The Farmlander November 2017 North

SPECIAL OFFERS AND INFORMATION FOR FARMLANDS SHAREHOLDERS

NOVEMBER 2017 Valid from 1–30 November 2017

The FARMLANDER FARMLANDS' ANNUAL RESULT PAGE 6

INNOVATION IN HORTICULTURE SWEET FIX FOR HUNGRY BEES

GROWING NEW IDEAS FROM THE LAB TO THE FIELD PAGE 12

7802 1047 MAY EXP 0991 6005 LDER RD HO AM CA RD HOLDER CA ANDY 780 911047

17

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PAGE PA GE 23 23

GeT

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SeAsOn

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Spend $1,000** on selected products during November N and December, a December and nd receive e a FREE FREE half ham on o the bone. bone

WiN Me! Also, go into the draw to WIN one of A Also four Can-Am HD8 DPS Defenders. fou VALUED AT $22,999 EACH! 2 | THE FARMLANDER

Farmlands Co-operative Society Limited | © November 2017. All rights reserved.

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BuY 12 gEt 3

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Check out the latest Farmlands Trader or head instore for the full range of promotional product. For more details visit www.farmlands.co.nz Terms and Conditions apply. Offer valid 1st November to 23rd December 2017.

Limit of three hams per shareholder. Strictly while stocks last.

See www.farmlands.co.nz for more information and full terms and conditions.

WWW.FARMLANDS.CO.NZ

Farmlands Co-operative Society Limited | © November 2017. All rights reserved.

THE FARMLANDER | 3

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

NOVEMBER

INTEREST

PLAN 365

Innovation in Horticulture

Plan365 Nutrition

12

Different ways of thinking are powering a booming industry

35

Electrolytes essential for performance horse diet

38

Little and often best if stock need more sodium

43

Cattle may seem full but that’s not the same as fully fed

14

Persistence pays off for kiwifruit grower

23

Hungry bees get help with bulk syrup on tap

Plan365 Horticulture

25

Plastics recycling scheme gets green light for future

Plan365 Animal Management

27

Drive to innovate needs to extend to saving lives

45

Advantages to applying fertiliser through foliage

47

Quarantine drenching tool against resistance

51

Clear path to success for late summer feed crops

5

Farmlands staff profile

53

Prevention better than cure for cereal diseases

5

From the CEO

54

Taming weeds in forage brassica all about timing

6

Chairman, chief executive salute return to profit

11

Farmlands 5 Minutes

24

Buying Power Promise

28

Farmlands’ HeART of the Community project brings Mr G to Dannevirke

32

Farmlands Fuel

49

Choices Rewards

63

Farmlands Real Estate

Plan365 Rural Infrastructure 59

4

NOVEMBER

Plan365 Forage and Arable

Co-operative News

WHAT’S ON

Stockwater systems only as good as groundwork

Manawatu A&P Show Join us to celebrate rural excellence at this year’s Manawatu A&P Show, at the Manfeild Park Stadium in Feilding.

7

NOVEMBER Farmlands Co-op AGM SPECIAL OFFERS AND INFORMATION FOR

OLDERS SHAREHOLDERS FARMLANDS SHAREH

NOVEMBER 2017 Valid from Va November 2017 1 1–30

LANDER The FFARMLAN FARMLANDS' ANNUAL RESULT PAGE 6

INNOVATION IN HORTICULTURE SWEET FIX FOR HUNGRY BEES

GROWING NEW IDEAS FROM THE LAB TO THE FIELD

WWW.FARMLANDS.CO.NZ

2 PAGE 23

ON THE COVER Kiwifruit grower Paul Edkins is one of the horticulture industry’s many innovators, in his case using hail net to protect his crop from wind.

The 54th Annual General Meeting of shareholders of Farmlands Co-operative Society Ltd will be held at the Farmlands Eskdale School and Community Hall.

PAGE 12

05 0991 6005 HOLDER H

7802 47 7 1047 M XP MAY EXP

17

NSIDE! IN INS ALS INSIDE! NER DEALS PARTN D PARTNER CARD AT CARD REAT GRE GREAT G

ARD HOLDER AM CARD D CARD ANDY

911047780

NEXT ISSUE – EDUCATION Catching up with alumni of the Tom Cranswick Memorial Scholarship.

BOOK WINNERS Congratulations to the winners of our Resilient Farmer Competition – SC and GJ Cundy, Masterton; Trevor Smith, Motueka; Maree Saxton, Hawera; Merilyn Stevens, Dargaville; and Gillian Thompson, Mossburn. They each receive a copy of Doug Avery’s book The Resilient Farmer (Penguin, $39.99).

Special prices and offers apply from 1st to the 30 th of November 2017. Only while stocks last.

Check your Farmlands store for product availability. All prices include GST unless otherwise stated. Savings based on Farmlands normal retail price.

Note: The “Your Price” advertised in The Farmlander magazine is the price that a Farmlands shareholder will be charged if the advertised products are purchased during the promotional period. Farmlands stores also use a “net” price (discounted price without a rebate) to attract cash sale customers and potential shareholders. *Savings based on Farmlands normal retail price.

4 | THE FARMLANDER

Accounts are payable at Farmlands Head Office or any store by the 20th of each month. Failure to pay an Account by Due Date is a Default Event under the Terms and Conditions and Farmlands is then at its discretion entitled to: suspend or terminate the Account; charge interest at 2% per month; reverse discounts or credit rebates; debit other Shareholder Accounts; make demand on a Card Signatory; debit any default administration costs incurred; register a mortgage over land; terminate shareholding.

Farmlands shareholders have the option to pay their Accounts either in part or in full by MasterCard or Visa Credit Card. Payment by any credit card will not entitle the shareholder to receive Bonus

18

NOVEMBER Rural Women NZ National Conference Registration forms available at www.ruralwomen.org.nz/ nationalconference.

Rebates for the month paid or part paid. Neither Farmlands nor any other person involved in the preparation of this document accepts any liability for any opinion or information (including the accuracy or completeness thereof) or for any consequences flowing from its use. The information contained in this document is given in good faith, has been derived from sources perceived to be reliable and accurate and is subject to Farmlands Terms and Conditions. Not all products are available at all Farmlands stores.

Offers valid at Farmlands North Island stores only.

Farmlands Co-operative Society Limited | © November 2017. All rights reserved.

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FARMLANDS STAFF PROFILE Sheryl Lilley Q: What is your current role at Farmlands?

A: I am full-time in the Customer Service Team at Farmlands Te Puke. My main role is to look after the Apparel and Pet Nutrition and Accessories categories. Also I help out shareholders with fertiliser orders and our new shareholders with their applications.

Q: What was it like to be named Employee of the Year at the Te Puke Business Excellence Awards?

A: I was stunned to be honest, so much so that I can’t remember the speech I made on the night. Honoured really and proud of my achievement and the Te Puke team.

Q: Tell us a bit about your family.

A: My family is my three children, aged 17, 15 and 13. They all keep me busy and I am extremely proud of each one.

Q: What is the most interesting trip you have ever taken?

A: Last year the kids and I were lucky enough to visit my sister and her family in Vancouver Island, Canada. We went whale watching, river rafting, visited theme parks and did a lot of sightseeing, all crammed into 2 weeks.

FROM THE CEO Welcome to the November issue of The Farmlander magazine. This month we focus on innovation, while also discussing our annual result. Innovation is central to the ongoing success of your co-operative. As the requirements of our shareholders change, so to must our offer.

We have proven our value to shareholders by turning around a $9 million loss into a $5.4 million profit in the 2016/17 financial year.

While the market has recovered, for some the challenges in our sector remain. In some parts of the country there is still a hard grind to reach profitability and the role of Farmlands is to provide support and solutions.

Our purpose is to reinvent the co-operative spirit, ensuring our shareholders’ future success is at the centre of everything we do.

Returning to profitability is a sign that we are on the right track – but by no means are we the finished product.

On pages 6-9 of The Farmlander you can read my thoughts and those of Farmlands Chairman Lachie Johnstone on the year that was. This is the commentary we have provided for this year’s Annual Report, which is available online at www.farmlands.co.nz and available in-store with a limited print run.

We can be proud of what we have achieved together. On behalf of everyone at Farmlands, I want to thank both staff and shareholders for the continued support of our co-operative. We look forward to another 12 months of progress and success.

Custard Square

Kind regards,

Ingredients 2 sheets flaky puff pastry, thawed 2½ cups milk 125g butter 180g icing sugar

2 egg yolks 3 heaped Tbsp cornflour 1 tsp vanilla

Method 1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Line an oven tray with baking paper and lay out the first pastry sheet. Bake for 15 minutes until golden (this will puff up like a pillow).

Remove from oven, lay between two tea towels and squash down firmly to remove air (be careful). Allow to cool. Repeat with second sheet of pastry.

2. While pastry cooks, pour milk into a large microwave bowl and add butter. Heat in microwave until butter has melted and stir.

3. Mix remainder of ingredients in separate bowl – it will be crumbly.

4. Pour a small amount of milk mix into the dry mixture. Mix thoroughly until it becomes smooth and runny, then return to large bowl of milk and butter mixture.

5. Microwave on high for 4-5 minutes (may take longer), stirring every 1 minute – custard needs to be thick.

6. In a dish the size of the pastry sheet, layer the first pastry sheet, pour in the custard then top with the second pastry sheet.

7. Ice with vanilla butter icing. Add lemon juice or top with passionfruit or coconut.

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Peter Reidie Chief Executive Officer Farmlands Co-operative Society Limited

Farmlands Co-operative Society Limited | © November 2017. All rights reserved.

THE FARMLANDER | 5

Chairman, Chief Executive Chairman Lachie Johnstone and Chief Executive Peter Reidie comment on Farmlands' 2017 Annual Report. The full report is available online at www.farmlands.co.nz At the outset of the 2017 financial year we set ourselves two overarching goals for the 12-month period ahead: a return to profit and to align the many components of the Farmlands business to a new, cohesive, strategic direction.

As we put the final figures to bed for the latest annual period, we are pleased to report we have succeeded on both counts.

After a tough 2015/16 trading period that saw Farmlands post a $9.0 million loss, we turned the co-operative around over the 2017 year to emerge with a $5.4 million Net Profit Before Tax and Rebate.

But as well as that creditable profit result, Farmlands over the last 12 months also significantly bolstered our balance sheet. We have reduced our debt by about $18.5 million during the year to close with $66.1 million in borrowings as at 30th June, compared to $84.6 million year-onyear. We have now reduced our debt by almost 40 percent from the peak of January 2016 of $106.2 million.

Together, the shift to profitability and debt-reduction have clearly laid the

6 | THE FARMLANDER

| Lachie Johnstone, Farmlands Chairman.

groundwork for a financially robust co-operative that we can now build on.

While the financial turnaround was partly due to overall improving market conditions, we are particularly pleased to note that the decisive range of measures we implemented across the board during the 2016/17 period played a significant role in our dramatically-improved performance.

During the year, those operational enhancements included: • Reducing our cost base • Exiting unprofitable businesses • Managing our mix – finding the right balance of offering and inventory • Reducing our debt-servicing cost We have been driving hard to improve the performance across the whole

co-operative after a difficult 2015/16 period. For example, our focus on managing inventory more efficiently saw less funds tied up in stock. We also adopted a more prudent approach to our capital spending while keeping tight control of the receivables process.

The sale of our Finance arm to Finance Now means we no longer have to take on debt to back those loans. The move to Finance Now also provides Farmlands shareholders with access to a more complete and effective finance offer. Given the performance of that business over time, our shareholders were clearly telling us they didn’t want their co-operative to borrow money to lend them money. That is now no longer the case yet we still have an attractive range of finance options

Farmlands Co-operative Society Limited | © November 2017. All rights reserved.

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CO-OPERATIVE NEWS

salute return to profit provided through our partnership arrangement with Finance Now.

Livestock represents a better option

However, our challenge now is to

for all our shareholders, wherever

keep on the growth course we have

In the case of our Livestock business we were in a position where we had “half” a business, predominantly South Island based. Carrfields, similarly, had half a business predominantly North Island based. Logic put these two businesses together and then it became who was best placed to operate them. Given the challenges of our performance and priorities elsewhere for the co-operative, we determined Carrfields was better placed to provide the investment and leadership required to build a national livestock business.

they farm in New Zealand.

so successfully charted in the 2017

And clearly, turning around a $9.0

financial year. Only by achieving

million loss into a $5.4 million

this can we assure Farmlands’

profit in the space of just 12 months

future as the stronger, more secure

demonstrates that Farmlands is

co-operative it needs to be.

heading in the right direction.

Consequently, this year the Board has

Our priority is that Farmlands shareholders, no matter where they are located, deserve to be offered the same opportunity. Carrfields

decided not to issue our year-end Bonus Rebate to shareholders. While this is

“

We have posted a $5.4m profit for the 2016/2017 financial year, bringing debt down by $18.5m.

primarily a fiscal measure designed to position Farmlands for our next period of growth, we acknowledge that it will cause some disappointment.

Our aim is to reinstate the yearend Bonus Rebate next year.

In addition to boosting our immediate financial health over the year past, we also took steps in the 2016/17 period to future-proof the Farmlands operating model via a business transformation programme we have titled Braveheart.

The programme is designed to tie the various strands of the operation into a seamless whole, with a culture that builds on the proven strength and capability of our people, our shareholders and the Farmlands offer.

We are confident that Braveheart will ensure the Farmlands experience is unrivalled in our sector.

We have laid out three Strategic Imperatives: delivering enduring customer relationships, building an impregnable business model and providing leading agricultural knowledge and expertise. These goals are what we believe we can do consistently better than anyone else in our sector.

| Peter Reidie, Farmlands Chief Executive.

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Farmlands Co-operative Society Limited | © November 2017. All rights reserved.

THE FARMLANDER | 7

As a more unified team, we can deliver ‘Whole of Business’ opportunities to all shareholders, enabling them to leverage off the scale of their cooperative. For example, the benefit of choosing Farmlands for their rural supplies, services and subscriptions is not limited to monthly rebates – it provides a simpler, consolidated invoice and will soon provide other incentives for shareholders who utilise the breadth of our business.

We have also put in place six strategies that we are confident will lead Farmlands to greater success and position us as New Zealand’s co-operative of choice: 1. Ensuring our people come first 2. Deepen our offer to all shareholders 3. Deliver the right product, in the right place, at the right time, for the right price 4. Successfully implement Braveheart 5. Identify opportunities to grow New Zealand agriculture 6. Ensuring success by protecting our shareholders’ funds At the same time, we have put a renewed emphasis on leading the push to bring lower prices to the primary sector. For instance, our Buying Power Promise promotion has seen an increase on promoted product sales by 124 percent over the previous year.

These monthly deals complement our Whole of Business offer, which is consistent with our founding principle of working collectively to increase the profitability of shareholders.

We are also investing heavily in our position as the market leader in agricultural knowledge and expertise through our own in-house training programme, which will raise the technical skills of our field team.

The quest for improvement over the last year has shown up in practical results across virtually all our business units. Notably, after a tough 2015/16,

8 | THE FARMLANDER

our Nutrition business executed a significant turnaround due to focused and responsive management by our team. And for the second year in a row, our Horticulture business increased sales by 5 percent.

We continually seek to improve the

Meanwhile, the new strategic partnerships we established with Toyota and Z Energy are already delivering better deals for our shareholder base.

Safety Management Practices.

Other key business unit milestones of note include:

and Safety at Farmlands. The report

• Increasing the Farmlands Fuel tanker fleet to 45 truck and trailer units, complementing our full range of fuel storage and advice options

with respect to Health and Safety – and

• The leading Challenge service station network, which is wholly supplied by Farmlands Fuel, won the Canstar Blue Most Satisfied Customer Award for the third time in 4 years in the service station category • During the year, Challenge also began stocking Gulf lubricants – owned in New Zealand by Farmlands • The Grain and Seed business added new seed store sites in Invercargill and Rolleston while implementing a nationwide Seed Web Portal via the Farmlands network – bright spots in an otherwise tough year for a sector that has been affected by unusual weather patterns • Farmlands Real Estate has continued to expand into the North Island as we build up a growing and respected presence in this important market Shareholders rightly demand we demonstrate clear evidence of progress in our bottom-line business statistics and growth strategies. Just as importantly, though, Farmlands needs to provide proof that it is committed to looking after our most valuable asset: the people who work for and with us.

safety of our team by implementing and monitoring our compliance with best-practice standards. In September of last year, we were awarded tertiary level compliance with ACC’s Workplace This year, over February and March, we took that a step further by contracting an independent, external provider to conduct a sweeping review of Health particularly noted our positive culture our willingness to learn and improve.

We are gratified to be scoring well on

“

New strategic partnerships we have established with Toyota and Z Energy are ground-breaking in our industry and deliver better deals for our shareholder base.

this front and intend to further raise the bar of safety compliance in our industry.

We are first and foremost an organisation built by shareholders, for shareholders. Our ongoing goal is to be the rural hub of the local communities we support. And while providing essential business services to those communities is our core proposition, we also aim to contribute at a local level.

Farmlands Co-operative Society Limited | © November 2017. All rights reserved.

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CO-OPERATIVE NEWS

This year, for example, our extremely popular ‘HeART of the Community’ project has captured the imagination of shareholders and non-shareholders alike – and intrigued the media as well. All up, 15 of Farmlands’ 82 stores nationwide will ultimately have a mural designed and painted by world-renowned artist, Mr G. Another (rather lateral) illustration of how Farmlands’ co-operative spirit is enriching the life of our communities!

After a challenging 2015/16 it is pleasing to see Farmlands re-emerge with a profitable bottom-line and a renewed sense of direction for further growth. Farmlands may operate as a big business but we always have the heart of a co-operative: together we can take that ethos into a new era.

We stated at the outset that we have been working hard this year to meet the twin challenges of returning to profitability and making the right

strategic calls to secure our future.

Last year was tough. This year has been much better – reassurance of a solid kind that we are on the right track.

On behalf of the Board of Directors, the Farmlands Leadership Team and our wider team of Farmlands, we thank you for your ongoing support.

What we do, we do best together.

Together Stronger.

| Mark McHardy, GM – Fuel and John Clark, Feed Production Supervisor.

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Farmlands Co-operative Society Limited | © November 2017. All rights reserved.

THE FARMLANDER | 9

Works for you CO-OPERATIVE NEWS

WHEN YOUR ADVICE IS REALLY GOOD, EVERYONE LISTENS.

At FMG, we look after more rural New Zealanders than any other insurer. In fact, it’s something we’ve been doing for over 110 years now. So when it comes to offering specialist advice for lifestyle blocks, we like to think we know what we’re talking about. Ask around about us. Or better still call us directly on 0800 366 466.

We’re here for the good of the country.

10 | THE FARMLANDER

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CO-OPERATIVE NEWS

5 minutes with Chris Black Chris Black is Chief Executive of rural insurer FMG.

“

FMG and Farmlands have worked closely for over 50 years.

What does FMG offer that is different to other insurers around horticulture cover?

If your crop suffers a loss that exceeds 65 percent of the insured value, FMG’s horticulture policy will cover the total insured value of the crop, i.e. 100 percent. With some other insurers this threshold is higher.

In addition, we’re happy for you to continue to sell any undamaged fruit from the impacted block.

There’s been a recent change in FMG no longer offering a 2 percent rebate to Farmlands shareholders – why is that?

Over the past 7 years an unprecedented number of major weather events and storms along with three large earthquakes have resulted in a steep increase in claims costs and offering rebates on insurance is no longer sustainable.

Removing the rebate is a prudent step to ensure FMG is well positioned to continue to support rural New Zealand when it needs us most.

| FMG Chief Executive Chris Black says the mutual insurer is well placed to cope with a surge in earthquake and storm claims.

You mentioned Kaikoura – how is FMG progressing with settling claims?

Despite the complexity involved with many of the claims, we’re making good progress and have now settled more than half of the 3,300 claims. We remain on track to

FMG and Farmlands have worked closely for over 50 years to support the rural sector, and this relationship remains as strong and important as ever. Working together with Farmlands gives FMG more opportunities to provide support and assistance across the country. Our support following the Kaikoura earthquake and the flooding in Edgecumbe in April are good examples.

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be three-quarters complete by the first anniversary in mid-November.

As the country’s leading rural insurer, overall how is FMG tracking?

The higher than expected claims costs, along with $18 million in additional costs associated with the Kaikoura earthquake, were the main factors in FMG recording a modest loss of

$3.3 million last financial year. Given the volatile nature of our industry with exposure to natural peril risk, we anticipate a loss from time to time and are well placed to handle this. The key point is we are here when it counts.

As a mutual we take a long-term view to running the business and remain one of the most wellcapitalised insurers in New Zealand, with $226 million in reserves and an A (Excellent) credit rating.

Pleasingly, an increasing number of farmers and growers, commercial businesses and lifestyle block owners are choosing to insure with FMG – in fact about 3,000 more in the last year, with similar growth continuing this year.

Farmlands Co-operative Society Limited | © November 2017. All rights reserved.

THE FARMLANDER | 11

FERTILE GROUND

| Workers tend the kiwifruit vines in Paul Edkins' Pukehina orchard.

12 | THE FARMLANDER

Farmlands Co-operative Society Limited | © November 2017. All rights reserved.

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INNOVATION IN HORTICULTURE

FOR NEW IDEAS

From high-tech to low and everything in between, different ways of thinking are powering the boom in horticulture.

The billion-dollar horticulture industry is hungry for innovation – kiwifruit giant Zespri alone spends $35 million annually on research and development. Smart orchards, smart packhouses, satellites and soil sensors are all part of the picture but outside the labs and technology trials, it’s still individual growers trying something different that drives a lot of industry improvements.

According to a report on the horticulture sector by Westpac, in the year to May 2016, New Zealand exported $1.57 billion of kiwifruit and nearly $700 million in apples. After several years of strong growth, honey has become the third largest horticulture export, at $310 million.

Onions, peas and avocados all each had over $80 million in exports in the year. A wide range of horticulture products played a small role, accounting for around $526 million between them.

WWW.FARMLANDS.CO.NZ

Farmlands Co-operative Society Limited | © November 2017. All rights reserved.

THE FARMLANDER | 13

The same report describes the “phenomenal” increases in productivity in recent years, including a 50 percent increase in yields per hectare in kiwifruit in under 10 years, and a 66 percent increase in apple yields in a similar period. Reasons for the improvements range from low-tech – such as how orchards are planted and pruned – to very sophisticated solutions such as software apps and sensors that monitor in real time ripeness, quality, blemishes and fertiliser needs.

Zespri Chief Executive Dan Mathieson says innovation is what gives the organisation its competitive edge internationally, with the best varieties supported by world-class growing systems and supply chain processes. The industry has set itself the goal of more than doubling sales to $4.5 billion in the next 7 years, with innovation playing a key role.

“Around 1.5 percent of our sales are invested in R&D – that’s around $35 million across the kiwifruit industry including Plant & Food Research and the Government,” Dan says, “and around half of that is invested in the new varieties breeding programme, jointly run with Plant & Food Research.”

For Paul Edkins, who came into the kiwifruit industry in 2010 knowing absolutely nothing, the best “devices” he employed were his ears. Networking came naturally to the former banker so he went out of his way to get to know the people he saw as being “at the pointy end” of the industry to see what they were doing that was different and what he could learn from them.

“Zespri invest a lot in R&D but you’ve got to give a lot of credit to the growers as well,” he says. “It’s actually growers trying things where we learn a lot of this stuff.”

For his part, Paul is always “trialling things, playing with things” on the now 35 canopy hectares of gold and green kiwifruit he has at Pukehina, about halfway between Tauranga and Whakatane. “I’ll do half a hectare where I have a theory and I’ll try it. Some of them work and some of them don’t, but unless you actually try them you’ll never know,” he says.

Persistence pays off for Paul After growing up in Te Puke and leaving for Waikato University, Paul Edkins took the long way home. He

One idea that has worked is extensive use of hail net, with Paul’s orchard having over $1 million in canopy structure. It’s not there for the hail but the wind – the orchard is only a couple of kilometres from the coast “so the wind was coming from every which direction, whistling down the rows”, Paul says.

completed his Bachelor of Management Studies

“To get the plants growing better we thought why don’t we put this hail net over the top and knock the wind out. So we did. I think it’s made a big difference. The plants get up and going quicker in the spring. With the Gold 3 variety, there’s a very short timeframe from bud burst through to when you’re flowering. We tend to be able to get better leaf cover, bigger leaves, the plants are working better pre-flower that on a lot of orchards and I suspect it’s because we knock the wind out. And it’s a nice little environment under the cover.

can’t always start where you want to be but

14 | THE FARMLANDER

with first class honours, double majoring in strategic management and marketing, then joined the ASB graduate programme. From commercial banking in central Auckland, he transferred to Hamilton then to Tauranga.

“Bay of Plenty is home,” he says. “You you can work your way towards it.”

Now 34, Paul is married to local GP Lucy, who is on maternity leave with their fourth child, 8 month old Ben. Emily, 7, Sam, 5, and Johnny, 3, complete the family.

Paul’s parents, who are Farmlands shareholders and the major shareholders in the orchard, bought

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“

We had serious discussions about whether we carry on.

the property at Pukehina. Originally 50ha, it had all been contoured by the previous owner, and Paul’s dad Ken had plans to grow maize on it to capitalise on a boom in prices in the US driven by interest in ethanol as an alternative fuel. That boom proved a fizzer so Ken, who had long been into developing kiwifruit orchards, suggested to Paul that they develop the land together and then Paul run it.

So in January 2010, Paul finished at the bank and started in the kiwifruit industry, not in the field but in a lecture theatre at Bay of Plenty Polytechnic, where he studied horticulture.

“My first day at polytech was my first day at work,” he says.

“I went onto the course knowing absolutely nothing and most of the other guys and girls on the course had been working in the industry for a number of years. It was the best thing I probably ever did. I learned the basics of plant science and soil science and a basic grounding in how it all works.”

Starting in 2010, Ken and Paul planted just over 10ha of the property in Gold 3. Not much was known about the new

WWW.FARMLANDS.CO.NZ

variety at that stage, and when the vine-killing bacteria Psa-V was discovered in New Zealand in November 2010, the partnership was left worrying if there was a future.

“The older Gold was tipping over left, right and centre so it was a bit of a gamble really,” Paul says. “We had serious discussions about whether we carry on or do we stop. But we had committed enough that we had to carry on.”

Persistence proved the right move. In 2015 they added 11ha, all in Gold 3, and they have just planted another 6ha of Bruno rootstock. That’s not yet grafted amid debate about what’s going to go on the top.

In the midst of the Psa-V crisis, they picked up a 7.5ha green orchard next door. “The owner wanted out so we bought it not so much because we wanted it but so we could control it,” Paul says.

All up there are now about 35 canopy hectares in different varieties or rootstock, with 29ha in production. Ken still grows maize on the balance, but there is less and less of that.

Farmlands Co-operative Society Limited | © November 2017. All rights reserved.

THE FARMLANDER | 15

| David Timms is experimenting with new planting layouts on the kiwifruit orchard he manages.

“You lose some UV but you get a lot of reflected light.

We’ve got temperature sensors inside the covers and outside – it can be a little slower to warm up in the mornings but you stay warmer in the evenings. If you get a oneoff frost you get a bit of protection too. You don’t tend to get as cold at night. It’s its own little microclimate.”

Further inland, hail net has also found a home on the 19ha of kiwifruit orchard David Timms manages in the Pukehina area, but it’s the layout of planting that the Farmlands shareholder sees as contributing to industry innovation.

The norm is to put two plants on one side of a row and two on the other and grow them to meet. After 4 or 5 years you remove two of the plants and after that crop off the permanent two females. At Gold Nugget Orchard, David has planted three female grafted G3 Bruno rootstock in one row. Opposite those, he has double-

16 | THE FARMLANDER

planted the new Bounty rootstock but these are then pruned back so they don’t crop in their first season.

The effect of all this is a projected bumper first crop off the row of Bruno rootstock – between 12,000 and 15,000 trays per hectare as against an industry standard of 6,000 to 8,000 – and a no-cropping first season for the row of Bounty plants.

“We’re saying to the second row, right girls, you don’t need to crop, we just want you to become stronger and grow a nice strong set of canopy stress-free for another year,” David says.

The long-term aim is a healthy row of Bounty, at which point the Bruno plants will be ripped out and replaced with a row of males.

Why Bounty? It matures 10 to 14 days earlier than anything else, meaning it fetches a higher tray price, which can mean a difference of hundreds of thousands of dollars to the orchard. The variety is also less vigorous,

Farmlands Co-operative Society Limited | © November 2017. All rights reserved.

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Ginkgo growers undeterred It’s one thing to experiment with an established crop, quite another to embark on a 20-year journey to pioneer a new one. When The Farmlander spoke to Tauranga’s Graham and Mavis Dyer 3 years ago, they were looking forward to their first export harvest of ginkgo nuts. Today? Still looking.

As Mavis says, most New Zealanders wouldn’t know what a ginkgo nut was, never mind that you can eat them. The real market is overseas, particularly Asia, where the nuts are a traditional food prized for their purported health benefits.

The Farmlands shareholders are following the path set decades earlier by kiwifruit and more recently avocados, of slowly gaining access to lucrative international markets. Yet despite years of paperwork and applications, export approval remains elusive.

“Registration is needed first from the Ministry for Primary Industries to be able to export, then you need approval from the receiving country,” Mavis says. “We applied for access to Taiwan in 2015 but we are no closer.

“We are such a small company and MPI is focused on larger ones. If we had an importer from Japan, Taiwan or China that was prepared to do the work at their end, then MPI would be more active.”

Mavis and Graham haven’t given up. They know personal contacts will be the key to getting access, so they have taken several trips to Japan, Taiwan and more recently China to find partners in those markets. Their hopes for a new horticulture export for New Zealand remain undimmed.

| Graham and Mavis Dyer hope to export ginkgo nuts to Asia.

which means less money spent on canopy work.

minimising the impact of heavy rain on fruit quality.

“But with less vigour comes more time to establish, hence

“These recent changes are simply the result of

why as an insurance policy we have triple-planted the

thinking about new ways of doing something that has

Bruno because we know what we can get off them. We’re

been done another way for decades,” concludes the

giving the Bounty a break just to let them grunt up, not force

report’s author, industry economist David Norman.

them to do something they don’t want to do. You could

Meanwhile, back in the lab, one of Zespri’s challenges is

get a really good crop the first year but then the following

to manage the natural variability kiwifruit displays between

season you might only get half the crop,” David says.

different parts of the same orchard, between different

“All of this doesn’t make much difference to the set-

orchards and between different geographical areas.

up cost, it’s just a different way of thinking.”

A Zespri Innovation Leader, Kylie Phillips, outlines why the

Westpac’s report gives similar examples from other parts

project is important: “We can only harvest over a reasonably

of the industry. Some apple orchards, for example, now

narrow window and then we want to store the fruit for as

plant 3,000 trees per hectare as opposed to 600, pruning

long as possible. We want to be able to predict which fruit is

them differently to increase yields from 60 tonnes per

going to be able to be stored for a long time so we can put

hectare to 100. With summerfruit such as cherries, trees are

that away into cool storage and give that the VIP treatment

also pruned differently so they can grow under canopies,

and then the ones that we know aren’t going to store very

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Farmlands Co-operative Society Limited | © November 2017. All rights reserved.

THE FARMLANDER | 17

Celebrating

generations on the land

Has your land been in your blood for more than 100 years?

The New Zealand Century Farm and Station Awards aims to capture and preserve this important rural history which might otherwise be lost through the generations.

New Zealand farming families who have owned and worked their land for 100 years or more are invited to apply for a Century Farm, Century Station or Sesquicentennial (150 year) award.

For more information on how to apply, visit www.centuryfarms.co.nz Enquiries please contact Mel Foster, 027 232 9963 or Symon Howard, 03 485 9136 or email info@centuryfarms.co.nz THANKS TO OUR PRINCIPAL SPONSORS

18 | THE FARMLANDER

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| Projections of a doubling in the kiwifruit harvest over the next 10 years are driving innovation in packhouse technology.

long we can ship off that fruit early, still at optimum quality.”

containers on ships is another crucial part of Zespri’s

Packhouse technology is another focus. “When fruit arrives in the packhouse now they have grading systems that take hundreds of photographs of each piece of fruit. There’s also two infra-red spectrums they look at as well, trying to detect marks on the fruit or if some of the fruit is soft so they can grade them out to leave just the really good quality fruit,” Kylie says.

supply chain. This involves the fruit’s physiological

A trial with Massey University that involved testing over 30,000 pieces of fruit is looking promising. The aim is to develop mathematical modelling that can look at the rate of change of the fruit early on in storage and then predict how long it can be kept there.

Much of Zespri’s work on new cultivars and planting

Scale is bringing its own challenges as well. Projections of a doubling in harvest volumes over the next 10 years mean Zespri is investigating robotic harvesting and much greater packhouse automation.

Better monitoring and management of fruit quality in

response to temperature, humidity and ethylene, a natural plant compound, at different stages of the season.

“This ensures we continue providing our customers in global markets with consistent, premium quality fruit, so that consumers have a delicious kiwifruit experience every time,” Kylie says. methods is specific to kiwifruit but when it comes to packhouse innovations and technology to monitor fruit in transit and provide traceability, the whole horticulture industry benefits from the investment.

Simon Watson, Managing Director of NZ Hothouse, is proud of the company’s heavy investment in new technology since it was founded more than 30 years ago by Executive Chairman Brett Wharfe. The diversified group is primarily a commercial grower of hothouse tomatoes and cucumbers and has made extensive use of technology from The Netherlands, the international leaders in covered crops.

He readily admits though that once the produce is ready to ship, the track-and-trace bar code on the side of every case of tomatoes or cucumbers is the same as that developed by Tauranga’s Radford Software for the kiwifruit industry. Then, once in transit, the produce is monitored with the same technology that Zespri sources from international sensor developers Xsense.

“As an industry, we’re very fortunate that we’ve got a couple of very large players, one of which is the kiwifruit industry and the other is the apple industry. Because of that there’s a lot of R&D that goes into particularly kiwifruit and the rest of the industry is able to benefit from a lot of that,” Simon says. “Because why would you reinvent the wheel.”

| NZ Hothouse's Simon Watson sees the sector's big players as pioneers.

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THE FARMLANDER | 19

Gallagher Chiefs VS

Blues

Friday 2nd February Kick off 4pm Rugby Park — Te Kuiti

Terms and Conditions apply. Farmlands shareholders only. Spend must be on one transaction.

Limit of two tickets per shareholder. Participating stores are Hamilton, Hautapu, Huntly, Matamata, Morrinsville, Ngatea, Paeroa, Pukekohe, Putaruru, Rotorua, Taumarunui, Taupo, Te Awamutu, Te Kuiti, Tokoroa.

See www.farmlands.co.nz for more information.

0800 200 600 | www.farmlands.co.nz 20 | THE FARMLANDER

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GET FREE TICKETS Spend $2,000 at selected Waikato and Bay of Plenty Farmlands stores during November and December and get two free tickets to the game!

Grassroots is where local legends are born.

Join Farmlands and the Gallagher Chiefs in Te Kuiti, home of the late Sir Colin Meads, for the inaugural Farmlands Rural Legends Shield.

See your Investec Super Rugby legends make history – we’ll see you there!

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THE FARMLANDER | 21

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22 | THE FARMLANDER

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INNOVATION IN HORTICULTURE

Hungry bees get help with bulk syrup on tap When Grant Engel’s bees get hungry, which happens a lot at this time of year, they need feeding now. No time to wait for an order of sugar syrup to arrive by courier several days later – by then the bees could be dying and with them the hive.

problems though – with over 5,000

For Grant and Kim, the fill station

hives to feed nationwide, having ready

is good news. “Hives can die really

access to bulk sugar syrup is vital. At

quickly and by the time we put in

certain times of the year Grant can be

an order for syrup and it has to be

feeding out 2,000 litres of sugar syrup

freighted up to us it can be too late.

a day. That’s a lot of courier packs.

Having sugar handy in large volumes

Enter Farmlands, which worked with

keeps our bees alive,” Grant says.

Grant and wife Kim are the founders of

New Zealand’s leading liquid sugar

“Previously it was usually about a

Revolutionary Beekeeping. Based in

syrup manufacturer to set up the

week after ordering before the syrup

Kerikeri, they are expanding nationwide.

country’s first commercial bulk fill

arrived, even for small volumes.

Innovation has driven their success

station. The pilot plant is at Farmlands

Having a big tank with a pump –

since they won the Fieldays Innovation

Waipapa, in Kerikeri, and they will

it’s quick, it’s easy and it keeps

Launch NZ Award in 2013 with a

soon be rolled out nationally.

the business ticking along.”

mobile honey harvester. Rather than

The fill stations allow shareholders

It’s no coincidence that the pilot

taking honey boxes to the factory for

to simply call in when it suits to have

plant was set up in the Engels’ local

processing, the honey harvester allows

their ute or trailer-mounted vessel

Farmlands store. “We’re the reason

the beekeeper to collect the honey

filled with any quantity they require

why they are doing it,” Grant says.

at the hive site in food-grade pails.

and charged by the litre. It takes about

“We’re the ones that bought pretty

Expansion has brought its own

5 minutes to fill a 1,000 litre vessel.

much 75 percent of their sugar for them to warrant this new system.”

The Engels are now keen to see the national roll-out of the stations, to service the rest of their operation.

“We’re expanding so we want the fill stations to expand with us,” he says.

The sugar syrup fill stations are evidence of Farmlands’ commitment to bring innovation, convenience and an advisory-led beekeeping service to every corner of New Zealand. Farmlands now has the largest beekeeping retail footprint in New Zealand, with over 30 branches from Invercargill to Kaitaia stocking beekeeping supplies.

| Grant Engel fills up with sugar syrup at Farmlands Waipapa, under the watchful eye of staff member Peter Kriz and store manager Rob Webb. TOP: The tanks on Grant's utes take 1,000 litres of syrup each.

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Farmlands Co-operative Society Limited | © November 2017. All rights reserved.

THE FARMLANDER | 23

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Savings and Discounts based on normal retail price. While stocks last.

Prices valid from 1st - 30th November 2017.

24 | THE FARMLANDER

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INNOVATION IN HORTICULTURE

Plastics recycling scheme gets green light for future Agrecovery’s efforts to rid the environment of rural plastic waste will continue for another 7 years after the Ministry for the Environment extended accreditation for the scheme.

Agrecovery allows farmers and growers to recycle plastic containers and drums from over 60 participating agrichemical brands through one of over 75 collection sites nationwide or at local recycling events. Large-scale users of agrichemicals can also request on-farm collection if they have more than 300 containers at one time.

Since the scheme’s inception in 2006, over 1,800 tonnes of plastic has been diverted from landfill or from harmful disposal practices such as

burning. In the past year alone, over 300 tonnes of plastic was recycled, which represents an 18 percent increase on the previous year.

Don’t forget to rinse Farmers and growers must ensure they triple-rinse all agrichemical containers and drums before handing them in at Agrecovery sites and events.

Despite the success of the scheme, Agrecovery General Manager Simon Andrew wants to see more growth.

It takes 2 minutes to triple-rinse a container. Simply fill a container to 30 percent with water, shake and then empty. Repeat twice and leave the container to drain.

“Last year we collected and recycled around 40 percent of the total number of containers that get purchased by farmers and growers every year – in many other countries the rate is much higher.” Andrew points to countries such as Germany and France, which achieve a collection rate of over 80 percent. Closer to home, Agrecovery is setting its sights on surpassing within three years the 60 percent achieved by our Australian neighbours.

Agrecovery will look to harness the competitive nature of Kiwi farmers and growers by challenging the industry to lift its game and recycle more to keep up with global trends. Not only would this reduce harmful environmental practices but also it would further support the industry’s commitment to environmental stewardship – a concept that will continue to play a critical role in ensuring global market access.

In order to help support farmers and growers to participate in the scheme, Agrecovery aims to make access easier, by opening up to 10 new collection sites this year, starting with Darfield, Ngatea and Morrinsville. Agrecovery will also look to increase the number of brands participating in the scheme so that all agrichemical companies take responsibility for product packaging.

Removing container residue before recycling is critical for the safety of collection site staff and those who process and transport the plastic. It also avoids contamination of the plastic, which can inhibit the recycling process.

The accreditation coincides with the launch of purpose-built mobile shredding units developed by EnviroWaste Services Ltd, the organisation charged with collecting the used chemical containers and drums. The shredders have a greater capacity, a quicker processing time and are much quieter than existing units.

“This allows EnviroWaste to respond quickly, especially in the busy season, where farmers and growers are returning lots of empty chemical containers and drums,” Andrew says.

“By introducing this technology to collect used containers, EnviroWaste will increase the capacity for recycling for the rural sector.”

All plastic is sent to Auckland where it is manufactured into consumer products, ensuring a closed loop solution.

| Then Associate Environment Minister Scott Simpson (left) and Agrecovery General Manager Simon Andrew discuss the new shredding equipment.

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Farmlands Co-operative Society Limited | © November 2017. All rights reserved.

THE FARMLANDER | 25

Save

12

per litre* with your Farmlands Card!*

*Savings appear as a rebate on your monthly Farmlands Account statement, not as a discount at the time of purchase.

Head into your local Challenge service station and get 12c o per litre with your Farmlands Card everyday!

26 | THE FARMLANDER

Farmlands Co-operative Society Limited | Š November 2017. All rights reserved.

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INNOVATION IN HORTICULTURE

Drive to innovate needs to extend to saving lives Farming leaders and farmers are showing greater awareness of their requirements under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015. WorkSafe’s people across the country are saying they hear much more chat about health and safety when they are out talking with farmers.

What we are not yet seeing is any meaningful reduction in serious harms or fatalities. We all need to think about why that is and what we can do about it.

Making workplaces safe requires a two-pronged approach. First, you need to be doing the “safety systems” stuff, ensuring risks are recognised, people are capable and equipment is suitable.

Then you need to deal with the things that kill people. These are the things that no matter how well you do the training, the maintenance and the communication, if there is a mishap the people who make errors suffer huge consequences.

| Quad bikes and tractors feature prominently in the fatality and serious incident statistics.

How do we eliminate these critical risks? We can't keep on doing the same things and hope the results will change.

We need to look for different solutions, to be innovative around how we do things and what we do them with.

We've seen some exciting innovations in New Zealand agribusiness over the years, almost all aimed at increasing production. We need to put more of that effort into protecting the people who are at the heart of agriculture.

Organised innovation works best if many brains are focused on one problem. So let’s start with vehicles.

Eighty percent of on-farm fatalities

WWW.FARMLANDS.CO.NZ

involve working in and around vehicles. Quad bikes and tractors feature prominently in the fatality and serious incident statistics.

Many farms are dependent on quads, a capable vehicle but one that in its current form has little or no room for human error. Many people argue that it’s all about training people to use them properly, but safety research shows that relying on training and user caution alone does not bring down fatal incident rates when using machinery that has potential to kill people. The underlying potential to harm people needs to be dealt with.

Here are the two questions we should be asking ourselves: • How can we change our dependency on quads?

• What does a safe all-purpose vehicle for farms look like?

Other questions that need thinking about are what can be done to prevent people being run over by their tractor, crushed by bales, or poisoned by spray?

Innovation isn't only about engineering, it's about doing things differently for a better effect.

Article supplied by WorkSafe New Zealand.

Farmlands Co-operative Society Limited | © November 2017. All rights reserved.

THE FARMLANDER | 27

DANNEVIRKE

REMEMBERS BYGONE BULLOCK DAYS Mr G recently visited the town of Dannevirke to complete the fifth HeART of the Community artwork.

Although this mural is the smallest of the five painted so far, it tells an important story of Dannevirke’s farming history.

Named for the Danish and Norwegian families that settled there in 1872, the town of Dannevirke thrived well into the 20th century on the back of farming prosperity. The Dannevirke mural depicts a team of Hereford bullocks, which were commonly used to transport goods in the area during the early 1900s.

28 | THE FARMLANDER

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The week was action packed with plenty of people stopping to chat to Mr G and his wife Milly as the artwork took shape – around 200 people turned up to the official unveiling to see the finished product.

Mr G says he loves the opportunity to feel the heart and vibe of each community that he paints the murals for.

“The joy for me is not just painting the mural and using my art to tell local stories but it’s actually connecting with the locals,” he says. “It’s a huge part of mine and my wife’s heart.

We love to connect with people in a real and genuine way.”

Dannevirke Mayor Tracy Collis was delighted her town had the chance to host an artist of Mr G’s calibre and to bring the focus back on the people who contribute so much to the community.

“We are very excited to receive our own speciallydesigned mural,” she says. “We have a tight knit community of hard-working, friendly and hospitable people and it is always a pleasure to host other people here and show them the Dannevirke way.”

There are 10 more Farmlands stores in line to receive a Mr G makeover – you can follow Mr G and the HeART of the Community project on the Farmlands Facebook page, Instagram or at www.heartofthecommunity.co.nz

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THE FARMLANDER | 29

? Å&#x; Ħ ěİ

Ħ + Å&#x;Ħ[ < Ä¢Å&#x;Ä&#x17E; Ä£ +Å&#x; ì 8Å&#x; Ä£ Å&#x; Ħ Å&#x; Ã# Å&#x;Ħ` 0 Å&#x;ÃÄ&#x161; Ģí Ä¢ Ģí Å&#x;Ä° Å&#x; Ħ Å&#x; ì " Ħ`

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Purchase using your Farmlands Card at The Warehouse and Warehouse Stationery 30 | THE FARMLANDER

and Condtions apply.

See www.farmlands.co.nz Farmlands Terms Co-operative Society Limited | © November 2017. All rights reserved.for

full details.

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The Card that gives back For the kids

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Available from

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THE FARMLANDER | 31

FUEL SOLUTIONS DIRECT TO YOU.

CO-OPERATIVE NEWS

Farmlands has partnered with Kingspan, the global market leader in diesel storage solutions, to bring shareholders an EXCLUSIVE equipment offer.

FAR_07094

Which equipment offer suits you?

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Regular scheduled deliveries of competitively priced fuel direct to site.

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For more information, contact your Farmlands Technical Field Officer, head in to your local Farmlands store or call Farmlands Fuel on 0800 666 626.

32 | THE FARMLANDER

Farmlands Co-operative Society Limited | Š November 2017. All rights reserved.

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Notice is hereby given that the fifty-fourth Annual General Meeting of shareholders of Farmlands Co-operative Society Limited will be held at 3.30pm on Tuesday 7th November, 2017 at Farmlands Eskdale School and Community Hall, Hill Road, Eskdale.

Shareholders are invited to join the Directors and Executive of the Society for refreshments at the conclusion of the meeting. At this function, shareholders will be entered into a complimentary sweepstake in the Melbourne Cup that will run at 5.00pm.*

A TRIP FOR TWO TO MELBOURNE INCLUDING FIVE NIGHTS’ ACCOMMODATION, VALUED AT $3,000!

We look forward to your attendance at our Annual General Meeting.

Please RSVP by Friday 3 rd November to rsvp@farmlands.co.nz or 0800 200 600.

Business 1. To receive and adopt the Annual Report for the year ended 30th June 2017.

Resolution to be put: That the Annual Report for the year ended 30th June 2017 be adopted.

2. To appoint the auditors.

Resolution to be put: That the auditors, PricewaterhouseCoopers, continue in office and that the Directors be authorised to fix their remuneration.

FAR_07110

3. To approve an increase in Directors’ fees.

Resolution to be put: That the total Directors’ fees be increased to $735,000 from the year ended 30th June 2018.

EXPLANATORY NOTE: the current level of total Directors’ fees per annum approved by shareholders is $700,300.

This approval has been in place since February 2013. The recommended increase to $735,000 is based on the advice of independent external advisors, the amount being at the bottom end of the range recommended by them.

4. To transact any other business which may be properly considered at the Annual General Meeting.

By order of the Board S J Higgs, Secretary Christchurch 3rd October 2017

* Terms and Conditions apply. See www.farmlands.co.nz for details.

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Farmlands Co-operative Society Limited | © November 2017. All rights reserved.

THE FARMLANDER | 33

Works for you NUTRITION

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www.smithscity.co.nz to find your nearest store

*Terms and Conditions apply. Payment must be made using Farmlands Card only. ‘Appliances’ is defined as: televisions, audio, whitegoods, computing products, communication devices.

Cost is inclusive of GST and reflects average invoiced purchase price of the product but does not include any volume related adjustments that may apply. Any freight or installation costs required will be charged at the normal rate. Colours and stock may differ at some locations. Offers available to Farmlands shareholders and secondary account holders only. While stocks last.

34 | THE FARMLANDER

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Articles in the Plan 365 section allow Farmlands suppliers to share best practice and the latest advances in rural technology, NUTRITION to help shareholders with their farming needs all year round.

Electrolytes essential for performance horse diet A well-balanced diet is essential every day to ensure working horses receive all required nutrients for fitness, recovery and overall health. Plenty of forage and a wellformulated performance horse feed are a great start.

Deciding which supplements to include can be challenging, given the large number of products on the market.

Most of these supplements offer considerable benefits and play an important role in the diet, but the first that should be considered for a working horse’s diet are electrolytes.

Electrolytes are salts that play an important role in maintaining osmotic pressure, fluid balance and normal nerve and muscle activity. The most important electrolytes are sodium (Na+), potassium (K+), chloride (CI-), and magnesium (Mg++). These are lost daily in sweat and urine, and are lost in vast amounts when the weather is hot and the horse is working hard, trying to dissipate excess body heat through sweat. The major losses are of chloride followed by sodium and potassium and therefore these are the most important electrolytes to replace.

All horses that work hard enough to break a good sweat will require electrolytes if they are to recover quickly and rehydrate. Travel and stress can also induce heavy sweating – a horse travelling a few hours to a competition on a hot day may lose up to 25 litres of sweat. If these losses are not replaced, the horse may start the competition already dehydrated.

Some horses sweat more than others,

WWW.FARMLANDS.CO.NZ

| All horses that work hard enough to break a good sweat will require electrolytes if they are to recover quickly and rehydrate.

so it’s important to monitor sweat losses to determine how much needs to be replaced. It is easy to underestimate sweat loss on hot dry days because even though there may be considerable electrolyte loss, the sweat may quickly evaporate from the horse’s skin.

Substantial loss of electrolytes causes fatigue and muscle weakness and can eventually decrease the thirst response. Research has also found that electrolyte deficiencies are a significant causative factor for muscle soreness and tying up in horses. The restoration of a correct dietary electrolyte balance can significantly improve this condition.

Since most of the electrolyte loss in

requirements is to match the sweat loss. Body weight loss during exercise is a good way to estimate that, where 1kg of body weight loss equals 1 litre of body water and salt loss.

When choosing an electrolyte it is important to select a product that contains the correct proportions of the nutrients lost in sweat. Equine Electrolytes are available from Farmlands and have been formulated to mimic the composition of horse’s sweat, so all nutrients are replaced in the correct proportions.

For further assistance and advice on designing a diet for your performance horse, consult a reputable equine nutrition advisor.

the horse occurs through sweating, one method of calculating electrolyte

Article supplied by Luisa Wood, Equine Nutrition Technical Advisor.

Farmlands Co-operative Society Limited | © November 2017. All rights reserved.

THE FARMLANDER | 35

Works for you NUTRITION

ARE MARKET CONDITIONS

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We will auto charge your Farmlands Card on a monthly renewal basis until you advise us otherwise.

36 | THE FARMLANDER

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NUTRITION

Support your local Sheep Dog Trial Club

For every bag of TUX 25kg Energy or ProPlan Optipower nds during November 2017 20kg purchased from Farmlands Zealland New Zealand accross New bs across Club towards supporting NZ Sheep Dog Triall Clubs

All proceeds will be paid directly to the NZ Sheep eep Dog g Trial Trial Association Associattion who who will distribute distribute ep Dog Trial Trrial Centres nationwide nattionwide all funds across the regional Sheep WWW.FARMLANDS.CO.NZ

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THE FARMLANDER | 37

NUTRITION

Little and often best if The element sodium (Na) is essential for all animals. It functions as a major extracellular cation and is essential for maintaining osmotic pressure in the body as well as water regulation. It is essential for transporting nutrients around the body and removing waste from cells.

It is also involved in nerve impulse transmission and muscle function.

Sodium is lost in milk, urine, faeces and sweat â&#x20AC;&#x201C; this loss increases in high temperatures and during exercise. For ruminant animals, sodium has an added importance in saliva, which is produced in vast amounts daily to help to buffer the acid produced from fermentation

38 | THE FARMLANDER

in the rumen. Production of the saliva

keep the rumen pH at a level that is

is stimulated by the chewing of feed,

optimal for the microorganisms living

particularly the process of rumination.

there to function. For this reason

A dairy cow may produce up to 150

ruminant animals have a higher

litres of saliva per day, depending on

requirement for sodium, and a lack of

the diet it receives. This is a lot when

it can depress rumen functionality.

compared to a monogastric animal

Sodium is also linked to total feed

of a similar size. Roughage/long fibre

intake, as ruminants tend to prefer

has the effect of increasing rumination

salty foods over more bland foods.

activity, which in turn increases the

Water intake can also be affected

amount of saliva thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s produced.

by sodium, and adding sodium to

Saliva contains sodium bicarbonate,

the diet can help to stimulate that.

which has a buffering effect and

Sodium in forage

counteracts the acidic by-products

Sodium is found in forage because

of carbohydrate (fibre, starch and

it is taken up by plants as they grow.

sugar) digestion. It also helps to

However, sodium can leach from soils

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NUTRITION

stock need more sodium and the amount of sodium in the soil can vary depending on farm location.

A coastal farm will have more sodium in the soil due to higher levels in rain, whereas an inland farm is more likely to be sodium deficient. Areas with high rainfall may be more prone to sodium leaching from soils. Some particular forage species are well known to not take up sodium from the soil even if present in adequate amounts. These include maize, lucerne and kikuyu.

DairyNZ has put the recommended sodium level for lactating dairy cows at 0.2 percent of total dry matter.

It also suggests that the sodium level of pasture ranges from 0.03 percent to 0.6 percent (Facts and Figures 2017). This means that at times pasture is deficient in sodium compared to animal requirements.

Of the last 43 pasture samples submitted by NRM for which sodium level was requested for analysis, the average sodium content was 0.25 percent; however, about 50 percent of the samples were below the recommended level of 0.2 percent for milking cows. Some concentrate feeds such as palm kernel and grain are also low in sodium, which makes supplementation even more important when these feeds are included in the diet.

Sodium deficiency Sodium deficiency in ruminants can cause reduced appetite, reduced water intake, weight loss, reduced milk production and pica (an appetite for substances that are largely non-nutritive). Milk is 87

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percent water, so a cow that is not drinking enough water will have a significant drop in milk production.

With severe deficiency, animals may become dehydrated, uncoordinated when moving, shiver, and even die from arrhythmia of the heart.

SODIUM LEVELS IN COMMON FEEDS FEED

SODIUM LEVEL (%DM)

Pasture

0.03-0.6

Pasture silage

0.1-0.16

Maize silage

0.01

Barley grain

0.03

Maize grain

0.003

Wheat grain

0.01

Peas

0.01

Soya bean hulls

0.01

Palm kernel expeller

0.02

Dried distillers grain

0.30

Molasses

0.15

Chicory

0.20

Lucerne

0.06

Fodder beet

0.4

Kale

0.1

Turnips

0.28

Sodium supplementation Sodium is not stored in the body in significant amounts, which means that itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s best to supplement it little and often. The most common form of supplementation for sodium is sodium chloride, more commonly known as salt. Sodium chloride contains 40 percent sodium. Salt can be applied to forage as a fertiliser, dusted on pasture or included in water, although these methods can often have high wastage (particularly dusting), be time consuming and unreliable.

Offering salt to animals in blocks or free-access rock salt in troughs can work really well and it allows the animals to regulate how much sodium they need. One downfall of salt blocks is that animals may not be able to consume enough to meet requirements due to time constraints.

Salt can also be included in compound feed and blends, which is a good way of ensuring each animal receives adequate sodium every day. The salt can help to increase the intake of feeds by increasing palatability.

Ruminant diets that contain forages low in sodium (such as maize silage) will need to be balanced with higher levels of supplemented sodium each day and several routes of supplementation may be best.

The table shows that many supplementary feeds are low in sodium compared to requirements, which for lactating dairy cows is 0.2 percent of total dry matter.

While salt can help to increase the palatability of feeds, too much of a good thing is not always best and there is a point where too much salt can cause water/feed to become unpalatable, so caution is required.

For more information, contact your local Nutrition Specialist.

Article supplied by Stacey Cosnett, Nutritionist.

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THE FARMLANDER | 39

NUTRITION

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PASK WINERY 1133 Omahu Road, RD5, Hastings 4175 | Phone (06) 879 7906 | Fax (06) 879 6428 WWW.FARMLANDS.CO.NZ THE FARMLANDER | 41 FarmlandsEmail Co-operative Society Limited | © November 2017. All rights reserved. info@pask.co.nz

Works for you NUTRITION

42 | THE FARMLANDER

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NUTRITION

Cattle may seem full but that’s not same as fully fed Falling pasture quality over the coming months can dramatically affect the performance of milking animals and young stock, but countermeasures are available.

Spring calving cows should be “in their groove” by November – they will have peaked in production and now be gradually easing back while regaining condition as best they can. Carefully reared calves should be benefiting from increased rumen capacity to use as much of the leafy pasture on offer as they can. Unfortunately nature can throw some spanners in the works, with grasses slipping into reproductive mode and the sun slipping behind clouds that often bring shade rather than rain.

If pasture fibre levels rise and sugar levels drop, cattle on a predominantly pasture-based diet are hit by a double whammy – higher fibre pasture takes longer to ferment so dry matter intake falls; and because digestibility falls, the metabolisable energy per kilogram also drops. If neutral detergent fibre (NDF) levels rise by 10 percentage points (say from 40 percent to 50 percent), ME falls by about 1MJ. A drop in ME from 12 to 11MJ/kg DM doesn’t sound very dramatic but if at

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the same time DMI drops suddenly, milk production is dropping and cows that were holding their own are dropping condition. Young or thin cows are going to be harder to get in-calf and recently weaned calves are going to struggle to meet growth targets. Cattle can be full and appear content but are not fully fed to meet demands for production, growth and reproduction.

should still increase and the risk of a

Maintaining high quality pasture through attentive pasture management to stop post-grazing residuals rising through late spring may help to keep leafy pasture available to stock but increasing sunlight hours is beyond the ability of even the most progressive farm manager.

Index is undoubtedly focusing some

Continuing supplementary feeding or even increasing levels is one way to help counter falling pasture quality.

Continuing to feed 1kg pellets per day to calves can make a significant difference to those with a total dry matter intake of 3-4kg/day. Although there will be some substitution when “hard feed” (grains, compound feed or straights) rates are increased and pasture management will have to ensure the pasture not eaten is well used, energy intake by cows

Ionophores can help improve feed

negative energy balance reduced.

The NDF in hard feeds is less rumen filling than the NDF in forages – imagine forage being like the volume of a hotel compared with hard feed being like a demolished hotel – the cells of fresh and conserved forages fill the rumen much more than fibre in hard feeds. Fonterra’s new Fat Evaluation farmers’ interest in reducing palm kernel usage, with resurgence in demand for compound feeds and blends across New Zealand.

Rumen-protected fats offer one way to supplement energy intake without compromising dry matter intake. efficiency while helping to reduce the risk of bloat but interest is also growing in the use of yeast-based additives.

Various sorts are available that can help fibre digestion by supporting fibre-digesting rumen microflora.

Options are available when nature works against progressive farmers.

For more information, contact your local Nutrition Specialist.

Article by Dr. Rob Derrick, Nutritionist, Farmlands.

Farmlands Co-operative Society Limited | © November 2017. All rights reserved.

THE FARMLANDER | 43

Works for you HORTICULTURE

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44 | THE FARMLANDER

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HORTICULTURE

Advantages to applying fertiliser through foliage Growing crops is not just a case of sowing seed but requires a full understanding of the many factors involved in a very complex process. One of the most important of these factors is nutrition. Even a small deficiency, especially of a micronutrient, can lead to serious metabolic disorders and consequent reductions in yield and/or compromised quality. It is therefore vital that the balance between all nutrients is optimised.

There are many reasons why foliar fertilisers are an effective solution for crop nutrition. These include slow mineralisation of elements applied as solid fertiliser, mineral imbalances (low and excess), soil type, soil pH, soil compaction, plant stress, leaching, drought and excess crop load.

It is best to apply foliar fertilisers using a preventative approach, before a deficiency occurs. If a nutrient deficiency is visible in a crop, you have already suffered a yield penalty and production has been compromised.

Correcting an existing deficiency is still a good idea, to mitigate further

| Foliar fertilisers are best applied in the early morning of a fine day, while there is moisture in the plant.

have been available and used by commercial growers in New Zealand for more than 25 years, the past 6 via New Zealand-based crop protection company Zelam. Headlandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s parent company is global agribusiness FMC. The Headland range has been designed with tank mix compatibility and optimising plant uptake in mind.

Single-element or combination foliar fertilisers are available for fodder beet, forage brassica, cereal or pasture.

foliar nutrient products for more

In building the knowledge base to help understand and target what nutritional issues may be encountered in a crop or site for the season ahead, the more background we can gain the better. Key information such as soil analysis (deficiencies and excesses, pH), soil type, paddock history (previous crops, yields), applied base fertiliser (quantities, form) and any foliar nutrient test results all helps in building an informed picture.

than 30 years. Headland products

During spring, rapid growth and

losses. Applications are best made in the early morning of a fine day, while there is moisture in the plant.

Applying well-formulated nutrients through the foliage can alleviate the problem of element antagonism in the soil, e.g. boron uptake from the soil is antagonised by high soil calcium levels.

UK-based company Headland has been developing and formulating

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high nutrient demands can create shortfalls in optimum availability of nutrients at the root zone. Imbalances (excess or deficiencies) can inhibit the uptake or availability of other elements. Soil pH can also affect availability of the nutrients within the soil solution. Information on these two aspects provides a head start in identifying current issues and what lies ahead as the season progresses.

Well-timed applications of foliar nutrients to match crop growth stages, combined with crop protection products, will meet demands. If intervening at a later stage, based on test analysis or visual symptoms, using a well-formulated foliar fertiliser makes it possible to correct a deficiency to mitigate any further yield penalty.

For further information, contact your Farmlands Technical Field Officer or the friendly team at your local Farmlands store.

Article supplied by Zelam.

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THE FARMLANDER | 45

Works for you ANIMAL MANAGEMENT

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46 | THE FARMLANDER

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ANIMAL MANAGEMENT

Quarantine drenching tool against resistance Internal parasite resistance is thought to cost New Zealand sheep, cattle, deer and goat farmers at least $20 million in lost production every year.

There are two main contributors: ineffective drenching and livestock management of animals bred on the property; and animals brought in from another property. Where a lot of stock, particularly lambs and calves, are brought in often from multiple sources, their drench history, worm genetics and resistance status is relatively unknown.

Quarantine drenching, as the name suggests, is the practice of drenching brought-in animals on arrival with a triple-acting product likely to remove a high proportion of resistant parasites.

Once the animals are drenched, they are held in a quarantine area, usually a yard, to allow the expulsion of these parasites before they are moved on to “clean” pasture.

The quarantine after drenching is to allow adult worms and immature larvae to be killed and pass out in the faeces in an area where they can’t develop or be consumed by other animals.

Having dealt with the adult and immature resistant worms, there will potentially still be the eggs of some resistant worms not killed and these will take longer to pass out of the digestive tract. Therefore, it is recommended that recently introduced animals not be grazed immediately on the “cleanest” paddocks but rather on the most contaminated paddocks after the initial 24-hour quarantine.

This will dilute the population of

WWW.FARMLANDS.CO.NZ

| Once the animals are drenched, they are held in a quarantine area, usually a yard.

worms surviving treatment with worms already present on the property.

contains members of the macrocyclic

Ideally, this quarantine paddock should then be grazed with animals with a higher immunity (e.g adult ewes), a different species (e.g. cattle), closed up and conserved for supplementary feed (hay or baleage) or considered as part of the pasture renewal programme for the property.

and levamisole (clear) families

Finally, a word of caution. Lambs that have either been trucked long distances or held in yards without ready access to water may be dehydrated and therefore more susceptible to levamisole toxicity.

Water must be made available to all stock in the quarantine area. Feed should be considered as well.

number of worms surviving treatment.

Choosing a drench The choice of drench should be based on the resistance of the animals being brought in. Of course, the whole process is predicated on not knowing what this is. In most instances a triple-acting drench that

lactone (ML), benzimidazole (white) such as Evolve® Sheep HiMin or Evolve® Tape will be appropriate.

The advantage of a triple-acting product is that parasites with a resistance to one or two of the actives will still be susceptible to at least one of the other actives, thus minimising the For finishing, grazing or growing lambs, Evolve Tape and Evolve Sheep HiMin can be relied on to reduce the worm burden on your property without compromising your drench resistance status. Where the drench resistance status is known, a double-acting drench such as Saturn® can also be used.

For more information, contact your Farmlands Technical Field Officer or the friendly team at your local Farmlands store.

Article supplied by Donaghys Animal Health.

Farmlands Co-operative Society Limited | © November 2017. All rights reserved.

THE FARMLANDER | 47

FORAGE AND ARABLE

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FORAGE AND ARABLE

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THE FARMLANDER | 49

FORAGE AND ARABLE

What can we help you juggle?

Ballance and Farmlands can work with you to create a fertiliser plan that juggles the value, timing and productivity goals required for quality feed and profitable stock.

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50 | THE FARMLANDER

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FORAGE AND ARABLE

Clear path to success for late summer feed crops supply to develop healthy root systems and the nitrogen will support early growth. The stronger the start, the better the chances of a good finish.

If you’re growing crops for late summer feed, these tips will help you get the best results.

Good groundwork Use soil test information to adjust pH and base nutrient levels for your chosen crop. Remember, it takes six months to a year to adjust soil pH, so if yours isn’t in the ideal range, take this into account when calculating potential yield.

Head start A starter fertiliser that includes nitrogen and phosphorus (like DAP) will set up your crops well. Germinating seeds need a readily accessible phosphorus

a number of seasons, its organic nitrogen reserves may be low.

• Timing is everything Plants take up nitrogen only when

Brassicas and fodder beet may need boron to avoid brown heart and improve yield. Cropzeal Boron Boost is a good starter option for this purpose. It has boron in every granule, which delivers the micronutrient more evenly to the crop than is possible by including boron in a mix.

they are growing. It is important that it is available when it will boost canopy growth, giving plants more power to convert sunlight into energy to improve yield.

Brassicas need nitrogen 4 to 6 weeks after emergence and again around 8 to 12 weeks. Fodder beet

Best dressed

requires a single application at

Nitrogen side-dressings are the next crucial step and there are some key points to ensure you apply nitrogen to best effect.

canopy closure. Apply nitrogen to maize once it reaches knee height (technically, the 6-true leaf stage).

Targeting application to high

• A feel for yield Targeting nitrogen application to expected yield minimises waste and maximises the return on your nitrogen investment. Tools such as the AmaizeN calculator (for maize) or the Ballance Brassica Calculator can help refine your predictions.

• Weed watch Weed control will help stop invaders “stealing” applied nitrogen from your crop.

growth periods has another advantage. If you apply nitrogen too late in the season, close to grazing when growth is slowing, the crop’s nitrate levels may get too high, resulting in stock losses or reduced performance.

• Protect your nitrogen investment Product choice is vital in cropping as you’re using large volumes of nitrogen and the potential for loss is high. Volatilisation losses can

• Nitrogen in reserve?

Pay attention to Available N test information. This tells you how much nitrogen your soil will supply during the crop’s life, so you’ll know how much to top up from the bag.

If you are cropping former pasture land, quite a bit of organic nitrogen may be unlocked from the soil when it is cultivated. Alternatively, if the land has been cropped over

exceed 30 percent of nitrogen applied when urea is used for side-dressing crops. Using SustaiN keeps more of that nitrogen in the soil to support crop yield.

For more information, contact your Farmlands Technical Field Officer or the friendly team at your local Farmlands store.

Article supplied by Ballance Agri-Nutrients.

| Maize needs nitrogen once it reaches knee height, when it will boost canopy growth.

WWW.FARMLANDS.CO.NZ

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THE FARMLANDER | 51

for you FORAGE ANDWorks ARABLE

SMART & SIMPLE SECURITY Keep a close eye on your shed, gates, livestock and house, 24 hours of the day, from your smart phone.

Sengled lights are the perfect tool for farmers who are constantly on the

Smart Sense is a water-proof 90 second delay sensor light which means

move or who are after added security. You can be on one side of the farm

you don’t need to get a sensor fitting installed. Your Smart Sense can be

and know exactly what’s happening on the other. You don’t have to deal with

used on any constant current fitting. If you already have a sensor fitting,

messy wires or an expensive professional set up. It’s as easy as changing

simply double click your light to set it to a constant current setting.

a light bulb.

Sengled’s full range, including Snap ($234 excluding GST), Boost ($77.48

The Snap is an international award-winning security monitor which has

excluding GST) and Smart Sense ($23.47 excluding GST) light bulbs, are

been cleverly built into a Par 38 flood light to give you a high-definition

available at selected Bunnings stores.

video and audio surveillance system. The technology merges with eco-friendly, high quality, energy-saving LED light globes. This means you can choose from screw or pin bulbs to use in fittings you already have on your property. The Snap should be used with a constant current light fitting.

If you decide to replace a sensor light with Snap, make sure you switch it to the constant current setting before using.

If your Wi-Fi needs extra strength, Sengled Boost helps to expand your home internet reach by up to 30 metres. By placing it in black spot areas you can enable better connectivity wherever you need it.

52 | THE FARMLANDER

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FORAGE AND ARABLE

Prevention better than cure for cereal diseases Wet conditions at the start of spring are likely to result in higher disease pressure earlier in the season in wheat and barley crops. In situations that further contribute to disease risk, such as early sown crops and those with less varietal tolerance to key diseases, it is important to ensure robust preventative fungicide programmes are in place early. This is particularly critical for diseases that may have built up over winter and will then thrive under high moisture levels.

One of the aims of disease control is to retain photosynthetic area on those leaves that make up the “engine room” of the plant – the critical Flag leaf in wheat and Flag-1 leaf in barley. By preventing fungal infections from penetrating the plant, subsequently destroying cells as they grow within the leaves, and stopping saprophytic diseases from robbing the plant of carbohydrates and nutrients, an effective fungicide programme is essential to protect the yield potential of the crop.

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In these situations, DuPont™ Acanto® fungicide is well suited to the T1 spray timing, or around the GS 31 growth stage, as systemic, translaminar and vapour activity provides excellent protection for 4-6 weeks over this critical period.

A follow-up spray is recommended when conducive conditions prevail.

The timing of these two sprays should aim to reduce the disease load as the critical top three leaves are emerging and to capitalise on the strengths of the product to protect the Flag-1 and/ or Flag leaves. The strong activity of Acanto not just on moisture-driven diseases but on leaf rust, stripe rust and powdery mildew further contributes to the product’s flexibility.

Acanto (picoxystrobin) is a broadspectrum fungicide in the strobilurin class of chemistry. Picoxystrobin has been shown to increase green leaf retention in cereal crops and provide excellent control of labelled diseases.

Together, these factors contribute to improved yield potential compared with other strobilurin products.

When mixed with prothioconazole, the two modes of action offer a sound resistance management strategy, with excellent broadspectrum disease control in wheat and barley. This combination can be particularly useful for season-long resistance management, providing a rotational break from at-risk SDHI chemistry, which may have been used as a seed treatment or form part of a later fungicide programme.

Effective longer-term management practices including crop rotation, stubble control and variety selection will help to reduce inoculum loads, contributing to an integrated approach that will help to reduce the pressure on fungicides.

DuPont Acanto (and all other strobilurin chemistry) should always be applied in a mixture with another effective mode of action fungicide, never applied alone.

For more information, contact your Farmlands Technical Field Officer or the friendly team at your local Farmlands store.

Article supplied by DuPont.

Farmlands Co-operative Society Limited | © November 2017. All rights reserved.

THE FARMLANDER | 53

FORAGE AND ARABLE

Taming weeds in forage seeds to the soil surface, enabling germination within the crop.

from enhancing weed control, quality forage for your livestock.

establishment1. This is especially the

Three important weed control aspects worthy of focus in your forage brassica cropping plan include cultural control, spray-out and seedbed preparation, and the use of pre- and post-emergent chemicals.

case when sowing into scenarios with

Cultural weed control

spout at sowing (e.g. DAP), ensuring

moderate to high weed seed loadings

Agronomic practices that contribute to the rapid development of a dense brassica leaf canopy have an important role to play in providing cost-effective weed control. Aside

good seed to soil contact and

Weed control is important in forage brassicas both to minimise crop competition and to reduce soil weed seed content in advance of subsequent crops or pasture.

Forage brassicas are particularly susceptible to weed competition during

in the soil, such as previously cropped ground or run-out pastures with even just a low weed content. Cultivation can also bring long dormant weed

the pay-off is increased yield and Areas to address include soil testing and correcting soil pH and fertility, preparing a quality seedbed, planting at appropriate soil temperatures and moisture, placing fertiliser down the

monitoring early for pests to maintain plant population. These practices contribute to rapid germination, establishment and canopy cover,

| Fathen is controlled in the right-hand side of this forage brassica crop through treatment with T-Max, while the left side was untreated.

54 | THE FARMLANDER

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WWW.FARMLANDS.CO.NZ

FORAGE AND ARABLE

brassica all about timing ensuring the crop gets a head start on weeds and then shades them out.

incorporation or moisture activation

Poor plant populations or crop

requirements of the specific chemical

establishment (e.g. due to unforeseen

Spray-out and seedbed preparation

being considered. This offers the

pest damage or adverse weather

The principles involved here apply for both cultivated and direct drilling situations. An effective spray-out kills all existing vegetation, including rhizomes and roots. This reduces seedbed trash and assists with preparation of good soil tilth for sowing and rapid germination2.

The basis of this application, or applications, is typically glyphosate.

A tank partner appropriate for any hard-to-kill broadleaf weeds present, with a residue profile appropriate for subsequent crops, may be warranted.

benefit of controlling weeds before

events) often leads to a poor canopy

they affect the crop, but it is a longer

and exposes the crop to weed

timeframe until the brassica reaches full

pressure throughout the growing

canopy. It is important to get the pre-

season. These scenarios require

emergence approach right, particularly

careful assessment so talk to your

ensuring your weed spectrum is

Farmlands Technical Field Officer

covered and seedbed preparation and

as soon as possible for advice.

Perennial weeds regrowing from root remnants (e.g. dock, Californian thistle or yarrow) can be difficult and more expensive to control selectively within the brassica crop, particularly under pre-emergence herbicide programmes, and so are best dealt with at spray-out.

the need to control early season

and perennial broadleaf and grass

caterpillar and diamondback moth while

Pre- and post-emergence weed control

weeds in brassicas. RadiateTM is ideal

LorsbanTM is suitable for a broad range

for controlling weeds such as fathen,

of pests including nysius and cutworm.

Most brassica crops will still benefit from chemical weed control while the crop emerges and establishes.

Effective control of weeds during brassica establishment relies on selecting a suitable approach for your scenario (pre- or post-emergence programme) and then selecting herbicides that best fit the weed spectrum and crop rotation.

nightshade and thornapple, while

Always read the product label before

A pre-emergence herbicide programme may be suitable where you have a reliable understanding of the weed spectrum that will affect the crop and can achieve the seedbed surface,

harder-to-kill weeds, by which time they

WWW.FARMLANDS.CO.NZ

any incorporation is of a high standard.

Post-emergence weed control is all about spraying if and when weeds emerge and selecting a herbicide that best matches the weed spectrum affecting the crop. One of the benefits here is this often coincides with brassica pests, which can affect plant

Monitor your crop Timing is critical for successful weed and pest control in brassicas. Walk your crops regularly and thoroughly to identify issues early for timely treatment. When assessing your brassica crop for weeds or applying herbicides, consider the need or

population – e.g. nysius, cutworm,

opportunity to control pests that may

diamondback moth and white butterfly.

be present or are building up in the

Suitable chemistry is available to control a wide spectrum of annual

TM

T-Max

controls a broader spectrum

crop. SpartaTM provides control of springtail, leaf miner, white butterfly

using agricultural chemicals to

including hard-to-kill weeds such

ensure suitability for your situation

as spurrey, redroot, water pepper

and understand directions for use.

and seedling or regrowth perennials

For more information, contact your Farmlands Technical Field Officer or the friendly team at your local Farmlands store.

such as docks and Californian thistle.

Application timing is key as best results are achieved when weeds are treated at the 2-4 leaf stage. Delaying application often leads to poor control of some

1

De Ruiter, J et al. 2009. Management practices for forage brassicas. Forage Brassica Development Group, pp38-40.

2

and will not be suppressed by canopy.

Ritchie, B et al. 2000. Successful No-tillage in Crop and Pasture Establishment – A field manual for NZ farmers and contractors.

CINTRE, Feilding, NZ, pp37-39, 78.

Control emerged weeds early and get

™Trademark of the Dow chemical company.

your brassica canopy doing the rest.

Article supplied by Dow AgroSciences.

are already competing with the crop

Farmlands Co-operative Society Limited | © November 2017. All rights reserved.

THE FARMLANDER | 55

FORAGE AND ARABLE

56 | THE FARMLANDER

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FORAGE AND ARABLE

New Holland and Farmlands are proud to announce our new partnership from 1 November 2017!

New Holland produces one of the widest ranges of agricultural equipment in the world and are excited to offer Farmlands’ shareholders an exclusive deal on all equipment – from garden tractors to combine harvesters.

When you pay for any new New Holland tractor or machinery with your Farmlands Card, New Holland will give you a 2% credit on your next purchase from them.

17NH133 - Imported by C B Norwood Distributors Ltd

Talk to your local New Holland dealer today!

Brett Stiven Operations Manager New Holland New Zealand

newholland.co.nz WWW.FARMLANDS.CO.NZ

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THE FARMLANDER | 57

RURAL INFRASTRUCTURE

Constant rat control – all year round Goodnature – Constant Control App

Contains no toxins

A-Class humane

Download Goodnature’s new App to better monitor and maintain your traps’ success.

Happy trapping!

See the traps in action at www.goodnature.co.nz Traps also available for stoats and possums.

Available at your local Farmlands store!

0800 200 600 www.farmlands.co.nz 58 | THE FARMLANDER

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RURAL INFRASTRUCTURE

Stockwater systems only as good as groundwork If there’s one thing Pete Carswell has learned from designing over 1,600 stockwater systems, it’s the importance of good installation to longevity and performance.

Iplex Pipelines’ Rural Project Manager says coiled polyethylene (PE) pipe revolutionised rural water systems in the 1980s, offering fast, flexible, costeffective installation in 200m lengths, rather than metal or PVC “stick” pipe with a joint every 6m. The type of PE material has changed over the years, with high performance polyethylene (HPPE) pipe now the industry standard, due to its abrasion resistance, flexibility and superior flow performance.

| A dispensing trailer, available on loan from most Farmlands stores, is the safe way to handle a 120kg coil of PE pipe.

Whatever type of coiled PE pipe used, there are some installation do’s and don’ts: Always bury the pipe, wherever practical. PE pipe is a relatively soft material and needs protection from damage, whether from farm machinery or stock. Direct exposure to UV light also causes embrittlement, eventually leading to pipe failure. Carbon black gives rural pipes their colour and is a natural inhibitor of this UV degradation; however the black colour causes the pipe to heat up in direct sunlight on hot days. This can lead to the classic overpressurisation “parrot-beak” pipe burst.

When it’s impractical to bury pipe, run it along fencelines and let the pasture grow over.

Check coils prior to installation.

Some negligible scuffing, scratching or slight kinking as an outcome of storage and transport is not uncommon due to the soft nature of PE and in no

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way lessens the pipe’s service life.

The factor of safety is 10 percent – if scratches are more than 10 percent of the wall section or the kink is showing signs of yielding (slight whitening), this section should be cut out and the pipe rejoined with a coupler.

can be removed. The downside is that

Use a pipe dispensing trailer to uncoil pipe. This is fast and efficient and causes less pipe damage than rolling the coil over ground to uncoil.

There are also health and safety issues in handling coils of PE pipe, with a 63mm x 200m coil of Greenline standing 2.5m high and weighing 120kg. The good news is pipe dispensing trailers are available on loan from most Farmlands stores.

the best person to seek advice from as

Trenching versus mole-ploughing.

In general, open-cut installation is less harsh on PE pipe. The pipe is not subjected to stretching stresses and the nature of the ground into which the pipe is being laid can be observed, so large or jagged stones

trenching can be slower and more expensive than the alternatives.

In the right soil conditions, moleploughing is an excellent installation method, being both fast and cost effective. Your local rural contractor is to which installation method to use.

“My last piece of advice,” Pete says, “is to never deviate from the designer’s installation plan without consultation. A reticulation design is an outcome of a very precise survey followed by thorough flow and pressure calculations. Changing pipeline routes, pipe diameters or pressure classes can lead to suboptimal performance or even pipe failure.”

For more information on pipe installation, contact your Farmlands Technical Field Officer or the friendly team at your local Farmlands store.

Article supplied by Iplex.

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THE FARMLANDER | 59

Works for you RURAL INFRASTRUCTURE

60 | THE FARMLANDER

Farmlands Co-operative Society Limited | © November 2017. All rights reserved.

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Choosing the Right Trough Valve

RURAL INFRASTRUCTURE

There’s a reason farmers are turning to Hansen as their preferred trough valve. With up to 30% faster fills and a host of lower maintenance features, they’re fast becoming the choice of a new generation of users.

Follow these steps to choose a suitable valve from the table below.

Hint: Grab a pen and circle the items relevant to your trough

Stteepp 1 - Kn ow S yo ur ur trr oouu gghh ’’ss ennttrryy sttyyyle lee

h ck te p 2 - C he S te let h h’ g ’ s innlle u r t roo uggh y o ur yo . e z iz i s si ad t h rree ad th

9L/min @ 29 psi

S tee p 3 - C hoooooss thh e ar m lee ng e g th th thh att suui u iitttss y ou our tr ou o ug u gh g hh..

34L/min @ 29 psi

• Suits confined spaces

• Compact design

• Hansen Ezi-Clamp arm makes level adjustment a breeze

• Reliable in low and high pressure applications

• Ability to attach a diffuser hose

• Durable long life valve seat

C h o o see te p 4 S te b a lll f lol o a t st e g r tthh e laa rg our f iti inn ttoo y tthh a t w illilll ttrroo u g h .

188L/min @ 29 psi

S teepp 5 - T hheenn w iti t h stto t oocckk nu m be rs s in in m in d, cchh ooo see a H aann se s eenn V al a vvee thh aatt s ui u i ts t s.s .

570L/min @ 29 psi

• High performance cost effective trough valve

• Delivers high volumes of water quickly with unrestricted full flow

• Patented slipper fit piston helps eliminate stuck valves

• Stock proof bendable arm • Self Cleaning for clean/dirty water

Pressure Range 0 to 12 Bar / 0 to 174 psi

Pressure Range 0 to 12 Bar / 0 to 174 psi

Pressure Range 0 to 12 Bar / 0 to 174 psi

Pressure Range 0.2 to 12 Bar / 2.9 to 174 psi

Top only

Top or Side

Top or Side

Top, Side or Bottom

1

Trough Entry Style

2

Trough Inlet Adapters

3

Arm Options

Included

4

Float

Included

115mm or 140mm

140mm or 115mm

(sold separately)

(sold separately)

5

Stock Type & Total Volume

Calves, Horses, Pigs, Goats, Chickens

Dairy - Fewer than 150 Sheep - Fewer than 2,500 Beef - Fewer than 175 Calves

Dairy - Fewer than 500 Sheep - Fewer than 6,000 Beef - Fewer than 600

15mm, 20mm, 25mm

15mm, 20mm, 25mm

15mm, 20mm, 25mm

20mm, 25mm, 32mm

Note: 15-50mm standard & long tail adapters also available separately

Note: 15-50mm standard & long tail adapters also available separately

Note: 15-50mm standard & long tail adapters also available separately

Note: 15-50mm standard & long tail adapters also available separately

Short or Long

Long or Short

Standard & Extension Arms Included Included Dairy - More than 400 Sheep - More than 6,000 Beef - More than 600

Stock volumes based on each valve’s flow rate at 29 psi (2bar). Flow rates will vary from farm to farm due to pipe size and system design. More information is available from Hansen Products’ website (www.hansenproducts.co.nz) or by contacting a Hansen Products Water System Specialist, phone 0800 420 349

Available at your local Farmlands store!

0800 200 600 www.farmlands.co.nz WWW.FARMLANDS.CO.NZ

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REAL ESTATE Works for you

168

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WHAT ARE THEY WORTH TO YOU?

Spend less time in the office, and more time doing other things.

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2.5%

BANK FEEDS

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62 | THE FARMLANDER

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REAL ESTATE

Boundary indicative only Property ID: DG1028

Lower Northland dairy farm Currently leased out, this 302 hectare (600 cow) dairy farm in Dargaville could tick all the right boxes for both investors and farmers alike, who will appreciate the gentle contour and good soil fertility of its seven titles. Farm improvements include a 50 bail rotary cow shed, feed pad and four dwellings. Its location only 8km from Dargaville (population 4,200) is attractive to staff. Farms of this size, scale, quality and affordability are few and far between – call now for your full information pack. Price by negotiation.

www.farmlandsrealestate.co.nz

Nicky Reid Rural – Northland 0800 100 027 nicky.reid@farmlands.co.nz

Property ID: IN2077

Fattening, dairy grazing, conversion A property of 298.1 hectares in excellent heart that will produce reliably whatever you want to farm. The majority of the farm has been re-grassed in recent years showing excellent growth rates in grass and crops. In an area that most people do not consider but you will be impressed if you are to consider. Faithfully farmed by the same family since 1880s. Three bedroom family home with extensive shedding. Reliable water supply and central lane system. Well worth inspection. Price $5,950,000 plus GST.

WWW.FARMLANDS.CO.NZ

www.farmlandsrealestate.co.nz

John Beaufill Lifestyle / Rural – Invercargill 027 431 0054 john.beaufill@farmlands.co.nz

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THE FARMLANDER | 63

REAL ESTATE

Property ID: MT1042

141.6 hectares — Hermitage Farms Limited • • • • •

140,341kgMS produced from 440 cows (4 year average) 40 aside herringbone dairy Subdivided into 50 paddocks Implement/calf shed, hay barn and half round shed Three homes

Auction 11am, Wednesday 22 November 2017 at 13 Rawhiti Avenue, Matamata (unless sold by private treaty).

64 | THE FARMLANDER

www.farmlandsrealestate.co.nz

Ian Morgan Lifestyle / Rural – Waikato 027 492 5878 ian.morgan@farmlands.co.nz Glen Murray Lifestyle / Rural – Waikato 027 488 6138 glen.murray@farmlands.co.nz

Farmlands Co-operative Society Limited | © November 2017. All rights reserved.

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REAL ESTATE

Agricultural contracting business in Canterbury An exciting opportunity to purchase a standalone operation or add scale to an existing business. After over 30 years of agricultural contracting, specialising in cultivation and drilling, the Vendors are seeking a directional change. Located near Windwhistle, this business has a broad client base combined with well-maintained plant. There is flexibility for either an outright purchase, or an equity partnership with an existing shareholder. $995,000 plus GST (if any) or Equity Partnership.

Property ID: DA1744 www.farmlandsrealestate.co.nz

Matt Collier Lifestyle / Rural – Darfield 027 205 6626 matt.collier@farmlands.co.nz

Property ID: HN1409

Izone Business Park, Rolleston New complex due for completion Christmas 2017. Warehouse area of approximately 5,700m2 with 10 metre stud, offices and canopies to suit tenants’ requirements. Approximately 8,000m2 of fully concreted yard area. Further extensions could be built to suit clients if necessary. This property offers competitive rentals in this sought after locality approximately 15 minutes to Christchurch.

For sale or lease.

WWW.FARMLANDS.CO.NZ

www.farmlandsrealestate.co.nz

Malcolm McNaughton Commercial / Industrial – Christchurch 027 297 4297 malcolm.mcnaughton@farmlands.co.nz

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THE FARMLANDER | 65

REAL ESTATE

Looker Farm — Location, quality and production Outstanding, very well-presented dairy unit in Orton. 260.9 hectares (subject to survey and title), with a 6 year average production of 410,000kgMS, 40% of cows are wintered on the farm, milking 990 cows this season. Includes a 60 bail rotary with automatic cup removers. Pivot irrigation, on-farm pond storage with good water consents, all on premium dairy soils.

Well presented manager’s and staff accommodation. Located approximately 6km from Clandeboye Dairy Factory. Deadline sale closing 1pm, Tuesday 21 November 2017.

66 | THE FARMLANDER

Property ID: TU11014 www.farmlandsrealestate.co.nz

Calvin Leen 027 453 0950 calvin.leen@farmlands.co.nz Simon Richards Lifestyle / Rural – Timaru 027 457 0990 simon.richards@farmlands.co.nz

Farmlands Co-operative Society Limited | © November 2017. All rights reserved.

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REAL ESTATE

Karoro Creek Road, Kaka Point, South Otago This 411 hectare, quality hill country property close to the coast comes with a huge opportunity to possibly diversify into tourism or honey production. Outstanding native bush, quality subdivision, pasture renewal and farm tracking for ease of access. There is the opportunity to build with several sites to choose from. Shared boundary of approximately 1.5km.

Opportunity to purchase the neighbouring property of 167 hectares at 36 Gall Road, giving a combined area of 578 hectares (more or less). Tender closing 30 November 2017 (no prior offers).

Property ID: DU2522 www.farmlandsrealestate.co.nz

Patrick Bowden Lifestyle / Rural – Balclutha 027 436 5161 patrick.bowden@farmlands.co.nz

Property ID: DU2536

36 Gall Road, Otekura, South Otago 167.7 hectares (414 acres). Ideally suited as a first farm or an add-on property. Four bedroom brick home with open-plan living.

6-bay implement shed with one bay enclosed and Te Pari cattle yards. Predominantly rolling to medium/steep hill country with native bush areas. Reliable natural water. Subdivided into 21 paddocks. Ideal beef or heifer grazing operation. Opportunity to purchase the neighbouring property of 411 hectares at Karoro Creek Road, giving a combined area of 578 hectares (more or less). Tender closing 30 November 2017 (no prior offers).

WWW.FARMLANDS.CO.NZ

www.farmlandsrealestate.co.nz

Patrick Bowden Lifestyle / Rural – Balclutha 027 436 5161 patrick.bowden@farmlands.co.nz

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THE FARMLANDER | 67

REAL ESTATE

Property ID: IN2022

Pine Bush dairy farm

www.farmlandsrealestate.co.nz

The Vendors are ‘calling time’ on their 254 hectare (subject to survey) dairy farm which they converted in early 1990s. Well established and set up unit in excellent heart, with a proven record of reliable production. 40 aside herringbone cow shed with circular yards and a new effluent consent until April 2026. Double sided concrete feed pad plus additional stand-off pad. Four bedroom manager’s home plus an additional four bedroom home for staff accommodation. Excellent fertiliser and re-grassing history.

Several woodlots included in the sale. Price on application.

John Beaufill Lifestyle / Rural – Invercargill 027 431 0054 john.beaufill@farmlands.co.nz Patrick Bowden Lifestyle / Rural – Balclutha 027 436 5161 patrick.bowden@farmlands.co.nz

Property ID: IN2048

Top opportunity

www.farmlandsrealestate.co.nz

Centrally located property of 74.9 hectares near Winton that would suit all forms of farming. Well set up with central lane and exceptional sheds for a contractor, engineer or car enthusiast.

A lovely remodelled family home with views across the farm and beyond to the distant horizon. Set in a very private setting you can BBQ in the large semi-enclosed gazebo with power.

20 hectares deer fenced, easy rolling contour in good heart, 4 hectares of pine, backing onto native bush backdrop. Price by negotiation.

68 | THE FARMLANDER

John Beaufill Lifestyle / Rural – Invercargill 027 431 0054 john.beaufill@farmlands.co.nz

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REAL ESTATE Works for you

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FAR_07062

REAL ESTATE

Get your exclusive price at www.farmlands.co.nz/Toyota *Terms and Conditions apply.

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REAL ESTATE

Earn TRIPLE Choices Rewards Points!

WHEN YOU PURCHASE ANY NEW TOYOTA VEHICLE ON YOUR FARMLANDS CARD! Not only can you enjoy exclusive shareholder pricing but for a limited time purchase any new Toyota vehicle on your Farmlands Card and you will also receive

TRIPLE CHOICES REWARDS POINTS.* So whether you’re after something for the farm, family or just for fun, Farmlands and Toyota have the perfect vehicle for you.

WWW.FARMLANDS.CO.NZ

Farmlands Co-operative Society Limited | © November 2017. All rights reserved.

THE FARMLANDER | 71

$300 Z Gift Cards to be won every day.

We loved rewarding our Farmlands shareholders in October, so weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re giving away even bigger prizes in November!

Simply fuel up at Z and pay with your Farmlands Card to be in the draw to win that dayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s prize. To find out more and for terms and conditions, visit www.farmlands.co.nz

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SAVE

c 12 Per litre

Save 12c per litre every day on fuel at Z when you pay with your Farmlands Card.