NZFarmer South Island - 11 June 2024

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Double whammy hit for farmers

Farmers are twice taking a hit to the pocket with low returns and high prices at the supermarket. P8-9

MPI preparing for bird flu’s inevitable arrival in New Zealand

As the number of cases grows internationally, the ministry is watching the situation here carefully Experts say it’s only a matter of time before it reaches our shores. By Louisa Steyl

With bird flu detected in Australia recently and in Antarctica for the first time earlier this year, MPI is monitoring the situation closely.

And while the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) points out that it’s never been detected in New Zealand before, experts believe it’s only a matter of time before it arrives in the country.

It’s a prospect the dairy industry will be keeping an eye on too, given the first cases of mammal-to-mammal infections of the highly pathogenic avian influenza strain H5N1 in US herds in recent weeks.

DrRichardWebbysaystheviruscan likelybeslowedinitsspread,“butthis requirestestingandlimitingofanimal movementacrossthecountry”.

Virologist

The American Centre for Disease Control and Prevention also announced the second case of cow-to-human transmission this month.

Of the cases announced in Australia last week, the H7N3 strain of the virus was detected on an egg farm in Victoria West, but the H5N1 strain was reported in a child returning to Victoria from India

“These two incidents underline the importance of preparedness for an incursion of avian influenza into Aotearoa,” Te Niwha (The Infectious Diseases Research Platform) chief science adviser Nigel French said.

“Bird flu requires a co-ordinated One Health [Aotearoa] multi-agency approach to surveillance and response, given its importance to wildlife and domestic animals, and the potential for it to spillover and cause severe disease in humans,” he said

But French noted that the strain of concern found in Australia was an isolated one with contact tracing revealing no other infections.

“This is a common scenario for human

cases of bird flu– sporadic, severe infections with no evidence of sustained transmission.”

Both the cases of US dairy workers who contracted H5N1 had been exposed to infected cows and presented with symptoms of conjunctivitis.

It’s believed the virus evolved to pass from birds to cow, and then from cow to cow.

And while the risk to humans is low, professor Richard Webby from St Jude Children’s Research Hospital said: “The infection of cows does, however, increase the exposure of humans to the virus and also provides an opportunity for the virus to evolve through replication in a mammal host.”

It was reassuring, he said, that pasteurisation was found to successfully limit the virus in consumer milk and milk products.

Federated Farmers dairy chairperson Richard McIntyre said it would be a good idea for farmers to avoid drinking milk straight from the vat for a while.

The lobby group was working with

the Government’s science advisers to understand the spread of bird flu, but McIntyre said there was more concern about the devastating impact it would have on New Zealand’s native bird species than dairy herds.

New Zealand would be able to track its spread via dead birds, he noted.

Virologist professor Jemma Geoghegan from the University of Otago told 1 News that it was a matter of time before the virus arrived on NZ shores.

In all other continents the avian influenza has travelled to – all except Oceania – it had arrived via wildlife, usually birds, she said.

“Unlike Covid, we can’t shut our borders or control the arrival of migratory or wild birds.”

MPI’s chief veterinary officer Dr Maryvan Andel said the agency had strong systems for protecting the pathways that could be managed to ensure early detection.

“Our systems include strong border security checks for travellers coming into New Zealand who have had contact with poultry and/or wild birds, and for risk

items and cargo,” she said. MPI has been preparing for avian influenza in one form or another since the early 2000s.

The ministry has been working with the Ministry of Health and the Department of Conservation in preparation for highly pathogenic avian influenza.

Biosecurity New Zealand will be the lead agency should it be detected in the country.

“We’re talking regularly with colleagues in other countries so we can learn as much as we can about how the disease is behaving as it spreads and effective responses,” Van Andel said.

“As partners in the Antarctic Treaty Area, we have a good network of information exchange with other treaty signatories.

“We also have a network of information exchange with countries that have had to deal with this strain of HPAI.”

Early detection would be key to responding effectively and managing any impacts on biodiversity, agriculture, and trade, she said.

Surveillance of migratory wild birds and shorebirds is in place with the Dunedin Wildlife Hospital sick or dead birds in New Zealand’s sub-Antarctic islands and at Scott Base are being sampled, and export testing is being carried out on day-old chicks and hatching eggs.

Members of the public are being asked to report sightings of sick or dead birds to the Exotic Pest and Disease hotline on 0800 80 99 66.

“Our preparedness and response planning are heavily focused on reducing the potential impact, especially on the poultry sector,”Van Andel said.

“Maintaining good biosecurity practices is going to be key to minimising spread.” ■

Professor Nigel French says science is playing an important role in Aotearoa’s preparedness for highly pathogenic avian influenza.

professor Jemma Geoghegan points out that New Zealand can’t shut its borders to wild birds.

03

05 Feds v Parliament

Federated

20

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40 Fieldays

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Sonita Chandar

027 446 6221 sonita.chandar@stuff.co.nz DESIGN

Sam Davenport

Kwok Yi Lee

Rachel Trevelyan Nina Weil

Kate Boreham 021 279 5361 kate.boreham@stuff.co.nz

Farmersand producers wonder whytheir returnsare solowwhen supermarket pricesareso high. MARTIN DE RUYTER/STUFF

Who is winning?

Sonita Chandar EDITOR

It appears there is only one winner these days when it comes to the cost of food. Farmers are not winning, nor are consumers at the supermarket checkout.

Everyone is complaining about the price of food.

And with this occurring all over the world, the question on everyone’s lips is who is making all that money? Farmers wonder why their returns do not reflect what is being paid at the supermarket.

Foodstuffs, who says that for every dollar spent at their supermarkets, 68 cents goes to the supplier, 15c to wages and rates, and 13c to GST, leaving Foodstuffs only 4c of profit. However, supermarkets trying to keep prices down for consumers have to protect their own margins. With inflation increasing costs across the board, these increases are passed on to the consumer, which drives the price up on the supermarket shelf

Returns for farmers and producers are down across most of the agricultural industry due to a range of factors, including payouts and schedules. Even geopolitical tensions play a part

When the overseas markets fluctuate upwards, it doesn’t mean the farmer/

producer will get that in their pocket and many, especially in the sheepmeat sector, are struggling this season. Sheep farmers are caught in a perfect storm of rising costs and low demand, with many set to make a loss this season.

The price of milk, cheese and butter in our supermarkets is determined by the export market. When the price of commodities rises, so does the payout, but costs have to be met and these are passed on to the consumer. And fluctuations in the prices of commodities come from supply and demand. So a country such as China which may have been stockpiling butter, for example, no longer buys large volumes so the price drops.

Earlier this year, World Vision said globally, food prices were easing and Stats NZ said it seemed food prices in New Zealand were plateauing after 2023 recorded the biggest annual increase in food prices.

When demand goes up – think strawberries at Christmas for the pavlova – prices go up. Fluctuations can also occur when adverse weather hits crops, transport or fuel charges rise, as well as labour costs and growing conditions.

Good growing conditions this year have led to fruit and vegetable prices dropping 25%. Consumers are no longer having to pay $8 or more for a lettuce or cauliflower

I for one, refuse to pay that for a lettuce. The solution? Grow your own in a tub

So who is making all the money?

Transport and logistics companies seem to be the ones at the top and overall, everyone in the chain seem to be doing better than the farmer or producer. It doesn’t seem right, does it?

No wonder more farmers are taking steps such as cutting out the middleman and selling privately, diversifying to add on-farm accommodation, or making specialised products such as cheese. ■

Farmers are not winning, nor are consumers at the supermarket checkout.

Farmers face off against politicians on field and court

More than $300k was raised for the Tairāwhiti community hit by Cyclone Gabrielle.By

Eve Hyslop.

The Beehive isn’t the only place where Federated Farmers and politicians butt heads and shake hands – that also happens on the netball court and rugby field.

Fed Farmers swapped their gumboots for netball sneakers and rugby boots when they took on the parliamentary rugby and netball teams on March 25 to raise funds for farmers affected by Cyclone Gabrielle

“We're not trying to rebuild people’s farms, we're trying to give them a helping hand and say, ‘At Feds, we don’t forget. We’re farmers, we know you, we know what’s happening’,” says Toby Williams, meat and wool chairperson for Federated Farmers.

A major upset saw the Federated Farmers netball team beat the Parliamentary side 33-16 at Ngatapa Sports Club in Pātūtahi. The politicians are the current holders of the Parliamentary Netball World Cup.

Pātūtahi local and Ngatapa Sports Club member Melanie Briant, who won Most Outstanding Player of the Match for the Federated Farmers netball team, said the

day brought the kind of positivity the community needed. “There was a good reason to come out and support, with the money going to the cyclone-affected farmers, which was close to my heart.”

Despite concerted efforts from the Federated Farmers rugby side, the Parliamentary team tightly secured the win, scoring 20 points over the farmers’ 12

Williams said despite a go on the crosstrainer, there wasn’t an opportunity for the Federated Farmers rugby side to train as a team, leaving them to rely on the warm-up to blow out any cobwebs.

The initial fundraising goal of $100,000 set by Federated Farmers was smashed “In the end it was just over $300,000 raised but

Above:TheFederatedFarmers netballsidebaggedawin,33-16. Left:Thepoliticianstookoutthe rugby,20-12.

MAEVE O’MALLEY PHOTOGRAPHY

when you add the value of the tractor and the vouchers we gave away, we’re sitting at about half a million dollars given to the community,” Williams said.

During the day Federated Farmers and CNH Industrial gave away a tractor to Colin Skudder, a Civil Defence warden and Tokomaru Bay farmer who supported his community during Cyclone Gabrielle.

Skudder’s community was cut off from the highway for five weeks, until he found that his farm track could reach the township. The only catch, it was a three-hour trip as against the usual one-hour. “Through the farm was our only way to get workers to the hospital and food coming in,” he said.

Because of the dangerous route, only

Skudder and one other could access the track, taking shifts on motorbikes to gather resources and get nurses to work, all while his farm was in ruins The tractor would be a great help to continue repairs, he said.

The $300,000 raised will buy fencing equipment.

Agriculture Minister Todd McClay said there was plenty of competition in the paddock and a quarter of parliament showed up for it. “It goes to show that across parliamentary parties, there is great recognition of the significant harm and challenges that the region has felt.”

McClay gave notable mention to the hard tackle of Federated Farmers president Wayne Langford. He challenged him to make the event an annual fixture.

Sponsors included a private family trust who generously donated $100,000, alongside Woolworths, Fonterra, Westpac, PGG Wrightson, FMG, Ovation, Pāmu and Ballance, to name a few. ■

Pain for all at supermarket check-out

The price of food has been a concern for consumers this year, but farmers say their returns have not been in line with high prices.

By Bethwyn Littler and Eve Hyslop.

The prices on the country’s supermarket shelves may be easing, but the question on every farmer’s lips is why have their returns not reflected what has been paid for their produce?

In February, World Vision said that overall global food prices were declining, however New Zealand was one of several countries that recorded dramatic increases last year. Earlier this year, Stats NZ suggested food prices in New Zealand were finally plateauing

That was after years of upwards pressure At the peak, prices were up by more than 12% year-on-year. An annual food survey in 2023, run since the 1970s, recorded its biggest annual increase ever.

Even if consumers are getting a little more bang for their buck, how are farmers faring in the equation? Industry leaders say it’s complicated getting a clear picture of farmers’ cut in the supply chain.

Lincoln University professor Jacqueline Rowarth says it is not just New Zealand farmers who are confused as to why food is so expensive.

“Farmers globally cannot understand why food appears to be so expensive. They feel payouts and schedules are not covering the cost of production. The question is, where is all the money going?”

Pak ‘n Save, New World and Four Square are all owned by Foodstuffs, who says that for every dollar spent at their supermarkets, 68 cents goes to the

supplier, 15 cents to wages and rates, and 13 cents to GST, leaving Foodstuffs only 4 cents of profit.

“Good relationships with our suppliers have always been vital to our business and critical to improving value for customers. The returns a business can generate will vary depending on a range of factors,” a Foodstuffs spokesperson says.

South Otago cherry grower Mike Casey says while consumers are complaining about the price of food, farmers are complaining about the return they are getting.

“So we are both being squeezed by the same middle,” he says.

Casey says the majority of his cherries are exported.

“The cherries we sell in New Zealand are losing us money which is a real problem. Our fruit on the wholesale floor doesn’t get a good price but customers buying them at the supermarket are paying close to export prices.”

Casey says the supermarket mark-ups mean New Zealanders pay for a substandard product.

“Our mail order customers are getting export cherries at supermarket prices. The price isn’t going up but the quality is substantially going up.”

According toWorld Vision, foodpric weredeclining globallyin February, NewZealand significant othercountries.

Foodstuffs spokesperson says.

“A good example is the week before Christmas when strawberries cost more because everyone wants strawberries on top of their pavlova. With the demand increasing, prices go up.”

Weather, seasonality, transport and fuel, currency changes, labour, ingredients and equipment and global markets all impact supermarket prices, but the key driver comes down to the fundamentals of supply and demand, a

KitArkwright,chief executiveofBeefand LambNewZealand,says calculatingreturnsforsheep andbeeffarmersisnot straightforwardas90%of ourredmeatisexported.

Kit Arkwright, chief executive of Beef and Lamb New Zealand (B+LNZ), says the influence of the domestic red meat market on farmer returns is limited for New Zealand, due to approximately 90% of our red meat being exported.

“As an exporting nation, the price of beef and lamb in New Zealand reflects what our global markets are prepared to pay. More recently we’ve seen less demand and weaker pricing, particularly for sheepmeat, from some of our key export markets, most notably China, which has unfortunately impacted returns for farmers.”

Based on a range of factors including seasonality and demand, Arkwright says retailers set the price of in-store beef and lamb.

“The red meat product is one input into this equation. Some retailers also promote

into during periods such as Christmas and Easter. Furthermore, there is also a vast array of red meat cuts and products.

“This all means calculating the return sheep and beef farmers receive from supermarkets is not straightforward,” Arkwright says.

Independent supermarket FIFO recently opened in Hamilton Manager Hitesh Patel says the cost of food for New Zealand consumers is still an issue. He says prices are influenced by processing and transportation “The cost comes from the suppliers and manufacturers: That is where we could bring prices down.”

Rabobank senior analyst Michael Harvey says it has been a complex operating environment for the food industry. The price of milk in New Zealand is heavily influenced by the price of milk exports.

“The majority of New Zealand milk goes to export markets so it is bound by global markets. When commodity markets were at record levels it lifted the farmgate price but costs had to be passed on to consumers.

“In New Zealand, dairy consumption is quite resilient because it is more of a staple than in the luxury category but there is no doubt consumers are trading out.”

Harvey says there is a range of changes consumers will make.

“They may choose to trade down or trade out, in other words looking for cheaper alternatives. They will trade down in the meat aisle so they may buy more chicken than red meat if it is more affordable. Consumers may prepare more meals at home and eat out less.”

Lincoln University Professor Jacqueline Rowarth says New Zealand farmers are confused as to why food is so expensive

South Otago cherry grower Mike Casey says consumers and farmers are getting squeezed. MILES HOLDEN

Aucklander Shreya Ganvir has only lived in New Zealand for eight months but already notices the price of food impacting her budget. She says she travels from the North Shore to South Auckland to get cheaper food at the weekend markets.

Ganvir is also concerned about how the cost of food is affecting her health.

“I want to eat healthy but because of the cost I end up buying less healthy food.”

Harvey says in 2022 dairy commodity prices were at record levels. The commodity market has since fallen which has brought the farmgate price down, however, there are lingering risks around global conflicts and fuel prices.

“We think we have come through the worst of it but it’s all about what happens in the next 12 months. Demand for dairy around the world is quite soft at the moment. Part of that is because China is not buying as much milk from the global market as they used to.

“We are keeping a very close eye on the market in China. It has been a volatile ride for dairy farmers in New Zealand. The cost has come back down it’s a cautious recovery.”

Fonterra farm source group director Anne Douglas says consistent rises in global dairy commodity prices will lead to an increase in the wholesale price of products like butter and cheese.

“The price consumers in New Zealand pay for dairy products is influenced by global dairy commodity prices which fluctuate based on supply demand dynamics and the cost of making the finished products.”

It’s good news for the vegetable market, with “incredible” growing conditions lately, president of United Fresh NZ Jerry Prendergast told RNZ This has resulted in a decent supply, and vegetables prices dropping by an astonishing 25% as a result.

Despite favourable conditions, Prendergast told RNZ that it was very tough for growers right now who weren’t making any more money despite the overhaul in supply.

“I wish I could say they did, but they're growing at below the cost of production If you're harvesting cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, celery, silverbeet, spinach, spring onions, lettuce, when you're producing and harvesting them like you are at the moment, for the value returns, it's actually below the cost of production.”

According to Stats NZ, fruit and vegetable prices dropped 13% in the year to March 2024

“The annual decrease in fruit and vegetable prices was the largest recorded since the series began in 1999,” consumer prices manager James Mitchell said.

Federated Farmers meat and wool chairperson and national board member Toby Williams says supermarkets trying to keep prices down for consumers protect their own retailer margins.

“Rather than put the prices up for consumers they put pressure on suppliers. New Zealand farmers all act individually We don’t have much say over what we get paid.”

Inflation has increased the costs in every part of the supply chain, from fuel costs to fertiliser. This means the price of the end product will increase to match Lecturer in global value chains and trade at Lincoln University, Dr Muhammad Umar, says that Covid-19 has had a long-term impact on the price of food, something the New Zealand economy is still recovering from.

“The border restrictions and the way the world was halted for two to three years,

really impacted all the food supply chains, mostly because New Zealand was dependent on China and there were long lockdowns over there. That really pushed the transportation prices up.”

Covid also resulted in a rise in inflation. In turn, inflation increases the costs of labour, transport, exports and production of food

Umar suggested transport and exports as examples to explain the contribution to increased food prices. Considering fuel prices are currently high, it will cost more to transport a harvest of apples, for example, down the supply chain, and to the supermarket. The supermarket would then have to pay more for the apples which then drives the price of the product on the shelf.

Higher prices then make consumers less reluctant to spend, decreasing demand and forcing supermarkets and retailers to increase their prices to make a profit.

All of that considered, Umar says that the middle-men –transport and logistics – are usually the ones making the largest profit out of the whole

input costs and

supply-chain.

“Over the whole supply chain everybody ends up getting more than the farmer. This is true across fruit and vegetables too,” Williams says.

As a response, Williams says more and more farmers are cutting out the middle-man and going into independent retail.

“If you look online these days you will see farmers selling meat privately, they catch that margin themselves.”

Williams says dairy and beef prices are relatively stable at the ent.

“The outlook for beef is good which comes down to the majority of non-prime beef we produce being used for burgers. The demand worldwide for grinding meat is very stable.”

It’s a different story for sheep meat however.

“Farming sheep is really hard,” he says. “We spend a lot of time making sure they are healthy, trying to keep them alive.”

Williams says earlier this year farmers were getting $6.30 a kilo for sheep meat while average export value was $9.96.

“Supermarkets would pay around $10 across the board for lamb. A more expensive cut like lamb rack would be more like $20 and they may charge around $50.”

Over the last three years, inflation has seen input costs for sheep and beef farmers increase by 35%, catching farmers in a perfect storm with weak global demand and falling profits, Arkwright says.

“This has led to a major squeeze on farm profits, which are expected to fall by over 50% this year, following a 30% fall the previous year and most sheep and beef farmers are unlikely to make a profit.”

Despite soft demand from global red meat markets, Arkwright says that this has resulted in competitively priced specials and good offers at domestic retailers, which he encourages Kiwis to take advantage of to support our farmers.

Williams says sheep farmers are wondering what the future holds but after visiting several sheep and beef farmers recently, he said the mood was better than expected.

“People understand this is temporary The older farmers have seen what recovery looks like, the younger farmers are still energetic. There is optimism that we are going to get through this.

“It is also an opportunity for farmers to look at whether their business is producing and running efficiently.

“As hard as this is, there are opportunities to come out the other side. In the 1980s we saw this, good farmers looked at their businesses, focused on production and found different ways of farming. They came out the other side stronger, bigger and better.”

Williams says the best way to support farmers is to keep buying meat, especially lamb.

“Seek out independent retailers, your small butchers and small online meat retailers, those are the guys who have gone out on a limb.”

Responsible for their domestic marketing, B+LNZ has been working hard to elevate New Zealand red meat in the eyes of Kiwis Arkwright says they’ve seen progress here, with research indicating that red meat is being consumed more often

Umar says it is becoming more important to invest in technologies that will make production and supply chains more efficient and less costly.

“We need investment in technology to improve how we can do irrigation, how we can have better seed quality and how we can get a crop which can withstand weather and environmental-related problems. All of these will help to reduce the prices in

the long run.” ■

Export prices for sheep-meat are down 30% from two years ago, while on-farm input costs have increased to 20%. NICOLA GALLOWAY

Foodstuffs say that a key driver of supermarket prices tends to come down to supply and demand.

Despite high

low returns, Toby Williams says sheep farmers understand the financial cycle of agriculture and that businesses have weathered the storm in the past

RICKY WILSON/STUFF

Toby Williams says over the whole supply chain everybody ends up getting more than the farmers.

Lecturer at Lincoln University Muhammad Umar says Covid-19 has had a long-term impact on food prices.

Pork sector needs to thrive

A change in wording on allowed uses of Highly Productive Land has NZ Pork chief executive Brent Kleiss worried.

New Zealand’s pig farmers are proud to produce New Zealand-born and raised pork.

It’s a firm Kiwi favourite and our farmers are committed to high anima welfare standards and sustainable farmin practices.

However, the NZ pork sector is facing a number of challenges. A significant cause for concern is a recent Government directive which could prevent pig farming on productive land.

The National Policy Statement for Highly Productive Land (NPS-HPL) was supposed to protect productive land from encroaching urbanisation such as housing.

However, a last-minute wording change in the policy by the Ministry for the Environment directs that land should be used for only certain types of farming, not including pig farming.

We do not believe this was the intent of the legislation and are calling on the Government to amend the policy to make sure it protects good farming land while still allowing for pig farming.

At the heart of the issue is just a matter of wording, but, left unchanged, it could have significant implications for pig farmers

That’s because consultation on the NPS

Are our banks overly cautious in certain types of lending, wonders business adviser Gordon Stuart, from financial services company Chaperon.

What price are we paying for an ultra-safe banking sector?

We want banks to be safe and profitable but the process of credit intermediation and the pricing and taking of risk is also an essential part of driving an economy forward. The balance has gone too far to the former with capital requirements that just encourage more lending to the less productive housing sector.

The Reserve Bank is increasing the minimum capital for our four Australianowned banks from 10.5% to 18% so as to retain more capital in New Zealand, and to prevent bank failure – to cover a 1-in-200year risk

The sector also makes about $10 billion a year, a huge buffer before you eat into capital.

The Commerce Commission points to a risk weighting framework that stifles competition in the sector where banks need to hold less capital against a mortgage compared with a business or farm loan

The Reserve Bank batted back, saying stay in your lane, noting “the commission’s suggested changes to our risk-weighting framework in the draft report would lead to very marginal benefits to competition”

The OECD’s 2024 Economic Survey of NZ, citing the Commerce Commission, noted “strict prudential supervision by the Reserve Bank, which is efficient at preventing systemic risk, but possibly at the cost of weaker differentiation and innovation by limiting non-systemic risk”.

Non-systemic risk is the risk unique to a specific company.

stated the intention was to protect HPL for ‘‘primary production purposes’’. This was to avoid its loss to unco-ordinated urban expansion and rural land fragmentation associated with rural lifestyle living.

NZPork supported that, but then the published version of the statement changed the wording to ‘‘land-based primary production’’. Ministry staff have been explicit that this would mean indoor primary food production activities such as pig farms are an inappropriate land use on highly productive land.

As councils must give effect to the NPS, they have little choice but to also take this

view as they begin to implement the policy.

This is important to the sector because pig farms are often part of bigger farms, which use the pig manure as a natural fertiliser on cropping or pastoral land This is why many pig farms are on land that’s considered good for farming under the policy.

Pig farms can fit really well with a diversified farming system where they are integrated into wider farming operations. This is due to their ability to utilise other agricultural crops and food sector by-products and provide effective and cheap fertiliser, all while producing high-quality protein for NZ families.

Last year, the Government consulted on changes to the NPS-HPL to provide for indoor pig farming on highly productive land. However, nine months later, no decisions have been made and councils must continue to implement the policy as it is currently written.

This interpretation will make it hard for new pig farms to be established and for existing farms to grow or to change the way they do things. That includes constructing new buildings to meet any new rules or needs in the future.

This will be particularly relevant in the immediate future as the sector is awaiting a decision on the proposed changes to the Code of Welfare for Pigs.

So why does this all matter? Why is a thriving pork sector important for NZ?

New Zealand’s pork sector is a small but highly efficient part of the farming industry, producing high quality protein while having a low environmental footprint.

Pigs naturally produce much lower

The price of safety

How risk is managed

To help ensure good practice the Reserve Bank places certain requirements on banks:

■ Minimum ratio requirements calculated from banks’ financial data, including the core funding ratio.

■ Rules and guidance on the risk management processes banks should have in place to manage liquidity risk.

■ Regularly reporting on their liquidity risk.

Banks are required to carry and exceed minimum capital ratios, soon to be 18%, to reduce the risk of loss. The credit risk weighting of a bank’s assets helps determine the minimum capital required Lower risk weighting means the need for less capital.

Banks have internal credit-rating systems that:

■ Categorise their exposures into various asset classes as defined by the Basel II accord.

■ Estimate the risk parameters –probability of default (PD) or expected default frequency (EDF), loss given

methane emissions than ruminant animals. The pork sector currently contributes just 0.2% of the country’s total agricultural emissions and our goal is for it to be carbon neutral by 2050.

New Zealand’s commercial herd has exceptionally high health status, protected by the most rigorous biosecurity measures and free of the severe pests and diseases impacting many overseas pork producers.

This also means our pigs do not need antibiotics to treat the diseases affecting the industry in many other countries.

The sector has some of the highest pig welfare standards in the world, underpinned by NZPork’s PigCare welfare assurance programme

New Zealand pork producers are competing against a flood of imported pork – about 60% of pork consumed in NZ is from overseas – most of which has much lower welfare standards and less rigorous enforcement regimes, allowing for cheaper pork production and cheaper prices.

It’s important to Kiwis that they are able to continue to buy NZ pork raised to these high standards, and our farmers want to keep producing it.

As farming adapts to a changing environment, there is scope for more farmers to integrate pigs into their commercial farming operations, or for existing pork producers to expand – but the policy settings need to be in place to enable that.

We believe the current interpretation of the policy is inconsistent with its original intent of protecting highly productive land for primary production and represents an overreach in a policy initially proposed to protect land valued for food production from urban activities. ■

Mortgage lending paid off via fortnightly or monthly salary is also far simpler than business lending that is more volatile, and seasonal and requires greater account maintenance and skills to manage, hence business has been cut.

The increased capital ratios mean less money into business lending, which constrains growth and productivity. Businesses are also forced to retain more capital and grow more slowly.

Unintended consequence equals less choice. HSBC left the market partly due to increased capital requirements despite being bigger than all four Australians and a market capitalisation circa two-thirds of New Zealand’s GDP.

Bank nominal profits have risen and margins expanded. It’s simple maths More capital requires more profit to generate the return on the additional capital.

default (LGD), exposure at default (EAD), maturity (M) – that are inputs to riskweight functions designed for each asset class, to arrive at the total risk weighted assets (RWA).

The regulatorycapital forcredit risk is then calculated as 8% ofthe total RWAunderBasel II.Banks take securityto reduce the LGD,and therefore the capital applied to each loan.

Risk weightings differ. Most governments are risk weighted at zero,local councils at 20%,mortgages with a loan tovalue ratio less than 80% at 35%,business loans at 100% or more,development loans at 150%,and equity holdings are 300% risk weighted iftheyare publiclytraded; and 400% forall others.

Hence banks don’t hold equities – despite a loan against a bank share orApple orGoogle equitybeing a betterrisk in manycases than a loan to an SME.

What has been the impact ofthese increased capital settings?

As the minimum capital ratio has increased towards 18%,banks have deliberatelyfocused on mortgages,which nowcomprise 63% oftotal bank lending (it was once 50:50) as mortgages use less capital

Reserve Bank statistics from 2000 to March 2023 show combined banks’ balance sheet equity has grown from $9.1b to $58.6b and in the last 10 years, equity has grown $27.8b, nearly doubling.

At the same time, reported quarterly net profit before tax was $127.2b and $71.7b for the respective 23-year and 10-year periods. Impaired asset expense (mostly collective provisioning) for the same 23-year period has been very low,which shows the probability of default/expected default frequency, and loss given default, used in bank credit rating systems have been managed or are too conservative –predicting much higher losses than have actually occurred.

Banks have consistently reported returns on equity of 14% and the OECD notes “the standard deviation of pre-tax returns is relatively low, suggesting low risk taking among banks”. Super profits with low risk.

Conclusion

For New Zealand to grow its economic pie, businesses and farmers need access to equity and debt markets. Instead, we have adopted a system that has encouraged more mortgage lending. It needs to change. ■

Wording in the new directive from the Government on the National Policy Statement for Highly Productive Land could see a reduction in pig farming, says Brent Kleiss

The New Zealand banking sector makes about $10 billion a year, which is a huge buffer. 123RF

Fertiliser - an essential industry

The

social structure

of New

Zealand would collapse without phosphorous fertiliser, says soil scientist Doug Edmeades.

Ialluded to it in my last column – if we closed the fertiliser industry, New Zealand would go broke. I can put some numbers on it now because the report is in the public domain.

For the last six months or so, I have been working with a pan-industry group of scientists and consultants wrestling with the question: “What is the value of phosphorus fertiliser to the New Zealand economy?”

The project was conducted under the leadership of Phil Journeaux, an agricultural economist, and was funded by the Fertiliser Association of New Zealand.

The numbers will astonish you If no fertiliser P was applied, from now into perpetuity, the reduction in profit at the farm gate is estimated to be $8 billion, comprising:

■ $900 million sheep and beef

■ $5 billion dairy

■ $700 million permanent horticulture

■ $1.4 billion vegetable and arable

The impact on the economy would be a decrease in annual gross output by $44b. Bluntly, the country would become bankrupt and, with it, the social structure of society would collapse.

Focusing on the pastoral sector, these estimates were based on modelling (using Farmax and Overseer) of regionally

representative farms – five dairy farms and four sheep and beef farms.

We estimated what would happen to pasture production and quality, if the Olsen P was mined down from 30 (dairying), or 20 (in the case of sheep and beef), to Olsen P 5 (taken to be the rock bottom), at a rate of decline of 1-2 Olsen P units a year.

From this, we calculated the likely financial outcomes for each farm over time. The pastures would, of course, revert from high-producing white clover-ryegrass to low-producing brown-top dominant pastures with no legume.

As the report said: “In reality, all farms, as they are currently structured, would be uneconomic, requiring a significant restructuring to larger, more extensive operations.”

The point is obvious: the fertiliser industry is essential if NZ is to have a prosperous future, and therein lies the problem. What shape will it take in the future?

Nitron, the world’s No 2 distributor of fertilisers, with revenue in the billions, is

backing Marnco, an Australian subsidiary, and they have already captured about 25% of the market in Victoria and South Australia. They plan to bring competition to the New Zealand industry. Mark Been, managing director of Marnco, has said: “We feel we can deliver a low-cost, lowoverhead model. We will not be everything to everyone, and our focus will be on bulk N, P and K, and doing it competitively.”

For their part, the co-ops say they welcome competition providing it is honest and that it’s a level playing field. At present, both parties are in court, sorting out the meaning of the word ‘superphosphate’

The decision farmers will need to confront – co-operative versus corporate –is not just about cost, although that is likely to be a major driving factor. What confounds

the picture is that the co-ops, because of their history and ownership, do a lot of industry good, or should we say farmer and public good.

Of course, they manufacture and distribute fertilisers, returning profits to the farmer in the form of rebates, after covering their operating costs.

But consider: there are many examples of industry/farmer/public good activities that the co-ops provide including: advisory services nationwide; funding R&D in the CRIs and universities; sponsoring national (eg Young Farmers’ competition) and local (eg sports clubs) events; advocating for farmers and the industry at the regional and national levels; operating certification schemes such as FertMark and Spreadmark.

Indeed, the report mentioned at the beginning of this column is an excellent example of a public-good activity. Will the incoming large corporate traders, like Marnco, contribute to or offer such services?

You can, however, always argue that things could be improved. For example, many farmers argue that the co-ops have, over time, lost their co-operative genes and become too corporate – they would say the “fat cats” in the respective HQs need culling.

Some farmers are disappointed with what the co-ops offer in terms of technical support. I can understand that sentiment. But all these things can be improved given time, so let us hope some competition will have this effect

So farmers, your industry, your decision. But,as you consider the issues and their consequences, remember that the fertiliser industry is vital to NZ’s wellbeing.■ The report can be found here: fertiliser. org.nz/Site/research/projects/value-ofphosphorus-2024.aspx.

NZ’sfirstfarmconsultant

Across theagricultural sector,a number of people have been recognised fortheir work.Compiled by SonitaChandar.

Anumberofpeopleworking or who have worked in agriculture have been recognised in this year’s King’s Birthday Honours. VincentAshworth of Morrinsville hasbeen made aCompanion of the NewZealandOrder of Merit for services to agriculture

Ashworth was “takenaback by the letters of support written for my nomination”

“It does mean alot to be recognised,” he says. He has contributed to agriculture in NewZealandand internationally since 1970.

As asenioragriculturalist with the World Bank, he ledmissions to help farmers with food production in more than30developing countries. Notably, heundertook major work to improve farming practices in countries with harsh environments foragriculture, including Afghanistan, Yemenand Ethiopia.

Recognising the lack of support for farmers on best practicefarming, in 1960 he established afarm management consultancy, Ashworth and Associates, the first of its kind in New Zealand When Vincent Ashworth first

inaugural president, with thousandsof farmers benefiting fromresearch findings to improve their practices.

Ashworth haspublished six books since 2009 and has been recognised with two medals fromLincolnUniversity for his contributions to agricultural consultancy and the university’s cultural heritage.

Gordon Glentworth of Hāwera was madeanOfficer of the NewZealand Order of Merit for services to the livestock and dairy industries.

Glentworth hasbeen involvedwith artificial breeding and genetics with the Livestock Improvement Association (LIA) and Livestock Improvement Corporation (LIC) for more than35years.

He hasbeen credited with helping shape different breeding agreements, particularly for the Ayrshire breed to ensure this relativelyminor breed within theNew Zealand dairy cowpopulation hassurvived and prospered.

Glentworth hasbeen amember of the NewZealand Ayshire Association Board since 1989 and servedtwo terms as president. He hasbeen on theAyrshire Artificial Breeding Committee since 1991 and is currently the chairperson and the national chairperson of the New Zealand Vet Club Association.

He hasbeen adriving force for the supply of eliteScandanavian Ayrshire genetics intothe NewZealand herd. His Sanrosa Ayrshire herd hasreceivedthe MayfieldTrophyfor the top producing Ayrshire herd in NewZealand 24 times since 1987

Forservices to broadcasting and the rural community, Alexander James Mackay

among those honoured

ceremonies, donating all his MC fees to charities. He has been a prominent advocate for rural mental health and wellbeing support and initiatives.

He has also supported various causes, including cancer fundraisers, IHC’s Calf and Rural Scheme, the Farmstrong wellbeing charity and Rabobank’s Good Deeds initiative.

For services to the wine industry, Reid Fletcher of Gisborne has been made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit.

He has dedicated himself to the Gisborne region’s grape-growing and wine industry for almost 50 years.

Since Fletcher and his wife planted their first grapes at Pātūtahi in 1974, he has represented Gisborne growers on boards and committees, provided mentorship and supported others in the industry.

Fletcher was instrumental in the 2002 amalgamation of the New Zealand Grape Growers Council with NZ Winemakers to form New Zealand Winegrowers (now known as New Zealand Wine).

For services to the dairy industry, Murray King of Richmond has been made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit.

King has helped promote and develop New Zealand’s dairy sector through multiple directorships, particularly in the Nelson/Tasman district.

He and his wife farm a number of dairy properties in the North Canterbury and Nelson regions. He has championed innovation and collaboration through his directorships in several organisations and has given his time to support industryled initiatives, such as the ‘To The Core’

Left:AlexanderJames Mackaywasmade anOfficeroftheNew ZealandOrderof Meritforservicesto broadcastingandthe ruralcommunity.

MICHAEL BEAUMONT

Fonterra governance development programmes, initiatives to improve environmental sustainability, and the rapid response to the 2017 Mycoplasma Bovis outbreak.

For services to the apiculture industry, Allan John McCaw of Milton has been made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit.

His contribution to New Zealand’s beekeeping industry over 48 years has

been significant and he has received multiple awards in the ApiNZ National Honey Competition, including the Supreme Champion Award in 2016

He and his wife have co-owned their Otago beekeeping and honey packing business since 1977.

He has worked to support and promote the marketing of New Zealand honey, including the growth of the fledgling mānuka honey industry in the 1980s and 1990s.

Graham Frederick of Waitara has been made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to horticulture.

Frederick led the development of Pukeiti Rhododendron Trust Garden as a garden of international significance and collaborated on rhododendron research and conservation nationally and

Gordon Glentworth, far left, and son Jonathan with one of their pedigree Aryshire cows. Gordon, from Hãwera, was made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to the livestock and dairy industries in the King’s Birthday Honours.

O’DOWD/STUFF

internationally. Smith joined Pukeiti in 1969 as curator, becoming horticultural director in 1991 and then director from 1995 to 2008.

He built a specialised and internationally recognised rhododendron collection, importing many specimens and establishing links with leading gardens in the United Kingdom and the United States

The King’s Service Medal has been awarded to Fay Taylor of Mosgiel for services to the community.

Taylor joined the Women’s Division Federated Farmers Henley Branch, now Rural Women New Zealand (RWNZ), and has been a member for 66 years, holding offices at local and regional level.

Through RWNZ, Taylor has helped raise thousands of dollars for local, national and international women’s projects. ■

SUE

Rural health snapshot ‘confronting’

Research shows those living rurally are falling behind in many health metrics.

By Louisa Steyl

Kiwis living rurally have significantly higher mortality rates from preventable causes and alarmingly high rates of suicide, new research shows.

Hauora Taiwhenua Rural Health Network’s 2024 snapshot shows rural people are falling behind in almost every metric it’s measured so far; and the more rurally a person lives, the worse their comparable health.

The report found Māori younger than 30 living remotely were twice as likely to die of preventable causes than their urban counterparts, while non-Māori aged 30 to 44 living rurally were 1.8 times more likely to die of a preventable cause.

Suicide rates for males aged 15 to 44 are 64% higher in rural areas than in cities

Rural Communities Minister Mark Patterson called the report “sobering and confronting”.

“Rural health provision is under extreme pressure and rural health outlagging urban comparators,” he said. “We are listening carefully to the sector as we set about turning these outcomes around.”

In 2022, academics from Otago and Waikato universities developed a geographical definition of rurality for health purposes, which the Rural Health

Network said finally enabled the sector to compare the health outcomes of those living in rural areas with those in or near cities.

According to the report, one in five Kiwis lives in rural areas that were

responsible for producing more than 80% of Aotearoa’s export earning; so it’s important that they’re healthy and well.

Rural communities scored lower across metrics like unemployment, income, home ownership, education, access to

cellphones and internet, vaccination rates and health risk factors.

Many of these statistics are worse for Māori living in rural areas.

Half of rural general practices have an unacceptably high GP to patient ratio and almost 60% were advertising a GP vacancy in June last year, the report said.

“These findings are an indictment on the low priority that has been given to the health and wellbeing of rural people by this and previous governments,” Hauora Taiwhenua chairperson Dr Fiona Bolden said.

The network presented the report to Patterson and Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey in early May, before releasing it publicly late last month.

Bolden called on the Government to prioritise rural families in future budgets and in planning. “It is long past the time for rhetoric. We need to see action and priority given to funding the higher cost of health delivery in rural and remote parts of New Zealand.”

Delivery was further complicated by social deprivation and the large percentage of over 65-year-olds who lived rurally, she said. The network made it clear that telehealth wasn’t a solution when only 74.2% of rural households had access to the internet and only 64.6% of some communities had access to a mobile phone, Bolden said.

Hauora Taiwhenua chief executive Dr Grant Davidson said the network had offered to work with the Government on more appropriate solutions to start reversing these outcomes. ■

Main: During a stint in Saudi Arabia, Grant Macpherson was called out to one of the Prince’s palaces at 5am where a shipment of exotic animals had been delivered.

Inset: After working overseas, Grant Macpherson came home and worked at Kamo Vets until his retirement recently The business treated all sorts of animals including an albatross.

STEVE MACMILLAN/STUFF

A lifetime of

A Northland veterinarian has finally put his medical kit away for a quieter life after more than 40 years of caring for animals.

By Steve Macmillan.

After a career spanning nearly five decades that took him around the world, Northland veterinarian Grant Macpherson has finally called it quits and says it has been a privilege to work with the Northland farming community. created and leaves behind legacy in Kamo Vets, practice started by Jim Mortimer back in the day d now run by a team of equally passionate vets. Macpherson grew up on the family farm at Mahuta, near Dargaville, and says he loved the lifestyle.

“It was a returned serviceman farm and initially it was a dairy unit but the soil had a tuberculosis bug, which ironically did not cause TB but Dad lost herd twice so decided into sheep and beef,” Macpherson. up at boarding school at Sacred Heart in Auckland and then attended veterinarian school at Massey University.

“I loved it from the moment I got into it. It hit the right button and I fell into the right place.”

After five years of study, he graduated in 1978 and began his career in Wellsford.

“Back in those days, lots of the rural vet practices were clubs which farmers set up by constructing a building and then employed

vets. Up until the mid-1960s, most New Zealand vets were trained in Australia.”

After a year in Wellsford, Grant headed overseas.

“I thought I knew everything and quickly learnt I knew nothing. I quickly lost my cockiness and that’s how I became a vet,” he chuckles.

After a stint in Perth and South Africa he went to England for a year but found the UK winter wasn’t for him so opted for some warmth in Saudi Arabia but was blindsided at just how intense the heat was.

There he met Sally, an operating theatre nursing sister/manager who was commissioning part of a new military hospital They married six weeks later.

“I worked in the onlyvet clinic in Jeddah with a Scotsman and it involved snakes and lots of falcons which were prized by Saudi princes.

“I had a call out to one of the Prince’s palaces at 5am, only to find that a shipment of exotic animals had been delivered. There were several large cats, other animals and a small elephant which needed a quarantine injection and the only option was to climb up onto the top of the transport crate. In the mayhem that followed I very nearly fell through the crate and in with the elephant. Fortunately, I fell off the side and landed embarrassingly in the desert sand.

“After two years we decided to leave and heard that Jim Mortimer was thinking of retiring so I phoned him.

“Jim and I got on like a house on fire. It was a wonderful partnership with Jim and Lynne and Sally and I and for several years much of the work was as an equine vet.”

Twelve years after joining forces, Mortimer retired in 1997 and Macpherson and his wife steered the practice towards becoming a generic rural practice.

“I loved being a farm vet. Going around talking with farmers was very enjoyable. I would do the same thing again at the drop of a hat. I feel very fortunate that I ended up in that role and the thing I always kept front of mind was that the most critical thing is to look after people – whether that was in the clinic, privately or on the farms. You must

NZ farmers should focus on our

Nuffield scholar Carlos Bagrie is jet-setting across the globe to find how we can better showcase our highquality food and fibre sector By

Eve Hyslop

Carlos Bagrie has tasted many dishes around the world, but one thing has become more evident; the grass really isn’t greener on the other side, or rather the food isn’t. New Zealand’s cuisine still takes Bagrie’s top prize over the rest of the world, right from where it’s produced on farm to where it’s plated in-house.

Nuffield scholar and Royalburn Station farm owner, Bagrie, has just completed a trip to Brazil as an initial phase of the Nuffield scholarship. The trip provided scholars with a chance to connect, discuss their focus-topic of choice and debate on numerous agricultural-focused views

Beginning in Campo Grande, the scholars listened to a variety of different speakers from politicians, directors, thought leaders, entrepreneurs and innovators, about markets, balancing value and volume in food production and commercial supply chains.

They then travelled to the state of Mato Grosso, Brazil’s largest producer of soybean and cattle, where they were shown what was happening at the coalface of primary production in Brazil.

Without large-scale, cheaper production systems, he says New Zealand’s point of difference is the value of our produce.

In order to compete internationally, he says New Zealand needs to reflect this point of difference in our value chains, marketing and storytelling, so the rest of e world can appreciate it the way most New Zealanders do.

Bagrie says the soils in Brazil had a sandy base, meaning they were able to use a lot of direct drills and precision seeders, increasing their efficiency

“There's an enormous food production space where we got to see first-hand how these farming businesses grow crops. We spent a lot of time looking at soybeans, cotton, sugarcane, and maize it was that door opening into what mass scale food production looks like.

“One of the farms I was on, that farming family owned 600,000 hectares of arable land and that’s just one farming family.”

“We’re only ever going to be a niche player in the global markets. That’s something we need to accept. So our position has to be at the higher end of that, because [New Zealand] is an expensive place to farm, expensive land, labour, inputs and we live a distance from market so it’s expensive to get our food to market.”

Doing so could mean focusing on our red meat sector and using our farming systems to prioritise value over volume. Bagrie says this value story can be told through our expertise in intramuscular

fat (IMF) in red meat, pasture-raised and finished beef and lamb, and our fertile soils in high-altitude areas

“There's always improvements we can make on our farms, but I think that a lot of it comes down to controlling those value chains and telling our story well. This is the second half of food you know, the first half might be the primary production but

Nuffield scholar Carlos Bagrie says that although countries like Brazil have larger-scale farming systems, New Zealand’s quality is above all-else.

animal care

think of what will work out best for them because you can never keep people if you don’t look after them.

He says being a rural vet gets you very close to clients and their families. Doing things like calving a cow in gorse and mud in the middle of the night with a farmer brings a uniqueness to a relationship when you are both working together

“It’s not much fun at the time but a good memory later if the cow and calf survived.

“I can remember as a boy on the farm when something had gone wrong with an animal or was seriously ill. It was such a feeling of relief when the vet came along and took over the responsibility. And then in my early days as a vet we did a lot of ‘fire brigade’ farm work and a lot of technical surgeries, but now they are sent to specialists in Auckland

“Some of the things we got up to on farms were a bit dangerous but it was a matter of getting the job done and sometimes I wondered how I was still standing when I left the farm.”

Jobs in the clinic were just as interesting. “In the old clinic at Kamo we nursed an injured albatross. For over a week it stayed in the cage room, which was not overly large, so its wingspan filled the whole room when it extended them.

“Jim made numerous visits to the

Now that he is retired from veterinarian work, Grant Macpherson plans to do up his old tractors and Land Rover.

Ahuwhenua Trophy winners announced

Wairarapa Moana ki Pouakani Incorporation wins the coveted Ahuwhenua Trophy for the top Māori dairy farm.

By Bethwyn Littler.

Wairarapa Moana ki Pouakani Incorporation (WMI) is this year’s winner of the coveted Ahuwhenua Trophy for the top Māori dairy farm.

Adriatic Fish Shop purchasing supplies of fish for the bird’s recovery. After it was released it flew off to oceans unknown. The job was constantly interesting and changing.”

He says he was learning right up until the end. “In my last week of work I was dehorning a very wild and large steer and we could not get the horns through the head bale, so the farmer showed me a way to secure the head of a difficult animal which I had never used before.”

“Memorable times of the job were the early morning starts on the farms. You could never tire of driving out through the country at 4am on a clear, calm starlit morning. Then watching the dawn come up during the long hours of pregnancy testing in the milking shed.”

Now the veterinary tools are down and the business is in the capable hands of Luke Goodin and Ben Irwin it’s time for some relaxation at home and on their 1.6ha organic kiwifruit orchard near Kamo.

Macpherson laughs when he says it gives him time to drive tractors.

He has a few of them too and plans to do them up in his spare time, along with his old Land Rover – just like a good, keen Northland farm boy should.

One thing is certain, Northland’s farming community is already missing the man with the never-ending smile. ■

high-quality niche

the tertiary side is how do we get that to market.”

Bagrie says he’s always interested in what customers are looking for what the global food trends are, who is leading that charge and where New Zealand fits in. He hopes that the Nuffield scholarship will answer many of those questions as he makes his way around the globe.

As his scholarship progresses, he plans on writing a report on his learnings and how it could apply to New Zealand farming systems. He hopes that the report will be received by all New Zealanders, but in particular policymakers.

He says he doesn’t intend to tell other farmers how they should do their job.

“I think most farmers have probably figured out what works for them and I’m not somebody who can comment on someone else’s systems when I’m still working mine out There’s no one-sizefits-all with farming.”

Instead, he encourages farmers to continue learning, researching and travelling if they can.

Bagrie is now making his way through Australia and will then continue his travels through week- and month-long stints in Zimbabwe, the Netherlands, Georgia, England, Scotland, Ireland, and Japan.

He will study smaller markets like England, Scotland and Ireland, and look at how other countries are generating returns off the land through the likes of direct selling, and how resilience can be built in farming enterprises. ■

The award was announced by the Minister for Māori Development Tama Potaka in May at an awards dinner in Hamilton attended by 850 people including Prime Minister Chris Luxon and Kiingi Tuheitia.

WMI covers more than 10,000 hectares in Mangakino, South Waikato, and consists of 12 dairy units, three dairy support units and two forestry blocks.

Potaka presented the trophy to WMI chairperson Kingi Smiler Potaka described the Ahuwhenua Trophy as the most prestigious award in Māori farming. He said for Māori the award is a demonstration of success and pride, but also a demonstration of identity which is inextricably linked into land, seas, forests, mountains and rivers.

WMI chairperson Smiler said he was both elated and relieved about the win. He said the dedicated team does a lot of work around strategy, planning and execution.

“Personally, I like a challenge, and meeting that challenge requires attention to detail. It’s great how our team works together and in doing so, that they have managed to achieve this award.”

WMI has 12,000 cows and is the largest supplier to milk processor Miraka Ltd. The farm operates a high-care, high-efficiency model supported by the Mauri Compass Model on improving water quality.

Ahuwhenua Trophy chairperson Nukuhia Hadfield said WMI Farm 4, managed by Kim Turner, was a top performing unit in every respect and a deserved winner of the competition.

“The standard of excellence of the entire operation is a model which all dairy farmers should look at and take note of.”

Top:WairarapaMoanakiPouakaniIncorporation Farm4ManagerKimTurnerwiththeAhuwhenua Trophy.Above:Thewinnerofthe2024 AhuwhenuaYoungMāoriFarmerAwardforDairy BenPurua,right,wifeNikkiPurua,left,withMāori trusteeandchiefexecutiveofTeTumuPaeroa,Dr CharlotteSeverne. PHOTOS:

She congratulated both WMI and finalist Whakatōhea Māori Trust Board.

“They exhibit qualities that make us proud to be farmers and proud to be Māori. They have carried on the fortitude of their tupuna to change their iwi and hapū outcomes from adversity to success and excellence.

The winner of the Ahuwhenua Young Māori Farmer Award for Dairy is Ben Purua (Tainui). Purua is farm manager at Waimakariri Lands Ltd, near Tirau, which runs 540 cows.

He thanked his whānau and friends, paying special tribute to his wife Nikki who is his greatest supporter and encouraged him to enter the competition again.

“It was a great honour and I’m extremely grateful to receive the award. I hope to inspire others to pursue their dreams particularly in dairy farming.

“Farming has been my saviour. I don’t know where I would have been today without it. It saved my life, saved my family and I hope I can now help other families to break the cycle.” ■

Minister for Māori Development Tama Potaka announced Wairarapa Moana ki Pouakani Incorporation 2024 Ahuwhenua Trophy winners.

Taupō District Mayor David Trewavas with Ahuwhenua Trophy winners Wairarapa Moana ki Pouakani Incorporation.

ALPHAPIX PHOTOGRAPHY

Breakthrough in wool-based pigment a game changer

A

pigment made of 100% wool has been developed, and it provides the same colour intensity as synthetic alternatives.

By Eve Hyslop.

If you were told the red in your lipstick, the yellow in the logo on your T-shirt, or the blue on your car’s steering wheel came from the wool clip of your local farmer, would you believe it?

The colours are created from a breakthrough development by Wool Source, who have produced a bio-based pigment made of 100% wool that provides the same colour intensity as synthetic pigments, and is biodegradable.

Other countries have made similar developments with a black bio-based pigment, but Wool Source is the first to make a breakthrough with a coloured pigment, chief executive Tom Hooper says.

About 10 years ago, the Wool Research Organisation of New Zealand (WRONZ) was challenged with driving demand for wool over synthetics, as interest declined in traditional wool products. Enter Wool Source, a subsidiary launched in 2020 by the organisation to test market potential for products developed through the New Uses

for Strong Wool programme.

The programme focuses on breaking wool down to a molecular level and finding ways to deconstruct the fibre and reconstruct it into three different products; particles, powders and pigments. The breakthrough pigment is one of those: It’s made from a carrier particle that is able to absorb the dye.

“Wool has always been one of the best natural materials at absorbing dye, but not quite as good as synthetics,” Hooper says.

“A synthetic compound is petrochemical so it doesn’t break down but it’s designed to hold really intense colour. We’ve since had a really big breakthrough and we can now get to the same colour intensity as synthetic pigments.”

Hooper says the pigments’ production is protected by an Intellectual Property (IP) strategy so how the wool provides colour cannot be shared in detail, and can only be linked back to the carrier particle absorbing the dye.

To match existing requirements for inks and pigments, the carrier particle is around a micron in size.

The breakthrough to get the right colour intensity and create a small enough carrier particle took 2½-years and now Wool Source is looking to take the product to market.

collaboration with Karen Murrell coloured by the pigment.

The development places New Zealand well ahead of any other country, Hooper says. “We have eight patents in this space and we have a really good view of the global IP around us. We’re well in front of everybody.”

WinterServicing Getitright

“The markets that we go to for these products are all international. They’re all Europe, America, Asia-focused,very big companies. They’re all enthusiastically engaging with us so we’ve got strong buy-in from some big firms.”

While overseas interest is immense, Hooper says their focus is to build a New Zealand production facility that uses local sources.

“Wool Source will only use New Zealand wool, build it in New Zealand and capture the value-add in New Zealand.

“This is going to be for New Zealand growers and the wool industry.”

The product is already looking promising, with a lipstick created by Wool Source in

From T-shirt and paper printing, to colour in cosmetics and car interiors, there’ll be a range of opportunities for the pigment.

Wool Source’s use of New Zealand wool should benefit the industry, with the possibility to drive demand and in turn, prices for wool. Hooper says he’s aware of the scepticism in the wool industry at current, so while Wool Source has the critical discovery sorted, there is still work to be done to finalise the product.

“If anything, there’ll be so much enthusiasm, we have to kind of hose it down and say you know, this is like a biotech startup. We’ve got to get all of these things right, to be successful We’ve got workable products, now we’ve got to do everything that you need to take a workable product to market.” ■

Wool Source has been working on breakthroughs for colour intensity and particle size for more than two years. WOOL SOURCE

Tom Hooper, chief executive of Wool Source, says the pigment will be a good opportunity to add

Zealand.

The wonders of woollen carpet

Bremworth developed a woollen rug prototype in May 2022 that is fully compostable after exiting the synthetic carpet market in 2021.

By Eve Hyslop.

The cradle to grave concept for Bremworth’s woollen carpets may soon look like wool clip to compost thanks to their research and development of a fully compostable carpet.

In May 2021, Bremworth exited the synthetic carpet market, reducing their annual plastic consumption by 2500 tonnes.

A year later, they created a compostable rug prototype containing no plastic fibres.

Their next step – to create a compostable carpet with assistance from MPI’s Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures fund (SFFF), University of Auckland and AgResearch.

According to WasteMINZ, 148,000 tonnes of carpets go into New Zealand landfill sites every year. Smith says that a synthetic carpet takes around 200 years to break down in landfill.

Bremworth’s carpet is 87% natural, made from a wool facing, a synthetic primary backing, synthetic latex and a natural jute secondary backing. While the wool and jute are already compostable, Bremworth aims to replace the other inputs while ensuring a critical element – their 15 year warranty

“We’re working on natural and green chemistry based alternatives, which are going to have no compromise to performance,” says Greg Smith, chief executive of Bremworth.

The creation of the carpet has included breaking it down to its components of dyes, insecticides, primary backing and latex and

changing their make-up to consist of natural materials.

For the dye, they’ve created a plant-based green dye from mulberry leaves. The only downside, being its colour fastness.

“The performance of the natural dyes was not standing up to the performance of the other dyes, which tended to have more chemicals. And so we're still working through that process on improving their colour fastness.”

Their next step is to source wool from regenerative or carbon-neutral farms. For the natural backing, they’re trialling a biodegradable latex. Bremworth has acquired the help of a Auckland University PhD student who Smith says is months away from reaching an end product.

Their final step is to find an insecticide that repels insects but also that insects like worms and beetles will eat at the stage of compostability.

Smith says that once the product is finalised and commercialised, the difficult part will be making decisions around the IP. As a commercial entity, their ultimate goal of creating better outcomes for the environment makes this decision challenging.

“If we want to make real change, you could argue, we shouldn't sell the IP, we should give it away. If you give it away, then more people will use it, and then you're having a far greater impact on planet.”

In partnership the Asthma and Respiratory Foundation NZ, Wools of New Zealand are working to provide more education around the benefits of woollen carpets to those with respiratory issues.

Letitia Harding, chief executive of the Asthma and Respiratory Foundation, says that its partnership with Wools of NZ will promote the improvement of health outcomes for this population.

Wool can absorb harmful air-bound compounds from paint, building materials, cooking appliances, or new furniture and improve air quality, particularly for those with respiratory issues, senior scientist at AgResearch, Steve McNeil says.

“It sucks them out of the air basically and holds onto them. Those compounds and other related compounds would not be good for asthmatics. No-one should be breathing these sort of compounds but more so people with respiratory problems.”

By filtering the air, a woollen carpet regulates humidity indoors and reduces the risk of mould growth.

“If someone opens the door from the bathroom and a lot of steam comes into the lounge, the wool carpet potentially could reduce that peak humidity floating around in the air and therefore reduce the risk of mould growing through the rest of the house,” McNeil says.

Steven Parsons, global marketing manager for Wools of New Zealand, says the

demise

woollen over synthetics in was partly lack of capable means to market wool.

On the other hand, the synthetics and hard floor industry were backed economically and technologically, Parsons says.

“The sheer amount of marketing might of the synthetics industry in the hard floor industry, the woollen carpet companies couldn’t compete with that. We just saw market share slip away and more people put hard flooring down.”

Parsons says that retailers developed a misinformed narrative that wool didn’t benefit those with respiratory issues, but rather caused irritation and worsened air quality. Consumers listened, and woollen carpets continued to slip away from the market.

“There's a rule of marketing, the first lie sticks. They just had to plant that seed in people's minds, that was their investment. They didn't offer any science.”

A particular example being that of the Swedish hard flooring industry, says McNeil.

“The Swedish hard flooring industry did a lot of undermining of carpets in Europe 25 years ago, which saw carpet usage in Sweden plummet and asthma rates went up much quicker than other countries.”

McNeil says the decrease in carpet use in Sweden and the increase in asthma rates were correlated. ■

Studying New Zealand’s forests from outer space

In a new study, Scion researchers are collaborating with Nasa research centres to observe New Zealand forests from space.

By Bethwyn Littler.

Scion researchers have joined forces with US space agency Nasa to observe New Zealand forests from space. Two Nasa satellite missions will be used to measure surface and soil water to better understand how forests use water.

Dean Meason, who is leading the hydrology research, and Shana Gross, who is leading the fire and drought research, say the projects, which started in April, will explore water-use as well as wildfire and drought risks.

The water-use study will build on Crown research institute Scion’s Forest Flows programme, researching forest hydrology around New Zealand.

One of the study sites, an 1800ha research catchment in Te Hiku Forest on Northland’s Aupōuri Peninsula, will be the focus of the work with Nasa’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory

and the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. Meason says the study will measure water use and movement from single trees to the entire forest.

“Alongside showcasing New Zealand research, this provides the opportunity to answer pressing local concerns about water use and availability and increase understanding of water use and water flow to waterways throughout Te Hiku Forest.”

Meason says there were concerns about the Aupōuri aquifer. Tangata whenua Te Hiku ō Te Ika Iwi and the local community were asking about the impact Te Hiku forest was having on the amount of water in streams and rare dune lakes. “There have been changes to stream flows and a concern this would affect shellfish.”

Meason says if successful, the research

could be applied across the peninsula’s multiple land uses, and even globally across different land uses at different scales.

“There has been work overseas developing fuel moisture monitoring methods, but I haven’t yet seen anyone take that and integrate it into fire simulation modelling.”

Fuel moisture describes moisture in trees, grasses and scrub as well as the logs and twigs on the ground

“The project will essentially develop a path forward to create a fuel moisture and fuel type classification,” Gross says.

“New Zealand is attractive to Nasa because it is a skinny country with diverse geology which is easy to see from space.”

The second study will develop a roadmap to build a real-time fuel moisture and fuel type system. It is a collaboration with Nasa’s Ames Research Center, Australian National University, the US Forest Service, Fire and Emergency NZ, and the University of Canterbury.

Gross says the project will get up to date, on the ground, data on fuel types. She says that understanding fuel moisture is a missing link in our fire behaviour predictions and work.

“It will help us understand fire risk better. There is a lot of variation in fuel moisture because New Zealand has so much complexity across the landscape. Really wet forests or grasslands are hard to burn. When they dry, that's when you have a higher fire risk.”

Gross says that the project is looking at drought risk, but she acknowledges there are sectors such as agriculture where too much moisture can be an issue. She is keen to get feedback on how others could use this real time fuel moisture monitoring system in a beneficial way.

“We are looking at this from the dry perspective, but we should be able to collect data about when it is wet. When you have those really massive atmospheric rivers, storms with very heavy rain, potentially you could have stress due to too much water and erosion. ■

Left: The Forest Flows team working in Te Hiku Forest in 2021.

Right: Dean Meason

Bottom-right: Shana Gross

Bremworth’s woollen rug prototype contains no plastic fibres

Clockwise from top left: Greg Smith, Letitia Harding, John McWhirter and Steven Parsons,

Best of the best

The creme de la creme of New Zealand dairying dazzled at the national finals of the Dairy Industry Awards and showed the future of the industry is in good hands. Anne-Marie Case-Miller and Sonita Chandar.

The biggest night on the dairy calendar was once again a dazzling display of all the finest the industry has to offer as the winners of the National Dairy Industry Awards were announced at a gala dinner at Coronet Peak, Queenstown

The 2024 New Zealand Share Farmers of the Year, Will Hinton and Kali Rangiawha from Manawatū, are described as an incredibly driven couple who are both farmers in their own right.

Northland’s Kieran McCahon became the 2024 New Zealand Dairy Manager of the Year, and Kirwyn Ellis from Waikato was announced the 2024 New Zealand Dairy Trainee of the Year. They shared prizes from a pool worth over $200,000.

James and Debbie Stewart from Dairylands in Manawatū were the recipients of the Fonterra Responsible Dairying Award and received the John Wilson Memorial Trophy

The prestigious award, which received more than 20 nominations across all regions this year, was created to recognise and celebrate dairy farmers who demonstrate leadership in their approach to sustainability and who are passionate about the four pillars of responsible dairying – people and community, finance, environment and animal welfare.

“We were left with one big question following our time with Debbie and James – what more could anyone do to demonstrate the notion of ‘responsible dairying’?” says head panellist Michael Hide. “Their passion, professionalism and leadership within the industry across all aspects of their business is beyond impressive and only surpassed by their dedication to giving back to their local community.”

The panellists were impressed with the Stewarts outward understanding of the dairy industry, its importance to New Zealand and the importance to build their own story and brand.

“They are supporting the future of people within the sector and this can be seen in their significant staff retention and in the way people are stimulated by working in an ‘open air office’.

“James and Debbie are aware of their roles as ambassadors for the dairy industry and their community engagement is evident with the farm designed from an Open Farm perspective,” says Hide.

The couple embrace the past and plan for the future with 3km of streamside planting and a walkway, with an intergenerational feel.

Share Farmer category head judge Michele Cranefield, from ANZ, says winners Will Hinton and Kali Rangiawha impressed the judges with the strength of their partnership and in the way they balance each other.

“They are a very good team and one could pick up where the other left off,” she said. “They are impressive with numbers and are extremely passionate about the dairy industry, what they’re doing and how they’re doing it.”

Born in the United Kingdom, Hinton holds a BSc Agricultural Business Management from Reading University and a National Diploma in Agriculture from Lackham College. He built a farming partnership with his dad comprising 500 sheep and 30 cows.

Rangiawha has worked her way through the industry from farm assistant through to the couple’s current role as contract milkers for Tim and Victoria Gorton on their 350-cow, 113ha Halcombe farm.

“They are a very good team and one could pick up where the other left off.

Share Farmer head judge Michele Cranefield on Will Hinton and Kali Rangiawha

The judges noted that through the process of the awards, Will and Kali discovered a creek on their farm, which was like a dry riverbed and now plan to plant the creek to avoid nutrient loss.

“Will is a quick thinker, enabling him to make fast decisions and apply his knowledge to be more efficient,” they said.

The judges were also impressed by the pair’s community involvement, noting that when they see a need or gap, they step up to fill it.

“When their local community couldn’t afford a school bus, Will organised a ‘Shear-a-thon’ to raise funds, and when Kali realised there was no AI technician in their area, she trained to become one.

“They are constantly looking for ways to make positive change, both on and off farm.”

The Share Farmer runners-up are Waikato farmers Logan and Sian Dawson, who the judges describe as change-makers: “They are continuously looking for more efficient ways and accurate ways to do things.”

The Dawsons are equity partners and 50:50 sharemilkers for Jim and Sue van der Poel on their 333ha, 1350-cow farm.

Central Plateau couple Paul and Sarah Koopal placed third. They are contract milkers for Anne and Stewart Koopal on their 204ha, 544-cow farm and won $17,295 and four merit awards. They have also won the CowManager cow monitoring system for three years.

The 2024 Dairy Manager of the Year is Kieran McCahon, from Northland, who

stood out as an intelligent, well-educated farmer who is passionate about adding value to the New Zealand dairy industry as a whole.

He holds a Bachelor of Agriscience majoring in Agriculture and a Masters in Management, majoring in Agribusiness. His thesis was completed at the Northern Agricultural Research Farm.

The judges noted McCahon is well educated and has brought that technical skill to his home farm while identifying the differences between the technical details to the practicality of farming.

“He is passionate about people and took us on his journey into practical farming and challenges in the first season for him,” says judge Renee Rooney from Lake Brunner. “He is very authentic.”

The Dairy Manager runner-up, Teagan Gray from Auckland/Hauraki, is a farm manager on Neil and Glenda Gray’s 160ha Thames farm, milking 478 cows. She is in her second season as farm manager, beginning work on the farm in 2016 as a farm assistant.

Sarah Avery from Taranaki placed third and is farm manager for Carl and Shey Kowalewski on their 130ha property, milking 300 cows at Midhurst.

The 2024 Dairy Trainee of the Year was awarded to Kirwyn Ellis from Waikato who is described by the judges as a relaxed, thoughtful and mature young man who ‘soaks up knowledge like a sponge’ from those around him.

He is herd manager for Hamish and Sheree Germann on their 130ha property at Pirongia milking 475 cows.

The Dairy Trainee judges say Ellis has a genuine care for those in the community around him and takes his role as kaitiakitanga very seriously.

“Kirwyn has soaked up all the knowledge from those around him and now wants to follow that up with some formal qualifications from PrimaryITO,” says judge Johanna Wood, from Manawatū. “He felt it was important to have the practical understanding before he learnt the theoretical.”

The Dairy Trainee runner-up is Monique Radford from Canterbury/North and third placegetter is Manawatū’s Isabella Panettiere, herd manager on Fonterra’s 255ha, 630-cow Longburn farm. ■

The 2024 Fonterra Responsible Dairying Award recipients are James and Debbie Stewart, from Dairylands in Manawatū.

2024 Dairy Trainee of the Year Kirwyn Ellis, of Waikato, Share Farmers of the Year Will Hinton and Kali Rangiawha, from Manawatū, and Dairy Manager of the Year Kieran McCahon, of Northland.

Insurance against price volatility

Smaller farmers are starting to look to milk price hedging to manage risk to their business.

By Bethwyn Littler.

Milk hedging can help farmers protect their bottom line and business from volatile milk prices caused by market fluctuations which are a constant concern.

The Fonterra fixed price is always available, but the use of milk price hedging (MPH) is starting to gain momentum with small scale farmers.

Business adviser Kylie Cronin, a director at Baker Tilly Staples Rodway, foresees continued volatility in milk prices, but the current market suggests a positive outlook for the next one to two years. She has been working with MPH for five or six years, and in the past two years, has seen it used on more family farms.

“The Fonterra Fixed Milk Price is commonplace, but the use of futures or options has only started to take off in the last couple of years. Initially, it was big corporate farmers that were dabbling in MPH. Now we are seeing the small family farms doing a bit of hedging as well.”

Cronin notices some farmers treat MPH like share trading; taking wins when they see them. They are not hedging on a regular

basis, but if a good price pops up they take it. Others hedge small amounts at regular intervals to reduce the volatility in their milk price and give them confidence when setting their farm budgets.

“Most farmers these days have a significant level of debt, so just a 50-cent change in milk price can be detrimental to their outcome for the year. Those who have less than 60% equity in their farm tend to find fluctuations in milk price and interest rates tough to ride out.”

Cronin recommends farmers reach out to their accountants and financial advisers to weigh up the costs of different hedging products and how these may help balance out their farm costs.

“Hedging is about picking the right time and the right tools. The wide range of tools come with different levels of cost, complexity and tax consequences.”

“Understanding your core reason for hedging is important to be comfortable with the outcomes, even if that means being in an out-of-the-money position from

time to time. Even if you were to lose out by hedging, at least you have been able to set your budget with a level of certainty.

Taranaki dairy farmer Stuart Young hedges with put options, a suggestion from his accountants.

With put options, farmers can hedge their downside price risk and still benefit from potential gains if the market increases.

To some it might feel like playing poker, but Young says hedging is actually the opposite of gambling: He sees it as insurance. It is completely separate from Fonterra, but also balances their payout.

“If you know what your costs are and you lock in a price that’s above your cost base, then you are protecting your bottom line.

“The purchaser pays a premium, maybe 20c or 30c/ kg to protect a minimum payout. You are basically insuring next year’s income.”

He says put options differ from hedging a fixed milk offer straight from the market, which requires a large amount of revolving credit for the daily margins.

contract, but you do get it back eventually when the contract matures.

“At the end of the day, I think of the long-term. I have had wins and I am able to pay all my bills. The goal is to keep your business solvent.”

NZX Dairy Derivatives manager James Atkinson says MPH tools can help provide more price certainty and improve long-term business viability.

“We have observed farmers becoming more engaged. They are using a range of tools and strategies to suit their hedging needs.

“Since the launch of the SGX-NZX milk price futures and options, we have seen a growth in the wider eco-system of milk price risk management tools available to farmers, such as processor fixed-price offerings and bank swaps, which provide farmers with more choice.

Atkinson says when comparing their annual volumes traded over the past seven years against New Zealand milk production, the percentage of New Zealand milk hedged has climbed to approximately 20%.

“On a 100,000kg farm if the pay-up went up by a dollar, you would have to find $100,000 on that day to honour the

“This means more farmers are engaging with these products with the aim of de-risking their businesses.” ■

Business adviser Kylie Cronin recommends dairy farmers hedge small amounts at regular intervals.

Taranaki farmer Stuart Young uses milk hedging put options and says farmers are basically insuring next year’s income.

Future-proofing the seed industry

A new digital system developed for seed certification offers many benefits, reports Bethwyn Littler.

After more than 50 years of a paper-based centralised processing system, New Zealand seed varietal certification has gone digital

The New Zealand Seeds Authority (NZSA), New Zealand Food Safety (NZFS and AsureQuality have developed the Seed Certification Information System (SCIS), which has become the official system to track and manage seed varietal certification in New Zealand

NZSA general manager Pat Ryan says the new system manages the entire process from end to end.

“All crops certified in the 2024-25 harvest season will be entered into the new Seed Certification Information System (SCIS).”

The system tracks high-value varieties of seed, produced for the New Zealand and international markets.

“We are one of the three big global small seed players, alongside Denmark and Oregon state in the US,” Ryan says.

“Most of the New Zealand growers are in Canterbury and we produce thousands of certified seed lines each year.”

About four years ago, he was approached by NZFS to review the previous seed varietal certification system, SeedCert

“We had a very old system which had done a good job but had not kept up with industry. After looking at all the alternatives I suggested that the best option was to build a new system.”

The industry approached him to write a specification for the new system and help find partners to build it. Once development of the system began, Ryan took on the role of product owner and sat between the technology teams who were building it and the industry who were paying for it.

“I was basically translating between the IT techies and the industry. I stayed in that role until the system went live.”

The season runs from February 1 to January 31 the following year. However, some harvesting does continue later.

“We are going to process somewhere between 4000 and 5000 certified crops this year which will then be harvested and turned into tens of thousands of machine dressed, individually labelled lots of seeds.”

Federated Farmers arable group chairperson David Birkett says the new system future-proofs the industry.

“It is fully digitalised where farmers can go online to enter their crops. It also allows seed merchants to maintain their variety listings and allows processors to order labels to attach to packaged seed.”

Birkett says the industry worked well together over the four years that the new system has been developed.

“The relationship between growers and merchants has been solidified during this process. We have been able to look at how costs are shared more evenly within the industry.”

The seed industry has built the new system and pays for AsureQuality to run it. NZFS is currently working with the

NZSA on the approval process. Birkett has used the system for his own farm and says it is something new for farmers to learn.

“It’s pretty intuitive but it will take a year or so for farmers to get their head around. Farmers will be able to log on and view their farm maps. There is crop history for each paddock. It also shows the progress of any application for certification which has been lodged.”

Ryan says the new system manages the process from end to end. Although the system has gone live, there are more developments to come.

“The system is built and we are progressively rolling it out. The first guys who have used the system are growing kale so we trained them first. Now we are training for the clover and brassica entries. The next big flush of activity will be in spring with the grasses. As the season progresses the system will follow the harvesting, processing, label issuing and laboratory testing.” ■

New Zealand is one of the three big global small seed players, alongside Denmark and the American state of Oregon.

Federated Farmers arable group chairperson David Birkett says the new system future-proofs the industry.

From silt, to soil, to sunflowers

After removing enough silt from Cyclone Gabrielle to make up a 20-metre high soccer field, a crop of sunflowers are giving Craigmore Sustainables something to smile about. By Eve Hyslop.

Times have been tough for the Craigmore Sustainables team in Gisborne since Cyclone Gabrielle. After moving over 130,000 cubic metres of silt on their Glenpark Orchard – the equivalent of a 20 metre-high soccer field – the Tairāwhiti team are still in recovery mode.

But down the road on their Te Karaka development, Sunpark, a sunflower field has flourished in front of 36 hectares of apple trees, reflective of the tireless work carried out by Craigmore’s Gisborne labour and cropping service, Oxco, and wider community post-cyclone

“It is only through the commitment of the team and support from other growers and contractors in and out of the region that we were able to respond so emphatically,” chief executive of Craigmore Sustainables, Che Charteris says.

“We called on support from family friends, commercial partners, industry contacts and most importantly, our team and the response was unbelievable.”

Managing director of Oxco, Omi Badsar, says there was often over 100 people shovelling silt around trees.

Not only are the sunflowers reflective of the people power, Charteris says, but also the positive change in weather they’ve had over the past six months

This was a different story after the cyclone, as months of periodic rain delayed any chance for work to begin on moving water and silt. Despite delays, the team trudged on.

“The team was there every day for months and it just didn’t stop raining for six months,” Charteris says.

“A lot of people were just broken and you can see why. People would say “You’re wasting your time, you’re throwing good money after bad.”

Low morale and a lack of hope couldn’t stop the recovery team though, who managed to save 90% of the apple trees from Glenpark which were harvested last April.

Badsar says the real challenge was keeping everyone optimistic, but it all came together once they had found their purpose

“It was not a pleasant place to work but our staff soldiered along and they saw it as ‘Hey, it’s our workplace, it’s where we want to work in the future and we want to tidy it up,’” says Badsar.

“We took positives out of negatives. We

A sunflower crop has grown on Craigmore Sustainable’s Sunpark development in Gisborne, highlighting the recovery it has made and is still making from Cyclone Gabrielle. CRAIGMORE SUSTAINABLES

Craigmore Sustainables anditsOxco teamwereable tosave90%of thecompany’s appletrees onGlenpark Orchard,but lostafullcrop ofwinegrapes ontheir9ha vineyard.

see it as a learning curve and it just makes us stronger.”

The Te Karaka orchard is set to be planted with apple trees this winter after the sunflowers are cultivated into green manure to improve soil fertility and structure.

Charteris says of the two Gisborne Orchards, Glenpark was the least fortunate, with their first commercial harvest wiped out after months of preparation.

Although bittersweet, Charteris said they can take some of their learnings from recovering the Glenpark Orchard to redesigning their new Sunpark Orchard. Still in the early stages of development when Cyclone Gabrielle hit, Sunpark wasn’t

as badly effected as Glenpark. Any silt that settled was able to be integrated into the redesign.

“As part of our orchard design, we’re thinking about how to get water leaving as fast as it turned up so it doesn’t leave stuff behind.”

Charteris says contouring land, putting drains in place and creating areas to move silt have been key to ensuring potential floods leave the area, rather than leaving football fields of silt behind. ■

It’s time for growers to have their say

Opinion

Time is running out for growers to have their say in the Horticulture New Zealand levy referendum, says chief executive Nadine Tunley

Over the past few weeks, growers throughout New Zealand have been voting in the Horticulture New Zealand (HortNZ) levy referendum.Voting closes on June 14 and I would encourage any growers who haven’t voted yet to do so and have their say in the future of their industry organisation.

Ahead of the referendum, we had the opportunity to get around the country to consult with growers and ask them directly what they think about how we are using the levy funding on their behalf and what they would like to see in the future

It was good to get feedback from the ‘engine room’ of the industry and I really appreciated how people gave up their time in a busy growing season to come and share how they and their businesses are doing, and how HortNZ can best support them.

It was also very good to hear from

growers that they feel our work is well aligned with what they are seeking – a strong focus on all things that enable the production of fruit and vegetables.

That included our policy priorities of water, climate change and adaptation and food security, as well as our focus on the importance of labour and capability development.

In most regions, growers were keen to talk about the regulation of genetic engineering and modification and upcoming reforms and how that dovetails into the ongoing loss of tools to manage increasing pests and diseases.

We heard the strong message that growers want to ensure duplication is avoided across different product groups and that they really see value in a focus on a united voice for all of horticulture.

We all work very closely an collaboratively in many areas, and we will continue to do so as well as looking into more ways of working together to ensure growers get the best return on their levy investments.

Our specialist staff will be closely monitoring potential changes to New Zealand’s genetically modified organism (GMO) regulations, as signalled by the Government.

A major focus for us is being able to

HorticultureNewZealand chiefexecutiveNadine Tunleysaysamajorfocus fortheorganisationisbeing abletoreactquicklytonew proposals,keepinggrowers ormedandadvocatingintheir interests

react quickly to new proposals, keeping growers informed and advocating for their interests.

We will provide updates and talk with growers about any proposed changes and continue to advocate for regulations that enable growers to compete both at home and internationally while maintaining New Zealand’s strong reputation.

We also have to be ready to react swiftly

Feedbackfrom farmersduring aroadshow confirmedthat growersfeel HortNZis well alignedwithwhat theyareseeking –astrongfocus onallthings thatenable theproduction offruitand vegetables.

when weather or other natural disasters strike, because supporting growers is central to our role.

Front of mind for the HortNZ team is that we are working for growers, using their levy funds, to achieve the best outcomes for them.

A ‘yes’vote in the levy referendum from growers will provide HortNZ with a mandate to continue this work for growers. Without that industry endorsement, the organisation will be wound up.

Casting a vote matters and I hope as many growers as possible take this opportunity to make sure theirviews count in making sure the good work continues and we can continue to ensure the collective voice of the industry is heard where it needs to be.■

Left: The Glenpark Orchard has made a remarkable recovery from Cyclone Gabrielle, producing an apple crop of around 540 tonnes for their 2024 harvest

Clarkson’s World is a UK television series about the farm Jeremy Clarkson, left, owns in West Oxfordshire. It’s full of colourful characters and various animals

Boosting the redmeat sector

A partnership between sector bodies aims to increase profits through the use of genetics, writes our rural reporter.

Food for thought

Opinion

Andrew Stewart is a fourth-generation sheep and beef farmer in Rangitīkei. He and wife Kylie also run Rangitīkei Farmstay and The Mudder as successful diversifications on the family farm. He writes regular columns for Stuff.

As the days get shorter and colder during the winter months, many of us will naturally spend more time indoors out of the elements. Watching television is one way people choose to relax and entertain themselves, and there are a wide range of streaming services these days to whet the appetite. But the problem with many options, in my opinion, is a lack of quality shows with any rural-based themes or farming insights.

That is, of course, except for the wonderful world of Clarkson’s Farm

This British farming production centres around Jeremy Clarkson. For those who don’t know, Clarkson has been on global TV shows Top Gear and The Grand Tour for many years, entertaining millions with his own brand of non-PC humour.

But few people knew that despite Clarkson being a global TV superstar, he also owns a stunning piece of farmland in West Oxfordshire For many years, he relied on others to tend the land for him but when the chance came to take over the reins again in 2019, he thought he would have a go himself.

Given his experience in TV productions over many years, Clarkson also saw an opportunity many others would not have. That was to film everything that happened on the farm over the course of a year and turn it into a TV show. And so, Clarkson’s Farm was born and there are now three seasons to enjoy on the Prime network.

By Clarkson’s own admission, the show would never have come to light without the appeal of the locals already helping him with his farm. There’s his long-suffering Irish sweetheart

Lisa, who is never afraid to roll up her sleeves and get stuck in; Kaleb, the contractor, who is the epitome of a young, rural lad; “Cheerful” Charlie, the land agent, who provides the brains needed for Clarkson to navigate the minefield of legislation involved with UK farming; and Gerald, the lovable old local who builds stone walls, drives a combine harvester and speaks in his own language.

But beyond the screen appeal of this colourful cast, the real strength of Clarkson’s Farm is its raw, unflinching story telling of life on a UK farm. The never-ending battles with red tape, constant setbacks from the weather, financial uncertainty from commodity price fluctuations and heartbreaks from farming livestock all combine to provide a powerful and sometimes brutal insight into life behind the farmgate.

So why am I promoting a UK farming series? The magic of Clarkson’s Farm is that it transcends many boundaries that other shows simply can’t match. The themes and challenges they face are as applicable to any farm in New

Zealand, or many other countries

Farming in the 2020s is getting incredibly tough and this show highlights this in a positive and visually appealing way. Although it is clearly aimed at an adult audience, I don’t know of another show that has captivated my 12 and 9-year-old daughters like this one. It is funny, silly, sad, frustrating and sometimes ridiculous, but an incredible insight into a very tough industry.

I salute the cast, and Clarkson in particular, for their show as it has elevated farming worldwide through the runaway success it has enjoyed.

You only have to go on to the likes of Instagram to see that many New Zealand farmers are amazing storytellers. We have iconic landscapes, stunning animals and world-class produce.

My challenge to every New Zealand farmer is to use the likes of social media to emulate Jeremy Clarkson – in their own small way – and provide the world with a glimpse into the way we farm and why we love what we do.

Now there’s some food for thought. ■

Southland farmer

Simon Wright sees taking part in the Beef + Lamb New Zealand-funded Informing New Zealand Beef (INZB) programme as a way to support increasing productivity across the beef sector, as well as on his farm.

Wright is manager/equity shareholder of Fairlight Station, near Garston He farms 600 beef cows plus replacements,2300 deer, 3200 Headwaters ewes and 900 mated hoggets across 2500 hectares of hill and high country, including 500ha of arable land for growing out young stock.

The seven-year INZB partnership, supported by B+LNZ, the Ministry for Primary Industries and the New Zealand Meat Board, aims to boost sector profits by $460 million over the next 25 years.

It is focused on increasing uptake of the use of genetics in the industry.The fourmain components are: building a genetic evaluation and data infrastructure; progeny test herds; developing breeding objectives and indexes, and developing new data sources.

“We got involved because the programme is looking to improve on-farm performance,” Wright says. “We would like to lift the number of calves born here and I think it’s good for beef overall.

“Beef hasn’t made much progress in terms of output and productivity over the last 40 years. There are probably plenty of reasons for that. One may be the transitioning from 3-year-old to 3-year-old cows for calving.

“What INZB is doing is seeing what opportunities there are around breeding, feeding and genetics.”

The INZB programme aims each year to get on board at least 10 commercial farmers with a passion for genetics, selected according to the programme guidelines. Those selected adopt a recording schedule across the year and can also, if they wish, carry out genotyping of their cow herd and, annually, calves and sires.

Participation includes accurate pedigree recording, mostly done by using genotyping and assessing their bull team’s performance, ensuring accurate information for heifer replacement selection and working with their bull breeders to make more rapid genetic progress. They can also benchmark their herd against others in the programme.

Fairlight is a year into its engagement with the programme and Wright says the process has required a bit of extra work but is straightforward. “We want to get the best out of it We are weighing, DNA testing cattle, calves and heifers and doing a bit more recording than previously. The DNA testing is allowing us to evaluate and compare bull genetic effects, including number of live calves to each sire.”

The INZB team would analyse a lot of data and see where the opportunities were. ‘‘I see it as a good opportunity to also see where we can make gains in the performance of beef, including following them through to processing.

“The world needs beef. The schedule may not always reflect that but having better quality, a premium grade with more IMF, can help. There are some simple things that can feed into what we are doing and this is an opportunity to identify what they are and where we can make gains.” ■

Simon Wright

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Opinion

United Kingdom supermarket Morrisons is to stock New Zealand lamb for the first time, but it’s facing criticism from British farmers

By Kate Acland.

From time to time, we see complaints about New Zealand lamb being sold cheaper than our British counterparts in UK supermarkets.

These concerns were raised again recently when UK supermarket Morrison’s announced it is backing away f a decision to only supply British lamb and start selling New Zealand product.

The UK National Farmers Union publicly decried Morrison’s move stating that New Zealand lamb is produced to ‘potentially lower standards’ and has high food miles.

The reason Morrison’s gave for the move to New Zealand lamb was price.

Our lamb is cheaper than its British counterparts. Morrison’s was concerned that supplying only UK product risked lamb shifting into the category of special occasion only and reducing demand overall for the category.

Unpopular decision

houses animals for good portion of year because they harsher winters. Our animals graze outside all year around because we have a more temperate climate.

Beef+LambNewZealand chairpersonKateAclandsaysKiwi lambmaybepricedlowerthanour Britishcounterparts,butpricing lambiscomplicated.

I know farmers will be disappointed to see New Zealand lamb at lower retail prices, and I’ll touch on the reasons why this is the case, and why UK farm-gate prices are high, further on.

But the NFU’s reaction is disappointing, overblown and untrue. It also ignored the fact Morrisons stated it does not intend to reduce the overall volumes of lamb it buys from British farmers.

We’ve been strongly pushing back on the NFU’s claims both here and in the UK.

New Zealand and Britain share common values around animal welfare and although we farm in different ways, our animal welfare outcomes are the same We farm in different climates with different systems. Their system largely

There are sound reasons for both systems, they are different but have equally good animal welfare outcomes.

This is not the first time the NFU has taken this line. It’s disappointing they’ve gone there again, given their claims were roundly disproven during the NZ-UK Free Trade Agreement process.

The British RSPCA provided written evidence to the House of Lords during the FTA negotiations that “New Zealand is the one country globally judged to have better farm animal welfare standards than the UK”.

A recent Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) analysis by AgResearch also found – even taking into account processing and shipping – that New Zealand’s carbon footprint is lower orvery similar to domesticallyproduced red meat in those nations.

During the FTA negotiations, B+LNZ did a lot of work through our UK-based regional manager to ensure there was good understanding of our high standards.

We have pushed back strongly in response to the NFU’s latest claims, as it’s critical that myths do not take root in the minds of our British customers.

Farmers here currently struggling with low schedule prices might not be pleased to hear that our lamb is priced lower than our UK counterparts, but lamb pricing is a complicated equation

The forces that drive our market prices are quite different to those that drive the domestic pricing in markets like the UK and Europe where we compete with a heavily subsidised domestic sector. Setting aside the fact UK supermarkets often use our lamb as a loss leader to attract customers into their shops, the price differential between British and New Zealand lamb is largely due to the efficiency of our systems here.

Our sector’s sustained investment in sheep genetics, a commitment to continued improvement in farm systems, our temperate climate and generally larger scale means we’re a lot more efficient in our

production. The price differential can also be explained by some consumers preferring to ‘buy British’ while the UK sheep flock has also declined and Britain is exporting more. The falling UK sheep flock and increasing UK lamb exports to the EU and US has led to higher farm-gate pricing for UK lamb, but processors in Britain are facing significant profitability pressure as they compete for fewer lambs. Despite these high farm-gate prices, many UK farmers are still struggling. In times like these, having someone representing New Zealand farmers in market is invaluable to ensure the facts are clearly laid out and relationships at those critical levels remain strong.

There are a lot of pressures coming at livestock producers globally.

While we will defend our reputation in our export markets, it’s important we have a strong relationship with our fellow UK farmers. We see much more value in working together to continue to tell a positive story about red meat. ■

Kate Acland is Beef + Lamb New Zealand chair and a mid-Canterbury sheep, beef and dairy farmer

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The world is their oyster

Once considered a waste product, greenshell mussel shells have a new purpose. By Brendan Burns

Once considered a problem for disposal, greenshell mussel shells are now being used for fertiliser, water treatment, heavy chemical removal, poultry grit, cow lanes and horse arenas

A University of Canterbury project which started some years ago using GSM shells to filter zinc and copper running off Christchurch roofs has now gained a United States patent This year, the project will exit the university to become a standalone company.

It’s all a long way from the 1960s when Bill Brownlee Senior, farming near Havelock, agreed to having scallop shells put on the farm In the 1970s, his son, also Bill, let mussel processors begin trucking shells from their factories to the nearby farm. It continues to this day.

His son Michael is now running the 150ha farm – although Bill is still very much involved. It includes Havelock Shell Processors – a crushing plant housed in a big shed which for the last decade has turned the shells into pulverised lime and other products.

What some locals refer to as Mt Perna (Perna canaliculus is greenshell mussels scientific name), was at its peak estimated to total around 50,000 cubic metres and be up to 13m high; now it’s down to about half that volume.

“I remember as a kid, people saying to Dad: ’What are you going to do those shells?’ and he’d say: ‘There’ll be a use for them one day’.”

Over recent years, the biggest customer has been farms around Marlborough including the Sounds where the greenshell mussels are grown They use it instead of quarried lime.

“It is slightly more expensive – though being local, the trucking costs are less – and it’s got lots of minerals in it,” Michael says.

The shells are 91% calcium carbonate (lime) and also contain traces of nitrogen, boron, magnesium and other minerals.

A couple of truckloads went up to Kaitaia as backloads for greenshell mussel spat collected off 90 Mile Beach for use on a local avocado farm Michael says orders then came in from other

Northland avocado growers who’d apparently seen the results.

The benefits of using greenshell mussel shells are not just anecdotal.

Dr Aisling O’Sullivan heads the Centre for Ecological Technology Solutions at the University of Canterbury. She and others have been working with the shells over many years.

Initially it was using them as a water filter at the Stockton Mine near Westport. “We trialled the shells and they worked really well.”

This was then developed into Storminator, a barrel system which used the shells to remove zinc and copper coming off Christchurch roofs which would otherwise have seen most of the

dissolved metals going into waterways. Storminator Ltd was formed as a company last year and a patent was secured in the United States.

O’Sullivan says the company is now in the process of exiting the university and a business manager has been recruited to manage investment and sales, “There’s lots of demand for the product.”

This is based around greenshell mussel shells – mostly sourced from Havelock Shell Processors – mixed with lesser amounts of another benign material which is also being recycled. O’Sullivan declines to name that material as Storminator Ltd heads into commercialisation.

While the initial Storminator was for homes, industrial buildings are now also being targeted; they face more environmental auditing than homes for the discharge of dissolved metals into waterways.

O’Sullivan says they are also looking at a project with the Christchurch council to filter water going into a wetland Back near Havelock, Michael notes that while it looks set to grow, supplying the university has to date literally been chicken feed Poultry grit – the first product made from the shells –continues to be a real earner along with farming, including the dairy and equine sectors.

“They are putting it on cow lanes into the dairy sheds down in Kaikoura and a lot of people also use it for horse arenas.” There’s even been a bit of trialling and use in Marlborough’s grape growing industry.

Late last year, Marlborough Roads announced it was using mussel shells sourced from Havelock Shell Processors to filter sediment from water entering the Sounds as they repaired the area’s roads after the July 2021 floods.

That’s a great homegrown solution to a local problem but for greenshell mussels shells it now seems the world is their oyster. ■ This

Mt Perna as locals call the now reducing mussel shell mound near Havelock

Dr Aisling O’Sullivan, Frances Charters and Tom Cochrane, from the University of Canterbury, have developed the Storminator system, using mussel shells to process run-off metals

This barrel system uses the shells to remove zinc and copper coming off Christchurch roofs, preventing most of the dissolved metals going into waterways.

Three generations have worked on storing mussels for today’s diverse use – Mike, Bill and Bill Brownlee Senior

Permanent carbon forestry – risks and benefits

Scott Downs

The “Permanent Forestry” category became available in 2023 and was designed for forest that is not intended to be harvested, such as native forest. The category can also be used for forestry blocks that are not going to be profitable to harvest because they are too small, too remote, or untended (not pruned or thinned).

To qualify for the permanent category, forest must be “post-1989” forest (planted on land that was not forested on December 31, 1989). Forest owners who register forest in the permanent category warrant that they will not clearfell the forest for at least 50 years from the date of registration. In return, they can claim carbon credits up to age 50 and potentially beyond.

At first glance, the permanent category seems attractive for carbon forestry or ‘carbon farming’, offering superior returns to many other land uses, including conventional production forestry However, closer examination reveals it as a proposition requiring careful consideration

In this article, we will examine the potential risks and rewards as well as other aspects of the permanent forestry category We will use an FAQ format to break this complex subject into bite-sized chunks.

What are the benefits of registering forest in the permanent category?

■ The permanent category is now the only way of accessing stock change carbon accounting for forests entering the ETS. Under stock change carbon accounting, trees can earn carbon credits up to age 50 and potentially beyond By contrast, under the alternative averaging accounting

system, trees can only earn carbon credits up to their average age, which is 16 years in the case of radiata pine.

■ Barring any major adverse natural events and subject to carbon market fluctuations, forests registered in the permanent category can generate attractive returns for the forest owner.

What are the risks associated with the permanent category?

■ Forest owner betting all on carbon, rather than spreading risk between carbon and timber

■ Difficult to predict with any accuracy how carbon prices will develop in the long term.

■ Difficult to predict with any accuracy how timber prices and harvesting technologies will develop in the long term. The balance of attractiveness of carbon versus timber could change in the course of 50 years.

■ Risk of adverse impact on land value.

■ Significant risk of natural event (eg fire, disease, windthrow) occurring during 50-year timeframe that will create costs and reduce carbon income.

■ Significant probability of new regulations and restrictions, which could increase overhead costs or change the economics of forests in the permanent category.

What sort of return can be expected from a forest registered in the permanent category?

To read the rest of the article, go to https://nz.pfolsen.com/Carbon++ Consultancy/permanent-forestrycategory.html ■

Scott Downs is director of sales and marketingfor PF Olsen.

PF Olsen canassist you to betterunderstandhow adding forestryto your farmingmix can improve farm resilience and profitability. Ifyou’ve ever wondered howforestry cancomplementyour farming model,PFOlsen canhelpyou understandwhatareasofyourfarmare mostsuitableand what thepotentialreturnscouldbe.

The permanent forestry category became available in 2023 and while appearing an attractive option, it requires careful consideration.

Enhancing calf rearing: The NZAgbizadvantage

Exciting progress from latest milk replacertrial by Waikatofarmer,Ben Watson.

Nestled in the central Waikato hills is Ben Watson’s Richmond Downs farm, where he milks 900 cowsand runs beef genetics company GENEZ. He’s part of an Ancalf™calf milk replacer (CMR) trial with NZAgbiz and shares his progress

“We’ve been using Ancalf™onand off for about 30 years. We have tried other CMR powders during that time, but we always come back to Ancalf’s superior consistency and results.I find feeding CMR allows me to get better financial resultsbytaking less good milkfrom the vat,” Ben Watson says.

Best practice suggests ahigher volume of milk earlier on in the calf’s life to support better long-term performance forthe calf. Ben usually rears about 350 spring calves on amixture of Ancalf and transition milk and has found that200 grams per litre is optimal,for greater than 3-week-old calves on once-daily feeding. He was keen to do aCharolaiscalf rearing trial testing anon-coccidiostat diet for dairy beef calves, making them antibiotic-

free for the US and EU markets.

For the NZAgbiz trial, Benissolely feeding Ancalf Calf Milk Replacer (CMR) to 72 autumn Charolais calves. These calves are divided into three groups:the first group receiving standard Ancalf, the second, aspecial batch of Ancalf without acoccidiostat, and the third, the same non-coccidiostat Ancalfwith added Biosupport™,a powerful probiotic treatment made by NZAgbiz. Freshmeal, hay and water are always available also.

“This is the first time I’ve used Biosupport. Julie and Carla from the NZAgbiz team have awealth of knowledge. I’ve been rearing calves for

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The trial is ongoing but despite the final numbers yettobecrunched by the team, Watson is confident that it is a success.

“The calves look to be growing really well with the higher volume of milk. The group on Biosupport especially, seem to beperforming really well.They look to be slightly healthier and have been easier to rear.I am looking forward to having the data collated so we can corroborate that,” he says

“Even with thehighervolume of Ancalf, they’re still eating alot of meal. They started on 200g to 300g of meal a day early on. Now, the older lot is eating more than 600g per day in addition to the 900g of powder. No wonder they’re growing like crazy.”

The calves were given Novolyte™oral hydrationtherapywhen they arrived and were being transitioned to powder, and thereafter everyafternoon for the first couple of days. Ben says this helped the calves keep hydrated and defecate less.

“Mixing the feed is easy and 200g per litre in a200L drum makes for easy maths. Another trick is to add acouple of buckets of hot water to the mix. The more stable, warmer milk temperature makes abig difference to the younger calves transitioning.The NZAgbiz team has heaps of knowledge, they are aresource that many farmers don’t use enough. I won’t hesitate to involve them in the future.” ■

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What’s on

● June 12 and 19: Rural Support and DairyNZ

Don’t Just Survive, Thrive This Calving, Wairarapa and Tararua

DairyNZ has partnered with Rural Support Trust to help you and your team thrive this calving.

Come along and hear from the experts on how you can better look after yourselves and each other through one of the toughest times of the season.

Info at dairynz.co.nz/events

● June 15:

Dairy Women’s Network

Paint & Sip, Whangarei

Whether you fancy yourself as the next Picasso or prefer drawing in stickmen, get ready for an evening of fun.

Info at dwn.co.nz/events

● June 17-19: B+LNZ

Financial Speaker Nights: Insights From Industry Experts, Huntly, Te Puke and Taumarunui

Attend an enlightening evening with two distinguished speakers, Joe Morgan and Pita Alexander

Don’t miss this opportunity to gain valuable financial wisdom from these seasoned professionals.

Info at beeflambnz.com/events

● June 18, 21 and July 2:

Dairy Women’s Network

Calf Rearing Expo, Southland, Taranaki and Canterbury

Although we only work with calves for the first 3-4 months of life, as calf rearers we have the greatest opportunity to influence the lifetime productivity of these animals Get a better understanding of what you can do in the first 12 weeks to improve calf survival, growth rates and, ultimately, lifetime productivity.

Info at dwn.co.nz/events

● June 18: B+LNZ

Trees Within Farms workshop, Ruatoria

Trees are an important part of pastoralbased farming systems. This workshop will broaden your understanding of the value of trees within farms, and how to take advantage of carbon market opportunities. Registration is essential.

Info at beeflambnz.com/events

● June 19: B+LNZ

Farming ForProfit Field Day:

The Sheep Of The Future,Tasman

Hear how to improve your flock by selecting the traits you need to make more money and cope with the challenges upfront, discuss how you know your breeder is the right one for your farm/environment and how to find the sweet spot of phenotype versus genotype and more.

Info at beeflambnz.com/events

● June 19 and 20: B+LNZ

Succession Planning workshop, Whanganui and Feilding

Are you ready to cultivate a lasting legacy for your farm business? Whether you’re a seasoned farmer or just starting, succession planning is essential. Don’t wait until retirement looms or unexpected events strike –start the conversation now.

Info at beeflambnz.com/events

● June 20:

Dairy Women’s Network

Pink Ribbon Lunch,North Otago Come along to meet like-minded people at this Pink Ribbon Lunch, in support of the Breast Cancer Foundation NZ.

Info at dwn.co.nz/events

● June 21: B+LNZ

Wormwise workshop,Hauraki

Hear about the latest in worm management strategies for sheep

and cattle grazing systems, including practical examples of changes other farmers are making.

Info at beeflambnz.com/events

● June 24-27: B+LNZ

Pathways To Progression and Succession workshops, Whangarei,Wellsford and Kaikohe Join DairyNZ, Beef + Lamb New Zealand, AgFirst, Northland Inc and COS Chartered Accountants for a 2½-hour seminar to explore business progression and succession with a specific focus on the Northland pastoral sector.

Info at beeflambnz.com/events

● June 25:

Dairy Women’s Network

First Aid On Farms Course, East Waikato and Hauraki Plains

This course has been tailored for Dairy Women’s Network members by Practical Training Solutions in consultation with farmers. It was developed based on a First Aid Needs Assessment for New Zealand dairy farms to meet WorkSafe compliance requirements. Cost: $185.00

Info at dwn.co.nz/events

● June 26: AgAssist and DWN

Accessing Local Workforce: Make ADifference To YourCalving, live webinar

Ag Assist recognises the demands placed on entire families during the calving season. That’s why it’s dedicated to offering a solution that enables you to work differently and access local workers tailored to your specific needs.

Info at dwn.co.nz/events

● July 1-4: Rabobank

Financial Skills workshop,Southland On behalf of the upper South Island

Rabo Client Council, Rabobank invites you to join its Rabo Client Council Financial Skills workshops. These complimentary sessions have been developed to support long-term industry capacity and agriculture education.

Info at beeflambnz.com/events

● July 3: B+LNZ

Ladies’ Night Out with Nadia Lim, Palmerston North Come along for an exciting evening of networking, dinner and exclusive insights from guest Nadia Lim at the B+LNZ Ladies’ Night Out.

Info at beeflambnz.com/events

● July 3: AgriSmart and DWN

The Importance Of Employment Contracts, live webinar

Join the team at AgriSmart to enhance your understanding of effective strategies for new employees.

Info at dwn.co.nz/events

● July 16:

Dairy Women’s Network Book Club, Taranaki

Do you love reading? An avid reader? Well then, it’s time to get off-farm and join this book club to chat about books and catch up over a coffee. Info at dwn.co.nz/events

● DairyNZ

CalvingSmart, various dates and locations Gain confidence this calving season with CalvingSmart. Hone your calving skills and learn the latest tips and techniques at an in-person workshop that’s designed to build your confidence this calving season.

Info at dairynz.co.nz/events ■

Farming family innovates with recycled viticulture posts

An award-winning business that recycles old fence posts and gives them a new lease of life, is as innovative as the couple that started it. By Felicity Connell.

It’s easy to see Dansy and Greg Coppell have a lot going on. As well as being parents to Freddie, 7, Fergus, 5, and Bonnie, 11 months, they juggle their sheep and beef farm in St Arnaud, a building business in Māpua and Repost – a Marlboroughbased recycled fence-post venture.

It’s not always smooth sailing, but thanks to her supportive family, Dansy has taken the reins at Repost – and wouldn’t have it any other way.

Working together on the land has always been a given for Greg, 39, and Dansy, 36. Dansy grew up on a lifestyle farm in Kent, England

They first met at a party in Christchurch during Dansy’s stopover in New Zealand after a gap year in Sydney and began their relationship

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when he was visiting the UK on an OE.

“Every weekend we’d head to my parents’ place and they’d give him jobs like cutting wood, building chook sheds or repairing stock fencing. It helped Greg with his homesickness. As our relationship deepened, he invited me to meet his family in Motueka. I knew after that first visit to New Zealand that if we were going to stay together, I’d have to come this way.”

Basing themselves in Ōtautahi Christchurch, both Greg and Dansy worked in earthquake-recovery roles –Greg as a builder and Dansy as a senior communications manager for the Stronger Christchurch Infrastructure Rebuild Team.

But in 2013, Dansy’s beloved dad, Colin, was diagnosed with terminal

brain cancer. “When you go through an experience like that it puts life in perspective, and we started thinking about our future and where we wanted to raise a family. We’d always loved going to Māpua when we were visiting Greg’s family. So we moved there and started again.”

The next three years were challenging, with Greg and Dansy continuing to visit Britain to see Colin and support her family.

“When Dad passed in 2017, it was another catalyst for us to focus on our future. Greg’s a fourth-generation farmer, but his family had decided to sell the family farm due to other ventures.

“He had gone straight into building from school, but had always wanted to

return to farming, and we wanted the kids to have a similar rural lifestyle to what we both had growing up. Greg was always on Trade Me looking at farms, but they were always out of our price range, or it wasn’t the right time,” Dansy explains.

“After my dad passed, Greg said: ‘Let’s just try.’ Then Springers Block Farm came on the market. Greg visited it a few times with his dad, who we call ‘Pop’, and said: ‘I think this is it. I think I can make it work.’

Freddie was around 2, and I was heavily pregnant with Fergus. The owners wanted to meet us on farm to find out what our plans were. We weren’t the highest bid, but they really liked our vision for the farm. I still didn’t think it was going

happen. All I was thinking about was how uncomfortable I was with this huge baby We completed the deal a week after Fergus was born It was just a crazy time.”

While their 500-hectare sheep and beef breeding farm is in St Arnaud, the family has kept their home base in Māpua

“We’re not the typical farming story because we don’t live fulltime on the farm. After Fergus was born, I was on farm a lot, but I struggled with the isolation. I had built a community of friends and support in Māpua, and we made the decision that we wanted the kids to go to school there.

“We’re lucky that we’ve made it work, not in a traditional way, but in a way that works for our family Pop is up at the farm most days. He loves it because he gets to be on the farm without the financial stress of ownership.”

It was also Pop who set Repost in motion.

“Repost began because we needed to find a cost-effective way to do a lot of fencing on the farm. Greg’s dad told us how he had repurposed old viticulture posts for fencing. Greg took his eightwheeler down to a vineyard and spent a whole day with Pop, just filling it up with posts.”

In viticulture, posts are strung with

multiple wires to hold up the vines. During harvest, lots of posts are damaged and are then unusable as grape trellis but the posts are perfectly good for fence posts. To repurpose posts for farming, 14 nails and clips per post must be removed.

“Greg went through three grinders and a lot of blisters getting the nails and clips out of that first lot. Greg and Pop drew up the first concept for the hydraulic nail puller on the back of a newspaper, and that led to the next machine, which led to the next machine. We call the nail puller our champion – we couldn’t do Repost without it

“At first, we were just doing it for our farm, then a few family friends, and then word just got out. Farming businesses often start with something that fixes a problem for you, then you realise your idea could help a lot more people and then you kind of leap, hoping it’ll work out,” Dansy says.

So far, they’ve repurposed 514,000 posts, saved 5232 tonnes of chemically treated wood from landfill and helped build more than 4240 kilometres of fencing from their bases in Te Tauihu-o-te-waka Marlborough, Hawke’s Bay and Pahīatua, where Greg’s older brother and his wife, Nick and Lesley Coppell, farm.

which is quite rare for us.

“Greg started telling me all the things he was worried about with Repost It triggered me like a spark. I told Greg, ‘I really want to get more involved – I’ve got some ideas that I think can make a difference.”

Dansy got to work, capitalising on skills she’d honed earlier in her career, by streamlining their paperwork, health and safety systems, online ordering process and roping in her sister, Gabby, to support with PR and marketing. She updated the Repost website, and put a greater emphasis on social media, reaching out to farming communities and generating sales through booking spots at Fieldays and applying for grants and awards to grow Repost’s profile.

“We didn’t fully understand the waste solution for viticulture at the start We were just trying to get affordable posts out there to more farming families

“We’re grateful Stu Dudley, our business partner, came on board, because he was our connection into the wine industry. He was working for Villa Maria at the time, and they took a chance on us. We needed that first vineyard to work out how it was going to work. Now we are scaling up as quickly as we can to meet demand.”

In 2023, the couple won the Beef + Lamb Gallagher Innovative Farming Award which they describe as a “beautiful moment for us”.

“After a couple of really tricky years, it was great to get acknowledgement from the agricultural sector that what we’re doing is actually working. It made us feel legitimate and removed any self-doubt we had.

Dansy Coppell and her mum, far left, are very close “My mum, Suzanne – or Susu – is from a multi-generational agri-background. Mum always joked that if she hadn’t married my father, she would’ve married a farmer After my father passed away, my mum moved to Māpua. Her being here gave me the space to breathe a bit more and also helped both of us heal from losing Dad. She’s the most amazing mother and now the most amazing grandmother Having her support was one of the reasons I’ve been able to focus on Repost. She’s there for our successes and there for our lows, cheering us on. And there’s a real beauty in that.”

“We’re now getting interest from researchers as we’re the first circular economy business recycling treated timber on a commercial scale,” Dansy says.

In the past year, with Greg and Stu putting their focus more on their other ventures, Dansy has taken the lead with Repost.

“I was busy raising two kids, helping keep the farm running, as well as doing the books and other bits and pieces for the building business. Then in September 2022, Greg and I went out for a date –

“I simply had a momentum pushing me forward. It reignited the career I had before Dad got sick and before we started our family. It’s almost been quite fun to get that brain capacity working again. It’s a labour of love and that’s why it doesn’t feel like work. Even if you get tired, there’s an energy that’s instilled in you to just keep going. I’ve really honed my efficiency skills – while Bonnie is having her lunch nap or Greg gets back from the farm and the kids are in bed – to make decisions and debrief.”

Through all the hard work and heartache, Dansy knows she and Greg have landed in the right place.

“For us as a family, spending time at the farm is our happy place. It’s hard work running a farm, but we treasure the time just being together, having picnics, making bonfires, building forts or helping out on the farm.

“We’re creating amazing memories for our kids. As parents you want to give your kids the beautiful parts of your own childhood. Greg and I love that we can do that It’s nice to take stock and know that I’m really happy and Greg’s really happy and the kids are thriving. It’s a lovely time in our life.” ■

This story was originally published by Shepherdess (shepherdess.co.nz) and has been reprinted with permission.

Fergus Coppell heads off on an adventure over the posts. The farm has become a hub for the extended family members who visit often.

How to house employees fairly and legally

On-farm accommodation can be a good thing for both owners and employees, but it must be done fairly, EmploySure advises.

Apopular working arrangement in New Zealand’s agriculture industry is on-site accommodation for staff, which is called a service tenancy.

While service tenancies offer benefits for both employers and employees, it’s important that business owners know the ins and outs of this kind of agreement. Otherwise, they may face penalties or be stuck with tenants for longer than they’d like.

Q: What is a service tenancy?

A service tenancy provides accommodation to an employee as part of their employment; if the employment ends, so too does the tenancy.

It’s a legal requirement for service tenancy agreements, along with employment agreements, to be in writing. They should be signed and cover off each parties' rights and obligations.

If the service tenancy is not clearly defined, then that employer may find themselves in a situation where they’re giving 90 days’ notice to a tenant to exit the premises, despite the tenant being an employee who may only have a notice period of two weeks in their employment agreement. It pays to take the time to get the documentation right.

Q: What are the benefits of a service tenancy agreement?

Service tenancy agreements are a great way to attract backpackers, travellers and seasonal workers who don’t have a permanent residence or job in the area.

all types of residential tenancies in New Zealand.

It’s wise for employers providing accommodation to workers to be fully aware of their obligations under both the Residential Tenancies Act and the Health and Safety at Work Act, as an employee living on their work site could be exposed to additional risks beyond what could be expected of a standard tenancy.

If it’s a particularly remote region, accommodation may be scarce, so the offer of this can incentivise employees to accept roles in rural areas.

Q: Can I deduct rent from wages in a service tenancy agreement?

Yes, deductions should be a reasonable amount and agreed to in writing by the employee.

If an employee is on minimum wage, there’s a limit to how much rent can be deducted from their wages. Employers hiring such staff should check the amount they are charging is not higher than what is allowed for under the Minimum Wage Act.

Q: What standards does worker accommodation on a farm need to meet?

Service tenancy agreements, like regular tenancy agreements, are governed by the Residential Tenancies Act. This legislation outlines property maintenance and health and safety requirements and applies to

Q: What factors should be considered when drafting service tenancy agreements?

The Residential Tenancies Act includes minimum information which must be included in a tenancy agreement, although it pays to go beyond this and give thought to how you’d like to customise the agreement. Factors that are worth considering include:

■ Whether smoking is permissible

■ How many occupants can live on the property

■ The state you expect the property and grounds to be kept in

■ Whether pets are allowed

Don’t expect additional availability from workers living on-site unless they’re being properly compensated for this. Any availability outside of the hours of work would need to be reasonable and agreed upon. An employee's personal time should be uninterrupted and undisturbed; this doesn’t change because they’re living on site. It’s still their home, and they have a right to privacy. Service tenancies can be great, mutually beneficial agreements between employers and employees.

However, they should be extensively discussed first, and terms outlined clearly, to prevent any issues emerging for anyone involved. ■

Leptospirosis puts all on farm at risk

When a New Zealand farmer started feeling unwell at home and developed a headache, it did not occur to him that he might be suffering from leptospirosis.

Leptospirosis bacteria can survive in wet conditions, in waterlogged pastures, drains, ponds and rivers. It can be passed on to and by rats, mice, rabbits, goats, pigs, possums, hedgehogs, deer, sheep and cattle.

His farm had a good vaccination programme against the zoonotic bacterial disease and operated strict hygiene practices.

However, as his headache and abdominal pains became more severe, he sought medical attention and was referred to his local hospital. A CT scan and blood tests led within two weeks to a diagnosis of leptospirosis.

It turned out he had contracted the Leptospira Tarassovi strain, which is normally found in pigs, but is increasingly found in cattle.

There is currently no vaccine available for cattle and it poses a public health risk.

The farmer could have been infected from any one of a number of sources.

These will, in turn, contaminate other areas or animals through excreting the bacteria via their urine. The bacteria enters humans through mucous membranes and skin, especially broken skin A splash of urine or contaminated water to the eyes, nose, mouth or to cuts can lead to infection.

Even when your animals are vaccinated against leptospirosis, it is important to be aware that vaccines do not cover all strains and that wet environments may also become contaminated.

As well as vaccinating your livestock, you should always wear gloves when milking, use waterproof plasters on any wounds or scratches and prevent direct contact with urine. Also, wear

appropriate footwear on farm at all times.

Controlling pests will help to minimise the risk. It pays to maintain diligent personal hygiene and encourage others to do the same. That includes washing and drying hands before eating, and not eating, drinking or smoking when working around livestock.

Who are we?

Safer Farms is a membership organisation that recognises the wholesector benefits from improved health and safety It brings together farmers and senior leaders from agribusiness, agricultural industry groups and government.

This article is part of the Safety Alert series, lessons from real-life incidents on farms.

They are part of Safer Farms’ Farm Without Harm strategy and action plan, developed by the agriculture sector for the agriculture sector.

Safety Alerts are a great way to learn from incidents that have happened on other farms. Ask yourself: Could this happen on my farm? What do I have in place to prevent this from happening?

How can I implement these lessons? New Safety Alerts are added regularly. To see others, or subscribe to have Safety Alerts emailed to you, see: farmwithoutharm.org.nz/safety-alerts. ■

40 NZFarmer Fieldays

New hub advocates for farmers at National Fieldays

Rural networking group joins other long-running successes, writes Bethwyn Littler

It is that time of year again when the gumboots, swanndris and utes come out for the New Zealand National Fieldays. And, with more than 1100 exhibitors this year, it remains the largest agricultural event in the southern hemisphere.

Visitors from far and wide will flock to see state-of-the-art farm machinery, cutting-edge technology, artisan food and new-to-the-market vehicles.

The economic impact from Fieldays on Waikato, including visitor expenditure is substantial Last year, it was $184 million and $482 million over the entire country.

Chief executive officer Peter Nation says Fieldays is not just an agricultural show.

“It’s four days of knowledge-sharing, networking, and making valuable connections within the industry.”

“Our event is built on three pillars; education, innovation and globalisation and we have been focusing for some years on developing hubs.”

There has always been an Innovation Hub, and the popular Hauora Taiwhenua Health and Wellbeing Hub has grown year on year.

“Last year, there were over 200 health professionals on site and we have about 30,000 people through the hub each year which indicates the issues around the health in rural New Zealand,” Nation says.

Nation says he opened the Careers and Education Hub eight years ago, and last year they had 1700 students pre-register. The Digital Futures Hub opened four years ago, the Forestry Hub opened three years ago, and the Sustainability Hub opened last year.

This year, there are two new additions to the Fieldays village: The International Business Centre and the Rural Advocacy Hub. The latter brings together various rural organisations under one roof, advocating for farmers and championing their interests.

“We know it’s incredibly tough out there this year It’s never been more important for farmers to be heard.”

KELLY HODEL/WAIKATO TIMES

alongside Federated Farmers to deliver a space to dig into the issues affecting the future of farming.

“Federated Farmers are New Zealand’s leading rural advocacy organisation, so they were a natural fit for us to partner with to bring the hub to life.

“Fieldays provides the opportunity for connection and collaboration, and this hub will live those values”.

The idea came to Nation three years ago when he could see a number of agencies and organisations that support rural New Zealand, but which were not exhibiting at the Fieldays.

have advocates amplifying their voice.”

Federated Farmers president Wayne Langford says the hub builds on Federated Farmers’ vision to unite rural advocacy groups as one team supporting farmers.

“Farmers want to see the different advocacy groups who represent them working together constructively to get the best outcomes we can for our rural communities,” Langford says.

“If we work as a team, with everyone playing in the right position, we can achieve a lot more for farmers than any one organisation can working alone.

“This hub will bring all of those players together under one roof for the first time and we look forward to continuing to build on the concept in future years”.

The other new development is the New Zealand International Business Centre which will serve as a central point for international visitors, exhibitors and delegates. Nation says it will build connections and drive economic growth in the industry in New Zealand and overseas.

He says international interest in Fieldays is strong and recent trade agreements with the UK and Europe have been significant.

“We always get visitors from Ireland and the UK, more recently exhibitors from Europe as well as China, Mexico and Korea.

“We usually get delegations from China, Malaysia, Philippines, Korea and the Americas and this year, from the Pacific Islands.

“But what really humbles me is that even though it is tough out there the industry has got in behind this event. If you are a grower or a farmer you can be quite buoyed by that.

It will also serve as a central platform for discussions, announcements and initiatives to amplify the voices and concerns of the country’s farmers and rural communities.

Nation says they have worked

“I thought this was a better way of getting them involved in a big event like this.”

“We know it’s incredibly tough out there this year. It’s never been more important for farmers to be heard and to

“We have a lot to celebrate, people go through tough times, we hope that when they come to our event they meet new people and hear new positive narratives and they go away feeling energised.” ■

Kiwi ingenuity will be once again showcased in the Innovation Hub at the New Zealand National Fieldays.

New Zealand National Fieldays at Mystery Creek opens on June 12

National Fieldays chief executive Peter Nation:

Inventing solutions to rural problems

Fieldays Innovation

Hub is aplace where farmers solvethe world’s agriculturalproblems in their backyard.

By Bethwyn Littler.

Kiwi ingenuity willbeonceagain showcased at theInnovation Hub at the New ZealandNational Fieldays.

Visitors can seethe latest innovationsinagriculture, backyard inventions and the inventors and developments transforming theNew Zealand food and fibre sector.

Programme manager SteveChappell says he gets excited everyyear about the award entries.“Ienjoythe software, foodtechand green-techareas. Sustainability is abig focus forpeopleand last year twoof thefour winners were sustainabilityhub participants.”

There are three main awards–Prototype, Early Stage, andGrowth and Scale –aswell as the YoungInnovator of the Year Award.

TheFieldays Growthand Scalewinner for2023.

Inset:Fieldays programme managerSteve Chappellsays sustainabilityhas becomeabigfocusfor theinnovationawards

Right:StudentsfromStPaul’s CollegiatewerenamedYoung InnovatorsoftheYearin2023.

In April, Hamilton school St Paul’s Collegiate hosted theannualcrocodile pit, similar to the Dragon’s Den idea, where students showed off their inventions to a panel of judges. The winners then go to the Fieldays competition.

Chappell was oneofthe judges at the crocodile pit andsays he was impressed by the calibreofentriesthis year.

St Paul’s Collegiateagribusiness teacher Kerry Allen says past winnersofthe crocodilepit have had opportunitiesto develop theirideas furtherand even sell their prototypes. She saysthe key to the

programme is trying to solve aproblem.

“The hardest thing for the students to comeupwithisthe problem, then they have to solve it.”

This year’s crocodile pit saw 23 entrants, including twogroups from Hauraki Plains College.

Two entries from St Paul’s are going through to the Fieldayscompetitionlater this year; Clean Milk Catcher, designed to catch suspected mastitis milkcleanly in order to gather abetterresult; and Kiwi Beam Solutions with abeam lifter designedfor easy manoeuvring in tight

spaces inside kiwifruit orchards.

Chappell says he loves seeing the way innovationschange over the yearsinall categories

“As the problems peopleface change, the responsesand innovationschange with it. We love seeing peopleaccelerate their journey by getting investment from peoplewho just happen to walk into the hub.Maybe aCEO might come in and say ‘hey,I could manufacturethat product’.

“We do seepeopleenter year after year.I feel like aproud parent whenthey graduate to havingaFieldayssite of their own.”

Chappell has seen many successstories; astandout for him wasa spring arm designed for water troughs in 2021

“The problemwas rambunctious cows breaking the ballcock arm. This onehad aflex and didn’t need to be replaced as often. Afarming couple came up with the idea, entered the awards and won their category.Another exhibitor said they could manufacture the product and it is nowdistributed through Farmlands

“Itwas asimple solution to an everyday problemand nowtheir side-hustle has become their main business. It is great whenpeopleare brave enough to put their ideas outthere.”

The total prize package for the awards is over $70,000 worth of cash, services and products to help innovators growtheir inventions.

This year, thereare 27 entries in the Prototypecategory,21inthe Early-Stage category and 16 in the Growth and Scale Category.Fiveentries are alsointhe running for the YoungInnovator of the Year award for entrants aged 19 and under.

The Innovation Hub will be located at the intersectionofD Street and MRoadat Mystery Creek. Online judging took place in early June and on-site judgingwill begin on June 12.There willbeaninnovation awards function on June 13 ■

Health hub offers farmers a check-up

Farmers attending Fieldays can have a year’s worth of health checks in one go at the event’s health hub.

By Eve Hyslop.

Visiting the Hauora Taiwhenua Health and Wellbeing Hub at New Zealand National Fieldays this year could help you get the hearing check you’ve been letting slide, book that overdue GP checkup or catch the freckle you’re not too sure about, all in one go.

There will be 48 exhibitors in the hub, including Melanoma New Zealand, Breast Cancer Foundation, Heart Foundation, New Zealand Blood Service, Triton Hearing and I AM HOPE.

“We bring them all together and have them as a one-stop shop for all of those things, ” Fieldays programme manager Steve Chappell says

Mobile Health has been at the hub since 2017, reaching farmers and rural people who struggle with access to healthcare

“We’re encouraging everything to be under one roof because the target market are those hard-to-reach farmers that don’t have access to healthcare,” says Mark Eager, the chief executive of Mobile Health

The health hub steps in for check-ups and education when farmers usually have their hands too full during the year, Chappell says.

“Fieldays is a big event on the rural

calendar. So to have it be part of a day where they’re already coming off the farm or off orchard, it’s not another day that they have to take off work.”

Dr Sarah Clarke, national clinical director of primary and community care at Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora, says access to healthcare is a big issue for rural people.

“There’s a lot of people who are really grateful to be able to get a whole lot of stuff done in one place and to be able to access both screening services and advice It improves both access and health literacy.”

According to Health NZ’s forecast and analytics team, the average drive-time for a rural person to their nearest GP is six minutes. While this doesn’t seem long, Clarke said what’s more striking is that the average drive time for a rural person to reach a hospital is 62 minutes.

Through the Rural Health Strategy, Clarke says multiple initiatives are being led to improve rural health outcomes, such as by placing medical students rurally, providing a 24/7 rural health after-hours teleservice, and through the establishment of Health NZ teams dedicated to rural health.

DORA,theDigital On-RoadAccessibility bus,willbeatFieldays tohelpattendees learnhowtoaccess healthsupportonline.

With Fieldays running over four days, Chappell says it gives farmers four opportunities to get a year’s worth of health checks in one go.

Aside from offering hearing and blood pressure checks, Eager says the hub will provide interactive education and

rangeofhealthproviderswillbeatthe healthhub,offeringservicessuchasblood sugarlevelchecks,bowelscreeningand mentalhealthsupport.

information, like the Digital Inclusion Alliance Aotearoa (DIAA).

DIAA is bringing DORA (Digital On-Road Access), an inclusive digital learning centre in the form of modified school bus, to address the technical difficulties we all deal with.

This classroom-on-wheels provides computer and internet training for local communities and at Fieldays, DIAA will also offer guidance on how to access online health records and the benefits of doing so.

Chappell says the exhibitors provide more than just a check-up, but a chance to deal with any serious health problems before they really hit home.

“There’s all these stories of people who visited the hub, they’ve been referred to go to see their GP or a specialist, and it’s turned out that they, for example, had a skin lesion that needed cutting off or something similar. It’s life-saving stuff.” ■

Probioticsbuildinganimalimmunity

Sinceitsestablishment in2017,Probiotic Revolutionhasbeen introducingavarietyof probioticsaimedatenhancing feedconversionratesand overallhealthacrossdifferent livestockcategories.

Thisyear,they’reamplifying thebacterialcomponents oftheirproductstofurther bolsterthesehealthbenefits There’scompellingevidence indicatingthatspecific bacterialstrainsplayapivotal roleinboostingimmunity Thesebacterianeedprotection fromstomachacidstoreach thelowergutandexerttheir beneficialeffectsthroughout thebody.ChrisCollierfrom ProbioticRevolutionexplains thatthey’reboostingdendritic cells,whichinturnproduce antibodiesmoreefficientlyin responsetowhateverdisease challengesanimalface Chrisrecountsthefirsttime afarmerusedhisprobiotic, CalfXtreme,toovercomea severerotavirusoutbreak.He wasamazedathowrapidly theycamerightwithadouble doserate.Since2018the bacterialcontentofCalf Xtremehasbeenincreased buildingcalves’immunityso thatafterweaningtheybetter abletohandlepotentialworm burdens.

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weightgainsbeingachieved arefromthemobsrearedon CalfXtreme,possiblydueto buildingenhancedresistance toworms.SandraFannin fromTaihapewhoforyears hasrearedcalvesonherfarm inboththespringandthe autumnatteststothereduced needfordrenchingcalves sinceusingCalfXtreme “Weusedtodrenchthem

monthly.NowwithCalfXtreme it’sonlytwotothreedrenches andsometimesonlytheones thatlookliketheyneedit Theyarenowallreaching targetslaughterweights monthsearlier” Discoveringtheefficacyofhis probioticsintreatingclinical mastitis,Chrisintroduceda five-daytreatmentusinghis strongestproductBovine

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Boost.Whenitiscombined withthedailyuseofRumicell, designedforimprovedfeed conversionaswellashelping immunity,andwithgood mineralsupplementation,it hasresultedinmastitiscure ratesexceeding90% A2022Japanesetrial showcasedtheeffectivenessof specificbacteriainpreventing mastitisandreducingcell counts.Inthistrialcows thathadahistoryofmastitis weresupplementedwiththe probioticpre-calvingand everydayoflactation.Ifthese cowswerenottreated,they allgotmastitisagain,butfor treatmentcowsonlyonethird gotmastitis.Fromday51to 75oflactation,somaticcell countsforuntreatedcows wereonemillioncompared withastaggeringlow10,000 fortreatedcows ThisyearProbioticRevolution isincreasingbacterialdose ratesinRumicellbasedonthis trial,aimingforevengreater effectivenessinreducing mastitiscasesandlowering cellcounts GivenRumicell’sdualrolein improvingfeedconversionand boostingimmunity,itismainly suitedforfarmerswithin-shed feedsystemsormixerwagons, soProbioticRevolutionplans toofferaproductcompatible within-linewatersystems, expandingimmunity-building opportunitiesformore farmers. Withantibioticresistance challengesfacingNewZealand farmers,ProbioticRevolution isactivelyseekingalternative solutionstobuildstock immunity

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Pay attention

As part of a global programme, Can-Am is urging farmers to be more vigilant when using ATV’s and Side by Sides.

By Steve Macmillan.

Can-Am is urging New Zealand farmers to pay close attention to using ATVs and Side by Sides more safely, as part of the company’s global responsible rider programme.

Can-Am, Farmlands and FMG have combined to stage three farmer field days around the country in recent months and are gearing up for the final demonstration event at Mystery Creek on June 17, where Sir David Fagan will be showcasing the Can-Am range.

The days have given the rural community a chance to experience Can-Am’s extensive Defender range of SxSs and ATVs, and to speak to the company’s technical experts.

But the events have also given Can-Am’s Kiwi and Australian staff, along with local dealers, a chance to talk about the importance of riding safely off-road.

Can-Am’s global responsible rider programme is about being aware when you ride and always considering safety, riding etiquette and the environment – regardless of where you are riding.

As New Zealand’s leading SxS manufacturer for the past five years, the company believes it has a responsibility to remind riders that safety should always be top of mind before, during and after riding

– with helmets to be worn at all times.

The company says where possible, people should check over their SxS or ATV before use, decide where they are heading to on the farm, let someone know take a communication de and breakdown equipment.

It also wants people to follow the recommendations for use outlined in the operator’s guide, as well as on the safety labels placed on the vehicle, while also following recommended maintenance instructions.

Among the models in use at the field days, was the new Can-Am Outlander PRO which the company says is vastly different from any other ATV on the New

Andrewartha,sales trainingandeventcoordinationCan-AmOff RoadVehiclespecialist, putsthenewmodel throughitspaces

Zealand market. That is because five years ago, Can-Am’s Global ATV product team visited New Zealand to gather insight and local input from farmers, service centres and dealerships to ensure that the updated model would be designed with rider input.

The 2024 Can-Am Outlander PRO lineup comes with new (and industry leading) 50hp ROTAX single cylinder engine to better tackle New Zealand’s tougher farming

terrain. The model also has a speed limiter switch so you can set a constant speed the perfect feature for when spraying. Interestingly, the steel frame on the PRO is 35% lighter than its predecessor. Pricing on the Can-Am ATV’s ranges from $18.030 to $25,518

If an ATV isn’t for you, Can-Am’s array of 16 SxS models should give you what you need on the land to make life easier and the use of your time more efficient.

The Can-Am Defender range (nine in total) comprises quality machines that are durable, tough and with a powerful engine that can tow heavy loads thanks to the stability provided by chunky all-terrain tyres, a selectable Turf Mode, 2WD and 4WD options with Visco-Lok auto-locking front differential, which allows riders to choose the perfect setting for any terrain. ■

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From left, Anthony West from Northland Motor Sports, Shayn Rouse from Rouse Motorcycles and Nigel Randell from Northland Motor Sports inspect one of the vehicles in the Can-Am range. STEVE MACMILLAN/STUFF

The Can-Am Outlander PR will be on display at Myster Creek on June 17 ROBYN EDIE/STUFF

Left:Mick

STEVE MACMILLAN/STUFF

Electric fence pioneers still feeling the pulse the

After 56 years, the New Zealand National Fieldays are still key for global innovator Gallagher Group, which attends every year By

In 1930s Waikato, William Gallagher Senior was frustrated about his horse, Joe, who liked to rub his rump on the Essex car parked next to his barn.

So Gallagher came up with a solution, a classic No 8 wire Kiwi response to a problem. He used a rubber band to wind up the magneto on the car and introduced a shock to the chassis. He rigged it to release on movement.

When Joe rubbed his rump he rocked the vehicle, releasing the rubber band which let out a pulse. After a couple of shocks, so the story goes, the horse stayed on one side of the barn and the car stayed on the other.

Gallagher animal management general manager (for New Zealand and Chile) Darrell Jones says the key is to create a new behaviour.

“We still call it a psychological barrier for stock control.

“Once Gallagher understood the value of stock control through delivering a pulse through an animal, he set about building the electric fence. By the end of the decade the Gallagher Power Fencing company was established.”

In the 1960s, William Gallagher Junior started working for the company. He and his brother John jumped on a plane and took their electric fence to the world. The technology changed farming drastically.

“It was revolutionary,” Jones says. “It reduced the cost greatly, compared to traditional fencing It introduced better eating regimes for cows, such as rotational grazing, and better pasture management.”

The business has scaled up over the years, with around 450 staff now delivering to 160 countries, plus the manufacturing division which is shared

Bethwyn Littler

with Gallagher Security

“The dairy sector are big users of our electric fences in New Zealand. Conventional, permanent fencing is our biggest competitor.”

However, Gallagher’s products are reaching beyond Gallagher Senior’s visions of farm equipment by protecting and excluding wildlife around the world

“In some of our markets, we are working on solutions for avid campers to keep bears away from their campsites and we have even dabbled in giraffe and elephant fencing across Africa,” Jones says.

John and William Gallagher Junior played a role in the first National Fieldays at Mystery Creek.

“Sir William Junior visited a field day in Australia demonstrating farm equipment and from there he was part of getting the New Zealand National Fieldays started in 1969 at Mystery Creek. He was one of the people that played a major role in the inception of the annual event.

“Gallaghers have been exhibiting at the Fieldays since the start. Our staff have always been on the board or had some association with the society We have a permanent building on D Street of the Fieldays site. It was purpose-built six years ago. We can give customers a warm, dry environment to show off our solutions.”

Jones says the Fieldays are an important part of Gallagher’s calendar, a platform to present new innovations, build the brand and connect with users.

“It allows us to connect with existing customers and bring new customers into the Gallagher ecosystem. We get to talk about the latest trends and whether we

have the right products to meet demand.

“By understanding the jobs to be done, we gather new knowledge. That assists us with building our research and development projects.”

A few years ago, the company launched a new portable fence top at Fieldays, called a ring top post, as a response to customer feedback.

“We had heard the frustrations around the standard pigtail and we went away and developed something to take those frustrations away.”

Jones says because of connection to the cloud, their products are becoming visible on farmer’s phones.

The product is now active with thousands of neckbands on farms throughout New Zealand. The system is also being used in North America, Australia, Chile and Germany.

“Eshepherd is about fenceless boundaries, not just for animal inclusion but also exclusion. It helps with New Zealand compliance and legislation that sits around keeping animals out of waterways at the moment. fact that we have gone cellular means we don’t need big base stations on the farm any more.

“It is getting to a stage where a farmer can sit down with his morning coffee and see what is happening on his farm by using his device.”

At this year’s Fieldays, the recently developed eShepherd neckband will be a major focus. “The eShepherd is an innovation for keeping animals under control without aving to build a fence,” Jones says.

“The farmer sends co-ordinates through the cloud back down to a cellular or LoRa-based neckband, which builds a virtual fence.”

“Other countries are seeing the value of the GPS-enabled eShepherd in supporting more regenerative farming practices.”

Jones says the Fieldays extremely important for Gallagher’s team development.

“We build brand equity and we get to build the brand of our people. We bring all our staff to Fieldays, which gives them the opportunity to get inside the farm gate, understand what needs to be done and deliver solutions.

“It allows us to present our innovations to the agricultural sector. One hundred and 30,000 people over four days is an outstanding audience.” ■

Electric fence innovation stemmed from William Gallagher Senior, after he became frustrated about his horse rubbing against his car in the 1930s

Left: The Gallagher Fieldays tent circa 1985

SirWilliamGallagher

Farming family planting for the future

Three generations of the Storey family are involved in the environmental work, writes Bethwyn Littler

Along-standing Te Awamutu dairy farming family are doing their bit by becoming involved in a regenerative community project creating an ecological corridor linking Pirongia and Maungatautari mountains.

Josh Storey is sixth generation on his family’s 180-hectare farm. He and wife Bayley run 500 dairy cows alongside his parents, Penny and Doug Storey. About 3km of the Mangapiko Stream runs through their farm.

The Taiea te Taiao ecological corridor project sees a range of environmental work across farms and other properties between the mountains. The aim is to create habitat for wildlife, including native birds and bats and eels.

Planting along the stream, wetlands and retired pasture has been organised by Koroneiki Developments owned by brothers Antony and Matt Snodgrass.

Koroneiki is a local business which grows the trees, helps farmers plan native projects, does site preparation, weed control and planting

Snodgrass says when regenerating a patch of bush they use colonising species which grow quickly as well as longer living canopy species such as kowhai, rewarewa and totara, and kahikatea for the wet areas.

“The goal is to have good biodiversity over the whole project with the right plant going into the right place, thriving, not just surviving,” he says.

Around 16,000 trees were planted on the Storey farm in August 2023. Snodgrass says at less than a year old some of the trees they planted are head height already.

“They will fill out and create a mini patch of bush which will attract lots of birds.”

The birds will visit the established totara and kahikatea on the farm and spread the seeds. Over time the bigger trees will spread.

“The next step is what we call enrichment planting. Historically the land has been grazed so there is no under-story under the mature totora and kahikatea.

“We are working on getting it tidied up and planting ground cover. These will be completely different plants such as five finger and kawakawa,” Snodgrass says

“What we are planting now is generally seen around the edges of forests. We couldn’t plant the trees you see inside a large established patch of native bush like rimu and rewarewa.

“If we planted those in large numbers now they wouldn't suppress the grass and weeds which is what we are trying to achieve.

“Over time it creates a hummus layer, it creates protection for longer living species.”

He says a lot of farmers in their 30s are taking over family farms and starting to do plantings like the Storeys.

“To me it's a no-brainer to plant unproductive areas, everyone should be planting,” he says.

“Farmers are fencing off and retiring marginal land. If they can farm useful pasture better, they get better productivity off those areas and there is no loss of production overall. It is better management if the cows are not buggering off to the swampy areas."

Josh and Bayley agree with Snodgrass’ sentiment. They are retiring land which they already feel cautious about putting

their cows into. “We worry about who is going into that paddock and for how long, so why don’t we just retire those areas?” Bayley says.

Rather than a loss they see the process of retiring land as part of their philosophy, taking care of the land for another generation.

“Our whole farm ethos for the last six generations has been; look after the land and the animals and they will look after us.”

Josh says they have taken about 3ha out for planting. Fencing was a big undertaking for them. They had to bring the fence line 5m back from the stream and re-fence to five wire rather then three.

His parents Doug and Penny and grandparents who live across the road are all involved in the environmental work on the farm.

Doug is one of 400 environmentally focused farmers in the Dairy Environment Leaders network. The network aims to empower leadership and create opportunities to support and share on-farm actions to reduce environmental footprint.

“We embarked on the sustainability journey because we want to connect even closer to the land and enhance the natural beauty of the farm,” Doug says.

“We want to keep eeling in the river and for future generations to play in the forest like we did.”

On the farm and throughout the corridor freshwater eels (tuna) are being monitored using mātauranga Māori methods.

Project Coordinator for Taiea te Taiao, Bexie Towle says the project has added more than 130,000 plants to the corridor since 2021.

The corridor project links two successful biodiversity projects on Maungatautari and Pirongia mountains.

“We need the corridor to be a safe place for birds to spill out, for travelling, feeding and breeding.”

She says the Storey’s energy and enthusiasm towards the project indicates how long the family has been on the land She suggests farmers embarking on riparian planting should make a plan and start small.

“Just take it little by little, a couple of thousand trees at a time. Farmers can reach out to an organisation like Koroneiki to create a plan so that when funding comes up they can go for it.”

The Storeys say they have an enthusiastic pest control officer who is 17 years old

“At 13, he came knocking on the door and asked dad if he could chase the turkeys,” Josh says.

“In the first few weeks, he got 50 possums. We don’t have possums on the farm anymore.

“Pest control has been pretty awesome. We are doing a lot of rodent trapping at the moment.”

Josh and Bayley are adamant they are not at the forefront of this type of project.

“Water catchment work is a big thing these days,” Josh says. “It is a fantastic way to look after our water-ways. We want to hammer home that this is becoming quite normal.”

The Storey family legacy has a seventh generation waiting in the wings. Josh and Bayley are currently awaiting the birth of their first child ■

The project aims to create habitat for wildlife, including native birds and bats and eels KELLY HODEL/WAIKATO TIMES

Te Awamutu dairy farmers Josh and Bayley Storey are planting trees and allowing bush to regenerate to create an ecological corridor

Freshwater eels (tuna) in Mangapiko Stream are being monitored using mātauranga Māori methods

Josh, Bayley, Penny and Doug Storey. “Our whole farm ethos for the last six generations has been; look after the land and the animals and they will look after us.”

US overtakes China as export market for red meat

Global demand remains subdued for most agri commodity markets –other than beef, the shining star in New Zealand’s export portfolio. Compiled by Sonita Chandar.

Weak Chinese demand for red meat is being offset by strong demand from North America, which overtook China as New Zealand’s largest export market during April, according to an analysis by the Meat Industry Association (MIA).

The sector exported red meat worth $922 million during the month, down 4% from last April. Exports to China were down 37% to $231m, compared with April 2023, as meat importers continued to draw down on frozen inventory built up over Covid.

However, exports to the US rose by 19% to $261m in April, making it the largest market for the month, and there was also a big rise in exports to Canada, up 105% to $32m.

Livestock numbers in both the US and Canada have been declining following widespread drought.

“The growth in the US market is very positive and we are seeing encouraging signs of recovery for sheepmeat into the UK, and for beef into Japan,” says MIA chief executive Sirma Karapeeva. “This underlines the importance of the New Zealand red meat sector’s diverse export market strategy.”

Both the UK and Japan continued to recover from the low levels of exports last year, with the UK up 57% to $53m and Japan up 92% to $52m.

What about dairy?

Rabobank expects improvement – albeit slow – in commodity prices over the rest of the year thanks to weak milk supply, but the journey will likely be fraught, with headwinds from our major market, China.

Sluggish demand remains a key driver of dairy commodity prices. Low prices in late 2023 and early 2024 provided a great opportunity to replenish stocks, and so with full inventory pipelines, buyers are cautious. Attention is now on seasonal peak milk production in the northern hemisphere, and sentiment is shifting in most regions, with

purchasing slower at current price levels.

Rabobank has revised its earlierview on China’s net imports. It now anticipates a decline of 8% in net import demand in 2024 compared with 2023. Stronger milk production and weaker consumer demand are the main drivers.

Rabobank continues to expect slow price rises over 2024 However, the journey across the remainder of the year to reach longerterm averages will be a bumpy ride given the complex dairy fundamentals and weaker import demand dynamics from China.

Farm inputs

On the fertiliser front, many markets are in mid-season. No big price movements have been reported, nor have elements that could change the short-term outlook for price doldrums. One country that could cause

some price movement is India, although urea stocks are reported to be comfortably at the 10m tonne mark.

and global trade finds its way. Further cost relief comes from the Panama Canal Authority announcing it was slowly increasing the transit to 32 vessels a day. At the peak of the recent drought, transit numbers were slashed to 24

Oil and freight markets

Brent crude prices finished higher in April, the fourth straight month of rising prices. Prices had been rising due to increased risk premiums owing to the conflict in the Middle East, but things seem to have cooled there for now

Weaker than-expected GDP growth for the US in Q1 helped lower prices as traders factored in a more feeble demand outlook. However, Rabobank thinks prices are headed higher over the longer term due to Opec+production cuts, growing demand in India and doubts that the US can sustain current rates of production into the back end of the year.

Hotter weather in Europe this year is likely to again impact refinery uptime, creating import demand for refined products (such as diesel), while Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian refineries add further tightness to world markets. Global trade showed a significant recovery in Q1 2024 compared with a year ago, as shipping companies forecast better-thanexpected results for 2024

Other potential pricesupporting factors that have not materialised relate to China. The government there has further reduced exporting certificates’validation period, from 60 days to 30. The previous reduction to 60 days was made last November, leading to a 95% YOY reduction in Q1 2024 exports

Recent announcements could bring farmgate price reductions down the road. The global container index dropped 30% since its November hikes as Middle East shipping issues are being circumnavigated

What’s ahead

Ocean capacity growth will likely outpace demand with a substantial amount of fleet in the order book, even in the presence of the Red Sea conflict. The Panama Canal has also finally started increasing draft restrictions and gradually allowing more transits. This helps alleviate schedule and rate pressure around the region.

With volatility in mind, Rabobank expects manageable ocean container freight rates for 2024 The Baltic Panamax index (a proxy for grain bulk freight) has generally been on an upward trajectory for the last 12 months, as global trade volumes have been largely recovering across the Pacific and Atlantic.

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