Farming GUARDIAN
Guardian ASHBURTON
Feeding the pollinators P2-3
DECEMBER, 2013
2
Feeding the pollinators
Michelle Nelson RURAL REPORTER
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he key to healthy bee populations is a continual supply of diverse pollen and nectar from natural sources. This was the topic highlighted at a Foundation for Arable Research (FAR) field day, held at John Evan’s farm at Dorie. The Trees for Bees and Building Better Biodiversity on Arable Farms projects both aim to increase the numbers of not only bees, but a range beneficial insects, by providing habitats with support them year round, and Mr Evan is a keen supporter. He has been establishing a planting of trees and shrubs with well-balanced protein and nectar supplies, around the boundaries of an irrigation pond on his farm. The plants have been chosen from 200 species selected to cope with the environmental pressures of the site, provide habitats for beneficial insects and because they are unlikely to support pest insects or
ASHBURTON
Guardian
Farming GUARDIAN
Any feedback is welcome, any comments about our magazine, letters or story suggestions. Please direct any correspondence to: Michelle Nelson, on 307-7971 email: michelle.n@theguardian.co.nz or write to PO Box 77, Ashburton. Advertising: Phone 307-7974 Email: desme.d@theguardian.co.nz Publication date: December 5, 2013
A range of exotic and native plants providing well-balanced protein and nectar supplies are incorporated in the mix. Photos Donna Wylie 211113-DW-214
Next issue: January, 2014 An advertising feature for the Ashburton Guardian. Any opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of Guardian Farming or the Ashburton Guardian.
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Photo 211113-DW253
become weeds in nearby crops. Unlike many riparian plantings, the mix includes coastal banksias, Mexican orange blossom, rosemary, tree lucerne and other exotic species, along with natives, which provide bee fodder. Plant & Food entomologists are monitoring insects in the planting to gain an understanding of how insect communities establish and become self-supporting, using traps set up throughout the planting. In New Zealand “unmanaged” insects can fulfil more than half the pollination requirements for certain crops and fields, says Brad Howlett, of Plant & Food Research. He says other bee and fly species can prove more efficient pollinators than honey bees in certain crops. The project has three trials running in Canterbury, each designed specifically for its
environment, with stock grown from locally sourced seed and planted with slow-release fertiliser, which won’t leach. Contractors planted the Dorie trial, using shelter sleeves and woollen weed mats, and the area is routinely sprayed to lessen weed competition while the plants are establishing. Because the plants around the irrigation pond went straight into shingle, a low-drift watering system delivers a litre per plant per day. James Callaghan, manager of Midlands Apiaries, said the company would be putting 2500 hives into carrot crops this month, but the bees needed “homes” for the rest of the year – and many more biodiversity plantings like Mr Evan’s were needed to provide bee forage, particularly in early winter and spring. While nectar can be replaced with sugar syrup – consumed at a rate of 50kg per hive per year, bees also need protein, in
Marco Gonzalez for the Bee Friendly Farming Group, and Midland Apiaries manager James Callaghan at Trees for Bees field day. Photo 211113-DW-236
the form of pollen – about 30 to 40kg per hive per year. “Where are the plants to support that? The average dairy farm has no trees or hedges – if arable farmers want healthy bees in the future they are going to have to help us out. “We need your help, we need everyone’s help to pollinate those crops. “Varroa sucks the goodness out of bees – so we need to put more into them.” • For more information visit treesforbeenz.org
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Bees are in trouble and without bees the future of the world is in trouble. It is estimated that two-thirds of earth’s plant species require insects pollination. To put it simply, bees put food on our plates and have done since the beginning of time. However, the needs of the humble insect have been overlooked in modern farming techniques. Changing land use has created an environment unable to sustain enough strong, healthy bee colonies to meet pollination requirements. Farming intensification has created large-scale monocultures, and weedfree environments which cannot support bees during the critical spring period, before crops come on line. Once-familiar gorse hedges, which provided a
valuable source of spring feed, have been ripped out, along with trees which may stand in the path of centrepivot irrigators. Stock-water races are being closed; the majority of flying insects were not designed to drink from cattle troughs. Then there are agricultural sprays and varroa mite to contend with. Pollination security has become a major issue, for both the domestic food supply and the competitive production for export markets relies on reliable bee populations. Mid Canterbury’s thriving small-seed industry is threatened by declining bee population. Conversely, as bee numbers are declining, the demand for pollinators grows, with one seed company requiring an extra 1000 hives this year.
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4
Dream catcher
Greg Martin BRASS AND FEATHERS
This column is the first of a monthly series called Brass and Feathers about fishing and hunting in Mid Canterbury by Greg Martin. Mr Martin is a lawyer at White Fox and Jones, Ashburton (gem@whitefox.co.nz)
T
he stag was looking at me. It was raining big, heavy drops, but I wasn’t cold. He was looking at me, and I was looking back. There was calm about it; like he was waiting. He knew who I was. The rain fell, and it wasn’t cold. It was the kind of calm that comes from things unreal; like you only get in a dream. To stalk deer successfully in Mid Canterbury you need to go early. By 7am it is pretty much all over. It’s nothing about hunting pressure. It’s just the way that deer are. That means leaving town at 3am. And that means sleep is made difficult by excitement
Fog sits among the gullies in the Mid Canterbury hill country.
and planning. Eventually you drift off, and then the alarm goes and you are wondering whether it’s all worth it. Maybe a lazy day at home doing things around the house. But that time when the alarm woke me there was no wondering. Crossing the north branch of the Ashburton River and heading for Mt Somers, I didn’t believe the dream was anything more than my mind
enjoying being young again. But something had me driving through the night without doubt, leaning forward on the steering wheel watching the hares bolt from the headlights away into the dairy paddocks. By 4.30am I was walking, and an hour later I was in place, breathing heavy, but staying low. Glass the lighting country. Nothing. I crawl left around a
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scope up to my cheek, bolt down, safety off, sweaty finger on the trigger. He’s running away, too fast, too far already. All I see is his back. Nothing certain about a shot. I drop to my knees in the tussock. Stag. My heart is racing and I am laughing quietly to myself. Unbelievable. Stag. So exciting to see in the wild. He stops on a rise scrubbed with ash-grey matagouri and
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shallow basin of tussock. Still nothing. Glass again. The Sun comes up, and then it is nearly 7am. Those good hours go so quick. I stand out in the open and swig on my water bottle. Just a dream. Day done. What a place. Wipe forehead and take a step. Noise from close by on my right. Stag. Stag stag stag stag! Frantically, I swing the rifle
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turns to gaze back at where I am. I stay low, head down, dropping my face to avoid prolonged eye contact. He looks and looks, and then moves a little further up the slope, bends his knees, and beds down. Slowly I swap the rifle for binoculars and find him again. Antlers swinging every now and then amongst the thorns. Big brown eyes looking down
On the lookout for a stag (left) and gotcha – the hunter’s got his target.
at where I am. Just me and him, watching. No cover. No choice. No hope of me moving without being
seen. But there he was. Magnificent. And he knew who I was, and why I had come.
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6
Cabbage trees put on great show Mary Ralston
FOREST AND BIRD
T
his spring has been an incredible flowering season for cabbage trees. Throughout Canterbury they are flowering profusely – young, old, big, small, in gardens, roadsides or forest edges – all a mass of blooms. A common explanation for prolific flowering is that it foretells a hot summer to come. This is a nice idea but rather than predicting the climate the abundant flowers are probably an indication of the weather we had last year. The hot dry summer would have been particularly good for trees to do lots of photosynthesising and thus be able to store lots of sugars and starches that can then be spent on producing abundant flowers, and then seeds, this year. Lots of flowers are also good
The cabbage trees along roadsides may have been planted by Maori to mark the way from the coast to the mountains.
of the wood pigeon. There are five species of cabbage tree. The one in our area is Cordyline australis, the most common. It occurs in sunny places throughout the North and South Islands in swamps, forest margins
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and along river beds up to an elevation of about 1000 metres. Some grow big – the largest specimen with a single trunk is growing in Golden Bay. It is estimated to be 400 or 500 years old, is 17 metres tall with a circumference of 9m at the
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base. The cabbage tree is the only native tree that we see in any numbers on the plains – the ones we see in uncultivated farmland may be survivors of forest clearance and the draining of swamps in the 1800s. The cabbage trees along roadsides may have been planted by Maori to mark the way; they shoot easily from pieces of stem and are longlived so they are ideal to use for this purpose. As well as markers along trails, boundaries and cemeteries, Maori used cabbage trees for food. Food from the root of young trees was known as kauru. The root is shaped like a carrot but is up to 1m long. In the 1840s Edward Shortland noted that Maori “prefer those grown in deep rich soil; they have learned to dig it at the season when it contains the greatest quantity of saccharine matter; that is, just before the flowering of the plant. They then bake, or rather steam it in their ovens.”
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7 Cabbage trees are flowering profusely this year, probably due to the long hot summer we had last year.
The tough leaves were also put to good use and woven into baskets, mats, capes and sandals. European settlers also used the cabbage tree – they ate the young leaves from the centres of the heads, hence its common name. Cabbage trees are a distinctive part of the landscape on the plains but we cannot assume the old ones along roadsides will last forever, despite their hardy nature. They are vulnerable to cultivation, grazing and accidentally death due to spraying or mowing. We need to celebrate these wonderful specimens and do what we can to protect them such as fencing off existing trees, planting more along roadsides and in gardens, along fenced-off streams and in other restoration projects. • In last month’s Guardian Farming, a picture of the New Zealand falcon should have been attributed to Lew Shaw.
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8
Exporters eye China Beef+Lamb statistics show exports to China have grown from less than 1 per cent to 10 per cent. Carmen Hall spoke to its chief economist, Andrew Burtt, about developments. Why have sheep, lamb and beef volumes to China increased so much? Strong demand and prices and our free trade agreement, which provides us with some advantages, plus there is growth in demand for protein. Is China going to be the next big marketplace? It could be a big market, however, there are some risks. Traditional markets remain New Zealand’s largest markets. New Zealanders are naive if they think others haven’t noticed the changes – South America, Australia, the United States and Canada are key suppliers. What cuts are China taking?
Generally they are taking “lower value” cuts compared with developed countries. This includes lamb flaps and forequarters, but there are signs of increases in high-value products such as lamb racks.
CROP STORAGE AND HANDLING The China market is providing opportunities for New Zealand lamb.
Are they paying the same as traditional markets? Yes, they are competitive for similar products. This is an important point. Different markets demand different products. Except in small volumes so far, China does not compete directly for the same products exported to developed/traditional markets. If they were not competitive, New Zealand exporters wouldn’t be exporting to them.
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AS FOR L VIL ABLE TION AILCUPA V A C O
10
A Brit’s eye view of farming Chris Murdoch, a regular contributor has asked David Williams to give a bit of a view from the United Kingdom’s farming prospective, particularly dairy.
I
’ve been living in New Zealand for five years, most of my time spent in Queenstown until my move to Property Brokers Ashburton as area manager about four months ago. Having grown up in West London and worked in the city for most of my working life, my experience on farms is, to say the least minimal. At this point I got thinking about my cousin in England, who’s based in Gloucestershire and a third-generation farmer – perfect. I woke James at 4am (his time) in the United Kingdom, fortunately he was just stirring for his busy day on his 300-hectare farm. “James, I need some information on farming in the UK, give me some statistics . . . ” There are currently 10,681 dairy farms in England and Wales, most have an average herd size of about 120 animals and farms with more than 200
One of New Zealand’s biggest attributes is being able to produce milk at a lower cost than the rest of the world – let’s hope this will be the case for many years cows are rare. The animals are usually able to graze and move around in small regular groups which suits their sociable nature and help manages livestock stress levels. Compare this to the indoor industrial-sized United States farms, which can house up to 30,000 cows, who are milked around the clock with little or no access to pasture and plagued by illness. Because of the vast number of cows, mastitis, lameness
and infertility are big issues. Predictably the cows become stressed and aggressive. British farmers have resisted farming on this industrial scale, however there are two applications in Lincolnshire for 1000-cow indoor farms. This is a far cry from farms here, to the present day, which have grass feeding with some supplementation in the system, however, all of a sudden in Canterbury we are seeing herd homes being erected and cows spending much of their day indoors with hand-feeding systems in place. One of New Zealand’s biggest attributes is being able to produce milk at a lower cost than the rest of the world – let’s hope this will be the case for many years – watch this space Intensive farming in the UK has been avoided, but selective breeding has been common for about 40 years. Farmers are under increasing pressure – competitive
supermarket pricing and the centralised way food is bought – is pushing farmers out of business every week. In an industry that values volume of milk output above all else, many farmers are unwilling to put sentient animals at the heart of such an intensive system; industrial dairy farming also carries a huge environmental cost, putting a huge strain on the climate, water supply and public health. I got chatting to Richard, a friend of James, who is involved in dairy and maize farming – I asked about his yields. “Really well, between 16-17 tonnes per acre, dry matter between 35 per cent and 40 per cent and a starch level of 31 per cent.” The information was gained via his harvest lab computer and his forager. He then got talking about his largest cow, she has completed eight lactations, with a lifetime daily yield of 34.2kg.
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At this point I’m wondering how this compares with some of our cows here in Mid Canterbury. Richard says his cows are energy junkies and need lots of maize and a small amount of well-made fibrous grass silage to balance this. He said currently, the proportions are the wrong way around so all the grass cut in the British summer will be gone by Christmas. Currently the cows are consuming 26-27kg/ cow/day. As with all farmers, James and Richard are busy – I had already taken up a lot of their time. Time to get off the line and let them get on with their day. Before hanging up they did say they would be happy to welcome a New Zealand farmer to their farm. “It’s always good to see how farms over here compare to farms in New Zealand – I suspect the Kiwi farmers do it slightly better than us Brits.”
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NFS have a team of people with specialised experience in rural accounting. They make it their business to not only understand the unique issues that often surround the finances of farming, but also the practical considerations of working together. The Directors of the business, Nick Noone, Ant Ford and Tom Simpson have all been heavily involved in the rural and business community. Together with their team of over 25 specialised staff they continue to lead the way in innovative, personalised accounting in this region. “We know how hard farmers and business owners work to make their assets work for them. We see our supporting role as providing all the necessary
and support roles that we undertake for them.” says Ant.
Ant moved to Timaru in mid 2008. He was born and bred in Oamaru and attended Lincoln College. He had extensive commercial experience in business within the horticultural and agricultural sector prior to becoming a Chartered Accountant. Ant's practical hands-on experience in business over the last 25 years has given him the tools to enable him to relate to and understand many of the demands facing businesses today. When asked what NFS can do for rural clients, Ant says “We'll help you manage every aspect of your business, and because we establish a one-on-one relationship with each of you, our advice will be tailored for your individual needs. That means we’ll come to you if that makes life easier – and instead of bogging you down with piles of paperwork, we have the tools to make your farm accounting easy to manage from
and adaptability will ensure we can help you get the best results.” says Ant. “At NFS we believe it is imperative to
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13
Soil biology key to quality
N
ew Zealand authorities are missing something when they prepare their environmental policies. International soil scientist Dr John Baker says while most local bodies have robust policies that address air and water quality, they overlook soil quality. He points out that poor soil quality affects water quality through run off and air quality through dust. Dr Baker, who has a MAgrSc in soil science and PhD in agricultural engineering from Massey University, points out the single most important factor that maintains and preserves soil quality is the biology of the soil. The food stuff for plants, soil fauna and microbes that grow in soil is its organic matter. “Maintaining soil health is all about maintaining organic matter,” Dr Baker says. “If you want quality air and water and
sustainable food production, you can’t do it without quality soil. “That’s why any environmental policy should include the impact of quality soil coupled with the ongoing destruction by conventional tillage.” He warns that conventional tillage such as ploughing progressively destroys soil organic matter by oxidation and therefore regional councils and rural local authorities should be discouraging it. Ploughing releases carbon into the atmosphere and depletes the micro-organisms which enrich the soil. Eventually it will lead to crop failure, soil erosion and famine. “When a farmer ploughs and cultivates a paddock it releases CO2 into the atmosphere. The vast majority (95 per cent) is released from soil with the other 5 per cent coming from tractor exhausts,” Dr Baker says.
Drillability “The amount of CO2 released by cultivation during reseeding a paddock can be approximately three tonnes per hectare. Annually approximately 1 million hectares are reseeded in New Zealand and about 80 per cent cultivated. This means we are currently releasing about 2.4 million tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere. “It’s important to realise that 20 per cent of the CO2 in the world’s atmosphere comes from ploughing which makes it an appalling statistic.” now $1850 Further Drexcl Baker says it now $1400 excl doesn’t need to happen.
Instead he has researched low-disturbance no-tillage for 40 years and invented and manufactured a no-tillage drill which penetrates through crop residue on top of the ground and sows seed and fertiliser directly into unploughed ground. “No-tillage is the equivalent of keyhole surgery as opposed to ploughing which is invasive surgery,” he says. No-tillage causes minimal disturbance to the soil, traps the humidity, preserves microorganisms and soil life, largely prevents carbon from escaping into the atmosphere and improves crop yields.
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Dr Baker was a finalist in the World Food Prize, announced at the US State Department in June. His technology is recognised by the US Food and Agriculture Organisation and the US Department of Agriculture as the best available. “If promoting soil quality and discouraging conventional tillage was included in all environmental policies, then local authorities would be making an investment in the future prosperity of the region because healthy soils produce greater pasture and crop yields, he says.
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14
Farming’s never been an easy job A
n invitation to Wellington for a Parliamentary reception hosted by Primary Industry Minister Nathan Guy last week was an interesting opportunity to test the pulse of the farming industry in New Zealand with political leaders. In my role as chairman of Mid Canterbury Rural Support Charitable Trust, and accompanied by trust co-ordinator Alan Baird, I was somewhat dubious of the reason for the invite to a ministerial reception to recognise the valuable contribution of the Rural Support Trusts (RST) of New Zealand to the rural community. The event proved to be exactly that and was appreciated by the 30 attendees representing the 16 trusts covering New Zealand. An opportunity to mingle with ministers and politicians from the three major parties for more than two hours without media presence was a rare event and their appreciation
John Leadley
of RST work was seemingly genuine. Many agreed that some of the most valuable work done in communities is by the volunteer sector and I again took the opportunity to reinforce the need not to further hamstring volunteer contributions with regulations and needless bookwork. Prior to the reception the trusts took part in a fourhour workshop with industry representatives. While public perception and industry optimism tend to indicate that all is rosy in the farming sector, “grass roots” representatives paint a more subdued picture. The effects of the widespread North Island and West Coast droughts of 2012 are far from a distant memory and despite good early season
Currently the trust is monitoring some clients under stress while awaiting irrigation repairs milk production throughout much of the country, depleted herd numbers (due to drought culling) have had considerable impact on total volumes. North Auckland and Northern Waikato Trusts both reported worrying low rainfall totals and slow pasture growth with trust members still dealing with clients suffering financial insecurity and personal depression from 2012. The urban perception that wealthy farmers were receiving tax payer largesse just because rainfall was less than normal was firmly put to bed by Mr Guy. Only $880,000 of emergency welfare payments was made to farmers across the nation in drought assistance despite the most widespread drought in 10 years. Surely testament to a
well-managed support system. Compare this to the millions paid out weekly in welfare payments to able bodied but unmotivated individuals of all ages across New Zealand who choose not to work. Farmers are indeed a resourceful breed! The Mid Canterbury trust is MPI funded $8000 annually to cover running costs, including administration, OSH requirements, communications, auditing, advertising and day to day operations. The last six months have proven busy with snow, wind, animal welfare and farmer welfare interventions. More than 50 volunteers were involved in the June snowfall event along with private contractors. The windstorms of September and subsequent loss of electricity to farms brought a demand for emergency generators that was serviced from Buller and Cromwell after local resources were insufficient – and at a cost of $20,000. Two high-profile local court cases, one an animal welfare
situation and the other animal cruelty had significant trust involvement. Currently the trust is monitoring some clients under stress while awaiting irrigation repairs. Maybe a ministerial “thank you” to a dedicated group of volunteers was well justified. It was certainly a valuable networking opportunity. Personally, an added bonus was a one-on-one discussion with Bruce Wills, national president of Federated Farmers. His well-publicised warning to dairy farmers over indebtedness was well justified. I am certainly on the same page as Reserve Bank governor Graeme Wheeler when it comes to farmer debt. The Reserve Bank threat to impose borrowing restrictions on loan ratio values (LVR’s) for farm indebtedness that has been recently imposed on the home-buying sector in a much needed move. Borrowing with low equity has always been a risky scenario and as proved in the 1980’s
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15 Mid Canterbury’s Rural Support Trust’s contribution was acknowledged by Minister for Primary Industries Nathan Guy at a reception in Wellington recently. Catching up with the minister was Alan Baird (left) and John Leadley (right).
downturn those with strong equity were the survivors. That I believe is the way it should be. In my perspective property investors relying on capital gain for returns are high risk takers, but I understand their motivation with current rules around capital gains taxation.
Farming has always been a challenging occupation relying as it does on Mother Nature. This will remain the case despite expanding irrigation and other land-use efficiencies. While massive production gains have been made in the last 10 years it is becoming
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increasingly obvious that protection of our precious water resources must become a key factor in further farming expansion, and not only within the dairy sector. Proactive industry addressing of this issue is great, but real progress will not be made until
today’s best practice farms (and some are within this district) become the “norm”. I believe it would be much better in the longer term to sacrifice peak per hectare production in the interest of maintaining our clean green image. That is the key factor
that balances our distance from markets when trading overseas. Rural Support Trusts have a role to play in the future of the farming industry without doubt, but the key safeguards must remain with the Ministry of Primary Industries. If ministry safeguards are not administered at a much tighter level than those which allowed the importation and release of black grass to this district, real risks remain. Heaven forbid that foot and mouth could sneak across our border in the same manner. Then and perhaps only then would “grass roots” New Zealanders realise the importance of agriculture.
16
Call for citizen scientists K
iwis are being encouraged to become citizen scientists to check the health of their own lakes, rivers and streams. Fresh waterways are monitored by Niwa and regional council staff, but a study is looking at whether this checking can be widened with the help of community groups, landowners and others. “If you think of streams and rivers as blood vessels in the body, our regional councils have only enough resources to take samples at a few key arteries – and we are quite keen to get community groups monitoring the veins and capillaries as well,” said study leader Dr Richard Storey, of Niwa’s freshwater ecology group. Hundreds of environmental groups were working to restore waterways, and getting them involved in monitoring could result in a more detailed picture
of lakes, rivers and streams, he said. Volunteers would be given kits for checking indicators including bacteria, nutrients, oxygen, invertebrates, temperature and clarity. Tests would be done at sites monitored by regional councils, enabling researchers to gauge the quality of the data collected. Dr Storey said there had been concerns about the use of citizen science for serious purposes, “but that is exactly what we are trying to assess with our study”. “Yes, the data might be too variable, but our expectation is that with the right amount of training and a minimal amount of supervision, the data that comes back will be of good enough quality to help with regional freshwater planning and management. “Our vision is that community groups, iwi groups and
individual landowners will take an interest in their local streams and start collecting data.” For farmers, such monitoring could tell them what affect their activities, or mitigation measures such as riparian
planting, were having on their waterways. A report released last week said mass conversion of land to dairy was linked to deterioration of water quality because of the harmful run-off of nutrients such as
phosphorus and nitrate. This year, a government report said more than half of all river recreational spots measured for faecal pollution and microbial water quality were unsafe to swim in.
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Shag River’s success story G
Otago’s Shag River is the best river in the country, according to the New Zealand River Awards.
radual improvements in water quality in East Otago’s Shag River over nearly a decade have won it the grand prize in the inaugural 2013 New Zealand River Awards. “The Shag is the best little river in New Zealand,” Otago Regional Council chairman Stephen Woodhead, who accepted the award at a ceremony in Wellington recently, said. He was quick to point out the award was for the river’s community and recognition of the work landowners had done to improve practices on land near the river. The awards, sponsored by the Morgan Foundation, recognised the most significant improvements in river health in the country. Of the three finalists for the awards, two were from Otago, the Shag, which also won Otago’s top river award and the third-placed Waikouaiti River. Harris Creek in the West Coast was second. The judging panel – Professor
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Gillian Lewis, of Auckland University, Dr Clive HowardWilliams, of Niwa, and Dr Roger Young, of the Cawthron Institute – determined the award based on the results of the regional council’s longterm water monitoring of the Shag River. The results showed significant improvement in E. coli levels in the river in the past 10 years, with levels recovering 13 per cent a year since 2004 when the council’s water plan was instituted. Together with minimum flows and good farming practices, including fencing and reticulating stock water, it made the river stand out, the judging panel said. “Small changes accumulated into a pretty significant change.” Regional council resource science manager Matt Hickey said he put having two Otago rivers in the final down to having tight communities who valued their rivers. “It’s their award, not ours,” Mr Hickey said.
“We are immensely gratified that these important awards have recognised an Otago river.” Stephen Woodhead, Otago Regional Council chairman
Long-term monitoring was needed to show how land use changes impacted on water quality. “It takes five to 10 years. We’re not talking instant gratification.” There were “grumbles” 10 years ago when the water plan and minimum flows were introduced, but now the community was seeing the results of its work. “You can see it works. We do have bottom lines, but they do
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have positive outcomes.” Mr Woodhead said E. coli concentrations in the Shag and the Waikouaiti rivers had reduced markedly in recent years because of the sound management practices employed by farmers in both catchments. “It was a huge pleasure to accept the award, particularly on behalf of farmers and others in the catchment, who has worked hard to implement rules in the Otago water plan,” Mr Woodhead said. “We are immensely gratified that these important awards have recognised an Otago river.” Otago Fish and Game chief executive Niall Watson said land use within the Shag River catchment was of low to medium intensity, which meant measures such as fencing the waterway benefited water quality. “As well as good management practices evident there, its water quality was also a function of moderate farming intensity.”
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18
Advertising feature Article provided by Environment Canterbury
Hinds Plains catchment update Nitrate limits proposed
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or the first time controls on nitrate leaching on farm are being set by Environment Canterbury in the proposed Land and Water Regional Plan, due to be notified in January. Catchment specific rules – including in the Hinds Plains catchment – are being developed as well and will provide more detail, and address local issues, in addition to the region-wide rules. The Ashburton Zone Committee - a joint committee of Ashburton District Council and Environment Canterbury set up as part of the Canterbury Water Management Strategy - is developing recommendations on nutrient limits, minimum flows, good management practice, biodiversity, and cultural values for the Hinds Plains catchment. The work to develop recommendations has included extensive community and stakeholder engagement and discussion to ensure all values are taken into account.
Benefits of measuring soil moisture
The recommendations will also align with the targets set in the Canterbury Water Management Strategy to meet environmental, economic, cultural and recreational goals. The recommendations for the Hinds catchment – which are expected to be ready by March next year – will be presented to the Ashburton District Council and the Environment Canterbury commissioners. Once received and accepted by both councils, the recommendations will guide the drafting of specific rules for the Hinds Plains catchment. These will sit within the Ashburton sub-regional section of the Land and Water Regional Plan (which operates under the Resource Management Act). The Hinds Plains catchmentspecific rules will then be drafted and publicly notified by Environment Canterbury in mid 2014 and members of the public will be invited to make submissions as part of a formal RMA process.
M
improved crop quality • Cost savings from reduced energy and water usage • Environmental benefits through minimising nutrient losses.
easuring and monitoring soil moisture is all about putting the right amount of water on at the right time. It is also about irrigation efficiency throughout the season, which is good for both financial bottom lines and managing environmental effects. Efficient irrigation means that soil moisture matches plant requirements. To do this irrigation needs to be scheduled appropriately so the right amount of water is applied at the right time to ensure maximum plant growth. If too much water is put on it drains away below the root zone, leaching nutrients. If watering is left too late it will stress plants and reduce their growth rates.
To monitor soil moisture for irrigation scheduling and rotation, you need to know the soil properties on-farm. It’s important to know: • The “field capacity” of your soils (that is the full point after rapid drainage through the soil profile measured about a day after heavy rainfall). • The “refill point” - (the target soil moisture level at which you aim to apply water when soil is getting dry and before the plant is stressed, which reduces production).
Installing and using soil-moisture monitoring equipment is quite low cost compared to the benefits, which include: • Increased yields and
Irrigation depth is key It’s important that you know the depth of water
your irrigator applies. Many systems will show depth on the control panel. You can calculate the depth if you know the flow rate of the system. At least once a year you should calibrate the application depth, rate and uniformity of your system using a bucket test. Be prepared to change the irrigation schedule if water becomes short through the season. You may need to prioritise paddocks and crops of best yield and value. For further information on soil-moisture measurement and monitoring seek expert advice. Irrigation New Zealand has a lot of practical information and advice on its website at www.irrigationnz.co.nz. Practical workshops and events, organised by Irrigation New Zealand for farmers to learn more about managing their irrigation systems, are also strongly recommended.
WHAT’S GOING ON
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FRESHWATER CWMS targets
DRINKING WATER Ensure water quality remains high where it is currently. Prevent further decline where it must currently be treated.
HINDS CATCHMENT native wildlife
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REGIONAL & NATIONAL ECONOMIES Maintain contribution water makes to Canterbury’s economy. Water maintenance to be considered to have regional economic value.
rangitata diversion race water storage
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groundwater/ aquifers
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Provide for 30,000ha of new irrigated land which has high standards of nutrient and water use management.
Prevent further loss, protect, and restore native habitats and species in natural aquatic environments— ki uta ki tai.
ENVIRONMENTAL LIMITS Set and achieve flow, catchment and nutrient limits.
WATER-USE EFFICIENCY Achieve high levels of best-practice water use for all irrigation, stockwater and commercial use.
Maintain existing diversity and quality of recreational sites, opportunities and experiences.
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KAITIAKITANGA Increase community understanding of customary values and uses. Protect wahi taonga and mahinga kai waterways
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19
Taking care of irrigation
B
y the time you read this, IrrigationNZ will have held nine Irrigation manager training workshops across the country after piloting the initiative last year. Ashburton farmers joined those attending last month’s Dunsandel workshop – a practical day focused on the core knowledge needed for high performing irrigation. Here are comments from participants who joined IrrigationNZ at the Dunsandel workshop. Dairy farmer Alex Quigley says while they thought their irrigation set-up was already pretty good; it was reassuring to have this confirmed at the workshop. “Everything they were talking about we’d already done but it’s nice to know we’re doing it correctly.” Mr Quigley found the centre pivot and calibration topics of
most interest, particularly an exercise using buckets to check the uniformity of irrigation distribution and application. Ruwan Wijayasena, from Synlait Farms, also enjoyed the bucket exercise and will be recommending it to his company as part of its irrigation -performance monitoring. “We already use Aquaflex and can check via computers and smartphones our water usage and moisture levels so the content of the workshop wasn’t new. But it was very refreshing and a good course for us to go on,” he says. Dairy farmer Richard Greaves says coming from a nonirrigation background, the workshop was extremely valuable. “Irrigation is fundamental to our business and we need to understand it a bit better so we can increase efficiencies. As farmers, we go on a lot of
IrrigationNZ workshop presenter Dan Bloomer (right), with Stephen Kirsopp (left) and Nicki MacKay from FMG Rural Insurance at last year’s Irrigation Manager workshop in Dunsandel. The group were working on a centre pivot performance test.
courses but water is probably one of the most important aspects of our business and we can certainly do better in terms of managing our water resource,” he says. Mr Greaves says he intends to implement ideas from the workshop this season including “measuring the pivot to see what we’re putting on and what it means. “It is interesting that we assume our irrigators are applying x, but in fact when we measure and use the software provided it can be totally different. This can have a huge impact on our businesses as
they say you can’t manage what you don’t measure.” The two presenters, Paul Reese and Dan Bloomer, had a wealth of information to share, says Mr Greaves and he was particularly impressed with the handouts which summarised the workshop’s key themes. “I thought they were really thorough and there was a lot of information there to digest,” he says. Further Irrigation manager and irrigation development (for those farmers considering changing to irrigated land use) training workshops are planned for next year.
For more information visit the IrrigationNZ website www. irrigationnz.co.nz/events-andtraining or call IrrigationNZ project manager Paul Reese (03 341-2225). In the meantime, Mid Canterbury irrigators wanting to hear from industry experts and network with other irrigators should diary April 7-9 for next year – the dates of the next IrrigationNZ conference. Being held in Hawke’s Bay for the first time, IrrigationNZ has just released its line up of speakers offering global and national irrigation experience. A package deal is being offered for irrigation schemes and user groups to make it more affordable for extra representatives to attend. Further details can be found on www.irrigationnz.co.nz/ conference • Supplied by IrrigationNZ.
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20
Managing equity teams Tim Silva
COONEY SILVA EVATT LAWYERS
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his contribution picks up on last month’s introduction to equity partnerships and focuses on some aspects of equity management. While some equity partnerships choose to keep management and shareholding separate, the majority that I have been involved with will seek out a strong equity management team to run the farm for the partnership. The key driver for this is ensuring that the farm managers have “skin in the 80X5and COL game”, deliver accordingly. (186X80MM) From the equity manager’s perspective, this can represent an opportunity to diversify assets from livestock and plant
only, to an interest in the land itself. This, coupled with the decreasing availability of sharemilking jobs and the increasing challenges of individual farm ownership, have made equity management roles highly sought after. As the equity managers’ participation is at both shareholder and management level, there is potential for conflict if things go wrong. This is in part managed through the equity partnership documents, but more importantly must be managed by good practice from all participants in the equity partnership. The equity managers will often be a couple, with each manager taking responsibility for different parts of farm. Some of the best equity 80X5I seen COLhave been partnerships (186X80MM) of the equity highly supportive managers’ progression in terms of proportionate ownership.
Suzuki Dealer newspaper advertising SZM0022 KINGQUAD CLEAROUT Suzuki Dealer newspaper advertising SZM0022 KINGQUAD CLEAROUT Equity partnerships are proving popular in the dairy industry but strict guidelines regarding performance and shareholders’ expectations are essential for a successful outcome.
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In some examples, the equity managers have been allowed to reinvest their profit into the equity partnerships, thus increasing their proportionate shareholding over time. On the other hand, perceived or actual deficiencies in the
performance of the equity
between management and
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21 roles are highly sought after, a good CV is crucial. This should cover the equity manager’s performance against all the usual KPIs that we see in the dairy industry around costs and production. This should be ready and available to use as the opportunities arise. • Networking – again because good opportunities are scarce, it is important that the equity managers get their details into the market. This will mean hooking in with the rural bankers, farm advisors, industry groups and other professional advisors (lawyers and accountants) to ensure that no opportunity is missed. • Contracting to the equity partnership – several options are available ranging from employment on a fixed salary with or without bonus structure, independent contracting, to independent share-milking agreements. There are pros and cons with every option, but whichever is chosen, market rates of remuneration are recommended. The equity managers must be comfortable that they are rewarded for their management services as a separate issue from any
return they may receive as shareholders. • Determination of stake – Often equity managers will sell existing stock and plant into the equity partnership to fund their share of the equity partnership. Valuation methodologies need to be determined on an arm’s length basis and ultimately drive the equity managers’ proportionate share holding. Timing of the valuation is crucial to this process, as there can be significant movements in stock values over a short period of time, especially in the dairying industry. Finance – The equity managers may be able to increase their shareholding by borrowing additional bank funds in their own right and contributing those to the equity partnership. With the prior agreement of the non-farmers, this can be done by borrowing against the equity partnership assets. In other words, the equity partnership will guarantee the borrowings of the shareholder with the jointly owned land as security, which in turn allows the shareholder to take a bigger stake in the company. Caution needs to be taken with this ap-
proach, and will often involve an obligation on the managers to reduce the partnership’s exposure under any guarantee, by applying all dividends into debt reduction until a sustainable debt level is reached. • Management-shareholding link – Depending on the equity managers’ proportionate share, it is not uncommon to link the equity managers’ shareholding in the company to on-going management and vice versa. In other words, if the equity managers are no longer managing the equity partnership, they will be obliged to transfer their shares at that time. The rationale for this from the non-farmers’ perspective is to ensure that the managers always have an ownership stake, thus driving performance. This can be problematic for the equity managers who may see their employment and their investment as being entirely independent. This is often an area of conflict during negotiations and is driven by the percentage shareholding that the equity manager will take. The higher the percentage shareholding, the less reasonable it is to link management to shareholding.
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From the outset, the equity managers must (in conjunction with the board) establish excellent communication and reporting processes • Resolving conflict – At least, one of the equity managers will usually also be a director of the company. Tension can arise where there are real or perceived issues over the equity managers’ performance. In terms of resolving those issues, independence is often desirable, given that the equity managers are in effect both employer and employee. This can be dealt with by way of specific provisions in the equity partnership documentation, which need to be carefully considered on a case by case basis. • Communication and reporting structures – In my view this is the most important part of equity management. From the outset, the equity
1.49%
managers must (in conjunction with the board) establish excellent communication and reporting processes. This will include monthly farm management reports, procuring prior approvals to certain expenditure and generally keeping the nonfarming parties in the loop on crucial matters. It is easy to overlook this when things are going well at the outset of an equity partnership. However, once things get lumpy, it can often be too late to establish good structures and processes. The key message is to adopt the reporting structures and disciplines at the outset and stick to them. As we get close to Christmas, we know that several properties are changing hands, some at record prices. With this comes the opportunity for equity managers to secure good opportunities and for the non-farming partners to secure a great management team. Good luck with the matching up process. Next year, I will look at some aspects of decision making and governance for equity partnerships. In the meantime have a happy and safe Christmas and a prosperous New Year.
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22
Research spawns game changers BY CARMEN HALL
A
gricultural technology is not all about gadgets. It’s the research behind it and how you adopt ways of thinking that can be the game-changers, says Grassland Association vice-president Warwick Lissaman. That topic was just one of many issues explored at the organisation’s 75th annual conference at Tauranga, attended by 300 scientists, researchers, delegates and farmers from throughout the country. ”The conference is a very unique moulding of people who are all in one place with one outcome in mind – we all want to keep New Zealand at the top of the world’s game,” Lissaman says. “Often, when the layperson thinks about technology they think about gadgets, but in reality innovation is picking up new technologies and research. ”Research isn’t necessarily going to give you gadgets, it’s going to give you ways to use
gadgets,” says Mr Lissaman. Marlborough farmer Doug Avery’s use of lucerne on his drought-stricken farm, after listening to Lincoln University Professor Derrick Moot’s presentation on the plant, was a prime example of research in action. ”That plant has been around since the 1920s and had been developed into a sustainable robust plant that is very productive, so it’s gamechanging. ”Lucerne is being used in a different way now that makes more difference than a robot running around a paddock.” Local organising committee chairman Warwick Catto says the highlight of the conference was being able to showcase the Western Bay of Plenty and networking. “We wanted them to go on some of these Bay farms on a field trip so when they go back to their lab and do their science they will understand how to make it relevant to our region. ”You can read science
Jacqueline Rowarth, Grassland Association president, and Warwick Lissaman, the vice-president at the Bay of Diversity Grassland Association conference in Tauranga.
any time but I felt getting a snapshot of the region is really important.” Bay of Diversity was the theme and Mr Catto says that reflected the fact many farms were mixed enterprises of horticulture, sheep and beef. Bay of Plenty Regional Council Eastern land management manager Simon Stokes says the conference was an opportunity
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to support the agricultural sector. “The conference programme covered many of the research topics and important issues that need attention in our region. It will help with the continuing development and adoption of sustainable farming practices.” Grassland Association president Jacqueline Rowarth
says it was a great forum to get everybody talking about productivity and environmental issues. “Some of these farmers have traipsed around the country. They have come from long distances to learn about what is happening here. It’s just a very exciting, interactive place to be. ”People want to be able to talk about the research, their discoveries, how they might be able to move forward in terms of production but also protecting the environment; farmers, industry researchers, academics and students speaking is just tremendous,” she says. Farmers engage with new ideas, technologies and innovations when they could see the benefits. ”As a sector we need to be doing more careful examination of what we actually think the value is before we say to farmers: ‘You can use it’. ”So all of us working together is exciting.” APNZ
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new FAR report commissioned by Environment Canterbury says stubble burning is an important tool for getting rid of crop residue on arable farms, but that more could be done to minimise smoke nuisance. The report, entitled a Review of the role and practices of stubble burning in New Zealand, including alternative options and possible improvements was prepared by FAR for Environment Canterbury. The regional council is reviewing the Air Chapter of its Natural Resources Regional Plan and is investigating current approaches to stubble burning as part of that review. Katherine Trought of Environment Canterbury says the FAR report was comprehensive and provided insight into the agronomic effects of stubble burning, the strengths and weaknesses of alternatives, and provided an action plan for improving good management practice when stubble burning. The next step in the Air Chapter review would be a science investigation into the impact of stubble burning on air quality. Codes of practice for stubble burning exist and FAR will now work with Federated Farmers to share the report’s findings with growers and promote good stubble burning practices. Nick Poole, FAR’s Director of Research and Extensions, says pooling resources with the regional council enabled FAR to assemble an expert panel with international science input in order to review this important cropping issue. ”Gathering together a wider scientific
panel for the review has ensured that any findings have been set in the context of international experience.” Mr Poole says the report found that stubble burning has a key role to play in New Zealand’s cropping industry as a rotational management tool for establishment of small seeded export crops, such as grass seed and vegetable seed. “Some crops cannot be grown in paddocks containing large amounts of residue, especially cereal residue. The report covers a lot of research on the pros and cons of stubble burning and its alternatives, and finds that burning not only enables timely and successful establishment of high value, small seeded crops, but that those crops can be established with minimal cultivation in a more weed, pest and diseasefree environment. The research also showed that burning lowers the cost of production by reducing agrichemical usage, machinery costs and the amount of cultivation needed.” Of the total national production of cereals in 2012, 87 percent of wheat, 66 percent of barley and 51 percent of oats were grown in Canterbury, meaning stubble burning is more commonly used in this region than anywhere else in New Zealand, he says. “We believe that it is beholden on all cropping farmers using this important cultural management tool to not only adhere to the current regulations and code of practice, but to go that extra mile in order to prevent the effects of smoke nuisance in residential areas.”
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24
Health problems linked to agrichemicals BY MICHAEL WARREN AND NATACHA PISARENKO
A
rgentine farmworker Fabian Tomasi wasn’t trained to use protective gear as he pumped pesticides into crop dusters. Now at 47, he’s a living skeleton. Schoolteacher Andrea Druetta lives in a town where it’s illegal to spray agrochemicals within 500 metres of homes, and yet soy is planted just 30m from her back door. Recently, her boys were showered in chemicals while swimming in their backyard pool. Sofia Gatica’s search for answers after losing her newborn to kidney failure led to Argentina’s first criminal convictions for illegal spraying last year. But 80 per cent of her neighbours’ children surveyed carry pesticides in their blood.
American biotechnology has turned Argentina into the world’s third-largest soy producer, but the chemicals powering the boom aren’t confined to soy and cotton and corn fields. There are dozens of cases where these poisons are used in ways specifically banned by existing law. Now doctors are warning that uncontrolled pesticide use could be the cause of growing health problems among the 12 million people who live in the South American nation’s vast farm belt. In Santa Fe province, the heart of Argentina’s soy industry, cancer rates are two times to four times higher than the national average. In Chaco, the nation’s poorest province, children became four times more likely to be born with devastating birth defects in the
Agrichemical waste lies strewn around Argentinian farmland.
decade since biotechnology dramatically expanded industrial agriculture. “The change in how agriculture is produced has brought, frankly, a change in the profile of diseases,” says Dr Medardo Avila Vazquez, a pediatrician who co-founded Doctors of Fumigated Towns. “We’ve gone from a pretty healthy population to one with a high rate of cancer, birth defects, and illnesses seldom seen before.” Once known for its grassfed beef, Argentina has been transformed since 1996, when the St Louis-based Monsanto Company marketed a new
model of higher crop yields and fewer pesticides through its patented seeds and chemicals. Today, all of Argentina’s soy and nearly all its corn, wheat and cotton are genetically modified. Soy farming tripled to 19 million hectares, and just like in the United States, cattle are now fattened in feedlots. But as weeds and insects became resistant, farmers increased the chemical burden eightfold, from 34 million litres in 1990 to more than 317 million litres today. Overall, Argentine farmers apply an estimated 2kg of agrochemical concentrate per acre, more than twice what US farmers
use, according to an AP analysis of government and pesticide industry data. Monsanto’s Roundup pesticides use glyphosate, one of the world’s most widely applied and least toxic weed killers. The US Environmental Protection Agency and many others have declared it to be safe if applied properly. In May, the EPA even increased allowable glyphosate residues on foods. Despite the wholesale adoption of Monsanto’s model, safety rules vary. Some of Argentina’s 23 provinces ban spraying within 3km of populated areas; others say farmers can spray as close as 50m. About one-third set no limits, and rule-breakers are rarely punished. A federal law requires toxic chemical applicators to suspend activities that threaten public health, “even when the link has not been scientifically proven”, and “no matter the costs or consequences,” but it has never been applied to farming, the Auditor General found last year. In response to complaints, President Cristina Fernandez ordered a commission in 2009 to study the impact of agrochemical spraying.
25
Argentinian farmers spray 2kg of agrichemical concentrate per acre, more than twice that of American farmers.
Its initial report called for “systematic controls over concentrations of herbicides and their compounds . . . such as exhaustive laboratory and field studies involving formulations containing glyphosate as well as its interactions with other agrochemicals as they are actually used in our country.” But the commission hasn’t met since 2010, the auditor general found. Agriculture Secretary Lorenzo Basso said people are being misinformed. “I’ve seen countless documents, surveys, videos, articles in the news and in
universities, and really our citizens who read all this end up dizzy and confused,” he said. “Our model as an exporting nation has been called into question. We need to defend our model.” Monsanto spokesman Thomas Helscher said the company “does not condone the misuse of pesticides or the violation of any pesticide law, regulation, or court ruling.” Argentina was among the earliest adopters of the “notill” method US agribusinesses promoted. Instead of turning the topsoil, spraying pesticides, and
then waiting until the poison dissipates before planting, farmers sow seeds and spray afterward without harming “Roundup Ready” crops genetically modified to tolerate specific poisons. But pests quickly develop resistance to the same chemicals applied to identical crops on a vast scale, forcing farmers to mix in more toxic poisons, such as 24D, used in Agent Orange to defoliate Vietnam’s jungles. Some Argentine regulators called for labels warning that these mixtures should be limited to “farm areas far from
homes and population centres,” but they were ignored, the auditor found. “Glyphosate is even less toxic than the repellent you put on your children’s skin,” said Pablo Vaquero, Monsanto’s spokesman in Buenos Aires. “That said, there has to be a responsible and good use of these products, because in no way would you put repellent in the mouths of children and no environmental applicator should spray fields with a tractor or a crop-duster without taking into account the environmental conditions and threats that stem from the use of the product.” Out in the fields, Tomasi was routinely exposed. “I prepared millions of litres of poison without any kind of protection, no gloves, masks or special clothing. I didn’t know anything” he said. Teachers in Entre Rios began to file police complaints this year. They said sprayers failed to respect 50m limits at 18 schools, dousing 11 during class. A epidemiological study of 65,000 people in Santa Fe, led by Dr Damian Verzenassi at the National University of Rosario, found cancer rates two to four times higher than the national
average, as well as thyroid disorders, respiratory illnesses and other afflictions seldom seen before. “It could be linked to agrochemicals,” Dr Verzenassi said. “They do all sorts of analysis for toxicity of the first ingredient, but they have never studied the interactions between all the chemicals they’re applying.” Hospital records show birth defects quadrupled in Chaco, from 19.1 per 10,000 to 85.3 per 10,000, in the decade after genetically modified crops were approved. In the farming village of Avia Terai, 31 per cent said a family member had cancer, compared with 3 per cent in the ranching village of Charadai. They also documented children with malformed skulls, exposed spinal cords, blindness and deafness, neurological damage and strange skin problems. It may be impossible to prove a specific chemical caused an individual’s illness. But doctors increasingly are calling for broader, longerterm and more independent research, saying governments should make the industry prove that the accumulated agricultural burden isn’t making people sick. AP
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Plant man’s double life
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y day he works at the interface where science meets commerce: exploring emerging global trends in horticulture and food; drilling down data to see what might best benefit this country. Based in Palmerston North, Bill Kirkland is one of Plant & Food Research’s business managers in breeding and genomics. His working world encompasses both those of science and the commercial world of plant growth. His speciality areas include ornamentals and pip fruit. Apple varieties like Jazz, Envy and Pacific Queen have all come out of the Plant & Food Research breeding programme – while next comes a unique
hybrid Japanese/Chinese/ English pear expected to be branded under the name Piqa. But there is another side to this plant man, one that makes him uniquely qualified to his role. Come the end of his regular working day, Mr Kirkland returns home to be equally immersed in the world of seeds, soil and the pivotal power plants contribute to human health. For over 25 years Mr Kirkland has worked sideby-side, shovel and hammer in hand, building, planning and growing a business alongside his wife, renowned herbalist Lynn Kirkland. As a man of science armed with a succession of university degrees and working daily in
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agriculture, Mr Kirkland says he was initially “a bit sceptical” pioneer an early natural health opportunities to help people about his teacher wife’s and beauty company in New grow healthier and more growing passion for herbs Zealand, but an extremely economically productive Monday - Friday 9.00am to 5.30p and natural medicine, but fulfilling one – especially now plants. ultimately became a believer the world has caught the Mr Kirkland’s been a decade in Saturday 9.00am to 1.00pm when witnessing first-hand the natural-living philosophy. his job, but wishes he’d arrived power of herbs to heal. “I don’t know if my work earlier from a career that has intothrough Simplifood to purcha “I tore a calf muscle playing colleagues in the early yearsComewound roles as an soccer and the doctor told paid much attention to what economist, business analyst, your xxxxxxxxxxxx me it would be six weeks of we were doing,” he says, “but head of agricultural planning recovery before I could even when we started winning all in Tongan Agricultural and think about getting back to sorts of national and regional Fisheries and then stints in playing. Lynn said `let’s have awards they became very biosecurity and management ashburton@simplifood.co.nz P 307 6077 F 307 a crack at it’ and used arnica,Eml:positive and supportive.” for the local regional council. www.simplifood.co.nz 105 Victoria comfrey and ice compresses Mr Kirkland’s Plant & Food “It’s an excellent mix here at Street and I was back playing within Research work ranges from Plant & Food,” he says, “we do a fortnight. It accelerated the small horticultural businesses a lot of applied science while healing process and really to international agri-hort exploring new attributes and worked.” operations; his day spent qualities of plants, looking It’s been a long, and at times, liaising, consulting, discussing at the phytochemicals and extremely challenging journey with scientists and clients, bioactives in plants … things
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27 meet with every day. “I know how hard things can be when you are beginning, how hard it can be to keep cash flow going in the early years and the sheer effort it takes at times,” Mr Kirkland said. It’s only been in the last eight years that the Kirklands have started to see the financial return that has allowed them to expand the business, employ more staff and take the products further afield internationally. Sarah Kirkland buying into the business and taking over as general manager has been of incalculable benefit and brought instant succession planning. “One thing we can do really well in New Zealand is grow things,” he says. “We’ve got a relatively small population and the land available to do it. We’ve got individuals involved in horticulture and growing who are very smart in terms of their processes and products. I feel incredibly positive about the agricultural and horticultural future of this country.” Those smart processes harmoniously meet and marry across Mr Kirkland’s every day. At The Herb Farm it sees the Kirklands and their
Bill Kirkland, of Plant & Food (left). With his family, Mr Kirkland’s own a Palmerston North business called The Herb Farm.
that are now being discovered in plants that weren’t even known about a few years ago.” The work is about marrying the power of plants for toplevel human health with the sector’s ability to contribute to economic wellbeing. All of which mirrors life at home. The couple (now also
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with their daughter Sarah) own Palmerston North business The Herb Farm, a pioneer in the natural-health scene in this country with its extensive range of products for babies, skincare, beauty and health. Together the Kirklands have turned six hectares of bare paddock into thriving herb
gardens with a cafe, retail shop, beauty-therapy clinic, conference rooms and a manufacturing room where all the natural products are handmade www.herbfarm.co.nz. “Probably one of the most important things is how owning The Herb Farm lets me relate to business owners I
team research, resource and incorporate powerful and emerging plant extracts into their products (things like the new generation world-leading hypoallergenic lavender oil grown in Canterbury or the new organic flaxseed oils or seaweed extracts) … while at Plant & Food Research it’s focused on developing new, novel varieties of premium quality plants that can be grown in a sustainable manner. The couple met as nineyear-olds when Bill’s Scottish parents and Lynn’s family from Newcastle met on the ship out to New Zealand. Childhood friendship grew into teenage romance and then engagement (Bill “pounced” when Lynn’s engagement to an Italian she met on her OE was interrupted by her trip back home). Mr Kirkland has long been The Herb Farm’s No.1 fan and supporter … whether that is with shovel, nails and hammer, business brain seasoned by years of experience … or adding his own extensive knowledge of plant power. He says: “Plant health and human health are inextricably linked. Plants are essential to the balance of nature and in people’s lives.”
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The Rakaia Hub: And that’s no small potatoes
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hen Nigel & Jane Reith opened a large scale cool store in Rakaia last year, it was in clear response to the growing demand for Canterbury potatoes, which have become very popular in overseas markets due to their quality and affordability. In his case, with a dry lease contract in place with Mr. Chips, who was just recently acquired by Pukekohe-based vegetable grower Balle Bros Group, it was a natural opportunity for him to “The cool store warehouse has a massive central tunnel that blows air through ducts in the floor and into channels that run the length of the building. Outside, an automated venting system expels the air. Seen as a whole it’s a very ambitious project for our client, Nigel Reith”.
Donald Sutton Calder Stewart Construction Manager
think a little outside the box. Rather than devoting the facility as a cool store for seasonal spuds alone, he thought in terms of the facility’s year round capabilities. As a result the overall building programme took on multi-purpose functionality as a key design requirement. For Reith, the new project is seen as a ‘storage hub’ for a wide range of needs and requirements that Reith knows of through his many years of interacting with Mid-Canterbury farmers. With a design consisting of four quadrants, the new facility’s modular capabilities can take on a range of bulk storage requirements, including grain, fertiliser and other supply as the case and time of year may dictate. And with a total volume of 18,000 cubic metres, it becomes attractive to larger farm enterprises and cooperatives looking for state-of-the-art storage solutions. Having an on-going relationship with rural buildings construction firm Calder Stewart, the framework and scheduled delivery of the project were ironed out, with engineering and design & build services provided by Calder
Stewart and specialty consultancy parties brought to the table by Reith himself – who had been working with ‘an American model of environmental control’ to assure that key issues including air circulation, temperature and humidity, were at the centre of the project’ mandate. The final design called for an air plenum running down the spine of the project, a purpose-built drying unit that takes up the entire floor of the sprawling structure and stateof-the-art technology in place to would allow remote monitoring of key environmental conditions. The project, once resource consent issues were resolved, took only 5 months to complete from start to finish and is a testament to Calder Stewart’s ability to meet “tight deadlines”, mentions Reith. This timely delivery allowed him to meet a standing contract with Mr. Chips for last season. “The Hub grew out of my knowing of what local farmers really needed. It was the ‘what’ and ‘when’ of those requirements that led to the original concept of the project”, remarks Reith. “While it’s recognisably one of the largest unit of its kind in the
Under Construction - Completed in just 5 months - the facility features a central air plenum (upper left) - floor based air ducts (upper right) - and high load bearing modular bins (lower right)
South Island, it’s probably the biggest single unit in New Zealand, since the industry generally opts for smaller, specialised units. Aiming to use the storage facility year round for a variety of uses, it made sense to build a single unit capable of holding larger volumes – up to 15,000 tons at a time. Calder Stewart worked closely with us to make this happen.” Finding his own unique niche in the mid-Canterbury farming scene has been an on-going saga for Reith. Starting out as a third generation farmer, it was not his calling to remain exclusively focused on the mid-sized 325 hectare dairy farm in Rangitata that he took over from the family. In the early days as a contractor of bailing services, he found out through word of mouth that North Island farmers were in need of straw, whereas locals in the MidCanterbury region were ordinarily burning surplus. So seeing a clear business opportunity; he took on the logistics of pickup and delivery of hay supply to North Islanders and networking with national freight suppliers. This gained him a lot of hands-on experience with farmers on both
Islands along with business and logistics experience in the handling and controlling farm supply. With the recent sale of their contracting business in 2012, Nigel and his wife Jane now focus on being a major independent cool store supplier to the Canterbury region. Asked of plans for further expansion on a large tract of land they own in Rakaia, Jane Reith remarks; “Only time will tell.” But if Grace or Jack, the couple’s two children - 13yrs and 10yrs - is any indication, it certainly looks promising – as ‘all things farming’ – clearly runs in the family.
The Reith Family: (left to right) Jane, Nigel, Grace and Jack Reith
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When it comes to quality constructed, custom designed rural buildings, Calder Stewart is an industry leader - with over 5000 completed projects found throughout the South Island. Farmers know our buildings for their quality construction & reliable performance and have chosen us over other companies for just that reason. Got a project? Give Donald Sutton at a call today. Calder Stewart offers expert consultation services and a free no obligation quote on all its rural building projects.
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