Dairy News 17 October 2023 by Rural News Group

Global dairy prices on the comeback trail? PAGE 3

CRUNCHING GHG STATS FINGER TYPE OverseerFM MO-CO at work For delicate Page 19 crop Page 22

OCTOBER 17, 2023 ISSUE 529 // www.dairynews.co.nz

TIME TO MOVE ON

Fonterra Co-operative Council member Mike Montgomerie is selling his farm after 28 enjoyable years in the sector. PAGE 5

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DAIRY NEWS OCTOBER 17, 2023

NEWS // 3

El Nino’s helping hand for global dairy prices SUDESH KISSUN sudeshk@ruralnews.co.nz

Moisture probes on farm PG.08

Wool grower turns to milking sheep. PG.11

First electric mixer wagon. PG.23

NEWS �� 3-14 AGRIBUSINESS ��15 OPINION ��16-17 MANAGEMENT ��18-19 ANIMAL HEALTH ��21 MACHINERY & PRODUCTS ��22-23

GLOBAL DAIRY prices are clawing back lost ground and farmers may need to thank the weather gods for this. The onset of El Niño – set to bring dramatic temperature swings during the next three months, may already be impacting milk production around New Zealand. Lower milk production out of the key NZ market will put upward pressure on global dairy prices. Some analysts believe the recent resurgence in global dairy prices on Global Dairy Trade (GDT) auction could be linked to worries around NZ milk production. BNZ senior economist Doug Steel says they are now factoring in more of the rising risk of El Niño. “Recent adverse weather, generally low milk prices, and elevated costs have already presented a challenging start to the dairy season,” he says. “Fonterra recently noted reduced milk production in the North Island, seen as ‘a result of both costs and weather’.” NZ milk production fell 0.9% year-on-year in August, notes Steel. “All considered, we have lowered our forecast for this season’s milk production to a decline of more than 1% from roughly flat previously. “If there is a silver lining here, some concern about NZ milk production appears to have contributed to arresting a large and lengthy decline in dairy prices. This is hardly

Doug Steel

the best way to generate price support, but it looks to be part of the mix.” BNZ lifted its forecast milk price for the season by 55c to $7.25/ kgMS, a few days before Fonterra announced a revision of its forecast milk price range. The co-operative raised its price range to $6.50 - $8/kgMS, with a new midpoint of $7.25/kgMS, up 50 cents. Fonterra chief executive Miles Hurrell says the improved outlook reflects both supply and demand dynamics. “Here in New Zealand we’re forecasting collections to be slightly below last season, while aggregate milk growth in key export countries is expected to be below average for FY24. The El Niño weather pattern may have further impacts

on supply, and this could be driving recent buyer sentiment,” he says. “On the demand side, we have seen increases in recent Global Dairy Trade events. While this has been encouraging, it is not yet clear whether the stronger demand from China will be sustained. For other key regions, customers remain relatively cautious in terms of their forward purchases.” But Hurrell warns that it is early days and the co-op still faces significant exposure to volatility in commodity prices. Exchange rate volatility is another factor to keep in mind, he adds. “Our foreign exchange hedging strategy is designed to help lessen the impact of this, and also supports a higher advance rate level than

would be possible without hedging.” GDT auction prices have surged in recent events, bouncing about 12% off their mid-August low. Steel notes that developments elsewhere appear to have also played a role in the bounce in dairy prices, including cost and weather challenges in other major producing areas. “Some better (or less weak) news out of China of late has at least helped sentiment. Scheduled changes as part of the China-NZ FTA on 1 January are also supportive. Some demand signals have improved. “Dairy prices also tend to be positively correlated with oil prices with the latter considerably higher than a few months ago. We see this correlation as the result of connections through various channels, one of which is changing dairy demand from oil producers with oil price fluctuations.” OPEC nations have been sizeable buyers of NZ core dairy exports, at just under $3b annually. That is a bit over 40% of what China buys from NZ, dairy-wise, so it is significant, he notes. But Steel cautions that none of this is to say dairy prices are strong. “Off the lows dairy prices may be, but they are still 18% lower than a year ago. So neither the recent bounce in GDT prices, nor the above associated developments to date, point to a high milk price in NZ. “But, collectively, they have lessened downside risks and increased the chance Fonterra’s 2023/24 milk price can be $7 or more.”

DAIRY NEWS OCTOBER 17, 2023

4 // NEWS

Despite challenges, dairying has a great future – van der Poel NEW BOARD MEMBER FOR DAIRYNZ

PETER BURKE peterb@ruralnews.co.nz

DESPITE ALL the chal-

lenges the dairy industry is facing, DairyNZ chair Jim van der Poel believes the sector has a good future. He made the comments to Dairy News shortly after being reelected to the DairyNZ board for another term at its annual general meeting in Te Awamutu last week. The Ohaupo farmer is highly likely to retain his chairmanship when the new DairyNZ board meets later this month. He says sometimes it’s easy to get bogged down by all the challenges the sector is facing, but he says it’s important to keep a positive eye on the future and see all the good things that are happening. At one stage there was talk that van der Poel would step down from the board, but he says one of the reasons for standing again was the fact that DairyNZ has a new chief executive, Campbell Parker, and his colleagues thought his standing for office again would ensure stability and continuity to the organisation. “I was conscious of

DairyNZ chair Jim van der Poel says it’s important to keep a positive eye on the future and see all the good things that are happening.

not wanting to outstay my welcome on the board but am very conscious of the need to make sure that there is room for the next generation to come through. “There are still things that need to be done and one of the things I will ensure is that there is a good succession plan in place for when I do step aside,” he says. Jim van der Poel says farmer confidence is an issue, especially with the low farmgate milk price, which is is below the breakeven point for many farmers, adding to the pressure, along with high cost inflation.

He says the recent Rabobank survey which showed farmer confidence at its lowest ever does not surprise him and says it aligns with DairyNZ’s own cow shed survey. “There is also a lot of uncertainty about what action a new government may take on several regulatory matters and how these might now be implemented. One of my main tasks if I am elected chair again will be to develop a positive relationship with new ministers with a view to resolving matters of great concern to dairy farmers,” he says.

Van der Poel says regardless of who is the government of the day, the role of DairyNZ is to respect their policies but also to ensure that any outcomes do not disadvantage farmers or the industry. He says with Parker coming in as the new CEO, this is the perfect time to look closely at DairyNZ and make sure that it is adding value to its members. He says the organisation has limited resources and there is an imperative to make sure that these are being allocated to projects that have the most benefit to dairy farmers.

DAIRYNZ CHAIR Jim van der Poel says last week’s annual meeting was a quiet affair and reasonably positive. He says it covered a range of issues, including some of the latest science DairyNZ has underway to support farmers long-term, including plantain and NZAEL. In his AGM speech, van der Poel discussed the challenging and busy year farmers have faced, including inflation and regulation issues, while highlighting some of the successes. “There is no doubt it has been Cameron Henderson a challenging year but, despite this, our farmers remain committed to delivering for their teams, families, animals and land. We produce world class products and should be incredibly proud of that,” he says. “DairyNZ is working with farmers to help them manage the current economic climate, so our sector can work through current cost pressures and continue producing high-quality products long-term. “We will also continue to work hard to find fair and practical solutions on issues that matter, advocacy on your behalf, including a solution to emissions that is better for farmers than the Emissions Trading Scheme.” At the AGM, Cameron Henderson, a dairy farmer from Oxford in North Canterbury, was elected to the board to replace

Colin Glass who did not seek re-election. Henderson and his wife Sarah milk 750 cows on 240ha and also lease a further 250ha for dairy support and arable. He’s been a farmer representative on the

He Waka Eka Noa steering group and is on the board of Ballance Agri-Nutrients. In the past he worked for DairyNZ as a farm systems developer. He says he’s excited about the future of dairy but the industry must have practical and science-led solutions, on farm and in policy. “DairyNZ has a lead role in delivering both, but needs to be better connected with its levy payers, listening not lecturing, and being more strategic about when to represent farmers and when to lead farmers,” he says. At the AGM, Mary-Anne Macleod was confirmed as an appointed director for another term, while Robbie Byars was also elected unopposed to the directors’ remuneration committee.

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DAIRY NEWS OCTOBER 17, 2023

NEWS // 5

Fonterra stalwart bows out SUSTAINABILITY NO FAD

SUDESH KISSUN sudeshk@ruralnews.co.nz

WHEN MIKE Montgomerie gave up his legal career 28 years ago to become a dairy farmer, his lawyer friends joked that he was moving from “bull #@*# to cow #@*#”. The fifth-generation dairy farmer and a founding Fonterra shareholder has come full circle; his Oreipunga Road farm in south Waikato is on the market and he’s preparing to leave the dairy after an “enjoyable” stint. With none of his children interested in dairying, the Fonterra Co-operative Council member says the time is right to bow out. Five years ago, he obtained a masters degree in environmental and agricultural law from Waikato University. “The only reason I’m going out of farming is because none of my kids are interested to continue the family tradition,” he told Dairy News. “There may possibly

SUSTAINABILITY IS not a fad and won’t go away, says retiring Fonterra Co-operative Council member Mike Montgomerie. He says sustainability will be an enduring feature of farming. He says Fonterra is moving in the right direction when it comes to improving its environmental footprint right across its business. Montgomerie believes farmers are also doing their fair share but admits that methane emissions are a hard nut to crack. He hopes that some technological solutions will come to farmers’ aid so that they can have a commercially viable,

Fonterra Co-operative Council member Mike Montgomerie is selling his farm and bowing out of the dairy industry.

be another career – we’ll have to wait and see.” Montgomerie, whose family is well-known in Auckland and Waikato farming circles, says he switched to dairy farming because he wasn’t enjoying being a junior lawyer in a big Wellington firm. “From being an underling at a corporate law firm to being your own boss on a Waikato farm was great.” Montgomerie started as a lower order sharemilker on his dad’s farm. With family help, he rose through the ranks into farm ownership. Over the

years he farmed a series of dairy farms around Cambridge. He’s a great supporter of the co-operative model and believes a strong Fonterra is crucial for the NZ dairy industry. While Montgomerie is happy with Fonterra’s current strategy, six years ago he was on the verge of leaving the co-op, frustrated with its performance. “I like where Fonterra is today, I like its strategic direction, focusing on NZ milk completely works for me,” he says. “But five years ago, I

was very close to leaving. Then I decided to stand for the council and try do my tiny bit to help. “Hopefully I have done my bit. “I’m certainly much more satisfied with the co-op today than I was five years ago.” In 2020, Montgomerie chaired the council’s governance & ethics committee and was one of two council representatives on the steering group that led the review of council. He is the current chair of the guardianship committee and has also chaired the con-

nection committee. He believes the council is crucial for Fonterra’s farmer shareholders. The split of governance and representation is important in the co-operative, he points out. “Council fulfils the important representation role because as farmers we are so much more than just shareholders,” he says. “I think that sometimes that gets lost. For example, if you own shares in a corporate on NZX, the day you don’t

cost-effective way of reducing emissions. “It will be brilliant for dairy farming. I understand there’s no silver bullet but once our emissions start heading in the right direction, it will provide a lot of comfort for NZ farming families, Fonterra and the banks.” He believes sustainability is crucial to maintain Fonterra’s international markets. “The sustainability piece is most important because of the rise in alternative proteins. If you don’t crack the methane emissions issues and you are up against alternatives who don’t have the same problems, it is going to be trouble for us.”

like that corporate anymore, you ring your broker, sell your shares are out of there tomorrow. “But we are so much more intertwined with our co-op. That’s why the council is important, to be a voice for farmers.” According to Montgomerie, Fonterra shareholders are more than “normal investors” in any other company. They are owners with control of the co-op, suppliers who send their milk to Fonterra process-

ing plants, investors with capital injected into the company and members of the Fonterra community. “We all have Fonterra signs on our gate; whatever Fonterra does in public and in the community affects us all,” he says. “So, it’s being more than a just shareholder, it’s different to normal investment in any other company. “Having the council as a voice of farmers that connects with the co-op is totally worth it.”

HASZARD TO HEAD WORKSAFE WORKSAFE HAS appointed Steve Haszard as the organisation’s next chief executive. Haszard started his new role last week for a term of up to 18 months. Work Safe chair Jennifer Kerr says, following the decision of current chief executive Phil Parkes to move on by the end of 2023, the WorkSafe

board moved quickly on a succession plan to enable an effective transition and to bring certainty of leadership. “Steve brings strengths in regulatory practice, organisational change, and strategy development and execution. His leadership experience will provide clarity for WorkSafe’s staff

and system partners throughout this period of change. “Steve’s immediate priorities will be to lead WorkSafe through its organisational change process, drive the articulation of our strategy and implement the response to the Strategic Baseline Review.” On October 9, Parkes moved into

the role of strategic advisor to the chief executive to support the transition period and will continue to lead several key projects which underpin WorkSafe’s core regulatory functions until he finishes by the end of 2023. “Steve will focus on WorkSafe’s future from day one, and the organisation will continue to benefit from

Phil Parkes’ experience, institutional knowledge and strong relationships within the health and safety system. “Phil has led WorkSafe through some challenging times, including Whakaari and Covid-19, while contributing to healthier and safer outcomes for New Zealanders,” says Kerr.

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DAIRY NEWS OCTOBER 17, 2023

6 // NEWS

A ‘slick’ solution for heat tolerance programme JESSICA MARSHALL jessica@ruralnews.co.nz

AN ADVANCEMENT

in tests on heat tolerant cows could mean good things for the dairy industry. Livestock Improvement Corporation (LIC) has been working to investigate how slickcoated cows – cows bred with the ‘slick’ variation – fare in colder climates. Cows typically experience heat stress on days 22°C with 75% humidity, something LIC says is a concern because NIWA predicts that by the end of the century, the frequency of ‘hot days’ with maximum temperatures exceeding 25°C will double under modest modelling scenarios. LIC chief scientist Richard Spelman says the slick variation was discovered approximately a decade ago in Senepol, a Caribbean beef bred, and since then LIC has been cross-breeding Senepol cows with New Zealand dairy cattle. “Where we’ve got to now is that we have animals on the ground which only have about 3% of the Senepol breed still in them and they also have the slick variation.

LIC scientists are advancing their quest to breed cows that are more tolerant to heat.

The other 97% is elite New Zealand dairy genetics,” says Spelman. The programme has found that cows with the slick variation have lower rumen temperatures (0.51.0°C) when compared with non-slick cows under certain temperature and humidity conditions. Spelman says that the major question that has been asked is whether the heat tolerant cows are

more cold sensitive. Subsequently, LIC has worked with both Lincoln University and Massey University to test that cold sensitivity. “It wasn’t a very controlled setting,” Spelman says of the initial trial. “You were really dependent on whether you’ve got a cold day so you couldn’t really control it at all.” The solution that was found to this issue which

was used in the trials performed this year was to use a refrigerated shipping container that has been modified and then the temperature can be changed. The result of the trial was that both control animals (cows without the slick variation) and the slick animals reacted the same to the cold temperatures. “We’re really pleased to see that they [the slick

Better quota system for exports PETER BURKE peterb@ruralnews.co.nz

THE WAY government regulates the amount of dairy products a company can export is to change. But it will be at least a year before this comes into force. Quota allocations are currently based on each dairy company’s share of milksolids collected from farmers. However, this excludes businesses who don’t collect milksolids but who still want to export dairy products into quota markets. However, Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor says the new, improved system will instead move to allocation based on each company’s share of total

exports by volume of the relevant product, including exports to non-quota markets. He says it will help to boost NZ’s $26 billion dairy export industry. The present system which is administered by MPI was introduced in 2007, and O’Connor says it is no longer fit for purpose. “Things have changed, including the fact that since 2017, New Zealand has signed seven new or upgraded Free Trade Agreements (FTAs). NZ now has several new dairy quotas including the European Union and the United Kingdom. The new quota system will make sure that our dairy exporters are able to get the most out of these market opportunities,” he says. O’Connor says moving away

from the prohibitive milksolids model will also open up quota access for non-bovine dairy exports – like sheep and goat products – and provide new room for growth and innovation. “These changes will ensure that we have a dairy quota system that is fair and provides opportunities for everyone – including small businesses and Māori enterprises,” he says. The improvements to the dairy export quota system will require amendments to the Dairy Industry Restructuring Act 2021 (DIRA) to be passed by Parliament. The soonest the changes could be in place is by late 2024, meaning that the 2025 dairy export quota allocation round could be made under the new system.

cows] aren’t more sensitive to the cold which is an important one for us as we continue to invest quite heavily into the breeding programme so these animals will be robust under cold conditions and better under warm conditions,” Spelman explains. Spelman says that overall LIC’s research into the slick variation could have a positive impact for the industry.

“A lot of the information that we have for the future is around the forecast of increased dry or hot days through summer,” he says. “So, if we take those assumptions, we’ll have more hot days, these animals won’t be affected by the heat so the animal welfare of the animals will be better,” Spelman explains. “The expectation is that they will

continue to eat and potentially produce more milk through that hot period as well because they won’t be affected quite as much.” Spelman says the next step for the programme is to undertake a round of mating this spring and if progress continues as planned, Kiwi farmers will be able to breed heat tolerant cows by 2029. @dairy_news facebook.com/dairynews

M.BOVIS PROBE MINISTRY FOR Primary Industries (MPI)

investigations into the outbreak of a single case of Mycoplasma bovis on a Canterbury dairy farm are continuing. M. bovis eradication programme head Simon Andrew says it could be several months yet before MPI is satisfied that this outbreak is contained and that there are no other cases. The outbreak on the farm, which runs about 1600 cows in the Selwyn District, was picked up by routine bulk tank screening and came just months after it was thought that M. bovis had been eradicated in the country. But at the time, Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor warned that with spring coming, there was the possibility of new cases being found. At present, MPI is carrying out special testing on ten farms adjacent to the infected property. Andrew says they are also continuing to investigate any stock movements, either to or from the dairy farm at the centre of the

investigation. Normal bulk tank screening is also continuing throughout the country. He describes the investigation as quite methodical and far reaching and says accurate NAIT records are a key factor for him and his staff. “We rely so much on NAIT records. It’s important that farmers keep these up to date, because when they are not up to date, it is much harder for us to find missing links in the chain of animal movements. From a farmer’s perspective, if their records are good, the testing process is much faster and any restrictions on farmers can be lifted earlier,” he says. He says the other major help in the investigation is genomics. At this stage it appears the infected farm has the strain of M. bovis known as type 21, which is the same as previous infections. In coming weeks, the MPI team will continue their investigations and testing, and will be working with and supporting the farmer and their family as they move to cull the cows from that property – Peter Burke

DAIRY NEWS OCTOBER 17, 2023

NEWS // 7

Technology the key to attracting staff PETER BURKE peterb@ruralnews.co.nz

ON FARM innovation and

technology is something new career dairy farmers are looking for when applying for jobs. According to Dr Callum Eastwood, a DairyNZ specialist in farm technology, getting people to work on farms has historically always been challenging. He says, when talking to young people looking to enter the dairy sector, a factor that will influence their decisions to accept or reject a job is how much technology is on a given farm. “For example, what is the milking shed like? Does it have a modern rotary and are approaches to farming modern and innovative?” Eastwood’s comments come in the light of a recent DairyNZ survey on what technology is being applied on NZ dairy farms and what sort of technologies farmers see as priority in the future. He says the survey shows a significant rise in the use of ‘wearables’ on farm, noting that five years ago only 3% of farms were using these, but it is now 16%. Eastwood says that when farmers were asked what technology they would like to invest in most in the future, 33% said cow wearables. An interesting point in the survey is that 30% of

farmers using wearables had rotary sheds, while only 10% had herringbone sheds. Eastwood says this could be because farmers with rotary sheds have larger herds or are perhaps newer entrants to the dairy sector, particularly those in parts of the South Island. He says the use of automatic cup removers, automatic teat spraying and automatic drafting are high on the list for farmers. Certain smartphones apps are also in use. All of these may lead to labour savings. “In terms of heat detection, the wearables provide some consistency on this issue for a farmer. Detecting heat manually is a very skilled job and when there are large teams on a farm, it often means that a highly skilled team member is allocated to this task. “The use of wearables for heat detection means that this very experienced person can be used for other important duties around the farm. Technology does this job well and provides flexibility around the farm,” he says. Farmers have told DairyNZ the reason they are embracing the use of wearables is that they can be installed regardless of the existing milking infrastructure and often result in reducing labour costs. Eastwood says other technologies such as virtual fencing and herding offer good time saving

benefits. But he says there are many farmers who embrace technology yet believe staff still need the basic animal husbandry skills when technology fails for whatever reason. One issue highlighted

not uncommon due to adverse weather events and earthquakes. He says this question was added to the survey at the last minute in the light of Cyclones Hale and Gabrielle

DairyNZ’s farm technology specialist, Callum Eastwood.

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EARLY ADOPTERS CALLUM EASTWOOD says NZ dairy farmers have been early adopters of in-shed automation, mainly because of the average size of our dairy herds (450 cows) compared to the average herd size in many Northern Hemisphere countries (about 100 cows). He says while he hasn’t seen any specific data, he believes wearables have taken off in many countries such as Ireland which have similar issues to NZ. But he says there is a difference when it comes to robotic milking systems. “In NZ, there are roughly 30 farms out of 11,000 that have robotic milking systems in place, whereas in countries such as Denmark and the Netherland around 30% of farmers have robotic systems,” he says. Eastwood says it is probably a reflection of their small herd sizes. But overall, in the last five years there has been a significant jump in the use of technology on NZ dairy farms and the evidence suggests that this will continue to improve profitability and overall performance.

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DAIRY NEWS OCTOBER 17, 2023

8 // NEWS

Self-spreading fert to help keep costs down WITH SPRING fertiliser season underway, more dairy farmers are anticipated to turn to selfspreading to help keep costs down, according to Precision Farming head of sales, Aaron Wilson. Wilson (51) has farmed all his life and now owns a 900ha selfcontained dairy operation in Northern Southland. He knows firsthand the challenges facing dairy farmers. “We’re all trying to do more with less right now to protect our bottom line, not just for the immediate future, but for the long term. We all know the decisions we make this season will have implications for the next,” he says. “We expect more dairy farmers to be selfspreading this spring, and I anticipate that application volumes will be down. If that’s the case, what they do put on needs to be done well to maximise returns and minimise wastage.” Wilson says there are

DATA MANAGEMENT KEEPING ACCURATE records of fertiliser applications is crucial, not just for compliance purposes but also for informed decision-making to maximise your investment. Aaron suggests leveraging GPS systems for recordkeeping and integrating these records into digital platforms for easy accessibility and analysis. “Traditionally, we’ve all used notebooks we keep in our pockets or a hard copy of a map at the cow shed,” says Aaron Wilson. “Having this proof of application data in digital form will make N-cap reporting easier because it’s easily transferrable. It also saves time manually re-entering data and prevents it from getting lost or destroyed. If your map goes through the wash or falls into a trough, then what do you do?” And if farmers already have a GPS guidance and tracking system in their tractor, Aaron encourages them to get it connected to their fertiliser co-op. “A record of what you put where will automatically be sent back to your co-op. It will make life easier for N-Cap and when it comes to developing your Freshwater Farm Plan, which all farmers need to have in place by 2025.”

a few key things dairy farmers can do to ensure they get the best value for their efforts if they are self-spreading. “Timing is the key to farming, and that applies to self-spreading too. Monitor the timing of

your applications and do what suits your unique farm system. “Being just four or five days ahead of livestock can make a significant difference in ensuring optimal results. As always, weather con-

Precision Farming head of sales, Aaron Wilson.

ditions will play a crucial role.” Precision will be more important than ever when applying fertiliser this spring. Aaron advises farmers to use GPS guidance to ensure consistent and precise spreading, reducing wastage and optimising coverage.

“Even if you can make a 5-10% saving just by applying your fertiliser more accurately, why wouldn’t you? Overlaps and underlaps can make a big difference. There is also the opportunity cost from spending time in the paddock but not optimising fertiliser placement to grow grass

properly and wasting it.” Wilson says using any GPS guidance to help with self-spreading will improve accuracy of application and help get more consistent placement. “This will be important too if you have different members of your team self-spreading with different abilities. For farmers who don’t already have a GPS system in their tractor, there are some great free apps available, which can save time and money.” Wilson encourages farmers to spend time calibrating their spreading equipment. “Even with older spreaders, you can use a simple method of calibration by measuring output over a specific distance. This will help fine-tune the spreading process for better results,” he says. “Check your spreader and make sure that it’s actually fit for purpose before you head out into the paddock. You can easily and cheaply cal-

ibrate the application speed by getting an ice cream container and driving the spreader along and see what flows out the belt. Weigh it and then you can extrapolate out the volume to calculate your application rate.” Wilson says minimising the handling of fertiliser will help maintain its quality and ballistic performance. Crushed or deteriorated fertiliser may not spread evenly, leading to inconsistent results. “Ideally, you don’t want to handle the product too much, especially Urea. It will deteriorate and won’t spread so well if it’s been crushed a lot by driving around on a loader. “And if you’re going to do maintenance mixes or phosphate mixes, then you definitely want to make sure you select a brew that isn’t going to deteriorate if it’s sitting around for a few days waiting for you to spread it.”

MOISTURE PROBES ON DISPLAY FARMERS CAN follow and compare the readings of different soil moisture probes following the installation of a demonstration site at the Foundation for Arable Research’s Kowhai Farm at Lincoln. FAR technology manager Chris Smith says that the project aims to look at the various soil moisture monitoring services commercially available to arable growers. Nine different providers are represented. Growers are invited to log in to any of the providers’ portals to check out what moisture probe readings look like on the companies’ software platform. “By familiarising yourself with each one, you will see how easy it is to understand the information that is used to make management decisions.” Moisture probes are a valuable tool for managing the timing and application rate of irrigation, particularly at critical growth stages of a crop’s development, Smith says. Multi-level probes add an addi-

Moisture probes are a valuable tool for managing the timing and application rate of irrigation.

tional benefit for monitoring the movement and penetration of moisture in the root zone after a rain or irrigation event. Growers are encouraged to use moisture probes as part of their best practice for the irrigation audit process. “This is so they have evidence to justify application rates or timings

and prove that they are not creating potential leaching issues from overapplying, as they can illustrate they are keeping the moisture within the root zone.” Most probes also monitor soil temperature, which is useful at the shoulders of the season to make sure any irrigation events don’t cool down soils too much. Both temperature and

moisture are also critical measurements for fertiliser applications or planting timings. Probes can be calibrated, but it is important to realise most show a trend in a farm’s soil, getting proportionally drier or wetter in the root zone or at different depths within the soil profile, Smith says. “It is arguably of greater value

to have the field capacity and stress point for that specific probe set up correctly, taking into consideration the soil type, crop type and adjusted for growth stage (root zone depth). “That is why moisture probes should be installed by the providers, adjusting the graphs once the probe has bedded in and had a decent weather event. This is also the reason it is best to install them in winter, when setting these parameters is much easier, because of the opportunities to reach field capacity.” The season’s results will be reviewed in June each year. Farmers can access the moisture probe providers’ portals and logins on the FAR website at https://www.far. org.nz/research/research-resources/ moisture-probe-trial-at-kowhai. The providers are: Agri Water Services, Crop X, Halo Systems, OnFarm Data, Harvest Electronics, PGG Water, Primary Insight, Valley and Vantage NZ. @dairy_news facebook.com/dairynews

DAIRY NEWS OCTOBER 17, 2023

NEWS // 9

Farmer confidence hits new low PETER BURKE peterb@ruralnews.co.nz

CONCERN OVER the

outlook for commodity prices in the coming year coupled with rising on farm costs have pushed New Zealand farmer confidence to a new record low. The latest Rabobank Rural Confidence survey has found that farmer confidence now sits at minus 72% – the lowest reading in the 20-year history of the survey. The survey found 77% of farmers were expecting conditions in the broader agricultural economy to worsen over the next 12 months (up from 65% last quarter) with only 5% expecting conditions to improve (from 8% previously). The remaining 15% expected conditions to stay the same (24%

FARMGATE WOES THE SURVEY also found farmers were also less optimistic about the prospects for their own farm businesses with more than two-thirds of them now expecting this to worsen in the next 12 months. Bruce Weir says across both the dairy and sheep and beef sectors, more than three-quarters of farmers are now expecting the performance of their own operation to deteriorate, and only 1 in 20 is expecting conditions to improve. “As well, 12% of farmers viewed their farming operation as unviable this quarter (up from 8% previously), while there was also a lift in the number of farmers assessing their operation as ‘just viable’ (40% from 38% last quarter),” he says. Weir says the results of the latest survey reflected the incredibly tough conditions facing primary producers at the current time. He says Rabobank is running a series of workshops and seminars to help their farmer clients to deal with the present crisis. He says they are also urging farmers to look after their own health and wellbeing in the present environment. Rabobank New Zealand country banking general manager Bruce Weir says lower commodity prices is the chief source of farmer anxiety.

previously). While a swathe of farmer concerns was contributing to record low sentiment, Rabobank New Zealand country

banking general manager Bruce Weir says lower commodity prices had now emerged as the chief source of farmer anxiety. “It was not surprising

to see more than half of farmers (54%) with a negative outlook identifying ‘falling commodity prices’ as a reason for their pes-

simistic view on the year ahead. Fonterra’s subsequent revision of the milk price earlier in the week to a new mid-point of

$7.25 kgMS was a significant boost for the industry, however, this lift was made after the survey period and is therefore

not reflected in the latest results,” he says. Weir says the second biggest concern for farmers was rising input costs. He says prices for key farm inputs like fertiliser, fuel and feed all remain stubbornly high and, with farm income now significantly lower, farmers’ central focus at the present time is on identifying how they can strip unnecessary costs out of their businesses over the months ahead. ”The other key concerns cited by farmers in the latest survey were government policies (35%), overseas markets (29%) and ‘rising interest rates’ (18%). This was the first time since mid-2020 that we’ve seen government policy slip outside the top two reasons for farmer concern,” he says. @dairy_news facebook.com/dairynews

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DAIRY NEWS OCTOBER 17, 2023

NEWS // 11

Long-term wool grower turns to milking sheep JOE CATHERWOOD has

been a client of PGG Wrightson Wool throughout his farming career. He farms 320ha at Charing Cross, Central Canterbury, a property his father purchased in 1953 and which Joe and his brother John took over in 1976. Joe bought John’s share of the farm in 2000. Until a few years ago the farm only carried sheep, then when irrigation from the Central Plains Water scheme became available, Joe also began growing crops. “Although I milked our house cow for ten years after I left school, cows don’t interest me. I prefer sheep. When the irrigation scheme was built we needed to pay for it, so I needed to increase my returns. I’ve always kept a few pet lambs, and in 2017 started milking some of my ewes, freezing their milk to feed to the following year’s pet lambs,” says Joe. Initially planning to milk 50 odd sheep, seven years later his mob of milking ewes now numbers almost 1000, for the last three seasons supplying Kirwee-based Sheep Milk NZ. “What we do is still conventional farming. I want ewes to raise fat lambs, big enough to send away in November. We aim to gross around $500 per ewe: producing 1.5 lambs each, feed and wean the lambs, then we milk the ewes for around 100 days to increase those returns.” Unlike many other sheep milk operations, Joe leaves the lambs with his ewes until weaned, or heavy enough to kill at 17 to 18 kilograms. “Some farmers take the lambs off after three days, giving the ewes around 200 days in milk. If you hand-rear the lambs, you have to buy in milk powder, then you struggle to put enough condition on your lambs to send them away by December. With the milk genetics in the ewes, raising robust lambs is also

PASTURE MIX FARM MANAGER Dudley Cridge developed a pasture mix for the milking mob. Rather than putting them on just lucerne or just ryegrass, Dudley’s pasture mix includes lucerne, red clover, white clover and plantain, markedly increasing both the overall production and the quantity of milk solids. Although Joe’s flock have some East Friesian in their genetics, LM is keen on the original Dutch breed, the Zwartble. “The Zwartble is the original milk, meat and fibre sheep. In the 1800s farmers selected for white sheep in the flocks and the East Friesian breed, which produced less meat, lower quality fibre and larger milk volumes, was born. “East Friesians are a more fragile breed and are traditionally raised inside in sheds, meaning their lambs can struggle outdoors in the New Zealand winter. “More hardy than East Friesians, Zwartbles are a mainly black sheep, tall, naturally polled, with a white blaze, white socks and a white tip on the tail. They are excellent mothers, docile, produce a fat lamb, able to raise triplets and produce plenty of total solids in their milk,” she says. LM has a small number of Zwartble sheep, and the genetics have good characteristics for the system Joe is developing.

more difficult. I prefer not to complicate it,” he says. Joe says experimenting with genetics has helped increase milk production. “East Friesian is the standard breed for milking sheep overseas, though they are scatty and not that easy to deal with. I have created a Catherwood Cross by putting some Texel, Romney, Poll Dorset and Composite breeds across the flock to give them a bit more condition. “Our Catherwood Cross milking ewes have good udder conformation, are hardy, and produce a fat lamb. An easy milking sheep needs a bare belly, a bare udder, and a bare rear end, though going too far with the shedding genetics can compromise the wool. We still want wool, though we also like the sheep nice and clean underneath, making them easier to milk.” To help milk his flock Joe calls in LM, who also owns Almae Sheep Stud, plus his farm manager Dudley Cridge, who are both also keen advocates of sheep milk. “If you drink a glass of cow milk it takes around four hours to digest, a

long time to wait for the nutritional benefit, and one of the reasons dairy products can affect gut tolerance for some people,” according to LM. “A glass of sheep milk takes around 40 minutes to digest, providing a combination of proteins, fats, vitamins and minerals that help support gut health, a healthy heart and reduced cholesterol levels. The human body is better attuned to sheep milk, which is naturally A2 and naturally homogenised. “Farming sheep is gentler on the environment than a dairy farm, with less nitrogen leeching and greenhouse gas emissions. “One litre of sheep milk accounts for around one third of the carbon footprint of the same quantity of cow milk. In addition, AgResearch projects found the sheep genetics associated with low methane production correspond to higher productivity for both meat and milk. Scanning suggests this is due to the composition of the rumen in animals with those favourable genetics, so you can breed for a better producing sheep that also has a lower

The 16 bale mobile herringbone milking unit with a 1000 litre vat and generator mounted on a custom truck. PIC: KIM LEWIS

Central Canterbury farmer, Joe Catherwood, now has a milking mob of up to 1,000 ewes. CREDIT: KIM LEWIS

SHEEP RETURNS DOUG MCKAY has been Joe’s PGG Wrightson Wool rep for the past 25 years, taking all his wool, which hasn’t changed since he started milking. “It’s great to see Joe, Dudley and LM leading the way with some fresh thinking to improve their productivity. If this comes off and others follow, we could see sheep returning to the Canterbury Plains in greater numbers,” he says. Greater numbers are indicated by Sheep Milk NZ owner Matt Jones, who milks his own sheep, takes milk from Joe and a handful of other suppliers, and produces fresh sheep milk and cheese for sale online and through supermarkets nationwide. His plans include a dry-

environmental impact.” The percentage of total solids in sheep milk is also higher than the equivalent in cow milk, which is what a farmer is

ing plant to create milk powder, which will require a significant increase of Canterbury’s total tally of milking sheep. Although the prospects for sheep milk might be bright, Joe is not getting carried away. “I enjoy sheep and enjoy doing something different with them. However, there’s a fair amount of labour and cost involved, and while we are breaking even, it’s not yet a big money making thing, though who knows what the future might bring?” The Catherwood’s sheep milk is used in Jones Family Farm cheeses, which can be found at New World, Pak’n’Save and Four Square supermarkets.

paid for, total solids, LM says. “So why grow water? It requires more water to create the same amount of protein from cow milk

than from sheep milk. Particularly taking into account research into environmental sustainability, sheep are more efficient at turning pas-

ture into protein than cows,” says LM. While others milk sheep twice a day, Joe’s team do it once, using a 16-bale mobile herringbone milking unit with a 1000 litre vat and generator mounted on a custom truck anywhere on the farm. “We start just before dawn and it takes around 15 minutes to milk 16 ewes. It’s a low stress job and the ewes come through in the same order each morning. The plant can be run by one milk harvester, or up to three. If I’m on my own my dog Tippi makes sure the ewes walk onto and off the plant without barking or stressing the ewes,” says LM.

DAIRY NEWS OCTOBER 17, 2023

12 // NEWS

Biodiversity credits to fund land use? A MARKET for biodiver-

sity credits is one financing option that could be instrumental in helping New Zealand farmers fund land-use change to meet environmental targets, according to a new study. The Options for Rural Investment project was carried out by Perrin Ag and GHA Chartered Accountants and Management Consultants as part of the Government’s ‘Our Land and Water National Science Challenge’. The year-long study evaluated 17 different funding models to sup-

port land-use change and saw researchers run a series of workshops with farmers, industry leaders and experts to understand the obstacles to land-use change and financing solutions that could overcome them. Funding models assessed by the research team ranged from traditional debt financing and private investment to creating a market for biodiversity credits. “New Zealand farmers are being prompted to diversify their farm systems to make their businesses resilient to climate change and meet

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Research shows some types of land-use change were struggling to obtain the necessary funding to get them off the ground. Inset: Perrin Ag principal consultant Carla Muller.

environmental expectations, but funding isn’t always easy to access because the change is less financially viable or the land or enterprise doesn’t fit the traditional debt model,” says the report’s co-author, Perrin Ag principal consultant Carla Muller. “Our research showed some types of land-use change were struggling to obtain the necessary funding to get them off the ground. “Landowners need new and innovative financing solutions to help them overcome barriers to land diversification. We hope our findings further the conversation about different models that could be available and help some farmers find a solution that works for their situation.” One solution that stood out as having the

most potential was the creation of biodiversity credits. “While this is used in some smaller or private transactions, such as by Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari, there is significant potential for a larger public market to be developed,” says Muller. “The Government is looking closely at this through their consultation document released in July as are other countries, such as Australia. “New products such as biodiversity credits seem to have real potential for encouraging landowners to undertake land use and land management change that is environmentally friendly,” says Carla. “However, New Zealand does not yet have a public biodiversity credit scheme.” She says the primary risks of creating a public market for biodiversity credits are around the design, longevity and the credibility of any market

and the risk of perverse outcomes if it was not well designed. “Examples like the carbon credit scheme through the New Zealand ETS has had success at incentivising land-use change, but the outcomes of this have been met with mixed reviews. “It is incredibly complicated to create wellfunctioning public markets and there is significant work that needs to be done before this financing solution can realise its potential,” says Muller. “Consideration needs to be given to what we are actually selling, who can purchase credits generated and how these are measurable and auditable.” The project also saw significant potential in the use of collectives, such as New Zealand’s successful catchment collectives, to combine projects to a scale where these are attractive to

domestic and international philanthropic funders. “There is significant philanthropic funding available, but they typically want big hero projects, and we need to organise our projects in this type of way,” says Carla. “We then need to work out how to better connect our projects and farmers with those sources of potential funding.” Other options assessed had potential but still faced big challenges. “Sustainability-linked loans are great, but you still have to be approved for bank debt,” says Muller. “Equity funding typically requires farmers to cede control of their asset, which is uncomfortable in many instances and non-traditional lenders such as regional council loan schemes are no longer operating due to changing

lending requirements. “There is not one single novel financing solution that will be suitable for all situations, but we hope our research will encourage important conversations about the potential options that might be available.” This project identified key actions for each of the financing options, as well as generic recommendations for each one. The project team is in the process of sharing these findings with key stakeholders including banks, central government, and rural advisors. For farmers who need to make changes and can’t access traditional funding, Muller encourages them to consider the funding options presented in the report. They can assess whether they would be suitable for their situation and potentially identify some options that may support the changes they need to make.

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DAIRY NEWS OCTOBER 17, 2023

WORLD NEWS // 13

Indonesia launches first locally produced organic cheese PRODUCTION OF the first ever locally-produced organic cheese was celebrated in Indonesia recently. The cheese is the tangible result of a project bringing together Danish agricultural expertise with local Indonesian partners to improve the Indonesian dairy sector and showcase the opportunities within organic dairy farming. Production lines started running last month on the firstever Indonesian organic cheese, a milestone for the dairy sector in the island country with a population of 273 million. The cheese, produced by local artisanal manufacturer Mazaraat Artisan Cheese, has been aided by a Danida-funded project aiming to unlock the potential of organic production in Indonesia and increase local dairy farming efficiency. “It is a very joyous occasion to see the production commence. With the pandemic, a local outbreak of foot and mouth disease, and supply chain disruptions, this project has been hit with several challenges along the way. “But with the determination of all the partners involved, and with the support from the Indonesian government, we have been able to deliver

Indonesian officials celebrate the launch of the country’s first organic cheese.

on this very impactful project,” says executive vice president of agriculture, sustainability and communication at Arla Foods, Hanne Søndergaard. Participating in the celebration of production starting in Malang, the Director General of Indonesia’s Ministry of Agriculture, Dr. Nasrullah said this was a great move for the Indonesian dairy industry and for the entire food production sector. “We have ambitious plans in place and we need to implement the best practices and newest knowledge to succeed and we do that by collaborating in projects like these. I am very much looking forward to following how this will pos-

A PROUD MOMENT MAZARAAT ARTISAN Cheese – established in 2015 with the vision to “establish a specialty cheese ecosystem to fulfil domestic needs and become one of the strongest cheese providers in South East Asia” – has benefitted greatly from the project and is already setting its sights on global success. “Introducing the first ever organically produced cheese in Indonesia is something we are massively proud of and being part of this project is a fantastic opportunity. An opportunity for us as dairy producer to learn and collaborate with some of the best and as an Indonesian business to help develop our industry and put Indonesian organic dairy on the map,” says Jamie Najmi from Mazaraat Artisan Cheese. The cheese will be sold locally in hotels, cafés, and restaurants and with the first export agreement to Singapore already in place.

itively impact our local production going forward.” Following research trips to Denmark in 2018 and 2019, where delegations of representatives from the Indonesian

government and leading farmers from the smallholder cooperative KPSP gained insights about organic dairy production, a formal partnership was formed. First step in the proj-

ect was capacity building and support for the local farmers in the dairy cooperative KPSP as they transitioned from conventional to organic farming. This was carried out by Danish company SEGES Innovation and ICOEL, with support from the Indonesian organic certification body LeSOS, the NGO Bina Swadaya, and the cooperative itself. “Converting the first smallholder farms in Indonesia, with only 3-5 cows, from conventional to certified organic dairy production represents a significant step forward. The Indonesian organic standards have to reflect the local context where many of the farms are located in villages, and without fields surround-

ing the barns. But we have outlined the basics of organic milk production in terms of animal welfare, feed and concentrate production. “This achievement is a result of a great partnership with KPSP and Bina Swadaya as well as support from numerous stakeholders all along the dairy value chain,” says Lisbeth Henricksen, director of innovation from SEGES Innovation. Indonesian dairy demand is set to increase by 6% in 2023 and with 80% of dairy consumption comes from imported products, there is an evident local interest in becoming more efficient. On top of this, the Indonesian government has set specific targets for organic production, aiming to increase local organic food production from the current 2% to 20% by 2024. “The Danish food cluster has a long and celebrated tradition of producing organic dairy of the highest quality. In this project, we are combining the expertise and data acquired over decades with local players bringing an entrepreneurial spirit and market knowledge to accelerate the journey towards reaching national targets to the benefit of the whole Indonesian dairy

sector,” says International Chief Consultant at the Danish Agriculture and Food Council, Jeppe Søndergaard Pedersen. The certified organic milk from the KPSP cooperative is processed by Mazaraat Artisan Cheese at the newly established manufacturing plant in Malang and turned into the first organic cheese in the country. While the milk volume only amounts to 60 litres per day to begin with, intake is set to increase to 250l per day end of the year and to 6000l per day by 2026. European dairy cooperative Arla Foods, the world’s largest organic dairy producer, contributes with advanced processing expertise and go-tomarket support from its experience working with both the organic category and artisanal cheese. “With a direct line from increasing yield and quality at the farm level to the dedication and manufacturing skills at Mazaraat Artisan Cheese, this business case has all the components needed to succeed and spearhead the further development of organic dairy production in Indonesia and we are proud to contribute with our expertise,” says managing director for Arla Foods in Indonesia, Vytautas Petronis.

RECORD PROFIT FOR VICTORIAN FARMERS DAIRY FARMERS in Australian state

of Victoria had a record profitable 2022-23 season, thanks to high milk prices and carefully managed high costs. Dairy Farm Monitor Project – a partnership between Dairy Australia and Agriculture Victoria – includes collection and analysis of financial and production data from dryland and irrigated dairy farms in southwestern Victoria, Gippsland and northern Victoria. It tracks 80 dairy farm businesses, and participants represent a distribution of farm size, feeding systems and herd sizes. This year’s findings revealed that milk price increased by 33% to A$9.77/kgMS – the highest on record

Milk price paid to Victorian farmers last season rose 33% to a record A$9.77/kgMS.

in the survey’s 17 years – helping to offset rising feed costs and overheads including labour. Farmers use the reports to inform their business decisions, assess their

business performance over time, implement substantial farm changes and assist in financial management. Dairy Australia general manager research & innovation, Greg Jarman,

says that some of these decisions can have a lasting impact on the profitability and sustainability of their farm. “The Dairy Farm Monitor Project is a valuable source of independent physical and financial data around a wide range of on farm practices, equipping farmers with essential insights to inform their decision making,” says Jarman. “This information also ensures that farm consultants and industry stakeholders can use reliable, independent and useful information and resources to provide good advice to farmers.” Valued at A$2.5 billion, Victorian dairy leads the nation’s exports. The gross value of milk produced in Vic-

toria is worth A$2.86 billion and the sector supports almost 13,000 jobs, almost half of which are in regional Victoria. There were approximately 2773 dairy farm businesses in Victoria that produced 5.14 billion litres or 63% of Australia’s national milk production in 2022-23. “It is pleasing to see Victorian dairy farmers come out on top following a year of higher business inputs, wet conditions and flooding,” Agriculture Victoria Sector Development and Services Executive Director, Dougal Purcell, says. “We thank the Dairy Farm Monitor project participants for their dedicated support to this initiative, providing such valuable information to industry and government.”

DAIRY NEWS OCTOBER 17, 2023

14 // WORLD NEWS

Co-op’s Aussie-crafted mozzarella tops 170 million pizzas annually CONSUMERS AND restaurants around Australia and the world are serving up around 25,000 metric tonnes of Fonterra’s Perfect Italiano Mozzarella each year. Made in Stanhope, northern Victoria, that’s enough to make 170 million pizzas each year, covering more than 50,000 kilometres, or the equivalent of travelling between Stanhope and Italy’s capital, Rome, three times. Fonterra Australia’s regional operations manager Steve Taylor says Stanhope’s mozzarella is a clear favourite in Australia and is loved in Asian markets. “Perfect Italiano is found in almost one in two households across the nation, making it

the number one culinary cheese brand in Australia.” “It’s also the market leading mozzarella brand in food-service in Australia, and on top of that, we export around 8000 metric tonnes to markets including Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong every year. “When you’re talking 170 million pizzas, it’s clear our cheese has captured the taste buds of Australians and international markets alike – all from Fonterra’s manufacturing site in Stanhope,” says Taylor. To recognise International Cheese Pizza Day on Tuesday 5 September, Fonterra’s expert cheesemakers shared the process behind Australia’s

Fonterra says Stanhope plant’s mozzarella is a clear favourite in Australia and is loved in Asian markets.

favourite mozzarella. Fonterra Quality Assurance Technician James Harris has been testing cheese at Stan-

hope for more than 50 years. He said he was part of a team responsible for testing tonnes of cheese every day to ensure only

the highest quality makes it into the mouths of Australians. “Behind every block of cheese that is made at

Fonterra’s Stanhope site, there is a dedicated team of cheese graders who test the cheese on a range of attributes from taste, aroma, flavour, and texture,” says Harris. “Everyone knows mozzarella for its distinctive stretch, so it’s equally important that we get the experience of eating mozzarella to the same standard as its taste. “Like a wine judge, they do not swallow the product – they just run it over their tastebuds and do physical checks and assess the cheese for a range of parameters they are trained to detect, before spitting it out.” As the most popular cheese used on pizza, Fonterra Quality Manager Shayna Street says

mozzarella is known for its stretch as much as its taste. “The Stanhope site is fitted with a test kitchen and commercial pizza ovens to make sure only the best cheese leaves the factory. When we test mozzarella, we go through a further process of checking its ‘meltability’, blistering and stretch. “Everyone knows mozzarella for its distinctive stretch, so it’s equally important that we get the experience of eating mozzarella to the same standard as its taste.” Fonterra’s Stanhope operations have been producing quality dairy foods for more than 100 years, collecting milk from around 110 northern Victorian farmers.

SPECIAL REPORTS

FARM TECHNOLOGY This report looks at the many factors that are drawing farmers to new Farm Technology, from labour shortages to a drive for more profit. The list of tech solutions is huge: Satellite and GPS technology, sensors, smart irrigation, drones and automation, mobile apps, farm management software are just a few areas where tech is helping farmers improve their productivity.

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DAIRY NEWS OCTOBER 17, 2023

AGRIBUSINESS // 15

Spreader testing not just for contractors WITH FARMERS now expected to produce Fresh Water Farm plans in addition to Farm Environment Plans, Culverden farmer David Croft decided to get his spreading equipment tested and calibrated by a Spreadmark accredited tester. “We wanted to make sure we are spreading our nutrients correctly for our farm environment plan,” said Croft. “Also with the cost of fertiliser going up, it makes it quite a key area for us to save costs.” Rather than a prohibitively complicated process, Croft said it was easy once he knew who to contact. Spread Test NZ’s Travis Churchill was the Canterbury con-

Culverden farmer David Croft got his spreading equipment tested and calibrated by a Spreadmark accredited tester.

tact, so organised the testing to be done on his farm. Other farmers also brought their machines to be tested at the same time. While they didn’t get Spreadmark certifica-

tion they went through a similar process. “We wanted to make sure we had our spreading width right,” said Croft. “Like any of these things there’s a cost-

reward to it. We see it as an investment rather than an expense ($500 per spreader) because we get a payback on it. We also all learnt something from it.”

For Croft, the biggest lesson was that spinner speed is crucial. “One of the farmers didn’t have a tachometer to check and it really upset his first pass with a

horrible spread pattern. The spinners were too fast and were fracturing the urea. “So it concentrated the product at the back of the spread and it didn’t fly as far.” The calibration of the spreader between different product loads was also a key lesson, and because of different spreading patterns over the trays, Croft ended up altering his spreading width from 18 metres (urea) to 15 metres for NProtect. Superphosphate was also an area of interest for Croft, who spreads his own. “We do the one hectare soil samples and variable-rate phosphate applications, which is

what got us interested in getting our spreader tested. Most people just do it for urea but we spread our own super too.” Croft’s spreaders tested well but he queried the standard of the super, which showed to be too fine in the sieve box test. This required Croft to narrow up his spread pattern to 12 metres. “I would highly recommend this to other farmers who are spreading their own product. As one of the biggest costs to farmers, we need to make sure we are getting bang for buck. We’d definitely do it again and currently plan to do it every two years.” @dairy_news facebook.com/dairynews

HFNZ APPOINTS NEW PATRON OTAGO DAIRY farmer and breed-

ing stalwart Denis Aitken has been appointed Holstein Friesian New Zealand’s new patron. Aitken succeeds Brian Knutson, who was HFNZ Patron for several years until his retirement in 2022. “It was certainly an honour to be asked to be Patron of HFNZ, but I realised along with title comes the responsibility of being someone who can be relied on to be an advocate for the Holstein Friesian breed,” Aitken says. “As I am still involved with several other organisations I did think long and hard about taking up the role of Patron, and I hope I can do the position justice. “I want to recognise the work done

the name Broomfield by Brian Knutson in his Stud on the home farm, role not only as Patron, while their oldest son but for the association James and his wife Celia over a number of years,” are 3km away on “The Denis says. Poplars”, milking 240 “I certainly learnt cows under the name a lot from Brian, who Airdrie Stud. always gave freely of his Denis and Judy’s knowledge and experdaughter Jacqui has, tise.” after 21 years with PGG Aitken, who was Wrightson, moved with awarded an Officer of the Denis Aitken her partner Bevan to New Zealand Order of Merit for services to the dairy indus- Rakaia to manage the camping ground try and his community in May 2021, there. Although Denis and Judy Aitken now lives with wife Judy on part of what was their home dairy farm, “The still have a financial interest in the farms, Denis is not involved in the Gums”. Their youngest son Andrew and day-to-day running of the businesses. his wife Sonya milk 500 cows under He is the self-described “odd-job

man”, travelling weekly to the 300ha support farm 40km away at Middlemarch. Denis has held several roles within Holstein Friesian NZ including classifier, judge, director, president and member of the World Holstein Friesian Federation (WHFF) Type Harmonisation Working Group. “All had their different challenges – but it was the passion for the Holstein Friesian breed and determination to get recognition within the dairy industry that kept me focused on getting common sense decisions made,” he says. “HFNZ caters to a diverse range of people: at one end of the scale are the members who love the showing aspect of the breed, while at the

other end are those who are strongly focused on the index aspect of their herd. “And let us not forget the social and networking side of the association, an important side of the challenging lifestyle we have chosen. There is nothing better meeting up at a sale, field day or show.” Denis says he has also been able to help mentor a number of young people to get established in the industry. “That comes with a great deal of satisfaction,” he says. “And none of this would have happened without the strong support of Judy.” Denis can attend events on behalf of Holstein Friesian NZ; all invitations must come through the HFNZ office.

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DAIRY NEWS OCTOBER 17, 2023

16 // OPINION RUMINATING

EDITORIAL

The rural doldrums

MILKING IT... Apologise please

Jim’s back

Tatua trick

U-turn

HEALTH NEW Zealand says the source of the cryptosporidium outbreak in Queenstown was most likely human faecal contamination of the water supply. This declaration follows a detailed investigation. So we ask, what happens to the claim Otago University made that farmers were responsible for the outbreak? An academic from the university told media lambing was the problem. Health NZ says based on all the gathered information to date, its most likely hypothesis was that the outbreak started through human faecal contamination of the source water in Lake Wakatipu, which has then been collected into the Two-Mile water treatment plant’s intake pipes, then moved into the water reservoir. They say the contamination could have been from swimmers, sewage from a boat, wastewater overflows or other faults in the system. Will farmers be getting an apology?

WHEN IT comes to emissions pricing and He Waka Eke Noa, dairy farmers are more forgiving than sheep and beef farmers. DairyNZ chair Jim van der Poel was last week re-elected for to the farmer lobby board for another three-year term. This is despite many dairy farmers opposing recommendations made by the HWEN steering committee, which included van der Poel. Van der Poel was one of 13 candidates vying for two seats up for DairyNZ election. Earlier this year, sheep and beef farmers voted then Beef+Lamb New Zealand chair Andrew Morrison out of office. The ouster was related to B+LNZ’s stance on emissions pricing, the very same stance DairyNZ supported.

HOW DOES Tatua do it, year in, year out? The small Morrinsville milk processor has again whipped other processors, including Fonterra in the payout stakes. The co-operative’s 101 supplying farms received $3/kgMS more than what Fonterra and Synlait paid farmers for last season’s milk. Fonterra supporters will point out that Tatua collects milk from farms located nearby its factory, unlike the major co-op, which is obliged to pick milk from the top of the North Island to the bottom of South Island. Tatua will says it’s all about add maximum value to NZ milk. That’s also what Fonterra’s new strategy is. When they will be able to deliver such payouts to their 9500 supplying farms remains to be seen.

THE FRENCH Government is buckling under the pressure of rising inflation. Media reports suggest France is urging its farmers to produce more cut-price meat in a major U-turn on factory farming, with inflation hammering demand for organic pork, beef and chicken. The agriculture minister, Marc Fesneau, told a big agro-industry gathering on Tuesday that “we have to admit that we must work on the entry level” end of the market. “Animal welfare issues only work if we find someone to pay” for high-quality meat, he insisted. The comments seem to signal a major shift in government thinking after Emmanuel Macron shook France’s powerful intensive farming lobby, soon after coming to power in 2017, by saying it was time to “stop production, whether of poultry or pork, which no longer corresponds to our tastes or needs”. Only “30% of French people now have the means to pay more for quality”, compared with half the population six years ago, according to one analyst.

Head Office: Lower Ground Floor, 29 Northcroft St, Takapuna, Auckland 0622 Phone 09-307 0399. Postal Address: PO Box 331100, Takapuna, Auckland 0740 Published by: Rural News Group Printed by: Inkwise NZ Ltd Contacts: Editorial: sudeshk@ruralnews.co.nz Advertising material: davef@ruralnews.co.nz Rural News on-line: www.ruralnews.co.nz Subscriptions: subsrndn@ruralnews.co.nz • Printed by Inkwise • Distributed by Reachmedia

ONE OF the tasks of whatever new government emerges in the coming days and weeks will be to look and see what can be done to restore farmer confidence. The latest results from the Rabobank confidence survey show that farmer confidence sits at a record minus 72%. It goes on to show that three quarters of sheep and beef farmers expect the performance of their own farming businesses to deteriorate in the coming year. This isn’t surprising, given the news that has been widely reported for some months now with a sluggish Chinese market, global inflation, and the very volatile geopolitical situation. Uncertainty started with the arrival of Covid-19 and has remained something of a constant. Yes, we have got two new FTAs over the line and there is improved access for many of our primary products, but for the last four years, volatility and uncertainty have prevailed. While the survey results rightly says the main cause of the confidence drop is lower commodity prices, there are other factors at play, such as rising input costs – fuel, fertiliser and the like – and the scarcity and cost of skilled labour. Interestingly, government policies have slipped out of the top two reasons for the drop in farmer confidence. Maybe there is a realisation that whoever governs the country, the direction of travel won’t change, although the speed may slow. In the last few months of the election campaign the issues affecting farmers and rural communities have largely been ignored by politicians and the mainstream media. The campaign has been depressing and one can only hope that when the politicians come back to Wellington they will start to focus on real issues – one of these being restoring farmer and rural confidence.

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Dairy News is published by Rural News Group Limited. All editorial copy and photographs are subject to copyright and may not be reproduced without prior written permission of the publisher. Opinions or comments expressed within this publication are not necessarily those of the staff, management or directors of Rural News Group Limited.

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DAIRY NEWS OCTOBER 17, 2023

OPINION // 17

Transforming dairying with ErgoPOD JAMIE MIKKELSON

IN THE heartland of

rural New Zealand, Waikato Milking Systems is on a transformative journey that seeks to revolutionise dairy farming practices with their latest innovation, ErgoPOD. Under my leadership, the company has set a bold vision: “To be the world’s most trusted partner for dairy performance and productivity.” The vision may appear ambitious, given the geographical distance from key markets and the understated nature of our Kiwi culture. However, Waikato Milking Systems views this aspiration as a guiding star that drives them to create impactful solutions for dairy farmers worldwide. Rather than dwelling solely on lofty goals, the company is putting its vision into practical action. The journey towards ErgoPOD began with a pragmatic approach to understanding the challenges faced by dairy farmers during milking time. The company conducted a comprehensive ideation program that involved engaging with dairy farmers globally. This approach allowed them to gain valuable insights into the pain points and unmet needs of farmers during the milking process. From repetitive actions to cow behaviour, each aspect was carefully analyzed to identify areas for improvement. An external specialist report, including insights from a workplace ergonomist, provided a valuable understanding of milker comfort and efficiency. The report highlighted ergonomic issues faced by milkers, leading the design team to focus on enhancing milking equipment reliability, reducing

re-attachments, and standardizing the milking process. The team also took inspiration from successful New Zealand inventors who revolutionized dairy farming in the past. From Norman Daysh’s mechanised milking system to Ronald Sharp’s herringbone cowshed, these Kiwi innovations served as a driving force to think differently and push the boundaries of productivity. Through a series of iterative prototypes and dedicated efforts, ErgoPOD gradually took shape. The design team’s relentless commitment to continuous improvement and learning from failures played a significant role in refining the technology to cater to the diverse needs of milkers. As ErgoPOD nears its commercialisation phase, Waikato Milking Systems remains grounded in their practical approach. The company recognizes that transformation in the dairy industry requires more than visionary aspirations; it demands a relentless pursuit of innovation and an understanding of the realworld challenges faced by farmers. ErgoPOD represents a tangible example of how a company can bridge the gap between vision and reality. By aligning their vision with practical objectives, engaging with farmers, and leveraging the spirit of Kiwi innovation, Waikato Milking Systems has created a semi-robotic milking technology that promises to enhance productivity and operator well-being. As ErgoPOD prepares to enter the market, it represents the power of putting ideas into action and the commitment to making a positive impact on the lives of dairy farmers. • Jamie Mikkelson is executive chairman of Waikato Milking Systems.

Jamie Mikkelson

Waikato Milking Systems won the Prototype Award at this year’s Fieldays for their ErgoPOD.

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DAIRY NEWS OCTOBER 17, 2023

18 // MANAGEMENT

Real-time, accurate herd health information – a game changer THE NEXT generation of cow health monitoring technology has arrived, and it includes some game-changing advantages, according to one of New Zealand’s early adopters. Stu and Sara Russell sharemilk 750 cows in a 50/50 agreement with Sara’s parents, Richard and Diana Bourke, in Ashburton. The herd includes their registered Jerseys, Ngatimaru Jerseys, on 280 hectares through a 54-bale rotary. The land also carries all the young stock. They are part of their processor Synlait’s Gold Elite programme, which recognises and financially rewards suppliers who achieve best practice. This is also JerseyNZ’s

Sara Russell estimates the smaXtec technology has saved them $42,000 in direct costs this season for antibiotics and/or heat detection scratchies.

top production herd for more than 500-head of registered Jerseys with

497 kgMS/cow (average bodyweight of 421kg). Stu and Sara have his-

torically done a lot of the work on-farm themselves, using technology to maintain the pace. When they decided they wanted to proactively track animal health in April 2021, Stu didn’t hesitate to choose smaXtec’s boluses – even though the Austrian company was relatively new to the conversation in New Zealand. They did explore other options, but Stu felt there was more accurate and critical information within the technology, and he pushed hard for them to go that way. They were the fifth New Zealand farm to take up the option. Sara now readily acknowledges that the results have been astonishing.

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The bolus sits in the cow’s reticulum – recording data 24/7. Because the measurements are internal, it brings pinpoint accuracy. The data it captures includes recording the cow’s individual temperature (accurate to within 0.01 degrees Celsius). Her rumination data is collated using a direct measure based on actual rumen contractions. How much water she drinks, and how often she drinks is another meaningful measure. Calving alerts have also been important for this couple. Sara believes it is the most accurate calving alert system on the market (when teamed with accurate calving dates). Heat detection – often the primary and sometimes sole motivator for New Zealand farmers to adopt animal health monitoring technology – has only been the tip of the iceberg for this operation. Sara says the temperature function has been the biggest win for them. They are sent an alert if a cow’s temperature has a minor spike above her normal baseline temperature. It gives them the opportunity to intervene early, so they can effectively treat a cow using a non-withhold anti-inflammatory and/or a mineral bolus – avoiding the need for antibiotics. “We pick up mastitis three days earlier than normal with this system – so nine out of 10 times when we paddle test the milk, we can treat with a non-withhold anti-inflam-

KNOWLEDGE IS POWER SARA RUSSELL says every cow is different, and judgement remains important, but knowledge is undoubtedly power. “Because that temperature is internal, it’s so accurate. The only indication one cow gave us that she was in trouble was that she spiked with a 41.3-degree temperature twice overnight. You would have had to have taken her temperature at 8.40pm to know that. We were able to get straight onto it, work out the problem, treat her, and she’s fine now. “When it comes to RFMs [Retained Foetal Membranes], in the past we’ve typically been torn about whether to leave it another day – optimistically thinking it will come out on its own – ease it out manually, or to treat her. With smaXtec it has shown how often they run a temperature, and we now have the information to confidently say in every case what our treatment plan is.” The ability to also share a cow’s health chart with their vets gives them a comprehensive and valuable snapshot of the cow’s health history so they can make a treatment plan together – often without necessitating a call out. “In the past, we’ve been torn between waiting to call the vet because we’ve been undecided and then finding out a few days later that they’re a train wreck, and we’re then fighting to get them back,” Sara said. “I’m sure we’ve also treated some cows early, when they actually didn’t need antibiotics in that instance.” They recently completed some live biopsies to check the mineral status of the herd, and two days later one of those cow’s temperature spiked. “I contacted our vet and together we decided to treat her with an antibiotic and anti-inflammatory. He told me that most times they wouldn’t know if there was a temperature spike after that procedure. “She responded quickly and she’s fine now.”

matory. That’s kicking 75% of our mastitis straight off,” Sara said. “You have that ability to triage cows at the top of the hill essentially, instead of meeting them at the bottom with the ambulance. “If you can catch them early and treat them correctly, they are often as good as gold.” She estimates the smaXtec technology has saved them $36,000 in direct antibiotic costs and $6500 in scratchies

which they didn’t have to buy for heat detection this season. That’s before she considers the added income from milk which didn’t have to be withheld, and/or her cows’ peak production and conception which wasn’t impacted by illness. Add that to the practical reality that they haven’t had to once strip every cow in the herd this season to find any BMSCC spikes – including the time and additional wages to do it.

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HEAT DETECTION has also been a success. They used sexed semen this season, achieving up to 72% conception (per straw) with an overall empty rate [for conventional and sexed semen] this spring of 10.5%. Sara loves the control it’s given her over their herd so much she has joined the company in a customer success role. It means there is a Mid Canterbury farmer using the system who can support others who choose to take advantage of the technology. It also gives her the confidence

to step away from the farm, because she’s never away from her own herd’s information. “Having control over an animal’s health when you’re not there always there was important for me. “I genuinely love the system and I have a ridiculously large passion for cows. I like that smaXtec is focussed on proactive preventative animal health. “I think it offers a huge benefit to farmers and a huge benefit for the cows, because it’s improving outcomes in our day-to-day animal management.”

DAIRY NEWS OCTOBER 17, 2023

MANAGEMENT // 19

OverseerFM helps with crunching GHG numbers WHEN WESTLAND Milk

Products needed to set up a system to support their farmer suppliers to get their greenhouse gas (GHG) emission numbers, they opted for a collaborative approach using OverseerFM. “One of the requirements of the He Waka Eke Noa Primary Sector Climate Action Partnership (HWEN) triggered the need for all our suppliers to know their GHG emission numbers by December 2022,” says Penny McIntosh, on farm liaison officer for Westland. “We wanted to support our suppliers calculating their GHG emission numbers by making the whole process as easy and affordable as possible. “One of the reasons we chose OverseerFM as the greenhouse gas calculator was because it models the whole farm system, including mitigations and all the good work farmers are already doing. “It gives a good breakdown of GHG emissions and sources and it can run scenarios, which helps farmers avoid ‘pollution swapping’. Also it enabled us to report collectively as an organisation.” McIntosh is one of the team of Westland Milk farm liaison officers/milk

supply managers who provide support to 388 farmers throughout the West Coast and part of Canterbury. She says teaming up with Ravensdown and Ballance Agri-nutrients enabled them to streamline the whole process and make it as easy as possible for farmers to get their GHG numbers. “Both already had good knowledge of OverseerFM and we could use their experienced environmental teams, which already process Overseer accounts for other dairy companies. “Lots of information needed to be collected and we needed to be very efficient, get the information on time and avoid duplication. Their fertiliser reps also had existing working relationships with many of our suppliers, knew their farm systems and had a lot of the fertiliser information so it made total sense to work together. We teamed up with them to do the digital mapping of farms too.” Ahead of rolling the project out widely in May 2022, the companies created a template farmers could fill out, so their farm systems could be modelled in OverseerFM. They ran an advance trial with a small number of farms to ensure they could streamline the pro-

cessful completion of the project, Westland teamed up with DairyNZ and Overseer FM to provide a series of roadshows throughout the West Coast covering topics such as the main drivers of GHGs, use of OverseerFM and benchmarking. Ongoing support is also being provided to those farmers who have opted to continue using OverseerFM. McIntosh says the whole process was well received. “It was brilliant, farmers came on board really well and they saw that we were trying to make it as easy as possible for them by setting them up

in Overseer and working with the fertiliser companies to gather and process the information.” She says a further benefit for farmers is that banks are increasingly asking to see farms’ GHG numbers when discussing financing – and a number of their farmers have requested their Overseer reports for this purpose. “It’s also about being a good corporate citizen and caring for the environment. That is at the heart of Westland’s business philosophy. More of our customers are also asking for GHG numbers for the whole supply chain, including on-farm emissions.

Penny McIntosh, on farm liaison officer for Westland Milk. PHOTO: WENDY BENNETT

cess as much as possible for farmers and pick up any potential issues in advance. They also worked closely with Alastair Taylor, business development manager for OverseerFM, to gain a good understanding of the software. “It was really good having Alastair on board to help us,” says McIntosh. “If we had any issues or questions, we only had to pick up the phone and

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call him. “Following approval from farmers, we set up the Overseer accounts for farmers and paid the subscription for them directly to Overseer, and to Ravensdown and Ballance for the processing. The money was then repaid from their monthly milk cheque. “Taking part in the Overseer project was optional and we gave our suppliers the option to use any of the calcula-

tors approved by HWEN however, 97 per cent of our supplier base came on board and used Overseer.” The three companies also ran a series of dropin sessions for farmers so they could bring in their templates and be helped to fill them in. The fertiliser reps and Westland Milk Supply Managers also provided help with filling out templates on farm. Following the suc-

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DAIRY NEWS OCTOBER 17, 2023

ANIMAL HEALTH // 21

Bulls selected for acrossbreed beef progeny test MORE THAN 50 bulls

have been nominated as sires for use in the innovative Informing New Zealand Beef (INZB) programme’s upcoming mating season, the highest number since the across-breed progeny test was launched in 2020. Angus, Hereford and Simmental breeders have nominated 52 bulls for the 2023-mating of the programme’s acrossbreed Beef Progeny Test (BPT). “We’re really pleased with the positive response from breeders,” says Dr Jason Archer, genetics specialist at Beef + Lamb New Zealand (B+LNZ) and INZB science lead. “It shows how serious farmers are about improving productivity and profitability in the beef sector. Ultimately, the BPT will play an important role in strengthening New Zealand’s beef industry for the benefit of all farmers. “It is enabling us to evaluate good bulls on the same level playing field while demonstrating the differences and similarities between the breeds and also the benefits of hybrid vigour. “The BPT is a key part of our mission to give breeders and farmers the tools to produce great-

Jason Archer, genetics specialist at Beef + Lamb New Zealand (B+LNZ) and INZB science lead.

tasting beef backed by a strong environmental story, while at the same time improving production efficiency.” The upcoming mating season will again be undertaken at Pāmu’s Kepler farm near Te Anau and Lochinver Station near Taupo. Breeders of bulls selected for use in the test will also be provided

“It shows how serious farmers are about improving productivity and profitability in the beef sector.” with detailed information about the performance of their bull’s progeny, including data on growth, fertility and carcase traits. The INZB BPT builds on data gathered from

the previous Beef Progeny Test with mating carried out between 20142019 on several largescale commercial cattle operations throughout the country.

On Kepler farm, Hereford and Angus cows are run side-by-side with crosses undertaken both ways. Lochinver Station joined the programme as a Progeny Test host farm last year, enabling Simmental genetics to be included in the BPT for the first time. INZB is a seven-year Sustainable Food & Fibre Futures partnership sup-

ported by the Ministry for Primary Industries, B+LNZ and the New Zealand Meat Board, which aims to boost the sector’s profits by $460m over the next 25 years. The objectives of the programme are to develop a beef genetic evaluation system that includes traits that are important to New Zealand beef farmers and

supports a sustainable beef farming industry. It is also creating easyto-use tools that enable data to be efficiently collected, managed, analysed and used by farmers to make profitable decisions for their operation and creating a new approach to extension design with the goal of increasing farmer engagement across the industry.

Advanced hoof care management course Gain knowledge and practical skills. Lameness is now amongst the top three health issues on-farm and it is costing New Zealand dairy farmers millions of dollars every year.

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DAIRY NEWS OCTOBER 17, 2023

22 // MACHINERY & PRODUCTS

The Cross machine uses an auger in the bottom of the hopper to push the beet laterally into a rotor on the side of the machine where it is chopped.

Get Cross to become consistent FODDER BEET continues to play an important part in dairy rations, with typical yields of 15-18 tonnes of DM per hectare, or in some areas not limited by lack of moisture, yields of up to 25 tonnes/ha can be achieved by May/June. Typically harvested, cleaned and then stockpiled, utilisation can

be addressed with bulk chopping before feeding, or on an as required, daily basis. The Cross Engineering Beet Bucket Chopper is designed for use with front-end loaders, telehandlers or loading shovels, with all machines supplied with an integral three-point linkage as standard, meaning they

can also be mounted to the rear of non-loader equipped tractor. Unlike many machines in the market that use an auger system to push the beet through a die, the Cross machine uses an auger in the bottom of the hopper to push the beet laterally into a rotor on the side of the machine where it is

chopped. Working in conjunction with an infinitely adjustable gate, the beet is chopped to a consistent size, meaning there are no longer any large lumps of material that might cause a choking hazard. In addition, the configuration means the machine is able to

deal with any stones in the sample as it also incorporates a stone trap that can be hydraulically release, alongside a shearbolt system to protect the machine if there are any jams. A range of models, designated 400, 800, 1000, 1500 and 2000, sees the number signalling the hopper

width in millimetres, with the manufacturer suggesting the ideal machine is one that is slightly wider than the tractor/load track width, meaning no discharged beet is driven over. Offering hopper capacities of 2500 to 3000kg, the recommended horsepower runs from

60 to 140, with outputs claimed from 30 per hour. Using a simple scoop, crowd and chop sequence, the machines are driven hydraulically, meaning there is no need for a PTO connection, so also lends itself to easy attachment and demounting. @dairy_news facebook.com/dairynews

FINGER-TYPE MOWER-CONDITIONER RANGE KUHN HAS expanded its range of finger-type mower-conditioners with the addition of the rear-mounted FC 3515 model that offers a working width of 3.5m. Featuring a vertically folding mowing element that folds up to 126°, the configuration offers a compact package for transport and optimum weight balance between the tractor’s rear wheels. The FC 3515 D mower-conditioner uses the well-known Kuhn DigidDry layout with pivoting steel fingers mounted to the gearbox-driven conditioning rotor. The 540mm rotor diameter is said to offer exceptional conditioning capacity, delivering uniform drying over a large width, making it suitable for heavy or longer forage crops. It can deliver variable width swaths, while a low rotor speed is particularly useful for more delicate crops.

At the heart of the machine, the FC 3515 D model is fitted with the Optidisc Elite cutter bar, well-known for its robustness and cutting quality, requiring no maintenance and fitted as standard with the Fast-Fit quick knife release system. The Lift-Control suspension offers constant ground pressure control for improved plant cover protection, complemented with a break-back system for protection from impact with immoveable objects and nonstop return to work. The pivoting point, with a wide offset to the left also contributes to an effective protection of the working parts around the area of the first discs. For operations undertaken in hilly areas, or with medium-sized tractors, an adaptable counterweight on the left side of the frame is available as optional equipment, to help alleviate any instability. www.kuhn.co.nz

The FC 3515 D mower-conditioner uses the well-known Kuhn DigidDry layout.

DAIRY NEWS OCTOBER 17, 2023

MACHINERY & PRODUCTS // 23

First electric mixer wagon MARK DANIEL markd@ruralnews.co.nz

ITALIAN MANUFACTURER Faresin recently

previewed its first 100% electrically powered, selfpropelled mixer wagon at its 50th anniversary event held at its Breganze headquarters. Described as the first model in company’s Italian-made Leader PF Full Electric range, the 1.14 model is fitted with a single vertical auger and offers a 14m cubic metre capacity. Said to offer similar performance to a dieselpowered machine, a fully charged 91kW (210Ah) lithium-ion battery is claimed to last a full day on a medium-sized farm. Equipped with a regenerative braking system to recover energy, a universal charging

system provides a single plug-in interface for a 220v single-phase and 400v three-phase power supplies. The wheels are driven by a 51kW electric motor, located in the rear axle, with drive taken forward to the front axle by a heavy-duty Carden shaft. The two-range system provides a maximum speed of 20km/h. The 2m wide milling head and the single vertical auger are powered by individual 45kW electric motors, with up to eight different mixing speeds available, complemented by an electronic weighing and feed-out system. Like its existing diesel counterpart, the electric version offers 4-wheel, crab and conventional front wheel steering modes, while the machines are also equipped as standard with hydro-pneumatic

Ecosystem to help milking MACHINERY MANUFACTURER John Deere and livestock specialists DeLaval have pooled their resources to create the Milk Sustainability Center (MSC), described as a digital ecosystem to help dairy farmers improve the efficiency and sustainability of their operations. The ecosystem will be open for further partners to join, with the objective of providing farmers with the data needed for a holistic view of their dairy operations. Dairy farmers will be able to use the Milk Sustainability Center to monitor nutrient use efficiency (NUE) for nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium, and carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e), across the entire farm, specific fields, or the milking herd. The MSC will also provide data to compare performance against other dairy operations and drill down to identify key areas for improvement. The system aims to serve dairy farmers with operation specific information, independent of farm machinery brands or herd management software. “Dairy farming is perhaps one of the most complex agricultural business’s today with no system integration between crop and animal performance. Typically, dairy farmers might use five or more different, nonconnected software solutions to run their business,” said Dave Chipak, director, dairy & livestock production systems at John Deere. Following farmer authorisation, data from DeLaval Plus and the John Deere Operations Center will be automatically pulled into the Milk Sustainability Center. The aim is to reduce manual data input, ensuring higher data quality, and ultimately helping to create an entire overview of a farm system, including fields, cows, employees, advisors, machinery and other assets; all working in collaboration.

suspension. In the cabin, the main functions are operated via an electro-proportional joystick, complemented by adjacent lateral keypads, while the operator

has information regarding machine parameters, data and NIR analysis presented on the new 10-inch display. @dairy_news facebook.com/dairynews

The first model in Faresin’s Italian-made Leader PF Full Electric range.

SIP has a SILVERCUT mower to suit every farming situation

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FOUR GREAT REASONS TO CHOOSE A SIP SILVERCUT MOWER: 1: Collision Safety System:

2: Disc Drive Safety System:

3: Hydro-pneumatic suspension:

4: Three Year Warranty:

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 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.

The advanced suspension system ensures that the ground pressure is consistent across the entire cutterbar, resulting in a precise and clean cut.

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.

SCOTT MALCOLM SIP PRODUCT SPECIALIST 021 228 4590 www.webbline.co.nz

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