RURAL NEWS // JUNE 3, 2014
MANAGEMENT 31 DRUMPEEL FARMS' DETAILS ❱❱ Three properties plus 100ha lease block: Drumpeel (310ha), Horonui (1227ha), Wainui (338ha). ❱❱ Climate: summer dry, some flood prone flats, frost risk March –November. 700-800mm rain/year. ❱❱ Fodder crops: no specialist summer crops for fodder but all appropriate crop ground sown in short rotation ryegrass or kale. Maize silage saved for autumn feed if dry. ❱❱ Sub-division: all pastoral country down to 3-7ha with a mix of permanent, 5-wire electric and single wire fencing. Cropping area uses multi wire poly fences as required. ❱❱ Cattle: 61% of stock units. Target to finish 1500 R2 bulls, 330kg carcass weight, killed October- December. ❱❱ Sheep: 39% of SUs, target 16,500 lambs winter finished lambs, 10,000 off shortrotation fodder crops. ❱❱ Labour: general manager, Hugh Ritchie; administration, Sharon Ritchie; stock operations manager, Jason Daly; Central Hawkes Bay stock manager, Peter Kettle; Cropping manager, Mike Foster; three shepherds; two tractor operators.
FROM PAGE 30
“We are aware of what the dairy industry means and that’s why we are pushing to get cropping systems that match and meet dairy but with a lower capital requirement.” Stock operations manager Daly says the management strategy for cattle and sheep is simple, with three key products: beef, lamb and wool. “We want high return livestock policies with low risk.”
Lamb finishing: stock enterprises are kept simple and large-scale. Inset: Stock operations manager Jason Daly.
Cattle run on non-arable cropping land only. The objective is to achieve average annual daily live weight of 1.0kg/day. For 2013 season the average buy liveweight was 260kg and average sale weight was 650kg. Lambs are bought at 33-35kg liveweight with a target 20kg liveweight gain to kill at 23-25kg carcass weight. Trading margin overall averages $50/head which equates to $2.50/kg TO PAGE 33
ARM yourself with the best
Minimum Tillage disc harrows
❱❱ Plant: Full range of standard plant. Key units: 6m direct drill half-share with neighbours; self-propelled sprayer; land leveling equipment; strip till gear; combine harvester; silo complex. Wide use of GPS auto steering.
The DTX is a mounted one-pass stubble incorporator & soil loosener
❱❱ Financials: Economic farm surplus $712/ha, 3.7% return on capital (2013)
Fitted with the unique Simba roller system as standard, the DD press rings provide the ultimate consolidation weatherproof finish. This unit can also be fitted with an APV airseeder for grass seed or brassicas. • Pro-lift legs • Suitable for 180-300hp tractors • The 510mm disc gang angle is adjustable for different crop residue conditions • Pro-lift tines give effective soil loosening down to 400mm.
Judges comment COMPETITION JUDGE Peter Keeling lists the points of difference that set the Ritchie’s farm apart from the others in the Silver Fern Farms Hawkes Bay Farmer of the Year competition. “The Ritchies had the best business plan for their operation and clear objectives to work towards. “They have simple stock policies that are well suited to their parts of Hawke’s Bay, coupled with high, per head performance and good financial returns. “Much passion and research goes into the sustainable cropping side of their business. Some of this ground has been cropped for 50 years, which is phenomenal by NZ standards. “The Ritchies are innovators when it comes to using irrigation technology and this contributes to their achieving greater productivity.” Contribution to agriculture in Hawkes Bay and further afield was another factor in his success. “Key features of what you can see here reflect Hugh’s off-farm involvement in national bodies such as Federated Farmers, Foundation for Arable Research, (FAR), IrrigationNZ and LandWISE. “What makes business excellent is having sound systems and understanding the financials and that’s something Drumpeel Farms does really well. Sharon is in the office systemising and keeping information up to date so when people are making decisions they are using accurate financial information.” Craig Riddiford, Director at Brown, Webb, Richardson (BWR) noted Drumpeel Farms’ solid governance structure with a board that keeps an eye on things and which Hugh is accountable to. “That’s an important factor long term in ensuring profitability and ongoing success.”
The X-Press is a flexible high-speed one pass cultivator designed to work at up to 100mm deep on stubble or ploughing. • Available in a mounted 3m configuration or trailed units • Incorporate stubble in a reduced cultivation system • Work down ploughing in a more conventional system • Gang angle adjustment enables both primary and finishing roles
The mounted X-press (1750kg) can be used in conjunction with an ST Bar to working depths of up to 250mm
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