Rural News 23 September 2025 by Rural News Group

Strong wool eyes

CHINA LOOKS set to play a key role in helping the New Zealand wool sector shift away from trading as a commodity supplier.

A major conference on wool, held in Nanjing last week, was attended by Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson and Wool Impact chief executive Andy Caughey. Both men spoke at the conference, promoting NZ strong wool.

China is New Zealand’s largest wool market: in the year ending June 30 2025, NZ exported $446 million worth of wool, with $176 million going to China.

Speaking to Rural News from Nanjing, Caughey pointed out that the conference is held once per year and is considered an important venue for New Zealand’s wool market because China purchases approximately 35% of New Zealand’s wool.

Caughey said there had been a lot of research around the growing awareness of health and wellbeing among Chinese consumers in terms of both the home and offices.

“In China, you’ve got real value placed on their children and the home environment – they don’t have big homes like us – and so everything they put in the home is carefully chosen because they don’t have a lot of space and what we’re promoting is bringing natural fibres into that living space,” he said.

“We look at the Chinese market… and what’s happening is that with their

growing affluence within their society, they are increasingly churning through a lot of products domestically at home, so people are trading up.”

Patterson said New Zealand has a great story around the innovation, sustainability, integrity and quality of our premium strong wool.

“This means we’re well placed to meet consumer demand in China for premium wool products.

“This opportunity brings together industry representatives, wool growers and processors, and trade experts to foster cooperation and promote and build on the commitment of the coalition Government to ensure the future success of New Zealand’s wool.”

China could also buffer some

effects on tariffs imposed by the Trump Administration.

Caughey said that as tariffs from the US come into effect what may be lost in some export markets, will result in an increase in other markets like China.

He said New Zealand’s strong wool sector needed to shift away from trading as a commodity and instead trade based on relationships and what makes the product special.

“It’s the crux of what we’re trying to do to get a better price, a better return for growers.

“We’ve got 100,000 tonnes of wool and 85,000 tonnes – so 85% of that –is exported overseas and we’ve just sold it through the auction and it just

disappears… growers don’t know what products, what company or even which country their wool goes to and so how can we command a better price if we don’t know what the product’s being used for?”

He said that this shift meant working towards segmenting that 100,000 tonnes into different wool types and then overlaying that segmentation with accreditation programmes like the New Zealand Farm Assured Programme (NZFAP) and then getting into the details of growers and grower groups.

“So, offering something special that differentiates the wool over and above a commodity market.

“Instead of pushing our product

in the market, what we’re looking at doing is connecting with brands and building programmes around the manufacturing brands who are seeking products and giving them access to tailor-made recipes of fibre,” he added.

According to Caughey, New Zealand wool makes up a quarter of the wool traded around the world, but New Zealand makes up approximately two thirds of the premium wool traded.

“We’re trying to sell the best of the best and when you’re selling the best of the best, you need to take a different approach and be working closely, intimately, with brands in New Zealand and overseas to make them realise ‘You’ve got access to something that not everyone gets’ but at the moment, we’re just putting it out there.”

Globally, the future for wool looks bright, said Caughey.

“The world is becoming increasingly aware of the issues around microplastics on human health and on the environment… So, I think we’re getting a change in culture and mindset and buying quality products that last longer.

“I believe there will be a change in attitudes in the way we think and purchase and consume products.

“There’s a lot of things that will support wool in its positioning as a better fibre for the environment than synthetics but we’re less than 1% of the global fibre, so we’ve got to shout loud and… if you’re only 1% of the global fibre market, you’re not a commodity, you’re a specialist niche fibre and so you should be treating it quite differently.”

JESSICA MARSHALL

Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson (right) and Wool Impact chief executive Andy Caughey spoke at a wool conference in China last week.

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Ministry’s curriculum U-turn following public backlash

PETER BURKE peterb@ruralnews.co.nz

PUBLIC BACKLASH has forced the Ministry of Education (MoE) and Education Minister Erica Stanford to do a U-turn on a proposal to axe agriculture and horticulture science as standalone academic subjects in the secondary school curriculum.

The ministry had proposed that these subjects should be downgraded to a ‘vocational level’ – meaning the focus would be on practical farm and orchard skills and not provide an academic pathway to degree courses at university level. In other words, ag and hort were to be dumbed down in schools.

This move was seen as outrageous and unbelievable by ag teachers, academics and industry leaders when announced with much fanfare by the Minister.

Ironically, the announcement came just days after a front page story in Rural News September 9 issue stating there was a huge upsurge in demand from students right around

the country to do the standalone courses in agri business, agriculture and horticulture. Also, that more than 200 schools were already teaching agriculture and horticulture and 100 teaching agribusiness. It went on to say that to meet this demand, Massey University and the ag and hort teachers were planning to run special courses to upskill teachers in these subject areas. Particularly concerning was the fact the organisation that represents the teachers of these subjects, the Horticulture & Agriculture Teachers Association (HATA) was not consulted on the proposed changes, and they were blindsided by the move and not given any pre-warning of them.

Literally within minutes of Stanford’s announcement, the phones ran hot and emails flooded into the Beehive and MoE to point out the folly of the proposal. Clearly the Minister was caught by surprise and embarrassed at the strength and breadth of the opposition to the MoE’s proposal. Given the weight and size of the opposition, Stanford quickly ordered the ministry to check the

HAPPY AG TEACHERS

KERRY ALLEN of Horticulture & Agriculture Teachers Association (HATA) says they are very pleased and excited at the Minister’s change of heart. She says it was particularly pleasing the way educators and industry worked together to get the desired outcome – the restoration of agriculture and horticulture science in the academic pathway.

“We would have liked to have had

agribusiness as a standalone subject but we are not unhappy that it will be integrated into the business studies curriculum,” she told Rural News.

“Potentially that may have a wider audience so we might be able to pick up more students than we had before and that is a win as well,” she said.

Allen said that following the initial announcement by Stanford they voiced

validity of and integrity of its advice.

Over the next few days, ministry officials pondered over their initial advice and deemed it flawed. A day later they issued a press statement saying they had “reviewed and revised” their advice and decided that

their concerns to her and then had ongoing discussions with the Ministry of Education that led to the outcome they wanted. She says she has no real insight into why the MoE made its original decisions but she wonders whether earlier discussions with industry about making changes to the vocational courses may have resulted in the importance of the academic courses being overlooked.

agriculture and horticulture would be standalone academic subjects and that agri business would be merged into general business studies. But there was no real apology for what turned out to be a major error on their part, and one that left their Minister red-faced.

Allen said she hopes that in future HATA will be consulted.

“Finally, HATA would like to thank all the support they had from educationalists and industry, and also the Minister and her team for reversing the changes. I am thankful she [Stanford] listened to HATA and the Agribusiness in Schools team. Potentially she didn’t have to, and we are grateful that she did,” she said.

Education Minister Erica Stanford and her officials have backtracked on a proposal to axe ag and hort science as standalone subjects.

Alliance farmers’ proposal to maintain 100% co-op status

NIGEL MALTHUS

WITH THE Alliance board starting a series of roadshows next week to sell the Dawn Meats deal to shareholders, a group of farmers is working on a counter proposal.

Shareholder James Anderson, from Waikaia in Southland, was outspoken at Alliance’s last annual meeting in December about the need to maintain the company as New Zealand’s only 100% farmer owned meat co-operative.

He has now told Rural News that “a group of us” was working on putting a proposal up to the shareholders, which would keep the company in their hands.

Anderson said he could not disclose too much of the proposal, but it involved keeping the PDS alive - the Public Disclosure Statement that defines the company’s ability to take a per stock unit deduction to

gain capital – along with a lot of costcutting.

But he said it was achievable.

“First of all, we’ve got a profitable company going forward. This year, they should be turning a profit.

“Then we’ve got to work on shareholder capital going in: to keep it as a co-operative we’ve got to have that.

“Then the rationalisation within the company. So, taking a big axe to a lot of costs within the company.”

Anderson said a lot of rationalisation could happen without closing more plants (in addition to Smithfield which was closed last year) but the big thing was to try to keep all the plants full.

Farmers needed to support the company with throughput.

Anderson said more details of the counter proposal would come out about the time of the first of the roadshow meetings.

“We are working on something and whether we can achieve it or not, it’s going to be interesting.”

“We are working on something and whether we can achieve it or not, it’s going to be interesting.”

The Dawn Meats proposal, like Silver Fern Farms with Shanghai Maling, represented money up front for shareholders but Anderson said they “ought to stop and think for five minutes.”

“If the shareholders don’t think about what they’re doing, we’re going to lose the only farmer owned co-operative meatworks in New Zealand. And in 10 years’ time, we could be regretting it.

“So how do you sell that to young people? I’m not sure. But we’re trying.”

The roadshow begins in Southland on September 29 and will work its way northwards with up to three meetings a day for about two weeks. A vote on the Dawn Meats proposal will then be conducted at a Special General

Meeting in October.

Alliance says chair Mark Wynne and chief executive Willie Wiese will attend the roadshow meetings to provide more details on the proposed deal.

“We encourage all shareholders to attend one of the roadshow meetings,” said Wynne.

“This is an important opportunity to hear directly from the company, ask questions and gain a clear understanding of the proposed investment partnership.”

Shareholders can also expect to receive a Scheme Booklet and accompanying information in the coming weeks.

Alliance is advising famers to register for the roadshow meetings to ensure admittance, as some venues have capacity limits.

Alliance chair Mark Wynne is urging shareholders to attend the roadshow meetings.

Call to throw out freshwater rules

FARMERS WANT the Government to scrap controversial freshwater rules that “put river spirits and ideology ahead of practical water use”, says Federated Farmers board member Mark Hooper.

“We

welcomed the Government’s commitment last year to fix unworkable, expensive freshwater rules – but they need to do the job properly.”

The rules – known as Te Mana o te Wai – have created huge consenting problems for farmers, councils and communities alike, says Hooper.

“The concept of Te Mana o te Wai will require local councils to regulate vague spiritual concepts like the ‘life force’ of water, causing untold issues around the country,” he says.

“I’ve never met a farmer who didn’t care about improving freshwater quality, or want to play their part, but this is getting out of control. The rules are totally unworkable.”

Te Mana o te Wai requires councils to regulate not just measurable standards like water clarity, fish life, or E. coli, but also concepts such as the ‘mana’ or ‘mauri’ of water.

Hooper says legislating for vague and undefined spiritual concepts that most New Zealanders don’t even subscribe to will only lead to confusion, inconsistency, and unnecessary costs.

“That’s why Federated Farmers is standing up, putting a stake in the ground, and calling on the Government to unequivocally rule out the concept of Te Mana o Te Wai.”

He says the Government must replace Te Mana o te Wai with plain-language law that is clear, certain and enforceable.

He says trying to regulate intangibles like a river’s life force raises huge questions about who decides when that life force is protected.

“If we’re measuring clarity or nitrogen levels, that’s straightforward because we can ask an ecologist to test it and, if needed, get another expert to peer review it.

“But how on earth do we determine when the ‘mauri’ of a river is protected?”

The answer, in many cases, has been to hand

that responsibility to local mana whenua – iwi and hapū with historical association to a waterway.

Hooper says this will, in effect, just grant mana whenua a monopoly on deciding what is, or isn’t, allowed to happen in New Zealand.

“We’ve seen examples where mana whenua groups say mixing two water bodies, like a water race does, may reduce mauri because it mixes two river spirits together.

“We’ve also seen claims that any discharge of treated wastewater into a waterway, despite being scientifically clean, would reduce mauri too.

“These blanket requirements pose a significant barrier to

rational and open debate when one group’s beliefs can override the needs of an entire community.”

According to the Feds, Te Mana o te Wai was embedded in regulations first passed under National in 2017 and was made even more complicated by Labour’s 2020 freshwater reforms.

Hooper says farmers and rural communities across New Zealand have had enough of the uncertainty and unnecessary costs it has created.

“We welcomed the Government’s commitment last year to fix unworkable, expensive freshwater rules – but they need to do the job properly.

“A decision on Te Mana o te Wai is due soon but, of the three different options the Government has floated, only one of them fully repeals Te Mana o te Wai.”

Federated Farmers believes the only way forward is to repeal the rules and replace them with clear, science-based standards.

“New Zealand needs fair and practical environmental limits that everyone can easily understand and work with,” Hooper says.

“That’s just not possible while the concept of Te Mana o te Wai sits at the heart of our national freshwater laws.”

IN BRIEF

WINE BOSS TO RETIRE

NEW ZEALAND Winegrowers chief executive Philip Gregan has announced his plans to retire in June 2026, marking 43 years of service to the New Zealand wine industry.

Gregan commenced his career in the industry in 1983, fresh out of university. He joined the Wine Institute as the organisation’s Research Officer. He was appointed CEO of the Wine Institute, playing an integral role in New Zealand wine’s international trade negotiations, which resulted in the formation of the World Wine Trade Group. In 2002, the Wine Institute merged with the Grape Growers Council to form New Zealand Winegrowers Inc, and Philip was appointed CEO of the new organisation.

“There have been many highlights over the years, but without doubt, the biggest highlight has been the privilege of working with and for our brilliant growers and winemakers,” he says.

“Their passionate commitment to everything that New Zealand wine stands for continues to inspire me. It has been a privilege to work on behalf of the wine industry for so long. I look forward to handing over to my successor so they can help the industry further build its reputation and global success in the years ahead.”

SHADBOLT ELECTED

ACADEMIC AND former Fonterra director Nicola Shadbolt has been elected as LIC director. Shadbolt beat two other candidates – Kevin Argyle and Pamela Storey – and joined the co-operative’s board at its annual meeting last week. LIC shareholders also approved a resolution to increase the remuneration of LIC chair and board members – 75% voted for the resolution while 25% opposed it.

Shareholders also approved the appointment of Hamish Rumbold and Blair O’Keeffe as appointed directors.

POLITICAL STUNT

FEDERATED FARMERS say Environment Canterbury’s decision to declare a ‘nitrate emergency’ is a shameless political stunt that won’t help anyone.

“It’s incredibly disappointing to see Environment Canterbury (ECan) playing these kinds of petty political games,” says Federated Farmers vice president Colin Hurst.

“Declaring a nitrate emergency isn’t helpful or constructive. All it will do is create unnecessary panic and drive a wedge between our urban and rural communities.

“I think most reasonable Cantabrians will see the declaration for what it is: a cynical and alarmist stunt from a group of councillors trying to score points during the local body elections.”

Federated Farmers board member Mark Hooper says freshwater rules are creating consenting problems for farmers, councils and communities alike.

Forestry’s costly threat to neighbouring farmers

‘As

FARMERS WHO find the land next to them is about to be converted into forestry, face potential damage and costly consequences.

That’s the message from Bruce Wills, former president of Federated Farmers and successful businessmen, who says he personally knows what’s ahead of these farmers and they may not know what is coming their way. He says he lived with the situation for many decades on his farm, Trelinnoe Station, on state highway 5 just north of Napier. The property was famous for its beautiful garden as well as its farming operation, but the beauty was constantly under threat from the surrounding forestry.

farmers need to be prepared to deal with what will be in store for them.”

“We were an island of grass surrounded by trees. We had four commercial pine tree neighbours and then DOC,” he told Rural News

“The forest gives our pest animals shade and shelter during the day then at night they come streaming out onto any open pasture and consume the grass that we have carefully grown at

a cost for our own stock,” he says.

Wills says pine trees would fall and break fences and as well as the damage, it made it easier for the red deer to stroll onto his pastures and devour

CARBON FARMING ‘KILLS COMMUNITIES’

CARBON FARMING

is threatening the economy of the central North Island, according to Federated Farmers Whanganui president Ben Fraser.

He warns that whole communities are at risk unless it is stopped.

Fraser says farming plays a huge role in the economy of the region but, increasingly, productive sheep farming is being turned in permanent pine trees.

He wants the Government to urgently close loopholes and

strengthen rules to stop carbon forestry conversions on productive sheep country. He says farming is a big income earner for the region, generating jobs right across the community, but points out that increasingly sheep are being displaced on productive land by permanent pine trees. He says this a huge concern for those who live rurally, but it’s equally concerning for those who live in town.

“At the end of the day, we’re all one community,

supporting the same local economy. Lock-upand-leave pine forests just aren’t going to generate the same level of economic activity. They may create carbon credits, but they don’t create jobs. We at Feds are highly critical of the Government’s proposed carbon forestry rules, and we say they don’t go anywhere near far enough to be effective,” he says.

Fraser says the Government’s proposal is to cap the amount of farmland that can

be registered in the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) at 25%.

But he says that limit applies only to land use capability (LUC) classes 1 to 5 – the land least likely to be targeted for carbon farming in the first place.

“Only 12% of recent whole-farm conversations to carbon forestry have actually happened on land classes 1 to 5 anyway, so it’s not really a solution at all. The remaining 88% have happened on land classes 6 and 7, which also happens to be the land

the grass. The other problem was an increase in possum numbers which also came out of the forest and had the potential to cause an outbreak of bovine TB. He adds there was also the constant risk of forest fire which again can have disastrous consequences for a neighbouring farmer.

“Farmers live on their place 24/7, unlike the forestry people who generally don’t work on the weekend or public holidays, and trying to get them to fix the fences their trees broke down was impossible. Some of the owners were overseas and just not interested in our problems, so in the end we just gave up. The result was it cost us thousands of dollars repairing the fences ourselves, and dealing with the other problems forestry caused,” he says.

Wills says having a forestry owner

where most of our sheep and beef farms operate,” he says.

Fraser says LUC is a tool designed for determining the land’s capability and it’s been used to set rules and limits, but points out that capability is often confused with productivity. He says it’s productive sheepbreeding country that’s critical in NZ’s farming and food production system.

“If productive sheep and beef farms continue to be replaced by

for a neighbour is way different from having another farmer whom you know and who is part of the local community. He says forestry people are seldom part of the local community. He says basically a gang comes in and plants the pine trees and it’s often years before there is any contact with the owner of a forestry block.

Wills says the widespread advent of carbon farming next to their pastoral block is a challenge that many farmers would not have given much thought to.

“As forestry conversions continue, the problem is going to get worse and farmers need to be prepared to deal with what will be in store for them,” he says.

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permanent pine forests, soon we’ll be bartering pinecones for a new pair of boots,” he says.

Fraser says that class 6 and 7 land is far from barren or marginal, rather it’s the picturesque hill country that features on postcards, calendars and TV shows such as Country Calendar which celebrate NZ farming life.

“This is the landscape many Kiwis are most proud of – the classic sheep and beef hill country that defines our rural identity,” he says.

According to Fraser, the impacts of carbon forestry on the Central North Island can already be clearly seen in places like Taumarunui, where local communities, rural schools and businesses have been decimated.

“I would hate to see the same thing happen to Taihape or Whanganui.

Once that land’s planted in pine trees for carbon forestry, it’s gone for good and never coming back. Is that really the future we want for our country?”

– Peter Burke

Bruce Wills

The go-to product for spring growth

SUPERPHOSPHATE IS still the go-to product for New Zealand farmers looking for spring growth, says Mike White, Ravensdown’s head of product and service development.

White says he is often asked what is “the next thing” after superphosphate but he always responds that plants and pastures have not fundamentally changed in the way they take up nutrients.

It works, it is price competitive, and it is flexible in how farmers can use it, he says.

“Superphosphate has the two things that farmers need at this time of year - phosphorus and sulphur as sulphate, which is immediately available for plant uptake,” White told Rural News

White said that what differentiated the New Zealand pastoral system from others is our predominately mixed swards of ryegrass and clover. Because it fixed atmospheric nitrogen, clover was the nitrogen engine of our pastures. Promoting pasture was therefore about promoting clover, and superphosphate was the “really appropriate” fertiliser for doing that.

He said some alternative products have only a little sulphur, or elemental sulphur that must first be converted in the soil to sulphate before the clover can utilise it. Sulphur is already in sulphate form in superphosphate, so spring application gives results in that season’s growth.

Research showed that applying phosphorus

and sulphate together delivered “more than the sum of its parts”, with growth responses better than when applied separately, said White.

Decades of New Zealand research had given farmers confidence about timing, rates, and responses. Modern precision practices and technology such as soil testing and GPS-enabled spreading allow farmers to match application rates to stocking pressures, soil types, and seasons.

With increased understanding of how best to use it, our use of superphosphate was more sophisticated now, but the product was as relevant to modern New Zealand farming as it was to our farming grandparents.

“Its ingredients are the nutrient bedrock

of all farming. Some products disappear with age. Superphosphate has appeared even better.”

White said global market conditions also worked in superphosphate’s favour.

It was cheaper to import the raw materials and manufacture here than to bring in finished products, and local manufacture also

improves supply chain resilience.

The alternative product DAP (DiAmmonium Phosphate) was made overseas and was prone to more volatile pricing, swinging up to 74% above the 10-year average price, compared to price swings of only 37% for superphosphate.

Over the last 10 years phosphorus derived from Ravensdown’s superphosphate worked out at 11% cheaper than phosphorous derived from DAP, said White.

A major difference is that DAP includes nitrogen as well, albeit at a fixed ratio. White said that could be appropriate when planting a crop that wants nitrogen as a starter.

“So, certainly we sell it, because it has a place in the market, and it also

has a place if someone’s looking for a fixed ratio nitrogen product.”

But where superphosphate differentiated itself was that it allowed the farmer to apply nitrogen separately at more appropriate rates. New technologies around Precision Ag let them apply “the right product, in the right place, and the right amount,” he said.

“You can look at the areas of your farm where it makes sense to do a nitrogen application. You can just specifically target those areas.”

White said it was not only about targeting spatially but also targeting on timing.

“The application of P may not necessarily be the best time for an N application as well, so that gives you that leeway.”

However, Ravensdown also had an own branded product, Flexi N, which is nitrogen coated with magnesium. That allowed it to be applied with superphosphate for those times and areas where it was appropriate to apply the two together.

Meanwhile, New Zealand soil fertility has been built up over decades, so superphosphate is mostly now used as a maintenance fertiliser to replace the nutrients used up in production. However, applications may have been reduced during the last few years of lean income experienced by sheep and beef farmers, so soil fertility would have suffered. Now may be the time for catch-up applications, said White.

NIGEL MALTHUS

Mike White, Ravensdown’s head of product and service development.

Options for Fonterra farmers

A WINDFALL of billions of dollars is good news for the agricultural sector and the economy in general, following the sale of Fonterra’s global consumer businesses.

But financial services provider Findex says that farmers may not reinvest the payout quite as one might expect.

“The sale of parts of Fonterra to Lactalis for $3.845 billion raises the issue of where that capital injection to the cooperative members might be applied,” says Findex Wealth Management partner Craig Smith.

“As is the case with anyone’s funds, the answer varies based on individual circumstances. However, we’re seeing sentiment turning away from putting that money straight back into the land that produced the payout.”

The deal between Fonterra and Lactalis represents a significant financial event for Fonterra shareholders, a substantial number of whom are New Zealand dairy farmers.

The transaction could potentially increase to $4.22 billion (with the inclusion of Bega licences) and is expected to result in a tax-free capital return of $2 per share. This dividend accrues to shareholders including around 10,000 farmers who are in line to receive a share of approximately $3.2 billion.

“That’s obviously an enormous boost for farmers and regional communities,” Smith notes. “For instance, a farm producing 100,000 milksolids annually could see a $200,000 payout, with most farmers

potentially receiving $100,000 to $1,000,000 as a capital injection.”

Smith combines the capital injection with observations from the field, which indicates farmers reaching the end of their tether.

“We’re seeing growing negative sentiment from dairy clients turning away from buying more land, reinvesting in their properties and doubling down into farming after a challenging decade on a number of fronts,” he says.

Instead, Smith says there is an apparent appetite for other investments and a move towards diversification.

Cash, of course, provides the ultimate flexibility, and there is no shortage of options available to the “capital flush”. Strategies can include:

• Diversified investments: Farmers can consider diversifying beyond dairy, with multiple instruments available, including equities (share) markets, bonds, managed funds, commercial property or other vehicles. Smith says selections rest on risk appetite and goals. “This helps reduce the highly concentrated risk faced when farmers have all assets and income tied into the farm, a commodity driven business prone

to large profitability fluctuations.”

• Farm succession: Individual capital injections may be significant enough to facilitate succession or co-investment plans while providing for the previous generation’s retirement. “The monies could allow for a structured transition of farm ownership or management to the next generation or other parties, ensuring the retiring farmers have a secure financial future independent of daily farm operations,” says Smith.

• Supporting ventures outside farming: The capital presents an opportunity for supporting family members in their personal ambitions. “Not all the children of dairy farmers want

National is the Party That Backs Farmers

to go into farming. The capital can support their entrepreneurial or career aspirations in other sectors, fostering family wealth across diverse fields, leaving rural income and assets supporting the farmer and their own retirement,” notes Smith.

• Debt reduction: Retiring existing debt provides immediate financial relief, improves resilience against future milk price volatility, and reduces exposure to rising interest rates.

• Farm investment:

While the obvious path isn’t necessarily the strongest, it remains an option, says Smith. “Reinvesting into the farm infrastructure, technology, or sustainability measures increases long-term efficiency, profitability, and reduces future costs. It is therefore still an important option for many farmers.”

Where Smith’s view is firm, is that the windfall is welcomed by the nation’s rural communities. “It has unquestionably been a tough decade, so the monetary relief is palpable. Farmers now have options to leverage and improve their circumstances, and as always, the decisions ahead require close assessment of potential returns.”

Smith adds that as these discussions and decisions routinely involve the entire/ wider family, they can be improved with an impartial facilitator providing financial knowledge, metrics and advice.

Findex Wealth Management partner Craig Smith.

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Lab manager wins young grower title

THE 2025 Young Grower of the Year, Phoebe Scherer, says competing with other finalists felt more like being among friends.

“It was a very high calibre field of competitors, and everyone did so well. I could not have asked for a better cohort to have shared such a great experience with,” she says.

“In some ways, it didn’t feel as if we were competing because we were all so supportive of one another – it was more like being among friends, all going out there to take on the challenges and do our very best.

“Thank you to the organisers - a big shout out to Horticulture New Zealand (HortNZ) - to the sponsors and all the people who are part of

making Young Grower such a great event.”

Scherer, technical lab manager at Apata in Tauranga, is also the Bay of Plenty regional champion. She competed against six other regional winners in a series of challenges at Lincoln University in Christchurch on September 10-11.

Scherer says she thoroughly enjoyed stepping up to the many challenges.

“The science and

technical modules were my ‘safe space’ but others I found much more challenging, particularly the machinery section. We had to drive a big tractor along a GPS line.

It was the biggest piece of equipment I have ever

stepped into but we were very well supported.”

Scherer gained an evolutionary biology degree and did an OE before taking a job in the kiwifruit industry in Tauranga seven years ago.

That led to a

HAPPY RUNNER-UP

RUNNER-UP Steven Rink, the production manager of Oakley’s Premium Fresh Vegetables, Southbridge is originally from Cape Town, South Africa and studied conservation ecology at the University of Stellenbosch. He came to New Zealand in December, 2019, for what was intended to be a gap year, until he found himself “pleasantly locked down” because of Covid.

“I ended up at Oakley’s Vegetables, got stuck in there, hands-on, and learnt everything I know there,” he told Rural News. His plans to continue travelling fell by the way, and Rink is now

laboratory job and ongoing career progression. She joined Apata, a specialist service provider for New Zealand kiwifruit and avocado growers, last year.

The Young Grower competition celebrates

settled with a long-term partner, and “very happy where I am.”

“I am enjoying the opportunities that I had, the knowledge I was learning, the growth that I was experiencing individually and professionally.”

Rink said that when he learned of the Canterbury regional competition, Oakley’s managing director, Robin Oakley, was keen for him to enter because it was his only opportunity because of the age limit.

Not knowing what to expect, Rink said he went in blind but found it a very fun experience with lots of learning.

the success of young people in the industry as well as encouraging others to consider a career in horticulture.

Runner up was Steven Rink, the Canterbury regional champion, who is a production manager for Oakley’s Premium Fresh Vegetables in Southbridge.

Third spot went to Amelia Marsden, representing Nelson, who is a kiwifruit manager at Willisbrook Orchards in Brightwater.

“The key takeaway was that you get pigeonholed in our roles.

“As the production manager, I focus on the on-farm, the tractor driving, the quality of growing the crop, the irrigation.

“Then having to actually sit back, lift your head up and go ‘oh there’s marketing, there’s the business aspect side of it’. Having to do all of that, be exposed to itnot even doing it in real life but just having to start thinking of it - has been fun and awesome.”

Oakley’s staple crops are potatoes, broccoli, pumpkin, beetroots, and some cereals, with the likes of grass seed and peas to complete the rotations. In the interests of diversification they also tried a crop of quinoa last season and will do it again, said Rink.

– Nigel Malthus.

For the Innovation Award, Rink presented a proposal for an AI-integrated chemical shed that monitored everything going in and out to give an up-to-date live inventory. He said he had received a lot of encouragement to make it a reality because keeping track was currently his “Achilles heel” and such a system would be a game changer for the company.

Phoebe Scherer

Global beef production down, cattle prices up

LEO ARGENT

WITH PRODUCTION volumes

contracting in most major beefproducing regions, global cattle prices have continued to rise across recent months.

That’s according to Rabobank’s recently released Q3 Global Beef Quarterly report. It says reductions in production volumes in Europe, New Zealand, Brazil and the US contributed to a 2% fall in global beef production for the first half of 2025, helping to increase global cattle prices through Q2.

While Australia and China saw beef production increases of 10% and 4% for the first half of the year, RaboResearch senior agricultural analyst Jen Corkran said global production was still expected to reduce 3% for 2025.

“Northern hemisphere countries continue to stand out at record prices, but US and Canada prices have moderated in recent weeks, suggesting some of the heat is slightly reducing in this market.

“Meanwhile, prices in southern hemisphere countries continue to increase. Reduced volumes in the North American market, plus a slight

improvement in the Chinese market, have generated stronger demand for southern hemisphere beef suppliersand we’re continuing to see this strong demand flow through to cattle prices.”

Brazilian beef exports to the US through July 2025 were 94% higher than the same period last year, partly due to the latest round of US tariffsannounced July 31 but not implemented until August 6- encouraging Brazilian exporters to frontload volumes before the deadline which brought total tariffs on Brazilian beef to 76.4%.

Nearly a month after, shipments remain strong in a year-over-year comparison through to the fourth week of August 2025, remaining stable even after the tariffs took effect.

Corkran said projections of rising live cattle prices in Brazil may explain the current appetite from American importers for Brazilian beef.

“US imports from Brazil may drop an estimated 10,000 metric tonnes (mt) to 15,000mt per month as we progress through the remainder of the year. Coincidentally or not, the tariffs came into effect at the end of the US domestic peak consumption period from May to August. This timing may also see reduced demand from US

buyers of Brazilian exports.”

“August saw the announcement of a 15% tariff on NZ beef entering the US. As Australian beef continues to face only a 10% tariff, this poses a competitive challenge. Nonetheless, strong US demand for NZ lean trimmings supports a positive outlook for farmgate prices in the second half of 2025.”

The US remains New Zealand’s leading market, absorbing 40% of total volume whilst China accounted for 24%. Canada saw a 54% Q2 yearon-year volume increase to 11,345mt.

Following what was a steady Q1 performance, New Zealand’s Q2 beef production saw volume dropping 16.6% year-on-year to 177,000mt. Given limited cattle availability across the country, Corkran said the decline aligns with expectations.

“NZ Meat Board data shows national cattle slaughter fell 15% in head count year-on-year, totalling just over 700,000 head compared to more than 840,000 head in Q2 2024.

“The breakdown reveals a 14% drop in bull beef, a 15% decline in cull cow numbers and a significant 20% reduction in steer slaughter.”

Looking ahead, Q3 production is

forecast to reach just under 118,000mt, representing a further 5% decline.

Corkran said that RaboResearch maintains its full-year outlook of a 4% to 5% year-on-year drop in total beef slaughter numbers.

“Final production volumes will hinge on pasture conditions through spring and average carcass weights during the lower-volume quarter period. New Zealand is expected to process fewer bobby calves this year, which will increase beef production in

two years’ time.”

In line with reduced production, New Zealand’s total beef export volume fell 11% year-on-year Q2 2025, to 129,670 metric tons. Despite this, export values increased 7% to $1.432 billion, driven by strong global demand and firmer pricing.

The quarter also included a new record average export value of $11.17/ kg Free On Board (FOB) in April, followed by a new $11.20/kg FOB in July.

Global beef production down, cattle prices up

LEO ARGENT

WITH PRODUCTION volumes

contracting in most major beefproducing regions, global cattle prices have continued to rise across recent months.

“Northern hemisphere countries continue to stand out at record prices, but US and Canada prices have moderated in recent weeks, suggesting some of the heat is slightly reducing in this market.

“Meanwhile, prices in southern hemisphere countries continue to increase. Reduced volumes in the North American market, plus a slight

improvement in the Chinese market, have generated stronger demand for southern hemisphere beef suppliersand we’re continuing to see this strong demand flow through to cattle prices.”

Nearly a month after, shipments remain strong in a year-over-year comparison through to the fourth week of August 2025, remaining stable even after the tariffs took effect.

Corkran said projections of rising live cattle prices in Brazil may explain the current appetite from American importers for Brazilian beef.

buyers of Brazilian exports.”

The US remains New Zealand’s leading market, absorbing 40% of total volume whilst China accounted for 24%. Canada saw a 54% Q2 yearon-year volume increase to 11,345mt.

“NZ Meat Board data shows national cattle slaughter fell 15% in head count year-on-year, totalling just over 700,000 head compared to more than 840,000 head in Q2 2024.

“The breakdown reveals a 14% drop in bull beef, a 15% decline in cull cow numbers and a significant 20% reduction in steer slaughter.”

Looking ahead, Q3 production is

RaboResearch

forecast to reach just under 118,000mt, representing a further 5% decline.

Corkran said that RaboResearch maintains its full-year outlook of a 4% to 5% year-on-year drop in total beef slaughter numbers.

two years’ time.”

The quarter also included a new record average export value of $11.17/ kg Free On Board (FOB) in April, followed by a new $11.20/kg FOB in July.

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Solar panels in paddocksweighing up the options

Many farmers have invested in solar energy for dairy sheds or houses, but little hard data exists on the viability of solar panels in open paddocks or the loss of drymatter this may cause. Massey University scientist Dr Sam Wilson is conducting research to get more information about this. Rural News reporter Peter Burke went to investigate.

FOR A start, let’s be clear. This is not about measuring the financial returns of any solar power generated by the panels.

The focus is on pasture growth – losses and gains due to the light and rain shadows caused by the panels. Also, the trial involves sheep only, not cattle.

On two small paddocks adjacent to the main Palmerston North Massey campus, Wilson’s research team has set up five look-a-like solar panels. Look-a-like because they are not real panels, they are made of iron, but are made to the exact dimensions of normal panels that would be placed in a paddock. They face north to get the maximum sunlight and are spaced three metres apart – the same as if they were normal solar panels. One paddock is the ‘control paddock’ with no panels so a comparison between the two situations can easily be drawn.

The paddock with the panels in it contains a huge range of datagathering devices that measure, rainfall, wind, light, soil moisture and temperature and these are placed strategically under, around and outside the panels. There are also small ‘cages’ over the grass in similar strategic locations to capture any differences.

Wilson began the project just on a year ago and some preliminary results have come through, but he says they plan for at least another year of trials to ensure the validity of the data.

“In a previous pilot study we did in Taranaki we found there was an 84% reduction in pasture growth under the panels but a 38% increase between the panels. This

site is aimed at putting more explanation around why those differences were occurring, hence the extra measuring devices,” he says.

DR SAM Wilson says the panels are in effect creating shelters from wind, rain and sun resulting in a series of ‘microclimates’ at various points around the structures.

Not surprisingly, there is a variation between summer and winter. In winter he says the angle of the sun is lower and this combined with cooler temperatures caused a 25% reduction in pasture growth between the panels.

“But in summer when the sun is higher, about 90% of the light gets through to the middle of panels and there is an increase in pasture growth of around 30%,” he says.

The light loggers placed around and under the panels form an interesting aspect of the research project.

Dr Wilson says this measures photosynthetic active radiation, which is the light that is available for the plants to use.

But in the summer the shading effect of the panels slightly reduces this by about 10%.

“However, this is not a problem because we know that pasture plants don’t necessarily need full sunlight all day to grow at their maximum potential rate, and in fact, if they get too much sunlight, it can be harmful. So, 90% availability of sunlight caused by the shading is likely closer to the optimum level for the pasture to grow, particularly in summer,” he says.

This effect, along with the extra water that this area receives from rain running off the panels,

are the most likely drivers for the extra growth in summer.

One of the first things that strikes you when walk into the paddock with the panels is the bare patches underneath them, clearly caused by the lack of rain and sunlight, but it isn’t entirely all bad news.

Sam Wilson says, during lambing, the shelter provided by the panels is great for the lambs. He says it protects them from wind, which can be a major cause of lamb losses, is dry and warm and allows the ewe to leave her lamb under the solar panel and feed herself.

So, in the end, it all becomes something of a trade-off. Probably a lower stocking rate may be offset by benefits during lamb with shelter and seeing how the various microclimates perform in terms of pasture growth. He says there is an obvious loss of pasture growth in winter, but a potential gain in summer.

Other research on the use of solar panels is being done at Lincoln University and there are extensive studies being done in Europe and there is some work being done in Australia. Wilson says in Europe they are looking at planting arable crops between the panels which are spaced wide enough for a combine harvester to get through.

He says in a couple of years’ time, similar trials may be done in NZ. The aim he stresses is to give farmers some hard data on which to base their decisions around installing solar panels, rather than relying on anecdotal evidence.

Glenview Romneys

Bred for high performance and ‘cast iron’ constitution

We deliberately challenge our Romneys by farming them on unfertilised native hill country in order to provide the maximum selection pressure and expose ‘soft’ sheep.

GROWTH RATE & SURVIVAL

Over the last 20 years ewes (including 2ths) have scanned between 185% and 210% despite droughts.

Over the same period weaning weights (adj. 100 days) have exceeded 36kg from a lambing % consistently above 150%.

• All sheep DNA and SIL recorded.

• Ram hoggets have been eye muscle scanned since 1996. IMF scanned since 2023.

• Ewe hoggets have been mated (to Romney sires) for over 20 years.

• Breeding programme puts an emphasis on worm resilience - lambs drenched only once prior to autumn. FE tolerance introduced more recently.

• Scored for dags and feet shape. Sires DNA rated for footrot and cold tolerance.

• We are ‘hands on’ breeders with a focus on detail and quality.

• We take an uncompromising approach - sheep must constantly measure up.

Massey University scientist Dr Sam Wilson says the solar panel project’s focus is on pasture growth.

Halter eyes beef market

NESTLED IN Waikite Valley in Rotorua, Stokman Angus is one of the first beef farms in New Zealand to try virtual fencing technology.

In partnership with Halter, owners Mark and Sherrie Stokman have been using Halter collars on their 456-unit farm – comprising Angus stud cows and commercial Angus cows and yearling bulls.

Stokman Angus holds regular bull sales. In 2024, it sold 115 bulls averaged at $5340/bull with 65 head selling for under $5000. The 380ha effextive farm includes hilly terrain.

At a recent Beef + Lamb New Zealand council meeting and field day on the farm, Mark told farmers that physical fencing can be a barrier to rotational grazing on beef farms. It’s been expensive, labour intensive, and restrictive.

He says they are excited to team with Halter to test the world-leading virtual fencing technology to the beef industry.

Mark says he’s been very impressed

I

with Halter. Pasture is being managed effectively, even on hilly terrain. The technology helps optimise grazing and feed management by providing realtime data and provides a live map of the herd and allows for remote management, giving Stokman Angus more flexibility and control over their cattle.

“It’s so simple to make that virtual fence line, we are grazing to a more consistent residual and getting better regrowth behind. I would say we are saving three hours of labour a day and we are going to get 15kg weaning weight gain,” he says.

“After a tougher summer and a slow autumn to follow, our sale bulls spent a few months on the hills to build up some cover on the flats. Halter was a game changer to be able to graze effectively and evenly over areas we don’t usually run the yearling bulls.

“We definitely can say the team didn’t complain about not having to run reels and standards up and down the hills.”

Mark says he did his homework on Halter and believes a 15kg weaning weight gain on yearling bulls made

“I’m half Dutch and an ex-dairy farmer and we’ve got a big mortgage. I believe you can have whatever you want - if you’re throwing money at it and you make enough off it to make it work well.

“When we first got Halter, I think I calculated that if you’ve got an extra 15kg weaning weight, say at $4 a kilo, there’s $60.

“Well, that’s over 50% of your collar

cost on a yearly basis, so I think that’s quite a return.

“Then when we look at our labour saving, a lot less side-by-side usage, freeing up time block, then as a whole I’m impressed with Halter.”

A Halter representative at the field day told farmers that the beef sector is the focus of the New Zealand company that has now gone global.

“It’s the core of where we see all our growth. a couple of years ago we

really saw value in the beef space,” she said.

“We’ve got a whole team working on the development of the product now and there’s going to be some pretty cool things coming out for our New Zealand beef farmers and also for international beef farmers.”

She says Halter has about 90% of the dairy virtual fencing market in New Zealand and remains the fastest growing provider in the dairy space.

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economic sense.

Mark Stokman (right) and his son Jake speaking at the field day on their farm.

Paris Agreement – in or out?

DEFENDERS OF New Zealand remaining bound to the Paris Agreement typically run the same argument. They do not explain the benefits of remaining bound to Paris, because there are none. At least none that are certain and enduring.

The only one they can muster is the possibility of export trading advantage. But given the international perception of New Zealand as clean, green and world leaders in sustainable emissionsefficient food production, that argument is tenuous. Instead, they prey on our fear. Not of what will happen, but speculation what could happen. This scaremongering led to the widely publicised claim of a loss of $3 per kg on the dairy farmers milk payout if we exited the Paris Agreement. The source of this $3 claim came from a discussion between

one of our industry leaders and a dairy company employee. When we requested evidence backing up this claim, communication ceased.

Another key piece of information defenders of Paris avoid outlining is the costs of being bound by the Paris Agreement. No mention of the $400 million the Government is pouring into agriculture emissions research over the current 4-year period. Or the multiple bureaucracies such as the 50/50 government/private sector AgriZero investing $200 million into speculative methane cures and the Pastoral Greenhouse Gas Research Centre’s $90 million in the last 22 years, and what to show for it? Or the up-to-$24 billion bill that Treasury warned we could face to meet Paris climate targets.

There is also no mention of the opportunity cost of our hundreds of millions of taxpayer’s dol-

lars that would be better utilised helping our ailing health system or desperately needed key infrastructure upgrades.

It is not just financial costs but other costs like loss of productive farms and indigenous biodiversity to pines driven by the Paris Agreement’s flawed myopic focus on emissions to the detriment of other values. Oh, but food production is protected under the Paris Agreement, they say, not reconciling the fact we are losing hundreds of thousands of hectares of food producing land because of the Paris Agreement.

By contrast to the one-sided defenders of Paris, Groundswell NZ acknowledges there are risks either way. However, when considering knowns verses unknowns, the answer is clear. The Paris Agreement as currently written is bad for many countries, not just New Zealand. Bad for farmers,

bad for our economy, bad for our landscapes and environment.

Our politicians need to show some courage and stand up for our country. It is not a ques-

tion of giving Paris the middle finger and doing nothing. It is a question of highlighting to other signatories the significant flaws and unsustainable cost implications of being bound to Paris, while at the same time telling the amazing story of New Zealand farmers environmental journey and how we will continue to lead the world in environmentally sustainable food production, regardless of whether we are in Paris or not.

• Jamie McFadden is Groundswell environment spokesman

Date Location Venue

Tues 23 Sept Napier The Crown Hotel

Wed 24 Sept Taihape Kokako Street Hall

Fri 26 Sept Stratford Stratford TET Stadium

Mon 29 Sept Ashburton St Andrews Presbyterian Church

Tues 30 Sept Kaikoura Donegal House

Wed 1 Oct Westport Westport Bridge Club

Thur 2 Oct Hokitika Hokitika Golf Club

Mon 6 Oct Omarama Omarama Hall

Tues 7 Oct Wedderburn Wedderburn Woolshed

Wed 8 Oct Otautau Otautau Connect

JAMIE MCFADDEN

Signs like these are being put up around the country by Groundswell.

EDITORIAL

New Treeland?

FORESTRY IS not all bad and planting pine trees on land that is prone to erosion or in soils which cannot support livestock farming makes sense.

And yes, production forestry does make a significant contribution to the country, but at what price? Just picture the devastation caused by forestry slash on the East Coast during cyclone Gabrielle.

Also note the comments of former Feds president Bruce Wills – the damage by forests to neighbouring pastoral farms in the form of broken fences, the invasion of pests such as deer and possums and the fire risk. By all accounts many forestry owners go bush when it comes to paying for the damage and cost incurred on their pastoral neighbours.

The other big problem highlighted by Whanganui Feds boss Ben Fraser is deeply worrying. The advent of planting forests for carbon credits provides almost no benefits to local rural communities. ‘Lock up and leave’ is not a bad description of farming for carbon credits because it provides little or no ongoing employment, unlike pastoral farming which offers jobs on farm and employment to a raft of people in the community.

The government claims to be putting the brakes on carbon farming, but they are not doing enough, say farming and community leaders. Drive down just about any country road and you will see large tracts of hill country where once was, and still should be, the home of our ewe flocks producing export lambs, which is now sprouting little or bigger pine trees for what purpose?

The heart of the problem seems to be the misinterpretation of the land use capability (LUC) system, closely followed by a complete lack of common sense and understanding of NZ’s soils and land.

The LUC system is quite prescriptive and inflexible and fails to recognise what the human eye can see in terms of what is the best use of land.

If urgent decisive action is not taken by the government now, Godzone will change from being known as Ewe Zealand to now maybe New Treeland – Peter Burke

HEAD OFFICE POSTAL ADDRESS: PO Box 331100, Takapuna, Auckland 0740

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EDITOR: Sudesh Kissun Ph 021-963 177 sudeshk@ruralnews.co.nz

“What a waste of time - none of them had a clue where Razor’s getting it wrong!”

THE HOUND

Labour’s pains

AFTER A run of bad polls and mixed economic news, PM Christopher Luxon was no doubt hoping for a bit of luck. The Hound doubts the PM expected that luck to arrive wearing a hoodie and posting racist Tik Toks in the wee small hours after having a few.

But Tākuta Ferris might be just the loose cannon Luxon needs as the next election appears over the horizon. Ferris embodies the radical, unfit-for-office image many middle voters have of The Māori Party, which also embodies Labour leader Chris Hipkins’ worst nightmare, because anyone that can count knows Labour will need Te Pati Māori and the Greens to form a viable government. However, Luxon can’t afford to sit back, ironing his suit and waxing his head in anticipation of his victory speech in the election – the poor polls are shouting, “must try harder!”

Drop the Anchor!

A FEW armchair experts have dumped on Fonterra’s $4.22b sale of its consumer business, but the more your old mate reads about it, the more it seems like a smart move. Kiwis feel a surge of pride when they see the old Anchor brand when they’re overseas, but national pride isn’t exactly the last word in financial analysis. A better yardstick is the opinion of the likes of Forsyth Barr senior analyst Matt Montgomerie and analyst Ben Crozier, who refer to the assets sold as “the poor-performing Mainland Group”. They view Fonterra as a “much higher-quality business” without it. The Consumer business has long been a problem area for Fonterra and its return on capital is typically abysmal compared with the co-op’s Foodservice and Ingredients arms. Fonterra’s core strength is clearly milk processing—not branded consumer products.

Costs too high?

THIS OLD mutt is loath to sound like Groundswell has been topping up his bowl with brisket off-cuts, but the ginger group makes a good point about the arguments raised in favour of toeing the Paris Agreement line. From the Government through to the levyfunded lobby groups, they all calmly claim we will be penalised in the market if we drop Paris. Little or no effort is made to verify this claim. “Instead, they prey on fear.” And with their myopic focus on emissions, they never reconcile the fact we are losing hundreds of thousands of hectares of food producing land to pines because of the Paris Agreement. As the ginger group says, it’s not about giving Paris the middle finger and doing nothing, it’s about highlighting to other signatories the significant flaws and unsustainable cost implications of being bound to Paris.

Want to share your opinion or gossip with the Hound? Send your emails to: hound@ruralnews.co.nz

Zero, not hero

IF THE comments about the deceased Tom Phillips posted on social media by keyboard warriors were representative of parenting standards in NZ, your old mate would be worried about our collective future. Fortunately, most Kiwis don’t think a Barry Crump novel (Wild Pork and Watercress) is a good blueprint for parenting and can recognise that taking little kids bush for four years, involving them in crimes and putting a child in danger by starting (and losing) a gun battle with police is not the resume of Dad of the Year. There are no winners in this tragedy, particularly not those three kids, and the efforts of a few to canonise Phillips as some sort of rebel-hero could set a dangerous precedent; nobody wants to see any feral copycats trying this sort of thing ever again.

EDITOR-AT-LARGE: Peter Burke Ph 021 224 2184 peterb@ruralnews.co.nz

REPORTERS: Nigel Malthus Ph 021-164 4258

Leo Argent

MACHINERY EDITOR: Mark Daniel Ph 021 906 723 markd@ruralnews.co.nz

PRODUCTION: Becky Williams Ph 021 100 4381 beckyw@ruralnews.co.nz

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

WAIKATO & WELLINGTON SALES

CONTACT: Lisa Wise Ph 027 369 9218 lisaw@ruralnews.co.nz

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

DIGITAL STRATEGIST: Jessica Marshall Ph 021 0232 6446

Gut feeling or common sense

LAND USE change is to the fore (again) because of headlines indicating the potential for growing rice, expansion of dairying in some regions, and ongoing concerns about carbon farming.

It seems that everybody has an opinion about what should happen in New Zealand, whether that opinion is informed or not.

“The problem is always the unintended consequences of decisions made on opinion”.

The problem is always the unintended consequences of decisions made on opinion. This is the case even when that opinion has been informed by research.

Was the research done on Google? Or did it involve the land under discussion, incorporating food production, environmental impact and economics? Has it considered infrastructure requirements on farm and in local businesses? Labour availability? Or the impact on rural

communities?

Or has the research been informed by scenarios and models, in which case, were the assumptions and constraints appropriate –and were they informed by Google? Or actual research by landbased scientists? How appropriate was that land-based research for the area now under consideration – or were the results from elsewhere extrapolated to the current geographical location?

The difficulty with ‘extrapolation’ is usually why models and scenarios are created in the first place. They are used for exploring or predicting something that can’t yet be measured (what will happen in the future) or is too expensive to do in reality.

It’s complicated.

Which is why sometimes we need gut feeling based on experience, and common sense based on “knowledge, judgement, and taste which is more or less universal and which is held more or less without reflection or argument”.

Where do rice, dairy and pine trees rate in gut feeling and common sense?

COMMENT

Jacqueline Rowarth

Of the three, only one would meet Michael Porter’s criteria of a natural advantage that has been made competitive. Porter states that “Firms can achieve superior profitability by creating greater customer value through cost leadership (lower costs) or differentiation (unique products). A firm possesses a sustainable competitive advantage when it consistently outperforms rivals by operating at a lower cost, commanding a premium price, or both”.

For New Zealand, ‘Firm’ equals Fonterra.

Despite this, New Zealand farmers, rural professionals and policy creators are constantly being urged to do things differently, diversify and generally be more innovative.

Well-meaning as the urging often is, skin

in the game makes a difference. It is attached to risk: the unintended consequence of a new policy can destabilise a business.

Last year, the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment (PCE) released a report (Going with the Grain) in which he identified four critical problems and some practical solutions. Considerable research underpinned the report, and the PCE’s aim was to make practical suggestions for managing land use change to meet environmental bottom lines. He also acknowledged that many of the environmental impacts of land use are difficult to measure, do not respect property boundaries and make attribution challenging.

His main suggestion was that New Zealand must take an integrated approach to environmental management (catchments rather than individual properties).

This is occurring in some areas.

Funding was central in the PCE’s report, as it was in the 2025 ASB-funded report ‘Future Land Use in New Zealand’ from

Lincoln University’s Centre of Excellence in Transformative Agribusiness. Lincoln’s report also emphasised the importance of a shift to optimising land use rather that farm systems – integration –noting that the scenarios developed in the Lincoln report acknowledged that dairy is one of the higher value land uses in New Zealand (while also highlighting the associated environmental impact).

Dairy expansion is responding to market forces.

When people want a product, they pay. Increasingly it is being recognised that animal protein feeds more people for lower environmental impact than plant sources can achieve. Plants are important for fibre,

vitamins, polyphenols and deliciousness (and kiwifruit expansion is occurring) – but they can’t provide the essential amino acids in the same efficient ratios as animal protein. And animal protein supplies nutrients other than protein, such as fats, calcium and iron, and deliciousness, as well.

The difficulty with policies that don’t take market forces into account is that there is an opportunity cost. Overseas the opportunity cost has been offset by ‘producer support mechanisms’ also known as subsidies. The problem is that current society doesn’t want to be paying subsidies, but nor do people want to pay more for food.

When a comparative advantage has been turned into a competitive

advantage, a product can be produced efficiently –and in the case of ‘grassfed’ attract premium markets as well. Part of the requirements from premium markets is a goal of minimising environmental impact.

The role of science – from the new Public Research Organisations, the universities and the levy bodies – remains at the core of being able to maintain the economy and the environment – production and protection.

Gut reaction? It’s common sense.

• Dr Jacqueline Rowarth, Adjunct Professor Lincoln University, is a farmerelected director of DairyNZ and Ravensdown. She is also a member of the Scientific Council of the World Farmers’ Organisation. jsrowarth@ gmail.com

The Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment suggests an integrated approach to environmental managementcatchments rather than individual properties.

Should Fonterra sell its consumer arm?

MURRAY GOUGH

AS CEO of the Dairy Board in the 1980s I was fortunate to work with a team of experienced and capable executives who made most of the brand investments that created the international consumer business

Fonterra inherited.

Soprole in Chile was the largest, but there were more than 20 countries where consumer marketing companies were established and Anchor and other brands were successfully launched.

The prime motivation at the time for those

investments was not, as many today think, profit and added value. It was to create more secure outlets for New Zealand’s milk; those were the days of butter mountains and dumping and loss of the UK market. New outlets had to be found quickly, and branded consumer products were a much

more reliable ongoing sales opportunity than commodity tenders in places like Algeria and Venezuela.

The brand businesses needed to operate profitably, but the benchmark was the return from selling the same amount of milksolids into crowded – and at times

barely existent – bulk markets.

It was always envisaged that the brand businesses would in time become increasingly valuable, but for many years it was their value as a secure outlet for milk that mattered most.

Fortunately for New Zealand, the GATT Uruguay Round put a stop to European and American surplus mountains and dumping, and in the course of the 1990s and since, world demand for dairy products has steadily grown. World prices have increased to reflect the true cost of production – and production cost is where New Zealand has an ongoing advantage.

The need to own consumer businesses to move our milk no longer exists. There is no difficulty now in selling all we can produce at good prices. And there are also many opportunities to add value in food service and specialised ingredient products. The only justification for Fonterra to continue to own and invest in consumer brands is if it can achieve an attractive return on the capital invested. And sadly that is not the case.

Fonterra was formed more than 20 years ago and over that time it has struggled to achieve an acceptable return on capital in its consumer businesses. Some decisions such as the investments in China have resulted in very substantial losses.

There are clear reasons why Fonterra has found it too difficult:

• Standard high volume food products such as butter and cheese and milk powder are intensely competitive and don’t offer significant brand margins. In most countries the market is dominated by two or three large and very capably managed brands

whose owners work extremely hard to ensure other suppliers struggle to survive.

• Every one of the world’s major dairy brand marketers has a huge domestic market in which to develop and test products and management expertise –New Zealand’s domestic market is simply too small to do that.

• Fonterra would need to be able to recruit highly capable and experienced international brand marketing executives, and have a board of directors experienced in governing a global consumer business –neither has been, or is likely to be, available in New Zealand. We are too remote and our domestic market is too small. New Zealand has had some international business successes, particularly where technology is a factor (such as Fisher and Paykel Healthcare), but we have very limited experience in managing business networks beyond our border.

Fonterra’s decision to sell has been based on what it thinks is best for its shareholders –and the absolute priority for them is the highest achievable return for their milk. It could only sensibly continue to own a branded consumer business if it expected to earn a sound return on the capital invested – and that isn’t the case.

After many years of trying, it should surprise no one that Fonterra has decided to sell, and to focus its energy on opportunities where New Zealand does have the skills and experience to expect to manage successfully.

• Murray Gough was the chief executive of the New Zealand Dairy Board from

Rural professionals helping farmers, growers as digital connection grows

JO FINER

THE POTENTIAL for technology to transform the way farms operate and perform in New Zealand and globally is immense and the agritech revolution is well underway.

And that’s before you take into account the wealth of opportunities for the sector being opened up by artificial intelligence (AI).

“The agriculture sector has changed very significantly since then and our profession has evolved to meet those changing needs.”

However, change doesn’t come easily to everyone, and many farmers and growers encounter challenges with adoption. That may be due to uncertainty about return on investment, concerns about compatibility with existing systems, or lack of digital literacy.

Increasingly, a key contribution of farm advisors and rural professionals is the ability to translate emerging technologies into practical, farmready applications.

This was very much a topic of conversation at our recent conference where it was also agreed that our organisation’s name would change to the Institute of Rural Professionals. Our new name better reflects the wide-ranging services and advice our members are providing to farmers and growers. The professional membership body was first incorporated in 1969 as the NZ Society of Farm Management and

in 1999 the name was changed to the NZ Institute of Primary Industry Management.

The agriculture sector has changed very significantly since then and our profession has evolved to meet those changing needs. That change includes a deep commitment to promoting technology uptake and supporting innovation across the primary sector.

As farms become more digitally connected, rural professionals equipped with the skills to identify appropriate tech and discern data quality are playing an increasingly critical role in helping farmers and growers to unlock insights from the tools available, improve productivity and meet sustainability goals.

To support this, and to build capability in data-driven decisionmaking, the Institute is introducing a tailored data science course into our programme of professional development for our rural professional members.

Data based decision-making will become ever more important. The benefits of agritech are increasingly evident across New Zealand’s agricultural landscape. For example, precision irrigation, drone-based crop monitoring, wearable sensors and automated machinery, all of which are enhancing productivity, reducing environmental impact and improving animal welfare.

AI-powered platforms can analyse vast datasets. The output is absolutely transformational and rural professionals are playing a pivotal role in driving the uptake of this everadvancing technology.

Farm advisors with a deep understanding of local farming systems combined with expertise in relevant technologies are well positioned to help farmers and growers navigate this brave new world and identify and make use of the opportunities available to them

• High Flow

• Compact/Robust

• New Pilot Flow Filter

• Side/Bottom Mount

• Detach to Clean

– acting not only as trusted advisors, but also connectors to tech solutions and catalysts for innovation.

They can guide clients through the complexities of adopting agritech solutions and AI, providing training and troubleshooting, and ensuring their clients gain confidence and competence in using new tools.

They can offer tailored advice, demonstrate value through benchmarking, provide support in assessing farm-specific needs, recommend appropriate technologies and support implementation. Additionally, they can facilitate peerto-peer learning via field days and discussion groups.

Through collaborating with research institutions and agritech

developers, rural professionals also have a role to play in shaping the development of agri technology to ensure it is relevant to New Zealand systems and accessible. In his 2024 report Redefining Excellence in Agribusiness Advisory, Nuffield Scholar James Allen explored the evolving role of rural advisors in response to rapid changes in farming systems, technology and societal expectations. His report emphasises that while technology may replace some technical functions, the advisor’s value will increasingly lie in their ability to relate, challenge, motivate, coach and inspire. In essence, to bridge the digital divide.

By supporting farmers and growers to be at the leading edge of

efficiency gains through technology, and by embracing and promoting its uptake, our rural professionals will be helping to ensure New Zealand agriculture retains its significant role in global food production.

As New Zealand aims to double our export value and meet climate targets, rural professionals can help expand tech reach through fostering innovation, championing agritech, and building trust in the tools, empowering farmers to futureproof their operations and contribute to a resilient high performing agricultural sector.

• Jo Finer is chief executive, the Institute of Rural Professionals (formerly NZ Institute of Primary Industry Management)

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The Institute of Rural Professionals chief executive Jo Finer.

Treat your animals this summer

KATHY DAVIS

SOW THE right chicory this spring, and even if the season turns dry, you’ll still be able to give your animals leafy green summer grazing that’s good for both them and your bottom line.

It’s all to do with fast establishment, high yield and a deep tap root that keeps 501 Chicory lush and green when grasses turn brown.

Your animals will thank you, and you’ll sleep better at night, knowing carbon-efficient homegrown feed is more profitable than supplement, and kinder to the environment.

Irresistible eating

Animals love 501 Chicory – it’s soft, easy to eat, and good for them, too.

Energy-rich, full of protein, and packed with macro- and micronutrients, it is digested quickly. The only other summer feed that can match it for quality is clover.

Plus, it’s safe to graze when facial eczema makes grass high risk; there’s no transition period; and it has a very low worm burden. You don’t have to spray it with insecticides, either.

Graze early, earn more 501 Chicory is an annual, so it jumps out of the ground faster than perennial cultivars, and is ready to graze sooner. It’s like the difference between an annual ryegrass, and a perennial.

That gives up to one more full grazing than other chicories, or as much as 550 kg extraDM/ ha.

For dairy farmers, at a payout of $10/kgMS, that extra yield equates to a potential gain in income of $500/ha.

Leach

nitrogen loss. But science shows us chicory, with its very high-water content, can be even more helpful.

Researchers have found cows grazing chicory have substantially lower urinary nitrogen concentrations than they do when grazing pasture - even lower than those recorded for cows grazing plantain.

With urine patches the major contributors of nitrogen loss from grazed systems, this is a key benefit of 501 Chicory.

Give grass a rest Hot, dry summers are hard on existing pastures. If you want them to persist well, you need to protect them from over-grazing.

Paddocks of 501 Chicory are the ideal antidote. When you graze these, you’re not only looking after your animals, you’re also giving stressed ryegrass a break, so it can bounce back faster after rain.

Mineral miner

That big tap root doesn’t just help 501 Chicory keep growing in dry weather – it also mines the soil for excess minerals like nitrogen and potassium.

Sow it on your effluent blocks, and after

E

ortless

ortless rotational E

rotational grazing for beef farms grazing for beef farms

Through virtual fencing and remote shifting

“We’re intensively farming on our whole farm, which we’ve never been able to do before. We’ve already seen the ability to convert pasture to kilograms of liveweight gain to a level more than double a traditional farming system.”

Jon and Fiona Sherlock – Otorohaea, Waikato

Carbon-efficient homegrown feed

22 MANAGEMENT

Enjoying Corriedales despite wool decline

TIM FULTON

IT’S 100 YEARS for the Hoban family’s Parham Hill Corriedale stud and times continue to change.

Close to a decade after a momentous move from the Hoban’s traditional stomping ground in Culverden, the Hoban’s Corriedales are just one component of an enterprising business at Glenafric, Waipara.

It’s not the first time the Hobans have run with an opportunity.

Founders James and Sarah Hoban moved to Culverden in 1909 and James was the closest thing Culverden had to a vet for a number of years, particularly valued for his work with horses.

James had previously been working at Horsely Downs, Mt Parnassus, Molesworth and Rotoiti near Scargill. Even after they moved to Culverden James was retained in an advisory role at Rotoiti for a few years.

It’s unclear exactly

when James and Sarah started with Corriedales but it was at least several years before the Parham Hill stud was officially registered in 1925. And so it continued down the generations, with William (Bill) and Margaret Hoban taking over the stud in the 1930s before Pat and Judith in the 1970s.

Their son James and his wife Maria got involved in 2007 when they started their own Gargustan flock which merged with the stud a few years later.

“We are not enjoying the same level of demand that Corriedale breeders had in their heyday. The wool market decline has been disastrous for our breed and there are few studs left but we still enjoy Corriedales,” James says.

They fit the business and stack up well with their ability to handle a drought. “They are easy on people, dogs and fences. We are extremely proud to continue a

family sheep breeding legacy.”

Daughter Alice (13) started her own Corriedale stud a couple of years ago and now William (11) is breeding English Leicesters. “If he’s not the youngest stud sheep breeder in NZ he’ll be close to it,” Dad says.

FARM TOURS

People who have moved away from Corriedales don’t always realise the gains the breed has made in recent years, he adds. These days the Hoban’s main wool line sits around 25-26 microns.

“Stud breeding is a fun part of our work. It’s labour intensive and

NOW WELL settled in Waipara, the extended Hoban clan continue to be open to new ventures.

Last year they partnered with Geoff Venning of Real New Zealand Tours to bring in busloads of tourists for a farm experience. A lookout lends itself nicely to picnic lunches while a tractor shed has been converted to a museum “which completely justifies all previous and future vintage tractor purchases. After every group leaves, I tell Maria that their highlight was the museum”. James says the family have been fortunate to find a great business partner to work with.

“Geoff and his team can do the things we can’t like marketing,

not for everyone but it spins our wheels. I’ve been lucky to travel to Australia several times and Peru last year through breed commitments and we enjoy international fellowship, built over generations, that I doubt any other sheep breed can match.”

driving a bus and taking bookings. We can host a farm visit but we needed someone to help turn that into a business. Geoff came to us with the idea and has invested in getting this running. He brings years of tourism industry experience.”

Explaining farming to tour groups has helped the family reflect on their business and lifestyle choices.

“Visitors are amazed at the way Kiwi’s farm on properties like this. They see the work involved and how much we care about our land, our stock and the pride we have in our products.”

James always tells the guests that anyone wanting to be rich

GLENAFRIC FARM

Nearly a decade ago, the Hobans decided their time at Culverden was up. After a careful search they found Glenafric, a 770ha coastal sheep and beef farm near Waipara.

It’s here they run Corriedale and South Suffolk stud sheep flocks as well as commercial Corriedales and Hereford cattle.

Every year there’s an on-farm ram sale. James admits the move from Culverden was a tear at the time, but the old home block needed irrigation development and it was clear that older-style sheep and beef management would no longer stack up there.

When they sized up Glenafric they could immediately see good rainfall, soil and scale in a lower intensity dryland system. The combination means they can focus on sheep – both stud and commercial – in combination with beef breeding and finishing.

“It is a special farm and we are extremely lucky to be here. The Mackintosh family had done a great job looking after this property for nearly a century before our tenure started.”

A fair bit of sweat has gone into tuning up Glenafric to suit the Hobans’ requirements. Improvements have included re-fencing, planting poplars, native shelter and fencing waterways. On a bigger scale, they’ve retired 65ha of native bush, put in a stock water scheme and built a new woolshed and covered yards.

As he told one journo, “We’ve swung a hell of a lot of gates”.

The farm’s a four-person operation with James and Maria and Pat and Judith closely involved in all the admin and hands-on farm work. When work gets extra heavy, they often bring in a casual worker too.

The farm also has a beach frontage and it gives the Hobans a lifestyle they cherish, blending work with play. Maria has learnt to fish and the family enjoys regular deer hunting. The kids Alice and William take a keen interest in farming too.

Last year at the Christchurch Show Alice won the dual purpose Super Ewe competition, the ewe class in the youth exhibitor section, the supreme champion in the youth section and young exhibitor of the year.

William, competing for the first time, went well with his English Leicesters, taking second place ewe hogget in the youth section. Naturally, he wants to grow his flock and beat his sister in future shows.

James says while the showing focus is starting to shift to the next generation, they were still proud as a family to win the Supreme South Suffolk for the third year in a row as well as most points for the first time.

would be mad to go into sheep farming.

“We need to make enough money to be able to keep farming and bring our children up in this amazing place. We have to work hard to make it work but we are our own bosses, we can be flexible on work days and we have a pretty unique office.”

The addition of most of the remaining Campbell Island sheep and some adopted Finns add to the interest for visitors.

The business relies on three generations of family involvement to keep the wheels turning. James and Maria are grateful to farm with Pat and Judith. James says family farming brings challenges

and tension on a bad day but is immensely rewarding.

“Dad and Maria are extremely patient which helps. We all work well together. Dad has over 65 years farming experience behind him and he has taught us a lot.”

James explains that Alice and William both work hard on weekends too. Whether it is mowing lawns, grubbing tussock, feeding dogs or helping with sheep work.

“I look at how hard three generations before us worked to give us this opportunity and I like to think that if James and Sarah are watching they’d be proud of what we are doing.”

Glenafric is a 770ha coastal sheep and beef farm near Waipara.

James and Maria Hoban with children Alice and William.

Turning waste into wealth

A NEW ZEALAND based company is redefining the future of sustainable agriculture and waste management through a revolutionary Biomass Conversion Technology (BCT).

At the heart of Verdus Energy & Associates’ mission lies a bold promise: to convert dairy and livestock farms into carbonnegative operations while generating a diverse portfolio of high-value green commodities. By leveraging patented circular economy principles and energyneutral processes, Verdus turns animal manure and agricultural residues into a powerful engine for ecological and economic transformation.

The company supplies a modular BCT system— developed over 15 years and now in its fifth generation— which is a plug-and-play solution that arrives in 10 shipping containers and can be assembled in under a month. Each module processes 36 tonnes of dry biomass per day, producing negligible emissions and leaving no residual waste. Unlike competitors who require 500 tonnes daily to operate, Verdus achieves superior efficiency with a fraction of the input, making it ideal for decentralized deployment across farms, forests, and industrial sites.

Verdus Energy’s technology transforms feedstocks such as cattle manure, poultry litter, crop residues, and even municipal solid waste into over 200 marketable products. These include renewable diesel, Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), Biochar, green fertilisers, organic pesticides and herbicides, bio-oils, electricity, and carbon credits. The environmental impact is profound: Biochar

alone sequesters three tonnes of CO₂ per tonne applied to soil, and when fed to cattle, it reduces methane emissions by up to 22%. Combined, Verdus’ solutions can achieve a staggering 187% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.

The company’s ESG alignment is equally compelling.

Environmentally, Verdus eliminates landfills, cleans up rural pollution, and replaces petrochemical inputs with natural alternatives. Socially, it protects ecosystems, enhances food safety, and revitalises degraded land. From a governance perspective, Verdus empowers responsible management through traceable carbon credits and sustainable procurement.

Verdus Energy says its business model is built on strategic partnerships with governments, primary producers, energy companies, and waste managers. With feedstock surpluses exceeding 20 million tonnes annually in New Zealand alone, and strong global demand for its offtake products, Verdus says it is wellpositioned to scale rapidly.

Kevin Smith, President and Chief Operating Officer of Verdus says the company’s technology has already proven itself in commercial settings.

“Version 4.0 has been successfully operating for over two years, producing carbon fuel pellets for one of the world’s largest mining companies. The current rollout of V5.0, will start in Q4 2025 and production is planned to commence in North America in 2026.”

Smith says Verdus Energy isn’t just solving the waste problem— it’s constructing a new paradigm for resource recovery, climate resilience, and economic regeneration.

Verdus Energy’s circular economy model.

FE risk not just seasonal or regional

RECENTLY BEEF + LAMB New Zealand hosted a webinar giving farmers an update on findings from the Sheep Poo study, featuring Dr Cara Brosnahan and vet Ginny Dodunski. This study, which is entering its final year, is a key part of the Eliminating Facial Eczema Impacts (EFEI) programme and is helping build a clearer picture of how FE affects farms nationwide.

B+LNZ says there is still time for farmers interested in getting involved, as the third season starts soon.

Top findings learnt through season 1 and 2:

Traditionally thought to be a problem confined to the North Island, the study has revealed that spores linked to FE are present from Northland all the way down to Otago.

“FE risk isn’t just seasonal or regional,” said Brosnahan.

“We’ve seen spore activity stretch into May and June, and it’s not limited by geography.”

The study also looked at how farmers in the study are currently

managing FE risk:

• 42% of farmers use zinc as their main tool.

• 37% rely on genetics to build resistance in their flocks.

• With the remaining farmers using other methods.

These numbers reflect a growing awareness of the need for long-term solutions. But the study didn’t stop there.

The study is also looking into what are risk factors of FE. Could elevation be a factor? Is FE risk clustered in certain areas? Does grazing behaviour make a difference?

To answer these, data from each year will be analysed to help confirm these patterns.

B+LNZ says that early evidence suggests that if your neighbour has high spore counts, you might too. Elevation and pasture height are also emerging as important factors.

The higher the elevation, the fewer FE spores were found in the faeces.

In contrast, lower pasture height was linked to increased spore presence.

Understanding these localised risks could be key to developing targeted interventions and management strategies.

While season 1 and 2 have given significant insights that will pave the way for creating an effective risk assessment tools and solutions for managing FE, there is still work to be done.

MATURE LIVE WEIGHT AND GROWTH

This is the second in a series of articles from Beef + Lamb New Zealand’s Informing New Zealand Beef programme.

The seven-year INZB partnership, supported by Beef + Lamb New Zealand and the Ministry for Primary Industries’ Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures fund, aims to boost the sector’s profits by $460m. Focused on increasing the use of highquality genetics in the beef industry, the four main components of the programme are developing New Zealand-specific breeding indexes, supporting the development of an across breed genetic evaluation and development of data infrastructure, running a beef progeny test and linking in data from commercial herds.

IT’S A simple job description for finisher cattle – grow big and be quick about it. We want moderate-sized calves born, uneventfully, to moderate-sized cows. And then one day when the weather is neither too wet nor too dry we want these little calves to burst forth like the Incredible Hulk into 600kg+ prime cattle.

But pesky biology wants to get in the way of our dreams…

The B+LNZ geneticists have pored over the growth data from nine years of running the Beef Progeny Test. They have found strong genetic correlations for mature live weight with 18-month weight (0.92) and carcase weight (0.82). So yes, cattle that are destined to be big

B+LNZ says it needs more farmers to join the study.

By joining the final season of the largest facial eczema study of its kind, farmers can help build a national solution to a disease that costs the livestock industries over $330 million each year. Participation is free, and farmers receive fortnightly spore count results which can help inform proactive management decisions.

guys and gals were big 18-month-olds and big on the hooks too. That is all well and good in finishing animals. An extra 30 kg of live weight as an 18-month-old puts them on track to be slaughtered a month earlier. But breeding for those baby Hercules at 18 months of age might also add an extra 46 kg of mature live weight to the next generation of breeding cows. Those bigger calves are likely to have equally bulky mothers and sisters who need more pasture to keep them going.

It means that keeping cow size moderate while maximising weight of finishing cattle at 18 months of age seems to be a bit of a pipe dream – at a correlation of 0.92 there just isn’t much

“We’re closer than ever to understanding FE. With farmer input, we can find the tools that really work,” said Brosnahan.

room to move. However, 18-month-weight is not the same as carcase weight! The B+LNZ researchers have found that carcase weight EBVs only explain about 67% of the variation in mature weight. This means that there is a bit of wiggle room (see graph) for producing heavier carcases without increasing cow size. The main challenge is to find the right balance between good carcase weights with cows that will work in your environment, highlighting the value of matching the right genetics to your herd. Recording more carcase data is important to help us identify those animals that are heavy on the hook from more moderate sized cows.

The study has revealed that spores linked to FE are present from Northland all the way down to Otago.

Planning for a good yearling heifer mating programme

PLANNING, FEEDING, a robust animal health programme and the right genetics are the critical factors in a successful heifer mating programme.

These were the takehome messages at a recent B+LNZ heifer mating workshop in North Canterbury with presenters Simon Lee, general manager of Southland’s 71,000ha Glenary Station, and Amy Hoogenboom, New Zealand’s beef genetics manager for Zoetis.

Lee has implemented the practice of mating yearling heifers on three properties he has managed, the most recent being Glenary Station.

Prior to talking on the general manager’s role at Glenary, Lee managed Mendip Hills in North Canterbury for 18 years. During his tenure, the hill country farm was one of the hosts of Beef + Lamb New Zealand’s Beef Progeny Test.

Simon told farmers that planning and systems were critical for successfully mating yearling heifers.

“It’s all about planning and systems, if you have the culture right you can do anything.”

On Glenary, which

runs 3000 breeding cows including heifers, it was a matter of building up the number of heifers they were mating over three years. This spring, they will be calving 500 R2 heifers.

The first year they mated 248 yearling heifers, the second year they increased the number to 470 and last year 540 yearlings went to the Angus bull.

“If we weren’t calving heifers, that would be 500 less progeny born in spring, so it’s a big opportunity – but you can’t let it fail,” says Lee.

To ensure they didn’t fail, he says they have timelines to ensure they build adequate pasture

covers for calving heifers and are diligent about feed planning.

Their planning starts back at weaning when Lee says they go through 1200 heifer calves assessing their phenotype and temperament.

“It takes all day, but it’s so worthwhile doing.”

They whittle their replacements down to 540 heifers which are put to a yearling Angus bull weighing 340-350kg.

He says a robust animal health programme is also vital for a successful heifer mating programme and for him, the non-negotiables are treatments for copper, leptospirosis, BVD and selenium.

He believes the impact on leptospirosis is often under-rated in breeding cow herds, especially on hill country where wild deer are present.

Lee, who has a philosophy of feeding stock as well as possible all year round, says it is the Body Condition Score of heifers at re-mating that is the biggest determinant of success.

Since implementing the practice, they have achieved an in-calf rate of 92 percent in their yearling heifers and 94-96 percent in their second mating.

“By us feeding the way we do, we get better conception rates in our heifers than we do in the

cows, although the cows are on harder country.”

Once in-calf, the heifers are run on easy rolling country and are then calved behind a wire.

Lee says the heifers are calving at the same time they are lambing 28,000 ewes on paddock country.

To ensure all stock classes get the care they need, they have one person dedicated to looking after the calving heifers and 14 staff on a six week, eight-days -on-and-three-off roster looking after the lambing ewes.

SELECTING SIRES

SIMON LEE selects yearling Angus bulls for heifer mating, particularly focusing on their EBVs for calving ease.

The bulls are run with heifers at a ratio of 1:24 or 1:25 for two cycles. The heifers are run in mobs of 80-100 over mating and the bulls are swapped around after each cycle.

None of the resulting heifer calves are retained, so these bulls are used as terminal sires.

“The heifer’s heifers are not retained, they all become trading heifers. I’m just after a live calf.”

BODY CONDITION SCORE

Amy Hoogenboom said weight at mating is the number one factor that determines the success of a heifer mating programme.

The minimum mating weight should be 60 percent of the mature cow weight.

“Weight is one of the most significant factors influencing when a heifer reaches puberty and begins to cycle.”

Although Hoogenboom says weight at puberty and weight at mating are not the same thing, she disagrees with the 300kg number that is often used when it comes to minimum heifer mating weights.

“It is too light, most modern cow herds average more than 500kg mature weight, go for the 60 percent of the mature cow weight, not just a round figure. The industry benchmark for a critical mating weight should be closer to 330-340kg.”

Heifers at that critical weight are more likely to conceive in the first cycle and their calves are likely to be heavier as a result of this.

They are also more likely to have success at their second mating.

When re-breeding after their first calving, heifers need to be at 80% percent of mature cow weight, or a Body Condition Score of 6-7 at mating - that is, they need to be a BCS 6-7 at the beginning of mating, not rising to this condition during mating. But Hoogenboom says research by both B+LNZ and others shows there is a no advantage to a female’s fertility when she has a BCS of greater than 7.

mixed-age

Planning and systems are critical for successfully mating yearling heifers.

Folding disc harrow with higher output, lower running costs

MARK DANIEL markd@ruralnews.co.nz

AIMED AT broad-acre operations, the Pöttinger Terradisc HT 12000 is said to offer high output, alongside minimal running costs.

The trailed, horizontal folding disc harrow is designed for operation with tractors from 450 to 720 horsepower, offering a working width of 12.5 metres, while complementing the existing and proven Terradisc 8001 T and 10001 T models.

The design of the harrow sees the Twin-Arm system, with twodisc carriers and two concave discs per clamping bracket. The clamping brackets see a 380 mm-wide contact area with the frame, ensuring the discs are held securely in position, even in adverse soil conditions, to ensure consistent results. A maintenance-free, non-stop stone

protection system enables the discs to achieve a high level of pretensioning.

Like its contemporaries, disc diameter and positioning remain unchanged, with a combination of 580 mm diameter, scalloped or plain concave discs set at an aggressive angle for intensive soil movement and shallow tillage from 5 cm.

The 12.5-metre-wide disc harrow is divided into four frame sections, allowing independent adaption to changing contours, with the inside sections able to move between -3° and +6°, while the outer sections can move between +/- 4.5°. To ensure each frame section applies a consistent pressure across the operating width, the frame sections can be hydraulically pre-tensioned in pairs to match the soil conditions.

Precise depth control is provided by the over-dimensioned dual jockey wheels, complemented by the rear

roller with integrated damping, ensuring a consistent tillage depth across the full width of the machine.

Hydraulic adjustment options on the HT 12000 makes it user-friendly, using four double-acting spool valves with intelligent presets to regulate all the key functions and settings. These include working depth, headland position, pressure applied to the ground by the disc sections, and side pull correction. The working depth is set hydraulically using swing clips, which allow the working depth to be finely adjusted in 9 mm steps.

In operation, the rear roller supports the weight of the disc harrow at the headland, with the drawbar length allowing an 85-degree steering angle, for tight turning manoeuvres even when used with wide tractors.

The Pottinger Terradisc HT 12000 is said to offer high output, alongside minimal running costs.

Fendt launches new 800 and 1000 series

MARK DANIEL markd@ruralnews.co.nz

AHEAD OF November’s Agritechnica Event, Fendt has been releasing details of new 800 and 1000 Series models.

The new 800 has been anticipated for some time and as expected, it is very different to the previous S4, by adopting the Agco Power engine and Fendt Drive transmission concept.

Available as the 826, 829 and 832, the last two figures indicate rated power outputs, while Dynamic Power offers a further 23hp, if the fan or air-conditioning start to take power from the driveline. The manufacturer notes it is not a power boost, kicking in at any point, rather than being linked to speed or demand on the hydraulic system.

As with the Vario 600, and through to 1000 series, the new 800 has the fan pushing air through the cooling pack to ensure the Agco Power Core 80 engine stays cool. The 8.0-litre turbocharged motor sees the 832 producing a max torque of 1,680Nm at 1,200-1,400rpm, with the usual line-up of DPF, DOC and SCR to meet Stage V exhaust

emissions.

The 800 Gen 5 features a new TA250 transmission and VarioDrive- first introduced in the 1000 series way back in 2015with the front axle having its own drive system so the wheels can travel independently of the rear, helping traction when the tractor senses slip, while also preventing surface damage when turning.

A top speed of 60km/hr is achieved at 1,450rpm, with 50km/hr at only 1,250rpm.

Tipping the scales at around 10t, an additional 1000kg of ballast can be added to each rear wheel, complemented by a new 2.2t front ballast block.

Gross operating weight is 17.5 tonnes, allowing a maximum payload of 7.5 tonnes.

540 and 1,000rpm PTO speeds are reached at 1,750rpm, the point where the engine is also achieving max power. Operating at 540e or 1,000e, engine speed reduces to 1,550rpm. Offering 165 or 220l/min hydraulic pump options, users can also specify both units for a combined output of 385l/min. The main couplers, electrical connections and ISOBUS sockets are mounted on the left to make

POWER BOOST

THE 1000 VARIO Gen 4 Series gains a power hike with the 1040, 1044, 1048 and 1052, achieving 400, 440, 480 and 520 rated horsepower respectively, with Dynamic Power pushing things to 550hp on the flagship model.

The 12.4 litre MAN engine still features the same six-cylinder block, although there have been changes to the pistons, injectors and crank, alongside an upgrade to the ECU to help lower the fuel and DEF use. In addition, a setting allows operators to select a different engine map of a smaller model, so as an example the 1048 can become a 1040. The result is fuel saving, or the ability to use implements with lower power ratings.

Of course, it is not possible to purchase say a 1040 and upgrade it to a 1052 when working with an implement with a lower power rating. Fendt notes it has no plans to let operators hire or buy extra power with the smaller models. Servicing is at 1,000-hour intervals and like the 800 Series, the air filter has a self-clean function, while the cab filter is also blasted to keep it cleaner for longer.

Changes to the rear axle mean it can be optioned with a bar axle, allowing an inner wheel spacing width of 1600mm, meaning added dual wheel equipment stays within 3.50m overall. As part of the narrow wheel spacing, linkage stabilisers are ditched in favour of blocks that keep the lift arms locked. The rear hitch is a hybrid between the European ladder and American swinging drawbar, with a 4.0t load rating to the long drawbar, adjusted via pins for central or swinging options.

connecting easier.

The cabin is shared with the 900/1000 series tractors, with an upgrade to night-time illumination, with the ‘UltraVision’ package, offering 32 lamps, each generating 4,400 lumens!

Different lens diffusers then alter the distance the light is projected for short and longer range, while warning beacons have been integrated into the cab roof corners.

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Choose the visible spray-on flystrike solution

The highly visible red colour of StrikeForce® -S means you know where you’ve applied it, and makes it easy to identify which animals you’ve treated. Plus, with up to 18 weeks meat protection and just 14 days meat withholding period, it provides flexibility for all classes of sheep and any length of wool.

Have a conversation with your vet today.

Ahead of the Agritechnica Event, Fendt has been releasing details of new 800 and 1000 Series models.

Here comes the BaleTrainraking, baling in one pass

MARK DANIEL

markd@ruralnews.co.nz

WE’VE ALL heard of road trains, soul train and gravy trains, but German machinery manufacturer Krone has come up with a novel word for the agricultural sector.

The Swadro BaleTrain TC880 Pro sees a striking combination of twin rotor swather towing a baler/wrapper, with the company suggesting that it saves labour and reduces compaction and fuel consumption, alongside improved time management.

Combining the Swadro with the company’s new ComPack Pro baler/ wrapper, so achieving swathing, baling and wrapping, the unit will measure about 18.5 metres long when towed by a typical tractor, with both machine elements being able to be used individually if required.

To enable the combo to work mechanically, the twin-rotor rake uses a new double drive gearbox with a low/

high speed for setting the rpm on the rake, alongside a fixed 540 pto speed output needed for the baler.

At the rear of the Swadro, a reinforced frame incorporates a hitch, hydraulics, PTO and electrical connections needed to power the baler.

The complete outfit uses ISOBUS connectivity, with the rotors automatically lifting when the binding system applies net or film to the bale. The system also monitors bale filling, inputting steering to the rake to ensure the chamber is evenly filled on the leftand right-hand edges. As the formed swath doesn’t need to pass between the tractor wheels, the swath can be set wide enough to evenly fill the baler’s pick-up.

Replacing the Comprima Plus, the ComPack Pro F150 XC and V150 XC slatted chamber balers produce a ‘semi-variable’ 1.25-1.50m and variable 1.00-1.50m diameter bale. These also available as CF and CV wrapper

Save on growing cost. Gain on yield.

Located in Korakonui some 20 km south of Te Awamutu, Chris and Jude Stacey, alongside their children Tom and Stella, farm this top performing 155 hectare dairy platform with 450 crossbred cows.

To ensure they have enough feed for the summer, the Staceys grow a range of crops, including fodderbeet which is a perfect supplementary feed late in summer and early autumn.

Like many farms, the main challenge with growing fodderbeet is the weed burden and gaining control of it. And this is where the CONVISO® SMART System impresses Chris.

Chris explains:

“I’ve been very impressed using the CONVISO SMART System. There’s no need for plant checks after the spray. It’s been very simple to use the two post-emerge sprays. The crop has been very clean, and has yielded very well, so I’m very happy with it.”

When it comes to weed control, Chris reckons the CONVISO SMART System performs well at the initial knockdown and the residual weed control.

“We’ve been able to control Amaranthus or Red Root, which in the past we’ve had issues with that weed in our crop. I’ve only had to spray it three times with this system and at a reduced cost.”

The herd also loves the beet and they find the grazing easy, getting the beet out of the ground with little effort and leaving very little behind –with 95% utilisation.

While this is just his first year using CONVISO SMART, Chris is pretty sure it’s already paying dividends.

“The system is fairly priced, with the seed and the chemistry. I think we’ve definitely saved money on our growing costs, and we’ve gained yield, so our cost per kg of dry matter grown, is lower.”

Chris Stacey, Dairy Farmer - Korakonui, Waikato

SCAN TO LEARN MORE ABOUT CHRIS STACEY

combi models.

The balers continue to feature the NovoGrip, belt-mounted slat system to form the bale chamber, fed by a cam-less pick-up and a rotor featuring extensive use of Hardox steel for durability.

A chopping rotor is available in 17 or 26 knife variants, with the ability to set the number of engaged blades from the cab. This is achieved via the new ISOBUS interface, that also offers the ability to connect up to seven

hi-res digital cameras to the CCI800 or 1200 display. The company has also developed an integrated additive applicator with twin 120-litre tanks, with rates controlled by time, weight, per bale or manually.

The Swadro BaleTrain TC880 Pro sees a striking combination of twin rotor swather towing a baler/wrapper.

Disc mower range gets upgrade

MARK DANIEL markd@ruralnews.co.nz

KUHN HAS announced an expansion of its range of disc mowers, distributed by Norwood in New Zealand, with the addition of two new vertically folding rear mounted models, the GMD 3515 and GMD 4015.

Offering working widths of 3.50 and 3.95 metres respectively, the units are designed for farms strongly focused on forage production.

“When combined with a front mower, the GMD 1015 series machines will help increase work

outputs,” says Peter Manderson, New Zealand Brand Manager for KUHN.

The 125° vertical folding geometry ensures a centre of gravity

centred behind the tractor during transport, while also helping to reduce overall dimensions and rear overhang. The configuration is said to provide improved safety during transport, especially when hitched in combination with a front mower.

The mowing unit is suspended from the chassis at its centre, allowing efficient ground following, especially in rolling or hilly terrain, while at the headland, the unit is raised hydraulically, offering clearance of at least 350mm under the first disc for passing over the swath. Hydraulic ground pressure adjustment helps reduce cutter-bar ground pressure which in turn reduces sward damage, particularly when operating in poor soil conditions.

The Lift-Control system combines this hydraulic ground pressure reduction with a NonStop safety feature, that in the event of encountering an obstacle, the mowing unit shifts rearwards, resulting in reduced ground pressure that allows the mower to clear the obstacle. Once the obstacle has been passed, the machine automatically repositions itself to the working position.

These two models are equipped with the wellknown, maintenance-free, OptiDisc Elite cutter-bar, said to offer robustness and cutting quality in all conditions, with the additional benefit of the Fast-Fit, rapid knife attachment system. Both models are available to order now, with delivery for the upcoming 2025/2026 season.