Dairy News 28 May 2024

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Farmers mull co-op’s divestment plan. PAGE 3

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sudeshk@ruralnews.co.nz

FONTERRA FARMERS are keen to know what the co-operative’s surprise divestment plan will deliver for them, says Co-operative Council chair John Stevenson.

The council, which represents the interests of the 9200 shareholders, has been briefed by Fonterra’s board and management.

Stevenson says councillors have also received “a significant number of phone calls” from farmers following the announcement.

“Farmers are interested in what outcomes this announcement will deliver for their co-operative and for them,” he told Dairy News

“Some farmers have spoken of their strong connection to iconic brands like Anchor and Mainland that have a long history in NZ. Others have spoken of the importance that Fonterra delivers a strong return on the capital that farmers invest in ownership, and that these returns need to be in excess of the cost of that capital to farmers.”

Fonterra surprised its farmer shareholders, and politicians, by announcing that it is looking to sell all or part of its global consumer business as it shifts its focus to becoming a global business-tobusiness provider of dairy nutrition products.

The co-op’s consumer business brands included Anchor, Mainland, Kāpiti, Anlene, Anmum, Fernleaf, Western Star, Perfect Italiano and others.

Those brands used about 15% of the co-op’s total milk solids and represented about 19% of its underlying

profit in the first half of this financial year.

Fonterra chief executive Miles Hurrell says the co-op could increase its value to farmers as a business-tobusiness dairy nutrition provider.

Some analysts believe the sale could fetch Fonterra up to $4 billion. This could allow the co-op to return capital – around $2/share –to its cash-strapped farmer shareholders.

For Fonterra farmers, the announcement is big news, says Stevenson.

“It represents a significant change to the future shape and

direction of our co-operative. At this early stage we are working on getting our heads around the detail.

“Fonterra has told us that this announcement will take complexity out of the business and allow Fonterra to focus on the engine room of the business, the ingredients and food service channels.

“Council will be looking to understand the detail of this announcement, including how these changes will grow more value in the long term and what impact this step change in strategic direction has on future internal investments.”

Stevenson says it’s “really impor-

tant” that Fonterra takes farmers on the journey, so that when it comes time to make a decision farmers understand the full implications.

Fonterra’s announcement also surprised politicians.

Finance Minister Nicola Willis told Dairy News that she would be seeking more information from the co-op to “understand it better”.

“I know that they are looking at a strategy that allows them to add value. Releasing capital from their consumer business will allow them to use the capital in R&D and add further value elsewhere.

“I want to meet Fonterra and get more information from them.”

Labour’s ag spokesperson Jo Luxton says she was surprised and is also seeking a meeting with Fonterra to get more information.

Fonterra expects to continue supplying milk to the consumer brands through its ingredients business.

“We believe we can grow further value for the co-op by focusing on being a B2B dairy nutrition provider, working closely with customers through our high-performing ingredients and foodservice channels,” Hurrell says.

“This will be enabled by strong relationships with farmers, a flexible manufacturing and supply chain footprint, deeper partnerships with strategic ingredients customers, further investment in our Foodservice channel, continued delivery on our sustainability commitments and investment in innovation.”

The divestment of its consumer businesses could also include integrated businesses, including Fonterra Oceania and Fonterra Sri Lanka.

SUDESH KISSUN

Iconic Fonterra brands like Anchor could be sold within 18 months.

Govt shares farmer concerns on high interest rates – McClay

SUDESH KISSUN

sudeshk@ruralnews.co.nz

AGRICULTURE MINIS-

TER Todd McClay says the Government shares the concerns of farmers around high interest rates.

McClay says he’s closely watching the parliamentary primary production select committee as it takes briefings from stakeholders including Federated Farmers. The committee will then decide whether an inquiry should be held into rural bank lending.

“Farmers are feeling the pinch as a direct result of high interest rates, as a direct result of the previous Govern-

ment’s reckless spending,” he told Dairy News

“We certainly share their concerns.”

McClay says, after the briefings, the committee will make the call on whether an inquiry should be held into rural bank lending.

Federated Farmers is pushing for an independent inquiry into rural bank lending.

“Rural banking issues are nearing crisis point and farmers are quickly losing confidence,” Federated Farmers commerce and competition spokesperson Richard McIntyre says.

“Things have clearly gone from bad to worse, with consecutive surveys showing all the key metrics we track heading in

the wrong direction.

“We thought the results were bad in our last survey, six months ago, but farmers are now feeling even more miserable about the state of rural lending.”

Federated Farmers last week released the results of their latest banking survey conducted from May 3-15, 2024 with 642 responses from across New Zealand.

“The record profits banks have been making for the last few years have been wellpublicised, but there are a few other records being broken that we want to shine a light on,” McIntyre says.

“Farmers’ satisfaction with their banks has dropped five points to its

lowest levels since our surveys began in May 2015.

“Six years ago, around 80% of farmers were satisfied with their bank, but

that number has since plummeted to just 51%.”

A quarter of farmers held a neutral view, while those saying they were ‘dissatisfied’ or ‘very

dissatisfied’ increased to 23.6% - a new record high.

“Alarmingly, we also have one in four farmers reporting they have come under undue pressure from their bank,”

McIntyre says.

“These aren’t just statistics. These numbers represent real Kiwi farming families who are clearly under huge pressure from high interest rates, rampant inflation and reduced incomes.”

Given the increased scrutiny of rural lending in recent times, Federated Farmers added a new question to their recent survey.

They asked: ‘Do you think New Zealand banks are presently demonstrating a positive commit-

ment to support farming through difficult periods of high interest rates?’

McIntyre says it’s incredibly disappointing that only one in five farmers responded with a ‘yes’ to that question.

“At a time when farmers are really struggling, I would have hoped to see our banks stepping up to help, but instead they seem to be tightening the screws.

“These figures are of real concern and add considerable weight to Federated Farmers’ calls for an independent inquiry into rural banking.

“There are clearly some widespread issues in our rural banking system that need to be closely looked at and addressed – urgently.”

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Rural banking issues are nearing crisis point, says Federated Farmers commerce and competition spokesperson Richard McIntyre.

Labour eyes rural votes

the past few years there has been “a lot of headbutting and locking of horns”.

LABOUR PARTY agri-

culture spokesperson Jo Luxton is on a mission to win back rural sector votes.

The Labour list MP admits that her party needs to put in the hard yards to win back the confidence of farmers and growers.

On the policy front, Luxton wants to start with a clean slate and is keen to talk to farmers before helping the party formulate its agriculture sector policies.

To this end, the party is organising a two-day event in July for some caucus members to meet industry stakeholders and visit farms. Luxton says the party is working closely with Federated Farmers to organise the event.

At the Feds Waikato branch annual meeting this month, Luxton told farmers that the party got the message “loud and clear” at the last general election.

She noted that over

“That’s something I’m keenly aware of,” she says. “Farmers have told me that they didn’t feel heard in the last few years, but I recognise the need to have good relationships with the primary sector.

“So my job is to build relationships, get to hear from you and understand what’s important for you.”

At the last general election, Labour lost a slew of regional seats it had won from National three years earlier. This included Luxton’s Rangitata seat.

The party lost the rural vote based on backlash around a flurry of environmental laws which many farmers claim were rammed through without proper consultation.

Luxton told Dairy News that she’s hearing from farmers that Labour “did too much, too fast” during its last term in government.

She says most farmers agreed with the direc-

A good start

THE FINAL Global Dairy Trade (GDT) auction for the 2023-24 season augurs well the forecast milk price for the new season.

While the banks are forecasting between $8.35 to $8.40/kgMS, Fonterra later this week, its forecast range for the season starting June 1.

Last week’s GDT delivered good news: while the price index rose 3.3%, Chinese buyers returned after pulling back in the earlier May auction. Also, whole milk powder prices rose 2.9% to US$3,408/metric tonne.

Westpac chief economist Kelly Eckhold noted that auction was “another very strong one with gains across the board”.

“All categories rose and wrong-footed futures markets, which again saw a much flatter result,” says Eckhold.

“Chinese buyers returned this time after pulling back in the early May auction. Overall prices are now 10 per cent or so above their long-term averages. We can certainly see upside risk building to our milk price forecast of $8.40/kgMS for the 2024/25 season.”

ASB senior economist Chris Tennent-Brown believes farmers can hope for a farmgate milk price in the top half of Fonterra’s guidance range ($7.50$8.10/kgMS) this year.

“We remain comfortable with our $8.35/kgMS forecast.”

tion of the legislation, but some had concerns about the speed at which it was being implemented.

“I know this caused a lot of anxiety among

farmers.”

Luxton says she’s keen to rebuild relationships and already enjoys a good rapport with Federated Farmers leaders.

Labour’s ag spokeswoman Jo Luxton with Waikato Federated Farmers president Keith Holmes at the provincial annual meeting this month.

Time to discuss land use change

FOR TOO long the issue of land-use change has been relegated to the ‘too-hard’ basket and it’s now time to confront some of the difficult questions regarding this.

That’s the view of Simon Upton, the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment, in a document he’s just released called Going with the Grain – changing land uses to fit a changing landscape. He adds there is a need to weigh up the trade-offs and act.

He says that right now the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) is the main commercial driver of land-use change in NZ though afforestation. Upton says afforestation should continue, but in a way that is better suited

to the landscape. He adds that the ETS should be retained as a tool for reducing gross emissions, but the right to use forestry as an offset should be progressively phased out.

He says the purpose of the report is to clarify the multiple environmental challenges rural NZ faces and, in the end, hopefully give a sense of the direction of travel to respond to the issues of climate change, water quality and biodiversity loss.

He says the response needs to be sensitive to the economic, social and cultural needs of the regions.

Upton says the outcomes that most New Zealanders want are simple and uncontroversial, such as healthy waterways, rich biodiversity, improvements to the country’s environmen-

tal footprint and resilient landscapes that can be passed on to future generations.

His starting point in the report is that land use is in a constant state of change and that this is unavoidable. Upton notes that some changes can

be made within farm systems, but in other cases wholesale change will be required.

“One of the main barriers to sorting out the issue of land change is the fragmented policy landscape, with multiple policies that impact

THE DATA ISSUE

ACCORDING TO Simon Upton the quality of environmental information in NZ is often not fit for purpose and the environmental reporting framework is at best fragmented and at worst inaccessible. He says this is sometimes hidden behind a prohibitive paywall and this must change.

“Central government should make high-quality, affordable environmental information accessible and underwrite this as a public good,” he says.

Along with this, Upton says multiple commercial barriers to land-use change

on land and water use. The amount of regulation and the pace at which it changes causes confusion for land users and those who oversee their implementation. This fragmented approach is particularly at odds with the holistic approach that tangata whenua must land,” says Simon Upton. He says the catch-

exist and there is a need to find alternative ways to fund this.

He also notes that some regulations set up protect the environment have become barriers to land-use change – a key example of this he says is water rights and greater regulatory flexibility is needed.

Finally, Upton says no government will have ready answers to the problems posed in the report, but equally they should not avoid asking the hard questions or grappling with the challenge of land use.

ment or sub-catchment is the appropriate scale for achieving an integrated approach to land use change. On top of this he says national-level regulations that impact on land-use change do not consider the differences of NZ landscapes.

Upton says landuse change needs to be appropriate to spe-

cific landscapes and that communities and mana whenua should make decisions on the implementation of policies. He says at present landowners are the main decision makers when it comes to land-use change but argues that catchment groups provide a way for willing land users to learn from each other.

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Farming helps Ahuwhenua Young Maori Farmer turn over a new leaf

EMOTIONS SPILLED

over when the winner of the Ahuwhenua Young Māori Dairy Farmer was announced at a gala dinner attended by 860 people in Hamilton recently.

When 29-year-old Ben Purua’s name was read out, it was immediately followed by spontaneous waiata and haka. Purua is the farm manager at Waimakariri Lands Ltd near Tirau and this the second time he has entered the competition, missing out three years ago.

The announcement was made by Dr Charlotte Severne, the Māori Trustee and chief executive of Te Tumu Paeroa before an audience which included the Minister of Māori Development, Tama Potaka and the Minister of Finance, Nicola Willis. Other guests included the Māori King, diplomats from the United Kingdom, Ireland, The European Union and Canada, leading Māori representatives, politicians from central and local government, agribusiness leaders, previous winners and whanau from all the finalists.

The other two finalists in the competition were Hannah Speakman and Shayden Gardiner.

When Severne made the announcement there

to see where he could improve.

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

Representing the judging panel, lead judge

Matiu Julian of Primary ITO said every year they are dealing with amazing young people who have invested in their own careers and looking to take the opportunity to grow.

“The whole competition is about personal development and transitions to take the finalists

into new spaces where they get to meet a whole new whanau who enable them to grow, connect and learn,” he says.

Julian says over the past three years Purua has grown exponentially and now wants to support his community and be a representative of the Ahuwhenua community.

passion in the room and what the awards meant to the people and their family and friends.

He says an example of this was Ben Purua; his story is amazing and he deserves great credit for the way he’s turned his life around. He says you could see how much that meant to him and his

was huge outpouring of emotion both on the stage and among the audience. Severne says there wasn’t a dry eye on the stage.

“We need to share Ben’s story because it is so amazing how he had made good after some terrible times in his life. We need to share this story, not just with the dairy industry but with the wider public, because it is such a good story,” he says.

Van der Poel says the Ahuwhenua Awards are a fantastic event that showcases excellence in the dairy industry.

“I think for Ben, the first time he entered the competition he was magnificent, but this time his story was about his farming work. He was a lot lighter, a lot more of his skills came through and I felt that we were not weighed down with his past, but we were very much in his future,” she says.

Severne praised all the finalists and says the country needs a hundred more young people like them to enter the primary sector. She also presented each of them with a $7,500 scholarship that they can use to further

develop their careers.

Purua thanked his Whanau and friends and paid a special tribute to his wife Nikki whom he says has been his greatest supporter and who encouraged him to enter the competition again. He says missing out the first time was a bit of a ‘kick in the guts’ but it was a learning curve and he took the opportunity

DAIRYNZ CHAIR Jim Van der Poel was one of many farming leaders present on the night. He says you could feel the

whanau.

AMAZING STORY

Ahuwhenua Young Moari Farmer Ben Purua and partner Nikki at the awards.

Farm 4 is number one!

A DAIRY farm near the settlement of Mangakino has won the prestigious Ahuwhenua Trophy for the top Māori dairy farm for 2024.

There was an outpouring of excitement and jubilation when Wairarapa Moana ki Pouakani (WMI) was announced the winner by the Minister for Māori Development Tama Potaka at a gala dinner held in Hamilton recently. Whanau quickly rose up and went on stage to the sound of waiata and haka as Potaka presented the trophy to the chairman of WMI, Kingi Smiler. For him it was a special moment as he has connections to the past two winners (for sheep and beef and horticulture) of this prestigious trophy.

The function was attended by 860 people, which included the Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, Finance Minister Nicola Willis, the Māori King Tuheitia along with diplomats from the United Kingdom, Ireland, the European Union and Canada. There were also representatives of central and local government, agribusiness leaders, sponsors of the awards, previous winners and whānau from all the finalists.

Beside the main trophy, a replica of it, a special gold medal and a certificate were presented to representatives of Wairarapa Moana by Nicola Willis, chief exec-

A WINNER’S VIEW

WMI consists of 12 dairy units across 4300ha, plus three dairy support units. But it entered just one of its 12 farms in the competition, Farm 4 – the winning farm. The property has a milking platform of 300ha, milking 980 cows and producing 416,000 kgMS. All up, WMI produce about five million kilograms of milksolids from their 12,000 cow herd and are the largest supplier to milk processor Miraka Ltd.

The other finalist in the competition was Whakatohea Māori Board whose farm is near the Eastern Bay of Plenty township of Opotiki.

KINGI SMILER, the chair of WMI, said after winning the competition he was both elated and relieved and added it was a tough competition being up against Whakatohera. He says he takes a lot of pride out of winning the award because it shows the reward for all at WMI.

“Personally, I like the challenge and so meeting that challenge requires us to work hard and it’s really good that our teams work together well. And in doing so, they have managed to achieve this award,” he says.

Smiler says WMI has a very dedicated team who does a lot of work around strategy and planning and it’s this teamwork that makes things happen.

Meanwhile, Nukuhia Hadfield, the chair of the Ahuwhenua Trust which or-

Potaka described the Ahuwhenua Trophy as the most prestigious award in Māori farming that acknowledges and celebrates business excel-

ganises the competition, congratulated both finalists, saying they exhibited the qualities that “make us proud to be farmers and proud to be Māori”.

She says both have carried on the fortitude of their tupuna to change their iwi and hapu outcomes from adversity to success and now to excellence.

Hadfield also praised the finalists in the Young Māori Farmer competition saying they join the impressive alumni of past finalists and winners whose enthusiasm, competence and commitment to agriculture is evident.

“This gives me the confidence to feel that the sector is in good hands and will evolve in new and innovative ways to the betterment of Aotearoa and the Māori people,” she says .

lence in NZ’s important pastoral and horticultural sectors. He says for Māori the award is a demonstration of success and pride but also a demonstration of identity which is inextricably linked into land, seas, forests, mountains and rivers.

“What we saw at the awards night was an

expression of identity,” he says.

Potaka says there is a real conviction among Māori farmers and Māori practitioners that they have an intergenerational responsibility for the future of their land and that this will not be reduced by the ups and downs of the current economic climate.

He says such views are also held by many Pakeha farming families who take a long-term, intergenerational view of caring for their land and future generations.

Potaka praised the high quality of all the finalists and looked forward to seeing more of their future success, adding that Wairarapa Moana ki Pouakani are a strong example of Māori

MAORI ECONOMY

FOR FINANCE Minis -

ter Nicola Willis, it was her first experience of attending the awards evening. She says she loved it and that it was wonderful to see the dairy industry celebrated in this way. She says she was particularly impressed with the finalists in the Young Māori Farmer competition.

“The Māori economy is huge and has been growing very fast and is of massive potential. It’s grown from $16 billion to $70 billion in only 20 years and is making a huge difference to the whole of the economy of the country,” she says.

Willis says it’s great to see post settlement iwi making sound investments, creating more value and employing more people and she expects to see even more of that in the coming years.

dairy farming excellence.

“I’ve seen first-hand the hard work, brilliance and innovation demonstrated by Māori farmers. It’s a critical part of the Māori economy and is a powerful driver in ensuring we get the New Zealand economy back on track.

“It’s about building economic benefits while ensuring kaitiakitanga –nurturing their whenua for future generations and inspiring others,” he says.

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utive of Te Puna Kokiri Dave Samuels, and Glen Webber from the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI).

Wairarapa Moana ki Pouakani chair Kingi Smiler (right) receives the Ahuwhenua Trophy from Maori Development Minister Tama Potaka at the awards night. PICTURE ALPAHIX.NZ

Long-term connectivity review needed - Chorus

to shut down the copper network in all areas where fibre is available.

CHORUS SAYS rural New Zealand is at risk of losing real opportunities if it can’t stay connected.

Chorus’s executive general manager of Fibre Frontier, Anna Mitchell, says the country doesn’t have a long-term plan for rural connectivity.

Her comments come as the broadband network provider prepares

Mitchell says the copper network, which services rural New Zealand, is aging fast.

“We have a number of pieces of our network that are 40-50 years’ old and they’re showing their age and they’re built for a different era and for different types of technology, and copper’s simply not able to provide what modern consumers will need for the next five, ten, fifteen years,” she told Dairy News When the copper net-

work was first set up, it was designed predominantly to service landlines, before subsequently being upgraded to allow for basic broadband services.

“What’s challenging about copper is that it was never really built as a rural technology,” Mitchell says. “It’s intended to be the nationwide network and serve 1.7 million address points.”

She says this has meant that, previously,

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the urban population would subsidise the more expensive rural conditions, but as people have migrated onto alternatives, such as Voice over IP, wireless internet, and mobile, fewer people have a copper line and it’s becoming difficult to maintain because the network is aging.

Not only is it difficult to find people qualified to fix and maintain the copper network, Mitchell says, but the availability of the parts required is sparse too.

gies. So, the investments that went into building the copper network 40 years ago have lasted a really long time, but what we’re seeing with some of the rural broadband initiatives is they are only just meeting current demand and in a lot of places people still have data caps… and you can’t upgrade to higher plans.”

Mitchell says all of this has a significant impact on how people use the internet in terms of things like employment.

“So, for some of our remote radio technology that serve the copper network, we can only get parts for that if we harvest them from other networks that have failed… so it’s becoming almost impossible to repair.”

Chorus is calling on the Government to undertake a review of the country’s long-term rural connectivity needs.

“We think there’s an opportunity to take fibre further into rural,” Mitchell says, pointing to a New Zealand Institute of Economic ResearchChorus report which stated the benefits of rural households’ access to rural connectivity with unconstrained capacity would amount to $16.5 billion over the course of ten years.

“We need to be funding long-term technolo-

“So we see there being a really strong case for not leaving rural communities behind,” she says.

Meanwhile, Minister for Media and Communications Paul Goldsmith has released a discussion document on enhancing telecommunications regulatory and funding frameworks.

He told Dairy News the feedback from that document will be used by the Government to understand what changes are necessary.

“Reliable and resilient telecommunications networks are crucial for our increasingly digital economy, particularly during times of emergency,” Goldsmith says.

“While rural connectivity is arguably the best it has ever been, there are ongoing challenges in delivering affordable connectivity to rural areas.”

Anna Mitchell at the recent TUANZ Conference, PHOTO: KATHLEEN MOWBRAY, REX STUDIO PHOTOGRAPHY

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RUMINATING

MILKING IT...

Live exports back?

MILKING IT understands a major announcement on livestock exports will be made at the National Fieldays next month.

The coalition Government has made no secret of its desire to resume the $300m livestock trade but with stringent animal welfare regulations in place.

Assistant Agriculture Minister Andrew Hoggard is expected to signal a green light from the Government.

Livestock Exports NZ believes that livestock exports can be reinstated while ensuring the highest standards of animal welfare. Research shows that this commitment to animal welfare aligns with the view of many New Zealanders. According to independent research conducted by VolconiQ, 59% of those surveyed believed that rather than banning live exports, New Zealand should raise the standards required of the industry.

Friend

or foe?

CHINA’S AMBASSADOR to NZ, Wang Xiaolong, reminded NZ exporters who is their friend when it comes to fair trading on the global market.

Speaking at the Chinese Business Summit in Auckland last week, he noted that it was the Western industrial countries that preached to China in its early stages of development the virtues of an open market, free trade and sustainability.

Xiaolong noted that China has fulfilled all its commitments and obligations under WTO and its FTAs with other countries and regions including New Zealand.

“Then, ironically, the very countries having lectured us in the first place have ditched their own sermons. It so turns out that the ‘fair competition’, ‘comparative advantage’ or ‘free trade’ they espouse is but a game that must be won by them and them alone, and is for everyone else to lose.”

He was reminding NZ of Canada’s reluctance to open their dairy market to NZ products allowed under a trade deal.

Well done Kotahi!

FONTERRA’S DECISION to join forces with other primary sector exporters and launch a supply chain collaboration, Kotahi, is paying huge dividends.

In 2011, the co-op joined meat processor Silver Fern Farms to launch Kotahi and a decade ago, Kotahi and Maersk embarked on a groundbreaking collaboration with the purpose of providing greater reliability to New Zealand’s ocean logistics.

Ten years later the results are in: together the partnership has shipped 1.8 million TEU or 23 million tonnes of New Zealand cargo to market, the majority being primary industry exports including dairy, meat, seafood, horticulture and forestry, through some challenging conditions.

And last week, Kotahi and Maersk signed another 10-deal to keep moving $160 billion worth of products from NZ to around the world.

Moving Day call IT’S MOVING Day end of this week. And the message from authorities is ‘leave the nasties behind’.

Moving Day involves the mass transporting of cows and machinery around the country’s roads as farm contractors relocate themselves and their stock in time for the new season.

While there are many really dedicated farmers and contractors who rigorously clean their gear to protect the next property they’re moving to, not everyone is as committed, according to Waikato Regional Council.

The recent discovery of the highly invasive velvetleaf on two new properties in the region was a wake up call for the ag sector. It spreads easily through unclean machinery and the council is keen to stop it in its tracks.

So landowners must insist only clean machinery enters their farm gate on June 1.

EDITORIAL

Fonterra’s U-turn

SPEAKING AT the Chinese Business Summit in Auckland last week, Fonterra chief executive Miles Hurrell revealed that his phone was running hot over the weekend.

Everyone was keen to know more about the dairy giant’s plans to divest its consumer business, which includes some of New Zealand’s most iconic brands – Anchor, Mainland and Kapiti.

While Hurrell didn’t reveal details about the phone conversations, chances are that he told the callers what he’s been telling farmer shareholders and politicians – not a lot. How the divestment plan unfolds will take 12-18 months to unfold. On the chopping block is the co-op’s global Consumer business, as well as its integrated businesses Fonterra Oceania and Fonterra Sri Lanka, easily valued at a few billion dollars. By doing a U-turn, Fonterra wants to end up with almost no consumer brands, very similar to Tatua, which has a small consumer brands business selling whipped cream and cream cheese.

Fonterra claims it can add further value for the co-op by focusing on being a businessto-business (B2B) dairy nutrition provider, working closely with customers through its high-performing Ingredients and Foodservice channels.

One NZ dairy company is already implementing this strategy very well. Waikato’s Tatua Dairy Co-op paid a record $12.30/kgMS to its 100 farmer shareholders last year and it did this by producing mostly specialised dairy ingredients. Fonterra shareholders received a milk price of $8.22/kgMS.

So, could Fonterra end up as a bigger version of Tatua? Hurrell says they haven’t thought of it in that context.

He adds that Fonterra is keen to make its ingredients business even stronger.

“If that’s a parallel that’s been drawn, that would be a compliment to Tatua, they’ve got a nice business.”

Fonterra shareholders would love their co-op to match Tatua in the payout stakes.

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Cultivating a legacy of sustainable production

WHEN TRADITION meets innovation, the result can be a powerful transformation, not just for an individual farm, but for the entire agricultural industry.

Adrian and Pauline Ball’s farm in Tirau, South Waikato, embodies this transformation, having evolved from traditional cattle grazing to a model of dairy excellence and environmental stewardship.

On our recent ‘Feed for Thought’ podcast, Matt Dalley and I sat down with Adrian Ball to explore the layers of change that have shaped the family farming business and discuss implications for the future of sustainable agriculture.

The loss of Adrian’s father brought about a profound shift in the farm’s trajectory, leading to a conversion to dairy that would later earn industry recognition. However, what truly sets the Ball’s operation apart is the unwavering commitment to sustainability. Their innovative farming practices, such as the integration of homegrown forage and beef production, are a testament to the fact that environmental care, animal welfare, and staff well-being are integral to a farm’s success. By emphasising these values, the farm has not only maintained profitability but has also become a beacon of sustainability.

One aspect of the Ball’s approach is the focus on carbon reduction strategies. The integration of dairy-derived beef is particularly noteworthy, as it provides a means to produce highquality beef with a significantly lower carbon footprint. The Ball’s efforts demonstrate the potential for dairy farms to contribute to a more sustainable beef industry.

Looking to the horizon, Adrian sheds light on the future of sustainable agriculture, discuss-

ing the exciting potential of zero carbon beef and the role of sequestration on farms. An interesting fact Adrian mentioned is that 85% of a beef cow’s emissions are associated with its calf compared to only 15% for a dairy cow. Unfortunately, the beef industry doesn’t have a lot of confidence in calves produced by the dairy industry, but Adrian is working hard to produce an animal that adds value. The conversation delves into the balance between quality and volume, the need for smaller farms to create value, and the trends in global sustainability that are shifting consumer expectations.

Through this conversation, Adrian illustrates how the agricultural industry can adapt to meet the challenges of the future while continuing to provide high-quality products.

The podcast also explores the concept of industry succession and the importance of naturepositive narratives. These ideas are essential for framing the future of farming, where the focus on quality over quantity is expected to shape market dynamics. By fostering a quality-driven approach, Adrian’s vision for the industry champions the welfare of our planet as a core principle of agricultural success.

To listen to the discussion on how Adrian Ball is cultivating the legacy of sustainable dairy and beef production, search Feed for Thought on all major podcast platforms.

• Wade Bell is Genetic Technologies farm systems manager. Contact him at wbell@genetic.co.nz

‘Feed for Thought’ podcast hosts Matt Dalley and Wade Bell.

Never a better time to train

NOW IS the best time for training, says the new sector manager for dairy at Primary ITO, Marianne Awburn.

She says that while there are significant headwinds for the industry, Primary ITO’s current 50% off agriculture training fees means investing in training can set up farms for the future.

The 50% off fees offer on agriculture and horticulture training programmes lasts for the whole of 2024.

Awburn says the offer was put in place in response to a challenging 2023 for farmers and growers, with the aim of making training more accessible so employers can invest in the skills of their staff.

“Dairy farming is a highly skilled occupation and training is increas-

THE FUTURE

PRIMARY ITO is currently a business division of New Zealand Institute of Skills and Technology.

The Government has announced it will disestablish the institute and as an interim step, so Primary ITO has reverted to its sole identity.

Awburn says their frontline teams working with employers, learners and schools are still very much in place.

“It may be a significant period of time until the Government confirms its future plans. We’ll be keeping our industries informed when we have more detail on what’s next.

“Meanwhile, at Primary ITO, our focus is on providing high quality training for the primary industries. For the dairy team, this includes work underway to provide even better delivery of top-quality learning opportunities for our farmers of the future.

“My aim this year is to connect with as many of you as possible, to understand how we can deliver exactly what’s needed for all farms – big and small – and for the dairy industry in New Zealand to continue to thrive.”

ingly needed to run a great business.”

Based in Hamilton, Awburn has worked for Primary ITO for almost

three years in her previous role as training adviser for East Waikato.

In her present role, she works with a team of

training advisers up and down the country.

“I have worked in the dairy industry for nearly 20 years, in various roles including AI technician, calf-rearer, farm assistant, contract milker, sharemilker, and dairy recruiter. I am also a trained secondary school teacher and have a real passion for learning.”

Awburn lives in Te Kawa, south of Te Awamutu, where her husband manages a 450-cow dairy farm.

Meanwhile, Primary ITO has launched the new Farm Environment Planning Level 4 Microcredential in response to farmers and their staff needing to know how to implement and monitor a farm environment plan. www.primaryito.ac.nz

Marianne Awburn.

Mystery Creek, Hamilton

JUNE 12-15, 2024 Brought

Over 1000 exhibitors lined up to showcase NZ agriculture

WITH THE 56th running of the National Fieldays only a fortnight away, the Mystery Creek Event Centre is morphing into a large village, where more than a thousand exhibitors will set up shop from the 12th to 15th June.

Given the testing times faced by the New Zealand economy, Fieldays chief executive Peter Nation is optimistic but also realistic when he comments, “I don’t think it will be a record year for sales” while also noting that while several companies have dropped out of this year’s event, the vehicle and farm machinery areas are full, with several product launches scheduled. As part of the event,

often labelled a showcase for NZ agriculture, once again a major emphasis is placed on getting away from the farm for one or more days, meeting friends and swapping a few stories. Businesses of course will get the chance to show some new products or ideas, reinforce the message about existing offerings or systems and, if the cheque book is open, close a few deals.

The international flavour of the event is also important and confirmed by pre-approved visa for a number of trade delegations, with Nation noting that between those visiting delegates and overseas-based manufacturers, around 45 countries will be represented. Maintaining the focus on individual and industry wellbeing, the Fieldays Health and Well-

being Hub will be complemented with the new Advocacy Hub, a project three years in the making, in collaboration with Federated Farmers. The Hub will bring together under one roof, multiple rural organisations who are advocating for farmers and their interests, like Federated Farmers, NZ Young Farmers, Groundswell, The Rural Women’s’ Network and Future

Farmers to name a few.

“It’s great to be able to deliver a Fieldays purpose of advancing agriculture through education and collaboration,” says Nation.

“We know it’s tough out there this year, so it’s never been more important for farmers to be heard and to have advocates that will amplify their voice.”

Alongside the new exhibit, existing Hubs cover Careers and Education, Forestry, Digital Futures and Sustainability, while the Innovations Centre brings together the clever minds of academia and the practically of farmers.

This year’s Innovation Awards will see 64 entrants fighting over a prize pool of more than $70,000, split over three categories.

These include 27 entrants in the Prototype Category, 21 trying to take the Early-Stage Award and 16 vying for the Growth and Scale Prize. Meanwhile five entries will be aiming to walk away with the Young Innovator of the Year Award, open to participants 19 years old or under.

MARK DANIEL markd@ruralnews.co.nz

Fieldays chief executive Peter Nation says given the country’s economic situation, 2024 won’t be a record year for sales.

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Portable auger hopper makes farm life easy

ALWAYS KEEN to listen to feedback from customers and implement suggested improvements, Advantage Plastics ensures its products evolve to meeting ever changing needs.

Having manufactured its well-known Smart Stakka (portable side discharge) for more than eight years, they had many requests for additions or improvements, but one customer’s request created a little head scratching.

“Are you able to manufacture these hoppers with an unloading auger that we can control from inside a vehicle?” asked

the customer. “This will help a lot on farm, especially when feeding out into troughs, with no need for back breaking work, and make us a lot more efficient.”

The request saw the

tics do many hours of research, design and even a trip to a field day in Australia, which has resulted in a newly released product to the already extensive range.

The new 1 Tonne Capacity Portable Auger

Hopper is designed to make your life easier on farm, making users more efficient, by saving time and money. Key features include the foldaway auger that reduces the unit’s overall width, making it safer for transport, alongside a 5-inch diameter for fast discharge. A cab mounted, remote on/off switch, allows ease of use, but importantly means the operator is kept safe within the vehicle.

Designed to be powered by a portable generator, the Auger Hopper can be mounted to ute decks, carried on a trailer, or can be supplied as a trailer unit to Advantage’s own design. www.advantageplastics. co.nz

Benefit of autonomous data monitoring

can open the door to many different management tools driven by data received in the farm office or via hand-held devices.

In the case of dairy automation specialists Lely, its Grazeway system offers a strategy so grazing can be combined with automatic milking. The Grazeway selection box allows cows wearing individual collars to choose for themselves whether and when they want to go out to pasture. The system then determines whether or not they can.

Through a link with the Lely Horizon management platform, users have total control over each individual cow’s grazing, by linking the selection box to your cows’ milk yield data, allowing more efficient management of feeding and grazing.

In addition, the selection box works with the same management system as the Lely Astronaut, using the same double-gate system as the milking

robot. Grazeway can also draft cows for treatment or insemination.

Working in conjunction with the Lely Qwes system, the intuitive cow recognition system measures the most crucial information on each cow every two hours offering a good insight into the health of cows, to prevent illness and loss of production.

Receiving an insight into the activity of the cows allows users to know when you need to intervene and if equipped with the heat detection function, helping to identify the best time for insemination, so increasing in-calf rates, while also reducing calving intervals.

Also, changes in rumination patterns are typically the first sign of potential problems, with the system sending alerts and cross referencing with milk yield data, allowing drafting or segregation for inspection, diagnosis and treatment. Visit Fieldays site PE13.

ROBOTIC MILKING

MARK DANIEL markd@ruralnews.co.nz

The new 1 Tonne Capacity Portable Auger Hopper is designed to make your life easier on farm.

Lely’s Grazeway system offers a strategy so grazing can be combined with automatic milking.

DairyNZ at the Fieldays

DAIRYNZ’S ONLINE

platform DairyBase is celebrating 20 years of helping farmers to better understand their farm system and performance and how to make positive changes.

The DairyBase team has been focused on supporting farmers by helping them identify opportunities to drive profit and draw comparisons against other farms. Their online platform allows them to better track their progress compared to their goals and see where they can make changes on farm.

At Fieldays the team will be ready to show how they can support farmers through the online platform, includ-

There will be an opportunity for a lucky listener to win a set of the books at each of the three readings.

their popular innovations from the Reducing Sprains and Strains project which were codesigned with farmers.

On site will be the EasyEntry Calf Trailer Gate and Easy-Access Calf Pen Gate prototypes which are now being produced by Kea Trailers and Gallagher, respectively.

On Saturday 15 June, kids can meet dairy farmer and author Rachel Numan, who will be reading her Tractor Dave books on the site from

the three readings.

DairyNZ says it is also giving farmers the chance to win this Fieldays.

“At our stand you can go in the draw to win one of two eDNA kits, with a DairyNZ team member to support you every step of the way on-farm.

“If you sign up to DairyBase at Fieldays and complete the Level 1 questionnaire, you’ll go in the draw to win a 20-year-old bottle of scotch whisky as part of their 20th anniversary cel-

Lely Grazeway drafting & heat detection

George Moss has been

“DairyBase data has travel for our business,” on site, as well as some-

At the Fieldays, kids can meet dairy farmer and author Rachel Numan, who will be reading her Tractor Dave books on the site from 10am to 11am.

Innovation Awards entrants a step closer to a win

ENTRIES FOR the 2024 Fieldays Innovation Awards have been announced.

The 64 entries range from something as modest in size as a wool plaster to something as large as an autonomous grapevine pruner, coming from Hamilton to as far away as Ireland.

The 64 participants have made it to the next stage of judging, and a step closer to a share of a total prize package of cash, services, and products worth more than $70,000 to help launch or accelerate their new product.

Showcased at the Fieldays 2024 Innovation Hub, the Awards is

a ‘launch pad’ for primary innovation in New Zealand and a globally renowned awards programme.

Judged by a panel of 15 sector experts who represent a wide range of experience from around the NZ ‘innovation ecosystem’, organisers say this year’s Awards will showcase some of the most innovative ideas and technologies aimed at the agricultural industry.

“This year we had the most entries we’ve had in the last 10 years,” says Fieldays programme manager Steve Chappell.

“It’s superb to see so many great entries of such a high calibre again,

and in the Award’s 56th year, it really is inspiring to see. I’m impressed with the ideas coming through this year, and I’m sure the visitors and investors will be too.”

There are 27 participants in the prototype

category, 21 in the earlystage category and 16 in the growth & scale category. Five participants are also in the running for the Young Innovator of the Year award for entrants 19 years old and under.

The 2024 Awards sees the introduction of a new judging process, with first round judging happening now, and a short-list of finalists in each category due to be announced soon. Those finalists will participate in both an

To Give A ‘Better Use Of Water’

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online judging pre-event and onsite judging at Fieldays.

“This year, we’re also adding a special twist to our Innovation Awards: A People’s Choice Award” says Chappell.

“All participants are

in the running for this award. The innovator with the most votes will take home a $2,000 cash prize, while one lucky voter will win a voucher for $500.”

Visitors can vote by tapping their Fieldays Smart Band at the kiosk located inside the Fieldays Innovation Hub during the event.

The participants’ innovations can be viewed at the Fieldays Innovation Hub at Mystery Creek, Hamilton between 12 – 15 June. Additionally, the Fieldays Innovation Trail layer can be turned on in the Fieldays App to explore Innovation Awards entries at the exhibitor’s sites.

Systems for clean water

• At the right time Clients

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• Easy setup and easy to use

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• We are well established being the leading provider of water measuring systems

• Equipment is reliable land well proven to perform

• We support you in your audit and environmental reporting

Showcased at the Fieldays 2024 Innovation Hub, the Awards is a ‘launch pad’ for primary innovation in New Zealand and

Vaccinate against new lepto strain

A VET is calling for all animals to be vaccinated against a new strain of leptospirosis (lepto) discovered on New Zealand dairy farms in recent years.

Nathan Back, DairyVets, says the new ‘Pacifica’ strain of the bacterial disease has recently become more common in NZ.

A new cattle vaccine, Lepto 4-Way, has been developed to provide an immune response against this strain and is being recommended by Back.

Back says the decision to switch leptospirosis vaccines is to better manage the risk that leptospirosis is now presenting on farms and within the local community.

“This is particularly important for people working within our practice and farms –farmers, farm workers, vets and technicians.

“To reduce this risk, we feel that all animals on farms – cows, pregnant heifers, calves and other stock – should be vaccinated with Lepto 4-Way for the coming season and this is the vaccine we will be using.”

Leptospirosis is caused by a bacteria that is spread from animal to human. Lepto is contracted most commonly through exposure to the urine of infected animals, either

through direct contact or via contaminated water. The bacteria enter through cuts or grazes on the skin, or through the mucous membranes of eyes, nose and mouth.

Matt Wells, technical veterinarian at Virbac NZ, the registerer and distributor of Lepto 4-Way, says that in recent years, New Zealand has seen an increase of cases of lepto in farmers and staff working on vaccinated farms, many of which are thought to be due to the new Pacifica strain.

Wells says vaccination of the herd is one of the most robust ways to reduce the risk of leptospirosis coming into the herd as well as rodent control, hygiene and personal care when

working closely with animals and on farm and other measures such as the fencing of access to waterways and strict control around effluent spreading.

All animals in the herd will need two doses of the vaccine: an initial dose, then a booster about four to six weeks later. This will include all pregnant cows, pregnant heifers (R2) and all replacement heifer calves – this will provide the necessary immune response against the new strain.

Wells says the impact lepto can have on farm is devastating, with severe flu symptoms in humans and in some cases debilitating illness requiring hospitalisation.

A recent survey conducted by Massey

University showed that half of those affected were still experiencing symptoms a staggering eight months after diagnosis.

There are different types of lepto, with cows often showing no clinical signs. This means that working with dairy cows can pose a significant risk for contracting lepto, so preventing exposure is vital.

“Since the 1970s we have been fortunate to have highly effective cattle vaccines, which have reduced the rate of human infections

dramatically,” says Wells.

“Unfortunately, in recent years we have seen cases of lepto in farmers and staff (including teat sealing technicians) working on vaccinated farms, many of which are thought to be due to the newly discovered strain of lepto within our dairy herds.”

This new strain, known as Pacifica, wasn’t covered by the traditional dairy cattle lepto vaccines. Recent research suggests Pacifica could be present in almost three quarters of dairy herds throughout New Zealand.

“The new cattle vaccine, Lepto 4-Way, has recently been developed to provide an immune response against the emergence of Pacifica as well as the 3 strains (Hardjo, Pomona & Copenhageni) previously covered by the traditional vaccines. Sharing a similar mindset to Nathan at DairyVets, farmers and vets throughout the country have been choosing to switch or upgrade their lepto vaccine and vaccinate their cattle with Lepto 4-Way since it became available early February,” Wells says.

Nathan Back, DairyVets, says the new ‘Pacifica’ strain of the bacterial disease has recently become more common in NZ.

Control of parlour at your fingertips

One product that reinforces this notion is WMS’s own DairyHQ - Parlour Management System that allows farmers to take control of their parlour in one space, by incorporating analytical data insights to monitor results and trends from each cow in the herd.

The state-of-the-art system focuses on four main modules: Identification (ID), which is an in-parlour system that identifies the animal in the milking point to ensure accurate feeding, milk weight recording, and animal handling.

Feed (FEED), focuses on precision feeding based on individual needs, to boost animal performance and reduce waste.

Sort (SORT) incorporates the automation of animal sorting, helping to improve mating and animal health out-

come, while saving time and labour, while Milk (MILK) tracks the milk production of each cow, allowing better breeding and feed management decisions.

Waikato Milking Systems’ head of product development, Chris Singleton, notes that the main goal was to provide a simple-to-use and intuitive system that focuses on the parlour. He says DairyHQ brings a difference to the shed.

“It provides valuable information directly to the farmer without flooding them with extra data, allowing to find out exactly what they need to know to make those informed decisions.”

DairyHQ also integrates seamlessly with the company’s other automation products, especially as the dairy system innovators ready themselves for the 2025 launch of

one of their latest products. ErgoPOD - is a robotic assisted milking solution that the company says will revolutionise the milking experience for dairy farmers. This innovation embodies high-performance milking through its emphasis on human- and cow-centric design with robotic assistance, boosting milking time productivity and efficiency.

Providing efficiency, productivity, and reducing labour costs without removing the essence of dairy farming is a significant advantage of DairyHQ. Waikato Milking’s focus on the farmers’ needs is again highlighted in its product developments, leaving everyone at WMS’ Horotiu base excited for the future of dairy farming. – Mark Daniel @dairy_news facebook.com/dairynews

The DairyHQ - Parlour Management System allows farmers to take control of their parlour in one space.

Titan Max raises the bar

WELL-KNOWN FOR its heavy-duty silage wagons, Palmerston North’s McIntosh Farm Machinery looks to have raised the bar even further with the release of its Titan Max Series.

One of the strongest and most durable wagons available in New Zealand and beyond, the “Titan Max” is designed to meet the needs of larger farms and herd sizes, who will typically feed multiple loads each day.

At the heart of the machine, McIntosh has addressed one of the major problems of conventional feeder wagons – the stretching of floor chains that, if left unad-

justed, sees chains jumping off and damaging chains, slats and sprockets.

While the majority of manufacturers, including McIntosh, have 10mm or 13mm floor chains, McIntosh now have the option of 16mm/ 32 tonne breaking-strain chains, with three or four chains per wagon, depending on capacity. They also address the traditional method of chain tensioning via threaded rods and

locking nuts, by fitting a novel tensioning system that can be described as “idiot proof”.

Used in heavy earth mowers to keep tracks correctly tensioned, McIntosh’s solution is to use grease pressurised idler roller assemblies to keep the floor chains at the correct tension, checked visually with a pressure gauge mounted on the outside of the wagon. Available in four sizes,

designated as the 1400, 1500, 1700 and 1900 models, each has a nominal capacity of 20, 21.5, 25 and 27 cubic meters capacity, respectively. Carried on walking beam tandem axle assemblies, the wagons are set up for ease of maintenance with centralised greasing locations on the outside of the wagon for the walking beams, floor and elevator drive shafts and the rear idler sprockets, meaning there is no need for oper-

Volunteers: the heart and soul of fieldays

THE NATIONAL Fieldays brings together farmers, innovators, industry leaders, and rural enthusiasts.

It’s not only the visitors who make Fieldays an unforgettable experience, there’s a community of volunteers who work closely with the wider event team to ensure that everything runs smoothly. These valued volunteers dedicate their time and effort to ensure that visitors have a memorable experience and leave Fieldays having learnt something new.

Whether they have volunteered for more than 50 years or just lent a hand once, being part of the organising team for this event is

ible mark.

Chris Kay’s six-year stint as a VIP driver in the Events Team has done just that. He relishes meeting different people and ensuring they enjoy their day, whether they’re farmers taking a break from the farm or city dwellers exploring rural life.

But it’s the volunteer gettogethers that Kay looks forward to the most—breakfasts, lunches, and shared moments of connection. His advice to future volunteers is simple: “Enjoy what you do and know you are making a difference in your community.”

Alexandra Perry joined the Fieldays Event Team as a volunteer in

of it ever since. Assisting visitors at the Information Booth, a crucial place for seeking guidance, Alexandra shares that her passion for Fieldays runs deep.

“Since I was young, Fieldays has always been a special place for me. When I saw the opportunity to volunteer (2016 was the first year I was old enough), I knew I had to help out,” says Perry.

Last year, she had the privilege of working closely with the team’s second-in-command, which was another great learning experience. What she loves most about volunteering is the camaraderie, the chance to catch up with fellow volunteers and staff she’s known since

ators to venture under the wagon.

Featuring a 1200mm wide cross conveyor, a 5mm thick Corten steel floor and stronger, heavily profiled sides increase durability, which is fur-

ther extended by additional lower sidewall wear plates and a galvanised cross conveyor frame. Supplied as standard with LED lighting, rear orange beacon, grease gun holder, tapered mudguards and a swivel drawbar tongue, options include load cells, additional floor chains for the smaller models, extra heavy-duty axles and oversize tyre equipment.

MARK DANIEL

markd@ruralnews.co.nz

Greening up at Fieldays

MARK

IN THE rural landscapes of New Zealand and Ireland, a shared agricultural heritage thrives, built on a strong mixture of tradition and innovation, with mirror image climates

earning both countries global acclaim for their food quality and sustainable agriculture.

Ireland’s journey from a longstanding agricultural economy to a leader in science-based innovation is a testament to its commitment to the future of farm-

ing. By integrating traditional practices with modern advancements, Ireland helps farms and agribusinesses worldwide to not only maximise their yields but also to minimise environmental impacts, inputs, and costs.

Ireland currently

exports innovative solutions to over 140 countries, generating over €1 billion in sales annually.

Enterprise Ireland, the Irish Government’s export agency, returns to Fieldays for the 17th consecutive year in 2024, hosting a blend of established brands and innovative startups, with some new products developed specifically for the New Zealand market.

Exhibitors at the Ireland Pavilion (Stand D67) include a plethora of companies from newcomers such as Agri Data Analytics, who are developing a bovine breathalyser device to capture and measure enertic

Ireland’s journey from a longstanding agricultural economy to a leader in science-based innovation is a testament to its commitment to the future of farming.

ruminant methane emissions and JFC Agri, who after visiting Fieldays last year, has adapted its Evolution automatic calf feeder to feed whole milk to New Zealand dairy calves. Dairy Master

offers advanced milking systems, feeding equipment, and herd management tools, while Abbey Machinery specialises on the back end of the animals with slurry handling, grassland, and of course, animal feeding equipment.

In addition to the Ireland Pavilion, visitors should look out for other Irish brands being exhibited local distributors or dealers, including Gallagher Animal Management, who will featuring StrongBó Agritech’s Auto Weigher system being launched in New Zealand – automated and remote front-foot livestock weighing system

for real time performance and health.

Waringa will make their debut at Fieldays, showing Agri-Spread International’s multipurpose fertiliser and lime spreaders, Webbline will present Mastek’s innovative slurry pumps and dribble bars.

Elsewhere the Power Farming Group will showcase McHale’s balers and bale handling equipment, Giltrap Agrizone will be showing HiSpec, Malone, Major, and Prodig products, while Ag Attachments will be featuring Tanco’s Bale Shears and Drommone’s ball and pick up hitch systems.

Ambassador for Ireland to NZ Jane Connolly at the 2023 Fieldays Enterprise Ireland stand with John Concannon of JFC Agri Ltd.

PERFECT PARTNER PASTURE’S

Keeping cows from slipping

ANDY GOWER and his wife Ange have been operating Parawera Farm for 19 years, where they milk 350 dairy cows.

Their farming operations faced significant setbacks due to unsafe conditions on their 2-year-old herringbone shed, where the concrete surface had become dangerously smooth.

The Gowers experienced two costly incidents where cows slipped on the ramp, resulting in significant financial losses and animal welfare concerns.

“When one cow slips over on the ramp, you just think, maybe she was just being silly,” says Andy.

“And then when it happens a day later with the second one, you know you’re in trouble. Two cows at $1,700 a cow, that’s $3,400. Both cows do an average of 400 milk solids at $8 per solid. That’s $9,800 gone just like that. That was the moment for both of us. We don’t like seeing young girls like this,” he says.

To fix the problem, the Gowers chose Numa-

tAGRI VGrip matting based on previous positive experiences with the brand in their old shed. They had explored various options at field days and found that this product the best, especially in terms of design that prevented slips.

Installing the NumatAGRI mats proved straightforward and efficient. Initially, the cows were hesitant due to the new surface texture, but within three days, they adjusted well, confidently navigating the ramp without any slips. The installation process was swift,

completed in just three hours between milking sessions, minimising disruption to the farm’s operations.

The introduction of the mats has transformed the safety and efficiency of operations at Parawera Farm. The cows now exhibit no hesitation when using the ramp, significantly reducing the risk of injuries. The ease of maintenance with the mats has also been notable; cleaning procedures remained as simple as with concrete, with excellent drainage that allowed for quick and easy wash-

downs.

Andy was pleased with both the product and the service provided by the company.

“Everybody from the salesmen to the guys

installing it have been awesome to deal with. They just rock up, get the job done quickly, and the results speak for themselves.”

Andy says the instal-

lation of matting at Parawera Farm has not only safeguarded the welfare of the cows but also protected against potential future losses related to animal injuries.

“It just shows the value of investing in highquality, effective safety solutions that deliver both immediate and longterm benefits for farm operations,” he says.

DIRECTOR: OSPRI

OSPRI is the lead biosecurity agency for New Zealand’s animal industries, jointly owned by DairyNZ, Beef+Lamb NZ and Deer Industry NZ. Currently, OSPRI’s operations include managing the National Animal Identification and Tracing (NAIT) TBfree and Mycoplasma bovis eradication programmes, which are jointly funded by OSPRI’s owners and the Ministry for Primary Industries.

OSPRI is seeking up to two additional Directors, to broaden and deepen the Board’s skills and experience. Applicants should bring:

•

Affinity with farmers, rural communities and navigating the tension between regulatory and stakeholder spheres. •

•

in substantial organisations facing comparable challenges including leading through strategic, economic, and cultural shifts.

in complex organisations including Board / Committee leadership roles.

A foundation of skills and background that allows you to learn quickly and provide governance level oversight of the below areas is also valuable:

•

The appointment(s) will take effect from the Annual Meeting in November 2024 for an initial term of 3 years.

The OSPRI Stakeholder’s Council is responsible for recommending Board appointees to shareholders and the Stakeholders’ Council Chair – Dr James Buwalda – is leading the recommendation process.

If you are passionate about the success and development of OSPRI and can bring governance and strategic experience to contribute as a director, please register your interest now by sending a cover note and your governance profile to Alyssa@propero.co.nz

Please register your interest by Tuesday 4 June 2024.

Farmer Andy Gower says cows slipping on the ramp leads to significant financial losses and animal welfare concerns.

injuries.

Probiotics help save sick calves

WITHIN FIVE days of picking up her calves in August 2020, Taihape farmer Sandra Fannin knew she was going to have trouble.

“We had tummy

upsets, one calf went down quickly, and we lost it overnight. They smelt terrible and very quickly they were all sick – it was the beginning of a nightmare,” Fannin recalls.

She reached out to Probiotic Revolution and the vet. A poo sample confirmed that the calves had very high counts of rotavirus and crypto.

“My vet told me I

was in trouble, so I went home with hundreds of dollars of electrolytes, and he wished me luck.

One of the calves was so sick, it could hardly stand and because my probi-

otics had arrived, I gave it and all the others an immediate double dose of BioRescue paste and Calf Xtreme in the feed that night.

“I was amazed the

next morning to see that calf standing waiting for a feed. At lunch time the sick calf got more paste and electrolytes. That night they all got a double dose of Calf Xtreme and the next morning they were all pretty much fine.”

Fannin continued with the double dose for about five days and could not believe how these calves had changed. They had nice shiny coats, and very soft hair, and they were all happy and would bounce around the pens.

“About three days later the vet phoned and asked how I was getting on, and how many more calves I had lost.

When I replied, ‘none’, he couldn’t believe it,” Fannin says.

Although Fannin is a seasoned calf-rearer, she notes that these probiotics have revolutionised her calf rearing system.

She rears up to 40 Friesian-Hereford calves each autumn and 30 in the spring. She gets them to a target weaning weight of 80 – 85kg about a week earlier, in only

42 – 50 days. By then 36 calves will be smashing back one and a half bales of hay and 40kg of calf meal. They also hold their condition better and do better after weaning.

“There is no way I’m going back to what I did before,” she says.

Better health and growth rates of young calves has also led to changes to the Fannin’s cattle policies on their Taihape hill country farm.

We get these steers to 600kg by the time they are 2 years of age so the calves we rear in the autumn don’t have to go through another winter.

“If we pushed them, they would get to slaughter weights in 18 months, but there are times when we just have to hold them back a bit.”

Because the Fannin’s calves have been on probiotics up to weaning it has boosted their immune system minimising the need for drenching. “We used to drench them monthly. Now it’s only 2-3 drenches and sometimes only the ones that look like they need it.”

Bio Rescue helps Sandra Fannin rear her