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Service
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Science
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Scale
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INDUSTRY NEWS
Competitors join forces to create world class protein plant
INNOVATION
Shining new light on fungal disease in grapes
PRODUCT UPDATE
Building red meat resilience in dryland Hawke’s Bay
Watching over your pastures so you don’t have to.
Delivering a complete suite of pasture protection and brushweed control products for New Zealand farmers.
Samuel Whitelock, on his farm in the Hawkes Bay.
Our portfolio of powerful, proven products has helped farmers from one end of the country to the other create and maintain thriving businesses, and has earned us an excellent reputation as pasture protection and brushweed specialists.
Our extensive suite of herbicides provides farmers everything they need to win the war against weeds and brushweeds.
Visit corteva.co.nz to view our online pasture and brushweed resources.
Editor Kathy Davis 03 577 5640 kathy@thelastword.net.nz
Advertising Manager Lisa Phelan 021 782 228 lisa@agrimedia.co.nz
Production & Design Amanda Vroombout 027 7788 274 production@agrimedia.co.nz
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CONTRIBUTIONS
Editorial and photographic contributions are welcomed and should be sent directly to the editor, Kathy Davis. Editing of submissions is at the sole discretion of the editor and will accept no responsibility for unsolicited material.
Hi everyone.
And welcome to our March April issue of Agribusiness. Hopefully the start of autumn is going well for you and your customers.
There’s often a story that lands on my desk a little bit too late to make it into the main pages, but which deserves some air time nonetheless.
And in this case, it’s about a charity that I think deserves support from everyone in the industry.
Meat the Need – or Meet the Need as it is now known – was a fantastic initiative from the get-go, demonstrating the best of our primary sector in its practical, generous approach to food insecurity in New Zealand communities.
As well as donating high quality protein through processors like Silver Fern Farms, Miraka, Fonterra, Synlait and Green Meadows Beef to local foodbanks, it’s just expanded its offering by teaming up with Freshpork NZ.
Zellara Holden, general manager of the
charity, says the new relationship is a fantastic opportunity to bring more farmers on board and further support food-insecure families with good nutritious NZ-grown protein.
The new name is another step forward, incorporating sister initiative Feed Out, and bringing a new website to make it easier for partners, farmers and supporters to get involved.
Many leading organisations in our sector have backed Meet the Need, which is great, but anyone can support it, either via livestock donations or cash.
Food for thought, perhaps!
Speaking of protein, if you’ve never thought too hard about the bits of animals that are left over after they become delicious meat on the plate, take a few minutes to read our feature on a unique
GALLAGHER MEETS FARMIQ
new build in the Waikato on page 26.
It’s not the most glamorous side of our amazing red meat industry, but as the saying goes, someone has to deal with it, and in this case, they’re taking dealing with it to a new level entirely.
Meantime our annual update at industry innovations covers everything from wine grapes and effluent to grass and wool – head to page 8 for more.
Plus there’s the usual round-up of topical news and product developments, and another bumper people section featuring seasoned industry experts and emerging young talent alike.
Enjoy! We’ll be back in May.
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Maize pest hits Northland crops
Populations of maize pest fall armyworm have reached levels requiring chemical control in Northland this season.
Foundation for Arable Research biosecurity officer Ash Mills says by late January, some Northland crops had well exceeded the 20 per cent threshold necessitating chemical intervention.
In maize and sweetcorn in New Zealand, the insecticide Sparta (active ingredient spinetoram) by Corteva is on label for use against fall armyworm (FAW).
The product is also effective on other pest species.
By late summer, FAW activity had also been reported in other milder regions of the North Island including Auckland, Waikato, Taranaki, Bay of Plenty and Gisborne. However, with only small populations detected and harvesting of maize silage crops underway, these had not reached economic thresholds.
Populations were also detected in the South Island in Tasman, Marlborough, Westland and Canterbury, but at levels below economic thresholds.
Mills says that actively scouting crops and monitoring for any signs of FAW presence allows growers time to assess infestations and consider numbers in terms of economic damage and treatment thresholds.
Economic thresholds vary depending on crop, end use and growth stage.
For example, damage to maize silage crops is unlikely to cause a severe economic loss, whereas any pest damage on sweetcorn cobs intended for human consumption will.
It is also important not to confuse FAW with other maize pests, particularly Cosmopolitan armyworm and corn earworm which can cause similar damage.
Overuse of chemicals can disrupt beneficial insects such as the parasitoid wasp Cotesia ruficrus and generalist predators such as
Current recommendations Crop
Maize
Sweetcorn
Seedling
spiders, which help manage egg and early larval stages of FAW.
Mills encourages maize and sweetcorn growers to share experiences with their neighbours, as well as talking to their advisor; communication at a local, regional and national level is important to learn how to manage this pest.
Up to three generations of FAW have been recorded in Northland in previous years, but indications suggest that up to four generations are likely this season.
Living up to its fall armyworm name, this means bigger numbers and potentially more damage as populations peak in autumn or ‘fall’.
“In more tropical climates, more than five or six generations of FAW can easily develop in a season; this is when severe crop damage occurs.
“Modelling shows that New Zealand is not expected to get five generations, but this year we will likely get four. However, it is also anticipated that by the time that happens, most crops will have been harvested,” Mills says.
An MPI Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures (SFFF) project, led by FAR and supported by Vegetables NZ and Process Vegetables NZ, is covering a range of topics including identifying economic thresholds for chemical control for maize silage, maize grain and sweetcorn as well as FAW lifecycle predictions and Integrated Pest Management strategies.
Use the table below to guide FAW decision making. Only apply chemical treatments when the percentage of infested plants exceeds the threshold for your crop stage. This approach optimises control, protects chemistry and prevents unnecessary cost.
Early whorl (knee high)
Late whorl (shoulder high)
Tasselling - early silking
Early whorl (knee high) seedling
Early whorl (knee high)
Late whorl (shoulder high)
Tasselling - early silking
FAR biosecurity officer Ash Mills.
≥5 % of plants are cut
≥20 % of plants are infested
≥40 % of plants are damaged and larvae are present
≥20 % of plants are infested
≥5 % of plants are cut
≥20 % of plants are infested
≥40 % of plants are damaged and larvae are present
≥5 % of plants are infested
Watching over your pastures so you don’t have to.
Delivering a complete suite of pasture protection and brushweed control products for New Zealand farmers.
Samuel Whitelock, on his farm in the Hawkes Bay.
Our portfolio of powerful, proven products has helped farmers from one end of the country to the other create and maintain thriving businesses, and has earned us an excellent reputation as pasture protection and brushweed specialists.
Our extensive suite of herbicides provides farmers everything they need to win the war against weeds and brushweeds.
Visit corteva.co.nz to view our online pasture and brushweed resources.
Extra resources welcome, but real change needed
Animal and Plant Health NZ welcomes the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) intent to recruit more staff to process new agricultural and horticultural product applications, but says its members believe more fundamental action is required.
“The backlog of approvals and lengthy timeframes for new product applications are disadvantaging our farmers and growers,” says Animal and Plant Health NZ chief executive Dr Liz Shackleton.
EPA last month announced it is recruiting additional frontline staff and making other improvements.
“We acknowledge and appreciate EPA’s efforts to recruit, while noting the most complex applications in the queue (Category C) rely on highly specialist eco/ toxicologist resource to process them, and these specialists are few and in high demand globally,” says Shackleton.
“Members’ reservations are that it will take significant time to see real impact.
“This is especially true for products that have already been sitting in the queue for years after applications have been lodged and then reported as formally received.
“Deciding a similar number of applications to new applications lodged, while positive, does not make headway with the backlog, so more is needed.”
EPA hopes to see a ‘material impact’ on the hazardous substance applications queue about 12 to 18 months after new
staff are recruited, and recruitment was likely to begin last month.
Shackleton says the current situation reinforces the importance of the Ministry of Regulation’s independent review of the whole process, the legislation, the targets and reporting behind it.
A dozen primary sector and business leaders have called for strengthened governance, accountability and legislative settings to ensure risk balance and predictable timeframes.
“The sector sees the need for a more balanced risk mindset, where the current precautionary ‘say no’ approach is balanced with saying ‘yes’ to innovation that supports growth and improves sustainability and trade outcomes.”
Animal and Plant Health NZ members welcome EPA’s intention stated in its media release to improve communication and transparency, which it believes requires more than an occasional exchange of letters, she says.
“EPA says it is planning to create a prioritisation framework and members would welcome more details about how it proposes to involve them and the users of
Liz Shackleton.
products in developing that framework.
“We look forward to hearing back from EPA on the invitations to connect and solutions that we have proposed to them over the past two years.”
These include an independent strategic forum, with terms of reference and with a ministerial appointed independent chair to provide for genuine engagement on priorities and related matters.
They also include a group standard for trial products, for example lower risk trials run to international standards, and away from environmentally sensitive areas.
“We understand Cabinet is considering the recommendations of the review this month,” Shackleton says.
“We urge ministers to look beyond resourcing and deliver real change.”
Smarter funding essential for ag research
Vital agricultural research is at risk due to flaws in the current funding model, prompting Beef + Lamb New Zealand and partner organisations to raise concerns with Minister Shane Reti.
B+LNZ’s GM farming excellence, Dan Brier, stresses that NZ’s agricultural success is built on decades of quality research.
“The success of the agricultural industry in NZ is heavily reliant on the excellent work our scientists have done over the last 100 years.”
A key concern raised in an open letter to the minister is the ongoing decline in livestock parasite research, which is critical for farm productivity and animal welfare.
The impending redundancies of three leading AgResearch parasitologists will further weaken NZ’s ability to manage parasite resistance—a growing challenge for farmers.
Brier says the government must play a greater role in funding farm systems research.
“Government has a responsibility to fund agricultural research because improved farm returns benefit the entire economy, and particularly rural communities.”
Another major issue is the inefficiency of the current funding model, which forces scientists to spend excessive time applying for grants instead of conducting research.
“The current system is flawed, with too much time spent writing funding applications rather than doing science,” says Brier.
“It encourages moonshots at the expense of incremental improvements and puts some organisations at a disadvantage. The overhead associated with reporting
Canty ag firm eyes new opportunity
Canterbury could get a new food and fibre hub if a potential international partnership goes ahead.
The Overseas Investment Office has approved the $8.5 million purchase of just over 20 ha of land at the Ashburton Business Estate, with an option to purchase a further eight ha.
The overseas applicant is InsideOut LLC, a United States based company founded and controlled by Suzy Amis Cameron, wife of Canadian-born filmmaker James Cameron. InsideOut intends to form a joint venture with Carrfields Food and Fibre Investments Partnership.
Carrfields Group managing director Craig Carr, son of founders Greg and Glynis Carr, confirms plans are underway to develop and build a leading food and fibre business park, but it’s too early to share more details.
“There are standard conditions attached to Overseas Investment Office’s approval of the purchase.
“More information will be made available in due course.”
According to the OIO, the main benefits to NZ are likely to include increased capital expenditure through InsideOut’s investment and acquisition of a 50 per cent share in natural fibres company Rubisco.
Currently Rubisco is majority owned by NZNF Holdings, which in turn is majority owned by Carrfields.
The company manufactures and supplies
wool yarn, hemp hurd and fibre, merino fibre and bio-composite material.
Creation of jobs, introductions of new technology and business skills, increased export receipts, productivity and processing of primary products are other benefits of the proposed joint venture between InsideOut and Carrfields, the OIO says.
InsideOut is an investment company with interests in science, research and technology; fashion and textiles; food; education, and media, all focussed on sustainability.
According to the company’s website, ‘we reimagine food as a force for regeneration, crafting plant-based ingredients and products that nourish the body, restore the land, and sustain communities.’
American-born Amis Cameron is a former model and actress, and a plant-based food advocate. In 2012 she relocated to NZ with husband James Cameron, who at the time paid $20 million for more than 1000 ha of Wairarapa farmland.
Three years ago, Amis Cameron executive produced Milked – White Lies In Dairy Land, a documentary film that ‘exposes the whitewash of NZ’s multi-million dollar dairy industry’.
The Carrfields Group is a 100 per cent family-owned company involved in farming,
property and agribusiness.
Carr says it exports to over 40 countries around the world and employs approximately 300 employees and contractors across NZ and India.
progress comes at the direct expense of research.”
B+LNZ is calling for a more sustainable, collaborative funding model.
Years of underfunding and competition between research groups have hindered progress and made succession planning difficult.
The letter urges the government to support a more strategic approach, particularly in parasite management.
To address this, B+LNZ and its partners are convening a meeting of parasitology stakeholders to discuss a collaborative research approach.
They are urging the government to back this initiative to safeguard New Zealand’s research capabilities and agricultural future.
Brier reinforces the importance of applied research for farmers.
“Applied farm systems research helps farmers understand and integrate new technologies in real-world conditions. This is the research that translates innovation into practical solutions. Wormwise, which is fully funded and managed by B+LNZ, is working hard at the farmer extension end, but we need a different approach across parasite research.”
“With sheep and beef farm profits declining, well-directed research is more critical than ever for improving productivity and profitability. B+LNZ is advocating for a funding model that supports long-term, farmer-focused research - ensuring the industry remains productive and resilient.”
Craig Carr. Dan Brier.
this month we look at...
INNOVATION
Shining new light on fungal disease in grapes
A new project led by Bragato Research Institute in partnership with A Lighter Touch aims to provide another control option for New Zealand winegrowers dealing with powdery mildew in their crops.
Bragato research extension specialist Dr Paul Epee and viticulture technical specialist Chris Ireland say UV-C light technology has been shown overseas to be a cost effective and friendlier option than fungicides, and they’re aiming to demonstrate these benefits in NZ vineyards.
A key advantage is significant reduction in the use of fungicides, which leads to fewer chemical residues on harvested grapes or juice and wine.
The technology does not leave harmful residues in the soil or water, and reduces the risk of fungicide resistance, ensuring long-term effectiveness in disease control, they say. Further, it enhances worker safety by eliminating the need to handle hazardous chemicals,
and also promotes biodiversity by preserving beneficial insects and microorganisms in the agricultural ecosystem.
“Additionally, UV-C light technology could be costeffective over time, as the initial setup costs are offset by reduced chemical purchases and improved crop yields.”
UV stands for Ultraviolet, and C describes the wavelength.
UV-A, UV-B, and UV-C lights have wavelengths of 315400, 280-315, and 180-280 nanometres, respectively.
UV-C light has a germicidal effect that disrupts the DNA and cellular structures of pathogens such as fungi, bacteria, and viruses, reducing plant disease severity, Epee and Ireland say.
“Research has demonstrated that UV-C light can directly harm
plant pathogens and stimulate the plants’ natural defence mechanisms, making them more resistant to diseases.”
This dual action of UV-C light not only helps in controlling diseases but also enhances the overall health of the plants.
The UV-C treatment is most effective when applied at night, because fungi have the ability to repair the damage that UV light causes using the blue and UV-A components of sunlight.
“Recent technological developments in UV-C light, as well as development in autonomous machines, like the one supplied for this trial by Agri-Automation, has allowed this technology to become more accessible to winegrowers.”
The new research project has two objectives – to test the efficacy of the UV-C light technology to demonstrate and establish its performance in fighting powdery mildew on Sauvignon blanc and its effects on fermentation and wine quality; and to develop grower resources that will support effective change in vineyard practice and management to meet economic and sustainability goals.
An efficacy trial on sauvignon blanc has been established in Marlborough in conjunction with Whitehaven Wines and will
be monitored over two growing seasons, from budburst through harvest, to assess the performance of the technology for control of powdery mildew against a standard spray programme.
The results of the efficacy trials, along with the winemaking, aroma, and sensory analyses completed in the second year, will be presented and accessible to growers to guide their decisionmaking about adopting this new technology.
Cost-benefit assessments will be conducted for the technology.
“This project aims to deliver robust, local knowledge, giving growers comprehensive and objective data so they can make informed decisions.
“If UV-C is shown to deliver on the potential it indicates, growers will have the know-how and confidence to use this new approach to deliver productivity and sustainability gains.”
If the technology is widely adopted, equipment suppliers would also benefit, Epee and Ireland say.
BRI will use commercially available equipment to conduct the trials, focusing on the interactions between UV light, the plant, and the fungus.
Data will be reported based on the treatments applied, such as light intensity, energy, groundspeed, and timing, without endorsing any specific equipment make/brand or configuration.
This approach will encourage multiple suppliers to offer machines capable of delivering the reported treatments, fostering competition and benefitting the industry.
INNOVATION
Studies confirm wool works wonders in hygiene
New Zealand textile innovator Woolchemy has released a comprehensive whitepaper assessing the performance of its proprietary neweFlex, a high performance, wool-based Acquisition Distribution Layer (ADL) for the USD $126 billon hygiene products industry.
The wool-based ADL was developed and evaluated with support from an independent research institute specialising in nonwovens innovation.
Backed by independent studies, the whitepaper highlights neweFlex’s ability to deliver notable performance improvements across applications such as diapers, feminine hygiene, and incontinence products.
Key findings from the whitepaper, ‘Revolutionising Hygiene: HighPerformance, Plastic-Free Materials with Skin Health Benefits’, include:
• Thermal comfort and humidity control: In a study conducted by a Michigan textile research laboratory, diapers with neweFlex demonstrated a warmer, more stable temperature and 10 per cent lower humidity in the microclimate compared to a polypropylene alternative1 .
• Dryness: In an independent study, neweFlex outperformed other biobased alternatives, keeping surfaces 3 to 14 times drier1
• Odour reduction: The wool-based ADL reduces odours, including ammonia, by 57 per cent, enhancing comfort and freshness.
Woolchemy’s innovative material is made from ethically sourced, traceable NZ wool, processed to meet stringent hygiene regulations.
The company will begin selling materials to manufacturers this year.
neweFlex is manufactured in Europe and will be shipped to customers around the globe, the company says.
Each diaper using neweFlex ADL incorporates approximately 1 gram of NZ coarse wool and plant-based fibres and is certified 100 per cent biobased by Beta Analytica.
It is free of toxic chemical substances and will release neither microplastics nor toxic substances during its decomposition process.
For the first time, Woolchemy says, the science of wool—proven in categories like clothing for odour control and thermal regulation—has been successfully translated and applied to consumer needs for disposable hygiene products.
Wool is a biodegradable and renewable
fibre when disposed of in appropriate composting conditions, making it a sustainable choice at the end of its life cycle.
Contrast that with most baby diapers, for example.
“It is estimated that a total of 167 million disposable baby diapers are produced worldwide each year from 248.5 million barrels of crude oil.
“Globally, this generates 38.4 million tons of solid diaper waste each year,” the whitepaper says.
Some 300,000 disposable diapers are reported to be landfilled, incinerated or disposed of every minute, with over 93 per cent of hygiene products made from petroleum-derived materials.
“neweFlex addresses this environmental challenge by incorporating natural, renewable and biodegradable fibres into the supply chain, meeting growing consumer demand for high-performing, sustainable products,” Woolchemy says.
The company was founded in 2010 by Derelee Potroz-Smith and Angela Potroz to develop proprietary technologies that aim to revolutionise personal care with renewable, biodegradable alternatives.
Potroz-Smith was originally motivated by failing to find diapers for her own baby that minimised environmental impact while
delivering superior comfort.
Drawing on her sheep farming upbringing and engineering training, Woolchemy was born to develop first-of-its-kind natural materials.
It holds multiple patents, with additional patent applications pending globally, related to the innovative use of wool in hygiene products.
1 According to laboratory testing using industry-standard protocols.
Woolchemy will begin selling neweFlex to manufacturers this year.
Derelee Potroz-Smith.
INNOVATION
Entrepreneurship and innovation take off in Southland
Rapid advances in drone technology have encouraged one young Southlander to jump in and start his own business applying fertiliser and crop protection for local farmers.
Nick Munro, 21, began the lengthy process of obtaining appropriate certification at the end of 2023, got his restricted ag rating on Christmas Eve 2024 and flew his first commercial job on Boxing Day.
One of his most recent jobs was with the Southern Dairy Hub research farm, which approached him to fly slug bait onto newly sown swedes, and he says interest in this particular application is growing in the region.
“It’s a good job for the drone. With an application rate of 4 kg a ha, you can cover a lot of ground very quickly, and get a real even spread.
“The area to be sprayed was only around 20 ha, which would have been a small job for a helicopter, and you wouldn’t want to drive a truck over freshly-seeded ground, so the drone suits that situation perfectly.”
Munro’s business, Southland Drone Services, all started with a conversation about gorse control on the family sheep and beef farm in Central Southland.
“I had finished up at Lincoln, and was working at home on the farm. Dad wanted to get some gorse sprayed; we’re about 80 per cent rolling hill country, so he’d looked into how much it would cost to get a chopper in for that, and that led to the topic of using a drone instead…”
After researching the concept, Munro approached agricultural drone specialists Airborne Solutions, founded in 2020 by two former helicopter spray contractors, and became the proud owner of
an XAG P100 Pro.
Tipping the scales at 103 kg fully loaded, with a 50 kg payload, it’s designed for precise application of fertiliser, seed and crop protection products, and spans close to 3 metres when unfolded for flight.
This model can cover up to 15 ha per hour, with a swathe of up to 9 metres for spraying and 14 metres for fertiliser, and has already been used across 10,000 ha in New Zealand, Airborne Solutions says. While agricultural drones are not yet commonly used in Southland, word is spreading, Munro says.
“Many people have seen or heard of drone application, and they want to give it a go.
I’ve done quite a lot of slug bait so far, as well as fertiliser going onto newly-sown crops.”
He had to complete both 101 and 102 Pilot Certification training through the Civil Aviation Authority to be able to legally offer commercial drone services, and has also had to obtain appropriate chemical and ag ratings.
“It’s quite a long process –there’s a lot of paperwork.”
He wouldn’t describe himself as a mad enthusiast for technology, but says he’s always wanted to be in business for himself, and this was a great opportunity to make that happen, especially since the industry is still in its infancy.
“I still work on the farm when the weather is no good for flying. Dad lets me get away and get into it, and Mum helps me with the book-keeping;
they’ve both been very supportive.”
The Southern Dairy Hub research farm team decided to try the technology this season having seen similar machines at last year’s Thriving Southland Southern Agritech and Innovation Day.
“It’s relatively low cost; there is no ground compaction or damage, and you can use it in wet ground conditions. It’s also convenient for the smaller as well as larger jobs.
“It has really good spray quality thanks to the atomisers that can change
micron sizes depending on the conditions and needs, and placement is super accurate.”
Thriving Southland will again be holding a Southern Agritech and Innovation Day this year, at the Southern Field Days site at Waimumu on May 1.
Organisers say there will be something for everyone, including keynote speakers sharing latest insights from the forefront of agritech; the popular farmer panel discussion and interactive workshops throughout the day.
Opportunity knocks – Nick Munro with his XAG P100 Pro.
Boost pasture production with the new
ProGibb® SG Calculator
Develop a pasture production programme with the help of a new smart tool on grassmanship.nz
For more information, scan the QR code or talk to your local Nufarm Territory Manager
SCAN ME
Smart tool supports profitable decision making
A novel decision making tool to help farmers get the best out of their pastures continues to go from strength to strength this season, Nufarm says.
As well as calculators for return on investment from different seasonal weed control scenarios, Grassmanship.nz now includes a similar calculator for use of ProGibb SG to enhance on-farm feed growth.
Matt Strahan, Nufarm national product manager, says this new addition builds on the app’s increasing popularity with both resellers and end users.
And with farmers looking ahead to planning and managing their winter feed wedge curves, it’s a timely move.
ProGibb SG is a good way to push feed ahead of deficit periods, and is much faster than nitrogen which might take 10 weeks to show a full response, he says.
“This calculator has been built on DairyNZ regional pasture growth data, which is freely available. Farmers can select which island they’re in, then drill down to their region, or use the total island average.”
Nufarm trial work has repeatedly shown a 30-60 per cent pasture growth response rate to ProGibb SG applications.
Using a mid-range response of 45 per cent, Strahan says, and factoring in the recommended retail cost of ProGibb SG with Contact, plus an average application cost of $45 per ha, applying the plant growth
regulator across 25 ha on a Canterbury dairy farm in May shows a net return of $4000.
That’s based on average pasture utilisation of 80 per cent, and a dairy payout of $10 per kg milksolids.
“But the numbers look even better for earlier application. If you put it on in April, when daily pasture growth rates are higher than May, the net return doubles, from $4000 to $8000.”
Also very topical at this time of year is the Grassmanship.nz calculator assessing return on investment for weed control in new pasture, Strahan says.
The app is loaded with three scenarios for this, covering sheep, beef and dairy.
Using a dairy example, where a dairy farm is aiming to growth 16 tonne dry matter per ha per year, and has medium weed pressure of 10 per cent in the sward, spraying 10 ha of new pasture with Tribal Gold and Bonza Gold would deliver a net return of about $750 per ha.
Again this is based on a $10 per kg milksolids payout, with the industry standard equation of 15 kg dry matter eaten creating one kg milksolids, he says.
“A key point to note is that removing weeds improves overall pasture utilisation, because
animals don’t like to graze around them.”
Nufarm trials on Baton herbicide showed 66 per cent more clover, 23 per cent more grass and 80 per cent less weed dry matter in treated versus untreated pastures, leading to an overall increase in 630 kg dry matter per ha for treated.
Every farm is different, but as these examples show, there is significant potential for improving pasture productivity with welltimed weed control, Strahan says.
The Grassmanship.nz calculators are free; you can personalise them to your farmers’ paddocks and production, and they can simplify decisions about exactly what those farmers stand to gain or lose by making certain spending decisions about herbicide inputs in the weeks and months ahead.
“We’ve made the Grassmanship programme to support rural professionals as well as end users, because we know field reps, agronomists and advisors play an important role in shaping farmers’ decisions about spending priorities in tight times.
“We also know weed management programmes are sometimes one budget line item perceived as non-essential, despite their relatively modest cost and significant impact on on-going productivity and feed quality.”
Clean, productive pastures, year-round, power NZ farming and offer a double win, because they give both higher dry matter yield, and better feed quality, than those which are infested with weeds.
“That sets up on-going systemic benefits, not least being easier grazing management, happier animals and more milk, weight gain and/or meat,” says Strahan.
As well as the calculators, Grassmanship. nz also provides useful information to help you and your clients get great results from a pasture protection programme, including a range of Nufarm’s resources that support best practice.
Full details on all the company’s Grassmanship products, including the likes of Baton 800WSG, Dictate 480, Thistrol Plus, Valdo 800WG, Tribal Gold, Sprinter 700DS and Bonza Gold plus several more, are one click away from this app.
“There is also a resource library featuring our most popular downloads and tech sheets on looking after pasture all year.”
Healthy, productive pastures power NZ farming.
Matt Strahan.
Advanced effluent solution a step closer
Ballance Agri-Nutrients, in conjunction with Plucks Engineering and Southwater, is developing an innovative dairy effluent management system designed to help farmers improve on-farm effluent practices and reduce environmental impact.
The technology addresses a significant environmental and regulatory challenge in New Zealand’s dairy sector. In addition, the by-product of the system is an excellent nutrient and water source that can be recycled on-farm.
“Incorrect disposal of effluent can land farmers with fines in the hundreds of thousands, and regulations restrict effluent application during rainy conditions, meaning farmers are often left with an issue to deal with,” says Stuart Kay, innovation lead at Ballance Agri-Nutrients.
“This technology is designed to be a reliable, sustainable solution, transforming waste into a resource that improves compliance and lowers risk.
“By providing control over water and nutrients, we’re offering a pathway for more responsible and effective farm management.”
This new effluent management system, first conceptualised in 2020, offers dairy farmers an easy way to retrofit a practical solution to meet both current and future effluent storage and regulatory demands.
As regulations evolve, farmers often need to renew their consents and invest
in upgrading effluent systems to ensure adequate storage, control, and mapping.
Additionally, current regulations cap nitrogen application from effluent at 150 nitrogen per ha per year, meaning farmers must carefully manage their land area to avoid over application per hectare.
This effluent system has been developed to aid farmers to specifically meet these requirements.
This advanced system helps farmers by separating the solids from liquids, leaving pretty much nothing but clean water coming out of the system.
The effluent solids are captured, contained and slowly dewatered for later use giving farmers greater control over when they apply the nutrients to their land.
The separated liquid can be reused and recycled, reducing the volume of fresh water being turned into effluent every day. Plucks Engineering has been at the coal face of dairy effluent for nearly 30 years, so knows and understands the burden dairy farm effluent can impose.
“We love what we have developed together with our partners which removes all the stress for the farmer and gives them complete control of their effluent
The clear filtrate.
from day one, while removing all the risk and liability,” says Neil Pluck, managing director at Plucks Engineering.
Southwater’s core business is the dredging of municipal and industrial pond slurries into high-capacity dewatering systems to separate the water from solids.
The project with Ballance and Plucks is a natural extension of the approach but with critical steps in the process being dairy specific.
The Southwater team is excited about contributing to a simple and cost-effective dairy effluent system to help farmers’ operations and protect our waterways. This innovation has been supported by the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) under the Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures (SFF Futures) fund, which has an emphasis on developing long-term, sustainable agricultural practices.
Ballance, with its partners, is about to start rolling out the technology.
“We’ve secured resource consent for commercial field trials, which are currently underway on several case-study farms. These trials will help ensure the system works effectively across various farming environments,” says Kay.
Building red meat resilience in dryland Hawke’s Bay
New grass bred for yield and animal health is helping one sheep and beef farm wean more lambs off mum in the drought-prone hills of southern Hawke’s Bay.
And that’s exactly what manager Bayden Andersen wants as he works to ramp up productivity, cashflow and economic farm surplus (EFS) for Canning Estate.
Five years of intensification have laid the groundwork for every hectare to grow more kilograms of liveweight and meat.
But there’s still plenty of potential to be captured, as a trial paddock of Stampede perennial ryegrass with CM142 endophyte sown last autumn has proved.
Despite a tough start, with no rain from February through May, Stampede CM142 kicked into gear as soon as the rain did come, and hasn’t looked back since.
“It’s response to moisture was awesome, and it tillered out well,” Andersen says.
“I was able to put the last of the finishing lambs in there, with some cull ewe lambs, at 15 to the hectare, and they were killed off it after four weeks.
“Then I set stocked it with some of the early ewes, which lamb from early August, and 90 per cent of those lambs were drafted straight onto the truck at 18.1 kg in the first week of November.
“After that it fed all the early lambs that didn’t get sold at weaning for slaughter or as stores; they were on it for five weeks, and then I ran the yearling heifers on it with the bull to clean up any worms.”
By early summer the plan was to let it regrow enough to feed male lambs off shears from mid-January. But as always in these parts, the weather will have the final say.
Late spring was very dry and if there’s one management rule Andersen has to follow, it’s being super flexible and ready to change plans at the drop of a hat.
Even so, in terms of stock health and animal performance, especially considering the pressure Stampede CM142 went through in
Bayden Andersen.
early germination, “it’s the best grass I’ve dealt with”.
Located at Porangahau, towards the coast south of Waipukurau, the farm totals 512 ha in rolling to steep hill with a few flats.
Capital stock is a tried and trusted mix of 150 Angus breeding cows and 2300 Romney ewes. About 1000 ewes are mated early to terminal rams.
Anderson aims to finish all surplus lambs at or above 19 kg carcase weight but will sell them store if the money’s right.
Non-replacement young cattle – both straight Angus and Hereford-Angus cross –are sold store. Heifers are mated as yearlings.
Summer and autumn drought are the biggest risk periods for the business, and Andersen currently buffers these with chicory for summer lamb finishing, plus a combination of kale and plantain to guarantee ewe flushing feed in autumn, and pre-lamb feed in early spring.
Better pasture however holds the promise of being able to dial back on the cropping in
favour of grass, and he’s keen to pursue this.
“Realistically, to finish lambs here, I think you need the summer feed, and chicory works well. But as I’m getting more new grass, I’d like to use less kale and plantain. Ultimately I want to start mating the hoggets here, and create more production.”
When he took over, there was a high percentage of old native pasture, and renewing this, along with increased subdivision and stock water, has been a priority. It’s taken a little while but now, the wheels are starting to turn in terms of improved farm performance and climatic resilience, he says.
Andersen found out about Stampede CM142 through his involvement in the Agnition Pilot Farm Network.
A new perennial ryegrass from Cropmark Seeds, Stampede is growthy, dense, and late heading with reliable yield in winter and early spring.
CM142 is Cropmark’s own novel endophyte, providing robust insect protection and staggers-free grazing for sheep and cattle.
Powerful pre-emergence grass weed control in wheat (not durum wheat) that protects yield potential.
• For use in wheat (not durum wheat) and triticale
• Controls a range of grass weeds including annual and perennial ryegrass
• Sakura followed by Othello® OD provides effective season-long control of grass weeds* and can delay the development of grass weed herbicide resistance
Insist on Sakura from Bayer.
Get in early to safeguard wheat
Wild oats can have a very significant impact on cereal grain yields. But so too can a common seed and grazing crop on many arable farms, namely ryegrass.
Recent industry research1 has shown yield suppression in autumn-sown wheat from as few as 10 ryegrass seedheads per square metre.
Now, however, wheat growers using a well-known pre-plant herbicide to control wild oat infestation can be confident they’re tackling unwanted ryegrass populations at the same time.
This addition strengthens growers’ toolkits for managing the risk of herbicide resistance. It also provides another way to help safeguard wheat yields before the crop is planted.
Avadex Xtra is a Group 15 herbicide, and with the addition of ryegrass suppression to the label, is a great option if ryegrass resistance or tolerance has been suspected, she says. Applied at the same rate as currently specified for wild
oats in wheat (2.8 litres per ha), the selective herbicide will not eliminate ryegrass, but will reduce populations prior to their emergence, thus lessening potential seed burden.
“Control will be improved with a follow up application of an alternative grass herbicide registered in the sown crop.
An additional pre-emergent herbicide will help fully control populations,” she advises. Application technique and timing are very important.
“Growers need to be planning for this early, well before
thinking about drilling their wheat crops.”
Best practice is to cultivate the soil to a fine, firm seedbed, apply Avadex Xtra, and incorporate it immediately and thoroughly after application to a depth of 5 cm.
It must be applied before wild oat and grass seeds have germinated, and growers are advised to avoid applying Avadex Xtra to wet soils, because this can cause uneven incorporation.
1FAR Cereal Research Results, 2021-22
Mill purchase strengthens co-op offering
Farmlands recently purchased the Winton feed mill site, demonstrating the co-op’s commitment to the Southland region and to becoming the number-one farmer-owned supplier of quality nutrition for New Zealand farmers.
This purchase comes less than a year after Farmlands acquired SealesWinslow and established a national animal nutrition production business.
It’s another demonstration of how Farmlands is successfully strengthening its feed manufacturing footprint, it says.
Farmlands has leased the Winton site since 2008.
With the purchase of the land and buildings, the co-op can further invest in the site and expand the operating capacity of the mill.
Farmlands CEO Tanya Houghton says that buying the mill highlights Farmlands’ support for both farmers and growers across the Southland and Otago regions and increases the value and
support its nutrition products offer them.
“The purchase of the Winton mill site is another step forward in the delivery of our national nutrition strategy.
“It’ll help us provide continuity of supply of high-quality feeds to farmers and customers in Southland and further afield. It also supports our commitment to sourcing grain from our local grower shareholders.”
The compound feed production from the mill supports customers directly and bagged product is distributed to Farmlands’ new Southland regional hub, servicing customers in the region and well beyond.
“The Winton Mill purchase is a key example of how Farmlands looks at its role in procuring,
manufacturing and distributing key farm inputs to deliver maximum economic benefit to the rural communities from every angle,” adds Houghton.
“Our grain growers benefit from our purchasing of raw material, our Winton team benefits from our long-term commitment to them, our shareholders benefit from a strengthened co-op and our customers benefit from locally-produced and distributed feed products.”
This last point is critical right now as Southland farmers have been facing weather challenges affecting grass feed production and need to be able to access a full range of nutrition options and value these being locally produced.
Sonja Vreugdenhil.
BEE RESPONSIBLE
Farmers and beekeepers can work together for the coexistence of agriculture and bees.
Improve pollinator habits by planting flower boarders and maintaining hedgerows and unsprayed headlands.
Implement an integrated pest management plan to apply pesticides only when necessary.
Coordinate in advance with local beekeepers before spraying so nearby hives can be moved or otherwise protected.
Use genuine products only and alert authorities of counterfeit or illegal pesticides that have unknown impacts on wildlife.
Follow the instructions on the label to ensure you use the recommended dose. Avoid spraying in windy conditions to prevent spray drift.
Use drift-reduction application equipment that is well maintained and calibrated.
Avoid contamination from spray liquids when mixing, and properly dispose of waste and other used materials.
Avoid spraying pesticides when bees are foraging and plants are flowering.
Minimise dust from treated seed by carefully pouring it out of bags. Use seed planting machinery that eliminates the production of dust, and clean seed equipment regurally.
Avoid the slippery slope
If you don’t plan before autumn sowing, things can go downhill fast.
Methevn-based PGG Wrightson arable representative Tom Adams says across the area he covers slugs are a widespread problem.
He says he feels farmers’ frustration when a crop gets hammered.
“It’s no fun looking at patchy crops where seedlings have failed to establish because of slug damage.”
Ash Pace, UPL NZ regional manager, central South Island, says slugs are often underestimated but can create a souldestroying path of destruction in a crop in a very short time.
“Seedlings are just one to two bites for a slug. It’s money spent on sowing, fertiliser, irrigation, fuel and labour wasted if you don’t think about your slug control programme pre or when planting.”
Slugs can chew through up to 50 per cent of their own body weight every night.
(Compare that with just two to four per cent of body weight daily for sheep and cattle.)
Pace says as soon as scheduling re-grassing spray-out is in place, the pest protection plan should be geared-up.
“If you start monitoring early, you can pick
up any slug pressure from the previous crop and pre-bait. Follow-up with a second application before emergence.”
A hessian sack is a simple monitoring solution. One slug can already signal a problem and action should be taken.
Biogro certified Ironmax Pro, from world leading molluscicide producer, French company De Sangosse, has proved its chops in the field, impressing NZ farmers and contractors.
While take-up is broad, the new generation of field representatives like Tom Adams are championing the product.
It’s a bait he’s got confidence in, being gentle on the environment without compromising efficacy.
According to Pace, Ironmax Pro and its sister product, industry leader, Metarex Inov, have significant advantages over old-school coated baits.
“Coated baits only have a lick of the active on the outside. With these baits, active is all the way through – a bit like a cookie dough. So, not a bite is wasted.”
He says the products’ superior spreading ability (ballistics) also means savings for
Novel technology harnesses the power of microbes
Manawatu-based H&T Agronomics has teamed up with a Californian ag tech company to launch a new microbial seed treatment here this season.
“This technology offers a new opportunity to reduce nitrogen fertiliser use in New Zealand agriculture, delivering both economic and environmental benefits while maintaining crop performance,” says H&T managing director Paul Oliver.
AlwaysN comes from BioConsortia and will be available for maize, cereals, brassicas and pasture seed.
The two companies say they’ve conducted successful field trials in NZ since 2023, demonstrating nitrogen-replacement results consistent with earlier trials conducted since 2021 in the U.S., Canada, Brazil, and Europe.
“Our proprietary microbes effectively colonise crop roots, ensuring there is always nitrogen available to influence crop yield,” explains BioConsortia
CEO Marcus Meadows-Smith.
“These microbes remain active in the root zone throughout the growing season, converting atmospheric nitrogen into plant-accessible forms even after synthetic fertilisers dissipate.”
The treatment boasts a shelf life exceeding two years and maintains on-seed stability for an additional two years, surpassing industry norms.
“Our use of Gram-positive microbes, known for their inherent stability and reliability as root colonisers, underpins this breakthrough,” explained Dr. Hong Zhu, senior vice president of R&D at BioConsortia.
“Through our proprietary R&D platform, we’ve unlocked the nitrogen-fixing potential
White clover affected by slugs in early establishment.
growers and farmers by enabling effective cover in fewer passes; using less fuel, and saving on labour.
“It saves a lot of extra refills. If you can get things done more effectively and in less time, why wouldn’t you?”
The shape is also consistent, so spread is reliable.
“Coated bait is irregular in shape. That means, potentially, spread can be too.”
Colzactive technology is responsible for the exceptional palatability for both baits.
Created by the De Sangosse R & D team, Colzactive comprises specially selected oil seed rape extracts.
The team evaluated 20 different plant species, identifying 50 potential molecules for their attractiveness to slugs, and ultimately selecting two molecules slugs found irresistible.
The baits are manufactured with the finest durum wheat using a unique wet manufacturing process, making them very rainfast, so they continue to perform in damp conditions.
of these microbes, creating ideal candidates for seed treatment products.”
BioConsortia’s flexible microbe discovery platform played a pivotal role in this innovation, it says.
“Given NZ’s regulatory restrictions on geneedited organisms, BioConsortia identified wild-type microbes from its extensive library that naturally fix nitrogen.
A big new facility in Hamilton is helping put premium grass seed on-farm faster this autumn, and in peak condition for sowing.
Think of it like the fridges you and your farmers use for animal vaccines, only in this case it’s to protect something just as important – the live endophyte in ryegrass seed.
Vaccines lose viability if they’re not stored correctly, and endophyte is the same.
Heat and humidity can kill this tiny organism faster than most people realise, so seed containing endophyte should stay cool and dry for as long as possible before it goes in the ground.
That’s easier said than done at this time of year, especially when truckloads of South Island seed have to travel half the country to be in the right place at the right time for North Island autumn sowing.
The solution for one leading supplier?
Invest in five times more cool storage space in the heart of the Waikato and hold autumn seed orders there at perfect temperature and humidity until they’re required.
Sales manager Jake Gardner says Barenbrug’s new facility includes a 400 tonne cool store, thought to be a first for the industry in the Upper North Island, derisking autumn pasture renewal for all who rely on the North Island seed supply chain.
“This is a massive milestone for our farmers, our resellers and us, in terms of both seed quality, and logistics.
“Farmers get the extra confidence of knowing all their Barenbrug seed – with endophyte and without – arrives at their gate straight from optimal storage in the best possible condition.
“And we can fill the cool store early, so we have a lot more stock on hand at the start of autumn.
“That means everyone, including us, can rest easier knowing repeat Cook Strait ferry cancellations and other freight disruptions aren’t going to cause as much havoc as they have some years with such a time-sensitive market.”
In fact, Gardner says, the new cool store was already full by late January, even though farmers won’t need that seed for sowing yet. At most, it’s spent only a few days in transit between Barenbrug’s purpose-built Rolleston cool store, and Te Rapa.
The new facility means resellers can place orders early, knowing their customers’ seed will be allocated, mixed and wrapped in advance, ready for delivery as close to sowing time as possible, Gardner says.
Seed stewardship and logistics are not the only big gains, however.
“We have significantly increased the permanent number of staff at Te Rapa, which allows us to put on extra shifts as needed.
“We have also re-configured our two existing seed mixing plants for higher throughput.
“This means we can turn orders around faster. Seed will get where it needs to be with minimal delay, and having spent the least possible time outside of optimal storage conditions.”
Most proprietary pasture seed produced in NZ is grown and processed in the South
Island, totalling over 10,000 tonnes per year. It’s estimated more than two-thirds of this is sown every autumn by North Island farmers.
Note: In the previous issue, a Barenbrug article stated that ‘Forge was currently NZ’s top-selling hybrid ryegrass.’ This was not correct – Mohaka currently is. However, Forge NEA hybrid ryegrass is the top performer in the industry’s National Forage Variety Trials for hybrid ryegrasses for New Zealand.
The store was already full of autumn orders by late January. Seed is shipped directly from Barenbrug’s cool store in Canterbury.
Ryegrass is on the attack
Words: Neil Waddingham, Bayer New Zealand Ryegrass is on the attack and time isn’t on our side.
All indicators show that the arable industry needs to combat ryegrass now, or its impact on both cereal and ryegrass seed crops will rapidly get worse.
Over the past three seasons sales of Sakura have grown strongly based on the impact of ryegrass.
Sakura is recognised as the premier herbicide for the control of ryegrass and in autumn 2025 Bayer expects further growth. Applied post-planting but pre-emergence, Sakura controls ryegrass before it can compete with the crop minimizing the detrimental impact ryegrass has on crop yield.
Because Sakura controls ryegrass early in its lifecycle when it is very small it is much easier to control.
Sakura also controls a wide range of other grass weeds including vulpia hair grass and annual poa.
Ryegrass is quickly developing resistance to many herbicides in New Zealand, especially the Group 1 and 2 herbicides, and even glyphosate (Group 9).
But fortunately, this isn’t the case for Sakura (Group 15 herbicide).
It was against the background of the increasing impact of ryegrass, and ryegrass herbicide resistance, that Bayer, along with its partners PGG Wrightson Retail and PGG Wrightson Seeds, invited Peter Boutsalis to NZ in July 2024.
He is the director of Adelaide-based
Plant Science Consulting, with extensive expertise in ryegrass management and an in-depth knowledge of Sakura and Roundup UltraMAX, key defence tools against ryegrass.
Boutsalis spoke to many agronomists and farmers while in NZ, with those fortunate to be able to attend his meetings universally saying how informative they were. But not everyone could attend.
Therefore, to ensure his expertise is available to all, Bayer videoed his Ashburton presentation and this can be viewed via the Bayer website.
The video contains a wealth of information about ryegrass control and why it is such a challenge; the mechanisms of herbicide resistance; why some herbicide groups are more at risk of developing resistance than others; the value of pre-emergence herbicides and how to get the best from Sakura and Roundup UltraMAX.
So, let’s tease out some key messages from Peter Boutsalis’ video.
Ryegrass is a difficult weed to control due to two main factors.
First, it is a prolific seeder and second, it must outcross with another ryegrass plant to set seed.
Outcrossing means that any resistance genetics the plant possess is rapidly spread. Controlling ryegrass is a numbers game. The starting point is usually a high weed seed population and because herbicides
High ryegrass populations in the spring reduce yield and may increase the risk of herbicide resistance developing.
don’t give 100 per cent control multiple control measures are required to reduce competition.
Starting with the pre-emergence application of Sakura, followed by effective in crop herbicides and ending with effective harvest seed hygiene.
But it is a numbers game in a second way.
A very small percentage of ryegrass seeds naturally have the genetic coding to be resistant to herbicides with the likelihood for this to be against Group 1 and 2 herbicides rather than pre-emergence herbicides. So, the target must be to expose as few ryegrass plants to Group 1 and 2 herbicides in the spring as possible.
The key ways to do this are to keep ryegrass seed on the soil surface where a large percentage of seeds naturally die; and apply Sakura to further significantly reduce the ryegrass population. And of course, early ryegrass removal by Sakura reduces crop competition and protects yield.
These points, along with others, are expanded upon in Peter Boutsalis’ video, available online at the Bayer website.
Plasback leading the way in agri plastic recycling
Plasback continues to lead the charge in New Zealand’s agricultural recycling space, achieving a record-breaking milestone in 2024 with 6800 tonnes of farm plastics collected and diverted from burying or burning practices.
“This achievement reflects our unwavering commitment to sustainability and our strong partnerships with farmers who share our vision for a cleaner, greener future,” says commercial manager Neal Shaw.
“As we move into 2025, Plasback remains focused on broadening awareness of the importance of recycling in the agricultural sector.”
Shaw says the organisation’s collection scheme will continue to grow, providing farmers with an efficient and reliable system to recycle clean, acceptable products while reducing on-farm waste.
A key focus for 2025 is educating the agricultural community on reducing contamination levels in recycled materials.
“By emphasizing the need for clean plastics in recycling bins, we aim to improve the efficiency of the recycling process, ensuring a higher-quality end product and a more sustainable outcome for all.”
Even small amounts of other materials can interfere with the process, and Shaw says the Plasback team has seen tractor parts, old tyres, fenceposts and animal carcasses turn up.
“This means that plastic can’t be recovered, and if it gets into our recycling facilities, it seriously interferes in the process.”
Shaw is proud that everything collected is recycled, with the bins and liners themselves fabricated in Auckland from recycled plastic.
There’s more, with Plasback offering a range of products under its ‘Tuff’ brand – culvert pipes, board in various thicknesses, pest control systems, and decking – all made from reclaimed farm plastic.
The success of Tuff Solutions has been significant, with many of these products now being installed into farm sheds, dairies, and walkways throughout rural communities.
This not only provides farmers with durable, sustainable alternatives to traditional materials but also ensures that waste plastics are reintegrated into practical and valuable uses.
By promoting these recycled products, Plasback is contributing to a full circular economy, where farm plastics are not just collected and processed but are transformed into long-lasting solutions that benefit the agricultural sector.
Shaw notes that farmers are generally great stewards of the land, but there is always more to be done.
“Plasback is proud to support NZ’s farmers as they adopt better recycling practices, and we thank everyone who has contributed to this year’s incredible milestone. Together, we can build a sustainable future for our industry.”
For more information or to get started with Plasback’s on-farm recycling system, visit www.plasback.co.nz.
Please ensure plastics are clean as this means better recycling, higher-quality results, and a more sustainable future for New Zealand agriculture.
Farmers keen to collaborate on Cali control
Farmers from across the country have jumped on board a unique programme designed to help them eliminate one of their most expensive and persistent weeds.
They’re now getting expert guidance and support on successful Californian thistle control thanks to a collaboration between Corteva Agriscience and PGG Wrightson.
It’s a team effort that will last for at least 18 months, and results and progress are being shared with anyone interested in best practice eradication of a widespread weed that doesn’t discriminate between regions, or types of farm system.
Glen Surgenor, Corteva marketing manager, says the fact that farmers from Southland to Waikato have joined the programme reinforces both the scale of the problem, and the opportunity to remedy it.
“We’re really pleased to have such a broad representation of different regions and growing conditions.”
With the first Tordon PastureBoss spray at hard ball stage in early summer now under their belts, the focus for farmers involved has turned to the all-important autumn follow-up with Grassmaster MCPA herbicide.
That will be followed in summer 2025 with a spot spray of Tordon PastureBoss where needed to kill any remaining plants.
Surgenor says farmers have been excited by their results so far, but the mark of success will be how happy they are in a year’s time.
A critical part of the partnership is a digital portal where farmers can easily record their herbicide applications and access technical information.
“We want to document and share what happens on these farms as they go through the programme, to show that Californian thistle can be effectively managed when a program is followed,” Surgenor says.
Corteva has added a page about the project to its NZ website so anyone can follow its progress.
Joining forces with a partner like PGG Wrightson for best practice demonstration like this is a first for Corteva, and a win:win for all involved, he says.
“We know the issue is getting worse; California thistles are spreading and the feedback we’ve been getting is that farmers are becoming disillusioned and losing confidence in their ability to stay on top of them.
“We also realise one of the best ways
An example of the problems faced by farmers involved in the programme.
to promote what can be achieved with a programmed approach control is through using demo sites, and sharing farm case studies.
“But we’re a small team, and we alone don’t have the resources to do this type of extension work at scale, so it made perfect sense to partner with PGG Wrightson on a multi-year national initiative we believe will make a real difference to farmers.”
Tordon PastureBoss is the premium herbicide to use at the front end of a control programme, especially for dense infestations.
The withholding periods are relatively short (three days for milk; seven days for meat) and although it will damage clover, pasture production and grazing is already much reduced where thistle populations are high, and that ground will be re-gained at the completion of the programme.
But if your farmers didn’t get an application on before Christmas, when thistles were at hard ball stage, Surgenor says they can still get their own programme underway this autumn, using Tordon PastureBoss as the first spray.
Online sales channel extends choice for farmers
Ravensdown’s venture arm, Agnition, has launched a new online sales platform giving Kiwis more choice in how they purchase fertiliser and other agricultural products.
Resupply is agronomy supplies made simple by giving New Zealand farmers direct access to high-quality products, nationwide, from across the Ravensdown Group, including bulk fertiliser.
It has been designed to meet the needs of farmers and landowners looking to purchase smaller quantities of quality fertiliser, seed, chemicals, and soil tests.
Garry Diack, Ravensdown CEO, says Resupply is a 24/7 self-serve ordering option that sits alongside the co-operative’s
existing customer channels, such as HawkEye, with the added benefit of credit card payment functionality.
“At a time when farmers and growers have more choices for how and where they meet their on-farm fertility requirements, we wanted to provide all NZ access to quality Ravensdown products in a way that is convenient to them.
“Resupply is designed as a one-stop-shop for customers who know what agronomy supplies they want and don’t require any
additional services or support.
“For these customers, we have harnessed our collective strength to ensure that all farmers, regardless of size, have the opportunity to access our entire portfolio of products.
“It is also an excellent option for capturing store walk-ins, smaller customers, farmers keen to pay upfront, or new customers who want something quickly while their credit application is processed,” said Diack.
Jasper van Halder, Agnition CEO, says Resupply offers the best of both worldsthe ease and efficiency of intuitive online ordering, combined with the trusted, highquality products and nationwide fulfilment capabilities of Ravensdown.
“Agnition’s mission is to ignite agricultural technology and accelerate innovation in practical, meaningful ways.
“The launch of Resupply is a testament to this philosophy, demonstrating how a forward-thinking approach to e-commerce
Teaming up to break down silos
Gallagher and FarmIQ are simplifying data management for farmers with the launch of a powerful new integration that will help them harness the power of having all their data in one place.
Industry players often work independently, limiting the potential benefits for farmers.
Gallagher and FarmIQ are changing that by collaborating on a solution that simplifies data sharing and management.
The new API (Application Programming Interface) integration acts as a link, automatically transferring farmers’ live animal data from their Gallagher weighing solution directly into their FarmIQ farm management platform.
Gallagher business development manager, Mark Maitland, says the partnership delivers the seamless connectivity farmers have been asking for.
“Farmers have been calling for technology that bridges gaps and allows them to leverage the full power of all their data without the unnecessary hassle of navigating multiple systems that don’t integrate,” says Maitland.
“By working together, Gallagher and FarmIQ have
answered this call and shown how industry can work together, put farmers first, and deliver better results.”
Farmers have uploaded over 260,000 EID files into FarmIQ, with most being weighing events. Previously, these uploads depended on unreliable Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, or manual file transfers, causing delays and frustration.
FarmIQ head of sales and marketing, Russell MacKay, explains how the new integration solves these issues.
“Now, data flows automatically from Gallagher to FarmIQ via the cloud - no cords, no buttons, no fuss,” he says.
“Farmers can record weights in the field, and the information is instantly available in FarmIQ for analysis.
“Currently, 600 farms have devices connected to FarmIQ, but many more have struggled with connectivity issues. This integration simplifies the process and makes it easier for farmers to connect their data.
“We don’t reinvent the wheel.
can complement traditional agronomy sales models and offer a viable alternative for farmers who prefer self-service solutions.
“Our digital-first approach meets the needs of today’s farmers – many of whom expect the same seamless experience they get from other industries – to order and receive the agronomy products they need, when they need them.”
Purchases made via the platform do not include access to additional Ravensdown services such as agri manager farm visits, soil test collection, HawkEye or myRavensdown, fertiliser plans, fertiliser budgets or environmental reports. Resupply orders can be paid for by credit card or bank transfer.
If another company excels at something, like Gallagher does with weigh scales, we integrate their expertise into our platform.”
The integration saves time and provides farmers with valuable insights for decision-making.
For example, if a farmer sees that one mob of lambs is gaining 50 grams per day more than another, they can quickly access all relevant data in FarmIQ to figure out why, including paddock history, pasture types, health treatments, supplementary feed, and even the source of the lambs if they were purchased.
“This level of analysis was previously impossible without a fully integrated system,” MacKay says.
“Setting up the connection is simple on FarmIQ. Once it’s done, animal weights automatically sync with FarmIQ, allowing farmers to keep all their data in one place and focus on making informed decisions about culling, feeding, health
In addition, Ravensdown shareholders also have the option to pay via invoice to benefit from their shareholder pricing.
Delivery is available for Resupply’s range of seed, chemical products and soil testing kits. Fertiliser orders are available for pick up at any one of 40 Ravensdown stores nationwide.
“Ravensdown will continue to partner with farmers behind the farm gate, with a focus on offering more tailored solutions that meet the specific needs of different farming systems. “Resupply is one of the ways we’re helping a wider range of customers self-serve to meet their own specific requirements and drive value for the wider business,” Diack says.
monitoring, and breeding.”
The integration also features AI capabilities from FarmIQ, which automatically read and record health treatment data from Gallagher files.
For instance, if a farmer logs a drenching treatment, the details are instantly captured in FarmIQ, updating inventory and ensuring compliance without any extra steps.
Both Gallagher and FarmIQ believe in farmers retaining ownership of their data. This partnership is about giving farmers control and helping them maximise the value of their information through better connectivity.
“Technology is most effective when it’s connected and sharing data,” says Maitland.
“By breaking down silos, we’ve made it easier for farmers to get the insights they need and make strategic decisions.
“At the end of the day, this is about making life easier for farmers. We’re proud to provide a solution that saves them time and helps boost their returns.”
Mark Maitland.
Jasper van Halder.
Smarter farming together for better performance
A strategic partner and Ravensdown customer for more than a decade, Dairy Holdings utilises the full suite of Ravensdown’s offerings to support consistent improvements in on-farm performance.
Colin Glass, Dairy Holdings CEO, says a key to farming smarter is having an absolute view of all production inputs.
“Over the past five years alone, we have taken 6600 soil samples across Dairy Holding farms to be tested and analysed by Ravensdown.
“It has allowed us to get really precise with our fertiliser application from a placement, quantity and timing perspective.
“Because of this we’ve been able to nearly halve the amount of nitrogen we use per
hectare, with a reduction of 46 per cent over the past 10 years.”
At the same time as reducing inputs, Dairy Holdings has experienced significant gains in productivity across their wider farming business.
“Over the past decade we’ve boosted pasture growth from investment in irrigation, re-grassing and soil fertility to significantly increase milk production while also reducing purchased feed by more than 83 per cent,” says Glass.
Don’t wait until dry off
Words: Zoetis
Autumn is a critical time to address parasite control in cattle.
From spring through to autumn, young stock with low or no immunity are mass producers of parasite eggs which become infective larval stages, reaching a peak on pastures in autumn and early winter.
Even if young stock do not graze on the dairy platform, there will still be better survival and likely higher numbers of parasites in autumn.
Subsequently, cattle are more likely to pick up parasites from grazing these more heavily infected pastures.
Treating cows in autumn when they are most likely to get infected not only delivers good value for money but protects the animals when they need it most.
Cydectin® Pour-On is an ideal treatment when pastures are wormy.
It has proven and high efficacy against production limiting parasites such as Ostertagia ostertagii, lungworm and Trichostrongylus spp., and also has the longest persistent activity against a broad spectrum of parasites.
Ravensdown’s head of sales, Gary Bowick, says as well as taking expert advice from agri managers, soil scientists and environmental managers into consideration, Dairy Holdings also makes the best use of innovation and technology that Ravensdown has to offer.
“Each of the Dairy Holding farms uses HawkEye to plan, track and monitor their nutrient usage.
“Our enduring relationship with Dairy Holdings is testament to the value of taking a partnership approach.
“Working collaboratively with customers means we can actively pursue the goal of reducing the overall fertiliser footprint while also driving increases in productivity for New Zealand farmers and growers.”
Glass says ensuring the long-term sustainable future of a farming operation requires a dedicated focus on the inputs of today.
“Working with Ravensdown and making the most of all the know-how, science, data and technology available makes a tangible difference to farm performance.”
With the right people, processes and pasture, over 10 years Dairy Holdings, NZ’s largest dairy farmer, has:
• Reduced purchased feed: from 300 kg dry matter per cow to less than 50 kg.
• Increased total milk solid production: from 14.0 million kg milk solids to 17.2 million kg milk solids.
• Improved fertiliser efficiency: total fertiliser use has decreased 46 per cent to 164 kg nitrogen per ha.
• Enhanced per hectare output: Milk solid production in Canterbury/Waitaki has increased from 1100 kg milk solids per ha to 1300 kg milk solids per ha from 100 per cent pasture.
It can kill incoming Ostertagia larvae for up to 35 days, lungworm for 42 days and Trichostongylus for 28 days.
This means cattle can eat these infected pastures with no cost to their efficiency.
In production trials conducted on New Zealand farms at dry off, late lactation and calving, cows that were treated with Cydectin Pour-On had an average increase of over 4 kg milk solids more than their untreated herd mates1.
Despite the long protection period, Cydectin
Hannah Sims, right, Ravensdown, with Dairy Holdings contract milker Stephen Hyde.
Pour-On has no withholding periods.
This means farmers don’t have to wait until dry off to treat - rather it can be used on cows any time when they need it, whether still lactating or about to calve.
It also has excellent efficacy against both biting and sucking lice making it an ideal winter preparation treatment.
As with many animal remedies today, the blanket treatment approach is no longer justified unless there are extenuating circumstances such as drought or lack of feed.
Ideally, animals should be treated selectively based on need such as young cows, poor conditioned cows or cows that have poor immunity or been sick. While it’s possible those cows in great body condition and milking well may have worms, with adequate condition, feed and immunity, they should be able to take care of those infections themselves.
Autumn weather is ideal for parasite numbers to thrive and threaten the efficiency and health of both young and older cattle. Farmers should be treating individual animals when, and if, they need it, with a product that has been demonstrated to really make a difference.
By prioritising parasite treatment in
autumn, farmers can safeguard the health and productivity of their cattle, ensuring a successful and profitable season ahead.
1Murphy, A. The effect of treatment with moxidectin, a long acting endectocide, on milk
production in lactating dairy cows Buiatrics World Congress, 1998.
Zoetis New Zealand Limited. Tel: 0800 963 847; www.zoetis.co.nz. Cydectin is a registered trade mark of Zoetis. ACVM No. A6203.
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Competitors join forces to create world class protein plant
In the small North Island town of Waitoa, a massive commitment to New Zealand’s red meat industry is about to bring new meaning to added value processing.
Four years, tens of millions of dollars, scores of local contractors and a novel collaboration between market competitors have culminated in something that hasn’t been seen in this country for over a decade.
Waitoa Natural Proteins (WNP) is the first new greenfields rendering plant built in NZ since 2013, and is unique not only in its ownership structure, but its sophistication.
Capable of processing 20 tonnes an hour, the largely automated single species facility can be run from a tablet, is fully vacuum sealed for air quality and odour control, and recycles its own wastewater.
It’s already producing premium quality bovine meal and tallow for domestic and export sales, and when fully commissioned in June will render fresh raw bone and soft offal from a total of five different meat processing plants.
Those behind the venture say it’s both a sign of confidence in NZ red meat production, and a clear signal to global customers that they are committed to world-class standards of processing.
“It also shows that if you collaborate, you can get further, and do things at a higher standard than in the past,” says Greenlea Premier Meats managing director Tony Egan.
His company joined forces with Wilson Hellaby and specialist renderer Glenningburg Holdings in 2021 to make the ambitious project a reality.
“We were going to build something on our own, but then we decided it would be better to team up.
“That gave us the opportunity to significantly scale up the operation, and tap into each other’s skills. We always knew the investment was not just about the protein plant itself, but also the waste treatment system, and the containment required.”
The new plant, which uses a low temperature pressed dewatering system, has been built on the same site as an existing rendering facility at Waitoa, formerly owned by Wallace Corp and acquired by Greenlea through a joint venture in 2020.
Specialist designer and manufacturer Rendertech NZ was responsible for sourcing and installing the necessary machinery and equipment, some of which was
imported, and some made in NZ by Kawerau Engineering.
MW Builders in Hamilton has handled the build itself.
Few appreciate the contrast between the
two plants better than Gordon Henderson, who spent several years as rendering operations manager with Wallace Corp before returning to Waitoa to supervise the WNP build and become general manager.
General manager Gordon Henderson, centre, has overseen the build from the start.
A bird’s eye view of the new site in final stages of construction last spring.
FAR farewells ‘driving force’
Dr Alison Stewart, chief executive of the Foundation for Arable Research (FAR), will step down from the role, which she has held for seven years, on 30 June 2025.
Announcing her resignation, Stewart says she has thoroughly enjoyed her time at FAR and will be sad to say goodbye to a sector that has impressed her immensely with its diversity, sustainability and resilience.
“Having led FAR through the implementation of a number of major initiatives including signing up to the GIA for Biosecurity Readiness and Response, introducing the new knowledge exchange platform ‘Growers Leading Change’ and establishing Cultivate Ventures, an industry led investment fund, it is now time to move on.”
Stewart says she plans to continue working in a science advisory and board director capacity and is looking forward to sharing her knowledge and experience of the New Zealand science and agricultural sectors
with up and coming leaders.
“On behalf of the board I would like to acknowledge the great contribution Alison has made to FAR and the wider arable industry,” says chair Steven Bierema.
“In a changing world Alison has been a driving force, encouraging the arable industry to adapt and to adopt changes using science-based solutions.
“With great passion Alison has worked with her team to make FAR the go-to organisation for arable research and information and a workplace where the whole team feels at home.
“She has worked hard to develop strong communication pathways with both government agencies and industry partners. She always sought a collaborative solution, but wouldn’t shy away from
“I’ve worked in a lot of rendering plants; I’ve upgraded some of them but never been involved in a greenfields, belts and braces, new build project like this. To go from a hole in the ground to a functioning protein plant of this standard has been a great opportunity.
“It has been quite exciting. In the peak of the build we had 60 contractors on site, and we deliberately used local contractors, all from within a 50-60 km radius.”
One key difference between old and new? The sheer level of automation, which means the plant can run 24/6 year-round with only a dozen staff.
“Wastewater is another big factor,” Henderson says. “A beef animal is 50 per cent meat and bone, and 50 per cent moisture, and all that moisture has to be removed during the rendering process.
“That can create quite a high strength, high volume waste stream, but we don’t have that here. Instead, all our rendering waste water is evaporated into a process condensate which is a valuable
standing up for our industry when required.
“Personally, I feel privileged to have worked with Alison; as a fellow northern European,
carbon source for the bugs in our waste treatment pond.”
Air containment was equally a priority for odour control and a better worker environment, Henderson says.
All the air in the building is extracted, run through a humidifier, then a bio filter, and recirculated. The plant is vacuum sealed, with a customised automated process ensuring outside doors cannot be opened if any process doors are open, and vice versa.
“That improves air quality and temperature control for those working within the plant, too.”
Nearly all WNP meat and bone meal will be exported for animal feed, as will all of the tallow, which is used overseas for biofuel. Other outputs may come in the future; there is room to add more capacity.
Egan says making the plant single species improves market opportunities for end users, who prefer a one line product.
Combined with other facilities at the greater Waitoa site – including Waitoa Tannery – the new plant helps remove an
I appreciated her direct approach.”
The board will begin the recruitment process for a new CEO shortly.
Achilles heel for those involved.
“It gives us control of the whole beef process, from disassembly to reassembly. Whether it’s meat, hide or by-product, we can now maximise the value of that animal for farmers, and essentially for NZ,” he says.
The first delivery of raw material for processing.
Alison Stewart.
Landmark moment for east coast shipping
Eastland Port in Gisborne has achieved a monumental milestone in its decadelong Twin Berth Development journey, with the recent issue of new consent from the Environment Court.
The approval covers a total of 26 resource consents, including extending Wharf 8, reclaiming land, dredging operations, and modernising critical infrastructure such as the stormwater system and outer breakwater.
Eastland Port general manager infrastructure and commercial, Marty Bayley, says the result will be a port capable of simultaneously berthing two 185-200 metre vessels, diversifying trade and reinforcing the region’s economic foundation.
“This has been a decade in the making, involving robust consultation, independent advice, and tireless efforts from technical experts, iwi, hapu, and the community.
“Reaching this milestone is a testament to the patience and goodwill of everyone who worked with us to collectively address challenges and find the best solutions possible. The outcome reflects the strong relationships we’ve built and our
LET’S TALK PROMO
commitment to being a responsible operator of our harbour.
“Not only have we secured consents with conditions that provide the port certainty for the next 35 years, we have also strengthened our relationships and standing throughout the community.”
The independent commissioners overseeing the application highlighted Eastland Port’s collaborative approach as a standout success.
“Dr. Brent Cowie, a retiring commissioner, called our application the best he had seen in his career and commended the co-operative approach to addressing issues,” Bayley says.
“That’s a validation of the extraordinary effort and collaboration behind this project.”
Eastland Port chief executive officer, Andrew Gaddum, says it sets a major precedent.
“This project is not only regionally significant but nationally remarkable.
“There are few recent examples of infrastructure projects of this scale receiving consent without the need to go right through the Environment Court process.
“I am immensely proud of what we’ve accomplished. The final consent conditions and relationships we’ve built reflect the
BLUE PRINT
dedication of our entire community.”
Gaddum says the project will be transformational, positioning Eastland Port to support a broader range of exports beyond logs, including manufactured wood products, bioenergy, produce, and coastal containers.
“The Twin Berth project is not just about enhancing port infrastructure—it’s about ensuring Tairawhiti remains resilient, competitive, and well-positioned for the future,” chairwoman Wendie Harvey says.
“I am incredibly proud of the collective effort that has brought us to this pivotal moment, and I believe these developments will leave a lasting, positive legacy for future generations,” said Harvey.
With the consents now in place, Eastland Port is eager to move forward.
Design work is already underway, with full attention now focused on delivering projects that will support diverse trade opportunities.
“These developments are not just about strengthening our port; they’re about strengthening Tairawhiti,” Gaddum says.
“We are building infrastructure that will serve our region for generations to come. Now, it’s time to get on with making it happen.”
Smiles all round – from left, Andrew Gaddum, Wendie Harvey and Marty Bayley.
Samuel Whitelock, farmer.
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Corteva are on a mission to enrich lives for generations to come – and that’s exactly the kind of company I want on my side.
For more information talk to your agricultural merchant or call 0800 803 939 today.
Always read the label before use.
Samuel Whitelock – Plant Science Graduate, Lincoln University.
Scott secures NZ$18m in global contracts for protein
Scott Technology has secured multiple high-value contracts with leading global companies, showcasing the strength of its protein automation portfolio.
Valued at NZD$18 million combined, the contracts span an advanced lamb primal system for JBS in Australia, a loin deboner for Silver Fern Farms in New Zealand, and multiple BladeStop units for Cargill’s North American meat processing operations.
“I’m delighted to see Scott delivering value to our customers through this innovative technology. It’s an honour to be recognised as a trusted solutions partner, and I’m proud of the role we play in supporting their success,” says CEO Mike Christman.
“These partnerships with global industry leaders demonstrate our commitment to advancing meat processing technology.
“Our solutions address critical challenges like labour shortages, enhance efficiency, and set new standards for workplace safety, enabling our customers to maintain their competitive edge.”
Scott Technology will deliver an advanced lamb primal system to JBS’s Cobram lamb processing facility in Australia.
The multimillion-dollar project, designed and built at the company’s Dunedin site, and expected to be operational late this year, incorporates cutting-edge x-ray, 3D vision, and AI-driven technology capable of processing 600 carcasses per hour.
The system will enhance efficiency, accuracy, and worker safety while maximising yield and minimising waste.
Building on successful installations at JBS’s Bordertown and Brooklyn facilities, the Cobram project will further solidify JBS Australia’s position as a leading global hub for premium lamb production.
By automating labour-intensive tasks, the system aims to meet growing global demand for high-quality lamb, improve safety standards and deliver consistent, premium products.
“Our long-standing partnership with JBS is a testament to the shared vision we have for advancing innovation in meat processing.
“The installation at Cobram is another exciting step in our collaboration with JBS
Australia, positioning the facility as one of the most advanced meat processing facilities in the country,” says Mike Christman.
Silver Fern Farms, meantime, is enhancing its South Island facility with the addition of a state-of-the-art loin deboner.
This latest upgrade builds on the facility’s existing fully automated lamb processing system, already one of the most advanced in the industry.
The loin deboner is part of Scott’s innovative LEAP product range and can process over 10 lamb loins per minute with exceptional precision, safety, and efficiency.
Fully enclosed for easy cleaning and maintenance, the machine seamlessly integrates into existing processing lines while meeting ANZ safety standards, ensuring streamlined and productive operations.
“This milestone deepens our partnership with Silver Fern Farms, pushing the boundaries of automation in meat processing,” says Christman.
“The addition of this cutting-edge deboning technology enhances an already world-class facility, setting a new standard for efficiency and precision.”
Silver Fern Farms’ ongoing investment in automation reflects its commitment to innovation and maintaining its position as a leader in sustainable, high-quality meat production in New Zealand.
Cargill, one of the world’s largest food and agriculture companies, is enhancing safety across its North American meat processing operations with multiple deployments of Scott Technology’s BladeStop safety bandsaw.
Recognised as the fastest stopping bandsaw on the market, capable of stopping in less than 10 milliseconds, BladeStop is set to support Cargill’s safety initiatives and reduce the risk of serious injury across its plants.
“Cargill’s trust in our BladeStop technology highlights their commitment to creating safer working environments for their team members.
“Our collaboration reflects a shared dedication to workforce safety and operational excellence, ensuring both employee well-being and enhanced productivity,” adds Christman.
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Tech expert relishes new role
Even after decades in crop protection, Gordon Harris enjoys nothing more than getting out on orchards, vineyards or farms where producers haven’t got quite the results they’ve wanted, and helping solve the situation.
The newly appointed technical services and development manager for Sipcam New Zealand, formerly Grosafe Group, says digging deeper into ‘product performance enquiries’ is hugely satisfying.
It’s one thing to develop a product and bring it to market. Making sure that product succeeds, and continues to succeed, for end users is the true measure of technical achievement, he says.
He’s guided by two phrases from author Steven Covey in this regard – begin with the end in mind, and seek first to understand, then to be understood.
“So often in our industry we are production driven. We have these ideas, but we need to know what they’re going to look like when we actually turn them into a product and we’re persuading farmers to use them.”
Harris is based in Hawke’s Bay for his new role, and is no stranger to New Zealand
crop protection, having first joined the industry as a Massey graduate with ICI in 1985.
Coming from a farming background himself, his sights were always set on a career in agriculture and he’s stayed in primary production technical services and research ever since.
“I have considered re-training once or twice. But this is what I know, and what I enjoy.
“It’s one sector where you can be part of a new development from the very beginning to the end, starting from the initial concept stages, coming up with a plan with your colleagues to make it happen, doing all the work, getting a product registered and then the best part, seeing it succeed in the market.”
Having worked in NZ with several suppliers, including Crop Care, Taranaki Nuchem and its successor organisations, his most recent corporate role was in California’s Central Valley, where he moved in 2019 to help
spearhead market development and expansion for Lonza.
Based in Fresno, ‘which is Hastings on steroids’, he got an insider’s perspective on the huge scale of Californian primary production and processing, and was involved in a series of new initiatives in the United States market before coming back to Hawke’s Bay four years later.
“We weren’t here for Cyclone Gabrielle, but we knew what had happened. Our house in Pakowhai had been under 18 feet of water for a few days, and is zoned Category 3, which means we are not allowed to live there.
“So we had to get that land cleaned up, find a new use for it, and find somewhere else to live!”
The orchard leased to T&G fared better: “They did a tremendous job of removing the silt, fixing it up and carrying on production.”
When the Sipcam NZ role came up as a result of the recent ownership change there was no hesitation about jumping in.
“Part of the reason was that I’d
Famiiar face at Farmlands
worked with David MacGibbon previously, from the Cropcare days through to Taranaki Nuchem. He understands how this industry works, and I wanted to work with him again.”
The other attraction was Sipcam Oxon itself, he says, the privately-owned Italian parent organisation which was founded in 1946 and today operates in more than 20 countries.
“I’m always excited by the chance to match a crop protection business opportunity with the appropriate technology, and I can see a lot of potential for that with Sipcam.
“They have some exciting biologicals in the pipeline, as well as several potential biorationals, which is a category that encompasses things like bio-stimulants, amino acids, fertilisers and trace elements.”
Outside of work, Harris has other technical preoccupations, among them restoring a 1938 Chevrolet pick up truck that spent two day under silty water, and refereering football in the men’s aspirational leagues, making sure their game is safe and enjoyable.
Robert Sharkie has joined Farmlands in the newly created position of general manager of field and technical sales.
“From his days at CRT through to his more recent leadership experience as CEO of Ruralco and general manager of Agritech Animal Nutrition, Rob brings an amazing level of experience to this new role,” Farmlands says.
Sharkie’s keen to make sure his team looks after all the coop’s farmers and growers and
has the technical know-how to do so, it adds.
For his part, Sharkie says he’s very pleased to be back at Farmlands, bringing with him his passion for helping farmers succeed.
“Farmlands is the ultimate farming toolbox, and we’re here to act as our customers’ trusted partner.
“My goal is to help Farmlands grow and develop by engaging with customers to really understand and respond to their needs.
“I also want to give back to the industry, after a great career within it, by encouraging young people to see it as a career option.”
NZ’s future lies with agriculture
Jaime Heywood is happy to admit he was ‘blown away’ by the scale of New Zealand’s seed industry when he joined Barenbrug as finance director 16 years ago.
“It was like a hidden secret. I had no idea!” It didn’t take long to learn the contribution proprietary pasture makes to the country’s most important export earner.
And now, as newly appointed managing director for Barenbrug, he’s taken the reins of an industry leader firmly committed to bettering NZ pastoral production.
“This country is built on the agricultural sector, and that’s where our future still lies.”
With eyes set on a career in finance from as early as primary school, Heywood spent 10 years in the public sector after graduating from Canterbury University with a Master of Commerce.
He was working as a senior accounting analyst in the airline industry when the chance arose to join Barenbrug, and says like many people who don’t come from an agri background, he didn’t realise how rich the sector was in professional opportunities until he was part of it.
Opportunities are one thing, however; organisational culture and mentorship are another, and in his case, both have been instrumental in keeping him in both the ag sector in general, and at Barenbrug in particular.
“I’ve had great mentors here. Murray
Willocks was chief executive when I arrived, and he encouraged me to get involved across the business.
“John Duncan as operations manager also really supported me and helped me learn about the industry. He was really good. So too have been the wider Barenbrug family. I enjoy the culture they bring to the group, and the culture that we have here in NZ as part of that global group.”
The NZ business, originally established in 1987, has long focussed on advancing the productivity and performance of many different pasture species for both dairy and red meat farmers, and Heywood says it will continue to do so as agricultural market, climatic, environmental and social conditions evolve.
“We’re pretty clear on what our mission in NZ is – we’re here to help farmers thrive. That’s the key driver for the whole team, and it’s a real strength for us.
“We have a proud history of bringing top level products to the market, including cultivars like Bronsyn, Tabu, Masxyn, Shogun and Forge which have made a real difference to on-farm performance.”
Aligned with heavy investment in research and development, both globally and locally, is a strong focus on industry good,
and sustainability, he says.
“We’ve been making sure our breeding objectives include sustainable outcomes for a long time, which has led to cultivars like Array, with its nitrogen use efficiency gains.
“But just as important is how farmers use our products and systems to help meet primary sector regulations, which have changed tremendously since I started.
“Bringing products to market that help keep farmers profitable and productive as conditions continue to change in the future is the heart of our business.”
From a greater industry perspective, it’s also vital that NZ dairying in particular is recognised for being fuelled by pastoral systems that are among the lowest greenhouse gas emissions farming systems in the world, he says.
“The beauty of pasture compared to bought in feed is that you graze it, it regrows and you can graze it again. That’s our huge advantage as an industry; we need to protect it, and sell that story.”
Heywood took over the managing director role from Michael Hales, who moved to Barenbrug UK late last year, and heads a new senior leadership team which includes Courtney Inch, Jake Gardner, Jill Lu, Linda Redmond, Richard Merrilees and Jo Brady.
Jaime Heywood, third from the right, with the new senior leadership team Courtney Inch, Jill Lu, Linda Redmond, Richard Merrilees, Jo Brady and Jake Gardner.
Wairarapa leader tackles water advocacy
Irrigation New Zealand chair Keri Johnston says she’s pleased to announce the appointment of Karen Williams to CEO, effective 24 February.
“Karen brings a wealth of experience into the role, including a background in resource management, agriculture and farming, notable awards for her achievements and wide recognition for her leadership skills.”
Williams comes to the executive role after two and a half years as national client propositions manager at rural insurer FMG. She’s excited about the new challenge and sees the move as a natural progression to her career.
“Having held other executive and board roles, this is an opportunity for me to combine my skills and experience, while also allowing me to help advocate for a sector I’m passionate about. There are synergies with the work I’ve been doing at FMG too – we’re both about getting better outcomes for farmers, growers and rural
communities and that includes wider water users too.”
In addition to her executive experience, Williams runs her own irrigated farm with husband Mick, comprising 560 ha in mixed crop, beef and lamb finishing.
Her general love for what she does has seen her make strong connections across both the farming sector and political spectrum.
Keri Johnston says her appointment to CEO comes at an interesting time.
“It’s a critical time for NZ in terms of how we safeguard our water for different uses, so getting Karen at the helm now is timely for advocating the best direction for irrigation in NZ.”
Williams is a former national vice president and national board member of Federated Farmers; chaired the national Arable Industry Group; and helped guide the Ministry for Primary Industries response to the Wairarapa pea weevil incursion in 2016, which resulted in eradication.
She has also worked in policy planning with Greater Wellington Regional Council and Hutt City Council.
Williams replaces Vanessa Winning, who spent four years as chief executive of Irrigation NZ before joining MPI as director of export growth late last year.
Passion for hort wins support
Ben Penno has received the 2024 Fruitfed Supplies Horticultural Scholarship.
Originally from Lower Hutt, his interest in horticulture started with visits to his grandparents’ mixed cropping farm and he’s always enjoyed growing vegetables at home.
He’s taught himself various propagation techniques and pursued his passion for growing things by attending Massey University to study horticulture.
Now coming towards the end of his three-year degree, Penno’s passion for horticulture has increased with the variety of topics studied.
“The academic study has helped me develop a more holistic view of horticulture and this year I have particularly enjoyed papers on trees on farms and plant diversity.”
During university summer breaks, Penno has worked for the PGG Wrightson Seeds plant breeding facility and a north Canterbury sheep and beef farm where apples, pears, cherries and hops are also grown.
Hops, as a crop, are of special interest.
“Being a long-lived, herbaceous perennial harvested for its cones, they’re unique within horticulture. Plus New Zealand hop growers have created speciality varieties that only grow here. The future of hops in NZ is interesting and I’d like to be part of it in some way.”
Being this year’s scholarship recipient is a welcome boost during Penno’s final year of intense study.
“It helps my finances so I’m not under pressure to work when I could be prioritising study instead.
“I’ve also enjoyed meeting people through the scholarship, and it’s opened my eyes to career opportunities that are available at PGG Wrightson and Fruitfed Supplies.”
The Fruitfed Supplies Horticultural Scholarship is worth $5000, awarded to one Massey University student each year and promotes excellence in horticulture by supporting future leaders in the industry. It’s been awarded annually since 2020, and applications open again this month.
Karen Williams.
Ben Penno.
Decades of experience, deep passion for farming
Warren Tanner has joined SealesWinslow as the company’s new technical sales representative for Franklin and North West Waikato.
He brings to the role over 30 years of experience in the agriculture industry, and a deep passion for farming.
Webber’s technical sales career kicked off in the mid-90s, selling silage wrap for Integrated Packaging.
In 2003, he moved to Waikato to work for Dow AgroSciences (now Corteva Agriscience), managing the Waikato/King Country territory and looking after the RD1 account.
He later worked nationwide in a key account role at Tru-Test (now Datamars).
In 2011, he started importing whey-based milk replacers into New Zealand.
For a decade, he worked directly with farmers, advising them on how to grow strong, high-performing animals and loved the direct interaction.
More recently, he worked with Spring Sheep
Milk as milk supply manager, involved in farm operations and management.
Growing up on a dairy farm in South Kaipara gave Webber a strong connection to farming.
He’s worked with cows, sheep, and dairy goats, and he’s all about helping farmers boost their animals’ health and productivity.
“I love seeing farmers succeed by raising animals that produce more over their lifetime or grow more meat,” he says.
He sees potential for farmers to make better decisions using data, especially when it comes to nutrition and animal health.
He’s also excited about the potential for nutrition to help farmers address environmental challenges.
Webber was drawn to SealesWinslow because of his past work with AgriVantage, where he helped farmers in the early stages of animal nutrition – the milk feeding
and weaning phases. Lactating ruminant nutrition and connecting the dots between a well grown young ruminant and the lifetime potential of that animal was the next step.
“I’m looking forward to helping farmers maximise their production and make their businesses more sustainable,” he explains.
He enjoys working closely with farmers, appreciating their hard work and honesty.
“Farmers are down-to-earth and can spot nonsense from a mile away, so being genuine and straightforward is a must.”
He’s keen to learn more about Ruminix³ , SealesWinslow’s digital tool designed to support farmers in achieving their goals.
Outside of work, he stays active with cycling and has been practicing Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu for 15 years.
Buildings, sheds and food storage areas can attract large numbers of rodents, so ongoing effort is required to reduce trap or bait shyness. Our toolbox will guide you through how to manage pests across your buildings and storage areas.
Warren Tanner.
Trade key focus for new seed leader
Seed and Grain New Zealand and the NZ Plant Breeding and Research Association have appointed a joint chief executive, Sarah Clark.
She joins the seed industry from her role at the Ministry for Primary Industries where she has headed up responsibilities within both plant imports and exports over her 14-year tenure.
“Through my previous experience interacting with the seed and grain industry I have developed an understanding and passion for the sector.
“Seed and Grain NZ is a stand-out organisation for the professional way it represents its industry, and the collaborative way it interacts with regulators and associated industry bodies to solve problems and get better outcomes for members.”
Clark, originally from a South Island farming background, says she welcomes the opportunity to represent a primary industry organisation at a time when responding to the regulatory environment requires a strong understanding of the process and policy to gain the best outcomes for the continued trade of seed.
Seed and Grain NZ chair Charlotte Connoley says the industry group is confident the appointment will bring a fresh perspective to their strategy while providing the necessary understanding and experience to support the seed office team on matters related to the import,
export and trade of seed.
“Sarah is well-known as a key contact for the seed and grain industry within her current role with MPI.
“Her experience in plant exports, imports and biosecurity, plus her commercial understanding will be critical for the industry as we face a heavy program of regulatory review now and into the future.
“The government is planning to change NZ’s gene technology regulations and so the industry will need to discuss potential impacts of this change.
“With a PhD in biochemistry, Sarah’s knowledge of gene technologies and ability to represent the potentially differing viewpoints of our membership to achieve co-existence, is another key strength of this appointment.”
Clark says she’s excited about her new responsibilities.
“An immediate priority for me is to learn the role the organisation has in the wider seed and grain industry, and to identify collaboration opportunities with the other organisations that support the seed sector.”
NZPBRA chair John Caradus says the association welcomes the appointment of a respected leader to support companies representing NZ’s leading forage and cereal breeders and endophyte developers.
North Island expansion
Clark says her strengths include a natural drive to get things done in collaboration with others and providing considered and level-headed advice.
She looks forward to applying these strengths to the role and providing forward-looking leadership and advocacy of both organisations.
“Ensuring the associations continue as fit for purpose is a key objective, so we can seize opportunities, effectively deal with challenges, and provide a strong value proposition to members.”
She enjoys working on projects that are trade enabling and is looking forward to the opportunity to continue the great work in raising the seed and grain industries’ profile both domestically and in key export markets.
Clark’s appointment follows Thomas Chin’s retirement after 12 years.
Emma Chrystall has joined Catalyst Performance Agronomy as sales agronomist for Ruapehu, Rangitikei, Manawatu & Hawkes Bay.
Based in Taihape, Chrystall brings a wealth of experience to the role, with a Bachelor of Agricultural Science (First Class Honours) from Lincoln University and five years of experience as a technical field officer with Farmlands Hawke’s Bay. Her specialisations include summer cropping, autumn re-grassing, and a range of crops like maize, fodder beet, brassicas, and cereals.
“With a strong practical farming background, a passion for agriculture, and a focus on delivering tailored agronomy solutions, Emma is committed to helping farmers boost productivity and profitability. We’re excited to see the positive impact she will bring,” the company says.
Outside of work, Chrystall enjoys sports, cooking, water skiing, and spending
time with family and friends in her downtime.
Her appointment brings the total number of Catalyst’s regional field staff throughout New Zealand to 30, and reflects growing farmer demand for the team’s innovative, tailored solutions and paddock by paddock advice.
Emma Chrystall can be reached at 027 567 0998 or emmac@catalystag.co.nz.
Sarah Clark.
Farming, The Biggest Job On Ear th
All over the country more and more growers and agronomists are turning to the trusted performers and the ever-growing range of crop protection and production solutions from BASF
