Rural News 15 June 2021

NEWS Meticulous planning helps farmers take out deer award.

PAGE 16

GET IN BE MACHINERY & PRODUCT Is the day of the drone closer than we think?

PAGE 28-29

YOUR FAVOURITE

TO ALL FARMERS, FOR ALL FARMERS JUNE 15, 2021: ISSUE 728

www.ruralnews.co.nz

Turn to page 1

SCAN TO

VOTE

Together, Creating the Best Soil and Feed on Earth

The future of farming and growing starts here Visit us at Mystery Creek Fieldays 16–19 June

BAL13311 Ballance Rural News Wrap_Final2.indd 1

8/06/21 5:38 PM

Come and see us at Mystery C how we can help you f Nutrient management at your fingertips Your farm at your fingertips

Spread smarter with Super Air

BAL13311 Ballance Rural News Wrap_Final2.indd 2

NEWS

MACHINERY & PRODUCTS

Meticulous planning helps farmers take out deer award.

Is the day of the drone closer than we think?

PAGE 16

MANAGEMENT Managing through drought successfully PAGE 24

PAGE 28-29

TO ALL FARMERS, FOR ALL FARMERS JUNE 15, 2021: ISSUE 728

www.ruralnews.co.nz

Cow cull coming?

SUDESH KISSUN sudeshk@ruralnews.co.nz

FARMERS ARE happy to play their part in reducing greenhouse gas emissions but the Government has to come to the party.

With the Climate Change Commission (CCC) delivering its final advice last week, DairyNZ chief executive Tim Mackle says now it is now up to the

Government to deliver a credible emissions reduction plan for New Zealand – and the investment in tools and support required to achieve it.

The CCC is calling for a 13.6% reduction in livestock numbers by 2030. It expects this to drop by 8% anyway and recommends a further 6% reduction. The expectation is for the country’s farmers to still produce the same amount of milk and meat from

the fewer animals.

This expectation is described as ‘ambitious’ and ‘a tough call’ by the farming sector. Mackle says a 10% reduction for biogenic methane recommended by the commission will be “incredibly challenging” for farmers. However, he says they are committed to playing their part and reducing emissions alongside the rest of the economy.

“We are pleased the goalposts haven’t shifted from the Zero Carbon Act and farmers now have certainty they need to make long-term investment decisions.”

Mackle agrees with the CCC that New Zealand urgently needs a longterm plan for R&D investment from industry and government, to help us rise to the challenge.

“Investment in rural digital connec-

tivity is also required to enable farmers to have better reporting and rapid uptake of new technologies to drive down emissions.”

Meanwhile, red meat farmers support some aspects of the commission’s final advice to the Government – including the ‘splitgas’ approach domestically to treat short-lived and long-lived greenhouse TO PAGE 4

A big job Fed Farmers national board member Chris Allen farms a strip alongside Taylors Stream just before it joins the south branch of the Ashburton River, near Ashburton Forks.

During the recent flooding, the stream burst its banks and poured into and overflowed an irrigation pond at the top of the farm.

It also swept down the farm, taking out culverts, fences and stock water lines, and depositing silt and gravel through feed crops. Close to the house, Allen had water “over the top of the Red Bands” and there is now 50mm deep sediment in a shed which he said has never before seen floodwaters.

“It was just a vast amount of water. It’s huge.” Over a week into the clean-up, Allen has found more fencing damaged than he initially thought but some is salvageable. He already has a contractor doing repairs and student volunteers have helped clear debris from some fencelines. His brother has also come down from Auckland to help out. – See more on flood clean-up pages 6-7.

GET IN BEHIND YOUR FAVOURITE

SCAN TO

VOTE

YOUNG FARMER.

FMGPCRNFPFPS_P

LEFT TO RIGHT: CALVIN BALL NORTHERN, JAKE JARMAN TARANAKI/MANAWATU, KIERAN MCCAHON WAIKATO/ BAY OF PLENTY, SAM HODSELL OTAGO/SOUTHLAND, ROSHEAN WOODS TASMAN, DALE MCALWEE AORANGI, JOSEPH WATTS EAST COAST

Vote for the FMG Young Farmer of the Year People’s Choice Award and you’ll go in the draw to win a Black GoPro Hero 8.* Plus you could win $2,000 for your local Young Farmers Club. So vote now at fmg.co.nz/peopleschoice *Terms and Conditions apply. See website for details.

RURAL NEWS // JUNE 15, 2021

NEWS 3 ISSUE 728

www.ruralnews.co.nz

Wool nightmare for BLNZ! SUDESH KISSUN sudeshk@ruralnews.co.nz

NEWS ��������������������������������������1-16 AGRIBUSINESS ���������������������� 17 MARKETS ���������������������������18-19 HOUND, EDNA ���������������������� 20 CONTACTS ����������������������������� 20 OPINION ��������������������������� 20-23 MANAGEMENT �������������� 24-25 ANIMAL HEALTH ������������26-27 MACHINERY AND PRODUCTS ����������������������� 28-31 RURAL TRADER �������������� 31-32

HEAD OFFICE Top Floor, 29 Northcroft Street, Takapuna, Auckland 0622 Phone: 09-307 0399 Fax: 09-307 0122 POSTAL ADDRESS PO Box 331100, Takapuna, Auckland 0740

FARMERS ARE being reminded about their decision to vote down the wool levy 11 years ago.

Speaking last week at a Beef + Lamb NZ (BLNZ) roadshow meeting in Glen Murray, Waikato, director Martin Coup urged farmers to think whether the decision to reject a wool levy was a good thing or not.

“You are faced with a same decision now; it’s pretty much that simple,” he told about 35 farmers at the roadshow.

Red meat farmers are voting to give BLNZ another six year term. They are also voting to increase the sheep levy by 5c to 75c and whether to raise the levy ceiling from 75c to 95c for sheep and from $5.40 to $5.95 for beef.

Coup says proposing a 5c rise in sheep levy hasn’t been easy for the board.

“As a board, there’s nothing that irks us more than to ask our farmers for more money,” he says.

Coup admitted that such a call creates a lot of strain and angst around the board table.

Waikato farmer Neil Aiken (left) with BLNZ director Martin Coup at the roadshow in Glen Murray last week.

“It’s not an easy thing to do”.

“We are raising the sheep levy by 5c, we are taking some more money from your pockets and we don’t do this lightly.”

If approved, the 5c sheep levy increase is expected to raise another $1.1million. BLNZ has a budgeted levy income of $31 million in the 202122 financial year, topped up addi-

tional Government funding and other income to the tune of $13m.

In the levy period from 2016-2021, Coup says the organisation leveraged outside funding of around $63 million through the likes of B+LNZ Genetics, Pastoral Genomics, the Pastoral Greenhouse Gas Research Consortium, and the Red Meat Profit Partnership.

Coup talked about “a bell wave” of environmental issues coming towards farmers which they must deal with.

“When we drove tractors up Parliament steps, we didn’t deal with those issues back then.”

He warns that if farmers don’t deal with the issues themselves, someone else would tell them what to do.

“We have top staff in Wellington, who are well placed, but that will require resources,” he says.

Coup pointed out that the Labour Government has 65 out of the 120 seats.

“They hold the power and can do whatever they want,” he adds.

“So, we have to be really strong on how to deal with that. We need top people walking into those rooms and having great conversations and making sure we are offering some solutions.”

Voting opened on June 1 and closes July 12. Coup says BLNZ is seeking more than 50% on two counts: one vote per farmer and another vote based on production.

“We have to pass on both counts otherwise we fail and BLNZ ceases to exist.”

Cybersecurity concerns

Published by: Rural News Group Printed by: Inkwise NZ Ltd 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 79,553 as at 31.03.2019

MAJOR NEW Zealand meat and dairy exporters say they are taking cybersecurity seriously.

While no major New Zealand meat or dairy processor has reported cybersecurity breaches, the recent crippling attack on the world’s largest meat processor JBS shows that companies need to be prepared.

Meat Industry Association chief executive Sirma Karapeeva says that while she can’t comment specifically

HONEST, HARDWORKING, NZ MADE LEGENDS

on the JBS situation, NZ’s red meat industry takes the security of its systems extremely seriously.

“New Zealand’s processing and exporting companies continue to invest in this area to ensure we are adequately prepared,” Karapeeva told Rural News.

Fonterra chief information security officer Thomas Willig told Rural News that cybersecurity has become a common challenge for

businesses globally.

“We have a cybersecurity strategy in place to minimise the likelihood of ransomware incidents, improve resiliency and mitigate negative impacts in the event of an attack.”

Two weeks ago, JBS was forced to shutdown all its US beef plants, stalling output from facilities that supply almost a quarter of American supplies.

Dairy Companies of New Zealand

Like the Huntaway, the ‘Weekender’ travel bag from Honest Wolf is another kiwi legend. Made entirely using NZ wool and leather.

Our next generation BIONIC® PLUS is also entirely NZ made and, as a combination worming capsule over 100 days, brings you ultimate peace of mind for your ewes and their lambs.

BOE 1194

Ensure young stock become future high producers through improved health, growth and energy at:

futureproducers.co.nz

(DCANZ) chief executive Kimberly Crewther says the increase in cyber crime is concerning for all businesses, with the attacks on the Waikato District Health Board and JBS being just two examples.

She says dairy companies work individually with cyber security providers and DCANZ is not privy to the specifics of this engagement or individual company experiences.

– Sudesh Kissun

This exclusive offer pairing Honest Wolf and BIONIC PLUS reinforces our belief in supporting NZ farmers.

So, talk with your vet clinic about BIONIC PLUS and how to get your FREE * Honest Wolf ‘Weekender’ travel bag.

*Only while stocks last. Promotion runs from 1st May to 30th September 2021.

PROUDLY AVAILABLE FROM YOUR LOCAL PARTICIPATING VETERINARY CLINIC Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health New Zealand Limited. Level 3, 2 Osterley Way, Manukau, Auckland, New Zealand. BIONIC® is a registered trademark of Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica GmbH, used under license. Registered pursuant to the ACVM Act 1997, No. A011825.

See product label for full claim details and directions for use. © Copyright 2021 Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health New Zealand Limited. All rights reserved. NZ-OVI-0020-2021.

RURAL NEWS // JUNE 15, 2021

4 NEWS

O’Connor to tackle ‘tricky issues’ PETER BURKE peterb@ruralnews.co.nz

TRADE AND Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor is in the UK and Europe this week in an attempt to breathe some life into the two crucial free trade agreements (FTAs) New Zealand is negotiating with the EU and the UK. Before he left NZ, O’Connor told Rural News that while both the negotiations are ongoing, they are at a point where some direct political discussions are necessary to help get through a couple of “tricky issues”.

“Agriculture is clearly sensitive for us and geographical indicators and investment in financial

“Agriculture is clearly sensitive for us and geographical indicators and investment in financial services are at the fore in the UK.” services are at the fore in the UK,” he says.

“There are plenty of issues around the fringes and while our trade negotiators have been doing an exceptional job to get us to where we are, we just have to try and maintain the momentum and get though these difficult issues.”

O’Connor’s trip is the first major visit overseas by a NZ minister since the Covid-19 pandemic began. In past negotiations of this type, NZ

politicians and officials would have been heading to Europe on a regular basis, building relationships and lobbying potential supporters.

O’Connor’s trip will take about nine days and on the way to Europe he will make a short stopover in Singapore to meet with that country’s trade minister.

However, his focus in very much on the UK and Europe, which is jampacked with key meetings.

Trade and Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor has a busy schedule during his trip to Europe.

“I have got meetings with Trade Minister Liz Truss in the UK and then with other agricultural leaders, including representatives of the National Farmers Union (NFU),”

he told Rural News.

“In Brussels, I’ll be meeting with the EU Trade Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis and Agricultural Commissioner Janusz

Wojciechowski. I’ll also be meeting some European parliamentarians who are involved in the FTA talks and some of the appropriate committees of the EU. I will be going to France to meet with the French trade minister Franck Riester.”

One of the challenges for the NZ/EU FTA is the ratification process, whereby all 27 member states must approve any agreement. O’Connor acknowledges the ratification process is complex.

He says both FTAs are at similar stages of development – even though talks with the EU are in the 11th round and the UK in the 5th. Both are reaching a time when the tricky and sensitive issues

are emerging.

“I hope that by undertaking this trip in difficult Covid times will demonstrate to them the importance we place on both these agreements,” O’Connor says. “I believe that both the UK and EU see the value in agreements with NZ and we have to build off that.”

Even though he will meet key people on his trip, due to the limitations of Covid protocols, there will no large gatherings with numbers in a room.

“We have to be ambitious that we will have made substantive progress by the end of the year, but there is lot of work still to be done,” O’Connor says.

FARMERS FACE HUGE EMISSIONS CHALLENGE FROM PAGE 1

gases differently, to reflect the fact that different gases have different warming impacts on the atmosphere.

However, the sector is disappointed at the “lack of recognition” of the marginal impact methane-emitting sectors have had on the atmosphere for the past 20 years.

“The science is clear, methane emissions in New Zealand have contributed little additional warming since the early 2000s,” says Beef

+ Lamb NZ chief executive Sam McIvor.

“Furthermore, methane emissions from sheep and beef production have decreased by about 30% since 1990.

At the same time, warming from fossil fuel emissions has increased significantly.”

DairyNZ wants farm system improvements for further integration of dairy and beef sectors.

Mackle says farmers are committed to doing their fair share and play-

ing their part alongside the rest of the economy – but the work needs to be fairly spread.

“We do remain concerned agriculture may be asked to do the heavy lifting if we don’t see urgent action to reduce CO₂ emissions,” he says. “We are all in this together and we must have a fair and balanced plan that requires our communities to contribute equally.”

Mackle said NZ dairy farmers are world leaders at producing sustain-

able and emissions efficient dairy products.

“Independent research shows our milk has the lowest carbon footprint in the world. On top of this, we have a credible plan in He Waka Eke Noa to manage, reduce and price agricultural emissions. We will be the only country in the world charging farmers to do this – elsewhere farmers are often paid to,” says Mackle.

Dairy currently makes up 34% of our total exports at $20b and employs

over 50,000 people.

“We’re looking to produce the same, or more, with fewer emissions and that is a big target for us to hit,” says Mackle.

“We want to maintain our economic contribution to Kiwi communities and our position as the world’s most emissions efficient producer of milk. That means we need pragmatic targets and new technologies.” @rural_news facebook.com/ruralnews

Are you hitting your target market?

Contact your local sales representative for more information Auckland

Stephen Pollard ....... Ph 021-963 166

Waikato

Lisa Wise ............... Ph 027-369 9218

Wellington

Ron Mackay ............ Ph 021-453 914

Christchurch Kaye Sutherland .... Ph 021-221 1994 ■ BREAKING NEWS ■ MACHINERY REVIEWS ■ MANAGEMENT STORIES ■ AND MUCH MORE...

RURAL NEWS TO ALL FARMERS, FOR ALL FARMERS

www.ruralnews.co.nz

RURAL NEWS // JUNE 15, 2021

NEWS 5

Back-up the bus!

SUDESH KISSUN sudeshk@ruralnews.co.nz

WORK TOGETHER and stop throwing each other under the bus.

That’s the message farmers delivered last week to Beef + Lamb New Zealand (BLNZ) at its first roadshow meeting in Glen Murray, Waikato.

About 35 farmers heard BLNZ chief executive Sam McIvor and director Martin Coup outline work being done

by BLNZ on their behalf.

However, former Federated Farmers Auckland president Wendy Clark told the meeting that “there was a lot of throwing under the bus” during the Plan Change 1 consultation process.

Plan Change 1, introduced by Waikato Regional Council, is about reducing the amount of contaminants

South Auckland farmer Wendy Clark (left) makes a point to Beef + Lamb NZ chief executive Sam McIvor at the roadshow last week.

entering the Waikato and Waipā catchments.

“It doesn’t help anyone when one part of our industry throws another part under the bus,” Clark told the meeting. “I get thrown under the bus every time because I pay three levies: dairy levy, beef levy and Federated Farmers levy.”

Clark called on farmer organisations to work together.

“We want you to work together,” she says.

Another farmer Bruce Cameron wanted to know why BLNZ was still pursuing Land Use Capabilities (LUC), which he said provided one group of farmers an

advantage over another group.

McIvor said he heard the message to work together “loud and clear”.

He told the meeting that BLNZ was working with DairyNZ and Federated Farmers to find methods that will work for all farmers.

McIvor later told

Rural News that farmers invest money in a variety of places – like BLNZ, DairyNZ and Federated Farmers.

“One of the clear messages that came out is that they want us to work together. Certainly, they want us to represent them but want us to work together with other

organisations across the industry, and that’s the commitment that BLNZ has given.”

McIvor says apart from working with DairyNZ, Feds and Deer NZ in the first instance, the Farming Leaders Group had also proven to be effective.

The group is made up of chief executives of industry organisations, representing horticulture, wine, forestry, irrigators, dairy companies and the Meat Industry Association.

McIvor claims that by working together, this group can have more influence.

“All these voices saying the same thing – that’s more powerful that one voice,” he says. “It also allows consistency of voices across the board and that we use our limited resources and limited

funds as best as we can by working with others.”

McIvor points out that over the last 10 years more than 70% of BLNZ’s work has been done jointly with DairyNZ and Feds – such as R&D, training, advocacy, extension work and policy work.

However, he admits that what the organisations haven’t done well enough is communicating to farmers what was going on behind the scenes.

With farmers pressuring their industry-good organisations to work together, there is “added impetus” around that now.

“We have farmers saying that we have been on different tracks from each other on some key issues; they want us to sit and work out a joint way forward.”

Rural ginger groups to meet DAVID ANDERSON

A ‘NATIONAL forum’ of rural industry advocates is set to be held later this month.

Rural News understands the meeting will be chaired by North Otago farmer and rural advocate, Jane Smith. The gathering will involve groups such as 50 Shades of Green,

Groundswell, Rural Advocacy Network, Farmers for Positive Change and the High Country Accord amongst others and also include farmer wellbeing experts.

It is believed the catalyst for the forum is that these groups – formed by farmers and growers dissatisfied by impending regulation outcomes and disappointed by the lack of push-

back to such reforms from official farming bodies such as Beef + Lamb NZ and Dairy NZ – are looking for ‘unity’ in the farming voice.

When contacted by Rural News, Smith declined to comment on the details surrounding the possibility of hosting such a forum.

“This is not because of any secrecy,” she says. “But out of

respect for the tireless work that these groups are doing out of their own pocket.”

Smith says the fact that a meeting of ‘like minds’ isn’t about empowering or forming another group.

“It’s about getting a collective understanding of the areas that each group and individual is working within,” she told Rural News.

“These groups are a powerful voice and should not be viewed by funded advocacy organisations as a threat – but as an asset to the industry.”

It begs the question that if the current rural advocacy structure is fit-for-purpose, would there be any need for these groups? @rural_news facebook.com/ruralnews

Defend your sheep with New Zealand’s own triple star In an industry dominated by foreign drench companies, Alleva stands proud. Since opening the doors ten years ago, our kiwi owned business has thrived thanks to innovative products and the support of kiwi farmers like you.

Now BOSS Triple Mineralised Drench continues our story.

With the power of three individual drenches all packed into one convenient dose, it’s truly a worm control triple star.

ALLEVA.CO.NZ | PROUDLY NZ OWNED PROUDLY

NZ

OWNED

Alleva Animal Health Limited, 1/116a Harris Road, East Tamaki, Auckland.

BOSS® is a registered trademark of Alleva Animal Health Ltd. Registered pursuant to the ACVM Act 1997 No. A011614. See www.foodsafety.govt.nz for registration conditions. * While stocks last.

Purchase Boss Triple Drench and we’ll support kiwi made by giving you a free triple pack of merino work socks with every 20L drum purchased*

RURAL NEWS // JUNE 15, 2021

6 NEWS

Floods highlight farmers’ vulnerability NIGEL MALTHUS

THE VULNERABILITY of the roads has become a major concern for Federated Farmers Mid-Canterbury president David Clark over a week into the clean-up following the region’s damaging floods.

Many road closures were still in force several days after the event.

“Delivering grain to the feed mill for us has gone from being a 30km trip to an 80km trip each way,” Clark told Rural News.

“We’ve got the [State Highway 1] Ashburton River bridge severely damaged and the slumping arguably is continuing

to get worse,” he adds.

“Heavy traffic is being diverted around Highway 72, the scenic route around the foothills, and that’s steadily falling apart with the increased heavy traffic flow on it.

And Thompson’s Track’s not fixed yet. These things are all a priority for our communities.”

Clark runs a mixed farm on the south side of the south branch of the Ashburton River. At least two other streams – fed from areas that recorded the highest rainfalls – join the river nearby, making it an early flashpoint for the flooding.

Three washouts have cut Thompson’s Track, a major link between the

Vulnerability of the roads has become a major concern over a week into the clean-up following the Mid Canterbury’s damaging floods. - PHOTO CREDIT: ECAN

Mt Somers/Mayfield district and State Highway One at Rakaia.

Clark was himself called out to help rescue people from one

of two vehicles which became stranded trying to get through the washouts. But Clark says he was lucky not to have “an active river running

through the farm”.

“We’re very, very wet.

We’ve got poor utilisation of feed and all the other dramas that go with that, but we haven’t actu-

ally got on-farm damage, thank goodness.”

Some farmers have significant damage and face a long road to recovery, he said.

“And we’ve got severe damage to the river protection works in the Ashburton River. We need to ensure that there is a mechanism for that work to get done with urgency,” he told Rural News. “The council’s been collecting river rates for a fully-maintained river berm system, so that work needs to be done by the regional council urgently.

“Farmers can’t begin to recover if they’ve still got active rivers running through the property. Or

Have your say in the Beef + Lamb New Zealand sheepmeat and beef levy referendum and help ensure a strong future for the red meat sector Voting packs are hitting letterboxes in early June. Postal votes need to be mailed by 6 July – all voting closes at midday on 9 July.

If you don’t receive a voting pack, call 0800 BEEFLAMB (0800 233 352) More info at www.beeflambnz.com

By Farmers.

For Farmers™

Growing a stronger future together

at risk, in the next rainfall event, of the river getting back in again.”

While the rain may be said to have broken the drought, it has come too late to help with pasture growth.

“What it has done, at least, it’ll bring the ground water levels up, and that’s a positive,” Clark explains. “I guess it will help the soil moisture levels going into the spring. But for the here and now, the problem is it’s actually made the feed situation worse.

“It’s the first week of June. We’ve got a lot of winter ahead of us and we all knew that we were going to get tight already.”

RURAL NEWS // JUNE 15, 2021

NEWS 7

Coping with the aftermath NIGEL MALTHUS

EVERY FENCE running at right angles to the river and some running parallel, have some degree of damage, says Mid Canterbury farmer and Fed Farmers national board member Chris Allen.

“I’m talking about not just flattened and a bit of debris, I’m talking posts taken out, snapped and turned around at rightangles.”

Getting the stock water system back up is a lengthy job.

Every time they think they have the holes plugged in the main line

they find another broken fitting, he says.

“Normally we’ve had water coming out of the pond pressurising it from the top. Now we’re trying to use a little household pump pressurising up from the bottom, so we need all the assistance we can get. So that’s been a whole weekend project.”

What he initially thought was a “really good paddock” of kale, still standing 1.2m high, he now realises is effectively only up to his knee because of fine gravel and silt piled around the plants.

“It just means we’ve

THE DISRUPTION CONTINUES MORE THAN a week after the big rainstorm that has caused disruption across Canterbury.

Mt Somers Station owner David Acland still has a river flowing across an estimated 60-70 hectares of his land.

The 3,800ha property is nestled into the foothills, just inland of the Mount Somers township, with the Ashburton River south branch on the lower boundary.

Acland says “you get your downpours” in the mountains but the problem was how long the heavy rain persisted.

He has lost 60 or 70ha of pasture at the western end of the station where the river burst its banks and is still flowing over a broad swath of river-flat pasture.

Acland says there was no winter feed in those paddocks but it could have carried 600-700 ewes at lambing time and will mean “a bit of a juggle” come spring.

He hopes soon to get earthmoving contactors in, to begin the

process of reclaiming the land, and “You may say, oh it’s only 10% of their hoped to have grass back on at least farm or something like that, but it some of it by the end of the year. changes the whole dynamic of how He lost many those farms down kilometres of there can operate. It fencing, with changes the balance every crossof the land.” fence near the Meanwhile, river partially Acland says roading or completely throughout Canterbury wiped out. remains a key concern Acland says for the farming commuwhile fencing nity. is insurable, The Ashburton the pasture Gorge road runs Mt Somers Station owner and Mid-Canterbury Federated damage is not, through the station Farmers senior vice president and the speed of and is a major tourist David Acland. NIGEL MALTHUS remediation may and recreation route, depend on cashflow. providing access to lakes Clearwater However, he says many others on and Camp – as well as an iconic Lord the plains are worse hit. of the Rings location in the upper “Anyone who has lost, say, 20ha Rangitata. Several days after the out of a dairy platform would have rain the road remained closed at lost carrying capacity for maybe 60 Mt Somers township because of a cows,” he told Rural News. “Times number of washouts.

400 milksolids per cow, that’s straight “It sums up the issues around out of their bottom line for next year.

Canterbury going forward, which is Plus, they’ve got the costs on top. massive road damage,” says Acland.

Chris Allen at a washout where a culvert burst on his Ashburton Forks farm during the big rain event at the end of May. NIGEL MALTHUS

only got less than half the crop available for the ani-

mals to get to.”

Similarly, a paddock

of fodder beet has silt and gravel packed hard around the normallyaccessible bulbs.

“All you can see is green tops so the only way to get to those [bulbs] is going to be grub them up in some way, shape or form. And there’s other places where you got half a meter of gravel over the top of the beet.

“So, what was a 10 hectare paddock is rapidly coming down to like one or two.”

Allen says negotiating winter feed will be an issue but he also very concerned about whether he will have irrigation when he needs it, come spring.

Email: info@hecton.co.nz Visit our website www.hecton.co.nz for a full list of products CALL IN & SEE US | 73 PRESTON STREET INVERCARGILL PHONE: 03 215 8558

SHEEP HANDLER AND LEAD UP RACE

• Fastest handler on the market • Ideal for dagging, crutching & foot trimming

CRUTCHING TRAILER Hecton Contractors – Tandem covered crutching trailer

SEE US AT THE NATIONAL FIELD DAYS SITE # H24 H26 H28 Take a look at our great value deals across the CFMOTO ATV and UTV range.

www.cfmoto.co.nz

RURAL NEWS // JUNE 15, 2021

8 NEWS

NZ and Ireland farming’s GHG A top climate change policy advisor to the Irish government says Ireland and New Zealand should become close allies to combat the negative narrative against the dairy industry. Peter Burke reports.

DR DALE Crammond, who works for the Irish Ministry for Agriculture, Food and Marine, was a keynote speaker – via video conference – at the recent NZ Agricultural Green House Gas Emissions (NZAGHG) conference in Wellington.

Later, speaking to Rural News from Dublin where he’s based, Crammond noted that in the past NZ and Ireland were

rivals in terms of international markets. However, he believes that the situation has now changed and the two countries should become allies and collectively deal with the people opposed to dairy who don’t fully understand the industry.

Crammond believes there is a huge opportunity for the two countries to cooperate more – especially in terms of research

into methane research.

“We have done some significant work to date, but I see huge opportunity to scale up and ramp up investment in research to identify something that can tangibly reduce methane emissions from livestock,” he says.

“If we can do that and get methane emissions on a declining trend for the long term, we would have a very different nar-

rative in terms of agriculture and livestock based protein.”

According to Crammond, NZ is a bit ahead of Ireland in research into greenhouse gases.

He says while Ireland has some significant research projects underway and there is collaboration between the countries – there is more opportunity to expand this.

“It doesn’t make any

U VAL NBEA UE TAB !

TOD CALL LE AY. US

WINTER CLEAN UP SALE TORNADO RANGE

ELECTROBLAST RANGE

Robust UDOR Italian ceramic plunger pump with brass head.

10 models. Choice of direct drive or low rpm pump with gear box.

Genuine Honda with 3 yr warranty.

Two 230 volt and four 400 volt models with UDOR ceramic plunger pump & low rpm 4 pole (1440 rpm) motor for extended service life.

SAVE UP TO $500

ALBERTI HOT CLEANERS

SAVE UP TO $400

UDOR ceramic plunger pump.

Heavy-duty 4 pole electric motor.

230 & 400-volt models. Diesel hot water heater.

HURRICANE PTO WATERBLASTER/ SPRAYER 250 or 600 litre tank, 540 rpm gearbox.

New UDOR 3000 psi 35L/ min pump.

MULTI PURPOSE UNIT • Blast • Spray • Drain clean!

AES SPRAYPACK 250 & 600 250 and 600 litre tanks, galvanised frame.

HD quick release, PTO shaft, 53L/min spray pump, 25m hose & hand gun, optional 6 metre boom.

UDOR High quality Italian diaphragm pumps.

From 17L/min to 240L/min.

E PHON 290 psi to OT FOR H S 580 psi PRICE

SPRAY BOOMS 4.5 6 & 8m metre spray booms, horizontal fold, stainless steel lines and non-drip low drift nozzles.

SAVE $$$

FREEPHONE 0508 78 78 78 46 Sir William Ave, East Tamaki, Auckland www.aesblasters.co.nz

sense, at a global level, for two different countries to be doing the same research to achieve the same objective. So somehow we have to pool our resources,” he explains.

“There are no two better countries to do that given the historic ties we have together.”

Crammond believes we have a great base but have to increase our research spend in both jurisdictions and invest more in feed additive

research because that is showing the greatest promise.

The product he is referring to is a ruminant methane inhibitor called Bovaer, which is produced by the Dutch Global research company DSM. Trials of this product are now taking place in NZ in conjunction with Fonterra as well as in Europe.

At the NZAGHG conference there was much positive talk about Bovaer

and how it may be able to play an important role in reducing methane emissions, from dairy cows in particular.

In terms of collaboration, Crammond says Covid has thrown up a challenge in restricting face-to-face contact between scientists and policymakers from different countries. He says while a lot can be done using technology, nothing beats people being in the same room.

GEARED REEL SALE

67

$

PER REEL + GST

BOX OF 4

or $69.50 + GST EACH

HOSE REELS 100 or 150m SPRAY HOSE 25, 50, or 100m coils

Contact AES direct or your local AES dealer

Irish scientist Dr Dale Crammond believes there is a huge opportunity for NZ and Ireland to cooperate more – especially in terms of methane research.

IF BOUGHT INDIVIDUALLY

Choose either 500mt polywire or 200mt polytape

BUY N MADE &Z KEEP K WORKINIWIS G!

• Unique fail safe spool lock • Longer crank for smooth easy winding • No-slip carry handle • Patented secure wire guide

TARAGATE LTD RD2 Hamilton

Ph 0800 82 72 42 ™ info@taragate.co.nz • www.taragate.co.nz

RURAL NEWS // JUNE 15, 2021

NEWS 9

battle

The breeding option DR DALE Crammond says the other option which offers huge potential is breeding animals that are low methane emitters.

However, he cautions that this is a long term solution and will not offer significant improvements in the short term.

“Clearly there has to be a reorientation of the breeding programme with both beef and dairy to select the traits that impact on methane production in the rumen,” Crammond told Rural News. “Maybe we have to breed smaller animals and ones whose feed efficiency conversion is much better. As we move towards climate neutrality, I think breeding is going to become really important.”

But again, Crammond notes that in the process of breeding low methane emitting animals, it is important that other highly desirable production traits in the animals are not lost.

SOLUTIONS FOR DEALING WITH METHANE ON FARM FARMERS CAN expect good science-based, viable tools to deal with their greenhouse gas emissions within the next five years.

That was one of the key messages coming from the recent conference on agricultural greenhouse emissions.

Dr Harry Clark, the director of the NZ Agricultural Green House Gas Research Centre, says the mood of the conference was one of optimism that solutions were

being developed. He says one of the most promising options is nitrate inhibitors, which are being trialled overseas now and is proving very effective.

However, Clark says in dealing with greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) will likely involve a combination of tools and solutions. He says there were two key messages from the conference.

“Firstly, NZ has to be active in its approach to climate change and

has to take action – along with the rest of the world – to reduce GHGs. It isn’t a choice for us because we are a major exporter and our customers are saying that we have to do that,” Clark says.

“The phrase used by one person was ‘customers are controlling the playing field’ and the customers are saying we want you to reduce your GHG emissions.

So, the message was – we have to do this.”

AT TRACTIVE RETURNS FOR YOUR FARM, FAMILY AND FUTURE.

But he adds that the other side of that message was, technology is being developed now that will help farmers achieve what they are being asked to achieve.

“So, from politicians and industry the message is that we have to take action, and from the science side we got some positive messages that here are some technologies that are coming on,” Clark says

LEWIS TUCKER & CO ENTERPRISE

Do you have over 100 hectares of marginal hill country?

A partnership with Drylandcarbon could give you the opportunity to increase overall farm profitability and diversify your income with no upfront capital investment.

There may also be wider benefits for your farm environment plan.

Forestry on marginal hill country could provide you an immediate and ongoing revenue stream to help you and your family invest in more productive parts of the farm, repay debt and support succession planning. If you have more than 100 hectares of marginal land on your farm, get in touch.

Email Land@drylandcarbon.co.nz or visit Drylandcarbon.co.nz to find out more.

NOW READ IT ONLINE READING THE PAPER ONLINE HAS NEVER BEEN EASIER ■ BREAKING NEWS ■ MACHINERY REVIEWS ■ MARKETS & TRENDS ■ MANAGEMENT STORIES ■ COMPETITIONS ■ AND MUCH MORE...

All the latest stories and more at www.ruralnews.co.nz

TRACTA_DLC63716_NZ_AC_RN

RURAL NEWS // JUNE 15, 2021

10 NEWS

Wide price range ‘realistic’ SUDESH KISSUN sudeshk@ruralnews.co.nz

FONTERRA’S WIDE forecast milk price range for the new season is realistic, says BNZ senior economist Doug Steel.

The co-operative’s $8/ kgMS midpoint is the highest opening forecast milk price on record. The previous highest opening forecast was $7/kgMS on three separate occasions.

Last month, Fonterra announced its opening 2021-22 milk price forecast of $7.25 to $8.75.

Synlait has come out with an $8 opening milk price.

Steel says the midpoint seems consistent with product prices falling from current levels but remaining elevated relative to long term averages through the season.

“This is a similar pro-

file to what we have built into our 2021-22 milk price forecast of $7.80,” he told Rural News.

“While the 20c difference to Fonterra’s range mid-point is meaningful in absolute terms, we wouldn’t split hairs at this stage of the season.

“There is a long way to go. Anything around these levels would be positive.”

However, Steel points out that there are palpable risks on both sides – evidenced by Fonterra’s wide $1.50 forecast range.

There is the possibility that global dairy prices may hold up better than expected as high international grain prices lift costs for NZ’s northern hemisphere competitors.

He points out that US corn prices have more than doubled over the past 12 months. Such

BNZ senior economist Doug Steel says there are risks on both the up and down sides – evidenced by Fonterra’s wide $1.50 forecast range.

things make an aggressive global milk supply response to current higher dairy prices less likely.

“Indeed, the current milk-price-to-feed ratio in the US suggests milk pro-

duction growth there is more likely to slow into year’s end rather than lift,” says Steel.

Other positives stem from the possibility that world growth proves even stronger than expected,

MAKE THE MOST FROM YOUR LAND Whether you’re trying to achieve higher yields, faster growth, better nutritional value or optimising current resources, our complete solutions achieve your commercial objectives by taking your unique land, resources and environment into account. We call it Performance Agronomy™.

To find out more go to catalystag.co.nz

as the vaccine rollout allows more reopening.

“On our calculations, if product prices and the NZ dollar remain around current levels for the entire season ahead it would see milk prices test

the top end of Fonterra’s range.”

But there are downside risks too and much hinges on Chinese demand.

According to Steel, strong Chinese demand is

not assured.

“And there is a chance that as inflation picks up globally, central banks start thinking some of it will be persistent, such that they change their tune and start talk more about removing monetary stimulus.

“That could quickly take the edge off what has been a very strong run up in commodity prices.”

Also, Covid hasn’t gone away.

Steel says what matters most is what happens next – so all eyes back on coming Global Dairy Trade (GDT) auctions and the NZ dollar.

He says the small GDT price dip earlier this month is of little consequence for the season ahead. @rural_news facebook.com/ruralnews

RURAL NEWS // JUNE 15, 2021

NEWS 11

Plan for Governmentimposed farm plans take shape DAVID ANDERSON

AN AGREED framework on farm plans has been made between Government and the farming sector.

Last week, ‘The Good Farm Planning Principles Guide’ was released, which Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor claims will make it easier for farmers and growers

lines to help people combine and improve their existing farm planning, so that they are ready for the change that is coming.”

In the recent Budget, the Government allocated $37 million over four years to farm planning. This aims to deliver 100 more people to provide advice to farmers and growers with aspects of planning.

Beef+Lamb NZ chief executive Sam McIvor says its levy-funded farm plan covers much of the Government’s new guidance.

See us at National Fieldays. Site Number: H24 H26 H28

7,990

$

EX GST RIDE AWAY

SAVE $500

“B+LNZ plans to add other modules in response to farmer and market demand in the future.” to integrate future greenhouse gas emissions and freshwater regulatory requirements into their farm planning.

“The guide is the gateway to an integrated farm planning approach; that is, each farmer looking at their farm as a whole, from soils to staff, and from emissions to EBIT.” O’Connor says the guide was developed by the Integrated Farm Planning Steering Group, which was made up of representatives from farming industry organisations, councils, Māori agribusiness and government. He says the group drew from the existing planning programmes of the agriculture and horticulture sectors, as well as current regulatory frameworks such as health and safety.

“I’m conscious of the good planning practice that is already happening within our various sectors and I think this framework reflects that,” O’Connor said.

“However, some farmers still need some support and guidance. With new farm planning requirements for freshwater and climate change coming down the line, we need to bring all farmers along on the journey.

This guide is the first step – putting in place base-

O’Connor says the steering group will continue to work with industry to align their assurance plans with the new farm plan framework.

“That will be in place by the end of 2021 and a significant step in a programme of work that will go into 2022.”

Meanwhile, Beef+Lamb NZ is reassuring farmers that its levy-funded farm plan covers much of the Government’s new guidance on integrated farm planning.

“B+LNZ’s new farm plan launched earlier this year is based on an integrated approach with the environment module covering soils, freshwater ecosystem health, forage cropping, climate change and biodiversity,” chief executive Sam McIvor says.

“B+LNZ plans to add other modules in response to farmer and market demand in the future. The B+LNZ farm plan is also aligned with the New Zealand Farm Assurance Programme.”

McIvor also emphasises that that this guidance is non-regulatory and adds that an ‘integrated approach’ is at the heart of the organisation’s new farm plan and the New Zealand Farm Assurance Programme.

9,990

$

EX GST RIDE AWAY

SAVE $1,000

13,990

$

EX GST RIDE AWAY

CFMOTO NORTH ISLAND Andys Moto Services, Waiuku (027) 944 5442 Brown Brothers Bikes, Whanganui (027) 572 7696 Country Engineering, Tauranga (07) 552 0071 Country Machinery, Sanson (06) 825 6400 Gatmans Mowers, Silverdale (09) 426 5612 JC Motorcycles, Waitara (06) 754 6420 Maungaturoto Motorcycles, Maungaturoto (09) 431 8555 Motorcycle HQ, Pahiatua (06) 376 7163

Northland Powersports, Whangarei (09) 437 5451 Outdoor Power, Hastings (06) 878 2369 Peninsula Motorcycles, Thames (07) 868 6104 Powerhead Motorcycles, Manurewa (09) 297 7145 RevTech Powersports, Stratford (06) 765 7712 Rob Titter Farm Services, Kaikohe (09) 401 1774 Rouse Motorcycles, Hikurangi (09) 4338 471 Tahuna Motorcycles & Atvs, Tahuna (07) 887 5790

AVAILABLE FROM

51.04

$

PER WEEK

CFMOTO SOUTH ISLAND Ag & Auto Direct, Balclutha (03) 418 0555 Dan’s Motor Centre, Geraldine (03) 693 8536 Diesel Tech Machinery, Methven (03) 302 8946

CFMOTO FINANCE

Ian Day Lifestyles, Alexandra (03) 448 9007 Marlborough Motorcycles, Blenheim (03) 579 2500 Vallance Machinery, Fernside (03) 313 6465

*Ride away prices quoted exclude GST. CFORCE 625 EPS offer at $9,990 is valid until 30th June 2021 or until stocks last. See www. cfmoto.co.nz for more information. Any promotions are not to be used in conjunction with any other offer. The weekly amount of $51.04 is based on purchase price of CFMOTO CFORCE 400 EPS for $8038.50 including GST. This is calculated on a four (4) year term plus a $150 booking fee plus interest costs calculated at a rate of 12.50% per annum. Normal lending criteria apply. Offer valid until 30th June 2021.

ON SELECTED CFMOTO ATV’S www.cfmoto.co.nz

RURAL NEWS // JUNE 15, 2021

12 NEWS

How will the beef and lamb vote break?

Farmers around the country will vote soon on whether or not Beef+Lamb NZ will retain its right to continue levy them and fund its operations. However, BLNZ is facing a battle as it fights against typical farmer apathy when it comes to such votes, and a growing level of discontent among its levy payers about the industry organisation’s performance. David Anderson looks into the issues…

THE POWERBROKERS at Beef+Lamb NZ may very well have a feeling of déjà vu with the organisation facing growing intensities of farmer disgruntlement as its levy vote fast approaches.

Under the Commodities Levies Act, levy-payers get to vote very six years on whether or not

a levy can be collected.

It was only 12 years ago when fed-up sheep farmers voted to disestablish the wool levy – which many believe has led to that sector’s long, slow decline.

There are major rumblings of discontent from many of the same farmers about the beef and lamb

• Grow vegetables all year round and extend your growing season.

• Very affordable and easy to install.

• Strong construction that resists all weather conditions. t/f

03 214 4262 |

e

info@morrifield.com

BLNZ is facing a battle as it fights against typical farmer apathy when it comes voting and a growing level of discontent about the industry organisation’s performance.

Key voting dates levy and there’s a real risk that it could go the same way as wool’s. In recent times, new farmer advocacy groups like Groundswell NZ have popped up, with many of its supporters disappointed and frustrated by what they

• Over 10,00 happy customers • 100% New Zealand made.

• Range of models 2m to 8m long.

• Nationwide delivery available.

www.morrifield.com

believe has been a ‘lack of fight’ put up by farmerled organisations like Beef + Lamb NZ, DairyNZ and Fed Farmers against ever-growing government regulations.

However, despite its frustration about the industry good organisations advocacy or apparent lack of it, even the leaders of Groundswell NZ do not want to see the demise of Beef+Lamb NZ. The organisation’s spokesman Bryce McKenzie says Groundswell NZ’s position is crystal clear.

“We stand firmly in favour of the excellent work both Beef+Lamb NZ and DairyNZ do in the form of extension work, conveying practical applications of new innovations to farmers in the field. If levy votes are lost it could be quite damaging to farming.”

Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor – another supporter of the BLNZ levy – recently told the Newsroom website that anyone tempted to vote to end the beef and lamb levies just needs look at what has happened to the wool sector.

“That decision, in hindsight, has contributed even further to the demise of that wool sector.

“It has simply gone to the dogs,” he warns.

Some 15,000 eligi-

ble beef and lamb levy payers hold the fate of Beef+Lamb NZ, which is budgeting to collect $34.2m in levies this year, in their ballot papers. For the sheepmeat and beef levy to continue, each must pass on two counts: ●● One-farmer one-vote, and ●● A vote weighted by stock numbers.

So, Beef+Lamb NZ needs to secure more than 50% on both of these counts. Passing on only one form of vote will mean a no vote for that levy. This means that more than 50% on the one-farmer onevote and less than 50% by weighted vote would equate to a no vote.

History shows that sheep and beef farmers are not enthralled or highly engaged by levy votes.

In the levy referendum held in 2009, the sheepmeat levy saw just 54% support on the one farmer vote and 62% support by livestock numbers. The beef levy garnered a mere 52% support on the one farmer vote and only 59% support by livestock numbers – with only 39% of eligible sheep and beef farmers participating in the vote.

Meanwhile, the levy vote in 2015 saw the sheepmeat levy gain 85% support via the one

• Tuesday 6 July: last day to get postal votes in the mail.

• Friday 9 July (midday): all voting (postal and online) closes.

The referendum results are expected to be available around ten days after voting closes.

SHEEP LEVY UP SHEEP FARMERS will be asked to pay an extra 5 cents a head from October 1 under proposed new Beef+Lamb NZ (BLNZ) levies.

However, the beef levy will remain the same.

As well as voting for the industry good body to continue, BLNZ is also asking farmers for approval to an increase in the sheepmeat levy – from 70c to 75c a head, but the beef levy will stay at $5.40/head.

For the 2020/21 year, BLNZ’s total expected revenue from levies is $36.7 million – $17.9m from beef and $18.8m from sheepmeat

farmer vote and 86% support by livestock numbers, with the beef levy getting 85% support in the one farmer basis and 85% support by livestock numbers. However, just 38% of eligible farmers bothered to participate in the referendum.

However, it is fair to say that both in 2009 and 2015 the extent of farmer discontent and anger about Beef+Lamb NZ was nowhere at the levels of where this is today.

Beef+Lamb NZ says the organisation’s priorities include: New farm plans covering water, climate change, biodiversity and soils.

Investing in genetics to improve productivity and reduce farmers’ envi-

ronmental footprint.

Launching a greenhouse gas calculator to help farmers measure and manage their emissions.

Rolling out the Taste Pure Nature country of origin brand across global markets.

Advocating on behalf of farmers for sensible and practical regulations and rules.

Enhancing and protecting NZ’s access to overseas markets.

BLNZ says where there’s a need for industry-good research, information and advocacy, a levy is the best mechanism to effectively fund these activities.

• More info: www. beeflambnz.com/referendum

Every farm is unique, even if they’re neighbours.

That’s why you need a vaccination programme that fits your farm’s unique requirements.

Schering-Plough Animal Health Ltd. Phone: 0800 800 543. www.msd-animal-health.co.nz. NZ-NLV-210500001 NZ/NLX/0518/0003e © 2021 Intervet International B.V. All Rights Reserved. 1. Baron Audit Data. March 2021.

RURAL NEWS // JUNE 15, 2021

14 NEWS

LIC offloads struggling business SUDESH KISSUN sudeshk@ruralnews.co.nz

FARMER CO-OPERATIVE LIC is offloading its automation business that it has struggled to make a money earner.

MSD Animal Health, a division of listed US multinational Merck & Co., is paying over $30 million for the business. The deal includes LIC’s new generation Protrack systems for customers with legacy technology, as well as associated software development.

LIC says it will continue providing service and support to customers through the transition. Under the deal, Protrack operating systems will work with LIC’s herd management system, MINDA. The farmer co-op will be able to access data generated by the automation technology for its research and development activities.

MSD will merge its latest acquisition with its Allflex Livestock Intelligence unit, which has

manufacturing facilities at Palmerston North.

Chairman Murray King says the divestment of the automation business is in line with LIC’s refined strategy and will allow the co-op to sharpen its focus and play to its strengths.

“We are confident this is the best way forward – for the technology, for our farmers who have invested in these systems and for the wider co-op shareholder base,” he says.

“MSD Animal Health has extensive scientific and technological capabilities that can take this technology to the next phase and deliver more value to farmers.”

LIC has a long-standing relationship with MSD Animal Health, through its Allflex business unit and the companies will work together to support farmer customers through the transition.

King says in making the decision to sell, it was important to LIC that the buyer would continue to support its existing

farmer customers in New Zealand. He says the sale concludes a longstanding, concerted effort by the co-op to attempt to grow the automation business and make it profitable, with moderate success.

Last year, LIC shareholders voted down a board proposal to purchase a stake in Israeli agritech company Afimilk, which had included a potential subsequent transaction for Afimilk to purchase LIC Automation.

Following this, the board agreed to reintegrate automation into LIC to try to enable the business to become cashflow positive and break even.

“We know automation delivers a lot of value on-farm, but despite significant efforts by our people, the automation business itself has seldom been profitable, partly due to the stabilisation of cow numbers in NZ dairy and limited traction in international markets,” King concedes. “This divestment will allow us to focus on delivering value for our farmer shareholders.”

TIP TRAILERS STRENGTH / QUALITY / PERFORMANCE

Designed to an uncompromising strength standard.

Our trailers offer exceptional tonnage ratings, thanks to super-strong chassis, heavy-duty deck runners and closelyspaced cross members. Combining a high quality of build and an emphasis on strength, McIntosh Tip Trailers have earned a reputation as the toughest and most durable farming trailers on the market.

www.mcintosh.net.nz FREEPHONE: 0800 622 276

Chair Murray King concedes that despite significant efforts by LIC its automation business has seldom been profitable.

NILVAX and MULTINE. Two tried and proven vaccine options for pre-lamb and beyond. ®

®

The only specialised 5-in-1 pre-lamb vaccine that provides up to 4 months protection for lambs.

New Zealand’s leading 5-in-1 vaccine range with multiple options for supplementation1.

From pasture management to managing pests and disease, every sheep farm is unique.

So when it comes to vaccination, you need a programme that fits your way of getting things done.

NILVAX is the only pre-lamb vaccine that provides up to 4 months protection for lambs. This gives you the flexibility to vaccinate your ewes earlier to avoid sleepy sickness*, or vaccinate your lambs later due to the longer duration of protection provided via their mother’s colostrum.

MULTINE gives you multiple options for supplementation of Vitamin B12 or selenium in combination with New Zealand farmers favourite 5-in-1. This means you can get everything you need and nothing you don’t.

NILVAX and MULTINE. Two tried and proven pre-lamb vaccine options made right here in New Zealand, that give you flexibility and effectiveness for your farm.

ACVM No’s A3977, A934, A935, A11311, A11766. Schering-Plough Animal Health Ltd. Phone: 0800 800 543. www.msd-animal-health.co.nz NZ-NLV-210500001 NZ/NLX/0518/0003e © 2021 Intervet International B.V. All Rights Reserved. 1. Baron Audit Data. March 2021. *Vaccinating ewes earlier at pre-lamb helps avoid stress associated with yarding which has been identified as a predisposing factor for sleepy sickness. Beef + Lamb NZ. Metabolic Diseases in Ewes Fact Sheet July 2019.

RURAL NEWS // JUNE 15, 2021

16 NEWS

Meticulous planning helps farmers take out deer award CENTRAL HAWKES Bay farmers Grant and Sally Charteris were recently named the winners of the 2021 Elworthy Award.

This is the premier environmental accolade for deer farmers, with the award presented to the Charterises at the Deer

Industry Conference in Invercargill in May. It is the second Elworthy Award in a row to be awarded to a Hawkes Bay

farm. The previous winners were Evan and Linda Potter of Elsthorpe.

Lead judge, Janet Gregory, said the eight

Central Hawkes Bay deer farmers Grant and Sally Charteris, winners of the 2021 Elworthy Award, the premier environmental accolade for deer farmers.

INTRODUCING RENTAL POWER. Need to rent a generator? Now you can. Power Systems Rental Solutions has arrived.

Whether an outage is planned or unplanned, you need a temporary power plan in place for your critical power needs.

• Standby and Prime applications available • Short or long term availability • Sizes 30 kVA – 500 kVA • Trailerised units available up to 200kVA • Outlet socket panels and cables supplied where required • Quick coupling powerlocks installed • Heavy duty stationery site generators available • GPS management and tracking • Nationwide delivery available

Call your local Power Systems Rep for further options.

terracat.co.nz 0800 93 39 39

Terms and conditions apply

“All are leaders in the industry, show great passion and stewardship of the land, and are supporting their local communities.” entrants in the biennial deer environmental awards had many things in common: active farm environment and business plans and involvement in the deer industry’s productivity and environmental activities.

“All are leaders in the industry, show great passion and stewardship of the land, and are supporting their local communities. Many of them have calculated their greenhouse gas emissions or are planning to do so.”

Gregory says all of the finalists were of exceptional standard, separated only by the narrowest of margins.

“But the Charterises were notable for their meticulous planning, documentation and analysis.

This informs their stock and feed management in their district’s challenging climate.”

Their Forest Road Farm is a 327-hectare red deer stud and velvet operation, which also runs some beef cattle and Wiltshire sheep.

“It’s a great example of a sustainable farming business where the environment is being progressively protected and enhanced,” Gregory adds.

“With gullies and streambanks fenced off and planted in trees to reduce soil erosion and to minimise sediment run-off.”

The couple have planted more than 15,000 native trees over the past three years on the 327-hectare rolling to steep hill country property. More tree planting is planned.

“Soil protection is a key focus of everything

they do. For example, care is taken when selecting paddocks for cropping and buffer strips of noncultivated land are left alongside gullies.

“Break feeding of crops is avoided and high grass covers are maintained on pasture,” Gregory says.

As well as winning the Elworthy Environmental Award, the Charterises won a further new category award created – the Dr Gyong Jai Lee Award is for ‘leading, environmentally sustainable, velvet farming’. Both these awards are sponsored by SP Corporation and Dr Gyong Jai Lee, a major South Korean marketer of NZ deer velvet.

Award convenor, Lindsay Fung, says this is the first time a deer industry environmental award has been sponsored by an overseas customer.

“It underlines the importance of sustainability to consumers of NZ deer products in Asia as well as in other markets.

We are thrilled to have this level of interest and support for our awards.”

The other category winners in the awards were: Arawata Deer Farm, Pine Bush, Southland; Three Rivers Ag, Otorohanga; Goudies Station, Central North Island; Balquidder, Taihape; and Wharerata Farm, Featherston, Wairarapa.

John and Mel Somerville, Arawata Deer Farm, were awarded the Duncan New Zealand Award for ‘forward thinking and innovative farm practices while operating their business within a demanding environment.’

RURAL NEWS // JUNE 15, 2021

AGRIBUSINESS 17

Changing look for NZ lamb?

NIGEL MALTHUS

NEW ZEALAND meat producers will have to change their breeding priorities to take full advantage of a new optical meat quality monitoring system being developed

by AgResearch.

The Clarospec system is designed to analyse meat cuts in real time as they go through a meat processing plant, using hyperspectral imaging to provide objective measures of meat quality.

AgResearch says the technology can provide information on key aspects such as structure and composition that influence flavour and texture.

“This technology will support a shift from volume to value and allow lamb producers to tailor production to meet the needs of global consumers,” project leader, Dr Cameron Craigie told Rural News.

He explains that there are well-documented correlations, consistent in New Zealand and world-

wide, between consumer preferences and traits such as tenderness, pH and intramuscular fat content. All of which can be measured in the lab.

The machine can “see” the molecules associated with those traits, whether the product is beef, lamb or venison.

Craigie says it is wellknown that 70% of New Zealand lamb is suboptimal in terms of consumer outcomes, but the optimal 30% is “undifferentiated and undiscoverable” by consumers.

“So, we’re missing an opportunity there because we’re not capitalising on the 30% and we’re not doing much about improving the quality of the 70%,” he adds.

“We want to produce the best lamb in the world – that’s what we’re known for – but we’ve started to create a problem. We’ve been driving for efficiency gains and sheep production but the traits that underpin some of the eating quality attributes are well-known

PRIZE WINNER! THE CLAROSPEC system was a major prize winner at the recent Food, Fibre and Agritech Supernode Challenge, announced in Christchurch on May 11.

Clarospec took the $13,000 On-Farm Systems category prize and the Research Grand Prize of $30,000.

KarbenFibre, an environmentally friendly battery technology, which optimises and reduces the cost of flow batteries using natural fibres, was named overall winner in the Value-Added Product category ($13,000) and runner-up in the Research category ($15,000).

The grand prize in Enterprise ($30,000) was won by Genesmith with their technology using facial recognition on livestock.

The Happy Cow Milk Company’s “milk factory in a box” took the Enterprise Runner Up Award ($15,000) and Top Small Business Award ($5,000).

The Food, Fibre and Agritech Challenge was run

by ChristchurchNZ with the support of several regional and national partners.

AgResearch’s Clarospec team - Dr Mos Sharifi, left, Dr Trevor Stuthridge and Dr Cameron Craigie - with their awards at the Food Fibre & Agritech Challenge in Christchurch in mid-May. SUPPLIED

to be negatively correlated with some of the lean meat yield or growth traits.”

Craigie says this means we got bigger sheep, faster and inadvertently reduced product quality over time.

The Clarospec system’s been in development for more than four years and arose from an earlier strategic decision

by AgResearch to build capability in the remote

sensing area.

It consists of what Craigie calls a “militarygrade” camera coupled with their own software and prototype hardware.

A commercial installation would be built into a meat processing plant with its own bespoke hardware.

“We’ve got some demand and we hope to have a couple running by Christmas and start getting that data flowing

and understanding what some of those impacts of on-farm decisions are on product quality in the real world context,” he told Rural News.

“This will help producers understand how they can do better.”

However, Craigie cannot yet say who the commercial partners may be.

He believes the real value will be around the data captured and how

that can be leveraged along the supply chain, both to inform on-farm decisions and reward producers for optimal results. He adds that it will also enable downstream sorting of product into different categories, qualities and marketable attributes.

Craigie says he has kept in the back of his mind the classic example of what not to do, which

came from European pork producers in the 1990s when: “everyone was anti-fat” and they responded by breeding pigs to be really lean.

“It was all about lean meat yield and they actually destroyed their eating qualities.

“They’re still recovering to a certain extent,” he says.

“We don’t want to go there in NZ lamb.”

RED MEAT SECTOR EXPORTS STEADY IN APRIL NEW ZEALAND red meat exports remained steady in April with a total of $863 million worth of meat and coproducts exported to global markets.

According to analysis from the Meat Industry Association (MIA), the overall April export figures show an increase on April 2020 levels.

“We are seeing healthy signs that trade is returning to more regular

pre-COVID-19 patterns alongside the ongoing strong demand from China as African Swine Fever drives a growing demand for protein such as beef and lamb,” says MIA chief executive Sirma Karapeeva.

There were significant increases in the value of exports of chilled meat in April 2021 compared to April 2020, with sheepmeat up 20% to $65

million and beef up 48% to $45 million.

“These levels are similar to the pre-COVID-19 levels of April 2019, indicating that some of the pandemicrelated disruptions that saw a reasonably large drop in chilled exports in April 2020 are starting to resolve,” Karapeeva adds.

However, while meat exports were

Free freight for QuadGuard and LifeGuard* Innovative and lifesaving rollover protection that is lightweight, flexible and affordable to keep Kiwi farmers safe.

0800 782 376 www.traxequipment.co.nz *When ordered between the 16th-19th June 2021

steady compared to a year ago, the current supply chain disruptions continue to put significant strain on all exporters, including the meat industry.

“Along with irregular shipping services and unreliable timetables, there’s pressure on cold storage facilities and container parks. All of this means costs are rising at every stage

of the supply chain.

“These issues have been raised with the Government by the Council of Cargo Owners, which represents the interests of New Zealand exporters and importers and we’re seeking discussions around an urgent solution.” @rural_news facebook.com/ruralnews

RURAL NEWS // JUNE 15, 2021

global agribusiness research analysts sharing market outlooks

18 MARKETS & TRENDS

Rabobank supports clients from farm to fork in

40

COUNTRIES

100 000

12630

farmers to connect Content supplied by Rabobank - Growing New Zealand Together with worldwide , a Better

Everything looks like going up!

Dairy Global dairy spot markets, for the most part, have been stuck in neutral through May. Oceania origin commodity prices were mostly flat in the quarter, excluding a correction in the butterfat markets.

Further upside cannot be

ruled out, but the peak is near.

An expected softening of Chinese import demand should be enough to trigger a price correction in the dairy complex that is likely to occur in the later stages of 2021.

The European flush

has largely been lacklustre. However, US milk production remains in high gear, and Australia has positive milk production flows for the season to date.

The settings remain in place for healthy profit margins for New Zealand’s dairy farmers again in 2021/22 with Fonterra’s opening mid-point farmgate milk price forecast of NZ$ 8.00/ kgMS. Other companies are largely in line with a similar forecast price, ensuring strong cashflows over the winter period.

Beef RaboResearch expects farmgate prices to lift over June, with the reduced competition from Australia and a hot US market will help to lift the pricing floor.

However, the stronger currency and increased

production are limiting the impact of these external pressures.

Farmgate price movements moved north over May 2021. As at the end of May, the North Island bull price was NZ$ 5.25/ kg cwt, with the South Island bull price sitting fractionally lower at

NZ$ 4.70/kg cwt. Higher prices are being driven by the imported beef price mixed with some local procurement pressure.

Sheepmeat We expect the continued demand from key markets as we move closer to winter months

here in New Zealand, helping to see prices lift through June 2021.

Farmgate prices have seen a jump over May, in line with seasonally tightening of product availability.

As of the end of May 2021, prices in the North Island averaged NZ$ 7.70/kg cwt, while South Island lamb averaged NZ$ 7.45/kg cwt, both lifting 12% compared to the same week last year.

Demand for sheepmeat from key markets continues to remain robust. New Zealand shipments of lamb to China were 16% higher in April 2021 compared to the year prior, which was impacted by the early stages of Covid 19.

Export volumes for April 2021 were 28% higher when compared to the three year average export volumes to China,

highlighting the strength in the Chinese market.

New Zealand shipments of lamb to the US were similarly strong for April, with exports +41% higher on 2019 volumes.

Climate NIWA is forecasting above-average temperatures for most of the South Island across the winter months. The North Island is equally likely to receive aboveaverage or near-average temperatures over the coming three months.

Rainfall levels are anticipated by NIWA to be near-normal for the top of the North Island, and the north and east coast of the South Island.

The east of the North Island is likely to receive either near normal or above-normal rainfall.

The west of both Islands are likely to receive

Come visit us at Fieldays at site number AG5C and enter the draw to win free seed! ®

When: 16-19th June Where: Fieldays, Mystery Creek, Hamilton

www.cropmarkseeds.com @cropmarkseeds

usiness ysts et outlooks

Rabobank supports clients from farm to fork in

40

RURAL NEWS // JUNE 15, 2021

MARKETS & TRENDS 19

COUNTRIES

Content supplied by Rabobank - Growing a Better New Zealand Together

below-normal or nearnormal rainfall levels

through the winter period 2021.

NIWA is forecasting near-normal or belownormal soil moisture levels in both the north and east of the North Island, as well as most of the South Island. The rest of country is forecast to have near-normal soil moisture levels through to August 2021.

Exchange rate The NZ$ rose almost 1 cent against the US dollar in May and was trading at USc 72.5 on June 2.

While the US Federal

Reserve believes that the current inflation evident in its market is transitory and warrants no action, the Reserve Bank of NZ is pushing the other way.

Encouraged by falling unemployment and rising commodity prices, in late May the RBNZ flagged that their first hike is likely to be in 2H 2022.

All being well, they hope to be well into a normalising cycle by the end of next year, and to have hiked six times by the end of 2024. Rabo-

bank expects that the divergence of expecta-

tions for rates in the two countries will see the

NZ$ hit USc 74 within six months.

Update from Beef + Lamb New Zealand

By Andrew Morrison, Chairman

Our sector is facing a multitude of challenges including regulatory reform, global market volatility and supply chain issues related to the global pandemic.

A number of the Government proposals such as the low slope map for stock exclusion and the Biodiversity National Policy Statement are impractical and must be fixed.

We have made it clear to Biodiversity Minister James Shaw that the original biodiversity proposal must change and we’re hopeful of a good sensible outcome. We’re also running a series of workshops on Significant Natural Areas in Northland to support farmers in their discussions with councils.

Farmers should have received their voting packs for the 2021 Sheepmeat and Beef Levy Referendum and the B+LNZ referendum roadshow is now underway.

We’re encouraging farmers to head along to a roadshow meeting and meet the directors and the B+LNZ team. The meetings are a great opportunity to ask questions and hear more about how we’re supporting farmers.

We have a busy programme planned for the next six years including rolling out our new free farm plan covering water, climate change, biodiversity and soils, investing in genetics, attracting, training and retaining people across the sector and ramping up the Taste Pure Nature country of origin brand alongside meat exporters.

We will also be lifting our research and development investment in key areas, particularly the control of internal parasites and facial eczema.

But B+LNZ will continue to advocate for farmers on the issues you tell us are important.

In regions such as Northland, where SNAs are currently being mapped, up to 60-80 per cent of land on farms would be defined as an SNA, and it is currently not clear what activity farmers will be able to undertake on that land. That’s simply not good enough.

We have asked the Government to ask regional and district councils to pause their mapping of SNAs until the policies are clearer, commit to narrowing the definition of SNAs and clarify the rules to ensure that agricultural production and the protection of biodiversity can co-exist.

The biodiversity proposal is one of a number of planned regulations coming our way at present and the Government needs to think long and hard about staging the introduction of any new rules.

B+LNZ is working alongside others to represent farmers’ needs to fix poor policies like the Biodiversity NPS. Collaboration is key.

There is a lot at stake at this referendum. Farmers have a chance to determine if they want B+LNZ to continue to exist.

Without a sheepmeat or beef levy – if there’s a ‘no’ result – there will be no organisation solely dedicated to working on behalf of sheep and beef producers. Please take the opportunity to have your say.

RURAL NEWS // JUNE 15, 2021

20 OPINION EDITORIAL

EDNA

Tough road ahead TRADE MINISTER Damien O’Connor recently flew off to the UK and EU in an effort to add some much needed momentum to the glacial pace of free trade talks currently taking place between NZ and both Britain and Europe.

A big sticking point for any FTA with both is agriculture – with the EU and UK farming sectors highly protected and their farmers extremely adverse to any competition from unsubsidised producers from the antipodes.

It appears we are already on the back foot with a UK FTA compared to our trans-Tasman cousins, Australia. The jungle drums are beating that a comprehensive FTA (including agriculture) between Australia and the UK is likely to be announced at the upcoming G7 meeting.

This follows a visit to the UK by Australia’s trade minister Dan Tehan earlier in the year.

If O’Connor’s trip to London was not already tough enough following this likelihood, he also has to contend with growing pressure from the UK’s farming lobby on Boris Johnson’s government. Recently, National Farmers Union president Minette Batters published an opinion piece in the Mail on Sunday headed: ‘You can’t level up by throwing our family farms under a bus’.

She mentioned how the UK is currently in trade negotiations with a number of major agricultural producers, including Australia and New Zealand and how these talks have “reached a crucial stage”.

“And it’s clear that negotiators from Australia and New Zealand are sticking firm to their hard-line demands for the complete removal of tariffs on all their exports to the UK,” Batters opined. “This would make life unbearable for small British family farms, which, remember, must respect British laws governing high farm standards.”

Batters then claimed it was all but impossible for British farmers to compete with “vast volumes of imports from the southern hemisphere”. She then went on to falsely claim that UK producers would have to lower their environmental and animal welfare stands to compete with NZ and Australian produce.

In a highly emotive conclusion, Batters said: “The plain truth is this: removing tariffs for vast, unmanageable volumes of Australian beef or New Zealand lamb – or, God forbid, allowing zero tariffs on all their produce – could spell the end” (of British farming).

That’s the attitude O’Connor faces on his trip to London. Good luck, he’s going to need it!

RURALNEWS TO ALL FARMERS, FOR ALL FARMERS

HEAD OFFICE POSTAL ADDRESS: PO Box 331100, Takapuna, Auckland 0740 Phone 09-307 0399 PUBLISHER: Brian Hight ......................................... Ph 09 307 0399 GENERAL MANAGER: Adam Fricker ....................................... Ph 021-842 226 CONSULTING EDITOR: David Anderson .................................. Ph 09 307 0399 davida@ruralnews.co.nz

“Crumbs! – we’ll have to steer clear of that tent Edna!”

Want to share your opinion or gossip with the Hound?

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

THE HOUND Seriously?

The Hound hears that government department MBIE is apparently working on a ‘NZ Battery Project’ to try and find a solution to dry years when we don’t get enough hydropower. It is meant to provide “comprehensive advice on the technical, environmental and commercial feasibility of pumped hydro and other potential energy storage projects”. Eight people have been appointed to the ‘NZ Battery Technical Reference Group’. Six are what you would expect: experts in engineering, conservation, transport and logistics. However, the last two members of the TRG are very different. One is the lead energy campaigner for Greenpeace and the other is a school girl protestor.

The TRG terms of reference are quantitative analysis/policy and economic expertise and energy modelling skills. But MBIE have appointed someone whose expertise is a professional protestor and arranging school strikes.

Cracked China

More sunlight

No thanks!

Your old mate reckons Fonterra and its dairy farmer shareholders may well be all cock-a-hoop about the prospects of a near $8 payout this year and one north of $8 next year. However, he suggests these giddy, high payouts mask a major issue the dairy co-op appears to be glossing over – the total, absolute failure of its Chinese investments. Starting back with Fonterra’s ill-fated investment in San Lu, followed by the disastrous Beingmate and China Farms ventures, billions and billions of shareholder funds have been lost. Yet, no one – either on the board or from the executive of the dairy co-op – has ever been held accountable for these disasters.

Some blame former chief executive Theo Spierings. Others point the finger at former chair John Wilson.

But that it is too easy, as a dead man cannot defend himself. What about the board directors and management at Fonterra who are still around?

Your canine crusader hears that not all is rosy in the world of supposed rural sector congeniality.

Rumour has that the Food and Fibre Leaders Forum – a collective of the 15 main national rural organisations who are ‘working together with government’ is now down to 14 members. According to word on the street, one of the groups has left the forum because it was not too happy with what is going on behind closed doors.

However, it is a bit hard to find out exactly what’s happened, as the forum is more secretive than the SIS. Despite being funded by various farmer/grower levies, the forum refuses to release any minutes of its meetings ‘on grounds of confidentiality’. It makes one wonder why this group is so anxious about releasing this information and if it is really ‘selling out’ the primary sector to the Government and officials behind closed doors.

A mate of this old mutt’s almost choked on his dog tucker when he came across the musings of former NZ First MP and newly elected Otago Feds chair Mark Patterson. According to Patterson, when he was ‘earning’ $180k a year as a “list MP” from 2017-2020, groups like Feds, Beef+Lamb NZ and DairyNZ were doing a wonderful job in regularly paying him homage and that critics of such organisations are doing the industry a “disservice”. However, as a mate of the Hound’s reckons, it’s ironic how this failed MP can’t see the disservice he and his NZ First Party did by siding with Labour in 2017 and helping it bring in the raft of anti-farming regulations farmers are now facing.

“An appeaser like Patterson is the last thing Feds needs now when it is already struggling to win farmers’ support,” he opined.

PRODUCTION: Dave Ferguson ...................... Ph 027 272 5372 davef@ruralnews.co.nz Becky Williams .......................Ph 021 100 4381 beckyw@ruralnews.co.nz REPORTERS: Sudesh Kissun ........................ Ph 021 963 177 sudeshk@ruralnews.co.nz Peter Burke ........................... Ph 021 224 2184 peterb@ruralnews.co.nz MACHINERY EDITOR: Mark Daniel ............................. Ph 021 906 723 markd@ruralnews.co.nz

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

WELLINGTON SALES REPRESENTATIVE: Ron Mackay ................................. Ph 021 453 914 ronm@ruralnews.co.nz

WAIKATO SALES REPRESENTATIVE: Lisa Wise .................................. Ph 027 369 9218 lisaw@ruralnews.co.nz

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

ABC audited circulation 79,553 as at 31/03/2019

DIGITAL STRATEGIST: Jessica Marshall ................ Ph 021 0232 6446

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 // JUNE 15, 2021

OPINION 21

Alone time is not lonely!

MANY YEARS ago, when I was still single, I had a mate who worked with me for a short time.

He had been born, raised and schooled in one of our major cities; unlike me, born, raised and schooled in a small farming community. I had worked on my own a lot and enjoyed the quiet and more remote side of life. The more isolated it got, the happier I was.

He was pretty much the opposite; he liked people noise being around him constantly.

He seemed to find the quiet more than a little unnerving. I well remember being out fencing with him and having to listen to his jolly transistor radio keeping us “company” all day! As the saying goes; “different strokes for different folks” I guess.

Since that time, I have met more than just a few people who are rather like him – they find the quiet unnerving and hard to handle. People noise is needed, so the radio is kept on, or the TV, for every waking moment. It goes on when they get up and the remote is finally pushed for bedtime at the end of the day. They keep it on for company, I usually get told.

From my journey and experiences with people, a couple of things come to mind here for me. The first is that some people seem to need constant

FARMER’S CHAPLAIN

Colin Miller

all around you, and yet still be haunted by loneliness. Personally, I think ‘alone’ is good therapy for all of us; some unhurried deeper thinking is healthy. However, loneliness that hangs around is never good therapy, nor is it healthy.

Certainly, true friends

noise or stuff happening so they don’t have to think too seriously about life’s meaning, or life’s ups and downs. Just the thought of being alone, plus having no cell phone signal, or games to play, would be inviting trauma and cold sweats.

For me though, I’d love every moment. I do my best and deepest thinking without a lot of noise and needless petty distractions. And I am not troubled in the least by my own company!

The second thing I’ve observed is that many people are actually very lonely.

Life is racing on by and they are feeling lonely and left behind. So, keeping busy, busy, busy – mixed in with hurry, hurry, hurry – with TV “people” for company in the background; this seems to be their way of coping with the ever present nagging loneliness.

The truth is you can be alone yet not be lonely.

Or you can have lots of people stuff happening

Are you hitting your target market?

For advice, contact your local sales consultant Auckland

Stephen Pollard ....... Ph 021-963 166

Waikato

Lisa Wise ............... Ph 027-369 9218

Wellington

Ron Mackay ............ Ph 021-453 914

Christchurch Kaye Sutherland .... Ph 021-221 1994

■ BREAKING NEWS ■ AGRIBUSINESS HEADER ■ MARKETS & TRENDS

Ferist et quati aut pedici te vollab imod quamet atur soleniet quiatibu. PAGE 15

■ MACHINERY REVIEWS ■ MANAGEMENT HEADER ■ AND MUCH MORE... HEADER Ferist et quati aut pedici te vollab imod quamet atur soleniet quiatibu. PAGE 23

RURALNEWS TO ALL FARMERS, FOR ALL FARMERS

Ferist et quati aut pedici te vollab imod quamet atur soleniet quiatibu.

PAGE 24

can be a huge help here with this. But I’m reasonably sure you will have discovered by now, there are friends – and then – there are friends!

True friends will walk in after your fair-weather friends have walked out on you. And in times of pressure, you may

well find you don’t have as many friends as you thought you had.

To add another thought in here, being involved in things that help and add value to others, is usually a great tonic for one’s own soul.

In supporting and lifting others, somehow you find

yourself getting helped as well.

Here’s a great quote in support of that: “If you want to lift yourself up, lift up someone else.”

- Booker T Washington It would be remiss of me not to wrap up my column here today without a quote from The

Good Book: “But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.”

I agree, and yes, I am thankful to have experienced that friendship so many times.

God bless.

• To contact Colin Millar email: farmerschaplain@ ruralnews.co.nz

RURAL NEWS // JUNE 15, 2021

22 OPINION

Time for farming leaders to stand up!

OWEN JENNINGS

FARMERS ARE being herded into a very dangerous crush.

It is time for farming leaders to stand up more determinedly shaking off the weak ‘foot in each camp’ positioning.

The reality is that methane, as a greenhouse gas (GHG), simply cannot do what is claimed. It is not dangerous.

It cannot impact temperature in any discernible way.

Now is the time for farming leaders to come out and say “no” to any taxing of methane.

Here is why.

1. Methane is too infinitesimal and insignificant. It is 0.00018% of the atmosphere. That is less than 2 parts per million. It is half a small plastic bucket of water in a 2.5 million litre Olympic swimming pool. All GHGs are just 1% of the atmosphere and of that 1%, water vapour is 95 - 96% completely dominating methane at 0.02%.

2. These small methane numbers are growing slowly. They will take hundreds of years to double. All the world’s ruminants – cows, sheep, goats, bison, antelopes, wildebeests, etc contribute 14% of the tiny amount of methane emissions.

Rice paddies contribute more and no one is telling the Japanese to stop eating rice.

3. Methane from your animals lasts about 9 to 10 years in the atmosphere. It cycles naturally. Our ruminant livestock numbers a now stable and have been since the surge in dairying in the early 2000s. Our methane

emissions are stable – same amount produced, same amount disappearing.

4. Ruminants turn 1% of the CO₂ absorbed on the farm into methane and burp it into the atmosphere. The methane immediately starts breaking down into CO₂ and water vapour. Most is gone in 10 years. Grass and other vegetation on the farm takes in the CO₂ for photosynthesis, cows eat the grass completing the cycle that goes on 24/7.

5. Methane’s ability to absorb heat (that is the GHG effect) is extremely limited because of the domination of water vapour (the dominant GHG), which is 5,000 to 6,000 times more prevalent than methane. The very few methane molecules in the atmosphere do not get a look in even in the drier air at high altitude where little absorbency occurs.

6. The Global Warming Potential (GWP) is inaccurate, unscientific and unjust. Yet our government, the Climate Commission and green lobby groups are relying on it to tax farming. There is huge disagreement among scientists over how to compare methane to carbon dioxide – positions vary by many hundreds of percent.

So much for ‘settled science’.

7. New Zealand’s food production has the lowest carbon footprint in the world.

Why penalise the most successful other than for virtue signalling?

9. Article 2 of the Paris Accord – that we signed up to – excludes

Check out our websites www.ruralnews.co.nz www.dairynews.co.nz

food production from any taxes or restrictions. Why are we ignoring this requirement?

It is time for our farming leaders to stand up and be counted.

As a former farming leader, who helped lead farming politics through the painful 1980s, I know what it means to have stand up to severe pressure. It takes courage and determination.

It is time for such action again!

• Owen Jennings is a former national president of Federated Farmers and Act MP. He is a current member of FARM (Fact About Methane Research)

TAKE A CLOSER LOOK

VISIT US AT FIELDAYS

Owen Jennings

TM

SITE E29

TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT THE PIONEER RANGE. FUNCTIONALITY

CAPACITY

CAPABILITY

DRIVELINE

• Independent suspension for a smooth ride

• Range of power-plants 520, 700 and 1000cc

• 2WD and 4WD modes

• Solid internal gears

• Front diff lock*

• No drive belts to slip when wet

• Front bumper protection • Hard wearing body work • Easy access for maintenance and cleaning • Digital gauges show operating data, drive mode and fuel

• Choice of 2, 3, 4 and 5 seats • Up to 454kg load capacity* • Up to 900kg towing capacity**

• Low range transfer case** • Turf mode reduces damage to lawns** • Short wheelbase with small overhangs

• Manual and automatic modes • Paddle shift • Longitudinally mounted engine for direct drive

• Excellent engine braking

hondapioneer.co.nz *Pioneer 700 and 1000 models.**Pioneer 1000 model only.

Pioneeer Closer Look_Rural News_June.indd 1

26/05/21 8:49 AM

RURAL NEWS // JUNE 15, 2021

OPINION 23 LETTER TO THE EDITOR

FIVE MINUTE FARMER’S VIRTUE SIGNALLING IS HEAD SCRATCHING THE VIRTUE signalling from ‘5 minute-farmers’ Geoffrey and Justine Ross (Hound, May 18) has me scratching my head. Is their intention really about saving the planet or perhaps is their

motive to become the new ‘poster child’ of agriculture, bringing lots of subsequent fame and fortune with it?

I am very curious to know if they have factored into their carbon posi-

tive calculations the emissions from their $4 million dollar launch and also the thousands of km of air travel flying all around the country for themselves and their wealthy guests? Or

has some poor rural town had to bear the brunt of those emissions through the conversion of prime productive land into carbon forests? It always pays to read between the lines. Are

POWER UP

hondapowerequipment.co.nz

WITH HONDA

TAKE A CLOSER LOOK

21 0 2 S Y A D L E I F TM

WX10 PUMP • 25cc, Mini 4-Stroke engine • Economical 1” volume pump • Delivers 120L/min capacity • Maximum suction head 8m • Maximum total head 36m • Dry weight 6.1kg

$649

VISIT US AT FIELDAYS

INC GST

TM

SITE E29

WB20 PUMP • Delivers 620L/min capacity • Maximum suction head 8m • Maximum total head 32m • Portable 2” volume pump

INC GST

SAVE $100

SAVE $100

RURAL NEWS

WT30 PUMP WB30 PUMP • Delivers 1100L/min capacity • Maximum suction head 8m • Maximum total head 23m • Portable 3” volume pump

• Maximum suction head 8m • Maximum total head 27m • Portable 3” trash pump • Delivers a massive 1300L/min capacity • Honda GX270 OHV engine

$2,499

INC GST

EU22 GENERATOR • Maximum output of 2200W/240 volt AC • Powered by a Honda GXR120 120cc 4-stroke OHC engine • Up to 8 hours continuous operation on a full fuel tank @ 1/4 load* • DC 12V Battery charging with ‘circuit protection’ • 3.6 litre fuel tank • Lightweight 21kg NOW ONLY

$2,499

INC GST

SAVE $400

Email Land@ drylandcarb on.co.nz or visit Drylandcarb on.co.nz to find out more.

• Max output of 7000W/240 volt AC • Framed with wheels & Fold down handle • Electric/Recoil Start (Battery included) • Up to 6.5hrs @ rated load run time (18hrs on Eco)* • GX390 commercial 4 Stroke engine • EFI - Fuel Injection System with no messy fuel mixing required

$7,199

INC GST

SAVE $500

h

RNZ’s Country Life is New Zealand tending the same dollar way. that production figures. These Both are focused per are on change ‘for the animal has increase nowhere to be motivating an better’. d, found. audience, Despite these without indicati Some example which is mostly clear ng the s of urban, to difficulties, reassura stocking rate. success used tune in.

Statements nces in the media given by people about animal recently have who But the farmer health suggest who appear to know bills decreasing that pasture product ed is trying to make the do not ion a living subject are persuas necessa has increased, rily reflect the and is being barrage ive and without accepted. d health of the giving an indicati with the regener animals (ask on of ative They are receivin a veterinarian…). starting point. stories deserve g s some a considerable And assurances Others have shown amount of of airtime and increased wellbein the g interviewers are and resilience not are selfasking the hard assessed. questions.

This doesn’t In the Australi mean that an they shouldn research that ’t be asked. is the Align Farming basis for some is one of the of the few example statements, the s improved indicating that scoring in well-bei all ng might not be – despite increase as rosy as d presented by financial stress advocat LEWIS TUCKER – reflected & CO ENTERPRIS but these account es, consultant support E s have . not yet been The research shared. At was the moment, we funded by the have National statements such Environmental as Science ‘expensive’ and Program and ‘can put ‘resilience’ a strain on feed was described supply to as ‘not have big areas changing very out’. much’.

We also have Using the same a data considerable and comparing number of it with New a national databas Zealand agricult ural e, the scientists from Australian Farm various Institute backgrounds (AFI) calculat of soil, plant, ed that animal, environ the opportunity ment cost economics, question and biological resilienc of ing e was these stories A$2.46 million for detail. over a The irony is that decade – a quarter of a agricultural scientis million Australi ts an dollars have been told a year. by regenerative This was because agriculture the advocates that conventional we can’t farmers understand because were able to optimis we e are ‘reductionist’ management and during the system needs different seasons to , regarded ‘holistic be including drought ally’… years, yet what we are whereas the regener being ative presented with farmers were is parts constrained of the whole; by being prepare nobody is d for the able to join up worst case. the dots or complete the The research jigsaw. was dollars are missing The published as “Grazie .

A simple call with better profitab rs to ‘open ility, the books’ might biodiversity and be all that is needed wellbeing”. The to help AFI farmers make also pointed out decisions. that Then scientis profitability per ts could ewe focus on improvi is not the same ng as what is already profitability per a worldhectare. beating system Further, no causativ (whatever e aspect of soil, link between plant, ecological animal, environ condition and ment or farm economics you profitability was choose), identified rather (biodiversity than being was distracted by assumed not assertions. measured) Farmer well-bei and well-being ng was not certainly needs assessed on objectiv attention, e but that will be criteria. fixed by acknowledging Of further concern great work, not by should be that putting most income under of the people threat with being unsubstantiated interviewed in promise the s.

• Dr Jacqueline media urging Rowarth, uptake of Adjunct Professo regenerative r Lincoln agriculture University, is a do not rely on farmerfarming for elected director their survival of DairyNZ . and Ravensdown.

They have been The analysis and conclusio successful in other ns above are her activities or are own. making TRACTA_DLC6 3716_NZ_AC_R jsrowarth@gmai N money from consult l.com ancy assisting farmers @rural_news to facebook.com/rura lnews

OR $7,699 WITH A FREE 32A PLUG

Prices include GST. Prices shown are the discounted amount. Products only available while stocks last. Product available at participating authorised Honda stockists. Promotion runs from 1/6/21 – 30/6/21. *With Eco-Throttle switched on when rated at 1/4 output. Usage applications are recommendations only.

HPE Fieldays_Rural News_June.indd 1

COMMENT

Jacqueline Rowart

Forestr y on margin al hill country could provide immediate and you an ongoing revenu e stream to help your family invest you and in more produc tive parts of the repay debt and farm, suppor t succes sion planning. more than 100 If you have hectares of margin al land on your get in touch. farm,

EU70 GENERATOR

NOW ONLY

If the approac h and rethink about systems is so good, why is the income side missing in discussion?

Most of us underst and that Country Calendar is now more about lifestyles and people stories than working farms (with the occasional exceptio ns).

Do you have over 100 hectares of marginal hill A partnership country? with Drylandcarbo n could give you opportunity to the increase overall farm profitability diversify your and income with no upfront capital There may also investment. be wider benefit s for your farm environment plan.

INC GST

SAVE $300

SAVE $100

// JUNE 1, 2021

20 OPINION I’D LIKE to thank Where’s the Jacqueline dollars and se nse?

Rowarth for her article ‘Where’s the dollars and the Sense’ (Rural AT TR AC TI VE News, June 1) RE TU RN S FO R I agree we YO UR FA RM , FA M ILY AN D need to provide FU TU RE . documented evidence that regen agriculture can deliver as promised.

On the other hand, we need some rapid solutions to counteract the predicament our world’s soils are facing Agricultural science, through proven evidence, promoted the farming systems we now have and they have gone past their ‘due by date’. In the 1980s, the Netherlands warned that the use of artificial N would eventually pollute our underground aquafers – just like it did for them. We were warned not to follow the American model of factory farming where the poor animals have only a two to three year life span. No one listened, in fact our scientists gave the ‘OK’ to introduce N and issued the appropriate measurements of use.

Science also approved irrigation of unproductive environments and the building of barns for cows. Science promoted phosphates, which is now polluting waterways and feeding the algae growth in our water.

I advocate regenerative organic farming. I see it as everyone’s choice as to what road map they follow. With an open mind each individual will discover the pathway best suited to their business.

Janette Perrett (abridged) RD1, Hikurangi WITH ALL the hype around the benefits of regenerative agriculture, a significant aspect appears to be missing – economics.

We hear about farmer wellbeing. Sometim es hear about product we ion.

But where are the accounts?

NOW ONLY

NOW ONLY

$899

AT FIRST, I thought the comments made about Geoff Ross in ‘The Hound’ column (May 18) were mean spirited. But then I recognised the remarks as the consequence of a limited imagination of a vocal minority in the rural sector who are quick to criticise change.

Geoff Ross is one of NZ’s trail blazers. He is a futurist and has a track record of not only spotting the next big thing but delivering on it too. He has also been a client and a friend for many years and I know first-hand of his remarkable gift of storytelling. Right now, he is weaving a best seller for agriculture NZ and through his efforts, NZ’s collective reputation and progress in regenerative agriculture and carbon zero produce will reach an audience far wider than local provinces.

And that is a good thing, right? A positive reputation is a great insurance policy and serves to protect in times of trouble. Geoff Ross knows how to build value and grow a reputation and we can be excited by the impact he is set to add to NZ’s agricultural sector.

You guys should talk to him and visit his farm. You never know – the old Hound may learn a few new tricks.

Deborah Pead CEO and Founder Pead PR Auckland

EVIDENCE IS ALREADY HERE

NOW ONLY

$799

NOW ONLY

they really walking the talk?

What an upside down world we live in right now, this has nothing to do with saving the planet.

Helen Mandeno Te Awamutu

A GOOD FRIEND AND A HIGH PAYING CLIENT!

8/06/21 5:05 PM

RURAL NEWS // JUNE 15, 2021

24 MANAGEMENT

Managing through drought successfully Farmers in Hawkes Bay have now experienced two successive years of bad droughts, which has stretched their farm management skills to the limit. Watching this and working with farmers to mitigate the problems are two experienced AgFirst farm consultants based in Hastings – Lochie MacGillivray and Phil Tither. They talked with reporter Peter Burke about what they have seen and what works best.

PHIL TITHER has been working with a farmer in a summer dry area, west of Hastings.

The farmer runs Friesian bulls and finishes lambs on his 430 hectare property. He is an ardent user of Farmax, recording his monthly pasture growth rates.

Normally he would grow around seven tonnes of dry matter annually, but last year – because of the drought – it was down to five tonnes.

“So that was when the production crashed. But what was interesting was that his gross income per ha was the highest it’s been in 13 years,” Tither told Rural News.

“He did this by adapting his system to be a total finishing enterprise – even though some people would look at the land and say it’s not easy finishing country.

But he has worked hard on improving the quality of feed on it and it’s just interesting to watch the

way that some of those trading enterprises can buffer that poor physical result with a very acceptable financial result.”

The standout to this farmer’s success was his flexible livestock policies,

which Tither acknowledges are not everyone’s cup of tea. He concedes that it would be wrong to have the whole industry moving to flexible livestock policies, as someone needs to breed them.

Phil Tither believes the value of monitoring and collecting hard data cannot be underestimated when dealing with adverse events such as a drought.

Tither adds that it’s not just about having a flexible livestock policy,

GOOD DATA IS KEY PHIL TITHER says many progressive sheep and beef farmers monitor kilograms of meat per hectare as a better indicator of the progress they are making, as opposed to more traditional measures of stock units and per head performance.

He says the key to all of this is knowing the state of pasture by careful monitoring and also knowing what reserves are available.

Tither explains that farmers they notice that cope reasonably well in a drought are those that have good data. Some, he says, have been using Farmax for up to 16 years and develop good models to test possible scenarios.

“A lot of people say don’t complicate things with software and claim they do it on the back of a cigarette packet. Possibly but not likely – technology is there to help us and why not use it.”

Lochie MacGillivray says there are real gains in taking a data-driven approach,

particularly when climate and or markets are changing. In terms of optimising land use, he says there is a tendency to deal in averages.

“It means they underestimate the value of their better land and overestimate the value of their poorer land,” McGillivray explains. “Taking that into the seasons and years and we kind of diminish the bad years and over exaggerate the good years. That’s human nature and farmers are optimists and they are always going to look on the upside rather than the downside.”

However, he says if farmer have it written down, those numbers are tangible.

“Without a plan there is a void and that void is filled with anxiety and you worry your way through that.”

Tither believes the value of monitoring and collecting hard data cannot be underestimated when dealing with adverse events such as a drought.

it’s about driving this and collecting data – such as monthly pasture assessments. He says having the data to know how many lambs and bulls they can fit in their farming system and whether they’ve got the pasture cover to fit them in, they won’t be buying more and likely selling some stock.

“So, they keep making their system fit their feed supply,” he explains. “The people who make lots of incremental decisions and monitor it tend to come down in stocking rate earlier, but they are also in a position to come up earlier.

“That’s actually better because when I look at the margins that hold up revenue on these flexible enterprises, it’s because their entry point back in is still quite cost effec-

tive.”

Lochie MacGillivray notices that good farmers make regular incremental calls about reducing stock numbers, rather than making big calls and says getting rid of large numbers of stock at one time.

“The incremental step down approach is by far the best,” he told Rural News. “I have seen farmers panic and sell all their stock and suddenly it rains and they are left facing a costly catch-up process.”

Another of their clients is disciplined in their pasture monitoring and this has paid dividends. In this regard, the farmer recorded pasture growth rates back in January dropping by about 4% compared to their long term average increasing to being 40% down in April. The

It’s time to Schuitemaker wagons are the perfect partner for New Zealand farming and contracting requirements.

Guaranteed chopping length from the hydraulically pressurised knife bank, shaped pick-up tines, unique trailing pick-up and compact design and steering make these market favourites. www.schuitemaker.co.nz

SOUTH ISLAND www.cochranes.co.nz Alastair Robertson | 027 435 2642 AMBERLEY | LEESTON | ASHBURTON | TIMARU | OAMARU | WEST COAST

NORTH ISLAND www.gaz.co.nz Product Specialist | 027 203 5022 CAMBRIDGE | OTOROHANGA | ROTORUA

farmer had a plan to deal with this and as the pasture growth rates slowed, they changed their plan to deal with the situation as it unfolded.

It was again the case of incremental changes, rather than lurching to major changes.

According to MacGillivray, it’s about actively managing the plan all the way through.

“It’s not just about having plan A and B and if plan A fails you move to plan B and maybe in the back of your mind there is plan C,” he adds.

“This is about continually monitoring and changing to fit the circumstances as they evolve. People kind of think this is my feed budget for the winter and its static. That’s not good enough – it has to be dynamic.”

RURAL NEWS // JUNE 15, 2021

MANAGEMENT 25

Catch crops a valuable tool Along with several other organisations, Beef+Lamb NZ helped fund the catch crops for reduced nitrate leaching project.

Sown as soon as possible after grazing has finished, catch crops have been the subject of a Sustainable Farming Fund project led by Peter Carey from Lincoln Agritech, with support from Brendon Malcolm and Shane Maley from Plant and Food Research and AgResearch.

THE PROJECT highlighted the value of catch crops as a tool to capture and use nitrogen left in the wake of winter forage crops, provided the correct management principles were followed.

The researchers carried out trials at both plot and farm scale to determine how to make the most effective use of catch crops to reduce nutrient losses while generating dry-matter.

Speaking a recent workshop, Brendon Malcolm says catch crops mop up N and reduce drainage by taking up water. However, timely sowing with the appropriate winter-active species was important to make the most effective use of these crops.

July-sown oats had the greatest impact on reducing nitrogen losses.

At paddock scale, oat crops were capturing up to 100kg N/ha by the end of the leaching period, N that would be otherwise be lost to the environment.

Yields in catch crops grown for green-chop silage were typically between 8-10t/ha with a maximum of 12t DM/ha.

Malcolm says while the oats sown in July were very slow to come away, they were still capturing significant amounts of N through the root system, despite the lack of above-ground foliage.

Growing a crop at a time of year when the paddock would nor-

mally be bare, does add to bottom line and an onfarm trial looking at an ex-kale crop showed that it only took a crop of 2-3t/ ha to break even.

Returns per hectare were greater in the direct drilled crop versus the crop established with tillage – $1,620 versus $1,520/ha. However, Malcolm acknowledged that tillage was sometimes necessary to provide good seed-to-soil contact if the field surface was too pugged from the previous forage crop – like fodder beet.

Peter Carey says early sowing is one of the most important factors with catch crops.

“The key point is sowing as early as you practically can.”

Modelling carried out in Canterbury on freedraining soils showed the earlier the sowing, the greater the amount of N captured.

A sowing date trial comparing crops sown on 11 July, 3 August and 31 August highlighted the importance of early sowing. By harvest in November, there remained a big difference in the crops despite the three-week difference in sowing dates.

“Some years you just cannot get on the paddock – maybe one in every five years – and you just can’t do anything about that,” Carey explains.

He adds that they focused on oats because they are robust, will ger-

minate at lower temperatures and produce quality green-chop silage.

A trial comparing Italian ryegrass, with Triticale and oats showed oats (Intimidator) to be the

stand-out performers in terms of both dry-matter yield and nitrogen captured.

• For more information about catch crops go to B+LNZ’s Knowledge.

Catch crops are a good way to capture and use nitrogen left in the wake of winter forage crops.

TIRED OF HIGH FARM

VEHICLE COSTS? IT’S TIME TO GO YAMAHA.

FLEXIBLE PAYMENT OPTIONS

YAMAHA RELIABILITY

MORE TIME ON FARM

4.95% P.A FIXED RATE

3 YEAR

150 HR

24-36 MONTH LOAN TERM

SERVICE INTERVALS

GENUINE FULL FACTORY WARRANTY

24/36 MONTH LOAN TERM

ON ATV & ROV

ON ATV & ROV

NON ASSET-BACKED COMMERCIAL APPLICANTS VARIOUS REPAYMENT FREQUENCIES AVAILABLE

AG200

$

5,130 + GST

WOLVERINE X2

KODIAK 450 EPS

$

12,260

$

20,869 + GST

+ GST

FIND YOUR LOCAL DEALER AT:

www.yamaha-motor.co.nz

Promotion available between 1/04/21 to 30/09/21 on new farm vehicles (AG125, AG200, TTR230/A, TW200, XT250, YFM350FA, YFM450FB, YFM450FB/P, YFM700FA, YFM700FB/P, YXC700P, YXE850PBL, YXE850PK, YXF850, YXM700, YXM700S SE, YXE1000PSEM, YXF1000PSEM), through participating authorised Yamaha dealers while stocks last. Offer available for specified models, and warranty registered on or before 30/09/21. *FINANCE DISCLAIMER: monthly repayments.4.95% p.a. fixed interest rate on a 24 or 36 month loan term. Commercial applicants only with NZBN registered for minimum of 1 year. Maximum amount financed is $35,000 and applies to the new farm vehicle models listed for this promotion. Offer available from April 1, 2021 to September 30, 2021 with final settlement date of October 31, 2021. Credit criteria, fees, charges and conditions apply including an application fee of $325, $10 PPSR fee and a dealer administration fee. Finance to approved applicants by Yamaha Motor Finance New Zealand Ltd. (YMF) NZBN 9429036270798 FSP 9622.

RURAL NEWS // JUNE 15, 2021

26 ANIMAL HEALTH

Shedding Wiltshire’s anti wool appeal PETER BURKE peterb@ruralnews.co.nz

OF THE all the projects Massey University’s School of Agriculture has been involved in over the years, it’s never had such interest as it has had in its Wiltshire breeding programme.

That claim was made by the head of Massey’s agriculture department Professor Paul Kenyon at a recent field day held

at its Riverside Research farm, near Masterton, in the Wairarapa. Close to 100 farmers and rural consultants from around the North Island turned up to hear presentations by top Massey scientists on the project to build up a flock of self-shedding sheep using Wiltshire rams crossed with Romney ewes.

Kenyon says the turnout exceeded their expectations – given the project

is in its very early stages and there is not a lot of data to share. As well as hearing the presentations, field day attendees had a chance to see the first crosses from the programme, which are due to lamb in the spring.

Kenyon says Massey has been involved in a number of projects over the year. In the late 1990s, it was lambing out of season, in the early 2000s it was triplets and

then mating hoggets.

“While there was a lot of interest in these projects, we have never seen the level of interest from farmers who are contacting us by email and phone all the time to learn more about this project,” he told Rural News.

Kenyon doesn’t think the interest in self-shedding Wiltshires is because farmers are necessarily over wool.

He believes they still regard wool is a good quality product and are very proud of that.

“But it just comes down to the economic sense of it at the moment because of the costs of dealing with wool – including the price of

Professor Steve Morris is heading Massey University’s Wiltshire research project.

shearing, which is likely to go up,” he explains.

“Also, the extra labour costs over the summerautumn period – including crutching, dipping and fly control. With less labour on farm, you can do other things – such as improving the performance of the farm or go

to the beach.”

Kenyon says Massey is not suggesting that all farmers should go to Wiltshires, but it wants to provide quality information so that farmers can make informed decisions.

He says farmers are very much focused on obtaining good data, because

any decisions they make is going to impact on their farm over many years.

“More and more they are relying on people to give them information to help them make informed decisions to take some of that risk away from them,” he says.

THE PROJECT

See us at the NZ National Fieldays SITE PB6

HEADING THE Wiltshire project is Professor Steve Morris, who told those attending the field day that one of the reasons for initiating the science project was the lack of accurate data on upgrading to Wiltshire sheep.

He noted, for example, the costs incurred in upgrading lamb production levels, the proportion of animals that shed at each backcross and other benefits – such as animal health and welfare and production levels.

Morris says the objective of the project is to upgrade Romney type sheep to fully shedding Wiltshires.

“The scientific literature just

hasn’t happened over the years because there are very few Wiltshire sheep in the world,” he told Rural News. The project at Riverside is about generating first, second, third and fourth cross sheep and seeing what the production consequences are of going down that route.”

Morris says that once wool dropped below a dollar, the team wondered what wool’s future might look like. He says the Wiltshire has a good reputation as a meat breed because its carcass is big and lean and has links back to the Poll Dorset – another good meat breed. But Morris says today’s interest in the breed is not so much about its meat,

but rather its shedding gene.

“Everyone is trying to get the shedding gene and so you have got to try and compromise. If you want it to shed, that’s number one and we are just trying to find out that if you select for that shedding gene what else is happening,” he explains.

“There is whole lot of things out there that might happen and we don’t know what will happen, but you have got to do something. The wool price is so low that shearing is just a welfare thing nowadays.”

Morris says Massey intends to run field days at least once a year to give farmers and others interested an update on the project.

Tip the scales in your favour.

Produce heavier ewes and lambs with Cydectin® Long Acting Injection for Sheep. Cydectin LA has been shown to increase average weaning weights in ewes by 3.2kg and lambs by 2.6kg1, helping you get your ewes up to mating weight fast. With a shorter withholding2, you can quit terminal ewes

Tip the scales in your favour with Cydectin LA. Find out more at sheepsolutions.co.nz 1 Bingham, C., Hodge, A., & Mariadass, B. (2017). Comparison of two long acting pre-lambing anthelmintic treatments on the productivity of ewes in low body condition. New Zealand Veterinary Journal, 65(3), 152–155. 2. 91 day Meat WHP Zoetis New Zealand Limited. Tel: 0800 963 847; www.zoetis.co.nz. CYDECTIN is a registered trademark of Zoetis. ACVM No. A9926.

J002881_100X265

earlier and free up valuable feed for fattening lambs.

RURAL NEWS // JUNE 15, 2021

ANIMAL HEALTH 27

Drenching – doing it right Effective and accurate drenching is important for animal health and productivity. It needs strategic decision making and should be part of a parasite management plan.

KNOWING WHICH drench will work on your parasites and using the drench properly is key to managing parasites effectively and ensures the investment you have made in the cost of drenching is not wasted.

Consequences of using an ineffective drench and poor technique can be serious. Some of these consequences include drench resistance increases, reduced animal production and profitability, stock deaths due to high parasite burden, while some drenches can be toxic when incorrect dose rates are used.

Parasites may not be the only reason stock may be thin or scouring – know what you are treating.

Which drench to choose?

• Not all drenches work on all parasites, use the right drench for the job.

• A faecal egg count reduction test (FECRT), carried out every 2-3 years, will help you select the most useful drench for your farm.

Keep monitoring to see how effective your drench, drenching technique, and drenching programme are.

Stock • Weigh a random sample of animals (at least 40) and drench to the heaviest weight.

• Estimating weight can lead to underdosing, some parasites not being killed and an increased chance of developing

drench resistance.

Animal weights in the mob may vary widely, draft into light and heavy mobs (preferably using scales not by eye), and dose to the heaviest weight in each group.

Handling drench • Read the drench label, check and record the expiry date, batch number, withholding period and note any precautions or special instructions.

• Calculate the correct dose based on the heaviest animal weight.

• Shake the drum of drench well before filling the backpack to ensure even mixing.

Drench equipment • Regularly service drench guns and have more than one ready to use.

• Check your drench gun for leakages or backflow and replace valves and washers if necessary.

• Check drench gun nozzle for damage and rough edges.

• Calibrate drench guns to check they deliver the correct volume. Use drench not water for calibration.

• After drenching, rinse the drench gun, disassemble, wash with warm water, lubricate all moving parts and reassemble carefully.

Fix any equipment that is broken as soon as it happens.

• For more information and useful resources go to: www. wormwise.co.nz

GET THE RIGHT MINERALS INTO THESE CALVES, TO BUILD NATURAL IMMUNITY

”

Ed Grayling Rukuhia, Waikato

facebook.com/ruralnews

READING THE PAPER ONLINE HAS NEVER BEEN EASIER

BREAKING NEWS ■ MARKETS & TRENDS MACHINERY REVIEWS MANAGEMENT STORIES COMPETITIONS AND MUCH MORE...

www.ruralnews.co.nz

“ it’s REALLY IMPORTANT TO

@rural_news

NOW READ IT ONLINE ■ ■ ■ ■ ■

Not all drenches work on all parasites, use the right drench for the job.

To learn more about Ed’s story, visit performanceready.co.nz

Registered pursuant to the ACVM Act 1997, No. A9374. Copyright © 2021 Virbac New Zealand Limited. All rights reserved. Virbac New Zealand Limited, 26-30 Maui Street, Pukete, Hamilton 3200

RURAL NEWS // JUNE 15, 2021

28 MACHINERY & PRODUCTS

Is the day of the drone closer than Linda Bulk, general manager at Aeronavics Ltd, says the company is currently working on technology to support agriculture, centred around time saving, soil and water management.

Drones have become increasingly popular in agriculture and horticulture over the last decade, whether taking aerial photographs of a property, checking water lines or in some cases even mustering stock. Machinery editor Mark Daniel takes a closer look at the developments in this area …

UNFORTUNATELY, THE typical sub-$2,000 models of drones – freely available in the High Street – are unable to carry the latest sensing technology.

These machines also bring with them several problems that impose limitations on their use.

Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) rules state that drones can only be flown within Line of Sight

(LOS) – typically around 500 metres, depending on terrain. They can fly no higher than 400 feet and must not be flown within 4km of an airfield or airport. Additionally, they must not exceed a take-off weight of more than 25kg and must not be flown over people or properties without permission.

If a drone is being flown outside these

• Founded in 2010 • Designer and Manufacturer based in Waikato • Customers Worldwide including US Navy and BHP Billiton • Fieldays Innovation Award winner in 2015 • Developing Smart Drones for last five years

See us at Mystery Creek – Site D111

STANDARD FEEDER (C6 Pinned) • 1 x 6 foot bale • 2m diameter • 15 feed positions • 15 - 30 animals

Aeronavics

OVAL FEEDER (S2 Pinned) • 3 x 4 foot bales • 2 x 6 foot bales • 24 feed positions • 24 - 48 animals • 4m long

parameters, the user must be a Certified Part 102 operator, a status that typically takes a year to achieve in New Zealand, while also requiring an extensive submission to the CAA that might run to 200+ pages. From that point, each flight will need to be approved on a flight by flight basis, with all machinery having

been initially approved by CAA-certified inspectors.

This strict regulatory stance means that a typical farmer or landowner is unlikely to ever meet CAA 102 regulations, while CAA 101 authority is probably going to be of little use for larger properties.

In 2019, The Ministry of Business, Innova-

tion and Employment (MBIE) set out to better understand the benefits of drone use to the NZ economy. In doing so, it calculated there was an $8 billion advantage, with agriculture being the main beneficiary. The main stumbling block to unlocking those potential benefits was the current rules and regulations – particularly the Line of Sight restrictions.

In May, MBIE announced that Waikatobased Aeronavics Limited, manufacturers and distributors of commercial drones, had become a partner in the Airspace Integration Trails Programme, to enable the

delivery of controlled developmental test and evaluation of emerging advanced aviation technologies.

One of the main aims of the testing is to gather data to inform regulatory approval of Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS), which remains the key barrier to more widespread adoption.

“The collaboration will enable a rapid advancement of the benefits drone technology can offer NZ,” explains Linda Bulk, general manager at Aeronavics Ltd. “We are currently working on technology to support agriculture, centred around time saving,

SHIPLOADS ARRIVING! NEW ZEALAND’S #1 SELLING SIDE X SIDE BRAND HAS THOUSANDS OF NEW VEHICLES ARRIVING! SEE YOUR POLARIS DEALER AND LET THEM GET YOU A GREAT DEAL TODAY!

0800 440 290 | www.polarisnewzealand.com |

/PolarisNZ |

/polarisorv_nz

RURAL NEWS // JUNE 15, 2021

MACHINERY & PRODUCTS 29

we think? soil and water management, while also realising that drone use can also remove the risks of sending people to remote or dangerous locations.”

Scheduled for release in the next 12 months, Aeronavics’ “agriculture solution” will see a drone that automatically captures data for a farmer, without any intervention by a worker at any time. Typically, the functions will include simple tasks like water trough inspections, looking for

will geo-fence the property, meaning the drone will not “wander”, while also following the farm’s terrain at a safe altitude and avoiding any obstacles.

If any problems are encountered during a flight, the drone will return to its hanger and send a notification to the provider.

At installation, the drone will be pre-programmed with multiple tasks to suit individual users. Its menu will

In 2019 MBIE set out to better understand the benefits of drone use to the NZ economy and calculated there was an $8 billion advantage, with agriculture being the main beneficiary.

office computer for analysis. We believe that it will increase productivity in the rapidly emerging precision ag sector, help improve environmental monitoring and reporting and improve levels of onfarm health and safety, by reducing the risk of accidents.”

“We want to take away all the current issues seen as obstacles to using drone technology to its full potential.” leaks, checking boundaries and gates, overseeing livestock, counting stock and carrying out security patrols.

On a more technical front, the drone will also be able to capture data that requires imagestitching, image analysis and processing.

This information will be uploaded by an on-board web server to a cloud computing site. This might include irrigation and water resource monitoring, looking at soil moisture and delivery, or monitoring nitrogen levels.

NDVI scans will be able to provide information on nitrogen levels in the soil and crops.

This, in turn, can be used to develop prescription maps for precision variable rate applications.

Delivery of 3-D mapping, with 1cm accuracy, will allow a detailed overview of watercourses and erosion over time, plant growth statistics, annual changes in harvests and animal movements. Comparisons of trending data will offer benefits in terms of future planning, increased productivity and environmental compliance management.

The main thrust of the “on-farm solution” will be automation, with the aircraft living in its own micro-hanger with an induction charging system, not needing any input from the user. On installation, Aeronavics

be accessed via a smartphone or tablet, with tasks initiated by hitting a simple “GO” button.

The system will also remove the need for the user to meet compliance regulations, all areas taken care of by Aeronavics. Meanwhile, a builtin weather station at the hanger will automatically make the decision whether it is safe for the drone to fly.

The drone will have its own on-board web server, connecting to the internet, to automatically process data deliver it back to the user in an actionable, readable format – typically processing this data as it is flying. The company will also monitor drone ‘health’ continuously, looking at critical systems; with any worn or damaged parts replaced under the supply agreement.

“We want to take away all the current issues seen as obstacles to using drone technology to its full potential,” says Rob Brouer, director of flight operations at Aeronavics.

“Our system won’t need the farmer to fly the drone, maintain visual contact to meet LOS regulations, file flight plans to do a job – or even decide if the weather is suitable to carry out a flight,” he adds.

“The machine will also take care of its own charging requirements, extract data and automatically upload it to a smart device or farm

THE LONGER WHEELBASE AND STABILITY OF CLAAS TRACTORS MAKE THE JOB EASY ” JAMES COCHRANE Wanaka

POWER, TECHNOLOGY AND COMFORT TO MAKE LIFE EASIER rience e p x e d n a e Com rs at o t c a r t S A A L C oor a Cactus Outd n Jacket Canvas Dow worth

IN & be in to W

*

Competitive finance available

*

T&Cs apply. One winner drawn per day during Fieldays 2021. Enter at the CLAAS Harvest Centre site at Fieldays, 16-19 June 2021. Winner will be randomly selected & contacted via phone and/or email. Full competition T&Cs at claasharvestcentre.com.

claasharvestcentre.com 0800 4 CLAAS

RURAL NEWS // JUNE 15, 2021

30 MACHINERY & PRODUCTS

Factory fast tracks production MARK DANIEL markd@ruralnews.co.nz

AFTER GIVING the goahead for a major investment at its Le Mans plant back in 2017, Claas

recently showcased its €40 million spend.

This has largely been centred around a complete renewal of the assembly line and the digital transformation of

the plant. It brings the total investment by the German family-owned company, at Le Mans – the development centre in Vélizy, and the testand-validation centre at

Trangé – to about €80 million since the acquisition of Renault Agriculture in 2003.

Described as one of the world’s most advanced tractor plants,

Future production at Claas’ Le Mans plant will allow the completion of 60 units a day, pushing the annual capacity from the current 10,000, up to more than 13,000 units.

IT’S TIME... TO HAVE A FIELD DAY WITH MASSEY FERGUSON. Working with Kiwi farmers for over three generations we wanted to celebrate with some special offers on our range of tractors from 22 HP to 400 HP.

HARD WORKING COMPACTS AVAILABLE FROM 22.5 HP

CLASS LEADING UTILITY TRACTORS 74 - 132 HP

MF GC1723 WITH FRONT LOADER & 60” MOWER DECK

MF GLOBAL SERIES MF 4700, MF 5700 & MF 6700

EUROPE’S FINEST LOADER TRACTORS 110 - 130 HP

CHAMPIONS IN ANY FIELD 140 - 175 HP

MF 5700 S SERIES TRACTORS

MF 7600 SERIES

$ 20,990 FROM

* PLUS GST

0.99% FINANCE˚

0% FINANCE ^

1.99% FINANCE

˜

CONTACT YOUR LOCAL MASSEY FERGUSON DEALER TODAY *Images are for illustrative purposes. All offers end 30th June 2021, while stocks last. Finance with an interest rate of ^0% p.a., º0.99% p.a., ~1.99% p.a. available on Hire Purchase agreement based on minimum 30% deposit, the GST component repaid after 4 months and monthly repayments in arrears over a 36 month term. Fees and lending conditions apply to approved GST number holders who use the equipment for business purposes. Finance is approved by AGCO Finance Limited. GST number 88-831-861. Contact your local Massey Ferguson for full details.

MASSEYFERGUSON.CO.NZ | FREECALL 0800 825 872

A world of experience. Working with you.

rent 10,000, up to more than 13,000 units. Tractor exports from Le Mans have risen from 33% to 70% during the last 20 years, with Germany being the most important market.

The new logistics infrastructure means employees have significantly more space at their ergonomically designed workplaces, with parts only immediately needed, delivered to the assembly line just in time.

Some workstations are equipped with headsets so that workers benefit from easier communication, while LED lighting technology ensures a pleasant working atmosphere that resembles natural lighting conditions.

Together with the development centre at Vélizy, near Paris, and the test and validation centre at Trangé, about 1,000 people are employed at Le Mans. The factory co-operates closely with Claas’s other development centres and plants.

Those locations include, in Germany, Claas E-Systems in Dissen and Claas Industrietechnik in Paderborn, where the Terra Trac crawler track units for the Axion 900 Terra Trac and the CVT for the Arion 500 and Arion 600 model series are built.

the finished result contains a new automated warehouse, new function and brake tests benches, new wheel assembly process, new fluids process and a new paint finishing bench.

Modernisation of the plant is said to allow the manufacture of increasingly complex and individually configured tractors.

This involved reconfiguration of many processes, particularly in the area of in-house logistics.

Indeed, the use of virtual reality technologies enabled digital simulation of all processes during the planning stage, including simulated production for tractor models yet to be released.

At the heart of the upgrades, 40 Automated Guided Vehicles (AVG), each with a capacity of up to 20 tonnes, carry the tractors around the plant during assembly – along a 1.2km line that houses 100 workstations. Moving from the first to the last assembly station, the load AGV capacities are said to be enough to deal with all current series as well as planned future models.

Currently building five Claas tractor series from 75 to 460hp, future production will allow the completion of 60 units a day, pushing the annual capacity from the cur-

Read us until the cows come home!

READING THE PAPER ONLINE HAS NEVER BEEN EASIER Breaking news Management Animal health Agribusiness Machinery & Products reviews ❱❱ Competitions... and much more ❱❱ ❱❱ ❱❱ ❱❱ ❱❱

HEADER Ferist et quati aut pedici te vollab imod quamet atur soleniet quiatibu. PAGE 15

HEADER Ferist et quati aut pedici te vollab imod quamet atur soleniet quiatibu. PAGE 23

RURALNEWS TO ALL FARMERS, FOR ALL FARMERS

www.ruralnews.co.nz

HEADER Ferist et quati aut pedici te vollab imod quamet atur soleniet quiatibu.

PAGE 24

RURAL NEWS // JUNE 15, 2021

MACHINERY & PRODUCTS / RURAL TRADER 31

Safari on a Trek to NZ MARK DANIEL markd@ruralnews.co.nz

EXCLUSIVE TO the New Zealand market and available in limited supply, the Suzuki Jimny Safari adds to an already versatile and unique compact three-door model in the small four-wheel-drive vehicle sector.

Based around the fourth generation JX version, the Safari is distinguished by a black ARB base roof rack with side trade rails and wind deflector.

A special heritage grille, front window weather-shields, mudflaps front and rear, a

large rear cargo tray and Safari decals on the rear wheel disc cover are also included.

In place of the standard tyres, Maxxis Bravo 980 all-terrain 215/75R15 tyres are fitted to the black steel rims, matched with the Bluish Black Pearl ‘hero’ body colour.

As an alternative, the Safari variant is also offered in Jungle Green, Silky Silver, White and Medium Grey.

Standard specifications include six airbags, cruise control, air conditioning, automatic light sensing headlamps, high beam assist, daytime running lights, guide me light

function, hill descent and hill hold control, dual sensor braking support system, weaving alert and lane departure warning.

Among the safety systems are two sensors comprising a monocular camera and a laser sensor, which determine if there is a risk of collision with a forward vehicle or pedestrian.

On detection of a potential col-

NORWOOD, ONE of New Zealand’s major retailers of agriculture and construction machinery, recently opened a new national training centre in Palmerston North.

With 23 dealerships and two service centres, as well as a strong commitment to both customer service and investing in its staff, the company says its new national training centre will offer its 400 plus employees opportunities to continually grow their product and industry knowledge and advance their careers.

Norwood chief executive Tim Myers says training and development is a high priority at the company.

“Training our people to the highest possible standard will ensure we deliver industry leading services for NZ farmers,” Myers says. “The facility, co-joined to our national support office, enables our technical and professional training requirements to be housed under one roof.”

Norwood claims to sell one in three of all new tractors purchased in New Zealand. It believes the new facility will allow the company to support its well-known brands – such as New Holland, Case IH, Vaderstad, Horsch, Sulky and Pichon.

ALL PRICES INCLUDE G.S.T.

shaft 4-cylinder engine with variable inlet camshaft timing, the drive is taken through a 5-speed manual gearbox. This is mated to the ALLGRIP ‘Pro’ selectable fourwheel-drive system that incorporates 2H for twowheel-drive high gearing, 4H for four-wheel-drive high gearing and 4L for four-wheel-drive low gearing.

For off-road use, with an overall length of 3,645mm and 210mm ground clearance, the Jimny offers a maximum departure angle of 49 degrees, a ramp break-

over angle of 28 degrees, and an approach angle of 37 degrees. If two diagonal wheels lose grip while on slippery surfaces, the electronic limited-slip differential and traction control automatically brakes the sliding wheels and redistributes torque to the other two wheels, allowing the Jimny to continue safely.

Sales of the current model in New Zealand have already topped 1,500 and there are still waiting lists for all Jimny versions, with the longest being for the top-spec Sierra models. @rural_news

The Jimney-JX-Safari

facebook.com/ruralnews

LA

N

ZE

A

IN

EW

MA DE

SERIES 2

EXPANDER TERMINATOR COMBO

TERMINATOR

1 6 M : e nd see us at S i t

Come a ays d l e i F k e e r C y r e Myst

SERIES 1 400

SERIES 3 430

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

alternatively applies strong automatic braking.

Using the same 1.5 litre, double overhead cam-

ND

NEW NATIONAL TRAINING CENTRE

lision, the Jimny alerts the driver with an audible and visual warning, deploys brake assistance or

www.kinghitter.com 09 482 0866

CULVERT PIPES

New Zealand’s CHEAPEST Culvert Pipes!

FREE joiners supplied on request.

• Lightweight, easy to install • Made from polyethylene

Check out our NEW website www.mckeeplastics.co.nz

Phone

06 323 4181

or

0800 625 826 for your nearest stockist

Joiners supplied FREE with culvert pipes

RURAL NEWS // JUNE 15, 2021

Grey Power CodeWord No. 18 (December 19)

32 RURAL TRADER

Each number in the grid represents a letter of the alphabet. Three letters have already been given. Start by filling in these ones, and build the words in the grid from there. When you have completed the grid, youRubber will be able toSafety solve the Matting coded message.

• ATV Carrier Mats • Exit/Entry Areas 1

SHEEP JETTERS SINCE 1992

10

FOOTWEAR 2

3

PH 06-835 6863 • MOB 021-061 1800 JETTER VIDEO: www.craigcojetters.com

10 H

6

5

4

3

7

M

7 • 2ore 8 Le pr

4

15

8

7

e

8

12

15

18

2

8

1

17

3

7

10

• Calf 10

9

5 16

2

2

Trailers • Horse Floats & Trucks LETTER VALUES • Weigh Platforms • Bale Mats

13 13

8

1

3

7

3

4

5

6

7

F

Phone: 0800 80 8570

7

www.burgessmatting.co.nz

16

8

19

W 5,

Grey Power CodeWord No. 19) 11 18 7 (December 16 8

9 19

by PMH

ESCORTED TOURS 2021

8

o.

8

3

16 15

2

• Comfort Mats for Wet & Dry AreasS I 6 • Utility Deck 11 12 13 14 Matting 15 16 17 18

8

• L ath od • W ea7th er f uct 2 or er arm s a all ad13 k & hu va i n e R 09 nt g b ila 17 16 For2 13 oo 7 ble to 2 438 oa es ing15 d & t or t s 62 , ry de hig tram R 7 r 94 D 9 10h & pin 11 low g b •l a leg oots 7 12 20st 7 h 3 16 11 wo 4 rit an e@ garei rk b oo 2 xt8ra 16 4 10 ks .c

on

Ha ll

5

M

Ph

16

4

MANUFACTURERS 4 11

nz it .co.4 e lity Vis14 t i a tr las qu w. ore cts w u m 7 w r d fo pro

GUARANTEED PERFORMANCE QUICK TO SETUP – EASY TO USE – JOB DONE

3

© Pam Hutton 2019 | www.puzzlebeetle.co.nz

CRAIGCO SENSOR JET • Robust construction • Auto shut gate • Total 20 jets • Lambs only 5 jets • Side jets for lice • Adjustable V panels • Davey Twin Impellor Pump • 6.5 or 9.0hp motors

by PM

7

nz Each number in the grid represents a letter of the alphabet. Three letters have Grey 19) by “For mature Grey Power Power CodeWord CodeWord No. No. 18 18 (December (December byinPMH PMH 2 13 been 14 19) 4 2Start 20 by2filling 13 6these ones, 4 and 18 16 already given. build the words in the travellers” grid RAROTONGA ‘RELAXER’ from there. When you have completed the grid, you will• be able to solve the

15 Three 7letters have 15 Each number in the grid represents a letter of the alphabet.

Each number in the grid represents a letter of the alphabet. letters have codedThree message. already been given. Start by filling in these ones, and build the words in the grid already been given. Start by filling in these ones, and build the in grid FF95 4 words 10the from there. When you have completedLASER the grid, you will 15 be able to16 solve the19 8 from there. When you have completed the grid, you will be able to solve the DIESEL HEATER 1 2NZ’s fi3nest BioGro 3 4certifi5ed coded message. coded message.

13

4

16

2 7 days, depart 16 September. A leisurely South Pacific escape with great sightseeing, 2 17 8 7 3 15 food and entertainment.

6 7 2 8 9 10 LETTER VALUES • CHATHAM ISLANDS DISCOVERY Mg fertiliser 8 days, depart 21 October.

10 11 call...

4 12 5 13 1 2 3 4 5 A special 6 7 place 8 9 For 4 a delivered price 4 5 6 7 2 8 9 10 for a safe and relaxing close-to-home all S LETTER VALUES www.ruralnews.co.nz 4 5 6 7 2 8 9 10 CODED I 0800 436 566 LETTER VALUES MESSAGE inclusive holiday.

41 19 10 16 2 13 6 11 4 12 5 13 14 25 3 4 4 5 15 6 157 88 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 11 4 12 5 13 11 17 217 317 4 7 5 166 7 83 910 1017 7 17• WEST 9 10 13 & CENTRAL 13 14 7 16 II S COAST F 7OTAGO S 3 Power Crossword 4 15 15 8 1 16 2No. 13 18 6 7 3 7 17 8 3 10 days, depart 24 October. Highlights 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 4 15 15 8 1 16 2 13 6 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 F include the TranzAlpine Rail, Franz Josef, 7 17 3 8 3 16 F18sheepjetter The 7 2 magic 8 8eye 7 10since 2 1989 8 3 7 7 17 3 8 3 Wanaka, heartland Central Otago and ü Huge 9.5kW output.

Quality construction and options • Get the contractors choice 8 18 7 10 2 8 3 7 Queenstown. ü Made 8 18 7 10 in Japan 2 since 8 1991.

3 7 7 13 2 16 ü Diesel is approx. 30-50% less than Featuring...

• TOP OF THE SOUTH 13 2 demand” Electricity or Gas. 16 Solution “on 13 2 16 8 • Incredible economy 17 16 2 15 7 2 chemical 13 15 7 16 8 12 days, depart 21 November. Enjoy the ü DIY Install or we can arrange.

• Amazing ease 1500+ per hour 15 7 2 13 15 7 16 8 scenic splendour of the South Island including 15 7 2 ü No 13wood15 7 16 8 to cut, cart or store.

• Unique self adjusting sides 9 10 11• Environmentally and user friendly 19 Akaroa, West Coast, Nelson, Blenheim, ü No mess, NO indoor 10 11 19 diesel odours.

10 11 • Automatically activated Hanmer Springs and the TranzAlpine Rail.

LETTER VALUES ü As easy to use 19 as a light switch.

7 12 20 7 3 16• Proven 4 effective 11 on11 7 as 16 8 lice as well fly 3 16 4 11 11 7 16 8

DOLOMITE

3 3

10 10

4 4

7 7

3 3

3 3

Solution: 14 4 Grey 5 14 4 5 16 16

7 7

2 2

8 8

7 7 8 8

e l w

17 17

16 16

2 2

9 9

udoku Puzzles 13 7 7

12 12

16 16

20 20

7 7

4 4

3

16

8 8

10 10

4

11 0800 11 379 7 247 16 8 www.avonheating.co.nz 2 8 7 16 2

8

7

• Compatible with all dip chemicals

4

RURAL ONLINE

application 10• Accurate, effective 2 8

8

Grey Power CodeWord No. 18 (December 19) 2 13 14 4 2 CodeWord 20 2 13 6 No. 41818(December 16 Grey Power 13 14 19) 4 2 13 14 4 2 20 2 13 6 4 18 16 2 7 number 7

15 the 15

13 4 represents 13 4a

16 of 16 the

2 alphabet.

2 15

by PMH 20 2 13 6 4 18 07 573 8512 | dipping@electrodip.co.nz

– www.electrodip.com

13

already given. filling words in the grid 15 4 been 16 10 19 Start 8 by 2 in 17 these 8 ones, 7 3and 15build the already given.

Start the in grid 15 4 been 16 10 8 by filling 2 in 17 these 8 ones, 7 3and15build 4 words 10the from there.

When 19 you have completed the grid, you will 15 be able to16 solve the19 8 from there. When you have completed the grid, you will be able to solve the coded message. coded message.

CODED MESSAGE 1 2 MESSAGE 3 3 4 5 6 7 2 8 9 10 CODED LETTER VALUES READING THE PAPER ONLINE HAS NEVER BEEN 1 2 EASIER. 3 3 4 Go 5 to www.ruralnewsgroup.co.nz 6 7 2 8 9 10 CODED 11 7 17 17 7 16 3 10 17 7 17 9 LETTER 10 MESSAGE 13 VALUES 13 7 14 11 10 7 10

174 4

17

7 11 11

16

4 4

3

10 12 12

17

57 5

17 9 13 13 11 6 6

Solution: Power Crossword 14 4 Grey 5 4 15 15 8 1 16 2No. 13 18 14 4 5 4 15 15 8 1 16 2 13

Quadbar introduces the new

4

2

16

17

8

I

12 12

13 13

14 14

15 15

F

16 16

7

16 2

3

15

1

For full details

2

20

3

S

18 18

19 19

7

17

6

7

8

www.travelwiseholidays.co.nz 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

9

10

19

20

B X N V F R T U Y C

CODED MESSAGE

Call for delivery options 17 7 16 3 10 17 T T E R L A T

7

17

9

17

10

9

13

10

13 13

T H A N

20 20

5

11

B E

17 17

4

PPhone I L 0800 O W11G60E60S H A

11

7 16 110 213 3 413 5 7 614 7 7 8 16 9 10 17 217 317 4 7 5 166 7 83 910 1017 I S

11 11

7

by PMH

2

intablesudoku99.com 15 in grid letter Three 7letters have Each number in the grid represents a letter of the alphabet. Three letters have 15 Each 15

10

FLY OR LICE PROBLEMS?

© Pam Hutton 2019 | www.puzzlebeetle.co.nz

2 2

PamHutton Hutton2019 2019| |www.puzzlebeetle.co.nz www.puzzlebeetle.co.nz ©©Pam

1 1

7

14 7 16 13 7 14 7

16

N E V E R

FLEXIBAR

+GST

udoku Puzzles 13 Recommended

by Worksafe.

ACC subsidy available

PamHutton Hutton2019 2019| |www.puzzlebeetle.co.nz www.puzzlebeetle.co.nz ©©Pam

7 3 7 17 3 8 3 F 7 3 7 17 3 8 3 4 Solution Solution 16 7 2 8 8 18 7 10 2 8 3 7 $ 3 735 PP16 II 7LL 772LL OO8 WW8 18GG 13137EE II SS1022 HH2 AA 8 3 16167 Solution © Pam Hutton 2019 A 8 17O 16 B2 15 O 7 X 2 W N 13 15 N 7 16 8 LETTER VALUES 9ge A 8 17O 16 B2 15 O 7 X 2 W 13safety 15 and7 16 8 all the V O W O FFlexibar F Sincludes P R I N G V9 O W O F10 F S 11P R ofI theNQuadbar G 19 with the convenience features ell QUALITY BEST ADVICE 1 2 3BEST 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 | BEST Price 10 T advantages 11L of: S LETTER|VALUES E9 L E added L 19 6 E L E T L S L P I L BEST O W G E S H A ow QUALITY | BEST Price | BEST ADVICE 7 12 20 7 3• A flexible 16joint4that 11 11the bar 7 to16 8 allows flex R 7 E 12I 20 S S U E 16A 4I S 11 L11 E 7 8 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 R E I S S7 U3rearwards E S L E with 16 inAthe Ievent of contact an 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 2 16 8overhead 10I 2 7 B X N BEST V F RQUALITY T U Y C | BEST Price E 44 N R 88 obstacle 16 8 N 10I 2 7 P I L| BEST O W GADVICE E S H A E R joint S 2 T 13R 14I F4 E•2 The20 I facilitates N F some E6 Rsideways S 4 flexibility WATER TANKS, PUMPS & FILTRATION 16 8 S 2 T 13R 14I F4 E I 22Nand13 F E6 Rmore S of4 a 18 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 2 20 13 18 16 CODED MESSAGE before locking becoming WATER TANKS, PUMPS &11FILTRATION H A traditional B crush protection Y device B &XFILTRATION V FCLEARWATER R T U Y C H15 A 15 B Y4 WATER TANKS, PUMPS 7 13 16 2 DEVAN • PROMAX CALPEDA • PURETEC •NOASIS 11 7 17 17 7 • PROMAX 16 3 10 17 7 DEVAN • •CALPEDA • PURETEC • OASIS CLEARWATER the R event aBrearwards is negligible2 E15 X C 7E L• In 15 Oof13 B E4 flip R there S 16 7rintablesudoku99.com E15 X 4 C 16E 10 L movement B E R8 S 7 B E T T WATER E RDEVAN L •TANKS, ARX T E • CALPEDA • AQUA • OASIS CLEARWATER fromBthe 2 flexible PUMPS & FILTRATION 19 R 8 O 17joint 3 15 10 19 A 8 3 15 R15 4O 16 S I 2 S17 8 E 7 R O S A I S E • The top section of the Flexibar can also be easily CODED MESSAGE 1 I N V O I removed C I for Ntransportation G O inside U R DEVAN •13PROMAX • •PURETEC • OASIS CLEARWATER a vehicle.

17 9 10 13 7 P: 140508 7 •16CALPEDA 326 8888 www.thetankguy.co.nz P: 0508 326 8888 •11www.thetankguy.co.nz I N V O I C I N G O U R 7 17 17 7 16 3 10 17 7 T H A N N E V E R F E MESSAGE F NZ. N O R I For a Quadbar, call me, Stuart Davidson, of Quadbar CODED 5 F owner E MESSAGE F N O R I BTurners E Road T TRoad E R– Feilding L A T E A: 30 Turners – Feilding CODED A: 30 F11 O 7R 17 A or17 Yfor more S T S E L F Phone: 021-182 8115 Email: sales@quadbar.co.nz goI to www.quadbar.co.nz 3 E 10 L17 F 7 17 9 10 13 13 7 14 7 16 F11 O 7R 17 A 17 Y S77 info16 16 I T S 3 10 17 7 17 9 10 13 13 7 14 7 P:160508 326 8888 • www.thetankguy.co.nz © Pam Hutton 2019 17 9 10 13 13 7 14 7 16 Sudoku Puzzle 4 Solution © Pam Hutton 2019 A: 30 – T Turners H A N Road Nmore EFeilding V E &R 175% water FREE SHIPPING! 74 7 8 1 5 9 2 6 4 175% more crack resistant in stock now crack resistant ENDS330 JUNE Solution Solution ZIP STRIP FLEXISKIN BIB OVERALLS SLIP ON quick lacing LACE UP 43 5P 2I L 9L O6W 4 G 3E I 1S H8 A 7 JACKET © Pam Hutton 2019 $20 P I L L O W $88 G E I S H A $150 $99 $155 39 3AA $230 4 OO 6 BB1 OO8 7XX$1609WW 5 NN 2 LETTER VALUES $280 $320 V O W O F F S P R I N G STEEL TOE X 100%VWaterproof O W O F F S P R I N G STEEL TOE X 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 (with 10 Scuff Guard) 56 2Fleece 6 LL 4 EE9 TT3 1Acid 8SS 7 LL 5 (with Scuff Guard) E Collar L Resistant E L P I L O W G E S H A Durable Seams STEEL TOE R Visor E I S S U E A I S L E TOE (without Scuff Guard) 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 PLAIN 20 R 5 E I 7 S S2U E A I 3S L4 E 1 82 9Hood 6 8 FLEXISKIN (without Scuff Guard) Flexible E B X N V F R T U Y CColour = Dark Brown N I LEGGINGS R PLAIN TOE E N I R (without Scuff Guard) Buffalo Leather T R 8I F4E 7 I 5 N F 2E R6 S 9 18 1SS 3 T R I F E I N$77 F E R S CODED MESSAGE Stitched On Soles order now - sizesHHcan sell out fast A B Y $140 A B Y 175% New Zealand owned & operated 11 7 17 17 7 16 3 10 17 7more crack resistant than normal leather 67 6EE 1 5 O 9B B 4E R2 S 8 X C 3 E L7 R X C E L R O B B E R S B E EARTHWALK T T E R 06 0746 L A0177988 T E 02 sizes: BOOTS 5 13 (NZ) RAINWEAR XS - 4XL 0800 16 00 R 24 O S earthwalk.co.nz A I S E I S 1E 6 21 8 RI N9 OV 5O SI 3C A2 4 7 I N G O U R

RAINWEAR!

BUFFALO BOOTS!

MAX

valued at

valued at

valued at

valued at

sold out of size 8

MAX

sold out of size 5

valued at

(check availability online)

PHONE

ONLINE

9am-5pm

I

N V O

I

BANK TRANSFER

C

I

N G

O U R

17

9

(ANZ)

10

13

13

7

14

7

16

y Creek Fieldays to find out u farm productively, sustainably Reducing phosphate loss by 75%* *Relative to superphosphate products

Tools for future-ready farming

8/06/21 5:39 PM

Ballance with Nature At Ballance, we see the potential to make a real difference to the future of farming and growing in New Zealand. We call it Ballance with Nature.

Healthy Soil

Nutrient Efficiency

Everything we grow and eat depends on healthy soil.

So we’re here to help you optimise your soil, with testing tools and expert advice.

Nutrients are fundamental for productive farming and growing, and we’ve got the science and tools to help you use the right products, at the right time, in the right place, at the right rate.

Cleaner Air

Healthy Water

We all have a part to play in protecting air quality, and our products like PastureSure and SustaiN can help reduce gaseous emissions lost to volatilisation.

Protecting our waterways is important, and we’ve invested in developing innovative products like SurePhos. It gives you the pasture gains you’re after, while reducing phosphate loss by up to 75%*. *Relative to superphosphate products

Native Biodiversity

Resource Utilisation

We can all help our native flora and fauna to thrive when we provide spaces to preserve them within their natural environment.

We’ll work with you to create a plan to get the best out of your land. Tools like MitAgator can give you confidence that you’re using your natural resources for their best purpose.

Animal Care

Just as we have a deep connection to caring for our environment, we also care deeply for animals.

Talk to our team about our range of micronutrients for optimal plant and animal health.

To find out more, see our website or give us a call.

ballance.co.nz | 0800 222 090 BAL13311 Ballance Rural News Wrap_Final2.indd 3

8/06/21 5:39 PM