Rural News 21 May 2013

exports NZ is out to produce the perfect hamburger patty for the US market. page 10

money saver A new auto drafter has turned a week-long job into a one day effort. page 40

Rural NEWS to all farmers, for all farmers

may 21, 2013: Issue 538

management Tarawera Station is a finalist in this year’s Ahuwhenua Trophy for Maori Excellence in farming.

pages 32-33

www.ruralnews.co.nz

Sri Lanka bowls a googly

One final Crafar bid peter bu rke

sud es h k i ssu n sudeshk@ruralnews.co.nz

FONTERRA IS playing down media reports that its milk powders could be banned in Sri Lanka.

The co-op’s director of cooperative affairs, Todd Muller, says it hasn’t been told by the Sri Lankan Government of any impending ban.

Muller says MPI is working with the Sri Lankan Government to clarify Sri Lanka’s position on toxic agricultural substance dicyandiamide (DCD).

Earlier this month Sri Lankan Agriculture Minister Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena, speaking in Parliament urged consumers to shun imported powdered milk.

In January MPI confirmed low levels of DCD were found in New Zealand milk. Fertiliser companies Ravensdown and Ballance immediately suspended sales of DCD. MPI carried out 2000 DCD tests and found 371 batches of milk powder containing minute levels of the substance. The last dairy product manufactured directly from milk to have DCD detected was made November 12 last year.

Fonterra says MPI has briefed regulators around the world and they have agreed there is no food safety issue with its dairy products. No other country is thinking about banning New Zealand milk powder.

peterb@ruralnews.co.nz

A LARGE central North Island Maori trust is making yet another bid to buy two dairy farms now owned by the Chinese company Shanghai Pengxin, previously part of the Crafar business. The farms are near Bennydale.

Te Hape B Trust chairman Hardie Pene told Rural News that a new bid for the two farms could be lodged in the next week or so. The trust has made several unsuccessful attempts to buy the farms over the years and was part of the Sir Michael Fay-led consortium, which also failed to acquire the farms.

Price had been the sticking point, the Chinese asking much more than the Te Hape Trust believed the properties were worth.

Pene says they were invited about a month ago by the Chinese to make a formal offer and since then have done due diligence on the properties. The offer will be lodged with Shanghai Pengxin’s solicitors.

“I am hopeful the invitation is not a Clayton’s invitation and I hope they are acting in good faith; if they are and the price is right we will buy.

“We have been out on the property twice, we have had valuations done, we’ve been to the bank and we’ve had our accountants assist us with a risk management profile. We have also had our farming advisors look at the production side of the farms – milk solids, capability and capacity.”

Pene says despite the farms having

been in private ownership for many years they have been a strategic target for his people because their ancestor Rereahu had a pa site on the property.

The lands were originally owned by his people, but lost to them during the 1800s by land acquisition.

If they do strike a deal with Shanghai Pengxin, they will also have to negotiate with Landcorp who take over as the ‘share milker’ at the start of the new season.

Te Hape B Trust runs a large, suc-

cessful sheep and beef farm – Te Hape Station – near the dairy farms they are trying to buy.

An interesting twist to this situation is that one of Te Hape’s near neighbours – another Maori trust, Wairarapa Moana – is an owner and supplier to the new Maori dairy factory, Miraka, near Taupo.

Miraka recently signed a joint venture deal with Shanghai Pengxin to process milk from four of their farms in the area and turn it into UHT milk for the Chinese market.

dunedin bound Breed winners in the National Ewe Hogget competition were announced last week, with Georgie Cameron, Waitaki Valley, taking the Romney title.

“It was a bit of a shock – I’ve never really entered anything like this before,” Cameron told Rural News. Full story p27

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Rural News // may 21, 2013

news 3 issue 538 MPI visit unlikely to

www.ruralnews.co.nz

resolve PKE threat – Feds A NDREW SWA LLOW andrews@ruralnews.co.nz

News ���������������������������� 1-18 Markets ������������������ 20-21 Opinion ��������������������� 22-25 Hound, Edna ����������������� 22 Contacts ����������������������� 22 Agribusiness ��������� 26-28 Management ��������� 29-34 Animal Health ������ 35-39 Machinery and Products ���������������� 40-45 Rural Trader �������� 46-47 Head Office Top Floor, 29 Northcroft Street, Takapuna, Auckland 0622 Phone: 09-307 0399 Fax: 09-307 0122 Postal Address PO Box 3855, Shortland Street, Auckland 1140 Published by: Rural News Group

FEDERATED FARMERS representatives who have seen first-hand the potential for contaminated PKE to reach New Zealand fear an official Ministry for Primary Industry visit to Malaysia this week won’t resolve the threat.

Grains executive members Colin McKinnon and David Clark travelled to Malaysia last September for an official Palm Industry Board briefing; they also made an unofficial, unannounced visit to another plant, chosen at random.

They saw PKE in silos open to birds and other animals, and contamination was probable. Product would probably not have met New Zealand’s Import Health Standard, but the mill owner believed it was suitable for export to New Zealand and was willing to sell it to them.

Clark and McKinnon detailed their concerns in a report to MPI in November (Rural News, December 4 and February 19). Late last month, the ministry issued a statement saying it took Feds’ report very seriously.

“There are stringent safeguards in place that ensure PKE is safe for use, and MPI is requiring full assurance that these safeguards have not been breached,” MPI director plants, food and environment, Peter Thomson, said.

MPI has reviewed all documentation for PKE shipments from Malaysia since 2011, met Malaysian officials to ensure full understanding of New Zealand’s

concerns, and arranged this week’s visit.

Last week nobody from MPI was available for interview about Federated Farmers’ concerns but in a written response to Rural News’ questions Thomson said two MPI officials would be in Malaysia May 20-27, then Indonesia to June 1.

No independent third party, such as a Federated Farmers representative, journalist, or representative of any other non-governmental organisation would accompany the officials as MPI claims this would not be appropriate.

“The visit is to ensure the government-to-government assurances provided by the exporting countries are underpinned by appropriately robust systems….

“New Zealand would not accept industry or media participating in importing country audits of our export systems.”

Asked what measures would be taken to ensure a true picture of the import pathways is gained, Thomson said MPI had determined and informed the Malaysian government officials where the officials want to visit. “This is standard practice for visits of this kind.”

He did not answer whether MPI’s officials would take a tour independent of their Malaysian counterparts and visit some PKE plants at random.

As for how New Zealand farmers could be confident they’re not importing a biosecurity risk onto their farms with palm kernel, Thomson said MPI would review all steps in the supply

PA M TIPA pamelat@ruralnews.co.nz

David Clark

chain process from the manufacturing plant to loading at the port “to ensure there is sufficient confidence in the security of the supply chain, and there is no possibility for product to enter the supply chain and be consolidated with product intended for export to New Zealand.”

MPI later confirmed officials would physically inspect all steps in the supply chain at a number of facilities. It also said the findings of its visit, and which mills were visited, would be made public in an audit report.

Clark says he hopes MPI’s officials “get the full look and an honest appraisal of the supply chain” but recognises they will not be able to make an unofficial visit as he and McKinnon did.

The kiwifruit industry is paying the price with PSA for relying on MAF’s assessment of risk from pollen imports, he points out.

Printed by: PMP 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 80,767 as at 31.12.2012

New twist in PKE polemic WHAT DO you think of New Zealand’s pest management?

The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) wants feedback on proposed national pest management plan and programme policy.

The feedback will be used to produce a “national policy direction” that will ensure

pest management plans and programmes across New Zealand are clear and consistent, and provide best value, says John Sanson, MPI national coordination manager, preparedness and partnerships.

Feedback is also sought on a new process by which the Minister for Primary Industries may assign pest management

A win for pork producers?

responsibilities.

“The process will be used when indecision or excessive debate is holding up taking action on important pest management decisions,” says Sanson.

Discussion documents at http://mpi. govt.nz – click on consultations. Submission closing date is June 14.

THE NEW Zealand Pork Industry Board has had a minor win in the Supreme Court in its legal battles over pork imports.

The Supreme Court, in a decision released late last week, granted leave for the board to appeal a Court of Appeal decision earlier this year.

In March, the Court of Appeal dismissed the pork board’s case regarding the Ministry for Primary Industry’s (MPI) proposed new import health standard (IHS). The Pork Board appealed against the introduction of a new IHS relaxing the border standards for importing pig meat from countries with porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS). The appeal was focused on the process that MPI followed in coming to its decision on the IHS. At that time NZPork chairman Ian Carter said the pig industry was disappointed with the Court of Appeal’s decision and primarily wanted confidence that MPI was accurately assessing and managing the biosecurity risks presented by importing raw pig meat from PRRS affected countries.

Now the Supreme Court has granted the board the right to appeal on the grounds of establishing whether the Court of Appeal’s interpretation of sections of the Biosecurity Act relating to IHS were correct, and whether the director-general correctly applied those. @rural_news facebook.com/ruralnews

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Rural News // May 21, 2013

4 news

Coroner questions quad safety p e te r bu r k e peterb@ruralnews.co.nz

FARMERS ARE pushing quads beyond their capabilities, according to coroner Brandt Shortland.

In the process of reviewing quad safety, he has so far discovered that poor maintenance and the carrying of gear such as sprayers are contributing to crashes.

“The quad has very low tolerance of change in stability; anything that alters that stability can really compromise safety,” Shortland told Rural News. “Evidence at the some of the coronial hearings shows that the judgment of

the rider has compromised their safety and the inherent limitations of the quad is a recipe for potential death.”

Complacency is another factor, Shortland says.

He has a farming background and says his children think they can jump on a quad and ride it. But such a machine must be ‘actively ridden’ – a rider’s body weight has to be moved around to ensure the machine’s stability.

Shortland’s investigations so far show quad crashes are not specific to one type of farm or terrain. Neither is speed a factor: crashes happen at high and low

speeds.

But stress-related issues do come into the mix. “People

being tired, the pressure to finish things at a certain time, seasonal changes, regional council require-

ments for spraying etc, all come through as contributing causes.”

Safety helmets are gaining acceptance, but the use of roll bars is not resolved, Shortland says. Some they will not improve safety, others say they will.

“Interestingly, the twowheeler bike is safer to use depending on the situation. If you fall from it, you will fall away from the bike. Whereas if you fall off a quad and it tips, it follows you and hence the injuries and deaths.”

Meanwhile, Landcorp says it is moving away from quads because of safety concerns.

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offer help to fellow farmers and friends whom they think might be suffering from stress and/or depression.

The current drought has seen many farmers struggling to cope and Rural Support Trusts around the country have been active.

Hunt makes no secret of the fact that he’s suffered from depression, but as a result of this is urging others to be on the lookout for signs of depression in their neighbours and colleagues.

“When you get depressed you’re not in control of the situation.

One of the first things you do is stop making good decisions. You lose your decisionmaking ability,” he told Rural News.

“I can look back and see that quite clearly, but you don’t recognise it at

the time. In my experience most cases of animal welfare problems are due to someone suffering from depression. Most farmers don’t treat their animals badly.”

Hunt says for him it started off with a lack of sleep – about three hours a night. Then he stopped eating properly and his body started to wind down. “Then I’d get panic attacks and these are the most fearsome thing. You get in a panic and your heart is racing at a thousand-miles-an-hour and you don’t even know why you are in a panic, but you are.”

Hunt says outwardly he could put on a reasonably good face to the problem.

When he looks at pictures of himself now, when he was depressed, he hardly recognises himself.

Hunt found help in the

form of counselling and medication and says it’s important that anyone suffering from depression goes to the same individual health professional all the time to get good, consistent treatment. He also had income protection insurance and says this had some unexpected bonuses.

“The biggest benefit is that insurance companies don’t like paying you so they want to get you well.

So the insurance company I used provided all sorts of help; so I got a lot of counselling paid for. Having that insurance opened a whole lot of doors of help that probably wouldn’t have come to me otherwise.”

Hunt says farmers are an independent and individualistic bunch who don’t ask for help easily.

He says they solve prob-

lems every day and it’s not in their nature to ask for help. The big message he wants to get across is that outsiders should not be afraid to intervene and offer help if they think there’s a problem.

“There are some obvious signs. These include seeing that someone’s animals aren’t being attended to at their normal standard or you don’t see them about the farm because they may be hiding in the house,” Hunt explains.

“Their physical appearance may change because they are not eating and sleeping. Don’t be afraid to ask someone if they need a hand. You might feel that you are interfering, but it’s better to try and offer help than offer no help.

“If someone picks up a gun; it’s a bit late to oh dear I did notice something,” he says.

High rural suicides p et er bur k e peter b@ruralnews.co.nz

THE HIGH number of suicides in rural areas is a worldwide problem, says a researcher for the chief coroner’s office.

Speaking at a Farmsafe seminar in Wellington recently, a lawyer, Lily Nunweek, said the high suicide rate among New Zealand farmers is no different from other parts of the world. New Zealand rural suicides are 15.9 per 100,000 people compared with 10.8 in urban areas. At least 90% of rural suicides in New Zealand are male.

“There have been a lot of studies done globally and it isn’t just a problem for New Zealand,” Nunweek says.

“In the UK, farmers have the highest rate of suicide of any other occupation. There is also a very high rural suicide rate in Sweden, India, US and Australia.

Nunweek says the research, based on coronial records in New Zealand, shows factors unique to rural areas. “Farmers get stressed by financial issues. They are highly susceptible to commodity price fluctuations in the market and natural disasters such as droughts are clearly a problem.”

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Rural News // may 21, 2013

news 5

Mackenzie agreement appears to appease all A NDREW SWA L LOW andrews@ruralnews.co.nz

THE FACTIONS once warring over the South Island’s Mackenzie Basin appear to have agreed to a collaborative process of landscape management.

Announced earlier this month, the Mackenzie Agreement lists 21 signatory bodies including irrigation companies, Dairy NZ, Fish & Game and Forest and Bird.

The 30-page document, the result of two years negotiation, concludes with four recommendations, essentially pleas to the Environment Minister and district and regional councils of the area to rec-

ognise the report and act on its content.

Conservation Minister Nick Smith and Environment Minister Amy Adams welcomed the report for its proposed pathway to manage the contentious objectives of land intensification, biodiversity, and water and landscape values.

“It is far more constructive to have diverse interest groups working together on a shared vision for an area than having years of protest, court proceedings and community tensions,” they said. MOE and DoC “will now take time to consider the report and its recommendations.”

Federated Farmers’

vice president, William Rolleston, says the agreement is “a tribute to all those who sat down to understand each other’s point of view….

“Recognition that conservation on effectively private land delivers a public good is most welcome. Not only that, but development can go handin-hand with environmental aims….

“It is estimated irrigation will add $6 million each year to the Govern-

ment’s tax-take through increased economic activity. Meanwhile, varying levels of environmental management on some 100,000ha is estimated to cost $3.7 million.”

Rolleston noted the agreement provides for 32,600ha of irrigation, comparing that to the 744,000ha of the Mackenzie District, though much of the district lies outside the basin.

The report says there’s 269,000ha of flat and roll-

ing country in the basin, the southern end in Waitaki District.

The Envionmental Defence Society (EDS) and Forest and Bird also welcomed the agreement, with both claiming credit for instigating the process that lead to it.

“The Mackenzie Sustainable Futures Trust behind the agreement was set up after Forest and Bird and the Environmental Defence Society called for a better way to manage

Forest & Bird chose an aerial view of irrigation alongside SH8 between Twizel and Omarama to illustrate its take on the Mackenzie Agreement. photo: Peter scott

the Mackenzie Basin,” said Forest and Bird, in its statement which sported an aerial image of one of the most intensively irrigated areas of the basin.

EDS chairman Gary Taylor chimed in saying: “This process had its genesis at an EDS workshop we held in Twizel in

November 2010.”

Taylor says “the ball is now in the government’s court to introduce the recommended legislation to create the Mackenzie Country Trust, and make a contribution to funding its work.” @rural_news facebook.com/ruralnews

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Last week’s GlobalDairyTrade auction trade weighted index fell 2.1% with the benchmark whole milk powder prices down 1.7%.

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Westpac economist Nathan Penny says the falls over the last two auctions are in line with expectations.

“Prices for the new season’s product (contracts for delivery in four to six months time) now account for the majority of products on offer. Accordingly, as the new season’s product continues to replace this season’s droughthit offerings, prices should drop further.

“While world prices are evolving in line with our expectations, production data are coming in at the bottom end of earlier estimates. With less milk than expected being sold at higher prices, the weighted average milk price for the season is lower than earlier estimates.”

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Rural News // May 21, 2013

6 news

Lack of students drives top academic overseas p e te r bu r k e peterb@ruralnews.co.nz

A LACK of post-doctoral students at Massey University is a major reason why a world-class New Zealand geneticist, researcher and lecturer is now working in the United States.

Professor Dorian Garrick, himself a Massey graduate, works at the Iowa State University, where he holds the Jay Lush chair in animal breeding and genetics. He’s also held a professorship at Colorado State University and has lead several programmes in the US to improve the quality of animals by the use of genetics.

Garrick has been in New Zealand for several weeks and was a keynote speaker at the recent BLNZ/Massey Science day. Many of his former students attended.

He told Rural News that during his research and teaching at Massey he enjoyed nurturing students from undergraduate status to becoming qualified professionals working in industry.

“We had had a large graduate team, ers to keep all research secret. Such a and new students and [others] gradu- policy inhibited technology transfer, ating off the top. Then came changes he says.

And there were in government policy other snags, such as the and tuition fees [rose]. time required to apply Changes in policy saw for research grants. A degree courses change researcher could waste from four to three years. months applying for Some saw agriculture as grants and not getting a ‘sunset’ industry and sufficient money back to we no longer got good justify this effort. students who wanted to Dorian Garrick He’s also critical of, do graduate work.” and concerned about, so Garrick says at one stage he was supervising seven PhD few young people looking to make a students at Massey, but as they grad- career in agricultural science.

“We haven’t had the exciting projuated there were no replacements.

“So I went from seven down to ects going on and being communizero, and when I reached zero I had no cated. Agriculture is seen as a sunset honours or masters students either industry and consequently we just and it didn’t look like that was going haven’t had the flow of students coming through that we had in those to change in the near future.”

Also prompting Garrick to head earlier days.”

Garrick believes the problem goes overseas was the prevailing attitude to intellectual property and patents. right back through society: people not He was doing interesting research, appreciating where their food comes but right across the science sector from and that there is exciting science there was a move by funding provid- to do with food production.

Timing good for dairy IPO sudesh k i ssun sudeshk@ruralnews.co.nz

CONDITIONS are ripe for Synlait Milk’s proposed share listing on the NZX, says broker Grant Williamson, Hamilton Hindin Greene.

A buoyant equity market, strong dairy prices and Fonterra’s successful listing of share units have prompted the Canterbury milk powder maker to have another crack at listing the business. Details are not yet available.

Williamson says he’s not surprised by Synlait’s IPO move. “Synlait tried some time ago without a very good result but they have separated the farms and processing side of the business, so it’s a different looking offering,” he told Rural News.

“The buoyant equity market is ideal for IPOs. Fonterra’s recent successful listing and the good shape of the dairy industry are all factors.”

Chinese dairy company Bright Dairy will retain its full investment in Synlait Milk but will lose its majority shareholding. The company emerged with a 51% stake in 2010, paying $82 million, after local investors gave a lukewarm response to a $150 million listing. Capital markets

were then still nervous in the wake of the global financial crisis.

While Bright Dairy holds onto its shares, other shareholders will have the opportunity to sell some or all of their shares into the IPO, with any remaining stake subject to escrow arrangements.

Williamson says new shares offered as part of the IPO will dilute Bright Dairy’s stake, reducing it to below 50%.

“They have indicated they won’t sell shares so that indicates a degree of confidence in the dairy industry.”

Synlait Milk has appointed First NZ Capital and Goldman Sachs as joint lead managers for the proposed listing on the NZX main board, with the offer price to be set in a book-build process.

The company says capital raised will be spent on growth – including building a new packaging plant – and repaying debt.

“The offer will be made to members of the public in New Zealand via NZX broker firms and institutional investors in New Zealand, Australia and certain overseas jurisdictions.”

Synlait Milk processes at least 500 million litres of milk a year. In December it announced a maiden profit for the year to July 31, 2012, of $6.3 million.

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Rural News // may 21, 2013

news 7

Minister aiming high for agribusiness PA M TIPA pamelat@ruralnews.co.nz

DOUBLING NEW Zealand’s primary exports to $60 billion by 2025 is “a challenge” but it is good to have something to aim for, Minister for Primary Industries Nathan Guy says.

The target to double New Zealand primary exports is a stated target of MPI which Guy has reiterated a number of times since taking office. “So how will it be achieved? The Primary Growth Partnerships (PGP) with be a big part of that,” Guy told Rural News.

Over $650 million will be invested in PGPs over seven years, with government meeting 50% and industry putting up the rest. “What we know is if all these returns are realised from the PGP, it is worth about $7 billion. Each $1 investment – 50cents from

each industry and and 50c from government – will return about $11 over about seven years.”

Maori agribusiness potential, which will require some MPI investment, is worth about $8 billion annually according to a report he released recently. For example, in a small project in which soil analysis was done on 240ha of Maori land, “it was coming through clearly that there are opportunities with manuka honey which is very lucrative in China,” Guy says.

Maori agribusiness has an opportunity to use the New Zealand story for marketing, and work is being done on this by New Zealand Trade and Enterprise, Foreign Affairs and MPI. “They are getting very good succinct New Zealand stories that companies can use. A bit of it is indigenous and a bit on bios-

ecurity, safety standards, beautiful landscape and a bit about New Zealand people.” More will become public about the initiative later this year.

“We hope businesses can use that with their products to showcase them internationally – a nice piece of work that links in with opportunities for Maori business.” $8.8 million has been awarded to the Sustainable Farming Fund for a number of projects that will eventually lift productivity as well, Guy says.

“We know if we can lift the average New Zealand farmers into the top quarter then that’s worth about $3 billion in exports a year. A 1% productivity gain by New Zealand farmers is worth about $4 billion in exports a year.

There are huge opportunities….

That links into the Lincoln hub

and why we made that announcement, because we believe we can get much greater synergies from having the 900 best scientists in one place working together… fewer silos, more collaboration.

There’s early indication the private sector is keen to come in there as well.

“So it’s important when you look at the growth of dairying to have a strong campus in the middle of the South Island. Lincoln University historically has done well and we wanted to ensure its future and viability.

“The important thing to lift productivity will be capability and skills and that’s where the Lincoln hub, Massey and the ITOs like Taratahi play an important role in making sure we can attract our youngest and brightest to primary industries.” @rural_news

facebook.com/ruralnews

Nathan Guy wants to see a doubling of NZ’s primary exports to $60b by 2025.

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Rural News // may 21, 2013

news 9

Drought impact on wool still unknown pam ti pa pamelat@ruralnews.co.nz

THE FULL effect of the drought on wool production will not be clear until about October – but the industry is picking a 4-5% drop in volume, says NZ Wool Services International’s Purelana manager Malcolm Ching.

Long term this is positive for sheep farmers who stay in the business. But any big drop in production or spike in prices could turn customers away from New Zealand and from wool.

Ching told Rural News a North Island auction was cancelled last week because of drought effects and, conversely, also heavy rain which disrupted shearing.

“Stock has been shifted to the South Island which is holding up reasonably well. Older ewes have gone to slaughter through lack of feed so there will be slightly less fleece wool or coarse body wool available. And those ewes won’t be there next year to lamb so that will compound next season.

“Most farmers [in the North Island]

have got rid of hoggets – the ones who shifted south or sent to slaughter have only kept replacements – so there could be less hogget wool available next season.”

Ching says questions remain whether there’s been enough moisture with enough heat to catch up on fleece growth and get the stock through winter.

“The picture will be clearer in threefour months. The general opinion is less wool than last year but not massive drops – not 10-20%; there could be a 4-5% shift. That reduction of wool in the market for those farmers still producing in theory should be positive in keeping the price up there.”

New Zealand wool still has an underlying demand there all the time, with spikes and troughs depending on market pipelines and such influences as whether wool is in fashion that year.

The micron gain from drought generally does not leave the farmer better off. The wool gets thinner in drought but you also get a tenderness, clot-

tiness and discolouration so micron gain is often overidden by the damage to the wool. That takes the cream off the value.

“In the long term they are worse off: the animals do it harder, they are then into drought recovery so they have to put more fertilisers on and over-sow….”

Overall drought is not good for our sheep industry. “These animals don’t get replaced by sheep again, they get replaced by animals of other usage… deer, beef, dairy where possible.”

Ching says if overseas clients perceive a drastic drop in New Zealand sheep numbers, impacting on supply and pushing prices up significantly, they will change their product range and move to other, cheaper fibres – either wool from elsewhere or synthetics.

“It comes down to a balance of price between all textiles out there. That is the biggest thing capping a major lift in prices now – we are competing against other textiles. And if we get too dear the manufacturing and consuming pipeline says ‘that’s too dear for us we won’t buy

Purelana Wool manager Malcolm Chin says the industry is picking a 4-5% drop in wool volumes due to the drought.

it anymore we will buy a cheaper product’.”

After the global financial crisis prices crashed, wool got so cheap it oversold and overcooked and doubled in value in one season. Then everybody looked at their product ranges and wool was too dear – prices dropped off. “People (customers) got burnt the year before. This year the prices have plateaued – there’s been steady demand over the whole season with just some lifts and dips rel-

ative to normal factors. So it has been a stable year but the signals from offshore are quite clear: if there was another major spike in wool prices they would move to other textiles at a lower price.

“It is not necessarily what farmers would like to hear. They would like the wool value to go up so farmers stay in wool and sheep farming – but it’s a difficult thing to achieve in the marketplace at present.” He knows they need better returns but it’s a balancing act.

Guy damns Labour u-turn MINISTER FOR Primary Industries Nathan Guy says he is shocked at the Labour Party’s u-turn on backing the Ruataniwha water storage scheme in Hawke’s Bay – despite previously indicating its support.

“The proposed Ruataniwha water storage scheme has the potential to irrigate an extra 25,000ha in Hawke’s Bay. This would be a major boost to exports, jobs and growth in the region.

“In October last year Labour MPs Shane Jones and Damien O’Connor visited the site and said it made a ‘very good case’.

Guy says they have been overruled

by Stuart Nash – a rejected ex-MP – who

says “Labour will not be funding water storage schemes if elected in 2014…”

“This is a slap in the face for farmers and Hawke’s Bay. I would have thought the severe drought this summer has made the need for this type of project even more obvious,” Guy added. “The drought has highlighted that we don’t have a water shortage in New Zealand, but a shortage of storage options. We only capture 2% of the rainfall that falls on New Zealand; the rest runs out to sea.”

Guy claims water storage can have environmental benefits including increased river flows and more water for recreational users in summer and improved habitats for fish and birdlife.

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Rural News // May 21, 2013

10 news

Meat man championing New Zealand beef to the United States and beyond!

PETER BURKE peterb@ruralnews.co.nz

SCOTT CHAMPION, chief executive of Beef + Lamb NZ (BLNZ), says the financial crisis in the US has led to a demand for

New Zealand ground beef.

Speaking at last week’s annual BLNZ and Massey University science day at Feilding, Champion said tough financial times in the US have prompted some people to ‘trade

down’ their eating habits.

Instead of ordering their customary steak at their favourite restaurant, they often opt for ‘mid market’ or fast food in which New Zealand lean beef is used extensively.

“Many people, me included, often think ground beef is a lower value product and – in a dollar value sense – it is, compared with high-end table cuts. However, New Zealand lean ground beef

Scott Champion says NZ lean, Grand beef is sought after to produce the perfect hamburger.

protein because globally increase for the high-end is sought after to produce it’s a product that’s ‘well cuts. the perfect hamburger,” understood’.

“There is a growth for Champion explained.

“Beef might be used western food services in “They take lean beef from New Zealand or Aus- China, especially from the in ground forms, cuts, styles or whatever. But it is larger international hotel tralia and blend it with a pretty well understood – chains. The idea that the fattier American feedlot compared with sheepmeat west is eating more eastbeef to produce the perern food, and vice versa, is where there is a whole fect hamburger patty. So consumer education a reality. we are an essential part process required in of that international new markets about supply chain, because “They take lean beef what you do with not only are we sup- from New Zealand sheep. plying it to the US, or Australia and “Beef, on the other but to Asia as well.” blend it with a fattier hand, is comparaIn overall beef sales to Asia, Cham- American feedlot beef tively well understood. But one pion says it’s a bit of a mixture. For exam- to produce the perfect challenge facing beef is that whatever prople, Taiwan takes a hamburger patty.” duction system we reasonable amount use, it is more expensive “My eating style has of processing beef. Howto produce than the more ever, each market is differ- changed compared to intensive meats such as when I was kid. I eat a lot ent and he notes China is chicken and pork.” more Asian food; at the taking more ground beef He says with the same time as we are seeing as the fast food market expansion of the dairy the presentation of more there develops. industry more beef is now western food in Asia as Champion believes available and it’s a case of well.” with the growth of the maximizing the returns on Champion says beef wealthier, middle class that meat. has a lot going for it as a in China, demand will

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Rural News // may 21, 2013

news 11

Beef firm headhunting top farmers PETER BURKE peterb@ruralnews.co.nz

FIRSTLIGHT FOODS, which markets top-ofthe-range Wagyu beef, is about to start head-hunting some top, innovative farmers to join its supplier ranks.

This follows the signing of a new 50/50 $24 million PGP deal with MPI to expand their business.

Firstlight uses only Angus/ Wagyu heifer and steers (not bulls) and is unique in the world as its animals are grass fed. In other

the beef, and attract more farmers into their programme.

Wagyu beef originates from Japan and is famous for its ‘marbling’ which makes it a highly valuable beef product and attractive to affluent customers.

“We have got some very good farmers involved in the business as shareholders,” Hickey says. “Farmers come on as contractor initially, have a look at the cattle, have a look at the returns and then if they like what they see they become shareholders and

“We have a number of chefs around the world who are telling us that. We want farmers with an emotional attachment to their product, love it and believe in it, want to eat it and want to tell other people about it.” parts of the world, Wagyu are finished in feedlots.

Firstlight Foods managing director Gerard Hickey told Rural News the purpose of the PGP is to grow the business tenfold over the next seven years, improve the quality of its bulls, improve farm production and optimise growth and marbling of

are good match,” Hickey adds.

He says the farmers attracted so far to raising Wagyu beef have often been younger than average. And some are established farmers who want to invest in something different from the normal stock trade.

Firstlight seeks early

Gerard Hickey, Firstlight Foods managing director.

adopters who like to try new things. There’s been interest from corporates, Maori Incorporations and overseas owners. But Hickey notes the base of shareholders is New Zealand family farmers.

“We have found that farmers who work well for us are those looking for a market link, who want to

know where their product is going, who enjoy the fact that it’s the best eating beef in the world.

“We have a number of chefs around the world who are telling us that.

We want farmers with an emotional attachment to their product, love it and believe in it, want to eat it and want to tell other

people about it.”

Hickey says farmers who do become involved have to be prepared to take a longer view because it’s three years from mating to market. He believes the $24 million PGP investment will benefit Firstlight and all New Zealand. @rural_news facebook.com/ruralnews

r e y a l p t c a p m i e h t e d u l c n i o Time t . n a l p e m a g g n i h c n e r d r u in yo

go from there.

“So we are building up shareholders every month.

The intention is to grow, but only with people who are a good match with us and vice versa. It’s a campaign, but it’s more of a shoulder tapping campaign, but obviously we are interested to hear from anyone who thinks they

Feedback sought WHAT DO you think of New Zealand’s pest management?

The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) wants feedback on proposed national pest management plan and programme policy.

The feedback will be used to produce a “national policy direction” that will ensure pest management plans and programmes across New Zealand are clear and consistent, and provide best value, says John Sanson, MPI national coordination manager, preparedness and partnerships.

Feedback is also sought on a new process by which the Minister for Primary Industries may assign pest management responsibilities.

“The process will be used when indecision or excessive debate is holding up taking action on important pest management decisions,” says Sanson.

Discussion documents at http://mpi.govt.nz – click on consultations. Submission closing date is June 14.

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Rural News // May 21, 2013

12 news

One Plan cops more farmer flak pe ter burke

George Murdoch

peterb@ruralnews.co.nz

AT LEAST 300 people turned out in Dannevirke last week to voice their concern at the ‘major economic consequences’ of Horizons Regional Council’s One Plan to the Tararua District.

A group calling itself the Tararua Community Economic Society – dairy farmers, local business people and organisations and companies servicing the rural community – says One Plan has the potential to wipe $60 million off the incomes of

local dairy farmers, cut up to 330 local jobs and reduce the value of dairy farms in the district.

One of the main speakers, Rabobank manager George Murdoch – who’s worked in rural banking for 30 years – told the meeting he’s seen farmers survive a lot of adversity over the years.

“One of the worst times was in the mid 1980s when the government of the day removed a farm support programme (SMPs) and concessionary interest rates on Rural Bank loans,” he says.

However, Murdoch

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believes One Plan has the potential to have the same dramatic effect on farmers as the 1980s reforms. He predicts that if One Plan goes ahead farm incomes will drop, costs will rise and up to 30% of dairy farms in the district may not be viable.

“Productivity on some of these properties is going to decline further as farmers and their families no longer see a prosperous future.

“The next generation of farmers so vital to the industry and its survival are going to do something else or farm somewhere else,” Murdoch told the meeting.

“Farms will sell, but at significantly lower levels.

Rural towns are going to suffer as lower levels of income and employment filter through and capital investment in both agriculture and industry is likely to be reduced.

“Top farmers in our region are likely to leave the area and farm in other areas where the land use restrictions are less. You can say that I am over-dramatising this, but I am not sure that anyone here can get up and say this is not going to happen,” he says.

Murdoch says while HRC has tried to provide a level of comfort about the implementation of One

Plan, by issuing discretionary consents and other assistance, he says there is still one further obstacle.

“The main issue I see is that it’s going to require a high level of trust between both parties and that’s not something I see here today,” he says.

Dannevirke Lawyer Stuart Smith says the thought of dairy farmers having to rely on discretionary resource consents sends shivers down his spine.

“I know the HRC people have tried to convince you that it really won’t be such a problem, but I think the anti-speakers may have a different view of that.

“To live with discretionary consents is going to make it very difficult for you to sell your farm to someone outside this area.

Who wants to come from the Waikato to buy a farm where their production is based on a discretionary consent?” Smith added.

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“One of the worst times was in the mid 1980s when the government of the day removed a farm support programme (SMPs) and concessionary interest rates on Rural Bank loans.”

DAIRYNZ’S DR Rick Pridmore says the Horizons region is the highest stress region he has to deal with – all caused by the One Plan.

“What I am getting is a wives ringing up and worrying about their husbands or husbands ringing up and saying they can’t give the wife the lifestyle they want to.

It’s basic stuff and very sad.”

Pridmore says while he understands the desire for a variation to be made to One Plan, this could take five years and create even more uncertainty. He and DairyNZ staff are having ongoing discussions with Horizons to find a short-term solution that meets everyone’s needs.

He believes some of the proposals put up by Horizons are unpractical and don’t reflect farming practices.

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Rural News // may 21, 2013

news 13 Minister awaits meat industry reform report pam tipa pamelat@ruralnews.co.nz

MINISTER FOR Primary Industries Nathan Guy expects in the next couple of months to get a report from meat industry players on the way forward.

“I have always said meat industry reform needs to be industry and farmer led, not govern-

ment led. But I realise at some stage the Government will need to play a part in this.

“There’s quite a bit of support being gathered from the grassroots which is good. Farmers realise things need to change.

There’s high level discussion happening across the main processing companies, which is good.

“I have always said meat industry reform needs to be industry and farmer led, not government led.”

“Everyone has an idea of what the solution might look like into the future. I am happy to receive any report on the way forward. I imagine I will get something in the

next couple of months that I can share with my colleagues.

“The key company players are sitting around the table which is great and obviously the farmer

group has gathered quite a bit of momentum so I think they are casting their minds into the future shape of the industry.

“So if it was easy it would have happened years ago. This isn’t easy – it took seven years for Fonterra to get formed up from a cooperative base and this is not a 100% cooperative base.”

Farmers’ lives dominated

by One Plan SHARON SHANNON and her husband Bevan are organic dairy farmers near Ekatahuna. They run 370 cows on their 140ha farm.

Shannon says they have lowered stock numbers, done riparian planting and use no nitrogen-based fertiliser. Yet their operation will still require a ‘discretionary resource consent’ to continue farming.

“There’s not a day that goes by when One Plan is not mentioned, mulled over as to what we do and how it will impact on our business, our lives and the lives of our children.”

She says obtaining a discretionary consent will cost more money, but will not bring any more certainty.

“Even though Horizons say they’ll issue a discretionary consent it still means you are at the mercy of Horizons.

If I want to change anything within my farming system, I have to go back to them and ask for permission to make the changes and get a new plan. They haven’t even told me how long my discretionary consent will be for.

“How can you make long terms plans with your business if you don’t know what the implications will be from the One Plan.”

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HORIZONS CHAIRMAN Bruce Gordon claims there is a lot of misunderstanding about his council’s position and says it isn’t doing “anybody any good”.

It’s been suggested that nearly 90% of dairy farms in the Tararua District would require ‘discretionary resource consents’ to continue farming.

But Gordon says a DairyNZ report on One Plan was “lacking” in stating how HRC would deal with these.

Gordon says the One Plan handed down from the Environment Court is a ‘green plan’ and there’s no point in apportioning blame or looking back. “We all have to be constructive now.”

After the meeting Gordon told Rural News he thought the meeting was ‘highly charged’, but hoped people got something out of it.

“There is a gap over trust and it’s a huge issue. We have got to win the trust of the community and they have just got to give us the time to prove it.”

During the meeting a staff member from HRC stated that the council could consider setting up an ‘independent referrals panel’ to which farmers could go to if they were unhappy with an

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Rural News // May 21, 2013

14 news

Drought remains a watching brief – Guy PAM TI PA pamelat@ruralnews.co.nz

AS THE drought remains a ‘watching brief’, Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy says only about 100 people have taken up the rural assistance payments under drought provisions.

“Farmers aren’t inter-

ested in a handout – they want to know if the government cares and responds and we are doing as much as we can through a tough time,” says Guy. It has started raining in most places “but we are going to feel the effects of the drought for quite some time”.

“Treasury is forecasting

about 0.7% of GDP which is between $ 1 billion to $2 billion. But it’s hard to get an accurate measure because it will go across seasons in terms of people not mating their hoggets and some cows are skinnier than normal and hard to get back into calf.”

Support packages such as Rural Support Trust

assistance and rural assistance payments will run through until the end of September.

“The focus will now be on the winter and whether it stays mild enough to get grass growth through autumn before it gets really cold. The advance payment from Fonterra helped, the banks have

been pretty reasonable and the IRD has been playing its part as well with flexibility for taxation returns.

“So there are still some areas without significant rain – and that’s Taihape through to Napier on the Gentle Annie and down to Hawke’s Bay. And Southland – even though they

Nathan Guy say only about 100 people have taken up rural assistance payments under drought provisions.

were never declared in drought, they are pretty dry as well.”

Guy says it’s a watching brief and he gets regular updates from up and down the country.

“But what I would say

is that urban New Zealand really got the fact that rural communities were hurting this summer. That was significant in urban people realising that the powerhouse of the economy is pastoral based.”

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LIVE CATTLE exports from Australia are in the spotlight again after animal right activists released a graphic video showing alleged animal cruelty in Egyptian abbatoirs.

The footage, released by Animal Australia, shows appalling practices during the regular slaughter process and implicates both of the only two abattoirs in Egypt accredited to slaughter Australian cattle.

The Australian Livestock Exporters’ Council, the industry’s representative body, has halted shipments to Egypt. The Federal Government has written to Egyptian authorities seeking an investigation of the handling and slaughter of Australian livestock.

ALEC chief Alison Penfold says she was “distraught” after watching the video. “These acts are horrific. The outrageous cruelty has left me and my industry colleagues disgusted and horrified.

“No one in our industry, and no Australian, accepts such treatment of animals, and I believe the Egyptian authorities will not tolerate this.”

Federal Agriculture Minister Joe Ludwig says his department will work with the Egyptian authorities. “They will use the current memorandum of understanding. Egyptian authorities are also dismayed and are willing to work with us.”

The live cattle trade with Egypt has a controversial and bloody history. It was suspended In 2006 after video showed cattle having their tendons slashed before slaughter. Four years later, trade resumed under strict conditions, where cattle could only go into approved systems.

Australian farmers want Egyptian livestock trading brought under the unified Australia-wide exporter supply chain assurance system (ESCAS).

ESCAS is a standard for monitoring and controlling the welfare of Australian animals in their destination countries, ensuring all facilities meet international animal welfare standards. A critical welfare feature of ESCAS is that the Australian animals will remain the responsibility of the Australian exporter, even after ownership has technically changed hands in foreign ports.

About 3000 Australia cattle are now in Egypt awaiting slaughter.

Penfold says the sector has voluntarily suspended exports to the facilities until there is evidence that practices and procedures comply with international animal welfare guidelines. “This means no cattle exports to Egypt in the foreseeable future,” Penfold says.

“The welfare of the remaining 3000 Australian cattle held in these facilities is our highest priority. Exporters are working now with the Egyptian operators of the facilities.”

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Rural News // May 21, 2013

16 news

Kiwifruit finger-pointing begins pa m ti pa pamelat@ruralnews.co.nz

THE JAILED Chinese man who says Zespri is to blame for his smuggling charges is making the accusations to get a reduction in sentence, says New Zealand Kiwifruit Growers Inc (NZKGI) chairman Neil Trebilco.

“Originally the importer – and he was the importer – did plead guilty to not paying his duty. He has appealed his sentence so he is trying to get a reduction in sentence I suspect,” Trebilco told Rural News.

Liu Xiongjie is serving a 13-year jail term imposed last year in China after pleading guilty to criminal smuggling. He was also ordered to repay $7 million in unpaid customs duties.

He is now appealing and lawyers are arguing that officials should have identified the case as several corporations engaged in joint smuggling with Zespri the primary offender, TVNZ has reported. The convicted man’s nephew says his uncle only pleaded guilty to get out of jail to see his dying father.

In a background document, Zespri said Xiongjie was an importer who

NZKGI chairman Neil Trebilco is chairing an inquiry into Zespri’s dealings in China.

bought fruit from Zespri and sold it in China. But Xiongjie’s lawyers say he was an agent who sold fruit on behalf of Zespri working on commission, the TV report says.

Trebilco says these latest accusations will be considered in an independent investigation by NZKGI into

Zespri’s dealings in China. “We will no doubt consider that…. we don’t know if it will add much but we will consider that.”

A Zespri subsidiary and its employee were found guilty in a Shanghai court in March on charges relating to underpayment of customs duties. The subsidiary,

Zespri Management Consulting Company (ZMCC), and its employee who faces five years’ jail are appealing the conviction.

Zespri is not commenting so as not to prejudice the appeals of both ZMCC and its employee.

Following this conviction NZKGI announced it was setting up an independent inquiry to look into the circumstances that gave rise to the Chinese prosecutions and any effects on the Zespri brand and continued trade with China. The probe started in early March and was due to report back last month, but has been delayed because of the latest developments and “complexity of the issues”.

The growers’ organisation says it understands the charges relate to importing arrangements from 2008 to 2010 only, and from 2011 onwards, the import arrangements operated by Zespri are not being questioned by the Chinese authorities.

Trebilco told Rural News “yes we’ve started an independent inquiry… whether it is independent or not, it’s up to people to make up their own minds about”. He is chairing the panel which

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‘McD’s’ opens up supply chain in the UK

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†

also includes another grower forum representative and an independent member.

In its latest newsletter NZKGI says its core role is to protect the marketing the single point of entry (SPE) marketing structure. “On behalf of growers, and for continued government support, we must ensure that Zespri is effectively and legitimately exercising the SPE on behalf of growers. Another reason for the China Inquiry is to demonstrate that as an industry, we are responsibly using the SPE.” Meanwhile the ACT party is calling for an urgent inquiry into Zespri after allegations on TVNZ’s One News that it knew about the actions of its importer in China.

“These are serious allegations and kiwifruit growers have the right to know the truth since they are being forced by the government to sell their products through this company,” says MPI spokesman Don Nicolson. He says they will be writing to the Minister for Primary Industries Nathan Guy to push for the inquiry.

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FAST FOOD chain McDonalds is to allow inspection of its burger plants by selected members of the public in response to questions by consumers about its food sources.

Volunteer ‘quality scouts’ will get to see how its meals are made, including meeting and interviewing farmers who supply the company.

The UK food industry was rocked earlier this year when food labelled as beef was found to contain undeclared horsemeat. Food worth millions was taken off shelves and retailers had to apologise to customers.

Though McDonalds was not involved in the scandal it is opening its plants in the hope of reassuring consumers.

Former England rugby player and Celebrity MasterChef winner Phil Vickery, who runs his own farm, will select the food scouts.

Vickery says as the son of a dairy farmer he’s always been aware of where the food he eats has come from. “So I’m excited to be leading the McDonald’s quality scouts on their mission. “I know McDonald’s is a big supporter of British and Irish farmers, and I’m looking forward to finding out more” Vickery and the other scouts will report back on what they’ve learnt.

McDonalds UK director supply chain Warren Anderson says every day people asks questions about its food and ingredients.

“So we’re inviting members of the public to see for themselves what’s in some of our most popular products and follow the journey from farm to restaurant.

“We’re proud of our longstanding British supply chain and our quality standards, but we know there is a lot of curiosity about our food.”

McDonalds buys beef from the UK and Ireland and has promised to source all its pork in the UK.

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Rural News // May 21, 2013

18 news

Henry’s final Fonterra hurrah!

SU D ES H KI SSU N sudeshk@ruralnews.co.nz

FORMER Fonterra chairman Henry van der Heyden will sign off his 21-year stint in dairy industry governance on May 31.

Van der Heyden’s final act as a Fonterra direc-

tor will be at Tokoroa, where he was first elected a director of NZ Dairy Group in September 1992, where local farmers will farewell him at a function on May 29.

Van der Heyden attended his final board meeting at Fonterra last week. He served as Fon-

terra chairman for 10 years and stepped down in December last year.

He says a lot has been achieved during his involvement in dairy industry governance – the consolidation of dairy companies in the 1990s, the formation of Fonterra in 2011 and the launch of

TAF to remove the coop’s redemption risk. “I think Fonterra is in a much better shape today,” he told Rural News.

Van der Heyden, who remains a Fonterra shareholder via his family farming interests in Putaruru, believes it will remain a strong farmer-owned

co-op for the next few generations at least. “There is a strong cooperative ethos in Fonterra. The new chairman and chief executive fundamentally agree with the co-op status.”

TAF, which allows investors to buy units in Fonterra shares, has been van der Heyden’s signa-

Henry van der Heyden handing over the ‘chairman’s baton’ to John Wilson at Fonterra’s AGM last December.

ture achievement. But some Fonterra shareholders strongly opposed ceding control of share units to outside investors.

Under TAF, unit prices in Fonterra shares have

week addressed 500 shareholders at its annual networkers’ conference in Hamilton. He stressed that Fonterra’s future is cemented in strong governance.

“I’m Fonterra through and through. Nothing’s going to change that.” topped $8 after being launched at $5.50 late last year. Some farmers complain the high share price makes it difficult for them to buy shares to match increased milk production.

Van der Heyden is urging patience. “Let’s wait and see. It’s still early days,” he says. “Fonterra now has a solid foundation to pursue its growth strategy. This wasn’t possible with capital washing in and out of the co-op.”

Van der Heyden last

“I told them when I started out 21 years ago; I did not know what governance was. I joined NZDG at a young age and there was a lot to learn. Most of those at the network conference know more about governance than I knew 21 years ago.”

He urged young Fonterra farmers to be part of “this special co-op – to become actively involved and committed to Fonterra.”

“I’m Fonterra through and through. Nothing’s going to change that.”

When will he sleep?

BEING FONTERRA chairman for 10 years makes Henry van der Heyden much sought-after in corporate boardrooms.

He last month became chairman-designate of Auckland International Airport, to succeed Joan Withers when she retires at the annual meeting in October.

Van der Heyden is also joining the Foodstuffs North Island board pending shareholder approval. Foodstuffs NI is being formed from the merger of Foodstuffs Wellington and Foodstuffs Auckland, operators of Pak n Save and New World supermarkets.

Van der Heyden also chairs Tanui Group Holdings and serves on the boards of Manuka SA Ltd and Rabobank New Zealand Ltd and Rabobank Australia Limited.

Van der Heyden says he is building up a demanding portfolio: “For me, it’s closing down on Fonterra and taking up new opportunities. It gets my energy levels up.”

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Rural News // May 21, 2013

beef market trends

Market snapshot Meat c/kgCWT

North Island

South Island

Change c/kg

Change c/kg

Last Week

Last Week

BEEF PRICES

LAMB PRICES

c/kgCWT NI

lamb market trends

Change

Last Week

2 Wks Ago

Last Year

P2 Steer - 300kg

Change

c/kgCWT

NI Lamb

+5

YM - 13.5kg

Last Week

2 Wks Ago

Last Year

n/c

4.18

4.18

3.90

4.76

4.71

5.41

M2 Bull - 300kg

n/c

4.15

4.15

4.00

PM - 16.0kg

+5

4.78

4.73

5.43

P2 Cow - 230kg

n/c

3.35

3.35

3.00

PX - 19.0kg

+5

4.80

4.75

5.45

PH - 22.0kg

+5

4.81

4.76

5.41

Lamb - PM 16.0kg

+5

4.78

+10

4.70

Steer - P2 300kg

n/c

4.18

+3

3.78

M Cow - 200kg

n/c

3.25

3.25

2.85

Bull - M2 300kg

n/c

4.15

+3

3.73

Local Trade - 230kg

+2

4.20

4.18

3.95

Mutton

MX1 - 21kg

n/c

2.90

2.90

3.20

Venison - AP 60kg

n/c

6.25

n/c

6.45

P2 Steer - 300kg

+3

3.78

3.75

3.80

SI Lamb

YM - 13.5kg

+10

4.70

4.60

5.41

M2 Bull - 300kg

+3

3.73

3.70

3.80

PM - 16.0kg

+10

4.70

4.60

5.43

P2 Cow - 230kg

+3

2.83

2.80

2.95

PX - 19.0kg

+10

4.70

4.60

5.45

M Cow - 200kg

+3

2.63

2.60

2.85

PH - 22.0kg

+10

4.70

4.60

5.46

Local Trade - 230kg

n/c

3.87

3.87

3.85

n/c

2.48

2.48

3.10

SI

North Island 16.0kg M Lamb Price $8.5

5yr Ave Last Year This Year

$7.5 $6.5

NZ Slaughter Change

3 Wks Ago

Cattle NI

+5%

35.3

33.5

50.1

51.2

Cattle SI

+21%

25.4

21.0

24.5

22.3

Cattle NZ

+11%

60.7

54.5

74.6

73.5

Bull NI

+34%

5.1

3.8

6.7

6.8

Bull SI

+111%

1.9

0.9

2.1

2.0

Str & Hfr NI

-5%

13.4

14.1

15.7

16.0

Str & Hfr SI

+13%

7.1

6.3

6.9

7.5

$6.5

Cows NI

+8%

16.8

15.6

27.7

28.5

$5.5

Cows SI

+19%

16.4

13.8

15.5

12.8

1000s

$4.5 $3.5 Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

South Island 16.0kg M Lamb Price $8.5

5yr Ave Last Year This Year

$7.5

$4.5 $3.5 Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

40

3 Wks Ago

Lamb NI

-9%

122

134

186

225

Lamb SI

+5%

369

352

375

392

Lamb NZ

+1%

491

485

561

616

Mutton NZ

+1%

53

52

44

59

NZ Weekly Lamb Kill

900 750 600 450 300 150 0

Last Year This Year

Mar

This Year

0 Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

$3.0 Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

South Island 300kg Steer Price

$4.5

Change

Last Week

2 Wks Ago

Jun

Jul

Last Week

2 Wks Ago

Last Year 5yr Ave

n/c

1.52

1.52

1.68

1.81

NZ$/kg

+5

6.16

6.11

7.62

8.87

Demand Indicator - UK Leg Price Last Year 5yr Ave

95CL US$/lb

-2

2.10

2.12

2.13

1.77

NZ$/kg

+2

5.51

5.49

5.99

5.35

Demand Indicator - US 95CL Beef

$2.30

May

UK Leg £/lb

Export Market Demand 5yr Ave Last Year This Year

Apr

Change

$4.0

$3.5

Last Year 5yr Ave

Export Market Demand

Last Year

20

North Island 300kg Bull Price

$4.5

2Wks Ago

1000s

Feb

60

Jul

Estimated Weekly Kill Change

Last Year 5yr Ave

NZ Weekly Beef Kill

80

MX1 - 21kg

NZ Slaughter

Estimated Weekly Kill 2Wks Ago

$5.5

Mutton

£2.50

Last Year This Year

£2.00 £1.50 £1.00

Last Year

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

This Year

$4.0

$2.10 $3.5

Procurement Indicator Change

2Wks Ago

3 Wks Ago

% Returned NI

+1%

78.7%

78.2%

73.5%

60.9%

% Returned SI

+2%

75.0%

72.8%

72.9%

58.5%

5yr Ave Last Year

$1.90 Feb

This Year

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

$3.0 Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Procurement Indicator

5yr Ave Last Year This Year

$8.0 $7.5

Change

3 Wks Ago

% Returned NI

+0%

75.3%

75.0%

66.80%

69.7%

% Returned SI

+0%

67.2%

67.0%

63.5%

64.1%

80%

$7.0 $6.5

Procurement Indicator - North I. 2Wks Ago

North Island 60kg Stag Price

$8.5

Last Year 5yr Ave

Last Year 5yr Ave

Procurement Indicator - North I.

110% 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% Feb

Last Year This Year

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

70% Last Year

$6.0 Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

South Island 60kg Stag Price

$8.5

This Year

60% Feb

Apr

Jun

5yr Ave

$8.0

Last Year

80%

This Year

$7.5

Procurement Indicator - South I. Last Year This Year

$7.0

Procurement Indicator - South I. 105% 95% 85% 75% 65% 55% 45% Feb

Last Year This Year

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

70% $6.5

Venison Prices

$6.0 Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

60% Feb

Apr

Change

Jun

Beef & venison prices are reported as gross (before normal levies & charges are deducted). Lamb & mutton prices are reported nett (after levies & charges are deducted).

Note: Freight is paid in the North Island but not by all companies in the South Island.

Last Week

2 Wks Ago

Last Year 5yr Ave

NI Stag - 60kg

n/c

6.25

6.25

7.15

7.31

SI Stag - 60kg

n/c

6.45

6.45

7.20

7.57

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Rural News // may 21, 2013

news BEEF

price watch WOOL PRICE WATCH Change

09-May

02-May

Last Year

Coarse Xbred Indic.

+10

4.02

3.92

4.38

Fine Xbred Indicator

+10

4.85

4.75

5.25

Lamb Indicator

+5

4.81

4.76

5.05

-

8.07

-

9.40

Farmgate prices on the up in both islands

Indicators in NZ$

The cattle kill in the South Island continues to run at or near seasonal highs with cull cows still making up 65% of the kill. But there is light at the end of the tunnel and prices have just started to move upwards as competition on bigger lines of cattle increases.

Meanwhile in the North Island, the kill is running well below average and procurement competition has continued to lift. Last week prices for lines of 300kg steer were mostly at $4.15-4.20/kg with local trade prices providing competition for exporters. Local trade operators sound like they could be short again and this may push prime prices higher. But declining US imported beef prices may see exporters try and hold their line for the moment.

US imported beef prices weaken again

300 May

US imported beef prices weakened again last week with end users limiting out front purchases given the projected abundance of Australian product going forward. This is limiting some upside for farmgate prices back here. Some NZ exporters are hopeful of US pricing improvements in the weeks ahead as the retail sector is finally shifting into gear. US wholesale beef prices rose to record levels last Friday as the delayed spring grilling season is heating up and supermarkets are vying for meat for Memorial Day. However, at present there seems to be no positive signs in the manufacturing market as there is simply too much meat available in both the domestic and imported sectors.

LAMB

Mid Micron Indic.

Wool Indicator Trends

600

CXI

550 450

Dairy product prices in Oceania began to fall in May after spiking to very high levels through March and April. Buyers have been less aggressive at the high pricing levels and demand became patchier as a result. Prices have corrected lower with skim milk and whole milk powder prices down 8-10% in the last 2 weeks. This trend may continue further but pricing is expected to remain well above historical averages for the medium term.

Whole Milk Powder Cheddar

Last 2 Wks

Prev. 2 Wks

Last Year 4081

-234

5232

5467

-553

5589

6143

3618

-459

6124

6584

3921

+62

5470

5408

4654

Dairy Prices Trends

7,000

SMP But.

WMP Ched.

4,000

350 Jul

Sep

Nov

Jan

3,000 May

Mar

Coarse Xbred Indicator

600 500

Jul

Sep

Nov

Jan

Mar

Whole Milk Powder Price (NZ$)

7,500 Last Year This Year

Last Year

6,500

This Year

5,500 400

4,500

300 Feb

3,500 Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Overseas Price Indicators Indicators in US$/kg

Change

09-May

02-May

+7

3.40

3.34

3.38

+6

4.10

4.04

4.05

+2

4.07

4.05

3.90

-

6.83

-

7.26

Mid Micron Indicator

Feb

Indicators in US$/T Butter Skim Milk Powder Whole Milk Powder Cheddar

Wool Indicator in US$

550

CXI

500

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Overseas Price Indicators Last Year

Coarse Xbred Indicator Lamb Indicator

Dairy prices fall from recent highs

Butter Skim Milk Powder

Change

5,000

400

There still has been plenty of upward pressure on lamb prices in the North Island as plants battle to fill space. Recent weekly kill rates have been close to half of normal. Lamb prices are closing in on the $5/kg mark with local trade operators leading the way. Mutton prices are also on the up with most around $2.85/kg and up to $3.00/kg or a little more on some big lines. Supply is less of an issue in the South Island with kill rates just starting to come off seasonal highs. But processing space is beginning to free up and this has seen prices begin to lift. $4.50-4.75/kg (gross) has been the range for a 17kg cwt lamb. Expect more upward price movement in both islands.

DAIRY

LI

500

Fine Xbred Indicator

Lamb was flying out the door in April with high processor throughput in March and early April helping to bolster volumes. Shipments totalled 38,000 tonnes which is a 36% lift on a year ago levels. China was once again the top destination by way of volume. China's appetite for NZ lamb is high despite the arrival of their warmer months when demand usually waivers. They received close to 12,000 tonnes of NZ product in April which is over double the same month last year. The UK was also hungry for NZ lamb in April but only at the right price. UK end users continue to use NZ lamb as loss leaders and for promotional activity so NZ traders have had to accept relatively cheap prices to help move product while supplies have been high. But there has been a change in overseas markets in recent weeks as the realisation that NZ numbers are drying up filters abroad. Middles and harder to move items are now shifting with prices firming for many cuts in our main markets. The US has become more active again but Australia is the fly in the ointment with their traders now undercutting our prices in this market.

FXI

Indicators in NZ$/T

6,000

Lamb prices lift in north, stagnant in south

April NZ lamb exports fly out the door

DAIRY PRICE WATCH

Change

Last 2 Wks

Prev. 2 Wks

Last Year

-250

4400

4650

3200

-525

4700

5225

2838

-450

5150

5600

3075

n/c

4600

4600

3650

Dairy Prices in US$/Tonne

FXI

LI

SMP .But

5,500

450

WMP .Ched

4,500

400 350

3,500

300 250 May

Jul

Sep

Nov

Jan

2,500 May

Mar

Coarse Xbred Indictor in US$ Last Year This Year

500 450 400 350 300 250 Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Last Week 2 Wks Ago 4 Wks Ago Last Year

Feb

0.90

0.851

0.863

0.784

Euro

0.645

0.651

0.659

0.607

UK pound

0.544

0.548

0.561

0.486

0.75

Aus dollar

0.833

0.830

0.819

0.779

Japan yen

84.60

83.40

86.09

62.65

0.70 Feb

Last Year This Year

0.62 0.58

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Mar

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

US Dollar

Jul

Last Year

0.85

0.841

Euro

Jan

This Year

US dollar

0.66

Nov

Last Year

CURRENCY WATCH vs. NZ Dollar

Sep

Whole Milk Powder Price in US$/T

6,000 5,500 5,000 4,500 4,000 3,500 3,000 2,500

550

Jul

This Year

0.80

0.58 0.56 0.54 0.52 0.50 0.48 0.46 Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

UK Pound Last Year This Year

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

With the support of our award-winning Agri Managers, we can provide you with the knowledge and expertise you need to help your agri business grow. And with access to local product and sector specialists, plus their contacts in local communities and industry bodies, our Agri Managers can introduce you to the people that can help your business succeed. To contact your local Agri Manager call 0800 269 787.

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Rural News // May 21, 2013

22 opinion editorial

edna

Lofty ambitions PRIMARY INDUSTRIES Minister Nathan Guy wants to see a doubling of New Zealand’s primary exports to $60 billion by the year 2025.

Even Guy himself concedes this is going to be “a challenge”. As he admits, it is good to have something to aim for.

Guy has several times reiterated his aim to double New Zealand primary exports since he took over as minister in February. It is also now a stated target of MPI. But just how realistic is such a lofty goal and how will it be achieved?

According to Guy, the Primary Growth Partnerships (PGP) will be a big part of it. He says over the next seven years, some $650 million will be invested into PGPs – with government meeting 50% and industry putting up the rest.

“What we know is if all these returns are realised from the PGP, it is worth about $7 billion,” he claims. “Each $1 investment – half from industry and half from government – will return about $11 over about seven years.”

Impressive returns if these can be realised!

And speaking of unrealised potential, another of Guy’s aims is to unlock Maori agribusiness capacity – possibly worth about $8 billion annually to our economy, according to a recent MPI report.

As an example, Guy cites a small project where soil analysis was done on 240ha of Maori land, which showed some major opportunities for Manuka honey that is very lucrative in China.

He says Maori agribusiness has an opportunity to use the New Zealand story for marketing, and work is being done on this by New Zealand Trade and Enterprise, Foreign Affairs and MPI. We have already seen what a huge powerhouse Maori agribusiness could be in the sector via things such as the Ahuwhenua Trophy competition and businesses like Miraka.

Guy points out that lifting on-farm productivity also has major potential to pay big dividends.

“We know if we can lift the average New Zealand farmers into the top quarter then that’s worth about $3 billion in exports a year.

A 1% productivity gain by New Zealand farmers is worth about $4 billion in exports a year.”

He says this links to the recent Government announcement of a Lincoln-based agresearch hub and getting much greater synergies from having the 900 best scientists in one place working together.

Guy has set the bar high for his primary export growth goals, but even if the sector only hits 50% of his target it is well worth aiming for.

RURAL NEWS HEAD OFFICE POSTAL ADDRESS: PO Box 3855, Shortland Street, Auckland 1140 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

“Yeah, but Edna insists!”

the hound

Want to share your opinion or gossip with the Hound?

Send your emails to: hound@ruralnews.co.nz

Second and 2nd class

Political posturing?

ANOTHER RAG’S claim in its May 7 issue, to have “broken” the latest round of PKE biosecurity stories with a report on March 19 left your old mate gobsmacked. A quick flick through back issues of Rural News revealed this paper was onto the story on December 4, 2012, and ran a follow-up article this year on February 19.

If there are any bragging rights to be had, they probably belong here – but this old mutt’s mates are far too modest. As for the Aussieowned and controlled rag, the only thing “broken” there is its reputation – and that started a very long time ago.

THE HOUND notes that Labour’s primary industries spokesman Damien O’Connor was getting a little exercised recently over news that Nathan Guy had signed a ‘Strategic Plan for Agricultural Co-operation’ with China as part of the FTA deal with country. He was also questioning other agreements recently signed by the Government with the Chinese. Your old mate is not sure how smart this kind of questioning is of only one particular country when China is now our largest trading partner and likely to grow significantly over the next few decades.

TECHNICAL EDITOR: Andrew Swallow ................... Ph 03 688 2080 PRODUCTION: Dave Ferguson ........................Ph 09 913 9633 Becky Williams ........................Ph 09 913 9634 REPORTERS: Sudesh Kissun ....................... Ph 09 913 9627 Pamela Tipa ............................ Ph 09 913 9630 Peter Burke .............................Ph 06 362 6319 SUB-EDITOR: Neil Keating ............................Ph 09 913 9628 WEBSITE PRODUCER: James Anderson .................... Ph 09 913 9621

Nasty hippies THE HOUND reckons no nastier type exists than environmentalist-dogooders when they turn on their own. Witness the way former anti GMO activist Mark Lynas has been treated after he gave a speech at Oxford University in January supporting GMOs. Since then, Lynas has been subject to a co-ordinated campaign of intimidation and hate, mostly via the internet. But he says he’s not giving in to the bullies and has been encouraged by emails and other support from globally renowned scientists who are experts on this issue.

“They all said basically the same thing to me: ‘You think you’ve got hatemail?

Welcome to my world’.”

Merger messiah?

Curly question

JUST LIKE the proverbial bad penny, the Hound sees that the New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants has brought in former Fonterra chief executive Craig Norgate to oversee a merger between the NZ organisation and its Aussie counterpart. In the publicity blurb about the move, Norgate said his experience in major corporate mergers – such as the 2001 creation of Fonterra, would prove helpful in establishing the new chartered accountants’ institute. However, nothing was mentioned about Norgate’s involvement in the ill-fated PGG Wrightson/Silver Fern Farms deal.

WHICH HAS more sheep: UK or New Zealand? Ask that question in either nation and your old mate bets most punters would plump for New Zealand.

Up to last year they’d have been right, but Statistics New Zealand says we now have a smaller national flock than the UK. It’s a sorry reflection on returns from sheep farming here, but also testament to the dynamism of farmers to change land use, where possible, if the dollars dictate. Europe’s cockies are still hobbled by the bureaucracy of the Common Agricultural Policy.

NATIONAL SALES MANAGER: Ted Darley .......... Ph 07 854 6292/021 832 505 ted@ruralnews.co.nz

WELLINGTON SALES REPRESENTATIVE: Mark Macfarlane .Ph 04 234 6239/021 453 914 markm@ruralnews.co.nz

AUCKLAND SALES REPRESENTATIVE: Stephen Pollard ....Ph 09 913 9637/021 963 166 stephenp@ruralnews.co.nz

SOUTH ISLAND SALES REPRESENTATIVE: Kaye Sutherland Ph 03 337 3828/021 221 1994 kayes@ruralnews.co.nz

TAURANGA SALES REPRESENTATIVE: Tony Hopkinson .. Ph 07 579 1010/021 949 226 hoppy1@clear.net.nz

ABC audited circulation 80,767 as at 31.12.2012

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.

Rural News // may 21, 2013

opinion 23

Fonterra model not fix for meat sector’s troubles contracts valuable for all parties. The current mindset appears from the outside (though industry leaders don’t always agree) to be that of a trader playing one off against the other for short term gain. Although this might allow delivery of what is required in quality and quantity on time, the cost is great. Time and

energy are involved in trying to overcome the uncertainty at all stages.

Warwick Lissaman, Seddon sheep farmer and vice-president of the New Zealand Grassland Association, knows that contracting 100% is never going to be possible. His suggestion is that 20% of suppliers might be able to contract to supply ‘on demand’, achieving a premium for agreeing to the flexibility because it might involve increased feeding with supplements.

He also suggests that these ‘on demand’ suppliers should be focused on quality not quantity.

Having 80% of supply on contract and the rest on ‘on-demand’ contract could be part of the answer. Enabling surety of supply would, however, involve feeding to requirement. In the vegetable industry, for instance frozen peas and fresh broccoli, growers contract to apply fertiliser and irrigation to achieve yield perfection by a certain day.

Dry stock farmers in future might need to have supplement on hand to replace any grass that doesn’t grow to achieve weight by the due date. This means costs of production would increase, as would the complexity of the business.

Different strategies are to be considered by a

group whose membership is still being discussed.

Informed heads without baggage will be required – perhaps a business analyst, progressive large animal

veterinarian/farmer, agricultural strategist and some young blood. The recommendations could then be tested on people already in the industry.

However, the clear message is that the current system of meat production is not creating viable businesses. At least part of the answer is

creating loyalty of supply in the meat producers, but an equal part is education of the consumer about the cost of meat production.

• Jacqueline Rowarth is professor of agribusiness, The University of Waikato and president of the New Zealand Grassland Association.

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DAIRY GIANT Fonterra is responsible for most of New Zealand’s dairy exports and accounts for approximately one-third of global trade.

More than 150 countries are involved, and by export value, 72% goes to developing countries. A quarter of New Zealand’s milk is sold through the global dairy trade auction, which effectively sets the global price for milk.

In contrast, the meat industry has little impact globally. Calls for the establishment of a meat equivalent of Fonterra are abating as the Meat Industry Excellence Group reassesses the reality of the comparison.

But the challenge of achieving an improved income for meat producers remains.

The issue is the schedule price – the equivalent to the milk solids price in the dairy industry – and the fact that profitability for meat is not as good as for milk.

Profitability is a large part of the drive to convert beef and sheep farms into dairy farms; it is also why farmers do what is termed ‘the Sunday night ring-around’ to see which of the meat companies can offer the greatest schedule price for the animals they want to send to the abattoir that week. Silver Fern Farms, New Zealand’s biggest meat processor, estimates 30-40% of supply is not confirmed.

This uncertainty is a major challenge in terms of efficiency in keeping the meat processing works occupied and workers employed.

Perhaps worse is the challenge of fulfilling supermarket contracts.

The consequence is the spot market – where the companies offer higher prices to induce farmers to supply them with animals.

The unintended consequence of this potential incentive is farmers not locking into the contracts that the companies would prefer.

Innovative thinking is required to make

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Rural News // May 21, 2013

24 opinion

It’s profitability, not production, that’s key HURRAH,HURRAH. Congratulations to Rural News’ sister publication Dairy News’ for its March 26 editorial leader. At last, a farming magazine

editorial asking a vital question – Production or profitability? What a relief!

And I applaud the statement quoted

regarding “production is vanity, profitability is sanity” as it is an accurate interpretation of a classical situation that has gripped so many in

farming for 20 or more years.

The production culture has literally smothered the farming community and dominated the

thinking of bankers, advisers and learning institutions.

But profitability is the preferred basic indicator for all internationally

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successful businesses, so why not farming? Nothing new under the sun about that, but our stubborn industry has succumbed to farming from bank statements and historical accountancy reports framed solely to lower the annual taxation dollar.

“Vanity” is certainly a good way to describe the calls for increased production as it encompasses meanings that range from pride to arrogance. It has been abundantly clear to me for a couple of decades that when profitability is the prime measure of success in farming then the true potential of the farm business is revealed.

And certainly when Mother Nature deals us a lousy spring or dry summer, evaluating daily profits can have a profound impact on the business outcome. When profits per kg of individual feeds consumed by stock each day are measured, a significant range of objective and highly beneficial decisions can be made for the benefit of the farming business and the farmer.

Doing this sorts out the problem of which feed type to use in any part of the season and specifically identifies the preferred

feeding options in dry summers. What is more, it identifies the options months in advance so that robust planning decisions can be made.

The opportunity to move away from this ‘production at any cost’ culture is supported by the carbon positive farming approach now being used on farms throughout New Zealand and sought by other pastoral farming countries.

The introduction of precise daily profit indicators together with Brix measurements and a focus on healthy grass farming has led to improved soil, plant and animal health.

In a recent publication, John Lancashire, past president of the New Zealand Institute of Agricultural & Horticultural Science, highlighted his concern at the impact of higher stocking rates over the past couple of decades and the damage to the environment when these and other increased production drivers are adopted. .

As Dairy News said in the March 26 publication, it is the appropriate time for dairy farmers to do some hard and honest analysis of their farm systems and see what is really the most important and profitable option.

• Peter Floyd is the managing director of COGENT Farming Business Systems Ltd www. profitfocusedfarming. com Tel. 0800433376 or 0275968796

Rural News // may 21, 2013

opinion 25 Economist off the mark – again!

IN YOUR April 23 issue, ANZ’s chief economist Cameron Bagrie called for a “harder edge to this country’s China strategy”.

In supporting his case, he referred to the lack of people of Asian descent on New Zealand food exporter company boards and said “if you can name one please let me know”.

Two boards I sit on have Asian descent appointed directors. They

are ANZCO Foods, the country’s sixth largest exporter, and Sealord Group, the country’s largest seafood exporter. ANZCO Foods has three Asians, along with two New Zealanders, with longstanding business experience in Asia.

Sealord has one Asian and the same two New Zealanders, namely Maurice Eng (former area director of Heinz Greater China and former chairman, Heinz Japan) and

myself. Sealord’s lead banker is the ANZ, indicating Mr Bagrie hasn’t even consulted with his corporate banking people.

Like Mr Bagrie’s recent observations on the meat industry, they sound good to the uninformed but are poorly researched. One expects better from a bank chief economist.

Graeme Harrison, chairman ANZCO Foods

Concerns about chemical inputs THE CADMIUM issue is the tip of the iceberg and it’s refreshing to see Professor Mike Joy (Rural News, April 22) and his colleagues exposing the dangers of cadmium in food production.

Agriculture is all about food and New Zealand is all about exporting food. If we are not producing food that is acceptable to the export markets we are in trouble. We have a right to know what’s in our food!

Chemical production began, in earnest, after World War 2 and

has dominated our agriculture, universities, ag ministries and farmers since its introduction.

It’s saturated our agricultural thinking and our farming soils, to a point where farmers are struggling to maintain production and metabolic and fertility problems are rife.

Phosphate rock inherently contains cadmium. Most phosphate rock imported into New Zealand comes from Morocco.

Some phosphate rock deposits are advertised as uranium mines!

All phosphate rocks contain heavy metals, the levels of these toxic metals ex Morocco are: uranium 82mg/kg, mercury 566mg/kg, lead 2mg/kg, cadmium 3mg/kg and fluorine at 3.5% (Dr Andreas Kurmann, Far North Envirolab 2008).

Are these heavy metals also contaminating our food and water? Is it time to review agrochemical production before it’s too late?

John K Morris Agrissentials

Fertiliser co-operatives do farmers well I WRITE regarding the recent editorial (Rural News, April 23) ‘Heat on fertiliser co-ops’ aimed at both Ravensdown and Ballance. Having worked as an independent fertiliser consultant for the past 24 years, I’d like to come to the defence of these ‘behemoths’ as you call them.

The local representatives of both companies all get trained in the use of Overseer, and the proposed Nutrient Management Advisor Certification Programme is being supported by the NZ Fertiliser Association – which is a collaboration between both companies, plus many other interest groups such as Massey, Lincoln, AgResearch, Dairy NZ, Beef + Lamb, regional councils etc. It is an unfortunate reality that most of those who will go through this accreditation will be fertiliser company

representatives, and when it comes to the conflict between environmental stewardship and product sales, this will be a slippery slope.

Currently a lot of representative time is spent writing up nutrient budgets and nutrient management plans for farmers, who are required to have up-to-date copies

by Fonterra and regional councils. As this service is provided free by the fertiliser companies, there are no opportunities for independent consultants to charge for their time doing these. Your ‘conflict of interest’ charge is valid when fertiliser companies are also providing nutrient management plans, and really the onus should be on regional councils and Fonterra and other dairy/meat companies to employ their own environmental officers; ensuring environmental

compliance is heeded and understood by the farmer. In my experience, very few farmers have a complete disregard for the environment and most want to run their farms as sustainably and profitably as possible.

As for your accusation that the co-ops are getting away from their core business of fertilisers and getting into other things such as feeds, seeds, drenches, sprays, etc – it will be interesting to see how the co-operative model serves farmers over the next few months with regard to the importation of PKE. Last year PKE was as low as $200/tonne, as the weather was good and there was plenty of grass, and this year it had almost doubled in price due to the nationwide drought.

Robin Boom (Abridged) RD9 Hamilton

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Rural News // May 21, 2013

26 agribusiness

francis wolfgram Finance Matters

NZ Dairy Market Product

Auction 1/05/2013

1 Mth 3 Mths Change in Change Change 2013

NZD/Tonne

Whole Milk Powder(WMP)

$5,550

-0.8%

49.6%

54.0%

Skim Milk Powder(SMP)

$5,031

Butter Milk Powder(BMP)

$5,290

-1.2%

29.5%

24.1%

CHEESE

$5,643

13.4%

37.1%

36.1%

15.1%

28.9%

33.3%

DAIRY PRICES came off recent highs at the May 1 auction but the results of the May 15 auction (being determined as we go to print) will show if this is part of a turning trend. The recent easing of drought concerns will have been a factor behind the 7.3% drop in dairy prices at the first Global Dairy Trade (GDT) auction for May, following a 46% jump in the GDT trade weighted index (GDT-TWI) over the previous two months. The other major factor is that the upcoming auctions will be largely focused on next season’s production, which will not be as restricted, eliminating supply concerns. Despite the recent weakness, prices are expected to remain at elevated levels by historical standards and with such a strong run over 2013 there will have to be some major changes in market conditions to make prices come down on average. Fonterra is due to give an update on its payout for the current season, and its first estimate for the next season later this month. Westpac bank’s forecast for the final payout (due September) is $6.60/kg for this season and $6.70/kg next season, for a fully share-backed farmer.

new zealand agri shares Divdend Prices as at Change Yield 30/04/2013

Company

Prices as at 14/05/2013

LIC

Livestock Improvement Corporation

$6.20

$5.90

$0.30

8.77%

SKL

Skellerup Holdings

$1.42

$1.48

-$0.06

8.05%

PGW

PGG Wrightson Limited

$0.35

$0.38

-$0.03

7.84%

SAN

Sanford Limited

$4.90

$4.60

$0.30

6.92%

HBY

Hellaby Holdings

$2.97

$2.96

$0.01

6.12%

HNZ

Heartland New Zealand

$0.81

$0.78

$0.03

6.08%

SEK

Seeka Kiwifruit Industries Limited

$1.80

$1.69

$0.11

4.63%

DGL

Delegat’s Group Limited

$4.10

$3.80

$0.30

3.08%

FSF

Fonterra Units

$7.97

$7.81

$0.16

1.95%

Price This Price Last Change Issue Issue

Commodity

Units

Live Cattle

USD/Kg

$2.655

Feeder Cattle

USD/Kg

Lean Hogs

USD/Kg

Greasy Wool

$2.695

-$0.040

$3.233

$3.297

-$0.064

$1.995

$2.028

-$0.033

USD/Kg

$10.75

$10.750

$0.000

Corn

USD/ Bushel

$6.40

$6.668

-$0.273

Wheat

USD/ Bushel

$7.058

$7.188

-$0.130

Corn and wheat prices have come back over the past two weeks but recent supply concerns are projected to push prices higher over the next few months.

Wheat production is projected at 2057 million bushels, down 9% from last year with reduced prospects for hard red winter wheat. The all wheat yield, projected at 44.1 bushels per acre, is down 2.2 bushels from the record levels 2010/11. About 28% of the US corn crop was planted as of May 12, behind last year’s 85% and average of 65% for that same week in the previous five years, according to the US Department of Agriculture. The US cattle and calf herd is at its lowest level since 1952 and cattle producers have been hard hit by poor pasture conditions, a poor hay crop, last year’s drought and late freezing weather. Those problems are expected to linger till the end of 2013 at least and until then the tight supply means higher beef prices, particularly for better cuts. Pork production is forecast to increase more rapidly than expected for the rest of 2013 as lower forecast feed costs provide incentives for producers to expand farrowings and increase carcase weights from 2012 levels.

This table and information is in no way a recommendation to buy or sell any share but a list of New Zealand agrishares that have the highest dividends.

Please consult your financial advisor before entering into any sharemarket investment.

VOD1007/RN

NZX Code

Livestock Improvement Corporation had a good run over the last two weeks -up 30 cents to $6.20, on the announcement that the discovery of a recessive small calf gene will open the door to managing small calf syndrome out of the dairy industry. Skellerup reduced earnings expectations due to the dry summer and weak demand. Net profit for the June year end is forecast at NZ$17 million, down from NZ$20 million forecast in February; this caused the share price to slip 6 cents to $1.42. On May 14 PGG Wrightsons forecasted earnings before interest and tax for the financial year ending June 30 at $48 m to $40 m compared with $55 million for the corresponding period last year.

Sanford share price keeps pushing higher – up 30 cents to $4.90 on no major news which is a strong sign. Seeka Kiwifruit Industries continues its strong showing, up 11 cents to $1.80 as is Delegat’s Group Ltd, up 30 cents to $4.10. Fonterra units touched an all-time high on May 1 at $8.06 but have since come off these highs to be $7.97, but still up 16 cents over the two week period we cover.

US Agricultural Commodity Prices

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Rural News // may 21, 2013

agribusiness 27

Ewe hogget contest in closing stages A N D REW SWA LLOW andrews@ruralnews.co.nz

SIX OF the best sheep farmers in the country descend on Dunedin later this month – this year’s breed winners in the New Zealand Sheep Breeders Association Ewe Hogget competition.

The association last week announced the winners following a seven day, nationwide judging tour of 32 flocks, each having either won a regional competition or been preselected by local judges to make it into the national competition.

Andrew Craw, one of three national judges, told Rural News that despite the recent drought the standard of sheep they saw

was “as good or better” than in any of the three years he’s been involved.

“I can tell you, the South Island has absolutely no idea what a drought is compared with Hawkes Bay, yet the standard of sheep we saw in Hawkes Bay was absolutely fantastic.”

Craw was also struck by the productivity of the finalists’ flocks, many routinely getting 80-100% lambing from hoggets with ewes doing “mid-150s or early 160s. And it wasn’t just the composite flocks: we saw Romneys, Perendales, and crossbred flocks getting those levels of production.

Flock productivity accounts for 50 of the 100 points available in

the judging process: 20 points are for phenotype and evenness of hoggets presented; 15 for wool quality; 15 for breeding objectives and selection criteria. A minimum of 200 hoggets must

be yarded for judges to inspect.

“The last couple of years there’s been one flock that stood out as an absolute clear winner but this year there were three or four that could take the

Judge Andrew Craw quizzes Ewe Hogget competition Romney breed winner Georgie Cameron.

[overall] title,” says Craw.

Who, of the six breed winners, has landed that title will be announced May 29 at The Savoy, Dunedin. See: www. nzsheep.co.nz or tel 03 3589 412.

Better than those ‘black and white things’ GEORGIE CAMERON, who farms with her father, Walter, at Wainui Station, South Canterbury, is the Romney breed winner. Rural News caught up with her during the judging process on farm.

“They are looking quite good I suppose: better than those black and white things [i.e. cows] across the road,” she joked as the competition judges evaluated the 400 hoggets she’d yarded.

All are mated, last year’s mob of 600 producing 660 lambs – 110% lambing despite 100 dries. Mixed age ewes, including two-tooths, scanned 201% and lambed at 180%.

Ewes are bred to be “low cost and highly productive” with “strong constitution and good conformation… strong and versatile.”

The versatility is needed to handle the switch from the station’s intensive, irrigated, flat front country to extensive, steep, dark, back country.

While many entrants are now putting rams to hoggets, competition national convenor, Stephen Rabbidge, says that “certainly isn’t essential to do well.

Last year’s winners [Preston and Tori Hope, Hindon, Otago] didn’t.”

However, entrants not doing so need to show judges it’s the best approach for the farm and flock, he adds.

ewe hogget comp breed winners

Composite: Robert & Joan Forrester, Amberley Coopworth: John & Karen Gilkison, Wyndham Crossbred: McGurk Family, Wairoa Fine wool: Gavin Loxton & Sue Allan, Lake Tekapo Perendale: Allan & Leeann Woodrow, Waikana Romney: Georgina Cameron, Kurow.

Malcolm Ellis – Bull Acquisition Manager

As a farmer making breeding decisions I always wanted the best, and Premier Sires gave me the top ranked LIC progeny tested bulls.

With the advent of genomics, there was a need to consider the issues of risk and reward. Reliability has been an issue, and some of the early results from young sires did not meet expectation. With the lessons learned over the past several years LIC has taken the opportunity to review the structure of the Premier Sires teams.

The Daughter Proven option remains unchanged, and there is still an alternative for those wanting to access the cream of the young sire crop. This is called the Premier Sires “Forward Pack” and it is comprised of the top ranked bulls from both categories – the best Daughter Proven sires complemented by a selection of young sires that we think tick all the boxes – outstanding ancestry, proven cow families, depth of pedigree and genomic evaluation.

I always demanded the best, now I’m going to deliver it.

www.lic.co.nz

Rural News // May 21, 2013

28 agribusiness

Bayer looks for strong NZ growth pam ti pa pamelat@ruralnews.co.nz

BAYER WANTS double digit growth in Australasia, and some of that will come from New Zealand innovation, says Bayer’s new chief for Australia and New Zealand, Dr Jacqueline Applegate.

About 12 products for the dairy industry are developed each year in New Zealand and registered for sale by Bayer in the global market. This is an impressive contribution given Bayer is a $60 billion global giant operating in 100 countries with strong global innovation centres.

Applegate, who has been in the Australasian position about three months, was in New Zealand for the first time last month for the release of two rare brown kiwi on predator-free Motutapu Island out from Auckland.

“The mission for our company is about science for

a better life and it’s about improving the quality of life of people, plants and animals. In honour of our 150 year celebration we’ve chosen to further establish our conservation efforts in the communities within which we live,” she told those gathered for the kiwi release.

Bayers is giving $25,000 this year to the Motutapu Restoration Trust and has committed to replanting 2.5ha of the island in native bush. It is also working with Nature Recovery Centre in Whangarei which has an incubation centre for kiwis. Bayer is also working with the

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New Zealand Royal Society on funding environmental science projects for primary and secondary students and awarding scholarships to secondary graduates.

Applegate is chief executive of the three divisions of the company in Australia and New Zealand: health care, animal science and crop science.

She is also managing director of Bayer Crop Science for Australia and New Zealand.

Applegate says there’s a need to globally boost production in crops, dairy and meat with the macro-economic trends of growing population and the need for more food.

“The relevance of agriculture long term is extremely important,” she says. “Bayer needs to serve the backbone of the country which is the farmer and ensure they are going to be successful. We want to grow the business and want year on year double

digit growth.”

Bayers’ business in New Zealand in crop science alone is worth $30m annually and from the agricultural perspective in Australia is greater than $200 million annually.

Innovative work on mastitis has been driven from the company’s New Zealand research division based on teat sealants that prevent contaminants entering. A pipeline of about 80 products on average are under research in New Zealand, with about 12 registered for the global market each year.

Applegate says although Bayer has strong global innovations centres they also invest locally: in February they invested in a $14m wheat and oil breeding centre in Victoria.

They are investing heavily in animal health for the China market, and a recent biological acquisition is looking overseas at treatments for kiwifruit vine disease Psa.

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Rural News // may 21, 2013

management 29

Lucerne lifts mood and profit Mention the word ‘conversion’ in the context of land use, and most people assume you’re talking dairy conversion. But now the term is being applied to another trend: lucerne conversion. Andrew Swallow reports.

DRYLAND SHEEP and beef farmers Gundy and Lisa Anderson have a new spring in their step, and it’s largely thanks to one crop: lucerne.

As they earlier this

month relayed to a CRTorganised field day on their farm, Bog Roy Station, Omarama, four or five years ago they “were doing a fair bit of soul searching.”

“We were going backwards, spending a 100 days every winter feeding everything. We were even feeding cows a bit,” Gundy told the crowd.

They were also

embroiled in tenure review and “haemorrhaging” money on an irrigation consent renewal, spending too much time in Christchurch lobbying bureaucrats and talking to lawyers.

But over the next year “a whole lot of little events” came together which set them on the

farm facts

Area: 2860ha, inc 130ha irrigated Contour: Roughly equal areas of flat, rolling, and steep Ave Rain: 420mm/year Altitude: 350m-900m Stock: 3,900 merino ewes; 140 Hereford cows.

Fired up: Gundy Anderson enthuses about growth rates at the field day.

path of what scientists and technical support people are starting to call “a lucerne conversion”, not that the Andersons were unfamiliar with the crop: they were growing 30ha of it already. However, some expert advice revealed their cultivar wasn’t the best suited to the seriously cold winters the farm gets.

“We started putting in one with a bit more cold tolerance and it started to work really well.”

How they were managing the crop also changed: instead of cutting first then grazing later, if there was enough regrowth, they now graze in rotation, and take cuts by dropping out a paddock when growth gets ahead of stock intake.

Putting lucerne or

lucerne cocksfoot mixes onto some of the station’s limited irrigated area has also proved a winner.

“Our irrigated paddocks were all in older ryegrasses and we were having a hell of a job keeping our Merino hoggets clean on it…. We decided to whack in some lucerne and see what that was like under irrigation.”

The lucerne cocksfoot mixes are on slopes close to the shores of Lake Benmore, the thinking being the cocksfoot will help mop up any surplus nitrogen leaked from the lucerne.

On dryland areas lucerne has been contour sown, avoiding rocky knobs and boggy hollows.

The crop makes the most

of moisture that runs off the humps, while unsown areas provide fibrous forage and useful shelter, particularly at lambing.

Anderson says reading an article about how Marlborough farmer and lucerne pioneer Doug Avery used contour sowing in a similarly dry environment “was a bit of a light bulb moment.”

“The only difference here is we have a harder winter.”

Another eye-opener came on an Otago Merino Association exchange to South Africa.

“They were doing 120140% lambing [with Merinos] and lambing three times every two years. It’s estimated the average here

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Rural News // May 21, 2013

Pour On

30 management

Before: rolling country at bog Roy not yet converted to lucerne.

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[NZ] is about 90%. They were also getting lamb growth rates up to 320g/ day.

“The engine room for all that was lucerne. It shows what can be done when tucker isn’t a factor.

Then it’s just down to genetics.”

That insight prompted a shift in priorities back home at Bog Roy: feeding ewes became the focus, with lambs sold store.

With more feed being grown in the station’s paddocks, and the shift to selling store, pressure on hill country has eased. As a consequence it’s now growing more feed too.

“The free lunch with lucerne is what it does for all the rest of your

ground,” Anderson commented to the field day.

With more feed grown and saved on the hill, feeding out over winter’s been cut from 100 days to 30 days for most classes of stock.

“Our winter feed bill used to be $17,000. Now it’s about half that.”

He was warned of possible set-backs with stock on lucerne, such as clostridial diseases or bloat, but to date hasn’t had any issues. And when he has had a management question, Beef + Lamb New Zealand’s technical text answering service, manned by Lincoln University lucerne guru Derrick Moot, and others when necessary, has always provided a quick

answer, often before he’s left the paddock, he adds.

“I think it’s brilliant.”

With 153ha now sown with the crop, Anderson says he’s “pretty happy” with progress, though long-term he reckons 15-20% of the station could be converted.

“We’re still in the very early stages with this, I feel, but we’ve already had heavier store lambs, 2kg heavier, and produced 500 more lambs off the same number of ewes.”

Combined, that equated to 23t more liveweight sold and an extra $50,000 gross income.

Hoggets are 4-5kg heavier this year, the ewe flock’s just been increased from 3600 to 3900, and they’ve bought 40 in-calf heifers

to boost the beef cow herd from 100 to 140.

Converting Bog Roy’s lower native country with contour sown lucerne hasn’t come cheap. Mulching briar and other woody plants, establishing a ryecorn crop, then sowing the lucerne, cost up to $2000/ ha. But even allowing for that Anderson says the internal rate of return on investment has been calculated at 27%.

“That means we could borrow at 27% interest and still break even on it.

That hit me right between the eyes. We’ve just spent $160,000 over 12 years on getting an irrigation consent renewed. Imagine if we’d spent that on dryland development instead!”

Emerging weed problem TWO WEEDS are emerging as a potential problem in Anderson’s lucerne stands: mallow and horehound.

While Seedforce’s Liam Donnelly reassured field day visitors that “pretty much whatever weed we’re chasing, there’ll be an option”, horehound is one of the more difficult, requiring an off-label use of herbicide metsulfuron.

“Generally it’s a salvage job. It will knock the lucerne so you will miss a spring grazing. The alternative is to take [the paddock] through the lucerne establishment rotation again.”

Spot spraying or using a grubber on such problem weeds is another option if not too numerous, but the best approach is to deal with them before the crop is sown, he stressed.

As for mallow, flumetsulam (as in Preside or Head Start) works well, provided it’s applied while weeds are small and growing.

Winter sprays should prevent mallow (left) establishing but horehound (right) can be more tricky

Donnelly suggests where lucerne is rotationally grazed, an annual winter herbicide application of paraquat (as in Gramoxone) plus a residual such as simazine, atrazine, or terbuthylazine should be used.

“In older lucerne stands terbuthylazine is more effective on tough to kill grasses such as cocksfoot but you need good strong lucerne plants to handle it, two to three years-old at least.”

Late May or June is the ideal timing for such an annual clean up, preferably shortly after rain so weed leaves are clean and paraquat’s

dessicant action will be maximised.

Good coverage is essential so use at least 250-300L/ha of water and wait for a mild day, he advises.

The residual element of the mix is needed to provide protection from emerging weeds going into spring.

“If you’ve not got that residual in there you can face quite a weed burden.”

Where crops are being grown for hay cutting, the greater crop competition with weeds, and the removal of any weeds in the hay, can mean a herbicide every two or three years is adequate, he says.

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Rural News // May 21, 2013

32 management

Tarawera station

Finishing cattle on one of the flats.

Te Awahohono Forest Trust’s Tarawera Station is one of three finalists in this year’s Ahuwhenua Trophy for Maori Excellence in farming. Peter Burke reports from a field day held earlier this month, a final stage in the judging process.

THE FIRST thing that strikes you about Tarawera Station, 60km west of Napier on the Taupo road,

is its size, scale and type of country.

Tarawera runs 30,000 stock units: a lot by pakeha

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farm standards, but about average for Maori units. The 20,000 sheep – 16,000 ewes and about 4000 hoggets – are Highlander composites, essentially a Texel x Finnish Landrace, with a dash of Romney. The 1,000 breeding cows are Red Stabiliser, again a high performing breed suited to the rugged country.

The station is owned

by Te Awahohonu Forest Trust which in turn has 1150 shareholders or beneficial owners, receiving a mix of cash and other social dividends.

The Trust took over farm operations in 1987 and has slowly but surely built the property to what it is today – a large-scale highperformance operation ranking highly against similar operations, even all other farms. For example, last year it returned 10.3% on capital and earnings before interest, tax and rent (EBITR) was $485/ha – well above the mean and just outside the top 20% for its class.

Farm manager is 34-year-old Carl ReadJones. He’s a Wellingtonian who trained at Smedley College, then worked on a number of properties before taking on the Tarawera role 10 years ago. He says his objectives are to make the farm a profitable and sustainable business: that means turning a profit, but ensuring environmental matters are also prioritised.

Currently a key target is getting lambing percentage up from 137% to 150%. Calving is at 84% the target is 90% by 2014.

Read-Jones admits the drought, which has hit the station hard, could now make that a tough call.

Genetics are key component to plans to meet production goals, and why they settled with the Highlander flock.

“We initially had Romneys and while they scanned at up to 185% which is much the same as we get with the Highlander now, the Romney

fell down when it came to the actually lambing percentage.

“Given the droughts and other events we’ve had here the lambing percentage with the Highlanders hasn’t been compromised.”

Soils are pumice-based, so require lots of rain, but inherent fertility means when it does rain grass “bounces back quickly.”

Earlier this month they were still waiting for that to happen.

“Water historically isn’t an issue, but this year it has been,” says ReadJones.

“We’ve worked it out that 570 hectares have had no water [for stock] at all.”

Stock have had to be given access to neighbouring paddocks to get to water.

“We have 1000 hectares that is reticulated and this is certainly been a huge help.”

A plan was already in place to reticulate water to dry paddocks before the drought: as we travelled the farm for the field day there was evidence of this on a farm of this size, contour and height it’s a hard and expensive task.

While the farm looked green, it was still in the grip of a ‘green drought’: covers were much lower than normal and with winter approaching, time running out.

“We have set trigger dates and acted on those.”

Decisions on what to do, and when, if rain doesn’t arrive in the interim, are made in advance.

“We started off [selling] trading stock and slowly worked our way up. Unfortunately we had to get into capital stock and whether we sell more will be dependent on what happens in the next month.”

Farm consultant Bob Cotterell has a dual role at the station, arguably a conflicting one: consultant and board member. However, it works for Trust and farm and he has vast experience working with Maori

Rural News // may 21, 2013

management 33

success at scale Trusts such as Te Awahohonu.

He see the challenges at Tarawera as the contour, access, especially to parts of the farm in winter, and the climate. This year’s drought is the worst he’s seen in nearly 50 years and accurate measurement of pasture growth and regularly updating feed budgets has taken on a whole new level of importance.

With feed covers low, stock numbers are down and during the field day

farm tour just a few sheep in the distance were glimpsed.

“We have destocked quite considerably and are carrying about 1,600 less ewes than normal,” says Cotterell. We have no ewe hoggets – they have gone to one of our other farm – so we are probably back about 6,000 or 7,000 stock units on what we normally run.

“The bottom line is still going to be ok but the question is going to be,

Chairman’s comments The board which runs the Trust sets KPIs – key performance indicators – which go beyond profitability: they want soil erosion cut with more trees planted, optimal fertiliser use and surrounding forests protected from pests.

Sustainability is a verb, not an adjective, on Tarawera.

Already 681ha of Trust land is riparian planting and that’s increasing. Erosion is a problem but strategic establishment of trees is gradually reducing the risk.

Tamihana Nuku chairs the Trust and attributes much of the success to Tamihan Nuku Cottrell’s advice.

Since Cottrell arrived there’s been a steady climb in farm performance, says Nuku.

He’s very proud of what’s been achieved and said I’d have been ‘blown away’ by the farm but for the drought.

As with all Maori incorporations, communication with its 1150 beneficial owners is a challenge but technology helps. “We notify them regularly and invite them to field days. We have a field day on each farm and forest each year.”

Shareholders get a modest annual cash dividend which Nuku says they try to keep consistent, moderating variations in returns.

Initial judging praised the Trust’s governance, especially a programme of Associate Trustees to smooth succession. It also got ticks for consistent financial performance and programmes to upskill staff. How it compares with Ahuwhenua Tropy finalists will be revealed June 7 when the winner is announced in at a dinner in Napier.

Whatever the outcome, Nuku and his board are pleased with what’s been achieved, and that they’ve reached the finals. He believes that they can still get better.

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how can we maintain our capital stock numbers so that we have some impetus next year to go through a one year recovery rather than a four or five year recovery?”

Already some key decisions have been made. For a start, there will be no hogget mating. It simply hasn’t been successful at Tarawera and ewes will only be mated as two tooths. The other decision is to turn Tarawera into a breeding unit and

spring, as well as workfinish lambs a farm called ing through the current Gwavas which the trust drought. now leases. Cotterell says it will mean better weights station stats at a glance on lambs earlier lambs and • Effective area: 2,865ha build on the • Contour: mostly medium to steep real strengths hill, a few flats. of Tarawera • Rain: 960mm/year (10yr ave) Station.

• Soil: pumice As winter • Subdivision: 245 paddocks approaches, • Pasture: older ryegrass and clover Cotterell and on hills, new pastures on flats.

Read-Jones • Stock: 20,000 ewes & hoggets; are already 1000 breeding cows. focussed on

Rugged country: a view across some of the station’s 2865ha (effective).

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Rural News // May 21, 2013

34 management

LUDF challenged on grazing changes andrew swallow

A RELAXATION of postgraze pasture residual principles and a rapid grazing round lead to some pointed questions at Lincoln University Dairy

Farm’s latest Focus Day. The management team explained the post grazing residual target is now a range of seven to nine clicks on the platemeter, which is 1480-1750kgDM/ ha. Prior to this season the

rule was seven clicks.

“Those residuals looked the same all season,” farm manager Peter Hancox pointed out.

“In summer the ‘steminess’ holds the plate up.”

Lee echoed that.

“To me, the key thing with residual management is you need to link the [platemeter] number to what you actually see and what the cows are telling you. There a no straight lines in a biologi-

Management team: consultant Steve Lee and farm manager Peter Hancox.

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cal system.”

If cows are driven to achieve exactly the same platemeter reading dayin, day-out, throughout the season, the “ramifications” would be quite significant, he added.

Agriseeds’ Graham Kerr chipped into the debate, noting the farm is milking fewer cows but using more nitrogen and growing more grass, so instead of about 4.6tDM of pasture available per cow per year, it’s now about 5.7tDM/cow/year.

“The system has fundamentally changed. Milksolids per cow has gone up significantly. Part of that is because the residual has gone up a bit.

“Perhaps they’re not completely harvesting down to the residuals they were previously but always getting down to 7 clicks is very hard. They’re probably being more honest about what’s actually happened.”

Grazing on a 16-day round – an unusually rapid rotation of the cows around the farm – was also questioned.

“You’ve got to realise for a lot of that period we were growing grass well above demand,” retorted Hancox.

Lee acknowledged if he hadn’t been on the farm, he’d have had the same concern, “but seeing how we were going 16 days was quite appropriate.”

While the mower was out much more often this season, some weeks covering over 50ha, it was either pre or post graze to manage pasture quality. Only about half the amount of silage, compared to the average for the previous seasons, was made.

Lee implied that was a

good thing, with pasture growth better matched to demand from the cows.

“This season and last the cows have been much more aggressive in their grazing and intakes have been higher.”

Use of gibberellic acid as a pasture growth promotant was reduced in spring, but ramped up in autumn, partly to fill “a bit of a feed gap,” admitted Hancox, as more supplement than anticipated had been used earlier in the year.

However, besides promoting growth, using more gibb in autumn should “soak up excess nitrogen in the soil. From an environmental point of view that’s no bad thing,” added Lee. The farm’s used 350kg/ ha of nitrogen this season, slightly more than last and a leap on the previously self-imposed limit of 200kg/ha.

With the loss of eco-n and leaching limits looming as the Canterbury Water Management Strategy unfolds, next year use will be reined back to 260kg/ha as part of a suite of measures to try to further cut estimated nitrate leaching to water from the current 26-33kgN/ha.

However, as Ian Brown of Environment Canterbury pointed out to the focus day, even that current figure is a lot better than those estimated for many dairy farms in Canterbury, particularly those on lighter soils.

“This farm has heavier soils and in terms of nutrient loss it’s at the medium to lower end.

“On the stonier soils we’re into 60 to 80kg/ha of N losses. That’s where some of the bigger challenges might be.”

LATEST STORIES EVERY DAY Get upto date news at www.ruralnews.co.nz

Rural News // may 21, 2013

animal health 35

Coats work, bedding more tricky expensive but the comfort dogs receive through freezing winter nights means valuable nutrition isn’t wasted on warmth and can be utilised holding condition and energy.

If you think that’s a bit over the top, do at least try it on dogs that are old, have arthritis, or are sick and convalescing over winter: it really helps with recovery.

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Most materials used for dog beds absorb moisture and working dogs regularly get wet in winter.

They’re put away at the end of the day wet and covered in mud. Similarly if they are tied up and it is raining, they get wet when stretching their legs or wanting to be let off. In a motel there is the same problem, unless the run is weatherproofed, and how often do you see that?

The damp dog goes in and out of the kennel,

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and the bedding absorbs the moisture and soon gets saturated. The dog is then lying on wet bedding, which must be bad for joints. Before long the floor boards are wet and going mouldy.

I know some people put the bedding on top of the kennels to dry, but there aren’t enough hot sunny days. Unless you regularly swap spare dry beds for each kennel, I feel the dogs are better on wooden floors; they can lick themselves clean and dry, and their body heat dries the damp flooring.

Some people use old carpet, or sacks full of wool, but it very quickly becomes sodden – I know I’ve tried it. Others put hay or straw in the kennel; it too isn’t immune to moisture, and there is always the risk of a dog ingesting too much when eating, and becoming constipated.

I have wondered about heavy duty rubber matting. It wouldn’t absorb water but it would give the dog’s joints some cushioning, plus it would be tough, not very palatable and may last quite well.

I’d be very interested in hearing from anyone who has solution for working dog bedding: I’ll happily pass it on so other dogs may benefit.

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TWENTY ODD years ago my gorgeous Huntaway bitch Bride lost weight with an illness, and even though she recovered fully I struggled to get the weight back on her. I think the fact that she had a very fine short coat and it was winter had a lot of bearing on the problem. The food I was pumping in was being used for warmth, and even though her condition was improving, it wasn’t fast enough for my liking.

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Rural News // May 21, 2013

36 animal health

Crop transition needs extra care a n d rew swa llow andrews@ruralnews.co.nz

TRANSITIONING LIVESTOCK onto winter crops needs extra care this year where stock, especially pregnant ewes, are already in less than ideal condition due to drought.

“It takes 10 to 14 days for the microbes in the rumen to adjust to the

change of diet. If you don’t give them that adjustment period they’re going to lose condition,” warned PGG Wrightson technical specialist, Andrew Dowling at one of the firm’s recent seminar series.

With many ewes already below the ideal body condition score of three, any such check will cause further production

losses.

“A condition score three ewe produces 80% more colostrum than one at condition score two.

That’s the energy that gets your lambs going for those first four weeks.”

Lighter ewes have also been shown to scan 20% lower, to be twice as likely to be dead or missing at weaning, and cycle later

causing a season-to-season impact.

Dowling stressed the need to regularly condition score ewes (see panel) and draft out light animals, particularly those bearing multiples. Scoring by eye isn’t good enough, especially with ewes running towards the scorer down a drafting race. A hand should be put on every ewe’s back to get a true picture.

“It’s cheap, and easy, and better than weighing because [condition score] is relative to the size of sheep.”

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Supplement iodine for ewes on swede or turnip Allow for waste, typically 30%.

on that ewe.”

Anyone anticipating scanning at 150% or more should not only be getting multiples and singles identified, but asking the scanner to do triplets too so mobs can be split and feed allocated accordingly.

“Scanning at 90 days is one of the best tools to get increased survival of lambs because the feed demand of those twin and triplet ewes is so different from single-bearing ewes.”

Ewes carrying twins will need 2kgDM/day of 11MJME/kgDM feed from

six weeks prior to lambing, triplets even more, however, rumen capacity limits intake in the later stages of pregnancy.

“They simply can’t eat enough.”

Consequently, everything possible should be done to make eating easy for multiple bearing ewes.

“For the last two weeks of pregnancy they need to be on at least 4cm of grass.”

Multiple bearing ewes can be fed on crop but don’t make them clean it up, added Dowling. “Use your singles to do that.”

‘Handy’ condition scoring

10-14 days rumen adaption Don’t make multiple bearing ewes clean up on crop, says PGW’s Andrew Dowling (inset).

Even within flocks there can be an incredible variation in ewe bodyweight for animals at the same condition score, just due to the natural variation in size, he pointed out.

By scanning, 90 days after tupping, energy demand of multiples is already higher than singles. Lighter animals should be drafted out and preferentially fed. If a long-acting drench is going to be used, scanning’s a good time to do it.

“They are most effective when the pressure is

DOWLING DESCRIBED an easy way to remember what condition scores two through to three feel like, without the need for complex diagrams or photos.

All you need are your hands. A hand cupped round the short ribs on a condition score two ewe is about the same as a hand cupped over the tips of the extended fingers of your other hand.

Condition score two-and-a-half feels like cupping one hand over the other with

the fingers curled over, while condition score three is like putting one hand over your other clenched as a fist.

Condition score 2.5 “Don’t second guess yourself. Put a hand on their backs and use a spray can.”

Trans-Tasman FMD plan NEW ZEALAND and Australia are to work more closely on keeping Foot and Mouth Disease out.

Earlier this month Australian Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, senator Joe Ludwig, and New Zealand Minister for Primary Industries Nathan Guy announced a new action plan including key activities (see panel).

“FMD poses one of the single greatest threats to livestock industries and rural communities in New

WEEK 5

Zealand and Australia,” says Ludwig.

“We’ve estimated that a large outbreak would cost Australia $AUD 16 billion to control….

“Collaborative government action will help ensure we are both adequately prepared for this disease.”

Guy says both countries were already extremely aware of the importance of preparing for the threat, given the importance of the agricultural sector to both economies.

WEEK 4

“This work will build on the strong relationship we already have through years of working together on animal health and biosecurity issues,” he says.

While both countries will work towards a coordinated action Plan, the best strategy is to not let FMD ever get into either country in the first place, he adds.

“Prevention remains the first priority for both countries through our world class biosecurity systems.”

WEEK 3

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Rural News // may 21, 2013

animal health 37

Bull feet a growing problem CLAWED AND long feet are appearing more frequently in breeding cattle resulting in shorter working lifespans for bulls, says visiting Australian cattle specialist, Bob Dent.

Dent is appearing around the country in a 14-talk Beef and Lamb organised series discussing genetics and replacement selection in beef herds.

Earlier this month, at an event at the property of Beef Producer Of The Decade Chris Biddles, he said he had seen an increasing number of British-bred cattle with the problem of clawed toes and long toes.

That observation was supported by a recent Austrailian-wide grading of 25,000 Angus cattle which found a large proportion tend towards clawed or heavily angled feet. Dent says he would not be surprised if this was indicitive of cattle in New Zealand.

“The incidence of feet and leg issues is likely to be similar in NZ to our experience.”

Claw and long toes are likely due to back legs that curve in too much and front legs that are too straight, says Dent.

A wider problem among all beef cattle breeds is overly straight legs that provide no cush-

WEEK 2

ioning. These become a major problem when using bulls in herds (as opposed to taking semen for artificial insemination) and beef farmers have been noticing an overall reduction in working life of bulls over the past few years.

that allow feet to hit the ground at the same time when walking. Claw heels wear evenly.

Dent says a beef class scoring system set up by the Australian Beef Industry in the 1980s can be a useful guide as it scores

productive life.

“The more variation you have got the more the chance for problems.”

Getting it right can be very profitable, a point Dent illustrated with a picture of a Charolais bull during his presentation.

Foot check: visiting Australian specialist Bob Dent checks out this Angus bull at a Northland field day earlier this month.

“When bull buyers go out to the marketplace, buy a bull, and take him home, he needs to last a while to get decent return on investment….

“The average working life of a bull in temperate locations is only three seasons so if the farmer buys them as a two-year-old they will need to replace them when they’re four.”

“When bull buyers go out to the marketplace, buy a bull, and take him home, he needs to last a while to get decent return on investment….

“The average working life of a bull in temperate locations is only three seasons so if the farmer buys them as a two-year-old they will need to replace them when they’re four.”

But a bull with good structure can keep working even when seven to nine years old so that three season figure indicates feet and leg problems are curtailing working lives, he points out.

Well structured bulls have rear legs with a bended knee, aligned with their rump, and shoulders which have a reasonable degree of angle on them

many of the relevant traits across a wide number of breeds.

Most traits are scored between one and nine with the ideal number being a five. Animals with a structural score in the middle of the chart are likely to have a good, long,

Treating late autumn/early winter is the best time to ensure young stock are well covered during their development and the fertility of cows is not compromised in the coming breeding season.

The bull is “seven years old, gets used in two joinings a year and gets pushed to 70 cows each joining. The reason we nitpick with structure is so that we get bulls like that which provide a good return on investment.”

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WEEK 1

avoid sleepy sickness in my ewes”.

PrE-lamb With confidEncE

“Last year I vaccinated my ewes 2 weeks prior to lambing.

After yarding, 15 or 20 ewes were slow to move off, and many of them sat down and wouldn’t get up. We called the vet in, but even with treatment we lost 12 ewes to Sleepy Sickness.

The vet said mustering and yarding so close to lambing pushed them over the edge – and they were all twin bearing.

This year I’m using NILVAX – you can vaccinate 6

weeks before lambing, so they’re not at so much risk. I feel like I’m giving them the best treatment, and the best care before lambing”

ELE-00800-RN-B

ga re t h g i llat t

Rural News // May 21, 2013

38 animal health

Welfare bill and strategy released a n d rew swa llow andrews@ruralnews.co.nz

A WELFARE Act Amendment Bill could result in spot fines being imposed for animal welfare wrongdoing.

The bill was tabled in Parliament by Minister for Primary Industry Nathan Guy earlier this month,

days after he released an animal welfare strategy document, ‘Animal Welfare Matters’.

Federated Farmers says it supports ‘Animal Welfare Matters’ but hasn’t commented on the bill’s content.

“This strategy reaffirms our international leadership and reputation,”

said Feds’ president Bruce Wills. “It is a strategic means to ensure this reputation is… improved and Federated Farmers supports it.”

Guy says the strategy is a formal foundation for New Zealand’s animal welfare legislation and policy.

“It says that it matters how animals are treated,

Nathan Guy

and that we have responsibilities toward animals.

It also says that using animals for activities like farming and racing is acceptable as long as it is humane.”

Guy followed up the release of the strategy by tabling the Animal Welfare Act Amendment Bill. If passed, the bill will under-

write current codes of welfare with regulations.

“The bill will allow us to create enforceable regulations that set out how farm and domestic animals should be treated,” says Guy. “It also gives wider powers to deal with people who breach welfare laws.”

The bill is the result of a review of the 1999 Act. It will make the legislation easier to enforce, clearer and more transparent, Guy says.

a result several changes have been incorporated since the discussion document…

“The vast majority of New Zealanders who take great care of their animals will hardly notice the changes made in this bill. However there will be greater sanctions for the few who mistreat animals.”

With New Zealand earning about $20 billion/ year from animal product exports it is vital our

“The vast majority of New Zealanders who take great care of their animals will hardly notice the changes made in this bill. However there will be greater sanctions for the few who mistreat animals.”

Are you prepared to take a hit?

“The new regulations will be developed to support our 15 codes of welfare, and future codes, which cover a wide variety of animals.” Codes are developed by the National Animal Welfare Advisory Committee (NAWAC).

The bill includes protection for wild animals, research animals, and live exports.

“These proposals have been through rigorous consultation and as

world-leading reputation for animal welfare is protected, says Guy. The Bill and Strategy follow over 2000 public submissions during a consultation period last year.

The strategy lists four main routes to improved animal welfare: better planning to prevent animal welfare problems; better animal husbandry, science and technology; clear expectations and sanctions.

A strategy, not an action plan

ELE-00790-RN

MPI SAYS the animal welfare strategy is not a detailed action plan but documents essential features of the animal welfare system and aims to identify where improvements need to be made.

It says it will work with industry sectors to agree actions and work programmes to deliver on the strategy’s expectations.

Initial priorities are to: Work with NAWAC, sector and interest groups to agree priority animal welfare issues and identify the best interventions for dealing with these.

Implement changes arising from Animal Welfare Act amendments, including developing animal welfare regulations and creating a broader set of compliance tools and penalties.

Continue to implement the joint Government/ Industry animal welfare compliance plan Safeguarding our Animals, Safeguarding our Reputation.

Review animal welfare communication tools to ensure that people in charge of animals, and other audiences, are getting the information they require in the form of most use to them.

Continue to co-invest in research to inform animal welfare standards and guidelines, and to support improved technologies and practices.

Continue to collaborate internationally on animal welfare and help to develop international animal welfare guidelines.

One shot could save a hiding Scours can knock you sideways – hurting your calves, your family and your income. And it can strike on any farm. With Rotavec® Corona, a single shot before calving helps protect your calves against coli. Talk to three of the most common causes of infectious scours – rotavirus, coronavirus and E. coli your vet today about Rotavec Corona – the easy, one shot way to help your calves stand up to scours.

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Rural News // may 21, 2013

animal health 39

Homeopathic teatspray registration first in NZ sud es h k i ssu n sudeshk@ruralnews.co.nz

HOMEOPATHIC FARM Support Ltd, Hamilton, has gained approval to sell a homeopathic natural teat conditioner.

Registered by MPI under the Agricultural Compounds and Veterinary Medicines Act 1997, the teat spray is a first for New Zealand.

German-born nurse Tineke Verkade, who set up HFS 16 years ago, says getting the certificate of registration is another feather in the cap for her company. HFS has a range of sprays to deal with animal health issues on farm.

After spending “lots of money” and dealing with MPI for nearly three years, Verkade says having the teat conditioner on the market is a great feeling.

“It’s very pleasing and now farmers want me write a book,” says Verkade, who already has three books on homeopathy and farming to her name.

HFS Natural Teat Conditioner is a teat spray that can be used after every milking to maintain teat health, Verkade says.

It treats cracked teats, blemishes, sores/pox and sore teats.

Available on HFS’s website, in 10L concentrate containers priced at

$124 each, inc GST, each can makes up to 100L of spray.

Verkade says she started looking into a natural teat conditioner after interest from farmers.

“Farmers have been complaining to us about cracked teats and how the conventional sprays haven’t worked,” she told Rural News. “One farmer complained he used several spurges but the teats were still cracked. During our on-farm trial, the natural teat conditioner showed results within three days.

“Also, the farm workers like the smell of the spray and cell count is also down.”

HFS trialed the product over a month in 2011 on six farms between South Auckland and Southland, covering 1278 cows.

At the opening of HFS’ second plant in Hamilton last week, homeopathy was backed by several farmers and organic industry stakeholders.

Organics consultant Bill Quinn, Paeroa, says the teat conditioner is a great achievement for the dairy industry.

“The fact that a small company has negotiated the complexities of the compliance requirements of the ACVM Act is a significant achievement in these times of fiscal restraint and increasing

bureacractic compliance.”

Desrae Scown, who milks cows with partner Clinton in South Taranaki, has been using homeopathy on her farm for 15 years. She claims

at least 25% of Fonterra farmers are using some form of homoeopathy.

“The products HFS develops are a huge asset to users of homoeopathy and the farming Indus-

try,” she says.

Nelson organics pioneer Seagar Mason says homeopathy is a valuable tool for maintaining the health of livestock and farms.

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Massey honours ANIMAL HEALTH entrepreneur Don McLaren was awarded an honorary doctorate at Massey University’s Manawatu graduation ceremony last week, adding to an already long list of accolades.

McLaren started animal remedy company Bomac Laboratories in 1958. It has since held 154 patents, 55 inventions and registered 360 products in New Zealand and 180 in Australia.

“I’m certainly not a doctor of anything but I have shown the way, with developing new products, many of which are registered and sold in countries throughout the world,” acknowledged McLaren on receiving the award.

“We have always worked closely with vets,” he adds.

“The profession was not at the forefront of marketing agricultural products when we started, but we put the spine back into it…

“We also spent millions on research and are now working well with many universities that offer the special expertise needed to produce a product.”

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Rural News // May 21, 2013

40 machinery & products

Auto-drafter a time and money saver P ETER BURKE peterb@ruralnews.co.nz

A NEW auto drafting machine is making a huge savings in time and money on a large-scale sheep and beef farm, near Dannevirke, in the Tararua district.

John Heald manages Pohuetai farms, running 9500 Highlander ewes – they go to either a Highlander or Primera ram – or about 300 breeding cows on the 2000ha property. While the farm produces 15,000 lambs for sale to Silver Fern Farms, an important part of the operation is the ‘elite’

flock, which produces breeding rams.

Heald has farmed in the area all his life and is a great believer in the value of technology to improve farm efficiency and profitability.

On Pohuetai he has had the support of its owners, the Knight family, to invest in technology and this includes the latest Prattley auto drafter for sheep.

But it starts long before the drafter. All the lambs from this elite flock have EID tags put on them when they are docked.

Heald says, at the same time as the tails are cut off, a tissue or blood sample from each lamb is taken, bar coded and recorded.

The DNA is then analysed at the laboratory, which determines the dam and sire of each lamb.

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“All that information is going on to SIL and can be used in the ram sorting process. For instance when we do our mating sort, the geneticist will have an idea of what traits they want to concentrate on,” he explains.

“For example, it could be a higher weaning weight or some other trait then a match can be done. This data is uploaded to the Prattley auto drafter and the job is done.”

Pohuetai has had the new Prattley drafter since late last year – just in time for weaning. Heald says the drafter has saved one labour unit during weighing and has also led to other efficiencies and greater accuracy with drafting. With the new system in place, up to 650 sheep can be put through the drafter in an hour –

John Heald says the Prattley auto drafter has turned a week-long job into a one day effort.

compared with 450 under the older model.

“The big thing for us is the accuracy in the weighing. If we are doing a sort for the Highlander elite mating programme for instance, we can load the XR up with the information and right files,

programme it and that machine will then draft five different ways 100% accurately.

“That’s based on data because all those ewes have got electronic tags in their ear, which acts as a transponder and that pulls up a 15 digit number

and that puts the animal in one of these five drafting gates,” he adds.

Heald says before the advent of this technology, it could take a week to sort 1200 ewes for mating, but with this new Prattley system, the same job can be done in a day.

Self-powered water pump for farmers E B ENGINEERING Solutions, a small Dunedin business with “global aspirations” offers a simple way to pump water.

The company’s selfpowered Hydrobine works with low-flow and low pressure water supplies in even the flattest terrain. It can pump at least 10,000 L/day to a height of 100 m.

See it on You Tube video.

Tel. 03-448-9549 www.ebengineering.co.nz

Rural News // may 21, 2013

machinery & proucts 41

High capacity, low weight feeder THE JF-STOLL range of 3-auger diet feeders now contains two new models – of high capacity and low height, suiting passage through buildings below 3 m, says distributor CB Norwood.

They can feed 220 dairy cows effectively in one mix, powered only by a 110-120hp tractor. Two versions are on sale: VM 29-3 (side door) prepared for five openings; and VM 29-3 B with cross conveyor and big front door for feeding dry mixes with high fibre content.

The lower sides of the tub are made of 8mm high strength steel; the augers are made of high strength steel with 15mm auger flights.

Wireless weighing is standard – Feed Manager, upgradeable to the programmable Pro Feed Plus system – for a “one-time modest cost” that then allows flexible ration planning and monitoring of mixes.

This ration information is transmitted wirelessly to and from the farm computer to the main monitor normally mounted in the

handler/loader tractor.

Eight weigh cells are fitted as standard; notable because many others only use three, four or six. Weighing is therefore more accurate.

The new models are

fitted with a twin axle spring-loaded tandem system and the standard wheel 435/50R19.5 which gives a total height of 2.92 m.

Tel. 06 356 4920 www.jfstoll.co.nz

Boat diesel bugs can be beaten!

BUGS INFESTING boat diesel fuel systems can be beaten, says a company specialising in this work.

Diesel Clean, of Devonport, Auckland, offers tests and techniques to detect and combat contamination of diesel in fuel tanks. (At least 100 fungai, bacteria and algae will grow and flourish in diesel, the company says. A single cell can become 7 million in just 24 hours.)

Best to keep up a regular testing regime to keep ahead of the problem, says the company’s principal Gordon Legge.

“Diesel bug microbes thrive wherever there is food and water,” says Legge. “Marine diesel fuel systems are ideal habitats for bacteria, yeasts and moulds. The trend towards biofuels is creating pressure for reducing sulphur and increasing biofuel content. Sulphur kills bugs and biofuels contain additional water, so the changing fuel specifications are set to make marine diesel fuel an even more bug friendly environment.

“The diesel bug when grown unchecked can block fuel filters and stop engines. They are so corrosive that they can eat through even stainless steel fuel tanks, over time.”

Diesel Clean offers various options: • Checking the inside of fuel tanks by means of water-detecting paste and visual inspection, checking the filters for evidence of contamination, and using an endoscope camera to take pictures / video inside tanks.

• Cleaning and polishing the fuel tanks – a ‘nomess’ closed cycle system is used to remove diesel bug(s), water and foreign objects. Then the cleaned fuel is returned to the tank. At that point a long-term strategy is suggested for reducing contamination.

• Fuel tank access – working ports may be needed in the tanks. Boat builders often wrongly assume tanks will never need cleaning, Legge says. And during this work is a good time to install or repair fuel gauges and/or site glasses.

• Maintain fittings up to and including the primary filters, fuel fillers, fuel lines, vents, pickups and filters.

Diesel Clean will organise and take samples for lab analysis, then report on the quantity and quality of microbial contamination and recommend a treatment course.

Tel. 0800 482 652 or 021944985 dieselclean.co.nz

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Rural News // May 21, 2013

42 machinery & products

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LANDPOWER NEW Zealand took the opportunity at this year’s Central District Field Days to release its all new Arion 500/600 series of mid-range tractors from Claas.

With seven models from 140hp to 190hp, they have a range of improvements in technology and comfort usually only found in high-horsepower tractors. There is a range of four and six cylinder engines well-suited to farmers as well as contractors.

There are three models in the four cylinder 500 series and four models in the six cylinder 600 series with both engines featuring four valve technology, inter cooling and a diesel particulate filter technology (DPF) to meet the latest Tier 4i emission standards.

“With the DPF technology there is no need for supplementary secondary fluids,” explains product manager Claas tractors Dave Knowles.

External features include a three-step fixed, draw bar and a piton hook.

Driver comfort is paramount with the improvements and redesign of the cab. Claas says it has the only midrange tractor that comes with a four-point mechanical cab suspension as standard. It has air suspended seats, adjustable steering column and unrestricted all-round visibility.

All controls fall easily to the driver’s hand with all functions operated from a joystick control and a computer screen with all details available from the CEBIS monitoring system.

Available ex-factory are front-end-loaders, front linkages, a range of front and rear ballasting options and a range of tyres to suit any application.

Tel. 021 287 5853 www.landpower.co.nz

Flood-proof fence a bright idea FENCING FLOOD-PRONE areas, especially level places near streams, may now be less daunting, says electric fence company Taragate.

If fenced with the usual tantalised posts and one or two high tensile wires connected to the mains power, flooding in such places can be a minor disaster.

The wooden posts may snap, or at least lie down, and the wire and posts then form a ‘bird’s nest’ of debris, posts and wire. If the wire does not break (630 kg breaking strain) the electric fence will short out, affecting other parts of the farm.

Then follows a nightmare – trying to resurrect and repair and untangle high tensile wire. The mess will often be buried where it lies. As the wire rusts it can add pollution to the water ways.

Taragate’s offered solution is a system of flexible fencing which in the event of flooding can easily be repaired and back operating within a short time.

General manager Kerry Powell says the idea came following a suggestion from Herd Homes general manager Tom Pow. “Tom and I were discussing this problem and I came up with what I believe is a solution and Tom has been trialling it on his farm near Whangarei,” Powell told Rural News.

He says the idea is for the new flood fencing system to be promoted by Herd Homes and marketed through Taragate’s extensive range of distributors.

The first product is a new Taragate Flo-Wire – a mixed metal poly wire of stainless steel and tin/copper wires with a planned lifespan of two years. The wires have coloured tracer strands which will fade during its lifetime to indicate when the wire should

Taragate’s Kerry Powell.

be replaced. It has a breaking strain of 50kg.

“It will survive several floods/washings without losing its strength or conductivity,” explains Powell.

If there is a flood the wire can be retrieved and if entangled can be cut and re-joined with a knot and the fence can be up and operating promptly.

The poly wire is attached to the standards by small cable ties with a low breaking strain to break before major damage can occur.

Completing the system is a new Taravator end post strainer, where the poly wire is attached by an ‘R’ clip, which under a strain can detach, disconnecting the power so the shorting does not affect the rest of the farm’s electric fence system.

“The secret of the flood fencing system is that it is designed to give way if placed under only a moderate strain before major problems occur,” Powell says.

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Rural News // may 21, 2013

machinery & products 43 Twin floor spreader in demand ROBERTSON MANUFACTURING’S Transpread, 770 TF (twin floor) fertiliser spreader is one of the agricultural engineering firms top sellers.

“More farmers and contractors are realising the advantage of twin floors with each half delivering fertiliser to the respective spinners,” explains managing director Don Robertson.

Each half of the floor has a separate drive from each rear wheel, which on a straight run delivers fertiliser at the same rate.

The advantage is that at corners when turning, the inside drive delivers less to the inside spinner as it has to spread to a smaller area. Conversely the outside drive speeds up the floor

delivering more material to the outside spinner because as the machine turns it has to cover a greater area.

“The twin floor is also available on our 500 series with 500mm conveyors,” Robertson adds This machine can spread a half width if needed and having twin floors gives load sharing

to the drive units. It can spread up to 30m. It has a seven tonne capacity for superphosphate with stainless steel body so all fertiliser drops onto the 730mm wide conveyor to totally empty the hopper.

“We have a lot of optional extras to cater for farmers and contractors different needs.”

Tel. 03 303 7228

Gerard Rooney

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A RECENT innovation by feeder manufacturer Advantage Feeders allows drystock farmers to select which animals they feed supplements to, says company director Gerard Rooney.

The company has released a foldable cage that fits over its Next Generation grain feeders allowing the farmer to choose how much each animal gets, and which animals get fed.

The cage has a smaller entrance which allows smaller animals through to access meal, but keeps larger animals out. This allows farmers to put mixed-aged animals into the same paddock and offer grain to the smaller stock – without them having to compete with older, larger animals. Rooney says this is ideal in situations where drystock farmers are trying to provide grain or meal to calves still being fed by cows.

“It promotes the development of a proper functioning rumen. The faster the gut is developed, the better the eventual growth, health and nutrient digestion of the calf,” says Rooney. “It means increased survival rates and early weaning to allow cows to regain condition quicker.”

Rooney says the horizontal bar can also be set to prevent animals beyond a certain size getting in, allowing young stock to develop at a faster rate.

New to the New Zealand market, the product has been sold for 12 months in Australia and UK where “customers there have been impressed with the results – 7-monthold weaners on creep feed look like 9-month-old weaners without.”

The concept of the creeper gate is not new in the US and UK, says Rooney, but the company has worked on a folding system which allows for easy portability.

The pivoted gates fold up above the feeder for easy transport through gateways. At 50kg, for the larger model, it doesn’t add a massive amount of weight to the total weight of feeders.

Rooney says the transportability impresses farmers he has shown it to. “They are amazed to see how the gates fold up. At shows, I can often do this 50 times/day. It is a good workout for my quads.”

Rooney also says there are no issues with animals getting trapped inside the fenced area. “They can turn around or back out. The calves realise that they have constant access to supplement so they learn that they don’t need to be around all day long.”

* Minimum 30% deposit required. Repayment holiday available till 1/1/2014. Total GST to be paid in month 3.

Normal lending criteria applies. Offer available for a limited time only.

Rural News // May 21, 2013

44 machinery & products

Contractors spreading their business Mary-Anne Murphy farm 205ha and lease another 30ha, growing maize and ADDING A spreader to their contracting business winter grazing on contract was a strategic decision for while running a contracting business. The cona Waikato couple. tracting business ranges Kirk Simpson and from Raglan district, where they now live, to the western bays of Taupo. They used Giltrap 5001 spreader to live in Te Kuiti, ❱❱ Bin made from 3mm hence much of stainless steel their client base ❱❱ Stainless steel deflectors is still in that behind the spinners region. ❱❱ Bin capacity 5 cubic They have metres taken a steady-as❱❱ Tare weight 1750kg she-goes approach ❱❱ Carries 6 tonne of to growing the consuperphosphate. tracting business a da m fr i c k e r

spec's snapshot

and have grown as the work, and finances, have allowed. The business was originally focused on cultivation work and the spreading work complements that nicely.

“We were looking to add a shoulder to our business,” says Kirk.

“Working with a consultant, we crunched the numbers on the spreader and decided it would reduce down time across the business.”

He says with the spreading work, he and the driver he employs now have enough work in front of them to work con-

stantly, and keep the tractors rolling.

After shopping around, he bought a Giltrap 5001 spreader from Roger Gill Agriculture in Huntly and put it to work in early October 2012. At the time of writing he had covered 1305ha with it, spreading 1900 tonne – mostly lime, but also fertiliser, chicken manure, even a bit of dairy effluent solids.

They run two and a half tractors: two John Deeres of their own plus a lease tractor run during the spring peak. The John Deere 6930 Premium has been performance tuned,

Kirk Simpson: “We combined the numbers on the spreader and decided it would reduce downtime across the business.”

taking the power rating at the PTO from the standard 160-180hp up to 205hp by remapping the CPU. They also own an air-seed drill, offset discs, a power harrow and rotatiller.

A trailed spreader rather than a truck spreader made the most sense for the business, allowing Kirk to fully utilise the tractors he has already paid for. It has clocked up 900 hours since October with no problems, and has easily paid for itself.

“We had originally calculated the return we needed based on only half the hours we’ve actually ended up doing, so we’re well ahead.”

The Giltrap 5001 was more expensive than some brands he considered, but it was well built and offered some features he was after: “I wanted the accuracy of hydraulic drive rather than ground drive.

The drive system used on the spreader is very similar to the one on our air seeder, which is very accurate.”

He also liked the 850mm wide belt, which he says offers a more consistent spread.

He has also had a reverse spin kit fitted, which has been ideal for spreading heavier material.

As planned, the 5001 has rounded out the contracting business. “We can now offer clients a start-to-finish job, which counts for something at the busier times of years as farmers don’t need to wait around for trucks to turn up.”

THE HEAVYWEIGHT IN POSTDRIVERS

TIP TRAILERS Available from 4.5 – 17 tonne, McIntosh Tip Trailers are built tough enough to take full loads of metal for years. It’s no wonder we’ve earned a reputation as the strongest trailer around.

See us at National Fieldays sites M61, M63, B41

☐ ✓NEW ZEALAND MADE ☐ ✓12 MTH WARRANTY ☐ ✓PROVEN FOR 35 YRS HEAVY DUTY PULLEYS

DOUBLE BALE FEEDERS With a spear loading system and low centre of gravity the McIntosh Double Bale Feeder will lead the way in feeding out machines. The wider cradle means there is a much smaller chance of running over the product.

MANURE SPREADERS

DOUBLE SKINNED BEAM

Available in 7.5, 10.8, and 13.5m³, McIntosh Manure Spreaders are designed to spread a wide variety of products in a consistent and even manner. New 13mm floor chains and improved sealing rubbers have enhanced the performance and build quality.

VARIABLE RANGE WEIGHTS

FORAGE WAGONS Available from 7.8 – 25m³, McIntosh Wagons are renowned for their strong, fully-welded steel sides, true bathtub design and elevator angle that allows it to start every time - even when the front is fully loaded.

0800 622 276 www.mcintosh.net.nz

STRENGTH / QUALITY / PERFORMANCE

SAFETY CAP

☎ 0800 476 868 or visit www.kinghitter.com

Rural News // may 21, 2013

machinery & products 45

Steel-glass tanks offer effluent solution tank and can be pushed up for safety.

Colour options are blue and green. Pumping and stirring be by motor or tractor PTO. Tel. 03 215 9125 www.allpumpssthld.co.nz

GIVE YOUR A HOLIDAY TRACTOR PAYMENTS

Buy a new tractor now and don’t start payments until 2014*

ALL PRICES INCLUDE LOADER**

TWO LABELS on towbars tell you whether you’re looking at the ‘real deal’, says a leading maker of these products.

One label should read ‘Genuine/Approved Accessory’ and the other should indicate ‘Manufactured in accordance with NZS5467’. These two labels tell buyers that the towbar is made for and approved as a genuine accessory by a motor company and the second one ensures that it also meets the required New Zealand safety standard.

“Most of us have no idea how to recognise what makes a good towbar, yet it is vital to get that decision right – people’s lives and their investments depend on it,” says the company’s sales and marketing manager.

“Because the consequences of fitting a poor towbar are too frightening to contemplate.”

To be approved as a genuine accessories supplier, towbar makers must meet stringent design, testing and manufacturing standards, including building them to NZS5467.

The manufacturer quoted above tests each towbar design on a special rig which is independently calibrated and certified. The rig duplicates the forces exerted on a towbar, in a normal vehicle life cycle and far longer than most people will ever use it. The rig will replicate hundreds of thousands of kilometres or many decades of towing under maximum load conditions.

WANTED TO BUY Please contact Chris 0274 424 063 or A/h 06 35 77719

Repayments from just $434 per week

• 40x40, 2 Speed P/Shift trans

84,990

$

• 20x20 shuttle trans • True 4 wheel braking • 2 rear remotes

• True 4 wheel braking • 40Kph

59,990

$

Repayments from just $410 per week

Repayments from just $290 per week

To locate your local Deutz-Fahr dealer, visit www.deutztractors.co.nz

ALL PRICES INCLUDE LOADER**

• 12x3 trans • 4 wheel drive • 4 wheel braking

• 20x20 shuttle trans • True 4 wheel braking

Repayments from just $175 per week

55,990

$

+gst

35,990

$

SAME IRON 110 (112HP)

SAME EXPLORER 85 (85HP)

• 24x8, 3 speed ZF trans • Cabin suspension • 3 rear remotes

• 2 rear remotes

96,990

Repayments from just $271 per week

$

+gst

SAME COMMANDO 603 (60HP)

Repayments from just $467 per week

To locate your local SAME dealer, visit www.powerfarming.co.nz

ALL TRACTOR PRICES INCLUDE LOADER**

KIOTI DX100 (100HP)

29,990

Repayments from just $146 per week

• Perkins diesel engine • High spec air con cabin • 16x16 wet clutch trans

• Daedong diesel engine • 2-speed CVT • Power steering

$

$

59,990

+gst

• 4 wheel drive • 8x8 shuttle trans • Power steering

$

KIOTI MECHRON 2200 UTV (22HP)

Repayments from just $290 per week

To locate your local Kioti dealer, visit www.kiotitractors.co.nz

19,990

+gst

KIOTI DS4510 (45HP)

Repayments from just $98 per week

* Minimum 30% deposit required. Repayment holiday available till 1/1/2014. Total GST to be paid in month 3. Normal lending criteria applies. Offer available for a limited time only. Rates may change without notice. ** Loaders provided in combo deals may differ from those shown above.

B&POW0184B

FOR ALL YOUR FORKLIFTS & MACHINERY

Forklifts • Loaders Small Tractors etc

+gst

89,990

$

AGROLUX 95 (95HP)

AGROFARM 420GS (100HP)

+gst

AGROTRON K410 (100HP)

• 24x8, 3 speed P/Shift ZF trans • 40kph • 3 rear remotes

+gst

Keep eye out for towbar labels

• Hyundai Forklifts - new & used (1-5 to 25 ton) • Hydraulic Excavators • Mustang Skid-steer Loaders • Boxer Mini track Loaders (Petrol & Diesel) • Thwaite 4WD Pivot-steer Dumpers (1 to 10 ton)

Permastore tanks are made of steel and protected by silica glass which is fused to the interior and exterior.

+gst

land – the strength and flexibility of steel and the corrosion resistance of glass.

Simple, modular bolted-together construction allows the tanks to be installed quickly and cost effectively. They can be extended, dismantled or re-sited.

The above the ground storage is secure against flooding and minimises the risk of people falling in the tanks.

All Pumps offers diameter and height options; storage capacity ranges from 100 – 50,000m3.

The Blacks’ 4m high 2 million L circular tank sits on a reinforced concrete base in the corner of a paddock.

A ladder is used to gain access to the top of the

+gst

THIRTY YEARS is the expected lifespan of a new type of liquid storage tank reckoned suitable for dairy effluent.

Permastore tanks, distributed by All Pumps Southland, are made of steel protected by silica glass fused to the interior and exterior.

Southland dairy farmers Ann and Allan Black (500 Jerseys) are the first to use the tanks in New Zealand, having “for decades” seen the tanks used in their native Scotland, where their family runs a large farming business. They used the tanks for effluent and for grain storage.

The fusion of glass and steel makes use of the best properties of both materials, says All Pumps South-

WHANGAREI PUKEKOHE MORRINSVILLE TE AWAMUTU PUTARURU TAURANGA WHAKATANE ROTORUA

Power Farming Northland The Tractor Centre Maber Motors Power Farming Te Awamutu Maber Motors Capital Tractors Jacks Machinery Truck & Tractor Services

09 438 9163 09 238 7179 07 889 5059 07 870 2411 07 882 1310 07 543 0021 07 308 7299 07 349 6528

GISBORNE HASTINGS HAWERA FEILDING MASTERTON NELSON BLENHEIM GREYMOUTH

Power Farming Gisborne Power Farming Hawke’s Bay Power Farming Taranaki Power Farming Manawatu James Trucks & Machinery Brian Miller Truck & Tractor Marlborough Tractor Services Power Farming West Coast

06 868 8908 06 879 9998 06 278 0240 06 323 8182 06 370 8240 03 544 5723 03 572 8787 03 768 4370

CHRISTCHURCH ASHBURTON TIMARU ALEXANDRA DUNEDIN GORE INVERCARGILL

Power Farming Canterbury Power Farming Ashburton Power Farming Timaru Peter Watt Machinery Power Farming Otago Power Farming Gore Power Farming Invercargill

03 349 5975 03 307 7153 03 687 4127 03 448 8490 03 489 3489 03 208 9395 03 215 9039

Rural News // May 21, 2013

46 rural trader Tunnelhouses

SEE US AT NATIONAL FIELDAYS SITE D4

Get upto date news www.ruralnews.co.nz

The ultimate in paint protection

DAIRYCOAT

• Ideal addition to your block • Grow vegetables all year round and reduce your grocery bill • Very affordable and easy to install • Totally NZ made by family business making tunnelhouses for 30 years • Range of models from 2m to 8m long

T/F 03 214 4262 E morrifield@clear.net.nz

www.morrifield.com

See you at National Fieldays at site O16 12-15 June

FOOTWEAR LTD

FARM BOOTS KIWI MADE FOR 3 GENERATIONS

Visit www.lastrite.co.nz for more quality products

YARDMATE SOFT TOE This is designed for heavy

duty uses and is perfect for fencers, high country farmers and hunters walking through tough, rugged, country. With an upper constructed from thick full grain leather, a leather insole and mid-sole, which is stitched and screwed to a cleated rubber repairable sole. A tough heel counter for better ankle support and a full bellows tongue for greater water tightness, this boot will handle the tough environment. Yardmate also available in Steel toe. Sizes 4-15 including half sizes.

TUSSOCK SOFT TOE TRIPLE/SINGLE HOB NAIL, REVERSE KIP This boot is designed for

heavy duty use on high country farms and over alpine terrain.

This boot will handle tough environments. With an upper constructed from reverse kip leather, a tough heel counter for better ankle support and a full bellows tongue for greater water tightness. A leather insole and triple bend leather runners, with a stitched and screwed construction and heel and toe plates. Triple or single Hob nails.

Tricounis available with tungsten tipped teeth. Tussock made to order only. Sizes 4-15 including half sizes.

48 JOHN STREET, WHANGAREI 0800 4 BOOTS (26687) or 09 438 8907

• Faster, easier wash up!

• Non toxic, Hygenically approved • Long lasting finish • Withstands pressure hosing • Resists deterioration from daily use • Can be applied to walls and floors

SPECIAL ACRYLIC

FENCE RAIL BLACK Amazing cover

Made in NZ – 10 year guaranteed

59

$ FREE DELIVERY LITRE www.enviropaints.co.nz 0800 50 ENVIRO (0800 50 368476)

Advantage Plastics Rangiora call: 0800 668 534 or (03) 313 5750

PER 10

14 Riverbank Rd, Otaki

Rubber Safety Matting • ATV Carrier Mats • Exit/Entry Areas • Calf Trailers • Horse Floats & Trucks • Weigh Platforms • Bale Mats • Comfort Mats for Wet & Dry Areas • Utility Deck Matting

CRAIGCO SENSOR JET DEAL TO FLY AND LICE • Cost Effective • Complete Package • Unbeatable pricing • Performance Guaranteed

Phone: 0800 80 8570 www.burgessmatting.co.nz

DOLOMITE

NZ’s finest BioGro certified Mg fertiliser For a delivered price call...

0800 436 566

P 06 835 6863 - www.craigcojetters.com

CHECK OUT OUR NEW UTV BULLBAR RANGE AT A DEALER NEAR YOU!

❤ COUNTRY & CITY

contacts (N.Z. LIMITED)

Join our successful & confidential service For all single, separated, divorced and widowed people.

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For Information Pack, contact...

Country & City Contacts 0800 287 437 or

www.smithattachments.co.nz Ph/Fax 0508 805 801

Ph: 03-387 0794 or see our website www.countrycontacts.co.nz

Also available at CRT & Farmlands

Calf Pen Water/Meal Troughs

Free Standing Grain & Meal Troughs

12L Water

Calf Hay & Grain Feeder on Skids

$

86.50 Includes GST

490

$

20L Water

Includes GST

99.95

$

Includes GST

NZ’S

Culvert Trough on Legs

#1

Culvert Trough on Skids

$

12L Meal

Includes GST

57.25

$

Includes GST

20L Meal

Calf Hay & Grain Feeder Fence Mount

235

$

Includes GST

$

71.00 Includes GST

3Mtr

340

$

3Mtr

499

Includes GST

McKee Plastics, Feilding Branch | Phone 0800 625 826 | Hamilton Branch | Phone 07 847 7788 sales@mckeeplastics.co.nz | www.mckeeplastics.co.nz

Rural News // may 21, 2013

rural trader 47 Chicken Litter

• Available to south Waikato dairy farmers to be picked up from site • About 3000 tonnes per year • Just over 480 tonnes available approximately every six weeks • Available for long term contract

ALL PRODUCTS HAVE 3YR WARRANTY

Be ahead of the scramble for natural fertilisers “The world is finally waking up to the long term damages of artificial fertilisers and the resulting loss of topsoil.”

Secure a long term Email your interest for discussion to supply contract now. Lucyann45@yahoo.com.au

‘Be Safer With Duals’

FLOOR REPAIRS MADE SIMPLE Cretex™ TR TROWEL GRADE EPOXY FILLER

See us at NATIONAL FIELDAYS Site F65

Incredible adhesion Rapid cure Chemical resistant Extremely hard in 6 hours

Cretex™ SL SELF LEVELLING EPOXY RESIN

Non Toxic, Solvent Free High strength, Rapid cure Chemical Resistant Extremely hard in 6 hours

Epotread™ SL250 EPOXY SCREED FOR ERODED FLOORS

Non Toxic, Solvent Free Chemical Resistant Self smoothing, easy to spread Covers eroded & pitted floors

GREAT VALUE

SD-1825 with 1 collar ................$640.00 SD-800 with 1 collar .................. $470.00 Extra collars unchanged at $245.00 PRICES INCLUDE GST

ORDERS AND ENQUIRIES

0800 542 542

on Duals for more traction, stability, flotation, towing power, versatility.

www.regiscoatings.co.nz

Clic Wheel Systems Ltd, Rotorua

Ph/Fax 07 347 2292

BE SAFE... FIT A QUADBAR

www.clicdualwheels.co.nz

STOP RATS NESTING IN HOMES, BUILDINGS, MACHINERY

• Pest Free puts 50Hz pulse along power cables • Rats and mice stress, dehydrate, exit • No harm to humans, pets, computers, etc.

• Models to suit buildings/plant 200sq.m to 1000sq.m • NSW-made, patented, science proven • Used in ten countries • Two-year warranty • 100% 60-DAY MONEY-BACK GUARANTEE

Pest Free Domestic for homes, garages, etc to 200sq,m – $159.90 incl.

GST & post.

The award winning Australian Quadbar is now on over 250 farms in NZ and is saving lives and preventing injury daily. It is now made here and is a well proven crush protection device for quad bikes.

Your advert here

Pest Free PRO for large homes, small offices & factories, etc to 400sq.m – STOP RATS with Pest Free $399.90 incl.

Buy with confidence from authorised rural sales agent N + J Keating, GST & post.

70 Rimu Street, New Lynn, Auckland 0600. Tel. 09 833 1931 Pest Free Commercial (cell 021 230 1863); email keating@orcon.net.nz for dairy TWO WAYS TO ORDER/PAY: sheds, 1) POST: cheque to N. Keating telling us the product(s) you want, grain mills, plus your name, address and telephone number.

2) INTERNET: direct credit ASB 12 3039 0893559 00 factories, stephenp@ruralnews.co.nz (your surname as reference) PLUS telephone or email us, etc – $1800 saying which product(s) you want. incl. GST & post.

For details contact: Stephen pollard Ph 09-913 9637 • 021-963 166

$

595

+GST delivered

For a Quadbar, call me, Stuart Davidson, owner of Quadbar NZ, on 021-182 8115.

Email sales@quadbar.co.nz or for more info go to

www.quadbar.co.nz

FLY OR LICE PROBLEM?

• The magic eye sheepjetter since 1989 Unique • Quality construction and options self adjusting • Get the contractors choice sides • Direct from the manufacturer • Efficient application and unequalled cost savings

Phone 07 573 8512 • www.electrodip.com

FLEXISKIN RAINWEAR SALE! 40% OFF OFFER AVAILABLE 2 WEEKS ONLY! NEW! WATERPROOF, BREATHABLE & LIGHTWEIGHT $80 valued at $200 $70 valued at $140 Please add $10 Freight per order

$100 $60 valued at $190 valued at $120

NE

t n a t s i Res ttle ca es… t i s a par

W

MEET THE NEW

®

2013. Time for new thinking.

Time for new tools to defeat the parasites older pour-ons and injections can no longer control. Time for new BOSS®.

Brought to you by the team at Alleva Animal Health, BOSS® represents the result of a comprehensive development plan to produce the next generation of parasite control.

BOSS Pour-On

Alleva’s advanced combination abamectin/levamisole pour-on with new DMI-Sorb™ formulation technology to help prevent run-off from the backline and improve active ingredient absorption. Try it on your cattle and see the difference for yourself.

Available from leading veterinary practices.

As®k for tahnetage BOSS a, adtvyour now erinary local ve.tFor more practiceation see inform eva.co.nz www.all

Buy a 2.5L or 5L pack of BOSS® Pour-On and receive a genuine made in New Zealand Oilskin Vest.* *While stocks last.

BOSS® and DMI- SORB is a registered trademark of Alleva Animal Health Limited. BOSS® Pour-on is registered pursuant to the ACVM act, No. A10817. BOSS® Injection is registered pursuant to the ACVM act, No. A10830.See www.foodsafety.govt.nz for registration conditions.