PUSH by New Zealand to boost cooperation between the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for TransPacific Partnership countries and a major South American trading bloc could be a first step towards forming one of the world’s largest free trade agreements.
The move comes after Prime Minister Christopher Luxon recently called for the 12 CPTPP countries to work with other major trading blocs such as the European Union to “promote free trade as a path to prosperity”.
It is not necessarily about a trade negotiation, although never rule out anything in the world today.
Todd McClay Trade Minister
Farmers Weekly understands this could include CPTPP countries working together to present a united front on common irritants in their trading relationships with the EU.
Costly deforestation reporting being forced on exporters to the EU is one such example of trade tensions between the two blocs.
“Rather than each country running off [to the EU] to talk to them, we would have the ability as a group to have a formal dialogue,” Trade Minister Todd McClay told Farmers Weekly.
McClay said NZ wants to see the CPTPP set up a similar arrangement with the South American trading bloc Mercosur.
The five countries of Mercosur, which include the powerhouse economies of Brazil and Argentina, have a combined population of 295 million.
Together they have a gross domestic product of US$2.6 trillion, equal to the world’s fifth largest economy.
The CPTPP countries have a combined GDP of US$15.8 trillion.
McClay said CPTPP countries last year discussed trying for closer links with Mercosur.
He will have a chance to push the idea along again after elections in Australia and Canada.
“It is not necessarily about a trade negotiation, although never rule out anything in the world today,” McClay said.
Continued page 5
Greener future in farmers’ hands
Living closer to the land – and responsible for far more of it than a city dweller is – the farmer is our best hope, says the Cousins family. Multiple generations of the family have farmed their Manawatū property over 106 years, diversifying over the years to help navigate market fluctuations. As part of Earth Day, marked last week, they tell their story. See story www.farmersweekly.co.nz
It’s too soon to consider suing US over tariffs: McClay. NEWS 5
Training launches dairy careers
Josh Dondertman supports Matthew Fox with on-farm employment and learning in Canterbury as part of the NextGen Dairy Farmers pilot programme, launched last year by Dairy Training, a subsidiary of DairyNZ
Photo: Supplied
Referendums set to dominate October’s local elections. NEWS 7
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News in brief
Chair elect
Fonterra has named Anne TemplemanJones chair elect of the Mainland Group’s board audit and risk committee in preparation for a possible initial public offering of its consumer business and the co-operative’s Oceania and Sri Lanka businesses.
Fonterra chair Peter McBride said Templeman-Jones’ extensive experience in both executive and board roles across a range of sectors will be valuable to the Mainland Group board.
Tariff impact
World tariff issues are expected to have a limited direct impact on the exporting business of listed Scott Technology.
Of more concern is the uncertainty around the willingness of businesses to invest in capital equipment, Scott said when reporting its FY2025 interim results. Scott reported stable net profit of $4.3 million in the six months to February 28, although operating earnings were down 27% to $12.2m compared with the previous corresponding period.
Farmer support
The Rapid Relief Team will be holding an event in the Taranaki region next month for farmers who are doing it tough due to the drought conditions.
The Farmers Community Connect event will take place on Friday, May 2 in Hawera, with donations of livestock feed to be distributed to farmers who attend. Farmers must register their attendance to receive two 1 tonne bulk bags of livestock feed.
ETS price unchanged
ETS price control settings remain unchanged and will only be adjusted for inflation, the Climate Change Commission has recommended in its annual advice on the NZ ETS unit limits and price control settings.
CCC chief executive Jo Hendy said their advice is intended to support using the ETS to its best effect as a tool for meeting climate change targets.
‘Too soon to consider suing over tariffs’
TNigel Stirling MARKETS Trade
RADE Minister Todd McClay is “not taking anything off the table” in response to United States President Donald Trump’s 10% tariffs – although a legal challenge is not an immediate priority.
A lobbyist representing NZ’s largest exporters has called on the government to consider taking a case against the US to the World Trade Organisation.
We are not taking anything off the table but we are not doing anything at this time.
Todd McClay Trade Minister
Stephen Jacobi of the International Business Forum, which represents Fonterra, Silver Fern Farms, ANZCO and Zespri, among other primary sector heavyweights, said he believes Trump’s tariffs violate commitments made by the US during global trade negotiations in the 1990s.
The Uruguay round of talks
Continued from page 1
This is not the first time a NZ trade minister has tried to prise open the door to Mercosur.
In 2018 Labour’s David Parker travelled to South America to register interest in exploratory talks for a free trade deal.
Since then Mercosur has concluded a decades-long EU trade negotiation and insiders suggest NZ believes the time could be right to try again, but this time under the CPTPP banner.
created a quota for NZ to export up to 213,402 tonnes of beef to the US tariff free. Smaller quotas for butter and cheese were also negotiated.
Jacobi said there is a “strong case” to mount a legal challenge to “uphold what we have left of the international trading system”, even if it risks Trump retaliating with even higher tariffs against NZ exports.
There is also a strong likelihood the US would ignore any ruling in NZ’s favour, Jacobi acknowledged.
McClay agreed it is important countries carry out obligations in trade agreements but said it is too soon to consider a legal challenge.
He said he has not asked for advice from officials on the merits of a case but he is talking to exporters about the impacts of the tariffs on their businesses.
“For a lot of them the product they have sent since the new regime has been in place has not even arrived.
“We need a lot more information to see what the new rules mean or if they are to be changed before we consider anything else, which is why we are not considering any retaliatory action at this stage.
“We are not taking anything off the table but we are not doing anything at this time.”
Asked whether he thought the 10% tariff on NZ exports could be
Starting out with a venue to discuss trade rules it is hoped this could be a forerunner to negotiations later to lower trade barriers.
United States President Donald Trump’s April 2 tariff announcements would seem to be another obvious reason to try for closer links, although McClay said it was not a key one.
A diplomatic rift between members means attempts by successive NZ governments to start trade talks with the other
negotiated lower, McClay said he expects he will know more after an APEC trade ministers’ meeting next month, when he is scheduled to meet US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer.
“There seems to be a feeling building that 10% is the new
South American trading bloc, the Pacific Alliance, remain at a standstill.
NZ’s agricultural exports to Mercosur, itself one of the world’s largest agricultural producers, are very low currently.
Less than 10 tonnes of NZ lamb went to South America in the past decade and almost no beef.
Tariffs are not high, ranging from 9% on lamb to 9-11% for beef.
Dairy exports are also low, with NZ selling $10m of dairy
floor and the lowest they will go but there has been no clear indication,” McClay said. McClay wrote to Greer earlier this month to correct the claim made during Trump’s April 2 “Liberation Day” announcement that US exports to NZ face 20% tariffs. McClay said the average tariff by NZ on US imports is 1.9%.
products there last year.
An exporter told Farmers Weekly there is scope for more.
Sending more beef to Brazil sounds like selling coals to Newcastle, the exporter said, “but the whole argument was that forming an alliance with the South American countries was complementary”.
“They like beef and having some different beef on the market from Brazilian beef or Argentinian beef could be an opportunity.”
“It was important to clarify that for them and to others around the world that might have read that and thought NZ does not have one of the lowest tariff regimes in the world when in fact it does.”
They like beef and having some different beef on the market from Brazilian beef or Argentinian beef could be an opportunity.
Exporter
COMMITMENT: Stephen Jacobi of the International Business Forum believes US President Donald Trump’s tariffs violate commitments made by the US during global trade negotiations in the 1990s.
Govt extends drought financial assistance
Gerald Piddock NEWS Weather
THE government has extended financial support to droughtimpacted farmers across the North Island and the upper South Island.
The support in the form of rural assistance payments will help farmers with living costs and will be made available from April 28 and cover 27 districts across the country.
Farmers in Northland, Waikato, Taranaki, Horizons (Manawatū-Whanganui, including Tararua), and the Top of the South Island (Marlborough, Tasman and Nelson City) regional council areas can apply for the payments.
Social Development and
Employment Minister Louise Upston said they want to help eligible farmers whose income has been severely affected by drought conditions.
“We know farmers in these regions have been significantly impacted by low rainfall over recent months, and we want people to be able to access support when they need it.
“These rural assistance payments are being made available until October 28, 2025, when farmer incomes are expected to lift.”
While many areas have received welcome rain over the past month, other places received only light rainfall.
In Waikato, the regional council’s seven-day rainfall data varied from 526mm south of Coromandel to 19.5mm north of Tahuna, 11mm at Te Awamutu, 7.5mm east of
Otorohanga and 44.5mm at Te Kūiti.
Waikato Federated Farmers president Keith Holmes said the rain was gratefully received.
“Fortunately, the ground and air temperature are still warm, so we are starting to see some growth.”
But the rain was very patchy. He received 15mm whereas the Waihou River, just 4km away, was flooded – and some areas are still seriously dry.
The Waikato and South Auckland Primary Industry Adverse Event Cluster core group is still meeting every two weeks to monitor the situation and the Rural Support Trust still has quite a high workload, he said.
It is a similar situation further south in Taranaki.
“We definitely got rain, but some farms are still in deficit,” the region’s Federated Farmers
president, Leedom Gibbs, said. South coastal Taranaki is still very dry with as much as 300mm needed in that district, she said.
Rural Communities Minister Mark Patterson encouraged farmers struggling with the drought to get in touch with their local Rural Support Trust to find
out what help is available and to apply for a rural assistance payment if they need it.
“Droughts often have a sting in the tail with the cold, tough winter months still to come. We know how hard it can be to recover from a drought, and we are here to support farmers through it.”
Sector groups applaud govt’s Freshwater plan change
Staff reporter NEWS Water
PRIMARY sector groups are welcoming changes to Freshwater Farm Plans by the government which aim to make these plans more practical and affordable.
The changes will see a reduction in the number of farms required to have a plan and will take a riskbased approach to certification.
Plans will still manage environmental impacts, but without unnecessary red tape, and they will not be required for small blocks, Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard said.
“Farm plans are useful tools, but they must be practical and matched to actual environmental risk.”
Officials are working with
industry, sector groups and councils to finalise improvements through updated regulations.
Agriculture Minister Todd McClay said the government paused the rollout last year to make room for the changes.
“We’re recognising existing industry programmes that achieve equivalent environmental outcomes. Farmers shouldn’t have to complete multiple plans.
“The new system will also act as an alternative to local council rules and consents where appropriate, allowing landowners to meet requirements in a way that suits their farm systems.”
The improvements are being progressed through the government’s Resource Management Act reform process and are expected to be in place by the end of the year.
Federated Farmers vicepresident Colin Hurst said it has the potential to be a game changer, replacing the need for expensive and uncertain resource consents or constantly changing council rules.
“A tailored farm planning system that takes a risk-based approach will provide strong environmental protections without the over-thetop bureaucracy we’ve seen in recent years.”
Hurst was happy the government had lifted the size threshold of farms requiring plans from 20 hectares to 50ha, saying it shows they were heard.
He also welcomed confirmation that farmers will not need a new plan if they already have an existing industry plan that achieves equivalent environment outcomes.
“That’s a huge win for common sense and will cut out a lot of unnecessary cost, duplication and box-ticking for farmers.”
But questions also remain over the certification of farm plans and who will pay for audits for compliance – two significant issues for farmers, he said.
DairyNZ GM of farm solutions and policy Dr David Burger said they had been advocating for these changes for six years.
“We’ve been working with dairy companies to provide a dairy perspective while the regulations are reviewed and appreciate this clearer direction on these important aspects.
“It has been our long-standing position that the current system should be improved to reduce cost and complexity and better acknowledge the environmental
progress farmers and the wider dairy sector are making.”
In 2024, 84% of dairy farms were actively implementing and reporting under a farm environment plan and the sector is on track for all dairy farms having a plan by the end of the next dairy season.
“We need to build on this momentum by creating clear, practical transition pathways from current industry plans to regulatory Freshwater Farm Plans, and ensure existing, robust industry plans are recognised under the new regulations.
“This includes considering how existing regional plans may need to be amended to accommodate the changes to national regulations, necessary to avoid duplication and ensure integration.”
SUPPORT: Farmers can get financial support to help with living costs if they are affected by the drought.
Referendums set to dominate local elections
Hugh Stringleman POLITICS Local government
LOCAL government elections will take place in October with major Resource Management Act reforms and regional infrastructure deals underway.
Candidates will be contesting about 850 seats in 77 territorial and regional councils.
Tauranga City will not have an election as it already had one midterm in 2024.
The 2025 triennial election period may be dominated by referendums to continue or discontinue Māori wards and constituencies.
Five regional councils and 37 district or city councils will hold referendums, to comply with the Local Government (Electoral Legislation and Māori Wards and Māori Constituencies) Amendment Act 2024.
It reinstates the requirement that councils must hold referendums before establishing Māori wards, which the previous Labour Government had removed.
The retrospective order threatens the continuation of specified Māori participation in local government that dates back to Bay of Plenty Regional Council in 2001.
Should the council-by-council outcomes be disestablishment, wards will continue for another term and disappear in 2028.
Kaipara District Council and
Upper Hutt City Council have already voted to rescind their Māori wards.
Most of the referendums will be held in the North Island, with only Marlborough District, Nelson City and Tasman District in the South Island.
Nelson and Tasman are potentially to merge into one larger unitary authority.
New Zealand has 11 regional councils, six with Māori constituencies, 50 district councils and 11 city councils, 26 with Māori wards, and six unitary authorities, half of which have Māori wards.
Unitary authorities act as
territorial and regional councils combined – they are Auckland City, Chatham Islands, Gisborne, Marlborough, Nelson City and Tasman.
Merging of councils in NZ is a slow process and while the country is not in Australia’s position of having 14 houses of parliament, most commentators agree local government would be more efficient with larger territorial authorities.
It can be hard to attract sufficient candidates to fill all council seats and two-thirds of eligible voters did not cast their votes in 2022.
Political parties are having or promising greater involvement in candidate selection and party platforms and strongly held views are most likely around the existence of Māori wards.
In 2022 the 11 regional councils elected 131 councillors, of whom 123 declared themselves independent, along with four Green, three Labour and one Te Pāti Māori representatives.
In the 66 territorial authority elections 705 councillors were elected, 646 of whom are independent.
Six Green Party members were elected, most notably the mayor
of Wellington, Tory Whanau, 20 from Labour and People’s Choice (a Christchurch affiliate), four TPM and 28 who declared affiliation to local pressure groups.
However, it is really only in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin that party politics is strong in local government.
In March, ACT leader David Seymour announced that the party would be fielding candidates during the 2025 local elections, for the first time.
ACT candidates would be expected to raise their own funds and focus on lower rates, ending wasteful spending, and racial equality.
In 2022 there were 66 mayors of territorial authorities elected, 35 of them re-elected. Regional councils elect their own chairs.
This week’s poll question:
Do you think New Zealand should have more unitary authorities rather than serving communities through both a regional and district or city council?
Have your say at farmersweekly.co.nz/poll
RMA reforms sure to shake up local govt structure
BAY of Plenty Regional Council chair Doug Leeder will retire from local government after four terms on the regional council since 2013, which followed four terms on Ōpōtiki District Council.
Leeder is a dairy farmer in eastern BOP, a former chair of a large dairy co-operative, and sits on the board of the Port of Tauranga.
He is also regional sector chair of Local Government NZ with 14 members – both regional councils and unitary councils.
BOP Regional Council has a three-person Māori constituency enabled by local legislation since 2001, the first in the country. It will be exempted from the Māori ward referendums alongside this year’s local government elections and will have a normal electoral contest.
Three other councils exempt because they have previously met the poll provisions are Waikato Regional Council, Ōpōtiki District and Wairoa District.
Leeder expects the referendum will dominate debates before the October polling but said that will obscure the major issues for councils and electors.
The proposed reforms to the Resource Management Act and
the National Policy Statement on Freshwater are going to need re-examination of the local government structure, he said.
“Central government has said it will give property rights back to people and simplify compliance, monitoring and enforcement.
“It also wants to restructure Three Waters, reduce the number of regional and local plans and get back to rates, rubbish and roads, not the four wellbeings.
“I know that some councils are pushing back and saying leave us alone.
“If central government wants to force councils, then it will require a full re-examination of the roles of local government.
“What functions are best delivered nationally, regionally and locally?”
Leeder said ratepayers want local governance and accountability for most functions but would leave bigger infrastructure matters to central government, councilcontrolled organisations and shared services.
“If those services are delivered by a CCO at a reasonable cost, they don’t care.”
Regional deals are a long way down the track and councils don’t have any indication yet how much local government will be expected to contribute.
Leeder was likewise gloomy about the pace of service sharing
and unitary council merging, because each little council, with its duplicated staffing and resourcing, is reluctant to give up territory.
Moves for funding reform of local government, such as a share of GST taxation, should not take priority over cost-cutting, he said.
“All debt is subordinated to the ratepayers, whatever entity raises the loans.
“If councillors think debt will be taken off their balance sheets by the CCOs and they can then borrow for pet projects, they must have rocks in their heads.”
Voters should concentrate on annual plans and long-term plans for their respective councils, Leeder said.
Fellow regional council chair Geoff Crawford, a firstterm councillor in Northland, said centralisation of resource consenting would be a disaster because of the loss of local understanding.
Northland Regional Council processes 1000 consents a month and Crawford thinks it very unlikely that volume would be efficiently handled elsewhere.
By contrast, standardisation of building codes nationally would be a good move.
“When central government wants changes the regional councillors resist and it make everything so slow.
“The freshwater conversations
have been going for 15 years and that is estimated to have cost $750 million.
“We cannot afford that as a country; that’s why the government wants to depower regional councils.”
On the subject of affordability, Crawford pointed out a proposed annual rates increase in 2025-26 by Whangārei
Council
of 30% or $80 a week more for farm properties with land value of $3.45m.
Federated Farmers Northland will object to the WDC annual plan on behalf of all farm owners in the district.
Crawford said he will stand for a second term on NRC because as a farmer he cannot afford to sit idly by.
SELECTION: New Zealand has 11 regional councils, six with Māori constituencies, 50 district councils and 11 city councils, 26 with Māori wards, and six unitary authorities, half of which have Māori wards. Image: LGNZ
District
Hugh Stringleman NEWS Regulation
FINISHED: Eight terms in total is enough for Bay of Plenty Regional Council chair Doug Leeder, who warns that legislative changes will require a rethink about local government.
We are thrilled to announce the winners of our competition to win a share of $100,000 to upgrade or improve rural halls, clubrooms, and Marae.
The Ruāwai Community Spor ts Club, Ruāwai
Te Āk au Waingaro Community Complex, Te Ākau
Waitomo Rugby Spor ts and Recreation Club, Te Anga
Marotiri Community Hall, Mangakino
Tiniroto Community Hall , Gisborne
Nūhak a Spor ts and Recreation Club, Nūhaka
Te K iri Hall, Ōpunake
Waitōtara Community Hall, Waitōtara
Paranui Pā, Manawatū-Wanganui
Ruakōkopatuna
Carluke Memorial Hall, Malborough S ounds
Sergants H ill Hall, Westpor t
Barr ytown Settlers Hall, Barr ytown
Cobden Spor ts Complex, Gladstone
Lauriston Memorial Hall, Lauriston
Lake Hāwea Community Centre, Lake Hāwea
Union Rugby Club, Ngapara
Maheno Community Hall, Maheno
West O tago Community Centre, Tapanui Fair
Each of the 20 deser ving winners, receive $5,000 to bring their communit y projec ts to life.
Thank You! We ex tend our thanks to ever yone who entered their deser ving projec t. Your dedication to improving your rural communities is truly inspiring.
Rabobank New Zealand Limited
Whey protein boosts flu vaccine, firm says
Gerald Piddock NEWS Dairy
TRIALS have shown the potential of a whey protein ingredient developed by Hamilton company Quantec to enhance the body’s response to the influenza vaccination.
The trial of Immune Defence Proteins (IDP) revealed that participants who supplemented with IDP showed enhanced levels of influenza antibodies post-vaccination.
The study was done in partnership with Massey University and the University of Auckland and involved 53 healthy adults aged 25-65 who consumed either a single high dose of IDP (200 mg), a standard dose (50 mg), or a placebo daily for eight weeks.
The participants consumed it for two weeks before the vaccination and then after the trial.
Results showed that participants in the high-dose group experienced significantly higher levels of flu-specific antibody levels.
Quantec CEO John Dawson said it positions IDP as a unique ingredient that bridges the
worlds of nutraceuticals and pharmaceuticals.
“IDP has the potential to reshape how we think about immune health.
“As a natural ingredient, it’s exciting to see IDP supporting medical treatments such as vaccines. This study provides an excellent example of the role milk bioactives can play in supporting and enhancing the body’s natural defences.”
IDP is a patented whey protein complex derived from cows, containing a natural complex of over 50 bioactive proteins.
These proteins work in harmony to support the immune system.
Each bioactive plays a specific role, contributing to the complex’s overall ability to support the body’s natural defences against inflammation, oxidative stress and microbial challenges.
Quantec co-founder and innovation director Dr Rod Claycomb said the trial demonstrated that IDP could have applications beyond just influenza.
“What this trial demonstrated is that IDP works together with the body’s immune system.
“The use of the influenza vaccine was an easy and convenient way to introduce a
challenge to the immune system.”
IDP has been tested against other virus species in a United States laboratory and was able to inhibit those viruses from affecting human cells.
This took that work to a clinical trial, he said.
Claycomb said the study reflects an important intersection between the nutraceutical and pharmaceutical worlds.
“Traditionally, these sectors operate in separate domains, but our findings suggest that natural bioactive ingredients like IDP can complement medical approaches, providing a more holistic framework for supporting human health.”
Quantec has been researching IDP for over a decade, and the pandemic presented a unique opportunity to test its antiviral potential, he said.
It also highlighted the potential value the health benefits dairy has in places like the Chinese market, he said.
“The Chinese have recognised for quite a few years now the health benefits of dairy. That’s not just our product but dairy products in general.”
IDP is a tiny part of milk and the bioactives within it are an
important part of immune health story within milk, he said.
“We have taken that very important component, extracting it, purifying it and selling it as an ingredient.”
Dawson said they will continue with their trial work with future research testing IDP’s immune
supporting properties on preschool and primary school children in Shanghai who are exposed to common infections in daycare environments. It will measure real-world outcomes, such as reduced symptoms and fewer missed school days.
FAW risk abates, but keep an eye out for moths
Annette Scott NEWS Pests
THE overall risk from fall armyworm this season has likely passed but farmers are urged to keep monitoring crops as surviving adult moths are likely to seek alternative host plants.
The latest Foundation for Arable Research update reports that FAW continues to be detected across New Zealand, however, except for later planted maize and sweetcorn crops, “the overall risk
from FAW this season has likely passed”.
But while adult moths are still being captured in pheromone traps, indicating continued presence in the environment, in the absence of preferred host plants such as maize and sweetcorn, “it is important to remain vigilant by scouting other potential host crops, as FAW may shift its feeding behaviour to alternative hosts”.
FAWs are known to feed on over 350 plant species with observations of infestations on
volunteer plants already reported from several regions around the country.
In regions where soil type and farm systems allow paddock management practices such as light cultivation to 10cm depth, or the use of livestock to graze crop residues, can help destroy FAW.
This practice may reduce local pest pressure in future seasons while cultivation can also help manage volunteer host plants that may otherwise support pest populations in the off-season. Widespread and encouraging
observations of beneficial parasitoids, particularly Cotesia ruficrus, suggest natural controls may be effectively managing small FAW populations.
In the regional update, moth catches continue to be observed in Northland, while FAW populations remain low in Auckland and Waikato with no significant threat to maize crops, but sweetcorn growers should continue regular scouting.
Populations of FAW are present at low levels in Bay of Plenty, Gisborne and Hawke’s Bay with
any unharvested maize crops unlikely to be negatively affected. FAW larvae have been found recently by Fruitfed technical staff in Hawke’s Bay sweetcorn volunteer plants.
Moth catches continue to be observed in Northland.
Report
Foundation for Arable Research
WHEY: Quantec co-founder and innovation director Dr Rod Claycomb, left, and Quantec CEO John Dawson.
Funding cuts imperil wilding control
Annette Scott NEWS Environment
WILDING conifers left uncontrolled could within two decades destroy 500,000 hectares of land worth more than $750 million in productive potential.
This is according to Boffa Miskell biosecurity consultant Sian Reynolds, who addressed a recent high country farmers field trip in North Canterbury.
Boffa Miskell has the contract for pine management on Molesworth Station, where Reynolds has been co-ordinating the wilding pine management project. The pines are the remnants of plantings in the 1940s.
As Molesworth is a hotspot for many endemic species, there is a lot at stake.
As soon as wilding pine seedlings produce cones, they
become a seed source. With some species this can happen in as little as three years.
“It’s not too long before they are decimating the landscape, dense as a brick wall, lost for farming.
“They smother habitats of rare birds, bugs and insects, infest grazing land and fuel wildfires.
“In some of the [Molesworth] flats along the Clarence River, where 15 years ago it was grazing land, now you can’t put an Angus cow or a dog through,” Reynolds said.
The hope is to see more beech take hold and allow the natural rolling tussock land to flourish.
The threat of invasion from beyond the station’s fence line is ever present.
It is estimated one area beyond the northwest boundary of Molesworth would take $50m to control.
Many areas in the Molesworth Management Unit are surveyed and maintained through the
use of ABBA (aerial basal bark application), a helicopter with a pilot and a wand operator.
Nationwide, the fight against wilding pines stepped up significantly when in 2020 an additional $100m government investment was committed over a four-year period, allowing national wilding pine control operations to scale up significantly and make great progress.
That funding was reduced to $10m a year from 2024.
“The significant reduction in funding has meant that landholder-led control is going to be critical to give any chance of winning the battle,” Reynolds said.
“It’s a huge issue. Left uncontrolled these tree weeds will decimate 5% of the New Zealand environment each year.”
Reynolds said of more than 70 management units nationwide, only 31 will be funded this season under the national management strategy.
TOUGH: Biosecurity consultant Sian Reynolds says there can be no half measures, because wildings don’t share.
Photos: Annette Scott
“There’s another 42 where infestations require control but now with funding back to $10m a year it’s not meeting any targets.
“The programme needs $40m a year to make strides.”
With trees spreading at the rate of 5% a year it is estimated a fifth of NZ would be covered within 20 years if there was no control like that being done on Molesworth, which has now been significantly curtailed because of the lack of funding.
Spray drones coming onto the market could boost the fight further.
But Hamish Roxburgh, a member of the New Zealand Wilding Conifer group, had a differing view.
“I have been in pine tree politics for over 30 years and while the national programme has been a success, now with the funding cut it is going to fail.
“This is the biggest environment disaster facing this country. The
cost of doing control is less than the cost of not doing it.”
Roxburgh advocated burning as a very efficient and affordable method of controlling wildings.
He cited several examples, including his own North Canterbury property, where burning has been successful in total eradication.
He said the problem with fire is “it fires up the keyboard warriors”.
“They are impervious to reason and it’s a debate we cannot win.
“With our strategy, spray early autumn; burn late winter-early spring, and seed the following autumn after the spray residue has abated. Nature doesn’t seed in the spring, she seeds in the autumn. We work with nature, not against her.”
Burning requires regional council consent and a permit from Fire and Emergency NZ. It may also require a Wildlife Act permit from the Department of Conservation.
Wilding pine facts
In 2020, the government spent $40 million on killing wilding conifers at 43 South Island sites and 11 sites in the North Island, spanning 800,000 hectares. In 2011, a survey calculated that wildings had occupied 5% of NZ and each year were invading a further 90,000 hectares.
• By 2016, escapees from exotic plantings had spread over 1.8 million hectares.
A 2018 study by Sapere Research found that doing nothing would see another 5.5 million hectares of NZ covered in wildings within 30 years.
More than 500,000 hectares of that land is worth $750 million in productive potential.
Bolus company able to swallow the green bank halt
Richard Rennie TECHNOLOGY Emissions
GOVERNMENT moves to shut down its green investment bank will not slow the trajectory of Ruminant BioTech, one of its earlier equity investments.
The methane mitigating start-up company received $2.5 million of equity funding from the bank in May 2023 to help accelerate its development and steps to commercialisation of its bolus technology.
Recently Climate Change
Minister Simon Watts declared the New Zealand Green Investment Fund (NZGIF) officially shut, citing “limited results” from the $400m fund opened by the previous Labour government.
He cited over 20 other government funds operating with similar objectives to NZGIF that could still be accessed.
Ruminant BioTech CEO Tom Breen said the early-stage funding had played an invaluable part in helping the company become established. The investment also
came alongside significant private co-investment that includes local and offshore investors. They include United States-based, climate-focused venture capital fund Regeneration.
“The NZGIF was good support for that early stage, but the loss of the fund is now of no material impact to us.
We have reached a stage where now we are sourcing capital from a range of different places.
Tom Breen Ruminant BioTech
“We have reached a stage where now we are sourcing capital from across a range of different places,” he said.
NZGIF drew fire when it made a $145m loan to solar panel company SolarZero. Controversy flared around the company when venture capital company BlackRock placed it into liquidation, leaving 169 staff out of
a job and many owed holiday pay and notice periods.
Watts said he was not assured taxpayer dollars were being well spent through the fund.
But Ruminant BioTech’s slow release bolus appears to be on target, with the company aiming for commercial release by the end of the calendar year.
The technology delivers targeted doses of methane inhibitor over a sustained period, aiming to achieve a 70% reduction per cow in emitted methane over a six-month period.
Breen said beef herds in New Zealand and Australia were the first focus of the launch.
“We do still have a few milestones on a regulatory basis to get through in New Zealand.”
NZ’s regulatory agency, the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA), has been under the spotlight for time taken to gain regulatory approval on new products, with a recent review laying out key areas to be addressed.
Late last month Dr Steve Meller the CEO of Australia-based
methane mitigation company CH4 announced his decision to walk away from the NZ market on grounds regulatory hurdles had proven too costly and lengthy to persevere with.
Meller has been outspoken in challenging government regulators on their stance, maintaining the Agricultural Compounds and Veterinary Medicines (ACVM) regulations have stymied his and other companies launching products.
“All I can say is there has been a lot of support from the whole industry to get solutions to market in a positive way and the approach in NZ has been very complementary, we are looking to have results in coming months,” said Breen.
He said it was a similar situation in Australia, despite a different regulatory landscape.
“It is more about making sure we are ready from a claims perspective and getting through that process. We are now exposing the product to variability and seasonality influences to fully prove it.”
FUNDED: Ruminant BioTech CEO Tom Breen says the government’s Green Investment Fund played a valuable role in helping the agritech start-up get off the ground when it received $2.5 million in equity funding in 2023.
DECIMATE: Wilding pines left uncontrolled will decimate 5% of the NZ environment each year.
Trade war a bright spot in troubled harvest
Annette Scott NEWS Arable
HARVEST has been a struggle this season for arable farmers right across the country, with both too much and too little rain creating challenges.
But on the upside Federated Farmers arable section chair David Birkett said as autumn crops go in the ground US President Donald Trump’s global tariffs are looking to sprout up “a few opportunities for arable”.
“Across the whole country, everywhere there has been some challenges thrown up getting crops in from being very wet in Southland, a dual summer in Canterbury to drought for maize up north,” Birkett said.
“Overall yields are average to below average, especially down for cereals in Southland, and maize up north while Canterbury turned out a mixed bag with coastal farmers faring the better.
“Everyone somewhere has been affected with the weather, certainly highlighting what you can do having drying capacity on farms.
“There’s been a lot of drying go on.”
The Foundation for Arable Research (FAR) regional update issued on April 13 reports rain has held up autumn planting in South Canterbury and North Otago, as well as any remaining cereal or small seed harvest. However, the same rain has been good for early planted crops.
At the top of the South a few growers are waiting for some good autumn weather to complete harvest, but the focus for most has shifted to autumn grass and cereal sowing.
China will likely look to the NZ market to buy.
David Birkett Federated Farmers
Maize silage harvest is all but complete in Waikato, despite a small harvest window due to a quick dry-down period with contractors’ careful planning and hard work ensuring timely completion in most cases. Yields were more variable and, overall, lower than last year; however, the season has
highlighted the ability of maize to grow in drought conditions and its crucial role as a supplementary feed.
While recent rain has brought some grass growth, a significant amount of supplement is still being fed out, indicating strong demand for maize and shorter maturity hybrids next season.
Welcome rain has fallen in Northland, but growers are looking for more.
About 25% of grain crops in the region have been harvested with yields ranging from 6 to 16 tonnes per hectare and as maize silage harvest nears completion some farmers are taking a punt and drilling grass seed. On a positive note, Birkett said with the ryegrass market showing improvement on last year – which was down 40% in volume – there is a brighter tune playing for New Zealand arable farmers.
There are some potential opportunities, as result of the Trump tariffs, in the global market from countries such as China that would usually buy ryegrass from the US.
“China will likely look to the NZ market to buy, so what we can get in the ground could yield more
value in the long run,” Birkett said.
With the global price for wheat remaining stable, albeit still at the lower end, and the dairy market on a high, more supplement is expected to go into the dairy industry.
On top of that the lamb market is strong and looking to hold.
“Cropping farmers have had to fork out big money for store lambs because of short supply but the schedule is looking to hold at $9-$10 so we feel there’s still good margins for finishers. It’s also great to see sheep farmers getting good returns; we need them to be there,” Birkett said.
POTENTIAL: Feds arable chair David Birkett says US President Donald Trump’s global tariffs could sprout potential for cropping farmers to benefit in changing markets from the likes of China.
Photo: Annette Scott
Ballance looks to flick switch on Mount plant
Richard Rennie NEWS Agribusiness
SHIFTING dynamics in New Zealand’s fertiliser market and the marginal economics of local superphosphate production are driving Ballance’s decision to review the future of its Mount Maunganui plant.
In a letter to Ballance shareholders last week the cooperative outlined a proposal to close the phosphate acidulation plant with the loss of 62 jobs and opt for importing single super phosphate instead. The company plans to keep its southern Awarua plant operational.
Ballance CEO Kelvin Wickham told Farmers Weekly the decision still has to be confirmed after a consultation process with staff. But he said the investment needed to upgrade the plant in response to regulatory standards would be difficult to recover.
“We have looked at the plant’s profitability and the growth options for other products our customers are supporting, alongside our licence to operate. It requires significant capital investment to give a life extension of 10-15 years.”
He said the co-op has every intention of remaining on the site, taking advantage of its portside location.
Ballance’s proposal also reflects some significant shifts in fertiliser application in recent years.
Farmers and growers are increasingly moving to more nutrient-dense or nitrogenfocused products like DAP and triple superphosphate.
Nitrogen use on New Zealand farms soared 600% between 1991 and 2021 to 450,000t a year. In contrast, super phosphate application fell by almost half, from 1.3 million tonnes in 2007 to 735,000t by 2022.
Wickham said the company estimates there is an overcapacity of superphosphate production plants in NZ, which include Ballance’s Awarua plant, and two Ravensdown plants.
At present about 85% of the fertiliser or fertiliser ingredients applied in NZ are imported.
Total fertiliser sales have also experienced volatility over the past few years.
In 2022 almost 2 million tonnes of fertiliser was applied, only to slump in 2023 to about 1.5 million tonnes as the impact of soaring global prices and lower commodity returns bit into farm budgets.
The past eight years have also seen the loss of about 240,000ha to forestry plantations from pasture.
Wickham said Dairy NZ and Beef + Lamb NZ data is included in the review proposal, but he notes that much of the poorer quality drystock land will have received lower levels of fertiliser input.
Ballance’s Mount Maunganui phosphate plant has also had a recent history of environmental challenges, including opposition from the neighbouring Whareroa marae.
In 2020 iwi set a deadline of 10 years for the government to get heavy industry, including the Ballance plant, out of Mount Maunganui.
Sulphur dioxide emissions were the main complaint from the marae.
Issues over air quality have dogged the entire Mount industrial zone. Between 2012 and 2017 air quality complaints to council increased tenfold.
Ballance responded by investing $8.5 million to improve emissions quality from the plant, matching the top 5% of similar plants globally.
Wickham agreed NZ has probably passed “peak P” in superphosphate demand, in part due to P being delivered through other products.
Statistics NZ reports that over the past 20 years national farmland area has fallen at a rate of about 1% a year. Wickham
said there is limited land likely to be converted to pasture.
“It is also more about maintenance of P levels now, rather than lifting P levels.”
Ceasing production of single superphosphate at Mount Maunganui will mark something of the end of an era for Ballance and New Zealand.
The NZ Manure and Chemical Company began production at Mount Maunganui in 1884.
The White Island Sulphur Company, established in 1912 ,sourced sulphur for the process from White Island, where 10 workers were killed during an eruption in 1914.
Wickham said it will be June before full feedback on the proposal has been received.
The story of Punter the Hunter finds fans – and pigs
INSPIRED by rural life and hunting adventures on their Kurow farm, illustrator Emma Nowell decided to tell the story of the family’s beloved pig dog Punter.
The response to her selfpublished children’s book Punter the Hunter has been overwhelming, Nowell says, and she never tires of hearing feedback from kids and parents who know the story by heart.
“We’re a hunting family. Punter
was the first dog Ben (my husband) and I got together. He’s 14 now, still very much alive and still gets excited when Ben brings out the hunting collar. We used to imagine him as a human personality, as you do with pets, and thought it would be cool if he had his own story.”
The couple have three boys, Jack 12, Harry, 10 and Charlie, 8. The boys love the free-range life afforded by the family’s 2600 hectare sheep, beef and deer farm, which they lease off Ben’s parents. They also lease a block in the Hakateramea Valley and run on-farm accommodation from September through to April, which keeps Nowell busy.
“I feel grateful, it’s such a privilege that we can bring our kids up in a big, beautiful environment. It’s free-range living pretty much and it’s lovely to witness as a mother. We had it as kids and to bring our children up in the same environment is very special,” she said.
When Jack was little Nowell loved reading to him, but noticed there were no children’s books about hunting, or pig hunting. Once the kids were a bit older and she had time, she decided to take the plunge and do it herself.
The story had already been written over many years, a team effort by Emma and Ben, and they had someone edit it. Nowell then
painstakingly illustrated each page, a labour of love in her little studio every evening.
Middle son Harry had some health issues that required a fair bit of time spent in Dunedin seeing specialists. As a way of giving back, Nowell donated $1 for every copy sold to the children’s ward at Dunedin Hospital.
“I wish I could have given them a million dollars, but they were so overwhelmed and humbled when I gave them the cheque when we rolled over 1000 copies, which was cool.”
Nowell studied Landscape Architecture at university, where she met Ben. After having children and spending more time at home she got into graphic design.
“I just carried on and started doing more illustrative work. I fell in love with it and that continued into water colour and acrylic work.”
There may well be another Punter book in the future, but Nowell’s next goal is to fill the empty canvases she has sitting in her studio.
“I would love to do an art exhibition. I love Kurow and love where we live, and I’d like to depict that in my art work. I have some ideas for rural scenes ... There’s an art gallery in Dunedin and it’s a lifetime goal to one day have a piece of my art hang there.”
SHIFTING: Ballance CEO Kelvin Wickham said the proposed shutdown at Mount Maunganui is partly due to shifting usage in recent years to more nutrient-dense products offering more ‘bang for buck’ to growers and farmers.
Rebecca Greaves PEOPLE Community
THE STAR: Emma Nowell with family dog Punter, star of her children’s book Punter the Hunter.
DONATION: Emma Newell has donated $1 for every copy sold to the children’s ward at Dunedin Hospital.
One NZ Satellite – a game-changer for rural NZ
As a sixth-generation dairy farmer in Golden Bay, Wayne Langford knows firsthand the realities of rural life –long days, unpredictable conditions, and often working in complete isolation. Off the farm, his roles as Federated Farmers National President, a rural mental health advocate and co-founder of charity Meat the Need have seen him deeply investing in the farming community and the challenges it faces.
One of the biggest? Staying connected.
For Wayne and countless other farmers, being able to communicate is an essential part of running a safe and successful operation. Whether checking in with workers, coordinating farm operations, or making contact with those who matter during an emergency, reliable communication can make all the difference. But in remote areas where traditional mobile coverage is patchy or non-existent, getting connected has always been a struggle.
Wayne has been caught out before –stranded in a paddock after his quad bike broke down, out of traditional mobile coverage, with no way to let anyone know he needed help. Like so many farmers, he knows the frustration (and risk) of not having service when it counts most.
That’s why One NZ Satellite is a gamechanger. This innovative service allows farmers with an eligible phone and plan to send and receive TXT messages from anywhere with line of sight to the sky*, ensuring they can stay in touch with family, friends, and colleagues no matter how far off-grid they are.
For young farmers in particular, who often work alone in isolated areas, this connectivity is even more vital for their safety and wellbeing. The ability to contact others provides reassurance, reduces isolation, and ensures support is never out of reach.
The ability to contact others provides reassurance, reduces isolation, and ensures support is never out of reach.
“Out on the farm, being able to get a message through can make all the difference. No matter where you are on the farm, you can be connected and know help is just a text away,” says Wayne.
With One NZ Satellite, farmers can focus on what they do best, feeding the nation while knowing they’re connected when it matters most.
Wayne Langford, Federated Farmers National President.
One NZ Satellite allows farmers to TXT from the middles of nowhere
New board just the start for Bremworth
Annette Scott NEWS Food and fibre
BUSINESS needs to be sustainable and the appointment of a new board is just the beginning for wool carpet manufacturer Bremworth, new chair Rob Hewett says.
“The company has got good bones but it needs a lot of attention. We are out of the starting blocks; we are about step four of 250.
“The new board is just three weeks old. We can’t muck around but we can’t just cut loose,” Hewett said.
“It will be nothing revolutionary; it will be getting costs down and getting more sales out the door.
“We still have a business to run. Bremworth is a really strong brand for wool and we want to bolster and do everything we can to plateau costs while driving sales up.”
Hewett stepped in to the chair’s role following an effective coup that saw former chair George Adams ousted along with several board member changes.
The coup was led by Hewett and was, he said, in response to erratic direction and poor operational performance.
Further to the governance coup, the departure of chief executive Greg Smith was a “mutual decision in the end”, Hewett said.
“It was a tough hand he [Smith] got dealt. He has done reasonably well with the people, and the insurance settlement side after Cyclone Gabrielle, but not so well
with issues around the company not selling enough.”
Hewett acknowledged Smith had brought the wool strategy to life but said the challenges he faced had been a “big deal”.
interim chief executive on a 12-month contract.
Woolford, hailed as a carpet industry expert, has previously been with Bremworth.
“He has significant operational experience and is very familiar with sales. He has taken time out of his own business to do this and we are very pleased to have him,” Hewett said.
“He was available, interested and capable and they are three key elements. Getting Bremworth on the right path is unfinished business for him short term; he indicated he was not in it for the long haul.”
Woolford took up the reins on April 11.
Meanwhile Hewett said the new board is well through a review process.
We want to kick in.
“I respect what Greg has done, but it’s time to move on.
“We need to get costs in line and sales in step2. That’s all I will say.”
The new Bremworth board has appointed Craig Woolford as
“It’s a great company, with a really strong carpet brand for wool, but the business is still challenged; it needs to be turned around and that’s the role of the new board.
April’s FMP proves popular at $9.60
Hugh Stringleman NEWS Fonterra
MORE than 500 Fonterra farmers locked in a net $9.60/kg milksolids for some of their 2026 season production in the April Fixed Milk Price event.
The Fonterra offer of 25 million kilograms on April 7 and 8 was oversubscribed after 547 farmers applied for 27.4 million kg. Under new FMP rules whereby 10% oversubscriptions can be accepted, the total volume of applications was signed up.
The first offer of the new season in March saw almost 300 farmers apply for nearly 15 million kg at $9.53 net price, all of which was contracted.
Fonterra’s FMP has 10 monthly events during a year, three of them prior to the dairy season opening (March, April and May) and before the company makes its first farmgate milk price forecast for the new season.
Fonterra milk supply director Lisa Payne said more and more farmers are
participating in FMP, including those who are in the early stages of their careers.
“We have offered FMP contracts since 2019, because we know some of our farmers want the option of having greater certainty for a portion of their revenue.
“This includes farmers who are just starting out, and in March and April we have seen new farmers that will start supplying from June utilising the service.
“It’s great to be able to support the next generation of farmers who may require a greater level of certainty in their farm income.”
Payne said all Fonterra farmers can benefit from the FMP scheme, not just those who participate.
“It enables us to offer price risk management solutions to key customers that value price certainty for the products they source from us.
“The premiums we earn from those contracts flow through as improved earnings, which can then be returned to farmer shareholders in the form of dividends.”
PARTICIPATING:
Fonterra milk supply director Lisa Payne says more and more farmers are participating in FMP, including those who are in the early stages of their careers.
“This is a consultation process and I can’t comment on any outcome at this stage, give it a few weeks. What I can say is we are in no hurry to lose critical resources meantime,” he said, referring to a previous proposal to cut up to 50 jobs, a large chunk of the staff force at the company’s Whanganui plant.
The review of the company’s ownership structure and potential engagement with interested parties is a “live process” Hewett said. “I am not able to comment further.”
Protect your family’s health - test your drinking water regularly.
• Know your well’s location and depth
• Protect your well head.
• Check the historical use of the land to understand the risks.
• Test your water supply by taking a sample and sending it to a lab for analysis.
FOCUS: New Bremworth chair Rob Hewett says the focus will be on getting costs down and getting more sales out the door.
Luxury-fibre lawnmower gets the soft sell
Annette Scott MARKETS Food and fibre
THE building blocks are in place, brands are banging on the door and New Zealand is ideally placed to take a chunk of the US$3.2 billion global Cashmere fibre market.
Commercially farming Cashmere goats is a whole new concept that can offer an exciting business proposition for NZ farmers, farmers were told at a NZ Cashmere field day hosted by John and Jane Harrison on their Temora Downs, Canterbury foothills property.
Farmers heard that, while each and every farming system is unique, the principles around farming Cashmere goats can be applied to pretty much all.
A key topic for the day was using goats for chemical-free weed control.
AgFirst Rural Solutions consultant Graham Butcher said integrating goats into existing sheep, beef and deer operations can complement existing farming systems as goats eat vegetation that other livestock won’t touch.
“No more weeds, gorse, wilding pines, blackberry and much more, and the goats won’t touch the clover so it’s a win-win all round,” Butcher said.
Goats are lower cost and convert to high value products. They are browsers, natural toppers, adding different foraging, utilisation and conversion of pasture, using waste pasture that can be as high as 20%.
Goats are adaptable to variable climates, they will avoid waterways and have a lighter nutrient footprint with fewer chemicals and more farm resilience, and they will not current stocking rates.
“As a farmer you trust your intuition and years of experience to make on-farm decisions every day.
“As a business owner you look for rigour when evaluating potential opportunities for your farming system.
“We’re confident this opportunity for NZ Cashmere will not only feel right but also stack up as a simple cost-effective and expertly supported business proposition that will increase your farm productivity and profitability.”
Goats can fit with dairy support, cropping, high-performance sheep, preferring what would normally be considered feed with zero to low value.
“We need to utilise this ability to advantage by letting them range over larger areas so they can express their preferences,
eating a wide range of common weeds, and assisting your pasture management.
“While they need higher quality feed for high performance they can select the high-quality parts, eating higher in the pasture, picking the best thistle, the best bit of gorse, or broom, typically starting at the top, eating chest high, and on hills grazing steeper slopes.
“The key is how they graze and getting grazing management right.”
Butcher acknowledged “there was a lot of good research and science done back in the 1980s and ’90s and it’s now to utilise that and showcase the journey.”
Goats share the same worm species as sheep, and a similar animal health programme.
Typically shearing is once a year mid to late winter with 50%
payment for fibre by December and 50% by the end of March.
Harrison integrated goats into his system in spring 2024 and is reporting huge success as a trial farm, initially running 130 does and 80 kids on his 650 hectare property.
“I’d say I have been pleasantly surprised; it’s been easier than I expected.”
Harrison said the goats are a way to make money without impacting stock rates.
“They save time on thistles and, in terms of profitability, Cashmere fibre outperforms sheep wool.”
While the quantity of fibre produced is lower, it is valued up to $150 per kilogram – “just a shame you only get half a kilogram”.
As for fencing, Harrison said one or two hot wires will keep goats within their confines.
Butcher said some farmers are turning to goats to make use of unproductive land rather than opting for blanket forestry.
“Most people with a decent number of goats find their pasture quality improves and clover volume increases.
“It’s about finding a stock mix that uses as much feed as possible on the farm.”
Woolyarns chief executive Andy May said high-end global fashion brands demand the finest raw materials to use in their garments.
“They’re also looking for ways to premiumise their offering with compelling provenance to pass on to their consumers who are demanding more traceable supply chains.
“In NZ we’re ideally placed to produce a premium traceable and sustainable local Cashmere product that will meet this demand and establish itself as the most admired fibre on the planet.
“The global opportunity is huge; US$3.2 billion just Cashmere.
“Our [NZ] target is 1% of the market. That will offer huge additional returns for NZ producers looking to diversify and sustain their farming businesses.”
Cashmere fibre pricing for 2025 ranges from $110-$150/kg.
“We have 40 growers across the country, brands are banging on the door, we need volume,” May said.
NZ Cashmere business development manager Olivia Sanders said there is limited opportunity for new people to start with “the white fluffies, as our growers are growing their own flocks as they realise every mouth is valuable on farm”.
“To propel this industry we need some larger properties where we can have foundation does to pump out the fluffy white kids.
“The building blocks are in place. We want the NZ Cashmere industry to be a success for us all.”
Catchment group funding may be just over the horizon
Bryan Gibson NEWS Environment
THE government has indicated help is on the way for catchment groups, many of which are running out of funding.
Associate Agriculture Minister Andrew Hoggard visited a number of sites in the Manawatū River Catchment Collective recently and said that the catchment group model is the best way of meeting sustainability goals.
“I see there’s two pathways that we can manage contaminants from farms,” Hoggard told the Farmers Weekly Podcast.
“There’s either the approach that’s been done up until now, which has been heavy-handed regional regulations on various farm level limits and input controls, which are pretty blunt tools, or there’s catchment groups paired with individual farm plans.
“Some of the things like we’ve seen here today, it’s not so much
about the individual farmer doing things in isolation, but actually working together with the catchment to go, okay, here is our catchment-level solution to managing these issues.
“And so I think that’s a really good way, and to me, is probably a much more effective way of managing the challenge.”
Manawatū River Catchment Collective chair Shelley DewHopkins said the day was an opportunity to show the minister the on-farm scientific work the collective has on the go.
“We really wanted to ensure that we have the Science for Farmers projects. That’s what we’ve really promoted, pushed, and worked with farmers on.
“The value of that is it engages farmers from a grassroots level, looking at mitigation options in their own farms within the wider catchment group.”
Hoggard was shown the Moutoa Whirokino Catchment Group’s lowland water management system. While drainage and
pump systems allow farming on the former flax swamp, there’s also work to test the water for contaminants and to identify their source.
Further inland, the Mangaone West Catchment Group is developing detainment bunds on the heavy hill country land to manage run-off and sediment.
Hoggard said the government is looking at how it can ensure catchment groups are at the centre of environmental efforts.
“What I’ve seen so far is the funding model has been quite haphazard in terms of various government departments randomly funding groups.
“There hasn’t been a coordinated, all-of-government approach to it.”
He said work is being carried out to define what a catchment group is and what it is expected to do, and funding will follow.
MORE: Listen to Andrew Hoggard’s interview on the Farmers Weekly Podcast.
FIELD TRIP: Manawatū River Catchment Collective co-ordinator Fiona Burke and chair Shelley Dew-Hopkins with Associate Agriculture Minister Andrew Hoggard and farm manager Zane Swart at Bushlands Farm near Halcombe.
AUDIENCE: John Harrison addresses the field day on his Temora Downs farm.
Photo: Annette Scott
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From the Editor
Finding the best people for the job
Craig Page Deputy editor
IT SEEMS early to be talking about local body elections.
But in less than six months residents around the country will have their say on who will lead their city, district and regional council and community board through the next three years.
Voting documents will be sent out from September 9 and voting closes at noon on October 11, when results will be announced. As with any election, it is important to have the very best people putting their names forward for selection. Nominations for candidates open on July 4 and we can only hope each council, or board, has a broad range of well-qualified people to vote for.
But the growing fear is that many suitable people will not put themselves up for the roles, simply because of the increasing public abuse that now seems to go hand in hand with these positions.
For every person who is prepared to put their head above the parapet, there are many more who are only to happy to knock them down.
A Local Government New Zealand poll of council mayors, chairs and chief executives revealed that nearly two-thirds have been targeted with aggressive and abusive behaviour online, with almost three-quarters (74%) experiencing the same treatment in person.
It is a sad indictment on New Zealand when people are so quick to resort to abuse.
Women in politics are far more likely to be on the receiving end of abuse, sexual comments, threats to their families and threats of sexual violence.
Local body politics is perhaps considered more personal for many residents as they are the ones paying the seemingly neverending rates increases from council.
But it is a sad indictment on New Zealand when people are so quick to resort to abuse, rather than voicing their disapproval through the appropriate avenues.
Take, for example the Clutha District Council, in South Otago, where it was recently revealed that a councillor has been racially abused, presumably by a constituent.
The Otago Daily Times reported that Lawrence-Tuapeka ward councillor Jock
LAST WEEK’S POLL RESULT
Martin, who has Māori heritage, was “shocked” to receive a racist voicemail last year. He didn’t know the man who left the message.
Martin said the abuse was just one example of an increase in aggression and offensive behaviour towards officials. It was not something he had considered when elected as a councillor two years ago.
He went public about the incident because he wanted those standing for public office to be aware of what could be ahead of them.
Clutha mayor Bryan Cadogan said his wife Allyson slept with a weapon under her pillow “for several months” after he received death threats during the last
Letter of the week
Roll on Eau d’Omega
Julian Price Oamaru
I WAS delighted to read “Bio controls a challenge and an opportunity” by Mark Hurst (April 7).
AGR96X sounds like a product, and perhaps a name, I would use.
I’ve never been able to stomach the idea of drowning the place in chlorpyrifos, nor diazinon, but after last winter and this summer I understand why DDT was popular back in the day.
It has become obvious that my attempts to live with a little grass grub damage using direct drilling and high endophyte fescue are not effective.
I do wonder if a pheromone, or other attractant, trap could be used during the adult flight season in addition to the bacterium.
Based on the devastation caused to my Omega plum tree, Eau d’Omega might be just the thing.
They leave the other plum trees alone.
local government elections.
Cadogan told the ODT that abuse, threats and other instances of aggression have become commonplace, as a “vociferous minority” use social media to amplify their “nonsense”.
Martin and Cadogan are to be applauded for going public about the issues they have faced while in office.
Given the results of the LGNZ poll, these are not isolated incidents and occur, to varying levels, throughout the country. By talking about it, we stand a better chance of stamping such behaviour out. We don’t have to agree with decisions made by councils, but we should be able to act in a mature and dignified way.
ABUSE: A Local Government New Zealand poll of council mayors, chairs and chief executives revealed that nearly two-thirds have been targeted with aggressive and abusive behaviour online.
Do you think New Zealand should have more unitary authorities rather than serving communities through both a regional and district or city council?
This week’s poll question (see page 7): Have your say at farmersweekly.co.nz/poll
AN OVERWHELMING majority of voters thought taking action against United States President Donald Trump’s tariffs would be a bad idea. Of the 73% who voted no, most thought antagonising the Trump administration was not a good move. “A WTO case would only alienate the Trump administration and open NZ to retaliation plus any outcome would not be enforceable,” one said. “He seems to be ignoring any attempts to change his views and this could make us
more of a target,” another said. Some had a different reason for not taking action. “Anyone who thinks Trump doesn’t know what he’s doing doesn’t know anything about the master of making a commercial deal. The US economy is terminally ill and in that state it is no good to NZ, or any other country for that matter. A strong US will demand NZ’s healthy grass-fed (esp organic), GMOfree products and will pay well for them. Imagine if our dollar was in demand again.”
Last week’s question: Should New Zealand challenge Donald Trump’s tariffs through official channels like the World Trade Organisation?
Facing up to foot and mouth disease
Eating the elephant
AS A contributor to Eating the Elephant, I’ve generally steered clear of opinion pieces that focus on my role as a Beef + Lamb New Zealand (BLNZ) director. However, when it comes to raising awareness about the importance of biosecurity, I’m willing to make an exception. It may not be the most exciting topic in our sector, but it’s one of the most critical.
New Zealand’s livestock sector has long been the envy of the world – built on healthy animals, clean pastures and a reputation for quality that underpins our exports across sheep and beef products. But that success isn’t guaranteed. It depends on vigilance, preparation and ensuring that
biosecurity remains a priority –even when the risks don’t feel immediate.
Foot and mouth disease (FMD) could change everything. It is widely regarded as the most significant biosecurity threat to our pastoral sector. It affects cloven-hoofed animals – sheep, cattle, pigs and goats – causing painful lesions that stop them from eating, moving and producing. In the event of an outbreak, infected animals are culled to halt the spread.
But the consequences extend far beyond individual farms and the loss of livestock. This is a disease that affects our ability to trade. If FMD were detected here, our trading partners would likely shut their markets to our meat, dairy and wool exports almost immediately.
The financial impact would be substantial. A 2024 report by the New Zealand Institute of Economic Research estimated that a large-scale FMD response could cost between $8.4 billion and $15.4bn.
While FMD is often associated with developing nations, recent outbreaks in places like Slovakia and Hungary remind us that no country is immune. New Zealand’s geographical isolation provides some protection, but in an increasingly globalised world, risks remain. That’s where the Government Industry Agreement (GIA) for Biosecurity Readiness and Response comes in.
Farmers voted to join GIA
in 2017, with 89% in support, recognising the importance of shaping biosecurity responses alongside government agencies. Since 2018, BLNZ has been working under this agreement to ensure farmers have input on how major biosecurity events – like an FMD outbreak – would be handled.
The Operational Agreement for FMD outlines how industry and the government would respond in the event of an incursion. It defines roles, funding responsibilities and decisionmaking processes.
While no one wants to see this plan put into action, having it in place means we can rapidly respond to minimise its spread and eliminate it as quickly as possible. It provides certainty and ensures that farmers will be represented in crucial discussions should the worst happen.
National frameworks are essential, but biosecurity is also a responsibility that begins at the farm gate. Like most big issues, we as farmers can take small, everyday actions that collectively prepare the industry. These simple steps, when followed across our sector, can make the biggest difference. On the disease front, it’s as simple as:
• Keeping NAIT records accurate, to help trace animal movements quickly if needed.
• Isolating new livestock before introducing them to the herd and keeping detailed records of their movements on farm.
• Maintaining clean gear and farm hygiene, which reduces the risk of transmission. In a globalised world, an incursion could happen tomorrow, or it could never happen at all (touch wood for the latter). The key is being prepared every day at both the farm and industry levels.
Recent successes in disease management, such as Molesworth Station achieving Tb-free status and the absence of new Mycoplasma bovis cases, show that proactive measures work. They require effort, but they safeguard our farms and industry in the long run.
Getting the gene Bill right for farmers
In my view …
Ruth and Mike Williams and Nick Collins Hill country sheep and beef farmers
NEW Zealand is on the cliff edge of making a decision on the Gene Technology Bill. A regulation review is reasonable, considering the age of our existing legislation. But there are contradictions and many unknowns. We should have had a better opportunity to understand and give feedback on proposed changes that could impact on our farm businesses and livelihoods. The rush to push this Bill through parliament is unfathomable. We all have different views about how GMOs could benefit our farm businesses (or not). We all want different outcomes. Retaining choice is fundamental here. This Bill will impact on all farmers and growers – whether or not we choose to use GMOs. A real conundrum for the Health Select Committee is whether this Bill will deliver genuine choice for farmers and growers.
We have a science that’s not yet fully understood. Scientists disagree about how to define gene technologies. They also disagree
on the level of risk from changing gene technology regulations. If the scientists can’t agree, how can we as farmers and growers have certainty about the potential impacts of this Bill on the primary sector?
To add to the contradiction, the regulation is yet to be finalised. This Bill proposes exempt categories of GMOs. If a GMO falls
in the exempt category anything can be developed and released without external knowledge or oversight. The science could be used by anyone, anywhere, with potentially random results and unintended consequences.
On top of this the GMO will be untraceable and able to contaminate. Regulation is needed for the safety of our businesses, environment and biosecurity. To put some gene editing techniques into a category exempt from regulations is inappropriate when the science tells us it produces unintended changes.
Market access is vital for our primary products, and with the current tariff wars, we look to be heading into uncertain times. It is essential we have full traceability and verification of the GM status of our products. An export shipment could be rejected if a contaminant cannot be identified.
We keep hearing that coexistence works overseas so it should work here. But there are no GM grasses commercially grown in the world. For a small country with 40% in pastoral land, New Zealand would be venturing into virgin territory on the GM grass front.
Hopefully it’s becoming clear to Wellington that it would be almost
impossible to achieve practical coexistence for GM grasses.
We’ve heard some submitters say that ryegrass spreads only 24m. We all know ryegrass travels much further by wind, in hay, on machinery and carried by animals.
We’ve also heard some suggest that we set up buffer zones, mow our boundaries and choose a flowering date to contain GE grass and prevent spread! That’s impractical for farmers and growers and unworkable in hill country.
Contamination is also a real issue. Published reports from the United States detail how a GM grass escaped field trials. The company did try to clean up the escaped grass but were unsuccessful. Farmers were left with the problem.
Visualise a grass for golf courses and lawns – one that’s growing at half the normal rate and can’t be killed by glyphosate – running rampant through our pastures: that is what was developed and is now trying to be developed under USDA exempt categories. We all want different things. Not all GM developments are to the farmer’s benefit. New Zealand must take heed from overseas experience and the high-risk stakes of conducting field trials. Once these grasses are out, they
will contaminate farms wishing to remain non-GM.
Gene editing has been presented by some as comparable to conventional selective breeding. At best this is disingenuous and not backed by science. Science is based on evidence, not on opinions or beliefs. Scientific explanations and theories are built on data collected through observation and experimentation, which are then reported in peerreviewed scientific literature. The scientific literature provides many examples where gene editing –even with the latest and greatest methods – produces unintended changes that you wouldn’t get from conventional selective breeding.
The primary sector must benefit from the proposed Gene Technology Bill. We need confidence that the select committee’s report will reflect the due diligence needed to get the regulation setting right around market risk, economics and choice. Regulation of all GMOs is critical.
If we don’t get this right, we risk losing our trusted and valued global point of difference.
Phil Weir
Weir is an associate trustee of AGMARDT and a Beef + Lamb New Zealand farmer-elected director
RECORDED: Keeping NAIT records accurate, to help trace animal movements quickly, is essential, Phil Weir says.
HASTE: The rush to push the Gene Technology Bill through parliament is unfathomable, say hill country sheep and beef farmers Ruth and Mike Williams and Nick Collins.
Sector Focus
A hairstylist and her Holstein Friesian stud
DURING the week, Hannah Lawson styles hair for her human clients in the salon. But after hours and on weekends, she’s busy grooming her four-legged ones for the show ring. Her skills go both ways — hairdressing helps with show prep, and showing sharpens her hairdressing game. Either way, it’s a winning combo for the young stylist.
“I quite like the balance of one day talking to people and another day I can just be silent with the cows,” Lawson said.
Growing up, the Lawson family holidays were spent at cow shows. Her dad, Bob Lawson, is a thirdgeneration Ayrshire breeder with a
huge passion for showing cattle.
“There are photos of me at cow shows as a toddler. It’s been a family thing we’ve always done. We didn’t go away to lakes or other stuff. It was always cow shows!” Lawson says.
Although she loves cows, she didn’t want to pursue full-time dairy farming after seeing her parents struggle with low payouts.
“I didn’t want to put myself in that position, but I wanted to find something I could do in conjunction with farming.”
After she finished high school, she dropped her CV at several salons around Manawatū, where her family were based at the time. She secured a summer role helping out at Revolve Styling in Palmerston North, and after a couple of months, they offered her an apprenticeship role.
She said she had stumbled across
hairdressing, but it hadn’t been an obvious path.
“I wasn’t really a girly girl when I was young, and my older sister, Deb, also a hairdresser, even warned me off hairdressing.
“She considered it quite glamorised when, in reality, it’s actually a lot of hard work – almost as hard as dairy farming.
“Both take real dedication and are demanding in their own way. But I enjoy helping people and making them feel good about themselves.”
Lawson works as a regional educator for Vivo, which has her travelling around the Lower North Island and up to Auckland at times, as well as managing Vivo on Broadway in Palmerston North with a team of 10 and growing.
GROOMING:
Hannah Lawson’s skills in hairdressing and cattle grooming go hand in hand, making her a standout in both industries.
Although she doesn’t get to spend as much time on farm as she’d like, she regularly gets called in to help with herd testing, drenching, or drafting – anything that requires an extra set of hands on her parents’ farm in Woodville.
Lawson and her brother Craig run Nova Genetics, their own Holstein Friesian stud.
Craig is based in Australia and plays a key role behind the scenes, working with Lawson to make breeding decisions and manage everything Nova. He returned this year for the New Zealand Dairy Event – his first time back in more than five years due to work commitments.
The event is a family affair, with the wider Lawson clan pitching in.
“I’ve got three brothers and two sisters, and we all rally together for the expo. Everyone has a role.”
Craig manages a team on a potato farm in Australia, while another brother, Paul, runs two dairy farms in Te Awamutu. Their brother Mark spent several years
I quite like the balance of one day talking to people and another day I can just be silent with the cows.
Hannah Lawson Palmerston North
dairy farming but has since moved into a different career, while the rest of the family haven’t dabbled much more in farming.
The stud’s cows are spread across several farms, and Lawson checks in on them at least every two weeks, more often during the busy show season.
With around 18 cows, she admits it’s mostly an “expensive hobby”.
The majority of the cows come from imported embryos from Australia, the United States and Canada, and at least half are red and white.
Even though she grew up with Ayrshires, Lawson explains that the limited gene pool makes them challenging and why she chose Holsteins.
It’s been a successful few years on the show circuit — she’s picked up Junior Champ and Honourable mention a few times. She also helps her dad’s team and has helped at shows in Australia a couple of times.
“My life would be very boring if I didn’t do cows – I’d have lots of free time!”
“We’re not entirely sure of the end goal. We’ve got a few ideas about where we might take it, but it’s mostly a bit of fun.”
Having a busy work schedule and show life doesn’t leave much spare time, but she recently purchased a camera that will be great for taking photos of cows and hairdressing. That winning combo that keeps her happy.
Samantha Tennent PEOPLE Skills
SHOWS: Growing up, Hannah Lawson spent family holidays at cow shows, and now she continues the legacy with her own Holstein Friesian stud, Nova Genetics.
Photos: Supplied
Halter jumps the fence with new features
Gerald Piddock TECHNOLOGY Pasture
HALTER has unveiled multiple upgrades to its software in an effort to help farmers run better and more sustainable businesses.
The six new features are in direct response to farmer feedback, giving them more data across milk production, mating and feed budgeting.
More than 1000 farmers managing over 300,000 animals in New Zealand, Australia and the United States are using Halter’s collars and its app to increase production by growing and harvesting more grass.
The software now couples Halter’s animal and pasture data with output data from milk processors such as Fonterra enabling farmers to be able to view both from their app or computer, Halter president Andrew Fraser said.
For now, that data coupling is just with Fonterra, but plans are underway for it to be integrated into other dairy companies over time, starting with Synlait, he said.
Feed budgeting software has also been improved, which has been invaluable for Halter users in regions with drought. For these farmers, it will mean no more plate metering.
“On top of that it’s about looking forward as well. You know what your grass looks like, you know how much feed you have got, you can start to look forward and do feed budgeting to tie in pasture supply, milking – all of those types of things,” Fraser said.
Veterinary Enterprises large animal vet and a member of Halter’s vet advisory board, Dr Krispin Kannan, said integrating the data around pasture growth rates, cow requirement and calving pattern information created a live platform for farmers to project, plan and optimise what is best for the farm and the cows.
“One of our Halter farmers improved 6-week in-calf rates from 60% to 75% – that’s a lot of mouths to feed next season that early.”
Fraser said mating data presentation has been improved, allowing for users to look at past mating performance.
“You can track how you are going live in the app so you can see how you are going mid-mating.”
The software has also been made more efficient with a much faster implementation for feed breaks setup on paddocks and new map pins that allow farmers to mark important locations on their farm map and leave a note.
Halter founder and CEO Craig Piggott said the new features expand Halter’s offering, taking the guesswork out of feed budgeting and simplifying mating decisions with confidence and pace.
“Farmers know that good decisions to increase production
Halter is now beyond just being about virtual fencing.
Farmers know that good decisions to increase production start with good data.
Craig Piggott Halter
start with good data. Farmers using Halter asked for these improvements, we listened.”
Halter farmer Jana Hocken said
“It’s so exciting to see the constant evolution and listening to our needs. Such a massive benefit hosting so much relevant information to inform our decisions in one place. To us,
Halter is another team member and lifts farmers and productivity from mediocre to exceptional.”
Fraser said they will focus next on bedding in these new changes before looking to see where they can take Halter next.
Edendale cream plant set to boost Southland economy
Gerhard Uys NEWS
Fonterra
AT THE peak of construction 150 contractors will be working on the new UHT cream plant at Fonterra’s Edendale plant in Southland.
Fonterra announced last year it will build the $150 million plant to meet growing demand for its UHT cream in Asian markets.
Speaking at a Westpac Smarts event about shaping the future of Southland, Fonterra regional GM for operations in the Lower South Island, Andrew Johns, said although there will be some foreign expertise on site, specifically to install European
machinery, the co-op is using regional talent and supporting the Southland economy.
Johns said they are a month and a half into the build, with ground broken and tenders approved.
Calder Stewart will be responsible for construction of the building.
There are, however, a number of consent issues to work through, though Johns did not expand on what the issues are.
Although efficiency is key to profitability and automating the plant is a priority for the co-op, up to 70 workers will be employed at the new plant that is slated to become operational in August 2026, he said.
The South Island location was a board decision to spread production across both of the islands.
UHT products are the cooperative’s most profitable product, and show great promise into the future as they have a
GROWTH: Speaking at a Westpac Smarts event about shaping the future of Southland, Fonterra’s Andrew Johns, second from left, says Fonterra’s UHT cream plant at Edendale will have 150 contractors, operating mostly from Southland, at peak build.
Photo: Gerhard Uys
projected compound annual growth rate of 4% over the next seven years, he said.
The co-operative will get to a pinch point in the next two years and reach capacity, and therefore the decision was made to build another plant, he said.
Johns said the Anchor Whipping Cream recipe has been a cooperative secret for 20 years. The food services industry in China makes roughly 260 million cakes a year and specifically favours this cream because of its stability, he said.
Patterns on cakes made using standard whipped cream will melt and lose their shape and taste over 24 hours.
Chefs use Anchor Whipping Cream because it will keep its shape, smell and taste for about 48 hours, Johns said.
Johns said only one line will initially be operational, but there is room to expand to up to four lines if demand increases.
FEATURES: Halter has introduced six new features to its technology to give its farmer users better data integration across milk production, mating and feed budgeting.
Staff retention key to on-farm gains
Gerald Piddock PEOPLE Employment
STAFF retention continues to be a real challenge in the dairy sector, farmers heard at the fourth and final People Expo held in Waikato run by DairyNZ and Dairy Women’s Network.
A farmer perception survey undertaken by DairyNZ at the end last year showed that 13% of farms are understaffed, which DairyNZ people specialist Jane Muir called “not a great result” in the current economic climate.
Muir then showed the 2024 results from DairyNZ’s annual employee survey of 1000 people, which asked farmers where the biggest bottleneck or inefficiency on their farm was.
The responses ranged from bad communication and toxicity to not enough training, fatigue from working a “12 on 2 off” roster “which should be illegal”, lack of technology, trust and management direction and a lack of appreciation from the manager or farm owner, which makes staff feel undervalued.
The survey also asked what managers to do improve work satisfaction. The responses included: ask and listen instead of assuming and accusing, care for staff – they are people not robots,
and help with upskilling,
“All of the comments are related to leadership, management culture and communication. They are the big levers to pull to affect change,” Muir said.
Economist Shamubeel Eaqub said was more important than ever for it farmers to invest in people with New Zealand’s core workingage population shrinking and net migration slowing,
“Retention is where you get the biggest gains. The more people you can keep, the stronger your business will be.”
He encouraged farmers to focus on leadership and workplace culture, as well as ongoing training.
“Technical skills are important, but future success will depend on communication, teamwork, problem-solving, and critical thinking. If we know these skills will be vital in 10 years, why not prioritise them now?”
For farm owners, they need to give themselves permission to invest in themselves.
“The better leader you are, the better your business will be because you being a better leader helps you run a better business.”
Mid Canterbury equity partnership farmers Will and Kim Grayling told the audience they learnt to make people a constant focus in their business.
The rapid expansion of their
INVEST: Farm owners need to give themselves permission to invest in themselves to be better leaders,
farm business was a tipping point for change in terms of how they manage staff, Kim said.
“Our inflexible attitude to the way work should be done was not going to take us very far.
“We were trying to bend how the people would work rather than bending the work to the people. If we were going to make it sustainable, what had to change was us.”
says.
While the couple love farming, Will said they came to realise not everyone has the same view and motivations regarding farming as they do – especially if they are migrant workers.
“It’s really different for different people.”
Kim said they wanted to ensure their staff’s jobs were not competing with the lifestyle they wanted to live.
How do we become an employer of choice?
James Allen AgFirst
“We want people to be able to dairy farm, but we also want them to be able to live the dream of what they think living on a farm involves.”
Will said they learnt that while they became willing to be more flexible, their values have not changed.
“You have to understand what piece you can shift and what piece you can’t. Don’t change those expectations.”
AgFirst managing director James Allen said that while technology will change how farmers farm, people will still be more important than any fancy new tech. Farmers need to use this new technology to improve staff retention which will improve productivity.
“How do we become an employer of choice? If you’re an employer of choice, they are coming to you.”
While new technology is great, farmers also need behavioural change.
“We need to start quietly thinking what skillsets are important, how we analyse information, how we interpret it and how we manage all this data.”
Chatbot set to provide answers to farmers’ questions
Gerhard Uys TECHNOLOGY Dairy
A CHATBOT being developed by a University of Canterbury PhD student will give farmers lightning-fast access to all the information available in DairyNZ’s Facts and Figures reference guide. The Facts and Figures guide is a weighty document covering farm finances, pasture-based
production systems, feed requirements, supplementing, nutrition, animal health, effluent management and more.
The PhD student, Mamehgol Yousefidashliboroun, said that farmers often experience information overload due to the diverse range of data sources they use, receiving information from the likes of fertiliser representatives, mobile apps, farm advisers and a range of farm
technologies. The chatbot will recall information instantly, and critical information that could easily be missed can be leveraged to make on-farm decisions, she said.
Chatbots have been around for many years, but with the advent of artificial intelligence they have become more powerful. Their reasoning ability has changed and they can communicate effectively with non-technical people, she
said. A chatbot can give the right answers to a query on the spot.
External information can also be linked to a chatbot, Yousefidashliboroun said.
The idea for the chatbot came up when the university asked how to enhance AI adoption in the primary sector through user-centered and co-design approaches.
“There’s enormous potential we could leverage in the primary sector.”
Farmers will get their first look at the chatbot during the 2025 Southern AgriTech and Innovation Day, hosted by Thriving Southland on May 1.
Yousefidashliboroun said user feedback is critical to development.
“It’s not just about what the AI chatbot does, but how it does it that determines whether farmers will trust and adopt these tools,” she said.
economist Shamubeel Eaqub
Photo: Supplied
Supply resilient amid global volatility
Sector perspective
AS APRIL draws to a close and we approach the final month of the 2024/25 dairy season, New Zealand continues to deliver solid year-on-year gains in milk production – even as the natural decline in volumes typical of this time of year begins to take hold.
March production figures surprised on the upside, with a 0.8% increase in milksolids compared to the same month last year. This result, paired with two consecutive positive Global Dairy Trade (GDT) Events, suggests a firm finish to the current season and a strong foundation for the one to come.
According to the latest NZX released data, New Zealand produced 173.99 million kilograms of milksolids in March, marking a 0.8% year-on-year improvement. Seasonto-date milksolids are tracking 3.0% higher than the previous year. On a tonnage basis, March saw a 0.6% lift, bringing monthly production to 1.76 million tonnes.
Cumulatively, the season is 2.2% ahead of last year in volume terms. However, this figure still sits -1.9% below the five-year average for March, highlighting just how much recent years have been impacted by changing climate conditions and shifting farm dynamics.
NZX’s milk production predictor currently anticipates a year-on-year decline of -2.2% for April and -3.1% for May, largely due to many North Island herds drying off earlier than usual. Should those estimates hold, the 2024/25 season will close with an overall 2.2% increase in total milk production.
While the domestic picture is relatively upbeat, international supply remains mixed. At the time of writing, updated March milk production figures for the United States, Australia and Uruguay had not yet been released, leaving the most recent data from February. That month saw a -2.5% year-onyear decline in U.S. production and a -4.8% drop in Australia, both suggesting ongoing challenges in those markets. Uruguay posted a modest 1.6% increase. February figures are not adjusted for the leap year. Europe has only just released January data, with a small year-on-year fall of -0.3%. However, regional issues such as continued foot and mouth disease outbreaks in Hungary point to a potentially weaker trend in the months ahead. On the other side of the globe, Argentina continues to buck the trend, reporting a significant 15.9% increase in March production – totalling over 816 million litres – even as the country moves through the lower end of its seasonal curve. Meanwhile, China reported a combined -6.3% drop in milk production for January and February, underscoring how tightness in global supply may persist for some time. New Zealand also recorded notable gains in the GDT auctions held during April. Event
377 saw the index lift by 1.1%, reaching an average price of US$4,250 per tonne. Price increases for skim milk powder (SMP, 5.9%), anhydrous milk fat (AMF, 2.3%), and cheddar (1.7%) were the main contributors, offsetting minor declines elsewhere, while whole milk powder (WMP) held nearly flat at -0.1%. The event was characterised by strong demand from North Asia and southeast Asia/Oceania, with European participation remaining steady.
The momentum carried through to Event 378, where the index rose a further 1.6% to settle at an average of US$4385 per tonne. This time, price growth was led by WMP
(2.8%), butter (1.5%) and AMF (2.1%), with only SMP and cheddar easing back slightly. North Asia dominated buying activity, securing 35% of the total volume, followed by Europe and southeast Asia/Oceania. The tightening in global milk supply, along with ongoing trade tensions and supply chain disruptions, appears to be fuelling consistent demand for New Zealand dairy, particularly as other export regions face constraints.
At the time of writing, New Zealand’s latest trade data for March is still pending, but based on current trends and robust GDT results, further year-on-year growth in dairy
exports seems likely. Product remains in tight supply globally, and New Zealand is well-positioned to meet this demand in the near term.
Overall, this season has offered New Zealand dairy farmers a window of opportunity – favourable prices, strongerthan-expected production, and resilient global demand.
But with trade risks, geopolitical tensions, and climatic unpredictability still very much in play, the road ahead will require continued adaptability. Making the most of this strong season to invest in resilience and prepare for the inevitable swings in fortune will be key.
Moving Day is on the way. Keeping NAIT up to date is key to closing the gate on disease.
Remember the basics:
• update your details
• tag and register your animals
• record your movements. Visit OSPRI.co.nz for more, including stepby-step videos and a handy checklist of everything you need to complete your move
Cristina Alvarado
Alvarado is NZX head of Dairy Insights
Winter Smart dair farms t
s: Tools to help y hrive in the cool
Winter brings some of the most challenging months of the dair y farming year, with t ypically cold, wet weather and most farms in the midst of calving.
Driving business performance
Evaluate your business per formance and budget at season ’ s end to set goal s that enhance profitabilit y and resilience Key metric s to focus on are operating profit/ha, return on assets, and operating expenses per kgMS
Suppor ting a high-performing team
Feed management for a successful calving
Ensure cows meet body condition score (BC S) targets for smooth calving Supplement with magnesium and calcium as needed Tailor feeding to BC S:
We’re here to help you
keep on top of your farm’s per formance and make informed decisions that will drive long-term business resilience and optimise the season ahead.
From assessing your business and setting up a high-per forming team, to evaluating milking strategies and preparing a feed budget, Dair yNZ ’s research-backed resources in our Winter Smar ts package are designed to help you achieve your goals .
Use the final 24/25 payout fi ures from our dair
g y y
company and the estimates for the coming season to update your budget
Get star ted with our budget template s , including the annual cash budget and monthly cashflow budget
Feed budgeting
Maximise produc tivit y and profitabilit y by accurately allocating feed Our Simple Feed Budget helps assess current needs and guide decisions on feed supply and demand Identif y any deficits and adjust by removing stock or bringing in feed
Use our Feed Budget Template for a 12-month calculation
Be winter-ready
Essential winter tools for farm success
A s we approach a new season, now ’ s the time to assess your farm’s per formance and make informed decisions that build long-term resilience
From business planning and team development, to refining milking strategies and calving preparation, taking the right steps now will set you up for a successful season
Visit dair ynz .co.nz/winter-smarts
#Winter Smar ts
A high-per forming team boosts farm profitabilit y through increased produc tivit y and retention Invest in team development and wellbeing for the 25/26 season Encourage leave use before calving and maintain clear communication Su or t new staff with trainin
pp g focused on winter skill s
Visit our people webpage s to learn the key steps to building a great team
Impacts of once - a- day milking in early lactation
Choose the right milking strategy based on your farm goal s You could consider oncea- day milking in early lac tation to ease workload or improve cow health O nce - a- day for 3 week s may reduce kgMS by 1-2%, and for 6 week s by 3-5%
Make an informed decision for your farm this season; visit our webpage on OAD milking in early lactation
• Cows below target BC S should receive 10 0% of their maintenance feed k DM
( g )
• Cows at or above target
BC S should receive 9 0% of maintenance feed level s (kgDM) from 2-3 week s before calving
Choose calving paddock s carefully – avoid those recently treated with effluent or capital fer tiliser, as high potassium level s can increase the risk of milk fever
Visit D air yNZ’s transition cows page to learn more
Finalists line up for 2025 NZ Dairy Awards
GEORGE Dodson will be hoping to add to his list of accolades by winning the Farm Manager of the Year at this Year’s New Zealand Dairy Awards after winning the Canterbury-North Otago title.
Dodson is the reigning FMG Young Farmer of the Year and is one of 33 national finalists for the New Zealand Dairy Awards from 11 regions across the country.
He was placed second in the same category in 2024.
He has entered the awards previously in the Dairy Trainee category and credits the awards programme with networking, personal development and learning about his system.
The 23-year-old is a farm manager on Andrew and Hayley Slater’s 113 hectare, 440 cow property at Darfield.
He will join Richard Grabham
and Nikita Baker, who won the region’s Share Farmer of the Year and Caleb Smith, the CanterburyNorth Otago Dairy Trainee of the Year.
In the Bay of Plenty, Andre and Natalie Meier won the Share Farmer of the Year, Thomas Lundman won the Dairy Manager of the Year and Alana Fitzpatrick the Dairy Trainee of the Year. It is the second time Andre Meier has featured in the awards, having being a previous national title holder for Dairy Manager of the Year in 2020, representing the same region.
In West Coast-Top of the South, Warric and Rachel Johnson won the Share Farmer of the Year Category, Richard Exter won the region’s Dairy Manager of the Year, and Ros McCann was the Trainee of the Year.
Hayden Smith and Isla Pringle were announced winners of Southland-Otago’s Share Farmer of the Year. Leah Murray won the Dairy Manager of the Year, and
Emma Blom the Dairy Trainee of the Year.
In the Central Plateau region, Anthony and Danelle Kiff won the region’s Share Farmer of the Year, Jas Singh Mander won the Dairy Manager of the Year, and Cameron George, the Dairy Trainee category. Jesse and Sharon Bagley won the Northland Share Farmer of the Year while Courtney West was named Dairy Manager of the Year and Saffrin Sutcliffe the Dairy Trainee of the Year.
The Share Farmers of the Year for Waikato are Fiona and Thomas Langford while Zac van Dorsten was named Dairy Manager of the Year, and Alex Diprose, the Dairy Trainee of the Year.
This year’s winners for Auckland-Hauraki are Brad and Courtney Edwards. They are joined by Farm Manager of the Year winner Steven Pratt, and Caitlin Snodgrass, who won the Dairy Trainee of the Year.
In Hawke’s Bay-Manawatū, Chris Hillier won the Share Farmer of
the Year, Grace Te Kahika was Dairy Manager of the Year and Pieter van Beek Dairy Trainee of the Year.
Brothers Ryan and Scott Anderson were named Taranaki’s Share Farmers of the Year, Martin Keegan won the Dairy Manager of the Year title and Saffron Astwood was named Dairy Trainee of the Year.
Precision fert application a no-brainer
Gerhard
Uys TECHNOLOGY Fertiliser
BAY of Plenty dairy farmer
Brendon Jones says using precision measuring on his 75 hectare milking platform has saved him a heap of money on fertiliser and applications costs, and reduced leaching.
Jones milks 220 crossbred cows, producing 95,000kg of solids per year.
For 24 years he did what many farmers do and applied fertiliser based on what his local fert rep told him.
This mostly meant blanket applications across the farm of 350-400kg per hectare of fertiliser mixes, every year. He would also follow cows
with an additional 80kg urea per hectare.
Fertiliser representatives historically took only three soil samples on the entire 75ha, every three years.
With fertiliser prices skyrocketing over the last number of years, Jones began to review every aspect of his operation to save money.
He then asked a precision agriculture adviser, Revive Soil Solutions NZ, to conduct precision measurements, and it paid off.
Revive laid 2ha grid onto his farm and took an individual soil sample at every coordinate.
The accuracy of the results showed Jones his farm in a whole new light, specifically the fact that in many areas he
wouldn’t have to apply specific nutrients for a few years.
He said no fertiliser rep has ever told him he had a surplus of specific nutrients.
“You’re just told how much you needed, you were never told not to put fertiliser on.”
With that information at hand he could tailor applications with software and a variable rate spreader.
“You’re saving straight away by not applying. You’re using what’s already present in those areas. Once that has been used you will need to apply again.
“You’re putting on what you need, not just dumping it on for the sake of dumping it on.”
Less applied also means less leaching, he said.
Willem Engelbrecht, co-
founder of Revive Soil Solutions NZ, said testing on Jones’s farm involved a basic soil test, with selected cations and anions assessed, and the soil’s ability to retain nutrients.
“The objective of taking soil samples is the same as in any statistical process: the farmer aims to obtain representative samples to accurately depict nutrient levels across the farm. Traditionally, this has been done by taking transects across a few paddocks, with that data then used to estimate nutrient needs for the entire farm.”
Establishing an accurate, geospatial baseline of nutrient levels means tailored fertiliser recommendations for every paddock can be created, he said.
Kate Dawson was named Share Farmer of the Year for Manawatū, Jai Spalding won Dairy Manager of the Year, and Eva Wooller was named Dairy Trainee of the Year for the region.
The 2025 national titles for Share Farmer of the Year, Farm Manager of the Year and Dairy Trainee of the Year will be announced on May 10 in Tauranga.
WINNER: 2024 Young Farmer of the Year George Dodson won the Canterbury-North Otago Farm Manager of the Year and is one of 33 national finalists for the New Zealand Dairy Awards from 11 regions across the country.
COSTS: Bay of Plenty dairy farmer Brendon Jones is applying precision soil sampling on his dairy platform and in a small kiwi orchard, saving him on fertiliser costs. Photo: Supplied
Hands-on training launches dairy careers
CAREER paths come in many different forms, and for some Canterbury teenagers, their journey is being shaped by hands-on experience in a sector they are passionate about – dairy farming.
Matthew Fox, aged 18, a 2024 graduate of Lincoln High School, was eager to find his next opportunity when he discovered the NextGen Dairy Farmers pilot programme, launched last year by Dairy Training, a subsidiary of DairyNZ.
“I wasn’t raised on a farm, but my grandparents do mixed farming with sheep and crops, and my aunt owns a dairy farm, so I’ve had some exposure,” Fox said.
“This made me realise that I wanted a career outdoors, which is what attracted me to farming.”
Enthusiasm is the necessary precursor to experience.
“I really enjoy seeing the animals happy, and knowing I’m part of New Zealand’s primary sector,” he said.
“My host farmers are dedicated
to teaching me, taking the time to explain things, and providing feedback when I need to improve. It’s a supportive learning environment.”
The NextGen programme is a NZQA-accredited initiative aimed at Year 12 and 13 school leavers, providing a solid foundation for a career in dairy farming. It is one of seven training courses offered by Dairy Training, the others focused on enhancing the skills of workers already in the sector.
I really enjoy seeing the animals happy, and knowing I’m part of New Zealand’s primary sector.
The programme began at the end of 2024 and includes a threeweek pre-employment training, followed by six months of on-farm employment with weekly training sessions and ongoing pastoral care and support.
“The training days not only focus on farm skills but also teach us about financials, wellbeing,
and how other farms operate –knowledge I can apply later in my own career,” said Fox.
Host farmers Becs and Josh Dondertman employ Fox at a Dairy Holdings farm near Dunsandel, Canterbury, where they milk 1100 cows.
Becs has been influential in shaping the NextGen programme, working with other local farmers and Dairy Training to create an effective learning experience for new entrants into the dairy sector.
Dairy Holdings also provides support, information and industry knowledge, which helps support programmes like this, and farmers new to the sector.
“Josh and I have always been keen to help people develop. People have helped us through our career, and we want to return this by supporting others in their careers too,” said Becs.
“The dairy sector is no different to many sectors that struggle to attract and retain young people.
Part of our ethos is that we don’t believe you can be frustrated about something if you’re not willing to try being part of a solution. This programme is a trial, but it is a possible solution to a challenge
dairy faces, and we don’t know how it will work if we don’t try.
“I’m really excited and hope more farmers put their hand up this year to be a host farm and help provide more opportunities for students to join the programme.
“If we invest this money into the next generation of farmers like Matthew, and at the end of the six
months they still enjoy farming and want to continue, then we have a fulltime employee, and that investment was worth it.”
Hamish Hodgson, head of dairy training, said the programme was designed based on farmer feedback, with pre-employment training focused on what farmers believe new entrants to a dairy farming career should know.
“Dairy Training Limited is focused on offering practical, easyto-access training that is designed with dairy farmers, for dairy farmers, to support the long-term success of our sector.
“We have seen this approach to training go from strength to strength, with course enrolments having increased by 500% over the past five years.”
Applications for the next intake of the NextGen Dairy Farmers programme are now open, with applications closing on May 30. The programme is seeking Year 12 and 13 students interested in pursuing a career in dairy farming, as well as host farmers in Canterbury willing to support the development of future dairy farmers. Staff
Matthew Fox NextGen Dairy Farmers
TEAM: NextGen student Matthew Fox, centre, with hosts Dunsandel farmers Becs and Josh Dondertman. Photos: DairyNZ
LEARNING THE ROPES: Josh Dondertman supports Matthew Fox with on-farm employment and learning.
ENTHUSIASM: Matthew Fox is enthusiastic about a career dairy farming.
FEDERATED FARMERS
Minister’s duck comments ‘half-cocked’
Rather than trivialising farmers’ concerns about Southland Fish & Game’s poor behaviour, the Minister for Hunting & Fishing should be offering practical solutions, Federated Farmers say.
“Farmers have raised some very fair questions about Fish & Game, and they deserve a proper response from Minister James Meager,” says Federated Farmers hunting spokesperson Richard McIntyre.
“Rather than hearing Southland farmers’ concerns and offering a practical solution, he’s effectively told them to simmer down, shut up and stop complaining.
“From my perspective, that kind of dismissive attitude is totally unacceptable. He needs to start listening, understand the issues, and propose a credible pathway forward for farmers.
“Unfortunately, Minister Meager’s comments to date have come across as condescending and have only inflamed tensions further.”
Last month, Federated Farmers Southland called for people wanting to shoot ducks in Southland this season to buy their licence from another region.
The boycott is a response to what
Federated Farmers Southland’s president Jason Herrick says is “persistent anti-farming rhetoric and activism” from the local Fish & Game council.
Adding to that frustration is an explosion in Southland’s duck population this year, which has caused huge issues for farmers.
McIntyre, who is also a Wellington Fish & Game councillor, says Federated Farmers are backing their local members all the way on this issue – and will pick it up nationally if they need to.
“Southland Fish & Game have been particularly problematic and obstructive for farmers over a long period of time. It’s effectively worn thin with locals, and it now needs to be dealt with.
The Minister needs to recognise this is a serious issue. It’s been simmering away for years and it won’t go away until he gets involved and offers a practical solution.
Wayne Langford Federated Farmers national president
“There have been all kinds of issues, ranging from unnecessary court cases through to objections to gravel extraction – but at the same time, Fish & Game aren’t doing their main job.
“Southland’s duck problem is very real. While that may make for a great opening weekend of shooting, farmers have seen their winter crops hammered over the last few months.
“Other Fish & Game regions have had summer shooting seasons to manage duck numbers, and there’s no reason Southland Fish & Game couldn’t have done the same.”
McIntyre says Meager could have played a constructive role in settling this dispute, and it’s not too late for that to happen, but his comments haven’t landed well with farmers.
“To use a hunting term, the Minister has gone off a bit halfcocked with his comments, calling it a ‘local squabble’. It’s a serious issue and he needs to stop sitting on his hands.”
Federated Farmers president Wayne Langford agrees and says the organisation’s Southland province hasn’t been speaking up just for fun or to get a reaction.
“They’ve taken this action because they’re incredibly frustrated with Southland Fish & Game, things are getting worse instead of better, and they haven’t got any traction playing nicely.
“The Minister needs to recognise this is a serious issue. It’s been simmering away for years and it
won’t go away until he gets involved and offers a practical solution.”
Langford says while it may appear to be a local issue, when you scratch beneath the surface it quickly becomes clear a national solution may be needed.
“We’ve effectively got a statutory body who, in some parts of the country, like Southland, are behaving like an environmental activist group – and that’s just not good enough.
“It’s incredibly frustrating for farmers that Fish & Game are effectively taking their own money through compulsory license fees and using it to advocate directly against them.
“But it’s not just farmers who are frustrated: local fishing clubs and former Fish & Game councillors are now coming out strongly questioning the organisation’s culture and priorities.
“The clear theme is that Fish &
Game Southland aren’t listening to what the local hunting and fishing community want and, instead, are pushing their own political agenda.”
Federated Farmers say reform of Fish & Game is long overdue and that Minister Meager should strip the organisation of its advocacy function, refocusing it on its core business.
“I want to be very clear that I’m not against Fish & Game as an organisation,” Langford says.
“When they stick to their core purpose, they do some amazing work in the community managing, maintaining and enhancing sports fish, game birds and their habitats.
“The problem is all that good work, and the important relationships they have with farmers and landowners, gets totally undermined when they stray into political activism and advocacy.”
DUCKING FOR COVER: Minister James Meager must deliver a practical solution for farmers, Federated Farmers say.
Farm plan rules the right direction
The Government’s proposed improvements to farm plans are a positive step towards a more practical and affordable solution, but the devil will be in the detail, Federated Farmers says.
“Farm plans have huge potential to cut unnecessary red tape, compliance costs, and consenting requirements for farmers,” Federated Farmers vice president Colin Hurst says.
“A tailored farm planning system that takes a risk-based approach will provide strong environmental protections without the over-the-top bureaucracy we’ve seen in recent years.
“For a farmer, this has the potential to be a game changer, replacing the need for expensive and uncertain resource consents or complex and constantly changing council rules.”
Federated Farmers are welcoming the Government’s intention to have a new farm plan system in place by the end of the year.
“This is a really positive start and will give farmers a lot of confidence in the direction of travel – but there’s still a lot more detail that we’re going to need to see,” Hurst says.
“Farmers are expecting to see the Government have nailed down a streamlined system that is affordable, enduring, and responsive to different catchment priorities.
“They’re making all the right noises – but we’ll be keeping a close eye on the process and engaging with the Government to make sure the system works in practice.”
Hurst is particularly pleased to see Ministers have agreed to reduce the number of farms required to have a plan and to take a risk-based approach to certification.
Until the current Government ordered a ‘pause’ last year, the previous administration was rolling out farm plans for all farms over 20 hectares.
“That was totally over the top and cast the net unnecessarily wide, catching a whole heap of lifestyle
blocks that aren’t really commercial farms in the process,” Hurst says.
“Federated Farmers made a strong case that 50ha would be a much more pragmatic threshold. The announcement that fewer farms will be captured by the rules shows we’ve been heard.”
Hurst also welcomes confirmation that farmers won’t need a new plan when they already have an existing industry plan in place that achieves equivalent environment outcomes.
“That’s a huge win for common sense and will cut out a lot of unnecessary cost, duplication and box-ticking for farmers.
“Why should a farmer who has already gone through the process of getting a farm plan through their dairy company, meat processor or regional council have to do it all over again?
“It would have meant a whole lot of cost and paperwork for
absolutely no environmental gain – you’d effectively have been doing it to keep some pencil pusher in Wellington happy.”
The new farm plan system will act as an alternative to local council rules and consents where appropriate, allowing farmers to meet requirements in a way that works for their farm system.
“This is where Federated Farmers would like to see the Government go
A tailored farm planning system that takes a risk-based approach will provide strong environmental protections without the over-the-top bureaucracy we’ve seen in recent years.
Colin Hurst Federated Farmers vice president
much further to rein in district and regional council bureaucrats,” Hurst says.
“A new farm planning system, combined with a new RMA, presents a huge opportunity for the Government to prevent councils piling on additional rules for farmers.
“Ministers need to make sure councils aren’t just going to add in a heap of restrictions or consent requirements that go over and above what’s required with new national standards.”
One example of where this is a major issue for farmers is with Environment Southland’s Water and Land Plan.
“With farm plans in their original form on pause, Southland farmers not only have to meet onerous requirements of current national standards that are under review but also extra layers of restrictions in the Southland plan,” Hurst says.
OPPORTUNITY:
Colin Hurst says a new farm planning system, combined with RMA reform, is a great opportunity for the Government to prevent councils from piling on additional rules for farmers.
“It’s adding huge amount of complexity for farmers down there.”
Questions also remain over the certification of farm plans and who will pay for audits for compliance –two significant issues for farmers.
Hurst says farmers will be looking for assurances over security under the revised farm plan and slimmed down resource management legislation.
“To make investment decisions –like building a new shed or spending $100,000 on upgrading an effluent system – the farmer, and their bank, needs certainty.
“If the farmer has a certified farm plan, and they’re adhering to its conditions, there needs to be a way for them to keep operating with certainty.
“They shouldn’t be at the mercy of the next government, the next tweak of resource management laws, or the next council with grand ideas of changing things up.”
Clearing the way for future farmers
For Kass Rauber, making farming easier for future generations is a personal matter.
With four children of his own, ranging in age from six months to 11 years, he and his wife Emily are strongly motivated to ensure farming remains viable and achievable.
“Young people are the absolute lifeblood of farming’s future,” says the Federated Farmers Southland vice-president.
“We don’t know yet if any of our kids want to go farming, but we certainly want it to be an attractive option for them.
“It’s important we keep cutting red tape to ensure farming can continue into the future and that there is still land for farming.”
Rauber says, as a sector, we do a great job of encouraging people to look at agriculture, but we need to do more to retain them.
“We need to give our young farmers flexibility for sport and other activities outside farming – they need to have a life off the farm too.
“Like any business, it costs money to train and upskill young people and it’s a huge cost when they leave the industry.”
Rauber began his Federated Farmers leadership journey as a Young Farmers representative, and is passionate about giving young people a voice and a career pathway.
He’s served on the Southland committee of the New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards for three years so far, and says it’s a great way to support people on their career journey.
“It’s awesome to see young people coming through and the progression and passion they have for the sector.”
His own path into farming took a roundabout route.
After growing up on the family dairy farm in Hedgehope, near Invercargill, he worked as a mechanic for eight years, including a stint in Canada after he attended the Calgary Stampede.
NEXT GENERATION: Kass Rauber and his wife Emily would love to see their four kids pursue a career in agriculture, whether it’s putting cups on or any one of the many career options available.
On returning to New Zealand, Kass and Emily started their farming careers milking 180 cows, before eventually taking over the 170-hectare family farm, milking 450 cows.
Rauber says he took on leadership roles in Federated Farmers to help drive change both nationally and locally.
“Farming is the backbone of the local economy in Southland and plays a huge role in our wider community.
“That’s why it’s so important Federated Farmers keeps supporting farming, clearing the hurdles, cutting the red tape, and providing a strong voice around decision-making tables.”
Southland issues top of mind for Rauber include addressing runoff and erosion caused by significant weather events, including on land planted in seedlings.
“We have large issues with gravel buildup in Southland rivers, including gravel going onto farms and silt into estuaries.
“We need access to the rivers
to get the gravel out and keep freshwater flowing. It’s a major concern – and our local Fish & Game council has a lot to answer for.”
Another challenge is the explosion in duck numbers in parts of South-
land, damaging young grass, swedes, fodder crop for winter and grain crops.
“When numbers absolutely explode like they have, they’re causing huge losses to the Southland economy,” Rauber says.
Young people are the absolute lifeblood of farming’s future.
Kass Rauber
Federated Farmers Southland vice-president
“It’s time for the Minister to stop sitting on his hands. He needs to step in and provide a solution.
“Farmers here are frustrated with Southland Fish & Game for denying farmers’ applications for permits to cull out of season. All they do is give a permit to shoot to scare the ducks away.
“But you don’t just want to scare the ducks away onto your neighbour’s property for them to scare them back.”
Rauber says that’s why Federated Farmers Southland has called for
shooters in Southland this season to buy their licence from another region.
“Hopefully this boycott will give Southland Fish & Game a bit of a wake-up call.”
Standing up for farmers on matters like Southland Fish & Game’s anti-farming behaviour is just one example of Federated Farmers’ work, Rauber says.
“We stand for what’s right, not what’s easy.
“It’s a farmer’s choice whether they belong to Federated Farmers – it’s not a levy – so we hope our work on the hard stuff makes people want to join us.”
Federated Farmers also has strength in numbers during adverse events, including flooding.
“As a national organisation, we can bring in support from other parts of the country and call on other members to help out.
“We already have people on the ground and great contacts with our members. Farmers and Kiwis will always help each other out.
“It’s just another reason farmers should do the right thing and join Federated Farmers,” Rauber says.
NUMBERS: Federated Farmers also has strength in numbers during adverse events, including flooding, says Kass Rauber.
Waipawa 1041 Tikokino Road
246 ha with excellent irrigation consents
In the heart of the Ruataniwha Plains, 10 km west of Waipawa, comprising approximately 140 ha of LUC 1 land, arguably some of the best cropping soils in Hawke's Bay. The balance of the property comprises, stony gravels which provide an excellent balance. Generous irrigation consents from three bores plus a consent to store water from a permanent artesian stream are in place. Improvements include three homesteads large 1750 m2 pack house numerous implement sheds, hay barns and other storage sheds. A central all-weather track gives access to the pack house and working hub of the property. This property has been farmed by the same family for three generations Presently growing beans, peas and sweetcorn Exceptional yields of 25t/ha of beans achieved 2025 Over the years, squash, onions, apples, a wide range of small seeds, maize and other cereals have been grown, with excellent yields achieved.
Premier semi retirement block in sunny Nelson – 5.21 hectares
$2,280,000 (incl GST)
• Grandstand views across the Waimea plans to the Bay from a totally private position.
• Spacious and well maintained homestead with extended family or AirBnB configuration.
• Stunning setting amongst established trees and easy care garden with inground pool and spa.
• Only 15 minutes from the Richmond service centre, less than 30 minutes to the airport.
• On rural reticulated water scheme.
• Rolling land contours, run on organic principles for last 15 years, fully deer fenced boundary.
Impeccably developed to a high standard, you cannot help but be impressed with the scale and scope of this highly productive proper ty The development of Mt Prospect over the last 20 years has been in consultation with all stakeholders including Environment Southland and the Waiau Trust/QEII Strong biodiversity values are clear in the development strategy with productive land surrounded by regenerating, protected QEII areas
As our Vendor is motivated to sell, this is truly a once in a
Danby
Machinery
Tractor trading in the Trump era
Jaiden Drought MARKETS
AS Donald Trump forges ahead with his ‘Make America Wealthy Again’ campaign, many ask me what this is going to mean for tractor and machinery prices.
Just when we feel like we have just dug ourselves out of the inflationary Covid hangover, that there’s some light at the end of the tunnel and the shackles were about to come off – and now there’s more geopolitical upheaval.
Overall, I would say this is still the case (the shackles coming off that is, not the hangover). I think the bigger risk for us is around the potential dropping of the New Zealand dollar. Although this in turn is good for our largely exporting nation and as such, overall, these will hopefully likely cancel each other out.
While Trump’s plan has long term merit, what he has failed to consider (or perhaps has, but just doesn’t care ), is that the global nature of tractor manufacturing means that parts are often sourced
from various countries, each now with its own tariff rate.
This complexity can lead to significant variations in cost, depending on where the components are sourced.
For instance, parts imported from countries with lower tariffs may initially seem more costeffective, but if tariffs increase suddenly, manufacturers may need to find alternative suppliers.
The main reason we shouldn’t run to the doomsday shelter just yet is that the vast majority of tractors that come to New Zealand are not made in America.
This is a minefield and speaking from experience (through these exact issues brought on by Covid), this is where the real risk lies. It will likely also increase the cost of US made machinery in the short term.
The main reason we shouldn’t run to the doomsday shelter just yet is that the vast majority of tractors that come to New
Zealand are not made in America.
In terms of the large volume players, both the compact and big large frame John Deere machines and Case IH Magnum models are made in America, as well as those companies branded combine harvesters. As mentioned, foreign exchange (FX) is more of a risk on the pricing of these than the tariffs.
Likewise, then with the vast majority of tractors that come to New Zealand are made in Japan (Kubota), Germany (Fendt John Deere, Deutz), Britian (New Holland), France (Massey Feguson, Claas) and Austria (Case iH) to name a few, trade will flow in a similar fashion to what we currently experience, just with potentially higher FX volatility and some component cost increases. However, because these parts are not likely to have come from the US, this will unlikely have a big bearing (excuse the pun) on price increases.
Back in the land of the long white cloud, the bump in rural confidence was palpable at all of the recent rural field days and this has flowed through to tractor sales. Deliveries to March 31 are
tracking 18% up (or around 100 tractors more) than this time last year.
The North Island has seen the bigger jump with March deliveries 25% up from the same month last year, while the South Island took a 6% dip after a very strong start to the calendar year.
Unpredictability is still the best description of what is being experienced by machinery dealers around the country and one horsepower sector sums this up perfectly: the 150hp-200hp segment. In the North Island
this sector had a 240% increase over the same month last year, while the South Island had a 50% decrease. Overall, year to date all hp sector sales are up, double in the South versus their northern rivals.
To sum up a period of history which we will most likely look back on with disbelief, my advice now (and will always be) is; buy that new shiny tractor – remember you only live once, plus bumper commodity prices mean there is certainly a shining light at the end of the tunnel.
Rev up your skills!
Rev up your skills!
From tractors to chainsaws and everything in between. Get yourself or your team trained with Primary ITO’s hugely popular vehicle and machinery courses!
From tractors to chainsaws and everything in between. Get yourself or yourteam trained with Primary ITO’s hugely popular vehicle and machinery courses!
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Bite-sized training options include:
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Learn more at primaryito.ac.nz/vehicles, call us on 0800 20 80 20 or email info@primaryito.ac.nz
Learn more at primaryito.ac.nz/vehicles, call us on 0800 20 80 20 or email info@primaryito.ac.nz
Machinery
DON’T PANIC: While global trade is up in the air, given the majority of our machinery comes from Europe there is no need to panic just yet.
Sheep wanted for lice testing
Replacement Ewe Hoggets – not in lamb
• Mobs of greater than 300
On farm study with all animals treated for lice.
This study would be at no cost to you with compensation for all yarding and handling costs.
For further information contact: Gina de Nicolo - 027 258 0246 or Gina@animalpharma.nz
Sean Daly - 027 332 3462 or sda@donaghys.co.nz
The Dair yNZ Board has adjusted the milk solids lev y rate under the Commodit y Levies (Milk solids) Order 2020.
From 1 June, 2025, the milk solids lev y rate will be 4.5 cents per kilogram of milk solids Dair yNZ aims to hold the lev y at no more than 4 5c/kgMS for a minimum of three years but will review the rate each year as legally required The previous rate of 3.6c/kgMS was in place since 2009 The new rate follows consultation and in making their decision the Dair yNZ Board considered farmer feedback, Dair yNZ’s financial sustainabilit y, and sector resilience
Dair yNZ will be making changes across farmer engagement, transparency of lev y spend and return on investment, and the science and research programme to keep a sharp focus on productivit y, resilience and sustainabilit y
Thursday 1 May | Start 12noon TeKuiti Sale yards
Special Entries:
A/c Peter & Pam Voyce (Complete Herd-Capital Stock)
• 26 R3yr VIC Angus Hfrs
75 R4yr-7yr VIC Angus Cows
VIC Angus Bulls 20 Nov - 31 Jan TB - C10
A/c Bevege P/Ship (Capital Stock)
40 M/A Purebred Angus Cows
VIC Angus Bull 15 Nov - 7 Jan
A/c Alladale Farm (Capital Stock)
• 50 M/A Hereford Fries x & Angus & Angus Hereford x Cows
VIC Angus Bull 15 Dec - 5 Feb
A/c RotorWork (Herd Reduction)
40 R2yr Angus Hfrs
• 120 4yr - 7yr Angus Cows
VIC Angus Bull 5 Dec - 20 Feb
A/c Rivendell
• 40 4yr - 8yr Angus Cows
VIC Angus Bull 18 Dec
A/c TeHape Stn
• 110 R7yr Angus & Angus Hfd x Cows VIC Angus Bulls 22 Dec for 60 days (annual Draft)
Our vendors have sold their farm, and these elite cows and heifers come to auction
Four Peaks Dairy is a dry land dairy farm 12km west of Geraldine, converted the farm 15 years ago
Four Peaks Dairy has been a grass based system
Supplement has been used to fully feed the cows when required There has been no preferential treatment for these auction cows, and all have been run in 550 cow herds
1100 cows peak milked Vendors have used nominated semen, with a focus on udders and capacity Aim is to breed the most efficient dairy cows as possible Herd has been G3 profiled for 15 years and young stock genomic profiled for past 3 years
Production Ave 480KgMS/cow, 1615Kg/Ha Herd BW 338, PW 361
All Inmilk cows are scanned Incalf to AI
Incalf heifers have been mated to AI and then run Jersey bulls Bulls out 24/12/24
Heifers that have held to AI mating date, will marked on sale day and shown in catalogue
Heifer liveweights are recorded in catalogue and average liveweight 26/3/25 was 459Kg
Carryover cows have been mated to AI as per mating then run with White Galloway and Hereford bulls
If you are in search of top quality dairy cows and heifers, we suggest you attend this sale Online bidding available via BIDR Catalogues available on agonline co nz
Enquiries:
Barry Fox 027 439 3317
Nathan Hubbard 027 566 8242
NZ’s Virtual Saleyard bidr.co.nz
C ARSE-O-FERN HOLSTEIN FRIESIAN SELECT SALE
Thursday 8 May | 11.00am
1271 Otorohanga Rd, Otorohanga
A/C D&L Courtman
Comprising:
16 Spring Calving Friesian Incalf Cows
• 27 Spring Calving Friesian Incalf Heifers
• 1 Autumn Calving Friesian Cow
6 MT Friesian Inmilk Cows
12 Rising 1 Year Friesian Heifers
• 6 Embryo Packages
This sale includes a well-balanced offering from within the herd providing a valuable oppor tunity to secure animals that suit both immediate needs and long term breeding goals
3 heifers sold last year have topped their new herds in their age groups
For anyone looking to introduce reliable genetics, expand their current herd or build a strong foundation for the future, this auction delivers an excellent selection of animals that are ready to make their mark
Payment terms for account holders, 50% in 14 days & 50% 20 November 2025
Catalogues available on Agonline or Bidr or for a hard copy call the auctioneer’s
Enquiries:
Andrew Reyland 027 223 7092
Bill Moore 027 825 7505
Shay Egan 027 473 5856
Doug Courtman ( Vendor) 027 686 0002
NZ’s Virtual Saleyard bidr.co.nz NZ’s
Friday 9 May | 11.00am | 249 Kemp Road, Awhitu, South Auckland A/C Awhitu Valley Farms Ltd
Our vendors that have sold their farm and are moving overseas Farm Equipment & Machinery:
Nissan DX 4WD Ute, NH TS100 Tractor, NH T T55 R4 DT Tractor, Pearson T T3218 Loader, Fieldmaster Mower, Hustler Bale Grab, Kubota LA243 with FEL, Kubota BX2360 with Turf Tyres, Kubota ZC125c Ride on Mower, Cambridge Roller, Kubota T2380 Ride on Mower, Calf Trailer, Suzuki Farm Truck, Rototiller, Jacky Bin, Can-Am Defender AT V x 2, Fert Spreader, Gallagher scales, In-line Tech Dispenser, Portable Troughs, Bale Feeder, Post Banger, Kea Trailer & cover, Calf Meal Feeders, Fence Reels and Standards, Spinning Jenny, Post lifter, Palm Kernel Trailers x 2, Meal feeders x 6, Animal Hay/Meal Feeders, Fieldmaster Mulcher, KBT ZC125s Mower & Mulching Kit, Weighing Machine, Generator, 200Ltr Sprayer, Tandem Trailer, Devan Plastic tank, Water Purification System, Welder & Safety Gear, Chainsaw, Compressor, 3-way Draft Module, 4 Bay Dog Kennels, AG100 Fuel Tank, Sheep Yards & Loading Ramp, Shearing Plant, Spray Equipment, Concrete Mixer, Molasses Pump, Calving Jack, Shearing Grinding Wheel, Plus numerous workshop power tools and other farm sundries
Household Electrical and Furniture:
Microwave, Hitachi Radio, Toaster, Coffee Machine, Kettle, Blender, Milk Frother, Slow Cooker, Bread Maker, Lamps, Printers, 40 inch Flat Screen TV and surround sound speaker system, Single Door Fridges and Freezers x 2, Large Chest Freezer, Treadmill, 30 inch Flat Screen smart TV, Hoover Carpet Cleaner, Vacuum Cleaner, Silvers Spa Pool, Plus many more household items
Terms of Auction
- All items will be sold as is where is
- 15% GST will be added to purchase price
- At the fall of the hammer all goods become the purchaser’s responsibility
- Payment terms are strictly payment on sale day
Eftpos available (No credit cards) or charge to PGG Wrightson full account holders
For full sale details & photos visit: www.agonline.co.nz/upcomingsales
Enquiries: Craig Reiche 027 239 1181
NZ’s Virtual Saleyard bidr.co.nz
Key: Dair y Cattle Sheep O ther
ELITE FRIESIAN / FRIESIAN X
Autumn Cattle S ale
Thursday 8 May | Commencing 1pm
Mount Linton Station, 309 Mount Linton Road, RD1, Otautau Main Cattle Yards (approx 15 mins from entrance)
Sale comprising:
• 860 18 Month Angus Steers
• 150 18 Month Unmated Angus Heifers
• 100 18 Month Incalf Angus Heifers (PTIC to low birth Angus Due 22/9/25 - 2 cycles)
• 220 MA Incalf Angus Cows (PTIC to Angus Bull. Due 25/9/25 - 2 cycles)
Farm Assured. Antibiotic free. All Station bred & raised. TB C10. Farm-weighed prior to sale
2025 SOUTHERN SELECTION
Tuesday 6 May, 7:00pm
Bidr online only
A/c Fairleigh Ayrshires & Holsteins
Eade Family - Kelso, Southland
Consisting of : 3 Ayrshire Cows
7 Holstein Friesian Cows
10 Ayrshire R2 In-calf heifers
• 22 Holstein Friesian In– calf Heifers
• 1 Jersey In-calf heifer
• 4 Ayrshire R1 Heifers
• 1 Jersey R1 Heifer
• 8 Holstein Friesian R1 Heifers
Very well presented, highly production backed, well-bred families
All eligible females have been PTIC Catalogues Available from Agonline –upcoming sales
Contact :
Mark Cuttance (PGW ) 0274424742
Brian Robinson 0272410051
Bruce Eade
Benny was walking along a beach and he found an old urn. He gave it a rub and out came a genie. “I am the genie of the urn! You may have 3 wishes! But they come with a condition!”
Benny willingly agreed to any condition and got his wishes for fame & wealth, the most beautiful woman in the world as his wife and a long and healthy life. “Wait!” said the genie. “Now you must hear my condition!” “Ok what is it?”
“From this day forward, you must never shave your face again!”
“Is that all? Fine I can do that no problem”
Contact
Mat Middlemass Mount Linton GM 021 799 986 Willie Swale 027 441 6433 Callum
I N F R I E S 1 2 P
C O N J U N C T I O N W I
I A N / F R I E S I A N X
M T U E S D A Y 6 T H
M O R R
And so Benny did, for many years until his beard was almost 8 feet long. By this point he couldn’t stand tripping over it all the time and decided he would shave it off. “After all, that genie has gone back to the urn long since and will bother me no more!”
So Benny, with one slice of a razor, shaved off his beard. The genie immediately appeared and was very angry. “I told you never to shave off your beard!” he cried, and with in flash of light turned poor Benny into an urn! And the moral of the story is:
A Benny shaved is a Benny urned.
C C 1 0 8 , 0 0 0 3 y r a v e p r o d 4 8 0 m / s p e r c o w , 1 5 4 0 m / s p e r h a S y s t e m 3
3 6 x F r i e s i a n / F r i e s i a n X C a r r y o v e r C o w s
B W : 3 0 4 , P W : 3 4 8 , D T C 1 5 J u l y t o H e r e f o r d B u l l s
D O N ’ T M I S S T H I S S A L E !
O u r v e n d o r h a s d e c i d e d t o r e t i r e T h i s h e r d h a s n o t b e e n f o r s a l e i n t h e p a d d o c k .
A b e a u t i f u l h e r d o f c o w s t h a t s h o w a l l t h e b e s t t r a i t s o f a N Z d a i r y c o w
T y p e , p r o d u c t i o n , u d d e r s , t e m p e r a m e n t a n d a l l a r o u n d d a i r y n e s s C a t a l o g u e s a v a i l a b l e
n b G r a z i n g a v a i l a b l e t o S h a r e m i l k e r s a n d S o u t h I s l a n d b u y e r s w i t h n o a c c e s s t o n e w f a r m s w i t h p r i o r a p p r o v a l
C o n t a c t :
B Y L L i v e s t o c k , J a s o n R o b e r t s P h : 0 2 7 7 0 7 1 2 7 1 , E m a i l : j a s o n @ b y l c o n z
N Z F a r m e r s L i v e s t o c k : D a r r y l H o u g h t o n
P h : 0 2 7 4 5 1 5 3 1 5 , E m a i l : d a r r y l h o u g h t o n @ n z f l l c o n z
O n l i n e b i d d i n g a v a i l a b l e a t m y l i v e s t o c k c o n z
THURSDAY 1 MAY 2025 ST 12 NOON
A/C: J & K LAMB, OPARAU KAWHIA SOUTH
CAPITAL STOCK HEREFORD COW HERD
Due to a change in farming policy our Vendors have decided to sell their Herd of Hereford Cows
Comprising approx
17 x VIC R3Yr Heifers
25 x VIC R4Yr Cows
10 x VIC R5Yr Cows
10 x VIC R6Yr Cows
18 x VIC R7Yr Cows
17 x VIC R8Yr Cows
10 x VIC R9Yr Cows
24 x VIC R10 to R12Yr Cows
Auctioneers note:
These Capital Stock Hereford Cows are predominantly Hukuroa Bred and are saftley VIC to Rockend, Otapawa,Okahu and Glenbae Bulls Calving mid August to early November
All Enquiries please contact:
Brent Bougen 0272 104 698
NZ Farmers Livestock
The sale will be livestreamed on our MyLivestock online platform
See full details on mylivestock co nz and our Facebook Page
On Account Beaufort Farm Trust Marcus & Lisa Smith Monday 5 May 2025 th Stratford Saleyards 11:30am
Due to the sale of their farm Marcus & Lisa offer their outstanding , high country herd.
Facts At A Glance
3 Generation herd (101 years in the district). rd
DTC 31 07 25 in calf to nominated semex
semen, then tailed PB Belgian Blue & PB Angus bulls
Long walks on exposed farm up to 400m above sea level
Originally an LIC bred herd, the last 15 years of nominated
Livestock Manager –Experienced Livestock Agent
Link Livestock (LL) is a small, successful Waikato based Livestock agency, we are looking for a Livestock Manager to join our small tight-knit team. Livestock sales experience is essential for this role, if you are looking for an opportunity to work in a company with plenty of scope or to take the next step in your career and grow your portfolio look no further.
You will be the first point of contact with our agents for advice, troubleshooting and conflict resolution, ensuring both our team and clients are appropriately supported, while building long-term relationships.
Working closely with the Business Manager regarding routine processes, transactions and agent recruitment, you’ll also be available to contribute when requested at a company director level. You will share your knowledge with the ability to understand seasonal trends and upcoming opportunities available in the market to enhance our market share in a competitive environment.
Skills and Experience
• Knowledge and experience in Livestock sales is essential.
• Auctioneering experience catering to the team as our Head Auctioneer.
• You will be required to be self-motivated.
• Ability to build lasting professional relationships.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• A full, current and clean New Zealand driver licence is essential.
The ideal candidate will be able to:
• Represent yourself and LL to an exceptional standard with honesty and integrity
• Marketing and sales of livestock services to existing and potential clients.
• Grow the client base in your area and establish strong business relationships.
• Create and supply timely and accurate recordings of all transactions
Salary plus bonus incentives with a flexible start date. All enquiries will be treated with the strictest confidence. If you are interested to discuss this opportunity further, please email through your resume and cover letter to: accounts@linklivestock.co.nz
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Autumn 2025 Bull Sale Dates FARMERS
Autumn 2025 Bull Sale Dates FARMERS
Autumn 2025 Bull Sale Dates
Proudly sponsored by
Young stock shine as market makes a profound shift
The markets have moved to a place more in keeping with the rising costs of farming.
Suz Bremner MARKETS Livestock
IT MAY not have been the easiest late summer and autumn season, but young stock have shone – both in their coats and the money buyers are prepared to part with to secure them.
Past generations of farmers would never have predicted that, come 2025, buyers would be paying up to $1500 per head for a calf that has essentially been alive for just six months, and in the same breath paying $400$500 plus for dairy-beef calves that hit the ground only a few weeks ago.
The reality is that the markets have moved to a place that is more in keeping with the rising costs associated with farming. And while these levels do run the risk of not being sustainable, it is very unlikely that the industry will see prices anywhere near where they once were.
Just like you can’t buy a bottle of milk for $3 these days, you can’t get a decent store lamb for $70 (which was the average price at this time of year in 2011) or a weaner Angus steer for $480-$680, which was also common that year.
The increase in prices for young stock has been due to a combination of factors – the
leading game changers being rain throughout the fair season, an anticipated lack of supply and good returns on finished stock.
The weaner beef fair market has taken off this year and, as the fairs have progressed, it has only got stronger. From first fairs held to subsequent fairs, prices rose at most yards as rain fell in regions desperately needing it, which opened up the opportunity for extra buyers to enter the market.
The early fairs started off with a nationwide average price for traditional steers at $995 and exotic steers $1140, but these averages grew to $1120 and $1275 respectively as the second and third rounds of fairs were held.
For the beef and sheep industry it is now a numbers game.
Heifers were not overlooked either as traditional lines were viewed as a two-way option, while exotic-beef heifers are a very viable alternative to fattening steers, with a smaller outlay.
For the beef and sheep industry it is now a numbers game. The realisation for many that breeding numbers, and therefore their progeny, are not available in the volume they used to be is now hitting home, and it would appear
that the supply/demand scales has now tilted in favour of those supplying the market.
From 2016 to 2024 (excluding the covid year of 2020) weaner beef fair tallies at North Island yards covered by AgriHQ averaged nearly 23,500-head. With just a handful of fairs left to add to the tally, 2025’s tally sits at 17,000-head, down 28% on the average.
In the South Island, AgriHQ has been collecting data from 10 South Island saleyards over the calf sale season, and tallies are down 15% on the same sales the previous year.
The North Island feeder calf market is also showing very positive signs of recovery after a few tough years that saw many rearers leave the profession. But strong demand for older stock has flowed down into the feeder calf market, making it more viable to rear calves.
Just like lambs and beef calves, the prices being paid for calves now balance better with the costs, which is also being helped by the quality of the calves coming forward. Friesian bull demand has continued to grow, but there is also increased interest for quality dairy-beef bulls and heifers, and that has flowed into the feeder calf sales.
This autumn season, results have been very good, with
top Friesian bull calves commonly trading at $375-$450, Hereford-Friesian $460-$500 and Charolais-dairy $490-$530.
The best of the HerefordFriesian heifers have traded at $290-$310 and Charolais-dairy up to $350.
Lambs may be smaller than their bovine buddies but their returns have been just as mighty this season. And with uncertainty around how many are left out there in paddocks, that strength looks set to see the season out.
It has not been uncommon for store lamb sales to average $140-
$150 per head, which is double what was being paid this time last year.
That in itself tells the story of how fickle the lamb market can be – to have such a drastic change year on year – and so, many buyers will still approach with an element of caution.
As this year can be ticked off to be a successful one for young stock, now all the industry needs are prices to stay at these levels, so farmers can budget with confidence and keep income and expenses more balanced. That’s not too much to ask, is it?
Dose all dogs travelling near sheep or go grazing areas with Praziquantel least 48 hours before arriving, to prevent shee measles.
EWE HEARD IT HERE: Young stock have had a great start to the year, with store lamb prices currently double 2024 levels, and calf prices the strongest on record.
Cattle Sheep Deer
Weekly saleyard results
These weekly saleyard results are collated by the AgriHQ LivestockEye team. Cattle weights and prices are averages and sheep prices are ranges. For more detailed results and analysis subscribe to your selection of LivestockEye reports. Scan the QR code or visit www.agrihq.co.nz/livestock-reports
Frankton | April 16 | 572 cattle
Get ahead of the market
Keep
Keep track of saleyard data, key market indicators and livestock news from across the countr y, with the only repor ts that have
agrihq.co.nz/livestock-reports
SHORT AND SWEET: The Feilding store sheep sale was all done within half an hour on Thursday, April 17 and only 1830 lambs were yarded. These wether lambs earned $145.
FIRM ON CALVES: The second Canterbury Park calf sale was another success as steers sold on par or slightly firmer while heifer calves maintained the strong results seen at the first sale. Photo: Grant Nordstrom PGG Wrightson
| April 17 | 606
AT CAPACITY: Just shy of 3000 weaners moved through the Feilding saleyard on April 16 and all
May days, UV rays and having my say ...
Philip Duncan NEWS Weather
AS WE head in towards May there are two things I’m noticing in the weather pattern in our part of the world: 1) The autumn pattern is here – a messier set-up where our high pressure zones are usually followed by some sort of low pressure, or cold front, bringing a burst of wind and rain followed by more sun and dry. And 2) How powerful these high pressure zones are. They are a bit like a mountain – the higher it is, the bigger it is. When air pressure goes above 1040 hPa in New Zealand we expect very settled weather with dry weather dominating. At the time of writing this the long range modelling was suggesting May will start colder and showery followed by powerful dry and high pressure for the first week (after some northern rain for the end of April).
High pressure to me is like a giant anticyclonic roundabout, and when it’s large enough it can drag down
air from Fiji (like it did at Easter), or it can dredge up Antarctic air and bring snow to Auckland (like it did in 2011).
These high pressure zones are looking to be the key driver of our weather going into May. Rain and wind isn’t always caused by just a low – in fact ex-cyclone Tam’s worst winds in NZ were actually made by high pressure.
As for UV rays, as the days get shorter and our temperatures lower, it’s easy to think that’s the end of sunburn. But we still have MODERATE levels of UV on sunny days right across New Zealand. Slip, slop, slap and wrap even in May if you’re outdoors for hours at a time.
And on to having my say:
A nationwide radio station asked me to explain the lack of warnings from MetService and the over-thetop updates from Auckland Civil Defence the other day, and when I answered, explaining how “open data” from MetService and NIWA would fix the problem, I was politely cut short and asked not to get into politics.
It reminded me of a classic episode of The Simpsons when a meteor
was about to destroy the town. When it didn’t, Moe the bartender yelled, “Now, let’s go burn down the observatory so this never happens again!” and the townsfolk head off with pitchforks, singing merrily.
People often shoot the messenger and not the message.
True open data (that’s data we all collectively tax fund/build) wouldn’t just fix alerts for major rain or thunderstorm events in NZ, it would also help growers and farmers have more products using the weather and climate data and infrastructure you’ve already helped pay for.
Here’s hoping the NIWA takeover of MetService addresses NZ’s lack of “free and open data” – because our Australian neighbours have it, and a host of extra maps and local data more than us Kiwis, due to the NZ government’s insistence that NIWA and MetService should be making big profits before providing standard basic services.
“Open data” will lift NZ’s standards and help farmers out the most. You can’t complain about inaccurate forecasts in NZ but not want to hear about NZ’s lack of open data too.
Foot and mouth disease readiness
MORE: Current soil moisture deficit map shows despite the heavy rain at the top of both main islands recently, many regions missed out and still need much more.
Sheep and beef farmer vote
Beef + Lamb New Zealand has been negotiating an agreement to ensure we’re as prepared as possible for a potential foot and mouth disease outbreak and how any response costs would be recovered
Now we need your input.
Foot and mouth disease is the number one biosecurity concern for our sector, and this agreement will give sheep and beef farmers a voice in decision-making
information at: www.beeflambnz.com/fmd-vote
Voting closes at 2pm on Friday 16 May. Use your voice to show we have farmer support for the agreement.
