Nelson Marlborough Farming September 2020

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

INSIDE Entries invited for Environment Awards Political Comments pg 2

Garrick Batten’s ‘Nostelgic Benchmark’ pg 4

Dairy NZ’s Early Response Service pg 6 Making Red Meat More Profitable pg 8

Entries are invited for the 2020-2021 Cawthron Marlborough Environmental Awards. The Awards are open to any business, community group or individual working to look after the Marlborough environment. The categories are Wine Industry Innovation, Farming, Forestry, Marine, Landscape and Habitat Enhancement, Business Innovation, Community Innovation. Entries close on September 30th, 2020. Awards co-ordinator Bev Doole urged attendees at the launch to be ambassadors for the event and to think of all those doing good in the community and urge them to enter, by whatever means they deem appropriate.

Winner of the previous competition the Dawkins family of the Avon Valley took out the Farming and Supreme Award. Richard Dawkins summed up the benefits of being part of the Environmental Awards. The family were in year two of an indoor lambing trial focussing on the lamb survival and the health of triplets. Richard cited the calibre and vast experience of the three judges, Ross Beech, Matt Oliver and Peter Anderson and the excellence of the other entrants in their class. Winning the Award spawned other initiatives for the Dawkins family.

They hosted an open day attended by over 100 townsfolk, which Richard

Andrew Ritchie

felt help bridge the gap between the urban and the rural community, where best farming practices were demonstrated. The Avon tunnel catchment group was established between neighbouring landowners where fencing against erosion and riparian planting programmes have been carried out.

This brought a renewed sense of community that has since spawned many social gatherings. Contact with other entrants such as Merrill and Ring from the Forestry category has also provided some mutually beneficial business opportunities. Richard is now the sheep farmer’s representative for Federated Farmers, which has led to the meeting of many new people and the establishment of many new relationships and friendships. In addition, the venture of indoor lambing that initiated these events has resulted in the survival last season of 118 live lambs reared from 120 sets of triplets.

Co-ordinator Bev Doole believes that the journey undertaken by the Dawkins family during and after the competition is an excellent example of what the Awards set out to achieve.

Entries can be made online at www.cmea.org.nz The Awards co-ordinator Bev Doole can be contacted on 03 5705233 or bev.doole@icloud.com

Richard Dawkins The Supreme Winner from the previous Awards

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M.bovis eradication makes gains three years on from detection

Border Control

Minister of Agriculture, Hon Damien O’Connor July 22 marked the threeyear anniversary of the first detection of Mycoplasma bovis in New Zealand.

Since then, our world-first effort to eradicate M.bovis has made significant progress with the number of infected properties dropping to new lows. As I write this, 250 properties have been infected by the disease – with all but one now clear of it.

The hard and early approach with which we responded to covid-19 was the exact same approach we took early on in our term as a Government to eradicate M.bovis to protect our national herd, the economic base of our primary sector, and the social good of the country.

Key to the success are our programme partners DairyNZ and Beef + Lamb New Zealand. They were part of

the bold decision to attempt to eradicate this disease and have been part of our efforts since the very beginning.

It was estimated that allowing the disease to spread could cause $1.3 billion in economic losses in the first ten years alone, along with substantial animal welfare issues, and serious ongoing challenges for farmers having to manage the disease within their herds.

One key measure of success of our 10-year eradication plan, the Estimated Dissemination Rate (EDR), shows that we have M.bovis firmly in our sights. If the EDR is greater than one, then the disease is growing. If it’s below one, we’re shrinking the disease. The EDR is now at 0.4, which is down from over two at the start of the outbreak, so we are looking harder to find

fewer infected animals.

We’ve shown, again, that we’re able to do what other countries have not in terms of disease eradication efforts. That’s something our farming community should be really proud of.

Allowing the disease to spread would have caused lost productivity in our vital cattle sectors and affected the economy. Had we left M.bovis to run rampant, I’m not sure our dairy and beef sectors would have been able to weather the economic storm of covid-19 and the challenges of drought conditions as well as they have.

The eradication effort has not been without substantial challenges, and the impact on affected farmers can’t be under-estimated.

Farmers deserve a lot of credit for their efforts. We

Hon Nick Smith are continuing to improve processes and work hard to support their wellbeing and recovery, including getting their compensation claims paid as quickly as possible.

We are also changing tax law to further help farmers whose herds were culled. A significant tax bill can arise in the year they receive a compensation payment so we’ll be making a change that means they may be eligible to spread their income over several years.

There is still work to be done, and there will be more infected farms to find – but we’re well and truly on track to do what no other country in the world has done and eradicate this disease.

The next 12 months is about ensuring that we have found all infected herds.

This will involve ongoing Bulk Tank Milk Surveillance, nation-wide beef surveillance, and on-farm testing of herds that could possibly have been exposed, to ensure that they are not infected.

We will not let up on our efforts, and will ensure that this disease is gone so that we can farm free from it in the future.

National announced tough new border policies last month. https://www.national.org.nz/securing-our-border. This is what is needed to stop further incursions of Covid and prevent the huge consequential disruption and economic damage.

New Zealand has a huge natural advantage in this pandemic as the most geographically isolated country in the world. The problem is we keep squandering this with sloppy border management.

We were slow to close our borders in February. It was a mistake to allow tourists to continue to enter New Zealand in March on the basis they would self-isolate. I had numerous Nelson reports of these requirements being blatantly ignored. I also had reports from dozens of Nelsonians returning to New Zealand earlier this year appalled at the lax controls on re- entry compared to other countries.

These failings contributed to our first wave of Covid requiring the six-week lockdown but were forgivable given this novel virus and unprecedented challenge. I was proud as to how Nelson and New Zealand respond-

ed. We limited the death toll from Covid to 22 and by May had us free of the virus.

It was plain by April that extensive testing was pivotal to containing this disease.

The World Health Organisation refrain was Test, Test, and Test. Ministers assured New Zealand in June everybody crossing the border would be tested on day 3 and day 12 of their isolation.

It is scandalous that 70% were not, triggering the resignation of Health Minister David Clark.

The new Health Minister Chris Hipkins assured us all border and isolation staff would be regularly tested.

We found out last month that over 60% were never tested.

Many requested it but were refused. Experts say this is the most likely cause of NZ’s second wave of Covid.

The consequence has cost billions with our largest city having to be closed down.

Many businesses have failed and thousands of jobs lost.

The Government got complacent. Testing dropped to just six one day nationwide prior to the second wave of infection.

National proposes six changes to fix our border controls. We will Covid test

every traveller before entering New Zealand. The Government says this breaches returning New Zealanders human rights. Tough times require tough measures. It is more reasonable to infringe these travelers’ rights by testing them, than the rights and jobs of millions affected by re-incursions and lockdowns. Nor is it in these people or other passenger’s interests to be flying while they have Covid.

National will create a single border control agency to address the muddled approach from multiple Ministers and agencies. We will regularly test all border and isolation facility staff. We will also make contact tracing technology compulsory for anyone who treats or tests Covid patients. We will also widen the availability of Covid testing and establish a maximum waiting time of 60 minutes. We will also invest in Bluetooth technology of the sort developed by Nelson entrepreneur Sam Morgan.

National’s policy is about multiple lines of defence.

Yo – yoing in and out of lockdown is not sustainable.

Tough times call for tough border measures.

September 2020

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A Nostalgic Benchmark

By Garrick Batten From Joe Blakiston PGG Wrightson Tasman Real Estate Manager - Blenheim

The recent discovery of a bundle of letters written in late 1977 provided a rearvision mirror of changes since then. An interesting comparison with other benchmarks of increases over 43 years. Back then the median house price was $35,000, first mortgage rate 10%, and minimum wage $1.62 an hour, although a plumber was $7. As a berryfruit grower, we got 70c for a strawberry punnet at the market earning 60c at farm gate, whereas 2020 price was five to six times more. More importantly, 1977 export boysenberry price was 50c per lb being a fourfold increase over the previous year. Such fluctuations are a constant factor of all farming that farmers have to plan for and manage within their risk profile

of sustainability. Covid-19 has cruelly demonstrated that lack and ability to cope in some other businesses such as tourism and hospitality that sell services, not necessities.

One example of coping with reduced custom and sales for services is to increase prices. There are various explanations of what SOE stands for, but government ownership apparently does not recognise expected commercial sustainability.

One example is farming where Pamu formerly Landcorp is not a profitable business by normal commercial farm standards. NZ Post is another example. In 1977 an ordinary postage stamp celebrating the Queen’s Silver Jubilee was 8c that increased 17½ times to be $1.40 from 1 July 2020.

But a better example is the annual post box rental fee.

In 1977 it was $4 after a recent doubling from $2, slowly escalating to now be $170 for the same simple service of someone putting mail in the back of your metal box five days a week except public holidays. You open the door in the front with your key. That is 42½ times more cost to customers and none to NZ Post. So maybe S stands for Simple and E stands for Example, with O standing for Outrageous, Officious, Obtuse, or Obdurate. Certainly Obfuscated to its customers – us.

Yet the government slipped it $150m to continue their ‘sustainability’ policy.

A classic technique for reducing the use of something is to charge more for it. Like increasing tax on cigarettes for consumer health reasons and to reduce public health spending. NZ Post is just raising blood pressure and blaming us for reduced use of its postal services. Despite its claim, it does not have a sustainable business strategy and it could well end up like the Krupps factory after WWII with 900 staff but producing no armaments. Maybe O is for Orful.

How many times have we said that the pace of change is hard to keep up with?

That is certainly is true in most facets of our lives be it work or personal with the world such a different beast to even 6 months ago and our focus and priorities all completely different as we get used to living in a covid dominated world .

I’m sure we will look back on 2020 and wonder what the #####@&&# happened -but we will get through and we should be thankful that a resilient New Zealand economy and in particular the Rural sector in Tasman has had a lucky let off so far..

I listened to an interview with local road bike rider George Bennet, currently competing in the Tour de France, saying Kiwis should “pull their heads in” as he was over in Spain over their 100-day lockdown where he was unable to go outside, except for essentials.

We have been fortunate by comparison.

The amount of ‘information’ out there and the ‘reliable’ sources we listen to make it hard to sort the rubbish from the jellybeans and especially with the election coming up there

is a political slant to a lot of mis-information which is disappointing as people start point scoring using dangerous unverified information.

Social media can often provide an easy platform to share fake news so be careful how you use this format!

Mind you, the new Freshwater rules just released by the government should have been fact checked to fix some of the glaring anomalies and impossible to police rules being suggested. Hopefully the policy makers see reason on some provisions.

Anyway, the real estate market is strong, and property is selling strongly in the Top of the South - our team are always happy to discuss property matters.

Have a great month Joe 0274344069

Our team are always happy to discuss property matters. Greg Lyons, Ken McLeod, Sophie Greer, Mark Terry, Joe Blakiston, Doug Smith, Aileen Thomas

September 2020

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Cartilage loss Osteoarthritis is all about loss of cartilage, subsequent inflammation and changes to bone and joint structure. The result is pain and loss of mobility. The ends of bones such as the femur are covered in tough, flexible articular cartilage. It may surprise that despite its tough appearance and texture it is actually 80% water which acts like a shock absorber.

Cartilage is a combination of living cells, the matrix they produce plus water. These specialised cells are called chondrocytes and their job is to secrete and maintain cartilage. They repair small amounts of damage as it occurs.

Osteoarthritis starts when chondrocyte cells die causing cartilage to breakdown. While there are a number of things that can damage chondrocytes, in most cases these are a combination of free radical damage from insufficient antioxidants and biochemical changes caused by trauma to the joint. While the triggers vary, the outcome is chondrocyte death and cartilage loss.

This is then followed by unwanted inflammation in the joint capsule that further damages cartilage.

Eventually the bone itself becomes compromised and the net result is more pain and restricted mobility.

Nutritional therapy can help, especially in reducing inflammation, slowing the rate of cartilage loss and improving the function of existing cartilage. For example, therapeutic levels (800+ mg) of chondroitin can have significant effects on the health of chondrocytes and therefore cartilage protection and repair.

Glucosamine also helps maintain cartilage while Curcumin from turmeric helps reduce inflammation and fluid accumulation.

An ex-builder contacted me two years ago with significant knee pain from advanced osteoarthritis.

An orthopaedic specialist had recommended knee replacement. Two years on a personalised joint health programme and he now has very little pain and no longer needs surgery.

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.

Helping animals and people: DairyNZ’s Early Response Service Animal Care Extension Specialist Tony Dench is an integral part of the Early Response Service (ERS), a free, confidential service operated by DairyNZ in partnership with dairy companies to help farmers manage their animals when conditions are tough. Tony operates across Canterbury, the West Coast and the upper South Island.

Before joining DairyNZ, I was a dairy farmer for 18 years, mainly in Canterbury but also in Taranaki and Australia, so I’ve worked in all sorts of farm systems. I dreamed of being a vet but never ended up going down that route, so coming from dairy farming into an animal care role is a nice synergy for me. I’ve always been

passionate about animal care and interacting with farmers as part of the ERS is a great balance of working with people and animals.

An ERS case starts with a referral – a call from a farmer, a rural professional or a member of the public - who has seen something on farm they are concerned about.

The concerns vary - low cow condition, feed and water, or animal health, for example lameness or mastitis.

We have seen a shift from receiving calls about low body condition score to calls about feed or water shortages. It seems that farmers are identifying issues earlier and asking for help before there is a significant impact on their animals.

Our service is completely

confidential, for the caller and the farmer. Everyone is protected in the process.

You’re actually doing the farmer a favour by contacting us because we can offer immediate support and then connect them to other appropriate support. This support from multiple parties supports the farming team, builds capability around managing difficult stock issues, as well as ensuring that animals are well cared for.

Once we’ve validated the concern, the dairy company arranges a visit to the farm so we can chat to the farmer.

Every case is different. The service is voluntary, so it relies on the farmer driving the outcome, as they are the ones doing the farming. The unique nature of the Early

Response Service means that the farmer stays in full control of the action plan.

Many times, farmers already have the issue in hand and are taking steps to solve the problem. Other times, they appreciate the opportunity to talk through an issue and get help with solutions.

If the farmer needs support, we work with them to develop an action plan which outlines what can be done today, this week and next week. We also connect them to advice and support from vets, consultants and the Rural Support Trust.

I love cows and I love to talk about them. It’s a good start and I can happily have a challenging conversation on cow care. When it becomes a conversation around wellbe-

Tony Dench ing it’s not that easy, but it is rewarding. We’ve come a long way with talking about mental health in New Zealand, but we’ve got a way to go too. There are farmers out there under real pressure and when they’re affected physically or mentally the wheels can fall off, and then the cows suffer too.

The Early Response Team covers the whole country. If you have concerns about animal welfare but are unsure about contacting us, I say give us a ring. You can reach us on 0800 4324 7969. We welcome calls and you can see us in person on www. dairynz.co.nz/ers

Andrew the Ninja and ‘She’ll be right…’

John Sparrow, Federated Farmers Territory Manager Years ago, I arrived in New Zealand from a large dry stock farm in one of the hottest parts of southern Africa. The daily struggles on farm in Africa included continuous drought, animal predation, disease and cattle rustling. So, I felt I was tough enough to work in the Kiwi agricultural industry.

I quickly learned there were different farming challenges here – not least New Zealand’s famous ‘four seasons in one day’. Nelson farmers are used to a lot of sunshine, but also well know how cold it can get at times. I was yet to find that out.

A few days after arriving, I was sent to assist

on a large Rangataiki farm. Being mid-winter, I put on my thickest jersey and off I went, gloveless, and no jacket or boots. I arrived to horizontal sleet, a wind that nearly blew me off my feet, and a landscape devoid of any fellow human.

In the distance I saw a motorcycle. When it finally got to me it was ridden by a Ninja. Yes! The being controlling the bike was wearing black, special boots and a balaclava that hid his face except for one teary eye. He pulled a glove off, stuck his hand out and said, “my name is Andrew”. So, my Ninja had a name…. I replied with “Good day, my name is John, it’s quite cold today isn’t it?” He looked at my blue face, purple hands and shivering chin and said, “Yip, but she’ll be right”.

I worked with Andrew for many months, through calving, and found he was a man of few words. The struggles we experienced together that winter were eye openers for me. When we had completed a job or were battling to solve a problem Andrew always said, “she’ll be right”.

What Andrew taught me was tenacity. Nothing seemed to be too hard. He had a plan. He was able to fix anything that went wrong on the farm. A smart, tough bugger he was!

Over the last few years, still working with farmers, I have met hundreds of “Andrews” and I have come to realize that Andrew was the epitome of

a Kiwi farmer.

Throw adversity at a Kiwi farmer and often he will put his head down, mutter, “she’ll be right,” and get stuck in. Weather, adverse events, and ever-changing policies and regulations are over and above all the other hardships they front up to.

Sometimes we come across something that we cannot fix ourselves. Those times when it’s hard to find the “she’ll be right” attitude and to drag your butt out of bed and put the Ninja suit on. That’s the time to speak to family or your mate and perhaps a call to Federated Farmers or RST. You will find someone who will listen and be able to help. I know, I have been there.

Thankfully, I have my own Ninja suit now and I have had to have quite a few cups of cement to “harden up”. I can proudly claim I may be a Ninja myself, one day…

We will come through this covid monster, knowing that farmers are the champions of the New Zealand economy. I hope the nay-sayers realise this.

As an outsider looking in at New Zealand agriculture, I know “she’ll be alright” despite the adversity it currently faces. Why do I say this?

Because it is driven by a bunch of tough, smart, and hardworking good buggers.

Here’s to all the Andrews - thanks for your commitment to rural New Zealand.

September 2020

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Plants and Spring Growth

Making the red meat industry more profitable Andrew Ritchie

Article supplied by Fertilizer NZ Ltd Plants and particularly those in agricultural pasture are something that we take for granted, grass grows and is eaten by the stock that graze it and then it grows again.

New Zealand pastures are mainly made up of Ryegrass and Clover although other species are now being added which will benefit both the stock that eat it and the soil it grows in. These individual plants are what provides the farmers with most of the feed for their animals.

Just like us and animals, plants are sensitive to light, water and temperature. They need the right amount of these to exists and thrive. Plants have a supporting skeleton, they are a living, breathing organism.

Plants are very much like a busy city but much more complex. They are built up of thousands of units, known as cells, just as cities are largely made up of buildings.

City buildings have different functions just as plants cells do. Some are factories, some are for storage. Others form a transportation system like the plumbing of a city. The people and workers in cities correspond to the active ions and molecules, enzymes and energy carriers that help

“run” a living plant.

Surrounding these “plant cities” is the soil. Just like the environs and hinterland of cities, so the plant root system has the rhizosphere, which is the zone closest to the plants roots. It is well understood that the soil has a massive influence on plant life.

The soil around plants is in perpetual motion – atoms, ions, molecules, and all kinds of matter vibrate and float around. Primarily, plants absorb water and nutrients from the soil. If they do not get enough of either they will not grow. Conversely if they get too much of one element it will have an influence on others which will lead to an imbalance of the available nutrients to the plant, which in turn creates an imbalance in the leaf.

In spring, pastures use the stored-up winter nutrients and energy from the soil to provide that huge growth period we call the spring "FLUSH”. There is a perfect combination of the correct soil and air temperature and stored Nitrogen, Phosphate, Potash, and Sulphur plus all the trace elements culminating in pasture growth at exceptional rates. This lifts the protein levels of the pasture which are at this point higher than most animals require.

This is why, even if the stock have enough pasture, they will require the addition of carbohydrate in the way of hay or straw. If farmers add extra nitrogen at the beginning of the spring flush this will compound the amount of protein in the pasture, lifting it to even higher levels than it would normally be, and this creates even greater animal health problems.

Has this got you thinking? Phone us on 0800 FERTNZ now to find out more from one of our field experts.

Tom Sturgess, owner of Lone Star Farms spoke recently to farmers at an event organised by Beef and LambNZ. Apart from being one of New Zealand’s largest farmers he specialises in turning around non-performing companies one of which was Swift Independent Corp, one of the largest meat packing companies in the US, which was losing $100 million a year. So, it is fair to say his thoughts on the industry are well worth listening to. Attendees became very focussed on his words as he talked of the recent launch of ‘Impossible Meats’ in Walmart. Seduced by funding provided by Bill Gates and James Cameron the former head of the Department of Biology at Stamford University has developed a product from algae that tricks the consumer into thinking they are eating meat, it looks like meat and tastes like meat. “The cost structure of ‘Impossible Meats’ leaves farmers and meat packers in a seriously exposed position. There are no animal welfare issues, and the environment is not being harmed by the plantbased products. “Compare this to the cost structure of producing a two year old steer, 70% of the carcass

Tom Sturgess is grinding meat which has to be sold to the likes of Wendys or MacDonalds and, where the only way the order can be secured is by selling it for a lower price than your competitor.

Having finely tuned his meat packing company Tom could only achieve a return 2.5% by selling to such companies. His instruction to his 150 sales staff was not to sell to those companies.

Instead sell to delicatessens, Michelin chefs, Waldorf Astoria and other consumers with high discretionary incomes. “In this country we have 5 million cattle as opposed to the 95 million in the US. We must produce speciality, quality products to market to discerning customers like my wife who will not eat fake food. It has to be a great product from healthy humanely treated animals that are not seen to be destroying the planet’s environment. We will need to fight for our share of the 140% increase above the

commodity price that can be achieved. The farmer deserves two thirds of the premium gain, he rears the steer for two years while the processor and the retailer may have the product for just a few days.” As an example of how successful the marketing of a quality product can be, Tom cites NZ King Salmon a $100 million export business of which he is Chairman.

New Zealand is one of the few places in the world that farms Chinook salmon because their feed conversion rate is slower than the more widely farmed Atlantic salmon. The slower conversion rate means NZ King Salmon is tastier and has greater health attributes than its competitor.

The company has branded its salmon Ora King and its taste and health values are recognised to the extent that it is served in the world’s most exclusive restaurants.

“Science is too important to be left to the scientists and researchers, as new technology becomes available, so there are more marketing opportunities. On the carbon footprint issue the science already exists in Australia to suppress one third of methane produced by ruminants.

The energy saved by the reduction in belching can be converted to meat or milk production. Such science should be explained to our politicians so that their attitude to farmers may be more carrot than stick.”

September 2020

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September 2020

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Wool

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Minister welcomes new wool group

Wool Procurement Manager, PGG Wrightson Wool

Plenty of Positives for Wool “We can take some positives away from today and work on those during the week ahead”, seems to be a phrase that is often used by sports team coaches and captains when interviewed on television or radio after the match, and particularly if those in-

terviewed represent the team who’ve ended the match in a distinct second place! Commentators of the wool market, both here and in Australia, currently appear to be using a similar technique, but I’m not exactly convinced that there are too many winners

across the wool job from grower right through to retail and particularly for several traditional end uses. However, we definitely can take some positives from the wider market place as new uses, and also possible reinvention of some past uses, for wool come to the fore, some of those perhaps driven by a more than previously attractive price for raw material, some maybe due to the current global health risk, but many driven by an awakening of awareness that wool is a healthy, sustainable, and renewable natural resource delivering benefits superior to many competitive man-made fibres. Whilst many of us old timers begin to shudder when hear the words “health and safety” uttered, wool’s natural attributes of filtering volatile organic compounds (voc’s), wicking, and fire retardancy, all provide definite positives towards human health and safety.

Recent wool sales have delivered reasonably stable prices to wool growers of crossbred wool types, apart from lamb’s wool all of which has been old-seasons’. Second-shear types with a staple length of between

fifty and one hundred millimetres have been in good demand, particularly those displaying very good colour and testing at zero percent vegetable matter content. Having said that, some of the very short second-shear types have struggled to find much support.

Recent market prices for Halfbred and Corriedale wool types, having ridden a high for the past couple of seasons but now in-line with a general softening trend for most apparel wools, have taken a turn to the south. Although most of these types offered for sale have found a buyer, when comparing recent prices to the same time last year, returns have been reduced by around fifty percent. Exporters with buying orders, have obviously had their price limits reduced as processors and manufacturers struggle to clear old season’s wool stocks, directly attributable to retail sluggishness in the face of financial issues driven by the world’s pandemic.

During the past few w e e k s M e r i n o wo o l growers have enjoyed a good spell of weather hence, with possibly more shearers than usual

available at this time of year in NZ, wool flows into broker stores have been constant. Recent NZ auction prices have reflected Australian levels and export buyers have placed considerable emphasis on staple strength results in both countries, with best types commanding premiums.

A comment from a prominent Australian exporter recently hinted that market support may improve as better wools begin to come on-stream, so we’ll take that as a positive.

In a market, such as we have at present, influenced by so much beyond our control, most brokers’ recommendations to growers is “meet the market”. Creation of wool stockpiles, regardless of innovation or new product invention, is always likely to hinder progress when demand returns. We know that currently there are pipeline areas choking due to slow retail sales, plus competitor fibres are also cheaper than in the past couple of years, therefore our best approach is to keep telling our story and convince consumers that wool products are health and safety positive.

That’s my view.

Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor has welcomed a new independent sector group with its sights set firmly on revitalising New Zealand’s strong wool sector and delivering long-term sustainability and profitability.

The new independent Strong Wool Action Group is chaired by sheep and beef farmer and Silver Fern Farms Co-Chair, Rob Hewitt. The membership of 12 represents the breadth of the strong wool sector, including wool growers, consumer-facing businesses, and meat companies.

“This new group will provide a central point for the sector to work with government, and will be an important driving force behind delivering the recommendations from the Vision and Action for New Zealand’s Wool Sector report,” Damien O’Connor said.

“When I released the report in July, I called for the strong wool sector to step up to bring people together who will shift the dial and build the necessary foundations to grow our strong wool sector. I’m pleased the sector has stepped up to this challenge.

“The Ministry for Primary Industries will be bringing the strong wool sector together for a workshop to agree a plan and actions. It will include the Strong Wool Action Group and a broad cross-section of the sector.”

The workshop was delayed due to the re-emergence of covid-19 and will be rescheduled as soon as practical.

“There’s no single idea or government policy to reverse the long-term decline we’ve seen in the sector over recent decades,” Damien O’Connor said.

“To succeed, the sector needs to work together to deliver real impacts and greater participation. This needs to be driven by the sector, for the sector.”

Mr O’Connor says the key current focus of the Strong Wool Action Group is identifying consumer opportunities and identifying and sourcing the core skills needed by the sector to get it match fit.

“New Zealand needs to capture more value from strong wool by building new value chains. This will bring value back to New Zealand so, once again, wool can be a sizable part of farmer incomes. We have an amazing natural fibre in strong wool with a strong provenance story. There’s a tonne of examples of innovative companies across New Zealand driving higher value uses for strong wool. The challenge now is identifying more opportunities by further understanding what global consumers need and want and where strong wool can play a role. I believe this new group will deliver renewed energy, drive new thinking and approaches, and coordinate efforts across the strong wool sector. However, it must work at pace and keep steady momentum. I wish the group well and will be watching their progress with interest.”

September 2020

The advantages of summer clover That permanent grazed pasture plants require a steady supply of nitrogen for optimum performance is not in question.

Nitrogen is usually supplied in one of two ways, either in the form of urea, or from the atmosphere fixed by bacteria on the roots of clovers, lucerne, and other legumes.

Without an ongoing supply of nitrogen low fertility grasses steadily encroach and eventually dominate.

Annual production declines to 8 tonne DM/ha or less and farming becomes uneconomic.

At least in the short term raising more money against increasing land values can no longer be relied on. Already banks are starting to play hard-ball and when interest rates increase the ability to borrow more will just get tougher.

Over the last forty years annual pasture production has declined from a tops

of 18,000 kg/ha to around 14,000kg with the gap, in many cases, filled with low cost palm kernel extract.

The fundamental issue of declining pasture yield requires addressing for both individual farmers and the wider community.

Higher incomes are required and the only viable way of achieving that is to grow more pasture at the same or lower cost.

A 30% increase in annual production is achievable for most within a three-year period and increasing numbers of farmers are finding that it’s easier than they first thought.

A focus on grazing management is necessary and there’s some new concepts to take on board, however they are easily learnt.

In our view clover will replace urea as the primary provider of nitrogen for pasture plants particularly as environmental regulations steadily tighten.

Because clovers fix nitrogen in response to declining plant available levels, supply and demand is balanced and the amount lost to groundwater is significantly reduced.

Clovers in pastures come into their own as soil temperatures reach 20℃, often early in November, and given regular rainfall or irrigation provide a mat of highly nutritious feed over the summer and early autumn.

Clover has a number of advantages over grasses during the main growing season. It’s higher in calcium than grasses and therefore the preferred feed for lactating and fast growing animals.

It’s also more readily digested and therefore animals are able to eat more, grow faster and produce more milk than is possible on a grass or multi species dominated pasture.

Lamb growth is unsur-

passed on clover dominant pastures and earlier lambs nearly always receive a premium.

To promote clover, it is necessary to lift plant available soil calcium levels to above those required for grasses.

Experience over many years shows a soil pH of 6.2 – 6.3 works best. Interestingly it’s also the pH at which earthworms and other beneficial soil dwellers operate efficiently.

Meat tenderness is correlated to its pH which in turn is dependent on the pH of the feed being consumed and the soil that it is growing on.

There is no downside to clover dominant pastures over summer. A dense mat helps protect the soil surface from moisture loss and minimises weed growth.

Any unwanted plants are readily consumed by stock as they devour long strong stemmed clover with thumb

nail sized leaves or larger.

Clover seed may be added to spring or autumn fertiliser to ensure the latest and greatest, however we’re yet to find a situation where clover hasn’t come to the fore when conditions and management have been favourable.

The key to vigorous clover over summer is not applying nitrogen from September onwards. Applied nitrogen encourages the growth of more upright species that then limit the amount of sunlight, moisture, and available nutrient.

Functional Fertiliser products, along with the knowledge and experience of their people are ideally placed to provide the resources necessary to ensure clover growth over summer is maximised.

For more information call Peter on 0800 843 809

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14

Across my desk

John Hollis Rural Agribusiness Broker Colliers International Limited Nelson

I have to say I have a big problem with the way the self-appointed guardians of our way of life, more commonly known as “The Media” are reporting on, and simply attacking anyone trying to guide us through these unprecedented times. “Morning Report on RNZ” and “Question Time” at the daily update from Wellington have become a joke. This is not the time for childish point scoring by journalists or indeed politics.

We have never been here before. Any sensible person will know there are bound to be a few bumps along the road to recovery, and those at the helm will need to have a little slack cut every now and then, as they duck and weave through all we have on our plate. The easiest thing in the world is to sit on the fence, do nothing positive and criticise those on the front line.

However, the other day “Stuff” had a great item up on screen. One of our own. A country Kiwi, at work in Rural New Zealand recorded a message from what could

have been his tractor cab. He congratulated Aucklanders on the great job they are doing, and that were thinking of them, all laced of course with the usual dose of laconic Kiwi speak, advising them we will go back to giving them “S..t” when all this is over.

How brilliant and refreshing this was. It was some of the healthiest positive dialogue I have heard in ages, and goes to support that no matter what the spin doctors put on everything we consume today, the real solution to all this, (as it always is) rests with the down to earth middle of the road common sense Kiwis who, thank goodness, go to make up the majority of the team of five million. They represent the glue that will hold all this together and keep the ship on a steady course.

Have a great month and work safely.

John Hollis

Humates a good regen farming input Regenerative agriculture has started to build in momentum as a movement within New Zealand pastoral farming, with field days and seminars held around New Zealand drawing dozens of farmers to them.

These field days have included “RA20”, a series of seminars throughout the North and South Island.

Southland based humates company Southern Humates has been one of the RA20 sponsors over the seminar series. The company has been a long-time supplier of humates to the agricultural sector and enjoyed a loyal following over its lifetime.

Owner Malcolm Sinclair said he is noticing a distinct uplift in interest among pastoral farmers considering their options under a regen-

erative system, and in turn re-considering what inputs they may need to reach for.

Humates form as organic compounds sourced from the seams of some lignite deposits, and consist of complex organic chemicals created by the long term break down of plant material.

It has historically been claimed humates can boost soil fertility through altering soil bacterial populations, increasing the ability of plants to uptake nutrients through their root systems.

“They are taking a fresh look at what the inputs are they really need, and want, for this new approach, and finding humates have a role to play,” Sinclair said.

Apiti dairy farmer and 2018 Ballance Farm En-

Southern Humates Malcolm Sinclair at the company’s Southland humates quarry vironment Award finalist Lance Gillespie has been using Southern Humates’ product for the past two years, and initially incorporated it into his urea applications.

Today Lance’s regenerative farming system has advanced to point he rarely uses urea and then only sparingly, but he continues to apply humates to his pastures.

His decision to purchase a towed liquid fertiliser sprayer has enabled him to adopt a “one mix” approach when over-sowing multiple small seed species, incorporating humates, minerals, lime and occasionally urea into the blend.

“I think much of what I have been doing is under the surface, where you can’t see it. This is in terms of promoting soil health. The humates help with the uptake of nutrients, breakdown the organic matter and helping soils become more friable, particularly on heavier country,” says Lance.

He has also noticed fungal disease on the grasses that would have otherwise affected stock health having no effect on them.

“We believe this is the humates acting as something

of a toxin binder.”

Meantime he also been feeding humates to his 365 milking cows, incorporating it into a bespoke feed pellet he has had the local grain company produce.

“We have noticed our cell count stays low, and health wise the cows are always in good shape, humates help improve gut microbe health.”

In Southland, Wendonside based family dairy f a r m i n g bu s i n e s s t h e Ditchfield Group have also commenced a regenerative journey, and incorporated humates into the process.

Dylan Ditchfield says while the family is only a year into transitioning to a regenerative system, humates are not an entirely new concept to him.

“We started using humates a few years ago under a biological system, went back to a more conventional one. But with regenerative’s more holistic view of animals, soil and plants, we could see a more ‘whole system’ view that worked for us.”

While still learning as they go, the Ditchfields combine Southern Humates humates into the special mix applied to pasture as a liquid that

contains a variety of nutrients, occasionally urea, and fish product. This year urea use has been dropped back by over a third, and Dylan would ultimately like to fade it out altogether from their inputs.

He sees humate’s role in helping build soil carbon levels up, and providing humic acid to help promote fungal and mycorrhizal activity in the topsoil zone.

Meantime they are working on a feed system to deliver more regular rations of Stockmate humate feed, also being supplied regularly to the calves.

“They tend to get stuck into it when we first put it out, and over time their intake drops lower as their need reduces. We see it as being invaluable for good gut health, and from there an overall healthier animal.”

With future fine tuning and work on providing humates as part of the herd’s regular diet, Dylan intends to keep humates as part of the regenerative system.

“We had got to a point where we wanted to leave something for our kids that was not a burden, and this has rejuvenated our energy for farming and for the farm’s future.”

September 2020

Federated Farmers Marlborough Federated Farmers Report Farmers Urged To be Vi g i l a n t O ve r R u r a l Crime While there had been a downturn in rural thefts, “rural families should stay vigilant,” said Marlborough police officer, Mike Porter, Crime Prevention Group Sergeant, to the recent meeting of Marlborough Federated Farmers. “We have been involved in executing multiple search warrants around Marlborough – the common denominator is drugs. They are the driving force for much of the crime we have in our area,” he said. “That may be the deterrent factor in lowering thefts.” In each instance Police seized Methamphetamine, cannabis and paraphernalia for drug use, slowing down the supply and use of illicit drugs in the community. “Another concerning trend has been the increasing frequency with which illegal firearms have been found at these ad-

dresses,” said Mike Porter.

Poachers Illegal hunting has been a focus for police efforts too. One Saturday evening a Police patrol, working as part of the operation, located a deer stalker who had recently shot an animal and was preparing to leave the Black Birch area where he had been hunting in a reserve without a permit from DoC to hunt. Police investigated the incident and took appropriate action.

Police worked at all hours throughout that period patrolling known hunting areas and stopping vehicles that were heading into these areas checking firearms licences and asking hunters’ intentions. “We encourage good, lawful hunters, they have nothing to worry about. Those hunters who break the law do,” said Mike Porter. “We have dealt with 118 unlawful hunters in the last few years. Most have been prosecuted. We will

Tony Orman

continue to keep the pressure on those that repeatedly flout the law and endanger our rural community.”

He advised farmers having issues with unlawful hunters to install cameras. The community should work together to identify offenders. “Do this safely and pass the information and any evidence like photographs to Police in a timely manner,” he said.

Drones Unlawfully hunting in Waitaria Bay area Kenepuru Sound, was being investigated.

In question time the subject of thermal night shooting gear was raised as some poachers are using the technology instead of spotlights, the latter often a visible “give-away” as to the whereabouts of poachers. Mike Porter said some poachers were even using drones to locate deer. A Civil Aviation Authority website: https://www.avia-

tion.govt.nz/drones/ lists the regulations. “Among the several regulations governing their use is the need to get consent of the property owner or person in charge of the land you want to fly over.” Marlborough Police had run a woolshed meeting in the Awatere valley and intend organising one in October in the Avon/ Waihopai Valley area. It would be promoted, and Marlborough Federated Farmers executive invited to attend.

RAG Concern The Rural Advisory Group RAG is very concerned that many rural areas in Marlborough lack good connection to broadband internet and cell phone coverage.

Chairperson Bev Pitts sent a letter to the Marlborough District Council saying that rural residents expected to be entitled to the same services and coverage that urban residents had. “RAG is aware MDC staff assured a

previous council as a target they would progress works from funding to 95% coverage in the Marlborough region.” All Telco providers were to be under the overarching direction of MDC. In 2016 a pilot scheme in the Waihopai became a blueprint for process in regards to the internet with a cell phone option resulting in a very successful outcome. “Since then nothing further has happened to extend this scheme,” added Bev Pitts.” We believe it should be a priority for the Marlborough District Council to pick up on this issue and advocate as previously promised,” she said.

Blanket Forestry The trend of pastoral land use being converted to monoculture forestry by foreign forestry corporates buying farms has been opposed by Federated Farmers NZ in its election 2020 platform wish list. “ETS settings that place a high reliance on blanket

Island later in the year.

Sue Higgins and Barbara Stuart spoke at length on opportunities for Rural Women and Fed Farmers to work together recognising the changes in women’s’ farming roles, everyone having less time to participate in activities and relatively small groups locally. They identified a generation gap that is the problem of many organisations and discussed ways of using their social and people platform to encour-

age young people to take leadership roles. Nelson RW is to work with their national office to develop proposals.

The latest Te Tauihu Intergenerational Strategy was noted as it involves local Councils and is part of the TDC LTP. Updates available on https://tetauihu.nz/.

A suitable speaker will be invited to a meeting after the September 15th and October 13th Zoom meetings.

Nelson Federated Farmers Report President Martin O’Connor reported to the August Zoom meeting on the successful 75th Jubilee conference organised by Barbara Stuart that got exceptional publicity nationally, and in particular from Prof Moughan’s address on proteins. He then generated considerable comment from his observations about the Essential Freshwater rules applying from 3 September that farmers were finding difficult to understand, a consensus they won’t work, and HO still analysing implications.

The meeting specifically discussed broad-brush mislabelling of land slope and local waterway implications of flow and width.

Rules did not accept that each farm was different, and individual farm plans were more appropriate.

He accepted that change was great, if practical, but

warned that some farmers could go out of business and encouraged members to email him with their thoughts, although some emotive descriptions could be omitted. Further farmer consultations will be organised with Marlborough Province, although Golden Bay has not indicated a need.

Jenny Ridgen MPI encouraged farmers to contribute to any water discussions. Her report noted only 2 active M.bovis cases although more expected with spring bulk milk testing, and the significant training opportunities being established and success of the Go Dairy Free Farm Ready Training scheme with some participants already employed before finishing training. She referred to the Primary Sector Council report on meeting post Covid-19 challenges through

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p r o d u c t iv i t y, s u s t a i n ability and inclusiveness: https://www.mpi.govt.nz/ dmsdocument/41031-fitfor-a-better-world-accelerating-our-economic-potential.

TOTS Rural Support Trust has MPI $38k funding until year-end for Covid-19 and drought recovery activities, and with lack of rainfall, low aquifer levels and current barely adequate feed situation the prospects suggest difficulties. Colin Gibbs advised farmers to urgently assess future feed and needs and adjust stock numbers accordingly, especially with the projected shortfall of surplus later for conserving. Rural Women will consider running another lunchtime social drop-in during calving/ lambing for farmer support, and Jenny spoke of plans for a lunch-cart tour with speaker around the South

forestry, particularly carbon farming, will permanently damage the viability of rural communities and ultimately stop working as carbon sinks. Overseas investment rules that favour forestry need to be changed,” said Federated Famers NZ. Drought Potential T h e l i ke l i h o o d o f a drought during the coming summer was aired. In his president’s report Phillip Neal said, “The Top of the South Drought committee was set up by MPI and still met by conference call every fortnight. I fear it will stay in existence for some time yet as the signs are not good going forward with aquifers and soil moisture low as we approach springtime,” he said. MPI’s Jenny Ridgen said soil moisture

was “a little drier than normal.”

Rural Women NZ Glenda Robb reported that after a very quiet few months over lockdown Rural Women were ready for action. Marlborough RWNZ had joined their counterparts throughout NZ in the “Great Morning Tea Shout”. This was an initiative to give a morning tea to those who had worked through the covid-19 lockdown. Businesses in Marlborough such as Farmlands, KiwiSeed and Rural Mail van drivers all received a morning tea shout for their outstanding service during lockdown.

Marlborough’s forthcoming AGM plan the next year’s activities.

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Making every dollar count Article supplied by Osgro seed services The world is an uncertain place at the moment and no one is quite sure of what the future holds. Farm gate price have dropped significantly, couple this with a difficult summer/ autumn period early this year, most farmers are starting to feel it in the back pocket.

So naturally farmers are cautious about their spending going forward which is understandable. In saying that it is good to still invest in parts of your farming operation which still generate profit and opportunity.

It is well understood the pasture renewal and forage cropping provide a significant return on investment and allows you to create opportunities going forward.

Forage cropping allows you to create opportunities in your farming operation, whether this is finishing lambs instead of selling them before because you have quality feed to do it, or purchasing some trade cattle to create a quick twist. It is well proven that forage cropping and pasture renewal provides a significant return on investment.

There still is the opportunity to save money on your forage cropping and pasture renewal programme though. I am not saying cut corners with your crop because you will compromise yield, and yield is king.

What I am saying is there is the potential to significantly reduce your forage and pasture renewal cost by shopping smarter.

You can achieve this by purchasing generic chemistry rather than the named brands, all chemicals in NZ are registered under the ACVM act, and have to meet NZ standards, so rest assure if you purchase generic chemistry it will still work just fine.

When purchasing seed consider things such as seed coatings and endophytes, what one do you require in your environment? Not all environments require AR37 endophyte, some do and I am not denying that, but some don’t. Consider the seed treatment option you are using, there are different coatings on the market.

Short term crops such as Italian rye and oats etc perhaps consider using uncertified seed, it will have a purity and germination certificate available on request.

This will show the purity of the seed and if any containments and the seeds germination rate. This is a way of saving significant dollars.

In these times we need to be watching every dollar, and making it go as far as possible, but what we don’t want to do is compromise production or limit our opportunities on farm to create income.

Marlborough Ploughing competition held in perfect conditions

Andrew Ritchie

Marlborough Ploughing Association held its Annual Ploughing match on Phillip Neal’s Rapaura Road property in perfect conditions. The stone free grass paddock is one of the few left in the proximity of Blenheim without a forest of grape posts. Saturday was practice day, presenting the 17 competitors with time to familiarise themselves with the conditions and to adjust their ploughs. Four contestants were from away, some had travelled across the strait. Competitors ranged in age from 15 to 87. Three generations of the Cooke family were present with 15-year-old Ben Cooke receiving advice from his grandfather Ross while his father ploughed on the next-door plot.

Ben took out the Vintage Marlborough Trophy with an impressive 138.5 points followed by Henry Cosgrove on 129, John Butt on 126.5 and the oldest entrant Ash Murdoch 4th with 123 points. John Butt ploughed with a D2 Caterpillar crawler originally owned by his father. The Vintage Away section was won by Bruce Graham with 197 points, second was John Stalker with 192, 3rd Rex Anderson 181 and fourth Pearce Watson 180.5. Bruce Graham from South Canterbury used a Reid and Gray plough and an 18 horse power John Deere Model M, well known ploughman Morris Millar bought the tractor new in 1955 and it was passed on to Bruce’s father, who used it as his one and only tractor on his farm at Pleasant Point. The tractor was eventually handed down to Bruce a few years ago then somebody suggested he might like to take up competitive ploughing two years ago. Most competitors were using New Zealand made Reid and Gray ploughs but one of the exceptions was a fully mounted two furrow Allis Chalmers plough with a Snap Lock coupling. This plough could be attached to tractor without the driver dismounting and was produced during the 1950s. It pulled from underneath the centre of the tractor, which enabled the Allis Chalmers to easily pull an extra furrow. Mounted on an Allis D of 22 HP it looked to be working away effortlessly. The Reversible ploughing section was won by Champion ploughman Ian Woolley who has represented New Zealand in competitions all over the world. Ashley Seaton took out second place in this Bruce Graham measures out his finish class. The Farmers Class was won by Allan Jones with Chris Laws coming second. The horse team from Dayboo stud was, as usual, a popular attraction for the viewing public.

Three generations of ploughmen Ross Cooke, Ben Cooke and Richard Cooke And: Allan Jones demonstrates the modern system of ploughing

These are exciting times. With Fonterra’s and Futurity’s announcements we are being given a glimpse of what the future of the forestry industry might look like. We have had a series of local sawmill closures as a result of limited forward demand for timber products. There has been uncertainty over export log prices with waning interest in our major export markets. However, we are being shown alternative

paths. Fonterra is using wood fibre for energy as the Government draws fossil fuel exploration in New Zealand to a close. Futurity is showing us new wood-based packaging opportunities as plastics are reviewed under the Waste Minimisation Act. Existing businesses in the industry should take note of these new directions and plan for change to stay relevant.

September 2020

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The Importance of Knowing Your Boundaries

Anna Bensemann, Senior Planner, Baseline Group Marlborough, Ph 03 578 7299, Email anna@blg.nz Land is an important asset and discussions with neighbours over where the boundary lies between properties can occasionally be problematic. This is particularly relevant if your land contains trees, good grazing land, streams, rivers or a coastal margin. It’s helpful to know your rights and obligations when it comes

to property boundaries.

Every property has been marked out by surveyors who have installed survey pegs. These are usually square, usually wooden, white painted pegs in the corners of property boundaries, with boundary lines generally in straight lines between points. The pegged locations are also located electronically and saved in Land Information New Zealand’s (LINZ) online database.

During neighbourly disputes over the exact location of a boundary, we have heard stories of boundary pegs being removed or shifted by a neighbour who seeks to gain advantage by acquiring more land, or remove themselves from an obligation such as maintaining a shared access. This is an illegal act as legislation governing surveyors sets out

that only registered surveyors, or those authorised by a registered surveyor are permitted to install, shift or completely remove a boundary peg. Nevertheless, any unauthorised changes to the location of boundary pegs can be remedied and replaced by a surveyor.

The location of your boundary will become critical when considering who owns various assets on a property. During harvesting of trees for example, the location of your boundary, and consequently your timber asset, becomes an important factor. Any encroachment into a neighbour’s forest could create endless headaches for forest owners and may result in compensation for any trees taken from over the fence.

Under ever changing freshwater legislation there are increasing requirements

to fence off waterways within farms. This can be called into question when it’s not clear whose property bounds a waterway, and consequently who is responsible for the costs of fencing off the waterway.

With some farmers facing many kilometers of fencing and then ongoing riparian management to avoid the spread of weed pests into the farm, knowledge of who is responsible is helpful.

Boundaries also become important when considering who has legal access across land, known as a Right of Way. If you have a shared driveway, it may be that one person owns some or all of the driveway and others simply have rights of way to drive over this. Depending on the legal documents that establish a right of way there may be maintenance obligations and costs ap-

September is Bee Aware Month New Zealand’s bees and beekeepers are calling on Kiwis to ‘Bee a Hero’ this September, as the country celebrates Bee Aware Month.

Bee Aware Month is an annual educational campaign organised by Apiculture New Zealand and supported by bee lovers across New Zealand. Apiculture New Zealand CEO Karin Kos explains there are two key goals of the campaign. “We want to lift awareness of the critical importance of bees to New Zealand’s environment, food chain and economy, and teach Kiwis some simple actions that everyone can take to improve bee health.”

Ms Kos says green-fingered Kiwis can help bees by growing bee-friendly plants in their gardens, while nongardeners can also do their bit. “Mowing your lawns less often is one really simple thing that can make a difference for bees. Weeds like clover and dandelions are great food for bees.”

Ms Kos also encourages Kiwis to support everyday bee heroes: our beekeepers. “Since the advent of varroa, beekeepers’ have become essential to the survival of honey bees. Our beekeepers work hard to care for and protect our bees. Buying local honey, especially some of our beautiful native varieties like rewarewa or kāmahi, or other bee products is a great way to back our beekeepers and their bees,” she says.

Another important thing everyone can do is to take care with garden sprays. Ms Kos recommends either avoiding garden sprays, selecting bee-friendly products or following the spray safe rules. “Spray only in the early morning and evening when bees are less active; never spray when flowers are in bloom and always read instructions carefully before spraying,” she says.

The Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) is a key supporter of Bee Aware Month. EPA sets the rules around

when, how and where insecticides can be used. The EPA’s acting General Manager of the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms group, Clark Ehlers, says, “Insecticides play an important role in food production, but some are harmful to pollinators, such as moths, birds and bees. Bee Aware Month is a great time for people to ensure they’re following label instructions when using chemicals, or using alternative pest control methods, to keep our pollinators safe.”

Throughout Bee Aware Month, Apiculture New Zealand and its supporters and sponsors will be sharing bee facts, running competitions and, where possible, organising community events. New Zealanders can find out more by visiting www.beeawarenz.co.nz and following the Bee Aware Month Facebook and Instagram pages.

Apiculture New Zealand would like to thank: De Winkel, Arataki Honey Hawke’s Bay, Certa Solutions, Comvita, Egmont Honey, Honeysticks, Honey Wrap, Huka Honey Hive, J Friend & Co., Manuka Doctor, Manuka Health, Oh Wax, Palmers, The True Honey Co. and Wedderspoon.

portioned to various owners.

When in rural settings such driveways may simply be a gravel track and costs of maintaining these may become high.

So if you have any concerns about where your property boundaries are located, or what rights or implied costs you might be faced with due to the actual

location of your boundary, it’s a good idea to have the boundary location confirmed by a surveyor to remove any uncertainty.

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Freshwater regulation

By Stuart Smith MP Agriculture will be an important component of our post-covid recovery. It is beyond belief that the Government is making little effort to work with farmers around freshwater regulation. What is promising is that farmers have stood up to these impractical changes that have been introduced, which has forced the Government to have a rethink of their proposals. By coming out and stating they are looking at making changes to their proposals, they have shown that they simply didn’t put the groundwork in in the first place. The Minister has developed policy based on ideological notions and once again he has had to back down after realising it isn’t practical, based on science, or considers the variances between regions.

What the Government should be doing is repealing or reviewing all of the nine regulations announced on August 5. That is what National will do. We will work with farmers and environmental stakeholders to put in place alternatives that are practical, science-based, and achievable.

“It’s in the Post!” by Rachael Reid published by David Bateman Ltd. Price $24.99.

Reviewed by Tony Orman “It’s in the Post” is a quirky book about quirky letter boxes. Bay of Plenty water/photographer Rachael Reid travelled New

Zealand collecting photos of unusual letterboxes, a large number of which occur in rural areas. Agriculture has inspired many letterboxes and the most popular

animal is the friesian cow.

Others have roosters, fish, sheep in a section of rural delivery letter boxes. Mail delivery is not immune to big changes occurring today and the author touches on this in underlining that letterboxes compete with e mail and social media. NZ Post results show a dramatic decline in letters posted. But on-line shopping is giving letterboxes reason to live.

An unusual book ideal as a gift - or to get ideas for your own quirky rural mailbox.

It is obvious that we need a sustainable approach to freshwater regulation which encourages the constant improvement of our waterways. We should be building on the existing structures around freshwater, not introducing changes that will have perverse effects on our primary sector and the wider economy as the current Government is seeking to do.

We all want improved freshwater outcomes, but we have to back farmers to farm their way to better outcomes as they have been doing. We are currently in the worst economic downturn this country has seen and we shouldn’t be creating more uncertainty in the sector. Imposing these restrictions that will hamper economic growth and cost jobs. Farmers must see a pathway to improve while being able to innovate and maintain profitability. Our rural communities and economic wealth as a country depends on it.

“Fly-Fishing in New Zealand What you Need to Know”, by Derek Grzelewski. Published

by Bateman Books. Price $39.99

Review by Tony Orman I have enjoyed Derek Grzelewski’s earlier books, “The Trout Diaries”, “The Trout Bohemia” and “Trout Dreams”.

His latest book is instructive and takes the new chum through equipment, casting, food of trout, techniques and other categories. “New chum”? More experienced fly fishermen should not be put off by the instructional tone and should read it, as the author imparts a lot of wise advice. As they say, “you never stop learning in going trout fishing.”

It’s the ultimate, eternal challenge. And Derek Grzelewski comes up with some thoughtful stuff with new wrinkles.

The book has no index. It should have. But the book sits comfortably and inviting with its striking cover set in a South Island high country setting. There’s plenty of black and white and colour photos to enhance the easy-to-read text and practical instruction. Highly recommended.

September 2020

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Cheap and cheerful?

And a very important release!

This month I drove several vehicles and was told about one that I feel needs mentioning. So, Toyota has media-released the latest version in a 40-year lineage of Hi Lux with more power and safety as well as a mild cosmetic nose job. First though, I drove an example of a well-loved English marque with an outstanding heritage, the MG. MG. For a quarter of a century I did not have a new MG to test, as the last British cars rolled off the production lines over 30 years ago. Now Chinese owned and assembled in England, there is a three model MG HS range SUV. My mid spec test car was the ‘Excite’ model at $37,490. The two others ‘Vibe’ at $32,490 and ‘Essence’ at $42,490 have differing levels of kit. Gary Mitchell from CMG Motors Christchurch, one of MG’s accredited agents, kindly loaned it to me.

As you see I had the sign written demo which caused much interest wherever I parked and even while driving I was given more than a second glance. The reason? It is a very stylish vehicle.

But no, it’s not cheap nor is it cheerful, both though in a good way, as this is competitive with most well-known brands and great to drive.

Like the Honda CRV and Mitsubishi Eclipse who both are also powered by a 1.5 litre turbo 4-cylinder engine, it drinks and works hard when driven enthusiastically. Select the ECO option and highway speeds are easy to maintain and the claimed fuel consumption of 6.2 l/100km on 95 octane or higher is achievable. Also like most turbos there is a noticeable lag off the mark though once spooled up in the rev range it’s very quick.

Dominating the lower right quadrant of the steering wheel is a huge red button labelled ‘SUPER SPORT’. Hit that and the driving dynamics, performance and gear selection from the 7 speed auto change to provide a very satisfying and exuberant experience, especially given the 1520kg weight and 1685mm height.

I liked the colour choice of ‘Surfing Blue’ as it suits the vehicle better than the two blacks and two whites on offer. I’ve yet to see any other duco for the HS though I know there is a very bright red!

Not sure if that would go faster as on the road the HS drives smoothly and corners quite flat though mid curve bumps upset it when accelerating out of the corner. I loved the 7-speed twin clutch gearbox on the open highway as it was instantly responsive and very unobtrusive. It is great in most circumstances except for towing which is why MG only quotes 750kg loads, strangely an unbraked limit!

The inside is where most effort has been expended and it shows.

MG has a suite of safety features strangely name MG Pilot which hints at ‘Autonomous Driving’.

Included are Adaptive Cruise Control that has the major ergonomic flaw of being set by a wand hidden behind the lower left of the steer-

ing wheel, it should be on the wheel! Still the rest of the pilot features are easily or automatically activated. Forward Collision Warning, Automatic Emergency Braking, Lane Departure Warning, Traffic Jam Assist, [self drive] Blind Spot Alert, Rear Cross Traffic Alert, Intelligent Headlight Control as well as 6 Airbags, ABS, ESP, ESP Active Cornering Assist and Electronic Brake Force Assist make for a very well speced range. There is of course a centre screen for infotainment and it’s huge at 10.1 inches! Not only that it’s also very clear and intuitive so takes little time to get used to, which is great as there are so many functions that are user settable!

The Sat Nav is one of the best around and completely up to date with roads yet to be completed, shown. Apple Car Play, Android Auto and Bluetooth, USB, AM FM radio as well as a very clear rear camera are likewise standard. The fleather [faux leather} seat covers are comfortable and if you didn’t know they weren’t leather you would tell everyone they are. Not heated or electrically adjustable was a miss in this price range though the Essence model does include that along with a massive opening moon roof as well as my real fave: a 360-view camera that for all money looks like it’s a bird’s eye view.

The rear pews are 60/40 folding with a centre armrest incorporating twin drinks holders and a lidded compartment as a nice touch as are twin USB ports and air conditioning to the back-seat drivers. I liked the huge centre console with the sliding lid that makes for the perfect height armrest for front seat passenger and driver.

Electric remote boot release is a boon when shopping and works easily unlike some cars we’ve driven. It reveals a 463litre [Commodore matching] flat floor area that has both a carpeted under floor compartment and a lower compartment beneath for the space saver spare. Flip the rear seats down to almost flat and you have a 1.7 metre length and 1260 litres of cargo room.

Overall, the MG like the Koreans of a decade ago shows just how quickly the standards are rising and now present a real alterative to the mainstream brands.

Toyota’s Hilux has been improved with more powerful turbo-diesel engines, refined transmissions, comfort, and convenience features. Hilux has a bolder, tougher-looking face on wider body and a beefed up 2.8-litre turbo-diesel engine with 15% more power. This noticeably improves acceleration and overtaking. From the re-designed diesel engine is greater fuel efficiency which has been improved by a claimed 11%.

The turbo-diesel’s power has been increased to 150kW while peak torque on diesel automatic models is also up by11% to 500Nm. The power increase was achieved through modifications

Toyota’s Hilux has been improved with more powerful turbo-diesel engines

MG. Now Chinese owned and assembled in England to the cylinder block, pistons, turbo design and cooling system.

Inside, the touch screen has been upgraded to an 8-inch display and the audio system now includes Apple CarPlay® and Android Auto™.

The Multi-information Display has been revised with new information screens including a digital speedometer display I look forward to bringing a full review after I’ve driven the press vehicles some of which are pictured.

Shedding light on porkers Daniel Crimp A thick layer of dew had already formed on the sheep paddocks, which combined with the mellow moonlight and sparkling stars—the night was well under way.

Max and I had been lucky enough to get permission to hunt on a family friend’s farm and put our Pulsar Helion XP38 thermal imager to the test on wild pigs that had been destroying the farmer’s paddocks. We scouted the areas we were planning to hunt earlier that day to make sure there would be safe firing zones and had discovered acres of farmland plowed up by rooting pigs. However, despite hearing stories of the abundant pig population and seeing the amount of damage they had done, we were yet to see any signs of life apart from the dozens of hares and rabbits that lit up the paddock like fairy lights through the thermal, even from hundreds of metres away.

An unexpected change in the wind direction forced us to change our route and move to the other corner of the farm, which was just the change we needed. Not long after altering course, Max grabbed my arm and whispered, “Pig, 150 metres.”

He handed the thermal over to me, and I watched the creature weave between bushes, destroying stumps and dirt as it moved. We were quick to plan our stalk, which was to walk straight towards it until we could get close enough to shoot. Because we had spotted it through the thermal and had yet to spook it with a light, we were able to creep up to 23 metres, where I leant over Max’s shoulder, closed the bolt, and switched the spotlight on. The pig stared at us and froze, BANG... THWACK! It walked a total of four steps before collapsing, dead as a dodo—the .223 strikes again.

After making the rifle safe, there were high fives all round as we walked up to inspect the beast, a nice 60-pound sow, perfect for eating. Now began the task of gutting. I had only just started gutting when Max tapped my shoulder and notified me that he had just seen three more pigs, so I told him

to take the gun while I finished gutting. He happily agreed and started the stalk.

It didn’t take long, only five minutes, before I saw the blinding beam from the spotlight hit the bush edge, followed by one gun shot and some rustling. I finished up and walked over, only to find Max standing over two headshot pigs. We both stood there in amazement; he had just shot two pigs with one bullet—something I had heard about but never thought I would see in my lifetime.

After shooting one more pig on the way back, we arrived at the tent with bloody hands and big smiles, over the moon with how our night had gone; four pigs with three bullets, and all shot within 30 metres.

All that was left was to drive around in the side by side the next morning and pick up our haul.

We had been very lucky to be using a high-quality Pulsar Helion XP38 thermal imager because without it, we wouldn’t have had the success we did.

It allowed us to get extremely close without the animals noticing us and was incredibly helpful in spotting and identifying animals. It has completely revolutionized nighttime hunting.

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