Canterbury Farming, October 2021

30,287 copies distributed monthly – to every rural mailbox in Canterbury and the West Coast

October 2021 Edition

INSIDE

THIS EDITION Contest underway

p7 Farm Assured wool

p10 La Niña dominates

p31 Sexed semen surge

p40

Top job: Long serving North canterbury pig veterinarian Dr bruce Welch checks up on the health of a commercial breeding boar.

Cantabrians to the fore in NZPork awards

North Canterbury pig veterinarian Bruce Welch has been recognised for his services to the industry.

❚ by Kent caddick Dr Welch has been presented with NZPork’s Outstanding Achievement Award for his 21-year-long work in the sector.

NZPork Chief Executive David Baines said North Canterbury-based Dr Welch was dedicated to the welfare of pigs and to the good of farmers.

“Bruce’s knowledge of pigs and pig care is unparalleled and his input and influence is evident in every aspect of pig farming in New Zealand,” Baines said.

“That extends across productivity, animal

health, welfare, antibiotic use, biosecurity, nutrition, genetics and the industry’s PigCare programme.

“He is also closely involved with the current review of the welfare code.”

Meanwhile, Courtney Gloistein of Kilgour’s Farm in North Canterbury has been named 2021 Stockperson of the Year.

The winner of the Stockperson of the Year award, which carries a $500 prize, is selected from trainees who have completed their National Certificate in Pork Production Level 3, the qualification for people involved with the care of pigs in a pork production unit.

Entrants for the award must be recommended by both their farmer trainer and offjob training provider.

“We congratulate Courtney and hope she continues to have a successful career in the industry,” Baines said.

“It is great to see talented young stockpeople like Courtney gaining these important qualifications.

“The pork sector offers many opportunities for people seeking to work with livestock, at entry level or those seeking a career change, with a combination of on-job and off-job training and strong career paths.”

2

OctOber 2021

CANTERBURY FARMING

FARMING NEWS

Farmers urged to enable staff to get vaccinations Federated Farmers is calling for all farmers to ensure their staff are vaccinated

❚ by Kent caddick Federated Farmers employment spokesperson Chris Lewis said farmers should do all they can to enable and encourage their staff to get their Covid vaccinations.

“I know dairy farms are flat tack with calving and workforce shortages have never been worse. But there’s nothing more important than your family’s health, and that of your staff and their families,’ Lewis said.

“It would certainly help if district health boards booked a hall in some smaller towns for well-advertised-in-advance day clinics.

“If it’s possible to combine getting a jab with a trip into town for the next supermarket shop, or to pick up supplies from Farmlands or Wrightsons, tr y to make it happen. It’s par t of being a good boss.

“If your nearest urban centre has a walk-in vaccination centre, or a GP clinic is willing to take a short-notice booking, you might even send in a staff member with a few dollars to pick up a morning or afternoon tea shout for the rest of the team.”

Lewis said the sooner we get everyone doublevaccinated, the sooner we might safely take steps to getting back to where we were with travel, events, farmers’ markets and all the rest.

WE ARE BUYING! Just do it: Federated Farmers employment spokesperson chris Lewis is encouraging farmers to ensure their staff are all vaccinated.

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FARMING NEWS

CANTERBURY FARMING

OctOber 2021

3

New dairy sector research focussing on variable milking Lincoln University Dairy Farm is launching three new farm systems initiatives at its demonstration farm, all geared at sustainable dairy farming practices.

❚ by Kent caddick Lincoln University Dairy Farm (LUDF) is a 186-hectare demonstration dairy farm outside Lincoln township. It aims to maximise sustainable, profitable farming by optimising productivity, environmental footprint, and animal welfare targets.

Three new farming systems are now being implemented to expand LUDF’s focus and extend its outlook through to 2030. The research is on variable milking frequency, moving the forage base to include plantain and replacement rate reduction.

The South Island Dairying Demonstration Centre (SIDDC) has revised LUDF farm systems to more effectively contribute to New Zealand dairying and the wider primary sector.

Speaking on behalf of the partnership, Lincoln University Deputy Vice-Chancellor Professor Grant Edwards said that SIDDC is committed to taking a leadership role in dairy farming through LUDF. “It’s important that the partnership regularly reassesses and revisits the farm’s systems to consolidate its position at the vanguard of current and future scenarios,” Edwards said.

DairyNZ’s new systems general manager Dr David McCall said New Zealand’s dairy sector is committed to remaining the most sustainable milk producers.

“As a SIDDC par tner, we suppor t LUDF implementing new farm systems. It is al-

Research: A variable milking research programme at the Lincoln University Dairy Farm will involve moving from the traditional twice-a-day milking to a more flexible milking regime with 10 milkings over seven days.

so exciting to see the adoption of variable milking frequencies, following Dair yNZ’s three-year flexible milking project which highlighted the oppor tunities this system presents farmers.”

The variable milking programme to be implemented from the 2021-22 season involves moving from the traditional twice-a-day milking to a more flexible milking regime with 10 milkings over seven days.

SIDDC Demonstration Manager Jeremy Savage said a variable milking programme has many benefits.

“A variable milking programme will not only improve cow welfare through less lame-

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In addition, Savage said that starting in October LUDF will plant at least 10% of the farm per year into plantain.

“This is a forage that may significantly reduce nitrogen leaching. With cow intakes of 30% plantain or higher we anticipate LUDF will achieve further improvements to its nitrogen leaching results.

“The potential benefits of reducing onfarm nitrogen leaching by up to 20% by man-

aging the cows’ diets, and without reducing overall herd numbers, are obvious and compelling.”

In introducing plantain, LUDF is applying research from the Forages for Reduced Nitrate Leaching (FRNL) project. FRNL was a six-year cross-sector programme that looked at ways forages can reduce nitrate leaching.

LUDF’s third research initiative will be a greater focus on lowering the replacement rate of heifers for the herd.

Greenhouse gas emissions modelling shows significant gains can be made by dropping the current 28% replacement rate to a target of 15% to 18%.

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OctOber 2021 CANTERBURY FARMING

❚ with Damien O’connor

for Agriculture, Biosecurity, ❚ Minister Food Safety and Rural Communities ❚

FARMING NEWS

Catchment groups bringing together communities

“What gets measured gets done”, is a phrase which came to mind when I made a trip to Southland in August to see two things. As well as wanting to see how the intensive winter grazing guidelines were going down there, I wanted to see the progress catchment groups were making with the rivers of the Deep South.

On the first count, it’s really pleasing to see Environment Southland’s recent report that they’ve seen a marked improvement with winter grazing – especially given how wet it’s been down there this winter. I commend all those who’ve taken the baton and run with it.

As you can expect, there are one or two outliers. I can tell you now that I’ve had phone calls and messages from farmers saying how peeved they are with those individuals who are letting down their neighbours.

They’re letting all farmers down across the country.

Getting back onto catchment groups, I had a session with Thriving Southland which now supports 28 catchment groups across the province’s four major rivers – the Mataura, Oreti, Aparima and Waiau. Over 1,000 farms are involved now and that number is growing.

A telling account of the positive power of catchment groups came from the working bees done in the Aparima catchment.

Farmers were doing macroinvertebrate sampling (macroinvertebrate community indexing) of the streams to look at their health.

They were also sending water samples to the EPA to test for environmental DNA, or eDNA as it’s called. That process basically scans water samples for scraps of DNA, revealing what species are present.

Now, I don’t know a farmer that doesn’t love a good number to work to. Be it lambing percentage, per hectare production, weaning weights or that beautiful phrase ‘sustainable profit’, they help farmers answer the existential and perennial question: “am I doing better than last season?”.

It’s no different when you bring a bunch of farmers into a catchment group. Getting a read-out on the macroinvertebrate community index provides a number – a baseline.

And that’s what these Southland groups are doing. They’re focussed on what they can do on their farms to grow that indicator of stream health. Citizen science.

Something previously invisible becomes tangible and measurable. What gets measured gets done.

This is one of the reasons I’m a big believer in catchment groups - they bring people together to improve something.

Later that day I visited the Frew family farm where I met with the Makarewa Headwaters Catchment Group.

They’re doing excellent work and they remind me of another benefit of catchment groups – bringing together a community.

In Canterbury, the Govern-

Top work: Agriculture MIniuster Damien O’connor meets with the Makarewa Headwaters catchment Group on a recent visit to Southland. ment has invested over $7 million into farmer-led catchment groups via the Ministry for Primary Industries. Hurunui District Landcare Group and Ellesmere Sustainable Agriculture Incorporated are key organisations working with local catchment groups in Canterbury.

They’re also supported by Landcare Trust and Quorum Sense.

The investment we’re putting in is providing on-the-ground support to farmers, helping them access expertise and tools to improve their environmental and economic sustainability, and wellbeing.

I’m pleased to say that we are just shy of 150 catchment groups funded across the country and there are more coming on stream (so to speak).

If you’re not involved in a catchment group, I thoroughly recommend you get into it.

To help with the transmission of ideas, the National Catchments Forum 2021 is being held at Te Papa in Wellington from October 28 to 29.

The conference is being organised by NZ

Landcare Trust and the programme includes hearing from catchment group initiatives, such as Thriving Southland. There will also be panel discussions on the role of catchment groups in farm environmental planning, integrated farm planning and tackling climate change.

I encourage you to register and attend or send someone along from your neck of the bush.

Finally, there are knockers out there from both sides of the spectrum. On one side there are those cynical that farmers are motivated to make a difference to waterways.

On the other hand there are those who say freshwater regulations are not needed and change is moving too fast.

To the knockers I say we have a job to do as an industry and that’s to restore our rivers within a generation, within a generation.

Can someone find me a person who doesn’t think that’s a reasonable goal and a reasonable timeframe?

I hope the spring goes well for you all.

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FARMING NEWS

CANTERBURY FARMING

OctOber 2021

5

Genetics programme to deliver cattle with smaller environmental hoof-print The Government is backing a genetics programme which aims to lower the beef sector’s greenhouse gas emissions by delivering cows with a smaller environmental hoof-print.

❚ by Kent caddick Announced by Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor, the programme, ‘Informing New Zealand Beef’, is a seven-year partnership with Beef + Lamb New Zealand aimed at producing more efficient cows within the next 25 years.

The programme is targeting a 10% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions per kilogram of product produced.

“The cows most suited to New Zealand’s production systems will be moderate in size, but still highly productive. Moderate sized cows which require less feed will help to lower the impact on soils and produce less methane,” O’Connor said.

“To date we’ve relied on an Australian beef genetics framework, but the time is right to create our own programme tailored to New Zealand conditions.”

The Ministry for Primary Industries’ Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures fund is contributing $6.68 million to the $16.7 million programme, which aims to create a competitive advantage for New Zealand beef.

“More than 20 years ago our livestock industry developed New Zealand specific dairy and sheep genetics programmes, and this

has led to exponential gains in productivity,” O’Connor said.

“The genetic gain for beef has lagged behind the other livestock industries, so breeding cattle specifically for New Zealand conditions will give the beef industry the same opportunity to excel.”

The new genetics programme will use Artificial Insemination and genomic selection to identify the bulls with the best genetic markers earlier in their life, and with greater accuracy.

Farmers will be provided with tools to capture data and inform breeding decisions, with training available throughout the programme to ensure the tools developed are fit for purpose and used widely in the industry.

“The environmental focus of this programme in particular complements our Fit for a Better World: Accelerating Our Economic Potential Roadmap,” O’Connor said.

“The roadmap sits behind every action we take in the food and fibre sector – whether it’s creating new high value products, research and innovation, new environmental initiatives, or growing the skills and capability of our people.

“Soon farmers will be able to breed herds according to the landscape they are in,

Impact reduction: Informing New Zealand beef, is a seven-year partnership with beef + Lamb New Zealand aimed at delivering cows with a smaller environmental hoof-print. whether it’s flat land or hill country.”

Industry modelling shows introducing a beef genetics programme specific to New Zealand could increase profit by $460 million over a 25-year period.

“As the Government looks to all sectors to pull their weight with the Emissions Reduction Plan, this project forms an important component of the primary industries’ response to climate change,” O’Connor said.

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OctOber 2021

CANTERBURY FARMING

FARMING NEWS

The human cost of no response

The Prime Minister’s ‘Be Kind’ message is obviously struggling to get past Wellington’s 50km boundary and out to rural New Zealand.

barbara Kuriger ❚ with Party Spokesperson ❚ National for Agriculture ❚

You can tell because, if there was any response from her or her ministers to the concerns Rural NZ has, I’d know. To date, the tally is zero. As both a farmer and National’s Agriculture spokesperson I find it deplorable.

The heavy-handed approach the Government has adopted in trying to reach unrealistic, impractical targets for water, climate change, zero carbon, emissions and land use, to name but a few, has placed enormous pressure on the farming sector.

It is affecting a huge proportion of NZ’s population, as 15% or 750,000 people, live in Rural NZ. We were a country which used to pride itself on common sense and use it as our approach to virtually everything. So it shouldn’t be too hard for the Government to apply some of these traits in daily deliberations and decision-making. Yet here we are… left wanting.

Farmers just want to get up in the morning, put on their gumboots and do what’s practical.

As we come to the end of huge days calving and lambing, thanks in part to a lack of

RSE staff to fill the thousands of jobs available, the focus is now on cropping, silage, AB start dates, docking, shearing and getting the bulls out before Christmas.

But on top of this hefty workload are very weighty administration and red tape concerns, from proposed and implemented, regulations and policies. Farmers are very amenable to changes for the betterment of their land and animals.

But so much has been coming at them all at once, the pressure is immense. They are continually having to debate rules from above, which don’t work from the ground up, or have them in control.

To make matters worse, and despite all farmers do to improve, they have the souldestroying feeling it’s never enough and are constantly getting the message that they are bad.

There are great stories out there in our rural and local media about what farmers are doing. The stories hitting the 6pm news are the small minority of bad ones, and this gives farmers the view that the whole of New Zealand is against them, when in fact they’re not.

This is unacceptable in a world where ‘mental health’ and the effects, are discussed daily in public forums. We wouldn’t

get away with talking about any other part of society like the talk about farmers.

We have had many, across the age range and the country, who have decided not being around is the only option. And it’s here that the purpose of this editorial really lies.

It is to thank people like Whatever with Wiggy founder Craig Wiggins, The Resilient Farmer author and founder Doug Avery, Rural Support Trust members, Elle Perriam’s Will to Live Charity Trust, along with the many others are focusing on the wellbeing of farmers.

When farmers are well, they are so much more effective, as are we all. Isolation, not sharing concerns, workloads and pressure can be just as debilitating as the current Government.

If you haven’t heard about it, take a look at Wiggy’s new Lean on a Gate, Talk to a Mate campaign via his Facebook page — Whatever with Wiggy. Will to Live has also introduced a new initiative, RuralChange.

As suicide in rural regions is higher than in any other demographic, Will to Live is speeding up the process to get farmers the help they need immediately, via funded private counselling/psychologist sessions, rather than having to wait on the nation’s health system.

Farmer numbers taking up this option are already in the double digits.

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Working together to reduce emissions Farming, more than almost any other part of Aotearoa New Zealand, is dependent on a stable climate.

teanau tuiono ❚ by ❚ Agriculture spokesperson for the Green Party

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Extreme weather events have been happening across the world on a near daily basis, at least in part, because of rising global temperatures.

Events that had previously seemed unthinkable, even only a few years ago, are now happening at a pace and intensity we have never experienced before.

Here in Aotearoa, we’ve had devastating floods and wildfires in recent years – and the science says it could get worse. More frequent flooding in the south, and drought and fires in the north are just an indication of what could be to come.

Changes in rainfall patterns could lead to either less water for growth and irrigation, or possible flooding, depending on where in the country you are.

Higher temperatures could change our understanding of what are the best regions for cropping.

What we’re looking at then is a potential decline in production, quality and yield on farms all over the country. But understanding what may be yet to come doesn’t make it a foregone conclusion.

Among the dire warnings is an optimistic note that it’s not too late to make a difference.

Last month, global leaders accompanied the release of the latest scientific evidence of climate change with various

warnings of what could be to come, and a commitment to change. New Zealand did the same, and the pressure is now on for the Government to come to the table with a new credible and scientifically valid target to cut emissions.

Climate change is not always an easy topic to discuss in our communities. Discussing a global issue that is often reported in doom-laden, cataclysmic terms can feel quite overwhelming, especially when the effects of a warming atmosphere are mostly felt locally.

One of the most challenging things for many of us, is the attention farmers get in the debate about how Aotearoa should respond to the climate crisis, particularly when it comes to methane.

A key reason for this is because methane doesn’t hang around in the atmosphere for very long.

Unlike the other main greenhouse gas, carbon dioxide, the life span of methane is measured in decades, not centuries. And while methane is in the air, it traps a lot of heat, which is a problem.

The point people are making then is that reducing methane emissions needs to be part of the effort to slow the rise of global temperatures.

It’s not the only thing we need to do, by any means, but it needs to be part of

the economy-wide effort.

Unfortunately, there is no easy blueprint to reduce methane emissions from agriculture – but what’s clear is that a part of the solution is the need for Government to work with the regions and support our rural communities to transition to a low emissions future.

Work is underway, but it’s not enough. Agriculture is currently New Zealand’s largest source of emissions, whilst also being our largest export sector so it is important that the government works with communities that are at the heart of that sector.

The opportunity here is huge. Many of the biggest markets in the world are adopting net-zero emission targets coupled with a rising interest in regenerative agriculture and organics, so we know that in the coming years and decades there will be a global move towards more efficient and climate-friendly ways of producing food and fibre.

The Government needs to both listen and support the transition to a low emissions future for New Zealand in a way that allows farmers to maximise production, quality and yield.

Working together will put us in the best possible position to seize the new opportunities that will open up in a low emissions world.

FARMING NEWS

CANTERBURY FARMING October 2021

7

Young farmer contest underway The coveted FMG Young Farmer of the Year 2022 contest will be kicking off this month for season 54’s first qualifying rounds.

❚ by Kent Caddick The FMG Young Farmer of the Year is an iconic contest which began in 1969 and showcases the best of the country’s agriculture, food and fibre sector.

This year, all New Zealand Young Farmers (NZYF) Club members are being challenged to enter to support their region’s volunteers, have a bit of fun and show their fellow Club members what they’re made of.

Sixteen district contests will be held across the country over October and November to select eight of the best competitors in each of NZYF’s seven regions.

Seven Regional Finals will be held early next year, where the winner from each will proceed to the Grand Final to battle it out for the 2022 FMG Young Farmer of the Year title in Whangarei, in July. District Contests are hosted by an NZYF Club and involve half a day of practical challenges.

A first-time competitor, 2021 FMG Young Farmer of the Year Jake Jarman initially signed up to contest to give it a go last year.

“I saw it as a case of ‘I’ve got nothing to lose so I’ll get stuck in’ instead of being a spectator and watching all the other competitors have all the fun,” Jarman said.

The Lincoln University commerce graduate said he completely failed the wool module in his first taste of the FMG Young Farmer of the Year district contest.

“I definitely walked away having learnt a thing or two, including how to put the lid of a beehive on properly on the top, not the bottom,” he said.

Jarman’s advice to all NZYF members was to grab a mate, sign up for the district contest and personally challenge each other to see who will do better.

“Districts are a lot more low-key so the

Testing time: The FMG Young Farmer of the Year District Contests tests contestants’ practical skills.

competition would be within all of our member’s skill sets and I’d encourage everyone to give it a go,” he said.

“You’re not going to embarrass yourself and if you don’t know about something you will get taught on the day so at least you walk away from the day having learnt something like I did,” he said.

New Zealand Young Farmers Board chair Kent Weir said he would love to see more member participation in the district contests to support the clubs who volunteer their time and energy to convene the competition.

“This is the perfect time to enter yourself, your clubmates, your workmates and even your partners into the district contests to

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have a bit of fun and earn a cold one at the end of the day,” Weir said.

“It’s a good opportunity to not just test yourself and benchmark yourself against your peers, but a chance to meet new people, connect with the community, potentially learn a thing or two and get off the farm and socialise with others in the industry.”

8

OctOber 2021 CANTERBURY FARMING

RURAL PROFESSIONALS

How a Protection Order works

bessie Paterson LLb ❚ with Ronald ❚ W Angland & Son

It is a big step to take but personal safety is most important for both partners and children. Domestic violence can include physiIf you or someone you know suffers domes- cal, sexual abuse, psychological threats and tic violence they should be persuaded or en- intimidation and financial abuse.

To apply for a Protection order the applicouraged to apply to the Family Court for a cant and the perpetrator must be in some Protection Order. sort of domestic relationship. If a domestic relationship does not exist there are other orders which can be obtained against a person who subjects the victim to harassment and/or intimidating behaviour.

A victim of domestic violence may apply to the Family Court directly but there are other agencies which may also assist with the papers Leeston (03) 324 3033 which need to be filed. In Email: lawyers@anglands.co.nz | www.anglands.co.nz many instances an applicant may be eligible for legal aid.

An application for an order

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has to be filed with an affidavit detailing the actions which the victim has suffered at the hands of the perpetrator.

If a Judge is satisfied that domestic violence has occurred and the victim needs protection urgently, the Judge will make a temporary order which will last for three months.

A temporary order may become permanent once the perpetrator has been given notice of the application and has had a chance to defend the application. If no defence is filed the temporary order will become permanent after three months.

Protection orders are subject to various conditions. The perpetrator may not abuse or threaten to abuse the victim or their children, damage any property or encourage someone else to do so.

Additional conditions may relate to having no contact with the victim or lurk near her workplace, follow her or try to contact her.

Firearms must be handed to the Police and when a Protection Order becomes final, a

firearms licence is automatically cancelled.

A perpetrator will invariably be ordered to attend non-violence programmes and sometimes anger management.

There are other ancillary orders which may be obtained against a violent person. These apply to the victim’s right of occupation of the home, the use of furniture and the parenting of the children.

The Police will enforce protection orders as a criminal offence is committed when someone fails to comply with the conditions of an order including the failure to attend nonviolence programmes when ordered to do so.

It is a sad fact that may victims of serious crimes have a protection order in place but there are thousands more who have gained adequate protection against the violent person. this article has been prepared by bessie Paterson, a Partner at ronald W Angland & Son, Solicitors, 2 chapman Street. Leeston.

RURAL PROFESSIONALS

CANTERBURY FARMING

OctOber 2021

9

Rules and regulations when using drones In recent times, local community forums have expressed outrage over drone users flying over private property.

In particular, members of the Okuku and Loburn, Ohoka, and Ashley Community Facebook groups have accused drone users of scoping properties for theft and illegal actions. Such comments have promoted Helmore Stewart to inform the wider community of the rights and obligations of both Drone users and members of the public.

Drones are aircraft that operate without a pilot on board and can be flown autonomously or remotely. Drones are gaining in popularity for both commercial and recreational uses. They are often used in industries such as agriculture and tourism as a means to save time and cost. The rapid growth in popularity for drones has understandably sparked considerable public concern about privacy and safety.

obtain an air traffic control clearance issued by airways • Do not fly in special use airspace without permission • Obtain the consent of anyone who you want to fly above • Obtain the consent of the property owner or the person in charge of the area you are wanting to fly above A complaint regarding drone operation safety or a breach of the above mentioned

rules should be addressed to the Privacy Commission of the Civil Aviation Authority or in circumstances where there are immediate concerns for public safety, the Police. For more information you can visit the Civil Aviation Authority Website.

If you have concerns regarding a possible breach of privacy or you believe a Drone has trespassed, please contact Helmore Stewart to discuss the specific details of the action in question.

PROFESSIONAL RURAL

Ben Turner

KEY 670911641

Mia Hofsteede ❚ by ❚ Helmore Stewart Lawyers

Contrary to popular belief, you cannot shoot down a drone that is flying over your property. Shooting down a drone could constitute any number of offences under the Summary Offices Act 1981, the Crimes Act 1961 and the Arms Act 1983.

Although you do not need a licence to operate a drone within New Zealand, a drone user must adhere to the relevant rules for flying uncertified aircraft.

These rules can be found under the Civil Aviation Authority, Part 101 and are summarised as follows: • Do not operate an aircraft that is 25kg or larger and always ensure that it is safe to operate • At all times take practical steps to minimize hazards to persons, property and other aircraft • Fly only in daylight • Give way to crewed aircraft • Be able to see the aircraft with your own eyes (not through binoculars, a monitor or smartphone) to ensure separation from other aircraft • Do not fly an aircraft higher than 120 metres above ground level (unless certain other conditions are met) • Have knowledge of airspace restrictions that apply in the area that you want to operate in • Do not fly closer than four kilometres from any aerodrome (unless certain conditions are met) • When flying in a controlled airspace,

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10

OctOber 2021

CANTERBURY FARMING

RURAL PROFESSIONALS

New Zealand Farm Assured Wool gives boost to industry Wool growers certified to the New Zealand Farm Assurance Programme can now promote and sell their wool as Farm Assured.

❚ by Kent caddick It follows the National Council of New Zealand Wool Interests (NCNZWI) adopting the New Zealand Farm Assurance Programme (NZFAP) as a National Standard for Wool in May. Nick Beeby, chairman of New Zealand Farm Assurance Incorporated (NZFAI), which owns and manages the NZFAP, said the milestone provides a substantial boost for the wool industry.

“This initiative provides the sector with an opportunity to add value to our national wool crop by locking in New Zealand’s unique farming systems and the natural and sustainable qualities of wool,’ Beeby said.

“All NZFAP certified farms growing wool will be able to promote and sell Farm Assured wool provided that the company handling the wool is a NZFAI member, the wool is going directly into a NZFAI-approved wool facility, and the wool leaving the property is accompanied by a NZFAI wool specification sheet that includes the NZFAP farm assurance code.”

Beeby said the new requirements have been established by the NZFAI in partnership with 23 NCNZWI wool companies, resulting in a rigorous wool-facility and exporter protocol.

“This helps to uphold the integrity of NZFAP and provides assurances to customers of the transparency, sustainability, biosecurity, and animal welfare of the wool products they purchase.

Value plus: New Zealand Farm Assurance Incorporated chairman Nick beeby says the New Zealand Farm Assurance Programme will add value to our national wool crop.

“We believe this initiative further galvanises the primary industry collaborative power and positions the 23 NZFAI wool member companies in a much stronger collaborative position to add value by promoting New Zealand wool to the more discerning and socially conscious consumers.”

‘

For a list of approved NZFAI wool members, facilities and exporters, go to www.nzfap.com.

this helps to uphold the integrity of NZFAP and provides assurances to customers.

Nick Beeby NZFAI Chairman

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CANTERBURY FARMING

OctOber 2021

11

Global share markets continue to hit new highs

The majority of global share markets have continued to climb higher, with many sitting at or near record highs.

Markets have been driven higher by a combination of: • Companies generally delivering betterthan-expected earnings results benefiting from a combination of improving economic activity and significant cost savings.

• Central banks and governments remaining committed to “loose” policy settings, including ultra-low interest rates, which continue to underpin very healthy growth in economic activity, and support demand for higher risk-return investments such as stocks.

• Vaccine roll-outs in Europe and the United States boosting hopes that rising cases of the Covid-19 delta variant will not lead to further lockdowns.

Vaccines have proved effective in substantially reducing the proportion of people who catch the virus getting seriously ill.

New Zealand market bounces despite Covid lockdowns Some may be surprised the strong performance has come at a time when we’ve been hit with the first Covid-19 community outbreak in six months, and the whole country has been thrown back into lockdown. Lockdowns will impact economically-exposed sectors and companies.

The good news for investors, however, is the New Zealand market is dominated by defensive companies in sectors like healthcare,

utilities, telecommunications, and consumer staples. The earnings of these companies are less affected by the economic environment.

The silver lining of the outbreak is that it’s been the wake-up call for many New Zealanders to get vaccinated. We no longer hold the inauspicious title of being the least vaccinated countr y in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

This time round, New Zealand had no real choice around how to respond to the Covid-19 outbreak – zero tolerance with strict lockdowns. Widespread vaccinations are the only way to provide countries with broader choices about how to manage Covid -19 in the future.

Interest rate rises are coming The COVID outbreak caused an about-turn decision by The Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) to hold off raising interest rates.

But this is likely to be only temporary.

The New Zealand economy is facing pentup demand and capacity constraints — the housing shortage being the most obvious example — from the tidal wave of migrants over the last eight years. In recent years, that same migration kept a lid on wages.

But now, with borders shut, capacity pressures are biting and inflation risks are rising. Furthermore, unlike other countries New Zealanders have been breaking out the credit cards.

Looking at off-farm investments?

Much of our strong economy is being funded by rising household debt for which we’ll eventually face a cost. The market is pricing that the first rate hike will most likely come at the next RBNZ meeting on 6 October.

Invest locally and globally Over the past decade or so a home market bias to New Zealand would have been very beneficial.

Our high dividend yielding market has been one of the top performers globally. A large part of this return has been from investors’ willingness to pay a higher price for the income generated by businesses in sectors such as utilities, telecommunications, and property. We believe the shift in the direction

of interest rates means this benefit is now likely at an end.

That isn’t to say you should throw the baby out with the bathwater. There are still highquality companies in New Zealand we are happy to remain invested in.

But, it does mean having adequate diversification (always a mainstay of any investment plan) across markets and sectors may prove even more important than usual.

As always, whether regarding adequate diversification or any other questions you may have, your Forsyth Barr Investment Adviser is available to discuss your investment plans at any time.

For the quarter ended 31 August 2021.

If you’re new to investing please see Forsyth barr’s Introduction to Investing guide available at www. forsythbarr.co.nz/intro-to-investing/ or to discuss your investment options please contact Andrew Wyllie, an Investment Adviser with Forsyth barr in christchurch. He can be contacted regarding portfolio management, fixed interest, or share investments on 0800 367 227 or andrew.wyllie@forsythbarr.co.nz. this column is general in nature and does not take any of your personal circumstances into account. For personalised financial advice, contact Forsyth barr for an overview of the services we can provide.

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12

OctOber 2021

CANTERBURY FARMING

Don’t forget Mid Canterbury ❚ with rob cope-Williams

It is now many months since the floods caused havoc in Mid Canterbury, and with the headlines moving onto other things it is very easy to forget those who are still facing massive problems cleaning up.

On a recent rip through the area, it hit me like a sledgehammer; the work is certainly far from over.

Deep hollows where the ground was scoured out and the rubble spread across paddocks, masses of trees piled up similar to what I imagine an elephant graveyard would look like as in heaps of naked trunks and branches twisted around each other leaving an impossible task when it comes to unravelling them, let alone cutting them up and disposing of them.

It will need an army of people with chainsaws to have any impact, but hopefully a service club will step up and turn the mess into firewood for the needy.

I noted that even a car that was caught remains where it ended up and looked very much like a bit of silver paper scrunched up and thrown there.

Some of the paddocks had piles of shingle across them, but seriously there was more left on the ground than in the stacks.

Grass was sprouting and struggling to find gaps to grow through.

I have no idea how long it will take to get the land back to what it was, or even if it ever will be, but my heart went out to those affected.

As the media concentrate on Aucklanders being unable to buy coffee, KFC or burgers, the Mid Canterbury folk have been struggling along as only country folk can.

I wonder how they must feel when city people are rewarded with a bacon buttery if they get a Covid jab, and the Mid Canterbury folk face another day of no support.

I do know that mortgages still have to be paid while trying to make the property viable again, I know there are many who certainly won’t forget them.

I do take my hat off to the people who are on the ground helping, they are amazing, but again it is like wetting yourself when wearing dark pants. There is a warm feeling and no one notices, but sadly the warm feeling turns cold after a short time.

I admit to being very scared that we get another deluge as the stop banks are far from sorted but let us not even mention that in case it was to happen.

I remind everyone that it is darkest before dawn.

❚ with John Arts

The importance of minerals Last edition I commented that most multi style supplements over promise but under deliver. This is because most are formulated as a ‘1-a-day’ supplement and filled with too many B vitamins yet lack minerals and antioxidants we need.

Outright mineral deficiencies cause disease but of much greater importance is the number of diseases linked to sub-optimal minerals in our diet.

Sub-optimal just means less than our bodies really need. If I could do an experiment it would be to give all New Zealanders a comprehensive multi mineral, multi vitamin and antioxidant and observe health patterns over a long period of time. I would not be surprised to see reductions in most chronic diseases.

Farmers are very aware of the mineral deficiencies in our soil. I spoke to a farming client recently and he commented on the improvements to animal health when they added selenium and other minerals.

He said the sheep went from being lethargic to full of energy. It is a real tragedy that we do not incorporate such advice into human health. Just perhaps the issue is that unlike livestock hu-

mans do not have a productivity value.

When I recently reformulated my Cell-X mult- nutritional supplement, I took great care to ensure that minerals, like selenium and zinc, were at levels that support optimal health. Our immune system, indeed the health of every cell, requires these minerals to produce powerful enzymes that protect our cells, including immune cells, from damage and disease.

I offer you a challenge: take a good multi-nutritional supplement like Cell-X for 3 months and notice the difference.

Most talk about more energy, better immunity especially in winter and just feeling well.

John Arts (b.Soc.Sci, Dip tch, Adv.Dip.Nut. Med) is a nutritional medicine practitioner and founder of Abundant Health Ltd. For questions or advice contact John on 0800 423559 or email john@abundant.co.nz. Join his all new newsletter at www.abundant.co.nz.

Abundant Health

‘

It is like wetting yourself when wearing dark pants. there is a warm feeling and no one notices, but sadly the warm feeling turns cold.

FARMING NEWS

CANTERBURY FARMING

OctOber 2021

13

Ashburton Lakes at risk of degradation The Ashburton Lakes/O Tu Wharekai, which include Lake Clearwater, Lake Heron, Lake Emily, and Lake Camp, face the very real and immediate risk of ‘flipping’.

Jenny Hughey ❚ by Chair ❚ Environment Canterbury Flipping is when a healthy lake with clear water and an abundance of waterborne plants becomes murky and dominated by algae.

It’s caused by an increase in the level of nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus in the water, which promote the growth of algae.

Excessive algae mean less light reaching the lakebed. The plants are shaded out and struggle to compete with what becomes a growing population of algae, making the environment for the plants worse still.

The problem is exacerbated by the plants being less able to dampen down the waves on the lake shore. This increases shoreline erosion and sediment going into the lake.

All up, it’s a scenario that can set a lake on its way to flipping.

In the case of the Ashburton Lakes/O Tu Wharekai, research commissioned by Environment Canterbury and the Department of Conservation shows that the water quality is deteriorating and, in some cases, rapidly.

Unless something is urgently done, these lakes have a high chance of flipping, with Lake Clearwater being a particularly serious case.

The research reveals a combination of factors affecting the nutrient levels, including agriculture, human activity, and, to a lesser extent, birdlife.

The time to act is now. Once a lake has flipped, it can be extraordinarily difficult to bring it back to a natural state, even if the catchment nutrients and sediment are reduced. We have a duty to ensure that this doesn’t happen.

We’ve established a working group to urgently find a way to protect these precious lakes. We know that it will take a collective effort between farmers, iwi and recreational lake users to get the required results.

We also know that we can’t use a one-

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size-fits-all approach, as the circumstances for each lake are different.

To save these lakes, we’ll need to investigate each one to better understand the lake processes and ecology, and work out the nutrient reductions required at a catchment and farm level.

We’re currently speaking with other regional councils and partners to work out what non-regulator y tools can be developed to suppor t those whose activities may be contributing to the nutrient levels in the lakes.

There is much to be done and it’s vital that we act swiftly. No one wants to see these iconic lakes become so degraded. As well as their recreational value, many are culturally significant to Canterbury runanga as mahinga kai sites.

Letting these wonderful Canterbury lakes

degrade beyond repair would a terrible thing to allow on our watch, a terrible legacy to leave to the next generation.

A note on Overseer In my last column I said I would report back on the interim solution to the situation with Overseer.

Many discussions and much work have taken place since the scientific advisory panel’s review. However, while we are close to finalising the way forward, there is still some work to be done.

Thank you for your patience with this. We realise that it’s important to have the interim solution as soon as possible to give you certainty, as well as ensure that it is fair, minimises cost and disruption, and continues to have a positive outcome on the region’s freshwater.

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More resources and information on the Farmers’ Hub at ecan.govt.nz/farming

14

October 2021 CANTERBURY FARMING

Organic vineyards say cheers to Fendt convenience and sustainability Greystone Vineyards in North Canterbury switched to Fendt tractors last year and they have not looked back since.

❚ Article supplied by Fendt NZ

The Greystone Vineyards operation covers 50 ha across two properties in the Waipara winegrowing region in North Canterbury.

This includes the Greystone Vineyard and the Muddy Water Vineyard.

Greystone viticulturist Mike Saunders said German engineering and AGCO’s back-up service were major factors which contributed to the decision to convert the fleet of three tractors to Fendt.

“For me, one of the biggest things is the ownership structure with AGCO. We are leasing the tractors under a full-maintenance arrangement that removes so much hassle,” Saunders said.

“We used to spend a long time with staff servicing the tractors. It is about prioritising staff time and realising that maintenance is not a specialty for us.

“Now we have the experts come in to maintain them, and it results in less down time for us.”

Greystone leased a larger Fendt 209P tractor in October last year, before adding two smaller Fendt 209V models earlier this year. All run on Fendt’s renowned Vario transmission.

“It takes a day or two for the driver to get their heads around the Vario transmission,

but once you have got the hang of it, you don’t want to go back,” Saunders said.

With the Vario transmission, drivers can use a joystick to set the speed, and then Fendt’s tractor management system controls the rest. Or the driver can manually control the speed using a foot pedal.

“The tractor’s management system controls the engine to ensure fuel efficiency. It makes sure you don’t use any more diesel than you need too.”

Unlike a car’s automatic transmission, with Fendt Vario the tractor comes to a complete stop when you lift your foot off the pedal.

The Fendt 209s are quiet, comfortable to drive and fuel efficient. They also provide the hydraulic power needed to operate the vineyard’s various implements.

“Health and safety is so important. We need our staff to spend eight hours a day in the tractor, and then come out feeling happy, comfortable and ready to go the next day.”

Fendt’s Vario transmissions also contribute the safety of the drivers because they give a lot more control and confidence on the hillside vineyard’s narrow rows Saunders said swapping gear and implements on and off tractors for different jobs can be a challenge, but, with Fendt’s fully-

Choice: Greystone viticulturist Mike Saunders said German engineering and AGCO’s back-up service were major factors which contributed to the decision to convert the fleet of three tractors to Fendt.

adjustable rear linkage and hydraulics with a unique lock system, connecting attachments is easy.

Saunders said Greystone Vineyards are 100 percent BioGro organic certified, and the Fendt tractors fit well with the company’s philosophy.

“For us, it’s about how we treat the plants, the land, and the environment. If we can use less fossil fuel, it is a big dollar saving for us and it is better for the environment.”

Greystone does not use herbicides, so the rows need to be managed carefully with un-

der-vine weeding and mowing.

“It is a very careful process. We need the precision and stability of the tractors, so we can get in and do the work without taking the vines out with the weeder,” Saunders said.

The larger 209P tractor mainly operates on the larger Greystone vineyard, some of which is laid out on 2.5m-wide rows. It runs a 1500-litre sprayer and harvesting equipment.

The 209V tractors float between the properties to work on the narrower 2m-wide rows doing weeding, mowing and mulching.

CANTERBURY FARMING

OctOber 2021

15

The Steiger raising the bar Following hot on the heels of last year’s launch of the next-generation AFS Connect Magnum comes a similar makeover for the flagship of Case IH’s machinery fleet, the Steiger.

❚ by tim Fulton The AFS Connect Steiger is now being introduced to Australian and New Zealand farmers, promising the connectivity potential and technology advancements of the AFS Connect Magnum, but with the additional horsepower for those with big jobs and big hectares to cover.

Available in Quadtrac, Rowtrac and wheeled configurations from 400 to 600 horsepower, the AFS Connect Steiger features a redesigned cab with an all-new armrest with ergonomic controls, automotive-grade design elements and a 12-inch display configurable to each operator’s needs.

There is also a new operating system and receiver.

“Like the AFS Connect Magnum, this new Steiger represents the future direction for the entire Case IH tractor line-up,” Steiger product manager Jason Wood said.

“From the design upgrades and enhancements to the suite of new technology driving

new levels of efficiency and productivity, the AFS Connect Steiger delivers the connectivity that enables producers to control and oversee their operation from not only the tractor cab, but from home, in the shed, or wherever they may be.

“The power, durability and efficiency that have been the hallmarks of the Steiger range for more than 60 years remain the same, but these latest technology enhancements only amplify its appeal to the customer looking for a tractor that can tackle the biggest and most demanding of tasks.”

The AFS Connect Steiger is powered by three system components: AFS Pro 1200 display provides great visibility day or night and features exterior camera feeds, easy Bluetooth® pairing to link a mobile device, and remote display viewing to connect operators with farm managers seamlessly.

AFS Vision Pro operating system is familiar and easy to use – just like a smartphone or tablet. This advanced control system al-

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the AFS connect Steiger gives producers more options than ever before being available in Quadtrac, rowtrac and wheeled configurations from 400 to 600 horsepower.

lows producers to control the tractor with a touch screen configured to suit their needs.

AFS Vector Pro receiver streamlines guidance correction options, ranging from base (AFS 1) to medium (AFS 2) to high (RTK) accuracy levels.

The cab, like that of the AFS Connect Magnum, has been completely redesigned, blending simplicity, control and comfort, no matter the conditions or crop.

Features include: • Ergonomic MultiControl Armrest with eight control buttons, a MultiFunction Handle with four programmable hot keys and an encoder knob for total control at the operator’s fingertips • Newly-designed heating, ventilation,

and air-conditioning • 29 power connectors and diagnostic ports to connect all the devices required to monitor and control the operation • Standard leather seat with ventilation • Advanced steering system with adjustable steering rates to increase performance and manoeuvrability on every turn of the steering wheel • - 360-degree performance lighting that can be grouped to turn on and off as the operator sees fit • Telescoping mirrors that are adjustable from the cab Along with these new features, industryleading cab suspension, unmatched visibility and a 40-degree swivel seat come standard.

16

October 2021 CANTERBURY FARMING

CANTERBURY FARMING

OctOber 2021

17

Stability was a concern for Jono When Jono Frew took over management of the family farm a few changes needed to be made.

Lloyd thomas ❚ by Effluent Management ❚ Nevada ❚ Specialist

He’d trained as a mechanic and had recently been working for a contractor who had been cleaning out one of the effluent ponds and spreading with a tanker. Having a good understanding of the value of having a slurry tanker to spread when and where they need, Jono decided it was time the farm had one of its own.

This 1100 cow dairy farm is deep in South Otago featuring rolling hills and 3 effluent ponds. Milking 700 cows, the first 2 ponds are dedicated to the cow shed with the 3rd storing effluent from a feed pad used for calving.

Pumping systems are used for the main effluent ponds to spread through travelling irrigators, and the contractor had previously emptied out the third pond to spread over the hills.

With his mechanical background, and experience using several other brands of slurry tanker Jono was quite the discerning buyer.

“This [Nevada slurry tanker] looked like the best value for money,” Jono said.

“I liked the RainWave applicator, and it’s better to be dealing directly with the importers with more specialist knowledge.”

Jono got in touch with Nevada and requested an on-site meeting as soon as possible. Lloyd was confident a Nevada slurry tanker could easily handle the rolling hills and suggested that with the number of cows and size of his tractor Jono could handle a bigger slurry tanker than the 14,700L he had in mind should he want to.

“I felt comfortable with a 14,700L. I’ve used a few different tankers before and any bigger and they haven’t been stable over the hills,” Jono said.

So the decision to invest in a 14,700L Nevada slurry tanker was made right then and there.

The slurry tanker needed to be ordered in so took a few months to arrive, but now that it has, Jono was quick to analyse its performance.

“This machine spreads faster and more accurately [than others I’ve used]. The cycle time is much faster than I’d thought. It doesn’t rip up the tracks like others have.”

And how does it perform over the rolling hills?

“I’m really impressed with the stability

Dairy farmer Jono Frew says his 14,700L Nevada slurry tanker spreads faster and more accurately than others he’s used and was impressed with its stability over hills. over the hills. We might even look at upgrading to a bigger size in a few years.”

As it turned out Jono’s slurry tanker arrived right at the right time.

“Fert costs have just gone up so it’s great to utilise the nutrients we’ve already got. With this [slurry tanker] we’re able to do the whole farm.”

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OctOber 2021

CANTERBURY FARMING

Versatile Valtra covers a lot of ground The first Valtra tractor joined the Butler family’s busy farming business in 2000.

❚ Article supplied by AGCO NZ

Michael Butler’s parents, Peter and Helen, own several dairy farms in the South Island and around Waikato.

Peter had been happily using another brand of tractor for decades, so it is fair to say Valtra would not have been the pair’s first choice. Once they tried one out, however, their views shifted.

At that point Peter and Michael had gone south to work on the conversion of their latest farm in Canterbury.

“We needed a new tractor in a hurry. We got a Valtra and it was such a good, reliable tractor that since then we have owned another eight,” Michael says.

Michael helps oversee the running of the dairy farms, but he and his wife Shanekea also own and run the agricultural spray contracting business Spraylink, which they bought in 2018.

Spraylink runs three spray trucks and two Valtra tractors with trailing sprayers.

When spraying goes quiet in January and February, Michael and the other two drivers shift to baling.

They buy and bale standing grass from Fonterra. He sells some bales, but mostly they supply the family’s own cows.

Currently four Valtras are scattered over the family’s dairy farms and contracting business – a T174D, N143, N101 and an A92.

The T174D is the latest.

The ‘D’ stands for Direct CVT, and is the top of the range option.

Its standard features include load sensing hydraulics, electric-hydraulic control and a SmartTouch arm rest.

Owners can also specify the type of suspension, size of hydraulic oil pump, front PTO, top speed, type of joystick, trailer hitches, and of course the colour of their Valtra.

Extras include brakes on the front axles, bigger tyres, 160 litre/min hydraulic oil flow, and options include six hydraulics valves on the back and two on the front.

The T174D pulls a 6000-litre sprayer or runs 5m-wide double mowers. It works on hills as well as the flat and Michael finds there is plenty of traction and power.

He says the CVT transmission is great for spraying, as he does not have to think about gears.

“You just put your foot on the accelerator and it goes faster. There are two ways to flick into reverse – using the shuttle on the gear stick or the button on the command joystick,” Michael says.

the Valtra t174D used by Spraylink contractors pulls a 6000-litre sprayer or runs 5m-wide double mowers, and works on hills as well as the flat.

“It has a 5.25m turning circle and it is also nimble. It turns very sharply.”

A 9-inch touchscreen is incorporated into the armrest, which Michael says is very userfriendly and easy to work with.

The Valtra T174D has a 7.4-litre, six-cylinder engine. It is fuel-efficient, and its low emissions meet Stage V EU regulations.

For more information contact AGcO NZ.

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OctOber 2021

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20

OctOber 2021

CANTERBURY FARMING

The perfect John Deere tractor for you The John Deere tractor line-up offers premium features, power and performance, no matter the application. supplied by ❚ Advertorial Drummond & Etheridge ❚ The versatile John Deere 5 and 6 Series Tractors are suitable for all agricultural, viticultural and horticultural jobs, and make light work of big tasks. Add a loader, attachments or implements and do even more with your John Deere workhorse.

Capable without compromise, John Deere’s 5 Series Utility Tractors make easy work of any challenge. Ranging from 50hp to 125hp, these agile tractors are built to get any job done across a wide range of speciality applications.

John Deere 5E tractors (50-93hp) are ideal those who need just a little more tractor, with the features and specifications to handle heavier-duty chores. Choose from a comfortable cab or open operator station options, and 2WD or 4WD to suit your application.

John Deere 5M tractors (75-115hp) come with an array of controls and features, optimised for power and efficiency.

Need to slow things down? The two-gear creeper option lets you work at speeds as slow as 280m/hr. Plus, John Deere’s Click & Go front loader mounting system allows

for fast, safe and easy attachment.

John Deere 5R tractors (90-125hp) are light and agile, packed with premium features such as CommandARM™, and offer outstanding comfort with front axle suspension and cab suspension options. John Deere 5R tractors are also equipped with Precision Ag technology capability, including JDLink™ connectivity, and hands-free steering with AutoTrac™ for greater productivity and performance.

Power and versatility. These two words could be the most sensible pair to use when describing John Deere’s 6M and 6R Series Tractors. Each of these models is designed to handle a variety of chores with ease, all while keeping the operator comfortable.

John Deere 6M tractors include three new four-cylinder models from 90 to 120hp, featuring a 2.4m wheelbase. This is a more compact 6M Series tractor than John Deere has offered before, with the low bonnet design presenting a clear view to the front of the machine. In addition, a slimmer steering wheel cowl and the newly designed panoramic window in the cab roof provides full visibility for loader work or operation in confined spaces.

Power: John Deere 6 Series tractors are built to get the tougher jobs done, these powerful tractors offer horsepower from 90 to 250.

Improved manoeuvrability is a result of the short wheelbase, which allows a tight turning circle of only 4.35m on the new four-cylinder models. Despite their slim design, these full-frame concept tractors feature a maximum permissible gross weight of 10.45 tonnes, which means an unrivalled payload capacity in this class of up to 4.7 tonnes.

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When the going gets tough, John Deere 6R tractors are ready to go. No matter what your to-do list looks like – or what Mother Nature throws your way – you’ll be up for it. With three frame sizes and models ranging from 110 to 215hp featuring up to 41gpm of hydraulic punch, a chore-mastering hitch-lift capacity of up to 5,443kg – the 6R’s tackle changing conditions with a power reserve that boosts power by up to 40 extra horses.

For high-hour users who need to take big days head on, the 6R wraps you in comfort and lets you take command. backed by comprehensive parts and service support, new John Deere 5 & 6 Series tractors are also available at 0% finance p.a for a limited time at Drummond & etheridge. terms, conditions and lending criteria apply. contact your local branch on 0800 432 633 or visit www.dne.co.nz to view the full range of John Deere tractors and quality brands of farm machinery.

CANTERBURY FARMING

OctOber 2021

ON ALL NEW 5&6 SERIES JOHN DEERE TRACTORS

*Conditions apply. Finance available through John Deere Financial Limited to approved commercial applicants only. Offer is based on 0% interest, 50% deposit, GST back in month 3 and 36 month term. Fees and charges of $425 apply. If not amended or withdrawn earlier, the promotion expires on 31/12/2021.

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22

OctOber 2021

CANTERBURY FARMING

YOUR NEW CAREER STARTS HERE ENROL NOW FOR 2022

Join us at Telford for certificate and diploma level studies in Agriculture, Wool Technology, Equine and more.

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Take advantage of the Targeted Training and Apprenticeship Fund that will allow you to study select sub-degree courses at no cost.

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CANTERBURY FARMING

OctOber 2021

23

Mother Nature can be cruel These past few months has been rough weather wise, with the big floods in May, then again in August, and more recently some powerful ad damaging winds.

Vanessa Winning ❚ by ❚ IrrigationNZ CEO

After all this you’d think we would get some relief, but the forecast isn’t always promising, as more extreme weather becomes more common.

We often think about irrigation when its dry and our pastures and crops need water, but it’s just as important to be thinking about your irrigation equipment when the weather turns as well.

The winds through Canterbury while not as damaging as those we experienced in Culverden a few years ago, still caused a significant amount of damage.

What was pleasing was that several our irrigators were prepared for it and had secured their pivots correctly in anticipation.

Strong winds aren’t uncommon on the Can-

terbur y Plains, especially at this time of year, so being prepared is key.

Ensuring you have the right insurance is important for when mother nature strikes, but just as important is knowing how to prevent the more serious damage occurring. While insurance ensures you’ll be able to replace or repair the damage, what we are hearing right now is that parts and equipment is getting harder to get into the country due to Covid, and therefore each weather event is causing more strain on a low stock situation.

IrrigationNZ works with FMG each year to promote ways to reduce the damage, we provide training for farmers especially in the Canterbury region, but other parts of the country too, and we help farmers know how to point, park, and anchor your pivots.

We are currently running these workshops in Canterbury, we had one in Culverden recently and the next one is due near Leeston in a couple weeks’ time.

If you’re an IrrigationNZ member, these sessions are free, and can save you a lot of hear tache and worr y. To register, just contact us and if you’d like to see if we can do one in your area in the future, we would

Upskilling: IrrigationNZ is running irrigation training sessions for farmers in canterbury. also love to hear from you.

If you can’t get to one of these sessions, we do also provide advice on our website, with a video demonstration and guidance material under our practical resources section.

Again, the information is free and can save you a lot in the long run. We are very grateful to FMG for their support with this too.

Farm life can be busy, very busy, and we understand that. There are a multitude of tasks that need to be addressed on a daily and weekly basis to keep your farm and stock at optimum condition. On top of that

there are equipment and systems that need to be keep in great working order, so they don’t let you down at a critical time.

Importantly, you want your family, staff, and yourself to be safe when working around the farm.

This particularly applies to your irrigation infrastructure, some of which may have not had much attention since you shut down after last year’s busy irrigation season.

IrrigationNZ has a series of systems specific pre-season check lists available to our members.

24

OctOber 2021

CANTERBURY FARMING

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

Bore water and private water schemes are vulnerable to nitrate contamination, heavy metals, pesticides, E coli, giardia and water borne viruses.

It was nitrate concern in particular that moved Richard Ellis to create Filtration Canterbury.

Richard lives in the Alford Forest area and was approached by local farmers, aware of his expertise in the area of filtration, to come up with a solution for their shallow bore water concerns regarding nitrates.

These were families worried about the wellbeing of themselves, their children, and in one case of a pregnant woman.

Richard met the challenge and Filtration Canterbury was born. A New Zealand owned and operated company created to fulfil the clear need for everyone to have access to quality drinking water.

Richard’s 40 years as a dairy contrac-

tor; extensive experience in food and beverage filtration; food production; sanitation and chemical cleaning, puts him in a unique position to advise on and recommend a water filtration solution that’s spot on for your situation.

This includes domestic, town and rural water supply.

The Government’s Water Services Bill (currently being drafted) means drinking water suppliers will have a primary duty to supply safe drinking water.

If you’re off town supply and have any workers drinking your water you’ll need to meet these requirements.

You’ll remove nitrates, lead, chromium, barrium, campylobactor, E coli, giardia, chlorine odour and water borne viruses from your water with a filtration solution from Filtration Canterbury.

Many towns and villages in Mid Canterbury are struggling with consistent water supply. Water sampling shows worsening nitrate contamination in Canterbury in general.

Take control of your water so you’ll know for sure that you and your family, whoever raises a glass to their lips, are getting pure goodness and therefore better health.

Pure goodness, Better health Are you happy with your drinking water? Do you know for sure that it’s an acceptable quality?

Does it taste good? The water we put into our bodies determines our health to a large extent. The average adult human is made up of 60% water so it better be good!

Drink Healthy, Stay Healthy

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bore water and private water schemes are vulnerable to nitrate contamination, heavy metals, pesticides, e coli, giardia and water borne viruses.

CANTERBURY FARMING

OctOber 2021

25

Predictive soil moisture tool the way forward There are many excellent tools now available for assessing and measuring real-time soil moisture.

❚ Article supplied by WaterForce

Soil moisture is universally accepted as a vital tool in driving decisions around irrigation applications and timings, maintaining crop production while mitigating environmental impacts.

Soil moisture tools fall broadly into two main categories: • Remote sensing (such as satellite-based vegetation index, water-budgeting services, etc) or • Local sensing (eg: soil moisture probes and tapes).

Remote sensing is incredibly convenient, often requires little or no investment in local instrumentation and gives good broadacre views of soil moisture status.

By contrast, local sensors measure right in the root-zone (where all the action is happening) and are generally accepted as accurate and reliable. Both methods clearly have their respective merits.

Whatever technology is adopted, the ability to preview soil moisture status in the days ahead due to weather and irrigation activities is key. You need to “see” where things are heading to enable good choices.

SCADAfarm (in collaboration with WaterForce) have developed a new soil moisture tool combining the certainty and confidence of soil probes with the predictive power of farm-based weather stations and globallysourced forecasting.

This combination generates a “future soil moisture trace” so operators can preview soil moisture in response to irrigation and weather events. It effectively draws on the strengths of both local and remote sensing technology.

The tool enables a conventional soil moisture line (familiar to most) to be projected into the future while allowing for different irrigation scenarios.

The tool helps answer scheduling questions such as: • If I continue irrigating at the same rate, how long will it take till I exceed field capacity and possibly cause leaching?

• Rain is coming. Do I turn off irrigation now to save water and what is the risk of doing so (if the rain doesn’t arrive)?

• Soil moisture is tracking at a healthy level now. Can I shut off for a day or two to save some water and reduce a potential leaching event if rain arrives later?

• If I turn off irrigation today, how many days’ storage do I have before I must irrigate?

WaterForce has been working alongside clients “putting the new tool through its paces” and will offer it for wider release this season.

Working in the background are powerful algorithms that generate recommendations to help decision-making.

Important limit alarms/alerts

THE WISDOM TO GET WATER PRECISELY WHERE YOU NEED IT.

New tool: Working alongside WaterForce, ScADAfarm has developed a new soil moisture tool combining the certainty and confidence of soil probes with the predictive power of farm-based weather stations and globally-sourced forecasting.

messages (such as soil drainage or a heavy rain forecast) are sent directly to farmer devices streamlining response times. These messages are logged and are in themselves a valuable “evidence-based” tool for proving Good Management Practice, especially for FEP audits.

Part of the SCADAfarm EDGE platform, this tool is just one of the many initiatives that industry is working hard to develop to help our hard-working folk “stay in the black”.

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OctOber 2021

CANTERBURY FARMING

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CANTERBURY FARMING

OctOber 2021

27

Equinox, the beginning of spring

Strictly speaking (astronomically) spring has just begun and crops will move along with day length increasing beyond 12 hours a day.

❚ with tony Daveron You will be starting to look at soil moisture measurements and thinking about irrigation.

In the last month I’ve reviewed soil moisture records from a few clients, some of whom have lost faith in what they see.

The equinox occurs when the Sun shines directly on the equator and the length of day and night is nearly equal – but not quite.

For us in the southern hemisphere it marks the moment when the sun crosses the celestial equator (an imaginary line above the equator) from north to south until it starts to migrate back toward the equator after the longest day in December.

I always think of the equinox as the time of the season when water use begins to increase and crops really start getting through their growth stages. This is not that surprising given day length is increasing and solar radiation is on the rise as well. More time each day for the plants to photosynthesise and utilise the incoming radiation.

I am not surprised after nearly 40 years of providing soil moisture advice that I still come across “the same old”. As time has passed there have been many many different types of soil moisture monitoring technologies sold to farmers to assist with irrigation management decisions. When we started back in the early 1980’s with our neutron probes everything was done for the farmer: • We owned and operated the neutron probe • We had “pedantically” field calibrated the probes taking gravimetric samples

so that true volumetric (V%) or mm was measured • We did all the interpretation and were available every week to explain anything to the farmer client they didn’t understand We’ve gone through the last 10 or so years where farmers have been sold a soil moisture sensor hooked up to a telemetry system so you can see what is happening any time of the day or night. Mostly the sensors are capacitance type sensors (e.g.

Aquacheck, Enviroscan) or TDR type sensors like Acclima and Aquaflex. Unfortunately two basic fundamentals often leave much to be desired - the installation and interpretation.

No matter the sensor, it is only as good as the installation and I’ve seen horrors – I won’t go there because there isn’t the space in this article to detail these.

Most every manufacturer recommends field calibration; e.g. MeterGroup (previously known as Decagon) reports “studies show both TDR and capacitance to be (equally) accurate with calibration” if you want true V% soil moisture content. The two plots of soil moisture measurements at a trial site we ran demonstrate how different the soil moisture can be depending on the type of sensor.

• Only the neutron probe has been field calibrated so that the measurements are a true measure of actual V%. True values are valuable because they can be used to see how effective irrigation (and rainfall) has been – i.e. if you applied 12mm can you see 12mm in the soil moisture measurements?

• Aquaflex has measurements that mirror those of the neutron probe and has been properly field calibrated (the “factory” calibration is a good representation of the actual V%).

• The Acclima “factory” calibration does not represent the actual V% and measures field capacity that is 7-8% less than true field capacity (or full point) and the lowest measurements are about where one would expect wilting point to be on a silt loam soil.

• In the second plot neither the Aquacheck nor the 5TM (MeterGroup) sensors meas-

urements with their “factory” calibrations represent true V% soil moisture. Neither measure true field capacity and measure very low V%.

It may be that you are not interested in the true V% soil moisture content. If that is the case, then you would not look to field calibrate your sensors. BUT, you will need to interpret the soil moisture record to ensure the full point (field capacity) and stress point (refill or trigger point) are correctly determined.

That is another “horror” story I’ve dealt with in the last few years. There isn’t space this month – I’ll deal with that next month.

28

OctOber 2021

CANTERBURY FARMING

Introducing the new FREE...

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CANTERBURY FARMING

OctOber 2021

29

Recording and controlling nutrient use and applications With the new 190 kg/N regulations upon us, this is the season for farmers to take control of their nutrient use and accurately record your applications. supplied by ❚ Article ❚ Precision Farming But how do they do this?

Precision Farming offers farmers an agnostic, independent solution to bring together nutrient applications from all sources, thus being able to manage multiple sources of data in one location.

Precision Farming captures and amalgamates spraying, spreading, effluent, compost applications, and other nutrients regardless of the source or whether these were self-spread, or applied by any contractor – irrespective of whether the contractor uses Precision Tracking or TracMap job management systems.

Precision Farming can provide farmers the complete picture of their farm’s nutrient applications. This single source of the truth saves time and money, hunting through multiple sources of data, often in different formats.

With Precision Farming reports to council, milk company or irrigation company, it is quick, easy and painless.

Farmers can do this safe in the knowledge that they can action, in real time, decisions that can strategically target your nutrient applications, reducing unnecessary applications or costly misses.

Maximising productivity whilst maintaining 190 kg urea threshold with Precision Farming’s new 190 N heatmap is readily achievable – the colour scheme easily highlights those paddocks where N applications are close to or exceeding the limit.

Farmers can capture all of their on-farm applications using one of Precision’s new innovative tools, - the free self-spreading app. This is a simple, cost-effective guidance and recording tool to maximise and actively manage in-paddock nutrient application.

Willis Ritchie, a farm management information systems manager at Precision Farming said, “If farmers can use a mobile phone – and who can’t - then they can use this self-spreading app”.

A complementary new tool, which also runs on a tablet, is the irrigation app to capture your travelling irrigator, sprinkler or pod placement for irrigation reporting, to reduce missed irrigation areas, and to provide continuity between staff moving irrigation systems from paddock to paddock.

30

OctOber 2021

CANTERBURY FARMING

Optimise yield and quality while saving on water, power, fertilisers and labour Many farmers have invested heavily in soil moisture sensors and associated equipment but are not realising any significant benefit from this investment.

❚ Article supplied by Aqualinc

Aqualinc engineers have a wealth of knowledge in all areas of irrigation – from System Design to Irrigation Management and this breadth of knowledge enables our customers to maximise their return on their investment in irrigation hardware and monitoring systems.

The key objective of a soil moisture measurement system is to provide the Grower with accurate and representative data that helps them optimise yield and reduce operating costs.

To achieve this the following has to be considered: • What type of sensor is most suitable for the application?

• How many sensors are needed?

• Where should the sensors be located?

• How should the sensors be installed?

To answer the above site research (e.g. to determine topographical information, soil type and characteristics) and a site visit with the farmer is required so the most appropriate solution is selected.

The next two important steps are: • To ensure the sensors are installed correctly • To ensure the farmer knows how to interpret the data provided by the sensors Aqualinc can also provide a full irrigation management service if required.

Many farmers with soil moisture sensors installed are provided with a nice graph, but without the correct setup and advice this is like driving a car with a faulty speedo – you don’t really know what you’re doing. To irrigate effectively you need to know the soil moisture (preferably in mm) and what range of soil moisture will provide optimum growth and quality.

An irrigation strategy based on robust soil moisture measurements can provide significant environmental benefits, especially around the reduction of leaching of nutrients into ground water and water ways.

Aqualinc engineers have carried out significant research in this area and this expertise is available to our customers and embedded into our systems.

components contributing to the soil moisture balance.

Aqualinc’s Telemetry Solutions utilise the latest technology and are based on the 4G network which provides significant longevity over the many 2G and 3G systems currently in use. These systems can be applied to soil moisture and many other applications including flow metering, pond level, bore depth, weather stations etc.

Aqualinc’s telemetry solutions can also be applied to existing sensors so farmers can benefit from their ‘under-ground’ investment that may no longer be working due to obsolete or aging telemetry. Soil Moisture Sensors compatible with the Aqualinc

‘

When the well’s dry, we know the worth of water.

Benjamin Franklin

system include: Aquaflex, Decagon, Meter Group and Enviropro.

Aqualinc have many resources to assist Irrigators with their Irrigation Management, please feel free to contact us at any time for advice or information.

CANTERBURY FARMING

OctOber 2021

31

La Niña weather pattern dominates The NIWA climate outlook suggests it may be a second consecutive irrigation season under a La Niña weather pattern.

Forecast: La Niña weather pattern means we can expect above average temperatures and near normal rainfall conditions for most of canterbury, but below average rainfall for South canterbury.

Photo of the rakaia river supplied by ecan.

Andrew curtis ❚ by ❚ Water Strategies This means we can expect above average temperatures and near normal rainfall conditions for most of Canterbury, but below average rainfall for South Canterbury.

Despite the wet winter, the Lincoln weather station data shows that we’ve had a drier and warmer start to the season with 23mm of rain up until the 25 September (the average for September is 36mm); Potential Evapotranspiration (PET) was 58mm or 2.3mm per day - the average for September is 62mm or 2.1mm per day.

It’s been much drier and warmer in midCanterbury. The Winchmore weather station shows there has only been 18mm of rain up to the 25 September (average for September is 47mm); PET was 61mm or 2.4mm per day -the average for September is 60mm or 2.0mm per day.

The Timaru Airport weather also shows drier and warmer conditions with 21mm of rain up until the 25 September (the average for September is 40mm); PET was 45mm or 1.8mm per day - the average for September is 50mm or 1.7mm per day.

The weather station data above alongside observations of client soil moisture data show soil moisture levels are now getting very close to the irrigation trigger point for

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Do you want accurate data and a 7day soil moisture forecastin system ‘I’ve tried other systems for soil moisture and this is the best, we can trust the information, any issues are resolved quickly, a reliable product’ – Sam Spencer Bower, Claxby Farms, Canterbury We use the accurate data from your farm to create a 7-day soil moisture forecast specifically for your site. This allows you to make well informed, irrigation management decisions from the touch of your phone.

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soils under 120 mm of Profile Available Water – in both central and mid-Canterbury. Irrigators on these soils should be carefully monitoring their soil moisture traces in combination with the weather forecast.

For soils of higher PAW in central and midCanterbury and for South Canterbury, it will be another couple of weeks before irrigators need to start paying careful attention to soil moisture traces and the weather forecast.

If you would like a hand with scheduling your irrigation this coming season, correctly setting up your soil moisture sensor trace so the full-point and stress point make sense, calibrating your weather station sensors, or resolving telemetry problems (we can identify most of these issues over the phone if you provide us with your log-in) or if you are experiencing issues with your irrigation system and you would like to know how to resolve these, give the team at Water Strategies a call.

32

October 2021 CANTERBURY FARMING

Which system is best suited for your farm? supplied by ❚ Article Thinkwater Canterbury ❚

Investing in the right irrigation solution is crucial to ensuring you make the most of your water.

No two farms are the same, so it’s important to consider the right solution for your needs.

Take a look at the pros and cons of some of the main irrigation systems below.

Centre pivot The leading method of crop and pasture irrigation in many areas, pivot systems boast up to 95% efficiency in water dispersion at a relatively low cost.

Advantages • Automation. Centre pivots can operate 24/7 if required; providing control over water pressure/levels that ensures optimum pasture growth across the seasons and pastures • Highly durable. They maintain their value and usually require lower maintenance • Low labour required. One person can manage multiple machines and these can be managed remotely • Flexibility. Their construction allows them to straddle fences, sheds and obstacles so they can be set up in just about any paddock Considerations • Larger initial investment • Capturing corner area may require corner arms • Wind tolerance can be lower than other systems • Limitations in undulating land

Solid set (fixed grid) Properly planned solid-set systems lend themselves to their low labour requirement and can be gun, fixed sprinkler, or solid set.

Unlike centre pivots, they’re suited for irregular shaped blocks or hard to water areas such as pivot corners and areas that make others forms of irrigation unviable (such as protected trees).

Advantages • Low labour cost - often little or no input to operate the system which can be fully automated from a computer or mobile device • High coverage area • Flexibility to tailor the irrigation to certain soil types and requirements • Easy to repair and maintain with standard parts • Ability to isolate paddock areas Considerations • High initial setup includes labour requirements and costs of materials • Restrictions around raised posts • Wind tolerance can be lower than other systems

Subsurface Drip or subsurface irrigation is recognised as the most efficient and advanced irrigation solution because it allows for the system to be localised for maximum accuracy, control and automation.

The flipside, however, is that these systems require a level of maintenance and sys-

Irrigation central: Centre pivot systems are the leading method of crop and pasture irrigation and boast up to 95% efficiency in water dispersion at a relatively low cost. tem knowledge to maximise their potential.

Advantages • Advanced and efficient, they conserve energy and maximise the use of your water by feeding directly to the rootzone • Low labour cost • Below the paddock’s surface which reduces risk of damage • Suitable for undulating surfaces and irregular shaped paddocks Considerations • Careful consultation and analysis of soil

profiles are required to determine the suitability of subsurface drip • Requires knowledge and expertise to manage after install • Has a higher initial financial investment • If not managed correctly there may be risk in clogging soil or risking pasture quality through uncontrolled irrigation Whatever system you choose, it’s important that it’s tailored to your needs and with expertise and support on hand.

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CANTERBURY FARMING

OctOber 2021

33

Taking lucerne to the Max Galaxie Max is a newly bred lucerne which has been released to the New Zealand market by the team at Cropmark Seeds.

Stephen Finch ❚ by ❚ Specialty Seeds With a ‘Winter’ rating of 4, it has been shown to be a good performer under Canterbury conditions.

Galaxie Max is a blend of two top performing lucerne varieties – Galaxie and Timbale - a new concept where both varieties were selected for their complementary traits.

Timbale being fine stemmed and having exceptional forage quality with high digestibility and Galaxie having strong resistance to root nematodes and lucerne diseases.

Collectively, the blend of both varieties has strong warm season growth and high annual yield.

Both varieties contained within the Galaxie Max lucerne blend have a winter dormancy rating of 4. This means that Galaxie Max is semi winter-dormant and produces 5% to 10% of its annual growth in the winter.

Depending on climate conditions and management, Galaxie Max has a potential lifespan of greater than five years.

Galaxie Max is suitable for use as both a grazing lucerne for lamb finishing or for conserving as hay or silage.

Lucerne is a high-quality feed, with high metabolizable energy levels of up to 12.0 MJME/kg DM and crude protein levels as high as 26% to 30%.

These feed quality traits result in lamb growth rates that are higher compared with finishing on grass alone and coupled with the amount of dry matter produced stocking,

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OctOber 2021

CANTERBURY FARMING

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OctOber 2021

35

Planning and planting an orchard There’s nothing like fresh fruit or nuts picked straight from the tree which you have grown yourself.

❚ by Kent caddick However, establishing an orchard on your lifestyle block can involve a good deal of work so it’s worth doing some careful planning before rushing into planting.

Planning It’s important to look at the conditions you have on your property before beginning planting, because it’s easier to work with the natural patterns of your land than against them.

Study air flow, water flow, orientation to the sun, and where the prevailing winds and frost come from.

A slope is a great thing to have in an orchard, because it allows cold air to run downhill, and provides frost-free spots at the upper end.

Wet patches and very dry spots on your land are not necessarily a bad thing: you just need to put the right plants in the right places. Hazelnuts, for example, like a good sharp winter chill, so a hollow that harbours frost is just the right place for them.

Wet areas, particularly those rich in nutrients like the far end of your septic tank leach field, are great for plums. Citrus also like high nutrients but don’t like wet feet. Dry, windy areas are ideal for trees that are prone

to fungal and bacterial rots, so these areas can house nectarines, peaches and walnuts.

Planting and maintenance The layout of your orchard can be traditional rows, or something completely different.

Rows can be fine, especially if you are only growing a limited range of fruit trees, but it can create large gaps between plants which may need a tractor for grass and weed control.

Consider not using a tractor in the orchard to avoid soil compaction and reliance on fossil fuels. Instead consider a food forest where planting is very mixed, and is based on the best microclimate for the species involved.

A minimum space of four to five metres between trees should be allowed, and large spreading trees like walnuts should be at least 25 metres apart.

Thinking about the mature height of each tree is also important. Tall trees need to be positioned so they don’t shade other trees.

To minimise grass and weed growth, use heavy mulching with organic material (a mixture of lawn clippings and dry leaves is good), applied during the wettest possible conditions to enhance soil moisture retention.

Plant a ‘herbal ley’, which could include

Apples are a reliable tree to have in any orchard. Plant a variety of apples that a good to cook with and ones that are great to eat straight from the tree.

plantain, red clover, chicory and yarrow, for their nutritive value and companion planting, for example dahlias are helpful near apple trees because they harbour earwigs, which eat codlin moth caterpillars.

Water conservation in the orchard is very important, especially if you don’t have a stream or bore available and are relying on rainwater.

It’s very helpful to have storage tanks located as close to the top of your slope as possible.

You can also use the ancient technique of building swales which is essentially small ditches like miniature terraces which retain water on the slope. And mulch heavily with organic matter to minimise evaporation from the soil.

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October 2021 CANTERBURY FARMING

Voting starting soon in Bird of the Year competition The dates are set for New Zealand’s most eggcellent annual bird battle, and Kiwis everywhere are getting ready to campaign.

❚ Article supplied by Forest & Bird

Voting in Forest & Bird’s Bird of the Year (Te Manu Rongonui o te Tau) opens on Monday, October 18 and closes two weeks later, on October 31, with the winner announced on Monday, November 1.

“This year’s competition could really cause a flap,” Forest & Bird’s Bird of the Year spokesperson Laura Keown said.

“There are more birds than ever in the running, and heaps more to learn about our incredible native species.”

This year the Bird of the Year website will feature NZ Sign Language translations for many of the native species, alongside both their te reo Maori and English names, bird call, and conservation status.

“This is the 16th annual Bird of the Year and we’re expecting it will ruffle some feathers. We’ve got some surprises in store, and our high-flying volunteer campaign managers are ready for their bird campaigns to takeoff” Kakapo was the winner in 2020, with toroa/Antipodean albatross swooping into second, and the come-back-king kakaruia/ black robin coming in third.

There were more than 55,000 confirmed votes last year, making it the biggest Bird of the Year ever.

New Zealanders can once again vote for up to five native species in order of preference.

“Te Manu Rongonui o te Tau is Forest & Bird’s lighthearted competition to help everyone learn about our incredible native species, but it has a serious side too,” Keown said.

“Climate change and habitat loss are huge threats to Aotearoa, and about 80% of our birds are threatened or at risk of extinction.

We really need to put nature at the heart of New Zealand’s climate plan, and make sure our amazing native species are here for future generations.

“The good news is, when we care for our native species, we also care for each other! When our rivers, forests, and oceans are healthy, our climate, wildlife, and communities are better off too.

“Our annual bird contest is a good chance for everyone to get to know New Zealand’s native animals, and get inspired to bring them back,” Keown said.

Title time: The Kakapo was named the 2020 Bird of the Year and Forest & Bird wants your vote to see who will take the title in 2021. Photo by Kimberley Collins

CANTERBURY FARMING

OctOber 2021

37

Revision for Puma Series tractors Spring will see the arrival of the new MY2021 Stage V Puma Series from Case IH, re-styled in the first major cosmetic change in more than a decade.

❚ by tim Fulton The Case IH range of Puma 150-240hp tractors are being revamped with a new design, as well as additional features for improved operator comfort on the larger frame Puma 185-240hp models.

The 6.7-litre FPT Industrial six-cylinder engines, designed to generate power and optimise fuel efficiency, are now protected by a distinctive new hood with the latest Case IH family styling.

All models meet the Stage V emission standards with Hi-eSCR2 technology without the use of exhaust gas recirculation.

Features include an optional hood-mounted camera and upgraded road and work lights as established on the larger Case IH Optum and Magnum tractors.

The 360deg LED light package offers up to 40,000 lumens in its top specification.

All Puma Stage V models offer lengthened engine (750hr) and transmission oil (1,500hr) change intervals meaning fewer oil/filter changes over machine lifetime, lowering cost of ownership.

As before, the Puma range remains split into two distinct lines – the standard wheelbase Puma 150-175 models, and the larger, longer wheelbase Puma 185-240 tractors.

New front axle suspension improvements create an enhanced ride for operators of the larger frame models, while an adaptive steering control option increases responsiveness during high-speed road travel.

And all models now benefit from colourcoded remote valves.

The updated engine power management on Puma CVT models is now also available when operating in reverse while both transmission offerings gain extra power at high RPM for a more agile drive in transport applications.

Overall, there’s improved acceleration and deceleration, better shuttle behaviour as well as drive pedal sensitivity, cruise control override, better multicontroller sensitivity and position detection.

New cab and comfort features include a low mounted front windscreen wiper for improved visibility in wet or dusty conditions, cool box with cover on the front end of the steering column and turning indicators with electronic cancelling.

The cab entrance is made safer and more comfortable with new left-hand aluminium steps with high performance LED ingress lighting.

The model is also equipped with an optional hand wash tank.

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OctOber 2021

CANTERBURY FARMING

Looking outside the farm gate What a relief to see signs of spring after what has been a long, wet and miserable winter for many of us.

Kate Acland ❚ by ❚ Director, Northern South Island, Beef + Lamb New Zealand Spring brings with it an increased workload on-farm, so it is important to look after your own wellbeing (time off, sleep and good nutrition) and check in with friends and neighbours.

We are seeing some strong prices for beef and lamb this coming season which are very welcome and the latest wool report has a shown a 30% increase in wool prices in the year to July 2021.

While this is pleasing, it is off a low base so we have a long way to go before we have to worry about how we are going to spend our wool cheque.

While it is a busy time on farm, there is a lot happening outside of the farm gate that farmers need to be aware of.

As part of He Waka Eke Noa, which is the primary sector’s commitment to address climate change, all farm businesses will need to know their greenhouse gas emissions numbers by the end of 2022.

There are a number of tools available to help farmers calculate their numbers, including Beef + Lamb New Zealand’s recently released greenhouse gas calculator. It is very easy to use, so I encourage all red meat producers to give it a go.

The issue of climate change and our commitment to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions is not going away and every New Zealander and industry will need to make changes.

Our sector already has a fantastic story in the way increases in production efficiencies has significantly reduced emissions over the last 30 years.

We also have opportunities to farm integrated landscapes which incorporate sequestering forests into our farm systems, on top of the existing native biodiversity.

Keep an eye out over the coming months for more info on the He Waka Eke Noa programme and what it means for farmers – including on potential frameworks covering pricing and the recognition of sequestration.

The other regulatory issues I encourage

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farmers to engage with are the Freshwater submissions and the Intensive Winter Grazing proposals.

The closing date for submissions and feedback on the low-slope map for stock exclusion and freshwater farm plans is now 7 October (was 26 September) and submissions on the intensive winter grazing proposals also close on 7 October.

You can read the submission put forward by B+LNZ to understand what we are asking and you can use this to guide your own submission. This is also on the B+LNZ website.

It is not too late to make submissions on the intensive winter grazing proposals and while B+LNZ is working with DairyNZ and Federated Farmers on aligning our views and making submissions on behalf of our farmers, individual farmer voices are very powerful. B+LNZ has just released a factsheet with some guidance on this issue.

Finally, I would like to welcome Lucy Murray as our region’s new Extension Manager.

Lucy comes from a farming background and has been working in the industry for several years so will be a familiar face for many of you.

CANTERBURY FARMING

OctOber 2021

39

Controlling weeds the natural way A happy accident with a spilled barrel of vinegar was one link in a chain leading to the creation of the Goulter family’s all-natural bio-herbicide WeedX. supplied by ❚ Article ❚ Goulter’s Vinegar Products In 2013, Charlie Goulter and his wife Trish were growing concerned about the impact of glyphosate -based herbicides on the soil life of their 10 acre block in Upper Moutere.

Charlie, who comes from a long line of New Zealand farmers, discussed the idea of a natural weed control product with his uncle, Timmy Goulter, a vinegar and wine maker of 44 years. This prompted Timmy to remember the spilled barrel.

“He noticed that the vinegar really took out the weeds,” recalls Trish.

Research quickly confirmed that the Goulters were onto something.

“We found that vinegar’s been used for all kinds of things – weeds, cleaning, health,” says Trish.

“Our forebears have been using it for centuries. We’re really excited to educate people about the natural way.”

An extensive period of research and development followed. The Goulters worked with local scientist, John Lloyd, to formulate a natural and effective weed treatment.

After four years of hard work and testing, they gained EPA approval for WeedX, the first product of its kind to be marketed in New Zealand.

Their focus throughout this journey was on developing a product that would be safe for people, animals and the environment.

Because of this, the Goulter’s have had a great response from operators who are concerned about the potential toxicity of other herbicides – especially when spraying around children

and animals. Their client base ranges from domestic users, market gardeners and tree nurseries, to a growing number of schools.

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It kills annual and perennial weeds by contact, but does not harm mature tree bark. It is fully biodegradable in soil and aquatic areas, and is excellent for spraying on vegetable beds prior to planting.

And where oil-based herbicides can leave a lingering and unpleasant odour, the smell from WeedX dissipates quickly.

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OctOber 2021

CANTERBURY FARMING

DAIRY

Demand for sexed semen surges The number of New Zealand dairy cows mated to sexed semen is set to double this year as farmers look to capitalise on the technology which delivers a 90% chance of producing a female calf.

❚ by Kent caddick LIC, the largest supplier of artificial breeding services in New Zealand, is preparing to inseminate around 200,000 cows with fresh sexed semen this Spring, up from 110,000 the previous year.

Malcolm Ellis, LIC General Manager NZ Markets, said the increased demand is driven by a deeper understanding and realisation among farmers that if they aren’t going to be milking more cows in the future, they will need to be milking better cows.

“Using sexed semen helps farmers accelerate the rate of genetic gain by effectively guaranteeing female offspring, their next generation of replacements, from their highest genetic merit cows.”

Ellis said it was pleasing to see farmers applying additional focus on the offspring of their superior cows and avoid retaining female replacements from the tail-end cows – a critical aspect of the herd improvement equation.

“Farmers don’t need to leave the gender of their calves to chance. By knowing sufficient replacements will be generated from their best cows, farmers are able to consider alternative beef AB options for their poorer performing animals, enabling them to significantly reduce the number of bobby calves leaving the farm.”

He said LIC has been supplying sexed semen to farmers for over a decade, but interest in the product has grown significantly in the past two years.

Demand: to keep up with the increased demand for sexed semen, LIc’s headquarters in Hamilton now includes the world’s biggest fresh sexed semen sorting facility

“With farmers proactively looking at ways to mitigate consumer, environmental and animal welfare concerns, sexed semen is a useful tool for them to have in their toolbox,” Ellis said.

To meet the increasing demand, LIC has repurposed an area within their Hamilton headquarters to accommodate a new laboratory facility solely for the production of sexed semen. The state-of-the-art lab sits alongside LIC’s bull farm and semen processing lab and is the world’s biggest fresh sexed semen sorting facility.

The lab will host Sexing Technologies, a US-based company who is contracted to sex-

sort semen from LIC’s top dairy and beef artificial breeding bulls.

“The lab is significantly larger than Sexing Technologies’ previous laboratory in New Zealand, which will ensure we are set up to accommodate the growing demand for fresh sexed semen from our farmer shareholders,” Ellis said.

LIC is the only provider of fresh sexed semen in New Zealand, which delivers a better chance of getting a cow pregnant than the frozen alternative.

Ellis said combining LIC’s long last liquid semen processing technology with Sexing Technologies’ expertise produces a sexed semen product with a near normal conception rate to that of conventional semen.

“Getting cows in-calf is one of the most

important parts of any dairy farmer’s seasonal focus, so it’s critical we deliver a sexed semen product that doesn’t notably compromise that goal.”

He said having Sexing Technologies onsite also means LIC’s fresh sexed semen is available to more farmers.

“As we no longer need to transport semen offsite to be sex-sorted, we have significantly reduced the downtime between collection and the sorting process, enabling longer use in the field which ultimately gives more farmers the opportunity to tap into its value.”

The new sexed semen lab is open in time for the peak Spring mating season which sees LIC artificial breeding technicians inseminate around 4.5 million cows between September to December.

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41

Understanding the risk factors ❚ with Fred Hoekstra

This spring I have come across several farmers who are having lameness issues, particularly with heifers. They are trying everything they can to solve the problem, but it doesn’t seem to work.

They are not pushing cows and they handle cows nice and quietly in the cow shed. They have improved the tracks and yet they have more lame cows than normal.

That is a very frustrating situation to be in so what needs to be done to get lameness under control?

To get a better understanding of what the risk factors are on the farm we need to understand ‘lameness’ better.

If you know me and have listened to my talks or read my articles, you will know that I would argue that physical force is never enough by itself to cause lameness.

If it was, we would not be able to use claw blocks on lame cows, because when we do, we double the load (physical force) on the claw. This is not just once or twice in a day but every second when the cow stands or walks on that foot.

This does not mean though that physical force has nothing to do with lameness. If that were the case, then trimming cow’s feet would be a waste of time.

Ultimately when we trim cow’s feet, we change the load bearing on that claw. We aim to get a better spread of the weight on the individual claw and get a more even spread of the weight across the two claws.

Have you noticed that most cows have lameness issues on the hind lateral claw?

This claw is getting much more fluctuation

in the load force than the hind medial claw when the cow is walking. The lateral claw often responds to the extra weight on it by growing more hoof.

This means that the lateral claw will now carry more of the load even when the cow is standing still in the holding yard, waiting to be milked.

This seems very counterintuitive, but it is very much the same response that we have toward physical hand work – we grow more callus in our hands.

So physical force is important but is never the only cause of lameness. The question now is, “what is the other factor that is needed for hooves to go lame?”.

The answer is simple but the outworking not so straight forward. The hoof needs to be unhealthy before physical force causes lameness issues for the cow.

Diet and stress both have significant impacts on the health of the hoof. Basically, when cows are not being fed well and are under high levels of stress, their bodies can’t function properly.

There is not an immediate response when cows experience stress or dietary issues. It will also not have such a negative impact if the cow experienced an occasional episode of stress or /and dietary restrictions. It is more problematic when the stress and diet issues are chronic.

Coming back to the farmers that I was talking about in the start of this article, they are much better off to look at ways to minimize lameness by focusing on the diet and stress levels.

Make sure the cows are fully fed and keep controllable stress levels low. Some of the current problem is a result of winter weather stress. Think about the flooding issues we’ve

had. Obviously, we can’t do anything about that now, but we could put the heifers in a separate herd. This will lower stress levels and help them recover better and quicker.

I am passionate about helping farmers ‘think outside the box’ when it comes to understanding and resolving lameness issues. If you have any questions, I am happy for you to send me an email fhoekstra@dhi.ac.nz

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OctOber 2021

CANTERBURY FARMING

DAIRY

Training paves way for success in North Canty’s dairy industry Ngai Tahu Farming manager Aiden Bettridge credits on-the-job training for helping him rise through the dairy industry.

Having started off as a milk harvester in the Bay of Plenty, Aiden saw a future in the industry and headed to Canterbury in 2015 to a job (and a girlfriend – now wife) as a dairy assistant at West Eyreton.

He began training with Primary ITO in 2016 and is continuing to study six years and several jobs later.

Now studying for a Primary ITO Agribusiness Diploma, Aiden will also work towards a production management qualification. As an employer, he is also supporting his own staff through their Primary ITO programmes.

Aiden says in his current role, Ngai Tahu and his General Manager have been very supportive of his study, initially contributing and, just as importantly, they’ve also supported him with a time and place to study.

Over the years, he says his qualifications have enabled him to get jobs. “It’s good to have the paperwork to fall back on.”

Ngai Tahu Farming’s Technical Farm Manager Ash-Leigh Campbell also knows the value of studying while working and is an advocate for Primary ITO programmes. “It is rewarding to see staff further their careers and see their skill set grow, both on-farm and in the classroom.”

She says Ngai Tahu strongly encourages staff to enrol with Primary ITO and they work alongside a training adviser to ensure the programmes match an individual’s competency levels as they progress through the industry.

Primary ITO Dairy Sector Manager Louise Duffy says Primary ITO has a network of training advisers who can ensure dairy farmers learn the right skills at the right time.

“The real key is building a trusted relationship between the farms and our advisers,” Louise says.

“It’s important that they know the business well before steering people into the type of learning that works best for everyone. We really admire the value Ngai Tahu places in training and our staff have watched their people progress quickly

through their careers with that support.”

Louise is a strong believer in careers in the dairy industry, giving the example of a qualified electrician in the region who now relishes being able to have breakfast and lunch with his family, rather than being away from home for 11 hours every day. Training is part of the package.

“They do the practical on-farm work, but the Primary ITO programmes teach them the theory, the ’why’ and it helps them make sense of what they’re doing on-farm.

They pick things up more quickly.”

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Assist with Operating Dairy Effluent Management Systems Assist with Mating, Calving and Neonatal Care Health, Wellbeing and Biosecurity Livestock Feed Supply and Demand Assist with Milk Harvesting and Optimising Milk Quality

NZ Certificate in Agriculture Dairy Farming (Level 4) Ideal for Herd or Assistant Managers, topics in the programme include: • • • • •

Farm Environment Planning Feeding, Pastoral Production Systems and Benchmarking Milk Harvesting Management Health, Mating and Parturition Management Maintenance and Agribusiness Activities

The programme topic a learner will start will depend on the season. To find out more, visit primaryito.ac.nz or call your local Training Adviser on 0800 20 80 20.

CANTERBURY FARMING

DAIRY

OctOber 2021

43

A pastoral revolution is underway ❚ with Peter burton

It may take a year or two for the changes to become apparent, however pastoral soil fertility practices by 2025 will be markedly different to those of today.

The demise of Overseer as the foundation on which the current water-soluble phosphorus and synthetic nitrogen programmes are based ushers in a new system, one which in time will prove to be superior in all respects.

The questions asked will be, “why didn’t it work, and why did it take so long to be replaced?”. The answer is that although Overseer evolved logically over time the base was never sound.

It has been described as a commercial tool that was designed to help farmers make money by maximizing the milk or meat they gained from using artificial fertiliser.

In the short term it delivered but there was a fundamental flaw. The reliance on regular applications of synthetic N as the driver of pasture growth steadily destroys soil carbon.

Landcare Research has the research that shows that to be the case however the real measure is annual pasture growth and total farm performance.

Carbon is the fundamental driver of growth and although there is probably a ceiling to annual production of permanent grazed pastures, performance can become more resilient.

Where carbon is being continuously sequestered, soils hold more moisture and nu-

Developing resilience: carbon is the fundamental driver of growth and although there is probably a ceiling to annual production of permanent grazed pastures, performance can become more resilient.

trient which are released steadily throughout the season.

This means the difference in total growth in a year where climatic conditions are favourable and a season when rainfall is scarce, or too plentiful, becomes less, and more easily managed.

Pasture growth also tends to be more even with dry frosty conditions having less impact on winter performance.

Growth slows more gradually entering a dry period and recovers more quickly when rain does arrive resulting in less supplement being required. In both situations the period during which extra supplement is necessary is shortened reducing costs, labour inputs, and wear and tear on machinery.

The new system is based on the process of synthesis where the outcome is greater than the sum of the parts and therefore less rigid than the current prescriptive approach.

It will provide scientists with endless projects working out why it works as well as it does, along with the understanding required to drive the system forward.

As to why it has taken so long for the flaw in the current synthetic N driven system to be exposed is probably best explained in the following piece from The Carbon Cycle by Ridzon and Walters.

“Too many of our scientists make it life’s habit to lock their intellects into the airtight compartment called conventional wisdom.

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Any discoveries they find have to be made within the parameters of that system.”

It’s not a criticism so much of individual scientists as the system that provides their long-term employment.

Currently capable committed researchers spend up to half their time crafting projects they hope will receive sufficient funding to pay their salaries for the coming year.

Waiting for new findings is unnecessary as many farmers are already aware of others within their locality that are applying synthetic nitrogen at lower rates than previously and also extending the intervals between applications.

Bacteria on the nodules of clover as well as organisms that fix nitrogen directly from the atmosphere have the ability to provide more nitrogen than is necessary for exceptional pasture performance.

The extra is stored with carbon providing a reservoir that is drawn on during the times of the year when clovers are not actively fixing.

The shift from old to new can be made seamlessly. Functional Fertiliser has the products and knowledge necessary to ensure up to double the clover content of pastures over summer.

For more information contact Peter on 0800 843 809.

44

October 2021 CANTERBURY FARMING

THE BENEFITS OF 100% NATURAL GYPSUM

Gypsum application is a standard practice worldwide for addressing the build up of sodium in soils, including soils receiving waste waters.

Gypsum is one of those rare materials that performs in all categories of soil treatment: an amendment, conditioner and fertiliser.

It is useful in the transition period in dairy cows 2 – 4 weeks pre & post calving, and can be used as an anionic salt to counteract the effects that high potassium & sodium concentrations have on increasing hypocalcemia.

Gypsum, a readily available form of calcium, is 100 times more soluble than lime and is more suitable for the digestive system during this period.

Gypsum in fertilising Soil tests throughout New Zealand shows sulphur deficiency is wide spread. Although often overlooked, sulphur is needed in at least equal quantities to phosphorus. Many responses in crops are sulphur due to the sulphate radical (SO4--).

• Readily dissociates into free calcium ions (Ca++) and sulphate ions (SO4--), major elements in plant nutrition • Has an approximately neutral pH and can be used in heavy applications without causing undue alkalinity in soils

Gypsum in water savings

• Promotes water infiltration, retention and conservation • Allows water to penetrate the soil without forming puddles or water logging • Conserves water by stretching intervals between irrigations • Tests show that farmland treated with gypsum requires up to 33% less water than soils without recent gypsum application

How Does Gypsum Work?

Gypsum is hydrated calcium sulphate. Calcium from gypsum replaces sodium in the soil. The sulphate allows the sodium to be effectively leached out of the soil. The soil then has more ability to flocculate and form stable aggregates to improve drainage and soil quality.

Na+ Na+ Ca++ leached Soil Cation Soil Cation CaSO4 + ➔ + Na2SO4 Exchange Exchange

Gypsum in soil conditioning

• Breaks up soils compacted by sodium and clay, and compounded by farm animals and machinery • Reduces cracking and compaction following irrigation and retards soil crusting • Allows soil to dry more quickly after rain or irrigation so that it may be worked sooner • Decreases energy requirements for tillage • Binds organic matter to soil and checks soil erosion • Enhances friendly bacterial action and discourages plant diseases related to poor soil aeration • Conditioned soil allows for deeper, healthier root development and water penetration

Gypsum in amendment

• Displaces sodium binding clay soils • Reduces high soil aluminium levels • Suppresses the soil acidification effects of growing crops and the prolonged use of acidifying fertilisers

For more about Natural Gypsum and soil stabilisation visit gypsum.co.nz

FORESTRY & LOGGING

CANTERBURY FARMING

OctOber 2021

45

The only certainty is uncertainty

I believe the best way to describe the current softwood market in an international context, is not dissimilar to how we might describe most other commodities “amidst the sea of confusion, uncertainty remains the prevailing certainty”.

Allan Laurie MNZIF ❚ with ❚ Laurie Forestry Ltd As in the last five to six months, shipping is a current dominant factor. While the sales prices remain high for logs in China, eye watering shipping rates are taking all the fun out of the game.

As an example, in September 2020, we were paying US$27 per JAS cubic metre for freight NZ to China. In September 2021 try US$76 per m3.

One of the uncertainties pervading is just where this will all go next. The major concern is there is no meat left in the price sandwich in China and shipping is picked to go higher. It is certainly all eyes on the key factors at present, as we watch the scrappy game of cat and mouse from the sidelines.

In China, average wait to discharge time is reducing ever so slightly with most ports quoting 10 to 15 days. Lanshan Port is one of the biggest for NZ logs. They have just announced a fourth berth opening for log vessel discharge. This will help, albeit eventually.

Across NZ ports, congestion has eased as vessels were able to continue loading during lockdown. Staff shortages among stevedore providers remain an ongoing battle. Many vessels are slow loading because there are just not enough people on the ground to support operations. A drive toward mechanisation seems to be the only solution.

Our domestic mills report mostly strong sales with the supply chain disrupted by logs sitting longer than preferred for this time of year in sawmill yards and forest skids sites during lockdown. Sap stain has been a major challenge for some with the warming and wet weather not helping.

Lumber sales and prices are strong with the current mood likely one of further price hikes in Lumber. This appears not to be driven so much by labour costs as it is by log cost, regulatory compliance and related materials supplies costs. Imported anti sap satin chemicals are a good example.

For the moment and as it has always been in this industry, the local sawmills remain the backbone of stability and price opportunity for forest growers.

The fundamentals in China remain pretty good. Daily consumption is ticking along at close to 80,000 m3 per day, up about 10,000 per day on last month but still 10,000 below the long run average for this time of year.

Inventory is sitting at about $4.5mil m3, changed very little from last month.

Domestic prices for logs China side are a key indicator of demand and overall market health. For the moment the break-even point for traders is sitting effectively in the mid US170’s per m3 for NZ logs so we would expect CFR levels to remain largely unchanged in October.

And from the “just when you thought you

As always people, please remember the had heard it all department”, news of China’s second largest property developer boss thoroughly important message, “It remains, having to go and visit the big boss to advise as always, fundamentally important, no mathe had US$300 billion of debts going peer ter the challenges, the only way forward for shaped has not been good news for market climate, country and the planet, is to get out there and plant more trees”. sentiment.

While further liquidations are imminent as a consequence, most commentators have suggested the big boss will dig in to the financial stability chest to ease the impacts.

On the back of this sobering news, we have a renewed COVID outbreak in Fujian Province with significant market disruption a likely downstream impact. The immediate shut down of Ports is imminent and hot off the press at time of writing. This pandemic has much to do Do you have a stand of trees? with supply chain disruption Would you like these removed? in the coming months, if not We can offer you competitive rates and years – uncertainty prevails.

Despite the challenges, cash in return! log prices remain as good as PHONE KENT ON if not slightly above the long run average. If we can main021 325 661 SUPPLIES LIMITED tain that position over the next three to four months, 21 Manion Road, Rolleston www.macrocarpasupplies.co.nz that will be a good outcome.

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46

OctOber 2021 CANTERBURY FARMING

rob cochrane ❚ with Wool Procurement ❚ PGG Wrightson WoolManager, ❚

Wool auctions resume with high demand for best quality types NZ wool auctions resumed in September in Napier and Christchurch after a month of enforced recess.

With most of the wool pipeline halted apar t from shearing of in-lamb ewes (essential from an animal health perspective) and transport of wool bales from farm to wool broker stores allowing shearing to continue uninterrupted during Covid Aler t Level 4, and only limited wool processing activity permitted during Aler t Level 3 post farm gate, wool stores across Otago and Canterbur y began to fill quite rapidly, due largely to the traditional fine wool shearing season peaking during the months of August and September.

While wool stores could receive wool bales with only a skeleton staff operating under extremely strict protocols, wool bales could not be weighed and sampled as per normal thus creating a back-log of work to be carried out once the Alert Level was reduced to a “2”.

Further along the chain during the higher

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alert levels, Wool Testing Laboratories and Wool Scours were also prohibited from operating.

Memories of the strong wool price collapse, post-national lockdown of 2020, were certainly front of mind for growers and brokers prior to the re-scheduled Napier auction on 10 September, and the previous auction of 12 August had already signalled a slight market weakening, however actual market softening on the day was not as severe as perhaps expected, although overall prices were definitely in buyers’ favour.

At the Christchurch auction the following week on September 16, strong wool prices eased further reflecting an obvious lack of demand from Chinese buying interests.

A double sale (Napier and Christchurch centres selling on the same day) on September 23 saw around 20,000 bales catalogued nationally and although bale numbers were not considered excessive on the day due to the much more diverse range of types included in South Island broker catalogues compared to those of the North Island, the market continued its downward trajectory.

While strong wool prices in general continued to ease considerably during September, up until time of writing, demand for best quality types remained evident with buyers expressing good interest for wools displaying very good washing colour and little or no vegetable

Talk to your local CP Wool representative about maximising the returns on your wool clip.

matter contamination. Second-shear types carrying those characteristics were particularly sought after.

Market prices for mid-micron wool types had been rather fickle since the beginning of the wool selling season, thus proving extremely difficult to predict prior to either of the two South Island auctions during September and significant quantities were either withdrawn from broker catalogues prior to sale day or passed-in by auctioneers for failing to meet reserve prices.

Generally, all mid-micron wool clips catalogued were in excellent order thus growers had reason to be disappointed at the lack of demand.

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Merino wool clips drawn from Marlborough, Canterbury and Otago were also in excellent order and, at the Christchurch auctions on both 16 and 23 September, drew widespread and confident interest from the full bench of locally based exporters representing all corners of the wool world wanting to source ethically and sustainably produced wool, direct from country of origin.

Several lines of extra-fine specialist merino types measuring from 13.7 to 14.6 offered by PGG Wrightson, reached levels well in excess of 4000 cents per clean kilogram with a couple of lots pushing the 5000 cents per clean kilogram mark.

That’s my view.

CANTERBURY FARMING October 2021

LIVESTOCK

47

Venison demand improves in Europe but shipping remains dire The gradual opening of European restaurants on the back of growing Covid vaccination rates is driving healthy demand for chilled venison for the new game season.

❚ by Trevor Walton While this is good news for venison producers, exporters are facing major challenges getting venison to the market.

According to the business intelligence service Forbes, there is massive dislocation in global supply chains, affecting shipping routes, ports, air cargo, trucking lines, railways and even warehouses. Supply shortages, order backlogs, delivery delays and spikes in transport costs are the order of the day.

Deer Industry NZ chief executive Innes Moffat says that while Covid continues to cause disruptions, European food service operators, who have received significant government assistance over lock downs, are upbeat about the recovery that is now underway.

“Beef and lamb prices are increasing in Europe and this is helping marketers to lift selling prices for chilled venison. They are also hoping there will be significant inroads made in the stocks of frozen venison carried forward from the 2020 season.

“European importers have bought larger volumes of venison this year than in previous

years, and are reporting that their retail and cash and carry customers have ordered well for the coming season.”

Offsetting this good news is the expectation among venison marketers that shipping delays and resurgent Delta infections will disrupt the trade in the months ahead.

“The marketers are in a cleft stick. If there’s a Covid resurgence a port may close entirely until infections subside. So if they export chilled venison by sea, there is the real risk that the shipment will be held up in a port somewhere,” Moffat says.

“On the other hand, if they ship by air, they are faced with greatly increased air freight costs, which erode the better prices they are achieving in the marketplace.”

He says air freight has traditionally been carried on passenger jets, but with the collapse of global tourism as a result of Covid, air freight is now having to pay its way, a situation that is unlikely to change in the near future.

Shannon Campbell, the Kiwi chef who works for DINZ in Germany, welcomes seeing more customers returning to restaurants as Europe enters its traditionally busy period for venison consumption.

“Last year we saw the food service business really drop away, with big increases in on-line ordering for home consumption. Demand for higher price restaurant cuts was replaced by demand from home cooks for more diced product, used in the likes of goulash,” Campbell says.

During the long lockdown period the most successful business models were quick easy take-out meals, so Campbell worked with the likes of burger outlets, developing lean healthy burger patty options to market alongside traditional beef based offerings.

“The silver lining from the Covid crisis has been the pivot to retailing online among distributors, and how it has opened consumers’ minds to venison as an option beyond the traditional winter food service market.”

He is continuing to develop marketing support material for venison at retail now there is more certainty there will be no more lockdowns. During the busy pre-winter period he

‘

The silver lining from the Covid crisis has been the pivot to retailing online among distributors.

Shannon Campbell DINZ Germany chef

will be traversing Europe and the United Kingdom, boosting links with retailers and distributors and capitalising on the new-found retail interest in venison.

“Everyone here is really looking forward to more certainty, and Covid has certainly prompted us to look harder at these other opportunities for venison,” Campbell says.

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OctOber 2021

CANTERBURY FARMING

Luxury Lexus ES sedan focused on hybrid-only model The latest iteration of the spacious Lexus ES sedan will appear in New Zealand with a hybrid-electric powertrain only as Lexus moves to decarbonise its fleet.

❚ Article supplied by Lexus NZ

Lexus New Zealand general manager, Andrew Davis says hybrid-electric powertrains are a core component of the Lexus electrification strategy, which is closely aligned to the New Zealand Government’s long-term plans to decarbonise the country’s vehicle fleet.

“Lexus is determined to offer New Zealanders a range of premium vehicles that suit local driving conditions and provide a steppingstone to a zero-carbon future,” Davis says.

By 2025, Lexus plans to globally introduce 20 new or improved models, including more than ten battery electric, plug-in hybrid electric or hybrid-electric models.

To enhance performance and drive quality, the 2022 ES 300h has received multiple updates. The ES model line-up remains unchanged, with a standard grade ES 300h, a performance focused F Marque ES 300h F Sport, and the ES 300h Limited, which adds further interior refinements and features, such as more controllable seating and rear air conditioning.

A new signature Lexus spindle grille featuring gunmetal grey paint with more pro-

the F Sport adds a new actuator to the AVS damper making the vehicle more responsive to low damping forces, achieving better ride comfort and improved steering response and stability. nounced vertical bars defines the exterior styling of the ES 300h standard and limited grades alongside the Lexus L-shaped headlights. The standard grade’s alloy wheels feature a new V formation spoke design, while those on F Sport have a premium gloss black finish.

Lexus’ human centred vison has resulted in further improvements to quietness and ride comfort by Lexus engineers to the new hybrid-electric ES. Starting with the ES 300h, modifications to the rear suspension have been made to improve handling, stability, and ride comfort.

All grades have an improved brake pedal pad and electronically controlled braking system to enhance the braking feel further connecting the driver to the road.

The F Sport grade adds a new actuator to the AVS damper making the vehicle more responsive to low damping forces, achieving

All Lexus models feature a 12.3-inch touchscreen multimedia display which has been brought forward to improve accessibility for the driver.

better ride comfort and improved steering response and stability.

Safety features of the standard grade have been extended with Intersection Turn Assistance, Emergency Steering Assist added to the Pre-Collision System, Curve Speed Reduction added to the All-Speed Dynamic Radar Cruise Control and a Rear Seatbelt Reminder.

The F Sport grade has had the panoramic view monitor and pedestrian intelligent clearance sonar safety features added. The 2022 F Sport and the Limited models are also the first ES cars to receive the unique BladeScan Adaptive High-beam System, which is designed to improve night vision and illuminate roadside hazards.

A new combined headlight design for F

Sport and Limited has resulted in the removal of previous sequential front indicators.

All models receive a 12.3-inch touchscreen multimedia display which has been brought forward to improve accessibility for the driver. The two rear USB ports have been changed to illuminated C-type ports to ensure on the go connectivity for the rear passengers.

The ES 300h Limited also enjoys a Mark Levinson premium audio system with 17 speakers.

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CANTERBURY FARMING

OctOber 2021

49

New Escape Hybrid SUV powers into New Zealand Ford is further expanding its line-up of electrified new Escape SUVs with the new Ford Escape Hybrid, which the manufacturer says will be able to deliver up to 1,000km of petrol-electric and pureelectric driving between fill-ups and without ever having to plug in to recharge.

❚ Supplied by FordNZ

Ford New Zealand managing director Simon Rutherford said with a full hybrid coming to join the plug-in hybrid, Escape customers will have an excellent range to choose from.

“They can match an Escape to their particular needs with all offering smart capability alongside great fuel economy and low emission.”

The self-charging Escape Hybrid’s 1.1 kWh battery is automatically replenished both by the 2.5-litre Atkinson cycle petrol engine and using regenerative charging when coasting or braking.

Stored energy powers an electric motor to enhance performance, support petrol engine fuel efficiency, or deliver pure-electric driving.

Escape Hybrid automatically switches seamlessly between power configurations according to the driving scenario.

The ST-Line and ST-Line X Hybrids are also the first Escape models to combine an electrified powertrain with the option of Ford’s Intelligent All-Wheel Drive technology, for an optimised driving experience.

Rutherford said the new Ford Escape was developed from the ground up to incorporate electrified powertrains, using efficient packaging to maximise SUV spaciousness and practicality, and support driving refinement.

Silent key start capability enables the Escape Hybrid to pull away from a standstill using electric power alone for a truly relaxing driving experience, particularly in city and stop-start driving scenarios. The full-hybrid powertrain supports pure-electric driving for short periods while eliminating range anxiety.

The ability to travel up to 1,000km on a single tank of fuel makes Escape Hybrid a compelling customer choice, delivering fuel efficiency from 5.4 l/100 km and CO2 emissions from 125 g/km WLTP (5.1 l/100 km and 118 g/km CO2 NEDC) alongside a 54-litre fuel tank.

Long haul: According to the manufacturer the new escape Hybrid SUV will be able to deliver up to 1,000km of petrol-electric and pureelectric driving between fill-ups and without ever having to plug in to recharge

With no need to use an external power source to charge the battery, Escape Hybrid offers an attractive choice for customers desiring an electrified powertrain, but who have limited access to external charging solutions at home or places of work – as well as drivers desiring both electrification and Intelligent All-Wheel Drive.

The 60-cell, 1.1 kWh battery pack uses a liquid cooling system that eliminates the need for a cooling fan, helping reduce noise levels for greater cabin refinement.

Optimised cooling also allows battery cells to be packaged closely together – helping retain spacious interior dimensions including more than 1 metre of headroom for front row occupants and up to 1,481 litres of cargo space behind the front seats.

Escape ST-Line and ST-Line X Hybrid are available with Ford Intelligent All-Wheel Drive, which measures how the car’s wheels are gripping the road surface and automatically adjust torque delivery between the front and rear drive for a more secure footing on the road.

The technology has minimal impact on fuel efficiency, and an all-wheel drive disconnect feature further supports optimised fuel efficiency by automatically reverting to frontwheel drive in favourable driving conditions.

the new escape will be available in New Zealand in the second quarter of 2022.

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50

October 2021 CANTERBURY FARMING

Record scores with five star safety The Subaru Outback has been awarded the maximum 5-star safety rating from independent vehicle safety authority, ANCAP, and achieved record scores in doing so.

❚ Article supplied by Subaru NZ

The sixth generation Outback gained the top star rating against the latest 20202022 criteria, with the highest scores to date across three of the four key assessment areas.

Following the release into the Australian and New Zealand markets earlier this year, the full suite of independent safety tests on the Subaru Outback are now complete.

ANCAP Chief Executive Officer, Carla Hoorweg said the Subaru Outback comprehensively impressed, achieving the highest scores we’ve seen so far when testing to our current protocols.

“The Outback scored 91% for Child Occupant Protection, 84% for Vulnerable Road User Protection and a very high score of 96% for Safety Assist, out-performing its closest rival in this assessment area by 7%,” Hoorweg said.

Maximum points were scored by the Outback in Lane Keep Assist (LKA) and Emergency Lane Keeping (ELK) test scenarios, and close to full points in the Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) car-to-car scenarios.

Maximum points were scored for its protection of pedestrians in upper and lower leg impacts. It also scored full points for its ability to actively avoid forward collisions with pedestrians through autonomous braking.

A Driver Monitoring System (DMS) is fit-

The Subaru Outback scored record marks in qualifying for a five-star ANCAP safety rating.

ted as standard – one of the first production cars to directly monitor the driver’s state of alertness through eye movement, as well as indirectly monitoring through steering inputs.

This innovative technology is expected to become more mainstream in the coming years through ANCAP encouragement.

Subaru of New Zealand’s managing director Wallis Dumper said the Outback incorporates a broad suite of the latest Subaru technologies aimed at achieving significant real-world safety levels for all occupants.

“When it comes to core technologies that help achieve these ANCAP results, we are spoilt for choice with the Outback. Like all our New Zealand new Subarus, it is underpinned by the engineering prowess of Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive.

This delivers engine power to all four wheels simultaneously proving greater balance and extreme control.”

Dumper said the Subaru Boxer engine, which is designed to lie horizontally in the engine bay, rather than standing vertically like

most other engines, provides a lower centre of gravity.

“The award-winning EyeSight Driver Assist Technology is developed to help keep drivers safer on the roads, by using three dimensional images captured by cameras mounted at the top of the windscreen to provide audible and visual warnings prompting the driver to take action.

Full details on the safety performance of the Subaru Outback can be viewed at: http://ancap.link/m/7e07d8

CANTERBURY FARMING

OctOber 2021

51

❚ with rob cope-Williams

It was something Warren Duff said Warren Duff reacted to a recent item of mine about the farmers plight and talked about how farmers should add value and income from the many tourists from overseas who would be very happy to pay to watch farming life here in New Zealand.

Mind you he was talking about non-Covid times, but as he pointed out overseas visitors are totally fascinated with sheep dogs working sheep and having farming explained to them. I remember years ago the sheep expo set up in Rotorua that attracted hundreds, but I think that has gone now.

Anyway, what Warren said led to me thinking about what some farmers are doing to expand their operations.

A recent trip to Geraldine, for example, I knew that Barkers have a very successful operation down there as they have had for many years, and obviously they rely on local produce to meet the demands of the wide range they process and sell. Opportunity for local growers to cash in.

Then I remembered there’s a craft beer brewery just out of town called Valley Brewing, who use local grain to produce their beer.

Ah, and then there’s the cheese factory called Talbot Forest that uses local milk to make their cheeses.

As I drove down the main street of Geraldine I spied, up a driveway, a sign saying, “Hum Dinger Gin.” The last time I saw that building it was called Morrisons, now it is a distillery using local grain.

Incidentally, I can assure you that the gin

Avon City Ford

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Visitors are totally fascinated with sheep dogs working sheep and having farming explained to them.

is very good and taken straight offers a range of amazing tastes that I have never experienced in a gin before. Who would expect to have a licorice taste lingering in one’s mouth after swallowing?

But again, thanks to Warren, I let my mind wander around other small towns in our fabulous region and what they are doing.

Craft breweries are an obvious and there are now many including Blue Moon in Amber-

Cnr Main South Rd & Epsom Rd, Sockburn | 03 348 4129 |0800 655 551 Rangiora Service Centre | 78 Ivory St | 03 313 7059 | avoncityford.com

ley, plus a raft of them in the city, all using local grain.

The more you investigate the more local cheese makers there are, all using local milk.

And then, one suddenly thinks of the local Farmers markets.

It seems that most towns have one every weekend. Plus, there are several here in the city, so what an amazing opportunity for growers in particular and farmers in general

to sell produce without the price being set by the wholesaler.

Yes, the public, as in the end user, sets the price and there is no one else clicking the ticket.

Whether it is free range eggs, fruit and vegetables, or jams and chutneys, there is a strong demand for fresh and wonderful .

Produce what you can produce to help you and your local economy. Thank you Warren.

52

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