Nelson Marlborough Farming October 2020

14,500 copies distributed monthly – to every rural delivery & P.O. mailbox in Nelson, Marlborough & The West Coast. October 2020

INSIDE Change is the only constant in life Federated Farmers Reports pg 6 Garrick Batten ‘Resilience & Survival’ pg 7

Anissa Bain ‘Finding the right answers’’ pg 10 Grazing Regulations pg 10 PLUS Soil Health Wool & Country Motoring

Heraclitus the Greek philosopher once said, ‘Change is the only constant in life’ and 2020 has brought that home to the world, and has certainly had an influence on the direction and mind set of the farming community. New regulations covering nitrogen use, winter grazing policy and the fencing of waterways coupled with the effects of covid-19 have given everyone plenty to think about.

Shortly Fonterra will be introducing a greenhouse gas emissions profile for every dairy farm, which will help farmers understand their own carbon footprint and how to make changes.

The dairy industry in New Zealand compares well to the rest of the world emissions are 30% lower than

farms in Europe and North America. One litre of milk in NZ produces .91kg of carbon emissions while the global average is 2.5kgs.

Fonterra’s report on its carbon footprint reveals 9% from manufacturing, 1% during the distribution process and 90% from farms.

Methane production from cows burping is probably one of the biggest sources of greenhouse gas and is directly proportional to kilograms of dry matter eaten. One kilogram of dry matter produces 21.6gms of methane.

The gas will be produced whether that kilogram is good quality or poor quality. Nitrous oxide is emitted from soil when urine faeces and fertilisers are broken down by microbes in the

soil. Bought in Nitrogen in the form of feed or fertiliser will increase production but not necessarily increase profit. One tonne of PK contains 25kg of N.Analysis of 38 dairy farms from dairy base information, plotting nitrogen surplus against operating profit showed some of the most profitable units had the lowest nitrogen surplus. Similarly, when emissions/ha were plotted against operating profit /ha many of those farms with lowest emissions showed the most profit.

New Zealand dairy farmers are well placed to reset their businesses by reducing costs from importing feed, producing higher quality pastures by deriving nitrogen from clovers and reducing emissions.

Andrew Ritchie

There are many examples of farmers achieving the same level of production from fewer cows through better utilisation of the most efficient form of feed;

quality pasture. Fonterra is planning to recognise and reward farmers using the carrot rather than the stick method for those who meet sustainable targets.

The opportunity is being presented to make the most of the latest ideas and science but whatever choice is made change will occur regardless.

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Primary sector exports and jobs up again

Jobs top priority Hon Nick Smith The scale of Nelson, Marlborough and New Zealand’s economic problems were laid bare with three major reports out last week.

Stats NZ reported the biggest ever drop in our national income (GDP) of 12.2%.

It is much worse than Australia’s 7%. This is because Australia has taken a more targeted approach to Covid controls allowing low risk industries like construction and forestry to continue during lockdown. NZ’s inflexible approach also cost us the Rugby championship.

National’s plan is to be tighter at the border by testing everyone before they come into New Zealand but to also work much more closely with industry on tailored solutions that keeps businesses working. A good example of this was the positive solution I brokered for Nelson’s marine engi-

neering businesses.

Treasury’s pre-election report is awful for jobs.

70,000 people have lost their jobs since March and they forecast losses of another 100,000. The forecast is for 250,000 jobless by 2024. Unemployment numbers in the top of the south are forecast to top 8,000.

National’s top priority is jobs. National has the experience and track record from two previous recessions when we halved unemployment. Dole numbers reduced every year from 2010 to 2017 under National, but increased again in 2018 and 2019 prior to Covid. Labour does not understand that business confidence is key to saving jobs.

It is extraordinary that Labour is proposing new costs on small businesses like extra holidays and doubling sick leave at this time of a

Hon Damien O’Connor, Minister of Agriculture jobs crisis. National will support businesses to retain and grow jobs with our $10,000 Job Start grants, this week’s announced new technology package and incentives for investment in plant and machinery.

Treasury’s financial report is equally bleak with Labour running deficits for the next 15 years which means they will continue to borrow every year till 2035. Debt would top $200 billion and be 48% of GDP. National agrees that borrowing is needed in the short term to stimulate the economy.

Under our plan we will put more into infrastructure and growing New Zealand’s assets. We will put less into Government bureaucracy.

We will let New Zealanders keep more of what they earn by providing income tax reductions next year worth $3,000 for average earners.

We will return to surplus by 2027 and keep debt under 36% of GDP. The third report out last week was the ASB’s quarterly regional economic report showing Nelson was 16th - the worst performing region. The March report before Covid also had Nelson bottom. This contrasts with the same reports under National which had Nelson at number one for both the first and second quarters of 2017. Marlborough is ranked nearly as badly second to bottom with Canterbury. This negative report shows how Labour has hurt our region with increased taxes and centralising services. Government allocation of regional development funding has become far too political as evidenced by the $20m for Taranaki’s Green School and the hundreds of millions for racing and Northland. We have been short changed.

Election 2020 is all about the economy and jobs.

National looks forward to sharing our ideas over the next month on how we can rebuild and recover.

Primary sector exports and jobs are up again, demonstrating the sector’s underlying strength amid the covid-19 global pandemic and US-China trade war, and supporting New Zealand’s economic recovery.

At the end of September Stats NZ reported New Zealand’s merchandise exports in August were up 8.6% on a year ago, driven by an increase in the value of our fruit which is up 28.2% with gold kiwifruit up 48%, wine up 17.9%, and dairy products up 10.2%.

Across the whole year to August, against the backdrop of a global pandemic and the US-China trade war, all exports have grown by 2.8%, with milk power, butter and cheese exports up 11.1%, meat exports up 9.9%, wine exports up 8.5%, fruit exports up 8.4% and vegetables exports up 6.3%.

Our farmers and growers are supporting our economic recovery by earning top dollar based on a reputation of sustainable food production. The smart thing to do is to keep supporting this success.

The Government’s focus on jobs over the past three years also showed through, with Stats NZ also reporting today that the number of filled jobs across our primary industries reached 99,920 in August, up by 8,720 or 9.6% from a year ago.

We’re making sure people have the skills that businesses and sectors require through initiatives like free ap-

prenticeships. We’re also backing our farmers and growers by positioning New Zealand globally, including doing the work to secure free trade deals with economies like the UK and EU. The Government is also working in partnership with the primary sector to support their environmental credentials which helps us stay ahead of the curve internationally.

We’ve made a range of immigration policy changes to ensure the sector has the workforce it needs as summer approaches and extra jobs come up on farms and in orchards.

People in New Zealand with expiring working holiday visas can now stay to fill short-term horticulture and viticulture roles, with Supplementary Seasonal Employment visas being automatically given to around 11,000 people holding working holiday visas that expire between 1 October 2020 and 31 March 2021.

The Government has also made border entry exceptions for up to 30 veterinarians, 570 deep sea fishing crew, and 210 agricultural and horticultural mobile plant operators. These people will still have to undertake managed isolation.

The Government will continue to actively manage these policy settings to make sure industries get the workers they need, while also ensuring New Zealanders who have lost jobs due to covid-19 have the chance to find new employment.

October 2020

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Joe Blakiston PGG Wrightson Real estate Tasman sales manager and Rural salesperson 0274344069 I’m not going to make any predictions as to what the election outcome is for fear of being proved wrong as soon as the NMF is published so I will stick to real estate matters only .

As you will see by our advertisement, we have shifted back into the main PGGW building at Richmond after AON vacated the lease earlier this year .

It will be great to be among the rest of the wider PGGW team in the offices and we look forward to working even closer with our field reps.

The horticultural side of our business is the leading light for retail sales and reflects what we see in the local real estate market .

Demand for horticultural and development blocks is strong as we see investors look to secure gains in land

value rather than the current low interest returns.

Pastoral farming is also popular and with our great Dovedale and Tadmor farms being promoted at present we have something for everyone .

Enquiry and viewings are coming from all over New Zealand and reflect the popularity of the Tasman region.

Speaking of Tasman - how about the mighty MAKO? Now we can have crowds at games let’s all make an

effort to get to at least one game this season as we look to repeat last year’s result.

The MAKO have started well and wouldn’t it be great to get a shot at the Ranfurly shield this season ... Who knows…?

Anyway, we have had a reminder of winters cold blast in late September -let’s hope we get plenty of rain and warmth to really set up a good spring.

Have a great month

We’re back into the main PGGW building in Richmond

October 2020

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Federated Farmers

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Nelson Federated Farmers Report Miriama Stephens CEO Wakatu Inc spoke to the September meeting in her role as Programme Director of Te Tauihu Intergenerational Strategy that is reported elsewhere.

Following discussion, the Board later decided to establish a working relationship with the Strategy.

President Martin O’Connor reported on the fortnightly Drought Committee meeting that is already planning for a drought this season and what can be improved. There is a need to raise awareness with repeated messages about planning now for stock numbers and how to feed and water them. Soil moisture levels have been in deficit since last summer and rainfall has not topped that up. Gavin O’Donnell noted the need

Te Tauihu Intergenerational Strategy

for more soil moisture monitoring sites to add to rainfall, river and aquifer level information.

The Animal Welfare Advisory group is also concerned at multiple issues carrying over from last summer, feed shortages and stock condition to face next summer. Members commented on similar observations during recent South Island travel. The recently re-activated Rural Advisory Group will also be involved.

Most meeting discussions covered ongoing general and specific concerns with Freshwater regulations with examples and possible solutions in anticipation of further amendments.

Martin has been involved with continuing meetings that agree on the need for clean water but not at the possible effects of bankrupt farmers.

Marlborough Federated Farmers Report Farmers Feel Ignored by Government and Wellington Bureaucrats Frustration and anger was expressed at Marlborough Federated Farmers over government’s recent issue of “water reforms.”

Phillip Neal in his president’s report said farmers were not being fairly considered by government especially in decision making. “My latest ‘gripe’ is the Freshwater reforms where the Government set up the Freshwater reform lead-

ers group and appointed bureaucrats and academics and only one token member who had farming experience. Obviously, a recipe to cook up the results they required which led to a clumsy, ill-conceived and impractical result,” he said.

Federated Farmers and other farming organisations were only consulted after the reforms were set in concrete. Phillip Neal had some sympathy for the Minister of Primary Industries Damien O’Connor -“a

good man I believe” - and given the opportunity and freedom could be a good friend to farmers. However, government seemed to hold the primary industries sector in such low esteem, that Damien O’Connor had no influence in gaining access for overseas experienced professional agricultural operators. “In contrast, the Minister of Racing, Winston Peters got overseas operators into NZ to lay an artificial horse racing track and wealthy donating film producers bring into our country overseas film crews and all their equipment. I feel we are well and truly at the bottom of the heap,” he said.

Phillip Neal was hopeful that consultation with Minister Damien O’Connor would see changes made to the initial freshwater reforms details. Waihopai high country farmer Aiden Mackenzie supported Phillip Neal and questioned

Following comments on an earlier document the Te Tauihu Intergenerational Strategy see www. tetauihu.nz> is now developing the second draft due by the end of October. It has been driven by Wakatu Inc – the largest landowner in the region as part of a 25-year programme for the wellness of soils, air, water, plants, animals and people that identified the need for a 500-year wellness strategy aimed at being good ancestors.

Involvement of 8 iwi, TDC, MDC, NCC, business, SMEs, NMIT and the wider community especially young people has developed 7 priorities to show leadership for the region that is not dictated by central government. One outcome has been the initiative for a unified voice if only to overcome diverse messages from over 150

NGOs in the region, and for a better allocation of resources. The future has to be to develop suitable frameworks for consultation and inputs from necessary honest conversations to activate mid and long term strategies as current models have limitations. That includes how to plan progress, monitor and measure it.

This initiative reflects essential Maori values to welcome and respect others, and it is up to the region to respond if it wants to achieve the necessary visions for the community’s values. Analysis of the Steering group indicates the need for more landowner input, and the Programme management and Project groups need some practical implementation balance to the current planning emphasis.

Rural people can provide that.

Tony Orman

where government obtained the data that resulted in such poor plans. “The real pollution happens down country where the tar-sealed roads are. Chemicals are the biggest threat,” he said.

As a high-country farmer, fencing every stream on his property, would result in horrendous and crippling costs.” Sharon Parkes of Linkwater said clarification was needed.

Councillors Present Present were four Marlborough District Councillors Nadine Taylor, Barbara Faulls, Cynthia Brooks and Francis Maher.

All expressed frustration with government processes.

Deputy mayor Nadine Taylor said a major obstacle was central government not listening. “Council has tried to push strongly and formulate regionally and government overdose us,” she said. Councillor Cynthia Brooks said basically the issue was bureaucratic in-

terference in Marlborough.

“It’s a nationally driven document that unfortunately embraces Marlborough.

It’s frustrating, hugely irritating and dealing with Wellington bureaucrats can be a nightmare,” she said.

Councillor Francis Maher implored farmers not to blame council. “MDC has had a very good relationship with farmers. Don’t make council the bogey.

Steeper hill country like high country may not be affected. Don’t go off halfcock.” Cath Turnbull said she had phoned MDC on the matter, but no one could shed any light on the effects.

Apparently to plant winter crops, farmers will have to get resource consents.

Warwick Lissaman said it was very questionable if the proposed law was workable. “I would argue each farm is different relative to soil type. If we accept the only criteria is slope, then that’s being unrealistic. We are in danger of accepting something that is nonsense.”

Scott Adams of the Northbank said “stock” was a term too loosely defined and questioned how the local council would go about enforcement. “Perhaps council should turn a blind eye in the short term, i.e. the next couple of years and see where the reforms end up?”

Nadine Taylor said MDC needed to be practical and pragmatic over the government proposals.

“First steps should be educational and then if the need arises, enforcement comes into play.”

More Bureaucracy?

Waihopai farmer Richard Dawkins said the proposals would see a rise in bureaucracies and heavy costs coming to ratepayers. He cited the Otago Regional Council which had come out strongly saying the freshwater reforms would result in 70 more staff.

There were grave uncertainties relating to the proposals such as is annual ryegrass a winter crop and what is the definition of a paddock he said. Councillor Barbara Faulls said Federated Farmers should tell council of her concerns. No other industry was undergoing the same scrutiny and council staff were sympathetic to farm-

ers. Ross Beech said regardless of the government’s composition, the water issue was not going to go away.

“We need to sort the deal out and everyone needs to look at it. The proposal are impractical and extremely disturbing”. Scott Adams said the situation was due to “city bureaucrats with bright ideas, driven by government.”

“Whereas 50 years ago it was locally driven, now it’s from central government where some of the bureaucrats were probably not even born 30 years ago. We need to tell the government to get stuffed and do it the Marlborough way.” Ross Beech said he had confidence in Marlborough’s ability to cope thanks to good council input and responsible farmers.

“Marlborough’s dairying industry had only 9% noncompliance whereas some other regions had almost 50%. The forestry industry has some environmental issues, but overall Marlborough is in a positive position.”

Deputy Mayor Nadine Taylor said dialogue would continue. She expressed “huge sympathy” with farmers and was confident that together, the issue could be worked out. Later after the meeting, Nadine Taylor said councillors had taken written notes of the questions raised at the meeting, collated them and passed them on to Council staff to review.

“Councillors have arranged with the Federated Farmers Chairman Phillip Neal to attend the next MDC meeting, along with the relevant council consenting staff, to work through and address the questions raised. We want to work with and help Marlborough farmers as they begin to work through the Government’s new requirements,” she said.

Needle Cast Pines In her forestry report Sharon Parkes said early signs of red needle cast had been reported from Nelson. Red needle cast has started appearing on both Douglas fir and radiata pine in the Nelson area.

In spring (late August/ September), foliage over all

or part of a tree crown turns a mottled yellow-green, then brown. Unexplained needle cast events in pine trees have been seen in planted forests in New Zealand since at least the 1950s.

Domestic demand for logs and sawn timber remains strong while the longerterm forecasts are uncertain.

New Zealand saw-millers are “cautiously optimistic” about the future. As expected, there were small increases in CFR log prices over the last month in China, but these increases were negated by increased shipping costs and the NZD strengthening against the USD. “After a pretty tumultuous period as far as China is concerned, this key market for NZ forest products has stabilised with prices steady to slightly firm and all key indicators trending toward the positive,” she said.

Top of the South Rural Support Trust Chris Bird in a written report said “The Top of the South Rural Support Trust” has been continuing with its ongoing support of farmers in need in the Marlborough Region.

There is still a small number of farmers struggling to cope with the aftermath of the autumn/winter drought, and with lambing and calving underway, some are in difficulty providing quality feed to their animals at this critical time.

On the east coast, there was concerns about prospect of a second drought in a row.

The Top of the South Drought Committee are continuing to meet, with the main concern is the seasons ahead with the likelihood of a dry summer ahead.

Meat and Wool Scott Adams reported good rain however snow levels were low as is ground water and may be an issue in mid-summer. Weather is ideal for lambing and calving. Beef prices were satisfactory, but sheep prices have slipped back Dairy Sharon Parkes said a dry July/August made for easy calving. Grass growth is good, although more rain would be welcome. Fonterra prices had slipped back.

October 2020

Across My Desk

Resilience and Survival Garrick Batten

John Hollis Rural Agribusiness Broker Colliers International Limited Nelson

There is so much going on at present, I find there is never a shortage of topics for discussions anywhere you go. The waiting room at Med Lab the other day produced interesting dialogue from all present. Interestingly enough, nothing was mentioned about the election, Trump, (thank goodness) covid-19 and level one, no, the conversation in the waiting room focussed on our farms, farmers, and our future. Refreshing you might say, and it was. It was reassuring to hear how these “townies” felt about our farmers. Their workload, the compliance issue, (growing every day), foreign ownership always gets a mention with the obligatory passion, and on it went. Animal cruelty, part time workers from overseas thrown in which resulted in the participants showing a surprising understanding of all subjects covered.

To be honest I was quite surprised, but on reflection, we were talking with people of this region, and I believe there is a difference there. To cap it all off, one participant asked about our future and the calibre of our young farmers coming up through the ranks. The words, “world beaters” and “inspirational” were included in my response, resulting in gentle nods of satisfied reassurance around the room. Time was up. The short debate had finished, the big reward was listening to people who did have a genuine interest. After all, it’s all connected to the largest industry on the planet.

Food for the people. I did enjoy talking to them.

Have a great month and work safely.

John Hollis

Since covid-19, the public apparently has started to love farmers for producing food. And now recognises the agricultural industry is an even more significant part of our economic survival, convinced by BNZ estimating agriculture’s share of total exports booming from 54 to 70%. Already the 2020 second quarter Terms of Trade were a record from dairy, kiwiwfruit and log export income.

Farmers have to cope with weather, market prices, work patterns, cash flow, diseases and pests they may not be able to control. And challenges from domestic and offshore politics, public opinion, increased costs and the inability to pass them on. So, they develop and use risk management strategies in their businesses with different products, systems, land uses and income streams. That can take time to test and put in place. Media-happy academics and business commentators with incomplete understanding or knowledge are upset farmers do not adopt their pet farm solutions to save the country and them.

Exchange rate risk is a constant, and dairy farming is one example where the 100 index around a breakeven $6 per kg MS farmgate milk price in the last 10 years has been 87,106, 138, 108, 105, 142, 78, 71, 108, 113. It did not seek government support during those down years, and resilience allowed it to recover.

The public could compare farmers with employees’ regular income for carrying out their responsibilities and duties whose risks are those of their employer. Or compare urban businesses with simple models of services and products to meet estimated needs. Their customers use or buy at prices the businesses set to cover costs they can largely control and returns they need. Even those customers are less affected by weather, politics and outside influences like pests and diseases.

Some have developed specific risk strategies like Nelson clothing manufacturer Martha Washington whose orchid glasshouses spread income streams from completely different markets and provided flexible staff workstreams. Farmers have less inbuilt flexibility for their business location and size.

Covid-19 has exposed how simple business models are vulnerable without being able to manage risks, so we have subsidised employees with $13.6 billion. Businesses relying on international markets for tourists that provided a third of agriculture’s export value have been particularly susceptible. So far the solution has been to ask for even more taxpayer support as in the Tourism Industry Aotearoa Election 2020 Plan. That is in addition to wage subsidies, the extra $200m in the last Budget on top of the historic annual $100m+, and $300m+ to protect key tourist businesses. They cannot keep relying on government support and must de-risk and rebuild their business models.

Farmers have proved that it is possible to operate with even more risks in virtually the same markets without the same taxpayer subsidisation and survive for the next challenge.

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Healthy Soils B&LNZ ran a community event to provide information to about 60 farmers on the importance and methods of achieving healthy soils.

Chaired by Greg Sheppard, the first speaker was John King, a Holistic Management educator presented his outcome focus on regenerative agriculture to address the issue he identified as food not connected to health and health not connected to food. His advice is influenced particularly by USA experiences to limit soil disturbance, maintain covered soil using plant diversity with living roots, integrated with livestock.

That would drive capacity to reduce costs and risks,

not production and profit.

In a NZ situation, he identified a mix of 8 plant species for specific on-farm needs for erosion control, moisture retention, soil fertility, animal and soil health and production. That plant diet would produce less but animals would eat less grazing only the most nutritious top third with frequent shifts, leaving the rest for soil replenishment.

His focus was on increasing soil carbon and questioned whether there was an upper soil organic matter limit.

Regenerative agriculture suffers from a lack of NZ related science and some of his examples included questionable interpretation

of our existing science and experience. In particular, was a photo showing 30 years of early Canterbury cropping without fertiliser when pioneers experienced the need for a grazed pasture break in their cropping rotation and Lincoln College started needed superphosphate research in the 1880s. The contention that concentrated grazing would improve production did not acknowledge fertility transfer within farm as experienced before the introduction after WWII of rotational grazing for higher production.

He acknowledged that adopting his approach was much more challenging on

hill country that is important in this region where most cultivatable soils are in permanent crops or are unsuitable for cropping.

Differences between farms, farmers and soils were covered by his enthusiasm.

Dr Alex Mackay, a senior AgResearch soils and livestock systems scientist concentrated on hill country, describing the results of 40 years continuous fertiliser research to investigate and recommend management practices for the ecosystem supplying plants animals and humans with healthy soil. He identified risks of erosion, declining soil nutrient status, physical and organic matter situation,

John King speaking biology and access to contaminants. His research had established organic matter targets for normal and ample levels that were stable at depth over time and concluded that soil carbon under usual and recommended fertiliser applications on hill country was adequate for an agricultural healthy soil.

Any loss under grazing was stable at all depths but could be huge under cultivation.

Slope influenced loss than fertility. He explained the

critical 0-75cm soil zone that deemphasised lower levels.

However, soil moistureholding capacity was a significant factor as moisture levels were relevant to high production. Any evidence of declining pasture production probably reflects a changing climate rather than current fertiliser and grazing management negatives.

He elaborated on John King’s claim that earth-

worm casts were the cheapest fertiliser. The three pasture earthworms in NZ are all imported and the one that works transferring nutrients to lower soil levels is not well distributed. As earthworms are the easiest soil biology to see, research has established desirable populations but identifying species is also important.

B&LNZ Fact Sheet describes important soil characteristics and aspects of related management.

Nelson A&P show goes on The Nelson A&P Association is still underway planning their Show scheduled for the 21st & 22nd of November. For 2020 only there are no presale tickets available, but the gate ticket prices have been reduced. Trade site prices have also been reduced, and some sites are still available, but get in quick - contact manager@richmondpark.nz.

This year on farm Beef and Dairy Cattle classes for the adults have been added to the Show Schedule joining the Boys and Girls on farm competition. The announcement of the winning entries and presentation of Ribbons and Trophy’s will be at the Main Stage at the Show on Saturday 21st between 12 and 12.30pm. For the benefit of the public there will be Cattle on display in the new look Animal Barn which is now located more centrally at the Beef Sheds.

Special highlights of the 126th Show include the Top of the South Digger Skills Competition, the Top of the South Mounted Equestrian Games and a Doggy Fashion Show run by The Breeze. Enter your canine companion in the Saturday Fashion Show for a chance to win some prizes. On Sunday Discover Dogs will be on before the littler dogs compete in the ever-popular Terrier Racing at 2pm. For the equestrian competitors, the Nelson Show is a chance to gain Horse of the Year points, so make sure you don’t miss out entering.

In the trade stands Two Hands Health will be available for those interested in learning about the benefits of chiropractic care for people and animals. Drummond & Etheridge, Enzed, Norwood Products, Waimea Water and the Nelson Beekeeping Club will also be present. Copies of the Nelson A&P Association’s book From the Country to the Town will be available at the Show for the special price of $40.00 giving a saving of $10.00.

As we are now in level 1 our plan is to run the Show as normally as possible. In the event that we are in level 2 on the 21st and 22nd of November, we have a Plan B in place to run a MEMBERS & COMPETITORS ONLY SHOW. Apart from the Cooking and Sheep Sections, the majority of Show competitions including the Wood Chopping and the Top of the South Digger Skills Competition will run so no one’s hard work will go to waste. Please follow us on Facebook or keep an eye on our Website where we will keep you up to date on what is going on. www.richmondpark.nz - http://www.facebook. com/#!/NelsonAPShow

October 2020

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Driver licence complication for workers

By Stuart Smith MP

Horticulture and viticulture industries in New Zealand rely on Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) workers to plant, maintain, harvest and pack crops as there simply isn’t enough Kiwis available for these jobs. These workers provide a major productivity boost to these sectors which in turn is incredibly beneficial for New Zealand’s economy.

RSE workers have experienced their fair share of challenges due to Covid-19 and the border closures. It’s

incredibly disappointing that the Government is making things more difficult for those who have had to remain here by requiring those who have been here for more than 12 months to obtain a New Zealand driver license.

It’s a requirement that all international arrivals must obtain a New Zealand driver license if they’re to remain here for more than 12 months. This requirement makes sense as those seeking to remain here long-term should show commitment to

Native Bush Vitality There are various pressures to increase the area of native bush on farms that in NZ has reduced from 80% cover in 1300, to 55% in 1800 pre–European, 40% in 1900 and 18% in 2000. At the same time bush vitality will become increasingly important in farm management, legislative, regulatory and social senses in addition to normal farmer care for over 1.4m ha on farms now.

NZ forest is unique with 80% of the 2500 species of native plants found only here, but resilience in isolated bush fragments is often low. Improvement keys are native birds and plants and assessment considers forest shape and structure, species, specifically food sources for birds, and pest presences or threats to both.

Bush vitality will be influenced by species, their presence at critical canopy levels, key flowering and fruiting times to sustain bird life cycles, and presence of plant and animal pests. Some exotic plants on bush margins should not be ignored as they can assist with space and time for regeneration, alternative bird feed sources and aesthetic benefits.

A big and round patch of bush has the most and best interior space, although elongated patches can be important preservation corridors, especially if more than 100m wide.

Birds are important for spreading seeds so patch proximity of no more than 2km apart helps bird communication and flight. Separation more than 5km isolates bird populations.

adhering to New Zealand’s road laws and driver requirements.

But RSE workers generally return home before any 12-month period lapses so this has never been a problem. With the borders closed, these workers have not been able to return home. Industry leaders have written to the Minister of Transport in hope that common sense could prevail and that the requirement to obtain a New Zealand driver license for these workers could be waived. As

per usual, this request has fallen on deaf ears, which means RSE workers won’t be able to drive anywhere, even though they have generally done so safely these past 12 months, or risk being fined if they do.

It has already been a long and stressful season for many seasonal workers. Workers have experienced much uncertainty around their employment, have not been able to return to their families, and have been required to relocate to find work. We

shouldn’t be imposing unnecessary bureaucracy on these workers who provide such a major benefit to New Zealand.

These workers have suffered enough already and need every cent they can get to get them through these tough times until they can return home. The Minister of Transport needs to grant an exemption to these workers, so they can continue to operate and travel as they have without issue prior to the borders closing.

With the election on us, what of the past three years? Gone are the stories of what used to be called “the wall of wood”.

Instead the industry has raised its profile and become an everyday news item. The debate has been around changing rural land use as the decline in plantation levels has been arrested. Some wood processors have found new life while others have exited. Both log and carbon prices have been at higher levels than many had expected. Overall it has been three years of progress. The out-going Minister of Forestry can be congratulated for being an unceasing advocate for the industry and should take pride in his contribution to what the industry has achieved.

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Latest regulations covering intensive winter grazing

The recent regulations regarding intensive winter grazing requirements from 1st May 2021 were covered at the recent DairyNZ day at Havelock. There is to be no increase in the area of winter forage cropping on a dairy farm or on a dairy support unit. So if winter grazing has not been used on the property previously it will be a prohibited activity in future years. The area in crop can be no larger than used from 1 July 2014 -30th June 2019. The average slope of the paddock must be less than 10 degrees. The area can be no bigger than 50ha or 10 percent of the farm. There must be a 5m buffer from rivers, wetlands and drains. Pugging must not be more than 20cm deep and can’t cover more than 50% of the paddock. To overcome this regulation Southland farmers are only drilling half the paddock in crop. The paddock must be resown by October the first.

Paddock selection should be considered carefully. It is important to have a grazing plan document which deals with every eventuality such as a large volume of rain. Some farmers are moving the fences twice a day or feeding the stock then removing them from the cropping paddock. The pugging rules do not apply to grass paddocks.

The new regulations are designed to prevent any further intensification of dairying. Resource consent will be required to convert more than 10ha to dairy and to increase the irrigated area over 10 ha.There will be a cap on the use of nitrogen fertiliser to 190kg/N/ha per year from June 2021. This applies to any enterprise run as a single operation regardless of parcels/boundaries. The cap cannot be offset against non-grazed land on the farm.

Forage crops may receive more N only if less is applied on pasture. The estimated number of farms where the annual N fertiliser use exceeds 190kg/ha in the West coast Tasman area is under 200 whereas the number exceeding the rate in Canterbury is 600. In both cases the figure is 59kgs above the 190kgs/ha.

Andrew Ritchie

Cattle on a winter crop of fodder beet

Who to call…

Anissa Bain, Partner, Pitt & Moore

I was mulling over what topic to cover in this column, pondering on whether it should be another overview of the new Trusts Act 2019, a dive into the Farm Debt Mediation Scheme, or a meander through the national freshwater policies. I then received a call

from a farming client, who I will call Bob. Bob recently experienced a bereavement of a close family member and he wanted to discuss the estate administration.

It became apparent during our conversation that life is tough for him at the moment and he feels like he’s walking through treacle. Bob also had other issues on his plate, at this stage all fairly minor, one with a contractor, another with a tenant and yet another arising from the Trusts Act 2019. On top of that were issues that were not strictly legal matters and more to do with family dynamics.

Bob didn’t feel the need to get legal advice on any of these matters outside of the estateadministration largely due to the fact the issues themselves weren’t overly significant and because he didn’t see the need for a ‘legal response’. And fair enough too, the cost of legal advice can at times seem disproportionate to the issue at hand.

But, as a consequence of Bob and I talking through the issues at a relatively high level we were able to create a plan for Bob and that left Bob feeling empowered and most importantly, no longer feeling overwhelmed. And that is the part of my job that I enjoy and treasure the most, being able to help guide people to their destination whatever or wherever that might be.

It made me reflect that

not infrequently when I talk with clients, some issues which could have been ‘nipped in the bud’, have fully bloomed - because in part, the client thought it was too early to call in the lawyers. And again it is understandable that most people don’t reach for the phone and dial 0800-lawyer at the first sign of trouble or the embarking of an exciting new venture. But so often a small amount of time spent with a lawyer sooner rather than later is time well spent. I particularly think this is true for those in the rural sector where forging a livelihood takes a significant level of determination, confidence and resilience. And is an environment where time and money can often be in short supply. Having trusted advisors walking next to you, pointing out the pitfalls and hazards and giving you an objective sounding board is enormously beneficial. And having those discussions earlier rather than later is enormously cost effective.

It is my view that the role of a lawyer is not to know all the answers all of the time (an impossible goal) but rather to know where or how to find the answers, to provide objective advice and to shoulder some of the worry. So, my message in a nutshell - if you have an issue that’s troubling you even only a little, call your lawyer to talk it through.

October 2020

Calving draws to a close Andrew Ritchie The weather has been kind to dairy farmers for calving in the Marlborough region according to a large group at the first Dairy NZ meeting of the season. Most of those present recorded an increase in production compared to the same time last year. The majority were still feeding some supplement in the form of PK or silage, but grass growth is close to providing enough feed with one farmer reporting that he had already shut up some paddocks for silage. Only one attendee was planning to sow a crop to be grazed in winter. Among the problems encountered was milk fever and a few cases of mastitis. Good results in the avoidance of milk fever was achieved by the application of magnesium chloride during the last few weeks of pregnancy. Too early introduction of magnesium chloride may decrease the uptake and prove less effective as a preventative.

Two farmers mentioned Theileria as contributing to ill health in some of their cows. The disease is transmitted by ticks and results in the destruction of red blood cells causing anaemia and can result in sudden death. If animals are not responding to treatment for milk fever, yellow or pale skin round the mouth may indicate the presence of the parasite.

Several farmers were planning, or had used in the past sexed semen, some with mixed results possibly, they thought, due to the use of frozen semen. Sexed semen is $45/straw compared to $23 for non-sexed semen. The consensus was to use sexed semen on the best cows and put the remainder to beef lowering the quantity of bobby calves going to the works. DairyNZ facilitator Mark Shadwick suggested that it may be useful in lowering the production of greenhouse gases long term by producing more beef from the dairy herd, as being a more efficient method of producing beef. Perhaps there could be a cooperative formed by dairy farmers designed to supply beef farmers in the future, he said.

An attentive crowd at DairyNZ Field day Havelock

Fonterra community meetings Fonterra annual community meetings around the region in July covered both manufacturing and farm production to discuss its strategy change from volume production.

The slogan of ‘good together’ for a new way of working with its shareholders and the community is intended to empower people (you, me, us) to create goodness for generations to come.

For the manufacturing plants, Covid-19 inevitably meant challenges but also opportunities such as switching ethanol production to hand sanitisers and making emergency protein for USA. However, the major thrust has continued working on sustainability targets to flatten and reduce energy intensity and net zero emissions by 2050. Fonterra plans no new coal-fired boilers, so the Brightwater plant is a testbed for biomass energy source that used 120 m³ a week mixed 40:60 with coal. There is a problem with moisture content variability, and future developments will examine emissions and heat recovery. Although pelleted biomass is an option, it has an energy cost to produce and pellets are one-third more expensive.

The Brightwater plant is also focussed on other environmental projects such as reducing to zero landfill waste by 2025 and innovatively reducing operational energy intensity and use. Fonterra is also actively involved in various environmental projects such as Port Tarakohe penguin shelter, Motupipi river restoration, Pupu springs monitoring, Fish Creek wetlands, Project Mohua sustainable Golden Bay catchments and the new major Pelorous catchment project.

The cooperative’s new alignment puts NZ first despite

some scary new regulatory implications for its farmers and the stupidity of a national nitrogen fertiliser cap to apply for different soils and climates, with a lower cap already in the TDC LT Plan. Suppliers have made significant sustainability progress with 43% already having farm environmental plans and 100% expected by the end of this season, so well ahead of the 2025 national target. Additionally, each farm will have a Nitrogen risk assessment and report. Forecast payout is expected to be lower this next season and Tasman’s 124 suppliers reduce by two suppliers a year on average. There were over 900 in 1950.

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October 2020

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64th Annual PGG Wrightson Machinery Sale

Auctioneer Peter Barnes sells a trailer for $1300

Having been postponed in early September due to covid-19 the 64th Annual PGG Wrightson Machinery Sale was held at Omaka on Wednesday the 23rd September. Over 300 lots were auctioned including the usual varied collection of surplus equipment from tractors, fencing materials, machinery, dog kennels, trailers, trees and even a dinghy. Auctioneer Peter Barnes did his best to encourage the large crowd of attendees to part with their money in warm but windy conditions. By 4pm the paddock was cleared and PGG staff had turned over $60,000 of goods. The sale provides a useful service recycling equipment at a reasonable cost that otherwise would be gathering dust in a shed, or rusting in the corner of a paddock. Long may the tradition continue.

Andrew Ritchie

Should I take Co Enzyme Q10?

Imagine trying to drive your car after someone had crimped the fuel line from your fuel tank to your engine.

The car would still run but would quickly lose power on a hill or under load.

This is much like our bodies when they have insufficient Co Enzyme Q10 (CoQ10). CoQ10 acts like the fuel line in your car by transporting energy within cell energy factories called mitochondria to make the energy we need.

Co Enzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is an essential vitamin-like substance we make in our liver. While we normally make all the CoQ10 we need, some people because of age, health problems or medications can benefit from taking good quality CoQ10. Be aware that the market is now flooded with low cost semi-synthetic CoQ10 made from tobacco waste.

The most common reason for CoQ10 supplementation is for those using cholesterol lowering (statin) medication. The side effects of statins are so common that they are a diagnosable disease called statin myopathy. The most common side effects are muscle stiffness, pain and

weakness. This can also cause general fatigue which often feels like a lack of motivation.

Statins effectively inhibit the enzyme needed to make cholesterol. Unfortunately, this enzyme (HMG-CoA reductase) is also needed to make CoQ10. Blocking this enzyme reduces cholesterol but also CoQ10 by as much as 50%.

Drug companies are well aware of this problem and hold patents for combining CoQ10 with statins. Until such drugs are available, I recommend those on statins supplement with 100-200mg of naturally fermented CoQ10 such as the patented US product CoQsol®. If people have low energy or have other health issues, I often add my MTQ10 complex formula that includes high grade CoQ10.

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

October 2020

Eight ways to spray A guide to better vineyard spraying from the team at BA Marlborough

Service your sprayer in the pre-season to prevent downtime.

Watch the weather! Weather can have a dramatic effect on the efficacy of your application. Factors to consider include wind speed and direction, as well as temperature and humidity.

Calibration is key to proper spraying, and regular inspections of the spray nozzles are essential to avoid unexpected failure during critical spraying times. Conduct a sprayer calibration to ensure correct product quantity is being delivered to the crop and is routinely checked.

Spray nozzles are a physically small component, but selection is vitally important to vineyard spraying.

There are many considerations and dozens of variations when selecting spray nozzles. It is important these are carefully considered as the implications of improper spray application can be extremely costly if re-spraying is required.

Train operators to correctly setup nozzles, fans and the usage of rate controllers. It is important to note that even the best laid plans can still result in less-than-effective results if the operator is not properly trained, or is not giving the job their full attention.

Mix chemicals before adding to the main tank to ensure product is properly dissolved which will decrease the likelihood of blockages or leftover product in the tank.

Have a cleaning process in place at the end of each day which will help to prevent the build-up of sulphur on internal and external sprayer components.

Regularly test and inspect your pressure gauge, flow meters, nozzles and sprayer output to ensure that they’re still operating at the optimal settings.

This spray guide was created by the team at BA Marlborough, formerly known as Harpers Machinery.

For specific advice and assistance find them at bamarlborough.com.

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Effects of climate change in Tasman NIWA has updated its 5-yearly assessment of the effects from a changing climate on Tasman region agriculture. You can download a copy through the TDC website. You will need to bear with the scientific language in that and in this summary.

The study used six models over a mosaic of 2500 ha land blocks to project 20-year averages for 203150 and 2081-2100 against the 1986-2005 base in two scenarios assuming there would or would not be effective mitigation of adverse causes. The generalised results will probably be no surprise given the pa-

rameters and commonly accepted expectations. It is likely to be warmer and wetter with increased extreme seasonal weather so drought may increase in summer and heavy rainfall in winter and spring.

It is likely that high temperatures and heat waves will increase and number of frosts decrease. The number of consecutive days with temperatures more than 25°C are expected to increase especially in southern valleys, around Upper Moutere and Waimea plains to increase drought intensity. Inland hill country and the eastern half of the region is also likely to be-

come more drought-prone, particularly in summer. At the same time higher temperature days enabling plant growth will also increase substantially with adequate moisture.

Winter rainfall is expected to increase with extreme events and may increase intensity with consequent waterway and land problems especially in western

and southern areas. Largest increases are forecast for winter and less for summer.

Although the number of ex-tropical cyclones is unknown, they will still occur and with possible increased rainfall intensity with short duration events more likely than longer duration events.

Increased heat wave effects, especially in southern areas can affect animal and

plant management, crop species and varieties, and even forestry. New and increased pests and diseases could be a problem for both animals and plants. The need for irrigation will increase as will fire risk. However, there could be positive benefits with more options for land with currently less flexible use, especially in the south.

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For more information call Peter on 0800 843 809.

Inevitable change That change is coming in the agricultural sector is not in question, the only questions are, how big and how soon?

With environmental degradation heading many people’s priority list it’s almost inevitable the incoming government will grasp the opportunity to make changes that will forever change our farming landscape. The emotive button is water quality and environmental groups will lean heavily on it and with the urban voice louder than the rural, the outcome is predictable.

Fonterra is already planning for a substantial decline in milk volumes over the next five years due to a reduction in cow numbers, which they believe will be mandated in the near future.

People naturally resist change. We develop patterns of behaviour that provide order and certainty in our lives and change is made only out of necessity. Even

when the benefits of change outweigh present practises we defend and maintain our current lifestyle until either through catastrophe, peer pressure, or regulation we are forced to adapt.

And in the farming community, particularly the fertiliser industry, the reliance on urea as the primary source of nitrogen for grazed pasture is coming to an end.

Nitrate nitrogen levels rather than green-house gas emissions will be the catalyst for change as a reduction in synthetic nitrogen will necessarily reduce nitrous oxide and methane losses.

Nitrogen for pasture is provided by either synthetic N or that fixed naturally by clover, and less applied nitrogen does not necessarily result in less pasture being grown and fewer kilograms of milk solids or meat leaving the property.

Dairy farmers focussed on

Forest Lakes Organic Farm providing nitrogen fixed by clover are finding that although early season growth is a little less, summer and autumn growth is considerably enhanced.

The conclusion of a report by a leading Farm Consultant when comparing total farm performance of a Functional Fertiliser client with the district average follows.

“Based on the above analysis the Biological farm performs well in all respects when compared to the district average farm.

It produces more base pasture, applies less nitrogen, runs a lower stocking rate and still achieves high production per hectare due to exceptionally high per cow production. This is a very efficient farm system which produces a high farm profit and has less impact on the environment.”

That report was from the 2011-12 season when the Functional Farming Sys-

tem ‘biological’ farm grew 18,281kgDM/ha based on monthly cage cuts. Annual pasture growth has steadily increased since with a high of 21,397kgDM/ha, an average of 59kg DM/ha/ day over a twelve-month period. There is a limit to the amount grown, and the growth increase graph has flattened, however resilience has improved with

low growth seasons above previous.

A sheep breeding and fattening client on the Canterbury Plains recently commented that he no longer worries about dry summers, not because they don’t occur, but because he knows that he’s doing the best he can.

Under a Functional Fertiliser programme pastures

grow longer into a dry spell and recover more rapidly after, due in part to the ongoing increase in moisture holding capacity of the soil as carbon is sequestered.

Graham Shepherd in a VSA Report of another client’s property wrote that for every 1% increase in soil carbon levels an extra 144,000 litres of water per hectare is held. Soils

become measurably more friable and plant roots access moisture, and nutrient, from a greater depth further delaying slow growth with the onset on summer.

The programmes are tailored to individual properties based on fertiliser history, stocking rate, and pasture requirement, with now being an ideal time to get ahead of the game.

New National Environmental Standard on Freshwater now has legal effect Anna Bensemann, Senior Planner Baseline Group Marlborough Ph 03 578 7299 email anna@blg.nz

The National Environmental Standard (NES) on Freshwater came into force on 3 September 2020 and is designed to control potential discharges into freshwater from farming activities with any non-compliances requiring a resource consent. The NES is designed to set limits and thresholds for contaminants and is to be read in conjunction with changes to the National Policy Statement on Freshwater. This document takes a slightly softer approach to the proposed versions released earlier this year. However, any person undertaking farming activities will be subject to these rules in conjunction with any regional rules for their properties.

The NES covers of a variety of activities with four key ones being feedlots or cattle holding areas, conversion of land to pastural or dairy farmland, intensive winter grazing controls and use of synthetic nitrogen.

Use of feed lots are restricted to young stock, and other holding areas for cattle are restricted to ensure they have a relatively impermeable base and effluent is managed from these areas. There is an indication that the use of a certified farm plan for freshwater would simplify the process.

This is a departure from what was originally proposed for the NES which would have seen every farm required to have a farm plan.

The new NES includes limits to the rate of conversion from forestry to pastural land use and conversion of land to dairy farming where a Regional Council has not yet made changes to give effect to the National Policy Statement on Freshwater. A maximum conversion of no more than 10

ha is permitted under these rules. A resource consent as a discretionary activity to convert more than 10 ha is able to be applied for from the relevant regional council.

The NES includes restrictions on the land able to be used for intensive winter grazing and limits the area to 50 ha or 10% of the farm (whichever is greater),land that has a mean slope of no more than 10 degrees, land that is at least 5 m back from the bed of a river, lake or wetland, even if its dry. There are also controls around how deep pugging can occur too, and how much of a paddock can result in pugging.

The final key part of this NES is the regulation on the use of synthetic nitrogen as defined in the NES and its application onto pastural land. The use of synthetic nitrogen is limited to a nitrogen cap of 190 kg/ha/year averaged over the whole farm area and excluding annual forage crops.

Application of fertiliser at greater rates than the permitted levels can be applied for as a non-complying activity, but subject to stringent requirements, and with the overall understanding that nitrogen use will be progressively reduced. There is an onus on dairy farmers to provide annual reports to the regional council as to areas subject to fertiliser use and rates of use.

This NES has the potential to capture many different farming activities, and farmers will be unaware they are required to seek a resource consent or meet permitted limits, giving rise to potential enforcement issues.

October 2020

Wool Procurement Manager, PGG Wrightson Wool

The Wool Market During recent months wool has drawn significant media time within NZ due mainly to the continued woes which have befallen the wool industry and, in particular, wool grower returns which, in the majority of cases due to most NZ wool production being coarse wool, no longer cover costs of production and sale. Whilst the past several seasons have delivered poor returns for coarse wool types, and extremely low returns to-date this calendar year, the early stages of the current season also delivered harsh reality for apparel wool types, driven by a distinct lack of global retail demand, and with prices easing considerably a hefty pass-in rate from the auctioneer’s rostrum was evident.

Growers of apparel wools who have, over the past couple of years, signed fixed price forward supply contracts, remain somewhat insulated from the most recent spot market slumps, although meeting contract specification has proved tough as many fine wools have tested weaker for tensile strength than acceptable, a direct result of the dry growing conditions experienced.

Crossbred wool types have continued to draw selective competition from the export trade over past weeks. Many growers who had stored wool for the past year or longer, have more recently made decisions to sell, meaning that a diverse range of types covering old and new seasons’ types have been available. Market prices have remained subdued due to lack of retail demand continuing to suppress processing ability throughout the pipeline. When comparing crossbred wool prices on a type for type basis, price ranges across the board have been tight, with many short and low yielding oddments difficult to move. At time of writing, the South Island auction of 24th September quoted crossbreds as being firm to sellers’ favour.

Halfbred and Corriedale wool types suffered an almost knock-out blow in the South Island auction ring on August 27th with brokers staggering from the room punch-drunk

as their pre-sale price predictions had proven to be well over-estimated, and a large percentage of those types remained unsold. Given, that for the past couple of seasons, similar types had definitely punched above their weight, the hit was tough to take, however during the following fortnight most growers accepted reality and by the close of the 10th September auction, prices had stabilized at slightly better levels than two weeks previous. By close of business on September 24th, mid-micron prices had rallied in line with Australian auctions and recovered much of the lost ground.

Merino clips offered during August, whilst experiencing reasonable interest from the export trade in light of the current world financial climate, returned significantly less than the previous year and spot market prices appeared to be about 30% to50% below those ruling a year earlier. With Australian wool market quotes crashing by the day, but a very good catalogue of stylish Merino wools available for the September 10th South Island auction, brokers did not expect a great result however an extremely solid bench of enthusiastic buyers competed vigorously for the wools on offer with prices eclipsing those achieved in Australia earlier the same week. At the September 24th South Island auction another very good line up of Merino’s attracted great support from the full bench of globally linked exporters and prices were quoted as dearer again, reflecting Australian brokers’ reports of a market improvement the same week.

Delays to shipping along with grower hesitancy, has resulted in NZ broker and merchant wool stores containing significantly more bales than at a similar time last year, although a recent improvement in shipping access has been welcomed by NZ wool exporters with product moving off-shore via either wool dump store or wool scour.

That’s my view.

Strong wool action group appoints Executive Officer, meets with industry The Strong Wool Action Group has made rapid progress with the appointment of an experienced Executive Officer and a first meeting with the wider wool sector to lay out its vision for strong wool.

International wool industry marketer, Andy Caughey has been appointed as the Executive Officer for the Strong Wool Action Group.

Mr Caughey has been involved in the wool sector in New Zealand and internationally since 1988. In 2011 he founded Armadillo Merino, a global company specializing in advanced next-to-skin clothing for tactical operators and professionals operating in high risk environments.

The group’s Chair, Rob Hewett said, “Mr Caughey’s deep understanding of the wool market and business track record is a significant asset for the group. Andy brings commercial skills and experience to the group. In Andy we have a leader that spans consumer branding and innovation as well as knowledge of what lies behind the farm gate. It’s an ideal mix of skills and experience relevant to what we need.”

The Group also held its first meeting with interested processors and exporters in the wool sector. “It was a chance to take others through what we see as an opportunity to help galvanize the strong wool sector. We covered how we intend to approach the recommendations in the Wool Industry Project Action Group report. Collaboration and alignment with a wider vision for the food and fibre sector will be central to the Group’s success and we talked through how we plan to align with the Primary Sector Council’s Te Taiao vision for the sector as well,” Mr Hewett said.

“Getting in front of people who are invested in our sector, to lay out our intentions at this stage is important. We want to take as many people as possible along with us so that we can create sustainable value for the strong wool sector, but we also need to move quickly. The strong wool industry is in a state of disarray and in need of consumer-focused change at scale.” For further information contact: Rob Hewett 021 341 744 John Rodwell 021 824 312

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The frustrations of Government’s backtracking Kim Reilly, Federated Farmers South Island Regional Policy Manager

There are immeasurable benefits to a government hearing from an array of voices, experiences, and perspectives, particularly when drafting laws with wide-ranging repercussions.

As the coalition Government has discovered, there’s also a price to pay when you selectively choose only the voices you want to listen to, and largely disregard those with differing views. As an example, the ink was barely dry on the government’s newly released Essential Freshwater regulations when troubles

with implementing the package became clear. This was despite the exact issues being voiced loudly and clearly by the farming sector throughout the submission process.

Ironically, in the weeks immediately following the release of the regulations, both Ministers Parker and O’Connor dismissed concerns raised by Federated Farmers and others with “of course they would say that” type responses. However, as the frustrations around the workability of key aspects of the regulations became louder, i t a l s o b e c a m e c l e a rer that what might be workable for a farmer Minister Parker had once visited, on the day he had visited, didn’t mean it could be

workable for all farmers, all the time.

Changes were hastily made, first to the definitions around intensive winter grazing, and then came acknowledgements that the regulatory map for s t o c k e x c l u s i o n ‘ l ow slope’ land was inaccurate and would need fixing.

The most critical backtrack came in an interview with Minister O’Connor published on 11 September 2020, where he acknowledged that the regulations would need to be “tweaked” to accommodate regional differences in weather and other factors.

Frustratingly, throughout the interview, Minister O’Connor quoted the very points Federated Farmers had been mak-

ing throughout the submission process. If only he had listened to those points at the time they were being raised. The Minister also acknowledged that the regulations would put more costs on to ratepayers and councils. Importantly, he also acknowledged that “highly prescriptive rules such as those around pugging in pastures would probably need adjusting to fit different circumstances.”

The Government has now taken the view that other flaws or unworkable aspects of the regulations can be addressed through implementation guidance provided to councils. But that raises real legal uncertainty, given the critical importance of the

wording used within legal instruments.

In short, these are clarifications that would not have been needed if the regulations had been through a better process. Similar back-tracking has occurred around the conversion of farmland to pines. Over the past two years the farming sector has been urging the government to stop the drivers behind the blanket conversion of good sheep and beef farmland to monocultural pine plantations.

Currently, the distortions created by the carbon price, the billion trees scheme and the rising regulatory pressures forced onto farmers, had led to it become twice as profitable for farmers to plant pine trees than to farm sheep or beef. The

repercussions on our rural communities, exports, environment, and food prices will take a significant toll.

Minister Parker has rec e n t l y a c k n ow l e d g e d that the rules the government thought were ‘right at the time’ ultimately had been too blunt an instrument. The knock-on social and economic impacts had become clear, as had the increased pest management and fire risks.

Changes to those regulations will also now need to be made.

None of the above matters would have been a surprise to the government had they listened to the sectors most impacted before finalising them. We’d rather the government get its regulations right up front, than scramble

to fix them after they’re finalised.

In the meantime, farmers and rural communities have to deal with the uncertainty and concern resulting from the regulations, not knowing what’s on the agenda to be ‘fixed’ next, and what investments and changes are worth making.

Whatever form the government takes post-election, we urge more open consultation and collaboration, particularly with those most impacted.

We want the next Government to get New Zealand back on track, not put out unworkable regulations that subsequently need back-tracked, derailing the country from the path it needs to be on.

The importance of magnesium In every industry there are certain things that make a difference and at times it is quite possible to overlook the obvious. In almost all types of farming one of these is the use of magnesium.

The amount of magnesium in soils has a big impact on how well a farm will perform. It is hard to think of another element (apart from calcium) that influences a farm’s profitability so much. True, every single element is important whether it is a trace element or a major element such as N.P.K.S. In the soil In the soil, magnesium rates alongside calcium. Both are major cations but while they are important, care must be taken to apply the correct rates. Magnesium at a right rate will help keep the soil friable. If too little magnesium, the soil will tend to be compacted. Too much, and the soils will be equally unworkable. Most magnesium sourced from New Zealand mines will take months to start working. Because of this, soil applied magnesium will need to be spread well ahead of time.

In the leaf Magnesium is an important element for rapid plant growth. Magnesium is important for photosynthesis because it forms the central atom of chlorophyll. Therefore, without enough magnesium plants begin to degrade the chlorophyll in the old leaves causing chlorosis, or yellowing between leaf veins which stay green. Magnesium is

mobile in nature. The plant takes the magnesium from the older leaves and transfers it to the younger leaves which have greater photosynthetic needs.

Within the animal Magnesium is an extremely important element for all stock. It is defined as a macro element, which means it is required in large quantities. Magnesium is vital for several different functions in the body including relaxation of muscles and nerves, utilisation of calcium and converting sugar to energy. Magnesium is not stored well as a reserve in the body. Therefore, stock need their daily requirement from feed intake. Often farmers blood test for elements including magnesium.

However, some magnesium can be stored in limited amounts in various parts of the body. If magnesium is short in the blood, it will transfer this element from other areas to the blood. The only conclusion is that if magnesium is deficient in the blood, there will be none anywhere else in that animal. Minor deficiencies in the blood will show as a sub-clinical problem. Sub-clinical deficiencies will lose ten percent production. There are some indicators for sub-clinical symptoms that farmers should look for in cows. These include the head down, lack of energy and flighty when shifting or in the shed.

For more information on this, please give us a call on 0800 337 869.

October 2020

NZ Young Vit 15 Year Celebrations and 2020 National Final

Since 2006 the NZ Young Viticulturist of the Year initiative has helped support passionate, young viticulturists grow, reach their goals and move into leadership roles within the wine industry. Over the last fifteen years, the competition has continued to grow and a really strong viti community has emerged consisting of previous contestants, viticulturists and sponsors who are key wine industry suppliers. “This, along with reaching the fifteen year milestone, is certainly something to celebrate and a wonderful opportunity to bring our passionate, big thinking winners together, many of whom are now senior leaders in our industry.” says Nicky Grandorge, Leadership & Communities Manager at NZ Winegrowers.

The celebrations take place on Thursday 8th October in Martinborough. They include a conference entitled “Investing in the Future” followed by a Celebration Dinner.

This year’s National Final is being held in conjunction with the celebration so the fifteenth winner -The Corteva NZ Young Viticulturist of the Year 2020 - will be announced at the dinner. “In this challenging year, it is fantastic that we have made it through our six regional finals and are able to hold the National Final. To announce the fifteenth winner at the 15 Year Celebration Dinner certainly adds to the excitement.” says Ms Grandorge.

The Young Vit 2020 Finalists competing at Ata Rangi on 7th October are: Tahryn Mason from Villa Maria, Auckland; Sam Bain from Constellation Brands, Hawke’s Bay; George Bunnett from Irrigation Services, Wairarapa; Rhys Hall from Indevin, Marlborough; Lacey Agate from Bellbird Spring, North Canterbury and Annabel Angland from Peregrine Wines, Central Otago.

The national winner will not only become the Corteva NZ Young Viticulturist of the Year 2020, but will win an amazing prize package of a Hyundai Kona for a year, an Ecotrellis Travel Grant, a Corteva educational trip to Australia, Bahco golden secateurs, a leadership week and cash. There are also cash prizes from AGMARDT for the top three national finalists research projects, BioStart for the Hortisports winner and Ormond for the Professional Reputation Award.

The previous winners who will all speak at the conference are (from 2006-2019): Marcus Wickham, Emma Taylor, Simon Bishell, Caine Thompson, Stuart Dudley, Nick Paulin, Braden Crosby, Matt Fox, Paul Robinson, Caleb Dennis, Cameron Price, Tim Adams, Annabel Bulk and Simon Gourley.

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Peter Russell wins Tonnellerie de Mercurey Marlborough Young Winemaker regional competition Congratulations to Peter Russell from Matua who came first in the 2020 Tonnellerie de Mercurey Marlborough Young Winemaker competition held at NMIT in Blenheim on 16 September. Peter has competed in the competition the last couple of years, continuing to stretch himself so he could finally take out the title. He is thrilled and now really looking forward to the national final being held in Hawke’ Bay in November.

“We love to see this drive and passion in the contestants who are the future leaders of the wine industry” says Nicky Grandorge, Leadership & Communities Manager at NZ Winegrowers. “It’s great that these young winemakers come back each year to pitch themselves against their peers and start making a name for themselves.”

Congratulations also goes to Callum Haynes also from Matua who came second and to Emma Marris from Marisco who came third.

The other contestants were Kathleen Zelter from Constellation Brands, Sophie Lamain from Giesen, Tom Flaherty from Isabel, Sophia Phillips from VinLink and Alun Kilby from Marisco. Alun was also awarded a prize for the best speech tackling a thought provoking topic on whether wine diamonds could become a new trend.

The talented Young Winemakers were tested on many aspects involved with wine production including a cellar challenge, laboratory tests, blending, fault finding, wine judging and marketing.

Due to Covid Level 2 restrictions the competition was run behind closed doors with no dinner this year. For the very first time the speeches were therefore streamed live from the Bragato Research Institute via Zoom at lunchtime. Many people tuned in to watch and then tuned back in at the end of the day to see the winners being announced.

The judges were impressed by the calibre of all the contestants and were excited to see such passionate young winemakers emerging to continue growing the New Zealand wine industry in the future.

The competition is made possible by all the generous sponsors, who are appreciated more than ever in this challenging year. The national sponsors are Tonnellerie de Mercurey, Crown Sheet Metal, Farmlands, Guala Enclosures, Laffort, O-I Glass, Programmed Property Services, Winejobsonline and New World.

Apart from being crowned the 2020 Tonnellerie de Mercurey NZ Young Winemaker of the Year, the national winner will take home an amazing prize package which includes a travel grant to visit the cooperage (tonnellerie) in Burgundy, be an associate judge in the New World Wine Awards and review wines in DrinksBiz magazine.

The national final is being held at EIT in Hawke’s Bay on 6th November.

Peter Russell

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Grevillia Ag joins expanding Plasback recycling scheme Nationwide on farm recycler Plasback has more than doubled the volume of waste plastic it collected this year compared to last year, and it thanks New Zealand farmers for taking the issue seriously.

Plasback manager Chris Hartshorne says the scheme collected 3916 tonnes of bale wrap, silage sheet, polypropylene bags and other waste plastic in its latest annual collection cycle, which ran from June 2019 through June 2020.

“That is enough plastic to go around the world five times,” Chris says. “We achieved these volumes even though 2019-2020 was a bad season in terms of weather.

“The farming community

should be applauded for its efforts to look after its plastic waste responsibly. The base of farmers we collect from is growing, and we are receiving enquiries from other rural businesses who want us to recycle products such as irrigation pipe and plastic packaging.”

Despite this good news, the high volumes that Plasback is collecting are putting stress on its network of contractors who collect the plastic from farms throughout the country.

Chris salutes silage wrap importer Grevillia Ag, which recently joined the Plasback scheme and he says it sets an example that other distributors should follow.

“Most New Zealand im-

porters do not support Plasback, so they are getting a free ride on the backs of the companies that do.”

Chris says by recycling silage wrap and other plastic waste, Kiwi farmers are closing the loop and helping create a circular economy.

The plastic Plasback collects is all recycled and repurposed into products such as builders’ film and Tuffboard, a plastic alternative to plywood.

“We are now working with a Kiwi company that is using Tuffboard to make a new generation of traps to control rats and other pests in conservation areas.

“Even more significant is the introduction of two new plastic wraps that contain a significant percentage of

recycled plastic.

“Both of these products – Cycled Wrap from Aspla and Silotite Sustane from Berry BPI – have the same stretch characteristics and UV resistance as products made entirely from virgin plastic.”

Plasback is an accredited product stewardship scheme under the Waste Minimisation Act but we are not funded by the government.

The fees that farmers pay to have their waste plastic picked up covers some of the cost of collection and processing, but not all,” he says.

“It is up to agricultural plastic distributors to be responsible and join an accredited product stewardship scheme. If they do not, they are essentially freeloading on those who are paying their share.

“Farmers should contact their rural supply store or contractor to make sure they are using products supplied by companies that support Plasback. It is only fair.”

Legislation is looming that could make recycling farm plastics obligatory, Chris says. The Ministry for the Environment has proposed naming six categories of imported goods as ‘priority products’.

Farm plastics are one of the proposed priority products. As such they could only be sold if the distribu-

tor belonged to an accredited product stewardship scheme.

“The Associate Minister for the Environment is also looking at increasing the landfill tax from $10/ tonne to $60/tonne. This will make it much more economical to create circular economies to recycle and reuse products rather than throw them away,” he says.

“Kiwi farmers have shown their willingness to do the right thing. Now it is time for farm plastic suppliers to do the same and support effective recycling with deeds and not just words.”

For more information contact Plasback’s Chris Plasback manager Chris Hartshorne (right) with Grevillia Hartshorne on 03 338 2400 Ag NZ managing director Charles Borthwick

Book Review “Sweat and Toil The Building of New Zealand”

by John McLean, published by Tross Publishing.

Price $40.

Reviewed by Tony Orman

In this 252-page book, are detailed descriptions of a good number of big public works projects that created roads, railways, viaducts, lighthouses etc., in the 19th century. The author says in the introduction most NZ history books have bypassed “the biggest story of the 19th century” in the physical building of public utilities. Involved were skilful engineers and surveyors, work-managers in contractors and of course the “sweat and toil” of the workers themselves.

Author John McLean is the great, great-grandson of John McLean who founded the firm of John McLean and Sons which became the largest firm of public works contracts and which carried out many projects. The book is absorbing leaving the reader marvelling at the perseverance and good old-fashioned guts of workers and the precision of engineers and surveyors. The Otira tunnel for example when the two drills met was only about 2.5 cms difference over its 8 kms length.

The book is available in bookshops such as Whitcoulls and Paper Plus shops or alternatively direct from the publisher through the Tross Publishing website.

A great book on some amazing construction feats. Highly recommended.

October 2020

Bees are flourishing in New Zealand Bees are an essential component of a strong agricultural sector. They support New Zealand’s $6 billion horticultural industry by pollinating food crops as well as producing a multitude of honey-based products.

Despite recent reports of declining bee numbers due to pesticide use, figures released by the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) show that beehive numbers have increased three-fold since 2005. According to its apiculture monitoring programme, hive num-

bers reached over 918,000 in 2019, up from below 300,000 fourteen years ago.

The numbers have consistently been on an upward trend since then, with the latest figures showing a four percent increase on the previous year.

Independent scientific research included in the report concluded that the destructive varroa mite is the main cause of bee losses. It is now widely accepted that honeybees cannot survive in New Zealand without human intervention. This is due to the mite decimat-

ing wild bee populations.

Other causes of bee deaths include wasps, drought, loss of the queen and starvation.

There were no reports of pesticides causing the loss of bees or beehives.

Nevertheless, all pesticides must be used responsibly to ensure that they do not come into contact with bees and other beneficial insects. This includes avoiding the use of sprays when bees are foraging.

Pesticides, especially those that are toxic to bees, such as broad-spectrum insecticides, must be used accord-

ing to the label and in the right conditions. Farmers and beekeepers should work together to manage the use of pesticides near hives.

Agcarm members are proactive in supporting bee health – by providing products to control the varroa mite as well as educating farmers and raising awareness of bee health issues. A seed treatment stewardship guide is also available for the safe use of neonicotinoid seed treatments that are used on the seeds of plants to protect them from insect attack as they grow. Neoni-

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Mark Ross, Agcarm

cotinoid sprays, which are more harmful to bees, are very rarely used in New Zealand. Something that is commonly misunderstood.

Another area that causes some confusion relates to sub-lethal effects.

Sub-lethal effects do not directly cause mortality but may impair normal functioning by affecting foraging activity, orientation and homing behaviour. Some studies claim that some pesticides cause sub-lethal effects in bees. However, most have been done in laboratories or other artifi-

cial design conditions.

When alleged effects were tested under realistic field conditions, they could not be found to pose any damage to bee colonies.

MPI also tests residues from commonly used agrichemicals in food, including honey products. The food safety regulator sets very conservative limits for residues in food. These are many times below levels that would be a risk to consumers.

MPI confirms that the New Zealand diet is safe and that contaminants are

very low – far below levels that would be a food safety risk – and mostly occur naturally.

Conclusions about a matter as important as bee deaths must be non-biased, thorough and based on quality science that adheres to internationally recognised standards. The crop protection industry takes pollinator health very seriously, with Agcarm working alongside regulators and stakeholders to encourage further bee population growth.

Scholarship offers young people boost into Beekeeping Career Young people wanting to start a career in beekeeping are being encouraged to apply for the annual Ron Mossop Youth Scholarship, sponsored

by Mossop’s Honey and Apiculture New Zealand.

The scholarship was set up three years ago as a way of giving young people the best possible start in the apiculture industry.

The scholarship includes $2000 to be put towards best practice training and/ or set up costs. It also

includes membership of industry body Apiculture New Zealand for a year and attendance at the industry’s national conference in the year of the award.

Last year’s recipient Jess Curtis says the scholarship has allowed her to get a head start in her chosen career and provided important connections within the industry. “It allowed me to get stuck in and set up with everything I needed to begin my jour-

ney,” she says.

Jess is currently enrolled in the ApiNZ Apprenticeship in Apiculture scheme and is working alongside Taylor Pass Honey in Wanaka. Her long-term goal is to establish a thriving boutique honey business on her family farm that can be used as a base to educate customers about the importance of beekeeping and sustainability.

She encourages other young people with an interest in apiculture to

apply. “I would highly recommend applying for the scholarship, even if you haven’t started an apprenticeship or don’t know where to start. In my opinion, the industry is only going to keep growing and the demand for skilled individuals is there.”

The scholarship is named after industry pioneer, Ron Mossop, who started his family beekeeping businesses in the 1940s.

His business was built on values of quality and integrity, which remain at the heart of Mossop’s Honey today.

Neil Mossop said his family were thrilled to be able to pass on those values to a new generation of beekeepers through the scholarship. “Mossop’s Honey remains committed to the highest standards of beekeeping and business practices set by my

father. The scholarship is a wonderful tribute to his memory.”

Applications for the scholarship close on 31 October 2020.

For more information and how to apply, go to https://apinz.org.nz/scholarship-in-beekeeping/

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Every river you cross The trout season is here and thousands of kiwis will be heading to their favourite river or lake from October 1st for the much awaited start of the new fishing season.

Jacob Lucas from Fish & Game says “Every river you cross, or lake for that matter, is an opportunity to catch some of our world renowned trout, and there’s no better time to hit the road and see our wonderful country - fishing rod in hand, of course” “Post winter and postcovid, many of us are simply ‘champing at the bit’ to get into nature and throw a lure at a trout or two, most of which haven’t seen an angler in 5 months” The region has experi-

enced a remarkably stable winter, meaning trout are in excellent condition as we head into the new season.

Jacob says, “Stable rivers means thriving invertebrate populations, and trout will feed for longer and be less affected by large flood events which suppress food sources. It means the fish recover quickly after the rigours of spawning which takes place over winter.”

Fish & Game also have a busy season of fish releases coming up. “Recently we liberated 200 (8-14 pound) lunkers into Lake Argyle, and since then we’ve fielded plenty of reports from anglers who have locked horns with these brutes.

The good news is there is more where that came from,

and we still have over 500 double digit trophy trout to release into the lake this season, including a release in time for October 1, so we expect there will be some very happy anglers around indeed,” Jacob says.

Fish & Game will also be holding their annual tag fish competition at Lake Argyle, where 200 tagged fish are released just before Christmas and there are some great prizes on offer for those who catch some of the lucky trout. Jacob says, “Our anglers really enjoy this competition and the great prizes up for grabs.

Last year both $500 prizes were claimed on the same day, and stacks of other prizes were given away too.”

If anglers want a bit more solitude with the chance of catching some great rainbow trout, Fish & Game will be doing another release of fish into the Branch and Leatham rivers. “For this Trustpower funded release we use a helicopter with a monsoon bucket to transport trout into the headwaters, and we get lots of great feedback from anglers of all skill levels catching fish up here,” Jacob says Added to this there are virtually nil foreign anglers around this year meaning kiwis will enjoy more space on our rivers and lakes. It is clear that the domestic tourism scene is booming, and kiwis are making the most of the opportunity to see their own backyard

whether you’re in pursuit of solitude on one of our many wilderness rivers, or sitting in a deck chair with drink in hand fishing at one of our lakes, there are plenty of options to suit everyone.

Without doubt, getting back into nature is also great for the soul and for your physical and mental wellbeing, and our magnificent wilderness provides the ideal place to recharge the batteries. If you’re new to trout fishing, Jacob says to get in touch with your local Fish & Game Office.

They’ll send you some free lures with links to instructional videos on how to fish them, plus their magazine and other great information to help you on your way.

Michele Williams recently caught her first trout at Lake Argyle in the Wairau Valley, and at 12.5 pounds will sure take some beating.

Reynolds Rural Chartered Accountants new name, new office but same team!

Reynolds Rural Chartered Accountants works with all business types and has specialist knowledge in the rural sector. We understand primary industries and have a wealth of experience with commercial interests as well as rural accounting. Our rural clients come to us because we understand the rural sector. It’s easy to be genuinely engaged with clients when supporting them in their industry is your passion.

Having recently renamed our practice and moved premises, we felt it was a good time to let everyone know about our changes. Our contact details can be found on our new

website which includes some great photos from one of our clients. Visit: www.rrca.nz We pride ourselves on our informal, friendly approach.

We like to make life as easy as possible for you. We can come to you, or we have all the technology required to meet virtually. We offer hassle free compliance and empower our clients to run their business in a way that achieves their goals.

Whether you are an existing client or not, you are welcome to pop in for a chat and a coffee at 12 Oxford Street, Richmond.

October 2020

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It’s Ute Season Run out Great Wall and new Isuzu Great Wall Steed Due to be replaced in early 2021 with a radically new model I felt it opportune to drive the cheapest Ute available in New Zealand.

Great Wall products may be forgiven for their many failings, given their really cheap price. Well; they still are cheap, but the quality and standard has improved markedly. So now in a second generation deserve another look. Prices in run out range from Single Cab Chassis Diesel $17,990 to $22,990 for the Double Cab Petrol I drove, both are 4x2.

The Good - price, equipment levels, quieter cabin, colours, payload, safety features.

Room for improvement - steering lock, engine performance, handling, no auto trans, reverse camera on internal mirror, [too small] tow loadings, fake leather.

There are two body styles single and double dab, one trim level with fake leather that gets very hot in summer or sunny winter’s day, or requires the standard heated seats on cooler days.

Two engines 2.4 litre petrol 100kW 250Nm and the slow selling even slower 2 litre turbo diesel 110Kw 310Nm, both available in 2 or 4WD. The Steed’s styling is very contemporary, dispensing with the quirky

polarising previous model.

Another surprise awaited me, I got to drive the very red petrol 4x2 5 speed manual. That was nice because the importers brochure does not include red in its colour palette!

On the road it is quite with a smooth gearbox and clutch. Getting to 100km/hr is a leisurely 14.5 seconds with revs at 2450. Still I managed 9.8l/100km fuel burn which included town and mostly lightly laden country running. I did drive it off road and despite no traction aids, it coped well as shown in the photo on farm tracks. The road tyres while quiet would impede progress in muddy conditions.

I liked the spacious cabin which is surprisingly well equipped including bluetooth audio and phone 6 speakers with radio including a CD player AM FM USB and AUX I-Pod connections. Tyre pressure monitoring was a pleasant surprise and interesting to watch as tyre temperature rose, so did the pressure particularly on hot sealed roads. Steering wheel controls for car computer functions, cruise control and entertainment were easy to use and quite intuitive.

It’s trimmed in leather [fake] for seats wheel and

gear knob as well as door trims.

Safety ratings are not offered but I suspect it would rate 3 Star. It has 5 lap/ sash inertia belts 2 IsoFix points dual front and side and curtain Airbags, ESC Brake Assist [BA] and rear parking sensors.

The most frustrating issue is the turning circle with 3.4 turns lock to lock and nearly 13 metre circle, over a metre more than Hi Lux or Ranger. It is Not a town car or at least not one for city parking. The steering is light though the rear camera in the interior mirror is tiny or should that be tinny!

With a standard liner the load bed is wider than many traditional Utes is 1545 mm long and 1460 mm wide and is easily accessed.

The tow rating is 2000kg braked which I didn’t try out though while it would blunt both performance and fuel use figure the full chassis and ABS should handle those loads with ease.Overall, the red Steed complete with the stylish sports bar is up to its price and much more. Roll on the third gen next year.

Isuzu D-Max It’s eight years since the Isuzu D-Max has undergone a full model change, which is due mid October 2020.

The SUV MUX version will

get a similar update later.

Four models make up the range LX, LS-M and LS, and a new variant the X-Terrain - a higher spec variant.

Isuzu’s 3L diesel turbo engine has been carried over though now enhanced producing 10kW more power 140kW and 20Nm more torque 450Nm and is now quieter with a much wider torque band. Braked towing is 3.5 tonnes with Trailer Sway Control (TSC) across the range. Off-road. 4x4 models have a one-piece aluminium tail shaft.

Great Wall’s Steed, great value ute I was pleased to see the D-Max now has an electromagnetic diff-lock standard on all 4x4 models, and a new engine air intake system has increased wading depth to 800mm an extra 200mm. Hill-start assist and improved ground clearance, giving them more off-road ability and hill descent are likewise standard.

Safety on the new higher standard ANCAP tests, is 5 star. Autonomous emergency braking (AEB), forward collision warning (FCW), lane support system (automatic models only), lane departure warning (LDW), Isuzu D-Max more than a new coat blind-spot monitor (BSM) and rear cross-traffic alert centre airbag which protects wipers and even adaptive (RCTA) are standard. Eight front occupants in the case cruise control for automatic models. airbags including a new of side impacts.

LS-M Double Cab only, LX. Available in three segment-first front seat body types (single cab, 4WD Auto/ manual transspace cab, and double missions. LED head lights cab), 6 speed manual or 6 with LED daytime running speed automatic, 2WD or lights, 17” alloys and more 4WD,with a full suite of luxurious interior trim.

LS. Adds 9” touchscreen active safety technology, 7” touchscreen with wireless with satellite navigation, apple car play and android apple car play and android auto, automatic lights and auto, dual-zone climate air-

conditioning, rear parking sensors, and 18” alloys.

All have high-definition infotainment, DAB radio, voice recognition, android auto and wireless apple car play and up to 8-premium surround sound speakers display with integrated SatNav with reverse camera.

Pricing ranges from $49,990 for the LX 2WD through to $75,490.

Pest’s pulses raised by Pulsar Daniel Crimp Around a month ago I was contacted by a close schoolmate of mine, Macgregor. He explained that his family’s plant nursery had been infested with wild rabbits that had been causing a lot of damage to their plants and their business. As I am one of the only hunters he’s friends with and I just live around the corner from the nursery, I was asked if I would be able to thin the numbers down with my .22. I happily agreed and the next day after school, I was around to see what I could do.

Macgregor showed me the boundary line and the hot spots for where the cheeky pests had been coming out. Despite seeing the mass damage, they had caused I only saw one rabbit that afternoon, which I was unable to get a safe shot at. I immediately knew what was happening; because they have people working throughout the day, the rabbits had only been coming out at night.

With this new knowledge, I returned the next night armed with a spotlight and my Pulsar Helion XP38 thermal imager.

Success! I ended the night having seen 40 and shot 10—the thermal imager helped immensely, as its precision was useful in telling the difference between rabbits, hedgehogs, and cats, even at long distances. With it, I was able to spot the pests and get into a safe shooting position without any of them knowing I was there, and make a quick and humane kill. (Note: It is important

when hunting at night that you know where you’re shooting and that there is always a safe backdrop, therefore I always check my hunting area in the daytime before I go shooting so I am familiar with the area).

In the following weeks I have increased my total to 38 rabbits killed. I take as much meat as I can off them, as they are surprisingly tasty slow cooked.

The thermal imager has helped me immensely with pest control: it’s easy to use, high quality, and high performance. I would happily recommend it to anyone, whether you’re using it for pest control, meat hunting, or just for fun, you won’t regret getting one.

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