Guardian Farming - November 2017

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EDITORIAL COMMENT

As the weather gets warmer things are starting to crank up on farms around the region.

However, spare a thought for those rural contractors out there who seem to be caught between a rock and a hard place, as a story on PAGE 6 page 16 of this month’s Guardian Farming illustrates.

OUR WOMAN IN NEW YORK A wet few months at the end of winter and start of spring really put a dampner on sowing conditions, which means now that things have dried out a bit it’s all happening at once for many contractors, with some struggling to keep up.

One of the biggest problems they face is recruiting experienced keen workers, especially New Zealanders, PAGE 16 as the seasonal nature of the work puts many off.

One contractor I spoke to recently CONTRACTORS FACING CHALLENGES told me that getting new staff with a clean driver’s licence who were drug-free and willing to work was “impossible”.

The influx of seasonal workers from the UK is not filling demand and a few rural contractors are expressing frustration at hold-ups in the overseas staff recruitment process, despite Rural Contractors New Zealand having an agreement PAGE 26 in principle with Immigration New

Colin Williscroft

RURAL REPORTER

Zealand that is supposed to make it easier to bring overseas workers into the country.

This month’s edition also takes a look at precision farming, following the International Tri-Conference for Precision Agriculture that was held in Hamilton last month.

The event attracted more than 500 delegates from around the world, all interested in finding out the latest developments in what is a rapidly developing field.

Canterbury has more than its fair share of precision agriculture advocates and we talk to a few to find out what attracts them to the technology and what sort of things they have in their precision ag tool box, along with a brief wrap of some conference highlights.

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Putting precision into agriculture Not so long ago the term precision agriculture (PA) was one of those things many farmers thought was only for those who had a few extra dollars in their back pocket to spend on flash gadgets.

However today farmers ignore the technology at their peril, with a steady stream of new tools that offer both financial and environmental benefits hitting the market.

Last month New Zealand hosted the International Tri-Conference for Precision Agriculture, which brought together researchers, farmers and support groups into one place, where they could meet, discuss, influence and learn from people both developing and using new and emerging technology.

Craige Mackenzie, who chairs conference host Precision Agriculture New Zealand and who farms just out of Methven with his wife Roz, said more than 500 delegates from 14 countries attended the conference, with more than half that number from New Zealand.

However, it was “a good mix

Colin Williscroft

RURAL REPORTER

globally,” he said, with people from the Asia/Pacific region, the United States, Europe, the UK and South Africa also attending.

The biggest PA global conference held to date, the range and scope of information available was appreciated by delegates, Mackenzie said, with several of them telling him it was the best PA conference they had been to.

The take-up of PA among New Zealand farmers is growing, he said, as an increasing number of farmers cotton on to the fact that not only can it stack up financially, it is going to be part of the solution in the search for environmental sustainability.

“People realise we need

Methven farmer and precision agriculture advocate Craige Mackenzie is a firm believer in pushing PHOTO LINDA CLARKE 280317-LC-018 boundaries to discover where improvements can be made.

those solutions, regardless of who is in control. We are all on a journey together.”

It’s hard to put an exact number on the number of farmers utilising PA these days, Mackenzie said, because to some extent that is dictated by how people define it.

Some farmers probably view it as far more technical than many aspects of it actually

are, he said, adding that many will do bits and pieces that are precision-related without really realising that’s what they are doing.

He said in the last 12 to 18 months there has been a significant increase in the use of autosteer systems, which allow farmers to use GPS to guide their machinery automatically. Not only does

it make for more increased efficiency it also leads to less stress and driver fatigue for machine operators.

That’s just the tip of the PA iceberg though, with PA tools either available or being developed to do almost everything on-farm.

Continued on next page

Farming

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from p3 However, Mackenzie said farmers should think carefully about what technologies they spend their money on, so they get what they actually need.

He said the philosophy behind PA is exactly the same as it would be using traditional farming methods – you work out what you want to achieve and then you look at what’s available to make that happen.

“It’s just using technology to achieve that – and it can make life easier,” he said.

“But you don’t want to rush at it like a bull at a gate. It pays to think carefully first and a return on investment should be a significant part of that process.”

One of Australia’s best exponents of precision agriculture, who was in New Zealand for the tri-conference and also addressed farmers in Ashburton during his visit, supported Mackenzie’s view that farmers need to get the most out of any investment in precision agriculture.

Mark Branson, who farms 1200ha about 80 kilometres north of Adelaide, has more than 20 years’ experience with PA systems.

Over the years he has

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developed a toolbox of different technological tools that he can delve into, depending on the problem that he is trying to solve.

One of his key messages is farmers need to think carefully about what they are trying to achieve before investing in new technology.

“The secret to precision agriculture is to solve the right problems. Don’t buy a trendy tool just because it’s trendy.”

Since his first investment in a PA tool, a yield monitor back in 1997, Branson has not looked back, utilising developing technology to improve production and profitability.

He now has 20 years’ of yield maps that he uses to inform his farm input decisions.

In 2004 he was the first farmer in South Australia to incorporate a controlled traffic system into his farming operation. The system uses GPS to guide all farm equipment, confining soil compaction to specific traffic lines.

These days drones are becoming popular among some Australian farmers and Branson said they have proved to be a useful tool in

South Australian mixed cropping farmer Mark Branson, who recently spoke to farmers in Ashburton, uses GPS to guide his PHOTO SUPPLIED farm equipment.

many areas.

He has used them for a number of different purposes, including mapping where the weeds are in paddocks, which allows him to treat different areas of paddocks differently.

As the technology behind many PA systems improves, the costs are also coming down.

Mackenzie said autosteer systems that not that long ago would have set farmers back between $60,000 to $70,000 are now only around $10,000.

Drone technology that could have cost anywhere between $75,000 to $100,000 only three years ago can be found for less than $5000 today.

One of the beauties of PA is

that it’s not applicable to just one type of farming, he said.

Cropping farmers might use guidance systems for things like variable rate seeding, while dairy farmers could use systems to achieve variable rate fertiliser application or more efficient irrigation.

It’s a bit different for sheep and beef farmers, Mackenzie said, given the rolling country and environment they operate in, and in general the sector has been a slower adopter of much of the technology available, however, that too is changing as those farmers work out what will work best for them.

Rapid improvements in sensing technology are

also proving to be game changers, as they allow better monitoring of a variety of things around the farm.

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Eric Watson, who hit the headlines this year for a world record wheat crop, saw the benefits of precision irrigation early on.

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Soil monitor probes can help farmers better judge things like moisture levels, while an increasing number

of arable farmers are now using technology to measure humidity and temperature changes in their silos.

Mackenzie said changes in the technology coming onstream today mean the future for many farmers is only limited by their imagination.

While autosteer has been around for a while, we’re only in the early days of how farmers can utilise robotic technology, he said.

While he’s unsure just how far away fully automated farming is it is coming, and he’s looking at running a hands-free hectare for a season in the near future to see how it stacks up.

“If you don’t push the

boundaries you don’t find out the areas you can make improvements in.”

One of the biggest impediments to farmers, particularly ones in isolated areas, from getting the full benefit of the latest technology available, is access to rural wireless broadband, he said.

There are integrated software packages available today, and new ones being created, that can take data from all sorts of technology and create files in the field, which can then be sent to either farmers or contractors so work is done when and where it is needed to create optimum yields.

However, if you don’t access to wireless technology because of where you farm, those are options that are not available to you.

Although adopting PA technology will, for many farmers, be driven by better use of resources and inputs, financial and environmental sustainability go hand-inhand, and that environmental message is echoed by Wakanui arable farmer Eric Watson.

Watson, who with his wife Maxine shot into the public eye earlier this year when they entered the Guinness Book of World Records with their wheat yield of 16.791 tonnes per hectare, said PA will help farmers demonstrate that they are environmentally responsible in terms of how they operate.

“It will make farming more sustainable and we’ve got to hope we can get that message through to the public,” he said.

The Watsons were one of the very early adopters of PA methods in New Zealand, being the first in the region, and possibly the South Island, to install a precision irrigation system, when they put it in around 2006.

The idea was to save water, as at the time their property had around 5.5 hectares where

there were overlaps in their irrigation, which they wanted to eliminate.

They heard about trials in precision irrigation being undertaken at Massey University in Palmerston North and decided to jump in.

It’s not a move they’ve regretted, with the benefits being obvious from both a financial and environmental point of view.

“We couldn’t do without it now,” he said, adding that improved technology has also allowed them to utilise the benefits of things like automated nozzle shutdown systems.

They’ve also got into soil testing, which has allowed for more precise fertiliser use.

“There’s technology available that we can’t do without.”

In general what is good for the bottom line on-farm is also good for environmental sustainability, Mackenzie said, and some of the innovations on the way include things like soil sensors for nitrogen, potassium and nitrates, which will show what’s leaching.

Farmers will be able to use that sort of information for everyone’s benefit, which can only be a good thing.

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Challenges facing rural women simila Many of the issues confronting rural women around the world are very similar, it’s just they occupy different parts of the spectrum, Mid Canterbury woman Kerry Maw says.

Maw is recently back from London and the United States as part of her role as chair of the United Nations committee for London-based group Associated Country Women of the World (ACWW).

She’s been in the role, which has a three-year term, since August last year, and served on the committee for three years prior to taking up the role of chair, and admits to finding being an advocate for rural women at the UN intoxicating.

“You get your first taste of it and then you’re hooked,” she said.

When Maw first went to New York as part of her role she wondered how she would relate to women from places like Africa, but she soon realised that she need not have worried.

She said there are about half a dozen key issues globally,

Colin Williscroft

RURAL REPORTER

such as gender equality and access to health and education, that unite women and it’s quite empowering to both share experiences from New Zealand and learn from what others are doing.

Although on the surface rural women in New Zealand might be better off than some others around the world, there are still challenges to overcome.

They include succession planning for farms, and the question of whether daughters get a fair go compared to sons. Property rights in terms of family trusts is another area where rural women here sometimes miss out, and just like overseas, rural life sometimes makes accessing health and

education difficult, unless you’re prepared to travel.

Mental health was an issue for New Zealand rural women that sometimes tended to be missed, Maw said.

“There’s been a lot of talk about the farmer, but it’s important to understand that

there’s women there who also carry a lot of extra burden.

Not only are they supporting the farmer and dealing with issues around financial pressures but they’re also raising families.

“They’re carrying so many buckets and they’re usually the

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One of the significant projects ACWW is working on currently is a global survey of rural women, where they sit in their own countries and the challenges they face.

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Methven woman Kerry Maw is chair of the Associated Country Women of the World United Nations committee.

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living conditions and situation of rural women around the world. It’s important to get a snapshot so we can provide some good statistics to the UN that we can advocate on.”

The survey will be launched in March next year and will run for 12 months.

Topics covered will include gender equality, access to health and education services, and access to finance and land ownership.

“There’s so many women around the world who can’t own land or are not able to get a loan but they are still responsible for feeding their family.

That impacts on a woman’s ability to progress,” which needed to be looked at while considered from the fact

that between 60 to 70 per cent of the world’s food is produced by women, Maw said.

“It will be good to get some recognition for the contribution rural women make to the global economy, along with the contribution they make to family life and their communities,” she said.

Despite advocating for rural women on a global stage, Maw does not really consider herself as a feminist.

“I’ve never thought of myself as that and what I do is not really about that,” she says.

“I grew up as the only girl with three brothers so I suppose I’ve always had a sense of fighting for a fair go. I’m prepared to stand up when I think things aren’t right. I suppose there’s a sense of social justice and to give everyone a chance,” she said.

“But if people want to call me a feminist, well that’s ok.”

ACWW is one of the largest development organisations for rural women, with 420 member societies and affiliates representing more than nine million women worldwide.

It seeks to raise the standard of living for rural women and their families through education, training and community development schemes, while also providing practical support to its members by helping them set up income-generating schemes.

It also aims to support educational opportunities for women and girls, and to help eliminate gender discrimination.

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MAW’S EXPERIENCE EXTENSIVE So who is Kerry Maw and what does she do in New York?

As chair of the UN Committee for the Associated Country women of the World, a London-based organisation advocating for, empowering and supporting women and families in rural communities throughout the world, Maw leads that organisation’s work in the Big Apple.

The association, which has consultative status within the UN, is an international organisation that aims to connect rural and non-rural women and their communities worldwide through a network of member societies and individuals.

Its UN committee has a variety of roles, including: attending UN-related forums, commissions and conferences; holding workshops, seminars and presentations relating to the UN and its work; preparing reports on and monitoring the activities of the UN, the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) and the World Health Organisation; and communicating with UN agencies, representatives and ACWW societies and individual members about relevant needs and the effectiveness of their programmes.

Maw is also a board member of the Rural Canterbury Primary Health Organisation,

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A member of the Mid Canterbury committees for Birthright New Zealand and the Families Without Violence network, Maw holds a diploma in child and adolescent psychology and has previously served eight years on the National Council of Rural Women New Zealand (RWNZ), including a period as vice-president. During that time she was national spokesperson for social issues, health and education, and represented RWNZ on the Rural Education Reference Group.

Prior to raising her family, her work experience covered both the private and public sector, including office administration in advertising/marketing, executive support and management within Ministry of Agriculture meat inspection services, and roles with the Equal Opportunities Trust.

She is a member of NZ Institute of Directors, UN Women, the UN Association of New Zealand, Rural Women New Zealand, the Federation of Business and Professional Women, and the National Council of Women.

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What we should expect from the Before the election and the then subsequent coalition agreement negotiations, much was made over what farmers stood to lose if the National government was not returned to power. Federated Farmers general policy manager Nick Clark takes a closer look at what farmers can expect from the new government.

The new government has been sworn in, ministers are in place, and details are emerging on policy direction. What does all this mean for farmers, the primary sector, and the economy?

On the positive side, the water tax has been shelved for the term of this parliament and there will be a big boost for regional economic development.

Few would also disagree with the need to address problems like housing affordability, child poverty, and workforce skills.

The environment will be one of the big priorities for the new government.

Although the water tax is off the table we can expect moves to further strengthen rules for freshwater management and the enforcement of them through the RMA, and a less favourable environment for

irrigation. We will be working hard to ensure water policy is sensible, practical and affordable.

There will also be more ambitious policy on climate change.

Depending on what the to-be-established Climate Commission decides, livestock emissions seem headed for the ETS, albeit at a less punitive rate of entry (5 per cent versus 10 per cent) than promised by Labour preelection.

It is also positive that revenue would be recycled back to agriculture to help with tree planting and other forms of mitigation.

However, Federated Farmers remains opposed to including livestock emissions in the ETS when cost-effective mitigation options are not available and when other countries are not taking similar action.

We will continue to remind

New Zealand First of its assurances that livestock emissions would not be included.

Forestry appears to be a big winner with the “billion trees planting programme” and reestablishment of the Forestry Service.

Planting more trees is important but it needs to be in the right places on the right land and it would be concerning if it displaced productive farmland.

With capitalism apparently a failed system we can expect a much more interventionist and activist government, including on economic policy.

But before we all accept this increasingly fashionable notion, I recommend an excellent article, “Has capitalism failed or do we just not like its results?”, by Stephen Hickson, who teaches economics at the University of Canterbury.

New agriculture minister Damien O’Connor comes from a farming background.

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new coalition government see more expansionary fiscal policy.

Looking ahead, there will be mounting pressure from interest groups and public sector unions for more spending, especially in health, education, social welfare, and economic development.

This will put fiscal responsibility under pressure, especially if the economy and tax revenue does not grow as forecast.

And that’s before we consider the quality of more spending and whether it will deliver value for money.

Turning to tax, there will be a levy on international tourists, a levy on bottled water exports, and a regional fuel tax for Auckland, and there is talk of a stamp duty if foreigners can’t be banned from buying houses.

The previous government’s tax cuts, which were due to take effect in April, will be cancelled.

Looking ahead, a tax working group will be tasked with how to make the tax system more progressive.

Options will likely include

Forestry appears to be the big winner now the new government has been sworn in.

a capital gains tax, a land tax, a higher top rate of personal income tax, a lower rate of GST (or more exemptions from it), and re-imposition of death and gift duties.

Most of these will be unwelcome for farmers.

Labour has promised though, not to impose any new or higher taxes recommended by the working group until

after the next election.

Science and innovation funding will be reformed, including a shift to R&D tax credits instead of grants schemes. We’re relatively

agnostic on how funding is delivered, provided the primary sector doesn’t lose out, and we fully support the government’s goal to boost R&D spending to 2 per cent of GDP. The long-established monetary policy framework is also signalled for a shake-up.

On the positive side, the Reserve Bank’s operational independence does not appear to be at risk and changing the decision-maker from the Reserve Bank governor to the board would not be contentious.

However, putting in place additional goals to price stability (such as employment or the exchange rate) could pull the Reserve Bank in contradictory directions, as it was until the 1989 reforms, and it could result in higher inflation.

We all want higher wages but legislating for it without considering productivity and affordability would be problematic.

A substantially higher minimum wage will be tough Continued on page 10

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from page 9 on many small businesses and could cost jobs.

Meanwhile, promised changes to employment legislation will strengthen the power of unions and could see a return to the confrontational and costly industrial relations environment of the 1970s and 80s and heightened inflationary pressures.

Tightening immigration settings will also have economic costs, depending on how the government expects to achieve lower net migration.

As well as putting a number of industries under pressure, cutting immigration may make it harder to build more houses and associated infrastructure, or increase staffing in health.

Auckland’s problems are not Southland’s and we agree with having regional skill shortages lists that include farming positions.

Overseas investment and international trade are also areas where there could be a big shift.

Action against sales of existing houses to foreign

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Federated Farmers remains opposed to including livestock emissions in the emissions trading scheme.

speculators will happen in some form (either banned or a stamp duty) and there will be a register of overseas ownership of houses and farms.

Banning foreigners from buying houses will have

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implications for trade agreements and it would be unfortunate if New Zealand had to concede market access for agricultural products.

However, we do support the promise of register of foreign-owned rural land.

There is an information vacuum on the real scale of overseas investment in rural land.

For example, the Overseas Investment Office’s statistics only go back to 2005 and currently do not pick up

when foreigners become New Zealanders or sell the land back to New Zealanders.

Overall, the markets have had the jitters due to political uncertainties. The New Zealand dollar was down 3.5 per cent in the week following the announcement of the coalition agreement, although a modest exchange rate correction is not in itself a terrible thing given it has been overvalued.

Business confidence is also likely to take a hit.

While some anxiety was always likely from a change to a more left-leaning government, in practice much will depend on the ability of the three-headed government to work together and its willingness to take on board the views of the business community and the advice of economic experts.

Federated Farmers is determined to work constructively with the incoming government to help it implement policies that are good for New Zealand, good for the primary sector, and good for farmers.

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No tillage method backed to reduce An international soil scientist has spelt out the way he says New Zealand can meet part of its commitment to reducing carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

The release of CO2 significantly contributes to climate change. However John Baker said it can be achieved without radical changes to farming practices. “It just requires a refinement of what’s being done now.”

The New Zealand government, at the Paris climate change conference, agreed to reduce the discharge of greenhouse gases (GHG) but is struggling to do so.

Baker said New Zealand has more potential to remove millions of tonnes of CO2 from the atmosphere than most other countries in the world because we have a high land-toemissions ratio.

“It involves our farm crops and pastures utilising sunshine, which we have in abundance, to take CO2 out of the atmosphere by photosynthesis and retain it in the ground undisturbed,” he said.

“In doing so, New Zealand’s

John Baker says Cross Slot technology will help New Zealand meet its greenhouse gas reduction targets.

one million hectares of newly established crops and pastures each year hold the key to reversing a significant portion of its GHG emissions by converting it into soil carbon which, in turn, increases crop and pasture yields.”

Baker said it could be achieved through New Zealand

farmers learning how to manipulate the soil to their, and their country’s, advantage.

“The remedy is to absolutely minimise any form of soil disturbance and stop burning crop residues, both of which release massive quantities of carbon into the atmosphere.”

He said there’s a far better

around the world.”

The challenge is to stop New Zealand farmers’ love affair with disturbing the soil. All disturbance oxidises organic matter into CO2, which is the most common GHG, Baker said.

Cultivation (ploughing) and many simple forms of no-tillage can’t work through residue, which is the decaying matter left on top of the ground after a crop is harvested.

So instead, farmers burn it, which Baker said was the worst thing they can do. That releases carbon, which otherwise feeds the earthworms and microbes and enriches the soil’s health and its water holding capacity.

“New Zealand gets enough water and sunshine but these two commodities don’t always arrive at the best times of the year. You can’t store sunshine but you can store water. So it’s essential New Zealand farmers learn to store more water in their soils for when it’s needed,” he said.

“Low disturbance no-tillage does this by recapturing carbon from the atmosphere through

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method of seeding that not only retains CO2 in the soil but actually adds new carbon each time a new crop is grown.

“I’m talking about a unique form of ‘no-tillage’, distinctive from any others, known as low disturbance, no-tillage which has already shown spectacular results in New Zealand and

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13

greenhouse gas emissions photosynthesis and retaining it in the soil. It’s a win-win.”

Baker said that conventional tillage (or cultivation) has stripped the organic matter from the soil over hundreds of years.

And inferior methods of conservation tillage, now being utilised in 37 per cent of our annual seeding, only go part way to reversing that trend.

New Zealand farmers regularly grow useful arable and forage crops and pastures, he said, but when low disturbance no-tillage is used, “no one in the world can match us”.

The evidence is regularly achieved around New Zealand with a 16.8 t/ha winter wheat crop grown by FAR in Geraldine or 11 t/ha spring barley crops and 20 t/ha turnip crops that several farmers around the country have recorded.

“Organic matter is the silver bullet. If you retain crop residues and leave the soil undisturbed, you increase soil organic levels and retain the soil’s water storage capacity,” Baker said.

• • • •

Winter wheat planted in 150mm rows, in Canterbury, using Cross Slot technology.

“To do this you need a special combo-disc-and-tine type ‘notillage’ opener that penetrates through the crop residue or vegetation on top of the soil and creates humidity-retaining seed slots beneath it, without leaving the seeds embedded in the residue itself.”

Such low disturbance, no-

tillage drills sow the seed and fertiliser in separate bands at the same time through any amount of surface residues.

Done properly the process traps the humidity, preserves the earthworms and microorganisms, increases yields and largely prevents carbon from escaping into the atmosphere.

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“Because plants absorb carbon from the atmosphere through photosynthesis this is one way of ensuring that more carbon goes into the soil than out.

The method, based on university research, addresses climate change and increases the amount of food that the

world produces at the same time.

“It’s also a win-win for both farmers and politicians who signed the Paris agreement,” he said. “The technology mimics nature and the sooner New Zealand farmers and decision makers realise this, the sooner they’ll start to meet their conservation objectives.”

Baker said that if New Zealand universally adopted “low disturbance, no-tillage”, it would reduce 11 per cent of the GHGs that the whole of New Zealand emits and at least a quarter of agriculture’s emissions alone.

“That’s an incredible saving potential that is greater than almost any other country on earth except Australia, and the good thing is that New Zealand is where the Cross Slot technology was invented.”

John Baker is chief executive of Baker No-Tillage Ltd. He holds a PhD in agricultural engineering, a masters degree in soil science and a bachelors degree in agricultural science. In 2006, he was awarded an ONZM (Officer of the NZ Order of Merit) for his services to agriculture.

14 2

Farming

www.guardianonline.co.nz

Family farm trusts at risk Agri family businesses that have a trust structure need to make sure they’re not burnt by the changes in legislation that governs trusts.

Crowe Horwath business advisory partner Denis Hames says neglecting your family trust has never been a good idea and in light of the new Trusts Bill currently going through parliament, which would tighten up the obligations and responsibilities of trustees, trusts will need to be reviewed to ensure their “fitness” in the current environment.

It’s estimated there are between 300,000 to 500,000 trusts in New Zealand and they have been a common structure for many farming families.

The Trusts Bill was introduced to parliament on August 1 this year and has begun the process of going through readings before going to the select committee stage.

“Succession discussions for farmers have never been easy, and openly communicating with family members about the future is often put in the

Crowe Horwath business advisory partner Denis Hames.

too hard basket,” Hames said.

“The new trust legislation therefore is an excellent impetus for our rural

community to start this process, as a lot of land is held in trusts.

The mechanics of trusts

are not well understood, and the review of wills and memorandum of wishes for the trustees as part of the trust review process really puts a spotlight on the succession issue,” Hames said.

When things go wrong – and they can go wrong in a big way – some families have become divided and lost a lot of money, he said.

“When we have reviewed trusts for clients we have discovered wills well outof-date, no memorandum of wishes for the trustees in place, trust records being barely adequate, and the ‘what if ?’ scenarios lacking.”

One trust review Crowe Horwath completed found the wills related to a family trust that was wound up 20 years ago, and the beneficiaries in that trust were different to the ones in the existing trust, Hames said.

Even though the solicitor had formed the new trust and done a Deed of Resettlement to the new trust, he had overlooked updating the clients’ wills and letter of wishes – to the extent the

wills didn’t make sense of the current situation.

He said with the sharply increased responsibilities for trustees – especially in requiring them to be more accountable to beneficiaries – the possibility of litigation has become greater, unless trustees act appropriately.

“There have been far too many instances when something untoward happens and suddenly things become urgent – wills are suddenly looked at, insurance covers examined – but in many cases it is too late.

“Now is the time to complete a comprehensive review of your family trust and the way they intermingle with farming activities – procrastination is not a sensible strategy,” he said.

“These matters are simply too important to ignore. The cost of inaction could lead to very expensive future court action and emotional turmoil.

“The trust review process ensures that succession issues start to get addressed in a timely and very cost effective manner.”

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Farmers keen to work with new minister NZ Young Farmers has welcomed the new Labour/NZ First/Greens government coalition - and is looking forward to working alongside and forming a positive partnership with the Minister of Agriculture and Biosecurity.

CEO Terry Copeland said he was looking forward to meeting with Damien O’Connor, to share the many issues and opportunities the organisation is working on to promote agriculture to rural and urban youth.

“As a non-partisan organisation we work alongside all parties and we look forward to having discussions with the new team at the helm to see how we can both further the cause of the New Zealand primary sector.”

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NZ Young Farmers also plays a pivotal role in educating youth about the opportunities in agriculture including the Get Ahead Programme that seeks to connect urban secondary school students with the diverse array of careers needed to ensure the future success of the Primary Industry, he said.

“We know that education, and employment of our youth are high priorities for this new government and believe we can add to that conversation with the many programmes we facilitate.”

Water declaration gains support Fonterra has announced its support for the Local Government Leaders’ Water Declaration, the pledge by the mayors and chairs of New Zealand local government organisations to lift the quality of freshwater resources in this country.

Fonterra general manager sustainable dairying, Charlotte Rutherford, said she commended the local government leaders for taking robust steps to improve water in regions across New Zealand.

“This is a challenging and complex area, and a collective approach will be key to getting it right. Local government is already working hard with a range of stakeholders, including farmers, to help lift the outcomes for all of our waters and it’s pleasing to see success in some important areas,” Rutherford said.

“The declaration will help accelerate this journey.”

“Fonterra’s committed to working with communities, including local and regional councils to identify environmental limits for water and ensure our farmers operate within them.

“Like all Kiwis, we want clean waterways, and we’re looking forward to standing alongside groups like the local government leaders’ to make that vision a reality,” Rutherford added.

Fonterra currently works with a range of stakeholders on important water initiatives, including its Living Water Partnership with the Department of Conservation. The programme aims to improve the health of five key freshwater catchments throughout New Zealand, including Lake Ellesmere.

In July, Fonterra announced plans to build on the success of this initiative and work with communities, councils, government and key partners to restore 50 catchments.

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Farming

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RURAL CONTRACTING FEATURE

Season off to a late intense start Business is looking up for rural contractors across Canterbury, with a favourable turn in the weather bringing a smile to the faces of many.

However, staff shortages across the sector are being felt by many operators, with positions remaining unfilled because there just aren’t enough experienced staff to go around.

Rural Contractors New Zealand board member Martin Bruce, of Hororata, said wet weather coming into the season meant it did not get off to the best of starts, as crops went in late, which slowed progress in their growth.

However, relatively fine weather over the past fortnight or so has brought about a turnaround in fortunes, with crop and grass growth picking up, and yields were now starting to come along pretty nicely, he said.

If the weather stayed warm, and was accompanied by a bit of rain every week or so, both growers and contractors could be rewarded with a good spring flush “and we haven’t had one of those for a few years”, Bruce said.

Last season was a challenging one for rural contractors around the country and Canterbury operators were no different.

A cold summer here was followed by

Colin Williscroft

RURAL REPORTER

a reasonably wet spring. While many welcomed the rain, it made conditions difficult for hay and silage making.

An improvement in the weather meant things dried out a bit in January and February, which helped with the grain harvest.

However, heavy rain returned in March, which made it difficult for many to get late crops in.

But it’s not just the weather that can make life difficult for rural contractors, finding workers can also be a headache.

Bruce said one of the biggest bugbears for rural contractors continued to be the difficulty hiring experienced, quality staff, with many in the region looking for people to hire – if they stack up.

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A run of settled weather early this year helped the grain harvest in Mid Canterbury but this season has got off to a slow start due to wet weather in late PHOTO SUSAN SANDYS 070217-SS-0008 winter and early spring.

workers going around who fitted the bill for employers, which meant attracting good quality staff was always an issue, he said, adding that he was short of workers himself and was unlikely to be alone in that.

“We always need more.”

Overseas workers picked up some of that slack but that was not necessarily a long-term solution.

“It is a concern. A lot of the overseas workers we get coming in are on working holiday visas, which is fine in the short-term but the problem is when you want people to come back for two or three seasons at a time.”

Bruce was unsure whether the new government’s stated goal of reducing migrant numbers coming into the country would actually be felt too much by rural contractors, as given the nature of seasonal work, many of best workers alternated their working lives between seasons here and in the northern hemisphere, rather than wanting to live here full-time.

Another problem rural contractors in this part of the country faced when trying to attract more staff was that there were a number of infrastructure projects competing for what was a limited workforce.

“There’s a lot going on in the South Island, what with work around Kaikoura and projects like Central Plains Water,” Bruce said.

Given that work offered better longer term security than the seasonal nature of much of what rural

contractors often had on their books, those jobs were often seen as more attractive by local workers.

Fellow Rural Contractors New Zealand board member, Steve Murray, of Woodend, is crying out for staff.

Murray said he advertised for staff overseas in June and July and had a high number of inquiries, particularly from Ireland.

“We had a heap earmarked to come but they never arrived,” Murray said, adding that part of the reason for that was the contracting season in that part of the world has run longer than usual, which has held up the expected influx of workers.

Usually at this time of year Murray would have two harvesters and a baler “going flat stick” but because he can’t find enough workers he is having to pick and choose the jobs he takes and is only running one harvester and a baler, the later not running at full steam.

“We just can’t find staff, it’s a major problem.”

Murray agreed with Bruce that wet weather in late winter and early spring has also put contractors behind the eight ball.

“Cultivation got hit between the eyes. A lot of what is usually done through August, September and mid October didn’t happen or was late. The ground conditions made sowing pretty difficult.”

He said now to catch up there were drills and harvesters operating at the same time.

www.guardianonline.co.nz

RURAL CONTRACTING FEATURE

17

Welshy wins royal medal at show The recent Ashburton A&P Show was a rewarding one for Mark Davies, better known as “Welshy”, as he received a Royal Agricultural Society of New Zealand medal for excellence in agriculture, an honour that is not given out at every Ashburton show.

Davies received the award after the Welshy Contracting trade site was named as the best at the show to depict the show’s theme, horsepower of yesteryear.

A&P association president, Chris Watson, said the association did not get a medal from the royal society to present every year, and giving it to a trade site, rather than someone associated with livestock, was “a wee bit different”.

Davies was surprised to receive the medal, and thanked his staff for their hard work in putting the exhibit together.

The judges obviously appreciated the range of machinery on display as part of the Welshy site.

Two of the machines had a real connection to Davies’ family in Wales, with a Ruston

Colin Williscroft

RURAL REPORTER

Hornsby four horsepower engine from 1936, and a 1953 Massey Ferguson T20 tractor both owned by his grandfather in Wales before Davies brought them out to New Zealand.

The engine was used for shearing on The Ciliau, the family farm in Erwood, Powys, Wales, while the tractor was bought to replace horses on the farm.

Newer machinery that was part of the exhibit included a new low loader trailer and dump trailer, both recently brought out from Ireland. Manufactured by UK company NC Engineering and custom-built to New Zealand requirements, the two trailers are examples of a

Mark Davies, better known as “Welshy”, receives a Royal Agricultural Society of New Zealand PHOTO LAURA BAGRIE medal from Ashburton A&P Association president Chris Watson.

range of trailers that Welshy Contracting will be the sole distributors for in New Zealand.

There was also a DeutzFahr TTV630 tractor towing a dump trailer, a mini digger and a rock saw as part of the show exhibit, the saw used

for cutting through tree roots and hard ground, which can be useful when putting in open trenching or driveways.

Davies said he currently has a lot of work on, including in Central Otago.

After a hard, slow winter, demand for his contracting

service has really picked up.

“When it’s wet and quiet it can be a struggle but then it’s dry and everyone wants you now. It’s all happening at once.”

He said the irrigation side of his business was “going crazy”.

Farming

18 2

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Creative costumes show benefits of

Judith Edgar took out first and second prize in the upcycled wearable waste categories with this stylish outfit made from car seat covers and gaskets, and the black and white outfit behind, worn by daughter-in-law Aimee Edgar, made from PHOTOS SUPPLIED knitted inner tubes.

The judges, along with the crowd, were in awe as they watched the parade of entrants at the upcycled fashion and wearable waste event at the Ashburton A&P Show.

“I couldn’t believe the quality of work that went into these costumes and also the fabulous effort made by the schools that participated,” Envirowaste judge, Deidre Nuttall said.

“The way objects had been reused was very good and the standard very high. Taking a mattress apart or using car parts, ingenious,” Ashburton district councillor Selwyn Price added.

Outstanding and first prize winner in the open upcycled fashion event was Tamara Grant, who had taken a mattress apart to make a beautiful skirt, hand-dyed a top to match and crafted a felted bolero to finish it off. An elegant and stylish outfit that could be worn anywhere.

Judith Edgar gained second place with her dress created from several hundred men’s handkerchiefs, which

Right: First prize winner in the upcycled fashion, Tamara Grant, deconstructed a mattress to make her skirt.

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ECO EFFICIENCY

looked stunning.

Judith Edgar’s creation made from knitted inner tubes won the upcycled wearable waste category and Judith also took out second prize with her incredible outfit made from car seats, gaskets and other motor parts.

St Joseph’s School’s Enviro Team won the upcycled fashion junior cash prize with their beautifully crafted outfit, with numerous flowers made by the children and handsewn onto the skirt and top, along with the story of their school’s journey towards waste-free lunches this year, including creating a very inspirational garden at their school.

Hampstead School (room 11) won the upcycled wearable

Middle: St Joseph’s EnviroTeam members Grace Prendergast and Azarnia Parish.

Far right: Hampstead School prize winners Wiremu KeefePaul and Molly Blackburn.

waste and wowed the judges with their creativity. They had used a pile of old clothes from the Envirowaste shop to reuse and recycle into some amazing creations working in groups in their class. It was truly incredible what they came up with.

Also incredible was the jump suit that Melanie Rodgers had created in double quick time from an old ball dress that gained her third in the upcycled fashion.

Ethical clothing is gaining a following globally and there is a bright future for young designers and those with the knowledge and passion to help us reduce waste and reuse and

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upcycling and reducing waste WORKSHOP FREE compost demo To find out how to use bokashi, worms or compost bins to turn your food scraps and lawn clippings into plant food come along to the monthly workshop.

WHEN Wednesday November 29, 11.30 to 12.30 WHERE Eco Education centre – Ashburton Resource Recovery Park All welcome recycle more.

Special thanks to Envirowaste and Ashburton District Council for the $550 cash prizes for this event and to the Ashburton A&P Show for its support.

Feed your soil with compost – healthy soil healthy food healthy people It’s time to build up your soil and get planting. To fill

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Farming

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Maori onion part of biodiversity The Maori onion, or bulbinella, is flowering now.

It’s easy to recognise by its lovely yellow flowers. It can be found in boggy spots in tussock grassland and along the damp sides of wetlands and small streams in the Hakatere Conservation Park.

Maori onion is the common name for three different species of bulbinella that are native to New Zealand and belong in the same family as cabbage trees. Like cabbage trees, Maori onions were used by Maori for food. The leaves die down in winter but the edible fleshy root remains.

The distinctive yellow flowers are slightly scented, which attracts insect pollinators. Brightly coloured flowers are unusual among native New Zealand plants: many plants have flowers that are small because they are pollinated by insects rather than birds and are not highly coloured because they are pollinated by moths at night, and white or pale coloured flowers are more visible at night.

Mary Ralston

FOREST AND BIRD

In New Zealand we do not have many plants with big, showy flowers that attract birds. Tuis and bellbirds are honey-eaters that pollinate a variety of trees and shrubs but in the high country it is mainly insects such has moths, bees, flies and beetles.

Most plant species aren’t fussy as to which insect species visit them for pollination and on average, the individual flowers last for at least four days, so if there is a spell of poor weather the flower will last until the sun comes out and insects are active again.

Once found throughout our district on farmland and roadsides, Maori onion is now restricted to the back country because of the

Volunteers out on a broom clearing day amongst the yellow flowers of the bulbinella, or Maori PHOTOS SUPPLIED onion. INSET: Bulbinella is distinctive because of its yellow flowers.

intensification of farming on the plains. Recently bulbinella and other native plants were planted along a roadside near Ruapuna to supplement ones that remained. Hopefully

they will flourish in the damp conditions despite competition from introduced grasses, which are notorious for smothering natives.

Maori onion is one of the many natives that make up

our native biodiversity. They are valuable for the role they play in the life of insects, birds and other plants, and interesting that once they were a useful food source for our first settlers.

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21

Aggression: behaviour or diet?

HANDLING AGGRESSIVE HORSES Jenny Paterson

1. If you are inexperienced then it is best not to handle them at all for a week or so, just leave them alone (apart from feed and care).

CALM HEALTHY HORSES

Spring is a time when people report their horses becoming uncharacteristically aggressive. Horses are not born aggressive but can become aggressive due to any of the factors listed below.

Physical injury, ill-fitting tack or a dental issue which is causing them discomfort or pain Usually these are obvious and the appropriate professional should be engaged to attend and eliminate.

Mineral imbalances The horse’s entire skin is densely populated with sensory nerves enabling him to respond to the sensations of touch, pain, itch, heat, and cold.

Mineral imbalances in the grass can affect these peripheral nerve endings in a way that causes aversion to touch, grooming, covering, saddling and girthing up.

When the sub-cutaneous muscles are affected you may observe quivering or twitching when you touch them.

Phyto-estrogens in legumes – lucerne or clover Aggressive behaviour is often associated with pastures which contain clover, especially red clover.

Legumes such as clover and lucerne contain ‘hormonally active compounds’ which can adversely affect normal hormone production.

These can cause geldings to exhibit stallion-like behaviour which can be mistaken as the horse being a rig. Or that the horse has not being gelded properly.

The vet is called, bloods are drawn but results turn out to be clear. The solution can be as simple as removing all legumes from the horse’s diet.

This same forage can cause mares to be hormonal or moody, have raging seasons and fail to cycle properly.

Aggressive behaviour is most likely to be a bio-chemistry issue, not a training one.

PHOTO SUPPLIED

Dairy grass or any grass fertilised with high octane chemicals Such pasture is completely unsuitable for horses and can cause any horse to exhibit aggressive behaviours.

Mineral imbalances, toxins, sugar levels and phyto-estrogens are high in such pasture and will cause a deviation from normal behaviours Miscommunication The communication between you and your horse is not good enough, he isn’t sure what you mean and you are making him feel wrong when you weren’t clear in the first place.

What to feed

once the horse is back to normal. Some horses have to stay on at least some SOS, others will need it again from time to time depending on the weather and the grass.

Once the horse is back on the grass increase the GrazeEzy when it starts to rain (as this changes the potassium/ nitrogen levels in the grass), rather than waiting for the horse to show signs of problems again.

Aggressive behaviour is most likely to be a bio-chemistry issue, not a ‘training’ one.

For more information go to www.calmhealthyhorses.com

2. There is no point trying to “work through issues”, It is not only risky but is a complete waste of time and energy because you will find the issues will disappear on their own.

3. Aggressive horses exhibiting stallion-like behaviour can hound other horses through or over fences. Don’t underestimate this possibility.

4. If the horse is behaving dangerously towards other horses or people then put him in a safe yard and don’t go in there until he is more amenable. Throw his hay over and slide his feed under the rails.

Just so you know it can take up to a week for them to calm down enough to be safe to handle again.

1.

Eliminate all legumes immediately (Lucerne/clover).

Reduce potassium load by limiting grass intake or in some cases you may need to make a dry lot.

Eliminate potassium-rich feeds such as seaweeds, kelp, molasses, lucerne, soya-bean meal.

Go to www.calmhealthyhorses for pasture management suggestions 2. Feed Ad lib hay that doesn’t contain rye grass, clover or lucerne 3. Hard feed twice daily with plain feeds such as oaten, straw or meadow chaff, copra (mixed with water) and crushed linseed, salt and appropriate minerals Feed SOS in high doses while you build up the GrazeEzy. By the time the horse is okay to carefully reintroduce the grass you will have built up the GrazeEzy. Gradually drop the SOS

CalmHealthyHorses

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22 2

Farming

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New agent welcomed at Westport Mark Lemon

PROPERTY BROKERS

Last week I visited Westport, my first time to Buller for several decades.

Property Brokers has a new rural agent, Willie McLaughlin, starting out of our Westport office. This office is the major player in residential and commercial sales in Westport and surrounding towns, and adding a rural agent is a new dimension to the office and one which they are all excited about.

While I was there I had an orientation tour of farming around the area.

It’s a real mix of country, which is important to understand from a rural real estate perspective.

This trip around included several farm visits.

Willie McLaughlin, Property Brokers new West Coast rural agent.

One was to a fellow Lincoln student of some time ago.

He pioneered flipping land on the Pakiki soils at Cape Foulwind.

This is a district where land has been developed through humping and hollowing. He drew a Lands and Survey ballot farm, in the last group

put up for ballot in the area.

It looks, and is, a top performing farm, whilst just along the same road was freehold undeveloped land and properties at various levels of development and management.

A version of the farm ballot scheme was revisited during the recent election campaign

and it will be interesting to see if this is picked up by the new government.

I saw some land prime for it, which was put on hold by political change over 30 years ago.

As diverse as the farmland is, so also are the pockets of farms at Karamea, Inangahua, Murchison, or down to Reefton and the Grey Valley.

Rural real estate will be a good challenge for Willie in this area. He is a born and bred local, with farming, mining and contracting experience.

Managing time and distance travelled will be important, as in time the rest of the coast will be his hunting ground.

It is quite some distance from Whataroa to Westport!

The West Coast and Buller areas offer some real opportunities.

Of course there are challenges farming there, but with the Westland Milk Products payout improving it may be a good time to consider the opportunities offered in this area.

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24 2

Farming

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Tax into perspective Emotion and lack of perspective seemed to headline the electioneering and the following few weeks after the election. Finally we did get a government and “phew” the water tax on irrigators has dropped off the radar for the moment.

Before the dust had settled and the composition of the new government was decided I spoke to a local Rotary club who wanted my perspective on the water tax and bottling water.

Typically, politicians for the most part during electioneering move with the public emotion and both subjects were emotive, with little fact associated.

No one knew exactly what the water tax would look like, how much it would be and what the impact might be.

All we knew was that irrigators under the Labour proposal would pay a royalty on water used for irrigation.

I immediately think about all the other users of our water – industrial, municipal/ community, stock (more than permitted takes) and the

Tony Davoren

HYDRO SERVICES

like. Would they also pay the royalty?

But what was sadly lacking in the debate – if you can call the animosity toward irrigators gobbling up “our” precious resource a debate, is what the financial impact might be. The proposal was for a tax of 2c/1000 litres or $0.02/m3.

Think about this a little further: Consider a consent with a “volume not exceeding 3,895,000 cubic metres between July 1 and the following June 30” irrigating about 780ha (large but not unusual).

For this irrigator there would be an additional cost of $77,900/year.

This comes off the bottom

line no matter what you grow; i.e.

It is the revenue for a year from about 27 dairy cows based on the Canterbury average production of about 400kg milk-solids/cow and assuming the Fonterra predicted payout of $7.20/kg MS; or 756 lambs assuming they reach target weights and the schedule stays at ~$103/ lamb (perhaps); or 197T of wheat at ASW $NZ395/tonne (as of early October) or 15-16ha of crop.

Those driving the emotional debate and our politicians did not have the “fortitude” to give this any thought and to consider the implications.

They were just caught up in the public emotion. Could irrigators sustain an additional tax on product that struggles to make a reasonable return?

I think not.

Much of our edible product comes from irrigated land – fruit, vegetables, grains, meat and poultry (because the latter consume irrigated grains), and dairy products. Who will pay the tax and where will it be passed to?

While I haven’t worked out the additional cost to the products; are we prepared to pay an extra $1 or $2 for that 500g of butter or kg of perla potatoes or kg of royal gala apples or loaf of bread etc?

Imagine the “spleen” venting that would take place then.

On a much brighter note and less controversial or emotive, oh what a wet winter.

No risk of self-limiting bores this irrigation season and possibly even next season.

One needs to be cautious suggesting the latter, but we have now reached November with little or no irrigation and therefore downward pressure on groundwater.

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25

Deer farmers getting sheds into shape Most deer farmers are upgrading their deer sheds so that velvet is harvested, handled, stored and transported in a clean environment.

John Tacon, quality assurance manager for Deer Industry NZ (DINZ), said the regulatory bottom line is that all sheds must have a “clean zone” – a designated area where velvet antler is removed, handled and frozen.

In this zone, all contact surfaces must be washable and clean prior to velvet removal and handling.

“As soon as practicable after harvesting, but within two hours, velvet also needs to be placed in a velvet-only freezer capable of freezing to at least minus 15 degrees celsius.”

At some time in the future he expects standards could well be “ramped up, but it’s a good starting point”.

“For some farmers major upgrades have been needed. Others have had to only make minor refinements. And while hygiene is the driver, the new and upgraded facilities we are seeing are often much better for the deer and those who work with them,” he said.

“We are really impressed with the quality of the facilities that many farmers are building. It shows the great pride they have in their industry and the products they produce.”

Tacon said under a new regulatory control scheme (RCS), about a third of all velveting facilities will be audited each year by National Velveting Standards Body (NVSB) auditors who are now MPI-approved. This is separate to the annual visits by supervising veterinarians who check that farmer velveters are removing velvet in accordance with the NVSB standards.

Before velvet leaves the farm, farmers now must sign a Velvet Status Declaration (VSD) – a legal document that confirms the velvet has been removed in compliance with the RCS. “The velveting season is now under way and farmers have had only a few months to get their sheds up to spec,” Tacon said.

“The Ministry for Primary Industries is aware of this and is allowing some lenience. If you have taken clear steps to upgrade your facilities, you may sign your VSDs. You may sign if your shed hasn’t been audited, but you believe it meets the standard. Also, you may sign if you’ve been audited and there are some minor issues you need to attend to.

“The only farmers who should not sign are those with sheds that don’t meet the RCS standard and where they haven’t made any attempt to upgrade.

Eventually velvet from such sheds will not be legally saleable. When these sheds are identified they will be included on a list of non-complying farms that will be circulated to velvet buyers.”

DINZ chair Ian Walker, who is an NVSB and RCS auditor, said he has signed off 50 per cent of the sheds he has audited. Of the remainder, about half need only minor changes.

“One thing that many farmers forget to include in their records is an A4 plan of the facilities, with the clean zone areas highlighted. Most

National Velveting Standards Body committee member and Fairlie farmer Paddy Boyd talks to deer farmers about new shed standards at Aubrey Aitken’s Mayfield property in August.

PHOTO COLIN WILLISCROFT 150817-CW-045

of the audit is based on broad risk assessments, but there are some specific rules that you have to abide by – like the clean area plan and evidence that your freezer meets the required temperature.”

Paddy Boyd, a farmer member of the NVSB, said the shed upgrades have been a long time coming.

“In the last 40 years a lot has changed in terms of technology and public attitudes, but many of us have been using the same facilities throughout. We had already started encouraging farmers to upgrade before Chinese regulators decided to bring the supply and manufacture of traditional Chinese medicines into the modern era,” Boyd said.

“In working with the Ministry for Primary Industries on the new regulatory control scheme, we have been careful not to set standards that farmers couldn’t deliver. We had to ensure we had a scheme that was credible in the market, but was completely doable for farmers.”

26

Farming

www.guardianonline.co.nz

FEED AND SEED FEATURE

Programme promotes sustainability Improving environmental, economic and social outcomes are at the heart of an expansive new sustainability science programme from Plant & Food Research.

The Sustainable AgroEcosystems programme (SAE) is an initiative that prioritises scientific research specifically aimed at enhancing the productivity and resilience of the primary industries, while at the same time reducing environmental footprint.

The projects within the programme sit under three key research themes: land use suitability, plants for the environment, and future farming.

“The SAE research programme is taking a very strategic approach. The overarching objective is to deliver scientific knowledge, tools and technologies that simultaneously improve the quality of our environment, increase profitability, grow export earnings, and improve

market access,” Plant & Food Research team leader, Steve Thomas, said.

“Achieving this means the smart and sustainable use of resources, such as soil, nutrients and water; and taking into account the ever growing complexity of the economic, social and cultural environment that farmers and growers now operate in.

“The impact of farming on our environment is under increasing scrutiny, yet the pressure to produce high-value

products and be profitable is as great as ever. There is also the need to consider and adapt to the implications of a changing climate and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.”

The programme is aimed at enabling New Zealand farmers and growers to sustainably produce high-value crops with the smallest environmental footprint possible.

It is envisaged that this research will support the establishment of enhanced, environmentally considered

crop management systems that will ultimately deliver greater value and performance.

“The SAE programme is taking a scientifically robust, practical and futurefocused approach, which is really important if we are to find new and interesting ways to conquer the many challenges currently facing farmers and growers,” said the general manager of Plant & Food Research’s sustainable production portfolio, Roger Williams.

Crop research in the spotlight Planning is well under way for FAR’s Arable Research in Action (ARIA) field day at Chertsey on Wednesday, December 6.

The event, which is held every second year, puts the spotlight on FAR’s crop research, with an emphasis on field trials. As in previous years, there will be 12 presentations from FAR and invited guests, including Peter Botta, a grain storage specialist from Australia. Each presentation will be held twice, in the morning and

again after lunch.

Other speakers will provide updates on the latest grain, seed and potato agronomy research, while industrywide issues such as the environment, future crops and biosecurity will also be covered.

ARIA starts at around 10.30am with a welcome and finishes up at 4pm with refreshments and a barbecue.

FAR communications manager Anna Heslop said around 400 people are expected to attend the event.

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27

FEED AND SEED FEATURE

Smart Radish® coming Beets take a lot to beat After seven years of research and development, Norwest is in its final year of testing a new cover crop radish in 2017, and if the results are as expected, the company will have seed for sale in 2018.

According to the Midwest Cover Crops Council, today’s cover crops mixes include brassicas, grasses, legumes and non-legume species, and mixes of four to eight species are common. But Allan Lill of New Zealand-based Norwest Seed, a supplier of cover crop seed to the global market, says there has been very little breeding work done to improve what these crops can actually do.

About eight years ago, Norwest set out to change that and through its partnership with Plant Research NZ is in the final year of testing its new Smart Radish®.

Unlike many radishes, which are developed for use as a vegetable or sprouting, the Smart Radish® was bred with the aim of increasing nutrient recycling and improving soil health, Lill explains.

“In the past, it has been all about using existing plants that were beneficial as part of the cover crop seed mix,” he says. “To drive this to a new level, we started looking at different cover crop plants that could

be improved through breeding and selection.”

Lill says the key metrics his team used to evaluate plants included root ground pressure, nutrient uptake and rate of growth – they wanted something fast. The answer: radish.

“The Asian daikon radish is good and has served this purpose very well up until now,” Lill says, noting that it has its limitations, such as: bolting, lift up bulb, poor leaf growth, nematode suppression. “We at Norwest believe the Smart Radish® can achieve in one year what now takes two years by our existing radishes. We believe this new development offers real value.”

Lill says Norwest Seeds’ Smart Radish® is a completely different radish type from below ground to above ground.

“It has been bred to have a pull down root/bulb to help break up compacted soils,” he says. “We’ve maximised fibrous lateral roots and created a scavenging root system that can better feed from the soil. With more than twice the above ground vegetative growth – the leaves are like large solar panels intercepting sunlight – the Smart Radish® gives more ground cover, green manure options, forage for those interested in grazing or feeding livestock”.

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28

Farming

FEED AND SEED FEATURE

www.guardianonline.co.nz

Feeding cows to their potential New Zealand dairy farmers are dabbling with higher feed systems, but many won’t earn enough profit to justify the increased costs without knowledge of feeding and managing high producing cows.

Most New Zealand cows are well below their actual live weight targets, and consequently, a large proportion of the extra feed put into a system will initially go straight to growth rather than into the vat, Dairy Production Systems Ltd consultants Sue Macky and Bryan McKay said.

Farmers should be wary of playing with extra feed inputs into their system on an irregular basis, Macky said.

“It’s a dangerous place to be dabbling. It is no-man’s land, and it’s tough to make a profit.

And unfortunately, there are a lot of people in that category.

“When you see a lot of farmers putting in feed systems you know they may not get the return that they should because the knowledge isn’t there.”

Farmers who want to increase feed and move towards a system 4/5, therefore, need to understand it will take time and significant investment for cows to fully grow and be trained to consume the extra feed before they start to see the value in their milk cheque, she said.

Bank managers are going to have to be onside because payback will not come immediately. It can take three years to fully grow and train cows to eat extra feed and turn it into milk, and the reality is not everyone will be in a financial position to go down that track.

“Your herd will change dramatically; some adult cows gain 50 to 100kgs in a season without changing Body Condition Score (BCS) (or increasing production?). It is pure skeletal growth,” McKay said.

“That’s what you have to understand, and that’s what your bank manager has to understand when you’re going to set off down this road.

Because it doesn’t all come out in the vat in the first two to three years.

“The cows and the manager have to go through a substantial change.”

Currently, more than half the feed in the New Zealand dairy industry goes to maintenance and growth, and only a small proportion of feed eaten by the national dairy herd is going to production Macky said.

In the high producing herds

Rex Turnbull, Agrifeeds Animal Nutrition Sales Representative for the South Island is based in Ashburton.

however that is the other way around, and that’s what New Zealand dairy farmers should be aiming for. New Zealand could nearly double milk production without increasing cow numbers if the cows are grown to their full potential, fed sufficiently and managed correctly, she said.

New Zealand genetics are more than capable of achieving that. New Zealand heifers on Fonterra farms in China and the top herds in New Zealand already average more than 30 litres.

“They can all do it. We have the best genetics in the world, so that’s not the problem. But it’s a resource we are not utilising.”

To feed the national herd sufficiently to get that extra production would require about another 3.5 million tonnes of feed but some of

that is already in the system and wasted.

“We’ve just got to manage and better feed the ones we’ve got. When she is bigger, she can eat more, but more of what she eats goes to milk because it doesn’t have to go to growth anymore.”

The most significant obstacle currently is the target live weights used in the New Zealand dairy industry which farmers aim for are below where they should be, Macky said.

The genetics in New Zealand is an international mixture and farmers need to understand what they have in their herd to work out their true LWT. The New Zealand Jersey LWT is currently 380/390kg but should be about 430/440kg. The black J9 crossbred or Ayrshire should be approximately

PHOTO SUPPLIED

510kg, the New Zealand Holstein Friesian (F12 or more) should be 540/550kg.

A full bred New Zealand Friesian should be 600, and an international Holstein should be 700kg plus.

Once fully grown the best guideline to then work out how much feed a cow requires is to use the Comparative Stocking Rate (CSR), It is one of the best tools DairyNZ has ever produced, McKay said.

Farmers should ideally have a <80 per cent CSR but he estimates the average in New Zealand is probably about 90 to 100 per cent. A cow should be eating 4 per cent of her body weight every day.

Assuming a 280 to 300 day lactation a dry cow should be fed a minimum 2 per cent of her LW, a transition cow a minimum of 2.5 per cent live

weight, in the first half of lactation target 4 per cent of live weight and for the second half of lactation target 3.5 to4 per cent of live weight.

Recent research by Lincoln University showed a cow could only eat 17kgDM pasture a day so feeding grass alone won’t cut it, he said.

“So that difference needs to be made up as economically, effectively as efficiently and simply as you possibly can.”

Farmers should maximise what they can grow on farm and have a contingency plan for where they will source the rest of their feed.

“The hallmark of successful dairy systems throughout the world with regard to sourcing food is sourcing low-cost, high quality forage, I include pasture in that, and that’s the key to highly profitable dairy systems.”

Farmers need to have forages secured and under their control. They should be wary of buying feed on the spot market otherwise they are opening themselves up to follow overseas models which are reliant on market feed prices for production.

“You must not leave yourself vulnerable to the international spot market, that’s just crazy.”

A lot of farmers are going to go down that pathway which is a problem if they don’t understand the risks involved.

Higher production is not just about putting more feed into the system and growing cows to their full potential, however, the final factor is making the right decisions at the right time.

The key quadrants to getting good production and profitability are nutrition, cow management, cow comfort, and welfare.

Most farmers have got nutrition pretty much right, but there is a knowledge gap when it comes to management of high production cows.

For example, farmers need to understand transition management.

If you don’t tick all the boxes off you won’t get it right no matter how much feed you put into the system, Macky said.

Once you do get all those factors right, however, profitability, animal welfare, and reproduction will all improve.

– By Bryan McKay, BVSc MVSc MANZCVS NZIAHSc NZIPIM cPAg. Dairy Production Systems Ltd

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30 2

Farming

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Clock ticking for migrant workers In April 2017 migrant workers in the South Island were given the opportunity to obtain residence via the introduction of the South Island Contribution Visa.

More than 1600 migrant workers and their families, who have built a life for themselves in the South Island over the past five years, were finally given a pathway to residence.

However, to date, less than a quarter of eligible candidates have applied for the visa and time is now running out for remaining migrant workers to submit their application.

As of September 30 this year, just 564 applications had been received and 116 of those were declined, Immigration New Zealand (INZ) sources confirmed.

“When the new policy was announced, the government estimated that 1600 workers with an Essential Skills visa would be eligible to apply,” Heartland Immigration managing director, Mary Noonan said.

“Based on these numbers, it is a concern that such a high number of Essential Skills

Heartland Immigration managing director Mary Noonan.

visa holders have still not applied yet. It is imperative that migrant workers submit their application as soon as possible to allow for processing and to lodge a reconsideration application if they are initially declined.”

Applications are only open

to those with an Essential Skills visa who have been in the South Island for five years, are younger than 56 years old, and are of good health and character.

Successful applicants will be granted a temporary visa, which would then make them

eligible for residency after two years – on the condition they stay in the same industry and region.

The South Island Contribution visa is a paperbased application process that must be completed before May 23, 2018.

Noonan is encouraging eligible migrants to seek professional assistance from a licensed immigration advisor to maximise chances of a successful outcome.

“INZ have advised that 20 per cent of applicants have already been declined. Some applicants may not be aware of the complexities of the policy, nor the extent of the paperwork involved,” she said.

“There is no option to apply online and paper based applications can be more elaborate than those online – particularly for those whose first language is not English.

We encourage eligible workers to seek professional assistance to give them the best possible advantage when applying.”

It is paramount that employers of overseas staff reinforce the importance of

applying for the South Island Contribution visa – sooner rather than later, Noonan said, adding that this will ensure that employees do not miss out on a one-off opportunity to obtain residence, while employers will be able to retain the skilled staff they rely on.

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31

Tool upgrade a change for sector International collaboration is behind New Zealand’s latest leap in maternal sheep breeding technology.

The popular Sheep5K tool, launched in 2013, has just undergone its fourth re-calibration in as many years.

The latest version is more accurate, the number of traits available for assessment has risen from 22 to 34, and five breeds can now use the tool (romney, coopworth, perendale, composites and, in part, texel).

The work was overseen by Beef + Lamb New Zealand (B+LNZ) Genetics, with FarmIQ and the Pastoral Greenhouse Gas Research Consortium contributing additional genotypes and Zoetis distributing the tool.

B+LNZ Genetics general manager Graham Alder said the upgrade embodied a bigger story.

“It’s a great example of New Zealand recognising its strengths, but also its weaknesses. We need to partner strategically – and that means internationally – if we want to keep pace with the leading edge of genomic technology.

“While New Zealand farmers own the intellectual property behind Sheep5K, it needs strategic partnerships – financial and expertise – to improve the technology.

To that end, B+LNZ Genetics engaged with experts in Australia, USA, Finland and Ireland.

“The ‘competition’ here is not sheep producers in other countries; it’s other protein producing industries around the world. They are using genomics and other science-based approaches to make productivity gains. Sheepmeat has to keep up or it will be relegated to the status of a cottage industry.”

B+LNZ Genetics technology and extension manager Sharl Liebergreen said the Sheep5K re-launch achieved more than simply keeping New Zealand current.

“It’s a step change, along the lines of what we experienced with the inception of SIL, the across flock and breed evaluation SIL-ACE, and the establishment of the Central Progeny Test. Genomics technology, like Sheep5K, give us another lift – potentially double the lift of the other

technologies cited.

“It can be done, but adoption and education are the issue. There are still a lot of non-believers who are bagging it – holding New Zealand’s GDP back.”

From a breeder perspective, the improved tool generates a return on their investment by helping identify superior animals earlier in their lives, improving selection accuracy and therefore speeding up genetic gain, Leibergreen said.

“For commercial farmers, it’s about purchasing a more reliable genetic package.”

Nationally, there is also a significant opportunity. “The national ewe flock is in decline. If we apply genomics effectively, we could proactively decrease the flock size even further, but maintain the same level of lamb production. That ticks a lot of boxes – financial, environmental, sustainable. There are also massive gains to be made in the health traits, which will have a big flow-on effect for commercial farmers’ bottom lines.”

Zoetis Genetics area manager Johanna Scott said genetics was part of the platform driving on-farm profit.

“Farmers need to trust that the science

works and understand what their own breeding objectives are and where they want to go.”

She urged commercial farmers to choose their breeders objectively, based on all of the information available to them – including whether or not they use genomic tools.

Five sheep breeds, including romney, coopworth and perendale, can now use the popular Sheep5K tool.

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32 2

Farming

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Sustainable production a key theme

Last season’s dairy export earnings of $13.4 billion were on a par with the five-year average.

performing feed management systems.”

DairyNZ chief executive Tim Mackle said in 2016/17 national cow numbers fell to P E D F Ofrom 4.86 million five million R LO previously, with the average herd size dropping five cows to 414.

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“Yet production per cow set a new record – increasing by 9kg per cow (381kg MS/ cow).”

The meeting also saw the announcement of the successful candidates for two positions on the DairyNZ board of directors, with farmer-elected candidates Colin Glass (Canterbury) and Jim Van Der Poel (Waikato) voted in.

Glass is the chief executive of Timaru-based Dairy Holdings Ltd and has strong connections to Mid Canterbury, having grown up on a farm there, while currently owning three others with his wife Paula.

Both Peter Schuyt and Barry Harris were also reappointed as board-appointed directors.

Results of several resolutions were also announced at the annual meeting, including new director terms of three years, rather than four years. This will result in annual director elections and should provide greater opportunity for fresh leadership on DairyNZ’s board of directors.

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“These are our key investment areas, making up 65 cents in every levy dollar. This will enable the continuation of key research into dairy cow fertility and forage improvement, along with greater emphasis on cost control and high-

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upholding and improving our sustainability.”

Harris said DairyNZ investment for the 2017/18 season will see $18.5m going into research and development, $16.1m on biosecurity and product integrity, and $13.7m on farm profit.

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The dairy industry’s 2016/17 season’s economic success and the need to produce more milk sustainably were key themes at DairyNZ’s recent annual general meeting in Rotorua.

DairyNZ acting chairman Barry Harris said last season dairy export earnings reached $13.4 billion, which is on par with the five-year average, and illustrates how well farmers have responded to the low milk prices of previous seasons.

“I see the decade ahead of us to be transformational for our sector. Never before have we had a stronger mandate for the dairy sector to concentrate on productivity – to produce more from less, and to do so sustainably,” Harris said.

“We support initiatives that incentivise farmers to use the best environmental practices.

While the 2010s have been about dairy positioning itself for the changes ahead, I see the 2020s as heavily focused on making those changes.

“New Zealand’s environmental reputation, the reputation that gives us an advantage on the global market, relies on us

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