Wairarapa Rural Outlook - August 2018 by Wairarapa Times-Age

www.age.co.nz Thursday, August 30, 2018

WAIRARAPA

Rural Outlook AUGUST 2018 EDITION

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Thursday, August 30, 2018 Wairarapa Times-Age

Machinery sales buoyant locally and nationally WAIRARAPA

Rural Outlook

Sales of tractors are up more than 25 per cent on this time last year and all sectors are showing buoyancy, says new NZ Tractor and Machinery Association (TAMA) president, John Tulloch of Masterton. Wairarapa businesses are enjoying buoyant sales but not to the same degree, Mr Tulloch says. “Wairarapa is quite a small market.” TAMA year-to-date figures to the end of June showed 1876 sales across all HP categories compared with 1448 in 2017 – a total increase of 26.1 per cent. Mr Tulloch, who was elected at the Mystery Creek Fieldays in May, says sales are back at near 2014 levels, but instead of favouring agriculture as back then, there is also increased spending within the lifestyle, viticulture and horticulture markets. “It’s rare to see every sector relatively buoyant at the same time. All the stars seem to be lining up so, bar a big shock, the outlook is definitely positive across the board.”

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This is reflected in Wairarapa as well, Mr Tulloch says.

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“The demand is in the 140HP to 180HP market with contractors buying bigger tractors, but tractors for smaller commercial operations like horticulture, viticulture and lifestylers is also quite buoyant.

“Our sheep, beef and dairy export markets have all improved and while numbers of people attending Fieldays were up, most of our members reported that actual sales prospects were down.

“Sheep & beef is coming into its own as well so nearly all areas of the market are benefiting.”

“Farmers and contractors don’t want to over-commit themselves financially and see a repeat of the 2015 downturn.”

However, agricultural customers are being cautiously optimistic rather than going on big spending sprees, Mr Tulloch says.

Despite some caution, overall sales are looking very healthy and if the trajectory continues, tractor and machinery sales could possibly hit a new record high by the end of the year.

There are concerns about the regulatory framework on water use and emissions, and the impacts of mycoplasma bovis. “But the main reason for cautious spending in this sector is a healthy scepticism learned

“We might be heading towards a record year but, like our customers, are being cautiously optimistic.

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“As everyone well knows, we have no control over our climate and what it throws at us. But we’re hoping to see these numbers continue.” As always, there are changes going on in the industry in terms of technology, Mr Tulloch says. “Every year there is always something new and slightly different.” A trend he is noticing at the moment is more farmers choosing strip tilling over whole cultivation of paddocks. New to New Zealand are silage baggers which offer several advantages, including consistency, excellent compaction, minimised losses and spoilage, and leachate containment.

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Fast broadband for rural Wairarapa on fast track A recent Federated Farmers survey found a high level of frustration with telecommunications connectivity in the provinces. Federated Farmers Vice-President Andrew Hoggard said “It’s hardly surprising because we know from member feedback that broadband and mobile blackspots cause considerable frustration.” However, in Wairarapa the good news is that the number of black spots is fast diminishing and few will still exist in two or three years. The government is investing $1.5 billion in Ultra-Fast Broadband (UFB) infrastructure throughout New Zealand. As part of this, it launched the Rural Broadband Initiative (RBI) Phase One of which was completed in August 2016, benefiting 300,000 homes and businesses. Before the RBI build, only 20 per cent of rural lines were capable of speeds around 5Mbps. RBI Phase One increases this to 90 per cent of rural New Zealand households and businesses, and speeds are in fact well in excess of 5Mbps. In August last year, the Rural Broadband Initiative Phase Two (RBI2)/Mobile Black Spots Fund (MBSF) was initiated with a $100 million budget. This money is to boost speeds for people not covered by the urban Ultrafast Fibre network. A further $50 million was earmarked for extending mobile coverage to cover state highway black spots and tourist areas. To achieve this, government agency Crown Infrastructure Partners entered into contracts with 10 new partners who are building mobile

towers across New Zealand to deliver the RBI2/MBSF programme. These include nine regional wireless ISPs (WISPs) and the newly formed Rural Connectivity Group (RCG) which is a joint venture between Spark, Vodafone and 2 Degrees. This will improve rural broadband for over 70,000 rural households and businesses as well as provide new mobile coverage for around 1000 kilometres of state highways and more than 100 tourist destinations. The good news is that the RBI2/MBSF coverage is running ahead of schedule and will be substantially completed by 2021 - a year earlier than expected. “It has been a huge undertaking,” says Crown Infrastructure Partners Stakeholder Relations Manager Tanya Hansen. “It should be substantially completed by 2021 so it is moving at a huge pace. “In some cases, the towers are already in place so it is just a case of increasing coverage rather than a whole new setup which will speed up the process dramatically.” Masterton’s WIZwireless is one of the WISPs involved in the project. Its technology involves directing data between Internet networks and remote locations via repeaters placed on hill tops. Where mains power isn’t available, the repeaters are powered by solar, wind, battery or generators. Farmers help with access to hill tops and power in return for broadband and phone services. WIZwireless Managing Director Bridget

Canning says the company will be providing 74 new and upgraded sites in total, “all four to six metres so they blend in with the country.” Bridget believes that by 2022 there will be ultrafast broadband coverage for most parts of rural Wairarapa but a few black spots will continue to exist that will require satellite coverage. Cape Palliser will also enjoy good coverage as it was designated as a significant tourism location.

In some cases, the towers are already in place so it is just a case of increasing coverage rather than a whole new setup which will speed up the process dramatically.

Thursday, August 30, 2018 Wairarapa Times-Age

National interest in saving orphan lambs Wairarapa sheep & beef farmers Lynley and Matt Wyeth are attracting increasing interest from around New Zealand for their orphan lamb rearing system. “We’ve had nine calls in the past few weeks and I just went down to Blenheim and spoke to around 80 farmers,” says Lynley. The couple farm 1600 hectares on the rugged foothills of the Tararuas, at Spring Valley in Kaituna. It can be a tough environment and in 2010 they lost 1000 lambs in one night. “It was a horrible storm and we felt it was just not right to let them die and there was no way we could go through this again.” Lynley and Matt set up a nursery in an old woolshed where they could raise orphan lambs by hand, and they have been developing their system since. With 14,000 stock units, the farm averages around 300 to 600 orphans every spring and now has a 95 percent survival rate. When lambing is in full swing, Lynley can be working 10 hours a day, seven days a week for 12 weeks.

WAIRARAPA

Rural Outlook

With good lamb prices, saving orphans has become very profitable, which is part of the reason for increasing interest from other farmers. But for Lynley and Matt this is a bonus. “Not all years are profitable but we started it as an ethical project, not financial.”

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Farmers don’t have to save lambs in years when prices are lower but the Wyeths are happy to do it every year. “We have built it into our system, much like shearing sheep. We see it as part of our best practice system for the farm.” Every year the system gets refined a bit more. “Our biggest learning curve

was getting the feed system right.” In a few weeks, the couple will be taking this to a whole new level with the introduction of a computerised automatic lamb feeder. “That will save me a couple of hours a day and will pay for itself within a couple of years.” The couple are also helping other farmers in another area related to lambing. For the past three years they have been using drones to fly over the farm twice a day, keeping an eye out for cast sheep, as well as orphans. “Cast sheep can become distressed and die within a short period of time if they are not rolled back into a normal position. “Because we fly the drones twice a day, the sheep get used to them and just keep eating.

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Entries open for Wairarapa Ballance Farm Environment Awards Wairarapa farmers and growers are being encouraged to enter the Ballance Farm Environment Awards for 2018/19. Entries are open until 31st of October for the 2019 Greater Wellington Ballance Farm Environment Awards. The first round of judging takes place at the end of November, finalist judging at the end of January, and awards night on Wednesday 3rd April 2019 at the Carterton Events Centre. Regional Supreme Winners will then go on to National Showcase in June 2019. The awards are organised by the New Zealand Farm Environment Trust, a charity set up to promote sustainable farming and growing. The Chair of the Trust is Joanne van Polanen, who farms in Mid-Canterbury. Joanne says “There’s a lot of discussion about the need for the primary sector to tell our stories. The awards provide an opportunity for farmers and growers to share the positive actions they are involved in with their local community and a wider audience.” The Trust’s National Judging Co-ordinator, Andrea Hanna, says all farmers and growers, including orchardists, vegetable growers and viticulturists, are eligible to enter. “Each entrant is visited by a small group of rural professionals who identify opportunities to improve the financial and environmental sustainability of the farm business. It’s not just targeted at top farmers. The awards are an important opportunity to grow and learn from others.” Andrea explains that the judging teams have a wide range of skills and look at all parts of the farming business. Judging is conducted in a relaxed and friendly manner and climatic factors are taken into account. “In the past we’ve found farmers can be reluctant to enter if their farm has been affected by unseasonal weather or some other event. But the judges understand that

Rebecca and Richard Tosswill, the 2018 Greater Wellington Ballance Farm Environment Award winners.

unexpected challenges are part of farming and will look beyond this at the wider picture.” Andrea says that many past entrants say their involvement has helped their personal development because they get to meet and be inspired by a range of like-minded people. 2018 Greater Wellington Regional Supreme Winners were Richard and Becks Tosswill who have been farming Te Awaawa, a 646ha sheep and beef hill country property near Masterton for the past 10 years. “Being a part of the BFEA programme has been such a positive experience for Richard and me,” says Becks.

You can find out more about them at www.nzfeatrust.org.nz as well as the stories of other previous winners, and also enter there. People are able to nominate another farming or growing business they feel would benefit from involvement in the awards programme. Greater Wellington was one of the earliest regions to come on board with the awards and is now in its 17th year. The region also has its own unique lifestyle award – the Greater Wellington Regional Council Akura Conservation Centre Lifestyle Farm/Small Block Award.

“We have extend our learning, celebrated our achievements and grown our industry connections.

This award is for those lifestyle owners whose property is not their main source of income, and recognises those who are creating economic and sustainable land management on a smaller scale.

“It acknowledged all of our farming channels and gave us further confidence in the direction we are taking our farming business. A simple and enjoyable process we would highly recommend.”

Lifestyle owners within the Greater Wellington region are making a huge contribution towards the lifestyle societies they settle in, the economics of the regions and the diversity of land uses they are exploring.

We decided to apply for the BFEA when we found ourselves stagnated and unsure of whether we were doing the right things within the farm gate. It was a breath of fresh air receiving the judges’ comments - ticking boxes on what we were doing well, and gaining good advice on what we weren’t. We got more out of the process than we ever imagined. - Wairarapa entrants Mike and Liz McCreary

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WAIRARAPA

Rural Outlook

Biosecurity focus at mating Under the current state of heightened biosecurity in New Zealand, some farmers are looking at changing mating management this season. Whether you are thinking of combining artificial breeding (AB) and natural mating bulls, extending the AB period to reduce the number of bulls needed, re-starting AB in the last few weeks of mating, or thinking of implementing AB through the whole mating period, consider the risks and benefits of each option.

•Opportunity to create extra income from surplus dairy replacements and higher value calves (eg beef) •Potentially increased genetic gain (more selection pressure on replacements is possible) •Better monitoring of entire mating performance (all matings are recorded)

Cons

•Allows a shortened AB period •Reduce heat detection requirements – staff, heat detection aids etc. •Allows mating to occur where AB is impractical (ie. R2s at run-off) •Can be kept and used for multiple seasons •Retain some value as they can be sold or sent to the works for a return

• Risk of poorer reproductive performance especially in herds where performance is not optimal – Talk to your adviser, discuss the checklist below to help you identify what your current situation is and consider if making changes suits you in the upcoming season or if a staged approach should be taken. • Extended heat detection period • Silent/quiet heats have a higher potential to be missed – good results are reliant on excellent heat detection maintained throughout the entire AB period • Fewer animals cycling as more become pregnant making heat detection more challenging • Potential for incorrectly inseminating more pregnant cows if reliant on human heat detection (cost, loss of early pregnancies) • Increased logistical considerations – staffing, heat detection aids, semen and tech

Cons

Tips

The best option is dependent on each individual farm’s situation and there are pros and cons to all of them. We’ve outlined some of the key considerations to using bulls or extending your AB period.

Bulls Pros

•Biosecurity risk – can be well managed through testing and/or vaccination with some diseases (ie BVD) but Mycoplasma bovis presents a more difficult situation •Cost •Associated bull issues – aggression, lameness, H&S etc •Availability of leasing bulls

Extending AB period Pros

•Reduces risk of introducing disease as less or no bulls are required •Increased number of dairy replacements

• Communicate. If you decide to extend your AB programme, communicate this to all of those involved in making your plan happen your vet, your semen supplier, your AB tech, your rural professionals and your team on farm. • If you increase the use of synchrony of heifers and cows, plan ahead to cater for the increase on the numbers of cows calving within a very short timeframe, from a feed demand point of view, in the following calving season. • If you plan to change the approach with your heifers and use AB, discuss how to

SHORTY

RECKONS...

maximise their performance with your vet. Liveweight, general health and BVD control as well as the practicalities and logistics of synchrony programmes, grazier facilities and technician services should be taken into account.

Checklist

If you don’t meet all of these criteria, it does not mean that you can’t extend your AB period or adopt all AB. However, you will need to have a good solid plan in place for how you are going to mitigate those criteria you don’t meet, so you set yourself and your herd up for a successful mating period. •Repro performance is at national average or higher • A 6-week in-calf rate above 65% • A 3-week submission rate of 80% or higher • A conception rate of 50% or higher • Less than 20% short returns • Fewer than 15% cows treated for anoestrous •Your herd is healthy and primed to have a successful mating • BVD free (BVD can have strong reproductive performance consequences) • No increase in cow health problems through calving (eg milk fever and mastitis) • First calvers have reached their target liveweight for calving • No increase in late calvers • You have the skills and staff to carry out prolonged heat detection as extended AB or all AB makes accurate heat detection even more critical as these can increase heat detection to 10-12 weeks. • Seek advice – Talk to your farm adviser, vet and a farmer who has already extended AB or gone all AB and work out if the costbenefit fits your plan. Source: DairyNZ - Information supplied by the National Reproductive Strategy Group

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Average temperatures and less rain predicted Hopefully Wairarapa farmers will be getting a respite from bouts of heavy rain over the next couple of months. According to NIWA, now until October should see near average temperatures for all of the North Island, and rainfall is predicted to be near normal or slightly below normal in the east of the North Island. Federated Farmers Wairarapa branch president William Beetham says the regular bouts of wet weather have been inconvenient for the region’s farmers and a source of complaint, “making it very difficult to do even the simplest things”. The main area of concern has been providing sufficient feed for animals on the flats without damaging the pastures through pucking. William says generally speaking, farmers will have systems in place to deal with this but they will be hoping for a bit less rain. Meanwhile, NIWA is encouraging farmers to plan for climate change so they can maximise their abilities to adapt and thrive as significant change begins to take place. Dr Sam Dean, NIWA’s chief scientist of climate, says while farmers are known for their resilience and ability to adapt to changing conditions, climate change will almost certainly go beyond any previous experience. Climate changes expected for New Zealand include:

in the west and south and less in the east and north. • More extreme rainfall events with more rain, more flooding and stronger, more damaging winds. • More drought in some parts.

• An increase in the mean annual temperature across the country even if global greenhouse emissions stabilise.

Dr Dean says New Zealanders are in the “unique position of knowing what our choices are.

• Fewer frosts and more hot days where the temperature will be greater than 25°C.

“Once you understand significant change is coming, and some of is now inevitable, planning how we will adapt and thrive becomes a priority. We believe that optimising

• Changing rainfall patterns with more rain

current farming practices is one of the most effective adaptation strategies.” Farmers can expect climate change to affect a range of on-farm activities, including harvest times, crop choice, productivity, irrigation, groundwater recharge and pasture growth.

Farmers have been finding the wet weather challenging for their pastures.

Extreme weather events could also put strain on water resources or lead to flooding and damage to infrastructure. NIWA offers a range of services designed to help farmers and growers make confident and informed operational decisions, such as when and where to irrigate, fertilise, spray, harvest and move stock.

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Mycoplasma bovis – precautions for calf rearing this spring If you’re buying or selling calves or milk, here are some simple steps you can take to reduce the risk of spreading Mycoplasma bovis (M. bovis) and other diseases. Calves can contract the disease through direct contact with infected cattle, or by consuming milk from infected cows. M. bovis is shed intermittently by infected cattle. Shedding and clinical disease typically occur in times of stress such as at calving. It is important that every precaution possible is taken to prevent M. bovis from spreading. This includes precautions when buying or selling calves or milk, when it’s vital to take biosecurity practices and animal health history into account.

When buying calves Stock movements are the highest risk for spreading M. bovis. 1.

Purchase from as few sources as possible.

Deal directly with the source farm or via an agent.

Ask about cow and calf health on the farm for the past two seasons.

WAIRARAPA

Ask about any M. bovis test results available for the farm.

Rural Outlook

Ask if the farm has been subject to any M. bovis tracing by MPI.

Purchase only calves with NAIT tags and promptly record all movements.

When buying milk (or feeding calves on your dairy farm)

Ask about the stock trading practices for the farm.

Ask your transporter to avoid mixing calves with other cattle in holding yards or on the truck.

Ask if all stock movement records are up to date and recorded in NAIT.

Milk that has the lowest risk of containing M. bovis bacteria comes in these forms: calf milk replacer powder, acidified milk, or pasteurised milk.

Ask about cow and calf health on the farm for the past two seasons, and use the pre-purchase checklist available at dairynz.co.nz/mbovis.

If you’re using milk replacer powder, order now to avoid problems with supply.

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Avoid buying from saleyards because of the cattle mixing that occurs there.

Keep purchased calves isolated from your main group for seven days and monitor them for signs of disease.

Find a buyer now for your future weaned calves, if possible, and tell buyers about your efforts to reduce risk of M. bovis exposure.

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Do not feed milk from cows under treatment for mastitis or other illnesses, this milk should be discarded. These cows are more likely to shed M. bovis into their milk than healthy cows. Acidification with citric acid to a pH below 5 for at least 8 hours will kill M. bovis but below a pH of 4 the milk will be unpalatable and the calves will refuse to drink it. Our recommended target is 4.5. Pasteurisation will kill M. bovis if the machine is working correctly and the proper procedures are followed. There is considerable financial outlay required for a pasteurisation machine. Addition of yoghurt to milk is a less reliable way to reduce the pH, as this process takes more time and is temperature dependent to get the culture growing. If the pH doesn’t drop below 5 for at least 8 hours, M. bovis will not be killed. M. bovis is not killed by the addition of potassium sorbate preservative.

Advice for acidifying milk with Citric Acid 1.

Use cool milk (10-24 degrees) or cold (<10 degrees) to minimise coagulation or clot formation.

Always add acid to milk, not milk to acid.

Acidification works best when citric acid is added to fresh milk.

When using citric acid, the rate is 5.5 grams citric acid per litre of whole milk, or 550 grams per 100 litres of whole milk, or 5.5kg per 1000 litres of whole milk.

The acid needs to be sprinkled on top of the milk while it is being agitated.

Do not acidify below pH 4 as this will result in thickened milk and risks complete coagulation. In addition, calves will not drink milk with a pH of 4 or below.

Milk at pH 5 and below separates, but with gentle mixing goes back into a homogenous solution.

Gentle mixing of the milk twice a week is the recommended method. Continuous mixing causes coagulation, as does vigorous mixing.

Note for that systems that pipe milk, there may be coagulation in the pipes/ tubes with blockage of lines and nipples. This may result in the feeding of “whey” to calves if casein coagulates.

10. The target pH is 4.5 for a minimum of eight hours. Using the method described here this should be achieved and the M. bovis bacteria will be killed. 11. Test the pH of milk half an hour after the addition of citric acid to the milk and again just before it being fed to calves. Use pH test strips which can be purchased online and are available in several other stores including at farm merchant stores. It can be difficult to keep electronic pH meters clean and calibrated when working with milk. 12. Citric Acid is available online and will be available at various other suppliers including at farm merchant stores this spring.

Purchase only calves with NAIT tags and promptly record all movements.

Source: DairyNZ

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WAIRARAPA

Rural Outlook

Thursday, August 30, 2018 Wairarapa Times-Age

Buoyant mood held back by shortage of quality staff

In addition to information on salaries the report also provides a range of other data, including weekly hours worked by employees, employee age, length of employment and recruitment ease. The report shows all surveyed positions in the dairy sector over the past year with the most notable jumps for the mid to highly skilled positions of Assistant Herd Manager (6.6%), Herd Manager (5.5%) and Farm Manager (5.5%). There was also a more modest increase for the entry level farm assistant position (2.8%).

Agriculture in Wairarapa is in a buoyant frame of mind but suffering from a shortage of quality staff, says Federated Farmers Wairarapa branch president William Beetham.

Federated Farmers Employment spokesperson Chris Lewis says it was great to see salaries heading in the right direction.

He’s finding this from first-hand experience as he searches for a shepherd for his sheep & beef farm, and regularly comes across similar stories from others. “You can’t get a fencer for love nor money right now. I know of one fencing contractor who is struggling to find good staff. Growth is definitely outstripping supply.” William is all for the farming industry casting its net wider and promoting itself to young people living in large urban centres. “These offer huge untapped potential. For young people living in urban areas there are fantastic career opportunities in our industry. “Previously, there has not been the enthusiasm to show school leavers these options. That is definitely changing but will take some time to work through.” William’s previous shepherd came from just such a background. “She was at university and applied for a summer job and then came back to be our shepherd.”

Federated Farmers Wairarapa branch president William Beetham.

Dairy salaries increase

After little movement in wages in recent years, people working in primary industries have made gains in what they earn, according to the latest Federated Farmers Rabobank Remuneration Survey. The survey was conducted in late 2017 and early 2018. Responses were collected from 940 employers on 13 separate farm positions across the dairy, sheep and beef and arable sectors.

You can’t get a fencer for love nor money right now. I know of one fencing contractor who is struggling to find good staff. Growth is definitely outstripping supply.

“After a couple of years of very little growth in reported salaries, it’s good to see some meaningful movement in the face of a tight labour market, especially when you consider the current rate of inflation is sitting at just 1.1 per cent. “We would also expect to see farm salaries continue to move north over the remainder of the year because the majority of the key agricultural sectors have performed strongly over the last 12 months. The outlook for the next 12 months is also favourable.” While salaries were up for dairy farm workers, the survey also revealed dairy employees were working longer hours. “The weekly hours worked by permanent dairy staff in the previous year’s survey was an average of 45 hours per week and this has now risen to 49 hours,” Chris says. “Over 63 per cent of dairy sector employers report it being ‘not at all easy’ or ‘not very easy’ to find employees and the longer hours could well be a result of dairy farmers and their current employees having to work to cover vacant positions.” Employees in the sheep and beef sector saw stable salaries overall although there was a significant jump in mean salary for the sheep and beef farm manager position which rose by 5.2 per cent since the previous survey.

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Significant pay rise in pipeline for Kiwi wool harvesters Wairarapa shearing staff are likely to benefit from a recommendation to increase their pay and entitlements by a quarter. The New Zealand wool harvesting industry is experiencing significant challenges in recruiting and retaining skilled labour with many heading to Australia where there are better rewards for the physically demanding work. Now the New Zealand Shearers Contractors Association (NZSCA) has recommended shearing contractors improve their workers’ pay and entitlements by up to 25 percent. This recommendation, ratified at the Association’s recent Annual General Meeting, is the result of several months of consultation with members and non-members and has been launched in conjunction with a new strategic plan outlining the goals of the NZSCA over the next three years. The plan focuses on improving the profile of the Association, lifting recruitment and retention rates, improving training opportunities and leading new standards in health and safety in the industry. Anecdotally, it is thought that approximately half of sheep in Australia are shorn by New Zealand shearers. Paddy Mason of Masterton-based Shear Expertise says his business will be following the recommendation and he expects many other Wairarapa contractors to as well. He says there is definitely a shortage of shearers in Wairarapa. “We don’t have difficulty finding employees, but some of the small contractors do.”

Paddy believes better wages and conditions will have some impact as an incentive for shearers to stay home.

NZSCA President and central in a lot of the consultation process, says that it was important all parties understand the changes.

Mark Barrowcliffe, new President of the NZSA, says that addressing the pay gap with Australia is critical in keeping more New Zealanders working here.

“We know there will be questions from farmers but without implementing these changes there is a real risk that in the near future we will not be able to service farmers’ needs.”

“This decision provides workers the opportunity to see real career opportunities and create meaningful opportunities for themselves and their families. They do not need to go to Australia now to achieve this.”

Mr McConachie is looking forward to being part of the ongoing discussions to communicate the recommendations and also sees this as an opportunity to continue to improve the employment framework for the industry.

The NZSCA Executive Committee is now working hard to communicate the details of the recommended terms to shearing contractors, farmers and the staff of both groups.

“We want to be acknowledged as an industry where fair employment conditions are the norm,” Mr McConachie says, in reference to previous historical issues where entitlements haven’t always been fairly treated.

Jamie McConachie, recently retired

KEINZLEY AGVET LTD

We know there will be questions from farmers but without implementing these changes there is a real risk that in the near future we will not be able to service farmers’ needs.

Thursday, August 30, 2018 Wairarapa Times-Age

Transformative technology offers new possibilities for crossbred wool Every year New Zealand produces 20 million kilos of coarse crossbred wool with no market to sell to. Wairarapa sheep farmers like Derek Daniell have become jaded with each new false dawn of rising prices, and potential solutions to this problem. But Derek does believe there may be light on the horizon in the form of a new technology currently being piloted at Lincoln, near Christchurch. Two years ago, a $21 million, seven-year research partnership was announced between the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) and Wool Industry Research Ltd (WIRL) which is a subsidiary company of Wool Research Organisation of NZ (WRONZ). The focus of the research investment is to look at new ways to use wool as a source of high value keratin, and also working with traditional manufacturing industries to develop new technical textiles. The research, now in its third year, consist of three areas:

WAIRARAPA

Rural Outlook

1. A basic research programme developing new knowledge about the natural structure and formation of wool fibre. 2. Discovery of effective ways to deconstruct the fibre and reconstitute it in a range of functional forms. 3. Optimising the performance and utilisation of the new materials in a range of forms and applications. In essence, the research is all about deconstructing crossbred wool fibre and reconstituting it into new, high-value products.

At one end of the spectrum is simply converting the coarse wool to fine wool, for which there is an existing global demand. At the other end of the spectrum are a variety of possible products that one would never in the world associate with wool, from cosmetics to air filters. Three million dollars per year is being spent on the research with WRONZ with the wool industry funding 60 per cent, and MBIE 40 per cent. If successful, the project will be hugely positive for Wairarapa sheep farmers. Derek points out that with a few exceptions, Wairarapa will never be able to grow fine wool sheep. The merino breed has huge problems with wet pasture and also has low lamb percentages, slow growth and is not a good meat sheep, he says. While fine wool is holding its own against man-made fibres in the fashion industry, strong (coarse) wool is losing the battle against synthetic alternatives now being used for carpets.

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Air filters are one of many possible uses of future wool.

If one includes all the costs associated with shearing sheep, wool is literally costing farmers money, Derek says. There had previously been interest in no-shear sheep and with prices for coarse wool falling again, he thinks farmers will look at this option once more. But Derek believes future hope lies with this new technology. WRONZ Chairman Derrick Millton, points out that the majority of sheep farmed in New Zealand produce coarse diameter fibre that is mainly used in floor coverings. Synthetic fibres have closed many of the functional performance advantages that wool previously held. “We are producing 20 million kilos of wool every year that is surplus to requirements.” WRONZ is funding research to look at multiple ways of increasing the value of crossbred wool. Its biggest project by far is “New Uses for Crossbred Wool”, led by Lincoln Agritech and supported by WIRL.

www.age.co.nz Thursday, August 30, 2018

value of wool trebles, that will mean sheep farming will be competitive with dairy, which will give farmers an incentive to stay with sheep in environmentally-sensitive areas.”

New Zealand crossbred wool has been losing against synthetics in the carpet industry.

An original pilot to initially create and test the technology on a small scale has been completed and now a second pilot is working to create a large commercially viable plant model. “Our first pilot proved it could be done, now we have to prove it at a commercial scale to see if it is commercially viable,” says Derrick. The large pilot plant largely involves modifying already existing technology and Derrick is optimistic that by the time research is completed in five years’ time, a fully functioning commercial model will be ready to go. Such a plant will be producing an ultra-fine fibre product with a huge number of possible uses. One of the more obvious ones, will be simply converting the crossbred wool into fine wool fibre that can be used in fashion as merino currently is, with the same attributes as that

wool, along with some other unique ones. Other possibilities include cosmetics, filters for everything from face masks to machinery, and screen printing. One of the great things about all these products is that they will all be biodegradable where the synthetic alternatives aren’t, Derrick points out.

WRONZ also has other projects on the go. These include:

“At the end of their life you can reuse them or turn them into compost within a year.”

• Printed Circuit Boards - New Zealand crossbred wool fibre could replace glass in circuit boards in higher-end products and products where weight is an issue.

WRONZ wants New Zealand farmers to not only benefit from new markets for their wool, but also have the opportunity to invest in the new technology so that the technology itself, brings them a return.

• Wool-based Fire Retardant Wool - This could be the answer to avoiding severe environmental and health risks associated with traditional organohalogen fire retardants.

He says the government is very supportive of the project, not only because it will lift the income of sheep farmers, but because of its possible environmental benefits.

A new research project being led by AgResearch aims to build on preliminary work which showed that combinations of keratinderived proteins demonstrate excellent fireretardant characteristics.

“If the value of sheepmeat stays high and the

For more information visit www.woolresearch.com

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Thursday, August 30, 2018 Wairarapa Times-Age

WAIRARAPA

Rural Outlook

Maungahina Stud’s main Speckle Park sire for 2017, Kidmans Cove.

Wairarapa bull sales enjoy good season It’s been a positive bull sales season for Wairarapa studs in 2018. “On the whole, things have gone very well,” says livestock stock agent John Griffith. “Angus sold very well and other breeds did well as well.” This year’s positive sales have followed the trend of the past few years, John says. “There is a general strength in prices right across the market. We’ve had good prices for cattle for the last two or three seasons. “Where last year a bull might have got $4000, the same sort of animal would have got around $5500 this year, and an animal that sold for $10,000 last year would have got $12,000 to $13,000 this year.” Good demand around the world is helping to push up prices for premium beef, John said. “As economies do well, and with growth in Asia, people are willing to pay more for prime cuts.”

There is a general strength in prices right across the market. We’ve had good prices for cattle for the last two or three seasons. New Zealand, which was only registered as a pure bred Canadian breed in 2006. Mark McKenzie, who runs the stud with his father Bruce, says interest has been growing every year. “We’ve had very good sales since we started 11 years ago. We sold 300 semen straws the first year, and are now doing 16,000 to 20,000 a year in conjunction with LIC.”

One of the breeds for which demand has been rapidly rising is Speckled Park.

Mark and Bruce kept this year’s Speckled Park bull prices at a reasonable level with the aim of getting them out to the commercial market.

Maungahina Stud near Masterton was the first to import Speckled Park into

But they were surprised at the level of interest in the eight purebred nine-month-old

heifers they put up for sale in conjunction with Premium Cattle Company. “We were expecting around $8000 each but they fetched an average of $21,000 and a top price of $27,000 which we believe is the top price ever in New Zealand or Australia.” Speckle Park are polled, medium frame cattle, (mature cow 650-800kg and mature bull 1000-1200kg), early maturing and very high yielding carcass with impressive weight gains targeting 18 month markets. Speckle Park are high marbling with quality, fine tender eating meat. Usually, breeds will be high yielding or have good marbling but not both, Mark points out. The breed’s distinctive colour patterns are readily passed on to their crossbred offspring, thus enabling buyers to know with speckle marked cattle they are getting 50 percent of all heritable and desirable traits. These and other qualities have made Speckled Park the fastest growing breed in the world and they can now be found all over New Zealand.

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