocacy position from a sheep and beef sector standpoint over the dairy sector, was passed.

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Burke says it’s time for B+LNZ to take stock.

“They do a marvelous job with extension and economic service, but they have dropped the ball in the advocacy space.

“If it wants to get into that space, you have to roll up your sleeves and get into it boots and all.”

Meanwhile, South Otago farmer Hugh Gardyne, who moved an unsuccessful motion of no confidence in the Beef+Lamb NZ board, believes the farm lobby has surrendered to the Government.

Gardyne’s motion claimed B+LNZ did not oppose the Government when it overrode the HWEN report with their own amendments and accused the farmer body of backing the Government’s agenda of replacing good farmland with exotic forests.

Gardyne remains convinced B+LNZ could have supported the motion to better articulate the opposition to HWEN to the Government.

B+LNZ’s new chair Kate Acland says that while

ESCAPE FROM THE REST

the remit results are non-binding, they are an indication of farmer sentiment. She says the board must consider the results and show how it will respond.

“The remits received and the mood at the annual meeting show there are some farmers who are unhappy out there and we need to listen to their concerns and respond appropriately,” Acland says.

“There is concern among farmers about the cumulative impact of layers of legislation and the relentless scale and pace of proposed regulatory change.”

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SUDESH KISSUN sudeshk@ruralnews.co.nz

New Beef+Lamb NZ chair Kate Acland concedes the organisation needs to listen to farmers concerns.

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Westland hits $1b revenue

also positioned well in other international markets for future growth.”

HOKITIKA-BASED WESTLAND

Milk Products is bracing for another good year after hitting $1 billion in revenue for the first time in 2022.

The Yili-owned business is excited about what can now be achieved in the future, says chief executive Richard Wyeth.

Wyeth told Rural News that the first quarter performance in 2023 was strong, despite significant challenges, including subdued ingredient prices and rising costs.

“Overall, the business is well placed for 2023,” says Wyeth, who joined the company two years ago from Miraka. “We are excited about what can now be achieved for the future.”

He concedes that ingredient prices are more subdued in 2023, which will impact on revenue.

“However, the team in China sees the market being reasonably stable over the coming 12 months with balanced supply and demand but we are

Following Westland’s acquisition of North Island butter processor Canary in 2022, Canary posted a 28% revenue increase over budget forecasts and increased profit by 129% ahead of budget for the year.

Wyeth says its value-added strategy is going from strength to strength. A strategy focusing on high value products and a culture shift among the workforce guided Westland Milk to hit $1 billion in annual revenue for the first time.

Wyeth says that, as part of its strategy refresh, the company implemented a lot of things to turn several years of losses into a $39m profit last year. It moved away from infant formula manufacturing and focused on high value products.

Owned by Yili Group since 2019, Westland Milk’s total revenue for 12 months ending December 2022 was $1.04b. Farmers who supply the West Coast processor received a record $9.40/kgMS for their milk in 2022.

Westland pays farmers a 10c pre-

mium above the forecast Fonterra milk price.

DAIRY CASH FLOW TURNING RED

situation,” he says.

PLUNGING GLOBAL dairy prices and rising input costs are forcing some farms into negative cash flow, according to Federated Farmers dairy chair Richard McIntyre.

He told Rural News that rising on-farm inflation means the average dairy farm’s breakeven milk price is approaching $9/kgMS. Fonterra’s forecast milk price mid-point currently sits at $8.30/kgMS.

“An increasing number of farms are now in a negative cashflow

McIntyre’s comments came as last week’s latest Global Dairy Trade (GDT) auction recorded one of its biggest drops in dairy prices seen over the past two years.

Whole milk powder prices, used as a benchmark by Fonterra to set its milk price for farmers, slumped 5.2% to US$3053/metric tonne – the lowest since November 2020 when it was hovering around US$3037/ MT.

McIntyre says last week’s GTD results “wasn’t the news farmers wanted to hear”.

Fonterra, which last week narrowed its forecast milk price range by 20c, has lifted its advance rate, a proportion of the milk price paid to farmers monthly. The co-op plans to hold the higher advance rate until June.

McIntyre says the higher advance rate will protect Fonterra farmers’ cashflow through to the end of the season.

But he says all eyes will now be on the 2023-24 opening forecast and advance rate as that will play a significant role in determining farmers funding requirements.

The company’s milk payout contributed $535 million into the West Coast and Canterbury economies.

“Farmers will need to analyse their businesses, identify areas of potential cost savings and work with their advisors and banker to find the best way to manage any potential deficits,” he says.

Fonterra’s full year forecast normalised earnings of 55-75 cents per share remains unchanged. Analysts remain divided on the forecast farmgate milk price for the new season. Current forecast price ranges from $7/kgMS to a bumper $10/kgMS, reflecting volatility around both supply and demand around the world.

Westland Milk Products chief executive Richard Wyeth says its value-added strategy is going from strength to strength.

SUDESH KISSUN sudeshk@ruralnews.co.nz

SUDESH KISSUN sudeshk@ruralnews.co.nz

IT WAS a unique Beef+Lamb New Zealand annual general meeting in New Plymouth.

There were nine remits, scathing about how B+LNZ leaders are handling discussions to reduce on-farm emissions, and a motion of no confidence against the board.

Chairing the meeting was Gore farmer Andrew Morrison, who was days earlier voted off the board and chairmanship by southern South Island sheep and beef farmers.

Speaking to Rural News after the AGM, Morrison agreed that it was “quite a unique day”.

“I was voted out, but you still have to chair the meeting,” he says.

Morrison was defeated by Southland sheep and beef farmer Geoffrey Young, who received 8777 weighted votes against 6587 votes for Morrison – a winning margin of 2190 votes.

The southern South Island electorate covers the Southland region and Clutha district. Morrison was first elected to B+LNZ in 2014 and became the chair in 2018.

He says losing to Young was not a surprise in one way.

“Of course, no one wants to lose an election. But if you look at election process globally post pandemic, people have voted for change,” Morrison told Rural News. “But we value our democracy.”

Morrison was critical of what he called lies and misinformation spread by people including some in rural media.

“I have always stood in front and taken all the bullets and I would challenge reporters to put their names to everything they report.”

Morrison believes B+LNZ has done some great work on behalf of farmers over the last six years.

He points out that concerns raised at the AGM were around its advocacy position on just one subject –

“None of us are surprised because this is the most complex debate that every country and sector is having,” he explains.

“To put things into context, that’s what we were sitting with at the AGM – nine remits and a vote of no confidence related to HWEN.”

Morrison says he wears the farmer backlash on the chin.

“We haven’t had the ability to take them on the climate change journey and the best system to facilitate that journey.”

Asked if he would have done anything different in hindsight, Morrison says he would have liked the Government to have given them more time.

“More time for the most complex debate, starting up a world first in agriculture emissions reporting,” he adds.

“I think all of us have been naïve as to how big a job this was going to be, both in building and taking our sectors along with us.”

Morrison said he met with a bunch of kiwifruit growers the other day.

“They haven’t even started any of

these conversations because they have still got nitrous oxide impacts.

“It’s not criticising them, but saying this is a hell of challenge for multiple sectors.”

Personally, Morrison thinks working with other sectors is the way forward.

“The relationships of sectors and trust are imperative and success for all sectors is actually the same,” he says.

“We identify what our issues are and then basically own our issues as sectors and then facilitate the

solution.”

Morrison believes there is confusion that some sectors are being treated harshly.

“I would contest we need to spend more time and get all our levy players understanding that, because I challenge them that that’s not the case.”

Morrison says he will now spend more time with family and concentrate on his other governance roles in agriculture.

He Waka Eke Noa.

SUDESH KISSUN sudeshk@ruralnews.co.nz

Former Beef+Lamb NZ chair Andrew Morrison (r) with chief executive Sam McIvor at last month’s AGM.

Meat exports take a hit

NEW ZEALAND’S

red meat exports have taken a big hit as global economic conditions continue to bite.

The Meat Industry Association (MIA) says NZ red meat exports fell by 18% in February to $885 million. All of the country’s top ten export markets were affected –including the normally lucrative UK sheepmeat market.

MIA chief executive Sirma Karapeeva says sheepmeat exports to both the UK and the EU were well below prepandemic historic levels for this time of year. She says volumes to the UK were down 43% to 2410 tonnes compared to last year, with value decreasing 61% to $23

million. “This was the lowest volume of exports to the UK in February for more than 35 years and the lowest value since 1989.”

Karapeeva says.

“The UK market for lamb is continuing to struggle in the face of the country’s difficult economic conditions, with food inflation hitting 17% in February and new supermarket entrants strongly focused on beating traditional retailers on price, while not compromising on quality.”

Karapeeva says data from the UK shows that retail spending on lamb fell by 7.4% by value and 16% by volume in February, compared to a year earlier, highlighting the difficult economic conditions.

Meanwhile, sheepmeat

exports to China appear static with no jump in demand following the lifting of Covid-19 restrictions in December.

Karapeeva says it appears that Chinese consumers are being cautious and a significant spending recovery remains on hold.

On the positive side, MIA reports that sheepmeat exports to the USA are up by 8% to 2608 tonnes, and value up 9% to $46 million.

Beef exports are a bit of a mixed bag with volume up by 2% overall, but value dropping by 18%. This was in the wake of record values during 2022, with February 2023 values comparable to those in the first half of 2021.

Beef export volumes to China and the US were up 8% and 7%

respectively. However, the value dropped by 15% to China, to $147 million, and by 19% to the US, to $115m.

Karapeeva says this sobering news underscores the need for sensible and practical regulatory

settings in areas such as immigration, freshwater, biodiversity and carbon farming.

“As they currently

stand, these regulations put significant strain on the sector and add unnecessary costs at a challenging time.”

PETER BURKE peterb@ruralnews.co.nz

NZ red meat exports fell by 18% in February to $885 million.

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A positive narrative needed

THE NARRATIVE that suggests the only way to reduce agricultural emissions is to reduce food producing is completely wrong and has to change.

That’s the view of Rabobank NZ chief executive Todd Charteris. He was speaking to Rural News in Sydney at the bank’s recent symposium highlighting the importance of innovation in agriculture to effect the production of more sustainable food.

Charteris says there are billions of people in the world who are underfed and food producers such as NZ need to produce more food – not less – but produce it in a sustainable way. He says increasing yields and doing this sustainably are not incompatible and that there are many new technologies being worked on to achieve this.

“There is a lot of incredibly good work going on to try and find scientific solutions to help farmers and food producers,” he told Rural News. “While they are not available yet, I think we need to have the confidence to go and chase those solutions.”

This was the theme of the one-day Sydney symposium, Farm 2 Fork, which was attended by most Rabobank staff from Australia and New Zealand – along with farmers, business clients and media from both nations. There were also farmers attending from the USA.

there may have been underinvestment in terms of developing new technologies, there are now positive signs, with the private sector and government collaborating on R&D to crack the agricultural emissions issue. Traditionally, says Charteris, the role of the banks is to help finance the value chain and they are committed to that.

“But another one of our roles is to connect innovators, entrepreneurs and researchers to help solve those problems, for the benefit of farmers and growers on the ground, to wholesale companies and exporters. It’s all about connecting farmers with the market.”

The 1600 attendees heard from keynote speakers from NZ, the USA, UK, Europe and Australia. All the speakers noted a new world order, both in geopolitical and economic terms, and while the challenges were candidly outlined, the venue oozed with optimism.

Charteris says, while

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Charteris says the take-home message from Farm 2 Fork was the optimism and excitement of all the attendees. He says there was an acknowledgement of the challenges, but there was huge focus on the opportunities and people went away highly motivated.

- Peter Burke’s trip to Sydney to attend the Farm 2 Fork symposium was funded by Rabobank.

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PETER BURKE peterb@ruralnews.co.nz

Todd Charteris says NZ needs to produce more food – not less – but in a sustainable way.

“While there may have been underinvestment in terms of developing new technologies, there are now positive signs, with the private sector and government collaborating on R&D to crack the agricultural emissions issue.”

Disruption a constant for SFF

JESSICA MARSHALL

SILVER FERN Farms

Limited (SFF) chief executive Simon Limmer says disruption has played a consistent part during the past three years.

Limmer’s comments come after the release of the meat company’s annual results, which saw a net profit after tax of $189.3m – up from $103.8m on a year ago.

Limmer says he was pleased with the result, given the disruption of the past three years.

“I think what’s important is there’s good balance across our business and our broader stakeholders and communities,” he told Rural News. “That, to me, means that we’re able to share some really strong results and value back to

farmers and whilst there is still volatility in this industry, it means we’ve still got to invest in our strategy.”

and finding pathways to consumers who are really thinking about their food and the meat that they’re eating that we will be able to deliver the attributes that come out of our New Zealand production systems and our Silver Fern Farm products,” he says.

Limmer believes consumers are increasingly conscious of the nutritional benefits of the food they eat as well as the way in which it is produced, the social impacts and the animal welfare impact of it.

are having.

“Climate change is a conversation that we hear every day around the world and food production systems and meat is something which is often bundled up into that conversation,” he says.

Limmer says that New Zealand’s food production system has a good story to tell in terms of integrity and what happens on-farm and on-farm emissions, but it’s not perfect.

That strategy, which Limmer describes as market-led, is about understanding and finding pathways to consumers who are thinking about the meat they are consuming.

“We believe that if we are understanding

“With all of those things, we have an exceptionally good story to tell from New Zealand and backed up with integrity.”

Additionally, Limmer says that climate change is a major part of those conversations consumers

“We’re evolving and we have the opportunity continue to evolve quite progressively but when we tell that story, when we build that integrity, take it to the market, to those consumers, it is really resonating.”

Limmer says staffing is still proving challenging.

“The labour market,

SUSTAINABILITY

SUSTAINABILITY

obviously, is very constrained. Some of the immigration settings have been quite challenging,” he told Rural News.

He says there’s a component to the situation which is down to inflation “which is impacting everybody”.

However, Limmer says he is thankful Silver Fern Farms has done well to gain overseas workers through its Approval In Principle (AIP) schemes.

Those schemes allow the business to recruit overseas workers already in New Zealand during peak times.

“That’s been a big improvement over this season compared to the last,” he says.

“I think the way that we’re going about recruiting people and thinking about how we build pathways and careers within our businesses is really important, but we are still constrained by labour and it’s just a reality of the primary sector and probably others at the moment.”

He says he is optimistic for the future of Silver Fern Farms over the next 12 months, even as the market starts to feel downward pressure from overseas.

“Disruption has been a pretty constant theme over the last few years and, again, to deliver strong performance and

RESULTS AT GLANCE

keep finding solutions in that context has been really satisfying so I’m optimistic that we will continue to find solutions.

“We’ve seen some quite significant downward pressure in market returns in the last six months, particularly given some of the economic woes around the world and the lockdown in China,” Limmer says.

“I’m optimistic that the underlying demand for our products is still going to be strong in the medium-term and the attributes that we’re taking to market will continue to resonate with consumers.”

SILVER FERN Farms Limited result for the 12-months to 31 December 2022:

• Revenue $3,273.7m (FY2021: $2,749.6m)

• Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) including share of associate earnings $301.3m (FY2021: $179.7m)

• Net profit before tax $262.6m (FY2021: $143.5m)

• Net profit after tax $189.3m (FY2021: $103.8m)

• Total Livestock Programme Premiums in 2022 $10.3m (FY2021: $6.9m)

• Increased investment in capital expenditure, up $35.5m to $96.0m.

• A 100% imputed dividend declared in relation to FY2022 $76.9m (FY2021 $46.7m) – this includes an interim dividend already paid of $31.9m

SILVER FERN Farms Co-operative result for the 12-months to 31 December 2022:

• Net profit after tax $94.1m (FY2021: $51.5m)

• Dividend to be received by April based on FY2022 $38.45m (FY2021: $23.4m)

• No debt. Cash and short-term deposits of $34.6m

• Total shareholder equity of $438.4m (FY2021 $369.0m)

Sustainable goodness is what the world needs right now. So it’s a good thing we’ve got farmers who are committed to leading the world in doing the right thing.

Sustainable goodness is what the world needs right now. So it’s a good thing we’ve got farmers who are committed to leading the world in doing the right thing.

18—20 JULY 2023

Sign up at silverfernfarms.com/conference

18—20 JULY 2023

Sign up at silverfernfarms.com/conference

• Co-operative declares total dividend and patronage reward for shareholders of $33.5m (FY2021 $18.4m)

• A 100% imputed dividend of 23.2 cents per share payable to all ordinary and rebate shareholders – this includes a 10.1 cent per share interim dividend which has already been paid. Remaining dividend of 13.1 cents to be paid on 28 April.

• A 100% imputed patronage reward of 21.6 cents per share is payable on qualifying shares to supplying shareholders based on supply during 2022.

• Closing share price at 30 March 2023 - $1.42

SFF chief executive Simon Limmer says there has been downward pressure in market returns in the last six months.

“I’m optimistic that the underlying demand for our products is still going to be strong in the medium-term.”

Just what the doctor ordered

IMAGINE A world where your diagnosis is treated by what’s on your plate, not by what’s in a pill.

The efficacy of ‘produce prescriptions’ was put before 1100 delegates at last week’s World Avocado Congress in Auckland by keynote speaker Cathy Burns.

Burns, chief executive of US-based International Fresh Produce Association, told the delegates that there was a clear and significant role for food interventions in the healthcare system.

“The time to act is now because if we don’t change the trajectory of how this next generation eats, they will be the first generation that doesn’t live as long as its parents.”

Burns sees a huge opportunity for fruit and vegetable growers in this.

She told delegates that just one

in 10 American individuals eat their daily requirement of fruits and vegetables: of the required 400g per day on average they only consume 267g.

“What’s interesting is that 75% of consumers agree that fruits and vegetable are required daily in their diets and that they think that they eat the right amount.”

Burns says this must change.

“We are better than in 1 in 10 and better than just 267g a day.”

She believes the silver lining from the pandemic is that “the world now understands the association between what we put in our bodies and how we feel”.

Burns added that in the US, dieticians are working with health professionals on produce prescriptions to combat certain health issues – like eating more fruits and vegetables to reduce blood sugar levels in diabetics.

“You go to a doctor, and you have an ailment, and they prescribe a prescription of fruit and vegetable,” she explained. “You take that voucher to a supermarket or grocery store and get it filled on a monthly basis with zero to no cost to the patient.”

She believes that produce prescriptions are a practical and scalable solution that are already demonstrating positive outcomes through federally-funded pilot programs in the US.

“You go to the doctor, you get a diagnosis, and they give you a prescription for fruits and vegetables to treat your condition,” Burns added. “Imagine a world where your diagnosis is being treated by what’s on your plate, not by what’s in a pill.

“This could be transformational for the trajectory of human health around the world.”

In the US, dieticians are working with health professionals on produce prescriptions to combat certain health issues – like eating more fruits and vegetables to reduce blood sugar levels in diabetics.

WHAT A WASTE!

THE WORLD Avocado Congress, held in Auckland last week, heard how $600 billion worth of food is lost just before or after harvest.

International Fresh Produce Association chief executive Cathy Burns says two thirds of those losses are edible fruits and vegetables.

Burns says supermarkets waste around $400b of food annually – about 7% of their total sales.

She says different organisations are doing different things to combat this. In the UK, some retailers are eliminating the ‘best before’ date on packaging. “They are letting consumers decide whether the food is good to eat,” Burns says. @rural_news facebook.com/ruralnews

SUDESH KISSUN sudeshk@ruralnews.co.nz

Foresters cut up by new campaign

THE FOREST Owners Association is decrying the latest Kiwi’s Backing Farmers campaign as “climate change responsibility denial”.

Announced in March, a collaborative campaign between Beef+Lamb NZ and group 50 Shades of Green aims to raise awareness about what it claims is an “overwhelming wave” of government policies and proposals undermining rural communities.

Part of its targets include pauses on any new regulations, limits in the Emissions Trading Scheme for the amount of offsetting fossil fuel emitters can do and reviewing methane targets.

However, Forest Owners president Grant Dodson calls the campaign contrary to the Climate Change Commission’s advice that additional forests are needed to reach greenhouse gas emission reduction targets.

“Yet again it demonstrates farmers want to keep treating climate change as a problem that others need to solve,” he claims. “They want to be allowed to carry on as if nothing is happening.”

Dodson is calling that attitude “dangerous” for sheep and beef farmers’ long term.

“We acknowledge that food production is vital, but these recent cyclones clearly demonstrate that food production itself is at risk if nothing is done.”

However, 50 Shades of Green media administrator Gwyn Jones called Dodson’s statements “a low blow”.

“Those bridges didn’t blow out because of water, they blew out because of slash,” she told Rural News.

“Forestry is the only industry I know of that can take the premium of the crop and leave the rest for somebody else to clean up.”

Jones added that New Zealand farmers are converting to forestry more land per year than what the Climate Commission outlines.

“There is no way we are attempting to abdicate our responsibilities,” she says. “What we are trying to do is work within something that will maintain a sustainable and profitable system. Unless people don’t want to eat anymore, we need policies and regulations that are workable.”

Dodson calls trees on hill country essential to stabilise the land, sequester carbon and provide diversified income to replace collapsed wool returns. He says that while the Forest Owners Association acknowledges that taking productive land out of circulation into carbononly farming is not desirable, incorporating productive forestry onto farms was a “win-win”.

“Farmers can fight climate change, meet He Waka Eke Noa targets, stabilise land and receive income from carbon and harvesting. I am incredulous that farming groups are directly campaigning against trees when they are a solution,” he told Rural News.

“The Climate Change Commission advises this. Leading farmers know this.  So why do we see a denial campaign from lobby groups that simply can’t recognise established science and seem unwilling to play their part?”

Despite the less than cordial relations, Jones says that 50 Shades of Green are not inherently against forestry.

“We’re not against forestry, we know forestry has its place. We’ve always promoted on farm integrated planting. If we did that we wouldn’t need to have the current policies pushing through and incentivising the carbon price.”

Dodson also claims that he sympathises with many of the regulatory concerns which the campaign raises. He says farming and forestry have a lot of common ground – literally and figuratively.

A new campaign between Beef+Lamb NZ and 50 Shades of Green aims to raise issues around forestry has raised the ire of farm foresters.

Mallard ducks off to Irish

Trevor Mallard has had a colourful career. Now he’s got his dream job as Ambassador to Ireland – a country which shares much in common with NZ. Before he left for Ireland, Mallard spoke with Peter Burke.

FOR MANY New Zealanders, Trevor Mallard will be remembered more for some of his misdeeds as a member of Parliament.

And more latterly, for using garden sprinklers and Barry Manilow music to try and rid Parliament grounds of an unruly mob of protestors. But behind some of these outlandish acts is a man who has made a contribution to the country as a member of the House of Representatives for

38 years.

Mallard came from humble beginnings being brought up in Wainuiomata, went to one of the more progressive secondary schools in Wellington, Onslow College, and then on to university

where he completed an accounting and economics degree. But having just completed this, he almost instantly decided he didn’t want to be an accountant and instead did a teaching qualification, followed by country service in the

King Country working in rural education.

“This was one of the things that I regard as a bit of the making of me,” he told Rural News. “Just the fact that I was taken from a liberal Wellington, where all my mates thought the same thing, to a rural area where I was playing rugby in a team that had Mongrel Mob members and farmers in it.”

Mallard’s politicisation began when Norman Kirk came to power in 1972 and a

young Mallard helped Labour MP David Shand to win the Wellington Central seat. Shand lost the seat in 1975 when Muldoon came to power, the National candidate Ken Comber beating Shand by about 27 votes, earning the nickname ‘Landslide Comber’.

Mallard then became actively involved in the Labour Party and in 1984 won the Hamilton West seat in the Dave Lange-led landslide. This was the beginning of a parliamentary career which would span 38 years and see him rise

through the ranks to take on various ministerial roles.

“A bad day in government is better than good day in opposition because you can make decisions and make a difference to people’s lives,” Mallard explains.

“Whereas in opposition, while you can talk a lot, actually you can’t do that much. The best job was probably as Minister of Education, but another good one was Associate Finance Minister for nine years, when I did lot of the budget expenditure

stuff. I think that was just about as important as education work, but without the profile,” he says.

The last five years of Mallard’s time in Parliament was spent as Speaker of the House – a job he describes as somewhat lonely. But when he indicated that he was looking for new horizons, he talked with the then PM, Jacinda Ardern, and a deal was reached that he would be the next Ambassador to Ireland.

Our new ambassador to Ireland Trevor Mallard believes that country is very important politically for NZ in terms of dealing with the European Union now that an FTA with the EU has been agreed.

“A bad day in government is better than good day in opposition because you can make decisions and make a difference to people’s lives.”

Irish junket

THE DREAM JOB

IRELAND IS a country that Trevor Mallard knows well and over the years has visited about a dozen times.

He has grandchildren in Galway city, in the west of Ireland, and has many political contacts and friends in Dublin where he’s now based. He also has a real sense of Irishness and how the cultures of NZ and the Emerald Isle merge on many fronts. He notes in particular the similarities of Māori and Irish culture in terms of language and social traditions.

Then there is the huge migration of Irish people to NZ, where it is said that one in six Kiwis are of Irish heritage – not to mention the likenesses of our pastoral based economies.

Mallard says Ireland is very important politically for NZ in terms of dealing with the European Union now that an FTA has been agreed. After all, he adds, it’s now the only country in the EU, apart from Malta, which is English speaking.

Mallard says he’s taking on the role with a mixture of trepidation and excitement.

“Firstly, I’ll be finding my feet but also focusing on what benefits that FTA can bring for NZ. It’s not only the pastoral sector but also in a lot of other areas and services like wine and honey,” he told Rural News.

While the EU is still in the process of ratifying the FTA, Mallard says he’ll work behind the scenes to get alongside some of the sceptics of the deal – such as French and Irish farmers – to try and allay any fears they may have. He’ll also work on expanding the agritech sector, which he says is working well, and helping foster Māori business that is making inroads in Ireland.

“I’ll be working to find new business connections,” he explains. “I’ll be pointing out to the farming community in Ireland

and the EU that, as pastoral producers of high-quality protein, it’s much better to work together and find solutions to common problems such as climate change, rather than fighting each other.”

Mallard acknowledges the significant collaboration that already exists in the area of agricultural science and will foster the expansion of this. He says, in some areas, Ireland is ahead of NZ but there are other areas – especially in the application of technology – that NZ leads the way.

So how will this somewhat controversial man, who has never shied away from saying and doing what he thinks, transition into the ultra-polite world of diplomacy?

Easy, says Mallard.

“As Speaker of the House, you are speaking for yourself, but as an ambassador, you are speaking for your country and any mistake will reflect on your country,” he explains. “I’ll be just taking a little bit of care about what and how I say things.”

Having said that, Mallard believes the Irish like directness and don’t like to be misled.

“They enjoy having full and frank discussions and they have a sense of humour,” he adds. “They also have very good bullshit detectors,” he says. However, Mallard’s success as the Ambassador to Ireland may yet be determined by an outside force –namely the All Blacks. He says he has been warned by a close Irish friend that if the AB’s beat Ireland in the upcoming World Cup, friendly diplomatic relations between the two countries could be on the line.

We will all be watching the games with interest to see which side Mallard is supporting – black or green. Surely diplomacy rules over rugby.

Tractor sales begin to retreat

RECENT REPORTS from the Tractor and Machinery Association (TAMA) suggest that the recently buoyant tractor market might be ‘coming off the boil’.

Year-to-date sales to the end of February 2023 show 440 tractors were sold – compared to 592 units for the same period in 2022 – a fall of 25.7%.

The largest drops were reported in the 0-40hp lifestyle sector, falling by 45% to 82 units. While in the sector between 40 and 150hp – the key agricultural machines – had an average fall of 27% to 247 units over the period. One area bucking the trend was the 200hp+ classification, where 53 units showed an increase of 29%.

The combined figures represent a rolling 12-month average of 4307 tractors, falling from the peak of 4656 units recorded in August 2022. Looking at the spread between the North and South Islands, the North saw sales for the period of 272 units (-30.6%), while the South achieved 168 units (-16%).

TAMA general manager Phil Holden

suggests that despite a fall of 7.5% in the rolling 12-month average, a market of 4307 units is still a good result. He warned that the figures should be viewed with a little caution as many manufacturers are still experiencing extended shipping times that might be distorting the numbers.

TAMA president Kyle Baxter says 2022 was a big-big year for tractor sales, while the start of 2023 has seen a retreat to 2021 levels.

“At this stage, whether that trend will continue further into the year, we just don’t know, although there might be some headwinds emerging.”

Baxter suggests that dealers will be looking closely at their order books, trying to identify if there are any emerging trends.

“Are they 60-70% or only 20% full?” he asks.

Baxter also notes that it’s probably still too early to get a clear picture of the numbers of tractors and machinery damaged in Cyclone Gabrielle.

“The trick will be understanding whether affected farmers and landowners will be using capital for repairs or replacement,” he says.

Kids are hungry to learn, let’s feed that hunger

Together, Rabobank and Garden to Table, are helping tamariki to grow, harvest, prepare and share great food

Kiwi kids from primary and intermediate schools love getting stuck in and learning how to grow, prepare and eat delicious, healthy food. It’s hands-on learning that will have a positive impact on us all.

See how Garden to Table, proudly supported by Rabobank, are taking learning into the garden and the kitchen at gardentotable.org.nz

MARK DANIEL markd@ruralnews.co.nz

The world needs you. That’s right, farmers, we’re talking about you. Now, more than ever, the world needs more natural, nutritious, sustainable goodness. And every day, you farmers work hard to create just that. You’re the farmers the world needs.

That’s why this year’s Silver Fern Farms conference is all about you – our farmers. An opportunity to recognise the good you do, plan to do more good stuff together, and to catch up with your fellow farmers.

There’ll be guest speakers and industry leaders. There’ll be the Boning Competition National Finals and of course the Plate to Pasture Supplier Awards. We’ll also be celebrating 75 years of Silver Fern Farms!

So, whether you’re an owner or a manager, a stock hand or a shepherd, young or old or would rather not say – this one’s for you. Because you’re the farmers the world needs.

Te Pae Convention Centre, Christchurch

18—20 JULY 2023

Sign up at silverfernfarms.com/conference

Cyclone stings beekeepers

farms.

BEEKEEPERS IN parts of the country badly hit by Cyclone Gabrielle and other storms are still struggling to get access to their hives.

ApicultureNZ chief executive Karin Kos told Rural News the problem is mainly in isolated locations in Hawke’s Bay, Tairawhiti and Northland. It’s estimated that up to 8000 hives could have been lost in the cyclone and Kos says there will be a significant cost to beekeepers to replace these hives and their queens.

But the biggest problem for beekeepers is simply getting access to their hives on farms. Kos says it’s a combination of washed out roads and bridges and tracks on

“One beekeeper I spoke to says it took them four days to get to their hives,” she told Rural News.

Kos says apiarists need to get to their hives now to prepare them for winter. She says they need to treat the hives for varroa mite and also make sure the bees have sufficient food available to get them through winter.

“For the hives that have been lost due to floods, there is a need to dispose of these to prevent the spread of disease.”

Kos says government has just come to the party to help beekeepers by setting up a $250,000 fund to specifically minimise the escalation of disease in hives that have been affected by

Cyclone Gabrielle. She says this money will be used to hire equipment, fund additional wages and generally aid the recovery.

While some concern has been expressed about whether there will be sufficient bees for pollination in the coming year, Kos believes the nature of this problem is still an unknown. She points out that while hives have been lost, so have orchards and also notes that many beekeepers have not been affected by the storms.

The yield in the North Island is down and said to be worse than last year with cold wet conditions and a lack of flowers being the big contributors. Conversely, it’s been a better year in the South Island with a bumper crop of clover honey being produced.

There are approximately 150,000 hectares of native forest eligible to be registered in the ETS right now that are not currently registered. That is $90 million per year in carbon credits landowners are missing out on.

Al technology is better at identifying areas of native forest eligible for the New Zealand Emissions Trading Scheme than other methods which gives customers a better shot at a $90 million annual opportunity.

CarbonCrop CEO Jo Blundell says the company·s technology is better at finding which natives are eligible than other methods. The additional carbon revenue achieved with the help of Al could be hugely significant to farmers, forest and land owners.

"Our technology means we can successfully take on the trickiest of native forests, which means natives that were not previously accepted into the ETS can now get another look in, and landowners with some native forest registered could actually have more than they think," she says.

"Native forests currently only make up 17% of the total forested area registered under the ETS. CarbonCrop believes the effectiveness of its Al for measuring and registering native forests can help address the deficit.

CarbonCrop's machine learning, aerial imagery and remote sensing technology can distinguish between trees and pasture, and recognise the heights, ages and species of tree eligible for the ETS.

"Native forests can be a real asset in catchment protection terms which has been obvious of late. Our Al tech allows farmers and other landholders to unlock more revenue from carbon credits. This ultimately incentivises the restoration and protection of native forests - which, in turn, incentivises more carbon getting sucked out of the atmosphere. This is a tailwind for our catchment health and zero emissions targets."

"Some landowners, who registered forests early in the life cycle of the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS), may still not be aware that technology has moved on and that highly accurate and verified forest assessments can now be conducted virtually - using Al to detect even subtle variations in the growth patterns," Ms Blundell says.

CarbonCrop can conduct the whole registration process remotely without needing a site visit with its time, cost and health & safety considerations.

"There is no upfront fee for landholders to benefit from the Al technology. Our business model is based on a modest success fee - we don't get paid unless our customers do. With the upfront risk of registering a native first removed, and technology on their side, our customers have a much higher likelihood and proportion of forest accepted under the ETS. They have a bigger slice of the $90 million per year pie," says Jo Blundell.

Free land assessment requests are available at Carboncrop's website www.carboncrop.nz

PETER BURKE peterb@ruralnews.co.nz

Beekeepers in parts of the country badly hit by Cyclone Gabrielle and other storms are still struggling to get access to their hives.

‘Craic’ing on mastering big machines

LEANNE HARTNETT, a 25 year old Irish woman doing her first season in New Zealand as a rural contractor, is loving the life here.

However, it took a while to get used to the size of machinery she’s required to drive.

“You have to drive way bigger machines over here. We couldn’t get them in and out of the farms at home.”

Daryl Thompson hired Hartnett last year after renewing a contract with her boyfriend Kevin Lenihan who’d worked for the major Southland rural contractor back in 2017. He says she’s adapted well. “Leanne is capable and keen and we are pleased to have her.”

D Thompson Contracting employs more than 60 people at its seasonal peak and getting good workers can at times be a challenge.

Hartnett’s father Eppy is a rural contractor back home in county Cork. She’s been around machinery all her life.

“To try and put me to sleep as a baby he’d put me in the tractor.”

When not working managing a local dairy farm in Cork or doing relief milking, she’s back at weekends helping her father, who’s principal work is lime

spreading, with sileage, haymaking and digger work thrown in. During winter it’s just Leanne, her brother and father; in the spring/summer a couple of extra hands might be hired.

The biggest challenge in Southland is driving bigger machines, starting with a rake, then a baler, than drawing bales.

“We would not have driven a fourrotor rake at home. The normal farm would have 150-200 cows.” (Southland herds average more than 600.)

Hartnett works with her boyfriend Kevin alternating the tasks.

“If I’m on the baler, he’s on the rake.”

She says another challenge has only been working with men.

“I’m often the only woman in the yard.”

However, she says her workmates have treated her “perfectly” and acknowledges it’s also mostly men in rural contracting back in Ireland as well.

One thing she’s observed in NZ is the number of women truck drivers and she finds that encouraging. She thinks women have more of a role to play in contracting and farming in both

countries.

“When I walk into a shop at home covered in cow shite they just look at you through their make-up.”

Not that she’s averse to putting on the glad rags when time allows and her and Kevin have enjoyed a few breaks off the machines including visits to Queenstown.

“The social life here is great. We had St Patrick’s weekend in Queenstown. It was great craic.”

Thompson says over the years he’s

employed 1-2 women a season from NZ or overseas as skilled machinery operators. He says most have proved very good workers, with almost all coming from farming or contracting backgrounds.

“None of them have been scared to pick up the grease gun or replace one of the tynes. The women from overseas and even from around here that are brought up on or around farms are great.”

He also acknowledges that women

tend to take things a bit slower when advisable and are less demanding on machinery than younger males.

“If you put a female in the seat they’ll likely do much better than an 18-22 year old male.”

Rural Contractors NZ is encouraging more young women to consider rural contracting as a career through supporting initiatives such as Opportunities Grow Here. Two of ten finalists in the 2023 RCNZ Trainee Contractor of the year are women.

Kiwi e-bike company MeloYelo believes there may be an opportunity to design a pedal-assist electric bike for on-farm/rural use. An ebike with extra grunt, extra payload capacity, extra range, and decked out with accessories that would make the bike a real workhorse.

Go to www.meloyelo.nz/rural to complete the survey and be in to win.

The draw will be held on June 30, 2023. If you purchase a MeloYelo and then subsequently win the draw, you will receive a 100% refund of your purchase price.

SAVE

Irish woman Leanne Hartnett is doing her first season in New Zealand as a rural contractor and loving it.

A wake-up call!

Reality is going to smack New Zealand in the face this year and it should be the wake-up call the Government needs to reset its priorities around agriculture.

If it doesn’t, voters might need to do it for them. Because while there was brief acknowledgement during Covid of how this country earns a dollar, the Government hasn’t deviated from policies that will make NZ Ag less competitive and potentially unviable, long-term.

The myriad headwinds facing our economy this year will provide a rude awakening for the country: if agricultural export returns fall, who will provide the revenue for NZ to pay its bills? Tourism? Not a chance. While still a large export earner at $26.5b in 2022, tourism as a percentage of GDP has halved to about 5% and is yet to recover.

Food and fibre export receipts for the same period, the year ending June 2022, were more than double that at $53.3b. All the talk about ‘export diversification’ has proved just that –talk. And current government thinking says our coal and gas reserves can no longer be extracted for export.

Nothing else comes close to agriculture as a means of keeping the economy flush.

The signs for our biggest earner are mixed in 2023, to say the least. China has yet to resume buying meat and dairy in the quantities we’re used to seeing, which is affecting farmgate prices for both; the quantity and quality of our horticultural exports has been hit hard by cyclones although the exact extent of this remains unclear; and macro factors such as farm input prices and interest rates are working against us.

The Labour Government likes to take the credit when ag exports are booming, yet it is actively enacting policy that hinders primary industry. In cahoots with the Greens, it is planning worse policy that could tip the sector out of bed altogether. We cannot afford the looming bill for this lack of foresight.

Time for a wake-up call New Zealand! Your standard of living is propped up by farmers. Keep tacitly approving government policy that reduces the productivity of farmers, that forces production of food and fibre offshore to countries with lower environmental, animal welfare and food safety standards, and NZ will pay a heavy price.

THE HOUND

Farmer power!

Your old mate notes that the Dutch Pro-Farmer Party recently swept the elections in that country, very much upsetting the status quo. The surprise victory is widely seen as a protest vote against Prime Minister Mark Rutte’s government and some of his policies, including a goal to slash nitrogen emissions. The Farmer Citizen Movement – known by its Dutch acronym BBB – won 15 seats in the 75-seat upper house of the Dutch national parliament, level with the bloc formed by left-of-centre Labour and Green parties. This will now compound problems for Rutte in his attempts to drastically slash pollution from the country’s agriculture, industry and transport sectors to protect vulnerable natural habitats. The BBB’s electoral success underscore a deep-rooted resentment of mainstream politics in the Netherlands that spreads far beyond the party’s farming power base. Perhaps NZ politicians should take note!

PRODUCTION:

Timely reminder

The Hound reckons former Beef+Lamb NZ chair Andrew Morrison’s fate in losing his seat in recent levypayer elections should be a big lesson to other levy organisation leaders. There is no doubt Morrison was a passionate and committed member of BLNZ. However, rightly or wrongly, he was associated with the lack of pushback and perceived willingness to acquiesce by both BLNZ and DairyNZ to the Government on issues such as climate change and imposed on-farm regulations. Morrison will now have more time on farm to contemplate how – and if – he could have done things better. Meanwhile, it is a timely lesson for all farming levy body leaders to take more seriously the concerns of their levy paying stakeholders –especially DairyNZ chair, Jim van der Poel, who will be looking at the date his seat is up for re-election and possibly contemplating early retirement.

Worm turns

Your canine crusader hears that Andrew Morrison’s demise as Beef+Lamb chair came full circle for one of his early backers. Rumour has it that one of his original farmer supporters – who was even a nominee when Morrison first stood for the board of BLNZ – had become one of his biggest critics. In fact, Morrison’s former supporter had become so discouraged with the former chair’s leadership and the direction he was taking the organisation that he became avid supporter of his successful challenger, Geoff Young. Even more staggering, he was even proposing a vote of no confidence in Morrison as chair and the whole board of BLNZ at the annual meeting. Guess this gives meaning to the old saying, ‘One day you are the top rooster and the next day a feather duster!’

AUCKLAND SALES REPRESENTATIVE: Stephen Pollard ..........................Ph 021 963 166 stephenp@ruralnews.co.nz

Watch out!

A mate of the Hound’s reckons the recent number of tractor sales, or more correctly, a lack of them, is a warning sign of a coming rural recession. Even economists consider sales of tractors and other machinery an economic bellwether, so a big fall is a worrying indicator. Latest figures show sales of tractors and farm machinery have fallen significantly, albeit from very high levels in 2022, according to the Tractor and Machinery Association. Since the start of 2023, the number of tractors sold was down by a quarter. Craigs Investment Partners investment director Mark Lister says the decline wasn’t surprising, considering agricultural headwinds. “It all filters through. There are plenty of parts of the country, towns like Ashburton, where a large part of the local economy might be servicing the agricultural sector. If that sector is feeling a little less upbeat and spending falls, it flows through the whole local economy.”

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Is New Zealand’s science system broken?

IT IS official – New Zealand’s science system is broken.

At least, that is the view of Sir Peter Gluckman, the former Science Advisor to the Prime Minister. In a speech, reported by Greg Hurrell from BusinessDesk, Sir Peter told the recent Life Sciences Summit that the current system was “inefficient and unattractive” and “New Zealand is beset with a grossly over-competitive and sub-optimally collaborative science system”. He added that, “The funding of long-term and large-scale projects had declined in favour of small, disconnected grants”.

Sir Peter was reacting to a recent report (2022) by the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment (MBIE) setting out a new pathway for science in NZ.

In his view, this recent attempt to reform the science sector was “a missed opportunity that has failed to grapple with the core problems of a grossly over-competitive system”.

Having written previously (2004) about New Zealand’s deformed science model, I agree enthusiastically with Sir Peter. But I suspect the problem is far deeper and perilous than suggested. The problem is particularly acute for agricultural research, which is already on its

knees. The “death rattle” is “rattling”.

In its recent 2022 review, MBIE suggest or otherwise imply that we overspend on agricultural research. Try this:

“New Zealand spends a higher proportion of government expenditure on agricultural science and environmental science than any other country in the OECD, while significantly under-spending in health, social research, industrial production and technology, and energy. Increased investment in these areas is required to rebalance the overall portfolio”.

Given that NZ, unlike most other OECD countries, is largely dependent on agriculture for its “daily bread”, in my view it is entirely appropriate that research expenditure on agriculture is dominant relative to other sectors such as health, social and industrial research.

I fear that this is a portend of MBIE’s intention to cut agriculture out of the public R & D pot altogether; I have heard of such rumblings.

Agricultural research will then be dependent on the small, over-subscribed short-term funding opportunities offered via Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) Sustainable Farming Fund (SFF) in collaboration with related industries.

However, it appears that this fund has been

captured by political interests rather than focused on hard core research. I am alluding to their recent allocation of the best part of $76m on “research” on regenerative agriculture (RA).

Once again, Sir Peter has it is right when he suggests that the proposed reforms are focused on a “plethora of operational issues rather than looking strategically at the system as a whole.”

The reforms of the science sector began in 1992 with the introduction of the competitive, contestable, commercial CRI model, which was driven by the political dogma of the day. Various attempts have been made over the years to force this model to fit the needs of science and the role of science in society. One such attempt was made in 2006 and I offered my opinion accordingly. My conclusion then is still relevant today:

“There is evidence both empirical and theoretical showing that the science system is malfunctioning. It is predictable that the current problems will not be resolved by further tinkering with the current system. A new science management model is required, built on evidence-based and objective analysis of the needs of science in a modern society (for further reading go to dougedmeades.com/ publications).”

I wait and hope. • Doug Edmeades is managing director of

agKnowledge Ltd, which offers independent scientific advice to farmers. Doug Edmeades believes

that agricultural research in NZ is already on its knees.

DOUG EDMEADES

Bridging the gap after

Hawke’s Bay producers face an uncertain wait while roads are repaired. Industry leaders are warning that more investment will be needed before there is a return to normal after Cyclone Gabrielle stopped many of the region’s industries in their tracks.

THE DEVASTATING storm in mid-February caused widespread flooding, slips and destruction to roads and property across the region, with several crucial routes still impassable a month on.

The effects are still being felt by many – not only those who have suffered personal loss and damage.

Those in primary industries, like farmers and growers, have seen major disruptions to transportation and production during a time of year when they are normally harvesting

their crops.

Mark Hook, general manager of infrastructure contractor Lattey Group, has been working to rebuild bridges. Initially the team is putting in temporary Bailey bridges, until plans are in place to redesign and rebuild many of the major bridges in the region.

Along with public works, Hook says many farmers have been affected by damage to their own private farm bridges. Many of these will need to be inspected, and in some cases rebuilt.

“There’ll be hundreds of bridges that need to be

checked, some needing remediating work, and some will need to be replaced,” he explains.

“We have a team to do this and will look to grow that further to have greater capacity to help, while also focusing on sourcing materials and equipment – there’s some steel in New Zealand, but not heaps.”

While bridges on public roads will be rebuilt using public money, farm bridges are typically the responsibility of the property owner. Unless they have specific insurance for these,

there will be a cost to landowners.

“The financial impact on these people is going to be high – they’re going to need help,” Hook adds.

On a recent flight from Napier to Auckland, he saw the region from the air for the first time and was struck by how widespread the damage is.

“Just seeing what’s happened in places like Pakowhai, and how little it has improved since then – and knowing how many people are working on it – it’s just such an intensive task,” he adds.

cyclone

“This has been a major event and it’s going to take some time to get back to how it was.”

The damage to the road network is having a detrimental effect at a time of the year when the region is normally at its most productive.

The latest available data, taken from Statistics New Zealand’s 2017 Agricultural Production Census, shows Hawke’s Bay is a powerhouse of New Zealand food production.

In terms of hectares planted, the region produces about 18% of the country’s vegetables, and 14% of its fruit, including more than half of New Zealand’s apples and squash, and more than a quarter of our peas and beans.

ANZ regional manager for business Marcus Bousfield says the East Coast also produces about 30% of NZ’s red meat. He says the cyclone has not only slowed down the industry in Hawke’s Bay, but in many areas, it has been stopped in its tracks.

“The horticulture and pip fruit sectors have been impacted at the worst possible time, seeing their annual incomes wiped out in

one hit,” Bousfield says. “For the pastoral sector, incomes will be delayed, due to an inability to get product to market because of damaged infrastructure – roading, power, internet etc. Then there’s the added effect of land erosion.” He describes it as very much a primary sector event, not taking away from the personal loss that many of the community have sustained.

“Sector-wide impact has deeply hurt our food production system,” Bousfield says. “This weather event will likely lead to further increases in the cost of food, which has already been driven higher by inflation, given limitations of supply.”

He adds that further issues around access to apple root stock and transport for the livestock sector will impact New Zealand’s GDP.

“Assuming an average 40% impact across those sectors, this could be a hit on GDP nearing the billions.”

Bousfield says the region needs a coordinated approach to getting back on track.

“Coordination, as you would expect, has been slow, as people come to

terms with the enormity of this event while trying to help in time-critical areas like keeping apple trees alive and getting living essentials to isolated communities,” he adds.

“We need to ensure that capital is available to those sectors as we look to rebuild a more resilient sector. For example, and really simply, where there was once a one lane bridge, we could build a two-lane bridge, providing smarter logistical routes and

opening up new areas for food production.

“As a bank, we’ve been here before –such as during the PSA kiwifruit virus outbreak – and we take a longterm view that allows our customers to have assurance and stability of their capital provider. It also allows us to be prepared for events like this”.

Bousfield says the bank has been working closely with affected ANZ business customers around the region to

understand their needs and offer customised assistance to help them get back on track.

“I’ve been heartened by the resilience and generosity shown by our customers, and the community, and Hawke’s Bay will recover from this – but it will take time.” – To aid in recovery efforts, ANZ New Zealand has pledged $3 million to communities affected by Cyclone Gabrielle, including $1m to the New Zealand Red Cross.

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ANZ regional manager for business Marcus Bousfield says the cyclone has not only slowed down the industry in Hawke’s Bay, but in many areas, it has been stopped in its tracks.

We’ve been using our property and investment nous to help Kiwis get ahead for over 30 years. Providing four successive generations of investors with cashflow through regular returns, and a pathway to nancial freedom through long-term capital growth.

Better still, we’ve done this by providing New Zealand businesses and their sta with quality, sustainable premises from which to make their mark on the world.

Consultant aims to help farmers embrace change

PERRIN AG’S newest graduate recruit is part of a new generation of farm consultants helping New Zealand farmers navigate unprecedented change.

Lincoln University graduate Abbey Dowd joined the firm this month as part of its Empower graduate advisor programme.

Consultants, Perrin Ag launched Empower in 2021 and each year

understanding of issues that affect the sector.

“I’m really excited about the opportunities I’ll experience with Perrin Ag. The work that Perrin Ag is involved in is so diverse, from individual farms to large industrywide projects,” she explains.

“I’ve only just started and in my first few weeks I’m already being involved in projects

The programme offers hands-on experience across a range of different sectors in the primary industries as well as mentoring alongside the firm’s experienced team.

invites applications from graduates from Massey, Lincoln and Waikato universities.

The programme offers hands-on experience across a range of different sectors in the primary industries as well as mentoring alongside the firm’s experienced team.

Dowd says the multifaceted nature of the programme has kickstarted her career in farm consulting, providing her with a well-informed

across the sector.”

Perrin Ag has experienced consultants who have been in the industry for a long time and consultants with deep knowledge of the new technologies that are available to farmers now.

Dowd claims it’s a great combination to provide solutions to all the challenges farmers are facing.

She grew up in a closeknit community in South-

Waikato and while she didn’t live on a farm, she always knew she wanted to work in the farming sector.

Dowd says the Empower programme has fast tracked her farm consulting career and is allowing her to give back to the community she came from.

“Seeing how our

local farmers supported our community as I was growing up is what inspired me to study a Bachelor of Agricultural Science at Lincoln,” she says.

“I wanted to help give back to the industry and play my part in helping our primary sector continue to produce quality food in a

sustainable way.”

Perrin Ag managing director Lee Matheson says Dowd is the latest in a growing roll of Bachelor of Agricultural Science students to graduate from Lincoln University to join the Perrin Ag team.

“Farming and agriculture are more about the future than ever. Who best to work

with farmers and growers than the future of our profession – talented and passionate young women like Abbey.”

Matheson says Dowd has a strong interest in farm systems and environmental performance, skill sets that are in high demand.

“Abbey’s academic excellence, passion for

agriculture and curiosity about how we grow and improve the sector make her an obvious fit for our team,” he adds.

“Our farmers and growers are navigating their way through a lot of change, and we want to make sure they have access to the best people to tackle these challenges.”

Abbey Dowd is part of a new generation of farm consultants helping New Zealand farmers navigate unprecedented change.

Dipping done right!

North Otago dipping contractor David Ludemann has seen plenty of chemical families come, and then go.

Many arrived amid claims of being ‘the dip to end all dips’, that farmers would never need anything else. After 52 years working alongside farmers, Ludemann says the increase

a solid investment, when you consider the high cost of fly and lice damage.”

Ludemann says the biggest problem he sees in his line of work is poor chemical application.

“Farmers might save money by doing their own dipping, but many are not putting anywhere enough chemical on,” he explains. “They simply don’t apply the volume needed to get enough chemical on. You’ve got to saturate them to the skin to get good results.”

Ludemann uses a shower dip and

BEST RESULTS

For plunge dipping:

• Each animal should remain in the dip for 15-30 seconds and be completely immersed twice, pushed back and down using an appropriate tool.

in tolerance to some chemicals –including those used in pour-ons – is making fly and lice management more challenging.

“Dipping is an important part of the animal health programme,” he explains.

“A farmer looks at a contractor’s bill and says it’s expensive – at $1-$3 per head – but the job is done properly. It’s

• After the first few sheep have been through the dip, allow several minutes for shaking and soaking in, then check the back of their necks to ensure they are being completely saturated

For shower dipping:

• Sheep need to be a similar size and able to mill around during showering.

• The top nozzles are the most important for saturation and

each animal gets a good 3-4 minutes inside, depending on the length of wool.

He reckons the other advantage of using a contractor is that they know which chemical is doing the job in your area, in that season. Ludemann says lice and fly control can be achieved through good management.

“Dip regularly over summer and autumn with an effective chemical and you shouldn’t have too many problems.”

should remain on during the whole showering period.

• Depending on wool length, body size, wool type, shower operating efficiency, etc, showering length is usually 7-9 minutes per pen.

• Check the first few pens of sheep for complete saturation.

• In a shower dip, the most difficult area to wet is under the neck. Again, allow several minutes before examining the animals, then adjust showering time accordingly

• Source: Beef+Lamb NZ’s: ’Managing flystrike and lice – a practical guide for farmers’

In a shower dip, the most difficult area to wet is under the neck.

“Farmers might save money by doing their own dipping, but many are not putting anywhere enough chemical on.”

SIAFD knocks it out of park!

WHILE THE temperature was struggling to reach about 5 degrees and the horizontal hail had enough grunt to slice cheese, the SIAFD committee knocked it out of the park by delivering another great event.

The Kirwee-based site has quickly become the “go-to” event for those looking to research the latest agricultural technology, alternating with the South Island Field Days, based at Waimumu, near Gore.

Adopting a ‘can do’ attitude that other event holders would do well to adopt, the combination of large-scale static exhibits and an enlarged working demonstration area certainly grabbed the largely rural visitors’ imaginations.

The permanent site has some metalled roadways, but on day 1 and the morning of day 2, gumboots were obligatory due to the mud. Exhibitors and visitors alike appeared to be in a good frame of mind, despite the best efforts of the bad weather gods.

Most exhibitors were suggesting that there might be an air of caution when considering capital purchases. However, while there looked to be a slowdown in the tractor market for the start of the year, dealers were still reporting deliveries of previously ordered units that had been subjected to longer lead times since Covid.

Some manufacturer reps suggested that things had dropped off since October/November, probably caused by increased input costs and bad

weather. But over the last few weeks, things in MidCanterbury were a little rosier with farmers coming out of the “harvest mindset” and grain payments arriving in bank accounts.

The first day highlight of the event was the agricultural innovation awards, with the Supreme gong going to the EcoPond system from Ravensdown. The joint Lincoln University-Ravensdown developed technology is a treatment system capable of removing almost all methane emitted from dairy farm effluent ponds. It is now on the market as an emerging mitigation technology. Estimates suggest that if all dairy farms adopted the technology the sector’s total farm methane emissions could be reduced by 4-5%.

The runner up, another Canterbury based innovation, was the Ruts Plus Pivot Rut Filler. This was developed to help reme-

diate centre pivot ruts, by utilising the soil in situ without requiring any new material needing to be brought onto farm. Day 2 started off with the same chilly blast from the south, but cleared to sunny skies by lunchtime to allow the working demonstrations to proceed. This saw manufacturers demonstrate mowers, rakes and baler-combi in some rather damp lucerne. There were also the big guns to harvest forage maize grown specifically for the event and subsoilers and soil looseners to show their benefits.

A hard look at the alternate-year frequency that works so well for Kirwee and Waimumu surely needs to be on the radar of the North Island-based events, alongside a move to practical real-life demonstrations, which always draw a large crowd when engines fire up.

SIAFD and its Kirwee-based site has quickly become the “go-to” event for those looking to research the latest agricultural technology.

MARK DANIEL markd@ruralnews.co.nz

Quads aimed at the switched-on youth market

AFTER MAKING major ground in the ATV and side-by-side markets in New Zealand over the last few years, CFMOTO is branching into the youth quad market with two allnew machines – including an all-electric version.

The sports-orientated CFORCE 110 and allelectric CFORCE EV110 introduce an entry-level element to the CFMOTO ATV family, that currently comprises five models from 400 to 1000cc.

The conventional electric-start CFORCE 110 is powered by a 4.7kW single-cylinder fuel-injected engine, with styling cues from the existing CFORCE range in Baja Blue and Rocket Red.

Meanwhile, the CFORCE EV110’s motor produces 4.5kW and 40Nm of instantaneous torque – the latter comparable to the current CFORCE 525 ATV – fed by a 2.3kWh lithium-ion battery and with a top speed of 45km/h.

Finished in a striking white colour scheme, the EV110 features all round LED lighting, fiveinch LCD dash, 10-inch

Tyre optimisation for tractors

TRACTOR TYRE optimisation is designed to determine the right balance between inflation pressures and load. This allows the operator to get the most out of their tyres, all the while increasing tractor productivity and output. With new tyre and tractor technology, previous assumptions on tyre inflation pressures are often outdated. Not only does inflation determine the amount of load a tyre can carry. It also impacts ride comfort, fuel consumption, tyre life and overall tractor performance. Adopting the right pressure will reduce running costs by up to 20%.

front and 8-inch wheel equipment. While both models include a speed limiter and a geo-fencing function – where smart devices can be used to set a range limit of up to 400 metres.

“This is a big moment for CFMOTO,” says CFMOTO Australia & New Zealand director Michael Poynton.

“Adding youth quads to the CFMOTO ATV line-up has always been on the radar. I’m delighted that it’s now coming to fruition. With CFMOTO’s ATV pedigree and extraordinary value proposition, I’m confident that both models will make a huge impact on the local market.”

Poynton says the company is particularly excited about the CFORCE EV110 with its mantle as the first electric CFMOTO to go on sale.

“It’s not only a stunning design exercise, but with a level of dynamic and sporty performance to keep the kids smiling.”

The CFORCE EV110 at $6,490 and the CFORCE 110 at $4,490, both including GST, are supported by CFMOTO’s two-year warranty.

More: www.cfmoto.co.nz

TRS Tyre & Wheel offer a tyre optimisation service for all tractors running on Trelleborg or Mitas tyres – via an on-site visit, that uses weigh cells to understand axle loadings and weight distribution. Then, post visit, it provides accurate data on optimal tyre pressure recommendations, footprint analysis and soil compaction advice.

A tyre optimisation report also indicates power to weight ratios and suggested operating pressures based on the data collected.

Rural News caught up with the test team recently at Jackson Contracting Limited, base at Tauhei, just north of Morrinsville in the Waikato.

Taking a closer look at a Valtra T175 fitted with a Quicke loader that had joined the fleet, weigh cells were place under each tyre and original tyre pressures recorded. Carrying a wrapped silage bale the results showed a front axle loading of 4824kg, the rear at 4119kg and tyre pressures of 19 and 15psi respectively.

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800 Series 540-65R30 up front and 650-65R42 at the rear, the weight distribution ratio was 54:46 front to rear, with the tractor delivering a 51kg/hp output. Final recommendations for the tested configuration were to run at 20psi front and 14psi rear, increasing pressures by 0.2bar for extended roadwork.

Operations manager for JCL, Phil Ellison says modern radial tractor tyres have become increasing important as we strive to maintain traction with larger implements, while at the

same time trying to reduce soil compaction.

“Of course, the latest technology costs a lot more than a set of old cross-ply’s, so we are very keen to make sure we get the best from a set of tyres in terms of overall life, fuel economy, operator comfort and improved agronomy,” he explains.

“Any savings we can make becomes very relevant as those savings are multiplied over a large fleet of prime movers we operate.” www.trstyreandwheel.co.nz/ optimisation

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MARK DANIEL markd@ruralnews.co.nz

CFMOTO is branching into the youth quad market with two all-new machines – including an all-electric version.

MARK DANIEL markd@ruralnews.co.nz

TRS Tyre & Wheel offer a tyre optimisation service for all tractors running on Trelleborg or Mitas tyres.

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Norwood makes tough calls

FOLLOWING THE dealership agreement between CNH Industrial and Norwood ending on 12 January 2023, the Palmerston North headquartered business has announced that it will close four of its locations, reduce the size of one dealership and lose 36 staff in a realignment of its retail network and business strategy.

Prior to this, Norwood had a network of 25 sites and employed 470 staff nationwide.

“We needed to revisit our business strategy when our dealer agreement with CNH ended earlier this year,” says Tim Myers, Norwood chief executive officer. “We’ve had to look critically at our network size to make sure it reflects our current situation, and there is no doubt we’ve made some hard decisions.”

Sites at Dargaville, Stratford, Westport, and Cromwell will close, with customers transitioned to the nearest alternative Norwood dealership. Meanwhile, Norwood Masterton will scale down and become a spoke of the Manawatu hub, with a team of five staff and support from Norwood Manawatū, then eventually move to a smaller location.

Myers says that sites set too close were selected on criteria that included the company’s ability to service customers either remotely or from the nearest alternative dealership. Dargaville customers will be serviced by Norwood Whangārei, Stratford customers will be transitioned to Norwood Hawera. Westport customers will be serviced by Norwood Greymouth-Dobson, and Cromwell customers by Norwood Mosgiel. Customers whose sites are

closing are a priority with affected customers being contacted with details of changes to their dealership.

“We know that field service is key for many of our customers – that will not change,” Myers adds. “We are confident we can continue to provide best-in-class service to transitioning customers and we have the confidence of our supply partners as well.”

He adds that any concerned customers are being encouraged to have a discussion with the dealership manager, who will be aiming to get in touch with them over the coming weeks.

Many staff across Norwood’s network will be affected, with a decrease of 28 roles in dealerships and eight at the National Support Office. These reductions have occurred in the sales,

service, warehouse and logistics, procurement, people and capability, and finance teams. The company says this is due to fewer retail sites and less need for support from the National Support Office.

“We want to be clear that this reduction in roles is entirely due to Norwood’s changed situation and not through the fault of the people who have been affected. Our priority is to support staff through this process, so people who are leaving do so with their mana intact,” Myers says.

Norwood will continue to sell and supply a range of agricultural, horticultural, and construction equipment from brands including Kubota, Breviglieri, Horsch, KUHN, Pichon, Väderstad, and Vredo.

Norwood chief executive Tim Myers says the company needed to revisit its business strategy after its dealer agreement with CNH ended earlier this year.

MARK DANIEL markd@ruralnews.co.nz

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