Rural News 6 May 2025

Contract milking debacle

KISSUN

A SURVEY of contract milkers in the dairy sector has revealed some shocking statistics – 43% of respondents reported abusive behaviour from a farm owner and a whopping 72% suffered a mental and/or financial setback in the role.

Over one-third of respondents – all holding private contract milking agreements with farm owners – had milk payments withheld.

Among contract milkers with a Federated Farmers agreement, 20% had

milk payments withheld.

The Sharefarming Consultants, which carried out the survey, wants better regulatory protection and industry support for contract milkers.

The Contract Milking Experience Survey 2025 conducted in December last year had 276 responses, 201 as current contract milkers, equating to 12.8% of current contract milkers.

Sharefarming Consultants managing director Louise Gibson says results were disappointing but in no way surprising.

“We have for too long focused as an

industry on attracting talent but failed to care for the talent once it gets here,” she says.

Gibson told Rural News that the two key measures that would protect contract milkers are: moving them into the Sharemilking Act as they don’t fit in the “contractors” bracket well; and a taskforce where contract milkers can seek support.

“Non-herd owning sharemilking was established over 100 years ago in recognition of the global issue of succession, with the Sharemilking Act being passed in 1937 to provide these

sharemilkers protection from exploitation,” she says.

“This has long been New Zealand’s secret to success and was largely replaced with contract milking as the answer to milk price volatility, but we will continue to have a really large financial gap if we can’t look back to those famers and learn from them.”

Gibson believes Federated Farmers should push for legislative change in a way that doesn’t see the Sharemilking Act repealed, rather kept and have the key definitions changed to provide contract milkers those protections,

DESPERATE CONDITIONS

Waiting for more rain. Richard Walker, a dairy farmer near Manaia in coastal south Taranaki, is one of many farmers in that province dealing with one of the worst droughts on record. He’s milking once-a-day and been feeding out massive amounts of supplement to keep his cows in good condition. He has just resown his paddocks that were scorched by the drought and eaten by grass grub. While they look green, only time, more desperately needed rain and warm temperatures will determine their future.

Plight of Taranaki farmers –Page 3

alongside pushing for a taskforce to provide the enforcement needed.

Feds dairy section chair Richard McIntyre told Rural News that there are mixed views on moving contract milkers under the Sharemilking Act and it is something the Feds Sharefarming section needs to discuss further.

McIntyre says the survey results were of concern and Feds took them seriously.

But he adds that majority of farm owners work incredibly well with their contract milkers.

“Of course there are some contract milkers who run into issues, just like there are sharemilkers or farm owners who run into issues too.

“My take is that the extent of incidents and issues of the kind raised in the survey are reasonably low but not insignificant.

“Having said that, one incident of abuse is one too many and we work incredibly hard to identify issues and find fixes.”

McIntyre says Feds have gone to great lengths to make sure their contracts are really robust and fair but they are always open to improvements.

On 45% of respondents facing abusive behaviour from farm owners, McIntyre says that number does surprise him.

But he says he would “gently challenge whether it’s an accurate reflection of what’s actually happening behind the farm gate”.

“There also needed to be some very clear timeframes put around the questions. Is this happening right now, in the last few years, or are people talking about an historic issue?”

Strong payout a saviour for drought-hit Naki farmers

PETER BURKE peterb@ruralnews.co.nz

ONLY THIS season’s $10/kgMS bumper payout has saved some dairy farms along the Taranaki coast from absolute disaster due to the present drought – dubbed as one of the worst ever for some.

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South Taranaki Vets chief executive Dr Stephen Hopkinson told Rural News that the high payout has meant that farmers have been able to afford to buy in massive amounts of supplements to keep their cows in good condition for next season or to milk on a bit longer. He says on two farms that he knows well, the cows are getting just 2-3kg of grass DM and the other 12kg they get are coming from supplements.

“I don’t know what would have happened if the milk price had been around seven dollars,” he says.

Hopkinson says the worst affected area is just north of Patea, up through Hawera, across to Manaia and halfway up to Opunake. He says the rest of the coast up to Waitara has been hit but not as badly as those farmers further south. He says the south Taranaki region had zero pasture growth rates through February and March and there were lots of bare paddocks.

“We had about 55 mils of rain in April, which is only half the normal rainfall for that month, and things have greened up, but pasture growth rates are slow, and it will take a while for it to recover,” he says.

The big problem is a lack of rain, not just this season but an overhang of dry conditions from last season.

Hopkinson says ideally the dry parts of the region need about 200mm of rain spread over two months. He says farmers around Manaia have benefited from a local water scheme put in back in 1971 after a bad drought, but he says even they have suffered big pressure drops in the past few months.

•Ideal for Cattle Troughs

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GRASS GRUB

SOME DAIRY farmers in South Taranaki have been dealt a double whammy – grass grub.

Vet Stephen Hopkinson says many pastures in the coastal region have been hit by this pest which has added to the damage caused by the drought.

One option is to spray for grass grub, but Hopkinson says this isn’t easy and the answer is to re-sow the paddocks.

“We got an expert in to talk to farmers. He says with grass grub, if you use coated seed the coating on the seed will ensure that the grass germinates and is not eaten by the grass grub. So, the recommendation is

“In the Hawera and Kakaramea areas, lots of farmers have had bores and wells dry up and they have had to drill new ones and truck water in daily for their cows as well as for their own homes. Dams and springs have dried up and are no longer running despite the rain.

“The word we are hearing is, when drilling for water with sustainable pressure, they are having to go down to between 200 and 250 metres – almost twice as deep as their existing bores,”

coated seed. But a lot of farmers have just gone for the cheaper option and so the grass grub will still be an issue on those farms,” he says.

Finally, Hopkinson says despite the terrible problems caused by the drought, it seems that very little if any actual pasture has died and once the rains come it will spring back to life.

The other good news is that soil and air temperatures are still quite high, meaning pasture will continue to grow during winter. However, with Taranaki getting just 60% of its average rainfall last year, more rain is needed to recharge aquifers and dams and return to whatever normal may look like.

he says.

Hopkinson says they ran several seminars for farmers and gave them advice on how to manage their way through the drought. He says they encouraged them to cull their cows early and then to dry off their heifers early as well. The effect of this was that some farmers were only milking about half their herds. The plus of that he says is that with supplement brought in from outside the region, cow condition is very good.

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for Small/Low Demand Troughs

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HELPING OUT

WITH UP to 50% cows being dried off early on some farms, the consequences for contract milkers are big and their future is in the hands of the farm owner. Stephen Hopkinson says a lot will depend on their relationship with the owner of the farm.

There are two schools of thought on how this might play out. Hopkinson says if a farm owner hired a contract milker just to make more money for themselves, there is the possibility that the contract milker may be left to their own devices and forced to take another job because there will no income for them from the farm until the next season.

Brendan Attrill, who chairs Federated Farmers Share Farm owners’ group, has been reaching out to owners to look after their contract milkers and get them through this tough period. Attrill is a farm owner and farm consultant as well and says farm owners should be able to help contract milkers because most have got substantial equity in their businesses and given the $10 payout should be able to help out. He says from the discussions he’s had with farm owners so far, most appear willing to help.

“Our message to owners is sit down and have a cup of coffee with your contract milker and just have a general positive discussion about the situation.

“The second thing is we want is the contract milkers to come to the owners with a clear plan as to how they are going to manage the cows through and particularly if they are tight on feed and supplements now,” he says.

After all, he says this whole situation is just driven by hungry cows and a lack of feed for them – nothing to do with the actions of the people involved. Hopkinson agrees and says no one wants to see good people leave.

in Check-Valve •Ideal for Compartment Troughs/Tanks

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South Taranaki Vets chief executive, Dr Stephen Hopkinson.

Creating value for bobby calves

slaughtered for calfveal, or for the pet food market.

A MAORI-OWNED agribusiness helping to turn a long-standing animal welfare and waste issue into a high-value protein stream for the dairy and red meat sectors wants more industry support.

Miti makes a protein snack from New Zealand grass-fed young beef with honey and touts its business model as one that could deliver more value with less environmental impact.

Miti works with farmers to raise bobby calves to 12 months old then use their meat in Miti snack bars. The dairy sector has been under scrutiny for treatment of bobby calves. Fonterra farmers are now required to ensure that bobby calves should be raised for beef,

Miti founder Daniel Carson, who spoke at the recent Beef+Lamb NZ ‘Out the Gate’ conference says right now they cannot take all the calves.

Carson believes that surplus calves mean there’s a need for a better system.

“We need more than just one small company trying to solve it,” he told Rural News.

“Farmers need to start asking industry leaders: what are you doing to protect our social license to operate? Where are the scalable solutions that match the expectations of our markets, our communities, and our future workforce?

“New Zealand farmers have already built a global reputation for

quality. The next step is making sure that reputation holds up under scrutiny—and that value flows back to the people doing the work.

“We’re proving there’s a better way, and we’re inviting the rest of the industry to step up and help scale it.”

Miti’s business model partners them with Pāmu and other “forwardthinking” farmers who raise surplus dairy calves through to 10–12 months on pasture. Miti pays these farmers $8/kg for the finished young beef.

He adds that it’s a much stronger return than the traditional path, and one that’s designed to scale sustainably.

Farmers are central to this model.

“The premium value we create from the story of New Zealand prove-

nance, animal welfare, and environmental performance is designed to flow back to the people producing it,” says Carson.

Carson says these animals would traditionally be processed at four days old, but they’ve built a system that turns them into high-quality young beef.

“This category of young beef is the production equivalent of lamb—efficient to raise, naturally lean, and ideal for our grass-based systems.

“We’ve had more offers of supply than we can currently use, so we’ve chosen to work with leaders who share our vision from the start.”

Carson has plans to expand the business, pointing out that the global meat snack market is worth $30 billion and growing.

The company is working on new flavour variants, functional snacks for athletes, and developing a scalable value chain for a lean 95CL (chemical lean) beef for global manufacturing companies.

“New Zealand has a

Concerns flow over fresh water litigation

NGAI TAHU’S legal action seeking self-determination (rangatiratanga) over fresh water could have huge implications for the future of farming, the viability of farming businesses, and our wider rural communities, says Federated Farmers national vice president Colin Hurst.

The South Island iwi’s case was recently argued out in an eight-week hearing in the High Court at Christchurch, with Justice Melanie Harland reserving her decision.

In an update to members following the hearing, Hurst said that access to water was critical for all farming businesses “and the last thing we need is more cost and uncertainty added to the mix”.

That was why Federated Farmers joined the action as an interested party, giving evidence in support of the Crown in opposition to the Ngāi Tahu claim.

“Farmers should be watching this case closely. It could well be that Ngāi Tahu want to be able to charge royalties for the use of water.

“You can imagine what this would mean for farming, particularly for those of us in places like Canterbury and Otago where so many farmers depend on irrigation,” he said.

Hurst told Rural News that the definition of rangitiratanga “we think was purposely left vague” but it would essentially redesign freshwater management for the South Island.

Hurst said no one disputed people’s rights to freshwater for drinking water, community needs or stock water but the big issue was irrigation, with about 400,000ha of irrigation within Canterbury and all the infrastructure investment which that entailed.

A big concern for farmers is that the Ngāi Tahu claim would create “significant uncertainty,” such as banks becoming wary of lending for irrigation infrastructure if water allocations were in doubt.

The Feds also acknowledged that there were water quality issues, but improvements were being made, with significant reductions in groundwater nitrates within Canterbury already.

“The Hinds catchment is at 36% reduction.

“So, there’s all those things going on. We’ve got to give it a chance to work. And from what I’ve seen farmers are on board with it,” said Hurst.

“The last thing we want to see is to chuck the whole thing out and start afresh.”

Hurst said the issue would impact all New Zealanders. If the Ngāi Tahu claim succeeds, other iwi would seek similar controls.

“Across the country billions of dollars have been invested food production, irrigation and family farms – some of them going back six generations.

“Access to freshwater has under-

clear edge with our production systems—we just need the business models to match. That’s what we’re building,” says Carson.

“Miti started as a way to prove that the red meat system could be fundamentally improved. Our goal wasn’t just to make a snack, it was to demonstrate a new model that could deliver more value with less environmental impact.

“New Zealand farmers have built a powerful legacy around safe, high-quality, grass-fed red meat. That legacy gave us the foundation – and the responsibility – to do more. We wanted to show that with the right approach, we could create something ethical, efficient, and commercially viable. Miti is that idea in action.”

pinned the viability of those farming businesses and they deserve certainty, now and into the future.”

Asked to respond to Hurst’s comments, Ngāi Tahu referred Rural News to an earlier statement from Ngāi Tahu kaiwhakahaere (chairman) Justin Tipa.

He said there was a “sadly familiar pattern” of deteriorating quality of freshwater but the Crown had consistently failed to work in a meaningful way with Ngāi Tahu on a policy and legal framework.

“We are asking the court to declare that the Crown has a duty to engage with us to co-design a better system for managing freshwater.”

– Nigel Malthus

SUDESH KISSUN

Miti founder Daniel Carson

Deal to boost sheep milk powder exports to China

SHEEP MILK powder and products exporter

Maui Milk is partnering with one of China’s biggest dairy players to boost its market presence.

An agreement between Maui Milk and Mengniu was signed at Yashili’s Pokeno plant, near Auckland, two weeks ago.

Maui Milk chief executive Greg Hamill told Rural News that the partnership gives Maui access to a large distribution network and access to a comprehensive brand presence, while strengthening Mengniu’s global strategy and allowing

them access to New Zealand premium sheep milk, a market that continues to grow in popularity.

Hamill says Maui has been exporting sheep milk powder to China since 2015.

“Partnering with Mengniu helps Maui Milk quickly enter additional markets, expanding our sales channels and enabling commercial scalability,” he says.

Sheep milk continues to gain popularity in China. Hamill notes that the Chinese economy is slowly improving, and as such demand for high quality sheep milk is also increasing.

The Mengniu brand is

owned by Inner Mongolia Mengniu Dairy Limited headquartered in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia.

Hamill says Mengniu has been actively pursuing global milk source development.

“By collaborating with Maui Milk, it gains direct access to New Zealand’s premium milk resources, strengthening its interna-

tional quality image and ensuring a more secure supply chain.

“As consumers increasingly seek healthy, nutritious, and personalised dairy options, sheep milk is gaining popularity as a functional dairy choice. Maui Milk enables Mengniu to respond swiftly to this growing demand.”

For Maui Milk, collaborating with a major international dairy company boosts Maui sheep milk recognition and credibility in global markets—especially in Asia.

Hamill says it will also help Maui Milk’s growth.

“Sheep milk is still a boost industry in NZ and Mengniu’s involvement will support this indus-

PREMIUM APPLE SALES BOOM IN TAIWAN

SALES OF premium brand Envy apples are booming in Taiwan.

T&G Global says over the past eight years, with the support of our local importers, distributors and customers, it has built a strong presence for the apple brand in Taiwan. This has seen volumes grow 25% year-onyear.

With a population of 23 million, strong trading relations between

Taiwan and New Zealand, and Taiwanese consumers purchasing about 2.8 million metric tonnes of fruit each year, Taiwan has become a key growth. T&G last week announced it will open a Taiwan office next month, marking an important milestone in the company’s growth and expansion in Asia.

Shane Kingston, T&G’s chief operating officer apples, says the estab-

lishment of an office will enable the company to further grow its highly sought after Envy brand, benefiting consumers, customers and growers.

“With the premium brand firmly established in the market, and in line with our global apples growth strategy, the opening of an office is the next phase in our growth.

“It will enable us to further deepen our strong customer relationships,

try’s development faster and bring more exporting revenue for NZ and Maui’s suppliers.”

Maui Milk was established in 2014 as a joint venture between Shanghai-based Super Organic Dairy and Maori farming trust, Waituhi Kuratau (WKT). In 2021 Super Organic Dairy bought out WKT shares and formed Maui Food Group to align Maui Milk’s genetics programme, milk production, processing and marketing, taking its sheep milk to the world.

The group owns Waikino Station in Taupo, the home to Maui Milk’s own dairy sheep genetic improvement operation which produces the

increase the availability and ranging of our premium apple brands, respond to market trends and insights, and maintain high-quality standards. We will be able to connect with more consumers and further grow demand for our premium Envy branded apple, and in coming years for our new premium Joli apple brand as well. The benefits of this will then return value back to our growers.”

unique dairy sheep breed, the Southern Cross.

Hamill says the Southern Cross dairy sheep breed is extremely important to the growth of Maui and its supplier’s business.

“Maui is the only dairy sheep company in New Zealand that actively uses artificial insemination every year for continuous genetic gain of our breed. Both Maui and our suppliers reap the benefits of such a strong genetics programme,” he says.

He adds that the 2024/25 season has been great with all products completely sold.

“So we are looking forward to the 2025/26 season.”

Once open, Taiwan will be T&G’s sixth office in Asia, joining existing offices in China, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam and Japan. The company also has offices in the Americas, UK, Europe and Australasia.

“We are very intentional in the markets and territories we operate in, strategically analysing their growth potential before entering and establishing a presence,” says Kingston.

SUDESH KISSUN

An agreement between Maui Milk and Mengniu was signed at Yashili’s Pokeno plant, near Auckland.

Internet woes ‘slowing growth’

OTHER CHALLENGES

THE LACK of quality internet coverage in Northland is costing farmers time and money, says Federated Farmers Northland president Colin Hannah.

He says so bad is coverage in parts of the province that some farmers are having to leave their homes and travel into the nearest town where there is better internet just to fill out their NAIT data or other compliance forms.

He says the lack of good internet is a major impediment to profitable farming and the growth of the primary sector in the region.

Hannah is part of the Northland Digital Enablement Group that is lobbying for better connectivity in the region and looking at ways to help people in remote areas where internet coverage will likely always be a problem. But Hannah says being close to a town doesn’t guarantee good coverage.

“I live about 100 metres from a cell tower, but my internet can go down four or five times in a night. I am told the demand on the tower is exceeding its capac-

ON TOP of this, Colin Hannah says farming in Northland is challenging anyway.

He notes a fall in milk production due a reduction in cow numbers, mainly because of climate change emissions targets. He says there is a move from sheep to beef because of low wool prices and animal health issues, and to top it off, an increase in forestry. Some of the regulations around setbacks and stock exclusion on slopes will also affect farm income.

“The impact is for basically every dollar decrease in farm revenue, we are seeing a corresponding increase in crime and MSD costs. While forestry may see a return in 30 years time, the reality is a dairy farmer is getting a monthly cheque, and their dollars are going to go around Northland about seven times. For me as a sheep and beef farmer, our arms are too short and we can’t get to the bottom of our pockets because we only get a cheque about once or twice a year,” he says.

Hannah says the upshot of this points to few jobs for young people in Northland and many people there don’t comprehend what is happening.

ity. The reality is we have gaps or black spots, some of which are quite close to the state highway,” he told Rural News.

Hannah says it’s not just the form filling and business activity that is being curtailed by poor connectivity –a huge issue is health & safety and also education. He says there are many students who cannot work from home because of poor internet. One former university lecturer says she has instances of students on

farms having to get taken up by farm vehicles to high remote points on a farm to simply download work or sit there and do a Zoom call.

“The lack of internet has a big impact on families choosing to work or not work in Northland,” he says.

Hannah says the digital group is getting a positive response from some technology providers to improve coverage. He says the advent of Starlink has helped in some ways.

“Some have installed Starlink, but it is not an option for everyone because of cost. What we have done so far is to get 80% of maraes around Northland digitally enabled with tele-health so that those who are further away can go to the marae and do a tele-

health call for their initial consult,” he says.

Hannah says this will save them money because, for example, if a person lived in Hokianga, it would be a four hour drive to see a consultant in person in Whangarei.

He says for all the local councils

the

region, connectivity is a huge issue. He says during Cyclone Gabrielle, the three big problems were that telecommunications went out, as did power, and the main highway to Auckland via the Brynderwyns was blocked for 190 days.

“The closure of the

Brynderwyns had a huge effect on Northland. It saw a huge increase in on-farm inflation on top of ordinary inflation. This was largely because of the high transport costs which saw less trips being undertaken by transport companies and higher staff costs,” he says.

CO-OP TO CLOSE CANPAC SITE

FONTERRA IS closing a milk powder blending and packaging site in Hamilton, a move that will affect 120 jobs.

The co-operative says the closure of the Canpac site follows its decision to focus on higher value ingredients such as advanced proteins and medical nutrition. The plant currently packs up to 4,000 metric ton of powders per year, less than 1% of the co-op’s total product volume.

Fonterra’s chief operating offi-

cer Anna Palairet says the co-op is committed to supporting the impacted employees.

The co-op is working through a consultation process, including exploring potential redeployment opportunities before operations are planned to come to an end on July 31.

Palairet says low product volumes and increasing complexities in production has created challenging economic conditions for the facility.

“It’s been a tough day for all the team at the site. Making decisions like this is never easy.

“Our strategy is about creating end-to-end value and growing total returns for our farmer shareholders.

“We believe the best way to achieve this is to focus on our strengths and scale in ingredients and foodservice, and we are prioritising our investment on the parts of our operations that are better suited to this.”

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Federated Farmers Northland president Colin Hannah

Mahia’s high-flying engineer

ONENUI STATION

on Mahia Peninsula in northern Hawke’s Bay is a world first in more ways than one.

For a start, it is the only working farm where the space company Rocket Lab has a permanent rocket launch pad from where satellites are regularly sent into orbit.

The farm is also owned by a Māori trust called the Proprietors of Tawapata South, which runs 15,000su – a mix of sheep and cattle –and this year is a finalist in the prestigious Ahuwhenua Trophy competition for the top Māori sheep and beef farm.

And there is one more unique and amazing aspect to this piece of paradise that looks

out over the vast Pacific Ocean. It’s about the person who oversees the whole Rocket Lab operation – 37 year-old Luke Smith.

His Māori parents were both born on Mahia and their ancestors date way back to the early whalers who were based in the area, but before Luke was born in the 1980s, they decided to seek their fortune across the ditch in Australia. Luke’s father was an engineer and that helped spark his interest in all things about space.

“I grew up fascinated by rockets – things such as the space shuttle, the Russian Soyuz programme and the International Space Station back in the early ‘90s. With dad being an engineer, he got me into playing with cars and

stuff and I decided that once I left home, I would be an engineer,” he told Rural News

To follow his dream, he went to Newcastle University in Australia where he obtained

an honours degree in mechanical engineering. One of his lecturers described him as an exceptionally dedicated and driven student who would go on to do great things. This he has

done, with further study at Purdue University in the US.

“I first came to Rocket Lab in 2022. It’s a hard company to get a job at and I think I applied about five times before I

got a job as an engineer and then notched this amazing role,” he says.

At the same time, coincidently, his parents also moved back to NZ

Today Smith’s official title is LC1 or launch complex one and he runs the whole operation at the Mahia site. But he doesn’t get to press the button that sends the rocket on its way into space – that’s the job of the launch director. The rockets are not large, and the payloads are correspondingly small – about the size of a household microwave.

“When the rocket arrives on the site, it takes between 10 and 14 days to get it prepared for launch. My team basically tests the rocket and put all of the systems in place on the launch pad and that’s when the launch

director takes over,” he says.

Since he’s been at Mahia he’s been involved in 28 launches with another one schedule shortly.

Smith admits it can be a stressful and demanding job, but he’s used to that and it’s not unlike the oil and gas industry he had worked in previously. He says in both cases, you only have one chance to get things right.

Smith lives at Mahia, the land of his ancestors, and says living there and doing the job at Rocket Lab means a lot to him emotionally as well as it does in career terms. He says he is there because of the many special people who came before him and he never forgets this.

Smith is every bit Mahia’s high flyer.

Rocket Lab operations at Mahia Peninsula are managed by Luke Smith.

Seed breeder winning over the Indian market

AS THE New Zealand Government launches negotiations on a Free Trade Agreement with India, one Canterbury-based vegetable seed breeder is already benefiting from exporting to the world’s fifth-largest economy.

Winseed International exports more than 9 billion beetroot seeds to India each year, having captured 60% of the hybrid beetroot seed market.

It’s a multi-million-dollar business with 60 staff across New Zealand, India, and most recently, Egypt.

Winseed was born out of the Carrfields Group and was previously known as Canterbury Seeds.

“It started off as a trading business – in the early days we were buying and selling seeds in markets across the world,” Winseed chief executive officer Tom Sherratt says.

“That led to an understanding of the markets and products, to having interactions with research institutes, universities, and other seed research companies that were prepared to give us a production and marketing licence on some varieties, which allowed us to really have some skin in the game, in terms of product.”

Over the years, Winseed has acquired exclusive germplasm (plant genetic lines) which allowed it to develop its own plant research and breeding programme and more recently it has completed a significant acquisition of beetroot germplasm.

The company’s research and development takes place just south of Christchurch, and also in Hyderabad, India.

Winseed now has 45 staff there, including newly hired CEO for its Indian subsidiary, Vinod Kumar Yadav, who previously worked at Limagrain - one the world’s leading seed companies.

“We’ve taken our plant breeding global - we’re not just relying on the one site here in New Zealand,” Sherratt says.

“We’re researching our core products – carrot, beetroot, daikon radish and pea – but we’re also looking to start breeding varieties specifically for the Indian market.”

About half of Winseed’s total sales now come from India, with the other half from the Middle East, North Africa, Europe, South America, Australia and, of course, New Zealand.

It can take 5-8 years to breed a new plant variety, and another 3-4 to commercialise it, Sherratt says, so having firm financial backing was a must.

“It’s extremely important, because when you’re talking about research projects, it’s a lot of investment up front for a longer return period – the working capital requirements are quite significant.

“ANZ have been really good at backing us, along with Carrfields, which included overdrafts or trade financing, and we’d have been constrained in terms of growth if we didn’t have that.

“It would be too hard to invest in plant research programmes and

create really exceptional vegetable varieties without financial support.”

ANZ’s managing director for business and agri Lorraine Mapu says while our larger export earning sectors are vital to the New Zealand economy, it is important not to lose sight of the important role smaller businesses in different sectors play in growing our export earnings.

“Winseed is a fantastic example – they have quickly grown to be our largest seed exporter to India.

They also clearly demonstrate the immense value of intellectual property as an export commodity for a small country like New Zealand – providing avenues of scalable long-term growth.”

Mapu acknowledged breaking into export markets could be challenging and emphasised the support available not only from ANZ, but from various organisations to help businesses navigate the complexities of exporting.

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GROWTH CAME WITH CHALLENGES

WINSEED’S GROWTH has not been without challenges, especially around the complexities of international trade.

The company’s seeds were banned for a year in Pakistan after genetically modified material was falsely detected in a shipment of seeds originating from New Zealand.

The issue was eventually resolved with the help of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT).

“Every country has its plant import criteria and regulations, so you need to make sure your product complies,” Tom Sherratt said.

“Those regulations can also change quickly, leaving you caught with inventories, so you need to be quite dynamic and try to solve those problems quickly.”

Organisations like Seed and Grain New Zealand (where Tom is a director), MFAT and New Zealand Trade and Enterprise have helped along the way.

To establish a presence in a market, Sherratt said finding good distribution key, and that it’s normal to expect “a little bit of trial and error when you’re starting out”.

“We had situations in the earlier years where we’ve selected the wrong distributor; they might forecast a certain demand, you over-produce, and then they drop their sales forecast,” he said.

“In some markets, like the Middle East or North Africa, it can also be tough to get to the point of a written distributor agreement which makes it difficult to deal with issues when they arise.”

Sherratt said Winseed’s choice of markets is also based on competition – countries like China, although the most valuable and largest vegetable seed market, are immensely competitive.

That’s led the company to focus on India, attracted by the size of its market and growth potential.

India has a population of 1.4 billion and enjoyed fullyear GDP growth in 2024 of 6.5%.

“Emerging markets like India are not everyone’s cup of tea, but we’re up for the challenge.

“India provides us an opportunity to scale our plant breeding research, so we can do things faster – developing varieties that are more targeted to the market.”

The global seed market is forecast to be worth around NZ$175b, by 2030, as farmers around the world continue to switch to superior hybrid seeds.

New Zealand’s vegetable seed export revenue increased by 87%, to a total of NZ$124 million, between 2014 to 2024.

For businesses looking to get into exporting themselves, Sherratt suggested European countries could be worth looking into.

He said they are a good first step due to their professional environments, well-developed trade agreements and well-documented regulations, meaning you can generally export with confidence.

He also emphasised the need to understand the market you are trying to sell into, and the importance of making face-to-face meetings.

“Never walk into it blindly, know your product and know your market,” he said.

“In the early days, the time we spent on a plane was immense, but that led to an understanding of the markets and got the networks going – those trips helped shape my thinking in terms of where our market opportunities were.”

A Winseed field day taking place in India.

Winseed chief executive officer Tom Sherratt says about half of the company’s total sales come from India.

Roadshow seeks healthy ideas

THE GOVERNMENT wants to make sure that rural communities get a level of service that people who live in cities often complacently expect.

That’s the message from Associate Health Minister Matt Doocey as he begins a rural health roadshow to get a feel for how the present rural health strategy is working. He describes the roadshow as a sort of “performance appraisal”.

The roadshow kicked off a few weeks ago in the Horowhenua township of Levin – a service town for an extensive rural area.

12 towns from the far north to the deep south and places in between, including Kaitaia, Wairoa, Hawera, Thames, Greymouth and Gore.

Doocey says the biggest barrier to timely health care in rural areas is lack of staff. He says doctors, nurses and other health professionals in these areas are doing a great job to give the best service possible.

THE SOLUTIONS

MATT DOOCEY admits there is no silver bullet solution to the problem and recognises isolation, distance and geography – in terms of digital tech –are not easy to overcome. He says the idea of telehealth is good, but it needs reliable connectivity.

“You look at Starlink, it is game changer, but not everyone will be able to afford to have their own. It then comes down to using maraes and health facilities like the Levin Health Centre which have rooms set aside for consultations.

“What we want to do is provide a range of things to give people choice and for those with good connectivity, the option of home consultations. For others, it will be nearby centres, while some will still prefer the face-to-face consultations,” he says.

it a priority and to develop a package of creative ways to better service rural people. For example, potentially making greater use of nurse practitioners if there is shortage of GPs and making use of paramedics to treat urgent cases. He is reaching out to a range of rural organisations and health professionals. He says farmer groups know their community and can provide valuable insights. Doocey adds that by going around the country he may also come across some good programmes that can be applied in other areas.

Here Doocey attended a public meeting where he and health officials outlined the strategy and took feedback from the audience of about 70 people. He later visited health facilities in the township, including the Horowhenua Health Centre which provides a range of primary and hospital health services.

He told Rural News that the rural health strategy came into effect a year ago and says it was

timely for him to get out into rural areas nationwide to get a personal feel for how it’s working and what improvements could be made.

Between now and October, Doocey will visit

He says while there are specific targets or timeframes in which people with mental health issues need to be seen – namely a week. There is also a target of four months to see a specialist and 31 days for cancer treatment.

“But there is no such target for primary health. I know my colleague Simeon Brown, the health minister, having seen the success of the mental

Doocey says overall the objective of the rural health strategy is to make

health target, is thinking about whether we need one for primary health.

“I am not saying for a second that a target is the

“For example, in Levin there is an innovative school-based programme dealing with the use of methamphetamine which could be rolled out in other centres,” he says. Doocey hopes that at the end of the roadshow it’s possible that ideas will emerge that he will take back to Wellington and possibly Cabinet.

be-all end and end-all, but when you set a guaranteed level of service to say you want people to be seen by X amount of time

by their GP, it allows us to performance manage that and direct investment into that area,” he says.

Matt Doocey is keen to know whether the rural health strategy is working.

Call to fast-track animal medicines approval

WITH AN amendment to the Medicines Act proposing human medicines could be approved in 30 days if the product has approval from two recognised overseas jurisdictions, there’s a call for a similar approach to be applied to animal medicines.

Animal and Plant

Health New Zealand

(APHANZ) chief executive Dr Liz Shackleton said that healthy animals benefit communities in many ways and being able to treat them with the best and latest medication matters.

Currently, animal medicines must be approved for use in New Zealand by the Agricultural Compounds and Veterinary Medicines Group within New Zea-

land Food Safety. Under the proposed amendment to the Medicines Act 1981, if a medicine has passed judicial overview and received full approval in two recognised jurisdictions (like Australia, UK, the US) and would not see any unique challenges in the New Zealand environment then approval could be fast tracked in no more than 30 days.

The amendment has passed its first reading in Parliament and, if accepted, would come into effect in mid-2026.

The recent Ministry of Regulation Agricultural and Horticultural Products Regulatory Review recommends increasing the use of assessments by international regulators and supporting harmonisation of requirements.

This would help

address regulator resource and prioritisation challenges highlighted in the review report.

Shackleton says that APHANZ members fully support the ‘rule of two’

approach currently being considered for human medicines being applied to animal medicines.

“This is also an immediate, tangible way for regulators to harmonise and ease workload.

“Our members are unclear why this opportunity has not already been seized.

“We have already provided regulators with options including this one for immediate steps

HORTNZ SEEKS ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR

HORTICULTURE NZ (HortNZ) is encouraging growers with leadership aspirations to apply for its associate director role on the HortNZ board.

The associate director programme is designed to develop future leaders by providing hands-on experience in governance, strategy and leadership within the horticulture sector.

The successful applicant will spend 18 months as a non-voting member of the board, supported by mentoring from experienced directors and access to governance training.

HortNZ board chair Bernadine Guilleux said the position is an opportunity for someone with horticultural experience to grow their leadership capability and gain valuable insight into boardlevel decision-making.

“We’re looking for someone actively involved in the horticulture sector, with a good understanding of the issues and

opportunities facing growers. They should be a strategic thinker, keen to learn, and able to interpret financial, operational and technical information.”

As the challenges and complexity facing the sector grow, Guilleux says building governance capability is critical to the sector’s long-term success.

to improve access to veterinary medicines by harmonising New Zealand’s approach where appropriate with trusted international regulators and best practice conventions.

“We look forward to seeing greater harmonisation as part of government agencies’ urgent implementation of the recommendations of the regulatory review.”

In a further statement to Rural News, spokesperson for APHANZ Linda Lim said that striking the right balance between risk and reward was essential as New Zealand regulators do not have the same resourcing levels of larger, trusted overseas regulators.

“Many companies are currently deciding their futures here.

“We know of one who has already pulled their investment from New Zealand and others are saying their futures here are untenable without regulatory change. A growing risk we face is not having access to these products at all.

“The Ministry for Regulation review report has reinforced those improvements to the regulatory process is critical and our call for greater harmonisation is a positive step towards this end.

“It is not a free pass as we acknowledge there is no such thing as zero risk, only degrees of risk to be managed.”

“We support the need for products for use in New Zealand to be rigorously tested through a trusted process that aligns with international approaches and balances our resourcing practicalities as a small country.

“We need more people with the skills and experience to lead effectively at a governance level - whether on boards, in industry groups or in their own businesses.

“This programme is one way HortNZ is helping to grow that capability.”

The HortNZ board comprises nine directors- seven elected by growers and two independents- and meets six times a year in Wellington and across the country’s main growing regions, with additional meetings held online.

While the role does not carry a vote, Guilleux says the board encourages full participation and values constructive input and insights from the associate director.

The term of appointment for the associate director runs from July 2025 to December 2026, offering time to settle in and contribute across a full annual cycle of board activity. Applications close Friday, 16 May 2025. For more information and to apply, visit www.hortnz.co.nz. – Leo Argent

LEO ARGENT

HortNZ board chair Bernadine Guilleux

Animal and Plant Health New Zealand chief executive Dr Liz Shackleton

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No need for a price on ag emissions – B+LNZ

BEEF + LAMB New Zealand (BLNZ) says the release of New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory clearly shows agriculture is playing its part in emissions reductions and there is no need for a price on agricultural emissions.

The inventory shows there have been significant reductions by the agriculture sector in the last two years, with methane emissions from agriculture 3.7% below 2017 levels, while methane emissions overall (including from waste) are 4.1% below 2017 levels.

Overall, agricultural emissions were at their lowest point since 2000, though still 10% higher than in 1990.

B+LNZ chair Kate Acland says with further reductions forecast in the next couple of years due to land-use change, farmers are well on the way to meeting the current 2030 emissions reduction targets and there is no need for a price on agricultural emissions.

“We’ve been saying for some time that our sector is already pulling its weight. However, we’re still grappling with regulations that are sucking the confidence out of rural New Zealand, and we need immediate changes.

“The latest inventory should be a good news story, but a primary driver behind these emissions reductions has been the conversion of productive sheep and beef farms into forestry for carbon offsetting.

“We may be head-

ing towards the current 2030 target, but it’s for the wrong reasons. Reductions are being achieved by a reduction in stock numbers, driven by offsetting – a mechanism that is intended to reduce carbon emissions, but simply allows fossil fuel emitters to continue emitting.”

B+LNZ-commissioned independent research has shown that between 2017 and 2024 more than 260,000 hectares of whole sheep and beef farms were sold for conversion into forestry, primarily for carbon farming.

Acland said that for every 100,000 hectares planted close to one million stock units are lost, with over 2.5 million stock units so far taken out of the sector due to afforestation.

She said this trend

was unsustainable for the sector and for the wider economy, risking losing New Zealand’s iconic farming landscapes and livelihoods.

“We’re seeking clear action from the Government so our farmers can have confidence in New Zealand’s approach and confidence in the future of our sector.

“The current 2050 methane target needs to be revised on the basis of no additional warming and the threat of emissions pricing must be taken off the table.

“Any further reductions in on-farm emissions should come from the use of technologies, further genetic gains and farm systems optimisation – driven by customer demands and not Government regulation.

@rural_news facebook.com/ruralnews

AFFORESTATION TO EASE?

WHILE B+LNZ welcomed the Government’s announcement late last year of restrictions on forestry offsets, it still believes this will see afforestation happen, just at a slower pace.

Waitaki MP and former sheep farmer Miles Anderson echoed those statements, pointing out that while primary producers are currently exempted from emissions pricing until at least 2030 they still pay carbon taxes on fuel, fertiliser and electricity.

“Farms still contribute to the Emissions Trading Scheme with those things. We as a government are introducing a new Resource Management Act through the parliamentary process at the end of the year.

“The aim to have this in place by mid-2026, reducing compliance costs and complexity.”

One significant though often overlooked aspect of emissions management is nitrous oxide (N2O), which accounted for 9% of total emissions.

Primarily generated through application of nitrogen fertilizers and breakdown of organic matter (i.e. urine/ dung, soil and crop residues), N2O’s atmospheric duration of 100-120 years is significantly shorter than carbon dioxide (300-1,000 years) but much longer than methane (7-12 years).

NITROUS OXIDE USE

FOUNDATION FOR Arable Research senior researcher Dirk Wallace said that while nothing was currently being promoted by government to specifically target N2O emissions, farm planning to get fertiliser rates right for crops would be an excellent start.

“There is also work being pushed by the New Zealand Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Research Centre on nitrification inhibitors you could apply to fertiliser to modify the way it transforms from one source of nitrogen to another.

“This would reduce the amount of nitrous oxide released from the fertiliser and could be a mitigation practice on the horizon in the future.

“In terms of other losses urine and dung from animals are a massive source in the pastoral sense, but the methane emission from livestock outweighs the nitrous oxide emission so that’s where the majority of their attention tends to go.”

Wallace said a positive side effect of better freshwater quality outcomes would also be in helping to reduce fertiliser emissions if fertiliser rates were excessive to begin with.

LEO ARGENT

B+LNZ chair Kate Acland.

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Rural hubs win funds for upgrades

TWENTY RURAL community hubs across New Zealand will receive $5,000 to upgrade their facilities having been selected as the winners of Rabobank’s Community Hub Competition.

The competition –which ran throughout March – was open to all rural community halls, clubrooms and marae across New Zealand and attracted well over 500 entries.

Running for the first time in 2025, the competition was developed by Rabobank after their client council network identified the vital role rural community halls, clubrooms and marae play in providing a suitable location for rural communities to come together.

The $100,000 total prize money for the competition will be drawn

from the Rabo Community Fund – a fund set up in 2021 and backed by an annual contribution from the Rabobank Group. The funding will be used by competition winners for work that improves the interior or exterior of their nominated hall, clubrooms or marae.

Mark Chrystall, the chair of the Rabobank Lower North Island Client Council, said it was fantastic to see the competition attract so many entries.

“We know halls, clubrooms and marae are incredibly important for rural communities, and we expected there would be plenty of interest in the competition. But we were blown away by the volume of entries that came in, and I think this really illustrates just how many community hubs there are out there across

rural New Zealand which are in need of a bit of funding support,” he said.

Chrystall, who is a director of Spring Farms Ltd, a sheep and beef operation located east of Taihape, said the bank’s four regional client coun-

cils were allocated the challenging task of selecting five competition winners from their respective regions.

“There were so many great entries, and it was fantastic to read in the entry forms about the

huge variety of community groups that are utilising their local community hub for all sorts of different events,” he said.

“Many of the nominated halls, clubrooms or marae, have been around a long time, and it’s clear

that some of these buildings have played a big role in the history of their local area.

“As a council, we did find it incredibly difficult to select the winners. Ultimately, we went with hubs which are being widely used by local community members, and where we felt the $5,000 of funding would make a meaningful difference to the upgrade of facilities.”

Chrystall said members of Rabobank’s Client Councils were keen to stay in touch with the winning entrants from across the country.

“We’re hoping the funding support will mean the winning entrants get even more use out of their nominated buildings, and we’re certainly keen to be kept up to date with progress on the upgrade of their facilities.”

Rabobank general manager for country banking Bruce Weir said the competition was part of the broader work the bank was doing alongside its Client Councils to grow and strengthen rural communities.

“Our Client Councils have a deep understanding of the issues facing rural communities across New Zealand, and we’re committed to continuing our work with them to develop initiatives, strategies and ideas that advance farming and rural communities,” he said.

“Since the formation of the Rabo Community Fund in 2021, we’ve committed over $3m of funding to rural community projects, and we’re really proud of the impact these initiatives are having across rural New Zealand.”

CONTROL

AGRIZERONZ HAS entered a new partnership with Britain’s national innovation agency, Innovate UK.

The partnership was confirmed in London this month with the signing of an agreement at an event hosted by Prime Minister Christopher Luxon to celebrate connections between the United Kingdom and New Zealand.

Innovate UK and AgriZeroNZ will work together as investor partners, combining grant funding, investment and expertise to stimulate research and development into reducing agricultural greenhouse gas emissions.

Wayne McNee, AgriZeroNZ chief executive, said the partnership is expected to unlock new investment opportunities to sup-

port its ambition to ensure all farmers in New Zealand have equitable access to affordable, effective solutions to reduce biogenic methane and nitrous oxide emissions.

“The UK is highly regarded as a thriving hub for innovation and we’re excited to tap into this network of high potential businesses across the agritech system with Innovate UK.”

The partnership is said to complement AgriZeroNZ’s diverse investment portfolio which includes UK start up Agroceutical Products, a previous Innovate UK funding recipient. AgriZeroNZ is setting up a new entity with the company in New Zealand and investing up to £2m to investigate how its daffodil extracts could be

used as a methane inhibitor to reduce agricultural emissions.

AgriZeroNZ is described as a world-first public-private joint venture focused on helping farmers cut emissions while maintaining their competitive edge.

Established two years ago, the JV is half owned by the New Zealand Government through the Ministry for Primary Industries and the other half owned by private sector companies – the a2 Milk Company, ANZ Bank New Zealand, ANZCO, ASB Bank, BNZ, Fonterra, Rabobank, Ravensdown, Silver Fern Farms and Synlait. Private sector funding is matched by Government, dollar-for-dollar, to provide $191 million over AgriZeroNZ’s first four years.

Back row: UK Secretary of State for Business and Trade, Jonathan Reynolds; PM Christopher Luxon; UK Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Steve Reed. Front row: AgriZeroNZ chief executive, Wayne McNee; Innovate UK’s Dr. Peter Dirken at the signing ceremony.

Mark Chrystall, chair of the Rabobank Lower North Island Client Council.

EDITORIAL

Forest for the trees?

MOST PEOPLE will be aware of the Government’s plans to boost coal, oil and gas production to meet energy requirements.

Whatever your stance on the short-term efficacy of renewable sources and developments, it’s worth noting a major reason for afforestation in New Zealand right now is offsetting emissions produced from fossil fuels.

Recent statistics show Kiwi farmers doing an admirable job of reducing their on-farm emissions, but the point of diminishing returns has already easily been reached.

If fossil fuel emissions keep up at the same rate in this country, we won’t be able to reach our binding emissions targets for 2030 without - you guessed it - planting more trees. Where are these trees planted? Productive farming land. Who bears the cost of this conversion? Hard working Kiwi farmers.

The Government has two stances on this topic. One, increased domestic fossil fuel production will reduce reliance on imports, cutting down on transport costs and emissions and theoretically have a net reduction in emissions despite identical consumption rates.

Secondly, renewable sources are not developed enough to cover surges in electricity usage or convert our primarily petrol-powered transport fleet.

For all the publicity about the necessity of expanding fossil fuel production because renewables cannot supply 100% of the country 100% of the time, there seems to be much less government discussion about fixing or expanding the renewable energy grid in the first place.

Is there some discussion on this long-term plan? Certainly. Is it being given the same priority as the quick band-aid fix that may be shafting Kiwi farmers long term? No.

Sadly, there is no easy solution. Any reasonable discussion will need to accept that someone, something, somewhere, is going to get a bum deal. Whether New Zealand will have to deal with reduced primary production, spottier energy supplies or a less green country is a bullet we must bite.

The question is, who should put the bell on the cat? - Leo Argent

THE HOUND

Keep it real

WITH THE Government applying some fiscal discipline to scientific research funding, this mutt thinks it might be timely to look at what’s still being done in the ag-science space. While it’s unlikely any research projects have been dreamed up as loopy as the ‘whale song to cure kauri dieback’ debacle, your old mate hears some farmers question whether research farms such as those run by various universities are operating in the real world. Said farmers reckon they’ve stopped attending field days at these farms because they are promoting a low intensity farming scenario that is commercially unrealistic. While the Hound is all in favour of keeping the research farms rolling, if our research farms are used for some sort of nirvana virtue signalling, they’re simply not going to deliver value to farmers in the real world.

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Inconvenient truth

YOU WOULD’VE missed this one if you rely on mainstream media for your news, but your old mate reckons credit should go where credit’s due: Emissions by dairy cattle decreased by 1.6% according to the latest NZ Greenhouse Gas Inventory report. It shows that between 2022 and 2023, total emissions from agriculture decreased 2.2% which included a 1.6% drop in dairy cattle emissions due to a fall in dairy cow numbers. This is part of a trend that has seen methane emissions from dairy cattle decrease by 4.11% since 2017. DairyNZ statistics show a 3.4% decrease in cow numbers - from 4.84 million in the 2021/22 season to 4.67 million in the 2022/23 season. Average milk production per cow however increased over this same period by 1.8%, up to 393kgMS from 386kgMS.

PRODUCTION: David Ferguson Ph 027 272 5372 davef@ruralnews.co.nz

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REPORTERS: Peter Burke Ph 021 224 2184 peterb@ruralnews.co.nz

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

We’re OK!

DESPITE THE volatility created by the shoot-from-the-hip trade tariff ‘strategy’ being deployed by the new state tenants in the White House, farm commodity prices are holding their own. The crash in U.S. bonds was the only guardrail that seemed to keep Trump’s excess in check. As investors and governments dumped US bonds (Canada and EU countries particularly using them as leverage in the trade war), the greenback devalued, pushing the relative value of the NZD up into the 60s. Sharemarkets are all over the place and the geopolitical scene isn’t great for confidence, to state the obvious. And yet, as at 2 weeks ago, ASB reported lamb prices up 0.8%, beef up 0.4 and dairy up 2.1%. And Stats NZ reckons March exports were excellent: dairy up 35%, meat up 34% and fruit up a whopping 74%.

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

Keep it up

THE GOOD fight against “banking wokery” continues with a draft bill to scrap the red tape forcing banks and financial institutions to make climate-related disclosures, by repealing Part 7A of the Financial Markets Conduct Act 2013. Architect of the bill, ACT rural communities spokesperson Mark Cameron says, “Farmers are already seeing discrimination creeping into interest rates based on perceived emissions. They fear they’ll be the next to be ‘debanked’, not because of financial risk, but because they don’t fit the agenda of the suitand-tie bigwigs. We’ve already seen it happening to essential industries like mining and service stations.” Your old mate reckons three cheers for anything that knocks back these rules, which are the ultimate virtue signal. They reduce banking competition and force significant costs on lenders – and therefore borrowers – for no environmental gain.

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

DIGITAL STRATEGIST: Jessica Marshall Ph 021 0232 6446

“Not if you use the vet!”

The basics of grazing

WHEN I left school in 1962, I worked on our family farm at Tikokino, but learning about farming wasn’t a priority at the time because I had other distractions on my mind, such as fast cars and hot girls.

The trouble is, this flippant attitude caught up with me when my father died too young and I found myself in the deep end, trying to run the farm when I didn’t really know how.

Which meant I had to learn fast, with the emphasis on thinking. So anyway, I soon worked out that the most important aspect of farming is stock management, as regards grazing.

For what it’s worth, I’ll pass on a few things I’ve learnt by trial and error.

Firstly, when it comes to set stocking, especially sheep for lambing, it’s essential to download Google Earth Pro to work out how many effective hectares of grass there are in each paddock.

Then, going on the theory that each hectare (2.471 acres) has an average carrying capacity of say, 15 stock units (mature sheep being one unit) and, allowing for the fact that the ewes will be dropping at least 150% of lambs, which will soon start grazing... then you don’t want the ewes stocked at more than about 10 to the hectare.

After the lambs have dropped, and the spring growth is taking off, you should then top up by spreading cattle lightly in each paddock. About one per hectare (six stock units equivalent) will bring the total (including the lambs at one third of a unit) to about, give or take, 20 per ha.

This not only results in the cattle controlling the rank spring flush, but by not having all one class of livestock, there is less of a worm burden to the lambs.

Of course, when working out how many stock should go in each paddock, you must make allowance for each one being a different soil type (heavy or light), and topography (flat or

steep), plus aspect (north or south facing). My example above is based on good flat country.

I’d say for light stoney flat country, or steep hills (other than high country) the stocking rate would more likely be not much over seven ewes per ha. Then topped up after lambing with cattle at between two thirds and three quarters of a beast per ha.

Getting the sheep stocking rate wrong from the outset will result in either overstocking – and by the time you realise, and adjust the numbers, the damage will have been done, i.e. the grass is chewed out, and can’t recover enough in late winter. Or, your wild guess results in not enough ewes in a paddock – so they’ll likely have lambing trouble, due to being overfed.

No doubt, some whizkid farmers would calculate carrying capacity on weight of livestock in kilos/ha. That’s too technical for most of us. I stick to simple basics as a guide – which also requires the ability to adapt by using observation and analytical thinking.

I must add that I believe each lot of ewes and lambs should remain as settled family groups in their own paddock (familiar territory) right through until weaning. Despite the extra work involved mustering and keeping each mob separate at docking and ewe shearing.

After weaning, the ewes should be tightened up over summer, but not in a free range, open gate, unsettled, pasture trampling, rut creating, gateway crushing system.

Then before tupping they need to be “flushed” on good pasture, i.e. gaining weight to help ensure they produce twins.

When tupping is finished, the ewes need hardening up over winter to be fit when they’re spread lightly again on short, but fresh pasture for lambing.

This all seems so simple that you’d think everyone must have a good understanding of the basics of graz-

ing. However, I’m often astounded to find that many farmers haven’t really got the hang of it. They’ll insist they do, but if you challenge them to explain how they go about deciding what numbers of sheep should be set-stocked in each paddock, it turns

out they’re often just guessing and hoping for the best. Which doesn’t always work. Hence my suggestions. Not that I can claim to be any sort of expert, so the question will undoubtedly be asked as to who the hell I think I am to be handing out advice.

Well, I’m only trying to help, which I’m sure some farmers will be honest enough to admit they appreciate. I just wish someone had taken the trouble to point out the simple basics to me. • Kerry Butler farms in Waipawa, Central Hawke’s Bay

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KERRY BUTLER

The most important aspect of farming is stock management, as regards grazing.

Keeping a watch on dairy farms

DAIRY FARMERS are under increasing pressure to safeguard their livestock, equipment and operations from a range of security threats.

From biosecurity breaches, cattle theft, activist trespassing and cybersecurity threats to occupational health and safety, protecting productivity is becoming just

as important as managing herd health and milk output.

While traditional security measures play a role, advances in on-farm surveillance technology are now helping dairy producers take a more proactive approach to security and farm management.

Rigorous protocols, systems and processes required within the dairy industry often leave pro-

ducers overwhelmed in 24/7 monitoring activities. But how do you monitor employee welfare and safety, as well as biosecurity, whilst also keeping an eye on the cows in the paddock and the milking shed?

Integrating the entire operation through multiple watchful eyes is Land Watch New Zealand’s way of keeping dairy producers, their cattle and their

farms safe.

Land Watch New Zealand has witnessed a rapid increase in interest in surveillance solutions among dairy farmers as producers look for ways to enhance security, improve efficiency, and reduce risks. With this insight, we reviewed the multiple operational points within a dairy farm that could be suspect to security threats, as well

as considering where overall management of the property could be optimised.

Farm entry points – the first barrier of security. Staff vehicles, couriers, trucks delivering fuel and other suppliers all enter dairy farms multiple times a day. Controlling access and keeping a record of vehicle movements helps track milk collection and

deliveries. With Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR), footage can now be cross-referenced with farm records for greater accountability. Biosecurity breaches often occur mostly at this first point of entry. Whether it is the delivery driver or the employee, having eyes on this point of entry can enable linkages to the biosecurity breach.

management, as well as animal welfare.

Fuel surveillanceFuel is one of the most expensive inputs on a farm, and its proper management can save thousands of dollars annually.

Shed security – the operational hub. Machinery, tools, supplies and parts are all located within the sheds and can be exposed to free picking by thieves. Monitoring movement within and around the sheds can help deter theft and unauthorised usage of farm machinery. Video records of work areas can also provide crucial insights in case of an accident, ensuring that safety protocols are being followed and providing evidence for incident reviews.

Animal and employee welfare – important adherence to industry welfare standards. Surveillance can clarify events in case of an injury or dispute, assisting in investigations and safety improvements.

Quality control –monitor adherence to dairy hygiene control measures. Reviewing footage of milk transfers can help maintain hygiene standards and track any anomalies in the collection process.

Paddock surveillance - livestock is at the heart of all operations. Keeping an eye on stock movements, herd conditions, and calving paddocks can improve feed and stock

New Zealand’s biosecurity has been a recent topic of conversation with the consultation and amendment to the Biosecurity Act 1993. The proposed amendments aim to modernise and strengthen the country’s biosecurity system across six key areas, including improved decision-making, funding, border processes, emergency response, and longterm pest management. The changes also seek to enhance surveillance and align the Act more effectively with other relevant legislation.

Every stakeholder along the agricultural supply chain has a role to play. Having an extra set of eyes on all operational points means manual checks can be reduced, whilst ensuring compliance is being adhered to. Backed by industry-leading surveillance technology, producers have the confidence that their biosecurity measures are being upheld—even when they themselves aren’t watching.

Rather than leaving things to chance, implementing a well-structured security plan can provide peace of mind and operational efficiency.

In an industry where every drop of milk counts, having a structured security plan ensures that nothing is left to chance.

JOHN HILL

• John Hill is co-founder of Land Watch New Zealand.

Advances in on-farm surveillance technology are now helping farmers take a more proactive approach to security.

Autumn sub clover control sets up pastures for spring

RECENT WIDESPREAD

autumn rain will have triggered the germination of subterranean clover seeds, and the resulting seedlings should be allowed to reach the 3–4 trifoliate leaf stage before grazing, says Beef+Lamb NZ.

With the correct management, these seedlings will provide ewes and lambs with high quality feed in late winter and early spring.

According to B+LNZ’s factsheet “Using Subterranean Clover”, farmers wanting to increase the population of subterranean (sub) clover in their swards should spell paddocks after germination has occurred to allow the seedlings to reach the 3–4 trifoliate leaf stage.

Ideally, the paddocks should then be grazed by cattle to reduce shading of the clover seedlings. This is particularly important in wet, ‘growthy’ autumns.

Over winter, the paddocks can be grazed as required, but B+LNZ recommend farmers keep the clover-rich pastures

above 1200kg DM/ha. If possible, lambing paddocks should be spelled completely to allow pasture covers to build for lambing.

Sub clover is valued for its ability to produce more drymatter than perennial legumes in early spring. @rural_news

Sub clover is an annual legume which is valued for its ability to produce more drymatter than perennial legumes in early spring, making the most efficient use of available soil moisture. This means it is ideal for driving ewe lactation and pre-weaning growth rates.

Sub clover grows at least a month earlier than lucerne, white and Caucasian clovers. It favours sunny dryland sites, so it is particularly valuable

in East Coast dryland hill country, where, with the appropriate management, it is able to persist in environments where white clover dies off.

Well managed dryland pastures can have 50% clover on offer in September and October.

Grasses in legumerich pasture benefit from the nitrogen(N) fixed the legumes as they take up the extra N and become more palatable to stock.

Subterranean clover has the ability to produce high-quality feed in late winter and early spring. As it thrives on drier sites (sunny hill faces, stony soils), with the correct management, subterranean clover can be a valuable component of east coast, dryland, sheep systems.

As an annual legume, sub clover produces more drymatter in early spring than perennial legumes

such as white clover. This is because annuals germi-

nate and grow at a lower optimum air temperature

(10-15 °C) than perennial legumes (20–25 °C). Sub clover starts rapid growth at least a month earlier than lucerne, white and Caucasian clovers. Wellmanaged dryland pastures can get 50% clover on offer in September and October.

Grazing animals, when given the choice, prefer a diet that is 70% clover and 30% grass. Providing quality herbage from August to November helps lactating ewes milk well, ensuring rapid lamb growth rates. This allows lambs to be finished earlier, before summer dry conditions limit pasture production.

Sub clover is ideal for driving ewe lactation and pre-weaning growth rates

Farm technician’s dream job

BELLA TAYLOR is living her dream.

Based in Manapouri, Bella works as a farm technician for Pāmu collecting data from the stud breeding and research programmes underway on four of the 13 Pāmu farms in Southland’s Te Anau Basin.

One of these programmes is Beef+Lamb New Zealand’s Across-

Breed Beef Progeny Test which is run on Kepler Farm near Manapouri (Kepler Farm is one of two host sites for the Beef Progeny Test, the other is Lochinver Sta-

tion near Taupō).

Included in the raft of information Bella collects for the Across Breed Beef Progeny Test, which is part of the seven-year Informing New Zealand

Beef programme, are liveweights, docility scores, hip height measurements and Body Condition Scores.

Bella also collects data from a terminal sire stud, also based on Kepler Farm and a red deer stud which is run on Stuart Farm, another Pāmu property.

Working with three different species, Bella enjoys the variety her job offers, and it gives her the opportunity to see the genetic progress evident in the performance of the stud stock she works with.

Bella, who has an Agricultural Science Degree, has been working fulltime for Pāmu for four years. She previously worked on the Pāmu Te Anau farms as part of the work experience component of her degree and this led to her being offered the full-time position once she had completed her studies.

Having grown up on a dairy farm in the Bay of Plenty, Bella had always wanted a career in the agricultural sector but figured out quite quickly that on-farm shepherding wasn’t for her, but neither was she particularly interested in agribusiness or the financial side of farming.

“It is often a balancing act between the farm managers and the geneticists and determining what works well for everyone.”

Being young and techsavvy, Bella is often called upon to help with technology issues and acts as a support person for the farm teams.

Beef + Lamb New Zealand’s genetics operation specialist, Anna Vaughan, works with Bella on the Across-Breed Beef Progeny Test and says Bella is extremely good at what she does.

“She supplies all the detail we need in a timely manner.”

Anna says as well as collecting data, Bella ensures all the separate groups of cattle are where they are supposed be, she records any calving difficulties, helps with eye muscle area scans.

She also ensures all the heifers are fit and healthy before being transported up to the feed efficiency and methane measurement trial site in North Canterbury.

The technician’s role is just perfect, and she acts as an intermediary between the geneticists, who carry out all the analysis, evaluations and make the breeding decisions, and the farm managers who, along with Bella, look after the practical applications of their decisions.

Bella Taylor works as a farm technician, collecting data from the stud breeding and research programmes.

Iconic TPW Woolpress turns 50!

THE COMPANY behind the iconic TPW Woolpress, which fundamentally changed the way wool is baled in Australia and New Zealand, is turning 50. By automating the baling process, the TPW Woolpress reduces the manual labour required, increases shed safety, and dramatically improves efficiency. The result is tighter bales, faster turnaround times, and accurate weighing, all contributing to better returns for growers.

Theresia Perfection Welding (today known as TPW) started operations in the Kenwick/Maddington area of Perth, Western Australia in 1975. The company introduced its Slimline Woolpress to NZ farmers in 1990.

The company’s founder was John Theresia Jordans. He passed away in December 2000 and his family – wife and two daughters – had little interest in running the company. This created the opportunity for Heiniger Australia to acquire it in April 2001. Heiniger Australia, which held

the distribution for TPW products, namely a Woolpress and Backease hoist, for the eastern seaboard of Australia, added the TPW brand to its stable.

Dale Harris, joint CEO Heiniger Australia & New Zealand, told Rural News that reaching 50 years is an extraordinary achievement and one that reflects the strength, resilience and relevance of the TPW brand within the wool industry.

“It’s a milestone built on innovation, trust, and a deep connection to the shearing shed – qualities that have underpinned TPW since 1975.

“It’s also a proud alignment with Heiniger’s own heritage, with our parent company nearing 80 years of global excellence in precision engineering and animal fibre removal. Together, Heiniger and TPW share a common vision: to support primary producers with tools that are not only built to last but also built to lead.”

Harris says that the Woolpress is not just TPW’s signature product, it’s a symbol of Australian ingenuity in the wool industry.

Over five decades,

DRAINAGE AND SOIL AERATION PAY BIG DIVIDENDS

it has evolved from the original Fastbaler into the advanced Xpress range available today. It’s widely recognised across shearing sheds throughout Australia and New Zealand, thanks to its reliability, safety and performance.

In more recent years, the TPW Backease 600 Hoist has also been making its mark: a compact, powerful lifting

Don’t put good fertiliser on compacted soil which can’t absorb it. If your soil can’t support 15cm root growth and good worm population check for compaction. You could need aeration. In dollar terms, what would 20% production increase mean to your yearly turnover?

YOUR GREATEST ASSET IS THE SOIL YOU FARM. DON’T DESTROY IT!

solution that’s gaining momentum on farms and in various industries for

its ease of use and versatility.

Harris added that for

NZ wool handlers and contractors, a TPW Woolpress is the gold standard and “a tool they trust day in, day out”.

“It’s not just about automation; it’s about reliability, consistency, safety, and helping New Zealand wool stay globally competitive.

“The TPW Woolpress didn’t just keep pace with industry evolution — it helped lead it.”

Upon introducing the TPW Slimline Woolpress, it won an Australian Design Award. In 1995 TPW began production of the Aussie Xpress Woolpress, the successor to the Slimline. The Kiwi Xpress was adapted from the Aussie Xpress in 1995 with the first Kiwi Xpress dispatched to NZ towards the end of 1996.

Looking ahead, Heiniger says that TPW will continue to evolve

its product range with a clear focus on safety, ease of use, and performance while staying true to the values that made the brand a household name in shearing sheds across Australia and New Zealand.

“The goal is to honour the past, serve the present, and innovate for the future — ensuring the next generation of wool harvesters are equipped with the very best.”

To celebrate TPW’s 50th Anniversary, Heiniger is offering a limited-time promotion of a free TPW Backease 600 Hoist with every TPW Xpress Woolpress purchased.

For more information on TPW and the promotion, contact Heiniger New Zealand at (03) 349 8282, sales@heiniger. co.nz or visit heiniger. co.nz.

NH combines crack 50 years

NEW HOLLAND is cel-

ebrating the 50th anniversary of the introduction

its Twin Rotor threshing and separation technology, which has evolved from a single model in 1975 to a range today, led by the new CR10 and CR11.

The manufacturer reports that over 70,000 TR and CR Twin Rotor combines have been produced globally to date.

New Holland, largely US-based, entered the combine market in 1964 when it acquired Belgian company Claeys. Over the following decade,

NH continued to develop the straw-walker combine line it had acquired, but in the 1960s, explored new ideas for threshing and separating to boost output, improve samples and reduce losses.

Focusing on using centrifugal forces, distinctly different from the drum/ concave and straw-walker method of threshing and separation, the first development was trialled in corn in 1968 and wheat the following year.

The trial machine split the incoming crop from the feeder housing into two streams, feeding two counter-rotating, longitudinal rotors working within longitudinal concaves that consisted of threshing sections followed by separation sections. The high rotor speeds ejected much of the grain through the concaves, minimising grain damage and losses when compared to drum/ concave threshing and straw-walker separation.

In 1975, the first USbuilt, NH combine, the TR 70 was launched, equipped with a 145hp engine and 5,550-litre grain tank, to be replaced in 1979 by the upgraded TR75, and joined by a larger brother, the TR85. Over the next 20 years the range evolved continuously, with the 25,000th TR unit produced in 1997.

Across the Atlantic, European high-capacity combine development took a separate path, the Twin-Flow combines introduced in 1983. These “hybrid” machines used a conventional drum and concave layout, fol-

lowed by a large beater and rotary separator, then a lateral Twin Flow rotor that split the crop into two streams for final separation.

By the late 1990s, New Holland engineers in Europe and North America began work on a totally new Twin Rotor design that would handle all types of crops.

Introduced in 2002, blending key features from the TR and TF series, the new 333hp CR960 and 428hp CR980 were initially built in the USA, before being transferred to the Zedelgem plant in 2005 Belgium.

The CR960 and CR980 featured twin, 17-inch and 22-ich rotors respectively and introduced features including IntelliSense machine automation, Dynamic Flow Control remotely adjustable rotor vanes, Dynamic Feed Roll technology and Opti-Spread Plus residue management.

Elevation models arrived in 2007, introducing Intelli-Cruise feed rate control for maximum output, and Opti-Clean cleaning technology to further enhance grain samples, before evolving into the CR7.90, CR8.90, CR9.90 and CR10.90 models. The flagship machine took the Guinness World Record for the most wheat harvested in eight hours, at 797.656 tonnes in 2014.

Today the range is topped by the recently introduced CR11, with775hp/ 20,000-litre grain tank and CR10 at 634hp/16,000-litre grain tank models.

New Holland’s Twin Rotor threshing and separation technology evolved from a single model in 1975 to a range today.

The JAC of all trades at National Fieldays

ALREADY CAUSING

a stir in the burgeoning ute sector, JAC (“Jack”) has raised its profile by being named as the latest major sponsor of June’s National Fieldays, where it will officially introduce its top-of-the-line T9 4WD double cab ute to the market, joining its fleet of 100% EV and Cummins diesel trucks.

The alignment with Fieldays underscores JAC’s ambition to establish itself as a key player in the ute sector, showcasing JAC as the ultimate ‘JAC of all trades’.

eye on social media for location details, drop by and grab a free pie.

“We’re looking forward to kicking off Pie Day Friday. The pies are on us, and we’ve also got some Fieldays tickets to giveaway too,” says Craw.

working farmers and tradies who know the value of a good smokobreak.”

The new JAC T9 will be on display at Fieldays and scanning your registered Fieldays Smart Band will get you in the draw to win a JAC T9 complete with a tow bar.

“Being a brand that’s new to New Zealand, we’re stoked to be getting behind Kiwis and supporting the team at Fieldays,” says JAC NZ general manager Andrew Craw.

“Before launching the T9 here we’ve been put-

ting it through its paces both on and off NZ roads. It’s been tested for Kiwis by Kiwis; built with truck DNA, it’s a proven workhorse.”

It also achieved a 5-star ANCAP safety

score. To celebrate the partnership, every Friday throughout May, JAC and Fieldays will be parking up in locations around the Waikato to show off the JAC T9. Everyone is encouraged to keep an

“We are really excited to have JAC on board and help them showcase a ute that has been built with truck DNA to the New Zealand market at Fieldays,” says Richard Lindroos, CEO, New Zealand National Fieldays Society.

“We reckon this will be a hit with the hard-

Fieldays is also being supported with the use of a JAC 100% EV Light Duty Truck, allowing Fieldays and Mystery Creek Events Centre to reduce its carbon emissions with zero tailpipe emissions, alongside lowering operational running costs.

MARK DANIEL markd@ruralnews.co.nz

Richard Lindroos, CEO of New Zealand National Fieldays Society and JAC NZ general manager Andrew Craw, sealing the deal with a good oldfashioned steak pie.

Trusted!

50 Years Time Tested

“When kiwi Bert Hansen decided to invent a pipe fitting for farmers to join alkathene poly pipe together, his main focus was to keep it simple and make it last!

50 years on, and with over 100 million fittings in the ground, Bert’s pipe fittings are still simple to use, unquestionably time tested, but most importantly trusted by kiwi farmers”

Don’t just ask for a pipe fitting, ask for a Hansen fitting!