Ashburton Guardian Farming, July 2021

INSIDE LOW-COST DAIRYING

Page 24

Farming GUARDIAN

SATURDAY, JULY 31, 2021

WHO IS

TOP DOG? Pages 3–4

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GUARDIAN

EDITORIAL COMMENT

INSIDE

Why the protest?

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Heather Chalmers

PAGE 33 REST IS IMPORTANT

RURAL REPORTER

or people with little affinity or understanding of farming, the wave of discontent highlighted by the Howl of a Protest may seem to be about farmers trying to hold back the tide on freshwater and climate change reforms.

Another battle cry of the keyboard warriors is that farmers were consulted on the essential freshwater reforms so need to get on with implementing the resulting rules.

In fact, the agricultural community was deliberately excluded from the consultation process on surreptitious grounds. Federated Farmers and the agricultural industry good bodies were kicked out of the consultation on a baseless accusation that the federation leaked information. Federated Farmers’ president Andrew Hoggard says this leak never miraculously got to the newspapers or anyone, but only found its way to the Minister’s desk. So, no agricultural bodies agreed to the essential freshwater package.

Without the pragmatic input of farmers to point out how rules would work in practice on the ground, the bureaucrats and

ideologists ran amok.

What resulted is some of the most poorly thought out and designed legislation written.

The regulations were so unworkable, changes were required before it was even operative.

Rules around intensive winter grazing have been deferred for a year, until May 2022.

In mid-July, consultation documents were released for freshwater farm plans and stock exclusion low slope maps. Comment is being sought on a new, more accurate, mapping approach for stock exclusion that better reflects what farmers see on-the-ground.

Environment Minister David Parker and Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor can spin it as much as they like, but all the changes, deferrals and consultation is required because the law is a dog’s breakfast. This is putting a lot of extra stress and workload on councils and farmers who have to implement it.

In the same way, it is not the need to make changes to fight climate change that farmers are opposed to, it is the methodology being used and the emphasis on methane, a relatively short-lived greenhouse gas.

This comes amid a tsunami of environmental regulations including indigenous biodiversity and Signification Natural Areas (SNAs), with the ute tax seemingly the final straw.

Farmers don’t mind doing their share to improve the quality of waterways and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

What they do mind is being painted as environmental vandals while being lumbered with unworkable legislation.

That’s why farmers protested.

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3

Dogged duo in Trans-Tasman rivalry Heather Chalmers

RURAL REPORTER

A

shburton Gorge high country stock manager Cam Clayton and his heading dog Pine are taking part in a trans-Tasman challenge vying to be crowned the hardest working dog.

It is the first time New Zealand dogs are competing against their Australian counterparts in the Cobber Working Dog Challenge.

Clayton’s dog is one of three New Zealand entries, competing with nine from throughout Australia. Each dog will wear a GPS collar to track how far, fast and for how long they work over a three-week period.

Now in its sixth year, the 2021 Cobber Challenge will run from August 16 to September 5.

It promises to add to the TransTasman rivalry, already stoked by the rugby union Bledisloe Cup that runs between the nations through August.

Each day of the competition, data is uploaded to the Cobber Challenge website so fans can follow the performance of their favourite dogs and national team.

New Zealand will be represented

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by three heading dogs – a new breed for the Cobber Challenge that has historically been dominated by kelpies, border collies and coolies.

Clayton, who works at Hakatere Station, said his four-year-old heading dog Pine was his best mate.

“When the day is long and work is hard, Pine is always there and happy to work.

“I don’t think we will keep up with those kelpies in Australia, but we will give it a good nudge.”

Hakatere is run alongside Mt Possession, with both owned by the Whyte Farming Company.

A 12,000-hectare beef and sheep station, Hakatere runs 800 angus cows and 10,500 halfbred ewes. On any given day, Clayton and his seven dogs might work on any class of animal - weaners, rams, hoggets and more and they work across different terrain, from high country to developed flats.

The competition was being run at a quieter time of the year, with animals being set stocked in preparation for calving and lambing, though pre-lamb shearing was coming up. “We’re not mustering every day as we would be in the summer, or at weaning or shearing.”

One of his team of seven working dogs, Pine is Clayton’s main heading dog and even though he lost his bottom teeth in a run in with a cow, Pine never gives up.

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For the first time, New Zealand working dogs are competing in this year’s Cobber Challenge. Mid Canterbury stock manager Cam Clayton has entered with his heading dog, Pine, one of his team of seven working dogs.

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From P3 When Clayton tells Pine to go, he goes and will keep running all day - whether that’s mustering stock from the hills or getting them around tricky gates. Pine is happiest when he’s with Clayton and when he’s working (or getting a pat).

Bred by Clayton, Pine showed abilities and intelligence from a young age. “The more training you put into them, the better they get.”

From Waikato, Clayton previously spent two-and-a-half years working at Haldon Station, Mackenzie country, six months cowboying in Canada and two years in Southland. He is keen to see how well Pine stacks up against the other competitors, in New Zealand and across the ditch.

The challenge was a good opportunity to measure how hard a man’s best friend works, he said.

The other New Zealand entries are Josh Tosh and Trix from Dipton, Southland and Peter Aitken and Spark from Millers Flat, Otago.

Two of the Australian entrants have competed before but think this will be their year: Daniel Pumpa who is now working in Koorawatha, New South Wales and Bree How in Tunbridge, Tasmania.

As assistant manager on a lamb fattening operation, Pumpa and his dog Turbo are doing more stock work than ever and will be marking lambs during the Cobber Challenge. Overcoming a broken back in 2017, this kelpie is strong and fit enough to return for a comeback series.

“It’s awesome to compete against the New Zealanders because it will show the differences between us and them in how we handle our dogs and ourselves.”

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Cam Clayton

Pumpa thinks the New Zealanders will be tough competition because they cast their dogs a lot more to cover steep country compared to many of the Australian competitors who take their dogs to stock on a motorbike.

Cobber’s marketing manager Kellie Savage was excited to have New Zealand on board for this year’s Cobber Challenge.

“The three Kiwi competitors work in incredible landscapes and I think their dogs will cover impressive distances.

We’re thankful to everyone who applied.

How much everyone values their dogs as part of the farm team shone through in the nominations,” Savage said.

For three weeks, the dogs will be scored based on distance, speed and duration of work per day with points accumulated based on daily activity to determine the winner of the Cobber Challenge trophy.

People can follow the performance of their favourite dog at cobberchallenge.com. au and on the Cobber Dog Facebook page.

Pine is Cam Clayton’s main heading dog.

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5

New Lincoln science building opens L

incoln University has officially opened the first of two new science buildings, marking a significant milestone along a journey that began more than 10 years ago, following the Canterbury earthquakes.

The building will be home to more than 50 staff and postgraduate students from Lincoln University’s department of agricultural sciences, responsible for teaching and research in the animal sciences.

Lincoln also acknowledged its elevated profile as a worldranked land-based university, underpinned by its substantial growth in domestic student numbers and its expanding influence within New Zealand’s increasingly important food and fibre sector.

Acting Vice-Chancellor Professor Bruce McKenzie said the new science facility will strengthen Lincoln’s commitment to help drive New Zealand’s transition to a more productive, low-emissions economy.

“Lincoln University has always been a chief driver of innovation in agriculture, particularly in the food and fibre sectors, and our new

facilities will position us to take an even more prominent role in developing solutions for the most pressing challenges facing the land-based industries.

“Our university has been producing primary sector graduates for more than 140 years, and we remain dedicated to attracting and inspiring future generations of tauira; equipping them with the knowledge and skills needed to grow a better future.

“It’s appropriate and timely that we deliver a new cuttingedge science facility as a base where our people, including our world-leading researchers, can continue their critical contribution to shaping more prosperous and sustainable communities.”

Among the new building’s state-of-the-art facilities is a purpose-built gene marker laboratory where Professor Jon Hickford leads a team specialising in the molecular genetics of ruminants, working to identify genetically superior animals. Professor Hickford’s team is internationally recognised, and recently won the Science and Research Award at the 2021 Federated Farmers’ Primary Industries Awards.

Taking just 12 months to

The Minister of Research, Science and Innovation Dr Megan Woods cuts the ribbon to officially open the first of two new science buildings.

PHOTO: SUPPLIED

complete, the new agricultural sciences building began its construction phase in June 2020.

The new building, constructed by Leighs Construction and designed

by Sheppard and Rout, cuts a striking figure on the southeastern corner of the Lincoln campus, with its brick-red, sun-louvred exterior and lowslung profile. It incorporates a mix of laboratories, offices, open plan workspaces,

meeting and collaboration zones, all complemented by a comfortable and well-appointed staff kitchen and social area adjoined by an exterior private courtyard.

In line with the university’s sustainable infrastructure goals, the building is built to level four green star standard and features wool carpets and wool acoustic wall insulation, a cement substitute mix floor slab, as well as thermally-insulated exterior cladding.

The roof-mounted solar array adds a further 60kWh to the university’s existing commercial-scale solar generating capacity, which now totals more than 522,000 kWh – enough to power 72.5 houses for a year.

Lincoln University remains the only New Zealand university to achieve a ranking on the UI Green Metric World University Rankings; currently ranked 51 out of 912 universities.

The new science facilities are part of a wider campus development programme for Lincoln University that has already seen the launch of a vibrant and bustling new student hub and an expansive new outdoor events space featuring native plantings and a cultural heritage-inspired paved pathway.

Further campus projects including an ambitious and extensive decarbonisation programme which supports the university’s goal to be carbon neutral by 2030 and to cease the combustion of coal by 2024, the restoration of Ivey West and Memorial Hall and an overarching visionary landscaping masterplan, are in various stages of development.

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6

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The dogs are barking Plenty of horsepower came to town for the Howl of a Protest, with tractors parked alongside the Ashburton Domain on West Street.

David Clark

I

President of MC Federated Farmers

t is a very long time in New Zealand since we have seen a mass demonstration of discontent within a section of our society, particularly from the farming sector.

The protest across 50 odd towns and cities is a clear declaration that things are not well within this country and rural folk have had enough of the cheap shots taken at them and the tsunami of legislation coming our way.

Minister James Shaw said recently on a Maori radio show that it “was some Pakeha farmers from down south” who don’t want any rules. I find that offensive as a New Zealander of European descent.

In Canterbury, it was recognised

by the Environment Canterbury Commissioners that there was no cohesive water or nutrient allocation regulations so after extensive public consultation, the Canterbury Land and Water Regional Plan was put into place that put a cap on environmental impact and set out reduction targets to ensure all groundwater meets a nitrate level of 6.9mg/l which is half of the WHO recommended drinking water standard of 11.3mg/l.

That target is achievable with some changes to farm systems, but we will all stay in business and the town will be unaffected in economic activity.

Minister Parker could have rolled this legislation out across New Zealand, created a legacy for himself, got community buy-in and made a profound difference for the environment.

ECan have spent $60m developing this plan, but now that will be chucked in the bin and another $25m at least spent on writing a new plan to meet new bottom lines, which require all waterways to meet a threshold of 2.4mg/l of dissolved inorganic nitrogen, which is

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a pretty tough ask when I have water tests of water coming out of springs in the foothills on the edge of DOC land at 3.2mg/l.

As it is written, to meet these bottom lines it would basically require a reversion of land use in Mid Canterbury to dryland sheep grazing. Now an outcome like that is unlikely to gain the engagement or support of farmers and is even less likely to actually bring about positive environmental changes.

Likewise with climate change, the challenge of our generation we are told, which is all very well so long as you can find someone else who has to change their ways to make it better.

As a country, our policy people have become fixated with methane from ruminant animals and we must reduce methane emissions by 24-47 per cent to meet the zero carbon goals of 2050, which will require a reduction in animal numbers of a similar scale.

This ignores two principles, firstly methane is a recycling gas and so long as animal numbers are static, no further warming is caused, thus meeting the

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zero carbon goals. That is because grass absorbs carbon dioxide (C02) during the photosynthetic process where it is converted to carbohydrates, which when eaten are broken down in the rumen into energy, respired out as CO2 and a small amount out as methane. This methane then breaks down into CO2 thus completing the cycle.

Conversely, any carbon we all emit in the use of fossil fuels as an energy source or as part of any consumer item we purchase or use, or any heating or cooling, then that carbon joins with all other carbon emitted over the recent centuries to further warm the planet.

Methane is the low hanging fruit, drive that down hard and fast and it will effectively create global cooling and allow the rest of society time to work out how to survive without fossil fuels to power the modern human existence.

Let’s call it for what it is, we will cut animal numbers to meet the Paris Accord because the rest of society is unable to. That is directly in contravention of the Paris Accord which clearly says in Article 2B that climate

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“

7

We are sick of being painted as environmental vandals and we are fed up with poorly conceived rules that are in many cases impossible to implement at a farm level.”

mitigation should not be at the detriment of food production.

The EV feebate is a tax, nothing else when no alternatives are available. But it is worse than that, it is a complete and utter nonsense if every additional EV on our roads is effectively going to be re-charged with additional generation capacity coming from imported coal, currently from Indonesia and currently well over one million tonnes annually, our highest ever importation.

If we are actually serious about climate change, then we need more hydrogeneration and windfarm capacity in double quick time, but I am seeing no intent on building any significant new renewable generation capacity. Until then, EV feebates and ute taxes are a nonsense.

There is a raft of other legislation coming our way, much of which is equally as poorly thought out, but too complex to unpack in this article.

Along with this, farmers are stretched by a lack of staff and the uncertainly

Working dogs add their voice during a bark-off at the Howl of a Protest in Ashburton.

created for them and their trusted and loyal overseas staff still precariously here on work visas, unable to get residency.

Can we do better? You bet. Are there areas we can improve? Yes, there are.

Are we on that journey? Yes, we are.

But we are sick of being told we need to improve to sell our products, we are

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sick of being painted as environmental vandals and we are fed up with poorly conceived rules that are in many cases impossible to implement at a farm level.

On a global scale we have very good water quality in New Zealand and rank as one of the lowest carbon emissions producers of food in the world.

We should be celebrating how advanced and sustainable our farming system is and how we are already fully engaged in the journey to become even better.

It would pay for our government to start listening because the huntaways are barking.

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Howl of a Protest: what is next?

A wave of support for farmers participating in the Howl of a Protest.

Heather Chalmers

O

RURAL REPORTER

rganisers of the national farmer Howl of a Protest say they plan further action after thousands of farmers headed to more than 50 towns in their tractors, utes and trucks to protest at what they call unworkable environmental regulations.

The Ashburton protest drew about 1000 farm vehicles.

Jamie McFadden, one of three national co-ordinators for the protest, said that while they always intended to take further action, they were unlikely to try and mobilise multiple towns again.

“It was an amazing response, but it does take people away from their business.”

At the protests, Groundswell NZ said government had a month to address its concerns before it took further action.

The initial response from government was to “brush us off ”, McFadden said.

“This is an ongoing campaign. Co-ordinators around the country are saying that they are ready to go again.”

Rangitata Labour MP Jo Luxton said she wasn’t able to make the protests in Ashburton or Timaru, as she had a previous engagement that had been scheduled for some time.

In contrast, Selwyn National MP Nicola Grigg attended the Ashburton protest and posted comments and photos on social media.

Luxton said the government was listening and had heard the concerns that were raised. “But, as a country, we can’t stand still.

There are many examples of innovative and good practice already happening across the country, including here in Mid Canterbury, and if we want to make sure our exports continue to fetch a high price and are highly valued we have to make progress on the challenges that New Zealand and the world faces or our competitors will move ahead of us.

Luxton said the government was committed to finding sustainable and workable solutions with farmers and growers. “You can see this in the work with industry on freshwater reforms: we took feedback; significantly reviewed and made pragmatic changes to low slope maps and stock exclusion; and when farmers and councils said intensive winter grazing regulations would be too difficult to implement, we responded by establishing the intensive winter grazing module for farmers and deferring regulation of the activity until next year.”

Groundswell NZ are calling for a halt to all environmental regulations including freshwater, indigenous biodiversity, Signification Natural Areas (SNAs), climate change, high country legislation

PHOTOS: ASHBURTON GUARDIAN

Jamie McFadden addresses the Ashburton protest.

and to remove the ute tax.

McFadden, who spoke at the Ashburton and Christchurch protests, chairs Canterburybased Rural Advocacy Network, which has joined forces with Groundswell to fight the regulations.

“There is not a single town that had a poor turnout. More than 50 towns from Invercargill to Kaitaia participated and all had big turnouts, so it is a nationwide feeling and a very strong message.”

While government had made some minor changes to the essential freshwater rules

and deferred implementing its winter grazing rules by a year, the “tweaks are very minor in the scale of things”, McFadden said.

“It’s so complex, costly and unworkable.”

The management of freshwater, biodiversity and climate change was also being done in “separate silos” which led to policy conflicts.

“Climate change policy is encouraging landowners to plant marginal land in pine trees. What we are now seeing is large areas of valuable native scrublands being lost through

planting of governmentincentivised pines. That conflicts with government’s biodiversity policy,” said McFadden, who runs a native plant nursery and planting service in Hurunui, North Canterbury.

Groundswell and RAN wanted government to take a more holistic and catchmentbased approach.

A particular concern was areas on private land being zoned as SNAs, wetlands or landscapes.

“In the case of some farms, all of their land is being zoned under one of these criteria and it is impacting on the value of their properties.” This was penalising conservation-minded landowners who had protected or re-established wetlands and native plantings, McFadden said.

Groundswell and RAN advised landowners not to allow any SNA-type surveys by agencies on their properties.

Legislation on SNAs was initially due in July but has now been delayed until later this year and many councils have halted their SNA process.

While Groundswell NZ’s main target was unworkable environmental policies it had also become aware of many other issues and costs impacting not only farmers but businesses, urban people and councils. “Everyone is feeling overwhelmed with the avalanche of poorly-designed policies and the we-know-best, one-size-fits-all mindset of the current government.”

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10

Farming

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M. bovis eradication on track, says report New Zealand has three active confirmed infected farms compared to 34 farms two years ago.

T

he latest report from the independent Technical Advisory Group (TAG) for the mycoplasma bovis response shows New Zealand is on track to eradicate the disease.

“The TAG report acknowledges the improvements to our work, which aim to lessen the impact on affected farmers, their whanau, workers and rural communities,” M. bovis programme director Stuart Anderson said.

“I know that farmers who have been impacted have found the process challenging. Their contribution has not gone unnoticed or unappreciated and four years on since the disease was first detected, immense progress has been made towards eradication. We now have just three active confirmed infected farms compared to 34 farms two years ago.”

The TAG found: • There have been notable improvements in the timeliness of tracing and casing of herds and management of confirmed infected herds since 2019.

• Beef Surveillance and Bulk Tank Milk screening are working well.

• There have been improvements in the recording of animal movements by farmers.

• operational improvements meant the Canterbury cluster identified last spring was rapidly found and controlled.

• Genomic information continues to support that M. bovis was likely introduced around late 2015 via a single source.

The TAG made 14 recommendations for the programme, all of which are accepted. These include advice regarding monitoring of beef herds and non-milking dairy cows and what is required to move from delimiting to the provisional freedom of infection phase over the next year.

The TAG found that improvements to the programme meant it was in a good position to deal with any further infected farms identified, which was likely given some farms’ previously poor recording of cattle movements and the likelihood that unidentified small pockets of infection may remain to be found.

Anderson said the TAG found the recent Canterbury cluster could most likely be explained by unrecorded animal movements, and they

recommended the likelihood that the Five Star Feedlot could be a possible source of infection be examined closely.

“Since the TAG first considered information in December, we have looked into this property closely, tested animals and traced movements,” he said.

“In the programme’s view there are more likely sources from within the cluster of infected farms itself, such as animal movements, shared grazing, insecure boundaries between neighbouring properties and sharing of dairy platforms.

“However, out of an abundance of caution, and in co-ordination with the feedlot’s owners, ANZCO, we’ve placed a buffer area around the feedlot that will remain free of cattle until it is cleared of M. bovis. This is on top of the already strict biosecurity measures that are in place and being adhered to.”

Over the coming months, the programme will work closely with ANZCO on depopulation of the feedlot. The exact timing of this has not been determined and needs to be planned well in advance.

“The feedlot is of significant economic importance to the local community and careful

PHOTOS: SUPPLIED

consideration is required to minimise the impact of the depopulation exercise on all those connected to it,” Anderson said.

“This includes not only the feedlot’s staff and contractors, but also the farmers nationwide who supply it with livestock and feed grains.”

Beef + Lamb NZ chief executive Sam McIvor said farmers can take a lot of credit for the progress of the eradication programme.

“We are on track to eradication, however there’s still a lot of hard work ahead of us. We’re urging every farmer to record all animal movements and keep their NAIT records up to date.

Incomplete NAIT records make tracing infected cattle a difficult and expensive job, which ultimately costs all farmers and means some endure movement controls on their farms that otherwise wouldn’t be required.”

DairyNZ chief executive Dr Tim Mackle said eradicating M. bovis has been a key goal for New Zealand and it was pleasing to see the commitment by farmers was delivering.

“Managing M. bovis has been a significant challenge for

M. bovis programme director Stuart Anderson says he knows the process is challenging for farmers.

our farmers and presented an upheaval for many who made sacrifices for the greater good,” Mackle said.

“Now, continuing with good practices is crucial and respects those sacrifices that many have made. So NAIT, biosecurity and farm management practices remain as important as ever.

“Keep up the good work – record all cattle movements, ensure good biosecurity practice is in place on your farm and prevent any mixing of stock,” Mackle said.

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11

What a crazy old world Chris Murdoch

PROPERTY BROKERS

I

’m not sure where to start this column as so much seems to have happened over the past month or so.

I guess the floods are a good or bad place to start. Is global warming for real? I think maybe it is after seeing our district and others close after being hit by rainfall in the foothills that in some cases are unrivalled in present history.

I see it as being very similar to a car accident in that if you are involved in either the accident or the flood, life becomes a blur, but to those looking on it’s almost an ‘’I’m glad it wasn’t me feeling’’.

However, for those poor sods that have taken the full force of this disaster I would just like to say how sorry I am to see such devastation happen here in Mid Canterbury.

I also believe Ashburton itself escaped a disaster of its own,

Floods caused devastation to Mid Canterbury farmland, but Ashburton was spared.

PHOTO: ASHBURTON GUARDIAN

for if the banks hadn’t burst out where they did they would have come over the stop banks above Ashburton and flooded straight through our town.

And don’t even get me started on the bridge issue and our government’s response to that, and then bending at the knees in response to 1000 odd cyclists for an extra lane on the Auckland Harbour bridge at a cost of $786 million. Someone told me that could build 23 bridges.

How hard is it to believe calving is imminent. For those who faced the floods it’s way

We don’t just say team.

We promise it.

too soon, for others they are ready and raring to go.

Something else that caught my eye was a heading in The Press on Saturday July 10 that said “Mystery flooding under CBD buildings”. This appears to be happening according to the reporter because of aquifer sourced heating and cooling systems that are being installed in new buildings around the city.

The article goes onto say, quote: “the ground sourced heat exchange process involves pumping water from a low lying aquifer (sometimes 200m) and

putting it through a machine where heat is extracted or discharged. The water is then rejected into a higher aquifer structure”.

Christchurch can use this system as it has confined aquifers from 5 metres to 200m deep. It also states that the new Ngai Tahu Properties’ office has this source of heating. Ecan are aware of this heating system and have been looking into it to see if this is in fact causing the flooding issues.

Well, you might say what’s this got to do with farming? In

my opinion heaps because if my memory serves me correctly it was Maori and Ecan that stopped Mid Canterbury farms from taking water for irrigation from different depth aquifers because of the mixing of their different waters and also stopped a farmer in Lowcliffe from pumping from his well into a drain and then taking the water back out of the drain a couple of kilometres further down because that was mixing water from different aquifers.

Quite ironic that Ecan and Maori are both happy to mix aquifers in Christchurch.

What’s going on here, how come Christchurch business can do this but not the farmer!

Finally, we saw England all set to become “the best in the world” at soccer only to be beaten by Italy. I must admit, I don’t watch a lot of soccer but that penalty shoot-out was something else. Can’t help but feel sorry for the English guy who on the night before turned down £8,000 for his seat, I wonder how he feels now? Not a great result for England but I bet Covid-19 had a great day!

The views expressed are the columnist’s own and do not reflect the opinion of Guardian Farming.

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12

Farming

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TRUCKING FEATURE

TRUCKING FEATURE Pages 13–17

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TRUCKING FEATURE

13

Road transport’s importance T

he road freight transport industry employs 32,868 people (two per cent of the workforce) and has a gross annual turnover of $6 billion.

Trucks transport 92 per cent of New Zealand’s total freight by weight, with 6 per cent going by rail and 2 per cent on coastal shipping, according to the Government’s 201718 national freight demands study.

The study predicts that up to 2052 there will be very little change in share. The major areas of freight growth will remain the Auckland-WaikatoBay of Plenty triangle in the North Island and Canterbury in the South Island.

There are many reasons why road freight is the mode of choice for most people and businesses needing goods moved: • Most freight travels less than 100 kilometres. Rail, which is best suited to hauling bulk items 300 kilometres or more, is less fuel and cost efficient over such relatively short distances.

• Rail with its inflexible timetables and restricted network can’t provide the personalised, door-to-door, on-demand service the modern truck delivers. It simply doesn’t go where much of the freight goes and when the customer wants it.

• Livestock, perishable items such as groceries, fruit and vegetables, refrigerated and dangerous goods, like LPG, aren’t suited to the repeated transhipping rail requires.

• The risk of breakage and pilfering is significantly lessened.

Trucks transport 92 per cent of New Zealand’s total freight by weight.

There’s a clear and direct relationship between economic contribution and New Zealand trucking activity. New Zealand research shows that a 1 per cent growth in national output requires around a 1.4 per cent increase in transport services.

As New Zealand’s economy expands trucks will be needed to keep the country growing.

The road transport industry in New Zealand has a gross annual turnover of $6 billion, and transports about 70% of

New Zealand’s land-based freight measured on a tonne/ kilometre basis.

Because of the vital role trucks play, changes in road transport charges have a direct impact on New Zealand’s economic performance. Road transport is particularly important to regional New Zealand and the export industries which drive these local economies. Trucks carry: • 95 per cent of export fruit, • 86 per cent of export wool, • 85 per cent of export dairy products,

PHOTO: SUPPLIED

• 65 per cent of export logs, • 35 per cent of export meat.

Given its indispensable role and the huge freight task it carries out, the commercial road freight fleet is a tiny proportion, less than 2.5 per cent of the total number of vehicles on the road.

According to the Ministry of Transport at the end of 2014 there were 3,671,867 licensed vehicles in New Zealand. Of these 132,316 were “heavy vehicles” or trucks weighing over 3.5 tonnes.

Around 23,000 are operated by the road freight industry.

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Most of the heavier trucks are owned and operated by individuals and organisations not primarily involved in road freight: tradespeople, developers and contractors, local councils, manufacturers and other businesses.

The New Zealand industrial and logistics sector has experienced strong growth over the past few years on the back of the country’s underlying economic fundamentals, increasing population and importantly the rise in ecommerce.

Farming

14

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TRUCKING FEATURE

Good roads critical W

ithout good roads, few of the infrastructure goals laid out by the New Zealand Infrastructure Commission will be realised, Road Transport Forum chief executive Nick Leggett says.

The forum has responded to the He Tuapapa ki te Ora Infrastructure for a Better Future: NZ Infrastructure Commission Strategy consultation document stressing the need for roads; electricity generation to match demand; distribution infrastructure to match alternative “fuel” sources; and connectivity throughout New Zealand to

support both technology in trucks and communications with customers.

“The conundrum for us is commenting on future infrastructure while the Government downplays roading investment and cancels significant roading projects in favour of funding the Auckland cycle bridge, without any appropriate economic evaluation,” Leggett said.

“No matter what powers future heavy vehicles, we need to optimise the existing roading infrastructure and to ensure it continues to be fit for purpose. Roads will be critical to all other infrastructure builds.

“There is a Government view that by reducing personal mobility, such as car use, and creating more condensed urban development, the demand for roading serviceability will reduce. But people will inevitably select personal transport over shared transport. It is also a particularly city centric view and ignores the revenues generated by New Zealand’s rural and primary sectors, via road.

“A fundamental flaw in the present approach to infrastructure policy is a misplaced ideological position that rail freight is a competent competitor to road freight, instead of being seen as a

complementary service. This position is based on an irrational assumption that rail can flourish without road transport support. In reality, it is the opposite.

“Like similar types of government publications covering climate change, this one is largely silent on the household economic impacts. We think there needs to be both a realistic approach to costs and transparency around how the money will be generated.

“Costs added at the input side will inevitably find their way into the end-line prices paid by New Zealand households.”

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Open top bins for property and garden clean ups, perfect for Open top bins for property and garden clean ups, perfect for he job of transporting dairy cows moving off farm. moving offthe the farm. & ••For Casual Bin&Hires Hires For Casual Casual & Permanent Bin Hires For Casual & Permanent Permanent Bin wintered in the Rakaia Gorge •• For Permanent Bin Hires • • Bins aa number of farms in the thearea area andcasual casualRecycling •Cardboard Cardboard Binsalready alreadyon on number of farms in and back to a Mid Canterbury plains dairy • Recycling • Cardboard Recycling hire hireavailable available• Cardboard Recycling • Drum Hires farm last week was more difficult • Drum Hires •• Drum Hires • • Household waste Drum empty service Weoffer offer regularservice RubbishRemoval Removal Service, with many local Companies Drum Hires Householdand/or and/or Garden Garden waste Drum empty than usual after the Canterbury floods We aaregular Rubbish Service, with many local Companies •

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• • Regular Removal Service, with many local We aRubbish Removal Service, with many local Companies Regular Removal Service, with many local Wealso also have Open Top Bins on a casual basis, property clean Weoffer offerRubbish aregular regularRubbish Rubbish Removal Service, with many local Companies We have Open Top Bins on a casual basis, forfor property clean ups,ups, building works and Garden tidy ups. companies hiring our Front Loader Bins and using our The five truck and trailer loads by building works and Garden tidy ups. companies hiring our Front Loader Bins and using our hiring our Front Loader Bins and using our Cardboard Recycling Cages, hiring our Front Loader Bins using our Cardboard Recycling Cages, AndaaHousehold Householdand/or and/or Garden waste Drum empty service.

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Wareing’s stock team needed to move the cows, which are nearly due to calve, back to a dairy farm for the milking season.

“With the road being severely damaged from the last lot of terrible weather it was not a job for the faint hearted,” general manager Simon Wareing said. “A fantastic job, well done by the team.”

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TRUCKING FEATURE

Fonterra general manager national transport and logistics Barry McColl beside the Longveld/TRT trailer which is elliptical in shape.

Battle of the milk tanker trailers he battle of Fonterra’s new milk tanker trailers has begun.

Three prototypes are being tested on the roads to see which one performs best.

While two of the trailers were designed and built by transport engineering companies, the third is the brainchild of one of the co-operative’s own tanker operators, Bill Groves.

The Reporoa-based driver has been dreaming up his trailer for the past seven years and is proud to see it finally on the road.

Groves said Fonterra supported him all the way throughout the design and build phase. “It has been a really cool journey to be a part of and just being able to be here right now to see it is awesome.

“Fonterra has treated me like family and supported me the whole way and I am so proud to be a part of this team.”

The other two trailers were designed by outside companies that specialise in trucks and trailers – Domett and joint venture Longveld/ TRT. The aim of all three new designs is to get better maneuverability, higher milk collection capacity, economy and efficiency for Fonterra’s tanker fleet.

It is hoped they’ll increase milk collection productivity by 8-10 per cent, resulting in reduced kilometres, less fuel and fewer tankers on the road – which all helps to improve sustainability.

Originally, the classic tanker could hold up to 15,000 litres of milk, whereas the three new designs are two metres

longer and can hold up to 21,000 litres.

Groves trailer • Features a double axle to give it improved maneuverability and safety when entering and exiting a corner.

• It’s the first of its design – patent pending!

• The design also draws on Bill Groves’ previous experience driving a logging truck.

Domett’s Gen 4 trailer • Back two wheels steer with the front of the vehicle, making it more maneuverable.

• The tank is more oval in shape, meaning they could lower it further to the ground – making it more stable.

• Has three baffles (strengthening beams) landed widthway in the back to protect the milk and the vehicle from flipping.

Longveld/TRT trailer • Elliptical in shape, making it look more space-age than the original and easier to clean the inside of the tanks.

• Strong shape and design to make it safer and more stable on the roads.

• Five axle design with rear steer for better maneuverability.

Over the next 12 months these three trailers will undergo testing to see which trailer performs the best. These tests will also help them to gain data to make an informed decision on which of the trailers has performed the best and will be the safest for Fonterra’s operators and communities.

PHOTO: SUPPLIED

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Farming

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TRUCKING FEATURE

Rural Transport has proud history T

he history of Rural Transport goes back to 1927, when a young motor mechanic named Bob Burnett started a carrying business at Hinds.

Mr Burnett started with just one truck, a Reo, which he drove all over the Ashburton County and beyond, carting goods.

In 1934, Mr Burnett bought an acre of land for 1200 pounds on the corner of East and South Streets, Ashburton, and built a new workshop and transport depot there.

Mr Burnett was always looking for opportunities to diversify Burnett Motors.

He had petrol pumps on

East Street to serve a small but growing number of motorists, many of these people, including many successful farmers, became loyal customers of Burnett Motors.

He was also interested in the products his trucks transported - for example, coal, which led him to acquire a controlling interest in the Mt Somers coal mine. He also bought Mt Somers Station, which he ran with the same success he achieved in the trucking business.

In the 1950s, Burnetts expanded into earthmoving and was involved in several big hydro projects, including

• • • • •

Locally owned and operated Locally owned

and operated T

R

A

N

S

P

O

R

Manapouri, Roxburgh, Aviemore and Benmore. The firm acquired a substantial fleet of bulldozers, scrapers, loaders and other heavy machinery.

By 1957, Burnetts owned more than 100 vehicles, employed almost 300 staff and was turning over more than two million pounds a year.

Mr Burnett had no son to take over from him when he retired, so when he reached his early 60s he started looking around for a way to secure the future of the company. This led to a merger in 1971 with the Australian Brambles organisation, one of

the biggest freight forwarding companies in Australia at the time. Burnetts became Brambles Burnett. Mr Burnett remained on the board of the company and took a close interest in its affairs.

In 1980, the Mogal Corporation acquired Brambles Burnett. Mr Burnett was still a director, but officially retired a year later, at the age of 72.

In 1984, Owens Transport brought the Mogal Corporation, which saw the Ashburton trucking firm renamed Owens Burnett.

In 1991, the company was rebranded Owens Road Transport, a subsidiary of the Owens Group, and restructured

including a move to ownerdrivers replacing company drivers.

Today, Rural Transport is owned by The Wareing Group.

Rural Transport has a total of 53 truck and trailer combinations. Its business operates throughout the South Island. Its home areas are Mid Canterbury, South Canterbury, North Otago, Fairlie and the Mackenzie Basin.

Rural Transport is proud of its history, the loyalty of its customers and the dedication of the staff, many of whom have worked for the company through the successive ownership changes.

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www.guardianonline.co.nz

TRUCKING FEATURE

17

Purpose-built truck for foliar fertiliser I

ncreased farmer interest in foliar nitrogen applications has led Ryal Bush Transport Ashburton to add a purposebuilt truck to its fleet to cater for the demand.

Ryal Bush Transport Ashburton fertiliser coordinator Dean Rattray said regulations which came into force on July 1, limiting annual applications to 190 units of synthetic nitrogen a hectare, had led to increased inquiries about applying nitrogen to pasture in a liquid form.

In response, a new truck mounted with a 4000 litre tank and spray unit, believed to be the first of its type in New Zealand, is being manufactured to service the increased demand.

The truck, expected to be available to start operating in October, will work in conjunction with Ryal Bush’s fleet of five particle spreaders based at its Tinwald depot.

“Farmers are trying to get the same results using a foliar application while using less nitrogen,” Rattray said.

The ability to reduce farm inputs while growing the same amount of grass provides both financial and environmental benefits.

The new truck rig is being manufactured by Metalform in Dannevirke.

Metalform design,

A mock-up photo of a new purpose-built truck, currently being manufactured to more efficiently spread foliar nitrogen applications.

PHOTO: SUPPLIED

manufacture and sell Tow and Fert, a tank and spray unit for foliar fertiliser applications, which is towed behind a tractor.

While Tow and Fert has been commercially available since 2010, this is the first time the rig has been mounted on a truck, Tow and Fert national sales manager Michael Smith

said.

“Ryal Bush came to us and said they wanted to put one on a big truck. We had talked about it, but we hadn’t done one for anyone. They are the first client to do it.”

Farmers, as well as almost 20 contracting firms, use the unit towed behind a tractor.

Advantages of having a truck-mounted unit are that it can travel between clients’ farms more quickly and can tow a trailer to carry additional product. “So it can cover a bigger area and travel further and faster,” Smith said.

The new truck-mounted foliar sprayer provides the ability to

dissolve any nitrogen-based product, but primarily urea to create a plant available liquid. It can also mix, suspend and apply micro-fine particulate fertiliser.

Research shows that foliar applied urea is more plant available and fine particulates are more available in the soil due to surface area.

18

Farming

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SOIL MANAGEMENT AND FERTILISERS FEATURE

Farmers motivated on winter grazing D

airyNZ and Beef + Lamb New Zealand are encouraged by reports of good winter grazing this year and farmers nudging other farmers to deliver on good practice.

“Most farmers are focused on delivering and we are largely seeing good practices as we head through winter,” DairyNZ farm performance general manager Sharon Morrell said.

“Farmers are expecting a team effort and to see assistance delivered for any farmers who need it. As a sector, we are committed to delivering winter grazing that protects our animals and environment – this motivation is really evident this season, and farmers are taking action and adopting new practices.”

Morrell said managing wet weather is challenging for any farm system but there are options for farmers facing difficult conditions, such as shifting stock off the crop during adverse weather or to shelter under trees or hedges.

“We’re encouraging farmers to have a plan written down and to discuss it with the team – keep reviewing it each and every wet weather event. Keep sharpening the system each time rain or snow is forecast.”

Farmers are encouraged to review their winter grazing plan during wet weather events.

DairyNZ and Beef + Lamb are encouraging people to use the winter grazing hotline.

“We want to know about any concerns so we can follow-up with the farmers and provide planning and on-the-ground advice and support to help ensure these activities are well managed,” Beef + Lamb senior

adviser animal welfare and biosecurity Will Halliday said.

“We want to get in and help – there is a range of ways we can assist farmers but we need to know about them first. The majority of farmers are doing a stellar job, but we want to ensure all farmers are doing their best for animals and the

PHOTO: SUPPLIED

environment.”

If anyone sees something related to winter grazing that doesn’t look right, they can call the wintering hotline on 0800 FARMING. The hotline is supported by Federated Farmers, Beef + Lamb and DairyNZ and calls are confidential.

Farmers looking for more

information on winter grazing can visit: • Beef + Lamb: www.beeflambnz.com/ wintergrazing • DairyNZ: www.dairynz.co.nz/wintering • MPI: MPI 2021/2022 Intensive Winter Grazing Module

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19

SOIL MANAGEMENT AND FERTILISERS FEATURE

Dropping nitrogen isn’t gibb-erish C

an gibberellic acid be used to reduce nitrogen fertiliser, without negatively affecting pasture supply? DairyNZ farm systems specialist Kieran McCahon explores the options.

With new restrictions on synthetic nitrogen (N) fertiliser taking effect this season, many farmers are searching for opportunities to reduce N fertiliser without compromising their profitability.

One potential option is gibberellic acid.

Gibberellic acid is a naturally occurring hormone involved in regulating plant growth. When applied to pasture, it mobilises stored energy reserves, stimulating growth.

Dry matter (DM) responses are affected by the natural levels of gibberellic acid in the plant, which are strongly influenced by season.

Gibberellic acid is typically applied in late winter/early spring, to pull feed forward ahead of balance date, or in midto late autumn, to increase feed supply and extend lactation.

When soil moisture and nutrient levels are not limiting, initial drymatter responses typically range from 200kg to 500kg DM/ha at about four weeks after application.

There is a limit to the amount of nitrogen fertiliser you can replace without causing a reduction in pasture growth.

PHOTO: SUPPLIED

Potential lag effect However, there’s some evidence to suggest that gibberellic acid can cause a reduction in pasture growth rate in subsequent grazing rotations. The reasons behind this aren’t fully understood, but reduced tillering and/or root growth are possible causes.

The evidence is conflicting

on whether this lag effect can be influenced by N fertiliser or grazing management. Be aware of the potential for this reduced growth in future rounds, and factor it into your feed planning and management.

Despite any lag effect, net drymatter responses to gibberellic acid are generally positive. This means,

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depending on your current N use, you may be able to achieve Ashburton the same growth rate by applying less N fertiliser when using gibberellic acid.

Strategies for applying gibberellic acid To minimise any potential lag effect, gibberellic acid should not be applied to N-deficient pastures. Gibberellic acid is a

Range of spreaders available for all types of farming operations

growth promotant, and not a substitute for optimal soil nutrition. Hence, there’s a limit to the amount of N fertiliser you can replace without causing a reduction in pasture growth.

A plausible strategy may involve applying half the rate of N normally applied, in combination with gibberellic acid, for one round pre-balance date, then again for one round in late autumn. Although the opportunities to reduce N use through this approach are relatively small, it may be enough for those currently applying just above 190kg N/ ha, or who are operating just above their N-leaching limit.

If greater reductions are required, additional strategies, such as changes to grazing management, may be necessary.

Key points 1. Gibberellic acid can influence pasture growth.

2. It has the potential to replace some N fertiliser in early spring and late autumn.

3. It’s not a silver bullet though, because there’s a limit to how much N can be replaced.

To read more about gibberellic acid check out dairynz.co.nz/GA

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20

Farming

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Potential exists for cereal breeders to utilise the diversity in genetics and potentially breed towards lower gluten epitope wheats for bread making.

Foundation for Arable Research chief executive Alison Stewart.

PHOTOS: SUPPLIED

Adding value to arable crops

By Heather Chalmers

A

rable farmers need to be prepared to invest in new value-add ventures, rather than just supplying the raw ingredient, Foundation for Arable Research chief executive Alison Stewart says.

“We have some arable entrepreneurs, but these are all small scale and domestic.

To become a more profitable industry we need to know how to scale up and how to open export opportunities.

“Growers also have to be prepared to invest in getting a venture off the ground rather than just supplying the raw product,” Stewart told FAR’s conference at Lincoln University.

Value add would not be one big thing, but a multitude of small initiatives, she said.

A FAR future foods project trialled 22 crops between 2015 and 2018 including specialty grains, faba beans, sunflowers, naked pumpkin seed, peas and hemp.

This showed that New Zealand could grow almost any

temperate climate crop, as long as it had the right cultivars and agronomic techniques to produce reasonable yields. The big issue was identifying and developing a market.

For any crop to be economically viable the price had to be at the higher end for any product, Stewart said. “New Zealand will never be able to produce commodity crops and make lots of money out of it.”

Developers of new plantbased products seemed to believe that growers would switch to a specialist crop yielding 3 tonnes a hectare, when they could produce 10t/ ha growing established crops such as feed barley or wheat.

New ventures also assumed that growers would accept a minimum price for their crops.

“The arable sector needs to say that we will not take any new opportunities that keep us in the commodity space,” Stewart said.

As well as new crop opportunities, there was a need to extract secondary revenue from existing crops such as straw.

An objective by the Arable Food Industry Council to source more milling wheat used for breadmaking from domestic growers and reduce reliance on imported wheat had struggled to gain traction with some sectors of the industry, Stewart said.

At present 60 per cent of New Zealand bread is made from Australian grain, with cost, quality and consistent supply cited as reasons.

A consumer survey carried out for FAR by Lincoln University showed that about 30 to 40 per cent of New Zealand consumers were prepared to pay a 20 to 40 cent premium on a $2 to $3 loaf of bread made from New Zealandgrown grain.

An independent report by Plant and Food Research comparing New Zealand and Australian-grown grain showed that the flour produced from New Zealand grain was as good quality if not better for certain products. New Zealand’s carbon footprint was also as good, if not better than Australia’s.

Consumers needed to be educated about where their

grain comes from, and New Zealand-grown grain promoted, Stewart said.

“Most people think it is from New Zealand; they don’t realise it is from Australia.”

New crops with a value-add component included oilseed crops sunflower and hemp, durum wheat for pasta making, hemp and oats for plant-based milk and plant protein crops peas, soya bean, faba beans and lucerne.

FAR had worked with several companies and agencies to develop commercialisation pathways for crops including sunflower and oats and it was currently exploring durum wheat, hemp and soy bean.

The initiatives were starting at a regional level with shorter supply chains “giving greater line of sight between the raw and final product”.

“Some of these initiatives will succeed and some will fail, but that is the reality of new product development,” Stewart said.

An issue with the arable sector was a lack of data on farm profitability compared

with other agricultural sectors.

“We don’t capture that data and we have chosen as an industry over the years not to share that information with each other.” This was in contrast to DairyNZ, Beef + Lamb NZ and the horticultural sector.

FAR had signed up to a Ministry for Primary Industries’ programme capturing farm financial data. “We believe we need to understand this from an industry perspective to be able to make good decisions regarding what research and development to invest in, what opportunities to look at and how to portray the industry to the government and the consumer,” Stewart said.

Plant-based proteins More consumers are choosing to eat more plant-based foods and proactively reduce their meat and dairy consumption for health and environmental reasons, Sonja Vreugdenhil,of Canterbury-based Leaft Foods told the FAR conference.

Leaft Foods has already successfully made an egg-free pavlova, replacing egg white

www.guardianonline.co.nz with Leaft protein made from Canterbury-grown lucerne.

Leaft Foods is a start-up investigating how plant-based protein, extracted from leafy crops, can be made into highvalue ingredients for use in a broad range of food and beverage products. A coproduct from this process is a protein optimised animal feed for ruminant nutrition which has the potential to lower nitrogen losses and emissions on-farm.

It is now expanding on successful laboratory and field trials and building a world-class team of experts and industry collaborators to achieve commercialisation.

Durum wheat High-end fresh pasta manufacturers currently use imported durum flour or semolina, most of it from Australia and a smaller amount from Italy.

Previously, a durum industry was based around Mid and South Canterbury, supplying the Diamond factory in Timaru, but this moved to Australia.

A new project is focused on durum wheat grown in Wairarapa with consumer research and product testing with chefs, bakers and pasta manufacturers, FAR general manager business operations Ivan Lawrie said.

“To date, samples of milled flour have been sent to bakers and pasta makers throughout

21

the country and qualitywise it is looking very good.

Alongside this, many smaller food businesses can see value in using local ingredients rather than importing from Australia or Italy.”

A 2020 Nielsen survey found that pasta consumption in New Zealand was on the rise, growing about 16 per cent per annum over the last three years.

Dry pasta grew by 16.8 per cent for the year 2019-20 and fresh by 14.8 per cent. Some premium brands are growing by more than 20 per cent per annum.

“What sells is the story and the origin. We need to make sure we are turning it into an artisan product and we are not competing against a $1 packet of dried pasta,” Lawrie said.

While this project was focused on durum wheat in Wairarapa, there was potential for it to become a pilot plan for other specialty grains in different regions in New Zealand.

Low gluten milling wheat Gluten proteins in wheat flour allow it to produce a strong, elastic, springy dough in bread and other baked products.

Although the perception of wheat-based products has been somewhat tainted with lower quality, high additive breads, wheat continues to provide a significant proportion of many vital nutrients to the average human diet, including proteins, vitamins and dietary fibre, Plant

Leaft Foods has already successfully made an egg-free pavlova, replacing egg white with Leaft protein made from Canterbury-grown lucerne.

PHOTO: SUPPLIED

and Food Research associate cereal breeder Jamie Macalister said.

“The value of gluten in wheatbased products is difficult to overstate, however, there is also a growing awareness around the downsides of gluten.”

Coeliac disease is an autoimmune disease where affected individuals develop a permanent intolerance to dietary gluten. The disease affects around 2 per cent of the general population, making it the most common food sensitive intestinal disease in humans.

The symptoms of coeliac disease are triggered by gluten

epitopes. These epitopes are relatively small and specific parts of the overall gluten protein. Previous work has shown that the total concentration of gluten epitopes in wheat can differ significantly from cultivar to cultivar, Macalister said.

“This means that there is an opportunity for breeders to utilise this diversity in genetics and potentially breed towards lower gluten epitope wheats.

“The long-term benefits of this could be significant to both industry, in the form of higher value/niche products, as well as to consumers, in

the form of reduced incidence of coeliac disease or even reduced symptoms of gluten intolerance,” Macalister said.

Straw residue Additional uses are being investigated for straw residue including straw briquettes and pellets for use as a future biofuel option, substituting for coal in industrial process heat. Composites made from straw have already been tested overseas as a substitute or filler for plastics and bioplastics. Deconstruction of straw’s lignin, cellulose and hemicellulose could also be used to produce biochemicals.

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Arable industry’s big opportunity Heather Chalmers

RURAL REPORTER

A

rable farmers may be the next to benefit from China’s hunger for protein, as the market giant switches its focus from traditional meat and dairy to plant-based alternatives.

Food entrepreneur Jade Gray, of Plant Tech Nation, said that China consumed 28 per cent of global meat by volume in 2019, but that several catalysts including Covid-19 were leading consumers to rethink their diets.

However, New Zealand could not just sit back and expect this market to fall in its lap.

“We are in the early stages of the alternative proteins’ industry.

There is a risk that New Zealand plays it safe and leaves it to others.

“As a protein exporting nation, New Zealand’s competition is no longer Uruguay, Ireland and the United States. The competition is now from Silicon Valley, the Netherlands, Israel and the likes of myself. The future is moving towards food tech,” Gray told the Foundation for Arable Research conference at Lincoln University.

Gray spent more than 20 years in the meat and food sector in China before selling his business and moving back to New Zealand just before Covid-19 hit.

Initially running a cattle feedlot in China, he later set up the Gung Ho pizza restaurant chain.

In New Zealand he is developing a plant-based analogue meat made from faba beans and protein concentrate.

“So we are trying to replicate meat as well as we can, not just in terms of taste and texture, but also in nutritional parity.”

Food entrepreneur Jade Gray, of Plant Tech Nation is developing a plant-based analogue meat made from faba beans and protein concentrate.

PHOTO: HEATHER CHALMERS

After utilising the expertise of Massey University’s food product programme, he is now in production trials with a planned market release in October.

A meat-like texture was the “hardest piece of the puzzle to solve”, with Gray replicating this using a process called extrusion which used pressure and heat.

At present he was importing raw ingredients from Canada but would prefer to use New Zealand crops. As the imported ingredients weren’t optimised for the extrusion process, the ideal would be to have purposebred raw ingredient that would result in a more streamlined production process with minimal inputs, Gray said.

“I am aware that New Zealand’s meat and dairy industries are part of its identity.

Plant-based protein is not for everyone, but for younger generations that want to take a

“

For the arable industry I believe there is a huge, once in a lifetime opportunity to move up the food chain.

stance against climate change and believe a rich red meat diet is not for them, it is a great solution.

“I am not wanting to remove animals from the food chain, but to offer other protein solutions and other forms of revenue for farmers. I believe plant protein is a great way to do this,” Gray said.

“For the arable industry I believe there is a huge, once in a lifetime opportunity to move up the food chain.”

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He believed that Asian alternative protein companies would overtake US and European brands in the coming decade, because of food insecurity, social, environmental and economic challenges as well as a hungry, growing population looking for tastier, healthier and more planetfriendly choices.

Several catalysts drove his prediction including a Chinese government edict in 2016 to reduce red meat consumption by 50 per cent by 2030.

The Chinese consumer was also changing fast with young consumers steering the online conversation around diet.

The African Swine Fever outbreak decimated China’s most consumed animal protein with about 50 per cent of its 350 million pigs dying or being killed. This forced people to look for other forms

of protein. The US-China trade war also highlighted food security risks.

The Chinese took notice when Beyond Meat, the maker of the Impossible Burger, recorded the biggest one-day gain on Wall Street in 20 years. Alternative meats are now a central part of marketing at fast food chains.

Covid-19 was also a tipping point for alternative proteins, as consumers reconsidered their diets after the coronavirus was reputed to have originated in the wet market at Wuhan, Hubei province in China.

Predictions were that conventional meat would drop from 90 per cent of the global market in 2025 to 40 per cent in 2040. Novel vegan meat replacements would grow from 10 per cent in 2025 to 25 per cent in 2040 and cultured meat from nothing to 35 per cent by 2040, Gray said.

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Dairy Holdings not swayed by $8 payout Heather Chalmers

RURAL REPORTER

D

on’t expect South Island large-scale corporate dairy farmer Dairy Holdings Ltd to be changing its spending habits despite the prospect of a $8 a kilogram payout this season.

Whatever the payout, DHL likes to keep its costs down, relying on a simple and repeatable pasture-based system.

Producing 17 million kilograms of milk solids, Ashburton-based DHL is Fonterra’s biggest supplier. Its extensive South Island operations comprise 60 dairy farms, wintering 55,000 dairy cows.

DHL chief operating officer Blair Robinson said the main challenge of the 20,000-hectare business was its scale. “So, we will do things a bit differently than other farming businesses as it works for us and we are able to repeat it year in and year out.

“We try not to get distracted around what is happening in the industry,” Robinson told a South Island Dairy Event workshop on low-cost farming.

“Whether the dairy payout price is up or down doesn’t really matter to us. We are comfortable around our farm system and we roll this over year to year. The milk price doesn’t influence what we do at all.”

In a former role in rural banking, including debt recovery, Robinson said he saw first-hand how difficult it was for farmers to change their systems, even when they may be under financial stress. “I had 40 farms in that space and only one farmer out of 40 was willing to change, even at that point.”

Robinson, who grew up on a 400-cow dairy farm in Taranaki, leads a team of 10 farm supervisors who oversee a system based on high pasture utilisation and low cost of production.

DHL, along with the wider dairy industry, was experiencing big inflation in its costs, particularly for labour, in part because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Labour and feed are the biggest expenses on New Zealand farms. “While we can’t limit labour, from our point of view feed is an area we can control and limit costs.”

During the milking season, supplementary feed is only imported to fill a feed wedge deficit, rather than to increase production.

DHL is largely self-contained around winter and heifer grazing with 20 support blocks, a combination of leased and owned.

It runs a mix of managed, contract milked and sharemilker-operated farms.

This provides flexibility for its people as they grew within the business, Robinson said. “We have a real focus on attracting and retaining good people to work in the business.”

DHL has farms in four distinct areas of the South Island; Springs Junction/ Maruia, North Otago and West Otago/Southland, with the biggest proportion in Canterbury.

“We made a choice to operate in four distinct locations. We also made a decision to purchase farms relative to irrigation costs.” Average irrigation costs on its farms are $320 a hectare, compared with $800 to $1000/ ha for farms supplied by the new irrigation schemes such as Central Plains Water.

“So there has been a conscious decision to make sure we can have long-term irrigation costs at the lower end. We are also

Dairy Holdings is most interested in technology that can influence labour and time saving, such as when milking cows.

PHOTO: SUPPLIED

at the lower end in terms of imported feed.”

While its scale means it contracts one million kilograms of drymatter a year, this equates to only 20kg of imported silage a cow a year.

“So we don’t expose ourselves to feed import costs and a lot of decisions and complications on different farms over the scale of our business.”

Over its farms, theoretical pasture harvested was about 13 tonnes of drymatter/ha.

However, this varied between regions, with Canterbury irrigated farms harvesting 16 to 17t/DM/ha and some West Coast farms only half of this.

Pasture harvested had steadily increased by about 2t/ha in the last seven years which had a flow-on affect on production.

Farm working expenses, including contract milker payments, had remained relatively flat between $3.50 to $4 a kg of milksolids. “So the increase in pasture grown and harvested has enabled us to flatten our costs over the last 10 years.”

In terms of limiting its exposure to cost inflation, DHL farms ran a high relative stocking rate to harvest as much pasture as possible. Imported feed was only used to “feed the wedge” and the business was self-contained for grazing.

No crop was grown on its Canterbury or Waitaki dairy platforms to avoid complicating the system. While DHL uses 2500 hectares for cropping, this was done on dedicated blocks which were easier to monitor.

Reproduction was kept simple, with 10 weeks mating with no intervention.

“Most farm systems are struggling around reproduction and end up spending a lot of money in that space.”

DHL used tail paint, with the best farm last season recording an 85 per cent six-week in-calf rate. “It is not unusual to gain a 10 to 12 per cent lift in sixweek in-calf rate with better management.”

DHL was sticking with solely being a dairy operation and had no plans to become involved

with beef rearing.

In terms of technology, it was a “close follower rather than an early adopter”. It was most interested in understanding technology that could influence labour and time saving.

This included maximum milking time (MaxT), which was being rolled out across the business. The MaxT strategy is where cows are milked to a predetermined time based on their milk volume, resulting in less time in the dairy for staff and cows, without affecting milk production or udder health.

However, in terms of variable rate irrigation, DHL was waiting and “letting other people work through the gremlins”.

DHL used co-operatives where possible including Ravensdown, LIC and Farm Source and built long-term relationships with suppliers.

Budgets were built from the farm up, so managers took ownership of sticking to them throughout the season. All farms had five-year development plans.

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25

Retiree Murray Gardiner makes his point at the Ashburton Groundswell farmers’ protest.

PHOTOS: ASHBURTON GUARDIAN

Farmer protest too big to be ignored Craig Hickman

I

ELBOW DEEP @dairymanNZ

’ve never made a secret of the fact I’m no fan of farmer protests; there had never been a successful one in my living memory and there has been a tendency recently for them to backfire and paint farmers in a bad light, usually as ignorant racist misogynists.

People fondly recall Shane Ardern driving his tractor up the steps of Parliament in 2003 to defeat the proposed “Fart Tax”.

They point to this as an example of a resounding success.

I don’t know how you measure success, and sure the Government of the day appeared to back down, but there’s the small issue that the protest didn’t actually work.

While farmers weren’t asked to pay for emissions research via taxation, our industry bodies agreed to pay for it via levies instead, with the Government reserving the right to reconsider the tax should payments ever stop.

Not only is it difficult to measure whether a protest has been successful, they can be harmful too.

Just look at the disastrous protest in Morrinsville leading up to the 2017 election.

Farmers were there to protest a proposed levy on water usage, instead they succeeded in driving a wedge deep into the urban/rural divide and lifting Labour’s urban vote.

NZ First got an easy win when they used the policy as a bargaining chip in coalition negotiations, and Labour were more than happy to drop the proposal because they knew charging for water was buying a war over water ownership that they weren’t prepared to fight.

Farmers were the losers from that fiasco, painted as greedy

buggers who wanted to make a profit from resources taken for free, and forever remembered as misogynistic dinosaurs who thought the then Leader of the Opposition was a “pretty little socialist”.

Let’s not forget 2019’s Fifty Shades of Green rural protest either. A march on Parliament where the spotlight was stolen by people wearing Make Ardern Go Away hats and carrying signs so vulgar they were blurred out for the 6pm news bulletins.

New Zealand farmer protests have a proud history of shooting themselves squarely in the gumboot, and I watched the build up to July 16th’s Howl of Protest with a sick certainty we were in for a repeat performance.

The lead up wasn’t promising.

Every article I read painted the protest as being about the so-called ute tax, a ridiculous hill to die on if ever I saw one.

Every fringe group under the sun seemed to be attaching themselves to the movement; Advance New Zealand,

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Industry bodies quietly distanced themselves from the event and made it clear to their staff they were not to be seen endorsing it on social media.

Despite the best efforts of the organisers, Groundswell, who had handed out rule sheets for participants, early images on Twitter were not promising; protest signs ranged from plain dumb (Cindy = Stalin) to outright racist. This looked like it would be another event that would cancel itself and not give the Government a moment’s pause.

Then it gathered steam.

Groundswell had been ambitious and coordinated a nationwide protest in over 50 centres around the country, and the sheer volume of frustrated and disillusioned farmers drowned out the minority of fringe idiots, turning them into an irrelevant sideshow.

Why are farmers frustrated and disillusioned? Groundswell

put out an information sheet with seven key points of contention, but I think if you had asked 10 different farmers why they were there you would have got 10 different responses.

The common theme was that the pace and change of Government reform has been overwhelming and is taking its toll. A relentless tidal wave of change that often seems to occur with little consultation and without any clue as to how they will be practically implemented, and no comprehension of the flow on effects they will have.

It was a collective outpouring of anger at being constantly painted as convenient villains for political gain.

I don’t know if the Government will take any notice, maybe they should if they want to return to power unencumbered by a coalition partner, but despite the fact it probably won’t spur any changes I think I might have witnessed my very first successful farmer protest.

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JakMat a dairying game changer JakMat a dairying game changer W W

ith over 30 years’ experience ith over 30 years’ producing injection experience moulded plastic products producing injection around the world, Jakaar moulded plastic products – Re:Inventing Plastics, around the world, Jakaar and operated by the –owned Re:Inventing Plastics, Holt family, work hard owned and operated by to the stay ahead theirhard game Holt family,ofwork to and continue their and topstay aheadtoofprovide their game quality, innovative and trusted continue to provide their top- brands internationally. quality, innovative and trusted brands The Holt family, being involved in internationally. every of thebeing business, wantinto The aspect Holt family, involved make sure that every item they selltois every aspect of the business, want fit for purpose, so they maintain a fully make sure that every item they sell is certified ISO 9001 Quality System. fit for purpose, so they maintain a fully Customers whenSystem. they’re certified ISOknow 9001that Quality getting a product from Jakaar, they are Customers know that when they’re getting products designed to satisfy a getting a product from Jakaar, they are need andproducts manufactured to to thesatisfy highest getting designed a standard. need and manufactured to the highest Environmental processes are also standard. important to the family.

Investment Environmental processes are also in the latest European electric moulding important to the family.

Investment in equipment means a reduction in the latest European electric moulding electricity, water oil and they equipment meansand a reduction in have an in-housewater recycling scheme too.have electricity, and oil and they Jakaar developed thetoo.

JakMat anWhen in-house recycling scheme Dairy, a ground stabilisation When Jakaar developed thematting JakMat for high-pressure animal traffic Dairy, a ground stabilisation matting areas, they realised they were for high-pressure animal trafficon to a winnerthey andrealised that it was far superior areas, theyawere on to a winner and that it was a far superior

alternative to traditional alternative concrete pavers to traditional and imported concrete pavers products. and imported Originally products. designed with the Originally Department designed withoftheConservation in mind the Jakmat isofmade from 100% Department Conservation in recycled mind material. the Jakmat is made from 100% recycled It’s easy to install and maintain and material. can Laid in-between milkingand with It’sbeeasy toin install and maintain fewbe disruptions.

It createsmilking a long-with can Laid in in-between lasting and stable race surface, which in few disruptions.

It creates a longturn reduces mudrace andsurface, excrement being lasting and stable which in tracked into milking sheds. turn reduces mud and excrement being The flow-on (no pun intended) effects tracked into milking sheds. are quick extra-ordinary with farmers The flow-on (no pun intended) effects reporting these long-term benefits: are quick extra-ordinary with farmers • Enhanced - no potholes reporting thesedrainage long-term benefits: and less carry-over • Enhanced drainage -to noshed potholes • and Reduced risk of lameness less carry-over to shed Improved cow •• Reduced risk of flow lameness Lower maintenance •• Improved cow flow cost and effort • Lower maintenance cost and effort

• •

Ultimate strength and material retention due Ultimate to the unique honeycomb structure strength and material retention due And this isn’t enough tostructure peak your to theif unique honeycomb interest in JakMatDairy, And if this isn’t enough check to peakout your http://www.jakmat.co.nz/Products/ interest in JakMatDairy, check out JakMat_Dairy http://www.jakmat.co.nz/Products/ There are loads of testimonials from JakMat_Dairy farmers who are of sold on the product.

There are loads testimonials from One of those was on Fairlie dairy farmers who are sold the product. farmer, One of Ryan thoseO’Sullivan, was Fairliewho dairysaid: farmer, Ryan O’Sullivan, who said:

“There is no natural substance that would maintain the integrity “There is no natural substance like JakMatDiary, especially at that would maintain the integrity the entry point”. like JakMatDiary, especially at theRyan entryO’Sullivan point”. has around 12000 cows operating, his cow flow Ryan O’Sullivan has around in and out of the milking was 12000 cows operating, his shed cow flow being continually interrupted.

His in and out of the milking shed was main problem area was the transition from being continually interrupted.

His main concrete to race, where potholes problem area was the transition from were to building in wetpotholes weather concrete race, where making the cows reluctant were building in wet weather to step race. This making theonto cowsthe reluctant resulted in a decrease in milking to step onto the race. This efficiency. resulted in a decrease in milking This is where JakMat came to the efficiency. rescue, honeycomb cell design This isthe where JakMat came to the provided race with cell stability rescue, thethe honeycomb designand drainage.the Ryan product down provided racelaid withthe stability and together with his staff, covering 150m2 drainage. Ryan laid the product down in the transition zonecovering from concrete together with his staff, 150m2to inrace. the transition zone from concrete to race.Today, the entry and exit area of the milking shed and is a exit maintenance-free Today, the entry area of Ryanshed hasn’t to touch this thearea. milking is ahad maintenance-free areaRyan for 11 yearshad andtoistouch saving more area. hasn’t this than perand yearison not having area for$2000 11 years saving more to maintain than $2000 the per area year anymore. on not having to This has also decreased maintain the area anymore. the stress levels of also bothdecreased staff and the animals, This has stressand improved cow flow, and lead toand a higher levels of both staff and animals, milking cow efficiency.

38,016,000 improved flow, and lead to a hooves higher later, and it’s still38,016,000 going strong. milking efficiency. hooves later, and it’s still going strong.

Kick muck muck & & lameness lameness Kick

to the the curb curb to

Eliminate Pot Holes and Reduce Lameness Eliminate Pot Holes and Reduce Lameness Increase Cow flow Increase Cow flow Lower ongoing maintenance costs Lower ongoing maintenance costs

Jakaar Industries Ltd Jakaar Industries Ltd 66 Cryers Rd, Highbrook, Manukau 66 Cryers Rd, Highbrook, Manukau Auckland Auckland Tel +64 9 273 5511 Tel +64 9 273 5511

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27

Fonterra revises capital proposals W

ith the first phase of Fonterra’s capital structure consultation now complete, the dairy co-operative is drawing up a revised proposal that aims to reflect farmers’ views.

A number of changes are being considered to the preferred option initially put forward in the consultant booklet in May – including adjusting the proposed minimum shareholding requirement for farmers and enabling sharemilkers and contract milkers to own shares.

Fonterra chairman Peter McBride said it was a good time for the board to step back and reflect on the feedback as most farmers will now be busy with calving. “Once they’ve come through this particularly busy time of the season, we’ll be ready to consult on the updated proposal.

“We would like to thank our farmer owners for getting involved and approaching the consultation with open minds,” McBride said.

“We also want to acknowledge the uncertainty that comes along with us considering changes to our capital structure and the significant challenges that it’s creating for some farmers. The best way to give certainty is to ensure we have a full discussion as a co-op and get to a quality outcome.

“The board maintains its belief that, in a flat or potentially declining milk environment, making changes early will put us in the best position to provide farmers with more flexibility while protecting farmer ownership and strengthening our co-op’s financial sustainability.”

Many farmers said that additional information on the co-op’s business strategy and future performance would help them form a clearer view on capital structure.

“In August and September, we will provide further information on our long-term strategy including the types of activities we will invest in, the returns we are targeting, and the measures against which we will track our progress.”

McBride said farmers’ views have been varied and heartfelt, but with some clear themes coming through.

“We will seek to cater for the diversity within our ownership base, but it is impossible to incorporate every piece of feedback. As a co-op, we need to be pragmatic and open to

Fonterra chairman Peter McBride aims to hold a farmer vote at its annual meeting in December.

compromise in order to find a way forward together that is in our best long-term interests.”

Proposed changes The board is considering a number of changes as it thinks about what a final proposal could look like. These include: • Setting the minimum shareholding requirement at 33 per cent of milk supply (or one share per 3kg of milksolids), rather than 25 per cent (or one share per 4kg/MS) as originally set out in the preferred option.

• Enabling sharemilkers and contract milkers to hold shares if the co-op moved permanently to a farmeronly market.

• Extending the entry timeframe from five to six years.

• Extending exit timeframes for all farmer owners on the date of the vote to up to 10 or 15 years, including those who have already ceased in the past few seasons but who still hold shares.

• Reviewing the market maker role and looking further at how potential share buy-back options might support liquidity in a farmer-only market.

• Maintaining the share maximum at four times milk supply to also help support liquidity.

“We have also reconsidered voting rights in light of some feedback and at this stage our preference is for voting to continue to follow share-backed supply as it currently does,” McBride said.

Fonterra is committed to moving as quickly as it can through the capital structure review while also taking the

Sharemilkers and contract milkers may be able to hold shares if Fonterra moves permanently to a farmer-only market.

PHOTOS: SUPPLIED

time needed to consider all views.

Over the next couple of months, the co-op plans to do surveys and hold focus groups to ask farmers specific questions and test different aspects of the potential changes.

“This will help us as we continue to

develop a more detailed proposal to present to farmers around the time of our annual results in late September for further consultation. At this stage, we are still aiming for a farmer vote at our annual meeting, which will be held in December,” McBride said.

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Dairy Focus

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Take your first step towards precision agriculture N

ew technology and compliance regulations seem to be popping up faster than ever, and keeping up with it all can be difficult. It is in the best interest of New Zealand farmers to have jobs completed in a sustainable, safe, efficient and environmentally kind manner. Hurdles, hot tapes, and hefty invoices can make keeping up with it hard though.

Like everything in life and business, thorough planning and decision making is the key to exceptional performance and precision agriculture only takes this philosophy further.

Precision agriculture can guide farmers on taking that first step to not only keep up, but actually exceed requirements. A new promotion called the ‘Trimble GFX-350 Starter Pack’ from Vantage NZ has been created to aid farmers with taking that first step forward. The starter pack has been crafted by experts to simplify applications and activities carried out

on the farm. Installed in any make of tractor, the Trimble GFX-350 android based display provides access to auto steering and application control.

Now more than ever before, accurate and easy to use proof-of-placement technology solutions are required.

The Trimble GFX-350 starter pack is the best entry point on the market.

The display is a lightweight, high definition colour touch screen, with rugged construction for everyday use in the field. Set up vehicles, paddocks, implements, and machinery just once… then use them forever through just a few clicks. This package not only provides streamlined task management and record keeping, but was designed to allow for upgrades down the track as well.

Don’t feel overwhelmed and daunted by the idea of efficient and sustainable farming. Let Vantage NZ show you just how exciting, revolutionary, and cost effective precision farming can be.

Is $8 payout already at risk?

B

ank economists are already starting to talk down the prospect of an $8 dairy payout this season following another fall in dairy auction prices and continuing global uncertainty amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

ASB Bank has dropped its farmgate milk price forecast to $7.90, down from $8.20 a kilogram of milksolids, following the latest Global Dairy Trade auction price fall.

ASB economist Nat Keall said that over the course of just two auctions, the forward contract curve had shifted from being broadly flat (meaning prices are similar across future delivery dates), to showing a marked downward slope. “It’s a clear sign that prices are now losing momentum as we get deeper into the season and may reflect the fact that stockpiles are now much better covered after the frenzy earlier in the year.

“We knew dairy prices wouldn’t sustain these heights forever, but prices are falling a bit faster than we’d anticipated.”

This was now the fourth consecutive auction where whole milk powder prices have fallen between 1.5 to 3.5 per cent.

“The fact that prices have continued to fall even as Fonterra has reduced

the amount of product on offer clearly shows that the demand and supply balance is shifting in the direction of buyers rather than sellers.

“The key question is where prices will find their floor, and on that front we are still positive. The surge in delta variant cases overseas has added a bit of uncertainty into the economic outlook, but we still expect the uptick in global demand and ongoing supply chain issues will keep commodity prices supported across the board,” Keall said.

For farmers, the faster-thananticipated fall in auction prices will be partially offset by a couple of other trends – namely the favourable moves in forward exchange rates over recent months (a positive for Fonterra’s hedging) and reports of stronger prices off the auction platform.

“All-up, we have lowered our farmgate milk price forecast for the 2021-22 season to a still-lofty $7.90 – but highlight the high margin of error given the menagerie of moving parts,” Keall said.

Westpac senior agri-economist Nathan Penny said it was sticking with its 2021-22 season milk price forecast of $8/kg, but on balance the risks to the milk price outlook had clearly shifted to the downside.

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29

Dairy trainee competition evolves T

he New Zealand dairy industry is constantly evolving and with this in mind, changes to the New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards programme have been made for dairy trainees.

The age range for the dairy trainee category is now 18 years to 30 years with a maximum of three years’ experience from the age of 18, and the online entry form has been simplified.

Additional conditions for visa entrants have been removed with no minimum length of time in New Zealand required.

The modifications to the dairy trainee age range recognises that traditional pathways into the dairy industry have altered.

“According to PrimaryITO, the average age of a dairy trainee in now 32 years and we are seeing many career changers joining the ranks,” NZDIA general manager Robin Congdon said.

“These changes acknowledge the awards programme as a learning platform which recognises trainees’ achievements, drives personal development, allows them to grow industry networks, and use the programme to develop skills along the way.”

NZDIA executive dairy

This year’s national dairy trainee finalists after their final day of judging, before heading off on the study tour.

trainee member Raewyn Hills said there was a strong desire to enhance the judging to be more educational, fun and engaging.

“We have revamped the process and the preliminary round will have a skills day with a practical focus which will appeal to all.

“We will also give on-the-spot feedback and training on how to complete the practical tasks on the day meaning entrants

will come away having learnt something rather than just be judged.”

The new format will also allow more trainees to go through the programme in less time, which means less pressure on volunteer regional teams and judges.

The preliminary round of practical judging will produce six dairy trainee finalists from each region, who will progress to a face-to-face interview

round, which will also include a large verbal practical element to assess general farming knowledge.

“This is invaluable experience for the trainees and develops their communication and interview skills,” Hills said.

Regional winners will continue to the national programme which includes a study tour, practical testing, and the national awards dinner.

PHOTO: SUPPLIED

“There is a real buzz about the changes. We feel they will reinvigorate an already fun experience and our regional teams and judges are excited to get the 2022 programme underway,” Hills said.

Registrations of Interest for the 2022 New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards can be made via www.dairyindustryawards. co.nz with entries opening on October 1.

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31

Market to test appeal of barn-based dairy farms Calvin Leen

PGG Wrightson Real Estate

I

nvestor appetite for the dairy sector has rebounded since the beginning of 2021.

Values for dairy farm transactions have returned to levels not seen since 2013. With this season’s forecast payout at a healthy level, and projections for the next few years firmly signalling it will remain that way, dairy again presents a sound proposition for reliable medium to long-term returns.

As the rural property market is less seasonal than it used to be, rather than holding off on listing until the spring, we have owners of several dairy farms offering them for sale before the end of August. These will likely be eagerly received by prospective purchasers. Included in their number is a small selection of farms that include a barn as a critical feature of their

Cow barns require high upfront capital costs, but have feed utilisation and environmental benefits.

PHOTO: SUPPLIED

management system.

Based on several trends, barns are likely to become more prevalent in our region in the coming years. Dairy farmers are motivated to switch to a barn-focused system for at least one of the following: pasture protection during winter, driving animal performance higher, or reducing their environmental footprint.

Putting your herd into a barn during winter or through the

rest of the season comes at a cost, requiring significant initial investment and greater inputs of supplements than more extensive pastoral systems.

However, the rewards will repay the investment, particularly when measured over the longer term.

Benefits include significant improvement in feed utilisation; enhanced herd comfort and more accurate herd monitoring leading to better animal welfare, therefore minimising

production downturns during adverse weather; and reducing farm maintenance costs associated with paddock renovation.

One of the farms that will come up for sale shortly uses these benefits to underpin a winter milking contract, providing a payout premium for winter milk supply of $3.90 over the base price.

In addition, for those with the long term in focus, the

environmental benefits of a barn provide great appeal. A barnbased system gives much greater control of nitrogen run-off, providing superior environmental compliance compared to more conventional systems.

Because of the cost involved initial payback on the investment in a farming system of this type takes a few years.

Farms in this category that are coming to the market, in Mid Canterbury and North Otago, were developed at least eight years ago, meaning increased production since has enabled our vendors to recoup what they spent up front.

Farming this way is likely to grow in the future. If so, purchasing these farms will give their new owners a head start.

Gauging their appeal over the coming months, in a positive market where those in the sector are more willing to embrace change, is a pointer on how soon that trend is likely to accelerate.

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

32

Dairy Focus

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CALVING FEATURE

New BVD test for newborn calves L

IC have developed a BVD test for newborn calves to provide farmers with an early indication on the health status of their valuable replacement stock.

Previously, farmers who were testing their calves for BVD through LIC were required to wait until calves were at least 35-days-old before being able to confirm the BVD status of the newborns.

BVD is a common, highly

infectious disease that reduces milk production and causes health and fertility problems.

Estimates put the annual losses for dairy farmers at around $127 million a year.

The disease is spread by carriers, also known as persistently infected (PI) animals, who are born with the virus in their body.

LIC general manager NZ markets Malcolm Ellis said eliminating the 35-day delay

before being able to test a calf for BVD will significantly improve a farmer’s ability to manage the disease as well as add a layer of convenience onfarm as a result of conducting the test at such a young age.

“PI animals can cause havoc on the health status of the wider herd. Knowing the BVD status of your calves as early as possible will significantly reduce the risk of them passing the virus on to the rest

of the herd.”

Ellis said an additional benefit of the new test was the ability to couple it with other tasks happening on-farm at the same time.

“For the sake of convenience and efficiency, tissue sampling calves for the BVD test can be combined with tagging or disbudding.”

The new BVD test for calves was successfully piloted last year with the product offered to

a limited number of customers.

Ellis said the co-op was committed to using its capabilities to develop new products and services that drive long term customer value on-farm.

“Value for our farmer shareholders is at the heart of what we do. Our diagnostics product suite supports farmers to produce the most sustainable and efficient animals.”

Calving – good biosecurity practices C

alving season is starting and can pose a biosecurity risk if not managed well.

Calf rearing Calf rearing can increase the risk of spread of infectious diseases including mycoplasma bovis. Calves can become infected through direct contact with infected cattle, or by consuming their milk. There are steps you can take to reduce the risk of spreading disease.

Feeding infected milk to calves is a high risk activity in the spread of M. bovis. To limit the risk, avoid trading colostrum and milk.

Transporting calves Working with your farm service providers and truckers can help to reduce the risk of spreading disease, not just M. bovis.

It’s good practice to: • Ask them to let you know when they plan to visit your farm and ensure they know what your on-farm biosecurity requirements are.

• Have them confirm their hygiene practices.

• Provide the farm’s cleaning and disinfection requirements and ensure they clean and disinfect footwear, protective clothing, and equipment before coming on the farm and again before leaving the farm.

Calf rearing can increase the risk of spread of infectious diseases including mycoplasma bovis.

PHOTO: SUPPLIED

Transporting animals under legal restrictions Trucking companies and slink and bobby calf transporters must follow certain guidelines

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when working with farms under restrictions.

Permits can be issued for vehicles to visit multiple movement-controlled farms in

the same trip. Vehicles must move from low-risk to high-risk properties, as directed by the transport permit.

Vehicles that have collected

animals from a Restricted Place or a place under a Notice of Direction can’t move onto farms with a lower risk until they have unloaded the animals and been cleaned and disinfected.

Under the permit, trucks must be cleaned and disinfected at the end of each movement.

If animals are being transported from infected farms or farms under controls, make sure all permit conditions are met.

Take a look at DairyNZ’s website for more general guidelines when transporting calves.

Accurate NAIT records Farmers play a critical role towards building lifetime animal traceability, starting with newborn animals on-farm.

Accurate NAIT records allow the M. bovis eradication programme to quickly track down animals which have left an infected herd and helps prevent infection spreading further in our farming communities.

Make sure all calves (except bobby calves), born on your farm are NAIT tagged and registered. If you are buying calves, make sure that they are NAIT tagged with accurate records and record their arrival onto your farm. Only use tags that were bought for your NAIT location.

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CALVING FEATURE

33

Rest important for people and cows Fred Hoekstra

VEEHOF DAIRY SERVICES

I

Research has shown that an average cow needs 12 hours of resting time per day.

won’t fully recover. That shows how important resting time is. It is crucial to the proper functioning of the body.

Research has shown that an average cow needs 12 hours of resting time per day, and that cows which get at least 14 hours of rest per day perform better. It is estimated that a cow produces 1-1.5 litres less milk for every hour of reduced resting time.

The long-term effects of a lack of resting time are a reduced immune system and laminitis.

Providing enough resting time

is a huge challenge on a pasturebased farming system. It is nearly impossible to do that right on our farms. The first cows are usually all right but the last ones certainly are not. It is also the last cows that are the problem cows.

This a big reason why cows function so much better in a once-a-day or a 16-hour milking system. They produce less milk that way, but they have a lot less problems as well.

So, if resting time is so important, we need to put a lot of effort in to getting it as

PHOTO: SUPPLIED

right as possible and that starts in the winter.

When we have cows on winter crops, they lay down for less time than when they are on pasture. Especially when we get as much rain as what we have had this winter. Basically, we are setting our cows up for a difficult year ahead. I expect the hoof trimmers in New Zealand will be to be very busy this season because of our winter.

I recently went to a farm in the North Island where the cows were in compost barns over the winter.

Made In Nelson, NZ

f you have attended a hoof trimming workshop with me or you have been to some of my talks regarding lameness you will have noticed that I speak a lot on the importance of providing the cow with her basic needs.

One of those basic needs is rest.

It is incredible how important rest is for a warm-blooded organism.

When I was younger, I got quite annoyed with that fact.

I wanted to get things done, but I couldn’t work through the night even though I tried a couple of times.

The body can’t function properly if it doesn’t get time to rest. I heard someone talk about that on the radio a little while ago. She was saying that if we starve ourselves of food for seven days, we will be quite weak and very hungry. However, we will fully recover from that.

When we starve ourselves of sleep for seven days, we will get close to dying and we

It was a comfortable place for them, and the cows enjoyed lots of laying down time, but this setup is creating a different challenge. The problem is that cows need to eat as well. This farm had a feed pad about 50 metres away from the barns.

They let the different mobs onto the feed pad at certain times of the day. This way the cows got everything they needed right?

Unfortunately, it is a bit more complicated than that.

In this system the cows are totally controlled in their behavior. They eat when they are being told to and they rest when they are being told to rest. Do you see a problem?

It is great to provide your cows with the shelter, but it needs to be done in such a way that a cow can eat and drink whenever she wants and lay down whenever she wants. This means that she should have access to go to the feed pad and the barn all the time.

This may mean that the infrastructure needs to be modified.

If you are planning to build a barn or you already have a barn and want to discuss the issues, I would be happy to talk with you regarding that. Just give us a call or send me an email: fhoekstra@dhi.ac.nz

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Dairy Focus

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New approach for a successful transition programme A

cow is exposed to many changes during the drying, run off and transition period, making it important to try and anticipate her needs in advance.

During this period many things happen including hormone secretion, metabolic changes and bone rebuilding.

We then add stress and low dry matter intake during the first days post calving.

We need to remember she moves many nutrients to produce milk solids during lactation and as a result of this she needs to rebuild her body and skeleton during the dry and transition period to start the next lactation without any metabolic disorders developing.

For each lactation, a cow can lose around 500 gm of calcium from her natural storage, namely her bones.

This process means that she is mining her skeleton to put calcium and phosphorus into milk. This situation can explain why higher producing older cows are more susceptible to milk fever. This means, like capital fertilizer, we have to put back what we take out.

Under New Zealand conditions, knowing the

With dairy cows we have to put back what we take out.

dynamics of the minerals in the different stage of the cow’s transition is the key to designing the proper transition programme.

Excess potassium affects magnesium absorption. You

also need to take into account mineral ratios, vitamin levels and understand the difference between farms in order to devise the most beneficial strategy on farm.

Based on that scientific

PHOTO: SUPPLIED

knowledge and understanding of the New Zealand conditions, Sollus’s approach is very different to conventional mineral company recommendations.

Sollus designs and formulates

products to be the best transition supplements for the New Zealand dairy cow.

Along with the calcium and magnesium that cows need, Sollus’s product Tranzsol incorporates antioxidants, magnesium and, most importantly, Rovimix™ Hy-D. This combination allows cows to safely transition, even when consuming pasture and limeflour.

This enables less calcium to be lost from her bones.

Rovimix™ Hy-D is a molecule designed by world leading animal nutrition company DSM to manage calcium absorption. Calcium is critical for function of the smooth muscles of the uterus, rumen teats, and sphincters.

If these muscle groups can’t function effectively we greatly increase the risk of metabolic disorders, and prevalence of mastitis and reproductive issues.

With Tranzsol, Sollus is helping increasing numbers of New Zealand farmers reduce metabolic issues, including milk fever, through functional nutrition based on proven science.

We no longer need to accept these diseases are a natural consequence of milking cows.

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35

New uses for strong wool explored A

world class research initiative to explore new uses for New Zealand’s strong wool has led to the development of unique wool particles, powders and pigments with global export potential for applications as diverse as cosmetics, printing, luxury goods and personal care.

The Wool Research Organisation of New Zealand (WRONZ) unveiled the innovative wool products at an event to celebrate the achievements from its new uses for strong wool programme, supported by research, industry and funding partners.

WRONZ has also launched a commercial development company Wool Source to develop the new products and assess market demand for the strong wool innovation. It has completed its pilot production facility at Lincoln University to manufacture its first deconstructed wool ingredients from 100 per cent biodegradable, renewable and sustainable New Zealand strong wool.

WRONZ chairman Andy Fox said it was working to add value to the post-harvest strong wool industry alongside its collaborators and stakeholders. “By funding fundamental and enabling science that creates new uses and products from our traditional wool clip, we aim to create better outcomes for farmers with increased demand and pricing at the farm gate and create sustainable value across the wool sector.”

The Ministry for Primary Industries is funding further product lines and commercial development as part of the wider new uses for strong wool programme. MPI is contributing $1.95 million via its Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures (SFF Futures) fund alongside $2.92m from WRONZ. The three-year programme aims to prove the commercial viability of the new deconstructed wool particle products. The goal is to develop more sustainable product ingredient alternatives for global manufacturers and consumers – while revitalising New Zealand’s strong wool sector, creating new value for the economy and communities. The Strong Wool Action Group (SWAG) is jointly funding Wool Source’s market engagement, alongside WRONZ. SWAG chief executive Andy

Exploring new uses for New Zealand’s strong wool. Wool Source pigments are currently in pre-commercialisation trials.

Caughey said it was providing support for Wool Source to undertake a deep dive project into particles, powders and pigments markets to assess the scale and viability of the commercial opportunity.

“New Zealand’s wool production, 90 per cent of which is strong wool, is at a low point with declining sheep numbers. With many farmers selling wool at a net cost this season, the industry is desperately seeking innovation to boost strong wool demand and prices,” Caughey said.

Wool Industry Research Limited (WIRL), a wholly-owned subsidiary company of WRONZ, is five years into its seven-year research contract for the new uses for strong wool research and development programme.

The Ministry for Business, Innovation and Employment invested $8.4m of the $21m seven-year project in partnership with WRONZ. The research programme has focussed on deconstructing wool to a cellular and particle level and then reconstructing it for various product uses.

Here to help I am available to you as a source of information, advocacy, connection and support. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you require assistance.

WIRL chairman Garth Carnaby said he was incredibly proud of the world-class research team assembled and its significant wool research capability.

“Key research partners Lincoln Agritech, AgResearch and Lincoln University have helped us deliver outstanding research breakthroughs. We’re excited to see this research progress to the commercial development and market engagement phase – with the potential to stimulate new market demand for the New Zealand wool industry,” Carnaby said.

Wool Source will operate the pilot production plant to run production trials, develop market samples, and engage with parties interested in new product development.

Wool Source chief executive Tom Hooper said it was reimagining the future of New Zealand wool.

“Our new pigment, particle and powder products – from all-natural, sustainable, strong wool particles – provide the base

ingredient for a new generation of highperformance materials, free from chemicals, metals, and toxins. We’re focusing on proving the commercial viability of our products and establishing demand, predominantly with international markets.

To do this, we need to demonstrate we can produce at scale, with a unit production cost and price point that enables margins that create long term value-added opportunities for the New Zealand wool sector.”

Wool Source is looking for local partners, especially in personal care, cosmetics, pigments, and printing.

“Wool fleece is the perfect sustainable, biodegradable, cruelty-free and traceable natural product – with intrinsic positive characteristics that enable use against the skin. From skincare to luxury fibres, the opportunities for new products are endless.

Ultimately, we’d like to see the future development of a large-scale manufacturing operation in New Zealand solely using New Zealand strong wool,” Hooper said.

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Farming

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EQUINE FEATURE

Before you buy a horse Buying a horse? Make sure to take on board these tips for what you need to know and what to look out for before you buy.

H

ave you made the decision to look for a new addition to your horse herd?

Or perhaps you are a first-timer with a life-long love of horses but no experience in horse care or purchasing a horse.

Whatever level of horse experience you bring to the table, it is important to have a checklist of what you need to know and to look for before you buy a horse. Here are some tips to help ensure that this critical decision ends in a longterm positive partnership.

Horse handling skills Making sure you have basic horse handling skills is one of the most important things next to understanding what the basic health care needs of a horse are. And this is simply due to the fact that your safety depends on it!

You could literally die by unknowingly putting yourself into a dangerous situation.

Your actions and reactions matter when it comes to dealing with a 450kg plus animal that can trample you, kick you in the head or throw you and/or drag you to your death. If you are new to horses, we cannot stress enough the importance of taking some basic horse handling clinics with a reputable equine professional.

Pick a programme which begins by teaching its students basic safety skills and horse communication and behavioural studies.

Basic horse care knowledge Understanding and being able to meet your horse’s basic dietary and health care needs are critical to your horse’s health.

Different horses will have different dietary needs depending on age, current health status and pre-existing health issues, environment, sex, and level of exercise. Once you’ve narrowed down your search, talk to your veterinarian about recommendations for your equine candidates based on their individual situation.

Things to ask about: • Dietary recommendations.

• Dental care.

• Vaccination recommendations.

• Sex-specific care (i.e. sheath cleaning for geldings, broodmare care, etc.).

• Special enclosures, fencing, shelter.

• Access to water.

• Hoof care.

• Pre-existing health concerns.

Evaluating horse’s physical attributes Understand how to critically evaluate a horse by looking for physical attributes that may indicate current or potential problems for the horse. By taking this extra step, you can rule some horses out as candidates before you go to the expense of having a lameness exam done.

There are also a lot of things that are currently problematic and will not show on a lameness exam as a problem, but may predispose a horse for a problem.

Making note of these and making sure to cover them with your veterinarian can save you a lot of heartache down the road.

Goals and expectations Have a clear picture in your mind of what you are looking for in a potential equine partner. What kinds of activities do you want to participate in? Do you have competitive or professional aspirations, or are you just looking for a horse to go on relaxing trail rides with?

Are you a novice or experienced rider?

If you are interested in doing competitive trail riding with your new horse, you don’t want to choose a 20-year-old schooling horse that has never been out of the arena and has physical limitations. Make sure that your performance expectations meet the horse’s physical and emotional ability to perform at that level.

The mental and emotional maturity or innate personality of the horse should also be taken into account. If you are the kind of person that likes to take it really easy, don’t have a lot of energy, then you will want to make sure to choose a horse that complements that.

A very high-energy, explosive type horse would probably not be a good choice for you even if it met the physical requirements of the job you have in mind. Some horses are ill-equipped to handle the emotional stresses of competition, while others may need more stimulating activities to keep them out of trouble.

Vetting and lameness exam When you’ve decided on a serious

Going into the process with your eyes wide open can help ensure you and your new horse ride off into many beautiful sunsets together.

PHOTOS: SUPPLIED

potential candidate always, without exception, have a lameness exam and thorough lookover done by a qualified veterinarian. Even though the horse may look at a glance to be fine, your vet can usually identify areas of concern that are not obvious to the untrained eye. Make sure to take the checklist created from the previous steps with you to cover with the veterinarian.

Also, make sure that the veterinarian is someone that you choose to eliminate a possible conflict of interest.

Now that you are armed with some important things to be on the lookout for, you will be in a better position to make a more definitive and informed decision. Having horses in your life can be one of the more rewarding things in life… or your worst nightmare when things don’t work out.

Going into the process with your eyes wide open can help ensure you and your new horse ride off into many beautiful sunsets together.

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When you’ve decided on a serious potential candidate always have a lameness exam and thorough lookover done by a qualified veterinarian.

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EQUINE FEATURE

37

Winter - what to feed?

W

inter is certainly not a horse owner’s favourite time of the year.

Along with the cold, dark and mud, many horses struggle to maintain condition, making it difficult to have them looking their best when the season gets underway.

Of key consideration is forage intake. If pasture is limited, an alternative fibre source must form the base of the ration. Good quality hay or haylage are the ideal supplements to pasture during shortages. Not only is adequate forage vital for overall digestive health, it will also contribute calories to assist with maintaining body condition. Further, due to heat generated during the digestive process it will assist to keep the horse warm.

Many horses during winter however may not be able to maintain condition on supplementary hay and haylage alone, especially those that are continuing to work through winter. They would therefore benefit from more calorie-dense feed sources.

Sugarbeet is known as a ‘super-fibre’, as it has more calories per kg than traditional fibre sources. As a more caloriedense fibre source, it is great for those struggling with body condition and also suitable for

Horses may benefit from more calorie-dense feed sources during winter.

horses that get ‘hot’ on many other concentrates. Of course, as a fibre source it is also beneficial for digestive health while contributing to meeting their daily fibre requirement.

Providing hard feed daily is often required for many horses to maintain desired condition through winter. Hard feed will provide a calorie-dense feed, and when feeding a ‘premixed’ feed at the recommended intake it will also meet the horses’ daily

requirement for key vitamins and minerals, in conjunction with forage intake.

The product that you will select for your horse will depend on current body condition, age, temperament, and workload. The low-starch feeds are ideal for horses that may not be doing so much over winter or do not tolerate a high grain diet. For hard working horses, a high-energy grainbased feed may be just what is

PHOTO: SUPPLIED

needed to maintain both body condition and performance.

Adding a ‘little something’ Some horses may just need a ‘little something’ extra added into their summer ration to boost calorie contribution at this time.

Adding 0.5kg – 1kg of a suitable grain or a targeted conditioning supplement like Dunstan Extruded Rice or Dunstan Muscle ‘n Shine may be the ideal solution.

Vitamins and minerals are not added to Dunstan

Extruded Rice and therefore it can be incorporated into the existing ration to provide further calories without doubling up on vitamin and mineral contribution. Add Dunstan Extruded Rice into the existing ration at 500 grams to 1.5kg daily. Alternatively, Dunstan Muscle n Shine can be included at 250g to 1kg daily.

Dunstan Muscle ‘n Shine does include added vitamins and minerals so will help to ‘top-up’ requirements if there is a slight shortfall in the current ration.

Vegetable oil is also a great addition to the diet to help maintain condition, and especially beneficial if meal sizes are getting too large. It is recommended that no more than 2kg of concentrate be fed in a single meal. Adding some oil to the ration will increase the calorie intake without the horse having to consume more feed. There are a variety of vegetable oil options including Dunstan Trifecta Oil, a highly palatable blend of vegetable oils to provide the important fatty acids Omega 6, 9 and 3.

If you are struggling with the winter-feeding woes and would like some assistance with the best feeding options for your horse please contact Dunstan: • Ph 0800 438 678 • or email dunstan@dunstan.co.nz

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Farming

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39

Hazelnuts shelled and sorted at The Nut House near Hororata.

PHOTOS: SUPPLIED

Sheryl Stivens with hazelnuts shelled by Hazelz NZ as well as delicious hazelnuts roasted and made into butter.

Going nuts this winter Sheryl Stivens

ECO EFFICIENCY

J

uly has been a challenging month for many of us with a deluge of rain and some extreme frosts.

On one of those frosty mornings we were amazed to find a large eel in our stockwater race/creek.

Unfortunately, he was dead but still in good condition. We fished him out and made contact with the ecologists who recently surveyed our historical drain.

They informed us that the eel was probably interrupted on its migration to the ocean.

So I did a little research on these amazing creatures which used to be so plentiful here and now are rarely seen in our area.

Eels swim for up to five or six months to tropical Pacific waters possibly near Tonga

where they spawn and die. The eggs hatch into leaf shaped larvae that float back to New Zealand on the ocean currents.

Arriving in astounding numbers in spring, the larvae transform into transparent “glass” eels that soon turn into grey/brown “elvers” young eels and begin migrating upstream into our waterways once more.

The scientists instructed us to measure and photograph the eel so this information could be fed back to Ashburton District Council. Let’s hope we can save these last remnants of habitat in the lowland plains of Ashburton district for these amazing creatures to return to.

Nut harvest Living in a food forest, a good winter project is sorting out our nut harvests. Our nut zone plantings began with our family attending a nut field day at Lincoln University in the 1980s to encourage farmers and landowners to plant more nut trees into their shelter belts and farm plantings.

Besides the knowledge shared that day we also gathered a range

of windfall hazelnuts, walnuts and chestnuts which we planted and are now providing a bountiful harvest of nuts each year.

On researching hazelnut processors, I discovered Hazelz NZ based at Hororata. They replied to my email query overnight and off we went the next day armed with our 10 kilos of hazelnuts to get them shelled.

The Nut House turned out to be a converted shed containing specialised hazelnut shelling machinery and conveyor sorters all made in New Zealand.

Eight people were quality sorting the cracked nuts on the conveyor to remove any broken nuts or shell debris or adding value to the nuts by making hazelnut butter or roasting the nuts for distribution to cookie makers, chocolate makers or cafes and restaurants.

It turns out that growers of hazelnuts from all over the country send their nuts here to be processed.

It’s so good to see this diversity still happening and nuts still being grown here.

There is room for more as I

The eel found in the stockwater race/creek measured 1100mm and the placement of the fins and excretion points was reported to scientists carrying out ecologocal surveys locally.

have heard that we import at least 80 per cent of nuts consumed in New Zealand.

So, this winter or spring why not plant some hazelnuts at your place.

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40

www.guardianonline.co.nz

Utilising nature to reduce emissions Mary Ralston

N

FOREST AND BIRD

ature-based solutions are nothing new, but our Climate Change Commission and policy makers need reminding of their potential.

Nature-based solutions can tackle the crises of climate change and biodiversity loss, as well as water management, food security, human health and other social issues. In New Zealand, they can save and create habitat for native species and at the same time lower farm-based greenhouse gas emissions.

The World Wildlife Fund says that “nature-based solutions and the broader land sector could contribute up to 30 per cent of the climate mitigation needed by 2050 to meet the Paris Agreement’s objective of limiting global warming.”

New Zealand’s Climate Change Commission makes just one mention of nature-based solutions, the sequestering of

carbon in soil, but puts it in the too-hard basket by saying the science and practice of sequestration was too uncertain and difficult to measure, so excluded it as a tool.

They also dismissed regenerative agriculture, saying that there was “not yet a robust evidence base to understand the emissions benefits of regenerative farming in Aotearoa”.

Let’s be more ambitious.

New Zealand is rich in natural capital (land, water, native and plantation forests etc) and so has a great capacity for using nature-based solutions to mitigate climate change and lower greenhouse gas emissions.

Farming is in a prime place to be a big part of the solution: the potential for soil carbon sequestration must be urgently researched, and off-farm as well as on-farm tree planting, native reafforestation, mammalian pest control, wetland restoration and the reinstating of wetlands are obvious options.

These nature-based solutions are often promoted as conservation and biodiversity goals but so far have not been taken seriously in New Zealand as tools to lower greenhouse

W W

W W

On-farm greenhouse gas capture through tree planting can make a big difference to net emissions at the same time as meeting other goals.

PHOTO: SUPPLIED

gas emissions.

Even if we don’t have the research methods to measure the soil’s ability to sequester carbon or to quantify the tangible benefits of regenerative agriculture, surely we could go down these paths based on their potential, and their other major benefits.

Regenerative agriculture, for instance, reduces diesel use

by minimising cultivation. So even if a regenerative farmer isn’t sequestering more carbon than his conventionallyfarming neighbour, they are lowering their contribution to greenhouse gas emissions.

And the benefits of wetlands to flood mitigation and biodiversity are well understood, even if the soil carbon side of things isn’t.

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Most New Zealanders support a stronger response to climate change. In a recent climate poll taken by insurer IAG, 41 per cent said we weren’t moving fast enough to have a “real impact on climate change,” up from 34 per cent a year earlier.

So let’s just get on with it.

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41

Research leads to better cow performance F

arming in New Zealand is everchanging, with farmers working hard to continually adapt.

Pressure from the government and the public has seen some dairy farmers shift away from high stocking rates, reducing the environmental impact and subsequently getting true milk production potential out of each cow by fully-feeding her. This has helped to increase EBIT on many farms, allowing farmers to cull out poor performing animals and focus more resources on the animals which are giving better milk and reproductive performance.

Well-fed cows hold better condition through lactation. However, an increase in milk production puts pressure on the cow and can negatively influence her health and reproductive performance.

As milk production and feed conversion efficiency increases, as does nutrient requirements; if the nutrients

of the feed do not keep up, gaps in nutrition begin to show.

The most common gaps we see are Calcium and Phosphorus. We are also seeing shifts in milk urea levels, dry matter levels in the feed, and fluctuations in rumen function.

Feed and soil tests can build a picture of the nutrition status of the cow, while research on nutrient requirement levels at different levels of production can help determine supplementation.

Digging deeper into cow nutrition and adapting research leads to increased cow performance, along with better health and reproductive performance - the end goal for any efficient and economically viable farm.

Contact rosina@energise.net.nz for any queries regarding this article.

Shaun Balemi, MSc, Dairy Nutritionist, Agvance

42

Farming

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BUILDING AND MAINTENANCE FEATURE

Affordable wool carpets for Kiwi homes

T

housands more Kiwi homes will be carpeted in wool following a landmark agreement between Wools of New Zealand (WNZ) and leading retailer Flooring Xtra, as well as other independent retail stores.

WNZ is manufacturing and supplying wool carpet to Flooring Xtra’s 61 stores and independent flooring retailers across New Zealand.

The carpet is priced competitively compared with synthetic carpets, meaning New Zealanders have a genuine

Wools of NZ chief executive John McWhirter says it wants to make wool carpet affordable to the majority of Kiwis.

choice between a synthetic product or a natural product direct from WNZ’s 730 farmergrower shareholders.

The wool carpets will be available at more than 100 outlets across New Zealand.

WNZ chief executive John McWhirter said the agreement with Flooring Xtra represents a win-win for consumers and farmers.

“We firmly believe carpets don’t have to cost the earth. Our goal is to grow the consumption of strong wool in the market by making wool carpet affordable to the majority of Kiwis. We can achieve this by utilising modern high volume manufacturing operations, without impacting on quality, and taking costs out of the supply chain.

“This will be the first growerowned New Zealand carpet brand to have grown its own wool fibre and supply a finished product to the New Zealand market, creating a strong branded connection with consumers.”

One of the key barriers to increasing sales of wool carpets in the past has been affordability, McWhirter said.

“A 48 ounce, 100 per cent

wool carpet now only costs five per cent more for an average house lot, which makes it an extremely compelling proposition for Kiwis to choose wool over synthetic carpet.

“As we embarked on our blueprint to help turn the sector’s fortunes around, we quickly identified that carpet accounted for 53 per cent of the strong wool clip. This meant that entering the carpet market and creating an affordable range of quality wool carpets would be the fastest way to fix the excess wool production.

“Taking control of the value chain moves our grower shareholders from essentially commodity traders and price takers to brand owners and price makers.

“Wool is one of the safest, sustainable and most ecofriendly carpet fibres available.

Wool is 100 per cent renewable, biodegradable and grown right here in New Zealand with a carbon footprint 14 times lower than synthetic. Its environmental attributes are increasingly in step with consumer and government expectations.”

Like other New Zealand wool product manufacturers

Naturally warm & healthy homes

Wool is one of the safest, sustainable and most eco-friendly carpet fibres available.

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such as Icebreaker, the carpet is manufactured overseas, McWhirter said.

“Manufacturing in New Zealand is expensive relative to overseas, so adding value offshore enables us to offer a competitively priced product with a robust margin. Our Europe-based manufacturer also serves as a great launching pad to service the market in the northern hemisphere.”

WNZ chairman James Parsons said this was an example of the business taking responsibility for getting branded woollen products to the consumer rather than relying on others to do it. Carpet moves significant

volumes of wool. WNZ is seeking to capture greater returns at the branded consumer end of the market so it can reinvest in demand-creation activities.

“We believe that New Zealand over-produces wool by around 40,000 bales – around 6 per cent of production – and this in turn lowers price. The goal is to turn this around.”

The launch of Wools of New Zealand carpets provides a launch platform for other strong wool branded products as well as the potential for a roll-out into other overseas markets, Parson said.

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BUILDING AND MAINTENANCE FEATURE

43

Building consent exemptions S

ome new types of building work no longer require a building consent, saving homeowners up to $18 million a year and reducing the number of consents by about 9000 (if lodged separately).

Since August 2020, additional building consent exemptions have been added to the Building Act. Building consents will no longer be needed for a number of new or expanded types of low-risk building work, like sleep-outs, sheds, carports, outdoor fireplaces and groundmounted solar panels.

The new exemptions will save building owners time and money, by not having to go to their local council for consent for common building projects.

This reduction in building consents will also allow councils to focus on building work that is higher-risk, helping to boost productivity.

This package of new exemptions adds to the work that can already be done without a building consent, outlined in Schedule 1 of the Building Act. Some of the new exempt building work can be done without the help of a professional, while others require the involvement of a chartered professional

engineer or a licenced building practitioner.

Building work that does not require a building consent must still comply with the Building Code and other legislative requirements, such as those under the Resource Management Act 1991, the Electricity Act 1992 and the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015. Any issues related to planning or resource management, or any projects with district planning implications will still need to be discussed with your local council.

Before carrying out exempt work, it’s important you follow the MBIE guidance correctly. If you are unsure what legislation may apply, and what the requirements are, it’s best to consult a professional.

New exemptions include: Single-storey detached buildings Single-storey detached buildings include sleepouts, sheds, greenhouses and other similar structures can be built without a building consent. Kitchen and bathroom facilities are not included in the exemption. Any plumbing work to a new or current building still requires a building consent,

and any electrical work will still have to be carried out by a registered electrician.

Options include: • Kitset or prefab buildings with a maximum floor area of 30 square metres where a manufacturer or supplier has had the design carried out or reviewed by a chartered professional engineer.

• Buildings with a maximum floor area of 30 square metres where a licensed building practitioner is to carry out or supervise design and construction • Buildings with a maximum floor area of 30 square metres can be built by a

non-professional, where only lightweight materials with structural components built in accordance to Building Code compliance B1/AS1 are used.

Short-span (small) bridges Short-span bridges if they do not span a road or rail area can be built without a building consent. The total span (length) can be a maximum of six metres. The design will need to be carried out or reviewed by a chartered professional engineer.

Single-storey pole sheds and hay barns in rural zones Single-storey pole sheds or hay barns in a rural zone with a maximum floor area of 110

square metres can be built without a building consent if the design has been carried out or reviewed by a chartered professional engineer, or a licensed building practitioner has carried out or supervised design and construction.

If you want to start a building project that doesn’t require a building consent, you should hire the right professional required or you can do it yourself if a professional is not required, provided you follow the MBIE guidance.

All exempt building work must meet the Building Code as well as other relevant legislation.

It is the building owner’s responsibility to check whether a building consent is required. If the work that you are planning to carry out falls outside of the specified requirements, you will need to get a building consent. If you’re not sure if you need consent ask for advice from somebody with appropriate building knowledge and expertise.

MBIE have released learning modules to help those who are new to the building code and carrying out work in the building and construction sector.

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BUILDING AND MAINTENANCE FEATURE

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Silver Fern Farms sets green targets S

ilver Fern Farms has committed to several bold initiatives to drive its vision of being the world’s most successful and sustainable grass-fed red meat company, eliminating coal by 2030 and launching a net carbon zero certified beef.

Silver Fern Farms co-chairman Rob Hewett said it had set targets which stretched the meat exporter. “If anything, we are committed to investing to accelerate our progress to achieve these significant milestones early.

“Companies face competing pressures to drive decarbonisation, invest to serve the consumer’s future needs and deliver sustainable value to all stakeholders as they seek to forge their own path to address the challenges we collectively face.

“Our company’s strong financial performance over recent years and its robust balance sheet underpin our confidence to take these bold steps,” Hewett said.

The key Silver Fern Farms’ commitments are: launching its first range of Toitu net carbon zero certified beef in the United States in late 2021, committing to a “regenerative” future,

ending coal use in its processing plants by 2030 and joining the International Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) by the end of 2021.

“Silver Fern Farms is committed to supporting our farmers to contribute to these goals, through knowledge transfer and market-led incentives.

This is because we believe there is great opportunity to leverage this leadership position in our markets via our strong brand and customer partnerships,” Hewett said.

“Consumer concerns are increasing with respect to soil health, emissions, biodiversity, agricultural intensity, water quality, and the resilience and sustainability of the current food system.

“There is only one direction of travel for our industry and Silver Fern Farms wants to be out the front leading.”

Limmer said Silver Fern Farms has shaped its capital investment programme in recent years to support its sustainability goals. This includes investment in transitioning from using coal to using electricity and biomass, smart lighting, hot water system management and overall water use reduction.

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45

Flooding shows power of braided rivers Tony Davoren

SWIMS CONSULTING LTD

H

cancellation meant I jumped the queue on the day.

Two extreme rainfall events in six weeks (Canterbury and Buller/Marlborough) have resulted in some serious infrastructure and land damage, and personal loss.

With so much rainfall, one would have thought groundwater issues would be solved for next irrigation season. That is certainly the case for shallower aquifers and in the upper plains. But we’ve yet to see the rainfall recharge lower down the plains.

Observation bore K36/0090

up towards Methven saw an immediate effect from the end of May deluge and has remained at maximum recorded water level since.

Further down the plains at L37/0022 near Pendarves we are yet to see the recharge although in the last month the water level has started to rise a little more steeply. I’m sure that by August there will a significant dent in the 7.1m gap to the maximum water level.

Recuperation from surgery and getting back walking again has allowed more time to catch up on some interesting reading.

The Buller/Marlborough flooding reminded me of an interesting article I had saved from Stuff. Some of you might may have also read it www. interactives.stuff.co.nz/2021/06/ rewilding-project-nz-braidedrivers/. It was a little deja vu moment for me as I re-read it because I had carried out research back in the mid-1980s on the braided Ohau River while the Upper Waitaki power scheme was being completed.

We’ve attempted to “control” the braided rivers with stop banks and straightened reaches.

Braided rivers are complicated,

dynamic, powerful and destructive, and will recreate its path to the sea.

These events took me back to our Ohau River experiments where we channelled (thanks to Ministry of Works bulldozers) the “100-year” flood flow toward and around a 2m diameter bridge caisson so we could measure scour.

Within a day the river had redesigned itself - back to its braided nature and not always was our caisson left in the main channel for the next experiment. The power and intrigue of nature at work.

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aving skipped last month for a couple of reasons, my comments from May lunchtime discussions with various experts at Environment Court conferencing and the “dry” have been addressed – and some.

The Buller/Marlborough flooding, while sparing Canterbury, has emphasised the volatile climate we are living with now.

My first reason for missing the last deadline was the Plan Change 9 hearing in Hawke’s Bay, then a frustrating week at Environment Court for the Ngaruroro Water Conservation Order – the latter requiring my (and others) being present, awaiting call up for evidence and then the court finishing early - so no call up for any of us!

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47

Freshwater rule changes welcomed B

eef + Lamb New Zealand (B+LNZ) has welcomed proposed changes to the stock exclusion regulations and the low-slope map.

“The Government’s original low slope map identified thousands of hectares of steep land as low slope and therefore required fencing, which was unworkable and wouldn’t deliver good environmental outcomes,” B+LNZ chief executive Sam McIvor said.

“That’s why we are pleased the Government has listened and changed the stock exclusion trigger from a 10 degree slope to a five degree slope and introduced an altitude limit.

That means if the area of an extensive farming operation is at a certain altitude, or/and above five degrees slope, it will not be required to be fenced.

That’s a commonsense solution.

“We also support the improvements to the spatial resolution of the low slope map, although we are concerned a level of inaccuracy remains.

The outcome is that the bite of the regulations has been reduced and overall the regulations are far more workable and effectsbased. However, we need to now discuss the practical

The stock exclusion trigger for fencing of waterways has been revised.

implications with our farmers.”

There remains a lot of concern among farmers about the government’s proposed Certified Freshwater Farm Plan, the extent it will prescribe what farmers can do, the costs associated with certification and auditing, and the extent to which farmers’ personal

or business information will become publicly discoverable, McIvor said.

“The devil will be in the detail about the government’s approach to farm planning. We need to see the farm planning regulations and guidance in detail because the government has not defined exactly how

PHOTO: SUPPLIED

they will work. Our expectation will be that the government will further consult with the sector on the regulations.

“We have been clear from the outset that farm planning should be farmer-owned, effects-based in relation to environmental outcomes, enable innovation, adaptation and be

flexible enough to respond to different farms, not one size fits all. There are indications in the document that the government has responded to that.

“The only information that should be made available to the public about an individual Certified Freshwater Farm plan is its most recent audit outcome – basically whether it passed, similar to public-facing food safety grade certificates at a restaurant or café, or a WoF sticker on a car.

“Farmers need workable and relevant rules and B+LNZ has been calling for effects-based approaches at the paddock scale to both winter grazing and to stock exclusion, delivered through effective farm planning.

“B+LNZ is requesting the relevant sections of the B+LNZ farm plan be recognised as the Certified Freshwater Farm Plan because we know the approach outlined in our farm plan will work for farmers, their emerging market needs, and the environment.

“We will now be reviewing the discussion document in detail, providing advice to our farmers and seeking farmer feedback to develop a submission to the Ministry for the Environment,” McIvor said.

48

Farming

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SEEDS FEATURE

Barenbrug’s Canterbury catch crop trial in early November, showing oats plus Italian ryegrass versus grass alone (centre).

PHOTO: SUPPLIED

A

Hattrick oats sown with Tabu+ Italian ryegrass for a catch-crop with extra benefits, photographed September 21.

PHOTO: SUPPLIED

Oats + grass – flexible, quality catch-crop

dding Italian ryegrass to oats creates an excellent catch-crop with more benefits than oats alone, new research shows.

Sowing oats and grass together gives extra flexibility of use and forage quality, with no downsides in dry matter yield or nitrogen uptake, compared to oats alone.

As agronomist Blair Cotching explains, that’s because oats are finished after one to two grazings or silage cuts, then need to be replaced.

Adding grass at sowing, however, gives a high performance pasture for the

next 12-18 months.

Cotching heads the pasture systems team at Barenbrug, and said the company trialled this technique last season, using Hattrick oats, Tabu+ Italian ryegrass and Shogun hybrid ryegrass.

A key finding was that dry matter yield from the Hattrick and Tabu+ mix over the first one to two cuts or grazings was not compromised compared to straight oats.

“From the second grazing on, this mix had better re-growth and metabolisable energy (ME),” Cotching said.

“The addition of Tabu+

Italian ryegrass extended the period of growth for 12-18 months, saving the time and cost of re-sowing, and giving flexibility in deciding when to renew the paddock.”

Instead of a bare paddock, farmers end up with a productive pasture, with good feed quality and excellent cool season yield in late autumn, winter and early spring, when feed is highly valued in livestock systems.

“Some paddocks will still suit straight oats, because they are scheduled for re-sowing into new pasture or crop this spring.

If you want a more versatile

option, though, the oat-grass mix is ideal.”

More catch-crop trials are underway at Barenbrug this season, both in Canterbury and Southland.

Whether farmers sow oats alone or oats with grass, it was important to get seed in the ground as soon as practically possible after grazing winter forage crops, Cotching said.

Latest industry research shows catch-crops can utilise up to 40 per cent more of the nitrogen deposited on winter grazed crops, and the sooner they’re sown after grazing, the more nitrogen they will soak up.

He advises sowing at recommended rates, using certified, high-vigour seed and aiming for good seed to soil contact to improve establishment speed and success.

Minimal tillage is best for seed bed preparation to prevent nitrogen being mineralised, but it’s still important to have a seed bed where plants can establish quickly.

Nitrogen fertiliser may be required from October to maintain healthy plants and keep them growing.

For more detail visit www.barenbrug.co.nz

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SEEDS FEATURE

49

Top wheat growers recognised M

id Canterbury farmer Craig Muckle has been named champion wheat grower for 2021.

Muckle, of Dorie, was presented with the Champion Cup at the awards ceremony in Christchurch for winning the premium milling wheat award and also won the United Wheat Growers Bayer wheat grower of the year award with his wheat entry Reliance.

The judges said Muckle’s entry quality specification was “bang on”. He was presented with the Champion Cup,

by Garth Gilliam from Champion.

Muckle was also the winner of the UWG Bayer wheat grower award.

This award is to recognise excellence in the industry.

The judges said the entries in this years’ competition were exceptional, and it spoke highly of the industry to be this spoiled for choice to find an award winner.

Father and son Bill and Nick Davey of Springdale Farming, Barrhill, won the Mauri Mills milling wheat award for 2021.

The judges said the Daveys’ entry of Discovery had “very attractive line with great quality parameters”. The

Daveys were presented with the Tegel Protein Cup, by Krishna Samy, from Mauri Mills.

Brian Leadley of Dromore won the RuralCo gristling wheat award with his entry of Ignite. The judges said the entry was a “very nice line of gristing wheat that hits all the requirements.” Leadley was presented with the Griffin Foods Cup, by Craig Rodgers from RuralCo. Warren and Andrew Darling, growers near Timaru, won the Viterra feed wheat of the year award for their entry of Robusta. “Very good appearance, excellent yield and a high test weight,” the judges said. The Darlings were presented with the Tegel Foods Cup by Khan Sayer from Viterra.

Mike and Lynn Porter of Lyalldale, South Canterbury, won the Farmers Mill biscuit wheat of the year award with their entry of Ignite.

The Porters were presented with the Farmers Mill Cup by Mark Lawrence from Farmers Mill.

Kerry Thomas, from Luisetti Seeds, was recognised as Agronomist of the Year.

Barrhill farmer Bill Davey (left), is presented with the Mauri Mills milling wheat award by Krishna Samy.

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Farming

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SERVICING AND MAINTENANCE FEATURE

Tractor sales up, but shipping headaches T

he first half of 2021 has got off to a superb start for sales of farm equipment.

Tractor and Machinery Association of New Zealand (TAMA) president Kyle Baxter said there had been substantial sales increases across all tractor horsepower segments and equipment compared with the same time last year.

Baxter said the big increases reflected a continuing catch up in on-farm vehicle investment as farmers looked again to the future.

“It’s fantastic to see the confidence continue across all of the sectors, and in turn this confidence flowing into the wider economy.

“This significant increase isn’t an accidental one, nor a blip, it requires sustained customer and supplier confidence over a 12-month period in that the required product is ordered and arrives into the country to meet current demand.”

The overall increase in actual units delivered across New Zealand was 35 per cent. This represents an additional 450 tractor sales compared to the same period of 2020. Sales in the under 50 horsepower lifestyle sector increased over 40 per cent while sales numbers

Tractor and Machinery Association president Kyle Baxter

“

There have been substantial sales increases across all tractor horsepower segments.”

in the 60-80HP segment, which are predominately delivered into the horticulture sector, increased around 50 per cent.

“Not to be left out of the rising market, sales in the 100-140HP segment are up

more than 30 per cent. Tractor deliveries into the larger end of the market, focused on 180-250HP cropping and contracting tractors, increased by more than 50 per cent.”

Whilst the market remained strong and looked set to remain so for the rest of 2021, there were several challenges impacting the market, Baxter said.

“We are hearing from our members that ongoing production stoppages in global factories due to Covid-19 lockdowns and community outbreaks continue to affect manufacturing timeframes.

Europe continues to be a rapidly changing space by the day, as one country announces a ‘return to normal’ date, another country announces new control measures to help stem the spread of the virus.”

Global logistics dominated many of the discussions TAMA members were having with their suppliers and customers.

With no relief in the short to medium term horizon, the increased shipping times looked set to continue well into 2022.

“Almost every point of the logistics supply chain is affected.

Delays of an extra 90 days in receiving a container load of

equipment from Europe are not uncommon. Reduced air cargo space, due to fewer flights globally, is also adding to the cost of air freighting spare parts and causing delays in getting urgent spare parts into the country.

“The cost of shipping a container here has increased drastically. This, coupled with importers of agricultural equipment generally only able to ship one to four machines per container due to their size, is driving up the freight cost of each item shipped.”

Baxter said while strong commodity pricing was fantastic for the New Zealand agriculture industry in terms of the export value of ag-related produce, there was a sting in the tail.

Raw materials sourced to build the equipment were also under immense upward price pressures. Many manufacturers had already signalled or passed on manufacturing price increases directly related to the increased price of the raw materials.

“Our members are particularly concerned about the strong inflationary surge of raw materials, which is affecting many components used in the building of equipment.”

The price of steel has more

P HOTO: SUPPLIED

than doubled in one year (from 550 euros per tonne to 1250 euros per tonne). Steel can represent 30 to 40 per cent of the average production cost of farm machinery. There have also been substantial increases in the prices of aluminum (+22 per cent), copper (+63 per cent), rubber (+67 per cent) and foundry products (+90 per cent) over the past nine months across Asia, the United States and Europe, where much of New Zealand’s farm equipment is sourced.

Labour shortages remain another major concern for the tractor and machinery industry, Baxter said.

“The lack of skilled labour is paramount in the minds of all our members. We’re all training young people and taking on apprentices but the industry needs more skilled people than we currently have available.

“Like many others in the primary industry, we need to be able to access overseas workers to help with the immediate shortfall for the upcoming season. We will be working on behalf of our members to ensure these issues are highlighted and to implement the possible courses of action to address the shortfall.”

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SERVICING AND MAINTENANCE FEATURE

51

New technology tracks nitrogen in soil W

ith new regulations around nitrogen usage looming, global soil sensing and agricultural analytics company CropX is challenging farmers to take back control when it comes to the environmental sustainability of their farms, using new technology.

CropX provides water irrigation management solutions using its own, patented soil sensors, that are used by thousands of farmers and growers globally, to measure soil moisture, temperature and the electric conductivity of the soil.

Now, the company has innovated even further, using their existing soil sensors to develop a new method of tracking insights around nitrogen movement through the soil profile.

This new solution provides the ability for farmers and growers to immediately understand the impact their on-farm decisions such as fertiliser application, irrigation and pasture species choices have on nitrogen movement through the soil.

“Providing actual data to farmers is now more crucial than ever, with new regulations around nitrogen usage being introduced around the country,” CropX’s New Zealand general manager Eitan Dan said.

Existing soil sensors can now track nitrogen movement through the soil profile in real time.

“Our new technology provides farmers with real-time information and data, allowing them to link the changes in soil water nitrogen concentrations to the activities they are undertaking. From there they can fine tune their systems to achieve better environmental outcomes.”

Extensive research was undertaken by CropX to develop the new solution, which assesses the levels of

key nutrients in the soil. These nutrients are available for either plant growth or potentially at risk of leaching from the soil.

“Farmers are always trying to ensure their pasture has the right amount of water and nutrients available as they grow through to maturity. We know that if too much fertiliser is put on before the plant needs it, the excess dissolves and is leached, if we don’t put fertiliser on soon

PHOTO: SUPPLIED

enough then crop growth is stalled from limited nutrients, and if we don’t put enough water on, even if there are adequate nutrients, crop growth is limited”.

The solution provides insights for farmers to make proactive management decisions about their crops’ optimal growth at the right time, without risking leaching.

While modelling systems to understand the impact farming

systems and on-farm practices have on nitrogen moving through the soil have been in place for some time, the ability to measure actual data, in real-time, is new for New Zealand farmers.

Farmers traditionally use Overseer which provides estimates of the amount of nitrogen lost from their system via leaching on an annualised basis. Nitrogen leaching estimates are based on historical farm inputs along with long-term averages and although it is a sophisticated model, it was not designed to support farmers with on-farm decision making.

The limitation of this method is that it is a once-a-year number and gives no insight into how a farmer could tactically change their farming practices day to day to improve the actual nitrogen lost.

“Nitrogen pollution of our waterways from agricultural activity is a major challenge for our farmers to address.

However, at the moment they are mostly operating in the dark. This problem is not just limited to dairy, but also horticulture and even to some extent dry stock farming – to maintain their consent to farm, all farmers must reduce the amount of nitrogen leached from their farm systems to the mandated levels,” Dan said.

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Mark Osborne, the local face of rural insurance broking expertise I

n New Zealand’s everchanging rural business sector, consistency is key, especially when it comes to customer service. Good business relationships can last decades.

Just ask Crombie Lockwood’s Ashburton-based group broking manager Mark Osborne.

While there are plenty of aspects to agri-business that remain tried and true after several decades, some facets of farming and rural contracting have changed completely, Osborne said.

“The degree to which technology has changed the business of farming is unprecedented. And of course, with the higher investment in technology on the farm, the landowner’s costs have risen in tandem.”

Thirty-four years ago, when Osborne first made the move from his native Timaru to Ashburton, where he began managing his first insurance office, plant investment such as million-dollar irrigation systems were almost the stuff of science fiction. Now, for many agricultural operations, they’re a lifeline during spring and summer months, guaranteeing stable productivity.

“It’s the same story with machinery. The cost of tractors or harvesters which use GPS to auto-steer, more fuel efficient and reduced emissions are all part of the modern farm.

“The bolt-on addition of variable rate irrigators which use water more efficiently and can isolate a farm track, for example, is expensive. It’s just the nature of modern technology and modern sustainable farming practices.

“But of course, the other side of that are the benefits to any farming operation; being able to work smarter and more efficiently, use less fuel per hectare and enjoy better yields. The cost to insure plant has increased, but the ways in which that plant can benefit the business also puts rural clients leaps and bounds ahead of where they might’ve been 20 years ago,” Osborne said.

With the advent of dairy conversions through the Mid and South-Canterbury regions, average herd sizes have also increased; 400-600 or thereabouts in the late-1980s dwarfed by some larger herds today, which number towards 800-1200. Dairy farms have continued to improve their environmental footprint, they are actively working on continued improvement and best practice.

“The modern farmer has to be much more diverse in what they’re doing. There are more moving parts to most operations these days, so it’s up to the likes of us as insurance brokers to be fully across all aspects of our clients’ businesses,” Osborne said.

Mark Osborne

And here, of course, is an aspect of supporting business which hasn’t changed a bit.

Osborne’s career has taken him through several brokerage firms, including Timaru-headquartered Reid Manson; a famous name in insurance in South Canterbury and, at one time, the biggest broking business in town.

Osborne eventually became a director/partner and, with his fellow executive team, oversaw the transition to Crombie Lockwood ownership of the business in 2015.

Osborne said that forging long-term relationships with

clients has always been important to him and, through his longevity and success in insurance, now has a client book including second and sometimes third-generation farming families.

“I’m dealing with the sons and daughters of original clients now and those relationships continue to grow.

I’m lucky to be working in a region full of good people, but also to have access to such a good range of insurance products for new clients as well.”

The bulk of his clients are located between the Rakaia River to the north and the

Waitaki River in the south.

“I also have clients who used to own larger properties but have semi-retired to lifestyle blocks; their insurance needs are obviously a bit different, but they’re as reliant on good weather, good gear and good insurance knowledge as anyone else at the end of the day,” Osborne said.

With four brokers and three support staff now working with him, the Crombie Lockwood Ashburton team are available to help their large client base through most events or storms that come their way. The recent flood event highlighted how well its Crombie Lockwood farm insurance solutions perform in the market.

“You can’t operate in the rural sector and not be prepared to get out there and see your clients, regardless of the time of day or the weather. The nature of farming means that when something goes wrong, a rapid fix is usually needed in order to keep things moving, regardless of the day of the week.

“As the people at the other end of the phone in those scenarios, it’s up to us to help with a solution. And it always has been a rewarding feeling being able to provide such a solution.”

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53

Farmers to vote on wool co-operative merger A

bout 2100 farmers will vote in November on a proposed merger between grower-owned export and marketing company Wools of New Zealand (WNZ) and Primary Wool Co-operative to form a fully integrated supply chain business.

Ahead of the groundbreaking vote, Primary Wool will become the 100 per cent owner of CP Wool with the purchase of Carrfields’ 50 per cent shareholding.

Carrfields will turn its focus onto the specialist manufacturing of wool and hemp products through its majority ownership of the NZ Natural Fibres business alongside Hemp New Zealand and the other minority shareholders.

“These strategic moves are the outcome of year-long talks between Carrfields, Primary Wool Co-operative and WNZ, which collectively handle 37 per cent of New Zealand’s wool clip,” WINZ chairman James Parsons said.

“Growers have been asking for consolidation and now they will get the chance to have their say. Together, we can deliver the vision and scale required to make a real difference to New Zealand’s struggling wool industry.”

Primary Wool chairman and director of CP Wool Richard Young said the proposed merger marks the start of an exciting chapter for the wool sector and will act as a launch-pad for New Zealand to truly realise the full potential of wool.

“This proposed combined business will enable both businesses to realise their potential as a single growerowned entity.

“For CP Wool suppliers, it will be the link to greater customer intimacy via the Wools of NZ market-focused strategy. For Wools of NZ growers, CP Wool will bring the engine with its large bale numbers and network

The entities in the proposed merger collectively handle 37 per cent of New Zealand’s wool clip.

of stores that allows that strategy to come to life.

“The Primary Wool Cooperative and Wools of NZ boards have been working side by side since late last year to answer the demands of growers for consolidation and develop a strategy to lift strong wool sales volume and price.

“The merged organisation’s strategy will be underpinned by a shift from wool as a raw commodity to grower-owned and branded consumer wool products. Ultimately, the development of an integrated supply chain aims to improve returns for our growers.”

Carrfields managing director and chairman of CP Wool Craig Carr said the wool

industry needs leadership, investment and a strategic focus to deliver better outcomes for long term participants.

“Carrfields has decided that supporting the joining together of the two grower organisations and turning our attention to investing in the future development of wool and hemp products makes good sense strategically.

“In the current fast-moving environment, we want to ratchet up our activity through NZ Natural Fibres and we have a number of exciting opportunities in front of us.

“Also, Carrfields will continue working with our international brand partners in its ongoing drive to develop new markets

for wool.”

Wools of NZ recently announced it is manufacturing and supplying wool carpet to Flooring Xtra’s 61 stores and 30 other independent flooring retailers across New Zealand.

Wool growers will be able to find out more via a nationwide road-show beginning in early August.

Primary Wool Co-operative was formed in 1974 by a group of Hawke’s Bay farmers to increase the returns for wool growers.

Over the ensuing decades, membership has grown to more than 1400 across New Zealand.

Wools of New Zealand is a 100 per cent New Zealand grower-owned supply, sales and export marketing company

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54

Farming

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Venison farmers play long game

Low venison prices reflect the impact of Covid-19 restrictions on restaurant sales world-wide.

T

here won’t be a spring in the step of deer farmers this September.

Prices for their venison animals during the traditional spring game season are expected to be only a little more than last year, when prices for limited volume contracts peaked at not much more than $7 a kilogram – a figure that’s considered unsustainable in the long-term.

“But farming is a long-term game and many farmers take the view that because prices are cyclical, it’s in their interests to have a mix of species and income streams on their farms.

History has told them that when the fortunes of one species are up, another is often down,” Deer Industry NZ (DINZ) chief executive Innes Moffat said.

“In the last few years, we have seen venison prices to farmers peak at $11 a kg and fall to their current level – around $5.50 a kg. This is a much higher level of volatility than we have seen in decades and reflects the impact of Covid-19 on restaurant sales world-wide.”

A small consolation for farmers is that the contracts

on offer from marketers this year are likely to be for larger volumes than in 2020 and are based on guaranteed minimum prices, Moffat said.

“This means average prices across all venison animals this spring may be higher than they appear at first glance, but still well below where they need to be.”

Slaughter figures and Statistics NZ farm survey data shows that many farmers are culling hinds and keeping an increased number of velvetting stags.

“But there are some who see a crisis as an opportunity. So we also know there are a number of farmers who are increasing their breeding hind numbers in the belief that good times lie ahead.”

Arguments in favour of this strategy include the huge efforts that marketers are making to diversify markets as well as the channels within existing markets. As one marketer said at the Deer Industry Conference in May, there’s a real risk for marketers that venison demand could exceed supply in the not too distant future.

“It’s easy to be wise in

“

There are farmers who are increasing their breeding hind numbers in the belief that good times lie ahead.”

hindsight but there is now universal recognition that the industry had too many eggs in the hospitality basket. When restaurants across the globe were closed by Covid-19 our marketers were left with very few customers,” Moffat said.

“Even now, restaurant demand is fragile, especially in northern Europe where the Delta variant is taking off.

Because the situation keeps changing and no-one wants to be holding stock in a shutdown, prices for the chilled season are conservative. But because of the rapid vaccine roll-out and better-thanexpected demand last game season, they are being more optimistic with the volumes that they were last year.”

In the last decade the deer industry has achieved major

PHOTO: SUPPLIED

success with the diversification of markets geographically.

Demand creation in North America led to it overtaking Germany as the largest yearround market for chilled venison. This reduces currency risk and removes increasing quantities of venison from the volatile northern European game meat market.

“Unfortunately, successful market diversification has been no protection against Covid-19.

Pandemics ignore geography,” Moffat said.

“Lesson learnt, the industry now has a major focus on building demand in channels that are Covid-safe – particularly retail and on-line in North America and to a smaller extent, summer retail in Europe.

“In China, which has grown rapidly to become our third-largest market, we are exploring all channels, including hospitality, as well as the different cuisine styles.”

Between DINZ and the five major marketing companies, close to $1.5 million will be spent this year on market development for venison.

“We have five innovative and enthusiastic companies who

have a vision of venison being a key part of their future business success. They know that prices to farmers need to increase markedly if their visions are going to be achieved. While the current low prices are useful as a sales sweetener in new markets, their in-market agents know where prices need to be,” Moffat said.

“The marketing companies are exploring a huge range of opportunities and while not every one of their projects will be successful, some will. And when you look at the size of the markets they are working in, it will only take one or two successes for the industry’s fortunes to change quite dramatically.”

In the meantime, the current economics of venison production are really tough for farmers with a passion for deer, Moffat said.

“Many of them will be reflecting on the fact that sheep, beef and velvet have also been through cycles when prices have been depressed. Taking a long-term view and spreading risk across several income streams is a strategy that has served many of them well over the generations.”

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NOTICE OF MEETINGS The following meetings will be held in August 2021 in the Council Chamber, 200 Tuam Street, Christchurch unless otherwise stated: Thursday 5 August Council at 10.30am Thursday 12 August Page 20 Climate Change Action Committee at 10.30am Catchment Sub-Committee at 2.00pm Thursday 19 August Audit, Finance & Risk Committee at 10.30am Canterbury Regional Transport Committee at 2.00pm at Peppers Christchurch Clearwater, Clearwater Ave, Christchurch Thursday 26 August Council at 10.30am Regulation Hearing Committee The Regulation Hearing Committee is scheduled to meet weekly. Meetings will be held, as required on Thursday 5, 12, 19 & 26 August at 8.30am.

Agendas will be available online at http:// www.ecan.govt.nz/meetings at least two days prior to each meeting.

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The field days is the only agricultural show in New Zealand to feature side-byside demonstrations, with 80 to 100 tractors, headers, mowers, seed drills and other machines being put through their paces each day.

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South Island Agricultural Field Days aims to give farmers and others in the rural sector the opportunity to see the latest in agricultural machinery and services that are available on the market, particularly home-grown products.

The field days is the only agricultural show in New Zealand to feature side-byside demonstrations, with 80 to 100 tractors, headers, mowers, seed drills and other machines being put through their paces each day.

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