Rural News 1 March 2022

MANAGEMENT

MACHINERY & PRODUCTS

This farm is no pig sty.

Straightforward, dependable and connected. PAGE 21

PAGE 17

NEWS Honey merger a sweet deal PAGE 12

TO ALL FARMERS, FOR ALL FARMERS MARCH 1, 2022: ISSUE 745

www.ruralnews.co.nz

It’s a leaky waka!

SUDESH KISSUN & DAVID ANDERSON

FARMERS ARE reluctantly facing up to a levy being imposed on them for agriculture greenhouse gas emissions.

Many believe they are being ‘sold a pup’ after attending the He Waka Eke Noa (HWEN) climate consultation roadshows hosted by DairyNZ and Beef+Lamb NZ. There are claims the two industry-good organisations have ‘not been straight’ with them by minimising the actual costs farmers will incur and the rate this will accelerate at, as well as exaggerating the mitigation tools farmers have available to lessen their emissions.

Others have questioned the claims of good attendances at the meetings,

saying they have been poor due to the red light settings and farmers staying away for fear of contracting Omicron and putting their businesses at risk.

“It’s actually shocking they are being conducted at this time,” one farmer told Rural News. “It is, yet again, another sign of Beef+Lamb and Dairy NZ meekly doing the Government’s bidding – as they have done all throughout this process.”

A common theme of farmer feedback is that their industry-good bodies have sold them out.

“They claim it is better to be at the table, but from what I can see, all they are doing is serving the farming sector up for dinner,” another farmer commented.

Federated

Farmers Waikato president Jacqui Hahn told Rural News she preferred farm-level pricing as it would cause farmers the least hassle.

“Even so the farm level option has some ways to go before I would be comfortable, although this is to do with how it is administered and who sets the price and the target settings for the methane component.”

Hahn rejects an Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS).

“If I liked the ETS I would already have my eligible forest in it, which I don’t.”

Hahn says some farmers like the option of processor-level hybrid levy first before transitioning to a farmlevel levy.

“I would need written and signed

in blood from levy bodies and government that they would move away from this by 2030 and those that do not pay levies also contribute fairly.”

Manawatu farmer Richard McIntyre says the majority of farmers he has spoken to prefer the farm-based accounting option as it gives them the ability to make changes and be rewarded for them.

However, his biggest concern is that extra record keeping obligations would fall solely on the farmer.

“Whereas the processor levy is considered to be essentially a tax on production,” he told Rural News.

Northland Federated Farmers dairy chair Matt Long says none of the options are acceptable to him as they stand.

He says the processer levy has no mechanism for rewarding change in farming practices and high administration costs.

“We have been failed by the levy funded organisations in this process,” he told Rural News.

“They have been late to the table recognising the short lived nature of methane, and weak in supporting unrealistic goals for methane reduction without having tools for farmers available.

“DairyNZ in particular haven’t supported recognition of soil carbon sequestration, which on our own farm has pretty well matched what planting farms in pine trees can achieve, and that would blow out of the water TO PAGE 3

One of the myriad of farmer concerns around emissions pricing is that all extra record keeping obligations will fall solely on the farmer. CREDIT PAUL SUTHERLAND PHOTOGRAPHY

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RURAL NEWS // MARCH 1, 2022

NEWS 3 ISSUE 745

www.ruralnews.co.nz

Back on track SUDESH KISSUN sudeshk@ruralnews.co.nz

NEWS ��������������������������������������1-12 HOUND, EDNA ����������������������� 14 CONTACTS ������������������������������ 14 OPINION �����������������������������14-16 MANAGEMENT ���������������� 17-18 ANIMAL HEALTH ������������ 19-20 MACHINERY AND PRODUCTS ����������������������� 21-22 RURAL TRADER �������������������� 23

HEAD OFFICE Top Floor, 29 Northcroft Street, Takapuna, Auckland 0622 Phone: 09-307 0399 Fax: 09-307 0122 POSTAL ADDRESS PO Box 331100, Takapuna, Auckland 0740 Published by: Rural News Group

FONTERRA CHAIRMAN Peter McBride claims there’s been a change in the Government’s attitude towards the farming sector.

He says four years ago the relationship was “non-existent”.

“I think there has been a change in attitude. Relations with the Government has been as good as it has ever been,” McBride told the Northland Dairy Development Trust online conference last week.

During a question-and-answer session, McBride was asked if the agriculture sector’s economic contribution during the Covid pandemic was recognised and had changed the view in Wellington.

“They understand the issues, the tension and potential impact on overseas earnings and how important agriculture is.”

Speaking on greenhouse gas emissions and water quality legislation pondered by the Government, he says the farming sector is being challenged by the speed of travel.

The cooperative has been told by its sustainability advisory board to expect sustainability issues to travel faster, not slower.

Fonterra chair Peter McBride claims there’s been a change in the Government’s attitude towards the farming sector.

McBride notes that it’s not necessarily the Government that is driving changes.

“It is corporations, consumers; it’s a global issue that’s coming at us like a steam train.”

At the end of the day, what matters is how the sector adopts and responds to changes, he adds.

McBride says while he understands there’s angst around, he doesn’t believe the push for emissions legislation is unique to NZ. “From an emissions perspective,

I don’t think it’s out of whack with where the global trend is.

“I think you can say we are laggards in that regard.”

McBride says the water quality issue is different, driven by philosophy and going beyond consumer expectations in some regards.

“I think the emissions one is a different story. From an emissions perspective, our objective is to turn the perceived threat into opportunity.

“It is how we adopt and how we change; doing nothing is not an

option.”

Meanwhile, Fonterra has again lifted its 2021/22 forecast Farmgate Milk Price range to $9.30 - $9.90 per kgMS, up from $8.90 - $9.50 per kgMS. This now sees the midpoint of the range, which farmers are paid increase by 40 cents to $9.60 per kgMS. Fonterra chief executive Miles Hurrell says the lift in the forecast reflects the increase in global dairy prices since the co-op’s last milk price update in January and good ongoing global demand for dairy.

Printed by: Inkwise NZ Ltd CONTACTS Editorial: editor@ruralnews.co.nz Advertising material: davef@ruralnews.co.nz Rural News online: www.ruralnews.co.nz Subscriptions: subsrndn@ruralnews.co.nz

Major cost with no fix FROM PAGE 1

the whole issue of foreign investors having special incentives to cover huge tracts of productive farmland with never-to-be-harvested pines – and decimating communities.”

Concerns have also been raised about what the real cost of emissions reductions will be, both for individual farmers and the overall NZ economy – especially with a growing carbon

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price. Even with the 95% discount – decreasing 1% a year from 2030 – one sheep farmer calculated his initial annual bill will be $25,000 but this will have grown to $40,000 by 2030.

“Where am I supposed to find that money?” he asks. “It will make me financially unviable, and there are thousands of other farmers around NZ in the same boat.”

There are fears this will lead to a

huge exodus of sheep and beef farmers. Ironically, that could see these properties converted into pine plantations, where high-emitting manufacturers and transport companies will plant trees to offset, rather than reduce, their carbon emissions.

“Meanwhile, we are seeing NZ’s hill country converted to pine trees by foreign entities encouraged by the carbon credit gold mine.”

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Questions have also been raised about the claims of mitigation tools available to help farmers reduce their emissions.

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RURAL NEWS // MARCH 1, 2022

4 NEWS

Crops unharvested, jobs and businesses lost!

SUDESH KISSUN sudeshk@ruralnews.co.nz

A FORMER horticulture sector leader believes New Zealand’s Covid response should have been a joint public-private response from day one.

But a lack of willingness by the Government to engage means that, “we missed critical opportunities which would have meant an earlier and more effective response”, says Alan Pollard, who recently stepped down as NZ Apples and Pears chief executive.

“If we could learn one thing from the pandemic response, it should be that government does not necessarily know best and that in times of crisis we should draw on expertise from across all sectors to produce the best outcome for all of us,” he told Rural News.

Pollard says Covid has certainly been a game changer. He says as a food producer, the industry has always been focussed on food safety, sanitary systems, hygiene and the like.

“So, the Covid per-

Alan Pollard says border closures and a failure of government to recognise the Covid-free status of the Pacific Islands has led to critical worker shortages. CREDIT PAUL SUTHERLAND PHOTOGRAPHY

sonal health and hygiene rules were already being practiced across the sector. Social distancing created some challenges for post-harvest operations, but the industry quickly adapted.”

For Pollard, the biggest issue has been the impact of border closures, and more recently how New Zealand is

being left behind with the rest of the world opening up.

“If the industry cannot have confidence in its future labour supply, investment will stall, businesses will retrench, jobs will be lost, and a large contributor to New Zealand’s economic and social fabric will be put at risk. My personal opin-

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ion is that New Zealand’s Covid response should have been a joint public-private response from day one.”

In the last couple of years, the pandemic has created additional challenges for farmers.

Pollard says these include border closures, and a failure of government to recognise the

Covid-free status of the Pacific Islands, leading to a critical worker shortage that placed growers under huge pressure.

“Crops go unharvested, jobs are lost, grower businesses are put in jeopardy,” he says.

Farming costs are rising at an alarming and unsustainable rate. These costs cannot be recov-

ered in international markets. Pollard says grower mental health is now a massive issue, with growers faced with losing their livelihoods.

The Covid-related challenges come on top of other challenges facing orchardists over the years, like the vagaries of global markets.

Pollard points out

that in the late 1990s the industry relied on a few varieties (Royal Gala and Braeburn) entering a few markets (UK and Europe). Today the industry has diversified, producing a basket of high value varieties going to over 80 markets around the world.

In the mid-2000s, the global fruit and vegetable sector came under huge pressure from lobby groups over the use of chemicals.

Pollard says the NZ industry invested heavily in a programme to remove harsh organophosphates instead opting for soft targeted pesticides.

“Today NZ apples and pears have the lowest chemical residues of any fruit grown globally, largely undetectable,” he says.

Food producing industries have been subject to increasing regulation, be it water use, environmental rules, health and safety, or food safety. Pollard says this adds huge complexity and cost to what should be a simple task of growing food. @rural_news facebook.com/ruralnews

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RURAL NEWS // MARCH 1, 2022

NEWS 5

SWAG successor hits a snag “Resigning wasn’t an easy decision, but I feel my efforts are better served focusing squarely on the Campaign for Wool NZ strategy as we look to roll it out into global markets.”

DAVID ANDERSON

A NEW strong wool industry body has run into trouble before it was even officially announced, with the resignation of a key board member.

On February 21, the Strong Wool Action Group (SWAG) and Minister of Agriculture Damien O’Connor officially announced the establishment of Wool Impact NZ, which is haughtily described as, “a new industry model to drive growth for New Zealand’s strong wool sector”.

However, the new wool body’s drive was instantly taken off road with the resignation on February 18 of one of its transition board members, Campaign for Wool New Zealand (CFWNZ) chair Tom O’Sullivan.

This is the latest upset in the NZ strong wool sector’s long and troubled history. SWAG was somewhat controversially established in September 2020 with the support of O’Connor and significant government backing from the Ministry for Primary Industries’ Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures fund. While its members came from across the wool sector and the group’s aim was to accelerate value and create

Tom O’Sullivan says rather than be complicit in decisions he was not comfortable with, he resigned.

demand for New Zealand strong wool, it was always a volatile combination.

Although SWAG was disbanded at the end of 2021, it made the recommendation to establish Wool Impact NZ – based on feedback from interviews with industry participants, including New Zealand farmers, growers, manufacturers and exporters. The new wool body’s task is to work alongside existing and new commercial partners “as a catalyst, establishing a wool fibre innovation incubator and accelerator programme to support start-up brands and new product initiatives through design, development and commercialisation”.

Wool Impact NZ is due to officially launch in

mid-2022 with a ‘skillsbased’ board of up to six members – including an independent chair. Once established, it will move to being funded by the sheep-related industry, including meat companies and a variety of participants from within the strong wool value chain, and ultimately wool growers.

In the lead up to Wool Impact NZ’s launch, an interim board, made up of Rob Hewett, John Rodwell (director of Landcare Research NZ) and David Ferrier (director of NZ Wool Scours) and O’Sullivan, was retained as the transition board tasked with appointing a board for the new wool industry organisation, and providing “strategic counsel to

ensure Wool Impact NZ drives a unified voice for the strong wool sector”.

However, O’Sullivan’s resignation over issues about the setup of the new body’s board has put the unified voice for the sector in jeopardy again.

“I am a huge proponent for an independent and transparent recruitment process for this new board,” O’Sullivan stated

in announcing his resignation.

“Unfortunately, I feel the process and candidate selection for Wool Impact does not go far enough to recruit for new ideas and independent thinking.”

He says, rather than be complicit in decisions he was not comfortable

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“Resigning wasn’t an easy decision, but I feel my efforts are better served focusing squarely on the Campaign for Wool NZ strategy as we look to roll it out into global markets.”

O’Sullivan says he genuinely wishes the very best to the new Wool Impact board.

“I hope their appointments will support the delivery of better results for New Zealand wool.

Our Campaign for Wool NZ trustees look forward to opening discussions with the new team in due course.”

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RURAL NEWS // MARCH 1, 2022

6 NEWS

West Coast farmers race to repair pastures damage in the town of Westport.

“These recent floods were more of a rural event and it affected a lot more farmers. Especially hard hit are those around Reefton, Inangahua, at Shenandoah, Springs Junction and in the lower Buller area, where many of the same farms were also badly hit in July,” he told Rural News.

“Reefton and Inangahua didn’t get that badly affected in July, but this

PETER BURKE peterb@ruralnews.co.nz

WEST COAST farmers are racing against time to repair pastures damaged by the recent floods.

Some farmers have lost nearly a third of pasture, which has been covered in silt. West Coast Federated Farmers president Bede O’Connor says the recent floods hit farmers much harder than last July’s event, which caused major

time they have taken the brunt of the storm. There is quite a bit of infrastructure damage with fences and tracks gone and some have had access to runoffs cut as well.”

O’Connor says there have also been a number of coastal farms that have been affected by streams blowing out and changing course on farms or running over paddocks.

He says they weren’t even anywhere near the Buller River, but there

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The recent floods hit West Coast farmers much harder than last July’s event, which caused major damage in the town of Westport.

RURAL SUPPORT BEDE O’CONNOR, who is also a member of the local Rural Support Trust, is urging farmers who need help to ask for it and also to look after their neighbours and help out other farmers in need.

Meanwhile the Government has announced an initial support package of $200,000 to the local Rural Support Trust to help farmers and growers recover from

was such intense rain that a number of farms have had streams cut and tanker tracks destroyed.

O’Connor says, at this time of the year, it’s quite possible for some farmers to turn things around fairly quickly because the grass is still growing.

However, he adds that

these latest floods.

Rural Communities Minister Damien O’Connor says the funding will help speed up the recovery of farming businesses. He says it also includes wellbeing support and specialist technical advice and enables the use of Enhanced Taskforce Green workers should they be required to help.

farmers have to get out now and start re-grassing so the pastures are ready for spring.

“But for other guys it will be ongoing infrastructure repairs such as fencing. For some of them, the river moved 50 metres from where it was and the same for the

streams, so it’s not just a simple fix and it involves diggers moving gravel and doing things like that.”

O’Connor says farmers like himself in the lower Buller who were hit in July have suffered similar damage to what they had then. He says about 25% of his pasture

has been damaged by silt in the latest event but he reckons it is fixable, and one of the risks of farming near a river.

“It’s a bit annoying because we had just finished repairs from the last flood a week or two before this event and we are now probably going to have to re-grass again.”

O’Connor now milks 280 cows on his 160 hectare-effective block. He had to lease out 40 cows after the July floods, which wrecked much of his pasture. He’s now milking once-a-day, but he believes if the weather is good in the coming months, they should be able to recover through a bit of clever management and thinking outside the box.

Further north up the coast at Karamea, farmers there also suffered damage to their properties, but O’Connor says, with probably one exception, most of the problems have been fixed. He says the fact that road to Karamea was blocked by slips meant that milk tankers from Westland Milk Products couldn’t get through. He says milk had to be dumped for two of three days.

Now the emphasis is on quickly getting things back to normal while the weather is good. @rural_news facebook.com/ruralnews

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RURAL NEWS // MARCH 1, 2022

NEWS 7

Emissions roadshow rolls on PETER BURKE peterb@ruralnews.co.nz

FARMERS ARE saying no to the ETS – that’s the clear message coming through from the He Waka Eke Noa (HWEN) climate consultation roadshow, according to DairyNZ and Beef+Lamb NZ. The two industry-good organisation have, for the past week or so, been holding farmer meetings at various venues across the country. The CEOs of the respective organisations are leading these meetings – Tim Mackle from DairyNZ, who’s heading up the North Island leg of the programme, and Sam McIvor from B+LNZ – who’s fronting the South Island meetings. The two teams presenting the information comprise of six people, including Mackle and McIvor.

McIvor told Rural News that farmer attendances at the meetings he’s been to the South Island are good, considering there is a limit of 100 at each event. He says about 80% of those who registered are turning up and says the age range is a mixture of young and older farmers.

To gauge farmers’ views on the HWEN, they are using an app called Slido which is a pollingtype app where farm-

Beef+Lamb NZ chief executive Sam McIvor has been fronting the South Island leg of the HWEN roadshow.

ers using their mobile phones can register their preferences for the various options to give the organisers some direct feedback.

“The farmers are very quick to recognise the two options that are being offered to them,” McIvor claims. “The farm level one looks like the fairest and they see themselves as getting rewarded for what we do and don’t do on our own

farm.”

But he adds that they also understand that there are problems, such as an administrative burden. “Others favoured the processor hybrid model, which they recognise as being administratively simpler. They can see the advantages of that system, which will allow them to focus on their farming.”

McIvor believes farmers are doing some home-

work to see how the sequestration numbers in HWEN line up on their own farm. He says they also want feedback on the targets.

He says what system is adopted is ultimately all about a negotiation with the Government and getting quality feedback from farmers is a critical part of the process.

“It is the farmers who are going to make the changes on their farms,

not the Government or the industry good organisations,” McIvor adds.

“So, the systems have to absolutely work for farmers – both administratively and practically.”

He says the model that is finally adopted also needs to support farmers and motivate them, as well as give them confidence to get on and make changes.

“Therefore, farmer observation and critique

is absolutely critical.”

Attendances at the North Island meetings have been much the same as the South Island Mackle says.

He admits to being surprised at the large numbers coming along – despite the presence of Omicron in most areas.

Dairy farmers and their sheep and beef colleagues are attending the same meetings and Mackle says the balance

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of each depends on the locality of the meeting.

“Where there are more dairy farms, there is larger number of dairy farmers present and the reverse happens in hill country areas.”

Mackle told Rural News there have been some really good discussions at the meetings. He adds that more online options are being made available for those who “understandably” can’t attend.

“There is nothing like having face-to-face discussions and being able to drill down a bit more and a read the body language.”

Mackle believes the reaction from farmers attending the meetings in the North Island is similar to those in the South Island, with the overwhelming majority wanting to get to the farm-level measurement system which rewards people for what they do.

“The issue is do we end up transitioning from a processor level first for pragmatic reasons,” he says.

While the roadshow was still continuing when this article was written, B+LNZ and DairyNZ says they are meeting daily to assess the situation in the light of the Covid pandemic. @rural_news facebook.com/ruralnews

RURAL NEWS // MARCH 1, 2022

8 NEWS

Covid doesn’t dampen PGW’s half-year result SUDESH KISSUN sudeshk@ruralnews.co.nz

RURAL SERVICE and supplies company PGG Wrightson (PGW) has delivered a record halfyear result, despite the impact of Covid.

0

The result comes on the back of strong primary commodity prices and while Covid and lockdowns impacted its livestock business, alltime high revenues in retail and water business boosted the company’s

profits.

Total revenue for the half year ending December 2021 reached $552 million, 11% above the previous year. Gross profit rose 20% to $47m and net profit after tax jumped 32% to $22.5m.

Chairman Rodger Finlay says the record result reflects excellent performance of the business over the period.

An interim dividend of 14c/share will be paid on April 1 – up 2 cents on last year’s payment.

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in lower prices or secure product availability,” he says. “The cost of moving products through the supply chain is increasing due to inflated freight charges.”

Guerin says to try and ease the supply chain risks, PGW has been sourcing products earlier and is carrying more inventory.

However, the result was not all rosy for PGW with its agency business – where it buys and trades livestock – suffering a dip in revenue and profit.

Gross earnings dropped by $2m over the previous year to $7.5m on the back of $82m in total revenues.

Guerin says PGW’s livestock activity for the first six months has been impacted by wet weather conditions in the North Island and Covid-19 restrictions – including saleyard closures during Alert Level 4.

PGW is forecasting gross profit of $62m for the full year. @rural_news facebook.com/ruralnews

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PGW’s retail and water business delivered its strongest first half profit ever. All businesses traded well ahead of last year, which included new highs for some months.

The retail and water group’s gross profit rose 30% to $44m on the back of total revenues of $470m, 13% better than the previous year.

Chief executive Stephen Guerin says commodity prices in general for New Zealand primary exports remain positive.

“While a degree of volatility in international markets continues with disrupted supply chains, inflationary pressures and a global pandemic, our business is diversified and continues to adapt to our clients’ and market need,” Guerin says.

Like most businesses, PGW says it is also facing supply chain challenges and Guerin says the company is actively seeking to mitigate supply risks.

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RURAL NEWS // MARCH 1, 2022

NEWS 9

Outlook mostly positive – banks PETER BURKE peterb@ruralnews.co.nz

RABOBANK AND the ANZ Bank agree that the outlook for dairy and meat for the coming year is positive, but both also have some words of warning.

Rabobank senior agricultural analyst Emma Higgins says as 2022 gets underway, the year “will hold bright sparks, despite headwinds gathering strength” and that it’s too early to break out the champagne as elements of 2022 will be “unpredictable”.

Higgins says the agricultural sector had also performed well in navigating erratic supply chains and with trade flows holding up well despite the global pandemic, while trade relations with China had remained strong.

“Opportunities abound and NZ remains well positioned on global agricultural markets for the year ahead.

Other factors set to be positives for the country’s ag sector in the year ahead include some easing in urea fertiliser prices and a continuing favourable exchange rate for exporters,” she says.

Her counterpart at the ANZ, agricultural economist Susan Kilsby, says meat and dairy are delivering exceptionally strong

Rabobank senior agricultural analyst Emma Higgins says the outlook for dairy and meat for the coming year is positive.

prices at the farm gate, helped along by a weak NZ dollar.

But she notes that on-farm costs are rising quickly and the shortage of labour is now a major constraint for most primary industries.

“The labour shortage means it is very unlikely that all of the fruit will be harvested this autumn and there could be significant delays at meat processors. If labour availability falls further due to a surge in Covid19 cases then the situation will only worsen,”

Kilsby says.

ANZ says it’s optimistic about dairy commodity prices, noting that global dairy prices have climbed to lofty levels, bolstered by tight supply, but says it’s debatable how long these prices will last. It that notes milk supplies are not likely to expand quickly any time soon.

“We are less confident that prices will hold at these levels next season. Therefore we have recently revised up our milk price forecast for the 2021-22 season

to $9.30/kgMS (from $8.80), while our forecast for next season has been revised up more modestly to $8.40/kgMS,” Kilsby adds.

Rabobank says prices will continue to rise in the face of declining global milk supply, which they say should result in another profitable year for NZ dairy farmers despite the rising costs.

“In respect of beef we expect farmgate pricing to remain elevated above the five-year average in 2022, supported by constrained global

beef supply and strong demand from China and the US,” Higgins. “In the case of sheepmeat, we believe that steady demand from China in particular will likely support elevated farmgate pricing over the coming year, despite an expected lift in global availability of sheepmeat.”

Finally Rabobank anticipates orchard-gate returns for kiwifruit are expected to remain elevated in 2022, off the back of strong consumer demand. Significant changes to licence areas

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and the tender process will be made in 2022.

For its part, the ANZ says exceptionally strong international prices for lamb are bolstering the returns farmers are receiving for finished lamb. It says farmgate returns for lambs typically drop sharply after Christmas when more new-season lambs become available, but says this season, a combination of high international prices, a softer NZ dollar and fewer lambs available for processing due to dry conditions is

keeping prices higher for longer.

It says the prices being achieved in international markets for lamb cuts are staggering, although other meats and dairy proteins are also priced at very high levels.

In regards to beef, ANZ says markets have started 2022 positively as tight global supplies continue to support prices both internationally and locally.

It says farmgate prices for all grades of beef for January were the highest ever recorded for this time of the season, but notes that demand for store cattle has waned as dry conditions start to prevail and wait times for processing cattle grow.

The ANZ report highlights the issue of the labour shortages in the horticulture sector and foresees problems with a record amount of fruit to pick and fewer people to pick it. The report points to the challenges the kiwifruit sector faces with increased production, labour shortages and likely shipping problems, although Zespri has done much to minimise the risk in this area.

Overall, both the ANZ and Rabobank paint a similar picture for the next 12 months, with a mix of positive signs, challenges and the uncertainty of Covid.

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RURAL NEWS // MARCH 1, 2022

10 NEWS

Feds not so COOL about rules JESSICA MARSHALL jessica@ruralnews.co.nz

NEW COUNTRY of Origin Labelling (COOL) regulations came into effect on 12 February and the new rules have some torn as to their impact.

The new regulations apply to fresh or thawed food items from 12 February and frozen food items from 12 May 2023.

They specifically apply to fruit, vegetables, meat, finfish or shellfish that is only one type and no more than minimally processed, as well as all cured pork.

Under the new regulations, cured pork includes bacon, ham and prosciutto, as well as other preserved pork products that contain at least 66% of whole pieces of pork, such as pickled pork.

However, imported

pork processed into other products in New Zealand, including marinated pork and sausages are not covered by the regulations as they fall outside the cured pork definition.

Federated Farmers president and trade spokesperson Andrew Hoggard says the organisation strongly supports voluntary COOL but is concerned by the administration compliance costs and trade implications of mandatory labelling, concerns they have held since the bill for these regulations was first considered in 2017-18.

“We acknowledge that the Bill was improved by the Select Committee and our concerns about costs and trade implications were at least partially allayed to the extent that we now hope that

Andrew Hoggard says Fed Farmers is concerned by the administration compliance costs and trade implications of mandatory labelling.

the consumer information standard will work effectively in providing [what] consumers want, in a way that does not impose significant costs on food processors,” Hoggard told Rural News.

He says Federated Farmers is also hoping that the regulations can be implemented while remaining consistent with international obligations.

He adds that the organisation is also con-

cerned the regulations might see a lower price paid to food producers due to rising costs for processors and sellers.

“We can only hope that the requirements of the consumer informa-

tion standard don’t have such an impact – we will need to wait and see,” Hoggard says.

“On trade implications, again we will need to wait and see as to the response of trading partners,” he says.

“On the plus side, farmers and growers who produce for the domestic market might see increased sales from mandatory COOL but it will need consumers to put their money where their mouths are and buy New Zealand labelled produce when given the choice against imported produce.”

Meanwhile, NZPork chief executive David Baines says that while the organisation wants labelling on all pork products to be more prominent, they welcome the new regulations.

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“This will shine a light on this area and give consumers more clarity about the origin of pork in at least some of the further processed products,” says Baines.

He says the organisation will encourage New Zealand pork producers to emphasise and promote New Zealand origin more prominently than required in the regulations. “Kiwis should look for the ‘100 per cent NZ’ pork labelling or NZPork’s PigCare label on pork packaging.

“This will help provide consumers with the confidence that they are ‘buying local’, knowing they are supporting Kiwi farmers and purchasing pork raised to high levels of animal welfare,” says Baines. @rural_news facebook.com/ruralnews

RURAL NEWS // MARCH 1, 2022

NEWS 11

Time for a change on trees DAVID ANDERSON

URGENT CHANGES are needed around carbon farming rules to save the country’s rural communities. That’s the conclusion of a discussion paper, written by former Hastings Mayor and MP Lawrence Yule – Managing Forestry Land-Use Under the Influence of Carbon. It calls for a more strategic approach to planting trees and outlines policy areas in need of urgent investigation.

Co-funded by Beef+Lamb NZ, along with Local Government New Zealand and 16 individual councils, the paper looks into the drivers of wholesale land-use change for carbon farming and what can be done about this issue.

Yule says the paper outlines the risk that short-term land-use decisions around forestry will have to long-term landuse flexibility, rural communities and export returns.

“Currently, increasing carbon prices in the New Zealand Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) means carbon farming coupled with plantation forestry is in the short-term significantly more profitable than sheep and beef cattle farming,” he claims.

“There is little national guidance to help local authorities stop swathes of productive sheep, beef and wool producing farmland being converted to forestry.”

Yule says the ETS currently allows 100% of NZ’s fossil fuel emissions to be offset through forestry and councils have no available tools to place controls on the planting of trees.

He adds that the country has relied heavily on carbon sequestration through plantation forestry to meet its international obligations to reduce climate emissions, rather than actually reducing gross emissions from all sectors.

“We cannot simply plant our way out of our climate change obliga-

tions,” Yule claims. “New Zealand’s recent history of reducing gross fossil fuel emissions has been poor and there is a risk that the current unconstrained offsetting regime will continue to accelerate highly productive food-producing land going to forestry.”

He adds that recent changes to the ETS averaging rules, incentivise carbon-only planting and there is a lack of rules around how permanent carbon farms should be properly managed.

The paper identifies options for strategically managing the increased planting required to meet New Zealand’s international commitments to reduce climate emissions.

Sam McIvor, chief executive of B+LNZ, says the organisation welcomes signals that the Government is considering policy changes to address the wholesale conversion of sheep and beef farmland into carbon farming.

“However, the Government’s action has been too slow – the time to act is now,” he says.

“We have been raising concerns for some time about the speed and scale of land-use change due to the unbridled ability of fossil fuel emitters to plant exotic trees on sheep and beef farmland for offsetting – rather than reducing their emissions.”

McIvor says B+LNZ is not anti-plantation forestry and has always seen significant opportunities for the integration of exotic and native trees on-farm. “But this should not come at the expense of rural communities.”

He adds that NZ is the only country in the world with an ETS that currently allows unlimited forestry offsetting – with both the Climate Change Commission and the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment recommending that limits be set. “The Government needs to change the ETS because that is the legislation that’s causing the

problem,” McIvor says.

The paper was released ahead of a workshop next month involving a range of key stakeholders, including

Report author Lawrence Yule says little national guidance to help local authorities stop swathes of productive sheep, beef and wool producing farmland being converted to forestry.

Forestry Minister Stuart Nash, councils, forestry interests and B+LNZ. It is hoped that this research will help shape future policies.

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RURAL NEWS // MARCH 1, 2022

12 NEWS

Honey merger a sweet deal DAVID ANDERSON

A NEWLY merged honey business, with hives in both the North and South Islands, is hoping to spread the exports of NZproduced mānuka honey around the world.

This comes following news that South Canterbury-based honey producer 100% Pure New Zealand Honey is merging with Waikato-domiciled, Three Peaks Mānuka Honey.

The new business will trade as The Mānuka Collective.

Founded in 1995 by Steve Lyttle and Carolyn Ball, 100% Pure New Zealand Honey is a packer and exporter based in Timaru. The company currently exports to more than 20 countries around the world. Last year, the business was recognised

with the Supreme Trophy, at the annual Apiculture NZ Honey Awards.

Three Peaks Mānuka Honey was established in 2015 and is considered one of New Zealand’s premier mānuka honey companies. It was founded by the Perry Group, a family-owned business based in the Waikato. To date, Three Peaks Mānuka Honey has focused on producing high-quality mānuka honey and establishing strategic partnerships with landowners, such as the East Taupo Lands Trust.

100% Pure New Zealand Honey chief executive Sean Goodwin describes the merger as a great opportunity for both companies.

“We will be able to leverage complementary capabilities within the

Current 100% Pure New Zealand Honey chief executive Sean Goodwin is set to take on the role as head of newly merged business The Mānuka Collective.

value chain,” he says.

“Within the fragmented industry there is a predominance of small companies that lack critical mass, and this prevents us from achieving our full potential. It’s the shared view of both companies that there is a clear and attractive opportunity for a landto-brand collective of organisations to scale-

up and succeed, by meeting the requirements of the changing global landscape.”

Goodwin claims The Mānuka Collective is a new and exciting approach.

“It represents the joining together of entities across the honey supply chain, that all share a common vision,” he explains. “Our vision is to

create a world class endto-end honey collective and to spread the goodness of mānuka globally.”

Goodwins says currently The Mānuka Collective includes 100% Pure New Zealand Honey and Three Peaks Mānuka Honey, plus their landowner shareholders.

“It is our intention that the collective will grow to include other stakeholders and we are actively evaluating new opportunities.”

He says The Mānuka Collective is fortunate to have a great team and strong relationships with customers, landowners, and independent beekeepers.

“We look forward to continuing to partner with our suppliers as we enter this exciting new phase of development.”

UK FIGHT GOES ON THE NZ Mānuka Honey Industry says it remains steadfast in protecting the term ‘Mānuka Honey’ for all New Zealanders.

Both the Mānuka Charitable Trust and Mānuka Honey Appellation Society says they support the decision of Mānuka Honey Appellation Society and Unique Mānuka Factor Honey Association (UMFHA) to pursue an appeal on a point of law regarding the UK Intellectual Property Office ruling on the mānuka honey Certification Trademark application.

“Our shared goal remains to protect the term mānuka honey internationally so that it may only be lawfully used on products containing mānuka honey from Aotearoa New Zealand.”

This follows a recent landmark win in the UK by the Australian Mānuka Honey Association defending the right to use the term mānuka honey.

However, the NZ group says it remains strongly of the view that it is not appropriate for honey producers in another country to use the name mānuka honey when the plant the nectar came from did not grow in Aotearoa New Zealand.

It also claims this is an indigenous rights issue and is out of step with existing indigenous IP frameworks and consumers’ demand for authenticity and quality.

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RURAL NEWS // MARCH 1, 2022

14 OPINION EDITORIAL Honesty needed!

AS THE round of He Waka Eke Noa (HWEN) farmer ‘consultation’ meetings continue around the country, cracks seem to be appearing in the voices tasked with promoting its options of tackling farm emissions.

HWEN was established – including its politically-correct, fatuous name – by the industry in an effort to placate the Government that was hell-bent on forcing farming into the Emission Trading Scheme. Late last year, HWEN produced three options, which it is now consulting on: on-farm pricing, a hybrid processor model, and the third, or backstop, option – putting agricultural greenhouse gas emissions into the ETS. However, like all forced partnerships, and good ideas in theory, HWEN’s unity appears to be cracking. It is becoming increasingly clear that both Beef+Lamb NZ and DairyNZ are banging the jungle drums for an interim processor levy and then transitioning to an on-farm levy.

Both organisations have strenuously argued that the primary sector being included in the ETS is the ‘worst’ option.

Meanwhile, Federated Farmers – always a less enthusiastic member of the HWEN partnership – is at a crossroads and could pull out from the partnership, with reports of a special meeting this week to consider exactly this.

Feds president Andrew Hoggard recently wrote, “before decisions are made around price settings and price-mechanism design, farmers and industry groups truly must understand the impacts of such decisions.”

In other words, will the options proposed actually see overall reductions in world emissions.

Many farmers – and others – argue that the Paris Agreement made multiple mentions on needing to make emissions reductions but not at the cost of food production. But HWEN proponents are now claiming this only referred to third world countries and not developed economies like NZ. However, the Paris Agreement is clear on this point, with a priority of “safeguarding food security and ending hunger…” and an article committing signatories to climate adaptation and emissions mitigation “… in a manner that does not threaten food production”.

NZ agriculture has world-leading greenhouse gas footprints. If we reduce our production to meet emissions targets, it will only encourage other countries with higher emissions to fill the gap. The result: world emissions will go up, not down.

It is time the HWEN proponents finally got honest and admitted it is being forced to placate current government political demands.

Nothing more, nothing less.

RURALNEWS TO ALL FARMERS, FOR ALL FARMERS

HEAD OFFICE POSTAL ADDRESS: PO Box 331100, Takapuna, Auckland 0740 Phone 09-307 0399 PUBLISHER: Brian Hight ......................................... Ph 09 307 0399 GENERAL MANAGER: Adam Fricker ....................................... Ph 021-842 226 CONSULTING EDITOR: David Anderson .................................. Ph 09 307 0399 davida@ruralnews.co.nz

EDNA

“Me too – I’m as keen to do my bit as the next man, but I draw the line at being made to date him!”

Want to share your opinion or gossip with the Hound?

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

THE HOUND Wide berth!

The Hound reckons Groundswell needs to be careful to avoid fights it doesn’t need to be part of. Already the highly successful rural ginger group has been labelled by some sector leaders, government ministers and their sympathisers in the commentariat as a bunch of entitled, redneck, right-wing aligned agitators in an effort to discredit it. So, the recent ‘statement of support’ of the anti-mandate protestors at Parliament by Groundswell was probably not the smartest move.

It will only give its critics more ammunition to fire false labels at the group and its supporters. As it said in its statement, Groundswell’s main focus should be on the “unworkable regulations impacting the rural sector”. Many would agree that Speaker Trevor Mallard’s turning the sprinklers on protestors make him comes across as a complete ‘duckwit’, but that was no reason for Groundswell to make any comment about the protest.

Electoral backlash? JAFA basher!

Top job!

Your canine crusader understands Beef+Lamb NZ and DairyNZ farmer directors up for re-election in the next year or two may have a battle in front of them. Each year, two farmer directors from each of the ‘industry good’ organisations must retire by rotation at their annual meetings but can stand for reelection. Word around the traps is that there will be an organised and concerted effort from angry farmer levypayers – of both Beef+Lamb and DairyNZ – to send a message about their unhappiness at the way both organisations have ‘capitulated and yielded’ to the current government over the last couple of years – especially in relation to greenhouse gas legislation. Your old mate has seen similar farmer revolts take place over the years, which has seen the electoral slaughter of standing directors. It will be interesting to see if history repeats itself this year.

Your old mate has been informed that comments made last issue, about Minister for State-Owned Enterprises David Clark’s recent weekend visit to Molesworth Station, may have got some people barking up the wrong tree and getting the wrong end of the stick. The Hound’s editor – and chief dog tucker provider – has insisted that this old mutt clarify that his comments “useless and ineffective” were aimed directly at the infamous bicycling bespeckled minister and other officials. They were in no way a crack at the good and hard-working staff of Molesworth Station who – by all accounts – are doing stellar work and doing a “bloody good job” in running and managing one of the country’s biggest and most difficult farms. Hopefully, this clarifies any wrong impression given, and the flow of dog biscuits to yours truly may start again soon!

PRODUCTION: Dave Ferguson ...................... Ph 027 272 5372 davef@ruralnews.co.nz Becky Williams .......................Ph 021 100 4381 beckyw@ruralnews.co.nz REPORTERS: Sudesh Kissun ........................ Ph 021 963 177 sudeshk@ruralnews.co.nz Peter Burke ........................... Ph 021 224 2184 peterb@ruralnews.co.nz MACHINERY EDITOR: Mark Daniel ............................. Ph 021 906 723 markd@ruralnews.co.nz

It appears that even the sheep down south don’t think too much of Aucklanders. This comes in the wake of a news report about a ram’s rampage against cyclists on the Lake Dunstan Cycle and Walking Trail. Apparently, a number of cyclists on the trail had their bikes rammed by the excited male sheep. The trail passes through a working farm and riders are cautioned to keep their distance from livestock. However, it appears one ram had gone rogue resulting in some cyclists being injured.

Auckland ‘man’ Ben Wolliscroft said his group’s meeting with the ram had seen them repeatedly charged and their bikes hit. “[He was] very aggressive and not easy to get rid of.” However, it appears the trail managers – being good and practical southern men – had a quick solution: they shot the ram!

It seems the dearly departed ram had similar dislikes to that of the Hound – cyclists and Aucklanders!

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

WELLINGTON SALES REPRESENTATIVE: Ron Mackay ................................. Ph 021 453 914 ronm@ruralnews.co.nz

WAIKATO SALES REPRESENTATIVE: Lisa Wise .................................. Ph 027 369 9218 lisaw@ruralnews.co.nz

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

ABC audited circulation 79,553 as at 31/03/2019

DIGITAL STRATEGIST: Jessica Marshall ................ Ph 021 0232 6446

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 // MARCH 1, 2022

OPINION 15

Change is a constant I WAS a much younger man when I first heard the wise words, “Change is the only constant in life”.

At that time in my life, everything was very settled, with no apparent blips on the radar warning about ‘weather’ that may be up ahead. Our children were all much younger and at home with us, and everyone in the wider family seemed to be in good health. Added to that, we had great work fulfillment and security. There really were no dramas, and every day, every week, was pretty much the same. Great years for sure!

Here I am today, probably all of three decades later, and now I have a real appreciation for those seven simple words that quite escaped me back then!

Yep, life is full of changes, with many of them happening whether we are aware of them or not. Most don’t exactly sneak up on us either. At times, we play ‘pretend they’re not there’!

We live in a country with four distinct seasons: spring, summer, autumn, and winter. Personally, I like it that way.

Each season has plusses and minuses, but you can adjust to them and enjoy the changes that each one brings. You can easily sense the seasonal changes coming after you’ve lived through a few! “Spring is in the air” is a saying I’ve heard and said myself many times over the years.

We cannot stop the seasons and the changes that come with them; the wisest thing we can do is adapt to them. So… get some firewood lined up, winter is surely on its way!

Obviously, some changes are warmly welcomed while others are quite the hated thing. I think it’s the close-up and personal changes that you can’t avoid that people struggle with the most.

Stuff that’s forced on us by others is never easy either. Like those of us in

anchor that holds – even through the worst of weather.

Take care and God Bless.

• To contact Colin Millar

email: farmerschaplain@ ruralnews.co.nz Mother Nature and Father Time working together will always ensure changes occur.

FARMER’S CHAPLAIN

Colin Miller

the farming sector have to cope with when officials (often unelected) attempt to shove their ‘clever’ and often clueless ideas down our throats!

Mother Nature and Father Time working together will always ensure changes occur too.

Changes to our bodies as we age come to mind here. Not always easy, I must admit.

What’s the deal then?

Life is lived in seasons.

And you have already come through a bunch.

Your baby season, your toddler season, on through the childhood one, then the teenager, or should I say, your ‘teenangel’ season.

You survived! The schooling season will change to the left-school one. The single life, the married life, and then the first baby arrives – it’s no longer just the two of you. It’s now a whole new season at your place.

Yes, you have already successfully lived through many seasons, and here you are today reading this column! I don’t know exactly what’s happening in your world, but I do know this much – change is on its way!

Those of us with ‘miles on the clock’, or decades of seasons now behind us, can bring sage advice to the table to help you find your way through what can be murky times. My 50 cents worth of advice is to make the very most of each season. Enjoy it, make the most of each day and live life to the full. And get prepped, even just a little, for the next one.

As I look back over the many changes and seasons I’ve lived through, it’s been a real strength for me to have a sure

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RURAL NEWS // MARCH 1, 2022

16 OPINION

Backing rural New Zealand CHRIS LUXON

IN MY very first speech as National Party Leader, I said that our farmers are not villains.

Our provincial heartland has felt taken for granted for too long.

I’m proud to lead a party that is committed to standing up for farmers and rural communities – committed to representing you, championing your causes, and reducing the regulatory burden you face.

One of the things I’ve consistently heard loud and clear as a Member of Parliament is how New Zealand’s rural communities are feeling inundated by costs, rules and regulations flowing from Wellington.

Inevitably, the decisions coming from the Beehive that affect your

lives and livelihoods are being made by the current Labour government with almost no understanding of the real effects these create, or the obligations or implementation challenges they pose.

In my previous role as National’s local government spokesperson, I saw this first-hand with the Water Services Bill.

It’s a classic example of yet another ill-conceived blow dealt to rural New Zealand by the Government. It was just the latest after freshwater regulations, slope rules, labour workforce shortages, SNAs, land tenure review in high country, the Climate Commission wanting to dramatically cut livestock farming, and the infamous Ute Tax. It’s no wonder farmers and their families are

National Party leader Christopher Luxon addressing the crowd in Morrinsville late last year.

feeling hit from every angle – all while tending to the countless worries, uncertainties and problems that make up their day.

Having travelled the

world, I can assure you that NZ is the best country on planet earth, but under the current administration we have become inwards-looking and fearful. The reality is we need to back people who want to make things happen and go out and do business with the world with confidence.

Some 80% of the country’s exports come from the primary sector, the sector employs around 350,000 people and generates around $9,000 income for every individual in the country.

The industry needs to be respected, I urge you never to apologise for being a farmer or rural

TO ALL FARMERS FOR ALL FARMERS

person.

Current government policy is about caution and stopping things happening, something akin to trying to return 10 tennis balls served at once, in the shape of multiple dysfunctional regulations being heaped on farmers from the corridors of Wellington.

The National Party will propose solutions in a pragmatic manner, using science-based data, including looking at freshwater reforms on a catchment by catchment basis rather than “robbing” infrastructure developed and funded by local councils over many years. Water storage will be prominent on our agenda, alongside addressing the immigration log jam that stops the right people with the right skills being allowed to fill many job opportunities in the agri-sector.

The National Party I lead will be focused on both opposing and pro-

posing. We’ll oppose the Government’s wasteful spending, non-delivery and policy failures that are making it harder than ever for Kiwis to get ahead – causing house prices to climb, benefit dependency to rise and the cost of living to soar.

But we’ll be equally focused on proposing constructive ideas and solutions. We’ll take the time to listen and work with you in developing our rural and agricultural policy – because we understand you know your jobs and communities best.

National is the party for rural New Zealand.

We’ll keep standing by our farmers, agri-workers and provincial communities, and valuing the outsize contribution you make to our incredible little country.

• Christopher Luxon is the Leader of the National Party. @rural_news facebook.com/ruralnews

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RURAL NEWS // MARCH 1, 2022

MANAGEMENT 17

This farm is no pig sty!

BRYAN TUCKER’S Ngarara farm in the Wairarapa epitomises the New Zealand pork sector’s strong commitment to the environment.

Minimising livestock and feed transport, using pig effluent as a fertiliser source and extensive native planting are just some of Tucker’s approaches to good environmental management on the farm, near Greytown.

Almost half the 1,300 tonnes of barley used to feed the pigs each year is grown on the farm. The pigs are raised on bedding, which is composted as an additional source of nutrients that is applied to surrounding paddocks. Pig effluent goes into a slurry pond to be turned into fertiliser, mixed with urea, for the farm’s dairy operation with 1,000 Friesian, Jersey and Kiwicross cows.

Tucker, who is the third generation of his family to farm the land, says good environmental management combined with good genetics, high quality feed and excellent stock management is the key to successful pig farming.

“That leads to contented pigs and quality pork for New Zealanders.”

Bryan Tucker’s Wairarapa farm is testament to the pork producer’s strong commitment to the environment.

The New Zealand pork sector has a low environmental impact compared to other forms of livestock production. The sector currently contributes just 0.2% of New Zealand’s total agricultural greenhouse gas emissions and pigs produce much less methane than ruminant animals like cattle or sheep.

The fertiliser spreading system was devised by Tucker, with pig effluent making up about half of the fertiliser used on farm. He believes it provides a more balanced fertiliser than straight urea.

“We give the effluent pond a real good stir in autumn and spread that using irrigators with pivots. Mixed with urea, it’s brilliant fertiliser. Sludge from the pond is also removed every year and spread using a slurry tanker.”

The planting programme on the farm began in the early 2000s. In 2003, Ngarara won the Dairy Farm Award in the Greater Wellington/Wairarapa Farm Environment Awards. The extensive native planting has included, among others, mānuka and kanuka, olearia and totara. Space is also leased

out to beekeepers, so there are a lot of hives on the land.

Tucker’s son-in-law Gary Healy has managed the piggery, a farrow to finish operation, for many years. It is home to around 2,500 pigs at any one time, comprising 245 sows and the rest being growing pigs.

A nutritionist comes to the farm regularly to advise them feeding the pigs.

“Our focus is on caring for them in way that is best for them,” Tucker explains.

The growers live in eco shelters and sows are kept in social groups of six until a week before farrowing. After this, they go into the modern maternity unit to give birth and until their piglets are weaned. The sows give birth twice a year and stay in the maternity unit for up to four weeks after farrowing. They live in groups when not in the maternity unit.

“There is currently no better system available than the farrowing crates,” Tucker says.

“We waterblast and disinfect their ‘rooms’ for them and when we open up the gates, they literally run along the races to get to the crates because they know they are going to have their piglets there and they’re warm and happy and well fed.

“The system also protects the piglets. Everyone comments how contented and healthy they are.”

The piglets are weaned from the sows at between 3-4 weeks of age and placed into straw based eco shelters for 6-7 weeks. They are then shifted into purpose-built buildings and fed a liquid feed barley-based diet until ready for market.

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RURAL NEWS // MARCH 1, 2022

18 MANAGEMENT

Passion and innovation pays off NIGEL MALTHUS

A MID-CANTERBURY dairy farmer passionate about innovation and continued improvement has been named this year’s winner of the New Zealand Zanda McDonald Award.

Chosen by the judges for what they called his entrepreneurial and innovative approach, Rhys Roberts is the chief executive of Align Farms, which runs seven farms – six dairy and one dairy support – all between the

Ashburton and Rangitata Rivers in Mid-Canterbury.

It also runs a market garden and a “vertically integrated” yoghurt business with its own brand sold throughout the country.

Zanda McDonald Award Patron Shane McManaway said Roberts was highly ambitious and prepared to break the mould of the past and do things differently.

“Some of the results he’s seeing, due to his innovative approach, are nothing short of excep-

Rhys Roberts chief executive of Align Farms, which runs seven farms between the Ashburton and Rangitata Rivers in MidCanterbury, this year’s NZ winner of the Zanda McDonald Award.

tional. He has a strong environmental and wellbeing focus, as well as

creating a significant difference to the company’s bottom line.”

A major example of Roberts’ approach is that he is currently running a trial of regenerative practises on one of the Align farms, with 148ha being farmed regeneratively and 140ha farmed conventionally.

“There’s two vats, two herds, two everything, and we compare the data so that we can get true and accurate data on the effects of low-impact farming – from milk production, grass growth through to profitability.

“We share all that data on our website on a weekly basis.”

Roberts says they did not want to just say that regenerative agriculture was great because emotionally it sounded great – they wanted the data.

“What we’re seeing is that productivity has dropped back and profitability at this stage looks like it’s going to be $800 a hectare lower on the regen side than from the conventional side.”

However, it was early

days, he said.

“I’ve got 20 years of conventional experience and 20 minutes of regenerative, so we’re taking the time until we build up how we farm in that environment.

“To be fair, we probably put it down as a success to date, even though there is a drop of profitability which obviously we are not happy about.

“It’s better than expectation, although our expectation wasn’t very high when we started.”

Roberts says there are some important lessons coming out of the regenerative trial, such as dropping stock rates while improving per cow performance.

“We’re seeing some really great stuff from the pasture production point of view around introducing diverse species. We believe that that’s going to be a really big success of the trial and also believe that slower or long round lengths is another really key learning that we’re taking out of it.”

Roberts has been with

EMISSIONS CHALLENGE ROBERTS SAYS plenty of challenges are facing New Zealand agri sector and emissions is “an area that we’re staying close to at the moment.”

With some team members passionate around e-bikes and solar power generation, the group is doing a lot in that space, he says.

“The other one is just improving our genetics by breeding the ‘perfect cow’ but also looking at introducing some low methane and low-N genetics into our herd as well.”

The Zanda McDonald Award is named in honour of Zanda McDonald, a leader of the Queensland beef industry who was prominent both in encouraging young people and in promoting trans-Tasman networking in the primary industries. He died in an accident at the age of 41 in 2013. The award was established the following year to recognise and support young people in primary industry on either side of the Tasman. For the past two years separate Australian and New Zealand winners have been chosen because of Covid border closures.

The recent rise of the Omicron variant also scuppered plans for this year’s four New Zealand finalists to meet the judges in a three-day event with presentations, media training, guest speakers and farm visits, and it instead went online.

Roberts’ prize package will include personallytailored mentoring trips and training in his chosen topic, which he says is more than likely to be around vertical integration and associated business models.

the Align about 10 years, five as CEO, and leads a business with peak staffing of about 30.

The yoghurt business produces the Cyclops brand, which came out top in two separate comparison tests by Stuff in 2015 and 2017.

Roberts says the yoghurt takes only a small portion of the group’s milk but that is growing “on a daily basis” as demand grows. Most of the milk goes to mainstream processors, the various farms supplying Fonterra, Westland and Synlait.

Align also runs its own market garden on one of the farms. Roberts says that was established because of a vision within the business to supply its teams with 60% of their diet on-farm, and not just milk and meat.

Roberts says the well-being of the staff is important and he is passionate about “future work places.”

That meant asking what the workplace was going to look like in 2030 and trying to achieve that by 2025, then looking ahead to 2040 and repeating the process.

RURAL NEWS // MARCH 1, 2022

ANIMAL HEALTH 19

Conditions ripe for a potential FE outbreak PETER BURKE peterb@ruralnews.co.nz

CONDITIONS ARE ripe for facial eczema to become a problem for dairy farmers in the coming weeks, says James Allen, AgFirst.

The Waikato-based consultant says up until now the conditions in the region have been extremely dry and pasture covers low, so FE hasn’t really been a problem.

But in recent weeks most areas have had some rain and very hot humid weather and, while it hasn’t become a problem yet, Allen warns the potential is there now for the situation to change.

“We haven’t seen any high spore counts up until now, but the conditions are now ripe for it to become a problem over the next few weeks, so we are encouraging farmers to get into full readiness mode by monitoring the situation and getting applications ready deal with FE,” he told Rural News.

Allen says the majority of farmers would still be putting zinc into stock water, but he adds that spraying fungicide on pasture to kill the spores can also be very good in the right situation. He says local vets are providing spore testing services these days and he urges farmers to take some

“We haven’t seen any high spore counts up until now.”

Facial eczema could potentially become a problem in the coming weeks for dairy farmers.

samples in to them and see what’s going on.

“My message to farmers is that FE could be a problem in two or three

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weeks’ time, so they should keep a really close watch on spore count levels and start zinc treatment right now,” he says.

Meanwhile, in the Manawatu and Horowhenua regions, the high rainfall has washed a lot of the spores off the pas-

ture, according to The Dairy Vet’s Fraser Abernethy.

His veterinarian business deals exclusively with dairy farmers and he, like many vets, is keeping a close watch on FE at present.

Abernethy says normally this is a problem in March and April but this year the conditions are such that FE could be on the scene earlier. He says if the heat and humidity return in coming weeks,

the spores will return.

“Farmers should be monitoring spore counts well and they should be heading on full protection doses of zinc because it takes up to two weeks to build up enough protective levels,” he told Rural News.

“The other thing that is very cost effective for farmers to do when spore counts are still low is to spray pastures against the fungus that causes the spores. Once the spore counts are high, it’s a waste of time because the fungicide doesn’t kill the spores but it does kill the fungus, and at the moment that could be a good preventative option,” he says.

RURAL NEWS // MARCH 1, 2022

20 ANIMAL HEALTH

A real waste of livestock JOHNE’S DISEASE is a chronic, contagious and sometimes fatal infection of cattle, sheep, deer and goats.

Animals are usually infected with the bacteria that causes Johne’s disease shortly after birth.

While some livestock may never display symptoms, others develop Johne’s – progressing through to clinical stages of the disease, experiencing diarrhoea and wasting, leading to increasing emaciation and eventually death from dehydration and severe malnutrition.

In 2016, it was estimated that the cost to New Zealand farming of Johne’s Disease at $98 million annually Once infected an animal sheds the organism in their faeces, infecting pastures and waterways or passes the infection in utero or via milk to offspring.

Infection with mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP) bacteria causes Johne’s disease (also known as paratuberculosis) in ruminant animals.

The disease is spread by exposure to the bacteria.

MAP is widespread throughout the environment in New Zealand.

The bacteria are robust and can survive for up to 18 months in the environment.

Johne’s Disease affects sheep, cattle deer and goats and its estimated to have cost the NZ farming sector $98 million in 2016.

Johne’s disease is the autoimmune reaction that develops in response to the MAP infection.

The intestinal wall of the animal thickens as the immune system attempts to seal off the invading bacteria that it cannot eliminate. This results in the animal’s decreased ability to absorb nutrients from the diet.

An animal may be

infected with MAP (defined as “sub-clinical”) but not display any symptoms of Johne’s disease (“clinical”).

While animals are typically infected at birth, the onset of clinical disease is not immediate. In deer, clinical symptoms are normally seen in yearlings and weaners. For sheep and cattle, animals are normally between 2

and 6 years of age when they become clinical.

Stressful situations can trigger clinical disease in infected animals.

Clinical symptoms of Johne’s disease include wasting and chronic diarrhoea, which leads to increasing emaciation and eventually death from dehydration and severe malnutrition.

There is currently no

recognised treatment for the disease and diagnosis, particularly in sub-clinical animals, is difficult.

Infected animals shed bacteria in their faeces, contaminating the environment. In later stages of the disease a “super shedder” can release up to 10 million bacteria (CFU) per gram of faeces.

Intra-uterine trans-

mission of MAP has been described from both clinically and sub-clinically affected cattle, sheep and deer.

Vaccination can be used as a control method for the disease. While vaccines reduce shedding and the clinical symptoms, they will not stop the disease. Modern vaccines do not cause the profound injection site

reactions experienced with early vaccines and there is now very little restriction on processing vaccinated stock in New Zealand.

Vaccination is recommended for sheep flocks affected by the disease. A vaccine is also available for deer and cattle but is rarely used due to cross reactivity with tuberculosis tests.

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RURAL NEWS // MARCH 1, 2022

MACHINERY & PRODUCTS 21

Straightforward, dependable MASSEY FERGUSON has announced the New Zealand release of its new MF 8S Series.

The 8S Series is said to have been designed for farmers by farmers, following seven years of testing around the globe. It features six new models, all with the unique “Protect-U” cab/

consumption and noise reduced by 10% and 6dB respectively. An all-in-one integrated Selected Catalytic Reduction (SCR) with Soot Catalyst (SC) removes the need for a Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) or complex Variable Geometry Turbocharger. Meanwhile, the compact unit – mounted

the ability to transmit power as efficiently as a mechanical transmission.

Reducing power losses of the previous MF 7700 S Dyna-6 by up to 26% at higher speeds, the 8S delivers fuel savings of up to 10%.

The new series offers four ranges of seven gears, with semi-over-

seven seamless gears. For those requiring the control from a continuously variable transmission (CVT), the MF Dyna-VT is also available.

Looking at the cabin, noise levels are just 68dBA, with an interior volume of 3.4m³ and a 6.6m² glass area, making for a light and airy work-

and technologies – such as MF Guide, MF Section and Rate Control, as well as MF Task Doc data capture and transfer.

MF Connect Telemetry includes a five-year subscription license and

uses mobile data to transfer information to the MF Connect Cloud, providing easy access to useful management information on machines.

An optional Fieldstar 5 terminal can be used

to manage MF Guide, while MF Section and Rate Control can now handle up to 36 sections and five products. It now also records the paddock boundaries and provides automatic field detection.

Never compromise.

The MF 8S.265 model (pictured) is one of six models in the new 8S series recently released by Massey Ferguson.

engine installation and a radical ‘neo-retro’ design.

Built on a 3.05m wheelbase, the tractors offer maximum power at 205, 225, 245, 265, 285 and 305hp, all delivering an extra 20hp from Engine Power Management (EPM).

At the same time, Massey Ferguson has introduced new, straightforward numbering. As an example, the MF 8S.265 model: the 8 stands for the Series, the S stands for the specification level and the last three digits are the maximum power.

Using the latest Stage V AGCO Power 6-cylinder, 7.4 litre engines, maximum power is generated at 1,000rpm, with fuel

outside the tractor – ensures unimpeded visibility and a slim line exhaust stack.

The novel “Protec-U” design layout sees a 24cm gap between the cab and the engine installation.

This is said to reduce heat transfer, noise and vibrations being transmitted to the cab. Meanwhile, the unique engine position draws air in from the middle of the tractor, behind the engine reducing the load on the main air filter while improving cooling and performance.

The Dyna E-Power, Dual Clutch gearbox is said to combine the advantages of a continuously variable transmission (CVT) with

laps to maximise performance, a 9% gear ratio difference between each speed between 5 and 20km/h allows operators to tailor speeds to tasks.

Transport speeds of 40 or 50km/h are achieved at engine speeds of only 1,200 or 1,500rpm.

Alternatively, users can choose the new Dyna-7, semi powershift gearbox, the latest development of the reliable Dyna-6, with the addition of an extra powershift.

This gives smoother shifting and 10% more efficiency than the Dyna-6 for the same engine horsepower.

The Dyna-7 offers 28 forward and reverse speeds in four ranges and

place with space and visibility. A new digital ‘MF vDisplay’ terminal fitted to the right pillar, replaces the conventional dashboard leaving just the steering wheel and power control lever in front of the driver.

The new Control Centre armrest offers the easy-to-use MultiPad lever for fingertip control, with ISOBUS compatibility to operate all tractor functions and includes an integral micro-joystick to control two spool valves.

This 9-inch touchscreen Datatronic 5 user interface terminal is mounted on an adjustable arm and uses a single screen for controlling the tractor functions

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RURAL NEWS // MARCH 1, 2022

22 MACHINERY & PRODUCTS

Adding turbo to cultivation MARK DANIEL markd@ruralnews.co.nz

KVERNELAND’S TURBO T trailed cultivator was introduced to NZ by the Power Farming Group in 2020.

The implement is offered in 6.5 and 8 metre working widths, both machines carrying five banks of tines and folding to a 3 metre transport width.

Aimed at cropping farmers and vegetable growers, the Turbo T is useful for dealing with maize stubbles or fodder beet residues. It offers 725mm of under-frame clearance, combined with a generous 190mm leg spacing.

Carrying 31 or 44 tines respectively, the machines are equipped with the well-known Kverneland Triflex 400 tines with the

instantly recognisable Kverneland green, maintenance-free, leaf spring configuration.

The cultivator offers up to 400kg resistance, with its layout able to operate at working depths of 3 to 20cm.

Buyers can also specify the Reflex tine assembly, aimed mainly at North Island users where there is more ploughing.

This provides the option

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Kverneland’s Turbo T trailed cultivator is offered in 6.5 and 8 metre working widths.

of ripping into stubbles or working, with wider points, on ploughed land.

John Chapman, product manager cultivation and seeding – Power Farming, says that the machine is very versatile in the spring ahead of maize planting, going deeper to help promote root growth. Likewise, he points out that in postcereal harvesting it can be used at high speed at shallower depths to promote weed and volunteer germination – with high work rates.

Offering a ‘full cut’ across the whole working width, a combina-

tion of forward speed and resonance within the leg delivers good mixing of trash and organic matter.

It also has the added benefit of a level finish.

Power requirement is low – at around 35-40hp per working metre – with routine maintenance also kept to a minimum with use of high-grade steel throughout and sealed bearing assemblies. For those seeking higher daily outputs, the machines have a maximum horsepower rating of 450hp The standard point, a 60mm knock-on fitment, is suitable for working at depth to ensure full soil

movement through the profile, while also providing time-saving during replacement. For shallower operations, or lighter soil types, options include a 150mm point or the ‘Tiger’ point – specifically designed for stony soils.

Behind the tines, a levelling element consists of a revolving disc configuration, suited to all conditions. This is especially suited to heavy land and high straw volumes, before final consolidation and finishing is carried out by the rear-mounted, 565mm diameter Actipress Roller system.

New for the 2022 season, sees the introduction of a 4.0m mounted machine that will offer the technology to a wider range of users. The Turbo F, features four rows, carrying 21 tines. It is rated up to 300hp and uses hydraulic folding wings to reduce transport width to 2.9m.

At the rear, the twin roller Actipress set up sees 565mm rollers that weigh in at around 250kg/ metre when full of soil.

This configuration uses a u-shaped profile for clod breaking, soil consolidation and offers good selfcleaning properties.

RURAL NEWS // MARCH 1, 2022

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CENTRAL DISTRICTS RURAL NE REGIONAL FOCUS RURAL NEWS TO ALL FARMERS, FOR ALL FARMERS

MARCH 1, 2022: ISSUE 745 www.ruralnews.co.nz

TO ALL FARMERS, FOR ALL FARMERS

Another one bites the dust!

DAVID ANDERSON

CENTRAL DISTRICTS Field Days organisers left it as late as possible before making the tough decision to cancel its 2022 event.

This news follows in the wake of a number of other rural events – such as Southern field days, Northland field days, the Wanaka Show, the Golden Shears – that have all been cancelled this year due to the risk of Covid and the ‘red light’ settings.

After delaying the news as long as possible, CD Field Days organisers finally bit the bullet on Feb 11, announcing that the event – which was due to be held from March 24-26 – would not be proceeding.

“We are gutted to announce that due to Covid-19 event restrictions and the uncertainty of how long the Omicron variant will be active in the community, Central Districts Field Days 2022 will not be able to go ahead,” it said in a statement.

“Although we considered postponement as a potential option, we cannot confidently confirm a date in the current climate.”

Usually held each year over three days in March, Central Districts Field Days attracts over 27,000 visitors.

“CD Field Days is central to business, central to rural connections, central to supporting local and has been bringing Kiwi communities and industries together for the past 28 years,” its website claims.

“The event has grown from a collection of marquees to a significant national event. It attracts exhibitors and attendees from across the country to the rural heartland of the North Island and showcases cutting-edge

This year’s Central Field days has joined a long list of rural events that have all been cancelled due to the risk of Covid and the ‘red light’ settings.

machinery and equipment as well as the latest developments in rural innovation.”

In its statement cancelling this year’s event, organisers say this wasn’t the news they wanted to deliver.

It also advised exhibitors please to check their inboxes for more information on the refund process.

“If you are an exhibitor and have not received an email, please email us on cdfielddays@stuff.co.nz,” organisers

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We thank you for your ongoing support and thank our loyal visitors and new friends for joining us each year.”

Organisers say they are looking forward to planning a “safe and sensational event” in 2023, which will be the event’s 30th year. @rural_news facebook.com/ruralnews

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RURAL NEWS // MARCH 1, 2022

2 CENTRAL DISTRICTS REGIONAL FOCUS

Why the Manawatu is New Zealand farming’s heartland A RURAL HUB

HELEN WORBOYS

THE MANAWATŪ District has a large and diverse agricultural sector, producing highquality dairy, red meat and forestry products to the world.

The agri-food sector – which includes primary production, agricultural support services and all secondary food and agricultural manufacturing – is our region’s largest sector. It contributed $310m in GDP to the local economy over the year to March 2021 and employs 3,000 people.

This is accounts 23 % of the Manawatu district’s total GDP and 24.1 % of its total employment.

Of total the region’s agri-food sector activity, primary production makes up $212.0m of agri-food sector GDP. Primary industry support services contribute an additional $27.1m to the local economy, while value-added agri-food manufacturing generates a further $71m to local economic activity.

Of all agricultural

FEILDING BOASTS the largest stock saleyards in the Southern Hemisphere and they are situated in the town centre.

These saleyards attract buyers and sellers from around NZ on a bi-weekly basis and are a key contributor to local retail, hospitality and the professional business community.

The rural town is also the home to Manfeild Park, with an agri event stadium which hosts many diverse agricultural and equestrian events – such as the Central District Field days, NZ Dairy Event and A&P Shows.

activities in the district, dairy production is the largest primary sector

earner. The dairy sector contributes $97.4m in GDP and 661 jobs to our

Manawatu District mayor Helen Warboys says the agri-food sector is the region’s largest sector and contributed $310m in GDP to the local economy over the year to March 2021, as well as employing 3,000 people.

local economy.

The contribution of the dairy sector to economic activity in the district is substantially larger than for the New Zealand economy as a whole. To demonstrate the scale of the local industry relative to New Zealand, local dairy production contributed 7.2% of total GDP ($97.4m) and 5.3% of local jobs (661 jobs) to the district economy over the year to March 2021, compared with 2.0% of total national GDP and 1.4% of total jobs.

Dairy production has been a stalwart in the economic performance of the district over a period of substantial disrup-

tion and is expected to continue to substantially bolster local economic activity over 2022.

The Manawatu district has had substantial professional, scientific and technical services industry, which has grown around our dominant food producing industries over the last 20-years.

Primary industry employment is the largest contributor to our local economy –creating 1,723 jobs. Primary production support services contribute a further 346 local jobs, while value-added manufacturing employs a further 930 people.

• Helen Worboys is Mayor of Manawatu District

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RURAL NEWS // MARCH 1, 2022

CENTRAL DISTRICTS REGIONAL FOCUS 3

The centre of NZ’s food sector Established in 2013, FoodHQ is a collaboration involving most of New ZeaPALMERSTON NORTH has always land’s leading food science and innovation been the beneficiary of a rich agricultural organisations, including AgResearch, Plant & Food Research, The Riddet Institute, legacy.

From the beginning of human settle- Cawthron, and the New Zealand Food ment, the land, forests and waterways Safety Science and Research Centre.

FoodHQ’s commitment is to caparound what is now the city of Palmerston North/Papaiōea in Manawatū, pro- ture extra value from the quality produce our primary vided a bountiful food sector excels in, basket. and as the biggest The first ‘harvests’ food science cluswere timber, flax and ter in New Zealand, aggregate, but the builds on the city’s capacity of the cleared proud primary land to support extensector heritage. sive agricultural purAs part of that suits quickly became heritage in 1948, apparent. brothers Charles The new town and Walter Norbecame a focal point wood established for spin-off enterfarm machinery prises, with primary company CB Norproduction remaining wood in Palmera bedrock of Palmy’s Palmerston North mayor Grant Smith. ston North. economy, while Now trading as growing to achieve Norwood, the company is the largest farm national reputation and prominence.

Then as now, returns from the agri machinery business in Australasia.

Pioneering livestock identification sector circulated several times through the local community, consolidating the company Allflex International began its town as a centre for commerce, while journey here in 1955.

Manufacturer of the renowned Hilux, attracting an ever-widening range of serToyota has had a strong presence in the vices and amenities.

Diversity has always been a hallmark city since 1977 when Toyota NZ reloof the local agri sector, with dairy, sheep, cated its parts warehouse and distribudeer, red meat, pork, poultry, equine tion centre to Palmy before setting up its studs, forestry, cropping, orcharding and New Zealand HQ and National Customer Centre here in 1992. horticulture in the wider mix.

Kubota NZ is another famous farm In 1904, Wellington businessman Joseph Nathan began dried milk pro- vehicle supplier headquartered in the city.

Palmy also hosts the NZ Rural Games, duction at Bunnythorpe under the brand unfortunately kiboshed by Covid this year, ‘Glaxo’.

Glaxo went on to form the nucleus of and NZ Agrifood Week, which has been multinational pharmaceutical colossus reduced in scope to two-days of AgriTalk seminars on May 17-18.

Glaxo Smith Kline.

With the primary sector almost singleIn 1928, Massey Agricultural College accepted its first students, growing in stat- handedly making up for lost international ure to become Massey University in 1963. tourist dollars, and the world’s increasing Along with its focus on agricultural sci- desire for quality Kiwi food products, the ence, the university has New Zealand’s profitable partnership between ‘town and only veterinary school and is the site ground’, ‘Palmy and Farmy’ looks set to of Te Ohu Rangihau Kai – the National endure indefinitely.

Food Science Building, headquarters of • Grant Smith is mayor of Palmerston North.

FoodHQ, which opened in 2021.

GRANT SMITH

Check out our websites www.ruralnews.co.nz www.dairynews.co.nz

Among many things rural, Palmerston North also hosts the NZ Rural Games, which have unfortunately been kiboshed by Covid this year.

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RURAL NEWS // MARCH 1, 2022

4 CENTRAL DISTRICTS REGIONAL FOCUS

The mighty Manawatu!

MALCOLM BAILEY

THE FARMING region of Manawatū, Rangitikei and Horowhenua – with Palmerston North as the key city – is a significant part of primary industry in New Zealand.

We have a large chunk of NZ’s elite soils. We have the full range of farming and horticultural operations: Asparagus to zucchinis and most things in between. Our strong hill country is home to a variety of livestock, as well as mānuka honey and carbon farming.

The central geographic location of Palmerston North means it is a natural freight and logistics

hub for a wide range of industries and this supports the food production and distribution of our region. We are also a hub for livestock trading with the largest sale yards in New Zealand located in Feilding.

We have a world class agri-food / agritech / agribusiness hub built around Massey University.

This encompasses the major Crown Research Institutes, Riddet Institute, Fonterra Research and FoodHQ. We also have a cluster of venture capital activity encompassing The Factory, Sprout and Finistere Ventures.

On the back of this

research and development capability, we have a number of agritech companies such as Biolumic, Levno and Greentech Robotics, as well as a strong group of more traditional manufacturing businesses.

The highly qualified people we have working in this leading cluster help push us to top ranking in New Zealand for PhDs relative to the general population. We also have a strong arts community and in our midst many of New Zealand’s leading artists.

We embrace science here and recognise that the gene technologies that developed Covid

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AND FARM TYRES! Malcolm Bailey says the farming region of Manawatū, Rangitikei and Horowhenua is a significant part of primary industry in New Zealand.

vaccines are also able to solve a lot of challenges we face in primary production – such as reducing climate gas emissions, improving animal health and improving water quality.

This region has outperformed the rest of New Zealand during the

tough economic times caused by Covid. A key reason for this is the strength of our primary sector economy. A small but growing part of the rural economy here is tourism.

Most urban people are now quite disconnected from farming and food

production, but many want to enjoy farm experiences as well as visit attractions like the Feilding sale yards. Many of these people are also attracted to the region’s outdoor activities, such as trail riding and tramping.

While opportunities such as the CD Field

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Days to showcase the region have been curtailed by Covid, the ongoing strength and development of this region’s primary sector economy is something we can all be proud of.

• Malcolm Bailey is a Manawatu farmer and company director

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RURAL NEWS // MARCH 1, 2022

CENTRAL DISTRICTS REGIONAL FOCUS 5

Double bale feeder engineered for a hard life MARK DANIEL markd@ruralnews.co.nz

PALMERSTON NORTH’S McIntosh has a reputation for building feed equipment that’s of robust construction, features clever engineering and a has long working life.

Its Double Bale Feeder

making towing easier in poor conditions. There is the option of increasing the footprint by fitting 400/60x15.5 tyres.

At the rear, an overdimensioned lifting arm can deal with the heaviest bales, while also offering the ability to carry a second bale to the feeding area. The design features

In the case of the McIntosh Double Bale Feeder, a 315mm overhang from the tyre edge to the outside of the bale feeder frame, means that delivered feed is never run over and pushed into the ground and wasted. builds on this reputation and offers the ability to deal with round or square bales.

From a practical point of view, one of the worst traits of a ‘normal’ bale feeder is the tendency to run over the feed it has just delivered. In the case of the McIntosh Double Bale Feeder, a 315mm overhang from the tyre edge to the outside of the bale feeder frame, means that delivered feed is never run over and pushed into the ground and wasted. This represents a huge cost saving – especially when operating in wet conditions.

The construction layout sees two box sections running through the bale cradle to increase overall strength, while also lowering the loading height and the centre of gravity. This gives the machine greater stability and makes it safer to use on hillsides or sloping ground.

A choice of wheel settings enhances safe operation on difficult terrain, as well as the option of fitting larger tyres. Standard equipment features 11.5 x 15.3 tyres, a detail that helps to reduce rolling resistance, while

The McIntosh Double Bale Feeder has a 315mm overhang from the tyre edge to the outside of the bale feeder frame, meaning feed is never run over and pushed into the ground and wasted.

twin lift rams, which gently lower the bale onto the unrolling cradle and helps prevent damage to the feeder bars.

The unrolling cradle uses a zinc-plated, 12,000lb-rated chain, with slow running shafts utilising bronze bushes for resistance to silage juice and a greater service life. Unloading slats are manufactured from 8mm steel with integral teeth to promote bale rotation by increasing the contact area, while in the cradle, aggression pins restrict bale movement to encourage the teeth to pull the bale apart.

The large hydraulic motor comes with a 1 ¼ shaft and heavy-duty key.

The machine includes a rubbish bin and a chequer-plated platform on the drawbar a-frame to allow the user to safely remove the film and net wrap. Practical options include a third central tine for the rear lifting forks – said to be useful for dealing with soft or mis-shaped bales. Meanwhile, for those handling square bales, lateral extensions, each carrying an extra tine, ensure positive lifting onto the cradle.

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RURAL NEWS // MARCH 1, 2022

6 CENTRAL DISTRICTS REGIONAL FOCUS

Click go the shears... not the shearers! the risk of serious injury. A safe and light shearing machine, with the advantage of a downtube isolated from all electrified components, reduces any risk of electric shock.”

He says the Heiniger Evo Shearing Plant has fast become a market-leader, as it was the first shearing plant in the world to be manufactured with an electronic safety switch stopping the machine in case of dangerous handpiece ‘lock-ups’, while also being extremely light, at only 7.8kg (machine only).

Looking at wool-presses, Thirkell advises that features to look for when upgrading should include a fully fitted and approved mechanical safety screen and safety device for operator safety.

“Alongside toughness and durability for intensive use over multiple seasons, and ensuring expensive servicing is reduced,” he adds. “Of course, speed is a key driver of output, while good ergonomics – such as a low filling height to avoid stress and strain on an operator’s back.”

The latest machines can use automated functions such as fully automatic bale ejection system to help reduce strain on the operator and increase the efficiency of the whole operation.

Heiniger’s TPW Xpress Wool-press is widely used by farmers, shearing contractors and many wool-stores where the above requirements are key must-haves.

Renowned for its durability it has also been proven as the fastest press on the market, with a cycle time of 12-16 seconds in high yielding wools when pressing bales up to 200kg. www.heiniger.co.nz

Kinghitter will be at Northland Field days site C25 & Central District Field days Due to the Site busyB32. nature of shearing sheds, the opportunity for an accident to happen is high.

MA DE

IN

N

LA

ND

SAFETY SHOULD be a key consideration for all on farm activities, while not forgetting less commonly used areas like woolsheds.

Due to the busy nature of shearing sheds, the opportunity for an accident to happen is high, particularly when numerous people are working at the same time.

Therefore, it might be timely to review the current safeguards that your shearing machinery and plant offers. Start by asking some basic questions, such as: Does my shearing plant offer safety cut-out in case of lock-up?

Is my shearing plant isolated from electric shock?

Does my wool-press have safety guards and is it safe to operate?

Injuries that are preventable cost farmers, contractors and the wool and shearing industries time, money and distress.

Due to advances in technology, modern shearing machinery incorporates more advanced safety features. That means the cost of upgrading to a higher quality machine is a small price to pay for superior safety in a busy, high-stress work environment.

Heiniger’s New Zealand national sales manager, Kevin Thirkell, articulates what the risks looks like in a real-world context.

“Shearers, contractors and farmers increasingly demand tools that provide them with function that doesn’t compromise on safety,” he explains.

“For example, in the past when there has been a lock-up, the hand piece can spin around at approximately 3,500rpm – making it an incredibly dangerous and potentially life-threatening weapon – with

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RURAL NEWS // MARCH 1, 2022

CENTRAL DISTRICTS REGIONAL FOCUS 7

Cut above the rest MARK DANIEL markd@ruralnews.co.nz

TRIMAX MOWING Systems is a New Zealandowned and operated company that designs, manufactures, and distributes commercial mowing equipment.

The company was founded in the Bay of Plenty in 1981 by Bob

Sievwright, a local engineer and salesman with family roots in agriculture and a passion for highperformance machinery.

Sievwright developed the Gamma Flail, an innovative aerodynamic mower flail, which simplified manufacturing processes and increased operational efficiency from then-con-

temporary welded flails.

When his first customer, a mower manufacturer in Tauranga burnt down, Sievwright’s determination to keep the Gamma Flail on the market led him to buy out the business. This was the beginning of Trimax Mowing Systems.

Today, the company has grown into an inter-

national operation with facilities in Australia, the UK, and the United States, but its global headquarters remain in Tauranga.

Trimax Force is the latest innovation from the company – claimed as its strongest and most adaptable flail mower yet.

The new mower is said to have evolved from sev-

Norwood says the company is dedicated to supporting the Väderstad brand and its customers in New Zealand.

VÄDERSTAD RE-COMMITS TO NORWOOD PARTNERSHIP IN NZ VÄDERSTAD, A major player in the tillage, seeding and planting sector, has reaffirmed its relationship with Norwood – the NZ-based farm machinery supplier.

At the same time, the company is celebrating its 25th year in New Zealand and – at a global level – its 60th year in operation.

Väderstad provides is family owned, with its head office located in Väderstad, Sweden. The company has 1,900 employees, a turnover of €420m and is represented in 40 countries.

“Väderstad is proud to reconfirm our commitment to this partnership and longstanding relationship with Norwood. Twenty

five years is a significant milestone for any business relationship,” says Chris Bettschen, Väderstad regional manager NZ/AU. Meanwhile, Rod Gardner Norwood brand leader says his company is dedicated to supporting the Väderstad brand and its customers in New Zealand.

“Our own aspirations mirror Väderstad’s unwavering focus on product quality and continual innovation to meet the needs of New Zealand farmers and contractors.”

As well as Väderstad’s machines making a mark on the NZ farming landscape, the country has also made a mark on Väderstad.

The Trimax Force is the latest innovation from the company and is claimed as its strongest and most adaptable flail mower yet.

An example is the NZA spring tine cultivator, which was introduced in 1997 and was so successful that Väderstad included NZ in the machine’s name. The cultivator is still in production today and continues to make its mark on the New Zealand arable farming landscape.

Other Väderstad products distributed by Norwood include: the Tempo precision planter, the Rapid seed drill and the TopDown cultivator.

Both Bettschen and Gardner say “watch this space” for news about the 25th anniversary celebrations, which will be announced later in the year. – Mark Daniel

CRAIGCO

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SHEEP JETTERS

eral improvements to the popular Trimax Warlord – first released 1989.

The Trimax Force is described as a multitool mower and mulcher, capable of producing a high-quality finish in short turf, long grass. It can even handle branches and pruning’s up to 90mm in diameter.

Designed to be versatile, robust and requiring less maintenance,

the Force series features thicker steel endplates, a replaceable internal liner and a new rotor bearing assembly. This triples the mower’s durability and doubles its load capacity.

Alongside many maintenance-free features and easy access points to keep servicing requirements to an absolute minimum, this mower allows operators to spend more time working and

less time working on their machine. The company says if offers a wide range of options with the Force, allowing users to customise the machine to specific conditions and applications. Backed by 40 years of experience producing premium flail mowers, the company says Trimax Force builds on the successes of its predecessors. www.trimaxmowers.co.nz

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RURAL NEWS // MARCH 1, 2022

8 CENTRAL DISTRICTS REGIONAL FOCUS

Art for farming’s sake PETER BURKE peterb@ruralnews.co.nz

A WARNING from his wife not to hang around the house and get under her feet when he retires has prompted a Feildingbased farmer to launch himself into a new and successful career – as an artist, painting rural scenes.

Seventy-three yearold Graham Christensen was brought up on a farm and as a youngster helped

with shearing and the like before eventually doing a degree at Lincoln University.

His first job was with the old MAF where he managed the sheep breeding programme on Mana Island, near Wellington.

After that, Christensen went dairy farming in the Manawatu, spent time on the staff at Massey University before he and his wife headed over to Australia to – of all things

– run a tourist resort on the Gold Coast. But after 10 years of what he describes as a great time, the prospect of retirement loomed as did the warning from his wife to take up an interest.

“She suggested that I take up art, which is something I’d never had any interest in before,” Christensen told Rural News. “Anyway, I followed her direction and did some art classes and after the third one, I was abso-

SHEEP YARN AFTER COMPLETING his degree at Lincoln University, Graham Christensen’s first job was with the old MAF, where he managed the sheep breeding programme on Mana Island, near Wellington.

This role came at a time when the Government in the late 1970s and early 1980s imported various overseas sheep breeds such as the Finnish Landrace, East Frisian and Lincoln. The idea was to mate

the imported sheep with local the local Romney flock to improve fertility, milking capability and conformation.

The imported sheep were quarantined on Mana Island in case of a disease outbreak. Sadly, that trial ended in disaster when it was believed the sheep had contracted the disease scrapie and the whole flock of 2,000 sheep were slaughtered and buried on Mana Island in 1978.

VERTI-MIX THE NEW GENERATION

Feilding-based farmer Graham Christensen has carved himself out a new career a new and successful career – as an artist, painting rural scenes.

lutely hooked and joined the art groups on the Gold Coast and learned the craft.”

In 2017, he and his wife returned to NZ and bought a life sentence block (AKA a lifestyle block), which just

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Woolsheds are a popular source of Graham Christensen’s art because every shed has a story and people can relate to that, he says.

happened to have a hay barn that had been converted into living quarters and Christensen quickly staked out a room for his art studio.

“It is absolutely magic because I can shut myself away and become totally absorbed in what I do and no one can bother me,” he says. “I realised that my biggest interest and love in life was farming so I focused on that with paintings of dogs and stock and woolsheds.

“For some reason people love woolsheds because every shed has a story and people can relate to that and tell me buzzy stories about their family woolshed. I paint shearers around the sheds and dogs on utes,” he adds.

But not so long ago,

Christensen had a lifechanging moment when he was diagnosed with prostate cancer and had to undergo radiation treatment. He says it made him think about life, and between treatments he took time out to visit the farm of his son and daughter-in-law in the Pohangina Valley, just out of Palmerston North.

“It’s your typical hillcountry beef breeding farm with a beautiful gorge running through it and I used to spend time just sitting there enjoying the sounds of the river and birds,” he explains.

“It was part of my therapy for the radiation treatment but it got me thinking on how I might help others. It also took me in a new direction in

terms of painting and I started focusing on rural scenery.”

Christensen met up with Judy Jack, a member of the Manawatu Rural Support Trust, and that prompted him to make an offer to donate a painting which the Trust could sell to raise funds. The first painting sold quickly and recently he has staged an exhibition of his works in Feilding, and another artwork – Ready for Shearing – has been donated to the Trust.

For Christensen it’s been a long and colourful journey, mixed in recent years with personal challenges. But his love of the land and the people of the land has never faltered and this passion shows in his amazing artistic creations.

RURAL NEWS // MARCH 1, 2022

CENTRAL DISTRICTS REGIONAL FOCUS 9

Taking the stress out of autumn calving HEAT DETECTION is a challenge in any season, but autumn calvers know that cold and wet weather slows cows down, making heats harder to call with confidence.

According to the makers of the Flashmate heat detector, anxiety over `lost milk’ from missed heats and poorquality submissions can drive up stress levels on farm.

Robert Buchanan farms 280 cows at Inglewood and faced a steep heat detection learning-curve some years ago. He says Flashmate is a solution that delivers results without the stress and at an affordable cost, which has been using for many years now.

“Our empty rates have dropped a lot. Last year we didn’t have any empty two-year-olds and I had one empty three-year-old, so something’s obviously working for us,” Buchanan says.

He was determined to make a step up in performance from tail paint, without lifting farm costs long-term. This was important, given the possibility of future downturns which can extend or even eliminate the payback on higher-cost commitments.

Next came considerations of training and staff requirements, along with effort to interpret data needed to make your own final heat decisions. With long-term resilience in mind, he opted to keep it really simple.

“We’ve trialled collars and found Flashmates are a lot more attainable in terms of cost.

“It all corresponds, they fit in well with a system like ours. We try to keep costs down and I‘ve used them six years in a row. There’s no lying with it really, it’s either on or off.”

In winter weather, cows may be cycling, even if they’re not making this obvious to the team. Silent heats drag down submissions, impacting six-week in-calf and empty rates.

“We’re picking up silent heats with hardly any marking on tail paint. You’re definitely picking up more cows earlier and picking up those cows that you’d normally miss,” says Buchanan.

And later in the mating period, poor submissions carry additional risk.

“Flashmates are another visual thing you can say, ‘that cow, she’s definitely not on’ [so] you don’t put that cow up for AI, so you’re not getting that embryonic loss.”

Taranaki dairy farmer Robert Buchanan says Flashmate is a solution that delivers results without the stress and at an affordable cost.

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RURAL NEWS // MARCH 1, 2022

10 CENTRAL DISTRICTS REGIONAL FOCUS

Benefits many and varied of reducing soil compaction MARK DANIEL markd@ruralnews.co.nz

FOR MANY years, reducing soil compaction has been recognised as an efficient way of increasing production for grassland and arable operations.

While there are many products in the market, key design features can have a major effect on the efficiency, horsepower requirements, output and ultimately final surface finish.

The James Soil Aerator was designed and built to overcome compaction in heavy soils. This is often demonstrated by surface ponding after rainfall, shallow root systems and restricted plant growth or

output.

The five-leg aerator is a linkage-mounted design, centred around a heavyduty frame for durability with inherent weight to aid penetration in difficult conditions. Operating to a working depth of 23cm, the initial lifting and subsequent ‘wave’ effect creates a vertical slot and horizontal fissures, creating drainage, oxygenation and deeper root systems.

The process also promotes the release of ‘locked’ minerals that are typically unavailable because of a lack of oxygen. MPI trials in Southland showed that ‘aerated’ paddocks on average produced 21.7%

more dry matter over a 15-month period.

Up front, the machine has individual disc assemblies, which slice through the soil surface and shallow root systems. This allows easy entry for the aerator leg, as well as reducing surface damage to the sward.

Each of the five legs on the machine are manufactured from highgrade carbon steels, each is inclined slightly forwards to aid penetration and help ‘pull’ the machine into the ground.

Each leg is fitted with an adjustable and replaceable shin to prevent excessive wear to the main part of the leg. At the base of the leg, a

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The James Soil Aerator is designed and built to overcome compaction in heavy soils.

heavy-duty ‘frog’ assembly carries a replaceable point that creates the initial ‘lift’ and initiates the ‘wave effect’, which creates ground shatter and allows working depths of up to 25cm.

Integral to the

machine is a hydraulic auto-reset system, which removes the problem of overload and the frustratingly time-consuming issue of broken shear bolts. Importantly, the machine can be easily adjusted to suit prevail-

ing conditions, such as rock burdens or sub-surface timber. At the same time, it acts as a shock absorber system for the aerator and the tractor rear linkage.

At the rear of the machine, a full-width

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smooth roller and scraper assembly serves to level any surface imperfections, which ensures that aerated pastures or paddocks can be quickly returned to production.

RURAL NEWS // MARCH 1, 2022

CENTRAL DISTRICTS REGIONAL FOCUS 11

Wiping out those weeds MARK DANIEL markd@ruralnews.co.nz

OVER THE years, Ashburton-based Rotowiper has pursued one main objective – to design and manufacture an effective, cost-efficient method of controlling/ eradicating weeds in pasture and crops.

Receiving positive feedback from farmers and growers around the world, the company has achieved its key goal.

Recently, it has been developing new formats to meet individual conditions in different markets around the globe.

The new Rotowiper “TR” series is a case in point. It is already proving to be successful, featuring ease of operation with simple height adjustment, delivered by a new

The new Rotowiper “TR” series is proving to be successful.

single, heavy-duty ratchet assembly. Likewise, the roller drive engagement is actioned with a simple spring-loaded pin, meaning the machine can be quickly disengaged for transport or re-engaged once back in the paddock Other features include

a drawbar that can be raised vertically for transporting or storage, without tools. It features stainless steel covers throughout to give the machine a quality appearance, but more importantly delivering durability and improving

its longevity.

A redesign of the frame features larger, box section steel, a “box” style frame layout.

Both give the machine superior strength and durability. Its heavy-duty stub axles are equipped with high-speed bearings

to help endure the rigours of high-speed road travel – alongside the punishment delivered on unmade farm tracks and large acreages.

For those using an ATV or UTV style towing vehicles, the chemical tank has now

been repositioned from the drawbar to above the application roller.

This moves weight transfer from the rear of the vehicle, while also allowing a levelling device to be fitted if required.

Rotowiper is able to offer a bespoke

production and configuration service.

The company recently completed its largest machine, to date, with a 24-metre working width and one metre clearance under the application roller. Comprising seven individual roller sections, the machine was developed for a Canterbury contractor who was dealing with bolters in the increasingly popular fodder beet crops being grown.

The machine’s layout allows excellent ground contouring over the full working width. It uses a combination of hydraulic and electronic controls that enable it to quickly move on from its original intended use and also deal with other weeds, such as Californian thistles. www.rotowiper.com

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RURAL NEWS // MARCH 1, 2022

12 CENTRAL DISTRICTS REGIONAL FOCUS

Flower power!

LEO ARGENT

A GISBORNE based project is exploring an organic method of dealing with pests on citrus orchards by understorey planting to attract beneficial insects.

The two-year project is part of a $27 million, seven-year programme called A Lighter Touch, backed by the horticulture industry and Government through the Ministry for Primary Industries’ (MPI) Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures fund. It aims to shift the focus from traditional crop protection by conducting research, understanding crop protection products, and

integrating biological and ecological processes into food production in New Zealand.

“Leaving bare earth under citrus trees and intensively mowing the strips between orchard rows may become a thing of the past as we revolutionise our approach through strategic planting,” says A Lighter Touch project manager Jeff Smith.

“Ranging from flowering perennials [clovers, alyssum] to annuals [buckwheat, phacelia] we’ve undertaken trials planting under and beside the trees. These plants and others may hold the key to enhance our agroecosystem and provide

A project in Gisborne is exploring an organic method of dealing with pests on citrus orchards by understorey planting of flowers to attract beneficial insects.

resources for beneficial insects to thrive which would reduce the need for applications of chemicals.”

The project has brought in researchers from Lincoln University and Plant & Food Research who extensively reviewed current literature on how to plant to attract the

natural enemies of our most persistent pests.

The researchers are now translating theory into practice.

“We’re testing to see what works under New Zealand conditions,” says Smith. “Seeds were planted late last year on two trial sites – one in a valley and one on the plains – alongside two

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control sites.”

The plains planting struggled to establish but the valley planting was more successful.

“This was because there was more rainfall in the valley and the landowner also had sheep which trampled seed into the soil.

“In future we may look at autumn sowing

to see if we can achieve more consistent establishment.”

Smith says the programme is regularly collecting data on the trial and control sites including fortnightly monitoring for insect presence and species.

“By spring we’ll be able to evaluate how effective the plant-

ing has been in the first year… We’ve found that so many growers want to find a better way of planting, with less reliance on chemicals. While citrus was chosen for the model system, our findings should be adaptable for other perennial growing systems.” @rural_news facebook.com/ruralnews

High capacity mixer wagons STRAUTMANN HOPKINS Ltd imports a full range of trailed or selfpropelled Strautmann Mixer Wagons from the German manufacturer.

The machines are said to suit the requirements of NZ farmers – both large and small.

Because they are always striving for efficiency, NZ’s farmers know that every kilogram of dry matter of feed and its cost matters.

At the same time, more farmers are also finding that Strautmann Mixer Wagons may provide the solution to maintain their efficiency and profitability.

Benefitting from almost 60 years of experience and ongoing development, the Strautmann Mixer Wagon range covers capacities 4m3 to 45m3.

The company delivers strong, durable machines that provide reliable, accurate mixing and feeding delivery for all types of stock feeds, animal nutrients and additives.

Its machines are designed for use in feed pad and herd home situations; the mixers can also deliver with some paddock feeding capability.

In action, the Strautmann patented

‘Stepped Flight Auger’ design tumbles feed as it rotates through the mixing process. This aids to provide a more homogenous mix – meaning every animal gets fed the same ration. This Strautmann’s patented ‘Stepped Flight Auger’ design tumbles feed as it rotates through the mixing process.

ultimately improves livestock’s feed conversion for milk, meat and fibre production.

For the first time this year, Strautmann Hopkins Ltd has imported two Triple Auger, Tridem Axle Mixer Wagons. A VM3451, with a 34.5 cu.m capacity. One has been delivered to a customer in Northland, while a VM4501 (45m3) is scheduled to arrive in the South Island soon.

Get in touch with the company for a demonstration, if you think this large capacity mixer may be suitable for your requirements. www.strautmann.co.nz