Country-Wide November, 2017 (DL)

GROWING NZ FARMING

Mission completed After 21 years of leasing, Suzie and Paul Corboy are farming their own farm together. p39

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November 2017

Country-Wide November 2017

THE DEER FARMER 1

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Country-Wide November 2017

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Country-Wide November 2017

CONTROL HOW YOU INCREASE LAMB NUMBERS

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R E S O U R Country-Wide C E M A N A G ENovember M E N T 2017

EDITOR’S NOTE

Fiscal restraint

A

s this issue went to the printer we still didn’t know who will be in our coalition Government. In 1996, the election result came out October 12, but the Government was not formed until December 10.

That’s all whisky under the bridge now, but as in 1996, the country hasn’t fallen to pieces while we wait. In fact nearly everyone I unscientifically surveyed was happy. Probably the only ones not, apart from the waiting urban media, are those reliant on an incoming Government to make money – the lobbyists, economists and policy analysts, but think of the savings in taxpayers’ money.

One thing is certain, Joe Public is over the coalition talks and has more important matters to think about. On southern South Island farms the weather has been great for lambing, unlike parts of the North Island which were under water.

In this issue we celebrate Paul and Suzie Corboy, for getting back together after farming apart for six years (see p22 and 39).

The Corboys’ story is one of hard work but also smart thinking. They focused on what was needed rather than wanted. The couple learned to examine every cost and work out if there was a financial benefit from it.

Fiscal restraint doesn’t appear to be part of the $64 million Red Meat Profit Partnership (RMPP) which is funded by the Primary Growth Partnership (half industry and half taxpayer).

After more than three years and spending more than $21 million it doesn’t seem to have a lot to show for its money.

The initiatives such as the farm assurance programme, a single audit for farmers supplying more than one meat company, and a new electronic animal status declaration will make life easier for farmers. But a lack of transparency makes it difficult to determine if the RMPP spending is money well spent. Especially at a time when hill country farming is desperate for research which lacks funding.

The RMPP Action Network offers $4000/farm business for joining a farm discussion to pay for ‘experts’ brought in to give advice. Is this really the best way to throw money around? How good will that advice be, as the quality of the ‘experts’ will surely vary?

Perhaps the PGP process should have people like the Corboys sitting on it vetting every cost.

Terry Brosnahan

Country-Wide November 2017

Country-Wide December: • THE MARFELLS OF MAHOE: A look at Mauriceville sheep and beef farm Mahoe Farm run by Vaughan and Jen Marfell.

• TOP 10 INFLUENCES OF 2017: We recap the key influences in farming for the year and look at what might be next for farming.

• LEANER MANAGEMENT: Ways to make your business more costeffective and add value whether it’s smart technologies, zero budgeting or simple day-to-day changes.

• THE ENDOPHYTE STORY: How endophyte ryegrasses came about, the people involved and what is happening now.

• DEVELOPING BUSINESS: 2017 Ahuwhenua Maori Farmer of the Year award finalists Ronald and Justine King’s business is cracking along at an impressive rate.

Got any feedback? Contact the editor direct: terry.brosnahan@nzfarmlife.co.nz or call 03 471 5272. @CountryWideNZ

NEXT ISSUE

@CountryWideNZ

• BEEF + LAMB GENETICS SINGLE INDEX: Farmer reaction to the new single index – the good, the bad and the ugly.

• GOING BUSH: What’s what in hunting, how-to guides and handy tips and tricks from seasoned hunters.

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More: p44

BOUNDARIES Making the Zanda Award shortlist.

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How they dealt with Owaka’s rabbit plague

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HOME BLOCK Blair Smith finds it’s all in the timing.

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Amy Hoogenboom visits the home of Angus.

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Phil Taylor discovers it’s time for change in Brazil.

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Rebecca Greaves is busy with docking, bulls and fuel. 14 Andrew Bendall compares quality and quantity.

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Charlotte Rietveld is on Coalition Highway to Domestic Bliss.

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NOTEBOOK

What’s on when and who’s doing what.

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FACTS

Reece Brick: Here’s hoping for a seasonal repeat.

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BUSINESS Alliance relauches Silere brand.

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What the processors are offering.

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A long road to farm ownership.

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Yield impacts on meat quality.

Contents

CT scan for lamb EQ? RMPP action network – will it be effective?

Prime velvet at Tura-Loch.

Deputy Editor: Cheyenne Nicholson, ph 06 280 3168; cheyenne.nicholson@nzfarmlife.co.nz Managing Editor: Tony Leggett, ph 06 280 3162 mob 0274 746 093, tony.leggett@nzfarmlife.co.nz

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Big week of deer study.

Sub Editor: Andy Maciver, ph 06 280 3166, andy.maciver@nzfarmlife.co.nz Designer: Joanne Hannam, ph 06 280 3167 Production Planning: ph 06 280 3164 Reporters Andrew Swallow ph 021 745 183 Anne Calcinai ph 07 894 5069; Lynda Gray ph 03 448 6222; Gerard Hall ph 03 409 8386; Jackie Harrigan ph 06 280 3165; Robert Pattison ph +64 27 889 8444; Marie Taylor ph 06 836 7018; Sandra Taylor, ph 021 1518685; Tim McVeagh 06 3294797; James Hoban 027 2511986; Russell Priest 06 328 9852; Jo Cuttance 03 976 5599; Amanda Bowes 0274 998 421; Cheyenne Nicholson, 06 280 3168.

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Supplementary feed: Happy in the red.

Deer Farmer Editor: Lynda Gray, ph 03 448 6222, lyndagray@xtra.co.nz

Editor: Terry Brosnahan, ph 03 471 5272; mob 027 249 0200; terry.brosnahan@nzfarmlife.co.nz

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DEER FARMER Korean demand lifts velvet prices.

Country-Wide is published by NZ Farm Life Media PO Box 218, Feilding 4740 General enquiries: Toll free 0800 2AG SUB (0800 224 782) www.nzfarmlife.co.nz

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Account Managers: Warren McDonald, National Sales Manager, ph 06 323 0143 Janine Gray, Waikato and Bay of Plenty, ph 0274 746 094 Donna Hirst, Lower North Island & international, ph 06 323 0739 Shirley Howard, real estate, ph 06 323 0760 Debbie Brown, classifieds & employment, ph 06 323 0765 Nigel Ramsden, Livestock, ph 06 323 0761 Subscriptions: nzfarmlife.co.nz/shop ph 0800 224 782 or subs@nzfarmlife.co.nz Printed by PMP Print, Riccarton, Christchurch ISSN 1179-9854 (Print)

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Country-Wide November 2017

More: p74 More: p70

LIVESTOCK Farming together sheer bliss.

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Triplet transfer triumph.

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Easy-care fleece work not lost.

Irrigation allows diversification and succession.

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Stock check: Taking the wool off a sheep’s back.

When and when not to do summer cropping?

54

Cleaning up with cows.

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Versatile Happe beating lamb-finishing clock.

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60

Farm-saved seed royalties loom.

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PLANT AND MACHINERY Weed control starts at the gate.

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ENVIRONMENT

Water set to remain an issue.

64

Protection from infectious disease.

65

Browned off by pine trees.

Now the fridge orders the milk.

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70

YOUNG COUNTRY

73

Bark off: The tone of your voice.

COMMUNITY 74

Sale sees 60-year machinery collection cleared.

ARABLE

Drafting the ideal equipment.

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Balancing act for young deer farmers.

FORAGE

What does good look like?

TECHNOLOGY

Coping with Vodafone’s service closure.

66

SOLUTIONS Cautionary tale of drench resistance.

76

Drone lasers to zap weeds.

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Easy-care sheep: Finding the formula.

78

ESTATE High country freehold.

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Snapshot: Gisborne market buoyant.

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FARMING IN FOCUS More photos from this month’s Country-Wide.

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OUR COVER

More: p49

Country-Wide November 2017

More: p39

Together again: Paul and Suzie Corboy had to live apart to achieve their dreams of farm ownership.

Mission completed, they’re back together on their own property.

Photo: John Cosgrove

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BOUNDARIES | AWARDS

Zanda Award shortlist A record number of applicants have been narrowed to a shortlist of seven for the Zanda McDonald Award.

The trans-Tasman award, now in its fourth year, recognises agriculture’s most innovative young professionals.

Finalists were selected for their strong leadership skills, passion for agriculture, and their vision and inspiration for the primary industry.

The NZ finalists are Thomas MacDonald, 24, a business manager of Spring Sheep Milk Company, Lisa Kendall, 25, owner/ operator of Nurture Farming, Ashley Waterworth 34, who manages and coowns the family sheep and beef farm in Waikato; and Hamish Clarke, 27, a farm manager in the northern King Country.

The Australian finalists are: Elise Bowen, 27, owner/operator of Sheep Data Management, Wagga Wagga; Byron O’Keefe, 33, owner/ operator of O’Keefe Pastoral Company and 2016 Landmark and

Leading Australian grazier Zanda McDonald, who died in a farm accident in 2013, was the inspiration for the award.

Janet Reddan, 33, former agronomist now cattle producer from Roma, Queensland.

The award is a tribute to Zanda McDonald and the enormous contribution he made to agri-business.

It’s also an opportunity to help the next tier of young agri leaders as

Another winner Hut champs One of the more pleasant duties Country-Wide editor Terry Brosnahan had to perform recently was to judge an annual hut building competition after dropping in for a catch-up with Homeblock columnist Charlotte Rietveld.

Charlotte and her husband Vince’s nephews and nieces, the Townsends, were visiting from Christchurch. From left: Jake, George, Megan with Lucy Rietveld, Laura, and Terry. The winner was Megan.

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New Zealand Dairy Exporter magazine, sister publication to Country-Wide came up trumps in the 2017 Guild of Agricultural Journalists and Communicators Journalism Awards.

The team of Dairy Exporter contributors were runners up to winner for the Rongo Award for excellence in agricultural journalism, for a series of special reports on team building and budgeting and benchmarking.

Alexa Cook from Radio NZ Rural Report was winner.

The judges commended the Dairy Exporter team for the practical information showing onfarm best practice and expert

the $50,000 winner’s prize package includes a tailored mentoring programme.

Three finalists will be announced towards the end of the year, and are invited to attend the PPP conference in Taupo next March where the winner will be announced.

Jackie Harrigan with the awards.

commentary on the issues. Dairy Exporter editor Jackie Harrigan also won the Dairy NZ Dairy Industry journalism award recognising the ability to communicate the complexities of the dairy industry.

Country-Wide November 2017

BOUNDARIES | ROUND-UP

Great science, poor PR Scientists’ work to identify and commercially deliver natural controls for the fungi, bugs and weeds which routinely erode New Zealand’s farm profits is to be applauded, but their terminology for such controls is not.

“Biopesticide” might be the right word scientifically, but there’s a real danger the general public’s interpretation will be that they’re even worse than traditional pesticides.

On a spectrum of what’s good and

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bad in food production the uninformed would probably put “biopesticide” somewhere between Anthrax and DDT. It would be better to talk about “beneficial bugs”, “natural controls” or “eco-remedies” in any forum where the public are likely to hear about them and that includes farmer conferences because what runs in the agricultural media one week, often appears in the mainstream media the next.

A sign up in Dunedin’s Mercy Hospital

Owaka’s plague Most visitors to the Owaka region in South Otago wouldn’t regard it as a haven for rabbits. Suzie and Paul Corboy who farm in the Owaka Valley (feature on p22 and p39) say the area used to be plagued by rabbits in the 1950s. That’s why the Corboys’ farm has a rabbitproof netting fence around it. Back then, another local farmer, who had also erected a rabbit-proof fence, went one step further and put traps a metre apart across his farm. Each day the farmer moved them, a steel fence moving across the farm to eradicate the pests. Today hares, and to a lesser extent pigs, are the problem.

To ENTER, head over to our Facebook page @YoungCountryNZ. For more info head to www.toppaddock.co.nz

Misplaced grasses In the Pasture Guide published in Country-Wide Sheep 2017 two of Seed Force’s perennial ryegrass varieties –SF Moxie and SF Hustle – were erroneously listed in the “annual, short rotation and Italian ryegrass” section.

Country-Wide November 2017

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HOME BLOCK | COLUMN

A satisfying time of year tagging the stud Newhaven ewes out on the hill blocks.

The Fossil Creek Angus cows have had a productive spring with another year of new genetics.

It’s all in the timing

Blair Smith

Five Forks, North Otago

S

ome wise bastard once said if you stay on top of the small decisions this should make the big decisions easy. He obviously hadn’t spent a minute or a season on a farm.

What this wise guy should have said was making a decision is better than not making a decision at all, and that timing is everything. In farming, the difference between good and poor decisions is usually about a week.

The weather in North Otago has been a strange and mixed bag of extreme wet followed swiftly by gale-force nor’ westers, the former making it impossible to get winter fencing done and the latter making it impossible to work on the farm with your wife without risking your marriage and/or life.

However, spring growth on our hill country has been early and the Angus cows and Perendales have had a mighty good calving and lambing, with tailing on the horizon.

It’s a great time of year – seeing the new genetics on the ground in our sheep and cattle studs, both here and

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on clients’ farms is reward for the time, energy and detail we put into both the Newhaven and Fossil Creek genetic gains. I’m looking forward to the industry being rewarded with some robust lamb prices – with indications seemingly positive I look with envy at other industries that have surety and clarification on pricing before they even start their season or production.

Speaking of clarification, after a decade of vying for leadership behind the farm gate, my beloved and I are finally working on definition of our roles. Don’t panic, I’m not becoming one of those KPI-driven people – this is simply to prove a point.

“While we might be a team, she is the self-appointed coach/ captain/manager.”

My own definition came to me after a 12-hour stint on the tractor and is really quite simple. Jane is obviously the chairman of the board (strolls in, asks why we aren’t doing things her way, makes bold sweeping strategic-sounding statements, writes lists of what we should be doing and then walks off) while I am essentially an unpaid chief executive and underpaid employee rolled into one – the poor bugger left lists of things and not enough hours in the day to do them).

She insists I have the structure completely wrong and we are a team.

I have of course agreed to this (I’m not quite brave enough to point out that while we might be a team, she is the selfappointed coach/captain/manager).

By the time this goes to print, we will know the shape of our Government and I hope that however it shapes up, the farming industry keeps its foot on their throat all the way through, not just in the last two months. With six months either side of the election wasted with electioneering bollocks, we only have a two-year window to get anything useful done.

The irrigation tap to another 10,000 hectares of North Otago is about to be turned on with a mix of optimism and anxiety. The initial 12,000ha was a gamechanger – not just for those on irrigated land (as a monoculture of irrigated land is pretty unpalatable when you have such a diverse mix of land classes) but unlike the 1980s and 90s, North Otago is now in charge of its own destiny.

Most new sheep and beef irrigators are only watering 10-20% of their farm, and the powerhouse of North Otago remains its foothills and hill country mixed with the green valley floors – but the value is in the cumulative effect that smoothing out the extremes in seasons has – for our schools, our communities and our local businesses along the main street.

A huge number of bright young things are coming into our industry and we need to show them we can run a reliable, consistent, profitable industry. The university students we have at Newhaven over summer and the work experience high school students we have during the year have given me hope– they have been motivated, enthusiastic with a high work ethic. With a non-PC boss like me, you can see who are the stayers and who are the players within the first hour and I have been impressed with them all.

With too many of the faces in the boardrooms of the agricultural industry resembling an antiques roadshow, we need to keep these young people challenged and show them they have a role to play. As we’ve always said with our own children, they can choose any career they wish, as long as they work bloody hard at it.

Speaking of working hard, during the time it has taken me to write this, Jane has more than likely added half a dozen more jobs to my list so in the interest of longevity, it’s time to sign off.

Country-Wide October 2017

HOME BLOCK | COLUMN

Visiting the home of Angus

Amy Hoogenboom Massey veterinary student

I’m writing this almost as close to deadline as I submit some of my university assignments. It appears five years of university has not improved my time-management skills.

For university students, November means exams, and as you read this it is highly possible that I am tearing my hair out trying to remember if I should use a beta-blocker or Ace-inhibitor as the best choice of treatment in a hypertensive cat. Neither of those is actually correct, I should be writing calcium channel blocker; confirmation that small animal medicine is not my forte.

Reflecting back to a less stressful time of the year, in June I travelled to Scotland as part of the Generation Angus Youth team to compete at the World Angus Forum. Despite it being summer in the northern hemisphere, the Scottish weather was very much like home – cold, windy and wet. New Zealand entered two teams into the competition which totalled nine teams with Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom being represented also. The Aberdeen-Angus Cattle Society organised a busy 12-day youth programme for us. We had several competitions including public speaking, livestock judging at the Royal Highland Show, agri-skills, meat judging and butchery, clipping and fitting, and cattle parading. We also had the opportunity to visit various Angus herds, animal product processors and experience a taste of Scottish history and food.

A highlight of the competition for me was winning the youth presentation as a member of team NZ Toa and being given the opportunity to then go on to present to the world forum delegates at the ‘From Consumption to Conception’ conference.

Country-Wide October 2017

The other highlight was NZ Toa being placed third in the cattle preparation and fitting competition; as a team we were very surprised to be placed so highly given we were competing against the Australian and Canadian youth, some of whom fit and show cattle for a living.

We had also been balloted a couple of rather strong-willed heifers which provided a real challenge in the initial stages of prep and required some extra handling to be show-ring ready. It was heartening to see the judges recognise us for this extra effort we had to put in.

The NZ teams gave a world-class performance, with team NZ Toa winning first place overall and our other team, NZ Kaha, placing second.

Overall, the trip was an amazing experience, it was fantastic to meet so many likeminded youths from different parts of the world as well as see a different type of farming system and gain a better understanding of where both the Angus breed and beef protein stand with reference to the consumer.

I must extend a huge thank you to our team sponsors FMG, Merial Ancare, Allflex and Angus NZ along with my individual sponsor, Seven Hills Angus.

At the beginning of August, I spent two weeks on spring calving placement on the Central Plateau. I was extremely fortunate with the clinic I chose to go to – plenty of calvings, disbudding, and other spring dairy farm animal health challenges plus a bit of deer and beef cattle work thrown into the mix.

All the clinic staff were extremely helpful and once again, being out on clinical placement beats the lecture theatre every time. An after-hours calving callout done by tractor lights in mud and close to sub-zero temperatures is one way to test how much you truly want to be a large-animal veterinarian.

In the world of a fourth-year vet, November not only signals exams, it also means the beginning of our fifth and final year of vet school. That’s right, my days of long luxurious university summer holidays are over and there are only 43 weeks of vet school life left, I am entering the home turn of the vet school marathon. However, before I get to excited about almost being a real vet, I better go and finish that assignment which is due tomorrow morning.

Amy Hoogenboom working with one of the heifers for the parading competition.

NZ ready for stock judging at the Royal Highland Show.

Building a stone wall as part of the agri-skills day.

NZ Toa (Patrick Crawshaw, Emma Pollitt, Marie Timperly and myself) tired but still smiling on the final day of competition.

Amy Hoogenboom presenting at the World Angus Forum conference.

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HOME BLOCK | COLUMN

A gaucho on horseback tends a herd of Hereford cattle.

Time for change in Brazil

Philip Taylor

Ngaroma, King Country At the invitation of the Foundation of Economics and Statistics and University of Faccat, (Integrated Colleges of Taquara) I was invited to speak at a conference in Porto Alegre, to explain how New Zealand promotes the integration of dairy farming with beef fattening.

Simply put, rearing Friesian bobby calves for intensive bull/steer beef farming. It’s unheard of in Brazil.

Rio Grande Do Sul, the south east state of Brazil, has vast areas of range land covered in native pasture running mainly beef cows and calves – an area as large of all of NZ. Average annual output is 70kg of beef per hectare. NZ average is anywhere between 400 and 700kg depending on the system used. This information was an absolute shock to the economists and agronomists who attended the conference. Could they mimic us was the challenge and the reason for my address.

Breed societies dominate the market (mainly Hereford and Angus), each extolling the virtues of their breed on supermarket labels, a reason why Friesian beef would need careful introduction or branding. Most prime

Two-year Brangus heifers

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beef is consumed locally and unlike the United States, southern Brazil does not have an American-style feedlot industry, so finding a place for the 95cl (chemical lean) bull trimmings as the best manufacturing ingredient to mix with fat trimmings from feedlot cattle, may prove difficult. Old cull bulls are sold at a discount to prime beef, so a Young Lean Beef grade would need to be introduced.

Land is not a scarce resource and farmers are very comfortable with life the way they are. Most have resident gauchos to work the farm, while wives have maids. This however would not continue without government subsidies.

While they do pay small amounts of tax on drawings most is deducted per head on sales by the downstream industries.

Farmers are not compelled to keep track of costs, or submit annual accounts. To this end selling animals at four years rather than 18/20 months makes sense.

Subsidies take away the incentive to intensify by subdividing, renewing or fertilising pastures.

“Average annual output is 70kg of beef per hectare. NZ average is anywhere between 400 and 700kg..”

It appears to me that farmers have little understanding of the cost of drymatter (DM), the need to measure pasture growth rates or animal demand therefore they pay no attention to alternative opportunities. Comparing

the maintenance cost of carrying a cow just to produce a calf, versus feeding all the grass to revenue stock purchased for finishing, is unheard of. Besides, cows are best at chewing through native pastures that have gone to seed.

Most calves are not fattened until three or four years of age. In a dry year the sale stock just takes a little longer, or maybe another year to reach market weights. Little attention is paid to the cost of doing this. Pasture renewal is done mainly by direct drilling and only by the most innovative of farmers, rather set stocking in very large paddocks is the norm. Rotational grazing is not practised although some pasture is carried forward as an insurance against drought. So the herds of cows and calves roam over large paddocks tended by horse-riding gauchos.

Gauchos have never owned land, instead the land owns them as free men, in return for their historical protection of land and animals over the centuries of corruption, war and uprising Brazil has endured. They have the inalienable right to exist on the land. This of course poses a problem when the gaucho is asked to exchange his horse for a four-wheeler. His right to freedom, his very status would be lost, something that will not be allowed to happen easily. (Note: if you buy a farm in Brazil the resident gauchos and their families come with it.)

Brazil exports 5.5 million tonnes of grass-fed beef around the world each year, but foot and mouth disease keeps its fresh meat out of our premium market, the US. It is designated clear by vaccination but not free as we have it in NZ. Beef is a staple in most meals, stewed or casseroled. It was beefy but very tasty, eaten with beans and rice. The food I ate in Brazil was most enjoyable, a lot grown organically and without nitrogenous fertilisers. I was surprised at the delicious flavours.

Will Friesian bull beef/steer farming ever get off the ground in Brazil? There is a groundswell in academia but it is going to require a new set of skills, a cultural change in rural Brazil backed with government support and, dare I say, the removal of subsidies. Time will tell.

Country-Wide November 2017

the benefits of

potassium

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Potassium is an essential nutrient for maximising clover growth, which provides a higher quality feed for your animals. We can help you make sure you’re getting the right amount of potassium for your farm – ask your Ballance Nutrient Specialist today.

Call 0800 222 090 to find out more or go to ballance.co.nz/potassium Country-Wide November 2017

13

HOME BLOCK | COLUMN

Docking, bulls and fuel

Rebecca Greaves Pongaroa, Tararua

It’s spring, docking is in full swing at Kaituna and Richard and I have been spending some quality husband and wife time together.

We are about halfway through, hoping to dock about 4000 lambs all up, and the majority we have done just the two of us. No one has yelled yet, much. My most stressful moment was getting my horse stuck in a slip while mustering for docking, which definitely rates up there with unpleasant experiences I would prefer never to repeat. Fortunately, both of us managed to escape unscathed and caught up to the mob.

Richard continued with our subdivision project over winter and the new fencing has made mustering for docking easier in those paddocks, especially with smaller mob sizes.

We’ve had a great spring and the weather was kind throughout lambing, so lamb survival has been excellent. The only real problem has been bearings, which is frustrating. It does seem we are

not alone, as many people I have talked to have also had issues and it seems to be quite widespread this year.

I do love this time of year though.

Daylight saving has kicked in, the days are getting longer, we have pet lambs and calves, and docking means seeing the result of a whole year’s work, which makes me excited and proud.

We bought our first cows earlier this year, all vetted in-calf, so now have a massive herd of 45, which is a start. For me, there is nothing better than seeing a beef cow with a nice calf on the hills, so I have been anticipating the arrival of baby calves for a long time.

Buying cows also means we will be needing bulls, so we went to the recent yearling bull sale at Totaranui Angus in Pahiatua and bought our first two bulls.

It was a strong auction and I enjoyed going along and inspecting all the bulls beforehand. Though I can read EBVs, I have to admit my eye for an animal on the ground is not great – usually I pick ones I think have a nice head or kind eye, which doesn’t necessarily translate to what Richard is looking for.

The big news in the local community has been the construction of our new fuel stop. Pongaroa village has been without fuel for a few years and it will be so handy to have the 24/7 unmanned fuel stop open. At the moment we have no onfarm storage, filling the ute with diesel while we’re in town and using petrol containers for the bike, so we are looking forward to taking advantage of the new facility 10 minutes down the road.

As well as farmers and contractors

Penny finds a comfy spot to sleep during docking.

needing fuel, Route 52 is a popular tourist route and people have been caught out – in the past two years a few residents have apparently been known to sell fuel when people turn up in dire straits, which is soon to be a thing of the past.

The local community fundraised to contribute to the $500,000 project, making this a remarkable and quite possibly a landmark case for New Zealand, according to the Allied Petroleum website. Allied was chosen as a partner after offering to invest alongside the community with specialist equipment (all tanks, pumps, and payment terminal). The first sod was turned back in May and the fuel stop was built on land generously donated by the Broughton family and will provide service on the same site where a boarding house stood 100 years ago.

The boarding house was a stopover for those travelling from Hawke’s Bay to Wairarapa and Wellington and when it burnt down, the replacement became the Broughton family home in the 1940s.

The house was dismantled in 1964 and taken away. It’s been fantastic to see the land donated for something that will benefit the whole community – thanks Broughton family.

The fuel stop opening will be on October 14, with a fair, music, food and drink and the official ribbon-cutting ceremony. The fuel stop is an amazing example of what a small community can achieve when everyone bands together and gets in behind a project. We thank the Pongaroa Fuel Stop Inc for all their hard work in making it happen.

BELOW: The fuel stop construction in progress.

RIGHT: Richard scrutinising the bulls on offer at Totaranui.

14

Country-Wide November 2017

HOME BLOCK | COLUMN

R1 heifers, due to start AI October 9.

QUALITY OR QUANTITY

Andrew Bendall Cromwell, Central Otago

As time passes us by quality vs quantity becomes quite apparent as one needs to eat less, wants to drink less and you have more disposable income than in one’s past life.

In reality eating less comes about from not wanting to put on weight, the drinking less comes from one’s recovery takes so much longer and yes, the cost of things important to your health seems less relevant.

This paradigm shift also comes about from: age, maturity, experiences, knowledge, health, wellbeing, income and sustainability.

But also, social awareness of where our produce has come from and the healthiness of it is becoming more important.

So, when I look back over the last five years of development at Lochar Downs

Country-Wide November 2017

we are also seeing change from producing quantity to having a far greater emphasis on producing quality produce that can have value added to it along its journey.

Unfortunately, our industry model tends not to reward quality as well as it should.

How are we doing this: producing Te Mana lamb for high-end restaurants which is high in good omega fats and comes under a very high farm assurance programme with a health claim.

A move to beef production for First light Foods vs straight bull beef, this will involve the finishing of wagyu-cross heifers and steers from 90kg calves to slaughter weights.

I hear you ask why, when lamb prices are relatively strong and beef prices have been high, albeit easing somewhat?

Several reasons really, having the ability to add value to a product along its journey and being collectively rewarded for that. Having consistency of both supply of product and demand gives great predictably to the model which then enables us to create a reliable system that ensures we deliver to the specifications required.

A big and motivating factor for me anyway is the people involved within the various stages of the collective organisations who are all naturally competitive but always open to share how and what they do both for success and the lessons they have learnt.

Back to an update on the farm since July.

Winter came and went under a haze of fog, frequent showers and generally an unusual winter for Central Otago. First half of feeding the winter crop, stock were all doing well and daily liveweight gains on-track, then came the realisation that early spring covers were going to be behind target.

Action time, some heavy steers were sold early, break sizes shorten up for any longer-term cattle, extra balage bought.

Then came the prioritising of our various classes of livestock. With R1 heifers needing to be at pre- mating weights and other stock being under contractual obligations to meet target weights.

So heifers and ram hoggets came off crop and went on to spring grass as soon as we could get Ammo 31 applied which was when we fortunately got an early, somewhat false, spring and ground temperatures lifted above 9C. Ewes and any longer-term steers were set stocked in lambing paddocks, ewe hoggets which scanned 121% were split twins/singles and twins kept being fed well and the singles went to our vineyard till lambing.

Lambing of ewes is nearly over (October 1) and visually looks as though it has gone well, ewe hoggets are in full swing now.

Challenges ahead are going to be adapting to our new beef policy with a double up of Friesian bull calves arriving and wagyu-cross calves due to come as well in December.

Winter came and went under a haze of fog, frequent showers and generally an unusual winter for Central Otago.

Feed budgets will be done and the lighter end of our R1 bulls may exit in November and no R2 cattle will be purchased next autumn to winter.

A new five-span pivot has gone up to replace 15 hectares of K-lines, just in time to be planted into fodder beet for next winter.

One big difference to this time last year is that we are already having our new grass paddocks prepared and are running a month ahead of last year, so winter crops should be in on time.

Irrigation will start early in October, not that we are getting dry but to keep soil moisture up as our spring winds can be incredibly drying.

15

HOME BLOCK | COLUMN

A juggling act with all the new arrivals.

On Coalition Highway to Domestic Bliss

Charlotte Rietveld Rakaia Gorge, Canterbury

Springtime at Middle Rock always starts off at a fairly leisurely pace but inevitably finishes in a sprint. By the time November rolls around, we’re in a right lather juggling stock work, tractor work, tourism and community events. This year is set to be no different but we’re most certainly not alone – I’m yet to meet a farmer who doesn’t have a similarly busy November.

The Rakaia Gorge’s typically long, cold winters mean we don’t lamb until early October and this year that meant the good fortune of no lambs for what was a very wet September.

Despite October starting out in similar fashion, we went into lambing with good pasture cover and reasonable stock condition. While I would hate to break farming’s unspoken code of eternal pessimism, we really have nothing to complain about.

That is, until I cast my mind back to the election. Eat your heart out Game of Thrones, what a good ol’ stoush that turned out to be.

The problem was – and here is my complaint – the election’s lack of satisfying conclusion. Turns out it all came down to the belated whim of some

16

bloke who’d be better put out to pasture with his beloved fillies and a couple of packs of Marlboros.

Instead, he’s had to divert his attention from luring snapper to the political spawning of the most loveless of marriages; a coalition.

They say that to be left in political no-man’s-land for three weeks with no election winner or loser, no prime minister and no government means New Zealand is still grappling with the machinations of MMP. But I am not so sure. From where I see it, in-home political stability – that finely balanced state known as Domestic Bliss – makes MMP look like child’s play. As every farming couple across the country who live and work together knows, the road to Domestic Bliss is on none other than Coalition Highway.

Turns out we’ve all been practising marital MMP for years.

Turns out we’ve all been practising marital MMP for years. Negotiations are had, deals are done, compromises made and bargains struck… and that’s just to get away for duck shooting.

No Crown BMWs and in-house catering here, the onfarm version of MMP involves navigating Coalition Highway in little more than a battered old flat-deck with a cold mutton sandwich at best.

But odds are, the trusty flat-deck avoids a breakdown, which is more than can be said for most political coalitions.

Swept up in election proceedings, I couldn’t help but get involved in some

Signs of a br ief twoday campaig n.

MMP negotiations of my own. Let it be known these were strictly between my beloved and I; marital MMP with any more than two parties would be most unseemly. That said, my own coalition negotiations centred on the recent birth of our second child. Post coalition negotiations, if you will.

For some time I have been reminding my husband of the custom that a man gives his wife a present upon the birth of a child. No diamonds for me thank you, I had my sights set on a boat. Being relatively early in our farming lives, our debt-laden future shows little possibility for any leisure craft. I figure there will never be a good time to pursue my (very) humble boat aspirations so we may as well splash out now.

Feigning complete ignorance of this well-established gift-giving custom, Vince, who is not a great fan of water sports, had blatantly ignored my reminders. That is, until he decided he would like to christen said child.

Not being too fussed on religious proceedings, I took a leaf from Winston’s no-bottom-line book and saw this as my opportunity to pounce. Coalition negotiation terms of trade were set; a christening, for a boat. Obviously this was conscience vote material, but like any hardy politician, I wasn’t going to let morals get in the way.

With a brief two-day campaign and certainly no special votes to count, the Beehive could learn a thing or two from us – our trip down the Coalition Highway was completed within a week.

You’ll be pleased to know that stable political governance has been achieved and Domestic Bliss reigns once again; a christening date has been set and boat viewing begins in earnest this week.

Winston and I will be out catching snapper in no time.

Country-Wide November 2017

NOTEBOOK | EVENTS Best velvet

With one competition under his belt National Velvet and Trophy Antler Competition chairman Bruce Paterson is hoping for a slightly less nerve-wracking experience. Being in the limelight as MC was not something the Otautau deer farmer greatly enjoyed. He’s managed to sidestep that task this year by enlisting after dinner speaker Sky sports presenter Scotty Stevenson.

Although arm-twisted into the competition organising job Bruce feels strongly that younger people step up to take on such roles, and that breeders throughout the country support the showcase event. His advice to entrants is to cut correctly.

“Some growers make the mistake of growing the head out for maximum weight and in doing so sacrifice quality. If you cut correctly you will be rewarded.”

And the rewards in the competition classes are sizeable amounting to at least $1000 in cash or product.

The competition at Invercargill’s Ascot Park Hotel on December 12 begins with velvet viewing at 5.45pm and dinner at 6.30.

More? Email: natvelvetcomp@hotmail.com

A celebration of Drive

Bic Runga and Special Guests in concert. The Civic, Auckland, November 2; The Opera House, Wellington, November 3.

Celebrating grass The annual Grasslands Association Conference is being held at the Wanganui Racecourse in Wanganui from November 7-9 and this year’s theme is ‘A river runs through it’.

Visit: grassland.org.nz for details and registration.

2018 DIA Entries for the 2018 New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards close on November 30. Regional judging for the three categories, New Zealand Share Farmer of the Year, New Zealand Dairy Manager of the Year and New Zealand Dairy Trainee of the Year will take place between January and March. The National Final will be held in Southland on May 12.

More? dairyindustryawards.co.nz

Environmental farmers Entries for the 2018 Ballance Farm Environment Awards for Northland, Auckland, Otago, and Wellington regions close on Tuesday, October 31, and for Waikato on Wednesday, November 1.

More? nzfeatrust.org.nz

More? bicrunga.com

Lorde’s tour

Kiwi pop icon Lorde showcases her talent with a homecoming Melodrama World Tour in November. Town Hall, Dunedin, Nov 7; Isaac Theatre Royal, Christchurch, Nov 8; Michael Fowler Centre, Wellington, Nov 11; Powerstation, Auckland Nov 12.

More? eventfinda.co.nz

Women gather

Rural Women New Zealand is holding its annual conference at the Ascot Park Hotel in Invercargill from November 18-20.

The conference includes speakers and tours, as well as the Enterprising Rural Women Awards.

More? ruralwomen.org.nz

Manawatu A&P Show, Manfeild Park, Feilding, November 4, 5. www. manawatushow.co.nz Marlborough A & P Show, A&P Park, Blenheim, November 10, 11. www. marlboroughshow.co.nz Canterbury A & P Show, Canterbury Agricultural Park, Christchurch, November 15-17. www.theshow.co.nz Egmont A&P Show, Egmont Showgrounds, Hawera, November 17, 19. www.egmontshowgrounds.org.nz Clevedon A&P show, Clevedon Showgrounds, Clevedon, Auckland. November 18, 19. www.clevedonshow.co.nz

NOTEBOOK If you have something you think might be suitable for the Notebook page please send it in a word document (.doc) to andy.maciver@nzfarmlife.co.nz along with any pictures as jpgs.

Country-Wide November 2017

Showtime

South Otago A&P Show, Balclutha Showgrounds, Balclutha, November 24, 25. www.facebook.com/southotagoap Nelson A&P Show, Richmond Park Showgrounds, Richmond.

November 25, 26. www.richmondpark.nz Southern Canterbury A&P Show, Southern Canterbury A&P Showgrounds, Waimate, November 25, 26. www.scshow.co.nz

17

FACTS

Here’s hoping for a seasonal repeat North Island lamb s laughter price

W

18

5.5

4.5

Oct

Dec 5-­yr ave

Feb

Apr

2015-­16

Jun

Aug

2016-­17

Oct

Source: AgriHQ

North Island prime s laughter price 6.5 6.0 $/kgCW

ith the 2016-17 season behind us, now is a good time to reflect on what’s been and what’s to come.

The sheep industry was lingering in murky waters 12 months ago, but those in the industry are now showing positivity not seen in a number of years.

When aligned with the weekly kill the average lamb slaughter price for the season was $5.70/kg, a lift of 45c/kg or 9% on the season before, and is now looking as though it’ll finish the year in one of its strongest positions ever.

Mutton transitioned from a necessary nuisance to a key source of value throughout the season, too, as its average slaughter value rose 23% to $3.20/kg.

China, the European Union and the United States are all showing a solid appetite for NewZealand lamb.

The United Kingdom is definitely dragging the chain, however, and processors will be attempting to divert product to other markets where possible to compensate.

The only proper negative aspects were the wool market and the drought that hit the Hawke’s Bay through February.

China stepped out of the wool market, leaving a hole other buyers were unable to fill, pulling values south by at least a third for coarse wool types.

North Island store lambs fell to as low as $2.00/kg during the main drought, but improved rapidly once it broke.

Wool is still in the doldrums, and it’s anyone’s guess how the weather will play out.

For beef farmers, it was nothing but positive.

Slaughter prices held up firm through

6.5

5.5 5.0 4.5 4.0

Oct

Dec 5-­yr ave

Feb 2015-­16

the bulk of season, averaging $5.45/kg for export prime and $5.20/kg for bulls, in line with the solid market found in the previous season.

Weaner fairs took the market by storm too, exceeding even the more optimistic sellers’ expectations.

The outlook for beef is less positive than for lamb, but it’s not falling away just yet.

Ultimately it’ll come down to how the overseas markets track, particularly the US, once the kill gets running again. There’s a worry that lifts in the US and Australian cattle kills will push the value of NZ product down, but good consumer demand is proving something of a silver-lining – at least for the moment.

Apr

Jun 2016-­17

Aug

Oct

Source: AgriHQ

▶ ▶▶▶

Reece Brick

$/kgCW

AGRIHQ ANALYST

7.5

Lamb $5.70/kg Mutton $3.20/kg Export prime beef $5.45/kg Bulls $5.20/kg

(average slaughter $/kg)

Country-Wide November 2017

BUSINESS | BRANDING

Fine wool farmers wanting a Silere contract have to supply the entire clip to NZ Merino.

Alliance tries to reboot meat brand Staff writers The Alliance Group may struggle to get suppliers for the Silere brand it started managing about a year ago.

Alliance is relaunching the brand as a “best of season” product to complement its suite of other premium lamb brands.

But has about 50 farmer suppliers when it used to have up 120 in 2013.

Alliance’s premium products marketing manager Wayne Cameron, says the change from Silver Fern Farms to Alliance, and from buying year-round to September to January led to a drop in suppliers. Also some farmers were sitting on the fence to see how Alliance performed.

Cameron says it has a core group of farmers supplying the brand, they would like additional hoggets to underpin supply confidence.

This may be difficult as fine wool farmers have to commit 100% of their wool to the New Zealand Merino (NZM) company in order to gain a contract.

They also pay a 4% levy to NZM on the wool. Farmers with established relationships with buyers are unlikely to change even though hoggets up to 18 months old are eligible. The Silere contract was offering $6.30/kg carcaseweight (CW) until October 22 (see meat contracts table p21).

Alliance took over running the brand from SFF when it exited in September last year. Alliance and NZM are partners in Alpine Origin Merino, the company which owns the Silere brand.

Industry sources say SFF had its fingers burned by costly Silere contracts. It offered to farmers $7.40-$7.80/kg CW when the mutton schedule was $2.80.

Between only 10% and less than 50% of the carcase was going into the Silere programme.

Country-Wide November 2017

SFF sales manager Grant Howie, who was involved in launching the Silere brand, said initially only the loins and racks were used but gradually more of the carcase was used.

He said hoggets up to 18-months-old were eligible for the first few years but this was changed to 12 months or until the two-teeth were up like all other lambs.

He said farmers were tending to send in hoggets they didn’t want – even dog tuckers which tasted awful. The hoggets ended up being downgraded to mutton.

Some critics said the brand was not well-supported by SFF.

‘It was either going to work or it wasn’t so after five years we decided it wasn’t and focused on our own brand.’

Silver Fern Farmers sales manager Grant Howie

SFF chief executive Dean Hamilton announced in September last year that after five years it was time for NZM to take charge and drive the Merino product range. That same month Alliance took on full brand management of Silere.

Howie said Silere was treated as a “super brand” by SFF. “It was either going to work or it wasn’t so after five years we decided it wasn’t and focused on our own brand.”

Sources say another problem Silere created for SFF was it got it offside with the NZ Lamb Company meat company members. Members agreed to sell lamb into the United States only through the

company, but SFF was selling Silere to Marx Foods. Howie said Marx no longer sold Silere.

He said they branded Merino meat as Silere as overseas consumers thought of the breed as wool and socks.

Cameron says for farmers to supply, the hoggets need to be a fine wool breed – under 24 micron – at a weight range of 16.5-22.9kg CW. Most importantly the processor is looking for fat cover of 4-12mm. Fat colour and marbling is also taken into consideration.

To achieve these carcase characteristics, the lambs need to be growing at 150g/ day which Cameron says Merinos are doing easily over that spring, early summer period.

Rather than being paid an outright premium for the hoggets, Alliance is buying them at schedule prices and any premium paid for the product is returned to the suppliers as an end-of-season pool payment.

Cameron says this new seasonal product approach requires faith and philosophical buy-in from everyone involved, but he is confident in Alliance’s ability to grow the brand and market Silere as a differentiated, seasonal highvalue product.

He says Alliance is marketing Silere as a chilled product that complements the company’s other premium chilled lamb brands. Together, this suite of products creates a year-round supply profile.

Cameron says they are selling it into NZ’s food service industry and are due to launch the brand in the United Kingdom and Hong Kong in October.

He says chefs are enjoying the seasonal product approach as it gives them the ability to differentiate and add value to the hogget meat.

See meat contracts p21 19

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20

Helping grow the country Country-Wide November 2017

BUSINESS | LAMB CONTRACTS

What the processors are offering in 2017 Country-Wide has taken a look at the major meat companies lamb contracts being offered to farmers up until late December and compares the main points in the tables below.

Comparison of prices at a glance by date: ANZCO Foods 1 October

AFFCO NZ

$7.00

-

TBC= to be confirmed

Alliance

Silver Fern Farms

Silere

$7.00

$7.05

$6.10

22 October

$6.80

-

$6.80

$6.85

$6.30

26 November

$6.20

$6.30

$6.20

$6.35

TBC

17 December

$6.00

$6.05

$5.90

$5.85

TBC

Company & contract name

Supply period -week commencing

Weight range (kg) & Grades

Minimum price when specifications in contract met

Other details

ANZCO Foods: 2017 ANZCO Spring Lamb Supply Contract

1 October – 24 December 2017

14.0 to 23.0kg Y,P and T

$7.00 for first fortnight then drops .20c each fortnight down to $5.80 in final week.

Lambs not meeting specifications paid schedule of the day.

For over subscriptions the number of contracted lambs may be scaled back.

AFFCO New Zealand: 2017 Spring Lamb Supply Contract

5 November – 17 December 2017

14.6 to 22.9kg Y,P and T

$6.60 for first week, dropping .15c for following fortnight and then dropping .15c each week thereafter to $6.05 in final week.

Price includes commitment premium. Minimum total commitment of 150 lambs.

Alliance Group: Minimum Price Contract Spring Chilled Lamb 02017

18 September – 18 December 2017

14.5 to 23kg inclusive (price includes wool and skin) Y,P and T New season born after June, 2017

$7.00 for first 4 weeks, dropping .20c fortnightly until 4 Dec when it drops .10c for final 3 weeks ending with $5.90 for new season, $5.70, for old season.

Lambs killed under Minimum Price Option are not eligible for loyalty payment, volume payment or end of year profit distribution.

Silver Fern Farms: Backbone South Island Fixed Price Spring Lamb Contract

18 September – 18 December 2017

14 to 22.9kg Y,P and T

$7.05 for first 4 weeks, dropping .20c fortnightly until 20 Nov when it drops alternatively .10c then 20c for the final 4 weeks ending with $5.85, for new season, $5.75, old season.

Grass fed. Fixed committed volume of supply. Priority to shareholders and loyal suppliers.

Silere: Minimum Price Lamb Contact

3 July – 18 December 2017 Has to supply all fine wool to the NZ Merino Company

14.5-23kg inclusive (price includes wool and skin) Y,P and T “AOM premium” only payable on animal 16.522.9kg, Y & P grade

$5.70 for July, $5.75 for August, $5.80 to $6.10 for September, $6.10 to $6.30 for October, $6 for week of Nov 6. Further prices TBC

Alpine Origin Merino forecast to make an additional payment at the end of this contract reflecting any value add achieved in the market.

Forecasted at $0.30/kg – subject to change

Note: For premium price to be paid lambs to be farm assured and presentation requirements met. Further detailed conditions included in each contract.

AntaraAg ‘very productive’ Anne Hughes Southland sheep milking operation AntaraAg is expecting a productive season. AntaraAg’s milking season started in late August.

“We’ve had excellent scanning this year, up quite a bit on last year, so we’re expecting to have a very productive season,” chief executive Jazz Hewitson says. The coming year will also be one of consolidation, Hewitson says. AntaraAg is selling its third farm to focus on production and genetic improvements on Country-Wide November 2017

its two main milking platforms.

Only the Springhills and Opio farms were being routinely used. Brydone had become a spare and the company decided to sell it. Springhills and Opio are milking a combined total of 10,000 East FriesianPoll Dorset ewes, supplying solely Blue River Dairy, mostly for export to China.

Hewitson says the East Friesian-Poll Dorset cross are well-suited to their operation, although one of their biggest challenges is keeping ewe condition at a consistent level.

Ewes are predominantly grass-fed

and, unlike many of the high-producing European sheep dairies, lambing on both farms is all outdoors.

The farms reared a combined total of 3000 lambs last year. About 20% of products produced by Blue River Dairy are from sheep milk, although the target is for that to reach 30%.

Blue River Dairy sheep milk products include cheese, infant formula, fresh sheep’s milk (seasonally) and sheep milk soap. The business is expanding quickly, experiencing 600% growth during the past two years.

21

BUSINESS | LEASING

A long road to farm ownership Terry Brosnahan If you are planning to lease your way into farm ownership, then get as much scale as possible.

That’s a lesson Paul and Suzie Corboy learned from 21 years of leasing in their 15-year odyssey to farm ownership.

In 2011 they bought a 495-hectare (360ha effective grazing) Owaka Valley farm. When they bought the farm they had to honour grazing contracts for 500 dairy heifers. Luckily they were able to retender for the lease of the Table Hill farm but it meant Suzie living on the Owaka farm and running it, while Paul stayed at Milton.

From 1996 to June 2017 they leased the 1534ha (1100ha effective) farm near Milton. When they took over they signed a lease for three years with the right of renewal for another three.

It was rundown with poor stock performance. It took more time and inputs than they initially estimated to turn the farm around.

However, soil fertility was lifted, major re-grassing took place and animal genetics changed. Slow but steady progress was made.

It was big enough to make lots of money, but at the same time they paid a

Tips on finding a farm to lease TALK to real estate agents of farmers who may be more suited to leasing their farm out.

APPROACH farmers and make an offer Difficult to compete on good LAND SUITABLE for dairy Check why it is for lease and farm’s HISTORY If you can’t BUDGET on an acceptable profit don’t lease it.

22

good rental for it. By the end Home at last: Suzie and Paul Corboy back of the lease the Corboys were together again on their Owaka farm. paying $20/su.

Paul says scale will give investment in land. The Corboys say greater opportunity to make having control of a farm business is more money unless the farm offers scope more important than owning the land for off-farm income. under it.

“Get as much scale as possible, the There is less capital involved, better more the better.” returns and more flexibility. The longer Multiple blocks can give scale but are the lease the better, as it gives greater harder to manage. However, they say security. They were lucky to be able good breeding stock and production are to keep renewing the lease but they needed to make it work. Natural increase improved the farm and paid a good lease, with breeding stock is great, but there is $20/su at the end. a maintenance feeding cost of ewes and Paul says cash profitability is crucial as cows, when compared to finishing stock. there is no capital gain.

Making the first million dollars or large sum of money is the hardest.

They found having a good reputation, utilising top professionals and working with the right people can open doors.

After winning a major sheep farmer award and entering other awards, word spread that they were good In 2002 the Corboys won the Clutha farmers. People approached them with District Sheep Farmer of the Year title, a opportunities including the farm they major achievement. A lease operation on ended up leasing. hard hill country up against good West Suzie says spend a lot of time on the Otago farmers was an unlikely winner, lease, tailor it to suit your situation rather but the Corboys’ average return on than use a general agreement. They and capital over the past three years was 20%. the lessor put theirs together, but brought That was made up of modest investment in a farm consultant on some sticking in stock, very little plant and increasing points. stock performance, with low farm A downside of leasing is that banks working expenses. don’t like stock as security. The Corboys In the first six years they had doubled were lent 60% of bank stock values, 50% their capital to $700,000. Stock was of plant under a year old, 30% if older. valued at $72.50/su, based on average Also the condition of a leased farm may standard values for three years, plant and be poorer. equipment at $120,000.

Other lessons learned from leasing They were running 8000su, 63% sheep include: and the rest cattle.

• Don’t pay more than 20% of gross farm Their gross farm income was $67.61/ income (GFI) for rent su and farm working expenses $28.11/su • Keep combined rental and interest and the economic farm surplus, $20.72su. payments below 25% of GFI Paul says over the 21 years of leasing • Maintain liquidity by reducing debt there were bad days, and poorer years quickly financially, but they have always made a • Establish your own and the owner’s profit. goals/objectives “Some years, good profits.”

• Seek good legal advice.

Figures were not available, but Suzie says the return on capital now will be much lower, about 10%, because of their

More on the Corboys’ story p39

‘Get as much scale as possible, the more the better.’

Country-Wide November 2017

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Country-Wide November 2017

23

BUSINESS | QUALITY

YIELD IMPACTS on meat quality Carcases devoid of fat cover have a tendency to produce meat cuts with low eating quality.

Cheyenne Nicholson The past decade has seen lamb producers and breeders focus on increasing lean meat yield and reducing the amount of fat in the carcase. But is more yield leading to reduced quality of meat?

The answer appears to lie with fat. As meat has become leaner, the key points for eating quality, flavour, texture and succulence start to disappear.

Carcases devoid of fat cover are generally low in intramuscular fat levels and have a tendency to produce meat cuts with low eating quality.

The Omega Lamb Project general manager, Mike Tate, says farmers have actively taken the pathway towards lean yield in response to demand, but “you can have too much of a good thing”.

He says they are now at a point where the focus needs to shift back to achieving certain types of fat levels instead of increasing yield and losing fat.

The project is a Primary Growth Partnership involving Alliance Group, Headwaters and the Ministry for Primary Industries, Livestock breeding specialist Aimee Charteris says during her work with Headwaters and Alliance (and latterly though project) there has been the realisation that fat has a lot to offer.

“Taking the fat out of the equation is fundamentally detrimental for not only the production system but for the consumer. “ She says the trade off is a really important thing that the industry needs to be talking about.

Optimising fat is vital for the rest of the production system. Dropping fat out of the system doesn’t just have negative impacts on the resulting meat. Ewes with good body condition scores produce more nutrient-dense colostrum and milk, which results in better lamb survival, better weaning weights.

She says ensuring that ewes are genetically predisposed to having 24

adequate levels of fat is particularly important when looking at dual purpose or maternal breeds where resulting ewe lambs are kept to replace adult ewes in the flock.”

They haven’t done any work in specifically quantifying the point where there is a detrimental impact from not having enough fat.

brought animals more into the lower end of that range.

“It’s a matter of balance.”

The balance means getting a goodyielding animal that still has fat on it to create good eating quality and animal performance on farm. Genetics and feeding are the two major determinants to achieving this.

“...there could be some relationship between 55-56% yield and adequate fat.”

She says the one thing they have focused on is saying “well actually we need to have an adequate store of fat”.

One displaces the other.

“It’s about finding that nice balance.”

In order to have sufficient levels of fat in a lamb carcase and in ewes the ewe has to be able to lay down the right levels of fat and have adequate nutritional conditioning.

“Fat can have a significant contribution to the profitability of the sheep production system from whoa to go.”

But what’s the right amount of fat?

Charteris says no specific work has been done on this, but there could be some relationship between 55-56% yield and adequate fat.

“That’s where you’re starting to displace a significant amount of fat from the carcase, as you move towards 60% it becomes more.”

Although there is no official rule of thumb, a range of fat between three and 12mm would be considered adequate by Alliance Group.

Charteris says the upper end of that range is where farmers need to be aiming for their lambs. Tate says most animals fit within those parameters.

He says over the years the industry has

“Fat really needs to come back into the focus after being pushed aside for the last decade, that’s what’s going to help boost eating quality and the rest of the production system.”

Alliance general manager marketing Peter Russell says although a higher proportion of lean meat allows the meat company to make positive nutritional label claims on some products, in order to produce premium products with optimal flavour, texture and succulence, it’s important to have adequate intramuscular fat levels.

“Fat is where the flavour is, ask any chef, but it needs to be a certain type of fat.”

Intramuscular fat essentially melts while cooking thereby influencing moisture retention when cooking and juiciness and tenderness for eating.

“There is a growing school of thought that perhaps animals have been bred too lean now and the flavoursome fat component, especially intramuscular fat, has largely been bred out.”

Aiming for the sweet spot of fat levels is important. Too low and eating quality goes out the window, too high and it can fall outside market specifications.

Country-Wide November 2017

BUSINESS | QUALITY

CT scan for lamb EQ? Andrew Swallow Scottish research published earlier this year concludes CT scanning of live animals could allow breeders to select simultaneously for meat yield and quality in terms of intramuscular fat.

However, the paper, by Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) PhD student Neil Clelland, also reports Texel intramuscular fat (IMF) levels well below the 3-5% range previously shown to be the minimum for consumer-acceptable eating quality.

IMF of Scottish Blackface lambs, a lower yielding hardy hill-country breed, was also below that range, albeit by not as much.

Across all breeds, entire males had lower levels of IMF at the same carcase fatness than females.

A paper by Clelland’s SRUC supervisor, Dr Nicola Lambe, and others, published in Meat Science this year, supports the IMF relationship with eating quality.

Samples with 3% or more IMF on the CT scanner scored significantly higher for texture, juiciness and flavour with a professional taste panel than samples below 3% IMF. Statistical analysis indicated optimum eating quality was in the 4-5% IMF band.

Research in the early 2000s had indicated breeding for increased muscularity within breed didn’t appear to affect meat quality.

Scottish Blackface lambs showed low levels of intramuscular fat.

Lambe told Country-Wide research in the early 2000s had indicated breeding for increased muscularity within breed didn’t appear to affect meat quality, though genetic correlation between muscling and meat quality was generally low.

That early work was with limited numbers and more recent AHDB-funded research yet to be published has found CT-predicted IMF negatively correlated with muscularity traits, albeit only weakly to moderately.

Lamb total carcase lean was also negatively correlated with IMF (more lean, less IMF) when adjusted for liveweight, not age.

� � � � �

There were marked differences in these relationships between terminal sire breeds, the detail of which is still being considered as Lambe and colleagues work with funders on how best to disseminate findings to breeders.

“They [UK levy-body ADHB] are hoping to deliver EBVs to terminal sire breeders for new CT traits - predicted IMF, spine regions lengths, vertebrae number, and eye muscle area - next year.”

Lambe said she believes the traits should be built into an index or sub-index to avoid narrow breeding goals having detrimental effects on the overall direction of travel.

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25

BUSINESS | RED MEAT PROFIT PARTNERSHIP

Discussion group plan questioned Terry Brosnahan An initiative to lift farmer productivity by paying a subsidy for them to join farm discussion groups is unlikely to be a major success.

The Red Meat Profit Partnership which is funded by the Primary Growth Partnership(PGP) has unveiled its extension plan, the action network. It will pay $4000 in year one for every beef and sheep farm business to join a farm discussion group.

Action network aims to bring groups of seven to nine farm businesses together per group. The $4000 will pay for experts’ time into whatever issue the group decides it wants to cover.

The RMPP is a partnership between the Ministry for Primary Industry, Beef + Lamb New Zealand, six meat processing companies and two banks.

The total maximum funding for the programme is $64.3 million ($32.15m from government and $32.15m from industry co-investors).The programme contract was signed in November 2013 and is to run for seven years. The RMPP has spent more than $21m in three and-a half years and critics say it is a gravy train and question whether or not the money is well-spent. Instead, the focus should be on making the processing and marketing Jan 2017.pdfmore 1 1/02/2017 12:36:07 p.m. sectors of Parex the Ad industry efficient.

On the eve of the recent general

A farm discussion group can’t be run successfully without technical expertise.

election, Labour agriculture spokesperson Damien O’Connor hadn’t heard about the action network’s $4000/farm business when told by Country-Wide. He said a lack of transparency with the PGP made it difficult to know what was going on.

“There has been so much bullshit.”

O’Connor regarded PGPs as subsidies and said there needed to be a full review.

RMPP general manager Michael Smith said having seven to nine farm businesses in a group was the right size for getting a good level of farmer experience and input.

It is hard to find a farm consultant to say anything negative about the RMPP as they don’t want to jeopardise their chances of working for it. However, some said, off the record, they were concerned about the quality of the ‘experts’ to be used.

An RMPP survey of sheep and beef farmers found they didn’t trust farm consultants. So the RMPP decided to widen the facilitation role. Several consultants said the survey never asked

sheep and beef farmers if they had used a consultant and most haven’t. They believe many of these facilitators and experts will “milk it”.

The consultants said a farm discussion group can’t be run successfully without technical expertise. To run an effective group requires benchmarking so farmers know where they are production and profit-wise. Sheep and beef farms are complex biological systems and software programmes like Farmax are needed to understand and explore them. This takes time and there is usually not a lot of profit in it for the farm consultant.

The consultants said $4000/farm business for a group of seven-nine farmers was not enough if the group wanted quality information. The groups should be at least 15, minimum, for economies of scale.

It is not known how many farmers will take up the offer to join farm discussions, but farm consultants spoken don’t believe it will be many. Time more than money is the limiting factor plus farmers are reluctant to share.

Canterbury farm consultant Ross Polson works for the Lauriston Farm Improvement Club which has four advisers for mainly cropping and dairy farmers.

He said most farmers feel better talking about their business on a one-on-one basis rather than in a group.

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Country-Wide November 2017

BIG DEER Tour Raising the profile of the industry

Happy in the red Country-Wide November 2017

Red clover proves good tucker 27

DEER | ONFARM

Prime velvet Leasing out Wapiti bulls and Red stags adds to the scale of Tura-Loch’s deer operations. Anne Hughes reports.

R

egulation reflects success in the velvet industry.

Taihape deer farmers Rex and Robyn Gregory have spent about $5000 to ensure compliance with new standards around the harvest, storage and transport of velvet.

Rex has built a new velveting room himself – a 2.7x2 metres room complete with whitewash walls for easy cleaning and disinfection – plus a new clean zone where he will weigh and handle the velvet. Before velvet season, he just needed to install a new rack for hanging the velvet.

Rex says New Zealand velvet producers have enjoyed good market gains overseas, but with that comes a need for more assurances for consumers.

28

“The velvet market is looking very good, with good marketing overseas, which is why the regulation is needed.”

As well as farming deer for velvet and venison, Rex and Robyn lease out Wapiti bulls and Red stags during the rut.

Rex says the new standards for velvet could be a hassle for small-scale deer farmers, who only need two-three sires for mating.

More of these farmers might choose to lease stags or bulls instead.

The Gregorys starting leasing Wapiti bulls five years ago.

The business has grown through word of mouth and they now have clients around Taihape, Raetihi and Hawke’s Bay. They charge a flat fee of $600 plus GST to lease a bull or stag out for six-eight weeks.

The animals return to Tura-Loch by early May, going straight on to saved feed (usually winter swedes and kale) to regain condition after mating.

Rex says the leasing business fits well into their farming operation. Bulls and stags are low cost – needing just a twiceyearly drench, an annual copper and TB test – and produce a head of velvet every year.

Velvet weights from the Wapiti bulls can vary a lot, but based on a 6kg/head average, each head could be worth about $120/kg.

Add the lease fee and the animal has created $1300 of income for the year.

The Gregorys also sell Wapiti bulls for a set price of $2500 plus GST. “We are not stud breeders – they are just good terminal sire bulls,” Rex says.

Country-Wide November 2017

Farm facts

Rex Gregory is enjoying developing more land for deer farming.

• Tura-Loch • 400ha near Taihape • Owned by Rex and Robyn Gregory • 600-900m ASL • Predominantly deer farming • A mix of flat to rolling country • Developing new land purchased last year • 300 velvet stags including 50 Wapiti bulls • 230 breeding hinds including 30 Wapiti cows • 70 Simmental-Angus breeding cows • All deer and cattle progeny carried through to 18-months-old • 120 ewes for cleaning up land yet to be deer fenced

The Gregorys farm on both sides of the busy State Highway One between Taihape and Waiouru.

They find it easier and safer to truck stock across the road instead of moving them on foot.

Part of the farm has been in the Gregory family since the 1920s. Rex took over running the farm when his father passed away 18 years ago.

He and Robyn bought the farm 14 years ago and renamed it Tura-Loch in 2010 – a name representing part of the name of the district and a large dam on the farm.

The Gregory family were solely sheep and beef farmers before Rex and his father Stuart went into deer in 1994.

They started with 30 Red hinds for venison breeding and continued growing deer numbers, taking on a nearby lease block and going out of sheep completely to accommodate more deer.

Rex had worked with deer previously and had been a keen hunter all his life.

“I love working with deer.

“You either like deer or you don’t, there’s no in between.”

Selling the final 600 breeding ewes helped fund the purchase of in-fawn velvet hinds.

By now, Rex had completed deer fencing the entire farm.

›› Adding scale builds venison income p30

Country-Wide November 2017

Mixed-age hinds, mostly Red deer with a few Wapiti cows amongst them.

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Adding scale builds venison income Until recently, velvet has been the biggest income earner on Tura-Loch.

Buying the neighbouring block of land has given Rex and Robyn the opportunity to add scale to their farming business.

“The venison will catch up now that we’ve got another 400acres,” Rex says.

A new line of “It just makes the place a more viable unit as 1000 acres.” deer fencing.

The land is largely undeveloped, with some pockets of bush that will be ideal for fawning.

Rex is retaining a few more young hinds to help stock the new block as the deer fencing is completed.

In the meantime, they have bought in a few breeding ewes for extra mouths in areas yet to be deer fenced.

Deer and cattle will be used to clean up a lot of the rough feed, along with a winter cropping and regrassing programme to improve pasture quality. Rex expects the first swede and kale crop to be sown on the new block this December.

He does all the fencing, cropping and regrassing himself.

Robyn manages the accounts and helps with stock work as needed, so outside help is only needed to make baleage and help out with TB testing.

“I strive to have good velvet and I strive to have good fences.

“I don’t top up old fences any more. I did when we couldn’t afford new fences, but anything I put up now is all new.”

Robyn also enjoys repairing and straightening the existing fences and making them look tidier.

Their winter cropping system means there is new grass They lost the lease five years ago, but Rex continued coming through every year. keeping plenty of replacement hinds in case they bought Rex sows about 20ha (not including the new block) of swede more land. Last year they took the opportunity to buy and kale each year. another 162ha of neighbouring, largely undeveloped, land.

A paddock will usually have two years in winter crop before Rex is now in the process of deer-fencing the entire area, being sown in new grass. complete with a central lane system which he says makes deer Rex has found the Highlander swedes good as a first-year farming so much easier. crop.

Breeding hinds are run in two mobs – venison and velvet.

New pastures sown are a mix of grasses, red and white Rex says about 30 hinds in the velvet mob seems to clovers and chicory – a combination Rex says has been be enough to keep good stags coming through for velvet successful for the past 10 years. production.

“The clover lasts a few years and the chicory is only meant to The Gregorys only pregnancy-scan their hinds every two or last 12 months, but it lasts longer, particularly if you self-seed.” three years to cull a few dries.

The chicory often self-seeds in paddocks shut up for baleage, Fawning normally averages about 90%, depending on the which is fed out to cattle and deer during winter. weather, and fawns are not weaned until the end of May/early Due to the pockets of bush on the farm and its close vicinity to June.

›› p32 Department of Conservation land, the Gregorys’ deer and cattle are TB-tested annually.

Costs are shared, with the Gregory’s paying for the testing of their deer every second year and OSPRI paying every other year.

Stags were being tested in winter, • Walk-in chillers -10 to +10 but this year was so wet Rex pushed it back to late January, straight after • Walk-in freezers -5 to -23 velveting.

Hinds are tested in September or • Monoblocks October.

• Accessories Rex needs an extra three people to help with TB testing and says they are becoming increasingly difficult to find. *NEW* Remote temperature monitoring from your “Finding casual workers is easy device, records 6 months data, text and email alerts enough, but finding people willing to work up close with deer in the deer shed is not so easy.”

www.chillerman.co.nz

North Island 021 411 491

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South Island 027 555 5065

Country-Wide November 2017

D R A D N A T S 1 OT E S US A L L THAT PROM

All five venison marketing companies have agreed to base their on-farm quality assurance (QA) programmes on one industry standard

Ask your venison company about their on-farm QA programme

HELP KEEP OUR CUSTOMERS CONFIDENT On-farm QA proves that we as farmers are as good as we say we are. That our venison and velvet is good to eat and that our deer have been raised humanely.

Having one on-farm QA standard supported by all venison companies will make it easier to communicate these messages to our customers and the wider NZ public.

It will also make it easier on the farm.

Each venison company has its own time-frame for introducing its new or revised QA programme based on the Deer QA on-farm standard.

ASK YOUR VENISON COMPANY about on-farm Quality Assurance and how you can be involved.

Deer Industry New Zealand | PO Box 10702, Wellington 6143 | Tel: +64 4 473 4500 | Email: info@deernz.org Country-Wide November 2017

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POST-RUT WEANING

TOP: Looking towards the home block and Taihape township from the new land under development.

Rex says post-rut weaning works well in their area.

“It just gives that fawn a better kick along before winter.”

Weaner deer are given a drench, tag and copper bullet, then divided into hinds and stags.

“It’s pretty rare that I weigh anything,” Rex says.

They rarely sell deer as weaners at the local sale, which would require the animals to be weighed, and once the venison mob comes out of its second winter, keeping them on longer to gain more weight is not an option.

Young hinds and stags are then rotated around grass paddocks until early winter, when they go on to a crop of kale and swedes.

Breeding hinds go on to the crop later in winter.

Deer come off the crops in late September, or when the crop is finished.

CONNEMARA WAPITI VENISON - VELVET - TEMPERAMENT

7TH ANNUAL SIRE BULL AUCTION

Bromar Lick Feeder

To place orders or if you have any enquires phone 03 615 7097 / 027 204 8850

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Sunday 14th January 2018

Welcome for inspection from 1.00pm On the property at MI & BM Hagan, 415 Weir Road, Manapouri

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The Bromar Lick Feeder was designed in Australia by farmers for farmers. It is a proven method of ad lib feeding to animals. The wastage of the supplement is negligible and the animals have the liberty of feeding at will. Weight gains and increased velvet production have been proven.

By using these feeders the labour input is heavily reduced as the large Bromar one and half cubic metre bin means that the feed will last approximately three days depending on the rate of feeding desired and number of animals being fed.

A purpose built tipping trailer is now available for purchase to transport the feeder from paddock to paddock. The trailer can take the full feeder to where you want it and then the empty one can be easily loaded back onto the trailer and taken back and refilled. The option of having non detachable wheels on each feeder is also possible. Now is the time when these feeders come into their own - maintaining winter weights and nutritional status, preparing for your velvetting demands and making your life easier. The feeders are also ideal for that pre-tup boost.

Inspections are welcome and the feeders can be viewed in use on the agents deer farm.

These sturdy feeders come fully assembled and are available in sheep or cattle/ deer height.

On offer approx. 30 - NZ & Fiordland Wap x Bulls

Enquiries:

Murray Hagen 021 220 7889 Jim Cameron 021 220 7871 Auctioneers: Craig North 027 473 0864 (Rural Livestock) Adam Whaanga 027 418 3438 Country-Wide November 2017

ABOVE: New fencing under way as part of the development.

LEFT: Leasing and selling Wapiti bulls adds extra income on Tura-Loch.

All the hinds run together during winter, so they are sorted into the velvet mob and different venison mobs based on size and age.

Hinds are then set-stocked on grass and Rex says by the time they start fawning in late October, spring pasture growth is well underway.

“The good thing about deer is they have their fawns at the right time of year when it’s warm.”

Young deer are carried through and killed just after their second winter at 18-20-months-old.

Rex says it’s too cold to sell them any earlier. Depending on whether they are a straight Red or a hybrid, carcaseweights range from 45-90kg.

All spikers, from both the venison and velvet mobs, are cut for velvet. Anything showing promise could stay on and move into the velvet mob.

“I’ll keep the better ones that next year and cut them again as a two-year-old and if they’re not up to scratch they’ll go.”

Rex has been cutting velvet himself for the past 12 years and is clearly passionate about the entire process of breeding for velvet, growing and harvesting the product.Tura-Loch stags and bulls average about 3.5kg of velvet per animal, including spikers and two-year-olds.

“I’m happy with that for our altitude and climate.

“I haven’t gone the trophy way – ours are just traditional heads.”

Their best Red stag cuts about nine kg and the Wapiti as much as 14kg.

“I’m really happy with where we’re at right now and with where our velvet is.”

An entry from Tura-Loch won the elk supreme velvet award at this year’s Central Regions Deer Farmers’ Association velvet awards and placed second in the

North Island competition.

The Gregorys have been selling their velvet to road buyer Neil Mercer for 20 years. It’s a relationship they value.

Rex says even if the price can be less than the big companies, there are no high commission fees and they get paid on the day.

“We’ve had a lot of people want to come and buy our velvet and we’ve turned them all down, believing loyalty goes a long way.”

Cattle are also kept until they are 18-months-old and usually sold at the Feilding sale.

Bull calves are left entire and farmed behind the deer fences.

“The deer fences work well for bulls,” Rex says. “We can run heifers on one side of the fence and bulls on the other.”

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Country-Wide November 2017

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DEER | SUPPLEMENTARY FEED

‘If it’s kept clean it’s possible to drill in an Italian ryegrass in the fourth year to get another two to three years

Happy in the red Lynda Gray Red clover balage is proving to be good high quality stag tucker on Josh and Murray Gill’s Otautau deer farm. For the last three years six hectares of predominantly Relish red clover has been cut for balage and fed to stags in the lead up to button drop and post-rut. Also, this year the Gill’s weaners were supplemented with it during a wetter than usual spring.

Before turning to red clover, high quality grass balage was used as a pre-button drop supplement but it was difficult to get stags to eat it. Their preference was highlighted in a very simple paddock comparison where, after a couple of days, the red clover was gone and the grass balage more or less untouched.

The 6ha stand of Relish (14kg/ha) along with Tribute white clover (4kg/ha) sown in 2013, produces three to four cuts of balage, and following the final cut gets a light graze.

The clover is cut before it gets too stalky, Josh says.

“We’re reasonably fussy about when it’s cut and like to get

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12-14 bales/ha. We’ve found that if it gets too bulky you get more bales but the quality isn’t as good.”

Maintenance and management has been straightforward with an annual fertiliser dressing along with a 1kg/ha top up of red clover seed. The 6ha block is still looking good although a short-term grass, most likely Shogun, might be stitched in after the first cut this year and then used for more balage and general grazing.

An unexpected pasture management bonus of growing red clover is being able to spray Galant across the crop to get rid of any rye grass weeds that strike. The downside is that the area is taken out during winter although it’s a drawback the Gills have been able to work around.

Longer term Josh thinks a larger area on a three-year rotation could be the way to go.

“It means we would Three to four cuts of red clover be able to keep up with balage are taken off the 6ha renewal and maintain it by stand each year. stitching in grass. Being able to spray out and deal with ryegrass weeds would also be good.”

A predominantly Relish red clover crop should last three to four years in either a grazing and cropping system so long as recommended management is followed. The key rules are to avoid over-grazing, pugging and root disease; maintain good levels of P, K, S and Mo; and to graze hard in autumn to clean up residual stems.

“If it’s kept clean it’s possible to drill in an Italian ryegrass in the fourth year to get another two to three years and utilise the fixed nitrogen.”

At Netherdale Red Deer stud near Balfour, Alan Clarke is using red clover exclusively for deer grazing and is particularly impressed with the growth rates sale weaner hinds have achieved on it. Last year they grazed red clover from October 9 until early December and averaged daily growth of 300g.

“At weighing on December 1 they averaged 89kg whereas the year before, without red clover they were 80.4kg,” Alan says.

In 2015 an 8ha sward of Rossi red clover was direct-drilled into cereal stubble at 8kg/ha as an alternative to ryegrass and white clover which due to clover root weevil was failing as a high-quality weight-gaining feed.

A pure, rather than mixed sward was chosen to keep weed management cheap and straightforward. As well as weaner hinds, R3 sale stags and first fawning hinds and fawns graze the red clover in autumn for a growth boost. At weaning this year the fawns were only 1kg behind the main mob of weaned fawns whereas usually there was a five to 10kg liveweight difference.

“Red clover fits in well with our system because we’re cropping as well. It’s still early days, but so far, so good and the deer are doing well on it.”

lyndagray@xtra.co.nz Country-Wide November 2017

PGG Wrightson New Zealand Red Stag-Hind/Wapiti Bull Sales Itinerary December 2017, January 2018 December 2017 Sales Fri 8

Peel Forest Est. 1.00pm Venison Genetics Geraldine

th

Tues 12

th

National Velvet Awards Dinner Invercargill.

Wed 13th Ruapehu Red Deer.

1.30pm Taihape

Sun 17th Kelly Oaks Deer. 5.00pm Rotorua Mon 18th Crowley Deer. 10.00am Hamilton Mon 18

th

Tower Farms Deer.

1.30pm Cambridge

January 2018 Sales

Sat 13th

Black Forest Deer Park.

1.30pm Outram

Sun 14th

Lochinvar Wapiti Farm.

11.00am Te Anau

Mon 15th Wilkins Farming Ltd. 2.00pm Athol

Mon 8th

Deer Genetics NZ. 7.00pm Geraldine

Tues 16th Littlebourne Wapiti.

1.00pm Winton

Tues 9th

Forest Road Farm.

10.00am Hawkes Bay

Peel Forest Est. 1.00pm Peel Forest

Tues 16th Tikana Wapiti. 3.30pm Winton

Tues 9th

Rupert Red Deer. 4.00pm Geraldine.

Weds 17th Clachanburn Elk. 1.00pm Ranfurly

Fri 15th

Wilkins Farming Ltd. 3.30pm Hawkes Bay

Weds 10th Rothesay Red Deer.

11.30am Methven

Thurs 18th Edendale Wapiti.

12.00pm Mt Somers

Sat 16th

Sarnia Woburn Deer.

12.30pm Cambridge

Thurs 11th Netherdale Deer. 1.30pm Balfour

Thurs 18th Raincliff Station Wapiti.

5.00pm Pleasant Point

Sat 16th

Raroa Red Deer. 3.30pm Cambridge

Sun 17th

Pampas Heights Deer.

1.30pm Rotorua

Wed 13th Fairlight Station.

11.00am Northern Southland Fri 15th

Fri 12th

Fri 12th

Arawata Red Deer.

12.30pm Invercargill Altrive Red Deer. 5.00pm Gore

Sat 27th

Wapiti Elk Society Dinner.

Raincliff-Pleasant Point

Sat 27th

Wapiti Elk Society – Sire Bull/Cow Auction Sale.

PGG Wrightson Deer Specialist Team Sam Wright Waikato/BOP 027 443 0905

Ron Schroeder North Canterbury/West Coast 027 432 1299

Murray Coutts Mid & South Canterbury 027 403 9377

Ben Beadle Southland 027 728 1052

Graham Kinsman NZ Deer Stud Co-ordinator 027 422 3154

John Duffy Deer Auctioneer 027 240 3841

Freephone 0800 10 22 76 www.pggwrightson.co.nz Country-Wide November 2017

John Williams Otago 027 241 4179

Find out more at deer.agonline.co.nz Helping grow the country 35

DEER BIG DEER TOUR Big Deer Tour 2017 participants (left to right) Henry Waller, Logan Bain, Brianna LeeKelleher, Kate Stewart, Glen Clennan and James Robertson.

Photo supplied

Big week of deer study Lynda Gray The Big Deer Tour, a week-long whistle stop tour of the deer industry proved an eye-opener for the six final-year university agriculture students and a meat company marketing executive.

The DINZ-funded event was designed to raise the profile of the industry among the next generation of rural professionals and from feedback appears to have been successful.

Massey University, BAgSci student Brianna Lee-Kelleher said before the tour she knew very little about deer and deer farming systems.

“It taught me more than any paper at university could have, and gave me a great insight.”

A highlight for her was a visit to Haldon Station and meeting general manager, Paddy Boyd, who talked about

the cost-effectiveness of wintering hinds in the natural habitat of the Mackenzie Basin hill country.

“I grew up on a large sheep and beef station in the North Island, so it was really interesting to see the contrast on this iconic South Island station.”

So was finding out about some of the “ bizarre” end products New Zealand velvet was used in, as were the marketing strategies venison processors were rolling out in overseas markets.

The insights gained had left her more likely to pursue a career in the deer industry, ideally allied with nutrient and soil management, and environmental sustainability.

Lincoln University Land and Property Management student Henry Waller was “extremely motivated” about following a career in the deer industry following the week-long experience.

‘I want to focus on velvet production, as I am in awe of the earnings per hectare in comparison to other income streams.’

He was from a small-scale deer unit at South Kaipara Head but keen to increase deer numbers.

“I want to focus on velvet production, as I am in awe of the earnings per hectare in comparison to other income streams.”

A highlight was visiting Northbank station, Radfield farm and The Kowhais, predominantly intensive farming systems in Canterbury.

Stop-offs throughout the country included Silver Fern Farms, AgResearch, and Ara Polytech Culinary School, Provelco, Mid- and South-Canterbury deer farmers and staff at Mountain River Processors.

DINZ intends to make the tour an annual event for a small group of selected agriculture students.

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Country-Wide November 2017

DEER | VELVET

Korean demand lifts prices Early season indications are of a 10-15% velvet price increase on last season.

That’s the prediction of Tony Cochrane, PGGWrightson’s velvet manager, who is following a visit to South Korea in mid-September and says that despite heightened tensions across the border, South Korea-based velvet importers and end-user companies were reasonably relaxed about the situation.

PGGW offered in early October to its largest suppliers a long-term contract with Korea’s largest health supplement companies KGC suppliers.

“It’s a first to have contracts this early on and going forward.”

Earlier and longer-term contracts with overseas buyers was something that the deer industry had been striving for, DINZ velvet manager Rhys Griffiths says.

Although the mood was more positive than the same time last year, it was still early days.

“Until the volumes are committed and exported it’s never a given but the feeling I’ve got is things are looking positive.”

Provelco general manager Ross Chambers reiterates the sentiment.

“The level of interest, even in October, was strong. We had buyers pushing and shoving to secure raw product… this is based on more consumption in China and low stock levels in Korea.”

He says particularly noticeable is the increased consumption in the Korean healthy food sector.

“It’s finally stepping up after a long gestation period.”

Velvet prices had generally been consistent for the last seven season, Country-Wide November 2017

the aberration being last season when regulatory changes in China led to a stand-off in pre-Xmas contracts and a drop in price to about $90-$100/kg.

‘They like our high quality and control standards.’

However, with the regulatory changes around import licensing now in place and the reclassification of New Zealand velvet from an agricultural to a traditional Chinese medicine ingredient, demand looked likely to increase.

Also, the Korea-NZ Free Trade Agreement was helping fuel demand with more direct imports of NZ processed product rather than from Chinese intermediaries.

Over the last three years the import duty had reduced from 20% to 16.1%.

This will reduce to 14.75% in January 2018.

Even with the tax reductions NZ processed velvet is more expensive but Korean companies producing “healthy food products” – a major and growing end market for NZ velvet – are starting to recognise and value the NZ product.

“They like our high quality and control standards,” Griffiths says.

Cochrane says the quality and traceability aspects of NZ velvet are important points of difference from the other main velvet-producing competitors China and Russia.

The value of velvet exports in the year ending June increased from $40 million (2016) to $60m (2017). Most of the increase was attributable to China.

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Suzie and Paul Corboy are back together again, farming their own farm.

LIVESTOCK | ONFARM

‘We thought about going dairy farming or both of us working in gold mining in Australia.’

TABLE HILL OWAKA VALLEY

Farming together

sheer bliss

Paul and Suzie Corboy had to live apart to achieve their dreams of farm ownership. Now they’re back together on their own property.

Terry Brosnahan reports. Photos by John Cosgrove.

W

hen an Otago couple started leasing a farm in 1996 they thought farm ownership would take about six years.

It took 15 years and it meant living apart for the past six years, but they were determined to make it work.

Paul and Suzie Corboy were finally reunited when he moved in with her in July this year. When Country-Wide visited in late August, Paul still hadn’t unpacked and they were figuring out where to put the extra furniture.

Paul and Suzie’s story is inspiring for anyone dedicated to farm ownership.

It is a story about not giving up on a dream though they did have doubts on how to buy a farm. Several times they

Country-Wide November 2017

thought they might have to abandon sheep farming and make money by other means.

“We thought about going dairy farming or both of us working in gold mining in Australia,” Suzie says.

But they decided if they got out of sheep farming they might never get back in.

“We always thought we would get there, but every time we got close the dairy payout would go up,” Paul says.

He was once travelling to see a farm to buy, but heard on the car radio dairy payout had gone up.

“I said we might as well go home.”

From 1996 to June 2017 they leased Graeme and Joy Flett’s 1534-hectare (1100ha effective) farm Skilbister at Table Hill near Milton (see p22).

KEY POINTS • Leased a farm for past 21 years • Averaged 20% return on capital • Bought own farm six years ago • Farms are 65 minutes apart • Living together after farming separately.

They started farming with Perendale Romney crosses then switched to Finn/ Texel rams sourced by Errol Holgate, followed by Highlander genetics. In 2010 they started buying Headwaters’ rams.

Suzie says it was a more resilient breed and fortuitously found to be high in intramuscular fat for marbling and Omega 3.In 2011 they bought a 495ha (360ha effective grazing) Owaka Valley farm. When they saw it first advertised for sale they thought it would be swallowed up by dairying, but it dropped in price and the Corboys put in an offer.

The farm had been owned and farmed by the McNab family since 1919. Keith McNab left the Corboys with a clean farm with only few nodding thistles and at about five gorse bushes to deal to.

With so much dairying around the new farm they decided to check out what were their best options. So farm consultant Simon Glennie crunched the numbers and told them dairy farming was plausible, but not compelling.

›› Separate ways p40 39

Four and five-year-old ewes on grass.

Separate ways When Paul and Suzie bought the farm they had to honour grazing contracts for 500 dairy heifers.

Luckily they were able to re-tender for the lease of the Table Hill farm and renewed it for another six years. It meant they didn’t have to sell off the ewe flock they had built up over 15 years and pay a big tax bill. However, it also meant the Corboys had to carrying on living on the lease block so they put a married couple in to manage the Owaka farm.

Between the two farms they were running 11,000su and a large mortgage so the focus was on keeping control of costs.

An early disaster was abortion in the hoggets with more than 60% of the

lambs lost. They usually vaccinated for toxoplasmosis but didn’t that year as there was uncertainty over whether or not the hoggets would be retained or killed.

After eight months Suzie decided she wanted to farm Owaka and took it over. During that time she had felt little connection with the new farm which she only saw for a few hours every so often.

“I wasn’t able to get my teeth into new projects to feel I was making a difference.”

Paul now needed to employ a staff member for Table Hill. He ended up employing young women because they put their hands up for a chance. The

Farm stock • Numbers to the end of June, 2017 • 624 ewe hoggets, all mated • 2053 ewes • 34 rams • 250 works lambs (were killed in July) • 153 R1 steers • 158 heifers • 6 R2 steers • 102 R2 dry heifers • 102 R2 in-calf heifers • 70, R3 heifers • 6 Murray Grey breeding bulls • The R3 were weaned heifers too light to kill and hopefully won’t have to be wintered next year.

40

young women had the local community talking when Suzie moved away, they moved up the hill. People were so keen to know what was going on, friend and local farmer Bruce Lowery became the unofficial spokesperson.

When Suzie wrote in her next column for Country-Wide that she and Paul had split up (to go farming), rural NZ was talking about it too.

“One reader emailed saying sorry to hear the marriage was over,” Suzie says.

They benchmarked against each other when farming separately and are competitive, but diplomatic as well.

Neither said which one was the better farmer.

Stock numbers next year

Paul’s ambition is to have the ewe hoggets lambing 100% before he quits farming.

This year is a transition one for the Corboys’ cattle enterprise. Next year there will only be about 90 weaned calves, about half steers and half heifers. They hope to buy in about 80 more R1 heifers, to mate at 18 months. Sheep numbers are likely to be similar.

So the cattle numbers are likely to be: • 45 R1 steers • 125 R1 heifers • 110 R2 in-calf heifers • 15 R3 dry heifers • 6 breeding bulls

Country-Wide November 2017

The women employees lived in a separate house on the farm so Paul had to fend for himself. Suzie initially started cooking meals for his freezer but quickly left him to it.

He reckons his cooking skills during his bachelor days are “not too bad”.

But Suzie disagrees. “He is the king of heat and eat.”

For the first two years Suzie was grazing the dairy heifers and both farms were running normal age-structure flocks.

Then she took over running the sixtooths and older sheep, and the finishing cattle. This left Paul with hoggets, younger ewes and the breeding cattle.

The two farms are 65 minutes apart.

Relatively cheap transport costs allowed them to swap stock around.

Paul says if there was a shortage of grass he would send stock to Suzie and vice-versa.

“It made shifting stock for a month or two cheaper than buying local grazing.”

Last year they built a new fourbedroom house at Owaka. They have also put a lot of money into the farm with development including $180,000 spent on a stock water scheme.

But they still managed to reduce debt from more than $2 million when the Owaka farm was bought to well under $1m now.

“If the stock are performing, sheep can blow dairy out of the water, for return on investment,” Paul says.

Cashflow was helped by the sale of surplus stock when the lease finished.

About 3000 Headwaters ewes sold in mid June this year for $187/each and 200 older Stabiliser cows went for $1500/

Four-tooths on swedes and rape. The R1 heifers had just come off the fodder beet in the foreground.

Rape is sown with swedes, flat drilled, with a small seeds box, to lift the protein.

head. They use business coach Peter Flannery for advice and discussing strategy.

One day the Corboys asked him what would happen if they stopped farming, and he said they would be financially secure.

“But we are not finished yet and we enjoy what we do,” Suzie says.

Paul (aged 54) says he is now semiretired.

Suzie (44) says she has to do more of the work because he is older and more tired.

There probably is more than enough work for two people on the farm, but the Corboys are not your typical farming couple.

They are both top farmers and together, they have the output power of three, not two people.

They’ve worked hard for their success and haven’t had a proper holiday in the past five years.

Suzie says having no children had made it easier.

“Not surprisingly we have found that the harder you work, the luckier you get.”

Focus on needs, not wants One lesson the Corboys have learned is to look at every expense and work out if there is a good financial return or not.

Anything from fertiliser application to grass renewal, they run through determining the needs, not the wants.

Suzie made Paul work hard in justifying any machinery purchases.

They moved to annual shearing, only one dagging a year, not scrimping on animal health costs, but getting professional advice so they were not wasting money. They had minimal conserved feed and now make none.

Country-Wide November 2017

They don’t grow summer crops because they are not necessary.

The annual rainfall is 12001300mm. A small amount of brassica like pasja is added to young grass at the rate of about 400g to help fatten lambs.

No baleage is made because there is no surplus. The Owaka farm manager made 300 bales in the first year and it took three years to get rid of it.

They have always tried to renew close to 10% of pastures each year, which is now 25-30ha.

This the third year they have grown fodder beet which has

41

At the top of the Corboys’ 495ha farm in Owaka which they bought after 15 years of leasing.

worked well as the farm dries quickly after rainfall.

So the heavy stocking rate is not a big issue. They also grow swedes and rape.

Rape is sown with the swede crop, two drill rows each drill. The rape lifts the protein which swedes are low in.

The older ewes and hoggets don’t go on the swedes because it wears their teeth while lactating, which in turn leads to a drop in body condition. The Corboys condition-score their sheep regularly

during the year, most importantly, after weaning and tupping.

About 13% of the ewes are tripletbearing so they need to feed them well and are separated at set-stocking.

They have always been big believers in using ram harnesses for better stock management.

The rams go out the first 10-11 days with no harnesses, with harnesses for the next 10-11 days and then the colour is changed. After 22 days only 75 ewes were late-lambers this

Worth the wait

Suzie and Paul in front of the new house.

42

The Corboys have been part of a building boom in the valley.

When the old house was knocked down and work on building a new one started, Suzie lived in a caravan parked inside a shed for 29 weeks.

She of course thought the new house was worth the wait.

“There is a bit more housework required than in a caravan.”

So now there is landscaping on the agenda. A ladder next to a tree suggested some pruning, but no. Paul’s cat had chased Suzie’s up the tree and she had to get it down.

season. They killed the hoggets which scanned dry, in August, and barring mating disasters, plan to keep doing this.

The ewes scanned 194% this year, compared to about 184% last year from 6000 ewes.

When there were about 3300 ewes they used to scan in the high 190%. Their best lambing was 163% but they have consistently lambed over 150% for at least 12 years.

Suzie says this year is looking promising. Ewe deaths have dropped with fewer old ewes this year, and weather has generally been settled.

Also in past years the old ewes have had a lot of milk fever, but this year only about five were struck with it, about the same number with bearings.

She says bearings haven’t been much of a problem since more Finn genetics was added to the sheep.

They have also fed them better throughout the year.

They used to raise 310 Stabiliser and Murray Grey cross calves they bred themselves. They now hope to buy in Stabiliser calves and mate the heifers to Murray Grey bulls. The heifers are mated and then killed after they get a calf out of them.

The steers used to be finished at 20 months and sold. Now they sell them at 18 months in March/April to a regular finisher. They used to buy in Friesian calves but with the farm stocked up, no longer need to do so.

›› Tailing leads to wedding p43

Country-Wide November 2017

The farm has good infrastructure, though some buildings are older than others.

Suzie and her cat after being rescued from a tree.

Tailing leads to wedding Suzie is Scottish-born and completed a BSc animal science degree with Honours before she came out to New Zealand to work on farms in 1994.

She ended up tailing at Paul’s farm at Millers Flat in 1995 and the rest is history.

Paul, who has a BAg Com, had bought the farm in 1989 but was going nowhere with it.

Top soil, top production The soil is a Catlins silt loam which drains well.

“Cattle can be up to their knees in mud one day, fine the next,” Suzie says.

The average pH is 5.8, the Olsen Ps are 15-25 on the easy country and 18 on the hill country. Every second year they fly on fertiliser on the hill country and use trucks annually on the easier country.

They use AR37 grasses as the area is bad for porina.

“AR37 certainly works, but the porina will still eat other species and stock don’t particularly seem to like it,” Suzie says.

Their new stock water supply is gravity fed by two sources, a bush creek and a dam.

The farm has good shelter thanks to the McNabs and Suzie has been putting up more shelterbelts to protect against the westerly wind.

Other development work includes extending the laneway through the farm and redeveloping previously logged areas.

Country-Wide November 2017

Well he was, backwards, and at one point was told by the bank he would have to exit. Eventually he did, but on his terms.

The Corboys’ focus on farm ownership and heavy workload over the years didn’t stop them from being communityminded.

Suzie has been a St John Ambulance volunteer for three years.

When on a 12-hour shift at Balclutha about 20 minutes away she stays the night.

Being on call for the nearby Owaka township doesn’t guarantee she will sleep in her own bed.

She recently was called out at midnight and had to take a patient through to Dunedin after a hard day’s work on the farm. She didn’t get to bed until 5.15am.

Suzie is also with the Milton Community Health Trust. Paul has been on the Beef and Lamb Farmer’s Council for about 10 years.

He has been chairman of the Milton Collie club, judged the Ballance Farm Environment Awards for a number of years, and chairman of a local farm discussion group.

43

LIVESTOCK | TRIPLET LAMBS

Andrew’s children Sam (11) and Olivia (13) with the hospital pen lambs Photos: Graeme Brown

Triplet transfer triumph Cheyenne Nicholson As ewe fertility has increased over the years so too has the number of triplets being born across New Zealand. The trick to cashing in on these extra lambs is getting them to survive and thrive. Six years ago Andrew Freeman embarked on a venture to do just that. Through Beef + Lamb NZ’s innovation farm programme, in 2011 Andrew came up with a plan to increase triplet survival.

When Country-Wide spoke to him in 2012 (see 2012 Heartland Sheep) the project was just getting on its feet. Today the triple transfer system is a different beast. It’s become a more systemised programme that is highly repeatable and is pumping out the revenue. Andrew’s triplet transfer system is well-planned where single-scanning ewes mother-on pairs of single lambs or pairs of triplet lambs on to single mums, more evenly sharing the responsibility of raising atrisk triplet lambs across the ewe flock.

“We’ve gone from a very experimental and quite edgy kind of approach that always felt a little like it could fall over to ones that’s repeatable year-on-year and very adaptable.”

One year could see 200 families go through the transfer system, and the next 400.

44

Tony Siva’s full time job over lambing is to mother up ewes and lambs.

TWEAKS TO THE SYSTEM Andrew has worked hard on making the system simpler and stripped away the bits that were fiddly and didn’t add any value as well as making an effort to get back to grassroots shepherding and working more with the sheep.

The start of the project saw every single ewe and every triplet put through the transfer system to give the numbers to prove the concept. Now they are more

selective. Only medium condition single ewes with a decent sized frame and no obvious faults are chosen. Out of 350 scanned single ewes this year, 250 have been chosen for the transfer.

Their management of singles has changed too. An increase in over-fat ewes and a few bearings in singles has seen them hold back on feed until August then feeding well in the lead-up to lambing and steadily ramping up the feed plane once they leave the shed with their adopted twins.

For triplets, only lambs from at-risk families are plucked out for motheringon transfer. Any triplet family that looks good and healthy is left alone but monitored and if one falls off the perch a bit, it’s picked up with a couple of milk feeds and put into the transfer system.

Andrew has slowed the chain of events in the programme by adding an extra day.

“We’ve added an extra day so the lambs are on average 12-24 hours older, it means they can handle the transfer a bit better and we aren’t pushing the lambs that aren’t ready.

“There were a few things we thought were really important that in the end was just adding to our workload for no real benefit.”

They have also cut out the tricky

Country-Wide November 2017

 Ticking off success

The mothering up yards where ewes are bonded to their new twin lambs.

process they had in place, which was designed to ensure a ewe never got put back with her own lamb.

“It became evident after about three years when I was training new staff to do the shed job of sorting and bonding. It was hard going teaching them that process.”

They then decided to see if the sheep would know their lamb after a night apart. They trialled it by letting a ewe into the pen of lambs. The result was one ewe walking endlessly around the ewes trying to find her lamb but coming up blank.

“If you’re going to ask someone to do that kind of job that requires a really high level of shepherding you either need a high-level shepherd or I needed to be there overseeing it. It chained me to the project. While it’s great for me to innovate these things I need to be able to step back and have a shearer or enthusiastic person on around $20/hour doing this, not me as the business manager. If I’m doing it then the costs of it all becomes questionable.” ›› Cost benefits justify feeding p46

SUCCESS WILL BE: • Triplet survival of 230-250% in the tripletscanned mobs over the medium terms but ultimately 250% plus.  at 230%, now tracking for 250%+.

• A 10-15% increase in overall docking percent: About 155% survival to sale. The main thing frustrating this is each of the last three years there has been a large midlambing storm.

• Ewe breeding efficiency greater than 0.70.  • Lamb growth rate to weaning of greater than 275g per day  steady at about 300g per day.

• Adjusted 90-day weaning weight of at least 30kg  this project runs at 33-34kg.

• Increased sheep feed conversion efficiency - , cents/kg of DM eaten if you tracked just the triplet transfer ewes they run at 35-40 cents/kg of DM conversion. All other spring trades are around 20cents. It’s double anything else available by focusing on reducing lamb wastage and getting the most out of single ewe mothering potential.

• Lambing survival from mothered-on “twins“ consistently exceeding 85% - , 90+%.

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45

A triplet lamb being picked up to be mothered onto a new ewe.

Positive animal welfare story With public interest in animal welfare, the programme tells a great animal welfare story.

Andrew says from experience that third lamb on a triplet ewe will usually die in a standard set-stocked environment.

“What we are doing is really dealing with what would otherwise be wastage and ensuring much-higher weaning weights as most of our lambs are “twins”. We also keep a strict 2x a day lambing beat rolling around the triplets to minimise ewe deaths and help out where needed.”

Now they can genuinely say anything that survives the birth process and is on its feet has a really good chance of surviving long term and thriving. Andrew’s children love being part of this process as do their friends and business partners’ children.

Visitors really enjoy being part of our lambing experience as it fits with the degree of care that they would hope is happening on farms. Any lambs that are picked up that are less than sprightly are taken to a special ‘hospital’ pen in the yards where they are put under heaters and milk-fed for a day or so until they are ready to be put on to new mums.

“It’s a really good feeling as well to know we don’t have to feel helpless watching predictable lamb wastage. Instead we pick the lambs up early and a robust system in place to save those lambs. We are massively ticking the animal welfare box.

“We give heaps of support to vulnerable families for one or two days, get them set up to succeed and then leave it to the sheep with a doable job ahead of them in new twin families back out in the paddock. It’s full-on here at lambing but it feels good and financially it really stacks up.”

The key to the project is based around big scale, low cost and high repeatability. They have managed to shift away from a lamb-rearing system that runs at $40-$60 a head.

“We are aiming for $10-$20 a head and then put the onus on the mums to finish the job for us.”

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“We have been using Otoi Rams for 9 years. Our emphasis has been on getting our fertility up. With all Otoi Rams on SIL it’s easy to focus on traits we want to target. We scanned 180% and our goal is 150% docking.”

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46

The extra and good-quality feed required for the ewes in the programme ends up being a net gain for Andrew and justifies feeding that ewe far more.

“All ewes are trading ewes so by late November they are all off to the works anyway. The net gain made in turning the ewe from a 24kg carcase to a 28-30kg carcase fully offsets the extra feed given to the ewe. Then there’s the net production gain on the lambs.”

Andrew says one thing they have found clearly through the study is that even if all the triplets survived, 2+2 is more weight than 3+1 because twins are better able to express their genetic potential than triplets. Further, the mothering-on system brings into play the untapped production potential of the single ewes already on farm.

All materials used in the shed are recyclable. The hay bales used to create the holding pens for bonding are fed out to the bulls. The docking yards are put back and used later.

“The labour cost in it is directly proportionate to the volume of lambs we put through the system. It breaks even at about three to four lambs a day, beyond that it’s all profit.”

It runs at about a $50-$60 margin per family they work with providing a really strong cost benefit. They have now started buying in triplets which is arguably the end point of the game to fit with their trading system. The cost benefit analysis varies now only on flow rate for lambs. Costs in general are low.

Andrew is on track this year to do around 200 families.

After the first week Andrew noted they were getting really good survival in triplets outside despite the bad weather.

“We will keep on supporting the lambs and mums that need us. We still have a 100% survival record in the shed and on their new “twin” families but it is only one week in with peak lambing to come. We should give 250% in triplets a good nudge this year and 165% for whole-farm lambing, weather gods permitting.”

Despite the obvious cost benefit involved and the on-going success of the programme, Andrew says other farmers struggle with the concept.

“Lots of farmers have really negative experiences with how difficult it can be to feed heaps of orphan lambs or mother lambs on to new mums. We did too until we took the job seriously and made it someone’s specific job during lambing.

The system needs to be set up properly. You have to take it on intentionally, save a decent number of lambs and make a profit, otherwise it’s an exercise in frustration.”

Head to youtu.be/FFI_GQtQG5Y to see how the triplet transfer programme works

Country-Wide November 2017

LIVESTOCK | EASY-CARE SHEEP

Simple system: South Canterbury farmers Heather and Evan Cartwright are building up a flock of the former research sheep.

Andrew Swallow Cost savings and price premiums in future are among the goals given by farmers taking up where Agresearch left off with an easy-care sheep breeding experiment.

The Crown Research Institute pulled the pin on the 1997-instigated project in 2014 with a dispersal sale of the 300 sheep involved at Tinwald, Canterbury.

Earlier this winter at a Beef +Lamb New Zealand seminar the project’s leader David Scobie bemoaned the lack of uptake of the short-tail, barebreach genetics he’d developed, so Country-Wide set about finding out what happened to them. It turns out several well-known stud breeders and some purely commercial farmers are not only maintaining the Scobie lines, but expanding them. In some cases that’s with a view to integrating the traits into current commercial breeds, while others aim to expand the lines as a ‘breed’ in themselves.

“The biggest thing is they are easycare,” South Canterbury farmer Evan Cartwright says. He bought a line of 20 of the Scobie ewes and one ram at the Tinwald sale.

“They need a lot less chemical input and handling which is what the world market is asking for.”

In three years he’s built the line he bought into a mob of 80 ewes, with two rams now running with them. The only drench used is a single shot at weaning for ewe lambs destined to be retained for breeding. In contrast, his near 900-head flock of Romney ewes get a dual-active drench at crutching in October while the lambs - Romney and Romney x Dorset Down - get a pre-weaning drench and

Country-Wide November 2017

Easy-care fleece work not lost monthly doses thereafter.

It’s a similar story with vaccinations.

The “research sheep”, as Cartwright calls his Scobie flock, don’t get any but the Romney ewes get a Toxovax and Campy4 while the lambs get a 5-in-1 clostridial with selenium. Despite the lower inputs the Scobie flock suffer fewer losses.

“We haven’t had to take any ewes out of the research sheep yet. They’re pretty hardy.”

Early lambs: Leaving the ram in year-round saw all Cartwright’s ewes lamb in June.

Cartwright takes an easy-care approach to mating the Scobie sheep too, leaving rams with them year-round. Lambing’s got earlier each year he’s had them, this year all ewes delivering in June with what he estimates to be comfortably over a 150% drop.

“We don’t get them in for tailing so we don’t really know yet but there are plenty of lambs out there,” he said at the end of August.

From the 80 ewes, only four lambs were lost and one ewe was assisted. He’s yet to compare meat yield of the Scobie lambs with his Romneys but his perception is they kill-out and yield better.

“The meat yield is the issue with the Romney, which is why we’re looking at

using a Tefrom across them to increase the milk with the East Friesian part of the Tefrom, and the muscling with the Texel element.”

His Romneys do produce nearly double the wool the Scobie ewes do but lower micron - two samples selected to represent the extremes of type tested 29 and 37 micron respectively - and high lustre means the Scobie wool’s probably worth 50c/kg more.

“We’ve been told we need to sell it as high-lustre hogget wool. They do still need shearing but it’s really just for animal health: last year a couple did get flystrike but it was a wet summer.”

While wool’s not Cartwright’s focus with the Scobie sheep, it is for Charles Douglas-Clifford.

“We’re trying to put the wool back on them but only in the right places,” the large-scale half-bred breeder says from Stonyhurst, on the North Canterbury coast. Having bought about 25 ewes and one ram at the Tinwald sale, they now have a flock of about 200 pure and firstcross Scobie ewes which Douglas-Clifford calls his “pretties”.

“We want to keep enough pure so we can keep going back to them if we need to.”

Reducing dags and, longer-term, possibly producing a sheep that doesn’t need tailing, is the aim.

“I believe there will be markets and premiums for stock from farms that don’t tail in the future. Animal welfare issues are only going to increase as we go forward and they’re going to be a huge disruptive factor in our farming. You can either ignore that, or acknowledge and embrace it.”

Besides its 10,000 traditional half-bred

›› Founder reflects p48 47

LEFT: Result: A short-tail lamb out of a Morrison Farming hogget, sired by a Scobie flock ram.

FAR LEFT: Scobie’s boys: Some of the rams Morrison Farming bought at the Winchmore Research Station dispersal sale.

ewes, Stonyhurst is home to the nucleus stud of the Southern Cross breeding project with Merino NZ and five other breeders. The “pretties” haven’t been used with these yet but they are considering using them in their own stud flocks.

“We want a bit of both: the bare breach and the short tail. The two seem to come a bit hand-in-hand.”

He’s also looking at using “the pretties” as a pathway to boosting fertility in the fine-wool flocks. To date the Scobie ewes have tailed 170-180% and this year’s purebred two-tooths scanned 188% despite being only 48kg at end of mating, a legacy of a two-year drought that had gripped the region.

“They’re incredibly good mothers and in four years we’ve only had about two dries.”

Despite that existing fertility, a Finn ram was used last autumn, the aim being to produce more carriers of the GDF9 fertility gene. Douglas-Clifford says the “scary part” of that is some ewes were already carrying GDF9, so ewe lambs could carry two copies and be excessively fertile.

However, the aim is to produce ram lambs with the double GDF9 profile which can then be used to introduce GDF9 into groups of stock without a trace of it.

“We’ve been playing with GDF9 for a couple of years in another side of our breeding programme putting a Texel composite over the halfbred.”

WIDE DISPERSAL While the Cartwrights and the DouglasCliffords are both in Canterbury, some of the Scobie flock went much further from their original home at Winchmore.

Morrison Farming, a two-farm, 17,000 stock unit stud and commercial operation in Rangitikei, bought a dozen or so rams at the Tinwald sale.

“We were already pursuing a similar concept as David Scobie with our Ezicare and Wiltshire sheep, only with slightly different ingredients,” Will Morrison recalls.

“Our focus hadn’t been so much about the short tail as breeding productive sheep with no dags and a bare belly and crutch that would suit once-a-year shearing.”

Ezicare is a Texel, Wiltshire and Coopworth-based composite developed by Morrison Farming over the past 30 years.

48

Following a debate around the Morrison Farming board table about how to use the Scobie rams, they decided to put them across their Ezicare hoggets for a couple of years to produce first-cross ewes.

“By doing it that way we could easily keep a track on what they were bringing in without having to have a complex EID programme,” Will says.

“As expected, there was a big range in the progeny from normal tails to very, very short.”

He’s now confident a flock of sheep with tails so short no docking is required could be produced in two or three generations if there was the demand.

As it is, they only dock now due to store lamb buyers’ reluctance to take on lambs with tails, no matter how clean or short.

“All the lambs are bare-breach and we do next to no dagging.”

For a couple of years they left all singles’ tails intact as most went straight to the works but growing demand for Ezicare breeding stock means single ewe lambs will be docked this year.

As the chair of Beef +Lamb NZ’s Farmer Council, Morrison says the easy care concept and what’s become of the Scobie flock is something they are discussing with B+LNZ Genetics with a view to a possible nationwide breeding programme and progeny test.

PROPHETIC FLYER The AgResearch flyer for the 2014 dispersal sale of the Winchmore flock noted that in 1997 it was predicted the cost of growing wool would come to exceed the value of the wool grown.

Two things could be done: breed sheep that cost less to run or give up on wool and breed wool-less sheep. The resulting blueprint was a sheep with no wool on the head, legs, belly or breech with a genetically short tail in order to reduce dags, flystrike and labour for crutching, belly crutching and tailing/docking. No tailing would also avoid stressing lambs at a vital growth period.

The foundation flock came from shorttailed Finnish Landrace put to Border Leicesters and Cheviots, with East Friesian genetics added for bare breeches and tail, plus occasional inputs from animals exceptional in the desired traits but from other breeds. The flyer said bare backsides

are 33% heritable, and short tails 70%.

Bare bellies are 30% heritable but cannot easily be selected until the animal is a two-tooth so progress with that trait is slower. It also noted 2007 and 2008 B+LNZ-funded research with ram breeders found ewes with less breech and belly wool weaned more lambs, and lambs without wool in these areas were heavier at weaning.

“When lambs are not using protein and energy to grow wool, they can use it to gain weight and fight off parasites,” it stated.

In 2013 the Winchmore ewes were 65kg at mating and weaned lambs at 177%, averaging 30.7kg at 16 weeks.

Founder reflects David Scobie, pictured, says it is pleasing the Winchmore work is gradually being put to good use commercially, though with more research and/or extension investment, not to mention farmer uptake, it might have gone further, faster, and be starting to save sheep farmers nationwide substantial sums in animal health and labour, while improving the industry’s animal welfare profile.

The wool sector in particular has suffered from lack of research investment since the demise of the wool levy in 2009, he believes. That, and the sector’s reluctance to change, is largely why farmer returns for the fibre continue to spiral down.

“Builders use rechargeable drills all day and Tesla have battery-powered sports cars so why do we still shear with an electric engine in overhead gear that would power a small car?”

Another idea that’s not even made it to the drawing board is a wool-press the size of a shipping container.

“I’ve always been into new ideas but new ideas starve without investment.”

More on easy care sheep in Solutions, p78

Country-Wide November 2017

LIVESTOCK | ONFARM

Russell Priest Photos Graeme Brown

Irrigation allows diversification and succession

A South Wairarapa livestock and cropping business is reaping the rewards of diversification through irrigation.

Mark Guscott (38) and his wife Susannah (37), who have three children, own Glen Eden – 600 hectares – and lease 200ha block off his parents in the Ponatahi area, between Carterton and Martinborough.

With two variable-rate irrigators they are able to use water effectively in growing a range of crops, and finish lambs and bulls.

Mark’s father Phil, a well-known farm consultant and valuer, was, like many other farmers, caught up in the downturn of the mid-1980s on the 200ha family farm.

“He was a year away from selling the farm,” Mark says.

However, Phil took up consultancy and valuation work to supplement his income.

A rebound in stock prices and improved industry confidence saw Phil buy the neighbouring 400ha farm in the late 1990s from his cousin and introduce centrepivot irrigation in 2002 to drought-proof their 180ha of alluvial flats bordering the Ruamahanga River. In 2007 he also bought a 200ha block three kilometres down the road where he now lives.

Mark, who’s the sixth generation to farm the land, has a B.Com(Ag) and Susannah a resource management degree. Glen Eden is divided into four distinct areas: 140ha of front flats bordering the Ponatahi Road, a 300ha hill block, 180ha of alluvial flats at the rear of the farm and a 200ha leased block three kilometres down the road.

About 50% of the hill block between the front and back flats is cultivable. This creates significant problems in that large tonnages of cropping produce grown on the rich alluvial flats under irrigation have to be transported over the hill to markets, requiring a high standard of roading. Some infrastructure like sheep and cattle yards have had to be duplicated to service the flats on either side. The farm also includes a 20ha QE II covenanted block of native bush.

›› New irrigator 20% more efficient

Farm facts • 780ha effective (200ha leased) • Enterprises: 50% sheep (breeding/ finishing), 20% cattle (breeding/ finishing), 30% cropping.

• Total stock units: 8187 (5766 sheep, 2421 cattle) • Finish 2500 homebred lambs and about 7500 bought-in lambs.

• Running two variable rate centre pivot irrigators Under the pivot – Mark Guscott.

Country-Wide November 2017

PONATAHI

49

ABOVE: Lambs being sorted.

RIGHT: Ewe with lambs on plantain/clover.

LEFT: Sprinkler head on a VRI centre-pivot irrigator.

New irrigator 20% more efficient Summer drought is a constant threat in the Ponatahi area with most of the 800mm (500-1300mm) annual rainfall occurring in winter. Phil began droughtproofing the farm in 2002 by installing a centre-pivot irrigator on the 180ha of alluvial flats and drawing water from the adjoining Ruamahanga River. Lambs and bulls were finished over the summer on the fertile flats. When Mark took over the farm in 2004 he saw an opportunity to diversify, make more efficient use of the water allocation (104 litres/sec) and supplement the poor returns from finishing livestock by cropping.

Crops are about three times more efficient at utilising water than pasture so in 2007 Mark installed a 240-metre long state-of-the-art VRI (variable rate irrigator) centre pivot which can operate from three different water hydrants.

Last year the original standard centre pivot installed by Phil was replaced by a 550m long VRI. The VRI’s computerised operational system with the assistance of electromagnetically mapped soil enables differential application rates of water to be applied according to soil moisture requirements. This system is 20% more efficient at utilising water than the nonVRI system.

Mark would like to irrigate Glen

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Financials • Typically 30% of the gross income is derived from cropping, 50% from sheep and the balance from cattle.

Trading lambs return 20-30c/kg drymatter (DM) and cattle 15-18c/ kg DM. • In the 2016/2017 financial year the farm’s economic farm surplus was $485,130 ($66.90/SU and $622/ha).

• This is 34% of the gross farm revenue (GFR) and a return on capital of 3.9%.

The GFR was $1,423,467, expenses $937,624 and surplus, $485,843.

Eden’s front flats and there is sufficient consented water to do so however the economics of bringing water over the hill doesn’t stack up.

Small areas (3-4ha) totalling 30ha of high-value seed crops such as onions, ryegrass, red clover, kohlrabi, sweet corn and Mibuna lettuce, to name a few, are grown under irrigation as are some of the 30ha of maize, 15-20ha of wheat and 75ha of barley.

Some of the cereals are grown on the 140ha of flats at the front of the farm as

part of a rotation to replace the high feed value forage stands of plantain/clover.

Cereal yields of 8t/ha (barley and wheat) and 14t/ha maize grain are typically achieved. Most of the cultivation work is performed by local contractors using direct drilling and strip tillage.

While the seed crops have a gross margin two or three times ($8000/ha) that of the cereals more risk is involved and they are very labour intensive.

Mark says it was a “game-changer” for the business when he realised he needed to delegate some of his responsibilities.

So he appointed a stock manager enabling him to concentrate on the cropping which resulted in greater attention to detail. Stock manager Ben Cook and shepherd Mike Morison are the only permanent staff.

Most of the lamb and cattle finishing occurs in spring, autumn and winter.

The Guscotts finish 2500 of their homebred lambs and about 7500 bought-in lambs. As suppliers to Atkins Ranch, the Guscotts require traceability documentation and an appropriate animal welfare rating from their lamb breeders. This gives the lambs a market premium. Supply relationships have been established with two Wairarapa hill country farmers who provide them with

Country-Wide November 2017

RIGHT: Susannah Guscott in Wholefoods Supermarket in San Francisco promoting Atkins Ranch lamb.

ABOVE: Susannah Guscott with children from left to right; Ben, Olivia and Annabelle.

Flexibility the safety valve

Wagyu sires.

Flexibility is the key to the Guscotts’ cattle policies. A recently acquired herd of 75 Angus breeding cows maintains pasture quality.

All other cattle are classified as trading and are the primary safety valve in the unpredictable summer environment.

“Most of the stock we run are trading stock which means we can nearly halve our stock numbers (8500 to 5000SU) between now and February if we have to,” Mark says.

Two hundred Friesian weaner bulls (200kg LW) are bought in the autumn and either sold store in the spring at 400kg liveweight (LW) or finished in the February/March at 260-270kg CW. In late August 100 R2 Friesian bulls (400-450kg LW) are bought and killed by Christmas at 280-310kg CW. Traditional yearling steers (150) are bought in October/November, carried through one winter and either sold store in November at 500kg LW or killed in the autumn at 270-280kg CW. A significant premium for Wagyu-cross cattle prompted the Guscotts to put their Angus cows to Wagyu bulls last mating. Whether the progeny are sold to finishers or whether they are finished on Glen Eden is yet to be decided. Last year the cows achieved 92% calving.

The soils on the flats are too heavy to winter too many cattle so all the cows and steers are wintered on the neighbour’s stony hills where they are well looked after at $8/wk and incur no transport costs. The bulls are wintered on the hills.

most of their lamb requirements however they have yet to find a farmer who will supply them with late lambs (August) with the required specifications.

Phil Guscott and John Atkins were responsible for establishing Atkins Ranch, the niche-marketing company in 1989.

In January, 32-35kg lambs start arriving on the farm to join some of the 2500 homebred lambs on the plantain/clover swards. A significant number (30%) of the homebred lambs will already have been killed by Christmas after reaching the Atkins Ranch weight range of 18-26kg carcaseweight (CW). All lambs receive a quarantine drench on arrival.

Lamb buying continues through to early August with most being bought in March, April and May. Plantain/clover swards (50-60ha) are responsible for finishing most of the lambs. Mark says plantain only lasts two or three years because of a combination of weeds, dry summers and the plantain moth.

“If a stand becomes badly infested with weeds we prefer to replace it with a cereal crop in the spring rather than use spray.”

Average lamb growth rate is 150g/day (50-200g/day range) with most lambs finished in about 90-100 days.

Mark prefers to buy male white-faced lambs as they grow on to heavier weights (black-face lambs finish earlier) and are better suited to meet the AR weight and fat specifications.

›› Lamb weaning strategy avoids check p52 Country-Wide November 2017

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A mob of Mark Guscott’s ewes and lambs cluster on hills above the Ruamahanga River, with the plains of South Wairarapa and Lake Wairarapa and the Rimutaka range in the background.

Lamb weaning strategy avoids check Mark doesn’t regard the hills as finishing country but they lend themselves well to supporting breeding ewes and cows. Free draining and carrying substantial shelter, they are ideal for lambing and calving.

Glen Eden runs 1000 self-replacing A-flock and 1000 B-flock breeding ewes (three-quarters Romney, one-eighth Texel and one eighth East Friesian). The rams are from the Le Groves’ Motunui Stud.

B-flock ewes are wet-dry ewes from the A flock and hoggets and any poorer-type ewes.

They are mated to Southdown and Wairere Dominator rams and start lambing on August 1. A-flock ewes are mated to Motunui rams with lambing starting on August 10. Ewes normally scan about 180% and dock 150%.

All dry-dries go to the works. Scanning enables separation of single, twin and triplet-bearing ewes before lambing with the former being lambed on the steeper, more exposed hill paddocks and the twin-bearing ewes on the easier hills.

“We get more ewes with triplets than singles nowadays,” Mark says “which is okay because we make a conscious effort to feed the triplet ewes better and get better performance from them.”

Separation of the triplet ewes from the main mob occurs about a month before lambing after which they are ad lib fed on plantain/clover paddocks through to weaning.

Twin-rearing ewes are drifted off the hills after docking on to plantain/clover paddocks on the flats formerly occupied by finishing lambs.

Single-rearing ewes and cows and calves remain on the hills to control the spring growth. Weaning on the plantain paddocks occurs when lambs are in the range of 60-70 days old. Average weaning weight is in the early 30kgs.

Mark believes weaning lambs back on to plantain/clover paddocks they previously occupied avoids a weaning check.

This enables significantly more lambs

Fertiliser money well-spent

Mark Guscott.

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While the Olsen Phosphate levels over the farm are excellent (25-35) Mark is always looking for ways of improving the performance of the pastures. The hill pastures receive alternate dressings of a lime/sulphur mix and 250kg/ha of sulphur super. Potash levels are starting to decline so this will be addressed.

Urea at 80kg/ha is applied to the flat grazing areas in March/April, June and August. The hills receive 80kg/ha a month before lambing.

to be killed before Christmas at more than 18kg than would have been the case if they had been left on their mothers and had to compete with them for feed.

Virtually all Glen Eden’s ewe hoggets are mated to a “cocktail” of ram lambs at a ram ratio of 1:30 in mid-April. Mark’s goal is to grow ewe hoggets as heavy as possible by mating (50kg average) and before lambing (60kg average end August).

Fifteen hectares of red clover under irrigation is pivotal during the summer in achieving good mating weights for replacement ewe hoggets and two tooths.

Mark says it is the best of the finishing feeds with ewe hoggets putting on 10kg in six weeks.

“However we are careful to take breeding stock off the stands two weeks before mating to avoid any oestrogen effects.”

Normally hoggets scan about 145% (810% dry-dries) and dock in the late 90% unshepherded.

“We have not yet achieved the elusive 100% in spite of recording high scanning percentages.

“In the last two years we have rescanned them to see if we can identify where and why these losses are occurring.”

Selection criteria for hoggets going into the A flock is based on constitution, soundness, type and weight. All dry-dries go to the works and wet-dries go into the B flock.

The main selection criteria for rams is soundness, type and early growth.

Country-Wide November 2017

LIVESTOCK | ANIMAL HEALTH

Taking the wool off a sheep’s back STOCK CHECK Trevor Cook Spleaning, steading, hefted, poaching and fank are words heard regularly in Scottish farming circles. Even in Southland I do not hear these, but more and more sheep and beef farming styles in Scotland are mimicking those in Southland. That is, more and more farmers are using their pastures as the primary feed resource, and using winter crops to help get through the winter. Summer crops are even becoming relatively common.

pasture. The figures I was given indicated the energy being supplied by the supplement was not enough to deliver the weight gain lifts being measured. So the supplement must have been helping in some other way.

Another interesting bit of information I picked up was that feeding a very small amount of concentrate to a suckling lamb before it is weaned seeds the rumen with bugs that remember to work with concentrates very quickly when exposed to that diet subsequently. Not unlike seeding the rumens of calves with lowmethane-producing bugs setting them up for life to be lower methane producers.

This brings into question if we can prime young rumens in other ways to get them to perform better in later life.

Lots of summer crops in New Zealand are established to grow young animals faster than would be achieved on pasture.

There is an active breeding programme to have sheep that do not need to be shorn.

It could be questioned why a summer crop would be necessary in that environment when summer pastures can be good quality. It does not get too hot and seeding tends to happen early.

Summer lamb growth rates on pasture are variable but in general are good in our terms. I must qualify this by saying these pastures are the outcome of controlled grazing systems, not the long-time set stocked ones that are still the norm over there.

A very interesting intervention I observed there recently was how a very small amount of supplement (concentrate or just grain) could significantly lift lamb growth rates when grazing late summer

Country-Wide November 2017

In Scotland, and beyond, there is an active breeding programme to have sheep that do not need to be shorn. The outcome is a visually very variable breed called Easy Care which is a mixture of breeds selected primarily for shedding wool and/or not growing much.

A multitude of factors influence the economics of this such as the liveweight gain advantage achieved, the cost of establishing the crop, the yield and the time over which the crop can be used.

What and when it follows the crop also impacts.

The factor often not taken into account is the production and profit per hectare for that crop area over a year. That is a calculation that can be arrived at and in doing so can highlight the balance between profit per head and profit per hectare.

Getting lots of lambs to modest slaughter weights is probably more profitable than getting fewer to heavier

weights. It is never that simple, but I hear much more about how fast the fastest lamb has grown than I do about the weight gain per hectare. And that over a year.

The amount of use of that summer crop area after it has finished is a potent profit driver.

I have talked before about the role of wool on sheep, its costs to maintain and its impact on other production outcomes are well recognised.

In Scotland, and beyond, there is an active breeding programme to have sheep that do not need to be shorn. The outcome is a visually very variable breed called Easy Care which is a mixture of breeds selected primarily for shedding wool and/or not growing much. Not needing to have tails removed is a variant as well.

Selection for production has seen some of these flocks with high levels of performance. Our wool price over recent time has been a bit better than the United Kingdom one and the low price has been a major driver of this selection direction.

For most flocks the cost of shearing is more than the value of the wool. But a big factor is the low wool weight.

I talked to a Romney breeder who has continued to put a small selection bias on wool and he comfortably shears twice a year and makes a profit because of a much heavier fleece than on most sheep.

A few breeders in NZ actively select against wool and selecting for performance. Recent international events might have reinvigorated sheep farmers banking on another Korean war to get wool prices back to where they were 55odd years ago.

An easy-care sheep though has other tags to it, being hardiness, worm tolerance/resistance, high lamb survival and conformational soundness.

Various breeders here make claims to having robust sheep that need less care/ inputs. Just how much difference they make on farms these rams go to has not been qualified.

The complication is that many of these outcomes have a management component to them as well. Stud rams on commercial farms is a good leveller of claims made.

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FORAGE | SUMMER CROPPING

When and when not to do summer cropping?

Peter Andrew Pastures grown naturally are still hard to beat on sheep and beef properties.

The decision of whether to run with summer crop is a complex one that varies for every farm, every farmer and every paddock.

You need to start off by asking: why am I growing a feed crop and what is the outcome that I’m after?

There can be some great outcomes with the summer crops providing many months of high metabolisable energy (ME) feed. This can lift the gross income per hectare to well over the $2000 per hectare mark.

But quite often that big hit of high-ME feed can come at a cost?

What are the good reasons to grow a summer crop: • You have a summer-dry environment that cooks the clovers over summer.

• You have a rundown or runout pasture that is not performing, and is potentially full of weeds.

• To smooth out development work such as drainage piles or soil contouring to improve the long-term looks and operation of the paddock.

• It provides a safe haven in times of high facial eczema incidence.

• You have heavy metal disease potentially picked up from a long-term exposure to diesel fumes.

• You need a project to keep your mind off the politics.

Why then do you need to renovate your pasture?

We all know there are plenty of examples of individual paddocks that are still pumping after 30 or more years since they were last sown down.

So, you need to ask the question, why is my existing pasture looking that bad? Do you really need to crop, or is the need to renovate covering up for some other grazing and farming deficiencies?

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An important issue to remember is that many parts of New Zealand are pretty good at growing ryegrass/ clover pastures over 12 months of the year. Sure, there is variation but they keep growing especially in places with a temperate climate such as Gisborne, Wairoa and the East Coast.

You need to ask the question, why are you not growing a good pasture with excellent clover content in the first place?

I have seen many attempts at summer cropping just to correct a poor pasture which is really a paddock suffering from poor grazing management, low soil fertility, inadequate subdivision or even poor soil drainage.

You need to ask the question, why are you not growing a good pasture with excellent clover content in the first place?

I feel that Doug Edmeades’ comment that “clover is the canary in the mine” of pasture health is very true.

You need to have soil fertility that supports the growth and persistence of clovers. Clovers drive your high-ME content and clovers produce the nitrogen for your grass.

If you have good grazing management with regular defoliating then you should have high quality pasture sward going into the summer months.

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You will never beat ryegrass/clover pastures as the most cost-effective form of producing kilograms of drymatter (DM).

Typically DM/ha is produced for under 5 cents per kg DM/ha with clover/ryegrass pasture.

Summer feed crops costs are quite variable but there often a positive correlation between cost and the crop success. Cutting corners can be at your peril.

You also need to be mindful of the loss of grazing and drymatter once you spray out and go through the crop establishment phase.

At spring spray-off stage, I see very few farms who could brag about having adequate feed covers. You potentially lose the paddocks for two months right at a critical time for stock feeding.

Spring-sown crops tend to take a number of steps back in pasture supply before coming back and providing the big hit of high-ME feed.

You effectively lose the existing cover of say 1100kg DM plus say 30 days of growth post establishment while the new crop roots are trying to establish.

At that time with spring growth rates of 25kg DM per day this equates to another 750kg DM. So, you effectively go backwards 1850kg DM/ha before the crop starts kicking in.

A modest spring growth rate has been used as you assume that it is a troubled paddock.

Risk of crop failure or underperformance has been a significant issue in this district.

On many farms, there is also the risk of low soil moisture levels just when you are trying to germinate your crop and irrigation is seldom an option.

The availability of contactors at the right time can also be a challenge in many areas.

Our soils can also be a nest bed of weed seeds that seem to burst into life once we start any cultivation.

All summer crop establishment typically costs more than $300 per hectare to establish with many

Table 1. What else can you do with $300 per hectare?

Rate (Kg/ha)

P (Kg/ha)

Superphosphate

750

67

15 % Potash Superphosphate

680

52

Lime

1875

situations being at least double that amount. So for farmers in the Gisborne, Wairoa and East Coast regions, the question is what else could you do with $300 per hectare?

A choice of one of the options is lower risk and is potentially going to provide many years of improved clover content.

ADDING UP THE COSTS It is critical that you take a true measure of your costs. Most times that I have seen farmers add up the true cost of summer cropping they often go a little quiet.

I feel having low-cost farming systems is still critical in this district if we are to maximise our profits.

Some of our most successful farmers have simple systems that are well fed.

I can certainly see how summer cropping is potentially a strong option in many parts of NZ Clover grown well is still our most cost effective and sustainable summer feed crop.

K (Kg/ha)

S (Kg/ha)

CaCo3 (Kg/ha)

82 51

64 1875

Slug management Slugs are present throughout New Zealand and the sodden soils across most of the country and a breeding ground for them. At a time of year when farmers are looking at regrassing or sowing crops it’s a pest we could do without.

The presence of slugs can be determined by leaving wet sacks out overnight in the pasture just prior to drilling. Count them the next day. More than six is considered potentially damaging to pasture and establishment. Mob stocking can give high levels of slug control.

When sowing into a known slug population the use of molluscicide baits either at sowing or just prior can provide some economic control.

Clover grown well is still our most cost effective and sustainable summer feed crop.

Country-Wide November 2017

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FORAGE | FINISHING Cows are run on his farm to do a job, Pongaroa farmer Brian Pim says.

Use of cows avoids CROPPING Russell Priest To crop or not to crop, that is the question.

While it has become common practice for many sheep farmers to finish lambs and run other classes of stock on crops over summer many, for varying reasons, prefer the all-grass option. For these farmers maintaining pasture quality is their biggest challenge.

Pongaroa sheep and beef farmer Brian Pim relies heavily on his cattle and particularly his cows on his 490 hectare easy/steep (50/50) contoured farm to generate quality pasture to finish all his lambs and cattle.

“Cows are run on this farm to do a job and at times it can be a bit tough for them,” Brian said “but it’s for a good cause.”

Brian used to undertake a bit of cropping as part of a pasture renewal programme involving a winter/ summer crop/new grass rotation.

However this programme has ceased.

To grow a one-off summer crop and maximise its value would not fit his management programme. It would have to be planted too early (not climatically possible) and grazed for a long period to be cost effective (would interfere with early young grass establishment).

Two management practices enable Brian to achieve excellent finishing weights off grass for his lambs and cattle.

Early mating of B-flock ewes to terminal sires enables most of the crossbred progeny to be finished before Christmas at about 19kg when ryegrass/clover pastures are at their most productive and highest quality.

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Such a strategy not only lightens his carrying capacity going into the summer but also avoids declining pasture quantity and quality and attracts a price premium for both lambs and CFA ewes.

Brian’s unusual philosophy of developing a rapport with his animals and his ability to feed them well is reflected in the slaughter weights of both his lambs and cattle (lambs between 18-19kg, 30-month steers 400kg, 18-month heifers 240kg). In what can be a very harsh environment these weights are indicative of Brian’s excellent stockmanship and managerial skills.

‘A combination of soil fertility, pasture species and grazing management generate good quantities of high quality pasture and are the main drivers of my grass-finishing operation.’

“A combination of soil fertility, pasture species and grazing management generate good quantities of high quality pasture and are the main drivers of my grass-finishing operation,” Brian said.

Not having a sufficient area of easy-contoured land to grow summer crops is the main reason Whangara’s Charlie and Kerry Seymour have not adopted the practice on their 700ha hill country farm. Not that they need

them anyway as their high level of stockmanship ensures their very high lambing percentage (170-175%) is converted to excellent lamb slaughter weights of 18-19kg (no mean feat for a ewe flock in which 33% of MA ewes and 21% of two tooths have triplets).

The Seymours know a thing or two about exploiting animals’ potential – their stockmanship is legendary in giving their high-genetic merit stock every opportunity to express themselves.

A sheep-to-cattle ratio of 40:60 involving a large breeding cow herd and supporting cattle is pivotal to the Seymours’ objective of generating high quality pasture for finishing animals. But astute stockmanship and micro-management of pastures also plays an important role. By carefully manipulating paddock stocking rates and leaving lambs on their mothers for as long as possible pasture quality is able to be maintained and a good percentage of lambs are able to be killed off their mothers at 18-20kg.

“A lamb’s best growth rate is achieved pre-weaning so why wouldn’t you take advantage of it,” Charlie said.

This fits Charlie’s philosophy that ewes should be used for pasture control and not as a clean-up tool.

Like Brian Pim, the Seymours mate their B-flock ewes early to terminal sires for the same reasons. A-flock Coopworth lambs not killed off their mothers are weaned in mid-January and spread lightly amongst cattle on quality ryegrass/clover pastures.

Given the opportunity the Seymours would like to experiment with some of the new summer forages.

Country-Wide November 2017

FORAGE | GRASS

Versatile Happe beating lamb-finishing clock The clock ticks fast finishing lamb below the Southern Alps so Stuart Wright’s pasture has to grow even faster.

His farm at Sheffield in central Canterbury can get snow one minute and nor’ westers the next.

Working in partnership with son Simon, the chair of Potatoes New Zealand and deputy chair of Ravensdown specialises in trading winter lambs finished over five-seven weeks during September and October.

The Wrights’ aim at Annat Farms is 22 to 22.5kg carcaseweight on a platform of ryegrass so weight gain is critical through this period. The young stock can put on 3kg of liveweight gain a week provided they get the right mix of rain and sunshine.

The Wrights are keenly aware that right now every kilo is worth at least $7 in the market. Their lambs have little time to thrive before spring turns to an energysapping Canterbury summer.

So far this season their finishing operation is enjoying a head-start on growth courtesy of Perun Happe endophyte. Perun is a festulolium – a cross between Italian ryegrass for winter growth, and meadow fescue for feed quality and tolerance to drought and insects, and extra persistence.

Stuart considers himself a crop farmer first and lamb-finisher second, though with 5000 lambs to finish annually it sometimes feels like the other way round, he says.

This is his first year with perun happe, bred in Europe and tested in NZ before its full commercial release here this season.

The Wright’s Perun Happe “started to go” late August whereas usually their pasture doesn’t bolt till the second week of September.

That’s a major gain when there’s so little time to put on weight for lamb contracts - and conditions suddenly turn dry in the first or second week of November.

The family will soon be irrigating with pivots for the first time, supplied from the Sheffield arm of the Central Plains Water scheme.

Country-Wide November 2017

The Perun Happe has a deep root for dry conditions so it remains to be seen how much better the variety does with the relative luxury of irrigation.

‘With irrigation we are able to much better match our fert input with yield, therefore reducing the risk of nutrient loss.’

Stuart says nothing’s guaranteed about their irrigation but it will give them a longer growing season. In summer, they may be able to grow 11 tonnes of wheat to the hectare instead of seven or eight and the ryegrass should do better too.

“With irrigation we are able to much better match our fert input with yield, therefore reducing the risk of nutrient loss.”

DFL technical manager, Gavin Milne, says Happe endophyte is unusual in that it transfers to and is compatible with other species, like ryegrass.

Happe is the first meadow fescue novel endophyte in the world that is available in a perennial ryegrass cultivar.

It was discovered in meadow fescue and then transferred naturally into NZ-bred ryegrass by DLF scientists in Denmark.

Milne says initial field results in NZ indicate the meadow fescue component gives a good balance of total energy, sugars and digestible fibre.

Perun Happe is highly productive over winter and spring and does best as a lamb-finishing pasture or for highperformance dairy cows, he says.

It’s used as a longer-lasting alternative to Italian ryegrass, with similar pasture growth but with better palatability and summer survival.

Perun has also been impressive on wetland dairy farms, as well as inland dryland and high country farms. One of the Happe tests trials showed improved production by an average of 21% in five different cultivars from December to May. The endophyte also protects against root aphid and black beetle, Milne says.

Happe has been tested in New Zealand for seven years and trialled with farmers for the past two years.

Sheffield farmers Stuart Wright and son Simon drenching lambs, ready to send away for processing.

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ubcobikes.com 59

ARABLE | BENCHMARKING

What does GOOD look like?

Andrew Swallow If you don’t benchmark your business how do you know how good you are?

That was the question FAR’s Melanie Bates, who leads FAR’s ProductionWise service, put to delegates at the levy body’s annual conference in the winter.

Since MAF stopped doing benchmark financial reports several years ago there’s been a dearth of data for growers to compare their performance against, she said. While some possibly prefer to stick their heads in the sand, for goahead growers ProductionWise fills the gap, at least as far as gross margins are concerned.

“It shows you where you are making or losing money and can also assist with nutrient budgets and compliance requirements plus automatically producing farm maps and other reports”, she said after the conference.

FAR hosts the New Zealand site of the Australian-developed cloud-based recording system and about 750 of FAR’s near-3000 levy payers have registered to use it. It provides enough records for benchmark reports on most crops in the main production regions.

“We have to have over five growers per crop to provide FAR’s regional benchmarks,” Bates said.

Wheat cost breakdown Sowing 2% Insecticide 2%

Water 21%

Herbicide 9%

Growth Regulator 1% Grain Harvest 12%

Fungicide 10%

Adjuvant 0% Cultivation 7%

Fertiliser 19%

Fertiliser Application 2% But even if you’re not in an area with enough usage for regional benchmarking, the system enables comparison of the physical and financial performance of your own system year-to-year and makes recording cropping operations, storage and financial analysis much easier.

“It’s all on an app now so you can

User comment Tash White, a grower and ProductionWise user from Ashburton, told the FAR conference the recording system had really helped them look much harder at which crops were generating the profit on the farm, for example, by comparing gross margins on feed wheat and milling wheat.

Michael Williams, from Gladstone, Wairarapa, also plugged ProductionWise at the conference.

“We’re using it to record all our paddock history, rotation, inputs and calculate gross margins,” he said later.

Last spring and summer, thanks to loading the app on his phone, was the first year he’d “really got it 100%” with all records on ProductionWise. He’s now looking forward to being able to compare performance of crops year to year, and against each other, with a click of the mouse.

“We would have had to go back to records in multiple places before to do that.”

Whether there would be enough users in Wairarapa for meaningful local benchmarking he wasn’t sure, but even being able to compare his performance with other regions in New Zealand would be useful, he said.

“The other thing was ProductionWise made making our claim for the ex gratia payment from MPI for [not growing] peas really easy.”

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Spraying 7%

Seed 6%

input the data in the paddock as you do it. That’s been a real driver for uptake,” she said.

FAR holds workshops for those who aren’t familiar with such technology and runs a helpline. The app will store data for up to two weeks so even when working in areas with poor cellphone reception data can be recorded on the go. The phone then updates the cloud records when it next gets reception.

Inputs and paddock operations are selected from drop-down menus, and FAR provides default prices so if actuals aren’t known or easily accessible these can be used instead.

‘It’s all on an app now so you can input the data in the paddock as you do it.’

Come the end of the season, entering yield per paddock and either an actual or expected sale price delivers a gross margin. Assuming five or more growers do that for the crop in your region, FAR ››

Country-Wide November 2017

ARABLE | CROPS

Farm-saved seed royalties loom Andrew Swallow A new Government is an opportunity to close a long-standing legislative loophole that allows most farm-saved seed to be royalty free, the New Zealand Grain and Seed Trade Association believes.

While that might appear bad news for growers, the association says in the long-run it is essential to maintain access to the best germplasm the world’s plant breeders produce.

But Federated Farmers arable chairman Guy Wigley isn’t convinced.

“At the moment we seem to be served pretty well with plenty of new material coming through.”

He said NZ held the world record on wheat and barley and until recently on oilseed rape too.

“The genetic material must be right at the top end.”

Talks between Feds, NZGSTA and Government have rumbled on for years about if, when and how NZ’s plant protection legislation should be reformed to meet standards set by the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants in 1991 (UPOV91). Ed Luisetti of Luisetti Seeds says under UPOV91 NZ should be paying royalties on farm-saved seed.

“The only one of our trading partners that’s not in UPOV is China.”

produces a benchmark report so growers can compare themselves to the average.

Typically these reports are generated in July or August, in time for the following season’s input decisions and, in the case of spring crops, crop choices too. How soon the reports are available depends on how promptly grower data is entered, Bates said.

“It’s in everybody’s interest to get that data in there.”

All data in the FAR regional benchmarking is anonymous so growers and FAR staff cannot identify who is who on the reports, she said.

ProductionWise’s records and reports

Country-Wide November 2017

Last year’s signing of the Trans Pacific Partnership was set to force the issue (Country-Wide April 2016) but United States President Donald Trump’s election and immediate withdrawal from TPP stalled that argument. Now, the NZGSTA believes a briefing paper from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) to NZ’s new Government will prime the legislative process.

‘It might look like a small levy on the end point but it is a very big number when you work it back to the seed sown.’

Association general manager Thomas Chin says he’s working with MBIE on the briefing paper and expects the new cabinet to release a public consultation paper on the issue by the end of the year.

After six-eight weeks for submissions on that, MBIE will draft legislation that if passed by Parliament, would bring NZ into line with UPOV91.

He says farm-saved seed can, in

meet growers’ traceability needs for feed, seed, malt and milling markets, plus they can pull off a report with all the data required for Overseer at the click of a button.

“It pools all the relevant info into one place. We’re trying to help farmers deal with this paperwork, even though it’s an aside to what we originally looked at ProductionWise for.”

Developments in the pipeline include integrating combine yield maps so ProductionWise can turn them into gross margin maps, highlighting not just which paddocks made or lost money, but where in the paddock the profit and loss

principle, carry on under UPOV91.

“For varieties protected by plant breeders’ rights (PBR) we need a system in place that enables a small royalty to be made available to the breeder.”

Chin says how much that would be, and how it would be levied, depends on the plant species.

If there have to be levies, Wigley says they should all be on seed sown.

“Federated Farmers is committed to a simplified system and we too are working with MBIE on this.”

At present barley royalties are paid on seed bought, while some wheat cultivar royalties are paid through a levy deducted from sale of grain to a miller.

“It might look like a small levy on the end point but it is a very big number when you work it back to the seed sown.

What we definitely don’t want is double dipping: a seed royalty topped up with an end point levy.”

However, unspecified wheat varieties sold for feed are not levied, hence no royalty is recouped if the seed is farmsaved.

PGG Wrightson Grain’s product development manager Nick Brooks says besides possible problems procuring the best varieties, NZ-bred varieties might not be accepted by trading partners if the loophole isn’t closed.

“It works both ways.”

came from. Another possibility is satellite imaging crops’ Normalised Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) which is known to highlight problem areas, such as disease or poor drainage, so on-the-ground agronomists and growers can then investigate and remediate.

The yield mapping and satellite imagery facilities are already being used in the Australian ProductionWise site; FAR are working through how it is going to be delivered to NZ, Bates said.

“We’re currently gauging interest.”

• More? Go to www.nzfarmlife.co.nz

61

PLANT & MACHINERY | HARVEST HYGIENE

Weed control starts at the gate Andrew Swallow

A

sk any contractors coming on to your property how they’re going to avoid introducing new weeds to your farm, industry leaders say as forage harvesting gets into gear for another year. Balers in particular can carry weed seeds from one property to the next, either in the bale chamber or in debris lodged around the machine, while cultivation gear carts soil and the seeds therein.

“There’s a hugely differing amount of clean-down requested of contractors, from nothing to requiring a complete clean-down before they arrive,” FAR’s Nick Pyke says, who is leading a nationwide project* to improve farm biosecurity, weeds included.

While the project will have a cropping focus, the principles apply in the pastoral sector too, Pyke says. Some contractors now carry compressors and pressure washers to clean machines between properties but if your preferred operator doesn’t provide that service, at least get them to clean down in a designated area that can subsequently be monitored before starting work in your paddocks, he suggests.

“They usually start work in the same place in every paddock, every year, and that’s where you often find new weeds for the first time,” he says.

In the case of balers, if the machine’s arrived with a bale in the chamber that bale should be destroyed or, as a minimum, tracked and managed to minimise the risk of any novel weeds within it establishing on your farm.

62

Pyke acknowledges contractors may charge slightly more to cover cleaning costs, but believes farmers would be wise to accept that, rather than go with an operator who doesn’t provide such service.

“The cost of getting it wrong and getting a weed you don’t want on your farm is so much more.”

One example is Yellow Bristle Grass.

“It’s required significant changes to farm practices to try to manage it where it has established.”

High risk areas, such as where contractors start work on a farm, be that with harvest equipment, cultivators, or even spreaders and sprayers, should be more closely monitored for new weeds and if anything unknown is found, advice sought, Pyke says.

“If you don’t know what it is, don’t just pull it out and forget about it: get it identified because there could be more coming.”

Weed watch • Talk to contractors about machine hygiene.

• Assess and manage “first bale” weed risk.

• Designate a clean-down area.

• Monitor start points in paddocks for incursions.

• Think weeds when buying in feeds.

• Seek advice on anything new or unidentified.

• Prevention beats cure.

A reluctance to ask is understandable, for fear of creating bureaucratic problems, but the practical and production problems a new weed could cause if ignored are potentially far greater.

“Particularly if you later find it was one there was an opportunity to do something about.”

Pyke’s comments are echoed by Beef +Lamb New Zealand’s technical policy manager, Chris Houston. While historically sheep and beef farms have tended to use few, if any, contractors and little bought-in feed, that’s changing with more feed crops being grown and higher stocking rates.

“You need to have an idea what are the most threatening weeds in your area and keep an eye out for them. If you see something new, get on to it fast.”

District and regional councils provide a lot of useful information, he says, and BLNZ has advice tailored to specific weeds, albeit no one-stop-shop advice sheet on weed biosecurity.

However, he too says machine hygiene is a key area and there needs to be a shift in expectation so clean machines become the norm.

“It would be completely unacceptable for a vet to turn up with dirty needles.”

Rural Contractors New Zealand president Steve Levet says requests to make sure machines are clean “won’t come as any surprise” to RCNZ members.

“The association promotes a professional approach by members and that they should go in with machines as clean as they can, but it can be hard in a wet spring like this,” he says.

Farmer clients can help by providing facilities such as high-pressure hoses or compressors, though an increasing number of baler operators carry leaf blowers.

Three or four years ago the association produced a booklet advising members of good hygiene practices and the need to heed that advice had been re-iterated several times since, notably in light of the velvet leaf incursion, he says.

*Biosecurity - The Farm Border is a threeyear Sustainable Farming Fund project which commenced August 28.

Besides FAR, representatives from Federated Farmers, the NZ Grain and Seed Association, NZ Flour Millers Association and NZ Feed Manufacturers Association are on the project team. Regional council, rural contractor and MPI input is also planned.

The project will deliver an adaptable Farm Biosecurity Plan template, an app to track people movements between farms and associated biosecurity risks, link with regional and national biosecurity programmes, and identify key biosecurity risks to cropping farms.

Country-Wide November 2017

PLANT & MACHINERY | SHEEP HANDLING Investing in better sheep handling kit can lift productivity and be safer.

Drafting the ideal equipment Jo Cuttance Quality sheep-handling systems can help increase production and profitability and make handling sheep safer. In New Zealand there is a great range of good quality systems to choose from, however this equipment is not cheap and there is always a lot more to buy than you first realise.

Auto drafters with weigh scales are popular for measuring performance and ensuring premium lamb target weights are reached. Which to choose comes down to personal opinion, but consideration needs to be given to the warranty period and the after sales care. Expect prices to start from about $11,000 for stationary three-way-drafters.

Otago farmer Simon Davies chose the Prattley three-way stationary auto drafter ($11,689 + gst) because it was the only design which would fit into his preexisting yard set-up without the need for any modifications.

If the auto drafter of choice does not have load bars, you need to buy these separately priced from $1000, also needed are the scales. A data collector/recorder is an option and a hand-held monitor is a handy optional extra. All these products must be compatible with each other.

Companies will do a package deal for you, so you can buy as a one-stopshop and some accessories can be left until needed or money allows. To have everything working you need power, either batteries or an outdoor power supply. Extension cords and cables may also be required. If you do not have an air-compressor you will need one as well.

Country-Wide November 2017

For unit mobility trailer versions are available and are more expensive than stationary models.

Technology can now record an animal’s life data which can be stored and later analysed on a PC to give maximum returns on stock, show weight gain patterns, explore genetic/breeding dispositions and feed strategies.

For this an EID reader, data collector and recording database are required.

Stock will need EID tags, ($4.50 per tag, extra for printing), and you will need an applicator ($43). Also you may need to upgrade your smart phone for compatibility. If this is too much technology both Gallagher and Ruddweigh have basic entry level products available.

Technology can now record an animal’s life data which can be stored and later analysed on a PC to give maximum returns on stock, show weight gain patterns, explore genetic/breeding dispositions and feed strategies.

Basically an auto draft system works by the farmer using a handheld remote to open the entry gate of the weigh crate. The animal’s weight is taken and transmitted to an electronic data

collector, an exit gate then opens automatically to draft the animal one of three to five ways depending on preselected criteria which the farmer has chosen.

When electronic identification equipment is fitted, data will be allocated to the specific ear tag which then links directly to a PC for accurate records.

To get away from the physical strain of handling sheep, sheep handlers with their clamping ability are a great choice.

You can drench, vaccinate, mouth, draft, dip, capsule or earmark all without putting strain on your back. Peter Grant, who farms at Akatore, in Otago, bought an HDale crutch and weigh combo seven years ago, and says he would not be without it.

He paid about $27,000, and it is a three-way drafter with a top clamping device, which prevents sheep sitting down, making it easy to carry out any animal health procedure.

The ability to roll a sheep on to its side makes it very easy to crutch, although he says a belly crutch is not so easy. Using a remote control he can do a clean/dirty draft by himself, stopping to crutch as needed. Hdale products are compatible with Gallagher or Trutest scales.

Designers have tried to design auto drafters and sheep handlers in a manner which sheep will happily go into them however to improve the chances of sheep running well it is important to think carefully about the design of your yards.

Units set up at a right-angle to the main race and have daylight at the end seem to work quite well.

63

ENVIRONMENT | WATER

Water set to remain an issue NIWA’s Richard Storey tests water clarity in Waikato.

Keri Johnston I did not hear from Jacinda following the offer of my services to her in my last column. And wasn’t the whole election one big roller coaster? If we have learnt one thing from this whole affair, it is that we are all very passionate about our water resources – not necessarily for the same reasons, but passionate nonetheless.

Regardless of who ends up running the country (at the time of penning this column, Winnie was only commencing the courting of National and Labour), I think it is clear that public opinion will ensure that water management and associated policies will be addressed in some way, shape or form by the incoming government.

Given this, I think it is important (and timely) to look back and acknowledge where we have got to in relation to this.

The National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management (NPSFM) and Regional Plans Most regional councils now either have notified or operative plans which outline their methods for addressing water quantity and water quality. While no two plans are alike, the NPSFM requires limits are set, therefore, all plans do just that – they set allocation limits for surface and groundwater resources, as well as water quality limits.

64

CONSISTENT MESSAGES

It is the latter which takes various forms including property limits and/ or catchment limits using Overseer, in-stream water quality limits and the development of the Good Management Practice (GMP) framework.

Many councils have also adopted the use of audited Farm Environment Plans to be able to monitor, measure, report and ensure farms meet their environmental obligations.

It must also be remembered that for many areas, it is as much about maintaining the already good water quality that exists – this is not allowed to deteriorate.

As with anything in life, good things take time. Councils are rolling out and implementing these plans now. The effects will not be immediate, but they need to be given a chance to actually work.

It must also be remembered that for many areas, it is as much about maintaining the already good water

Regional councils need to continue to implement their plans. This may seem like an obvious thing to state, but it’s true nonetheless. Consistent messages and enforcement from the regulatory bodies will be a must.

I believe that many farmers are on board with GMP (the onfarm practices) despite still being largely ignorant or merely confused by the new environmental regulations. Education is still key to the success of this stuff, and that has to come from all involved – banks, valuers, real estate agents, farm advisers, customers… anybody involved with the farm.

And last, but not least, time, time, time. To quote Rachel Hunter from her Pantene ad, “it doesn’t happen overnight, but it will happen”, and it is happening. Get on board, and keep it up.

quality that exists – this is not allowed to deteriorate. For those few areas where improvement is needed, the plans bite much harder and that is totally appropriate.

The fact that all of this has occurred seems to have been completely overlooked by many and it’s not just politicians I’m referring too.

How are we meeting our environmental obligations already?

Figures provided by Irrigation New Zealand show that since 2011: • $10 million invested in audited Farm Environment Plans; • $600m invested by existing irrigators upgrading to modern, efficient irrigation systems; • $18m invested in precision irrigation technologies; • $15m invested in installing irrigation decision-making technologies; • More than 24,000km of our waterways have already been fenced off to exclude stock at a cost of $220m.

As we continue to meet our environmental obligations, expect these numbers to increase. It is noted that this expenditure is all onfarm, reinforcing the point that water quality will be addressed at the farm level.

Country-Wide November 2017

ENVIRONMENT | INFECTIOUS DISEASES

Protecting people and livestock Mark Ross Vaccination is the most effective protection against life-threatening diseases such as distemper, hepatitis, parvovirus and leptospirosis, which affect New Zealand animals.

NZ has one of the highest rates of leptospirosis in the world, according to the NZ Veterinary Association (NZVA).

The zoonotic disease is shared between rats, dogs, pigs, cattle and people.

It puts farmers, particularly dairy farmers, at risk as it can spread from infected urine in dairy sheds. It is also an occupational risk for meat workers, who can contract the disease in the same way. According to the NZVA, anyone in contact with cattle could be at risk.

Cases of leptospirosis fell sharply after herd vaccinations were introduced in 1981. But recently, Radio New Zealand reported that 91 people had contracted the disease in the first half of 2017 and more than two-thirds of them had been

hospitalised. Incidents of the disease have tripled in the first half of the year. One possible reason is the recent wet weather and contaminated flood-waters – as water can carry the disease.

To overcome the increase in infection and break the cycle of infection, a robust herd vaccination programme is essential, along with personal hygiene.

With global increases in population, the risk of zoonotic diseases spreading will only increase as humans and animals live in increasingly close proximity.

In human medicine, vaccines have eradicated diseases such as smallpox and polio. Thanks to widespread vaccination, the last natural case of smallpox occurred in 1977. In 1980 the World Health Organisation declared the disease wiped out. Vaccines have also helped reduce the number of new diphtheria and measles infections by more than 95%.

The medicines and vaccines produced by the animal health industry have been strikingly successful in controlling many

diseases. As the industry association that represents NZ animal health manufacturers, supporting the health and well-being of pets, livestock, people and the environment, is of vital importance.

To this end, Agcarm supports the global ‘One Health’ campaigns addressing antimicrobial resistance, zoonosis as well as vaccination.

Continuous investment in breakthrough technologies and innovation is imperative to control diseases among animals as well as their spread to humans, as are appropriate government strategies for disease eradication.

To ensure people and animals remain healthy and productive, it is vital that we continue to use and develop vaccines to limit the spread of disease.

• Mark Ross is chief executive of Agcarm, the industry association for crop protection, animal health and rural supplier businesses.

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ENVIRONMENT | FORESTRY

Browned off by pine trees Denis Hocking Radiata pine is well suited to the New Zealand environment. It grows vigorously from one end of the country to the other and remains our overwhelming favourite for production forestry.

However, the fit is not perfect and very humid, warm weather can reveal weaknesses. This year a very wet but relatively mild autumn and winter over the North Island and northern South Island suited a number of radiata’s foliar diseases. In particular red needle cast has run rampant leading a lot of people to wonder whether the trees were dying en masse.

The Middle Districts Farm Forestry Association recently had an excellent presentation on these diseases from Dr Nari Williams, a forest pathologist with Scion, aided by long-time Forest Health officer, Brent Rogan. I will try to summarise it.

Radiata pine has four notable foliage diseases and all are favoured by excessively wet and warm conditions.

They are distinguishable by their seasonality, loss or retention of needles, (blights retain needles, casts shed them), the pattern of lesions on the needles and, of course, the causative pathogens.

The fungal disease dothistroma needle blight has been in the country for more than 50 years, hindering the performance of radiata, especially the central North Island. The disease arrives in spring but builds to a maximum in autumn and through winter. The needles stay on the tree. Copper spray is effective and dothistroma resistance has been bred into much of our radiata stock. All radiata tend to become resistant with age.

Cyclaneusma needle cast is another fungal disease with a long history in NZ. Symptoms are most obvious in spring with needles dying and being cast, leaving rather skeletal trees with little foliage. Generally the disease is scattered through a plantation, with many trees being naturally resistant though most do carry the pathogen.

Physiological needle blight emerged in the 1970s as a foliar disease affecting 66

UNDERSTANDING PHYTOPHTHORA The information for this column came from the Scion-based Healthy Trees, Healthy Future programme aimed at understanding and controlling Phytophthora diseases. It is funded by the Forest Growers Levy and MBIE. Copper sprays, as used for dothistroma control, effectively control RNC for three to six months, but RNC needs an autumn spray versus the spring spray for dothistroma. Research is still ongoing.

Longer term the aim is to identify resistant trees for the key foliage diseases and incorporate the genetics into our breeding programme. Work is also proceeding on finding kauri resistant to kauri dieback, another Phytophthora disease.

mainly older trees, mostly in the northern North Island. It can appear any time through winter but normally peaks in October/November. There can be extensive needle death with the dead needles being retained on the tree.

This disease was poorly understood until the pathologists realised it is caused by an opportunistic, native Phytophthora species, P. kernoviae. Phytophthora, Greek for plant destroyer, may resemble fungi superficially, but are actually a very different beast, having evolved from brown algae and different culturing techniques are required to identify them.

Nor had they been considered as foliar pathogens with most being soil-borne agents such as P. agathidicida, the cause of kauri die-back.

And so we come to red needle cast, the dominant plague this winter. There can be extensive needle death and casting, most evident between July and September, with the trees slowly recovering in spring. The new needles can be quite nutrient-deficient as the tree cannot withdraw nutrients from the diseased foliage prior to shedding.

Red needle cast, the dominant plague of this past winter.

RNC was first seen about 2005 and again it proved difficult to find a pathogen. This time it was P. pluvialis and genetic analysis showed a close affinity with certain genotypes from the north-western United States. The much greater genetic diversity found in the US strongly suggests this was the source and another biosecurity failure. Consistent with its source, RNC also infects Douglas fir.

The recognition of these Phytophthora pathogens caused some concern for the log export trade, but it was quickly established that only the needles are infective and the pathogens will not survive the sea trip.

RNC can cause up to a 40% loss in growth in the season following infection, but the trees will survive. At worst there can be a three-year cycle as foliage rebuilds (pine needles survive for about three years), the humidity in the crown rises and conditions can again favour infection.

Real life can be rather more complicated. One tree or plantation may have more than one of these pathogens, it could even have all four. Some samples submitted to Scion apparently no longer harbour the primary pathogen, only the later arrivals, necessitating some shrewd detective work.

If you want more detail there is a very useful little booklet on foliar diseases available from Scion. But if you want to avoid these diseases get some coastal sand country – we don’t see any of them here.

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TECHNOLOGY | EMAIL

Coping with Vodafone’s service closure Alan Royal

V

odafone is closing its email service from November 30, 2017. Customers will have received a notice from Vodafone explaining how to set up an alternative to their email service. If you have not received a notice from Vodafone explaining how to change your email service, this https://goo.gl/KNedBw is the live chat link to talk with their ‘Ninjas’ and request a formal notice.

The formal notice is personalised for your Vodafone account and has details and links to set up a new alternative email account. This is the easiest way to transfer your email account.

Vodafone are recommending you change your email service to either Gmail or Outlook, but note that you can change to any other web-based email account such as Yahoo.

For details on how to setup a new • Gmail account go to this page https://goo.gl/kh2Kqm • Outlook account go to this page https://goo.gl/WCD5hb Note: Don’t forget to securely record your new email address and password.

Tip - when setting up a new email you will often find the address you wish to use has already been allocated. If this is the case consider adding nz to the name you select e.g. joblownz.

Vodafone are recommending you change your email service to either Gmail or Outlook, but note that you can change to any other web-based email account.

your new account. Finally click ‘Submit’ and your mail and account will come to your new email address.

Other steps to consider are how to transfer your Vodafone email contacts to either *Gmail or **Outlook. *With Gmail, there are two choices Export your contacts from Vodafone webmail as vCards Import your contacts into Gmail This video link - https://youtu.be/ NREoMbxlH6o explains these options.

My preference is for the second option.

If you wish to download your emails to Gmail the procedure varies with different

Vodafone are recommending you change your email service to either Gmail or Outlook, but note that you can change to any other web-based email account.

The notice you will receive has a button (labelled 3. in the notice) that takes you to a page already showing your present Vodafone-related email address embedded in the notice. (it may be any of clear.net, es.co.nz, ihug.co.nz, paradise.net.nz, pcconnect.co.nz, quik. co.nz, vodafone.co.nz, vodafone.net.nz or wave.co.nz). You then need to enter and re-enter (confirm) your new email address (created above). You also need to tick the box to send your Vodafone bill to

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Vodafone email services. Read this page https://goo.gl/rFVGe3 to find out how to download your emails from the various Vodafone services (just a thought - there is a possibility you could try to ‘forward’ your emails from your present service to your new service).

Please note: For clear.net.nz or paradise. net.nz, you can import your current emails into a new Gmail or Outlook.com email address.

Note that Google provides you with

step-by-step instructions (https://goo. gl/ZUHBj) on how to import your email. To follow these instructions, you will need to know your email password If you’ve forgotten your Vodafone email password, follow these steps (https:// goo.gl/qP7mtz) to reset your password. **Transferring your Vodafone email contacts to Outlook.com is explained at https://goo.gl/LceCjs. This article https://goo.gl/ fHwhF5 will walk you through the process of creating a new Outlook.com email address and how to import your Vodafone emails into your new Outlook. com email address. This video https:// youtu.be/0J5WHwmeu0w is also helpful.

You may be faced with a learning curve on how to use your new account. Go to these excellent Goodwill Community Foundation tutorials. For • Gmail - https://goo.gl/awnjX7.

• Outlook - https://goo.gl/YbGed1.

There are also a range (good and bad) of Gmail and Outlook tutorials on You Tube - www.youtube.com. A good indicator of their value is by looking at the number of ‘views’ - higher numbers generally means they are good.

For a copy of this article, with active links, email Alan Royal at foundusually@ gmail.com. Note that I have had to change my email address!

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TECHNOLOGY | DEVICES

Now the fridge orders the milk ,

Kirstin Mills

When I worked in IT journalism 20 years ago, pundits often talked about a future where your fridge would order milk for you when you ran out.

I remember thinking the concept was ridiculous, but in January, Samsung launched a fridge that can indeed order your milk. It is the latest in a long line of items that now connect to the internet.

The concept of things connecting to the internet is called, perhaps unsurprisingly, the “internet of things” (or IoT). Devices that for decades worked quite happily minding their own business are now connected.

After computers were connected to the internet, cellphones followed. Remember when mobile phones were the size of bricks and we used them to make and receive calls and… well that was it. That is hard to imagine now, as we sit at a café, an airport or doctor’s waiting room surrounded by people all staring at their phones. In a short time, that connection has become the norm.

Do we really need other things to be connected? Possibly not, but the internet of things is here to stay. According to research firm Gartner, more than 8 billion connected “things” are in use, up 31% on last year. Gartner predicts the number will surpass 20 billion by 2020.

In my own home I have many things 68

that connect directly, or via my phone, to the internet. I have a smart TV and Netflix and Lightbox accounts to stream TV shows and movies.

And although my amp does not connect to the internet directly, I do control it from my smartphone, letting me select my music library, the radio, Spotify or the television. I also have a Garmin sports watch and bike computer that connect via Bluetooth to an app on my phone. As soon as I save my workout it is uploaded to the Garmin Connect website for me, so I can review it later and see how slow I am. If I wanted, I could also view text messages and phone notifications on these devices.

I’m soon to buy a device that will let me control our heatpump remotely. If we are away for the weekend and the weather turns nasty, I can ensure the lounge will be toasty when we get home.

I know a couple who have a heatpump monitoring app for their holiday home.

If they rent the house out they can keep an eye on the heatpump usage and even take control if they want.

Another useful, internet of things’ thing is a house alarm. Many systems now let you monitor cameras set up in your home and have motion detectors connected to your wi-fi.

If the sensor picks up something, the camera lets you check if a burglar is in your home (or if it’s just your dog jumping on the furniture).

Such systems often extend to entire smart home set-ups that let you turn your lights on and off so it looks like you are home even when you aren’t or that activate automatically based on GPS or weather feedback.

For those of us of a certain age the term “smart home” may remind us of the Some Mothers Do ‘Ave ‘Em episode where Frank Spencer destroys a 1970s version of a smart home.

While problems with technology in the internet of things might be more likely to be frustration with them not working properly rather than Spencer-scale chaos, hopefully problems will be ironed out before two of the big predictions become ubiquitous - digital health (with smart medical devices) and connected cars.

Country-Wide November 2017

WORK HARD, PLAY HARDER

BARK OFF Watch the tone of your voice

Balancing ACT

Sarah and James Peters talk about how they got into farm ownership and why a full-time job played a key role in getting them there.

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A young couple are juggling jobs and locations to establish their deer farm. Cheyenne Nicholson reports on the challenges.

Balancing ACT

James Peters out on the farm

Photos by Ross Nolly

M

ilitary life comes with many challenges. Throw in a 43-hectare velvet farm, a 10-month-old and living in different cities - and you have the life of Sarah and James Peters. Despite their often hectic lifestyle the couple take it all in their stride.

Both James and Sarah grew up on the land.

James on his parents’ sheep, beef and deer farm in Taihape. After leaving school James left the family farm to follow his own path. After a stint shearing, fencing and shepherding he decided to join the Royal New Zealand Air Force.

“The Air Force has been a great job for me and I’ve worked with a lot of great people.

During the week I feel like I’m contributing to society and then on the weekend it’s the personal side of the equation,” James says.

Now that I’m full time on the farm I can pretty much pick the days to come out here and get stuff done. In some ways its easier doing it this way, than with two of us working full time.

OKOIA

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But after 10 years out of the farming business, James says he felt it was time to get back into it.

“After getting out of farming, you come back with a different perspective. When we decided to get back into it and looking at what we wanted to do we were really impressed with the deer industry at the time. They seemed to be doing a lot within the industry to promote the products being produced.”

So two years ago, James and Sarah took the plunge. A fair bit of searching for the right property and a sizeable mortgage later they purchased their own block of land at Okoia, east of Wanganui, completely on their own with no guarantors which the couple describe as ‘scary but exciting’.

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TOP TIPS FOR BUYING YOUR FIRST FARM TALK to as many people as

you can for ideas and advice.

Be conservative with

BUDGETING.

“There can be a lot of risk. As dad says if you don’t get it right you go broke, so we are trying to get it right.

“Our parents have worked hard to get where they are, while providing an environment that we enjoyed growing up in, so we are trying to achieve the same thing for our family.”

They are paying interest only on the loan at the moment, and will continue to over the next three-four years until the velvet operation is mature.

“That’s really all we can do at the moment. It all hinges on one of us working full time, as a reasonable amount of that is going into getting us through the next three years.”

The farm doesn’t have a house on it and they don’t have any immediate plans to build either. James is based in Auckland Monday to Friday while Sarah and 10-month-old Angus live in defence force housing at Ohakea.

“Buying the land without the house was a few things for us. Firstly it allowed us to buy more land with the money we had. Secondly, we have housing through the defence force and when that comes to an end we can always rent. The land was worth more to us than a house.”

The property was bought mostly as a going concern but James and Sarah weighed up their options to figure out what was going to make the most financial sense.

“We figured we could probably make more out of velvet in the long run. With us not being a big place we needed to be producing a high-value product. The other important consideration for us is time and effort, as we needed a system that would fit into an existing full time job.

“Velvet is an intense workload for the late spring/ summer period, but for the rest of the year we can concentrate on farm development. The last of the hinds that were purchased with the property were sold in midOctober leaving just the velvet stags.”

They are currently working on building their velvet herd but agree it’s going to take some time to do due to financial constraints.

“For the next few years we plan to increase the kilos per head. At the moment we are at the low end because of our genetics, but we can’t afford to go out and buy lots of mature stags with good genetics.”

Each year they purchase 30-50 replacements. They buy them young so they can buy more to help develop their genetic base while the older culls pay for the replacements.

The farm itself grows good grass, but requires further development of infrastructure to handle stags easily, Country-Wide November 2017

TEAM

Get a good to help you finalise a property and begin business - ask around for good accountants, lawyers, agribusiness managers.

TIME

Be realistic with allocation e.g. family, work, sport - and how much you are willing to sacrifice, especially if you have to travel to a block.

FARM FACTS Location: Okoia, Wanganui Farm size: 43ha Stock units: 730 Supplement: Baleage, winter crops and some maize Operation: velvet

Sarah and James are working on growing their herd.

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which they knew going into it. James and Sarah have a number of improvements they would like to make to the property to get it up to scratch and so it can effectively be operated by one person.

They don’t have any workers, relying on themselves with help from family, friends and neighbours when they’re in a pinch.

“At the moment getting the deer in requires two of us, and because James is away a fair bit for work it’s not ideal and means we have to really schedule stock work around when there’s two of us here,” Sarah says.

They’ve started at the heart and the perimeter of the property and worked their way in when it comes to improvements and upgrades.

“If you can’t contain them you’re stuffed and if you can’t handle them your stuffed so it made the most sense to go about it that way,” James says.

One of the first things they did when they bought the farm was to build an outdoor holding pen. It took a good week to complete with James and Sarah digging all the post holes by hand in the middle of summer.

“It was a dumb idea really but it was the Christmas holidays and family were available to help put it up after the posts were in!”

“Before there were no holding facilities aside from inside the yards so you couldn’t really hold animals and work with them at the same time.”

The improvements to the shed have been made with the goal of having it be a oneman-operated shed.

Fencing is on the list to be upgraded as well as riparian planting and focusing on the environmental aspect of the farm.

“Both Sarah and I are really passionate about that side of things and we have a lot that needs to be done here in that space but for us right now it’s a matter of having the time to dedicate to doing it.”

With James up in the Auckland during the week and commuting on the weekends, it limits how much he can get done around the place. Sarah does the lion’s share of the

72

work around the farm during the week. She makes the 30-minute commute from Ohakea to Wanganui every other day to tend to stock and work on other projects around the farm all with baby Angus in the front pack.

Sarah, who grew up on her parents’ sheep and beef farm in west Otago, is a qualified vet and transitioned to full time onfarm after having Angus.

“When we were both working full time we were often out here in the dark during winter getting things done. Now that I’m full time on the farm I can pretty much pick the days to come out here and get stuff done. In some ways its easier doing it this way, than with two of us working full time.

Despite having a lot on her plate, Sarah takes it all in her stride.

“I’m really proud of Sarah and all she gets done. She’s got a lot on her plate during the week while I’m in Auckland and she handles it like a trooper,” James says.

Sarah says the key to making it all work is that they work together and trust each other to make good decisions for their business.

“It’s all new to us. We are really just starting to find our feet with it all a bit now.

That first year we relied on our parents a lot for advice. Running your own business is a different kettle of fish than just working on a farm,” Sarah says.

“Where other people might progressively take over the business side of their family farm over a number of years we went cold turkey from farming and then came back to

it. Suddenly we have a business and working full time, the task list can be overwhelming at times,” James says.

One of the major things they say has helped, along with their parents’ advice and guidance from the sidelines, has been the neighbours and other local deer farmers, including the local Advance Party who have kept them in the group while James is away.

“It’s a fantastic initiative. A lot of the people involved have been in the industry for a while and have heaps of tips and tricks so for people like us getting into it, that sort of information is just invaluable.”

At some stage down the track, James says he’d love to be on the farm full time but they know realistically that won’t be for a long time.

“We don’t want to over-capitalise this small block too early. We also don’t know what’s going to happen in the years to come in terms of expansion and other business options.

“For now, we just want to do our own thing and build up a nice environment that we can raise Angus in. The farm’s been really good for us.”

Managing work, family and farm life is a balancing act for both of them. Where other couples may have a common interest in buying a house together and choosing paint colours, James and Sarah say they’ve found their common interest in farming, and fixing the fence or moving the stock is their version of painting a bedroom.

“This is our thing that we do together.”

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pup the need to conform which provides the desirable mindset for future teaching.

When picking a pup out of a litter I like to walk up and talk to them. If one shows a good response to my voice and comes running wagging its tail that is usually the one I would pick unless there are other features that do not appeal. It has already demonstrated that it is responsive and if they are responsive you can train them.

BARK OFF Words by Lloyd Smith

PUPS ARE VERY IMPRESSIONABLE AND AS SUCH EASY TO OFFEND SO IF THEY ARE DOING SOMETHING UNDESIRABLE USE THE GROWLY VOICE ALONG WITH AN ASSOCIATED ACTION.

THE TONE OF YOUR VOICE Training anyone or anything is all about getting the trainee to respond to your wishes and if you can achieve that in a positive way your training will be successful.

This is very much the case when training a dog, the success of your training programme is dependent on getting your dog to respond to you and understand what you are trying to achieve.

That is why it is very important your dog learns to determine by the tone of your voice whether it is responding to your instructions appropriately – recognition and reward when their response is positive and the growly voice when it is not what you are trying to achieve. This aspect is probably the most important and you will struggle to train dogs if you are unable to achieve it. Regardless of the methods and techniques you use, how your dog responds to the tone of your voice will be the single most determining factor as to how successful you will be.

Most people do not have enough contact with their dogs while training, both physically and verbally. I very seldom hear trainers communicating with their dogs when

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demonstrating what they can achieve and showing me their training routines.

They growl when things aren’t going right but never acknowledge the positive. This is important and encourages the dog to stay focused because they can recognise by your voice that you are pleased with their efforts. If you do not communicate and reassure them they can become nervous and lose confidence consequently they do not concentrate on their stock as they are always mindful of your movements.

If your dog has a good patch and shows good progress don’t just take it for granted, acknowledge it and reward the dog. That way the good patches get bigger and better.

Recognition of, and response to, the tone of your voice is something you work on right from the puppy stage. I push all my pups down on their side and hold them there until they submit. I talk to them and reassure them, emphasising they are not being punished. All I require them to do is to stop resisting and fighting my restraint, resigned to the fact that I am in control, and respond accordingly. This is where it all begins, impressing upon your

Pups are very impressionable and as such easy to offend so if they are doing something undesirable use the growly voice along with an associated action. If they jump up I may give them a slap with my canvas hat in conjunction with a growl, if they bark undesirably I may crack the whip or hit their kennel along with a growl. If they come and stand by my leg, where I want them to be, I will recognise and reward them for doing so along with a pat and verbal praise so that as they grow up they learn by the tone of my voice whether their behaviour is acceptable or not and they learn to respond accordingly.

As with all aspects of training repetition and consistency are the key. Sort out what you are prepared to tolerate as acceptable and then be consistent in its application. If unacceptable behaviour continues after using the growly voice then there has to be some consequences or it becomes ineffective. If required I use the electric collar to enforce the appropriate response and then recognise and reward the dog for doing so.

If you believe you are being kind to your dog by not making it conform to certain criteria then I believe you are actually achieving the opposite. If your dog becomes ill-mannered and unruly then someone, at some stage, has to be reasonably demanding to regain control or it will become just another statistic and achieve little in life.

If your dog demonstrates a good response to the tone of the voice it makes the rest of training pretty straight forward. When it gets to the stage where more serious commands, such as stops and sides are required it becomes very easy to communicate to your dog whether its response to your instruction is the correct one.

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Cliff Begg, from Ashburton, couldn’t help but have a look under the hood of this 1950s Daimler at John Kyle’s clearing sale, even though he’d come to buy a grain trailer.

COMMUNITY | CLASSIC FARM MACHINERY

Sale sees 60-year collection cleared South Canterbury’s John Kyle has a passion for classic farm machinery, but the time has come for the collection to find new owners. Andrew Swallow reports.

“I don’t want to sell anything,” John Kyle admitted in the runup to his recent clearing sale, but by 4pm on the day nearly everything from more than 60 years’ of farming at Seadown, South Canterbury, was gone.

The offering told a story of how times have changed, from a towed, PTO-driven Claas header that cut a couple of metres each pass, to his latest combine, a Claas Lexion 570 Plus with 7.5m front. Between the two there was a 1980s Claas Dominator 115 – the top model from the German manufacturer’s first rotary range – and a 1968 Volvo S950 with 12ft table.

But those weren’t the only combines he’d had in his career cropping 240ha in three blocks with cereals, brassicas and grass seeds just north of Timaru.

“I had six Volvos at one point.”

And of course you have to have something to take grain from paddock to port, mill or silo, so a string of 1970s Ford trucks and a newer Isuzu went under the hammer too, not to mention several trailers with grain bins.

Tractors included two fully restored 1940s Olivers – a 60 and a 70 – and a Farmall M. There were Masseys from the 1950s onwards, and a couple of Leylands. Kyle said the Masseys, and the Ford trucks were his favourites.

In the cultivation category there was less vintage gear, though a local direct-drilling disciple cheekily suggested the eight-furrow Dowdeswell reversible plough was a “museum piece”.

Fortunately Kyle, a keen ploughman and long-time judge of the sport, was out of earshot at the time.

While most of the offering was agricultural, a couple of classic cars Kyle had collected were put up too: a 1986 V8 Rover Vanden Plas, and a 1954 Daimler Conquest.

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Thomas and Victoria Kyle (centre left and right) with friends Josh Peckitt and Ben Donaldson at their dad John Kyles’ clearing sale.

John Kyle’s clearing sale spanned nearly 70 years of farming, from this 1940s Farmall M to his latest header, a Claas Lexion 750 Plus.

Country-Wide November 2017

“I came to buy an engine for a tractor, not a car,” Ken McLeod, from Kakanui, commented after landing the winning bid of $5600 for the Daimler.

Kyle’s near neighbour Alan Newton, who has leased the farm, noted there was “a fair bit of history” in the sale which comprised 180 lots, excluding outside entries. Newton said it would be business as usual for the land, cropping it with the addition of potatoes.

“Most of it hasn’t grown potatoes before which is worth something.”

Among the outside entries was a working, fully certified 1903 threespeed deluxe Burrell traction engine. “That means it goes a bit faster,” quipped auctioneer Snow Buckley as he put it up for sale, making $124,000 to a local buyer who declined to be named.

“I had to keep it local,” the buyer told Country-Wide.

The diverse offering, a fine day, and Kyle’s reputation as a meticulous machinery man brought buyers from far and wide, as Wayne Andrews of auctioneer Peter Walsh Associates noted in his opening comments to the sale.

“We’ve just about run out of registration numbers,” he told the crowd of 400-plus.

Later he said most items had comfortably exceeded reserves and there’d been a good clearance.

“John’s maintenance and care of the gear certainly helped the sale.”

As for Kyle, he said he was “reasonably happy” with how the afternoon went, if a little sad too.

“I’m going to miss it all. I’ll have to start buying it back again.”

And even though he’s over 80, you wouldn’t bet against him doing it.

TOP RIGHT: Snow Buckley of PWA drums up interest in this stripper header at John Kyle’s clearing sale.

ABOVE: Bob Bennett, from Kaiapoi, looks at a Shelbourne Reynolds stripper header.

Vintage and ploughing stalwart For 13 years John Kyle competed at the New Zealand Ploughing Championships until in 1972 he won the Silver Plough and represented NZ at the world championships in Minnesota, United States.

“It was all in the same year in those days,” Kyle’s long-time friend and fellow ploughman Bob Mehrtens said. “You won one day and went pretty much the next.

After that he pulled the pin on competing and has been judging ever since. He also spent a good few years on the New Zealand Ploughing Association executive.”

Two national finals and “goodness knows how many” Timaru Ploughing Association contests had been held on Kyle’s farm, and he’d always encouraged and tutored others in the sport, Mehrtens said.

“I really can’t fault the fellow.”

The South Canterbury Traction Engine and Vintage Steam Club is on land donated

by Kyle’s father, Tom, in the 1970s and John continues to support the club.

“He wouldn’t have missed many meetings,” Mehrtens said, letting slip that several vintage tractors, trucks and some traction engine equipment hadn’t been put into the clearing sale.

“He’s always been a Ferguson man, though in the last few years he’s had higher-powered Valtras for his farm work.”

BELOW: Wayne Andrews of PWA fields the bids for a rake at John Kyle’s clearing sale. RIGHT: Favourite machine: John Kyle with wife Esmay and his pick of the offering at his recent clearing sale, a 1968 Volvo S950 header.

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SOLUTIONS | PARASITES

Cautionary tale of drench resistance Colin McKay Many sheep producers are either unaware or complacent about the risk anthelmintic resistance poses to the longterm sustainability of their sheep farming operation.

Identification of parasites with resistance or multiple-resistance to available anthelmintics poses a serious threat to the viability of livestock enterprises.

At the least, the onset of multiple-strain resistance will require major changes to management practices, including the use of effective anthelmintics, implementing quarantine procedures and the importation of susceptible parasites.

In some cases, it may not be possible to continue grazing sheep on affected properties.

The following example provides a warning for all lamb and wool producers.

In early 2012, the owners of a sheep flock on a small property, in northern North Island contacted their local veterinarian regarding the poor condition of their lambs despite regular drenching.

The flock had a long history of ML (‘mectin’) usage, including moxidectin and a triple drench containing abamectin, oxfendazole and levamisole.

No quarantine procedures were implemented, even though sheep were frequently moved to neighbouring properties during mating or when feed was short.

A faecal egg count test conducted 10 days after treatment with their existing drenches showed the sheep were carrying a heavy worm burden, as indicated by the presence of 200 to 2800 eggs per gram (epg). Larvae cultures identified Trichostrongylus (79%) and Teladorsagia (21%).

The veterinarian recommended the sheep be treated with Zolvix to protect their wellbeing and then to conduct a faecal egg count reduction test.

Zolvix contains 25g/litre monepantel, the only member of the ‘orange’ class of anthelmintics.

The flock was treated with Zolvix on February 15, 2012. A faecal egg count conducted seven days later indicated a 100% reduction in worm eggs.

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Drench for parasites.

A pre-FECRT (Faecal Egg Count Reduction Test) screening count conducted on March 8, 2012 showed egg counts had increased to 200 to 1200 epg.

Identified species included Trichostrongylus (53%), Haemonchus (30%) and Teladorsagia (17%).

A total of 12 sheep were assigned to two treatment groups.

The first contained seven animals, which were treated with moxidectin. The second contained five animals, which were treated with a triple combination drench containing abamectin, oxfendazole and levamisole.

All doses were calculated on individual liveweight, as per the registered label, and administered orally on March 14, 2012.

Post-treatment samples collected eight days later indicated moxidectin had an efficacy of 22.8%, while the triple combination had an efficacy of 21.6% (Table 1).

More worryingly, the tests confirmed the presence of a multiple-resistant strain of Trichostrongylus spp (black scour worm) and the emergence of a multipleresistant strain of Teladorsagia (small brown stomach worm).

Both of these parasites are recognised as causing significant harm, even death, to their hosts if left untreated.

Unfortunately, this example is not isolated. A recent survey has found there is widespread drench resistance to the older drench families, such as benzimidazoles (‘white’), levamisole (‘clear’) and macrocyclic lactones (‘mectins’ or MLs), in New Zealand.

This survey was based on an analysis of 154 fully differentiated faecal egg count reduction tests. Resistance was defined where anthelmintic treatment failed to reduce the pre-treatment egg count by at least 95%.

About half of the samples had resistance to levamisole (56%), benzimidazole (47%), or ivermectin (45%). Resistance to abamectin (27%) and moxidectin (15%) was also recorded.

Resistance to levamisole-abamectin and benzimidazole-levamisole-abamectin combination drenches was also detected.

A case of triple drench resistance from a commercial sheep property was recently detailed in the New Zealand Veterinary Journal (5) with the authors calling into question the practice of relying on triple drenches for quarantine treatments.

New Zolvix Plus has an important role to play in helping to delay the onset and development of resistance in all drenches.

It contains monepantel, a member of the amino-acetonitrile derivatives (AADs) or ‘orange’ class of anthelmintics, and abamectin, a member of the macrocyclic lactone (ML or ‘mectin’) class of anthelmintics.

Zolvix Plus provides premium broadspectrum control of gastrointestinal nematodes in sheep, including strains resistant to white, clear, ML (mectin) and combination drenches (including triples).

It is also effective against AAD-sensitive immature (L4) stages of Barber’s pole worm (Haemonchus contortus) and brown stomach worm (Teladorsagia circumcincta), where a combination of derquantel and a macrocyclic lactone is less effective.

The two active ingredients exert a strong synergistic effect providing high efficacy against sensitive nematodes.

Research has shown the combination of monepantel and abamectin is significantly more effective against fourth-stage larvae of small intestinal worm (Cooperia curticei) or macrocyclic lactone-resistant small brown stomach worm (Teladorsagia trifurcata) than either active ingredient used alone.

Used as a knockout, exit or quarantine drench in strategic drench programess, Zolvix Plus provides premium parasite control and helps to protect the efficacy of other effective drenches.

Zolvix Plus is supplied by Elanco.

• Colin McKay is technical services manager, Elanco Animal Health Country-Wide November 2017

Drone lasers to zap weeds Drone-mounted lasers could be used to zap weeds that pose a billion-dollar problem for New Zealand agriculture, AgResearch scientists say.

AgResearch – with partners the Universities of Auckland and Michigan and NZ-based technology firm Redfern Solutions Limited – has been awarded just under $1 million from the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment’s Endeavour Fund to look into how to “map and zap” weeds plaguing productive land.

A recent study led by AgResearch concluded the known costs of weeds to NZ agriculture was at least $1.685 billion a year, but that the true cost from all weeds was likely to be much higher.

“The idea is to mount specialist cameras on the drone or UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) that can first identify the weeds based on their unique chemical signatures and how they reflect light, and precisely map their locations using GPS,” programme leader Dr Kioumars Ghamkhar says.

“From there, we think smart spraying (rather than systemic and non-targeted use of chemicals), or the right kind of laser mounted on the drone could home in and damage the weed.”

Dr Kioumars Ghamkhar says suitable lasers are available.

Ghamkhar says methods for tackling weeds can be very expensive and time-consuming, and often involve chemicals which can impact on crops, soil quality or water sources.

“We want to develop something that could be an efficient option for users such as farmers, regional councils and the Department of Conservation.”

Effectiveness of lasers against plants has been tested overseas in the lab.

“We’ll be starting with testing of different types of laser with plants at three different stages of growth in the lab, and from there we will select the best form of laser to see its impacts on the weeds out on a farm.

The programme is funded for three years, and if successful could lead to potential for commercial development.

MORE? See www.agpest.co.nz

CLASSIFIEDS

SOLUTIONS | DRONES

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Specialising in moving deer Rotorua Deer Transport in the first 18 months of new ownership is reaching new heights in the deer industry by servicing all clients with a Deer-QA accredited and specialist service the company is proud of and take very seriously from the start to completion of a job.

The company has grown its scope to be North Island-wide, regularly carting from the lower part of the island as well as continuing to service the central plateau and carting north of Kaitaia. Another single-decked unit was added to the fleet earlier in the year enabling the company to cover more of the North Island in a day with multiple pickups and drop offs between the three units on the road.

Country-Wide November 2017

It has become quite a family-orientated business with owners Toni and Dave Fowell driving the two trophy units and Keith (Dave’s brother) driving the truck and trailer unit. Rotorua Deer Transport support Duncan NZ by providing a quality service into the Mamaku-based venison works.

“It’s nice to feel like you are a part of a team and to be able to combine our resources with them to ensure growth to the industry,” the Fowells say.

Numbers of farm-to-farm clients have grown rapidly over the past year and are all an integral part of the company’s business, described as “a breath of fresh air” to the industry.

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SOLUTIONS | TRACTORS Daniel Marsh with the company’s Valtra S274.

Valtras stand up to demands - contractor When engineers and inventors choose your tractor, you are probably doing something right.

Marsh Contracting is a family business based in Te Puke, Bay of Plenty. They provide a full ag contracting service and they manufacture portable weighbridges and crash bars for rakes that they developed themselves. Marsh Contracting also uses Valtra tractors. Daniel Marsh says they have been running Valtras on silage stacks for the last six years.

“We have found stacking is one of the hardest jobs for a tractor and the Valtras have held up to it. They don’t mind their noses pointed in the air or going backwards and forwards all day.”

The first Valtra they got was a T171 and it is still on the stack. After 8000 hours is just as reliable as when it was new.

Two years later Marsh Contracting bought a T172 and it is also still working the stacks. As their other tractors came up for replacement the Marshes replaced them with Valtras. They have now added three 155hp T144V models to the fleet. New this season in the Marshes’ operation is a Valtra S274. It has an AGCO Power 84 AWF engine with 270hp and a boost up to 290hp plus a continuously variable transmission.

They needed that much oomph to cultivate maize ground with a 5m-wide cultivator that uses a combination of rippers, discs and a roller.

More? Contact AGCO NZ manager Peter Scott at 0272 708 027 or Peter.Scott@agcocorp.com.

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‘I don’t dock, dag, dip, crutch or shear’ Meatmaster – a South African-developed composite sheep breed is ticking boxes for North Canterbury breeder Daniel Wheeler.

The easy-care breed is a clean-shedding moderately sized maternal sheep with high fecundity and meat yield, short tails and few dags. Wheeler began breeding Meatmasters in 2005 and now runs a stud of 300 SIL-recorded ewes made up of about a third each of Meatmasters, Finns and Texels.

Scanning percentage is about 3.2 times mating weight, so at 60-65kg mating weight scanning is around 200%.

What happens to the wool?

“They don’t really have a lot, most tend to be a hair outercoat with a short wool under-coat,” he says. “I’ve never calculated the cost savings, but I don’t dock, dag, dip, crutch or shear the Meatmasters.”

Tapanui, Otago, breeder Allan Richardson’s Ultimate breed is based on David Scobie’s work with low-input sheep.

“As a world first we have an animal with high production, multi disease resistance and low-input traits combined in one sheep breed,” Richardson says.

Low input traits include: short bare tail, bare breech, low dag score and bare belly.

“Our Ultimates are ranked 2, 3 and 4 in NZ for dag score, even though they retain their natural tail. We will shortly become the first flock in NZ to have BVS generated for all the low-input traits.”

More? Danielwheeler@xtra.co.nz, www.avalongenetics.co.nz

Finding the formula Less drenching, fewer dags and an overall healthier ewe flock.

It’s what farmers strive for and King Country farmers Ed and Dawn Morrow seem to have found a formula to help achieve just that. The Morrows farm commercial Perendale ewes, a South Suffolk Stud and dairy support on lease blocks at Te Kuiti and Waitomo. Regular faecal egg counting is a monitoring tool to help judge when and how their sheep should be drenched.

Since starting monthly faecal egg counting through their local vet clinic three years ago, Morrow says their use of anthelmintic drenches has gone from five times a year to two or three.

He also takes faecal egg counts 10 days after drenching to ensure effectiveness.

“Now I know when they need a drench and we’re monitoring for resistance.”

The Morrows also started using Revive three years ago – an animal health product providing a high dose of vitamins, minerals and trace elements.

Morrow believes Revive, combined with faecal egg count monitoring and more selective anthelmintic drenching, is improving overall health and performance of their ewe flocks.

Applied monthly as an oral drench, Morrow says Revive costs them less than 50 cents each dose and has noticeably reduced dags.

“I’d rather be orally drenching than dagging.”

Morrow says the scanning percentage in the stud ewes was up 20% to 160% this year and there was a definite improvement in condition in the commercial ewes.

“My lambs this year are as good as quality this year as what I’ve ever seen and we’ve gone through an ugly, wet winter.”

Country-Wide November 2017

ESTATE | NORTH CANTERBURY

High country freehold

M

t Whitnow Station in North Canterbury is one of those rare tracts of majestic freehold high country that combines a pastoral farming operation with scale and outstanding scenery.

Now for sale, the 4381-hectare station is bounded by the Seaward and Waitohi rivers, just one-and-a-half hours from Christchurch.

Its commercial farming operation includes 18-micron Merino wool production destined for outdoor clothing companies through Merino New Zealand.

Wool from halfbred ewes averaging 25 microns and hogget wool around 22.5 microns has also been contracted. Peter Crean from PGG Wrightson Real Estate says the contracts have been reliable and lucrative in recent years.

“They’ve been achieving good results with the fine wool through Icebreaker and Smart Wool contracts. Stock numbers

have been gradually increasing and so has the quality of the stock – it’s good, healthy stock country.”

The station now carries 2100 Merino ewes that are mated to Romney rams, 2500 halfbred ewes mated to terminal rams, 900 Merino and halfbred hoggets, plus 90 Te Mania Angus cows and 65 heifers.

“It’s very picturesque and very expansive country that has a lot of potential recreational activities including red stag hunting, mountain biking, horse riding and eco tourism.”

The property climbs from the homestead at 550 metres, with Mt Meehan sitting at 1150m and Mt Whitnow at 1390m. Ninety hectares of flat country at the front of the property merges into a mix of medium to steeper contours, with good access throughout via farm tracks.

A high standard of sheep fencing is in place and it has 8ha of deer fencing.

A natural stream with a tank on the hill

gravity feeds the houses and troughs in some paddocks on the front country, while natural waterways including dams and creeks supply water to the rest of the property.

A spacious three-bedroom homestead has an in-ground swimming pool.

Additional accommodation includes a two-bedroom self-contained sleepout, a three-bedroom roughcast cottage and shearers’ quarters with four bedrooms to sleep 12 people. In keeping with the size of the property is the eight-stand blade or five-stand machine woolshed and covered yards, while a satellite set of sheep yards is on the Seaward River side of the station. An implement shed, granary, hay shed, utility sheds, deer shed, cattle yards, an airstrip with a fertiliser bin and even a stable, complete the extensive list of farm facilities.

To view Mt Whitnow Station visit www.pggwre.co.nz. ID CHR 26640 and for more information contact Peter Crean on 03 341 4315 or 027 434 4002.

Easy contour at Waipukurau For more than a century, the Nicholls family have farmed Braeview in central Hawke’s Bay, finishing cattle in recent years on the undulating and easy contour of the 283 hectare property.

Now for sale, the farm sits in the dress circle of Waipukurau where it fronts on to three roads including Nicholls Rd, spreading over easy-rolling hills that have formed a good base for finishing stock. For a number of years, cattle have been finished to weights between 330 and 360kg and this past winter it carried 63 R1 steers plus 267 R2 steers.

Pat Portas from Property Brokers says the farm is well-suited to various finishing operations, with significant areas that can be cultivated. With regular regrassing, pastures are generally improved and strong.

“It’s an absolutely genuine sale, with the vendors looking at other options.

Country-Wide November 2017

There’s also a couple of neighbouring properties that could be tacked on to Braeview to make a large-scale holding.

One is a 370ha farm that was the Otoka Angus Stud and another is 130ha that are all good breeding and finishing land.”

Braeview is subdivided into 27 main paddocks and bulldozed tracks allow for easy access, as well as the access from long road frontages. Large, reliable dams provide a good stock water supply to most paddocks and the Ngahape stream

provides water in a few paddocks.

Due to the cattle finishing policy, a good set of recently built cattle yards is situated along Braeview Rd, while a second older set of yards is on Nicholls Rd. Other facilities include a fourstand woolshed with covered yards providing a night pen for 800 ewes, two implement sheds, hayshed and older shearers’ quarters.

The well-presented three-bedroom home has been upgraded and expanded and has good outdoor-living areas enjoying a lovely rural outlook. Wellestablished gardens lead to a grass tennis court.

Braeview will be auctioned on November 23. To view the farm visit www.propertybrokers.co.nz ID WR57738 and for further information contact Pat Portas on 027 447 0612 or Bevan Pickett on 027 220 2766.

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ESTATE | RANGITIKEI

High performance at Kaiangaroa Kaiangaroa Station near Taihape has earned a reputation over the years as a top-performing property that produces good stock on its enviable contour and free-draining soils.

The 1278-hectare central North Island farm is now for sale, with a balance of contour that encompasses 637ha of flat-torolling country and 444ha of medium hill country in the mix, that combines with major investment on infrastructure.

In the past 15 years, the station has focused on fencing, fertiliser, pastures and buildings. Hundreds of hectares of predominantly Ohakune silt loam and Moawhango sandy loam have been regrassed and cropped. A new six-stand woolshed and 1000 square metre covered yard complex with the capacity for 3000 ewes has been built, as well as a major set of cattle yards, a manager’s home and new single quarters.

Today it runs a high-performing breeding and finishing unit, with lambs finished to good weights and Friesian bulls finished to give a combined result of more than 300kg of meat and wool per hectare.

Peter Barnett from NZR says the Taihape district is known for

SOUTHERN WIDE REAL ESTATE VENDORS DEPARTING, ARE YOU EMBARKING?

its productive ability, while in turn, Kaiangaroa Station is held in high regard in the district.

“It’s had a long history for being a good property that produces good stock. It’s just a beautiful property with that natural contour advantage as well as a lot of money put into it over a considerable amount of time.”

Three main lanes provide access to 70% of the farm which is subdivided into 100 main paddocks, including 670ha fenced for deer. Water from the Erewhon Rural Water Scheme is reticulated throughout.

The homestead is impressive and covers 465 sq m of its elevated site with stunning northerly views. It has a heated indoor swimming pool, spa and full-sized billiard table, while outside a large deck area leads to an all-weather tennis court.

Jamie Proude of NZR is marketing the property with Peter Barnett and says the contour rolls down from the homestead into the wide basin, revealing the sheer quantity of easy country that provides versatility in farming ventures.

Just 6km from Kaiangaroa is River Valley Lodge on the Rangitikei River which is the base for river rafting, horse trekking and accommodation, and this has provided part time and casual employment opportunities.

Tenders for Kaiangaroa Station close on December 7.

More? contact Peter Barnett on 027 482 6835 or Jamie Proude on 027 448 5162.

GISBORNE MARKET BUOYANT Anne Hughes

DEADLINE SALE, WAIKAIA, SOUTHLAND ‘ENFIELD’ - 259.00 HA FH

Web Ref SWG1765

The sale of ‘Enfield’ provides the opportunity to purchase a proven and highly productive finishing and cropping property in a favoured location. Features an outstanding homestead, two additional homes and excellent range of support buildings. The farm layout is well planned and includes plantings of native and exotic trees together with three established duck ponds.

Web Ref SWG1784

This local bareland block has been run in conjunction and is located 3.3 kilometres from ‘Enfield’.

Deadline Sale closing 3pm, Friday 8th December 2017. Prior offers considered.

MARK WILSON m 027 491 7078 p 03 208 9283 e mark.wilson@swre.co.nz

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39a Medway Street, Gore 9710 p 03 208 9283 f 03 208 9284 e gore@swre.co.nz w www.southernwide.co.nz

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The market for Gisborne hill country is buoyant.

Bayleys rural real estate agent James MacPherson says autumn and winter sales were contested by multiple buyers, lifting hill country prices by $50-$100/stock unit compared to 18-months ago.

MacPherson says the region has some good cattle country and a lot of earlier, warmer country too.

“With low interest rates people are able to service more mortgage and returns seem to be bouncing back,” MacPherson says.

Flat land around Gisborne is also highly sought after for horticulture and cropping.

The earlier growing season is a big attraction for kiwifruit growers and MacPherson says there has been a resurgence of interest from the Bay of Plenty for kiwifruit and apple growing.

Country-Wide November 2017

Flat, fertile land with access to irrigation has been selling for up to $110,000/hectare.

Three recent hill country farm sales include Journeys End Station, Waitahoata and Kupenga stations.

Journeys End Station, a 1438ha farm at Matawai – north-west of Gisborne sold by tender for just over $7million ($4895/ha or $804/su).

Carrying 8750su, the farm is subdivided into 66 paddocks, including about 100ha of deer fencing. It has two homes, an apartment attached to the five-stand woolshed, plus two hunting and fishing lodges.

Waitahoata at Whatatutu sold in autumn for $7.5m ($6276/ha or $941/su).

The 1199ha station north of Gisborne has 100ha of fertile river flats, three homes and a five-stand woolshed.

Kupenga Station at Tahunga, 60km west of Gisborne, sold at auction for $6.1m ($7314/ha or $813/su). The 834ha breeding and finishing farm was wintering 7500su.

Bayleys is marketing two farms at Otoko, between Gisborne and Matawai.

Otoko Station is a 468ha sheep and beef breeding block.

There have been extensive fertiliser applications and fencing maintenance, plus new fencing, new and refurbished yards and laneway development. The woolshed has been renovated and night pen capacity extended.

The asking price for this naturally fertile and historically summer-safe property is $2,950,000.

Taumata-O-Mihi Station is a 497ha farm with a history of producing some of the best results in the Otoko district.

Mild winters, intensive subdivision, a fully reticulated water system and a strong fertiliser history allows the farm to finish bulls, heifers and lambs to excellent weights.

Significant portions of the farm have been cultivated for crops and pasture renewal.

The five-bedroom homestead has views over the farm. There is a fourstand woolshed with large covered yards and centrally located main cattle yards serviced by an all-weather farm road/lane.

Closer to town, Wi Pere Trust is selling 75.8ha (in two titles) of fertile flat land.

The trust, a large-scale sheep and beef farmer in the district, is selling these flats as it looks to invest in other opportunities. Citrus is grown on 27ha, while the rest is drained, bare land ready for development.

Water is sourced from a local water scheme to irrigate parts of the orchard.

There is also a large holding pond historically used for irrigating permanent horticulture crops and three automatically activated frost fans were recently installed to minimise the risk of frost damage. The tender for this property closes on November 10.

aahughes@gisborne.net.nz

Country-Wide November 2017

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82

Country-Wide November 2017

DOW0359

Confidence in a drum

FARMING IN FOCUS More photos from this month’s Country-Wide.

ABOVE: Andrew Freeman.

RIGHT: A farm building on Paul and Suzie Corboys’ Owaka farm.

Harry Stanway of NZ Farmers Livestock auctions rearer calves at Temuka saleyards in the new shed erected to meet the latest welfare regulations.

ABOVE: Suzie Corboy on duty at the Balclutha St John station.

LEFT: Must be school holidays: a young wannabee stockman assesses some store lambs at Temuka.

BELOW: Olivia and Sam Freeman with a wet, cold lamb.

This Massey 135 with Multipower and power steering made $7000.

Peter Walsh (left) and John Kyle (red hat) grab a bite from the local Lions barbecue before Kyle’s clearing sale.

Country-Wide November 2017

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Proudly available from your local veterinary clinic. Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health New Zealand. Trading name of Merial New Zealand Limited. Level 3, 2 Osterley Way, Manukau, Auckland, New Zealand l All products are ® Registered trademarks of Merial NZ Ltd. Registered pursuant to the ACVM Act 1997 | No’s A7290, A6416, A6417, A10640, A9270, A7191, A010759, A10399, A10222, A10018, A6859, A7189, A7456, A9888, A7353, A9150, A9222, A10120, A011155, A6481, A9544, A10131, A9390, A10132, A9418, A9964, A10274, A11138, A9970, A10734 & A11065 | ©Copyright 2017 Merial NZ Ltd. All rights reserved. NZ-17-BAH-199.

Country-Wide November 2017