THERE’S BEEN unprecedented demand from secondary school students across the country to study agricultural related subjects.
The demand is so great there aren’t enough secondary school teachers sufficiently qualified to teach these
subjects, so Massey University, in conjunction with the Horticultural Agricultural Teachers Association (HATA), plans to run a series of courses next year to upskill existing and new teachers.
Professor Paul Kenyon, the head of Massey’s school of agriculture and environment, says nationwide there are approximately 100 schools
Popuar winner
ANDREW FENTON'S five decades of making an outstanding and meritorious contribution to the horticulture sector was recognised recently when he was presented with their top award - the prestigious Bledisloe Cup.
The presentation to this popular figure in the industry was made at HortNZ's gala dinner in Wellington.
Fenton started growing kiwifruit in Te Puke in the 1970s and right from the start became involved in a wide range of leadership roles across the sector. A special one was when he was elected the inaugural chair of HortNZ, which came into being in 2005, and he served in that role until 2013. He is still chair among other things of the NZ Fruitgrowers Charitable Trust.
Fenton described being awarded the Bledisloe Cup as an honour and a great occasion. He had no idea when he came to the conference that he was to receive the honour.
"I feel duped, because I was told that I was being invited to speak to the conference about 20 years of HortNZ. But now I realise why my wife Mary was so keen for us to attend this event," he says.
teaching agribusiness and 200 are teaching agriculture and horticulture in some form. He says in the central North Island, schools are reporting that more students are taking agricultural subjects as opposed to some of the traditional science subjects.
“This is staggering and shows that people can see potential careers in the primary industries and therefore doing
subjects at secondary school that will help them in career development and hopefully get them into a rewarding career,” he told Rural News.
He says the courses Massey is planning will cover agribusiness, horticulture and agriculture and will be online and in modular form to enable teachers to do the courses in their own time. He says they will amount to about
50 hours of learning and those doing these modules will be able to cross credit some papers to obtain a tertiary qualification. Some will also involve practical block courses run at both Massey’s Palmerston North campus.
The idea of running the courses stemmed from discussions between Professor Kenyon and his staff, and a small group of teachers who already run courses at their schools in all of the above subjects.
One of these teachers is Kerry Allen, secretary/ treasurer of HATA, a curriculum advisor on agriculture, a teacher at St Pauls College and also part owner of a dairy farm with husband James. She says the big problem in primary sector education is the lack of teachers who are qualified in that area and have wide understanding of the sector.
“We often have vacancies and we fill them with teachers who have passion for gardening or have three cows in their back yard, but they are not qualified horticultural, agricultural, agribusiness teachers. So we are trying to get keen and passionate teachers who have a teaching qualification and maybe a number of degrees and upskill them in the content knowledge,” she says.
Allen says there are no courses available to teach the teachers about the detail around things such as livestock management or soils or other core areas relating to horticulture, agriculture or agribusiness –information which is required as part of the curriculum for these subjects. ❱❱ To page 3
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Trump tariff to boost wool carpet exports
SUDESH KISSUN
sudeshk@ruralnews.co.nz
A 50% TARIFF slapped by the US on goods from India last month has opened an opportunity for New Zealand wool carpets exports to North America.
Chairman of carpet maker
Bremworth, Rob Hewett, told Rural News that, thanks to the tariffs, suddenly NZ wool carpets have become cost competitive in the lucrative market.
He says Bremworth is now talking to its agents in North America about boosting sales.
“Suddenly North America has become very attractive for NZ wool carpets,” he says.
US tariffs of 50% on goods from India - which includes a 25% penalty for Delhi’s refusal to stop buying oil from Russia - took effect two weeks ago. India’s carpet exports in the last financial year were valued around $187 million. Of this, 60% was exported to the US and 40% to European countries.
Hewett says Bremworth will focus on wool carpet and not synthetic carpet when it comes to exports to North America.
“NZ wool carpet is internationally a very niche product. In the US, they
make thousands of metres of synthetic carpets every day. One company makes the same amount of synthetic carpet in a week that Bremworth makes in a year.”
Meanwhile, Hewett says Bremworth is talking to interested parties as part of its strategy review and “nothing is on or off the table”. This includes outside investors taking a stake in the listed company.
Unaudited financial results for the year ending June 30, 2025, show Bremworth’s revenue reached $90 million, compared to $80m the previous year. It recorded a normalised EBITDA loss of $13.2 million, compared to $4.7m in 2024. After considering one-off items including insurance claims, restructuring costs and provision for an onerous contract, Bremworth recorded a net profit after tax of $18.2m.
Hewett became chair of Bremworth in March this year after a shareholderinitiated takeover. He says shareholders weren’t happy with the business.
“Since then, we’ve done everything to get costs under control; we’re generally happy with the way things are going.”
Hewett says an announcement on the outcome of the strategic review “isn’t too far away”.
Chief executive Craig Woolford said FY25 had been a tough year against the backdrop of a challenging economic environment, with consumer demand remaining subdued across key markets.
“Our carpet business has continued to face headwinds, with weaker volumes and margin pressures weighing on performance.
“However, we are taking clear steps to reset the business, including a $6 million investment to expand production at our Napier plant. This project will restore full domestic yarn capacity, significantly reduce lead times and create new jobs in Hawke’s Bay while also reducing yarn input costs and improving quality.
DEMAND FOR AG SUBJECTS IN SCHOOLS
Another teacher, Coadette Low, head of agriculture at Mt Albert Grammer School, says she’s seen an increase in interest in the primary sector from students. She believes this is because there are so many different career pathways and opportunities.
“Here at Mount Albert Grammar School, I have seen an increase in demand resulting in the need for three
additional classes. Regardless of the number of students wanting to take the subject, they need a teacher in front of them, and providing these courses for teachers to upskill themselves in the subject is important,” she says.
Low says the courses will increase the confidence and engagement of teachers, which in turn will benefit the students.
It’s planned to pilot the courses in
the next couple of months. Kerry Allen says they will handpick a small group of teachers, with the objective of sorting out any potential problems, and then the courses will go live early next year and open to all teachers.
“At the same time, we are strengthening our sales capability by adding more sales representatives in both New Zealand and Australia and changing the way we engage with our retail partners.
“Sales management are taking a more active role in understanding how we can better service our retailers and to work collaboratively with them to make it much easier to do business with Bremworth.”
In New Zealand, the increased sales representation will see an increase in headcount from the current five to seven and in Australia from the current nine to 14 as part of Bremworth’s re-focus on sales.
Coadette Low says the courses have been designed to allow teachers to ‘pick and mix’ what suits them best, because it’s well known there isn’t a one size fits all model when it comes to professional development.
Finally, Professor Paul Kenyon acknowledges that to date there has not been a lot of professional development for teachers in the ag hort space. He says the courses will not only help the teachers themselves, but the teachers will be able to use some of that information in their teaching, so it will have a flow-on effect of improving the knowledge and experience of the students.
Bremworth chair Rob Hewett
Change it or ditch it - ACT’s stance on Paris Agreement
THE ACT Party’s call for a better deal on the Paris Agreement on climate change is being backed by farmer organisations.
Launching the party’s position on climate change on a dairy farm at Patumahoe, South Auckland, last week, ACT leader David Seymour described the Paris Agreement as “a bad boyfriend”.
“If it doesn’t change, we’re going to leave,” he told Rural News.
While ACT isn’t calling for NZ to leave the climate change pact, it is calling for changes. This puts ACT on the middle ground – with Beef+Lamb NZ, DairyNZ and Federated Farmers ruling out leaving Paris. Farmer lobby Groundswell is pushing for NZ to quit Paris.
“I can understand why the likes of Beef and Lamb are saying, look, staying in Paris gives us marketing cover. But marketing’s all fine, so long as you’ve got something to sell.
“And so, I believe if you ask them truly, do they think Paris is great? No, they don’t.
“I believe a time will come where countries like New Zealand, who are very exposed to methane, are going to start renegotiating. And I believe New Zealand should lead that. New Zealand’s always been a leading country in everything we’ve done.”
New Zealand’s 2050 climate target of cutting methane emissions by 24 to 47% of 2017 levels was set by the previous Labour government. The current Government is being urged by farmer lobby groups to lower the target, and back away from any plans to put a price on methane. A scientific panel, appointed by National, found cutting methane 14-24% of 2017 levels by 2050 would achieve no added warming, but
Cabinet has not said whether it will adopt that range as a target.
Seymour says as a small trading nation, NZ can’t ignore climate policy but overdoing it will backfire.
“Sending New Zealand farming and industry overseas where they emit even more, hurts the climate and our way of life. Paris needs to change, or New Zealand needs to leave.”
Groundswell co-founder Brice McKenzie told Rural News that ACT’s
position goes a long way to achieving something sensible. But he says the problem is a change of government could undo the changes.
“When we end up with a change of government, they will have the opportunity to introduce all the same old policies using our ‘Paris obligations’ as a cover.
“We can’t trust future politicians to stand up for NZ; we have to quit Paris.
“The Paris Agreement is causing
NO NEED FOR PRICE
SPEAKING AT the ACT Party event, Associate Agriculture Minister Andrew Hoggard says there’s no need to have a price on methane.
“Basically, we’re already on track to have hit 10% by 2030,” says Hoggard, referring to the scientific panel report that found cutting methane 14-24% off 2017 levels by 2050 would achieve no added warming.
“So that’s only another 4% in 20 years. With all the technology that’s about, that will come about; the continual improvement New Zealand farmers do anyway, that’s easily achievable.
“We don’t need a price on methane to achieve that – just keep getting better like we’ve always done will get us there. New Zealand farmers generally don’t need encouragement to be efficient, they’re pretty good at it.”
higher prices for food, electricity and all production. Every Kiwi is feeling it, even though they may not understand where it’s coming from. It is slowly destroying us.”
Federated Farmers says the problem isn’t the Paris Agreement itself, but how it’s being applied in New Zealand that is hurting farmers and rural communities.
“We don’t support the Government withdrawing from the Paris Agreement, but changes are needed,” says Federated Farmers president Wayne Langford.
“The ‘Pull out of Paris’ message might look good on a bumper sticker, but in reality, it’s an oversimplification of the issue. Paris isn’t the problem, and pulling out isn’t the solution.
“What we should really be talking about is how Paris is being applied domestically, and how we could be taking a much more pragmatic, realistic and scientific approach to climate policy.”
Federated Farmers says overly
ambitious methane reduction targets, whole-farm conversions to carbon forestry, and plans to price agricultural emissions are all home-grown policies.
“The climate rules we set for ourselves here in New Zealand are where the rubber really meets the road for farmers and rural communities,” Langford says.
“The world hasn’t forced those policies on us; they’re self-inflicted products of our own politicians setting overly ambitious goals with no realistic way of achieving them.”
B+LNZ BACKING
BEEF+LAMB NZ chair Kate Acland says it agrees with much of what’s included in ACT’s position statement.
“We have consistently called for a split-gas approach to New Zealand’s NDC (which sets out New Zealand’s contribution to delivering on the goals of the Paris Agreement) to recognise the different role methane plays in warming.
“We have also long argued that our international commitments must reflect the importance of food production.
“Regardless, the agriculture sector is on track to meet targets, so the pricing of agricultural emissions is not justified. We have for some time been calling for pricing to be taken off the table.
“It is heartening to see politicians listening to these calls. We will continue to push the Government on these issues.
“New Zealand has some of the most productive and emissionsefficient producers of protein in the world and our farmers are committed to staying that way through a continued drive for efficiencies.”
ACT leader David Seymour (centre) flanked by MPs Andrew Hoggard and Mark Cameron in South Auckland last week.
‘Positives’ for Alliance in Irish deal
NIGEL MALTHUS
SPECIALIST
AGRICULTURE industry
banker Rabobank sees positives for the Alliance Group in its proposed majority-stake sale to Ireland’s Dawn Meats.
Jen Corkran, senior animal protein analyst in Rabobank’s RaboResearch arm, said there were some positive strategic implications for Alliance in the deal.
These were largely around Dawn Meats being a key player in beef – complementing Alliance in sheep – and around further access into the UK/EU markets, where there was currently very strong demand for product.
Corkran told Rural News that New Zealand was not alone in experiencing a current supply shortage of sheep and cattle.
“Globally, red meat protein supplies remain tight and, with limited inventory growth expected in some key producing regions in the short to medium term, demand for New Zealand beef and sheep meat is likely to remain firm over the next one to two years.
“This presents a positive outlook for value capture across the supply chain.”
She said the important note was that New Zealand’s pasture-based production systems presented a seasonal variability of supply, adding complexity compared to some of our global competitors.
“This seasonality, combined with a current lower inventory of stock, ongoing labour constraints and infrastructure pressures, continues to challenge the processing sector.
“These are not isolated issues, they affect the entire value chain, from farm to customer/ consumer.”
However, Corkran said there was a widely acknowledged view within the industry that further rationalisation of
BETRAYAL?
Jen Corkran, RaboResearch, says there are some positive strategic implications for Alliance in the deal.
New Zealand’s processing infrastructure may occur over time.
“While the extent and timing remain uncertain, aligning processing capacity with livestock availability will be an important consideration for long-term sector resilience.”
Alliance Group has
OVER IN Ireland, some sheep farmers see the alliance group proposal as a “betrayal”.
Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers’ Association (ICSA) sheep committee chair Willie Shaw says he has serious concern over news that Dawn Meats is set to acquire a controlling stake in Alliance, New Zealand’s largest sheepmeat exporter, claiming it would open the door to more New Zealand lamb replacing Irish product.
“Dawn Meats made its fortune off the backs of Irish farmers. For them now to turn around and chase New Zealand lamb at the expense of
chosen Dawn Meats as its preferred strategic investment partner, proposing a deal in which Dawn would invest NZ$250 million for a 65% stake in Alliance.
It would therefore lose its status as New Zealand’s only 100% farmer-owned red meat co-operative but
Irish producers is nothing short of a betrayal.”
In a statement published on the ICSA website, Shaw said the deal raised red flags for Irish sheep farmers.
“It creates a real risk that more New Zealand lamb will end up on supermarket shelves in the EU and the UK, undermining demand for Irish lamb and ultimately hitting farmers here in the pocket,” he said.
Shaw said low-income Irish sheep farmers cannot afford to be squeezed further.
“Processors talk about the need for year-round supply, and Dawn has
Corkran notes that it would reduce Alliance’s short-term working capital facility by about $200 million, accelerate strategic capital expenditure and enable a distribution of up to $40 million to farmershareholders.
Corkran said the broader conversation at
been clear that its aim is to combine northern hemisphere production with New Zealand lamb to create that model.
“The reality is that every extra box of New Zealand lamb in European markets makes it harder for Irish farmers to get a fair price for their produce. It could wipe out the seasonal premiums that many rely on to survive.”
Shaw has called on Irish Agriculture Minister Martin Heydon and the European Commission to urgently examine the implications of the deal.
play was around capital constraints within co-operatives.
“While farmer ownership offers alignment and loyalty, it can limit access to growth capital, especially in volatile or declining production environments.
“Strategic partnerships like this may become more common as co-operatives seek to balance farmer control with financial sustainability.”
The proposal is still subject to shareholder approval and regulatory clearance, but Corkran said that if it is rejected, Alliance may be forced into asset sales, further site closures, and costcutting measures.
KEEPING CONTROL
THE ALLIANCE Group and its proposed new capital investor Dawn Meats have firmed up further details of the deal which will be put to shareholders at a special general meeting in Invercargill in mid-October.
The proposed $250 million investment would see the Ireland-based Dawn take a controlling 65% stake in a new joint venture company, but Alliance Group chair Mark Wynne says Alliance would maintain control over certain critical strategic and operational matters.
Under the proposal, Alliance’s board will reduce from nine to five, three of whom will be from Dawn and two from the co-operative.
“Our co-operative will maintain a board of three farmer-elected directors and up to two independents,” said Wynne.
“Under the proposed partnership, the board has agreed with Dawn that Alliance would maintain decisionmaking controls over a number of critical strategic and operational matters in the interests of our farmers and staff.
“For example, setting operational budgets, development of business plans, asset management, and related party transactions, would require unanimous agreement, ensuring the co-operative remains protected and retains equal influence.
“This structure and the agreed terms with Dawn will safeguard the interests of our people and our farmers and the co-operative,” he said.
Wynne said there had been “a really positive reception” from farmer-shareholders to the proposal
State roadmap to double hort exports
PETER BURKE
IT’S CRITICAL that the horticulture sector works together as part of a goal to double the sector’s exports by 2035.
That was one of the key messages at the recent HortNZ conference held in Wellington. The event was attended by more than 800 people, including some who attended a special conference on the RSE scheme which ran in tandem with the main conference.
At the horticulture conference, the Associate Minister of Agriculture with special responsibility for horticulture, Nicola Grigg, unveiled a ‘roadmap’ designed to build on the high-level plan to achieve the 2035 target.
The plan focuses on five pillars: growing sustainability, optimising value, ensuring that Māori are strong in horticulture, making the best use of science and nurturing people and businesses.
Grigg says the new roadmap will help drive the ongoing success of Kiwi growers. She says it includes practical actions that build on work to boost growth and resilience.
“Key to the success
of the roadmap will be collective input and support from industry, government, Māori, and research providers,” she says.
Grigg says in some ways this is easier said than done given the vast number of grower groups there are across horticulture. She says such fragmentation is nobody’s fault but rather part of the way the sector has evolved with multiple growing opportunities.
“But it’s going to take strong leadership across all of those grower groups to come together and drive this thing forward and it would be a shame if people didn’t
get involved,” she says.
Grigg says the new initiative will be industry driven and the only roles that government will play is to create an environment that enables it to happen. She points to government priorities in relation to the RMA reforms - things such as better access to water, making vegetable growing a permitted activity and reviewing freshwater farm plans.
“It’ll be our role to create the legislative environment for this to happen and create frameworks that allow provision for special agricultural areas where food production can take place,” she says.
HORTNZ CEO BACKS COLLABORATION
HORTNZ CEO Kate Scott says that under the project, no group is being asked to give up their independence. She says the objective of the Aotearoa Horticulture Action Plan (AHAP) is about finding a pathway for people to come together more often for the betterment of the whole sector, rather than just focusing entirely on their individual interests.
Scott says this is not about creating a combined voice to deal with government simply because of the diverse
nature of the sector. She points out the classic example, that product groups are involved in market access and also R&D, whereas HortNZ isn’t, but she adds that there is still a great deal of synergy across the sector.
“The principle behind AHAP is that it’s everyone for everyone and is not owned by a particular entity. So, the main partners are industry, government, Māori and our science partners. It’s not a structural thing, rather it’s an aspirational goal that delivers better
outcomes for growers,” she says.
Scott says in her time in the role as CEO of HortNZ she’s seen a huge amount of collaboration within the sector and the plan is to build on this to increase horticulture exports, which in the past year were $8.4 billion, predicted to rise to $9.8 billion by 2029.
Having more than 800 people at the two conferences was a milestone for the sector.
Scott says she hasn’t been to such a large primary sector conference in a long time and says it shows the
energy and enthusiasm and positivity of a sector that’s doing well and is predicted to do well in the
future. But she adds that for NZ to prosper, it also needs strong dairy and meat and fibre sectors.
NEW BOARD
DURING THE main conference, time was set aside for the annual general meeting of HortNZ which sees three new directors join the organisation –Simon Cook, Dermott Malley and Shaun Vickers.
Board chair
Bernadine Guilleux says her objective is to bring the new group together and develop a team culture that will set the tone for the strategy of the organisation.
Given the challenges and uncertainty facing global trade, Guilleux says one thing they will be watching carefully is macro-economic trends, especially around the issue of health. She says that is something that the sector is so well aligned to – providing high quality healthy food for consumers both domestically and internationally.
She says the other thing that needs doing is to continue to articulate to the local community, in particular the way the sector grows its produce.
“Our practices are not hidden - they are in plain sight in our fields and orchards and that is something we need be really conscious of,” she says.
Guilleux says among the issues facing the board will be land use and achieving high productivity from this, and also unlocking small amounts of land.
HortNZ chief executive Kate Scott
Nicola Grigg says the new roadmap will help drive the ongoing success of Kiwi growers.
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Championing the pork industry
IT WAS recently announced that former MP and Southland farmer Eric Roy has stepped down as chair of New Zealand Pork after seven years. Leo Argent talks with Eric about his time at the organisation and what the future may hold.
RN: How long have you been involved in the meat industry?
“I’ve had 60 years’ experience farming and producing deer, sheep and beef. I’ve been a director on a meat company and the Meat and Wool boards electoral college. In the agripolitics side I’ve chaired the primary product select committee and brought a very broad experience in governance around agriculture and meat.”
ability and governance skill, connecting to the process of statutes and all of that sort of thing.
“I’d been involved in just about everything else, but never in the pork industry.
“The board nominates and appoints its own chair. Normally it was a three year appointment, but I insisted they do it every year so if they weren’t content with my performance they could get rid of me at any stage. The board moved a motion which elected me as chair, and they did that every year for seven years.
What was your role as chair?
What did you do in your time to increase pork’s visibility?
“We’ve sought to differentiate ourselves from imports by having our own audit system. We can affirm to the wider public through our pig care programme that every producer is audited on animal welfare, environmental matters and a range of things which imported pork largely isn’t.
“We’ve got websites and a range of things out there promoting not only the nutritious value of pork compared to other proteins but also a range of recipes and ways to prepare and cook pork.
where the outside ones can be and if you’re going to build an inside one you need buildings with gratings and effluent storage, management and automated feed systems, which are quite a bit more expensive.
“However, there are people expanding and people talking about getting into the industry. It can get bigger, whether or not it could be totally self-sustained that we didn’t need to import. We underproduce what’s consumed and are reliant on pork being imported to fill that need.
How did you end up as chair of NZ pork back in 2019?
“I was a government appointee, but it’s my understanding that the industry asked the ministry to appoint me. They were keen to involve me because of my
“I was an independent chairman. That had some benefits because to some extent the industry had been divided between outside eco operators and indoors high-tech operators, so I was able to bridge that gap.
“It’s not unusual for governments to appoint chairs or people onto the board with government experience who then must absorb certain points of relevance within that industry.”
“We find that has been quite beneficial in terms of making people aware of the value and way in which this can be a good, nutritious meat-eating experience.”
Do you think there is room for expansion in New Zealand’s pork industry?
“It does take quite a bit of expense to get in, particularly if you’re in an area that topographically isn’t suitable for outside farming. That limits
“Monogastrics are three to four times as efficient at turning plant material into protein as ruminants. They have much less of a greenhouse gas footprint, so that’s something that’s going to have more focus on as we go forward.
“We’re getting better and better at having a product which is more uniform across the different forms of production.”
What are some of the challenges currently facing the industry?
“The World Trade
standard that is acceptable to import is lower than the standard we have here. We can’t change that, and in many places grain (for feed) is cheaper to produce or may even be subsidised, so production costs in most other countries are lower than they are here.
“The Government has been trying to work through what the new animal welfare code should look like. Without that people haven’t been able to make decision about how much space they need, farrowing systems, weaning facilities etc.”
This government has actually thrown out a lot of the advice the last government had got previously saying ‘this isn’t world practice or scientifically based, we need to start again’.
“Another one is getting resource consent for something which, if not properly managed, can have a noise or odour problem. We’re hoping that the new RMA can have more direct routes to find solutions to those issues.”
What is next for Eric Roy?
“I mentioned being
involved for 60 years, so you can do the arithmetic on how old you might think I am. I’ve got my nomination in for the Southland Regional Council, but I am in a bit of a reset... It’s time to spend time with the grandchildren, pursue my hobbies and do some travel with my wife. I’ve made a reasonably solid contribution along a range of the things we’ve talked about, but one also needs to recognise that now other people can do the job as well.”
Former NZ Pork chair Eric Roy
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A LANDMARK New Zealand trial has confirmed what many farmers have long suspected – that strategic spring nitrogen use not only boosts pasture growth but delivers measurable gains in lamb growth and ewe condition.
According to Ballance AgriNutrients, which supported the trial, the result could help farmers increase returns and reduce reliance on traditional parasite controls.
The independent trial, published in the New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research, is the first in New Zealand this century to quantify the impact of nitrogen fertiliser on animal production in lowland sheep systems. While the pasture growth benefits of spring nitrogen are well known, few studies have measured how that translates into gains in livestock performance – until now.
Conducted by Bioeconomy Science Institute the study found that a single application of nitrogen fertiliser post-lambing resulted in a 33% increase in pasture cover and an average five to six per cent increase in ewe and lamb liveweights at weaning.
“This is a milestone study that provides hard evidence for something farmers have anecdotally believed for years,” says Warwick Catto, science strategy manager at Ballance.
“It confirms that the gains are real and measurable – and importantly, it’s a practical, low-cost tool farmers can use during one of the most demanding periods in the sheep farming calendar.”
The research shows that lambs from treated paddocks were on average 2.3kg heavier at weaning, with nearly a quarter reaching slaughter weights, up from just seven per cent in the control group. The increase in liveweight alone equated to an extra $90/ha hectare in value – effectively covering the cost of the fertiliser while opening up options to sell more lambs earlier and reduce summer feed pressure.
The tactical use of nitrogen also improved ewe condition going into summer and created greater flexibility in pasture management. These benefits come at a time when climate variability is increasing, and traditional tools like long-acting
drenches are becoming less effective due to rising resistance.
“Worm resistance is a growing challenge on many farms,” says Catto. “This study shows that lifting feed supply through spring nitrogen use can be another tool in the toolbox – not to replace drenches entirely, but to reduce reliance on them.”
The work builds on Ballance’s announcement in November 2024 of new fertiliser-based trials targeting parasite burdens on pasture – a wider programme exploring how nutrition can support livestock resilience.
“We’re not talking about blanket nitrogen use,” Catto says. “However, when it’s used strategically, like in this trial after lambing, the benefits for pasture growth and animal performance are clear.”
The study is part of Ballance’s ongoing investment in sciencebacked solutions for the primary sector through the Future Ready Farms programme, supported by the Ministry for Primary Industries’ Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures fund (now replaced by the Primary Sector Growth Fund).
PERFECT PARTNER PASTURE’S
Govt seeks clarity on US tariffs
TRADE MINISTER
Todd McClay says his officials plan to meet their US counterparts every month from now on to better understand how the 15% tariff issue there will play out, and try and get some certainty there for our exporters about the future.
McClay recently returned from the US where he met with his counterpart in the Trump administration to try and get a clearer picture on the tariffs. He says the biggest harm being done to exporters is the uncertainty. He says he and his officials are trying to find out what might happen if NZ comes to a point where the balance of trade between the two countries is equal or in America’s favour.
Speaking at the HortNZ conference in Wellington recently, McClay told delegates he wants to know if the 15% tariff will be cut when the trade balance is restored.
He says at present, for example, $10 worth of kiwifruit that is hit by the 15% tariff will cost 50 cents more. The worry is at what point the tariffs end up affecting sales.
“The message I am getting from their
officials is we are the good guys; they don’t have us in their sights and don’t have an issue with us. But unfortunately, the president has made a decision,” he says.
McClay told the conference that the horticulture sector produces an exceptional product which people all around the world want to eat and he praised the innovation that is taking
CELEBRATE SUCCESS
FINANCE MINISTER Nicola Willis says horticulture doesn’t do enough to celebrate its success.
Speaking at the recent HortNZ Conference, she told those present that the sector has a lot to be proud of – including the quality of the products it sells and its rapid rise as an export earner.
“Your sector is very important to
place in the sector.
“Innovation is the key to everything we do in the primary sector, and you in horticulture typify that. People all around the world are trying to make it harder for us to get access to their market for many reasons, including protecting their own production, and we need to be the best,” he says.
McClay talked up the benefits of recent FTAs
the economic growth of the country and exemplifies the Government’s economic vision. You are high value, export driven and have untapped potential and a powerhouse in our economy, not only in terms of the export dollars you earn, but also contributing to the employment of thousands of people in our regions,” she says.
Willis says when she is overseas and sees NZ produce, she feels a sense of pride. On the home front, she enjoys visiting orchards and commercial growing operations, seeing packhouses and talking to marketers. Willis says the Government’s aim is to further unlock the potential of the sector by listening to the needs of its many parts.
with the EU and UK and most recently the NZ UAE trade agreement which just came into effect. He says this latest deal will open the door to one of the world’s fastest growing economies and deliver an estimated annual $42 million in tariff savings.
McClay say negotiations of an FTA with India are progressing
well and says they are now about 60% complete. But he cautioned that the hard issues were still to be negotiated.
“We are going to fight for everything we can and while it may not be perfect, it will be much better than what we have now. And I can tell you now that the deal will be done before the next election.”
Looking after yourself means looking after your farm.
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Finance Minister Nicola Willis addresses the HortNZ Conference.
Contractors demand ag vehicle rules overhaul
MARK DANIEL markd@ruralnews.co.nz
FOLLOWING A recent overweight incursion that saw a MidCanterbury contractor cop a $12,150 fine, the rural contracting industry is calling time on what they consider to be outdated and unworkable regulations regarding weight and dimensions that they say are impeding their businesses.
Jacob Holdaway says he’s been in business 15 years and never experienced more than a minor fine previously, but the incident in Methven, that saw one of his employees hauling harvested fodder beet from the paddock to a nearby dairy farm, is the latest hit by rules which the industry organisation says are crippling some members.
Police escorted the tractor and trailer to a nearby transport yard, where the combination tipped the scales at 39.7 tonnes, around 10.9 or 38%, over the current 28.8 maximum that the current regulations allow.
Holdaway says that the current regulations
have not kept pace with the evolving specifications of tractors and trailers, which have seen the introduction of suspension systems on both, increased tyre sizes, adjustable tyre pressures and commercial grade trailer axles complemented by anti-lock, air or hydraulic braking systems. He also suggested that that the trailer, far from being overloaded, could easily carry another 3 to 4 tonnes of beet if it was travelling within the farm boundary.
“We don’t want to be running illegally but we do want to be able to operate efficiently,” says Holdaway.
Rural Contractors NZ vice president Daryl Thompson says his organisation is hearing of numerous incidents like this, so took the issue to Regulations Minister David Seymour three months ago.
“We’ve since had a welcome announcement that the ag vehicle regulations are being reviewed, but in the interim, members like Jacob are being knocked for six.”
He says the current regulations are years out
of date – back to around 2013 – and don’t reflect the size of agricultural machinery now being used. Thompson says rural contractors also have to face a maze of requirements to run agricultural machines on short road journeys, including transport licences and meeting vehicle dimension and mass rules.
“We are even supposed to train and register for BESS –Bridge Engineering Self Supervision. We are rural contractors, not bloody engineers. I understand that the Government’s review will likely take many months and in the interim Rural Contractors NZ is asking for some discretion to be applied. I’m a former police officer and I know police often choose to apply the law as appropriate rather than how it’s written. That’s especially the case where a law is outdated.”
Thompson says rural contractors generally have a very good relationship with their local police.
“We’ve been patient, followed the evolving process, but we need action now. The fines
are disproportionate to the offence, so we need NZTA and the Government to urgently address this weight issue so our members can get on with their work for our nation’s farmers.
“Perhaps the current weights could be shifted as a seasonal test by NZTA to reflect modern day machinery’s capacities. Currently rural contractors needing to carry heavier loads than the regs allow can apply for overweight permits, but that involves a multidepartment rigamarole such as the BESS. The whole process needs an urgent fix.”
OUTDATED REGULATION
TE AWAMUTU based, large-scale agricultural contractor John Austin confirms that this is not just a South Island issue, but creates many problems for his business serving the wider Waikato rural area.
Austin claims the regulations are so outdated and outdated it beggars belief.
“A lot of it would be applicable to Ford 5000s or Massey 185s and 6 tonne trailers we started out with decades ago,” he told Rural News.
“We are absolutely committed to operating our business in an efficient manner, with a huge focus on safety. That means every year we have a pre-season meeting for all our staff with the CVIU, to understand what is required with regards to safe operation and all our tractors are given a WOF check every year.”
Austin goes on to explain that with the tractors and machinery they operate today, it’s just a minefield to try an interpret the regulations.
“On the one hand we have to comply with dimensions, with those ‘Over Dimensional Units’ falling into one of five categories. This leads to marker boards, single or dual escort
vehicles and potential restrictions on movement times.”
Vehicle weight limits appear to be even more complicated, based around individual axle, axle set and combined axle limits. The Agricultural Vehicles Guide, last reviewed in 2017, lists limits over three pages and identifies 29 possible maximum ratings.
“The CVIU would have us travel with implements removed from tractors and transported on separate trailers,” he says.
“This is totally impractical, just adding time, man-power and additional costs. My biggest
frustration is that these tractors and machinery are built for global markets, but industry friends in the US, UK and Europe, don’t seem to be having the same issues being handed out by overzealous inspectors.”
“Meanwhile, we must find a solution that must be workable and easy to understand. If this is going to take some time, before recommendations are suggested and approved, the regulatory authorities need to consider some form of amnesty, so we can carry on with our business,” says Austin.
Jacob Holdaway says that the current regulations have not kept pace with the evolving specifications of tractors and trailers.
John Austin
Don’t spend without a plan
AFTER A few lean years, dairy, sheep and beef operations are enjoying fat returns on milk and red meat, while also seeing low interest rates bring down finance costs across the board.
While it’s no doubt a great relief to be in calmer
waters, it’s important not to be tempted by stronger cashflow into forgetting long-term strategy and spending without a plan. That risks finding yourself in greater hardship when the pendulum swings back again.
Wise farmers know it’s best to make hay while the sun shines,
keeping some in reserve for a rainy (or dry) day or season. Here are some of the key things to keep in mind, to ensure you have plenty left in the shed for the future.
Ring-fence your debt repayments
The truth is, instead of being well out in front
financially, many are just getting back to zero. It’s heartening to see many farmers focused on paying down debt incurred during the tough times. While it might make sense to upgrade infrastructure or vehicles right now – or even splash out on a renovation or holiday – also consider
that banks (and the IRD) are cracking down on unpaid debt and taxes. When the going is hard, there’s more leniency on big overdrafts, but that won’t be the case now that the farm gate is swinging.
No one is saying a new ute, fencing or family trip isn’t a good idea.
You should certainly allow funds to complete deferred maintenance and repairs, and mental health is important too. However, banks will want to see you’re ringfencing money for debt repayments as a priority, then putting a bit on discretionary spend, not the other way around.
Considering milk futures
It’s possible to lock in north of $10 per kilogram for milk price futures right now, but should you lock in futures for this season and the next, or go more short-term?
While we’re coming up to two seasons in a row of near-record milk and beef prices, things can change quickly. US trade tariffs aren’t impacting New Zealand dairy exports so much, as it’s not a huge market, but they might have an impact on how much our major trading partners can spend in the future. Your licensed financial adviser and accountant can provide the best advice and assessment of what’s right for your business and help devise a strategy that fits in with your risk appetite.
Is now the right time to invest?
Everyone’s circumstances are different. However, in general terms, consider the strength of your balance sheet as this is crucial to your business resilience. Growth should add resilience, not fragility.
For example, while red meat and milk are paying well right now, the cost of livestock is also very high and the investment in increased headcount and production won’t pay out straight away, but it will create greater holding costs. In a dairying environment, you might need more feed to increase production. Run
the numbers on margin per unit, not just revenue.
On the other hand, with land prices flat or slightly down (except for regions like Canterbury), it could be a good time to buy grazing blocks if you’ve got some liquidity. Horticultural producers, notably crop growers, are also finding it easier to convert to dairying because of recent changes to consenting rules. As ever, consult a professional adviser to ensure you’ve studied all the angles before your make your decision.
Prepare for a bigger tax bill
A stronger year is fantastic for the balance sheet, but it often brings two cash drains at once: last year’s tax wash-up and this year’s provisional tax. After potentially years of losses or no net profits and no provisional tax to pay, this could easily be forgotten in financial planning.
Make sure that you’re factoring in what’s essentially two years’ worth of taxes to pay over the next 12 months to avoid a nasty shock at the end of the financial year.
Build your relationship with your bank
A strong relationship with your bank is just as important when times are good as it is when times are tough. Use the current favourable environment to optimise your pricing, debt structure and service levels. Having your bank aligned with your strategy is essential to success, so ensure they are involved and on board with your plans. If not, the banking market is very competitive and you may wish to test your approach with other providers.
EVERYONE WANTS to go to heaven, but nobody wants to die.
That’s the line Deputy Prime Minister and ACT leader David Seymour used on a windy South Auckland dairy farm as he launched his party’s position on climate change.
For so long, NZ’s mighty hydro lakes and geothermal wells let New Zealanders have it both ways
“We could go to heaven for having low emissions, but we didn’t have to die by having the lights go out. Unfortunately, that golden age of easy choices is over,” Seymour says.
ACT is taking a middle ground approach to the Paris Agreement – it’s not advocating for leaving the climate change pact, not yet anyway.
It is demanding changes, failing which, we exit the deal, adopted in the French capital in 2015.
New Zealand’s 2050 climate target of cutting methane emissions by 24 to 47% of 2017 levels was set by the previous Labour government.
The current Government is being urged by farmer lobby groups to lower the target, and back away from any plans to put a price on methane. A scientific panel, appointed by National, found cutting methane 14-24% of 2017 levels by 2050 would achieve no added warming, but Cabinet has not said whether it will adopt that range as a target.
By seeking changes, ACT is seeking a better deal for farmers – meaning a fairer, more scientific approach to methane.
It has never made sense to treat cow burps the same way as emissions from coalburning.
The farming community is warming to ACT’s potion.
The problem may not be the Paris Agreement itself, but how it’s being applied in New Zealand that is hurting farmers and rural communities. Overly ambitious methane reduction targets, whole-farm conversions to carbon forestry, and plans to price agricultural emissions are all homegrown policies.
While not everyone may be willing to put the ‘Quit Paris’ sticker on their car bumper, they agree on one thing – changes are needed.
HEAD OFFICE POSTAL ADDRESS: PO Box 331100, Takapuna, Auckland 0740
OUR AUSSIE mates never miss a chance to put one over us, as seen in a recent op-ed by farm analysts ‘Episode 3’. The Bruces not only clocked the 45% drop in our national sheep flock since 2000, they’re also very interested in the decline in our breeding ewe numbers to 14.28 million – a clear signal of our future production capacity. Or as the Ockers called it, “a strategic opportunity for Australia”. They’ve also correctly ID’ed one of the main causes of this decline, “the conversion of grazing land to forestry for carbon farming”. This old mutt reckons we’re not out of the game yet though, as long as we keep pressure on the powers that be to stop the drift from sheep to trees. The Bruces are banking on that falling on deaf ears!
“Our” business?
ONE PARTICULAR bone the Hound has been gnawing on for years now is how the chattering classes want it both ways when it comes to the success of NZ’s dairy industry. When it’s bad news – water quality, losses when commodity prices crash, etc – the loudmouths are very clear that it’s “their” (the industry’s) problem. But when they feel domestic butter prices are too high, or that Fonterra shouldn’t “sell the family jewels”, it’s suddenly “our milk” and “our industry”. So, note to those like Helen Clark who suddenly have an opinion on Fonterra’s business decisions – this is not China and Fonterra is not the property of some communist bureaucracy, it’s a privately owned business. The only ones who get to decide if they should sell assets are the ones who built those assets with blood, sweat and tears!
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
a good deal Edna.”
Want to share your opinion or gossip with the Hound? Send your emails to: hound@ruralnews.co.nz
Save us from SAFE
A MATE of yours truly has had an absolute gutsful of the activist group SAFE. Old mate says, “once again the idiots at SAFE laid an expensive, malicious, vexatious MPI-time wasting complaint (as reported by the Ashburton Courier, on August 28, pg. 47)”. What was the problem that had to be urgently investigated for the anaemic wonders at SAFE? Calves placed into a trailer, a cow chased by a farmer on a quad bike and animals standing in mud... getting muddy feet. In other words, a complete waste of time and resources, over about what sounds like just another day on the farm – with no animals harmed or driven to anxiety attacks, unlike the hand-wringers at SAFE. The Hound might have more sympathy for these moaners if they were honest about their real agenda – to end livestock farming.
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
A step too far
FOR YEARS, the ironically named Dr Mike Joy has used his position at Victoria University to wage an activist-style campaign against farming, particularly dairy farmers, who he has made a career out of kicking. Dr Chuckles may have put his foot in it this time though, commenting on a social media post that not only made excuses for the actions of infamous baby killer Minnie Dean, who the writer fondly described as “a mixed bag of tricks”, but also associated her “alleged” crimes with today’s dairy industry. That’s drawing a bloody long bow, but undeterred, Joy jumped in, claiming Dean was hung for killing babies, but the dairy industry is also “putting babies at risk”. He wrote, “How about we bring back hanging for industry CEOs?” This old mutt reckons Vic Uni should sack the doc for this, but don’t hold your breath.
SOUTH ISLAND SALES CONTACT: Kaye Sutherland Ph 021 221 1994 kayes@ruralnews.co.nz
DIGITAL STRATEGIST: Jessica Marshall Ph 021 0232 6446
swear, on the hull of the Rainbow Warrior, it’s
New freshwater farm plans ‘practical and affordable’
ENTERING
PARLIAMENT back in 2023, I wanted to help put the fun back in farming. After six years of Labour, rural New Zealand was tired of the relentless waves of red tape and compliance, draining joy from people who just want to work the land.
Since then, we’ve scrapped the requirement for councils to impose new SNAs, axed the ute tax, ensured methane is measured correctly, kept ag out of the ETS or any form of emissions pricing, and more.
Work is underway to fix the broken health and safety system, improve labour laws, and we continue to cut red tape in a number of other areas.
But I’d be lying if I said there wasn’t still a hell of a lot left to do.
The Resource Management Act remains the biggest barrier to our country’s prosperity and we’re working hard to bring in a replacement
based on property rights.
But to create a workable system that brings certainty and longevity will take time to get right, so in the meantime we’ve been doing some panelbeating to at least get the current regime into better shape.
Last month, Parliament passed one of those important changes – making significant improvements to the freshwater farm plan system.
After previously pausing the roll-out of Labour’s unworkable farm plans, we’ve managed to get to a new system that is workable, affordable and grounded in reality.
It reduces the need for mountains of paperwork, costly consents and unnecessary duplication of the great work farmers are already doing.
Here’s what’s changed. First, the Minister for the Environment can now approve industry organisations to certify and audit plans. That means if you’re already part of a robust assurance scheme like Fonterra’s
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Tiaki or HortNZ’s NZGAP, you won’t be forced to do it all over again for the council.
Second, the threshold for needing a farm plan has been lifted. Previously, farms as small as 20 hectares were dragged into the system. Now the minimum is 50ha for sheep and beef, arable, orchards, and viticulture. That frees about 8000 lowerrisk farms from the requirement altogether.
And importantly, farm plans will now be built around actual risk on-farm, not dreamed-up rules from Wellington.
In many situations that would have required a consent under the old system, farmers will simply be able to detail their good management practices in their farm plan – no extra consent needed.
Most farmers I meet want to do right, but they don’t want a pile of stupid rules and regulations trying to make them do that. By giving the farmer ownership of their farm plan they can ensure it is practical, tailored to their farm, their catchment and their situation.
This will enable
farmers to continue farming without unnecessary consents while also taking practical steps to improve the natural environment.
Some may argue that we should have scrapped farm plans altogether. But the way I see it is that we have two paths.
We can either take the farm plans and catchment care groups route, or we can do what Labour and the Greens want with strict limits, input controls and heavyhanded regulations that only ever rachet up. I know what I’m choosing.
We know from
catchments that have adopted practical farm plans that collaboration and tailored solutions actually work.
Farmers don’t need Wellington telling them how to farm. They need rules that make sense,
recognise the good work already being done, and let them get on with the job. That’s what we’ve delivered with these reforms.
• Andrew Hoggard is the Associate Minister for Agriculture.
HOW FARMERS MAKE SPRING COUNT
JASON MINKHORST
SPRING IS a critical season for farmers – a time when the right decisions can set the tone for productivity and profitability throughout the year. With days lengthening, temperatures rising, and growth kicking into gear, it’s a prime opportunity to optimise animal performance, pasture quality, and nutrient efficiency.
2. Targeted fertiliser management
There’s never been a more important time to get nutrient efficiency right. Rising costs, tighter margins, and increasing scrutiny mean that every tonne of fertiliser applied needs to deliver.
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From the conversations we’ve had with our farming community, one thing is clear – spring is about driving efficiency on farm. Whether that’s smarter nutrient planning, fine-tuning animal condition, or capitalising on windows of opportunity, there are some practical ways to put the season to work.
Here are five ways you can make spring count on your farm.
1. Focus on peak animal nutrition
For both dairy and sheep farmers, peak lactation is a critical period. The higher the peak, the longer it can be sustained, and the greater the return across the whole season. In lambing operations, milk remains the most efficient route to weight gain in young stock, making maternal nutrition a top priority.
That’s where the 4Rs – right product, right rate, right place, and right time – come in. By aligning nutrient applications with actual need, you’re not only optimising spend, you’re also lifting pasture response and reducing environmental loss.
Clover performance is a key focus at this time of year, given its role in fixing nitrogen and lifting feed quality. Clovers are the engine room of the farm. If they’re not performing, it’s often a nutrient issue, and spring is the ideal time to get on top of it.
Tools like herbage testing and digital mapping, such as SpreadWise and SpreadSmart, can help identify gaps and target nutrient application for the best return. If you’re not measuring, you’re guessing. A bit of planning and precision goes a long way.
3. Support for flood-affected farms
For silt levels:
• under 5cm: Treat paddocks as normal.
• 5-10cm: Let the soil dry, cultivate, and sow grass/clover mixes.
• 10-25cm: Dry the silt, spread it evenly, and use deep subsoilers.
• over 25cm: Assess sediment type and act accordingly – for moist silt, over-sowing with coated ryegrass may be a shortterm solution.
We’ve drawn a lot of insights from trial work post-Cyclone Gabrielle. Whether it’s pastoral land, orchards or horticulture blocks, we’ve seen what works –and we’re here to help farmers apply that knowledge.
what “making it count” means to them. Their answers were practical: applying nutrients more strategically, investing in tools that deliver better insights, and setting the farm up early to avoid firefighting later.
These aren’t big changes – they’re smart, everyday decisions that stack up over time.
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Spring is also the time to ensure animals are tracking well into mating – well-conditioned stock will support compact calving or lambing patterns and improved herd performance.
While many farmers are charging ahead with spring work, others are still dealing with the aftermath of extreme weather. For those facing siltcovered paddocks, there’s a clear set of guidelines based on extensive post-cyclone research.
4. Look ahead, act early We’re seeing a clear lift in activity on-farm – and it’s encouraging. Acting early remains key, however. Whether it’s lining up feed for summer, locking in soil testing, or getting nutrient plans in place, planning ahead pays dividends. We asked farmers recently
5. Price stability on key inputs In a market where input costs are top of mind, Ballance has made the call to hold sales prices on several key products for spring. Price stability matters. It’s also why we’re offering farmers fixed price fertiliser contracts to help provide certainty around input costs. It gives farmers one less thing to worry about heading into a critical part of the year. Make this spring count Spring gives farmers a chance to reset – to re-focus on the season ahead and build momentum that lasts. From animal nutrition to nutrient precision, paddock renovation to post-flood recovery, there’s plenty you can do now that will pay off down the line. On the farm, every decision comes down to the same things – increasing productivity, optimising spend, boosting efficiency, and making the season a good one. If you want to make it count, we’re here to help.
• Jason Minkhorst is general manager customer, Ballance Agri-Nutrients
ANDREW HOGGARD
Andrew Hoggard says the Resource Management Act remains the biggest barrier to our country’s prosperity.
Jason Minkhorst, Ballance general manager customer.
‘A man just can’t sit around’
THERE ARE stories, and then there are stories.
Some stories seem to stick, you just never forget them. And they add something to your life that you carry with you, into the future.
More than thirty years ago, I first heard the story of Larry Walters from California. Motivationaltype speakers around the world have used his story many times over since that epic day in July 1982. You can’t just sit around - do something with your life! Get a dream, get yourself motivated and go and grab life by the throat… right?
“Some
FARMER’S CHAPLAIN
Colin Miller
on board Inspiration 1 on their approach into Long Beach.
Finally, he pulled himself together enough to use his pellet gun to shoot out some balloons. That bit worked according to plan,
however, Inspiration 1 got entangled in power lines on his descent, causing a power blackout!
Police from the Long Beach police department were waiting to arrest him as he landed.
Apparently one of them
asked him “Why did you do this?” His reply: “A man can’t just sit around!”
Without a doubt, those six words are great motivational medicine.
And history now affectionately refers to
him as ‘Lawn chair Larry’. I hope this story puts a smile on your face, as it still does on mine all these years later!
I must admit I was not just sitting around when I first heard this story so long ago. I was
already very active living my life for things that truly matter. I now call that “Living for eternity”. Enjoy your day, and God bless.
• To contact Colin: farmerschaplain@ ruralnews.co.nz
stories seem to stick,
you just never forget them.”
I just happened to be in a motivational type meeting that day when I first heard this story.
Apparently even as a kid Larry had a keen interest in flying. To his disappointment, he was unable to become a pilot in the US Airforce as he had planned, due to his poor eyesight. So, he settled into life as a truckie.
At 13 years old while visiting a military surplus store, he saw helium filled weather balloons happily hanging from the ceiling. A seed was sown that day in this 13-year-old boy. Years later he figured his moment had arrived. He had finally had enough of just sitting around. Twenty long years had passed on by. It was now time to reach for that dream!
Purchasing more than forty weather balloons, along with enough helium to get the job done, and
a common lawn chair, Larry’s date with destiny had arrived. With the help of his girlfriend, he attached the lawn chair with a cord to his Jeep, and got the balloons inflated. With much anticipation, he named his aircraft “Inspiration 1”.
The plan was for a gentle float around; he said he wanted his ground crew/girlfriend to tether him off at a comfortable height. After a good look around, he would then carefully shoot a few of the balloons with his pellet gun, to enable his quiet descent!
Well, it all turned to custard when the rope attaching his chair to his Jeep broke. He said the rope sounded like a gunshot when it snapped.
His calculations of the lift that 42 weather balloons generated must have been a little off; Larry fairly shot out of his back yard, finally tapering off at around16,000 feet!
But wait, there’s more! He drifted across into controlled airspace, near the approach to Long Beach Airport. Two commercial airliners, with rather startled air crew, saw him in his lawn chair
Long-shot research by forage breeder nails pasture
A TINY organism from the arid mountains of mainland Greece is facilitating a new way of growing healthier animals on farms across New Zealand.
Ten years of research, including long-distance travel, millions of dollars and countless hours spent on research and running DNA tests, have helped a small team of people achieve their goal – to develop something that previously only government labs with much deeper pockets had ever accomplished.
Meet one of the newest novel endophytes farmers can buy, CM142. The endophyte has been on the radar at Cropmark Seeds for more than a decade.
The company says that in all that time, it’s been an inside job - no outsourcing the heavy lifting.
“This pasture breakthrough is selfgenerated, by NZ’s only locally-owned private forage breeding company,”
says Cropmark R&D manager Stephane Montel.
In terms of research, it was also a very long-shot, Montel says.
“The odds of finding a strain like CM142 are one in a thousand. And we had to start with the very basics. One thing with endophyte science, it’s all good to say, let’s get involved. But no one is going to tell you how to do it, because it’s commercially sensitive.
“As a small player in the seed industry we had to do it on our own. It pushed us, forced us not to rely on anyone else, and to eventually succeed with a commercial product was incredibly exciting.”
Endophyte screening tools created and refined by Cropmark’s team early in this process are now routinely used by others in the industry.
Simply finding CM142 in 2015 was a big task. It meant screening thousands of grass seed samples from around the world before settling on
one particular line of germplasm collected in western Greece in 2012. That was just the first step. To bring a new endophyte of this type to market in NZ, Cropmark researchers
first had to ensure it wasn’t simply a copy of existing patented technology, says Montel.
While it contains epoxyjanthitrem alkaloids like some other
novel endophytes on the market, they had to prove CM142 was unique, from its genetic makeup to its attributes.
Gathering the evidence to do so took years, and trial after trial on cultivar yield & persistence, animal safety, insect deterrence, fungicide resistance, stability, and transmission, among other things.
“We had pages of check lists to go through before we could ensure CM142 was commercially viable,” says Montel.
But the outcome is worth all the effort, she adds.
“It’s a very good achievement for our team. It has been an emotional rollercoaster, but we succeeded.
“Our goal was to maintain insect protection while increasing livestock performance with reduced toxicity and better forage production. We have achieved that and more with CM142 and believe it is the safest endophyte of its type on the market.”
Cropmark R&D manager Stephane Montel says the pasture breakthrough is self-generated.
Farmers get AI-powered assistant
BEEF + LAMB New Zealand has launched an AI-powered digital assistant to help farmers using the B+LNZ Knowledge Hub to create tailored answers and resources for their farming businesses.
B+LNZ chair Kate Acland says the AI digital assistant Bella was another example of B+LNZ investing in tools and support that deliver genuine value for farmers.
“Bella is only trained on B+LNZ’s verified Knowledge Hub resources, providing answers that farmers can trust and use on their farms.
“She has access to around 4600 pages of information and more than 220 hours of podcasts and videos in the Knowledge Hub. Bella will revolutionise how farmers access off-theshelf research, unlocking around $100 million worth of investment from B+LNZ and others in science-based, New Zealand-specific information and turning it into bespoke answers.
“I’ve been testing Bella over the past few weeks and she really is a
game-changer in terms of turning information into something farmers can apply on-farm.
B+LNZ chair
Kate Acland says the AI digital assistant Bella was another example of B+LNZ investing in tools and support that deliver genuine value for farmers.
“She can create a mind-blowing range of tailored outputs based on what you need. Bella is accessible from a farmer’s smartphone so she’s available anywhere – she puts the power in farmers’ hands.”
Bella’s testing has involved more than 100 farmers, students, researchers and advisors over two months, and she is the end result of nearly five years of investigation by B+LNZ.
Testers have been able to create everything from month-by-month plans to checklists. “So far, it seems there’s not much she can’t do,” Acland says.
“Bella is comfortable with complex, multi-part questions, and you can speak questions instead of typing them and have the answer read back to you – all in a range of languages from Te Reo Māori to Filipino – in fact every language we have tried so far.”
Bella’s name comes from ‘Beef + Lamb Assistant’, and she uses Christchurch tech
company Custom D’s ‘Caitlyn’ AI software (also utilised by the Foundation for Arable Research).
“This means she came to us with a high degree of training already built in, and she’s costeffective,” Acland says.
Acland says Bella’s training is ongoing and B+LNZ will be asking farmers how they use Bella, to inform future development.
Bella can be accessed via www.AskBella.co.nz, and there is further information on how to use Bella available from that link.
BOVINE TB PLAN REVIEW UNDERWAY
AS AN independent review of the National Pest Management Plan for TB finds the goal of complete eradication by 2055 is still valid, feedback is being sought on how to finish the job.
The review was conducted by a Plan Governance Group (PGG) including representatives of the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI), DairyNZ, Beef + Lamb New Zealand (B+LNZ), and Deer Industry New Zealand (DINZ) and chaired by Dr Helen Anderson, an experienced primary sector board director.
Anderson said while New Zealand has made great progress in reducing the impact of TB, there was more to do to protect valuable dairy, beef and deer industries and to safeguard rural communities.
“While the disease remains in possums, we will keep having outbreaks of reinfection.”
The PGG is seeking feedback on a number of matters including prioritising eliminating TB in the remaining hot spots of highlyinfected possum populations as soon as possible, using the most costeffective tools in large ‘landscape-scale’ operations and updating the TB Plan milestones to achieve TB freedom in both herds and possums by 2040.
Primary sector levy organisations represented on the PGG are encouraging farmers to have their say.
“Whether or not you’ve been directly affected by TB, eradicating this disease is vital for the future of our entire sector,” said Dairy NZ chief executive Campbell Parker.
Anderson says it is proposed to replace the current milestone of TB freedom in herds by 2026.
“We are so close to achieving zero infections in our livestock, with just 15 herds, or around 0.01 percent, infected in June this year. That’s an amazing achievement, thanks to decades of hard work and ongoing investment.”
•Ideal for Cattle Troughs
•High Flow
•Side/Bottom Mount
•Detach to Clean
•Compact/Robust
•Ideal for Small/Low Demand Troughs
•Low Flow
ve/Below Water Mount
•Built in Check-Valve
OSPRI operational developments which contribute to the goals of the TB Plan include changes to targeted criteria-based on-farm TB testing and potential simplification of the herd status classification system. These are included in the consultation for feedback.
For the next five years the TBfree programme will be receiving $60 million in funding per year, with 60% derived from farmer levies and the remaining 40% from the Crown. Anderson said that the sooner New Zealand could get rid of TB in possums and herds, “the sooner cost to farmers can reduce”.
“Beyond 2031, its currently expected there will be a [funding] shortfall, but it’s proposed to undertake a further review of long-term funding before we get to that point.”
Deer Industry New Zealand chief executive Rhys Griffiths said that farmer input “plays a crucial part in the primary sector’s future, and here’s your chance to feed into important decisions. Get informed on what the plan is proposing and make sure you have your say”.
Consultation on draft proposals for the TB Plan runs from 1 September through to 12 October. For more information or to make a submission visit www.tbplanreview.co.nz
•Ideal for Compartment Troughs/Tanks
•High Flow
•Top Mount
•Detach to Clean
•Compact/Robust
Campbell Parker, DairyNZ chief executive
Kate Acland, B+LNZ chair
LEO ARGENT
Managing cow BCS for better breeding
This is the first 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 high-quality 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.
In a productive breeding herd, fatbottomed cows make the rocking farm go round. To get the most out of mating, we want to present the bulls with husky heifers and queensized cows. But how exactly does cow body
condition score (BCS) affect breeding success?
Analysis of the B+LNZ Genetics Beef Progeny Test has found a linear relationship between cow BCS and conception rate. In other words - the chunkier the cow, the higher the chance she will conceive to a given mating (which in this case was a carefully timed artificial insemination).
For every step up on the BCS scale, the rate of artificial insemination success increased by 5 percentage points.
However, conception rate isn’t the full story.
Cows usually get more than one opportunity to conceive during a mating season. So, when the researchers look at the
49-day pregnancy rate (2+ oestrus cycles) there are diminishing returns for cows with higher BCS. The biggest gains are from getting the low conditioned cows closer to a BCS of 7 prior to mating.
The biggest gains are from getting the low conditioned cows closer to a BCS of 7 prior to mating.
Since cows’ curves don’t come for free, we also need to consider what it takes to put an extra BCS unit on a cow. It is easier to put
condition on a lighter cow. At BCS 4 it takes 15kg of extra live weight to gain a BCS score (to get to BCS 5). This will take 83kg of dry
matter intake over and above maintenance and production. But as we travel up the BCS scale this equation changes.
The difference between
BCS 7 and BCS 8 is 35kg of extra live weight for a tiny gain in the 49-day pregnancy rate. So, when it comes to divvying up the pasture
pie, it makes sense to focus on fattening up the Skinny Minnies rather than trying to put extra love handles on already well-conditioned cows.
Beef + Lamb New Zealand’s Informing New Zealand Beef programme aims to boost the sector’s profits by $460m.
The Tasman has landed
STEPPING INTO the already crowded ute market, it’s important to bring your best game. Kia look to have done just that with the arrival of its first ute, the Tasman, at a recent event in Wellington. Its utilitarian looks make it stand out from the crowd, taking cues from the military vehicles Kia has built since 1973. It invariably draws comment like “looks that only a mother could love”, but in the flesh, that chunky, slab-sided look certainly grows on you.
Built on a ladder chassis and measuring 5.4m long by 1.9m wide, the Tasman lines up with its rivals from Ford and Toyota, offering a payload of 1025kg and a braked towing capacity that meets the industry standard of 3500kg.
Offered in five grades, the TX, TXR, TXS, X-Line and X-Pro are all configured with selectable 4WD with
double-cab and well side layout, with single and double cab chassis option available later this year and early 2026.
Power in all models is delivered by a 4-cylinder, 2.2-litre turbodiesel, producing 154kW and 440Nm, mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission.
While the exterior looks might induce a Vegemite momentyou’ll love it or hate itthe interior will quickly be the benchmark that the rest of the industry will aspire to, with a combination of highquality materials, excellent fit and finish and well thought out layouts. Dual 12.3inch screens - one for instrumentation and one for infotainment - also sees shortcut buttons for media and climate control.
Depending on the model, the front seats are cloth or faux leather, with the higher grades getting ventilation or heating, while the roomy rear space offers slide and recline for its occupants,
alongside flip-up seats that reveal a large floor area for tools or supplies, with hidden storage cubbies under the base.
All models get LED lights, a trailer brake control system and terrain selection modes for mud, snow, sand and rocks. Higher grades get surround view cameras, alongside electro-mechanical rear diff locks, underbody protection, ground view cameras and enhanced off-road software.
Our short test in the hills east of Otaki consisted of muddy trails, rock-strewn ascents and descents, deep water-filled holes and multiple blind crests and tight turns. The Tasman certainly inspired confidence in its offroad abilities, with the X-Pro on test offering the choice of 2WD High/4WD High/4WD Auto and 4WD Low settings.
Of particular interest, the X-Trac System –in effect an off-road cruise control feature – manages throttle and brake functions
at speeds of up to 6km/h. In practice, once set, it meant the ute tackled the toughest inclines and difficult ground conditions with no need for any manual throttle input.
Depending on the grade, look out for the likes monitoring of tyre pressure and pitch & roll, parking sensors and an extensive range of around 150 New Zealand designed and
manufactured accessories including snorkels (standard wading depth is 800mm), load bay securing systems and side steps.
Rural News looks forward to extended
NEW FOLDING MOWER UNVEILS INNOVATION
MARK DANIEL markd@ruralnews.co.nz
KRONE’S EASYCUT F 400 CV Fold has built itself a following in the front-mounted mowing arena, with practical innovation and clever engineering.
The clever design, featuring a hydraulic slewing gearbox enables the outer discs of the mower bed to fold inwards, neatly positioning them between the tractor wheels, allowing for a road transport width of less than 3m while the driveline remains connected and the discs stay in cutting position.
From the cab, operators can
initiate the hydraulic, sequencecontrolled folding system, then once in the paddock, the mower automatically unfolds and locks into working position, with the side guards deploying simultaneously.
The resultant 4.04m working width offers greater coverage and overlap, particularly on slopes, so when used in combination with three-point linkage, rear trailed or butterfly mower combinations, the EasyCut F 400 CV Fold removes the problem of running over previously cut material or leaving strips of uncut grass. Its wide working width supports higher
efficiency and cleaner results across varying terrain.
Product manager Shaun Montieth says the EasyCut F 400 CV Fold is a practical and innovative choice for professional operators.
“At just over four metres, the unit delivers greater work rates than traditional front mowers, which are typically limited to about 3.2 metres working width, while still complying with the three-metre road transport limit. It’s an ideal solution for modern farming operations seeking performance and compliance in one.” Visit
The clever design, featuring a hydraulic slewing gearbox enables the outer discs of the mower bed to fold inwards.
drive time in this serious market challenger in the coming weeks, so watch this space; rival manufacturers certainly will be!
Kia is celebrating the arrival of its first ute - the Tasman.
MARK DANIEL
markd@ruralnews.co.nz
AGCO adds a little bling to flagship Fendt tractor
Fendt North America.
AGCO showcased a one-of-a-kind golden Fendt tractor at the US Capitol in early August, commemorating the Great American Farmers Market, a week-long celebration of food, family and farming.
This striking machine featured a full gold exterior, a patriotic window wrap and a Farmer-First message: “We Support American Farmers.”
Built in Jackson, Minnesota, the shiny Fendt 1167 Vario MT track tractor symbolises Fendt’s commitment to US growers, exemplified by the brand’s Gold Star Customer Care program. Every Fendt product includes a three-year full warranty with maintenance and inspections.
“Fendt is proud to stand with American farmers,” said Mike Long, vice president,
“This golden tractor is a tribute to their resilience, innovation and the vital role they play in helping feed the world.”
Following its Capitol appearance, the golden tractor will return to the Fendt Lodge in Jackson, Minnesota, the brand’s official North American home.
In other news, the parent company of the Fendt, MF and Valtra brands, recorded net sales of nearly US$4.7 billion in the first half of 2025, around 24% lower than the US$6.2 billion achieved in the same period of 2024.
The Europe and Middle East regions saw net sales dropping 13% to US$3.10 billion (US$3.57 billion in 2024), while the North American results were a third lower at US$816 million, compared to US$1.22 billion in 2024.
The results were driven by lower sales in North America,
particularly in highhorsepower tractors, sprayers and grass equipment through April to June.
Built in Jackson, Minnesota, the shiny Fendt 1167 Vario MT track tractor symbolises Fendt’s commitment to US growers.
In Europe, environmental regulations and weatherrelated disruptions have put traditional equipment sales under pressure, with industry retail tractor sales down 12% (combines -8.0%) in the first half of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024. In Europe, there were, apart from Spain and Italy, double digit percentage decreases
across most markets. Demand is expected to remain soft throughout the rest of this year, with the company expecting full-year net sales in 2025 of approx. US$9.8 billion (US$11.7 billion in 2024, and the record US$14.4 billion in 2023).
SUB-SOILER HELPS MIX SOIL, LIFT STRUCTURE
MARK DANIEL
COMPLEMENTING ITS existing range of tillage implements, German manufacturer Lemken has introduced the new Onyx subsoiler said to offer working depths of up to 60cm, available in two rigid versions offering three and four metre working widths, the MR/300 and MR/400.
Featuring a fully welded frame to ensure stability and durability. the design uses two beams spaced 84cm apart, ensuring easy access and maintenance, while also offering 90cm underframe clearance.
The share system, with a 42.5cm spacing is offered in the OM (Onyx Mixing share) or the OL (Onyx Loosening share) formats, both hardfaced as standard or supplied with a carbide coating option to withstand wear-intensive operating conditions.
The OM share, which is designed to move and intensively mix the soil, is mounted on a curved leg with a guide plate and able to achieve a working depth of 25 to 40cm. Said to be ideal for improving soil structure
through medium-depth loosening and subsequent levelling, hydraulic depth adjustment can be operated on-the-move from the tractor, making it ideal for variable operating conditions.
The OL share is mounted on a straight leg designed for deep loosening at working depths between 40 and 60cm. Its action lifts the soil profile, creating cracks due to the weight of the soil itself, breaking up compacted layers such as plough pans, while also improving water infiltration through the resulting
micro-cracks. Both share variants can also be equipped with wings, which depending on soil conditions, can create ensure a wider and more thorough loosening of the soil, as well as improved mixing of organic matter.
For levelling and reconsolidation, the choice of the DSW 580 double spiked roller or the RSW 600 tube bar roller. A quick-change roller system enables the rollers to be changed quickly, providing flexibility in variable soil conditions.
MARK DANIEL markd@ruralnews.co.nz
This striking machine featured a full gold exterior.
26 MACHINERY & PRODUCTS
Fencing excellence celebrated
MARK DANIEL markd@ruralnews.co.nz
THE FENCING
Contractors Association of New Zealand (FCANZ) celebrated the best of the best at the 2025 Fencing Industry Awards, providing the opportunity to honour both rising talent and industry stalwarts.
The Level 3 Trainee of the Year award recognised outstanding achievement among 2024 graduates of the NZQA Level 3 National Certificate in Fencing.
Finalists included Corbyn Gibbs, Hamish Stanger, and Tom Rathgen, with the award won by Rathgen – the judges noting his consistent commitment to excellence and his willingness to help
others succeed.
The Level 4 Excellence Award honoured graduates of the NZQA Level 4 National Certificate in Fencing who demonstrated consistent professionalism and adaptability.
Course tutor and judge Dave Horner said that this year’s graduates were “exceptional as a group,” with award finalists being Andrew Osgood, Dan French and Luke Jacobsen. The winner, Dan French, was recognised for his exceptional results and leadership throughout the programme.
The Emerging Talent, for under-25year-olds working in the industry, saw finalists Charlie Simpson,
Galen Monks and Sean Bridgeman, who, while early in his career, is already demonstrating
The Industry Contribution Award recognises individuals who have gone above and beyond to support the growth and development of the fencing sector.
great promise. Galen Monks won the award, with judges noting his professionalism, skill, and
reliability as key factors in the decision.
The Industry Contribution Award recognises individuals who have gone above and beyond to support the growth and development of the fencing sector. This year’s finalists were Debbie Robertson, Debbie White, and Mike Billinghurst. The award was presented to Mike Billinghurst, recognising his more than 30 years in the industry, including service as FCANZ President, contributions to NZFC competitions, mentoring others, and promoting best practice across the industry and the country.
The Women of Influence Award acknowledged women making a significant
impact in the fencing industry, fought over by Donna Upton and Kathy Newdick. Upton took out the award for her leadership in developing and delivering the Level 3 and Level 4 fencing qualifications, and her ongoing governance work.
The Legacy Award for Lifetime Achievement, one of the highest honours FCANZ can bestow, went to Wayne Newdick, whose engineering expertise, competition leadership, and role as a co-founder of FCANZ have left an indelible mark on the industry. Wayne’s innovations in fencing tools and his ability to share knowledge have influenced generations of contractors.
FCANZ President Phil Cornelius said the awards not only recognise skill, but also celebrate dedication, leadership, and the willingness to give back.
“Every finalist and winner is making the industry stronger, and it’s a privilege to acknowledge their work.” Prizes for the 2025 Awards were supplied by Farmlands, PGG Wrightson, Bunnings, Stockade and Delfast.
JOHN DEERE ACQUIRES GUSS AUTOMATION
JOHN DEERE has announced the full acquisition of GUSS Automation, LLC, a globally recognised leader in supervised high-value crop autonomy, headquartered in Kingsburg, California.
The move builds on an existing joint venture established in 2022 and advances John Deere’s commitment to helping high-value crop growers, address challenges around labour availability, input costs, and crop protection.
“Fully integrating GUSS into the JD portfolio will help high-value crop customers with advanced, scalable technologies to do more with less,” said Julien Le Vely, director, production systems, high
value & small acre crops, at John Deere. “GUSS brings a proven solution to a fast-growing segment of agriculture, with its team having a deep understanding of customer needs in orchards and vineyards.”
Founded by Dave Crinklaw in 2018, GUSS manufactures autonomous sprayers that can be remotely supervised by a single operator who can manage up to eight machines at once. Using GPS, LiDAR, and proprietary software, GUSS machines navigate vineyards and orchards with precision to help reduce operator error, labour costs and material waste. To date, more than 250 GUSS machines have been deployed globally, accounting for 2.6 million acres sprayed over
500,000 autonomous hours.
The sprayers will continue to be sold and serviced exclusively through John Deere dealers, with the business retaining its name, brand, employees and manufacturing facility in Kingsburg.
John Deere will support GUSS in expanding its global reach, including continued integration with other precision agriculture technologies, such as Smart Apply, which enables targeted spraying that offers the opportunity for up to 50% savings on chemical and water use.
The acquisition will help expand John Deere’s U.S. manufacturing footprint, with GUSS sprayers continuing to use John Deere Power Systems engines.
SHEEP HANDLING EQUIPMENT
GUSS Automation, a globally recognised leader in supervised high-value crop autonomy, has been bought by John Deere.
The Legacy Award for Lifetime Achievement went to Wayne Newdick.
Tech might take time
MARK DANIEL
markd@ruralnews.co.nz
AGRITECH UNLEASHED
– a one-day event held recently at Mystery Creek, near Hamilton –focused on technology as an ‘enabler’ for the primary sector, bringing together innovators, investors, farmers and exporters.
New Zealand has a healthy cadre of innovators. A current example of developing, launching and bringing a concept to market can be seen by the global success of Halter, that currently has a valuation of $1 billion.
As with any new innovations, early adopters will welcome its arrival with open arms, but in general, farmers and growers are typically more conservative, playing a waiting game to see where the tech is headed and spending time to understand what it might do for them.
One of a panel of agriindustry leaders, farmer and chair of Waikato Regional Council, Pamela Storey, suggested that typical barriers to adoption included age and daily life competing for attention.
Vanessa Winning, director of On Farm Support at MPI, said that in many cases, up-take of tech was about relationships built on trust.
“In days gone by, trust might have been something centred around the local vet,”
said Winning. “Now, it is more likely to have been developed from a transactional start, trust building with suppliers or service providers and then a move to trusted advisor. That trust typically deepens as the advice is backed by quantifiable credibility.”
A subsequent farmer panel discussed their perspective on emerging technologies. Amber Carpenter and her husband were 11-year sharemilking veterans who over the last three season had adopted pasture management tech and dairy cow wearables.
Carpenter noted in her business that any tech being considered had to easily integrate with existing systems, had to interpret data well and deliver a useful solution to a problem. At the same time, she suggested there is a need to understand that return on investment might take some time.
In the Carpenters’ case, tech adoption had helped to save time, with better oversight of grazing and pasture management and the removal of one person from the milking shed, better work/life balance and better mating results.
Will Burrett, chief operating officer of Pāmu, said his business used tech to enhance existing systems such as Farm ID and Farmex reporting. Pāmu considered technology based on what the problem was and what the costs and benefits were. Burrett
suggested that, in some cases, tech was too easy to adopt without any real benefit.
Further discussion time was given to the current buzzword –artificial intelligence (AI) – a term not widely used on-farm and a little confusing to dairy farmers who think it’s to do with artificial insemination. By contrast, AI is widely used and welcomed in the tech and business sectors.
On the practical front, AI could be used to address the pet peeve of many farmers burdened by the demand for data from multiple organisations: double entry of the same data.
Further concern seems to be centred around the ownership of such data – the farmer or the data collector – the latter, often appearing to on-sell the data to other interested parties for a profit.
This topic has become particularly interesting as companies such as global player John Deere have become embroiled in data and intellectual property issues being fought through courts, with challenges around data access for the right to repair away from traditional dealerships.
Vanessa Winning, director of On Farm Support at MPI, said that building trust around
tech takes time, and its impact is not to be underestimated when it comes to taking on innovative technologies.
“We are going to solve most of the issues that we have with the externalities that we have with farming in the next 10 years only if we can take on that adoption side. A major challenge is understanding that every farmer is different and the technology in question must be backed up with credibility and science.”
