Rural News 22 April 2014

agribusiness Agchemical firm launches a new range of biological products. page 25

management Treat farms as a cluster of small units. page 34

RuralNEWS

news Landcorp seeks to make subtle changes to its strategic direction.

page 15

to all farmers, for all farmers

april 22, 2014: Issue 559

www.ruralnews.co.nz

Wool vote to cost $500k pa m ti pa pamelat@ruralnews.co.nz

LAWYERS, BUREAUCRATS and printers will get the bulk of the $500,000 left over from the wool levy of earlier times, as a committee organises a farmer vote on whether to resume a levy on production.

So says James Parsons, chairman of Beef + Lamb New Zealand – custodian of the levy leftovers – commenting on the passing of a remit to use the money

for a farmer referendum.

The referendum will be run by the group that proposed the remit – the wool levy steering committee.

Parsons says BLNZ is holding residual funds of about $500,000 from the former wool levy, which ceased in 2009 in a close grower vote.

But all that money will be needed to hold a vote by all wool growers in New Zealand, he says.

“It is not a cheap exercise by the time you put together voting docu-

ments, engagement with MPI and a whole lot of legal stuff.

“You are operating under the Commodities Levies Act so there’s a whole lot of dotting the ‘i’s and crossing the ‘t’s to make sure that is all done appropriately.

“Then there is a process of running a series of meetings, farmer roadshows, collating feedback and working out a final proposal that goes to farmers for voting.

Then you need an independent

organisation to run the voting process.”

None of that will be run by BLNZ. “It is very much an independent wool group and Beef + Lamb is just custodian of that residual wool levy,” Parsons says. “But it makes sense that, if there’s going to be a referendum on this, farmer’s levies paid in the past on wool would go to fund it.”

The referendum is due by the end of the year.

– More page 16 @rural_news facebook.com/ruralnews

top dog NEW MPI boss in China, Roger Smith, says he’s passionate about ‘brand New Zealand’. Smith, soon to be regional director Asia and a deputy director-general of MPI, is the highest ranking official from that department to serve in an overseas post. MPI will soon appoint five other staff to Beijing to deal with any issues arising with New Zealand’s number one trading partner. Smith’s appointment follows notable trade problems in China, such as the Fonterra botulism scare and the delay of meat on Chinese wharves. He tells us more about his new role and New Zealand agriculture’s growing presence in China on page 11.

Less milk, more honey p et er bur k e peterb@ruralnews.co.nz

LANDCORP WILL back away from aggressively expanding in dairying, says chief executive Steven Carden.

For ten years it has been ‘dairy focused’ and it has 12-14 dairy farms coming on-line during the next three years, mostly long-term lease arrangements with partners with whom they are committed to dairying.

“The way the lease is worked is that you apply the farming model best suited to the land and in many cases this is often dairy and you get charged dairying rates. So if you choose not to use it for dairying you still get charged dairying rates.”

Like the rest of the primary industry, Landcorp is under constant pressure to convert good finishing drystock land to dairying but the economics are not compelling, Carden says.

He is not expecting a regular dairy payout of $8.65. “If the price [achieved] a high six or an early seven next year, I think we’d all be feeling reasonably happy. Like others I sense dairying is reaching the limits of its sustainability – its natural glass ceiling.

“It is a volatile species to be farming. As an organisation, and probably as country, we are close to hitting [the glass ceiling] so we are not looking [for] more conversions.”

– More page 15

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Rural News // april 23, 2014

news 3 issue 559

www.ruralnews.co.nz

Dairy pushes back on PCE’s water claims PETER BURKE

News ������������������������������ 1-19 World ������������������������ 20-21 Markets �������������������� 22-23 Agribusiness ����������� 24-25 Hound, Edna ������������������� 26 Contacts ������������������������� 26 Opinion ����������������������� 26-32 Management ����������� 33-39 Animal Health �������� 41-46 Machinery and Products ������������������ 47-53 Rural Trader ���������� 54-55

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: subsrndn@ruralnews.co.nz ABC audited circulation 81,232 as at 31.12.2013

peterb@ruralnews.co.nz

THE RISING intensity of farming and its effects on freshwater quality is a problem – but not everywhere in New Zealand.

This was a key point in a submission last week by DairyNZ’s chairman John Luxton and scientist Mike Scarsbrook to a hearing of the parliamentary local government and environment select committee.

DairyNZ’s purpose was to counter claims about the impact of farming on the environment, contained in a 2013 report by the parliamentary commissioner for the environment. The submission also urges faster implementation of the National Policy Statement on Freshwater.

Water quality problems persist in some, but not all, catchments, DairyNZ says. The problem needs to be put into proper perspective for the public, notably that most NIWA water quality monitoring sites show stable or improving

DairyNZ chair John Luxton and scientist Mike Scarsbrook prior to presenting their submission to the select committee last week.

trends – not deterioration.

DairyNZ also noted that regional councils are in the process of setting water quality and quantity objectives and limits, and by 2020 key regions will have finished plan changes.

“The dairy industry is actively involved in this implementation process.

In every catchment, where issues have been identified, there are significant programmes of work already underway to address the effects of intensification,” the submission says.

“We are spending $11 million a year of dairy farmers’ levy money working with councils to define water quality issues, develop limit-setting processes and integrated catchment plans, and improve monitoring and reporting.”

DairyNZ’s trend analysis data shows marked differences in intensification trends at the regional scale.

“We observed significant increasing trends in nitrogen load to land in Canterbury, West Coast, Waikato, Southland and Otago, but significant decreasing

trends in Northland and Bay of Plenty over the same period. Taranaki and Manawatu-Wanganui showed no significant change.”

DairyNZ’s submission relayed the findings of the National Rivers Water Quality Network, New Zealand’s premier, long-term water quality monitoring resource – administered by NIWA – covering 77 sites monitored monthly using consistent methods since January 1989.

“The majority of these sites showed relatively stable levels of N, P and clarity.

We found around 30% of all sites showed deteriorating trends in nitrate, 12% showed deteriorating trends in phosphorus and only one site showed a deteriorating trend in water clarity. Nearly 30% of all sites showed improving trends in water clarity.”

The submission also contained other significant details of various studies of water quality. DairyNZ has a large environmental team including six water quality scientists.

AgResearch pushes ahead with restructure plans CHRISTCHURCH consultancy firm The Project Office has been appointed

by AgResearch to plan and manage its campus hubs developments as part of its $100m ‘Future Footprint’ restructure.

This includes development of AgResearch’s parts of the Lincoln Hub and the FoodHQ hub at Palmerston North.

AgResearch chief executive Dr Tom Richardson says the appointment was made in consultation with sector partners and such collaboration has many advantages.

“Tighter links with agricultural tertiary institutions, large research organisations, industry bodies and the private

sector, all within a five to 10 minute walk will deliver better science nationally, and help us retain and attract talented employees for science and the pastoral sector, and foster capability growth.”

Future Footprint is the overall plan to redevelop AgResearch’s aging facilities and align its people and infrastructure with its strategy. AgResearch has previously announced the plan involves relocating up to 250 roles, but no moves are scheduled before 2016. The Ruakura and Invermay campuses will be retained but focusing on regional environmental and farm systems.

Lincoln University’s vice-chancellor Andy West says the appointment of The

Project Office is the first practical step in enhancing AgResearch’s scientific capacity at Lincoln. It also reinforces creation of the Lincoln Hub. DairyNZ chief executive Tim Mackle says all the partners are keen to keep the momentum up on developing the Lincoln hub. “More than 40% of the dairy industry’s milksolids are produced in the South Island now so we’re keen to drive it forward. Bringing this project management support on board will help with that,” he says.

Massey University vice-chancellor Steve Maharey says Massey University, as part of FoodHQ, will be able to work with partners to lift the value of

New Zealand’s food-related products.

“We will also be able to compete on the world stage with other global centres of food innovation research.”

Peter Chudleigh, a partner at The Project Office, says their experience with large scale, complex projects enables them to help realise the plans for AgResearch and its Hub partners.

AgResearch partners at the Lincoln Hub include DairyNZ, Landcare Research, Lincoln University and Plant & Food Research. Partners at Food HQ in Palmerston North include AsureQuality, BioCommerce Centre, ESR, Fonterra, Massey University, Plant & Food Research and Riddet Institute.

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4 news

LIC revamp aims for 500% increase in revenue SU D ES H KI SSUN sudeshk@ruralnews.co.nz

FARMER CO-OP Livestock Improvement Corporation (LIC) is revamping its executive team and aiming to raise revenue 500% by 2025.

Directors and farmer shareholders have given chief executive Wayne McNee the go-ahead to trim executive numbers from 11 to 8. The post of chief operating officer is abolished and four new management positions are advertised. Several current executives may

settle for non-executive roles or quit.

Staff learned this month of a strategy to earn $1 billion in revenues by 2025; the animal breeding and farm technology service provider earned $200m last year.

McNee says the challenging target can be achieved by offering products and services farmers are willing to pay for.

“At the moment the LIC board and LIC shareholders council think there is a lot of

latent potential in this business,” he told Rural News.

“We have been a growing and successful business but we haven’t been agile enough in developing new products and have under-invested in the business. We are making up now by investing in backroom hardware and development of new products.”

Under the new strategy, 58 roles have been abolished and 78 new roles created.

Workers are taking the

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“For many staff this is an opportunity to move into higher roles.

Executive management have found it challenging because they haven’t been through this before and some of them… may not end up with a role in management.”

LIC’s new management team will be in place by June 1. The co-op plans to work with fertiliser co-ops Ballance and Ravensdown and milk processors Fonterra, Westland and Synlait to integrate information systems for farmers.

“Given that farmers – apart from Synlait – own all those businesses, we are trying to make sure we are not all doing the same thing but working collaboratively,” McNee says.

LIC is also eyeing more acquisitions.

Earlier this year, it bought the milking metering business Dairy Automation Ltd. Growing the

LIC chief executive Wayne McNee unveiled his plans to staff about revamping the co-op this month.

international business will also help hit the revenue target. For example, the Protrack herd management system draws worldwide inquiries, says McNee. “There is a lot of interest from milking machine companies here and overseas on how Protrack could be integrated with their systems. This has a lot of potential; if we get it right, we will fill a big

chunk of that revenue target.”

LIC is looking at launching integrated packages of information systems, automation and genetics into UK, Ireland, China and Brazil – all key markets.

A South America business strategy is high on the agenda. “We sell semen to Chile, Uruguay, Argentina and Colombia but we don’t sell an integrated package into

any of those markets. We are looking at whether we can sell integrated packages similar [to those in] New Zealand.”

McNee sees LIC shareholders as fully behind the new strategy.

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Rural News // april 23, 2014

news 5

Trans-Tasman support for produce research pamelat@ruralnews.co.nz

A FRESH produce Food Safety Centre, due to open in May in Sydney, will service Australian and New Zealand fresh produce industries.

And it hopes to become the official adviser on fresh produce safety to the Food Safety Centre the New Zealand Government is setting up following the Fonterra food safety scare.

Plans for the Food Safety Centre for Australia and New Zealand, at the University of Sydney, were laid some time ago by the Produce Marketing Association, Australia and New Zealand (PMA A-NZ), and it will open next month. New Zealand companies such as MG Marketing and Living Foods NZ are backing it, as is the Australian Government.

Fatalities caused by food in the northern hemisphere have prompted setting up the centre, says PMA A-NZ chief executive Mike Worthington.

“We wanted to get our act together before anything bad happens,” he says. “There have been disasters in Europe and the US where there have been multiple deaths

from, for instance, spinach, bean sprouts and melons.” Proactive steps are needed “to minimise the risk of that sort of thing happening in this part of the world”.

Since the New Zealand Government began talks about a Food Safety Science and Research Centre in the wake of the Fonterra issue, PMA A-NZ has discussed avoiding duplicating resources.

“What we are saying is ‘if we focus on all things to do with fresh product, we can feed that into the food safety centre proposed in New Zealand.

Rather than duplicating effort, let’s focus on this area where we have real understanding. Fresh produce is unique and has to be treated as such.”

The Sydney centre will also work with a US organisation, the Centre for Produce Safety. “That gives us more global reach so we are not duplicating research and we’re learning from their mistakes.”

Worthington says New Zealand companies in the fresh product industry have supported the Sydney Food Safety Centre, pledging funds to set it up.

The Fresh Produce Centre will look at biosecurity issues only when

there is potential for food safety issues, for instance, chemical contamination in imported produce.

PMA has always worked with Food Standards Australia and New Zealand and health regulatory organisations in both countries, Worthington says.

EXPRESSIONS OF interest are being called for the planned Food Safety Science and Research Centre recommended by the government inquiry into Fonterra’s false alarm food safety scare.

Science and Innovation Minister Steven Joyce says the centre will ensure delivery of excellent food safety science and research, cut the risk of foodborne illness and provide economic growth opportunities.

“The centre will be funded by at least $5 million per year in contributions from government and industry. The first step in establishing the centre is to seek expressions of interest from existing

research organisations.”

Food Safety Minister Nikki Kaye says the centre will ensure New Zealand’s food safety system remains among the best in the world. “It will focus on cutting-edge, internationally recognised research into key aspects of food safety.”

Key industry people will be asked to sit on an advisory panel to ensure the centre’s work is directly relevant to industry.

The new Food Safety and Assurance Advisory Council will provide high-level guidance to the food safety centre. “This investment and the centre will enable an increased level of food safety knowledge and

capability in the science sector, industry and government,” Ms Kaye Nikki Kaye says.

From the expressions of interest, a shortlist of organisations will be invited to attend a workshop to refine the centre’s scope, structure and functions. The centre is expected to be open by the end of the year.

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Rural News // april 23, 2014

6 news

A dam good decision or not?

A board of inquiry has approved resource consents for the $275 million Ruataniwha dam and water storage scheme proposed for central Hawke’s Bay. The Hawke’s Bay Regional Council has proposed building the dam as a way of alleviating drought problems and boosting the local economy through improved primary production on the Ruataniwha Plains. But do the conditions placed on the dam and changes to Plan Change 6 still make it a goer? Peter Burke reports.

Dam proponents hope the project will mean the end of droughts in the region like 2013.

PROPONENTS OF the $275 million Ruataniwha water storage dam in Hawkes Bay will have little time to relax as they try to get their heads around the board of inquiry’s decision on the proposal and the Hawkes Bay Regional Council’s Plan Change 6.

While in theory the two are separate issues, they are inextricably linked, hence the Board considering the two in tandem.

Plan Change 6 relates to the way the land can be farmed – including nitrogen limits in the Tukituki catchment where the

dam would be located. The consent to allow the dam as a structure to be built is a separate issue.

In respect of the process, this is the final and binding decision because under the board of inquiry system, no substantive issues can be appealed – only points of law.

The chairman of the Hawkes Bay Regional Council Investment Company (HBRIC), responsible for developing the dam project, Dr Andy Pearce, says they have all the consents they need for the dam

project. But he says the question now is whether these can be exercised in an “economically satisfactory situation” within the limits of Plan Change 6.

Pearce admits the nitrogen levels set by the board and its decision to allow more groundwater to be taken from the Tukitiki catchment has implications for HBRIC. “The dam is not a goer until we have worked through the detail and even then we still have to complete capital raising and have to have con-

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firmed water contracts for a sufficient volume of water,” Pearce told Rural News.

“There have always been four or five strands of work going on more or less simultaneously: the consenting, the capital raising,

the water uptake, and the design and construction contract. They all have to converge together to have a workable scheme and we are now in the process of assessing the impact of the proposed plan change,” he says.

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news 7 Council chair in serious study mode HAWKES BAY Regional Council (HBRC) chairman Fenton Wilson says following the board decision his council has more work to do see if the proposal is viable.

He was a little surprised at how far the board went in setting more stringent limits than HBRC was proposing.

Wilson says the council’s science team will do more work on this aspect of the decision.

“In saying that, I don’t know what the implications are until we crunch some numbers and actually work out what it means for the farming community in that Fenton Wilson footprint/catchment. That’s were heard together by the board of the key to it: what actual physical impact does it have on the inquiry.”

Wilson says if intensification is farming community within that challenged too much by this decifootprint.

“Let’s not forget this is a plan sion then it will potentially affect change, which happens whether or the dam.

“But at this stage I can’t tell you not the dam goes ahead, so this is quite separate from the dam. This categorically what it means. We have was the plan change that was hap- to do a whole heap of work yet and in pening anyway but because it had the end it may actually be quite mannational significance when it was ageable.”

Wilson also believes the financcoupled with the dam, the two

Mixed view on dam decision RUATANIWHA HAS now got to second base, says Federated Farmers national president and Hawkes Bay farmer Bruce Wills.

First base was getting Hawke’s Bay Regional Council’s leadership to take it forward and second base was the board of inquiry hearing, Wills says.

Third base will be the scheme’s allimportant financing and whether the nutrient limits make it viable for farmers to invest. It also has to be analysed to make sure it still works within the regional plan.

“Federated Farmers believes water storage is core economic, cultural, social and environmental infrastructure for a changing climate,” Wills says. “Over coming decades, things are going to get drier along the northern east coast so we need to store water to ensure Hawke’s Bay remains a thriving place to do business.”

He says time is now needed to work through the 700 pages of detail in the board decision.

Meanwhile, Hawkes Bay regional councillor and project critic Peter Beaven says it’s going to take time to read the decision and to understand its implications for the Ruataniwha dam.

He says no one was too surprised at

ing end of the dam project will be dealt with in a “timely” manner. This is despite TrustPower pulling out of the deal and sceptics saying the challenge of getting other backers is hard.

But Wilson says Ngai Tahu are still negotiating with other parties and there is still time for a deal to be done.

The process of the consents being heard by a board of inquiry has been vigorous, robust and challenging, Wilson says. It has demanded discipline from all parties and that has been good.

“A normal plan change winds its way through the Environment Court and can take up to seven or eight years; we’ve done this in nine months. I think New Zealand can take some positives from that particular process about just what is possible.

“It’s tight and it focuses you and it challenges you and all the rest of it, but the reality of it is you get a decision in a timely manner. For example, our coastal plan is still going after eight years.”

the dam project getting the consents it was after because historically an EPA appointed board has never turned down such a request.

“We will have to spend some days fully understanding its implications, and so will the farmers need to consider this when they make a decision about signing up for water,” Beaven told Rural News.

“It’s interesting that it wouldn’t have mattered what course of action the regional investment company decided to adopt to apply for the dam – whether they went for an EPA process or the resource consent process the outcome would have been similar.”

The Environmental Defense Society (EDS) says it’s delighted the board of inquiry appears to have addressed their primary submission which raised serious concerns about freshwater quality.

EDS policy director Raewyn Peart says the decision is a big win for the Tukituki catchment and has wider implications for the management of freshwater quality elsewhere in the country.

Peart says EDS is still working through the detail of the decision, and will lodge substantive comments with the Environmental Protection Authority next month.

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8 news

Island farmer relishes the challenges SU D ES H KI SSUN sudeshk@ruralnews.co.nz

FARMER RICK Braddock is proud to be running the country’s only pestfree pastoral and livestock operation.

He admits it’s not the same as running a conventional farm and there are challenges but his 1250ha leased farm is no ordinary property – Braddock leases Motutapu Island from the government. Motutapu lies in the Hauraki Gulf, northeast of Auckland and is home to many threatened species of birds and reptiles.

The island is a great example of farming and conservation working hand-in-hand. Braddock says it’s not unusual to see

takahes and cattle drinking from the same water trough.

He started his Motutapu farm as a predominantly sheep and beef operation. But today it’s run as a beef and dairy support business. He has 2000 cattle and about 300 sheep. Calves are reared for export to China and for state-owned farmer Landcorp.

Braddock has close links with Shanghai Pengxin, the Chinese company which bought Crafar farms from the receivers.

He is a director of Pengxin Farm Management Ltd, the managers of Shanghai Pengxin’s New Zealand farms. The chairman is a former Fonterra director, Greg Gent, and former

Fonterra executive Gary Romano recently joined as chief executive.

In June 1000 cows from Shanghai Pengxin farms will arrive on the island for winter grazing.

Motutapu has stunning views of Hauraki Gulf but there’s all that water! Animals have to be barged off

the island, 1000 sheep at a time or 100 cattle; all the farm equipment has to be barged out and the manager can’t just nip down the road and hire a digger for the afternoon.

Given Motutapu’s pestfree status, taking animals to the island also has challenges. Every stock truck

is checked by biosecurity officials.

But Braddock is enthusiastic about farming on the island despite the challenges, “Biosecurity is tight but that’s part of farming on an island and in a pestfree environment,” he told Rural News during a recent

About Motutapu Island The base rocks of the island date back 165 million years to the Jurassic period, making Motutapu one of the oldest islands in the gulf. By contrast, much younger Rangitoto erupted out of the sea only about 600 years ago.

Motutapu is a working pastoral farm, far and away the largest of its type in the Auckland region. Mostly in grass, the undulating landform has a central spine of 100m rising to 121m at the highest

point.

Several remnants of native forest survive along the coastal fringe (mainly pohutukawa) and inland (karaka, pohutukawa, rewarewa, puriri and kohekohe). Extensive wetlands are a feature of the landscape. Introduced exotic trees planted by the early settlers and farmers (pine, macrocarpa, Norfolk Island pine), also feature in the landscape.

Farmer Rick Braddock admits the island property is no ordinary farm.

event on the island to release rare Coromandel kiwis. “It shows farming can be done alongside protecting the environment and wildlife.”

Four years ago the island was destocked for three aerial drops of poison, eliminating rabbits, mice, stoats, rats and other pests.

Braddock doesn’t use supplement feed due to biosecurity restrictions.

But the pasture is good, the farm making its own supplements – this season 550 bales of hay.

Braddock also works with conservationists to combine economic farming and conservation

activities. He is deputy chair of the Motutapu Restoration Trust Board, whose activities include restoring native ecosystems, replanting several hundred hectares in native forest, collecting and propagating seeds from indigenous plant stock and protecting the growing volunteer-planted forest from plant pests.

Braddock employs two full-time staff and several part-timers. He lives in Auckland and visits the farm regularly.

“Farming on Motutapu is a great way of demonstrating farming and protecting the environment at the same time,” he says.

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Rural News // april 23, 2014

news 9

Low turnout at meetings no concern p e te r bu r k e peterb@ruralnews.co.nz

WHILE FARMER attendance at DairyNZ’s levy meetings has been low – 307 nationwide – it’s not a worry.

DairyNZ has held the meetings to drum up farmer support for continuing the levy that pays for the industry-good organisation. It is proposed to keep the levy at 3.6 cents/kgMS until at least May 2016.

For the government to continue legislative support for the levy, a minimum of 50% of voting farmers must vote in favour, hence DairyNZ urging farmers to turn out to vote. This happens every six years.

All farmers, including sharemilkers and dairy farm lease holders who supply a milk processor in the current season, are entitled to vote.

The best turnout was in Waikato: 21 farmers came to listen to DairyNZ direc-

tors and senior managers.

Director Ben Allomes is not worried about the low attendance, seeing it as a sign that farmers are happy with DairyNZ, know they are going to vote and so don’t need to attend.

“The farmers who are engaged with DairyNZ see the benefits we provide,” Allomes told Rural News.

“The challenge is to get the ones who aren’t engaged to get engaged in what we do so they can also see the benefits.”

Allomes doesn’t fear farmers will vote against the levy or abstain. And he is happy with the six-year voting pattern.

DairyNZ’s strategy leader Rick Pridmore says the organisation must explain to farmers that it has changed a lot in the last five years.

The face of DairyNZ is its consulting officers, but now there are also other large groups, Pridmore says.

“We have a policy and advocacy team, six of the

best water quality scientists in the country, a big economics team and… in the people side of the business [we are] training people to be farm business managers.

The consulting officers continue dealing with cows and grass, but the mix now also has nutrients, the environment and

animal welfare.

The low meeting turnouts do not worry Pridmore: he sees huge opportunity for DairyNZ to connect with farmers.

“We get about 50% of the farmers in the country attending our discussion groups. That figure used to be 30% -- so in the last five years we have raised the

participation dramatically.

Our research also shows a third of the people attending these groups say they now make major changes on their farm as a result of that.”

Voting papers will go out on April 24 and the vote closes at the end of May. The result will be announced in June.

DairyNZ director Ben Allomes believes the low turnout means farmers are happy.

After sales service, SECOND to NONE.

Structure needed THE GOVERNMENT’S Sustainable Farming Fund (SFF) has approved $9.9 million for 31 projects in the latest funding round. Nine are for dairy projects, six for sheep and beef and arable.

Maori agribusiness is a big winner: $2.1 million for five projects. One aims to lift productivity and profitability in Maori owned kiwifruit orchards in Bay of Plenty, Gisborne and Northland. Another in the central North Island is to help ‘scale up’ 15 farms on 30,000ha to make them economically viable.

MPI deputy director-general for the Maori primary sector, Ben Dalton, says one drag on realising the potential of Maori land is that most of it is ‘unincorporated’ and lacks governance structure. Much of the land is good but is not returning what it could to its owners.

“The hardest work is going to be something very simple: bringing 3000 owners and four or five different blocks together and getting the people to incorporate each of those blocks,” Dalton explains.

“Then they can form some kind of legal structure that allows them to start making commercial decisions and deciding on a pathway forward. At present, there is a proliferation of smaller blocks and a sizable number of owners and they don’t have a governance structure.”

For openers there is what Dalton calls the “one thousand cups of tea” phase where leaders visit the owners and sort through and resolve sometimes old grievances.

This needs care, but once done it sets up the next phase of the development.

More people – especially investors – are realising the potential of Maori agriculture and want a slice of the action.

“My big fear is for smaller groups that are not really ready for that discussion. The big ones – like Tuaropaki in central North Island and Parininihi ki Waitotara in Taranaki – can hold their own against anyone in the world.

He notes that all the finalists in this year’s Ahuwhenua Trophy for the top Maori dairy farm are all collaborations between small whanau trusts. – Peter Burke

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Rural News // april 23, 2014

10 news

Mixed bag for ag farm products pa m ti pa pamelat@ruralnews.co.nz

DAIRY PRICES ARE heading south, lamb prices will keep rising, beef will hold and wool is going nowhere, says ASB rural economist Nathan Penny.

Lamb prices will continue to improve, with prices averaging 18% higher than the same period over 2013, says Penny.

“There’s better demand out of the UK, and more drought and tough times in Australia for sheep producers,” Penny told Rural News. “At the same time, here we’re still doing some rebuilding of our flocks.

“Those dynamics together means prices will grind higher through the year.”

Penny says prices remain below the five-year average for this time of year, with the lingering effect of drought still slowing down production.

“Wool prices have come back a bit in the last few months and the last year so we do not see any particular movement either way.”

In the ASB Farmshed Economics than the average level in March 2013. report Penny says it’s going to be another Prices appear “stuck” at historically high season before the sheep sector incomes levels which over the last four years have increasingly become the norm. return to pre-drought levels.

“Looking at the meat and March average prices wool sector, we expect lamb for coarse wool (35 micron) prices to keep rising over the are 4% lower than the averremainder of the year, while age level for December 2013. beef and wool prices are set to “That said they remain 7% tread water.” higher than a year ago,” he On interest rates, Penny says. says the Reserve Bank has sigASB expects prices to Nathan Penny nalled more increases and “head sideways” over the coming months. Unlike other markets, while ASB agrees another 25 basis points Chinese demand is not a major driver of is on the cards this month, it is “not conprices at present and demand from devel- vinced about the extent of subsequent oped economies remains a key. Demand is hikes implied by Reserve Bank of New tentatively improving with the US hous- Zealand forecasts”.

Nevertheless, interest rates are set to ing and apparel markets on the up and European demand showing signs of life. rise steadily over the next two years, says With beef, Penny told Rural News “a Penny.

“In contrast, we expect the NZD to few things are pulling in different directions but we think it is going to hold ease back from current highs. Crucial to this outlook is an improving US economy roughly about where it is”.

March beef prices are 9% higher and a firmer US dollar.”

Lower dairy prices ASB IS ‘taking the cherry off the top’ of this season’s forecast farmgate milk price – predicting a final payout of $8.50/kgMS before dividends, says rural economist Nathan Penny.

The current forecast from Fonterra is $8.65 but with the Global Dairy Trade (GDT) trending downwards, Penny believes it will go lower.

Last week the Global Dairy Trade dropped on average 2.6%, prices falling across the range of products. This is in line with the trend ASB is anticipating over the next month or two, Penny told Rural News.

Prices in the GDT have fallen an average 19% since December and they still have a way to go.

“On an auction-to-auction basis it is hard to get a precise number but a 10% cumulative fall over April, May would be what we had in mind.”

The season is shaping up to be similar to 2012, he says. Both years production lifted over 11% from the season prior and the late-season surge came as a surprise. In

2012 overall prices fell by 29% from December to May and then stabilised.

Penney says ASB expects milk production be up 11% this season compared to last.

Next season’s milk price is likely to be “a decent chunk lower” than this season, says Penny.

“We still expect a high milk price compared to earlier years.

We are still seeing strong demand out of places like China.

The pressure that’s on prices now is largely a New Zealand production story – that strong end to the season has pushed these prices down.

That pressure will fade and prices should start to improve in the second half of this year.

“But we expect milk prices to come back a bit.

“The kicker is the dollar: if the dollar does come down as we expect then a milk price in the high $7 is on the cards.

If it doesn’t play ball and stays stronger for longer, then a milk price down around $7 is more likely.” – Pam Tipa

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Rural News // april 23, 2014

news 11

NZ’s top man in China’s big role

MPI’s Roger Smith will be working closely with NZ exporters to China.

THE NEW MPI boss in China, Roger Smith, says he’s passionate about ‘brand New Zealand’, but the country needs to guarantee its supply chain from paddock to plate - Peter Burke reports.

Roger Smith, soon to be regional director Asia, and a deputy director-general of MPI, is the highest ranking official from that department to serve in an overseas post. And MPI will soon appoint five other staff to Beijing to deal with any issues arising with New Zealand’s number one trading partner.

Smith’s appointment follows notable trade problems in China, such as the Fonterra botulism scare and the delay of meat on

Chinese wharves. Smith has no illusions about the size of the challenge: “it’s huge,” he says.

He told Rural News that to be effective in his new role in China he needs the support of all exporters to that country.

“If I am going in hard and promoting that New Zealand’s position is to give 100% assurance that [product] is right, then I have to know it is right and not be let down.”

Smith says his new role is not so much to deal

with day-to-day ‘technical’ issues, which he intends to leave with his staff. Rather, he’ll spend time developing close personal working relationships with Chinese officials to understand how they think and get a good ‘heads-up’ on likely future issues.

“Food safety is top of their agenda so we have to be a little ahead of the game now and think about what’s going to come up in future. For example, what are their concerns and how can we address them? To

be perfectly frank it’s not a case of New Zealand telling China ‘this is the model’.

“It’s a time to be working in partnership with China in a way we have always done with Brussels, Washington and Canberra: namely working in partnerships and developing partnership solutions.”

In China, and in many other cultures, the position a person holds in an organisation plays a huge part in relationship development. MPI believes that

Heading off the competition ROGER SMITH says while New Zealand may have an FTA with China, it does not give it sole access to the premium market China has become.

Other countries also want to export to China so New Zealand has to establish a clear point of difference, Smith says.

“We have a good reputation for our transparency, our food safety and our clean green environment.

It’s important the Chinese are reminded of this and they can trust us.”

Counterfeiting is a risk New Zealand faces as a seller of premium products in a premium market. “That’s a standard fact: if you are a premium product producer, people will counterfeit it.”

Smith sees technology as the solution, enabling a consumer to run his or her smartphone over a product to instantly learn a lot of detail about it, including where it came from and how it was produced.

“It’s the way of the future, and in saying future I mean within

the next 12 months. We need to have an understanding of that. It doesn’t matter whether they are in Shanghai, New York or London, consumers want to know where their product came from, the same as they do in Auckland or Wellington.

“They want some assurance that whatever they are buying, and paying a premium for, is what they are getting. If we are going to protect ‘Brand New Zealand’ we need to do the same,” Smith says.

by appointing a very senior person in Roger Smith this will open new doors and help cement the relationship embodied in the FTA with China.

But as New Zealand has found over the years, FTAs need nurturing and this country has on occasions found itself “ambushed” by “non-tariff trade barriers” (NTB) – where a “technical” issue is used to block or hinder the flow of goods at the border.

Smith says exporters to China or anywhere else need to be certain their goods are going to get across the border.

“Nobody is going to invest in a long term business relationship if they don’t know with certainty what happens at the border. Our job is to negotiate these rules of clearance under the FTA agreement.

“Part of my role is to work closely with the Chinese so that we have absolute transparency and a clear understanding on both sides. Trade is a twoway street and we don’t

want to see NTB’s being used to manipulate trade flows.”

Smith will be working with New Zealand exporters to China and has been talking with many chief executives and chairman of large companies that export there. He will work with the New Zealand China Trade Association and its counterparts and will accompany Chinese trade delegations to New Zealand.

Smith doesn’t object to “walking side by side” with industry and helping them on their sales trips to China.

“I am going to be the face of the government’s primary industries in China and that’s a pretty important face to have for them so let’s all work together. We are all focused on the same thing: New Zealand having continued access to China.

“If you want to sell to China you should be able to do so and maximise the FTA and not get stuff stuck on wharves or any other surprises.”

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Dad on the land ‘powerful driver’ FOR MOST of his life Roger Smith has worked in the Customs Department.

He’s spent the last 14 years there in international trade and was on the team that negotiated the FTA with China in 2005-07.

Smith has also represented Customs at New Zealand embassies in Washington, Brussels and Canberra.

The son of a dairy farmer at Clevedon, near Auckland, he has milked cows and he well knows and understands the primary sector.

“The most powerful driver to make sure I get this right is my 94-yearold dad,” Smith says.

“As a dairy farmer he’s passionate about making sure these things go well.”

Rural News // april 23, 2014

12 news

Getting ‘SMART’ with irrigation’s future VI VIE N N E H A L DA NE

IRRIGATION NEW Zea land launched a framework called ‘Smart Irrigation’ at the conference to ensure future irrigation in New Zealand is imple-

mented and managed sustainably. This is a first for irrigation in New Zealand.

The Smart (sustainably managed, accountable, responsible and trusted) framework provides three simple steps

for irrigators to better manage their environmental footprint.

Irrigation New Zealand chief executive Andrew Curtis says the Smart framework will help irrigators meet the

public’s expectations on environmental responsibility and will provide assurance to the public that irrigating farmers are using water efficiently and with care.

“The Smart framework

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ONE DEVELOPMENT in irrigation is the adoption of variable rate techniques in which on-off control of individual sprinklers on irrigators is enabled.

At Lincoln Agritech, a team of scientists are in the process of developing an on-irrigator sensor that measures soil moisture content of the drop area just in front of the radar panel of an irrigator.

They hope this device, that uses local estimates of soil moisture conditions to control the sprinkler volume, will provide farmers with an effective tool for precise irrigation management and reduce water consumption.

Lincoln Agritec Ltd proposes that the soil moisture content in front of the wetted pattern of a centre pivot or linear move irrigator can be measured from the irrigator itself and used to modulate the application depth directly.

“The sensor is mounted on top of the irrigator and moves from left to right and looks in front to measure soil moisture,” says Dr Adrian Tan, research scientist at Lincoln Agritech.

The radar sensor actively probes the ground with microwave signals, measures the changes to the signals that are reflected back to the sending antenna and processes them to estimate the soil moisture content. Technically, the key challenge is to separate the microwave signals reflected from the soil surface that identifies soil moisture levels from other signals retuned to the sensor.

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Rural News // april 23, 2014

news 13

Irrigators pressured for more from less VI VIE NN E H A LDA NE

THE PRESSURE is on irrigators to produce more output with less water and it is increasing, says Ian McIndoe, principal engineer at Aqualinc.

McIndoe told the IrrigationNZ conference, in Napier in April, that water quantity and allocation limits with targets are being imposed. “It will be crucial to minimise water use and drainage through to groundwater if expected outcomes are to be achieved.”

Smart irrigation is going to be essential and that means well designed irrigation systems, reaching production targets and having good management.

However, McIndoe says variability is a fact of life and that has to be accommodated in design and management practices.

“Design sets the platform for high performance: if you have a well designed system at least you have the potential to manage it efficiently. If it’s poorly designed or managed it won’t work.”

Variability factors that can hinder irrigation efficiency include climate, water supply, topography, soil and management.

“We know a lot about rainfall, temperature, humidity, wind, how much a crop needs and the soil properties. Everyone is familiar with profile available water and water capacity, but some of things we’re seeing that are more important in the design aspects are infiltration characteristics, like depth of pans and surface storage.”

How can we deal with this variability and become smarter?

“We’ve generally got good his-

torical data with climate. There’s NIWA Virtual Climate Station data but we need to use more local data than we have been,” McIndoe adds.

“Wind speed will affect the pattern of irrigation and it will affect how uniformly water is applied. But it also affects the intensity of how water is being applied to the soil.”

He says topography affects irrigation more than you’d think: few paddocks are actually flat and there are also buildings, tracks and roads to take into account.

“One of the soil factors that we don’t have much information on is the depth of low hydraulic conductivity layers. What we are seeing is that water can get into the soil surface, then go down a few inches, and get to a tighter layer and the rate at which water is being applied is faster than it

Aqualine’s Ian McIndoe says smart irrigation is crucial to the future.

can go through that layer. Even though you’ve got 60mm waterholding capacity underneath, it fills up the top layers and goes sideways. That’s the mechanism that’s causing most of our runoff.”

About irrigators, McIndoe says, “If corner arms are put on pivots, it can affect their performance. You need to bear in mind

that this changes the pumping flow rates hugely and the implications of simple thing like this aren’t always taken into account.

“It does matter where you put your soil moisture probes: if you put them at the low end of your soil spectrum, you use a lot more water and have a lot lower efficiency as you move through into heavier soils. If you have only one

soil probe, place it somewhere around the average point.”

Acknowledging variability affects irrigators, he sees as the way forward, “a need to focus on production, water use and drainage. Better engineering will be required; it’s great to see innovative things at the ‘Innovation in Irrigation’ awards ceremony, because it shows people are starting to think about these things. We still need to do more work in the factories with the irrigation system developers and we need new or improved irrigation methods.

“More specifically we need to target application uniformity and surface redistribution.

Other priorities are communication about this issue because I don’t think it’s particularly well understood yet. More research in some areas.”

Michael Royston, ANZ Mid-Canterbury Agri Manager.

We would say he’s one in a million, but he’s actually one of eleven.

Mid-Canterbury has a proud history as one of New Zealand’s first farming and agriculture regions. It boasts some of the country’s most productive dairy farming, and produces a broad range of crops. Much of the region’s industry is orientated to meet the needs of local farmers, and banking

is no different. Michael is one of 11 dedicated ANZ Agri Specialists committed to providing expert local service to farmers in the region, and he’s been doing so for the past 8 years. To find your local ANZ Agri Specialist, visit anz.co.nz/rural or call Michael himself on 027 495 8569.

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Rural News // april 23, 2014

14 news

Move to supplementary feeding attracts market newcomer SU DES H KISSU N sudeshk@ruralnews.co.nz

SUPPLEMENTARY FEEDING of cows is lifting production and meeting a growing global demand for milk, says Brett Antonio, managing

director of independent Australian feed ingredient manufacturer and supplier, BEC Feed Solutions.

The company plans a June launch in New Zealand of animal feed and nutrition products.

Antonio says solely pas-

ture based systems are fading away as the dairy industry strives to lift yield and capitilise on record payouts.

New Zealand dairying’s expansion and its growing preference for a higher proportion of supplemen-

tary feeding, while maintaining the quality, will underpin BEC’s entry to this market.

BEC is Australia’s largest independent animal pre-mix manufacturer, operating two plants in Brisbane. It makes animal

nutritional products such as premixes, feed additives and supplements.

Booming dairy demand from Asia puts New Zealand, with its top food quality credentials, as a preferred supplier, Antonio says. But there remains BCE Feeds Brett Antonio says solely pasture-based systems are fading away.

the debate about how farmers can raise milk production.

“We believe a lot of owner-operated farms are opting for supplementary feed,” he told Rural News.

“We are not advocating farmers move away from pasture-based systems – far from it. We are offering quality supplement feeds that will complement grass-based systems and make farms more efficient.”

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“We have full traceability of our manufacturing chain. If there is a food safety or animal health scare and you don’t have full traceability, life becomes complicated.

“Our business is guided by a healthy respect for

“We are not advocating farmers move away from pasture-based systems – far from it. We are offering quality supplement feeds that will complement grass-based systems and make farms more efficient.”

– Brett Antonio Antonio points to the Queensland dairy industry – where bad weather and a supermarket milk price war have forced many farmers out of business – as showing that farmers must improve their management and yield to cope with a fluctuating milk price. Using supplementary feed wisely will lift farm efficiency and yield, he says.

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BEC FEEDS will launch its products at the National Fieldays, Mystery Creek. These will include branded products and third party products for which it has distribution rights.

The company last month appointed Trina Parker as New Zealand country manager, and Jennifer McCarty as technical services officer, providing product support and field sales services.

BEC Feed Solutions Pty Ltd is an independent family-owned company located in Brisbane. It aims to lead in the supply of nutritional advice, premixes, feed ingredients and feed commodities. New Zealand will be its third market after Australia and Indonesia.

Rural News // april 23, 2014

news 15

Shifting focus from biggest to best PETER BURKE peterb@ruralnews.co.nz

STATE-OWNED FARMER Landcorp is seeking to make subtle but significant changes to its strategic direction.

Outlining the changes to Rural News, chief executive Steven Carden said the SOE wants people to realise there is a direct correlation between a strong Landcorp and a strong New Zealand farming sector.

Directors and staff know about the proposed changes, due for further discussion during another strategy session at a board meeting in a few weeks.

Historically the organ-

isation has been relatively inward looking, he says.

Now he’d like to see Landcorp working more collaboratively with other partners and looking well beyond the farmgate and engaging with others.

Carden wants Landcorp to tell the good news stories about itself.

“We have focused very much on being big, whereas I want to focus very much on being the best. We are focused on asset growth whereas I would like us to be more focused on sustainable profitability.

“Sustaining the environment has been the focus historically, whereas I think we need to be look-

ing at rejuvenating the environment.

Farming’s role in the context of the environment [should be] enhanc-

which gets people excited about agriculture.

“We are focused on driving the highest calibre people into farming

“We are focused on driving the highest calibre people into farming and staying there in exciting dynamic careers.” ing environmental outcomes rather than just minimising the impact on the environment…. Commercial returns [come] as a result of environmental rejuvenation.”

Landcorp is seen as a good place to farm, Carden says. But he wants it regarded as the best place to work and one

and staying there in exciting dynamic careers. We have a big push on how to build the people coming into Landcorp and into the industry; it’s critical to our future. Currently we are losing that battle and not getting sufficient graduates.”

Carden envisages Landcorp focusing more

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Carden also wants to work with others on training and R&D projects to benefit the whole farming sector.

“But we will not be credible unless we are seen as a high quality farming enterprise across all sectors, driving a commercial return. So there

are many areas in which we need to improve

Landcorp chief executive Steven Carden is working to change the SOE’s strategic focus.

our performance to drive greater profitability and return on our assets.

“I want us to focus strongly on the value part of the equation – to extract the most value from the land we farm… looking beyond the farm to who’s taking our product and where they are

selling it, and how we can be more actively engaged in that.”

That includes looking at co-products. “We have farmed sheep for many years for wool and for meat; now I’d like us to start thinking about sheep milk… and rebuilding our drystock business.”

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Rural News // april 23, 2014

16 news Is yet another wool body really needed?

AN EXTENSION OF the Wool Research Organisation of New Zealand could be an option in establishing an industry organisation, says the Wool Levy Review Group.

Collaboration is needed between growers and commercial players such as brokers, merchants, processors, manufacturers and exporters. Several organisations now work to advance the industry, including

Wool Research, Wool Investment Research Ltd (owned by Wool Research), the National Council of New Zealand Wool Interests and the Campaign for Wool Trust, now being formed.

There are several other entities in the wool industry including commercial businesses with grower ownership – Primary Wool Cooperative and Wools of New Zealand. The review group says the number of entities has

“led to considerable confusion and lack of unity”.

The group says “ideally” another entity should not be created to develop industry leadership.

“This however needs to be balanced against the need to ensure the industry-good entity does not get dragged into historical issues. [It should be seen] as a new entity.”

It suggests the extension of

Wool Research is an option but would need restructuring and rule changes and probably a name change. A board needs to be established, which would include directors appointed for their skills rather than only representing various sector interests.

The group says the next step is to establish a steering group with an appropriate leader to further the concept and manager the levy vote process.

A levy on 2-5 cents/kg is proposed to establish a new wool industry-good body.

Wool industry’s way out of tough times? pa m t i pa pamelat@ruralnews.co.nz

A LEVY of 2-5c/kg on strong wool to establish a “small, agile” industry-good body is proposed by the Wool Levy Review Group to move the industry on from its present “precarious, leaderless” plight.

The review group’s remit to hold a vote on whether to reintroduce a wool levy was passed at the Beef + Lamb NZ annual meeting, and that referendum is due to be held by the end of the year.

The 11-strong group, which includes Federated Farmers president Bruce Wills and former BLNZ president Mike Peterson, now plan to set up a steering committee and, before the vote, develop a business proposal with the industry and the Ministry for Primary Industries.

In a report to BLNZ, the group says the levy could be 2-5c/kg of greasy wool, suggesting a first year levy of 3c/ kg which would raise $4.6 million. Proposed spending in the first year would be advocacy, policy and information $900,000; R&D and extension $1 million; raising wool profile and demand $2 million; and administration $500,000.

But ultimately this would be the decision of a leadership group to be established.

The New Zealand strong wool sector alone is a $700 m industry at the farmgate, the report says.

Of those sectors represented by the Ministry for Primary Industries, it is the only one without an industry body. The roles of any future industry good organisation would include: Strategic overview Point of initial contact for pan industry information Interact with government bodies such as MPI to retain respect and influence Assist trade policy and negotiation Promote R&D, with leverage from government and industry funding Provide funding for international marketing initiatives such as Campaign for Wool.

The organisation would need to be a “small agile group that commands respect from the whole industry”.

It would coordinate and organise “but not try to fight the war itself”. It would draw on existing organisations with expertise and contract in services.

The report says the development of a “wool culture” would “flush out bright ideas through science”.

The review group says wool export volumes reached a peak in the 1980s and by 2013 had dropped to 1954 levels.

Globally wool’s market share was only 1.4%, down from 7.7% in 1970. Nevertheless New Zealand was the third largest producer globally at 12% and supplies 45% of the world’s carpet wool.

The report says the wool industry “is currently sitting in a precarious position with no unified leadership, strategy or direction”.

“A change in the way the industry currently operates is required, starting with industry leadership,” the report says.

Rural News // april 23, 2014

news 17

Fresh milk exports to China flourish Dairy company Oravida has been in the news lately due to its association with cabinet Minister Judith Collins. However, despite these negative headlines, it is a story of a New Zealand company doing great things in China; Sudesh Kissun reports…

FRESH MILK exports to China are booming and a key Chinese player in the trade is now buying New Zealand dairy farms.

Oravida has been selling fresh New Zealand milk in Shanghai via direct order since May 2012.

Business has increased 100% since the launch and every week 5-10 tonnes is freighted.

Oravida is said to be charging NZ$20 for a 2L container.

The company recently bought a 300-cow farm south of Auckland, close to the Green Valley Milk plant which processes and packs Oravida milk for China. Green Valley also packs milk for Ruima Foods, which sells in Guangzhou.

Green Valley general manager Corrie Den Haring says orders are received weekly. Milk is processed at 4am every Monday at the Mangatawhiri plant, put on Air New Zealand’s direct

flight to Shanghai on Tuesday and is in Oravida’s warehouse on Wednesday.

Consumers get to buy it before the weekend.

Oravida is the main partner in the business, and “very professional,” Den Haring says.

“A very good customer; we can’t speak highly enough of Oravida and the relationship we have,” he told Dairy News.

Chinese generally mistrust dairy products but New Zealand is seen as the home of quality dairy.

Den Haring says so there’s strong trust in and around products from New Zealand.

“Some latest scares tested this but most people have a high degree of trust in our products.

Based on this trust, business for us is growing every week.”

Green Valley’s confidence in Oravida has been boosted by

Corrie Den Haring says Green Valley is confident about its partnership with Oravida around fresh milk exports to China.

the purchase of the 300-cow farm which begins supplying on June 1.

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“The farming community needs to understand the city people are their customers. You can sell them products but you better have the right story on the product.

“If you want to talk about pasture to plate you must tick all the boxes, not just the ones you want. Organics plays a part; it’s not the only story but it is one story we can put to the consumer – be it New Zealand or China.”

Green Valley processes about 25 million litres of milk annually. The China fresh milk trade makes up only 3% of the business. Den Haring says growing the domestic market in New Zealand remains its main focus.

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to the plate concept.”

The Green Valley owners also owns Marphona farms milking 2,000 cows and plans to raise this soon to 3,000 cows. It also buys milk under contract from nearby farmers. It gets milk from Fonterra under DIRA and buys organic milk and cream from the co-op.

Den Haring says Green Valley and Oravida are looking at moving the Chinese business into organic milk, seen as another point of difference and ensuring consumers remain ‘close to nature’.

But Oravida is unlikely to use organics as its main marketing tool in China,” Den Haring says.

“We won’t sell it as organic milk…. We’ll say this is New Zealand milk and by the way it’s organic. It’s a point of difference but not the main selling point.”

He believes organics help

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Rural News // april 23, 2014

18 news

Selling the irrigation dream to a cynical audience and country Irrigation New Zealand held its biennial conference and expo in the Hawkes Bay earlier this month. The theme of the conference was ‘securing the next generation’s future’. A key discussion was held around communication; Vivienne Haldane reports on how some organisations are tackling the tricky subject of talking up agriculture…

RECONNECTING TOWN with country demands a lot creative ‘talking’ by farming and related industries, said Mike Wade, executive director of The California Farm Water Coalition (CFWC),at the IrrigationNZ Conference, at Napier earlier this month.

“We liaise between agriculture and urban California,” Wade told attendees. “Our role as a non-profit educational organisation is to deliver fact-based information to the public to help them

better understand the hard work farmers do, the efficient production that occurs in our agricultural lands and how consumers benefit from it.”

California, although the largest agricultural state in the US, has only 1% of people directly involved in agriculture.

The CFWC was formed in 1989 to address farm water issues in the midst of a six-year drought, when relations between urban and rural communities were at an all time low.

“In California, we often

see news and information that shows us how far disconnected people are from agriculture, with messages such as ‘farmers polluting ground water and the land’ or ‘greedy farmers using all the water’ and so on.

“We know that’s not true; farmers work hard to be conservationists, to be efficient and to make sure they are leaving the land in better condition than when they acquired it.”

A large part of the work the CFWC does is monitor news and social media items.

“Many contacts can influence public opinion, whether it is blogging, Facebook, online comments, news stories, opinion pieces, advertisements or any way that public obtains information about agriculture, whether it’s active or passive,” Wade explained “When gathering their data, the CFWC uses verifiable documented sources, university studies, public opinion surveys and information so that we can back ourselves up to make sure we are not

stepping on and distributing information that can be found to be false later on.”

He says it is also important to ‘get out in front’ of the message through advertising, fact sheets and press releases. “If you don’t tell your story, someone else will. Better to do that than play defence and try to catch up and correct what others are saying.”

The CFWC also uses Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram to get information out in different formats to different

Mike Wade, executive director of The California Farm Water Coalition.

audiences. Such communication helps the public to understand how irrigation water is important to farming, how it affects

agriculture and how it ultimately affects them in jobs, consumer prices and economic impacts. to page 19

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Rural News // april 23, 2014

news 19

Using media tools to myth bust Another speaker at the Irrigation Myth Buster’s session, Nicky Hyslop, an irrigated farmer from South Canterbury, agrees with this idea.

“Irrigation might not be top of someone’s list in the middle of Auckland, but food is, so we have to go back to that since that’s the business we are in,” she says.

Hyslop says social media, and media in general, can be a mixed blessing.

“Sometimes journalists don’t get it right, but we have to get our story in the paper and we have to be cleverer about the way we do it.”

Hyslop, who is also a farm advisor, says the decision 13 years ago to irrigate their dryland sheep, beef and deer farm when the Opuha Water Storage Scheme began, has enabled them to change their farming policies and further intensify their operation.

She says they now have numerous options instead of limited ones and are proudly a “very economic farm business”.

“Having water gives you confidence to invest: we’ve recently upgraded our irrigation system. This wouldn’t be possible unless we had confidence in what we are doing and the opportunities we know we can attract.”

Hyslop says benefits extend to the wider community as well. She listed figures from a report com-

pleted in 2006: “$124 million pumped into South Canterbury in output a year, another $141 million of value added, an additional $20 million household income and an extra 480 full time jobs. It’s [growing] business offering long term employment to South Canterbury.

“These are important

people are going to understand. You’ve got to be clever in creating engaging content; to harness the power of social media you need a strategy. Done randomly, it’s a waste of time and money.” It’s more than just ‘liking’ a post or posting nice pictures.

Social media is called that for a reason, he says.

Nicky Hyslop

figures and we need to keep pushing them out in a format the general public can grasp.”

In spite of the success of Opuha, Hyslop says they still need to work hard to keep the confidence of their community.

“Recently we’ve employed a full time environmental manager; it is important to get out there and tell that story.”

Meanwhile, Jon Randle, of MOSH Social Marketing Media, told the conference that while social media is powerful – in New Zealand 2.5 million on Facebook, 1 million on LinkedIn, 400,000 on Twitter and 300,000 on Pinterest – it’s imperative to think about the type of message you create for your business.

“You need to tell your story in a format that

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on our organisation more than ever for farm wateruser information, knowing that we collect economic impact data. It gives them the same topic points we have and as an industry we can speak as one voice.”

Contacting food writers and inviting them to on-farm food events is another way to spread the word about the positive aspects of agriculture.

“Writers are out there because they are interested in food and when they go back home they will write fantastic stories or blogs for an audience of thousands about their experience.”

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How does the CFWC gauge its success?

“By increased news coverage, increased traffic to our website, an increase in positive stories about farmers and agriculture and irrigators and changing public opinion. But most of all we measure our success if we can have an increased water supply and water supply is a liability.”

Wade says getting people in other agricultural organisations to support the work they are doing is another integral part of CFWC’s function.

“Allied businesses rely

good way to reach people, says Randle.

“If you are providing good content and strong key words, they rise to the top of Google search results. For someone searching irrigation projects you want your information to come up first; social media sharing of that will amplify your message.”

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“Try to be helpful; educate, inform and entertain rather than shoving your message down the pipe, hoping people will grab it.”

Followers also want to see new and interesting content. “It has to be updated regularly and, if there is nothing new, people won’t come back.”

Blogging is another

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Rural News // april 23, 2014

20 world Sugar deal leaves sour taste THE AUSTRALIAN Sugar Industry Alliance (ASA) says the Japan trade pact on sugar is as disappointing as sugar’s exclusion from the US free trade agreement a decade ago.

It’s a fizzer in respect of total market access for sugar, gaining very little change in Australia’s access to the Japanese

market, the ASA says.

Japan imports 1.5 million tonnes of sugar every year, mostly from Thailand.

ASA says Australia’s access to the Japanese sugar market has been in decline from 900kt 20 years ago to just 350kt this year.

“We were looking to improve the terms of

trade to recover some of that lost ground,” says Paul Schembri, chairman of ASA’s trade committee. “But instead we expect to see Australian exports to Japan continue to slide.”

Schembri says Australian sugar industry participants are shocked and disheartened with the Japan FTA.

Aussie trade agreements leave sector unimpressed SUDESH KISSUN sudeshk@ruralnews.co.nz

AUSTRALIAN PRIME Minister Tony Abbott last week hailed his weeklong North Asian tour a success, but farmers are unimpressed.

Abbott signed a free

trade agreement with South Korea, concluded an FTA with Japan and led a large trade delegation to China for an inaugural ‘Australia week’ in China.

But gains for dairy, pork, rice and grain sectors in the Japan FTA are limited.

Back in Canberra last

Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott and his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe in Tokyo earlier this month.

week, Abbott said more trade is part of the Government’s plan for a strong and prosperous economy.

“More trade means more jobs and when trade barriers fall, prices fall with them; that’s good news for families. This trade mission has been a success and a testimony to what we can do as a nation.”

tariffs. “Instead we have received nothing and the tariff stays in place.”

Ricegrowers’ Association of Australia Inc (RGA) president Les Gordon says the exclusion of rice from the Japanese FTA is extremely disappointing.

“Australian rice growers are recognised as the most efficient in the world. This announcement punishes [us] by pre-

“We are disappointed with the overall outcomes for agriculture.” – Brent Finlay

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But Australian farmers say the proposed FTA with Japan falls short of expectation. (Japan is Australian dairy’s biggest market: A$511 million in 201213.) The Australian Dairy Industry Council says the FTA confers savings of only A$4.7 million in its first year, rising to about A$11.6 million by 2031.

This is out of A$511 million exports – just 0.1% per litre after 20 years.

ADIC deputy chair Robert Poole says the agreement fell well short of the industry’s expectations, minimal progress having been achieved in reducing trade barriers.

“We are extremely disappointed with the deal announced by the prime minister,” Poole says. “We were hopeful Government had heeded the industry’s message on freeing up market access in Japan, however it now appears our words fell on deaf ears.”

There has been no movement in this agreement on fresh cheese, the number one objective for Australian dairy, with tariffs to remain at 29.8%.

Poole says success on this would have saved about A$60 million in

venting expansion into this important market for our high quality specialty rices and value-added rice food products.”

National Farmers Federation Brent Finlay says he understands the difficulties involved in negotiating such an agreement but is disappointed.

“We recognise the historical significance of the agreement. However, we are disappointed with the overall outcomes for agriculture with a number of sectors facing marginal improvements or limited commercial gains,” Finlay says.

The agreement appears to be positive for Australian beef, horticulture and seafood, with some tariffs falling over time.

But the ultimate objective of any trade agreement is to obtain tangible benefits to farmers, he says.

“Agreements must be comprehensive. That means, no sector carveouts and elimination of tariffs. The Japanese agreement falls short.

“The agreement does not improve—or marginally improves—market access and terms of trade for dairy, sugar, grains, pork and rice.”

Rural News // april 23, 2014

world 21

Helping consumers make better food choices MOVE ASIDE vegetarians, here come ‘bettertarians’ – Australian livestock farmers with a concept for helping consumers make better-informed food choices.

Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA) says ‘bettertarianism’ is a new food philosophy designed to raise awareness of the effects consumers’ food choices can have on their health, the environment and animal welfare.

MLA marketing manager Lachlan Bowtell says the campaign seeks to address growing consumer confusion about responsible food choices. “We are helping people to navigate the confusion and the guilt some groups are trying to put on them about their food choices.

“Through our Target 100 program and the bettertarian campaign, the industry [wants] to build people’s trust in the Australian beef and lamb industry to sustain-

ably manage the environment and care for animals while producing nutritious food.”

The bettertarian philosophy arose during a trip by a chef and television personality, Darren Robertson, and a sustainable food advocate, Rebecca Sullivan, with three urban Australians to a cattle and sheep farm in Tasmania to see firsthand how animals were raised and meat produced.

Bettertarianism seeks to keep the food message simple, Robertson says.

“Eating today can seem complicated – endless food ideologies and confusing messages, rules and restrictions for achieving optimal health and nutrition and minimising

experiencing a cattle and sheep farm firsthand gave them a new perspective on the way they approach food.

“Once they saw how

we worked with the environment and put the welfare of our animals at the top of our priority list, it set them on a new path of finding better ways to eat.”

Out of the farm visit came a television documentary – The journey of a bettertarian.

Everyone can get behind this, says Bowtell.

The Spreader that

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“There had to be a simpler way, [hence] bettertarian, a person who is a conscious consumer who wants to feel better about what they eat and the impact their food choices have on the environment.”

They visited Bangor Farm, Tasmania, owned and run by fifth-generation cattle and sheep producer Matt Dunbabin, an industry advocate through Target 100.

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“We are encouraging producers, the wider industry and all beef and lamb lovers to help spread the word through their social media networks.”

Rural News // april 23, 2014

beef market trends

Market snapshot 

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

BEEF PRICES

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NI

LAMB PRICES Change

c/kgCWT

P2 Steer - 300kg

n/c

M2 Bull - 300kg

2 Wks Ago

Last Year

4.30

4.30

3.97

4.40

n/c

4.40

4.02

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n/c

Last Year

5.56

5.56

4.36

PM - 16.0kg

n/c

5.58

5.58

4.38 4.40

3.50

3.50

3.05

PX - 19.0kg

n/c

5.60

5.60

3.40

3.40

2.95

PH - 22.0kg

n/c

5.61

5.61

4.41

Local Trade - 230kg

n/c

4.40

4.40

4.05

Mutton

MX1 - 21kg

n/c

3.50

3.50

2.60

SI Lamb

YM - 13.5kg

-2

3.98

4.00

3.70

n/c

5.48

5.48

4.26

M2 Bull - 300kg

-2

3.88

3.90

3.60

PM - 16.0kg

n/c

5.48

5.48

4.28

P2 Cow - 230kg

-2

2.88

2.90

2.70

PX - 19.0kg

n/c

5.48

5.48

4.30

M Cow - 200kg

-2

2.83

2.85

2.55

PH - 22.0kg

n/c

5.48

5.48

4.31

Local Trade - 230kg

n/c

4.05

4.05

3.78

n/c

3.13

3.13

2.40

Mutton

MX1 - 21kg

Slaughter 

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YM - 13.5kg

2 Wks Ago

n/c

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NI Lamb

Last Week

n/c

Slaughter

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Change

c/kgCWT

M Cow - 200kg P2 Steer - 300kg

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P2 Cow - 230kg

SI

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lamb market trends

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







 























 





























  

Change

 











n/c

2.09

2.09

1.50

1.83

8.94

8.94

5.89

8.34

 Last Year

5yr Ave

 

n/c

2.20

2.20

2.20

1.91

NZ$/kg

-6

5.61

5.67

5.62

5.58



 











Change   

 



Procurement Indicator















Procurement Indicator





2Wks Ago

3 Wks Ago

% Returned NI

+1%

69.3%

67.9%

67.1%

66.8%

% Returned SI

+0%

66.9%

66.7%

66.4%

67.8%

Last Year 5yr Ave



2Wks Ago

3 Wks Ago

Last Year

5yr Ave

% Returned NI

+1%

76.6%

75.8%

70.32%

69.3%

% Returned SI

+2%

69.5%

67.9%

64.1%

64.4%

   









Change

























Last Year 5yr Ave

n/c





2 Wks Ago



NZ$/kg 2 Wks Ago







UK Leg £/lb

Last Week

95CL US$/lb





Last Week

Change

Export Market Demand





Export Market Demand

 







 













 



 













 















 







 



 









   















Venison Prices

 

















Change



 Beef  & venison prices are reported as gross (before normal levies & charges are deducted). Lamb & mutton prices are reported nett (after levies & charges are deducted).

Last Week

2 Wks Ago

Last Year 5yr Ave

NI Stag - 60kg

n/c

6.15

6.15

6.25

7.07

SI Stag - 60kg

n/c

6.20

6.20

6.45

7.40



Stock as security who would have thought

Rural News // april 23, 2014

news

price watch

BEEF

WOOL PRICE WATCH



Change

10-Apr

03-Apr

Last Year

Coarse Xbred Indic.

+5

4.84

4.79

3.89

Fine Xbred Indicator

+6

5.03

4.97

4.76

Lamb Indicator

+5

5.00

4.95

5.08

-

-

-

-

Procurement pressure appears in the NI

Indicators in NZ$

Procurement pressure has again crept into beef schedules in the NI in recent weeks as processors operate hand to mouth. Cull cow numbers had slowed off even before last weeks rain, and numbers now will be even tighter. Export steer schedules are being chased upwards by a competitive local trade market. The SI is a different story with the cow kill gaining momentum. Schedules in the SI are retreating on the back of the good supply. Processors in both islands have been at the mercy of a high NZD in recent weeks which has significantly dented margins. Export steer made $4.40/kg in the NI last week and $4.00/kg in the SI. Export bull in the NI made $4.30/kg and $3.90/kg in the SI. 

US imported market softens The record volumes of Australian beef being shipped to the US have taken the shine of imported beef prices in the US in recent weeks.

Both imported 90’s and 95’s have fallen for four consecutive weeks.

Combined with an exchange rate that is above historic levels, returns in NZD terms are about 20-30cpk lower than what exporters would ideally like. Reports indicate that the period of high prices was due to end-users building up inventories; now they have reached sufficient levels they are able to sit back and see whether the price continues to decline before re-entering the market. The market is picked to rebound in the second half of 2014 as Australian production slows and strong price incentives for beef producers and high dairy returns exasperate the shortage of cows.

Mid Micron Indic.



        















DAIRY Dairy prices weakening Dairy product prices continue to weaken due to increased global milk production and reducing sales to China following their strong period of demand early in the year. Whole milk powder (WMP) prices have come back significantly and some believe this trend will continue into the medium term. Increasing supplies of lower priced skim milk powder from the Northern Hemisphere has buyers backing away from the Oceania market causing these prices to also experience downwards pressure. At the first GlobalDairyTrade auction in April, dairy prices had their biggest drop in almost 20 months. WMP fell to its lowest levels in more than a year.

Cheddar

Prev. 2 Wks

Last Year

-651

4800

5451

5241

-419

5104

5523

6443

-390

5046

5437

6370

-142

5726

5868

5096



 







 









  

 







 

 









Overseas Price Indicators Indicators in US$/kg

10-Apr

03-Apr

+11

4.22

4.11

+12

4.38

4.26

4.03

+11

4.36

4.24

4.30

-

-

-

-

3.30

Indicators in US$/T







Last 2 Wks

Prev. 2 Wks

Last Year

-388

4413

4800

5563

-363

4363

4725

5500

-150

4950

5100

4400

Change

Butter

-588

Skim Milk Powder Whole Milk Powder Cheddar









Overseas Price Indicators Last Year

Change

Mid Micron Indicator





4150

4738

4525

 

 



 







 













 



 

 



The recent rain in the NI and the release of some firm winter lamb contracts has kicked the store lamb market into action as prices have lifted significantly. Paddock prices last week are around $2.60$2.65/kg for 32-36kg types and $2.80-$2.90/kg for lambs under 30kg. 30-32kg ewe lambs are making between $2.50-$2.60/kg.

Prices in the yards have largely been 10-20cpk above this, with some variation. In the SI store lambs are also selling to good demand. As in the NI, the release of firm winter contracts has given farmers the confidence needed to take a punt on the market. On-farm prices have improved with most around $2.50-2.60/kg last week for 30kg types. However in pockets of Canterbury prices have been as strong as $2.75-2.90/kg.

Whole Milk Powder

 





Store lamb market firms across NZ

Skim Milk Powder



Lamb Indicator

The lamb kill is losing some momentum towards the end of April, with processors looking in relief to the two short weeks. However with slaughter tracking largely on par with last season, it is not surprising that processors expect May to be much a much slower month, and beyond May to be a hard grind. Some firm winter contracts have been released, up to $6.50/kg, with varied uptake as expectations for spot market prices come winter are high. In the NI last week a 16kg cwt export lamb was earning $5.60/kg gross and in the SI the money was around $5.50/kg gross. Mutton pricing has had some upside pressure in recent weeks, particularly in the NI, as market demand is strong. Mutton in the NI was up to $3.50/kg gross last week and $3.15/kg in the SI.

Butter





Last 2 Wks

Change



Fine Xbred Indicator

Firm winter contract pricing



Indicators in NZ$/T



Coarse Xbred Indicator

LAMB

DAIRY PRICE WATCH

  











Last Week 2 Wks Ago 4 Wks Ago Last Year 0.854

0.863

Euro

0.622

0.623

0.616

0.659

UK pound

0.515

0.516

0.514

0.561



Aus dollar

0.922

0.926

0.946

0.819



Japan yen

87.83

88.85

86.91

86.09









Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

















0.855





US Dollar



0.865

Euro



 



US dollar





 



       

CURRENCY WATCH vs. NZ Dollar

 

  













UK Pound

      

 















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Rural News // april 23, 2014

24 agribusiness

Brand New Zealand development crucial PA M TI PA pamelat@ruralnews.co.nz

DEVELOPING BRANDS is not in New Zealanders’ DNA, but we must develop it if we want to retain market share in world markets, says a visiting UK food marketing expert, Dr David Hughes.

“Fonterra talks about turning to higher value products, but they need to get on with it,” says Hughes, who is a UK professor of food marketing and an international speaker on food trends.

As the international dairy market grows, New Zealand domestic production will not keep pace so market share will decline.

“You must go outside New Zealand to produce dairy which to a degree you are in China but you would expect more. But if you can’t keep up with sheer volume production at home you should produce higher value products, so

your value share doesn’t decline.”

Sixty per cent of global growth in infant formula in the last five years has come from China and Hong Kong. New Zealand has provided the raw material, but infant formula is highly branded with the biggest global food companies, Nestle, Danone, Mead Johnson and Abbott Laboratories, having their own brands and 50% of global market share.

“Infant formula is largely milk powder with pixie dust and a strong brand. But the margins are made by the brand owners so you guys are commodity orientated and providing the raw materials.

“Fonterra does have an infant formula brand but it’s a very new one and still at the pilot stage, so it prompts the question, why weren’t you into that earlier?”

Brands are not in the

Sticking our necks out with 100% pure IF YOU use the phrase 100% Pure New Zealand, you have to deliver, says Hughes.

Problems relating to a whole sequence of events last year served to muddy that. Hughes cited the DCD residue debacle, headlines like ‘China sours on NZ milk powder’ and the fresh cream contamination.

“You had a decade where New Zealand dairy industry performance with regard to supply chain integrity was impeccable and then suddenly you’ve had a bad year. That concerns people and suddenly you are not lily white.”

David Hughes says we need to change our DNA from producers of commodities to higher value products.

New Zealand DNA, he says. “There are examples of good regional brands if you look in Asia: Anlene is an example, but there are too few of them. In history you see yourselves more as commodity producers and very, very good ones.

“As the cost of production in New Zealand increases because of higher land prices, more difficulties with planning regulations and environmental requirements, it would be helpful if you were into higher value products.

“This means intellectual property, patented special ingredients or more branded products.

That’s a journey you are on at the moment but you still have a very long way to go.”

Hughes says Fonterra’s need to speed up its move

to higher value products is a farmer problem. “Farmers own Fonterra. Farmers tell Fonterra ‘don’t do anything clever, just sell the milk powder for as much as you can and send as much of that money back to the farm’.

“That disallows Fonterra to invest in more R&D so they can develop specialty high value food ingredients, and it gives them insufficient budgets to invest at the level they need to in brands.”

The shift requires farmer leadership, he says.

“They have to at some stage say ‘send less back, invest more in brands and R&D and in the longer term that will benefit us disproportionately’.

“But if you don’t allow that to happen, you will continue on the commodity path.”

Plenty to think about when buying new computers and software MICROSOFT’S SOFTWARE Windows XP and Office 2003 are no longer supported (as of April 8).

That’s not the end of the world, but it does mean it’s time to consider looking at new options in software and hardware.

What are your options?

There are many computers that are half laptop, half tablet coming onto the market. Unless you are on the road constantly then these convertible tablets/laptops are possibly not the best option as they are expensive and not always high speed.

However, because of the growth of these, it means that laptops are less cool, and you may pick up a good one for a good price.

This allows you to operate with a reliable laptop and potentially a tablet also. You could get both for under $1500.

More important is the software you choose; basically you have three choices: Google, Apple or Microsoft.

All have capable word processing, spreadsheets and email programs, and other useful features.

The biggest difference is that Google has to be connected to the internet at all times to work, while the Apple and Microsoft ones do not.

Pricing is also different: Apple’s iWork suite is free, Google is free for most of its services and Microsoft offers outright and subscription payment options.

Subscription payment options are the big change in software licencing: instead of buying your licence outright, you pay a monthly or yearly subscription, giving you more flexibility to change computers or even install your software on multiple

computers. This helps if you always want access to the latest features, but if you are still using the same software for years then you might end up paying a little more.

One advantage of subscription software is that the pace of new features is rapid to encourage you to keep subscribing. For example, Microsoft’s Office 365 has had these major upgrades over the past few months: new apps for Android and Apple phones, new features to SharePoint and One Drive, and Office for iPad released.

What you choose is your decision, but factor in what you are familiar with, how many devices you use and what your farm business looks like.

One thing to consider when making changes to your system is getting your own email domain, e.g. dave@myfarmname. co.nz. You don’t need to change internet provider, but it gives you the flexibility to pick and choose provider in the future without being tied to an @xtra or @farmside email address.

It also means you will not suffer any of the security issues many Telecom customers have experienced over the past few months. Setting up is easy; contact us at Ripped Orange for a fact sheet.

Another point to consider is backup; most services offer cloud backup, and this is worth considering if you have a decent internet connection. Otherwise, or in addition, a portable hard drive that you back up is a good idea.

• David Jackson, of Canterbury, studied at Lincoln University and has worked in agribusiness. Ripped Orange is a technology training company www. rippedorange.co.nz

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Rural News // april 23, 2014

agribusiness 25

Agchemical firm doesn’t view organics as threat SUD ES H K I SSU N sudeshk@ruralnews.co.nz

CHEMICALS maker Bayer has launched a range of ‘biological’ products to help farmers raise the quality of their produce.

Bayer New Zealand managing director Holger Detje says the global giant doesn’t see organic farming as a threat; it wants farmers to combine traditional chemical-based products with its new range of ‘biologics’.

“We offer farmers a more integrated solution in crop protection,” Detje this month told Rural News on Motutapu Island, where the company funded the release of rare Coromandel kiwis.

Detje says a key area of investment by Bayer is in biological products. Two years ago it paid US$425 million to buy AgraQuest, a US company supplying innovative biological pest management products based on natural microorganisms.

The first Bayer biologic product in the New Zealand market, Serenade Max, is a bio-fungicide/ bactericide to aid in the control and suppression of powdery mildew and botrytis and sour rot in fruits and vegetables. Serenade Max has anti-fungal and anti-bacterial activity.

Additionally it also stimulates natural plant defence mechanisms and has demonstrated increased plant growth effects. In this regard it has been used to manage PSA in kiwifruit previously.

Depending on the product label, biologic products can be used throughout a season and provide growers new solutions for residue-free produce.

With the New Zealand BioGro certification organic farmers can use Serenade Max and potentially other biologics, Detje says. “So that’s new for us and we want to participate in that sector.

“But I see the opportunity more for combining the traditional inputs we have in the crop protection industry with the biologic products – a more integrated solution.”

Detje says organics alone cannot meet the growing demand for food.

“We cannot feed nine billion people by 2050 by organic farming alone.

This relatively small portion of the market is important and it is great that consumers have a choice.

“If consumers want to choose organic foods in a country like New Zealand, over conventionally grown food, that’s fine. And at Bayer we are able to provide inputs for good quality produce in all sectors.”

Bayer has “a rich innovation pipeline” supplying its crop protection business. This will help New Zealand farmers produce premium quality produce for the global market, Detje says.

“The world population is growing and global food demand is increasing and that’s a great opportunity for New Zealand – not just the dairy industry but other sectors, in particular horticulture.

“A few years ago we were talking about the global financial crisis…

I think we are well over that: the wine industry is improving, the apple industry is recovering and there are positive signs in other industry sectors.

“So agriculture is doing well and will continue to

do well long-term, and with that companies like Bayer, involved in provid-

ing solutions for higher yields and better quality food, are also benefitting.”

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A touch of kiwi: Bayer New Zealand managing director Holger Detje (left) holds a kiwi, watched by Andrew Nelson, Auckland Council biodiversity team.

Rural News // april 23, 2014

26 opinion editorial

edna

Goer or goner?

THE PROSPECTS for a dam at Ruataniwha hang in the balance as the interested parties in the venture analyse the 700-page decision of the board of inquiry.

This uncertainty stems from the board’s decision to impose higher limits on nitrogen leaching and allow more groundwater to be taken, and from TrustPower declining to be a funder, depriving the project of its considerable expertise.

The Hawkes Bay Regional Council has backed the scheme in every way possible and even with the decision not appearing to go their way they are remain moderately upbeat, keeping their fingers crossed that somehow the project will go ahead.

The Government itself has trumpeted the scheme which, if it were to go ahead, would be the biggest irrigation dam in the country holding some 90 million tonnes of water and irrigating an estimated 42,000ha. Ngai Tahu are involved but even they seem to be getting nervous as the proposal nears decision time.

The reality is that the bar has got much higher given the board of inquiry’s ruling on nitrate levels, making dairy conversions close to impossible. This leaves options for arable, horticulture, viticulture and intensive sheep and beef farming on irrigated land. It has been argued that the project would not have been financially sustainable for dairying anyway and that its viability was being oversold.

Much has been made of the economic benefits likely to flow from Ruataniwha and farmers have supported the venture. But it’s one thing to offer support and another to make a significant financial commitment to such a proposal – and this is where the project runs the risk of going off the rails.

While central government would obviously like to have Ruataniwha go ahead, for political and economic reasons, they will probably have no say in the final outcome.

In the end, it will come down to whether the proposal is financially attractive to farmers and investors and whether they are prepared to take a punt with their hard-earned cash.

The odds of this happening just seem to have got longer.

something on your mind?

GOT SOMETHING on your mind about the latest issues affecting our farming industry? Put your pen to paper or your fingers to your keyboard, and let our readers know what you think.

Contact us by either post or email. Don’t forget to put your name and address.

Note: Letters may be edited. post to: Letter to the Editor , PO Box 3855, Auckland 1140. or Email: editor@ruralnews.co.nz

RURAL NEWS 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 CONSULTING EDITOR: David Anderson .......................................Ph 09 307 0399 davida@ruralnews.co.nz

“But I found these Easter eggs!”

the hound Whoops!

THE HOUND notices that Taranaki Daily News columnist Rachel Stewart, has been caught repeating mistruths about the links between Environment Minister Amy Adams and the Central Plains Water irrigation scheme in Canterbury. It appears that in another of her poorly written and mind-numbingly boring columns, Stewart falsely claimed Adams would benefit from the CPW scheme through farm holdings she owns. Problem was this is totally untrue and Stewart had just the repeated the unsubstantiated claims made by a Labour Party blogger.

Want to share your opinion or gossip with the Hound?

Send your emails to: hound@ruralnews.co.nz

Little bit racist?

Rivals?

YOUR OLD mate was taken aback at recent musings about Fonterra by ‘business commentator’ Rod Oram.

He claimed, in a recent report on the dairy co-op’s latest financial results, that its growing dependence on China and milkpowder meant it was suffering what he called ‘Dutch disease’.

The Hound suggests with Fonterra formerly chaired

by Henry van der Heyden, currently led by Theo Spierings, along with new head of international farming Henk Bles and with longtime director Jim Van der Poel on its board, Oram’s ‘Dutch Disease’ term could well be perceived as somewhat racist.

TECHNICAL EDITOR: Andrew Swallow ................... Ph 03 688 2080 PRODUCTION: Dave Ferguson ........................Ph 09 913 9633 Becky Williams ........................Ph 09 913 9634 REPORTERS: Sudesh Kissun ....................... Ph 09 913 9627 Pamela Tipa ............................ Ph 09 913 9630 Peter Burke .............................Ph 06 362 6319 Tony Hopkinson ......................Ph 07 579 1010 SUB-EDITOR: Neil Keating ............................Ph 09 913 9628 WEBSITE PRODUCER: James Anderson .................... Ph 09 913 9621

SPEAKING OF Fonterra, the Hound commented last issue about the dairy giant appointing former top Labour Party spin doctor Gordon-Jon Thompson to its ever-growing team of paid apologists. However, a mate of yours truly pointed out that Fonterra’s current ‘group director of co-operative affairs’ (ie, its top spin doctor) Todd Mueller has thrown his hat in the ring to stand for National in the Bay of Plenty seat at the election. It would be interesting to be a fly on the wall at Fonterra’s spin doctors’ team bonding meetings when they air the subject of preferred Government after September 20.

H stands for? Unsocial THE HOUND has lost count of the number of times that senior (senile?) member of Parliament and patron-saint of the Goldcard carrying bludgers Winston Peters has railed against the Chinese and their so-called Asian invasion of little old En Zed. So this old mutt was rather surprised to learn that Peters recently enjoyed a week-long vacation (parliamentary trip) to China at the taxpayers’ expense . He’s quick to put this opposition all aside when it comes to a free trip, first class flights and fancy hotels care of the taxpayers.

YOUR CANINE crusader is bemused at how some of the so-called ‘influencers’ in the agricultural sector get themselves all in a twitter over the so-called social media revolution. Many of these leading geeks who happen to ‘work’ for either levy-funded organisations and/or academic outfits – seem to think the only way to communicate with farmers now is via social media. The ironic thing is these modern-day nerds spend most of the time ‘talking’ via Twitter to each other about just how important and influential social media is instead of actually ‘engaging’ and socialising with real farmers and actually influencing them.

NATIONAL SALES MANAGER: Ted Darley .......... Ph 07 854 6292/021 832 505 ted@ruralnews.co.nz

WELLINGTON SALES REPRESENTATIVE: Mark Macfarlane .Ph 04 234 6239/021 453 914 markm@ruralnews.co.nz

AUCKLAND SALES REPRESENTATIVE: Stephen Pollard ....Ph 09 913 9637/021 963 166 stephenp@ruralnews.co.nz

SOUTH ISLAND SALES REPRESENTATIVE: Kaye Sutherland Ph 03 337 3828/021 221 1994 kayes@ruralnews.co.nz

ABC audited circulation 81,232 as at 31.12.2013 Rural News is published by Rural News Group Ltd. All editorial copy and photographs are subject to copyright and may not be reproduced without prior written permission of the publisher. Opinions or comments expressed within this publication are not necessarily those of staff, management or directors of Rural News Group Ltd.

Rural News // april 23, 2014

opinion 27

Keeping soil carbon out of ETS makes sense AT THE end of March, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released a report predicting the north-east of the South Island and northern and eastern areas of the North Island will become drier over the next few decades, but other parts of New Zealand will become wetter.

It also suggested that rivers which originate in the north-east of the South Island and east and north of the North Island will decline, and wildfires will become more prevalent. This month, it released another report on agriculture, forestry and other land use (AFOLU) mitigation options.

Putting the two together, the dangers of including soil carbon in any sort of emissions trading scheme are clear.

Yet soil carbon sequestration still seems to be on the political agenda.

The IPCC AFOLU report made particular mention of “land with high carbon stocks not suitable for cropping” in its consideration of whether the world

Of note is that the addition of carbon creates a pulse of activity, which is maintained if inputs are maintained.

could reduce emissions by altering diet to include more plant-based material.

New Zealand soils have high carbon content in comparison with many elsewhere. Typically pasture soils are about 5% carbon (over 8% organic matter), and cropping soils are about 3% carbon (5% organic matter).

In Waikato, maize crops (for animal feed) are rotated with perennial or annual pasture; if the latter, farm effluent and bedding from shelters is being

used to ensure soil organic matter – the skeleton of which is carbon – is maintained. On the Canterbury Plains, urban compost has been used to increase soil organic matter on areas under crops.

The soil organic matter holds nutrients and improves soil moisture, but as micro-organisms break it down, thereby releasing nutrients, they also release carbon dioxide which contributes to emissions. In addition, high organic matter has been associated with hydrophobicity – water repellence.

Of note is that the addition of carbon creates a pulse of activity, which is maintained if inputs are maintained. If inputs decrease, then activity decreases while carbon is used up.

Of particular importance given the predictions about ‘warmer and drier’ in some areas of New Zealand, activity is enhanced at warm temperatures (deserts have little organic matter) and decreased when conditions are cold and wet (when peat bogs are created, for instance).

Bringing soil carbon into any sort of trading scheme would be fraught with difficulties in respect of its changeability (particularly as the scenario for many parts of New Zealand is warmer and drier) and the difficulties of measuring it with any meaning.

Alex Tressler, a final year student in management studies (agribusiness) at the University of Waikato, has analysed what other countries are doing about soil carbon and mitigation of emissions.

“Land management practices and land use change can encourage soil carbon sequestration in agricultural systems,” he said.

“But carbon sequestration is a reversible process. In addition, soil scientists in New Zealand have indicated that the potential of soil carbon sequestration as a viable offset is limited by naturally high organic carbon in soils already.”

Despite much talk about soil carbon to mitigate emissions globally, no country has yet brought it into policy.

Tressler says that “reasons given were complexity of individual farming systems, and the difficulty of measuring carbon sequestration and carbon stocks on a farm basis.”

Tressler recommends that in order to protect New Zealand’s competitive advantage for agriculture, with all the implications for the economy and hence environment and society’s standard of living, agriculture in general, and soil carbon in particular, should not be brought into any form of ETS. • Jacqueline Rowarth is professor of agribusiness, The University of Waikato.

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Rural News // april 23, 2014

30 opinion CHECK OUT OUR WEBSITES

www.ruralnews.co.nz www.dairynews.co.nz @rural_news facebook.com/ruralnews

Let’s get on with it!

THE NEED to amalgamate the two competing co-ops into one has been a [given] for at least 15 years. It needs to happen immediately if we are to stop the progression of sheep and beef farms converting to dairy farms or being divided up into unproductive lifestyle blocks.

This present structure lets the majority of us down badly as it deci-

mates value in the market place then serves and rewards some players a really big portion of the cake, especially the likes of Landcorp, while we settle for crumbs and hope things will be better next year.

We have to let go of what we’ve got if we are to reach out for something better.

We can be confident a

large combined cooperative employing free farmer shareholders capital, loyalty and passionate desire to achieve better prices is well able to outperform smaller meat companies within the industry. When it performs it will make us wealthier, not just in annual income and employment opportunities for young farmers but these returns

will be capitalised into the value of our land, stock and other farm assets.

Meats of NZ should adopt the name Meat Farmers of NZ and should sell its name to the new combined co-operative.

The time for procrastinating is up Alliance & SFF: it’s time to get on with it.

Dave Stanton Geraldine

ag twits Rural News’ irreverent and hypothetical look at what’s happening in the farming world Top Bleats view all damienoconnormp: Now that a second Queensland fruit fly has been found I demand an immediate ban on tomatoes imported from Australia, but at the same time immediate access for our potato exports into Aussie. #makessensetome thatguynathan: Hey @damienoconnormp I guess it’s true what they say about being a member of the Labour Party: ‘stupidity is not a handicap’! #givemestrength jwilsonfonterra: So if we get fined $300,000 for not having any botulism in our products, how much would we get pinged if we actually did? #confused johnmcarthymie: What the meat sector really needs is an industry summit where we can all sit around a fancy hotel in Wellington – paid for by farmers – and talk about how bad things really are! #thatistheanswer mtaggartalliancegroup: Hey @robhewettsff do you or I want to tell @johnmccarthymie ‘not to call us, we’ll call him’ about his nutty meat industry summit idea? #donotholdyourbreathjohn mpetersenfreetradefriend: Let me get this right: those people against FTAs are happy to drive cheap, imported cars and watch foreignmade anti-trade documentaries on their cheap, imported flat screen TVs, but don’t want NZ’s agriculture products to have better access to export markets so they can afford all those imported cheap cars and flat screen TVs! #economics101 davidjesuscunliffe: Not that I wanted to make politics out of the recent royal tour, but how come I didn’t get to spend as much time with Kate and Wills and baby George as the PM did? #itisjustnotfair johnkeypm: Shhesh @davidjesuscunliffe and I thought there was only one baby on the royal tour? #diddums bjohnsonfish&game: Just because Fish&Game claims farmers are deliberately killing fish and poisoning NZ’s rivers we get criticised and picked on. #howcome? timmackledairynz: Sounds awful @ bjohnsonfish&game. Kinda guess it’d be like farmers accusing all fishers of being didymospreading, under-size-taking, livestock-thieving, trespassing, vandals! #getthepicture @kimdotcom: Kaya-ora @honehawira I cannot vait to join together it vill be vundabar.

By the vay, I vas so poor vhen I vas a kid – as you can see from my tiny vaist – that I never had enough food. #hardtobelieve

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Rural News // april 23, 2014

opinion 31

Roadshows aim to keep contractors in the loop THEY SAY you can judge the strength of an organisation by the way it keeps its membership informed.

That’s why Rural Contractors New Zealand (RCNZ) will be hitting the road next month. During May, RCNZ will be updating its members, and others interested in the rural contracting industry, on the latest changes in health and safety, transport and employment laws – as well as a number of other topics – in roadshows nationwide.

These roadshows will be presented by RCNZ’s chief executive Roger Parton – a veritable, walking encyclopaedia on such topics. As Roger says, rural contractors “need to get to grips” with changes to health and safety regulations following the recent introduction of the Health & Safety in Employment Reform Bill into Parliament.

There are some big changes pro-

posed and these will most definitely affect rural contractors. The penalties for getting it wrong – should anyone suffer a major accident at their workplace – are going to be severe.

The roadshow presentation will cover what these changes in health and safety mean, in fact, for agricultural contractors.

And, just as importantly, how these will affect directors of companies, sole traders, employees, volunteers and anyone else who works in the sector.

The roadshows will also include updates and information on the following topics: transport legislation, the new members rebate scheme, employment law and changes in the wind, the Rural Contractors accreditation programme and the 2014 conference.

The venues and dates for each of our roadshow meetings have been mailed out to members, but are also up on the RCNZ website www.ruralcontractors.org. nz. The sessions start at 7pm and will be followed by light refreshments and a chance for a general catch-up.

Meanwhile, the events being held in Rotorua, Palmerston North, Ashburton and Gore will also double as the relevant zone area annual meetings.

I urge all RCNZ members to attend the most convenient location for them and to bring along anyone in the industry who may also be interested. It gives us, as an organisation, the opportunity to provide the latest updates and information. It also allows members to ask questions of RCNZ, raise any issues concerning them, and gives opportunity to network with other rural contractors.

This is the perfect chance for RCNZ members – and other interested parties – to get along and tells us what you think.

The upcoming roadshows will cover, among other things, an update on transport legislation.

Contractor’s tip: Mud on roads.

As we head into winter and the increased likelihood of more rain and resulting mud, spare a thought for others travelling on the roads. Ensure any excess mud or dirt is cleaned off

your tractors and/or machines before leaving the paddock and hitting the road.

• Agricultural contractor Steve Levet, Wellsford, is the president of the Rural Contractors New Zealand (RCNZ).

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Rural News // april 23, 2014

32 opinion F&G must stand on own merits AS A sustainable farmer and trout fisherman of several decades, I pay levies to Federated Farmers and Fish and Game. The difference is that the Fed’s fee is voluntary but the Fish and Game fee is enforced by legislation.

I object to being forced to pay the Fish and Game fee and consider that, like Federated Farmers, Fish and Game should attract

my fee only because I consider it worth the expense.

At the moment, I do not consider it worth the expense. Because of their antagonistic and unconstructive attitude, I am reluctantly considering preventing others having access to the fishing available from our property. This is contrary to my basic desire to share our

RURAL NEWS // APRIL

here is a left field idea...

wonderful environment with others.

Removing the legislation which guarantees Fish and Game’s income would solve all the problems resulting from its poor public relations and would encourage farmers to once again willingly provide fishing access to others.

Geoff Burton King Country

ISSUE 558

www.ruralnews.co.nz

scientifically looked into in the interests of the efficiency of water use.

At one time, Massey’s organic comparative dairy farm was showing low nitrate leaching by comparison with the conventional farm. Why? Are the above legitimate questions for ‘left field’ research?

Peter Bacchus Palmerston North

8, 2014

NEWS 3 Too restrictive GARETH GILLATT

A LOCAL drought could gate is critical.” have been declared sooner in western ws�co�nz built a faster horse’.”

One of the many Northland had it been called WORLD ������������������������ 20-21 WE ARE only scratching Rolleston ‘arts’ of being a top by central highlighted authorities, says Northland the surface farmer New Zealand farmers’ Rural is managing onfarm adoption and use of techSupport Trust coordinator MARKETS �������������������� 22-23 nology towith multiple inputs for productivity improvemen Julie aid decisionmaking, says ts Jonkers.

Fed- crops and stock since 1990: 7% more erated Farmers vice president lamb MPI is said to be taking AGRIBUSINESS ����������� 24-25 Rolleston.

William while from 55% fewer sheep; notice heeding of this view. unpredictability 23% more beef from Speaking to the World 11% HOUND, EDNA ������������������� Little rain has fallen Farmers of weather fewer in western cattle.

26 Organisation in Buenos Aires and Northland, southern last commodity markets.

Auckland “We’ve also managed month he said, “we need CONTACTS ������������������������� and Waikato since October. science to help to “The role of science reduce carbon per unit 26 us do a whole lot more Much of the Kaipara district from a whole is to convert of product by about has endured farming’s art lot less, all the while OPINION ����������������������� 26-31 1.3% a south-west winds blowing ensuring the soil into year. away all rational decisions, minerals, insects, bacteria available moisture. and nutrients allowing “Beyond us to MANAGEMENT ����������� 32-37 are kept in optimal balance”. these Kaipara farmers have intelligently use impressive used up Any nation’s science gains winter supplement reserves, system should resources farmers in New Zealand ANIMAL HEALTH �������� 40-45 work to a country’s dried and off early or de-stocked strengths and minimise as a result require development for New Zealand that our s and Jonker says many is agriculture, impact.”

MACHINERY AND in crops and pastures are now he added. New Zealand’s William Rolleston hoping it will rain soon.

To increase which require less PRODUCTS ������������������ 46-53 priorities for research and farmers’ But the drought is ‘localised’. innovation product water and fewer value farmers need are increased product In contrast, eastern value, increased understand to nutrients. These RURAL TRADER ���������� 54-55 productivity and Northland are characteristics end markets because reduced risk. and Bay of Plenty are that required throughout determines “not just experiencing the world and “When we as farmers how we farm, but would a kind summer, some stand inside what we revolutionise the economics farmers still farm”. the farmgate, we of cutting silage as late as have two main HEAD OFFICE farming and provide February.

Scientists have a role greater security in concerns: can we Top Floor, 29 Northcroft to play too, run a profitable coming The Minister for Primary Street, Indusup with product innovations the face of climate variation.” business and do we Takapuna, Auckland tries is the only person have the freedom farmers 0622 Expanding on the water who may may to operate? not realise are possible. issue, he declare a drought or Phone: 09-307 0399 said it’s a “huge opportunity classify it as “We need scientists “Farmers are essentially for New Fax: 09-307 0122 to be thinking Zealand medium-scale or large-scale. price takers outside farmers”, and critical to the the square as well.

But so costs anywhere in Research national ‘locals’ are empowered the value chain can POSTAL ADDRESS goal of doubling agricultural take some direction from to call tend to be reflected in its users… export value PO Box 3855, Shortland localised ‘small scale’ farm profitability. but by 2020.

Street, drought – as Henry Ford famously Productivity inside and Auckland 1140 said, ‘If I rural supports trusts, beyond the farm listened “Water storage and water and regional to my customers I would harvesting and district councils have creates a win Published by: Rural and affected for our economy and News Group a win sector groups. for the environment Printed by: PMP Print – providing enviJonkers says she began ronmental flows to maintain CONTACTS collatin-stream ing the necessary information water quality and water Editorial: to for agriculture FEDERATED FARMERS classify vice president William a drought in February to increase productivity editor@ruralnews.co.nz Rolleston says he will but while mitigatstanding for the role be it wasn’t completed of president at the federation’s ing against the challenges until the end Advertising material: annual meeting in July. of low flows “I don’t know if anyone of March due to the diverse else is putting their name and drought. davef@ruralnews.co.nz nature forward,” Rolleston Rural News last week. told of the parties involved.

“However, with increased Rural News online: This preThe federation is “in water use vented some farmers a pretty good space” comes the threat of reduced www.ruralnews.co.nz from getting at present, he believes, water quala new chief executive but with the help available when coming on board and ity – a value highly prized Subscriptions: drought a new president, whoever by may be, it’s always a New Zeathat is called, even though good time to review subsrndn@ruralnews.co.nz landers. structures and policies. some had The process to recruit reached the end of their a new chief executive “Water storage in New resources. is underway, incumbent ABC audited circulation Zealand illusEnglish having announced Conor “If it was handled by trates how, when we he will leave in July.

81,232 as at 31.12.2013 just one increase a conorganisation it would straining input, we create be much simexternalities pler,” Jonkers says. which need to be addressed.”

NEWS ������������������������������ 1-19

WILLIAM ROLLESTON is interested in ‘left field’ research (Rural News, April 8) and one of the areas is water storage.

I have heard that worm castings can hold four times their weight in water. Can they? I have heard that organic farmers claim they can get by on as little as half, and even a quarter, of the water required by conventional growers. Can they?

If they can then it should be

More left-field research required ANDREW SWALLOW

andrews@ruralne

VP puts hand up for

top job

Soil is our backbone!

NO.1 PERFORMER ON EVERY PADDOCK Once you’ve played and worked with the best, there’s no settling for less. That’s why Tony Woodcock kits up on a Suzuki. And just like New Zealand’s most capped prop, the DR200 Trojan has measured up to the test for years.

With a tough 200cc engine, greater suspension travel, higher ground clearance, and a lower seat height than any of its competitors, it’s rugged, reliable and easy around the paddock.

The 13-litre fuel tank means it won’t be stopping half way through the game. When you add top level details like alloy hand guards, rubber insulated steel footpegs, dual side stands and a large 12V headlight it’s clear no other farm bike can compete.

THE ONLY thing wrong with Stephen Cooke’s article on farmer resistance to the coal seam gas issue in Australia (Rural News, April 8) is that it is so out of date as to be totally irrelevant. It also ignores the earlier impact of widespread open cast coal mining. Coal and gas, for geological reasons, tend to lie under Australia’s limited estate of good farmland which is being destroyed in the extraction process.

We had experience of this in the brief and failed lignite boom here in Southland: a large area (50,000-60,000ha) of easily accessible lignite underlying highly productive farmland and guarantees of successful rehabilitation after mining, all borne on the back of a highly selective land purchase process, a small local authority out of its depth when dealing with the big boys, and a farmers union either indifferent or totally captured by fear of being thought green.

The lignite resource is well surveyed and publicly written up and it was clear from the start that the revealed scale of mining made rehabilitation back

to productive farmland impossible. Primary school arithmetic showed that a land of lakes was our future, not dairy farming.

Meetings were held and addressed by Australian farmers who had seen their farms destroyed by opencast coal mining in the Hunter valley (think wine), and by leaders of the Queensland ‘Lock the gate’ campaign seeking to escape the same fate there.

In the Hunter Valley, the farmers lost. In Queensland they seem to be holding their own.

And in Southland, what?

Big coal went broke and all that remains is a $30 million briquette plant which has never produced anything. The first sod was turned by the Minister of Finance but it was the attack of the killer accountants which put the knife in.

So there we remain.

You don’t refer to ‘lignite’ in Southland any more.

Too many red faces all the way to the top. But the question remains: what do we do when even the farmers union says the soil their industry is based on has no value?

John Purey-Cust Gore

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Rural News // april 23, 2014

management 33

Indoor start for triplets pays off WHEN MATT and Lynley Wyeth woke up to find they had lost 1000 lambs in an overnight storm during 2011, they felt helpless but it hardened their resolve to find a way to reduce catastrophic losses like these.

The couple run 7000 Highlander ewes, 220 beef cows and 150 finishing deer on 1000ha at Kaituna, 15km northwest of Masterton. Some of the land is steep and springs can be cold; lamb losses are inevitable but the Wyeths wanted to get far better results from the exceptional lamb drops and lactation their ewes can achieve.

The Highlanders include a touch of Finn, and with scanning percentages of 205% and 218% for the two-tooths and mixed-age ewes, respectively, it’s clear there are plenty of triplets in the mix. In fact about 1200 ewes each year carry three or more lambs. Last year the docking percentage over the whole flock was 154% – not a bad result for hill country, but there is potential to close the

gap between scanning and docking percentage.

Matt Wyeth says every lamb should count and farmers who “set stock and head for the skifields” at lambing are missing out on a lot of potential profit.

The flock’s fecundity is based purely on genetics and excellent nutrition, Lynley adds.

The couple had a welldeveloped orphan-raising system in place, with 250 lambs being raised in the shed last year. They are fed calf colostrum milk, either entirely or 50/50 with Agrivantage SprayFo milk replacer, depending on availability of colostrum. The lambs stay in the shed for four weeks before being turned out to pasture. Their diet also includes Sharpes stock feed.

In 2012 they stepped things up with a programme to house tripletbearing ewes for the birth of their lambs and mothering-on. The Wyeths are great believers in making good use of existing resources and have set up the system in the covered yards and sheds

they already have. The initial trial was under Beef + Lamb New Zealand’s farmer-initiated technology and transfer (FITT) programme.

Simple pens are set up in the sheds using plywood and straw bedding.

Hygiene is a high priority: pens are disinfected before the ewes come in and the newborn lambs get an iodine spray on their navels.

The ewes are prepared for their short confinement with an Advantage creep feeder using Sharpes meal, dyed blue so that ewes that have taken to the hard feed can be identified by their blue mouths. They are in the shed for an average five or six days before they lamb.

They give birth in individual pens where they stay for a few hours before being moved to mixing pens with several other ewes with lambs so that they can mother on properly before being turned out to nearby pasture.

About 400 triplet-bearing ewes had their lambs in the shed in 2012, and the results were promising.

The two-tooths did especially well, with a docking percentage of 255%. There were no deaths among the two-tooths compared with a 6.9% loss in the control flock, while lamb wastage was 7% less in the shedborn flock. The mixed-age triplet bearers produced 234% at docking, compared with 225% in the pasture-based controls.

The FITT trial has now morphed into a four-year BLNZ programme with objectives agreed by the board and support from companies including MSD Animal Health. The prelamb treatment, given to the entire ewe flock, is Nilvax. With this the 5-in-1 clostridial vaccine is combined with levamisole to provide a boosted ewe

Matt and Lynley Wyeth are determined to cut down lamb wastage in a flock that scans more than 200%.

immune response to maximise antibodies in her colostrum. This is ideal for multiples where suckling lambs share colostrum, enabling them to get the best clostridial protection on offer.

The promising results from 2012 were built on last year, but the Wyeths know that it will take several years to identify all the risks, rewards and best practice for what is fairly uncharted territory in New Zealand. The triplet-bearing ewes produced an excellent 290% lambing percentage when they were turned out but losses

in the paddock shaved this back to 250% by docking – somewhat below the target of 270%.

Lynley Wyeth says they are considering taking one lamb off each set of triplets for raising in the orphan mob, with the ewe left to raise ‘twins’. That was happening somewhat last year, with at least 100 of the weakest and smallest triplets being kept behind. This year the Wyeths are planning to turn this idea on its head and extend it, diverting the biggest of the triplets to the orphan mob and leaving the smaller two

with their dam. “Lambs always do best on mum, so this way they will all get a good start,” Lynley says.

This will necessitate a ramping up of the orphanraising programme and the building of more sheds for the job.

Matt and Lynley are highly enthused by the progress made so far and are keen to share what they’ve learned with other farmers so they can make better use of their ewes’ lambing performance and the existing facilities such as covered yards that often lie idle for much of the year.

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Rural News // april 23, 2014

34 management

Treat farm as cluster of Efficient soils and the use of trees to improve productivity and profitability was the theme of a Beef + Lamb NZ field day held recently at a sheep and beef farm near Dannevirke. Peter Burke reports.

Farmers have heard that it’s better to see a farm as smaller units.

COLE AND Tania Simmons’ property 20 minutes drive east of Dannevirke can get cold and wet during winter, risking soil damage by stock. Simmons have made provision for this by building a feed pad and by planting shelter trees.

Dr Alec Mackay, AgResearch, told farmers attending the field day to look at their properties as “assemblages of a diversity of landscape units,” rather than just one big farm. In the past, people have talked more about average numbers but McKay says this fails to address the reality that parts of a farm differ from each other and need to be treated or managed differently. Better to see a farm as smaller units and

see what ‘contribution’ each makes to the business.

“There are opportunities to increase the profitability and performance of a farm by moving away from making average decisions on an average basis across the farm and going out and interrogating the land that makes up the farm.

“Each of the land management units will have their own soil types, physical characteristics relating to organic matter, biology and so on. The best way of doing this is through a visual soil assessment (VSA).” This involves taking a cut of turf from out in a paddock and then one on the fenceline and comparing the physical state of

the two. Soil under the fence, where there has been no treading traffic or physical pressure, will show what the soil structure could be out in the paddock.

“So there are some criteria you can look at: the structure, the porosity, the colour and number of earthworms in those two turfs from those two sites.

“They will show what sort of health or condition that soil is in. The physical characteristics of the soil along with the biology and organic matter are essentially what underpin all the services we get from our soil.

“For instance, if you have physically degraded soil – wet and damaged –

you will get very little out of your nutrient input.

So there’s an underlying need to monitor where your farm is and track that over time for each of the units across the farm.

In general, once a year is sufficient.”

While naturally farmers complain about drought, such events can in some ways be of benefit the soil, McKay says. The drying and cracking of soil is one of the restorative processes, though if soils get too dry they become brittle and crack and can be damaged.

“At the same stage, when a soil is too wet and you cultivate it you can compact it so it can get too brittle and dry. Then it gets hydrophobic – water repellant.”

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AGFIRST CONSULTANT Phil Tither pointed out that putting the same amount of fertiliser on every part of a farm may not be economic.

He said the best gains may be made by applying different fertiliser products at different rates to different parts of the farm.

“Putting the same over all the farm is generally not the most cost effective or the most useful option.

“So a farmer has to put a bit of time and effort into working that out; if there is not much advantage one way or the other then keep it simple.

“But fertiliser is a big cost, so breaking it down and being a bit more precise is important.”

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Rural News // april 23, 2014

management 35

small units Much value in trees THE VALUE and success of tree planting depends largely on having done some serious thinking, planning and research, says Horizons Regional Council land manager Grant Cooper.

Farmers can get ‘lost’ trying to figure out what species of tree to plant and what they want from

Grant Cooper

Alec Mackay, AgResearch

trees, Cooper says.

Trees can do a lot of things on farm. “They can provide shelter, shade, fodder, amenity values, biodiversity and fodder for bees. But if you don’t have a plan you might end up doing a lot of things that compromise this.

“We at the regional council have guys with a lot of experience in planting trees; not just for erosion; we also have contacts with farmers and others who have planted trees.”

Farmers must get advice from regional councils and neighbours, Farm Forestry Association members and nurserymen, Cooper says.

Neighbours are often a good source of information because the chances are they will have tried different species and will know what

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works and what doesn’t work in a particular locality.

Cooper referred to recent research in Central Hawkes Bay about the benefits of shade.

“There is an idea that farmers say if stock are sitting under a tree they are not grazing and not putting on weight,” he explains. “But, in fact, the reverse occurs. Animals that have shade graze more effectively: they don’t have to use energy for losing heat, and they put on condition better than animals running around a hill looking for places to hide from the sun.”

Planting a tree is not the final act, however; farmers must be prepared for maintenance, especially of pine, poplars and willows. “Putting trees in the right place can make this easier.”

Some species of trees make good fodder, especially during a drought. Last year, at the height of the drought, farmers who’d planted fodder trees were reaping the benefits of their planning.

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Rural News // april 23, 2014

management 37

Get on the front foot over environment critiques p e t e r bu rk e peterb@ruralnews.co.nz

FARMERS ARE too defensive in their responses to the issue of the environmental impact of farming.

So says Tihoi, Lake Taupo, farmer Mike Barton, who with his wife Sharon this year won the top award in Waikato in the Ballance Agri-Nutrients awards contest.

They have taken a leadership role in dealing with Environment Waikato’s controversial Variation 5 that severely limits the amount of nitrogen a farm

can leach.

Bartons completely rejigged their farming operation to comply with Variation 5 and started a ‘branded’ beef operation to supply local restaurants.

Barton told Rural News that on environmental matters farmers have tried to shut the gate in the hope that people would go away. And farming leaders have tried to tell urban people they are no better than farmers because of sewage and other point source issues in towns and cities.

“We have never bothered to think about the issue as being a joint problem between farming and consumers,” he says.

“We have never tried to front-foot this to say ‘well consumers it’s a bit rich to turn around and say farmers are polluting waterways, but then eat the food we produce and not internalise those environmental costs’.

“We have tended to hope science will either provide an answer, or that the issue would go away or we could shift the blame somewhere else.”

Delighted and surprised to win MIKE BARTON says they were surprised they won the Waikato region supreme award considering the competition from other excellent entrants.

This was their first entry and their win reflected what’s happening in the Taupo catchment, he says. Other farmers are operating within the limits of Variation 5.

“Sure we’ve had a lot more science on our farm than some others, but we’ve also tried to develop the Taupo beef brand to see whether consumers are prepared to play their part in the whole story of water quality – and they are,” Barton told Rural News.

“Whether we can scale that up to a business model that will get a decent

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premium back to farmers for doing the right thing for waterways is still a work in progress.”

Barton says he and wife Sharon didn’t make the change they did to win an award. It was the right thing to do at the time.

“Most farmers facing the situation we faced would have done much the same and certainly every farmer in the catchment has.

“In our case, the journey has been a little different in that we have hosted a lot more research on our farm and chosen to explore the branded beef thing.”

A field day will be held on Bartons’ farm Glen Emmreth on Wednesday May 21.

Barton says real returns to farmers have dropped for 30 years and the real price of food is now cheaper than it ever was.

Consumers must realise they are as much a part of agriculture as the farmer: the farmers wouldn’t be producing food if consumers weren’t willing to eat it and pay for it.

“Urban consumers want to say it’s the farmers’ problem without recognising their role. I believe eating is the final act in the agricultural process.

“Farming leadership has to engage with consumers and be honest about our environmental footprint and talk to

Mike Barton

consumers in a way that is believable and verifi-

able and that they are willing to accept. Then we can

jointly try to work out a solution,” he says.

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Rural News // april 23, 2014

38 management

Steady income in raising heifers ga r e t h gi llatt

RAISING replacement heifers and keeping cows over winter is proving profitable for a Far North farmer.

Rob and Rachel Thompson run a 60ha dairy grazing property and a 20ha run-off near Kaitaia.

Once a dairy farm, it was converted in 1992 to beef

by Rachel’s parents. Rob introduced dairy grazers in 2008 after settling there. “We needed to find a way to support two fami-

lies; running dairy grazers offered a way to do that.�

Rachel’s parents, Bill and Rosaleen Steed, kept 50 milking cows to feed Friesian bull calves they reared and then converted to finishing bulls and steers.

Rob continued with that while running a few dairy grazers alongside, then dropped the beef cattle in 2010 to focus solely on dairy grazing. He now carries 220 heifers from weaning to two years.

About 110 calves arrive on the property in October-November, partially

weaned at an average weight of 100kg.

Thompson’s clients aim to have calves weigh on average 80-90kg but variance isn’t a big issue. He weighs calves as soon as they come off the truck. The calves are achieving gains of 0.8-1.0kg/day in the first couple of months, with a target of 0.5-0.7kg thereafter. All calves are weighed monthly.

Thompson then takes care of them until June the following year when they go back to the farmer already in calf.

Drench, meal and bulls are supplied by the owners; grass silage supplied as a supplement by Thompson.

He also takes 100 dairy cows to graze over winter, carrying the animals on his free-draining 20ha sandhill run-off. This is locked from March to mid May to let covers build up.

Cows are grazed on the run-off because conditions on the home farm can get during winter. This is clay loam and especially prone to pugging in winter.

As the rising-twos have been sent back to Thompson’s clients, this leaves only the yearlings on the home property during the wetter months.

Thompson uses break fencing through winter to control pasture use, standing off when necessary.

On particularly wet

days stock have access to pasture only for threefour hours, then are stood off with baleage on races or around the yards of a now-defunct milking shed.

Rob is especially keen to get cows off at night. “Night tends to be when animals move around and make the most mess.�

Thompson does

Rob Thomson

weekly walks with plate meter to work out pasture wedge.

He oversows annuals and mulches most of the farm, sprays for carrot weed and buttercup, spreads three tons of urea

and sows annuals into pasture in the autumn.

As there are fewer calves on the property through spring he is able to shut up some of the home farm for supplements and he normally

makes 120-150 bales of silage during spring. “I need to keep a lighter stocking rate so I’ve got feed ahead of me through winter to maintain target weights.

So spring growth can be difficult to manage but the extra silage comes in handy for winters on the run-off and through the dry summers.�

While the he doesn’t have the flexibility available to most drystock farmers, Thompson says they enjoy the stability of a good yearly income.

There are still opportunities to vary income streams from the farm and Thompson is considering growing maize silage as a cash crop or looking at lease blocks.

Consider dairy support DRYSTOCK farmers looking for other income streams may consider dairy support, says Kerikeri stock agent Tim Brandon.

He told 40 people at a Beef + Lamb New Zealand Far North ‘Farming for Profit’ day near Kaitaia that bull and heifer calves can be farmed to add extra income to a drystock business.

Farmax modelling allows prediction of extra earnings.

Stock classes can include dairy grazers, export heifers, carryover cows, dairy beef heifer finishing and cull cows.

In dairy grazing the prospects are good for farmers able to offer good growth rates.

As stock go onto farmers’ properties as younger, lighter animals, dairy grazers can maintain a higher

stocking rate. And there’s no cost of buying stock or having to pay interest.

Pasture levels need careful watching. Stocking rates may need to be kept low in spring, with the prospect of a big pasture spike, but this can be controlled by cutting more supplement, Brandon suggests.

Dairy grazers can expect $6-12/ head/week for heifers and $8-12/ head/week for yearlings.

Farmers looking for a quicker turnaround of stock could consider carryover cows, says Brandon. In Northland the average dairy herd empty rate has been 19%. This allows drystock farmers to buy cows with strong production worth and breeding worth at discounted rates, build their body condition,

get them in calf and sell them on.

Empty cows have cost $750 a head on average in Northland, says Brandon.

Carryover farmers may expect to get 95% in calf, earning $1300 a head on average if the cows are fed enough and mated with an easycalving bull, netting a profit of $61,838 for 158 cows.

Then there are calves, bought in December and sold in November (bulls) or October (heifers). A 343kg bull can net $1530 a head on the current market; a 230kg beef heifer nets $1000 a head on average.

Farmers enjoying good autumn growth can also keep cull cows, Brandon says, netting as much as $150 a head after schedules lift between March and June. – Gareth Gillatt

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Contact Wagyu cross Angus Weaner heifers and steers are available to purchase now for: s 3ELLING ON AS FORWARD STORE NEXT YEAR OR s 4O FARM THROUGH TO lNISH #ONTACT THE &IRSTLIGHT 7AGYU TEAM AND ASK for Andy or Peter.

Office: 06 878 2712 Andy Campbell: 021 488 540 Peter Keeling: 027 444 5876 info@firstlightfoods.co.nz www.firstlightfoods.co.nz 8/04/14 1:58 PM

Rural News // april 23, 2014

management 39

Maize silage done, time to establish new pasture

Do you want more mileage, better handling & less punctures?

AN D R EW P OWELL

MANY FARMERS are successfully growing maize silage onfarm as part of their pasture renewal.

Following maize silage harvest it is time to start thinking about establishing a new pasture that is weed-free, productive and persistent. It requires good planning and management over the next 12 months to achieve this goal.

Many farmers successfully Firstly, it’s imporgrow maize silage on farm. tant to start with a clean slate by ensuring there lose more moisture from are no live weeds present the soil and dry soils can when the new pasture is sown. With the maize crop be difficult to consolidate after sowing. checked for maturity, any Selecting new pasweeds should be sprayed ture is arguably one of the with an appropriate hermost important steps in bicide immediately after the process. A huge range harvest, or, after allowing of endophyte and cultivar the weeds to ‘freshen up’, spray them one week or so options are available.

The DairyNZ forage after harvest. value index is a good place Then is the time to to start when looking at do any minor contouring work before resowing. selecting new perennial New pasture will establish ryegrass cultivars. www. dairynzfvi.co.nz has useful better and will be easier information on how ryeto manage is the seed bed grass cultivars are peris smooth and well conforming and persisting solidated. However, only in your region. Your local cultivate the paddock following harvest if truly nec- seed retailer will also be a valuable source of inforessary, because you will Bobby Calf: Farmers Weekly, Dairy

When comparing Cooper Tires new LT265/65R17 A/T3 to the tyres originally fitted on the new Ranger, Hilux and BT50 Cooper Tires give you: MORE MILEAGE mation on what has been performing and persisting well on other similar farms in your region.

With your seed retailer, plan what you will sow, remembering to select the endophyte you need first, then select the most suitable cultivar with that endophyte. For most farmers in the North Island the endophyte will have the largest impact on the persistence and productivity of your new pasture.

Once the paddock is weed-free, level, firm and ready for sowing, best talk to your local contractor who should know which will work best for your News, Rural News

paddock and what you are sowing. Remember to try to sow into a soil with some moisture in it or when there is rain forecast soon after sowing for best establishment results.

Monitor the paddock for weeds during establishment and make sure these are killed as necessary.

Following initial establishment, good grazing management along with regular nitrogen application will ensure a weedfree, productive and persistent new pasture.

• Andrew Powell is regional manager, Pioneer. apowell@ genetic.co.nz

Up to 30% more overall tread than most original equipment brands.

That means more grip, more miles due to wider and stronger steel belts under the tread.

BETTER HANDLING

Cooper A/T3

44%

Up To:

More tread depth = longer lasting & more mileage.

24%

Up To:

In many cases, Cooper Tires contact patch is wider when compared to most original equipment tyres. This means more tyre sits on the road and you get more traction.

Wider tread width = more tyre on road for traction.

LESS PUNCTURES

Up To:

Cooper Tires are built tougher, with thicker cord construction and stronger casing increases the tyres puncture resistance.

25%

More load carrying capacity.

Cooper Tires are only available from Authorised Cooper Tire Dealers. To find a dealer closest to you and for your FREE info pack please visit www.coopertires.co.nz or call a 4WD tyre specialist on 0800 MILEAGE (6453 243)

Have YOU registered your

bobby calves?

AFFCO donates 40 cents for every Bobby Calf you supply to your chosen rural primary school or Volunteer Fire Brigade – so you can make the right move for them, too.

CONTACT YOUR LOCAL AFFCO OR SPM BUYER

Phone 0800 AFFCONZ (2332669) | www.affco.co.nz Phone O800 4 SPMNZ (477669) | Email lcs@affco.co.nz

COMPETITIVE PRICE SCHEDULES | TOP SERVICE | PROMPT PAYMENT

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“UP AND DOWN THE COUNTRY, WE CHOOSE ECLIPSE .” ®

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NZ 25% EXPORT

AREA: 267,710 SQUARE KILOMETRES

ALI MCKAY // WAIPU

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DAIRY

5.3M

DAVE RITCHIE // KARAKA

RAY MONK // HELENSVILLE

6.5M

NEW ZEALAND:

AGRICULTURE

2007 2012

CLINT GRAHAM // HAWKES BAY

CHRIS LEWIS // WAIKATO

3.7M

4.4M

BEEF

2007 2012

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KEVIN HOOPER // GISBORNE ROB BLACKWELL // MANGAOTEA

GUY LENNOX // WAVERLY

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ROSS RILEY // NELSON JOHN JACKSON // PAHIATUA

TONY PLUNKET // CANTERBURY

BILL BELL // ASHBURTON

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JIM HORE // CENTRAL OTAGO

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GRANT LUDEMANN // OTAGO

BEVAN COLLIE // SOUTHLAND

0

100

JIM COOPER // WINTON

200

SCALE 1:2 000 000

LENGTH: OVER 1,600 KILOMETRES

MAX WIDTH: 400 KILOMETRES

PROUDLY AVAILABLE FROM YOUR LOCAL VETERINARY CLINIC. Merial is a Sanofi company. MERIAL NZ. LEVEL 3, MERIAL BUILDING, OSTERLEY WAY, MANUKAU, AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND | WWW.MERIAL.CO.NZ | ECLIPSE® IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF MERIAL. REGISTERED PURSUANT TO THE ACVM ACT 1997 | NO’S. A10640 & A9270 | COPYRIGHT 2014 MERIAL NZ LTD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. NZ-14-ECL-057.

MAL_Eclipse_brand_advert_265x390mm.indd 1

15/04/14 12:54 PM

Rural News // april 23, 2014

animal health 41 The new scanner is able to take cross-sectional pictures (slices) of the body to better help determine meat yield.

SHEEP AND deer farmers in the South Island can get faster and more accurate carcase measurements via a new CT scanner in Mosgiel.

The measurement is done by Innervision, a joint venture of Landcorp Farming Ltd and AgResearch.

The scanner replaces an older machine that ran for 18 years.

The company says the scanner, which uses X-ray technology to take crosssectional pictures (‘slices’) of the body, is valuable for determining meat yield in livestock.

Scientist Neville Jopson says the new scanner is much faster than the old one, scanning a whole

carcase in about two minutes rather than two hours previously. A ‘spiral scanning’ feature takes measurements over the entire carcase rather than singleslice views at set points, providing a much better understanding of composition.

“This level of detail means even greater accuracy in determining fat and lean in a carcase or meat cut. That’s massively important for people like meat processors who want to accurately calibrate their carcase grading applications.

“We will be able to process up to 80 animals a day, so the farmers will be pleased we can produce quick results to

assist them with identifying desirable meat characteristics for their breeding programme. And the industry will welcome the gold standard level of accuracy.”

The CT scanner will be used mainly to scan farmed sheep and deer. It offers non-invasive indications of meat yield by accurately measuring muscle and fat in the hind leg, loin and shoulder regions. Genetic analysis of those measurements is then used to determine breeding values for farmers.

Jopson says genetic progress over the past 18 years has been considerable.

“As a selection support

tool, the CT scanner has been of tremendous benefit to fast-tracking genetic selection. The sheep of today produce considerably more saleable meat off much heavier and leaner carcases than they did two decades ago.

“We’re now looking at what a farmed animal will look like in 10 years.

Ongoing investment in the technology and expertise is forward thinking for farmers, researchers and the industry [and will] help maintain New Zealand’s status in global protein markets.”

The scanner replaces the current one at AgResearch Invermay in Mosgiel and will be operated by AgResearch staff.

$10 million upgrade to plant PEAK DEMAND for animal nutrients will soon be met more easily by SealesWinslow, now doing a $10 m upgrade of its plant.

The company is a subsidiary of Ballance Agri-Nutrients.

“Continuity of supply is critical,” says Ballance general manager of animal nutrition, Graeme Smith, and he says it is important to get the balance right between fresh, quality feed and building enough inventory to cater for spikes in demand.

“We need to make more, make it better, and make it faster, as well as provide for smarter storage and distribution solutions… using Ballance service centres as distribution hubs…

for customers to pick up bagged product.”

Farmers can now buy the products at rural stores including

PGG Wrightsons, RD1 and Ashburton Trading Society.

The upgrade will be finished before spring.

ELE-915v2-RN

New scanner a boost to southern agriculture

On high performance sheep farms, stock become more vulnerable to clostridial disease, especially sudden death syndrome. If you’re seeing unexplained deaths, especially in young stock or sending replacements away to achieve high growth rates, then it’s time to upgrade to the advanced clostridial protection of Covexin®10.

Today is a good time to talk to your vet

about upgrading to Covexin 10. Developed and made in New Zealand for our sheep farmers.

New feed, bagging, stacking gear THE UPGRADE is to install new textured feed (muesli) production plants at Ashburton and Morrinsville and improve delivery of drypellet compound feeds.

The Ashburton molasses block plant will get a boost to production capacity and product quality, and bagging capacity there will be

increased by robotic stackers – less heavy lifting for for employees.

At the Wanganui plant production and bagging will be boosted.

Information systems such as order tracking and production planning will be improved, as will manufacturing plant process control systems.

AVAILABLE ONLY UNDER VETERINARY AUTHORISATION. ®Registered trademark MSD Animal Health. Phone 0800 800 543 www.msd-animal-health.co.nz COV-289-2013

Active Ingredient

Concentration

Ingredient Dose Rate

Formulated Dose Rate

Withdrawal Meat

Milk

Safety Margin

BAYMEC INJECTION

Bayer NZ Ltd

CRT & Farmlands

Abamectin

10mg/mL

0.2mg/kg

1mL/50kg live-weight 49 days

49 days

3x dose rate

BAYMEC POUR-ON

Bayer NZ Ltd

CRT & Farmlands

Abamectin

10mg/mL

0.5mg/kg

1mL/20kg bwt

Nil

3x dose rate

CONCUR CATTLE HIMIN

Bayer NZ Ltd

CRT & Farmlands

3x dose rate

CRT & Farmlands

4.53mg/kg 8mg/kg 10mg/kg 7.5mg/kg

6 days

Bayer NZ Ltd

90.6g/L 160g/L 100 g/L 75 g/L

1mL/20kg bwt

DUELL CATTLE

Oxfendazole Levamisole Albendazole Levamisole

Cattle: 35 Bobby calves: 16 10 days

1mL/10kg bwt

14 days

35 days

3x dose rate

EON POUR-ON

Bayer NZ Ltd

ATS, CRT, Farmlands, PGG Wrightson, RD1

Eprinomectin

5mg/mL

500µg/kg

1mL/10kg bwt

Nil

Nil

5x dose rate

IPLUS INJECTION

Bayer NZ Ltd

CRT & Farmlands

14 days

1mL/20kg bwt

42 days

42 days

3-5x dose rate 3x dose rate

SATURN POUR-ON

Bayer NZ Ltd

1mL/20kg bwt

42 days

42 days

3x dose rate

BOMATAK.C

Bayer NZ Ltd

0.2mg/kg 2mg/kg 0.5mg/kg 10mg/kg 0.5mg/kg 10mg/kg 4.5mg/kg bwt

28 days

Bayer NZ Ltd

10mg/mL 100mg/mL 10mg/mL 200mg/mL 10mg/mL 200mg/mL 90.6/L

1mL/50kg bwt

OUTLAW POUR-ON

Ivermectin Clorsulon ATS, PGG Wrightson, Abamectin RD1 Levamisole CRT & Farmlands Abamectin Levamisole All sellers Oxfendazole

1mL/20kg bwt

10 days

72 hours

BOMATAK.C MINERALISED Bayer NZ Ltd

All sellers

Oxfendazole

90.6/L

4.5mg/kg

1mL/20kg bwt

10 days

72 hours

BOMECTIN GOLD POUR-ON EDGE INJECTION

Bayer NZ Ltd

RD1

Abamectin

10mg/mL 1% w/v

0.5mg/kg

1mL/ 20kg bwt

35 days

Nil

Bayer NZ Ltd

All sellers

Doramectin, Levamisole

4mg/mL doramectin, 200mg/mL levamisole phosphate

0.2mg doramectin 1mL/20kg bwt and 10mg levamisole phosphate/kg bwt

21 days

21 days

4-5 x dose rate 2-3 times dose rate 3 x label dose rate 2x

ALLIANCE

COOPERS

All outlets

10 days

35 days

3x dose rate

COOPERS

All outlets

10 days

35 days

3 x dose rate

COOPERS

All outlets

1mL/10kg bwt

10 days

144 hours

3 x dose rate

SCANDA SELENISED

COOPERS

All outlets

1mL/10kg bwt

10 days

144 hours

3 x dose rate

ALBENDAZOLE C

Merial Ancare

Veterinary outlets

80g/L 2g/L 45.3g/L 80g/L 45.3g/L 80g/L 150g/L

1mL/10kg bwt

SCANDA

Levamisole Abamectin Oxfendazole Levamisole Oxfendazole Levamisole Albendazole

4.53mg/kg 8mg/kg, 0.2mg/kg 8mg/kg 0.2mg/kg 4.53mg/kg 8mg/kg 4.53mg/kg 8mg/kg 10mg/kg

1ml/10kg bwt

CONVERGE

Oxfendazole 45.3g/L Levamisole, Abamectin 80g/L, 2gL

1mL/15kg bwt

14 days

35 days

ECLIPSE POUR-ON

Merial Ancare

Veterinary outlets

Abamectin Levamisole

10mg/mL 200mg/mL

0.5mg/kg 10mg/kg

1mL/20kg bwt

35 days

35 days

10 x dose rate 3 x dose rate

GENESIS ULTRA POUR-ON

Merial Ancare

Veterinary outlets

91 days

3 x dose rate

Veterinary outlets

1mL/10kg bwt

14 days

35 days

3 x dose rate

OXFEN C PLUS

Merial Ancare

Veterinary outlets

1mL/20kg bwt

10 days

35 days

3 x dose rate

OXFEN C HI MINERAL

Merial Ancare

Veterinary outlets

0.5mg/kg 30mg/kg 10mg/kg 7.5mg/kg 4.5mg/kg 7.5mg/kg 4.5mg/kgmg/kg

91 days

Merial Ancare

5mg/mL 300mg/mL 100g/L 75g/L 90.6g/L 150g/L 90.6g/L

1mL/10kg bwt

ARREST C

Abamectin Triclabendazole Albendazole Levamisole Oxfendazole Levamisole Oxfendazole

1mL/20kg bwt

10 days

5 days

5 x dose rate

DOUBLE STRENGTH OXFEN Merial Ancare

Veterinary outlets

Oxfendazole

45.3g/L

4.5mg/kgmg/kg

1mL/10kg bwt

10 days

5 days

GENESIS POUR-ON

Merial Ancare

Veterinary outlets

Abamectin

10mg/mL

0.5mg/kg

1mL/20kg bwt

35 days

Nil

10 x dose rate 3 x dose rate

GENESIS INJECTION

Merial Ancare

Veterinary outlets

Abamectin

10mg/mL

0.2mg/kg

1mL/50kg bwt

49 days

49 days

3 x dose rate

IVOMEC PLUS INJECTION FOR CATTLE IVOMEC INJECTION FOR CATTLE AND PIGS EPRINEX POUR-ON

Merial Ancare

Veterinary outlets

0.2mg/kg 2.0mg/kg 0.2mg/kg

28 days

14 days

Veterinary outlets

1% 10% 1.0% w/v

1mL/50kg bwt

Merial Ancare

Ivermectin Clorsulon Ivermectin

1mL/50kg bwt

28 days

35 days

Merial Ancare

Veterinary outlets

Eprinomectin

0.5% w/v

500mcg

1mL/10kg bwt

Nil

EXODUS POUR-ON

Merial Ancare

Veterinary outlets

Moxidectin

0.5% w/v

500mcg

1mL/10kg bwt

Nil cattle 7 days deer Nil

Nil

MATRIX C

Merial Ancare

Veterinary outlets

Abamectin, Levamisole 4g/L 0.2mg/kg 1mL/20kg Oxfendazole 160g/L, 90.8g/L 8mg/kg, 4.5mg/kg bodyweight

14 days

35 days

20 x dose rate 20 x dose rate 5-10 x dose rate 10 x dose rate 3x

SWITCH C HI-MINERAL

Merial Ancare

Veterinary outlets

21 days

35 days

3x

NOROMECTIN INJECTION

Norbrook NZ Ltd

49 days

NOROMECTIN POUR-ON

Norbrook NZ Ltd

Ivermectin

0.5% w/v

0.5mg/kg

1mL/10kg bwt

21 days

Not allowed (note 1) 11 milkings

PARAFEND LV

Norbrook NZ Ltd

Oxfendazole

90.6g/L

4.53mg/kg

1mL/20kg bwt

10 days

72 hours

20 x dose rate 10 x dose rate 5 x dose rate

COMBO LOW DOSE

Ravensdown

Vets, Agmax, some OTC Vets, Agmax, some OTC Vets, Agmax, some OTC Ravensdown

1mL/20kg bodyweight 1mL/35kg bodyweight 1mL/50kg bwt

3x

Veterinary outlets

0.2g/kg 8mg/kg 0.2mg/kg 6.37mg/kg 0.2mg/kg

35 days

Merial Ancare

4g/L 160g/L 7g/L 223g/L 1.0% w/v

14 days

ECLIPSE E INJECTION

Abamectin/ Levamisole Eprinomectin/ Levamisole Ivermectin

3x dose rate

Ravensdown

4.53 mg/kg & 8 mg/kg 500 mcg/kg

35 days

Ravensdown

45.3 g/L & 80 g/L 10 g/L

1mL/10kg live-weight 10 days

ABAMECTIN POUR-ON

Oxfendazole & Levamisole Abamectin

1mL/20kg live-weight 35 days

NIL

3x dose rate

ABAMECTIN INJECTION

Ravensdown

Ravensdown

Abamectin

10 g/L

200 mcg/kg

1mL50kg live-weight

49 days

49 days

3x dose rate

CYDECTIN INJECTION FOR CATTLE AND SHEEP CYDECTIN POUR-ON FOR CATTLE AND DEER CYDECTIN PLUS FLUKE POUR ON FOR CATTLE DECTOMAX INJECTABLE

Zoetis

OTC/Vet

Moxidectin

1% w/v

0.2mg/kg

1mL/50kg

cattle 35 days

35 days

5 x dose rate

Zoetis

OTC/Vet

Moxidectin

0.5% w/v

0.5mg/kg

1mL/10kg

Nil

Nil

Zoetis

OTC/Vet

0.5mg/kg 20mg/kg 0.2mg/kg

84 days

84 days

Veterinary outlets

0.5% w/v 20% w/v 1% w/v

1mL/10kg

Zoetis

Moxidectin, Triclabendazole Doramectin

10 x dose rate 5 x dose rate

1mL/50kg bwt

35 days

35 days

DECTOMAX POUR-ON

Zoetis

Veterinary outlets

Doramectin

0.5% w/v

0.5mg/kg

1mL/10kg bwt

35 days

VALBAZEN MINERALISED CATTLE

Zoetis

All outlets

Albendazole

150g/L

7.5mg/kg

1mL per 20kg bwt 1mL per 15kg* bwt

7 days

CLINT GRAHAM // HAWKES BAY

JIM COOPER // WINTON

Parasite Maturity

mature ND immature mature ★★★ immature ★★★ mature ★★★ immature ★★★ mature ★★★ immature ★★★

★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★

mature ★★★ immature mature ★★★ immature ★★★ mature ND immature mature ND immature mature ★★★ immature ★★★ mature ★★★ immature ★★★ mature ★★★ immature ★★★ mature immature

★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★

mature ★★★ immature ★★★ mature ★★★ immature ★★★ mature ★★★ immature ★★★ mature ★★★ immature ★★★ mature ★★★ immature ★★★ mature ND immature

★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★

★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★

★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★

mature immature mature immature mature immature mature immature mature immature mature immature mature immature mature immature mature immature mature immature mature immature mature immature mature immature mature immature mature immature mature immature mature immature mature immature mature immature mature immature mature immature

★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★

★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★

20 x dose rate

mature immature mature immature mature immature

Nil

25 x dose rate

mature immature

★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★

48 hours

10x dose rate

mature immature

★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★

★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★

★★★ ★★★

★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★

★★★ ★★★

★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★

★★★ ★★★

★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★

★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★

ROB BLACKWELL // MANGAOTEA

“UP AND DOWN THE COUNTRY, WE CHOOSE ECLIPSE®.”

MAL_Eclipse_8x14_advert.indd 1

Tric. Axei

Available through

Ostertagia Type II

Company

Ostertagia

Product

Abomasum Haemonchus

Cattle Internal Parasites Treatment 2014

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ND

Flukes Fasciola

Tapeworms Monezia

L/worms Dictyocaulus

Trichuris

Lge Intestine

Chabertia

Oesphagostomum

Trichostrongylus

Bunostomum

Cooperia

Nematodirus

Small Intestine

This survey will give a ready and easy-to-follow reference to the efficacy and spectrum of the many cattle anthelmintics available. It is compiled from information supplied by animal health companies. While the information has been verified by our animal health advisor, Rural News cannot accept responsibility for any inaccuracies.

Controls sucking lice .Has persistent activity against cooperia ,Ostertagia,Oesphagostomum and Dictyocaulus vivparus. Must be administered subcutaneously.

★★★ ★★★

Also for the control of internal and external parasites in deer. Also for the treatment and control of biting and sucking lice. Extended activity 14 days Cooperia, Ostertagia in cattle. Rainfast.

★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★

★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ Low dose formulation ideal for cattle. ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ Ideal for calves, bulls and non-milking cows. ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★

★★★ ★★★ ★★★

★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★

★★★ ★★★ ★★★

ND

★★★ ★★★

ND

★★★ ★★★

ND

ND

★★★ ★★★ ★★★

ND

★★★ ★★★

ND

★★★ ★★★

ND

ND

★★★ ★★★ ★★★

Contains eprinomectin. Nil milk, meat and bobby calf withholding period. Suitable for beef and dairy cattle. Also for the treatment and control of sucking lice. ★★★ Also for the control of sucking lice, Chorioptes spp. and Psoroptes spp. mites and biting lice. Persistent activity – up to 14 days Ostertagia ostertagi, up to 7 days Cooperia spp, up to 21days Dictyocaulus viviparus.

Outlaw Pour-on is also highly effective in the treatment and control of mature and immature strains of Cooperia spp resistant to the endectocides (including eprinomectin and doramectin). Levamisole is also very active against benzimidazole-resistant strains. Also for the treatment and control of sucking lice in cattle.

Saturn Pour-on is also highly effective in the treatment and control of mature and immature strains of Cooperia spp resistant to the endectocides (including eprinomectin and doramectin). Levamisole is also very active against benzimidazole-resistant strains. Also for the treatment and control of sucking lice in cattle.

Ovicidal.

★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★

Contains selenium, copper, cobalt, zinc and iodine. Ovicidal.

★★★ ★★★ ★★★

Also controls sucking and biting lice and mange mites. Persistent activity 14 days for Cooperia, 14 days for Ostertagia. Rain resistant.

★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★

★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★

★★★ ★★★ ★★★

★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★

ALLIANCE is a triple combination oral drench for cattle and sheep. ALLIANCE contains: 25mg Cobalt and 5mg Selenium per 5mL dose.

★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★

CONVERGE is a dual combination oral drench for cattle and sheep. CONVERGE contains: 25mg Colbalt and 5mg Selenium per 5mL.

★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★

SCANDA is a dual combination oral drench for cattle and sheep.

★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★

SCANDA SELENISED is a dual combination oral drench for cattle and sheep. SCANDA SELENISED contains: Colbalt 0.4mg/mL and Selenium 1mg/mL.

★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★

ND

ND

ND

★★★ ★★★ ★★★ Selenium added - 1.5mg/ml. ★★★

★★★ ★★★

ND

★★★ ★★★

★★★ ★★★ ★★★

ND

★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★

Eclipse Pour-on is also highly effective in the treatment and control of mature and immature strains of Cooperia spp resistant to the endectocides (including eprinomectin and doramectin). Levamisole is also very active against benzimidazole-resistant strains. Also controls sucking-biting lice.

★★★ ★★★ ★★★

★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★

★★★ Also controls sucking-biting lice. ★★★

★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★

★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★

Effective against mature and immature strains of Cooperia resistant to the endectocides. Ovicidal. Contains Selenium.

★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★

"Ovicidal". Each 10ml contains 20mg of selenium and 97mg of copper. Also in plain form. Can be used in deer.

★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★

"Ovicidal". Each 5ml dose contains minerals iodine, selenium, cobalt, copper and zinc. Can be used in deer.

★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★

ND

Also for the control of internal and external parasites in deer. Also for the treatment and control of biting and sucking lice. Extended activity 14 days Cooperia, Ostertagia. Rainfast.

★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★

★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★

★★

★★★ ★★★

★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★

★★

★★★ ★★★

★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★

★★★ ★★★ ★★★

★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★

★★★ ★★★

Controls sucking lice. Has extended activity for 28 days against Trichostrongylus, Ostertagia L4, Haemonchus spp and 21 days against Oesophagostomum and Ostertagia spp and 14 days against Cooperia. Must be administered subcutaneously. Also available with B12. Contains 2mg/ml Vitamin B12. No sting formulation. ★★★ Also for the simultaneous control of sucking lice, psoroptes sp mites and aids in control of biting lice and chorioptes mites. Label claim for persistent activity – product continues to control certain worms for 7-21 days after treatment. (Lungworm and hookworm 21 days, Ostertagia 14 days, Cooperia spp. Up to at least 7 days.) NZ studies show product is effective (>95%) against adults.

Simultaneous control of external parasites including sucking lice and aids in control of biting lice. Label claim for persistent activity product continues to control certain worms for 7-21 days after treatment. (Lungworm and hookworm 21 days; Ostertagia 14 days, Cooperia spp. up to at least 7 days.)

Weatherproof including rainfast. Bobby calves from treated cows have no withholding period. Controls roundworms and lungworm. Approved for use in all ages and classes of deer at same dose volume and rate as for cattle. For control of sucking and biting lice and manage mites (sarcoptes and chorioptes). Has label claim for increased milk production.

★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★

★★★ ★★★ ★★★

★★★ ★★★ ★★★

★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★

★★

★★★ ★★★ ★★★

★★★ ★★★ ★★★

★★★ ★★★ ★★★

★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★

Low sting formula, persistent activity Ostertagia 14 days, Cooperia 7 days, Dictyocaulus Oesophagostomum 21 days. Also for use in pigs.

★★★ ★★★

Also controls sucking, biting and mange mites.

Ovicidal.

★★★ ★★★ ★★★

★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★

Also contains selenium, copper, cobalt, iodine and zinc.

★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★

Also controls biting and sucking lice.

★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★

Persistent activity: Oesophagostomum 7 days, Ostertagia, Cooperia, Trichostrongylus 14 days, Lungworm 21 days. Do not treat calves under 16 weeks of age. Also controls lice.

★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★

★★★ ★★★ ★★★

Persistent activity against reinfection of Ostertagia ostertagi and lungworm for 28 days.

★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★

★★★ ★★★

★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★

★★★ ★★★

★★★ Treats and controls biting and sucking lice and mange mites. ★★★ Rainfast. Persistent activity against reinfection of Ostertagia ostertagi for 35 days, Haemonchus spp and Trichostrongylus spp for 28 days, lungworm, Oesphagostomum and Bunostomum for 42 days.

★★★ ★★★

Also registered for use in sheep and pigs. Persistent activity up to 28 days Ostertagia, Dictyocaulus. Up to 21 Days Cooperia, Trichostrongylus, Oesophagostomum. Up to 15 days Bunostomum.

★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★

★★

★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★

★★★ ★★★ ★★★

★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★

Treats and controls biting and sucking lice and mange mites.

Rainfast. Persistent activity against reinfection of Ostertagia ostertagi for 35 days, Haemonchus spp and Trichostrongylus spp for 28 days, lungworm, Oesophagostomum and Bunostomum for 42 days.

Rainfast. Not adversely affected if applied when the hide is wet or if rain falls shortly after treatment. Also controls sucking and biting lice, mange mites. Persistent activity against re-infection up to 28 days for Ostertagia, Trichostrongylus axei and Dictyocaulus and up to 21 days against Cooperia, Oesophagostomum and Bunostomum.

★★★ ★★★ ★★★ Contains 6.8g/L Copper, 1.5g/L Selenium. *1mL per 15kg for Liver fluke. Ovicidal to worm and fluke eggs of cattle. ★★★

BILL BELL // ASHBURTON

ALI MCKAY // WAIPU

CHRIS LEWIS // WAIKATO

PROUDLY AVAILABLE FROM YOUR LOCAL VETERINARY CLINIC. Merial is a Sanofi company. MERIAL NZ. LEVEL 3, MERIAL BUILDING, OSTERLEY WAY, MANUKAU, AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND | WWW.MERIAL.CO.NZ | ECLIPSE® IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF MERIAL. REGISTERED PURSUANT TO THE ACVM ACT 1997 | NO’S. A10640 & A9270 | COPYRIGHT 2014 MERIAL NZ LTD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. NZ-14-ECL-057.

15/04/14 8:59 AM

Rural News // april 23, 2014

44 animal health/feed

Raising cattle for New Zealand Grazing Company (NZGC) says it has a new, more equitable payment system for dairy support cattle, but what does it mean for the growers? Vivienne Haldane reports.

IN THE past, growers have been reluctant to use large amounts of supplementary feed because of the cost.

New Zealand Graz-

When heifers go home after grazing and calve down, they are expected to perform well.

ing Company (NZGC) realised it needed to change the way things were done in order to accommodate the expectations of clients and

Warren Arlidge

challenges for growers.

The modeled dry matter (MDM) concept reflects how these challenges and expectations can be met fairly for clients and growers.

Veterinarian and dairy nutritionist Warren Arlidge outlined details about how the MDM system works at a field day held in Hawke’s Bay during March.

Current expectations on high performing dairy farms in respect of target live weights have changed considerably. Consequently, changes also needed to be made about growing good heifers and recognising what that actually means, Arlidge says.

“We expect that when heifers go home and calve down, they are going to perform exceptionally well in our herds and we expect that result regardless of the seasonal growth patterns.

“Previously, our dairy heifers were grazed from May to May with not much emphasis on the size of animals or expectation for their future production.

We had some poor calves go out grazing and some poor heifers arrive back

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home. We had to pay the same cost regardless of the result.”

While MDM has some ‘serious expectations’ wrapped up in it, in return, growers could expect some ‘serious dollars’ for their efforts. At the core of MDM is a new cloud database whereby NZGC records and manages the information of each animal.

Dairy farmers are asking for grazing systems that don’t just encompass May to May grazing, but go beyond that period.

Under MDM, no matter what stage animals enter the system, there is a payment based on their size and calculated on the amount of dry matter needed for the required growth rate.

“Feeding those younger animals costs less because they eat less, so when you send younger animals out you will pay less. That’s the transition phase that wasn’t there before,” Arlidge explains.

“NZGC hopes that with payment allowances changing through the seasons, based on the availability of the pasture feed, there will be some encouragement for the growers –

new zealand grazing co ❱❱ Established in 1987. ❱❱ A leader in the management and monitoring of pasture grazing systems for young cattle. ❱❱ The first organisation in NZ to provide comprehensive contracts for the grazing of cattle. ❱❱ NZGC uses a web-based cloud computing technology called GrazingNet. ❱❱ www.nzgrazing.co.nz

Rural News // april 23, 2014

feed/animal health 45

all-round gain at times when the feed is shorter and they are getting paid more for that feed.

“So effectively, that feed is put back in, to continue to grow the animals a rate that they’ll get a bonus from,” he says.

Monthly payments are based on the weight gain

achieved by an individual animal, rather than the average of the group.

One of the biggest commitments required by growers to make this system successful is regular weighing of animals.

“If you don’t weigh you don’t get paid. It sounds

harsh, but if you are doing a good job weighing, and your animals are all above target, you are going to get paid a lot more as well,” Arlidge adds.

“If you don’t weigh them, you’ll never know.

We’ve got recording systems that can handle the individual animal records

all the way through, so this concept will get better and better as time goes on and I am sure everyone will achieve more out of it,” he says.

“We are working hard to add value to all the people we deal with,” says NZGC managing director Ian Wickham.

It’s all about weight VETERINARIAN AND calf rearing specialist Bas Schouten has some excellent advice for dairy growers transitioning well-weaned calves into functional heifers.

He says the target is to grow them to a good size, have them become pregnant and lactate and survive in the herd.

“But it costs you $1400 to rear a heifer before you get $1 back from that animal and the costs are exactly the same, whether you rear a good heifer or a bad one,” Schouten explains.

“By the end of the third lactation, only about 25% of the heifers are left in the herd. That’s sad considering it takes nearly 1.5-2 lactations for you to pay for that. And just when that heifer should be coming into its prime [enabling] you to make some money out of it – it’s gone.

“Why? Because it’s empty or has mastitis, or both. Why is it empty?

Because it didn’t have enough weight on it.”

Data from Livestock Improvement Corporation published in 2013 says that 73% of heifers going into the national herd are below target weight, precalving.

Schouten says an animal has to grow 6.6kg/ day every day to reach its target weight. “A calf born in August can do that, but a calf born in September or October has to grow 0.7kg/day in order to calve on time.

“However, growth rates in calves vary and can be due to a number of disease factors such as their immunoglobulin status, waning maternal antibodies as calves come into contact with pathogens, ticks, coccidiosis, parasite challenges, bovine viral diarrhoea (BVD), fungal

toxins and facial eczema.”

Pasture amount and quality, grazing pressure and water supply also affects growth.

“Water can have the most devastating effect on growth rates of young stock. It is by far the biggest forgotten nutrient.

The dairy farmer knows it well: cut water out and see what happens to milk production.”

Schouten says reaching target weight at mating is essential and needs to be addressed well before this occurs.

Vet Bas Schouten

monitor animals do you know how they are going and be able to do something about it.

Schouten suggests taking fecal samples as

“Paint a line on the wall that’s equivalent to an adult cow in your herd and measure your animals against it. Do the same with your heifers.”

– Bas Schouten “We’ve got to weigh them and make sure where they are on that time schedule; know what their weight and height are.”

A simple method, he suggests, is to “paint a line on the wall that’s equivalent to an adult cow in your herd and measure your animals against it.

“Do the same with your heifers.”

He says only if you

another way to monitor for disease factors “It will tell you if parasitism and coccidiosis are present and also facial eczema counts. The simple act of taking fecal samples saved us a lot of money because we found we didn’t need to give them worm treatment at three months.”

If animals are below average weight the best

plan of action is to take them out of their current environment.

“Taking the stress off this animal and putting it into a mob where the pressure isn’t as great is often enough to get an animal back on target. However, I’d recommend you don’t put them back into the main mob again.”

Schouten also advises feeding cattle by laying feed in bundles around the fence line rather than using troughs. “It’s much easier and they won’t be fighting each other.”

The goal is to make sure animals are well weaned and ready to go onto the grazier.

“Monitor them, weigh them regularly and feed them well. Rescue the poor-doers and feed them a supplement to get them back on target,” he adds.

“Remember, they don’t magically turn up in the herd as pregnant animals.”

What is MDM MDM (MODELLED dry matter) starts with the production (animal weight, weight increase etc), calculates the amount of feed used to support that production, then pays out on the predetermined amount per kilograms of dry matter – with a price that has been agreed for the value of that feed.

The model takes into account seasonal variations, so pasture fed to weaners, winter feed and feed in a drought is all worth a lot more.

This system automatically corrects

the price for the time that feed is in short supply, so if a drought is declared the contract provides for an agreed price increase from then until the drought is over.

A bonus is paid for every animal that reaches an agreed target weight and conversely a penalty on any animal that fails to reach an agreed minimum weight.

MDM also takes into consideration animal health and other husbandry expenses.

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Rural News // april 23, 2014

46 animal health

Who pays when the vet is called?

A healthy ‘Eve’ models injury for the sake of the article.

VETERINARY EXPENSES for working dogs has often been a bone of contention between New Zealand farm workers and farm owners.

Who should pay?

Although I have never owned a farm and employed staff, I can see why some owners choose not to pay any expenses

related to staff’s dogs, apart from food.

After all, if you are handling stock you need your own dogs; they are tools of the trade that you pro-

A little goes a long way in 56 days ACTIVE CONSTITUENT : 10mg/mL (1% w/v) Abamectin

vide, so you care for them on a day-to-day basis and pay for vet expenses when needed. Agreed?

Why should a farm pay if people neglect their dog’s welfare or take unnecessary risks when working their dogs, putting them in danger. Then there are the brutes out there that beat and torture their dogs, inflicting broken bones and many other physical injuries.

They may adamantly claim their dog was kicked by a cow.

Supposedly if a dog owner pays he will be more diligent with his dogs. Put like this it is easy to understand the reasoning behind a farm not paying.

the virus.

Due to it being deadly, easily transferred, and staying in the ground for years before attacking vulnerable dogs, it should be every dog owner’s responsibility to safeguard his dogs; it should not be a farm’s responsibility.

Please tell new staff, before they arrive on the property, if you have ever had a dog die there of Parvo. I heard recently of a young shepherd, new to dogs, who wasn’t told there had been an outbreak of Parvo at his house and kennels a few months previously. He nearly lost a prized pup.

It is the responsibility of a farm owner or manager to inform new staff so they can have their vaccinations up to date.

Something interesting: a few months ago I was appalled at the cost of having two heading pups vaccinated with their first shot, so much so that I rang eight vet clinics in different areas. The cost

Who should pay for Parvovirus vaccinations? Having given this a lot of thought lately I now believe the dog owner should pay.

However, many farm workers will disagree and I understand their plight.

Genuine injuries occur to working dogs that handle stock: it is a dangerous occupation for man and canine. The dog is injured whilst working; it’s no one’s fault; why can’t the farm pay the vet bill?

And where do you draw the line? A few stitches and some antibiotics are a cheap investment but broken bones, ripped tendons, etc, soon clock up the dollars, often exceeding the value of the dog.

Who should pay for Parvovirus vaccinations?

Having given this a lot of thought lately I now believe the dog owner should pay. Staff often come and go, along with their dogs; you can never be sure who vaccinates their dogs, and which properties have had a problem in the past with

TOPLINE is the only abamectin pour-on formulation with at least 56 days protection for your cattle against biting and sucking lice with a low dose volume of only 1mL/20kg b.w.

TOPLINE can be used come rain or shine, has a nil milk withholding period and the low viscosity delivers the active more rapidly due to our innovative composition made here in New Zealand If you need a little something to go a long way for your cattle this dry-off, ask your vet about TOPLINE. Available in convenient 2.5L or 5L backpacks.

VIR_0441_RN28x5

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15/04/14 9:19 am

to vaccinate one pup with its first Parvo-only vaccine ranged from $38 to $72.

The subject of working dog expenses should be bought up at interviews and everything made clear regarding what will and will not be provided, to prospective employees. It really is a tough one; dogs are valuable (but not valuable enough) and vet fees for surgery are terrifying.

Looking back over the years I recall some dog tucker, some horse shoeing and some hay; I say some because some places provided and some didn’t.

I remember paying the vet bills. And I remember a meagre allowance for wet weather gear, dog, horse and saddlery.

• Anna Holland is teaching people dog training. For more information www. annaholland.co.nz or Ph 07) 217 0101 or annaholland@xtra.co.nz

Rural News // april 23, 2014

machinery & products 47

New high-performing mower: durable, light GA RE T H G I LLAT T

A NEWLY launched NZmade topper-mower is high in performance and durability, says Peter Lawry, a director of Glaber Ltd, the Hastings manufacturer.

Launched at recent regional field days, the Uppercut 2700 (2.7m

wide) unit is compact and lightweight, but also strong and effective, the company says. It carries a two-year warranty.

Its 5mm solid steel deck is welded to a heavy steel spine; 8mm thick wear-resistant steel is used for the mower skids.

The body is sandblasted and zinc sprayed

then finished with two coats of specialist paint.

The top of the mower is protected by rotationally moulded plastic guards.

Drive power is through an Italian-made Rotis gearbox; the blade spindles are described as “oversize”.

Two versions are available: 1000rpm and

540rpm. The 1000rpm version is rated 122hp and has an over-run clutch (in the event of throttling off or putting the tractor out of gear the mower winds down without imposing stress on the tractor or implement).

The left- and righthand spindles are powered via twin SKF SVB double

Wireless control GERMAN-MADE VADERSTAD

Tempo planters can now be controlled wirelessly via the company’s E-Service that also allows parts for the machine to be ordered using an iPad app.

Distributor C B Norwood refers to “wireless control through an easy to use and beautifully designed iPad application”.

The iPad connects to the Tempo planter’s secure wireless network.

An active internet connection is not required for use in the field.

The control system includes: management of the planting process, including seed, fertiliser and microgranules; configuration of the Tempo machine; individual row shut-off (seed, fertiliser and microgranules); tramlining; and logging of data and events.

With an Isobus platform in the tractor, it is possible to use the Isobus terminal to control the machine.

A ‘black box’ on the Tempo machine displays the necessary data to Vaderstad-approved virtual

Vaderstad’s wireless service allows parts ordered using an iPad app.

veebelts with automatic tensioners.

Nine sharp blades give a fast cut. Buyers may choose between a short, fine French-made blade

for grass, and a heavier and longer stepped blade for rougher pasture, rushes or young gorse.

Cutting performance is helped by ‘turbo vanes’

which create an airflow that directs the cut grass evenly out the back of the machine.

Tel. 06 873 3667 www.glaber.co.nz

POSTDRIVERS terminals.

In a non-Isobus environment the operator can control the machine with an iPad connected wirelessly to the Gateway. The Gateway also logs GPS, seed quantity, alarms and other data.

The iPad can also be placed in a custom-designed Vaderstad holder

with several function keys for central manoeuvres.

Väderstad E-services is available for 6- to 8-row Tempo machines.

The control system will be available for more product families late 2014.

For previous machines, there will be options for retrofitting. www.norwood.co.nz

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Rural News // april 23, 2014

48 machinery & products

All-encompassing farm management software gareth gillatt

NEW FARM management cloud software developed by Wairarapa sheepand-beef farmers allows input from everybody on a farm, says Gretchen Bunny, managing director of AgRecord, formed to market the product.

AgRecord was formed in 2012 by Ginny Neal, a former school principal and wife of Stu, who is Castlepoint Station farm manager and winner of the 2012 Wairarapa Sheep and Beef Business of the Year award.

Neal’s software Cloud Farmer addresses inefficiencies she identified in their business and it allows better allocation of farm staff and resources.

She had also seen scope for more consistency in information given to and required from staff, and better access to historical records and information held in filing cabinets or notebooks.

AgRecord in its first year helped mostly go-ahead owners of large stations to develop software tailored to their needs.

The firm’s first program, called Team Talk, took about 30 hours to custom build for each client. Now, Bunny says, the company is releasing Cloud Farmer, a plug-and-play program based on the Team Talk architecture.

It has many of the features needed to manage a farming business – weekly planner, jobs list, calendar, stock

records, space to upload printable farm maps, and best practice and health and safety documentation.

But it differs from other management software, Bunny says. Many such programs are intended for farm owners and store their commercially sensitive data. Cloud Farmer differs in being accessible to almost anybody involved in a farm business.

Owners can add workers, consultants and even service providers as users of the system, while keeping full control of what they can see.

“It gives everybody a chance to get involved in the running of the farm.

Farm workers feel like they play more of a part in the farm.”

Farmers are now testing the software. Some have warmed particularly to the diary, she says.

Workers are allocated a colour to use when making entries, allowing all to see who has written what, but without jobs being allocated specifically in the weekly planner. Instead a ‘job list’ column records who is allocated what job.

Record keeping (e.g. stock records, chemical inventory, health and safety register) automatically populates with the initials of the person who entered the data. “The diary is where we see this; staff almost compete with each other on who has done the most in a day. This is good. Once they write in the diary it

AgRecord’s Gretchen Bunny says its farm management software allows input from everybody on the farm.

prompts them to do things like update the chemical register or jobs list.”

Though Cloud Farming is plug-andply it can be customized. For example, with users can change the appearance of the program and add extra tables and pages as needed. “Some people like to record feed covers or soil moisture or any number of things.”

AgRecord hopes to work with third party providers to supply other plug-in modules farmers could use, Bunny says.

“I’m a stick-to-my-knitting girl, so we’ll stick to the basics we know we can do well and look for people who are specialists to develop modules.”

Apple iOS and Android apps are both ‘in the works’.

Drive Rats Out!

Website visitors can sign for a free one-month trial on their website.

Buying in costs a one-off fee of $1500 for the system and a tiered monthly subscription starting at $50/month for regular system updates, support and data maintenance Tel. 06 855 5378 www.agrecord.co.nz

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Rural News // april 23, 2014

machinery & products 49

Online system offered for nutrient information

What’s Ag Hub? • Mapping – an accurate map of farm boundaries, paddocks and land features. Ag Hub farm mapping is based on the best source of aerial mapping data in New Zealand.

• Nutrient management – accurate management of nutrients saves time and makes it easy. The farmer can view soil test information, fertiliser plans, access nutrient management plans, and view/ manage nutrient budgets.

• Online ordering – seamlessly scan Ag Hub and Ballance Online to view the status of current orders and order history, and create orders for properties directly from historical fertiliser plans.

with multiple properties can use Ag Hub to view and compare information across each farm from anywhere in the world with internet access.

Ag Hub won the Telecommunications

Users Association of New Zealand (TUANZ) ‘best of the best’ prize at its 2011 Innovations Awards.

Ballance bought a 51% shareholding in in 2011 and the remainder last year.

AgHub manager Clive Nothling shows customers what its all about at the recent Waimumu Field Days.

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Included in the free offer to shareholders is GIS interactive farm mapping, access to farm nutrient budgets, soil tests and fertiliser plan histories, as well as online ordering of Ballance products.

Shareholders may also add other modules specific to their farming operations.

Ballance general manager of ag-information Graeme Martin says the technology is effectively a one-stop shop for farmspecific data.

“If a farmer wants to look at any information on the farm to help make a decision, then Ag Hub will immediately show a complete view of the property over four aspects – production, environment, fertiliser and nutrition (feed).

The system can measure and control water, irrigation and effluent, and monitor things like soil moisture and weather conditions.”

The system can text users if it detects something out of the ordinary with an effluent irrigator, such as a drop in pressure, or if the spreader is nearing a waterway or fence or stops moving, which could otherwise result in consent breaches. It can also shut off effluent spreading. Nutrient mapping capability records the nutrient value of the effluent and where it has been placed, allowing fertiliser plans to be adapted accordingly.

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SHAREHOLDERS OF fertiliser co-op Ballance are being offered free access to the awardwinning Ag Hub farm technology system.

Ballance AgriNutrients took over Ag Hub last year and chief executive Larry Bilodeau says that with farmers under increasing pressure to track nutrient use and manage nutrient budgets, putting the technology in shareholders’ hands has been a priority.

All Ballance shareholders are being offered free access to the Ag Hub system for their nutrient information.

“Farmers want practical, accurate systems to support on-farm decisions and Ag Hub provides the level of real-time information to help them make the right calls, both for their business and for the environment,” says Bilodeau.

“Our goal is to help our shareholders farm more profitably and sustainably through the delivery of complete nutrient management products and advice. Free access to farm information technology is another step in this direction.

“Longer term we envisage even more technology with the integration of new information-based products and modelling systems into Ag Hub as we bring to market some of the outcomes of our research and development programmes.”

Ag Hub has evolved from a farm mapping system into a solution-

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50 machinery & products

Big reds give all the power needed for tough jobs KENT WALMSLEY is a Massey Ferguson man, not for the paint job, but for their performance.

Kent and Diane Walmsley run K and D Mulching out of Tauranga.

He needs enough tractor power to mulch 100mm cuttings, robustness enough to cope with knee-deep prunings and a crawl speed of 1km/h.

His MF 7615 has a 150hp 6-cyl engine and a Dyna-6 transmission.

His first MF was a 6470 and it came when he bought the contracting operation business in 2006.

“This one is a big step up. It’s only 20hp more but nearly double the torque, and that’s what we were chasing. We didn’t get a creeper box because it is slow enough without it and we still get a 40km/h gearbox.”

The road speed is also important as Walmsley travels up to Waihi, across to the Kaimai Range and down to Welcome Bay cleaning up shelterbelt cuttings and avocado prunings.

The work is year-round other than wet winter days and over the few weeks when bees are pollinating. That means he spends a lot of his life in the cab.

He opted for the ‘essential’ cab because he did not want a lot of electronics. “It’s a quiet comfortable cab. It’s on springs and it has an air-suspension seat. I’m a lot less fatigued at the end of the day.”

To suit his mulching business he did some modifications to the MF 7615. He put on narrower wheels to make the tractor narrow enough to fit around the headlands in kiwifruit orchards. He also added steel

Kent Walmsley and his MF7615.

guards to the back and sides, and a belly plate to protect the fuel tank, air filter, electrics and hoses.

The MF 7615 has a forestry mulcher on the PTO that cuts soft wood up to 100mm. On the first cut in heavy stuff it crawls along at 1.1 km/h and on the second or third cuts goes up to 2.0km/h.

He follows three independent contractors who do the hedge cutting and pruning.

“The MF 7615 is a nimble tractor and manoeuvres around rows.

We get in some tight spots, especially with kiwifruit but it’s got sharp turning especially with the narrow tyres.

“Maintenance is not a problem.

It’s easy to access the filters, especially the air filter, and the radiator is spaced out so you can get the air gun in. The grease nipples are on the side for the front axle so you don’t have to crawl underneath.”

The engine is a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) Tier 4 common rail. This means it has low emissions and requires a urea product to bind with the nitrogen oxide in the exhaust stream.

Walmsley says the additional tank (for the urea), once set up was not a problem. “And the engine is super quiet. It doesn’t smoke when it’s under load; it’s smooth, quiet power.

“People are saying ‘flip, that’s a

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nice tractor’, and if you turn up looking efficient it does help.”

It also help that it’s a Massey Ferguson. “Everyone identifies with Massey, I get a big smile when I arrive with a big red tractor; everyone tells me stories of the old 24s that broke in New Zealand.”

Kent bought his MF 7615 from Waikato Tractors’ salesman Glenn Greay, who is ‘plain speaking’ – “information without rubbish”.

“It was the same with the service guys. Everyone bent over backwards. We had a few teething problems and they talked us through it over the phone. Nothing’s a problem.” www.agco.com.au

Check out our websites

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Strength / Quality / Performance

www.ruralnews.co.nz

Rural News // april 23, 2014

machinery & products 51

Ploughman can’t see enough of Clydesdales TON Y HO P KI N SO N

A LOVE of driving Clydesdale and half-draught horses towing the milk cart began for Fred Pilling (73) when he was 12 years old, and it remains to this day.

Asked by Rural News why he likes these horses, he answers, “I can’t answer that, I just do.”

“I lived on the outskirts of Ashton-underLyne, near Manchester, Lancashire. The milkman would allow me to drive the horse and cart for short spells and I felt I was in heaven.”

He says comedian Benny Hill’s song ‘Ernie drove the fastest milk cart in the west,’ still brings tears to his eyes as it brings back memories.

Pilling will compete in the horse ploughing section at the New Zealand Ploughing Championship finals to be held in Blenheim on May 10-11. The horse ploughing division is sponsored by Fred Pilling will compete in horse ploughing at the NZ Ploughing Champs in Blenheim on May 10-11.

Rural News Group.

He has competed at the previous 10 New Zealand finals, being runnerup several times but has yet to achieve his ultimate goal to win the New Zealand final.

As he grew up and trained as a toolmaker he mixed with horse people on surrounding farms, and he worked at relief milking, working on farms and managing large piggeries.

In 1964, aged 23, he sailed to New Zealand on his “big adventure” and in 1966 settled in Hamilton and worked as a toolmaker for Plastic Products for eight years. In 1978 with a partner he started Pilling and Leggett Engineering Co Ltd, precision engineers, and is still a director and actively involved.

His interest in Clydesdale and Shire horse was reignited when he saw two in a paddock near Hamilton and this led to him joining the Waikato Heavy Horse Association; he has been

president for 15 years.

For the past 10 years he has lived at Te Kowhai on the outskirts of Hamilton where he has a 22ha farm. At present he has 13

horses; he has had as many as 30, mainly Clydesdales and some Shire horses.

“I entered my first competition 15 years ago and have been compet-

ing ever since with varying degrees of success.”

He will take his present team of Bonnie and Janet to Blenheim.

Each entrant with a

single furrow plough, cuts a 60m x 10m plot and teams with double furrow ploughs to do a 60m x 20m plot; they have three hours to complete

the task.

Pilling says six months are needed to train a team, especially one that is comfortable walking in the furrow.

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Rural News // april 23, 2014

52 machinery & products

Above right: Because the drawbar is centrally linked the mower can be easily swung.

Left: Fella’s trailed mower.

This ‘Fella’ makes cutting more flexible FELLA HAS launching a trailed mower with transport chassis and centrally linked drawbar. The SM 3065 Trans with a working width of 3.00 m and the SM 3575 Trans with a working width of 3.50 m are both available with roller or tine-rotor conditioner.

Because the drawbar is centrally linked the mower can be easily swung to the left and right behind the tractor, the company says. This offers the flexibility of mowing to suit the ground surface and any other requirement, for example, when forage is lying on the ground, on sloping terrain and for contour line work.

The high lifting height (600mm) of the new trailed mower at the headland is made possible by lifting the transport wheels. The resulting ground clearance is perfectly suited for travelling effortlessly over mowed swathes, Fella says.

The freedom of movement of the mower unit in working position of up to 400 mm can be relied upon to prevent the it from contacting the ground and digging into the sward, including even on closely undulating terrain.

The trailed hitch attachment of the SM 3065 Trans/ SM 3575 Trans ensures good ground adaptation as well as ground-conserving and fuel-saving mowing.

Operator convenience is high, the maker says. Fold-up hoods give good cutter bar access, and steplessly variable cutting-height adjustment, without tools, speeds the job.

A robust pivoting gearbox puts less strain on the driveshaft even in sharp bends.

The tool box is integrated in the drawbar.

The mower with roller conditioner suits low-impact conditioning of leafy forage, good for large volumes.

With the tine-rotor conditioner version the possibility of adjusting the conditioning intensity in five positions without the use of tools makes for flexibility regardless of weather.

The SM 3065 Trans / SM 3575 Trans is fitted with Fella’s Driveguard overload protection as standard equipment.

Fella is imported in New Zealand by C B Norwood Distributors Ltd. www.fella.co.nz

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Rural News // april 23, 2014

machinery & products 53

Neighbour’s drill catches farmer’s interest NIGEL RATHGEN and his father Ross farm 1400ha at St Andrews, South Canterbury. Their dairy farm is 280ha and the rest is cropping and dairy support.

They had for some time been looking at a Horsch drill owned by a neighbour, seeing it well-built and doing a “great job”, says C B Norwood Distributors.

And because the Rathgens could find nothing better, two years ago they bought a Horsch Pronto DC6 drill from Johnson Gluyas Tractors, Washdyke. One year later they bought a Horsch Terrano MT4 cultivator.

It had been taking them five passes to prepare a paddock for cereals. Now with the Horsch cultivator and drill, it is down to three and Nigel thinks two may be enough. Depending on the crop, some paddocks are now done with a single pass and drill.

All their cropping – about 800ha – is for seed: grass, brassica and cereals. “We needed to get our seed crops into the ground faster,” says Nigel, “The new gear cuts down our

Nigel Rathgen says using Horsch gear means fewer passes for preparation and sowing cereals.

away with something lighter but we need the power because our land is hilly and you need the

speed or it doesn’t finish properly.”

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work by at least a quarter.”

The Horsch Terrano MT4 cultivator is 4.0 m wide with two rows of discs, two rows of tines and levelling discs. It’s designed for heavy soils, important to the Rathgens on their compacted sedimentary Claremont soils with poor drainage.

“The tines rip down to about 250mm, while the discs work the top 50mm. That means they’re improving drainage but not bringing up the subsoil to mix with the aerobic top layer.”

Nigel also owns a grubber that he uses to break up turf. This year they

spread mulched straw in some paddocks rather than bale it, and the grubber wouldn’t go through it, but with its high clearance the Terrano did. “We did two passes with the Horsch cultivator and then drilled. The second pass really buried the trash.”

Nigel had had problems working dry ground.

Not anymore. “We bought a block this year that was bone dry and had no work done for years. The Terrano worked it and sold itself on that. “It leaves a good level seedbed and it is well made. I’m impressed with how well it is built. It would take a

dumb driver running into something to break it.”

Nigel pulls the Horsch Terrano with a Case IH MX230.

The Horsch Pronto DC6 drill is quite different from the Rathgen’s old drill. It is bigger and fully computerised. Nigel soon got his head around the computer. The drill consists of two sets of discs, then packers, openers, rollers and fingers on the back to cover up. The front discs can be set for different depths and Nigel usually only works the top one to 50mm.

The rows are spaced at 150mm, with variable

depth. It has a seed box for small seeds, which Nigel is considering using for carrots, because it can accurately deliver low rates.

“The Pronto drill is easy to calibrate. You weigh the seed as it goes through the rotor and it’s calibrated.”

The drill is said to take no more than 30 seconds to go from transport mode to operating mode, and it is done with the push of a button and pull of a lever. The computer tells the driver what range of speeds is possible. Nigel says 12-14km/h works best.

He pulls it with a 200hp tractor.

“On the flat you’d get

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• Nest boxes - manual or automated • Feed & Drinking • Plastic egg trays

A trusted name in Poultry Industry for over 50 years

www.ruralnews.co.nz

TUNNELHOUSES

❖

ORDERS AND ENQUIRIES

0800 542 542

www.regiscoatings.co.nz

RAINWEAR & BOOT SALE! $50! $80 $60 $70 Buffalo Boots!

AND MUCH MORE...

EPOXY SCREED FOR ERODED FLOORS

QUALITY PRODUCTS MADE IN EUROPE OR BY PPP

❖

SD-1825 with 1 collar ................$695.00 SD-1225 with 1 collar ................ $595.00 SD-825 with 1 collar ..................$495.00 Extra collars $375.00 – PRICES INCLUDE GST

COMPETITIONS

™

Cretex TR

GREAT VALUE

MACHINERY REVIEWS

DAIRY FLOOR REPAIRS ™

Up to 6 rechargeable waterproof collar units & remotes • Model SD-1825 – 1.6 Kms range (1 mile) • Model SD-1225 – 1.2 Kms range • Model SD-825 – 800 Metre range All with Tone & Vibration options 24 levels of correction – 3 year warranty

MARKETS & TRENDS

Ph/Fax 07 347 2292

TROWEL GRADE EPOXY FILLER

Free Range & Barn Eggs

MANAGEMENT STORIES

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

• 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

Flexiskin Rainwear - 100% Waterproof, Lightweight, Breathable!

THE

Dirty water IN

Clean water OUT

BEST

✓ Highest European quality ❍ ✓ No expensive cartridges ❍

CHOICE FOR YOUR

✓ Dual stage filtration ❍ ✓ High flow rates ❍

WATER

✓ Economical to maintain ❍ ✓ Domestic & industrial ❍ Ph: 09-376 0463 Email: mark@jder-cintropur.co.nz www.jder-cintropur.co.nz

Please add $10 Freight per order

Culvert Pipes New Zealand’s CHEAPEST Culvert Pipes!

FREE joiners supplied on request.

ONE STOP WATER SHOP 300mm x 6 metre ................................ $410 400mm x 6 metre ................................ $515 500mm x 6 metre ................................ $690 600mm x 6 metre ................................ $925 800mm x 6 metre .............................. $1399 1000mm x 6 metre ............................ $2175 1200mm x 6 metre ............................ $3475 ALL PRICES INCLUDE G.S.T.

• Lightweight, easy to install • Made from polyethylene

McKee Plastics, Mahinui Street, Feilding Phone 06 323 4181 Fax 06 323 4183 McKee Plastics, 231 Kahikatea Drive, Hamilton. Ph 07 847 7788 sales@mckeeplastics.co.nz www.mckeeplastics.co.nz

Phone

0800 625 826

for your nearest stockist

Joiners supplied FREE with culvert pipes

Rural News // april 23, 2014

rural trader 55

GRAZING Long Term Lease 44 Hectares available from 1 June Tokoroa South Waikato Email: lucyann45@yahoo.com.au

DOLOMITE

At CCN we help lonely COUNTRY gentlemen in finding their soul mate and romantic partners. We specialise in introducing couples the old fashioned way, the only way that assures a high rate in success.

To find your special partner please call

CRAIGCO SENSOR JET DEAL TO FLY AND LICE • Cost Effective

QUAD SAFETY

• Complete Package

BE PROACTIVE WITH A LIFEGUARD®!

Regarded as the safest CPD in the world!

Country Girl Looking For Love!

NZ’s finest BioGro certified Mg fertiliser For a delivered price call...

0800 436 566

• Unbeatable pricing • Performance Guaranteed

P 06 835 6863 - www.craigcojetters.com

FLY OR LICE PROBLEM?

✰ Why are Landcorp fitting them to their Quads?

A Flexible CPD makes sense!

0800 782 3763

1299+GST

Rubber Safety Matting • 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

Chicken Litter

A New Zealand Innovation

$

www.countrycompanionship.co.nz

• Available to south Waikato dairy farmers to be picked up from site • About 3000 tonnes per year • Just over 480 tonnes available approximately every six weeks • Available for long term contract

✰ Winner of 3 major design and safety awards.

www.atvlifeguard.co.nz

0800 446 332

• The magic eye sheepjetter since 1989 Unique • Quality construction and options self adjusting • Get the contractors choice sides • Direct from the manufacturer • Efficient application and unequalled cost savings

Phone 07 573 8512 • www.electrodip.com

Be ahead of the scramble for natural fertilisers “The world is finally waking up to the long term damages of artificial fertilisers and the resulting loss of topsoil.”

Secure a long term Email your interest for discussion to supply contract now. Lucyann45@yahoo.com.au

Happy Birthday 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

Your advert here For details contact: julie beech Ph 09-307 0399 • julieb@ruralnews.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.

MOBILE FEED TROUGHS 4.5M (3 Wheel) Jumbo Culvert PK Feeder $3499.00 inc

6M Culvert (mobile) $1375.00 inc

4M - 800L Budget Drawbar $2050.00 inc

6.0M (6 Wheel) Jumbo Culvert PK Feeder $4999.00 inc

1700 Litres

2400 Litres

McKee Plastics, Mahinui Street, Feilding | Phone 06 323 4181 | Fax 06 323 4183 McKee Plastics, 231 Kahikatea Drive, Hamilton | Phone 07 847 7788 sales@mckeeplastics.co.nz | www.mckeeplastics.co.nz

EY S S A M H IT W GET MORE

S E T A R S E T A M MEANS

GET MORE

!

E U L A V GE

HU

MF GC1700 SERIES 22.5 – 24.5 hp For both residential and professional operations.

3-cylinder liquid cooled diesel engine.

2 range hydrostatic transmission.

Rear and mid independent PTO. Uncluttered operator’s area, with new ergonomic seat.

Optional 60” mowing deck.

MF4600 SERIES 3 models ranging from 80 – 100 hp.

2-speed rear PTO.

Take on every task around the farm with the manoeuvrable MF4600 Series.

12F/12R power shuttle transmission.

Tier 4 emission compliant engines.

Large lift capacity of 2500 kg.

140 – 235 hp Fuel efficient and powerful 6 cylinder, 6.6 litre AGCO POWER engine.

Adaptable class leading Dyna-VT, Continuously Variable Transmission or Dyna-6 Transmission.

Unique left-hand forward reverse shuttle with speed increase/decrease function.

Comfortable cabin with right hand armrest controls developed with over 55 years experience.

82 – 107 hp Powerful Perkins engine.

Dyna 4 semi-powershift transmission (16F/16R).

Superb power to weight ratio.

Unique styling enhances visibility for loader work.

New design delivers exceptional ground clearance.

GET MORE TODAY! SEE YOUR NEAREST MASSEY FERGUSON DEALER. North Island Kaikohe Whangarei Morrinsville Hamilton Matamata Rotorua Taupo Gisborne

Renton Motors (1976) Limited Bryant Tractors (1983) Ltd Piako Tractors Waikato Tractors Limited Matamata Tractors & Machinery Piako Tractors Limited Taupo Tractor & Machinery Ltd AP Hydraulics

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South Island Nelson Blenheim Ross

Tractor Repairs & Spares Ltd Tractor Repairs & Spares Ltd Ross Motors (2004) Ltd

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JJ Limited JJ Limited JJ Limited Stills Farm Machinery Ltd JJ Limited JJ Limited JJ Limited

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