Dairy Focus October 2017

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Dairy Focus OCTOBER 2017

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FONTERRA ELECTION ROADSHOW

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Well, it’s the result that not many, if any, dairy farmers wanted but now it’s time to get on with the everyday business of farming and see where the Labour-led government takes us. Fair to say there’s a couple of those destinations, signposted before the election, that are not places farmers really want to go. Firstly there’s the much talked about water tax, which is set to hit those farmers who irrigate in the pocket. Although there was a lot of talk about the tax, or royalty depending on who you’re listening to, during the election, at the time of writing this column word was coming out of Wellington that Labour had agreed to drop it as a condition of New Zealand First’s support. Time will tell whether that’s the case or not – or whether it will resurface further down the track in another guise – but it sounds like dairy farmers, those who irrigate anyway, have something to thank Winston for. Another of Labour’s policies that has little or no support in rural communities was the plan to restore the emissions trading scheme and bring agriculture into it by the end of its first term. That one slipped under the radar a bit during the election campaign, with the water tax hogging

Colin Williscroft

RURAL REPORTER

most of the headlines, but it’s sure to generate plenty of discussion and debate over the next couple of years. Despite the wet winter, things haven’t been going too badly for most dairy farmers in the past couple of years, thanks mainly to an increased payout, although that is now under a bit of pressure. Farming support businesses, including the one who employs engineer Karl Pyett (hard at work on this month’s cover) have benefited from the turnaround generated by the payout rise, which in turn has flowed down to other sections of rural communities. The election result won’t change that. It may throw up some challenges but for dairy farmers they should probably be more worried about what the global price for whole milk powder is doing than what might happen in Wellington.

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Belt-loosening under way It’s been a tough time for dairy farmers in recent years, with low payouts forcing most to tighten their belts. However, farming support businesses and those in rural finance have noticed a shift in attitude in the past six months, with farmers starting to have the confidence to invest in their businesses again. Pluck’s Engineering owner Neil Pluck said the turnaround had been quite noticeable at the Rakaia business. In the years immediately prior to 2014 companies like Pluck’s were often struggling to keep up with the demand from farmers, he said. However during that year the talk was that the payout for the following season was going to be lower, and when that arrived it hit those downstream from farmers pretty hard, as the economic trickle-down effect just dried up. “Going from previous experience, when there is enough talk about declining cashflow (for farmers) it’s time for those of us in support industries to listen,”

Colin Williscroft

RURAL REPORTER

Pluck said. Sure enough in 2015 the payout was confirmed as low “and within three to four months the workload was significantly different”. “A heck of a lot of that was to do with dairying,” he said and the steady decline in work continued throughout 2015 and into the new year. “2016 never really got going. It just idled along all year. We sell throughout New Zealand and it was the same all over the country. None of our distributors were doing any good either.” Repairs and maintenance work “chugged along” but it was more jobs that had to be done rather than preventative maintenance. “It was a painstaking year.

Charlie Pearce of Pluck’s Engineering gets the gas torch ready for another job at the Rakaia PHOTO COLIN WILLISCROFT 171017-CW-155 business.

Particularly hard on the nerves.” Then in August last year Pluck noticed a change in tone in what was being reported in farming newspapers. Economists were forecasting

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better times overseas and things started to look better for dairy products. That was followed by an announcement from Fonterra that the payout would be significantly up on the previous year and just like

that, the situation changed. “As soon as that happened, the phone started ringing and orders started coming in. We were getting calls from farmers saying ‘that quote you gave us six months ago, we’d

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like you to go ahead’. “And it’s got better since. It’s still not full steam ahead nationwide but it is better.” Pluck said farmers around the country are very cashflow conscious, so if there’s anything looming that could be detrimental they will hold off spending. Canterbury has a real mixture of both older farms that are well established and in a position of financial strength, and newer operations that are carrying a heavy debt loading but Pluck said in a downturn everyone reacts the same way. “They all pull back.” He said the wise heads on the older farms, be they owners or managers, even if they are in a position where they can spend on upgrades to their operations, will stop spending. “They’ll sit back and wait until the payout means their cashflows are positive.” Surviving during those lean years was tough, Pluck said. “It was bloody hard. You’ve just got to guts it out.” He said Pluck’s didn’t do anything beyond its core business during the tough years, while also restricting the hours of employees to less

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Rabobank general manager for country banking, Hayley Moynihan, thinks farmers are largely confident about the year ahead

than 40 hours a week. They were also very careful with cashflow. Nothing was manufactured before it was purchased, so sales were not pre-empted. However, when the pendulum swung, it swung very quickly, he said. Unfortunately for Pluck, straight away he lost a couple of staff, as other companies started to gear up again with

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increased orders coming in. Two of the areas that Pluck has noticed increased orders in are land roller sales and dairy effluent systems, complete with infrastructure. “Quite expensive, bigger items.” “It was so fast. I thought wow, I knew it was going to change but nothing like that.” Riverdown Steel operations manager Greg Dawber agreed that there had been a turnaround in farmer spending in recent months. “It has picked up, which is positive but we’re talking cautious steps. While there is a little bit more spending, it’s not a frenzy,” Dawber said. “What we have noticed is that farmers are looking for quality products. They’re not looking at cheaper end stuff, because they know you get what you pay for. Dawber said there was a time in recent years when farmer spending at the

Rolleston-based livestock handling and feeding equipment specialist was “right down”. “We just had to make do with what we had.” He said what many people in towns don’t realise is that like most people farmers don’t often have much disposable income, so although they might be operating larger budgets with urban households there’s still not a great deal to play with once the bills are paid. “They can tweak things here and there but usually they’re just like the rest of us. “Canterbury farmers run very strict operations. The farms we go on to there’s no rubbish (equipment) hidden away in the corner. There’s nothing that’s not wanted or needed.” What was pleasing, Dawber said, was that farmers were looking ahead and planning again in terms of investing in their farming operations, which boded well for the future. That cautious optimism sentiment was reflected in the latest Rabobank farmer confidence survey, which showed that although confidence was down from July, it was still relatively high.

Rabobank general manager for country banking, Hayley Moynihan, said although dairy farmer confidence fell, from 58 to 50 per cent, the sector fared better than others, with sheep and beef farmer confidence going from 53 per cent to 22 per cent during the same period. She said although farmers were concerned about government policies and commodity prices, the survey indicated that farmers were largely optimistic about the agricultural economy in the year ahead. Dairy farmers were positive about their own businesses, with 57 per cent of them expecting good things in the year ahead, however that was down from 61 per cent in the previous survey. In line with a slight easing in rural confidence, farmer investment intentions have dropped slightly. A total of 29 per cent of surveyed farmers expected to increase their investment spend, while 7 per cent expected it to decrease. The majority of farmers (63 per cent) expected their level of investment in stock, plant and land to remain the same over the next 12 months.

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Farm sales down on previous year Farm sales around the country for the three months ended September 2017 were down on the same period last year but the news is slightly better for dairy farms, although sales activity was light. Information released by the Real Estate Institute of New Zealand late last week showed that there were 117 fewer farm sales (a fall of 30.2 per cent) for the three months ended September 2017 than for the three months ended September 2016. Overall, there were 271 farm sales during that period, compared to 311 farm sales for the three months ended August 2017 (down 12.9 per cent), and 388 farm sales for the three months ended September 2016. That translates to 1667 farms being sold in the year to September 2017, 6.6 per cent fewer than were sold in the year to September 2016, with 43.3 per cent more finishing farms, 31.3 per cent more dairy farms and 29.1 per

cent fewer grazing and 25.8 per cent fewer arable farms sold over the same period. Brian Peacocke, Rural Spokesman, at REINZ said sales volumes for the three-month period ending September 2017 reflected the extreme climatic conditions faced by the farming community in recent months. “Record rainfall has created soil moisture levels bordering

on capacity throughout much of the country. Waterlogged pastures during September have resulted in a very slow start to the milk production season, and frustration for both arable farmers and agricultural contractors alike where ground conditions in many regions have kept machinery in the sheds. “Rural morale has been severely tested but the

redeeming features of a strengthening milk payout, stable interest rates and a steady exchange rate environment have provided light at the end of the tunnel – an increase in sunshine would be the bonus.” For the three months ended September 2017 the median sales price per hectare for dairy farms was $37,812 (22 properties), compared to $37,842 for the three months ended August 2017 (26 properties), and $33,132 (12 properties) for the three months ended September 2016. The median price per hectare for dairy farms has increased 14.1 per cent over the past 12 months. The median dairy farm size for the three months ended September 2017 was 122 hectares. On a price per kilo of milk-solids basis the median sales price was $36.78 per kg of milk-solids for the three months ended September 2017, compared to $34.95

per kg of milk-solids for the three months ended August 2017 (up 5.2 per cent), and $43.05 per kg of milk-solids for the three months ended September 2016 (down 4.6 per cent). The REINZ Dairy Farm Price Index rose 0.8 per cent in the three months to September 2017 compared to the three months to August 2017. However, compared to September 2016, the index was down 6.5 per cent. The REINZ Dairy Farm Price Index adjusts for differences in farm size and location compared to the median price per hectare, which does not adjust for these factors. In terms of dairy farm sales activity it was generally quiet, as would be expected at this time of year, apart from Waikato, which had a strong sale in the Matamata district. Activity was light and prices moderate prices in Northland and Southland, with other regions reporting vendors holding off until weather conditions improve.

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Candidates answer questions Fonterra shareholders had a chance to question the three men standing for positions on the co-op’s board of directors last week, as they travelled around the country stating their cases. The seven-stop roadshow featured two South Island stop-offs, in Invercargill and Ashburton, before taking in Palmerston North, Stratford, Rotorua, Hamilton and Whangarei. Brent Goldsack, who is actively involved in three Waikato dairy operations, said although he had a real passion for the co-op, that did not mean he was blind to areas where he felt it could improve. “Fonterra must earn the trust of farmers, communicate better with farmers, regulators and New Zealanders,” he said. “Fonterra must lead the world in milk price, profit and environmental practices.” Ashburton farmer Andy Macfarlane said the cooperative nature of Fonterra is critical given that “it locks in that link between supplier

Colin Williscroft

RURAL REPORTER

wealth and value creation opportunities for a product that must be collected every day. “At his stage of my career I have a good balance of experience and knowledge, while retaining my well known passion and energy. I value the opportunity to contribute to a co-operative at the heart of New Zealand’s future.” The third candidate, John Monaghan, has been a Fonterra board member since 2008. He said for the cooperative to fulfil its potential, directors have to be prepared to make the hard decisions. “At every board meeting

Candidates for positions on Fonterra’s board of directors, (from left), Andy Macfarlane, John Monaghan and Brent Goldsack, were at Hotel Ashburton on Monday evening to answer questions PHOTO COLIN WILLISCROFT 171017-CW-122 from the co-op’s farmer shareholders.

we consider issues that require each of us to exercise our judgment and to make decisions. “Balanced understanding and considered risk taking are essential to grow our position in world dairy markets”. All three candidates were nominated by the

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Some economists expect more falls The continued softening of prices at the latest Global Dairy Trade auction has cast doubt on Fonterra’s farmgate milk price forecast. Some economists are expecting further falls as production ramps up in Europe and uncertainty clouds the outlook for skim milk powder. Fonterra is forecasting $6.75/kg of milksolids for this season, up from $6.12/kg the previous year. However, some banks have either downgraded their milk price forecasts or are looking to do so after another mixed performance at auction, in which the GDT index fell 1 per cent from the previous sale two weeks earlier. The price of whole milk powder, which has the greatest bearing on Fonterra’s farmgate milk price, fell by 0.5 per cent to $US3014 a tonne while another important product, skim milk powder, plunged by 5.6 per cent to $US1797 a tonne amid uncertainty about the European Union’s huge intervention stockpile. Whole milk powder prices have been drifting lower since August 2 and are well down on the year’s peak of $US3314 a tonne. ASB rural economist Nathan Penny said he was sticking with his $6.75/ kg milk price forecast – the same as Fonterra’s – based on the view that local production looked likely to be curtailed by bad weather. Fonterra had already rowed back on its own production forecast and was predicting a 1 per cent increase over the previous season, down from its initial forecast for a 3 per cent rise, which Penny said would be supportive for prices. “Despite the dip in prices … we expect prices to push higher over coming months,” Penny said. “Milk is going to be scarcer than we thought, so prices should be going higher, and I think this latest auction result is a bit of a red herring.” Others were not so sure. ANZ’s rural economist Con Williams said near-term delivery prices for the key products were no longer high enough to justify a milk price forecast of $6.75/kg, indicating

something closer to the mid-$6/kg range. “However, prices for key products to be delivered in the New Year are signalling something even lower and broke below the key $US3,000/tonne level overnight,” Williams said. “Combined with higher than expected milk flow from Europe in the New Year and possible unfavourable changes to the European intervention scheme, we believe this warrants some caution,” he said. “Hence we downgrade our milk price forecast to $6.25 to $6.50/kg for 2017/18.” BNZ economist Doug Steel said Fonterra’s forecast was starting to look “tenuous” but his revised forecast of $6.30/kg was still better than last season’s price of $6.12/kg. Among the other banks, Westpac and Rabobank are both looking at downgrading their forecasts, which sit at $6.50/kg. Jon Spainhour, a broker and partner at Chicago-based dairy specialist Rice Dairy, said he expected prices to decline further. “Milk production in Europe and the US [is] increasing, and in general prices are falling in this time of high demand,” he said. “It’s not a good sign.” Rabobank said milk production data, aside from New Zealand, continued to post a picture of supply growth. United States milk production for the 12 months to July 2017 continued to march along, up by 2 per cent, driven by higher yields and cheap feed, it said. Irish milk production was leading the charge for growth out of Europe and although the supply engines of France and Germany were still behind last year’s production, Poland and Italy were also in positive territory for July, year on year. Closer to home, milk collections in Australia were up 1.6 per cent in the first two months of the new season. Rabobank said it believed that the dairy price cycle had peaked. “If we continue to see weakness in the whole milk powder price in particular, there is risk to our forecast at $6.50/kg.” DJ6743_SW_calf_campaign_ad_360x124_v5.indd 1

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Industry awards entries now open Entries for the 2018 Dairy Industry Awards are now open, with organisers of regional competitions gearing up to host launch events. General manager Chris Keeping says the launch events will provide an opportunity to find out more information about the awards and which category those interested are eligible to enter. Entries in the New Zealand Share Farmer of the Year, New Zealand Dairy Manager of the Year and New Zealand Dairy Trainee of the Year categories are now being accepted online at www. dairyindustryawards.co.nz. The New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards are supported by national sponsors Fonterra Farm Source, Westpac, DairyNZ, Ecolab, Federated Farmers, Honda Motorcycles, LIC, Meridian Energy, Ravensdown, DeLaval and industry partner Primary ITO. Once again, there are generous travel voucher prizes up for grabs.

Right - Christopher and Siobhan O’Malley were winners of the Canterbury/ North Otago share farmers of the year category at last year’s awards. PHOTO SUPPLIED

An Earlybird Share Farmer of the Year entrant who enters the awards before the earlybird cut-off date of November 10 could win a $4000 travel voucher, with $3000 and $2000 travel vouchers for dairy manager and dairy trainee of the year respectively. The first regional launch events were held in Southland/Otago, Hawkes Bay/Wairarapa and Manawatu last week, while launch events in other regions will be held in coming weeks. The launch events are typically a lot of fun and provide an opportunity to meet other potential entrants, organisers and sponsors and to learn about the awards from past entrants.

The functions are very social, with no charge, and are at a time that makes it easy for farmers to attend. More information on the launch events and Earlybird prizes is available at www.dairyindustryawards. co.nz/regions. The event’s grande finale,

the 2018 national awards dinner, is being held at ILT Stadium in Invercargill on May 12. The last time the national awards dinner and prizegiving was held in the South Island was 2011, when they were held in Queenstown. Keeping said it had been a

goal for a while to bring the national finale back to the South Island. “We have been keen to get down to the South Island for years, however the earthquake has ruled Christchurch out until 2020, when the Convention Centre is due to be ready.”

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Navigating overseas staff recruitment Low unemployment in New Zealand is requiring employers to think differently about staff. Unemployment has now dropped to 4.8 per cent, the second lowest in the OECD and the numbers for the regions look much worse. With these labour shortages, we need to look to a wider pool of candidates to meet staffing needs. The new reality is that most employers either have an overseas staff member now or are thinking of employing one. Having an understanding of basic immigration requirements is the place to start. The Immigration New Zealand website can be helpful or engage a licensed immigration advisor if you are not finding the answers you’re looking for. Labour market tests to ensure no New Zealanders are available or trainable for the position is usually a crucial first step in this process. There are many softer issues

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to consider when employing overseas staff. Importantly, will they be the right fit for your existing team? Being aware of cultural differences and possible team dynamics is crucial to a successful long term employment relationship. Employing offshore staff does take more effort up front and work visas do take time to be approved. From our experience, it is planning and good process, which is paramount to a successful outcome for all parties. If applicants are not in New Zealand, the obvious first step is to skype or phone them to ascertain English ability and basic character traits. Don’t be afraid to ask skills questions to work out if they can back

Done well, overseas staff can be a rewarding and sustainable answer for your farming business

up what is stated on their CV. Referencing and background checks are still very important in recruitment, even if the applicant is offshore. Make sure staff have been given the opportunity to be informed about your farm, your location/community and the expectations of the job. Have they seen photos of your farm and the accommodation? Have they received a position description? An employment agreement is standard now and Federated Farmers have excellent agreements available. These are updated regularly with latest labour law changes. Overseas staff need a clear understanding of your expectations and remember that English is probably their second language. Time spent on detail now will go a long

way to alleviate employment issues later on in the relationship. Planning for your staff member’s arrival is crucial. Basics must be covered - who is picking them up from the airport and how are they getting to the farm? Is the accommodation clean and is there basic furniture for the initial settling-in period. Good internet access is highly prized by overseas staff and is vital for keeping in touch with family back home and assisting them with transport until they can find their feet. You will also need to think about a training plan and even assigning a “buddy” for their initial weeks on the job. You will also need patience. Overseas farming systems can be vastly different to New Zealand farms. There are

many small practical things we do on our New Zealand farms that not all overseas workers are aware of. They need time to adapt and your expectations should be in line with this. The payoff for your efforts will generally be gaining someone who is passionate about the dairy industry and grateful for the opportunity; they will mostly be reliable, hardworking and bring a different and interesting perspective to your farm and team. Even if Winston Peters brings his immigration agenda to the table, the reality on the ground is that a lack of staff is only getting worse in the growing New Zealand economy and we need to fill the gaps. Done well, overseas staff can be a rewarding and sustainable answer for your farming business. Phil Hughes is recruitment manager at Greenstone Recruitment

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Scott Medal recognition for work A Lincoln Agritech Ltd scientist known for his pioneering work in electronic engineering has been honoured by the Royal Society Te Aparangi. Professor Ian Woodhead, Chief Scientist and Group Manager of Lincoln Agritech’s Technology Group, recently received the Scott Medal, an engineering science and technology award, in recognition of the wide range of sensors he has developed for the agricultural and environmental sectors. Presented annually the research honours celebrate the outstanding achievements and excellence of New Zealand researchers. During his almost 40-year career, Woodhead created a number of globally-marketed sensors, including devices to evaluate the performance of electric fences and an electronic soil moisture sensor called Aquaflex, sold by Streat Instruments, which paved the way for more efficient irrigation systems, allowing farmers to use water more sustainably.

Professor Ian Woodhead has been awarded the Scott Medal for his research into new technology that has been of benefit to the PHOTO SUPPLIED agricultural sector.

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electronics to solve technological problems for New Zealand’s agricultural sector”. Lincoln Agritech said the new technology will help New Zealand’s agricultural industries manage the trade-off between increasing productivity and sustainability. Woodhead holds a PhD in applied physics and has been an advisor for MBIE Science and assessor for the French National Research Agency. He leads the Agricultural and Environment Technologies portfolio of the National Science Challenge: Science for Technological Innovation. In 2014, he was made a Lincoln University Adjunct Professor due to his contribution to agritechnology and instrumentation. On accepting the medal, he said he was honoured to receive the recognition from the Royal Society Te Aparangi. “I also wish to share the recognition with colleagues at Lincoln Agritech Ltd who have contributed to the research in microwaves

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and dielectric properties of materials, and development of derived products to benefit New Zealand industry and agriculture.” Lincoln Agritech chief executive, Peter Barrowclough, said he was pleased to see Woodhead, recognised by his peers across the scientific community for his career and outstanding advancement to the engineering sciences. “The best small science company in New Zealand, Lincoln Agritech, is producing world class science and world class researchers who are being recognised on the national stage,” he added. Garth Carnaby, a previous president of the Royal Society, said Woodhead had carried out his research in an applied research environment that has required enormous versatility and creativity, sustained over many years. “His research has been characterised by his ability to cut through complex problems to identify the underlying science.”

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Dairy Focus

FARM TECHNOLOGY

www.guardianonline.co.nz

Transforming ideas into reality An innovative laser detection tool with the ability to measure nitrates in the field using both soil and water samples is one of five winners in this year’s University of Canterbury (UC) Tech Jumpstart competition. In its eighth year, Tech Jumpstart gives the university’s researchers a chance to transform their ideas and research into a commercial reality. Five prizes of $20,000 were awarded with funding from KiwiNet. Additionally, technology incubators WNT Ventures and Astrolab will provide $35,000 each worth of practical services to the top two projects that showed the most commercial promise. Services from the technology incubators put the winning ideas through rigorous processes including financial analysis, strategic planning, market validation and capital raising with an eye on forming a start-up business to commercialise the project. Deputy vice-chancellor Ian

Wright said the research, innovation and commercialisation efforts demonstrate that the university is an innovative institution producing ideas that potentially hold strong commercial appeal in New Zealand and abroad. “The Tech Jumpstart competition takes innovative research ideas to an exciting new level of exploring commercial opportunity. The commercial potential of these ideas makes UC more attractive to investor groups, furthers intellectual capability

and gains more leverage with government, private research and consulting opportunities.” The Astrolab prize was won by Dr Deborah Crittenden and Associate Professor Sally Gaw for their research into laser detection of nitrates in waterways and soils. Crittenden and Gaw have been working on developing a tool that promises to be portable and cost-effective, with a low-environmental impact and capable of selecting only nitrates from

a sample, avoiding other deposits or substances with similar structures. With the introduction of new legislative caps on nitrogen discharge, a portable nitrate measuring tool would enable farmers to conveniently measure nitrate levels on the farm, helping them to keep discharges within the new limits. Another of the competition winners also looked at nitrate detection. Dr Vladimir Golovko and Dr Aaron Marshall have been

looking into miniature electrochemical sensing elements for detection of nitrates. Working along the lines of a digital thermometer, Golovko and Marshall’s electrode has the advantages of long life and durability, plus the ability to send information via a networked monitoring system. It would provide regional councils with a real-time view of nitrates in waterways across their catchment areas, enabling them to enforce the new legislative caps on nitrogen discharge. Other Tech Jumpstart winners from the latest competition included a botanic environmental management system with the potential to protect many of New Zealand’s horticultural exports, high-performance printed heat exchanges that utilise 3D printing technology and an in-situ damage detection technique for assessing damage to steel bars on built structures, which could be used after earthquakes.

It’s all in hand with With the FarmIQ software you get easy recording and reporting that helps you run your farm, do analysis and cover compliance requirements.

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Dairy Focus Farming

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Hoof care expo may be held again A Mid Canterbury hoof care expo has been rated a great success, with more than 80 people attending the inaugural event. Run by Veehof Dairy Services, the expo featured a seminar that explained the principles of proper hoof care and trimming and why they were important, which was followed by practical demonstrations that included the correct way to sharpen hoof knives, claw block application and grinder use with different discs. Those at the expo were then encouraged to give things a go themselves, to reinforce what they had heard and seen. Veehof ’s Fred Hoekstra said the aim of the expo was to give people a better appreciation of the skill level involved with proper hoof care. “A lot of people don’t understand how much science is involved,” Hoekstra said. If hood trimming is not done correctly it can mean cattle will take longer to

Colin Williscroft

RURAL REPORTER

recover than if it is not done at all, he said. “We want to help farmers be the best they can be.” In response to questions asked during the practical demonstration, Hoekstra said it was important for farmers to get the basics right in terms of their cows’ needs to avoid hoof problems. That included making sure they had access to enough feed, and shelter, while also ensuring they had enough resting time. “Ask any top athlete, resting time is just as important as training time. It’s the same for cows. They need to be able to rest comfortably. “If you make mistakes with the basic needs for cows you

Veehof Dairy Services’ head hoof trimmer, Elbert Gargar, explains some of the basics about hoof health to dairy workers who attended the recent hoof care expo. PHOTO COLIN WILLISCROFT 171017-CW-191

will have a problem.” Given it was the first time the expo has been run, Hoekstra said before the event began he was not sure how it would go. However, he is very

pleased with both the number of people who attended and the way they were drawn into discussion about hoof care. “With this number of people coming in we’ll hold it again

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Helping improve irrigation efficiency We are now looking forward to our 2018 conference, which will take place in Alexandra from April 17-19 and invite farmers with an interest in irrigation to join us. Unlocking a Golden Future through SMART irrigation is the theme of conference. With so much public and media focus on irrigation and water issues, this is an opportunity to be updated on the future of water management and irrigation systems. Three field trips will be offered where you can see best practice irrigation in action on a range of different farms and hear on-the-ground experiences from farmers about how they use irrigation to improve their productivity. You will have the option of choosing from a pastoral farming tour, visiting local orchards or seeing a range of local vineyards. Each trip will look at how different irrigation systems are being used to suit local conditions. The conference will also

Andrew Curtis

IRRIGATION NZ

include an expo featuring a huge range of different of products and services designed to help improve production and irrigation efficiency and save time. Central Otago is a scenic and historically rich location, and the conference is a chance to see the district amongst spectacular autumnal colours and enjoy the best of its food and wine. The history of irrigation in Central Otago is intimately linked to the region’s gold rush. Rights to take and use water were originally issued in the 1860s and linked to mining, but were later used for irrigation. The original water permits issued rights in perpetuity. In The Depression

Like previous events, next year’s Irrigation New Zealand conference will include an expo that will feature a range of PHOTO SUPPLIED different products and services.

the government funded irrigation expansion such as the Falls Dam scheme as public works projects, with more infrastructure developed from the 1950s to the 1980s. The Resource Management Act set a deadline for historical water permits linked to mining to expire in October 2021. Otago is now at a crossroads with the amount of water available for irrigation expected to reduce, and water permit holders needing to look at innovative ways to optimise water use. Local irrigation scheme

representatives and farmers will talk about how they are overcoming the challenges they face and working together to come up with innovative solutions for the future. Keynote speaker Stuart Styles, the director of the Irrigation Training and Research Center from San Luis, California, will talk about how New Zealand’s irrigation practices and regulatory regime compares to the rest of the world. Dr Ros Harvey, manager director of Innovative Australian AgTech business

The Yield and co-founder of the Food Agility Cooperative Research Centre and the Knowledge Economy Institute, will talk about how we can meet the world’s requirement to provide 60 per cent more food by 2050 to feed our growing population. She will discuss how we can meet this challenge without compromising the future and how technology can transform farming practices. Panellists ANZ rural economist Con Williams, vet, dairy farmer and scientist Alison Dewes, Central Otago mayor Tim Cardogan, Pioneer Energy chief executive Fraser Jonkers and law professor Jacinta Ruru will discuss the future of water catchment management with moderator Radio NZ Morning Report presenter Guyon Espiner. To find out more about the conference and register to attend visit www.irrigationnz. co.nz. A limited number of expo sites are still available. For enquiries please email irrigationnz@avenues.co.nz

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Dairy Focus

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WATER AND EFFLUENT FEATURE

It’s a game of two halves To complete the skills needed for Forward Farming’s operation we have encouraged participation from specialists in specific fields. Mark Dixon shares his thoughts on feed balancing and making the best of the choices of feed available.

By Mark Dixon To maximise genetic potential in dairy cows having a solid game plan is crucial. The game plan needs to begin at least 21 days before calving. Consider the season as a world cup rugby test match. History has taught us that winning that game requires more than an 80 minute performance. This is no different in ruminant dairy nutrition. Our transition period is our vital warm-up - without a good transition plan we can’t expect our cows to perform to their potential. A strong start sets the platform for a winning season. As far as purchasing genetic potential goes, most farmers are buying the Ritchie McCaws for performance. I haven’t met a farmer yet who has not been extremely proud of the genetics in their herd, but when it comes to formulating a plan around unlocking the genetic potential, the conversation always comes back to cents/

kg/DM, or residuals. I am sure the All Blacks’ nutritionists don’t go and buy the cheapest nutrition on the market and monitor the residuals on the plate or bowl as a gauge of profitability and performance. Unlocking your cows’ genetic potential requires planning and preparation around nutrition. Your cows are looking for this every day when you pull the feed cord in the shed, the bat latch drops to the feed pad or they make it to the paddock that you have chosen for their daily nutritional requirements.

Despite what you may have been told, pasture is not a complete diet. However, luckily it doesn’t take much to balance some of the shortfalls that limit production and health. After experiencing one of the wettest springs in history this season, one would say the first half has been challenging and your cows may not have hit their peak. Don`t give up, holding cows at a reasonable production level once in-calf for most of the second half can make up for them not peaking where you would have liked.

How many times have we seen the All Blacks come from behind and win? To do this we need to head to the changing sheds have a rock solid halftime discussion and formulate a total farm system approach to ensuring your cows have everything they need to come through the second half of the season on top and be profitable. All Blacks have never won a test match at halftime, it’s a game of two halves, if you want help formulating a successful game plan then please give us a call at Forward Farming.

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WATER AND EFFLUENT FEATURE

17

The WaterSaver Journey How valuable is water? The supply of water cannot be guaranteed for those who live remotely or rely heavily on stored water, like farmers and lifestylers. Accidents resulting in the loss of water are a common occurrence for tank owners. Jon Taylor, founder of WaterSaver, first became aware of this when working as an electrician in Raglan. He met several tank owners who had lost their valuable water due to accidents. In one case, a digger had run over the main water pipe of a permaculture gardener, however the more common causes of water loss were such things as a tap being left on, or a water pipe bursting. These tank owners were dependent on water for drinking, cooking, cleaning, bathing, flushing the toilet and, in many instances feeding pets or livestock, gardening and irrigation. WaterSaver’s research revealed that more than 45 per cent of water tank owners had experienced accidental loss of

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Jon Taylor, founder of WaterSaver.

water in the past. In all cases, the accidents led to the pressure pump continuing to run unchecked, often until the water tank was completely emptied. Often, equipment needed to be fixed or replaced and emergency water had to be trucked in. One can imagine the disruption and inconvenience these accidents caused, not to mention the financial cost. When Jon found there was no off-the-shelf solution for the problem, he set about

PHOTO SUPPLIED

building one, focusing on cutting power to the pump in the event of an accident. His prototype, then called Jet Stop, evolved to become WaterSaver. “WaterSaver - Peace of mind when it comes to stored water!”. A great example for Kiwi innovators. The benefit of Jon Taylor’s innovation was immediately recognised, gaining a lot of interest and support. Jon entered the original prototype in the 2015 Fieldays®

Technology section and was a finalist at the Innovation Awards, where he received glowing praise from the judges. As a reward for his making the finals, he was invited to join SODA Inc.’s incubation programme, qualifying for funding and mentoring from then Business Growth Adviser, John Cunningham. At the end of 2016, Jon sought assistance and funding from Nelson Angels investors and a business was formed. WaterSaver did its first production run in June 2017 and proved to be a big success following its launch at Fieldays. “We exhibited for the first time at the Nelson Home and Garden Show this year, presenting WaterSaver to the local audience, and will be at

the Canterbury AandP Show in November.” The first steps for international expansion are also on the way. The invention is currently available in New Zealand and Australia, too. The simplicity of the product - it is a plug-in device that does not require a tradesperson or installation manual - is highly appealing to everyone who owns a tank or is looking into getting one. Proudly New Zealand designed and manufactured, WaterSaver is now leading the way to water conservation and bringing peace of mind to water tank owners. For more information visit: www.watersaver.nz Follow WaterSaver on Facebook and LinkedIn Advertising feature

A simple and quick solution for protecting your tank water • WaterSaver cuts the power to your pump when it exceeds the preset maximum uninterrupted time limit of 30 minutes, preventing accidental water loss. • Minimise water loss arising from unanticipated events such as a burst pipe, a tap left on, a natural disaster e.g. earthquake, a faulty ball-cock or vandalism. • Quick and easy to install, no tradesperson required. WaterSaver prevents the loss of valuable tank water and potential damage to your property

• Cost effective risk mitigation that provides the owner with peace of mind. • 30 day money back guarantee. Free shipping until 30 November when you buy online Discount code: “DAIRY”

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Dairy Focus

WATER AND EFFLUENT FEATURE

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Your irrigation needs taken care of Water is a commodity that is very much in the spotlight – and will remain so for the foreseeable future. Ray Mayne Hose and Fittings and Reinke Manufacturing have the knowledge, products and the ability to ensure that your irrigation needs are well taken care of. With the wide variety of Reinke products available - pivots, swing arm corner pivots and lateral irrigators, you can be assured there is a system right for you. Reinke and the team at Ray Mayne Hose and Fittings can design and supply the desired irrigation system to suit all needs. With the advancement in technology, you can be assured that irrigation water will be applied where you want it and when you want it. Their experienced design team can design all your irrigation requirements for any farm types or improvements to your existing irrigation system, utilising the best products with the best

after sales back up. GPS Guidance is the ultimate form of irrigator guidance and Reinke and Ray Mayne Hose and Fittings have been leading the way with GPS guidance for many years. There are numerous pivot and lateral combinations working off single Trimble GPS base stations. Another major feature is the “touchscreen” main control panel, this touchscreen

panel allows the operator to quickly and easily adjust the application rates of any of the systems. A recent addition is the introduction of Reincloud Ag-Data Services. Reincloud is an online software package, designed by Reinke Manufacturing that helps combine field data and irrigation data into one easy to use “dashboard”. This includes soil moisture

or weather data and other environmental data. It is safe and secure, the operator can be advised by either text or email. Everyday access is available on multiple devices – smartphone, tablet, laptop or computer. Reincloud is easy to use and informative. Some of the options available are soil moisture, air temperature, ground temperature, wind direction,

wind speed, rainfall, humidity and water pressure. All this information is easily accessible to the operator. Reinke pivots and laterals have been sold throughout New Zealand, on many varying farming types. Contact the knowledgeable staff at Ray Mayne Hose and Fittings for any irrigation enquiry. Advertising feature

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WATER AND EFFLUENT FEATURE

19

Get ready for Pods replaced irrigation season

Shift away from pods to travelling raingun on Southland farms.

It’s probably the last thing on your mind after such a wet winter but are you ready for the irrigation season? Warmer weather is already here and despite most paddocks by in large looking pretty green, as farmers in areas affected by warm nor’westers know, it doesn’t take much to see those soil moisture levels change. Both DairyNZ and IrrigationNZ recommend regular equipment checks and ongoing maintenance as being vital to both prevent breakdowns and reduce the risk of serious and expensive damage.

DairyNZ is a firm believer in having weekly, monthly and annual task lists for irrigation maintenance, where you can check completed tasks off easily. This ensures maintenance is kept up to date and completed work is kept track of efficiently. To find out more about preparing a maintenance checklist for your system, go to dairynz.co.nz/irrigation or for six handy hints from IrrigationNZ on getting ready for the irrigation season this spring and summer, check out the SMART Irrigation Facebook page at www.facebook.com/IrrigateSMART.

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There has been a noticeable shift away from the use of pods to irrigate pasture in favour of travelling rainguns – for flexibility and ease of use and because their low application depths and rates are ideal for Southland soils. Hi-Tech Enviro Solutions’ business development manager, Rob Johnson, says the Cobra Travelling Raingun is one of the most popular methods of effluent irrigation in the country. “Based on farmer feedback, we recently released the next generation known as the King Cobra, resulting in intense interest from farmers at field days and through our dealer network.” New enhancements on the King Cobra include a new overload protection system, drum tensioner, lid hinge system, tow bar design and a front wheel is now standard (previously it was an option). “In contrast with pods, moving the King Cobra is simply a matter of hitching it to your farm vehicle and towing it where you want it. There are no long boom arms to deal with and it’ll achieve good even spread,

PHOTO SUPPLIED

King Cobra Travelling Raingun.

with larger volumes, over 46m to 96m than traditional travelling irrigators. Johnson says the King Cobra does full or partial circles and can easily be adjusted to irrigate on one side “which is great for sidlings, when irrigating near drains or into the wind. It can also be used in a stationary position if required. Its low centre of gravity means it is equally effective on rolling contour.” “We’ve designed the King Cobra to make it simpler, more effective and faster to fertilise paddocks, and feedback confirms it’s certainly doing that,” Johnson said. Advertising feature

Clear pond. No machines? When the Browns built a new pond, their goal was simply to keep costs down. Here is their story... One crucial question Shirley and Tony Brown run a 550 cow farm out in Pirongia, Waikato. When it came time to build a new pond, the question they asked was this: how do we keep the costs down?

Machines are expensive The conventional way of managing effluent solids is to use machines: machines that separate the solids; machines that break up the solids; machines that stir the solids. As every farmer knows, such equipment very expensive. First there’s the initial cost of buying the gear. Then there’s the ongoing cost of running it. And, of course, there are the costs of maintaining the machinery.

Hill-top complications... To make use of gravity and to avoid water table pressure on the pond liner, Tony and Shirley wanted to construct their holding pond on a hill. But in planning everything out, the Brown’s foresaw several challenges: 1. Because the proposed hill site was 100M from the shed, the cost of getting electricity up to the pond to run a stirring machine would be significant. 2. The Browns were also concerned with potential repair costs in the event that a Stirring machine ripped the liner. These complications led the Browns to look for alternatives. Could crusting and effluent odour be managed without machines?

A chance meeting At the 2012 Agricultural Bio Technology conference in Rotorua, Sheryl Brown (Tony and Shirley’s daughter) met Liz Russell, the founder of EnviroSystems in the UK. For 25 years, EnviroSystems had been addressing the cause of effluent crusting and odour. Scientists had discovered that crust

and sludge were merely the symptoms of the real problem and that the cause of pond solids were microscopic creatures living below the surface – anaerobic bacteria. These anaerobic bacteria would separate the effluent fibres and send them to the surface. Once reaching the surface, these fibres would combine to form the crust. Scientists realised that the way to beat crust bacteria was relatively simple: put counteractive bugs into the effluent pond. These corrective micro-organisms are called Aerobic Bacteria – SLURRY BUGS.

Can crust be prevented?

The Browns learned that Slurry Bugs digest effluent fibre. It’s their food. And if sufficient numbers of Slurry Bugs are in a pond eating the effluent fibre, the raw materials needed to make the crust are removed. That means no crust can develop.

Researching Slurry Bugs Because Shirley and Tony were open to biological solutions, they decided to investigate Slurry Bugs further. Over the next two years they had further talks with Liz Russell, viewed video footage of Slurry Bugs in action in UK ponds, and read independent research that drilled deeper into the biology behind it all.

Trialling Slurry Bugs After weighing up the two approaches – Machines (symptoms) vs Biology (causes) – the Brown’s decided to build their hill-top

pond and to dominate it with Slurry Bugs from the beginning. Their rationale: if Slurry Bugs prevent crusting, we save a lot of money and get better fertliser in the process. If Slurry Bugs fail, we’ve spent very little to discover that fact and can then proceed with a machine-based approach.

THE RESULTS After 5 months, the Brown’s effluent pond looked like this: As impressive as that was, one further question remained: had Slurry Bugs dealt with the problem of sludging on the bottom of the pond? In December 2014 that question was answered when the Browns siphoned out the effluent. The bottom was clear.

Where to from here? For Shirley and Tony, the onging task is simply to keep the Slurry Bugs dominant in their pond. They do that by adding a small amount of Slurry Bug powder into the pond every week. Easy.

Before you buy machines: Call 0800 4 SLURRYBUGS (0800 4 758779) or visit our website www.slurrybugs.co.nz

Must we kill the good guys to get the bad guys? CHLORINE Pathogens: Bacteria Bad Guys Pathogen

BUG

They’re called Pathogens, microscopic organisms that cause animal disease by direct invasion of body tissue. These bad guys produce toxins that poison the cells they invade.

Dangerous in the Dairy Shed Because these pathogens are present in the milking system, farmers diligently sanitise their sheds. The way farmers destroy these dangerous microorganisms is with chlorine. And it works – chlorine is an effective sanitizer.

2. Converting volatile effluent nutrients into stable forms that are readily available to plants. 3. Reducing leaching and soil run-off. 4. Reducing pond odour by capturing the ammonia within the urine. Slurry Bugs are the good guys that can save farmers thousands of dollars (and time) in effluent management .

Green Death in the Pond In March this year, something strange happened at a Waikato pond we were treating with Slurry Bugs.

CHLORINE A bomb that kills everything

The problem with standard chlorine is that it doesn’t differentiate between Bad Bacteria and Good Bacteria. It is a bomb blast that kills all microorganisms indiscrimiately.

The Bacteria Good Guys Good bacteria are Nature’s allies. For a farm to thrive, good bacteria need to be present and active. In the soil, these good guys do the following:

After initially seeing the solids eaten away, the condition of the pond began to go backwards. We also noticed a green colouration in areas of the pond where Slurry Bug activity had been dynamic. On closer inspection, it was clear that the Slurry Bugs were no longer active. Something had killed the Good Guys.

Mineralise nutrients into plant-available forms Release nitrogen and nutrients for plants to use Increase nutrient retention Suppress disease-causing pathogens Detoxify the soil by degrading toxic materials Improve the accumulation of organic matter Produce plant-growth hormones Ensure root architecture is correct and extensive Enhance soil structure to improve water flow and reduce erosion

Could it be Chlorine?

Good microbes in your POND

Further confirmation came in the form of phone calls from other farmers informing us that they had somehow ‘killed the bugs’.

One type of beneficial microbe is the Slurry Bug. When these aerobic bacteria are in an effluent pond, they help the farmer by: 1. Eating pond crust and sludge and giving the farmer liquified, spreadable effluent.

Upon asking the farmer about his activties, we learned he had recently washed Chlorine into the pond after cleaning down the yard.

But what’s the alternative to the Chlorine Bomb? Chlorine is the accepted germ killer. So before farmers will consider using another sanitiser, the alternative must tick two big boxes: It must kill bad bacteria as effectively as chlorine. It must be as easy to use and as cost-effective as chlorine. So what’s the effective alternative to chlorine?

DX50: a powerful, new eco-friendly sanitiser DX50TMis Chlorine Dioxide, an eco-friendly chemical engineered to be highly selective in its bacteria killing. • A broad-spectrum sanitiser • Kills only pathogens - not good bacteria • Kills 2.46x better than toxic Chlorine • Kills a wider range of pathogens • Effective with cold water • Non-corrosive: no acidic residue • Effective at breaking down dairy plant bio-films • MPI approved for use in farm dairies

To confirm the presence of chlorine, we took pond samples from the affected area to a laboratory. Tests showed that the green colouration was the killing reaction of Chlorine with the Slurry Bugs.

All of them had recently washed chlorine into their effluent ponds.

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22

Dairy Focus

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WATER AND EFFLUENT FEATURE

Plans, permits – we’ve got you covered

Farm environment plans recognised

Locally owned and operated Bowden Environmental was established in 1997 and has celebrated 20 years in business. The company specialises in all aspects of groundwater and surface water consents, effluent discharges and storage, gravel extraction permits, bore and aquifer testing, land use consents for farming, farm environment plans (FEPs), site investigation, feasibility and due diligence. Environmental consultant Christine Mawhinney says “It is now mandatory for all farmers to have completed a Sustainable Milk Plan (or FEP for non-dairy operations). These plans are living documents and should be reviewed and updated annually so that farms are operating using good management practices in order to minimise effects on the environment. We can assist with any of your FEP requirements”. Environmental engineer consultant John Talbot says assisting farmers through the resource consent process to achieve a successful outcome is very satisfying. “It can be quite confusing for people to understand the requirements of the Resource Management Act and Regional Council’s rules, especially

Environment Canterbury today announced its recognition of two programmes designed to offer robust and consistent assessment of farm environment plans (FEPs) prepared under the Land & Water Regional Plan. Chief executive Bill Bayfield said FEP audit is a core aspect of farmers’ effective environmental management, which includes effluent management, that will ultimately lead to improved water quality. “It’s all about action on the ground and continuous improvement,” he said. “It is an on-farm independent assessment of FEP implementation to check that farmers manage the risks identified in their FEP, and that they apply good management practices to minimise the impact on water quality.” Synlait Milk Ltd is the first organisation to have its ISO (International Organisation for Standardisation) programme recognised, and the New Zealand Institute of Primary Industry Management the first to have its certification scheme recognised. Synlait’s Lead With Pride is already an accredited ISO programme. “Our recognition of this programme allows any auditor operating under Lead

now the rules are becoming more complicated, with more assessments required. We have the expertise and understanding to ease them through it.” Bowden Environmental’s other highly experienced consultant, Erin Harvie says “we also have significant expertise in field data collection and analysis which is often called on to provide aquifer testing, surface water gauging and water quality testing. “When farmers take water from a well, we need to test its capacity and what effect this will have on neighbouring wells. We complete a lot of these tests and calculations.” Advertising feature

Enviroment Canterbury Chief Executive Bill Bayfield. PHOTO SUPPLIED

with Pride to be considered a certified FEP auditor,” Bayfield said. “Farmers who are members of an approved ISO accredited audit programme can have their FEP audited under that programme, removing the need for additional audits and associated costs.”

Bowden Environmental

Resource Management Consultants • Resource Consents • Groundwater • Surface Water • Effluent Discharge • Effluent Storage • Gravel Extraction • Consents Compliance • Advocacy • Aquifer Testing • Due Diligence • Feasibility • Flow Monitoring • Farm Environment Plans • Audits of Farm Environment Plans 92 Williams Street, Kaiapoi PO Box 404, Kaiapoi, 7644 www.bowden.co.nz Ph: 03 375 5015

BY BYLINDSAY LINDSAY

0800 ZIMMATIC ZIMMATIC 0800

Ashburton: 25 McNally, Ashburton 7700. Phone (03) 307-2027 Ashburton: 25 McNally, Ashburton 7700. Phone (03) 307-2027 Timaru: 81 Hilton Highway, Washdyke 7910. Phone (03) 688-7042 Cromwell: 9 Rogers St, Cromwell 9310. Phone (03) 445 4200 Timaru: 81 Hilton Highway, Washdyke 7910. Phone (03) 688-7042

www.guardianonline.co.nz

WATER AND EFFLUENT FEATURE

23

Effluent under control? Canterbury drillers win award Or controlling you? Farmers, is your dairy farm effluent under control or is it controlling you? Sleep well at night knowing that Flexi Tanks NZ now offer an affordable, simple and safe, solution to your liquid storage needs. There has been a lot of talk about our bladder tanks and we find many farmers are all abuzz and waiting to see just what the neighbour down the road is installing as they have heard it’s one of those Flexi Tank/Bladder thingeys.

So what are they all about I hear you ask Flex Tanks are an enclosed, selfsupporting, strong bladder that can store from 100m3 to 1000m3 of dairy effluent or up to 2000m3 of water. Simple to install. Just roll out the bladder on a 100mm flat bed of sand, attach to your current effluent or water system and your storage solution problem is solved with no need for expensive engineering consent work. Flexi Tanks NZ Ltd are the NZ distributors of the Flexible Tank. They are made by French Company LaBaronne, who are the inventors of this type of storage, and have been manufacturing flexible tanks since 1959.

Flexi Tanks NZ are based in the Waikato and work closely with industry professionals and farmers directly to provide storage solutions that are simple to install and require no maintenance.

Advantages of flexi tanks • Easy installation – farmers can install it themselves in a morning • No smell or crusting as tanks are totally enclosed • Safe – tank is enclosed so you, your family or farm workers can’t fall in. • No security fencing required – just use a stock fence around tank • 10 Year Manufacturer’s Warranty with life expectancy of at least 20 years • Ticks all the boxes to satisfy resource requirements • Depreciable asset • Top overflow vents can also be used to harness BIO Gas • Endorsed by councils and dairy professionals Stress less and call us now as the future of dairy effluent and water storage is here. Advertising feature

Recently McMillan Drilling was awarded a top three place in a section of the Canterbury Business Awards for 2017. In part, this is because since its inception McMillan Drilling has endeavoured to adopt best construction practices, ensure compliance with industry and environmental standards and providing ongoing training to staff. McMillan Drilling sees these as elements essential to continuing a successful sustainable business. The company has been working throughout New Zealand and the Pacific for more than 70 years. A significant part of the experience gained has been within the geology and hydrogeology of Canterbury. This has expanded to include many other regions throughout New Zealand and the Pacific. From simple beginnings the business has grown to become one of New Zealand’s largest and leading multi-faceted drilling companies. The company provides a diverse range of drilling services which include water supply, geotechnical/ environmental investigation, ground source heating and a range of special projects.

The construction of a significant number of wells throughout New Zealand contributes to the working knowledge offered in applications including dairy, aquaculture, horticulture, agriculture, municipal, and domestic. In all situations McMillan Drilling maintain close working relationships with local and regional authorities, adopting best construction practices and ensuring compliance with industry and environmental standards. McMillan Drilling understands the importance of continual improvements and professional development. Investment into research and development is continual. The recent introduction of solid control and drilling fluid recovery systems used to reduce drilling impacts and an effective treatment and disposal system is one example enabling McMillan Drilling to be at the forefront of construction for the majority of ground source heating projects in Christchurch. The strength of the company lies in its experienced staff, extensive range of equipment and the creation and pursuit of innovative drilling technologies. Advertising feature

EFFLUENT & WATER STORAGE SOLUTIONS Flexible Tank Engineering

Bladder Tank Sizes from 20m3 to 2000m3

SIMPLE • SAFE • SELF SUPPORTING • COST EFFECTIVE

Anton Meier

M 021 289 5999 P 07 829 5940 E anton@flexitanksnz.com

A 251 Lee Martin Rd, RD1, Cambridge, NZ W www.flexitanksnz.com

BECOME TOTALLY SUSTAINABLE AND MORE COMPETITIVE WITH A NEW MODEL FOR DAIRY FARMING TURN POO INTO POWER! Zeecol uses proven science and technology and replicates the processes of nature in an on-site, two stage process to turn dairy cow waste into feed, fuel, fertilizer and electricity. YOU WON’T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT EFFLUENT EVER AGAIN!

A Zeecol Farm Partnership offers: • Farm production costs reduced by 20% • Production of feed 365 days regardless of weather • Increased milk production • Self sufficiency – make your own feed, fertilizer, fuel and electricity • Meet and exceed environmental regulations

Recycle available waste and convert it into feed, fertiliser, fuel and electricity for use on the farm, keeping waterways clean and meet all regulatory compliance laws!

zeecol.com info@zeecol.com

zeecol-guardian-h360x250w-01.indd 1

17/10/17 9:30 PM

WATER AND EFFLUENT FEATURE

25

Ponds - it’s what we do

Viking Containment is New Zealand’s leading supplier and installer of geosynthetic products, including geosynthetic liners, geotextiles, geocomposites and geogrids. Our products protect the environment by providing containment for landfill and leachate, potable water, petrochemical and irrigation applications as well as dairy effluent and wastewater lagoons. We also supply a range of associated products, such as Geolock, Geoladders, Baffle Curtains and Viking Floating Cover Systems. With offices in Christchurch and Auckland, Viking Containment has the capacity to run eight crews in total. Originally owned by Skellerup Industries, our containment business was established in 1996. In 2008 Tiri Group acquired Skellerup’s industrial business units: Containment Systems, Conveyor and Mining and Roofing and Waterproofing to form Viking Group Ltd. The Tiri Group comprises 11 businesses, each with a strong market position in their sector. Their turnover is in excess of $150 million

and the group employs around 600 people nationwide. Viking Containment have extensive experience in the supply and construction of dairy effluent pond liner systems. The same exacting standards required for municipal wastewater treatment ponds also apply for dairy effluent applications. Design and installation are critical elements for successful containment of dairy effluent ponds. A minor breach of the liner system can have disastrous effects for the environment and the performance of the liner. Effluent leakage generates methane gas; the trapped gas collects beneath the liner forming large pockets or bubbles known as whales which leads to ultimate failure of the liner system. For this reason alone you need the security of welded seams that can be tested 100 per cent. The welding and testing technology for Geoshield and Agrishield liners incorporates a non-destructive test system. The dual track wedge welds allow all seams to be pressure tested. This test will pick up a pin hole. Advertising feature

FEATURES AND BENEFITS

Proven performance in the wastewater industry Reliable seam welding for a permanent join Agrishield is a cost competitive and reliable choice for most applications Nationwide installation teams, qualified to international standards Comprehensive testing with a full Quality Control and Assurance Report Material Warranty - up to 20 years

When Reliability Matters.

Viking Containment is New Zealand’s leading supplier and installer of geosynthetic products for the primary, civil and building construction sectors.

Geomembrane Liners for Landfill & leachate Potable Water Reservoirs Wastewater Lagoons

Irrigation & Dairy Effluent Floating Covers Baffle Curtains

Geosynthetic Products Bentomat ® Geosynthetic Clay Liners Geotextiles

Geogrids Geocells Geocomposites

Associated Products

APPLICATIONS

Dairy effluent pond liners Gas collection floating covers Drying beds Weeping walls

Underpass encapsulation Canal lining Irrigation water storage dams Frost protection reservoirs

Geoladder ® Geolock ®

Depth Gauge Viking Vent

ASSOCIATED PRODUCTS Geoflow underliner gas venting and drainage Texshield NW geotextile

Baffle curtains Floating covers Cogeneration

P 0800 454 646 | F 0800 454 640 E info@containment.co.nz W www.containment.co.nz

26 2

Dairy Focus Farming

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NPD expands South Island wide network NPD is expanding their network of retail and Self Serve sites throughout the South Island and providing great value fuel to motorists. They have recently opened in Oamaru and Ashburton and have new Self Serve sites coming soon in Kaikoura, Hokitika and Mossburn. NPD chief executive, Barry Sheridan says the unmanned, Self Serve sites use the latest pump technology and offer a convenient option to purchase all grades of fuel. “We know our customers are looking for easy access, less waiting times and the best value fuel,” he says. “Because the Self Serve model has lower overheads and operational costs this allows us to pass on savings to our customers.” Using the pay before you pump payment terminals, customers insert their card and can either chose to specify the amount they want to pay or pump until they fill their vehicle. The NPD site offers a range of card payment

NPD Oamaru, one of NPD’s new Self Serve sites.

options including all major credit cards, EFTpos and the competitive NPDcard. The NPDcard is a convenient and effective way to manage fleet or personal fuel consumption.

NPD can offer very competitive fuel pricing levels, dependent on volumes and other pricing opportunities available. The secure NPDcard can be used at NPD retail sites and throughout the South

PHOTO SUPPLIED

Island. Applications for the NPD Fuelcard can be made online at npd.co.nz. NPD was founded in Nelson in the 1960s as a family business and the company continues to be run along

those lines today. There are over 40 NPD sites across the South Island all backed by the highest quality Mobil fuels. Advertising feature

Apply for your NPDcard • 0800 544 6162 • www.npd.co.nz

www.guardianonline.co.nz

27

A new benchmark for recreational jetboating HamiltonJet New Zealand has taken a step away from the conventional with the design of its newest jet boat model, the 470 Sportsman Range. The 470 takes a fresh look at every aspect of comfort, safety and practicality for the jet boater and passengers, with the boat’s whole design, from bow to stern and keel to windscreen, a reflection of this focus. Offering a different profile from anything else seen on local rivers and lakes, thanks largely to its distinctive curved sheer line and sleek windscreen. These obvious differences are just a small part of the whole design philosophy behind the Sportsman range, which has come about after listening closely to jet boater feedback for many years.

“We’ve taken into consideration all those things jet boaters have told us they like and dislike, and what they want from a boat to give them the best jet boating experience. We’ve taken all the good things about our jet boats and enhanced them further, while at the same time taking a clean sheet redesign approach to those aspects of our current designs which didn’t fit this new philosophy.” The 470 is available with three standard engine configurations, each ideally suited to the HJ212 waterjet with turbo impeller. Also an additional option of customer supplied engine package. Hull, deck and seat upholstery are available in a range of colours. Sold as turn-key packages only.

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Trustworthy NZ Suppliers! Reputable, reliable & long-established.

Good People doing Good Business! Get the best solution for your building project.

SPORTSMAN RANGE 470 SPECIFICATIONS ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■

Length: 4700mm LOA Beam: 1500mm Cockpit depth: 780mm (floor to gunwale) Deadrise: 16 deg Delta keel: 12mm aluminum Hull bottom: 5mm reinforced aluminum double plates each side of stem bar.

■■ ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■

Hull sides: 3mm aluminum Deck: Fibreglass Weight: 766kg (boat only including LS3 engine) Fuel: 140 Litres Engines: range of options available Waterjet: HJ212 with turbo impeller

WE WILL BE AT THE ASHBURTON A&P SHOW OCTOBER 27&28

Check out the new Sportsman 470 Range TODAY!

Premium, Quality Product! We use only the best materials.

Bigger, Stronger Buildings! with no knee or apex braces!

BRANZ Appraised! New Zealands 1st & Only.

Contact your local X Span Agent

Dave McLeod Snowfed Builders 0274 342 857 FROM CONCEPT TO COMPLETION - THE X SPAN EXPERIENCE IS BEST!

Accidents can happen, but good jet boaters are always prepared and will come home safe. HamiltonJet NZ is dedicated to the safety of all jet boaters and the efforts by JBNZ to make our sport safe and enjoyable for all river users.

HamiltonJet NZ

20 Lunns Rd Christchurch Ph: 03 962 0505 Email: marine@hamiltonjet.co.nz www.hamiltonjet.co.nz/hjnz

www.xspan.co.nz

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• 8” Colour Touchscreen with Satellite Navigation • Apple CarPlay & Android Auto integration2 • Genuine Ford Towpack – 3,500kg Braked Towing Capacity3 • Reverse Camera and Parking Sensors • Hill Launch Assist and Hill Descent Control • 5 star ANCAP Safety Rating

TEST DRIVE TODAY. 1. Special pricing is recommended pricing only and available until 31 December 2017 or while stocks last at participating Ford Dealerships. Price excludes on road costs, options, 1. Special pricingand is recommended only and with available until 31 December or whileand stocks lastCarplay™ at participating Ford of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other and accessories is not availablepricing in conjunction any other special offers.2017 2. Apple™ Apple are trademarks Dealerships. Price excludes on road costs, options, and accessories and is not available in conjunction with any other special offers. countries. Android™, Android Auto™ and Google Maps™ are registered trademarks of Google Inc. For phone and media player compatibility, please visit www.ford.co.nz/sync. Apple™ andwith Apple Carplay™ are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. Android™, Android Auto™ and 3.2.When fitted a genuine Ford. Google Maps™ are registered trademarks of Google Inc. For phone and media player compatibility, please visit www.ford.co.nz/sync. 3. When fitted with a genuine Ford. Chris Hart Vehicle Sales Manager Mob 027 439 0887

Ray McLaren Vehicle Sales Mob 027 602 3311

Adam Banks Vehicle Sales Mob 027 312 0028

Gluyas Motor Group 79 Kermode Street | (03) 307 5800 | www.gluyasmotorgroup.co.nz