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Farmers living the dream!.
First self-drive tractors on the yards. PAGE 28
Farmers up their game. PAGE 6
PAGE 24-25
TO ALL FARMERS, FOR ALL FARMERS AUGUST 10, 2021: ISSUE 732
www.ruralnews.co.nz
Govt won’t budge! PETER BURKE peterb@ruralnews.co.nz
AGRICULTURE MINISTER Damien O’Connor has hit out at critics of the Government who want them to halt various water and climate change reforms. He told delegates at the recent Red Meat Sector Conference in Rotorua that New Zealand “just has to keep moving on in that direction”. He claims the idea that we can keep on doing what we are doing is com-
pletely naive and will lead NZ up the wrong path. O’Connor claims that the Government has been listening to critics of the freshwater reforms and has made changes. “We have slowed down on the likes the freshwater stuff. “We took on board the signals that this was just dumb and that it hadn’t been worked through in a practical sense,” he says. “We are listening are trying to bring the people on the land with us, but we
have to get the people on the land to understand that we are producing protein for some of the world’s most discerning customers.” O’Connor claims these people want to know where our products come from and that we have looked after that production. He says it doesn’t help NZ’s cause when farmers make mistakes with animal welfare or allow animals to be hock deep in muddy paddocks. He adds that images and messages of these incidents are quickly picked
up in the high value markets NZ wants to sell into. In that respect, O’Connor says in his recent travels to the UK and Europe he was reminded once again of the market opportunities that await NZ because of our pasture-based system and general farm management systems. He reckons these put us in the right spot for consumers who are interested in how we treat our animals, how we preserve our biodiversity and our commitment to research on issues such as climate change. He says little things
like the bees that pollinate our pastures often get overlooked back in NZ but are often top of mind for overseas consumers. O’Connor also gave a brief outline of his talks in Brussels and London. “The UK is looking very positive and the EU says it plans to come back with an offer after their summer break,” he told the conference. “I would say the signals are positive as they want to connect with us because we share many of their core values.”
Big job ahead! WESTPORT MOTHER and daughter team Lisa and Karen Milligan, who only recently bought a small dairy farm bordering the Buller River, are now struggling to get back on their feet after the huge flood of mid-July. A huge gully scoured out of the farm, which Lisa believes will, along with other similar areas, have to be fenced off for long-term remediation and planting, representing a significant permanent loss of pasture for a small farm. On July 17, nearly all of the farm was flooded, with water covering the pastures, running through the milking shed and other buildings and lapping around the house. The flood was at levels no-one in the district had ever seen and while the water has now receded, it has left pasture covered in silt and fences and water troughs ripped out. – See more page 5. PHOTO NIGEL MALTHUS
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RURAL NEWS // AUGUST 10, 2021
NEWS 3 ISSUE 732
www.ruralnews.co.nz
RSE workers welcomed SUDESH KISSUN sudeshk@ruralnews.co.nz
NEWS ��������������������������������������1-15 MARKETS ��������������������������� 16-17 AGRIBUSINESS ���������������������� 19 HOUND, EDNA ���������������������� 20 CONTACTS ����������������������������� 20 OPINION ��������������������������� 20-22 MANAGEMENT �������������� 24-25 ANIMAL HEALTH ������������������ 26 MACHINERY AND PRODUCTS �����������������������27-30 RURAL TRADER �������������� 30-31
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 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
NELSON GROWER Julian Raine says the Government’s decision to allow seasonal workers from some Pacific nations, without going through the standard two-week managed isolation, is a great move. Raine says extra workers from Samoa, Tonga and Vanuatu will boost fruit harvesting. “While the Government hasn’t said how many workers will be allowed into the country from September, the extra workers will be the difference between harvesting full or half crop for us,” he told Rural News. “It’s great to see the NZ Government rethink on seasonal workers from Samoa, Tonga and Vanuatu. It’s a huge relief for our permanent staff, service suppliers and customers.” Raine, a former Horticulture NZ chair, grows apples and kiwifruit. He has 50 full-time staff and hires 126 Pacific Island workers under the recognised seasonal employer (RSE) scheme to help harvest 40,000 bins of fruit. Last year, he had only two-thirds of
Former Hort NZ chair Julian Raine says the extra workers will be the difference between harvesting full or half crops.
his RSE workers due to Covid restrictions. As a result, some apples couldn’t be harvested. Last week, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced that there would be a one-way corridor, entering New Zealand only, and the RSE workers would
not need to go through the standard two-week managed isolation. The move aims to address worker shortages in certain agricultural areas, she said. Like the 2000 RSE workers brought in last year, the same condi-
tions – including paying at least the living wage and providing appropriate accommodation – would be enforced. There are normally about 14,400 RSE workers a year, but the pandemic and border restrictions have cut that workforce in half. However, it is not known exactly how many workers would be able to enter the country from September. HortNZ chief executive Nadine Tunley says without the support of this seasonal Pacific workforce, permanent jobs held by Kiwis and the growth of New Zealand’s horticulture and wine industries are at risk. “While Kiwis will continue to be first priority for employment in our horticulture and wine industries, we still require additional help from our seasonal workforce, particularly during such challenging economic times,” says Tunley. Industry bodies are working with government to finalise details and ensure that the health, safety, and wellbeing of workers remain paramount throughout this transition. @rural_news facebook.com/ruralnews
Buller’s long road ahead NIGEL MALTHUS
BULLER MAYOR Jamie Cleine says the district’s recovery from the massive flood, which tore through Westport and surrounding farmland, will be long and complex. While many farms were flooded, the biggest problem will be around accommodation for displaced townsfolk. Some 380 Westport houses are now yellow-stickered and about 70 red-stickered – which was “huge” for a town of only 4,500 people. A porta-cabin village is being considered for their medium-term needs. However, in the meantime, people
are taking up commercial accommodation — making it unavailable for tradesmen or for the needs of the rest of the economy. “We were short of tradesmen and places for them to live before this happened,” Cleine told Rural News. There will also be supply chain issues around getting in carpets, kitchen units and other building supplies. A farmer himself, Cleine says that about 30 farms were affected, about six of them seriously. “Most of those six have had their farm houses flooded as well. So obviously they are dealing with all those
same family issues and accommodation issues that people in town are dealing with,” he says. “And they’re on the brink of calving, if not already underway.” While his own farm was not directly affected, Cleine says the district is very wet and he is having to feed out some days. “It’s certainly been a wet July, that’s for sure.” Cleine understands that only one farm, about 40km upstream at the top of the Lower Buller Gorge, suffered serious stock losses. That farm belongs to former Westland Milk Products chair Pete
Morrison; it is understood the farm lost essentially all of a herd, with hundreds washed out to the sea. Morrison has told the NZ Herald that this was the first time in his ownership that the river had risen so high. “They should have been alright where they were, it [the water] just got that much higher and they floated away pretty quick.” Cleine says it was “just a much bigger flood than normal.” He says the biggest positive is the way the community banded together, and the support Buller has received from all around New Zealand.
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RURAL NEWS // AUGUST 10, 2021
4 NEWS
No resolution to labour nightmare PETER BURKE peterb@ruralnews.co.nz
MEAT INDUSTRY Association (MIA) boss Sirma Karapeeva says she struggles to see how much more automation can be introduced into the meat industry to resolve the present labour shortages.
Karapeeva says many people seem to think that automation is the silver bullet that can compensate for labour shortages in the industry caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. “I struggle to see how that is possible. In the red meat sector, we have already done all that we
can do in terms of the lower hanging fruit in automation,” She told Rural News. “The big pieces of automation are already in place and the next areas of automation that could be developed are really challenging because you are dealing with the natu-
ral product – meat.” Karapeeva says while it’s possible to cut out a widget based on a computer program, it is much more complicated to get a computer to cut a product such as meat. She says there may be an opportunity in the future, but at the moment the
MIA boss Sirma Karapeeva struggles to see how much more automation can be introduced into the meat industry to resolve the present labour shortages.
industry is having to focus on the immediate labour shortages and can’t buy into the idea of further automation. She also notes that innovation and automation are often confused, but in fact they are quite different things, with innovation often related to streamlining business processes within a company. The issue that worries Karapeeva the most is that of labour short-
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the Government and find a sustainable, long term solution that will give us certainty and will allow companies to plan.” Karapeeva points out that if the industry is unable to recruit halal slaughtermen from overseas, it will devalue the carcase of the animal, impact on company profitability, reduce the value of NZ exports and affect returns to farmers. @rural_news facebook.com/ruralnews
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LAST ISSUE we asked Rural News readers whether they supported the Groundswell NZ protests on Friday 16 July. An overwhelming number of readers – 90.5% – said they supported the protests. Many repeated a similar sentiment – that the Government was placing “unworkable” regulations on farmers. One respondent said the protest represented “the first time it felt like someone was standing up for us. It showed what unity there is.” Others said they protested because they felt farmer organisations are not supporting farm-
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RURAL NEWS // AUGUST 10, 2021
NEWS 5
Farmers struggle after floods NIGEL MALTHUS
A WESTPORT mother and daughter team, who only recently bought a small dairy farm bordering the Buller River, are just one of many still struggling to get back on their feet after the huge flood of mid-July. Lisa Milligan and her mother Karen took on the 70-hectare property about 5km upstream from the town on June 1. On July 17, almost the entire farm was flooded, with water covering the pastures, running through the milking shed and other buildings and lapping around the house. Milligan says they knew when they bought the farm that a couple of low areas got water through them when the river flooded, “but not 99% of the farm. It was massive.” She told Rural News the flood was at levels no-one in the district had ever seen. The water receded to leave pasture covered in silt, and fences and water troughs ripped out. On a lower terrace, close to the river, are two deep gullies scoured out by rushing water, which Milligan jokingly calls “A couple of new great big water features.” Joking aside, she believes the gullies can
Lisa Milligan in a huge gully scoured out of the farm, which she and her mother Karen have only recently taken over.
only be fenced off for long term planting – making for a substantial and apparently permanent loss of about 12 hectares of usable pasture. The remaining pasture is full of an unpalatable gritty silt, which means cows will only eat the tops. The day Rural News visited the farm it was with West Coast Rural Support Trust chair Carol Keoghan and Greymouth-based PGG Wrightson technical field
representative Jennifer Mathieson, who has been seconded to an advisory group that includes PGGW, the RST, MPI, Dairy NZ and Westland Milk Products.. Mathieson says it’s her job as co-ordinator to match up offers of help with those who need it. “Last week, we came here and a pasture walk was completed,” she explained. “We’ve just taken stock of the feed they’ve currently got on hand, and we now will
put those two things together, identify the gap and then we’ve got the resources to plug the gap with whatever feed they need over calving.” The next focus was fencing, with a contractor lined up, and general clean-up with workers employed through Task Force Green. Mathieson says the advisory group was working with about 12 farms. Some were in need of feed, and others had feed but were more concerned with damaged pasture and infrastructure. “Feeding cows at calving has been the most important thing, and then getting [pasture] back,” she told Rural News. “We can’t sow any more grass until the spring anyway, but we’re just getting the mess tidied up.”
The Milligans suffered no stock losses, despite calving starting at the height of the flood. Lisa Milligan explained that they moved the herd onto straw laid on a race as the flood waters rose. The first calf was dropped on the straw about midday on the Saturday, when the flood was at its peak. While the water went through the milking shed it did not reach any machinery and they are now successfully milking again. “Compared with the huge catchment and the number of farms on the river it’s incredible that more stock wasn’t lost,” Mathieson says. “It was a credit to the farmers that they got them away and obviously that no [human] lives were lost.” @rural_news facebook.com/ruralnews
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RURAL NEWS // AUGUST 10, 2021
6 NEWS
FROM DUSK TILL DAWN.
Waikato farmer Andrew McGiven says the positive result reflects the great work farmers have been doing around environmental sustainability.
Farmers up their game SUDESH KISSUN sudeshk@ruralnews.co.nz
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DAIRY FARMERS are getting positive reviews from regional councils when it comes to managing effluent on farms. Waikato Regional Council is the latest local body to heap praise on the dairy sector after recording a significant drop in non-compliance. Over the 2020/21 financial year, the council’s rural compliance team monitored 1,172 farms. Of these, 81 ( just 7%) were found to be significantly non-compliant, compared to the previous year when the council inspected 820 farms and found 102 (12%) with significant compliance issues. “We call it as we see it, and we are very happy to say that our farm inspections over the last year show a significant drop in non-compliance relating to dairy effluent management in the Waikato,” council regional compliance manager Patrick Lynch says. “This year’s results clearly indicate a real improvement, and we would like to acknowledge all of the hard work being carried out across the dairy sector to achieve this,” says Lynch. “The risk to the environment has undoubtedly been greatly reduced on individual farms by the investment in effluent infrastructure.” Waikato farmer Andrew McGiven says the positive result reflects the great work farmers have been doing around environmental sustainability. “Looking at the water flowing through the creeks on my farm, I reckon you can see the improvements as well, even after heavy rainfall the water is still pretty clear,
whereas normally it is very brown with sediment,” McGiven told Rural News. “It appears that farmers around the country have stepped up around effluent compliance and intensive winter grazing being two examples. “It would be great to have these good news stories being promoted more through other media outlets, instead of the normal farmer papers.” McGiven says it’s unfair that the sector is still being judged by the 1-2% who don’t meet the required standards. “Imagine if we judged society by the 2% who were criminals, or even better, all politicians on the 1-2% who can’t meet the standards required by voters?” Last month, a Tasman District Council survey of effluent management on the 124 dairy farms in the Tasman region gave thumbs up to farmers and dairy companies. The survey found 98% of farms fully compliant, 1% non-compliant and another 1% significantly non-compliant. A council report says all farms that hold resource consents fully complied with all conditions of their respective consents. All farms in Tasman district were inspected at least once over the 2020-21 season. The report says a considerable amount of work has been done since 2012 by the dairy industry – DairyNZ, Fonterra, and Westland Milk by working one-on-one with farmers with respect to system and wet weather contingencies. “The council and industry are actively promoting to farmers the benefits of engaging professionals who have gained accreditation through the Farm Dairy Effluent Accreditation Scheme.”
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RURAL NEWS // AUGUST 10, 2021
NEWS 7
Wool legal wrangle DAVID ANDERSON
CARPET MAKER Cavalier is facing the wrath of American-owned rival Godfrey Hirst over the Kiwi company’s push to promote more woollen products. Godfrey Hirst has demanded Cavalier withdraw a number of claims in its marketing campaign, which promotes New Zealand wool as a more sustainable alternative to synthetic carpet fibres, or face legal action under the Fair Trading Act. It claims that Cavalier and Bremworth had “demonised” synthetic carpets, with what it alleges were false and misleading references to single-use plastic bags and microplastics, and by lauding environmental benefits of wool carpets without acknowledging the full environmental impacts of wool carpet manufacturing, including livestock farming and wool scouring chemicals required for insect-resistant treatment of wool. However, Cavalier is refusing to cower to its American rival. In a state-
ment, released to the NZX, it says it will not shy away from promoting the virtues of wool. It’s not the first legal challenge from Godfrey Hirst, a former Australian company bought by New York Stock Exchangelisted global flooring manufacturer, Mohawk, in 2017. Late last year, under former chief executive Paul Alston, Cavalier announced that it was getting out of synthetic carpets altogether. This was seen as a bold move, but new chief executive Greg Smith says the consumer feedback had so far been positive. “From my perspective, I am very confident in the natural fibre strategy and the way that we are trying to reach our consumers,” he recently told the NZ Herald. He says wool carpets were Bremworth’s history: “100 per cent wool is where we started.” Smith acknowledges that there is a consumer preference for synthetic carpet. “Clearly consumers have embraced synthetics, as they have done in lots
of different industries,” he concedes. He added that the decision to stop making synthetic carpets was a difficult one. “There are always revenue implications when you give up a slice of your business to go down a different path.” Smith points to the ban on plastic bags and the electric car subsidy
Godfrey Hirst is demanding Cavalier withdraw a number of claims promoting New Zealand wool as a more sustainable alternative to synthetic carpet.
as proof of the consumer landscape changing quickly. “These things are all happening because consumers and want a more sustainable future,” he says. Smith believes that natural solutions are becoming more “normal”. @rural_news facebook.com/ruralnews
Notice of Election - DairyNZ Board of Directors - DairyNZ Directors Remuneration Invitation for 2021 candidate nominations – two positions available In October, two elections will take place for one farmer-elected director for the Board of DairyNZ Incorporated and a second election for one member of DairyNZ’s Directors Remuneration Committee. Registered levy-paying dairy farmers are invited to nominate candidates to fill these two positions. All farmers paying a levy on milksolids to DairyNZ are eligible to stand for either election. An information pack outlining desired criteria and nomination requirements for the position can be obtained from the Returning Officer. Nominations must be received by the Returning Officer by 12 noon on Friday, 3 September 2021. Elections If more than one candidate is nominated an election will be carried out by internet voting using the STV (single transferable vote) voting method. Votes will be weighted by annual milksolids production. Voting credentials will be emailed to all registered DairyNZ levy payers on 20 September 2021, with voting closing at 12 noon on Tuesday, 19 October 2021. The DairyNZ Annual General Meeting will be held in Hawera on Wednesday, 20 October 2021. Election results will be announced at the meeting. For further details contact the Returning Officer below. Anthony Morton Returning Officer – DairyNZ Incorporated 0800 666 935 iro@electionz.com
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RURAL NEWS // AUGUST 10, 2021
8 NEWS
New wool products seek markets DAVID ANDERSON
A NEW initiative targeting new products and markets for NZ strong wool – with export applications as diverse as cosmetics and printing – has recently been launched. Wool Source, a subsidiary of Wool Research Organisation of New Zealand (WRONZ), aims to develop the new products and assess market demand for the strong wool innovation. This follows the completion of its pilot production facility at Lincoln to manufacture its first deconstructed wool ingredients from 100% New Zealand strong wool. The three-year programme aims to prove the commercial viability of the new deconstructed wool particle products. The goal is to develop
more sustainable product ingredient alternatives for global manufacturers and consumers – while revitalising New Zealand’s strong wool sector, creating new value for our economy and communities. “By funding fundamental and enabling science that creates new uses and products from our traditional wool clip, we aim to create better outcomes for farmers with increased demand and pricing at the farm gate,” WRONZ chair Andy Fox says. The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) is contributing $1.95 million via its Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures (SFF Futures) fund, alongside $2.92 million from WRONZ. Meanwhile, wool sector body the Strong Wool Action Group (SWAG) is also
ABOUT WOOL SOURCE WOOL SOURCE is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Wool Research Organisation of New Zealand Inc (WRONZ). Its focus is the commercial development of WRONZ’s New Uses for Strong Wool programme. The company is taking the deconstructed wool products created from this research project – including particles, powders and pigments – and testing them in a pilot manufacturing facility, as well as determining their commercial viability. www.woolsource.co.nz
Wool Source chief executive Tom Hooper with Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor.
jointly funding Wool Source’s market engagement alongside WRONZ. “New Zealand’s wool production, 90% of which is strong wool, is at a low point with declining sheep numbers,” SWAG chief executive Andy Caughey says. “With many farmers selling wool at a net cost this season, the industry is desperately seeking innovation to boost strong wool demand and prices.”
Wool Source chief executive Tom Hooper says the company is reimagining the future of New Zealand wool. “Our new pigment, particle and powder products – from all-natural, sustainable, strong wool particles – provide the base ingredient for a new generation of highperformance materials, free from chemicals, metals, and toxins,” he told Rural News.
“We’re focusing on proving the commercial viability of our products and establishing demand, predominantly with international markets. To do this, we need to demonstrate we can produce at scale, with a unit production cost and price point that enables margins that create long term valueadded opportunities for the New Zealand wool sector.” One of these poten-
tial deconstructed products from wool is keratin, a protein that is used in things like shampoo and other cosmetics. Hooper told Rural News the woolsourced keratin was far more sustainable that other sources of keratin protein that are extracted in “less than ideal environmentally friendly” ways. However, he concedes that there is a “big difference” between expressions of interest and commercial viability. The
aim for Wool Source is to find commercially viable markets for its products and then prove there is a viable business. “From there, we will look to partner with someone to build a new, NZ-based manufacturing plant,” Hooper adds. “For wool prices to increase and get to sustainable level for NZ growers we need to find new products and new markets for NZ wool and that is what we are all about.”
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RURAL NEWS // AUGUST 10, 2021
NEWS 9
Big rebate from Ballance FARMER SHAREHOLDERS of fertiliser company Ballance are in for a $60 million windfall. The co-operative has announced a $50/tonne rebate for 2021 to its 17,500 shareholders on the back of strong financial results. Revenue before rebate for the year was $897 million and total sales volume for the year, including nutrient products, animal feeds and industrial ingredients, increased to 1.55 million tonnes. Ballance chief execu-
vation has been a key factor in providing the solutions, with the Government agreeing to co-fund Ballance’s $25 million Future Ready Farms programme over five years. The programme consists of 12 projects aimed at helping farmers and growers meet their national environmental targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, agrichemical use and nutrient loss to waterways. This year, the company launched Ballance with
the strong results reflect. “In a tumultuous year, including Covid-19-related impacts such as global freight delays and severe weather events
Ballance has announced a $50/tonne rebate for 2021 to its 17,500 shareholders on the back of strong financial results.
here in New Zealand, we have worked hard to minimise impacts to customers,” says Coull. @rural_news facebook.com/ruralnews
“As farmers and growers, our customers are guardians of the land, and we see it as our role to help them protect it for the next generation.” Nature, a promise to support farmers and growers, across seven pillars, to be future-ready and enable them to protect their natural resources. “As farmers and growers, our customers are guardians of the land, and we see it as our role to help them protect it for the next generation,” Wynne adds. He points to the coop’s sustainable phosphate fertiliser SurePhos, which was launched in 2020, which aims to help farmers reduce nutrient loss to waterways and customer demand has exceeded expectations. Wynne adds that as well as helping farmers and growers reduce their environmental footprint, Ballance is also making its own operations ‘greener.’ He says the company’s joint venture with Hiringa Energy to produce ‘green’ hydrogen, which will provide a carbon-neutral fuel for the transport sector as well as a ‘greener’ nitrogen fertiliser, is progressing well and should be up and running by early 2023. Meanwhile, Ballance chair Duncan Coull says the business had navigated a year of global uncertainly well, which
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RURAL NEWS // AUGUST 10, 2021
NEWS 11
UK FTA hits crucial period PETER BURKE peterb@ruralnews.co.nz
WHAT HAPPENS in the next few weeks will be critical for New Zealand to secure a free trade agreement (FTA) with the UK. Dairy Companies Association (DCANZ), Kimberly Crewther says there has been a commitment by both the UK Minister of Trade Liz Truss and our Agriculture and Trade Minister Damien O’Connor to come to an ‘in principle’ agreement on the FTA by the end of August. She says while this is a positive step, it should be noted that such an ‘in principle’ agreement is not the final FTA document, which may take several more months. However, the ‘in principle’ agreement is a clear indication that both sides are basically at one – although some ‘technical’ details still have to be worked through by both sides. One expert commentator told Rural News that this commitment by the two ministers certainly paves the way for a final quality FTA. It’s understood that the UK is pushing for greater access to NZ in terms of services – especially financial – while NZ has a strong focus on access for primary exports. Crewther understands that negotiators from both sides are working hard to deliver on the ministerial promise. She says the agreement NZ is looking for is simi-
lar to the one that the UK recently concluded with Australia. “The UK agreement with Australia has an end point of complete tariff elimination and that’s what we believe should be delivered in a FTA, and that’s what we want for NZ,” she says. O’Connor is also positive about a deal, saying the UK is coming to terms with being separate from the EU. He says this means they need a global strategy of connecting with as many markets as possible. The UK is also in the process of applying for membership of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), which O’Connor believes will require them to adopt a more liberal trade policy. With the EU, Crewther is less optimistic, saying their past leaked offer in respect of an FTA was ‘insulting and significantly inadequate’. She says any future offer would need to be a vast improvement to gain any credibility, as far as NZ was concerned. “The ball is now in their court to come back with something that would actually meet the quality of what should be achieved,” she says. O’Connor concedes that it will take longer to get an FTA with the EU across the line. He says he had good meetings with politicians and officials in Brussels and gave them the message that a EU/NZ FTA would not spell ruin for their farm-
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ers. “All were concerned that the trade agreement would not undermine any of their interests globally and we gave them that
absolute assurance.” O’Connor hopes that early next year, they will reach a point where they can get a general agreement with the EU.
UK Trade Secretary Liz Truss and NZ Trade Minister Damien O’Connor have committed to a FTA between the two countries.
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RURAL NEWS // AUGUST 10, 2021
12 NEWS
Council drops SNA plans SUDESH KISSUN sudeshk@ruralnews.co.nz
THE FAR North Council is dropping the contentious Significant Natural Areas (SNAs) mapping policy. ACT primary industries spokesman and Ruawai farmer Mark Cameron has praised the mover. He claims that private property rights are under threat due to the Government’s directive to councils to identify and manage SNAs. A protest meeting in Northland, in June, saw more than 500 people call on the council to drop the SNAs policy. SNAs were brought in under the Resource Management Act in 1991, when councils were charged with identifying and protecting areas with significant habitats of indigenous biodiversity. Around 60% of councils have identified SNAs but
Far North District Council mayor John Carter made an undertaking in June to ‘pause’ the mapping of SNAs, and the council has now scrapped the idea completely.
the Government admits the work has not been done in a consistent way, due to lack of clarity. That has led to loud opposition from farmers and iwi -- with some councils having scrapped or shelved the process. The Far North District Council voted recently to continue developing the content for the draft District Plan, but to remove SNA maps developed by
ecologists from the document. The council’s strategy and policy committee chair Councillor Rachel Smith says the decision endorses an undertaking Mayor John Carter made in June to ‘pause’ the mapping of SNAs. “This followed protests by tangata whenua, farmers and other landowners who said the proposal to identify land as
SNAs undermined their sovereignty and property rights. “This opposition culminated in a large hikoi to the Council’s Kaikohe headquarters where tangata whenua delivered a petition against the process,” she says. “Our decision provides a clear way forward for our draft district plan, while acknowledging more direction is needed from central government on how to support landowners to protect significant species and habitats.” Cameron believes the council has done the right thing because the depth of feeling is clear. “People are angry and worried about this policy,” he claims. “SNAs undermine conservation efforts by the people who care most about the environment.” Cameron says farmers have the biggest incentive to care about the environ-
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property rights are environmental disasters,” he adds. “Actively punishing people if they look after their wetlands is among the worst policies this Government has put in place.” Cameron says there is
a better way. “Landowners, councils and conservationists already work together to protect indigenous biodiversity. Instead of land grabs, the Government should be supporting these pre-existing efforts.”
Flood-affected farmers in the South Island are being encouraged to make use of livestock feed support services funded by MPI.
SUPPORT FOR FLOODAFFECTED FARMERS FLOOD-AFFECTED FARMERS in the South Island are being encouraged to make use of livestock feed support services funded by the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI). Widespread flooding across the Canterbury, West Coast, Tasman and Marlborough areas this winter has damaged pasture and caused losses of supplementary feed. Since June, MPI has boosted feed support services and allocated more than $4.7 million for recovery grants, technical advice and wellbeing support. “Several of these regions had been battling long-term drought prior to the floods which have put further pressure on feed supplies heading into calving
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RURAL NEWS // AUGUST 10, 2021
14 NEWS
Sheep + beef mana up for grabs PETER BURKE peterb@ruralnews.co.nz
MAORI SHEEP and beef farmers are being urged to enter the 2022 Ahuwhenua Trophy compe-
tition. The official competition launch was held at the recent Red Meat Sector Conference dinner, where the trophy was officially welcomed
on to the site and displayed to delegates. The competition is designed to recognise excellence in Māori sheep and beef farming and was initiated in 1933 by Sir
Apirana Ngata and the Governor General at the time, Lord Bledisloe. Chair of the Ahuwhenua Trophy Management Committee, which runs the competi-
BEST OF BREED Beef+Lamb NZ chair Andrew Morrison and Ahuwhenua Trophy Management Committee chair Nuku Hadfield with the Ahuwhenua Trophy at the recent Red Meat Sector conference.
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tion, Nuku Hadfield says the competition offers a unique opportunity for individual Māori farmers, trusts and incorporations to showcase their excellent farming enterprises to both Māori and the wider farming sector. She says Māori contribute more than 15% of red meat exports and have done much to expand and develop their farming operations – both in terms of sustainability and profitability. Hadfield and her husband Bart are previous winners of the trophy. She told Rural News that all previous participants in the competition have said it was an invaluable exercise and through the judging process they gained feedback that they otherwise wouldn’t have got. Hadfield says the time and effort in entering the Ahuwhenua Trophy is more than made up for by the benefits that
“A competition like Ahuwhenua allows them to analyse and measure themselves against others who are aspired to be the best and that is huge value across the sector.” can accrue – including becoming a finalist and winning the award. Beef+Lamb New Zealand chair Andrew Morrison says it was very exciting to launch the competition at the Red Meat Sector Conference. He says having the trophy on display to such a large and influential gathering helped raise the profile of the event. Morrison hopes the profile of the launch will help attract Māori farmers and organisations to enter the Ahuwhenua competition and motivate other companies, who have dealings with Māori farmers, to encourage their clients to enter. Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor says
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it was great to see the trophy in all its splendour displayed at the conference, because it acted as a reminder about the history and the growing importance of Māori agribusiness. O’Connor says change is becoming more acute and challenging to manage but he believes that farmers always want to do better. “A competition like Ahuwhenua allows them to analyse and measure themselves against others who are aspired to be the best and that is huge value across the sector,” he told Rural News. The winner will be announced at a gala dinner in Hawkes Bay in May 2022.
RURAL NEWS // AUGUST 10, 2021
NEWS 15
Eradication plan on track - MPI NEW ZEALAND is on track to eradicate traced movements,” he said. “In the programme’s view there are the disease Mycoplasma bovis (M. bovis). That’s the view of the independent more likely sources from within the clusTechnical Advisory Group (TAG) which ter of infected farms itself, such as animal has been looking at New Zealand’s movements, shared grazing, insecure boundaries between neighbouring propresponse to the outbreak. erties and sharing of dairy “The TAG report platforms. acknowledges the improve“However, out of an ments to our work, which abundance of caution, and aim to lessen the impact in coordination with the on affected farmers, their feedlot’s owners, ANZCO, whānau, workers and rural we’ve placed a buffer area communities,” says M. around the feedlot that bovis programme director will remain free of cattle Stuart Anderson. until it is cleared of M. “I know that farmers bovis. This is on top of the who have been impacted already strict biosecurity have found the process measures that are in place challenging. Their contriand being adhered to.” bution has not gone unno- MPI’s Stuart Anderson says Over the coming ticed or unappreciated, there are now just three active confirmed infected months, the programme and four years on since the farms, compared to 34 two will work closely with disease was first detected, years ago. ANZCO on depopulation immense progress has of the feedlot. The exact been made towards eradication. We now have just three active timing of this has not been determined confirmed infected farms, compared to and needs to be planned well in advance. “The feedlot is of significant economic 34 farms two years ago.” importance to the local community and The group found: There have been notable improve- careful consideration is required to miniments in the timeliness of tracing and mise the impact of the depopulation exercasing of herds and management of con- cise on all those connected to it,” Stuart Anderson said. “This includes not only firmed infected herds since 2019 Beef Surveillance and Bulk Tank Milk the feedlot’s staff and contractors, but also the farmers nationwide who supply screening are working well There have been improvements in the it with livestock and feed grains.” Sam McIvor, chief executive of B+LNZ, recording of animal movements by farmsays farmers can take a lot of credit for the ers Thanks to operational improvements, progress of the eradication programme. “We are on track to eradication. Howthe Canterbury cluster identified last ever, there’s still a lot of hard work ahead spring was rapidly found and controlled Genomic information continues to of us. We’re urging every farmer to record support that bovis was likely introduced all animal movements and keep their NAIT records up to date. around late 2015 via a single source. “Incomplete NAIT records make tracThe TAG made 14 recommendations for the programme, all of which are ing infected cattle a difficult and expenaccepted. These include advice regarding sive job, which ultimately costs all farmers monitoring of beef herds and non-milking and means some endure movement dairy cows and what is required to move controls on their farms that otherwise from delimiting to the provisional free- wouldn’t be required.” DairyNZ chief executive Tim Mackle dom of infection phase over the next year. The TAG found that improvements to said eradicating M. bovis has been a key the programme meant it was in a good goal for New Zealand and it’s pleasing to position to deal with any further infected see the commitment by farmers is delivfarms identified, which was likely given ering. “Managing M. bovis has been a signifsome farms’ previously poor recording of cattle movements and the likelihood icant challenge for our farmers and prethat unidentified small pockets of infec- sented an upheaval for many who made sacrifices for the greater good,” says tion may remain to be found. Anderson said the TAG found the Mackle. “Now, continuing with good practices recent Canterbury cluster could most likely be explained by unrecorded animal is crucial and respects those sacrifices that movements, and they recommended the many have made. So NAIT, biosecurity likelihood that the Five Star Feedlot could and farm management practices remain be a possible source of infection be exam- as important as ever. “Keep up the good work – record all ined closely. “Since the TAG first considered infor- cattle movements, ensure good biosecumation in December, we have looked into rity practice is in place on your farm and this property closely, tested animals and prevent any mixing of stock.”
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RURAL NEWS // AUGUST 10, 2021
global agribusiness research analysts sharing market outlooks
16 MARKETS & TRENDS
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Prices hold, costs rising Dairy
DAIRY COMMODITY prices continued shift down a gear through July 2021. SMP saw the largest decline in price over the past month, followed by butter and cheese, as the Global Dairy Trade Auction chalked up its 7th consecutive fall in the last event in July. Importantly, prices remain elevated when compared to year-ago levels. The market fundamentals at this stage are broadly balanced. Rabobank’s current NZ farmgate milk price forecast remains at NZ$ 8.00/kgMS for the 2021/22 season – for now. New Zealand milk production for the new 2021/22 season has kicked off. June 2021 milk flows bounced 1.6% higher than last year, driven by a combination of high
the month of June 2021 were remarkable. Over 300,000 tonnes of product was shipped around the globe: the largest export volumes for the month of June ever and follows on from exceptional milk production over the tail months of last season. Shipments to China for June reached new levels, with WMP exports 150% higher than June last year.
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Content supplied by Rabobank - Growing a Better New Zealand Together beef exports from Argentina into China could also provide upside for pricing and demand for New Zealand beef.
Sheepmeat
RABORESEARCH EXPECTS the strong demand for New Zealand sheepmeat to continue into the spring, off the back of local procurement pressure and continued demand from key markets. Farmgate lamb prices have reached an all-time high for the month of July across both the South and North Islands. The South Island achieved a peak lamb price of NZ$ 8.80/ kg cwt at the end of July, whilst the North Island
reached NZ$ 9.05/kg cwt. Across both Islands this was a lift of around 26% compared to the 5 year average for the same week. US demand for lamb is recovering well post COVID with exports more than doubling compared to lockdown impacted June 2020. Total New Zealand shipments of sheepmeat were slightly higher (+2%) for June 2021 compared to June last year, and well above 2019 export volumes for the same period (+30%). Export volumes to China eased slightly in June (-4%), however exports to the US grew strongly (+121%). RaboResearch antici-
therefore price, is likely to be short lived. We expect high going prices will not only be limited to fertilisers. Chinese glyphosate prices have also nearly doubled this year, primarily due to high demand, and to a lesser extent, increasing costs of production. We expect that prices will remain high, due to ongoing demand and elevated costs of production Source: Bloomberg, Ravensdown, Rabobank 2020
Exchange rate pates farmgate returns will hold over the coming months. We expect demand from key markets will remain strong, in addition to procurement pressure as a result of lower sheep flock num-
bers off the back of severe droughts in many regions over the past few years.
Fertiliser
WE EXPECT that high fertiliser prices are here to stay, for at least the remainder of 2021. While we are not at the finish line yet, from an inputs perspective, the 2021 winter season can be characterised by high prices and tight supply, which prompted farmers to secure supply of their inputs early. This year alone, global urea prices
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MARKETS & TRENDS 17
have increased between 60-70% and DAP prices have increased 55-75%, in US$ terms, while ocean freight prices are adding as much as 10% to the farm gate cost. Shipping times have also blown out, adding delays and uncertainty. Looking forward, we expect that current price levels could prompt farmers across the globe to buy only minimum phosphate requirements for the next season. However, any impact reduction this brings to demand, and
THE RBNZ shifted up a gear in its hawkish stance during July, but the NZ$ moved up by less than 0.3% by the end of the month. This new gear involved the halting of the RBNZ Large Scale Asset Purchase program and continued concern about inflation. This has increased speculation there will be a lit in the cash rate before the end of the year (and despite the RBNZ’s own forecast that the first change in the official cash rate since March 2020 will be lift in
Q3 2022). However, US CPI data for June, and released in July, exceeded expectations and put the market’s focus back to the likelihood that the US Federal Reserve will begin tapering its asset purchases sooner rather than later. Together with broad-based US$ strength, any strength the NZ$ might have seen this month was muted showing being hawkish is relative. The RBNZ remains more concerned than most of its peers about the risks of persistent inflation, noting it is “expected to build over time due to rising domestic capacity pressures and growing labour shortages”. With the RBNZ having already acted on this, and a case for a rate rise building, we see some modest appreciation of the NZ$ back towards 73USc on a three-month view, and further upside on to 74Usc in 2022.
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RURAL NEWS // AUGUST 10, 2021
AGRIBUSINESS 19
Wool companies aim for merger IN NOVEMBER woolgrowers will vote on a proposed merger between grower-owned export and marketing company Wools of New Zealand (WNZ) and Primary Wool Co-operative to form a fully integrated supply chain business. It is thought around 2,100 farmers will get to vote on the deal. Ahead of the vote, Primary Wool Co-operative will become the 100% owner of CP Wool with the purchase of Carrfields Ltd’s 50% shareholding. Carrfields will concentrate on the specialist manufacturing of wool and hemp products through its majority ownership of the NZ Natural Fibres business alongside Hemp New Zealand and the other minority shareholders. “These moves are the outcome of year-
Formation PRIMARY WOOL Co-operative Limited was formed in 1974 by a group of Hawke’s Bay farmers to increase the returns for wool growers. Over the ensuing decades, its membership has grown to over 1,400 right across New Zealand. Wools of New Zealand is a 100 per cent New Zealand grower-owned supply, sales and export marketing company with 730 grower shareholders representing approximately 14.5 million kilograms of annual strong wool production.
long talks between Carrfields Ltd, Primary Wool Co-operative and WNZ, which collectively handle 37% of New Zealand’s wool clip,” says James Parsons, chair of WNZ. “Growers have been asking for consolidation and now they will get the chance to have their say. Together, we can deliver the vision and scale required to make a real difference to New
Zealand’s struggling wool industry.” Primary Wool Cooperative and director of CP Wool, Richard Young, says the proposed merger marks the start of an exciting chapter for the wool sector. He believes it will act as a launch-pad for New Zealand to truly realise the full potential of wool. “This proposed combined business will
Wools Of NZ chair James Parsons says growers have been asking for consolidation and now they will get the chance to have their say.
enable both businesses to realise their potential as a single grower-owned entity,” Young adds. “For CP Wool suppliers, it will be the link
to greater customer intimacy via the Wools of NZ market-focused strategy. For Wools of NZ growers, CP Wool will bring the engine with its large bale
numbers and network of stores that allows that strategy to come to life.” He says the boards of both the Primary Wool Co-operative and Wools of NZ have been working since late last year to answer the demands of growers for consolidation and develop a strategy to lift strong wool sales volume and price. “The merged organisation’s strategy will be underpinned by a shift from wool as a raw commodity to grower-owned and branded consumer wool products. “Ultimately, the development of an integrated supply chain aims to improve returns for our growers.” Craig Carr, managing director of Carrfields and chairman of CP Wool, says the wool industry needs leadership, investment and a strategic
focus to deliver better outcomes for long term participants. “Carrfields has decided that supporting the joining together of the two grower organisations and turning our attention to investing in the future development of wool and hemp products makes good sense strategically. “In the current fast moving environment, we want to ratchet up our activity through NZ Natural Fibres and we have a number of exciting opportunities in front of us. “Also, Carrfields will continue working with our international brand partners in its ongoing drive to develop new markets for wool.” Growers will be able to find out more via a nationwide road-show beginning in early August.
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RURAL NEWS // AUGUST 10, 2021
20 OPINION EDITORIAL
EDNA
In perspective! MORE AND more farmers around the country are doing the right things in regard to environmental management. Recent reports by a number of regional councils around NZ show positive results when it comes to managing effluent on farms. Meanwhile, despite winter grazing practices across the country coming under the microscope, there have been few reports of major breaches of the regulations. This is even more remarkable considering the flooding experienced in some regions. For years, governments, councils, environmentalists, activists et el have been pushing for the agricultural sector to lift its environmental game. The evidence shows that farmers are responding and responding well! However, anyone reading, listening or viewing mainstream media in NZ could be forgiven for thinking that the opposite is occurring. Every sector has its slackers, those who are not doing the right things, and farming is no exception. The industry, including farmers themselves, must continue to come down hard on those who let the whole sector down. NZ’s agriculture sector cannot, and should not, tolerate farmers whose actions put our international reputation at risk. They either need to lift their game immediately or get out of farming. Despite, these laggards being a very minor part of the industry, the damage they do is huge. But it has to be remembered they are a very small – and shrinking – minority. However, such incidents need to put into perspective and not be used as a stick to beat the whole agricultural sector with. Does the media label the entire teaching profession ‘sex pests’ when a couple of teachers are exposed for having inappropriate relationships with pupils or the legal sector corrupt when a rogue lawyer or two embezzles their clients’ funds? As Waikato farmer Andrew McGiven says, these positive results reflects the great work farmers have been doing around environmental sustainability. “It would be great to have these good news stories being promoted more through other media outlets, instead of the normal farmer papers.” NZ farmers and the wider agricultural sector can take a bow for the work they are doing on the environmental front. While the work is not finished, and it never will be, there is a good story to be told – it is just a pity some media refuse to tell 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
“Move over Burling and Tuke!”
Want to share your opinion or gossip with the Hound? Send your emails to: hound@ruralnews.co.nz
THE HOUND Off the planet!
How much?
Another increase!
Boo-hoo!
The Hound notes that billionaires Richard Branson, Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk are all trying to prove that they really do not have small appendages by flying to space. While they dress it up as ‘advancing mankind’, the reality is, it is just an excuse to show off how obscenely rich and publicity-hungry they all are. Your old mate was a little irked by the holier-than-thou attitude of Branson. The Virgin boss claims he does not eat meat because he is worried about the impact of farming on climate change. However, he doesn’t mind burning tonnes of carbon flying people around the world to get to his New Mexico base and take off to space. Surely a few steaks and the odd drink of milk is far less damaging to the planet than all the rocket fuel Branson used in his self-indulgent space flight!
Your old mate notes that the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) is trying to stonewall the good folk at this newspaper from coming up with the actual costs of its ‘Fit for a better world’ (see page 11, July 27, Rural News) strategy. Rumour has it the Ombudsman is now reviewing the case and MPI may well be forced to come up with the answers sooner than it wants. Meanwhile, the Hound was intrigued to recently learn that the government agency is not shy about spending taxpayer money on fluffy things. The Taxpayers Union has discovered that MPI recently spent nearly $1 million (or $960K to be accurate) on a recent logo revamp. It seems MPI thinks that spending nearly a million of your bucks changing the background colour of its logo is good value. It makes your old mate cringe about how much it was spent on the useless fluff that is ‘Fit for a better world’!
A mate of the Hound’s was unimpressed when he recently received his voting papers for the annual meeting of rural insurer FMG. He tells yours truly that he was flabbergasted by the gall of the FMG board who, tucked away in the papers, are asking for a huge pay increase for directors. It is asking for a 17% increase in the chair’s annual stipend, up from $100K a year to $117,000, and a extra 26% for each director, jumping from $50,000 to $63,000 a year! It reminds your old mate of the failed attempt by Beef+Lamb NZ earlier this year to increase director fees, which went down like a cup of cold sick with levypayers. What is it with these people and always having their hands out for more director fees? Read the room for pity’s sake!
Your canine crusader is shedding a tear (only crocodile) for US-owned carpet manufacturer Godfrey Hirst, which is threatening legal action under the Fair Trading Act, against its NZ rival Cavalier for “demonising” synthetic carpets. Apparently, Godfrey Hirst, owned by the New York Stock Exchangelisted firm Mohawk Industries, has complained via lawyers Chapman Tripp that since announcing its change to an “all wool and natural fibres strategy” last year, NZ firm Cavalier has been “demonising synthetic carpets”. Sales of wool carpet In NZ have fallen to about 15% of the total market amid competition from cheaper, synthetic carpet. Cavalier now only sells wool carpet, but its larger American rival Godfrey Hirst sells both wool and synthetic carpets. Let’s hope that all NZ carpet consumers take note of these bullying actions by Godfrey Hirst and back the Kiwi company.
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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 // AUGUST 10, 2021
OPINION 21
Farm emissions misrepresented STEVEN CRANSTON
THERE HAS been a lot of talk about agricultural emissions lately, but very little honest conversation. The Government repeats, at every opportunity, that agriculture must dramatically reduce its emissions to stop further climate change. If addressing climate change was indeed the primary objective of this rush to put a tax on farm emissions, would it not be reasonable to expect the Government to be measuring agriculture’s impact on climate? Astonishingly, this is not the case. This fixation on emissions has been a convenient way for the Government to draw attention away from the real issue – which is warming. Not all greenhouse gasses are created equal. Some are long-lived like CO2, others like methane are short-lived and naturally decay in the atmosphere after about a decade. Both are GHGs that New Zealand produces plenty of. But the key difference is CO2 needs to reduce to zero to avoid any further warming of the atmosphere while methane emissions only need to stabilise at their existing level. Or more precisely, reduce by a minuscule 0.3% per year owing to some residual GHGs left behind in the decay process. In basic farming terms, if you have the same number of livestock each year and keep feeding them around the same amount, your methane emissions will not be adding to climate change. At an industry level our methane emissions have remained relatively stable over the past 10 years, meaning little if any warming is being produced. But why is warming effect so important? New Zealand’s climate policy is a direct response to the Paris Agreement objective of limiting warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. The Climate Commission references this warming target dozens of times in its reports. Yet oddly it never refers to agriculture’s warming
effect either. The standard CO2 equivalents metric (GWP100) we currently use to account for methane has no relationship to year-on-year warming impact. It is only useful when looking at a single pulse of methane emitted in isolation. Given farms emit a steady flow of methane over time, GWP100 is not fit for purpose. This effectively means agriculture has no way to measure success against the very document that our climate policy is based on. Quite absurd! According to the science, our methane emissions must reduce 10% by 2050 to have zero warming effect. The Government target for methane reduction is 24% to 47% by 2050. The Government seems to expect farmers to reduce their methane emissions at least two and a half times more than what was intended under the Paris Agreement. This is a major anomaly that requires an explanation. The more charitable among you might be willing to give the Government the benefit of the doubt. Maybe they just forgot to create a working group to check that their targets were science based? I am less charitable. You see, measuring methane’s warming effect is not some arduous and impractical task. It is not that the Government can’t do it, they simply choose not to. Several years ago, a new metric was created called GWP*. This metric was designed specifically to account for methane relative to warming effect. Given 40% of New Zealand’s total emissions are methane, you would think the Government would be hailing this breakthrough. The Productivity Commission went as far as saying it was a more appropriate metric to guide policy decisions. Not a peep on it from this Government, however. They have quietly swept GWP* under the rug in the hope no one else will find it. The message is clear, farmers are not supposed
Steven Cranston
to measure themselves by warming impact because they might find out how insignificant it really is. The accounting shenanigans unfortunately do not stop there. The Government is a big fan of planting trees on farmland; they expect another 680,000 hectares to be planted by 2030. What
overall footprint. Let’s cut to the chase, if NZ agriculture was measured based on net warming impact, it would be next to nothing. The agricultural emissions scheme is not about saving the climate from farmers, it is about using the comparatively less costly emissions reduc-
they are much less enthusiastic about is giving farmers credit for the trees they already have. New Zealand farmers collectively have over 2 million hectares of woody vegetation on their properties. Most of this is actively sequestering carbon and reducing agriculture’s
tions from agriculture to help the Government meet its national emissions targets. • Steven Cranston is a Hamilton-based agricultural and environmental consultant. steven@agriconsulting. co.nz @rural_news facebook.com/ruralnews
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RURAL NEWS // AUGUST 10, 2021
22 OPINION
Ease up, lighten the load! LIKE MANY of you readers, I played a lot of sport in my younger years. From making school teams, I moved on to different club teams, depending on where we were living at the time. With our children, Saturdays through the winter months sometimes saw
us going three different ways getting to their games. Watching other games as well, both as a spectator and on TV, means I have clocked up some serious miles with sport. It is interesting to note how much sport has changed through the
FARMER’S CHAPLAIN
Colin Miller
years, much of it for the better, obviously. One area to see huge, muchneeded change, is with sports medicine. Many of the names and terms used today for conditions and injuries were unheard of back when I was competing. For example, I could
not have told you what a stress fracture was back then. My personal introduction to stress fractures came many years later through the media, possibly with the injury to All Black great Richie McCaw in 2011. Stress fractures come from ongoing repetitive force,
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often from overuse; my medical research informs me. And proper recovery time is usually somewhere between 6-8 weeks. The treatment is rather interesting too, I think. Ease up, rest up, seriously lighten the load! And stop the activity that is aggravating and causing the fractures. Just medicating it is not given as an option. Of course, if you don’t listen and follow the advice, the end outcomes will be more serious. As I am no sports physician, I think I’ll stop this about right here! However, this example can teach us much when we use it as an allegory and bring it across into the realm of our emotions and overall mental health and wellbeing. ‘Stress fractures’ within our emotions, or within our mental realm, is what I am referring to. How fitting in today’s world! Today, stress is a wellknown contributing cause for many sicknesses, and with many mental wellbeing issues. I’m picking most of you will know someone, maybe even you yourself, who have suffered through some challenging days because of exactly this. This is such a widely known and researched subject; nobody should be surprised to learn that online, self-help ‘stress tests’ are available. You can measure yourself against suggested ‘stress-
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ors’ to see how you are doing. These are worthy attempts to try and get your attention if you are over-cooking things and living far too close to extreme over-load. Let me put it this way: stress fractures are your body talking to you, perhaps even starting to shout at you. Ease up, lighten the load, rest up some! With these emotional and mental ‘stress fractures’, something on the inside is talking to you, pleading with you for your attention. The alarms are going off… crash-and-burn is around a corner up ahead! It truly is a mistake to just try and medicate it, while you keep-up your microwave schedule. A dear and close friend comes to my mind right now as I prep this. Someone we knew well over a lot of years. What I have written today fitted him to a tee! Sadly, he is no longer on the earth with his family, or with us today. I encourage you; if your mind has been talking to you, please listen. Ease up, take a break – it’s important. And if something deeper in you than your mind is talking to you, it’s even more important to listen-up. No one knows us better and cares more than He does. Keep well and God bless. • To contact Colin Millar email: farmerschaplain@ ruralnews.co.nz
HEADER Ferist et quati aut pedici te vollab imod quamet atur soleniet quiatibu. PAGE 15
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Ferist et quati aut pedici te vollab imod quamet atur soleniet quiatibu. PAGE 23
RURALNEWS TO ALL FARMERS, FOR ALL FARMERS
HEADER Ferist et quati aut pedici te vollab imod quamet atur soleniet quiatibu.
PAGE 24
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RURAL NEWS // AUGUST 10, 2021
24 MANAGEMENT
Farmers living the dream! SUDESH KISSUN sudeshk@ruralnews.co.nz
‘TOVIEWADREAM FARMING’ was started 16 years ago by farmer Dion Kilmister and it’s been living up to its name ever since. Today, the business comprises four farming properties finishing 17,000 lambs and 600 cattle a year. The jewel in the crown – a butcher shop in Masterton – opened last year. The journey has been one of hard work, calculated risks, tragedy and resilience. Dion’s
wife, Ali Kilmister, told their story at the recent South Island Dairy Event (SIDE) in Ashburton. Dion left school aged 15 with no school qualifications. The next 20 years were spent shepherding and managing farms around the lower North Island. In January 2005, he arrived in the Wairarapa with first wife Maria and two children – Maria’s daughter Aleshia and their son Jayden. All they had were 70 steers that they had had out grazing in the King Country, and a $30,000 overdraft.
Ali and Dion Kilmister overlooking their Wairarapa farm, one of four properties they own where they finish 17,000 lambs and 600 cattle a year.
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And this is where the dream really started to get its wheels. The business started with the lease of 300ha Willowlea Farm from its owner. Over the next four years more adjoining farms were bought by the owner and leased out to Dion. But tragedy struck in 2009; their only son Jayden, 15, was killed in an accident at the front gate. Eighteen months later Dion lost his wife Maria to melanoma. For the next two years Dion had somewhat of a sabbatical from the dayto- day of farming to recover and try and find a way forward. Ali says Dion put in place a farm manager to execute his farm plan. “He was still there most days working, it just relieved him from the weight of ensuring he didn’t drop the ball
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on anything on the days he was feeling incredibly crappy,” explains. “He realised from early on that he needed to keep going, one foot in front of the other, doing what they all loved. Maria and Jayden had been a huge part of the farming team and he needed to keep going for them. He just had to keep remembering his why and in this adversity he dug deep.” In March 2013, Dion met Ali, a self-described true-blue city slicker working in the corporate sector. Together, they took the business to another level with a steep expansion plan executed over five years. Ali says the last two years has been about consolidating and expanding the beyond the farm gate business. At present, they have four
main farms. They own Canoga Park a breeding & finishing farm carrying 10,000 stock units. The 1,100ha property is located in Bideford, 16km northwest of Masterton. The Mahunga farm is a leased 40ha flat property, run in conjunction with Canoga Park for finishing. The Belmont Hills Farm, above Lower Hutt in Wellington, is a leased 1,300ha property with light soil structure – exposed from the weather from all directions. It carries 8,500 stock units. This farm is leased from Greater Wellington Regional Council (GWRC) and brings it own challenges. “Being owned by GWRC, we are farming on a public park, which we say is like farming in a fish bowl with 100,000 farm advisers, it is an urban area on all four
sides,” she says. “This comes with a responsibility to do our bit to close the urban rural divide that does exist, with farming education where we can – we like to be proactive not reactive.” She says people that use the park don’t want to be bombarded with too much information. “Let’s face it, if we did, they would probably start to ignore it, but from time to time, especially if we are doing something of interest that we can educate them on, we will print boards with a blurb and diagram and pop them at different points around the farm walking tracks,” Ali adds. “We did some a wee while back when we were applying lime – just explaining what we were doing and what lime actually did to TO PAGE 25
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MANAGEMENT 25 Living the dream!
BUTCHERY CUTS TO THE CHASE THE KLIMISTERS saw an opportunity in the market to take their grass-fed products beyond the farm gate. They launched an online business – Homegrown Farm Fresh Meats – which has gone on to win many Outstanding NZ Food Producers Awards. Ali Kilmister says they were told that creating an identity within a niche doesn’t demand a revolutionary idea. “It simply needs to have one special thing that separates it from the competition. For us, that’s breed specific, gender specific and buying online direct from Dion and me, the food producers.” She says their lambs are grown on grass and finished on chicory – so the fat is quite white. “We purely stumbled across chicory. So many of our finishing farms are on summer dry land and we had exhausted all other crops including plantain, so we gave chicory a go as it had a great tap root,” Ali adds. “Chicory has become a big part of the finishing lamb equation that takes the lamb to the next level
FROM PAGE 24
Dion and Ali Kilmister in their Masterton butcher’s shop, where they not only showcase their own farms’ meat in not to people in the Wairarapa but are able to extend the offering online as well.
eating experience.” In July 2019, an opportunity came up for the Kilmisters to purchase Joes, a retail meat store in Wairarapa. “We wanted to be able to showcase our meat in a retail shop in the Wairarapa but also be able to extend the offering online.” The store opened in September 2019, but six months later Covid-19 struck. They quickly established
another website to sell products online to locals. They have since blended the two websites into one: homegrownbutchery.online. Ali says there is always a solution to a problem – you just need to find it, and in most cases, find it fast. “The staff and I did a lot of hours during lockdown to ensure we were on top of orders daily as things were changing fast, so
it wasn’t a time of making lots of money,” she explains. “We broke even after all the numbers were done, without taking the wage subsidy, and we can look back with pride as it made us a better team.” She says this side of the business is now 20 months young and there is a lot more fun to have with it. “It really is growing month by month.”
the soil structure, the worms, the grass and therefore the animals. Interestingly enough it stopped the phone calls to the manager asking for explanations.” The fourth property is the Brook Farm, which they own. It’s their home base and the 280ha property used to be a dairy farm. The Kilmisters decommissioned the dairy unit and now farm dry stock. Ali says there is an overall farm policy with all properties interlinking. “Each has its own purpose, whether it be breeding or finishing, but all work for the same end goals.” So how did the Kilmisters get here? Ali says it might sound like a cliché, but it is all
about setting goals. “It’s somewhat putting those goals out to the universe then working out how to make them happen,” she says. “Failing to plan often ends in planning to fail.” Ali says a lot of people in farming say they can’t afford to. “Our theory was we can’t afford not to. If there was a margin/ payback we would find a way,” she explains. “We make decisions – whether it’s the right or wrong decision – we just make the decision. Then you have something to work with. “If something’s not working, change it, stop doing it and change it early. The longer you keep doing it, the harder it becomes to get out of it or change it.” @rural_news facebook.com/ruralnews
RURAL NEWS // AUGUST 10, 2021
26 ANIMAL HEALTH
Future-proofing NZ’s sheep Beef + Lamb New Zealand Genetics’ Low Input Sheep Progeny Trial is identifying the genetics that will future-proof this country’s sheep industry. In part two of this series we look at the management of replacement ewe lambs in the trial and how genes influence feed efficiency and resilience to animal health challenges. OVER AUTUMN and winter, the ewe lambs are shorn and fleece traits recorded. They are run through Portable Accumulation Chambers to measure their methane production (another heritable trait). In July and August, a representative sample is sent to Invermay where each animal is tested for residual feed intake – looking at which animal makes the most efficient and effective use of feed resources. All ewe lambs are retained and while they had reached 40kg by May, they are not mated, although a teaser ram is run with them to identify which lambs are cycling. Last year, 70% of the ewe lambs cycled. In March of this year, the two-tooths weighed 67kg and Robert Peacock says they were amongst the best two-tooths he has seen. This is despite none being culled – as
The trial looked at look at the management of replacement ewe lambs and how genes influence feed efficiency and resilience to animal health challenges.
MORE WOOL, LESS METHANE! AGRESEARCH’S SUZANNE Rowe outlined the work that has gone into identifying and breeding low methane producing sheep. There is an average 11% difference in the methane production of high and low methane producing sheep. However, while the team at AgResearch have measured for everything, they have found no correlation between any trait except wool growth.
would be standard practice. He says, genetically, there is a big difference between studs, and this reflects the length of the time each stud has been focusing on traits such as worm resistance and dags. “The genetics work, but it is a slow game, you just can’t put your drench gun away overnight.” Peacock says the results have shown that no one ram is good at every trait and no one breed is good at every
Low methane sheep produce slightly more wool. Portable Accumulation Chambers (PAC) are used to measure an individual animal’s methane production and are being used in stud flocks around the country. “There is a lot of variation within flocks which is exciting as it means we can select low methane animals,” Rowe explains.
trait. “The more traits you select for, the slower you will go.” Dags, for example, are heritable and breeders can move quite quickly to breed those out, but there may be a penalty with slower wool growth. However, getting rid of dags will potentially stop flystrike and the need to dip lambs. Meanwhile, Peacock believes the industry would need five to ten years notice if it were to stop tailing.
“It will take a while, but it’s certainly do-able.” While consumers are increasingly demanding lamb produced without chemicals, Peacock believes widespread drench resistance – including triple drench resistance – will force the industry into farming without the use of drenches long before regulations will. “Farmers will be forced into a corner.” Speaking at the field day were three AgResearch scientists,
Kathryn McRae, Suzanne Rowe and Tricia Johnson, all involved in some aspect of the Low Input Progeny Trial. McRae talked about using genetic improvement to provide a better product for consumers, produced with less impact on the environment. “We want animals that combine production potential with resilience to external stressors, allowing for production in a wide variety of environments.” The traits she focused on in her presentation were internal parasites,
pneumonia and facial eczema. McRae says individual sheep differ in their ability to develop resistance to parasites, and WormFEC is a breeding value – or measure of resistance to parasites. This is poorly genetically correlated with dagginess. While faecal egg counts (FEC) are still the best proxy for parasite burdens and a tool to measure an animal’s resistance to parasites, DNA will be used in the future to look at parasite species at the same time as FECs. Scientists will also be looking at the impact of parasites on behaviour and the interaction between the faecal microbiome and internal parasites. Pneumonia is found in 30-40% of all lambs at slaughter. It costs the industry millions of dollars every year in lost per-
formance. McRae says it is possible to breed animals that are less susceptible to pneumonia and it appears there is possibly a positive genetic correlation between FECs and pneumonia, but that has yet to be validated. Interestingly, animals with lung lesions grow faster from birth to weaning but slower from weaning to slaughter than animals without lesions. The heritability of a pneumonia lesion score is 0.07-0.16, which shows that genetic gains can be made. Facial eczema is a production-limiting disease expected to move further south with climate change. RamGuard is the commercial testing programme for tolerance to facial eczema (FE). Tolerance to FE is heritable (0.45) and there appears to be a positive genetic correlation between FE and FEC.
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RURAL NEWS // AUGUST 10, 2021
MACHINERY & PRODUCTS 27 The Lemken Solitair 9+ Duo seed drill offers the option of simultaneously spreading seeds, fertiliser and catch crops.
Greater seeding flexibility MARK DANIEL markd@ruralnews.co.nz
JUST A year after the market launch of the Solitair 9+ pneumatic seed drill, manufacturer Lemken has introduced its new ‘Duo’ version with divided seed hopper. This machine offers the option of simultaneously spreading seeds, fertiliser and catch crops. Available in working widths of three or four metres, the seed hopper on the Solitair 9+ Duo offers a capacity of 1,850 litres. This can be split 50/50 or 60/40, as a result, offering two application variants. In the single-shot version, seed and fertiliser are combined downstream from the two metering units in each of the two hopper segments. From here, they are deliv-
ered to the double disc coulters via a single seed pipe and deposited in a seed furrow. This allows a starting dose of fertiliser to be added for winter sowing or a complete fertiliser application for summer sowing. The double-shot system is said to provide greater flexibility, as the two components flow separately to a double disc coulter via doubled distributors using twin seed pipes. These can then be spread either in a single row, as with the single-shot method, or separately and alternately in two rows following a quick exchange of the tramline cartridge in the distributor. In addition, the sowing depth of every other row can be adjusted separately via the pressure roller up to a difference of 5cm.
This allows two different seeds to be placed at different, optimum seeding depths or inter-row fertiliser application during seeding. In other Lemken news, the company has introduced the OptiStone automatic overload protection for its Juwel, Diamant and Titan ploughs. Comprising of a closed system of highly stable leg plates, which protects against dirt and foreign objects, a newly designed swivel bracket ensures high lateral tripping forces and optimal plough control in stony soils. When an obstacle is encountered, the new overload element can deflect up to 37cm upwards and 20cm sideways. The tripping forces can be continuously adjusted from the comfort of the driver’s seat
to adapt to changing soil conditions. If the system catches below a slab of stone or roots, it is additionally protected by a double-
cut shear bolt to prevent damage to the plough. The system also features high-strength radial spherical plain bearings to keep the plough bodies
stable as the system deflects. The plough bodies are firmly connected to the three-dimensional bearing points and therefore
cannot unhitch – a clear advantage compared to the overload protection systems with four-point suspension commonly found on the market.
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RURAL NEWS // AUGUST 10, 2021
28 MACHINERY & PRODUCTS
First self-drive tractors on the yards MARK DANIEL markd@ruralnews.co.nz
WHILE NUMEROUS tractor manufacturers have shown autonomous concepts, it looks like Yanmar have taken the winner’s sash for getting to a retail position first.
The Yanmar YT4/5A Series robot tractors rolled off the production line and on to Japanese dealer yards in April. However, the company is taking each-way bets, as the tractors have still retained a full cabin – allowing them to be
operated in a full or partially autonomous mode. Additionally, there is an option for dual working in the same paddock, with one unit under driver control and an autonomous unit running nearby. The Yanmar autono-
mous tractor range will include four models – the YT488A, YT498A, YT4104A and YT5113A. These are all four-cylinder common rail diesels, pushing out 88, 98, 104 and 113hp maximum output at 2500rpm. A three-speed hydromechanical transmission offers 0.15 to 33.0 km/h in manual mode, or 0.5 to 10km/h if run autonomously. Under development since 2015, the move to the dealer showroom has come about due to a breakthrough with the tractor’s communication signal. Previously,
The Yanmar YT4/5A Series robot tractors rolled off the production line and on to Japanese dealer yards in April.
like other manufacturers, the Yanmar robot tractor needed a ground base station for correction signals, along with signals from the GNSS satellite for accuracy. The new delivery system receives a multifrequency signal, allowing the tractor to receive local reference point positioning data to determine its position through a VRS (Virtual Reference
Station). This means it is no longer necessary to use a base station and the system can be used anywhere a mobile signal is available. In practice, a multifrequency antenna receives signals at three different frequencies from the GNSS satellite, allowing safe operation – even if one of those frequencies is interrupted. There is also the addi-
tional benefit of a 75% reduction in positioning time, meaning the tractor can start work as soon as it arrives in the paddock. The only major stumbling block seems to be the cost, with entry into the robotic arena – depending on model – sitting at $US105,000 to $US162,000 (NZ 144,000 to $222,00) plus taxes. @rural_news facebook.com/ruralnews
ADDITION TO NZ’S OFF-ROAD TYRE MARKET The Ascenso range is designed to support agriculture, forestry, industry, construction and earthmoving sectors. It has a particular focus in New Zealand for tractor flotation and implement tyres, loader, telehandler, skid steer, excavator and compactor sectors. Owned by the Mahansaria family, whose expertise helped to grow two of the world’s leading
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RURAL NEWS // AUGUST 10, 2021
MACHINERY & PRODUCTS 29
CNH scoops up Raven MARK DANIEL markd@ruralnews.co.nz
CASE NEW Holland Industrial (CNHI) – parent company of the New Holland, Case IH and Steyr brands – has announced it is to buy out Raven Industries in the US. The deal said to be worth $2.1 billion, with projected annual earnings by the new subsidiary of €400 million by 2025. Besides agricultural technology – the key driver for the CNHI acquisition – Raven also operates in the polymer film engineering sector, delivering waterproof membranes and liners for construction and agriculture. It also manufactures lighter-than-air platforms such as weather balloons. The latter might give a hint towards CNHI’s
plans, with the increasing importance of aerial imagery coming to the forefront in the crop management sector. Within the agricultural sector, Raven is well known, particularly in North America and Europe, for providing field computers, steering, guidance and height control products. It also produces flow control valves for directing chemical injection into sprayer lines, as an alternative to the more traditional method of relying on pre-prepared tank mixes. Raven is also well established within the autonomous guidance sector with its ‘OMNiDRIVE’ and ‘OMNiPOWER’ products. The former replaces the driver in a conventional tractor – making
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it suitable, according to Raven, for applications like calling up chaser bins to unload combine harvesters, before taking the load back to a predetermined parking area. OMNiPOWER takes the form of a robot, without the need for an operator. It is described by the company as “a self-pro-
Raven is well known for providing field computers, steering, guidance and height control products.
pelled power platform that can accept a range of implements like sprayers or spreaders, allowing it to perform multiple tasks during the farming seasons”. Meanwhile, the deal will require regulatory approval before it is completed, with finalisation expected by the year end.
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AGCO beds down with Deutz AG
AGCO AND ENGINE builder Deutz AG have agreed on a new, long-term strategic partnership that establishes supply security, predictability, and reliability for both companies and their customers. The partnership includes a supply agreement for updated 6.1 and 4.1 litre engines for use in selected Fendt tractors, alongside a development cooperation on future technologies. The companies also will explore closer cooperation on engines or engine installation components below 150hp.
Walterscheid snapped up by Comer
WALTERSCHEID POWERTRAIN Group and Comer Industries have announced the merger of the two companies. This will see Comer acquiring 100% of Walterscheid to create a single source for drive systems for the agricultural and construction equipment industries. The companies generated a combined €792m (NZ$1.34bn) of revenue and €86.5m (NZ$147m) of adjusted EBITDA in 2020. This signifies the strength of the businesses in the off-highway equipment market and the potential profitability of their merger.
Belarus unveils driverless concept
THE STAR attraction at an anniversary event to mark the 75th anniversary of the Minsk Tractor Works, home of Belarus tractors, was a futuristic unit without a cab. The 3523i is Belarus’ first autonomous tractor prototype, where the driver has been replaced by a control system. Instead, it uses cameras and sensors linked to a computer (5G data transmission), alongside GPS navigation and Topcon guidance. The hybrid drivetrain features a 350hp Cummins block, mated to a generator that powers an electro-mechanical transmission to provide stepless speed selection in two ranges of 0-15km/h (field) and 0-50km/h (road), while the electrical output can also be used to power electrically configured implements.
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RURAL NEWS // AUGUST 10, 2021
30 MACHINERY & PRODUCTS / RURAL TRADER JD’s GridCon 2 features a cable reeler extended to 3,000 metres offering a maximum delivery of 8kV/1,000kW.
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Quadbar introduces the new
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is paying close attention to the electric route. The GridCon concept, first shown in January 2019 and later that same year at the Agritechnica Event, takes power from an oversized 1,000 metre extension lead. This is capable of delivering 2.5kW/300kW and managed by a reeler system as the tractor moves up and down the paddock. GridCon 2 takes things a stage further, featuring a cable reeler extended to 3,000 metres and offer a maximum delivery of 8kV/1,000kW. The key difference is the ability to simultaneously power up to five autonomous tractor/implement combi-
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The magic eye sheepjetter since 1989
Quality construction and options • Get the contractors choice Featuring...
• Incredible chemical economy • Amazing ease 1500+ per hour • Unique self adjusting sides • Environmentally and user friendly • Automatically activated • Proven effective on lice as well as fly • Compatible with all dip chemicals • Accurate, effective application
Ask us about our Alpine Adventurer Canvas Tent & Fire
contact us - 0508 805 801
07 573 8512 | dipping@electrodip.co.nz
working with farmers over 40 years
– www.electrodip.com
Call for delivery options
DOLOMITE
NZ’s finest BioGro certified Mg fertiliser For a delivered price call... 0800 436 566
LASER FF95
DIESEL HEATER
BEST QUALITY | BEST Price | BEST ADVICE BEST QUALITY | BEST Price | BEST ADVICE
ü Huge 9.5kW output. ü Made in Japan since 1991. ü Diesel is approx. 30-50% less than “on demand” Electricity or Gas. ü DIY Install or we can arrange. ü No wood to cut, cart or store. ü No mess, NO indoor diesel odours. ü As easy to use as a light switch.
0800 379 247 www.avonheating.co.nz
ONE STOP WATER SHOP 300mm x 6 metre .......................... $410 400mm x 6 metre .......................... $515 500mm x 6 metre .......................... $690 600mm x 6 metre .......................... $925 800mm x 6 metre ........................ $1399 1000mm x 6 metre ...................... $2175 1200mm x 6 metre ...................... $3475 ALL PRICES INCLUDE G.S.T.
Specialists in ATV Bullbars, ATV Trailers, Ute Decks & Ute Lids
FLY OR LICE PROBLEMS?
• WEST COAST & CENTRAL OTAGO 10 days, depart 24 October. Highlights include the TranzAlpine rail, Franz Josef, Wanaka, Heartland Central Otago & Queenstown. • TASMANIA ‘SPRING SPECIAL' 11 days, depart 14 November. Enjoy a scenic coach tour including Launceston, Cradle Mountain, Stanley, Queenstown, Hobart, Port Arthur and Bicheno. • TOP OF THE SOUTH 12 days, depart 21 November. Enjoy the scenic splendour of the South Island including Akaroa, West Coast, Nelson, Blenheim, Hanmer Springs & the TranzAlpine rail.
SHEEP JETTERS SINCE 1992
BEST QUALITY | BEST Price | BEST ADVICE WATER TANKS, PUMPS & FILTRATION WATER TANKS, PUMPS & FILTRATION
WATER TANKS, PUMPS FILTRATION DEVAN CALPEDA • PURETEC • OASIS CLEARWATER DEVAN •• PROMAX PROMAX • •CALPEDA • PURETEC •& OASIS CLEARWATER DEVAN •TANKS, RX • CALPEDA • AQUA • OASIS CLEARWATER WATER PUMPS & FILTRATION
DEVAN • PROMAX • CALPEDA • •PURETEC • OASIS CLEARWATER P: 326 8888 www.thetankguy.co.nz P:0508 0508 326 8888 • www.thetankguy.co.nz A: A: 30 30 Turners RoadRoad – Feilding Turners – Feilding
P: 0508 326 8888 • www.thetankguy.co.nz A: 30 Turners Road – Feilding
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
Reliable Trough Valves The proven success of Hansen’s Trough valves introduces a new era of design reliability that cuts valve maintenance overheads considerably. Coupled with a full range of size/flow options, it’s not difficult to see why they are the valve of choice for many farmers.
Super-Flo Valve Slipper Fit Piston helps prevent stuck valves
188 L/min @ 29 PSI
Max-Flo Valve Stock proof & self cleaning
570 L/min @ 29 PSI
www.hansenproducts.co.nz