Avocados are like the ghastly, irritating girl at primary school.
e one you learned to love as an adult and ended up marrying and living happily ever after with.
at girl became the one thing you “avo” wanted. You couldn’t live without. Not my pun.
As a child, I lumped avocados in with Blu oysters, brussel sprouts, blue cheese, olives and tripe and onions. Vile!
Wonder food
Avocado were avourless and greasy - the consistency of something from the sump of a car engine. Whenever avocados were laid on the family dinner table my older brother would discreetly point at his nose. We would snicker, push God’s wonder food to the side of the plate and get on with the meat and potatoes.
We weren’t alone though. An online newspaper study – so its veracity is impeccable - found that of 100 common foods, avos rated top of a children’s ‘hate list.’
It was a texture rather than a taste thing. I read somewhere that palates become more sophisticated as we mature, and we move on from salty and sweet, which is a signal to picky kids that something is safe to eat. We realise bitter or sour,
New Zealand farmers have long been managing traditional inputs of macro nutrients along with regularly liming to maintain soil fertility levels. What Golden Bay Dolomite (GBD) know is that all this hard work and expense is irrelevant if the foundation is missing - the right soil structure.
Universal plant growth
All pasture and crop species have one requirement in common they will all perform when grown in soil with the ideal physical structure. GBD are advocates of the compelling work of soil scientist Dr William Albrecht whose extensive research working with farmers, over 50 years across multiple countries determined a universal ideal soil composition. An approach to soils that performs – for every soil type, all locations, and any management system.
Balance calcium and magnesium
Ideal soil structure is a result of the percentages of calcium and magnesium in the soil. The percentage of calcium needs to be 60-70% and magnesium at 10-20% to create the perfect balance between the opposing effects of both elements on soil aggregates.
The composition of GBD with calcium carbonate (59%) and magnesium carbonate (39%) supports the formational good soil structure creating a soil environment where soil biology thrives with adequate water and oxygen. Healthy soil biology keeps nutrients cycling like the critical functions of nitrogen fixation, which in turn increases the availability of core nutrients for growth. The balance of calcium and magnesium results in soil aggregation that allows good root growth laterally in the topsoil and down the soil profile for the maximum uptake of nutrients, water, and oxygen for growth.
A healthy farming system
Albrecht’s guiding principle is “Get the soil foundation right and the rest will follow”. Build a house for soil biology to thrive, supporting healthy pasture, crop, and livestock growth.
To find out how you can switch to the Albrecht soil system talk to GBD today
or in this case green and greasy, won’t kill us and we learn to enjoy. We get to love the things we hated as children.
My epiphany came when I arrived in the Bay of Plenty, the country’s avo fruit bowl, and I noticed all these stunning trees with their thick canopies and large, dark green leathery leaves. It looked magical, a new take on Christmas, with their black, pebbled skinned, baubles of goodness.
Soon this ‘unbeliever’ was smothering a chilled fruit with sweet chilli or Siracha and sco ng it before breakfast, with breakfast, or as breakfast. I would often devour one while deciding dinner. And then doing something with an avo for dinner. I’m responding to the national cry for New Zealand to eat more avos. Mexico eats 40 avocados, or 10kgs, per person per year. But, of course, Mexico’s veins ow with guacamole. Other countries average 28, New Zealand just 16. e industry would like for us to try for 40 a year – less than one a week - which shouldn’t be hard.
Remember avos are considered a super food with their nutrients and antioxidants such as folic acid, Omega 3, magnesium, potassium, lutein and bre. So everyone wins here.
e Court of Appeal upheld an earlier High Court decision which said the Trust’s SunGold kiwifruit licence was intrinsically linked to their land and therefore part of the property’s capital value.
Some kiwifruit growers are starting to receive massive hikes in their rates bills.
is comes as councils follow Gisborne District Council’s lead of including the value of gold kiwifruit licences as part of a property’s rateable value.
ree years ago, Gisborne kiwifruit grower Tim Tietjen’s Bushmere Trust, and supported by the NZ Kiwifruit Growers Incorporated challenged Gisborne District Council’s decision.
Last month, the Court of Appeal upheld an earlier High Court decision which said the Trust’s SunGold kiwifruit licence was intrinsically linked to their land and therefore part of the property’s capital value.
NZKGI chief executive Colin Bond says the impact of GDC’s actions are already being felt across the country.
Growers in the Western Bay of Plenty received their rates notices in July and all had gone
up, because the gold licence was included, Bond says.
“In some instances, we’re seeing orchards double in value, in terms of rates value. In one case, I’ve heard of a tripling of their rates bill.”
Bond says NZKGI continues to maintain the high value gold licence - in 2022 the median price was $921,150 (including GST), this year it dropped to $700,000 (including GST) per hectare - is personal property and should not be rateable.
“We’re seeing more instances of growers making a decision about their gold licence independent of their property.
“De nitely, there are instances where an owner would retain their land but convert from gold to red or gold to another variety and sell their (gold) licence to do that.
“So our question remains now, how is that going to be picked up in the changing value of rates in the future o the back of the Court of Appeal’s decision.”
e court acknowledges the
value of Sungold Kiwifruit orchards may uctuate due to market price and climate change.
It says there is a process for a ratepayer to request a new valuation if that happens.
Bond says the organisation wants councils to have a mechanism where the sale of a gold licence is identi ed and removed from rates demands quicker than the three-year re-valuation cycle.
But he says for now growers who believe their rates do not re ect the property’s market value should get a re-valuation done.
A Te Puke-based rural real estate says kiwifruit orchard prices had plummeted 30 per cent in March this year.
Stan Robb, a consultant of 35 years standing, says sales are stalling as sellers are asking unrealistically high prices, and there’s concern about what will happen in the up-coming gold licence round.
He says any drop in the licence rate will immediately lower an existing orchard’s value.
Provisional positive test results have detected Phytophthora agathidicida (PA) – the pathogen responsible for kauri disease – on a track near the Wharawhara entrance of Kaimai Mamaku Conservation Park, near Tauranga. is means some tracks and forest will be closing immediately.
e test results, found as part of soil sampling on the track, were unexpected and are signi cant as PA has previously been undetected in the Kaimai Mamaku ranges.
e tracks and areas closed are: Waitengaue
Track, Waitengaue to Upper Waitawheta Track, Upper Waitawheta Track, Lindemann to Cashmore’s Clearing Track, Lindemann Loop Track, Wharawhara Tramway Track, North-South Track to Waiorongomai, Te Rereatukahia Hut Track, Wharawhara Link Track, North-South Track (Rereatukahia to Tuahu, Tuahu Track (east), Tuahu Kauri Loop Track, North-South Track (Tuahu to ompsons Track), Sentinel Rock Lookout Track and Eliza Mine Loop Track to ompsons.
A review on the closures will be made after 10 weeks (September 29).
Karioi Sheep Dog Trial Club member Leo Jecentho and his champion heading dog Tess have been selected to represent New Zealand in a two-test series against Australia for the ‘Waleggo’ Cup.
Leo and three other teammates and dogs face the Aussies at the 2023 Ashburton A&P Show on October 27 and 28.
e 68-year-old grew up on a sheep and beef farm near Maungataniwha in Northland. He remembers a carefree childhood on the farm that was once his grandfather’s.
“On Friday after school, my
brothers and I would race to catch our horses and put them in a small paddock for the weekend. Our horses were our toys in those days,” says Leo. e siblings roamed over the farm on horseback helping muster cattle and sheep and riding the miles of logging tracks in the adjoining bush block. While living on the family farm, Leo had his rst taste of working stock with dogs.
“My rst job was a junior shepherd on a Lands and Survey block in Mangamuka, Northland for around three years, followed by several years on another Lands and Surveys block in Paponga, Northland.”
Leo’s rst sheepdogs were Lass, Trampus and Ru , and he competed regularly in Lands and Survey dog trials from the mid-70s to the mid-80s.
“We used to compete against other blocks and also Maori A airs blocks. A group used to go
down to Taupo and Rotorua and compete against the central North Island Lands and Survey and Maori A airs blocks.”
roughout his life Leo has picked up advice and knowledge from people he has associated with.
He acknowledges Eric Carmen, Ben Moranga and Guy ompson for their guidance.
Leo’s great friend and mentor, who travelled to dog trials with him for more than 20 years, was Merv Cameron who sadly passed away in May 2023. From Merv he learned which traits he appreciated in his dogs and has bred his own dogs for many years, using several dogs from Merv, including champion dog Smoke.
“I was always told to look for a black muzzle, the raised bone on the head to be further back towards the neck, and a straight tail. A good nature and temperament are also essential.”
At the 2023 North Island Championships, Leo and Tess were placed rst in the short heading competition and fth in the long heading. She was also placed in 2022 North Island Championships Long Heading class at Taumarunui.
Leo has also had great success over the past season with Rob, Zap and Zig, and his top huntaway Chev.
Leo moved to the Waikato in 2013 and is currently the manager of Jon and Fiona Sherlock’s 1800-acre sheep and beef block in the Waingaro area. He’s happy to manage 3000 ewes and fatten 400 beef heifers but leaves the accounts and paperwork side to someone else.
Five Year 13 Business Entrepreneur students from St Peter’s School in Cambridge have entered the 2023 Young Enterprise Scheme with an innovative business idea called Sprowt.
Aimed at encouraging people to grow their own vegetables, the monthly seed subscription plan includes two packs of seed, fertiliser, growing instructions and recipe ideas. With three of their parents holding AgriBusiness or horticulture quali cations and two families owning kiwifruit orchards in the Bay of Plenty, it was a natural t for these business-minded girls.
e idea for Sprowt was triggered when the group saw the destruction of crops after the ooding in Hawke’s Bay and felt growing food at home was important. Each of these 17-year-olds has a role in the business that complements their school subject choices and strengths.
Harriott Edwards-Heemy is the CEO. is AgriBusiness student calls on her strengths as a leader and organiser for the company.
Eleanor Benthien-Parrott brings her economics skills to her role as CFO.
He has nine dogs of his own and was planning to put six-year-old Tess in pup this year, but she has to put motherhood on the back burner and concentrate on work after her New Zealand team selection.
“Smoke has a good pedigree, and Tess’s lineage comes from Murray Child’s champion dog Dice, so they should be good pups when the time comes to breed with her.
“Murray is a mentor to me, and I often ring him for breeding and training advice.”
Leo and Tess will have to go and do some training in the South Island with the team and then y down again to compete in October.
Tess is hoping to add an international trophy to the awards she has won with Leo.
Jade Newton studies graphic design and art and heads the marketing and design for the company.
Maia Williams studies Biology and brings her understanding of plants to the table, along with her administration skills ensuring that the team meet all their checkpoints for the scheme.
Hannah Coley, another AgriBusiness student, is in charge of production. She ensures that everything is there waiting to prep and package the orders and get them out on time.
After carrying out a survey to a cross section of family contacts and others in the horticultural community, the Sprowt team received 62 responses to their idea. “ at really helped us know where to focus. Vegetable seed subscriptions were the most popular, with owers second, and herbs third,” says Hannah.
Eleanor and Jade developed the website, and Jade designed their logo and packaging.
“We are using re-usable and sustainable packaging, with wood seed identi ers made in the school wood room,” says Jade.
Harriott came up with the name Sprowt, as that is what they hope for their business, starting small and growing. eir slogan is “produced by you”.
“We source organic seeds from local companies and use fertiliser with 100 percent natural ingredients,” says Harriott.
“Our seed choices are speci c to the season we are sending them out in,” says Maia. e group have invested $20 into the business startup and have their eyes on being the regional nalists and hopefully a shot at the rst prize and other awards and goodies in the $20,000 prize pool at the national nals of the Young Enterprise Scheme.
Visit: www.sprowt.co.nz or @sprowt_nz on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok
It will come as no surprise when we say that the Bay of Plenty has been consistently experiencing above average rainfall – but how wet is wet exactly?
Over the past 12 months, our 60-plus rainfall monitoring sites haven’t recorded less than 50mm of rain each month.
January, February and May have been ones for the record books, with a signi cant increase in rainfall when
compared to the same time last year.
For example, one rain gauge at the back of Te Puke (Upper Rangiuru Road) recorded 769mm of rain in January, up from 58mm recorded at the same time last year.
With all this rain, it’s hard to believe we were experiencing periods of drought last summer and facing di erent types of challenges.
But this sort of swing from extreme dry to wet is what is predicted to occur more frequently with climate change, and we can only expect to
see more intense, inconsistent weather patterns. Understanding what’s happening in our backyard is a critical component of how we can help communities become resilient in the face of climate change. To do this, we have a robust and responsive network of monitoring sites across the rohe that we use in both realtime (during severe weather) and after an event (for post-
Good decision making starts with access to good data. By continually investing in a robust environmental monitoring network, we can help you keep an eye on what’s happening above and below. Together, we can help your neighbourhood, community and region to become more resilient.
is information plays a key role in helping them plan and respond to their communities.
We’ll also have our ood monitoring team out in the eld. It’s their job to be the eyes and ears on the ground, checking ood defences (such as such as stopbanks and oodwalls), monitoring river levels, ows and rainfall, and reporting back to the Flood Room. Meanwhile, the operations team will be doing the physical mahi of clearing debris from waterways and pump station inlets, and setting up mobile pumps in badly a ected areas for landowner properties within a river scheme.
analysis and future planning).
One of the main ways Bay of Plenty Regional Council uses this data is through their Flood Room. When there is serious weather, the team in the Flood Room will be monitoring the situation and gathering real-time data, which we then provide to other agencies (such as local councils and Waka Kotahi).
Key data council collects is publicly accessible at any time, as well as detailed data that we’ve collected over the years, in our Environmental Data Portal. You can nd this on our website at boprc.govt.nz/data
If the weather events of the past (even as recent as this year) have taught us anything, it’s that mother nature is unpredictable, but we do everything we can to prepare for what’s to come and support the community to prepare as well.
Consumer NZ is urging banks to raise their game and provide better protection to New Zealanders who fall victim to scams.
“In New Zealand at least $200 million is lost to scams each year,” says chief executive Jon Du y.
“We know there is widespread underreporting, so that number is likely to be much higher. Many of these losses are not covered by banks.”
Under the New Zealand Banking Association Code of Practice, banks only have to refund customers who fall victim to unauthorised payment fraud. Consumer thinks this is unfair in many cases.
“If your wallet is stolen and someone goes on a shopping spree
using your credit card, this is classed as an unauthorised transaction – and your bank should reimburse you.
“However, as scams become increasingly sophisticated, people are at higher risk of being lured into making authorised payments by professional scammers.
“Of course, people must take their banking safety seriously and should do all they can to avoid falling victim to scams.
“But to suggest that with so many resources at their disposal, the banks should have no responsibility to protect and refund their customers when they are scammed into authorising a transaction feels wrong.”
Banks are often the last line of defence between professional scammers and innocent victims.
Traditionally we have relied on antibiotics to prevent or treat mastitis so using oral doses of probiotics for this sound bizarre.
Chris Collier of Probiotic Revolution has been working with farmers for several years to successfully treat and prevent mastitis using a powerful dose of Bovine Boost.
Kaponga farmers John and Donna McCarty have not used any antibiotics for four seasons.
“I can’t understand why more farmers don’t do what we do,” says John.
“We calve 350 cows and in the rst two years we had 25 cows each year with mastitis. Of those, 24 came right - that’s a 95 per cent cure rate.
“ e one per year that doesn’t come right is culled. It’s a package that we do, - not just a one-o treatment. At drying-o we treat the high somatic cell count cows with Bovine Boost.
“ en prior to calving and during lactation we feed BioRumen to the herd. It’s designed to improve feed conversion, but it also provides a
reasonable dose of bacteria that helps cow’s immunity.
“ en when we get a clinical case of mastitis, we use a potent dose of Bovine Boost to really re up their immune system.”
Chris recently started working with Brad Payne who runs a 650cow herd near Cambridge, with most cows starting to calve from the rst of May onwards.
“In March my cell counts were getting up to 300,000 so I treated 25 cows that had a cell count of more than 900,000.
“In April we started the whole herd on Rumicell in a feed blend, but because I could control individual cow dose rates in my rotary shed the high cell count cows, we had treated with
Bovine Boost, got one and a half times the daily dose of Rumicell.
“By early June the high cell count cows were down to around 240,000. We have had a stress-free calving – with only ve out of 280 cases of calving mastitis.
“At this stage we would normally have had 50 mastitis cases. It’s such a revolutionary way to prevent mastitis and get our cell counts under control.”
Trial
Chris is often asked “Where is the science to back up your claims?”
“ e best science,” explains
e New Zealand Veterinary Association is reminding people to ensure their animals’ vaccinations are up-to-date World Antimicrobial Awareness Week, which usually runs from November 18-24, is an annual reminder to increase people’s understanding of antimicrobial resistance, which happens when viruses, parasites or bacteria change and no longer
respond to medicine, making them di cult or impossible to treat.
Vaccinations are a critical tool in preventing drug resistant viruses and bacteria developing and spreading amongst animals and humans.
NZVA’s Antimicrobial Resistance Committee chair Mark Bryan says keeping animals up-to-date with their vaccinations is important in preventing them from getting sick and needing antimicrobials.
Chris, “is from a study last year on mastitis prevention – not treatment.”
Maiden heifers that had probiotics pre and post calving had signi cantly lower cell counts. In this trial they also
used the probiotic treatment on cows that had mastitis the previous lactation. If untreated their cell counts in days 51 to 75 of lactation were one million but if treated, they were only 10,000.
WOULD YOU LIKE:
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"This autumn I dosed 25 spring calving cows that had a cell count over 900,000 and followed up with rumicell in the herd.
By May, those 25 cows were under 250,000!!"
Give us a call:
Matt: 021 234 1713
www probioticrevolution co nz
After a childhood growing up on a dry stock farm in Hampton Downs and spending time on his grandparents’ dairy farm at Clarks Beach, Waiau Pa, becoming a farmer himself was a no brainer for Jimmy Cleaver.
e 2022 NZ Dairy Industry Awards (NZDIA) Dairy Manager of the Year for Auckland/Hauraki worked on a dairy farm through his schooling, and passed a Certi cate in Agriculture with distinction at Telford, while it was part of Lincoln University.
In his rst year working after Telford he was promoted to manager after one year. He is now in his third season at Riverview Oaks, Rangiriri, as manager for Grant Clune, with two more full time sta . Riverview Oaks is 140 hectares, run under production system four, with 360 mixed breed cows milked through a 40 bale rotary shed.
Cows are fed in shed or on the feedpad with a custom blend that changes to suit the time of year. Maize is bought in and grass silage is cut from the farm.
“Our numbers rose to 420 cows in the 2022-23 season as I bought 60 cows as part of my own asset building towards a sharemilking position. ese are leased to Grant and run as part of his herd.”
Jimmy also has 20 replacement heifers that he grazes o farm.
Jimmy treats all the cows as if they were his own and it is important to him that all the animals in his care are healthy.
“I set a goal of working out why some of the herd were empty. Using our herd records, I was able to pinpoint that it was metabolism issues stopping them getting in calf.”
Jimmy talked to people and researched before changing things ready for the next calving season. is included measures like feeding calcium supplement prior to calving so levels were already high in the cow when it was needed.
Jimmy has a commendable approach to pasture.
“I o er the cows much more grass than I think they would eat and move them on sooner. A larger area is grazed but a higher residual is left behind and grows back faster. Our milk production noticeably went up that season.”
e farm was averaging 360 kg/ MS per cow previously and in the 2020-21 season went to an
average 400 kg/MS per cow after Jimmy’s changes. His goal is further improvement and 2021-22 averaged 405 kg/MS per cow and 2022-23 is well on track for 460 kg/MS per cow
Sta management and well-being is important at Riverview Oaks.
“We do 12/2 over calving and 11/3 during quiet times which gives us roughly every other weekend o .
“ roughout the year we get a sleep in one week in three, and our goal to nish by 5.15pm during calving. It’s really important we get time o and aren’t overworked.”
Jimmy was awarded the LIC Interview Award at the 2022 National Finals, and he jokes about having to wear a suit, “I mean can you even imagine me in a suit?”.
“It’s like a corporate interview where you get asked random questions, with no preparation and under pressure.”
To his surprise Jimmy actually enjoyed the interview and after he’d answered all his questions “promptly and in a con dent, relaxed manner”, the judges left the room saying they “felt very happy about the new generation entering farming”.
Jimmy’s future plans include discussions with his farm owner Grant about sharemilking or possible equity partnerships.
“I’ve had an awesome opportunity with Grant, and I would love to stay on this farm and be part of its future.”
A Papamoa butcher has claimed a coveted spot in the grand nal of the ANZCO Foods Butcher Apprentice of the Year competition.
Monika Remešová from PAK’nSAVE in Papamoa sharpened her knives and carved her way to success in the Waikato/Central North Island regional competition in Hamilton last month, beating o eleven fellow competitors.
Twenty-seven-year-old Monika is in her second year as an apprentice butcher. Originally trained as a civil engineer, she moved on to nd joy in the butchery trade.
“I feel so happy winning this regional competition,” says Monika.
“ is is my rst butchery competition and it’s a great honour to win and be able to represent the retail meat industry.”
Monika says she had an amazing support network around her in the lead up to the competition, including a
mentor who helped her through the rst steps in preparing for the cutting test.
“For the grand nal I will be focusing on time management and the ner details in the hoping of winning the grand title.” e competition was part of a national series being held around the country to nd New Zealand’s top butchers
to compete in a grand nal showdown later this month.
Contestants put their butchery skills to the test by boning, trimming, slicing and dicing their way through a two-hour competition.
ey were tasked with breaking down a size 20 chicken, a full pork loin, a lamb leg, and a prime steer d-rump into a display of value-added products while being closely watched and scrutinised by judges.
Head Judge Peter Martin, who is the Butchery Training Advisor at Skills4Work in Auckland, says that he continues to see year on year, a very high standard of work coming from the butchery trade which makes for an exciting and competitive competition.
“Monika put on a very good cutting and display performance which saw her take the win,” says Peter.
“ e Waikato/Central North Island
Waikato Bay of Plenty Young Farmer
Emma Poole is “absolutely buzzing” after being named the 55th FMG Young Farmer of the Year and making history as the contest’s rst-ever female champion.
e Waikato Bay of Plenty representative will bring the trophy home to her region after being announced the winner of the annual FMG Young Farmer of the Year Grand Final event at an awards ceremony in Timaru last month.
Emma secured the win following three days of gruelling challenges against six other Grand Finalists. Contestants’ farming skills and general knowledge were put to the test with tasks that included repairing farm machinery,
creating a hydroponic system and an intense race-style challenge with multiple tasks that saw points awarded for both skill and speed.
“I’m totally overwhelmed, I really wasn’t sure where I was going to sit.
“All the nalists have been so great throughout the competition and these last three days have been really tough so I wouldn’t say I was feeling con dent, but I knew I’d put in my best e ort and that’s all you can hope for at the end of the day.”
As Emma accepted the award, Tim Dangen, her brother, mentor and last season’s FMG Young Farmer of the Year was there to congratulate her as she expressed “we’ve nally knocked the grass ceiling o the roof”.
regional was the best standard I can recall - the region is full of excellent apprentice butchers which is great for the trade.”
Alongside industry and peer recognition, the ANZCO Foods Butcher Apprentice of the Year will receive a coveted trophy and an all-expenses paid trip to the next World Butchers’ Challenge in 2025 with the opportunity to represent New Zealand in the ANZCO Foods Young Butchers of New Zealand team.
e competition is proudly sponsored by Pact Packaging, ANZCO Foods, Dunninghams, Hellers, Beef + Lamb New Zealand, Skills4Work, Tegel, Victory Knives, Wilson Hellaby, Anago, Rum and Que and Newly Weds.
Weed control is a critical component of high yield maize crops, according to one of the Waikato’s largest agricultural contractors. Operating around 35 tractors in the greater Waikato/King Country area, John Austin says he utilises a range of
products to enhance crop production across his contracting business.
“One of the product ranges we use to control weed growth in post emergence maize crops is ADAMA herbicides.
“ e range is complex so we are able to select the right product to control speci c weeds on our clients’ farms.”
ADAMA New Zealand commercial manager Doug Speers agrees, saying that e ective weed control in standing crops of maize often calls for a mix of herbicides.
“We provide post-emergence control of some perennial and annual grasses which escape the pre-emergence herbicide application due to such things as dry soil conditions, trash laden soils or sporadic spray application,” says Doug.
“Our range of post emergence herbicides will control such weeds as barnyard grass, brittle grass, couch regrowth, crowfoot grass, kikuyu pasture grasses,
rough bristle grass, smooth witchgrass, summer grass and wild oats.
“E ective weed control has been shown to contribute signi cantly to crop yield – but another advantage is that it helps eliminate an attractive environment for the Tropical Armyworm which is an issue on more and more Waikato farms.”
More than 143 years since it was founded, ADAMA is today one of the largest crop protection companies in the world.
e New Zealand headquarters are located in Nelson with commercial managers positioned throughout the country.
Based in the Waikato, John Austin Ltd aims to make farming life a breeze with their agricultural contracting services.
John Austin and his team have been in the business for more than 42 years, and they use their experience to help more than 800 farmers across the North Island. His son, Michael Austin, has been operating machinery in the business for more than 12 years, and has worked himself into a management position while providing his high quality services across the region.
e family owned business is centered in the Waikato and mostly focuses on maize and grass, and crop production.
ey also provide earth moving services, crop spraying, supply stock feed, can help out with cartage around the farm and can even assist in leasing land.
For owner John Austin and his wife, Jackie Austin, no job is too big to hit the tools and provide a hand to those in need.
“I started o this business on my own with one tractor and one combine. Since then, we’ve grown to have more than 60 employees during the peak season and a total of 35 tractors, four foragers and two combine harvesters,” says John.
John Austin Ltd operates the latest John Deere Forage harvesters, and uses a research based approach to their maize silage services.
“We provide a range of agriculture contracting services, such as maize harvesting, cultivation, transport, drainage and more for dairy farmers, grain farmers or cropping.” If you’re a farmer in need of agriculture contracting services in the Waikato or King Country area, give John Austin Ltd a call.
For more information, contact your local ADAMA Commercial Manager.
Optimising eld capacity (soil’s ability to retain moisture when excess has naturally drained away) is the nal frontier for lifestyle blocks, commercial growers, and arable farmers.
Zeba, from sustainable protection solutions provider UPL NZ Ltd, is a leading-edge product addressing this urgent environmental challenge.
UPL NZ Upper North Island regional manager Pieter Van Der Westhuizen says Zeba helps water live longer.
“It’s a potential life-changer for plants, and for farmers and growers.”
used. And, Zeba is easy to apply down the spout, at sowing. It works well, especially when you’ve got a ne tilth – in a wellworked seed bed it’s brilliant.
“Zeba is an insurance policy.
“Much like the way you’d choose to use treated seed over untreated.
“It saves a ton of e ort and money, and bene ts plants, soil, and the environment.”
Pieter says Zeba will continue to recharge the soil when there is additional moisture before eventually breaking down.
He sounds a note of caution: Zeba is not all things to all paddocks, properties or all farming systems.
“Where Zeba especially comes into its own is when you’re looking at crop establishment, particularly for crops
where you only really get once chance –like maize and forage brassicas.
“We’ve also had impressive results in the establishment of kale, following a crop of cereal. You can see a real di erence between the part of the paddock where Zeba had been used.”
Zeba granules have a high cation exchange capacity – enabling them to positively interact with soil nutrients, keeping both water and nutrients where the plant roots need them most.
e unique starch composition of Zeba also supports soil microbial communities promoting a more sustainable environment.
is year’s summer is predicted to get dry. So, if you want to retain as much moisture as possible, then talk to your local technical eld representative or UPL about Zeba.
Zeba is a patented, free owing product that e ectively improves plant production and seedling establishment by retaining water and water-soluble nutrients (including nitrogen) in the root zone. ese are then released to plants through the growing season.
Added benefits
Zeba has the additional bene t of reducing the volume of leachates and other contaminants making their way into our waterways.
Pieter says for commercial growers, especially on a smaller scale, Zeba is an answer to their prayers.
“It means more yield for less water application.
“ at can be a big saving!
“Late sown onions especially will bene t.
“ e use of Zeba helps get around the growth check that comes if onions begin to wilt when moisture de cit occurs. Zeba gives growers more certainty and control.”
He says the product also has potential for growers of other specialist crops including high-value, small salad greens, which don’t have a lot of time to establish strong root systems before harvest.
“Zeba is an ideal tool in areas where you can’t use irrigation but can also be used to help better manage irrigated systems – saving on time, labour and fuel.”
Made from corn starch, Zeba absorbs 400 times of its body weight in water; achieving 90 per cent in just one hour.
It then releases water when plants come under moisture stress - over a period of 12-15 days.
Totally biodegradable, Zeba remains active in soil for ve months but leaves no residues behind.
“It’s right on point,” Pieter says.
“Zeba helps manage agriculture’s water footprint and address water use and supply issues; those are super-hot topics and pain points for our sector right now. And with an El Niño weather pattern forecast that’s an added pressure on farmers and growers.”
Pieter says, while relatively new to New Zealand, Zeba has performed well in very arid areas of countries including Australia, South Africa, and India. And, he says, initial data from New Zealand is equally impressive.
“Zeba activates when rain falls, or irrigation is
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Unprecedented levels of rain from the ve cyclones that lashed the Bay of Plenty in one year, have meant that the growing degree days of maize (GDDS) have not been su cient to provide the energy for the accumulation of dry matter (DM) in either the stover or the cob.
A growing degree day measures the amount of heat accumulated over a period, usually 24 hours. Maize hybrids can di er in their requirements for heat and sunlight to attain maximum production.
“Hybrid maturities can be associated with de nite amounts of GDDS required from planting to physiological maturity. Maize hybrids considered to be mid-maturity in the Bay of Plenty/Waikato region require approximately 2600 GDDS and given the
weather this season, we were well short of the GDDS required to maximise quality and yield potential,” says VP Maxx account manager Barry Smallridge.
e continued wet and moderate conditions made the perfect breeding ground for Northern Leaf Blight. NLB can be identi ed by a yellow border (transparent when held to the light), which
surrounds various shaped lesions that have irregular margins.
“In maize, premature plant death during grain ll can result in signi cant yield losses. e amount of yield loss depends on the severity of the injury and the growth stage when the injury occurred.
“In silage, the loss of leaves through NLB at the soft dough stage, which is prior to
Cropping farmers are currently voting to determine the future of the Foundation for Arable Research, their levy funded research organisation.
FAR chairman Steven Bierema says people should have had their voting papers in farm mailboxes from July 21 and he’s con dent that FAR has the support of its grower base.
“We put a lot of e ort into consulting, formally and informally, with growers up and down New Zealand, to ensure that our research and extension strategy matches the needs of our farmers.”
Voting can be completed by putting papers in the post or using the online option, details of which are printed on growers’ voting papers.
FAR encourages growers to use the online voting system, which is automatic and more secure. Postal and online voting closes at 12 noon on August 23.
Voting results are expected on August 28.
Under the Commodity Levies Act, growers have the opportunity to vote to renew levy orders every six years.
A ‘yes’ vote will ensure FAR’s continued existence
and on-going contribution to the cropping industry, while a ‘no’ vote would result in the organisation being wound up, and all research and extension programmes ceasing.
“ e results of grower surveys and feedback from regional grower groups has identi ed environmental compliance as one of the biggest concerns facing arable farm businesses and this is why FAR has expanded its environmental research and extension capability to provide information and support to help growers meet these challenges,” says Steven.
e referendum will not impact on levy rates which are currently set at 0.9 per cent of sale value for all grain and herbage, amenity and open pollinated vegetable seed crops; 0.6 per cent of sale value for hybrid vegetable seed crops; $1.00 per 10,000 seeds purchased for maize; and $10 per hectare for cereal silage.
“We are asking our growers to vote to roll over the existing levy orders so that we can keep doing what we have always done.”
full dent, can result in losses as high as 35 per cent,” says Barry.
After the experiences of the 2022 season, preventative management strategies will need to be implemented. is can be achieved using hybrids with NLB resistance, moving away from paddocks with a history of NLB, and utilising close monitoring by scouting (inspecting) crops, especially if conditions are conducive to fungal infection.
Foliar fungicides can be applied to ensure the upper 75 per cent of leaf canopy is disease free for three quarters of the grain lling period. is will help maintain yield potential.
For more information around choosing a hybrid suited to your environment for the coming season, VP Maxx’s advert on this page.
Ngāi Tukairangi Trust spraying supervisor, Justin Pewhairangi, has recently taken delivery of a brand new JCB 215T compact track loader from Dave Horgan at Power Farming Ltd.
e Trust has orchards based all over the North Island but mainly in Tauranga.
“Our kiwifruit orchards in Hawkes Bay were ooded during Cyclone Gabrielle and we are left with huge build-up of silt around the vines,” says Justin.
“Dave was a great help assisting us to select the right vehicle for our needs.”
e JCB 215T has a small platform but is powerful and very stable on uneven ground. It has quite a low boom, and it was easy to modify the roof so it could t under the canopies, wires and structures around the vines.
Justin found the machine ideal for manoeuvring in the tight spaces between the vines. He was also surprised at how well it copes in the mud, outperforming all the orchard’s similar machinery.
“I also realised we could use it elsewhere for structure maintenance after the ood clean up.
“It has so many attachments available for tasks such as removing vines, planting and post ramming - it’s so versatile.”
Lower fuel emissions and a very fuel e cient diesel engine also add appeal to the JCB 215T. “Power Farming acted fast as there was only one left in the country when we wanted it, and we are grateful to Dave for helping us in our hour of need.”
buying another Farmall H, from 1945, and using it to restore the rst one.
“I managed to extract the main jet out of the combustion chamber with a piece of wire, so I never needed to dismantle the engine.”
Tony had enough engineering gear to complete the restorations himself, including repairing and making parts, panel beating and spray painting.
His uncle said that Tony’s maternal grandfather had exactly the same Farmall H as his rst ever tractor. His mum found a black and white photo of her father driving the Farmall with a baler attached.
“When I started my Farmall up, my uncle smiled and said that it made the right noise!”
Although it isn’t the same tractor, Tony likes the
fact that he has ended up with the same model and it brings happy memories back to his mum’s side of the family.
Tony has since moved to a lifestyle block and has a few sheds with an ever growing collection of engines and tractors. e second Farmall H is itself two thirds restored now.
Club member Tony Hancock was born and raised in town, but his mother was brought up on a dairy farm.
Tony remembers holidays and weekends on the Walton farm. His father had a “fairly decent workshop” at home.
“I’ve always been inclined to do engineering and used to play around with machinery. When I was around 16 or 17 I built my own legally roadworthy vehicle and drove it for a few years,” says Tony.
He studied mechanical and plastics engineering after school and learned all about hydraulics and pneumatics during his rst job.
Once married, Tony still lived in town but had a house with a large basement and that was where his collecting started. His rst piece was an old engine he saw outside
the shearing shed on his wife’s cousin’s farm.
“I needed help to restore it and I found that there was a whole club of likeminded people called the Waikato Vintage Machinery Club!”
e club are keen tractor trekkers, so Tony decided he needed a tractor to join in.
In the late 90s, he bought a 4 cylinder, 23 HP, 5 speed gear box, petrol, 1942 Farmall H tractor.
In its prime it was a row crop tractor, but it had last been used as a boat tractor in Kawhia.
“ e main jet from the carburetor had been sucked into a valve - so it was game over engine-wise.”
It only had three wheels and needed lots of parts. at was solved by
The judge’s assessment was based on agri-machinery exhibitor Power Farming going above and beyond to provide an exceptional user experience for visitors to their site. Criteria also measured their overall
attractiveness, innovative site design, recognisable branding, and a clear focus on customer service.
Located at the bottom of Gate 2 hill at site V20, the blue and red site is hard to miss with its polished machinery, eye-catching signage and dapper-looking team.
This year marks a significant milestone for Power Farming as they
celebrate their 75th year in business, with 53 of those years having exhibited at Fieldays.
To commemorate this achievement, the entire team adorned the original-style workwear worn by their predecessors, further emphasising the company’s rich history.
“It’s great to see that the entire site had been designed with the history and story of this threegenerational family business and their loyal customer base,” says David Natzke, key accounts and sales manager and coordinator of the Fieldays Site Awards.
CEO Tom Ruddenklau says: “tradition is important to us, and hosting and celebrating our customer base with good old fashioned authentic hospitality was at the forefront of every decision made about the site build”.
He says the Fieldays App technology for exhibitors helped their team members ready themselves for the arrival to site of each of their 1000 ticket-gifted guests with check-in notification
The Power Farming team at their site at Fieldays.
alerts coming through when an invited visitor enters the gate.
Among the other sites awarded accolades was The Pantry exhibitor Pure by the Barrelman who were recognised for their dedication to the environment taking out the Commitment to Sustainability Award for their mission to be 100 per cent sustainable.
Pure by the Barrelman, owned and operated by husband-and-wife team Darryn and Tania Candy, repurpose oak wine barrels in their entirety to create a range of eco-friendly products, including platters, plant stands, and furniture. Any leftover materials are donated to local restaurants for use in their smokers. Their commitment to minimising waste extends to their site packaging and display props, which are reinforced using recycled wool blankets and coffee sacks.
The Fieldays Exhibitor Site Awards are held each year, with the winners receiving a prize hamper and a discount off their 2024 site.
Fieldays 2023 Exhibitors Site Awards:
Best Outdoor Site Small less than 200m2 - Podlife
Best Outdoor Site 200m2 to 400m2
- Allflex/MSD Animal Health
Best Outdoor Site Large over 400m2
- Power Farming Wholesale Ltd
Best Indoor Site - DairyNZ Limited
Commitment to Sustainability Award
- Pure by the Barrelman
Fieldays 2023 Supreme Site Award
- Power Farming Wholesale Ltd
Ezi-flo pit gates completely clear exit ways and cannot be touched by cows leaving the milking area.
Ezi-flo pit gates completely clear exit ways and cannot be touched by cows leaving the milking area.
The fully galvanised gates are available in kitset for speedy installation
The fully galvanised gates are available in kitset for speedy installation
When creating or upgrading a health supplement I use research and best evidence to build a successful formula.
An example of this is the (Aging Clin Exp Res, 2021) peer reviewed study into the e ectiveness of high-grade Chondroitin Sulphate (CS).
It concluded that high grade CS at 800mg was e ective at reducing symptoms of osteoarthritis. is study was so profound that it resulted in the adoption of CS as a prescription medicine in Europe.
I used this study to help me formulate my joint supplement. I included 800mg
(daily dose) of high-grade CS in my formula along with 800mg of Glucosamine sulphate and 200mg of new generation Biosolve curcumin extract (from turmeric). I have recently added BioSolve Curcumin because it is fully water soluble with superior absorption and is gentle on the stomach.
I then evaluated chondroitin suppliers, and most were bovine or marine sourced.
I found that avian CS has a higher proportion of important chondroitin-4sulfate and is therefore better absorbed.
I chose the high-grade avian CS.
I have now built up a signi cant record of people using this formula over the past eight years.
While real-life results always vary, those who have implemented my recommendations and follow the review process had real bene ts with most saying that the supplements have resulted in greater comfort and mobility.
As an example, a person I am currently helping has had worsening osteoarthritis in both knees with X-rays showing signi cant deterioration in her right knee.
We started her on a programme that included a double dose of my joint supplement and 4000mg of Omega 3 sh oil. She has reported signi cant improvements over the past 4 months and is now able to walk freely again.
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
A desire for a change in lifestyle before starting a family was behind Wyn and Chris Daniell’s decision to buy an established kiwifruit orchard in 1980.
ey raised their two daughters on the Aongatete property, which has stunning views across Tauranga Harbour to Matakana Island.
Now more than 40 years later, the couple have a thriving macadamia nut business alongside kiwifruit and some avocados - Harbourside Macadamias.
“We were always aware of the potential bio-security risk as a monoculture from our proximity to the Port of Tauranga,” says Wyn. “When the green kiwifruit market was in decline in the early 1990s, we decided to diversify into macadamia nuts.”
ey did extensive research before the days of Google and Chris explains that macadamia nuts are one of the world’s wonder foods and have a good market in a variety of forms.
“ ey are cholesterol free, gluten free, rich in vitamins C and B6, antioxidants, monounsaturated fats, oleic fatty acid and have a stable shelf life without requiring cooling.”
ey underplanted the kiwifruit with 1000 macadamia trees as the kiwifruit income was still needed. With a 10 year wait ahead for the nut trees to become commercial, Wyn returned to corporate life and Chris returned to teaching.
“It wasn’t ideal, but it was worth it for the long-term gain.”
In time, Wyn and Chris returned to work full-time on the eight-hectare property and are responsible for the orchard work, harvesting and distribution themselves, and with marketing help from their daughters. eir ethics, sustainability goals and food safety goals are at the heart of their business.
Five di erent varieties provide fresh nuts from late April to December. ey are harvested when they drop naturally and
Two of NZ Adventures’ most popular 4x4 Tours, the High Country Heritage and West Coast Explorer Tour have vacancies in 2024.
e High Country Heritage six day tour, which starts from Blenheim, winds its way along a 1250km route down the spine of the South Island through various sheep and cattle stations and conservation reserves and overnights in places such as Hanmer Springs, Methven, Fairlie, Omarama, Cromwell and the last night at Cardrona Hotel.
“We travel through the eastern side of Molesworth Station on the afternoon of Day one.
“A complete contrast to the High Country Heritage Tour is the West Coast Explorer Tour,” says an NZ Adventures’ spokesperson.
“ is ve day tour starts in Hanmer Springs and is more about Beech Forests, rivers and valley oors. e trip has two nights in Murchison, a night in Westport and Reefton and the nal night in Greymouth. Day one will take us through the western side of Molesworth Station and St. James.
“For any NZ Adventures 4x4 Tour, the only stipulation mandatory for all vehicles is All Terrain type tyres with at least 70 per cent of new tread –no low pro le tyres are permitted. Each vehicle is supplied with a radio so a commentary is available and two way communication is enabled.
“All accommodation and meals are in motels and associated restaurants. Lunches are either on a station or a picnic lunch to be enjoyed trackside out on the properties.”
Wyn and some local engineers have made a harvester based on Australian ones which collects the nuts up.
After harvest the nuts are immediately put through a machine which removes the husk before they are put into wooden bins in small batches. Hot air is ducted in to dry them, which is required for cracking and reducing the weight for transportation.
e dry nuts are sent out for cracking and kernel recovery, and the nuts come back as wholes, halves, and chips in ve kilogramme gas ushed bags ready for the Daniell’s to make products.
“If anything is outsourced, we use like-minded suppliers who have the same ethics as us,” says Chris.
“We don’t use organophosphates or organochlorides, and where insect control is required, we use pyrethroid products. ird party analysis ensures there is no residue.”
Macadamia trees are susceptible to the Green Vegetable Bug (Southern Stink Bug) and the Guava Moth, both of which can destroy a crop.
Unseasonable frosts, winds, rain, and lack of sun can put a crop at risk. Beehives are brought in to pollinate the orchard and the delicate raceme owers can potentially produce strings of nuts under good conditions.
Alongside their online shop, selling their products at farmer’s markets is important to the Daniells. eir products include natural nuts, roasted nuts, oil, seasonings, liqueur, chocolates and butters.
“We also get the shells back and use them to fuel the boiler for drying the nuts and heating our house. is reduces our use of electricity and hydrocarbons,” says Wyn. “We are able to use the husks as mulch for the avocados, so there is very little waste from the harvesting process.”
Safety and products
e couple only sell what they produce and have a multitude of certi cations including a food registered kitchen.
“Discussing our products with our customers is invaluable so they understand where their food comes from and how it is actually made,” says Chris.
With the calving season, here it’s important to consider very carefully the approach to the big issue of calf/ young stock management.
Calf rearing/management always gets a lot of attention in the OrganicAg pastoral extension groups.
The future of production for the next 10 years is affected if the task is not done well. We compare the first 12 months of calf rearing to the first 15 years of child rearing, from birth, suckling, solid food, weaning, social development, growth spurts, puberty to potential reproductive capability.
The path from conception to adolescence and adulthood is a tricky one and a journey that will affect one’s ability for the balance of time.
The start aspect is hugely important. This is more so now with many small blocks buying calves and not even understanding they require milk –“I put them in a paddock of good grass and they did not survive” - these things are happening.
But here I wish to share some of the commercial farm scale organic practises used and the chosen options are varied from leaving calves on the cow, to full separation rearing.
For commercial farmers the importance of colostrum is well understood and of milk to the chosen weight or time for weaning.
Having hay available from day one in pen or paddock is valuable for gut development, many organic biological farmers will also have hay tea available for calves from day one to weaning, and this is also valuable intervention tool.
Hay tea is simply good meadow hay (not wrap/silage/baleage) soaked in water for 24 hours or so. It will turn a nice golden colour and have a sweetness to it. Play around, cold/warm/hot water, it is a living entityso treat it as such.
This is full of biology and they feed on the
dissolved sugars. Helps to energise a calf that is not having its best day.
Many organic farmers use this mixed with the standard milk feed and as a milk replacer for a calf they are wanting to remove milk from for a day.
It is not a medical matter, this is always managed with ACVM approved products, but simple dietary matters are best managed with food /menu management. Humates, biochar and a range of free choice minerals, various lime/calcium products, clays (bentonite, zeolite etc) are always available - the practise allows the calf to choose which and how much they need/
require any given day - many of these are assist in toxin management, the calf knows when it is feeling off as do you.
As calves grow, a common organic practise is to ensure access to browse, plants that are nibbled at, shrubs, trees and in particular flax’s. It always amuses me how calves will chew on twine, plastic etc when a plant is not available, what are they after? Is it the saliva generated - a ph buffer, enzyme developer etc.
An in-milk cow should make around 135 litres of saliva a day, chew the cud for about eight hours a day - as with all innate behaviours, they start young and develop. If the plants/shrubs are not in the paddock/pen make them available by breaking/cutting growing tips (branch ends), poplar/willow/tree lucerne/ pittosporum etc, do not give flax that is not well anchored, the calf will swallow and generate flax balls that can cause issues (leading to death), best is to give them access to the whole flax bush, high fibre plants like ToiToi are another favourite. The use of these natural diet choices will greatly reduce the need for health interventions - good diet - less medicine, this also creates great young stock that become great productive animals.
Remember to consider: the first 15 human years is similar to the first one year of the bovine.
Access ranks “up there” in terms of priorities for farmers and maintaining farm access for stock and vehicles has been a challenge with high rainfall according to Kevin Wade of Wade Contractors.
“We provide general excavation services across the eastern Waikato – Te Aroha, Morrinsville and Matamata,” says Kevin, “and while most of the farms here are mature and well developed the continuous rain has caused damage to races.
“Most farm raceways are constructed of a crushed brown metal product which results in a at surface which is kind to cows’ feet.”
e Wade Contractors team has been busy, leading up to calving, going onto farms and repairing raceways and culverts.
“Double fencing of open farm drains means they require less maintenance, other than spraying to keep them clear of foliage, but culverts have taken a beating from the incessant rain – many
blocking or simply proving to be too small to handle water ow.
“We have been going in, where we can, to clear and in some cases replace culverts.
“With calving underway on most farms, access ways will be getting a lot of use so we predict some busy months ahead repairing and bringing the race surfaces back to a state which won’t be hard on cows’ feet.”
Kevin says they used to do a lot of Nova ow drainage work guided by laser operated trenchers.
“ is hasn’t been in as much demand over recent years but the volumes of rain we’ve been having will have highlighted any remaining wet areas, so we anticipate some demand from farmers wanting the precision and coste ectiveness that laser trenching provides.
“In town, demand for laser guided graders has increased as builders and property developers/ owners look to hold costs without compromising building sites.
“Our laser grader will level a site – on any contour land – to within plus or minus 5mm enabling the builder to simply erect boxing and lay concrete without any further ground preparation – it’s precise and very cost-e ective.”
Maurice Ste ert is well known in the Waikato for his community work as much as his 50-plus years as a dairy farmer.
Five years ago he decided to upgrade his 255 cow dairy farm’s e uent system “to keep ahead of the regulations”.
“I looked at the di erent systems – went to Fieldays –and also visited a few farmers to discuss the various options,” says Maurice.
“I always believe that you only get what you pay for so when I looked at various systems the priority was on performance –and long life.
hills where the peat has sunk.
“Of necessity the farm buildings – dairy, farm sheds and sharemilkers’ house – are positioned on raised parts of the farm so I wanted a solution which wouldn’t smell. I also wanted a storage facility that was safe – so kids or sta couldn’t fall into it. at narrowed the choice down to a Flexi Tank.
“I also wanted certainty around leaks – we had a pond and you always worry that the rubber mats they sit on could leak, but you wouldn’t know. With a Flexi Tank you know the volume of e uent in the bladder so you can easily monitor it.
farmers milked more cows than us – 380 – and had a 500m3 Flexi Tank which he was rapt with so I decided to get the same size on the basis that it’s always better to have more storage than you’ll need than less.
“ e bladder was erected four years ago and I’m more than happy with it. It’s easy to work, with, e uent at the dairy drains into a stone trap which we empty before calving and spread on the paddocks – the rest of the time e uent goes straight to the bladder until we have enough volume to put on the paddocks.
Find out more today
Andre: 027 706 3633 www.ßexitanksnz.com
“We had a pond on the farm which is, now, consolidated peat but when we moved here it was a peat swamp and over the years the previously at farm now has
“I talked to a range of farmers –with ponds and Flexi Tanks – and the guys with the bladders were all pretty happy with them; no smell, look good and very e cient.
“One of those Flexi Tank
“I’d recommend Flexi Tanks to any farmer wanting a quality, long-lasting e ective e uent storage system – which looks good and doesn’t smell!”
For all enquiries about Flexi Tank storage systems, see their advert on this page.
A small Matamata-based company has created an ogrid water ltration system, making it possible to get clean water into the most remote locations.
Ensuring everyone has access to clean water is at the heart of the Forsi Innovations team, led by managing director, Terry Hawes.
Forsi launched their latest ogrid water ltration system at the 2023 New Zealand Fieldays and has been approached for its use in ltration for remote villages in the paci c islands as well as a truck-based ltration business.
An immersed silicon carbide ceramic membrane system allows water to ow through each plate, while ltering out heavy metals, pathogens, and organic matter, among other nasties - these adhere to the
membrane, leaving clean water to ow through into tanks.
“ e lter system requires minimal power to operate.
Examples of the o -grid water ltration system.
“When required it can operate on battery packs, solar panels, or a generator,” says Terry. With the ability to lter large volumes of water from any source, it has huge potential. It could also be used in New
Farming groups have concerns about incoming freshwater farm plans - as new regulation seeks to reduce the impact farming has on the country’s waterways.
e government released the long awaited freshwater farm plan timeframes in June.
Farmers and growers will need a freshwater farm plan if they have 20 hectares or more in arable or pastoral use, ve hectares or more in horticultural use, or 20 hectares in combined use.
Waikato and Southland farmers will be rst in line - and have 18 months from August 1 to submit their freshwater farm plans.
But Beef and Lamb, Federated Farmers, DairyNZ and Deer Industry have sent a letter to the government calling for greater clarity on the timeframes and how existing regional or sector plans will be integrated with the new ones.
DairyNZ chair Jim van der Poel says many farmers already have good practices on farm for protecting waterways. “ e sector needs more detail on how existing regional, industry and sectorled plans will transition to regulated freshwater farm plans over reasonable timeframes.”
Federated Farmers president
Wayne Langford says farmers need certainty on the rules so they were fair and practical as they were rolled out.
Zealand during emergencies due to the system being easily transportable. Innovation is certainly at the heart of the business.
e team are constantly looking at ways to better treat and re-use water from all sources.
“Our team can take any water and have it ready for consumption or re-use.
“We haven’t come across a water source we haven’t been able to
e ectively lter, and I am really proud of that.”
Forsi manages each lter system from start to nish. Everything is done in-house, from design, fabrication, right through to the programming of the control system and installation.
If you are looking for a cost e ective and sustainable ltration system, see Forsi Innovations advert on this page.
Farmers need certainty on rules.
“We don’t want to see excessive costs heaped onto farmers who are already under signi cant nancial pressure, or unnecessary duplication of the work that’s gone into existing industry or regional plans.” e rollout period for the remaining regions will be outlined before the end of the year - and they will also have 18 months to comply.
“Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting di erent results.” Farmers have been conditioned for decades with practises that
Soil pH is not an indicator of the calcium levels in the soil. pH stands for percentage hydrogen in the soil – how acidic the soil is measured on a logarithmic scale.
sodium have more in uence per unit applied on the soil’s pH than calcium. Yet, farmers are only advised to lime when the pH of the soil is low. e physical structure of a
alignment with the textbook de nition of an ideal soil by a proper understanding and use of the TEC and BS of that soil.
New Zealand continues to use the Olsen P test, designed by Dr Olsen for Alkaline soils with a pH 7.5 and above, as an industry standard to assess soil phosphate levels since 1976. e test was adopted in NZ because it was the latest test, not the best test.
As stated by New Zealand’s commercial labs, the Olsen P test overestimates phosphate levels in soils below pH 7.0, recently limed soil, or the application of phosphate fertilisers that contain calcium (e.g., RPR or guano). ose using RPR or Guano for six years or more need to multiply the Olsen P reading by 1.69 to get the true gure! e Perry Ag Lab (PAL) uses the Bray P2 extract for soil with a pH of up to 7.4 and expressed as P2O5 in kgs/ha.
Soils with pH of 7.5 and above are automatically tested with the Olsen P method. Why, when most NZ’s soils fall between pH 5.5 – 6.5, do most farmers rely on the inaccuracies in the Olsen P test?
It is a costly bad habit.
to take place in the soil microbiome, to enable farmers to reduce inputs and restore soil health and improve pro ts, with the bene t of promoting food as medicine.
Soil fertility must include the other disciplines besides chemistry. One is soil structure. It enables increased water retention during drought, improved drainage qualities during wet periods. It enables the best environment for the plants to thrive and provides a suitable environment for the soil microbes to ourish.
ere is increased consumer interest in pasture fed meat and milk. It is often assumed that there is no di erence in the meat from di erent production systems, grain fed, mono pastures, or multi-species pastures, but the di erence in production systems goes well beyond omega 6-3 fatty acids, proteins, conjugated linolic acids, and pH, as there is a 50-60 per cent (often more) di erence in the abundance of compounds between them. New research is looking at the food Matrix of 1000’s of compounds that bene t human health. Changes need
e other discipline is microbiology, which has been ignored at best and destroyed at worst. Current fertiliser practices are not conducive to producing high quality food. e emphasis has been on quantity, not quality for far too long. Feeding plants is not the answer and never has been. Most soil biology is animal. To feed plants only is to deny those animals the opportunity to contribute to soil, plant, animal, human health, and pro tability. Kiwi Fertiliser runs the Total Replacement erapy Program. It is easy to reduce nitrogen applied and increase pasture grown, improve animal health and performance, and increase pro t by following eight steps. Some of us have been using the system since 2008 with great nancial results.
Some of this article is based on the original from Don Hart of Top Soils.
All goods need protecting – and PowerTarps NZ has been on the job for 14 years, supplying Kiwis across the country with their innovative retractable tarping systems.
Whether it’s agricultural bunkers, trucks or trailers, the Rotorua based company specialises in high quality mesh and PVC retractable tarps, which can be easily operated from inside the cab or from the ground using a “silky smooth” hand wound cable system.
PowerTarps NZ director Gary Andrews says the family-owned business was inspired by truck drivers in Australia.
“In Australia, it is mandatory to have a retractable system which doesn’t require getting out of your vehicle to operate.”
Gary says the rule has been in place in Aussie for more than 30 years, which greatly reduces the chance of injuries while truckies are on the job.
Fast-forward 14 years later, Gary has a Bay of Plenty based business of six employees, who cover Kiwis from Kaitaia to Invercargill with their durable,
forward thinking shelters.
“Anyone who will bene t from a retractable roof should give us a call.
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“Recent nutrient management laws introduced by the Government require them to pay if they are predicted to breach certain levels of fertiliser run-o in waterways, and the advice we’ve received from farmers is that there is strong demand for a tool that accurately measures actual phosphate levels in waterways,” she says.
“ at’s exactly what we’re planning to deliver.”
Associate Professor Crittenden says currently there isn’t a simple, chemical-free way of monitoring phosphate levels.
“Phosphate is a very tricky compound to detect - it’s odourless and colourless, both to the naked eye and to sophisticated instruments. But we’ve already developed very sophisticated ways of sensing phosphate in our bodies – so we are going to learn from nature to develop novel light-sensitive biosensors.”
e new devices will be designed to be reusable and contained in an easy-to-use, portable marker-pen size device that can be put into rivers and streams.
University of Canterbury Associate Professor of Physical and Chemical Sciences Deborah Crittenden says farmers want and need a user-friendly device that will allow them to accurately test for phosphates, a compound formed when fertiliser run-o gets into waterways.
“Phosphates can cause damaging algal blooms, but we want to provide farmers with real-time, accurate test kits that will allow them to better monitor and control fertiliser use on their land, with test results sent instantly to their computer or phone.
ey could boost Aotearoa New Zealand’s agritech exports and generate up to $8 million a year in export earnings while also cleaning up local waterways,
Associate Professor Crittenden says.
e underlying technology could also have applications in medical, industrial and veterinary settings.
“ e modular design of our bio-nanosensors means that this approach can be extended to detecting other pathogens and environmental contaminants.
“Our end goal is to produce and manufacture our phosphate sensors in New Zealand, creating local jobs and ensuring all of the bene ts of our technology are fully realised in Aotearoa New Zealand.”
We specialise in high quality, mesh and PVC covers to suit trucks, trailers and farm bunkers. All of our covers can be easily operated from the ground using a silky smooth cable system, eliminating health and safety risks.
A break-through testing device for phosphates could help farmers and deliver cleaner waterways for everyone.An example of a retractable tarping system. University of Canterbury Associate Professor of Physical and Chemical Sciences Deborah Crittenden.
I am going to start that trilogy in reverse order this month so I nish on a good note!
e ugly
ere’s something wrong with this country’s animal welfare law when farmers operate under an understandably strict regime of care for the animals in their charge yet two ‘men’ in the Wellington region are found guilty of ring crossbow arrows into a bull (killing it) and a steer (which survived) and are awarded name suppression and discharged without conviction.
e bad - potential recipe for disaster
Weather forecasters saying we are experiencing normal temperatures around the country belie the reality most people on the land are experiencing.
As you will see from the rainfall and temperature statistics (sidebar) volumes of rain were down in June compared to the same time last year at both the yard and the farm (65ml and 113ml respectively) but for the year to date we had 817ml more rain at the yards and 1192 at the farm which equates to more than double for the rst six months of the year!
e ground is water-logged and, with soil temperatures were 8.5 degrees for the rst week of July (compared to 9.7 degrees for the same time last year) which is a drop of 1.7 degrees. We are simply not getting the sunshine and warmth we need to dry the soil out in time for spring. And that is a warning to all farmers – particularly those with low-lying farms.
Grass growth has slowed and cows coming home – some up to one month earlier because graziers have run out of grass – and the potential for severe pugging of saturated ground equates to a recipe for disaster.
I recently spoke to one silage contractor who has sold all his bales and our stocks are getting down so I want to urge farmers that – if they haven’t already – relook at those feed budgets and take remedial action now to prevent a dramatic feed pinch when the cows come into production. It’s time for transport operators to work with industry.
On the home front, In Tauranga, the spiralling cost of transport infrastructure is having a downward impact on business. It’s now cheaper to import wheat from Australia into the North Island than it is from the South Island thanks to ongoing increases in transport costs compromised by ferry breakdowns etc. It is a spiral which simply cannot continue and the industries need to get together to realise that we need to work together so we all come through this as strong – or stronger – than we went into this cycle.
ere is, nally, some sunshine on the horizon for New Zealand’s agricultural exports! Zespri has signed an agreement to increase fruit sales to China by 50 per cent over the next three years.
Comvita increased its revenue in sales to China by 50 per cent from 2019 to 2022 and is looking to increase it further.
e Alliance Group has signed a Memorandum of Understanding to expand sales of grass fed lamb, mutton, beef and venison across China.
Silver Fern Farms has also signed a Memorandum of Understanding worth $18m in sales of chilled beef and lamb exports to China.
At the yard in Paengaroa:
June 2023: 203mls
June 2022: 268.5 mls
July 1-6 2023: 8.5mls
Jan 1 - 1 July 2023: 1049.5 mls
Jan 1 - 1 July 2022: 817.4 mls
1st week July 2023: avg temp 8.5*
1st week July 2022: avg temp 9.725
At the farm in Ohauiti:
June 2023: 253.5 mls
June 2022: 366 mls
July 1-6 2023: 26.5 mls
Jan 1 - 1 July 2023: 2528 mls
Jan 1 - 1 July 2022: 1192.2 mls
Welcome to the year 2025, where the price of rural lifestyle blocks is on the up and up. e Covid era of 2020 - 2021 saw an unprecedented boom in prices for all real estate in New Zealand. Since then, there has been a drop in both demand and prices due to high interest rates.
ways. Nonetheless, this exploration emphasises the signi cance of foresight and strategic planning when it comes to subdivision.
subdivision project management companies, you can position yourselves for success, ready to seize opportunities as they unfold.
Since then, there has been a drop in both demand
Following a period of consolidation we are now witnessing a remarkable transformation.
During the last couple of years, those with a knowledge of the cyclical market have instructed their project managers to move ahead with the process of obtaining resource consents and planning their subdivision.
e ever evolving and restrictive rural subdivision space has limited the opportunities for many and this has added to the high demand for the few sections that we now see on the market. ose who embarked on the subdivision process back in 2023 are now reaping the rewards of their early vision and strategic planning.
In this current landscape of 2025, interest rates have started falling, creating favourable conditions for property price growth. e reduced cost of borrowing has ignited buyer con dence, leading to a surge in real estate activity – much like we have seen in earlier cycles of the property market.
e property market has rebounded from the previous downturn, re ecting renewed enthusiasm and strong demand. With added connectivity and congested urban areas, rural sections and lifestyle blocks have become highly sought-after, and supply struggles to meet the growing demand. By engaging specialist subdivision project
management companies in 2023, savvy landowners set the stage for success. ey navigated the intricacies of council rules, secured necessary consents, and meticulously ful lled all legal requirements. eir prudence and diligence are paying o , as they now possess the rarest of commodities in today’s market: titled sections ready for building. ose who secured titles on their subdivided land are now perfectly positioned to seize the opportunities of the current booming market.
While we cannot predict the future with certainty, we can learn valuable lessons from the present.
e importance of forward-thinking, professional expertise, and navigating the complexities of land subdivision cannot be overstated.
As we predict the coming years, it is important to acknowledge that the future remains uncertain, and our current vision of 2025 may evolve in unexpected
e weather. Interest and exchange rates.
Global markets.
Politics. All beyond your control.
But there is one risk you can control this spring: e quality of seed you sow for pasture and crops.
In a high-stakes business, subject to so many unpredictable outside forces, top quality Barenbrug certi ed seed is as close to a sure thing as you can get, says pasture specialist Jen Corkran.
“We believe there’s enough risk in farming currently – you don’t need any more. Unlike other things that a ect your business, seed quality is 100 per cent your choice, so it’s a risk you don’t have to take.
“When you choose our seed, it’s our job to make sure it reaches you in pristine condition –clean, healthy, genetically pure and ready to grow to its full potential.”
Achieving this is a big job that never stops, involving dozens of people from plant breeders, lab technicians and agronomists to growers, independent auditors, seed cleaners and cool store operators.
“Faulty seed can cause a lot of stress and disappointment. It may not germinate properly, or you could end up bringing unwanted weeds onto your farm,” Jen says.
“Once it’s in the ground, you can’t change these things. is is one corner that is simply not
worth cutting.
“If the budget’s tight you’re always better o doing a great job of
sowing a smaller area with quality seed than sowing a bigger area with cheaper seed.”
All Barenbrug’s seed quality parameters are documented by AsureQuality through the National Seed Laboratory, so every line of certi ed seed from the company comes with its own seed analysis certi cate. is con rms and traces its genetic identity, and shows its purity and germination tests results. If it contains endophyte, there’s a test result for that too.
More advice? Contact your seed retailer.
Rural lifestyle subdivision is a complex and time-consuming process, in uenced by various external factors. However, by engaging professional
If you have considered subdividing to create sections for future capital returns, we are more than happy to explore the options with you.
ere is a surprisingly large group of mostly young farm owners and operators that believe that if nitrogen is not supplied regularly in manufactured form there will be a de ciency which will limit growth.
ey site the evidence of not applying nitrogen to one paddock or area of the farm and growth in that area almost immediately slows. It is an accurate observation and reinforces the fact that if anything is removed from an existing programme and not replaced growth will slow, and that applies to all commonly applied nutrients.
When stocking rate is measured in animal numbers that will often be the case however if stocking rate is measured in animal weight along with kilograms of milk solids, meat and wool produced, their stock units carried is often well above district average.
Where then does the nitrogen required for outstanding production come from? Primarily from two sources, soil microbes that x nitrogen direct from the atmosphere, however most of it is xed free of charge by clover.
ey both contain a wide range of proprietary fungi and bacteria cultured onto soft carbons.
e use of bene cial microbes is to facilitate the uptake of nutrient by plants as it is only through the activity of biology that nutrient can enter plants.
pasture throughout the year the most frequent dismissal is that they are understocked.
About 78 per cent of what we breathe is nitrogen so there is no shortage of this essential gas, it’s how to make it available for plant growth that is the issue.
Permanent grazed pastures were developed in this country with a mix of typically three clovers, two whites and one red, along with grasses that included rye, cocksfoot and prairie.
A photo of pasture in Grasslands of New Zealand by Sir E. Bruce Levy in 1970, has the following, “good clovers are essential to exploit phosphate, lime, and other mineral fertilisers and to ensure nitrogen-getting for the grasses of the sward”.
Annual pasture production was measured at between 14,000 –15,000lb of dry matter per acre, the equivalent of 15,900kg and 17,000kg dry matter per hectare today. ere are few pastures today that produce anywhere close to that amount of dry matter, perhaps the key reason for farms having to increase in size to remain pro table.
Functional Fertiliser makes two products, CalciZest based on lime and DoloZest using Golden Bay Dolomite.
e other important reason for the inclusion of microbes is to speed the rate at which nutrient is cycled i.e., nutrient taken up by roots is replaced. is speed of cycling is particularly important for nitrogen availability. ere is typically 5000 – 15,000kg of nitrogen per hectare within reach of plant roots.
It has accumulated naturally along with carbon and only a small fraction of that is necessary for annual pasture production of 18,000kg of dry matter per hectare and above.
Clover growing over the summer and early autumn can x considerably more nitrogen than required for growth allowing for the further accumulation of soil carbon.
Clover ourishes when it’s too hot for grasses, typically from late November through to mid-March, the reason for clover to be an essential part of pasture mixes.
One of the ways to maximise the growth of long stemmed large-leafed clover is by increasing the amount of readily available calcium.
Both CalciZest and DoloZest contribute to the calcium rich environment necessary for strong pest free growth, and for optimum mid-season performance are best applied in spring.
For more information call Peter on: 0800 843 809.
Growers will be looking forward to the new season after an extraordinarily challenging season.
Orchard management planning is more critical than ever.
Growers must be cautious and avoid trying to make up for last season’s low production by hanging more fruit than the average load the vines are able to carry.
Production of a much lower-thanaverage crop in one year, followed by a much higher-than-average crop the next season, will induce biennial bearing syndrome, says a Zest Biotech spokesperson.
“Biennial bearing or alternate bearing is a physiological problem that is di cult to manage once induced.” e incidence and severity of vine
decline syndrome is increasing.
Zest Biotech says last season’s high rainfall has accelerated the incidence.
“Now the vine decline seen in orchards is being falsely blamed on waterlogging. We have studied soil test results and have found that fertiliser (potassium, boron) and copper levels in the soil are in the high (salinity) range in orchards with vine decline syndrome.
“We recommend that orchardists be careful with fertiliser and copper applications. Use them only if the levels are low (de cient).
“ e same also applies to nitrogen.
“You should not use nitrogen to blow up the size of fruit. Remember PSA is resistant to copper and copper is toxic when applied on foliage.
“We have trial data to show that
Getting at least two servings of fruit each day is a great way to improve your health and wellbeing. is is the latest advice from Dr Carolyn Lister from Plant and Food Research and 5+ A Day.
“Winter fruit such as kiwifruit, lemons, Navel oranges and tamarillos provide important immunity support.”
With the huge variety of fresh fruit available through the winter months, it’s easy to grab a kiwifruit or a Navel orange for a healthy snack on the go, but why not try adding your favourites to a main meal?
evening meal is a great way to make sure the whole whānau gets at least two servings of fruit every day for
Agrizest can increase OGR in orchards and deliver optimum fruit yield even in orchards with toxic fertiliser and/ or copper levels. Leading growers have been boosting vine health and maximising their returns with Agrizest and Primazest for more than 15 years.”
Fresh Kiwifruit Salad with Orange dressing.
“Fresh is best when it comes to winter fruit. Buying the varieties that are in season now will not only provide you with the biggest nutritional punch, but they’ll also provide the best value.
“ e delicious fruit grown here in Aotearoa are one of the best sources of the essential nutrients our bodies need. ey’re packed full of vitamins, antioxidants, bre and water that support repair and recovery, immunity, energy levels and mental wellbeing.
“Incorporating fresh fruit into your
onion. Add a tangy Navel orange dressing for a quick weeknight salad. Switch out salads for salsa if you prefer a spicier addition to your meal. Try a mix of gold and green kiwifruit diced and combined with garlic, chilli, lemon juice, red onion and your favourite fresh winter herbs. Taco night will be so much tastier with this tangy kiwi twist.
For more exciting recipe ideas and inspiration for making the best of fresh seasonal fruit, the 5+ A Day Charitable Trust website has a database with plenty of delicious options: www.5aday.co.nz or follow their social media channels @5adaynz
e Duncan Kiwifruit Seeder has double discs that can sow into a range of soil types and cut through small branches and other trash.
Many years ago Giltrap Ag developed the Duncan Vineyard Seeder, a narrow disc drill designed, as the name suggests, to sow cover crops between rows in vineyards.
e Vineyard Seeder was well received and it led kiwifruit growers to enquire about a lower, wider version that would work in their applications. e result is the Duncan Kiwifruit Seeder.
e Kiwifruit Seeder is a gravity-fed seed drill that is just 1480mm high and comes in working widths of 1650mm (11 rows) or 2100mm (14 rows).
Giltrap Ag national sales manager Matt Moodie says both the Kiwifruit Seeder and Vineyard Seeder feature Duncan double disc setups.
“Double discs are ideal for horticultural work because they can sow into a range of soil types and cut through small branches, prunings, shallow roots and other trash.
“ e new Kiwifruit Seeder is ideal for working under kiwifruit canopies or in orchards or other horticultural operations that have low branches. It is also a good option for lifestyle farmers who want to sow small paddocks.
“It can handle a full range of large and small seeds –from peas and sun owers down to lucerne and clover – and it requires a tractor of just 50hp to operate.”
e double disc seeding system can be used with or without press wheels.
Opening discs are ideal if the seeder works in orchards with more trash. ey can be factory tted or retro tted at a later date.
Drill rows on Kiwifruit Seeders are 150mm wide and both versions have twin seed boxes. e 11-row model has two 130-litre boxes and the 14-row model has two 150-litre boxes. One box can carry seed and the other fertiliser, or both boxes can carry seed.
e drill has a straight forward calibration system. A stainless steel agitator shaft prevents seed from getting
With a height of less than 1.5m and working widths up to 2.1m, the new Duncan Kiwifruit drill is ideal for kiwifruit orchards or other tree crops with low branches.
compacted or bridged in the bottom of the boxes.
Duncan’s gravity seed distribution system is well proven over decades of use. It is easy to calibrate and does not requires the tractor’s hydraulics to operate. Because the seed is metered from individual outlets for each run, it is very accurate.
Side guards on the Kiwifruit Seeder protect the gearbox and ap handles from the branches. is means the seed drill’s settings won’t get knocked and it will operate correctly all day long. Weather skirts protect the outlet units in damp conditions. A three-point linkage hitch makes it easy to get the Kiwifruit Seeder in and out of the rows at the headlands.
e Duncan Vineyard Seeder is 1.8m wide and 1520 mm tall, and it features many of the same features as the Kiwifruit Seeder.
Its double disc system with optional press wheels gives operators the ability to establish cover crop in all types of ground in a single pass.
e Vineyard Seeder is mounted on a three-point linkage and uses ground wheels to set the sowing depth. It has twin 210-litre seed boxes.
Matt says the Vineyard Seeder and Kiwifruit Seeder can be ordered with electric drive and touchscreen electronic rate control.
o cer at Zespri Carol Ward says earlier growing new commercialised varieties came with inherent uncertainties.
Zespri will begin pre-commercial growing trials of a new red kiwifruit cultivar this winter.
Zespri chair Bruce Cameron says the cooperative wants to extend the RubyRed season because there is high demand for the fruit in export markets. In April, growers battled with smaller than usual red fruit after a wet season a ected growing conditions.
But in June Zespri announced it had almost tripled the number of RubyRed kiwifruit it exported compared to last year.
With new orchards in production the cooperative exported 330,000 trays of the red fruit to Japan, China, Singapore and Taiwan.
Only 111,000 trays of the variety were exported to the same countries last year.
Bruce says with more RubyRed orchards reaching maturity in future the cooperative expects to supply around 6.9 million trays of the fruit by 2027/28.
“ e decision to progress another red variety to pre-commercial trials is part of our e ort
to explore how to extend our supply of Zespri RubyRed Kiwifruit throughout the season and return more value to growers,” he says.
“ e new cultivar that will enter pre-commercial trials is expected to have di erent seasonal timing to Red19 [Red19 is marketed as RubyRed] making it a complementary variety,” he says.
If commercialised, the new variety, along with Red19, will help the cooperative meet growing demand and keep red fruit on shelves for a longer period, Bruce says.
Any varieties entering pre-commercial trials must meet speci c performance targets before they would be considered for commercialisation, he says.
Zespri did not say what the speci c performance targets are or what the di erence between the new variety and Red19 is.
is process usually took around ve years to complete, he says.
Bruce says knowledge gained developing and commercialising Red19 possibly allowed for faster trials, with only a limited number of orchards used.
Chief grower and industry and sustainability
e 2023 harvest of kiwifruit, New Zealand’s largest horticultural export, has largely ended with the crop now being shipped to overseas markets.
New Zealand Kiwifruit Growers Inc. CEO Colin Bond says that this was one of the most nancially unrewarding harvests in recent memory due to the low
volume produced. “ e kiwifruit industry did relatively well during Covid because we were allowed to continue to operate.
“However, the past two years have been our equivalent to the economic strains experienced by other industries throughout the pandemic – now it’s our turn.”
e raft of problems for growers began with quality in late 2022 and have continued into 2023
with poor pollination, wind, ooding, hail and cyclones reducing the crop size. Originally thinking 160 million trays of kiwifruit would be produced, the nal number is more likely to be well under 140 million trays, a far reach from 2022’s 175 million trays. On average, each tray has around 30 pieces of kiwifruit. Colin says the increased costs for growing and exporting kiwifruit makes it particularly painful for
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.
“Planning is already underway across the industry. While we can’t control the weather, we must ensure that we get our processes right to increase our chance of success and relieve growers from their nancial burdens.”
With $2.9 billion of export earnings in 2022, New Zealand’s kiwifruit industry is an important contributor to the economies where kiwifruit is grown with many communities bene ting from its success.
• Kiwifruit is NZ’s largest horticultural export.
Our Atoms aresetupwithradarspeedsensors,this combined with fullyautomated sprayer controllers and three nozzle ringsenhancesapplicationef ficiency and accuracy.
growers in seasons of low production.
“Growers are putting even more pressure on Zespri to perform in their markets to get the best possible returns with smaller volumes kiwifruit.
We also useaquadbikeforstripweedspray applications.
Weholdallcertificatesneededtomeet Globalgap compliance.
• New Zealand kiwifruit production is expected to jump from 175 million trays in 2021/22 to 258 million trays in 2030.
216PongakawaBushRoad
“Despite Zespri reporting that the quality of our kiwifruit going to market is high and the forecast returns looking good so far, NZKGI will continue to track the quality closely over the coming months.
• e kiwifruit industry’s NZ revenue is expected to jump from $2.87 billion in 2022 to $4.23 billion by 2030.
Welookatallchallengestohelpensureweprotect yourcropwithexcellence.
“ e industry has worked collaboratively to reduce quality issues and it is even more critical that this work pays o in a low yield year.”
216PongakawaBushRoad TePuke
Industry contribution to the regions:
Tocontactus: Phone:021907621 E-mail:zcl@zanadu.co.nz
Northland: $98m
Auckland: $92m
Bay of Plenty (total): $1,992m
Katikati: $283m
Opotiki: $208m
Tauranga: $276m
Te Puke: $1,070m
Waihi: $33m
Whakatane: $122m
Waikato: $75m
Tocontactus: Phone:021907621 E-mail:zcl@zanadu.co.nz
But there is light at the end of the tunnel, with 2024 forecast to be one of the largest ever. “ ere will be a huge responsibility on the whole supply chain to perform so that we can deliver this large volume of kiwifruit in great condition to consumers,” says Colin.
Poverty Bay: $89m
Hawkes Bay: $39m
Lower North Island: $5m
South Island: $27m
Ag-Steel’s high quality, cost-effective system, combined with our team’s customer service and product expertise, is worth its weight in gold.
Specialist skills in orchard structures are in demand from lifestyle block and hobby farmers across the greater North Island.
Brothers Simon and Patrick Torr originally established KOS Fencing to repair and maintain structures for industry leading orchard managers and packhouses, but Simon says there’s an increasing number of orchard hobbyists and land owners reaching out who are looking to convert avocados or maximise pro ts from spare land.
“We’ve established ourselves as the ‘go to’ orchard development contractors across the Bay of Plenty and want smaller landowners to know we’re also available for them to convert avocados, bare land or space you don’t know what to do with.
“Our experienced team have been designing and constructing orchards with tried and true methods over a decade now; KOS orchards stand the test of time, and if they don’t; we come back and x them.
“KOS Fencing can provide a full end-to-end solution for land and crop conversion - from removing trees, prepping the land ready for kiwifruit
and developing the kiwifruit structure ready for planting. We like to use the phrase ‘turn-key orchards’.
KOS general manager Patrick Torr and his partner bought land on the outskirts of Te Puke, with the goal of making use of the property to grow “something”.
With the land and micro climate creating ideal conditions for growing Kiwifruit, and with the cost e cient means of developing the structure within the KOS team, a sport of kiwifruit was the obvious choice.
“We build all our orchards in a way that allows growers to focus on production. Ease of management, strength and aesthetics are all priorities in our builds,” says Simon. After assessing the market, crop size and returns, Patrick settled on the red variety of Kiwi berry that will be ready for rst harvest 2025.
KOS Fencing has the skills, experience and expertise to deliver superior kiwifruit orchard structures across the range and size of orchards. For further information see our advert below.
All-round supremacy has seen Ōpōtiki orchard manager Sydney Hines named Bay of Plenty Young Grower for 2023 at the awards ceremony in Mount Maunganui.
e 24-year-old captured the title at her rst attempt, dominating the practical tasks and impressing the judges with a speech on biotechnology, securing a spot at October’s national nals in Pukekohe.
In front of her proud family and with Minister of Education Jan Tinetti presenting the award, Sydney headed o seven other strong contenders, winning ve of the 10 tasks, with Southern Cross Horticulture’s Ashdon Reid taking out two and nishing runner-up.
“All the tasks had a few things that stumped me a little bit and the only one I was reasonably con dent on was the ‘day in the life of an orchard manager’ test, which they said I was the rst one to get through it all,” says a jubilant Sydney.
“I de nitely wasn’t expecting to get up on stage that many times – I was really surprised to win the speech competition and just overwhelmed to win overall.
“It’s a really good feeling.”
Raised in Mangakino on a thirdgeneration dairy farm, Sydney has spent the past two years working for Sybton Horticulture, an orchard management company with interests in the Eastern Bay and Northland.
She also provides technical support
100% natural, BioGro certified Supplies readily available source of calcium and sulphate sulphur to support soil health and plant growth.
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and compliance advice, helping oversee 35 hectares of avocados and around 240 hectares of kiwifruit, mostly around Kerikeri and Ōpōtiki.
With a Bachelor of Agribusiness from Massey University, she is also putting the nishing touches on a post-graduate diploma in horticulture science through Lincoln University.
e day-long competition, at both Mount Maunganui College and Mercury Baypark, saw contestants complete an array of tasks, such as tractor-backing and loading, soil moisture management and biosecurity theory.
Sydney will go on to compete in the national Young Grower of the Year nals in October, run by Horticulture New Zealand, against regional champions from Pukekohe, Gisborne, Hawke’s Bay, Nelson and Central Otago.
Farmers and growers a ected by recent weather events will receive help to secure cheaper loans, rather than be given cash, the government has announced.
Hawke’s Bay Growers previously asked for $750 million to cover costs created by Cyclone Gabrielle.
Emergency management minister Kieran McAnulty made the announcement on ursday, June 29, at Taylor Corp Packhouse in Waiohiki, Hawke’s Bay.
Two schemes have been designed to allow banks to support farmers and growers.
Relief
First, the North Island Weather Events Loan Guarantee Scheme will provide relief to rms seeking commercial lending. It leverages the Crown’s nancial strength by carrying 80 per cent of the credit risk on covered loans, allowing banks to reduce interest rates and o er more exible terms.
It will support loans of up to ve years for up to $10m, including the re nancing of existing loans at lower interest rates.
e government says businesses with an average amount of debt could save between $45,000 and $225,000.
It should be up and running by the end of July.
Financial access
e second scheme, the NIWE Primary Producer Finance Scheme, will provide access to capital for a ected growers and farmers unable to access lending without support, targeted towards businesses like to become commercially viable again, but currently unable to access commercial nance.
McAnulty says the scheme enables the
government to provide concessionary loans and equity nance for land-based primary sector producers of up to $4m per business, from a fund of up to $240m.
“It will provide a way for businesses to fully re-engage with lenders at a later date, once we have helped them get back on their feet.”
To be eligible, a business must have had insurance, lost 30 per cent or more of its uninsurable productive capacity because of the weather events, and be able to show it has a reasonable prospect of returning to being a viable business.
It must also have sought and failed to receive lending from commercial lenders - a rm would not be immediately eligible for support if it has simply received less nancing that it desired from its commercial lender.
Horticulture New Zealand worked with the government on designing the scheme.
Chief executive Nadine Tunley says many businesses are still grappling with funding repairs and rebuild e orts, and she hoped this would relieve the pressure.
LeaderBrand’s chief executive Richard Burke welcomes the package.
“Businesses like ours provide hundreds of thousands of jobs for people in the regions.”
Minister of Finance and Cyclone Recovery Grant Robertson says the government is not able to pay the full cost of the recovery.
“ is package has been carefully designed to ensure banks continue to play an integral role in the recovery,” he says.
It comes on top of $2 billion committed so far - $74m in grants to farmers and growers, $1b ood and cyclone recovery package as part of
Budget 2023, and $6b committed for a national resilience plan to focus on “building back better”.
Government inquiry into response announced Cabinet has decided to establish a government inquiry under the Inquiries Act 2013 to review the response to the severe weather.
McAnulty says it’s “normal practice for local Civil Defence to review the response to a severe weather event, regardless of size”.
“Given the signi cance of Hale, Auckland oods and Gabrielle, it
is appropriate that a government inquiry is set up.
“It will be led by former GovernorGeneral Sir Jerry Mateparae.”
He says a ected communities, including rural, Māori and Paci c communities, have raised concerns about communication and support during the response.
“ ere are lessons to be learned.
“It is important we incorporate these into our systems so we can continue to improve.”
, trace
Just Avocados Ltd (Katikati) commenced packing avocados for the new season in early June. Fruit volume picked has been limited to sale in the New Zealand market with export commencing shortly.
Darling Group NZ Operations CEO Glen Dunseath says the packhouse machinery and team have had an outstanding start to the season with new technology and learnings from last season contributing to e ciencies and cost savings.
“ e packhouse team have the machinery humming and the knowledge garnered from last year’s development of the new
MAF RODA fruit handling line is showing real bene ts.
“Larger pack runs combined with a small seasonal team has meant Just Avocados has reduced the cost per tray and maximised our daily packed numbers compared to last season.”
Just Avocados has also been able to start the season with a signi cant reduction in waste produced by pallet wrap.
e packhouse is using a new eco-friendly wrap (NT804 Macro Wrap) which is fully recyclable and ventilated.
“ e new pallet wrap has brought about a reduction in waste per pallet from 205 grams of netted wrap to 84 grams of Macro Wrap.”
Glen says it is early days but based on forecasted throughput over the next one to three seasons, the use of NT804 Macro Wrap will produce projected environmental savings of 1395kg and cost savings of $8600 per year.
“We have also dropped the use of corner-boards because of Macro Wrap’s superior pallet securement which sees the cost savings push out to $40,000 plus per year.” Currently this product is used right throughout the Australian avocado sector and is well established in other sectors of New Zealand horticulture; however, it is in early stages of use in the avocado industry with Just Avocados as the front runner.
After severe weather and a challenging gap between seasons, New Zealand supermarkets report their shelves will soon be packed with avocados.
Foodstu s North Island’s produce merchandise manager Brigit Corson says it’s great to see the return of such a well-loved toast topper for Kiwis.
“From now, our PAK’nSAVE, New World and Four Square stores across Aotearoa will start to see avocados in plentiful supply as the season kicks in.
“We hope this comes as a huge relief to many of our customers who’ve missed their avocados.”
Regan Booth, head of domestic avocado sales at fresh produce marketer and exporter Primor, says the shortage took many Kiwis by surprise.
“ is year we saw one of the rare times when there was a signi cant gap in the seasonal cycle of avocado production.
“ e combination of the natural cycle of avocado production and unpredictable weather events created a perfect storm that resulted in a shortage between seasons.
“As new season avocados come onboard, the industry is now shifting gear to get them back on supermarket shelves as soon as possible.”
Brigit says Foodstu s stores stock pre-ripened avocados customers can buy for tonight as well as those wanted for later.
She suggests popping them in the fruit bowl next to the bananas to ripen them up or placing them in the fridge if you need them to last a little longer.
e Te Aroha Museum has a large display showing Te Aroha’s early aviation history.
It all started with the landing of an Avro 504K bi-plane on a farmer’s paddock at Waiorongomai on March 28, 1922. at afternoon, the Avro piloted by Captain A C Upham, landed in ‘Goodfellow’s Paddock’ at Waihou. Passenger ights had been advertised at £2 per passenger.
Such was the success of these ights that they were carried out on other occasions as well and the interest in ying soon gripped some of the locals and the Te Aroha Aero Club was formed by enthusiasts in December 1929.
Goodfellow’s Paddock was their landing ground and pageants were soon organised bringing several aeroplanes from other towns to participate. Big crowds of locals enjoyed the buzz of these new ying machines.
In March 1934, Te Aroha Aero Club organised a visit by Sir Charles Kingsford-Smith in his large three engine
Squadron of the New Zealand Territorial Air Force.
Full Air Force honours were accorded him at his funeral in Wellington. He is buried at the Karori Cemetery. ese three momentous occasions at Goodfellow’s
Paddock have been memorialised by the installation of a memorial plaque adjacent to the present day site. It can be found on Goodfellow Road just south east of Waihou Village. It was installed by the Te Aroha Museum and funded by private donations.
e Te Aroha Aero Club fell on hard times as a result of the accident and interest declined. After WWII, the air eld at Waharoa became the air eld for the Piako District with Te Aroha, Morrinsville and Matamata aero clubs combining to form the Piako Aero Club.
curriculum vitae
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Aug 5
Crop Swap Katikati, 9.30-10.30am, 45 Beach Rd, Katikati. Ph 07 549 2337.
Plant Sale, 10am-3pm, Hamilton Gardens.
Te Aka Mauri Family History Day, 10am-3.30pm, Rotorua Library, free. See tinyurl.com/yfzj7b45
Aug 6
E-waste Collection, 9-11am, 420 Albert Park Drive, Te Awamutu. See urbanminers.nz
Secrets & Surprises on Coromandel Islands, talk by Prof Dave Towns, 5pm, Peppers Restaurant, Coromandel Township, koha. See tinyurl. com/5n7frvs2
Trust Horizon, Light Up Whakatāne Festival, 6-9pm. See lightupwhakatane.com
Aug 11
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11.15am, $20. See tinyurl.com/2p8uhfdy
Aug 23
Plant Swap, 6.30-8pm, Papamoa Library, free but please book. See tinyurl.com/4curkc77
Aug 24
Takapoto Estate Garden Tour, 10am, Maungatautari, Waikato, $45 (includes morning tea). See www. takapoto.co.nz
Waikato Horticultural Society, 7.30pm, talk by John Reeve, Wintec classroom, Hamilton Gardens (Gate 2), visitors $5. Ph Carmel 07 855 3404.
Aug 31
Plant Swap, 6.30-8pm, Tauranga Main Library, Devonport Rd, free but please book. See tinyurl.com/bdzckda4
Sept 1-20
monoplane, the ‘Southern Cross’, which was on a tour of New Zealand and included four Te Aroha men as paying passengers. Whilst at Te Aroha, the ‘Southern Cross’ took passengers on ights to the height of Te Aroha Mountain with passengers getting a souvenir ticket like this one.
New Zealand’s famous aviatrix Jean Batten also landed at Goodfellow’s Paddock. is was on August 29, 1934.
Pilots
at night she was honoured with a ‘Grand Aero Ball’ with 600 people in attendance. She had a connection to Te Aroha in that her grandparents lived here in the early 1900s.
It was very unfortunate that three months later on November 28, the Aero Club’s president, Mr Clarence Waite, was killed as a result of an accident during a mock dog ght with another plane piloted by Mr S J Blackmore.
Waite’s plane crashed to the ground killing him while Mr Blackmore was able to land receiving only slight injuries.
Clarence C Waite was 29 years old and held the rank of Flying O cer in the No 2
e Eastern Waikato Aero Club was formed in 1965 and operated from an airstrip on Mr Malcolm Campbell’s farm on the Paeroa - Tahuna Road (Swamp Road) at Elstow.
is club thrived and in 1975, due to an incident at Waharoa, the Piako and Eastern Waikato aero clubs combined.
e new entity continued as the Piako Aero Club and ew o the Elstow farm.
e fascinating ‘Skybus Saga’ in October 1980 involving the Piako Aero Club is also told.
e Museum’s large wall display includes Te Aroha’s whole aviation story including the RNZAF Corsair that crashed in the Kopuatai Swamp in September 1944 and the subsequent investigation.
is fuel cap can be seen at the museum, along with Nancy Hamerton’s ying helmet and goggles are of the period of Sir Charles Kingsford-Smith.
Family History Research Morning, 10am-noon, Public Library, ames, free.
Fibre Revival Exhibition, 10am-4pm, Tauranga Racecourse, $5 (students free).
Aug 13
Steam Day, 10am4pm, Settlers & Steam Museum, 43 Robinson Ave, Rotorua, $10, under 16 free. Ph 07 345 9525.
E-waste Collection, 9-11am, Cambridge High School. See urbanminers.nz
Aug 19
Family History After Hours, 4.30-8pm, Tauranga Main Library, Devonport Rd, free. See tinyurl.com/47h33k4r
Aug 20
Guided Tour of Hamilton Gardens,
Clandon Daffodils Tours, Gordonton. Minimum group size 10, $15/person, includes a bunch of da s, booking essential. See clandonda odils.co.nz
Sept 2
Crop Swap Katikati, 9.30-10.30am, 45 Beach Rd, Katikati. Ph 07 549 2337. Plant Sale, 10am-3pm, Hamilton Gardens.
Sept 3
The Battle of Te Ranga, 2-3pm talk by Dr Cli Simons, Brain-Watkins House Museum hall, 233 Cameron Rd, Tauranga, koha. See tinyurl.com/4jckv2ku
In Pursuit of Champions, talk by Keith Woodley, 5pm, Peppers Restaurant, Coromandel Township, koha. See tinyurl. com/5n7frvs2
