AGRIBUSINESS
MACHINERY
Opportunities for goat meat deserves closer scrutiny. PAGE 11
Honda unveils new ATVs.
PAGE 21
NEWS Military man to take over Rural Leadership role. PAGE 5
TO ALL FARMERS, FOR ALL FARMERS JANUARY 28, 2020: ISSUE 693
www.ruralnews.co.nz
Where’s the workers? PETER BURKE peterb@ruralnews.co.nz
LACK OF skilled labour is a huge issue for sheep and beef farmers – and the meat industry as a whole – Beef+LambNZ chairman, Andrew Morrison claims. He says it’s not only affecting the situation on-farm, but the processing
industry as well. Morrison believes it’s having a particular impact on the sheep side of the business and is one of the reasons for the decline in sheep numbers. “Sheep work is hard and as farmers get older they are turning to finishing beef cattle, which is easier,” he told Rural News. “In the meat works the lack of skilled labour means that it
is harder to extract the maximum value from a cattle beast and turn out high value cuts.” Morrison says this issue is occurring at a time when sheep meat prices are good and there is an urgent to sort out the issue of vocational training. He says farmers are very supportive of the initiatives. “The issue of farmer morale is
interesting because with the good prices they are happy. But speaking to the local tractor salesmen they are having very lean years because farmers are in ‘wait and see mode’ and wondering how they are going to get through all the challenges they are facing. “They are saying rather than buying a new tractor, should I buy a bunch of
Get it right! THE FIRST female president of Pukekohe Vegetable Growers Association (PVGA) Kylie Faulkner says her members acknowledge urban creep and its impact on highly productive land. The PVGA also wants to be part of the solution to clean up waterways. But she says any new policy by the Government shouldn’t impact on food security. “Our members grow fresh healthy food for New Zealanders,” Faulkner says. “About 26% of NZ’s domestic fresh vegetables production comes from the Pukekohe area, if we take that ability away, where are we getting out fresh vegetables from? “As a consumer and as a parent, I don’t want broccoli from China: New Zealanders have every right to have locally-grown, fresh, healthy food at an affordable price.” Read the full story in next issue of Rural News.
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fence posts and more trees to address my fresh water, biodiversity and carbon issues.” He believes, in many respects, the rural community is being challenged more than the on-farm community. Meanwhile, Morrison says the entry of China into the beef market is fundamentally a good thing for NZ in the long term. He says we need multiple markets in order to maximise prices. “China is doing that, and shortly Beef+LambNZ will be introducing its ‘taste pure nature’ brand into that market.” Morrison says the aim is to show that our meat is grass fed and has a good provenance story, which will appeal to consumers. There has been talk that the US China free trade agreement (FTA) has the potential to negatively affect NZ if quantities of American agricultural products are exported to China. But Morrison says irrespective of trade deals it’s the demand for quality products that will be a key driver. “Because we can validate our production systems through our quality assurance programmes through ‘taste pure nature’; there will always be people who want the product that aligns with their beliefs,” he told Rural News. “These are around a whole range of issue including production systems, animal welfare, how we embrace environmental issues and how we treat staff.” Morrison says NZ’s stance on such issues will help us gain favourable trade deals.
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RURAL NEWS // JANUARY 28, 2020
NEWS 3 ISSUE 693 www.ruralnews.co.nz
Leading from the front NIGEL MALTHUS
NEWS ��������������������������������������1-10 AGRIBUSINESS �����������������������11 HOUND, EDNA ����������������������� 12 CONTACTS ������������������������������ 12 OPINION ����������������������������� 12-15 MARKETS ��������������������������� 16-17 MANAGEMENT ���������������������� 18 ANIMAL HEALTH ������������������ 20 MACHINERY AND PRODUCTS ����������������������� 21-22
KEEPING AN eye on the changing farming horizon is the priority for the new chair of the Ruralco rural supply chain, Mid-Canterbury dairy farmer Jessie Chan-Dorman. Having served on the board for two terms, Chan-Dorman will become the first female chair of a major New Zealand agribusiness co-op when she formally takes over in June. Established as the Ashburton Trading Society in 1963, the co-op now boasts 3000 shareholders, three physical stores in Mid-Canterbury and an online store that delivers throughout the country, and a discount card accepted by more than 3000 retailers and service providers. Chan-Dorman says rebranding
to Ruralco and offering the card nationwide was the start of a new direction and the next stage will be looking at how to service farming needs in a changing environment. “I think we’re in a transition phase in terms of the way we farm and the nature of what farming looks like and over the next ten years. I think we’ll see quite a lot of change.” The 2018 Fonterra Dairy Woman of the Year, Chan-Dorman and her husband Hayden lease 420ha and milk 850 cows at Dorie on the south side of the Rakaia River. She is also on the boards of Alpine Energy, Ngai Tahu Farming, and the Bio Protection Research Centre. She has an honours degree from Massey University in animal science. As a scientist, Chan-Dorman emphasises the role of research
Jessie Chan-Dorman
and development. While there was uncertainty around fresh water policy and carbon emissions, there was a lot of research being done on how to re-jig farm systems and employ technology
to get the best outcomes. She acknowledges that the country is past “peak cow.” “You will see either a plateau or a reduction in cow numbers and I think Mid-Canterbury is quite cool in the sense that it’s already got really varied land use. I think you’ll see more of that varied land use in terms of futureproofing our businesses.” On their own farm, the couple has halved cow numbers from a high of 1700, recognising that their old system had a very wide footprint with young and wintering stock grazed off farm and a lot of feed brought in. Now they are self-contained with all stock staying on farm, and essentially all feed grown on farm. Chan-Dorman says it gives improved biosecurity and better control over their system and their costs.
RURAL TRADER ��������������22-23
HEAD OFFICE Top Floor, 29 Northcroft Street, Takapuna, Auckland 0622 Phone: 09-307 0399 Fax: 09-307 0122 POSTAL ADDRESS PO Box 331100, Takapuna, Auckland 0740 Published by: Rural News Group Printed by: Ovato Print CONTACTS Editorial: editor@ruralnews.co.nz Advertising material: davef@ruralnews.co.nz Rural News online: www.ruralnews.co.nz Subscriptions: subsrndn@ruralnews.co.nz ABC audited circulation 79,553 as at 31.03.2019
Te Papa muddying the waters PETER BURKE peterb@ruralnews.co.nz
DEBATE OVER Te Papa’s controversial exhibition on water quality has farmers continuing their criticism and the museum defending its stance. The exhibition depicts the quality of water in various places – such as farm streams, lakes and harbour – in bottles which are artificially coloured to show what the museum claims is colour of the water in these places. It also has an interactive display where people can supposedly improve the environment by touching a screen which says ‘less cows’. National’s spokesperson on agriculture, Todd Muller has accused the Te Papa of oversimplifying the complex issue of water quality and walking away from science in its exhibition. “What I am seeing is predetermined view that there should be less agriculture, less dairy and that the NZ future lies in it being less dependent on agri-
culture. I reject that premise, which is coming from the government and its infusing our museum,” he says. But Te Papa’s Kate Camp claims the exhibition content is based on various science and research papers – including a report on NZs freshwaters values, state, trends and human impact, by Sir Peter Gluckman, the Prime Minister’s chief science advisor in 2017. She concedes the museum didn’t consult any groups or individuals about the accuracy of its exhibition. Camp says Te Papa’s challenge is to take a complex and varied picture, and present it in a simple, easy-to-understand way, that is still true to the overall picture. “We can’t be an encyclopaedia that presents the full complexity of an issue,” she told Rural News. “But we can spark interest and get people thinking and talking. We hope that our visitors will seek out more information and make changes in their own
lives to help protect the environment.” Camp says there is ‘very clear evidence’ that farming has an impact on our waterways, along with other activities, and that’s what the exhibition shows. However, she acknowledges there are many farmers and organisations that are caring for waterways. Federated Farmers Vice President, Andrew Hoggard says the risk of dealing with a complex subject, such as water quality, so that more people – including children – understand it; is that it becomes too simplistic. “The problem is that people often draw the wrong conclusions,” he says. Hoggard says life is complex and the water is very complex. He says it is no good pretending that every farm stream is crystal clear, because it isn’t. However, Hoggard says it’s far too simplistic to label every farm stream as being in some way polluted.
RURAL NEWS // JANUARY 28, 2020
4 NEWS
Milk price may go higher in the near term, as dry weather restricts the global milk supply. “That’s especially the case for New Zealand. DCANZ data shows that milk collections in November were up slightly on the previous year, and are up 0.5% for the season to date. “But a lack of rain over the summer period has seen a rapid dryingout across many regions, which means that milk production could fall short over the tail end of the season.” DairyNZ is cautioning farmers to plan ahead as dry conditions set in. NIWA soil moisture
SUDESH KISSUN sudeshk@ruralnews.co.nz
DRY WEATHER around New Zealand could restrict milk supply and squeeze global dairy prices higher, says Westpac’s senior economist Michael Gordon. The bank has raised its forecast payout for the season by 30c to $7.40/ kgMS. “Stronger than expected dairy prices so far this season have boosted the outlook for this year’s payout, and dry weather is creating a risk that prices could go even higher in the short term,” says Gordon. “However, our forecast still allows for some easing in world prices over this year as China’s economic growth
Westpac has raised its forecast payout for the season by 30 cents to $7.40/kgMS.
slows and trade tensions remain high.” Last week’s Global Dairy Trade (GDT) auction saw gains in most products; overall price
index rose 1.7%. The rebound was led by a 2.4% rise in whole milk powder prices, with smaller gains for skim milk powder (up 0.7%)
and cheese (up 0.6%). Butter rose by 5.5%, but anhydrous milkfat fell 2.6%. Gordon says dairy prices have now
recovered most of the sharp drop in the last auction of 2019. He concedes there’s a risk that world prices could be squeezed higher
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deficit maps show soil moisture levels are significantly below historical averages across the upper North Island, parts of the Waikato, Taranaki, Manawatū, the North Island’s East Coast, Marlborough, Canterbury and Otago. Meanwhile, it is not clear to what extent the Australian bushfires will impact the global milk supply. The Australian dairy industry has already been hit hard by drought in recent times – milk collections over 2019 were down 7% on the previous year.
PLAN AHEAD! CURRENT NIWA soil moisture deficit maps show soil moisture levels are significantly below historical averages across the upper North Island, parts of the Waikato, Taranaki, Manawatu, the North Island’s East Coast, Marlborough, Canterbury and Otago. DairyNZ has put together some tips for farmers on managing the challenging dry conditions. “Planning ahead for how to respond if the dry conditions continue will allow farmers to consider their options and provide confidence about having a plan in place,” says DairyNZ’s strategy and investment leader, Dr Bruce Thorrold. “Using of supplements needs careful consideration, taking into account the costs and benefits, including to cow health.” He says farmers looking at using supplementary feed to fill a feed deficit should consider a number of issues to ensure it is used profitably: • Calculate the maximum supplement price that is affordable (including additional costs associated with supplement use), while still achieving performance goals; • Manage the amount of supplementary feed used to achieve post-grazing residuals of seven clicks (1500 kg of dry matter per hectare) or less on the rising plate meter, to ensure minimal substitution of pasture; • Reduce feed demand by reviewing stocking rates and moving unwanted stock off-farm.
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RURAL NEWS // JANUARY 28, 2020
NEWS 5
Military man marches into rural leadership role PAM TIPA pamelat@ruralnews.co.nz
Aiming for the top: Andrew Hoggard says he will run for Fed Farmers president in June.
Hoggard aims for top job PETER BURKE peterb@ruralnews.co.nz
FEDERATED FARMERS vice president Andrew Hoggard has confirmed that he’ll be standing for president at the organisation’s AGM in June. Current president Katie Milne will automatically step down after three years in the role. Hoggard has been involved with Feds for many years and has played a leadership role in dealing with some difficult and controversial issues. One of these was – and still is – Horizons Regional Council’s ‘One plan’, which seeks to put significant pressure on dairy farmers in the region. Hoggard runs the family farm north of Feilding, which has 560 cows, split into two herds on a 220 hectare property. Before June, he well have to sort out the arrangements on the farm and make sure everything is structured right – given that the role traditionally requires to frequently be in Wellington, or other parts of the country or the world. “I have spent god only knows how many years in Feds now and it doesn’t sit well with me not to finish off what I started,” he told Rural News. “I am definitely keen on doing the job, but who knows someone else may decide they want to do it and get the backing of others. I will put my name foreword at this stage because this has been my passion for the last few years.” The chances of him being challenged for the role would seem slim, given his high profile and the fact that he is seen by the membership as a smart and experienced operator. Perhaps the bigger issue is who will be in the running to take Hoggard’s place as vice president. Dairy section chair, Chris Lewis and chair of meat and fibre Miles Anderson could be two likely contenders – given that their respective terms also expire at the AGM.
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A NORTHLAND man with an extensive and high profile military career will take over the NZ Rural Leadership Trust in May. Chris Parsons will replace as chief executive Anne Hindson – who steps down on April 30. Hailing from the Far North, Parsons has a sheep and beef background and co-owns Ashgrove Genetics. The former Deputy Chief of Army currently heads New Zealand’s Defence Staff in the United Kingdom (UK) and Europe. Parsons, still currently in the UK, told Rural News the world is at a critical juncture. “We need leaders who can feed a world of 9.8 billion and protect the planet in the process,” he says. Parsons believes in New Zealand’s potential to lead the world in tackling these challenges. We are world leading in the agricultural sector. “At times that
message is lost in all the noise of the challenges that face us with climate change, changing views on consumer norms,
activating the talent that we might have.” Parsons joins New Zealand Rural Leaders after a successful
“New Zealand in every sector, but including agriculture, has some of the brightest minds and talented people as you will find in any country.” the changes around the world in terms of markets and supply chains and the like. “So we have much to be proud of and much we can and must offer not just to our own sector but also across the world. “New Zealand in every sector, but including agriculture, has some of the brightest minds and talented people as you will find in any country. We should have a “bold ambition” for agri leaders he says and that is shared by the Rural Leadership board. “I am keen to do my part in telling that story and finding and
military career that has included roles in electrical and mechanical engineering, logistics, Special Forces and multiple international roles. Between 2015 and 2017 he was the Deputy Chief of Army. His most recent posting is a defence diplomacy role as the head of New Zealand’s Defence Staff in the United Kingdom and Europe. He says New Zealand is viewed positively overseas for its response to challenges, ease of doing business and integrity of our systems. “We are just going through a FTA (free trade agreement) with EU and those sorts of
Chris Parsons will take over as chief executive of the NZ Rural Leadership Trust in May.
Rural Leaders expands its offering and impact to keep New Zealand at the forefront of global agribusiness. Watters also acknowledged Hindson, saying she had been crucial to the establishment and development of New Zealand Rural Leaders, which runs the Nuffield Scholarship and the Kellogg Rural Leadership Programmes.
things are always tightly negotiated so we have to be on our game,” Parsons told Rural News. “You are only ever as good as your last game so we have to keep innovating and keep bringing through bright young talent so they can lead us into the future.” Rural Leadership chair Andrew says Parsons’ expertise in strategy design, delivery, international relations and leader development will be important as
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RURAL NEWS // JANUARY 28, 2020
6 NEWS
Mindset must change PETER BURKE peterb@ruralnews.co.nz
WORKSAFE NZ is calling on farmers and other rural businesses to treat health and safety as not just a compliance issue, but a system that is designed to save the lives of their families and employees. Jo Pugh, who is the head of the general inspectorate of WorkSafe, says if there is to be a reduction in the number of farm-related deaths, there needs to be a change in the mind-set of those on rural properties. She says it has to be more that complying with the law in a bid to get WorkSafe off their backs. So far this January, five people have died in accidents on rural properties, compared with last January when there were no fatalities. Pugh says there is no obvious reason
WorkSafe NZ’s Jo Pugh is calling on farmers to treat health and safety as more than a compliance issue in the wake of five on farm deaths this month.
for the sudden spike in the on farm death toll. “I guess if the weather is really great they are out there a lot,” she told Rural News. One year when we only lost eight people, which is quite remarkable for one
year, we got quite excited about that and thought maybe we are going to see some change. But I got warned and told the weather had been terrible so not as many people were out there doing certain outdoor tasks. “I think there is a
seasonal element. When the weather is better you are out there and there is more to do – so people are more likely to be fatigued and make decisions that may affect their lives,” she says. Despite this sudden spike in the deaths in January, Pugh believes there has been a change in attitude. She notes that Federated Farmers and other rural organisations are now very supportive of WorkSafe’s initiatives. “We are moving from a period of time where – only a few years ago – our inspectors were being told by farmers: ‘leave us alone we don’t want you here we are right on our own’,” she added. “Then people started to realise that they had to do something to keep WorkSafe off their back and they were saying: ‘tell me what to do and I will bring a consultant in and do the
paper work and we will be up and running’”. She believes farmers are now moving into the space where they are actually staring to take notice and realise that a farm is actually a business and health and safety is good for business. According to Pugh, farmers are taking the lead now and are talking to their employees and thinking about how they can stop their staff form being hurt. She says they are realising it’s up to them take action and control what happens on their farm and not rely on WorkSafe to come and hold their hand every time a decision needs to be made on farm. She also points out that while only the farm fatalities make the news, the number of injury related accidents on farms is ‘massive’. @rural_news facebook.com/ruralnews
SHE WON’T BE RIGHT PUGH IS under no illusions that changing the ‘she’ll be right’ attitude of some farmers will take time. She believes it may take a generation before people comply with the intent, not just the letter of the law. To that end, WorkSafe is specifically engaging with young farmers in the hope that they will get the massage and apply it when they are farm managers or owners. “Choose the right vehicle for the job, make sure it is well maintained and use it within its parameters paying special attention to the terrain on which it is being used,” Pugh says. “Use crush protection devices on quads. There are a couple that are approved ones and there is a subsidy available for fitting these. “Always wear a helmet on any machine where there is a manufacturers recommendation to do so and wear seat belts on any piece of farm machinery that has a seatbelt fitted. The seatbelt keeps you contained in the vehicle so if you have an accident you won’t be thrown out and crushed.” Pugh also has a special message for parents and others responsible for young people on farms. “Never ever put a child in charge of a vehicle – because they are not old enough, big enough or wise enough to operate adult vehicles.”
RURAL NEWS // JANUARY 28, 2020
New levy to hit farmers PETER BURKE peterb@ruralnews.co.nz
THE NEW Zealand Agricultural Aviation Association (NZAAA) is up in arms about a proposed new safety levy, which they say unfairly targets the ag sector and will lead to increased costs of spreading fertiliser and spraying crops. NZAAA chairman Tony Michelle says his organisation is happy to pay levies set by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). However, he believes the new proposals are almost double the present ones and says there is a huge inconsistency in the way these would be applied. Some operators believe the ag sector is seen as a soft target by the CAA, because it assumes the new charges will just be passed on to farmers.
Michelle says the CAA want to apply the levy to agricultural operators on a per tonne basis, which for spraying operations that means 1000 litres per tonne of water. “I operate an AS 350 Squirrel helicopter and when it’s on spraying on the tonne levy, we will pay around $7 or $8 per tonne. But if we were putting lime on at very heavy rates we could be paying up to $34 per
tonne,” he told Rural News. “When it comes to fixed wing topdressing, they could be paying up to $34 per operation hour. That’s because the productivity rates of putting on high rates of fertiliser is a lot higher than on spraying operations.” But Michelle says the inconsistency of the proposal is demonstrated by the fact that when
that same aircraft is out carrying passengers it will just pay a flat rate of $6.84 per hour. He says the reality is that there is no third party risk when he’s undertaking agricultural operations and can’t see why he should pay a whole lot more money for ag use as opposed to passenger operations. “So what the CAA is saying is on one hand when I take my helicopter out and fly people around
COST TO FARMERS TONY MICHELLE says if the levy is set as proposed, the costs will have to be passed on to farmers. He estimates in the case of a large hill country farm, the cost for spreading lime could be in the order of more than $3000. Michelle says while this may seem small in the overall scheme of things, it is yet another cost farmers are facing with uncertainty over the myriad of environmental changes that are looming and which will
cost farmers to comply. “The ag aviation sector is in what I would call a ‘stagnant state’. It’s ok, not stellar and a lot of what is driving that is that farmers are being very cautious because of the uncertainty,” he told Rural News. “It appears that they are keeping their cheque books in their pockets,” he says. Michelle says NZAAA is standing up against CAA because the levy will affect everyone in rural communities.
NEWS 7
A new aerial safety levy is likely to increase the cost of spreading fertiliser and spraying crops for farmers.
they trust me, but when I put my spray gear or the fertiliser bucket on that same aircraft they don’t trust me,” he says. Michelle says the same inconsistency applies to fixed wing operators. “For example the operator of a Cresco topdressing aircraft spreading lime would pay up $54 per hour, but if the same aircraft was carrying parachutists it would be liable for just the $6.84 per hour fee.” According to Michelle the so called ‘safety levy’
is supposed to pay for the services the CAA provides and the oversight it has over the ag aviation industry. The NZAAA is in the process, through an Official Information Act request, to see just what CAA has actually been doing over the last two years by way of oversight of the industry. He says there is a suspicion that the CAA has not undertaken any routine surveillance audits of agricultural operators because they haven’t got the staff or resources to
do so. “The other thing the CAA wants to do is impose a 57 cent a tonne levy on the ag aviation sector on fertiliser or chemical spreading to cover its obligations under the HSNO Act,” Michelle adds. “But in actual fact fertiliser doesn’t have a HSNO classification and there is a levy in place in regard to chemicals which is actually paid for by the chemical companies. You could argue that the CAA is double dipping,” he says.
RURAL NEWS // JANUARY 28, 2020
8 NEWS
Helping hand with heavy metal MARK DANIEL markd@ruralnews.co.nz
NZ-owned PFG will work with key suppliers to help with clean up and recovery across Australia utilising tractors and machinery values at AU$2 million.
WHILE RAIN has brought some relief to the fire ravaged areas of Australia; it will take
many months to clean up, re-fence, re-stock, replant crops, grow forage for animals and restore a sense of normality Several tractor and machinery distributors
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have recognised the plight of their customers and are taking positive steps to help with the recovery. New Zealand-owned PFG Australia, part of the Power Farming Group based in Morrinsville, has launched its Fire Relief Programme 2020. This will see the company working with key suppliers to initiate clean up and recovery operations throughout Australia. The initiative will run for the whole year, utilising a fleet of tractors and machinery valued at around AU$2million.
As a major supplier and partner to the Australian agriculture industry, we knew we had the ability to help regional communities, so we held discussions with regional disaster distribution and recovery managers,” he explained. “We will provide crucial assistance to those affected in hard hit regions where tractor and machinery losses have been significant and do as much as we can for our customers and dealers in those areas.” Likewise AGCO – distributors of brands
“We will provide crucial assistance to those affected in hard hit regions where tractor and machinery losses have been significant and do as much as we can for our customers and dealers in those areas.” Activities include baling are already underway, this will be followed by feed distribution, logistics, tillage and seeding. Deutz Fahr and Kioti tractors are being provided in Victoria, NSW, the Hunter region and Kangaroo Island, along with machinery from its McHale, Vicon, Maschio and Aitcheson ranges. The effort is being supported by the company’s national dealer network. PFG Australia chief executive Justin Whitford told Rural News the road to recovery from these severe fires would be long and demanding. “During a crisis of this magnitude, many people feel a natural and powerful urge to help.
such as Massey Ferguson, Fendt and Iseki – has sent tractors to the Bruthen and Buchan areas of East Gippsland Victoria. These machines, under the guidance of the local dealers, are being used to help unload the many truckloads of hay bales arriving to feed surviving livestock. Kubota Australia has taken a different approach, by donating two of its M126 GX tractors, each worth in excess of AU$110,000, to be auctioned to raise funds for fire affected farmers. The proceeds of the auction, to be carried out by Lloyds Auctions, will be passed directly to the Country Women’s’ Association of Australia who will use the money to support those in need.
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RURAL NEWS // JANUARY 28, 2020
NEWS 9 NZ farmers reach out to scorched Aussie colleagues PAM TIPA pamelat@ruralnews.co.nz
ACCOMMODATION OFFERS have been pouring in from New Zealand farmers to provide a break for Australian farmers caught up in the bush fires. Organisers of a Facebook page with this aim have been swamped. “We have had a bit of a run. It has been crazy,” says Nathan Addis who set up the Facebook page ‘New Zealand Farmers Offer Free Accommodation to Aussie Farmers from Bush Fire Zones’. “With the sheer volume of emails we have received it is taking a while to go through and respond to everyone. Google only give you a set number you can send out each day so you don’t spam people.” Offers of accommodation totalled 640 and the Facebook page has cracked 5875 likes when Addis talked to the Rural News last week. Addis says the offers have been pretty generous ranging from people being able to take a couple into their existing home to multi bed offers including a 14 bed motel in the South Island. “We are also getting a bit of a groundswell of corporates contacting us saying ‘how can we help you make this happen?’” says Addis, who was hoping for even more offers as companies get
back into gear after the holiday period. They have also had some offers to contribute to airfares. He hopes the airlines will get on board and offer some of their spare capacity on the Trans-Tasman route. “There are enough of them coming over here between Virgin, Qantas, Emirates, Air New Zealand and all of the others fly out of Australia.” Addis says they also need to put systems in place to ensure people are looked after the whole time they are here and have a really positive experience. Some of those coming over will want a quiet place to stay where they can chill out and others may want a more social environment. Organisers are definitely still open to people registering accommodation, Addis says. “We’ve had a bit of kickback from a few townies who have said they want to be involved too. We encourage those people to register. There will be some rural folk that want a holiday in town for a change of scene. We are embracing all.” The original concept was peer to peer support. “We don’t have fires of any comparison but we do have droughts over here and farmers are very compassionate people.” Further down the track he can see more need for urban accommo-
dation also. There may be a second wave of Australians wanting to come such as firefighters and other first responders. Addis says obviously they will not arrive all at once and he thinks it will be a month or two before they want to leave their own vicinity. Those who have suffered losses need a support network put around them and will need to secure their situation first. If they have lost houses they may need to sort alternative accommodation in Australia first, they may need reg-
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ister for government support networks while they are available and sort insurance. From this end organisers need to make sure they have structures in place to ensure they uphold the spirit and integrity of the idea. That includes ensuring they don’t get freeloaders. Addis admits he thought it may have taken a while for the idea of offering accommodation to build but within 12 hours of the Facebook page going live it had exceeded expectations. Some had even offered
Find us at Waimumu Field Day. Site 420
Nathan Addis and Mark Warren, with smoke haze from Aussie bush fires in the background.
to host families on an ongoing basis. They will need to work with other organisations to ensure when people get here they are looked after from end to end. Addis is being assisted by two other organisers at this stage, Alix Bush and Mark Warren. Australia is likely to welcome the offers.
Asked by the Rural News what is the best way New Zealanders can help, New South Wales based Dairy Connect chief executive Shaughn Morgan suggested a break away in New Zealand for farm visits or holiday. He was not aware initiatives were underway in New Zealand, but was most appreciative when told.
The message of support from New Zealand is clearly getting through, he says. Dairy Australia says financial donations are also important, Information on how to donate is available via National Farmers Federation http://farmhub.org.au/ australian-bushfires-howyou-can-help/
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RURAL NEWS // JANUARY 28, 2020
10 NEWS
ASF creates opportunity for NZ pork SUDESH KISSUN sudeshk@ruralnews.co.nz
PORK IMPORTS into New Zealand are expected to decline as African swine fever (ASF) continues to decimate pig herds in Asia and Europe. The ASF outbreak is creating rare opportunity for New Zealand pork producers: with dwindling foreign swine herds reducing import competition for local firms. While the spread of ASF is providing unexpected good news for farmers and exports short to medium term, rising domestic prices could undermine domestic consumption of these meats in the longer term. Matthew Reeves, senior industry analyst for global business research firm IBISWorld, says while imported pork accounted for 60% of NZ consumption in 2018-19, this trend is expected to fall significantly in 201920. IBISWorld analysis has shown that the disease, which first appeared in August 2018, has wiped out over half of China’s swine herd, which previously accounted for close to half of global supply.
ASF is a highly contagious viral disease that affects both wild and domestic pigs. IBISWorld estimates that pork production in China fell 25% over the 11 months to June 2019, and by over 50% by the end of December 2019. The spread of ASF is expected
to continue in 2020, with at least 11 countries in Asia reporting outbreaks including Mongolia, Vietnam, South Korea and Indonesia. Many countries in Eastern Europe, as well as Belgium have also reported outbreaks. The toll continues to rise of ASF
CHINESE TURN TO BEEF, LAMB CHINA IS the largest market for pork meat, consuming half the global total. As pork supplies have dwindled, China’s demand for imports of substitute meats, such as beef and lamb, has grown significantly. Matthew Reeves, IBISWorld says the beef cattle farming industry has struggled over the past five years as consumers have switched to leaners sources of protein, such as pork and poultry. However, rising global demand for other pork substitutes in 2019-20, filling the gap in the market caused by ASF, has led to rising beef export prices, which is expected to boost industry
revenue. “Supply shortages have increased beef export and domestic prices, boosting returns for exporters and wholesalers as well as benefiting New Zealand farmers,” says Reeves. Unlike pork, beef is heavily export oriented and the rising demand from China in the second half of 2018-19 saw beef exports to the country increase approximately 64% in value during the year, to total $944 million. In a similar vein, and emphasising the rising demand for alternative protein sources, lamb exports to China increased over 47% in value during 2018-19, to total $2.6 billion.
On the pig’s back: Due to the impact of ASF, NZ pork producers will face less competition from imported pig meat.
outbreaks in South Korea: three more wild boars were found dead near the border with North Korea this month, bringing the number of ASF cases to 86 in South Korea. The World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) says 22 countries have notified of ASF outbreaks. “For farmers and processors that are export oriented, this trend could allow enable them to expand their market share, and it may even create new opportunities for domestically focused enterprises to expand their supply chains overseas,” says Reeves. However, there is a domestic downside to rising prices: as greater foreign demand drives up the prices
for New Zealand meat products, domestic demand could suffer. Average pork prices are expected to rise at least 25% during 2019-20, to reach $4.62/kg. Beef and lamb prices are also likely to rise, although not to the same extent, with growth rates of 4.2% and 5.9% respectively. “Rising prices could eventually impact domestic demand, with consumers looking for alternative options, including other meats such as poultry or even imitation meat products,” says Reeves. “The rising trend of veganism is already posing a threat to meat producers, and competition from imitation meat products is also becoming stronger.”
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RURAL NEWS // JANUARY 28, 2020
AGRIBUSINESS 11
What about the potential of goat meat exports? Long-time goat industry advocate Garrick Batten questions why NZ meat exporters have not capitalised on the inbuilt and growing Northern American demand for goat meat with historically increasing prices. He also asks is why NZ pastoral farmers have not capitalised on the on-farm production advantages to produce that goat meat? CHINA ALREADY has the world’s biggest sheep flock; sheepmeat is well known so NZ product sales – especially mutton – have grown rapidly in recent years. There are as many goats as sheep in China, all ending up as meat that is interchangeable with sheepmeat in the market. But our Chinese trade never mentions goat meat. The USA that is now our second most valuable red meat market, with sheepmeat exports up 12% and nearly $NZ 3 per kg for year ending. September 2019. Last October, average price per kg was NZ$18.97 compared with China’s $NZ 9.32 – although products are not directly comparable. The US sheep flock is slowly declining – as it’s goat herd, which supplies only half market demand. Similarly; our US meat trade never mentions goat meat. Average Australian 2019 goat meat over–the–hooks (OTH) carcase price was $A7.90 per kg for 8.1+ kgs. In December, it was $A8.22. Thomas Foods Intl – Australia’s largest meat exporter – offered $A9 per kg for 6.1+ kg – down from $10 last spring. (Currently, the NZ schedule is around $NZ5.50 for 8.1kg+). The importance of the USA and similar Canadian markets and opportunities for goat meat deserves closer scrutiny – particularly as Thomas Foods targets these markets. In November 2019, USDA retail market average $US prices per lb for three typical grassfed goat products were bone-in-leg: 13.33; stew meat: 12.30; ground meat: 11.26. This compared with grass-fed lamb at 13.73; 13.85 and 13.01 respectively. These retail prices indicate similar buyer interest and prices for the two products. The current US sheep situation reflects cancellation of the mohair subsidy by an earlier Democratic government, which removed angora goats from the main production area of Texas and other southern states. These have been gradually replaced by hair sheep – now quoted separately from wool sheep at auction. In May last year, lightweight slaughter hair lambs sold for 3.5% premium over wool breeds. However, similar weight kids sold for a 25% premium over hair lambs. In October, the premium was 29%. This means that a 25kg liveweight, good store condition kids sold for average $US5.87 per kg. This reflects an average industry live sale price for well-conditioned kids during 2019 of about $US3 per lb to produce those retail prices. Canadian live sale prices are similar. The North American goat meat market shortfall is filled mainly by Australian imports of larger carcases than smaller 11-15 kg carcases preferred by Hispanic and other ethnic consumers, which NZ can supply from feral-based stock. Although Australia exported about twice as much lamb as goat meat to USA last year, its goat meat exports were 20 times those from NZ at much higher prices.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR GARRICK BATTEN has a long professional and practical career in all goat sectors. He has delivered papers at local and international conferences on various goat topics and written extensively, including several goat books. The latest is Big Buck$ for Pastoral Farmers, written specially for livestock farmers new to commercial goat farming. https://www.copypress.co.nz/real-nz-books/
NZ meat exporters have not capitalised on the growing Northern American demand for goat meat.
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RURAL NEWS // JANUARY 28, 2020
12 OPINION EDITORIAL
EDNA
Whole truth “A LIE is halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on” is one of the many quotes attributed to Winston Churchill. This sums up the propaganda certain activists, bureaucrats and policy makers are spreading about the farming sector in this country. For years, we’ve seen the likes of Fish & Game, Greenpeace and Forest and Bird lobbyists constantly and consistently painting agriculture with malevolent terms such as: ‘dirty dairying’, ‘industrial farming’ and ‘water polluters’ – to name a few. While there is some truth in such claims, it is by no means fair or truthful to label all farming as environmentally damaging as these groups do. Late last year, we saw the country’s national museum Te Papa running an exhibition on water quality in New Zealand that was clearly anti-farming. The exhibition showed water quality in various parts of the country: farm streams, lakes and harbours. However, Te Papa had water bottles artificially coloured to show what they believe is the colour of water in those places. It also had an interactive display where people can supposedly improve the environment by touching a screen which said: “less dairy”. For its part, Te Papa basically admitted it was screwing the scrum on farming’s impact in its exhibition to get people talking about the environment. “We can’t be an encyclopaedia that presents the full complexity of an issue,” a museum spokesperson said. “But we can spark interest and get people thinking and talking.” That is an unbelievably dangerous and irresponsible attitude from the country’s national museum. And now we see the latest addition to the school curriculum, a government–backed resource on climate change, which – again – takes an overly simplistic and anti-farming approach to a very complex subject. The teaching resource, which will be used in schools this year, see students told, among other things, to eat less meat and dairy to stave off the end of the world. There appears to be no discussion about the actual carbon footprint of NZ meat and dairy (which is low compared to other global producers) or the environmental impact of growing more crops to produce plant-based food. How can we expect people to be fully informed on such important issues; when deliberate half-truths and misleading information is sanctioned by government, educators and museums? As an industry we must continue to push back and demand the whole truth be told.
RURALNEWS TO ALL FARMERS, FOR ALL FARMERS
HEAD OFFICE POSTAL ADDRESS: PO Box 331100, Takapuna, Auckland 0740 PUBLISHER: Brian Hight ......................................... Ph 09 307 0399 GENERAL MANAGER: Adam Fricker ....................................... Ph 09 913 9632 CONSULTING EDITOR: David Anderson .................................. Ph 09 307 0399 davida@ruralnews.co.nz
“Jimmy’s upsetting nature’s delicate balance!”
Want to share your opinion or gossip with the Hound? Send your emails to: hound@ruralnews.co.nz
THE HOUND Scary!
E-corruption?
Easily bought
Says it all!
The Hound notes that the current NZ Government has taken a leaf out of the book of a number of infamous administrations from history – such as Germany in the 1930s, China in the 1960s and Cambodia in the 1970s – with its very own propaganda campaign on the subject of climate change. This year it has introduced into the education curriculum for all schools its new ‘Climate Change Learning Programme’. Among other things, this material promotes eating less meat and dairy, flying less often, buying second-hand and washing clothes in cold water. This creepy policy encourages school kids to participate in activism as a way to reduce feelings of guilt. It also insists that students make written commitments to take action and they have to report on their progress. Looks like Comrade Jacinda and co. and are implementing the kind of re-education policies that would make Comrades Mao and Pol Pot very proud!
Your old mate is delighted to learn that he – and all other hardworking taxpayers – are now subsidising the country’s tree-hugging, lefty-loving, public servants to purchase new electric bikes. This follows a new initiative that will give government workers up to a 50% subsidy on the purchase price of new e-bikes. Apparently, associate Minister of Transport Julie Anne Genter claims the e-bike discount for public servants will improve health, reduce emissions and congestion – and no doubt buy her and the Greens a few more votes. Around 50,000 government workers are expected to be offered the deal over the next year, with discounts of between $300 and $1200. Which, going by the Hound’s calculation, is an average subsidy of $750 each and a total cost of $37.5 million for taxpayers. It appears that Shane Jones is not the only current Government minister overtly using taxpayer funds to buy votes…
This old mutt was not surprised to see a number of supposed ag industry ‘thought leaders’ (a pompous title if there was ever one) fully supportive of the embarrassing, woke joke that is the Primary Sector Council’s recently released ‘vision’ for the sector. However, a mate of the Hound’s reports that most of these hangers-on – who were all cooing with faint praise after the PSC’s pricey, lightweight and disappointing strategy was launched at Lincoln late last year – couldn’t get themselves to the buffet tables quick enough to scoff all the flash, free food on offer at the launch. Your canine crusader’s mate then pointed out how these bootlickers (who are probably now on the lookout for cosy government and industry appointments) shared their delight about the free kai on their various social media accounts. Talk about having their noses in the trough!
A mate of yours truly reckons one only needs to look at the gongs given out in the New Year Honours list to garner exactly what the current Government thinks of the farming sector. According to the Hound’s mate, a total of 14 people from the wider arts community were given new year gongs; 10 people for services to music, two each for services to dance and film, and one for literature – with one person even doubled up, serving both theatre and dance – in the list! However, the wider agriculture sector saw only three people recognised for New Year honours – and one of those was for services to the biodynamic farming! It is not hard to see why the farming sector does not feel the love from the current Government!
PRODUCTION: Dave Ferguson ........................Ph 09 913 9633 davef@ruralnews.co.nz Becky Williams ........................Ph 09 913 9634 beckyw@ruralnews.co.nz REPORTERS: Sudesh Kissun ....................... Ph 09 913 9627 Pamela Tipa ............................ Ph 021 842 220 Peter Burke .............................Ph 06 362 6319 Nigel Malthus ...................... Ph 021 164 4258 MACHINERY EDITOR: Mark Daniel ............................. Ph 021 906 723 or 07 824 1190
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Rural News is published by Rural News Group Ltd. 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 staff, management or directors of Rural News Group Ltd.
100% of farms have toxoplasma present. 88% of farms have campylobacter present. So what are the odds?
ABORTION STORMS. TWO DISEASES. TWO VACCINES.
When most farmers think abortion storms they think toxoplasmosis. Toxoplasma is everywhere and any ewe that contracts it may abort. But campylobacter also causes abortion, is nearly as prevalent and equally as deadly. Campylobacter can cost farmers 20-30% of their lambs.
AVAILABLE ONLY UNDER VETERINARY AUTHORISATION. ACVM No’s: A004769, A009535. Schering-Plough Animal Health Ltd. Phone: 0800 800 543. www.msd-animal-health.co.nz. NZ/TVAX/0915/0009(1) ©2019 Intervet International B.V. All Rights Reserved.
There are two diseases that cause abortion storms and preventing them takes two vaccines. So talk to your farmers about how the Toxovax®+ Campyvax4® combination gives them the best protection against abortion storms.
RURAL NEWS // JANUARY 28, 2020
14 OPINION
The journey’s only just begun! MIKE BUTTERICK
Lobby Group 50 Shades of Green says rural people are greatly concerned by the rapid change of land use from sheep and beef production into blanket planting pine trees.
WHAT AN extraordinary nine months since the first meeting in the Wairarapa of people concerned with
the rapid change of land use from sheep and beef production into blanket planting pine trees. It’s been quite the journey; our conclusion is
a lack of strategic thinking and a reluctance to get out from behind Wellington desks has driven some bizarre decision making delivering perverse outcomes for NZ Inc. NZ farming won’t be digging itself out of these impacts with production gains. We are opposed to the sale of good productive agricultural land to subsidised forestry in the way of carbon credits. In our view, it’s undermining all kiwis’ short- and longterm wealth and wellbeing. The blatant attack on the culture of the sheep and beef industry, which produces 48% of the country’s agricultural export income, is abhorrent.
The farming sector with a genuine ethical intent accepts change is needed. This is happening now and has been for much longer than is depicted. For every hill country farm taken out of production there is a flow on effect that eventually will impact all New Zealand. The sooner New Zealander’s understand carbon offsetting with trees is a folly the better. While conveniently laundering emissions, it will not achieve any change in behaviour, worse; it will deliver adverse environmental outcomes and significant social and economic outcomes.
For every hill country farm taken out of production there is a flow on effect that eventually will impact all New Zealand. The Paris agreement, to which we are signatories, states we should ‘increase the ability to adapt to the adverse impacts of climate change and foster climate resilience and low GHG emissions development in a manner that does not threaten food production’. We can tick things off in terms of lowering GHG emissions development, but for every hectare of hill country lost we threaten food production in this country. As recently as this month, the release of the climate change school curriculum resource is explicit in its ‘eat less meat’ messaging and misinformation about New Zealand agriculture’s contribution to global warming. Where is the balance? The appreciation for a sector that in embracing change has consistently produced a product with an advantage on the global stage is sadly lacking, A competitive advantage under threat of being replaced with an orchestrated subsidy driven by carbon investors filling their pockets, with sheep & beef production the sacrificial lamb.
These costs borne, initially by the provinces, will hit ultimately the wider community. What is humbling is the widespread support from all walks of life for 50SOG advocacy, of people equally concerned for the long-term future of the industry and who have a clear sense that allowing carbon investors to buy up quality hill country farms to plant in pine is a ‘get out of free’ card. The trees may be sequestering carbon; they are not feeding people nor supporting rural communities We encourage right tree right place, but not where the cost to NZ is land converted from food to pine. To see more balanced reporting celebrating the continued improvements to NZ farming systems would be a better start. If you would like to support 50 Shades of Green in its advocacy please contribute to our campaign costs at https:// www.50shadesofgreen.co.nz/ become-a-supporter/ • Wairarapa farmer Mike Butterick is a member of lobby group 50 Shades of Green
RURAL NEWS // JANUARY 28, 2020
OPINION 15
Five years of success TIM WARRINGTON
FAST FACTS
AFTER FIVE years at the helm alongside expo director, Dave Martin, expo manager, Sue Wilson talks about the East Coast Farming Expo 2020 and her highlights from the last few years. After five years, tell us about the highlights Each year comes with its own rewards and challenges, but I always enjoy hearing feedback about the success stories. One thing I hear a lot is how surprised farmers are at the variety of people they meet, the contacts they make and the positive impact this has on their business. We’ve said from the beginning the Expo is about finding solutions to help farmers farm smarter and I believe we’re achieving this. What’s the most popular part of the Expo? The presentations are always a big hit. The people that attend are really invested in what they do. During the talks they listen intently and engage in question time. It’s really great to see. We’ve also had an amazing array of exhibitors, from survey drones to electric bikes to the latest smartphone farming apps. The evening muster is extremely popular and always sells out. Has the Expo developed the way you planned? From the very beginning we’ve aimed for slow and steady, and we’ve achieved this with year-on-year growth. The only real surprise has been how unkind Mother Nature was to us on a couple of occasions, but as farmers we’re prepared for this. Rather than deter people, the wet weather proved just how committed people are to what we’re doing. We’ve been fine-tuning the Expo with every passing year, and we’re proud with the result. The East Coast Farming Expo is a specialised event for farmers and their teams, designed specifically for the farming conditions of Hawke’s Bay and the East Coast.
When: Wednesday 26 - Thursday 27 February 2020 Where: Wairoa A&P Society Showgrounds Halfway between Hawke’s Bay and the Gisborne regions Why:
East Coast Farming Expo event director Sue Wilson.
What are this year’s themes? The Bayleys Evening Muster panel discussion is about how rural communities are changing. Farming is such an ancient way of life. People have been working the land since dot, but this doesn’t mean that agriculture shouldn’t benefit from modern technologies. It’s about finding new ways to keep operating in small communities when some of the services close because of the rural decline. What’s special this year? We’re pleased to welcome back the Minister of Agriculture, Damien O’Connor. It will be his second visit. He’s also the Minister for Rural Communities, so he brings with him a wealth of knowledge. In 2018 there was a great question time session with some enthusiastic discussion. New trade exhibitors are on board
East Coast farmers don’t for this year’s Expo, including Future Post who won the innovation award at the 2019 National Fieldays Awards. What’s your message to farmers? Well, it’s not just farmers – it’s anyone who’s involved in the land. And that’s to down tools and come along. It’s a great day off the farm and there’s plenty to see and do. The Expo is the perfect opportunity for farmers to work on their business off the farm! The event is for the whole farming team so it’s a great opportunity for professional development. What kind of reception have you had? Really positive. We’re bringing together experts in their fields and the people who will benefit from their knowledge and/or products. Farming can often be a solitary pastime so encouraging people off their farms for
the day to meet and mingle is really beneficial. Future plans? To keep doing what we’re doing. The first few years of any new enterprise are always the hardest, so we’re keen to push on and keep growing the event. Feedback from farmers and the business community is positive and they see the value-add in what we’re doing. I’m looking forward to the next five years! Do you think the Expo challenges the traditional farming landscape? Absolutely. It provides a platform for farming women and men to have the important conversations together. Ask yourself if your operation is best practice for you? Are there ways to farm smarter, and are your farming activities time and cost effective? www.eastcoastexpo.co.nz
have easy access to view new Technology and Innovations due to isolation and travel times. Innovation and technology entrepreneurs don’t get to mix with this market on this scale with this specific focus The internet doesn’t give you face to face interaction with the innovators or technology experts. Cost: $10 at the gate
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RURAL NEWS // JANUARY 28, 2020
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16 MARKETS & TRENDS
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Dairy land values set to d FOLLOWING A phenomenal boom after the turn of the century and a partial correction during the global financial crisis, the value of New Zealand dairy land has been stuck in neutral since 2010. Rabobank expects that macro settings will exert downward pressure on land prices in the next five years. On farm, we expect the average farmgate milk price to soften somewhat, production growth to stabilise, and costs to rise, as farmers invest to meet more stringent environmental regulations. Pending environmental changes, in combination with an upcoming election campaign to determine the next government, will continue
to cast a cloud of uncertainty over investor confidence and therefore throw shade over land values for the next 12 to 18 months in particular. The value of New Zealand dairy land more than doubled between 2000 and 2019. Yet, across this timescale, land prices moved through three distinct periods.
The boom years: 2000 - 2008 Rising farmgate milk prices was one of the main drivers of escalating dairy land values between 2000 and 2008. World prices were increasing across most dairy commodities. As New Zealand dairy farmers experienced better returns on average between 2000 and 2008, farmer confidence was
reflected in further investment in the dairy sector. They invested in expanding their own businesses and in the cooperative model. By comparison, returns on non-dairy sectors were much lower. Average farmgate prices for sheepmeat were 20% less than farmgate prices for dairy, while farmgate beef prices were over 30% lower compared to dairy farmgate prices from 2000 to 2008. Across this period, readily available capital significantly underpinned the dairy land value boom. Farmers had ready access to rural debt for development and expansion in a competitive banking landscape. The combination of lower-cost offshore funding and a strong lending appetite
by financiers, backed by ambitious year-on-year increasing milk production and income budgets, fuelled land values to the next level. Farmers borrowed more against increased land values, which fuelled the lending cycle around again. As land values rose further, farmers had the ability to borrow more against a growing equity base, developing further reliance on debt for expansion and growth.
The global financial crisis correction: 2008-2009 Land values took a dive during the global financial crisis, as the milk price slumped, capital dried up, and confidence fell. New Zealand dairy land markets are generally
considered to be liquid compared to offshore markets. Over the last ten years, around 2% of New Zealand dairy farms have been sold each year. However, liquidity dried up for farm sales over 2009 and 2010, with sales volumes halving compared to the tenyear average experienced between 2010 and 2019, as credit flows ground to a halt.
Afloat but moving sideways: 2010-present Since the global financial crisis, land prices have shown only modest advancement. While milk prices have remained at a high level, farmgate prices haven’t risen at the same rate as prior to the crisis.
Rising debt levels have proven to be one of the handbrakes to continued growth in land prices. National dairy debt as of June 2019 stands at NZ$ 41.4bn, a 43% lift since 2009 (or 4% CAGR). Farm working expenses have increased on average since 2010, as rising compliance obligations have further increased operational costs (and/ or lowered potential land revenue). Margins have been lower as a result, and returns from farming have been more modest. But the more central factor for stalling land values is that capital is not as readily available in a post-crisis world. The regulatory impacts of the global financial crisis still linger today and clearly set the framework for a different banking era –
in addition to the recent enquiries into banking conduct and culture in New Zealand and Australia. Policy changes by the Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) following the financial crisis meant that banks were required to source more of their funding from retail deposits and long-term wholesale markets, effectively holding more of their capital onshore. Changes to the Overseas Investment Office’s (OIO) administration of the Overseas Investment Act 2005 in late 2017 have resulted in dairy land sales to foreign investors all but drying up. This has removed an avenue of capital, with the greatest impact evident in stagnant large-
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RURAL NEWS // JANUARY 28, 2020
MARKETS & TRENDS 17
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o drift downwards scale farm sales in the South Island. Returns on other agricultural land investments have improved, particularly in the horticulture sector. This has provided an alternative home for investor capital, and syndications have
shifted focus from dairy to sectors with higher returns, stemming another source of investment funds into dairy land. [See fig 1] Dropping confidence Confidence in the longterm prospects of the dairy sector has waned.
Rabobank’s Rural Confidence Survey shows that dairy farming confidence in the broader agricultural economy is low. This is only the third period over the last ten years when net confidence of dairy farmers has moved into negative territory, but the drivers this time around are very different. In 2012, a high NZ$/US$ exchange rate was the culprit, and in 2014/15 the dairy downturn was in full swing. Rabobank’s Confidence Survey’s current lacklustre results have been largely driven by concerns regarding government intervention and policy changes, driving confidence lower than they have in any other period. [See fig 2] Is dairy land overvalued?
Whether land is priced at the right level is to some extent subjective. It takes into account the returns that each investor considers acceptable, their risk appetite, but also the non-financial benefits they experience through owning a farm. However, based on several measures, the returns of owning dairy land are lower than they used to be and will likely decline further in the next few years at current asset prices. Investing in dairy land at present looks a less
attractive prospect than it was in the early boom years but is still below
the 20-year average. (See Figure 3) Based on our view of the dairy market for the next five years, dairy land’s revenue potential and the cash return will deteriorate in the coming years. Central to this are three assumptions: • The average farmgate milk price over the next
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five years (NZ$6.25/ kgMS) is likely to be below that seen in the last two years; • Operational and compliance costs will rise; • Production per hectare is likely to slow down over our forecast period (with improvements in genetics and management offset by the need to reduce stocking and fertiliser use in some regions under current environmental regulations – excluding pending Freshwater Reform regulation). Based on this view, cash returns on dairy assets will fall, and the price ratio of land to its revenue potential will rise – both of which will put downward pressure on the value of the asset itself.
RURAL NEWS // JANUARY 28, 2020
18 MANAGEMENT
No more muddying of the waters Farmers will soon have an app to help them make better decisions about how to control erosion and reduce sediment entering waterways.
FARMERS WILL soon have an app to help them make better decisions about how to control erosion and reduce sediment entering New Zealand waterways. This follows a four-
year project supported by the Ministry for Primary Industries’ (MPI’s) Sustainable Farming Fund (now superseded by Sustainable Food & Fibre Futures). Developed via the ‘Don’t Muddy the
“The project came out of the need to put some numbers behind the performance of typical sediment control measures,” says Andrew Barber, managing director, Agrilink. The project ran trials of different good management practices to test how best to keep soil in the paddock and out of waterways. This included measures such as cover crops, sediment retention ponds, vegetated buffer strips and wheel track dyking/ripping. It found that 96% of large soil particles would be stopped by almost any sized pond. However, a minimum pond size of 50m3/ha was required to capture more than 80% of light suspended soil. These findings, along with work on vegetated buffer strips, were added to the app. “Demonstrating the key control measures and collecting the data that can be used in our tool to calculate
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their effectiveness, has enabled a more cohesive approach nationally to soil management,” says Barber. “It allows farmers to do a paddock risk assessment and subsequently prioritise their actions as part of their future Farm Environment Plans. The app also allows them to provide robust evidence to support consents
Don’t Muddy the Water’ app is a tool to help decisionmaking. “Ultimately, this is a win-win for farmers and the environment.”
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Water’ project, led by Agrilink and NIWA, the app measures the impact of various practices for reducing sediment and phosphorus loss. The app user is required to enter factors such as soil type, slope and location. Mitigations, such as vegetated buffer strips and sediment retention ponds, can then be added to assess the impact of these practices.
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or prove to regional authorities that their control measures are effective.” Agrilink has been hosting workshops around the country to inform farmers about their findings. Barber says the ‘Don’t Muddy the Water’ app is a tool to help decisionmaking. “Ultimately, this is a win-win for farmers and the environment.” Steve Penno, director investment programmes at MPI, says the app is a practical tool that will help farmers take action to reduce their environmental footprint. “This project has provided quality information on how erosion and sediment loss can be effectively mitigated, and the app makes this information available to farmers in a practical and useful way.” The ‘Don’t Muddy the Water’ app will be free and is expected to be publicly available from February 2020.
ABOUT SFF FUTURES MPI’S SUSTAINABLE Farming Fund and Primary Growth Partnership have now been replaced by Sustainable Food & Fibre Futures (SFF Futures). SFF Futures supports problem-solving and innovation by co-investing in initiatives that make a positive and lasting difference to New Zealand’s food and fibre sectors. Applications for funding are open all year round. More: www.sff-futures.mpi.govt.nz
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RURAL NEWS // JANUARY 28, 2020
20 ANIMAL HEALTH
Be on the lookout for summer’s scourge WARM SUMMER temperatures bring with them the heightened risk of the production-limiting disease Facial Eczema (FE). More prevalent in the North Island, (FE) is caused by spores released
Warm summer temperatures bring with them the heightened risk of facial eczema (FE) outbreaks.
by fungi living in the dead material at the base of the pasture sward. B+LNZ senior biosecurity advisor Will Halliday says ingested spores release Sporidesmin in the rumen, which circulates
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in the bloodstream. Eventually reaching the liver, this toxin causes severe damage, impacting on the liver’s ability to carry out its metabolic functions. The resulting build-up of toxins in the bloodstream causes sensitivity to ultraviolet light – resulting in FE’s trademark peeling skin and animal discomfort. But it is the liver damage that will cause ill-thrift and poor reproductive performance, with severely affected ewes typically showing up as dry at scanning. Halliday recommends farmers in affected areas keep a close eye on local spore counts to monitor trends and identify paddocks that have been problematic in previous years. “Farmers in areas with FE will probably know their problem paddocks so can structure their rotations to avoid using them for at-risk animals,” he explains. Rather than risk grazing these, Halliday suggests such paddocks can be cut for supplementary feed as the spores won’t survive in
silage or baleage, before going through a renewal programme. He says farmers should keep a close eye on stock throughout summer as the disease can strike at unexpected times – such as before Christmas or well into autumn. Clinical signs are swollen, floppy ears, facial skin peeling and dull depressed animals. Sub-clinical signs include ill-thrift and Halliday says farmers should keep a close eye on kill sheets to see whether their sheep are affected by FE. “Post-mortem results will show any damage, the severity of the disease and how wide-spread it is a line of stock.” He says genetics are a valuable tool in the longterm management of the disease and sheep farmers in hard-hit areas should be including FE tolerance in their ram selection. “At the bottom of the cliff, Zinc is an effective treatment for FE, either drench or boluses, as the element will bind with the toxin in the rumen, rendering it inactive.” @rural_news facebook.com/ruralnews
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MACHINERY & PRODUCTS 21
Honda’s new ATVs give choice THE CHRISTMAS and New Year break meant a chance to recharge the batteries, but also to get to grips with the latest TRX 520 ATVs – a brace of which were dropped off by the very nice people from importer Blue Wing Honda. While both models featured an increased capacity powerplant, we were able to try both a manual 5-speeder and the 5-speed automatic – with the latter also offering high and low ranges. For the 2020 season, the fuel injected engine gets an extra 43cc to bring it to 518cc. This is said to offer more low and mid-range power and torque – a trait that is very noticeable on both machines- with immediate pick up as the throttle is applied; with speed rising very quickly. For the auto version, a new reverse actuation switch – used in conjunction with the forward/reverse buttons – make directional changes very easy and also finding neutral. From a user perspective, the layout also allows the
Honda’s new TRX 520 ATVs – either as a manual 5-speeder or a 5-speed automatic.
machine to be stopped in gear, which then returns automatically to neutral for restarts. Interestingly, a new shift map in the electronic gearshift system works in real time, making for very smooth upshifts – although downshifts could be a little unpredictable.
Other new features include a new front grille and carry rack; the latter designed to accommodate a new range of accessories and a new 1.9 litre storage box at the front of the machines. A right-side handlebar switch, on both models, allows “on the fly” selection of 2WD, 4WD or 4WD
with a locked front differential. Although the holidays meant a quiet period on the farm, both vehicles were used daily by up to three different staff, for a range of tasks from transport, to pulling a trailer carrying a few bales or tools for fencing repairs or water leak detection. Feedback from the staff saw the older members preferring the Auto/Independent suspension machine for ease of use and comfort; the youngest member of the team, a 2-wheeler die-hard, preferred the manual shifter. When quizzed about his choice, he suggested the auto box would maybe cost a lot to repair if it had any problems. Everyone agreed there was plenty of power, with the Auto machine benefitting from the option of high or low ranges for towing. Going back to the comments about rider comfort, power steering got the big tick from all the riders, featuring assistance that became less as speed increased, so great at slower speeds. The same wide comfortable seat and solid footwells are fitted to both machines, the engine and exhaust are isolated with rubber mounts, but the
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back ends are significantly different. Although both bikes feature double-wishbone front ends, the manual machine is fitted with a fully enclosed, solid rear axle – mounted via a swinging arm suspension layout. The tow hitch is mounted directly to the rear axle to give a smoother ride, but sees towing capacity drop to 385kg. By contrast, the more up-market auto transmission machine has a fully independent suspension layout, that the testers decided gave a superior ride, alongside a towing capacity of 600kg. In both situations, wheel bearings, pivot bushings and ball joints were all fully serviceable. In summary, both ATVs are put together in a way that you would expect from Honda, particularly in the way things fit and work and the general quality of the fastenings. Making the only choice then, if are you a purist who likes manual shifting and a solid rear axle; or auto changing and fully independent – letting the machine work things out. @rural_news facebook.com/ruralnews
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NO DEPOSIT, 0% FINANCE, 24-MONTH TERM* caseih.co.nz Promotion ends 31 March 2020 and applies to factory forward orders only, for delivery by 31st December 2020. Excludes Puma Tier 3. *Finance offers are subject to normal lending criteria. Finance is based off no deposit, GST back in the third month, over a 24-month term. Some exclusions may apply. For full terms and conditions of this promotion, please contact your local Case IH dealer, or visit www.caseih.co.nz.
19CIH035
MARK DANIEL markd@ruralnews.co.nz
RURAL NEWS // JANUARY 28, 2020
22 MACHINERY & PRODUCTS/RURAL TRADER
World’s first half track tractors unveiled MARK DANIEL markd@ruralnews.co.nz
CLAAS HAS announced the commercial release of the world’s first half-tracked tractors with full suspension – the AXION 960 TERRA TRAC (445 hp) and AXION 930 TERRA TRAC (355 hp). Unveiled as concepts two years ago, these new models incorporate the proven tracked assemblies utilised in the company’s LEXION and JAGUAR grain and forage harvesters. Said to incorporate the benefits of tracked and wheeled machines, TERRA TRAC improves traction and reduces soil compaction, while still retaining the driving characteristics of a wheeled tractor. Additionally, with the front axle and unique four-point cab suspension already found on the AXION, the company suggests this is arguably the most comfortable
The Axion 900 Terra Trac in action.
broadacre tractor on the market. Offered with a choice of 457 mm (18”), 635 mm (25”), 735 mm (29”)
and 890 mm (35”) track widths; the total footprint of 3.87 square metres. The 890 mm track is 35% larger than
a 900/60 R42 tyre – equating to 15% more tractive power and a 50% reduction in ground pressure. Whatever track option is chosen, the overall external width of the tractor remains at less than 3 metres. The rear axle of the AXION has been extensively modified to accommodate the TERRA TRAC units, which in turn are modified to improve traction. Drive wheel diameter has been increased to meet the specific power transfer needs of a tractor and to handle the high levels of torque. Likewise, the transmission inside the crawler tracks has been strengthened to transmit higher torques. Each assembly can pivot up to 23 degrees longitudinally, which in combination with its individually suspended rollers, allows each unit to maintain optimum ground contact in all soil conditions, terrain and operating speeds. The tracks use a force-locking drive and are
maintained at a higher tension for even pressure distribution. Specially-designed friction blocks on the drive wheel reliably transfer drive forces to the track belt and at the same time to ensure thorough self-cleaning of the contact surfaces. The continuously variable CMATIC transmission allows stepless control of speed from zero up to 40 km/h road speeds. To facilitate tight turns, the driver can activate three levels of steering assistance or adjust the tractor’s ground clearance by up to 12 cm via the CEBIS terminal. This allows the operator to select the optimum height for the implement being used behind the tractor or increase ground clearance when baling or grain carting. The AXION TERRA TRAC has an operating weight of 16.5 t and a maximum gross weight of 22 t – giving it a load capacity of 5.5 t served by an 860-litre fuel tank.
TRAILED SPRAYER GETS A REFRESH MARK DANIEL markd@ruralnews.co.nz
RESPONDING TO users’ feedback on the previous model – and driven to improve operation and safety in the field – BA Pumps and Sprayers has placed significant research and development into its new TSX 400 trailed sprayer. Meeting a design brief that called for ease of use and a substantially lower centre of gravity, a new low profile 400 litre UV stable polyethylene tank addresses the latter and is said to help eliminate rollovers. As part of the tank design, the layout incorporates a large suction
well, integrated handwash and a calibration strip with a sight glass. The oversize steel frame is manufactured from 75mm x 40mm RHS and full hot dip galvanized to ensure a long service life. Meanwhile, the removeable drawbar makes for easy storage. The 22-11x 8 knobbly tyres are fitted to help with grip and lateral stability. Users can choose from four basic models that offer an electrically-powered Shurflo pump, or alternatively Honda GX160 engines mated to Bertolini POLY or PA Series pumps. Standard fitments include reels and spot spray guns with 30 or 50
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metre capacities. A wide range of accessories will allow users to customise the base units to suit individual needs, with a choice of XP 10, 20 and 25 boom jet kits and 3, 4.5 and 6.0 metre spray booms. A range of switching and control units allow use from the ATV, while an optional bull bar is designed to protect the engine and pump assemblies. Significant research and development has gone into the new TSX 400 trailed sprayer. @rural_news facebook.com/ruralnews
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Southern Field Days TO ALL FARMERS, FOR ALL FARMERS JANUARY 28, 2020: ISSUE 693 www.ruralnews.co.nz
WAIMUMU, GORE FEBRUARY 12-14, 2020
APP MAP NIGEL MALTHUS
THE 2020 Southern Field Days at Waimumu, near Gore, is taking a big step into the digital age with the introduction of a smartphone app to help the public get the best out of the event. The app, a first for the biannual event, gives visitors maps of the site with the exhibitors’ locations, a programme of events, weather reports and more. The location services can help
An aerial view of the Southern Field Days exhibition site at Waimumu with the Fred Booth Park rugby pitch in the foreground. SUPPLIED
people both pinpoint their current location and give the best route to their next destination.
Waimumu ready to go NIGEL MALTHUS
SHOWING OFF the latest in rural technology, equipment and specialist knowledge from around the world, the biennial Southern Field Days returns to Waimumu, near Gore, next month. Now with more than 700 exhibitors and more than 40,000 visitors expected through the gates, the field days have grown from modest beginnings when it was first hosted by a local farmer in 1982. Now occupying a dedicated 60ha site, owned by the Southern Field Days organisation, it will run over three days from February 12 through 14. A few weeks out from opening day, organising committee chair Warren
Ross said the planning was going well. “I don’t think there have been too many hiccups as yet,” he told Rural News. The event runs every two years, in the off-years between the South Island’s other big agricultural expo, Kirwee’s South Island Agricultural Field Days. The event is run by a 24-strong volunteer committee of past and present members of the Otago/ Southland Young Farmers Club. The local community is also heavily involved. It is an important fundraising opportunity for groups such as clubs, PTAs, rugby clubs, and Play Centres, who manage vital services like car parking, ticketing, and rubbish collection. Ross says they “absolutely” could
not do it without the volunteers. Ross, who raises deer for venison and velvet on a family farm just 10km from the Waimumu site, has been on the committee since 2002 and is overseeing his first Field Days as chair. He says they will have “a little over 700” exhibitors this year. “And there is actually a waiting list to get in. We are out of room at the minute.” The site is slightly larger, with an additional 10m by 200m strip, but Ross says that has allowed some exhibitor sites to be made a little bigger rather than cramming more in. Around 40,000 to 42,000 visitors usually attend the show. “We’re always hoping for a few more,” says Ross.
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The site continues to be developed, with an increasing number of permanent facilities. A big new permanent toilet block, expected to halve the need for portable toilets, has just been completed in time for this year’s event. The large AgriCentre building for covered exhibits is now into its fourth event, while the relocated and refurbished former Gore Play Centre building serves as office, meeting and kitchen space. Popular features of the Field Days returning this year include the Tractorpull, the Innovation Awards and Fencing competitions. Another popular regular event will be the speed shearing on the Friday afternoon, culminating in the celebrity speed shear-off at 3pm.
mark where they’ve parked the car to easily find their way out at the end of the day. The app also carries a live news banner, social media links and a contact form for the field days organisers. Southern Field days chairman Warren Ross says the app also allows exhibitors to put in information about their products and site. The public can then punch in key words to find the exhibitors providing the goods and services they’re interested in. Produced by UTP Marketing, the app is available via the field days website, or can be found on both the Android Play Store and Apple App Store by searching for “Southern Fields Days”.
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2 SOUTHERN FIELD DAYS
No. 8 wire innovators on show NIGEL MALTHUS
THE CLASSIC Kiwi can-do mentality is getting extra recognition at the Southern Field Days 2020, with its own category in the Field Days Innovation Awards. The new ‘Number 8 Wire’ section is for the tinkerers – the people who beaver away in the
shed or backyard to turn an original idea into something that makes life on the farm that little bit easier. Innovation Awards organiser Lisa Anderson said the section was introduced because this sort of innovation was tending to be overshadowed in the main awards by
commercially-backed entries. It was for ideas that were not intended as commercial products, although there was nothing to stop a clever idea being subsequently picked up for commercial development. Entries in the Number 8 Wire section will be eligible for a first prize
of $300 and a second prize of $200. Meanwhile, the Open section, for marketable innovations, carries a first prize of $500 and second prize of $200. Support and encouragement of young innovators has also been bolstered, with a $500 award for the primary school providing the
most entries per capita in the School Category. The School Category itself carries a first prize $50 for the individual entrant and $50 for his or her school. Entries are now open for the awards and will close on February 8. Three judges will interview entrants from 10am to noon
on the first day of the field days, Wednesday February 12, either at the Innovations Site in the AgriCentre, or at the entrant’s own site if appropriate. The prize giving will take place at noon on the last day of the show. Anderson says past winners have been innovations like
the health and safety management app Zero Harm Farm, a selfpriming siphon, a wheelie-bin mover and a test bucket. Past Primary School winners have included a hen feeder, safety helmet, lamb feeder and hunting scope. @rural_news facebook.com/ruralnews
A warm welcome to the South WARREN ROSS
WELCOME TO the 20th biennial Southern Field Days (SFDs). On behalf of the SFDs committee I would like to send out a warm southern welcome to all those new to the event, international guests and those returning, some of which have been with us from the first event in 1982. Again 2020 sees the field days with a sold-out sign. It is so humbling to have the support from everyone involved. Southern Field Days could not exist without the huge support and commitment from the many sponsors, exhibitors, visitors, volunteers, and a very dedicated voluntary committee. I would like to express my sincere thanks to the companies and organisations for their sponsorship and assistance in preparing for this event. I would like to take this opportunity to welcome our new caretaker, Simon Fuller, committee member, Andy Roberts and secretary/event manager Jude McNab. A special and sincere thanks goes to Sharon Paterson who is retiring after completing her fourth field days this year and to Jack Cooper our previous caretaker. The passion and dedication Sharon and Jack have put into the field days will
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be missed and we wish them both well in their future endeavors. 2020 sees another rugby game on the Fred Booth Park. A very exciting game this will be with an Invitational Southland Team playing Nadroga Fiji Team. Please join with me in making these teams welcome when you see them around the site. Each event we strive to keep improving and growing our brand and promoting our business not only for the field days, but for other events throughout the year. By introducing new technology and buildings we can keep offering professionally run events. 2020 sees a new toilet block and the introduction of an app for your mobile phone. This is a great tool for you to find sites that you may be looking for, information on the Southern Field Days, contact information, maps etc. Thanks, must – once again – go out to the SFD’s committee for pulling this event together. But it is not only these people; it is the families of committee members and the whole community that come together to make this event happen. I hope you enjoy attending the 2020 Southern Field Days and trust you will have an informative and rewarding three days. • Warren Ross is chairman of the SFDs.
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SOUTHERN FIELD DAYS 3
Tractorpull popular drawcard NIGEL MALTHUS
As a motorsport it actually predates the motor so that’s pretty good going. Tractorpull NZ chairman Vaughan Coy has been running competitions throughout the country since about 2009, using his speciallydeveloped sleds and systems. “For Waimumu they contract me to run the competition and do a full commentary,” he told Rural News. “My job is to sit there and talk rubbish for three days.” He explains that the key to the sport is the weight transfer sled, which the tractors have to pull down a straight track. “As a motorsport it actually predates the motor so that’s pretty good going. People would brag ‘my horse is stronger than your horse – now how are we going to prove it?’” Simply pulling stumps wouldn’t work because if the first horse took the stump out the second would have no stump to pull, and if the second pulled it out the first guy would claim his horse loosened it. The solution was to take a door off a barn and have the horses drag it along a track lined with spectators, who climbed aboard one by one until the horse could pull it no longer. “So that’s the basis of the event where the sled
more onto the sled. Describing himself as “quite geeky” with a computer technician background, Coy says the sled is world-unique, featuring a computerised system he developed. An electronic load cell in the chain measures the pulling force in real time and makes it selfcalibrating with no need to take weight in and out of the box. It is also linked by wireless to the control and commentary station. The competition runs in three broad classes, starting with standard tractors – the ‘pull on Sunday, plough on Monday’ class for working farm tractors with no modifications. There is also a pre1985 class for older iron without modern features – such as clutchless shifting. Then there’s the modified class – which Coy calls “boyracer rural” – with motor swaps, turbos, and so many different levels of modification allowed that is it beginning to be divided into various subclasses. The man to beat at Waimumu is expected to be Gore local Brett Heslip, with his ethanolburning Moonshine Runner, a purpose-built machine imported from
the US with a big block Chev of about 2000hp. “He’s in a class of his own when all’s said and done.” Coy hopes that Tractorpull New
Zealand might one day become an umbrella operation overseeing a recognised New Zealand championship, but that structure is not yet in place.
Mark Dillon competes in the Tractorpull at Waimumu in 2018.
SOUTHERN FIELD DAYS
A MOTORSPORT that pre-dates the motor is again expected to be a popular drawcard at the 2020 Waimumu Southern Field Days. The Tractorpull features tractors, some straight off the farm and some highly modified monsters, competing not for time or speed, but to see who can pull a heavy sled the furthest distance. Run by the Southern Tractor Pull organisation in conjunction with Tractorpull New Zealand, the event will run for the full three days of the Waimumu show.
gets heavier and heavier as it progresses down the track,” says Coy. As a modern sport, it was developed in the 1950s and 60s in America using what’s known as a moving weight-box sled. Some American machines are monsters with six V8 engines and up to 15,000 horsepower, says Coy. “It is the world’s most powerful motorsport.” Sleds used in New Zealand take a different form – a tractor-mounted in a weighted sled with pans fore and aft. The tractor progressively lifts itself with hydraulics to put less and less weight on its own wheels and
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4 SOUTHERN FIELD DAYS
Eight years of service comes to an end, but there will be no retirement NIGEL MALTHUS
LOCAL FARMER Sharon Paterson took on the secretary/manager role for the Southern Field Days in 2013, as someone keen on event management and – at that time – looking for a new challenge. Eight years on, Paterson is about to step down after the 2020 show, having overseen four of Waimumu’s biannual events and guided it through a period of growth and consolidation. Southern Field Days is run by a volunteer committee of past and present members of the Otago/Southland Young Farmers Club. With just two paid employees –
Paterson and a caretaker – they take pride in involving the local community to make it a success. “We’ve gone through huge changes over the years,” says Paterson. “I started in August 2013, when we were just beginning to build the big Agricentre. “So we’ve completed that. And back then, I was in a little 4 by 6 office.” The former Gore Play Centre building, which was relocated to the site in time for the 2016 event, was put to use then as the site office “as is,” with just some temporary walling and an outside deck. “For 2018, we actually completely upgraded,
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Sharon Paterson, the retiring secretary / event manager of Southern Field Days. SUPPLIED.
redid and redesigned the interior so we’ve got a very functional boardroom, kitchen, two offices and an entranceway,” Paterson told Rural News. “And for this one, 2020, we’re going in with a brand now toilet block.”
She says these new facilities will reduce the need for portable toilets by half. Standing down from the field days role does not mean retirement for Paterson. “I’ve got a Texel stud,” she explains. “I intend to do some
research and a lot more work on intramuscular fat and meat production in sheep. It’s all to do with taste and tenderness.” She and her husband Laurie, in partnership with their son Ross and daughter-in-law Steph, farm at Waikaka Station,
about 20 minutes north of Gore, which has been in the Paterson family since 1907. It is home to four sheep studs along with the Waikaka Hereford stud, well-known in the district for its annual bull sale. The family is also
branching into agritourism, planning to open a 5-acre garden developed by Laurie’s mother to the public three-days-a-week. “And I’m going back to my horses and dogs and spending more time with my grandkids,” says Paterson.
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SOUTHERN FIELD DAYS 5
Are you up for the challenge? A NEW event for the 2020 Southern Field Days will be an ‘Amazing Race’-style challenge; aimed at exciting and informing young people about employment opportunities across the agricultural sector. Pitched at school pupils, school leavers and career changers, the “Food & Fibre Discovery Challenge” will have participants following clues and answering questions as they navigate around the grounds between participating exhibitors. The challenge is the brainchild of Olivia Ross, Beef+Lamb NZ extension manager for the Southern South Island, who is passionate about getting young people into employment in the sector. Ross says it follows on from her successful “Generation Next: Our Future’s Sheep & Beef Farmers” programme, also run by Beef+Lamb NZ, which involves up-and-coming young farmers in a series of learning workshops. She says that with the SFDs bringing a whole lot of sites, exhibitors and businesses to one place and 41,000 people expected through the gates; “Why not make the most of that opportunity to share the careers on offer?” It would be “a great fun way” to get around field days, while connecting with training opportunities and career pathways and meeting employers. Participants will sign up at one of four starting points, the exhibition sites of Beef+Lamb, Dairy NZ, Federated Farmers or the Dairy Women’s Network, and work their way through the challenge to end up back at the Beef+Lamb finish line. Ross says they will go around the different
“pits-tops” identifying different career pathways and opportunities, answering questions as they go and discovering new knowledge. “Like an Amazing Race, we plan to have ‘detours’ where decisions will need to be made, ‘roadblocks’ where some tasks and fun will be had and some ‘U-turns’ where some backtracking and thinking will be required – along with a few ‘speed bumps’. “Hopefully the idea is they will discover some careers they might never have thought of that will interest them.” The event will be free to enter. Primary school pupils can make up teams of four, with a teacher or parent accompanying them. Older students, career changers and others can form teams of two. There will be spot prizes and overall winner prizes up for grabs – with the chance to spend a day with an employer in a chosen occupation. “When they’ve completed the challenge we will ask them which two careers on the day they really found interesting and if they would like to know more about,” says Ross. “Hopefully we’ll be able to connect them with that career employer and they will be able to spend a day with them.” Ross is still signing up participating sites, but is hoping for anything between 30 and 50. Each will be identified by large real estate-style signage. “And the whole idea about having signs like that is that when the general public are walking past who aren’t part of it you might get them asking questions as well.” Ross also hopes that any farmers, who usually attend the show alone, might see how the challenge works and bring the kids along the
following day. The Food & Fibre Discovery Challenge will run for the whole three days of the show. Although participants
will register on the day, Ross says organisers would appreciate schools letting them know what days they intend sending groups of pupils.
Beef + Lamb NZ Southern South Island extension manager Olivia Ross is the brains behind the Food and Fibre Challenge, a new feature for this year’s South Island Agricultural Field Days at Waimumu. SUPPLIED
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RURAL NEWS // JANUARY 28, 2020
6 SOUTHERN FIELD DAYS
Sheep and beef sales still strong – especially in the south SOUTHLAND IS one of the regions seeing strong listings and interest in sheep and beef farms, according to PGG Wrightson Real Estate. In its latest Rural Property Pulse, the company says despite the obvious headwinds of tighter bank finance and a mismatch between farmgate prices and confidence, “in terms of revenue and demand, New Zealand agriculture is thriving”. Commodity prices remain strong, including red meat with prices likely to exceed the highs of the 2018-19 season. “In the sheep and beef sector this spring’s livestock market has been buoyant with animals in top condition and commanding top dollar. “After a climatically slow start to the spring, growing conditions have been excellent, a positive scenario reinforced by the situation in China where African swine fever has had a devastating impact on pork production.”
The sheep and beef farm end of the property market is described by PGGW as “firm” in several districts, driven by three seasons of buoyant returns for red meat, “which have left farmers increasingly motivated to buy and sell property”. “For many in the sheep and beef sector, particularly reaching an age where retirement beckons, this summer and autumn shapes as an ideal time to capitalise on their careers and offer land to the market.” On the downside, Pulse acknowledges that in spite of prospects of a $7 payout, demand for dairy farms in Canterbury and Southland was “lacklustre”. In Southland, spring’s late arrival also held the market back and while farm incomes are strong, limited financing options continue to “inhibit the market”. PGG Wrightson says Southland is one of the regions seeing strong listings and interest in sheep and beef farms.
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8 SOUTHERN FIELD DAYS
National beef survey underway BEEF + Lamb New Zealand says it will work alongside DairyNZ and the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) as part of the Mycoplasma bovis eradication programme. As at 15 January, 118 beef properties have tested positive for M. bovis. Almost all beef confirmed cases have involved movements or contact with dairy cattle – rather than traditional beef breeds, beef breeding herds or stud animals. Beef+Lamb says while it is confident that M. bovis is not widespread in beef breeding or stud herds in New Zealand, it is important that the programme carries out a beef survey to make sure that this is indeed the case. It also believes this will help provide confidence in the future that NZ is free from the disease. “To do this, the Mycoplasma bovis programme will shortly begin sampling beef cattle throughout the country as part of a National Beef Survey. This is the next logical phase in the Programme and was highlighted in the latest report from the independent Technical Advisory Group in October 2019.”
Negative results, which it expects for almost all farms tested, will also be supplied to farmers initially by the programme’s liaison team – with a view to providing results through NAIT in the future. “We also want to take this opportunity to remind farmers there is still a risk of bringing infection on to your farms, and all farmers need to be taking the right steps to protect their herds. “NAIT compliance is a vital part of helping us achieve eradication – please tag every animal, register it into the system, and record every movement between NAIT locations. “We thank farmers for their co-operation during the survey. We know that this disease and the eradication process has a major impact on the lives of farmers, their families and communities. Beef+Lamb says it is committed to doing everything it can to reduce this impact by working with its partners – including the Rural Support Trust – to support farmers every step of the way. More information on M.bovis: https://beeflambnz.com/mycoplasma-bovis
Testing of herds from approximately 2,500 farms which have had no connection to the M. bovis outbreak will start this month
Testing of herds from approximately 2,500 farms which have had no connection to the M. bovis outbreak will start this month. “Testing of these herds, which have no known risk of infection, is necessary to determine that the disease is not present outside of the high-risk farms.” To minimise disruption to farming operations, samples will be taken from
beef cattle at the same time as they are screened for TB. “This is the most efficient and cost-effective way of gathering the information as farmers won’t be required to muster animals for separate testing.” Those farmers with cattle being tested for M. bovis, as part of their TB testing, will be told in advance of their
TB testing taking place. When cattle are presented for testing, between 50 and 220 animals will be sampled. Testing will be carried out at AsureQuality laboratories and Beef + Lamb says farmers should expect to be contacted within three weeks if results indicate that there is possible infection – with more on-farm testing is required to determine the farm’s status.
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SOUTHERN FIELD DAYS 9
Dairy company commits to planting native trees SYNLAIT MILK is establishing an industrialscale native plant nursery at its Dunsandel headquarters as the centrepiece of a wideranging environmental initiative. The programme is dubbed Whakapuāwai, which means “to cause to blossom, develop, flourish, prosper, thrive”. Synlait says it is the company’s commitment to restoring and regenerating native ecosystems, waterways and wetlands, flora and fauna. “It is about drawing people and groups together to improve water quality and restore biodiversity and re-establish Mahinga kai – the places and natural resources that are culturally important to Māori and our community.” Central to the programme is an industrial scale nursery to propagate native plants, on a 15ha site at the back of Synlait’s Dunsandel headquarters complex. It will be capable of growing more than one million native trees and shrubs annually, with the goal of planting four million native trees on farms and community land by 2028. Over several years the site will also be developed with a wetland to handle wastewater from the factory, walkways, exercise zones and meeting pods, and eventually an education centre for staff and visitors. Late last year, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern officially opened Whakapuāwai by planting a kowhai among more than 1,000 natives already planted. Ardern congratulated Synlait on the initiative, saying the Government can only do so much. “You are demonstrating true leadership. I am here today just to acknowledge it and say thank you for
“New Zealanders are passionate about creating a sustainable future for our country, and at Synlait, we are in an ideal position to shape the change needed in our industry.” working alongside us.” She said the Government had set a goal of not wanting to see global warming go beyond 1.5 degrees in New Zealand. “We’ve embedded those targets in our legislation, we’ve progressed a worldfirst agreement with our primary sector on how we will deal with emissions farm by farm and no-one in the world is doing that.” Synlait staff will also receive one paid day per year to plant natives, in support of the company commitments to its farmers and communities to land restoration in Canterbury. “We can’t solve environmental challenges on our own, but through Whakapuāwai we can lead by example and help connect our milk suppliers and community groups to make a real difference,” Synlait chief executive Leon Clement said. “New Zealanders are passionate about creating a sustainable future for our country, and at Synlait, we are in an ideal position to shape the change needed in our industry. It’s our purpose to do milk differently for a healthier world, and Whakapuāwai brings this to life.” “Our customers, and their consumers, have rapidly shifting expectations when it comes to how we care for our planet, people and animals, and Synlait is responding to these demands to ensure a healthier world for all. It’s our business to shape a future that ensures agricultural and industry is fit for a better world.” The programme was launched on the day Synlait also officially
opened a new electrode boiler, the first of its scale in the country and the first since the company committed to building no more coal-fired plants. Clement said Synlait wanted to do things differently for a healthier world. “We decided that part of what we needed to do to lead the way in sustainable thinking for the dairy industry was we had to start in our own backyard. “We had to tidy up what we were doing, and we’ve made commitments to reduce our off-farm emissions by 50% by 2028.” Clement said investors were increasingly interested in only investing in companies demonstrating ethical propositions and sustainability.
Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor and Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern get to work at the opening of Synlait’s Whakapuawai native plant programme at the company’s Dunsandel factory complex. Rural News Group.
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RURAL NEWS // JANUARY 28, 2020 GORE CARPARK
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OFFICES IN GORE, CROMWELL AND NEW PLYMOUTH FIND US AT SITE 230
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Go along to the MLT booth on the Friday afternoon 14th February to compete in, or watch the competitors in our third Speed Shear competition. See some of New Zealand’s best shearers go head to head and against the clock.
Visit or compete in the 2020 Southern Excavator Operators Competition at the Southern Field Days on the 12th & 13th of Feb at site 401. Watch as competitors go head to head using their skills to find out who is Southland’s best multi-skilled excavator operator!
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SPEED SHEARING
DIGGER COMPETITION
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LEM
The finest in NZ ingenuity and mechanical marvel is on display in tractor form as four different classes of Tractor: Standard, Pre85, Sport and Modified compete to see how far they can drag the TPNZ weight transfer sled.
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Thought of a fantastic idea that may save time or make life easier? Whether your idea is being marketed or just a handy idea, there is a category for you. Three judges interview entrants from 10am to noon on the first day of the Field Days, Wednesday 12th February, at the Innovations Site (AgriCentre) or your site. Your entry needs to be onsite by opening at 9am and no vehicles are to move onsite after 8.30am.
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FENCING New Zealand Fencing Competitions (NZFC) are the organisers of the NZFC South Island Doubles Fencing Competition at the Southern Field Days, held on Feb 13th. Entrants consist of some of the South Islands leading fencing contractors and there is one guest team from the United Kingdom this year.
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We’ll see you at Southern Field Days. Visit us in the in the Exhibition Centre.
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RURAL NEWS // JANUARY 28, 2020
12 SOUTHERN FIELD DAYS
Merge Maxx 950
Machine gives a cleaner pick up MARK DANIEL markd@ruralnews.co.nz
20/20 HAVE YOU GOT THE VISION • Heavy duty braked • Deck heights 600mm & 725mm • 18mm single piece tread deck • 2x3 metre deck plus fold down head board • 22 tie down points
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WOOD SPLITTERS • Built strong with double skinned main beam • 50mm back plate and dished wedge • 2-stage hydraulic pump coupled to a 9.5hp Kohler motor
Ph Stuart 0274-387 528 or 06-370 1329 124 Lincoln Road, Masterton E: daytech@wise.net.nz W: www.daytech.co.nz LEADERS ON FARM MACHINERY DESIGN
BELT MERGERS are known for their clean forage pick up and handling, the KUHN Merge Maxx 950 is no exception. This is a highly versatile machine capable of gently gathering any kind of forage and retaining its maximum feed value. Having been demonstrated throughout New Zealand over the last two harvest seasons, the Merge Maxx 950 has reinforced the reputation for belt mergers to deliver clean forage pick up and handling in all crops including lucerne, grass, whole crop barley and pea straw. An ability to gently handle all crops – with minimal forage pollution, leaf spoiling and ground con-
tact – sets the Merge Maxx 950 apart from the conventional rotor and ‘V’ type rakes. It uses two independent pick-ups to offer total raking width of 7.5m in “side delivery” mode and up to 9.5m in “central windrow” position. With eight different forage delivery options, the machine is suited to all conditions – from raking two separate 3.5m swaths for conventional hay baling, through to grouping 20m or even 30m of forage into large swaths for today’s high horsepower forage harvesters. Clever design uses the AT10 controller, which allows any operator to master the controls easily. It also gives the ability to alter windrow delivery, direction of the belts, setting into work mode and a useful
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handypiece ■ Ideal for shearing sheep, alpacas, goats and cow tails. ■ Variable speed from 2400-3500 rpm. ■ Latest brushless motor technology means minimal heat build up ■ 1400gms means 100-200gms lighter than standard handpiece. ■ At 2700 rpm the 12-volt lithium battery will crutch up to 300400 sheep, 400-500 cow tails. ■ Tough alloy switch box with auto rest fuse for overload or lockup – clips to belt.
hour counter for jobs. Belt speeds can be individually adjusted by using a hydraulic flow limiter, while raking height can be adjusted via crank handle at the rear of each pick-up bed. Tool-less belt tension adjustment makes dayto-day maintenance a breeze. Key advantages of the Merge Maxx 950, delivered by the ability to merge up to 30m of lighter crops into one swath, means more efficient harvesting, allows harvesters and trucks to travel at lower speeds – yet keeping the chopping drum full. Additional benefits means fewer swathes to collect in ease paddock means fewer wheeling’s and compaction damage and less kilometres travelled during a working day.
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RURAL NEWS // JANUARY 28, 2020
SOUTHERN FIELD DAYS 13
Tractor helps contractor up his game MOTUEKA CONTRACTOR James Lea’s says his new McCormick X6 430 VT drive tractor not only has the traction to go anywhere, it also makes him more efficient. Purchased in May 2019, from local dealer Motueka Farm Machinery for work in his fencing business, the red tractor was quite familiar to James – having previously run several of its Landini stablemates for his company Lea Contracting. Having looked at other brands before buying, the combination of the deal offered by Motueka Farm Machinery – alongside the fact it had taken a Tractor of the Year Award in 2018 and the bonus of CVT – meant it was too good a deal to pass on. The machine has now completed more than 300 hours – much of those hours in steep, rugged country. “I can honestly say it’ll climb anywhere I’m prepared to go,” Lea says. “It’s making us 10 to 14% more efficient than previously – as we’re right on the spot every time.” Mated to the frugal Tier 4 FPT engine, the VT-Drive transmission combines hydrostatic and a mechanical section, where lower speeds of up 4.0 km/h are taken care of. Where the mechanical part of the transmission is progressively taking over as speeds increase to minimise power loss. For driving the tractor, the operator selects either forward or reverse, with a familiar shuttle lever, before using the joystick or accelerator pedal to increase or reduce travel speeds. Engine revs and transmission ratios are automatically balanced by the electronics – according to the load on the tractor. When a fixed engine speed is needed to operate a PTO-driven implement or a consistent ground speed is required, appropriate modes can be selected that control the system to manage the powertrain accordingly. Lea uses his new X6 VT drive to run a heavy-duty post driver for his fencing work and likes the stability of the combination. Additionally, a Manip front-end-loader carries fence posts and a spinning wire jenny. The tractor is particularly well-suited to loader work, as the power shuttle delivers seamless directional changes. Meanwhile, the high output closed centre, load sensing hydraulic system has more than enough flow for the post hitter and loader to work in tandem. www.agtek.co.nz
Left to right: The Sturgeons from Motueka Farm Machinery and the Leas’ from Lea Contracting.
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RURAL NEWS // JANUARY 28, 2020
14 SOUTHERN FIELD DAYS
Former Nelson dairy farm hopping into a new life A 175HA dairy farm in Kohatu, Tapawera, 52km west of Nelson, sold in October 2018 for conversion to a hop garden, is another example of change in land use driving sales of rural property. Joe Blakiston of PGG Wrightson Real Estate, Marlborough marketed the property, which was purchased by primary production investor MyFarm. He says the farm’s owner first approached PGG Wrightson in April to market the property. “They were aware of developments around hops and knew the farm was suited to growing them, though were in no hurry to sell. Because the
hop industry hasn’t many big players we discreetly marketed it to reach each one,” Blakiston said. “Our company nationwide knows MyFarm well, having dealt with them on several different projects, including horticulture, grapes and dairy properties. We know what they require and we understand the constraints they are under. We knew that a long period of due diligence would be necessary.” Grant Payton, head of sales for MyFarm, says the new Tapawera garden will be one of the largest growing hops in New Zealand. “New Zealand hops have characteristics with
350ha of hops were grown in New Zealand in 2013 and by last year that had risen to 763ha.
great appeal for the international brewing market. Along with our business partner Hop Revolution, who will manage the garden, we are focused on making the most of those advantages. “We believe there is significant potential to expand New Zealand hop production, and by doing so, generate double
digit cash returns for our investors. This requires production at scale, planting the unique proprietorial hop varieties that have been developed in New Zealand.” Payton says vertical integration has provided the market power that has enabled New Zealand’s dairy, kiwifruit and pipfruit industries to
expand, to the benefit of farmers and growers. “We are applying the same principles to the hop sector, bearing in mind that growers have previously been constrained by the high levels of investment needed to develop at the scale necessary for economic viability.” In 2013, 350ha of hops were grown in New Zealand. By 2019 that had risen to 763ha. Hops are a crucial component of beer, providing much of its flavour. Rising demand is driven by the domestic and international development of the craft beer market. “In the United States
alone there are 7400 craft brewers, which is projected to grow to 12,000,” Payton said. “They are all looking for a point of difference. New Zealand hops provide that, with tastes and smells different to everything else grown around the world.” He says because New Zealand grows only about 1% of the world’s hop production we could never manage to satisfy demand as the craft beer scene grows. Hops have specific needs. As lengthening and shortening days are required for flowering and maturity, hops will only grow satisfactorily within a certain latitude. At 41 degrees south, Nelson’s
latitude, coupled with plenty of sun hours, little wind and sufficiently cold winters, is perfect for growing hops. The region is the centre of New Zealand’s hop sector. Development of the new hop garden has already begun, with 27.4ha contoured and drained. Support structures and irrigation will then be installed and the hops scheduled for planting before the end of the year. This month the remaining 148ha will be started on. Initial harvest will be in 2021 and the new hop garden is forecast to reach full production in 2025. @rural_news facebook.com/ruralnews
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RURAL NEWS // JANUARY 28, 2020
SOUTHERN FIELD DAYS 15 Talking points for field days banter, #1: The outlook for 2020 is for a tight global supply of protein leading to strong prices for NZ farmers.
RURAL ONLINE
Go to www.ruralnewsgroup.co.nz
READING THE PAPER ONLINE HAS NEVER BEEN EASIER.
EFFLUENT SPREADING PROBLEMS? WE HAVE THE ANSWER!
SEE US AT WAIMUMU SITE 129
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Year of the rat promising A STAPLE of field days conversation is speculation about what the year ahead holds. While some will focus on dark clouds ahead, there is cause for optimism in the Year of the Rat. After seeing record highs in its Commodity Price Index in 2019, ASB expects to see “less spectacular commodity prices in 2020”, but healthy prices by historical levels. The bank says during October and November last year, its Index set record highs in NZ dollar terms, with meat, fruit, forestry and seafood prices all setting records. While it expects lower 2020 prices, ASB says the fundamentals
are still good. There are key drivers that should keep commodity prices healthy. These include growing global incomes and food demand, global food supply constraints and the ongoing impact of African Swine Flu – all factors likely support strong prices. “Looking at African Swine Flu specifically,” says the bank. “We expect 2019 coincided with the peak impact on protein prices, including on NZ meat export prices. However, the sheer magnitude of the rebuild in the global pork herd means that meat prices are likely to remain
relatively high, if not beyond then, as the global pork herd slowly rebuilds.” ASB says it is a similar story with regards to the NZ dollar, which it expects to trade at levels “supportive for commodity prices in NZD terms”. New Zealand is unlikely to see growth in dairy production this year, while US and EU supply growth is low and Australian production is likely to fall rapidly. The end result is a tight global dairy supply situation. The bank anticipates global dairy prices in US dollar terms to rise in 2020 as a result.
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RURAL NEWS // JANUARY 28, 2020
16 SOUTHERN FIELD DAYS
A tough game expected NIGEL MALTHUS
SOUTHLAND COACH Dale MacLeod is promising a hard-fought match against a visiting Fijian side in the Southern Field Days rugby fixture. While the field days has twice previously hosted the annual preseason Farmlands Cup match between the Highlanders and Crusaders Super Rugby teams, this year the Farmlands Cup was played in Wanaka in midJanuary with the Super season is already underway. Instead, a Southland invitation side will play the Nadroga Stallions in the match, which is set to kick off at 6pm on Thursday February 13. The Stallions are billed as Fiji’s premier club team and will be tough competitors. “Every time we play we take it seriously,” says MacLeod, who was named in October as the head coach for the Southland provincial team, the Stags, for at least the next two Mitre 10 provincial seasons. With about 10 of last year’s Stags
players already playing Super rugby or with overseas clubs in Japan and the US, MacLeod is treating the match as a valuable opportunity to test some younger players. MacLeod plans to run two separate fifteens, one in each half of the match. He has yet to finalise the teams, but rattles off the names of prospective players from last year’s Stags, including Josh Moorby, Lewis Ormond, Isaac Te Tamaki, Charles Alaimalo, Matt James, Ben Paulin, Craig Smith, Chris Apoua, Greg Pleasants-Tate and Joe Walsh. About three weeks out from the match, MacLeod was putting the players through speed strength and fitness tests to see who had kept up their fitness over the break and who had “eaten too much Christmas cake.” The match will be the first for MacLeod as Southland’s head coach, after he served as assistant for two years under Dave Hewett. He wouldn’t be surprised if there are some internationals in the Stallions and is expecting to be up against a “very professional” team.
The match takes place on the so-called Fred Booth Park – a paddock on a farm across the road from the main Field Days site, named after the farm’s owner. First used for the Farmlands Cup clash in 2016, the paddock was chosen for its large flat area with its natural bank on one long side, perfect for spectators. Simon Vallely, the field days organising committee rugby co-ordinator, said the ground was looking “supreme.” “When it’s all set up you wouldn’t think it’s a paddock.” With a capacity of 8000, the last match was a sell-out. Tickets can be purchased from iticket.co.nz or from the Southern Field Days office, at $15 per adult, with one accompanied child under 16 free, and $5 per additional child. Southland Stag rugby player Ben Paulin is just one of many local players who is expected to turn out against the Nadroga Stallions on Thursday Feb 13 at Fred Booth Park.
RURAL NEWS // JANUARY 28, 2020
SOUTHERN FIELD DAYS 17
Versatile handpiece winning converts everywhere MARK DANIEL markd@ruralnews.co.nz
HANDYPIECE IS a fully portable shearing handpiece being used by thousands of farmers and ag workers all around NZ and the globe. While the main use is sheep shearing, it is also finding favour for crutching, dagging, cow tail trimming and cattle branding – alongside alpaca and goat shearing, TB testing of deer, grass sampling and plant trimming. The Handypiece Pro has variable speed ranging from 2400 – 3500rpm. Dagging, crutching and trimming cows’ tails operate well at a mid-speed of 2700 rpm. However, anyone wanting to get a nice cut while shearing can wind it all the way up to 3500rpm. The brushless motor means the battery lasts even longer and it is possible to crutch up to 300-400 sheep from one battery charge. Following its success in NZ and Australia, the company used 2019 to
travel to Europe, ticking off the Royal Highland Show in Scotland – where it won over a several converts with its ease of use. During the 2020
regional field days season, running in February and March, the Handypiece kit will come with 12 amp/hr and 6 amp/hr batteries, battery charger, a belt, holster and pouch
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Following its success in NZ and Australia, the Handypiece is now finding favour in Europe where it has won over several converts with its ease of use.
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RURAL NEWS // JANUARY 28, 2020
18 SOUTHERN FIELD DAYS
Winning at nitrate reductions A COLLABORATIVE, six-year programme researching how to reduce nitrate leaching on farm has seen it pick up an award. The DairyNZ-led programme recently received the Significant Achievement Award from the Canterbury Section of the New Zealand Institute of Agricultural and Horticultural Science. The award is sponsored by PGG Wrightson Seeds. DairyNZ senior scientist Dr Ina Pinxterhuis says over 100 people and 10 commercial farms have been involved in the science, development and farm application of the Forages for Reduced Nitrate Leaching (FRNL) programme. This identifies pasture and crop options farmers
can use to reduce nitrate leaching. “We’re all extremely pleased to receive this award, and we are even more delighted to see that many farmers have been following the programme and have already adopted some of the lower nitrogen pastures, crops and practices into their farm systems to improve their environmental
management.” The programme drew on a cross-organisation team from DairyNZ, the Foundation for Arable Research, Lincoln University, AgResearch, Plant and Food Research, and Manaaki Whenua -Landcare Research. Eight PhD and post-doctoral students have been part of the programme along with several Honours and Masters students.
BACKGROUND FRNL IS a DairyNZ-led collaborative research programme across the primary sector delivering science for better farming and environmental outcomes. The main funder was the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, with co-funding from research partners DairyNZ (from its farmer levy), AgResearch, Plant & Food Research, Lincoln University, Foundation for Arable Research and Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research. FRNL scientists are now working with Overseer so it can model the practices used as part of the programme.
“We started in 2013 when farmers and the community were looking for better tools and farming practices that could help reduce nitrates in their systems and ultimately reduce any impacts on freshwater and groundwater,” says Pinxterhuis. As part of the programme, farmers trialled a range of options to reduce their nitrogen leaching by 20%. Most of the farms – nine of which were based in Canterbury – achieved their targets, with some farms also managing to achieve even greater reductions in nitrogen losses. “The options the farms used included planting low-protein feed crops such as fodder beet, and pasture species like plantain and Italian ryegrass which result in
FARM MACHINERY STRENGTH / QUALITY / PERFORMANCE
Tony Coltman and Dana Carver were part of the FRNL project and have achieved a significant reduction in their nitrogen losses on farm through adopting new practices.
less or diluted nitrogen excretion by animals and more nitrogen uptake from the soil. The farms also planted catch crops like oats after a main crop to use up residual soil nitrogen through plant growth and reduce nitrogen leaching,” adds Pinxterhuis. The participating farmers also noted benefits from the joint learning in the programme. Dairy farmers Tony Coltman and Dana Carver made several changes – including introducing fodder beet, reducing fertiliser use and using plantain on their
Dunsandel farm. They were able to reduce the farm’s nitrogen losses by 36% over the life of the project, while cow numbers increased by 5%. Coltman says that he joined the project because he wanted to help finding a solution to reduce nitrogen losses. He says the results are, “giving us the confidence to start cutting back on nitrogen and changing the way we do things.” Mayfield dairy farmers Grant and Jan Early were also part of the project. “We now understand the surpluses that come from nitrogen fertiliser and nitrogen in
SOUThErN FIELD DAYS
supplements, and how we can change those to make a difference,” Grant Early says. The results were shared with farmers, and options trialled through FRNL are now being applied by farmers in Selwyn and Hinds (Canterbury), Tararua (Manawatū-Whanganui) and Aparima (Southland) – where DairyNZ is leading projects to support farmers to reduce their nitrogen losses. “Many farmers are keen to adopt new ideas which lead to better environmental outcomes and there’s been a lot of farmer interest in FRNL across New Zealand,” Pinxterhuis explains. “With the use of crops such as fodder beet and plantain already becoming more widespread, FRNL has provided guidance and confidence to farmers on how to use the crops and the benefits they provide. We expect that more farmers will adopt the practices trialled in this programme in the future.”
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RURAL NEWS // JANUARY 28, 2020
SOUTHERN FIELD DAYS 19
Gear Hub oils wheels for farm-to farm machinery hire STAFF REPORTER
A WEBSITE and appbased platform is helping farmers to hire unused farm equipment to their peers. Gear Hub is an online machinery rental platform for farmers and small businesses who have tractors, machinery and attachments. Farmers can list and hire gear on the Gear Hub website and the platform charges a 10% service fee on transactions. Manawatu couple Scott Cameron and Alex Tully hit on the idea when they needed gear to scrape land around their house. They looked at hiring gear, but it was a pain getting to a shop between opening hours. Working in the dairy industry, Cameron was also aware of farmers’ concerns about the rising cost of
Gear Hub founders Scott Cameron and Alex Tully (supplied).
day-to-day business. Gear Hub is initially targeting dairy, sheep and beef farmers in Manawatu and Central Hawke’s Bay. Two months after launching, the business has 80 listings, ranging from a silage baler wrapper and tractor, to a mower, chain harrow and palm kernel bin.
Cameron said the site was meant for farmers who had gear, like a plough, that they used only occasionally. “They use it three days a year, it costs a fortune and it’s depreciating anyway,” he says. “We’re trying to say, ‘how can you create an income stream for that piece
of machinery without putting yourself at a lot of risk?’” Cameron found farmers were often reluctant to lend gear privately to other farmers because of the risk of damage. Gear Hub includes a vehicle register and requires photos of the machine. The
See us Site
164
contracted parties have to agree on the condition of the machinery, before and after the hire. “That’s the biggest barrier we’re trying to break down,” he adds. “We’re saying ‘there’s a formal contract in place. You’re paying to use this. If anything happens, we’re there to support you with those issues if they turn up’.” The business hadn’t been asked to mediate any disputes yet and most people asked for help getting started on the website. “A lot of people want us to come out… understand how it’s going to work,” Cameron
explains. “So, we use that time to take the photos, talk about how it works, make the listings for the farmer and show them how it works.” Gear Hub takes hire payments through online banking so that farmers can transact through business accounts. Once the rental period is over, a farmer is paid for the hire on the 20th of the following month. “The reason for that is they have the security that, if say, you hire a tractor for a week and you turn up and it’s not there, or the seats are damaged and it’s not safe, you can pull out at any time and you get a full
Rural News
refund,” Cameron says. “The last thing that we want is farmers feeling like they have to use a machine that they’re not comfortable with or isn’t safe.” Gear Hub is a new business interest for Cameron alongside his fulltime business development role with Fonterra. Tully, a dietician, built the Gear Hub website and works for the business threedays-a-week. Cameron said they didn’t compete against contractors, who usually dealt in large, specialised equipment. @rural_news facebook.com/ruralnews
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RURAL NEWS // JANUARY 28, 2020
20 SOUTHERN FIELD DAYS
Nelson’s prospects rise on new dam’s development TIM FULTON
HORTICULTURE IS only set to grow in Nelson as the clock ticks down on a long-awaited dam in Lee Valley. The Waimea Community Dam, due to be commissioned in February 2022, will release stored water from the headwaters of Lee River to the Waimea Plains. It’s set to be a boon for pipfruit, which already generates high returns from a scarce supply of flat land in the region. Waimea Irrigators Ltd
$
25K
Only half of the amount of water stored in the scheme will go to irrigation. The balance would go toward urban supply and environmental projects. (WIL) chairman, Murray King, is one of just two dairy farmers in the planned irrigation zone. Together the farmers run less than 800 cows and King said livestock’s shrinking footprint on the plains was a natural migration of land use. “Pastoral won’t foot it; you just won’t be able to
sustain it,” he told Hort News. “There used to be significantly more livestock in the area and all that’s happened is that as land has become more valuable, people have moved into higher and better uses.” King said the scheme was looking at ways to possibly expand irriga-
tion outside the existing “zone of benefit” but there was not a huge amount of vacant land available. Water shares were currently valued at about $6300 each – up $1300 on the original value of $5500. That’s an increase of about 15% on original values and water users will also have to pay annual charges of just over $600/ha per year. The Superannuation Fund recently bought 111 shares from one of Nelson’s largest pipfruit businesses, Easton Apples. “The important thing
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to remember here is that (Super Fund) bought an orchard with access to reliable water, that’s what it comes down to,” King said. Easton Apples was part of a group of 14 agricultural businesses, Century Water Ltd, which 18 months ago committed $11.5m to keep WIL afloat, just when it seemed the proposed dam would be sunk by cost increases and a lack of support from Tasman District Council. King predicted Super Fund investment would attract more interest in horticulture in the region, even if there was little land left for development. “They do a significant amount of due diligence and they’re very thorough in their decisions – and at the end of the day they’re
protecting other people’s money so they won’t be making rash investments.” Only half of the amount of water stored in the scheme will go to irrigation. The balance would go toward urban supply and environmental projects “for the benefit of the river and ecosystem.” The scheme was designed to maintain minimum flows in the river, in much the same way that Opuha Dam did in South Canterbury. About 30% of the stored water was for the benefit of the environment and for recreation, King said. The scheme’s two major partners, Waimea Irrigators Ltd and Tasman District Council, will oversee the running of the dam company, Waimea Water.
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RURAL NEWS // JANUARY 28, 2020
SOUTHERN FIELD DAYS 21
Success for young hort grower IT WAS only 10 years ago that an 18-year-old Invercargill man headed to Lincoln University to study viticulture and oenology. Within the past decade, Simon Gourley has become a force within the wine industry and, after taking on peers from the wider horticultural community, is now New Zealand’s Young Horticulturist of the Year. Gourley, who works for Domaine Thomson Wines (Central Otago), decided on a career in viticulture at age 15. With a bent towards science, he was determined to work outdoors and preferably in Central Otago. Having spent many school holidays with his grandparents on their farm in that area, he
could think of nowhere better to work. “I knew I wanted to come back to Central. I didn’t want to grow stonefruit, so viticulture was a good mix of outdoor practical plus getting to do some real science-based work,” he told Hort News. Gourley’s first job out of university was with Two Paddocks, initially as a summer practical placement. That evolved into five years with the company before the travel bug took over. After vintages in Australia he returned to Central, but this time Gourley chose to undertake vintages with Central Otago Wine Company (COWCO). It was a chance for him to better understand the synergy between growing the grapes and making the wine.
See uS on Site A194 At the Southern Field dAyS
“I always thought that a viticulturist needs to know both sides of the industry, and there’s always a real gap between viticulture and winemaking which I wanted to fill.” Early in 2018, Gourley began working for Domaine Thomson, which gave him the chance to work in an organically run property and broaden his knowledge of the organic and biodynamic regimes. Taking part in the Young Horticulturist contest has put another string to Gourley’s bow, with many hours of research prior to the competition. Up against competitors from Landscaping NZ, NZ Flower Growers, NZ Horticulture, NZ Plant Producers and NZ Amenity Horticulture, he not only had to learn
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about their sectors, but also had to develop an innovative product that would benefit his own industry. The end result was the design of a budrubbing tool that would take away the literally backbreaking aspect of removing the buds and shoots from the vine’s trunk. “It’s a hand-held tool that enables you to stay upright and avoids you getting cuts and scrapes over your knuckles and forearms. It’s to increase productivity and to eliminate some of the health and safety issues.” While unable to get a
Central Otago’s Simon Gourley is New Zealand’s Young Horticulturist of the Year.
prototype created prior to the competition, Gourley says he will be following through in the next 12 months. As for the competition itself, he says one of the greatest aspects was learning how other horticultural sectors operate. “Learning more about
what they do on a day to day basis and what their industry entails was a good experience. Everyone had good strengths and weaknesses across all the tasks we did. It was strong competition and I was happy to win.” In the 15 years the Young Horticulturist of
the Year competition has been running, a viticulturist has won the title eight times. And it’s back-to-back wins for Central Otago viticulturists. Last year, New Zealand’s Young Viticulturist Annabel Bulk, from Felton Road, won the Young Horticulturist title.
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RURAL NEWS // JANUARY 28, 2020
22 SOUTHERN FIELD DAYS Like all great ideas the Water Flow Indicator is simple but effective.
CALLING ALL PROSPECTIVE BOAT OWNERS
Come to Site 213 and view our great range of boats that will be on display:
FI GLASS HAINES HUNTER EXTREME ALLOY HARD TOP MARCO ALLOY HARD TOP Together with our newest range of Yamaha Wave Runners All boats will be rigged with Yamaha Outboards, ready to go So don’t be shy, come and see the gang at SITE 213 to grab yourself a field day special. There is sure to be something on display to meet your boating needs.
Inquiries are also now being taken for the Field Day specials
Finding pesky water leaks made easier MARK DANIEL markd@ruralnews.co.nz
TR ROTOWIPER
Trailing model towed by a 4 wheel bike
FARMERS FRUSTRATED by water leaks might want to stop off at the Gallagher site at Waimumu, where the Water Flow Indicator is sure to save them a bucketful of time and many litres of water. In partnership with farmer inventor Murray Jones, Gallagher has developed a Water Flow Indicator to help farmers save time by finding leaks faster. “Like many farmers, I was sick of wasting time going around my farm looking for water leaks,” says Jones. “My wife encouraged me to stop talking about my idea and to make it happen.”
That process took nearly seven years and numerous prototypes, before Jones was ready to take it to the next step – that started with a discussion with the Gallagher Group. Installed at important junctions in water lines, the Water Flow Indicator enables farmers to find leaks easily by visually checking for abnormal water flow, indicated by the integral impellor that makes it easy to see water direction and speed. If the impellor isn’t spinning it means lines are full and there isn’t a leak. Like all great ideas – it’s refreshingly simple. Darrell Jones, Gallagher animal management’s general manager for New Zealand, South America and
Asia, says the gadget is a tangible way to demonstrate efficient water use, which will help farmers meet their obligations around environmental and water regulations imposed by local councils. “With water being such a valuable resource, the spotlight is on farmers to prove smart water usage,” he adds – highlighting a 2017 Dairy NZ study that found an estimated 26% of stock drinking water is lost as leakage. “This obviously wastes a precious resource, but can also damage pasture by flooding, while also incurring higher electricity costs with unnecessary pumping.” Visit the Gallagher site in the Farmlands Marquee
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RURAL NEWS // JANUARY 28, 2020
SOUTHERN FIELD DAYS 23
Best of Europe on display CLAAS HARVEST Centres looks set to have an impressive display at this year’s Southern Field Days. Headlining the network’s display will be the all-new CLAAS JAGUAR 960 forage harvester, powered by a Stage V, 653 hp MercedesBenz 473 engine. “All models are available with the new CEBIS Touch control system, allowing faster and intuitive access to all machine functions,” says CLAAS Harvest Centre Product Manager – CLAAS, Luke Wheeler. In operation, up to seven commonly
used settings can be programmed as favourites and accessed on the CMOTION control lever, or operators can use the CEBIS rotary/push switch or armrest switches. Further improvements include the addition of the CEMOS AUTO PERFORMANCE system, that regulates engine power and driving speed according to harvesting conditions. “As load increases, engine power is increased and forward speed is reduced,” Wheeler says. “Conversely, engine power is reduced automatically if the load decreases, helping to
avoid abrupt load changes and maintain a constant engine speed.” At the heart of the machine, all 900 series models feature an intelligently controlled, hydraulically actuated, precompression channel to ensure consistently chopped material, even under difficult conditions. Carrying on the harvest theme, the CLAAS DISCO MOVE 3600 and 3200 mowers feature a highly manoeuvrable headstock that allows the mower to move independently from the tractor front linkage. Offering 600mm upward and 400mm downward
THAT’S A LOT OF TRACTORS! ALSO, ON display, will be a special edition CLAAS ARION 660 (205 hp) that marks the production of 150,000 tractors, since Claas acquired the Renault brand in 2003. Sporting a metallic paint finish and commemorative ‘150,000’ decals, the limited edition, 205hp model boasts CMATIC continuously variable transmission, front axle suspension, four-point cab suspension, CEBIS operating system, TELEMATICS. It also has a long list of in-cab features – including leather trim, mobile phone mount, tinted rear window and LED lighting. In the same vein, JCB has released special editions of its Fastrac 4220 and 8330 tractors to celebrate its establishment of a new world record for the fastest tractor. In June 2019, JCB’s Fastrac One set a Guinness World Record for the fastest tractor with an average speed of 166.7 km/ hr. By October, JCB engineers in Staffordshire, had developed Fastrac Two – weighing in at 10% lighter than its prede-
travel is said to make them ideal for uneven ground. The machines can also pivot up to 30 degrees laterally, further improving its ability to follow contours or swing backwards to avoid obstacles. The headstock includes features found on existing DISCO models, including ACTIVE FLOAT integrated hydraulic suspension and the low pivot point from the PROFIL range. ACTIVE FLOAT eliminates the need for suspension springs coupled points
to the tractor, while suspension pressure can be adjusted during operation using a singleacting hydraulic service. From a practical point of view, the headstock can be coupled directly to the tractor front linkage or using an A-frame. An adjustment guide allows the front link arms to be set at the correct height from the tractor cab. Once set, the linkage remains fixed with the mower raised and lowered via integrated hydraulics. DISCO MOVE 3600
The all-new CLAAS JAGUAR 960 forage harvester will be on show at Waimumu.
and 3200 units have an operating width of 3.4 and 3 m, respectively, and configurations offering
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cessor – to hit a remarkable average speed of 217.7km/h. JCB has released two special editions of its Fastrac 4220 and 8330 tractors. With just 25 examples of each model are being produced, Claas Harvest Centres reports that it has secured two of the machines for the local market. Visit Site 278
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RURAL NEWS // JANUARY 28, 2020
24 SOUTHERN FIELD DAYS
Industry-first warranty on mulchers! MARK DANIEL markd@ruralnews.co.nz
AGRILINE IS a specialist farm machinery company with branches in the North and South islands. The company imports a large range of land development/maintenance and cultivation gear and sells direct to the end user. Taking a close look at machines from many brands, the company realised that mulchers used in New Zealand get a very hard life, with problems in five key areas. Besides breaking drive belts and blowing gearboxes – other areas include cracking of the frame and mulching body, roller bearing failures and rotors getting bent, losing lugs and going out of balance. Working with their European supplier Vigolo, the company has addressed these areas to co-develop a series of high-body mulchers to deal
Agriline’s Mike Hamlin reckons the Vigolo mulchers are the strongest, most reliable and productive he’s ever seen.
with NZ’s unique conditions. Offered with horsepower ratings up to 300hp and featuring and an impressive build quality, these versatile machines can chew through timber up to 180mm
diameter – so it takes grass, thistles, rushes, broom, matagouri and crop residues in their stride. Addressing the NZ conditions, dependent on model, Vigolo uses rotors
of up to 273mm, creating a flywheel effect and increased momentum. The higher capacity machines use up to 12 drivebelts and all units are fitted with wide skids to prevent scalping.
Southern Field Days SITE #127
Cnr Robinson & McNally Sts, Ashburton • Ph 03 307 9049 • Email admin@rainer.co.nz • www.rainer.co.nz
Agriline is so convinced of the Vigolo’s ability to deal with the toughest conditions, it has created an industry first with its 2-3-4 warranty. Offered on the TDF, TDFDT, TST and TSTDT ranges, the frame, gearbox and drive belts are covered for two years. Meanwhile, the roller bearings have three years of cover and the heart of the machine, the rotor, is backed up with four years peace of mind. Without doubt a bold move, founder and director of Agriline, Mike Hamlin says in all his years of selling mulchers, Vigolo is the strongest, most reliable and productive mulcher he’s ever seen. “We are pleased to put in place a 2-3-4 warranty that gives peace of mind to farmers and contractors and confirms their investment is in the best.” Visit site number 462