NEWS
ANIMAL HEALTH
NEWS
What makes staff join and stay? PAGE 12
Don’t get ticked off this season – or next!. PAGE 28
Lewis Road Creamery makes inroads into US market. PAGE 16
TO ALL FARMERS, FOR ALL FARMERS NOVEMBER 20, 2018: ISSUE 665
www.ruralnews.co.nz
NZ’s Brexit blast! PETER BURKE peterb@ruralnews.co.nz
BEEF + Lamb NZ’s chief executive has made a stinging attack on Britain and the European Union over their plans to introduce inflexible quotas for sheepmeat to the two entities when Brexit occurs. Sam McIvor says they seem to have “conveniently short memories” over a deal struck by the EU, UK and NZ via the World Trade Organisation (WTO) when Britain joined the EU. McIvor, just home from talks in Canada and Europe with farming groups and officials, says the EU and the UK are completely ignoring protests by NZ to honour the original
WTO agreement. They need to understand they have obligations, he says. The WTO agreement specified that NZ would have access for 228,000 tonnes of sheepmeat and 1300 tonnes of beef and that this could be spread flexibly across the whole of the EU. But the UK and EU are saying that the quota will be split 50/50 when Brexit finally takes place. “It seems like the EU and the UK
are just throwing a legal agreement out the window and saying it doesn’t matter,” McIvor told Rural News. “Well it absolutely does matter to us. It is a legally binding deal under WTO rules and both sides made choices at the time and they need to honour that.” McIvor says before Britain joined the European Economic Community in 1973, NZ was sending at least 300,000
On show AMBERLEY FARMER Charles Miller-Brown holds his White Dorper ewe as livestock judge Symon Howard, of Lawrence, explains the attributes that won her the top prize in the breed’s ewe with lamb at foot class, on the first day of the New Zealand Agricultural Show in Christchurch. Howard remarked that the ewe had a real nice carcase and looked “a very proud sort of sheep. She looked like she wanted to be here.” “She looked like a real breeder to me, and that’s what you want in your females.” Howard said the standard of the ewes was very good and the class was closely fought. “The ram hoggets were a wee bit mixed but the ones at the top end were two or three very good sheep.” Miller-Brown had brought 18 sheep to this year’s show including Suffolks and Southdowns, and was off to a good start, the win being his second ribbon so far, still early on the first day of judging. The Canterbury Show, renamed this year as the New Zealand Agricultural Show, is the largest in the country and had opened to fine sunny weather with a cooling breeze. As many as 100,000 people were expected through the gates over three days.
tonnes of sheepmeat and 14,000 of beef to Britain – and this was pretty much a UK/NZ free trade agreement. When Britain joined the EU, NZ clearly had to make huge concessions and the other two parties need to remember this, he says. “These people are tending to forget that we have been exporting sheep and beef products to the EU for over 130 TO PAGE 3
ANOTHER ATTACK THE MULTI-NATIONAL environmental activist group Greenpeace is again targeting the New Zealand farming sector, this time calling for a ban on the use of nitrogen fertilisers. The group has spent the last few years blaming the agricultural sector for polluting the country’s waterways and rivers, campaigning against irrigation and criticising agriculture’s greenhouse gas emissions. Now in its sights are the two farmer-owned fertiliser co-operatives Ravensdown and Ballance, which Greenpeace claims sell 98% of all fertiliser used in NZ. “Chemical nitrogen fertiliser is the fuel that drives industrial dairying,” claims Greenpeace campaigner Gen Toop. “It is spread onto NZ’s dairy farms in ever-increasing amounts to grow more and more grass for too many cows.” Toop says the use of nitrogen fertiliser has increased seven-fold since 1990. “Chemical nitrogen fertiliser is a double-whammy for the climate and our rivers. It increases the number of cows, which increases greenhouse gas emissions and pollution of rivers. On top of that it directly emits nitrous oxide and leaches nitrate into waterways.” Toop and Greenpeace accuse Ravensdown and Ballance of “profiting off environmental destruction”. “It’s time the Government reigned them in and banned chemical nitrogen fertiliser.”
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RURAL NEWS // NOVEMBER 20, 2018
NEWS 3 ISSUE 665
www.ruralnews.co.nz
We’re in this together SUDESH KISSUN sudeshk@ruralnews.co.nz
NEWS ��������������������������������������1-16 AGRIBUSINESS ����������������18-19 MARKETS �������������������������� 20-21 HOUND, EDNA ���������������������� 22 CONTACTS ����������������������������� 22 OPINION ����������������������������22-24 MANAGEMENT �������������� 25-26 ANIMAL HEALTH ������������27-29 MACHINERY AND PRODUCTS ���������������������� 30-34
BIOSECURITY IS relevant to every New Zealander, according to the head of Biosecurity NZ Roger Smith. He points to statistics showing that while 60% of people understand biosecurity, only 2% think it is relevant. “That is a terrible statistic,” Smith told Rural News at the Biosecurity Forum in Auckland last week. “Actually, biosecurity is relevant to everybody.” The forum, first held last year, gets together stakeholders -- traditional and non-traditional -- to take stock of work done to raise awareness about biosecurity. “Some people think biosecurity is only relevant for farmers, but if you run a florist shop biosecurity is as
Head of Biosecurity NZ Roger Smith.
important, so we have people at the forum from right across the spectrum.” Biosecurity 2025, launched by the Government to raise awareness -- ‘Ko Tatou, This is Us’ – is an independent brand for the biosecurity community. Smith says one of the main themes for Biosecurity 2025 is to build a biosecurity team of 4.7 million – all New Zealanders. “We are creating a movement that connects and aligns all the actions and activities by individuals, businesses, iwi/hapū and communities across the biosecurity system and encourages further action. “The movement shows all New Zealanders, both individuals and businesses, that they are essential in helping strengthen our system and that every small action towards better bios-
ecurity is important.” Biosecurity NZ was set up as a separate department of MPI by the Labourled coalition. The Government wanted to reaffirm the importance of biosecurity, Smith said, and many people saw MPI’s biosecurity branch as “interested in what farmers are doing”. “When I used to go to a meeting representing MPI, even though I’m from biosecurity, I would be told that [MPI is] only interested in what farmers are doing. Conservation groups meeting us said ‘you are not interested in us’.” He says Biosecurity NZ as a separate department reaffirms the importance the Government is placing on biosecurity for everyone in the country. @rural_news facebook.com/ruralnews
RURAL TRADER ������������� 34-35
UK and EU get a blasting 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 80,580 as at 31.03.2018
FROM PAGE 1
years. For many years, we were the extension of the UK food basket and at one stage were exporting around 90% of the sheepmeat we produced to the UK. The relationship we have with the EU and the UK should not be forgotten and they should remember that it was very painful for us when the UK joined the EU and our industry had to dramatically change to cope with this.” McIvor says to its credit the NZ primary sector has moved on and now exports to 120 countries, having doubled the exports from its sheepmeat industry. But he says the EU and UK are ignoring that the 50/50 split in the tariff rate quotas will result in a ‘loselose-lose’ situation and that this could cause massive disruption in the UK
IRISH CONCERNS MCIVOR SAYS there seems to be a misunderstanding about the WTO deal with NZ. However, many farmer groups – especially the Irish – are totally focused on their own survival. McIvor believes the Irish are probably more affected than anyone else by Brexit. This is because the UK is the main market for their beef and most of the agricultural products they send to the continent are transhipped through Britain. “They are most fearful of the potential for a hard border between the north and south of Ireland. A lot of the infrastructure exists as one and if a hard border is put in place it will disrupt both economies quite significantly,” he says.
and EU markets. “It will be a loss for UK and EU farmers and it’s very likely to be a loss for the consumers because they will have the disruption of either price or availability of product,” McIvor
explains. “Ultimately that disruption of the market place is going to be a loss for us as well. “The present arrangement creates a stable market for everyone and ensures that the product is available
consistently and at a reasonable price to consumers in all those countries.” McIvor says Britain is in difficulty over Brexit and has hard decisions to make. However, it appears the UK wants all the trappings of the EU and still wants to enter into the world of free trade. “You can’t have both. I am not sure that the UK has grasped what it’s like to be a free trading nation. In my view, they are walking a bit of a tightrope.” McIvor points out the importance to NZ of the UK/EU market. At $1.8 billion it’s the largest market for red meat and associated products. The EU is the largest for sheepmeat at $1.3b and the UK is NZ’s second largest sheepmeat market bringing in $445m annually. @rural_news facebook.com/ruralnews
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RURAL NEWS // NOVEMBER 20, 2018
4 NEWS
Election process raises questions SUDESH KISSUN sudeshk@ruralnews.co.nz
FONTERRA’S INCONCLUSIVE director election is raising questions among shareholders. As predicted in the last Rural News, the revised director voting threw a hung result: only two candidates passed the 50% ‘yes’ vote threshold, leaving one director vacancy unfilled. Federated Farmers Waikato president Andrew McGiven believes the election process needs better transparency. Expressing surprise that the co-op only elected two directors to fill three board vacancies, McGiven says shareholders are demanding clarification. “There is still a lot of conjecture around this, hence the dissatisfaction among shareholders who nominated the two outside candidates,” he says.
“I think the farmer message to the board is that they are accountable to us as shareholders. I don’t know why the other two board nominees were not elected, but I think there is a clear message to the board -- and to a certain extent senior management -- that they aren’t greater than Fonterra itself, and in the end are accountable to us as shareholders and suppliers.” Five candidates contested the board elections; the board backed three candidates through the independent nomination process: sitting director Ashley Waugh and new candidates Peter McBride and Jamie Tuuta. Two candidates -Leonie Guiney and John Nicholls -- were nominated by farmers. Only McBride and Guiney were successful. Guiney, who served a three-year term on the
She’s back – re-elected Fonterra director Leonie Guiney with husband Kieran at the co-op’s annual meeting earlier this month.
board, thanks shareholders for trusting her. “I take that responsibility very seriously; it’s a very strong mandate, a mandate to protect the
coop’s assets for the long term, but also to reallocate our resources to where we are most competitive,” she told Rural News.
Peter McBride (right) with shareholders Stuart Bay (left) and Dean Fountain.
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“For me this was the test of whether farmers were engaged enough to create constructive change. They are: 68% came out and voted. “When co-op members care enough to vote the co-op has a future, and when the board members have a strong mandate from their members the board can get on with their job while retaining one of the greatest advantages a co-op has -- loyal supply.” Guiney had a testy relationship with the previous chairman John Wilson; a court case between Guiney and the board over alleged leaking of confidential information was settled out-of-court after Wilson stepped down as chairman in July. McBride, the outgoing chairman of Zespri, was
BIGGEST LOSERS SO, WHO are the biggest losers from the flawed Fonterra director election process? The two board-backed candidates Ashley Waugh and Jamie Tuuta- who exposed themselves to the rigorous process and were hung out to dry. The shareholder Council, which ran the process. The system is flawed and the council got the mood of the farmers completely wrong. The independent assessment panel who vetted possible candidates and recommended three candidates to the board. Only one candidate was successful. Why would these top business minds offer themselves to sit on a committee, whose recommendation is ignored by farmers?
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the election he was concerned the farmers may “just see me as a kiwifruit guy”. “But I think when they got to meet me in person and heard what I had to say then they understood I had something to offer.” Waugh, a sitting director, refused to comment on his ousting from the board.
overwhelmed with the response in the election. “I want farmers to know I will do my very best and I will work hard for them,” he told Rural News. “It was a good result. I was quite surprised at the outcome with only two people making it through but I guess that is the system.” He says going into
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RURAL NEWS // NOVEMBER 20, 2018
NEWS 5
M.bovis casts long shadow over the show regarded as the largest in the country. While some shows have dropped MYCOPLASMA BOVIS cattle altogether over has cast its shadow over M.bovis, Canterbury the annual Canterbury decided to impose strict A&P Show -- renamed new biosecurity protocols New Zealand Agricultural to allow them to attend. Show -- with cattle numSpeaking on the first bers conspicuously down day, show despite hopes director Geoff that strict bios“I can see why people aren’t exhibiting. If Bone emphaecurity protocols you get one cow with Mycoplasma they cull sised the “poswould give farmitive story” of ers the confiyour whole herd. You’re putting your whole cattle farmers dence to attend. herd on the line really.” -- even those Last year’s who did not show president, attend -- who had worked Hansen of the Lilac “Last year we had Mid-Canterbury dairy hard to make the show a Grove Jersey Stud, Ranfarmer and Jersey breeder really good entries -- best success and would come giora. These were so few we’ve had in a long time Peter Gilbert, is one who back. that officials were able to -- and this year we’re way had entered animals He said entries overall section off the Canterdown,” Gilbert says. for the show but then were “great”. bury Agricultural Park’s “I can see why people decided not to show. “Our equestrian seceight-bail milking shed aren’t exhibiting. If you Gilbert says he’d been tion’s extremely strong, with two bails dedicated get one cow with Mycothrough M.bovis testing our sheep section’s up on to each herd and sepaplasma they cull your with his herd because of previous years and we’re rated by unused bails, all whole herd. You’re puta positive neighbour. He growing as an organisain the name of herd septing your whole herd on didn’t want to take the the line really. But I think aration. risk, however small. tion. We’ve got our new However, the regular the risk here is extremely “Our cows were first science and innovation cattle pens were unususmall. At least we have tested April and it was pavilion (the Blinc Innoally empty. some cattle here. There’s September before we got vation Hub) which is The Canterbury show a lot of shows that have the all-clear so we didn’t really really good.” ran for three days and is none. Hopefully these want to go through all The show was evolvNIGEL MALTHUS
that again. But the risk here is extremely small,” he told Rural News. Gilbert says it is disappointing to see so few cattle at the show. “I’m glad I was president last year, not this year,” he quipped.
ones will show that it’s alright and next year we’ll be going good again.” Just three breeders brought dairy cows to the show: Dean Geddes of Tai Tapu’s Tahora Stud, Peter Sherriff of Sherraine Holsteins, Ohoka and Peter
Cattle fitter Brett Barclay is all concentration as he prepares an animal for the dairy ring on the first day of the 2018 New Zealand Agricultural Show in Christchurch. Barclay, his partner Paige McLaggan and his father Tim Barclay were at the show to assist Tim’s cousin Dean Geddes -- one of just three dairy exhibitors at this year’s show. RURAL NEWS GROUP
ing and modernising, said Bone. The Blinc partnership with the show would develop over time and help bridge the urban
rural gap. “Farmers care more about the land than anyone. They’re investing money, they’re looking at
technologies, and they’re evolving what they do to make it a more sustainable and ecologically friendly way of farming.”
RURAL NEWS // NOVEMBER 20, 2018
6 NEWS
Miraka carves out excellence The winners of the inaugural Primary Industries Good Employer Awards will be announced next week at an awards dinner at Parliament. There are five categories: innovative employment practice, employee development, safe and healthy work environment, Maori agribusiness and the minister’s award. Peter Burke talked with the one of the finalists – Richard Wyeth of Miraka Dairy Company, Taupo, and a finalist in the Maori Agribusiness Award. MIRAKA IS the only Maori dairy company in New Zealand. It started production with just 34 staff; today it has 120 employees and has moved from being a commodity producer to manufacturing value-add products sold around the world. While the company has expanded its production, at the same time it has continued to build a strong whanau-based culture among farmer suppliers and staff. It has a
financial reward system called Te Ara Miraka for suppliers, which allows them to earn money over and above the set payout – if they perform to prescribed standards. Chief executive Richard Wyeth is a people person and one who believes that a highly engaged team with a good culture will achieve good financial performance, as seen in Miraka. Wyeth also believes in giving staff a say in creating the compa-
Rural News Pioneer Cab Kit- Testimonial Ad_November.indd 1
ny’s culture. To achieve that he decided to build on the results of a staff survey which showed that people in the company wanted recognition, rewards and good performance management. “The staff said these were the most important, so we put an emphasis on this and put working groups in place to translate that into some action we could take,” he told Rural News. “They came up with a series of awards: Rookie
of the Year, Leadership, Innovation, Kaitiatanga and Integrity. For the staff there is no financial reward attached to winning any of the categories – just the prestige.” What’s different, says Wyeth, is that staff vote for people in the various categories, although there is an oversight judging panel. “It’s purely for the trophy and recognition from their peers and is all about being part of the Miraka whanau. The
Miraka chief executive Richard Wyeth believes a highly-engaged team with a good culture will only help a company be financially successful.
awards are presented at the annual staff dinner which adds to the positive atmosphere of the event,” he says. Also very big for staff
is that the trophies are carved by a local master carver, Delani Brown, which Wyeth says adds to the legacy of the awards. “Delani came along to
our staff day and talked about the story behind each of the carvings. The staff thought this was great and it created new meaning and depth to the awards.” Wyeth says he’s very proud of the culture at Miraka and it impresses visitors to the company’s site. The staff have created their own haka and waiata, performed on special occasions for visitors. “It’s a different level of engagement and is world class,” he adds. “The academics say that a highly engaged team with good culture will lead performance. I really enjoy dealing with people who turn up for work with a good attitude. If people do that they can’t help but succeed.” @rural_news facebook.com/ruralnews
RURAL NEWS // NOVEMBER 20, 2018
NEWS 7
Investors shy away from Fonterra units SUDESH KISSUN
SHEWAN STAYS ON
sudeshk@ruralnews.co.nz
LARGE INVESTORS are walking away from Fonterra Shareholders Fund (FSF) as the co-op grapples with its financial performance. Last year 13% of the fund’s institutional investors cashed out, fund chairman John Shewan told its annual meeting in Auckland last week. With Fonterra having paid only 10c/ share dividend to unit holders in 201718, investor interest is waning ; units on issue were down 101 million over the previous year and market capitalisation dropped $493 million. As at November 6, 2018, 6.3% of Fonterra shares were on issue. Shewan told about 60 fund investors at the annual meeting that Fonterra must lift its performance and profitability to regain market confidence. “If Fonterra turns its performance around and delivers its 25 - 35c dividend per share this financial year, and if institutional investors are confident about the future profitability of Fonterra, we can expect the unit price to improve and drive more institutional
FONTERRA SHAREHOLDERS Fund chairman John Shewan was re-elected to the board for another term. Former Fonterra director Nicola Shadbolt also leaves the FSF and will be replaced by Fonterra director Donna Smit. The FSF board comprises Shewan, Smit, Fonterra’s independent director Scott St John and unit holder nominees Pip Dunphy and Kim Ellis.
Fonterra Shareholders Fund chairman John Shewan chats with National’s agriculture spokesman Nathan Guy at the co-op’s annual meeting earlier this month.
demand,” he said. “At the moment the small size and capitalisation of the fund means there is reduced interest from large investors. “So if the performance improves and the unit price goes up, market capitalisation will grow and we can expect to see more institutional investors coming back on board.” Shewan noted there was increased interest from farmers and retail investors; however, some farmers were also
buying units and converting them back into co-op shares. The FSF acquires economic rights of Fonterra shares and issues units to investors; returns are based on the financial performance of the co-op. It was set up under the Trading Among Farmers (TAF) share trading scheme. Fonterra recorded a net loss of $196m last year, it’s first-ever loss. During the 2017-18 year, the FSF unit price hit a high of $6.66/share on January 11, 2018 and a low of $4.50 on Octo-
ber 10. Last week the unit price was hovering around $4.82/share. FSF unit holders questioned Fonterra’s farmgate milk price calculation and whether it allowed a higher share of payment to farmers at the expense of unit holders. Shewan told the meeting the milk price manual was subject to regulatory oversight by the Commerce Commission. “The overall milk price mechanism is robust and fair to unit holders,” he says. He also played down media comments that TAF presented a conflict between shareholder interests and investor interests. “It’s not about them and us; we are all in this together,” he said. Shewan says FSF unit holders are watching the asset review underway in
Fonterra in the hope that it will help the co-op lift its profitability. Fonterra chief executive Miles Hurrell told the meeting the co-op is planning to reduce its debt levels by $800m this financial year. “Our capital expenditure is set at $650m for the current year -- a reduction of $211m; we are reviewing all discretionary [spending] initiatives in the pipeline and challenging all spending to help us achieve this.” Hurrell says it is aiming for a return on capital that is “respectable within a global co-op environment [and] I can assure you it does not start with a six.” Fonterra chairman John Monaghan told the investors that the asset review is well underway; a review of three assets including the Beingmate investment will help reduce debt by $800m.
13/11/18 9:02 AM
RURAL NEWS // NOVEMBER 20, 2018
8 NEWS
Cutting out shearing injuries THE WOOL industry wants a new online training tool to be used in every woolshed to reduce the injuries occurring in and around the sheds. Tahi Ngātahi was formally launched last week
at the New Zealand Agricultural Show by shearing and farming industry leaders with the support of Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor. New Zealand Shearing Contractors Association
president Mark Barrowcliffe says most wool harvesting injuries are preventable and all have a detrimental effect on everyone working in the business. Last year 755 work-
related injuries occurred in wool harvesting, resulting in 9300 working days lost (ACC weekly compensation data), and 4700 work-related injuries occurred in wool growing (farming) result-
Last year 755 work-related injuries occurred during wool harvesting – resulting in 9300 working days lost.
Have your say on NAIT changes We’re proposing changes to the NAIT (National Animal Identification and Tracing) Act and regulations. The changes are based on recommendations from the NAIT Review and lessons from the Mycoplasma bovis response.
ing in 35,000 days lost. “We want to reduce the injury count by sharing how they can be prevented,” Barrowcliffe said. “The way to do that is for all shearers, farmers and their staff to do this online programme. We want it to become part of every shed.” Those who complete the programme are certified as being up-to-date on health and safety practices. ACC has paid $1 million over three years for the programme in support of the industry taking the lead and partnering to reduce injuries. The programme is also supported by WorkSafe. O’Connor told the
launch that Tahi Ngātahi was an excellent joint effort that put people’s safety first and added value to farmers’ and shearers’ businesses. “These industries can be proud that what started as an idea has now developed into an important and userfriendly injury prevention programme.” Federated Farmers Meat & Wool chair Miles Anderson says the tool is valuable for farmers because they can complete their woolshed ‘warrant of fitness’ online, keep records of their certified workers and ensure their staff are trained to keep themselves and animals safe in the woolshed.
ABOUT TAHI NGATAHI TAHI NGATAHI means ‘one, together’ and describes the industry-driven partnership between farmers, shearing contractors and government to prevent injuries in the wool growing and harvesting industry. It’s an industry-led collaboration between the New Zealand Shearing Contractors Association, Federated Farmers and government agencies. Farmers, shearing contractors and their staff go to www.tahingatahi.co.nz and sign in to begin the modules which cover all aspects of working in the woolshed. About 30 videos cover safety topics for all wool industry workers and farmers.
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For advice, contact your local sales consultant National Sales Manager Stephen Pollard ....... Ph 09-913 9637 Waikato Ted Darley ................ Ph 07-854 6292 Wellington Ron Mackay ............ Ph 04-234 6239 Christchurch Kaye Sutherland ...... Ph 03-337 3828 ■ BREAKING NEWS
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Ferist et quati aut pedici te vollab imod quamet atur soleniet quiatibu. PAGE 23
RURALNEWS TO ALL FARMERS, FOR ALL FARMERS
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PAGE 24
RURAL NEWS // NOVEMBER 20, 2018
NEWS 9
Another two more years till M.bovis under control SUDESH KISSUN sudeshk@ruralnews.co.nz
FARMERS HAVE two years of “heavy lifting” before the bulk of the Mycoplasma bovis outbreak is dealt with. That’s the view of Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) national controller Geoff Gwyn. His comments came as national bulk milk testing nears its final stage; so far only three more farms have been
confirmed with the bacterial disease. Gwyn told Rural News that while the results are very encouraging, he doesn’t believe farmers are out of the woods yet. “I think farmers have two years of heavy lifting before we can say we have dealt with the bulk of the problem; no doubt after that we will get into long term management and ongoing surveillance.” Over the next two years it is crit-
$100 MILLION SPENT MPI HAS spent about $100 million on the Mycoplasma bovis campaign since July last year. National controller Geoff Gwyn says this includes compensation paid to farmers forced to cull stock. Gwyn says funding isn’t an issue, with $880 million committed by the Government and industry. DairyNZ and Beef + Lamb NZ are paying 32% of the $880m; they are still negotiating on the split of their respective contributions. Gwyn says he’s not privvy to discussions between the two organisations.
ical that farmers maintain biosecurity practices onfarm and improve National Animal Identification and Tracing (NAIT) records. Gwyn says a NAIT record is a farmer’s best friend; all animal movements must be recorded. “NAIT records are very good indicators for you, if you’re buying animals, to understand where they have come from -- the last farm.” Farmers are also encouraged to put animals in an isolated area for seven days for observation and to get vets to check them if need be. Gwyn says the results of the bulk milk tests so far are good news for farmers. All three M.bovis confirmed properties were already part of the tracing programme, with previous known links to the disease; one was under surveillance and the other two were about to go under surveillance. Under the testing programme,
samples from every New Zealand dairy farm are being taken shortly after calving, when cows are most likely to be shedding the bacterium. “The fact that we have confirmed Mycoplasma bovis on only three farms, and that all three of them were already on our radar, is encouraging,” Gwyn says. “It reinforces our belief that we are dealing with a single strain of Mycoplasma bovis, based on the available scientific evidence and our own work in the field. “While this remains an extremely difficult time for affected farmers, and we still have a lot of work to do, I’m confident we are on the right path in tracking down the disease and eradicating it from New Zealand,” Gwyn says. Full results from the bulk milk testing are expected to be delivered to most farmers in the North and South Islands in early December.
MPI’s national controller for M.bovis Geoff Gwyn.
11300 dairy suppliers are being tested six times over a ten-week period, with collections two weeks apart. Until last week, four rounds of testing were completed; 50% were on the way to fifth-round tests and 2000 farms had finished sixth-round tests. Under the testing programme, milk
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RURAL NEWS // NOVEMBER 20, 2018
10 NEWS
CPTPP a big boost for NZ’s beef exports to Japan PETER BURKE peterb@ruralnews.co.nz
BEEF + Lamb NZ (BLNZ) says the recent signing of the CTPP deal will put NZ at least on par with Australia in the Japanese beef market, and especially in the rapidly
expanding grass-fed meat market in Asia. BLNZ chief executive Sam McIvor says with the signing of the CTPPP, NZ will get the first round of tariff cuts in the Japanese beef market on December 30 and a second round of cuts that start January 19
next year. McIvor says NZ lost out badly to Australia when it managed to get a FTA with Japan, but with the signing of the CTPPP – which includes Japan -NZ meat exporters hope to save about $63 million in tariffs.
“Since Australia got its FTA with Japan, our exports there dropped by about $23 million while Australia’s went up by about $1 billion,” McIvor told Rural News. “That was the advantage Australia had over us. “Even though the tariffs on our beef will now come down it is not as simple as just turning up in the market. The Australians have invested heavily and done a lot of market promotion in Japan and obviously they have built up product loyalty.” McIvor says the other advantage of CTPPP is that the 26.5% tariffs on 26,000 tonnes of NZ beef
Beef + Lamb NZ chief executive Sam McIvor believes the CPTPP will put NZ beef exports on a better footing with Australian product in Japan.
exports to Canada will also come off over the next six years. Meanwhile, he says,
there’s good news in affluent consumers’ moving away from industrially produced to natu-
BEEF FARMERS WANT FREE TRADE DURING HIS recent overseas travels, McIvor attended the annual meeting of International Beef Alliance in Canada. Member countries of the Alliance are NZ, Canada, Mexico, Paraguay, Brazil, Australia and the US. A key outcome of the meeting was agreement by all members on the need for greater trade liberalisation. “There was strong condemnation from the Beef Alliance of the EU and the UK of the way they are going about splitting the trade quotas for NZ’s sheepmeat and beef to those jurisdictions,” McIvor told Rural News.
“Alliance members support NZ’s position that the way the quotas are being split is illegal and contravenes WTO rules.” He says the Alliance has a farmer base and is not tied to the politics of the governments of members. One reason why the initial TPP got off the ground was because of the strong trade liberalisation stance taken by International Beef Alliance, McIvor says. While some countries, including the US, protect their agricultural producers, the Beef Alliance has always been a vocal supporter of free trade.
rally produced food, and grass fed animals are part of that. “The opportunities for grass fed products are starting to emerge so we think having a lower tariff rate and being more competitive means we have probably got as good an opportunity as we have ever had.” McIvor points out, however, that the term ‘grass fed’ is quite often used rather loosely and NZ is using its Taste, Pure, Nature brand to tell consumers that our product is the genuine article and is backed by provable facts. @rural_news facebook.com/ruralnews
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RURAL NEWS // NOVEMBER 20, 2018
NEWS 11
Partnership approach pays off PAM TIPA pamelat@ruralnews.co.nz
THE PARTNERSHIP approach was a key to Kiwifuit Vine Health (KVH) winning the industry award at the 2018 New Zealand Biosecurity Awards last week, says KVH chief executive Stu Hutchings. The partnership approach has ensured the industry was better placed for any future biosecurity event, he says. “There is no doubt that by working in partnership we can achieve better biosecurity outcomes,” Hutchings says. “KVH was the first organisation in NZ to sign up to a new collaborative arrangement called Government Industry Agreements -- an arrangement which enabled the Government and industry to share decisionmaking, responsibilities and costs for incursions. “We have also embraced a collaborative approach in partnering in the Port of Tauranga Biosecurity Excellence initiative for many years and are founding members of the exciting new Tauranga Moana Biosecurity Capital programme.” Hutchings says recovery from Psa was an achievement of which the entire kiwifruit industry could be proud. KVH and NZ growers were passionate supporters of the national strategy of creating a biosecurity team of 4.7 million people. “We’ve worked hard
in the biosecurity space to ensure a resilient and united voice for the kiwifruit industry, and it’s great that our efforts -and those of the people who have worked with us over the years -- have been recognised with this award.” The Ministry for Primary Industries says the award recognised KVH’s contribution to the recovery of the kiwifruit industry following the devastating discovery of Psa in 2010, and its subsequent responsibility for managing all biosecurity readiness, response and operations for the industry. KVH chairman Dr Dave Tanner says the win recognises KVH’s pivotal role in managing the initial outbreak of the disease and developing robust biosecurity processes and resources to boost the industry’s biosecurity integrity. “KVH was formed in 2010 as the NZ kiwifruit industry reeled from the discovery of Psa,” Tanner said. “The small team was tasked with working alongside industry and the Government to help growers contain and manage Psa. “KVH did a great job and was subsequently tasked with responsibility for addressing all possible pests and incursions. “The KVH team is hugely dedicated to its role in helping protect the livelihoods of NZ kiwifruit growers through monitoring, education,
technology, and partnerships with government and biosecurity agencies.”
Kiwifruit Vine Health has trumpeted its collaborative approach with Government and industry as a winning formula.
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RURAL NEWS // NOVEMBER 20, 2018
12 NEWS
What makes staff join and stay? For the last three months, two Pâmu Farms human resources staff have visited a dozen of the state farmer’s farm hubs, meeting with dairy assistants to find out exactly what attracted them to the dairy industry and what will make them stay longer with the company. Peter Burke reports on their findings. A QUALITY health and safety regime is the key to attracting and retaining staff, as discovered during extensive research of staff just completed by Pamu Farms. The number of actual dairy farms at each hub varies, but Nancy Ford, the company’s talent acquisition manager, says they have talked to about 50 staff. This research has involved Ford meeting with all the dairy assistants at each complex, led by her colleague Dasha Loukina. Feedback from the staff is noted and will
form the basis of a report to Pâmu’s leadership. “Our objective in talking to the staff has been to find out a number of things -- especially to probe the issue of our turnover rate to see if we can improve this,” Ford tells Rural News. “We have also been trying to know about the experiences of our dairy assistants onfarm, what attracted them to the role and what they like about working for Pâmu.” The company also wants to understand their reasons for possibly leaving Pâmu and to
see if they can mitigate or address some of those reasons in the hope they will stay longer. Ford says while her research is related to the dairy side of Pâmu’s business, other staff are doing similar work on the livestock side -- sheep, beef and deer. There is a turnover issue with dairy assistants at Pâmu, but this is not unusual and is a problem right throughout the dairy sector, Ford says. There is also an issue recruiting new staff because of the competition from other industries also recruiting
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talented staff. “While the turnover of staff in the dairy sector is generally higher than it is at Pâmu, we don’t want to settle for that. We want our people to understand that we value them and want to retain them,” she explains. “Also driving that is the cost to our business when staff leave. It can be hard to recruit staff and while that is happening, animals on farms have to be cared for and this can put pressure on staff that remain.” Ford refers to something of a ‘revelation’ while surveying the staff. Feedback from the dairy assistants has given her a better insight into why
Pamu’s talent aquisition manager Nancy Ford.
people are coming to work in the dairy sector -some of it surprising. “For example, we had a young lady who was working in a retail store in Auckland. She was tired of all the traffic and the pressure, so she moved down to the West Coast with her sister and decided to work outside -- something completely
different. She is really enjoying working onfarm, being outside, not having to deal with traffic and is now working with the animals which she enjoys.” The love and pleasure of working with animals is one of the attractions of the dairy assistant’s role.” Ford says staff refer to
the cows as “the ladies” and take great pride in caring for their welfare. They often refer to the personalities of the cows and describe their individual characteristics. “For example, one of our staff noted that cow 429 wouldn’t go anywhere until she was given a cuddle and a back scratch.”
ISSUES OF RETENTION WHILE LACK of good internet broadband has been an issue for young people working in isolated areas in the past, Ford says this does not appear to be so now. Pamu has now finished making high speed broadband available to all 125 of its farms nationally, including 205 farm houses. Staff are known to quit because of the long hours especially at calving. “But when we go out into the market to recruit staff, we make it clear what working for Pâmu involves,” Ford explains. “We are upfront that during certain times of the year, especially at calving, the
hours will likely be longer. But we also say that during the rest of the season they won’t have to work these hours. We have also implemented a system of shifts that are working really well on our farms.” Instead of the traditional 12 days on and two days off, people maybe work five days on and two off, or six days on and three off, or other combinations that give staff good time off. But it’s Pâmu’s approach to health and safety that has struck a chord with new and existing staff, Ford says. The company has spent a lot of money on safety leadership and
training for all staff. Pâmu and its safety partner Wilson Consulting have set up Pâmu Academy as a joint venture. This aims to achieve world-leading mental health and wellbeing, and safety programmes, for staff and other organisations. “Like all farms, we value our staff and want to make sure they are safe,” Ford tells Rural News. “In our conversations with the dairy assistants, the overwhelming majority said they appreciate the health and safety environment we have. That differentiates us in the market.”
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RURAL NEWS // NOVEMBER 20, 2018
NEWS 13
Changes ahead for Farmlands NIGEL MALTHUS
SHAREHOLDERS IN the farm services co-operative Farmlands will be voting on the first big change to its constitution since 2013 at the annual meeting to be held in Hokitika on November 23. The constitution adopted when Farmlands merged with CRT nearly six years ago set up a 10-member board of eight shareholder-elected directors and two independent appointees. Under the proposal that will go to six and three, respectively. Chairman Lachie Johnstone said he does not expect the change to be contentious. A number of other organisations have similar structures. “Often the critical thing for shareholders is whether the elected members maintain the majority and obviously in this instance they do.” It represents an opportunity to reduce the board by one while increasing the proportion of independents. “That’s all about building skillsets, bringing in levels of expertise that the organisation can benefit from, and balancing the skills and attributes that shareholder directors bring,” he said. If accepted, the change would not be immediate. In the meantime, 11 candidates are standing for three places on the board, two in the South Island and one in the North. Joe Ferraby from Seddon, David Jensen from Tauranga and Independent Peter Wilson will all stand down while Rob Hewett (Clutha) is seeking re-election as his three-year term comes to an end by rotation. Meanwhile, Johnstone said, the co-operative has put in “a good solid performance” for the year. “The fact that we can return to paying a bonus rebate is I think a very good signal to shareholders.” Farmlands is reporting revenue of $2.39 billion, up 10.71%, and a
profit of $12.2m – more than double the $5.4m it posted in the previous financial year. It delivered $91m of rebates throughout its stores, the Farmlands Card and Fuel Card. The bonus rebate of $6.1m is to be distributed to shareholders on a 50% cash and 50% bonus share basis. Johnstone said a bonus rebate was last paid in 2015. At that time the co-operative had been in a “pretty significant growth mode” but then faced a change in market conditions and a significant reduction in spending. Johnstone now sees good solid commodity pricing in venison and velvet, and things are looking positive for lamb. He said dairy is sitting “in a middle-ground” but with uncertainly about its environmental license to operate, and structural issues with Fonterra. Kiwifruit and apples look very good, he said. “On balance one would suggest that commodity pricing has been advantageous to us over the last 12 months and we’re seeing reasonable upticks in spending. “There’s a little bit of negativity there, a bit of caution, and some suggest it’s coming out of the banking sector. I think there’s a slight mismatch between farmer grower sentiment and commodity pricing.” Meanwhile, chief executive Peter Reidie noted that Farmlands had won a number of awards over the past 12 months, which showed the co-operative was heading in the right direction. “We have been investing in our people to better serve our shareholders. Winning the KPMG Customer Excellence Experience Award, in particular, was a great boost for our staff as this was our shareholders telling us we were doing a great job servicing them. “To come out as the number-one brand in New Zealand for the
global KPMG Award, against the likes of Air New Zealand, Kiwibank, New World and ASB is tangible proof that the cooperative is moving from
good to great, in line with our strategy.” Farmlands chairman Lachie Johnstone.
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RURAL NEWS // NOVEMBER 20, 2018
14 NEWS
Open gates opens minds PAM TIPA pamelat@ruralnews.co.nz
Around 500 people visited Helensville dairy farmer’s Scott and Sue Narbey’s during the open day on November 11.
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CALF REARING “The airflow in our Smart Shelter is awesome. It keeps the calves healthy and strong, minimises the bacterial risks that you get in other sheds”
FONTERRA’S OPEN Gate recorded a big turnout with a Christchurch farm recording a top attendance of 780 people and a Helensville farm just north of Auckland visited by 520. They were among more than 12,000 people who registered nationally to attend Open Gates on November 11 and 500 staff volunteered on the day. Eight hundred people booked within two days to attend the Helensville farm of fourth generation farmers Scott and Sue Narbey, but heavy clouds deterred some Aucklanders from turning up. “Feedback has been overwhelmingly positive,” a Fonterra spokesman told Rural News. “People have said it was eye-opening, that the Fonterra team and farmers were warm and welcoming, and they appreciated the opportunity to visit a dairy farm. The special edition Tip Top jersey caramel ice cream was also a hit.” The Narbeys opened their gates for the second year running because they say they wanted to get good news stories out about dairy farming. They answered questions from visitors including how many hours staff work and supplementary feeding.
Their 155ha milking platform and 410cow system 5 operation won the Auckland Ballance Farm Environment Awards in 2017 and Scott says he was proud to open their environmental work to the public. It required extra work but it meant the farm got a spring clean before Christmas. Their 44-bail rotary cowshed is set up to allow one person to milk through most of the season. This includes automatic cup removal, Protrack drafting, in-shed feeding and EZ Heat camera. Water tanks and pumps are monitored using the Water Smart system at the main house, allowing pumps to be turned on and off to minimise water and power use. Sound-bites they got from visitors included: “We have a lot of dairy farms back in India and it was interesting to compare the difference. In India we have a much more traditional and manual version of agriculture but here the technology and quality tracking is very advanced.”– Hari, Mt Albert. “Living in a built-up area, we wanted to show the kids what it’s like onfarm. It’s surprising to see the level of technology and how professional things are. The lengths they go to are incredible. It shows they’re pretty open and transparent.” – Charlie & Glen.
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Proud dairy farmers Scott, Sue, Bella and Ollie Narbey.
RURAL NEWS // NOVEMBER 20, 2018
NEWS 15
Organic standards already here PAM TIPA pamelat@ruralnews.co.nz
THE SHEEP and beef industry doesn’t need to reinvent the wheel in order to work out how to set standards for organics, says Brendan Hoare. The former chief executive of Organics Aotearoa NZ (OANZ) says Beef + Lamb NZ has been observed working out how to set standards for making organics claims. But Hoare told Rural News that OANZ is embedded in the organic systems approach. He says BLNZ should take the animal welfare, non-GMO and pesticidefree standards, etc from OANZ organic standards and copy-and-paste them. “They don’t have to replicate them.” Hoare moved on from his position as OANZ chief executive at the end of October, after a restructuring of that organisation, but he remains involved in the industry through his company Pure New Zealand. He says while there are export markets for organic beef, lamb and wool, there is also a very
strong domestic market. “We always say we are not going to solve the red meat sectors’ issues. But we offer solutions for sure and can answer some of the questions they have, but the structural issues they need to organise.” In its latest market report, Hoare says OANZ made sure they had the Federation of Maori Authorities, DairyNZ, BLNZ and Horticulture NZ and Wine NZ all doing research with them to find out more. For sheep and beef, results were indicative – although not conclusive – of a trend. At least 50% of BLNZ members, who replied to the research BLNZ put out, wanted to know more about organics. “Farmers want change too. I come from a farming background, I live on a small farm and I am engaged daily,” says Hoare. “The market wants change and farmers do too. Most farming communities I talk to realise things aren’t great. No one consciously, purposely likes to pollute or destroy the environment.
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There might be a few, but we have got to offer pathways for people to move. I think that is crucial. “You can’t [sit] on your high horse and blame; that is not the culture you need. You must
have an environment where people have avenues to move at a pace, time and framework which works for them and their families. It has to be sustainable economically over time.”
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RURAL NEWS // NOVEMBER 20, 2018
16 NEWS
Buttering up Texas PETER BURKE peterb@ruralnews.co.nz
LEWIS ROAD Creamery is making inroads into the US market with its specialty butter. Firstly it’s targeting Texas and California, partly because Air New Zealand flies direct to these destinations. Company founder and chief executive Peter Cullinane says the decision to sell butter in the US started about six months ago, when they had the opportunity to work with Southern Pastures, a company with several dairy farms in the South Island and the biggest single supplier to Westland Milk Products (WMP). Southern Pastures has developed a special quality standard called Ten Star Premium Standard (10SPS) and
Lewis Road Creamery’s Peter Cullinane.
has a joint venture with WMP. Cullinane says working with South-
ern Pastures and WMP immediately gave Lewis Road a source of quality milk and a source of pro-
duction ideal for making specialty, high-quality branded butter for China and the US.
THE IRISH ARE THERE TOO
“The big opportunity in the States is for grass fed butter,” he told Rural News. “We take the idea of grass-fed butter for granted. However, in the US they don’t; its valued by discerning consumers who want products from animals that are grass fed and they are prepared to pay a premium for it.” Cullinane says they are putting their product into high-end Texas supermarkets in Houston, Dallas and Austin. In Los Angeles, he says, they have been fortunate to do a deal with another highend supermarket chain called Erewon. Cullinane says when his general manager was in the US, he identified Erewon as the perfect supermarket for Lewis Road to sell its butter. He found out that the owners of the supermar-
PETER CULLINANE is impressed at the Irish having succeeded in developing a strong hold in the US market with their grass-fed Kerrygold brand. “They are now number-two in the US market and as far as I am concerned, anything the Irish can do we can do better.” He says the Irish have focused on developing a strong brand, whereas NZ has remained focused on commodities. Cullinane believes that in the US market NZ hasn’t really got its act together on added value -especially the value of products produced from grass fed animals. “This attribute is completely under-appreciated in NZ,” he says. NZ must get away from feeding PKE to cows and produce high quality milk by cows just fed on grass, he says.
ket chain lived next door to the NZ consul in Los Angeles, Maurice Williamson, the former politician. “A friend of mine asked Maurice Williamson if there was any chance of us meeting the owners of Erewon. The next day I was sitting down with them in Maurice’s office and a deal
was done. In my view Maurice Williamson is doing a great job.” Cullinane says the first shipment of butter is small in volume by commodity standards, but they want to start developing the market in the same way as they did in NZ – starting small and gradually building up sales.
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RURAL NEWS // NOVEMBER 20, 2018
18 NEWS
More workers welcomed, but vacancies remain PAM TIPA pamelat@ruralnews.co.nz
THE KIWIFRUIT industry welcomes more Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) workers for next season but must
approved a large increase in the number of RSE workers -- by 1750 to 12,850 nationally. In 2018, Bay of Plenty, where most of the kiwifruit industry is based, took about 2000 of the
still work hard to attract the rest of the required workforce, says New Zealand Kiwifruit Growers Inc (NZKGI) chief executive Nikki Johnson. NZKGI is pleased the Government has
national total of 11,100 RSE workers. Details are still being worked out but it looks like in 2019 Bay of Plenty can expect about 300 more RSE workers. “The additional RSE
workers will contribute to alleviating the pressure of the labour shortage but the industry will still need to work hard to attract the rest of the workforce required,” Johnson says. NZGI’s Nikki Johnson says the low unemployment rate makes it difficult to fill all the available positions.
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RSE workers make up fewer than 20% of the seasonal workforce in kiwifruit. “While the increase is welcome and will provide stability to our workforce, the industry still has the challenge of attracting the remainder of the workforce that we need. Employers must provide RSE workers with accommodation and pastoral care. “While NZKGI considers there is sufficient resource to support the RSE workers for the 2019 season, accommodation is an issue that needs to be addressed as the industry continues to expand. “A number of new accommodation facilities are in progress at present and the industry has a working group which is considering the constraints to building new accommodation to make sure that we are prepared for increased need as the growth of the kiwifruit industry continues.” Johnson says NZers are the kiwifruit indus-
try’s first priority but the low unemployment rate makes it difficult to fill all the available positions. “RSE employees make up a small but crucial proportion of NZ’s horticulture workforce which fills this gap that NZers and working holiday travellers can’t fill.” Last year the Government approved a national increase of 600 RSE workers but this wasn’t enough to meet demand and a labour shortage was declared in several regions. The national pipfruit industry organisation, NZ Apples and Pears, Hastings, expects an extra 100 new jobs in Hawke’s Bay every year to 2025, not including the need for more seasonal pickers. “We are delighted with the Government’s decision to approve an increase in the RSE cap,” Apples and Pears chief executive Alan Pollard says. “Our priority always is to create job opportunities for NZers,” says Johnson.
POSITIVE FIRST STEP BOSTOCK NEW Zealand owner John Bostock welcomed the increase as a “positive first step”. “With the rapidly increasing apple crop and decreasing availability of NZ workers, the increase will go some way to relieving the labour shortage issues at the peak of the season. “By increasing the seasonal guest workers it provides the ability to create more permanent full-time jobs for NZers. “Full time jobs for NZers are important for resolving some of our social issues in the wider community. “Bostock NZ will be looking closely at how the cap is allocated between competing regions and employers. “It is vitally important that a fair, transparent and robust allocation criterion is used. Businesses that demonstrate strong growth need a greater allocation.” T&G pipfruit NZ general manager Bruce Beaton says any increase in the RSE cap would have a “positive impact” for the business. T&G was taking on the first of its RSE cohorts last week and expects to employ up to 1000 overseas RSE workers at a time during peak season in Hawke’s Bay.
RURAL NEWS // NOVEMBER 20, 2018
NEWS 19
Peters extolls Irish links PETER BURKE
IRISH BUSINESS NETWORK LAUNCHED
peterb@ruralnews.co.nz
IRELAND’S RECENTLY appointed ambassador to NZ, Peter Ryan, says there is great scope for Irish and NZ companies to work more closely together. He made these comments at the launching of an Irish business network in Wellington which will complement the one that already exists in Auckland. About 260 people turned up for the event and Ryan says such a network is important in developing business links between the two countries. “We do a lot of business together. There are 120 Irish companies operating in NZ and there are many Kiwi companies selling into Ireland and looking to Ireland as their base in the EU. “The EU is a market of 600 million -- the wealthiest market on the planet. We think there are opportunities there for Kiwi companies, and likewise we think there are opportunities for Irish companies to use NZ as their platform into Asia and the Pacific.” Ryan says it’s good to see momentum in the free trade agreement negotiations between the EU and NZ.
Winston Peters officially opened NZ’s embassy in Dublin earlier this month.
eral basis. “The agricultural sector is an obvious focus for attention. We are both proud farming nations
CLARIFICATION AN ARTICLE in Rural News, dated November 5, quoted LIC chief executive Wayne McNee saying “They aren’t breeding the right kind of cow for NZ, a plus side for us…. a 700kg Holstein Friesian won’t work in pastoral dairy.” The quote appeared after a paragraph stating that Dutch co-op CRV Ambreed is LIC’s biggest competitor in NZ, incorrectly implying that he was commenting on CRV Ambreed. In fact, McNee was commenting on other small rivals: companies that focus on high input farms in the US, Canada and Europe, and have a small presence in NZ.
AFFORDABLE QUALITY with vibrant rural communities. Our close ties and the counter-seasonality of our production cycles make us natural partners. “We already have a long history of collaboration. We expect these ties to grow as NZ reaches the natural limits of its domestic production, and as we seek out partners to help us to meet demand in fast-growing global markets, particularly in the meat and dairy sectors.” Peters says NZ is enormously grateful for the strong support it has received from Ireland in its efforts to deepen ties with the European Union,
including through the conclusion of a free trade agreement. He says Ireland, in turn, has in NZ a committed partner in helping it deepen its ties with East Asia and the Pacific. “As small, principled, independently minded -some would say stubborn -- countries we have never seen our size as an impediment to making our voices heard on the great issues of the day, or used our size as an excuse not to play our part in resolving them.” Peters noted that one in six New Zealanders claim Irish heritage and many of the rest wish they could.
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WINSTON PETERS says New Zealand and Ireland have much to gain by joining forces to pool knowledge, expertise and global connections. The Foreign Minister’s remarks came last week when he officially opened the NZ Embassy in Dublin. Until now the Irish Republic has been serviced from the NZ High Commission in London. NZ and Ireland have longstanding historical and political ties, says Peters but, these aside, the reason for opening an embassy in Dublin is because NZ is not making the most of the many links and interests it shares with Ireland. He says the two countries can do more on a bilat-
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RURAL NEWS // NOVEMBER 20, 2018
global agribusiness research analysts sharing market outlooks
20 MARKETS & TRENDS
Rabobank supports clients from farm to fork in
40
COUNTRIES
100 000
12630
farmers to connect Content supplied by Rabobank – Grow with the bank farmers for farmers with by worldwide , founded
Outlook remains generally positive NEW ZEALAND milk collections continue to pour in, leading to national supply climbing almost 6% for the first four months of the 2018/19 season to September 2018. With weather conditions and pasture growth largely
favourable in October, we anticipate milk collections across the peak supply month to remain elevated compared to the prior year. Oceania commodity prices were mixed in October. The general theme of plentiful production in New Zea-
ure with NZ spring peak
Production growth key exporting regions Latest month
EU
US
Australia
NZ
-0.1% (Aug)
1.3% (Sept)
-4.1% (Aug)
Last three months 0.5%
0.9%
-2.9%
5.8% (season to 30 September 2018)
Cheese Source: Rabobank 2018
land continues to underpin pricing pressure on WMP. Yet Oceania butter and SMP prices moved fractionally upwards: the result of improved demand for fresh product at affordable prices. RaboResearch anticipate further upside in commodity prices to eventuate through 2019, helped by steady demand and tighter global milk supplies. The stark contrast in production conditions across the Tasman Sea has resulted in Dairy Australia anticipating Australian milk supply to plummet by as much as 7% this season in the worst-case scenario.
Beef AS AT the start of November, the North Island bull price is 5% lower MOM, averaging NZ$ 5.00/kg cwt, while
Sheepmeat
North Island Bull Price 600 580 560
NZD cents/kg cwt
Dairy
540 520 500 480 460
Oct
Nov
Dec
Jan 2015/16
Feb
Mar
2016/17
Apr
May
2017/18
Jun
July
Aug
Sep
2018/19
Source: NZX AgriHQ, Rabobank 2018
the South Island bull price dropped 3% over the last month, averaging NZ$ 4.85/kg cwt. Prices in both islands are back on this stage last year, down 5% and 10% in the North and South Island’s respectively. With the new season kill now well underway, increasing supplies are
putting downward pressure on prices as processors look to regain some margin. Longer term, Rabobank expects total beef production for the 2018/19 to be slightly down on last season (-3%), ensuring a certain amount of procurement pressure is likely
to remain present in the market throughout the season. While demand from the US for New Zealand’s lean grinding beef products remains weak, there are signs that demand is starting to improve, with some small lifts in US imported beef prices in recent weeks.
PROCESSORS HAVE used the increasing supply of new season lambs as an opportunity to pull schedule prices back to levels that closer reflect in-market returns. As at mid-November, the schedule price in the North Island averaged NZ$ 8.10/kg cwt (4% lower MOM), while South Island lamb averaged NZ$ 7.75/kg cwt (4% lower MOM). While this price decline is occurring slightly earlier in the season than would normally be expected, given prices are coming off historically very high levels, this early decline will help to mitigate against potential sharper price drops in December/January when lamb supply volumes lift significantly. The overall global demand outlook remains
South40 Island Lamb Price and NZ Lamb Slaughter Content supplied by Rabobank – Grow with the bank founded by farmers for farmers
RURAL NEWS // NOVEMBER 20, 2018
Rabobank supports clients from farm to fork in
MARKETS & TRENDS 21
COUNTRIES
900 800
Head
600
300 200 100 0
Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun July Aug Sep
2015/16
2016/17
2017/18
2018/19
Source: NZX AgriHQ, Rabobank 2018
positive, which will help to underpin strong schedule prices until at least early 2019. The Chinese market continues to perform strongly, with buyers building supplies for Chinese New Year celebrations. Demand from the US also remains strong, where tight supplies from Australia has benefited New Zealand exporters.
Wool THE OUTLOOK for New Zealand’s coarse wool remains challenged by weak demand and read-
ily available supply. The coarse wool indicator has ducked below NZ300c/ kg for the first time since March. A strengthening NZ$ against the US$ has exacerbated soft demand for coarse wool driving the price declines in the first week of November. Clearance rates at auction have declined during the last two sales dropping below 80%. Wool offered and sold at auction both trail last year’s bales to date. Putting this in perspective however there
Source: NZ Meat Board, Rabobank 2018
Select Fresh Exports to Japan New Zealand fresh kiwifruit exports
450
90,000
400
80,000
350
70,000
300
60,000
250
50,000 40,000
200
20,000
100
30,000
150
10,000
50
0
2014 2015 2016 2017 2018
0
Year end June
Volume (lhs)
Value (rhs)
value and New Zealand will see tariffs reduce to nil immediately for kiwifruit once implementation occurs on 30 December 2018. This tariff reduction will be the most meaningful for all of the New Zealand horticultural export sectors. The CTPP also provides for further tariff reductions for other New Zealand fresh horticultural exports such as capsicum, carrots, squash and onions.
Exchange rate
New Zealand fresh apple exports 4,000
14
3,500
12
3,000 tonnes
400
NZD fob (million)
500
tonnes
NZ c/kg cwt
700
shows that New Zealand is the key supplier of both fresh kiwifruit and apples to Japan. The CTPP creates a more level playing field for New Zealand with other exporters such as Australia or Chile who already hold FTA’s with Japan. Tariff reductions for this market will be meaningful over time for New Zealand exporters. Japan is New Zealand’s largest kiwifruit export destination by
10
2,500
8
2,000
6
1,500
4
1,000 500
2
-
0
NZD fob (million)
South Island Lamb Price
New Zealand Lamb Slaughter (STD – 13th October) fine wool prices has also has been an additional stalled with falls through 29% of700,000 wool sold comOctober for merino catpared600,000 with 2016/17 when egories reflecting the China pulled back from 500,000 market correction in Austhe market. tralia. Export volumes 400,000 improved in September off300,000 the lows recorded Horticulture in August, total volume WITH THE projected 200,000 shipped now sits at 2.4% large growth in volume higher100,000 than last season. for both New Zealand The value of exports kiwifruit and apples over 0 lifted strongly also 2017/18 the next five2018/19 years, meanboosted by the lifts in ingful gains are on offer South Island in North Island value of fine and medium select markets from wool. CTPP tariff removals. The stellar run for Global trade data
Year end June Volume (lhs)
Value (rhs)
Source: Statistics NZ, Infoshare, Rabobank 2018
For the year end June 2018, Japan accounted for around twenty percent of New Zealand’s fresh kiwifruit export volumes. For the same period, New Zealand fresh apple exports to Japan represented less than two percent of total export volumes.
DESPITE RALLYING against the Greenback in the last month, we expect the NZ$ to slide to 63 US cents by October 2019, as monetary policy in the US tightens and NZ settings most likely remain unchanged. After six months of fairly steady decline against the Greenback – the NZ$ rallied more than two cents from mid-October: to close on November 12th at 67.44
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US cents. The Reserve Bank of NZ kept its Overnight Cash Rate unchanged in November – at 1.75%. But in contrast to the bullish view of its US counterpart, the Reserve Bank of NZ reiterated its belief that the rate would remain at this level through 2019 and 2020. Core inflation remains below its 2% target mid point. And while GDP growth picked up in Q2, the Bank pointed to temporary factors and the likelihood of a softer near term. As monetary policy in the US tightens and NZ settings most likely remain unchanged, we hold our 12 month forecast for the NZ$ soften to 63 US cents by October 2019. • Keep up-to-date with the latest food & agribusiness insights. Tune into RaboResearch Food & Agribusiness Australia & NZ podcast channel. @rural_news facebook.com/ruralnews
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ONE NAME COVERS IT ALL
RURAL NEWS // NOVEMBER 20, 2018
22 OPINION EDITORIAL
EDNA
Don’t let us down! IN THE last week the words ‘Lest we forget’ have been much used as most of the western world remembers Armistice Day and of course the same applies to ANZAC. The British and Europeans use these words a lot. However, it seems that in terms of trade a more appropriate phrase might be ‘Let us forget ASAP’. This is what is happening at the moment as Beef + Lamb NZ’s chief executive Sam McIvor has so frankly stated. The Brits and the EU, in a freakish display of self-indulgence, self-interest and desperation to cut a Brexit deal, have decided that NZ is dispensible. This means that the legal agreement signed according to WTO rules and in good faith by Britain, the EU and NZ is not worth the paper it is written on and somehow their self-made problems are best solved by doing the dirty on NZ. Specifically we are talking about the decision by the EU and UK to rip up the agreement on how the quota of NZ sheepmeat should be distributed between the two entities come Brexit day. The legal agreement says the quota should be flexible and this has worked well to the advantage of all parties and has prevented markets being flooded with product and has allowed for the orderly sale of our lamb and mutton. The EU and UK want a 50/50 split which is nonsense. One wonders what drugs their negotiators are on to come up with such a dumb idea. History, unfortunately, suggests that when it comes to the rights of smaller nations, the EU and the UK have often been missing in action. In 1939, when Poland was invaded, Britain did declare war on Germany, but did nothing tangible to defend the Polish people. NZ accepted the right of Britain to enter the EU and to be fair it made sense. But to welch on a legal agreement with a friend and a member of the Commonwealth is another thing. Many NZers regard Britain as ‘home’; well, right now the shutters are up, the doors are locked and the welcome mat has gone. Great friend, yeah right.
SOMETHING ON YOUR MIND? GOT SOMETHING on your mind about the latest issues affecting our farming industry? Put your pen to paper or your fingers to your keyboard, and let our readers know what you think. Contact us by either post or email. Don’t forget to put your name and address. Note: Letters may be edited. post to: Letter to the Editor PO Box 331100 Takapuna , Auckland 0740. or Email: editor@ruralnews.co.nz
RURALNEWS TO ALL FARMERS, FOR ALL FARMERS
HEAD OFFICE POSTAL ADDRESS: PO Box 331100, Takapuna, Auckland 0740 PUBLISHER: Brian Hight ......................................... Ph 09 307 0399 GENERAL MANAGER: Adam Fricker ....................................... Ph 09 913 9632 CONSULTING EDITOR: David Anderson .................................. Ph 09 307 0399 davida@ruralnews.co.nz
“How come those damn Greenies always get off?!!”
Want to share your opinion or gossip with the Hound? Send your emails to: hound@ruralnews.co.nz
THE HOUND About face?
Deafening silence
Grown a pair?
Virtue signalling?
YOUR OLD mate reckons former Silver Fern Farms sales manager Grant Howie has done a poacherturned-gamekeeper conversion since he left the meat company to do business on his own account. Howie in his former life was the chief salesman of red meat products on behalf of SFF. However, earlier this year the former meat man took over the The Craft Meat Company in Dunedin and has recently hit the supermarket shelves with a plant-based ‘No Meat Mince’’ with ingredients such as mushrooms, tomatoes, almonds, coconut oil and soy protein. Howie, a 30-year food industry veteran, said the rise of alternative proteins was arguably the biggest trend in Western food. This old mutt wonders what Howie’s ex-colleagues and former farmer suppliers at SFF think of his new venture.
YOUR OLD mate notes that Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor was -- like most of his coalition government colleagues -- quick to crow about his successes after a year on the treasury benches. In a recent column boasting about his work (published in this fine organ last month) O’Connor crowed about the many things he’s achieved for the primary sector during the past year, including: the $40 million a year Sustainable Food and Fibre Fund, the launch of extension services at MPI, an export standard for manuka honey, the decision to eradicate M.bovis, the biosecurity budget, the revamp of NAIT and the review of DIRA, to name a few. However, totally absent from his skite-list was any mention of his $500,000-a-year white elephant – the Primary Sector Council. The Hound reckons even O’Connor is starting to now recognises that the PSC is a dog.
THE HOUND has been a long-andstrong critic of Fonterra’s shareholder council. So this old mutt was pleased to hear the council finally baring its teeth in its recent annual report on the performance – or more correctly non-performance – of Fonterra during the past year. Council chair Duncan Coull was brutally frank in his assessment of the mothership, telling farmers that Fonterra’s effort over the last 12 months has been “not good enough and fundamental change is required in thinking and practice to reverse the performance of the business”. Meanwhile, your old mate reckons another former shareholder council chairman – current Fonterra bigcheese John Monaghan – would not have enjoyed his former organisation finally growing a pair and giving the co-op a proper serve for once.
THIS OLD mutt reckons that the state farming entity formerly known as Landcorp and now politically correctly renamed Pamu, is doing everything in its power to brownnose the current rainbow coalition government -- especially its greentinged members. The state farmer has set up an environment reference group (ERG) of do-gooding, anti-farming greenies such as the clean water researcher Marnie Prickett, Forest and Bird’s Annabeth Cohen, and Mike Joy, whose role is apparently to “compel Pāmu towards [being] an ecological and ethically driven 21st century land management and food company”. The Hound suggests Landcorp would be better placed actually trying to farm and make a better return on the huge investment taxpayers have in the company, rather than this kind of virtue-signalling tosh.
PRODUCTION: Dave Ferguson ........................Ph 09 913 9633 davef@ruralnews.co.nz Becky Williams ........................Ph 09 913 9634 beckyw@ruralnews.co.nz REPORTERS: Sudesh Kissun ....................... Ph 09 913 9627 Pamela Tipa ............................ Ph 021 842 220 Peter Burke .............................Ph 06 362 6319 Nigel Malthus ...................... Ph 021 164 4258 MACHINERY EDITOR: Mark Daniel ............................. Ph 021 906 723 or 07 824 1190 SUB-EDITOR: Neil Keating ............................Ph 09 913 9628
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ABC audited circulation 80,580 as at 31/03/2018
DIGITAL STRATEGIST: Jessica Wilson ........................ Ph 09 913 9621
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 // NOVEMBER 20, 2018
OPINION 23 AGRI LOADALL 3 YEAR FINANCE
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In the past decade or so, NZ’s beehive numbers have jumped from 300,000 to over a million on the back of the manuka honey hype, but many of the country’s beekeepers are now struggling to make any money.
Honey not a gold rush for all JOHN WRIGHT
IT SEEMS that nowadays, every few weeks, there is reference in the news media to honey as ‘liquid gold’, creating the impression that anybody with a few beehives is making a fortune. However, you don’t have to scratch the surface much to find this is not all true. Much of this is due to the manuka honey ‘gold rush’. Why is this? Originally, New Zealand top-grade honey was based on South Island clover. The country’s bee population was about 300,000 hives spread proportionally 50/50 between the North and South Islands. NZ produced about 1000 tons more than we consumed and this 1000-odd tons was exported at international prices, which also set the price that NZ packers paid local producers. Ten or more years ago, Professor Peter Molan of Waikato University was researching natural medicines and found that a small percentage of pure manuka honey had medicinal properties. This started a frenzy and – with good marketing – it seemed all the world wanted manuka honey. Suddenly honey (manuka) that was once low-priced was commanding prices of $20 - $200/kg. Our pasture honey, which was selling at $4 - $5/kg climbed to $12 - $14/kg in 2016, mainly owing to the practice of mixing it with manuka honey and selling it as manuka-blend Then NZ’s hive numbers climbed to almost 1 million – many owned by international companies. Competition for sites became intense with many local beekeepers being overwhelmed by large numbers of other hives, or by dirty tricks such as having their hives poisoned, burnt or stolen.
Overseas buyers became disillusioned at the quality of the manuka honey they were receiving, to the point where they started to withdraw it from their shelves. This prompted MPI to develop a scientific test to define the purity of manuka. Now any honey exported from NZ, labelled as ‘manuka’, must be stamped on the label or drum as complying with the MPI test. This means that only pure, certified manuka can command a premium price and non-pure manuka is rated along with all other honeys as table-grade honey. This honey, which until the new MPI testing regime sold at $10-$14/kg, is virtually unsaleable. Prices now are $5-$7/kg, but the packers are not buying. I have even heard of sales at $3/kg by desperate beekeepers. There would be thousands of tons of last season’s crop sitting in beekeepers’ honey houses unsold and we are now at the start of the new season’s production. There are beekeepers who will only place hives to get rated manuka honey and will not place hives for pasture honey, as the prices offered make it unsustainable. The sad thing about this is that farmers are now encouraging beekeepers to place hives on their farms as they realise the importance of clover in view of the nitrogen caps being placed on them. I believe the future of beekeeping will go back to pre-manuka days, when surplus honey will be purchased by overseas buyers at international prices and will set the price paid for table grade honeys. While this will clear NZ stocks, it will not be at a price many producers today – particularly those who have recently come into the industry – will be happy with. • John Wright is a beekeeper with 65 years’ experience, including 56 years exporting comb honey.
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RURAL NEWS // NOVEMBER 20, 2018
24 OPINION
Future-proofing NZ’s meat exports New York-based Kiwi Matt Luxton, Silver Fern Farms’ sales executive in the US, here discusses the opportunities for New Zealand to exploit the growing consumer trend towards grass-fed red meat. GRASS-FED RED meat is a significant niche in the US market which New Zealand producers, with our pasture-based farm systems, are well set to
benefit from. The scale of the opportunity for the grassfed red meat category is significant and is rapidly growing. In 2012, sales of
grass-fed beef in the US totalled US$17 million. By 2016 sales had soared to US$272m. Today, although growing, grass-fed labelled
beef accounts for no more than 1% of the US$104 billion US beef market. It is a large and growing niche being driven by consumer
demand for more natural food choices. Americans are becoming more aware of what they eat. They want to know where their products of choice are grown, whether they are organic and sustainably farmed, whether these products have added flavouring or Silver Fern Farm’s US-based sales executive Matt Luxon believes there is a big future for NZ grass fed beef in the US.
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colouring and, most concerning of all, whether their meat has been exposed to or injected with hormones or antibiotics. Topics such as these are covered in easy-towatch, often sensationalised documentaries, and are discussed in podcasts, researched on various websites and covered on multiple social media platforms. Cponsumers’ ability to access this information online is causing a shift in consumption trends within a large segment of society. The explosion of claims across all categories in the supermarkets show the importance of catering to these consumers’ needs. Much has been written about the benefits of ‘100% grass-fed beef’ over grain-fed beef. The benefits include higher omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids, and higher antioxidants from grass-fed product. Consumers are becoming more aware of the benefits, with certain food movements, e.g. Ketogenics, extolling these and other benefits of grassfed beef. Consumers increasingly want a robust grassfed commitment so they can realise these benefits. As it stands within the US’s labelling environment, the term grass-fed can be used on any product provided the animal was raised predominantly on grass. The labelling rule is administered by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This broad US FDA claim standard presents an opportunity for producers who can go a step further and back a ‘100% grass-fed’ claim through a
traceable, verified process to give consumers confidence their product has never been fed grain. The negative impacts of grain-fed beef are a real driver for consumers to find a better alternative. Consumers are raising questions about grain-fed beef systems’ environmental impacts, antibiotic resistance, animal welfare concerns, and questions about the products’ health benefits. It is routinely known that North American feedlots feed antibiotics (many strains of which are used on humans) to their beef. In 2015 the USDA reported that at least 73% of large feedlots in the US used sub-therapeutic doses of antibiotics in their cattle feed as a “health or production management tool”. Any Kiwi farmer will tell you that NZ’s cattle and sheep are grown in a far more regulated market, where you cannot routinely inject your animal with hormone growth promotants or feed antibiotics for production gain. Grain-fed practices like this are driving the US consumer trend towards natural, grassfed alternatives, and these consumers are a highvalue niche willing to pay for certainty. Our market research in the USA of over 1,000 consumers showed that 42% of premium consumers regularly eat grass-fed beef. They are willing to pay a premium for it, and they can afford it, with incomes of over US$120,000 p.a. The supply in the US cannot keep up with the growth of this segment, which presents an opportunity for NZ farmers. While grass-fed product is a growing opportunity, in Silver Fern Farms’ view the NZ farming industry needs to move as much supply to certified whole-of-life ‘100% grass-fed’ to differentiate from US and other global producers who currently claim ‘grass-fed’. This will be crucial for NZ to realise its potential in such a large and wellpaying market. @rural_news facebook.com/ruralnews
RURAL NEWS // NOVEMBER 20, 2018
MANAGEMENT 25
Early weaning useful for dry summer PREDICTIONS OF a dry summer may make early weaning an attractive option for sheep farmers this year, provided they have high-quality legumebased forages available for their weaned lambs. With the right management, early weaning can be a valuable tool that benefits both ewes and lambs by reducing competition for feed, especially in seasons when grass-growth is limited. Early-weaned ewes can either be sold early, which frees up feed for other stock classes, or be given more time to recover body condition before mating next year. Trials run at Massey University found lambs over 20kgLW coped best with early weaning (minimum weaning weight was 16kg LW). However, it was the quality of the forages on offer that was the greatest determinant of how well lambs grew post-weaning. Professor Paul Kenyon, who led the early-weaning trials, says early-weaned lambs should be given unrestricted access to legume-based forages, e.g. a herb clover mix at a minimum cover of 7cm in height or a ryegrass/ white clover mix between
1400kg DM/ha (5cm) and 2000kg DM/ha (10cm) – ideally with a high percentage of clover. If lambs are weaned onto a legume crop, they should be given time to adjust to a change in feed. Running the ewes and lambs onto the crop a few days before weaning, then running the lambs back onto the crop after weaning, will help minimise the weaning check. In late lactation, all lambs – but especially multiples – are receiving very little nutrition from the ewe. So when grassgrowth is limited the ewes are competing with their lambs for feed, compromising the performance of both. Kenyon says early weaning can be a flexible stock and pasture management tool, which can be used to benefit the whole farm system. For example, by weaning a proportion of the flock early it means some ewes can be used as a grazing management to prepare pastures for when the balance of the flock are weaned later. He says early weaning can be particularly useful in hoggets, as it will give them more time to recover body condition
between lambing and mating again as a twotooth. Partitioning high quality feed into lambs in the late spring/early summer period will benefit the whole farm system. It means more lambs can be sold prime before the height of summer— making more
feed available for capital stock – and ewe lambs can be grown out to heavier weights early. This allows the flexibility to hold them back later when feed resources are more limited. @rural_news facebook.com/ruralnews
Massey University’s Professor Paul Kenyon led the early weaning trials.
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RURAL NEWS // NOVEMBER 20, 2018
26 MANAGEMENT
Research highlights hill country development risks and opportunities Farming Tool project (SHiFT), says Paul Hulse, of Environment Canterbury (ECan). The SHiFT project is to tell landowners the best ways to address these concerns, says Hulse. “Three related studies were commissioned to better understand farmers’ hill country development practices,” he says. “Initial interviews were held with 150 hill country farmers in Can-
terbury and Manawatu. This was followed up by in-depth interviews with 16 farmers, advisors and helicopter pilots, focusing on the use of helicopters for developing hill country land. “And AgResearch reported on relevant research about the environmental impacts of forage cropping in hill country.” The findings will be used to help develop a free advisory tool for
farmers and advisors. “ECan recognises that forage crops are important but they need to be managed so that sediment does not enter waterways. “We’re expecting the tool to identify high and low risk areas on a property, estimate the potential sediment losses and provide a reference guide... so that sediment losses to waterways and estuaries can be minimised.”
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Farm consultant Dave Lucock, of The Agribusiness Group, says farmers need to be aware of the risks in developing hill country and plan to avoid or mitigate those risks. “It is no longer acceptable to have large quantities of sediment flowing from poorly managed winter feed paddocks.” Only about 50% of farmers consider sediment loss factors before developing their hill country, he said. “We expect this tool will help farmers... to get the best results for their farm business and the local environment.” The AgResearch review of research into soil losses from grazed forage crops showed the importance of block selection, and smart, timely decisionmaking to avoid soil loss. It also identified some of the success factors in hill country development.
Dr Seth Laurenson, author of the AgResearch report, says that the research review showed that management, in combination with climate, soil and slope, are important. “The timing, duration and location of grazing animals relative to swales and gullies that act as overland flow paths is important for protecting waterways. “Using riparian buffers and fencing to exclude stock from streambanks are all measures that can be included in a farm environment plan and are easily adapted as part of a farmer’s good management practices.” Using helicopters to sow and spray hill country terrain requires good advice, he said. The survey found that farmers using heli-spraying do so because it is safer and more precise than using wheeled vehicles.
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SHEEP AND beef farmers are increasingly finishing stock on hill country forage crops and pastures, with a resultant drop in erosion risk. But some farmers had difficulty assessing the potential environmental impact and the financial return of hill country development, due to the unpredictability of sediment loss and the costs. This was discovered by studies done as part of the Sustainable Hill
RURAL NEWS // NOVEMBER 20, 2018
ANIMAL HEALTH 27
Genetics an answer to better FE tolerance FACIAL ECZEMA (FE) is a seasonal scourge, but genetic selection can help minimise the impact of this production-limiting disease in sheep. Caused by the spores of the fungus Pithomyces chartarum (which grows on litter at the base of pasture) FE affects more than just an animal’s face. The spores release a toxin which can damage the liver and bile ducts. In some cases, the bile ducts may become partly or completely blocked. The liver damage results in photosensitivity and sunburn which are the clinical signs of the disease. The fungus is everywhere, but when temperature and moisture levels are high the fungus grows rapidly, releasing huge numbers of toxic spores. For every animal with clinical signs of FE – which are obvious skin lesions – there will be many more with sub-clinical disease. This includes the invisible ongoing liver damage that can cause major productivity losses, especially at mating, lambing and calving. Genetic tolerance offers the best protection against the disease and many breeders have been testing rams for many years now. When selecting rams, commercial farmers (who want to include FE tolerance in their trait selection) should ask their breeder how long he or she has been testing
rams, the level they are testing at, the number of rams they test every year and ask to see the Ramguard certificates. Ramguard is the AgResearch-managed organisation that carries out the FE tolerance testing. Breeders serious about breeding for FE tolerance should be testing at least 10% of their sale rams every year and only using tested rams in their stud. King Country farmer Russell Proffit is a Perendale breeder and chair of FE Gold. This represents ram breeders who have been tolerance testing for FE for many years. The group is now testing at the highest possible dose rate of 0.6mg/kg (this is where the animal is dosed with the toxin and blood tests assessing liver damage measure how tolerant the ram is to the FE causing toxin). Proffit says that it can take 20 years to breed to a high degree of FE tolerance. Breeders start at zero and gradually build up to an optimum dose rate of 0.6 – which is where the leading FE tolerant Romney and Coopworth breeders are. While it takes decades for stud breeders to breed FE tolerance into their flocks, commercial farmers can get there a lot faster by selecting rams from these breeders. Proffit believes it is important to ask the correct questions when
buying genetics. He says commercial farmers should be cautious about buying rams from clearing sales where the claim has been made that they are FE tolerant. To find a list of breed-
ers that are selecting for FE tolerance, look up the Sheep Improvement Ltd (SIL) website to see the up-to-date Ramguard list: https://www.sil.co.nz/ tools/flocks-focussed-onhealth-traits#drop4.
Genetic tolerance offers the best protection against FE.
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RURAL NEWS // NOVEMBER 20, 2018
28 ANIMAL HEALTH
Don’t get ticked off this season – RICHARD HILSON
NEW ZEALAND appears to be lucky in having only one major livestock tick. It has a long name Haemaphysalis longicornis, and can be a tricky opponent over which to gain control. Geographically ticks
are found right through the North Island, in Marlborough and Tasman and parts of the West Coast. Adult ticks have eight legs and prior to a feed on one of its many hosts (which can include humans), it is about 3mm long, 2mm wide and is red-brown in colour.
Once it has partaken of its blood feed, it will be 9mm long and 7mm wide and have turned blueblack in colour. Ticks typically have three life stages: 1) adult which feed on an animal then drop off to lay eggs; 2) these hatch into larvae which crawl onto the
animal and feed; 3) then they drop off to moult into nymphs which in turn feed, drop off and moult into adults to start the cycle again. Over 80% of the tick life-cycle is spent off the animal. This is important as they are often not on the host, meaning that
control is not just about dipping animals, it is also about making it harder for ticks to survive off the host. As you can see in the graphic, they spend such a short time on the host that an individual tick will have hopped on, fed to near bursting, and
Richard Hilson
dropped off all within a week. So, what you see today is just an idea of what a week’s worth of ticks looks like. There will be many that have fallen
small animals can lead to anaemia and even death. This then is a major concern for fawns, lambs, kids and calves – but also the production losses occurring in adult stock. Of particular note is their role in the transmission of Theileria, which has created all manner of mayhem in dairy and beef herds, with serious losses of production and some deaths. In many cases, farmers had never seen ticks on their farms yet their cattle were suffering from theileriosis. This shows
Over 80% of the tick life-cycle is spent off the animal. This is important as they are often not on the host, meaning that control is not just about dipping animals, it is also about making it harder for ticks to survive off the host. off to moult or lay eggs already and there will be just as many likely to hop on next week, during the peak seasons. The last couple of years, with early warm springs, have been something of a record for sheer numbers of ticks – particularly around the East Coast and far north. Some veterinary clinics have been inundated with queries about ticks from mid December until well into February. These report that ticks were appearing on farms in large numbers. While we usually associate ticks with deer farms, they were causing significant clinical issues on all manner of animals – lots of sheep, some cattle, a few horses and plenty of pet dogs and cats. A key to understanding severity is remembering that heavy burdens on
that ticks pretty much exist wherever the conditions are right – the right environment means the right temperature and humidity, hence the generally North Island-wide distribution. Veterinarians can assist clients in both understanding ticks and in providing some clever solutions to tick control. Unfortunately, every tick that you saw in summer and did not kill will have been able to breed after having a decent feed from whatever host you saw it on. The large ticks are all adults and shortly after they have had their fill of blood they drop off and lay hundreds of eggs. It is the ensuing lifecycle that we are now concerned about and it is likely that we could see a similar explosion of numbers this coming summer because
RURAL NEWS // NOVEMBER 20, 2018
ANIMAL HEALTH 29
n – or next!
02165_MSD_TOXO_01
there are simply so many young ticks about. Treatments vary with different species. However, these mostly involve pour-ons [Flumethrin], dips or washes; the exception is dogs and cats where spot-on and some oral formulations may help with tick control. Depending on which species you are concerned about, a discussion with your vet will help identify the best control options and most efficacious products for your area. Control should be targeted, particularly during the nymph season (August to October) and especially at the first onset of adult ticks. In high risk groups, like fawns, pre-fawning treatment of hinds threeweekly to break the cycle and preparing paddocks with good tree shade and less long grass is useful. You can also consider taking alternate stock like cattle or sheep through paddocks late winter/early spring as this will assist with parasite removal and picking up nymphs. Regarding deer, eagle-eyed vets spot the nymphs in spring (usually mid August to mid September) when TB testing deer and this is a pointer to their control for next summer. This ‘rise’ of ticks seems to occur in a quite defined period and by aiming to reduce
numbers then you can reduce adult numbers in summer and so reduce tick numbers for the following year. There is a lot of planning required and we find that once the big, ugly, adult ticks vanish, the whole tick ‘problem’ seems to fade from memory. Vigilance is important and when the little buggers make another appearance you’ll need to act to avoid a population explosion the following year. If you would rather not repeat the tick season that was last year, best come in for a catch-up about what you can do to reduce the size of the 2019 and 2020 problem. Vets and their staff have lots of tricky answers and some novel ideas. But most would prefer doing something simple in spring rather than having to fight bigger battles in summer. • Dr Richard Hilson, of Vet Services Hawkes Bay [Waipukurau], has been a rural vet for nearly 30 years, mainly in Central Hawkes Bay. Brought to you by
Prior to feeding an adult tick is about 3mm long, 2mm wide and is redbrown in colour. Once fed, it will grow to 9mm long and 7mm wide and have turned black-blue in colour.
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RURAL NEWS // NOVEMBER 20, 2018
30 MACHINERY & PRODUCTS
It’s all so 1970s WITH CHRISTMAS closing on us quickly, new year will soon be gone and before we know it we’ll be into the 2019 round of regional field days -- Dargaville, Kirwee and Fielding. As usual, those with heavy-metal syndrome will trudge along, kick tyres, climb into tractor cabs and find fault. Then they’ll rub their brows and declare that machines are now so expensive that they will need a demo on their own property. Having been involved in the industry for at least 35 years, I know that the cost of freight, man hours, site fees, hotel and hospitality costs runs into many thousands of dollars to stage a moderate
display. So I can’t help wondering how long the industry can carry on this practice. Any time soon, the National Fieldays organisation will deliver an economic impact statement, prepared by Waikato University, telling us that their event brings millions of dollars to the region. Despite this, ultimately, the cost of attending these events is becoming harder to justify.
Perhaps that’s the reason why global player Massey Ferguson has recently announced plans, in Europe anyway, to progressively move away from traditional show-style events and focus on bespoke, targeted activities to launch and promote its products. Indeed, at the recent EIMA show in Bologna, Italy -- one of the ‘big three’ of European events -- it only showed two tractors on a much smaller site. Instead the company used virtual reality to let visitors see its entire range of products. One can see the logic: having heard, many times over the years, a farmer moaning: “they didn’t even have the machine
I came to see”. Here in New Zealand, we’ve seen attempts to do something different. For example, Tulloch Farm Machines, which imports Krone machinery, has gone for a similar look that sees minimal numbers of machines and visual technology to display their systems. We’ve also seen an attempt to run a largescale working event such as Grasslandz, held to the east of Hamilton. Sadly that eventually folded, probably because it failed to deliver a crop that was hinted at in its title. Surely this was brought about by timing, when the dry site and high temperatures of late January meant a lack of crop. A suggestion to hold
Global player Massey Ferguson has recently announced plans to move away from traditional show-style events and focus on bespoke, targeted activities to launch and promote it’s products.
the event in October was met with the response: “farmers are too busy with their own first-cut silage”. But look at the original UK Grassland Event that has taken place in May every third year for at least three decades. This is a prime
time for first-cut silage, but it is attended in huge numbers because there’s grass and it’s a great event. Thankfully, the organisers of the SIAFD held at Kirwee can see the issue. They plan to extend next year their area committed to working demon-
strations, knowing that noise, smoking exhausts and spinning wheels will always draw a crowd. In contrast, static machinery, polished to within an inch of its life with silicon spray on the tyres and surrounded by pot plants and plastic cabbage trees is all... oh so 1970s.
Standing firm on machinery A FIRM stand on demonstrating machinery and technology is a key reason why 50% of the exhibitor sites are now sold for the South Island Agricultural Field Days, says spokesman Daniel Schat. The biennial event routinely attracts about 30,000 visitors, he says. “We are proud of our status as the field day with the largest machinery demonstration programme in New Zealand.” The 2019 event will run from Wednesday March 27 to Friday March 29 at the field days’ permanent home near Kirwee, west of Christchurch.
Alastair Robinson, the new chair of the SIAFD executive committee, says preparations for the 2019 field days are tracking well and the organising committee is improving infrastructure at the venue. “Sites are selling well, which is important for us because the income from registrations helps us to improve our facilities.” An upgrade of the electrical infrastructure at the Kirwee site will make it easier and safer for exhibitors to set up and clean up afterwards. Earlier this year the organisers gravelled all the laneways, and have extended the
MOWERS, TEDDERS
AND MORE...
irrigation system and planted native trees along the boundaries, helped by volunteers. Robinson acknowledges RX Plastics, Ashburton, for the 150mm pipe used to extend the irrigator; Cresslands Contracting and Porter Group for digging the pipe trench; Tony Redmond, Andrew Walker and Rodney Hadfield for helping lay the pipe, and Orari Nursery for the native plants. “A number of businesses have been very generous with their support, and others will step in with help as we get closer to the event,” Schat said. www.siafd.co.nz.
Alistair Robinson, chair of the SIAFD executive committee.
UNIQUE
HOOKED
TINE
RELIABILITY & LONG SERVICE LIFE
gaz.co.nz | malonefm.co.nz Call Jarred L’Amie | 07 823 3765 | 027 203 5022 CAMBRIDGE | OTOROHANGA | ROTORUA
AG Traction | Taranaki (New Plymouth) Trent Hall 027 231 1797 | 06 759 8432 Country Machinery (Palmerston North) Dean Booth 027 550 7986 | 0508 762 574
NATIONWIDE
DELIVERY
RURAL NEWS // NOVEMBER 20, 2018
MACHINERY & PRODUCTS 31
Fendt is powering on MARK DANIEL markd@ruralnews.co.nz
FENDT WAS once a brand that many farmers and contractors aspired to own. However, in the last decade or so the brand has reached a wider audience, to the point where they are now a common sight on New Zealand’s roads and paddocks. Peter-Josef Paffen, vice-president brand director Fendt EME and chairman of the AGCO/ Fendt management, reports that the company is pleased with its latest market and business developments. But, he says, in order to stay on its successful track, Fendt continues to invest in R&D and focusing on digitalisation and the Fendt 2020 strategy. For Fendt, the German tractor market remains its most important single market, taking about one third of its total production. In the first half of 2018, Fendt took first place in its home market with 3050 registrations
and a market share of 24.2%. Its large tractors – above 300hp from the 900 and 1000 series – also occupy first place, with just under 40% market share and 366 registrations. Western and central Europe remains the most important sales region for Fendt. The company hit a new high of 8.6% and in 2018 the 9% mark for the first time. It achieved third place in France in 2017, and its Italy sales exceeded 1000 units for the first time. As announced a year ago, Fendt’s parent company AGCO was able to take over the two Lely factories of Waldstetten and Wolfenbüttel, with about 300 employees. At the end of December 2017, a total of 4928 people were employed at the six AGCO sites in Germany (Marktoberdorf, Asbach-Bäumenheim, Feucht, Hohenmölsen, Waldstetten and Wolfenbüttel). Due to solid business development, employee numbers had increased at all locations
NO TIRING AFTER 90 YEARS TYRE MANUFACTURER Continental is celebrating the 90th anniversary of its launch of Europe’s first pneumatic agricultural tyre onto the market. Its 1928 launch saw the advent of the T2 agricultural tractor tyre (AS), and four years later it produced the T3 AS tyre with optimised tread and improved tractive force. Continental is said to have revolutionised the market again in 1938: as Germany’s first tyre manufacturer the company decided not to link individual tread lugs in its new T4 AS. Since then, the tread lugs in agricultural tractor tyres have been separated in the tread centre, which create a higher tractive force. What’s more, it ensured minimal slip by effectively interlocking with the soil, so rendering chains and grippers unneccesary. In 2004, Continental’s agricultural tyre segment was sold, with the licence for production and marketing agricultural tyres under the Continental brand passed to CGS/Mitas. However in 2016, Continental reacquired its brand rights and returned to the agricultural tyre market in 2017 with its Tractor70 and Tractor85 premium radial tyres. Both tyres are characterised by their extreme robustness and durability, and also guarantee a high degree of ride comfort, soil preservation and tractive force. They have Continental’s patented N. flex technology. This helps increase impact absorption thanks to the nylon textile, while also improving shock absorption due to its robust carcase. In August 2018, Continental added the new TractorMaster radial tyre with leading-edge D.fine technology to its range. – Mark Daniel
to 5239 people by mid2018. Its R&D team has about 500 engineers working on new and further developments of tractors and forage harvesters. The company’s R&D budget is set to exceed €70 million in the 2018 year. Part of its research
includes the Fendt Xaver Robot and e100 Vario tractor. First shown at Agritechnica 2017, the Xaver is a system platform for light, high-precision tasks such as sowing, mechanical weed control, fertilising and plant observation in a more productive, flexible and precise manner.
Fendt tractors are now a common site on NZ’s rural roads and farms.
WORKING WITH YOU TO DELIVER RESULTS
TULIP CENTERLINER The unique property of the Centerliner is that each of the 2 spinner discs – with 4 spoons each – covers the wholespreading width. The spreading patterns overlap each other as a result. So not only does the Centerliner provide a double overlap per working pass, but it does the same with each consecutive bout. Therefore the TULIP Centerliner provides 2x a double overlap.
TULIP MULTIDISC The Tulip Multidisc are high performance machines with dual purpose, ideal for seed bed preparation and stubble retention. The wide range of Tulip Multidisc have minimal moving parts, and the discs have individual heavy-duty bearings and housings mounted on a rubber torsion suspension system which translates to a lower power requirement and optimum performance in various conditions.
AGCO NEW ZEALAND 840 Arthur Porter Drive, Hamilton Tel: 07 974 1780 or www.lely-forage.com
For more information contact your local Lely dealer
SE:
18 m max spreading width and 760-1850 Litre capacity SX: 6-36 m max spreading width, 1200-3650 Litre capacity SXe: with electronic speed related control SXi: with automatic control based on continuous weighing All supplied with standard cover
• 3pl Multidisc from 2 to 9.5 metre • Roller options • Trailed Multidisc from 4 to 9.5 metre • Disc sizes – 510mm on standard and 560mm on XL units
RURAL NEWS // NOVEMBER 20, 2018
32 MACHINERY & PRODUCTS
Smoother safer ride MARK DANIEL markd@ruralnews.co.nz
THE LATEST offering from tyre specialist Cooper, in the shape of the Discoverer AT3, is said to offer a range of benefits for specific vehicle types that are used in on-road and all-terrain
situations. The manufacturer says it has looked at three key areas: tread design, carcase construction and tyre compound – with the latest technology combining to offer superior performance and a warranty of up to 80,000km. Offered in three ver-
sions, the 4S is for onroad situations and aimed at SUVs. Meanwhile, the LT and XLT versions are for all-terrain, light truck and heavy-duty applications respectively. Looking at tread design, stone ledges help eject stones from the tread and minimise stone
drilling. The tyre’s scalloped shoulders provide extra traction in soft conditions, while aquavac channels – with deep centre grooves – are said to enhance water drainage and help resist aquaplaning. Additionally, whisper groove shields act as a
sound barrier to keep noise within the tyre, resulting in a reduction of overall road noise by about 20%. On the LT and XLT off-road versions, rugged shoulders are claimed to help deliver traction in ruts or soft terrain, while also helping to provide extra traction via the upper sidewalls and shoulders. The tyre’s carcase construction sees high tensile body plys providing strength and durability. The manufacturer also says the super tensile steel belts in the LT and XLT versions underpin the whole tread area from edge to edge to offer higher impact resistance, while the road focused 4S uses advanced nylon overlays to provide a more balanced uniformity. The 4S is developed for use on bitumen, so uses high levels of silica to offer improved
wet surface traction in extreme situations and a warranty to 70,000km. Similarly, the LT and XLT also use high silica content, but have cut and chip resistance, so are guaranteed to 80,000km. The combination of improvements is said to offer a 10% improvement in tread life, a 5% better wet braking and 5% better wet handling in the case of the 4S. Meanwhile, in the case of the off-road versions, there is a reduction in tyre noise of 20%, cut and chip performance increases 10%, and tread life gains 10%.
MAMA MIA!
Drop into an ITM store today. Get a quote for that shed and turn your idea into a reality. www.itm.co.nz | 0800 FOR ITM
AT THE recent EIMA 2018 event in Bologna, Italy, the Italian tractor builder New Holland – best known for its blue hue – exhibited a concept tractor to give everyone a look at what a Fiat machine might possibly look like if it were built for the modern era. For those who need reminding, the Fiat brand disappeared after 1999 when CNH Global was formed. The concept on display dubbed ‘The Fiat Centenario’ also commemorated the 100th anniversary of Fiat Tractors, noting that the first Fiat Trattori was the model 702 built in 1908. Dreamt up by CNH Industrial’s Design Centre, the Centenario was inspired by the Fiatagri series 90: “to revisit an iconic tractor range and update it with the flowing lines of a modern tractor,” to quote New Holland. These tractors will sport the famous terracotta colour scheme, with the colour updated to include a metallic finish, while the hood emblem will link the New Holland leaf to the Fiat heritage. Each tractor will carry a numbered plate to identify it as a limited edition within one of six ranges. Rural News understand these tractors will be the T5.120EC; T5.115 T4.110F-Cab; T4.110 LP-ROPS; T4.110FB-ROPS and TK4.110-ROPS models.
RURAL NEWS // NOVEMBER 20, 2018
MACHINERY & PRODUCTS 33
White knight an impressive ride markd@ruralnews.co.nz
KIWIS’ REMAIN fixated on utes of every shape, size and price, but we wonder whether in the rural sector the clever folk may be looking to diversify into a good van. While ‘white van men’ get lots of negative press, particularly in the cities, their humble steeds are available in a wide choice of styles – from humble grafters to the proverbial pocket rockets. Standing with a foot in both those camps is the VW Transporter Runner, which Rural News recently drove for a week in Waikato. It compared well with its ute cousins, carrying all sorts of stuff with a lot more practicality. Measuring 5006mm long, 2297mm wide and 1625mm high, the VW Runner certainly has a presence. Clamber up onto the seat – a little bit awkward as the recessed step doesn’t quite have enough space for a size 11 boot – then things start to fall into place. A typically firm Germanic seat with an upright position makes for a surprisingly comfortable ride. However, the gearshift lever to the right of the centre console is a bit of a left knee rubber and shouts that this van started life as a ‘left-hooker’. For 2019, the Transporter gets the option of automatic transmission to meet increasing demand.
While the Runner is deemed ‘entry-spec’, it is very well equipped. At the front, a 103kw/250Nm four-cyl, 2.0L turbo diesel is very sprightly away from a standing start. Drive to the front wheels is by the VAG Group seven-speed, dual clutch transmission that is quiet, smooth and linear through the speed ranges, and easy to live with. The short wheelbase format sees sliding, unglazed doors on each flank, with a glazed onepiece tailgate at the rear. Our demonstrator was configured with individual driver and passenger seats, allowing an easy walk through into the cavernous load compartment. This stripped-out area would be useful for delivery drivers or tradies. And it would lend itself to rural types heading off to sell their wares at a farmers’ market and should prove easy to configure to personal taste. At the rear, the back end is ready -- prepared for a trailer hitch. Standard features include air conditioning, multi-function steering wheel, wide electrically adjusted and heated rear view mirrors (let’s pretend we’re real truckers), front and rear parking sensors, rear view camera, electric windows and locking, and daytime running lights. On the safety front, add airbags for both occupants, a stability programme to keep things on the straight and narrow. Then – of course – hill-
hold, traction control and ABS and things are well covered. Out on the road, things are a tad noisy when empty, no doubt caused by resonance from all that metal and open space. Fit it out to the required spec and that should disappear for a quiet ride, making this white knight a real winner.
The VW Transporter Runner is a well equipped ride.
RAMOS Mowers Cutting power without compromise
Tried and true, big in action
JURAS Rakes Always ready, always reliable
www.fella.co.nz
Schuitemaker wagons are the perfect partner for New Zealand farming and contracting requirements.
Unique traili up with exceng pickground follo ptional wing.
ZERO GRAZER
WITH BEATERS & TWO-WAY CONVEYOR Rotors allow capacity and for higher horsepower lower usage.
Guaranteed chopping length from the hydraulically pressurised knife bank, shaped pick-up tines, unique trailing pick-up and compact design and steering make these market favourites. NORTH ISLAND www.gaz.co.nz | www.schuitemaker.co.nz Call Jarred L’Amie | 07 823 3765 | 027 203 5022 CAMBRIDGE | OTOROHANGA | ROTORUA
SANOS Tedders
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SOUTH ISLAND www.cochranes.co.nz Call Alastair Robertson | 03 324 3791 | 027 435 2642 AMBERLEY | LEESTON | ASHBURTON | TIMARU | OAMARU
18FL002a
MARK DANIEL
RURAL NEWS // NOVEMBER 20, 2018
34 WORKSAFE / RURAL TRADER
Good health needs to be worked on MARK DANIEL markd@ruralnews.co.nz
RURAL LIFE, and agriculture is driven by changing seasons that dictate onfarm tasks and operations and busy times can mean pressure on owners or employees. The pressure of a high workload over an extended period can create illness or fatigue, often in the form of the “silent killers” such as high blood pressure, diabetes or obesity. While you wouldn’t baulk at making informed decisions about stock, pastures or crops, it’s sometimes too easy to forget about making good decisions about the overall management of your staff and indeed your own time to keep things on an even keel. Tired pastures lead to a dip in production, so get “fixed” with renovation or replacement. In much the same vein,
staff and family also need rest, good nutrition and some form of recreation to perform at their best too. People working at their optimum make for a more productive business, better levels of morale and ultimately an improvement to the bottom line. Looking at the broader picture, research suggests that many sheep and beef farmers face a greater risk of accidents over summer, with longer days coupled with family commitments leading to potential fatigue Likewise, during those busy times, meals are typically eaten “on the run” at irregular times, or long periods are spent sat on tractor seats, in the same position, with no other exercise. As the Work/Life balance swings in the wrong direction, particularly if the financial situation is tight, some owners or
Got the work-life balance right? That’s part of the mix. Tools are also available to help manage things like staff rostering. And help is available if you need to reach out.
workers can easily feel overwhelmed, a situation that gets compounded, particularly if they are unwell or overtired. So, what can we do to make sure we don’t get sucked into this downward vortex, both for our own health and that of our employees? If you are an employer, use available resources like the DairyNZ website to get
information on the basics like good rostering. From a personal standpoint, forward plan to make sure you get a few days away from the farm. Whether it’s a game of golf or some fishing with a few mates, or even a meal, a show and a night away with the “other half”- it’s a great way to give the battery a
recharge. If you are feeling unwell, or indeed overwhelmed, reach out and seek some help. That might be a chat with a spouse, a neighbour who understands the pressures you’re facing, or your GP. Reaching out doesn’t me you’ve failed or you’re a bit of a “softie” – it means you’re responsible
in realising that your health or that of your staff is paramount. After all, stress and fatigue lead to poor decisions and irrational though processes, that leads to increased costs to the business, missed opportunities, risk of injuries, or ultimately fatalities. What would you do if key members of your workforce fell ill
or left because they felt worn out, or how would the farm operate, and your family cope without you? Investment in your own and your staff’s welfare has no downsides, only the benefits of greater wellbeing, better morale and the ability to overcome the challenges that life throws at us.
Wipe Out
Walco Will Help You to Wipe Out Your Weeds
- Made in NZ - Saves lives - Flexible
Apply Chemical in the Breeze Only Apply Chemical to weeds Easy to Use Easy to set up Easy to Flush System after use Two rows of Wicks for double contact with weeds
CRAIGCO SENSOR JET
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We’ll Look After You
Ring Walco NOW for Your Nearest Stockist of these Robust Wipers TM
Ph 0800 853 002
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Helping Farmers Boost Production
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FREE Freight
• Robust construction • Auto shut gate • Total 20 jets • Lambs only 5 jets
$1300 inc GST
ORDER YOUR LIFEGUARD NOW! 0800 782 3763 | info@atvlifeguard.co.nz
www.atvlifeguard.co.nz
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
• Side jets for lice • Adjustable V panels • Davey Twin Impellor Pump • 6.5 or 10hp motors
Save Time and Money – Flystrike and Lice Cost $$$ Guaranteed Performance Quick to Setup – Easy to Use – Job Done SHEEP JETTERS SINCE 1992
Ph 06-835 6863 • Mob 021-061 1800 Jetter Video: www.craigcojetters.com
Phone
0800 625 826
for your nearest stockist
Joiners supplied FREE with culvert pipes
RURAL NEWS // NOVEMBER 20, 2018
RURAL TRADER 35 DOLOMITE
Be Safer With Clic Dual Wheels
NZ’s finest BioGro certified Mg fertiliser For a delivered price call... 0800 436 566
YOUR ADVERT HERE on Duals for more traction, stability, flotation, towing power, versatility.
Water Filter Systems
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julieb@ruralnews.co.nz
Phone: 0800 80 8570 www.burgessmatting.co.nz
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tunnel houses Grow vegetables all year round Very affordable and easy to install New Zealand designed and made 35 years producing tunnel houses Range of models sized from 2m - 8m
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Tobacco powders and teas are a natural alternative for treating fleas, ticks and mites on all animals. fore more information and to order go to www.virginiagold.co.nz Use discount code “VirginiaGold10” to get 10% off orders until December 25.
NEW - BUFFALO BOOTS!!! EARLY BIRD SALE! definitely
New Buffalo Boots have thick buffalo hide uppers which are 175% more crack and water resistant than normal leather. This means they last longer and offer you better value for money. The nitrile rubber outsole won’t crack, split or break down in soil. And it is traditionally stitched to the leather upper so it won’t fall off. To make extra sure of this - the stitching goes all the way through the tread. The Lace Up boot offers superb ankle support on hill country, and a calfskin tongue & collar for great internal comfort. The Slip On boots are ideal for any work application. Both models have a traditional full length back stay for optimum durability around the heel area. Due to time constraints we only have a very small quantity arriving in December. Please order early to avoid disappointment. PHONE 9am-5pm
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ends 30 NOVEMBER�
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valued at $320
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valued at $280 STEEL TOE (with Scuff Guard)
PLAIN TOE (without Scuff Guard)
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Buffalo Leather - Dark Brown Nitrile Rubber Outsole Traditional Stitched on soles Wide Fit Calfskin Tongue & Collar (Lace Up) Heavy Duty Elastic Sides (Slip On) Outsole won’t Crack or Split 175% more crack resistant Leather Deep Tread
sizes: 7 - 13 (NZ) CHEQUES
earthwalk, r d 2, palmerston north
please add $12 freight per order
Red Band gumboots have been part of the Kiwi landscape for the last six decades. And to celebrate we’ve come up with four limited edition t-shirts. Available in adults sizes Small – 5X Large from leading rural retailers nationwide.
HC SKP1396_RUR