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Hi everyone.
Welcome back to this latest issue. If your farmers and growers have been hanging out for rain, hopefully they’ve had some by now (but not too much).
There’s been a lot of noise in the media in recent weeks about tariffs and trade, much of it highly speculative and unhelpful. One thing far closer to home that hasn’t received much attention however is the court action Ngai Tahu has taken against the Crown over South Island fresh water. The High Court hearing in front of Justice Melanie Harland lasted eight weeks, and closed shortly before this issue of Agribusiness went to print.
Harlands’s decision is not expected for months, but as Federated Farmers vice president Colin Hurst told the court, could have implications for the whole country. Ngai Tahu wants to co-manage all fresh water in its territory, citing worsening water quality and failure of Government oversight under the Resource Management Act. It argues before 1840, it controlled all fresh
water in the South Island, and did not sign this away under the Treaty of Waitangi.
Observers say those potentially affected by the case include farmers, irrigation schemes, electricity generators, and anyone else who uses fresh water in the South Island.
In other words, watch this space.
For those of you whose farmers will soon be welcoming a new generation of future milking stars, we have our annual special feature on calving in this issue, including a great case study from Taranaki about reducing the number of calves killed as bobbies, and all you need to know about new monitoring technology for young stock. If any of your clients use blended fertiliser, take a look at the story on page 14, which raises some important questions about efficacy and results.
Growing to support your future growth
Long acting parasite control for pre lamb ewes is now a matter of weighing up many different factors; you’ll find a full breakdown on page 26.
In other stories, a senior scientist discusses the challenges and opportunities presented by potential withdrawal of certain ag chemical actives (looking at you, chlorpyrifos), and one of the country’s bigger meat companies reveals how it’s helping keep people safe on farm, and more importantly, in stock yards.
We’ll be back in July; meantime, enjoy this issue and stay warm!
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Deadline nears for farm plastic waste submissions
Rural New Zealanders have until 1 June to have their say on the future of farm plastic waste management.
The government has two options on the table for consultation – regulation, or continuation of voluntary schemes.
Included in its definition of farm plastic waste are plastic bale wrap; silage sheet; small plastic bags like those used for seed, feed, and supplements; bulk woven polypropylene bags used for inputs such as fertiliser, minerals and feed; and ag chemicals sold in plastic containers and drums of 1000 litres or less.
Regulation would bring existing Agrecovery and Plasback programmes into a single national recycling system for all users of regulated farm plastics, says Environment Minister Penny Simmonds. It would prohibit sale of ag chemicals in specified container types and certain farm plastics, except in accordance with the new accredited scheme.
All producers and importers placing inscope products on the New Zealand market would be required to pay a stewardship fee to cover end-of-life management of the products.
The proposed fees are typically around one per cent or less of the full product price, according to the Ministry for the Environment.
It says proposed regulations aim to address shortcomings of the current voluntary schemes by establishing a
level playing field, in which all producers and importers of priority products share responsibility (and costs) for managing inscope products at the end of their life.
Regulations would also offer farmers and other consumers across the country a freeto-use and convenient take-back service – reducing the incentive for inappropriate disposal like burying or burning, and diverting waste away from landfill.
And a regulated national recycling scheme would enable government enforcement.
“Key industry stakeholders back the scheme. Rural communities want a simple, effective system, and we welcome feedback to refine the proposed regulations,” Simmonds says.
Agrecovery board chair and farmer, Anders Crofoot, says it’s encouraging to see progress toward a system that works for the people on the ground.
“It’s great to see us moving closer to a regulated scheme that’s simple, free, and accessible for farmers to use,” he says.
“We know the demand is there—this is about making sure every farmer has access to a service that makes doing the right thing the easy thing.”
If regulation does not go ahead, producers’ and importers’ participation in existing stewardship schemes would remain voluntary and is unlikely to
increase beyond current levels, the Ministry for the Environment says.
“Without the fee revenues from increased producer participation and the efficiencies of scale from a national scheme, takeback and recycling services are unlikely to expand significantly.
“If regulations are not made, the new scheme could either start operating on a voluntary basis, or not proceed.
“The latter outcome is more likely, as it was co-designed by industry as a regulated scheme, in line with the broad intent of the priority product declaration.
“If the new scheme does not proceed, Agrecovery and Plasback may continue their voluntary schemes. However, this is not guaranteed.”
Currently, not all farmers have access to take-back and recycling services for agrichemicals, their containers, and farm plastics.
Regional council rules to control on-farm waste disposal – including bans on burning plastics – vary between regions.
Since 2006, Agrecovery and Plasback have made steady progress in reducing waste, but engagement by producers and farmers has plateaued, and some parts of the country remain poorly served, the Ministry says.
The proposed national scheme, provisionally named Green-farms, was accredited in October 2023, and is the work of ag sector groups building on the two voluntary schemes.
Green-farms is not operating yet, pending government decisions on supporting regulation, but is managed by the Agrecovery Foundation.
Wool win could really shift the dial
News that dozens of government agencies will be required to use woollen fibre products when building or renovating is a big deal for Kiwis and ‘a massive relief,’ says Campaign for Wool New Zealand general manager Kara Biggs.
“We are ecstatic about this government policy. It’s this type of work that could really shift the dial for the entire NZ wool industry.”
From July 1, new procurement requirements will see construction of
government-owned buildings that cost $9 million and more, and refurbishments of $100,000 and more, using woollen fibre.
“These are big projects, big budgets, and lots of homegrown NZ wool being used instead of harmful, toxic, micro-plastic emitting synthetics,” Biggs says
The strong wool advocacy not-for-profit has been vocal about – and instrumental in overturning – government agency decisions that had previously excluded wool carpets from being considered for public buildings such as K ā inga Ora housing.
“For many years now, our strong wool growers have been pleading for the government to choose quality woollen products when building and renovating state buildings.
“They know as well as we do that the benefits of wool are far-reaching and longlasting – it’s natural, durable, moisturewicking, flame-resistant, hypoallergenic and temperature-regulating. And these are attributes that will outlast the people living and working in these buildings today and tomorrow.”
New leader brings invaluable experience
Dr Scott Champion has been appointed as the new chief executive of the Foundation for Arable Research, effective 1 July.
FAR board chair Steven Bierema says his skills are well matched to the developing needs of New Zealand’s arable industry and its growers.
“Scott has been involved with the NZ and Australian food and fibre industries for 25 years, holding leadership and governance roles in research, tertiary education, marketing and industry good and has strong networks across agribusiness, government and other sectors.
“He is a founding partner of consulting company Primary Purpose, the programme director of the Kellogg Rural Leadership Programme and a former chief executive
of Beef + Lamb NZ and of the New Zealand Meat Board. All of this experience will be invaluable to FAR and our levy payers.”
Champion says he is looking forward to supporting arable farmers as they work through the numerous challenges and opportunities facing their industry.
“Growers are dealing with a lot; understanding everything from how to reduce environmental impacts to meeting customer and consumer needs, and of course, remaining profitable. I’ve been involved in developing strategies and programmes to address some of these issues in both arable and other food and
Mandating wool for use in government buildings, where appropriate, also gives NZ strong wool growers confidence that their industry is supported at the highest level.
“Our farmers are reassured and relieved, and excited to see the beginnings of a shift taking place – one where wool is no longer a struggling by-product but positioned to take its place as a pillar of our economy.”
She’s also heartened that many NZ businesses are already installing NZ wool products in their office spaces.
“I think this high-level decision provides an important opportunity for more Kiwi organisations to pick up the baton and create their own internal policies to ensure consideration of wool products when building and renovating their own public or commercial spaces.
“This decision has the potential to positively influence other countries, and other governments, to listen, learn and follow. It’s fantastic to see we have a government willing to stand behind such a solid policy and support an important industry.”
fibre industries, and look forward to working with and supporting growers and the broader arable industry.”
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this month we look at...
CALVING
Smart sensor tech no longer just for cows
Monitoring dairy herd replacements from birth has just got easier with the launch of SenseHub Youngstock.
MSD Animal Health says.
Youngstock is the latest extension from SenseHub Dairy, the company’s marketleading technology used by hundreds of Kiwi dairy farmers to monitor cow health and mating management.
Youngstock was launched in 2023 and is already operating on dairy farms in 29 countries outside NZ where calves are typically reared in individual calf enclosures.
Following development of the software over the past year in NZ and testing it on four large dairy farms last spring, Youngstock is now ready for use on Kiwi dairy farms where calves are mostly reared in larger groups.
It will also be launched in Ireland this year where calves are reared and farmed in conditions similar to NZ.
Dairy farms using Youngstock will fit their heifer replacement
calves with an ear tag with the same data monitoring capabilities as a SenseHub Dairy cow collar.
The tag constantly collects data on the movement, suckling time and rumination of each calf through the rearing phase and after weaning.
Changes in behaviour outside each calf’s base-line data triggers an alert to a computer and mobile phone application, and to an LED light in each calf’s tag which flashes at specific times to indicate the calf needs attention.
SenseHub Dairy national commercial manager Austin
Heffernan says the NZ trial farmers confirmed Youngstock is accurate for detecting calves that are ‘having a bad day’, so calf rearing staff can intervene quickly to investigate.
He expects the new Youngstock application to
appeal to existing SenseHub Dairy users, particularly those operating larger scale dairy herds where two or more rotations of calves are reared through the same facilities.
“Typically, rearing on those larger operations is done by short term workers who are handling large numbers of calves and they sometimes struggle to pinpoint calves that are having a bad day.”
Heffernan says dairy farmers and staff understandably focus a lot of attention on their milking herd.
“What Youngstock helps them do is to put quality time into making sure all their replacement calves are performing as they should by reducing the time spent identifying calves that need attention and doing it early so the recovery time is usually quicker,” he says.
MSD Animal Health veterinarian Penny Mehrtens says when calves are compromised during the rearing phase, the knockon effect on lifetime milk production, mating success and retention in the herd can be massive.
“There is lots of peerreviewed trial work, including by Congleton in 1988, that confirms heifer calves that are lighter at their first mating calve later at lighter weights, and produce less milk in their first
lactation,” she says. She expects the uptake of Youngstock will lead to a shift in the priority dairy farmers give their replacement heifer calves, when they see the extra lifetime value which can be created by dealing with unwell calves quickly through the rearing and postweaning phases.
The Youngstock application is available on a monthly subscription and operates on the same SenseHub Dairy platform used for managing cow data, so existing users can use their same login details. It is also available as a standalone calf-only option.
Heffernan says the development of wearables like SenseHub Dairy collars highlights the depth of information available on cows and the value it delivers to dairy farms from extra milk production and less stress on owners and staff.
“We often hear dairy farm owners talking about how our SenseHub Dairy technology is essential for boosting the capability of younger or less experienced staff, particularly on our larger farms,” he says.
“Youngstock now provides the same piece of mind for owners during the calf rearing stage and later, when staff are managing replacement heifers through to their first calving.”
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The nuts and bolts of adding value to non-replacement calves
Strategic use of sexed cross-bred semen and beef semen, as well as low birthweight Hereford bulls, helped Dairy Trust Taranaki drop the number of bobby calves on one of its farms from 20 per cent to just five per cent last season.
Now it’s refining the system to continue reducing the number of replacement calves born to low BW cows, and increasing the value of non-replacement calves.
The Trust has joined Beef and Lamb New Zealand’s Dairy Beef Progeny Testing (DBPT) program, which aims to identify beef sires that benefit both dairy and beef producers; has incorporated semen from DBPT sires into this season’s mating, and has also adjusted its sexed semen policy to get the best possible value out of these genetics.
Dairy Trust Taranaki general manager Diego Gomez says cutting bobby numbers so significantly in 2023/24 was a great achievement, and his team is keen to keep making gains in this direction.
Mags Bremer, head of science at Dairy Trust Taranaki, says the bobby calf situation in NZ is unique with a high dairy to beef ratio and a cross-sector approach is needed to develop new systems and products to rear the extra calves.
The bobby calf work has been done on the Trust’s Kavanagh farm, the largest of its four research properties, which is NZ’s Net Zero Pilot Farm, and run in collaboration with Nestle and Fonterra.
“At DTT Kavanagh this season we calved 538 Friesian/Friesian-cross cows with a stocking rate of 2.6 cows/ha,” Bremer explains.
“The cows were in-calf to either a crossbred replacement calf (from sexed semen) or a beef breed non-replacement calf.” Kavanagh heifers were in-calf to cross-bred calves (conventional, non-sexed semen) or Hereford calves from natural mating.
Twenty per cent of calves born in spring 2024 were reared for replacement; 69 per cent were sold, and five per cent left the system as bobbies.
The majority of replacement calves came from mixed aged cows from sexed semen and only a small number from the heifers. Of the calves sold. 9.5% were sired by a Hereford, and the rest by a Charolais. They went to a large-scale calf rearing business
when they were five to 10 days old.
Of the five per cent of calves that were bobbied, most were Hereford bull calves from the R2 heifers that the Trust was not able to sell, with the rest being cross-bred bull calves also from the R2s.
Bremer says this result came from two strategies.
The first was using cross-bred sexed semen on the top 50 per cent BW cows, while the bottom BW cows received beef semen, mostly Charolais with some Hereford also used.
“This helps us get better replacement calves, thereby increasing the genetic merit of the herd while also significantly reducing the number of low-value, cross-bred bull calves.”
The second strategy saw R2 heifers synchronised, and inseminated with conventional, non-sexed cross-bred semen.
Low birthweight Hereford bulls joined the heifers a week after insemination to service any heifer that did not conceive.
“This allowed for breeding replacement calves from the R2 heifers to speed up the genetic gain of the herd as this usually is the group with the highest genetic merit.
“This strategy also reduces the number of bobby calves as R2 heifers are mainly mated to jersey bulls resulting in low value calves.”
For mating in spring 2024, the DTT Kavanagh team reduced the number of sexed semen straws used per day, but increased the period of use by one week, from three weeks to four weeks.
“When using sexed semen, you are required to use a set number of sexed semen straws every day.
“This means on days when there are not enough top BW cows on heat those straws are used on lower BW cows to not waste them - they are expensive!”
Using fewer straws per day, for more days, cut the amount of sexed semen used on lower genetic merit cows.
Instead of generic Charolais and Hereford sires, the bottom 50 per cent BW cows at Kavanagh were mated in 2024 to sires of several different beef breeds selected by the Dairy Beef Progeny Testing programme. These have been picked for short gestation, low birthweight and the ability to produce progeny that finish well with high value carcass characteristics.
Rumen development key to weight gain
Words: Donaghys
The goal of calf rearing is to produce a healthy calf that can grow at the required rate solely on a diet of grass as soon as possible.
Grass is cheaper than milk or meal and having a calf that can be weaned sooner reduces labour inputs, all making the rearing process less time consuming and more cost effective.
Weaning calves sooner is all about developing the calf’s rumen.
The rumen is an out pouching of the oesophagus that develops over time.
Calves are born with a small rumen which must increase in size up to 20 fold before that calf can be weaned.
ProCalf from Donaghys is a product than can help calves develop their rumens quicker.
ProCalf contains a blend of yeast, bacterial extracts, enzymes and AgResearchlicenced live microbes, all vital parts of a developing healthy rumen.
ProCalf also contains rennet which improves digestion and reduces the chances of calves developing nutritional scours.
In a trial, treated calves were 6.7 kg heavier than untreated controls at six weeks after the start of the study.
The most telling statistic for ProCalf was that at this time 80 per cent of the treated calves were able to be weaned compared to only 27 per cent of the untreated controls.
Being able to wean calves earlier significantly improves the cost effectiveness of the calf rearing process by reducing
milk, meal and labour inputs.
In another study completed by AgResearch, calf intakes were shown to be increased by 6.3 per cent in calves treated with ProCalf.
Increased intakes mean more meal eaten and this in turn means that calves are able to be weaned sooner.
ProCalf is an easy-to-use product mixed with milk.
Calves are given 5 mL as an initial dose on arrival at the calf rearers or their first whole milk (not colostrum) feed, and are then given 2 mL per head per day till weaning.
If calves are noticed to be unthrifty or are suffering from
dietary scours they can be given ProCalf as a supportive treatment at a rate of 5-10 mL per head per day.
ProCalf is available in one, 10 and 20 litre pack sizes as well as a convenient five litre backpack.
Although rearing calves is a complex and intensive process, we should remember what the end goals are - a healthy weaned calf, growing at the required growth rate on a solely grass diet.
ProCalf is a product that can help your customers improve the efficiency of their calf rearing system this spring.
Previous work by the DBPT has shown that the individual sire potential has significantly more impact on the performance of the calf than just the breed of the sire or the dam, with significant variance between the birth weight of a calf and its 600 day weight.
In terms of economics, Bremer says sexed semen is about 55 per cent more expensive than non-sexed.
“However a big part of the extra cost is offset by using fewer straws than what we would require if we were only using non-sexed (only 50:50
chance of getting a replacement heifer from non-sexed semen).
Beef semen currently is about 20 per cent cheaper than non-sexed dairy replacement semen.
“DBPT proven semen is not yet commercially available but we would expect it to have a
premium over ordinary beef semen.
“However, over time, as the rearer and finisher will gain confidence in the quality and performance of the stock, progeny from DBPT bulls should achieve higher sale prices.”
Innovative, farmer-friendly design takes the strain out of rearing
As the calving season approaches, the risk of injuries for dairy farmers increases so Gallagher collaborated with industry partners and farmers to tackle the issue head-on.
DairyNZ’s three-year Reducing Sprains and Strains project, with industry partners including Gallagher, resulted in the Gallagher Easy-Access Calf Pen Gate, designed to reduce strains and sprains for farmers during calving season.
The three-year project was an initiative to understand the common causes of injuries on dairy farms and develop practical solutions for farmers.
The project was funded by ACC’s Workplace Injury Prevention Grants programme, with co-investment from DairyNZ.
The physical nature of farming means that even when health and safety are prioritised, preventable sprains and strains still happen.
In 2022 and 2023, about 1500 claims, totalling $5-6 million, were lodged with ACC each year. Most injuries were to the back, often from calf-related activities, including lifting heavy objects like calves, buckets, or bags of meal.
Darrell Jones, Gallagher general manager New Zealand and Chile, says the company’s new Easy-Access Calf Pen
Gate was one resulting innovation from the project.
“At Gallagher, we’re committed to working with industry partners and our farmers to innovate and bring them products that make farming smarter - from data-driven insights to new products like the Calf Pen Gate that support our farmers’ safety and well-being,” says Jones.
The Easy-Access Calf Pen Gate was developed involving farm owners, employees, health and safety experts, and engineers.
Critical to the gate’s success was the refining and testing of prototypes based on farmer feedback ensuring the gates were not only effective but also met the specific needs of different farm types across NZ.
“Like all Gallagher products, we tested the gates rigorously with farmers to make sure we are delivering solutions that work in their businesses and products they need on the ground,” says Jones.
“Trial farmers liked the hands-free aspect of the gate which allows them to push through the gate rather than unlatching it while handling calves or buckets and feed.
“It also removed the need to lift heavy buckets or feed over the gate.
“They said the gates made moving calves easier, significantly lowering the level of exertion needed to do their job, which is key in preventing strains and sprains.”
Sprain and strain injuries, especially during spring calving, account for around 40 per cent of dairy farm injuries.
The new gate is now in production as a direct result of Gallagher collaborating on the DairyNZ’s project.
“At Gallagher, innovation is our DNA and we believe the solutions to many of the challenges our farmers face can be met by industry working alongside farmers to develop the solutions they need,” says Jones.
“The Calf Pen Gate is also part of Gallagher’s commitment to farmer safety and wellbeing. We’re committed to bringing products to market that make a real difference for farmers.”
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AI makes pasture management easier, more profitable
A new service from agtech innovator Aimer Farming could help farmers boost profits by up to $400 per ha through better pasture management, the company says.
Aimer Vision applies AI-driven machine vision techniques to assess pasture cover with around 90 per cent accuracy via a fivesecond, 180-degree scan using a standard smartphone which can be done as part of day to day farm tasks.
“Traditional pasture measurement methods are often labour-intensive, inconsistent and take hours of time to walk the farm on a weekly basis,” says Jeremy Bryant, founder and chief technology officer of Aimer Farming.
By contrast, Aimer Vison delivers instant insights using a smartphone, allowing farmers to optimise grazing, reduce waste, and improve profitability, all without increasing labour costs.
“Our industry estimates suggest that regular and accurate pasture measurement using Aimer Vision could boost farm profits by up to $400 per hectare - potentially adding $60,000 to $80,000 in annual revenue for an average-sized dairy farm.
Up to now, a beta version of the tool has only been available to select farms as part of a project funded by an Agmardt Agribusiness Innovation Grant.
Now, having recorded 15,000 video scans across all four grazing seasons to improve accuracy, wider launch will significantly shift the way New Zealand’s $20 billion dairy sector operates, Bryant says.
Data gathering across a full year of seasons is also underway across Ireland to enable Aimer to launch in Europe.
Farmers are offered a free trial on Aimer’s website, for 50 scans or 21 days.
Two paid subscription options are available, both scaled according to farm size.
For 150 ha, the cheaper of the two is priced at $121 per month, while the more expensive service is $170 per month.
Bryant says AI is revolutionising many industries and his team believes farming should be one of them.
“Applied AI can help dairy farmers drive huge improvements in pasture measurement, management automation, profit and sustainability.
“We’ve been talking about Aimer Vision for a while now, and it’s exciting to have refined the product to a point where it’s ready for wide launch and a potential
game-changer for users,” he says.
First launched in 2022 as a digital coach for dairy farmers, Aimer is used on over 170 farms in NZ and Australia, and is included in distribution partnerships with the likes of Fonterra Farm Source.
It now pairs a huge database of on-farm pasture growth data with unique AI algorithms, leading to the official launch of Aimer Vision to NZ farmers.
Phil Townend, chief commercial officer, believes the potential of the new service extends well beyond the farm gate.
“Aimer is building the world’s largest pasture productivity database, which could help global food corporations measure sustainability from farm to product, and input suppliers understand the efficacy of their products. The value of this data, alongside the productivity gains, is significant.”
NZ’s dairy sector is a key driver of the economy, but rising costs, labour shortages, and stricter environmental expectations mean farmers must find smarter ways to operate, he says.
“AI-driven solutions offer a way to boost efficiency without increasing workforce pressure, helping farms remain competitive in a changing global market.”
Jeremy Bryant says pasture management is a complex puzzle, demanding constant calculations, predictions and communication.
By building a ‘digital twin’ of each paddock on every farm, Aimer learns growth rate patterns, predicts pasture performance and offers tailored recommendations, from supplement levels to grazing plans.
By working to deliver more precise pasture data to Aimer’s underlying models, Aimer Vision can help optimise grazing patterns and feed management, directly contributing to increased farm productivity. This makes it a powerful way to make sure farmers save even more time by making inputs easy and instant, Bryant says.
No specialised skills are required to use the app, which helps with labour management.
And it can allow farmers to forecast pasture growth up to 21 days in advance, improving planning and resource allocation.
Weighing his heifer replacements regularly is as much a labour of love as it has been a valuable eye opener for Ashburton dairy farmer Andrew Whyte.
He and partner Leigh run a 980-cow dairy unit, and rear 220-250 heifer replacements each year.
It is a task they’ve shared from day one with their contract milkers.
“We make a point of spending considerable time rearing them as calves and doing everything we can to give them the best possible start,” says Whyte.
“Getting heifer replacement weights right is a costly and critical part of ensuring their future in the herd.
“Last year it cost us $450 a head including AI to get our animals to 100 kg.
“By the time they are in the herd, that cost is $1800 a head. That’s a significant investment. It’s too much work and money for us to lose if we can’t keep them in the milking herd.”
The job of monitoring heifer weight gains, both on-farm and at the graziers, has recently been made significantly simpler on the Whyte’s farm.
Monitoring animal performance is now much easier, thanks to a new partnership between Gallagher and LIC which is making year-round decision-making more targeted and end-ofseason reporting easier for dairy farmers.
They have launched a new data integration which automatically transfers farmers’ live animal weighing data from Gallagher Animal Performance software directly into MINDA, eliminating manual entry and saving farmers’ time.
MINDA is LIC’s cloud-based herd management system.
The two systems working together have helped Whyte make further progress in his steady journey to better understand the value of recording heifer liveweights and using insights from the data to grow better replacements.
He has long appreciated that assessing body condition by eye does not suffice and has been focused on monitoring heifer weight and growth data for almost a decade.
“Coming to the farm in 2015, we thought we were doing a good job with the heifers,” he says.
“We realised we could be doing a lot better. Their longevity in the herd was a struggle.”
So, at that time he started doing some research on the impact of body weight on heifer lifespan and started weighing them.
A 2020 study by LIC, Lincoln and Massey Universities on the lifespan of 190,000 New Zealand dairy heifers reinforces his approach. ¹
Studying heifer body weight and ‘stayability’ in the herd, the study found a strong positive relationship between pre-mating body weight and longevity in the herd.
Heifers that were heavier at six, 12 and 15 months of age were more likely to remain in the herd for first, second and third calvings, and more likely to calve early for their first calving.
Whyte had also learned that every percentage gain toward the 22-month liveweight target represented an additional two
kg of milksolids in the animal’s first year of production.2
But his early efforts to log heifer weights required him to enter individual weights from the scales into a laptop Excel spreadsheet.
“Logging weights was a pretty manual process. Plus, getting the most out of the data required a bit of Excel knowledge to manage it successfully.”
Today he says the Gallagher Animal Performance integration with MINDA is a ‘game changer’, ensuring seamless data transfer which is now much quicker to access.
“Syncing your Gallagher device yard side enables those weights to flow into the MINDA system and gives you confidence the job is completed.
“This enables you and your grazier to have a proactive conversation there and then about how the animals are doing and what actions may be required.
“It is far better to have that conversation quickly, rather than waiting until you are back home, have entered the data, and then get around to calling to talk about things –sometimes several days later.”
With the systems connected, Whyte can see how closely actual animal performance is tracking to targets.
“You can see how your animals are performing and make any necessary changes before it is too late, which is difficult to do if you don’t have
the data right there in front of you.”
Changes Whyte can make for the young stock he runs at home may include drafting out a sub-group of poorer performers, removing the herd pressure on them, and giving them their own grazing area to help support their weight gain.
He believes the streamlined integration of MINDA with Gallagher Animal Performance software will encourage more farmers to weigh their young stock.
“Gallagher and LIC’s partnership and the work they have done together over the last 18 months will make farmers’ lives a lot easier when it comes to recording and managing data.”
Whyte has found he now enjoys a more positive feedback loop with some of the best graziers he deals with because he can show them how well the animals are performing.
“It is quite something to be able to say to them ‘these are the best heifers I have ever seen’, and have the weight data to support that.”
¹ Journal of Dairy Science, May 2020 – “Body weight of dairy heifers is positively associated with reproduction and stayability.”
2 Statistic shared by LIC animal performance manager Steve Forsman in 18 March 2024
Mandated recycling ushers in a new era for ag plastics
The Ministry for the Environment’s announcement of a regulated product stewardship scheme for agricultural plastics marks a defining moment for sustainability in New Zealand’s rural sector.
At Plasback, we welcome this change—it formalises what we’ve been working toward for years: a nationwide, standardised system for collecting and recycling farm plastics.
Under the new scheme, Plasback will partner with Agrecovery to offer NZ’s most comprehensive collection and recycling program for agri-plastics.
Together, we’re expanding our reach and capacity to manage everything from bale wrap and silage sheeting to drums, chemical containers and WPP bags.
While this marks an exciting milestone, it also signals significant changes for how recycling will be funded and managed at the farm gate.
As this scheme comes into effect, the responsibility for recycling costs will shift to manufacturers, importers and ultimately through product pricing, the farm gate.
This means farmers will play a key role not only in how plastics are collected, but in ensuring the material is clean, sorted, and contamination-free.
For Plasback, the increase in recyclable material is both a challenge and an opportunity.
We are gearing up to handle significantly more plastic volume— but we can only do this efficiently with farmer support.
Clean plastics are critical.
Contamination—such as soil, silage, wire, and other nonrecyclable materials—compromises the recycling process, increases costs, and in some cases, renders loads unrecyclable.
As the system grows, so does the importance of
STEP 1 ORDER YOUR PLASBACK BIN AND LINER
STEP 3 BULK WPP BAGS SECURE AND PREPARE FOR COLLECTION –STUFF BULK BAGS IN THE BAG, TIED AT THE TOP
STEP 2 SORT AND STORE YOUR PLASTIC CORRECTLY
STEP 5 YOUR PLASTIC GETS RECYCLED
STEP 4 BOOK A COLLECTION
Robotic technology put to the test on kiwifruit
A powerful, lightweight electric tractor designed by a New Zealand agtech start up may help kiwifruit growers reduce orchard emissions, a recent Zespri trial has found.
The exporter tested GOVOR, an autonomous towing machine from Auckland-based Agover, on two Bay of Plenty kiwifruit orchards late last year.
The aim of the trial was to test its suitability for use in kiwifruit orchards, evaluating the GOVOR technology as a possible way to reduce onorchard fuel emissions and looking at technical feasibility, carbon emissions, financial viability and orchard-readiness.
GOVER weighs 50 kg, has a towing capacity of 600 kg, and was created to automate labour tasks for row-based growers.
Smart trailer attachments for the robot can spray, cultivate, haul and mow.
It has a 12.5 hour run time on a single charge and has been successfully deployed in other horticultural contexts, such as berries and vineyards.
Zespri tested the technology under the umbrella of its carbon neutral trial, which explores ways to help meet increasing regulatory and market access requirements to demonstrate emissions measurement and reduction throughout its supply chain.
Fuel use generates on average one third of orchard emissions, so decarbonisation options that reduce fuel use are a key focus.
Zespri says the trial results indicate that automated
electric-powered machines have significant potential as a sustainable and efficient alternative to conventional fossil-fuel powered orchard machinery.
Owen Solomon, environmental sustainability innovation leader at Zespri, says overall, the trial found GOVOR is easy to set up and can work effectively, particularly in a wellmaintained and automationready orchard.
“When it comes to weed
spraying, the GOVOR robot achieved a 45 per cent reduction in weed coverage with a much lower water rate than conventional methods using a rotary nozzle controlled droplet application.”
The results highlighted that consideration of automation requirements in orchard set-up is needed to better enable the kiwifruit industry to leverage new technologies such as GOVOR.
“During the trial we found
that the robot requires neat, straight rows free of debris and without ruts.
“The sensitivity of its smart safety bumper feature meant that obstacles such as tall grass sometimes triggered it to stop.”
The GOVOR robot is an early player in this field, and it has demonstrated that with ongoing innovation and refinement, this technology could help with reducing the environmental footprint of kiwifruit growing practices thanks to its low emissions.
As a result, several changes have already been made to the robot since the Zespri trial, including the addition of a mower attachment.
“These changes have not yet been tested in a kiwifruit context but are expected to have resolved key limitations that were identified in the trial.”
doing it right from the start.
Raising awareness across the agricultural sector is now more important than ever. We will be investing heavily in farmer education—making sure people understand the ‘why’ behind clean plastics, and how to prepare materials for collection.
This means shaking out silage wrap,
avoiding rubbish in collection liners, and keeping different types of plastic separated where possible.
We’re proud of the thousands of NZ farmers already doing the right thing with their plastic waste.
This mandated scheme will help bring the rest on board, levelling the playing field and putting the country’s ag sector at the
forefront of environmental responsibility. At Plasback, we remain committed to providing a practical, farm-friendly recycling solution. With the right preparation on-farm and the backing of a nationwide scheme, we can collectively reduce waste, protect the land we rely on, and move toward a circular future for agricultural plastics.
Help growers kick grass weeds to the kerb
With weed control season for white clover coming up fast, it’s time to start talking to your growers about their options for keeping seed crops clean and high yielding.
That’s the advice from one of the country’s largest crop protection suppliers, which says the number and type of weeds covered by different herbicides is not the only thing to consider.
How these inputs support on-going herbicide management strategies is also important, particularly in terms of removing grass weeds.
As a Group 3 benzamide herbicide, Kerb 500F from Corteva Agriscience has a different mode of action from other chemistry often used against grass weeds in white clover seed production, says technical specialist Nicole Morris.
“Use of Kerb is growing year on year. People are cottoning on to the fact that it is a really good resistance management tool
and alternative to Group 1 herbicides.”
Kerb’s active ingredient is propyzamide, which works through root absorption to control unwanted species like annual poa, barley grass, soft brome and vulpia hair grass as well as ryegrass.
“The recommended application window is from May through to August,” Morris explains. “Kerb controls germinating and seedling weeds after application.”
For best results, Kerb should be used when soil temperatures are declining (13 degrees C or less), and when soil is moist, followed by 15-35 mm of either rainfall or irrigation after application, to wash the active ingredient into the root zone of target weeds.
Likewise, Morris recommends applying
Kerb to bare ground, free from trash, to achieve good soil coverage and improve soil penetration.
“The other important thing to note about Kerb is that is quite a slow acting product, so it can take up to six weeks for growers to see the effect.”
Kerb is a residual herbicide, and treated areas should be ploughed and thoroughly cultivated before sowing following crops. Generally Kerb residues will have diminished to levels safe to following crops of grasses or cereals within eight to nine months.
Without predator control, these habitats and the native wildlife that depends on them will continue to decline — even with stock exclusion. Our toolbox will guide you through how to manage pests in these unique spaces. It’s in your power to protect it from introduced predators and preserve it for future generations
Tackling parasites at ground level
Further field trials and product optimisation are now underway as Ballance Agri-Nutrients enters final stages of testing a fertiliser breakthrough developed to reduce parasite larvae on pasture.
The technology has the potential to target all pasture based ruminant larval species, addressing an issue costing the sector millions of dollars, Ballance says.
Developed in collaboration with AgResearch parasitologist Dave Leathwick and soil scientist Alec Mackay, extensive testing including early in-vitro trials show promising efficacy against both drug-resistant and susceptible parasite species.
Initial tunnel house trials, which allowed precise control over environmental factors, confirmed these results.
These trials tested various application techniques, formulations, and rates, demonstrating a significant reduction in recovered larvae compared to untreated areas.
“Traditional parasite control using drenches is failing on many farms, so we deliberately took a different
approach by trying to target parasites on pasture.
“This product is a result of that work. If we can get the fine-tuning right, it will be a boon for farmers struggling with resistant worms,” says Leathwick.
Small-scale animal trials provided further validation, showing a substantial reduction in parasite burden in tracer lambs grazed on treated pasture.
On-farm trials conducted on two separate farms saw similar results, with a marked reduction in worm burdens after just 14 days of grazing on pasture treated with this innovative formulation.
However, the project has also revealed the complexities of real-world farm conditions, particularly in relation to pasture contamination.
Trials have shown that larvae can persist in soil and faeces, gradually migrating back to
Dave Leathwick.
herbage over time, highlighting the need for further study in this area.
“While early lab and farm trials have shown great promise, we’re continuing to refine the formulation and its application to make sure it works effectively across the wide range of conditions farmers encounter,” says Warwick Catto, Ballance science strategy manager.
“However, this is really good news for farmers as our goal is to create a solution that not only performs in controlled settings but delivers consistent results in the field.”
Resistance to oral drenches has become a critical issue for sheep and cattle farmers globally, with many facing triple drench resistance and limited treatment options.
This new approach uses a specially formulated fertiliser that reduces parasite larvae on pasture, potentially giving
farmers a new tool to manage resistance.
“By reducing the larval challenge that migrates from animal waste and infects young stock, this technology could provide a significant breakthrough for farmers struggling with parasite management,” Catto says.
The potential new product is part of Future Ready Farms, Ballance’s $25 million MPI Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures Fund project which was launched October 2020. Known as Project Vigour, it is one of two animal health products that have come through the Future Ready Farms work stream. The other is Project Enhancer, a novel animal feed additive based on a functional micronutrient that stimulates improved animal growth, reproduction and feed utilisation.
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.
The pest control programme you didn’t know you need
The importance of robust programmes to control most pests and plant diseases are well understood. But rats could be a chink in our armour.
That’s the opinion of Pieter Van Der Westhuizen, UPL NZ regional manager upper North Island.
He says it’s not just a matter of putting out bait, no matter how good.
There also needs to be a plan.
“You can’t just fill a bait station and walk away.”
He recommends a six-day, at least, cycle of monitoring strategically located bait stations and keeping them well filled.
The bait Van Der Westhuizen advocates
for (and uses on his own property) is Generation Soft Bait, manufactured by De Sangosse.
He says what makes it unique is the combined behavioural and scientific approach researchers took to developing the product.
“It wasn’t just about experimenting on lab rats. They use feral rats caught in the wild to do their testing.”
He says there’s a big difference between the behaviours of lab rats feeding and feral rats feeding.
“De Sangosse scientists made this bait for real life. There’s nothing else like it on the market.”
The vegetable oil and crushed grainbased formulation in Generation Soft Bait gets rats’ attention faster, with the soft bait’s paper ensuring the tempting aroma disperses more widely. It’s also very easy to deploy.
“Just skewer the plasticine-like bait on the metal rod, or wire, within the Generation bait station. It’s quick, clean, and convenient.”
Generation Soft Bait is the most advanced anti-coagulant on the market, using difethialone 25 ppm as its active, which rodents can’t detect.
There is no known genetic resistance among rodent populations.
The smallest non-dispersible bait on the market, Generation Soft Bait kills effectively and in a single feed.
Two to three grams kill a rat and 0.3-0.4 g a mouse.
A rat’s average daily dietary intake is 20 g. For a mouse it’s about 3 g per day.
In contrast, their output is prolific – one rat can produce 50 droppings, and 50 mL of urine a day.
Van Der Westhuizen says evidence of even one mouse or rat probably means there’s a more significant problem.
He recommends using bait proactively as the best approach.
“It’s going to save you money down the track.
“The attractiveness of Generation Soft Bait is vital and, because its effects are delayed a bit, once the dominant rats have fed, other rats gain confidence and follow their lead.
“But, if you don’t keep monitoring and keep the bait stations well topped-up, rats will eventually move on to find alternative food sources and not come back. Keeping the bait stations full will greatly increase the effectiveness of the program.”
Generation Soft Bait contains Bitrex, a bittering agent which reduces the risk of consumption by non-target animals.
Urea market expected to remain volatile
Global urea supplies are fragile, with several key suppliers exporting lower volumes year-on-year, which creates a ripple effect for available volumes for domestic fertiliser importers, Rabobank says.
The agribusiness banking specialist says urea is by far the most widely-traded fertiliser in the world and, for New Zealand, represents nearly 30 per cent of total fertiliser imports in 2024.
In a recent report, the RaboResearch division says due to minimal volumes of urea produced domestically, NZ is particularly sensitive to global events.
RaboResearch farm-inputs and commodities analyst Paul Joules says the urea market is expected to remain volatile due to complex supply chains and geopolitical influences, with prices elevated compared to historical averages.
“Ongoing supply issues in key exporting
regions and the sensitive nature of natural gas markets – the predominant feedstock for urea production – suggest that urea prices will likely stay high.
“At present, prices are trading around the five-year average. However, if we were to compare current prices with the pre-RussiaUkraine war five-year average price, they are 45 per cent higher.”
Joules says as well as geopolitical issues impacting fertiliser prices and availability, natural gas is the other key influence within the market.
“The sensitivity of natural gas markets – to both weather and geopolitical events – adds to the volatility of urea prices,” he says.
Rats are serious pests.
Agrichemical phaseout requires shift
Words: Mark Hurst, AgResearch senior scientist
The ongoing phaseout of agrichemicals traditionally used to control pasture pests in New Zealand presents a major challenge for our agricultural sector.
However, it also offers an opportunity for a shift in how we manage these costly pests, in a way that benefits farmers, our soils and the broader environment.
The Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) has proposed to ban chlorpyrifos, an insecticide from the organophosphate group that is used in NZ to control a broad range of insect pests on plants.
The EPA considers the risks of using chlorpyrifos now outweigh the benefits. Submissions on the proposed ban were called for and are now being evaluated.
Chlorpyrifos is considered the most effective chemical available to tackle the native grass grub, which is the most pervasive and costly pest for pastoral agriculture in NZ.
It is also registered for use against another major pasture pest, the manuka beetle.
The only other insecticide registered for use against grass grub in established pasture is diazinon and its agricultural use will be phased out in NZ by 2028.
A study by AgResearch a few years ago estimated the impact of the grass grub, through reduced pasture production affecting revenue, was up to $380 million annually for dairy farms, and up to $205 million for sheep and beef farms, in average years.
Federated Farmers has raised concerns about the potential loss of chlorpyrifos from the farmers’ arsenal, saying it puts farmers in a precarious position without readily available alternatives.
While we must acknowledge that agrichemicals are going to be needed for the foreseeable future, increasingly we are seeing opportunities to research
and develop biopesticides that harness naturally occurring organisms such as bacteria to target the pests.
This means opportunities to at least reduce chemical use, if not replace it, in more integrated approaches to pest management.
The use of live organisms or derivatives, such as metabolites, are generally more specific to the target pest and have significantly less environmental residues and impacts.
One such example is AGR96X, a strain of the highly virulent Serratia proteamaculans bacterium, which is highly effective in killing the larvae of the NZ grass grub and the NZ manuka beetle.
Through more than 20 field trials located throughout NZ and assessing different crop types, AGR96X has been shown to be as effective as synthetic products.
The field trials have been enabled through Grasslanz Technology and Midlands Holdings, which both see the value of biologicals such as AGR96X for grass grub control.
Currently AGR96X (trade name yet to be confirmed) is being applied as an incorporated granule. When ingested, the larvae die within five to 12 days.
A comprehensive data package covering efficacy, production and usage is currently under review in the Agricultural Compounds and
Veterinary Medicines process.
While biopesticides and newer, more selective, agrichemicals offer a lot of promise, they are not a silver bullet. Sometimes several products may be required to target multiple pests that are currently controlled by a single broadspectrum agrichemical.
As key export markets demand the removal of broad-spectrum agrichemicals, such as chlorpyrifos, NZ’s pastoral farmers will need to adapt their pest management, following a similar path to the horticultural sector.
This need for change was recognised by a further AgResearch study, which identified barriers that hinder practice change, including the need for new control options like biopesticides.
Pests like grass grub that are unique to NZ pose a challenge for product development because the market size is very small compared with cosmopolitan pests that damage similar crops all over the world. Support is needed to achieve and maintain commercial production of new control options, as well as providing training and information to farmers so that they can make the best use of these new options. If we can embrace the new opportunities offered by new selective biopesticides like AGR96X, then we all stand to benefit from reduced costs for our economy and less harm to our environment.
Mark Hurst.
AGR96X infected larvae.
Considerations for long acting parasite control in ewes pre-lamb
Words: Zoetis
When it comes to managing internal parasites in sheep, especially during the critical pre-lambing period, farmers have several anthelmintic options.
In ideal conditions, ewes should be entering pre-lamb in BCS 3 with adequate feed and not require a drench.
But if conditions are not ideal, then a long acting treatment may benefit some ewes. Two options are Cydectin® Long-Acting Injection for Sheep and capsules.
Extended protection
Both products are long acting with capsules providing an average of 100 days (85-115) protection against all susceptible parasites.
Cydectin Long-Acting Injection has up to 112 days of persistent activity against Teladorsagia circumcincta, up to 91 days for Haemonchus contortus (Barbers Pole worm) and up to 42 days against Trichostrongylus colubriformis
This extended duration protects at risk ewes (multiple bearing, poor condition, under feed stress, hoggets) from larval challenge when they need it most.
Single active vs combination
Cydectin LA is highly effective against all major internal parasites.
Containing moxidectin, Cydectin LA is the most potent of the macrocyclic lactone (ML) family.
It is able to kill parasites that are resistant to other MLs, including abamectin (up to a point).
The high concentration of moxidectin (reaching 25ppb instead of ~8ppb with Cydectin Injection for Cattle and Sheep1,2) ensures parasites get maximum exposure to the active for improved up-front kill and longer persistent efficacy.
By contrast, capsules, while in combination, expose parasites to a much lower (larvicidal) dose of actives for a longer period of time.
Trace elements
Capsules provide additional cobalt (to make vitamin B12) and selenium which will support ewes and their lambs when in deficit.
Cydectin LA contains no minerals, however, with both products, ewes still require a pre-lamb clostridial vaccination and these minerals are available in some clostridial vaccine options.
Dosage
Many ewes are 75-80 kg at mating.
At the time of pre-lamb treatment, these ewes should be close to 15 kg heavier if they are twin bearing.
With Cydectin LA, ewes can be easily dosed to a higher or lower weight thus saving money on drench or preventing under-dosing for heavier animals.
It also has a wide margin of safety when used as recommended.
Capsules come as a fixed dose for ewes 40-80 kg so if they are heavier than 80 kg, they will need two capsules.
Withholding periods
Capsules have a meat withholding of 128133 days, so if feed is tight, treated ewes that have lost their lambs or cull ewes have to stay on farm eating valuable feed.
By contrast, Cydectin LA has a meat withhold of only 91 days allowing these ewes to go to slaughter up to six weeks earlier.
Production trial
A comparative study was conducted using Cydectin LA and capsules with an untreated control group, in poor condition twin-bearing ewes3
There was no significant difference in ewe weight, ewe body condition or lamb weight at weaning between either of the treatment groups, but both treatment groups were significantly heavier (3 kg) than untreated controls, with a higher proportion of BCS 3 ewes and lambs 2.6 kg heavier.
When deciding between Cydectin LongActing Injection and capsules, farmers and their advisors should consider the specific needs of the flock, the labour available and the parasite challenges they face.
The best option at pre-lamb is to always have well fed ewes in good body condition, which would generally preclude the need for any anthelmintic control.
If anthelmintics are required Cydectin LA offers a convenient, flexible, high concentration option with proven efficacy and safety performance.
Zoetis New Zealand Limited. Tel: 0800 963 847; www.zoetis.co.nz. Cydectin is a registered trade mark of Zoetis. ACVM No. A9926
References:
1The pharmacokinetics of moxidectin after oral and subcutaneous administration to sheep Alvinerie, M. et al. Vet. Research 1998.
2 Murphy, A.W, Holm-Martin, M. Evaluation of the efficacy and protection period of a 2% moxidectin long acting injection for sheep under field conditions in NZ and Australia Proceedings WAAVP 2004.
3Bingham C. et al. Comparison of two long acting pre-lambing anthelmintic treatments on the productivity of ewes in low body condition. NZVJ, 2017.
Pure clover ups the ante in South Otago
Coaxing more out of an intensive system that’s already producing well can be easier said than done.
But strategic use of straight clover on Ashton Glen Farms at Clinton in South Otago is giving the Mitchell family a double win – extra kilograms of red meat per hectare, plus free soil nitrogen and better grass weed control for subsequent cereal crops.
What started as a tool to benefit their arable rotation is now growing enough high energy feed to finish hundreds of bought-in store lambs as well as their own. With 200 ha in sheep and beef, and 200 ha in crops, Ross, Ruth, Byron and Callum Mitchell have spent years refining their system to make the most of the land.
That includes breeding stud Coopworth and Beltex rams; finishing dairy beef; growing cereals and specialist small seeds like Asian brassicas, and running a well-established perennial garden plant nursery.
Livestock carrying capacity averages about 12 stock units per ha.
Regular re-grassing, thanks to the arable crops, combined with a highly productive flock of 1000 commercial ewes, means they can wean most surplus lambs onto the truck at good weights before Christmas, and easily finish any tail enders.
Sowing pure clover has long helped control troublesome brome and other grass weeds in the crops, which in itself is a massive benefit, Callum Mitchell says.
But now, they’ve taken this a step further, shedding multiple-bearing ewes off pasture and onto paddocks of Reaper red and Demand white clover straight after lambing.
Set stocked at 12 ewes per ha, there was enough clover available last spring to grow lambs at 380 grams per day for approximately 90 days, till weaning.
Just as importantly, ewes weaned in good condition and needed no preferential feeding after.
Next came store lambs bought for finishing, rotationally grazed through the three paddocks at about 20 lambs per ha, and gaining approximately 20 kg liveweight each before they too were sent for slaughter.
“Those lambs were all cream on the top,” Mitchell says. “Per hectare returns from the clover paddocks are competing with our arable crops.”
A fourth paddock of Reaper and Demand was sown spring 2024 to take the total land area in straight clover to 20 ha. With good management, and careful weed
control in establishment, the Mitchells are budgeting on three years of high clover yield for meat production before either oversowing with ryegrass, or planting wheat.
In either case, they’ll benefit from free nitrogen, naturally fixed at 25-28 kg N per kg clover dry matter grown every year, as well as improved soil structure from Reaper’s taproot.
“It does take about a year to fully establish, so you’re probably only looking at 50 per cent of potential growth in that first 12 months,” Mitchell says.
“But because we’re not pugging it, and grazing it mostly with light stock, conditions are about as good as they get for persistence of red clover in particular.”
So how do home-bred lamb growth rates compare for those raised on clover vs those on pasture?
“Last year there was a 30 g per head per day difference – 380 g per day for clover lambs, and 350 g per day for the ones on high quality young pasture. It’s not huge, but it is enough to turn over our own lambs faster, and get stores on sooner.”
Reaper red clover and Demand white clover are available from Cropmark Seeds.
Taking legumes a step further.
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Long established lab extends southern footprint
Hill Labs has strengthened its food safety and drinking water compliance services with the acquisition of Canterbury-based companies Food and Health Standards (FHS) and Auditing Solutions (AS), in partnership with experienced auditor and business leader Sam Brooks.
The move enhances Hill Labs’ ability to support local councils, food producers, and industry clients, particularly in the South Island, it says.
As part of the transaction, Hill Labs has also acquired FHS’s water compliance monitoring operations, which will be integrated into its own services.
FHS and AS, founded by Ian and Gail Shaw, have built a strong reputation over 30 years for their commitment to quality, integrity, and service.
Ian Shaw will continue in a senior role, ensuring continuity, while Gail Shaw will retire. Brooks, who has nearly two decades of experience in food auditing, will take on the role of CEO for FHS and AS.
Hill Labs managing director Jonno Hill describes the
acquisitions as a logical next step in the company’s growth.
“We have worked with FHS for years as a valued customer of our water testing services, so it’s great to provide Ian and Gail with the exit they wanted and to partner with Sam to do so. Sam and I have enjoyed getting to know each other and are looking forward to working together on the Board of FHS/ AS. This move allows us to offer a more integrated approach to food and water compliance while maintaining the high standards our customers expect.”
Brooks sees the transition as a win for both businesses and their clients.
“Embarking on this new venture with such a competent team fills me with confidence.
It has been wonderful getting to know the team and being welcomed into the family culture within the business.
“I’ve also had the opportunity to meet customers and understand their needs, and I’m excited to lead FHS and AS into this next chapter alongside Hill Labs.”
Alongside the acquisition, Hill Labs is expanding its municipal water compliance services, bringing FHS’s water team, led by Lisa Shaw, into its operations.
Hill Labs’ investment in these acquisitions aligns with its longterm vision to be New Zealand’s leading food and water testing provider, with a strengthened
presence in the South Island.
“This move reinforces our leadership in food and water compliance,” says Jonno Hill.
“By bringing these businesses under one roof, we can offer a broader range of services for our clients while maintaining the independence and credibility they value.”
FHS and AS will continue operating under their existing branding, with Hill Labs providing support through shared services. The transition will be carefully managed to ensure continuity for employees and clients while unlocking new opportunities for innovation and growth.
From left, Sam Brooks, Jonno Hill, Ian Shaw and Gail Shaw.
Inland port enhances regional trade
Marlborough’s first inland port has officially opened, marking a significant milestone in regional trade and transport infrastructure.
Operated by QuayConnect, Port Nelson’s logistics division, the facility is strategically located in Riverlands to support the growing freight demands of the region, reducing transport costs, supporting economic growth and streamlining supply chains.
Centred in a 5000 sq metre modern high-stud warehouse, its services include product storage, unloading imports, and loading export containers.
The facility also has a container yard with empty and full container capacity.
With about 80 per cent of New Zealand’s wine grown and produced in Marlborough, the facility is a game changer for regional exporters, importers and logistics suppliers.
That’s according to QuayConnect general manager Jaron McLeod, who says it also supports the established QuayConnect
model of utilising empty truck capacity to move packaging across to Marlborough and full trucks of wine back to Nelson.
“This facility is set to transform the way goods move in and out of Marlborough, offering businesses greater efficiency, reduced carbon emissions, and a strengthened supply chain,” he says.
The facility is located immediately next to New Zealand’s largest wine bottler, WineWorks Marlborough.
WineWorks chief executive Peter Crowe says this will help his firm reduce emissions, enabling use of electric tugs to take packaging to its bottling plant and full wine bottles back for storage or trucking to port for export.
Transport partner Central Express will be a tenant at the facility.
Managing director Jason Millar is excited the facility is now open, increasing
customer choices in terms of meeting supply chain requirements.
In 2020, wine was estimated to make up 18 per cent of the Marlborough economy and contribute $570 million to the region.
Leadership change at Miraka
Taupo-based dairy company Miraka has begun searching for a new CEO following Karl Gradon’s recent departure for personal and family reasons.
In the interim, chief operating officer Richard Harding has assumed leadership as acting CEO, to ensure a smooth transition, the company says.
Miraka chair Bruce Scott attributes much of its growth and success during the past three years to Gradon’s leadership and efforts in resetting the business for a strong future.
“Karl Gradon has successfully navigated Miraka through a significant period of change, leading the reorganisation of the business to set Miraka up for longterm, intergenerational success, as was envisioned by our founding leaders and shareholders.
“There are many successes and wins we attribute to Karl’s leadership. This includes building a strong senior leadership team, evolving from single products to optimising customer focus and our portfolio of value-added products.”
In a short period of time, Gradon rapidly
diversified Miraka’s business model, customer offerings and base, as well as protecting and growing its milk supply, Scott says.
Gradon says leading the company has been rewarding both professionally and personally, and he is deeply proud of what it has accomplished.
“Our shareholders bestowed a set of values that I personally admire, and I look forward to seeing this values-based approach continue to flourish through the generations as our founders intended.” Miraka was founded in 2009. It began processing milk in 2011, now processes 300 million litres of milk annually, and produces UHT milk, frozen milk concentrate, frozen cream, and whole, skim and A2 milk powders for export world wide.
It is majority owned by Wairarapa Moana Incorporation and Tuaropaki Kaitiaki, with Vietnam’s largest dairy company Vinamilk holding a 13.55 per cent stake.
Karl Gradon.
Meat exporter fully onside with farm safety
The statistics are sobering: on average a person dies in an agricultural accident each month*.
WorkSafe’s 2024 Strategy has highlighted the ag sector as one of the high-risk industries that it will focus on.
And in February this year ACC announced it was investing more than $11m over five years to implement Safer Farms’ Farm Without Harm strategy to reduce injuries and fatalities in the ag sector.
ANZCO Foods wants everyone to be safe in their work and fully supports Safer Farms’ campaign to raise awareness of, and reduce, injuries from livestock, says ANZCO Foods general manager systems and supply Grant Bunting.
“Many livestock-related injuries occur in yards. Being in the yards is unfamiliar to stock so the drafting and loading process needs to be as smooth as possible and having highquality yards can reduce the likelihood of injuries.
“Everyone who has employees and contractors going out on-farm has joint health and safety responsibility with the farmer. In the case of meat
companies this is livestock reps and contracted drivers in the yards and access roads.
“We’ve heard about serious incidents and accidents in yards including where people have been lying alone for hours with head injuries,” says Bunting.
“As an agricultural industry we need to manage this better.
There are many examples in the world today of where the ways things have been done in the past are no longer acceptable.
“This shared health and safety responsibility means companies need to be checking on-farm inductions are taking place, hazards and risks in these joint areas are being captured and shared, and broken yards are repaired in a timely manner.
“It’s a responsibility companies and farmers share and in our view it’s a process that needs to be better managed, so we keep all our people safe and maintain high animal welfare standards.
“For meat companies there are protocols that can make drafting and loading stock safer including having someone from the farm present during the process, and some practical steps that can make yards safer for people and animals,” he says.
“Yes, health and safety has a compliance aspect to it, but at its heart it’s about looking after people and that’s what
drives ANZCO Foods.”
ANZCO Foods has been working with Onside, an app that captures information about inductions as well as making any hazards and risks available to any farm visitors.
“The requirement to capture and share this information is not new; it’s just that Onside provides an easy way for us to do this,” says Bunting.
Using Onside can replace the existing manual system that’s being used to capture that farmers have an induction process in place, and show who’s been inducted.
It lets people coming on to the farm know about existing hazards and risks and can be used to easily record new hazards and risks.
Farmers will also get notified when someone arrives at, and leaves, their farm.
“We’ve been using Onside on our farms for a couple of years now and recognised it could be useful for the joint areas of responsibility on producers’ farms,” he says.
ANZCO Foods has rolled out Onside to its livestock reps and is making it available to transporters and farmers from mid-2025.
*Fatalities | WorkSafe January 2020 to June 2023.
Many injuries occur in yards.
Extra encouragement for young members
Seed and Grain New Zealand has launched two new initiatives aimed at growing the next generation of people in the industry.
A new committee for Young Radicles has been established, operated by and for members aged 35 years and younger, and an associate councillor position on the organisation’s executive has been established for members 35 years and younger.
Sam Clarke of South Island Seed Dressing (SISD) has been appointed to this position for a one year term, while Cassidy Sprott, PGG Wrightson Seeds; Celia Hutchinson, Barenbrug; James Taylor, South Pacific Seeds; and Fred Milford-Taylor, Hodder & Taylor form the committee for Young Radicles.
Sam Clarke has been working at SISD for ten years since graduating from Otago University with a commerce degree.
He is operations manager and
recently became a director of the company.
As a third-generation member of the family business, he is eager to grow his governance skills while providing insights to the association from a seed processor’s perspective.
Sarah Clark, Seed and Grain NZ chief executive, says it is essential that the association grows young-member exposure to the industry by providing opportunities to get involved in the association governance and activities.
“The initiatives provide development opportunities for young members and bring diversity of thinking to the association’s leadership. The aim is to ensure retention of talent and knowledge in the seed and grain industry for the benefit of the sector.”
Cow collar company eyes market growth
“The cow monitoring collar market has seen significant growth in recent years,” he says.
“I am looking forward to leading the Afimilk teams in NZ and Australia during this exciting time for the industry.
“Our solution gives farmers the data to make informed decisions, making the farmer more effective on a daily basis, and paves the way for a more sustainable dairying future.”
In his new position, Miller will manage all operations for Afimilk in NZ and Australia, focusing on delivering advanced technology and solutions that enable dairy farmers to optimise productivity and sustainability. He will work closely with its accredited
dealer network, Headlands, Ace Electrical and Read Industrial, ensuring Afimilk continues to meet the evolving needs of the dairy industry.
Miller brings to the role over 15 years of international and national experience in sales and management, having previously held key leadership roles at Johnston Controls, Datacom, and Gallagher Security. Afimilk says he is known for his strategic vision and commitment to excellence, and has consistently demonstrated an ability to enhance operational efficiency and maintain strong relationships with clients and stakeholders.
Headquartered in Israel, the company currently operates in over 150 countries.
Afimilk has appointed Waikato-based Justin Miller as its new general manager for New Zealand and Australia.
Justin Miller.
Sam Clarke.
Bank ramps up rural offering
ASB has appointed Kristen Ashby as head of food and fibre, a newly established role within its rural corporate banking team.
Ashby joins ASB from Fonterra where she was most recently director of capital strategy.
Starting her career as a chartered accountant, She has worked across a variety of roles at organisations including Fonterra, Turners and Growers and Goodman Fielder.
Born and bred in Waikato, Ashby’s rural upbringing and breadth of experience
mean she brings a unique perspective to this role, the bank says.
She is passionate about helping Kiwi businesses to reach their goals, as well as future proofing for tomorrow.
“I’m excited to be joining the team at such a crucial time. I see so much opportunity in the food and fibre sector and feel privileged to help build on the work already being done at ASB.
Familiar face takes the reins at DLF
He assumes the new role this month, taking over from John McKenzie.
McDonald has been with PGG Wrightson Seeds, part of the DLF Group, for 11 years, most recently serving as general manager for supply chain in the region.
Prior to that he was national sales and marketing manager for the company.
He brings to the position over 25 years of experience in the local agribusiness sector and currently holds a board position with the New Zealand Grain and Seed Trade Association.
“Hugh is an excellent match for this
position,” says DLF Group CEO Søren Halbye.
“He has demonstrated his vision, commitment, and capability to contribute to the advancement of the business and organisation both regionally and globally. It is encouraging to have such a strong internal candidate as successor for this critical role.”
McDonald also joins the executive management board of the DLF Group, where he will play a key role in driving the continued development of DLF as a global organisation, Halbye says.
“As a bank we can make a real difference for our rural communities, uplift regional economies and put New Zealand-grown products on the map globally.
“I’m looking forward to getting on the road soon to meet our customers and broader industry participants to tackle these ambitious goals.”
ASB general manager rural banking aidan Gent says Ashby is a passionate leader with a proven track record of success, genuinely interested in making a difference for customers.
“We are so excited to have her on board in this pivotal role as we bring our fullservice banking proposition to the food and fibre sector – a critical component of our economy.
“With food and fibre making up more than 80 per cent of our global exports, there is significant opportunity in this sector.
“This is not just farmers – it is the innovators looking at new foods and fibres and future uses of land, processors, logistics companies moving goods, all the way through to the electrician in Gore fixing a woolshed.
“Food and fibre represents an opportunity to truly accelerate the social, environmental and financial progress of New Zealanders.”
“We would like to express our sincere appreciation to our current executive vice president and CEO for Oceania, John McKenzie, for his significant contributions to the company.
“John is dedicated to ensuring a smooth transition in the meantime. We wish him a fulfilling and enjoyable retirement.”
Hugh McDonald has been appointed executive vice president and CEO for Oceania for DLF Group.
Kristen Ashby.
Hugh McDonald.
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
