Coat & Country - May 2018 by Sun Media

Meet Pauline Sainsbury and her pet male donkey Milo. Milo wasn’t always tame. Years ago he arrived at Pauline’s place at Tarukenga from a ier wild as he’d ust een gelded and it too si en to get hi on the oat ut with Pauline’s lo e and are he’s traded iting and i ing for cuddles – and he’s jolted her into a journey of rehoming donkeys from all over the place via her property’s Mamaku Donkey Rescue & eho ing entre o ﬁnd out a out Pauline’s la our o lo e read ages Photo: Merle Foster.

M e e t Ia n K e r r PAGE 6-7

H A K A T A N E

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Av o c a d o s PAGE 15-17

Co u n t r y Li v i n g PAGE 18-21

F i e l d a y s Pr e v i e w PAGE 22-37

Da i r y In d u s t r y Aw a r d s PAGE 44

Da i r y i n g PAGE 45-49

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COAST & COUNTRY NEWS

Could a Samurai wasp slay the Brown marmorated stink bug? With kiwifruit harvest in full swing, it’s reassuring to hear the Brown Marmorated Stink Bug Council – which includes groups representing the avocado, apple and pear, tomato, vegetable and wine industries – is applying to release a new weapon in the ﬁght against the bug.

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The group has applied to the Environmental Protection Authority to release an organism new to New Zealand – called the Samurai wasp – to combat any Brown Marmorated tin Bug invasion. In the US and Europe this bug has caused severe economic damage to horticultural crops, and has invaded homes during cold winter months. The Stink Bug Council says a report by the NZ Institute of Economic Research shows commercial crops at risk from the stink bug have an annual sales value of 4 billion. hey include pipfruit and summerfruit. So far this year four bulk carriers have been ordered out of NZ waters following discovery of the bug aboard the vessels. nd while the Ministry for rimary Industries is undertaking a comprehensive operation to stop the stink bug entering and establishing itself in NZ – it’s good to hear we’re preparing another weapon to ﬁght it if it does set up shop here. MPI has this year introduced fogging boats – combined with rigorous border checks, including physical inspection, screening by detector dog and heat treatment. nd is also considering allowing sulfuryl

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ﬂuoride to be used in waters or ports to treat these boats. But if the stink bug successfully breaches our biosecurity system and establishes, it will be very hard to eradicate, according to the council. e only have to think of the effort that went into eradicating the Queensland fruit ﬂy population in rey Lynn, Auckland, in 2015 to eep free of it. So how can a new wasp help with the stink bug threat? The Stink Bug council says biological control by the Samurai wasp is likely to be the most effective long-term, sustainable and socially acceptable means available The alternative, used overseas, is increased use of broad-spectrum insecticides, often at high application rates. ccording to the council, the wasp doesn t sting and is harmless to humans, but attacks and kills stink bug eggs. The trigger point for releasing the wasp would be detection of a stink bug invasion or an established population. And the council says the rapid release of a squadron of the wasps would be critical to successful eradication, so it’s seeking pre-emptive approval, so wasps can be launched as soon as the balloon goes up. If you have views on the introduction of this wasp, public submissions close 5pm May 4, 01 . o complete a submission form, see: www.epa.govt.n public-consultations open-consultations samurai-to-slay-stin -bug Merle Foster

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The way we view irrigation has to change Representatives of the primary producer sector are calling on the Government to rethink the way it views irrigation schemes – to look at the purpose of water storage schemes and make decisions based on good outcomes overall.

forced Waimea growers to make decisions about which trees would not fruit and would have water supply reduced to root stock survival levels only. “This is a highly productive area for horticulture and water supply during dry periods is vital. In fact, to maintain production and produce high quality vegetables and fruit a consistent supply of water is needed throughout the main growing areas in NZ.”

is important for drier areas of NZ. maller-scale, locally-run and environmentally-sustainable water storage projects could be considered on a case-by-case basis through the PGF, due to the importance water plays in growing our provinces.

Smaller schemes

maller local schemes will help more of our vital regions better prepare for increasingly recurring climatic events such as drought.” But he says any proposed storage projects would have to meet criteria demonstrating strong alignment PGF

Horticulture NZ chief executive Mike Chapman. The calls come as the Government last month announced it’s winding down public funding for large-scale irrigation through Crown Irrigation Investments Limited, in line with the Coalition Agreement and the Conﬁdence upply greement. Finance Minister Grant Robertson says the decisions provide certainty to individual schemes that applied for funding alongside private investment.

Misconception

“This represents a shift in priorities to the previous government. Large-scale private irrigation schemes should be economically viable on their own, without re uiring significant public financing. “We must also be mindful of the potential for largescale irrigation to lead to intensive farming practices which may contribute to adverse environmental outcomes.” But Horticulture NZ chief executive Mike Chapman says there is a misconception that irrigation means intensive farming and bad outcomes for the environment. “In reality, organic farmers use irrigation and wellmanaged water storage schemes can lead to good environmental outcomes. “The value of planned, not existing, irrigation projects to NZ was more than $1.2 billion annually in the C briefing to the incoming overnment . These schemes add to the wealth of NZ, provide food jobs, and keep rural communities viable. “Waimea is an example of the vital funding role government plays. Local farmers and growers are simply not able to raise the money to fund massive infrastructure that benefits not only them, but the wider community.” Mike says December’s drought

Irrigation NZ’s chief executive Andrew Curtis. Mike says how irrigated water is used needs to be understood in the “full context of the environment, maintaining healthy rivers, urban water supply, productive and sustainable vegetable and fruit growing, and meeting climate change challenges”. “There are two truths: plants need water to survive and climate change means food is being grown where it would not be possible without irrigation.” Irrigation NZ’s chief executive Andrew Curtis welcomed news Waimea Community Dam and Kurow Duntroon rrigation cheme will progress, but is disappointed planned Hurunui, Hunter Downs and Flaxborne projects won’t be able to access loan funding. “This is a huge lost opportunity for these rural communities.” Andrew says local councils see the value of investment in water infrastructure and recognise this as one of the most pressing community issues. “We’d like to see the merits of these projects considered through the Provincial Growth Fund. These projects will build more resilient rural communities and provide signiﬁcant community beneﬁts.

Water scarcity

At last month’s 2018 Irrigation Conference, Andrew said water scarcity will become a bigger issue globally. “In NZ, although rainfall is relatively plentiful by world standards, climate change will mean it becomes more of an issue in a number of regions. “This could prompt further investigation of water storage – both above and below ground. It will demand irrigators become more water efﬁcient and new technologies need to continue to evolve to assist this.” Finance Minister Grant Robertson says the Government recognises year-round water availability

objectives “and in particular must be environmentally sustainable and deliver beneﬁts across a community . Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor says water access is vital to NZ’s farmers, growers and rural communities. “My vision is for a resilient primary sector striving for value over volume and this means large-scale irrigation schemes must be environmentally and economically viable, with vital regional infrastructure supported by Government.” reenpeace and orest Bird welcomed the announcement, both calling it a win for NZ rivers.

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Pauline Sainsbury and Debbie Fleming in their element – caring for donkeys at Mamaku. Photos: Merle Foster.

Pauline Sainsbury’s head pops up from underneath a donkey, she waves – then it’s back to work.

The 65-year-old is trimming Rosie’s hooves with loyal helper Debbie Fleming. She applies cream to pressure sores on osie s legs and rufﬂes the animal s fur. Then the ladies talk donkeys over the fence rail. In 2005 Pauline had horses on her Tarukenga property. She had nothing to do with donkeys. “This trekking club shut down and had nowhere to put these two donkeys – I said I’d take them. I rehomed them – that’s how it started.” She joined the Donkey Society and it snowballed. “People started to ring me.” Fastforward 13 years and Pauline’s picked up and rehomed more than 250 donkeys via the Mamaku Donkey Rescue & Rehoming Centre she runs from her 10 acres off SH5. She works with Alan Baguley from Whakatane – who like her, is a Donkey Protection Trust trustee – the Donkey Society, SPCA and Ministry for Primary Industries. Alan is her “muscle man” for collections. Debbie, who adopted a donkey, helps with day-today chores and donkey cuddles. “Pauline didn’t plan this,” says Debbie. “But she’s just got such a big heart.”

Pauline collects donkeys in need – a “neglected donkey problem”, for elderly moving to retirement homes, those terminally ill who can’t look after their pets, or folk downsizing.

Pauline’s pet boy Milo is used to watching the homeless come and go from his place.

A tough job

“Donkeys left in the back paddock, obese donkeys, thin donkeys, donkeys with curly hooves – donkeys who are entire jacks who become nasty,” says Pauline. “We’ve picked up donkeys that can’t walk, wild jacks that bite and kick, and really nice donkeys too.” She’s been all over the place for collections. “We’ve met some wonderful people and some not-so-nice, we’ve dealt with dangerous situations and seen a lot of NZ.” And the job can be tough. “They sit down on the ramp, stand on your feet – I’ve even had one chase me into the ﬂoat, she laughs. ...continued

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COAST & COUNTRY NEWS

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hoof for ‘gentle souls’ from my own money and donations. However the DPT supports us in getting donkeys gelded – because we don’t rehome jacks.” “The only thing I ask when I rehome a donkey is new owners pay some money for transport. Lots of times they give me a donation too.” One-off vet bills are covered by the trust for assisted worming, or dentistry. Because donkeys get bad teeth and suffer from worms. “I also do a lot of educating. Four times a year two intermediate schools bring six students here for two hours. I give them a job to do – and tell them what I do. And let them pat the donkeys.”

A labour of love

Debbie Fleming loves helping cuddle and care for the donkeys at the Mamaku Donkey Rescue & Rehoming Centre. continued...

Pauline Sainsbury’s passion for rescuing and rehoming donkeys is obvious.

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“I jumped over the crossbar. Everyone laughed – saying they’d never seen me run so fast and so high. I said: ‘You would too if you saw a donkey coming at you with the teeth and the ears back – I thought holeey!” Pauline’s ‘hospital paddock’ for the frail or ill borders her home. She hard-feeds patients with sugarbeet, salt, Psyllium husk and liquid minerals – according to individual needs three-times-a-day, plus gives hay twice-daily. Currently she has 13 – at different stages of rehabilitation and adoption. Pauline and Debbie spend much time breaking in and taming donkeys. “Frequently people don’t have contact with their donkeys; they just stay in the paddock untouched. But they love affection,” says Debbie.

Pauline admits she’s developed a soft spot for donkeys. “Oh yeah!” What does she love about them? “I guess they’re gentle souls,” says Pauline. Debbie’s fallen head over hooves too. “They just love cuddles.” “They’re really quite relaxing too,” says Pauline, whose husband Des suffers from dementia and finds the animals therapeutic. And they make great family pets. Plus, they’re good at eating weeds. Pauline retires the elderly at her sanctuary. She’s adopted six. Her treasured pet is 21-year-old male Milo. “He started it all. He came from Napier wild as. He’d just been gelded and it took him six men to get him on the float. said to myself hat have done opened the float, he bolted and stood in the paddock corner for about three days.” “When I did catch him he’d bite and kick. I broke him into harness, took him to shows.” Now her tame boy watches the flow of homeless come and go. Pauline’s property is perfect for donkeys, with sloping hills, tracks, bush and stone – they are very inquisitive and can get bored. f you have a flat acre give them toys, offer branches or fill up a gumboot with apples. n summer I put out a sack and they play tug-o’war. I’ve had a few teach themselves to open gates.” Pauline, 65, has ‘retired’ to a full-time physical job lifting buckets, haybales, collecting donkeys and trimming hooves. “I do think the hills are growing steeper.” But she has no intention of parking up the don ey float. he ll eep going until she drops, says Debbie. To get in touch with Pauline about donkey colFunctional Fertiliser lection or adoption, email: paulinesainsbury2017@ Functional Fertiliser gmail.com supplies or call: 027 698 5262. full nutrient supplies full nutrient Foster Functionalbased Fertiliser packages on Merle packages based on supplies full nutrient Functional® Fertiliser ® packages basedfull onnutrient supplies packages®based on 0800 843 809

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The pair trim 29 donkeys’ hooves around the BOP. “Debbie is a god-send,” says Pauline. “It makes my life so much easier when I’m trimming to have her holding them, keeping them placid. Because some donkeys we deal with are not for the faint-hearted!” When adopting a donkey – or donkeys – Pauline checks the owner’s property for shelter, fencing – and if they have a mate. “Donkey’s rely on companionship – you can’t rehome one by itself. The adoptees either have to take two or have a horse the donkey can bond with. And you can’t split a pair up – unless one has died, of course.” Pauline aims to match donkeys to families and vice ® versa – “I’ve only had three pairs boomeranged back” For For application by by application – and is only a phone call l away if one stops eating, For application by groundspreader or aerial limps or coughs over a bray. groundspreader or aerial groundspreader or aerial She shows donkeys at A&P Shows, takes them to Functional Fertiliser For application by kindergartons, schools and resthomes. Little Nibby, supplies full nutrient groundspreader or aerial from miniature descent, goes to church. “He’s packages based on particularly useful at resthomes, with those wheel® chair-bound able to reach him.” www.functionalfertiliser.co.nz www.functionalfertiliser.co.nz www.functionalfertiliser.co.nz And she does this all for free. “All of it does come The Future of Farming

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COAST & COUNTRY NEWS

From bush to profitable business Waipa landowner Ian Kerr shows that with vision, determination and a good deal of ‘Kiwi can do’ attitude, 22 hectares of gorsecovered Waikato gully can be transformed into an environmentally-conscious, proﬁtable business.

Ian Kerr with foxy Bruce on the deck of his bush hut. Photos: Catherine Fry.

This hardworking businessman has made the most of all the property’s different attributes and has several different ventures on the go. From the early-1990s, Ian would have been found on ananu-i-ra, a .5 s m island ust off the northern coast of the main i ian island of iti evu. t the time, the privately-owned island was farmed, and had some residential areas. bout 00 acres of cleared bush provided gra ing for beef and sheep. his idyllic spot was leased and farmed by an for about 15 years. e had a ﬂoc of self-shedding i i antastic sheep, says an, peciﬁcally for the ndian population of i i, who can t eat beef. he cattle were a Santa Cruz-Brahman-cross, the perfect mix for good meat production and resistance to the heat. Farming an island with no proper roads and no fresh water supply was challenging at times. an s entrepreneurial skills at utilising what you have also came to the fore during his years in paradise. longside the farming, he started a resort on the tiny island. “By ‘resort’ I mean some rustic-style barns with dormitories, says an.

Their choice of property back in NZ was interesting. he ha of bare land close to a e Karapiro seemingly had little to offer, with no road access, streams and gorges throughout, and was infested with gorse. “It was a block of scrub and had a school next to it, an says. He saw the potential of the property as an adventure tourism business, and much more. oo ing at the property through Ian’s eyes, and feeling his enthusiasm for it is inspiring. s you drive around, bouncing along in a four wheel drive, up and down steep tracks and splashing through stream beds, Ian points out the gorges, cliffs, waterfalls, trout streams and their very own glow worm canyon. itting in the ultimate man cave, a rustic bush hut he built, Ian e plains how his vision came to life. ...continued

Bare land

his uic ly e panded to include surﬁng, ite boarding and a dive school. he resort became known as ‘Kiwis in Paradise’ and was a favourite way of e periencing the beauty of the island on a budget. During his time in i i, an met his partner udy and started a family. hen ananu-i-ra was sold in 2004, they made the decision to return to New ealand for their girls education.

Ian Kerr enjoying the view with his fox terriers Bruce and Taylor at the bush hut.

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an s management plan for the land is simple. He initially cleared the gorse by digging it out using a digger, and burying it deeply. Maintenance weeding is done by hand, often by one of the regular OO ers orld ide Opportunities on Organic arms wor ers and no sprays of any type are used. bout 0 acres of pasture was drilled on the ﬂatter areas and initially an gra ed heifers. Hundreds

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of trees were planted. everal ilometres of vehicle property is not very windy. come and go, and organising catering, access and wal ing trac s were formed so all areas an also spends about 0 hours a cleaning and laundry. But you can can be reached. an tries to leave things to happen as wee running a hydroponic vegetable guarantee he still finds time to go and naturally as possible unless there is danger to humans enterprise on the property and selling reflect with a beer or two, in the solior a building. the produce at local farmers mar ets. tude of his bush hut by the stream. can always tell when a big tree is about to fall, he he rest of the time an is busy Next edition Coast & Country News Functional Fertiliser Functional Fertiliser says. few months before seedlings will start to grow with building and property maintewill explore the workings of Ian’s supplies full nutrient supplies nutrient under the tree and you can guarantee the tree falls nance, supervising the groups that hydroponic full vegetable enterprise. Functionalbased Fertiliser packages on on soon after. packages based supplies full nutrient Functional ®Fertiliser an uses this ® packages basedfull onnutrient natural wilderness for supplies numerous outdoor packages®based on activities, either for ® team building or to For For application by by application groups who come For application by groundspreader or aerial in and run their groundspreader or aerial groundspreader or aerial own activities such Functional Fertiliser For application by as airsoft or 4 D supplies full nutrient groundspreader or aerial vehicle courses. he packages based on latest venture is an ® adrenalin-pumping www.functionalfertiliser.co.nz www.functionalfertiliser.co.nz www.functionalfertiliser.co.nz 500m ipline. e t Future Farming Horse riders crossing one of the many streams. TheThe Future ofof Farming www.functionalfertiliser.co.nz on the agenda is to The Future of Farming For application by prepare one of the The Future of Farming groundspreader or aerial natural cliffs for certified abseiling and climbing courses. he waterways, springs and bores produce clean, pure water that only re uires filtering. he waterfall s power has been harnessed with two micro hydros a www.functionalfertiliser.co.nz type of hydroelectric power that using the natural The Future of Farming flow of water producing enough electricity to run the apartment. But another power source is re uired during low summer water levels. an would love to get a solar system installed. Har ing bac to the days in i i, he also has a wind turbine, but it is only a minor contribution as the 0800 843 809

he ﬁrst thing built was a 4 m by 4m shed with an apartment above it, and a huge loc up area where an planned to build a motorhome. casual en uiry about group accommodation changed things very uic ly. oday they have a training facility and accommodation for large groups, with bun rooms, a commercial itchen and ablution bloc s. t s all compliant with council, says an, a little ruefully. e started with no mortgage, now we ve got a good one.

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he u er a etu stuary whi h will e o e healthier y in reasing reshwater ow ro the aituna i er into the ord’s ut hannel entre le t ow lying asture land e Pai a to the right o ord’s ut will e restored as wetland Construction wor s to restore freshwater flows into the dying Maketu Estuary will begin by this September following Bay of Plenty regional councillors awarding the tender for the Kaituna River re-diversion job. Bay of Plenty Regional Council chairman Doug Leeder says tangata whenua and residents have been calling for river flows to be restored to the estuary since 1 and now the final hurdle in restoring the dying Maketu Estuary – also known as Te Awa o Ngatoroirangi – has been overcome. “The health of the estuary has been declining since the river mouth was diverted away from it in 1956. “We listened to the concerns of the community and started consultation on a preferred option in 2013. “We’re now ready to start physical works,” says Doug.

restore up to 20 per cent of the Kaituna River’s freshwater flows into the estuary, so the mauri or life-force – of the estuary is restored and it becomes healthier for wildlife to live in and people to enjoy. “We’ll be doing that in a way that maximises the environmental and cultural benefits, while maintaining e isting levels of flood protection and boating access.”

Helping to restore

Pim says BOPRC considered 18 different methods and options for re-diverting the Kaituna River and creating new wetlands before ma ing a ﬁnal decision. “All the options were considered and assessed by a range of engineering, hydrology, ecology, and planning experts, alongside feedback from iwi and the community. “We’ve already done a huge amount of work to get all the necessary resource consents and land acquisitions in place, and source a contractor. “It’s really exciting to now start turning all our plans and preparation into action on the ground,” says Pim. J Swap Contractors Ltd manager Shanan Mowatt says his company’s directors are thrilled to be awarded the contract. “We’re looking forward to helping restore the Kaituna River and Maketu Estuary over the next two years, together with regional council and the local community,” says Shanan. Meetings with tangata whenua, stakeholders and the wider community will be scheduled by regional council staff in the oyal s oon ills ta ing ight near Pa ahi ahawai coming month, to introduce the contractors Island in the a etu stuary and outline the process and timeframes for The tender for Kaituna River re-diversion construc- the work before it starts. tion works has been awarded to J Swap Contractors People can subscribe to receive email updates or see Limited and the work will take about two years to further information about the project at complete. www.boprc.govt.nz/kaitunamaketurediversion. The project will cost $13.5m and involves creation of a new channel to carry freshwater from the river into a new inlet structure at Ford’s Cut.

New wetlands

Existing stopbanks will be shifted and upgraded, the Ford Rd boat ramp will be improved, and 20 hectares of new wetlands will be created on low-lying land that has been retired from grazing. ccording to the BO C, due to loss of natural ﬂushing from Kaituna River since 1956, the Maketu Estuary has become clogged with undesirable algae, and coastal sediment build-up has reduced both pipi habitat and the ability for boats to enter and leave the harbour. In addition, 95 per cent of estuarine wetland habitat has been lost as a result of land drainage and development. The council states the re-diversion project will return an average of 600,000m3 of fresh water from the Kaituna River into Te Awa o Ngatoroirangi / Maketu Estuary on every tidal cycle. All of the resource consents and conditions for the pro ect were ﬁnalised in an nvironment Court decision issued in May 2016. And 45 hectares of pastoral land adjacent to the river has been acquired by BOPORC to implement the project. That land will become public reserve land that can be enjoyed for walking, cycling or kaimoana (seafood) gathering access, once construction work is complete. The regional council began complementary preparatory works last year, including: opening of the Papahikahawai Channel and construction of an access bridge; re-contouring and planting on Papahikahawai Island; and creation of additional wetlands in the upstream Lower Kaituna Wildlife Management Reserve (Te Pourepo o Kaituna wetland creation project), which will also provide a sand source for new stop banks associated with the re-diversion. BOPRC’s Kaituna catchments manager Pim de Monchy says the overall goal of the project is to

Page 9

HORTICULTURE

Page 10

Don’t take the risk of drinking contaminated water Ever wondered what might be lurking at the bottom of the water storage tank?

tanks cleaned as there is plenty of water around. Tanks need to be emptied before cleaning and the process takes

Roger and Trish Craig, owner-operators of Aquavac, have seen it all. “It still amazes me that people take the risk in having a dirty and often contaminated water tank,” says Roger. “They wouldn’t bathe or do their dishes in a sink with contaminated sludge in the bottom of it but many will risk drinking the water. They are often surprised at what is found at the bottom of the emptied water tank,” says Roger. Government recommendations are that water storage tanks should be cleaned out every 18 months to two years – and, Roger keeps his regular clients on a twoyear cycle. “The biggest risk Water tank after cleaning. is the build-up of about two-and-a-half hours. sludge which is “We suck out all the a good breeding sludge, water-blast the ground for E. coli inside and then vacuum out bacteria, which any residue to a near-new causes tummy ﬁnish, says oger. upsets. Aquavac can clean plastic “If clients collect and concrete tanks, they water from the even provide a repair service roof, anything that for concrete tanks. is on the roof gets They are a husband-andwashed into the Before cleaning. wife team based at Katikati tan . ﬁnd decomand provide their service posed birds, mice throughout the Bay of Plenty, Waikato and sometimes rats,” says Roger. and Coromandel areas. Helen Wilson Winter time is a good time to get UP TO

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The ideal option to support valuable crops In the last few years the kiwifruit industry has been in a period of rapid growth with new orchards being planted, and older green kiwifruit vines being replaced with the new G3 kiwifruit variety.

where the fruit is easier to access when grown on a canopy structure,” says Mike. The company, which celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2015, is located in Hamilton and supplies Agbeam all over the country. Mike is happy to come out to the orchard and make recommendations about quantity and the load-carrying capacity when required. Mike is responsible for the order right from enquiry through to arranging delivery to orchard, where

“Industrial Tube Manufacturing has been supplying Agbeam into the industry since the early-1990s,” says Agbeam’s key account manager Mike Posa. “A lot of the original wooden pergola is no longer capable of carrying the increased yields of the new gold variety. Often growers that are grafting over to G3 kiwifruit are taking the opportunity to upgrade their structures with Agbeam,” says Mike. Agbeam is made from high tensile galva-

Agbeam’s key account manager Mike Posa. nized steel out of New Zealand’s Glenbrook steel mill, who’s steel quality has been proven over a long period of time. “Agbeam can be milled to length and although used mainly for kiwifruit structures, it’s also been used to grow other crops

Land fragmentation poses big risk to NZ produce Our Land 2018 was released by the Ministry for the Environment and Statistics NZ in April. This report draws together data and details about our country’s biodiversity and ecosystems, above and below ground, that sustain every aspect of life in New Zealand. t ﬁnds the state of our biodiversity, ecosystems and soil resources continues to decline with a loss of indigenous land cover, coastal and lowland ecosystems, and the decline of indigenous land-based vertebrates and some bird species. Except for on offshore islands and in fenced sanctuaries, exotic pests are found almost everywhere.

Predation and plant-eating by pests, plus disease and competition from weeds, continue to threaten our indigenous biodiversity and commercial vegetable and fruit growing operations. The report highlights the importance of land to NZ’s continued economic prosperity as our two top export-earners, primary production and tourism, rely on our land. In 2016, half of NZ’s total export earnings came from primary production. The

Agbeam

report substantiates horticulture’s concerns about ongoing urban and lifestyle block expansion into prime growing land. It shows urgent action is required to slow this down. Fruit and vegetables are grown close to cities and towns. Between 1996 and 2012 urban land area increased by 10 per cent. Auckland led the urban expansion, followed by Waikato and Canterbury. Read this column in full at: www.coastandcountrynews.co.nz

reputable Hiab-equipped trucking companies are used. “The kiwifruit industry is in a period of rapid development and grower conﬁdence. gbeam is the ideal option to support the grower’s valuable kiwifruit crops.” Industrial Tube Manufacturing also ma e a wide range of tube proﬁles including stainless steel, supplied mainly into the dairy, light engineering, manufacturing and automotive industries.

KIWIFRUIT

Page 12

Organic kiwifruit orchard excels in quality

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They aim to sustainably produce the best quality organic kiwifruit above industry average levels, and benchmark themselves to not only the organic category, but the industry as a whole, while adhering The White family at the 2018 Bay of Plenty to the traditional Maori idealAND of “kaitiaki” – acting as ANDAwards. WATER STORAGE PLANT CROP PROTECTION Ballance FarmIRRIGATION Environment guardians, protectors and conservers of the land and FIRESTONE EPDM pond liners. MICRONET is a white 15-20% shade fabric MICRONET designed to create a controlled microclimate for environment for the future. For horticultural irrigation, water Mark and Catriona were also crop and plants. Air and water permeable allows storage, andgrowing pond liners.Hayward On a bitterly cold and wet day in early-April, the and air green Contact Cosio Industries Ltd ph (09) 820 0272, email : sales@cosio.co.nz. or call Vaughan natural watering movement. kiwifruit, but to get through nextonfew years 20 year Firestone the Warranty on 021 280 7266 for more information on Firestone EPDM and your nearest installation contractor. EPDM liner Whites, in their role as BOP Ballance Farm Available in 2 metre and 4 metre widths. Environapproved installations. Cosio Industries Ltd are official Firestone Building Products Australasian distributors until the new gold variety G3 came into production ment wards supremeFROSTGUARD winners, hostedFROSTGUARD a ﬁeld day non woven low theyspunbonded grew passionfruit as a cash Revital are suppliers of Premium Compost, Contact us forcrop. nationwide cost polypropylene in 16gm2 and attended by 70 people, including environment awardfabric available installers grows well here at Opotiki and we 30gm2. Also air and water“Passionfruit permeable allowing entrants past and present, horticulturalnatural students, air and water movement. Vermicast and Aged Chicken Manure. enjoyed the crop so much we nearly decided to leave 2 metresand wide.beef Other widths avail on request. representatives of the kiwifruit, dairy, sheep the kiwifruit industry and become passionfruit growFirestone EPDM Lined Pond advantages Cosio Industries Ltd, P.O.Box 15014, New Lynn, 0640, Auckland industries and rural professionals. Email : sales@c ers,” says Mark. COSIO 27-33 Lansford Crescent, COSIO Avondale, Auckland INDUSTRIES Despite the weather, visitors inspected Ph the09orchard Website : http://ww EnableDELIVER effluent to be stored and applied strategically during SUPPLY, AND SPREAD SERVICE AVAILABLE. 820 0272 Fax 09 820 0274 drier periods or in Spring and Autumn when grass growth slows to see the impressive crop of kiwifruit hanging on Suited to organics Ease of daily management from troublesome effluent irrigators very healthy vines. has become a Choice tradition for The As Professionals However, Catriona and Mark decided to persevere Mark when hosting visitors, he dug a spade-depth Realize the value of your effluent and utilise its real potential with kiwifruit, and their hard work has resulted in hole, revealing the orchard’s rich dark soil and large 20 year Firestone Factory warranty - best in the business today’s highly productive organic green and gold Insist on your Firestone issued Warranty Certificate White Reflective Ground earthworms. INDUSTRIES Elenka Nikoloff orchard – and their win in the environment awards. Enable effluent to be stored and applied strategically during drier periods or in Spring and Autumn when grass growth slows Ease of daily management from troublesome effluent irrigators Realize the value of your effluent and utilise its real potential 20 year Firestone Factory warranty - best inYOUR the business REVITALISE Insist on your Firestone issued Warranty Certificate

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oday Coastal Kiwis is a .5ha Bio ro certiﬁed organic kiwifruit orchard with 4.3ha of Organic SunGold and 3.2ha of Organic Green. The gold crop, with 2.5ha grafted to SunGold in 2015 and 2016, has yet to reach full production. However, based on production from the White’s mature vines, they are exceeding the whole industry average in SunGold production. However, there was a time when they considered abandoning the kiwifruit industry and becoming passionfruit growers. Their organic gold kiwifruit orchard was in its infancyINDUSTRIES when the vine disease Psa-V arrived, forcing them to cut out and re-graft the vines.

On reﬂection grafting tolight reflection is the best we made by Ultra-Mat provides 75% and thing is specifically could have done; the variety is well Complete suited towith growing and respected European manufacturer. full UV protection conditions. Ultra-Mat prevents weeds and stimulates organically as it produces good-sized fruit. Wegrowth strug-of plants tha high light reflection for optimum yield. gled with fruit size when growing Hort16A.” another qua Sizes available For and Mark, caring for the soil and 1.1mCatriona 120gms/m2 ULTRAMAT White Woven, feeding all that lives within it is crucial the suc- The Profess 3.3m , 4.15m 100gms/m2 ULTRAMAT White to Woven cess of the orchard they developed from part of an For the best value in growers solutions, contact : organic dairy farm years15014, ago. New Lynn Auckland Cosio Industries Ltd,10 P.O.Box 27-33 grew Lansford Avondale, Auckland. Both up Crescent, at Opotiki, meeting as students at Email : sales Ph 09 820 0272 Fax 09 820 0274 their hometown Website : http:/ Opotiki College, before leaving chasing careers, marrying and having two children, Letisha and Lochlan. Mark was operations manager for NZ Post in Auckland, while Catriona was a busy mum to two children under ﬁve when CatrionaThe s Professio parents offered the chance to buy part of their dairy

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KIWIFRUIT

Page 13

Caring for their soil is crucial to success continued...

farm near Opotiki to develop as a kiwifruit orchard. “My family has been farming this land four generations and our children are the ﬁfth generation to live here. For most of that time the land has been farmed using organic principles,” says Catriona. The couple, who knew little about kiwifruit, had initial family assistance with planning and then decided to do most of the physical development work themselves, keeping down costs and “learning by our mistakes”. With a clear vision to grow kiwifruit organically, they planted Cryptomeria Japonica (Japanese Cedar) and Casuarina Cunningham shelter trees. “Both are excellent shelter and were chosen because pests such as scale do not live in either of them.”

Soil structure

The orchard’s soils are predominantly Opotiki Sandy Loam which is free draining and its top soil encourages root growth. “Our strategy during the development of the orchard has been to minimise earthworks in order to lessen damage to our soil structure. In situations where earthworks have been completed in order to re-shape the land for orchard use, the strategy has been to put the cows back into that area for a few years to assist with replenishing the soil biology that is disturbed.” In winter organic sheep graze beneath the vines,

Catriona White beneath the canopy of the organic orchard’s SunGold vines. controlling weeds and negating the need to mow the grass, reducing compaction and machinery emissions. During the growing season, the sheep graze the perimeter of the orchard, controlling pest plants including those which play host to unwanted insects. “Unpaid pest experts” are at work in the orchard too, including native weka and fantail, which prey on insects. Bird seed plants are also grown to encourage birds away from eating iwifruit ﬂower buds. Organic sprays are used as required, based on regular pest monitoring and close study of life-cycles so spraying can be timed for maximum effect. Even slugs are welcome living in what Mark calls “slug hotels”, large clumps of grass beneath the vines. “Slugs assist in recycling organic material on of the orchard ﬂoor and provide a source of food for birds.

Organic compost

Mark White revealing the organic orchard’s rich dark soil and large earthworms.

The orchard sword is kept long to conserve moisture and clover helps create more nitrogen. Water, via the Tablelands Irrigation Scheme, is applied based on soil probes and visual assessments and no irrigation is used from the end of January, in so as not to inhibit fruit dry matter levels. Organic compost is applied annually. “Not all compost is equal and it’s important to know exactly what it contains,” sasy Mark. Fish-based foliar fertiliser is also used and minerals are applied directly to the soil as required. While much of the orchard work is carried out by Mark and Catriona, they have two full-time staff Linda Midwood and Todd Carter who are paid above the minimum wage. Paying staff well and treating them well is not only the right thing to do, it will also, in future, help ensure market access, says Mark. Catriona says the couple are realistic about risks orchardists face from unseasonal weather events, unexpected diseases or new pests. “It’s for those reasons that we budget for one year in seven with no income.” Mark and Catriona will represent the BOP at the 2018 National Sustainability Showcase on June 7, 2018, at Te Papa, Wellington. Elaine Fisher

My Name is Neil Woodward. I am a director of Z-Contracting- we are family run business, our team consists of three, being myself, my son and my brother. Our organisation has been established for over 18 years. I have been involved in applying crop protection programmes within the horticultal industry since 1966. We specialise within the kiwi fruit industry, We have the equipment to spray orchards with our two Atom sprayers and one recently purchased Tracatom Formula tractor which is also available for mulching and mowing.

Our Atoms are set up with radar speed sensors, this combined with fully automated sprayer controllers and three nozzle rings enhances application efficiency and accuracy. We also use a quad bike for strip weed spray applications. We hold all certificates needed to meet Globalgap compliance. We look at all challenges to help ensure we protect your crop with excellence.

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The importance of drenching against Cooperia Cooperia is the small intestinal worm regarded as being the most prevalent roundworm in New Zealand cattle. They are reddish in colour and quite small growing up to 10mm in length. Eggs in faeces may hatch in as little as 20 hours, while infective larvae can develop within four days. Like most parasites infective larvae are ingested by the host while grazing. The importance of drenching against Cooperia is well-known in young cattle, as in certain conditions Cooperia can cause thin, scouring weaners that can die if not treated quickly. While this is one obvious undesirable form of the disease, productivity trial work has also shown that seemingly healthy yearling

cattle can also be affected. Weight differences between groups were noted by Dave Leathwick and others at AgResearch in a study published in 2012. This study suggests even relatively low levels of Cooperia in healthy nine-month-old cattle may have a detrimental effect on growth. This challenges the traditional reputation that Cooperia parasites normally need to be present in high numbers to cause disease. Dry seasons favour all parasites when autumn rain comes. Grazing animals’ natural immune defenses are weakened by drought and they are forced to graze low where the parasite larvae live. A wave of larval contamination can occur after a long dry spell and young cattle need

Cooperia sp.

to be drenched soon after decent rain. When used on their own, the simple ‘pour on’ drenches – known as endectocides – are not highly effective at killing Cooperia. Levamisole however continues to have excellent effect against Cooperia, so using these drenches in combination is reasonable approach. The recommended practice of using combination drenches that contain levamisole is preferred, especially in cattle less than 15 months. Of some conciliation to stock is that by their second autumn – by around 12-15 months of age – the immunity of cattle against Cooperia is normally well established.

Putting ‘wool’ back into council’s name and game Federated Farmers wants to play a key role in ramped-up sector-wide collaboration on wool initiatives – and that’s

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reﬂected in a name change. By unanimous vote of delegates from the federation’s 24 provinces who met in Wellington in late-February, the Meat & Fibre Council and industry group is now the Meat & Wool Council and industry group. It’s actually a return to the name that was used more than two decades ago, says chairperson

Miles Anderson. ‘Wool’ was switched out to ‘Fibre’ back then when mohair from angora goats was on the rise. But goat farmers now have their own section within Federated Farmers and everyone wanted to get back to using the name ‘wool’ – with all its internationally recognised connotations – super-warm,

natural, sustainable, hypoallergenic, ﬂame-retardant, etc. The Meat and Wool Council gave the section’s executive the mandate to form a collaborative industry group to address crossbred wool issues. The aim is to work together to better tell the excellent story of strong wool’s qualities and potential to the wider community, says Miles.

Govt fails to stand up for provincial NZ? The Labour/Greens/NZ First Government is raiding the regions to pay for pet projects in Auckland. First came the announcement – out of the blue – that the Government would be pandering to the Greens and axing funding for irrigation projects. An absolute body-blow for our provinces. These projects are vital for not only dairy, but a wide range of land uses, especially horticulture. The Government aren’t going to honour commitments to industries that rely on these projects, or the farmers, growers and councils who have invested their own time and money to progress their local schemes for more than a decade. Where was the Minister for Agriculture and Rural Communities, Damien O’Connor, who just this summer declared six regions in drought? Nowhere to be seen, steamrolled by the Green Party agenda. He will forever be remembered as a weak Minister who failed to stand up for our primary industries and provincial New Zealand. Next came the announcement of an increase in fuel taxes by up to 12 cents per litre that will hit the average punter in the pocket to the tune of $10-$15 each

time they fill up the tan . he overnment Policy Statement on Land Transport also showed the Government planned to cut about $5 billion from regional State Highway projects during the next decade, all while increasing funding for new urban rail projects by $5 billion. Yes, you read that right. Regional New Zealanders are being told to suck up a big increase in fuel taxes, coupled with a big decrease in regional highway investment, all to help pay for new trams in Auckland. Then last, but not least, came the announcement that the Government would be banning the exploration of offshore oil and natural gas. This move has put thousands of jobs at risk, brought any new investment in the sector to a grinding halt and prematurely ruled out a huge export opportunity for i uefied atural as. he world s population is well on its way to nine billion – and global energy needs are growing. It’s simply not good enough to leave this untapped potential wealth underground, ruling out even exploring to see what is out there, while the rest of the world reap the benefits. et s not forget we also need to feed those nine billion mouths – a feat I don’t see us achieving without nitrogen fertiliser produced with natural gas.

Southern Orchards are on the hunt for land owners keen to reap the rewards by developing their land into Avocado orchards. For existing Avocado orchards, SOL will tailor a lease or management plan to suit your requirements so you can gain the most from your orchard.

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AVOCADOS

Page 15

Multispreaders to save time and money on the land There’s now a new and easy way for growers to apply fertiliser, lime, gypsum, manure, mulch or compost to young or mature avocado trees. Implements Direct offer a range of revolutionary new Iris multi-spreaders – available with single or double disc conﬁgurations with optional single or twin side discharge attachments to apply product directly under the tree line. There are PTO or hydraulic driven options with addition of trailer-based models, the smallest having a 1t capacity and is only 1m wide so it can be used in narrow rows and towed with a compact tractor or orchardised tractor. There are even some newly-developed

models that are self-propelled with tracks or four wheel drive system. The patented twin shutter system lets the ris multispreader spread ﬁne granular fertiliser through to manure, compost or wood chip with only the pull of a lever to change. The multispreaders feature full stainless steel hopper, shutters plates, spinner, disc and vanes. “The machines are new to NZ but have been sold in Australia for 10 years, so have been developed and proven that there is nothing else like it around,” says Implements Direct owner Ben Primrose. ome models are speciﬁed especially with features avocado growers have asked for, like narrow hopper width to clear foliage,

The new Iris multi spreader IODD1300, which has a 1.3 cubic metre capacity. PTO-powered spinners, twin side dressing attachments, and roll back hopper covers. The functional design is ideal for avocado orchards

and the multi-functional machine can apply a variety of materials efﬁciently and uic ly, says Ben. Implements Direct is a NZ-owned and operated web-based business with more than 20 years’ experience with agricultural machinery, offering 200-plus tractor attachments for farmers, orchardists or lifestyle block owners. Implements Direct ship nationwide, deal directly with manufacturers and being webbased have low overheads; passing savings to the end user. “Many products I’ve designed and developed myself to achieve a reliable and durable product – and I constantly work with suppliers to get the right features our customers demand, to save them time and money on the land,” says Ben. Helen Wilson

Growers gain record return from top avocado exporter

Last month the Avoco – which is the trademark name for The New Zealand Avocado Company Ltd – supply base of more than 800 growers received their pool statements and ﬁnal payments for the 2017-2018 season, with the OGR outstripping previous values. The achievement coincides with the ﬁfth anniversary of the company’s formation. During this time, Avoco has built a proven record of delivering top level returns to avocado growers, year in year out, whether facing short crop seasons or large. Marketing and communications manager Steve Trickett attributes the outstanding result to various elements of the Avoco business model combining to drive more positive outcomes for growers. “It starts at the New Zealand end of the supply chain with loyal, committed, quality-minded growers, and ends in the marketplace with the best pick of customers in Australia and across all the markets we serve in Asia. “In between, the strengths of an experienced team of staff across all facets of the business have applied their skills in market planning, shipping, logistics, forex management, sales and marketing, to extract the best possible result.” Steve reports that without exception, values in all markets were ahead of expectation and budget, with Avoco managing a responsibly balanced market mix, sending 80 per cent of volumes to Australia and 20 per cent to the rest of the world.

This ensured existing long-term key customers were supported while at the same time, continuing to build emerging markets for the future. “In Australia we enjoyed very strong performances in both our major retail chain programmes where the vast majority of fruit was directed. Avoco growers en oy the beneﬁt of a very efﬁcient and costeffective direct delivery supply model without extra margins and costs faced by some others exporting there.” The Asian market arena combined to deliver higher values. Volumes supplied, however, were less than what has been sent in previous seasons and inevitably “supply versus demand 101” came into play. “With every season our marketing team are developing a better sense of how best to prioritise market allocations within the prevailing NZ avocado production environment of alternate bearing.” In Korea, Japan, Singapore and Thailand, which currently comprise 85 per cent of NZ’s avocado exports to Asia, close to seven out of 10 pieces of fruit shipped carried Avoco’s premium ‘Avanza’ brand. In other emerging markets, such as India, Avanza represented 100 per cent of sales made there. The bulk of NZ growers – 60 per cent – supply Avoco and with that

industry leadership comes responsible decisionmaking, adds Steve. “We could have taken the easy route and exported a higher volume to the lucrative Australian market but Avoco must provide the leadership in driving new and emerging market development to future-proof the industry for the seasons ahead when crop volumes are projected to ramp up.” With avocado heavyweight Chile exploring access to the Australian market, it was a timely reminder for exporters to have both a ﬁve-year market view and ongoing engagement with a network of customers across the globe. Avoco will debut exports to China as the 20182019 season starts in eptember. or this ﬁrst season, Avoco will source fruit from a tight selection of compliant BOP growers, to be packed by three packhouses in the region.

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A record Orchard Gate Return payout to growers has reinforced Avoco’s solid reputation as New Zealand’s leading avocado exporter.

Page 16

AVOCADOS

Joining forces to strengthen a shared passion Katikati-based avocado orchard service provider and harvester Avoworks is under new management. After 23 years in the horticulture business, Katikati locals Michael Darling and wife Carolyn have announced their departure from the Bay of Plenty

and also from the ownership and management of Avoworks. The business is still in the family though with brother Andrew, acquiring Avoworks to add to the family of horticulture companies within Darling Group. vowor s is a natural ﬁt alongside our avocado business Just Avocados and this development formalises the

Long-time Avoworks employee Brian Lankshear welcomes new team member Nathan Darling, following Darling Group’s acquisition of the business in early-April.

close partnership that Avoworks and Just Avocados have had over recent years and strengthens the value we can add to growers as a specialist avocado service provider,” says Darling Group managing director Andrew Darling. Avoworks offers new orchard development, total orchard management, specialised pruning, as well as general orchard services and harvesting. “Avoworks is unique, the team have mentored and helped many people into the industry because they

have a passion for avocados. At Just Avocados we have the same passion and are excited about seeing new orchards and old orchards come to life by starting off on the best foot with the best advice,” says Andrew. Day-to-day, it’s business as usual for the Avoworks team but with a few new faces joining the team. “We have a highly capable team at Darling Group and Just Avocados and this coupled with the expertise and knowledge of the current Avowork’s team will ensure we carry on the great work provided to avocado growers by Avoworks.” Orchard management services through Avoworks are available to anyone regardless of the avocado packing and exporting contracts they may have, says Andrew. “We acknowledge growers’ loyalty to Avoworks and to Michael and Carolyn during the last 23 years and it is our aim to maintain the level of service across all of their clients which has earned their ongoing support of the business,” says Andrew. Andrew and the team will be working on some key additions to the Avoworks menu of services. “We want to put a focus on the orchard management side of the business and utilise the fantastic technical resource we have within Just Avocados – Erica Faber, to drive a quality offering in the total orchard management space.” Avoworks currently operates Bay-of-Plenty wide, but with access to more capability through Darling Group, Andrew says Avoworks will be able to extend its reach further aﬁeld. “We will be working to connect our network of orchard managers and service providers within Darling Group to offer orchard services to growers across all avocado growing regions,” says Andrew.

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Our approach to the NZ market needs to change The NZ fresh avocado market represents between 30-40 per cent of growers returns. In this last year it was closer to 40 per cent while in high volume production years it is lower, as more of New Zealand’s production is sent for export. The NZ market has grown significantly to be this year 1.5m tray equivalents. Increased volumes usually reflect lower values returned to growers, however analysis indicates avocados consumers are prepared to pay for a good quality product. The NZ market faces a number of barriers in order to sustain returning superior value to growers. Importantly, we as growers must manage those factors we can influence and do this as a priority. Firstly, managing volumes available in the market requires a better and more market-led approach by growers across all of NZ. The NZ market, in high volume years, has been predominantly a surplus market – a market where anything not sent to e port is flooded into for a return of what you can get. This approach needs to change particularly when we talk about the opportunity to grow consumer volumes and therefore the potential market size and value of the market in relation to growers’ Orchard Gate Returns. Better disciplines (sidehead) Working the NZ market from a market or consumer perspective requires different thinking by participants in the value channel. In turn this will retain better value returns for growers. It will require better disciplines around flow planning, consumer experience and targeting return buying. It will mean growers may have to stop picking for that market if it is oversupplied. It will need improved communication and cooperation by all. Having an unregulated market is

the values from those better and higher volume markets. Tactical harvesting (sidehead) To achieve this we as growers need to consider tactical harvesting earlier in the season. Building volumes in the season shoulders to better protect returns and market values. To lower the fruit volumes

in the main part of the season, to focus on consumer quality aspects. Talk to our marketers prior to pic ing. se a planned fruit ﬂow approach with your local markets. Get your marketers giving you information about market volumes. Listen to their calls for fruit rather than just shoving the

fruit to them. Earlier harvesting of the right fruit has a number of beneﬁts. The challenge for us as growers is to work together at the marketplace and to develop the customer experience of their avocado purchase. By Tony Bradley of Aongatete Avocados

good but to get the best from it we will need to work together. I congratulate the NZ marketers’ forum – and the Avocado Industry Council for hosting – for the incremental gains made with the NZ market group. The improved communication, planning and data is benefiting the participants and us the growers. As a channel operator – grower, picker and packer – I see an increasing need to better manage the fruit flow into this market. This, with quality drivers, will give our growers better opportunity to improve and protect their orchard gate returns. At AAL we are working closely with our fruit mar eters to better flow the fruit to suit the market demand, to ensure we have fresh quality fruit – a short chiller time – and that it is consistently of the quality our consumers expect. A quality standards submission has the AIC considering the opportunity of using alternative export markets to remove surplus NZ product from the NZ and Australian markets. This in turn, particularly in high volume years, has the potential to enhance OGR. Targeting lower quality fruit into selected markets has the opportunity to improve the consumer experience into higher valued markets and to increase

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COUNTRY LIVING

Decent fishing amidst the wind Once again we’ve been sneaking trips in between windy patches. Ratahi, with s ipper ndy, has been fishing inshore from two-five miles out. Cooler conditions are bringing water temperatures down slowly but the snapper remain on the bite! imon Bennett was out fishing with his group of wor mates. he fishing was a bit slow initially with lots of small snapper, which were thrown bac . hen things hotted up during the afternoon and, imagine imon s surprise and e citement when he pulled up a .4 g snapper. personal best ever snapper catch for him. he second best catch of the wee was an anchor and chain that came up hoo ed over our anchor e Kuia started the wee inshore and targeted around Karewa. here were a mi ture of reef fish and everyone ended up with a feed to ta e home. he ne t trip was out to Mayor for three days targeting bottom fish around the island and a bit of deep-sea hapu a and bluenose fishing thrown in. he first day was a real challenge when the wind got up and during the night it changed direction necessitating a couple of reanchoring manoeuvres. he ne t two days settled

down nicely and some good table fish were boated. he best fishing was during the night for those with enough stamina. ecently, we too a group from Kaingaroa imberlands out for a day of reef fishing. hey had to wor fairly hard weeding their way through an abundance of small snapper to catch some decent fish. e managed to get some nice John Dory and good pan snapper for the day. e cleaned the boat up and went straight bac out with a small group, all mates, to Mayor sland on an overnight trip. hey produced some good-sized snapper, porae and some nice ingfish. currying bac to the shelter of the island in rough weather, the chilly bins were full by the time the group headed for home. Simon Bennett with his personal best – a 6.4kg snapper.

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uture-proof gutters now At this time of year many people are considering ways to permanently keep gutters clear of leaves, says New Zealand Gutter Protection owner Martin Smith. “When leaves build up in gutters, the blockage can cause flooding into the house. f leaf build-up is left for long periods of time, it can cause the gutters to rust and disintegrate.” ow is also a good time to future-proof gutters against nesting birds in spring. “The problem with birds nesting in houses, apart from noise, is that they make a mess on walls and windows, as well as contaminating tank water,” says Martin. “They also bring seeds into the gutters which can rapidly germinate into an elevated garden. nstalling gutter protection is a permanent way to prevent bird-nesting problems. t ensures leaves, hail and other debris don’t get into the gutters and pose a flooding ris . t will also eep out rats and other pests,” says Martin. For many people, climbing on to the roof every few months to clear out gutters is neither appealing nor safe. Martin says gutter protection means no more scrambling up a ladder to get to gutters, risking a fall. “This is especially important during heavy rain when people are li ely to have to try to fi bloc ages.

New Zealand Gutter Protection owner Martin Smith. utter rotection mesh is made from heavyduty polyethylene and comes in a range of colours to match any roof. t can be installed on any type of roof, and has a 15-year guarantee on materials and workmanship. “Our mesh is made from similar material to farm water tan s, so is very durable and designed to withstand NZ’s intense sun,” says Martin. s an owner-operator, Martin does most of the ﬁtting himself, so clients can rely on the continuity of working with the same person from quote to completion. Martin’s been installing gutter protection on homes, farm buildings and commercial properties since 2005. His service area covers the entire Waikato and Bay of Plenty. He offers a free, personal quoting service tailored to suit each property and its particular requirements. The service includes a gutter clean prior to installation of the gutter protection mesh.

New owner for heritage building The Commercial Hotel site in Whakatane has a new owner, with the Bay of lenty egional Council conﬁrming it has sold the property to a local businessman. The businessman who has purchased it intends to develop it in line with Whakatane District Council’s town vision for this area of the CBD to be a tourism hub.

BOPRC regional council property manager nnabel Chappell says the property will ofﬁcially change hands in a few months’ time. “We’re pleased to see the property sold, and especially for its ownership to remain in the community. “As the new owner works through their development plans, m sure they will release further information about this.”

Grant scheme to build sustainable communities Applications for the 2018/2019 Community Organisation Grants Scheme are now open, says Community and oluntary ector Minister Peeni Henare. The Community Organisation Grants cheme is a governmentfunded kaupapa with the aim of building strong sustainable communities. This scheme will fund non-proﬁt groups and organisations delivering community-based social services, projects and events. “Last year, more than $12 million was granted to voluntary and community groups across the country,” says Peeni. “This funding will help ensure that vital services are provided in local communities.

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encourage community groups, iwi, and whanau to take up this opportunity and apply to their Local Distribution Committee.” he 01 01 Com-

munity Organisation Grants Scheme funding round will continue until May 23, 2018. here are ocal Distribution Committees around the country.

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COUNTRY LIVING

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An example of a stunning roller blind. amazing roller and venetian blind today they are affordable and able options and discuss how they can to be ﬁtted into any home, be it a help you create the right décor for new build or renovation. your home. Make sure you look Give Bay Blinds a call today on at their patterned and textured 07 578 7794 to make a time for fabrics, blinds are no longer the Michelle or Vinnie, their local plain option they once were. blind experts, to show you their

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Conservation organisation, Trees That Count, has launched a community marketplace to connect native tree planters with funders throughout New Zealand. This technology will help increase native tree planting by providing funders with an easy way to fund trees and showcase impact, in turn supporting thousands of planters who can increase native tree planting efforts in their communities. There are more than 40,000 trees available to planters already, funded by organisations such as The Tindall Foundation, Kiwibank, the Department of Conservation and small businesses and individual donors. Trees That Count project director Tanya Hart says the technology will be game-changing for planters, and funders, in New Zealand. “When TTC launched the focus was to build a picture of the planting efforts in NZ every year by counting the native trees planted by community groups, government agencies, schools and people in their own backyards. “But we really wanted to be able to help accelerate the rate of planting,” says Tanya. “We developed our digital community marketplace so we could unite funders with planters, and really make a difference to conservation in NZ.” “To make a meaningful contribution to the NZ environment and climate change, we need to plant hundreds of millions of trees in coming years. But Government alone can’t achieve this – we need to make New Zealanders understand that protecting our environment is a job for us all,” says Tanya. To fund trees, add trees to the count, apply for trees, gift or donate, visit: www.treesthatcount.co.nz

COUNTRY LIVING

Page 21

Tauranga’s kumara man shares tricks of the trade Graham Burns is stumped as to why his orange kumara has grown to the size of a rugby ball, but he is happy to show off his prized possession with the “big boy” weighing in at 2.27kg. The self-proclaimed ‘Kumara Man’ has been growing a variety of fruit and vegetables, including potatoes, cabbage, cauliﬂower, sweetcorn and avocados on his two-acre block near the Wairoa iver ﬂats. Graham wouldn’t say he’s an expert in growing kumara, but has learned a few tricks while watching his neighbours and researching. “We had a competition in the street. I supplied the plants and so far I’m winning. So then they wanted to know if we could have a competition for the thinnest, the longest, prettiest, and I said ‘no it’s only weight,” jokes Graham. He says he lays the kumara in a bed of compost, covers it with straw and then adds river sand on the top. When the shoots from the main tuba grow about nine inches tall, he breaks

them off with their roots still attached and plants them in the ground. “I think one of the tricks is that it is a very hard ground where we are. We are on the upper airoa iver ﬂats and we just use a rotary hoe that scratches about two inches deep, lay down some black plastic with a cut in the centre, and bury the kumara in there. “So when he goes down, he hits the hard ground and goes out to the side and he can’t go anywhere, so he thinks ‘Oh, I better grow in size then.” his isn t raham s ﬁrst big kumara. He has also grown a purple kumara weighing 1.5kg. “We had one last year that was about two thirds of the size, but it was still good inside, it wasn’t woody and was still very tasty.” Graham has grown around 160 kumara that he has either given away to family or stored in a dark place. He says the

Graham Burns and his ‘big boy’ kumara.

key is to dust the dirt off, wrap them in newspaper and put them in a dark cardboard box, such as a banana box.

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Important to see osteoarthritis as true disease My recent seminars included detailed discussion on osteoarthritis – also known as OA – and the many things we can do to help. My introductory point was that it is important to see osteoarthritis as a true disease process rather than just wear and tear. An excellent research paper (Yudoh et.al, Arthritis Research Therapy 2005) took a detailed look at the processes that cause OA. In particular they studied the chondrocyte cells that maintain and repair cartilage. What they found was chondrocytes are very susceptible to damage by free radicals. While free radical production is a completely normal part of our energy metabolism if these are unchecked by antioxidants cells can become damage and eventually die. The researchers found over time free radicals damage chondrocytes to the point that they die. Once this happens, the tiny patch of cartilage it maintained will break down. Eventually this leads to loss of cartilage and subsequent narrowing of the spaces between bones. More recent research confirmed accidental damage to joints triggers the same destructive process. Physical injury to joints increases free radical activity, which damages chondrocytes leading to cartilage loss. Mature chondrocytes have limited ability to reproduce. This is why death of chondrocytes is central to cartilage loss in arthritis. Any successful treatment must address the real cause which is adding the antioxidants that can neutralise the free radicals that damage joints. One of my clients had diagnosed OA in his spine but unfortunately could no longer tolerate antiinflammatory medication. firstly put him on my multi-mineral/multi-antioxidant and double doses

“We only grew 20 plants and when it came to harvesting them we ﬁlled the wheel barrow. They were just beauties!”

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John Arts (B.Soc.Sci, Dip Tch, Adv.Dip.Nut.Med) is a nutritional medicine practitioner and founder of Abundant Health Ltd. For questions or advice contact John on 0800 423559 or email john@ abundant.co.nz Join his full weekly newsletter at www.abundant.co.nz

Abundant Health

FIELDAYS PREVIEW

Page 22

Get ready to walk... If you’re a Fieldays virgin – and you’re planning to go this year – from June 13-16 – to see what all the fuss is about – there are some events you don’t want to miss.

gain the best advice and latest techniques by getting up close to the fence line and demonstrator in a rela ed interactive environment to watch and learn. Also featured will be demonstrations of fences being built using tractor-driven post drivers from several of s ﬁnest manufacturers.

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The Tractor Pull Competitions are noisy, full of Fieldays Rural Catch has replaced the former Fielmud flying and a firm favourite of many ieldays days Rural Bachelor of the Year competition and is folk. intent on finding the best single rural man or woman Contestants battle it out in three different classes via a week-long series of challenges with the winner – the weight transfer class is a battle of grunt, while announced at Fieldays. speed fanatics can The competition get their fi watchbegins une 10 with ing the weight the Farmlands Road adjusted class with rip, giving finalists the first to 100m the chance to get to winning. know each other and nd the modified try their hand at some tractors are a mustchallenges before the see for all visitors serious stuff begins as the showmen of on Wednesday, June Tractor Pull take to 1 the first day of the track with up to Fieldays. The Tractor Pull competition in action. 00hp each. Here finalists Visitors can take a compete in daily chalseat in the grandstand for prime viewing of the action. lenges designed to test their skills both on and off the Heats are held Wednesday through to Friday, followed farm, as they compete for the title of Fieldays Rural by the fiercely-fought finals on aturday. he final is Catch of the Year. The winner takes an impressive aturday afternoon and presentation of the coveted pri e pool worth more than 0,000 than s to sponprizes will be at the Tractor Pull Area. sors, plus the coveted ‘Golden Gumboot’ trophy. Competition fencing has been part of Fieldays at Mystery Creek in Hamilton since the event began in 1 . o it s worth chec ing out he ew ealand ational encing Championships, which showcases s top fencers in a match of skill, speed, endurance and sheer tenacity. There’s also fencing demonstrations daily at ieldays from 10am. 0pm. Here you can

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There’s heaps to see and do at Fieldays

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continued...

how you can keep healthy for you and your family. The Barter Barber will be set up providing cuts and shaves to Fieldays attendees. He’s on a mission to visit every town in NZ to raise awareness for men’s mental health and funds for Lifeline. Predict your chance of critical injury on the farm through data with MidInnovations Centre land Trauma System. The innovation Centre is where Meet Barry the ‘simulation manikin’ you’ll see the all latest developments in and try and save his life by performagricultural technology that will shape ing CPR. The Waikato DHB Critical farming practices and the future of NZ Care team will be there to provide a primary industries. Here you can check helping hand. out entries in the Innovation Awards, Check your child is enrolled for with the exhibition space hosting more free dental care with Community than 60 entrants promoting their Oral Health team, see the effect of invention and provides a glimpse into sunscreen using the UV camera from the future of NZ farming. Melanoma NZ; or visit the big pink You can meet inventors with their caravan from Breast Cancer Foundacrazy-great ideas and genius innovation NZ. tions that one day might change the Other things to see: future of farming. The Innovations If you still have time, check out Centre is open daily and hosts several the Festival of Logging – an array of networking events. timber sport that can be viewed from You never know what a grandstand. Thursday is Champions Health Hub inventions you’ll come Trophy trials day. Friday is TIMBERAnd don’t forget to visit the Health across at the Innovations Hub – you never know, it may save Centre. And it could be a SPORTS trials day; and on Saturday your life! Fieldays Health and Wellbeyoungster behind the idea. loggers from around NZ compete against each other and the clock in ing is designed to educate and inform multiple Loggersports events. you about health issues in a non-threatening and The Waikato regional event of the National Excavainteresting way. tor Competition gets underway from 8.30am with Fieldays has teamed up with Mobile Health and a practical and theory components. Competition continrange of healthcare services to showcase some of the ues Saturday and the winner of the Waikato regional innovative and lifesaving services they are providing heat will be announced 3pm, receiving a prize package communities. of about $2000 in cash and prizes, plus an all-expenses Located in the Health Hub, Fieldays Health and paid trip to compete in the National Excavator ComWellbeing covers topics from cancer detection and petition ﬁnals in March. treatment, rural mental health and wellbeing through And drop by the Careers and Education hub. Speak to services that support our rangatahi/youth. From the with career champions, take part in the e-learning trail top of your head to the tip your toes buried in gumand view videos, participate in interactive exhibits, and boots – Fieldays Health and Wellbeing has got it all. chill out with friends while you enjoy the free Wi-Fi. Start the conversation and learn a bit more about and development stories and the importance of knowing what we’re eating from a nutrition and wellness perspective. The Kitchen Theatre is locate beside Mystery Creek Pavilion on the M Road and D street intersection.

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Page 24

The best tips to plan a great Fieldays trip

If you’ve never been to Fieldays, everyone who has will tell you it’s worth planning your trip. This is because thousands of visitors converge on mystery creek during the four days its open – to ﬁnd thousands of stands offering thousands of products, services and experiences. The roads to the event are busy – and the actual event is humming from dawn to dusk! So here’s few things you may want to consider before June 13-16.

Buying tickets:

“

“ Product of:

Yes, you can queue at the gates and buy a ticket on the way in. Or you can buy them online beforehand at https ﬁeldays.co.n and have them handy, printed or saved on your phone. This makes entry much easier. Plus pre-bought tickets allow free travel on some bus services to the event.

Transport:

Mystery Creek is at 125 Mystery Creek Rd, Hamilton. This is 15 minutes from Hamilton’s CBD, two minutes from Hamilton Airport, 15.5km to Te Awamutu and Cambridge, and just over 1.5 hours from Auckland, Tauranga and Rotorua. If you can car-pool with others,

do it! And try to go with someone who has been before – as it can be quite daunting driving to this event with multiple entries and exits if you haven’t done so before. Or consider taking the bus – there are free services on offer. And if you have the money or agenda, take a helicopter or boat – yes these options are available. And when you get there, will you require wheelchair access or be using pram with young ones? If so, check out a map beforehand so you know the best place to park and enter.

Parking:

Parking at Fieldays is free and is open from 5.30am-10pm. To avoid queues it’s recommended you arrive early – as delays can happen as thousands of visitors try to descend on Mystery Creek. There is disabled parking available through Gate 1 for CCS Mobility Parking Permit holders. You will also need to be in possession of valid Fieldays entry tickets.

Dresscode:

Layering clothing is key for going to Fieldays – as you never know whether it will be warm, cold – or both. Or Sunshine or rain – or both! Hamilton can serve all seasons in one day. Slip on some comfortable pants

to walk in, a thermal underneath and a shirt – and take a weatherproof jacket, plus a merino scarf or hat. You can always remove items as it warms up. You can wear gumboots but solid walking shoes or track boots are ﬁne too. ust leave the stilettos at home ladies. There’s sawdust and gravel walkways as well as tarseal, grass and concrete to navigate.

Essentials:

A backpack is the easiest option to carry your winter warmers if it gets hot, and all your pamphlets and bits and pieces you gather along the way. It also enables you to keep handsfree – to meet and greet people and carry food etc. Take your sunglasses – yes, you may need them to watch events in the sunlight. A bottle of water is must – it saves stopping and queueing for drink when thirsty. And hydration is key for all that walking and talking. Cellphone – take this and use the ieldays app. ith it, you can ﬁnd your favourite stands, events, your friends at lunchtime and where your car is parked for the ride home. Wallet – obvious but you don’t need so much cash these days. Most stands have EFTPOS. For more information, see: https ﬁeldays.co.n

FIELDAYS PREVIEW

Page 25

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Page 27

Fieldays foot-traffic leaves huge economic impact Thousands of people head to Fieldays – and walk the endless streets in search of the best bargains for agricultural services, equipment and knowhow – but does this really make an economic impact to the New Zealand economy? Yes, it does, if last year’s results are anything to go by. The Fieldays 2017 Economic Impact Report, prepared post-event last year by independent economist Dr Warren Hughes and Professor Frank Scrimgeour of the University of Waikato Management School’s Institute of Business esearch, highlights a significant increase in Fieldays’ contribution to the NZ economy. It reported the Fieldays’ brand value increased from $380 million in 2016 to $465 million in 2017, signalling the Fieldays platform is increasing in value for manufacturers selling to primary producers. t was also identified ieldays bro e the half-billion dollar barrier for the first time, generating 5 million in sales revenue for ew ealand firms. And overall, Fieldays in 2017 generated $238 million to New Zealand’s GDP, an increase of 24.7 per cent compared to the 2016 year which was, of course, a low spending year for the primary sectors. p by 10 million on 01 , this significant increase in spending is a good indication that New Zealand’s economic growth is in a strong position compared to recent years. Dr arren Hughes said the 01 figures reflected the effects of two years of low dairy payouts, while 01 showed renewed confidence and increased expenditure in the dairy sector. ANZ Chief Economist Cameron Bagrie commented on a strong rural community showing strength across the board. “It’s going to be a big economic tailwind for New Zealand over the next two to three years.” This evident in the creation of more than 2300 full time equivalent jobs in 2017 – up from 2021 in 2016. Of those, 900 were created in the Waikato alone, a 27 per cent increase on the previous year.

Every entry through the gate by a visitor from outside the Waikato region generates $317 spent in the Waikato hospitality sector. Every dollar spent during Fieldays, whether on accommodation, equipment sales, infrastructure etc generated another $1.37 of sales revenue somewhere else in the New

No matter whether the bags are big or small – or contain some paperwork for a big-purchase item – Fieldays generated $538m in sales revenue for ew ealand ﬁr s in These jobs have been sustained either side of the four-day event, including site preparations, freight and hospitality, with the report showing that for every dollar spent during the event another $1.37 of sales revenue is generated somewhere else in the New Zealand economy. New Zealand National Fieldays Society CEO Peter Nation says the organisation is proud of the contribution Fieldays makes to both the Waikato region and New Zealand economies. “This report shows record highs for the event and we’re really proud of what we’ve achieved, both from an organisational point of view and what that means for NZ. “We’re constantly looking for ways to improve in an ever-changing mar et and these ﬁndings are ust going to drive us to deliver better results,” says Peter. He’s also pleased to see Fieldays create so many full time jobs. “We’re crucially aware that many businesses and families rely heavily on Fieldays as a large part of their annual livelihood. “The spin-off to the food and beverage, accommodation and service industry, particularly in the Waikato is great. As Fieldays grows, so do the service industries that supply our exhibitors and their businesses.” For every one of the 133,588 visitors through the gate last year $4000 in sales was generated.

Zealand economy. Sales at Fieldays increased by 30 per cent per site in 2017. 81 per cent of patrons rated Fieldays as the most important or equally important annual event in New Zealand. Exhibitors estimate that 9.1 per cent of sales made at Fieldays would have been lost if Fieldays did not exist.

Page 28

FIELDAYS PREVIEW

The easy way to keep collected rainwater free of bad bacteria Water from your roof can carry bird excrement, plant matter and other contaminants, says TankVac business owner Warren Agnew. “These can lay at the bottom of your water tank and ultimately cause a bacteria breeding ground, polluting your drinking water and causing ill health.” Now keeping your water fresh is easy, thanks to TankVac – a unique patented product that cleans the bottom of your tank without need for power and can be DIY-installed into a full or empty tank. “TankVac is the ultimate tank cleaning solution.” Warren says collecting rainwater is a simple way of providing household supply. “It can be collected from your roof, stored easily and used as and when you need it – and it’s totally free.” Due to availability of cost-effective water tanks, collecting roof rainwater makes sense, says Warren. “But until now the challenge has been maintaining quality of drinking water.” Even with a leaf gutter-catcher, plant material, waste and sediment can accumulate at the tank’s bottom, and become a breeding ground for bacteria

like E.coli, Giardia and salmonella. “These bacteria are detrimental to health and can cause vomiting, stomach cramps, diarrhoea and other health issues.” hen a tan is filled to the top and goes over a specific point of an ac, a special siphonic inducer creates a full 0mm diameter discharge flow. “This vacuum sucks from the bottom of your tank, removing sediment and contaminants,” says Warren. “When water level drops to the pre-set level, air enters the pipes through level control holes causing the vacuum to cease – leaving pure clean water,” says Warren. an ac also significantly reduces filter costs and there is no need for manual cleaning.”

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Exhibiting and talking 50 years of Fieldays Today Fieldays is the largest agribusiness event in the Southern Hemisphere, attracting more than 130,000 people from all over the world during four days in June. During this four-day window Fieldays presents New Zealand’s agricultural and primary sector with an international marketplace to advance agriculture, while honouring our four pillars – innovation, education, technology and internationalisation. The exhibits, demonstrations, food and shopping at Fieldays showcase the best of our primary industries to national and international audiences – and this year the iconic event turns 50. To mark this milestone anniversary, Waikato Museum has a free-entry exhibition opening from May 11 to August 19, 2018, titled ‘50 years Fieldays’. The exhibition looks at how Fieldays began and became both an economic marvel and the pride of the Waikato. Plus, at 1pm on May 25, the museum is hosting a free ‘Fifty Years of Fieldays Talk’ being presented by curator Dr Dan Morrow. o ﬁnd out more, see wai atomuseum.co.n

Visit the Ag Heritage Museum this Fieldays You may have done Fieldays before but have you been to the Ag Heritage Museum? With the Southern hemisphere’s biggest agricultural event turning 50 this year it might time to take a look at this fascinating historical experience. The collection includes heritage buildings, museums, artefacts, demonstrations, and handson activities offering insight into the lives of ancestors in rural Waikato. Inside the village are the old Ngatea Church, Kihikihi Jail, Whitehall School and Waikato Hospital that were transported onsite. A replica garage, blac smith s forge and ﬁre station were built onsite and the National Dairy Museum opened in 2005. These buildings will be open to explore, with hands on activities and demonstrations to help children and families learn about our rural heritage. The vintage tractor parade leaves Heritage Village at 10am and 2pm daily. Whakairo (carving , raronga weaving with ﬂa , and traditional Maori medicine will be on in the Heritage Barn. Stationary Engines will be powering pumps and other farm machinery beside the hospital, and in the church, spinning, weaving and felting will be just some of the demonstrations taking place. There’s Victorian games or at the Village Forge where Blacksmiths will demonstrate their craft. And don’t froget to stop at the Clydesdales beside the National Dairy Museum.

FIELDAYS PREVIEW

Page 29

View a new effluent storage solution at Fieldays Dairy farmers have many options for storing effluent before dispersal on to pasture. echnipharm has always been to the forefront of innovative, efficient storage solutions. i uid storage bladders have been used around the world for nearly 0 years, most are s uare or rectangular in shape and generally cannot store fluid higher than 1000 mm in an unsupported container, says Harmen Heesen, group C O of echnipharm. Being s uare there are corners, which are the wea points. Corners are also where solids can accumulate and create less efficient storage and potential bloc ages in the system particularly if the fluid inside contains fibres and is not mi ed, says Harmen. echnipharm through its manufactur-

ing and global supplier have come up with a clever solution where effluent can now be stored higher up to 1400mm which means the new K- 1400 solves the issues of the older s uare or rectangular designs. Being able to store effluent at a higher capacity means there are less set-up costs, such as earthwor s, ma ing them cost competitive with other systems. he new echni harm K1400 is manufactured by award-winning manufacturer iefferin in the etherlands, a 0-year leader in the design and manufacturing of fluid storage covers and fle ible tan s, and sold in ew ealand and ustralia by echni harm ffective effluent storage eeps out rain

water, there is no smell, easy set-up, easy maintenance, no chance of anyone falling in and full e pansion possibilities without starting again.

The larger cousin of FLEXITANK R, the ECOBAG, on a farm in Rangiora.

Organisations stic with ieldays for 50 years his une won t ust mar a milestone in ieldays history, it also mar s the 50th event for many organisations which have been with ieldays from the very beginning. ew ealand ational ieldays ociety C O eter ation says there are a signiﬁcant number of companies and organisations who have supported ieldays from day one. hen we loo bac it s astounding how far we ve come and a number of really special organisations and e hibitors have been with us every step of the way. his will mar a huge milestone for our society and everyone involved. ot many people can say they ve committed to something for the last 50 years, says eter. gricultural businesses are also on board to ma e this event the best yet with an unprecedented number of applications for sites at ieldays 01 . eter says they have been overwhelmed with demand for the milestone event. e anticipated increased interest this year but what we ve received

has been massive, it s totally e ceeded our e pectations. ieldays has also hit the road for a ieldays roadshow visiting rural communities before une 1 -1 . Ma or event manager ee ic en says it s been a remar able ourney and the roadshow will tell the stories of ew

he all new K- will be at the echnipharm iDairy site at ieldays, site 1 . o come and as us how we can help with efﬂuent storage, says Harmen.

ealanders who ve been part of the ride. ieldays draws people from all over and the globe, it s the largest agricultural event in the outhern Hemisphere and every person we tal to has a story. t s astounding when you thin of all the lives ieldays has touched, says ee. Manuka Provenances

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The best way to navigate Mystery Creek during Fieldays There’s many ways you can tackle Fieldays – and all it has to offer – come June 13-16. But one of the most savviest ways to ﬁnd the stands you want to visit as well as ﬁnding your friends at family at lunchtime plus the toilets and your car for the journey home – is the Fieldays App.

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With it, you can create your own schedule to visit your favourite suppliers or view your favourite events. ou can receive push notifications via the iBeacons on-site, pin to the map where your car is par ed, find your friends and chec the weather. ll without going round and round in circles and losing time on the ground A news section allows users to choose to receive the latest Fieldays news direct to their phone, and there’s a social media function. This way Fieldays visitors, exhibitors and media can gain access to the official ieldays nstagram, Twitter and Facebook feeds, tap into the ‘Fieldays hashtag and capture and share their own moments with the Fieldays camera. inding the car, friends or best place to eat at Fieldays will now be so much easier thanks to a brand new downloadable app with advanced capabilities. o when visitors enter the gates in une, they will do so with the latest technology at their fingertips. Downloadable for free on Android, and iOS, the ieldays pp is available in five different languages nglish, Chinese, rench, erman and panish. Fieldays App features: oint of nterest sers are able to find the closest food vendors, first aid, and other essentials. sers can also view important event information such as gate opening times, and ticket prices. ro imity-based messaging elevant to the location of users, the Fieldays App delivers content, offers and information that vis-

itors want, when and where it counts. Chec ieldays weather. • Fieldays Map: The Fieldays map allows users to see their actual location in relation to all points of interest represented by pins. sers will be able to keep track of where their car is by dropping a pin on their map in the app. riend-finder he friend-finder allows users to share their location with their Facebook friends who also have the app installed on their phone. • Fieldays schedule: Lets users see what’s happening at ieldays from seminars to demonstrations to ural Catch of the ear heats. sers will also be able to create their own itinerary from their schedule of the day at Fieldays. • Fieldays Exhibitors: The Fieldays Exhibitors tab will let the users view all 900-plus exhibitors at ieldays, and get a rundown of what services each particular exhibitor offers, and where to find them.

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new partnership for s premier agricultural event New Zealand National Fieldays Society, owner of the iconic Fieldays event in June, has a new partner in the form of Massey University. The university and society signed the three-year initial term agreement earlier this month, ahead of the ﬁrst ociety board meeting to be held offsite since incorporation. ieldays celebrates its 50th anniversary this year during the June 13-16 event at Mystery Creek near Hamilton. NZ National Fieldays Society’s GM Commercial ic Dromgool believes Massey niversity s strong focus on the agricultural and health sectors makes it a strong partner for the society and the Fieldays event. ieldays has been bringing rural and urban audiences together for 50 years, and we are very pleased about this connection with Massey niversity. “Fieldays is a truly New Zealand event and we feel Massey s ethos of being an accessible university through its many campuses and its distance learning is an excellent ﬁt.

Agri-related study

Massey University is well-known for agri-related study and research, and also has top equine, vet and food programmes. It has a strong focus on health and has many other unique schools within its campuses. he university was recently recognised in the 01 QS World University Rankings, placing 22nd in the world’s universities for agriculture and forestry, and 23rd for veterinary science. College of Sciences Pro Vice-Chancellor Professor ay eor says Massey is e cited about connecting with the society at a partnership level. “We are a strong supporter of Fieldays and have always had a large presence at the event. his year we are very pleased to be able to really cement that relationship. Ray says Fieldays is a premier event, recognised in

Massey University’s Vice Chancellor, Professor Jan Thomas, signing an agreement with New Zealand National Fieldays Society CEO Peter Nation. world agribusiness. t s an e cellent ﬁt for Massey and our plans for the future. e often e hibit new technologies with our partners at Fieldays, and always en oy tal ing to visitors about the beneﬁt studying at Massey brings to the primary industries sector. e look forward to growing this important partnership between education and agriculture. Massey niversity will be a partner of the health and wellbeing programme, implemented at ieldays 01 .

Rural health outcomes

The College of Health at Massey University is a member of the ural Health lliance otearoa and wants to help ensure research-led education makes a difference to outcomes in NZ rural health. e loo forward to wor ing with ieldays to be part of the community improving health and wellbeing in rural , says College of Health ro ice-Chancellor Professor Jan Mills. “Optimal health is the result of many factors including the individual person, the environment and society they live in. There are many opportunities to ma e a difference.

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FIELDAYS PREVIEW

Get set to see the future of farming… Those heading to Fieldays on June 13-16 at Mystery Creek will get a chance to see the future of farming ﬁrst-hand from grassroots innovations through to the larger, international innovations.

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Entries to the 2018 National Agricultural Fieldays Innovation Awards closed on May 1 and agricultural inventors and innovators have lined up to showcase their inventions across several industry areas. There will be sections for dairy and drystock farming, horticulture, information and communication technology, cloud and mobile-based software, animal health and genetics, water and waste management, environment and clean-tech, animal and farm management, farm safety and leading research. And with this year marking Fieldays’ 50th year of showcasing agriculture and innovation to rural and urban audiences - the 2018 theme is the “Future of Farming”, with visitors and exhibitors being encouraged to start discussions around what the future of farming means to them. Fieldays Innovations event manager Gail Hendricks says her team love seeing how widespread entries are, and have always encouraged the small, grassroots entries Doug Harrison shows his innovation CARRY-MATE, a just as much as the bigger, more established solution for transporting, deploying and retrieving electric ones. “Even though an entry might be fence standards, which won best-pitch award in the ‘small’, it can still make a big impact.” Innovation Den at Fieldays 2015. Gail says the entries are housed in Fieldays’ popular Innovations Centre, with entrants able to access free advice from money? Have they taken into account the feedback lawyers, patent and trademark attorneys, accountants they received during trials? and product development consultants. “Sometimes innovators spend a good deal of time nd the ieldays theme the uture of arming explaining their own thought processes in getting ties in perfectly with the forward-looking Innovation a new product off the ground; and while that’s an Awards. important part of the journey, we want to see how “Originally, the Fieldays Innovation Awards were they’ve engaged with their audience and incorporated about widgets, gadgets and devices to improve farmtheir users feedbac into their ﬁnal prototype. ing, but more and more we’re seeing entries that play Nigel points to the winner of the 2016 international to the agri-tech factor and really take into account how innovation and agribusiness category, Fraser Smith and science and technology continues to advance agriculMatt Yallop’s heat detection device FlashMate, ture.” as a good example of a product that had its end user Awards judge Nigel Slaughter, CEO of Hamilton in mind. molecular extraction company Ligar, says the judges “Fraser and Matt spent a lot of time with farmers to aren’t necessarily looking for the most-clever, hi-tech of get their product right, and they made sure to show inventions. that in their entry.” “We’re looking for entries that show they’re ahead of Innovation Awards entrants have access to busithe curve, have seen a gap in the market and shown ness advisors, legal experts and product development that their product is useful for its intended audience,” consultants at a dedicated space in the Innovations says Nigel. Centre called The LAB, powered by Locus Research. “We want to see the thought processes behind the In addition, they have a chance to meet with potential innovation. Have they seen where their product is investors at an invite-only evening hosted by Entergoing to be useful? Is it going to save the user time or prise ngel ieldays nnovations Capital.

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FIELDAYS PREVIEW

From the Far North to Fieldays As early as I can remember, every June we’d leave our little dairy farm in the Far North and drive four hours-plus to the big smoke of Auckland. The cows were out so we were free, with the neighbour left in charge of moving the dry mob in our absence. We’d stay in Auckland’s southern outskirts – but still among bumper-to-bumper traffic and amid houses leaning over top of one another – in a dinky little motel and have Chinese takeaways for dinner. I always disliked the taste as we seldom had them – there were no takeaway outlets near our farm. But it was all very exciting because the next morning we were up with a bowl of cornfla es and gone by 5am to bustle onto the motorway and join the snake of traffic heading towards Hamilton. Yes, our annual family holiday was going to Fieldays. Excitement would build as we reconnected our sights with Hamilton City after a 1 -month hiatus

and Dad nervously navigated the trafﬁc to Mystery Creek for us to park up and walk for what felt like forever to get there. This was before today’s handy park ‘n’ ride buses. Waikato’s winter chills would engulf us – luckily we were donned in skivvies, swannies and gumboots as we felt the temperature change from the winterless Far North. For a youngster used to a quiet farm life the thousands of people, pop-up tents, helicopters buzzing overhead, loud speakers blaring, roaring tractor pulls near the front gate and aroma of meat sizzling on barbecues near and far was exhilarating.

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Why Mystery Creek still means family fun to me Today the sights and smells of Fieldays still make me feel like I’m on holiday. But now I don’t tag along behind mum and dad. I remember every year dad would stop just inside the gate and meet the same guy. Off him he’d buy the same fuel siphoners with a valve inside that made them so much easier to use (than the old suck and spit trick). Mum and I loved all the sites with animals – from alpacas to goats, to calves of differing beef breeds. Giving them all a big pat I’d gain a sticker of the breed for my enthusiasm. I even remember one year viewing this magniﬁcent great bull on one side of a tent then buying a steak burger of his breed on the other. This and the menagerie of animals have all but gone. We always visited the Fonterra tent – we were suppliers – for a cup of tea, and some free goodies. And for dad’s annual opportunity to tell them how they should be running things. We always got our hands on some of those super handy Pel sticks to walk around the Fieldays with, then take home to prod and guide the cows.

As I grew older I twisted dad’s arm into letting me head off to the wearable art fashion shows and cooking tents – as he liked to keep things simple. His musts were a visit to Fonterra, the Stihl tent to talk chainsaws, DeLaval to marvel at the new pulsators or milk pumps – and he couldn’t pass the Honda stand without jumping on the back of a motorbike wondering what life would be like with a brand new four-wheeler… Oh and a stop for a West Coast whitebait fritter. Fieldays- which turns 50 this year – has changed with the times. And I do enjoy today’s much larger offering of agricultural, horticultural, lifestyle, innovation and technological tents, products, people and ideas on offer. And I also like being able to forge my own path around Mystery Creek – and visit new things every year. But the sights – as you walk down the hillside into Fieldays among the jungle of thousands of people, products and purposes – still reminds me of my childhood. And family getaways from the farm in the bright lights of Hamilton and the fog of Mystery Creek. Merle Foster

The facts behind the big flow of foot traffic Fieldays is the largest event of its kind in the southern hemisphere – and this year it turns 50. So here’s some quick facts that says lot about what grabs the attention of farmers and townies from the top of the country to the bottom every June. • There’s more than 1440 sites and more than 1000 exhibitors at Fieldays displaying and offering products, services, experiments and ideas on everything from items to help you ﬁll up your fuel tank to GPS map-

ping your property with drones – to the most eco-friendly spa pool to the tastiest cheese you will ever taste. • Last year 133,588 visitors from all over the world walked through the gates and up and down the many streets of stands. • Fieldays broke the half-billion dollar barrier for the ﬁrst time in 2017, generating $538 million in sales revenue for New ealand ﬁrms. • Overall, Fieldays in 2017 generated $238m to New Zealand’s GDP, an increase of 24.7 per cent compared to the 2016 year. • Fieldays presents NZ’s agricul-

tural and primary sector with an international marketplace to advance agriculture, while honouring our four pillars – innovation, education, technology and internationalisation. • A whopping 30,000 app downloads happened in 2017 too. • Hundreds of volunteers donate their time to help with hosting, parking, manning information booths, driving courier vehicles, site services, tractor pull and event set up and breakdown. • Fieldays is run by the NZ National Agricultural Fieldays ociety, a not-for-proﬁt organisation that relies on volunteers.

FIELDAYS PREVIEW

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Nurture hives with the help of NZ’s beekeeping manual More and more Kiwis are falling in love with bees – in 2017 a total of 8000 people were registered beekeepers in New Zealand.

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has a copy of ‘Practical Beekeeping in New ealand fifth edition by ndrew Matheson and Murray Reid to give away. To be in to win email captions (as many as you li e for the photo below and send with your name and address Some are professional apiarists, while many with Country Funnies as the subject line enjoy beekeeping as a hobby. to merle@sunmedia.co.nz Whether you already have experience, or are Or put these details on the back of an looking for help getting started, ‘Practical envelope and post to Country Funnies, Beekeeping in New Zealand’ by Andrew PO Box 240, Tauranga 3140 to arrive Matheson and Murray Reid is the trusted no later than June 22. bible for everything apiculture. The winner of the February ow available is this full-colour this fifth Country Funnies caption is edition, which is a comprehensive manual Mrs B Dawn Wagner of providing information, practical Gisborne for her caption: ‘Elaine and advice and expert guidance on the three alpacas: “Daddy alpaca you all aspects of honeybee badly need a haircut,” says mumma management. alpaca. “Baby alpaca you are just With it, learn all you need to fine . he wins a know about this fascinating, copy of the book ‘Growing rewarding pastime, and experiyourself up’ by Jenny Brown pubence for yourself the satisfaction lished by Exisle Publishing. of nurturing your hives. Coast & Country News mistak‘Practical Beekeeping in New Andrew Matheson has worked in enly drew a winner for the March Zealand’ is the book prize for May. different parts of NZ as a polycaption last month, hence this technic beekeeping tutor and an month’s winners being for our February edition. We apicultural consultant with the Ministry of Agriculapologise for any confusion. ture. or five years he was director of the nternational Bee Research Association, the world’s leading information service for bee science and beekeeping, in the UK. He’s had extensive experience as an apicultural consultant and lecturer, and has written numerous articles and books on bee science and beekeeping. Murray Reid is apicultural services manager for Asurequality, a NZ government-owned company providing food safety and biosecurity services to the food and primary production sectors. His career in apiculture began in 1966 with three seasons at Dargaville Apiaries before being recruited in 1969 by the Department of griculture as an apiculture officer. Murray completed an MSc degree in apiculture in Canada, before resuming apiculture officer wor in . Thanks to Exisle Publishing, Coast & Country News Caption this photo to be in to win a book prize.

FARM VEHICLES, MACHINERY & EQUIPMENT

Page 38

Quality machinery in larger premises at Te Aroha As the name suggests, Te Aroha Tractors & Garden Machinery specialise in machinery for large or small farm jobs or smaller jobs around the garden. Fiona and Stan Knight bought the business in 2015 and recently relocated to much larger premises to accommo-

date the large range of products and services they provide. “We are the Waikato agent for McCormick Landini tractors. The tractors are made in Italy and are ideal for New Zealand farming conditions. The McCormick X6 series 120-140hp range was voted this year’s best utility tractor,” says Fiona. “They come with some really great

features and the quality is second to none. To win the world title of Best Utility Tractor against the other common brands tells you just how good they are.” Te Aroha Tractors is also the agent for Husqvarna. Made in Sweden, the brand is well-known for its quality. “From chainsaws to push mowers and ride-ons we have everything you need to get the garden maintenance done. Winter is nearly here and that’s the time for garden maintenance. “Trees need trimming, hedges cutting and there are always leaves to get rid of,” says Fiona. As well as having the farm and Te Aroha Tractors & Garden Machinery. garden machinery sales and servicing, they also provide services for automotive, including WOF’s, in Hamilton from June 13-16. To request a demonauto electrical, heavy diesel and EWP/crane services. stration of any McCormick Landini tractor or for The award winning X6 series is due to be released general sales enquiries, call Stan on 021884904 or in May and will be on show at the National Fieldays email: stan@tatractors.co.nz

Helen Wilson

Trial recycling event for Matamata farmers Farmers in Matamata can participate in one-stop-shop recycling events in May. This is part of a project to trial new ways of helping farmers recycle farm waste and avoid harmful disposal practices such as burning, burial and bulk storage.

The trial events are part of the New Zealand Rural Waste Minimisation Project led by Environment Canterbury with support from the Ministry for the Environment. “Dealing with inorganic waste can be a challenge for farmers and growers. This project focuses on identifying alternatives to burning, burying and bulk storage on farms,” says Environment Canterbury’s senior scientist, environmental quality and hazards Isla Hepburn. “By providing a reliable and cost-effective one-stopshop approach to rural waste, we will be helping farmers and growers to participate in rural recycling,” says isla . Rural recycling programme Agrecovery was chosen to implement the events – in Matamata on May 25

and Geraldine on May 31. Agrecovery is partnering with Plasback to deliver these events. Farmers can dispose of agrichemical and motor oil containers, unwanted agrichemicals, used motor oil and fertiliser bags on the day. Farmers can also dispose of silage and bale wrap, which will be collected on-farm within a week either side of the event date. Agrecovery general manager Simon Andrew says the events provide an opportunity to trial a collection system for rural waste, so it can be tailored for future nationwide events in the most efﬁcient and reliable way. “We have high ambitions to clear more rural waste by partnering with industry groups, product stewardship schemes and councils.” There are 100 spots available at each event for farmers to dispose of items, so registration is essential. Waste must be booked through the Agrecovery website or by calling 0800 247 326. The booking system clariﬁes what waste is included and what needs to be done before bringing it in for disposal. Participants will become a member of Agrecovery and need to be from within the catchment area.

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FARM VEHICLES, MACHINERY & EQUIPMENT

Page 39

The engines and equipment of yesteryear up close at Karaka Workhorses of the 20th Century – in the form of tractors, machinery and vehicles of every shape and colour – were on show at the 10th Karaka Vintage Day recently.

works in Thames. Here they manufactured Ore Stampers, crushers and feeders, steam engines, boilers, timber jacks and Pelton wheels for the gold industry. In the late1800s the company designed and built a steam locomotive for the NZ rail. They won several contracts on the ANZAC frigate, and the 1995 and 2000 America’s Cup campaigns. In both years, all winners and challengers for the cup were ﬁtted with eels and bulbs manufactured in Thames by A&G Price. The business operated in Thames until closing in July 2017, just short of 150 years

Coast and Country News’ Keely Muir went to see what all the fuss is about – and was blown away by the “long line up of everything tractors greeted me, and I was soon to learn the enthusiasm of the owners of this equipment is catching”. Unsure of what to expect, Keely says the exhibitors’ desire for their pieces of yesteryear are Clydesdales wer evident – they are “keen e workhorses of th once to tell you all about their e land. pride and joy”. Photo: Keely Mui r. This year’s theme, on March 18, was a tribute to A&G Price Ltd. In 1868, brothers Alfred and George Price from Stroud, Gloucestershire, started their engineering business in Onehunga, Auckland. In 1871, they opened a foundry and engineering

since it founded.“We got to see some of this machinery proudly on display with its owner Bill Darbyshire pointing out that ‘many people don’t realise that this good machinery was made right here in New Zealand’. “We got to see Motat’s 1927 No. 4 Ruston Excavator in action. This piece of machinery is one of only four in the world that is still operational. “It was the workhorse of the 20th Century, digging trenches and tearing up tramlines. It worked on American army camp sites during WWII, and assisted in installing gun defences on North Head.”

Keely also met some Clydesdale horses – with the breed once used for working land – plus vintage cars and trucks.

Graham Hogan from Mo tat demonstrating the 1927 Ruston Excavator. Photo: Keely Muir.

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Richard Lees shows Larissa how to work the Pole Lathe. Photo: Keely Muir.

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Page 40

FERTILISER

Explaining the Albrecht System of Soil Fertility This article is adapted from an article by Don Hart of Top Soils, Canterbury. The ‘Albrecht System of Soil Fertility’ refers to the principles used to develop optimum soil fertility that Dr William Albrecht worked to perfect in his decades of tireless work with soil.

Dr Albrecht was a soil microbiologist and began his career at the University of Missouri in 1919, retiring in 1959 but remained active until his death in 1974. As a soil microbiologist, his aim was to improve the soil environment for soil microbiology. He regarded the validity of true soil fertility as a repeatable process and approached such wor with scientiﬁc principles that could be applied and proven in the ﬁeld.

denominators are not factors required for success.

Superior results

Was Dr Albrecht right and if so why? Until recently, university research systems have not supported the Albrecht system. Being Balanced funded by commercial He found to achieve top performance a soil should interests, they have largely be composed of 45 per cent minerals, five per cent arrived at conclusions that humus, 25 per cent water and 25 per cent air. This is appeased their funders. achieved by a balanced mineral application, deterBut when scientists talk to mined by a soil audit for each particular soil. It’s agronomists and farmers in the chemical makeup of a soil that determines the the field there is a strong physical structure. When soil chemistry and physics consensus of opinion that they are seeing superior are correct, soil biology will be maximised. It’s the soil results with the Albrecht system. To correct the envibiology that provides the foundation for soil health ronment for the soil microbes, Dr Albrecht found the by optimising mineral nutrition for plants. The more right balance of cations needed to be present on the correct the chemistry, physics and biology; the better soil particles. Base Saturation percentage; not ratios. the quality and yield of plants from those soils. That’s He suggested on most soils the BS percentage of Ca why so much emphasis is placed on achieving the should be 68, 12 Mg, 2-5K and 0.5-3 Na. Nitroe act level for each nutrient, based on the specific gen, phosphate, sulphur and trace minerals are also requirements of every different soil. important, and are absolutely not ignored.

Relationship

So how do we make the environment right for the biology? The Albrecht system of soil fertility uses the relationship between the physical structure of a soil and its exchange capacity measured in milliequivalents – or ME – and base saturation percentage – also known as BS percentage. It’s the percentage of the cations calcium, magnesium, potassium and sodium that occupy most of the sites on the soil colloid, that determines whether or not there is enough pore space to accommodate the correct air and water percentages needed for optimum microbial populations and hence, plant growth. Calcium and magnesium are by far the most inﬂuential. To calculate correct soil fertiliser inputs, there are several technical factors involved. In addition, the exact materials used contribute to the solution. The cheapest materials usually fail to deliver the results required. Lowest common

Tested

Professor Tim Reinbott, Ph.D. of Missouri University, led a research team which broke down Dr Albrecht’s recommendations and tested each individually and together. They tested the chemical, physical and biological properties of Albrecht’s discoveries in ﬁeld trials over several years. he complete lbrecht recommendation as calculated by Neal Kinsey of Kinsey Agricultural Services resulted in the highest yield of forage, corn and soybeans. Corn grain quality was higher and forage nutritional quality was greater when the Albrecht system was followed. Yield increases resulted from better soil health. The Albrecht method improves soil chemistry and results in an increase in soil biology which in turn increases soil physical properties such as aggregate stability. https:// www.slideshare.net/Reinbottt/was-dr-albrecht-correct

Still increasing yields

Kiwi ertiliser ﬁnds the system gives better and better results the longer you apply it. Some practitioners have been employing the method for more than 20 years and are still increasing their yields and production. They win competitions and quality/ quantity awards, use fewer – if any – chemicals, and suffer less from drought and frosts. Our crop and lucerne growers as a rule do not need to spray for weeds, insects or diseases. Those running stock get higher production and much lower vet bills as animal health improves. Milk quality/quantity has also improved, and nitrogen application has vastly reduced. Even the efﬂuent ponds clear up.

FERTILISER

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Ballance takes on new digitisation strategy Ballance AgriNutrients has announced changes to its lead team that reinforce digitisation as core to the co-operative and the future competitiveness of New Zealand farming.

truly outstanding experience for our customers. Our farmers are more connected than ever, and this about our business being future ready. Mark says current CIO Dave Scullin will join the Ballance executive as chief digital officer immediately. The role has responsibility for maintaining momentum for Ballance – “deliverBallance chief digital ing a personalised service o fi er Da e ullin for our customers, realBallance Agri-Nutrients time data to drive decision-making and chief executive Mark Wynne says the more simplified business processes . creation of a new chief digital officer ogether with digital capability, Mar role reflects a strategy to become a says the transformation of Ballance’s truly customer-centric organisation, onshore supply chain is a major comwith digital at the heart. ponent of the strategic programme for Ballance was the first ew ealand the next three years. organisation to go live with SAP To ensure a sharp focus on this S/4HANA in 2016, providing a investment and process improvement, foundation for the launch this year of the business is now separating the the MyBallance customer experience development of its New Zealand netplatform that puts customers in control work under a new role, GM Onshore – providing real-time data and the Supply Chain. Other supply chain capability to place and trac nutrient functions – including Procurement, plans and orders online 24/7, and with Supply and Shipping, S&OP – will digital mapping the ability to report be repositioned within the inance accurately on nutrient application on function to accelerate and embed the their farms. efficiency gains achieved during the last “We’ve made tremendous progress on 18 months. our digital journey over the past few Based on planned investment in new years – using data and analytics within infrastructure during the next decade, our business and also in creating a Ballance has also established a new role

EPA costs set to change The cost of assessing hazardous substance applications are changing, as the Environmental Protection Authority looks to develop a more balanced approach to the way it charges for its services. “The services we provide in assessing and processing applications for hazardous substances and new organisms play a key role in the way we work to protect the NZ environment and the communities in which we all live, wor and play, says chief e ecutive, Dr llan reeth. “Under our existing approach applicants pay, on average, just over 10 per cent of what it really costs us to manage an application from start to ﬁnish. hat means it falls to the taxpayer to pick up the rest. We don’t

thin that s fair, says llan. n the 01 - 01 ﬁnancial year, EPA recovered $0.575 million, of the total cost of managing hazardous substance and new organisms applications, which amounted to around $5.2m. With that in mind we’re looking to develop a more realistic cost recovery approach that will see organisations who use our services pay a fairer share. he is now see ing public submissions on a consultation paper which outlines proposals for the increased charges. o ma e a submission, see www. epa.govt.n public-consultations open-consultations/proposal-toincrease-hsno-fees/ ubmissions close May 1, 01 .

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of infrastructure engineering programme manager responsible for all infrastructure capital engineering projects across upply Chain, ertiliser Operations and the Kapuni manufacturing site. With the separation of the Supply Chain function, the role

of GM Supply Chain has been disestablished. Mar says GM Supply Chain staff, Greg Delaney, has decided not to pursue a new role with Ballance, and will be leaving the company on May 31. e re than ful for the contribution and legacy that Greg leaves

from his 1 years in our business, across fertiliser operations, distribution and in helping ensure surety of supply for our farmers through the seasons and into the future. Mark says a process for recruitment for the new roles will begin immediately.

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FORESTRY

EPA approves methyl bromide reassessment – and still working on an alternative’s application An application to decide whether grounds exist for a reassessment of the controversial timber and log fumigant methyl bromide has been approved by an Environmental Protection Authority decisionmaking committee last month. Methyl bromide, an extremely toxic and ozone-depleting substance, is used to disinfest logs and timber products destined for export as part of quarantine and pre-shipment importing requirements. “The application was made by industry group Stakeholders in Methyl Bromide Reduction Inc – known as STIMBR – in part because New Zealand’s use of the fumigant has increased from more than 400 tonnes a year in 2010 to more than 600 tonnes in 2016,” says EPA’s Hazardous Substances Group general manager Dr Fiona Thomson-Carter. signiﬁcant change in uantity imported and manufactured is one of the criteria under which an applicant can apply for grounds for reassessment under the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act. “During that time extensive industry research has also been undertaken and this new information may have an impact on the current controls, or rules, around its use if a reassessment is carried out,” says Fiona.

Recapture technology

Methyl Bromide is controlled under the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act and Ozone Layer Protection Regulations. Its use for anything other than quarantine or pre-shipment purposes was phased out in 2005. Following its 2010 reassessment, the EPA ruled that users would need to ensure recapture technology was in place by 2020 to collect and store the used gas, preventing its spread into the atmosphere. In granting the approval in April, the decision-making committee said it had not reviewed the current controls, including recapture, but that these should be considered if any follow-up application is made to begin the reassessment process. Any external party may now apply for reassessment. Details on how to do this are at: www.epa.govt.nz/ industry-areas/hazardous-substances/ reassessments-and-reviews

To read the grounds for reassessment application and decision, see: www.epa.govt.nz The EPA and WorkSafe continue to work with industry on the use of methyl bromide and controls currently in place.

An alternative

However, in a separate undertaking the EPA is considering the application for use of a possible alternative to methyl bromide. In late-February it was revealed the EPA had just released application details for approval of ethanedinitrile – or EDN – as a fumigant for log and timber exports. STIMBR chair Don Hammond says approval by the EPA is the critical first step into its use in ew ealand to ensure log e ports are free of pests the importing countries don’t want. “Over the past seven years STIMBR and our co-funding partners, including the NZ government, have invested more than $22 million in research on alternatives to methyl bromide, as well as ways to reduce the amounts that need to be used, along with recapture and destruction technologies.” He says an e tensive review of scientific literature commissioned by STIMBR in 2014 found only one promising fumigant alternative to methyl bromide. lant and ood esearch confirmed D is an effective phytosanitary treatment for insects which might be found on our logs.” “There are clear advantages of EDN over methyl bromide. EDN has no effect on the ozone layer. It is not a greenhouse gas. It does not bioaccumulate because it breaks down rapidly in the environment without leaving harmful residues in the soil or in water,” says Don. EDN is currently manufactured by Draslovka, a family-owned company based in the Czech Republic. During the last three years Don says Draslov a has made significant investment to develop EDN into a commercially-viable and environmentally-sustainable alternative to methyl bromide for use globally as a soil and commodity treatment.

Clear priority

The NZ Forest Owners Association president Peter Clark says while approval is a vital first step that doesn t mean importing countries will automatically accept its use. e are confident that, with the huge wealth of positive data on EDN, that EPA will give it approval. The process of assuring other countries that EDN is both effective and safe to use, must also be undertaken as a government priority.” “Though the value of log exports is less than half of the value of our total timber exports, 71 per cent of our logs go to China, and presently methyl bromide treatment is an important component of that trade,” says Peter. “Further, all logs going to India require methyl bromide treatment. “Resolving this issue is a clear priority for our industry.” ccording to 015 data, ew ealand is the world s fifth-highest user of methyl bromide. The EPA’s submission period for the EDN application closed April 19.

EFFLUENT & IRRIGATION

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Trust farms in perfect balance for success Waikato’s Te Raparahi Trust is in the enviable position of yielding some of the country’s best milk, following a three-year programme to balance the soil biology on its four dairy farms. Good management and the correction of the biology means the farms now have a balanced ‘BioCircle’, a phrase coined by Forward Farming biological consultant David Law. “Every farm is a BioCircle,” says David. very ey area flows in and out of other ey areas. hat s in the soil goes into the grass. What’s in the grass goes into the cow. hat s in the cow goes into the effluent pond. hat s in the effluent pond goes into the soil. Te Raparahi Trust chairman Phillip Samuels oversees the trust’s four dairy farms – Te Harore a Kapu, Tokopuhi, Materoa and Papatangi – comprising 1350 cows over 480ha in Tokoroa and South Waikato. Since enlisting the services of David Law and Kiwi Fertiliser soil fertility advisor Alastair Dagg, alongside AgFirst farm consultant Mark Macintosh, Materoa has achieved number one ranking for milk quality at supplier Miraka, and number three for Somatic Cell Count. Tokopui and Papatangi are also ranked seventh and eighth respectively for SCC. “I think we are in a good position for the future,” says Phillip. “We have long-term planning at the forefront of our minds in everything we do.” Five years ago, the farms were in a very different state: animal health issues were rife, and the effluent pond at o opuhi was so heavily crusted farm staff could walk on it. Phillip was also uneasy at how much nitrogen was being applied. “When we started, we were chucking on 300-375 units of nitrogen as Urea, at the recommendation of our fertiliser company,” says Phillip. “When I stood back I thought: ‘This isn’t right’. I wasn’t happy with the way we were headed.” David applied Slurry Bugs – aerobic, or ‘good’ bacteria – to the effluent pond, which cleared the crust. “The biology was working,” says Phillip. “But the crust eventually returned, and we realised we needed to take a wholefarm approach.” Alastair says it took two-three years to correct the soil balance, a large part of which was applying lime and dolomite to correct the

Soil Pond Kiwi Fertiliser soil fertility advisor Alastair Dagg, Te Raparahi Trust chair Phillip Samuels, and Forward Farming biological consultant David Law. soil’s calcium/magnesium balance. Alistair now applies potassium sulphate, sulphur, boron, ammonium sulphate, cobalt, selenium, copper and zinc, in addition to compost and humates, to maintain soil balance. The farm now boasts a balanced BioCircle: the soil environment enables the biological inhabitants to function properly, converting and transporting nutrients and suppressing disease-causing organisms; grass is more nutrient-rich, tasting sweeter to cows and encouraging better feeding cows are healthier, with more efficient digestion and therefore greater mil production and effluent ponds are dominated with good bacteria, digesting solids and preventing crust from forming. The farms’ animal health issues have also been resolved, and N application has been reduced to around 100 units. “Our goal is to get down to 38-40 units; it’s a big target to achieve but I think we can do it,” says Phillip. He says taking a holistic approach is non-negotiable for the trust. “Production has never been up there for us. Reducing costs, making our system more efficient, and leaving a legacy for the future is, by correcting the BioCircle and getting the ecosystem working as one big cog.” th1962m 27/4/18

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DAIRY INDUSTRY AWARDS

Share farmer winners aim to take farm to once-a-day milking Being new to town and wanting to make some new contacts has paid off for the 2018 Bay of Plenty Dairy Industry Awards’ Share Farmer of the Year winners Reece and Tash Cox.

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The couple, who hosted a DIA winners field day on pril 5 at their workplace – David and Lesley Jensen’s 240ha Tauranga farm where they contract milk 700 cows – revealed this was behind their motive to enter the awards. “Because we are new to the area, we wanted to do some networking and get to know some people and we knew it [the awards] was going to be a good motivator for our business,” says Reece. he couple who won five major awards, including the Dairy NZ human resources award, the Eco Lab farm dairy hygiene award, Honda health and safety award, LIC recording and productivity award, Westpac business performance award – told the field day audience they moved to the Pyes Pa farm last June and took on a 710-strong herd and three staff. “Our role now is the day-to-day managing of the farm, production, milking cows and doing maintenance around the farm,” says Reece. “For our business there is also the staff and so we have legal obli-

ash and ee e o resent to the DIA ﬁeld day rowd a out their health and sa ety ro esses Photo: Maddison Brown. gations around that, we need to make sure our HR is up to scratch and take care of things like payroll.” Reece says farming was always in his genes. “I’ve been in the dairy industry for eight years, before this I was managing 1200 cows for three years for Waipapa Trust in Taupo,” says Reece. And while Tash is relatively new to farming, having been a school teacher for the last seven years, she’s taken on administrative roles recently which she’ll juggle with their ﬁrst child, which was due mid-April. Looking to the future, they’ll be taking the farm to “full-time once-a-day” next year, improving

animal health and reproduction and to give staff with a better work-life balance. To make up for loss in proﬁt they will increase the herd to 50 cows. “Our 10-year goal is to purchase 150ha and possibly build our own house on it and stay involved in the dairy industry. Our goal now is to build 15 per cent equity on an annual basis; we’re trying to put our eggs in different baskets so own a rental property in Taupo,” says Reece. Tash and Reece enjoy working alongside farm owners Lesley and David and look forward to continuing to develop their sustainable business. Maddison Brown

Using a science background to improve family farm The Dairy Industry Awards’ 2018 Bay of Plenty Dairy Manager of the Year 28-year-old Bridie Virbickas took on a steep learning curve when she entered the dairying industry.

GRUNDFOS ®

ridie ir i as e lains how her resear h and soil testing has led to redu tion in nitrogen lea age on her ar Photo: Maddison Brown. t the D winners field day on pril 5 in auranga, Bridie recalls how she ambitiously took on her parent’s Bernard and inda irbic as 5 ha ha atane dairy farm mid-season going from an office ob to being in sole charge of a 5-strong herd . Having to learn how to fi troughs, drive a tractor and mow paddocks.” But it’s paid off – the runner-up from 2017 took out the award this year. And she got to share how she’s used her scientific bac ground to improve nitrogen lea age on the farm”. Bridie says she knew she wanted to be involved in the agriculture industry. “So I went and studied agricultural science at Massey University in Palmerston North.” Finishing her degree Bridie was offered a job at Ballance Agri-Nutrients where she worked for more than three years before travelling overseas. She returned to Ballance, leading the North Island Farm Sustainability team for six months, when the opportunity arose to manage her parents’ farm. Bridie will go contract milking with her neighbouring farm ne t year, ta ing on 500 cows and two staff. n the long term she d li e to go 50 50 sharemil ing and Maddison Brown eventually reach farm ownership.

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Farming sustainably while lifting production manager Andrew Archer. “It’s about managing the climate and when you’re actually going to get a response from applications. Running it into our river is bad for the environment but also bad for our bank balance – it’s just wasting money.” Tim and Melissa say they couldn’t

have won the O title and ﬁve merit awards for leadership, health and safety, recording and productivity, farm environment, and pasture performance – without their staff. “You can’t run the farm without them – they’re trained and competent and a big part of our team.” Merle Foster

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The 2018 Central Plateau Share Farmers of the Year Tim and Melissa Parsons hosted their region’s Dairy Industry Awards ﬁeld day at their 950-cow workplace in Tokoroa. Photo: Merle Foster.

Tim Parsons grew up in Tauranga. Future wife Melissa was raised in England. Neither came from farming backgrounds. Today the 2018 Central Plateau Share Farmers of the Year have achieved impressive results on the Tokoroa farm they contract milk 950 cows for Trinity Lands. After various dairying jobs and a stint in the UK with 200 cows, where Melissa says: “Tim realised how good he had it in NZ”, the couple arrived at Tokoroa in 2015. And they’ve worked hard – alongside their three fulltime staff – to achieve results, which they shared with fellow farmers at the Dairy Industry Awards winners’ field day at their wor place on March . Not only have they lifted production but made big gains in animal health, reproduction and environmental practices. Tim says the farm has a 54-bail rotary with in-shed feeding, and is 330ha with 15ha of lucerne – and came out of forestry nine years ago. “We run system 4 and this year we’re targeting 450,000kgMS and are on track for about 470,000kgMS. “Some of the farm’s strengths are it’s summer-safe, you can get away with one person milking most of the year, it has good infrastructure and owners that are willing to bring in feed when needed.” “Cows get 13kg grass and 5kg in-shed and in some harder paddocks they’ll get a top-up of 2kg. We aim to feed them about 20kg per day.” Tim does farm walks to ensure pasture cover is there going into winter – and when they’ve got surplus – and has set their stocking rate at 2.7, knowing they have support from Trinity Lands for additional feed. “I’ve done research and our stocking rate is 75kg of live weight per tonne of DM – compared to the NZ average of 80-90kg. This helps with longer walks and harder winters when cows eat a bit more.” The herd’s reproductive performance has also improved. Tim says last season Trinity Lands brought a vet in and with the Parsons came up with a mating plan to improve the six-week in-calf rate. A vet condition-scored the cows last autumn “making sure they were in the right condition to dry off”. hen on the first day of mating we did 450 cows with Controlled Internal Drug Releases – known as C D s to fi the si -wee in-calf rate, says im. “At 83 per cent it was well under where we wanted to be. We did 450 cows and shortened mating length by 18 days – and got the same empty rates. And we had a faster build-up of milk production. “Production has increased from 480kgMS per cow to 510kgMS. We’re up 40,000kgMS on last season. If we contribute 30 per cent of that to early milk it’s a net saving or gain of $50,000.” This year cows had longer to cycle and produced similar results “and we only used 100 CIDRs”. Tim and Melissa also want to farm sustainably, so looked at antibiotic use. “Last year we treated 260 cows with antibiotics for mastitis and lameness. This year we teat-sealed for mastitis and only treated 37 cows

compared to 97 last year. “Last year we treated 104 cows for lameness,” says Tim, who says their biggest issue is footrot. “This year, every milking we’d clean out the foot and apply copper sulfate and only had to treat 11 cows. It’s made a huge difference and put more milk in the vat.” or efﬂuent, a new storage pond is being built. nd Melissa says all waterways have been fenced but they repaired one where water levels had risen. “With riparian planting well-established it’s just maintenance.” She’s also introduced new sustainability procedures. “We’re power-vigilant and careful with hot water usage.” Tim has a song for staff to sing if they leave lights on. “We save plant water to wash our calf equipment. Have a skip bin on-farm – so no rubbish holes. And I require all staff to recycle,” says Melissa “This season we’ve created recycling bins at the cowshed. Anything that can be recycled goes in these – mag bags, plastics, glass, cardboard packaging, plastic caps off spray-cans, big drums, silage wrap etc.” “And we re-use as much as possible.” The couple have also reduced nitrogen dressings – following Trinity Lands’ policy to not apply N in winter months, when soil temperature is below 10 degrees Celsius, or before large rainfall is forecast. “There’s no point putting it on and letting it get washed into waterways,” says Trinity Lands’ general

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Personal development has been key for Donna Donna McKinley says a wise man once told her never to sleep in. “My worst has been until 7am,” admits 2018’s Central Plateau Dairy Trainee of the Year at the Dairy Industry Awards’ ﬁeld day on March .

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“I’m not much of an early-riser – but the cows make it worthwhile,” says the 22-year-old, who is 2IC for Davison Trust Partnership milking 330 cows on its 116ha Marotiri farm but is moving to Mangakino to manage a small dairy farm on June 1. “I entered to benchmark myself against everyone else and see where I was tracking. The feedback has been critical – it’s helped me to where I am today. Many think it’s just careerbased but there is a lot of personal development too.” Donna loves her cows. “I think most farmers have a soft spot for their cows – I probably spend 10 minutes each milking scratching the cows in the paddock. “And I love the opportunities on offer. I mean what industry can you walk into and three years later be in a management position?”

Central Plateau Dairy Trainee of the Year, Donna McKinley, loves the dairy industry and what it has to offer. Photo: Merle Foster. For her, early wake-ups and seasonal changes are tough. “You can’t predict a good season; you get what you get. “So it’s about how you handle the situation and deal with it – especially if you haven’t dealt with it before, it can be quite challenging. But I enjoy a challenge.” “Moving into management next season, I hope to have a contract milking job lined up for the next season. “My 10-year goal is share-milking. Land ownership is my end goal.” Merle Foster

Fewer cows with sore feet How often does the small paddock next to the farm dairy contain cows with sore feet? Probably too often. Lameness is sometimes the bane of a farmer’s life. So, when I attended a recent SMASH seminar where Neil Chesterton was the hugely entertaining and informative speaker, all of us there learned a lot. Neil has been a practising vet in Inglewood, where he arrived after graduating from Sydney University in 1974. Since 1980 his focus of interest has been on lameness in pasture-fed cows. He’s published papers, made and uses videos, and now focuses on passing on his knowledge through his specialist business Vet Education Transfer Services Ltd. Much in demand, he now travels around New Zealand and overseas for about four months a year, teaching vets and farmers. His informative website can be found at: www.lamecow.co.nz/about-neil.shtml We’ve all heard everyone’s views on the ‘causes’ of lameness. But Neil began his session by telling us about the best advice he was given at a conference, where another vet advised him to cease using the word ‘causes’ because it put people off. Instead he should be advising folk to look for ‘risk factors’, which placed the onus on farmers and workers of ﬁnding out why lameness with different symptoms was occurring.

Risk factors

Risk factors are why there is often injury, which promptly gets an infection. Although metabolic factors can be involved, they occur far less often. Neil advocates careful record keeping on lameness, which ensures early detection and prompt effective treatment of the true problem. Neil has found that

sole injuries account for about 30 per cent, white line injuries about 40 per cent, axial injuries 12 per cent, footrot eight per cent and solar ulcers just one per cent. Also, when cows spend part of their time on hard-surfaced indoor facilities, digital dermatitis has become a new problem; and this can be spread around the herd. He’s devised a footbath which actually works, and can be really useful where footrot and dermatitis occur frequently. Races, especially those with slopes and corners as well as surface irregularities, can be big risk factors, mainly due to the effects on cow ﬂow, which is probably the major risk problem. Cow age and nature also play a big part.

Always plural

Neil showed a video with ‘assertive’ cows pushing shyer heifers near an electric fence. In trying to avoid the fence younger cows were trying to go backwards and getting bunted by those around them, and when they all came to a bend we saw cows crossing their back legs trying to lean away from the fence. In Neil’s long experience the risks are always plural, and discovering them all takes careful watching and note taking. Another video showed the agony some cows have to endure before anyone does anything about their lameness. At calving time the ligaments, even in the feet, soften, allowing the pedal bone to tip down into the fat pad on the sole, causing solar ulcers which are extremely painful. We are all aware that some herds have to walk marathon distances to and from the shed, generally twice-a-day. o, finding the ris factors on your farm and fi ing them will be the best way to eep the herd flowing, vet bills down and cows happy.

Sue Edmonds

DAIRY

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s science illing pastoral farming One well-known farm consultant derides any alternative to the superphosphate, muriate of potash, and urea-driven soil fertility system as ﬂying in the face of 60 years of science”, with performance data being rejected as anecdotal.

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he value of soil tests showing results in Base aturation figures rather than ust M uic est and Olsen figures are dismissed by another scientist as “failed science”. M uic est and Base aturation figures are calculated from the actual amount of the element e tracted. M figures are reported as a number while the Base aturation figures relate the amount e tracted to the storage capacity of the soil, reported as a percentage. Both measures are valid and are contained in the earliest comprehensive wor underta en by government scientists in the 1940s. One can be converted to the other, and bac again, with a simple formula, in much the same way as fuel usage can be e pressed as miles per gallon or litres per 100 m. hen the long-term results from the use of any alternative soil fertility system can no longer be denied by any measure, the products used are referred to by some as “snake oil”, with the obvious inference for those selling them. In one instance when Functional Fertiliser’s total nutrient pac ages were referred to as such, it was quickly followed by, “but it works”. The manufacture and widespread use of superphosphate does go bac 0 years and beyond. he use of muriate of potash (potassium chloride) followed soon after. However the widespread application of urea was embraced only after the ammonia urea plant in Taranaki came on-stream in the late-1980s. It is assumed by most farmers and consultants that there are volumes of trial wor bac ing their use. his is not the case. lthough there is much shortterm work around the use of these products, there is little that can be regarded as long term trial data. All the research information available, therefore, requires careful interpretation. The mainstream systems that have evolved during the last 50 years have been based on common practice, and that has Functional Fertiliser changed little by Functional little over time, corresponding Fertiliser more to manufacturing and storage capability rather than supplies full nutrient supplies full nutrient farmer requirement. Functionalbased Fertiliser packages on on packages based supplies full nutrient Functional ®Fertiliser ® packages basedfull onnutrient supplies packages®based on 0800 843 809

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nitially, high- uality phosphate roc from Ocean and Nauru islands was available at low cost, and because pastures responded to the application of both phosphorus and sulphur, single superphosphate plants were commissioned. This allowed a cheap effective product to be applied with positive results. Cost at that time was important, as farming was very much in the early development stage, with every e pense carefully scrutinised, resulting in lowestcost becoming part of the culture. Once the supply of rock from the acific Ocean was e hausted in the 1980s, phosphate rock was purchased from more distant places. In a competitive marketplace the reason for anything being cheap is because it s not wanted by others; and, in the case of phosphorus, the cheapest roc contains the highest level of impurities, usually cadmium. here are now large areas of our most productive land with levels of cadmium that limit what can be grown on it. Because of the steadily increasing itrate- levels in groundwater, there is a strong movement now underway to replace the very large tonnages of urea spread, by nitrogen fi ed naturally, primarily by clover. The other reason for this shift is that pasture production under conventional -driven programmes is steadily declining to the point where an increasing number of farms are becoming uneconomic. hat decline has ta en place gradually since the introduction of urea, before which top quality pastures were growing more than 1 tonne of dry matter annually. ome figures being uoted now are as low as 10-1 tonnes. n a good season 14-15 tonne is now the ma imum for properties using urea for nitrogen, while the production from Functional Fertiliser’s alternative programme is now as high as 0 tonne ha annually, with steady incremental increases during the last 13 years. For more information call Peter on 0800 843 809.

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rogress on supplier payment terms Minister for mall Business tuart ash has congratulated onterra for its change of policy around payment terms for small and medium suppliers. he dairy co-operative has adopted a new policy where suppliers whose contracts are worth up to 00,000 per annum will be paid on the 0th of the following month. e pressed concerns earlier this year about the tough payment terms faced by some small and medium businesses, after reports some were waiting up to three months for payment. I also raised this directly with Fonterra. he company has now advised that from ugust 1 it will change its payment terms for smaller suppliers, who make up around 86 per cent of its vendors. commend onterra for the change, which will affect more than 4000 suppliers,” says Stuart. do not generally see to single out individual businesses but this positive change by onterra deserves to be ac nowledged. hope it serves as an incentive for other large organisations to ensure prompt payment of their suppliers and contractors.”

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Farmers’ Forum to set the tone for dairy’s future Minister of Agriculture, Damien O’Connor, and Minister for Climate Change, James Shaw, are in good company at this year’s DairyNZ Farmers’ Forum in Hamilton this May. The forum, on May 8-9 at Mystery Creek Events Centre, is hosting speakers from across the dairy spectrum – bringing together leading political and economic views, and discussing sustainable farming, future food and farm practices. DairyNZ chief executive Tim Mackle says this year’s Farmers’ Forum will set the sector up for future and discuss how the new strategy, Dairy Tomorrow, will be achieved. “The forum will explore where dairy is headed. “Understanding our sector’s future from a range of viewpoints is so important, as the political, economic and environmental outlooks, as well as our markets, drive what we do daily on farms New Zealand-wide,” says Tim. “The dairy sector is dynamic and challenging, and as we plan for the future through the strategy it’s a great time to discuss and debate all the issues and opportunities we face.” The two-day DairyNZ Farmers’ Forum is expected to attract more than 700 farmers and brings together inﬂuential leaders and commentators. Minister of Agriculture Damien O’Connor will discuss the future of dairy farming from the Government’s perspective and priorities for food production, while Minister for Climate Change James Shaw will discuss the sector’s opportunities for climate change and greenhouse gases. Farmers can also submit a question to both ministers for a Q&A session on day one (questions can be submitted when registering to attend the forum). Additional speakers include future of food specialist Julian Cribb, economist Cameron

Minister of Agriculture, Damien O’Connor.

Minister for Climate Change, James Shaw. Bagrie, future thinking, strategy and innovation leader Roger Dennis, mental health campaigner Mike King and a wide range of dairy sector leaders. A panel discussion of dairy company leaders will look at what the Dairy Tomorrow strategy will mean for farmers. Day one of the forum looks at what is driving change in the global markets, the changing political environment, the implications for NZ dairying and how the sector can adapt. On day two, the focus shifts to the farm, looking at new technologies and techniques to help farmers respond to the sector’s challenges and opportunities, along with tips, tools and advice for boosting farm businesses. Farmers can choose from eight workshops. he forum is also a good opportunity to ﬁnd out more about new research and projects, and discuss them directly with the researchers and project leaders,” says Tim. The DairyNZ Farmers’ Forum is free to levy paying dairy farmers and their staff. Registrations are open and essential prior to the event. To view the full programme or register, visit www.dairynz.co.nz/farmersforum

LIC to simplify shares Livestock Improvement Corporation Ltd’s board has received Ministerial approval to proceed with proposed changes to the co-operative’s constitution as part of a proposal to simplify its share structure. The proposal will bring the farmer-owned cooperative’s existing two classes of shares together into a single class. Of votes received, 87.69 per cent of co-operative shares and 83.39 per cent of investment shares voted in favour, in March 2018. Under the Dairy Industry Restructuring Act, LIC also had to seek Ministerial consent for proposed changes to LIC’s constitution to enable the proposal. LIC chairman Murray King received a letter from Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor, giving his consent. “LIC is an important part of NZ’s dairy industry and simpliﬁcation of C s share structure is an important step to future-proof our co-op for farmers. The board intends to carry out implementation of the proposal in July with the aim to have trading in the new single class of Ordinary Shares open on July 23, 2018.”

DAIRY

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Don’t just be a meat producer - be a supplier too The army caterpillar has been putting pressure on new grasses and crops. We’ve had to spray all of our lease land because of the high concentration of them. And I know of others who’ve had land heavily infested as well – they’re certainly making their presence felt this year. They just eat everything – turnip leaves until they are skeletons. Then they start eating the bulbs. With new grass they chew it down to groundlevel; they just mow it back. So you need to keep on top of monitoring and get in and spray them as soon as you can. If you don’t spray you’ll waste money – especially if you’ve sown new crops or grasses. One Edgecumbe contractor told me they eat broadleaved-dock and Californian thistle. So they’ll eat any damn thing in their way. That’s why we call them army caterpillars – they just march and eat. March and eat.

Meat industry relationships

There’s some talk lately about farmers and their relationships with meat processors. There’s a problem arising where many farmers aren’t committing to their meat processors – and contracting forward. All they do is just become producers – not marketers of their produce – and just send product any old time and rely on the market of the day. They put animals to market when ready and take the given price – when everybody else is doing the same thing. So traditionally the price – because of a surplus of stock on the market – usually drops.These farmers need to start talking to their meat processors and committing and contracting and planning their schedules around that sort of thing so they get better returns. In some cases it may pay to hang on to cull cows a bit longer, put more condition on them and send to

market when there’s a shortage of stock to yield a better price. Yes, it might cost more in feed – but you can soon work out the cost versus the gain. There are many calculators available to work out feed cost per 1kg DM and weight gain needed to cover that. It’s about farmers being more strategic in the way they market and send their stock to market. Many other businesses – ourselves included – know if there is surplus on the market you can waste your time putting it out there because to sell it you have to drop your price and compete with everybody else. Sometimes you just have to sit on it.

a lack of relationships between them and meat processors is costing NZ big time. Dairy farmers are used to producing milk for Fonterra, who come and collect it; and they just see cull cows as a byproduct of that. But they should be suppliers to the meat market too.

be proﬁtable for that they need farmers to be proﬁtable and want to keep supplying. And consistency is key to being able to plan and budget well. When things are up and down like a yoyo it’s damn hard work. Massey University surveyed 12 per cent of meat market farmers and found

Promoting free-range

Another issue here is consumers today are looking for quality but also want to know how the product has been produced – if it is free-range. Well, we know our dairy and beef market is freerange so we probably need to be promoting that more. Also, consumers want products that are environmentally-friendly. We need to look at our relationships with everybody; and our commitment to animal welfare, the environment and food safety as well. Farmers need to listen to consumers. So it’s not just: “Oh we’ve got some cows ready to cull, ring up the works to send them”. They need to take a bit more ownership of the process and be more strategic to reap themselves more beneﬁts. Now we’ve also got cows from the South Island – more than 22,000 – to be put on the market to slaughter due to having Mycoplasma bovis. So farmers wanting to strategically market their animals will have to get their stock into market before those cows or wait until afterwards – if they’re wanting good money. If they settle for money on the day – for just being producers – that’s all they’ll get. It’s about communication and working alongside meat producers rather than being disconnected. Because meat producers want to

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6.30-8.30pm for 6 weeks, Fraser High School Hamilton, $75. See tinyurl.com/ y84uk68r

May 8-9

DairyNZ Farmers’ Forum, two-day event at Mystery Creek Events Centre hosting speakers from across the dairy spectrum. To view the full programme or register, visit www.dairynz.co.nz/ farmersforum

May 20

Miranda Shorebird Centre

May 6

AGM, 10am, guest speaker Bruce McKinlay, DOC ﬂyway ofﬁcer. High tide 10.45am. See www.miranda-shorebird. org.nz

Hamilton’s New Concept Garden, 10am-5pm, exhibition at Waikato Museum, free.

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May 24

Waikato Horticultural

Society: Callas, 7.30pm, Hamilton Gardens. Speaker is Trevor Brljevich of Quality Callas, visitors $5. Ph Carmel 07 859 0158.

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Fifty Years of Fieldays

Talk, 1pm, Waikato Museum, Hamilton, free. See waikatomuseum.co.nz

One-stop shop recycling trial event, at Matamata, as part of a project to trial new ways of

helping farmers recycle farm waste. Waste must be booked at www.agrecovery.co.nz or by calling 0800 247 326.

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Garden Design, 9am-3pm for 2 days, Fraser High School, Hamilton, $85. See tinyurl. com/jxwolwf

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May 27 Urban Homesteading & Radical Home Economics, Waikato Environment Centre, $109. See tinyurl.com/ yak5wzt5

May 27 Bonsai Workshop,

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Big Three Contest, hunting and ﬁshing challenge, Opotiki. See tinyurl.com/ y6wtodj8

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How can NZ agritech feed the world even more? How New Zealand can meet the challenge of feeding some of the predicted global population of 10 billion by 2050, will be a major focus at a Techweek event in Tauranga in May.

World-leading meat, dairy and horticultural industries have established NZ’s reputation as a producer of food. But NZTech chief executive Graeme Muller says the country’s collaborative agricultural ecosystem is shifting its efforts to developing sustainable ways to feed the world. “Will the future of food production rely on robots and data, or a global consumer shift toward alternative proteins? These are just some of the agritech issues so important for NZ’s economy that will be discussed in Tauranga on May 23.”

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Techweek, which is run by NZTech from May 19-27, is a nationwide festival of nearly 300 events in 30-plus centres, to promote NZ tech and innovation to the world and support the growth of our fastest growing and third biggest industry in NZ. It’s headline event ‘10 Billion Mouths’ on May 23, at ASB Baypark Arena, Tauranga, will be a conversation about how NZ agritech innovators are exploring new ways to feed the world. Keynote speaker is leading agritech investor and industry speaker Arama Kakutai. Arama’s connection to agriculture in Aotearoa goes back seven generations; and he’s worked for more than 20 years in agribusiness. He served as an executive chairman of PKW Farms, led the NZ Government’s Trade and Investment agency in North America, following which he emigrated to the US. And in 2005, he and Dr Jerry Caulder co-founded Finistere Ventures, a pioneer in the agriculture and food technology sector. Graeme says exploding populations, sustainability and increasingly unpredictable climates are some of the problems agriculture is facing globally which require urgent answers.

“Alternatives to traditional food sources and farming methods are revolutionising the way we think about feeding the world,” says Graeme. “NZ’s reputation as a producer of high-quality Graeme Muller. meat and dairy products affords us opportunities as the world’s boutique farmer, which NZ agritech companies are leveraging in all sorts of imaginative and inspiring ways. “NZ’s agritech sector, which adds billions of dollars annually to the gross domestic product, will be showcased on May 23 as part of Techweek.” Graeme says NZ’s primary industries are the backbone of the country’s economy and integrating them with technology is the future for a prosperous nation. “NZ agritech, such as herd improvement software, pasture mapping and management are being merged into on-farm practices, maximising increases in productivity and proﬁtability for the beneﬁt of all Kiwis.

Major potential

“Technology has major potential to support higher productivity and more sustainable use of natural resources in farming...Digital agriculture, in the form of precision farming, big data, sensor technology, robotics and drones, delivers a new potential for productivity gains across rural NZ.” Techweek’s‘10 Billion Mouths’ is on May 23 at ASB Baypark Arena, Tauranga. See: techweek.co.nz/whatson/2018/10-billion-mouths-39/

COAST & COUNTRY NEWS

Page 51

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