LESS RED TAPE
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Sharemilkers Renae and James Martin and son William on their Balclutha farm.
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SUDESH KISSUN
sudeshk@ruralnews co nz
CLAIMS THAT some Southland farmers were invoiced up to $4000 for winter grazing compliance checks despite not breaching rules are being rejected by Environment Southland.
SUDESH KISSUN
ALL EYES are on milk production in New Zealand and its impact on global dairy prices in the coming months.
However, ANZ agri economist Matt Dilly says regardless of where precisely the 2025-26 price lands, it will likely be well above DairyNZ’s break-even milk price of $8.68/kgMS.
On top of that, for Fonterra supplier/ shareholders at least, is the prospect of further capital returns.
Milk price futures
for the 2025/26 season are currently at $10.10/ kgMS, 5 cents below the 2024/25 season’s likely payout.
The ANZ forecast for 2025/26 is unchanged at $10/kgMS. Fonterra’s forecast has a mid-point of $10/kgMS.
But Dilly notes that while milk price futures are slightly higher at present, the risks are weighted toward the downside.
“Globally, dairy prices are high and the cost of feed is low – a very clear expansion signal.
“If New Zealand has another great production
year at the same time as other major exporters do, especially those in the Western Hemisphere, supply could finally catch up to demand and push prices lower.”
In August, Fonterra announced the sale of its consumer and associated businesses to Lactalis for $4.22 billion, pending shareholder and regulatory approval. The co-operative is targeting a tax-free capital return of $2/share once the sale is completed in the first half of 2026.
Dilly notes that this would be on top of the usual annual dividend,
which is expected to be healthy this season.
At the same time demand for dairy products seems robust despite high prices.
“There is some indication that buyers have been trying to be patient, buying just enough to cover shortterm needs,” he says.
“They will be hoping that new supply will drive prices down before they are forced to refill inventories.”
In 2024/25, major exporters other than New Zealand found it difficult to keep up with demand, he adds.
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But For 2025/26, supply is starting to expand in most major exporting countries, says Dilly.
“Low grain and feed prices and high milk prices are incentivising output growth. While demand remains strong, the additional supply in the coming months could pressure prices.”
Rabobank senior agriculture analyst, Emma Higgins says milk production is clearly expanding across major exporters.
Higgins says US collections rose 3.4% year-on-year- the strongest growth since May 2021, driven by larger herds, better yields, solid margins and a rebound from last year’s avian influenza impact.
She says in New Zealand milk flows have posted two consecutive months of strong growth.
“Looking ahead milk supply growth is expected to continue across most exporting regions.
“Supportive farmgate margins, recovery from last year’s disease disruptions and favourable weather conditions are key drivers.
“Farmgate prices in Europe and Oceania remain near record highs, while feed costs are expected to stay manageable through 2026 due to ample supply,” says Higgins.
BURKE
ACADEMIC FREEDOM is a privilege and it’s put at risk when people abuse it.
That’s the view of Sir Lockwood Smith whose illustrious career spans time as an academic, Minister of Education, Agriculture and Trade, Speaker of the House of Representatives and NZ High Commissioner to the UK. He has many professional directorships as well as a farm in Northland. He knows first-hand about academic freedom having used it while a lecturer at Massey University.
He says there are certain privileges that professional people enjoy in their lives and points to members of parliament who enjoy what is known as ‘parliamentary privilege’. Smith says this is hugely valuable because it means that during debates in parliament, members cannot be sued for any comments they might make.
“They can speak freely and express concerns without fear of someone
suing them for comments they might make and that is a real privilege. The right for MPs to enjoy parliamentary privilege is something that the Speaker of the House somewhat ceremoniously requests from the Governor General at the start of each parliament. This is because it is important to the effective functioning of our democracy,” he says.
The other privilege is that given to professional academics who pursue their work. He says it doesn’t mean they can’t be sued, but it enables academics in universities to speak more freely without too many constraints. He says it’s a very important freedom and, because of that, he thinks academics need to be just a little bit careful in claiming what academic freedom means.
“It doesn’t mean that you can slander people, it doesn’t mean that you can behave in a way that lacks intellectual integrity. It is very important to our society and it’s put at risk when it is abused,” he says.
Smith says academic
QUESTIONS REMAIN over what, if any, sanctions Victoria University will impose on one of its academics, Mike Joy, over his threats to dairy industry CEOs.
The other week he said words to the effect that the dairy industry was harming babies and that the CEOs could well be hung for this.
Federated Farmers expressed their outrage at the comment and demanded action on the part of Joy and the university. In his initial apology, Joy claimed his comments were “tongue in cheek” and that he hadn’t gone too far, but later, along with the university, issued a full apology. This raised questions about the sincerity of Joy’s apology.
Feds dairy chair Karl Dean described Mike Joy’s comments as extreme, violent and dangerous. Dean went on to say it was very offensive and crude in this day and age, especially from an academic, to be making these sorts of comments. Dean wrote to the university demanding action and says Feds have subsequently been told that the issue is now “an HR matter”, meaning the university is investigating the comments by Joy.
“I’m not pre-empting what should happen, but I do think that there needs to be a level of accountability when statements like that are made, especially by people of high stature and privilege,” he says.
Meanwhile, vice-chancellor Nic Smith apologised for Joy’s remarks, saying the university had a proud tradition of activism, lawful protest and freedom of expression.
“However, violent comments, intended or not, were against its values,” he said.
freedom is important to democracy and says a problem occurs when academics get involved in areas that are not within their professional background. He warns that academics need to be careful when using
academic freedom and they certainly shouldn’t be using it to make slanderous, provocative or dangerous comments about other people.
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ANNE BOSWELL
BALCLUTHA FARMER
Renae Martin remembers the moment she fell in love with cows.
“I grew up as a townie in Wanganui, and I visited a dairy farm aged 16 with a friend of mine,”
she says. “I saw the cows and they reminded me of horses, which I loved. I fell in love.”
After finishing school, Renae went straight into dairy farming. She changed course for five years, working with racehorses while continuing to relief milk,
before going into farming fulltime in the 2010/2011 season.
Her first full-time role back farming was as a farm assistant for Jason Halford, who re-sparked her passion for dairy farming and led her to chase her dream of becoming a 50:50
sharemilker.
She then took a job in Taranaki for one year as a junior 2IC, before returning to the Manawatu in a 2IC role.
After a few years she then took a manager’s role on a sole-charge farm for a few years; on this farm she won
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the Manawatu Dairy Manager of the Year at the Dairy Industry Awards.
Renae then went contract milking for six years on her own, milking Ayrshires, before taking one year off to have her son William, born in 2022. She took
on a relief milking job for Amy Baker (Fusion Genetics).
In February 2023
she, husband James and William made the big move to South Otago to 50/50 sharemilk.
“The first six months were crazy: coming down to South Otago’s worst drought in 60 years, settling in and learning a new farm and cows – and made more challenging by the fact that James
RENAE MARTIN said she’s hoping the ordeal hasn’t affected mating results.
“Realistically, going through that has possibly had some effect, but nothing major I’ve seen so far,” she says.
The herd’s calving start date was originally August 15, but this season Renae pulled it forward to July 29.
“We found our worst weather months were late September/October, so it’s easier to have all the cows calved before the weather hits, and to be able to manage them better during those times,” she says.
Renae says with a drier July and August the grass grows slowly, so as long as she stays at a slower round length the farm can handle the early calving more easily.
“We don’t have a herd home or anything like that, so we need to work around the weather to ensure the cows don’t suffer from weather impacts during the crucial time of the year,” she says.
They keep 65 replacement heifers and 30 beef cattle on the property.
“We are surrounded by river, so we keep beefies to keep the flood bank pasture down and maintained,” Renae says.
Mating starts October 24, which involves six weeks of AI and five weeks of Hereford bulls.
Renae says they brought 50 cows down with them from the North Island, consisting of Holstein Friesians and Ayrshires, and then bought the majority of the herd that was already on farm, which was comprised fully of LIC Holstein Friesian cows - the commercial herd, Renee calls them.
“We’re looking for a happy medium between the large and small Holsteins Friesians,” she says. “The big, tall Holstein Friesians struggle a bit on low input systems.
“We are looking for our udders to go a lot higher and wider at the top, and fertility is a massive focus as we feel there is a small fertility issue within the herd,” she says.
“We’d also like to up the components in the milk by using fat and protein bulls.
“Longevity and somatic cell count are important considerations for us. The herd we had was all young; there was no longevity. We love having cows for as long as we can.”
was away working, driving stock trucks in the North Island,” she says.
James works on the farm during spring, and for the rest of the year works off farm doing industry-related work such as driving stock trucks and tractor driving.
“It’s another income source for us,” Renae says. “The farm is mostly a one-person farm once the busy period is over and the crop are all in.”
Currently they milk 250 cows on 100ha at Balclutha for Hamish Anderson. They milk predominantly Holstein Friesians, with some Ayrshires.
In the 2023/24 season, they produced 380 kgMS per cow, a season Renae is happy to put behind her.
“We came into the most terrible year, with the worst drought – we had just over 500mm of rain in 12 months, which meant limited grass growth and a farm spending a year under too much pressure,” she says. “We get everything down here, from drought to snow.”
The farm had had limited re-grassing, so they hit the farm hard with re-grassing and over-sowing this season.
“The farm is turning around slowly,” Renae says proudly. “We are getting a lot of comments from local farmers saying that when they drive past, they can see a huge improvement in how the farm looks, which means we are tracking in the right direction.”
Last season, Renae set
a production target of 100,000 kgMS - around 400 kgMS/cow - on a system 2, predominantly grass-based system. They surpassed that target, achieving 109,000 kgMS, or 430 kgMS/cow.
Renae says she is surprised the herd did so well, considering the fact that in early October 2024, they lost 70% of the farm underwater in the floods that hit South Otago.
“We got 160mm of rain in 24 hours,” she says. “We got warning the rain was coming, so we had plenty of supplementary feed to get through and I thought I was as prepared as possible – but I just wasn’t prepared for how much of the farm went underwater.”
Renae says having
a sacrifice paddock to feed out on, and the extra supplement, meant the cows got through the stressful situation relatively unaffected – or so she thought, until the following months when the lame and sick cows kept coming.
“It was a very stressful few months, but we are now on the other side of the situation and we didn’t lose any cows through the ordeal, thankfully – the Friesians are tough girls,” she says.
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■ Owners: Hamish Anderson
■ Sharemilkers: Renae and James Martin
■ Location: Balclutha
■ Farm size: 100ha
■ Cows: 250 cows
■ Production: 109,000 kgMS
■ Stud name: Rosedene
‘COMMON SENSE’ cuts to government red tape will make it easier for New Zealand to deliver safe food to more markets.
This from the Minister of Food Safety
Andrew Hoggard who says the present system whereby NZ exporters of some products –especially dairy – need to go through a series of bureaucratic hoops to meet certain food labelling and other standards.
Now, so long as a product meets the
standards of the country it is being exported to, companies won’t be required to get an exemption to export from MPI. Hoggard says previously exemptions had to be applied for product by product –a system he describes as onerous and one that drove up costs,
created delays, and sometimes meant missed opportunities.
“The dairy sector, for example, has pointed out that composition requirements for dairy products vary significantly between countries, as their citizens often have different diets and
get their nutrition in different ways. The uncertainty and paperwork and compliance costs; give exporters more certainty, and allow them to manage their own compliance with overseas markets,” he says.
Hoggard says exporters have been clear
that the old system held back trade and innovation but now they have a streamlined approach that makes exporting easier and more efficient.
The chair of the Dairy Companies Association of New Zealand (DCANZ) Guy Roper believes that exporters could have missed out on millions of dollars in export earnings over recent years because of the requirement.
He says the change will make it easier for companies to export new, high-value, and innovative dairy products. And adds this is great news for the NZ economy at a time when every export dollar from every market matters.
“DCANZ is not aware of any other country requiring its dairy exporters to obtain gazetted exemptions from domestic compositional standards when they are not appropriate for the export market,” he told Dairy News
“These applications have often taken months to process, slowing the time to market for new products and have
put our exporters at a disadvantage to their overseas competitors,” he says.
Roper says a good example of this is that Europe has set higher ranges for vitamin D in formulated foods than New Zealand does, reflecting that our northern hemisphere counterparts receive less vitamin D from other sources, such as sunlight. But he says NZ’s requirements for selenium levels in formulated foods are higher than other countries, reflecting the low levels we have in our soils and therefore in our other food sources.
“Dairy exporters have been seeking this change for some years and are pleased the Government has removed this unnecessary and costly second-guessing of other countries’ regulatory competence,” he says.
Roper says having a streamlined and less duplicative regulatory approach around this is exactly the type of redtape reduction needed to support export growth.
THE DAIRY goat industry has also welcomed the changes, with Alastair Hulbert, CEO of the Waikatobased, farmer-owned dairy goat manufacturing business saying it’s come at a time when his business is progressing a new five-year growth strategy.
Hulbert says the removal of the time-intensive requirements is great news for the dairy goat industry and supports their strategy to grow infant formula sales into new and existing international markets.
“It allows us to get new product to market faster while maintaining high food safety standards, without the need to constantly seek exemptions under what was a self-imposed barrier to NZ export growth,” he says.
Hulbert says the change will also accelerate his company’s strategy to increase utilisation of their manufacturing facility and allow it to innovate for the business as well as those it manufactures on behalf of.
DAIRYNZ SAYS its plantain programme continues to deliver promising results, with new data confirming that modest levels of plantain in pastures reduce nitrogen leaching, offering farmers a practical, sciencebacked tool to meet environmental goals.
With three years now complete, preliminary findings from the Lincoln University farmlet trial show 26% reduction in nitrate (N) leaching with an average of 17% Ecotain plantain in the pasture. Results from the Massey farmlet trial show over four years, N leaching was reduced on average by 26% where
Ecotain plantain made up an average 25% in the pasture.
Research
that
Monitoring on four mid-Canterbury farms shows that an average of 10-15% plantain across the whole farm is achievable by including plantain as part of the seed mix at pasture renewal and by broadcasting seed across
the whole farm with fertiliser. The highest levels (20-40% plantain) are achieved in new swards 1-2 years after establishment.
The programme continues to show that plantain is a lowcost option to achieve significant reductions in N leaching without
impacting the farm system, explains Kate Fransen, DairyNZ’s plantain programme lead.
“Nitrogen leaching is an issue for many dairy
catchments, so we need practical, affordable solutions. Including plantain in your pasture is ‘low-hanging fruit’ for reducing N leaching—
and we now know you don’t need to have 30% plantain in your pasture to have the positive effect.
“Research shows that 17% plantain across the farm is enough to make a sizeable difference to N leaching, and that between 10 and 20% plantain across the farm is achievable and practical for many farmers,” she says. The final year of data collection is underway at the Lincoln site, while at Massey data collection is complete and final analysis is underway. The programme now turns its focus to adoption of plantain in targeted N sensitive catchments.
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MILKING IT understands a formal disciplinary process is being conducted by Victoria University of Wellington on what one of its academic Dr Mike Joy said about “hanging” dairy chief executives for nitrate leaching and poisoning waterways.
The process will be confidential for privacy reasons. So, we’ll never know the price Joy will pay for his comments on social media platform LinkedIn.
Whatever the outcome, let’s hope this is a lesson for everyone on what academic freedom is all about, the boundaries around it and the responsibility that goes with this privilege.
THE WAR of words between Southland farmers and Environment Southland over winter grazing inspections reflects a deep lack of trust among farmers for the regional council.
If the council is sending hefty invoices for misunderstanding around the rules, particularly around buffers and critical source areas, then things must change.
Where there is confusion about rules for setbacks and buffer zones, the council needs to take some responsibility for that.
As Feds point out farmers in Southland are doing their absolute best to follow best practice, and they expect the council to work with them, not against them.
LEGISLATION BEING drafted to bring back the controversial trade of live animal exports by sea is getting stuck in the cogs of Cabinet.
As Radio NZ reports, Associate Agriculture Minister Andrew Hoggard says the Parliamentary Counsel Office (PCO) was drafting the Animal Welfare Act amendment to bring back the trade - worth $374 million in 2022.
But the PCO was facing a high workload of drafting legislation.
Hoggard says he’s working on the final stages now.
“I am hopeful that I’ll be able to make some announcements shortly on this.”
Microchipping cows SHOULD COWS in NZ be microchipped?
One farmer, who recently lost $60,000 worth of calves from her Dannevirke farm, thinks so.
Jen Corbin told Morning Report it was the second time she and her husband have had stock stolen by cattle rustlers in as many years.
She said unlike domestic pets that were microchipped, all that was required in New Zealand to identify stock was an ear tag which was easily removed.
She called for the technology to be developed for use in stock because it was “the only way you’re going to be able to keep track of livestock”.
“It would make sense. If you can GPS track an animal through their skin. You know they can take them but if they go to sell them, then there’s a scan... and then it’s in there for life.”
SIR LOCKWOOD Smith has clearly and succinctly defined what academic freedom is all about, the boundaries around it and the responsibility that goes with this privilege. Yes, it allows academics to speak out freely within the boundaries of the law, but it’s not a licence to make questionable, outrageous statements and physically threaten people.
Mike Joy has forever been an outspoken commentator on environmental matters, and many of his views have irked farmers and pleased others. He, like some academics, has used this freedom to the limit and that is his right. But it’s clear that his latest outburst of suggesting that dairy industry CEOs could be “hanged” for, in Joy’s opinion, allowing babies to be harmed by dairy farming, is way outside the realm and boundaries of academic freedom.
What’s worse, his initial response to Federated Farmers criticism was that it was “tongue in cheek”. Next time Joy is at any airport and, ‘tongue in cheek’, says to security officers ‘there’s a bomb in my bag’, guess what will happen – quite a few nights at his majesty’s lockup and more!
Threats are no longer seen as a joking matter and can often lead to nutters picking up the narrative and doing the deed. Feds are right to challenge Joy and the university and many are now rightly questioning why Victoria didn’t take some immediate action other than working through internal HR processes.
The vice chancellor of the university has rightly apologised for Joy’s comments, but he needs to be aware this is more than just an over-the-top remark, rather it’s close to a threat to kill – a crime – and surely deserves more than an apology.
One wonders what the reaction of people such as Mike Joy might be if farmers, tongue in cheek, suggested academics should be hung for their comments about farming. Maybe the university needs to call Sir Lockwood for some sage advice.
-Peter Burke
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FONTERRA’S SALE of its consumer dairy business to Lactalis is a clear sign of the co-operative’s failure to compete in the branded consumer market.
Despite owning iconic New Zealand brands like Anchor, Mainland, and Perfect Italiano, Fonterra has been unable to compete in the global consumer market. The loss to foreign ownership of these well-known local brands is a tough pill to swallow for New Zealand consumers, but it highlights a reality: the small markets of New Zealand and Australia
could never match the scale and reach of Lactalis and other dairy giants such as Danone and Nestlé.
The reality is that consumer sales were always a minor part of Fonterra’s business, making up less than 10% of its NZ$25 billion annual revenue. Most of its business is in ingredients and foodservice. By contrast, Lactalis earns the majority of its €30.3 billion (NZ$55.1 billion) turnover from global consumer brands including Président, launched in 1968, Galbani, founded in 1882, and Parmalat, established in 1961. The company
operates more than 260 factories worldwide and sells its brands in more than 90 countries.
The contrast is not only about scale but also about history. Lactalis’s flagship brands have been building consumer loyalty for decades, in some cases for more than a century. Lactalis itself was founded in 1932. Fonterra, by comparison, was only formed in 2001 through the merger of New Zealand’s dairy co-operatives and the Dairy Board.
In consumer branding terms, Fonterra entered the game late, facing competitors with much longer legacies and deeper roots in global
markets. Anchor is its most recognised global brand, inherited from the New Zealand Dairy Board, and has existed since 1886. However, Fonterra has struggled to take the brand beyond Australasia, Britain and some select Asian countries.
Fonterra’s core business has always been in dairy ingredients, processing around 16 billion litres of milk each year. Competing in the consumer market, where margins are thin, marketing costs are high, and brand loyalty is deeply entrenched, has drained Fonterra’s resources and attention. Lactalis, however, has
long been structured to succeed in this space.
For Fonterra, exiting consumer brands is a strategic move back to its
strengths. For Lactalis, the acquisition adds trusted Australasian names to a strong portfolio of established brands
KIWIS ARE wasting less of their food than they were two years ago, and this has been enough to push New Zealand’s total household food waste bill lower, the 2025 Rabobank KiwiHarvest Food Waste survey has found.
The survey – done in late July – found the average New Zealand household reported wasting 10.9% of the food they bought each week, back from 12.2% in the 2023 survey.
This fall drove a drop in annual food waste per household (down to $1,364 from $1,510 in 2023) and a reduction in New Zealand’s overall
food waste bill. This fell to $3 billion per annum from $3.2 billion (fall of 6.25%) despite marginal increases in weekly household food spend and the number of households.
Rabobank partnered with food rescue charity KiwiHarvest in early 2020, as part of the bank’s wider commitment to work alongside its rural customers to support sustainable food production and its global vison around global food security. Rabobank has commissioned research examining Kiwis’ food waste habits since 2017 – the four most recent
editions of the research (2021,2022, 2023 & 2025) in collaboration with KiwiHarvest – to help raise awareness of this issue and, ultimately to reduce the volume of quality food we currently produce that ends up going to waste.
The latest drop in household food waste was the second consecutive fall recorded by the survey, following a reading of 13.4% in the 2022 survey.
KiwiHarvest CEO Angela Calver said it was encouraging to see food waste trending lower across recent years.
“It’s really pleasing to see things are
heading in the right direction. However, this year’s estimated food waste, valued at $3 billion, is still too high and remains a major concern,” she said.
“At average annual waste of 10.9% per household, Kiwi households are effectively throwing away nearly six weeks’ worth of groceries each year.”
Calver said with more Kiwi kids now living in households where food regularly runs out, demand for KiwiHarvest’s food rescue services had never been greater.
“Since the last food waste survey in mid-
With estimated food waste at 10.9%, Kiwi households are effectively throwing away 5.7 weeks’ worth of their total food spend each year.*
2023, KiwiHarvest has increased the volume of food that we rescue by 52%, and we are now providing the equivalent
•
*2025Rabobank-KiwiHarvestFoodWasteSurvey
of over 125,000 meals back into the community each week,’’ she said.
“With so many Kiwis in need, it’s crucial we continue to prioritise public education on food waste and ensure the amount of perfectly good food New Zealanders are wasting continues to fall.
“KiwiHarvest is committed to working with Rabobank and other partners to tackle this issue by empowering New Zealanders with practical information to help reduce food waste at home.”
Small improvements helping drive food waste lower, while Kiwis attitudes to, and knowledge of, food waste, were largely in line with 2023. Rabobank head of sustainable business development Blake Holgate said small improvements in a few key areas had helped drive the dip in estimated food waste recorded in the 2025 survey.
“The latest survey found there is now a larger group of Kiwis committed to addressing food waste with more saying they ‘strongly agree’ with statements including ‘I care about reducing food waste’ (33% strongly agree from 23%), ‘It annoys me when I waste food’ (38% from 30%), and ‘It annoys me when I see others wasting food’ (31% from 23%),” he said.
“The survey also found Kiwis’ knowledge of food production was on the rise with 37% saying they know ‘quite a bit’ or a ‘great deal’ about this topic, and this was showing up in growing food waste concerns related to the wasted efforts of farmers here in New Zealand and abroad.”
Holgate said these changes were filtering through to improvements in food waste related behaviours.
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THE MINISTRY for the Environment is joining as a national award sponsor in the Ballance Farm Environment Awards (BFEA from next year).
As part of the sponsorship, the Ministry will present the Biodiversity Award, which recognises the biological diversity of farming and growing businesses.
Andrew Hoggard, Associate Minister for the Environment (Biodiversity) says the award is a chance to acknowledge the leadership farmers are showing across New Zealand.
“The fantastic work that farmers are doing to protect nature on their land needs to be celebrated. Every day I see examples of landowners stepping up on their own initiative, investing their own time and resources because they care about the land.
“I’m looking forward to honouring those who are the best at this for next year’s awards.”
Farmers who protect nature on their land could have new income opportunities from the expansion of a New Zealand voluntary nature credits market. The Government’s vision is to expand the nature credit market to help build investor confidence and connect them with landowners who want to protect and enhance nature.
New Zealand Farm Environment Trust general manager Sarah Harris says the Ministry’s involvement strengthens the programme’s recognition of the critical role biodiversity plays in sustainable farming.
“We’re really excited to have the Ministry for the Environment joining with the Trust and the BFEA as a national sponsor. Their forwardthinking approach around biodiversity and nature credits will be a great addition to our sustainability story as we travel through our regions in 2026.”
Meanwhile, WaterForce has also
joined the awards as a regional sponsor in four regions – East Coast, Horizons, Canterbury, and Southland. They will sponsor the new Safe Water Recognition Award, celebrating farmers who demonstrate leadership in providing safe, clean drinking water on-farm through thoughtful system design, proactive testing, and responsible water management.
Paul Fairbrother, manager at WaterForce, says the sponsorship demonstrates the company’s commitment to sustainable water management on farms.
“WaterForce is proud to sponsor the Safe Water Recognition Award at the Ballance Farm Environment Awards. We are committed to ensuring access to clean, safe drinking water for all New Zealanders, and this sponsorship reflects our dedication to supporting sustainable practices that protect our precious water resources.”
Harris says it is wonderful to
welcome WaterForce back to the sponsor team.
“It’s great to have WaterForce back in the sponsor family. The new award focuses on drinking water, which closely aligns with our social sustainability pillar.”
He says these new sponsorships
reinforce the awards’ role in celebrating the full spectrum of sustainability, from biodiversity and ecosystem health through to water quality and community wellbeing.
Entries and nominations for the 2026 farm environment awards programme are open now.
MARK
DANIEL markd@ruralnews.co.nz
FIRST LOCALLYDEVELOPED FMD vaccine for Aus Foot and Mouth Disease outbreaks could have a detrimental impact on any country’s rural sector, as seen in the United Kingdom’s 2000 outbreak that saw the compulsory slaughter of over six million animals.
Closer to home, the disease is widespread in parts of Indonesia.
International collaboration between US company Tiba BioTech and the New South Wales (NSW) government means Australia is poised to begin producing the
first mRNA vaccine against FMD domestically, aimed at keeping the country safe from the ravages of an outbreak.
The vaccine, successfully tested at the German FriedrichLoeffler-Institut (FLI) in large animals, also offers short production timeframes, meaning response time to outbreaks is slashed.
Traditional FMD vaccines involve using large quantities of the virus cultivated under strict safety conditions, whereas mRNA vaccines can be produced without this process. The mRNA vaccine is fully synthetic and said to be safer and much faster to produce without the need to
use infectious material.
According to FLI, mRNA vaccines can be produced without any special biosafety requirements.
The vaccine was developed by Tiba scientists as part of an international research collaboration with the Elizabeth Macarthur Agricultural Institute and the RNA Institute at the University of New South Wales, with support from the NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development and Meat & Livestock Australia.
This success builds on earlier livestock vaccine research supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and Canada’s International
Development Research Centre.
“With this new development, Australia is now one of only a small number of countries with local capacity to produce a foot and mouth disease (FMD) vaccine,” said Tara Moriarty, Minister for Agriculture, Regional and Western NSW.
“Developing local manufacturing capacity to produce vaccines against emergency animal diseases is a critical priority so we can protect Australia’s livestock industries, our economy and our food supply,”
The FLI had announced in August that the vaccine had been successfully tested in cattle at Institute premises in Germany, with all vaccinated animals being fully protected and showing no signs of viral shedding or any other adverse effects.
The institute confirmed: “Two vaccinations at 4-week
intervals provide cattle with complete protection against clinical disease. Additionally, virus shedding in cattle infected after vaccination was reduced to such an extent that they are unlikely to infect other animals.”
To vaccinate vulnerable cattle, it has been suggested it might require up to one million doses in a region, so currently there is a need to scale up the vaccine and accelerate its journey from the lab to local mass scale production. However, before it can
be made available and scaled for markets, the vaccine needs to show that it meets Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority standards.
The FLI has said that studies are also needed to determine whether adequate protection can be achieved with a single dose of the vaccine, and how quickly that protection develops after vaccination. Further information notes that the vaccine can be stored long-term at standard refrigeration temperatures, or at
room temperature for at least 1 month – a critical advantage in livestock applications.
Although Australia has been FMD-free since 1872, the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences estimates the impact of a widespread incursion of FMD could cost AU$80 billion to Australia’s livestock industry over a 10-year period. Australia’s national science agency CSIRO says the disease is still considered the most serious biosecurity threat to Australia’s livestock industries.
• Rolls up to 15m wide, therefore fewer joins which means
• Design assistance and
• Material
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MARK DANIEL markd@ruralnews.co.nz
OFFICIALLY LAUNCHED at the National Fieldays event in June, the Leader in-line conventional PRO 1900 balers are imported and distributed by Cambridge-based Ag Tech-Global Ag Solutions, who were appointed worldwide agents for Leader balers earlier this year.
Director Andre Syben, who has visited the Waifang, China manufacturing facility multiple times over the last 12 months says they have initiated extremely high standards of quality control and made some refinements to the balers to ensure they are suitable for overseas markets.
We will be offering sales and an extensive spare parts inventory via our Cambridge warehouse.
“Those exacting standards are maintained as each completed machine destined for export is personally signed off by the company’s director of sales.”
Having been in production for over 5 years, with more than three thousand units rolling off the production line, finished units have been sold in the Chinese domestic market, Asia and South America.
“We will be offering sales and an extensive spare parts inventory via our Cambridge warehouse, with overnight parts delivery throughout New Zealand. Local independent service agents are currently being appointed throughout the country for after
sales support. The baler’s offer high performance at a very cost-effective price, typically around 35% less than comparable competitor products,” says Andre.
Looking at the product in more detail, up front a heavy-duty drawbar offers easy adjustment, while HD double-row bearings on the plunger and a reinforced needle frame deliver increased durability.
The low profile 1900mm wide pick-up features five centre-supported tine bars and twin hydraulic lift rams, in turn, feeding a 430mm wide centredelivery channel to feed the 356 x 457mm bale chamber. Bale density is controlled hydraulically, with oversized bale retainers to maintain the density achieved.
Featuring German-manufactured Rasspe knotters, kept clean by a blower fan, for reliability and durability, the baler operates at one hundred strokes per minute. It features overdimensioned sprockets and chains throughout, while also offering auto lubrication and chain oiling within the standard specification.
An extensive package of standard equipment includes an in-cab monitor, electronic bale counter, rear-view camera and a full LED work-light package. This is complemented with 10 ball twine storage capacity, rear toolboxes, flotation tyres and a spare part package.
Limited stock is currently available from the Cambridge warehouse, with all products covered by an extensive 12-month warranty. Ag-Tech also offers spare parts for existing in-line balers in NZ, such as the MF 1840 Series, at competitive prices.
GRASS SILAGE is pickled pasture, preserved through the conversion of its sugars into lactic acid by bacteria.
The process extends the shelf life of the pasture beyond what it would have if exposed to open air. To produce high-quality silage,
both the quality of the original pasture and the fermentation process are crucial. Ensuring optimal dry matter content, rapid wilting, proper compaction, and effective sealing can help retain the nutrients and feeding value of the silage. It’s essential to feed out
silage quickly once exposed to air to prevent spoilage.
It is impossible to produce high quality silage from low quality pasture, no matter how good the fermentation is. Both the quality of the ensiled pasture and the quality of the
fermentation must be considered.
When pasture is ensiled, its sugars are converted into lactic acid by bacteria. It is the lactic acid which pickles the pasture, allowing it to be preserved for a lot longer than it would have been if left in the open air.
When the work’s tough and the clock’s ticking, you want gear that pulls its weight day in and day out. Whether you’re feeding beet, silage, bales, or a mix of whatever’s on hand, the Combi Pro, Beater Wagon, and Titan Silage Wagons handle the lot with no fuss. Built strong with smart design so you spend less time fixing and more time feeding. Less waste, lower running costs, and proven to last in the roughest conditions. That’s gear you can trust.
With well-preserved silage, losses in feeding value during fermentation will be small, and the final silage will be only slightly lower in feeding value than the original pasture.
With wellpreserved silage, losses in feeding value during fermentation will be small.
Good quality pasture silage is a good source of energy and protein for a milking cow and can be used as a fibre source when feeding high sugar or starch feeds. However, a poor-quality pasture silage (made from low quality pasture, or ensiled with low quality fermentation, or both) will not support high milk yield and will only be suitable for dry cows, or as a fibre source to reduce risk of acidosis.
Losses when making pasture silage
Losses occur as sugars and protein in the grass is broken down by enzymes, and bacteria. This process starts as soon as the grass
is cut. Losses decrease quality as well as quantity, because it is the highly digestible components which are most rapidly broken down.
Losses during harvesting
Losses depend on the dry matter (DM) of the pasture. The optimum DM for silage is 25-30% because total DM loss is minimised.
■ Cut in the morning of a sunny day, for rapid wilting. Cutting after 1-2 days’ sunny weather will result in good sugar levels in the pasture, even when cut in the morning.
■ Avoid wilting for any more than 24 hours.
■ Compact the silage well. In a stack or pit, use the heaviest wheeled vehicle available.
■ Tractor wheels should not sink into the pile of pasture any further than the depth of rubber.
■ For baled silage make sure that a high density baler is used.
■ Seal the stack completely with a weighted, airtight cover. Wash old polythene before use to avoid contamination with the wrong bacteria.
MARK DANIEL markd@ruralnews.co.nz
POTTINGER HAS released details of its newly developed LIQUIDO F frontmounted, multi-purpose silage additive tank.
Designed to be used with a wide variety of different brands and
homogeneously to the flow of forage as it enters the machine.
A digital flowmeter measures the application rate in litres per hour, with easy adjustment using the +10% / -10% button, allowing application rates to be matched to forage flows and a farm’s individual
more nozzles to achieve application rates of up to 470 l/h. The F 3000 regulates the application rate automatically according to the defined target rate and current operating conditions, switching on the two additional nozzles automatically as required.
Additive flow can
waste. An additional option F 3000 model adjusts the application rates according to the driving speed, with flow increasing or reducing as speed increases or slows.
The system features the main freshwater tank, available in 200 or 400 litre versions, with a hand washing tank to
WITH AGRITECHNICA just around the corner, it’s no surprise to see manufacturers drip-feed some information of new products worth a closer look.
One of those is Kverneland, with a showing of its new Alentix twin-disc fertiliser spreaders, which feature the new RapidRate dosing system.
Located centrally on the machine, over the redesigned RotaFlow 100 spreading system, the patented rectangular system is designed to ensure a precise and even fertiliser flow, particularly on slopes or hilly terrain and the widest spreading width of 54m.
Featuring four weigh cells,
alongside a dual reference sensor, the system provides real-time automated weighing, while the new series is believed to be the first Tractor Implement Management (TIM) spreader that automatically adjusts the top link length to ensure the spreader remains level, while also monitoring and controlling the speed of the PTO output.
On a practical front, the rear cover folds to deliver a footstep/ platform for improved and safer access when filling or checking the hopper contents. The spreader also incorporates an integral parking stand when the machine is being stored. The series will debut to the public at Agritechnica in November. KV
Kickstart your calves full potential from day one. Use InjectaMin or InjectaMax B12 Multi-Mineral Injections.
Safe to administer from day one.
MARK DANIEL markd@ruralnews.co.nz
SKY AGRICULTURE was formed in 2020, bringing together the well-known European brands of Sulky, Prolog and Sky, under the oversight of the familyowned Burel Group.
Headquartered in north-west France at Chateauborg, the company specialises in cultivation, seed and fertiliser application, with a wide portfolio of machinery.
Recently launched, the company’s nextgeneration precision planter, the Sky Sonic is said to achieve seed placement accuracy over
This might see an operator drilling maize at 75 cm in the morning, followed by a switch to beans at 50 cm in the afternoon, without the need for tools.
99%, operating at speeds exceeding 12km/hr.
Available in six to nine row telescopic versions, or eight to twelve row folding versions, the Sonic integrates the RowMotion system as standard.
This allows row spacing to be modified in the field when changing crops without needing to disassemble any units, while also allowing some row units to be hydraulically lifted, allowing planting over a partial number of rows. This might see an operator drilling maize at 75 cm in the morning, followed by a switch to beans at 50 cm in the afternoon, without the need for tools.
The reduced angle of the double discsset at 9 degrees, rather than the more typical 12degrees- minimises soil disturbance and is complemented by a finely tuned vacuum system
to ensure optimum seed positioning, with no bounce or projection, even for the lightest species such as rapeseed, sunflower or beet. The retractable press wheel layout can be adjusted to suit specific conditionsparticularly in wet soils- to allow increased flexibility during the drilling season.
Offering hydraulic downforce of up to 350 kg per seeding unit, penetration and planting depth are optimized, even in difficult conditions, while an optional load
transfer system, allows increased weight from the tractor, guaranteeing efficiency on all types of soil.
A high level of standard equipment includes floating, parallelogram-mounted debris catchers, turbo discs for direct seeding, and double-dispensing micro-granulators to allow companion cropping. Full ISOBUS compatibility offers section cut-off, seed rate modulation and an integrated fertiliser hopper as required.
MARK DANIEL markd@ruralnews.co.nz
WITH THE price of fertiliser still significantly higher than 2024, there is an increased onus on ensuring its spread accurately at the correct rate.
German manufacturer Amazone looks to have amalgamated all its previously released accuracy enhancing features to introduce of a new high end, flagship spreader.
Developed over the last six years, the ZG-TS 01 AutoSpread, features additional technology alongside new software, meaning it can automatically self-adjust, which Amazone claims is an industry first.
Earlier bolt-on features such as the WindControlthe crosswind measuring system, the Border TS central border deflector and the ArgusTwin radar system that monitors the fertiliser prill trajectory, are joined by additional radar sensors at the rear of the machine. These
serve to monitor the distance the fertiliser is travelling behind the machine, with the combined information used to alter the drop point, application rate and speed of each of the hydraulically powered disc to maintain accurate application and coverage.
As part of the standard specification of the AutoSpread machine, Curve Control alters the left- and right-hand side of the spread area as the tractor “tracks” corners on the headland tramline.
In addition to the upgrade in technology and accuracy, the 4,200and 5,000-litre capacity spreaders also get a fresh look, incorporating mudguards that also double up as storage lockers for tools, fittings and the EasyCheck calibration mats.
1:
If the mower happens to encounter an obstacle, the design of the hinge enables the mower to move simultaneously backwards and upwards to ride over the obstacle. Once the obstacle is cleared the mower automatically returns to the cutting position.
The advanced suspension system ensures that the ground pressure is consistent across the entire cutterbar, resulting in a precise and clean cut.
2:
The unique solution of four brass shear pins protects the cutter bar gears from impact and subsequential damage. This effective but simple solution enables the mower to be repaired easily and cost-effectively in the field, often by the tractor driver.
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The SIP SILVERCUT range of mowers come standard with a full Two-Year Warranty, plus an additional third year of warranty subject to regular dealer servicing, resulting in worry free operation.
PERFECT PARTNER PASTURE’S
