Coast & Country News - December 2022

a lot like... the end of the year

We did it. We survived another year. It certainly has been a year of ups and downs.

Here at the Coast & Country News o ces, we are still coming to terms with the death of Sun Media director and Coast & Country News editor Brian Rogers.

Brian passed away in September following a ve year battle with cancer.

He had a profound e ect on everyone he meet and has left a lasting impression on many people.

I for one will be forever grateful for the opportunity he and Claire have given me to work here at Sun Media.

e year that was

Looking back on the year that was 2022.

Madness is a word that creeps in when thinking of how to describe the past 12 months.

Devastating frosts, rising in ation, increased petrol costs, and the government’s “ever so popular”

He Waka Eke Noa – Emissions Trading Scheme. ese are all topics that have sparked debate in the rural community.

In this edition of Coast & Country News, we discuss feed management, farm vehicles and machinery, kiwifruit, avocados and dairy.

We have the story of Troy Hall – an avocado orchard worker who has come back from death, after being electrocuted while working on a Bay of Plenty orchard.

Troy has fought tooth and nail, and is now back working in an avocado orchard. His amazing story can be read in the avocado section of this paper.

In this edition, we also discuss the predicted egg shortage for New Zealand on page 3 and talk about mental health on page 15.

Biosecurity and weed control are also hot topics facing many growers and farmers, especially with the warm, wet weather we have experienced recently.

Looking ahead

If there is something you would like to see covered in Coast & Country News, or you have a news tip for us, please email:

editor@coastandcountrynews.co.nz

Whatever you have planned for the Christmas/ New Year holiday, we hope you have a fantastic time.

We will be back in January 2023 with more rural and coastal news for your reading pleasure.

Letitia Atkinson

Why egg prices are set to rise

Egg prices are set to rise after a “perfect storm” has been brewing for more than a decade.

An egg-spert in the eld, Poultry Industry Association executive director Michael Brooks, says the storm involves a range of factors, and rst began culminating in 2012.

“Back then, the layer hen code of welfare said the old style cages, what activists call battery cages, have to be gone by the end of 2022.

“ at’s on track, which is a huge change to the egg industry because in 2012, 84 per cent of all the commercial hens in New Zealand were in the old style cages. By the end of this year there will be none.”

Egg-samples

ere are now three ways farmers can raise layer hens, according to Michael. ere is free range, barn eggs, and colony cages.

Michael says barn eggs were always a small business in New Zealand compared to Europe, although they are similar to free range.

“A barn is basically when hens are on the oor, very much how free range operates except with free range there are holes for the chickens to go outside.

With colony cages, it is a much bigger cage

than the old style, and depending on the type, farmers can have between “20 and 60 birds”.

“It has to have enough perches for the birds to be inside it, a nesting area and a scratch pad. is is because for a layer hen the three most important things they can do is nest, perch and scratch.”

New Zealand seemed to be heading towards about a third of each system, according to Michael.

But another big industry shake up came in when supermarkets announced in 2018 they were no longer going to stock colony eggs. is is another factor putting pressure on the industry Michael says, as “a whole lot of farmers” spent a minimum of about $1 million to convert from the old battery-style cages to the new colony cages, which will be no longer stocked at supermarkets from 2026.

Michael adds this “twisting and changing” was further enhanced with Covid-19.

He says smaller layer farmers relied on selling to cafes, which no longer were buying as frequently, and bigger companies would take up the majority of the shelf space at supermarkets.

“ is was really tough on the little guys,” says Michael.

But the perfect egg storm doesn’t stop there.

Price wars

Michael adds the Ukraine war and in ation has also become major factors due to grain price increases, which typically account for 70 per cent of the cost to raise an egg.

He adds New Zealand doesn’t buy grain from Ukraine, but the war has had an impact on global prices due to the reduced supply.

“Put those elements all together, and you’ve got a situation where the national ock is a bit smaller than it has been previously. at is why you are seeing an increase in price for eggs.”

On questions of an egg shortage, Michael reassures the country will not “run out” of eggs, but things will “certainly be a lot tighter than they have been”.

“ is year would be the rst year we haven’t seen any membership applications for new farms setting up. We’ve also seen a lot of smaller players drop out.

“Times are tough, there are enough eggs around but it will be tight for a while yet.

“Farmers have a lot of

pressures and have spent a lot of money. It’s a hard time to set up for new farmers too, you have to really know your market.” New Zealand is in a unique position for imports too according to Michael. “We can’t import eggs. You can import fresh chicken or shell eggs into New Zealand.

“We are the only country in the world that does not have the three major poultry diseases, which are avian in uenza, newcastle and infectious bursal disease.

“Every other country has at least one of those, some all three, so we have very low imports because they could bring those diseases in, we know it would have an e ect on poultry, and probably on our native birds as well.”

Michael Brooks.

Taylor Rice

Berry scare: confidence grows

In October 2022, New Zealanders were scared with a recall notice for some Pams frozen berry products after 12 cases of Hepatitis A were traced back to frozen berries imported from Serbia.

Local producers were worried consumers wouldn’t pick up on the di erence between locally produced fresh and frozen products and those imported from overseas, causing consumers to stop buying their products.

Waikato berry growers, Te Awamutubased BerryFresh and Cambridge-based Monavale Blueberries are relieved to report that there has actually been an increase in local interest for their frozen products.

High standards

Con dence in locally frozen berries remains strong.

Marije Banks of Monavale Blueberries explains that berry growers have to adhere to standards set by one of the following

agencies - NZGAP (New Zealand Good Agricultural Practice), BioGro NZ or Sedex. “ e standards are set by these agencies and are audited by them,” says Marije.

Contamination risk

BerryFresh owner Murray Flay follows the NZGAP protocols in his orchard which grows raspberries, blackberries and boysenberries.

“As horrible as it sounds, the way that Hepatitis A gets into the food chain is through faecal contamination,” says Murray. is can either be from insu cient personal hygiene precautions taken by infected pickers and packers who handle the fruit, or contaminated water used in the orchard.

Murray says the latter is probably a higher risk, especially in third world countries.

NZGAP covers all aspects of food safety from the inputs such as fertiliser and water, to sta hygiene training, and the freezing and packing facilities.

“New Zealand has a low density population and our water supplies are of a

high standard. We use water for irrigation, handwashing, and machinery and plant washing, and we test our water regularly.”

Sta are trained to wash their hands multiple times a day and anyone who feels unwell has to stay away from work, especially if they have a gastro illness.

ey are required to inform management if they develop a noti able disease.

“ ere is restricted access to the packhouse, with only the team working that day allowed in there, and they follow strict hygiene protocols.

“It’s all about risk reduction.”

Strict rules

BerryFresh blast freeze their berries, following industry best practice to have them frozen on the same day as picking and packed in certi ed food grade packaging.

Murray feels that with regulatory bodies in place, strict hygiene practices and audit trails, New Zealand berry growers do the best that they can to protect the New Zealand public. Catherine Fry

Pickers and packers work under industry best practices and strict hygiene protocols. All photos: Catherine Fry.

Berries need to be picked and frozen on the same day.

BerryFresh director. Murray Flay.

Ko Tātou - This is Us

Tauranga Moana Biosecurity Capital is a agship for the national Ko Tātou - is is Us programme, designed to build a team of regional biosecurity champions through awareness, connection and capability building.

In September 2022, they organised a webinar promoting a national proactive approach to biosecurity in the business community - e Biosecurity Business Pledge.

is is the rst initiative of its kind designed to create a pre-competitive network across the business community to better equip all businesses with the knowledge and tools needed for e ective biosecurity risk management. It enhances the two-way ow of information between the business community and government to strengthen New Zealand’s biosecurity system as a whole.

Business pledge

Recently appointed Biosecurity Business Pledge executive director, Debbie Teale, has taken the lead to help build a strong network of businesses. Her facilitation skills help bring member businesses and their subject matter expertise together to share with other members.

“ e aim is to strengthen the working relationship between government and business, and between businesses themselves. An open exchange of biosecurity knowledge and tools strengthens the system as a whole. Our members know that what happens in one business, or in its supply chain, can have signi cant ow on impacts for others as well,” says Debbie.

“Ultimately we are working together to have more e ective biosecurity risk mitigations in place and help prevent unnecessary costs and disruptions for businesses, communities and the broader economy as a result of unwanted incursions of pests and diseases.”

e Pledge was initiated by a group of key business associations CEOs including the Dairy Companies Association of New Zealand, the Meat Industry Association, Council of Cargo Owners, Customs Brokers and Freight Forwarders Association, Horticulture New Zealand, and Federated Farmers. Auckland Airport and Norwood were also part of launching the Pledge with strong support from Biosecurity New Zealand.

Members are importing from and exporting to all corners of the world. Membership now sits at more than 200 businesses and organisations and is increasing beyond its primary sector foundational base. Each member commits to understanding and managing their own biosecurity risks including and taking action incorporating biosecurity into their procurement policies and promoting biosecurity management.

“Many are leading brands and carry signi cant risks to their businesses should an unwanted exotic

pest or disease arrive in the country, or an endemic pest or disease be transmitted from another site or location within New Zealand.

Sharing tools

“Our members are worried about the complex biosecurity threats that New Zealand faces, and they are keen to manage down biosecurity risks by learning from each other. ey see huge value in openly sharing experiences and knowledge.”

“Following the costly and disruptive incursion to businesses following the impacts of Covid-19, everyone feels building momentum for the Pledge and its work is timely and particularly important.”

e Pledge is helping businesses by developing and sharing guidelines and checklists, procurement contracts and policy templates, and hosting webinars where members share insights.

Debbie says while adherence to pledge commitments is completely voluntary, and for some members the commitments are simply compliance with their regulatory requirements, there is de nitely room for continual improvement across all sectors and types of businesses.

“So many New Zealand companies and our primary industries are at the end of someone else’s biosecurity risk pathway, so working collectively with each other and with Biosecurity New Zealand can only help protect individual businesses and livelihoods, our environment, way of life, and the economy as a whole.”

by almost 40 per cent

Just released real estate data shows a massive slump in farm sales in the three months to September compared with the same period last year.

ere were nearly 109 fewer salesthat is a 39 per cent drop compared with 2021, and a 53 per cent drop when compared with 2020.

Real Estate Institute rural spokesperson Brian Peacocke says the median price also fell nearly four per cent, down to $23,080 a hectare, compared with $30,890 recorded for the three months ended September 2021.

He says the sales drop is worse than usual for this time of year - which is a generally slower time - and a few

factors are at play including in ation and emissions tax.

“ e headwinds include increasing interest rates, supply chain issues are still a factor, in ation is particularly strong in the rural economy.

“So whilst it’s 7.3 per cent or 7.2 per cent in the national perspective, it’s about 19 per cent for dairy and about 10 -11 per cent for sheep and beef in terms of in ation.

“Income levels have been really strong, it’s just con dence is being eroded in the overwhelming increase in costs across the board and hence this extra emissions tax is really striking at the nerve of the industry really severely. I think people are sitting back and taking stock at moment.”

Catherine Fry

Executive Director of the Biosecurity Business Pledge, Debbie Teale.

New name for rescue helicopter

e Tauranga-based rescue helicopter now has a new name.

Aerocool Developments Ltd have recently become the major partner of the Bay of Plenty region’s rescue helicopter. is means the chopper, formerly known as the TECT Rescue

Helicopter, will now be known as the Aerocool Rescue Helicopter.

“We are delighted to begin what will be a long-term partnership with Aerocool Developments Ltd, ensuring the rescue helicopter can continue to be there for those who need us,” says group manager Vanessa Richmond.

Aerocool Developments Ltd have committed to a full four-year term of support with rst right of renewal.

is gives the Aerocool Rescue Helicopter a level of comfort and certainty to continue providing this life-saving service to the community.

e Aerocool Group began from humble kiwifruit growing in 1973 by managing director John Anderson in Te Puna.

is then developed into kiwifruit cool stores and packaging sheds in Mount Maunganui in 1985, to today holding a signi cant investment in commercial buildings and commercial land in the Bay of Plenty region.

John agrees the partnership with the Rescue Helicopter is a positive one and recognises the signi cant impact the rescue helicopter service has in the Bay of Plenty community.

“It has always been a passion of mine to be a major supporter of the rescue helicopter and I am so proud to see the Aerocool brand on the side of the machine, supporting such an incredible service,” says John.

“We extend our sincere gratitude to TECT for their unwavering support of the rescue helicopter over the last 19 years,” says Vanessa when talking about outgoing sponsor TECT.

“We have enjoyed the part they have played in the rescue helicopter family and thank them for their commitment.”

e helicopter will now be known as the Aerocool Rescue Helicopter. Photo: ARHT.

Lucerne: caution calls when flushing ewes

Where there is limited pasture available, he suggests keeping the ewe hoggets on lucerne while the mixed-age ewes are mated and then swapping them around – provided the ewe hoggets are o the lucerne 10–14 days before they go to the ram.

Derrick says there is no quick test

available to test coumestrol levels but ewe lambs can be used as the canary in the mine.

If, after grazing lucerne, ewe lambs develop pronounced udders and/ or teat elongation then coumestrol levels will be elevated.

Farmers considering using lucerne as a ushing feed going into ewe mating should be cautious, particularly if the weather has been wet and warm.

Lincoln University’s Professor Derrick Moot says warm, wet weather is conducive to the development of fungal infections in lucerne crops.

e plant responds to these infections by producing coumestrol, an oestrogenic

compound which suppresses ovulation, particularly in young sheep.

While ewes can be ushed on the crop, Derrick says ewes should be removed 1–14 days before they go to the ram. ey can be returned to the crop immediately after they have been mated.

He says the weather conditions, which increase the risk of elevated coumestrol levels in lucerne, typically means there is plenty of grass available, and

this should be the rst option as a feed over mating. From a ock perspective, the mixed-age ewes are less susceptible to increased coumestrol levels than ewe lambs.

Lincoln University’s Professor Derrick Moot says ewes can be returned to the crop after they have been mated.

Lucerne.

Wet weather brings welcomed growth

Farmers will be welcoming warm rain to boost grass and crop growth.

It’s been a tough spring for farmers, growers and agricultural contractors with such a late season but hopefully the rain we are now getting will mean

seeing the exact opposite, with a high water table contributing to these new springs which are being diverted with new drainage.

We had hoped to nish planting by the second weekend in November but, thanks to the rain, this won’t now happen until the third week.

e good news, though, is that grass is growing and quite a bit of silage is being made on dairy farms with a lot of paddocks shut-up for silage or hay. In a ‘normal’ year farmers would be struggling with seed head but most are on top of their grass growth so this is maintaining quality and is helping sustain milk production and animal condition.

If planning a crop, it is important to remember that – ve to six weeks after planting – you need to identify and target weeds with post emergent spraying. is will mean that when you subsequently apply nitrogen you won’t be stimulating weed growth over crop. Also keep an eye on summer crop pests like butter y, leaf miner and army caterpillars.

Stress

Farmers need to manage stress and, with Christmas and New Year coming up, need to be planning some time away from

the farm with friends and family to wind-down and relax. is sort of break from the farm is vital for every area of your life.

By the time you read this column, submissions on the proposed legislation will have closed with – hopefully – record submissions and common sense proposals from growers and grower representatives. Let’s hope those in power listen to the people behind New Zealand’s standing as one of the most environmentally e cient food producers in the world, our quality product more needed today than ever by the world population.

Can’t help but wonder what big land owners, like Landcorp/Pamu, with more than 300,000 hectares mainly on the Central Island Plateau, are planning now with that land which was previously forestry and deemed unsuitable for farming.

Feed supply

We are still getting calls for feed with a continuing shortage of grass silage around the country. In closing, I would like to wish readers and clients a very merry Christmas and a prosperous and

happy New Year from the team at Bill Webb Feed Solutions.

Bill Webb is a farmer and contractor with more than 46 years’ experience farming and contracting in the Bay of Plenty. Until 2010 Bill operated an agricultural contracting business from a yard at Paengaroa which is now the base for his feed supply business.

On the farming side, Bill owns and manages 100 hectares of hill country grazing dairy replacements and leases 150 hectares of cropping land which produces maize, grass for hay and silage and dairy winter grazers.

e silage produced and on o er to dairy farmers each year is highest quality averaging 12 to 12.5 MJME/kgDM (megajoules of metabolizable energy per kilogram of dry matter). is compares to the average silage quality across NZ which is 9.5 to 10.5 MJME/kgDM with some as low as 9 MJME/kgDM. e higher the MJME the more it will sustain and boost production.

Seasonal planting delays costing farmers

Wet weather in parts of the North Island over the past few months has been causing huge issues for farmers and growers, who have had to delay planting valuable crops.

A cold snap earlier this month froze the asparagus crop of one of the country’s largest growers, Boyds Asparagus, in Waikato and strawberry crops on the outskirts of Hamilton were decimated by heavy frost.

In Horowhenua, heavy rain and ooding has also delayed potato planting, with growers forced to wait until their elds dry out before planting new crops.

And the variable weather is a ecting arable crops too, with farmers also having to delay planting their maize and fodder crops.

Bad luck

Federated Farmers arable spokesperson Colin Hurst says it has been a run of bad luck for arable farmers in the North Island.

“Certainly in Hawke’s Bay and the Heretaunga Plains, just talking to the guys up there, they’ve had three times their normal rainfall in September, you know, probably up to 180mm so there’s been crops drowned out and a lot of the plantings for the process crops have been delayed.

“ e thing about those crops, is they need progressive planting because they need to have a staggered harvest.

“I was just talking to some of my colleagues out there, they grow process pea crops and then they follow with process beans, so the thing about that is, they’re potentially going to

miss that window to get crops.”

e rain has also pushed pause on crop planting in Wairarapa and Manawatū, says Colin.

He says the delays will cost arable farmers time and money.

“ e factories that take those process crops, they need a staggered harvest.

“So if they missed the planting, then they potentially lose those crops.

“But the grain crops, they obviously can go in later, but that normally follows through with a reduced yield, and the maize crops, they may have to change to a later hybrid variety, so more of a shorter season variety, so there is options, but normally means a reduced yield.”

Price increases

e skyrocketing cost of diesel was only adding to farmers’ woes, says Colin.

e price of diesel is now more expensive than petrol in parts of the country - and has been identi ed

as one of the main drivers of the annual in ation rate of 7.2 per cent released yesterday.

Colin says despite higher commodity prices, lower yields and rising diesel costs were dampening farmers’ spirits.

“Look at the price of diesel, it’s just shot up above the price of petrol, I’ve never seen that before.

Factors

“ e price of fertiliser has never been so expensive and then we’ve got the potential reduced yield, so it’s a real cost-price squeeze going on there.

“It just makes it really di cult, but that’s what

farmers and growers have dealt with all their lives, so it’s just another factor to deal with.

“You’ve just got to try and make the best of these situations and hopefully the opportunities will pop up, certainty the market returns have never been better, but that counters the cost of everything.”

Potato elds in Pukekohe. Photo: RNZ / Olivia Allison.

Wastewater recycled using Kiwi know-how

A small family-based company in Matamata has showcased its ability in the overseas market to e ectively recycle e uent.

Forsi Innovations owner Terry Hawes and his sons, Darren and Craig, entered the water and

wastewater ltration industry in 2010, after branching from their parent company Ag-Worx (J.S Jobe Ltd).

In 12 years, Forsi has moved beyond iron, manganese and e uent, to installing water recycling systems in orchards, wineries, laundromats and car washes.

A dairy consultant, who assists with major dairy projects around the world, was looking for a specialised company to deal with the dairy e uent in a university on the outskirts of Hong Kong.

Custom

After learning about Forsi’s unique and custom-built e uent systems in place throughout New Zealand, the consultant approached Forsi’s sales rep Derek Piper and told him about the project.

is would be Forsi’s break into the overseas market.

e Forsi e uent recycling system is broken up into three end products - clean ltered water, dry matter and a concentrated liquid – just what is required in Hong Kong.

is resulting trifecta creates a sustainable system with very little waste.

e clean ltered water can be reused to wash down yards or stored to spread on pastures during dry seasons, the dry matter can be composted and the nutrient rich concentrate can be spread on pasture at a low rate where it can soak into the soil and won’t contaminate water ways.

Flow rate

e system would meet the needs of 75 head of stock and lter an estimated 5000 litres a day (600 litres an hour).

“ e ow rate was minimal compared to what other Forsi systems manage, which are around 10,000 litres an hour,” says Derek.

Managing a lower ow rate was one of the many challenges as part of the Hong Kong project, which gave the Forsi team many opportunities to think outside the box.

To have cows on site, the university was required

to lter the e uent to drinking water standards before being released into the wastewater network, with 32 per cent dry matter.

e space the Forsi system was to be housed in hadn’t been built – so the team could only work from schematics and trust the space wouldn’t change during construction.

Every inch of the workable space would be used for not one, but two identical systems.

“Having two systems was a requirement to act as a failsafe.”

ey also needed to know what the cows were eating, how often the yards were being washed down and the elements already in the water.

All this information provided the basis for how the water recycling system would manage the requirements for the solid matter.

Design and construction of the two systems took over two years to complete.

Despite two Covid-19 lockdowns and other projects on the go, the system left the Matamata-based workshop and ew out to Hong Kong by deadline.

Derek and ltration engineer Kevin Bayly followed closely behind to oversee the successful two-week installation.

Automation

e system is completely automated from NZ, with an on-site consultant overseeing any necessary hands-on issues.

“Alarms alert us to any problems, which through cameras, we can assess immediately.

“All our systems have the latest cutting-edge technology. We never look back – we always improve on what we have done. We are using this system through the automated settings to try new things, without disrupting the process.”

An example of the FORSI system

Water

Water quality plays a big role in the dairy, impacting the e cacy of dairy detergents and teat spray, says FIL technical manager Drew Chadwick.

“It’s important to know what type of water you’re dealing with. Understanding your farm’s water quality will impact overall performance and results.”

Water that has high levels of calcium and magnesium hardness, alkalinity or iron hinder the performance of acid-based detergents. In this type of water, it is more di cult to bring the pH down to a level required for e ective milking machine or vat cleaning.

e minerals found in hard water can combine with the detergents, rendering them less e ective. is will present in sub-standard cleaning e ectiveness and potential hygiene grades.

Recommendation

“Excellent water will mean the chemicals will perform exceptionally well. e recommended rate will always work very e ciently in waters that present with high levels of purity,” says Drew. “When water quality is compromised, product will not work as well. erefore, more will be

needed to achieve an adequate pH change to clean the milking plant e ectively.”

Typically, the amount of product used in di cult water situations has been determined by trial and error.

“Water issues are quite often not visible to the naked eye. Some waters are noticeably turbid if they have iron in it, appearing cloudy or murky, but water can generally look ne.

Tailor-made

“Having all of this information will enable a wash program to be precisely tailored for that individual farm.”

As well as dairy detergents, water quality can in uence the e cacy of your mixed teat spray.

“Quite often chlorhexidine teat sprays don’t suit water high in iron or certain hard waters.” e active chlorhexidine will drop out of the solution and can be found clogging lters and blocking teat spraying nozzles.

“As well as being an inconvenience, this will reduce the amount of chlorhexidine in the teat spray.

“Changing teat spray actives or treating the water using a water softener may be the best solution in this case.”

FIL technical manager Drew Chadwick.

Knock down grass weeds for thriving forage crops

An effective weed control solution

removing moss and giving stone and wood surfaces a fresh look.

“ at’s why Weedtechnics customers see a quick return on investment and that the bene ts of reducing health and environmental hazards deliver

them triple bottom line returns.”

Weedtechnics NZ has a wide range of New Zealand clients, including councils, organic farms, vineyards, contractors and private lifestyle block owners.

Machines start from $17,000.

ere has been an increasing concern over using chemicals for weed control in recent years.

Studies have shown that the repeated application of these chemicals can harm people and the environment.

As a result, there is a growing movement towards ‘organic’ alternatives that are less toxic and more sustainable.

Sebastian Kramer from Weedtechnics NZ explains their solution.

“Satusteam is highly e ective on all soft-leaved and

stemmed vegetation.

“Our unique methodology destroys this vegetation quickly and e ciently, reducing weed management costs over time by controlling the seed bank.

“It’s also a very e ective tool for outdoor sanitisation and cleaning of landscape assets,

Tackling invasive pests using environmental DNA

Exceptional biosecurity leadership and its role in protecting our economic security have been

the Mondiale VGL Innovation Award, and took out the Supreme Award, at the 2022 New Zealand Biosecurity Awards prize giving.

No farming miracles in the pipeline in NZ

ose waiting for a revolutionary breakthrough that will take farming from the emission belching monster the government seems hell bent on believing it is, to a utopian activity free of mud and dead animals, will be forever disappointed.

e future as always lies somewhere between those two worlds and changes to both the models used to calculate emissions and farming practises must be made for progress to take place.

e government’s models are essentially awed by the assumption that pastoral farming results in a loss of soil carbon, with resultant environmental degradation.

No matter how logical they may seem, following the models will lead to a scarcity of food and even greater environmental damage.

e quickest way to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere is under

intensive pastoral farming where carbon dioxide, a plant food, is converted to usable energy via photosynthesis with most of the carbon fraction held in the soil as humus.

at’s not to say that all current farming practices are those best suited to the sustainable provision of food. Currently in some regions, there is a mismatch between the number of heavy animals and the land suitable for wintering them on.

Heavy soils prone to pugging are not suited to the wintering of large numbers of heavy cattle, whether dairy or beef. at land is primarily sheep country.

During winter there will always be some soil damage, more so in wet winters and is best con ned to relatively small areas that can be recovered by cultivation and crop establishment. e real issue with current practise as we see it is the reliance on synthetic nitrogen for annual pasture growth.

Nature’s balance

Regular applications at any time are environmentally harmful, wasteful, and expensive.

Harmful because, at best, only 50 per cent of applied nitrogen is taken up by plants with the remainder entering groundwater as nitrate nitrogen.

As it travels down through the soil pro le it takes with it the most available cation, primarily calcium, which must be replenished with lime applications. ere’s no such problem with nitrogen xed by clover. ere’s a natural balance between supply and demand with excess held by the continuously sequestered carbon from dung, decaying root mater and litter from the soil surface.

Synthetic nitrogen can be bene cially used for crop establishment, and applied six weeks prior to a budgeted feed de cit.

With the recent hike in urea prices, there are now more nancially viable ways of lling feed de cits.

Growing clover dense pasture from now until the end of April provides the nitrogen necessary for maximum pasture growth.

Nutrition

Not only xing nitrogen free of charge, clover also provides the best possible tucker for milk production and rapid growth of animals.

e nutrient requirements for clover are di erent to those of grasses in that clover contains 3 to 4 times the calcium of grasses and extra rapidly cycling calcium is necessary for best results.

CalciZest, a lime based product made by Functional Fertiliser, has proven to be highly successful at stimulating

vigorous strong-stemmed clover when applied in spring.

Containing soft carbon inoculated with a wide range of soil friendly fungi and bacteria, recent work has shown that it’s likely to provide a worthwhile reduction in grass grub and porina numbers.

Spread by conventional groundspread at 400kg/ha it’s a cost-e ective way of increasing total pasture production over summer and early autumn, as well as increasing its digestibility.

Farmers applying for the rst time often report improved pasture palatability, animals spending more time ruminating and less time grazing with a resultant increase in milk solid production and the growth of young animals.

For more information call Peter on: 0800 843 809.

Growing clover dense pasture from now until the end of April provides the nitrogen necessary for maximum pasture growth.

Dairy farmers: Here for the long game

strides in environmental progress.

Dairy farms have the lowest emissions footprint for on-farm milk production, and farmers are further improving water quality and protecting biodiversity on their farms.

Plans

is includes 65 per cent of dairy farms having a Farm Environment Plan, covering how they’re reducing footprint. By 2025, 100 per cent will have an environment plan that outlines actions they are taking to improve water quality, protect biodiversity and reduce emissions.

“Our dairy farmers are putting in the hard yards to improve water quality and have been for more than 20 years.

“ ey’ve planted millions of trees and native plants alongside waterways, and that work is ongoing. We know there’s more to do, but the progress to date is something to celebrate.”

e dairy sector, including DairyNZ, is working with farmers on a wide range of on-farm development initiatives, as well as investing in new solutions through R&D. Priorities include new ways to improve water quality, reduce emissions, make dairy farms great places to work and support farmers in running successful businesses.

“To ensure a better tomorrow for our families, community and the environment, we’re getting stuck in and showing we’re here for long game.”

For more info: thelonggame.co.nz

Dairy farmers’ commitment to a better future for New Zealand is being shared in a new DairyNZ campaign, Here for the Long Game.

e multi-media campaign launched nationwide this week highlights dairy farmers’ commitment and their part in New Zealand being the best it can be. It also shares how the sector is addressing challenges ahead.

“Here for the Long Game shares the hard work and dedication of our world-leading farmers.

“As a sector, we want to deliver a sustainable future – meeting the needs of our communities and customers, while maintaining pro table and sustainable businesses,” says Dr Tim Mackle.

Critical role

Here for the Long Game highlights the dairy sector’s drive to being better – New Zealand dairy farmers lead the world but know there’s a

lot of hard work still to be done. e campaign is an initiative of DairyNZ, the industry good organisation representing Kiwi dairy farmers, and includes TV, digital and social media, supported by a microsite at: thelonggame.co.nz

“Dairy plays a critical part in New Zealand’s future prosperity and wellbeing. Being one of the country’s biggest sectors comes with tremendous responsibility – we’re up for the challenge and focused on improving on what we already do best,” says Dr Mackle.

is means being better in business, as soughtafter workplaces, and leaders in animal care and environmental management.

For several decades, the sector has made great

stop cows falling save money

DairyNZ’s nationwide Here for the Long Game campaign shares dairy farmers’ commitment to a better future for New Zealand.

Farmer fined over cattle welfare

A farmer has been ned $12,000 and banned from owning cattle for a range of welfare problems contributing to the death of over a dozen cattle.

Carolyn Sybil Ireland, 55, was sentenced in the Dunedin District Court, after pleading guilty to four charges under the Animal Welfare Act, including reckless ill treatment and ill treatment of animals, following a successful prosecution by the Ministry for Primary Industries.

She was ned $3000 on each of the four charges, along with being disquali ed from owning or being in charge of cattle for ve years.

She was also ordered pay costs of

$11,179.29 for veterinarians, cattle yard hire, musterers and trailer hire.

“Most people in charge of agricultural animals do the right thing – ensuring they receive timely veterinarian care and plenty of quality feed. Carolyn Ireland failed these animals – something that was evident during our intervention,” says MPI animal welfare and NAIT (National Animal Identi cation and Tracing) compliance regional manager, Murray Pridham.

Murray says Carolyn Ireland has been cooperative with an order to destock her property of all cattle.

People aware of animal ill-treatment or cruelty can report it to the MPI on: 0800 00 83 33.

Pasture based dairy farms have continuously increased their productivity.

Unfortunately, for the cow, this represents some challenges, says Sollus head nutritionist Dr Joe McGrath.

“In properly managed pasture, micro minerals are often adequate for low production cows.

“As milk production increases, their requirement increases and the substitution of pasture with silage or bought in feeds reduces the intake of cobalt, copper, zinc, iodine, and selenium.

“Increased stocking density increases mud and transfer of disease between cows so there is a requirement for a greater concentration of vitamin A, D,

E and the minerals Se, Zn and Cu to boost immunity.

“ is means that in the modern pasture based dairy farm we have often increased our requirement for vitamins and minerals and decreased our inputs.”

Joe says cows only have ve nutritional must haves, everything else can be considered an additive that should be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

e big ve are energy, protein, bre, fat soluble vitamins and minerals.

e use of vitamins and minerals should not be looked upon as a feed additive but as replacing what is a normal requirement of the cow on a year-round basis, says Joe.

“Any cow will not function

ere are ve nutritional musts for cows.

properly in the absence of one of these ve.

“Before you think of feed additives as a solution to a problem, regardless of whether they are organic minerals, yeasts, B-vitamins, protected and unprotected amino acids, essential oils, ionophores, antibiotics, bu ers, make sure you have the big ve right rst otherwise they won’t work as well.

“So, keep an eye on your minerals and vitamins in your cows as your production increases on your farm – or if you have high incidences of lameness and down cows.

“Talking to a Sollus team member is a great way to nd out what your cows might be missing.”

Improving

Probiotic Revolution is

o ering a new probioticRumicell - for use in dairy cows.

For the last four years, farmers have used Probiotic Revolution’s premium cow product - BioRumen DFM (direct fed microbial).

e reasons why farmers use this product varies from farmto-farm, says Matt Collier from Probiotic Revolution.

For some it’s used to improve feed conversion, cutting down on subclinical acidosis, improve bre digestion, particularly when seed head emergence occurs or there is a high component of silage in the ration.

For others the motivation is to help improve submission and conception rates or help lower somatic cell counts.

“We only see an initial lift in production in about 50 per cent of cases,” says Matt.

With an improvement in feed conversion there can be substitution of feed and an improvement in cow

condition, so if there is no lift in production we immediately like to take out up to a kg of feed.

“By reducing feed intake without a drop in production we demonstrate the product is improving feed conversion.

“Rumicell is now being o ered to the market as a cheaper alternative to BioRumen - coming in at around 55 per cent of the price.

“With fewer components than BioRumen we can’t expect it to do what we have been seeing in all the other cases.

“However, there will be times when it has a signi cant part to play.

“It all comes down to farmers having the con dence that whether they invest in BioRumen or Rumicell they are going to get a good bang for their buck.”

No time like now to start your subdivision

Had you asked me ve years ago how long it took to obtain new titles for a subdivision the answer would have been – “less than 12 months”. Nowadays you’d be extremely lucky to do it in under 18 months.

People ask us “how could that be?”

Perhaps they have done a subdivision in the past or they have no idea of the complex process involved to obtain the Resource Consent, to begin with. at is where the red tape begins!

Since we’ve done this so many times we can navigate this process for our clients, given plenty of time.

With new legislation on the way, that time frame may yet blow out again.

So, what takes all the time? e shortage of skilled labour in NZ is big, coupled with the lengthy bureaucratic process of Council Approval. I don’t see either improving any time soon.

Subdivision is not just about placing new boundary pegs. First up, a project manager must assess the site against critical constraints and dimensions.

is essential step, to protect your investment going forward, can often involve other specialist input.

Once a decision is made to apply for Resource Consent, the serious investment in time and money begins. A surveyor will visit the site to

produce a plan for the proposal.

eir detailed plan is then used by the several expert consultants and authorities that must contribute.  is all takes time!

Once our report is prepared, pulling together all this information, the application is o for a long holiday at the Council O ce. en comes the construction which invariably includes driveways and connections to services.

Once again the skill shortage means that contractors are booked up many months ahead.

In tandem with this, a boundary survey is performed by a licenced cadastral surveyor to create new titles for the sections.

is is a complex legal process, sometimes delayed by approvals from the crown.

Given that we have perhaps passed a peak in demand, the next little while might be a more e cient time to get such work carried out.

So why wouldn’t you start your subdivision now, if you need the titles in two or three years?

If you have any thoughts of subdividing your farm to sell o a lifestyle property or provide security for a family member, then you should contact a specialist subdivision company very early.

Please feel free to give us a call to discuss your situation and the full potential of your land.

For more information see the advertisement on this page.

Farmers are always looking at ways to improve stock health.

Solution to tackle plastic waste for nurseries

Scientists have been instrumental in developing and testing biodegradable nursery pots that will help nurseries and Kiwi gardeners to reduce plastic waste and its impact on the environment.

e biodegradable pots, made from biopolymers and a bio ller, will o er an alternative to the estimated 350 million plants in pots produced by New Zealand nurseries each year.

Manufacturing of the pots will scale up after production processes are netuned using funding received from the Government’s Plastics Innovation Fund announced recently by Environment Minister David Parker.

e pots are expected to be commercially available by September 2023.

e successful prototype, PolBionix, has been four years in development at Scion as part of a project with commercial client Wilson and Ross Limited.

Director Peter Wilson engaged the services of Scion’s expert biomaterials and biodegradable testing team to develop and test a formulation for a product that meets the requirements of a nursery, last at least 12 months above ground then, after its planted in soil, continues to biodegrade.

e pot then provides fertiliser for the plant as it breaks down,

supporting plant growth.

Polymer technologist Maxime Barbier developed various formulations in the project’s discovery phase, with product testing carried out in small batches.

Early results were mixed, however, the team eventually developed a prototype that showed promising biodegradation properties in 2020.

“Biodegradation is de ned as the breakdown of material into carbon dioxide, water and microbial biomass.

Long-term, Peter is keen to explore other applications for the product across agriculture and horticulture. “Scion’s input has been invaluable.”

Tree specialists “take care of your problems”

Andrew Sutherland is proud of his company’s mantra - “when it comes to trees, we take care of your problems”.

Based in Te Puke, Total Tree Removal has responded to demand and is now providing a comprehensive range of tree services to the Katikati, Whakatane, Opotiki and eastern Waikato region.

“I’ve got a great team with, combined, more than 120 years’ experience in all aspects of tree management,” says Andrew.

“Our specialties include removal

of shelter belts, logging of woodlots, removal of hazardous trees, tree topping, land clearing and scrub mulching, stump grinding, wood chipping and sales of wood chip.

“No job is too big or too smallclients range of large horticultural and agricultural operations down to residential sections.

“Whatever you need in relation to trees we have the expertise, knowledge, experience and machinery to take care of it in a cost e ective and timely fashion.”

For more information see the advertisement on this page.

Scientists Maxime Barbier and Gerty Gielen, pictured in Scion’s accredited biodegradation testing facility, played key roles in the development of biodegradable plant pots for nurseries.

Andrew Sutherland from Total Tree.

Amore Roses open day now December 10

A popular annual festival in a Hamilton rose test garden to enjoy the latest blooms from around the world has been moved from its traditional November date to December 10.

Amore Roses’ Janette Barnett says the deferment is due to very late frosts “which meant our test gardens will not be in bloom at the usual time”. Not normally open to the public, one day

Europe

each year Amore Roses opens the gates to its test garden for a fun- lled day out amongst the roses.

Garden party

“Dress up in your best garden party clothes and explore the two hectares of exclusive international rose breeds.

“Every one of the roses being showcased in the test gardens has been bred by an awardwinning rose breeder and are

not yet for sale - they cannot be found anywhere else in New Zealand and are a ‘sneek peak’ into the future of roses.”

Celebration

e Amore Roses Open Day is a celebration of blooming roses with food carts, ice cream, music and of course the roses. Pick out your favourites on the voting forms.

e Amore Roses nursery is also open for sales.

“ e new roses are grown in the test gardens to ensure they are easy care, disease resistant, healthy, colourful, and a proli c owerer before a decision is made to market it.

“Some don’t make it and public opinion counts.”

Amore Roses test gardens at 275 Vaile Road, Newstead, Hamilton, will be open to the public from 9.30am to 4pm on Saturday, December 10.

For more than 30 years, A Walkers World has taken Kiwis to the world, bringing them into contact with multinationals wanting to combine exercise with a ordable, innovative travel.

Founder Jill Grant says ‘Bike and Barge or Bike and Boat’ is popular with travellers of all ages.

“Small vessels or comfortable barges, which range from standard to deluxe, will be your oating hotel on week-long trips across Europe.

“Unpack once and relax knowing meals and bike hire is taken care of.”

Each day guests have the option of cycling a di erent route exploring villages, towns, monuments, wineries or remaining on board.

“Each vessel has a salon and dining area and all cabins have private showers and toilets.

“Bikes can be hired prior to departure with e-bikes a popular option.

Full details of the Bike and Barge tours along with a range of other cost-e ective holidays can be found on: www.walkersworld.co.nz

farms part of NZ’s future

Many rural landscapes will change - from acres of grazing cattle and crops - to paddocks of solar panels.

A UK based company Harmony Energy has been given approval to install about 330,000 energy producing panels on a farm in Waikato.

At the same time, there has been a huge hike in enquiries from

companies wanting to ‘grow’ more sustainable electricity generation throughout the country, but not everyone is impressed.

National power grid operator Transpower says solar farms will be a big part of the country’s future electricity generation.

Spokesperson Chantelle Bramley says up to 2019 it got between ve and to 10 enquiries from potential

green power generators wanting to connect each year, but over the past year that has shot up to 120.

About three quarters of these were about solar generation, Chantelle says.

Many will not be built because of obstacles such as getting the land, the nance or consents, she says.

Renewable energy

e demand for renewable energy was growing as electricity use increased, for example, through electric cars.

She warns that though solar energy is reasonably cheap to generate, household power bills would not drop but remain relatively at.

e biggest grid-connected solar power plant is at Kapuni in South Taranaki and the district council’s Scott Wilson says it provides enough renewable energy for more than 500 houses.

ere are 5800 panels that weighed about 30 kilograms and each is mounted a few feet above ground level, he says.

Several more solar farm proposals are currently being considered by the council and Chantelle says he’s not aware of any opposition.

Further north in Waikato, the Environmental Protection Authority has just granted approval for Harmony Energy to build a large solar farm at Te Aroha West which will provide power to 30,000 homes.

Company founder Pete Grogan says sheep could graze underneath the panels, but not cattle, which the landowner supports.

Pete believes solar panels are a better use of the land as there are enough dairy farms, and it’s a clean energy generation.

Not all convinced

However, Federated Farmers spokesperson Mark Hooper disagrees, and says land that produces food should be kept for just that.

He’s worried that top quality dairy or cropping land will be covered in panels and there are better places to put them, such as on the rooves of large warehouses or commercial buildings in the urban environment.

Solar panels in other countries like Australia and the United States are on infertile arid land, not the productive pastures being used in New Zealand, Mark says.

Sally Wenley/RNZ

Sheep will be able to graze beneath the solar panels that are installed on a Waikato farm, a spokesperson for Harmony Energy says.

Regional Council pest management tech

A software tool that revolutionises how the Bay of Plenty Regional Council records its pest data and the Ōhope-based sta member who played a crucial role in developing it, have been named as nalists in the Biosecurity New Zealand Awards.

GeoPest is the brainchild of regional council biosecurity o cer Juliet O’Connell, who has led the project.

Together with colleague Sam Stephens, she has spent the past two-and-a-half years developing and re ning it.

e regional council is a nalist for Biosecurity NZ’s innovation award for the second year running, with GeoPest and Juliet is nalist in the emerging leader category.

Field data

e purpose of GeoPest is to allow pest control workers to capture and record data while out in the eld that can be accessed from a central location in real time.

Juliet says it allows those making pest management decisions to always have the latest data at their ngertips.

It consisted of a eld app and a desktop component, which allowed regional council sta and contractors to “upload data on-the- y”.

In the past 18 months, eld workers across the Bay of Plenty region have surveyed 4242 properties (50,385.8ha) using GeoPest.

ey have recorded 10,788 current pest plant infestations, 5879 zero density infestations, and 1135 previous infestation sites have been made historic. All without having to step foot in an o ce.

“We had an external contractor build it, but we’ve been heavily involved with the development and creating what we need to make it t for purpose for us as a biosecurity team.

“We can track them in real time to see what is happening with pests around the region and do on-the- y reporting.

“Having timely and relevant data is really crucial to fully understanding the new pest threats, where they are coming from, what the impact of the existing threats are and how they’re distributed, so that informs our management responses, which determines how e ective our current management regimes are.”

Adaptation

e project originally focused on pest plants but is now moving into the pest animal space. “It has grown hugely, as we worked out how to integrate the animal side of things,” says Juliet.

“ e data that you collect about something that is staying in one place is quite di erent to

something that is moving around because the control of those is quite di erent.”

Two other regional councils, Waikato and Northland, have copied the system, adapting it for their purposes, and Juliet says the council has been in discussions with the national biosecurity collective, trying to make common language around collecting biosecurity information.

Succinct delivery

Juliet manages the feral goat programme for the region and is described by regional council biosecurity manager Greg Corbett in his nomination for the award as displaying

“an unwavering determination to nd better biosecurity solutions for Aotearoa through the practical application of her expertise, all while consistently achieving operational excellence in her role”.

“She has a gift for wading through complexity to deliver succinct but thorough insights and an ability to gain the cooperation of many diverse stakeholders towards a common goal,” says Greg.

“She is highly respected by her peers, the contractors she works with and the community she serves.”

Graduate

“I’ve been really lucky that I’ve had a good management team that’s allowed me to push the boundaries,” says Juliet.

“I’m a high achiever and I like to work toward pushing the boundaries and I think GeoPest is part of that. I’ve got a group of highly competent team members and contractors that I work alongside.”

e Victoria University graduate, originally from rural north Taranaki, has a Bachelor of Science in geography and environment and a Masters in ecology.

She previously worked for the Department of Conservation as a GIS analyst and moved to Ōhope six years ago to work with Ngā Whenua Rāhui.

“I got to the point where I really enjoyed the mapping side of things but wanted to be more involved with the biodiversity, biosecurity, ecology side of things as well while using the GIS mapping as a tool.

“So, I moved over to the regional council and had a stint in regulatory compliance before a role came up in the biosecurity team about three

years ago. My two real passions are being outdoors conserving the environment and then GIS, which is the mapping component, and I’ve been really lucky that management have allowed me to create that niche and be innovative.”

Awards

e Biosecurity NZ Awards have been held annually since 2017, and recognise individuals, groups and organisations that have shown a commitment to supporting and promoting New Zealand’s biosecurity and the systems that uphold it.

Local Democracy Reporting is Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ On Air

Bay of Plenty Regional Council biosecurity o cers Juliet O’Connell and Sam Stephens have worked together to develop and re ne the GeoPest software tool.

Diane McCarthy, Local democracy reporter FIRST

NZ’s back country

NZ Adventures o ers multi day back country tours throughout the South Island under the ownership of Robbie & Connie Crickett who guide all of the tours.

Robbie & Connie have operated the business for more than 10 years now and Robbie’s association with NZ Adventures goes back into the late 1990s when the business began.

With the 2022/23 November to May season fully booked and about to kick-o , Robbie & Connie are already ooking to the following season and the tour line-up.

e new seasons dates will be set in mid-January and information packs will be available from then and posted out to the companies mailing list.

ere will be some changes to the tour o ering for the new season with the biggest change being the addition of a new tour.

‘Trax of Gold’ will be a six day celebration of the pastoral and mining heritage of the South Canterbury and Otago regions.

Starting in the Canterbury town of Fairlie, the new trip will take participants across the mountainous country straddling the boundary of Canterbury and Otago with overnights in Oamaru, Otematata, Ranfurly (two nights) and two nights in Alexandra, where the tour ends. Highlights will centre on the diversity of the trip and the little known localities along the way. Places such as Cattle Creek, Timber Creek, Deepdell, Nenthorn, Styx, Serpentine and German Hill.

All places were once populated and busy,

but are now peaceful and quiet, and not often visited and not even especially easy to get to. And places now surrounded by very large farming businesses varying from extensive to intensive.

At Macraes Flat, the tour will see the largest modern mining operation in New Zealand working very close by some of the earliest mining sites in Otago.

An interesting tour and great addition to the tour lineup will be Trax of Gold.

e other tours on o er with NZ

Adventures for 2023/24 will be our old favourites. For more information see the advertisement on this page.

Dry summer predictions fuelling demand

Predictions of a dry summer are fuelling demand for an incinerator which can be used during a restricted re season without a re permit.

e appropriately named ‘Serious Incinerator’, manufactured by Northland company Iron Tree Products, is made from corten weather steel which conforms to New Zealand Fire and Emergency Regulations. Iron Tree Products’ Milton Brown says the Serious Incinerator comes in three sizes –small 600mm diameter, medium 750mm diameter and large 900mm diameter.

Each feature a lid which safely latches back to the chimney and a heavy duty grate.

Milton says Serious Incinerators are “popular with farmers and horticulturists, lifestyle block and rural homeowners across New Zealand”.

“It’s not unusual to receive orders from as far a eld as Southland.”

Iron Tree Products is a familyowned business operating from a workshop in Titoki, Whangarei. eir focus is on producing products which are well engineered and manufactured “so they last for decades”.

For more information see the advertisement on this page.

e team at Iron Tree Products.

Pukaki Park up.

Steve and Sarah Collins lead a team with extensive experience designing and erecting all aspects of residential, horticultural and agricultural fencing.

S & S Fencing Contractors was formed ve years ago in response to local demand and existing customers from the time Steve professionally fenced with his father, who is still fencing today.

With more than 20 years’ experience under their respective belts, Sarah says S & S Fencing will “do any job, anywhere – no job is too big, too di cult or too small”.

“We have three tractors with rammers but are adept at handdigging on land inaccessible by machines.

“We also clear fence lines.

that

Above: Sarah hard at work on fencing job.

Should I take Co Enzyme Q10?

Imagine trying to drive your car after someone had crimped the fuel line from your fuel tank to your engine.

e car would still run but would quickly lose power on a hill or under load.

is is much like our bodies when they have insu cient Co Enzyme Q10. CoQ10 acts like the fuel line in your car by transporting energy within cell energy factories called mitochondria to make the energy we need.

CoQ10 is an essential vitamin-like substance we make in our liver. While we normally make all the CoQ10 we need, some people because of age, health problems or medications can bene t from taking good quality CoQ10. Be aware that the market is now ooded with low cost semi-synthetic CoQ10 commonly made from tobacco waste.

e most common reason for CoQ10 supplementation is for those using cholesterol lowering (statin) medication.

e side e ects of statins are so common that

they are a diagnosable disease called statin myopathy. e most common side e ects are muscle sti ness, pain and weakness. is can also cause general fatigue which often feels like a lack of motivation.

Statins e ectively inhibit the enzyme needed to make cholesterol. Unfortunately, this enzyme (HMGCoA reductase) is also needed to make CoQ10. Blocking this enzyme reduces cholesterol but also CoQ10 by as much as 50 per cent.

Drug companies are aware of this problem and hold patents for combining CoQ10 with statins. Until such drugs become available, I recommend those on statins supplement with 100-200mg of naturally fermented CoQ10 such as the patented US product CoQsol. If people have low energy or have other health issues, I often add my MTQ10 complex formula that includes high grade CoQ10.

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 newsletter at www.abundant.co.nz

“Our home region is Reporoa, Taupo, Waikato and Bay of Plenty, but word-of-mouth from satis ed clients means the team works as far north as Wellsford.

“We do all types of fencing –electric, post and rail, post and batten, deer and have a reputation for well designed, strong functional sheep and cattle yards.”

Sarah is a fencer in her own right –

working alongside Steve and the team saying that while she can, and does, operate the tractor driven rammers, she enjoys the hand-work involved in every job “like running the wire out, battening and general overseeing the quality of every aspect of each job”.

Fencing is a career with a future, and Steve and Sarah are very supportive of young men and women considering it as a profession.

“We often train and put young people through the training course and generally promote the scope and demand that exists for skilled fencers.”

Abundant

Supports energy and immune functions damaged by in ammation and various health problems. • Incudes potent antioxidants to protect cell energy processes. • Promotes normal energy, good circulation, normal blood pressure and general cardiovascular health. Ingredients: Natural CoQ10®(100mg), full B vitamin complex, pure ActiVin™ grape seed extract, R- Alpha lipoic acid, Acetyl l carnitine , 95% Curcumin, N-acetylcysteine and Resveratrol.

fence

the team has completed.

Finding the ultimate beast of a merger

Murray Jansen thoroughly enjoys the part of his role where he gets to trial and pick the machinery for the company.

His acquisition of a Reiter R9 in 2020 was a highpoint, only to be

trumped by buying another one in 2022.

Machines that use merger technology for raking cut crops such as lucerne and hay are used widely around the world but not in New Zealand.

e Fiber Fresh agricultural manager’s attention was rst brought to the Reiter when he was watching YouTube videos of various mergers at work.

“I found a merger invented by an Austrian omas Reiter, who had worked for machinery makers Pöttinger for 20 years. “When they weren’t interested in his invention, he went out on his own,” says Murray.

Waiting

for the best

e key di erence in the Reiter machine is that it is very exible, hugging the ground contour and omas Reiter has patented this technology.

As far as Murray is concerned, this is exactly what he needed to rake the cut lucerne on the land being farmed.

e ex-forestry blocks on the

land are undulating and the exibility of the Reiter is perfect.

“I contacted omas directly and when an earlier R3 model came into the country I was allowed to trial it for a day.

“I was hooked and decided we needed a nine metre wide version and his R9 was still in progress, but I was more than happy to wait for it to be ready.”

O the ground

Conventional style rakes drag the product across the ground, but the R9 lifts it o the ground. e signi cance of this is that bits of pumice and wood

from the soils are not lifted up, so there is a noticeable 90 per cent reduction in their inclusion in the farm’s lucerne products.

It also doesn’t shatter the lucerne leaves, which contain the source of protein which makes their products so nutritious.

e specs

e R9 weighs 7.5 tonnes and Murray has found that the 320 HP tractors manage it best on the undulating land. It has full hydraulic braking and is completely controlled from the tractor cab.

Murray discusses some of the attributes it has. ...continued

continued...

“You can slow/speed up the belt speed, slow/speed up the tines, change the belt direction and even turn it o but keep the pickup running to keep the headlands tidier.

“It can also merge either three, six or nine rows into one windrow.

“Drying can be made faster or slower depending on weather conditions. It’s just magni cent and so robust!”

Murray and omas have become rm friends over their shared passion for omas’s machines.

Catherine Fry

e Reiter R9 can merge 3, 6 or 9 rows into one windrow.

Fiber Fresh agricultural manager Murray Jansen.

e Reiter R9 hugs the contour of the land as it lifts the cut lucerne.

NATION WIDE

NZ chemical substances

e Government has reformed the approval process for the use of chemicals in New Zealand, making their assessment more e cient without compromising the safety of New Zealanders or the environment.

Amendments to the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act, passed by Parliament, enable the Environmental Protection Authority to make better use of information from international regulatorsso that New Zealand does not have to repeat the work and investigations those regulators have already done.

Safeguards

“We rely on tens of thousands of chemicals in New Zealand, in industrial processes, in agriculture, and in many other aspects of modern life, including cleaning products in our own homes,” says Environment Minister David Parker.

“ e Government is committed to making changes where needed, to improve e ciency and safeguard people and the environment. ese new amendments to the HSNO Act will signi cantly improve the

management of chemicals in New Zealand.”

Every hazardous substance imported into, or manufactured in, New Zealand needs to be covered by an approval issued under the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act (HSNO Act).

Management

Before the new legislation, assessing and reassessing hazardous substances was often resource intensive and could be costly and time-consuming for business. It sometimes meant bene cial chemicals, including safer alternatives to existing ones, took longer to come into use.

In addition, delayed reassessments sometimes meant that safety and environmental controls for chemicals became un t for purpose, while the chemicals continued to be used under pre-existing authorities.

“It is important that the EPA is able to e ectively and e ciently manage these chemicals, so that their bene ts are realised, while not compromising the health and welfare of our citizens or the environment,” says Parker.

“ is is important so we can quickly get safer and more environmentally friendly chemicals in use in this country, and better control the use of older, less safe substances.”

Exporting fertilisers: What you need to know

New Zealand exports fertilisers ranging from nutrients to soil additives.

MPI’s role is to help exporters meet the requirements of overseas markets. As an exporter, people are responsible for telling MPI within 24 hours if the fertilisers for export become un t for their intended purpose or don’t have the required export documents – for example, they have been removed or lost.

Composition

What fertilisers include; Fertiliser products are used to sustain or increase the growth, productivity, or quality of plants. Products can include: nutrients such as selenium, soil additives such as lime and soil conditioners.

Fertilisers can be made from animal materials, such as blood and bone, or sh meal plant materials, such as plant compost, or plant oil, minerals and chemicals, such

as superphosphate, dolomite, urea, ammonia, sulphur, or mineral salts. To export fertilisers successfully, people need to know about the regulation requirements of the destination country, the ingredients in your product, manufacturing, packaging or repackaging, and labelling requirements of the destination country, keeping the right records and fees and charges.

ere may be other requirements as well.

ese requirements might be commercial, or set by other government agencies like the New Zealand Customs Service.

Information

Find out more about export clearance procedures on the NZ Customs website

Manufacturing fertilisers for export? People manufacturing fertilisers for export, also need to meet the manufacturing requirements of the destination country.

A sustainable future in agriculture in NZ

Neutralising carbon emissions and managing carbon sequestration in the soil is the way to a sustainable future in New Zealand.

A team of kiwis, alert to the international ght against climate change, have initiated a venture which they have named Verdi. eir mission has been years in the development with intensive monitoring, testing, and trialling the di erent ways of bringing this unique opportunity to the forefront of farming practices.

Soil carbon has long been recognised as a key element in the ght against climate change and soil health.

Farm management

Ahead of the game locally and following international best practice, Verdi’s MRV (measure, record, verify) Program is the result of extensive research into climate risk mitigation in agriculture, coupled with the adoption of sustainable farm management practices that support carbon sequestration in soils, whilst improving soil productivity and reducing emissions.

Verdi operates on the premise that every productive hectare of land has the potential to sequester carbon to o set greenhouse gas emissions and store surplus carbon to generate additional farm income.

Verdi founder Jason Cruse states that “Verdi’s vision is to help farmers manage their carbon sequestration and provide a trustworthy and measurable way to neutralise their carbon emissions”.

Climate resilience

Evidence from projects worldwide supports a carbon positive farming approach for healthier, more productive soils, farms which are resilient to climate extremes and improve the health of livestock and subsequently people.

Jason continues by stating; “we understand that many farmers are

rates can be and are much higher in most instances. It is vital is to start measuring your baseline ASAP.

If you would like to know more about Verdi’s MRV Program visit the website at Verdi Home - Verdi NZ or contact the Verdi team at team@verdi.nz or phone 03 6871613. To reduce N and improve productivity, phone Brett Petersen 0274 549 442, email brettp@kiwifertiliser.co.nz or visit our website, http://kiwifertiliser.co.nz Climate

sequestering carbon. But unless they can prove the additional gains there’s no way to mitigate taxation. To prove this, they must measure and report it in a strict scienti c manner”.

e Verdi team believe that NZ farmers hold an important key to ghting the impacts of climate change and can lead the world in carbon positive farming practices.

Baseline start

e good news is Kiwi Fertiliser has been guiding NZ farmers away from nitrogen for more than 10 years without losing pro tability.

Waikato University has measured carbon decreasing in dairy farm soils.

Kiwi Fertiliser knows soil C will increase in the soil when N applications are reduced, since N and C are diametrically opposed.

Here are some basic gures showing the minimum measurements to sequester carbon in the soil.

A typical dairy farm has a GHG emissions liability of around 10t/ha/ yr. CO2e. At $85/t within the ETS a 200ha dairy farm has an annual liability of around $170,000 or subsidised to $8500 in 2025.

is farm would need to reduce its emissions to 6/t/ha/yr, and

prove sequestration of 4 t/ha/yr of soil organic carbon, where half is left on farm for permanence and system change and half (7t/ha/yr CO2 equivalents) is available to cover annual liability and cover cost of the measuring outcomes.

On 200ha, the net nancial gain to the farmer over 5 years is dependent on pricing and entry to ETS, however it can save the farmer more than $500,000 before 2030.

ese gures are conservative as sequestration

Slow release rock provides strong option in sensitive catchments

rare consignment of Reactive Phosphate Rock (RPR), scheduled to arrive in New Zealand, for application between February and May next year, should receive a keen welcome from hill country sheep and beef farmers.

Ravensdown Fertiliser Manager Greg Costello said the product, sourced from mines in northern Peru o ers particular bene ts in sensitive localities.

“Early analysis has determined this as a superior quality product, providing a slow-release form of phosphorus.

Expectations are for citric solubility of greater than 40 per cent, making Ravensdown’s RPR one of, if not the highest, citric solubility product in the market.”

“For adherence to Farm Environment Plans in sensitive catchments, RPR is particularly bene cial, minimising environmental impact. Its citric solubility reduces the potential risk of phosphorus leaching into waterways. For anyone following regenerative or organic farming principles, or otherwise looking for an e ective natural alternative

Reduce Phosphate Runo

to single superphosphate, RPR is a smart option, building resilience into the farming system,” he says.

Along with her husband Gundy, Lisa Anderson farms a 2720 hectare 7000 stock unit Bog Roy Station on the Ahuriri arm of Lake Benmore, near Omarama. As Lisa explains, their land use takes advantage of RPR.

“As we farm beside the lake, in a red zone catchment that has been capped for nitrogen and phosphate, to remain economically viable requires smart use of the best tools in the toolbox. We have been using RPR for the last four years. It helps reduce our environmental footprint.”

“While some were sceptical when we started using it, those misgivings proved unfounded, and our productivity has remained consistent. In a high rainfall area with acidic soils, a slow release phosphate works well, and we use it

on our irrigated paddocks. Some others in our district are required to use RPR to comply with the conditions of their meat processing contracts, so it is doubly bene cial for them.”

“Aside from the regulations, we enjoy taking our children to swim in the lake, so are motivated to protect the water quality for that reason. RPR is an excellent option for our farm, helping underpin our productivity without compromising the environment,” says Lisa.

A natural alternative for sensitive catchments.

Ravensdown RPR is a win-win for hill country farmers’ sustainability and productivity goals.

•Slow-release action reduces risk of P loss into waterways

•Market leading citric solubility

Smarter farming for a better New Zealand®

For more information about Ravensdown RPR, call our Customer Centre today. 0800 100 123 ravensdown.co.nz

We have been using RPR for the last four years. It helps reduce our environmental footprint.

David ‘Gundy’ and Lisa Anderson have been successfully using RPR.

e MV Rangitata is making her maiden New Zealand voyage carrying product for Ravensdown – reducing CO2 emissions by an estimated 39 tonne when compared to moving the same volume of product by road.

She is the newest vessel for Coastal Bulk Shipping Ltd, one of four preferred suppliers in a $30-million Government investment for coastal shipping funding through the National Land Transport Programme to improve domestic shipping services, reduce emissions, improve e ciency and upgrade maritime infrastructure.

Coastal shipping is forming a key part of Ravensdown’s national emission reduction strategy, says sustainability manager Allanah Kidd.

“We are endeavouring to supplement road with coastal shipping, where the opportunity arises, to reduce our impact on climate change. It’s a more e cient way to move product, takes trucks o the road and reduces congestion.

“New Zealand has environmental

commitments to meet. is is about New Zealand Inc., and on behalf of our farmer shareholders, we’re happy to be doing our bit to respond to climate change.

“It is a visible demonstration of our commitment to reducing greenhouse gases as part of our sustainability targets.”

Road to sea

MV Rangitata’s GHG calculation – 39 tonne CO2 equivalent – was based on the full route, which involved taking a load of phosphate rock from Napier to Dunedin, then 2000 tonne of superphosphate from Dunedin to New Plymouth.

Beyond this maiden voyage, Ravensdown will look to engage the vessel as required to move cargo into

smaller ports, namely Whangārei, Whanganui, Gisborne and Nelson. “Where it makes sense for us to do so, we will switch product transfers from road to sea,” says national logistics manager Ant Boyles. “We all have a part to play in trying to be as e cient as we can.”

New and improved

Ravensdown has used Coastal Bulk Shipping for many years.

is is the rst journey on their new vessel, which has a greater payload so o ers additional bene ts.

e new ship can carry about 2000 tonne of superphosphate, compared to the company’s smaller 800-tonne vessel, Anatoki.

“Coastal shipping gives us the opportunity to move our products around in a more greenhouse gas-e cient manner, and because this new vessel is bigger, we can do one ship movement instead of two.”

Waka Kotahi worked with the wider freight industry – NZ Shipping Federation, Port Company CEO Group, National Road Carriers, KiwiRail, and Te Manatū Waka - Ministry of Transport – to select four applicants for co-investment in new

and enhanced coastal shipping services.

When he announced the funding investment, Transport Minister Michael Wood said it would go towards “better utilising the blue highway, improving our freight system, and future proo ng our national supply chain”.

It’s estimated the new services, once fully operational, will remove around 35 million kilometres of truck travel from New Zealand’s roading network every year, reducing wear and tear and improving safety for road users.

“ is will also support our commitment in the recently released Emissions Reduction Plan to reduce emissions from freight transport by 35 per cent by 2035.”

MV Rangitata.

Upgrading Rangitāiki River floodwalls

e oodwalls adjacent to College Road, Edgecumbe, are getting upgraded, with construction set to start in late November/early December this year.

is section of oodwalls is the nal stage of Bay of Plenty Regional Council Toi Moana’s work to upgrade oodwalls downstream of the Edgecumbe College breach site, as part of the Rangitāiki River Floodwalls project.

is project was prompted by the discovery of seepage (the slow escape of water through spongey earth) at three oodwall sites along the Rangitāiki River (Greig Road, ornton School and College Road) and is part of Regional Council’s ongoing work to upgrade ood defences around the rohe.

Defences

With the Grieg Road and ornton School oodwall upgrades complete, work will now begin on the College Road oodwalls. Construction is expected to begin late November/early December 2022 and is scheduled to be completed by April/May 2023.

Regional Council project manager Mark Werpachowski says upgrading the oodwalls is an important part of the overall defences on the Rangitāiki River, which will help minimise and manage the risk to the community.

“With the increased likelihood of more frequent, heavy rain events, Regional Council is continually investing in and innovating our ood defences

e construction area is from 87 - 109 College Road, along the Rangitāiki River walkway.

across the rohe.

“ ese new oodwalls will form part of a wider network of recently upgraded ood protection defences along the Rangitāiki River, including the Rangitāiki Floodway and Spillway development and future work in the lower catchment.”

e new College Road ood defences are built by driving sheet piles (large sections of sheet steel with interlocking edges) into the ground and encasing them with a concrete capping. is design will provide more e ective seepage control below ground.

Disturbances

While construction is underway, the existing oodwall will remain and continue to provide the current level of ood protection. is will be deconstructed in stages as the new wall is installed. ere will be some disturbance while construction is happening. e Rangitāiki River walkway will be closed and a detour along College Road will be put in place.

Edgecumbe residents may also experience lowlevel construction noise, however works will be restricted to regular working hours (approximately 7am to 5pm weekdays only).

Companies fined for damaging stream

A farming company and an earthworks contractor have been convicted and ned a total of $76,500 for unlawfully excavating a north Waikato stream.

Dead eels in the excavated stream.

Gregan Farms Limited and Steve Barker Limited were ned $31,500 and $45,000 respectively by District

Excavated stream.

Court Judge Melinda Dickey. ey were each convicted on a single charge in respect of damaging nearly 1400m of a tributary of the Waitakaruru River in February 2021.

Complaint

e case was taken by environmental regulator, Waikato Regional Council, following a complaint by a member of the public.

e council inspection discovered extensive damage to the stream, including 48 dead eels and signi cant sediment deposits into the water course. “ is behaviour is very disappointing,” says the council’s regional compliance manager Patrick Lynch.

Damage done

“ e contractor in this case has 40 years’ experience in the earthworks industry. Working around water courses without causing undue damage, and knowing the environmental regulations that apply, should be bread and butter for him.

“Many will see the sh kill in this instance as quite distressing and certainly not what we are aiming for in caring for our waterways.

“ e damage done here will take some time to remediate.”

Pete & Marcus

Kiwifruit vines to be “green by Christmas”

that were close to the shelter, they survived a bit more.

Barren sticks are all that’s left of the kiwifruit vines in some places. Mere metres away buds are bursting as they should be.

“And these guys will be nished soon, 10 of them.”

Dave says there are stories he’s heard of an eight-hectare orchard that looks barren right the way through.

He says it’s hard to nd people

right across the Western Bay of Plenty who weren’t a ected.

“It will re up because there is no fruit on here so the plant has a lot of energy to do something.

“It’s going to grow a lot of green growth and by Christmas

time it will be pretty green in here and a lot of work to do.

“You can see new growth pushing...but it has no fruit on it.

“Just happy it wasn’t on all of our orchards, just this one.”

Leah Tebutt/RNZ

at’s Dave Tra ord, a kiwifruit orchard foreman, as he showcases the extent of the damage caused by an early October frost.

At the base of the Kaimai Range at Ōmanawa sits the sixhectare orchard. Four hectares to the green Hayward variety and two to the gold kiwifruit.

“We’ve probably lost well over 50 per cent. at’s our rough estimatethat’s our hopeful estimate.”

While the cold snap brought snow to the South Island and isolated parts of the North, the cold air moved up.

Unfortunately, it settled in the lowlying areas of this orchard and the vine are “just toasted”.

Singed

Tra ord says their other orchards in Te Puke and Paengaroa have frost protection, including overhead sprinklers that saved the buds.

It’s there the attention was turned as the frost settled early morning on October 7.

It was only when he came to the orchard the day after, he realised what had happened.

“Very rarely do we have a frost here and so it’s one of those ‘once in a blue moon’ occasions.

“As you travel down these edges

“It happened just after bud break. Most of the growth we had on the orchard was about two or three inches long and four or ve leaves on that - and it all got singed.”

Tra ord points out an almost two-hectare block between the shelters of tall hedge.

ere are probably 0.2 hectares that remain luscious thanks to the shelter and most of the buds have aborted and fallen o , he says.

Hearty

“In a bay like this, we usually have 1400 ower buds in this 25 square metre type area. And you can probably count maybe 50 fruit if you’re lucky.

“You just have to walk away for a while I think and pretend it didn’t happen.

“But kiwifruit is a weed, it keeps growing, it’s a vine so you’re just going to have to take a hit for a while and hopefully you will survive it.”

Along the sides, near the shelters, a group of workers stand under the vines, with leaves providing them much-needed shade as the sun beats down.

ey’re bud thinning the little that remains, Dave says.

“We’d usually have about 60 people trying to get through this in a day.

MyNameisNeilWoodward.

IamadirectorofZ-Contracting-wearefamilyrun business,ourteamconsistsofthree,beingmyself,my sonandmybrother.

Ourorganisationhasbeenestablishedforover18 years.Ihavebeeninvolvedin applyingcropprotection programmeswithinthehorticultalindustrysince1966.

Wespecialisewithinthekiwifruitindustry, We have theequipmenttosprayorchardswithour two Atomsprayers and one recently purchased Tracatom Formula tractor which is also available for mulching and mowing

MyNameisNeilWoodward.

IamadirectorofZ-Contracting-wearefamilyrun business,ourteamconsistsofthree,beingmyself,my sonandmybrother.

Ourorganisationhasbeenestablishedforover18 years.Ihavebeeninvolvedin applyingcropprotection programmeswithinthehorticultalindustrysince1966.

Wespecialisewithinthekiwifruitindustry, We have theequipmenttosprayorchardswithour two Atomsprayers and one recently purchased Tracatom Formula tractor which is also available for mulching and mowing

Our Atoms aresetupwithradarspeedsensors,this combined with fullyautomated sprayer controllers and three nozzle ringsenhancesapplicationef ficiency and accuracy.

We also useaquadbikeforstripweedspray applications.

Weholdallcertificatesneededtomeet Globalgap compliance.

Welookatallchallengestohelpensureweprotect yourcropwithexcellence.

Our Atoms combined three nozz accuracy. We also useaquadbikeforstripweedspray applications.

Weholdallcertificatesneededtomeet compliance.

Welookatallchallengestohelpensureweprotect yourcropwithexcellence.

Phone:021907621 E-mail:zcl@zanadu.co.nz

“It looks like we’ve just nished winter pruning.”

Kiwifruit orchard foreman Dave Tra ord.

It’s predicted over 50 per cent of this orchards fruit has been lost.

All Photos: RNZ/Leah Tebbutt.

Stink bug campaign ramps up

Biosecurity New Zealand is ramping up a public awareness campaign to encourage people to report possible sightings of brown marmorated stink bug – a major threat to New Zealand’s horticulture industry.

BMSB infests several horticultural crops, causing damage to owers, stems, leaves and fruit of host plants.

Signi cant crops likely to be a ected in New Zealand include apples, corn, wine grapes, kiwifruit, and a range of stone fruit varieties.

Funded jointly by Biosecurity New Zealand and industry members of the BMSB Council, the summer campaign will run from November to March, targeting local gardeners and online shoppers who receive goods from overseas.

reat monitoring

Biosecurity New Zealand is well prepared for the high-risk season, says Biosecurity New Zealand’s deputy director-general Stuart Anderson.

“ ere is ongoing monitoring of the threat posed by countries that have known BMSB populations.

“O cers target passengers, craft and goods that could be contaminated with BMSB.

“Our BMSB measures have been very e ective to date. ere continues to be no evidence of any established BMSB population in New Zealand.

“We ask international travellers to be understanding of the need to protect New Zealand and our economy as they get their bags checked

or are required to answer questions from our frontline sta .”

He says the recent detection of two live BMSB at Auckland Airport demonstrates the importance of strong biosecurity controls.

A Biosecurity New Zealand quarantine o cer detected a single live BMSB at an airport search bench on October 8 while processing passengers arriving from the United States.

e second bug was recently found on an aircraft from South Korea prior to passengers leaving the plane. O cers have detected a further 286 dead BMSB on arriving vessels and cargo.

Stuart says the number of live interceptions has dropped considerably over the last few years.

Risky cargo

“ is is largely due to the introduction of strict import rules that make it harder for live BMSB to enter New Zealand on risky cargo such as vehicles, machinery and parts.

“Improved reporting and monitoring have also allowed o cers to better target risk goods. For example, there was a greater focus on air cargo during the 2021/22 season following increased BMSB detections in this pathway.

“We have also seen high levels of engagement from the shipping industry in the past and want this positive relationship to continue. Accurate reporting of detections by crew helps Biosecurity New Zealand target its surveillance and other actions.”

Anyone who thinks they’ve found BMSB is asked to catch it, snap it (take a photo), and report it. e nd can be reported online or via Biosecurity New Zealand’s hotline – 0800 80 99 66.

A brown marmorated stink bug.

Zespri to limit plantings of gold kiwifruit

Poor quality fruit arriving on overseas markets and labour shortages are forcing the kiwifruit marketer, Zespri, to limit how much gold fruit it wants to handle in a few years from now.

Zespri controls how many hectares of SunGold kiwifruit can be planted each year, and it could have released between 350-700 hectares in 2023.

In past years, 700ha of gold licence has been released; last year that was cut back to 350ha.

Conservative Zespri executive o cer Carol Ward says a conservative approach was being taken again this year with 350ha up

for grabs.

e new licensed area will have fruit ready for export in about three years’ time.

“We know that we’ve got really strong market demand in the global market, but here in New Zealand has been challenging with the labour shortages and constraints through the whole supply chain, that a more conservative licence release position was required.

Quality issues

“ is year we have seen quality issues in the market, brought about by the labour shortages and we didn’t handle it as well as we should have.

“So we are focusing on improving quality for our customers this year so

we would expect to see in two or three years when that fruit (from next year’s licence release) becomes available, that our quality problems have been well understood.”

Gold conversion

Ward says 200 of the 350 hectares of gold licence on o er will be sold to orchardists planning to convert current green orchards to gold.

She says this acknowledged that many green growers were struggling to make money.

“For Zespri the marketer what it does do is allows us to optimise that market performance of green, and strengthen its pro tability by just reducing the pressure on the volumes of fruit that we need to sell there.”

Steven Owen: the scientist’s grower

Steven Owen enjoys sharing his experience with others, including school students and new researchers.

e orchard manager at Plant & Food Research’s Te Puke site says his team likes to understand what the scientists are trying to achieve so that they can fully engage and support their activities.

Steven says he likes nding better or faster ways to do things.

“I’ve always enjoyed growing plants.

“ at all comes together on an orchard.

“If I can build something or change something in a way that helps – like tting in an extra row of kiwifruit or growing at a di erent angle – then I will try and do that.”

Steven has been working in the research orchard at Te Puke for almost four decades.

Scientists

In his current job, he manages the land and machinery and provides orchard expertise for scienti c research.

“My team supplies our scientists with the equivalent of commercial vines. We have to grow to industry standard because the research we do has to stand up in the commercial world.” e role requires some juggling.

“We get a huge variety of requests – from planting a block or building a new structure, to pruning or spraying in a particular way. ere are di erent timelines for everything and we have to work around the weather too,” says Steven.

Working in a research orchard is quite di erent from working in a commercial one.

“I see myself as the grower, doing the best to make everything work. Growers are out there every

day thinking about the easiest, fastest and most cost-e ective ways to achieve a crop,” says Steven.

“But with a research orchard my focus is less on trays per hectare and more about making sure the scientists get the information they need and that every vine has fruit on it.”

Outdoors

Steven became an orchard cadet after leaving school and went on to study orchard management at Massey University before joining DSIR (Plant & Food Research’s predecessor).

“People asked if I wanted to stay and do a science degree but I didn’t want to be in a lab; I wanted to be outside making things and developing practical solutions.”

Steven has developed some useful gadgets over the years. One that has lasted is a steel pipe that holds up the strings that support kiwifruit vines. His favourite invention is a simple tool to crunch the tip of the kiwifruit cane to control vigorous vine growth.

“You can buy the tool I invented in speciality stores.”

Steven Owen. Photo: Plant and

Delving into the global market

As of week 44, Darling Group has packed 40 per cent of its total volume.

As a group, we are about ve per cent behind our forecasted loadout, says Darling Group COO Jacob Darling.

Interestingly, the industry sits at 26 per cent through which suggests quite a di erent strategy around harvest timing. e focus for the sales and marketing team remains

developing the group’s key Asian markets to ensure the long-term viability of the business.

To date, our plan comprised 35 per cent into Asian markets and the balance into Australia, which we should be within about ve per cent of at the close of the 2022-23 season.

At this point in the season, our teams’ focus pivots to Australia. Values in this market have only recently lifted, but it is great to see this market

moving in a positive direction. When analysing the supply gures out of Australia and New Zealand, we forecast that the market will dip under 350,000 trays per week from November through to Christmas and will continue to fall, which is all positive when reviewing value.

e Australian market historically can handle about 400,000 trays before values start to see pressure.

e domestic market processed 156,000 trays in week 42 which makes life challenging when trying to extract value out of a market that can consume about 85,000 trays per week.

Packouts for the industry continue to be challenging

ranging from 40 per cent – 45 per cent class one on any given week. is has contributed signi cantly to the additional volume into the domestic market.

Maturity appears to be about 4-5 weeks ahead on average, in comparison to previous seasons.

Darling Group is full steam

ahead for the remainder of the season with the new MAF Roda packing line installed performing well.

If you would like to know more about our business, get in touch with our team on: info@justavocados.co.nz

Avocados: Everything you need to know

Varieties of avocado are harvested in New Zealand at di erent times of the year making them available all year round.  Varieties grown in NZ include Hass, Reed, Fuerte and Carmen.

Hass avocados are oval in shape with skin that darkens as it ripens and are available August to May, says a post on the 5+ A Day website.

Reed avocados are large and round, their skin stays green when it ripens and they are available February to June. Fuerte avocados are pear shaped, with thin matte green skin that stays green when it ripens, they are available July to October.

Carmen avocados can produce two lots of fruit: one in spring and one in autumn.

“ e spring-set Carmen look identical to the Hass variety with the same skin characteristics. e autumnset Carmen is larger, rounded and has a smoother skin than the Hass fruit – this skin also darkens as it ripens.”

Storage and Handling

Ripen at room temperature then store in the refrigerator, says 5+ A Day.

“Avoid squeezing avocados as they bruise easily.”

Choose Hass avocados based on colour – bright green are not ripe, olive green will be ripe in two to three days, brown green are rm ripe and purple brown are soft ripe.

History

e avocado originated in Mexico and Central America where it was a staple in the diet of ancient Indian populations. e Aztecs named the fruit ahuacatl.  e Spanish Conquistadors rst came across the fruit in the 16th century and aided its spread to the West Indies where many travellers sampled it.

Facts

e avocado is eaten as a vegetable but is actually a fruit. It is one of the few fruit to contain fat. e fat is the good kind, monounsaturated, which helps to lower blood cholesterol.

Growing Facts

Avocados grow on evergreen trees up to 12 metres high, says 5+ A Day. e fruit grows to about 10cm and is ripened after it is picked and a single tree can produce up to 400 fruit each year.

“ e trees grow well in areas with cool winters and hot, humid summers.”

World congress to look at avocado future

A stellar line-up of keynote speakers has been announced for the 10th World Avocado Congress, taking place in Auckland, New Zealand, from April 2-5, 2023.

“ e World Avocado Congress represents a unique opportunity for members of the avocado community all around the globe to get together under one roof and collectively ask questions about the risks and opportunities that are currently facing the industry,” says NZ Avocado CEO and World Avocado Congress Committee president Jen Scoular.

“To address some of these questions, we’re delighted to announce our keynote speakers for congress.”

Line-up

e keynote speaker line-up includes the following esteemed individuals.

Cathy Burns, CEO at the International Fresh Produce Association, based in America.

Professor Andrew Robson, Director of the University of New England’s Applied Agricultural Remote Sensing Centre in Australia.

Brent Clothier, Principal Scientist with Plant & Food Research NZ and President of the Royal Society in New Zealand.

Florence Van Dyke, Head of Sustainability at NZ Trade and Enterprise, New Zealand

Francisco Mena Völker, partner at GAMA in Chile.

Lain Jager, former CEO of Zespri International and the Co-Chair of Te Puna Whakaaronui – a Food and Fibre think tank, New Zealand.

Professor Sarah McLaren, Massey University, Director of the New Zealand Life Cycle Management Centre, New Zealand.

Jen Scoular, CEO of NZ Avocado and President of the World Avocado Congress, New Zealand.

“Speakers will address a wide range of pertinent and challenging subjects, vital for the changing world of avocado production and the sustainable

growth of the global avocado industry,” says Jen. e theme for the 10th World Avocado Congress is Respectful: respect for people, respect for environment and respect for our future.

“Adverse challenges have forced some uncomfortable questions but simultaneously created and encouraged a future ripe with opportunities.

e future

“Productivity, fruit quality, post-harvest system, global supply chains and supply and demand have been fuelling conversations around the world and raising the question, how sustainable is the global industry across environment, people and economics?

“We need to think collaboratively about the

“Globally, we continue to navigate a post-pandemic world, ongoing logistical challenges, the impact of climate change and the unrelenting uncertainty of war in Ukraine.

Collectively, we have all witnessed and experienced some huge changes – both opportunities and challenges – within our own sector.

“Despite the challenges which do

exist, we persevere in nding the opportunities to make a di erence for our global avocado community and we encourage you all to be a part of this conversation about the future of our industry.”

For more information about the World Avocado Congress visit the website: wacnz2023.com

people in our industry, the environment in which we grow, transport and sell avocados and how respect for them better enables a sustainable future.”

As part of the World Avocado Congress NZ 2023, topics will include the future of food, sustainability, climate change, food trends, food security, water and carbon lifecycles for avocado production, research and practical on-orchard application of research to achieve high-yield, agritech innovation, global supply chains, grower returns, and the ongoing challenges of food supply, to name a few.

“When we re ect on the environment in which we’re doing business, it’s a very di erent landscape from when the World Avocado Congress community last met in Medellin, Colombia 2019.

Burns survivor talks about

Burns survivor Troy Hall believes that attitude is everything when it comes to personal safety as an orchard worker.

When Troy was 22 years old, he was working as an avocado picker in Matapihi and was struck by electricity from nearby powerlines. is was back in 2011.

“I got electrocuted the rst time through the head and it killed me instantly and the second one went through my chest and it brought me back, but lit me up, so that’s why I’m all scarred up,” says Troy.

He was on a hydraulic cherry picker at the time and the accident caused serious burns to 60 per cent of his body including his face, chest, back and arms.

“ e last memory I remember, is

popping out of the tree and blacking out.”

Troy was rushed to Tauranga Hospital before being airlifted to the Waikato Hospital intensive care unit where he stayed overnight and own to Middlemore Hospital intensive care unit.

Hazards a plenty

More than 10 years later, Troy says he has only come to terms with his burn scars in the last six to 12 months.

“It’s not really the physical anymore, it’s been more the mental so it’s trying to just embrace it and not be ashamed of it.”

Sharing his story, Troy has done public speaking for companies such as Fulton Hogan and Cremax in the hopes people will become more aware of health and safety.

“Orchard workers have just got to be aware of the hazards around them… people don’t sort of pay attention to the hazards.”

When Troy was electrocuted, he was in the cage of a four-wheeled HEWPs and it is understood that the cherry picker hit the 110k volt powerlines before the electricity jumped through the air to him.

According to the Tauranga District Court, the avocado company that Troy was employed under had failed to set up a four metre exclusion zone around the power lines in the orchard.

“A lot of the company’s these days are really doing the right things,” says Troy.

However, he says that regardless of the safety precautions put in place on a site, you have to be wary and vigilant for your own safety. ...continued

Photo: John Borren.

orchard safety

“ ere’s a lot of things that could happen… we’re dealing with hydraladas and other machinery.

“ e machines are a lot safer than they used to be but people just do the stupidest things and think they can just push their limit.”

At the time of Troy’s accident, Powerco GM Health and Safety Julie McAvoy resonated Troy’s warnings.

“Stay safe. When working and using equipment in and around orchards, please look up before you work and keep yourself and equipment at least four metres away from power lines,” says Julie.

Right attitude

Troy says the key thing that needs to shift is orchard industry workers attitude.

“ e attitude towards health and safety is just sort of brushed o really and to be honest it’s something that really needs to be changed.”

“A lot of the attitude is: ‘She’ll be right’, which is the wrong attitude.

“My attitude at that time [of the accident] –the type of person I was –I was very arrogant, cocky and stubborn.

“Before it happened I thought nothing would touch me… then that happened and I was stopped in my tracks for pretty much 10 years.”

Troy believes it is this attitude and male ego particularly, where issues start to arise with taking shortcuts –prioritising saving time above safety.

“You’re saving a minute or two of your time for something that could potentially kill you or change your whole life and all of a sudden you’ve got no arm or no leg.”

And it doesn’t just a ect yourself, says Troy.

“It e ects everybody that loves you and cares for you... it’s your family, it’s your friends so I suppose that the attitude just needs to be –be safe out there.”

Back to business

Despite his accident, Troy has gone back to the very industry that changed his life and has started his own two companies.

NZ’s avocado capital

Let’s face it, we all love food. And the Bay of Plenty is famous for producing some of the best fruit and vegetables in the world - and did you know that Katikati is known by most people as the avocado capital of New Zealand?

Katikati has been home to avocados since Arthur Honey eld planted his rst trees at Kauri Point in 1968.

ere are now about 500 avocado orchards in Katikati - that’s a lot of avocados!

How do I know if an ‘avo’ is ripe?

When buying an avocado check that the stem button is still attached as this prevents bacteria from entering. You are best to buy avocados while they are still rm but always handle them gently as they bruise.

Avocados can be stored at room temperature for up to 12 days or longer if kept in the fridge. 7-10° Celsius is the best temperature. To test for ripeness, check the colour. Bright or olive green means that the fruit is not ripe. Brown green means that the fruit is ripe enough for slicing or dicing and when it is purple-brown it is perfect. Do not try squeezing as this will bruise the fruit.

e ripening can be sped up by putting the avocado into a paper bag together with an apple or banana and closed tightly.

Troy in the Burns Recovery Unit.

His business Aroharvest specialises in Avocado contracting and Crispy Avo –which is a dark humoured take on being “crispy” himself –specialises in produce sales and marketing.

“People think I’m crazy going back but the way I look at it is – it wasn’t the machines fault, it wasn’t the avocados fault –it was the operators fault.”

He says the decision was also nancial but above all else, it was for his eight-year-old daughter, Nevaeh.

“It was to have a story to tell my daughter when she gets older because to be honest, when she gets older she’s going to realise how lucky she is to even be here, because her father’s not even supposed to be here.”

Avocado orchard safety tips

Look up and beware of overhead power lines. is is the message from Powerco.

Horticultural workers have some of the highest rates of injury and death from power lines, says a statement on the power companies website.

“ at’s because orchards often have overhead lines running through them, so there’s signi cant risk of you or your equipment accidentally touching lines.

“People and equipment must stay four metres away from overhead lines – electricity can jump to your equipment and to you.”

Working safely in orchards

People need to keep at least four metres away from overhead power lines and not touch or work on trees or vines touching or near lines.

Other advice from Powerco includes checking where lines are before raising hydraladas, cherry pickers or truck beds, lowering lifting equipment before moving it, and to not using wire to train vines along the same path as lines.

Troy Hall’s story of when he was electrocuted is featured on Powerco as a safety reminder of what can happen.

Georgia Minkhorst

Above: Keeping mindful of your surrounding and powerlines and is essential when operating cherry pickers and hydraladas.

Left:

Dec 3

The 200 Show 2022 Exhibition - 10am2pm, e Arts Village, Rotorua. Free.

Dec 9

Christmas NightOut Market - Te Puke -Te Puke War Memorial Hall 5.30-8pm.

Dec 9

Cornerstone Alpaca Stud Christmas Market 5-9pm, 49 Peach Road, Gordonton, Hamilton.

Dec 10

Kiwi-aversion Dog Training - Kauaeranga Valley, Coromandel. Ph 07 867 9080 to book. Free.

Jubilee Park Working Bee, 9am on Boundary Road, Hamilton. Contact gerard.kelly@ hcc.govt.nz

Amore Roses Open Day9.30am-4pm, Newstead, near Hamilton, free. See amoreroses.co.nz

Dec 10

Kiwi-aversion Dog Training - Kauaeranga Valley, Coromandel. Ph 07 867 9080 to book. Free.

Dec 10 & 11

Mind, Body & Spirit Event, Hamilton Gardens, Hungerford Crescent 10am-5pm $6 entry.

Dec 11 & 18

Hamilton Community Christmas Market – Fortnightly on Sundays. Fraser High School, Ellicott Rd. 9am-1pm.

Dec 15

Riverlea Environment Society Inc - Restoration Project 10am-2pm www.resi.org.nz

Dec 17

Kiwi-aversion Dog Training

- Kuaotunu, Coromandel. Ph 07 867 9080 to book. Free.

Dec 18

Christmas at the Lake – Innes Common Hamilton Lake. 5pm-9.30pm.

Caffeine & Gasoline Car & Bike Show, Hampton Downs Motorsport Park, Hampton Downs Road, Te Kauwhata.

Dec 26

Pirongia Boxing Day Races – Pirongia Golf Club/Racing Club. Gates open 7am. First race 11.30am. Adults $10, under 12yrs Free. 150 year Anniversary

Bonus of Clydesdale race, sidesaddle, kids cart, saddle trot and local arts & crafts, history, vintage cars.

Dec 30

Mercury Bay Emergency Services Summer Festival, Whakau Reserve, Albert Street, Whitianga 9am-4pm.

Jan 7

Waihi Beach Summer Fair - 10am-4pm, Wilson Park, $5. See weekendevents.co.nz

Jan 8

Market Central’s 3rd Birthday Bonanza, 9am-1pm, Northcroft Reserve, Lake Terrace, Taupo.

Strong woman - rural woman

Sarah Martelli is a strong woman. She is also the Rural Health and Wellness category winner in the 2022 NZI Rural Women NZ Business Awards.

e Reporoa based RWNZ member recently received the award for her online nutrition and exercise enterprise - Strong Woman.

Sarah says the concept for Strong Woman started with her own journey back to health after a rare gynaecological cancer left the once “ t, healthy and active” mother of three young children “un t, overweight, and near rock bottom”.

Sarah says the ordeal was the worst experience of her life but that it also made her stronger.

“Life likes to throw curve balls. But the key is how we deal with these situations, our attitudes, our determination to ght, and the inner voice inside us that says: ‘You can do this, you’ll be ok, you are strong’.”

In 2017, a year after being declared cancer-free, Sarah celebrated the milestone by running the Rotorua Half-Marathon and raising $2600 for the NZ Gynaecological Cancer Foundation.

Following on from her own journey of struggling to reach the letterbox to running 21km, Sarah decided she “wanted to inspire others to believe in themselves - to believe that they are a STRONG WOMAN!”.

So in 2017, she quali ed as a personal trainer and started up: strongwoman.co.nz

In 2020, she added to her repertoire with a Certi cate in Exercise and Nutrition, and in 2021, became a Pilates instructor.

As well as workout videos from beginner level upwards, the online health and tness community provide nutritional recipe ideas and support.

“ ere is a members only page where women can encourage each other and celebrate milestones big and small in a safe space,” says Sarah.

“Winning the Wellness category means the world to me. is business has never really felt like a job because I love what I do but it can be challenging at times.”

“Like most women I wear dozens of hats at the same time. Running a small business as well as managing a household, trying to be a good mum, juggling volunteer roles with family commitments, and helping on the farm isn’t easy at times, so to be recognised for the mahi is just amazing.

“I feel so proud to have won this award. It has helped cement in my mind that Strong Woman is truly making a di erence in women’s lives, especially those living in rural New Zealand.

Above: Sarah in her exercise clothes.

Left: Sarah with her children.

category around Aotearoa

Other category winners from around Aotearoa include: Love of the Land:  e Limery - Dianne Downey, Wairoa, Northern Hawke’s Bay; Emerging Business: Kate Cullwick, Waipukurau, Central Hawke’s Bay; Innovation: Hope eld Hemp – Jody Drysdale, Gore; Creative Arts:  e Bitches’ Box and Amelia Guild Art – Amelia Dunbar, Dar eld, Christchurch; Rural Champion: Whānau Consultancy Services – Serena Lyders, Invercargill; and Bountiful Table:  e Craypot – Dayna and Nicole Buchanan, Jacksons Bay, West Coast.

“Like most women

Cohen, 5, looking after his rst calf called ‘Emma’ for calf club in Galatea.

River, 6, cuddling his chick in the Lower Kaimai, Tauranga.

Grace, 10, and Findlay, 6, both enjoying the Ag Day in Ohaupo.

Rex, 2, and Quinn, 4 ½, enjoying the puddles on the farm in Hodderville Farms South Waikato.