Farmers Weekly NZ September 15 2025

Lean years recede for beef & lamb

SHEEP and beef farm profits are forecast to transform from among the lowest in 40 years to two of the best years.

Beef +Lamb New Zealand’s new season outlook says continued global supply shortages will keep beef and lamb prices elevated for at least the coming year. It will be a remarkable transformation for the sector.

In 2023-24, 40% of farmers made a loss and the average farm profit before tax was just $18,914, cited as the toughest year since the 2007-08 global financial crisis.

This year BLNZ is forecasting an average farm profit before tax of $138,600, rising to $166,500 next year.

Inflation has eroded some of that spending power and the report forecasts expenditure to increase 2.8% to $615,700 per farm, a slower rate than revenue growth.

Guy Melville, who farms the 1100 hectare Puketotara Station near Huntly, has a list of “to do” items that will easily soak up any increase in income.

Fencing, applying fertiliser, riparian planting and a new roof for a cottage will account for any cash left over after several lean years and rising costs.

“We’re getting the business back

Neal Wallace NEWS Sheep and beef Continued page 3

up and running so we are ready for the next hurdle,” he said.

He notes that high livestock prices have traditionally been followed by a sharp drop and also wonders if high meat prices will prompt consumers to look for cheaper alternative protein.

AgriHQ senior analyst Mel Croad cannot recall BLNZ forecasts of $10/kg or more for lamb.

A year ago lamb was worth $7.20/kg. Today it is $10.25-$10.35/ kg.

These prices are driven by strength in our traditional United States, European and United Kingdom markets, while China remains relatively sedate, although still a key outlet for certain cuts.

“We are nowhere near as reliant on China as we once were and it will be a bonus if we see some upside in pricing,” Croad said.

She notes the BLNZ forecasts were based on a NZ-US dollar exchange rate of US63c, US4c above the average for 2024-25.

Exporters potentially could face some headwinds such as consumer resistance to high prices especially for lamb, considered a luxury item, and addressing excess processing capacity.

The BLNZ report forecasts a lift in per-head prices between 202324 and 2025-26 for lamb of $130 to $180, steer and heifer $1701 to $2151, cow $829 to $1056 and bull $1802 to $2269.

Robbed by the river

Tasman farmers Andrew Fry and his father Kevin say productive land on their farm was overrun by the raging Motupiko River earlier this year. Paddocks were left littered with tonnes of rocks, gravel and silt, fences were ripped out and sheds engulfed in water.

Claims new national plant biosecurity centre is a white elephant.

3

Going big on predator control

Shirley-Ann and Rick Mannering run a productive dairy, sheep and beef operation near Auckland, where they’ve also started an ecological revolution – with traps, tech and a full-time farm ranger.

DAIRY 20-27

Govt slammed over plans to cut agribusiness from school curriculum.

9

Facebook is quietly limiting our movements, says Ben Anderson.

OPINION 19

Photo: Tim Cuff

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ISSN 2463-6002 (Print) ISSN 2463-6010 (Online)

ONLINE: Hawke’s Bay farmer Ingrid Smith has built an online business selling makeup, helping to supplement the farm income as she and her husband build equity and work towards their ultimate goal of farm ownership.

P10

News in brief Alliance meetings

Alliance will hold 24 shareholder meetings in nine days to discuss the proposed capital raise involving Irish company Dawn Meats.

The meetings start in Tuatapere, Southland, on September 29. The roadshow heads as far north as Dannevirke before ending in Middlemarch in Otago on October 14. There are 20 meetings in the South Island and four in the North Island.

Back in black

The New Zealand Merino company has returned to profitability, reporting a net profit after tax of $160,000 for the year to June – reversing the $3.29 million loss of a year earlier.

The improved result reflected an earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) of $1.23m, up $3.86m on 2024, which, according to a company statement on the Unlisted Exchange, was driven by supply-chain improvements and cost management.

Competition returns

After a two-year break, Future Beef NZ is relaunching the Hoof and Hook competition in 2026 – an event organisers say is vital for nurturing the next generation of beef industry leaders.

The event, hosted by the Stratford showgrounds, combines practical stock handling and judging with a variety of educational modules to give youngsters aged eight to 25 the opportunity to learn more about the beef industry.

Preparations underway

Two months after 2025 Young Farmer of the Year Hugh Jackson lifted the trophy in July, preparations are already underway for the next round in the competition.

Registrations are now open for the FMG Young Farmer of the Year Season 58 district contests.

Marking the start of one of New Zealand’s most iconic agricultural competitions, they will take place in October and November 2025.

Centre slammed as a white elephant

Richard Rennie NEWS Horticulture

ASTATE-of-theart national plant biosecurity centre planned by the Ministry for Primary Industries for Auckland has been slammed by industry players and labelled a white elephant, as its foundation concrete is poured.

Estimated to cost between $500 million and a billion dollars, the Mount Albert based Plant Health and Environment Capability (PHEC) facility is hailed by Crown Infrastructure Delivery as a piece of critical investment in New Zealand’s biosecurity and horticulture future.

The multimillion-dollar project had a relatively low profile amid a rash of project announcements made by Infrastructure Minister Chris Bishop in late July. But claims about whether the centre is fit for purpose are swirling just as it passes a cabinet business case test. The centre is scheduled for completion by 2029.

The claims come as the horticultural sector also raises concerns over governmentimposed costs and delays it says limit the sector’s ability to meet

Continued page 1

BLNZ chair Kate Acland attributed the turnaround to improved confidence and reinvestment due to lower interest costs, strong livestock prices, better seasonal conditions and more fertiliser applied in 2024-2025.

However export volumes are picked to fall this year, with lamb back 1.5%, mutton 3.8% and beef 1.5%.

Acland said there are still global headwinds and risks.

The 15% tariff on all NZ exports into the US could strip nearly $500 million from red meat sector earnings each season.

We have had no problems running the offshore model with potatoes. It would be easy to replicate.

Chris Claridge Potatoes NZ

the goal of doubling export values within 10 years.

Chris Claridge, plant geneticist and ex-CEO of Potatoes NZ, told Farmers Weekly that NZ has

Acland said there are also unknowns from the global fallout from protectionist trade policies from the US, and China’s economy continuing to struggle.

The US lamb industry is pushing for higher tariffs on NZ imports, while Chinese authorities are undertaking a safeguard investigation into our beef imports, assessing whether they are damaging domestic production.

Other risks include a stronger forecast for the NZ dollar and the continued loss of productive farmland to carbon forestry.

“Tariffs, currency swings, and ongoing land-use change to

effectively shut the gate on new plant material imports, such are the challenges of bringing material in.

He said the PHEC will do little to change that, instead imposing a significant capital and operating cost burden on the industry, and NZ.

But Biosecurity NZ deputy director-general Stuart Anderson said the agency is committed to delivering a world-class facility to strengthen New Zealand’s biosecurity system, covering needs for the next 50 years.

forestry could all chip away at the gains,” said Acland.

Alliance Group’s global sales director, James McWilliam, said the subdued Chinese market is entering a traditional peak consumption period and exporters will get a clearer picture of demand.

“The European Union market is strong but has likely reached its peak, while United Kingdom demand is firm as retailers secure leg supply for Christmas and Easter 2026.

“North America remains solid, despite tariffs, and the Middle East is showing gradual improvement.”

“We are not simply planning for the next incursion or today’s growers,” he said.

“The new facility at Mt Albert is required because MPI’s existing Plant Health and Environment Laboratory (PHEL) and Post Entry Quarantine (PEQ) facilities are nearing the end of their useful life and constrain our ability to meet growing biosecurity demands and manage large, complex incursions.”

He also pointed out the post entry quarantine aspect of the facility for high value crop importation is likely to be only 10% of its overall build cost.

“The main function of the new facility is providing enhanced diagnostic testing for plant pests and diseases to support surveillance and response activities, and trade assurance.”

The bulk of the cost is incurred through structural and mechanical features like airtight containment and pressure areas, all used to support surveillance and response to disease outbreaks.

But Claridge said this does not necessarily mean a facility of this scale is required for quarantine here.

He pointed to the system Potatoes NZ uses as a more streamlined, low-cost and equally safe

pathway to bring in new varieties into NZ for commercialisation.

“Potatoes NZ found the pathway to new germplasm throttled by MPI’s approach.

“To get around it we got an offshore germplasm facility to bring in safe tissue culture for our growers here.”

That facility is the United Kingdom Potato Quarantine Unit, based in Scotland.

“We spend between $30,000 and $50,000 every few years for accreditation. And that is compared to $500 million on an entire new facility here.

“We have had no problems running the offshore model with potatoes. It would be easy to replicate – you’d have to ask why has it not?”

Anderson agreed a Potatoes NZtype offshore quarantine system could be replicated by other plant types, if biosecurity measures are met.

In response to industry concerns over the high quarantine costs, he said such centres are expensive to operate and MPI’s prices reflect the costs of providing the services. Even at $6500 per greenhouse per month, MPI is not fully recovering those costs.

MORE: See page 8

BACK IN BUSINESS: Guy Melville says he has an extensive to-do list on his farm near Huntly.

SPENDY: MPI’s proposed $500 million plant biosecurity centre at Mt Albert has been slammed as an unnecessary and expensive asset by key commercial plant breeding players in NZ. Photo: Jasmax

Sector unconvinced by new forestry rules

Neal Wallace NEWS Forestry

THE government says continued large-scale conversion of farmland to forestry will end when new regulations come into effect on October 31.

Forestry Minister Todd McClay said this year’s plantings were the tail effect of properties bought and consented before the government tightened restrictions last December.

“Transitional exemptions mean some of those projects can still proceed, which is why conversions are visible in places,” he said.

Legislation will be passed in the next month and take effect from October 31 2025.

But Beef+Lamb New Zealand and the Meat Industry Association are not convinced.

Their joint submission before the Environment Select Committee on forestry conversions earlier this year estimated that a further 50,000 hectares of farmland could be converted before the new rules come into effect.

The new regulations place a moratorium on whole-farm

forestry conversions on land use Classes 1-5 land and establish an annual ballot to allocate a 15,000ha quota of planting on Class 6 land.

There are no restrictions on Class 7 or Class 8.

A ballot to allocate the 15,000ha quota is scheduled for mid-2026.

BLNZ and MIA submitted that the 15,000ha quota is just 6713ha less than the 21,713ha average converted for each of the past eight years.

We are planting away our future.

James Hunter Hawke’s Bay

Hawke’s Bay farmer James Hunter said New Zealand is covering the core of its sheep and cattle breeding country in pine trees.

“We are planting away our future, destroying the ability to settle families because of the price of land and we have locked out young people from a farming future.

“What are we doing?”

He knows of investors buying a farm, planting it in trees and

selling it a year later to foreign buyers as an established forest, doubling their money in the process.

This leaves neighbours to deal with pests and the risk of fire and no one to contact, said Hunter.

“When a fire escapes, who pays for it, who bears the cost?”

A Land Information NZ spokesperson said it is investigating one case where a New Zealander may have bought land with the financial backing of an overseas investor.

It is aware of the risk of farms being bought for planting in forestry with offshore financial backing, but whether that would be a breach of the Overseas Investment Act depends on the circumstances.

“The key is whether the New Zealander is an associate of an overseas person, as both overseas persons and their associates need consent under the Act.”

Requiring an associate to get consent prevents an overseas person from circumventing the Act by having a third party, normally a New Zealander, buy on their behalf, the spokesperson said.

Between 2011 and 2025, 157 foreign buyers bought 118,133ha

of existing forestry or farmland for planting in forestry.

Fire and Emergency New Zealand national manager for risk reduction, Morgana Te Pauae, said while landowners have the legal responsibility for fire risk, the fire service works with forest owners to manage their fire risk.

That includes the development and amendment of fire plans which are consulted on publicly and tailored to each local area.

Formal agreements set out shared responsibilities and resource commitments during fire events.

The Fire and Emergency New Zealand Act 2017 does not provide for general cost recovery and there are no plans to review this.

This week’s poll question:

Do the impending changes to regulations on farmland forestry planting go far enough?

Have your say at farmersweekly.co.nz/poll

Pāmu offers equity partnership on stock farm

Staff reporter NEWS Land

PĀMU has unveiled a new equity partnership initiative to help create pathways to farm ownership for young farmers.

The country’s largest farmer is now taking expressions of interest for Mahiwi Farm, a 708-effective hectare medium-rolling hill country farm 35 minutes west of Wairoa.

The partnership would require a minimum investment of $250,000 to be considered, with details of the role – including the partnership structure, terms and expectations for both parties –open to negotiation.

With Mahiwi being Crownowned land, Pāmu cannot sell an interest in it; but the partner would grow their equity through the income generated on the farm

Pāmu CEO Mark Leslie said it is more than just a farm opportunity.

“It’s a strategic shift in how we support the next generation of livestock farmers. Mahiwi represents our commitment to unlocking equity pathways and backing high-performing operators with real skin in the game.

“Mahiwi offers a strong balance of breeding and finishing country and scope for improved performance. This model is about empowering skilled operators to take the reins, build equity, and shape the future of farming with

accountability and ambition.”

The equity partnership for livestock comes after last year’s introduction of contract farming options for dairy farmers, including sharemilking and contract milking, across four farms: Quarry and Otago in the Central Plateau, Waimakariri in Canterbury, and Ruru on the West Coast.

Mahiwi is the first livestock farm being offered up by the stateowned farmer under this model.

The farm is 1755ha in total,

runs 7000 stock units and has 90 paddocks averaging 7.9ha each.

The farm currently runs as a breeding-finishing farm with 3500 ewes and 650 beef cows, wintering 10 stock units per hectare. Its infrastructure includes houses, a woolshed, two sets of cattle yards and one satellite set, one set of sheep yards and three satellite sets, reticulated water system across 70% of the farm and a central lane running through the property.

CORE: Hawke’s Bay farmer James Hunter says New Zealand is covering the core of its sheep and cattle breeding country in pine trees.

Photo: RNZ

Robbed by the river

Tasman counts the cost of midwinter floods

Fiona Terry NEWS Weather

WHENEVER it rains, Jason Diack and wife Maree watch the Motueka River take more of their land. It now runs for 300m through their property, instead of along the boundary, and fields that were previously prime grazing are now unusable.

“Before the floods, you’d get well over 100 bales of winter feed from one of the lower paddocks and you could have landed an airplane on it, it was that flat, not a stone to be seen,” said Diack.

“Now, what hasn’t washed away is unusable, buried underneath rocks, sand and gravel.”

Their farm was one of those severely impacted by the two Tasman flood events of June and July, which saw a State of Emergency declared.

Two months on and farmers across in the region are now juggling the clean-up with lambing and calving.

At the Diack’s 52 hectare

property in Kohatu, during the flood, 17-20ha was under water. Troughs and gateways disappeared and irrigation hydrants were destroyed.

Despite trying to lift his deer fencing – at times Diack was waist-deep in water – the force of the flooding destroyed 3.2km of it, including wiping out posts that had been standing solid for 43 years.

It was all very tidy before – we had fruit trees along the river ... we’d spent a lot of money down there but that’s all gone.

Jason Diack Kohatu

“Everything’s buggered,” Diack said.

“It was all very tidy before – we had fruit trees along the river, and I’d made banks and put up fences so stock couldn’t touch it – we’d spent a lot of money down there but that’s all gone, and land’s still being washed away.”

Dairy cows that used to graze the property needed relocating and the couple have 50 ewes in lamb, and 53 heifers and steers grazing, but luckily have some higher ground.

“We’re cleaning up bits as we can but replacing the deer netting alone will cost around $17k, and that’s without the posts.”

Volunteers from Lincoln University helped put up a temporary boundary fence and the couple have applied to the Ministry for Primary Industries for help with bulldozers and diggers.

“I’ve done what I can but it needs the big equipment so I’m hoping for some help with that otherwise the river’s going to keep chipping away and taking more.”

The Diacks aren’t alone, said Kerry Irvine, Federated Farmers Nelson president.

“In multiple places the river changed course through farms so people have lost land,” said Irvine.

“It’s literally been washed away. The clean-up will take years.”

Irvine’s farm boundaries the Motueka River and flooding on his property took fences and dumped debris in paddocks, but

he considers himself fortunate he didn’t lose land itself.

Now busy with lambing and calving on 700ha, with a lease block of 50ha, there’s little time for clean-up and repairs.

“It’s made stock management for those impacted much harder,” said Irvine, who runs 1000 ewes, 150 cattle and 200 winter trade lambs.

“Some of the fences aren’t there anymore and if they are they’re likely damaged or not stock proof.”

Federated Farmers was among those organisations contributing funds to the clean up effort, as

In multiple places the river changed course through farms so people have lost land.

Kerry Irvine Federated Farmers

were HortNZ, the government, and Rural Women New Zealand through its Adverse Events Relief Fund.

A Mayoral Fund reached $477,000 and saw 258 applications requesting help totalling $3.6m. The Primary Sector Recovery Fund of $340,000 saw 62 applications requesting help totalling nearly $2.6 million.

Top of the South Rural Support Trust has experienced an increase in people needing access to emotional support.

“Some are really struggling,” said chair Richard Kempthorne.

“We have a trained counsellor who is involved with several people and can help others coming through too.

“There is still a lot to do. The clean-up is happening gradually –it’s a matter of taking one bite at a time.”

Continued page 7

DUMPED: Andrew Fry with his father Kevin alongside the piles of rock and gravel they estimate at 12,000 tonnes, at their farm on the banks of the Motupiko River.

Photos: Tim Cuff

MOVED: Piles of rock and gravel have been dragged from Andrew Fry’s farm and put back alongside the Motupiko River.

SUBMERGED: At Kohatu farmer Jason Diack’s 52ha property between 17 and 20 hectares were under water during the flood.

The latest Federated Farmers podcast, hosted by Ben ChapmanSmith, features an interview with me. You can listen to it here: fedfarm.org.nz/podcast

We discuss the challenge to maintain quality rural communications and journalism, especially in support of advocacy.

Our support for farmer-led, well-organised, membership-powered advocacy is as strong today as it was when we established our partnership with Feds nearly two years ago.

Unfortunately, we still see social media-powered noise masquerading as farmer advocacy, and there is still a disproportionate amount of attention given to the people behind those social media pages.

But social media is a powerful beast. Which is why the work we do is as important today as ever, if not more so.

Our team at Farmers Weekly is proud of the support we give to the farmers who invest their money into membership of Federated Farmers, and to the leaders who invest their precious time into running Federated Farmers at regional and national levels. The industry is better for it, and the hardworking farmers certainly are too.

Visibility of the Feds work has built trust at all levels, and it rewards those generous and courageous people leading Feds for the good work they do on behalf of their fellow farmers.

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Community events have helped buoy spirits. Local company

RePost has been supplying free fence posts, and a Rapid Relief team also donated fencing supplies. Supplement feed has been sent to the district, donated by contractors in Canterbury and boosted by a contribution from Young Farmers.

Members of the Student Volunteer Army have been rolling up their sleeves, Taskforce Kiwi is also mucking in, and crews from Enhance Taskforce Green are still in full operation.

“They are all doing such marvellous work and are so appreciated by the people they’re helping,” said Kempthorne.

“At this stage there’s a contract for Enhanced Taskforce Green through to early October and we’re hoping that will be extended.”

One farmer on the list for help from Enhanced Task Force Green is Andrew Fry, whose 41ha property in Motupiko was shattered when the river it had previously bordered spilled over, leaving a trail of destruction.

What used to be productive land for baleage, maize, grazing and hops was overrun by the raging river, which spewed thousands of tons of rocks, gravel and silt, ripping out fencing, and flooding the sheds of his agricultural contracting business.

A successful attempt by Fry and his team to re-route the river to its

original course following the first floods took 10 days. Their efforts were destroyed, though, when the second flood occurred less than two weeks later.

With the river now having permanently changed course across his block, the battle is on to prevent more erosion and devastation, said Fry.

“We’ve lost $150,000 worth of land here. The riverbed’s now really shallow and it’s getting worse.

“I expect to lose a bit of fencing on the riverside, but we lost the fence right to the road – 1.3km of it in total.”

In addition, the irrigation system was impacted, with a pump shed lost.

“Our financial loss is currently around $116,000, with hired help, including paying someone to do the stopbank for us, but that’s not including our own gear and maintenance costs and my own staff because we’ve all been working flat-out on the clean-up since the floods.”

So far he’s shifted 12,000 tonnes of gravel and rocks into piles at his Motupiko paddocks, with much more still left to go.

“It’s a bit scary rolling into next season without the money to do maintenance because that’s all been eroded by the erosion!”

The Fry family has been farming in Tasman for six generations and has other properties in the Motueka Valley, where Andrew grows maize. At one 20ha block

I expect to lose a bit of fencing on the riverside, but we lost the fence right to the road – 1.3km of it in total.

Andrew Fry Motupiko

the floodwater reached two metres high, swamping a combine harvester that still bears the water marks.

“All we’ve been doing since the first event is cleaning up. It makes me want to give up but then what do you do? We’re just lucky we know enough people and we’ve got some ability – and if we don’t do it, the farm’s useless.”

Looking after yourself means looking after your farm.

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ENGULFED: Andrew Fry indicates the waterline of the floodwaters that swept down the Motueka Valley, engulfing this combine harvester.

DAMAGE: The Motupiko River overflowed the banks and coursed straight through the hop-growing area.

CONCERNS:

Minister for Biosecurity

Andrew Hoggard has acknowledged commercial importers’ concerns over costs and pathways but says the new quarantine centre has a wider role than catering to their needs alone

Agency staunch on biosecurity centre role

Richard Rennie NEWS Horticulture

BIOSECURITY NZ deputy directorgeneral Stuart Anderson says the agency is committed to delivering a world-class facility to strengthen New Zealand’s biosecurity system, covering its needs for the next 50 years.

“We are not simply planning for the next incursion or today’s growers,” he said.

“The new facility at Mount Albert is

required because MPI’s existing Plant Health and Environment Laboratory (PHEL) and Post Entry Quarantine (PEQ) facilities are nearing the end of their useful life and constrain our ability to meet growing biosecurity demands and manage large, complex incursions.”

He is confident that test demand for post entry and plant health services will continue to grow with the growing threat of significant pests and diseases in this region.

He said the centre will be able to deal with two major outbreaks simultaneously.

The post-entry quarantine aspect of the facility for high value crop importation is likely to be only 10% of its overall build cost.

The bulk of the cost is incurred through structural and mechanical features like airtight containment and pressure areas, all used to support surveillance and response to disease outbreaks.

In response to importers’ claims they were not heard at workshops held around NZ, Anderson said they had had about 60 attendees to discuss reform of a plant import system he acknowledged was overly complex and inefficient.

He said to ensure a redesigned import system that works for all users, a wide range of opinions were sought.

It is a system that does have major problems, and we are trying to fix them.

He confirmed MPI engaged broadly through one-on-one discussions, including those using the proposed new facility for material imports.

No commercially sensitive information was required to be divulged.

“While we believe the workshops were structured to avoid such concerns, we have always encouraged and continue to encourage stakeholders to engage directly if they prefer to share their views in private.”

He agreed a Potatoes NZ-type offshore quarantine system could be replicated by other plant types, if biosecurity measures are met.

In response to industry concerns over the high quarantine costs, he said such centres are expensive to operate and MPI’s prices reflect the costs of providing the services. Even at $6500 per plant batch per month, MPI is not fully recovering those costs.

Minister for Biosecurity Andrew Hoggard said he appreciates importers’ concerns about the centre, but pointed to their use of it being only a fraction of the facility’s total campus.

“The current facilities are simply no longer fit for purpose.

“This facility will be much like the Wallaceville facility is for animal diseases and quarantine. The standard of engineering required to prevent disease escape is significant in such designs, and expensive.”

He said scientists are currently working in the equivalent of 1960s polytech-like buildings and they need new facilities.

He acknowledged importers’ concerns at quarantine costs but said Crown subsidies still only covered 50% of them.

Work is also underway to examine overseas quarantine arrangements and ways to further reduce quarantine costs.

“It is a system that does have major problems, and we are trying to fix them.”

Andrew Hoggard Minister for Biosecurity

Ag subject snub ‘floors’ education leader

Gerald Piddock NEWS Education

GRI education leader

AKerry Allen has slated the government for not including agribusiness in new curriculum changes to be phased in from 2028.

The changes for Year 11-13 include curriculum-based subjects around science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) with students being able to specialise in areas including Earth and space science, statistics and data science, and electronics and mechatronics.

There will also be a range of new specialist maths subjects including further maths. Other new subjects include civics, politics and philosophy, media, journalism and communications, Te Mātai i te Ao Māori, Pacific studies and music technology.

But agribusiness, agriculture and horticulture science will not be a standalone curriculum subject and will be taught as an industry-led subject.

The changes were announced by Education Minister Erica Stanford.

She said the industry-led subjects will be tertiary aligned so they meet what is expected in the professional world, making staying at school relevant for every child,

no matter what their career pathway.

“This will enable students to leave school with a secondary and a tertiary qualification. We’re having one integrated system where all subjects, whether Ministry led or industry led, are equal.”

The decision astonished Allen, who is the agribusiness curriculum director for the Agribusiness in Schools programme and treasurer of the New Zealand Horticulture and Agriculture Teachers Association (HATA).

If it’s not a subject then technically agribusiness no longer exists.

Kerry

Allen Agribusiness in

Schools

She is also the head of the agribusiness department at St Paul’s Collegiate School in Hamilton.

“Not to be academic subjects I think is very naive. It’s the basis of New Zealand’s economy and while we do need vocational (industryled) pathways, it is not the only pathway into the primary sector.

“It will have a flow-on effect, that being we won’t get some going through into universities and there might not be the

academic breadth that they need to be able to run multimilliondollar businesses.”

Having agriculture as an industry-led subject means the subject matter being taught tends to be more practical and hands-on, building to management type of subjects.

Agribusiness is currently taught by achievement standards and unit standards, which are more vocational pathways, giving students the option for both.

Schools will offer these as a mix or sometimes one or the other.

“To remove the academic pathway I think is not allowing those type of students to now access that. They might not want to go down a vocational pathway, which is more hands-on practical skills.”

According to the latest Situation and Outlook for the Primary Industries report released at this year’s Fieldays, the sector employs 360,000 people as of March 2023, or 12.4% of the New Zealand workforce.

“It’s what drives our economy. I’m just floored,” Allen said. It will have huge repercussions for the Agribusiness in Schools programme, which celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2023.

“If it’s not a subject then technically agribusiness no longer exists.”

Last year, nearly 3500 students went through the agribusiness programme and 20,000 students have gone through it over the past eight years.

“If they are not doing it in schools, will they pick it up somewhere else?”

Similarly, there are 351 schools that teach ag and horticultural science either as a unit or achievement standard. Out of that, nearly 100,000 students took it in the past eight years and 11,000 last year.

NAIVE: Agribusiness in Schools curriculum director Kerry Allen says the government’s decision not to include agribusiness as a subject for Year 11-13 students is naive, given the importance the primary sector has to the economy.

“Not all of them will want to do a vocational pathway.”

It could also impact the programme’s funding and resources.

St Paul’s programme only offers achievement standards and not unit (industry-based) standards and the decision will have a huge knock-on effect, Allen said.

“Potentially as in teachers will no longer have jobs.”

Allen said the immediate step will be lobbying the minister to get the decision reversed.

Online beauty business enhances farm prospects

Rebecca Greaves PEOPLE Farm management

WEARING lipstick while bringing the lambs in, why not?

Hawke’s Bay farmer

Ingrid Smith, aka The Made Up Farmer, is inspiring Kiwi women to look good, feel good and hold their own on the farm.

Ingrid has built a large following on social media with her witty content, showcasing life on the farm. She also happens to wear make-up while doing so.

She and husband Rowland and their three children, Callie, 11, Sia, 9, and Lincoln, 7, live on their 25 hectare block at Maraekakaho in Hawke’s Bay. Their farming operation comprises a further 675ha in leased land across three properties.

The system is mostly trade lambs, but they have recently increased their fattening heifer numbers and added breeding ewes to the mix.

They also operate a contracting business, doing peas for McCain and baleage, though this is being scaled back as their farming enterprise has grown.

As well as working on the farm, Ingrid has built a successful online business selling make-up, helping to supplement their farm income as they build equity and work towards their ultimate goal of farm ownership.

Ingrid grew up on a sheep, beef and deer farm near Wairoa and, while she always thought she’d have a career in agriculture, she didn’t picture herself practically farming. She studied animal science at university and worked for Rissington Breedline and Wagyu Breeders, as well as working in banking and for Ravensdown.

Rowland is well known in the shearing world, winning numerous open Golden Shears titles and the World Championship in 2014, and Ingrid is no slouch on the handpiece either.

The couple met through shearing, when both were

competing on the shearing circuit. After university, Ingrid travelled the world shearing in the United States, United Kingdom and Australia. In 2009 she and her mother, Marg Baynes, set the women’s eight-hour two stand lamb shearing world record, something Ingrid rates as one of her proudest moments.

When the couple started a family, Ingrid found herself at home with young children and a husband who worked extremely long hours. She wanted to contribute financially, too.

“I went from earning quite a good paycheque to nothing. Rowly was working really hard, he’d get up at 2am and shear here, come in for a shower at 6am and then go off shearing elsewhere for the day. While I was doing an important job raising children, I wanted to contribute financially to make things easier for us.”

She came across a lipstick product a friend was showcasing in the US and her interest was piqued by the claim that it wouldn’t come off.

could bring my everyday life into my content and started posting more farming stuff.”

She found the farming content resonated with her audience, more so than make-up.

“I started leaning more into the farming side, while wearing make-up.”

ONLINE: Hawke’s Bay farmer Ingrid Smith has built an online business selling makeup, helping to supplement the farm income as she and her husband build equity and work towards their ultimate goal of farm ownership.

Photos: Supplied

FARMING: Ingrid Smith grew up on a sheep, beef and deer farm near Wairoa. While she always thought she’d have a career in agriculture, she didn’t picture herself practically farming.

“I thought that couldn’t be true, but I tried it and thought wow, she’s right. I emailed the CEO of the company to ask if I could sell the products here but she turned me down.”

Eventually, her persistence paid off and, when the company launched in New Zealand, Ingrid started her own make-up business, Kiwi Kisses. Initially, she thought of herself as a make-up business owner who happened to be a farmer. Over time, this has flipped on its head, and she now sees herself as a farmer who also sells make-up.

“As our farming enterprise has grown, I’ve found I identify more as a farmer. I was never one to do glam looks or tutorials, as it wasn’t my skillset. I thought about how I

People say ‘Who wears lipstick farming?’ I say, why not?

Ingrid Smith The Made Up Farmer

That’s when she changed her business name to The Made Up Farmer.

“I farm, I wear make-up, but I also feel like I have total imposter syndrome and I’m making it up as I go along,” she said.

“Hence, The Made Up Farmer.”

Her hilarious reels have attracted a loyal following, and she enjoys making people laugh.

“I love entertaining and I wanted to show the reality of farming. Anything can be content, everywhere I go I think about content and giving farming ladies a bit of light hearted entertainment.”

Wearing make-up and nail polish on the farm does attract negative comments, mostly from men, but Ingrid takes it all in her stride, often turning them into humorous videos roasting her detractors.

“People say ‘You can’t farm with nails like that’ or ‘Who wears lipstick farming?’ I say, why not? What is a little bit of mascara or lipstick going to stop me from doing? Not a single thing.”

Putting on make-up makes her feel confident, something she carries into her day.

“I might put on a bit of lip-gloss and think, wow, that really makes my eyes shine, or it matches my top.

“They say if you look good, you feel good. It’s something that gives me inner confidence.”

Of course, there’s the skincare aspect that comes from working outside, and sunscreen or tinted moisturiser is a must, to help protect her skin from the harsh elements.

“We save all the good clothes and make-up for special occasions. Why can’t being alive today be a special occasion? If it makes you feel good, why not? I do believe in empowerment and I believe I’m trying to show that by my actions, rather than actually saying it.”

NI yearling beef bull averages $1000 up

Hugh Stringleman MARKETS Livestock

YEARLING beef bulls continued to sell for up to $1000 higher on average than last spring in the first two weeks of North Island sales.

Hereford averages are around $4000 and Angus averages have been closer to $5000, with complete or nearly full clearances of stud catalogues.

Craigmore Polled Herefords at Ōhaupō, Waikato, sold 85 out of 96 offered and had a top price of $12,200 for Craigmore Routeburn 24263, paid by a commercial buyer.

Vendors David and Sue Henderson averaged $4072 compared with $3037 last year and had stud transfers to Bluff, Maru, Ōtaki and Kaipara Herefords (twice).

Maranui Herefords and Angus at Waihi had full clearances of 25 and 12 bulls respectively with an average of $3952 for the Herefords and $5168 for the Angus.

Top price at $13,500 was paid by Te Atarangi Angus, Northland.

The top price in the Herefords was $10,200 for vendors Graeme and Rachel Brown, celebrating their 50th anniversary of breeding Herefords.

Bluff Herefords, Glenbrook, sold all 50 bulls with an average of $4396, compared with $3389 last

year, and had a top price of $5800.

Waitangi Angus, Bay of Islands, sold 87 from 90 with a top price of $12,000 and a good average of $5456, compared with $4050 last year.

Lot 7 was transferred to Matapara Angus for $8500.

Piquet Hills Angus sold all 29 bulls with an average of $4162 and a top of $5200.

Colraine Herefords, Ōhaupō, sold all 14 bulls, averaging $3621 with a trop of $4900 paid by Tawanui Herefords.

Kanuka Polled Herefords sold 7 out of 8, averaging $4314 with a top of $5100, and Arabica Herefords sold 11 from 12, averaging $3690 with a top of $5000 paid by Red Oak Herefords.

Feds, council tussle over winter grazing invoices

Gerhard Uys

NEWS Regulations

FEDERATED Farmers says Southland farmers are being invoiced for winter grazing compliance checks where no problems are found, but Environment Southland says it is not the case.

In a statement, Federated Farmers Southland president Jason Herrick said Southland farmers have contacted him saying

they are being invoiced as much as $4000 following Environment Southland’s winter grazing compliance checks.

Herrick said following Environment Southland aerial checks, officers have been visiting some farms to confirm compliance with environmental regulations.

Farmers told him they were being invoiced even if they did not breach any rules and received little to no notice of the visits.

Farmers have also been caught out by a change in the Water and Land Plan, which increased the fencing setback for waterways from 3m to 5m, he said.

Environment Southland compliance manager Donna Ferguson said cost recovery invoices are only issued to farmers where there has been a confirmed breach of a rule.

“We undertake cost recovery so that ratepayers do not pay for the cost of investigating and

undertaking enforcement action where non-compliance occurs,” Ferguson said.

“This year, 75 incidents had been logged, of which 49 have been fully investigated by warranted compliance officers.

“Of the completed investigations, 28 farmers were contacted and advised that no further action or cost recovery was required.

“Another 21 incidents have been investigated where non-

compliances were confirmed.

“Outcomes have ranged from advisory letters to more formal enforcement.

“The remaining 26 incidents are still under investigation.

“When monitoring compliance of winter grazing, particularly around required buffer distances, most cases lead to advice and education.”

Ferguson said winter grazing rules have not come out of the blue.

BLOODLINES: Maranui Fin 240162 is on his way back to Te Atarangi Angus where his sire came from, with a transfer price of $13,500.

Farms wanted to help trial solar systems

Neal Wallace NEWS Energy

ABOUT 10% of New Zealand’s electricity needs could be met if 30% of farms ran largerscale solar generation system supported by batteries, research has shown.

The Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA) said farmers could halve their energy costs while also earning income.

It is seeking farmers and growers to take part in a project that involves the installation of solar and battery systems.

The cost is subsidised and performance monitored.

Insights are shared, particularly when it comes to battery use.

“By showcasing real-world results across different farming systems, this programme will give the sector confidence about what solar and battery technology can deliver,” said Megan Hurnard, EECA’s manager of Insights, Data and Communication.

EECA’s early modelling indicates that if 30% of NZ farms installed systems, of the size erected on some farms already, they could generate as much

as 10% of the country’s current electricity demand.

“We are looking for a broad range of different farm types, dairy, sheep and beef, horticulture and poultry, and a spread of locations across NZ,” said Hurnard.

We are looking for a broad range of different farm types and a spread of locations across NZ.

Megan Hurnard Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority

EECA will provide funding support of up to 40% for inverters and batteries, and up to 20% for solar panels, with farms becoming case studies to shape best-practice advice for the whole sector.

She said the five-year programme aims to determine how solar and battery systems perform on different farm types, how resilient they are and to provide information for sharing with other farmers.

“If you are keen to get involved, we would love to hear from you,” said Hurnard.

PGG Wrightson launches agronomist qualification

Gerhard Uys NEWS Horticulture

PGG Wrightson has launched an internal qualification to recognise the title “agronomist” in the horticultural sector.

The national technical manager at PGG Wrightson, Milton Munro, told Farmers Weekly that while internationally agronomists must hold a recognised qualification, no such requirement exists in New Zealand, meaning anyone can claim the title.

Agronomists make critical decisions that determine the success of a crop and a local qualification is therefore essential, he said.

PGG Wrightson worked with Primary ITO and drew existing unit standards into a micro credential programme, he said. The course focuses on practical, hands-on skills, and participants do not need any formal background qualifications to enrol.

Modules cover topics such as plant physiology, weed identification, integrated pest management and developing weed control programmes.

Munro said the programme aims to develop critical thinking, with agronomists, for example, not simply deciding what spray to use, but being able to see how cultural control, sprays and biological controls fit into a system, or fit into the systems that countries New Zealand exports to require.

The NZQA-approved programme will first be open to PGG Wrightson Fruitfed Supplies technical horticultural representatives, to

align them with international certification programmes.

Eight participants have already signed up, Munro said. Anyone who completes the programme will have to commit to ongoing professional development to maintain the qualification, he said.

He hopes the industry will get behind the course so it can be opened up to the wider public in future.

MAIZE CROP: A programme developed by PGG Wrightson and Primary ITO builds skills in applying cultural, chemical and biological controls as part of a whole system.

Good and bad news in food waste trends

Gerhard Uys NEWS Food and fibre

KIWIS are wasting less of their food than they were two years ago, but there are concerns that economic pressures mean they also have less healthy diets.

The 2025 Rabobank-KiwiHarvest Food Waste survey has found the average New Zealand household reported wasting 10.9% of the food it bought each week, down from 12.2% in the 2023 survey. This fall drove a drop in annual food waste per household, down to $1364 from $1510 in 2023.

New Zealand’s overall food waste bill fell to $3 billion per annum from $3.2bn billion, despite marginal increases in weekly household food spend and the number of households.

Rabobank head of sustainable business development Blake Holgate told Farmers Weekly that the average weekly household spend on groceries between 2023 and 2025 went up by only $2, from $238 to $240.

their food than they were two years ago, but there are concerns that economic pressures mean they are also eating less healthy diets.

Food inflation was high during that period, which means people were purchasing less food and being more selective about what they bought, Holgate said.

The CEO at Eat New Zealand,

Angela Clifford, said there has been a significant drop in the amount of whole foods New Zealanders are buying.

Clifford referred to data from chartered financial analyst

Even a little plantain cuts N leaching

Staff reporter NEWS Dairy

NEW data from DairyNZ’s plantain programme has confirmed that modest levels of plantain in pastures reduce nitrogen leaching.

With three years now complete, preliminary findings from the Lincoln University farmlet trial show 26% reduction in nitrate (N) leaching with an average of 17% Ecotain plantain in the pasture.

Results from the Massey farmlet trial show over four years, N leaching was reduced on average by 26% where Ecotain plantain made up an average 25% in the pasture.

Monitoring on four midCanterbury farms shows that an

average of 10-15% plantain across the whole farm is achievable by including plantain as part of the seed mix at pasture renewal and by broadcasting seed across the whole farm with fertiliser. The highest levels (20-40% plantain) are achieved in new swards 1-2 years after establishment.

Kate Fransen, DairyNZ’s plantain programme lead, said the programme continues to show that plantain is a low-cost option to achieve significant reductions in N leaching without impacting the farm system.

“Nitrogen leaching is an issue for many dairy catchments, so we need practical, affordable solutions. Including plantain in your pasture is ‘low-hanging fruit’ for reducing N leaching – and we

now know you don’t need to have 30% plantain in your pasture to have the positive effect,” Fransen said.

“Research shows that 17% plantain across the farm is enough to make a sizeable difference to N leaching, and that between 10 and 20% plantain across the farm is achievable and practical for many farmers,” she said.

The final year of data collection is underway at the Lincoln site, while at Massey data collection is complete and final analysis is underway.

The programme now turns its focus to adoption of plantain in targeted N sensitive catchments.

The Plantain Potency Programme is a seven-year research initiative led by DairyNZ

Shamubeel Eaqub showing fewer people are buying fresh food, such as fruit, vegetables and meat, because they cannot afford it.

I’m really concerned that what we’re seeing is a significant decline in access to fresh food.

Angela Clifford Eat New Zealand

“We’re seeing a reduction in the amount of vegetables wasted, but is that because New Zealanders aren’t eating as much vegetables anymore?”

She said when families are unable to afford food, then ultraprocessed foods, which are more shelf stable, are less risky.

“Overall, the fact that we’re wasting less food is awesome, but is that because we’re eating less fresh food overall?

“I’m really concerned that what we’re seeing is a significant decline in access to fresh food.

“We don’t have access because

we can’t afford it,” Clifford said.

KiwiHarvest CEO Angela Calver said it is encouraging to see food waste trending lower.

“However, this year’s estimated food waste, valued at $3bn, is still too high,” she said.

“At an average annual waste of 10.9% per household, Kiwi households are effectively throwing away nearly six weeks’ worth of groceries each year.”

The survey showed 35% of Kiwis say they are wasting less food than they did a year ago with only 5% saying their food waste has increased.

Food going off or reaching its best-before date before you can eat it is the reason most frequently cited for food waste.

The survey found the foods most regularly wasted are vegetables, bread and fruit.

Certain behaviour changes have led to less food waste, with 56% of respondents saying they cook with or encourage their family to cook using all the edible parts of vegetables, up from 53% in the last survey.

and

Agricom’s

DIETS: Kiwis are wasting less of

using

Ecotain environmental plantain. The funding partners are the Ministry

for Primary Industries, DairyNZ, PGG Wrightson Seeds and Fonterra.

OPTIONS: Kate Fransen, DairyNZ’s plantain programme lead, says the programme continues to show that plantain is a low-cost option to achieve significant reductions in N leaching.

Value boost at heart of timber growth plan

THE timber industry has taken government goals of doubling exports within a decade to heart with its own action plan to turn $5.7 billion of exports a year to

over $11bn by growing the valueadded products sector.

Wood Manufacturers and Processors Association (WMPA)

CEO Mark Ross said in a sector where almost two-thirds of its production is sold as unprocessed logs, it has to move harder and faster to drive more value into processed products.

“The log trade return is really always going to be lower value and pretty flat. The only way we can grow is through increased value, processed here in NZ.”

The report has identified that adding $5.75bn in added value exports from the sector will require a quadrupling of current processing capacity.

But it also notes the wood to be sold as value-add in 2034 is halfway through its growth cycle.

It notes that timber is likely to be of smaller quantity than present, of lesser quality, and harvested at greater distance from port and processors.

Ross pointed to distinct premiums opening in European and United States markets for NZ’s value-added timber sector to capitalise on in coming years.

“We have China generating about $370 per cubic meter for

sawn pinus radiata, compared to $2227 a cubic meter in the United States and $1187 in the Netherlands, all for the same grade timber.

“Asian markets are not necessarily the strongest but are still where a lot of our product is going.”

A key area the sector wants to work on with the government is boosting the knowledge and presence of forest product trade experts in overseas posts, helping link processors with potential customers seeking high value niche timber products.

“And we need to work better as an industry across all the supply chain to better understand those markets and tell the NZ story more clearly.”

He acknowledged the sector’s tendency to work through markets on a company-by-company basis, rather than collectively. This was something the plan aims to change.

The plan comes at a time when there have been a number of mill closures in recent months. But Ross is optimistic about what he sees at mills still operating nationally.

“We are seeing a lot of re-

adopting AI tech for more productive throughput.

We have China generating about $370 per cubic meter for sawn pinus radiata, compared to $2227 a cubic meter in the United States.

investment still going ahead in mills, a million spent here, a million there. We are seeing new kilns being installed, mills

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“A number also have additional capacity to ramp up production if they work to growing their valueadded output.”

He said the recent announcement of a collaborative project between Taranaki Pine and Techlam in Levin was a positive sign of how companies can advance their respective strengths to take on high value overseas market opportunities.

The action plan is set for a formal launch at Wood Processors and Manufacturers conference in early October.

•

VALUED: WMPA CEO Mark Ross says NZ does not need to supply the entire world with timber, and high value niche markets for finished products offer greatest returns for quality NZ pine.

Richard Rennie NEWS Timber

Mark Ross Wood Processors and Manufacturers Association

FOCUS: CEO Mark Ross says the sector has to move harder and faster to drive more value into processed products.

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Mobile abattoir on the road in Waikato

Gerhard Uys NEWS Production

ANEW Waikato-based mobile abattoir is giving farmers the option to process stock on farm, cutting out stressful transport to distant works and opening fresh market channels for premium, locally raised meat.

Founded by Cambridge farmer and product designer Logan Wait, Earth First is the first fully certified mobile abattoir of its kind in New Zealand.

Wait said the unit allows animals to be humanely harvested in their familiar environment. The carcases are then broken down into quarters, chilled and transported directly to butchers or clients the farmer has arranged.

Wait said the idea is about rebalancing the food system so farmers can keep more value on farm while giving consumers greater choice.

“Anyone who has put stock on a truck knows it can be a traumatic experience. Animals get stressed in transport, and that stress shows in the production of cortisol and

in the quality of the meat. With our system they don’t, and that’s better for both the animal and the consumer,” he said.

For most farmers, once stock leaves the gate, so does much of the margin. Large processors and supermarkets capture the premium while farmers remain price takers, Wait said.

We can provide premium quality because the animals aren’t stressed.

Logan Wait Earth First

“Earth First flips that script. By harvesting on farm, Earth First enables farmers to sell beef and lamb directly to households, or supply local butchers and restaurants who want to showcase ethical, high-quality, traceable meat.”

The mobile unit can process up to 10 cattle or 50 sheep a day, providing enough carcases to keep several butchers or foodservice customers stocked.

Early trials suggest margins are

significantly higher than those in conventional schedules, he said. The system is designed with regenerative and organic producers in mind. Wait believes these farmers deserve recognition for the additional effort they put into land care and animal welfare.

For regenerative farmers, premiums can make lower stocking rates financially sustainable.

Operating under approval from the Ministry for Primary Industries, the Earth First unit can legally supply into retail and hospitality, something previously only possible through centralised works.

The mobile facility is a fully contained environment with a steel floor, crane and curtains.

A meat inspector is present at every slaughter. Organs are checked, and samples are sent to the lab.

“We can provide premium quality because the animals aren’t stressed. Everyone who has grown up in the country knows home kill meat tastes better. The difference here is we can now do it legally for the public,” Wait said.

At present Earth First operates a single unit, but the vision is for

a nationwide network of regional mobile abattoirs.

Earth First co-founder Ben Ridler said their vision is to have regional units that can back each other up, support local economies, and give farmers more control.

“It’s about building a collective of regenerative farmers, butchers and conscious consumers who believe food production can be done differently,” Ridler said.

CHECKED: An MPI-certified meat inspector or vet inspects every carcase. With organs checked and samples tested, a fully contained mobile abattoir can process up to 10 cattle or 50 sheep a day.

“It also provides a shared brand identity that butchers, chefs and retailers can use to tell the story of meat grown and harvested with care.”

Each carcase is tagged with full traceability, including NAIT number and farm of origin. QR codes are being developed for packaging so customers can scan and see exactly where and how the animal was raised.

“That’s powerful for regenerative and organic farmers. It means their story can be told right there in the butcher’s shop or on the restaurant menu,” Ridler said.

Research suggests around 30% of shoppers now consider themselves conscious consumers and are willing to pay more for products that are better for animals and the environment, he said.

Ridler said farmers still send the bulk of their stock to traditional works, but are asking Earth First for more capacity.

CERTIFIED: Cambridge farmer and product designer Logan Wait says Earth First is the first fully certified mobile abattoir of its kind in New Zealand.

HOME KILL: Animals are harvested in their familiar surroundings on the farm, which reduces stress.

From the Editor

In search of value to add

Neal Wallace Senior reporter

THE goal of doubling exports by 2034 is one of the few policies retained by successive governments.

By its very size, primary production will be the principal driver of efforts to achieve that growth, but, given declining or static stock numbers and production, it will not be reached by exporting more volume.

Forecast prices for this export year are bullish: dairy returns to rise 16% to $27 billion, meat $1.4bn to $10.5bn and horticulture to increase 19% to $8.5bn.

These elevated prices currently reflect global demand exceeding supply, but is that a sustainable recipe for doubling the value of exports when they are mostly commodity products?

Ten years ago, then prime minister John Key’s government set a goal of growing exports from $65bn to $130bn by 2025, or 40% of GDP.

Exports in 2024 were worth $95bn and

LAST WEEK’S POLL RESULT

the current administration has reset its doubling of exports aspiration to be reached by 2034.

Achieving that requires an average compound annual growth rate of 7.2%.

The last time we were anywhere near that was 2021-22, when the economy grew at between 4.5% and 6.2%.

Improving returns by adding value has been seen as the holy grail for the primary sector with Fonterra and Tatua leading the way through their consumer branded products.

Our major meat companies are less involved although Silver Fern Farms and ANZCO are trying to grow their branded business, and some smaller processors have carved out niche markets for their products.

Doubling export returns from selling predominantly commodities will be challenging.

Nuffield scholar David Kidd saw an opportunity to grow value for the red meat industry by leveraging increased consumer awareness of the environment as well as a desire to understand how their food is produced and to connect with growers.

The reality is that winning consumer loyalty is costly, time consuming and comes at a significant risk.

The legacy of two of Fonterra’s oldest

MORE than 66% of voters do not believe the recent takeovers of dairy processors lessen competition in New Zealand’s dairy sector.

“Short term, maybe less,” one said, “but long term, efficient companies give long-term surety to dairy farmers. Just look at the history of smaller legacy dairy companies – apart from Tatua, the rest were struggling.”

Another said: “The [takeovers] make complete commercial sense. There is plenty of competition for NZ milk currently. Talley’s are a smart-run businesses. They are margin traders, they don’t do fancy niche stuff.”

One voter believed the smaller companies can only compete by producing high value products: “Both the Miraka and MVM deals take out weaker players in the market and highlight the need for Fonterra’s competitors in milk supply to be at scale and very efficient.

Milk powder is a commodity product so lowest cost is vital from a production point of view ... Tatua can survive because it does not produce low cost, high volume commodities. The only way smaller players can compete is to be producers of high value milk products.”

brands, Anchor, founded in 1886, and Mainland, established in 1954, provides some context of the time it takes to establish brands and connect with consumers who today have multiple choices.

Fonterra shareholders will soon vote on whether to sell its consumer branded business to French giant Lactalis.

Lactalis earns the majority of its €30.3bn (NZ$55.1bn) annual turnover from global brands that include President, launched in 1968, Galbani, founded in 1882, and Parmalat, established in 1961; operating more than 260 factories worldwide; and selling its brands in more than 90 countries.

Fonterra’s consumer sales have always been a relatively minor part of its business.

All this raises questions about how are we to double the value of our exports from what are, or are about to be, primarily commodity-based products.

Moves such as eliminating non-tariff barriers, reducing regulation, investment in product development, using new technology and improved infrastructure will help.

New products such as Fonterra’s quickfrozen mozzarella cheese and better use from the fifth meat quarter have and will provide higher returns.

Doubling export returns from selling predominantly commodities will be challenging, but New Zealand dairy and meat have attributes desired by consumers.

We have to find a way to retain, promote and differentiate those.

Last week’s question: In your view, do the recent takeovers of dairy processors lessen competition in New Zealand’s dairy sector?

Letters of the week Dairy aisle defeat

Nic Lees

Senior lecturer, Lincoln University

FONTERRA’s sale of its consumer dairy business to Lactalis is a clear sign of the co-operative’s failure to compete in the branded consumer market.

Despite owning iconic New Zealand brands like Anchor, Mainland and Perfect Italiano, Fonterra has been unable to compete in the global consumer market.

The loss to foreign ownership of these well-known local brands is a tough pill to swallow for New Zealand consumers, but it highlights a reality: the small markets of New Zealand and Australia could never match the scale and reach of Lactalis and other dairy giants such as Danone and Nestlé.

The reality is that consumer sales were always a minor part of Fonterra’s business, making up less than 10% of its $25 billion annual revenue.

Most of its business is in ingredients and foodservice.

By contrast, Lactalis earns the majority of its €30.3bn (NZ$55.1bn) turnover from global consumer brands including Président, launched in 1968, Galbani, founded in 1882, and Parmalat, established in 1961.

The company operates more than 260 factories worldwide and sells its brands in more than 90 countries.

The contrast is not only about scale but also about history. Lactalis’s flagship brands have been building consumer loyalty for decades, in some cases for more than a century.

Lactalis itself was founded in 1932; Fonterra, by comparison, was formed only in 2001 through the merger of New Zealand’s dairy co-operatives and the Dairy Board.

In consumer branding terms, Fonterra entered the game late, facing competitors with much longer legacies and deeper roots in global markets. Anchor is its most recognised global brand, inherited from the New Zealand Dairy Board; it has existed since 1886. However, Fonterra has struggled to take the brand beyond Australasia, Britain and some select Asian countries.

Fonterra’s core business has always been in dairy ingredients, processing around 16 billion litres of milk each year. Competing in the consumer market, where margins are thin, marketing costs are high, and brand loyalty is deeply entrenched, has drained Fonterra’s resources and attention.

Lactalis, however, has long been structured to succeed in this space.

For Fonterra, exiting consumer brands is a strategic move back to its strengths. For Lactalis, the acquisition adds trusted Australasian names to a strong portfolio of established brands in North America and Europe.

This week’s poll question (see page 4):

Do the impending changes to regulations on farmland forestry planting go far enough?

Controlling the herd

Eating the elephant

Ben Anderson

Ben Anderson lives in central Hawke’s Bay and farms deer, cows and trees. eating.the.elephant.nz@gmail.com

AWHILE ago I called tech support. It was a call I had put off making, partly because I hate sitting behind a computer, and mostly because I didn’t want some invisible spotty know-it-all charging me an exorbitant hourly rate while indirectly telling me I was an idiot. At the end of the call my computer issue was resolved, and my pride was battered. The techie summed up my issue well. He said I was a PICNIC. “A what?” I said. “A P.I.C.N.I.C,” he said. “Problem In Chair Not In Computer.” “Oh,” I said.

To be fair, when operating in accordance with my wishes, computers are excellent. When connected to the internet they are even better.

When the internet was first explained to me by a patient mate of mine, I was mesmerised.

Imagine having all that information at your fingertips. Imagine a common well of knowledge that everyone could draw from. Imagine the problems that could be resolved by everyone having access to a singular point of truth.

But instead of becoming more enlightened, we’re becoming more biased and more misinformed. If you need an example of this, look on Facebook. Here you will find a vast ocean of users, all huddled in various echo chambers, blowing kisses and making angry faces at each other, happily naive to the fact that their behaviour is being driven and reinforced by an algorithm that is making money off their vanities and outrage.

Companies like Facebook and YouTube make money by making you click, and nothing makes people click more than feeling angry or righteous.

To maximise their profits these companies now use artificial intelligence to direct a steady stream of self-reinforcing and increasingly extreme information to its users.

The result is communities of

people that don’t talk to each other, each living their own version of reality, and completely unaware that another version even exists. When this happens, we lose the middle ground. We lose perspective and we cease to practice common sense.

Just as farmers are putting collars on their cows to control their movements for maximum productivity, Facebook is quietly doing exactly the same thing to us.

Agricultural emissions is an excellent example of how this plays out, regardless of which side of the fence you’re on. Farming in New Zealand contributes around half of the country’s greenhouse gas output, largely methane from livestock and nitrous oxide from fertiliser use.

Policymakers have focused proposals – such as the He Waka Eke Noa partnership and emissions pricing mechanisms – to bring agriculture into the nation’s climate commitments.

These proposals were always going to be contentious. Farmers fairly worry about profitability, competitiveness and fairness, while environmental groups understandably push for faster and stronger action.

But what should have been a constructive national conversation has become a political bunfight, and social media algorithms have poured fuel on the fire.

sense that farmers are under siege.

What should have been a constructive national conversation has become a political bunfight.

EXCELLING: When operating in accordance with Ben Anderson’s wishes, computers are excellent. When connected to the internet they are even better.

Photo: Pexels

On Facebook, posts opposing emissions pricing attract passionate engagement from rural communities. The more angry or emotional the comments, the more likely the platform is to spread the post further. Soon, farmers scrolling their feeds are inundated with stories and memes painting climate policy as an existential threat to their livelihoods.

Meanwhile, environmental activists and urban audiences are served a very different feed – one highlighting stories of climate urgency and portraying farmers as environmental vandals.

On YouTube the same pattern plays out. Someone searching for information on emissions policy may start by finding a balanced news item, but within a few clicks the recommended videos are likely to include highly critical commentary, often drawing from overseas channels with little relevance to NZ’s unique situation.

This imported outrage skews the debate further, reinforcing the

The net effect is that both sides become more entrenched. Farmers feel vilified and misunderstood, while environmentally aligned audiences come to see us farmers as stubborn and naive. The middle ground, where practical sciencebased solutions could emerge, gets drowned out.

When leaders try to address the problem, they struggle to achieve a consensus because each side in the debate is convinced – by the evidence in their news feed – that the other side is being unreasonable.

Both social media and the internet as a whole have and will be incredibly valuable to farmers. They connect us to our markets, allow us to do business efficiently and have the potential to create value chains far more valuable to those of us who live behind the farm gate.

What we need to be careful of, however, is ensuring that our need to exercise common sense is not being hijacked by the bank account of yet another one of those invisible spotty know-it-alls, this time in Silicon Valley.

ANGER: Companies like Facebook and YouTube make money by making you click, and nothing makes people click more than feeling angry or righteous, says Ben Anderson.

Sector Focus

Auckland farm goes big on predator control

Anna Bracewell-Worrall ON FARM Predators

SHIRLEY-Ann and Rick Mannering run a productive sheep, beef and dairy operation just south of Auckland.

Alongside that, they’re leading a quiet ecological revolution – with traps, tech, and a full-time farm ranger.

When the Mannerings first brought their Paparimu farm in 1991, one night’s shooting would turn up 120 possums, over just a few paddocks.

Three decades later, they’re not just managing possums – they’re running a tech-savvy campaign to remove all introduced predators threatening their bush, wetlands and birdlife.

Waytemore Farms has won too many awards to list, mostly for their environmental efforts, including a New Zealand Farm Environment Trust supreme award.

But the real rewards are in the benefits to the farm itself.

“We’ve gradually progressed from shooting and poisoning on our own property to having a more formal eradication plan for pests on both properties that we now run,” said Rick, referring to their home farm and a second nearby farm they inherited from ShirleyAnn’s parents.

But they didn’t get there overnight.

Their home farm backs onto the Hunua Ranges Regional Park, home to Auckland’s only kōkako population.

In 2018, a large-scale 1080

operation knocked back the Hunua possum population. Auckland Council then installed a network of Philproof bait stations through Shirley-Ann and Rick’s bush block.

“You’d go out and you might only find a dozen, half a dozen or so [possums], so that was a bit of a game changer for this farm,” Rick said.

Seeing the difference the Auckland Council made motivated Shirley-Ann and Rick to intensify their efforts.

They now have a network of bait stations alongside automatic resetting and manual traps. They have also employed a farm ranger

As soon as something stops eating the trees, all the leaves come out on them.

Rick Mannering Waytemore Farms

in charge of maintaining traps, revegetating the farms, and restoring their wetlands.

Years ago, the couple fenced off their native bush, but watched it continue to suffer despite the exclusion of cows and sheep.

With help from a QEII National Trust Auckland Fund grant, the Mannerings installed a suite of additional bait stations, DOC 200 and 250 traps, and 12 AT220 selfresetting traps.

The early results were promising: chew card monitoring showed the possum numbers had halved.

So, they applied for the grant again, this time for their other, larger farm. They followed a similar plan, but doubled the number of AT220s they bought.

At $565 a pop, the AT220s are much pricier upfront than manual traps.

“But the beauty of them is they just keep working. It’s a graveyard underneath the trap,” Rick said.

Technology makes the job easier, and Rick’s keen to see where

it goes next. He has his eye on remote monitoring technology, especially for live-capture traps, which must be checked daily by law.

But more gear meant more maintenance, so the couple made a bold move: they hired a full-time farm ranger to oversee trapping and restoration.

“You can’t farm unless you are a bit of an ecologist at heart ... If you pug every paddock and wreck every hillside, the grass doesn’t grow, you’re not getting good production out of your animals, and it just doesn’t work.

“Everyone cares, and it’s just people’s ability to work on it that varies, and some people can only do a small amount, and some people can do a lot more. Everything counts.”

Rick and Shirley-Ann say once you start on predator control, it’s so rewarding, it becomes addictive.

They recommend starting with fencing off some bush, preventing stock from grazing. Then “chuck in” some traps. Take photos of the same vegetation every six months and “you’re away laughing”.

The rewards will be almost

immediate. They saw this first in the canopy of their native bush.

“As soon as something stops eating the trees, all the leaves come out on them,” Rick said. It’s not just the native bush flourishing at Waytemore Farms, it’s also the birds and farmland.

“When you get a family of seven or so fantails fluttering around, that’s just ... it,” Shirley-Ann said. – Originally published by

Predator Free NZ

BAIT: With help from a QEII National Trust Auckland Fund grant, the Mannerings installed a suite of additional bait stations.

STEPS: Rick and Shirley-Ann Mannering say predator control becomes addictive. Start simple: fence off bush to keep stock out, set a few traps, photograph the vegetation every six months – and you’re away laughing.

REWARDS: Rick and Shirley-Ann Mannering say once you start on predator control, it’s very rewarding.

Photo: Alan Gibson, NZ Farm Environment Trust

Rising supply and demand risks in focus

tonnage compared with last year.

AUGUST was a dynamic month for the global dairy industry, culminating in softer pricing on the Global Dairy Trade and a sharper decline in the first September event, No 387.

The transition between the months brought notable developments across production, trade and pricing, offering key signals for the period ahead. Fonterra’s agreement to sell its consumer brands and associated businesses to Lactalis (subject to shareholder approval) marked a landmark structural shift, while the New Zealand-UAE trade agreement coming into effect added further momentum to diversification.

At the same time, milk output strengthened in several regions, though recent GDT and Pulse results suggest demand is not keeping pace.

New Zealand production continues to set records. July milksolids collections rose 2.2% year on year to 28.04 million kgMS, while tonnage output increased 0.9% YoY to 312,000 tonnes – both new July records.

Cumulative collections for the season are now 8.9% higher in milksolids and 6.7% higher in

Strong winter milking, incentivised by payout settings and supported by heavier use of supplementary feed, has driven this expansion. Palm kernel imports are running nearly 30% higher on an annual rolling basis.

The NZX Milk Production Predictor points to further growth of 1.0% YoY for September and 2.4% for October, suggesting more record highs are likely.

Global output trends were mixed.

United States milk production rose 3.4% YoY in July to 19.6 billion pounds, reflecting herd expansion and efficiency gains.

By contrast, Australia recorded a -4.0% decline due to adverse weather. Argentina and Uruguay reported strong YoY gains of 7.7% and 3.0% respectively, while China posted a -3.4% contraction in July output.

European Union production edged up 0.2% YoY for June. Together, these figures show supply remains firm across most major export regions, with Oceania providing the main divergence.

On the GDT platform, results reflected a changing balance. After a 0.7% lift at Event 385, prices slipped -0.3% at Event 386, with SMP down -1.8% and butter down -1.0%, offsetting minor gains in WMP and AMF.

With volatility likely to remain elevated, risk management will be critical in the months ahead.

The following Pulse auction confirmed this softer tone, with WMP easing -1.7% and New Zealand SMP down -1.6%.

This set the stage for the sharp -4.3% fall at Event 387, where all products except cheddar declined significantly.

With seasonal volumes increasing, the relaxation of instant WMP rule changes, and firm output

across multiple regions, supplyside momentum appears to be outpacing incremental demand.

Trade data released in August for June and July pointed to continued strength in values, though volume trends were uneven. In July, New Zealand exports were stable at 279,295 tonnes (+0.2% YoY), but export value rose 15.4% YoY. Yearto-date, volumes are up 2.0% and values 17.2%. The United States posted strong June growth (+15.2% in volume, +26.1% in value YoY), while Argentina’s gains were even larger at 31.6% and 38.4% respectively. By contrast, Australia’s exports contracted sharply in both volume (-20.5%) and value (-6.4%).

Europe shipped 6.6% less product but saw export values increase 8.9% YoY, reflecting firm pricing. Meanwhile, China’s imports rose 5.9% in volume and 10.6% in value, showing resilience in demand.

There are market implications in the fact that global supply is rising at a time when demand indicators remain uneven. Product availability looks ample through the coming months, particularly with New Zealand entering peak season alongside strong contributions from the US and South America.

Recent price performance shows the market is already sensitive to this imbalance, with declines across core commodities.

If demand does not improve, downward pressure could intensify through September and October, especially in milk powders. For farmers and manufacturers, this environment reinforces the importance of staying alert to market shifts and planning ahead.

Late August and early September data confirm strong supply fundamentals but there is a growing question mark over demand capacity.

For producers, this means monitoring market developments closely will be essential, as supply

COLLECTIONS: New Zealand production continues to set records. Cumulative collections for the season are now 8.9% higher in milksolids and 6.7% higher in tonnage compared with last year.

strength is already weighing on prices.

With volatility likely to remain elevated, risk management will be critical in the months ahead.

Using available tools such as milk futures or fixed-price contracts can help provide greater certainty and protect against further downside pressure.

Halter’s NZ subscription earnings up 45%

Gerhard Uys TECHNOLOGY Agribusiness

HALTER added 60 new employees in New Zealand during the year, and is hiring more than 50 additional people in the country across engineering, sales and support.

Halter said a release of financial results for year the ending March 31 2025 are only for the New Zealand operation, and contain one side of intercompany transactions.

“They do not represent the overall performance of the Halter group,” it said.

Halter deployed over 127,000 new collars in the market during the financial year.

New Zealand external subscription revenues were up 45% from $24.9 million to $35.9m.

Earlier this year Halter raised $165 million from investors,

putting the company’s value at $1.65 billion.

Total revenue fell compared to the previous year, reflecting a lower level of support required from the Halter group.

“The New Zealand entity reported a profit of $2.8m after notional items were excluded.

“Halter’s return included notional revenue of $51.7m during the year, almost all of which related to inter-company loan forgiveness from its United States parent, Halter USA Inc.

“During the year, Halter USA forgave debt worth $51 million from Halter Ltd in a non-cash transaction.

“This debt is related to historical funding provided by the parent entity to support the growth of the New Zealand operations.

“Halter NZ paid $1m in tax for the period, reflecting the company’s growth,” the company said.

Cristina Alvarado

Alvarado is NZX head of Dairy Insights

‘Value add will outlast Fonterra sell-off’

Gerald Piddock NEWS

Fonterra

FONTERRA’s impending sale of its consumer business to Lactalis is not the end of its value-added business.

This is because the co-operative does not need to brand something for it to be value added, Lincoln University’s Professor Hamish Gow says.

“Value add is not about having a consumer brand; value add is about creating products that create substantial economic value to the customer. It doesn’t have to be done with a consumer brand.”

Creating branded products does not necessarily create economic value, but what it does do is make farmers feel good about themselves seeing the product in the supermarket.

Fonterra is a fantastic valueadded machine thanks to its creation of high-value ingredients products that people pay money for, Gow said.

“It delivers a whole lot higher economic return to the dairy industry than any of our brands do.”

He also rejected the suggestion that selling its consumer brands will leave it vulnerable. What Fonterra is doing in selling its brands is consolidating its business, he said.

New Zealand’s dairy sector is unique in that it puts its best milk into milk powder. Elsewhere in the world, a country’s best milk is sold as liquid milk in the domestic market and pricing mechanisms for paying farmers are designed around that, he said.

The next best make cream and then other manufactured products.

“New Zealand is the only place in the world that delivers highquality ingredients milk. Most people in New Zealand forget about this.”

This differentiates New Zealand and gives it a competitive advantage.

Getting rid of brands has no impact on the price farmers are paid at the farm gate.

“From a farmer’s perspective, selling the brands won’t have any impact on the price going back to the farmer – that’s the GDT and the milk pricing model.”

Dairy companies also have to deal with the seasonal milk supply curve challenge, which

means they have to shift a lot of product within a short window, which makes powders the obvious choice as it solves the perishability challenge, he said.

“Our technology has allowed us to become world class in ingredients because we had to.”

Open Country CEO Mark de Lautour said the success of Tatua

shows there is a place for value add in the dairy industry.

One of the challenges the industry faces is that going into that niche space means capping volume to keep it exclusive.

“New Zealand is a huge producer of dairy products and I think the realisation that Fonterra came to is that the amount of capital they

Farmers all ears for more Lactalis details

Gerald Piddock NEWS

Fonterra

FONTERRA’S proposal to sell its consumer business to French dairy giant Lactalis is a strong one, Fonterra Co-operative Council chair John Stevenson says. Stevenson heads the elected body of 27 Fonterra farmers from across the country that represents their views and acts as a watchdog for the co-operative’s board and management.

Early feedback suggests farmers are seeking more details around what the sale will mean for Fonterra’s future.

“They have mentioned that Fonterra has brought a strong proposal to the table, but also what we have heard is that farmers

are keen to understand the detail of it and what it means – not just in terms of the divestment itself, but what the business looks like going forward.”

Stevenson said the sale is similar to selling off the back paddocks of the farm.

“You need to understand how they perform once they are gone.

“It’s one of the most significant decisions Fonterra farmers will make.”

Fonterra is proposing to sell its global consumer and associated businesses to Lactalis for $3.845 billion, subject to certain conditions including approval by farmer shareholders and final regulatory approvals.

The sale comprises Fonterra’s global consumer business (excluding Greater China) and

consumer brands, the integrated foodservice and ingredients businesses in Oceania and Sri Lanka, and the Middle East and Africa foodservice business.

In addition to the base value of $3.845bn, there is potential for a further $375 million increase from the inclusion of the Bega licences held by Fonterra’s Australian business, which if progressed would take the headline enterprise value of the transaction up to $4.220bn.

The co-op is targeting a tax-free capital return of $2 dollars per share, which is $3.2bn, following completion of the sale.

As part of the sale agreement, Fonterra will continue to supply milk and other products to the divested businesses, meaning New Zealand farmers’ milk will still be found in dairy brands

Fonterra delivers a whole lot higher economic return to the dairy industry than any of our brands do.

Prof Hamish Gow Lincoln University

would have to invest to create hundreds of niche [products] across the volume they have –the return on capital just wasn’t there.”

From a consumer’s perspective, value added means consumer branded products seen in the supermarket but “that’s not actually true”.

Recalling his time in the meat industry, he said the most valueadded product sold into China for a number of years was whole carcases.

“People couldn’t get their heads around that. They would say we are going back to the 1920s, but that’s where the value is because in China, food safety and security is what they were prepared to pay for.”

Presenting the whole carcase allowed the Chinese buyer to see what it was, he said.

plan ahead with meetings being arranged with

Fonterra Co-operative Council chair John Stevenson says farmers want to know what it will mean for the co-operative’s future if the sale proceeds.

farmers to outline the proposed sale. He urged farmers to attend so they can make an informed decision.

BRAND: Value add is about creating products that create substantial economic value to the customer – something that does not have to be done with a consumer brand, Lincoln University’s Professor Hamish Gow says.

including Anchor and Mainland. Stevenson said he is pleased there is a strong

CO-OP:

Accounting protocol launched for emissions

Gerald Piddock NEWS Dairy

ANEW emissions accounting protocol has been launched to help the dairy sector evaluate and report on the effect new technologies will have on emission reductions.

Called the MiLCA (Mitigation actions in Agricultural Lifecycle Assessment) protocols, it was created in partnership by Danone, Fonterra, Nestlé and the Ag Emissions Centre with scientific contributions from universities in Australia and Denmark.

Speaking in a webinar hosted by the Ag Emissions Centre, Fonterra’s global leader in engineering research, Dr Andrew Fletcher, said it provides a framework for processors to assert why they believe their emissions reductions claims are valid.

Fonterra wants farmers to use these technologies as soon as they were proven credible and are available, he said.

“We want to have a process

around making credible claims around the benefits of those. It’s critical that we are making claims that are defensible and honestly stand behind and say we are confident that reductions have occurred, because the last thing the sector needs is to be accused of greenwashing.”

It provides Fonterra with a pathway for how it can take the information about these technologies and turn them into claims that align with its product footprints.

It’s critical that we are making claims that are defensible.

Dr Andrew Fletcher Fonterra

New South Wales department of primary industries senior research scientist Dr Aaron Simmons said MiLCA has four principles that will ensure it has trust and creditability among the dairy supply chain and consumers.

The technologies had to be

proven safe to humans, animals and the consumer product as well as not causing an environmental trade-off that could impact the dairy sector’s credibility.

Part of that proof included showing life-cycle assessments of the technology, he said.

Guidelines also had to be created to show the technologies are effective or there as a risk of claims of greenwashing.

“There needs to be a very strong evidence base that what somebody is doing is actually credible.”

Mitigation methodologies will also be conservative. This generates confidence and reduces the risk around over-crediting occurring.

Conservativeness is a key principle in nearly every existing carbon credit framework, he said.

The fourth principle was that the farm data being collected had to be credible and appropriate otherwise it reduced confidence in the claims.

Fletcher said the protocols are different to national inventory accounting, which focused on a

best estimate of emissions rather than the conservative estimate that these protocols did.

Simmons said the two measurements are “horses for courses”.

“There’s nothing inconsistent about having a different number flow through the supply chain for an emissions reduction and the one that sits in the inventory.

“They have different purposes and when you recognise you have different purposes, its quite all right to have different numbers.”

For dairy farmers, it is likely that the information they provide their dairy company around

farm activities used to calculate emissions will need to be changed if they use new technologies to lower their emissions.

Such data is used to contribute to schemes such as Fonterra’s Cooperative Difference.

“For example, if an inhibitor is being fed then there has got to be some evidence that it has been purchased and fed and at what level in order to support a calculation,” Fletcher said.

Once the technologies become adoptable, that becomes a trigger for companies such as Fonterra to update its incentive schemes, he said.

Fonterra slips to seventh on global dairy Top 20

its consumer business to Lactalis likely pushing it down to 10th next year.

The French dairy giant retained its place at No1, with an estimated revenue of USD$31.9bn in 2024.

SHRINKING: RaboResearch’s annual Global Dairy Top 20 report says Fonterra may drop to 10th next year if the sale of its consumer business to Lactalis goes ahead.

It also took over Sequeira & Sequeira in Portugal, a local distributor with 40 employees.

FONTERRA has fallen one spot to seventh place on RaboResearch’s annual Global Dairy Top 20 report on the financial performance of the world’s top dairy companies. The list is based on annual financial turnover, which for 2024 was USD$14.7 billion for the dairy co-op. Looking ahead, the report says maintaining its current position on the list in future years is unlikely, with Fonterra’s expected sale of

Last year it acquired Nestlé’s coffee creamer brand Cremora in South Africa, strengthening its footprint in the country where it has had a strong presence since its 2011 acquisition of Parmalat.

significantly due to pending mergers and acquisition activity, currency changes and regional milk price trends. Eight companies switched places with each other in this year’s list. Below Lactalis, the rest of the Top 10 are Switzerland’s Nestlé, the United States’ Dairy Farmers of America, France’s Danone, and China’s Yili. Denmark’s Arla moved up to sixth and Fonterra is at seventh, the Netherlands’ FrieslandCampina is eighth, and Canadian company Saputo swaps places with Chinese company Mengniu in ninth and 10th spot. Staff

“Lactilis’s appetite for acquisition appears insatiable and, with larger acquisitions in the pipeline for 2025-26 and Nestlé’s growth limited, it could extend its lead to over USD$10bn in the future,” the report says.

The combined turnover of the Top 20 companies increased by USD0.6% and RaboResearch expects another 0.5% growth in turnover based on the current Top 20 list.

This number could shift

YARDSTICK: The MiLCA protocols are designed to account for mitigation technologies in emissions reporting for the dairy industry.

The value of practical resources for dair y farmers

What we hear consistently from farmers is that time is shor t and the challenges are complex That ’s why at Dair yNZ a big par t of our role is taking the best of our r esearch and science and turning it into free, independent and practical resources farmers can pick up and apply on their individual farms.

Data at the core of decisionmaking

Credible evidence underpins ever y thing we do D air yNZ holds the broadest and most comprehensive set of farm data in New Zealand, which guides our research and ensures our tool s are relevant and future focused This data helps farmer s make faster, more informed decisions that deliver real on-the -farm impa c t and strengthen the sec tor overall

The value of these resources is in their simplicit y and accessibilit y Whether it ’ s a pasture management guide, an online feed calculator, or a business planning tool like Econ Tracker, the aim is always the same to give farmer s confidence in their decisions and help them stay one step ahead, ever y month of the year

Case studies are among the most valued tool s sharing real stories of farmer s applying ideas on their proper ties, what ’ s working, the results they ’ re seeing, and advice they ’d give to other s That peer-to -peer insight is hard to beat and helps farmer s under stand how to apply new research and prac tices in their own systems

Building resilience through practical tools

Tailored resources for ever y farming st yle

We know no t wo farmer s use information in the same way Some prefer sit ting down with a step -by-step guide, while other s want the chance to talk through things in a discussion group or grab a quick answer online That ’ s why we make sure our resources are available in different formats to suit the range of farming st yles across the countr y

Suppor ting people, not just production

We know farming isn’t just about produc tion, either Our range of resources means that some of our tool s focus on suppor ting people from at trac ting and retaining staff to building strong teams That ’ s just as impor tant as pasture management or herd health in running a successful, sustainable business People are always at the hear t of our farming businesses and suppor ting them is vital

With so many pressures facing the sec tor, we see our resources as a way to help build resilience They help farmer s focus on what they can control and give them prac tical options to tackle the things that may feel over whelming

At the end of the day, par t of our job at D air yNZ is to suppor t farmer s to achieve their goal s, and in doing so, help rural communities thrive Prac tical, farmer-focused resources are just one way we deliver that

If you have a farm-related question, head to dair ynz co nz, where more than 950 tool s and resources developed using the latest science and tested on-farm are available to suppor t your farming journey

The DairyNZ Econ Tracker gives you instant access to the latest economic data so you can make confident decisions for your farm. Track.

Explore trends in key budget items over time

Compare your farm’s per formance to national averages and regional trends

See how major farm expenses are likely to change nex t season

Use

-to

Whether you ’ re budgeting for nex t season or reviewing costs, Econ Tracker helps you stay informed and in control.

Wool and milk skincare startup opens doors

Gerhard Uys NEWS Food and fibre

OUTHLAND skincare

Sstartup Romene is open for business.

Wrights Bush sheep farmer Megan Seator and Invercargill-based South Korean expat

Alice Lee just launched Romene’s first face masks at the NZ Gift & Homeware Fairs in Auckland.

In May the team announced a skincare range made from lactoferrin peptide complex extracted from milk, and woolderived keratin.

Both these ingredients are highend skincare ingredients that Asian markets are interested in, Seator said.

Have your say on knocking out bovine Tb

Staff reporter NEWS Disease

FEEDBACK is being sought on how to finish the job of eradicating bovine tuberculosis in New Zealand.

An independent review of the National Pest Management Plan for Tb has found that, while the goal of completely eradicating Tb by 2055 is still valid, this won’t be achieved without prioritising the remaining hot spots of Tb-infected possums.

The review was conducted by a Plan Governance Group (PGG) including representatives of the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI), DairyNZ, Beef + Lamb New Zealand and Deer Industry New Zealand and chaired by Dr Helen Anderson, an experienced primary sector board director.

Anderson said New Zealand has

At the time the brand was still in the design phase of its first formulations.

Seator told Farmers Weekly the launch results were much more positive than expected, with clients already completing their first orders.

“I was preparing for a long game – it takes years to get anything off the ground – but we experienced the complete opposite. We thought the export journey starts by selling domestically and you build up to export in a couple of years,” she said.

Local pharmacies operating in areas with high tourist numbers expressed interest in stocking Romene’s face masks, with tourism operations also showing interest.

Exporters to Asian markets asked the team when they could deliver thousands of products, she said.

Just a week after the fair and Romene is already registered as a supplier on potential client databases, she said.

Seator said they are now planning their first large production run, partially contract manufacturing and partially self-manufacturing.

Orders to the first clients would be sent off by the end of the year, with online orders to the public also available by then, she said.

Seator said young farmers need to look beyond traditional markets and products and find new ways to add value to their supply chain by embracing technology.

made great progress in reducing the impact of Tb but there is more to do to protect valuable dairy, beef and deer industries and to safeguard rural communities.

“We are so close to achieving zero infections in our livestock, with just 15 herds, or around 0.01%, infected in June this year. That’s an amazing achievement, thanks to decades of hard work and ongoing investment.

“But while the disease remains in possums, we will keep having outbreaks of reinfection.”

The PGG is seeking feedback on several aspects including prioritising eliminating Tb in the remaining hot spots of highlyinfected possum populations as soon as possible, using the most cost-effective tools in large

PROTECT: Dr Helen Anderson says New Zealand has made great progress in reducing the impact of Tb but there is more to do to protect valuable dairy, beef and deer industries.

“landscape-scale” operations and updating the Tb Plan milestones to achieve Tb freedom in both herds and possums by 2040. Farmers contribute to the cost of the TBfree programme through their levies and the sooner New Zealand gets rid of Tb in possums and herds, the sooner the cost to farmers can reduce, Anderson said. Funding of $60 million a year, 60% from farmers and 40% from the Crown, will cover the costs for the next five years.

Consultation on draft proposals for the Tb Plan runs from September 1 through to October 12.

MORE:

For more information or to make a submission visit  www.tbplanreview.co.nz

Andy Macfarlane to leave Fonterra board

ANDY Macfarlane is stepping down from his position on Fonterra’s board at the annual meeting at the end of this year.

Macfarlane joined the Fonterra board in 2017 and is also a Fonterra appointed director of FSF Management Company Limited, manager of the Fonterra Shareholders’ Fund, a role that he will also retire from in December this year.

In an email to Fonterra’s shareholders, the co-operative’s chair, Peter McBride, thanked Macfarlane for his leadership.

“Over the past eight years, Andy has made a significant contribution to our co-op’s governance and direction.”

Macfarlane will continue in his

ambassador role as the Fonterra farmer representative on the Global Dairy Platform. The retirement will mean Fonterra shareholders will be asked to elect two directors, with Alison Watters confirming her intention to stand for reelection as a director as she retires by rotation.

Andy has made a significant contribution to our co-op’s governance and direction.

Peter McBride Fonterra

Fonterra’s board will announce Macfarlane’s replacement as a director of FSF at a later date.

Fonterra’s annual meeting will be held on December 11.

From heat detection to treatment marking, FIL Animal Markers keep identification simple with bright, lasting colours that stand out.

MASK: Southland startup Romene launched in Auckland with face masks containing lactoferrin peptide complex from milk, and woolderived keratin.

The liver is key to reproductive health

Sector perspective

THE liver rarely makes headlines on farm, yet it works non-stop behind the scenes. Sitting quietly behind the rumen, it converts nutrients, clears toxins, and produces glucose to power milk production.

Early lactation is when this workload peaks – intake is low, demand is high, and the liver is often under heavy strain. When that strain tips into dysfunction, poorer fertility is one of the most noticeable outcomes.

Ketosis is usually talked about in terms of milk loss or cow health, but it is often one of the key issues behind poor reproduction. Without a well-functioning liver, ovarian activity and conception can be seriously compromised.

It’s a chain reaction you can’t see.

After calving, cows often use more energy than they can produce from their diet. Also, if the cow has not been transitioned well, her appetite may not kick in post-calving.

In these situations, it is normal for the body to release stored fat in the form of non-esterified fatty acids (NEFAs) into the bloodstream. The liver must then process these fats into energy; it is only when the liver becomes overwhelmed that it begins releasing ketones.

This process is an efficient way of balancing short-term energy demand with supply. Issues only arise when the system can’t keep up and excess fat begins to build up in the liver, or ketones rise to higher than optimal levels, triggering either clinical or subclinical ketosis.

Prolonged subclinical ketosis lowers immunity, reduces appetite and milk production, and slows reproductive recovery. High NEFA and BHB levels also disrupt ovulation, drop progesterone, and raise the risk of early embryo loss. Not all ketosis is created equal. At Agvance, we categorise it into three nutritional causes:

• Type 1: Low-energy diets – Lack of fibre, low levels of protein, too much poorer quality plant protein, if out of balance, can also lead to a deficit in the rumen release of essential fatty acids, particularly propionic acid.

• Type 2: Over-conditioned cows

– Excess fat mobilisation can overwhelm the liver. This can also lead to a sudden critical shortage in energy, or even worse, total liver failure.

• Type 3: Silage-related – High butyric acid, related to poor quality silage, can drive up ketone levels and depress appetite.

Each pattern stresses the liver differently and needs a tailored feeding response.

Why does this matter for mating? Reproduction draws heavily on energy. To get in-calf, cows must cycle, produce viable

follicles, ovulate, support embryo survival, and hold pregnancies; this is all dependent on glucose and, by extension, good liver performance.

Elevated blood NEFA and BHB levels can be a sign that these processes are breaking down, reducing conception rates by increasing the risk of early pregnancy loss.

So, how do we set cows up for better liver function and reproductive success?

Feed for the liver, not just the rumen: include propionic acid precursors, such as maize (starch) or molasses (sugar), which help to ensure good bypass amino acid production, further boosting glucose production in the liver. Methionine, choline, and betaine are the key amino acids that drive liver function.

Apply DCAD diets with intent: a controlled negative DCAD pre-calving can improve calcium status, which helps to reduce metabolic stress, improve appetite post-calving and aid uterine and ovarian recovery, which supports better reproduction results later.

Use minerals strategically: selenium, cobalt and zinc support liver enzymes and antioxidant systems vital to liver performance and cow recovery post-calving.

Monitor freshly calved cows: Regular blood BHB testing picks up subclinical ketosis before it becomes a fertility problem. Comparing NEFA along with BHB levels during early lactation can be a good measure of the amount of condition being lost, with an indication of how well the liver is handling that mobilised fat.

A cow with a NEFA above 0.8mmol/L and BHB above 1mmol/L may look normal, but at these levels, her liver is already under load.

Check silage quality: don’t

assume good-looking silage is harmless. Poor silage with high butyric acid content can depress intake and spike BHB levels.

When cows fail to get in-calf, it’s easy to blame bulls or poor timing,

but often, the real issue starts with the liver. A successful transition period, well planned and well executed, will always deliver better liver performance in the lead-up to mating.

DairyNZ directors back on board

Staff reporter NEWS Dairy

DAIRYNZ directors Tracy Brown and Chris Lewis have been reappointed unopposed to the DairyNZ board.

DairyNZ deputy chair Cameron Henderson said this reflects the confidence farmers have in their current leadership.

“Tracy and Chris are both proven leaders who bring substantial governance experience, knowledge, passion and a clear focus on representing farmers.

“The fact they were unopposed recognises the trust and respect they’ve built with farmers across the country, who see the value they add to the board and the wider sector.”

Brown farms in Waikato and has served on the DairyNZ Board for two terms since 2019.

She was announced as the chairelect last June before becoming chair in October 2024.

Lewis is a respected Waikato dairy farmer and former Federated Farmers national board member, who has served one term on the DairyNZ board, since 2022.

The DairyNZ annual meeting will be held in Hamilton on November 6, when the re-appointments will be formally acknowledged.

Two nominations were received for the two vacancies on the directors’ remuneration committee vacancies, and Shirley Trumper and Ellen Barnett were re-appointed as committee members.

In early October, all levypaying dairy farmers will receive DairyNZ’s annual report and a voting information pack on the other resolutions for members to consider and vote on, including a Biosecurity Response Levy consultation.

Chris Balemi Balemi is founder and managing director of Agvance Nutrition

KEY ISSUE: Ketosis is often one of the key issues behind poor reproduction.

Slow tech uptake risks dulling NZ farming edge

Gerald Piddock TECHNOLOGY Trends

NEW Zealand farmers risk falling behind in the technological transformation that’s sweeping the agricultural world promising better yields and more sustainable ways of farming.

While some have embraced the shift, farmers face structural barriers that hinder the rapid adoption of new technologies, Gallagher general manager of strategy and new ventures Sarah Adams said.

“New Zealand farmers are incredibly innovative. But the current system doesn’t always support them to take that first step. The risk sits squarely with the farmer – and that makes it harder to try something new.”

The traditional model of calculating return on investment before purchasing new tech is often what could hold farmers back, she said.

“You don’t always see the full ROI on paper before you invest. It often becomes clear only after the technology is tailored and integrated into the farm system. But by then, the value is obvious.”

While New Zealand farmers navigate the ROI dilemma largely on their own, their counterparts overseas are receiving significant help.

The risk sits squarely with the farmer – and that makes it harder to try something new.

Sarah Adams Gallagher

Australian farmers, for example, can access up to 50% subsidies on agritech purchases through national grants. United States programmes tie tech funding to environmental and carbon outcomes, helping ranchers scale up regenerative practices. Without similar support, Adams

said, New Zealand risks being left behind.

“For the first time, I feel like we’re at risk of losing our edge. We have the talent, the farmers, and the innovative mindset. But we need the policy settings to support uptake.”

A 2023 DairyNZ survey of 500 farmers found that New Zealand dairy farmers have been investing in more technology to help with automation in the dairy shed and herd management.

In rotary sheds, the biggest increases since 2018 have been in cow wearables, up 24%, followed by yard wash systems, teat sprayers, auto drafting and cup removers.

In herringbone dairies, in-shed feeding systems had the most installations at 15% followed by auto drafting, cup removers, yard wash systems and cow wearables.

Just 36% of farmers were using a technology (22% using a rising plate meter) as their main method to measure pasture covers across the whole farm, and 45% record

their pasture data in software for analysis.

Around half (54%) of farmers are prepared for power outages, with access to a generator to run their milking plant.

Hawke’s Bay beef farmer Mathew Barham said while initially being sceptical about virtual fencing and automated weighing systems, his decision to test Gallagher’s eShepherd virtual fencing and auto weigher units is now paying off.

Dairy churn of no concern to sector health

Gerald Piddock NEWS Dairy

LAST month’s acquisition of Miraka and Mataura Valley Milk by Open Country are indicative of the commercial realities and intense competition for milk supply rather than evidence that change is needed within the DIRA, industry leaders say.

Federated Farmers president Wayne Langford said he does not think the Dairy Industry Restructuring Act of 2001 needs to be changed. There is still competition out there and the recent market activity is positive.

“That’s not a bad thing. It should be able to happen. Under the DIRA Act, new companies still have the ability to pop up and there is help for them to begin supply.”

He also believes there is still a place within the industry for smaller operators.

“It depends on what they are going to focus on. If you come in trying to produce an efficient low-cost milk powder, that’s going to be difficult to do when you’re competing with others at scale.

“But if you’re producing a highquality, value-added butter or something like that, and you’re going to drive that business along that lens, then you’re going to

drive that opportunity.”

Former agriculture minister Damien O’Connor said the moves by Open Country are more indicative of market realities than anything related to DIRA.

Nor has he heard calls to make changes to the Act.

“It provides a high-level regulatory oversight that does have some implications for suppliers and processors, but I’m not sure it’s constraining the evolution of the dairy industry.”

DIRA regulates New Zealand’s dairy industry with its key aspects including herd testing, the dairy export quota system and the activities of Fonterra.

At the time of Fonterra’s formation, it collected 96% of all cow milk in New Zealand. That has shrunk to around 78%.

Given Fonterra’s large market share, DIRA introduced Fonterraspecific regulation to promote the efficient operation of dairy markets in New Zealand by ensuring that New Zealand markets for dairy goods and services are contestable.

After fitting nearly 500 animals with virtual fence neckbands, Barham has eliminated the need to manually set break fences and gates.

It has resulted in better crop use, reduced trampling, and less time slogging through mud to set physical wires, he said at a Feildays event.

“I’ve been farming nearly 30 years, and I didn’t think I’d see anything like this in my lifetime.”

HAPPY: Federated Farmers president Wayne Langford says he does not think the Dairy Industry Restructuring Act of 2001 needs to be changed.

Agriculture Minister Todd McClay was unavailable for comment and a spokesperson said that, as required by section 147 of DIRA, the minister will soon be requesting a report from the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) on whether the DIRA provisions that regulate Fonterra should be retained, repealed or amended.

BARRIERS: Farmers face structural barriers that hinder the rapid adoption of new technologies such as virtual fencing or wearable collars for cattle.

FEDERATED FARMERS

Vol 3 No 36, September 15, 2025

Farmers blindsided by grazing charges

Southland farmers are raising concerns over unexpected charges following Environment Southland’s winter grazing compliance checks, with some invoices reportedly reaching $4000.

Federated Farmers Southland president Jason Herrick says the problem isn’t the inspections themselves, but the fees issued when no problems are found.

“Farmers understand the need for good environmental practices and compliance.

“But being invoiced for a visit where there are no breaches or problems is incredibly frustrating.

“One farmer I spoke to was charged for nine hours of staff time for a compliance visit where everything was fine. It’s absolutely ridiculous.”

Environment Southland has been conducting flyovers to monitor intensive winter grazing.

Following these aerial checks, officers have been visiting some farms to confirm compliance with environmental regulations.

Herrick says some farmers have told him visits have come with little to no notice, adding to their frustration.

“I’ve definitely had a few phone calls from farmers upset about the lack of notice, and the charges,” Herrick says.

“They feel blindsided, especially when the inspection confirms everything is in order.”

He says council officials will defend the fees as a way of ensuring compliance costs aren’t passed onto ratepayers.

“They’ll say they’re just charging where the costs are,” Herrick says.

“But from a farmer’s perspective, it feels like being penalised for doing the right thing.”

The current approach also raises questions about the balance between environmental oversight and supporting farmers to comply.

One farmer I spoke to was charged for nine hours of staff time for a compliance visit where everything was fine.

Jason Herrick Southland Federated Farmers president

Herrick says the practice risks undermining trust between farmers and the council.

“There really needs to be a fair and transparent process around fees.

“If fees for compliant farms continue, it will erode trust. Farmers want to cooperate, but they also need to feel treated fairly.”

Herrick says many farmers have been unfairly caught out by a change in the Water and Land Plan, which increased the fencing setback for waterways from three metres to five.

The confusion comes from Environment Court wording that requires all winter crop buffer zones next to waterways to be 10 metres from the edge of the water.

The rule was introduced last season, after crops had already been planted, requiring the five-metre buffer to be measured inside the paddock.

But because many waterways had been fenced under the old three-metre rule, farmers who planted to meet the new five-metre requirement ended up with only eight metres in total from the water’s edge – short of the new 10-metre setback.

“Plenty of farmers did the right thing by the old rules, but now they’re being followed up after flyovers.

“Wouldn’t it make more sense for the council to focus on educating farmers about the change and supporting them to adapt, rather than penalising them?”

He says this is particularly important with winter grazing, where crop sowing and fencing decisions are locked in well ahead of time.

“Once crops are in the ground, making changes is difficult, timeconsuming and costly.”

The council’s critical source area definition is also unclear and confusing for farmers trying to do the right thing, he says.

“The council needs to be much

Ar e far mer s finall y going to get a fair deal fr om the banks?

Mar k Hooper and Richar d McIntyr e unpack w hat a new r epor t means for far ming families.

FEE FURY: Jason Herrick says charging farmers who pass inspections is ‘absolutely ridiculous’ and undermines trust in the system.

clearer about what a CSA is, as it appears their staff think it applies to any undulation in a paddock leading to a waterway.”

In July, Environment Southland noted on its website that its team had carried out the second of its monthly winter grazing flights.

The council said, “Many farmers have put a lot of work into their winter grazing plans to have a smooth season.

“However, we are still seeing issues of buffers being the incorrect size and critical source areas not being fenced off.

“There were 14 properties identified to follow up, mostly because of buffer sizes and critical source areas. These farmers will be followed up with.”

But Herrick says the number of

farmers who’ve contacted him with concerns about Environment Southland’s approach has far exceeded 14.

He’d like to see the council taking more of an educational approach to winter grazing compliance.

“I’ve heard from farmers in other regions like Otago, where councils are managing compliance from a very different mindset.

“They’ve taken more of an educational approach, helping farmers understand what their obligations are and supporting them to lift their standard where needed.

“I think Environment Southland should follow suit.

“That would help them build more trust with farmers down here, and quite possibly achieve even better compliance.”

Farmers saved thousands on Ute Tax

Federated Farmers is welcoming confirmation that proposed changes to Fringe Benefit Tax on farm utes will not go ahead – saving rural New Zealand a fortune.

Earlier this year, Inland Revenue floated new rules that would have effectively slapped a ‘Ute Tax 2.0’ on farmers, tradies and other productive Kiwis.

Federated Farmers finance and tax spokesperson Mark Hooper says the financial hit would have been massive.

“Owners or major shareholders faced annual tax bills of $5500 to $8200 for utes valued over $80,000,” Hooper says.

“Employees and sharemilkers with dual-purpose utes would have been looking at $1800 to $2700 a year for a $50,000 ute.

“These vehicles are essential tools, not luxury toys, and the proposal completely ignored how they’re actually used on farms.”

The original proposal would have hit farmers with a 100% Fringe Benefit Tax (FBT) rate on any ute worth more than $80,000, no matter

how much it was used for work.

It also targeted dual-purpose utes used for both business and unrestricted personal use, which meant many farm utes were caught in the net, since families often rely on them throughout the week and on public holidays as well as weekends.

Even utes used almost entirely on

the farm – vehicles that should have been fully exempt from FBT – faced extra hurdles around compulsory sign-writing and strict ‘work site only’ rules.

Federated Farmers moved quickly to raise the alarm, labelling the proposal ‘Ute Tax 2.0’ and warning it was unfair, unaffordable and

GONE: Mark Hooper says the proposed tax on farm utes was unfair, unaffordable and disconnected from the reality of farm life.

disconnected from the reality of farm life.

The organisation called on Revenue Minister Simon Watts to rule the changes out, stressing that farmers already face significant costs and compliance pressures.

Now, the Government’s Taxation (Annual Rates for 2025−26,

Banks’ global climate pact collapsing

Federated Farmers is hailing the suspension of the international NetZero Banking Alliance – a sign the controversial group could be on its last legs.

“This is great news for Kiwi farmers who are sick of big banks working together to set unfair emission reduction targets,” Federated Farmers banking spokesperson Mark Hooper says.

“It’s a massive overreach for these foreign-owned banks to effectively be acting as unelected regulators, not just for our farmers, but for our agricultural-based export economy.

“The alliance’s suspension shows the cracks have finally turned into collapse.”

The Net-Zero Banking Alliance is

an international group committed to aligning their lending, investment, and capital markets activities with net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

But it’s seen big players leaving in droves, including the likes of America’s JP Morgan, Citigroup, and Morgan Stanley, and more recently, European banks like HSBC and Barclays.

Federated Farmers has repeatedly urged New Zealand’s major banks and their parent companies to do the same.

“Those big banks have been exiting because of growing political pressure and lawsuits for anticompetitive behaviour within the banking sector,” Hooper says.

“All five of our big agricultural

lenders are either direct members or affiliated through their parent companies: BNZ, ANZ, ASB, Westpac and Rabobank.”

The banks reference their Net-Zero Banking Alliance obligations in their various sustainability reports and internal banking policies for who they will, or won’t, provide lending to.

Several of the banks have already started putting in place targets for various sectors, including reductions in financed agricultural emissions by 2030.

With the Alliance now suspended and at risk of crumbling entirely, Federated Farmers says New Zealand’s banks must urgently cut their ties.

“This is the moment for our banks

Farmers should be able to borrow based on their merits, not whether they fit an international activist agenda.

Mark Hooper

Federated Farmers banking spokesperson

to do the right thing,” Hooper says.

“Farmers should be able to borrow based on their merits, not whether they fit an international activist agenda.

“The collapse of the alliance is a huge step in the right direction –now it’s up to our banks to follow through.”

Compliance Simplification, and Remedial Measures) Bill makes no mention of changes to motor vehicle use.

“This is a major win for rural New Zealand and a direct result of strong advocacy from Federated Farmers,” Hooper says.

“It’s a great outcome for our members and for common sense –and it will save farmers an absolute bomb each year.

“The previous Government’s ute tax was bad enough as a one-off cost, but this new version would have been annual, ongoing and punishing.

“We’re pleased that Minister Watts has listened to our concerns on this.” Hooper says the decision shows the value of Federated Farmers’ advocacy.

“Our rural members told us this was a priority issue, and we’ve delivered.

“We’ll always stand up for practical, fair policy that reflects the day-today reality of farming.

“The cost we’ve saved farmers more than covers the cost of a Federated Farmers membership.”

OVERREACH: Under the alliance, the banks have been setting emissions reduction targets for farmers that go even beyond those set by our Government, Mark Hooper says.

Academic makes ‘violent anti-farming’ statements in public

Federated Farmers has raised serious concerns about extreme, violent and dangerous statements made by prominent Victoria University of Wellington academic Dr Mike Joy. Joy made public comments last month suggesting nitrates in drinking water are putting people at risk. His proposed solution: “How about we bring back hanging for industry CEOs?”

Karl Dean, Federated Farmers dairy chair, says these kinds of violent anti-farming views are incredibly alarming and have no place in academia or New Zealand society.

“For a senior academic at Victoria University of Wellington to publicly insinuate anyone in New Zealand should be hanged is totally unacceptable,” Dean says.

“I’ve written to the university’s vice-chancellor, Nic Smith, demanding urgent disciplinary action be taken – but must confess the university’s response has been

totally underwhelming. They’ve said they’re taking the matter through their HR process, but I suspect Dr Joy will get away with little more than a slap on the wrist with the wettest of bus tickets from his employer. That’s a total cop-out.”

Joy has subsequently made a public apology for his statements, but Dean says it was clearly forced, insincere, and fails to address the gravity of his remarks.

“He first told Stuff he hadn’t gone too far with his comments about dairy leaders being hanged, and that he was comfortable with the way he had phrased it.

“But then, lo and behold, out comes a public apology less than a day later – completely at odds with what he’d just said in the media.

“Everyone can see Dr Joy only issued his so-called apology because his employer told him to, not because he feels any genuine remorse.

“On behalf of New Zealand

farmers, I utterly reject this hollow apology.”

Dean says dangerous views such as these have no place in New Zealand society, let alone coming from a senior academic at a respected public institution.

“If one of Victoria University’s students made a similar comment calling for an academic or lecturer to be hanged, there would be swift and severe consequences.

“Or if a dairy industry leader had publicly suggested an academic or environmental activist should be hanged, there would rightly be an immediate public outcry and condemnation.

“What we have here is a blatant double-standard. What’s good for the goose should be good for the gander.”

Dean has written to Victoria University requesting an urgent meeting to discuss the issue.

“I want to understand how Dr Joy’s conduct fits within the university’s

Code of Conduct, as well as its policies on academic freedom and freedom of expression,” Dean says.

“I’d also like to understand what steps the University will be taking to make sure students from dairy farming backgrounds feel safe on campus – because there will be plenty of them.”

Federated Farmers has also sent a copy of its letter to Hon. Shane Reti, the Minister for Universities, to ensure the Government is fully aware of the situation.

MEETING: Karl Dean has written to Victoria University requesting an urgent meeting to discuss the Mike Joy issue.

Dean acknowledges that Joy, like anyone else, is entitled to hold and express personal views.

But he says crossing into violent rhetoric about hanging people is beyond the bounds of acceptable debate.

“These are the views of a fringe activist with political motives –not those of a credible, impartial researcher the public can trust.

“If a teacher at my kids’ school made comments like this about anyone, I’d be demanding their resignation immediately. Dr Joy must be held accountable.”

Dean says given Joy’s radical views, it is concerning he was called as an expert witness for Ngāi Tahu earlier this year in its High Court trial against the Attorney-General.

Joy was also appointed to the

ALARMING: Karl Dean says Mike Joy’s dangerous views have no place in New Zealand society, let alone coming from a senior academic at a respected public institution.

Labour Government’s science and technical advisory group, which developed the 2020 National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management.

“How can anyone have confidence in the objectivity of his evidence when he has shown himself to be driven by activism and hostility rather than balance and reason?”

I suspect Dr Joy will get away with little more than a slap on the wrist with the wettest of bus tickets from his employer.

Karl Dean Federated Farmers dairy chair

According to Victoria University’s website, Dr Joy is currently employed as Senior Research Fellow at the School of Geography, Environment and Earth Sciences.

Dean says that makes it all the more important the university acts decisively.

“Victoria University has a responsibility to uphold high standards for its academics.

“Allowing these kinds of comments to go unchecked undermines confidence not only in the university, but in the wider academic sector.”

Carbon forestry threat to farming

Federated Farmers Whanganui is urging the Government to urgently close loopholes and strengthen rules to stop whole-farm carbon forestry conversions on productive land.

“Farming plays a huge role in our local economy, but we’re increasingly seeing sheep displaced by permanent pine trees,” says provincial president Ben Fraser.

“That’s a huge concern for those of us who live rurally, but it’s equally concerning for those who live in our towns.

“At the end of the day, we’re all one community, supporting the same local economy.”

Fraser says farming is a big income earner for the region and generates employment both on farm and in the supporting industries.

“That money flows right through our entire economy.

“Lock-up-and-leave pine forests just aren’t going to generate the same level of economic activity. They may create carbon credits and pest problems, but they don’t create jobs.”

Federated Farmers has been highly critical of the Government’s proposed carbon forestry rules, saying they don’t go anywhere near far enough to be effective.

The Government’s proposal is to

cap the amount of farmland that can be registered in the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) at 25%.

But that limit applies only to land use capability (LUC) classes 1 to 5 –the land least likely to be targeted for carbon farming in the first place.

“Only 12% of recent whole-farm conversations to carbon forestry have actually happened on land classes 1 to 5 anyway, so it’s not really a solution at all,” Fraser says.

“The remaining 88% have happened on land classes 6 and 7, which also happens to be the land where most of our sheep and beef farms operate.

“LUC is a tool designed for determining the land’s ‘capability’ –it’s even in the name.”

Fraser says the system has been used to set rules and limits, but capability is often confused with productivity.

“Sure, we don’t grow avocados or kiwifruit on our hills but that doesn’t mean the land isn’t any less important.

“It’s productive sheep-breeding country that’s critical in New Zealand’s farming and food production system.

“Lambs born on the hills are either sold up to weight or flicked off earlier as trade to fattening blocks,

where entire farming systems are reliant on a reliable source of stock.

“If productive sheep and beef farms continue to be replaced by permanent pine forests, soon we’ll be bartering pinecones for a new pair of boots.”

Fraser adds that class 6 and 7 land is far from barren or marginal – it’s

the picturesque hill country that features on postcards, calendars and TV shows celebrating New Zealand farming life.

“This is the landscape many Kiwis are most proud of – the classic sheep and beef hill country that defines our rural identity.

“It’s the stunning farmland we see showcased on Country Calendar or

This is the landscape many Kiwis are most proud of – the classic sheep and beef hill country that defines our rural identity.

happen to Taihape or Whanganui.

“Once that land’s planted in pine trees for carbon forestry, it’s gone for good and never coming back. Is that really the future we want for our country?”

Under the Government’s proposed rules, land classes 6 and 7 will receive little to no protection and whole farms will still be able to be planted for carbon credits.

“The most frustrating thing is that we 100% support what the Government is trying to achieve here – protecting productive farmland from being planted in pine trees,” Fraser says.

“The issue is that the legislative fix they’re proposing isn’t actually going to solve the problem.

“There’s an old saying that if a job’s worth doing, it’s worth doing properly.

in Kia Ora magazine, but this is what we’re at risk of losing.”

Fraser says the impacts of carbon forestry on the Central North Island can already be clearly seen in places like Taumarunui, where local communities, rural schools and businesses have been decimated.

“I would hate to see the same thing

“I’d really urge the Government to reflect on those words, because this job is definitely worth doing properly.”

Federated Farmers is calling the government to work with farmers and rural communities to find a practical solution that will actually work.

GONE: Ben Fraser says once land is planted in pine trees for carbon forestry, it’s gone for good and never coming back.

LAND AT RISK: Ben Fraser is concerned that classes 6 and 7 farmland like his (pictured) are left exposed under the Government’s draft carbon forestry rules.

Ben Fraser Federated Farmers Whanganui president

Sheffield 231 Keens Road

Prime dairy support/conversion opportunity

Deadline Sale

4 2 2

9th

Property Brokers proudly present this prime 199.92 ha freehold dairy support and cattle finishing property, ideally located between Sheffield and Springfield in Central Canterbury's sought-after farming district. Featuring quality Templeton and Lyndhurst silt loam soils, a proven production history, and 142 ha under centre-pivot irrigation via the reliable Central Plains Water Sheffield Scheme, this property offers scale, versatility, and performance Key highlights include extensive infrastructure with a 300m2 implement shed, modern cattle yards, three-stand woolshed, 420t grain storage, and a modernised four-bedroom homestead. Well-subdivided paddocks, central laneways, and excellent water security underpin efficient operations. With an effluent discharge consent underway, historical land use and existing infrastructure make this a genuine candidate for future dairy conversion. The discerning purchaser will recognise the value this high performing property represents

Ashburton 981 Back Track

Every now and then in this industry we get the privilege to market a truly exceptional property, we firmly believe this is one of those moments.

Fourteen years ago when this property was converted by the current vendors nothing was spared in terms of quality. The farm boasts an executive homestead set in a spacious, landscaped environment with mountain views as well as four well-maintained additional staff homes. Also included is a dairy shed that any farmer would be proud to operate in with excellent automation, cow flow, nearby calf shedding, and halter collars to ensure complete cow control. When you top this off with quality arable soils and good irrigation, you come up with a farm that is genuinely not to be missed

(unless

pb.co.nz/DFR207488

Gareth Cox M 021 250 9714 E gareth@pb.co.nz

4 1

Deadline Sale closes Wednesday 8th October, 2025 at 12.00pm, (unless sold prior)

View By appointment

Web pb.co.nz/AR205001

Jason Rickard M 027 245 8495 E jason.rickard@pb.co.nz

Chris Murdoch M 027 434 2545 E chris@pb.co.nz

Barrhill Dairy Ltd

Experienced younger farming family looking for farmland to lease for cattle grazing. Big on honesty, communication and looking after/improving the owner’s land asset.

Short or long-term lease options or potentially lease to buy.

Would love to have a chat if this could suit you.

Jono Wright 027 701 3052

included in the price

Westhuizen

SALE TALK

A guy and his dog are standing on the sidewalk.

A woman walks by and the man stops her. “If you give me $20, I’ll show you that my dog can talk,” the man proclaims. “Wow, that’s incredible! That’s definitely worth 20 bucks,” she replies.

She hands over the $20 and the man looks straight into his dog’s eyes. “Okay boy,” he says, “What’s on the outside of a tree?” “Bark,” the dog bellows. The woman, unimpressed, says, “C’mon, you gotta do better than that.” The man continues, “What’s the texture of sandpaper, boy?” The dog responds, “Rough!”

The woman, now irritated, says, “I gave you $20 for your dog to talk! If he doesn’t say something incredible soon I’m gonna tell everyone about this scam you got going on!”

The man replies, “Okay, okay, here we go. What’s the top of a house called, boy?” “Roof,” the dog replies. “That’s it,” exclaims the woman. “I’ve had it! I’m telling everyone about this!” She storms off. The dog looks up at his owner and says, “What the hell is HER problem?!”

BEXLEY HEREFORDS Yearling Bull Sale

Friday 26th September 2025 at 12.00 noon

To be conducted at Bexley Station, 3715 State Highway 3, Awakino Gorge, Mokau 4376

Registered and Unregistered Bulls comprising of: 34 Yearling Pedegree Herefords, 6 Yearling Herefords, 10 Yearling Purebred Angus, 6 Purebred Registered Speckle Park Top yearlings grown to suit heifer mating, cow mating or beef mating.

VENDORS: Colin & Carol King P: 06 752 9863 | E: ccking@farmside.co.nz

NZFL Stud Stock - Brent Bougen M: 027 210 4698

NZFL Agent - Stephen Sutton M: 027 442 3207

Carrfields Agent - Grant Ross M: 021 174 8403

Online Bidding Available Through MyLivestock.co.nz

HEREFORD

14th Annual Bull Sale – Monday 22nd September 2025 1358 Buckland Road, Cambridge – Undercover – 12 Noon 49 grass fed Hereford Yearling Bulls – approx 499kg l/w ave . Suitable for cows. BW & LW provided, TB C10, EBL free, BVD negative, double vaccinated, also Lepto 7 in 1

Bred for medium birth weight, calving ease and temperament. All bull purchasers enter a draw for 2 x lots of 30 native trees from Cambrilea Riparian Services. Light luncheon & drinks provided. Signposted from Mobil Karapiro, SH1. FOR FURTHER DETAILS CONTACT:

VENDORS: HELEN & CHARLIE LEA – 07 827 6868 OR 021 833 221 | info@ratanuifarm.co.nz

NZ FARMERS LIVESTOCK – BRENT BOUGEN 027 210 4698, GARETH PRICE 027 477 7310 FINDLAY LIVESTOCK – ANDREW FINDLAY 027 273 4808

A/c Salvie Noaro Estate

Wilsons Road, Opiki, Palmerston North (signposted from SH56/Opiki Rd)

Saturday September 27th, 11am start.

Viewing from 9am (no earlier)

Refreshments available to purchase

130 Lots comprising: 1086 International; Case IH 6X70 sprayer; Case 685XL (IH) x 2; International 454 x 2; International 574 Hydro; Farmall Cub; Allis Chalmers Model G x 2; Hydro 574; International 454 Forklift; used 454 engine; Acto International 3-axle truck x 2; 6 furrow Howard Swing plough; Maschio Power Harrow x 2; Aerota; sub soiler; forklift (bin tipper); new Aitchison seed box; Spreadmaster fertiliser spreader; Tyne Cultivator/21A seed mixer – electric; GEHL Round Hay Baler 1465; 540D Hydro Hay Tedder; Krone Hay Rake; Cultivator/leveller; Gaspardo Seed Drill; 3.5tonne Trailer; Clough side-extension tines; concrete mixer (Honda motor); concrete compactor; Aitchison fertiliser spreader; Case IH Scout 4X4; Suzuki Quad bike; scales; Ford suitcase weights x 12; Toyota forklift with Rotary Head; Mitsubishi 5 tonne truck; Step-deck trailer; Onion topper; AgriSpread fertiliser spreader; Leveller; Cambridge roller; concrete pavers & blocks; fence posts; round & rectangle troughs; large round hay feeder x 2; small round hay feeder x 4; feeder troughs x 4; tractor bonnets & tyres; wooden bins; Makita jack-hammer; plus various workshop sundries. Terms are strictly cash (EFTPOS) unless an existing purchasing client of NZ Farmers Livestock.

To view photos of main items visit: www.mylivestock.co.nz/auction

Enquiries – NZFL agent & auctioneer Richard Trembath 027 499 3992 or email Richard.trembath@nzfll.co.nz

25 SEPT 12pm

Bull Sale

Friday 19th September 2025 at 12.30pm

To be conducted at Rolling Heights Farm 500 McDonald Mine Road, Waikokowai, Huntly

Comprising of:

12 x 2yr Purebred Hereford Bulls

38 x 1yr Purebred Hereford Bulls

Livestreamed with online bidding available on MyLivestock (please register 48 hours before auction) www.mylivestock.co.nz

Contact Vendor: Cory Norman 021 024 12686

NZFLL Stud Stock: Brent Bougen 027 210 4698

To submit your sale results or to subscribe to our complimentary Bull Sales eNewsletter contact Andrea or visit farmersweekly.co.nz/bull-sales

Deadline October 20

Andrea Mansfield 027 602 4925 livestock@agrihq.co.nz

Thursday 25th September Online

Offering

Viewing 11am-2pm on sale day at: 1377 Pareora River Road, Timaru

STOCK REQUIRED

Fries Bull Calves 100 kg+ Nov supply

Fries/Here bull calves Nov/Dec del

1YR Angus Heifers 220 – 280 kg

1YR Fries Bulls 180–280kg

2YR Heifers 330–450kg

2YR Angus & Ang X Steers 330–500kg

2YR Beef & Fries Bulls 330–560kg

info@dyerlivestock co nz www dyerlivestock co nz Ross Dyer 0274 333 381

Priscilla & Bill Paki: 07 322 2632 Shannon Paki: 027 449 9095 Cheyne Richards: 027 948 5345 Email: herepurustation.ltd@outlook.com Bred for calving ease and quiet temperament. T.B and BVD clear and vaccinated. Enquiries and visitors welcome. Wednesday 24 September at 11.30am Cnr Manawahe & Herepuru Rds, Manawahe, RD4, Whakatane

ease & low birth weight

• High growth rate & high carcase

• Quiet temperament guaranteed

THE CHOICE IS

RIVERTON HEREFORDS

THURSDAY 18 SEPT – 12 NOON

THURSDAY 25TH SEPTEMBER

Roger & Susan Hayward 163A Clemett Road, Te Akau Viewing 11am, Sale 1pm

Sale: Tuesday 23 Sept, 12noon

On-farm auction, Marton or buy online with

30 TWO-YEAR-OLD BULLS

100 YEARLING BULLS

WILLIAM MORRISON 027 640 1166 ardofarm@xtra.co.nz

Morrison Farming Ezicalve www.morrisonfarming.co.nz

40 TWO-YEAR BULLS 106 YEARLING BULLS

Hybrid auction on Add value to your calves with confidence MIKE CRANSTONE 027 218 0123

PGGW - KEITH WILSHER 027 596 5143 NZFL - MALCOLM COOMBE 027 432 6104 www.rivertonezicalve.nz

Upcoming Bull Auctions:

Monday 15th September

Hillcroft 2yr Old Angus & Hereford Bull Sale, Te Kauwhata

Monday 22nd September

Riverlee Downs 2yr Old Hereford Bull Sale, Rangiwahia

Tuesday 23rd September

Kaipara Hereford Bull Sale, Dargaville

Wednesday 24th September

Port Family Bushy Downs Hereford Bull Sale, Te Awamutu

Thursday 25th September

Premier Cattle Company Stud Bull Sale, Cambridge

Friday 26th September

Bexley Station Yearling Hereford Bull Sale, Awakino

Tuesday 30th September

Rosemount Charolais Yearling Bull Sale, Taranaki

Friday 3rd October

Komako Angus Bull Sale, Ashhurst

EXPANDING OR CONVERTING?

WE’VE GOT YOU COVERED Dairy Herd Solutions to suit your operation

Whether you’re expanding, converting, or planning ahead, Carrfields Livestock is your trusted partner in a fast-moving dairy market where quality herds are in hot demand and often selling before they officially go on the market.

It’s a hot market, don’t miss out! With buyers moving quickly, Carrfields has already contracted herds and heifers for delivery to the South Island in May and June next year.

Carrfields has a strong nationwide agent network with trusted local knowledge and dedicated dairy coordinators with proven results in sourcing, negotiating, and settling dairy transactions of all sizes. Contact your local Carrfields agent today or speak with one of our Dairy Coordinators.

OUR COORDINATORS

National – Paul Kane Ph 027 286 9279

South Island – Richard Andrews Ph 027 536 8693

Manawatu – Hamish Manthel Ph 027 432 0298

Waikato Bop – Matt Hancock Ph 027 601 3787

Taranaki – Daniel Hornby Ph 027 636 2090

Northland – Craig Couling Ph 027 292 6828

WANTED!! YOUR DAIRY LISTINGS NOW

Due to extensive demand and strong buyer interest Carrfields is actively looking for more herds and heifers to market on your behalf.

We have orders to fill right now!

Contact your local Carrfields Livestock Representative, or visit www.carrfieldslivestock.co.nz to view our current listings

OUR COORDINATORS

National – Paul Kane South Island – Richard Andrews Ph 027 286 9279 Ph 027 536 8693

Waikato Bop – Matt Hancock Taranaki – Daniel Hornby

Ph 027 601 3787 Ph 027 636 2090

Northland – Craig Couling Manawatu – Hamish Manthel Ph 027 292 6828 Ph 027 432 0298

18TH ANNUAL HIGH INDEX IN-MILK AUCTION

A/C

Finch Contracting

Date: Friday 19th September, 2025

Address: 972 Paterangi Road, Te Awamutu

Start Time: 11:30am (undercover, lunch provided) will be available for online bidding

DETAILS:

COMPRISING:

240 Friesian, FriesianX and JerseyX High Index Cows

• BW167, PW309, LW522, & A2A2 Tested

BWs up to 402 & PWs up to 913

Herd Tested 25/08 - 2.17KgMS/cow, SCC 78,000

• Breed Breakdown: 37% Frsn, 45% XB, 6% Jrsy

• TB tested clear 14/08, cows are due to be BVD bulk milk tested & Lepto vaccinated prior to auction on the 10/09/2025.

AUCTIONEERS NOTES:

This sale represents one of the most impressive offerings ever presented by the Finch Contracting team. With herd data and index rankings placing these cows in the top 5% nationally, this is a standout opportunity for discerning buyers. Each animal has been selected from leading herds under a rigorous selection process, with all cows calved from May onwards.

Young, structurally sound, and in optimal condition for mating, these cows are ready to deliver results. The broad mix of breeds and performance traits ensures suitability across a range of farm operations and breeding motivations. Whether you’re a regular buyer or attending your first Finch sale, you can bid with confidence in the quality and consistency of dairy cows on offer.

PAYMENT AND DELIVERY TERMS:

• Deferred payment due 20th October 2025

• Immediate deliveries or to suit trucking, cows will be prepared for South Island delivery as required.

CARRFIELDS LIVESTOCK AGENTS:

Ben Deroles 027 702 4196 Kelly Higgins 027 600 2374

EXCLUSIVE UNMATED DAIRY CATTLE AUCTION

A/C Woodlands Trust

Date: Monday 29th September, 2025

Address: 430 Waikakahi Road, Taihape

Start Time: 1:00pm (undercover, lunch provided) will be available for online bidding

DETAILS:

COMPRISING:

99 Unmated Young Cows & 264 Unmated R2 Hfrs

99 Unmated Frsn/FrsnX Young Cows

• BW125, PW184

• Sold in two lots, drafted by breed/colour, strong Frsn/FrsnX C/O cows

• Hand-selected from top herds in Waikato and BOP, blanket dry-cow treated at dry-off

264 Unmated R2 Frsn/FrsnX Heifers

• BW115, PW122, offered in sizable lots by herd code:

73x PRJM, BW89 & PW87 33x JYMY, BW117 & PW123

20x TLXJ, BW121 & PW109 49x GDWX-NXTY, BW96 & PW102

56x JFWR, BW201 & PW210 24x MCHX-NTY, BW110 & PW143

9x VWL, BW-104 & PW-71

• Includes complete lines from reputable herds & selected to meet Woodlands Trust high standards

AUCTIONEERS NOTES: Woodlands Trust has been supplying quality dairy cows and heifers to the New Zealand market for over a decade. Their long-standing relationship with Carrfields agent Pat Sheely ensures trusted procurement and consistent quality. All cattle have been wintered on crops and will be presented in forward condition, ready for mating.

AUCTION FORMAT:

• Viewing is available on auction day prior to the auction

• Live auctioneer streamed via Bidr, on-site and online bidding available

• Lot information will be displayed live on screen, winning bidders may secure all lots displayed on screen at the time

CARRFIELDS LIVESTOCK AGENT: Pat Sheely 027 496 0153

Notice of Movement Controls for Bovine Tuberculosis (TB)

Pursuant to section 131(2) of the Biosecurity Act 1993, TBfree New Zealand declares those parts of New Zealand shown as Movement Control Areas in the maps published with this notice to be Controlled Areas for the purpose of limiting the spread of bovine tuberculosis

Pursuant to section 131(3)(a) of the Biosecurity Act 1993, TBfree New Zealand gives notice that the movement of cattle and deer within the Controlled Areas is restricted and regulated to the extent of and subject to the conditions specified below

Notice

1. Definitions

In this notice unless the context otherwise requires:

Herd means:

a. One or more cattle, or deer, or cattle and deer, managed as one unit; or

b One or more cattle or deer or cattle and deer kept within the same enclosure or behind the same fence

Herd of origin means the herd with which a cattle beast or a deer is, for the time being, grazing.

Order means the Biosecurity (National Bovine Tuberculosis Pest Management Plan) Order 1998

Controlled Area means any area shown as a Movement Control Area in the maps published with this notice

2. Testing Prior to Movement From or Within Controlled Areas

2.1. No cattle beast or deer aged 90 days or more may be moved:

a. from any Controlled Area to a place outside that Controlled Area; or

b within any Controlled Area from its herd of origin, or the place or establishment at which the animal is being kept, to a place other than a place occupied by the owner or person in charge of the cattle beast or deer unless it has undergone within 60 days prior to the date of movement a negative test for bovine tuberculosis in accordance with the Order

2.2. The restriction on movement in 2.1 does not apply where an animal is being moved directly to a place of slaughter

2.3. Notwithstanding 2.1, an animal may be exempted from the requirement for a test in accordance with the TBfree New Zealand Operational Plan.

2.4. Where a herd is managed or kept on a property or group of properties divided by the boundary of a Controlled Area, then the requirements to test cattle or deer described in 2.1 above apply to the whole herd.

This declaration takes effect from 1 October 2025.

Dated at Wellington on 1 September 2025.

Sam McIvor Chief Executive OSPRI New Zealand Limited

Detailed maps and information on the location of properties within Controlled Areas are available from TBfree New Zealand, freephone 0800 482 463 or visit ospri.co.nz/disease-control-map

General Information

Any animal moved in contravention of this notice may be seized by an inspector or authorised person and destroyed, treated or otherwise dealt with, if it is reasonable in the circumstances to do so TBfree New Zealand Limited may also recover the cost of testing for bovine tuberculosis pursuant to the Biosecurity Act 1993 and the Biosecurity (Deer and Other Testing Costs) Regulations 1998

Failure to comply with the requirements of this notice may result in prosecution under the Biosecurity Act 1993. If convicted, an individual will be liable to a term of imprisonment not exceeding three months or a fine not exceeding $50 000 00 or both. A corporation convicted of an offence is liable to a fine not exceeding $100 000 00

Revocation

This declaration of Controlled Areas for bovine tuberculosis hereby revokes any previous published declaration of Controlled Areas, with effect from 1 October 2025.

Summary of Changes

This declaration has the effect of extending movement control for bovine tuberculosis to include an area in the Central Otago

TB Disease Control Areas

New Movement Control Area

Movement Control Area

Special Testing Area – Annual

Special Testing Area – Biennial

Surveillance Area

Disease Control Areas from 1

October 2025

To further limit the potential spread of TB, OSPRI (as TBfree New Zealand Ltd) is introducing movement control restrictions for cattle and deer in an area of Central Otago – effective 1 October 2025.

Central Otago

Supply dynamics make for an interesting spring

Procurement competition should be even stronger, though processors will have the last word on schedules.

THERE are some interesting supply dynamics in play for lamb both here and in Australia, which will have implications for prices through to the end of spring, potentially beyond.

In New Zealand, it’s a tale of two islands. Unsurprisingly, the seasonal lamb kill from midNovember to the start of August has been well down on last year nationwide. However, the drop-off has been less harsh in the North Island (down 5%) than in the South (down 9%).

While the breeding flock continues to decline in the North Island, the kill through summer to

mid-autumn was kept relatively buoyant due to improved lamb growth rates in some areas, and some early offloading from the western side of the island when dry conditions were at their worst.

This appears to have left processors with fewer old season lambs to compete over through spring. Saleyard data backs this up, as the number of store lambs under 35kg that sold between Matawhero, Stortford Lodge and Feilding tanked from 157,000 in winter last year to only 68,000 in this past winter.

Beef + Lamb New Zealand’s (BLNZ) stock number survey painted a similar picture, with only the east coast region (Gisborne to Wairarapa) reported as carrying more trade lambs than last year at the end of June.

Considering the ease with

which North Island processors worked through lambs last spring, procurement competition should be even stronger this spring, especially if new season lambs are slower to reach target weights at first drafts.

However, the more procurement competition underpins slaughter prices in spring, the quicker and harder processors will cut schedules once supply picks up enough to fill plants later on.

The South Island is a different ball game. Widespread lamb losses during peak lambing for Otago, Southland and Canterbury high country were the main contributor to the big drop in this season’s lamb kill. However, the lack of any dry conditions in summer and autumn meant the big deficits came early in the year, and the kill since then has actually been stronger than last year.

The threat of low lamb supply meant large-scale winter/ spring lamb finishers were more proactive in securing lambs through autumn, often picking up lines at forward-store weights that would traditionally be sent to the processors before winter.

All in all, this has meant many more old season lambs were on farm in winter, backed up by the BLNZ stock number survey, which indicated more than 15% extra

Proudly sponsored by

trade lambs on farm in Canterbury at the end of June, with this being the key winter/spring finishing region for the South Island.

The South Island’s winter lamb kill is usually a great barometer for how many old season lambs will come out in spring. Based on this, the South Island is likely to see near-record numbers of old season lambs travelling to processors over the coming weeks.

With that said, farmers shouldn’t be concerned. While there have been big backlogs in spring this decade, especially in 2022, this was mainly due to processor staffing issues. The biggest spring lamb kill was recorded in 2023, when these issues were ironed out and backlogs were minimal.

Across the ditch, Australian processors are continuing to battle it out for the few available lambs. Drought through key sheep

farming regions mid last year and in the first half of this year not only meant old season lambs were tidied up early, but this also caused the widespread culling of breeding ewes and therefore a slow start for the new season lamb kill.

The kill in the nine weeks to September 5 was the lowest for that period since 2021 and 16% below last year, having almost matched last year through to the start of July.

Production there will at least partially even out before the end of the year as more new season lambs reach target weights. But considering the 12-month mutton kill peaked as high as 12 million head this year, more than the 10 million peak during the 2018/2019 droughts, it’s almost certain their lamb crop will be well down this year too.

GROWTH RATES: While the breeding flock continues to decline in the North Island, the kill through summer to mid-autumn was kept relatively buoyant due to improved lamb growth rates in some areas, says Reece Brick.

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

Yearling dairy-beef steers, 399kg

Prime steers, 535kg

Prime bulls, 545kg

Prime heifers, 535kg

Mixed-age ewes & lambs, all

Store lambs, all

Prime lambs, all

Feeder Calf Sales

Frankton | September 9 | 1167 cattle

SNAPPED UP: This line of 2-year Hereford heifers were hot property at Rangiuru on Tuesday, September 9. Bay of Plenty has had a good flush of spring growth and limited cattle in the yards increased competition. These heifers averaged

Hereford-Jersey bulls, all

We’ll have more of the same, thanks

Philip Duncan NEWS Weather

THE later part of winter and the start of spring have been windier, colder and drier for a number of regions in comparison to previous years – and while many are only back to normal levels (after several much warmer and calmer than normal winters/ springs in previous years) there have been parts of both islands that have been colder than average, too.

For some, this is stunting grass growth. A farmer from Taranaki contacted me last week with a concern that it’s drier and colder on his farm and that pasture growth is a concern with minimal growth in recent weeks.

Jump sideways to the other side of the North Island and it is Hawke’s Bay (or at least parts of it from Napier inland and southwards) which are also drier than usual – and have been this way for months now, if not all year.

Spring is traditional this year – textbook, almost. Being early

spring – or late winter if you’re going by the astronomical season dates – this time of year should have more cold days than warm ones, but warm days should be in the mix, which they now are.

Windy westerlies are definitely defining the season – with surges of westerly quarter gales going off and on since late August.

A look at the next two weeks around New Zealand and the Australia region shows all the signs of spring weather “maturing” – by that I mean signs that we are slowly transitioning out of winter.

This week a large anticylone will be centred just north of NZ, slowly tracking eastwards over the Pacific Ocean and away from us by Wednesday/Thursday. This placement of high pressure, while low pressure is over the Southern Ocean area, is actually quite uniform.

Basically you can draw an almost straight line from the southern parts of the Indian Ocean, across southern parts of Australia, across the central Tasman Sea and then just clipping the top of NZ. From that line northwards there is high pressure, from that line southwards there is low pressure.

Along that line, and just south of it, lies the windy westerly “squash zone” – and that is what is fuelling the weather this week. We’re not under high or low pressure; we are in that spring-like westerly flow with surges of gales, sometimes damaging, and bursts of warmer W to NW winds, followed by wintry W to SW changes.

NICE TO MEET YOU, JAPAN

While it’s quite a uniform and orderly flow, the lack of high pressure actually centred over NZ means we’re going to get plenty of cold fonts clipping the country, especially the South Island.

Encouraging western rain, eastern dry – and southern totals on the West Coast will be highest.

Windy westerlies are definitely defining the season – with surges of westerly quarter gales going off and on since late August.

THE WET COAST: The westerly lean brings most rain and cold fronts into the west and southwest of the South Island. Image: RuralWeather.co.nz

This set-up looks to continue for the rest of September. Put simply: no changes in the current weather pattern. Abovenormal rainfall for the South Island’s West Coast and potentially parts of Southland and Otago, closer to normal rainfall for the North Island’s west coast – and below normal for most in the east.

Farmers Weekly senior journalist Richard Rennie reports from Japan on the golden opportunities for New Zealand exporters.

Find out what customers and consumers in Japan think of New Zealand food and fibre, and what the opportunities are for New Zealand farmers and growers.

Scan the QR code to access Richard’s insights from Japan and look out for more insights from more countries, whenever you see the Meeting the Market logo in Farmers Weekly.