MANAGEMENT Calm animals easier to handle, produce more. PAGE 26
MACHNERY Chinese tractor manufacturer debuts in NZ. PAGE 34
RURALNEWS
NEWS Beekeepers buzzing after formation of Apiculture NZ.
PAGE 16
TO ALL FARMERS, FOR ALL FARMERS
JULY 5, 2016: ISSUE 610
www.ruralnews.co.nz
No need to panic PETER BURKE peterb@ruralnews.co.nz
NEW ZEALAND exporters need not panic about Britain’s decision to leave the European Union, says Trade Minister Todd McClay, once a senior bureaucrat in the EU. McClay told Rural News it will take Britain as long as 10 years to finally break away. The last country to leave the EU, Greenland, a very small country, took three years to exit. Britain’s huge economy prevents a quick exit, McClay says. And he can’t see any great economic problems arising in the short-medium term. “We are talking about many, many years and that is positive for NZ, because we will have time to engage
with all the important parties and negotiate the best outcome. “I don’t think access for our sheepmeat and dairy products will be significantly affected… because a lot of those quotas are bound under World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules. We will need to sit down and talk this through…. We have a lot of friends in the EU and a very strong relationship
RED AND BLACK Different regions of NZ have their various surpluses of produce that help feed livestock. Mostly it’s hay or silage, but not in the carrot growing capital – Ohakune – where reject carrots abound when grass is hardly growing. These cattle beasts, near Ohakune, were seen recently happily munching on the big reds. It was a common sight: orange ribbons of carrots laid out in paddocks, giving cattle and sheep a change of diet. No doubt their night vision is improving. Interesting to see red and black in Chiefs territory.
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with the UK.” McClay has already sought and received commitments from the UK and EU that no decisions related to NZ trade with either entity will be taken without us being involved. He hopes to start talking to EU and UK trade ministers at the G20 meeting in China soon, to discover what issues he needs to be aware of.
McClay says NZ has for two years been working with the EU on proposals to negotiate a free trade agreement; the talks could begin next year and NZ wants them finished “within a couple of years – maybe by the end of 2019,” McClay told Rural News. “Brexit will [not] slow that process significantly. I will [tell] the EU TO PAGE 4
BEING A GOOD GLOBAL CITIZEN PAM TIPA pamelat@ruralnews.co.nz
MANY SCENARIOS could play out in the Brexit and EU situation, says Beef + Lamb NZ chairman James Parsons. “We are watching,” he says. “It is a case of how to be good responsible international citizens. “We need to try to make the best out of this and assist all parties to transition out of it while ensuring NZ’s interests are well looked after.” A focus is what the EU does and how it treats the UK. Many variables apply in the politics overlaying that, including the UK leadership and whether the EU wants to make an example of the UK, Parsons says. “Staying close to what is going on with all our counterparts in UK and Europe is important; so is working through all the issues in terms of trade between the EU and the UK and all the various trade deals.” The list is huge. “We are focusing on [exactly] where NZ’s trade access arrangements with the EU sit, and ensuring we are as high on the list as possible while being realistic about the things they have to work through.” There’s a possible silver lining: if the EU is closed to UK sheepmeat or they have too high tariffs, there may be an under-supply to the continent.
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RURAL NEWS // JULY 5, 2016
NEWS 3 ISSUE 610 Feds ponder how to
www.ruralnews.co.nz
keep farming flying high Strong themes at Federated Farmers’ annual three day conference in Wellington last week were the implications of Brexit, the role of science and technology and the public/media perception of farming. Peter Burke reports.
NEWS ������������������������������������ 1-17 MARKETS ������������������������� 18-19 AGRIBUSINESS �������������� 20-21 HOUND, EDNA ����������������������� 22 CONTACTS ������������������������������ 22 OPINION �����������������������������22-24 MANAGEMENT �������������� 26-27 ANIMAL HEALTH ���������� 28-30 MACHINERY AND PRODUCTS �����������������������31-33 RURAL TRADER ������������ 34-35 HEAD OFFICE Top Floor, 29 Northcroft Street, Takapuna, Auckland 0622 Phone: 09-307 0399 Fax: 09-307 0122 POSTAL ADDRESS PO Box 331100, Takapuna, Auckland 0740 Published by: Rural News Group Printed by: 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 81,004 as at 30.06.2015
A TOP-LEVEL primary industries taskforce will work through Brexit issues, the Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy told Federated Farmers. He and Trade Minister Todd McClay and officials from MPI and MFAT plus people from DCANZ, Beef + Lamb NZ, the Meat Industry Association and Feds will steer the ‘flexible’ group advising and supporting formal government action. Guy singled out biosecurity, calling on all New Zealanders to help protect the country from problem diseases and pests. He urged all primary producers to farm responsibly and he praised farmers for supporting the new bobby calf regulations. “I acknowledge dairy farmers in particular have come a long way, investing $1 billion in the last five years to upgrade effluent handling on farms.
And 96% of waterways on dairy farms are now fenced [but] you don’t get acknowledged enough for what you have done. “Now we want to work constructively with the beef sector on more fencing regulations. Consumers are more connected to what’s happening inside the farmgate and our international markets are demanding more from us.” Guy called for an end to the “blame game” over water quality, a subject also touched on by Feds’ president William Rolleston, who says farmers and townsfolk need to talk positively and work together to find solutions. He accused news media of not focusing on good news. “I feel frustrated that the good news is so hard to get out and that bad news travels so easily. Some fantastic things are happening, but
WHO KNOWS WHAT’S HAPPENING IN DAIRYING? FEDS DAIRY chairman Andrew Hoggard is hearing two different outlooks for the sector in the next two years – one gloomy, one optimistic. He takes the middle ground, believing farmers are looking at a couple more tough years and perhaps some improvement in prices. But it won’t be peaches, he told the conference. “People will have to keep an eye on their budgets to protect their cash; and the key thing is to learn lessons about debt levels and what we pay for land. “We talked about all this in 2008. Yes, everyone is supportive in these
tight times, but this will happen again so we need to remember what happened this time and take lessons from it.” The risk remains that when times get good, people revert to their old habits, Hoggard says. Some Kiwis show they know little about the farming sector, emailing him to ask why he supports that “foreign company” Fonterra. “I would hate to see what survey results would show if Joe Public in Wellington or Auckland were asked who owns Fonterra. I hear people saying Fonterra is stealing all the profits and ripping off farmers.”
you don’t see them splashed around the papers. “The general public has always seen agriculture as being in a good space, but listen to the noise out there in media land and you probably get a different
impression.” Rolleston says overall the mood of farmers is better than expected given the dairy payout, as evident at Fieldays. And he is pleased to see more younger people becoming active in Feds.
FEDS HONOUR THEIR OWN FEDERATED FARMERS has unveiled six winners in its inaugural National Conference Awards. These celebrate excellence in agriculture and the contributions made by Feds’ members to further enhance the primary industry. Bee industry group chairman John Hartnell, from Canterbury, was awarded the Outstanding Contribution to Federated Farmers for his commitment to the federation and the bee industry. This recognises his contribution to the industry and his leading the ‘farmy army’ after the Canterbury earthquakes. Manawatu-Rangitikei provincial president James Stewart won the Farming Message Award for his work in promoting education in the primary sector. His new dairy shed, which has special space for educational purposes, is seen as unique. Also receiving awards were Neil Heather of Taupo, Dan Hodgen of North Canterbury and Chris Wall from Manawatu/Rangitikei; Wanganui province won the Membership Growth Award.
HOW TO FRONT UP IN COUNCIL ELECTIONS THE FEDS conference launched a new guidebook to the local body elections due in the spring. The booklet, republished every three years, comments especially on the cost of local government, and says what services councils should provide and to what degree. Freshwater management, roading, regional and district planning and economics all feature. The booklet offers to farmers who may be standing for local government pointers on the Feds’ line and
IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT VELVETLEAF Velvetleaf is an aggressive pest weed that’s been found in a number of locations around New Zealand. It’s important that farmers who have planted fodder beet seed and rural contractors know about this problem and how to manage it. Information meetings are being held in regions where velvetleaf is present. Come to a meeting in your area to find out more about velvetleaf, the problems it causes and how to control it. The full list of meetings, dates, times and venues is at: www.mpi.govt.nz/alerts
Nathan Guy says a taskforce will work through Brexit issues for us.
questions to ask other candidates. Feds local government spokeswoman Katie Milne says the guide suggests how councils should engage with and serve farmers and other ratepayers. “Farmers are among the largest funders of local government and the sector most likely to be impacted by regulation developed and implemented by councils. Farmers need level-headed councilors who prioritise real needs over the ‘nice to haves’,” she says.
RURAL NEWS // JULY 5, 2016
4 NEWS
McClay’s EU connection
IN BRIEF PESTS, EROSIONS BLIGHT ENVIRONMENT PESTS AND erosion are singled out by the parliamentary commissioner for the environment as the two biggest problems on the land in New Zealand. Dr Jan Wright’s new state of the environment report says a century of clearing bush on unstable hill country has left a legacy of erosion and an enormous amount of topsoil being washed into waterways. Vast areas of North Island East
Coast are very bad and though tree planting has stabilised soils in some regions, the overall effect nationally is minimal. This will worsen as climate change brings heavier rain. Wright urges a ‘battle for the birds’ to kill rats, stoats, possums and feral cats. NZ’s plants, birds and other native animals are vulnerable to “invaders” and more must be done to conquer them.
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TODD MCCLAY worked in the EU as a senior advisor to Sir Henry Plumb, a former head of the National Farmers Union who became president of the European parliament. McClay has an idea of what may be going on in the EU headquarters in Brussels: “disappointment, concern and probably shock”. “But… it’s a very professional civil service,” he told Rural News. “So [they will do] what bureaucrats do best: calmly work out processes, and analyse and evaluate likely outcomes and put the processes in place.” EU finance ministers will want to send a very clear signal, as will the member states, about the process, McClay says. The aim will be to create stability and certainty in financial markets. Meanwhile hard hitting comment about Brexit has come from the Irish.
Ironically a majority of people in Northern Ireland voted to remain in the EU, as did a majority of Scots. Brexit poses huge problems for Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland which for generations have shared a ‘soft’ border and traded massively in both directions. Brexit turns this into a ‘hard’ border, risking damage to both countries’ economies. Brexit could be the driving force for the
Todd McClay
unthinkable unification of Ireland. In a lengthy editorial the Irish Times described Brexit as “a bewildering
act of self-harm”…. “Our neighbours have inflicted a deep wound on their country, economically and politically.”
RED MEAT REACTION MUTED, HOPEFUL BEEF + LAMB NZ is concerned at the possibility that Brexit will affect our sheep and beef exports to Britain and the EU. This trade is inextricably linked through quota access and both are likely to be affected, says Sam McIvor, BLNZ chief executive. The EU is NZ’s most valuable market
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NO NEED TO PANIC OVER BREXIT FROM PAGE 1
commissioner that we want to continue with the FTA and my expectation is that the timing won’t change significantly.” NZ will give the UK time to work through the initial implications of Brexit before pressing for specific trade negotiations. “Ahead is a long, detailed process of discussion
and negotiation. We [export] about $3.5 billion to the UK and about $7b to the other 27 countries of the EU.” While there is clamour in some quarters of the EU for Britain to leave quickly, this isn’t possible, McClay says. The two years talked about are only to devise an exit process. Article 50 of the Treaty of Lisbon is more about rules for coun-
tries entering the EU rather than leaving. Many of Britain’s laws are linked to the EU, so many things must be unwound, e.g. “negotiating whether or not British people will be allowed to take their pets on holiday to Europe. Currently they apply and get a pet passport and move freely, but that’s [up for renegotiation].”
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RURAL NEWS // JULY 5, 2016
NEWS 5
Polish-EU delegation sell pork, buy lamb pamelat@ruralnews.co.nz
A POLISH and EU delegation was in Auckland recently looking at trade partners, both to sell more pork and small goods into New Zealand and looking at the potential for getting more NZ lamb into EU markets. Their interest was in the market potential for two-way trade, Agnieszka Rozanska, managing director of the Union of Producers and Employers of the Meat Industry (UPEMI) told Rural News. Their campaign ‘The Taste and Quality of Tradition Directly from Europe’ is also touring Singapore, South Africa, Taiwan and Kazakstan. Rozanska explained UPEIMI, based in Warsaw, mostly represents the Polish meat industry but has some members in other European countries. “In our campaigns we talk about the whole EU and we support and promote in general the European meat industry. We are strongly connected and we do a lot of cooperation and product together with the EU,” she says. “While we keep talking about the whole European market together because of the bigger potential, we support mostly the Polish meat industry,” including processing plants, slaughterhouses, cutting plants and farmers. “We are here to get information about the market and to show what kind of products we can
bring,” she says. Rozanska says NZ’s lamb exports to the EU last year were at least 141,000 tonnes. “Compared to that, our export of pork to NZ is small, just 25,000t from the whole EU. It is not a big number; we would like to export more since NZ does not produce enough for the internal market. “We are happy to cooperate with NZ. We know NZ-brand lamb is well known all over the world. In Poland we would like to introduce this product to our consumers who are not very aware of lamb because we do not consume much of this kind of meat. “There are many opportunities and options to deal and do business with NZ, to build profit and advantages for both sides. “Our campaign introduces European pork mostly and small products like sausages, ham, etc which are well known in the world. We export a lot of pork and processed products to other countries so we want to check NZ and try to build new relations here and see if we can do more business in future.” Rozanska says the EU is the second-biggest producer of pork in the world after China. “We do a lot of processing as well – different kinds of smoked sausages and hams. We have a wide range of products.” It is a matter of finding common interest to talk about this business.
“If we find some clients in this market we would definitely like to build relationships. We know before we can do big business we need time to build relations. “We have had very good meetings already,” talking to farmers and some exporters who already work with the EU. “We would like to sell pork and on the other side buy lamb and maybe other products. This is not a one sided business; we are aware we have to build it for both sides.” The whole EU is a very big producer of food and now has a policy to intro-
duce its products to many countries, she says. The Poles have previously done promotions in the US, South Korea, Vietnam and China.
Agnieszka Rozanska, Union of Producers and Employers of the Meat Industry.
EU, FTA TO TAKE TIME FREE TRADE agreements with the EU always take time, says John Leslie, economics and trade adviser for the EU delegation. The EU’s negotiating agenda currently includes the US, Japan, a bilateral investment treaty with China, an update with Mexico and recently concluded negotiations with the Philippines, Vietnam and Singapore.
“There is an active agenda; where we are now has been in the works for some time,” he says. He says European commission president Jean-Claude Juncker has introduced his better-regulation agenda, obliging them to do an impact assessment which is detailed and required a 90-day public consultation that concluded early July. “So that process is
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RURAL NEWS // JULY 5, 2016
6 NEWS
Young growers need help PETER BURKE peterb@ruralnews.co.nz
ZESPRI CHAIRMAN Peter McBride is challenging employers in the horticulture sector to do more for young people in the industry. McBride told 400 people at the Bay of Plenty Young Grower of the Year
competition of the need to develop young people and bring them through the industry. It has a lot of physical assets, but the most important is people, he says. “In developing our young people we are creating equity opportunities for them. There
are models out there for encouraging our young people to become owners; [we can] and give them opportunity in our businesses either with capital or by helping them to secure loans.” McBride says with horticulture and tourism the fastest-growing industries in NZ that creates a world
of opportunity for young people -- in management, post harvest, orchard management and roles in Zespri and in the horticultural services sector. And there is also plenty of scope for people to start their own businesses, he says. “The business environment has never been
better for young people to flourish and take opportunities. Most of these come in periods of difficulty or downturn so these are also periods of high risk. But they have to take the opportunity when it comes and push the boat out and hope the water stays in the harbour.”
PERSISTENT WINNER THIRD TIME LUCKY CHRIS CLEMENT, a technical operations manager with the Apata Group in Te Puke, won the Bay of Plenty Young Grower of the Year Award and will contest next month’s finals. He has competed three times because he enjoys the competition. He was one of six contestants given
specific tests during the day and competing in public speaking on the awards night. Heavy rain made the outdoor tasks difficult and most got soaked. At Apata, Clement runs a system that uses a camera to grade kiwifruit, benefiting growers and Apata. During his ten years
in the industry he has watched it grow, paving the way to jobs for more young people. “We need people coming in at the base level, starting to learn the basics so they can move up through the industry. It’s an aging industry so we need young people.” He says people don’t necessarily have to know
about kiwifruit to work in the industry; it needs all kinds of skills such as computer programming, engineering and other professions.
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ALONGSIDE THE young grower contest was a one-day horticulture expo for Bay of Plenty schools. Organiser Renee Fritchley says about 200 students from 15 schools took part. Students were year 11-13, on the brink of deciding on their future education. “This day is to engage them and open their eyes to all the opportunities in the horticulture industry, not just kiwifruit,” she says. The students attended seminars laid on by Zespri, Plant and Food Research and Waikato University, helping them envisage career paths. Chairing this was professor Jacqueline Rowarth, Waikato University, who urged the students to see the range of careers available. “It’s not just milking cows and picking kiwifruit, as is sometimes the perception. There is also strategy management, biosecurity, economics, marketing and sustainBay of Plenty young ability that NZ does incredgrower of the year Chris ibly well,” she says. Clement.
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RURAL NEWS // JULY 5, 2016
NEWS 7
Caring farmers win prize, ambassador role PAM TIPA pamelat@ruralnews.co.nz
RICHARD AND Dianne Kidd were “humbled” at taking the title of National Winners of the 2016 Ballance Farm Environment Awards. The couple farm a 376ha sheep, beef and forestry unit at Helensville on the outskirts of Auckland. They are first-time entrants because this is the first time Auckland has been in the awards. Richard told Rural News it had been an amazing journey from the start. They didn’t expect to win the national award as they were feeling their way as first-time entrants. For the next six weeks the Kidds will be heads down helping the farm manager, as lambing has
started on Whenuanui Farm, their location since the late 1970s. They were instigators of Kaipara Lamb, a group of farmers selling fresh lamb to Countdown. After that they will go where the Farm Environment Trust wants to them to, says Richard. Trust chairman Simon Saunders says the Kidds will be excellent ambassadors for New Zealand’s primary industry. “It’s clear that Richard and Dianne possess the outstanding communication and leadership skills necessary to spread the sustainability message to national and international audiences.” Richard says they enjoyed their time in Waitangi for the national judging, an interview in
front of six judges, and meeting the other contestants -- outstanding farmers or horticulturalists. Just winning the title would have been enough, but there will be overseas travel to a destination of their choice looking at a farming theme or area of farming interest. Talking to the previous winner he has learned they will away from the farm a fair bit on national tour, spreading the word and even appearing in front of a parliamentary select committee. The next six-eight weeks will be full onfarm. “After that we will be fullon advocating for more people to have a go at the awards and sustainable farming.” Kidd was raised in central Auckland and enjoys
living on its periphery. He hopes more Auckland farmers will enter next year, including this year’s Auckland runner-up. “Aucklanders probably don’t realise there is a fair bit of rural land around: 70% of our district land mass is agriculture, horticulture or grapes or what have you. From the top end is Wellsford all the way down to Helensville, then the Bombay hills and Pukekohe.” He says they were humbled to win the award in front of all the other finalists because they were really good people. “It was a big surprise to us as to everybody because we didn’t really know what they were looking for. “We know we are sort-
Richard and Dianne Kidd of Helensville, outside Auckland.
of ambassadors for farming and more than happy to accept that role. It’s a great thrill. We will get into the hard slog for a while then we will get on the road.” He says they’ve learnt a lot of about their own farm. “You go to a few extra lengths checking the quality of your silage and maize silage and benchmarking these against figures for farmers in their area and their class of stock. We learned a bit more about how we are farming.
“We got good feedback from the judges, at the Auckland level. They gave a report and we took things out of that so it has been a learning process.” The Kidds’ breeding and finishing operation runs 4820 stock units on 331ha (effective) with a pine woodlot established on 18.5ha and 15.3ha of regenerating native bush. The Kidds were described as “environmental champions and great role models for drystock farming, achieving impressive stock and
financial performance while working hand-inhand with the environment”. They were chosen from the 11 regional supreme winners of the 2016 Ballance Farm Environment Awards. For more information on the 2016 National Winner, visit the New Zealand Farm Environment Trust website www. bfea.org.nz Entries for the 2017 Ballance Farm Environment Awards open on August 1, 2016.
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RURAL NEWS // JULY 5, 2016
8 NEWS
Need for young blood PETER BURKE peterb@ruralnews.co.nz
THE AGING population in agriculture is working against New Zealand, says Lincoln University’s Jon Hickford. Speaking to Rural News at the Careers in Agriculture hub at Fieldays, Hickford says this is a huge problem, compounded by NZ’s rapid urbanisation and disconnection from the agri sector. The problem now is to find enough good young people to work in agriculture. “The problem across the western world is that young people are entirely urbanised and don’t realise the job opportunities out there on
the land. In the case of NZ, agri it lacked displays of technology. defines our existence as a country. “This site doesn’t look as flash bang “It is easy to pick the young as it might, but I’m not sure that’s a people out on the land and get part of it. It’s really about knowing about jobs and money them enthusiastic; but and security.” impossible to get to an One instigator of urban school and conthe careers hub, Lee vince them agriculture Picken, event manager is important. They don’t for the Fieldays Sociget it.” ety, says the idea arose Hickford says once out of hearing governyoung people have a basic ment plans to double grounding in agricul- John Hickford exports and the conture they can move into a range of professions -- accoun- sequent need for more people to tancy, property valuation, human work in farming. And the message about attractresources and even rural news ing more young people also came reporting. He says the Fieldays careers from the 1000+ exhibitors at Fielhub was a good idea even though days. The education hub was partly
in response to their requests. Picken says education is a pillar of Fieldays, on par with the event’s emphasis on innovation. “The focus of the careers hub is getting the likes of PGG Wrightson, Ballance AgriNutrients and Growing NZ, all of which offer scholarships. And AFFCO is in there because of its apprenticeships. “The hub allows students to come in and determine not necessarily their next level of education, but more where they will take their career.” Universities, some secondary schools, DairyNZ and Young Farmers were at the Careers Hub this year.
‘MAKE A NOISE ON R&D’ TOO PASSIVE: that’s how the Government’s chief science advisor Sir Peter Gluckman has described farmers’ attitudes to research. Gluckman told last week’s Federated Farmers conference in Wellington that the primary sector has sat back and largely left the decisions on R&D to government departments and CRI’s, not getting involved in the process. Strong dialogue with science policy people and providers is essential, he says. Peter Gluckman “Noise matters; Governments listen to noise,” Gluckman told the Feds. “The farming sector needs to be an active player engaged in R&D. Some people claim the primary sector takes and gives little in investment in science.” Farmers must actively suggest research objectives because they know what they need. “Farmers need to invest in R&D and apply technology if they are to remain competitive.” Gluckman also criticised the lack of long term research in NZ. Much of the research done by AgResearch, Fonterra and LIC, and via the PGP scheme, is short term. Long term research is very important to the primary sector. He also expressed other concerns about farming in NZ. “Until now we have relied very heavily on low cost, high quality production distinguishing us from our competitors,” he said. “But this competitive advantage is rapidly eroding. The cost of dairy production in Europe is falling dramatically and the quality of production of some farm products from Latin America it is rising rapidly.” Farm technology and practices worldwide are diminishing NZ’s competitive advantage and soon we may not be the cheapest producer of high quality products. – Peter Burke
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RURAL NEWS // JULY 5, 2016
NEWS 11
Amazon moves into food PAM TIPA pamelat@ruralnews.co.nz
BOOKS AND music company Amazon is moving into food and you can’t ignore the power it will have, says Ian Proudfoot, KPMG’s global head of agribusiness. Amazon reckons in 42 US cities it can deliver fresh food to the front door within one hour – often faster than going to the supermarket. “We won’t be going to the shops, we will be using our phones to buy food, meaning we can interact much more directly with who is growing our food,” Proudfoot told the NZ Veterinary Association conference in Hamilton. Coca-Cola has bought a dairy company, pharmaceutical companies are moving into food and we are on the cusp of a financial and cultural revolution, he says. “The biological technologies, the physical technologies, the digital technologies are creating a whole heap of new solutions.” KPMG asked 80 of the world’s largest agribusi-
ness countries what were the key opportunities and challenges facing their businesses. Volatility, trade agreements, natural resources, changing consumers, technology and climate change emerged as key themes. “We are not getting the climate change theme nearly as much as they are across the world. The shift to low carbon economy is gaining pace, as is food safety. That is probably most important for your industry.” NZ has grown magnificently and achieved a great productivity level, but “the reality is what we do today will not be enough to get us where we need to be tomorrow,” Proudfoot says. People will farm in different ways and with different business models. Philadelphia Cow Sheds is an example: it crowd sources (i.e. sells an interest in an animal upfront); you buy an eighth of an animal, you’ll get an eighth of that meat when that animal is slaughtered. “In 25 years… we won’t see supermarkets as we
IN BRIEF MEAT CO-OP CUISINE WORKSHOPS A WOMENS shareholders’ workshop run by meat processor Alliance will be repeated next month in Christchurch, Nelson and Palmerston North. Women make up about half of Alliance Group’s 5000 farmer-shareholders. The ‘Co-op to Cuisine’ workshops will be a practical forum for women shareholders to learn more about the cooperative and share their experiences. Discussion will include the co-op’s strategies for the future, insights into how products are shipped overseas, product diversity, markets and the people that make them happen and new product development. Different meat cuts will be demonstrated, as will examples of packaging. Other topics will be consumption trends, cultural matters and market access. Lunch is included. Chief executive David Surveyor says women shareholders contribute much to the cooperative. “I’m looking forward to updating those women attending on Alliance Group’s strategy and hearing their views.”
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see them today. They will evolve and change.” Businesses like My Food Bag will be part of that change. It has recently disrupted itself by launching a ‘bargain box’ cheaper than its mainline product offering. “We have for so long focused on the average,
but the reality is the average doesn’t exist. What we need to be thinking about is, what are the niches we are directing our services towards?” We can segment our communities many ways now: age, gender ethnicity – and religion will be an important sector in the
future. By 2030, 3.8 billion people will be members of various religions. A growing part of the population will be the elderly who will be managing health conditions. “Things are changing very rapidly in food; we are on the cusp of the fourth industrial revolution.”
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RURAL NEWS // JULY 5, 2016
NEWS 13
Top tender uptake of gold kiwifruit PETER BURKE peterb@ruralnews.co.nz
SOARING CONFIDENCE IN the kiwifruit industry has orchardists paying high prices for a limited number of licenses to grow the new, successful G3 (SunGold) variety. This stands to boost Zespri’s profit by at least $50 million. In the past, Zespri has just sold licenses for kiwifruit, but with G3 now proven Psa-free it decided to put 400ha out to tender and the bids have reflected the fruit’s value – over $100,000/ha. Half of the 400ha was reserved for green growers wishing to convert some of their orchards to gold and the other half was unrestricted. Of the
1000 bids received, 266 succeeded at an average $200,000. Most were for less than 2ha. Chief operating officer Simon Limmer says the exceptional prices were not Zespri’s chief motivation; it simply wants to get product in the ground to meet demand. “In the last few months we have seen real confidence in the SunGold variety -- its performance in orchards and its taste. It stacks up for growers. We are seeing greater acceptance of this product than we had hoped for. Growers are falling over themselves to get a product performing exceptionally well and with potential to go a lot further.” Limmer says Zespri
GREAT LATE CROP ZESPRI CHIEF executive Lain Jager says it’s been a fabulous but late season for kiwifruit; some of the green crop was picked as late as June. This challenged them in shipping the export crop. “Gold matures earlier than green so we have shipped gold earlier. On one hand that’s fine because we can get underway and fill the vessels; on the other hand we like to start green and gold together but weren’t able to this year, so we’ve had some operational challenges.” Jager says with such a large green crop this season, Zespri will ‘crop manage’ – buy about three million trays and withhold them from overseas markets. This has happened three times in the last eight years. The surplus fruit will be given to charities or sold as stockfood or for processing.
tried to make the tender process more affordable using deferred payment, which allows growers to pay the full cost of their new licences when the new vines start producing in three or four years. “A number of Haywards (green) growers are either moving into
gold for the first time or better balancing the green and gold in their orchards, which is wise.” Limmer says growers who missed out on this round will get another opportunity to bid next season when another 400ha comes up for tender.
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RURAL NEWS // JULY 5, 2016
14 NEWS
Cattle won’t forget a scary drone PAM TIPA pamelat@ruralnews.co.nz
IF YOU bring a drone up slowly on cattle you can observe them, but once you chase them with drones they don’t forget, says Dr Temple Grandin, Professor of animal science at Colorado State University..
You can observe cattle with drones, and you can handle them with drones, “but you’re probably going to have a bad time trying to do both,” she says. “Let’s say I wanted to look at cattle with drones and I also wanted to chase cattle with drones. I would need different
drones with different sounds. So they might learn that one brand of drone is ok but the other brand with a different sound is bad. “I would want to get them used to being observed with drones first before I’d start chasing them with drones. If you just get in
there and start chasing first, they are going to be afraid of all drones. You aren’t going to be able to observe them; they will run away from them.” Grandin says she has seen a video of a drone flown high above cattle, then moved over and slowly lowered down. The cattle just looked up
at it. “Make sure at the beginning that your cattle don’t have a scary experience with a drone because then they will be scared of all drones. The initial experience should be just observing them with it; then if I wanted to chase them I’d never use the ‘good’ drone I initially
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THE PROPOSED joint venture between Silver Fern Farms and Shanghai Maling is still in the pipeline, but has been delayed. Late last month, both SFF and SM applied for an extension to the June 30 date for receiving OIO approval. Both companies said they are continuing to work towards completion of the $261m investment and partnership. “We remain committed to the partnership,” SFF chief executive Dean Hamilton told Rural News. “We continue to believe that we will achieve OIO approval, however we need to allow more time to provide the required information and then for the OIO and ministers to have sufficient time to review.” Hamilton says the OIO has asked for more information and there is insufficient time to provide this for the OIO to then finalise their recommendation to ministers. “And for the ministers to then reach a decision by June 30; that is no longer a practical date despite all parties’ efforts to date.” Hamilton says the main impact of the OIO delay will be on the timing of the finalised deal. “The parties are in the process of reaching an agreement to extend the deadline for the OIO approval and therefore also for the completion date for the transaction. When that has been agreed, we will make a further announcement.” However, as a consequence of the anticipated extension, Hamilton says the July 11 special meeting has been deferred and a new date for the shareholder requisitioned meeting will be set. He says this will allow the notice of meeting to be updated and distributed to shareholders with adequate time to review. “Once the new OIO and completion dates have been agreed, we will then need to finalise the materials to be provided to shareholders ahead of the special meeting. We expect to provide a new date for the special meeting at the same time as the further announcement on the OIO.” • Fight goes on p17
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RURAL NEWS // JULY 5, 2016
16 NEWS
Beekeepers buzzing in unity NIGEL MALTHUS
A HUGE swarm of beekeepers settled on Rotorua late in June, celebrating their growing industry’s new unity, seeing off the varroa threat and strategising to keep New Zealand at the front of honey exporting. With 1465 registra-
tions, the Apiculture New Zealand conference, in Rotorua from June 19 to 21, is reckoned the city’s biggest domestic conference ever, says conference chairman John Hartnell. Apiculture NZ brings together the former National Beekeepers’ Association and the Federated Farmers bee indus-
try group. The Honey Packers and Exporters Association is expected to merge with the new body after its 50th anniversary conference next year. Hartnell says the conference theme was unity and speaking with one voice. A “very strong” seminar list of science speak-
ers was complemented by three overseas speakers, on topics including bee health and varroa mite control, traceability and how to ensure NZ keeps its place as “the world’s leading exporter of honey products”. Hartnell says beekeepers face resistance issues with varroa much
as sheep farmers may face resistance when continually using the same drench chemicals. The industry must get information on best practice to its many new apiarists; about 2000 newcomers registered in only 24 months. “So there was a lot of focus on how we address
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that, how we work to look at alternative methods of managing varroa. Are there more organictype methods we can use, and how do we bring that knowledge to what is probably 50% of the industry, who have less than three years experience?” Bees are now being bred for varroa resistance. “Beekeepers are selecting stock from apiaries which tend to be able to manage varroa themselves,” says Hartnell. However, reinfection from feral hives is no longer a problem, because feral bee populations have collapsed. Traceability of product is another big concern. Electronic chipping of hives and product is at an early stage but could soon prove its worth. “Because our products
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ELITE SHEEP FARMERS OFF TO WELLY ELITE KIWI sheep farmers have been invited to celebrate their industry and work at the Beehive next year. The invitation came from Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy, to farmers attending the National Ewe Hogget Awards ceremony in Invercargill. About 300 farmers entered, including North Islanders. Tru-Test, a long-time supporter of the 20-year old competition, says it is a true commercial sheep competition. This year’s special category Tru-Test Phenotype Award went to Lumsden farmers Willie and Phillipa Menlove. Points towards the Phenotype prize are awarded for stock being true to type and the evenness of the flock. The judges said the Menlove’s flock were like “peas in a pod”.
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RURAL NEWS // JULY 5, 2016
NEWS 17
Fight for SFF goes on and on As the proposed merger between Silver Fern Farms and Shanghai Maling now moves beyond its original June 30 deadline, the fight goes on to derail the deal and it does not look like ending anytime soon. David Anderson reports. DRAMA AND dirty fighting are nothing new in the New Zealand meat sector. However, the battle over the proposed merger between Silver Fern Farms (SFF) and Chinese Investor Shanghai Maling (SM) is showing no sign of abating or coming to an end. In fact, it is likely to be prolonged with an extension to the Overseas Investment Office (OIO) deadline (OIO approval is needed for the deal to proceed) and resultant delay in the deal being finalised. Claim and counter-claim continue to go on between a well-moneyed, politically aligned, minority group of dissident shareholders opposed to the deal, and the SFF board and its management hell-bent on proceeding with the JV. This dissident shareholder group is led by an ex Vietnam-based, British merchant banker who is one of SFF’s largest shareholders -- John Shrimpton, and a former MIE member, Blair Gallagher. The dissidents are supported by other MIE associates and by the nationalist political party NZ First. Shrimpton and co are currently running meetings to drum up support among shareholders to overturn the deal, and NZ First leader Winston Peters is simultaneously also trying to stir up political debate to oppose it. Supporters of the dissidents claim
there is “no known contact between the requisitioners and NZ First”. However, both are promoting eerily similar ‘concerns’ regarding the deal. One of the Shrimpton/NZ First claims is about the size of the cash injection by Shanghai Maling into SFF. The dissidents say only $50 million will be injected into the business, not $261m as believed. Shareholders attending meetings in Gore and Balclutha in late June were told this by Shrimpton and it was repeated by NZ First in a media release on June 22. However, SFF chief executive Dean Hamilton told Rural News that although he did not attend these meetings (neither did Peters) this assertion was quite wrong. “Shanghai Maling will invest $261m to acquire 50% of Silver Fern Farms Ltd (currently named Silver Fern Farms Beef Ltd). Of this, $57m will be returned to the co-operative and $204m will be retained within Silver Fern Farms to pay down debt and be available for investment.” Meanwhile, Hamilton says a claim by both the dissidents and NZ First that the meeting in October 2015 did not meet threshold for a special resolution is also incorrect. “Despite repeated public corrections by ourselves, the voting threshold for a special resolution by Silver Fern
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Farms (equally the test required under the Companies Act) is 75% of those eligible to vote AND voting,” he explained. “Voting is not compulsory. It is NOT 75% of all shares, only those actually voting. At our meeting in October last year, 82.2% of all shares that were voted, did vote in favour of the Shanghai Maling investment. That is the measure.” Another claim made by Shrimpton and co is that if the deal with Shanghai Maling proceeds, the new company will close the Fairton and Waitane plants. This is contained in material given to shareholders at the dissidents’ meetings. Hamilton told Rural News he had not seen this ‘material’ and SFF has not been provided with a copy. “We operated 19 plants this season. With the relocation of our Islington venison plant (previously announced due to the expiry of its lease) to be rebuilt at our Pareora plant, we will have 18 plants next season. There are no confirmed plans to shut down either our Fairton or Waitane plants.” However he did concede that SFF “will continue to periodically review our plant network to ensure it is fit for purpose and as efficient as it can be – as any prudent manufacturer would do”. When asked why this material (on the potential plant closures) was given
Silver Ferns Farms chairman Rob Hewitt (right) and chief executive Dean Hamilton are confident of getting the Shanghai Maling deal over the line.
to SM and had not communicated by SFF to shareholders, Hamilton said it was part of the due diligence carried out by potential investors and not approved SFF policy. “Shanghai Maling and the other interested parties – who conducted due diligence over a 4-5 month period in 2015 – were provided with information to allow them to assess the company as is normal in these investment processes,” he explained. “Amongst the many hundreds of questions asked by potential investors, Shanghai Maling asked what the management thought the future years might look like AFTER the Shanghai Maling investment. “Management provided high level projections with examples of what that capital could be used for, including accelerating the value added strategy and rationalising plants. “It was made clear that these were projections only, and not board approved. The options are not board approved and are not available to Silver Fern Farms without significant capital investment and therefore are not applicable.” Another of the dissident group’s oftrepeated claims is that the SFF board did not properly inform shareholders, prior to the vote last October, about the company’s real financial performance
and position. However, Hamilton dismisses this allegation and says the recent Financial Markets Authority (FMA) investigation backs this. “We disclosed all the relevant information in the shareholder materials and the FMA has confirmed that there was nothing misleading or deceptive in those materials.” Meanwhile, recent media reports are now claiming that the banks are putting heat on all meat companies to reduce their debt loadings. This is a point of conjecture, the dissidents claiming SFF’s financial position was not as bad as claimed by the company prior to last year’s special meeting which approved the SM joint venture. When asked what the banks’ reaction would be if the deal was scuppered either by OIO rejection or shareholder pressure (via the Shrimpton Group) at the next special meeting, Hamilton told Rural News that SFF’s lenders support the investment by Shanghai Maling and are “keen to have it completed, and for the partnership to commence, as soon as practicable”. “I can’t comment on what the lenders would or would not do if the transaction was not approved by the OIO,” he says. @rural_news facebook.com/ruralnews
Terms and Conditions: Offers valid for dates specified or while stocks last. Prices include GST and are subject to change. Some products may not be available in all stores but may be ordered on request. Prices do not include delivery, delivery costs are additional. Images are for illustrative purposes only.
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Helping grow the country
RURAL NEWS // JULY 5, 2016
18 MARKETS & TRENDS MARKET SNAPSHOT Me at
BEEF MARKET TRENDS
No rth Is lan d C h an g e c /kg
c /kgCWT
S o u th Is lan d
L as t We e k
C h an g e c /kg
L as t We e k
L amb - PM 16.0kg
-1 0
5 .1 3
-1 0
4 .9 8
S te e r - P2 300kg
-1 5
5 .3 0
-1 0
5 .1 0
B u ll - M2 300kg
-1 5
5 .2 5
-1 0
4 .9 0
Ve n is o n - AP 60kg
-2 0
7 .5 0
-1 0
7 .6 0
5yr Av e
Last Year
LAMB PRICES
BEEF PRICES c/kgCWT
Change
Last Week
2 Wks A go
Last Year
- 15
5.30
5.45
5.52
M 2 B ull - 300kg
- 15
5.25
5.40
5.57
P 2 Co w - 230kg
- 15
4.35
4.50
4.72
M Co w - 200kg
- 15
4.25
4.40
4.62
Lo cal Trade - 230kg
n/c
5.40
5.40
5.35
- 10
5.10
5.20
5.20
M 2 B ull - 300kg
- 10
4.90
5.00
5.05
P 2 Co w - 230kg
- 10
3.90
4.00
3.85
M Co w - 200kg
- 10
3.90
4.00
3.75
Lo cal Trade - 230kg
n/c
5.30
5.30
5.20
NI
P 2 Steer - 300kg
SI
P 2 Steer - 300kg
No rth Island 16.0kg M Lamb Price $6.5
LAMB MARKET TRENDS
This Year
$5.5
M utto n SI Lamb
M utto n
Last Week
2 Wks A go
Last Year
- 10
5.11
5.21
5.11
P M - 16.0kg
- 10
5.13
5.23
5.13
P X - 19.0kg
- 10
5.15
5.25
5.15
P H - 22.0kg
- 10
5.16
5.26
5.16
M X1 - 21kg
n/c
2.60
2.60
3.15
YM - 13.5kg
- 10
4.98
5.08
4.71
P M - 16.0kg
- 10
4.98
5.08
4.73
P X - 19.0kg
- 10
4.98
5.08
4.75
P H - 22.0kg
- 10
4.98
5.08
4.76
- 10
2.38
2.48
2.60
M X1- 21kg
Slaughter
Slaughter
$6.0
Change
c/kgCWT NI Lamb YM - 13.5kg
N ort h Island Weekly Lamb Kill
300k
N ort h Island Weekly Cattle Kill
60k
$5.0
200k
40k
$4.5
27-Mar
27-Apr
27-May
27-Jun
27-Jul
27-Aug
100k
20k
S outh Island 16.0kg M Lamb Price
5yr Ave
5yr Ave
$6 .0
k 27-Mar
$5 .5 $5 .0
27-Apr
5yr Ave
$4 .0 27 -Mar
27 -Apr
Last Year
27 -May
27 -Jun
This Year
27 -Jul
27 -Aug
27-May
k 20 Mar
This Year
27-Jun
27-Jul
20 Apr
27-Aug
Last Year
20 May
20 Jun
This Y ear
20 Jul
20 Aug
S outh Island Weekly Lamb Kill 400k
S outh Island Weekly Cattle Kill
40k
$4 .5
Last Year
I
300k 200k
30k
100k
20k
k 20 Mar
20 Apr
20 May
20 Jun
20 Jul
20 Aug
10k
No rth Island 300kg Bull Price
5yr Ave
k 27-Mar
$6 .0
Last Year
27-Apr 27-May
27-Jun
This Year
27-Jul
Export Market Demand
27-Aug
Change
Last Week
2 Wks A go
Last Year
UK Leg £/lb
n/c
1.72
1.72
1.68
1.93
NZ$ /kg
n/c
7.50
7.50
8.54
8.29
$5 .5
Export Market Demand
$5 .0 5yr Ave
$4 .5
Last Year This Y ear
$4 .0 27 -Mar
27 -Apr
27 -May
27 -Jun
27 -Jul
27 -Aug
S outh Island 300kg Steer Price
$6 .0
95CL US$ /lb NZ$ /kg
$5 .5
Change
Last Week
2 Wks A go
Last Year
5yr A ve
+1
2.21
2.20
2.40
2.09
+6
6.94
6.88
7.63
5.86
D e mand Indicator - US 95CL B eef
$3.00
D e mand Indicator - UK Leg Price
£2.50 £2.00
Last Year
£1.50
This Year
£1.00 27-Mar
$2.50
5yr A ve
27-Apr 27-May
27-Jun
27-Jul
27-Aug
$5 .0
$2.00
$4 .5
5yr Ave
$4 .0
Last Year
$3 .5 27 -Mar
This Y ear
27 -Apr
27 -May
27 -Jun
27 -Jul
Last Year
Procurement Indicator
This Year
$1.50 27-Mar
27-Apr
27-May
27-Jun
27-Jul
Procurement Indicator $8 .0
$7 .5 $7 .0
Change
2Wks A go
3 Wks A go
Last Year
5yr A ve
% Returned NI
- 1%
77.8%
78.5%
72.69%
78.7%
% Returned SI
- 1%
72.0%
72.7%
66.1%
72.1%
5yr Av e Last Year This Year
$6 .5 $6 .0 27 -Mar
27 -Apr
27 -May
27 -Jun
27 -Jul
27 -Aug
S outh Island 60kg Stag Price
$8 .0
85%
80%
$6 .5 $6 .0 27 -Mar
70%
Last Year
65%
This Year
27 -Apr
27 -May
27 -Jun
27 -Jul
27 -Aug
Last Year
% Returned NI
- 0 .7 %
71.3%
72.0%
61.5%
71.9%
% Returned SI
0.0%
68.0%
68.0%
56.8%
69.6%
P rocu rement Indicator - North I. 80% 70%
50% 27-Mar
Last Year
27-Apr 27-May
This Year
27-Jun
27-Jul
27-Aug
P rocu rement Indicator - South I.
3-May
3-Jun
3-Jul
3-Aug
3-Sep
60%
P rocu rement Indicator - South I.
Last Year
Last Year
50% 27-Mar
27-Apr 27-May
This Year
27-Jun
27-Jul
27-Aug
This Year
Venison Prices Change
Last Week
2 Wks A go
Last Year
5yr A ve
NI Stag - 60kg
-20
7.50
7.70
6.60
6.85
SI Stag - 60kg
- 10
7.60
7.70
6.35
6.89
60% 55% 3-Apr
5yr A ve
70%
75% 5yr Ave
3 Wks A go
This Y ear
70%
$7 .5 $7 .0
Last Year
75%
65% 3-Apr
2Wks A go
60%
P rocu rement Indicator - North I.
80%
Change
27-Aug
27 -Aug
No rth Island 60kg S tag Price
3-May
3-Jun
3-Jul
3-Aug
3-Sep
Beef & venison prices are reported as gross (before normal levies & charges are deducted). Lamb & mutton prices are reported nett (after levies & charges are deducted).
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RURAL NEWS // JULY 5, 2016
MARKETS & TRENDS 19 NEWS
PRICE WATCH
BEEF: The strength of the NZ dollar
has added to the reluctance of processors to keep competing using schedules. Slaughter prices have either plateaued or fallen lately as a result. Currency movements don’t have such a strong impact on local trade markets, and therefore prices for these types of cattle remain solid. The cow slaughter is essentially finished now, with final tallies for the season estimated to be 11% lower than the 2014/15 season. Sourcing store cattle in the South Island is a difficult task. Nearly all are opting to trade through the saleyards and quality at sales as tended to be mixed. Dry conditions in the Hawke’s Bay and Wairarapa are keeping the store cattle supply steady in the North Island. Buyers have tended to prefer to chase lighter lines of R2yr stock, as they are cautious around paying the extra outlay for heavier stock.
INTERNATIONAL
BEEF:
US imported beef prices appear to have stabilised, suggesting the recent price rally may have been short-lived. Demand from the US is limited, and once the Fourth of July holiday is over, will decline even further. At present the market seems confident that the increasing domestic supplies will meet their needs going forward, and this appears to have limited any price rally as a result from the tight imported supply. It is expected that a large
supply of fed cattle will hit the market from late September, which is likely to place pressure on domestic prices as well. The Chinese beef market is a little softer than a fortnight ago. Buyers are in possession of larger inventories which will likely limit interest for at least a couple of months.
WOOL PRICE WATCH Change
23-Jun
16-Jun
Last Year
Indicators in US$/kg
Coarse Xbred
-21
5.29
5.50
4.78
Coarse Xbred
Fine Xbred
-14
5.52
5.66
5.26
Fine Xbred
Lamb
-20
5.60
5.80
6.25
-
-
8.64
10.08
Indicators in NZ$
Mid Micron
SHEEP: The strength of the NZ
dollar is keeping lamb slaughter prices from making any upwards movements despite the decreasing availability of lambs. Some processors are either closing plants or reducing capacity in preparation from for the coming bobby calf kill, which is taking some of the edge out of procurement competition. Store lamb buyers in the South Island are willing to pay large amounts to acquire the limited volumes that are available. Lambs 37kg and below continue to make at least $2.80/kg at Temuka. Supply is less of an issue through the North Island, keeping prices lower there.
INTERNATIONAL SHEEP:
The bulk of overseas lamb markets have displayed positive signs for the coming months. Interest out of both China and the Middle East continues to climb following the tough season to date. Low inventories through China and decreasing production within NZ are the two key components to the better returns in these markets. The only
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Overseas Wool Price Indicators
Wool Indicator Trends
850 CXI
FXI
23-Jun
16-Jun
Last Year
-10
3.79
3.89
3.92
-5
3.96
4.00
4.58
Lamb
-9
4.02
4.10
5.10
Mid Micron
-
-
6.11
7.08
Wool Indicator Trends
600
LI
CXI
550
750
Change
FXI
LI
500
650
450
550
400
450 Aug
Oct
Dec
Feb
Apr
Jun
Oct
Dec
Feb
Apr
Jun
Coarse Xbred Indictor in US$
Coarse Xbred Indicator
650
350 Aug
450
600
400
550 Last Year This Year
500 450
Oct
Dec
Feb
Apr
Jun
Aug
market which proving a sticking point for exporters is the UK. Domestic production in the UK is restricting interest in NZ product, while lower than typical shipments from the UK are also adding to the markets supply. The UK’s impending exit from the EU will likely impact on lamb
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returns in the long-term, though just what affect it has is unclear at the moment. Currency movements will have the main effect on exporters’ returns in the short-term, with the UK pound already rising heavily against the NZ dollar.
RURAL NEWS // JULY 5, 2016
20 AGRIBUSINESS
Upgraded spray dryer running flat-out Food Waikato spray dryer operations manager Dave Shute.
FOODWAIKATO’S OPEN access spray dryer at Waikato Innovation Park is running flat-out, helping companies using it for R&D. The park is owned by Hamilton City Council. Operations manager Dave Shute says the plant
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has run year-round at full capacity and this is expected to continue. Any organisation may apply to use it. The spray dryer, upgraded last year at a cost of $5.7 million, switched to mixing and drying formulated dairy cow, goat and sheep milk products when cows milk stopped flowing. He says the upgraded dryer may now have the highest utilisation rate of any such facility in New Zealand. It makes powder for dairy companies to use in value-added products, and it is used to powder avocados. Much of its work is R&D. The dryer produces powder at 500kg/hour; this sells for $10,000-$100,000 per tonne, depending on the product. “We were always optimistic the upgrade would attract more business, and we are overwhelmed by enquiries,” Shute says.
milk or other dry powders prior to being spray dried to powder.” The park’s chief executive Stuart Gordon says the dryer has helped many clients to grow their exports. “We want businesses to arrive with an idea, commercialise it with FoodWaikato, and once they’re up-and-running go build their own spray dryer as Dairy Goat Co-operative did. “We see that as a threefive year development; longer than five years and we’d be questioning whether we were doing the right thing with them.” No other open-access facility of this kind exists in Australasia, for companies to do small runs of a first commercial batch of new product. “The only option for them is to build their own plant, which is cost-prohibitive for most companies, especially new market entrants.”
IN BRIEF COUNTRY OF ORIGIN LABELLING VITAL A NEW survey has found Kiwi consumers are seeking out more locally made food. Concerns about product safety and levels of additives in consumer goods manufactured offshore are driving purchasing behaviour. The Munchkin study which investigated the attitudes and habits of Kiwi shoppers showed that more than two thirds (69%) of Kiwi consumers said country of origin for food products they ate was important to them. When asked what product categories where country of origin labelling was important to them; meat and dairy products came up top at 96% and 95% respectively. This was
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followed closely by fruit and vegetables with more than nine in 10 (92%) consumers stating this. Knowing the source of their tinned or glass bottled products and dry packaged goods was also important with 86% and 83% identifying this preference. The survey also found that 95% of Kiwi’s indicated that given the choice, they would rather have dairy products from grass fed cows. Only 5% said they preferred products from grain fed cows. The research was carried out in conjunction with the launch of the new Munchkin Grass Fed milk-based formula and toddler drinks produced in Canterbury.
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“Now we’re juggling the schedule to accommodate clients.” The plant processes fresh milk from five different suppliers. When fresh milk is not being processed the plant mixes formulated product and spray dries it into infant formula base. On non-assigned days the plant is used for oneoff product development trials. The first stage of the plant, funded by the government and Innovation Waikato Ltd, was opened in May, 2012. At first it was a liquidto-powder plant, but the upgrading allows it to wetblend dairy products, vitamins, minerals, oils and other ingredients. “The most recent upgrade, beginning in June 2014, was largely funded by a $3m equity injection from Callaghan Innovation,” Shute says. “It allows vitamins, minerals and oils to be ‘wet-blended’ with
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RURAL NEWS // JULY 5, 2016
AGRIBUSINESS 21
Seeking more profit in red meat The Red Meat Profit Partnership (RMPP) brings together farmers with processing companies, banks and government to improve onfarm productivity. We catch up with Denise Bewsell, specialist extension manager for the RMPP, who explains how the $64 million, seven year programme aims to drive long-term, sustainable improvements in the sector. A key focus for RMPP is extending the knowledge and improving the uptake of good practice on New Zealand farms. What are the key objectives behind RMPP’s pilot farms? We want profitability from greater sustainable productivity for sheep and beef farmers. The farms are enabling us to find different ways of working with meat processors/exporters to help improve productivity and profitability, and how we can develop an extension system beneficial to all involved in the supply chain; for instance, by developing relationships between the meat processor and supplier or mentoring and training farmers who want to develop extension activities. How does the project work? We have six partner meat processors: Alliance Group, ANZCO, Blue Sky Meats, Greenlea, Progressive Meats and Silver Fern Farms. They are running different extension projects with some of their sheep and beef farmer suppliers, all linking into the value chain. About 70 individual farm businesses are involved and a wide range of activities. Rabobank and ANZ are also running more business-focused extension activities. There’s a lot of innovation and goodwill; for instance, meat companies are holding joint events or are organising visits for suppliers to other companies’ pilot farms. What’s the progress like? Progress has been good: about 60% of participating farmers have made some kind of change, achieving great results onfarm, and very good thinking has developed on extension. For instance, we had several farms working individually in the North Island, but the group work in the South Island is going so well that a farmer group is now being formed in the North Island. Farmers are learning from other farmers
and meat processors are working together. There are groups, workshops and one-to-one sessions with rural experts, on topics
such as body condition scoring, using software for feed budgeting, soils, forage and nutrition, gathering data on kill weights and benchmarking yearon-year farm results. What are the challenges? To be successful the project needs to be scalable. We are doing these smaller pilot programmes but need to be able to scale them up to an industry level. There are challenges to identifying benefits for all parties involved but we are working through these. Some benefits are long term, for instance, building trusted relationships with suppliers and other experts takes time but will provide additional benefits over time. What are the opportunities? This is an opportunity for NZ’s red meat sector to go full steam ahead, increasing productivity and profitability by people working collaboratively, with benefits throughout the value chain. It’s a means for people to work in extension and contribute in being part of a vibrant industry. And it is opening career possibilities across the red meat sector as we seek to build the capacity and capability required to assist the sector to move forward. What feedback have you received from farmers? We are getting good feedback from the pilot farmers through the processor representatives on what is working well
and what isn’t. The level of goodwill from everyone involved has been fantastic. Everyone is willing to get involved and share
things. What feedback have you received from processors? Some are saying this is a space they really want
to continue in, building trusted relationships and facilitating improvements as farmers identify areas they would like to under-
stand better. To find out more about the RMPP and its six key projects visit www.rmpp. co.nz
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RURAL NEWS // JULY 5, 2016
22 OPINION EDITORIAL
EDNA
Tyranny of the minority THE SILVER Fern Farms/Shanghai Maling joint venture proposal is getting nastier the longer it drags out, not helped by the company’s often offhand dismissal of some shareholders’ concerns about the deal and recent delay in getting Overseas Investment Office approval for the deal to be finalised. Until OIO and the relevant ministers decide, the process is stalled in a vacuum swirling with rumour and innuendo. The longer this plays out the more conspiracy theories and wild claims will be made by the dissidents. Clearly a minority group of disgruntled shareholders, in cahoots with NZ First, are determined to overturn the deal at all costs, arguing that their concerns centre purely on process and legal aspects. In fact they just don’t like it, but they lack the intestinal fortitude and courage of their convictions to say this outright. Reports by the Financial Markets Authority and the Companies Office, over the validity of the Silver Fern Farms resolution process and its directors’ actions , should have dispelled these disgruntled shareholders’ case but, like political blowhards in New Zealand First, they dismiss these investigations as not having produced the result they wanted. The blistering arrogance of this small minority underlies their mistaken belief in a right to overturn the wishes of the overwhelming majority of SFF shareholders – the 82% (at least) who bothered to vote last October in favour of the joint venture. More proof of the depths this disgruntled minority will dive to is seen in their putting about unattributed, unidentified media claims out of Australia that Shanghai Maling wants to pull out of the deal. This is the same kind of ‘reputable’ Australian media scuttlebutt that falsely claimed a few weeks ago that Fonterra was showing Theo Spierings the door. SFF and Shanghai Maling insist they are committed to this venture and so it seems are the silent majority of SFF shareholders. It is time the majority told the vocal minority, in no uncertain terms, to pack up their tents and get out of the company if they are so unhappy. Should OIO and ministerial approval be granted, the board of SFF would have no option but to honour the contract with Shanghai Maling, provided all agreed contractual obligations are met. The risk of not doing so would cost SFF and its shareholders a lot of money and you can guarantee the disaffected 5% wouldn’t stump up with costs.
RURAL NEWS HEAD OFFICE POSTAL ADDRESS: PO Box 331100, Takapuna, Auckland 0740 PUBLISHER: Brian Hight .............................................. Ph 09 307 0399 GENERAL MANAGER: Adam Fricker ........................................... Ph 09 913 9632 CONSULTING EDITOR: David Anderson .......................................Ph 09 307 0399 davida@ruralnews.co.nz
“Our Avocado thief-trap works Edna ..............EDNAAAAAAAAA!!”
THE HOUND
Want to share your opinion or gossip with the Hound? Send your emails to: hound@ruralnews.co.nz
Unfortunate
Don’t panic
Oink, oink
THE HOUND had to giggle at some of the crazy conspiracy theories going around when the Poms were going to the polls, last month, to vote on leaving the EU. Reports described Brexit pundits (supporters of the ‘leave’ campaign) so convinced ‘the authorities’ would rig the vote that they extolled people not to use pencils provided in the voting booths, because ‘the authorities’ could rub the pencil marks out and change the vote. Instead, they pleaded that voters bring their own pens to make their votes indelible. Of course this led to an inevitable social media campaign in which the Twitter machine lit up and promoted the racy hashtag #penisbetter.
YOUR CANINE crusader sees that his good mates at the meat industry’s ‘Dad’s Army’ – MIE (the gift that keeps on giving) – have taken umbrage at the Hound’s June 7 column calling on them to be more accountable in record keeping and filing with the Companies Office. MIE’s new ‘Captain Mainwaring’ – one Dave McGaveston of Nelson on Sea – penned an email to the Hound’s boss claiming such a “malicious” claim “brought into disrepute” MIE and it accountant’s business. However, your old mate notes that when the item came out in Rural News June 7, the Companies Office records showed MIE as not having filed its financial statement for the year ended March 31, 2015, despite this having been signed off at its annual meeting on July 29, 2015. However, these records magically appeared on the Companies Office register on June 15, 2016! As another Dad’s Army favourite, Corporal Jones, used to say, “They don’t like it up ‘em”, and it seems neither does MIE. However, it is good to note that the $200,000-plus of levy payer monies MIE sucked up have now been properly accounted for, thanks to a little prompting by you-know-who.
THE HOUND has been lambasted by claims and counter-claims over the SFF/Shanghai Maling deal. One constant is the denials by the ‘anti’ brigade of any linkage between John ‘The Pom’ Shrimpton, the failed meat sector ginger group MIE and political party NZ First. They carefully argue there is “no known contact” between the groups. This is despite the fact that the former MIE chair John McCarthy is a director of Shrimpton’s farm, that Shrimpton’s co-requisitioner Blair Gallagher is a former MIE executive, that MIE’s former spin-doctor ($22k got paid out for communications) is now doing the PR for the Shrimpton group and that Shrimpton himself helped write MIE’s failed ‘Pathway Report’. All the while, Winston Peters’ taxpayer funded chief man-bag carrier David Broome is donkey-deep in trying to gain media exposure against the deal. Your old mate says people can dress it up all they want, but putting lipstick on a pig does not hide the fact that it is still a pig.
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Rural News is published by Rural News Group Ltd. All editorial copy and photographs are subject to copyright and may not be reproduced without prior written permission of the publisher. Opinions or comments expressed within this publication are not necessarily those of staff, management or directors of Rural News Group Ltd.
RURAL NEWS // JULY 5, 2016
OPINION 23
Find the right GAP under the Food Act MIKE CHAPMAN
THE FOOD Act came into force on 1 March 2016, focussed on the production of food in New Zealand. The act requires a person who trades in food to ensure it is safe and suitable; it also requires registration and audit. The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) is responsible for this enormous undertaking, overseeing about 45,000 producers. The controls imposed by the act are tailored to the risk profile of the food being produced. The higher the risk – from a food safety point of view – the more stringent the requirements. All producers of food – including fruit and vegetable growers, whose risk profile is not especially high – have until November 30, 2018 to register. Guidance on how to register is available at www.hortnz.co.nz. NZ has two quality assurance schemes that provide traceability and accountability from crop to customer for the production of fruit, vegetables, olives and flowers: NZ GAP and GLOBALG.A.P. GAP stands for ‘good agricultural practice’. Both have run for many years; NZGAP was started by VegFed in 1999. These schemes ensure best practice in
production, packaging and distribution of fresh produce. They reduce the risk of health and safety and environmental problems, so consumers can buy with confidence. NZGAP was developed by NZ growers to address consumer concerns about food safety, traceability and production issues. Also, growers wanted an efficient, cost effective management and production system that removed the need for multiple auditors. By meeting the standards required by the schemes, GAP approved suppliers can show their customers that their products are produced in a suitable manner. The horticulture industry now proposes that the GAP schemes be recognised under the Food Act. This requires that MPI be satisfied that the GAP schemes conform to the Food Act, that there is a registration system, and that an effective and ongoing audit is in place. Required changes can be made to accommodate the Food Act and MPI’s requirements. However, the GAP schemes are already directing the food assurance scheme that ensures fruit and vegetables for sale are safe and suitable. It is a ‘win-win’ for MPI and the industry: MPI gets a tailor-made scheme that meets its requirements
All food producers have until November 30 2018 to register.
When you’re serious about and is up-and-running; and the hort industry needs only to comply with one quality assurance programme – saving time and expense. One question HortNZ gets asked is whether the Food Act applies to farmers’ markets, gates sales and to people who sell produce from ‘white vans’ in suburban streets. The Food Act exempts growers selling direct to the public from having to register and undergo an audit. But their produce must still be safe and suitable, i.e. it must not make consumers sick and it must meet composition, labelling and identification requirements and be in the right condition for its intended use. However, it does require registration for anyone reselling produce. So if the ‘white van’ driver or farmers’ market stall holder is not the grower, he/she will need to register under the Food Act and be audited. •Mike Chapman is the chief executive of HortNZ.
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RURAL NEWS // JULY 5, 2016
24 OPINION
Abandoning a challenge is not my way Federated Farmers Meat and Fibre chairman Rick Powdrell spoke at the Feds’ annual conference last week. Here are excerpts from his speech. ONE THING in life never changes: the moment you overcome one challenge, another is sure to arise. Once in a while a challenge crops up that might be easier to abandon, but that’s not my way. You guessed it, that’s a reference to the New Zealand red meat industry. At our February meeting we discussed our role, emphasising continued dialogue with key players, notably Beef + Lamb NZ, the Meat Industry Association, Meat Industry Excellence and other parties keen to engage. Plenty of people have been willing to talk, some
Rick Powdrell
notable for their commercial self-interest and others on specific elements in the industry. All have relevant ideas and passion and desire to see the industry move forward. But until key players come together with
a common goal the required quantum shift will not occur. Since our February meeting we have talked with BLNZ, some of us getting involved in groups developing and testing BLNZ’s market development plan. Hopefully the coming together of all the parties -farmers, processors, marketers, government and others – will result in an agreed way forward. If so,
similar approaches might help us address other industry issues. In February, speaking about the UK lamb market, I referred to a need to try to bring together
all industry participants for the betterment of all. What the Brexit vote means to NZ is unknown, except there will be signif-
duties to these markets will be
icant unrest in all aspects of the UK economy. How NZ industry leaders and government respond will be vitally important.
Now is not the time to sit back and watch what develops. Rather we should act to mould the future with our UK counterparts for the betterment of all. The UK marketing
strategy will likely be turned upside down. Our lamb exports to the UK face the biggest risk. We have a product that presently is not rewarding farmers for their effort; preservation is the minimal acceptable outcome. As BLNZ has emphasised, the EU and UK are our most valuable sheepmeat markets. Maintaining our quota of 228,000 tonnes at zero
important. How that can be achieved, what the end result will look like and over what time-frame is unknown. The duration of the unrest as the UK settles into its new freedom may require some patience. But we must be patient at the table in the UK, not watching from the sidelines here in NZ.
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RURAL NEWS // JULY 5, 2016
26 MANAGEMENT
Calm animals easier to handle, produce more PAM TIPA
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Dr Temple Grandin at the NZ Vet Association conference in Hamilton.
pamelat@ruralnews.co.nz
GOOD STOCKMANSHIP matters and needs much more credit, says Dr Temple Grandin, professor of animal science at Colorado State University. “Animals afraid of people will be much less productive,” she told the New Zealand Veterinary Association conference in Hamilton. Stress in animals depends greatly on their previous experience. “A basic principle in working with animals is that a calm animal is easier to handle. “Once an animal gets frightened – if during a procedure something bad happened – it will take it 20 minutes to calm down,” she says. “If you have been in a near car accident you know how long it takes to calm down.” If the eyeball of a horse or cattle beast is showing, it is really upset. “That’s scientifically validated because if you give drugs like Valium you don’t get the eye white. That proves there was fear.” The signs that a cow or horse is starting to get fearful include tail swishing; that is not friendly as with dogs. “When a tail swish gets faster and faster… then it’ll be flight or kick. “Eye white showing, head up, ears pinned back… and then they poop more; you’ve scared the you-know-
what out of them. You don’t want to be doing that.” Animals will associate a bad experience with something they were looking at or hearing at the time. During a first experience with a vet, if an animal was looking at a white labcoat, then it will believe all white labcoats after that are bad. “An animal is very specific in the way it thinks; it takes a snapshot, like the labcoat, [so if you wear] another kind of coat, it’s fine. Or certain vehicles are bad: cattle have learned ‘one four wheel motorbike brings me food, but three means trouble – they’re coming to round me up’. “Look at what the ears are doing. Cattle, sheep, all your grazing animals watch with their ears. Observe where the ears are pointing; what’s your animal attending to? Watch that.” We should get away from restraint methods that hurt. If you handle an animal roughly it changes its physiology. If laboratory animals are handled roughly, the results will not give normal physiological values. The final five minutes for an animal going up the chute in a meat plant is really important. “Poking pigs and jamming [them with] stuff will get you pale, watery, soft meat -- high lactate. Cattle poked with electric prods will get you tough meat. That last five minutes going up that stunning chute does matter. Getting animals excited and fearful
changes their physiology.” Grandin says she is often asked if animals have emotions. Prozac works on dogs, but if their brains came from another planet, it would not work. Animals have seven core emotions: fear, rage, separation stress, seeking, sex, mother-young nurturing and play. The most important emotion for handling is fear. “Animals feel pain. Castrate a lamb or castrate a bull, it hurts, but he doesn’t know what he is losing. That’s probably the difference between an animal and a human.” If you force an animal – during a procedure or forcing a cow into a milking stall – the fear hormones go up. “If you train animals to cooperate with restraint you will have a lot less fear stress,” she says. She cited a study in which young heifers walked through a handling race, then coming in later for AI, had better conception rates because they weren’t scared of the handling facility. Animals can acclimatise: their first trip on a truck is a lot more stressful than their ninth trip, unless the first trip is very traumatic then following trips will be worse. Animals that fear people are less productive; this is well documented, Grandin says. Paul Hemsworth in Australia has worked on this for a long time. Fearful dairy cows have
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TO PAGE 27
RURAL NEWS // JULY 5, 2016
MANAGEMENT 27
US beef leg conformation causing concern LEG CONFORMATION issues in US beef cattle are concerning Dr Temple Grandin. With the beef industry’s focus on carcase traits and selecting for production traits, she is starting to see some leg conformation issues. “I am concerned that in certain genetic lines of beef cattle a mistake [is being repeated] that the pig industry made back in
the 1980s,” she says. “They just selected for rapid growth, big loins and thin back fat. They started getting collapsed ankles where they walked on the claws.” Some of the cattle are getting crooked claw and that matters, she says. “Some people think they can do all the genetics by the numbers; but there is still a need for visual appraisal of breed-
ing stock to make sure they have sound feet and legs. “We have to have bulls go out on some rough country; they have to be able to walk.” In breeding, bad can start to become normal. She says don’t let it happen in leg conformation. A group of pig breeders in the 1980s were breeding nasty pigs, but didn’t
Leg conformation issues are creeping into US beef cattle.
realise how bad they were because they weren’t dealing with other pigs. There is an interaction between genetics and
what we can do with animals. “Take an American Holstein calf and tie it to a tree; it pulls back and
habituates and gets over it. Do that to Angus heifers you probably wreck about 10% of heifers. They will not habituate.
They get scared and they stay scared and they are ruined.” @rural_news facebook.com/ruralnews
Calm animals much easier to handle FROM PAGE 26
lower conception rates; dairy cows that approach people have better somatic cell counts. Animals don’t think in words; their memories are sensory based: they think in pictures, smells or tone of voice. They associate good and bad things with certain sounds. The sound of one type of truck means they will get fed. They can even differentiate between different makes of cars. “If you can think in a sensory way it will help you imagine what an animal is thinking,” she says. “An animal’s first experience with a new person, a new vehicle or a new milking set-up must be a good experience.”
In discussion with a US dairyman planning a new rotary milking platform she advised “take the time to train heifers, don’t just shove them in there. Make sure their going in there is a good first experience”. A proponent for humane treatment of livestock, Dr Temple Grandin is a designer of equipment for cattle and pigs during slaughter. She is the author of books on livestock handling and transport and has served as a consultant to develop animal welfare guidelines for corporations such as McDonalds. @rural_news facebook.com/ruralnews
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RURAL NEWS // JULY 5, 2016
28 ANIMAL HEALTH
Colostrum key to healthy calves protective antibodies adult lives and they may GET YOUR colostrum that calves need in their never reach their true feeding right and you’ll go first hours of life to build a long way towards raising potential,” she explains. immunity to bugs like “In many cases, the healthy replacement rotavirus. The milk from disease will kill them. calves. the following milkings, That can be emotionally That’s the advice of until the cows join the devastating and a big Jo Holter, veterinary milking herd, is called financial loss when you’re technical advisor with transition milk. This is raising replacements.” MSD Animal Health, who still fed to growing calves, Milk from the says poor understanding of course, but it doesn’t first eight milkings is of colostrum and its have the same level of commonly referred to as management can expose antibodies and it should ‘colostrum’, but this is newborn calves to be stored separately from incorrect, Holter says. pathogens that cause the ‘gold’, first milking “Colostrum is scours, such as rotavirus. colostrum.” produced in the first “If they survive, the Suckling on the dam milking and this contains impact on their gut see usthe athighest Fieldays: Sites G118 &G120 cannot always be relied on levels of healthCome will last and into their
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to deliver the volumes and quality of colostrum the calf needs and it may be necessary to supplement this by feeding extra colostrum in the first 24 hours of life. According to Holter ideally every newborn calf should receive at least two 2L feeds of high-grade colostrum in its first 12-24 hours of life -- either via tube or teat, but tube is often less wasteful and ensures the calf gets the right quantity quickly. “The ability of calves to absorb the antibodies in colostrum declines very quickly. At 24 hours after birth they will no longer be absorbed, so those first hours are crucial.” She advises the use of a Brix refractometer to give an objective measure of colostrum quality. It’s a simple and inexpensive tool, and an easy way to ensure the colostrum being fed is good enough. A reading takes only a few seconds and it’s easy to see whether a batch is above the 22% Brix threshold for grade 1 colostrum. If cows have been vaccinated with a colostral vaccine such as Rotavec Corona, their colostrum will carry a higher level of antibodies to protect the calves fed it. Holter says good management is needed to ensure successful passive transfer of immunity to calves via colostrum. “A good way of checking that your system is delivering good passive transfer of immunity is to blood test 10-12
Jo Holter says colostrum is produced in the first 24 hours and is vital for helping protect calves from pathogens in their first days of life.
calves aged one to and seven days. This will tell you whether calves have received enough colostrum and whether you need to improve your colostrum management or not. “Factors such as poor body condition in cows, a short dry period, leaking milk before parturition, age, breed and timing of calf pickups all influence the quality of the colostrum that’s produced. The quality of colostrum from a cow declines very quickly after birth, so the more regular the pickups during calving – preferably twice daily – the more likely you are to collect good colostrum.” Storage (for example, using a bacterial growth inhibitor) and hygiene are also important, as is good record keeping. Surplus colostrum can be safely frozen for use later in the season or even for the start of the following season. While good colostrum
management is at the heart of a successful calf rearing system, several other factors play an important part. Holter says calves are exposed to big pathogen challenges from the moment of birth and this should be minimised. This starts with the cleanliness of the trailer used to pick up calves and follows through to the pens in which they are raised. “Solid partitions between pens will help reduce the transfer of pathogens, and good bedding is essential; sawdust or woodchips are ideal, at least 15cm deep and over good drainage.” Stocking density needs care: as a rule of thumb, no less than 2m2 per calf should be allowed. A good feeding system will ensure proper growth and gut development following the crucial first few hours. Holter says bullying within the pen can
prevent the smaller calves and slower drinkers getting their share, so the setup should take account of this. Clean water and a good starter feed are also part of the management mix. The calf pens should be an all in–all out system: once a calf enters a pen it should remain there until it moves outside. “Calves should not be moving between pens as they get older, as this is great way to spread bugs around.” Pens should be well cleaned out after the last calf has left for the season, Holter adds. “Contaminated bedding needs to be removed and the flooring and walls should be clean and dry before a disinfectant is used.” Problems with calf scours typically set in after the first few weeks of calving, Holter explains. “This is partly because of the gradual build-up of pathogens over time.”
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RURAL NEWS // JULY 5, 2016
ANIMAL HEALTH 29
Teat seal alone could be effective – study was better than dry cow treatment alone. However it is acknowledged that the size of the study did not have sufficient power to consistently distinguish between the different
interventions. “Multi-herd studies are required to determine whether these factors can
be modelled to provide better predictors of the effectiveness of different strategies.”
LOGIC SAYS THEY’VE BOTH GOT IMMUNITY AGAINST PULPY KIDNEY. BUT THE SCIENCE SAYS OTHERWISE. MULTINE
LEADING COMPETITOR
40
40
Epsilon Antitoxin Concentration (u/mL)
A DAIRYNZ and veterinarian study of cows in wintering systems in Southland indicates that treating dry cows with teat sealant alone may be just as effective as the use of teat sealant and antibiotic dry cow treatment (DCT). It showed that cows treated with teat sealant had the same level of protection against infection at calving and early milking. However, the study, reported to the New Zealand Milk Quality Conference says bigger, multi-herd studies were needed to provide better predictors of the effectiveness of different strategies. “There is growing pressure to reduce the use of antimicrobials in agriculture, due to the emergence of antimicrobial resistance among human and animal pathogens,” the report to the conference says. The event was part of the NZ Veterinary Association conference in Hamilton. “Improved stewardship of animals, and clear guidelines that reduce the reliance on use of antimicrobials, are key steps in addressing these concerns. “In dairy, up to 85% of the antimicrobials used onfarm are associated with treatment and prevention of mastitis. From DairyNZ farmer surveys we estimate that at least 85% of dairy cows in NZ are protected at dry-off, with about 50-60% of farmers choosing to treat all cows with antibiotic dry cow treatment (DCT) and 20% using DCT plus internal teat sealant (ITS). “Internal teat sealants have been available as an effective non-antimicrobial for protecting low somatic cell count (SCC) cows since the late 1990s but survey data suggest that fewer than 15% of farmers choose to protect cows with ITS as a single treatment.” The report says that with the recent decline in milk price, farmers are more circumspect about
the first two herd tests in the subsequent lactation. For cows receiving teat sealant alone, the level of protection was almost the same as a combination of dry cow and teat sealant, and for some measures
The report concludes that among cows that got no protection at dry-off, there were almost three times as many cases of clinical mastitis, more infections present at calving, and a higher SCC at
Epsilon Antitoxin Concentration (u/mL)
pamelat@ruralnews.co.nz
animal health costs at dryoff, and many are revisiting the value of protecting low SCC cows. System-specific data on the true risks of leaving cows unprotected in different wintering systems would help vets and farmers make more cost-effective choices. During the winter of 2015, nil treatment and three interventions at dry-off were tested for their ability to prevent mastitis at calving on two well-recorded farms in Southland. The trial was run MayNovember 2015 on two farms in Southland. Herd 1, near Winton, housed cows in a free-stall wintering barn with watercushioned, rubber mats as bedding and fed predominantly grass silage and straw; Herd 2, near Invercargill, wintered cows on the farm, on fodder beet supplemented with baled grass silage and hay. All cows confirmed to be pregnant and free of clinical mastitis in the last two weeks prior to dry-off were enrolled. A total of 929 cows were enrolled in the study and received treatments at dry-off. Of these, 864 cows calved and 861 were sampled at two intervals. In both herds, cows left untreated at dry-off had more clinical mastitis in the dry period and after calving, a higher rate of new intra-mammary infections at calving, and a higher SCC in the subsequent lactation. The level of clinical mastitis in the dry period among untreated cows was lower than expected by the farm managers, but only 10% of eligible cows in each herd were exposed. Both farm managers commented that having a greater proportion of the herd unprotected would have created a more noticeable and unfavourable result. Compared to cows that received no treatment, the interventions achieved a protective effect ranging from 70 to 100% in the dry period, with a decline after calving (50-90% in Herd 1 and 50-62% for Herd 2). These effects were similar to previous studies.
30
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RURAL NEWS // JULY 5, 2016
30 ANIMAL HEALTH
Farmers like flash heat detection device says the company is impressed with the Flashmate’s innovative design. It won the Fieldays International Innovation 2016 award. “It takes the guesswork out of heat detec-
tion, saving farmers time and money in confidently selecting cows for AI after morning milking based on the flashing red light.” In extensive trials the Flashmate was found to help farmers improve sub-
mission rates by detecting cows that may otherwise have been missed, lifting the critical ‘six-week in calf’ rate. Mark Harris, global marketing manager for Gallagher, says the award
was a nice fit with the 2016 Fieldays theme of collaboration. “The Flashmate concept was developed by technology start-up company Farmshed Labs and two years ago we formed
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Dairy farmers are taking interest in electronic heat detectors.
a partnership to bring it to market,” Harris says. “After extensive testing and refinement in the lab and on farms, the product is now launched in Australasia.” Even staff with limited understanding of heat detection can use Flashmate, CRV Ambreed says. On a cow Flashmate monitors riding activity and a flashing red light instantly identifies if the cow is on heat. Once a
heat is identified, the device will flash red for 26 hours, indicating the cow is ready for artificial insemination (AI). It continues monitoring for subsequent heats and if the cow does not return to heat after 25 days it will begin flashing green to indicate the cow is a ‘non-return’ and likely to be in-calf. If AI fails, the unit will flash red when the cow comes on heat again.
FUR RECOVERY A SUSTAINABLE WAY TO BEAT THE BLIGHTERS
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FUR RECOVERY is a sustainable approach to beating possums, says Neil Mackie, chair of the New Zealand Fur Council (NZFC). The council is working with DOC to promote fur recovery as a way to control possums, he says. “Last year we signed an memo with DOC to make it easier for NZFC accredited hunters and trappers to gain access to public conservation land for fur recovery,” says Mackie. “The possum fur industry generates $110-150 million a year and employs about 1500 people; possum fur generates wealth from an animal that is otherwise a pest. “There are about 30m possums out there; we trap and recover fur from 1.2m. By co-ordinating with DOC, we want to trap and recover another 2m to meet the growing demand from our industry.” A report released last week by the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment says pests are a high priority for action. It says possums and other pests are being killed in only 12% of the conservation estate, meaning that our native plants and animals are going backwards against pests. Mackie says DOC’s Battle for the Birds is encouraging but more is needed to win the war against predators. “We want to bring the birds back and see enhanced flora and fauna and more dead possums. Together we can support a new sustainable concept of ‘green fur’ that will also generate revenue for our country.”
RURAL NEWS // JULY 5, 2016
MACHINERY & PRODUCTS 31
Moving mountains the easy way MARK DANIEL markd@ruralnews.co.nz
VISITORS TO Fieldays couldn’t fail to notice a new addition for 2016 on the largely green John Deere site, in the shape of the yellow JD 624K 15.7 tonne wheeled loading shovel. Manufactured in the US, at the home of JD in the Quad Cities area, and calling on a 30-year history, the machine is well accepted in the construction and quarrying sector. It looks ready to make the move to the ag industry where loaders of this type are finding a ready home shifting the enormous outputs of today’s self-propelled forage harvesters. Get up and go is supplied by a Tier3 compliant JD 6-cylinder engine of 6.8L pushing out 147kW (200hp) and 836 Nm torque at 1300rpm. Transmission is an in-house JD unit with a single stag, single phase torque converter matched to four ranges with automated electronic shifting dependant on load and speed. An optional 5-speed unit with Lock Up torque converter is also offered and might be the sensible choice for agricultural operations. For tough conditions the 624 offers a hydraulic locking diff on the front axle, and a dual front and rear locking system is available as an option. The drive line is completed by HD axles with inboard planetary drives, fixed front axle, rear oscillating axle with 24 degrees movement and a centre pivot system which allows 40 degrees of movement rather that the more common 37 degrees
seen in competitors’ products. Lift capacity and hydraulic pump output will have an obvious effect on output in respect of cycle times and the 624 shouldn’t be lacking. It has a 223L/min load sensing axial-piston pump capable of powering a full load of 5 tonnes to a max-
imum lift height of 3.95m in six seconds, returning to ground level in 2.7 seconds. In headstock configurations, a parallel Z-Bar for better digging characteristics, tool carrier and hi-lift enable the machine to be configured for the task at hand. Up in the cab the usual creature comforts of air suspension seat and air conditioning keep things comfortable and cool, and a couple of interesting features make this machine a stand out from the crowd. Rather than a conventional layout of multi-switches the 624 has a sealed switch module, push button and said to use 75 fewer wires and 300 fewer connections than a conventional set-up, and so better suits dusty environs. The system also needs no keys: access to start up is via a PIN code, and security including GEO Fencing and production reports can be sent to base via the JD Link system.
LANDPOWER BOOSTS RESEARCH LANDPOWER HAS joined other agri-companies in sponsoring $850,000 of agricultural technology, service and advice for Lincoln University. This is for a three years of research aimed at improving the performance and viability of New Zealand dairy farming. The venue is Ashley Dene Research and Development Station where a dairy conversion is now almost complete. It will have 175ha of land carrying 530 cows milked in a 54 bail rotary shed, with supporting feed and stand-off pads. Various dairy farming systems will be integrated with arable and livestock farming. Lincoln University farms director Dr Teresa Moore says the research will include farm profitability, animal welfare and environmental performance. “It has been a great pleasure to engage with the supporters over this dairy conversion and what it means to NZ, she says. “They wanted to get behind Lincoln University and the valuable environmental research that is needed to ensure everyone’s longevity
The research station under construction.
in farming. They see merit in our objectives for this farm and want to support it as worthwhile and effective.” Other supporters include OPUS International Consultants, Waikato Milking Systems, PGG Wrightson and Genetic Technologies (Pioneer). Two Claas Arion 430 CIS tractors, a JCB Loadall 536−60 Agri Super telehandler and a Trioliet Solomix 1 ZK mixing wagon are on site, to be followed by a Fliegl VFW slurry wagon, Amazone ZA-TS Super fertiliser spreader and Claas Disco 3600 Contour mower in the
coming months. Claas Harvest Centre chief executive Richard Wilson says the research project offers benefits for all. “The outcomes of this research will help to build a stronger and more sustainable dairy industry and give us a great opportunity to showcase how our technology and service can support dairy producers. “In turn, the next generation of agricultural students will gain firsthand appreciation of [the latest] technology during their education, carrying with them into their first job and subsequent careers.”
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RURAL NEWS // JULY 5, 2016
32 MACHINERY & PRODUCTS
Grouper mower boosts output MARK DANIEL markd@ruralnews.co.nz
GRASSLAND SPECIALIST Kuhn has extended the versatility of its centre pivot, trailed mower conditioner range by adding a new grouper version – the FC 3160 TCD RA. Suited to large scale operations and contractors, the machine offers all the advantages of the existing 3.1m FC 3160 TCD units, such as the versatility to mow on either side and the elimination of headland ‘dead time’ said to reduce output by up to 15%. It also adds the option of being able to bring two swathes together. The machine uses a conveyor belt either to place two rows side by side for harvesters, or interweave two rows to form a narrower swath for balers or loader wagons; the
Giltrap’s vacuum slurry tanker.
BIG SOLUTION FOR A BIG PROBLEM outcome is lower fuel consumption by reducing ‘rowing-up’ passes and it helps improve soil structure by reducing the amount of traffic over a given area. The grouper conveyor belt is driven by a hydraulic pump mounted on the machine’s Gyrodine swivelling headstock,
and is capable of delivering swathes to left or right of the mower Control is via an in-cab unit allowing the operator to adjust belt speed to cater for varying amounts of crop, adjust the width of the swath being formed and lift the unit in and out of work. www.kuhn.co.nz
TIP TRAILERS STRENGTH / QUALITY / PERFORMANCE
DAIRY EFFLUENT – particularly in slurry form – can be a big problem. Big problems need big solutions and they don’t come much bigger than the Giltrap Engineering vacuum slurry tanker shown at Fieldays. With a capacity of 20,000L, 8.5m long, 3.2m high and weighing 7.7 tonnes, this behemoth will make a large hole in an effluent pond any working day. Made from 6mm plate steel, the tank is supported along its full length
by a heavy duty integrated chassis. This superstructure is carried on an HD tri-axle bogie system, with steered front and rear axles, fitted with oversized tyres and hydraulic braking on all six wheels. High-spec European components include a Battioni Pagani rotary vane vacuum pump (auto lubricated) to deliver 12,000L/min output to fill the beast in two minutes maximum. Pump protection is by a double moisture-trap, and all fittings are either
brass or heavily galvanised steel for corrosion protection and an extended operating life Inside the tank is fitted with a reinforced baffle plate to prevent liquid surging as the tank empties, and it has twin manhole access points for easy entry to facilitate cleaning and maintenance. Around the machine, three filling points are fitted as standard, which connect to 200mm sectional hoses for rapid filling. www.giltrapeng.co.nz
Designed to an uncompromising strength standard. Our trailers offer exceptional tonnage ratings, thanks to super-strong chassis, heavy-duty deck runners and closelyspaced cross members. Combining a high quality of build and an emphasis on strength, McIntosh Tip Trailers have earned a reputation as the toughest and most durable farming trailers on the market.
KEEP THINGS ON TRACK MARK DANIEL markd@ruralnews.co.nz
www.mcintosh.net.nz FREEPHONE: 0800 622 276
LATEST DEVELOPMENT from Dutch manufacturer Zuidberg is a new high-speed, aftermarket track system designed to improve traction in difficult conditions. The new machine also addresses technical issues with similar products also available. Fitting aftermarket systems can sometimes force a cut to driving speeds of up to 40%. And operators wishing to fit track systems at rear and retain original wheel equipment in front need to disengage the four wheel drive
function because inter-axle ratios are incompatible. The new Zuidberg system, intended for rear fitment, overcomes these problems with a patented, integrated transmission which leaves front and rear axle ratios unchanged. The system also a suspension system which not only acts on the bogie wheels – as is typical with other brands – but also includes the complete system including the idler wheels. This function is said to increase operator comfort and help prolong the life of the tractor and the track system, reducing operating costs.
RURAL NEWS // JULY 5, 2016
MACHINERY & PRODUCTS 33 REDNECK OFF– ROADER
Multitasking made easy
www.ramtrucks.co.nz
$
TRACTOR & LOADER PACKAGE
AGROFARM 100 GS (100HP) CABIN
72,990
+GST
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$
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DEUTZ
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With 5 models available from 85-115hp, the Agrofarm series from Deutz-Fahr offers a range of multi-purpose tractors with the perfect balance of power and weight. The series includes cab and ROPS models with 100% locking front diff, true four-wheel braking, a flat platform and a super-smooth power-shuttle 40x40 transmission**. The Agrofarm is the ultimate general-purpose tractor, ideally suited to New Zealand farming. Contact your local Power Farming dealer today for all the details on the Agrofarm series from Deutz-Fahr.
POW0600
UTES ARE big business in New Zealand, making up around 25% of the market, and seen from Ponsonby to Papatowai and all points in between. Talking of big, they don’t come much bigger than the latest RAM truck unveiled at Fieldays. Made by the Fiat Chrysler Auto Group, and selling at a rate of 40,000 trucks a month in the US, vehicles for NZ are marketed by Ateco Group NZ. The company, with Walkinshaw Automotive, Melbourne, has formed American Special Vehicles, which will convert the vehicles to right hand drive and offer a full factory-endorsed three year/100,000 km warranty. The RAM is big physically – 6m long and weighing 3.6 tonnes – and sports big numbers under the ‘skin’, starting in the engine bay. A 6-cylinder Cummins turbo diesel pushes out 276kW and 1084Nm from its 6.7L, using DEF to control emissions. The chassis’s hydro-formed ladder has eight separate cross members and fully boxed rear rails for strength and stability. Towing capacity is up to 6990kg dependent on the model, and payload 1713kg in the RAM 3500. Keeping things moving is a 6 speed auto box with adaptive shifting using three clutch packs, dual pumps and filters and its own transmission cooling system. With a Borg Warner transfer case feeding to four wheel drive – allowing shifting ‘on the fly’ and three ranges–the rough and tumble should be easy to tame, especially in the lowest sped range. The Ram 2500’s front suspension has 3-link coils matched to a 5-link coil set-up, with multi-rate coils and fixed displacement twin tube shock absorbers. The higher capacity RAM 3500 uses a Hotchkiss rear leaf spring format for increased towing and carrying, and a bigger stabiliser bar is credited for greater stiffness and stability, on and off the road. In the enormous cabin it’s obvious that lots of bovines have given up their hides for the sumptuous leather trimmed seats good for all shapes and sizes, aided by 10-way power adjustment, with comfort further enhanced by integral heating and ventilation. There’s also a heated, leather bound steering wheel, dual-zone climate control, tinted power windows and a 20cm touch screen display with all the usual prerequisites of audio, communications and media control. Safety is not forgotten either: front and rear seat curtain airbags, stability control, a clever tyre pressure monitoring package, rear park assist and a rear view camera. A useful rear load area is cleverly incorporated in the high level brake light assembly.
TERMS UP TO
MARK DANIEL markd@ruralnews.co.nz
INTEREST RATES FROM AS LOW AS
Want to make that a large one?
Spotted on the TRS stand at Fieldays was this Ford Ranger that looks like it might have serious off-road capability, though it might be overkill for Auckland school runs or trips to the supermarket.
* Conditions apply. Contact your local Power Farming dealer. ** Applicable to all models other than the 100DT.
RURAL NEWS // JULY 5, 2016
34 MACHINERY & PRODUCTS / RURAL TRADER handypiece
WORLDS MOST POWERFUL VARIABLE SPEED CLIPPER IS HERE
➟ Ideal for shearing sheep, alpacas, goats and cow tails. ➟ Variable speed from 2400-3500 rpm. ➟ Latest brushless motor technology means minimal heat build up. ➟ 1400gms means 100-200gms lighter than standard handpiece. ➟ At 2700 rpm the 12-volt lithium battery will crutch up to 300-400 sheep, 400500 cow tails. ➟ Tough alloy switch box with auto reset fuse for overload or lockup – clips to belt. IF YOU MISSED US AT NATIONAL FIELDAYS AND STILL WANT A DEAL – GET IN TOUCH View in action go to www.handypiece.co.nz
Free call 0800 474 327 Email: dave@handypiece.co.nz
AFFORDABLE QUALITY BALE FEEDERS
Feeds rounds & square
Boton tractors’ NZ debut MARK DANIEL markd@ruralnews.co.nz
A RELATIVE newcomer to the ‘heavy metal’ scene, Chinese tractor manufacturer Boton, took flight at Fieldays, launching four product offerings. Founded in 2013 in Henan province, this company now makes 3500 units a year in a 60,000 sq.m factory, but the plant could turn out 10,000 units. The products seen at Fieldays -unimaginatively called A, B, C and D (compact, utility, general and high power respectively) -- include units 30-50hp in range A, 50-80hp in range B, 80-110hp in C and the largest 120-140hp using a Chinese made 6.8L Deutz engine. Transmissions are largely Fiat designed, and are made under
licence in Boton’s factory. They are offered only in dry clutch configuration for all models and use LUK clutch components. The larger models have four speeds and four ranges, and the option of creep; so here are tractors with up to 24 forward and 8 reverse speeds. A wet clutch power shuttle transmission will be available by year end, and all models are available in 2- or 4-wheel drive variants. Interestingly, the company takes a lead from higher end manufacturers in using a separate reservoir for the external hydraulic system, to prevent contaminating the transmission; output is up to 66L/min. The power steering has a separate pump and circuit, ensuring enough flow for steering, brakes
Joseph Cao (left) and Greg Saville of Boton Tractors at the Fieldays.
and transmission lubrication. Lift capacity is rated 3300kg and the company offers its own Boton-lift self-levelling frontloader, said to use European joysticks and loader valves. The manufacturer seeks to set up a dealer distribution network in New Zealand and is talking to interested partners. General manager for new product development Greg Saville says
Boton uses quality components from leading suppliers such as Deutz, LUK and SKF to deliver quality tractors to at least 20 countries. It has an industry leading 3+2 warranty scheme, effectively offering five years of trouble free ownership, Saville says. www.tractor-boton.com @rural_news facebook.com/ruralnews
TRAILERS
SETTING UP FOR A GOOD CROP Complete with spare wheel & jockey wheel SHEEP CONVEYORS
POTTINGER TERRADISC cultivators are proven useful for seedbed preparation by using 580mm diameter concave discs with adjustable cutting angles, to encourage good penetration and intensive mixing of plant residues with the soil. Now a new option of a frontboard assembly, fitted ahead of the discs, expands the capability of the machine by allowing it to work in previously ploughed areas.
Ph 06 370 1329 | Stuart 0274 387 528 124 Lincoln Road | Masterton E: daytech@wise.net.nz | www.daytech.co.nz
Using spring steel shanks with replaceable wear tips, the unit will break up clods or lumps and present the discs with a level surface said to reduce loadings; this should reduce fuel consumption. Adjustment in work is by an independent hydraulic circuit, with depth control by spring clips
fitted to the control ram. The frontboard can be retro-fitted to all trailed Terradisc models. www.originagroup.co.nz
LEADERS IN FARM MACHINERY DESIGN
Culvert Pipes New Zealand’s CHEAPEST Culvert Pipes! FREE joiners supplied on request. ONE STOP WATER SHOP 300mm x 6 metre ................................ $410 400mm x 6 metre ................................ $515 500mm x 6 metre ................................ $690 600mm x 6 metre ................................ $925 800mm x 6 metre .............................. $1399 1000mm x 6 metre ............................ $2175 1200mm x 6 metre ............................ $3475 ALL PRICES INCLUDE G.S.T.
• Lightweight, easy to install • Made from polyethylene
McKee Plastics Mahinui Street, Feilding Ph 06 323 4181 Fax 06 323 4183
sales@mckeeplastics.co.nz | www.mckeeplastics.co.nz
Phone
0800 625 826
for your nearest stockist
Joiners supplied FREE with culvert pipes
RURAL NEWS // JULY 5, 2016
RURAL TRADER 35 DOLOMITE
NZ’s finest BioGro certified Mg fertiliser For a delivered price call... 0800 436 566
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tunnel houses
PO Box 73 Tuakau 1892 Tel: (09) 236 8414 Stainless Structure PO Box 73 Tuakau PO Box 1892 73 Tuakau 1892 KEEP YOUR construction Fax: (09) 236 9321 WORKING Industries Ltd Tel: (09) 236 8414 Tel: (09)DOGS 236 8414 ON THE JOB 1,000 + Email: sheep/hr PPP.LTD@xtra.co.nz Fax: (09) 236 Fax: 9321(09) 236 9321 Fantastic Industries Industries Ltd LtdEmail: PPP.LTD@xtra.co.nz Up to 6 rechargeable waterproof collar units & remotes Email: PPP.LTD@xtra.co.nz Penetration • Model SD-1825 – 1.6 Kms range (1 mile) Automatic Super Jetter
Innovative Agriculture Equipment
$7,500 plus GST
With Davey Pump & Honda Motor
PO Box 73 Tuakau 1892 Tel: (09) 236 8414 Fax: (09) 236 9321 Email: PPP.LTD@xtra.co.nz
• Model SD-1225 – 1.2 Kms range • Model SD-825 – 800 Metre range All with Tone & Vibration options 24 levels of correction – 3 year warranty
PO Box 73 Tuakau 1892 Tel: (09) 236 8414 Dairy PO Box 73 Tuakau PO Box 1892 73 Tuakau 1892 Fax: (09) 236 9321 Free Range & Barn Eggs SD-1825 with 1 collar ................$695.00 Feed Systems Tel: (09) 236 8414 Tel: (09) 236 8414 Dairy Dairy Dairy Email: PPP.LTD@xtra.co.nz Feed Systems SUPPLIERS OF: (09) 236 Fax: 1 collar ................ $595.00 Fax: 9321SD-1225 (09) 236with 9321 Feed Systems Feed SystemsEmail: • Nest boxes - manual or • Ideal addition to your block SD-825 with 1 collar ..................$495.00 PPP.LTD@xtra.co.nz Email: PPP.LTD@xtra.co.nz automated • Grow vegetables all year round and reduce your grocery bill Industries Ltd
sales@pppindustries.co.nz
0800 901 902
www.pppindustries.co.nz
GREAT VALUE
PO Box 73 Tuakau 1892 Tel: (09) 236 8414 Fax: (09) 236 9321 Email: PPP.LTD@xtra.co.nz
• Poultry Equipment
PO Box 73 Tuakau 1892
Tel: (09) 236 8414 Feed & Drinking Fax: (09) 236 9321 Email:trays PPP.LTD@xtra.co.nz • Plastic egg
• 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
Extra collars $375.00 – PRICES INCLUDE GST
QUALITY PRODUCTS MADE IN EUROPE OR BY PPPPO Box 73 Tuakau 1892
A trusted name in Poultry Industry Tel: (09) 236 8414 Poultry for over 50 years PO Box 73 Tuakau PO Box 1892 73 Tuakau 1892 Fax: (09) 236 9321 Equipment Tel: (09) 236 8414 Tel: (09) 236 8414 Poultry Poultry Email: PPP.LTD@xtra.co.nz www.morrifield.com Fax: (09) 236 Fax: 9321(09) 236 9321 Equipment Equipment Email: PPP.LTD@xtra.co.nz Email: PPP.LTD@xtra.co.nz
T/F 03 214 4262 E morrifield@clear.net.nz
❖
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Are you ready for calving? At PGG Wrightson, we’ll help you with the right range of products, competitive prices and expert advice. Talk to the team about your calving requirements today.
25% off Purchase 2, get
33% off Purchase 3, get
50% off t e g , 4 e s a h c r u P
Power Whey Calf Milk Replacer 20 kg
Reliance Calf Milk Replacer 20 kg
Reliance Calf Milk Finisher 20 kg
High quality, easily digested ingredients combined with prebiotic, probiotic and organic acids to help reduce the incidence of scours and encourage hard feed intake. Formulated specifically for calves from day five.
An all milk powder blend produced using a range of high quality milk powders. Incorporates a specialised blend of vitamins, minerals and Bovatec® for optimum health and growth in calves. Formulated to meet the needs of young calves after the initial colostrum period.
Made from a blend of whole milk powder, skim milk powder, whey powder, vegetable fats and soy protein. Contains coccidiostat, Bovatec® and a range of minerals, trace elements and vitamins. Designed to be fed to calves from day five onwards.
NZAgbiz Supacalf™ or Ancalf™ Calf Milk Replacer with Deccox 20 kg
SealesWinslow Calf Pro1® 20% Muesli 25 kg
SealesWinslow Calf Pro1® 20% and Calf Grow® 16% Pellets 25 kg
Premium curding Calf Milk Replacer. Contains Actigen® for gut health and Deccox™ to help prevent coccidiosis. Designed to be fed to calves from day four onwards.
$
Applies to McKee Plastics Pen Meal Trough 20 L, Fence Mounted Hay and Grain Feeder Mini, Water Trough 12 L, 5 Teat Calf Feeder and 6 Teat Compartment feeders. Limited to maximum of four stated items. Discount is off the PGG Wrightson standard retail price. Must be purchased in one transaction.
$
5
$
Ideal starter feed. Highly palatable to encourage early feed intake and promote rumen development.
26
Promotes optimum intake and rumen development. Contains coccidiostat, minerals and additives.
10%
OVER
5%
AHD Colostrum Preserver 20 L
Calf Scour Paste 30 g
Calf Electrolyte 3.6 kg
Normally $125
Normally $29.99
Normally $74.99
2699
99
$
$
30
Nil meat withholding
OVER
25
6999
$
OVER
25
%
OVER
40%
%
Shoof Obstetric Lubricant 5L
Virkon® S 2.5 kg
MetaBoost 4 in 1 Injection 500 ml Pillow
MetaBoost CBG Injection 500 ml Pillow
Pro-Cal Oral 500 ml
Normally $34.99
Normally $199
Normally $18.99 ea
Normally $17.99 ea
Normally $21.99 ea
2999
$
169
$
$
254
$
234
$
7499
Terms and Conditions: Offers and prices valid from 1 July 2016 to 30 September 2016, or while stocks last. Prices include GST and are subject to change. Some products may not be available in all stores but may be ordered on request. Prices do not include delivery, delivery costs are additional. Images are for illustrative purposes only.
Freephone 0800 10 22 76
www.pggwrightson.co.nz
Helping grow the country