Dairy focus march 2014

Dairy Focus MARCH, 2014

Culture of conversions

Page 16-20

Photo Donna Wylie

Chris Bolderston at his Coldstream run-off block which is being converted to a dairy farm.

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Farming Dairy Focus

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Matt Jones

www.guardianonline.co.nz

Are you adopting a zero tolerance to drugs on your farm?

p4

Giving your cows a locomotion score will help evaluate the levels of lameness in the herd.

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STAFF MATTERS

Fred Hoekstra

Grant Davies

VEEHOF DAIRY SERVICES

Fixed interest rates are on the increase, and that’s good news for savers, following the lifting of the official cash rate.

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his month we introduce our new-look Dairy Focus. Changes have been made to bring magazine into line with the rebranding we did last year when we shelved the broadsheet version of our daily paper for a compact paper.

We also have also added a new columnist to our regular line-up of experts. Matt Jones, managing director of Agstaff, highlights the necessity of retaining a rural work force in the face of competition for labour from the Christchurch rebuild.

In our feature story Chris Bolderston talks about converting his Coldstream run-off block, why he made the decision and his plans for the future.

Dairy goats also make an appearance, LIC introduce the

millionth calf tested using the GeneMark programme, and the National Animal Welfare Advisory Committee call for submissions on humane slaughter.

Ashburton Health 2000 owner Bob McDonald puts out a call for participants to trial nano-chip technology on dairy cattle. While the notion of a chip in an ear tag improving productivity might sound hocus pocus, Mr McDonald says the initial results from trials in two Mid Canterbury herds are impressive.

With the New Zealand Dairy Industry regional finals almost complete we have a wrap up of the South Island winners, all contenders for the prize packages to be announced at the national awards dinner and anniversary ball at Auckland’s Sky City Convention Centre on May 9.

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Passion for their milkers

Susan Shorten with Sabi.

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Dairy goat farmers are few and far between on the Canterbury plains, but Michelle Nelson discovered they are passionate about what they do.

Michelle Nelson

W

RURAL EDITOR

hile the majority of dairy farmers are on the job well before sunrise to get hundreds of cows through the shed, a select group milk only a handful of animals – and know each one by name.

Margaret Prattley is an old hand when it comes to dairy goats. She’s been in the business since the 1970s.

These days it’s more of a hobby than a business, but she still milks 65 goats twice a day

for nine months of the year on an eight-cup platform.

Her shed is no longer commercially licensed, and what milk is not used by the family goes to raise dairy beefcross calves.

Mrs Prattley breeds and sells sables, saneens and toggenburgs and runs about 150 goats on her Woodbury farm, including 15 bucks.

She’s a stickler for keeping the breeds pure, and hand mates each doe to ensure the lineage is correct.

And she knows a good goat when she sees one. Mrs Prattley has been on the premier dairy goat judges list for years, and the convener of the dairy goat section at several A&P shows.

“I started milking goats to supply the house, then I got

interested in the showing side and everything just grew from there,” she said. “The show goats don’t get any special treatment though – they are just one of the herd.

“I’ve got some 12-year-olds still milking – a goat can live up to 15 years.”

Mrs Prattley says goats are browsers, not grazers by nature. Short grass is not

their preferred diet, and left to their own devices they do better when they have access to a wider range of herbs and foliage shrubs.

Ditch jumpers Susan and Peter Shorten hadn’t been in the Methven district for long before they replaced the herd of dairy goats they had left behind in Victoria, Australia, five years ago. They run and herd of sable and saneen goats, along with a handful of east friesian milking sheep.

“When we left (Victoria) we didn’t have sables, they are only just filtering in now,” Mrs Shorten said.

They take pride in feeding their stock and make their own mini balage, consisting of chickory, plantain, cox foot and clover. The goats also have access to herbal pasture.

The Shortens are producing soap and cheese with milk from the Krikri Dairy Goat herd, and the sheep milk is used to make cheese.

They say the sheep are much more complicated. “They are hard to get and hard to breedup, and harder to milk – but we will have 12 in milk this spring,” Mrs Shorten said.

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Do you test your staff for drugs?

Matt Jones

B

STAFF MATTERS

ack in the media yet again is a new report that the demand for drug testing kits by employers has increased by over 17% from this time last year.

The agricultural sector despite its inherent health and safety hazards unfortunately lags behind with this trend.

In higher risk industries such as mining, forestry and construction the number of workers tested for drugs has skyrocketed, however the farming sector isn’t following suit.

The dairy industry stands out as representing a large percentage of workers consuming both illegal and legal drugs. As reported recently, cannabis still leads the way as the most prevalent and detected drug of choice,

especially in the Southern regions of New Zealand.

New figures released by the New Zealand Drug Detection Agency reports 71.4% of nonnegative results represents the extent of cannabis use, up a staggering 70% from this time two years ago.

It is critical not to overlook agriculture with this issue keeping in mind the use of dangerous machinery and frequent use of quad bikes.

Let’s ensure overall workplace safety measures are in place on your farm to avoid potential headaches.

Are you adopting a zero tolerance to drugs on your farm? I’d recommend that you incorporate clear policies regarding the testing of drugs in your workplace. Testing for these substances also sets the standards and expectations for your farm workers from the get-go.

Agricultural staff under the influence of drugs and alcohol is more likely to inflict detrimental harm onto your business. Impaired decisionmaking or reckless behaviour can cause needless accidents

Providing a safe environment for farm workers and having strict drug use policies will equate to efficient, focused staff, happy management and a smooth running farming operation.

and injuries, and may result in damage not only to a business, but to lives, property, vehicles and livestock.

Other than pre-employment testing, random, ‘reasonable cause’ and post-incident testing can only happen once a contract and policy has already been implemented.

While farmers may feel a

little perplexed when faced with the management of workplace drug and alcohol abuse, if you have these bases covered you then have more peace of mind and can get back to business.

Why risk having to take on policy, procedure and more paperwork when some simple recruitment procedures

can help avoid unwanted situations?

Farmers can be in a vulnerable position if an event such as an accident or injury occurs under the influence, however I’d like to affirm that this can be easily prevented.

Make sure contracts are watertight to set out your expectations of sensible workplace conduct.

I remind you that your duty is, under the Health and Safety Employment Act, to provide a safe environment and strict drug use policies equate to efficient, focused staff, happy management and a smooth running farming operation.

In a nutshell, worst case scenarios can be easily prevented by incorporating drug testing policy into staff contracts, and into practice.

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5

On top of A dairying

former professional rugby player’s competitiveness has shifted codes when he won the premier contest at the 2014 Canterbury North Otago Dairy Industry Awards.

Kevin and Sara O’Neill are the 2014 Canterbury North Otago SharemilkerEquity Farmers of the Year. Mr O’Neill is a former Crusaders, Chiefs and Rebels rugby player. He gained an All Blacks cap in 2008. The

giant lock and his valuer wife switched their focus to dairy farming in 2011.

The other major winners in the Canterbury North Otago Dairy Industry Awards were Phillip Colombus, the Canterbury North Otago Farm Manager of the Year, and Isaac Vujcich, the region’s 2014 Dairy Trainee of the Year. They were announced winners earlier this month.

The O’Neills have had just over two years in the dairy

industry, beginning with a sixmonth stint as farm managers before entering a partnership as equity farm managers on Mrs O’Neill’s family farm at Waiau, North Canterbury.

The couple oversee an 1190-cow herd on the 340ha farm and have Duncan and Olivia Rutherford, and James and Belinda McCone as their equity partners.

The couple both have degrees from Lincoln University and grew up on farms.

Canterbury North Otago winners

Kevin and Sara O’Neill, the 2014 Canterbury North Otago Sharemilker/Equity Farmers of the Year.

Kevin and Sarah O’Neill, will host a field day on April 1, while farm manager of the year Phillip Colombus will host a field day on the Oxford farm he manages on March 25.

Sharemilker-Equity Farmer Merit Awards: Riverside Vets Animal Health Award: Mark and Vanessa Shefford.

DairyNZ Human Resources Award: Liam Kelly. Ecolab Farm Dairy Hygiene Award: Liam Kelly. Federated Farmers of New Zealand Leadership Award: James and Ceri Bourke. Honda Farm Safety and Health Award: Kevin and Sara O’Neill. LIC Recording and Productivity Award:

Stacey Hoets. Primary ITO Human Resource Management Award: Steve Veix. RD1 Farm Management Award: Phillip Colombus. Westpac Financial Planning and Management Award: Phillip Colombus.

Dairy Trainee Merit Awards: Ngai Tahu Farming Knowledge Award: Brad Fallaver. FarmRight Leadership Award: Fiona McRae. DairyNZ Practical Skills Award: Brad Fallaver.

• Further details on the winners and field days can be found on www. dairyindustryawards.co.nz.

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Harnessing the worms’ efforts T

he humble earthworm could hold the key to increased food production around the world.

An authority on soil science is calling for a third agricultural revolution to meet the challenge of feeding the world in year 2050 and says the earthworm could play a crucial role.

Soil scientist Dr John Baker says the single greatest challenge facing the world today is feeding the extra 50 per cent population by the year 2050 and “if we feed earthworms, they’ll feed the people”.

Earthworms are an integral element of healthy soil which is needed to grow more food and feed more people. He doesn’t mean people should start eating earthworms but only 4 per cent of the world’s surface has arable soil and that’s not likely to increase significantly “unless we farm it more sustainably which we simply haven’t been doing”.

Enter the earthworm which contributes to drainage through its burrowing, it transfers fertility from deep in

The earthworm could be key to improving the world’s food production, according to a soil science expert.

the soil to closer to the surface where plants can use it, it binds the soil together and its worm casts are highly fertile.

The earthworm, beloved as a snack by birds, is multifunctional as it passes the soil through its digestive system and extracts the nutrients, including carbon which feeds almost all the other biology in the soil. “Earthworms are the most visible indicators of soil health,” Dr Baker says.

But the problem is there’s seldom enough of them because conventional tillage has reduced their number.

Not only does ploughing kill them but it oxidises the carbon that’s already in the soil and releases it as carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

“Up to 20 per cent of all

CO2 in the atmosphere comes from tillage in the soil,” he says.

“

In some soils you’d be lucky to find one earthworm in a spade full of dirt

Dr Baker, who was a finalist in the 2013 World Food Prize, says when the soil biological activity increases, crop yields will increase, food will become more plentiful and world production will become more sustainable.

However, he warns that

won’t occur with traditional tillage which oxidises the carbon, contributes to crop failure and soil erosion and eventually famine and drought in areas of the world.

Dr Baker, who has a MAgrSc in soil science and PhD in agricultural engineering, advocates the use of low disturbance, notillage machines. After 30 years of research at Massey University, he has developed Cross Slot no-tillage drills which penetrate through crop residue or vegetation on top of the soil and sow seed and fertiliser in separate bands beneath it at the same time.

The process causes minimal disturbance to the soil, traps the humidity, preserves the micro-organisms and soil life and largely prevents carbon from escaping.

Dr Baker has seen earthworm numbers double in New Zealand after just one year of low-disturbance no-tillage.

He says that no-tillage is the equivalent of keyhole surgery as opposed to ploughing which is invasive surgery.

As evidence Dr Baker points

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to Brazil and Argentina which have seen great increases in productivity over 30 years due to no-tillage which is now used by 75 per cent of farmers. He predicts that anyone changing to lowdisturbance no-tillage will see a difference in the first year as earthworms multiply and soil health increases.

“The first agricultural revolution occurred in Britain from the 15th to the 19th century where farmers broke the historical food scarcity cycles by developing ways of improving arable land,” he says. “The second – the Green Revolution – was led by Norman Borlaug in the 20th century. It improved the yields of cereals with genetics,” Dr Baker says.

“Now we see a third revolution under way where increasing the production of food through improved soil biology will spin off from the use of new technology.

The aim is to allow the world to feed itself and other revolutions that accompany it, such as IT and biomedical, to flourish to benefit mankind.”

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Scoring helps monitor hoof health Fred Hoekstra

H

VEEHOF DAIRY SERVICES

ow many lame cows do you have? I have a strong suspicion that most farmers don’t know.

When we go to a farm to do hoof trimming, we usually treat more cows than what had been booked – this has been the case for the 19 years I have been trimming in New Zealand.

Our Australian colleagues are finding the same. Many of the cows we trim are not considered lame by the farmer but are identified for preventative trimming.

However, it still strikes me how often there are more lame cows than expected.

Often farmers say they don’t have lame cows, yet when you see their herd walking on the track it is obvious that this is not the case. Maybe not so

The arched backs are a tell-tale sign that all is not well with these cows’ feet.

much that you can tell which foot the cows are favouring but, nevertheless, they are lame.

“

So what constitutes a lame cow?

Cows are lame long before they limp, and even at this stage (known as the subclinical stage) they are costing you money. Research shows that a cow will lose 5 per cent production in this subclinical stage.

If you have a large percentage of the herd in that situation you may be losing more money than you realise.

So how can you identify the cows that are subclinically lame? There are some good tools available to help you recognise the signs.

Zinpro has produced a helpful locomotion scoring chart which highlights five different stages of lameness and encourages the farmer to observe how a cow stands and walks. In brief, a cow should stand and walk with a flat back. This would be locomotion score one. If she stands with a flat back and

walks with an arched back she is a locomotion score two and has now has moved into the subclinical stage of lameness.

In locomotion score three the cow stands and walks with an arched back but you are not able to identify which foot is damaged. Locomotion score four is when you can tell which foot the cow is lame on and is now considered a clinically lame cow.

When the cow becomes so lame that her lame foot is not weight-bearing anymore, she has become a locomotion score five cow. Locomotion scores two and three cows don’t always become clinically

lame. Most cows don’t stay clinically lame even if they never get trimmed or treated, and I think it is an important point that we, as trimmers, are not trying to just get cows to come right, because most cows will come right if you give them rest and don’t walk them too far.

However, our aim is to have cows come right as quickly as possible and their recovery time is a good indicator of the effectiveness of the trimming performed. We need cows to come right quickly because, one, it is an animal welfare issue and, two, they are costing you money.

So, I challenge you to look critically at your cows as they walk to the cowshed to see how many have a locomotion score of two or three. Give us a call on 0800 833 643 and we will send you a free locomotion scoring chart from Zinpro to help you with your assessment.

If you get your score three cows trimmed and improve their locomotion, you will have stopped them becoming lame and their production levels will improve.

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Education... the key to profitability

By DeBorah Smith, Dairy BuSineSS Centre (nZ) LimiteD

W

Increase Production & Profitability…

…Through Improved Knowledge and Education

Developing future dairy leaders Nutrition Training Courses Workshops & Field Days Scholarships Sponsorship Focused on up-skilling farmers and dairy staff on: ● Cow nutrition ● Ration balancing ● Animal health ● Pasture management ● Milk production management

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hile returns for the New Zealand dairy industry are looking attractive right now on the back of the forecast increased payout for the coming dairy season, farmers need to be aware that this is not a time to become complacent regarding their operation’s profitability.

As many farmers will be using any increase in payout to offset previous year’s lower payouts, it is still vitally important that farmers maintain efficient use of their resources, using them to their fullest potential to increase profitability levels. This highlights the need for farmers to up-skill themselves on a number of fundamental areas of successful farm operation including profit planning, cow nutrition, ration balancing, animal health and pasture and milk production management. By educating themselves on the benefits of balanced dairy nutrition, farmers are able to make better decisions on whether their cows are complementary or supplementary feeders. This allows for better feed planning and more accurate budgeting and monitoring as the season progresses.

With many more stock feed companies jumping on the nutrition bandwagon following the rapid growth of the South Island dairy industry, farmers need to ensure they are receiving up-to-date and accurate information as this is directly affecting their primary resource – their dairy herd. Even more importantly, farmers need to fully understand what affects any nutrition/feeding recommendations they may be receiving will have on animal health,

production and profitability. The key to achieving this understanding is by up-skilling through further education and training, with farmers being encouraged to learn the processes necessary to develop a customised, profit-based feeding strategy built to ruling milk prices with the aim to improve overall farm performance, whether they are grass-only or supplementary feeders.

With New Zealand boasting a number of companies offering education and training programmes aimed at all levels of the industry, it is never too late to learn.

However, in order to achieve the most benefit from any further education, farmers need to thoroughly research the courses offered, ensure that the course content is relevant to their particular type of dairy operation and that it will provide them, or their staff, with the additional skills or information they are looking for.

Keep in mind that a successful training course should instill in its participants the importance of upskilling and communicate to farmers the need to consider education as an essential tool in both the day-to-day operation and long-term planning for their dairy unit. This will provide farmers, and their staff, with peace of mind as they make the decisions necessary to ensure increased productivity and profitability going forward.

For more information on training and education courses available, either discuss options with your farm adviser or you can contact Deborah Smith at the Dairy Business Centre (NZ) Limited, phone (03) 308 0094 or email dairymasters@dairybusiness.co.nz.

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11

Second-time round proves helpful

E

ntering the New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards has helped the winners of the 2014 Southland Otago competition to progress in the industry.

At an awards dinner in Gore, Winton 50-50 sharemilkers Steve Henderson and Tracy Heale won the 2014 Southland Otago SharemilkerEquity Farmer of the Year title, Riversdale farm manager Jared Crawford won the Farm

Manager of the Year title and Winton 2IC Josh Lavender won the Dairy Trainee of the Year. It was the second time all had entered the awards.

“The benefits of entering go far beyond the prizes as it definitely helped us to secure the 50-50 sharemilking job we are currently on,” Steve Henderson and Tracy Heale said. The couple are sharemilking 320 cows for Adrian and Bev Simmonds

targeting to produce 125,000kg milksolids.

Second place in the Sharemilker-Equity Farmer of the Year went to Gore lower order sharemilkers Daniel and Emily Woolsey. Third went to Otautau lower order sharemilkers James Deans and Angela Coleman.

The goal of Farm Manager of the Year Jared Crawford is to go 50-50 sharemilking by 2018. Aged 30, he is managing

a new conversion farm owned

by Roger and Tracey Miller milking 750 cows. It will milk 950 cows next season.

Sharemilker-Equity Farmer Merit Awards: DairyNZ Human Resources Award: James Deans and Angela Coleman. Ecolab Farm Dairy Hygiene Award and Federated Farmers of New Zealand Leadership Award: Daniel and Emily Woolsey. Honda Farm Safety and Health Award:

Russell and Tracy Bouma. LIC Recording and Productivity Award: Steve Henderson and Tracy Heale. Meridian Energy Farm Environment Award and Ravensdown Pasture Performance Award: Daniel and Emily Woolsey.

Triplejump Risk Management Award: James Deans and Angela Coleman. Westpac Business Performance Award: Steve Henderson and Tracy Heale.

West Coast winners focus on debt reduction

T

he winners of the 2014 West Coast Top of the South SharemilkerEquity Farmer of the Year competition, Chris and Carla Staples, are focused on reducing debt and increasing equity.

The couple are positioning themselves to take the next step to farm ownership.

The other major winners at the West Coast Top of the South Dairy Industry Awards were Jason Macbeth, the region’s Farm Manager of the

Year and Amy White, winner of the Dairy Trainee of the Year title.

The Staples were the runners-up in last year’s sharemilker-equity farmer contest and have used the judges’ feedback to their advantage by improving their business and farming systems.

“We found entering the awards provided a great opportunity to take an indepth look into our business, as well as being able to benchmark ourselves against

others in our region.”

The Staples are 50-50 sharemilking 365 cows at Whataroa for farm owners Keith and Angela Kelly.

They say their profitability and great working relationships are keys to their success. “Our short-term goal is to increase production while maintaining good profitability on our current farm.”

The couple’s long-term goal is farm ownership.

Greymouth equity farm managers Kelvin and Heather

McKay were runners-up in the competition.

West Coast Top of the South Farm Manager of the Year, Jason Macbeth, wants to prove that West Coast farms can perform well against other top farms around the country. The 23-year-old is contract milking 280 cows for Bruce and Jocelyn Palmer at Murchison.

Mr Macbeth is moving to a 25 per cent sharemilking position in June and aims to be 50-50 sharemilking 300 cows

in 2017 with his partner, Beth Phillips.

Second place in the farm manager contest went to Landcorp farm manager Hayden George, aged 30, and third went to Takaka farm manager Alice Reilly, 26.

Twenty-year-old Murchison farm assistant Amy White is the 2014 West Coast Top of the South Dairy Trainee of the Year. It is her second season in the industry and she is assisting on Stephen Todd’s 353-cow Murchison farm.

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13

Irrigators look towards the future

S

ecuring the next generation’s future is the theme of next month’s Irrigation New Zealand conference in Napier.

You have less than a month to get your registration in for the biennial conference and expo, the first time INZ has held this event in the North Island.

INZ’s inaugural conference took place 35 years ago with close to 200 people turning up to hear the then Minister of Agriculture Hon Duncan MacIntyre speak. The New Zealand Irrigation Association came out of this event and it’s fascinating to observe that many of our Ron Cocks Memorial award winners and long-standing INZ members were present at the 1978 conference.

In the four decades since, the conferences have reflected the general health of INZ with a period of recess during the 1980s and 1990s followed by a resurgence of interest in the mid 2000s. The 2008 gathering in Christchurch allowed not only irrigators and industry, but those involved in research, consulting and the

leading irrigators, change makers and influencers from the regions.

“

Information aplenty at an irrigation conference.

development of regulation and policy around irrigation an opportunity to connect and discuss common issues.

Since then registrations for our biennial conference and expo have steadily grown with more than 400 participants attending regularly in recent years.

This year’s theme – Securing the next generation’s future – will provide a platform for discussion about how New Zealand benefits from irrigation and the longterm goals for the sector and

industry partners. It also provides an opportunity for INZ to promote the work it has undertaken in the past two years, this includes the SMART Irrigation framework to provide irrigators with an easy pathway to demonstrate to the wider community they are efficient, and to introduce new ideas and move irrigator and industry thinking forward.

This year it is encouraging more farmer irrigators to attend. The conference and expo typically attracts the

One area of focus is about communicating with and meeting community expectations

But INZ would like to see more farmer irrigators take the leadership mantle and become part of the discussion around how irrigation is developed and managed across New Zealand. As we all know, significant change is happening in farming and irrigators need relevant information and tools to help them adapt to change.

Keynote speakers this year include John Culleton, chief executive of Coleambally Irrigation Co-operative, which is one of Australia’s largest irrigation schemes, highlighting how irrigation underpins communities,

Deborah Hamlin, chief executive of the American Irrigation Association addressing irrigation efficiency initiatives in the United States, and Mike Wade, executive director of the California Farm Water Coalition, who has taken a lead role in changing public perceptions to farming in California.

New Zealand speakers include Graham Turley, the managing director of ANZ Commercial Agri, on financing irrigation development and Hawke’s Bay farmers and regional council representatives who will outline the development of the 30,000ha Ruataniwha Water Storage Project.

Workshop sessions include regional profiles and discussions of setting limits (now that this is compulsory in New Zealand for river flows, aquifer levels and now water quality), alongside a focus on irrigation innovation and technical developments.

• Further information on the conference programme and how to register can be made at www.irrigationnz.co.nz/ eventsandtraining

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2 14

Farming Dairy Focus

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One millionth W

The one-millionth calf profiled by GeneMark’s DNA service.

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hile many farmers work hard each spring to match new calves to their mums in the paddock and protect their investment in artificial breeding, an increasing number are taking advantage of technology which uses the animal’s DNA to accurately confirm parentage.

More than one million animals have now been screened by LIC’s DNA technology since it was introduced in 2001, and more than 1000 herds are utilising the GeneMark parentage service which eliminates the need for farmers to match calves to their mums in the paddock and provides them with the most accurate way to confirm the parentage of their animals.

One of those herds is owned

by Tirau farmers, Bill and Lynne Gerring, and one of their 2013-born calves was the millionth to be profiled by GeneMark.

“We’ve been farming for 13 years, but two years ago our son Daniel was starting his dairy farming career with

Geoff Corbett, LIC diagnostics manager.

us and I thought GeneMark would help him identify the replacement heifers correctly,” Mr Gerring said.

“It’s good to know for sure that our young stock, especially those with high breeding values, are out of who they’re supposed to be.”

With DNA parentage testing, the Gerrings don’t need to match calves to dams, they simply collect calves from the paddock and, with a tool provided, take a small tissue sample from an ear of each calf for GeneMark to analyse.

“The tissue sample system is very easy to use, and GeneMark has certainly given

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15

calf profiled by GeneMark system History of LIC’s GeneMark Whole Herd DNA parentage testing • 2001 – launched by LIC • 2009 – new technology significantly improves resolution rates of calf to sire and dam.

• 2013 – 1 million calves profiled, 1000 herds using service.

Left – Daniel, Rebecca, Bill and Lynne Gerring, of Tirau, whose calf was the one millionth profiled by GeneMark.

us more confidence when selecting semen for a particular dam.

“It’s rewarding to know the breeding worth of the potential offspring is accurate.

“I also believe that the more farmers who use DNA parentage, the more accurate sire proving will become.”

One of the Gerrings’ 2013 calves was the millionth to

be profiled by the GeneMark service, and they were presented with a certificate and bottle of wine from LIC in celebration.

LIC’s diagnostics manager, Geoff Corbett, says the service has been well received over the years, but jumped ahead in 2009 when new technology greatly improved the ability to match calf to

both sire and dam, even in the largest dairy herds in New Zealand.

“As farms have gotten larger it has, understandably, become increasingly difficult to accurately record and confirm the pedigree of calves – and that’s important information as they are to be the new crop of cows in the herd.

“Farmers wanted an

easier solution; they wanted assurance around their significant AB spend, that they are keeping the correct animals, and that any genetic gain is not lost to misidentification of parentage.

“GeneMark provides them with all that, so they can concentrate more on cow health and well-being at calving time.

“It’s delivering farmers a range of benefits, with more investing in the service each year. The challenge for us now is to continue to speed up the process and provide results quicker - because we know there are farmers who want to be able to make earlier decisions before calves go to grazing or are bought or sold.”

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2 16

Farming Dairy Focus

Dairy conversion

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Innovative Irrigation Management L

indsay’s FieldNET™ and FieldMAP Online irrigation management technologies have been shortlisted for the IrrigationNZ Innovation in Irrigation Award. The winner will be announced at the IrrigationNZ conference, to be held in Napier on the 7-9 April.

“IrrigationNZ is looking to recognise and reward the positive initiatives being undertaken with irrigation, and wider community benefits as a result of irrigation,” IrrigationNZ business manager Chris Coughlan said.

FieldNET™ is an online platform for the remote control and monitoring of centre pivots, laterals, pumps and VRI. Growers can view the status of their irrigators and control individual irrigators from the convenience of their mobile phone, tablet or computer. In addition, FieldMAP Online allows control of VRI plans, monitoring of VRI application over any set timescale, and diagnostics.

Being able to monitor and control irrigation without

travelling to the paddock saves farmers time and money, with peace of mind through alerts received on their mobile phones. The environment benefits through reduced water wastage caused by irrigation breakdowns. Improved irrigation scheduling means more efficient water usage, increasing yields and reducing environmental impact.

Andrew Fisher, from Ashburton, uses FieldNET to oversee his irrigators.

“FieldNET saves me from having to drive around and check multiple pivots every night before I go to bed.

If there is trouble with a machine, I am alerted and can pay attention to that machine straight away, minimising system downtime and saving me time” “Innovation is commonplace within our sector as irrigators are constantly responding to regulatory and community feedback to improve performance. Unfortunately too often the focus is on the negative, and many significant advances made by our industry have been overlooked.”

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Andrew Curtis, IrrigationNZ CEO says: “The reality is most irrigators strive to be efficient water users and are considerate of their environment. There are lots of exciting things happening within our industry and the award gives us an opportunity to recognise the positive impact irrigation plays in many communities.”

Precision Irrigation, who developed FieldMAP Online, is not new to the INZ awards. In 2010 they took out the award with its variable rate irrigation system, which uses GPS to more effectively target water application.

The technology has immediate impacts and can benefit the farmer with greater water use efficiency and power savings. Subsequent to winning the 2010 award, the company was purchased

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2 18

Farming Dairy Focus

Dairy conversion

www.guardianonline.co.nz

A tree friendly dairy Michelle Nelson

C

RURAL EDITOR

oldstream dairy farmer Chris Bolderston has been in the business for 42 years, and he’s using that experience to convert the run off block he has owned for 12 years.

But unlike many dairy conversions, he’s not clearfelling the farm.

“We’ve owned the property since 2001, bought it as a dairy run off for the Lowcliff dairy farm, growing heifers, lamb fattening and running carryover cows, growing winter feed crops and cereal silage,” he said.

The 175ha block had been a family farm, owned

by Leonard and Winnie Rolston and operated as a fully borderdyked sheep and cropping unit.

“It was a beautifully planted, well run farm” Chris said.

Initially there were no plans to convert the farm into a dairying unit, but 13 years on Chris said it is the most sensible use of the land given his age and stage in life.

The property has good soils – but not good enough to operate a stand-alone cropping unit, and there’s not enough money in sheep or beef in the current climate to fund the irrigation development.

“It was an age and stage decision – I’m going to take capital out and bring in equity partners – they are a hard working deserving young couple with a young family who will run the property,” he said.

“There has to be a career path for these young people chucking cups on a huge numbered of cows day-in dayout, or we will lose them and end up owned by corporate or overseas interests.

“This is a natural progression for the farm.

“I worked through other options with McFarlane’s Rural Business consultants,

to see how I could create a better work-life balance but there was no other real option, work-wise and economically but to convert. I elected to do this myself to preserve the character of the farm, rather than sell it to someone else to wipe it clean and convert it.”

“

I elected to do this myself to preserve the character of the farm . . .

The property was fully borderdyke-irrigated when the Bolderstons bought it in 2001, and over the years the borders have been levelled and replaced by spray irrigation systems.

“In effect we’ve been converting it since we brought it, developing fencing and putting in spray irrigators to enchance water optimisation.

“But we wanted to maintain the character of the property from when the Rolstons

Dairy conversion

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19

conversion underway owned the property. I have deep admiration and respect for them.

“I like trees – too many conversions are green deserts, it’s not aesthetically pleasing.”

The only trees taken out for the conversion was an 11ha pine plantation that was planted on part of the farm that couldn’t be irrigated with the borderdyking and suffered badly from wind throw.

However, last September’s gales did considerable damage, taking out thousands of trees.

Rather than cut down the wind-damaged trees, Chris spent weeks in the digger bucket with a chainsaw, pruning off the damage before pushing the roots back into place and tamping them down with extra earth.

“If you take them out it leaves wind funnels and you’ll lose more next time it blows,” he said.

Specimen trees have been relocated at considerable cost, to work in with the irrigation systems.

In place of the borderdykes the property is now watered by two laterals and two centre

pivot irrigators, which work around the trees and the shape of the farm in a three to sixday return period using less water and growing more grass.

“It used to take Len six weeks to get around the farm

“

Mid Canterbury is cow heaven . . .

with borderdykes. Irrigation has been developed around efficiency – and it’s water is driving the great GDP in this district – not dairying.

“But Mid Canterbury is cow heaven, flat land, dry climate, water, free-draining soils, regular shaped farms, people have forgotten when we came here in 1984 there was virtually no infrastructure to support dairying.

“Irrigation development and conversions tick all the boxes for a vibrant community. Rural density has increased, socially and economically enchances land use benefitting everyone.

“The only downside to this,

and there is there is no silver bullet for it anywhere in the world, is urine patches.

If we could solve that our pasture-based systems would be safe.

“The change to spray uses way less water and produces, more but unfortunately with intensification comes nitrate loss.

“Bagged nitrogen is not the Chris Bolderston. problem – it’s what it allows us to do that’s the problem – it allows you to grow more animals or grow more crop etc in a given area.

“Borderdyking was in effect solution by dilution – it took nutrients with it, washing through them through the profile alleviating the problem somewhat.

“Potentially there’s more nitrogen captured in the subsoil but when we get a drainage event it washes through.

The farm has soil moisture monitoring equipment, and improvements in weather forecasting allows some control over drainage events by turning off irrigators, Continued over page

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Farming Dairy Focus

but at the end of the day lost water equals lost nitrogen.

Chris has also been looking at the roles of pasture in relation to nitrates, and trialling broad spectrum pastures, incorporating timothy and plantain and other low protein animal-friendly plants.

“Some of the traditional ryegrass and clover pastures can inflate nitrogen levels in urine. We used to be able to farm without nitrogen maybe we will have to again.”

A DairyNZ tetraploid perennial ryegrass pasture trial is under way in a 4.5ha paddock, where growth and animal preference will be monitored.

“We breed grasses that grow like stink but are maybe not what cows necessarily need.

We’ve become too reliant on rye grass mono cultures – rocket fuel pasture species that perhaps aren’t cow friendly.

“I’ve spent a lot of time and money getting ECan and building consent approvals, in 1984 we could do what ever we wanted – now farmers are almost administrators first and farmers second.”

Chris has been developing his Jersey-based Kiwi-cross herd for 40 years. Time has also been spent time selecting cows with the highest feed conversion efficiency. The objective is that

Dairy conversion

they will produce their body weight in milk solids over their lifetime on an annual basis as mature cows, meaning less animals for a greater output.

Recent concern about national statistics which showed a significant percentage of replacement heifers were underweight, has resulted in Chris instigating a heiferweighing programme, which is showing well above average results.

“We’re growing heifers pretty well these days.”

Cows from both farms will now be wintered over on the farm next door, and the heifers not far up the road.

Chris says there won’t be any change from $1.25 million, when the new state-of-the-art 54 bail rotary shed is completed.

And almost all that money stays in the local community.

Hinds tradesman Greg Sim is building the shed.

“The design has been tweaked to be people and cow friendly.”

The shed will have automatic cup removers, and a host of other labour-saving devices and plans are in place for innovative landscaping, including a fruit tree stand in the turnaround.

Waste water will be sprayed onto pasture via the lateral irrigators.A nearby well has been raised and bunded to

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prevent any accidental seepage entering the water supply.

Chris has been involved with judging the Ballance Farm Environmental Awards for a number of years and is impressed with what farmers are doing in terms of sustainability and innovation.

“All the good ideas have not been thought of yet,” he said.

But with none of the children interested in dairying he doesn’t plan to stay on the property.

Come June 1, his dairying days will essentially be over.

“I could almost have funded the conversion myself but I didn’t want to go back to day-to-day dairy operations,” he said. “That provides an opportunity for a new partnership.

“This is not about money – I’ve got a good history employing variable order sharemilkers over the years, I have enjoyed giving people an opportunity to get started on the ownership road.

“I struck the most wonderful boss when I started in sharemilking, he was my mentor and I’ve always tried to replicate that process myself.”

As to what comes next, Chris has his eyes on the hills.

“I grew up on a hill farm and am looking at returning to that with my son Josh.”

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21

Humane bobby calf killing code sought Feds back review T F he National Animal Welfare Advisory Committee (Nawac) is seeking public consultation on proposed changes to the Animal Welfare Dairy Cattle Code 2010.

Nawac is proposing that bluntforce trauma may not be used for the routine killing of unwanted dairy calves on the farm.

“We understand that people are concerned about farmers using blunt-force trauma to kill young calves on the farm,” says Dr Karen Phillips, deputychairwoman of Nawac.

“The risks of incorrect use, coupled with the fact that there are alternatives that can be better for animal welfare, meant that it was time to consider changing the rules on this.

“Industry bodies have been discouraging it over a number of years and it is no longer common practice,” says Dr Phillips.

The proposed changes to the Animal Welfare (Dairy Cattle) Code of Welfare are as follows: Proposed amendment to 5.10 Calf Management: Specification that blunt-force trauma is not acceptable for routine killing of unwanted calves; Calves must

remain insensible until death is confirmed; and those destroying calves onfarm must be competent.

Proposed amendment to 6.4 Emergency Humane Destruction: Clarifies that methods used to kill an animal in an emergency may be used in an emergency only and may not be used for routine on-farm destruction of dairy calves; and emphasises the need to ensure the death of the animal following any humane destruction.

“The long-term solution is to support the work that industry is doing to discourage the killing

ederated Farmers is supporting a review of the use of blunt force to kill unwanted calves on dairy farms.

Last week Primary Industries minister Nathan Guy asked officials from the National Animal Welfare Advisory Committee (Nawac) to consider amending the Animal Welfare Code for Dairy Cattle to ban the use on blunt force as a means of euthanasing bobby calves.

He said the practice, although not widespread, compromised the country’s reputation and had the potential to damage of calves on farm by blunt force. markets.

“We want to hear from Mr Guy said considfarmers on whether or not our eration would be given to proposals are realistic for them. emergency cases, where a Without farmer support, animal farmer found a suffering welfare cannot improve,” says Dr animal in a remote location.

Phillips.

Federated Farmers viceTo read the proposal and make chairman Andrew Hoggard a submission, visit the MPI said any review must set in website: http://www.biosecurity. stone that the use of bluntgovt.nz/biosec/consult force euthanasia would only

be an emergency measure, when no access to approved methods, such as a gun or deadbolt device, and an animal was suffering.

Mr Hoggard hoped the review would define what would be classified as an emergency situation. “The minister is right to say that the vast majority of farmers care about their animals and do a good job of looking after them, but there is no way blunt force should be a standard operating procedure.”

Nawac will begin public consultation on the proposed amendment soon, and a final decision will be made mid-year.

The Animal Welfare Amendment Bill, before the Select Committee, will further strengthen the Act. It allows for the creation of enforceable regulations that will complement the minimum standards contained within New Zealand’s 16 welfare codes.

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Farming Dairy Focus

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ECan endorses Hinds nutrient limits T he community recommendations for setting and managing nutrient limits in the Hinds catchment were received and endorsed by Environment Canterbury at a council meeting on March 13.

The recommendations are contained in the Ashburton Zone Implementation Programme Addendum – prepared by the Ashburton Zone Committee set up as part of the collaborative Canterbury Water Management Strategy.

“The addendum document covers both water quality and quantity issues,” says David Caygill, the ECan commissioner with responsibility for water and also a member of the Ashburton Zone Committee.

“It sets out recommendations for policies and rules, as well as non-regulatory actions for land-owners, which together are designed to improve water outcomes in the Hinds Catchment.

“The addendum has resulted from months of wide-ranging community engagement and intense zone

David Caygill, of ECan.

committee discussion on water-related issues in the Hinds catchment.”

“The zone committee acknowledges that waterquality objectives – set at the regional and national levels – are currently not being achieved in the Hinds catchment.”

The key goals in the ZIP include providing for a healthy regional economy, ensuring healthy waterways and communities, as well as improved cultural values and use. These will be achieved through solutions which start with catchmentscale actions – such as up

to 30,000 hectares of new irrigation and managed aquifer recharge – alongside on-farm actions, including riparian management, instream restoration, wellhead protection, improved habitat and fish passage, and implementing minimum flows and water allocation.

A pilot trial and a staged programme of managed aquifer recharge, monitoring the effectiveness of other actions and improved monitoring of the state of the environment have also been recommended as important solutions.

Ongoing and meaningful engagement and discussion with all community members is also identified as necessary to ensure solutions are workable.

“The addendum contemplates providing for new irrigation, which in turn could create around 230 new jobs and add $100 million in economic output.

“Healthy waterways include reduced nitrate levels in spring-fed waterways and the Hinds River by 2040, as

well as maintaining the water quality and quantity of hillfed country streams.

“Healthy communities and improved cultural values means better quality drinking water and recreation opportunities, as well as healthy wahi taonga, wahi tapu and mahinga kai,” concludes Mr Caygill.

The planning process The Ashburton ZIP Addendum relates to the same catchment covered in the Hinds sub-regional section of the Canterbury Land and Water Regional Plan.

Once the Ashburton ZIP Addendum is received and endorsed by both ECan and the Ashburton District Council, the Hinds subregional section will be formally incorporated as a variation to the Land and Water Regional Plan. This Resource Management Act process will involve notification of the variation to the plan, a call for submissions, followed by a public hearing run by a panel of independent hearing commissioners, before

recommended changes are made to ECan. The RMA process is expected to run later this year (depending on the number of submissions, and any appeals) before a final version of the variation is ready.

The Hinds Drains Working Party The Ashburton Zone Committee is proposing to set up a Hinds Drains Working Party. The working party will consider the minimum flows or depths needed in the lower Hinds drains and several related issues. The zone committee hopes to set the terms of reference and confirm makeup of the working party in the next few weeks.

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Dairy NZ supporting freshwater plan I

ndustry body DairyNZ is supporting the Government’s proposed amendments to the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management while advocating some tightening on the measurements being put in place for maintaining water quality.

DairyNZ general manager of policy and advocacy Kimberly Crewther said a scientifically robust, nationally consistent water quality framework is critical to help all New Zealanders understand the country’s freshwater management challenges and what is needed to address them.

“We support the national objectives framework (Nof) as a means to provide increased transparency and community participation in freshwater

Dairy NZ says water quality is the responsibility of all communities and a good framework is critical.

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management,” she said.

“In some areas, we believe the proposed Nof could be more robust – for example, including invertebrates such as aquatic insects would give us a direct measure of ecosystem health that can be applied in all waterways.”

She said the inclusion of recreation, such as wading or kayaking as a bottom line is a good idea, but DairyNZ has suggested a tighter compliance test to ensure that human health is protected.

Ms Crewther said DairyNZ has made these points in its submission on the proposed national objectives framework and amendments to the National Policy Statement (NPS) for Freshwater Management (2011).

Government officials are now analysing

all submissions. The Environment Minister and the Minister for Primary Industries expect to take advice to Cabinet by the middle of the year.

“

Ms Crewther says the Government needs to ensure that exceptions to national bottom lines are minimised

“Dairy farming is one of many activities that impact on water quality, alongside other land uses and urban waste. We need to ensure that all

activities play their part.”

“Dairy farmers want to see water bodies meeting community objectives for current and future generations, as much as anyone else in the country.

“We farm and live next to many waterways and have families that swim, fish and play in our natural environment just like everyone else in our communities..

“So we are united with everyone else on the need to set and achieve clear freshwater objectives based on robust science.

“What we want to focus on is ensuring the framework being put in place by the Government is helping communities work out the best way of getting there and finding the right measures to monitor our progress and set targets that can suit different situations.”

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Farming Dairy Focus

2 24

www.guardianonline.co.nz

Trialling nanotechnology in cows T

rials using nanotechnology chips under way in two Mid Canterbury dairy herds are showing promising results.

Shuzi technology uses a proprietary microchip, developed in the United States.

Initially made for humans, the company claims wearers experience better health, improved mobility and general wellbeing.

Shuzi bases this on the following science: atoms are in a constant state of motion.

This includes physical object atoms, such as the atoms that make up a desk or chair. More specifically, every atom in a physical object is known to “vibrate” or oscillate back and forth.

The company says the nanochip is programmed to resonate with your cells’ natural frequencies, improving circulation.

While this may sound like a load of hogwash, Bob McDonald, of Ashburton’s Health 2000, has sold thousands of items from the Shuzi range to people over the past three years, and

“ A Shuzi microchip might be the latest accessory for your dairy herd?

has received many glowing testimonials from happy customers.

Animal owners are also reporting good results and, Mr McDonald pointed out, there is no placebo effect, or predetermined knowledge of a product with animals.

About 18 months ago 200 cows were randomly selected from two Mid Canterbury herds. They were ear tagged with discs carrying the chip, and the results have been monitored. Similar trials are under way in Hamilton.

Preliminary results indicate

There have been fewer cases of mastitis and improved conception rates, and that’s got to be a bonus.

– Bob McDonald, Health 2000

the chipped cows are milking a litre more a day, equating to about $400 extra profit a year, Mr McDonald said.

Higher first-cycle conception rates have also been recorded.

While increased production is likely to sell the product, Mr McDonald, who was a farmer

for 25 years, said improved overall animal health was the clincher. “Any farmer worth their salt will be interested in animal health.”

“There have been fewer cases of mastitis and improved conception rates, and that’s got to be a bonus.

“This is cutting-edge

technology, and we are just scratching the surface – who knows what other benefits it might have.”

Mr McDonald was to expand the trial in dairy herds.

“We are looking for some new innovative farmers to participate in further trials of this technology.”

Would you like to try this cutting edge technology on your farm?

We are looking for farmers who would be interested in participating in a further trial!

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25

Cash rate lift good news for savers Grant Davies

A BROKER’S VIEW

N

ew Zealand has just became the first developed country to increase the official cash rate since the global financial crisis.

This may not be good news for New Zealand’s favourite investment class, residential property, but it is certainly good news for the longsuffering savers, many of which are retired and relying on those savings for income.

This month I focus on the asset class that is the most obvious beneficiary of higher interest rates, fixed interest.

This asset class includes bonds, perpetual preference shares and capital notes.

Fixed interest is a fairly broad term, but not all fixed-interest instruments are created equal and many

have differing qualities that will react differently to the expected upcoming increases in interest rates.

The most straightforward of these instruments are sometimes called “plain vanilla” bonds because of their reliability and simplicity.

These securities provide a fixed level of income over a fixed timeframe, usually five to seven years, with the investor receiving the initial investment back on maturity.

These are preferred by many due to the certainty they give investors.

There has been a plethora of these types of fixedinterest instruments issued by city councils, banks and other corporations recently, some locking in interest rates for up to 10 years. This should give investors pause for thought.

The reason we have seen so many institutions trying to lock in rates for long durations at the moment is the same reason investors should have a look at another type of listed debt. Interest rates are starting to increase.

Resettable debt securities

They also do not always have a maturity date, meaning an investor looking to exit the investment will have to sell the securities in the market and the investor will obviously be exposed should interest rates start to decrease again at some stage.

Savers will be pleased to see interest rates increasing finally.

However, those with rates locked in at current low levels will be left to suffer on those rates until maturity. Resettable options should be considered by investors looking to ride the wave of increasing interest rates.

Reserve Bank governor Graeme Wheeler announces the lifting of the official cash rate on March 13.

come in many shapes and sizes, but the essence of these securities is that the couponinterest rate received by the investor is reset on a periodic basis (usually, yearly or fiveyearly).

This means that investors are exposed to any increase in interest rates in the foreseeable future.

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There are about a dozen resettable debt securities on the NZX, carrying varying credit ratings and reset cycles.

Generally speaking these types of securities are at the riskier end of the debtsecurity spectrum because they often rank behind the “plain vanilla” bonds in the case of the issuer going bust.

• A Broker’s View is written by Grant Davies, authorised financial adviser at Hamilton Hindin Greene Limited. This article represents general information provided by Hamilton Hindin Greene, who may hold an interest in the security. It does not constitute investment advice. Free disclosure documents are available by request at www.hhg.co.nz

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Farming Dairy Focus

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Innovative farmers on tour of South

T

ouring the South Island this month were more than 80 of New Zealand and Australia’s leading farmers who gathered to share knowledge and innovative ideas about farm management and business development.

Rabobank hosted its Business Management Program alumni tour, which allowed previous programme participants to undertake a two-day expedition, visiting successful farm businesses in North Otago and South Canterbury owned by fellow alumni, to exchange ideas and practices across a range of farming enterprises and sectors.

North Otago dairy farmer, Rogan Borrie, along with wife Michelle, hosted part of the alumni tour, visiting his four properties near Oamaru.

Rogan, a fifth-generation farmer, completed Rabobank’s Farm Managers Program in 2007 and says he remains passionate about the lessons learnt on the course.

“Since completing the Farm Managers Program, I have really seen a lot

of transformation in my management abilities – especially in terms of people management – which has made a big difference in driving growth across the properties we run,” Mr Borrie says.

“It was an absolute eyeopener, reconnecting with some of the other Business Management Programs alumni on tour this week has been fantastic – you’re mixing with some of the best operators in Australian and New Zealand farming.

“The experiences and sharing of business knowledge has been really positive, keeping us all informed about what else is out there, and that has a knock-on effect for all of us.”

Rabobank offers two farm business management programmes focused on developing the latest practices in business management, leadership, strategy, finance, human resources, value chain management and marketing, applied directly to farm businesses.

The Rabobank Executive Development Program, which

gives leading farmers from across New Zealand and Australia the opportunity to enhance their business management skills and take their enterprises forward, is open for applications for its 2014 course, commencing in August.

The Rabobank Farm Managers Program is open to all progressive young farmers from across Australia and New Zealand from a range of agricultural commodities and is open for applications, commencing in June this year.

The Borries oversee the four properties in their family business operation which consists of two dairy farms milking 950 cows, a 236 hectare irrigated run-off block plus a 60ha lease nearby, and a 477ha hill block that has been converted to dairy support.

The run-off blocks are used for winter cow grazing, young stock grazing and supplementary feed.

In addition, the couple share milk Mr Borrie’s parents’ dairy operation on a 50/50 arrangement milking 1050 cows.

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27

Island enterprises was currently undertaking a dairy conversion, with each operation being owned by a past-participant of Rabobank’s Business Management Programs,” he says.

“We showed the tour our new computerised irrigation scheme with pivot and fixed grid sprinklers that we have recently installed in order to reduce labour time and energy and water efficiency.”

“ “During the alumni tour, we went to four different farms including our own operation.

The other farms visited were a deer operation, an intensive indoor robotic dairy operation and a mixed cropping and birdseed business, which

Mr Borrie says having the dairy runoff property allows for more self control

“We’re not at the mercy of the market – we know exactly where everything is at the end of the year when it comes to our costs, feeding plans, and rotations of our cows.”

Mr Borrie says he also showed the tour the dairy platforms and the new effluent systems. “For environmental

reasons we have 60-day storage, so we don’t have to put the effluent on the paddocks when it’s wet which means we can minimise leaching,” he says. “This is becoming more commonpractice – it’s important to keep this environmental risks under control.”

Mr Borrie has a positive outlook for the dairy sector and is keen to keep investing in his own capabilities when it comes to strategic decision making and on-farm management. “I am going to do the Rabobank Executive Development Program this year so I can up-skill on business governance and go ‘the next step’.”

• Applications for Rabobank’s 2014 Executive Development Program are open until May 30, with applicants accepted from a range of commodities and geographical locations. Held in Sydney, the first module runs from August 17 to 22, 2014, with the second module in July 2015.

• Applications are open for

Rogan Borrie (left), of North Otago, during the Rabobank Business Management Program alumni tour.

the 2014 Farm Managers Program, which will be held in Victoria in June.

• For more details visit www. rabobank.co.nz/bmp or

contact Rabobank Business Programs manager Nerida Sweetapple on +61 2 8115 4139 or email nerida. sweetapple@rabobank.com.

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