Ashburton Guardian Farming Magazine November 27, 2021

Farming GUARDIAN

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2021

INSIDE

MERINO MEAT

DELIVERS Pages 3–5

MAYVIEW

LOOKS

BEYOND Page 22-23

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Farming GUARDIAN

EDITORIAL COMMENT

INSIDE

Guardian Farming is proudly published by the Ashburton Guardian Limited

Farms go high-tech

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PAGE 50 M.BOVIS LESSONS

RURAL REPORTER

eople who have little to do with agriculture tend to think that nothing much changes on farms from year to year.

Things are done the same way they always have.

How wrong they are.

Agriculture is always innovating, such as the shift from borderdyke flood irrigation to much more efficient centre pivot spray and now the even more precise variable rate irrigation which can switch water on and off across a paddock. Precision agriculture uses GPS to apply inputs such as fertiliser applications and map outputs such as crop yields within a centimetre’s accuracy.

However, lately the rate that technology is evolving seems to have sped up rapidly.

This issue of Guardian Farming includes articles on multiple new innovations, some of which will profoundly change how people farm. Many can be operated at the touch of an app on a farmer’s smartphone.

While smart cow collars that track a cow’s health and behaviour are becoming more widely used, Halter, which is being rolled out in Canterbury, goes well beyond this. Its added applications of guiding the cows around a farm using sounds and vibrations and creating virtual fencing are world leading.

Farmote enables the time-consuming job of measuring pasture growth on farm to be done electronically, using satellite imagery and on-farm sensors.

Methane-busting innovation Ecopond followed the accidental discovery that an additive normally used in the treatment of drinking water stopped the greenhouse gas from being produced. Ecopond reduces dairy effluent pond methane emissions by 99 per cent and the technology could cut total farm methane emissions by about 5 per cent.

All this technology will not only save time and make life easier on farms it will also aid farmers to meet increasingly stringent environmental and Climate Change requirements and provide them with the evidence they are doing so.

It’s unfortunate that this wave of high-tech innovation, and its implications, is often lost on the general public and is conveniently ignored by environmental activists, who like to base their arguments around the misconception that life on farms stands still.

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Sisters keep family farm connection Heather Chalmers

RURAL REPORTER

M

erino sheep are mostly known for their luxurious fine wool, but two North Canterbury-based sisters are finding an eager online market for merino lamb sourced from their family farm in Marlborough.

The sisters, Sophie and Lucy Macdonald, started the online venture Middlehurst Direct as a way of staying connected with the isolated station they grew up on. Middlehurst Station covers 16,550 hectares in the Upper Awatere Valley, Marlborough Their parents Willie and Susan Macdonald bought Middlehurst from the Stevenson family in 1998, moving there with their four children Sophie, Henry, Lucy and Skye.

“We wanted to still be part of the ever-evolving business that Mum and Dad are creating at Middlehurst. We were

Sisters Sophie (left) and Lucy Macdonald are finding that online customers are keen to try merino meat.

thinking of different ways we could do that without living and working on the farm,” Sophie Macdonald said.

During last year’s Covid-19 lockdown the sisters developed a business plan

for selling merino meat from Middlehurst. Launched in November 2020, Middlehurst Direct has quickly grown, delivering meat packs to customers around the country.

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not required by the station are finished at a family-owned block near Cheviot, managed by their brother Henry.

Henry handpicks lambs every week which are taken to Cheviot abattoir Harris Meats

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for processing into cuts. “This is a five-minute drive down the road, so it works really well for us,” Sophie said. The lambs are processed into “modern cuts” and vacuum packed.

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From P3

Middlehurst, in the Upper Awatere Valley, Marlborough, is classic high country ranging in altitude from 550 to 2500 metres.

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While just merino meat is sold at present, they may add beef from Middlehurst in future.

Selling online meant they could continue to supply customers throughout New Zealand, including Aucklanders in lockdown. “It is great that people in lockdown are willing to support small New Zealand businesses more.

“People want to know where their food is coming from. Under lockdown, people started to think about it more as they were spending more time at home.

“They want to be able to trace their food right back to the source.”

Middlehurst Direct, a finalist in Beef + Lamb New Zealand’s Market Leader Award, does get a few questions about merino meat, Sophie said.

“We get people saying ‘that we thought merinos are farmed for their wool’, which is true, they are as well, but we love their meat and we love giving it to people to try.

“Because people can communicate directly with us, they have a lot more trust.”

Merino meat is finer in texture and has a more mild flavour compared with lamb cuts found in the supermarket which are from sheep breeds grown for their meat.

The Macdonalds are passionate about educating New Zealanders to embrace the lesser-known meat cuts and be inspired to use the whole animal. The meat delivery boxes are sold with options for half or whole boxes that include everything from rack, backstrap and fillets to the slow cooked shanks, knuckles and short ribs, as well as merino mince. Plenty of instructions and recipes are included to provide advice on how to cook the less familiar cuts.

“We believe a little education and inspiration and what can be achieved with the range of cuts on an animal will help change opinions regarding what some people might consider ‘lesser cuts’”.

www.guardianonline.co.nz “It’s been amazing to get the reaction we have and the orders we have coming though.”

The sisters travel to the family’s Cheviot farm to pack the orders. If people order on Monday to Thursday before noon it will be delivered the next day.

Middlehurst Direct has also started supplying some restaurants.

Having sustainable packaging is also important to the Macdonalds who are continually exploring ways this can be improved. Packaging can be recycled or returned to the Macdonalds to be re-used.

Wool insulation is used, along with ice packs, to keep the meat chilled.

Two hours from Blenheim, Middlehurst extends right to the top of the rugged Inland Kaikoura Range.

It’s classic high country ranging in altitude from 550 to 2500 metres. The homestead is at 800m. The station’s other boundaries are the Awatere, Tone and Winterton rivers.

Today, Middlehurst, along with the family’s Cheviot block, runs 11,000 merino sheep and 1200 angus cross cattle. It also runs a tourist lodge as a gateway to activities in the region.

Its aim is to establish a sustainable, productive family farming business. “We want to make sure high country traditions are maintained and passed on – and to have fun while we’re doing it,” the Macdonalds said.

“We’re up for a challenge and love the diversity of what’s possible here. Building our merino stud has been especially rewarding and we’re proud of the work we’ve done to transform the genetics of our flock to create a distinctive type ideally suited to New Zealand environments and markets.”

5

The Macdonalds are passionate about educating New Zealanders to embrace the lesser-known meat cuts and be inspired to use the whole animal.

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A nation divided David Clark

S

President of MC Federated Farmers

unday saw the Groundswell protests roll through Ashburton. An orderly and well organised event, that may have left some folk wondering why farmers came to town.

In fact, rural and urban people drove through 70 towns across New Zealand on Sunday. This is unprecedented in modern New Zealand. Thousands turned out in tractors, utes, horses and on foot.

The issues protested about were many and varied.

Unworkable freshwater rules, the unreasonable targeting of agriculture as the primary perpetrator of climate change, the arbitrary classification of private land as Significant Natural Areas and the Three Waters reforms.

When I looked at the protests, I look beyond the individual issues and saw at the heart of Groundswell NZ a nation that is divided.

It is my view that the manner in which this country has been divided over the last four years is appalling and has been done for political convenience by a government whose Prime Minister promised to govern for all New Zealanders.

We now pit vaxxed against unvaxxed, Pakeha against Maori, urban versus rural, business owners against those employed, boomers against millennials (or whatever the offensive jib was used by some upstart of an MP in Parliament).

MP Stuart Nash typified this when in the height of arrogance in Parliament wrote off the Groundswell group as a bunch of racists and antivaxxers. He was wrong, he was completely out of touch and his

comments exemplify the moves to dismiss the views of much of New Zealand.

Why do I take this view?

Because it is my opinion that misinformation and vilification has been used to create these divisions for political gain.

Let’s start with freshwater.

We live in a highly modified environment and land use has changed many times over time with the cultivation of tussock into pastures, the development of borderdyke, the move to more efficient pivot irrigation and the conversion of farms to dairying. On the back of this development, we have a prosperous town with near full employment. Often there are unintended consequences or overreach.

Moves to address this predate the current administration and began in earnest with the Canterbury Land and Water Regional Plan put in place by the Commissioners at ECan. That plan for the first time in Canterbury put in place nutrient discharge limits and reduction targets out to 2035. The CLWRP effectively curtailed intensification of land use.

A popular view was put forward that the environment was ruined, and drastic action was needed. This paved the way for a new National Policy Statement on Freshwater to be put into law. It has set a new target for all waterways that just cannot be met. If water is seeping into the top of the plains at 3.2mg/l of nitrate it is unlikely to ever exit the plains at under 2.4mg/l.

The recently released report

by Ashburton District Council found that to meet these limits, one third of the Mid Canterbury plains would need to be planted in forestry along with a dramatic reduction in dairy farming. That change would have a profound impact on Ashburton.

The Rakaia, Rangitata and Ashburton rivers all meet the new limits by a considerable margin. The Hinds River could

Trucks and farm vehicles roll through Ashburton during Groundswell NZ’s Mother of all Protests.

PHOTO: ASHBURTON GUARDIAN

with some stream augmentation.

But I’m not convinced that many of us want to plant a third of Mid Canterbury in trees and decimate our economy and employment opportunities to ensure the Hinds drains flow at a nitrate level less than the springs at the base of Mt Hutt do.

All of this political drama negates and ignores what is actually happening on farm.

It’s a good news story and we should be proud; limits have been set, reduction targets imposed, and farmers are fully engaged in bringing water nitrate levels down to half of the World Health Organisation drinking water standards. Mid Canterbury’s groundwater would have less nitrate in it than the City of London tap water.

Setting an unachievable target will achieve nothing.

Climate Change is another political teddy bear. It is purported that agriculture generates 48 per cent of New Zealand’s greenhouse gases.

If we are worried about global warming, that figure is not technically correct. Much of the greenhouse gas reported from agriculture is methane,

a short-lived gas that breaks down in a cycle, and if the rate of emission matches the rate of decay, which it does in this country, no additional warming is caused, thus meeting the targets of the Paris Accord.

Carbon dioxide is very different. Every kilogram of CO2 joins with every kilogram emitted in the last few centuries to compound the warming effect.

Think of a bucket with holes in it. Methane is water and CO2 are stones, the water leaks back out and the stones all pile up on each other. The warming effect is the level inside the bucket.

Once we start acknowledging the different lifecycle warming potential of gases, rather than comparing apples and oranges, we might start to have some meaningful conversations about how we are going to find an alternative energy source for the modern human existence that does not warm the atmosphere.

Buying an electric car that is reliant on burning imported coal while pointing the finger at a burping cow isn’t going to get us very far.

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Three Waters is yet another exercise in division. Sixty of our 67 local councils have either said no or requested further information. The consultation was a sham and misinformation was used liberally. It was advertised that if the Government took over the operation of our district’s Three Waters assets, the cost to households would be similar to our current costs, but if council continue to own and operate the network, the cost to households would increase 4-500 per cent.

Now I call BS on that and would love to see how those figures can be justified.

Rather than answering the councils’ questions, this Government stomped in with their big boots on and have mandated the compulsory implementation of the Three Waters. I regard it as nothing more than an asset grab.

The turnout of folk in 70 towns the length and breadth of New Zealand was as much to do with the individual issues as it was a pushback against the division that has been created in this country and the message is ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.

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Regenerative ag a ‘shift in mindset’ Heather Chalmers

RURAL REPORTER

R

egenerative agriculture is not just “pretty sunflowers and cover crops”, but a shift in mindset and attitude, says Landcare Research Manaaki Whenua senior researcher Dr Gwen Grelet.

Grelet, says regenerative agriculture is gaining grass-roots popularity with farmers but is not a magic bullet.

Increasing numbers of farmers are transitioning to regenerative agriculture in New Zealand, and multinational food companies are promoting its uptake globally.

The fast pace of adoption has created an urgent need to better understand what regenerative agriculture means in the New Zealand context, and for scientific testing of its claimed benefits.

Twenty short reports about regenerative agriculture in New Zealand have been released in five ‘bundles’ from late October through November, with each release accompanied by a webinar.

Grelet, research leader, said New Zealand farming was largely efficient, but could always do more to improve.

“In 30 to 50 years New Zealand will not be the same as it is now, so how can we envisage our farming system to be fit for

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Landcare Research Manaaki Whenua senior researcher Dr Gwen Grelet.

the future.”

While studies showed that consumers don’t know much about regenerative agriculture, when engaged about the practice they are open to it and are prepared to pay a premium for food produced this way, she told a New Zealand Institute of Agricultural and Horticultural Science forum at Lincoln University.

Banks are linking loans to water quality, carbon reduction and biodiversity.

Global food corporates like Nestle are also quickly coming onboard. Nestle has set a target to source 20 per cent of its key ingredients through regenerative agriculture by 2025 and 50 per cent by 2030. This was more than 14 million tonnes of ingredients that support

regenerative practices.

Europe was also setting green targets for its farmers which would spill over to trade partners like New Zealand. Targets for sustainable food production by 2030 set by the EU include reducing by 50 per cent the overall use and risk of chemical pesticides and reducing nutrient losses by at least 50 per cent while ensuring no deterioration in soil fertility. It also wants to achieve at least 25 per cent under organic farming.

Regenerative agriculture originates from the United States and was a term first coined in the 1960s. It relies heavily on the five principles of soil health: covering the soil, limited disturbance by minimising tillage as much as possible, having living roots and keeping plants growing throughout the year, increasing diversity and integrating livestock.

“In these you recognise a lot of New Zealand farming practices already, particularly in arable.

“It is not just pretty sunflowers and cover crops growing over the countryside of New Zealand.” This was leading to a lot of contention as the debate tended to polarise around this concept.

While the physical principles of regenerative agriculture linked to the five principles of soil health, it also involved a shift in mindset and attitude.

This required farmers to question everything, recognition that the farm

was a living system, that failure was part of the journey and the need to have an open and flexible toolbox.

Regenerative agriculture was about continuous improvement or a “levels” framework.

At the start, or level one, it was about improving the soil. Level two went beyond the soil to grow the health and vitality of whole living ecosystems. Level three was where regenerative agriculture was a way of thinking, not just a set of practices, while level four was evolutionary.

As regenerative agriculture was not defined by inputs or practices, like organic, this allowed for a continuum between mainstream and regenerative practices.

“It means that everyone can be part of the conversation.”

While overseas, a lot of the positive messaging around regenerative agriculture was that it increased soil carbon, New Zealand had quite high stocks of carbon in its soil already, Grelet said.

In terms of downsides, the arable industry was already concerned about seed contamination from diverse cover crops. If glyophosate was banned, as was happening in some European countries, this would also impact on the ability to spray for weeds before minimum tillage, which prevented the need for cultivation.

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9

Three steps for a successful harvest

Make sure everything is set up and working to capture your yield data during harvest so that you can track and optimise your farm’s performance.

W

ith harvest just around the corner, it’s important to have one eye on the future, planning your success.

In an arable farming system, this is a key time of year to maximise capturing every last grain that contributes to yield and annual performance. It’s what you strive all year for, one decision after another – to grow the best crops and maximise your performance and profitability.

A crucial component of good planning is capturing your yield data so that you can track and optimise your farm’s performance.

As always, there’s plenty going on in farming and with Christmas and New Year tied up with the time most arable farmers start, it’s easy to feel rushed and drop some of the important aspects of harvest setup and success.

Here are three key steps to ensure harvest success and maximise your yield data.

1) Before harvest - make sure your combine is serviced, your displays/screens are working (and tested), your wiring looms are installed in your combine (if you’re planning on swapping GPS from one machine to another) and that last season’s yield data on your data card, memory stick or display is downloaded and saved (preferably with a backup) safely for future use.

This is also an important time to set up your display with the correct paddock and crop names so that when it comes time to pull that header into the paddock, it’s good to go.

2) During harvest – when you pull into the first paddock

on day one, try to take your time. Make sure everything is set up and working correctly (GPS, moisture meters, flow meters) and that you perform some yield calibrations to get the data recorded as accurately as possible. There’s no need to get too hung up on this if final paddock weights will be available for post-processing yield data, but it’s important to make sure you will end up with accurate data to give you good insights on your yield performance. After the first paddock, we also suggest downloading and checking that the data is recording and mapping correctly.

3) After harvest – engage with your precision ag consultants to get the data processed as fast as possible. This ensures you maximise your decisionmaking time and can use your data to guide decisions for the upcoming season – eg variable rate nutrient replacement and/or variable rate seeding.

This data is gold and the more years of yield data put together, the more you identify opportunities to tweak your management practices to optimise profitability across all areas of your paddock or farm.

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Milling wheat sold to feed stock rather than make bread

“ Heather Chalmers

F

RURAL REPORTER

ears of a substantial drop in milling wheat have been realised with the latest grower survey showing sowings are down 23 per cent for the 2022 harvest compared with this year’s.

Uncertainty around a new milling wheat procurement process combined with firming prices for alternative feed grains and other crops have led many growers to switch, Federated Farmers’ arable industry chairman Colin Hurst said.

“It’s not surprising that growers are moving to more profitable options.”

It was hugely disappointing when growers have been lobbying for a strategy to increase the area in milling wheat, used to make bread and baked goods, and reduce reliance on imported grain for a staple food, Hurst said.

The latest Arable Industry Marketing Initiative (AIMI) grower survey shows that while milling wheat is estimated to be down 23 per cent on last season, feed wheat is up 17 per cent and feed barley up 9 per cent.

Demand for feed grain was exceptionally strong, with feed wheat and barley selling for $460 a tonne on farm, which was equivalent to the milling wheat price.

Milling wheat has traditionally attracted a higher price than feed wheat as it is lower yielding and has to meet higher quality specifications for protein, screenings and falling number (weather and sprout

It is really good quality milling wheat and it is going to feed animals, whereas we would prefer to feed people.”

damage), however this premium has been eroded this season.

“That is why farmers are selling milling wheat into the feed industry which is a bit sad really. It is really good quality milling wheat and it is going to feed animals, whereas we would prefer to feed people,” Hurst said.

Imported grain prices are well over $500/t, with skyrocketing sea freight costs a significant factor.

This meant domestically grown wheat was much cheaper than the imported equivalent and Hurst said he welcomed dialogue with flourmillers to encourage more milling wheat to be grown in New Zealand.

“We just need a fair price.

“The harvest only happens once a year, so the ‘buying just in time’ approach is just not good enough anymore.”

The “dye was cast” for this coming harvest, but growers looked to autumn 2022, when the next crop was starting to be sown, for buyers to signal improved prices and contracts.

Federated Farmers have taken a complaint to the Commerce Commission about new milling wheat procurement practices introduced this year it believes may be anti-competitive.

Farmers have held a meeting with Commerce Minister David

Procurement uncertainty and an erosion in traditional premiums has growers switching from sowing milling wheat to feed wheat this season.

PHOTO: SUPPLIED

Clark, organised by Rangitata MP Jo Luxton, who is also the chairwoman of the Primary Production Select Committee.

Last year there were three buyers purchasing New Zealand-grown milling wheat for domestic flour mills, but this year just one agent is handling the purchase of milling wheat for two of the buying mills.

This is believed to represent up to 60 per cent of the homegrown product.

After harvest, earlier this year, 11,000t of milling wheat was sold for stock feed, Hurst said. “That shows the strength

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of the feed market. It is very hard to find any grain that is not committed.”

Feed grain is used by the pig, poultry and dairy industries.

Hurst said he had fielded many inquiries from people wanting grain, but it was not available.

Farm input costs had also risen substantially with urea (nitrogen) fertiliser up 70 per cent in price since the start of last year ‘and it looks like it is still going up”. Agrichemicals were also rising in price.

“It is a cost spiral. We are getting letters in the mail all

the time saying things are going up.”

Arable farmers had other cropping options, with grass seed contract volumes up this year. Most arable farmers also had a livestock component to their operation, with red meat prices at record levels.

The AIMI survey showed that the total area sown in cereals is estimated to be 98,300 hectares, which is up 7 per cent (up 6600ha) on last season.

Crops are generally growing well, despite a slow start for spring crops as a result of cold and wet weather.

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Farming

12

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Greenies not happy until no cows Chris Murdoch

PROPERTY BROKERS

L

incoln University earlier this month announced a newly found way of reducing methane from dairy effluent ponds to less than 1 per cent of its original methane released into the air.

This is by using a simple system of adding iron sulphate somehow. What a breakthrough. It was reported that this alone would reduce onfarm emissions by as much as 4 to 5 per cent. The reporter then spoke to a Greenpeace person and her comment was “we are not interested in short term fixes, we need to reduce dairy cow numbers” or something to that effect.

This system called Ecopond also slashes the amount of e.coli in the treated effluent, reduces ammonia emissions, mitigates odour and cuts phosphate leaching losses from effluent into waterways by up

Dairy support is one area of the market that is strong and now reaching values unseen before.

PHOTO: SUPPLIED

to 90 per cent.

I would have thought any Greenie would have jumped for joy at such a breakthrough, but I think it just goes to show some of them won’t be happy till there are no more dairy cows!

Globally, COP26 wants net

zero emissions by 2050. Many are saying that’s way too late, but most agree something major needs to start happening.

But until the major players in this game get on the field little shall happen. China, America and India need to be in the frame and New Zealand, which

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produces as little as 0.17 per cent of the world’s emissions, isn’t going to have a huge impact.

Interestingly that Air NZ is New Zealand’s largest emitter at 4 per cent of all greenhouse gas emissions or 3.5 million tonnes of carbon dioxide a

year. I wonder how many of us will not fly when we finally get through this Covid-19 period, to save the planet? Not me for one! Humans produce 25 per cent of all global warming emissions but no one makes any noise about that.

We really are the majority on this planet.

Rural real estate market Interestingly, I have read of late how the dairy market is quoted to be back to 201314 highs. To be truthful I haven’t seen these results to date. Certainly, there is good demand for the larger units from 250 hectares upwards and these properties have been what I would describe as bringing in good results, from the late $49,000 a hectare to the early $50,000s/ha, but not the late $50,000s into the $60,000s/ha.

Demand is good and certainly better than the past four years.

Dairy support is one area of the market that is strong and now reaching values unseen before. Arable and finishing are also both showing good demand along with lifestyle properties and the residential market.

All in all, a busy period moving towards the Christmas rush.

www.guardianonline.co.nz

WATER FEATURE

13

Soil key to sustainable irrigation U

nderstanding soil types and managing soil biodiversity is key to sustainable irrigation and a successful farming operation, says North Canterbury mixed cropping farmer Angus Aitken.

Aitken and his wife Elise are the supreme winners of the 2021 Zimmatic Trailblazer Sustainable Irrigation Awards.

They farm a 550ha mixed cropping property at Waiau that grows a variety of produce, from sweet corn to red clover for lamb finishing.

The Aitkens have a consent to draw water from a nearby Waiau River tributary to irrigate the property and they use a small storage dam and a two-pump shed system. While technology plays a large part in sustainably managing their irrigation system, Aitken said they were also focused on managing their soils and soil structure through methods like no till farming.

“I think for a long time the focus has been on what’s above ground and what you can see on the surface of your paddocks. But we are learning that understanding your soil characteristics and protecting the biodiversity in your soils can also help with water

infiltration, crop performance and sustainable water use.”

Aitken said they were keen to use their win to generate discussion among farmers about sustainable water use.

“We support the national policy on protecting our waterways. While we don’t own the water, we have a right to use it responsibly. It’s for everyone’s benefit that we use it sustainably to produce food,” Aitken said.

The Aitken’s operation has variable water requirements across crops. They use FieldNET’s variable rate irrigation feature, which allows them to vary application depths by 1-degree sectors.

This ensures they direct water where it’s needed most, depending on their soil types, run off and drainage areas, and crop growth stages. In the future they plan to invest in Zimmatic Precision VRI technology for individual sprinkler control and EM survey the property to map soil variability.

They use Lindsay’s FieldNET remote irrigation management system and CropX soil moisture sensors to measure and understand the constantly changing conditions and

Award-winning North Canterbury farmers Angus and Elise Aitken with their son George.

PHOTO: JESS MCGHIE

variability on their land.

“It’s one of the reasons I see a bright future for farming.

The technology is continuing to improve all the time and it’s only helping us be more efficient and more sustainable,” Aitken said.

The technology allows quick,

on-farm decisions to be made, such as altering the Aitkens’ water application depth or shutting down irrigation pivots straight away to avoid a fault.

“We can prioritise crops such as corn that need more water and pull back on watering crops such as red clover, which can

handle drier conditions. Our farming model and soil type allow us to extract the most out of our limited water resource and make strategic decisions on where to direct the water,” Aitken said.

The Aitkens’ employ two full-time staff and the technology allows everyone involved in the farm to be a part of managing the water resource by using the FieldNET and CropX apps available on their phones.

These apps provide real-time data about where the water is going and how much is being used.

The Aitkens’ operation is part of an irrigation collective in the Waiau area. The collective is audited by independent assessors every year to ensure they have current farm environment plans and are employing good management practices.

“We are only at the beginning of our journey and have a lot more to learn. We’re not the only farmers trying to change things, but together over time I’m confident we can demonstrate that it is possible to run profitable and productive farming operations, while protecting our waterways.”

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Farming

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WATER FEATURE

IrrigationNZ makes big strides I

rrigationNZ has made great strides in the last 12 months, with a revitalised strategy focused on informing and shaping government policy that will impact the primary sector.

At its annual meeting the organisation revealed to members that for the first time in three years the organisation has ended the financial year in the black.

IrrigationNZ chief executive Vanessa Winning, who has been in the role for a year, is proud of her team’s performance and is looking forward to continuing the good work into 2022.

“I joined IrrigationNZ just before last year’s annual meeting. We had just completed a restructure, decided to move the head office to Wellington, and were close to another annual loss.”

“It was a challenge that the board was very upfront and honest about. Over this past year, despite no conference and other Covid-19 related issues, we have managed to turn this around and in just eight months we reached surplus and have grown our base. This will enable us to deliver even more for our members.”

IrrigationNZ also increased

its focus on informing and shaping regulation that will impact the primary sector, which saw a move of the organisation’s head office from Canterbury to Wellington in order to put them closer to government decision-makers.

In the past 12 months, IrrigationNZ has lodged five submissions to policy changes, such as the Water Services Bill, Dam Safety Implementation Act, Climate Change Amendment Act, Resource Management’s proposed Natural and Built Environments Act (NBA), and earlier draft legislation on Farm Environment Plans.

“Policy change is coming thick and fast, and we know it is overwhelming to many,” Winning said “We’re pushing hard to gain policy concessions that work for our members and have been successful on a number of occasions. Our biggest successes have been from working with the policy implementation teams and working through more practical implementation programmes.

“I’m particularly proud of the recent publishing of the Water Availability and Security (WAS) work which we have

IrrigationNZ chief executive Vanessa Winning; the organisation is back in the black.

spent the past 12 months working with the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) on.

It is a step in the right direction for finally creating a strategy for productive community and recreational use of water, which is long overdue.”

IrrigationNZ chairwoman Keri Johnston is excited by the revitalised focus of the organisation and believes it’s going from strength to strength.

The organisation has greatly increased its presence in government working and advisory groups on the big issues affecting the primary sectors.

“Without water we don’t have choices. It’s as simple as no water - no food,” Winning said.

“Access to reliable water is going to be essential for addressing environmental and climate outcomes. IrrigationNZ

PHOTO: SUPPLIED

will continue to emphasise the need for an overarching water strategy for New Zealand, so that we can identify better strategic outcomes, build resilience for our rural communities, and recognise our potential as a nation.”

IrrigationNZ represents more than 3500 members nationally, including irrigation schemes, individual irrigators, and the irrigation service sector.

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WATER FEATURE

15

Irrigating top tips Wealth of S electrical expertise for all farm needs ummer is just about here and that means irrigation is becoming widespread across Canterbury.

Waimakariri and Hurunui Waiau zone delivery lead Marco Cataloni said people are strongly encouraged to irrigate efficiently and consider their overall water use.

Over 500,000 ha of land is irrigated in Canterbury.

Cataloni said one key factor people should consider when choosing their irrigation system, is its efficiency.

“You should look for one which will maximise the amount of pasture grown while using as little water as possible.

“Well managed irrigation systems protect water quality and quantity, save on pumping costs and protect soil structure, ultimately retaining valuable nutrients.”

One key consideration for those irrigating is making sure it stays off the road.

“It’s vital irrigation systems only water within people’s property boundaries and not on the roads where it causes a hazard,” Cataloni said.

“The most common reasons for water going over-boundary are the extra spray from end guns on pivot irrigators and travelling irrigators getting too close to roads.”

On hot, windy days, irrigation water drifts on roads, where it can contribute to road deterioration and make the hot tar slippery.

“These problems can be easily solved

by checking that end guns are set and operating correctly and setting back travelling irrigators an adequate distance from the road,” Cataloni said.

Careful placement of irrigators is also needed during norwesterly wind conditions, to ensure irrigators aren’t knocked over.

Cataloni said it was important anyone carrying out irrigation ensures they keep up-to-date with the latest restrictions.

“These relate to specific areas, which may relate to the consent you hold.

Restrictions are put in place to help reserve water when stock is low,” he said.

Rural landowners can find information about irrigation restrictions by calling ECan on 0800 324 636 or on the irrigation restriction webpage which is updated daily with irrigation restrictions.

Lifestyle block owners can find details on taking water for domestic and stock water purposes in the domestic and stock water taking and use user guide.

People may also be able to take a permitted volume of water for other purposes depending on the location of your property and other factors.

Drink Healthy, Stay Healthy Are you happy with your drinking water? Do you know for sure that it’s an acceptable quality? Does it taste good? The water we put into our bodies determines our health to a large extent. The average adult human is made up of 60% water so it better be good!

Free phone: 03 925 8392 Mobile: 021 276 5700 Email: richard@filtrationcanterbury.co.nz Alford Forest RD 1 Ashburton 7771

J

eff and the team at Sullivan & Spillane Electrical have a wealth of knowledge when it comes to installing, monitoring, maintaining and repairing on-farm operations.

Jeff ’s expertise in the agricultural sector includes years of irrigation design engineering and many more years as an electrician, designing, installing and commissioning irrigation systems.

Understanding the system hydraulics, pump curve characteristics and individual’s watering needs depending on operation type, is key to achieving user-friendly, efficient systems for their farming clients.

Jeff and the team can advise on the appropriate type of pump control for each farmer whether VSDs or soft starters. He can analyse the situation to see if a VSD will provide enough payback to justify its expense.

Telemetry is useful to gather information from soil moisture monitors and weather stations that respond automatically to ensure soil

is never oversaturated or too dry.

Monitoring effluent spreaders for proof of placement and remotely shutting down pumps at the end of irrigator runs is another area telemetry can be used.

Predictive maintenance such as vibration analysis and thermal imaging to determine where and when a weakness will occur is another aspect of the company’s service.

Decisions can be made about how to correct it before it becomes a major problem. By spending time inspecting pumps, motors and switchboards, it can be determined how soon intervention is needed.

The agricultural and rural sector is an exciting part of Sullivan & Spillane’s business. They provide services over the greater South Canterbury region and beyond, no matter the scale of operation.

It’s what gets them out of bed in the morning, working outdoors on successful farming operations with the people behind it all.

• Smart Effluent Pump Control • Remote Monitoring • Proof of Placement INSTALL • MONITOR MAINTAIN • REPAIR

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Farming

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WATER FEATURE

Irrigators to suit all needs

W

ater is a commodity that is very much in the spotlight at the moment– and will remain so for the foreseeable future. Luckily, for all of us in New Zealand, we have plenty of water available to us, however, it is important that we are all able to share this commodity. With the combined team of Ray Mayne Hose and Fittings and Reinke Manufacturing we have the knowledge, products and the ability to ensure that your irrigation needs are well taken care of and to ensure that what water is utilised for irrigation is applied accurately.

With the wide variety of Reinke products available – Centre 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, supply and install the desired irrigation system to suit all needs. Ray Mayne Hose and Fittings have large stocks of all components to supply and assemble Reinke irrigation systems from stock in Ashburton. Having the ability to build systems from stock, that is readily available, eliminates the delay of shipping from the USA. Having been the Reinke dealer in New Zealand for over 20 years, Ray Mayne Hose and Fittings have the staff who have the passion and the knowledge to ensure that all Reinke systems supplied will operate as they have been designed.

With the advancement in technology, you can be assured that irrigation water will be applied where you want it and when you want it.

With the introduction of “Reincloud Ag-Data Services”, 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 txt or email. Everyday access is available on multiple devices – smartphone, tablet, laptop or computer. Reincloud is easy to use and informative.

In 2020 Reinke and CropX, a leading Israeli agricultural analytics and soil sensing company, formed a partnership to enable growers, worldwide, to have the very best irrigation scheduling tools. By integrating the

technologies and support of these two industry leaders, New Zealand irrigation farmers will be able to access soil health information, this, in turn will help farmers to improve yields, efficiencies and profitability. Through this partnership, farmers will have access to CropX’s enhanced irrigation data and can incorporate this data through their “ReinCloud” software.

By combining CropX and Reincloud, will ensure that the farmer can monitor and control multiple irrigation systems to the highest level.

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.

Ray Mayne Hose and Fittings experienced “spanning crews” have built hundreds of Reinke centre pivot and lateral irrigators throughout New

Zealand, on many varying farming types.

Contact the knowledgeable team at Ray Mayne Hose and Fittings for all of your irrigation requirements.

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WATER FEATURE

THE BEST THING TO HAPPEN TO CROPS… SINCE RAIN Reinke® and CropX®, two global leaders in agriculture technology, are ushering in a bold, new era of intelligent irrigation solutions for farms around the world. Built by farmers for farmers, CropX brings the world’s most accurate soil monitoring technology to your field. Each sensor leverages thousands of data points above and below ground—including soil moisture, temperature and salinity, crop behavior, precise weather patterns, topography maps and more—to maximize the performance of your Reinke irrigation system. In fact, field tests have demonstrated a 10% crop-yield enhancement with over 30% water savings.

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ALL UNDER ONE REINCLOUD® Whether you control 40 hectares or 400, CropX integration through Reinke’s ReinCloud® software platform creates a complete solution for understanding your crops and controlling your irrigation with more power and precision than you’ve ever had before.

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17

18

Farming

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WATER FEATURE

Irrigation efficiency toolbox expands I

rrigationNZ is working with global farm-management company CropX to ensure New Zealand farmers have access to better farming data that can help them improve their irrigation efficiency.

CropX, which has opened an office in New Zealand, has also acquired local company Regen, which provides cloudbased, precision effluent and irrigation decision support tools - including developing the irrigation efficiency app ‘The Bucket Test’ for IrrigationNZ. IrrigationNZ and CropX have strengthened the relationship and entered a joint venture agreement for the Bucket Test app.

The Bucket Test is an irrigation efficiency tool that has been used thousands of times to determine application depth, rate and how uniformly water is being applied during an irrigation event. The simple method is based on collecting irrigation water in strategically placed buckets and measuring water collected over a certain period of time. The app is used to collate this data and walks you through the steps to collect all relevant inputs, provides the results instantly to your phone, and e-mails a summary report to you.

CropX plans to take the Bucket Test technology global, with ambitions to bring it to the Australian and American markets, where CropX is already well-established.

“We provide farmmanagement tools that are affordable, accurate and practical,” said Eitan Dan, who has moved from CropX HQ in Israel to become CropX NZ managing director.

“The Bucket Test is another addition to the CropX toolkit.

We’ve seen farmers in many countries crying out for an accurate way to measure irrigation efficiency, The Bucket Test offers a ready-made solution that we can now bring to them.

“We look forward to continuing to develop this technology with our New Zealand partners and providing it to farmers across the world.”

Having developed the app with Regen several years ago, IrrigationNZ is excited to work with CropX to further develop the tool.

IrrigationNZ chief executive Vanessa Winning said it was proud of the work it had done with Regen to develop a tool that takes the guesswork out of assessing irrigation infrastructure performance.

CropX New Zealand managing director Eitan Dan with a soil sensor on farm.

PHOTO: SUPPLIED

“CropX’s expertise means we will be able to improve the app even further and deliver greater value to our members by ensuring it is brought into alignment with the Irrigation NZ Code of Practice for Irrigation Performance Assessment.”

Regen’s chief executive Bridgit Hawkins has moved across to CropX to become its chief sustainability officer.

“Our goal is to help New Zealand farmers tackle the

growing complexities of managing modern farm operations. Joining CropX, our farmers will get access to their transformational technology and extensive global data network to instantly assess what is happening in their paddocks.”

Dan said there was an urgent need to measure environmental impacts and increase efficiency.

“Farmers need quality data now more than ever. They need to know that their improved practices are working, because

without this, there will be reluctance by the majority to follow suit and make the required changes.”

The Bucket Test works well alongside CropX’s patented soil sensor which is embedded with their sophisticated, yet easy to use digital platform, and has already helped thousands of farmers across the world. It was launched in New Zealand at this year’s Mystery Creek Fieldays, where it was a finalist in the innovation awards.

“We want to simplify the on-farm experience by giving farmers access to the full package of farm management software,” Dan said.

“The CropX solution and Bucket Test are the start of this, and over time we want to increase our offerings so we can provide New Zealand farmers with the full package of affordable and accurate farmmanagement tools that will allow them to farm sustainably and efficiently, without needing swarms of advisors on their farm telling them how to do it.”

CropX was founded in New Zealand six years ago after angel investors provided capital for initial work carried out

by Landcare Research. The company then moved to Israel.

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WATER FEATURE

19

Best ballcock in the business T

he SIS Ballcock was a concept of Ray Collins. I have shot ducks on Ray’s farm for over 40 years and we have shared many (at sometimes crazy) engineering projects.

Ray processes designs in his mind and with ballcock I couldn’t picture his design in my mind. So he made one.

We made five, then we made 10, then we made 50 – now we do runs of 1000’s. We now purchase the 35mm diameter stainless steel a ton at a time.

Ray has had a lifetime of frustration with ballcocks that prompted his comment “make the best ballcock in the world”.

They are all made from 316 marine grade stainless steel. They have no internal parts – the sealing face is on the exterior. Our design is so simple your children, your wife, your bank manager would be able to understand how the SIS valve works.

One large farm in our area is laid out in a manner that every time they leave the farm they drive past two thirds of their water troughs.

At least once a year as husband and wife left the property for an appointment, they would see a trough overflowing. There is no choice, these problems cannot be left – a water source pumped out can ruin a $7000 pump.

Their SIS Ballcock replacement programme is fixing this problem.

We are now 7years into producing ballcocks and not one has been thrown into a rubbish bin.

Many thanks to Ray Collins, Ross Symes and Terry Nelley. These farmers gave me access to their properties for the development process. Ray Collins gets free ballcocks for the rest of his life.

This ballcock is one of our original test sites – a dry stock situation – with a huge static head, in the bottom of a valley.

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Buy 10@ $99.50 +GST each receive 12 units (freight included)

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20

Farming

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Ruralco lifts profit despite Covid-19 D

espite uncertainty around Covid-19 and regulatory compliance issues, Ashburtonbased rural supplies cooperative Ruralco has shown resilience, recording a positive financial result for its 2021 financial year.

Ruralco continued to grow its group turnover, recording $245.3 million compared to $241.3m last year. Gross profit slightly increased to $10.6m compared to $10.3m in the previous year, and EBITDA remained constant at $1.2m.

Group equity at the end of the 2021 financial year was $16.9m up from last year’s $16.7m.

“While it was a year of disruption, Ruralco is more resilient than ever thanks to strong relationships between its businesses, suppliers (both card and retail), its shareholders, staff and board. It is an ecosystem of businesses which has served the company well this year,” Ruralco chairwoman Jessie Chan said.

“While Covid-19 and regulatory compliance issues have continued to create challenges for Ruralco and our wider farming community, 2021 has also been one of the best years for commodity prices for arable and dairy, with market prices also strong for lamb and beef. Fundamentally it has been a very good year incomewise, but it has been one of the worst in terms of the ability to move forward in a positive and confident manner.

“These issues may still be with us, but they are not holding us back – we have a proven track record of agility and knowledge to keep us moving forward. Adversity does not constrain us in doing

New director, Andrew Barlass

business and these challenges have not deterred Ruralco from forging ahead with its planned direction and alignment of its business,” she said.

For the fourth time in a row, Ruralco will pay its shareholders a bonus rebate thanks to revenue growth and careful management of expenses.

During the last financial year, Ruralco increased its shareholders by 2.4 per cent, with account numbers growing by 6 per cent and card suppliers growing by 7.8 per cent. It has stayed true to its course of increasing market share while also focusing on efficiencies within the business.

It was announced at its annual meeting that the co-operative has just signed up its 4000th shareholder – a significant milestone in the co-operative’s 58-year history.

Ruralco chief executive Rob Sharkie said the co-operative’s differentiation is always its people – its staff, shareholders, suppliers, their families and

Ruralco chief executive Rob Sharkie and chairwoman Jessie Chan.

the farming community. “We recognise we are all in this together and we are one team.

We are bold and dare to always do better, we are honest and

accountable, and we always go the extra mile, especially in difficult times,” he said.

Current director Kate Acland was re-elected to the

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board and Andrew Barlass, a Mid Canterbury farmer and independent director, elected, following the retirement of Gabrielle Thompson.

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Mayview looks beyond constraints Heather Chalmers

A

RURAL REPORTER

Mid Canterbury dairy farm’s high achieving owners say they are looking to keep ahead of regulations and environmental requirements by continually redefining what is possible on farms.

This includes progressing rapidly towards a bobby-free system to reduce calf wastage and adding plantain to pastures to reduce nitrate losses.

Mayview, near Mayfield is run under a company structure where the 2016 Young Farmer of the Year Athol New and his wife Jane, Synlait co-founder Juliet Maclean and business owner Michael Falconer are directors.

The farm was converted to dairy in 2016 and purchased

by Mayview in July 2019.

The irrigated dairy farm is 356 hectares in total, with an effective milking platform of 347ha milking 1250 friesian cross cows at 3.6 cows/ha.

In 2020-21, production was 508kg of milk solids a cow and 1828kg/MS/ha.

Falconer, whose experience includes 12 years of investment banking with Credit Suisse in New York and New Zealand, followed by eight years at Carter Holt Harvey, said the business was looking at the direction of regulations and environmental requirements and trying to get ahead of them. By being proactive, such as adding plantain to pastures, they are “doing something now that will put us in a better position in a few years’ time”.

Falconer led the separation of Synlait’s milk processing and dairy farming businesses into two stand-alone companies, as well as advising on the initial public offering of Synlait Milk and managing the sale of Synlait Farms.

Maclean, who founded Synlait with John Penno and Ben Dingle in 2000, said a lot of people were “commenting on and feeling a little bit overwhelmed by some of the constraints that are facing us as individuals and as businesses right now.

“Reflecting on my 30 years in the dairy industry, the times of constraint are when we become the most engaged and inspired

Owners Juliet Maclean and Athol New outline the farming operations at Mayview at a field day on the farm.

to look for opportunities.

“We are looking to operate and grow into the future with more constraints than we have had in the past. I love that, as it builds a mindset of looking at things in different ways. Michael, Athol and I all

challenge each other.

“I hope you see the start of that today as we haven’t achieved everything we want to,” she told a DairyNZ Farm Systems of the Future field day on the property.

Mayview is one of the

farms involved in a Meeting a Sustainable Future project focusing on how farms in the Hinds and Selwyn catchments can meet nitrogen loss limits and maintain profitability under the Canterbury Land and Water Regional Plan.

The grass is always greener.

Thanks to Victory Lime. www.vlime.co.nz

www.guardianonline.co.nz From Northland, New said he did not grow up on a farm.

After studying at Lincoln University, he started his dairy career at Synlait Farms, where he met Maclean. Eventually he was overseeing four dairies and 4000 young stock at Synlait (now Theland Purata Farm Group) before becoming operations manager at Rakaia Island, a 9000-cow operation.

To build equity, New and his wife Jane started buying livestock in 2009. “We started with 50 calves and progressively traded in and out of all different classes of livestock. So, when we left Synlait Farms in 2017 we sold 700 cows in the herd and had a passive investment for a couple of years until the opportunity arose to invest in this farm.”

Brought up by his solo mother, New said he “didn’t have much as a kid”.

“One of the key drivers for us is to provide opportunities for my kids that I didn’t have.”

He also wants to get the dairy business to a size where he doesn’t have to be hands-on on a day-to-day basis, so he can concentrate more on strategic operational aspects.

New aims for systems that are both repeatable and sophisticated enough to drive performance.

At Mayview, all cows and young stock are wintered off the milking platform at a grazier’s property. The farm is run as a production system four, with 600kg to 900kg of drymatter a cow of supplement imported onto the milking platform.

The farm is well set up in terms of infrastructure, with a 64-bale rotary shed, an in-shed feeding system and automatic cup removers. Rumination collars were put on the cows in July.

“So, we have a lot of technology that we are trying to utilise and get the maximum benefit out of.”

Rumination collars are being used for heat detection and to quickly identify animal health issues. “These also provide an opportunity to generate a huge amount of data in terms of cow rumination and activity.

“I am still trying to get my head around how best to use this data to optimise performance,” New said.

Mayview is progressing rapidly towards a bobby-free system, with system changes and the addition of a support block that allows the farm to rear its own beef calves.

From the herd of 1250 cows, less than 200 calves were not reared this spring, compared with 600 to 700 previously.

Mayview has a wagyu contract for calves from lower index cows, while the top performance cows are inseminated with sexed semen to produce heifers from the best genetics. The remaining cows get friesian genetics.

“Historically, the friesian bull calf market has been good, though not so much this year.”

Heifers are mated to a jersey bull, and once the farm gets a support block these will be artificially inseminated to reduce low value calves.

Initially when the farm was purchased, the plan was to milk 1300 cows at 440kg/MS/cow.

“In the first year, we had cows eating a significant amount of pasture, but their milk solids’ production wasn’t matching the feed input. We imported a protein blend of soy and canola which was added to the diet at 1kg/cow/day and within three days the herd lifted production from 2kg to 2.45kg/MS/day.”

Mayview now feeds the protein mix from August to late spring.

“So, I think differently now about how I feed cows. I am much more focused on how to optimise the cows and reduce the number of cows we run for the same amount of milk which is easier on both cows and people,” New said.

By using supplement in spring, cows were able to peak at 2.4 to 2.5kg/MS/day, maintaining the lactation curve at a higher level.

In autumn, supplementary feed was used for a different reason, to balance the feed, rather than drive production.

Changes implemented over the two last years at Mayview farm include mostly direct drilling paddocks unless a specific need to cultivate is

23

Mayview’s herd was fitted with rumination collars in July.

identified. Pasture mixes include 8kg/ha of diploid ryegrass, 12kg of tetraploid ryegrass, 6kg of white clover, 3kg of red clover and 3kg of plantain.

Plantain has been incorporated because of science showing a reduction in nitrate loss from cows eating the forage herb. It is broadcast over the whole milking platform with the fertiliser.

“At the moment it is estimated that new pastures have about 10 to 15 per cent of plantain.

We are adjusting and learning to manage plantain. Pasture management has not changed because of plantain, but cows don’t like to eat the plantain if the round length gets too long.

A round length of 23-24 days used during the bulk of the season is working for plantain at the moment.”

The main issues are chemical control of weeds in pastures with plantain and nitrogen boosted grasses competing with plantain.

Four soil moisture meters are installed to provide information on irrigation scheduling, with plans to have one under each pivot. Mayview

has eight centre pivots, two with variable rate irrigation.

Bucket tests were completed on all the pivots in the first season. “The range in performance was surprising, given the farm is quite new.

“We replaced several sprinklers and have renozzled two entire pivots over winter.

This has improved our uniformity and let us increase water applications from 4mm to 5mm/day through these two pivots which will mean our water is used more efficiently and we have grown more pasture as a result.”

Mayview prepared for the 190kg/ha nitrogen cap by only applying 194kg/ha last season.

“As a result of the 190kg rule we are getting smarter about where nitrogen is applied, such as not spreading around water troughs and gateways. We are also thinking more strategically about what times of the year to apply nitrogen to maximise grass growth response.”

No nitrogen is applied in August, unless the soil temperature is above 7deg and rising consistently. In January and February, they are trying

PHOTOS: SUPPLIED

to miss paddocks rather than drop an application. The last application is before April 30.

Mayview’s purchased nitrogen surplus as calculated

by Overseer has dropped significantly, mainly driven by a reduction in nitrogen fertiliser.

Every paddock is soil tested every second year to address fertility issues when required, with the owners considering going to per hectare testing in the future.

To address fertility to ensure a suitable environment for clover growth they are targeting a pH of 6.2 and optimal molybdenum levels.

They are sowing higher rates of clover to help fill the nitrogen gap and sowing red clover as it produces higher nitrogen fixing rates.

New said the team at Mayview enjoy being involved with initiatives like the Sustainable Futures project “as it provides opportunities to learn from others and encourages us to redefine farm systems that will ensure our business is meeting the needs, now and in the future, of our land, our livestock and our team”.

Dairy Focus

ElbowDeep 24

Brought to you by POWER FARMING ASHBURTON

www.guardianonline.co.nz

with Craig Hickman

Restructure vote hinges on govt W

ith the prospect of this season’s farmgate milk price looking closer to $9 than $8 and a significantly better than expected free trade deal with the United Kingdom, economically things are looking rosy for Fonterra farmers.

I’m a strong supporter of the co-operative and was intrigued when it announced it was looking to change its capital structure to make it easier for farmers to join.

The new proposed capital structure put forward by Fonterra’s board would make joining the co-operative easier by reducing the high capital investment required to supply them and allow farmers greater financial flexibility when they decide to leave.

Fonterra last changed its capital structure when it adopted Trading Among Farmers (TAF) in 2012. TAF was a response to the issue of farmers exiting Fonterra and redeeming their shares, meaning large sums of money were washing in and out of the co-op, mainly out.

It addressed one issue, the threat to Fonterra’s balance sheet, but ignored systemic problems like the high cost of becoming a Fonterra supplier and the fact suppliers are still leaving the co-op in favour of independent processors who don’t require farmer investment.

TAF was based on the belief milk supply would continue to grow and Fonterra’s share of that supply would remain stable.

In fact, milk supply leveled off shortly after the introduction of TAF and Fonterra’s share of the milk pool fell from 96 per cent to its current level of around 80 per cent.

The Minister of Agriculture Damien O’Connor, who has

been an outspoken critic of TAF since it was introduced, welcomed the news of an impending change. In May this year he said he would assist Fonterra’s board in speeding through the necessary law changes, seeing the need to quickly amend the legislation that controls Fonterra, once final decisions were made.

With Fonterra’s board actively consulting farmers and amending its proposal based on the feedback received, and the Minister of Agriculture enthusiastically supporting change, all that would be needed to see the changes put in place is a favourable farmer vote in December.

Or so you would think. A recent email from Fonterra chairman Peter McBride poured cold water on that notion.

The email, which was announcing the board’s intention to go ahead with the vote, contained a chilling paragraph towards the end which read: “at this stage, the Government is not in a position to support DIRA changes to facilitate our proposal, but we understand the Government wants to work with us to reach an outcome that works for both parties”.

The news that O’Connor is no longer willing to amend the legislation is an obvious sign that something has gone seriously awry behind the scenes.

We can expect Fonterra’s competitors will be lobbying hard for the status quo as any changes that would make it easier for farmers to join Fonterra poses a risk to their supplier base, a base they would move mountains to protect. Another possibility is that the Government departments reviewing the proposed changes simply don’t like what they’re

After 20 years in existence, Fonterra is still bound by legislation that tilts the playing field heavily towards its competitors.

PHOTO: SUPPLIED

seeing, and if that’s the case it explains O’Connor’s sudden reticence. It would be a brave minister indeed who went against the advice of his ministry without very strong justification.

McBride’s email also held out hope the changes would be in place before the start of the next milking season starting in June. Given that the changes are obviously not a government priority, there’s no legislation prepared, not to mention the looming long parliamentary Christmas break, I’d say that’s a very faint hope indeed. I also hope O’Connor’s time is focused on delivering farmers and growers a decent trade deal with Europe.

In the worst-case scenario, Fonterra and the Government

are so far apart that the changes farmer shareholders will vote on in December will look nothing like what the Government is willing to implement. If so, this may end up being an opportunity wasted and the significant share value farmers have invested in the co-op will have been decimated for no reason. For the sake of farmers, I sincerely hope this isn’t the case.

The whole saga however highlights a very important truth. After 20 years in existence, Fonterra is still bound by legislation that tilts the playing field heavily towards its competitors. The fact that a company could take a democratic shareholder vote and the decision whether to

enact the outcome is left to the government is ludicrous.

DIRA needs to be scrapped, except for the milk price manual, and Fonterra and its farmer shareholders need to be free to chart their own course.

With the next DIRA review only a couple of years away, that’s where the co-op’s lobbying muscle (and the government department’s time) should be directed instead of attempting to tinker around the edges. Only then will decisions about the co-op’s structure solely be in the hands of farmers.

TALK TO THE EXPERTS FOR FARMING SUPPORT 07 858 4233 farmservices.nz info@farmservices.nz

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www.guardianonline.co.nz

25

Tech helps farm smarter, not harder W

ith a young family, 700 high performance cows, 206 hectares and three permanent staff to manage, time is a precious commodity on the Ferriman farm near Hinds.

So when Hayden Ferriman heard about a fast, accurate new way of measuring grass growth this spring, he reached for the phone.

Now there are five high-tech devices from Farmote Systems installed on the family’s milking platform.

They’re combined with a unique satellite imagery service to automatically feed constant pasture data to Ferriman’s phone or computer.

Normally it takes him or the farm manager three hours to walk the farm every week with a rising platemeter to gather the same information.

Driving each paddock with a C-Dax pasture meter is quicker, but it still takes two hours.

One month into a threemonth free trial of the Farmote System, Ferriman said it was still early days.

But so far he’s been impressed at how closely its data matches that of the C-Dax, which the Ferrimans have used for the past seven seasons.

“We’re still continuing to drive the farm on a regular basis. There is a discrepancy between the two systems, because they are different, but the actual level of accuracy with the pre-graze covers has only been plus or minus 200300kg of drymatter/ha.”

Averaging 345,000kg milksolids a year on a System 3, the Ferrimans rely heavily on growing and harvesting as much quality pasture as possible to keep their cows well-fed.

“That’s a key driver for our profitability. And a big part of achieving that goal is regularly monitoring our pasture growth so we can make the appropriate management decisions at the right time, for example when to harvest a surplus or to extend our grazing round,” Ferriman said.

Richard Barton with his breakthrough Farmote System.

While driving or walking the farm is a very important job, up until now it has also been a time-consuming one, and because of that, during busy times like spring, it hasn’t always been done as frequently as it should have.

What the family is looking for is “a platform or a product that can deliver consistent, reliable and accurate pasture measurement” every day, ideally without him or his senior staff having to spend time doing it.

The Farmote System has exciting potential in this context, he said.

Developed by Christchurch design engineer Richard Barton, it combines latest cube satellite imagery with remote sensors, micro electronics and weather-proof, cow-proof design to achieve what up until now has been unachievable – automated, accurate, in-paddock pasture monitoring.

Interfacing with the Farmote System via phone,

PHOTO: SUPPLIED

tablet or computer has been straightforward and seamless, Ferriman said.

The family has experimented with another satellite pasture monitoring system, and one thing that is quite different with Farmote is the need to record paddocks when they are grazed and feed this information back into the system.

“But that hasn’t been onerous for us at all. It’s just become part of our daily data input for the farm as a whole.”

Technology is already helping the Ferrimans run a more efficient business – automatic drafting and heat detection in the rotary are prime examples – and they are watching the rise and rise of cow wearables with great interest.

“I wouldn’t describe us as early adopters, but we do appreciate technology where there are clear gains to be made by utilising it.”

For more detail visit www. farmote.com.

Dairy Focus

26

www.guardianonline.co.nz

RURAL CONTRACTORS FEATURE

Crunch coming for ag contractors F

ederated Farmers’ concerns about the serious shortage of experienced agricultural machinery operators is proving justified as summer approaches.

A shortage of experienced operators is being felt across rural New Zealand, and the pressure is building on both farmers and rural contractors, the federation’s immigration and employment spokesman Chris Lewis said.

“Unfortunately, we all saw this coming a long way out. Federated Farmers has repeatedly explained the implications of having no international seasonal rural workers to the Immigration, Primary Industries and Workplace Relations and Safety Ministers, the Primary Production Select Committee and the chief executive of WorkSafe.

“The shortage is leaving both contractors and farmers in the lurch and we have serious concerns for the coming season.

These are complex machines that require experienced operators,” Lewis said.

Rural contractors deal with a workload that is both seasonal and weather reliant. An experienced team of operators is needed to ensure that arable and

Agricultural contractors use big complex machines that require experienced operators.

forage crops can be planted and harvested at the required times.

“Without enough operators, the industry is facing a loss of production and contractors are facing health and safety risks, both through long hours worked by the staff

available and being forced to put inexperienced operators in charge of machinery.”

Stress also comes on for farmers who are relying on contractors to prepare supplementary animal feed for when grass is short, Lewis said.

“Rural contracting companies have done all they can to attract and train new staff, but a willing young Kiwi can’t match the experience of those workers who have come straight from driving the same machines in the northern hemisphere.”

PHOTO: SUPPLIED

Federated Farmers is urging farmers and contractors to sit down and work together to plan how to work with the limited labour and time available.

“This is not going to be an ordinary season on the farm,” Lewis said.

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RURAL CONTRACTORS FEATURE

27

App aids on-the-job training R

ural Contractors NZ will help fund a HanzonJobs initiative alongside support of $140,000 from the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) to train and mentor young people working with contractors around the country.

Under the initiative, training will be provided to rural contractors to help them to mentor their staff. Also, support will be provided for 200 new industry trainees to access an app to record and document their work experience.

Rural Contractors chief executive Andrew Olsen said there was a critical shortage of skilled machinery operators in the industry due to Covid-19 and HanzonJobs provided a very real solution.

“Supporting rural contractors with mentoring training will help to boost their and their team’s capability. The app will also enable their staff to keep an accurate record of their work and experience and help to identify any areas of development.”

HanzonJobs is owned by former rural contractor and labour recruiter Richard Houston. He developed it after Covid-19 struck and labour shortages intensified. The app provides a web-based platform that allows trainees to easily log all the activities they’ve been involved in during a working day. Over the course of a season, the trainee will build a detailed record of their learning and experience across various jobs involving differing terrain, conditions and machinery types.

While most using the HanzonJobs app last season were under 30, it’s open to anyone learning to operate agricultural machinery.

Rural Contractors board member Daryl Thompson trialled the HanzonJobs app with four trainees last year and said it brings a range of benefits. “The information captured by the app is critical for developing and monitoring my own workforce. We can demonstrate that as an industry we are supporting training, and it can help show areas where we’ll need staff next season.”

Another bonus of the app is that it provides a record of learning which insurers seek when it comes to machinery damage claims.

“As rural contractors, we have

to get right behind this lifeline,” Thompson said.

Olsen said most contractors said the best training was on-the-job and the app was a perfect way to capture this. “The HanzonJobs app is designed to increase employee retention by turning otherwise unrecorded onthe-job experience into a detailed, documented, and verified record of industry skills.”

Richard Houston said rural contractors and their trainees have found the app useful. “Employers can see what a potential recruit has actually learned to do, rather than relying on say-so.

“A survey from last season showed more than 80 per cent of trainees enjoyed the season – and planned to return this season. The app plays a big part in this satisfaction. We’re planning to align the records in the app with associated unit standards, to further the ability of the platform to contribute towards qualifications,” Houston said.

MPI director investment, skills and performance, Cheyne Gillooly said the ministry was proud to be supporting this initiative. “Providing mentoring for rural contractors will help them to train and retain their staff, while providing access to the HanzonJobs app makes it simpler to recall and present an employee’s experience.

“This initiative fits with the goals of our Fit for a Better World roadmap of which a key aim is to boost food and fibre sector workforce and jobs. It also aligns with our worker attraction campaign, Opportunity Grows Here.

“We’re proud to be supporting this HanzonJobs initiative as it ensures our rural contracting industry has the tools to set their businesses and staff up for success.”

Olsen said its aim was to recruit about 200 trainees and their mentors from Northland to Southland to support the HanzonJobs initiative.

“Our season is well underway, so we can put the mentoring support and access to the app to good use and help us to fill the current shortage of skilled staff. This initiative really hits home the power of working together and what’s possible.”

Most contractors say the best training is on-the-job and the app is a perfect way for trainees to log their experience.

PHOTO: SUPPLIED

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Dairy Focus

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Ag voice vital on emissions pricing F

armers will play a key part in deciding which agricultural emissions pricing framework the primary sector recommends to Government next year.

The Primary Sector Climate Action Partnership – He Waka Eke Noa has released a discussion document with two key options for farmers to consider over the next three months, as alternatives to the NZ Emissions Trading Scheme (NZ ETS).

The cross agri-sector partnership includes Beef + Lamb NZ, DairyNZ and Federated Farmers, as well as Government and iwi/Maori.

“It’s critical we grab this opportunity and develop a credible alternative framework as the Government has already legislated to put agriculture into the NZ ETS if we don’t,” DairyNZ chair Jim van der Poel said.

“The NZ ETS pricing would be out of farmers’ control, and they would face a broad-based tax. Also, farmers wouldn’t get recognition for on-farm work to reduce emissions. We’re working to get a better deal for farmers while still meeting environmental goals,” van der Poel said.

The farm-level levy and processor-level hybrid levy options in the discussion document take a split-gas approach. They acknowledge short-lived gases like methane have a different warming impact to long-lived gases like carbon dioxide, and the price for methane will be separate and delinked from the carbon price.

“We want the framework farmers select to incentivise work underway on-farm including sequestration and riparian planting. The two options would ensure any revenue raised by the pricing system would go back into research and development for innovative solutions and support farmers’ on-farm work to mitigate their warming impact,” B+LNZ chair Andrew Morrison said.

The new pricing framework isn’t expected to come into force until January 1, 2025 (but it could be sooner if the NZ ETS is selected by the Government). The Government has made it clear they will put agriculture into the ETS if the partnership does not come up with a credible alternative.

Farmers will have the

DairyNZ chair Jim van der Poel

opportunity to have a say in February when B+LNZ, DairyNZ and Federated Farmers take a nationwide roadshow to the regions.

“We’re releasing the draft discussion document now, so farmers have time to consider the options. At the roadshow meetings, we’ll explain what the options mean for different farming systems, and most importantly answer questions and hear farmers’ views,” Morrison said.

A more detailed information pack on the options will be released by the partnership early next year ahead of the roadshow. Farmers will be able to give their feedback online

then too.

“It’s hugely important farmers get involved and tell us what they think in February.

We’re committed to finding a solution that works for farmers and keeps the sector in control of where and how it uses funds for the benefit of farmers,” van der Poel said.

Feedback from engagement including the February roadshow and farmers’ online feedback will form part of the partnership’s recommendations to the Ministers of Climate Change and Agriculture in late April 2022.

The agriculture emissions pricing options: Option 1: Farm-level levy: This levy would calculate emissions using farm-specific data, and the farm would then pay a price for its net emissions.

This option would reward eligible on-farm sequestration additional to that currently included in the ETS that could offset some of the cost of the emissions levy.

Option 2: Processor-level hybrid levy: This levy would calculate emissions at the meat, milk, and fertiliser processor level, based on the quantity of product received from farms, or in the case of

fertiliser, sold to farms. It would be paid at a processor level, and likely collected by the processor charging through to farmers based on the quantity of product processed, or fertiliser supplied.

NZ Emissions Trading Scheme: Within the NZ ETS, agricultural emissions would be calculated at a processor level initially, to create a financial incentive for farms to reduce their emissions. Short-lived gases like methane, and longlived gases such as carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide, would be treated the same using a carbon equivalence metric (CO2e). Methane emissions would be priced on the prevailing carbon price, multiplied by a factor of 28 to reflect its carbon dioxide equivalence. Costs for farmers would continue to increase each year alongside increases in the carbon price, despite work to reduce emissions.

Also, most on-farm vegetation is not currently recognised in the NZ ETS, for example, riparian areas, shelter belts and small woodlots, which farmers would not receive recognition for.

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Record number of elite young bulls F

armers around New Zealand are set to reap the rewards from a record number of genetically superior young bulls joining the ranks of LIC’s artificial breeding bull teams as a result of the co-operative’s continued investment into genomic selection.

Twenty-six young, genomically selected sires have made the cut to join the teams this spring, up from 23 bulls last year and 17 the year before.

The 2017-born cohort, commonly known as ‘spring bulls’, secured their spot in the teams after their superior performance predicted by genomics was validated by herd testing data from their first crop of daughters now being milked on farms around the country.

“The record number of young bulls graduating into our Premier Sires teams this year demonstrates the accuracy and value in using genomic selection in our breeding scheme,” LIC livestock selection manager Simon Worth said.

“Based on these bulls’ DNA and ancestry we predicted they would produce phenomenal dairy cows, and that has well and truly shown itself to be true as their daughters are now being milked with great results.”

Worth said farmers can now utilise these elite genetics this

The number of spring bulls joining LIC’s Premier Sires team, including four-year-old bull Waimata SB Ransom-ET S2F, is the highest to date, reflecting the increased accuracy in the performance predictions of the co-op’s young bulls.

PHOTO: SUPPLIED

mating season.

“The nature of our fresh semen service means we can select a bull to join a team one day and then his semen can arrive on-farm the next day for insemination, so we can deliver that genetic improvement onfarm almost immediately for farmers to capitalise on.”

Worth said securing a place in one of the co-op’s renowned Premier Sires bull teams is

no easy feat and rightly so as the teams are responsible for siring up to 75 per cent of the national dairy herd.

“There’s a lot of boxes a bull needs to tick to earn a spot in one of our teams. First and foremost, he must be able to produce daughters which have the outstanding production and efficiency expected of the next generation of New Zealand dairy cows.”

Worth said this year’s spring bull graduates are now some the most genetically superior sires for AB that New Zealand has to offer, taking out six of the top seven spots in the industry’s Ranking of Active Sires (RAS) list which ranks bulls from all breeding companies according to their Breeding Worth.

Two of the bulls – KiwiCross Werders Premonition (518038) and Holstein Friesian Waimata

SB Ransom-ET (118001) – have also secured the number one position for their respective breed on the RAS list.

Worth, who has been working in LIC’s Livestock Selection team for 18 years, says he can’t remember a graduation rate as high as this year.

“This is really gratifying for us with the work we do – from the contract mating through to bull team selection – and ultimately great news for New Zealand dairy farmers.”

Asked if he has a favourite of the new bulls, he said that’s like asking a parent if they have a favourite child, and there is no room for favouritism when it comes to the co-op’s bull selection.

“But if I had to pick one that is particularly close to our hearts it’d be the KiwiCross sire, Innovation Homebrew. He was born and bred on LIC’s commercial dairy farm outside Hamilton and LIC staff named him.”

“Although Homebrew has a special link to LIC, his high BW shows he well and truly deserved his spot on the team.

We’re looking forward to following his journey.”

Farmers can now access the elite new genetics through the co-op’s range of Premier Sires bull teams.

30

Dairy Focus

www.guardianonline.co.nz

Selwyn farmers cut nitrogen loss

D

airy farmers in Canterbury’s Selwyn catchment are actively reducing their environmental footprint, with data indicating many have reduced nitrogen loss by 30 per cent.

“Selwyn farmers have been working hard to achieve this milestone, taking steps on their farms to look after the environment,” DairyNZ solutions and development lead advisor Virginia Serra said.

“Preliminary information shows 70 per cent of Selwyn farmers have met their 30 per cent nitrogen loss reduction target set by Environment Canterbury.

“Another 20 per cent are well on track to achieving it and are receiving support to get there. The remaining farmers will be supported this season to make progress.”

DairyNZ collated the data from dairy companies and irrigation companies, plus a DairyNZ survey.

Dairy farmers are using Farm Environment Plans to identify actions to reduce their footprint, including improving water quality. Nitrogen is one of several contributors to water quality, with phosphorus, sediment and E. coli also playing a vital role and covered by the farm plans.

“Reducing nitrogen loss over time helps improve water quality and helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” Serra said.

“Achieving these results is not easy and farmers are working hard to deliver. They are doing their best to

DairyNZ solutions and development lead advisor Virginia Serra.

PHOTO: ASHBURTON GUARDIAN

keep up with regulations, across the spectrum of farming.”

DairyNZ has been working with farmers from Selwyn and Hinds for three years through the Meeting a Sustainable Future project, supporting them to reduce nitrogen loss. This includes trialling options with 40 partner farms and sharing knowledge with local farmers.

A recent DairyNZ survey showed all Selwyn and Hinds farmers surveyed are adapting practices to reduce nitrogen loss. This includes improving irrigation efficiency and effluent management, reducing fertiliser use, using the grazing herb plantain (which reduces nitrogen loss) and some are changing their stocking rate.

Most Selwyn dairy farmers are required

by ECan rules to reduce nitrogen losses by 30 per cent by 2022, compared to their baseline figure, an average from 2009-2013.

Central Canterbury dairy farmer Tony Dodunski will host a graduate on his farm next year as part of a farmer-initiated management programme. PHOTO: SUPPLIED

Farmers help graduates get ahead A

group of Canterbury-based dairy farmers have set up their own post-graduate programme aimed at fast-tracking young people from university into management and decision-making positions in the industry.

One of the farmers, Tony Dodunski, said there was a shortage of on-farm decision-makers on both owneroperator and corporate dairy farms.

“We are trying to fill that gap by providing good working conditions and personal development opportunities for graduates straight out of university.”

Known as the Grassroots Dairy Graduate Management Programme, it was based on other post-graduate programmes such as one offered by ANZ bank.

Dodunski said programme numbers would initially be kept to six in the first year, in 2022, to establish a blueprint. The network farmers involved with the programme happened to be in Canterbury, but plans were to expand in the future.

“Previously, dairying hasn’t done well in attracting graduates straight into the industry from university. It is about fixing the perceived barriers so that graduates can have a successful career in the industry.”

Graduates with any university degree or diploma can apply for the programme.

“We are targeting smart young people.”

The programme will place

graduates in paid employment on one of the network farms on a fixed term contract from February to November.

Over the 10 months participants would be given paid time off to attend a series of 30 modules covering a range of management topics delivered by a range of rural professionals and well-respected farmers. The network farmers were expected to teach graduates about the day-to-day operation of a dairy farm.

At the conclusion of the programme, graduates will be ready to take on an entry level management role either on their current farm or another in the network.

A group of Canterbury-based dairy farmers known as the Canterbury Farm Business Group had initiated the programme, said Dodunski, who farms 650 cows at Lake Ellesmere/Te Waihora.

“We aren’t out to make money out of the programme. We see a gap. A major barrier to our business growth is people. Our intention is to grow with these people and provide pathways.

“We are all university graduates ourselves. If we had had something like this, it would have sped up our development.”

Buoyant dairy payout prices meant there were plenty of opportunities for graduates to grow their careers, Dodunski said.

For more information and to apply, www.dairygrads.co.nz.

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31

Halter brings an immediate solution to labour challenges

The ability of Halter’s smart cow collars to couple activity monitoring with cow guidance is world-leading.

Halter enables cows to be held within a virtual fence.

A

world-first technology that enables dairy farmers to move their herds remotely at the touch of their smartphone is reducing labour challenges and empowering teams to make impactful decisions on farms.

As Halter removes the need for staff to move stock or shift fences, three to six hours a day of staff time can be freed up, depending on the size of the farm.

Within weeks of rolling out Halter in Canterbury, the New Zealand business already has farms in the region set up and ready to use the solarpowered, GPS-enabled smart collars for cows.

“One of the biggest changes that happen as soon as you implement Halter on a farm is that the workload significantly decreases. All the manual moving and shifting of cows to the cowshed and to new pasture can be done in a couple of seconds on your smartphone via the Halter app,” said Halter’s head of business development Steve Crowhurst.

While rumination cow collars are becoming more widely used, Halter’s ability to couple activity monitoring with cow guidance is world-leading and offers a complete system for farmers.

Strong demand from Canterbury for the technology meant it was the logical next move after years of operating on their pilot farm in Morrinsville and gaining widespread adoption from Waikato farmers after their initial launch in the region, Crowhurst said.

“If you look at Canterbury farms, they have a lot on their plates and have a lot of regulation coming in.

“They are under quite a bit of strain in terms of labour shortages, with many going into the calving and mating season with one or two staff down.”

Halter is probably the biggest

“

PHOTOS: SUPPLIED

“Staff really enjoy being part of a farming operation with world-first technology.”

opportunity the industry has to provide relief in terms of labour shortages, Crowhurst said.

“We have a 600-cow farm in Waikato and during calving, when traditionally staff went on farm at 4am, they now head across to the cowshed at 6am.

So, they are saving two hours off the morning routine.”

A Canterbury farmer had calculated that up to six hours a day could be saved by no longer having to move cows to the cowshed. “Farmers can easily save three to six hours previously spent getting cows to the shed on bigger farms.”

In addition, it is no longer necessary to spend time setting up temporary fencing and feed breaks as cows are instead held within a virtual fence. Staff are now able to re-allocate their time away from repetitive tasks and instead be empowered to focus on more valuable tasks and highquality decision making.

“You can manage pasture and allocate feed at a very precise level.

“Nationally, 173 cows are managed per full-time equivalent (FTE). In Waikato, some farmers using Halter are managing up to 300 cows per FTE without compromising staff or animal wellbeing. In Canterbury, with its bigger farms and more dairy shed automation, it could be even higher.”

From the farm owner or operations manager to the herd and farm assistant, all staff are able to have full visibility using the app. “So everybody is on

Halter’s head of business development Steve Crowhurst; the technology brings immediate reductions in workload.

the same page and everyone has buy-in to the whole operation.”

This made for an attractive workplace.

“Staff really enjoy being part of a farming operation with world-first technology. It is exciting and it reinvigorates everybody. Even farmers that have been in dairying for a long time have a big shift in enthusiasm for farming with Halter in their hands,” Crowhurst said.

Powered by a set of patented algorithms the business calls “cowgorithm”, the technology tracks the health and behaviour of every cow in a herd via their collar and gives an early indication of when an animal is in heat, or sick. Halter is also completing its lameness detection system, set to be released to farmers in the near future.

Craig Durbin, who manages four dairy farms and about 10 staff on behalf of the farm management company FarmRight for NZ Super Fund, said Halter had been introduced on one of the farms in September, with another to get the technology in January.

Despite only having Halter on-farm for a few months, its impact is huge.

All the manual shifting of cows to the cowshed and to new pasture can be done in seconds on a smartphone via the Halter app.

“Staff don’t have to follow cows to the cowshed and it reduces time on a motorbike, which is a big health and safety factor on a farm,” Durbin said.

NZ Super Fund have a focus on zero harm on farm as well as innovation and reducing work hours and health and safety risk for staff is a key priority.

As the farm with Halter has two herds, a minimum of 30 minutes a day was previously spent moving each herd to the shed. Under twice-a-day milking, this equated to a saving of two hours a day.

Another two hours a day is being saved not having to put up temporary fences. “The farm has quite big paddocks and is hilly and we were previously always putting up fence reels.

“So, we are saving up to four hours a day.”

While a key focus is to give staff a better quality of life, the reduction in workload reduces labour stress on farms that are typically struggling to find workers.

The farm had lost half a labour unit during mating and normally it would have been very difficult to run the farm with the staffing levels it had, at that time, Durbin said.

The Halter technology is easy to learn and use. The

manager on the farm was not computer literate or tech-savvy, “but he’s got full use of it now and he’s away”.

“It’s unlimited. Halter are always doing upgrades, so there are new features coming on board. We are giving them ideas as well,” Durbin said.

Pasture management has also improved. “Rather than putting the fence in the easiest place, with Halter you can put the cows where you want to graze the grass harder.”

Halter collars are leased under a per cow subscription model – based on the features farmers want to be enabled.

Halter retains ownership of the collars and takes responsibility for their maintenance and upgrading of software, Crowhurst said.

“As the technology is highly adaptable, we have the amazing chance to work alongside farmers and build a system that is extremely relevant for their farm system.”

Since being founded in 2016, Halter has rapidly grown to a workforce of 130 people, mainly based in Auckland, with more than 30 people at the pilot farm at Morrisville. A team has also been established in Canterbury to service the rollout in the region.

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33

Dairy continues to drive farm sales Calvin Leen

D

PGG Wrightson Real Estate

airy continues to dominate the rural property sector, with vibrant spring market activity continuing.

Fonterra’s recent announcement positioning the payout at a record level and banks’ rising appetite to support the primary sector mean purchasers are willing, and better positioned financially than in the past few years As a consequence, several notable South Island dairy properties have transacted recently. Purchasers ranging from sharemilkers, to family interests seeking to consolidate holdings, to larger investors, have pushed values close to all time market highs previously recorded in 2013.

In one such sale, a 298 hectare farm located between Ashburton and Geraldine changed hands in October well

above $50,000 per hectare.

Based on a hybrid calving system with productivity through long days-in-milk, management of this 1100 cow farm is aided by a stall barn and a loafing barn, which enhance both production and environmental sustainability.

Market response to the property was excellent: we received five offers within two weeks and had the farm under contract quickly.

Several other dairy properties look likely to come to the market shortly as prospective vendors gauge the appetite of purchasers and seek to capitalise.

Dairy support property is particularly likely to come under considerable demand over the next few months.

Several larger dairy businesses in our region are looking to winter between 1000 and 2500 cows, ideally on irrigated or partially irrigated land. Purchasing properties between 250 and 500 hectares will enable these enterprises to meet their environmental compliance consents, remaining in control of their own stock.

Their bankers are supportive, which means

Dairy farms and dairy support properties are in demand.

capital outlay to secure ownership of such properties is preferable to the annual grazing costs they currently meet to maintain their operations.

Over the coming months anyone looking to sell a farm with these specifications will therefore do well. Demand for such farms, which might also extend to drystock units, could

PHOTO: SUPPLIED

remain unsatisfied this season.

Calvin Leen is Mid-South Canterbury and North Otago Sales Manager fowr PGG Wrightson Real Estate Limited.

34

Farming

EFFLUENT AND WASTE MANAGEMENT FEATURE

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EcoPond cuts effluent methane A

n effluent treatment system that removes virtually all methane emitted from effluent ponds is now available to farmers.

Developed by Lincoln University and Ravensdown, EcoPond is scientifically proven to reduce dairy effluent pond methane emissions by 99 per cent. The technology could cut total farm methane emissions by about five per cent.

The breakthrough came by targeting methane with an additive normally used in the treatment of drinking water.

Ravensdown and Lincoln University collaborated in the science that underpins this new technology and Ravensdown will provide the system to dairy farmers wanting to reduce their methane emissions. To meet Climate Change obligations, New Zealand aims to cut biogenic methane emissions by 10 per cent on 2017 levels by 2030 and by between 24 to 47 per cent lower by 2050.

Nearly all dairy farms use effluent ponds, and they are the second-largest source of onfarm methane emissions.

Ravensdown chairman John Henderson said the co-operative’s research and development spend had increased year by year and must continue to help its farmer owners continue to improve their environmental performance. “While EcoPond is our latest release, we have several other initiatives in the pipeline with Lincoln.

“It is a simple, practical solution backed by science and one that every dairy farmer can understand and operate. It brings multiple benefits, not only in reduced methane emissions but also in increased nutrient capture and utilisation.”

Lincoln University Chancellor Bruce Gemmell said the new technology promised immediate benefits for the dairy farming sector in mitigating

Lincoln University Professor Keith Cameron explains the new methane mitigation technology EcoPond.

methane while gaining water quality benefits at the same time.

Lincoln University Emeritus Professor Keith Cameron said the system mimicked a natural process observed in coastal wetlands that emit less methane than would be expected.

“This is because the sulphate in the seawater means the methanogens that produce methane are outcompeted for their food source. The EcoPond system does the same thing in dairy effluent ponds with the end result being a 99 per cent reduction in the amount of

methane emitted.”

His colleague, Professor Hong Di said “we almost discovered this by accident because we were looking at how to recycle the water in dairy effluent when we saw that an additive used in the treatment of drinking water had such as dramatic effect on methane.”

As effluent passes through a specialised mixing coil it receives a calculated amount of iron sulphate which creates an environment in the pond water within which micro-organisms find it impossible to produce

any methane gas.

Minister of Agriculture Damien O’Connor said the development of EcoPond provided farmers with another lever they can use and helps the primary industries tackle emissions in the critical area of biogenic methane.

“Markets are asking for change and it’s great to see companies – in this case, a cooperative – responding through collaboration with a university and applying technology in new ways.”

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EFFLUENT AND WASTE MANAGEMENT FEATURE

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ew Ministry for the fertiliser use by paddock, groups of Environment guidance gives paddocks or part of a paddock, if dairy farmers much-needed clarity the fertiliser is evenly applied. on how to meet the Government’s “DairyNZ worked hard with synthetic nitrogen fertiliser cap the ministry, the primary sector regulations. and regional councils to get this DairyNZ is pleased to see new solution,” Burger said. ways for farmers to measure their “We’ll keep calling on the nitrogen use but will continue Government for farmers to be seeking more changes to help able to measure and report their farmers. This includes highlighting nitrogen use using an across farm more practical solutions for average. This is a more practical managing and reporting nitrogen solution advocated for by both fertiliser use on-farm.

DairyNZ and various regional “We want to get this right once councils.” and for all for farmers as it has DairyNZ continues to invest been causing considerable stress.owned heavily in farm systems research to Locally and operated Dairy farmers are working to further reduce nitrogen loss from reduce nitrogen use, but there dairy farms. This includes research was no pragmatic way for them to on alternative feeds such as plantain, meet the measuring and reporting alternative timing of feeding requirements,” DairyNZ strategy regimes that can reduce nitrogen and investment leader Dr David concentration in cow urine, and Burger said. comparison of known technologies The nitrogen cap applies in different farm systems. only to the pastoral sector, not For now, it’s important farmers horticulture and market gardening record all nitrogen fertiliser which also use nitrogen fertiliser. applications and look at options Under the rules, both beef and to reduce nitrogen input, if above dairy farmers are required to the 190kg/ha limit. They need to record nitrogen use, but only dairy record their applications during the farmers have to report on their year so they can report the required nitrogen use to councils. information to their regional “There’s inequity there, so council, in July 2022.

DairyNZ will keep working with the In some circumstances, farmers Government to get greater fairness must apply for a regional council for dairy farmers across the board, consent by the end of 2021, if while our sector continues our they can’t meet the nitrogen cap. environmental work throughout the Farmers with a consent will still country,” Burger said. have to reduce fertiliser use.

The regulations requiring “We’re concerned these consent pastoral farmers to meet the applications will mean significant new 190kg N/ha/year cap on cost to farmers and councils. It’s synthetic nitrogen fertiliser unclear how this is going to work came into effect in July. DairyNZ after the review of Overseer and we challenged the strict per hectare urge local government to prioritise limit in the regulations for nitrogen information and education to applications as impractical and not farmers,” Burger said. delivering increased environmental “There must be a flexible approach benefits. in how farmers can report to The new guidance partly regional councils on their nitrogen addresses the measurement fertiliser use next year. They issue, as farmers can now record should be able to use an existing fertiliser use using a GPS system. programme, such as a fertiliser Alternatively, farmers can record company programme, or a template their average per hectare nitrogen from their regional council.”

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EFFLUENT AND WASTE MANAGEMENT FEATURE

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‘Lag time’ before water improves T

Our Land and Water chief scientist Professor Richard McDowell.

PHOTO: SUPPLIED

he decisions farmers make today to reduce excess nutrients will be reflected in water quality improvements in our rivers within five years on average, finds research from Our Land and Water.

The research looked at the “lag time” between farm management decisions to reduce nitrogen loss, and the resulting improvement in river health.

The average time for nitrate loads in rivers to reflect on-farm changes was 4.5 years, calculated using data for 77 catchments from 1990 to 2018. Lag times varied from one year to over 12 years, with

water in larger rivers and more steeply sloped catchments taking longer to reflect upstream land management changes.

Farmers can be confident their responsible actions on land will eventually be reflected in our rivers, said Professor Richard McDowell, lead author of the paper and chief scientist at Our Land and Water, “but we should expect nitrate loads in some catchments to reflect past farm inputs for some years”.

“Just as we’ve seen Covid-19 case numbers rise in the first weeks of our level 4 lockdowns, before dropping, we may also see water quality in some of our rivers continue to decline for a while longer, despite strong and effective action being taken on farms.

“If people who farm work as a team, hold their nerve, and continue to take strong action to improve our rivers, water quality will reflect these efforts within five years in many catchments,” McDowell said.

“People in industry bodies, catchment groups, and farmer cooperatives can help by ensuring that people who are working to improve water quality have realistic expectations for the time frame in which we’ll see improvements, so they don’t get discouraged by lag times.”

The research suggests that because small catchments and sub-catchments have shorter lag times, action by people in regional councils to expand

and improve monitoring networks could enable earlier detection of improvement.

Improved monitoring by regional councils would provide people working to restore water quality with more immediate feedback about the effectiveness of their actions.

This feedback can become part of a cycle where successes and failures are understood, increasingly effective plans are then developed, and this greater confidence leads to increased action on land.

The research used data from the National River Water Quality Network, which covers about half of New Zealand. Lag times could be determined for 34 catchments, while the remaining catchments showed little change in nitrate load over the period.

While this research focussed on nitrate, which may see a larger proportion of its load transported through slow groundwater pathways, McDowell said that other contaminants that travel by surface pathways may reach rivers faster, meaning they may have a shorter lag time. Research is ongoing to see if this is the case.

In 2020, the New Zealand government introduced regulations that aim to improve the quality of New Zealand’s fresh water within five years and restore freshwater ecosystems to a healthy state within a generation.

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37

Checklist helps be Covid-19 prepared F

armers: What’s your plan if someone in your family or among your staff tests positive for Covid-19?

As Covid-19 vaccination rates build and New Zealand begins to transition to coping with the disease without lockdowns and less reliance on managed isolation facilities, the agrisector and Ministry for Primary Industries have been working together to ensure farmers are prepared.

The latest initiative is a checklist for farmers so that they can tick off preparation readiness in terms of personal wellbeing, and everything a neighbour or someone else coming onto the farm would need to know should key people have to go into MIQ or hospital - right down to the names of dogs and where their food is located.

The checklist is available on the Federated Farmers website and from the other groups that helped put it together: DairyNZ, Beef + Lamb NZ, NZ Pork, Deer Industry NZ, Poultry Industry Association of NZ and the Egg Producers Federation of NZ. “It’s only a matter of time before we get more positive cases of Covid-19 turning up

It is only a matter of time before more positive cases of Covid-19 turn up on farms.

on farm,” Federated Farmers national board member and employment spokesman Chris Lewis said.

“Distance from health and other facilities, workforce

W W

W W

shortages and the need to continue to look after animals and crops raise all sorts of complications.

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Lewis said.

In a Federated Farmershosted webinar Southern DHB Medical Officer of Health Dr Michael Butchard emphasised being double-jabbed was the “very best defence” if a farmer or key team member who tests positive sought to self-isolate on farm.

Vaccination rates of people on the farm would weigh heavily on MOHs as they made the “case by case” decisions on how and where isolation would happen if someone tested positive.

“The latest data out of the United States indicates if you’re not vaccinated you’re 11 times more likely to die from Covid-19 and 10 times more likely to be hospitalised.”

Immunologist and Otago University Associate Professor James Ussher told the webinar a double-vaccinated person had a 75-80 per cent lower chance of being infected with the virus.

“If you don’t get infected, you can’t pass it on to other people. So, it’s about protecting yourself and protecting others.”

The checklist can be downloaded from the Federated Farmers’ website: https://www. fedfarm.org.nz/

38

Farming

FARM VEHICLES AND MAINTENANCE FEATURE

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Groundswell NZ’s Mother

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FARM VEHICLES AND MAINTENANCE FEATURE

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Farming

40

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Have fun growing food this season Sheryl Stivens

G

FREE RANGE FARM

rowing your own vegetables has never been more important.

Food shortages are predicted globally and prices of food items have increased considerably as fuel prices increase. Growing your own saves money and helps avoid the need to go shopping.

Some of the chemicals used commercially including glyphosate (Roundup) are linked with increasing rates of disease. By growing your own you have control over your food quality. Getting your fingers in the soil and growing your own food can be a great way to de-stress.

It is so rewarding to create tasty gourmet food and nothing tastes better than the vegetables you have grown in your own back yard.

So here are some ideas for what you can plant in the next few weeks that will store well

for future grazing.

Potatoes are so easy to grow and store so well. We store ours in banana boxes lined with newspaper in a cool dark shed and we are still eating and planting last season’ crop in November.

Before storing, potatoes must be graded and sorted, removing any with blemishes and storing medium to large separately from the smaller seed. Our favourites are Ilam Hardy, Red King, Taewa (a long purple skinned Maori potato) plus the waxy late Agria. Both Taewa and Agria make the most delicious wedges and Ilam Hardy makes exquisite mash with added mint, garlic and butter.

Onions , leeks and garlic all store well in a cool dry shed and all three are blood purifiers and help boost our immune support, besides adding flavour to so many meals. Commercially, they are heavily sprayed so it is a good idea to grow your own.

Spring onions are easy to grow and can be planted amongst other crops. They are good companion plants for cabbage and broccoli plantings thus helping to deter white butterfly.

Carrots are so handy for

snacking and adding to so many meals and salads, but many people find them hard to grow.

My husband Hal has perfected an easy way to grow our yearround supply of Manchester Table carrots.

The soil is important – not too rich and no fresh manure or root crops grow tops instead of roots. Sow your seeds thinly in rows and place a strip of newspaper covered with a thick sprinkling of lawnclippings or other mulch carefully between the marked rows. When your seedlings germinate keep them weed free.

You must thin carrots, so they have room to expand. The tiny carrot thinnings can be very carefully planted to fill any gaps along the row. Enjoy feasting on the baby carrots as they grow. Plant carrots near onions or dill to deter carrot rust fly.

You can leave carrots to mature in the ground over the summer and harvest before the end of the season by washing and drying well. Store in the bottom of a fridge in zip lock plastic bags for several months or as required.

Parsnips and beetroot can be grown and stored as per carrots. Root crops can be frozen for winter roasting and

Abundant parsley is so nutritious and delicious all year, grown in containers.

PHOTOS: SUPPLIED

feasting or pickled or bottled if you prefer. Cabbage, cauliflower and broccoli seedlings can be

planted in soil enriched with worm castings, compost or well-rotted horse poo.

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Spring is the easiest time to grow these vegetables, before the white butterfly begin to fly or you can cover these crops with fine net. Lettuce seedlings can be planted in between, as they will be harvested and eaten before the bigger vegetables mature. Mature cabbages can be stored in zip lock bags in the fridge or in a cool place for months. I blanche and freeze cauliflower and broccoli for creating delicious and nutritious soups, stews, curries and casseroles throughout the year.

Pumpkins are so easy to grow and can be grown vertically up wire mesh on a fence or even up a fruit tree. They look amazing and store so We haveStr, beenAshburton saving seed from 299well.

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41

Carrots washed and ready for storing in the fridge or a cool place.

Pumpkin seeds are also very nutritious and this season we are trying to regrow our Lady Godiva (naked) pumpkin seed saved from 2008 – I will keep your posted.

Beans, either dwarf or runner beans, can be planted now for fresh feasting in summer, frozen for winter food and left on the bushes to mature for dried beans that can be made into baked beans or chilli beans for winter feasting. There are

Leeks washed and ready for storage in the bottom of the fridge last for months in zip lock bags

so many varieties and so many ways to grow them. You can mulch directly over the bean seeds as you plant them so there is no weeding and less watering is required.

If you don’t have a fence, you can grow the runner beans up a frame made from bamboo. The bees will love the flowers and you will be able to feast on fresh beans all summer and harvest dried beans for winter. Snow peas can be grown the same way

and the dried peas sprouted or made into hummus. Yummy.

Corn seeds can also be sown into enriched soil and mulched immediately. Children love eating the sweet cobs direct from the garden and any extra can be frozen and enjoyed later. We grow enough heritage tomatoes for summer feasting as well as freezing for making various sauces throughout the year.

Parsley is another useful food rich in vitamins and antioxidants

and so easy to grow and harvest and can be planted in a container or in a corner of the garden for easy grazing.

For something different, try growing sweet potatoes or kumara. They can be grown this far south but require special treatment as they are frost tender and need a long growing season. The first step is to either buy the kumara slips or sprouts for planting or grow these yourself from a kumara you buy.

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There is a lot of information available online if you want to have a go. I’ll keep you posted on our efforts this season.

Have fun growing food this season. As you harvest, plant any gaps with salad greens or green leafy plants or utilise other areas to grow something you haven’t tried before and see what you can store for the months ahead.

And remember to save seeds of whatever you enjoy eating for next year’s planting.

42

Farming

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Aorangi young farmers selected T

he finalists for the FMG Young Farmer of the Year 2022 Aorangi regional final have been selected, with half the competitors coming from Mid Canterbury.

The preliminary stages of the contest have wrapped up for the region, with the top eight competitors selected out of 27, across two district contests (Aorangi North and Aorangi South).

Of the eight finalists, four are from Mid Canterbury: dairy farmer Peter O’Connor, DairyNZ extension partner Hugh Jackson, senior machinery operator Lachlan Angland and irrigation management technician Jess Cunliffe. The remainder, from North Otago, are new mother and casual shepherd Alice Perry, shepherd Tom Adkins, sheep, beef, dairy and walnut farmer James Hurst, and Daniel Durdle.

They will go head-to-head at the Aorangi FMG Young Farmer of the Year regional final on Saturday February 26 at Fairlie.

The winner of the Aorangi FMG Young Farmer of the Year will qualify for the Grand Final in July, in Whangarei.

A first-time competitor, Alice Perry, of North Otago, said she

will be giving the regional final her best.

“I consider myself a jack of all trades, master of none! I love to be busy and give most things ago including triathlon, horse riding, sled dog racing, volunteer firefighting - you name it, I’ve probably tried it,” she said.

The 29-year-old has raced in the World Triathlon Championships, made it into an Athleta (American activewear) catalogue skijoring, running and snowshoeing with her huskies and has even run up the Auckland Sky Tower as part of the Firefighter Stair Climb fundraiser for Leukaemia and Blood Cancer NZ. Young Farmers chief executive Lynda Coppersmith said every year the competition improves despite the obstacles that Covid-19 have provided.

“For season 54, we really want to test our competitors and see ‘who’s up for it’. We’ve already exceeded last year’s entries across the country, despite the fact that entries for a number of district contests are still open.”

“All of our volunteers and conveners right across the country have created some incredible challenges so far,

Pendarves senior machinery operator Lachlan Angland competing in the Aorangi FMG Young Farmer of the Year regional final earlier this year. He has again qualified for the 2022 regional final in February.

PHOTO: SUPPLIED

with regional final season taking that to another level.”

Hoping the country will have shifted to the Covid-19 Protection Framework by regional final season in January, Coppersmith said all events

would strictly follow the Government guidelines at the time.

Results: Aorangi North: Peter O’Connor, Hinds YFC, 1; Hugh Jackson, Hinds, 2; Lachlan

Angland, Pendarves, 3; Jess Cunliffe, Pendarves, 4.

Aorangi South: Tom Adkins, Upper Waitaki, 1; James Hurst, Five Forks, 2; Daniel Durdle, Five Forks, 3; Alice Perry, Five Forks, 4.

Tasman regional finalists named

T

he competitors for the season 54 FMG Young Farmer of the Year Tasman regional final have been chosen.

The preliminary stages of the contest for Tasman have wrapped up, where 37 competitors battled it out over two district contests (Tasman North and Tasman South) for one of the eight regional finalist spots.

The competitors are: Archie Woodhouse, Phoebe Smailes and Andrew Allan – all Lincoln University students – dairy

farmer and seasoned competitor Jonny Brown, PGG Wrightson seed representative Ash Foley, Sam Smithers, George Dodson and Blair Anglesey.

They will go head-to-head at the regional final on Saturday February 19 in Lincoln, where only one person will win Tasman FMG Young Farmer of the Year and qualify for the Grand Final in July.

First-time competitor 19-year-old Phoebe Smailes is expected to give some of the older contestants a run for their money after coming runner-up

at the Tasman South district contest.

At just 14 years old, she became the youngest female to ever run at a New Zealand open class dog trial, going on to win it and becoming the youngest person ever to take out a New Zealand open title.

“My biggest motive for these hobbies and involvements would hands down have to be my immediate family, especially mum and dad,” she said.

“Both of them have been strong supporters in everything I do and I will forever be

grateful for what opportunities they have and may continue to give me.”

Regional final convenor and Darfield young farmer Steph Kelly said she was looking forward to focusing on making practical skills and challenges a big part of the regional final.

“My overall goal for the Tasman regional final is to put on a great practical day and evening show to bring the community together and get people off farm,” she said.

With an outstanding

and passionate convening committee behind her, Kelly said she hoped to gain confidence in leading a team and getting to know more people across the rural sector.

Results: Tasman South: Archie Woodhouse, Lincoln YFC, 1; Phoebe Smailes, Lincoln, 2; Andrew Allan, Lincoln, 3; Jonny Brown, Dunsandel, 4.

Tasman North: Sam Smithers, West Coast, 1; Ash Foley, Waimakiriri, 2; George Dodson, Lincoln, 3; Blair Anglesey, Renwick, 4.

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43

Oystercatcher faces threats

A South Island pied oystercatcher trying to find a nest site amongst thick lupins near Tekapo.

“ Mary Ralston

A

FOREST AND BIRD

loud call, distinctive black and white plumage and a long orange bill make the South Island pied oystercatcher (SIPO), or torea, a notable bird along braided rivers and on farmland during their breeding season.

They are an endemic species, occurring only in New Zealand, and are therefore particularly special and worthy of care.

From July, the SIPO return inland from coastal estuaries to find a spot to breed. It is lovely to hear them calling when they fly overhead; the first sightings are an indication that the longest day of winter has passed and spring is on its way.

They are a relatively common sight on Canterbury farmland and rivers and like to nest on clear ground or gravelly riverbeds at a site with good visibility. Sometimes they also nest in grassland up in the high country or near the estuaries and lagoons where they live in the non-breeding season. Usually, they return to the same breeding site year after year, and usually with the same mate.

At the coast, SIPO eat small shellfish, jellyfish and fish; when inland they eat beetle larvae and worms. They return to the coast after breeding in late summer where food may be more abundant.

The female lays one to three eggs and both parents incubate the eggs and feed the young. Incubation takes about four weeks, and the young fledge four to six weeks after hatching.

PHOTO: STEVE ATTWOOD

“At the coast, SIPO eat small shellfish, jellyfish and fish; when inland they eat beetle larvae and worms.”

Although they seem relatively common, SIPO numbers are in decline. On the braided rivers and farmland where they like to nest, they face the usual range of pressures that ground-nesting birds face: disturbance from people, dogs and vehicles interrupting nesting and feeding; predators such as cats and mustelids (stoats, weasles and ferrets) that prey on the adults and chicks, and hedgehogs that eat eggs.

Loss of clear gravel areas to nest can be an issue although this year the lowland rivers have had a good clean out. The high country rivers (the Rakaia and Rangitata) still have considerable weed pressure in some places with lupins choking many braids, which limits nest sites. Other threats to the SIPOs’ future are the development of coastal areas where they feed, and the loss of productive estuaries due to sea level rise.

SIPO are long-lived birds if they don’t succumb to an early death from predators or vehicles. They begin breeding when three years old and may live to up to 25 years. Death of a young adult therefore takes out many years of potential breeding. It is tragic to see deaths of these special birds on the road. Please take care on rural roads – if you see birds on the roadside, please slow down and give them a wide berth.

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Farming

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SPRAYING AND DIRECT DRILLING FEATURE

Kiwis prefer home-grown bread A

bout half of consumers are willing to pay more for a loaf of bread made from New Zealand grain, according to research commissioned by the Foundation for Arable Research.

New Zealand wheat also matches the quality of imports from across the Tasman for flour making and baking while producing lower greenhouse gas emissions, research showed.

“We’re not saying that bread made from New Zealand grown grain isn’t available, rather, that it isn’t available to the majority of New Zealanders, and even when it is, they probably wouldn’t realise, as it is seldom labelled as such,” FAR spokeswoman Anna Heslop said.

New Zealand imports around 230,000 tonnes of milling wheat for bread making and baking, mostly from Australia.

Domestic growers, mainly in Canterbury, had lifted local production to around 110,000 tonnes, but disruption caused by a new milling wheat procurement system this season has resulted in tonnages dropping significantly for the 2022 harvest.

While a perception that the baking quality of New Zealand grown milling wheat was inferior to that grown in Australia may have been true in the past, it is no longer the case. Since the deregulation of the milling and baking industry in the 1980s there has been a steady push to improve the quality of New Zealand wheat cultivars to match end user requirements.

To investigate this, FAR commissioned a study comparing Australian harvest crop reports from the last five years with New Zealand cereal performance trial (NZ CPT) results from the last five years for flour properties relevant to baking quality. The report, “quality attributes of New Zealand milling wheat cultivars”, by Arran Wilson and Ruth Butler from Plant and Food Research, found a clear overlap in flour quality parameters between New Zealand wheat cultivars and the three Australian wheat grades most often imported into New Zealand (Australian prime hard wheat (APH), Australian hard wheat (AH) and Australian premium white wheat (APW)).

“

The study also showed large variation in flour properties between batches of New Zealand milled Australian wheat. This was unexpected as Australian wheat quality is generally perceived to be more consistent than New Zealand wheat quality, due to the mixing of lines that takes place during aggregation into grades before shipping to New Zealand.

In short, a flour with comparable baking properties to Australian APH, AH and APW grade flours, could be made by blending New Zealand wheat cultivars.

“So, the old argument that New Zealand wheat isn’t as good for baking as imported Australian wheat can be dismissed,” Heslop said.

FAR also commissioned a report to find out which wheat was kinder on the environment. In their study, Andrew Barber and Henry

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The old argument that New Zealand wheat isn’t as good for baking as imported Australian wheat can be dismissed.”

Stenning from Agrilink used life cycle assessment (LCA) to determine the carbon footprint, or greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, for 1kg of New Zealand wheat flour and 1kg of wheat flour, milled in New Zealand from Australian wheat.

The study took a ‘cradle to mill’ approach, which included upstream, farming, transport, and flour milling emissions. It did not include emissions from the manufacture, distribution, end use, or disposal of the final product (bread).

One kilogram of flour, milled in New Zealand from New Zealand grown wheat, has a lower carbon footprint than one kilogram of flour, milled from Australian wheat at the same mill.

New Zealand wheat flour, at the mill gate, has a carbon footprint of 560kgCO2e/t flour (560g CO2e/kg flour).

Australian grown wheat

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flour, at the same mill gate, has a carbon footprint of 780kgCO2e/t flour (780g CO2e/kg flour).

On-farm emissions for Australian grown wheat are 340kg CO2eq/t wheat, while for New Zealand grown wheat these are 280kg CO2eq/t wheat.

The higher on-farm emissions for Australian grain are the result of significantly higher fertiliser and agrichemical use per unit of flour produced. New Zealand on-farm emissions are 13 per cent less than those reported in 2011.

Transport emissions for both New Zealand and Australian wheat being milled in New Zealand vary considerably depending on the distance between the farm it is grown on and the mill where it is processed.

Emissions created during shipping are only about a tenth of those created by road transport, so distance isn’t the only factor to consider.

The report showed that emissions from flour made in New Zealand from Australian wheat were 16 to 29 per cent higher than those from flour made from New Zealand wheat (depending on the transport scenario).

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SPRAYING AND DIRECT DRILLING FEATURE

45

New Zealand wheat matches the quality of imports from across the Tasman for flour making and baking while producing lower greenhouse gas emissions, research shows.

PHOTO: SUPPLIED

One area where Australia wheat does have a slight emissions advantage over New Zealand wheat, is in the actual milling process. This is because Australian wheat generally has lower moisture levels than New Zealand wheat (around 10 per cent compared with 13.5 per cent) and so yields more flour per tonne than the New

Zealand product. The report notes that, based on publicly available information, the milling process emitted 184kg CO2eq/t flour for Australian wheat and 188kg CO2eq/t flour for New Zealand wheat.

In terms of consumer demand, New Zealanders do care about the origins of their breakfast toast or lunchtime sandwich

and many would be prepared to pay more for a product clearly labelled as New Zealand grown, Heslop said. A 2019 survey carried out by Caroline Saunders, Peter Tait and Paul Rutherford at Lincoln University’s Agribusiness and Economics Research Unit, found that 51 per cent of respondents would be willing to pay on average 49

cents more for a loaf of bread made from New Zealand grain.

The same survey also found that respondents were willing to pay extra for production systems that delivered environmental outcomes linked to carbon emissions and biodiversity, and that this was particularly true for bread made from wheat/flour produced in New Zealand.

“When the information from all of these reports is considered, it is clear that there is a real opportunity to produce and market bread products made from 100 per cent New Zealandgrown grain. FAR is working closely with some millers, bakers and retailers to explore this opportunity and bring it to fruition,” Heslop said.

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Ashburton 233 Alford Forest Road 03 307 7153

Power Farming Ashburton

Farming

46

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Venison recovery underway T

he usual drop in farmer returns for venison that follows the spring chilled export season is expected to be much smaller this year.

After reaching a peak of around $7.10 a kilogram in October, average prices to deer farmers eased to around $6.90 a kg in mid-November and are expected to stay around that level at least until the end of the year.

“In Germany, the game meat season is going well, even though the country is dealing with a fourth wave of the pandemic, with case numbers hitting new highs,” Deer Industry NZ venison marketing manager Nick Taylor said.

Unfortunately, the high cost and limited capacity of airfreight out of New Zealand has meant that less venison is being airfreighted to Europe, despite requests from some importers. This has seen importers rapidly working through their frozen venison stocks, helping reduce inventory on the continent.

To drive retail sales in Germany, venison importers are running game season venison promotions, including – for the first time since 2019 – instore tastings and events at supermarkets. They are being supported by DINZ chef Shannon Campbell who has also been assisting with promotions in the United Kingdom, Belgium and Sweden.

In addition, DINZ has been working with a popular German recipe library/social network Kitchen Stories. In early November the Kitchen Stories team shot a series of NZ venison recipe videos, including a modern take on a traditional goulash.

NZ venison promotions in Europe have coincided with a reopening of restaurants and good sales during the game meat season.

PHOTO: SUPPLIED

Taylor said restaurants in Europe and North America are back in business, even if it’s a very different world to the one they operated in back in 2019.

The proportion of the German population with double vaccine shots is less than 70 per cent.

In the United States it is less than 60 per cent – levels that are too low to stop the spread of the virus.

“Basically, governments, restaurants and the public have recognised that since delta can’t be eliminated, businesses and individuals have to decide what level of risk they are willing to accept. Mask wearing, proof of vaccination and social distancing are the norm, and restaurant ventilation is being improved.

“We have also seen restaurants shift to using more

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frozen venison in recent months to hedge their bets against supply disruption or lower numbers of diners.”

In the US, restaurant table bookings are now on a par with where they were at the same time in 2019. Hyatt Resorts have reported that 2021 festive season bookings are 25 per cent above 2019 levels and a survey by Deloitte has found that four out of 10 Americans are planning to travel between Thanksgiving and early January.

“The US has also reopened to vaccinated tourists from around the world and cruise ship operators are seeing demand return. Los Angeles is planning for 200 cruise ships in 2022, the highest number since 2008. They are operating

with reduced capacity but with seemingly good hygiene and social distancing rules in place. All of which should give boost to the restaurant sector,” Taylor said.

In the US, venison marketers are reporting good growth in sales of farm-raised venison through supermarkets and online. US retail is a new channel for the industry and is one that has been a major focus of industry market development in the last 12 months.

“After a promising start, the companies are reporting a steady increase in sales and an expansion in the number of stores stocking their products,” Taylor said.

“The entry product has been ground venison, which is a format that consumers are

familiar with and are confident to cook at home. Success with ground venison is now allowing the companies to get shelf-space for more items, such as venison medallions.”

Silver Fern Farms group sales manager Peter Robinson said the company was seeing a slow recovery in venison demand in traditional channels and growing demand in some of the new channels in which it has been investing, like US retail and China.

“We expect to see this positive recovery continue into 2022. What is really encouraging is the growth in new demand for venison. It is this demand that gives us the best opportunity to build sustainable value for venison farmers,” Robinson said.

Stock Cartage Bulk Cartage Fertiliser Spreading General Freight Hiab Truck Hire

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47

Deer velvet season opens strongly

Giving Back

J

ack Allan is a third-generation farmer from Ruapuna. Daughter and son-inlaw, Jan and Grant Early, now farm the expanded family property and hope to give their family the same opportunity.

“Mid-Canterbury has been very good to me. I am grateful for the opportunities and support I have had in life, but recognise that others are not so fortunate,” Jack says. So with his family provided for, he, and his wife Helen, wanted to give back to the community.

As a trustee of the Advance Ashburton Community Foundation for six years Jack saw the ongoing benefit of the Foundation where the capital is invested and the income distributed to worthy causes. The Board, made up of representatives from the legal, accountancy, community, and business fraternities and the Council, are all volunteers so trust funds are not eroded by fees and costs. “It is a very talented Board and all are passionate about making a difference in our

community,” says Jack.

Jack and Helen set up The Allan Family Trust with the Foundation principally to assist with needs-based tertiary education scholarships, to assist with the provision of social housing, and to promote tennis. “We are gradually growing the fund due to the astute management of the Foundation’s Investment Committee and by utilising the tax rebates available for donations.”

For over fifty years Jack has been heavily involved in both the playing and administration of tennis. Still playing and enjoying the game, Jack is pleased their Trust fund will assist in maintaining the Tennis Centre and also provide for more to participate in the game.

“It is important to note though that we are just one of the many farmers who are supporting the district through Advance Ashburton. Like the others it gives us great satisfaction in seeing our Fund helping others now and in the future.”

There has been rapid growth in demand for New Zealand velvet for natural health products to combat fatigue and to boost immunity.

PHOTO: SUPPLIED

T

he 2021/22 deer velvet season has opened on a strong note, with prices up 10 to 15 per cent on last season’s close.

Deer Industry NZ (DINZ) markets manager Rhys Griffiths said this reflects strong underlying consumer demand, as well as the concern of wholesalers and manufacturers to secure stock in advance of any possible Covid-related supply disruption.

Deer antler velvet, along with ginseng, are two of the most prized ingredients in Oriental medicine.

In recent years there has been rapid growth in demand for New Zealand velvet for natural health products to combat fatigue and to boost immunity.

Demand is strong from both South Korea, which has a suppression type approach to Covid-19, as well as China which is continuing its Covid-19 elimination policies.

To celebrate the Korean traditional oriental medicine sector, and as part of its Covid-19 recovery, DINZ participated in the annual Bojewon ceremony at the Seoul Herbal Market in Jeggi-dong.

“Bojewon is a charitable institution set up in 1392 to provide traditional oriental medicines to the poor.

It is steeped in Korean cultural traditions and it is the mark of the standing of New Zealand velvet in Korea that Seoul-based NZ Trade Commissioner Stephen Blair was asked to play a leading role in the ceremony on our behalf – the first foreigner to do so,” Griffiths said.

In addition to the traditional

medicine sector, demand is growing in Korea from health food companies producing brand name products, many of them marketed on the basis of their New Zealand provenance.

“Many of these companies have reported strong sales during the important Chuseok holiday, also known as Korean Thanksgiving, which fell this year in late September. During Chuseok, people celebrate their ancestors, spend time with their families and participate in gift-giving as well as traditional customs. Luxury packs of velvet-based products are seen as prestigious gifts.”

In China, fears of possible supply chain disruptions have become a reality, with Dalian Port closed because of a further Covid-19 outbreak. Dalian is the main port in China for the import of frozen food products and the only one that handles deer velvet.

“We hope China gets on top of this outbreak quickly, so our customers can restock in order to meet consumer demand. New Zealand is the only country that is permitted to export velvet to China, so continued supply is important for the many Chinese who purchase health products based on deer velvet,” Griffiths said.

The Dalian lockdown is creating logistical challenges, so he encourages farmers to communicate with their preferred buyers about their supply intentions. At times like this they are looking for as much certainty as they can get, Giffiths said.

Leave a lasting legacy in the community you love Would you like to consider leaving a gift in your will to a charity you care about?

Or would you like to see the impact your generosity can create, and benefit from a tax credit of up to 33% of the amount of your donation?

With Advance Ashburton Community Foundation your generosity stays local, goes further, and lasts forever.

To know more visit www.advanceashburton.org.nz Or contact our Executive Officer Victoria Johnson executive@advanceashburton.org.nz

Farming

48

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BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION FEATURE

An affordable housing solution C

ollson Homes provide an affordable solution for all accommodation needs.

The Christchurch-based business has been building prefabricated homes and transporting them to site for about 20 years “We know exactly how to create a home that is functional, affordable and most importantly a pleasure to live in,” Collson managing director Chris Brereton said.

“Whether you are looking for a low maintenance home, a new unit to add to your existing property or even workers’ accommodation, we would love to help you find a solution that works for your budget.”

Brereton, who has a background in building, real estate and the hospitality trade, bought the business at the start of this year following the retirement of its founder Clyde Collins.

All the homes are designed to function well, look great and be low maintenance.

“All of our finished homes are made to be ‘no-fuss’ and easy to clean. They are also double glazed and fully insulated, making them efficient to heat and cool.”

Four standard floor plans

which range in size from 48m2, 72m2 and 80m2 can be viewed on its website. Prices for its standard designs range from $80,000 to $150,000 plus GST. Homes can be one, two or three bedrooms, with designs able to be reconfigured to suit.

Size options range from 10 or 12 metres long and 4 or 8 metres wide.

“It is just a matter of coming and having a conversation with us about what is possible.”

Collson is currently building two adjoined single selfcontained units, each with a kitchen, bathroom and bedroom, for dairy workers.

While at the less expensive end of the market, the homes are very comfortable and liveable. They come carpeted, with storage and wardrobes. A deck or verandah can also be added by Collson on site.

The homes are built using EPS panels, laminated with

ACCOMMODATIONUNITS

precoated steel on both sides and insulated with a polystyrene core. “These structural panels provide insulation with a better R value than a normal timber house. Panels like these are used throughout Australia and Europe.

“Just because our costs are low doesn’t mean we sacrifice quality. We’ve spent the last two decades perfecting the designs, materials and techniques we use to ensure every home we build

is of a high quality - you won’t find a better price to quality ratio on the market.”

Collson Homes are fully self-contained with all services ready to connect to the site.

Brereton recommends that Collson deals with council compliance for both the new accommodation unit and site as this can be complex and time consuming. “Collson have many years complying our buildings and our customers’ sites, which means you don’t have to do it.”

If materials are available, a home can be completed and ready for transport to site in 12 to 16 weeks following confirmation of the order and the deposit. It can be delivered fully furnished and ready to occupy, if required.

Delivery and installation can be made anywhere in the South Island which is safely accessible by truck. For North Island queries - please get in touch.

As Collson’s homes are portable, if future requirements change, people can re-site or resell the home easily.

Collson Homes’ display and building site is at 35 Anchorage Road, Hornby, Christchurch.

Ring for an appointment to visit. www.collson.co.nz

Deluxe ACCOMMODATION UNITS Options from 9m to 12m lengths built to your requirements Deluxe ACCOMMODATION UNITS Options from 9m to 12m lengths built to your requirements

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Superior Insulation Double Glazed Ensuite Bathroom Gas Hot Water Portable Steel Chassis Towbar & Wheels Option Verandah is $79K an optional extra PRICES FROM to 115K +GST SIZES 10m - 12m Lengths 1, 2 AND 3 BEDROOM OPTIONS

2 WEBSITES - At Facebook and TradeMe search with: ‘Collson portable buildings’ + PORTABLE BUILDINGS

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BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION FEATURE

49

Sustainability starts at home Y

our home makes a statement about who you are and what you value.

The team at Fraemohs Homes are passionate about continuing on the legacy of the company’s founder Monni Fraemohs, who saw the value in building sustainable homes here in New Zealand based on Scandinavian design principles half a century before sustainability became a buzzword.

Choosing sustainably-grown New Zealand plantation pine to build our homes not only makes them carbon-negative, it also makes them healthier to live in. But our commitment to sustainability does not stop there; we apply it to all elements of our design and build process.

From designing our homes to maximise solar gain and minimise energy consumption, to choosing fixtures and fittings that are built to last. So you can feel good about building a home with Fraemohs Homes. And because of the excellent build quality and timeless design you will enjoy living in your home many years later.

The beauty of using natural timber as a building material is that it can withstand almost anything that Mother Nature

The beauty of using natural timber as a building material is that it can withstand almost anything that Mother Nature can throw at it.

PHOTO: SUPPLIED

can throw at it. Timber’s ability to breathe and help regulate indoor moisture levels make it an ideal choice for humid and tropical climates.

Meanwhile timber is also an excellent insulator, which is why log cabins have been used for centuries in cold, alpine environments trapping the heat inside and making the occupants cosy and warm

despite the harsh, wintry conditions outside.

Countless studies have demonstrated that timber’s ability to flex make it a nonbrainer when building in earthquake-prone regions and exposed areas with high winds.

Dozens of clients with existing Fraemohs Homes in areas hit by the Canterbury and Kaikoura earthquakes have contacted

us to tell us how well their homes have performed through multiple shakes, protecting their families and remaining intact while neighbouring homes have been torn apart.

Finding out what is important to you is our first job and once this discovery process is complete, our expertise will guide you to the optimal design solution for you. You

will appreciate the careful thought that has gone into our architecturally-designed plans and may well find one of these is the perfect time-saving and economical option for you.

If you like aspects of more than one design, it is no problem to bring these together by customising one of our plans.

Creating your own design from scratch is an exciting process and that choice is one you can make with the technical experience of our design team guiding you through the process.

Timber helps regulate indoor temperature and also has natural antimicrobial properties.

These features of timber reduce the risk of dampness and mould growing in your home, even if you live in a humid climate. As damp, mouldy homes are known to contribute to respiratory illnesses and worsening allergy and asthma symptoms, it makes sense to choose a timber home for health reasons alone.

Natural wood interiors are associated with feelings of warmth and relaxation and studies have shown natural wood interiors can promote wellbeing by lowering blood pressure and reducing heart rates. www.fraemohs.co.nz

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50

Farming

BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION FEATURE

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M.bovis eradication provides lessons for biosecurity response A

n independent review of the mycoplasma bovis cattle disease eradication programme has found that it is on track to achieve a world-first eradication and makes recommendations to improve the wider biosecurity system.

The review found that the programme, a partnership between the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI), DairyNZ, and Beef + Lamb NZ, has made many improvements after it scaled-up quickly to prevent spread of the disease.

New Zealand now has only four properties infected with M. bovis, all in Mid Canterbury. Two are dairy farms detected through August screening of bulk tank milk. The other two are a beef property confirmed in September and the long-standing Five Star Beef feedlot case.

“We have come a long way since the programme started,” M. bovis governance group independent chair Kelvan Smith said.

“The improvements made to the programme have prevented the long-term financial and animal welfare costs of endemic M. bovis in herds. We’ve previously acknowledged the issues at the start of the programme and the independent review acknowledges that lessons have been learned and improvements made as the programme progressed.

“There’s no denying the disruption and stress experienced by farmers affected by the eradication programme, and this review will help to ensure we have better systems and support in the future for disease responses,” Smith said.

The review panel’s recommendations covered areas focused on responding to animal diseases – all of which MPI and its partners have accepted and are implementing.

Professor Nicola Shadbolt

The mycoplasma bovis programme has provided valuable lessons for future disease responses.

PHOTO: SUPPLIED

(chair), Dr Roger Paskin, Professor Caroline Saunders and Tony Cleland carried out the review MPI Director-General Ray Smith said the M. bovis programme has provided valuable lessons for future disease responses. These were being applied to other areas of work like the Foot and Mouth Disease readiness programme.

“The M. bovis programme has already led to changes across the biosecurity system; however, there’s always room to improve and the review panel’s recommendations will help us in the future.

“One of the key recommendations is that we all need to work more closely together to ensure the right capability and support is in place for people affected by a disease incursion.”

Improvements already made or under way include: • The appointment of a new specialist welfare advisor

within Biosecurity NZ to ensure a greater focus on the needs of people affected by future incursion responses.

• A new chief veterinary officer for MPI to connect the ministry’s vets who practice across a wide range of activities; and build collaboration with the country’s private veterinary network to enhance disease readiness.

• Investment in a new data strategy to ensure the information needs of biosecurity responses can be adequately met in future.

• An extensive programme of projects for increasing readiness for a Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) incursion is underway and much of this work is scalable to incursions of less severe impact.

• Threat-specific plans are in place for some other diseases of concern.

• Work is under way with

industry partners and networks outside of MPI, for example veterinarians, to ensure the expertise for preparing for and responding to large scale animal incursion are identified, developed and maintained.

• The strengthening of importing requirements for cattle semen.

• Completion of the new National Biocontainment Laboratory at Wallaceville, which will enable improved disease diagnostic capability and capacity.

• The establishment of a cross government and industry working group to plan the delivery of the review recommendations.

Review chair Professor Nicola Shadbolt said the panel considered the evolution of the M. bovis programme from its start in 2017 to today.

“Our review was informed by the experiences of both farmers

and those who worked in the programme. We acknowledge the significant impact the eradication has had on farmers and rural communities, as well as those working on the programme.

“A large number of people, including our farmers, worked incredibly hard to get to where we are now. Unique tools and capability have been built, which put us in a great position, and we’re on track to be the first country in the world to eradicate M. bovis.

“We now need to make sure we capture these lessons learned, improve our preparedness for the next animal health response, have a world class biosecurity system that all players commit to, and that will deliver,” Shadbolt said.

M. bovis programme snapshot: • There are now four active confirmed properties compared to 16 at the same time in 2019. All current properties are in Mid Canterbury.

• A total of 268 confirmed properties have been cleared and nearly 173,000 cattle culled.

• 18 farms are under notices of direction (NOD) compared with 297 at the same time in 2019.

• The time under NOD has dropped from an average 97 days to 27 days in the past two years.

• $212 million compensation has been paid across 2676 claims. Just 53 claims are currently open – 1.9 per cent of the total.

• Since the beginning of the response, the average number of working days to pay an M. bovis noncomplex claim has reduced from 47 days to 20 days.

• 2,444,594 tests have been carried out for M. bovis.

THINK PLAN DO Engineers / Surveyors / Planners

/ Rural and lifestyle subdivisions / Topographical and Drone surveys / Geotechnical and contaminated land investigations / Resource management / Irrigation, stockwater and domestic supply — advice, design and consenting / Building foundation and structural design

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BULK

TAKE HOME PIE PACKS

Stack the freezer during the busy seasons

SAupVE 6 Pack to $ .60 6 $ 19.20

12 Pack SAupVtoE $ 37.20 $14.40

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17 great flavours to choose from

Truckers Pie and Venison Pie is an extra charge.

123 Main South Road, Ashburton | Phone 03 308 5774

SITUATION VACANT

Pharmacist - Ashburton Wises Pharmacy - Full time

DAIRY SERVICE TECHNICIAN

This is a full time role, in a busy patient centered pharmacy. It is an exciting opportunity for someone who loves providing excellent patient care and who would like to grow in their role as a pharmacist and to take on more responsibility as part of a team. Newly qualified are more than welcome to apply.

Tired of doing the same thing everyday? Are you seeking to broaden your skill set and be challenged? Get out and about in the dairy industry.

Rakaia Dairy Services is based in Rakaia, Mid Canterbury. We are currently seeking new employees to expand our business.

We specialize in milking machine plants of all types, including light engineering, stainless steel and plumbing. We are agents for Read Industrial and Wetit teat sprayers.

Applicants would need: • A general knowledge of milking plants.

• Experience with light engineering.

• A desire to learn new skills and progress in the dairy maintenance industry.

• Able to deal with customers needs in a professional manner, and appreciate the urgency required to meet these needs.

• Able to think outside the box.

• Communication skills, friendly and approachable manner.

• Doesn’t mind getting hands dirty.

• Full NZ drivers licence.

• NZ residency.

• Experience in this industry would be preferred, however opportunities to learn and gain qualifications would be available to the right person.

• Be part of an on-call roster.

• Willing to work longer hours when required.

Please send CV and cover letter to admin@rdsl.co.nz

You will be working in a dedicated, friendly team with two other pharmacists, two checking technicians, one other technician and a retail staff member.

We are currently providing, vaccinations (including Covid), MUR’s, TMP, Sildenafil, ECP and are always looking to provide new services.

Training will be provided if necessary and we will cover any costs associated. We will also cover the cost of all professional fees.

We are open 7 days a week and the role is for 40 hours a week including rostered on weekends (1 in every 4, until 1pm only).

SEE US FIRST FOR ALL YOUR SHOWING NEEDS

You will need to be a New Zealand qualified pharmacist with a current APC and also be a NZ resident or have a valid work visa.

IN STOCK NOW

To apply use the apply button or send your cv to wises@community-pharmacy.co.nz.

• • • • •

51

Shampoos Brushes Jodhpurs Footwear Helmets

www.harness.co.nz

MORRISONS SADDLERY & FEED 32 Racecourse Road Ashburton Tel: 03-308-3422 or 0800 Harness (427 637)

Paul Bailey

027 229 9774

paul@canterburylivestock.co.nz

We’ve got the South Island covered.

We’ve got the South Island covered.

RURAL | LIFESTYLE | RESIDENTIAL

BEFORE BUYING AND SELLING YOUR LIVESTOCK GIVE US A CALL

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MARONAN 1394 Maronan Road Mid Canterbury Dairy Grazing Unit • • • • •

Dairy grazing unit wintering over 900 dairy cows and carrying young stock year round 59.9ha of spray irrigation via pivot with ground water Two sets of cattle yards plus numerous sheds and grain silo Two houses and great all weather laneways Well planted with natives and specimen trees

To be offered to the market in the following options • Option one - entire property 168 hectares • Option two - 79.6 hectares • Option three - 88.4 hectares

WE HAVE CLIENTS WANTING TO BUY AND SELL Herds | In-calf heifers | Heifer calves | Empty heifers & cows

DEADLINE PRIVATE TREATY

Plus GST (if any) (Unless Sold Prior) Closes 3.00pm, Thursday 9 December

Robin Ford M 027 433 6883 Tim Gallagher M 027 801 2888

pggwre.co.nz/ASH35121 PGG Wrightson Real Estate Limited, licensed under REAA 2008

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Place your Order for new rubberware from Morrison Agri.

Box up your used rubberware and either bring it in to one of our offices or sit it aside for our Mobile Van Reps to collect.

It is then collected up at our Ashburton yard, we fill a container & take care of it from there.

0800 577 583 | www.morrisonagri.co.nz