Coast & Country - October 2018

New Zealand’s avocado industry has enjoyed a milestone month.

Our Prime Minister opened 2018’s NZ Avocado International Industry Conference in lateAugust, applauding the industry for its increasing success. And September saw the first shipments of NZ avocados exported into the emerging Chinese market. See page 3 and our avocado feature on pages 30-31 to learn more about the China market. Pictured is Manuela Cabelduc packing fruit for China at Apata packhouse, for exporter Avoco. Photo: Nikki South.

Avocado Conference PAGE 5-7

Central Plateau Focus PAGE 11-13

Effluent Expo PAGE 20-23

Equidays PAGE 26-27

Fertiliser PAGE 43-47

Dairy PAGE 48-55

Forestry PAGE 59-61

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Page 2

COAST & COUNTRY NEWS

Competing on a global stage

As rows of kiwifruit vines or avocado trees flick past as you drive State Highway 2 in the Western Bay of Plenty, you don’t give much thought to how the produce harvested is competing on a world stage.

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But All Blacks’ strength and conditioning coach, Dr Nicholas Gill, really brought this concept home in his inspiring talk at 2018’s New Zealand Avocado International Industry Conference in Tauranga.

Nicholas, also a Bay of Plenty avocado orchard owner, has been combining the roles of sport scientist and coach for close to 20 years, including 11 years working with the All Blacks.

He compared the vision and direction required in his sports role with what the avocado industry must do to maximise the opportunity to grow fruit for the world – and compete on a global stage.

His talk was a fascinating insight to how the All Blacks operate and the pressure they’re under.

NZ has a small population, the ABs receive low income, face huge international competition and also have no home base for training.

But Nicholas says never in the history of sport has there been an international team as dominant as the All Blacks. So what does it take to win on a global stage?

Nic says it starts with attitude, a culture of no excuses, and a belief that failure is not an option – 100 per cent is demanded from all players at all times.

But such sustained success is a result of many moving parts, says Nic. Like any team, business or project, having the right ingredients in the right amounts, and of course at the right time, will contribute to the final product.

Nic himself travels 200 days per year, and is

Dr Nicholas Gill at work as the All Blacks’ strength and conditioning coach. responsible for the team’s physical condition and overseeing their nutrition programme with a nutritionist, meaning he freights training gear all over the place constantly – and also ensures the ABs eat avocado “with every meal – breakfast, lunch and dinner”.

Nic says the ABs face huge expectations in an environment that’s high-pressure and fast-changing.

His key advice to reaping success is having direction, leadership, connections, never sitting still, and getting the basics right – things that can be aptly transferred to growing avocados for the world and the goals of many of our other primary industries.

This edition we have many stories of people, businesses, industries and sectors trying to compete – and win – on a global stage. Maybe they’ll think differently about their game plan next time they watch the ABs? I’d also like to congratulate NZ Avocado chief executive Jen Scoular and her hard-working team who organised 2018’s NZ Avocado International Industry Conference.

The event was inspiring, motivating, highly educational and, most importantly, gave delegates – from every facet of the industry – a real sense of the opportunity NZ’s avocado industry has to become better prepared to grow more quality fruit for the world. Well done!

Merle Foster

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COAST & COUNTRY NEWS

Page 3

A new market

Apata quality controller Jackie Smith takes a close look at fruit to be exported into China.

NZ exports first avocados to the most populous nation

three packing houses in the region. Kate says growers have had to get better at documentation. “That’s not something they’ve had to do before.

“As a packing company we’re used filling in documents and having to verify stuff but for growers, it’s a new thing.”And the OAP for China is very strict in terms of monitoring periods and when work is undertaken. “So that is a different mindset for the industry to cope with – we haven’t had that before.”

But Kate says many growers supplying fruit to China are crossing the ‘T’s and dotting the ‘I’s for the Growers have had to sharpen greater good of their industry. their documentation skills, and “One of our growers, when we asked him about his motivation packhouses are required to cut to take part in producing fruit for open a certain percentage of this programme for China, said: the fruit and keep close watch ‘I’m doing what I’m doing for the best of the industry. I see this as an on their waterblaster efficacy. important market. And I see it as But with these extra hoops to something I need to do as a grower jump, there’s a real sense of positivto assist in developing this market’. ity in the avocado industry in “So we’ve got some growers who Part of packing requirements seizing their first opportunity to are taking part to be champions for for exporting to China is to cut export fruit to China – while also fruit samples - a first for Apata. the industry.” ensuring what is sent is representaMore checks and balances are tive of the quality fruit grown here. required when packing fruit for China too. Kate says Since access was granted in November 2017 a commissioning of the packhouse waterblaster has to be number of packhouses and exporters have been on a annual instead of five-yearly, plus monitoring has to be learning curve in sending avocados via a newly set-up constant to ensure all fruit is cleaned properly. supply chain to the world’s most populous nation.

The waterblaster operator and quality controller need Apata’s avocado business manager and group safety to have a conversation every half-hour on whether and compliance manager Kate Trufitt’s packhouse team there’s any copper deposits coming through on the packed and sent their first airfreight consignment to avocados, because that indicates the waterblaster is not China on September 22-23 with no issues. cleaning 100 per cent of the fruit.

“For quality control the number of phytosanitary A learning curve sample sizes is double than what we’d normally do. So When Coast & Country News spoke with Kate, Apata it’s two per cent with a minimum of 1200 fruit.

– packing fruit for Avoco, which exports NZ avocados “Then we actually have to cut fruit – which we to various Asian markets under its Avanza brand – had haven’t had to do before.” filled their first 40ft container, which holds about 3500 Kate says this is due to other countries that export to trays. “This one we shared with Trevelyans; we did China having burrowing pests. “We don’t have burrowabout 15 pallets and they did the balance,” says Kate, ing pests but the Chinese were very keen for us to prove who admits a lot of work went into packing the fruit we don’t have them. So we’ve had to cut the minimum for China – with this being the avocado industry’s first of 60 fruit or five per cent of the phytosanitary sample.

Official Assurance Programme to the country.

“That’s a complete change for us.”

An OAP describes the additional phytosanitary requirements of an importing country – usually for Representing NZ Inc specific fruit and vegetable commodities – and exportAnd while Kate acknowledges Chinese consumers are ers must meet the requirements. particular in how a fruit looks – and her quality control “An OAP is from grower, to packer to exporter – so team is aware of this – the aim is to send avocados that right across the export supply chain,” says Kate, who are representative of what the NZ industry produces. has worked on OAPs in NZ’s apple industry.

“It is something we’re conscious of but we’re trying to “They all have to register and all have to meet certain send fruit that is representative of what NZ produces criteria. And being the first OAP for China, for NZ’s because there is no point in us slaughtering the grower. avocado industry, it’s been a real learning curve from “This means there’s no special grading for China but grower, through to packer and exporter on those little obviously there is an awareness that this is new and we extra specific requirements that are over and beyond are representing industry but also representing NZ Inc. what we’d normally do in our export process.”

“So we want to get it right and make sure the fruit Avoco has sourced fruit from a tight selection of stands up – so we’re trying hard to make sure it is as compliant Bay of Plenty growers, and packed it in

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good as it can be.” Avoco was to export 50,000 trays of NZ avocados to China this season but with programme delays in China the total will be about 35,000 trays.

Avoco’s marketing and communications manager Steve Trickett says China, will be developed with the view to it becoming a market for premium quality, larger-size fruit.

NZ is competing for shelf space in China with fruit from Mexico, Peru and

Chile – the only other countries currently benefiting from market access.

“Being the closest and therefore freshest Southern Hemisphere source of avocados to China, the subtle differences in the taste and texture profile of our fruit, as well as presenting consumers with a larger piece of fruit backed by promotional investment, will help underpin our brand story, all aimed to secure a premium place in the market,” Merle Foster says Steve.

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COAST & COUNTRY NEWS

Kingfish farm step closer for the Coromandel The Waikato is on track to establish the North Island’s first offshore fi fish farm, which will be for a new commercial species – kingfish Waikato Regional Council has granted Pare Hauraki Kaimoana authority to apply for resource consents to occupy 240ha of fin fish farming space in the Firth o Thames following a tender process.

The space, known as the Coromandel Marine Farming Zone, is located 10km offshore of Coromandel Town.

Pare Hauraki Kaimoana propose farming kingfish in the space and the authorisation

means they now have two years to prepare and submit an application for the necessary resource consents.

WRC called for tenders in 2017 to assess market interest and applicant suitability to undertake fin fish farming in the zone The tender proposals were assessed against criteria such as proposed environmental management practices, economic and social benefits to the community, and monetary contribution to the council and central government to occupy and use the water space.

Following the tender evaluation and negotiation process, authorisation has been granted to Pare Hauraki Kaimoana, says

aquaculture around the district, and related processWRC chief executive Vaughan Payne. ing, generates just under $100 million of revenue “Pare Hauraki Kaimoana is already a each year and directly employs more than 550 major player in our regional aquaculture people, making the Waikato region second only to industry and their tender proposal demonthe Marlborough Sounds in terms of production and strated a deep commitment to achieving employment. “It’s exciting environmental, economic Yellowtail Kingfish. to think that, over and social Photo www.fishspecies.n outcomes for the region,” says Vaughan.

Thames-Coromandel constituency councillor Dal Minogue says existing shellfish time, successful fish farming in the Coromandel Marine Farming Zone could generate additional revenue of more than $50 million and dozens of fulltime jobs through expansion and diversification of the regional aquaculture industry,” says Dal. Several years ago there was strong interest in farming kingfish and hapuku in the region. The Coromandel Marine Farming Zone was subsequently established in 2011 by a central government amendment to the Waikato Regional Coastal Plan. But due to the Global Financial Crisis interest waned.

Then in mid-2016 renewed interest came from the aquaculture market in taking up space in the zone, resulting in the call for tenders. Vaughan says the approval process to issue the authorisation has been lengthy “in part because of the process specified in the Resource Management Act and also complexities in determining a commercial arrangement for a market that doesn’t yet exist in NZ”.

As the successful tender, Pare Hauraki Kaimoana has two years to apply to the council for a resource consent to ensure environmental factors are appropriately managed.

Applications for a resource consent to farm fish must consider a staged approach to development, accompanied by a site-specific assessment of potential environmental effects and a holistic environmental monitoring plan.

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The first ever detection of the Potato mop-top virus in potato tubers in New Zealand has authorities working with growers to find out the impact it could have and to stop any risk of it spreading.

Biosecurity NZ is working with Potatoes NZ to respond to the detection of PMTV in potato tubers from two properties in the Canterbury region, which have tested positive for the virus.

Incident controller David Yard says PMTV is not a food safety issue – but further sampling is underway in the region. “PMTV is a crop disease which, if found to be widespread, could cause some productivity issues for growers.

“This is the first time the virus has been found in NZ, however it is common in other countries.”

Potatoes NZ chief executive Chris Claridge says the affected potatoes are from the Innovator variety, which is only used for potato chips.

“The industry is working closely with Biosecurity NZ to learn more about the virus, the impact it could have on growers, and to stop any risk of spread.”

“We’ll then consider if it is possible to eradicate it, or whether we will need to work with growers to manage its impact over the long term.”

The Innovator variety of potato was last imported as germplasm into NZ in July 2011.

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Page 5

PM opens avocado conference

we’ve been striving for as well, to add value to avocados by producing avocado oil, improve quality and freshness by investing in cool chain infrastructure and increasing market demand by extending the growing season and minimising that irregular bearing pattern.”

She said her Government is aimed at moving from volume to value in the primary industries sector. “And in the spirit of kaitiakitanga that’s grounded in not only the preservation but the wise utilisation of natural resources…so they are here for future generations.”

Applauding the industry’s exponential growth, NZ’s newlygained export access to China’s market and sharing her upbringing around avocados is how Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern opened the 2018 New Zealand Avocado International Industry Conference.

After a five-year hiatus, the conference, with a theme of ‘Growing avocados for the world’, was opened on August 29 by the Prime Minister. The next day more than 400 delegates arrived at ASB Baypark to hear an international line-up of speakers talk about everything from scientific research on clonal propagation to how Columbia is dealing with an explosion of avocado farms, production and export of the fruit.

Appetites grow

The Prime Minister congratulated avocado growers of the recent success of the NZ avocado industry, which has been driven by a carefully grown, premium quality product that meets the needs of health conscious consumers globally.

“I do remember a time when avocados used to be somewhat of a novelty on the restaurant menu and now they’re blamed for millennial spending habits,” joked the Prime Minister.

“In a very short time we’ve seen the appetite for avocados – a fruit that was not that long ago considered exotic – grow exponentially.

That is testament to the passion and dedication of all of you.”

The Prime Minister said the avocado industry demonstrates the potential NZ has in its horticulture sector. “Yours is a success story if there ever was one.”

Merle Foster

NZ Avocado Growers Association chair Tony Ponder, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and NZ Avocado CEO Jen Scoular at the conference. Photo: Brydie Photography.

And she also talked of her grandparents having an avocado orchard when she was a child, and her appreciation of the hard work involved in bringing them to our tables.

“The theme for this conference is growing avocados for the world – and this industry is vitally important to NZ, particularly as an export industry.

“Avocados are our third-largest fresh fruit export – and we are sixth-largest avocado exporter, topped only by Mexico, Peru, Chile, the EU and the US. “And it is particularly important for our regions – especially the Bay of Plenty and Northland.”

The Prime Minister said the value of our avocado industry is predicted to reach $500 million by 2040. “A global demand for the fruit is increasing 10 per cent annually, according to industry estimates.

“And the main driver for this is the increasing recognition of avocados as part of a healthy and nutritious diet. New York has its own Avocado bar – where avocado is in every single item on the menu.”

The Prime Minister talked about her grandparents having an avocado orchard when she was a child, and her appreciation of the hard work involved in bringing them to our tables.

“I like to think I had an always had an appreciation of avocados. As a child I grew up around orchards.

“My grandparents bought their first orchard in Morrisville. They went from being dairy farmers to running that orchard in the 1980s, complete with graded cherry pickers and a coolstore.

“As enterprising folk they decided apple and tamarillo trees weren’t enough, so they planted nashi pears.

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Challenges

She also touched on challenges facing the industry, such as irregular fruit bearing causing NZ’s avocado volumes and values to still be driven by swings in our biennial pattern, but said she hoped more investment research into varieties and management techniques underway would help with this issue.

“There’s also ways, which

PM reveals her horticultural ‘roots’ As Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern opened the 2018 New Zealand Avocado International Industry Conference in Tauranga on August 29 in front of industry delegates, she revealed her own personal ties to horticultural.

Specialising in Specialising in

The Prime Minister said gaining export access to China this year has been a huge milestone – which she credited to a lot of work and negotiation over a number of years by delegates of both countries – that opens up such a huge opportunity for NZ’s avocado industry.

“We’re one of only four countries that can export to China. And avocado imports to China are growing rapidly – from being worth under $1 million in 2006 to $18 million in 2017.”

“I still remember how hard it was to protect the extremely fragile and experimental fruit from birds.

“In part because my parents eventually bought this orchard from my grandparents while I was in primary school. And helping to protect these trees on daily basis was one of my jobs.”

The Prime Minister said her grandparents went from nashi’s to kiwifruit.

“Always ones to be ahead of the game – they eventually went onto an avocado orchard, on the hills of Welcome Bay. “I loved that orchard, the size of the mature trees and the shade they created on a warm day. “ I loved walking through it with my grandmother and picking avocados from the ground for our lunch.

“But I also knew that it was hard work, for them and for those who continue on in that field – taking what is for me a nostalgic product to the world.”

Merle Foster

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Audacious goals for avocado industry The New Zealand avocado industry is a small player on the global stage – accounting for less than two per cent of the world’s avocado production – but as an export nation we’re punching above our weight.

In her two addresses at 2018’s New Zealand Avocado International Industry Conference, NZ Avocado CEO Jen Scoular said we’re the ninth-largest avocado exporter in the world – and the aim is to grow the industry even further.

“We talk of avocados as the third-largest export fresh fruit from NZ. So far we’re still quite a long way behind kiwifruit and NZ Avocado CEO Jen Scoular believes her industry can meet its audacious goals. apples, but we’re working on changing that.” “We’re has shown a significant increase in value. export-focused but we know the value of the NZ “As we talk of a step-change over the last five years market – and how important it is to deliver to wonder- – now we need to say: how do we make the next stepful avocados to our NZers as well. change going forward?”

“We have export season of August-March. During Jen said volume is the big challenge going forward, this period – until now – we’ve exported all of our class citing exporters approaching a market one year and talk1 fruit. This year we’ve changed the Export Marketing ing them into increasing volumes taken only to have to Strategy to allow export of class 1 and class 2 for food apologise the next for not being able to deliver it. service to our markets. That hasn’t started happening “We know things are changing, are happening onyet but is a change on our EMS.” orchard but this undulating and inconsistent– it’s not even alternate anymore, it’s irregular – volume is our Volume challenge big challenge that we need to keep working on.”

Jen says the NZ industry has 14 packers, 10 registered Jen said when the industry talked of $70 million in exporters, and 11 export markets. “We’ve also gone net sales in 2012-2013 and set a plan to quadruple sales to $280m and triple productivity by 2023 – “we from two major nurseries to five in the last few years. weren’t quite sure how we were going to get there and And the industry return, calculated from the returns we thought it was pretty audacious”.

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Page 7

Holy guacamole! The opportunities and challenges ahead

continued...

“Having got to $200m already it’s pretty exciting we’re very much on that journey.

Part of that is all of you in this room working out how to get there and putting your efforts into that progression of our industry.”

And the rise of avocados is being felt worldwide. “Holy guacamole how the Hass avocado has changed the world.”

She pointed to avocado consumption in the US doubling, Mexican exports jumping from 11 million kilograms in 2000 to 800 million kilograms in 2015. “Chinese imports are increasing 250 per cent year-on-year... and restaurants are doubling the amount of avocados they’re using in recipes.”

Jen said social media has also been very good to the fruit – avocados are the most photographed food on Pinterest. “They’re also the ‘Oprah’ of Instagram. And apparently the way to post your engagement online nowadays is with your engagement ring in an avocado.

Risks and opportunities

Jen said export volumes for 2017-2018 – a low-volume year – still saw NZ put 80 per cent of fruit into the Australian market.

“This market is from the very strong relationship our exporters have built up over the years. These relationships can’t be underestimated going forward.”

Especially since NZ is the only avocado

Avocados are the most photographed food on Pinterest.

producing in the next 10-15 years.”

Investment in avocados in NZ is growing too, said Jen. “We’ve seen significant new investment into avocados in Northland.

“These are non-productive yet, but add another 800ha to our 3800ha. So an added 20 per cent on current production. And talking to consultants there’s continued ordering for new trees and land purchases for new orchards.

In the BOP a real rejuvenation of orchards is occurring, to improve low-producing parts of the orchard, or new parts being planted.

A $1b industry?

NZ Avocado CEO Jen Scoular addresses delegates at the conference in Tauranga. exporter into Australia – and its closest market – but this looks likely to change. “We recognise Australia is progressing phytosanitary requirements that would enable Chile avocados to be imported. It’s definitely a risk for us.

“So part of the mitigation was we agreed with exporters to develop a campaign in Australia last year talking about great avocados, grown, with care, from our part of the world – Australasia – to quietly differentiate ourselves from Southern American avocados.

“We believe we’re a year away from Chilean avocados being in Australia, but we’re making sure we’re building up that market, to allow for new avocados coming in.”

Other export markets are evolving too.

“Until two years ago Japan was our largest Asian market. South Korea has taken over, with Thailand pushing behind, Japan, Singapore and Taiwan now emerging as a market.

“China is a great market to be developing, with an ability to absorb some of the additional millions of trays we hope to be

So what’s the potential impact of new plantings in terms of volumes? “Modelling this from current plantings not yet producing, by the end of 2030 we’ll gain another 2.4 million trays of avocados from the extra 800ha,” said Jen. And NZ Avocado has started to model what the industry might look like in 2040.

“Again we’ve been audacious – saying why wouldn’t current plantings continue? So we’ve modelled another 500ha of avocados in 2040. From a return perspective, we’re getting to a $1 billion industry by 2040.”

“We believe we’ve got infrastructure relatively in place – we just need to sort out some more labour – and our export markets are being well-developed to take these volumes.

But there are things to manage. “Environmental issues are real – we need to tackle those. And we need some evidence-based research on sustainability.”

“So we believe we’re very well-poised to meet our audacious goals. We believe the sales goal of $280m is something we can manage – and we’re ensuring we have as much structure, information and connection to help you meet these goals.” Merle Foster

COAST & COUNTRY NEWS

Page 8

The Fowler family under their tamarillo trees, Mac, 9, father Andy, mother Rachel, with Tom, 11, and Hugh, 7, in front – and pet dog ‘Bear’. All photos: Merle Foster.

Despite the Bay of Plenty’s nippy, wet winter conditions, one of New Zealand’s biggest commercial tamarillo crops is tucked away up a winding driveway, growing along hill slopes, at Pongakawa.

And it’s become a family affair with Andy and Rachel Fowler’s three young sons – Tom, 11, Mac, 9, and Hugh, 7 – all playing a part in the business.

Only 10 years ago Andy and Rachel bought 8ha of bare land, which was grazing drystock, with no plans for tamarillos.

Today, they have 3000 trees producing roughly 50 tonne per season, making it one of the largest producers of the fruit for the domestic retail market.

Their property is aptly called Ngapuke orchards.

Andy says Ngapuke means ‘the hills’ – which their property has – and is a name tied to his family’s old farm at Port Waikato. “So it has a special meaning for us.”

Bare land

“We’ve had this piece of land since 2008. When we got here there was not one single tree on it,” says Andy. Today, large trees, shelterbelts and a family

orchard engulf nearly every corner, making a shaded haven for the crop.

And there were no plans for tamarillos.

“No way,” says Andy. “I just did a bit of a trial with one block about eight years ago and wondered how it would go. It went quite well so I put in another block and another block…next thing I knew we’d got everything we had in tamarillos.”

Andy got the idea for tamarillos from his father Bill. “He had some in – about 100 plants. I thought it would probably go quite well here – so I gave it a crack.”

The operation has also helped the family create the lifestyle they want. Being a winter crop is ideal for the Fowlers – leaving the summer free for ‘play’. “We do a lot of boating in summer – so this crop suits our family lifestyle.” “It’s about creating the life we want,” says Andy, who works full-time on-orchard.

He’s the first to admit tamarillos are a hard crop to grow. “Mainly this is due to pests and diseases, wind and frosts.” “And rain,” chirps in Tom. Andy agrees.

“Hmm.” Andy says their biggest challenge is the psyllid pest insect, which sneaked past NZ’s biosecurity radar in 2006. ...continued

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Page 9

Creating the lifestyle they want via tamarillos continued...

Wind-borne, the 2mm psyllid, which looks like a small cicada, carries the bacterial pathogen ‘liberibacter’ that causes rapid dieback of tamarillo trees.

“It just kills the plant,” says Andy, who undertakes a control programme using pesticide to maintain his crop.

“But lately – I don’t know if the psyllid population in NZ has dropped, or we’ve just got better at management – we’re getting less and less damage.”

Good quality fruit

Andy says they have to use insecticides to curb damage from psyllids, which he concedes “isn’t ideal but you wouldn’t be able to grow a viable commercial crop without using them”.

And while fungicide application combats the common problem of mildew, “tamarillos also get white fly, and aphids”.

To prevent frost curbing crop growth Andy has two windmills. But the property’s 8ha of hills and slopes is fairly frost and wind-free.

Andy says while tamarillos are hard to grow, more difficult is producing good quality fruit.

“That’s the hard part – growing fruit that is not second grade.” So how do you achieve this? “Lots of shelter, more shelter and good management.”

“My orchard is really sheltered compared to most. Like overly sheltered.

We have less trees per ha than other tamarillo growers but the fruit is good quality – so I think this makes up for it.

“I’m one of the higher producers in the NZ per ha, at around 25/tonne per canopy ha.”

Andy’s tamarillo season goes from June-November. Last year oldest son Tom wanted to buy a new motorbike, after discovering a love for motocross.

“I suggested he could pick up tamarillos off the orchard floor and sell them at Tauranga Farmers’ Market.

And that’s what he did. Tom picks up the fruit that is waste product to us.”

Tom’s Tams

Tom worked hard last season and was able to get his new bike – a Honda CRF125. This season he’s back.

“We went dollar for dollar. If he earned half I promised to pay the other half of the bike,” says Andy, who believes Tom has learnt about financial goals and responsibility with money.

“We haven’t just given it to them.

Motocross is an expensive hobby – so they have to earn their bikes so they appreciate the value of money.”

Andy says market-goers love Tom. “I think Tom is one of the youngest stallholders and they love seeing him there.”

At age 11 Tom Fowler is now part of the tamarillo business on his family’s Pongakawa property.

Tom, who goes Pongakawa School with his brothers, fits in his tamarillo collecting around a busy schedule of school, fishing and motocross.

“When I first started motocross I had a Honda CRF125. Then I did a few races and really enjoyed it, so I raced a KTM85. That’s what I bought from my tamarillo money from last season,” says the Year 7 pupil.

“I’m still trying to pay it off,” says Tom, who reckons he learnt “quite a lot” about growing tamarillos.

Now Tom has instigated paper bags for his fruit sales, to be environmentally-friendly. And younger brothers Mac and Hugh are getting involved.

Mac spent last school holidays picking up reject fruit to sell to a chutney lady, while Hugh is supplying tamarillos to Depot – celebrity chef Al Brown’s restaurant in Auckland.

Oddly enough, Tom doesn’t like tamarillos – unlike the rest of the family. Rachel, a keen cook, is always experimenting with recipes and has just mastered a nice tamarillo sorbet recipe, while Andy says they’re “really nice in a crumble or dehydrated”.

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COAST & COUNTRY NEWS

CENTRAL PLATEAU FOCUS

Lake Taupo protection project extended

The project protecting the near-pristine waters of Lake Taupo has been extended by two years to enable project partners time to plan for the future.

A joint agreement to protect the nearpristine waters of Lake Taupo has been extended by two years to enable project partners time to plan for the future.

Although starting many years earlier, the agreement for the ‘Protecting Lake Taupo’ project was formally signed in 2007 – a ground-breaking partnership between Waikato Regional Council, Taupo District Council and central government, working with Tuwharetoa Maori Trust Board and local landowners to prevent a decline in water quality.

Water quality

As part of the project, the Lake Taupo Protection Trust was established with the specific goal of reducing the amount of nitrogen being discharged into the lake from pastoral land by 20 per cent – a single, but critical factor responsible for water quality.

In July 2015 the Lake Taupo Protection Trust – charged with administering a public fund of $79.2 million – completed its final nitrogen purchase, reducing the manageable nitrogen discharge to the lake by 20 per cent, or 170 tonnes.

“This was a fantastic achievement, which has attracted international acclaim. But we need to ensure we have the resources and management structure in place to look after these contracts and protect this significant public investment beyond the life of the trust,” says Waikato Regional Council chair Alan Livingston.

“The two-year extension to the end of June 2021 allows time for the partners to finalise preferred options and transition to a new long term governance and management regime, as well as secure ongoing funding for oversight of the contracts once the trust has wound up,” says Taupo District Mayor David Trewavas.

The fund was one component of a suite of initiatives undertaken by the project partners to improve lake water quality. It built on the gains already achieved

by Taupo District Council to reduce nitrogen being discharged from urban sources by upgrading its wastewater treatment.

A new cap-and-trade policy was also introduced by the Waikato Regional Council via the Waikato Regional Plan Variation 5, which set strict limits on the amount of nitrogen being discharged from pastoral land. The extension to the project agreement will also enable the partners time to understand what may come of a review of this policy, which is being carried out as part of the 10-yearly review of the Waikato Regional Plan.

Monitoring phase

The focus has now moved to a monitoring phase to ensure continued compliance with nitrogen reduction targets and nurturing an ethos of kaitiakitanga – stewardship, guardianship and protection – of the lake.

Tangonui Kingi from the Tuwharetoa Mari Trust Board and current chair of the Lake Taupo Protection Project Joint Committee says ultimately the project is about leaving a cleaner legacy for future generations “and protecting our taonga, the national treasure, Lake Taupo”.

Shaun Lewis, from the Ministry for the Environment, says the Crown, through the Ministry for the Environment and Ministry for Primary Industries, “will continue to provide backing and support for the project through to June 2021”.

He congratulates the partners on their strong working relationship and for the goodwill between the agencies involved.

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Page 12

CENTRAL PLATEAU FOCUS

Life-size Kaimanawa horse statue proposed Kaimanawa Heritage Horses, a group interested in the welfare and preservation KHH will present their ideas for of the wild horses, is seeking community support for erecting a life-size bronze the statue at the Waimarino-Waiouru Community Board meeting on Kaimanawa horse statue in central Waiouru on State Highway 1.

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Ruapehu District Council group manager community services Margaret Hawthorne says both council and the Army are supportive of the project given the community board and the Waiouru community agree and see it as a benefit to the town.

“The project team has identified a suitable site on road reserve opposite the Rangipo St intersection that is just to the north of the Army Museum,” says Margaret.

“We feel the life-size bronze statue set amongst raised landscaping using boulders and tussock grasses from the area will look amazing and make a really positive contribution to Waiouru’s CBD area.

A life-size bronze Kaimanawa horse statue is proposed for central Waiouru on State Highway 1.

“The Kaimanawa horses are “The use of bronze with easy-care already strongly identified with natural elements from the surWaiouru and the Desert Rd and rounding area will mean long-term the statue will help strengthen this maintenance and costs will be special connection.” minimal.”

It is envisaged the statue will be KHH spokesperson Alan Buscke a great attraction and help to raise says they’re not asking for any public awareness and support for the ratepayer money toward cost of the statue or landscaping. “If the project long-term welfare of the wild herd.

For more information on KHH’s gets the go-ahead the goal is to raise work, see: kaimanawaheritagehorses. $130,000 and we already have a org or their Facebook page. number of fundraising ideas.

Ready to tackle any sort of electrical job “We can push ‘it uphill easier than with a pointy stick’” is the slogan for Kinetic Electrical Rotorua.

“It means we are able to tackle any sort of electrical job for farm, domestic or commercial buildings,” says Kinetic Electrical Rotorua owner Michael Dent.

When a dairy farmer decides to build a new dairy shed, Michael can visit the site and create a designand-build plan for the most efficient use of energy and resources.

The plan can also include any other farm buildings and dwellings and include a data link between a dwelling and the dairy shed.

“This allows data sharing between computers located in both buildings,” says Michael.

Another service is energy monitoring. “We can

monitor the daily or weekly use of electricity and see if we can make it more efficient and reduce charges.”

Modern dairy sheds rely on electricity to run the operation efficiently but if there is a power failure Kinetic Electrical Rotorua can connect in a diesel generator.

They also have the expertise to wire up irrigation pumps, chillers, milking plant, power points, lighting and effluent pumps for new and existing dairy sheds “Farmers are becoming more security-conscious now, and we can install security alarms and cameras,” says Michael.

Kinetic Electrical Rotorua is available for any electrical work including heating, and ventilation in new houses, renovations and commercial buildings.

With three qualified electricians on the team they can provide an excellent back-up service.

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CENTRAL PLATEAU FOCUS

Page 13

Tackle farm jobs or trail riding with the wild new Wolverine If you’re looking for a new side-by-side that can tackle tough farm jobs – or adventure riding – you better head to Bike Torque’s stores in Taumarunui and Otorohanga.

Bike Torque has just received Yamaha’s new Wolverine X2 R-Spec – and stores’ owner Russell Josiah says they’re set to impress.

“It’s the latest side-by-side from Yamaha with the new twin-cylinder 850cc motor, so it’s whole new model – and it has lots more torque and power than the old one.”

Very safe

The compact two-seater with a tip deck comes with a newly-designed 272kg-rated piston-assist dump bed with an automotive-style single-handoperated tailgate, and impressive 907kg towing capacity.

Driver-centric features include an ultra-reliable and durable Ultramatic continuously variable transmission that’s enhanced to accommodate more torque, plus Yamaha’s dependable, driver-controlled On-Command fourwheel drive-system and the industry’s foremost Electric Power Steering system.

Russell and his staff have been putting the new Wolverine X2 R-Spec through its paces on their test track.

The verdict: it’s very impressive. “It’s very stable, the power delivery is very smooth, and it has lots of power.”

Russell says, the new Wolverine is very safe being “planted on the ground with a wide footprint” – and

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Bike Torque owner-operator Russell Josiah with a new Yamaha Wolverine X2 R-Spec outside one of his two stores. no matter the task or terrain offers both driver and passenger a comfortable and quiet ride.

Affordable option

“It’s got good suspension and totally adjustable shock absorbers – so you can set it up nicely for trail rides or adventure riding.”

Russell has a shop-floor unit an demo unit at both stores – Taumarunui and Otorohanga – so those interested can come have a gander or go for a test ride.

“Yamaha has also just come out with its 4.95 per cent interest rate over 36 months on no deposit – that’s a payment every 12 months – so this makes it an affordable option.” Merle Foster

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Page 14

COUNTRY LIVING

Make friendships and memories of a lifetime in the back country A 4x4 adventure through the South Island’s high country with real social side to it is what Connie and Robbie Crickett offer.

The couple’s NZ Adventures runs back country tours through the South Island’s high country.

Currently, NZ Adventures is offering five-day Eastern Explorer and six-day High Country Heritage high country of tours – and Connie says the social side of

EXCELLENCE IN DERMATOLOGY

these trips is amazing. “It is often said: ‘We start a trip as strangers and go away as friends’.”

Connie says accommodation is in motels and meals are in restaurants with lunches on stations with the run-holders or a picnic to enjoy “as we stop in a quiet spot amongst the scenery somewhere off the beaten track”.

NZ Adventures 4x4 trip’s only stipulation mandatory for all vehicles is all terrain-type tyres in good condition and a low range transmission.

“Every vehicle is supplied with a radio so a commentary is available and two-way communication is enabled.”

Connie says the Eastern Explorer spends two nights in Ranfurly at Hawkdun Lodge.

“The Eastern Explorer starts in Geraldine and heads South East through the mountain ranges of South Canterbury through Danseys Pass and into Ranfurly for the night.

“The highlight of the first day has to be the rare chance to drive through Four Peaks Station.”

The second day goes into some of the old gold workings around Naseby and Ranfurly. “Overnight is in Ranfurly.”

Day three takes in views of Oceania Goldmine at McCraes Flat and some 4x4 tracks in the little-known Strath Taieri area, with an overnight in Mosgiel.

“Day four takes the trip into the Otago Hinterland and a mixture of forest and farmland.

In the afternoon we travel over the Lammermoor range through the Te Papanui Conservation park to overnight in Lawrence.”

Day five follows the Clutha River before turning into the mountains and following old gold mining routes through isolated country before arriving at journey;s end in Alexandra.

The High Country Heritage tour starts in Blenhiem and travels through Molesworth Station on the first afternoon and into Hanmer Springs where the group stays overnight. Subsequent nights are in Methven, Fairlie, Omarama, Cromwell and Cardrona. “It’s a wonderful trip down the spine of the Island.”

COUNTRY LIVING

Page 15

A wide variety of art on show at Waikino The historic Victoria Hall at Waikino will be filled with a variety of artworks again this Labour weekend.

Visitors are never sure what incredible sights will greet them when they walk through the doors.

There are five categories: painting, craft, photography – people and other – and outdoor sculpture, which will be on display at The Falls Retreat by the Owharoa Falls.

There is a special category this year to commemorate Armistice Day or the ending of Word War I – and there’s been some interesting exhibits entered in this category, says Art Waikino convenor Helen Wilson.

“ARTWaikino is the largest art exhibition in the Hauraki district and is always well supported by sponsors, the public and the artists. It is totally organised by volunteers and the proceeds go towards the upkeep of

the community hall, which needs a new roof,” says Helen.

“The winner of the supreme award sponsored by Oceana Gold gets a cash prize of $500.

The exhibition is open from Saturday, October 20, to Monday, October 22, from 10am-4pm. Entry costs a gold coin donation and all of the artwork will be for sale.

“It is a good opportunity to buy original artwork to add to a collection or enhance the décor of your home or office,” says Helen.

“While in Waikino why not cycle the Hauraki Rail Trail, take a train ride, visit the Victoria Battery Site and learn about the gold mining history of the area? Or just learn the village’s story through enjoying the art wall located beside the Ohinemuri River.”

Last year’s supreme winner Waihi artist, Terry Tinling with his painting ‘Poetry in Life’.

Quality blinds

Shining a spotlight on curcumin and OPC – Part 2 I speak daily to people affected by inflammation. This commonly affects joints but can affect most types of body tissue. While we can feel the discomfort of joint inflammation we cannot feel inflammation of blood vessels until disease symptoms appear.

Our immune system responds to injury and sickness by generating inflammation.

This is an essential part of our in-built repair and recovery systems. While we cannot heal without inflammation, unwanted inflammation can not only slow healing but create new problems. The long list of problems with the suffix ‘itis’ are all inflammatory diseases.

One of the reasons we are told to eat lots of deep-coloured plants is that the anti-inflammatory antioxidants are locked into their bright colours. It is the yellow in turmeric that contains curcumin. And it’s the purple colour on grape seeds that contain the potent oligomeric proanthocyanidins – known as OPCs.

While osteoarthritis is the most common joint problem, others such as tendonitis, bursitis and rheumatoid arthritis affect many people. The centre of any nutritional medicine programme is an anti-inflammatory diet. Adding well formulated supplements with high-grade ingredients can add healing compounds at levels much higher than through diet alone. Two of the most potent are curcumin from turmeric and the OPCs from grape seeds.

For example, adding 1000mg of 95 per cent curcumin has the curcumin in several tablespoons of turmeric. You would need to eat tablespoons of red wine grape seeds to get 100mg of pure OPC. I speak to clients on a daily basis that are more mobile and more comfortable by adding potent natural anti-inflammatory compounds. One with rheumatoid arthritis is much more comfortable by adding 1000mg of curcumin and 200mg of OPC daily.

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John Arts (B.Soc.Sci, Dip Tch, Adv.Dip.Nut.Med) is a nutritional medicine practitioner and founder of Abundant Health Ltd. For questions or advice contact John on 0800 423559 or email: john@abundant.co.nz Join his full weekly newsletter at: www.abundant.co.nz

Abundant Health

COUNTRY LIVING

Page 16

The backyard rat trappers of Cambridge A small, community group of passionate volunteers, run by its founder Adam Thompson, are doing their bit to support the Government aim to have New Zealand predator-free by 2050.

Predator Free Cambridge works in the town, concentrating on the eradication of predators in the local area.

“It is important to differentiate between predators and pests,” says Adam. “Pests destroy plants, whereas predators are mammals that kill native birds, chicks and eggs.”

The predator culprits being targeted are possums, rats and mustelids (stoats, weasels and ferrets), with possums also responsible for native habit destruction.

“Before New Zealand was colonised, the ecosystem here consisted of native bush, native birds, fish, some reptiles and amphibians, and insects,” says Adam. “The only native mammals were bats and marine mammals. That ecosystem was perfectly balanced and NZ was rich in bird life."

All the other mammals found in NZ today have been introduced. Projects like Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari are re-establishing that ecosystem successfully in a controlled, pest and predator-free environment, and as bird numbers increase there, they will fly to the Cambridge area.

“We are about not having a country overrun with predators and pests, so our amazing native birds can once again flourish,” says Adam.

Following on from Wellington’s initiative, where they have 4500 backyard rat trappers and a declining rat population, Adam would like to see 1500 backyard traps throughout Cambridge in the next five years. That would mean a trap in every fifth backyard in the town.

“Give it another five years after A rat tunnel trap that that,” says Adam. “And you would is used for backyard rat expect the rat population in the catching in Cambridge. town to have reduced noticeably.

Adam Thompson of Predator Free Cambridge. Photos: Catherine Fry. From then on it is just a matter of maintaining the traps so they don’t come in from elsewhere.”

Adam and his team have working bees to make simple rat trap tunnels. Adam’s company, My Mortgage Ltd, sponsored the first 100 traps, and the group has hopefully secured alternative funding for more.

Traps are free, but a donation can be paid towards building more traps. Adam uses other types of trap to catch possums and mustelids, as well as rats, on his rural property.

He will also have planted 8500 native trees on his land by the end of this year. This is something the public can assist with, and a list of suitable natives for different areas Waikato can be found by Google searching ‘DOC ecological restoration in the Waikato’.

“This whole project is about caring about something that is greater than yourself,” says Adam. “It’s good to be doing something as a community.”

Catherine Fry

A tested tank system

The lovely fresh water from a tank with TankVac attached, will sparkle and bubble in a glass or bath.

“TankVac is a university-designed and tested system that will significantly improve the quality of household water which is collected from a roof,” says Warren Agnew from Warkworth, who is the sole distributor for TankVac systems in New Zealand.

“The system overflows the water tank from the base, vacuuming out any plant material and contaminants,” says Warren.

This means the fresh incoming water remains in the tank and the oxygen levels in the tank water remain high. The lovely fresh water will sparkle and bubble in a glass or bath, says Warren.

“With the TankVac drawing out the poor quality base water, if there are filters in the system they will last much longer.”

Warren says TankVac is easy to install and can be fitted to all sorts of tanks by a handyperson.

“For your health’s sake, insist on a Tankvac in your Helen Wilson storage tank.”

COUNTRY LIVING

Page 17

A blooming festival not to be missed Grab some friends, jump in the car and go picnic in some of the most picturesque gardens from Katikati to Te Puke, next month.

The Bay of Plenty Garden and Art Festival returns from November 15-18, offering 70 beautiful gardens and the work of more than 50 artists for the public to discover and enjoy.

Festival director Marc Anderson says there is something for everyone, with a range of themes including expansive country, formal, traditional, and modern as well as gardens with the “boy’s toys factor”.

“Around 20 per cent of the gardens are new to the festival, some are returning after a hiatus and have come back with new and exciting ideas; and, of course, we are proud to welcome back some old favourites that are forever developing and have been a part of the festival since the early days.”

Plus there will be plenty more landscape gardens and artists’ work at the festival’s new hub ‘Bloom in the Bay’ at the Historic Village in Tauranga each day of the festival from 9am-9.30pm.

Tauranga’s Historic Village green will be transformed, and concept gardens situated around the village – created as part of the festival – will also remain afterwards.

Here, live performances, food trucks, a beer and wine garden, exhibitions, workshops, art and sculpture and an area dedicated to keeping children entertained, will be on offer at ‘Bloom in the Bay’.

“Anyone can come and soak up the creative atmosphere, and the hub will be a place where everyone

Décor Garden World, Baycourt, MacandMor Artspace, Pacifica Home and Garden – including families with young children – can enjoy Centre, Art Junction Katikati and Te Puke Florist, at: gardenandartfestival.co.nz great entertainment, displays, tasty food and beverMerle Foster Or: ticketek.co.nz ages,” says Marc.

He says all festival gardeners are wonderful hosts “and throughout the trail they’ll be in their gardens meeting our festival visitors and sharing their wonderful stories”.

A number of gardeners also encourage people to bring a picnic and enjoy their garden, while others will have pop up cafes open. “Plus, our wonderful artists will be Like us on Facebook exhibiting and selling their artwork in gardens along the trail.”

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Beautiful gardens galore are on offer.

Nice conditions, lots of action Lately, we’ve had nice spring fish conditions with lots of action on Blue Ocean Charters’ Te Kuia vessel. The weather has been settling down and the temperatures have started creeping up as well.

Steve went home with a chilli bin full of fish.

Firstly, we had Bill who managed to lose a very nice tarakihi out the scupper. Of course, he didn’t do it, it was the fish’s fault! Oh well, plenty more fish in the sea!

Paul caught a small kingfish and of course, it didn’t tangle everyone’s lines… that never happens!

And after the shock that was the Boks beating the ABs a good day’s fishing was needed. With a few of my good South African mates on-board we couldn’t drop the ball.

Gideon didn’t even care about the rugby, he watched the first half and went to bed early as he knew he’d need all his wits about him to catch all the snapper he could.

Steve kept telling me about all the West Coast fish, as he was as from the Waikato. But this didn’t stop him going back with a chilli bin

full of fish though.

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She caught all the fish she wanted. Apparently the boys went fishing a few days earlier and didn’t come home with a sausage or a fish!

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POOLS & SURROUNDS

Get in early to secure a pool for summer Wanting to cool off in your own pool this summer? If so, now is the time to get that plan into action as the hot weather is just around the corner.

Pool Land in Christchurch import Sterns pools from Australia and they can ship them all around the country.

They come in a variety of sizes from smallest 4.9m by 3.8m to the largest at 11.5m by 4.5m.

“We have been supplying these swimming pools for more than 23 years.

They are vinyl-lined and can either be put into the ground, half in the ground and half showing above the ground or above the ground,” says Pool Land retail sales manager Justin Wright.

“The purchaser does need to get consent from the local council and they can use a qualified pool installer or they can install it themselves.

About two-thirds of our customers install the pool themselves without any problems. We can also offer advice over the telephone on installation if needed,” says Justin.

There is the option of using regular chlorine in the pool or some models have the option to

run on salt.

Pool Land carry a full range of accessories such as steps, ladders, automated cleaners, chemicals, pool lights, covers; and they import their own range of pool heat pumps, which are great for increasing the length of your swimming season.

“We are being inundated with orders already so my advice is to get your order in to make sure your pool is installed for summer,” says Justin.

Pool Land’s South Seas package.

Planning a pool system from the ground up A big decision about installing a pool is the material that is going to be used as a pool surround.

The general guide to choosing from the variety of natural and artificial materials available is the end use. It is going to be wet a lot of the time while the pool

is in use? In summer there will be people stepping over the surround into the pool and children will run – so non-slip is good.

A light colour is necessary, because on a hot day under full sun, a dark-coloured surround will fry the feet. Here’s where the choices diverge from sandstone,

concrete varietals and pavers to plastics and polypropylene.

There are a range of these materials used in commercial pools in non-standard colours. Shop, get answers about how it performs under constant high UV, the colour fastness, working life, and compare costs.

POOLS & SURROUNDS

Page 19

A must-have tool for a crystal clear pool Having a Floatron in three different pools for more than 20 years has given Melissa Growden an edge when it comes to swimming pool maintenance, and how to keep chemicals to a minimum.

Melissa started selling Floatrons while she was studying at university, after her parents tried one with great success in their family pool.

“It made such a difference to the clarity of the water, and the chemical use was cut to a bare minimum,” says Melissa.

Her father was so impressed that he suggested she start selling this amazing product. The business grew from there, and Melissa has been the exclusive Floatron NZ agent since 1997.

A lot of time on the road in the early years has led to Floatron being a leading product for pool maintenance in NZ. And it has made a world of difference to family life for company owners, Melissa and husband Craig.

“We have an increased passion for this product since having our three daughters, especially since one suffers with eczema and allergies.

“She suffers when swimming in chemical-laden pools, but we’re thrilled that she can swim in our pool all day long, with no skin or health issues at all.”

Melissa says the Floatron is a revolutionary solar-powered water purifier for swimming pools, which replaces the need for chemicals by up to 90 per cent.

“The technology was initially developed to purify drinking water

by NASA, and uses the process of ionisation to combat algae and bacteria in the water.”

Melissa says with a Floatron you swim in crystal clear water, with no taste, smell, or chemical effects – and that means no dry skin, or red stinging eyes.

“You save so much time on pool maintenance, because you don’t have to add excessive chemicals, or frequently test the water. And, you save money too, because chemical usage can be cut by an amazing 90 per cent.”

Alongside the Floatron, Melissa sells Zodiac products too, which her family has used personally for more 15 years.

These include robotic and automatic pool cleaners, which save pool owners having to push a manual vacuum around the pool. These start from around $530 for the smallest model, right up to about $3800 for the top-of-the-range robotic cleaners with remote control.

“People are amazed to find these products can save them so much time and money on their pool. Many people simply don’t have the time to look after their pool, and they are so glad to finally come across the Floatron,” says Melissa.

She and Craig sell Floatron and Zodiac automatic and robotic pool cleaners nationwide. Visit Melissa at stand 171 at the Waikato Home show on October 4-7 for great savings of up to $700. Check out www.floatron.co.nz for more detailed information or to order immediately.

The Floatron is a revolutionary solar-powered water purifier for swimming pools.

Page 20

EFFLUENT EXPO PREVIEW

Free expo on farm effluent goes national The NZ Effluent Expo Event is going national this year – offering the free event to farmers nationwide during two days at Mystery Creek in Hamilton.

Visit our website for more on how the

a collaborative approach. “There’s so many awesome companies doing so many awesome things that we need to collaborate more together to give that one awesome solution to the farmer, as opposed to working on our own for this bit, then the next person comes in and does their bit.

“So it’s about trying to get that cohesion from the start – because everyone does great things when they work together.”

Amanda says Taranaki, BOP and Horizons regional councils will join WRC in having staff at the event to give advice and regulations guidance.

“Our ultimate aim going forward is to have everyone there a farmer needs in order to make decisions – or have a plan worked out – to get solutions on the day. So they can go away feeling like they’ve made good headway.”

Taking shape under new management, the event, from 8.30am-4pm on November 27-28, has almost 100 exhibitors signed up, a full-day seminar programme running both days, plus a guest speaker Q&A panel with Agricultural Minister Damien O’Connor and Rabobank dairy analyst Emma Higgins.

The event will cover education around effluent and its management, access to regional rules and regulations, how to futureproof farm systems, plus representatives from a range of service providers, the dairy industry and regional authorities will be on-site.

Same goal Another ‘first’ this year is a And while recognising every Agricultural Minister Damien social function on the Tuesfarm is different and no one O’Connor will be part of a guest day afternoon, November 27, solution is the same, Amanda speaker Q&A panel at this year’s expo. starting 4.30pm to encourage says the goal for the farmer networking and collaboration between exhibitors and is the same up and down the country – hence why farmers alike. the event is going national. “It doesn’t matter what region you’re in, everyone wants to be better at what Collaboration they’re doing, thinking ahead, simplifying systems, NZ Effluent Expo event coordinator Amanda and be educated about new technology that can make Hodgson says a new organising committee has taken things easier on-farm with weather events and labour over the reins from Waikato Regional Council, with and suchlike,” says Amanda. “So it’s just keeping the the aim of growing the event bigger and better than it momentum going and the education up.” already is.= This year’s event has been boosted to two days, so “Previously, the expo has only been advertised to the those travelling can hear the full-day programme of Waikato region and it was getting really good momen- seminars and have another day up their sleeves to talk tum – even during low payout years – so we didn’t to exhibitors and network. want it to get lost,” says Amanda.

“The same seminars run both days so attendees can see “And we know that farmers come to the event regard- seminars and peruse exhibitors without missing out.” less of whether they’re currently investing in effluent or Plus, returning to Mystery Creek gives easy to access not – just because they can’t afford it this year they are to travelling farmers with Hamilton Airport nearby. always researching and forward-planning.”

Amanda says organisers are expecting more than And with collaboration behind the scenes, Amanda 1500 farmers to attend this year, which will make says the expo is becoming a one-stop event for farmers it the largest Effluent Expo yet. To learn more, see: by showcasing a variety of NZ’s industry experts in effleuntexpo.co.nz Merle Foster

EFFLUENT EXPO PREVIEW

Page 21

Stay ahead of the game

Rabobank dairy analyst Emma Higgins will talk on the topic: ‘Who is driving the regulation – the regulator or the consumer?’ at this year’s expo.

A full day’s worth of seminars will be on offer both days at the NZ Effluent Expo Event from 8.30am-4pm on November 27-28, at Mystery Creek near Hamilton.

And they promise to provide food for thought for farmers running all types of dairying operations.

Run by industry professionals, the seminars cover a range of topics from sustainability through to effluent system options for small herd dairy farms.

Each seminar will be finished with a supplier sponsored session – and on Tuesday, November 27, there’s a guest speaker Q&A panel with Agricultural Minister Damien O’Connor and Rabobank dairy analyst Emma Higgins talking on the topic of ‘Who is driving the regulation – the regulator or the consumer?’.

“We are driving this event to really encourage and educate farmers around what it is that the consumer wants to see, and how ultimately it is the consumer that drives regulation,” says NZ Effluent Expo event coordinator Amanda Hodgson.

“Because we believe consumers are driving a lot of what our farmers having to implement on-farm – they drive the regulations from what they want when they go to purchase items – so this year we’re using this notion as a theme for the expo.”

The first seminar topic is ‘Sustainability and the future of good management practice, farm environment plans, and the Dairying For Tomorrow Strategy’

The seminars bring all effluent industry experts into the one room – to educate farmers.

being presented by Fonterra’s general manager for sustainable dairying, Charlotte Rutherford.

Amanda says Charlotte will take attendees through the future direction for imbedding sustainability within our dairy farm systems.

“The Dairy For Tomorrow Strategy, rapid development of environmental policy and regulation and the pull from customers and consumers means farmers will need new tools and systems to help them deliver to the increasing requirements.

“Charlotte, who has spent 20 years working at the forefront of sustainability issues in NZ including 16 years at Fonterra, will cover the future of good management practice, Farm Environment Plans and the new challenges looming for dairy farmers and the industry,” says Amanda.

Seminar two is on ‘The importance of adequately sized effluent storage and an insight into the Dairy Effluent Storage Calculator’ by DairyNZ environmental extension specialist Logan Bowler.

Seminar three is ‘Water efficiency on dairy farms and the importance of water metering’ by DairyNZ’s Caleb Higham.

Seminar four is ‘Effluent system options for small herd dairy farms’ by DairyNZ’s Logan Bowler.

Amanda says with the same four educational and topical seminars being run throughout both days – with all effluent industry experts in the one room – offers the chance for farmers “to get a head start and Merle Foster start planning”.

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Page 22

EFFLUENT EXPO PREVIEW

Get an effluent system that suits your farm Farm effluent should be considered a valuable resource – not a by-product – with proper handling and management.

Because the benefits can far offset the costs, says Williams Engineering Ltd director Andrew Williams.

“It is important to get the right advice and information on the effluent disposal system that suits your situation on your farm,” says Andrew.

And this is where Williams Engineering Ltd can help. The Thames-based business has been manufacturing high quality, well designed, practical and cost effective farm machinery for more than 40 years.

By 1984 the company was specialising in the manufacture of effluent disposal equipment and systems.

“The focus of the company is to ensure farmers install the best, cost-effective system for their situation,” says Andrew.

As a result, Williams Engineering Ltd provides a com-

prehensive range of purpose designed and manufactured equipment for complete effluent systems, meeting requirements for all farm types.

“It is of vital importance that the support and services provided reaches the same quality and professionalism as that of their manufactured products.

“Our company’s success in recent years is due to innovations and practicalities incorporated during the designing process,” says Andrew.

“Demand for our machinery has spread beyond the local market to America, the UK, Ireland, Mexico, Chile, Uruguay, South Africa and

Australia – making Williams Engineering world leaders in dairy effluent machinery design and manufacture.”

“As an FDE design-accredited company, our current and future clients can be certain we have what it takes to design and install a futureproofed, fully compliant effluent system from start to finish.”

To find out more about Williams Engineering Ltd, or to seek their expert advice and service, meet the team at the free-entry NZ Effluent Expo Event from 8.30am4pm on November 27-28, at Mystery Creek, Hamilton.

Using your farm’s effluent as a resource will bring more benefits than costs.

Effluent expo’s exhibitor sites are sold-out All exhibitor sites at the NZ Effluent Expo Event – a free event for all New Zealand farmers on November 27-28 at Mystery Creek – have sold out.

Event coordinator Amanda Hodgson says in the last month there’s been more than 1000 clicks to the event’s website from social media – and more than 60 registrations of interest from farmers from all over NZ.

“The predominant age demographic looking at this information are aged between 45-64.

“Twenty-six per cent of the total people looking at the event are from the Waikato region, 14 per cent are from Canterbury, 10 per cent are from the Bay of Plenty; the rest are split almost evenly from Hawke’s Bay, Northland, Southland, Manawatu and Wanganui.”

EFFLUENT EXPO PREVIEW

Page 23

What’s on offer at Effluent Expo – and why go?

Some farmers might um and ah over why they should attend this year’s free-entry NZ Effluent Expo Event at Mystery Creek from 8.30am-4pm on November 27-28.

The answer is simple, says NZ Effluent Expo event coordinator Amanda Hodgson.

“If you want to learn about new technology and innovation around dairy effluent, and keep ahead of the game – then you need to be there!”

Amanda says the Effluent Expo showcases everyone in the effluent product and service industry that farmers may need – from conception to completion of a whole farm effluent system “So whether you’re looking for a place to start when thinking about effluent and its management, this event is for you. If you’re changing or upgrading your effluent system, this event is for you. Or, if you want to futureproof your farm system, this event is for you too!”

On offer will be farm infrastructure design solutions, accredited designers, irrigation specialists, storage or concrete infrastructure containment facilities, flood-washing and recycling greenwater options, solids separation systems – mechanical and non

mechanical – plus cow housing infrastructure, machinery and contractors for excavations and site preparation, and for spreading of effluent Amanda says Kiwi farmers should be thinking about the evolving NZ farming landscape and how effluent regulations may look like in five 10 years – and always The expo is popular with farmers, because it gives them a be planning ahead. one-stop event to find what’s on offer in the effluent produc “Just because they and service industry. might be permitted to undertake such activities now doesn’t mean But ultimately, Amanda says the event is that things will be the same in future. about education, innovation and collabora“You need to think big picture – and coun- tion of the dairy industry. cils need to be at these events too, to educate “Farmers and professionals can find all themselves, and see what companies are information and contacts, discuss pros doing there and lift their heads to see what’s and cons of different systems, rules and happening in other regions, because there’s regulations in various areas, what needs to some amazing stuff going on out there. be achieved on-farm for compliance and “And it’s so unfortunate that there’s so futureproofed systems by talking with evemuch press around what isn’t going well – ryone involved in the process from design to because there also needs to be more about excavations to installation to application.” the guys that are thinking and working way So check out our Effluent Expo feature on ahead of their time.” pages 20-23 to find out more

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Talk about crap while networking with your gumboots on There’s a few changes to the free-entry NZ Effluent Expo Event.

This year it spans two days from 8.30am-4pm, it will be held at Mystery creek – and there’s a gumboot-friendly networking event.

Event coordinator Amanda Hodgson says expo’s ‘first-ever’ social function is on the Tuesday afternoon, November 27, starting 4.30pm, to encourage networking and collaboration between exhibitors and farmers alike. “Often a farm solution requires more than one company to fulfil the whole project so networking is

essential and we just don’t do it enough,” says Amanda.

“With this function being at the same venue we can all go in our gumboots and have a fun, low-key event to get everyone together.”

Amanda says the event also provides an informal environment to wind down after day one of the expo. The event, from 4.30pm7.30pm at the expo venue, Mystery Creek, includes dinner, complementary drinks and entertainment from the Bitches Box. Tickets are $45 each. To purchase, see: www.effluentexpo.co.n

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FARM VEHICLES & MACHINERY

FARM VEHICLES & MACHINERY

Page 25

Garry’s find brings him a lot of fun About 18 months ago Garry Allen found a “dead” tractor in the back paddock of his uncle’s new farm at Ohauiti, in the Western Bay of Plenty.

“A barberry hedge had grown up through the front axle at the pivot and into the cooling fan,” says Garry.

“All the weeds around it were so

Garry Allen driving his Fergy.

Garry Allen’s restored 1957 Massey Ferguson 35.

big you couldn’t see the engine. The brake drums were jammed on and the tractor didn’t go at all, but I fell in love with it. It had hi + low and a sticking up exhaust pipe.”

“A spray can of CRC got the jammed brakes free. I cut the tree and we pulled the tractor out with the truck and towed it home.”

From some research online, Garry believes the tractor is a 1957 Massey Ferguson 35.

“It was a lot of work to get the Ferg running. A Holden car manual showed me how to fix it,” says Garry, who also got some help and advice from members of a local vintage tractor club. “Plus a friend helped me to get it running right.”

Garry says people call a tractor a machine – “but to me it’s more a toy”. “I use it skidding logs, rotary slashing blackberry bigger than the tractor itself, pulling out stumps, driving the winch and crushing gorse.“Plus, I got the Fergy roadworthy and use it as a car too,” says Garry. “So forget about history…it does all the things as a fancy new tractor.

“To me, the Fergy never gets old.”

A seatbelt reminder for farm vehicles Worksafe is reminding farmers to wear seatbelts when operating farm vehicles after three deaths in recent years involved people being thrown from side-by-sides as they rolled.

“Seatbelts are the last line of protection when everything else goes wrong and should be worn according to vehicle manufacturer instructions.”

The first incident involved a side-by-side following a fenceline on the crown of a hill losing control when it went over a slight drop. The driver, who was not wearing a fitted seatbelt, died when he was thrown out of and under the vehicle.

In another incident a side-by-side followed another vehicle down a reasonably well maintained farm track when it rolled.

Neither driver nor passenger had a seatbelt on and

were both thrown from the vehicle, which then hit and killed the driver. The last incident had two men in a side-by-side driving up an access track. The vehicle rode up the bank and flipped backwards when the driver lost control after hitting an exposed rock. Both men were unrestrained. The driver managed to get out as the vehicle flipped – but the passenger was thrown from the vehicle as it went down the hill and died at the scene from head injuries.

“Wearing a seatbelt driving or as the passenger will stop you from falling or being thrown out of the vehicle if you were to crash.”

For more information on correct use of seatbelts in farm vehicles, see: worksafe.govt.nz/topic-andindustry/farm-vehicles/

Does your farm or your boss have a pet tractor? Or maybe a pet digger or bulldozer? If so, we’d love to hear about it! Email: merle@sunmedia.co.nz with a photo of it and a contact name and phone number. We might even throw a prize your way for a good yarn.

Page 26

EQUIDAYS

Exciting line-up for Equidays 2018 Equidays is back for 2018 – offering visitors the chance to gain expertise and opportunities to learn, get equipped, and be empowered and entertained.

Equidays is at Mystery Creek from October 12-14 and in Christchurch from October 20-21 – with international clinicians to share their wealth of knowledge and experience on areas of performance, horsemanship, western,

dressage, horse behaviour, showjumping and entertainment.

Equidays event manager Ammie Hardie says two clinicians – Juan Manuel Munoz Diaz from Spain and Anna Blake from the USA – will join four others returning to Equidays.

“Juan will be sharing his knowledge and experience in dressage during the dressage Masterclass,” says Ammie.

“While Anna will share her knowledge on dressage and horse behaviour and the importance of positive training.”

Returning to Equidays in 2018 is Rob Ehrens from the Netherlands.

He’ll share his wealth of knowledge in the showjumping discipline stemmed from his experience coaching the Dutch national showjumping team.

Cole Cameron from the USA will present clinics on the western discipline and lead the cowboy challenge feature.

Warwick Schiller, also from the USA, is back again to what he calls his “favourite horse expo” in his “favourite country” to talk about performance horsemanship. While Dan Steers from Australia will educate on horsemanship and entertain with his performances.

“And the Equidays nightshows light up with equestrian entertainment impressing sold-out crowds.”

Variety of disciplines

Equidays is aimed at providing the equine community with an education-oriented event representing a diverse variety of equestrian disciplines, where visitors can come and share their passion for horses.

Ammie says festival-goers can learn from some of the world’s best equine experts in hands-on demonstrations and informative seminars.

“You can arm yourself with gear and expertise from Equidays exhibitors and get experience through Equidays competitions.

“There’s entertainment – be amazed by the equine mastery showcased during Equidays night shows and the skills shown throughout the competitions.

“Or get inspiration from the many talented and hardworking equine specialists at Equidays and be empowered to achieve greatness.” For tickets, see: www.equidays.co.nz Merle Foster

National clinicians

Ammie says national clinicians and educational seminar presenters will also feature. “Exhibition spaces are filling up fast with a number of exhibitors returning and new ones coming on board – all with the aim of providing equine enthusiasts with a one-stop shopping experience at Equidays.”

This year the Kaimanawa Heritage Horses feature returns too, showcasing the skill and progress of recently-mustered Kaimanawa horses and the importance of protecting the breed’s future.

Other show features include Beyond the Barriers, Barrel racing, Cowboy challenge, Dressage, Farrier competition, Derbys, Jumping, Showing and Equidays Top Talent.

Anna Blake from the US will share her knowledge at Equidays.

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Page 27

International acts to dazzle Australian entertainers The Crackup Sisters are coming to New Zealand for the first time to host one of the well-known Equidays Nightshows, the Equitainment Extravaganza, at both Mystery Creek and Christchurch.

Russell Higgins, the Wilson sisters, Bryan McVicar, Equine Films horses and riders and 2017 Top Talent winner Amelia Newsom,” says Ammie.

The Mystery Creek show will also have a performance from two horses and 12 performing arts students from Nga Tawa Diocesan School led by Sarah Rolston, taking the crowd on a journey from light to darkness with horses and dancers brought to life with dramatic lighting and theatrical music.

The Equitainment Extravaganza will feature on the Saturday night of Mystery Creek and Friday and Sunday nights in Christchurch.

The also popular Showjumping Spectacular will feature as the Friday Nightshow at Mystery Creek and part of the Saturday Nightshow at Christchurch. “This event showcases the thrilling sport of showjumping combined with the lights, music and crowds of the indoor arenas.”

And Equidays Top Talent will be hosted by Amanda Wilson and Cole Cameron, and feature some of the country’s best equine talent. This will be a Sunday matinee at Mystery Creek and part of the Saturday Nightshow in Christchurch.

For more information and tickets, see: Merle Foster www.equidays.co.nz

Equidays’ comprehensive line-up of education, exhibitors, competitions and entertainment is coming to Mystery Creek from October 12-14 and the Canterbury Agricultural Park from October 20-21.

Usually a sold-out show, the Crackup Sisters will bring a new dynamic to the popular Equitainment Extravaganza with a jam-packed stage show as well as the impressive collection of performances from other equitainment acts, says Equidays event manager Ammie Hardie.

“We’re excited to have Amanda-Lyn and Alyssa hosting the show this year, they’ll bring a refreshing act to the show that will work well with the other performances throughout the night,” says Ammie.

“We’ve got some favourites coming back to entertain the crowds again this year and we’ve weaved in some new acts to ensure visitors are enchanted by the performances on offer, topping off their Equidays experience.”

The Australian duo is inviting everyone to attend a house warming party of their New Zealand Homestead at Equidays. Trained in dance, circus, whip cracking, knockabout acrobatics, aerial stunts and comedy; the Crackup Sisters will entertain the crowd throughout the night with their hilarious performance and shenanigans.

“Join the party hosted by the sisters, which will feature a blend of acrobatics, comedy, barrel racing, liberty acts to music, stunt The Crackup Sisters will bring a new dynamic to the riding, and horsemanship with the Crackup sisters being joined by Dan Steers, popular Equitainment Extravaganza at Equidays 2018.

Superstar Spanish dressage trainer at Equidays World renowned Spanish trainer Juan Manuel Munoz Diaz is to be the star dressage presenter for Equidays 2018 this month – so don’t miss him!

While most famous for his partnership with the beautiful Fuego XII and that unforgettable Grand Prix Kur at the World Equestrian Games in Kentucky 2010, successful Olympic dressage rider Juan Manuel is also a respected horseman and trainer.

“Equidays will be your only opportunity to learn from the well-respected rider and trainer, in an exclusive Dressage Masterclass at Equidays either at event,” says Equidays event manager Ammie Hardie.

“Juan will take his audience through everyday techniques and a series of highly-skilled movements that will provide both an educa-

Spanish trainer Juan Manuel Munoz Diaz is hosting an exclusive Dressage Masterclass at Equidays 2018. tional and compelling spectacle.”

Born into a traditional southern family from Écija, Juan grew up around horses and always had a love of dressage.

Starting a job at Cardenas stud

farm, one of the oldest and most traditional P.R.E. studs in Spain, ‘Fuego XII’ showed up in his life.

Juan and Fuego XII joined up with legendary trainer Jan Bemelmans and went on to create one of the most memorable partnerships of modern dressage.

“Juan is considered one of the ‘first generation’ of professional riders dedicated to riding as a sport and particularly to dressage in Spain,” says Ammie.

Juan says the key to learning and the desire to improve is vital to the sport.

“We try to convey feelings and centred riding with the quest for relaxation and the expression for the high competition,” says Juan.

His Masterclass will run for two hours on the Sunday morning of both the Mystery Creek and Christchurch event.

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Page 28

RURAL BUILDINGS & FENCING

185mmx130mm out-lined RURAL BUILDINGSMySpace & FENCING MySpace 185mmx130mm out-lined

Remembering a fencing legend MySpace 185mmx130mm out-lined

MySpace 185mmx130mm out-lined MySpace 185mmx130mm out-lined

MySpace 185mmx130mm out-lined MySpace 185mmx130mm out-lined MySpace 185mmx130mm out-lined

The late Bill Schuler of Putaruru. Photos: supplied.

“Never mind how much you can do, but rather how well you can do it. Quality comes with application and perseverance, and your speed will increase with repetition,” said the late Bill Schuler.

In March 2018, the fencing world lost a legend. Albert Wilhelm Schuler, or Bill as he was known, was a multiple-time World Champion in fencing, and corner post of the New Zealand fencing community. He had five children and a large family.

Bill was born to Swiss parents in 1933 in Putaruru. The youngest of six boys, Bill experienced a strict upbringing and a rural childhood typical of the era. He was introduced to fencing at a young age, clearing land on his father’s farms with his older brothers, without the help of mechanised tools.

At 21 and newly-married, he ventured out on his own as a

fencing contractor and learning carpentry skills with a builder.

As a married man with five children, Bill became used to long days of hard work, with early starts and early to bed – a habit he continued into his retirement.

Bill started competitive fencing at Fieldays in 1970, winning his first Golden Pliers in 1971, and another four singles wins after that. He won the Silver Spades doubles five times, working with his brother, Wally.

After retiring from fencing, Bill judged at Fieldays for a further five years.

The Schuler family still has strong ties with Switzerland, and Bill travelled there 13 times and it is home to some of his grandchildren. Although he was a Kiwi through and through, his upbringing had led to an appreciation and allegiance to his parents’ home country.

During his busy and full life, in between fencing and farming, Bill spent time in a teaching role,

made instructional videos for NZ Wire, and wrote a book titled ‘Fencing the Proven Way’.

His early carpentry skills were put to good use creating one-off pieces of furniture for others, usually for farmers with a windblown tree from their farm.

In retirement Bill kept active by splitting firewood, and enjoyed spending time with his large family, and a handful of treasured friends. He still attended Fieldays to enjoy the camaraderie of the fencing world.

There is no doubt that the name Bill Schuler will be remembered for many years to come, not only for his legendary fencing competition wins, but his reputation for quality, innovation and workmanship. Catherine Fry

Policy for safer private crossings on the way KiwiRail has launched a new policy to deliver safe outcomes and be fair to farmers and others with private crossings, says the company’s group general manager investment, planning and risk, David Gordon.

“We want to ensure the public and our people go home at the end of the day. To do that, we need to know where people are crossing our tracks, and we need to ensure they are doing it safely.

“That means we need to have a formal, legal record of all crossings, and we need to know they are up to standard in areas such as the approach to the crossing, sight lines, signs and formation.”

David says about 1300 private crossings exist along the NZ rail network. “We estimate about 700 of those are undocumented or unauthorised. We’ve developed policy after discussions with Federated Farmers and others interested and want to make clear KiwiRail is seeking only to recover costs from this project.

“There will now be no set annual fee, as was proposed two years ago. Instead, most farmers will be charged only the actual cost of the inspection of any crossings on their land. That’s estimated at $50-$100 per crossing, with inspections every two years.”

David says farmers will be responsible for the cost of work needed to ensure the crossing is safe to use. “This includes removal of vegetation, paying to maintain road/track surface, and other works required to meet safety standards and prevent damage to the railway.”

Page 29

AVOCADOS

Page 30

Leading the way for NZ avocados into China Just Avocados has completed their first commercial shipment of New Zealand avocados into China, making them the first NZ avocado exporter to do business in the market after access was gained earlier this year.

The fruit, which was harvested in Katikati and packed at the Just Avocados packing facility, is being marketed by Win-Chain Supply Chain Management Ltd, the aggregated fresh food global sourcing centre for Alibaba Group.

Brothers Nathan and Jacob Darling, who both work for the Darling Group, with a tray of Jake’s Avocado branded fruit that is destined for the Chinese market.

“We have a partnership with the leader in the fresh produce retail space, who has reach across physical supermarkets and e-commerce platforms,” says Jacob Darling, who is general manager of group sales and marketing for Darling Group, which represents Just Avocados’ fruit in export markets.

Darling Group’s branded avocado ‘Jake’s Avocado’ is currently featured for purchase across several ecommerce platforms that fall under the Alibaba Group’s umbrella.

“We are really pleased with the level of promotion, celebration and excitement that we have worked with our partner in China on to surround the launch of our avocados – media engagement, a physical launch event, online video, and extensive use of imagery and information on websites to tell the story of where our avocados come from and the benefits over other origins,” says Jacob.

At this early stage there is positive indication around returns for growers from China.

“We recognise this is a work in progress and it will

take time to develop the brand and understanding of avocados among consumers. However, we are off to a fantastic start and the return is currently higher than what we had initially forecast.”

Jacob says their Chinese partner has been most interested in promoting the nutritional points of the New Zealand avocado but also the origins of their family-owned company.

“Win-Chain is particularly interested in us – Just Avocados and Darling Group – because we are growers, packers and exporters, we control the supply chain and are vertically integrated meaning we can support the China market long-term. They also like the fact that we are a family-owned business and have family working across different areas of the supply chain,” says Jacob.

Darling Group has committed 15,000 trays to the China market this season with the strategic approach of continuing to develop the Asia market as a whole but with China placed as the major pillar for Just Avocados growers going forward.

NZ hints at WAC bid

WHEN DO YOU WANT TO PICK?

Our avocado industry looks likely to make a bid to host the World Avocado Congress in New Zealand in 2023.

At Just Avocados, we are committed to providing a model that allows flexibility around harvest while maximising returns.

Talk to us about how we can deliver what you want to achieve on your orchard.

Jarrod Redwood

John Emett

GM Operations and Grower Services

Orchard Management and Grower Services

027 200 0295 jarrod@justavocados.co.nz

027 476 9087 john@justavocados.co.nz

@justavocados info@justavocados.co.nz www.justavocados.co.nz 07 549 3027

The WAC, which is described at the ‘soccer world cup of the avocado industry’ is held every four years in a different country.

And the next host country is decided during each congress by attendees and the most relevant people in the industry around the world via a voting process.

Next year, the congress will take place for the first time in Colombia, which is experiencing an explosion of growth in commercial avocado growing for export.

At the 2018 New Zealand Avocado International Industry Conference in Tauranga, NZ Avocado CEO Jen Scoular hinted her team were looking to make a bid for NZ to be hosts in 2023.

“We’re also anticipating that in 2019 we will bid to host the WAC in NZ in 2023,” said Jen as she talked of a growth surge in the NZ industry.

AVOCADOS

Page 31

Avoco offers new tertiary scholarship Avoco is excited to announce a new scholarship for tertiary students in 2019.

right now and this scholarship couldpotentially kick-start someone’s career working with avocados.”

To apply, students must send their resume, a summary of tertiary studies and results to date, with a letter of application by email to: danni@avoco.co.nz by October 19.

As part of efforts to advance New Zealand’s avocado industry, Avoco is offering final-year Bachelor degree students in key subjects a $5000 scholarship towards their study costs.

The successful scholarship recipient will also have the opportunity to explore summer holiday work in a related field of study and receive mentoring and profe sional support from the Avoco community.

Avoco’s marketing and communications manager Steve Trickett says a major driver for offering the scholarship was a desire to extend the industry’s research and development capabilities and recruit more talented graduates to the industry.

Applications should cover how an individual’s studies will benefit Avoco and the avocado industry, examples of leadership skills, community service roles, and/or sporting and cultural activities and achievements to date, along with a vision for what the applicant wants to achieve in their career.

More research welcome

“The ability to reliably and consistently deliver premium quality fruit to consumers is critical to Avoco’s continued success in the international marketplace.

“With avocados being a product of nature, there are always challenges in meeting this objective from one season to the next.

“Research and development is a key focus area for Avoco and so we are keen to see more graduates working in this space.”

Areas Avoco would like the avocado industry to further explore include issues related to alternative or irregular crop bearing, crop estimation techniques, post-harvest quality issues, pest and disease control with a focus on consumer and environmentallyfriendly options, and shipping technologies that preserve the premium quality of export fruit and extend their shelf life.

Avoco’s technical team, led by Colin Partridge, is investigating these issues along with industry body NZ Avocado. However, further research was always welcomed, says Steve.

“Many of the challenges we face as an industry won’t be solved overnight – they are issues that are likely to require a commitment to lengthy trials and scientific exploration in a New Zealand setting.

“With interest in our industry growing along with export market development in Asia under the Avanza brand, we’re confident we’ll find a tertiary student wi ing to combine their passion for science and research with a desire to help us find innovative, long-term solutions to challenges we’re keen to overcome.”

To be eligible for the scholarship, students must be

Danni van der Heijden says the scholarship recipient will gain an opportunity to contribute to the avocado industry’s ongoing success. entering their final year of study for a Bachelor degree or similar at a NZ university in 2019. They must be a NZ citizen or permanent resident whose studies relate to any of the following: fruit production, entomology or plant protection, biosecurity, biochemistry or biological science, post-harvest technology and treatment, or new technologies relevant to horticulture.

Mentor role

One of the mentors guiding the successful recipient will be technical representative Danni van der Heijden.

Appointed to Avoco’s technical team earlier this year, her role connects her with growers while also giving her freedom to investigate post-harvest rot control among other issues.

Danni says the scholarship will provide the recipient with valuable financial support and an opportunity to contribute to the industry’s ongoing success.

“Horticulture is an exciting industry to be working in

Improving orchard health and production ü ü ü ü ü ü

Local market picking Injecting Pruning Chipping Fertilizing Wood splitting

Assumptions challenged.

Call today to book a free consultation and begin the steps towards boosting your orchard productivity!

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Experience is invaluable. So too is a fresh perspective.

AVOCO welcomes NZ Young Fruit Grower of the Year, Danni van der Heijden, to the AVOCO technical team led by Colin Partridge.

Page 32

SHEEP & BEEF

Good parasite control key to healthy stock And this means the marginal return on good animal health has never been greater for getting stock off on a founda-

tion to deliver them in premium health and weight, for future breeding or slaughter.

Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health NZ technical veterinarian Richard Sides says most farmers appreciate that to achieve this includes giving their young stock “a good drench”.

But it’s also a good time to give the practice some close scrutiny. This season

“Because of this, it’s essential the he’s urging farmers to take time to resistance status of those parasites develop a comprehensive animal is known – hence the need for parasite control programme with proper reduction tests. These are their vet to get a clear profile on easier and cheaper to do than most resistance and effectiveness issues people realise.” they may not know about in their Richard has also worked with herd or flock. farmers on other management “There has been some talk about practices that ultimately result triple resistance developing in in lower parasite populations in recent years. That has always been young stock. on the cards, the minute you put BIAH NZ’s Richard Sides.

Time and investment in any drench product into an animal good dam health prior to you’re applying selection pressure on calving and lambing will reduce young stock’s the parasite population within.” vulnerability to parasite levels, and the need to But Richard maintains there is no need to panic, drench more than necessary. particularly if farmers are not even clear on what “Having your ewes or cows in top notch condition their own property’s status is. means less stress in spring time, better milk produc“You don’t know what you don’t know – so the tion, faster growth rates and getting youngstock away most proactive approach is to work with your vet to quicker, reducing parasite exposure in the process.” find out, starting with Faecal Egg Count testing.”

Avoiding risky management practices, like put“Really this should be done as a proper, planned ting freshly-drenched young stock onto brand new reduction test – an FECRT – seeing what the popupasture where there is no refugia parasite population, lations are before and after a drench programme. is essential.

Just doing a one-off post-drench check means there And effective quarantine drenching is also vital are simply too many possibilities you get the wrong for bought-in stock – again requiring knowledge of information, use the wrong product and possibly drench-status. make any resistance issues worse.”

“Overall, the ‘big picture’ is important for farmers A vet skilled in parasite management will establish to see,” says Richard. what the efficacy of particular drenches are on the “Issues like parasite resistance, and the arrival of property. They’ll also help work out methods to M. bovis, are all about biosecurity, risk management, maintain a refugia population on the property. and having quality information available to make the At its simplest it will be determining a proporbest decisions possible.” tion of the flock or herd that is not drenched, to Richard says investment in a sound parasite control ensure resistant parasites are well diluted within the plan will deliver returns within the season, through worm population. A key factor is ensuring drenched maximising growth of young stock, and beyond, as animals, in particular lambs, don’t go straight onto the risk of perpetuating resistant worm populations ‘clean’, parasite-larva-free, pasture. are delayed on-farm.

“It’s important to also ensure the refugia “There’s no need to panic – with some good plan(undrenched) animals are mixed around the farm ning and communication the options remain viable and across mobs to disperse that population of refuand effective.” gia parasites,” says Richard.

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SHEEP & BEEF

Page 33

Ken shares 53 years behind a handpiece For the last 53 years Ken Voyce has always owned a handpiece and trekked around properties big and small shearing sheep in the Western Bay of Plenty.

But at age 68, he’s finally sold his handpiece – and the rest of his shearing gear – and passed on his regular clients to a younger shearer, Andrew Woodward of Brookfield.

Ken started shearing at age 15.

It was a hobby that brought a bit of cash in, alongside him and his late brother Jack’s sheep and cattle farm of 400 acres on Woodland Rd, Katikati. “In those days there was a lot of sheep around. Big flocks. Jack and I would shear together and if there was a third stand we’d get well-known Katikati shearer Harry Johns to help.”

Eight-hundred a day

“We used to go up the Kaimais and do 800 a day between us.

“Farms we serviced had from 300 to 1000 sheep or more. One up had 7000 sheep. It used to take us about 10 days to shear them all.

But they were all crutched ready for us, which made it easier.”

Ken and Jack went shearing together until they sold their farm in the late-1980s. Ken moved into Katikati and bought a house.

But he still had his handpiece.

“I was mainly doing logging but people couldn’t get shearers so I used to shear sheep on weekends to help them out.”

No longer was it big flocks.

“When the kiwifruit orchards went in the lifestylers followed; that’s when I began getting requests to shear a few sheep on properties.”

Going mobile

So Ken set himself up with a mobile shearing unit, powered by generator, which he’d take to each property. “I got busier and busier.”

Ken says since he started shear-

ing the sheep have “got worse and bigger”. “Today they’re all pets and you wonder how they get so fat on grass.

“The big flocks we used to shear had more competition for grass among them and were also better bred. They didn’t have that gross weight on them.

Litters

“Also, in the past sheep would have a single lamb, now they have ‘litters’,” jokes Ken. “Often they have triplets and owners end up bottle-feeding them.”

When Ken began shearing it was mainly Romneys, Perendales and Border Leicesters.

“Now there’s Suffolk, Arapawas – heaps of them – they’re a feral sheep from down south. They’re black, with horns and longs tails – and wild.”

Also, people who have bought the self-shedding variety, Wiltshires, have also called on Ken. “They don’t always shed all of their wool, and when you shear them it’s hard because their bodies go rigid.”

Because shearing is not as easy as it looks. “We had clients who’d buy their own shearing gear, would half-pluck about three sheep then give me a call,” laughs Ken. And while today’s technology affords farmers of big flocks electric wool presses, mostly shearing gear has stayed the same,

says Ken. “The basic shearing machine is still just a rigid dropdown of a gut drive. Handpieces have bearings now instead of oil reservoirs. And most gear is concave now and fit the sheep better.”

“Plus handpieces have got a bit cheaper because China is making them.”

Ask him about the wool industry, and Ken say it’s a disgrace.

“They push the Merino wool and get really good money for that. But for the crossbred wool – there’s no promotion or anything.”

Ken says lamb are worth good money but wool is a dead loss.

“You’re lucky to get $1/kg for it.

Black wool is about 30 cents/kg.

sheep felt a lot heavier.” Today he’s sold his handpiece but you won’t find Ken at home in Bethlehem. He’s into

possum trapping for fur. “It’s a bit of fun, good conservation work – I enjoy it.”

Merle Foster

Best material

“Farmers pay wool levies but the people in promotion positions don’t seem to sell it.

And it’s the best material you can get. It doesn’t rot, keeps you warm, and it won’t burn.

Ken says he’s carried on shearing all these years because his clients needed someone to do the job.

“The job wore thin in the last few years – the

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Retired shearer Ken Voyce has swapped sheep shearing for possum trapping, to keep his connection to the land. Photo: Merle Foster.

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Page 34

LIFESTYLE FARMING

Adventures and misadventures on our ‘forgotten islands’ FU

Fascinated with how her British ancestors found themselves in one of the most inhospitable, remote and remarkable environments on the planet, Shona took her own intrepid journey of discovery to some of these isolated islands.

Often called our ‘forgotten islands’, Shona’s book,

titled ‘Trial of Strength – Adventures and Misadventures on the Wild and Remote Subantarctic Islands’ is her account of the history of this little-known landscape and a tale of human endurance, told in the hope of raising awareness and understanding of this place like no other.

Thanks to Exisle Publishing, Coast & Country News has a copy of ‘Trial of strength’ by Shona Riddell to give away.

To be in to win, email captions for the phototo the right, your name and address with Country Funnies as the subject line to merle@ sunmedia.co.nz Or post these details on the back of an envelope to Country Funnies,

PO Box 240, Tauranga 3140 to arrive by November 16. Winner of the August Country Funnies caption is Corinne Meiklejohn of Katikati for her caption: “I’m stuffed”.

She wins a copy of the book ‘Sleep Sense’

by Dr Katharina Lederle.

N NIE

S

C

O U NT R

Y

New Zealand author Shona Riddell has a unique family heritage. Her great-great grandmother was one of very few people to have been born on the windlashed subantarctic islands.

‘Trial of strength’ is the book prize for October.

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This is regularly achieved by the top 25 per cent of Kiwi farmers. The main drivers of six-week ICR are the threeweek submission rate and conception rate – and, one way to improve this is by cleaning up cows with an infected uterus – also known as ‘dirty cows’.

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birth, milk fever or twin births.

In saying this even cows that have normal non-assisted calvings with no metabolic disease can also develop endometritis – therefore, ideally the whole herd should be checked to ensure these cows are not missed either.

New Zealand and overseas studies have shown the following associations: Cows with endometritis have 15-20 per cent lower six-week ICRs than those without endometritis.

Cows with endometritis have 10-20 per cent higher empty rates. If they do conceive, they have an increased calving-to-conception interval, typically two to three weeks later but can be up to 26 days longer.

And reduced days in milk will impair herd performance.

Cows can be given a quick and practical check by using a metricheck device for evidence of infected vaginal discharge.

Read this column in full at: coastandcountrynews.co.nz

LIFESTYLE FARMING

Bitten by the trout fishing bug Winter fishing isn’t for everyone, but diehard fisherman like Larry Ware enjoys the challenge.

Fish behave differently in winter because their primary focus is reproducing, so everything about how you fish – gear, location, tactics – changes, says Larry.

A keen fisherman for many years, Larry has given most forms of sport fishing a go and has been a member of the Rotorua Anglers Association for more than 20 years.

In winter, he jokes, you’ll be standing around – either in the water or on a bank in Larry’s case – in the cold a lot. In winter fish return to where they were born or released so a good spot in the winter looks a lot different to a good summer fishing spot, says Larry.

“My fishing rig changes in the winter too. I use heavier line – a seven or eight – and tend to use heavier flies. Your tactics need to change to bottom fish-

ing, because this is where the fish are.” Lake levels in Rotorua were higher than usual this winter, and on a July Anglers Association trip to Lake Rerewhakaaitu – a small, shallow lake 30km to the east of Rotorua – the tree line was actually in the water.

“Normally there is about 30m of grass bank there, but on that trip the lake was right up to the trees and we caught about 30 fish. They had come in under cover of the trees and fed on worms and insects.

“The best advice I can give – if you want to be successful at winter fishing – is to go out very early in the morning or late in the evening. Guys who do this tend to get the biggest fish.”

The winter fishing season started in April and finished last month – but the 2018-2019 freshwater sports fishing season began October 1 with keen anglers already buying their new trout fishing licences.

The new season runs right through to end of September 2019. A range of licences are on offer, including

categories for families, loyal senior anglers and people wanting to try their hand at trout fishing for the first time.

The 2018-2019 season licences are available in accredited sports shops and other outlets, or online at: www.fishandgame.org.nz

Having several titles offers you flexibility

Having your farm in several titles allows you the flexibility to develop or restructure.

As councils around the region tighten their subdivision rules, the value of holding multiple titles comes to the fore. What might have been considered a routine subdivision a few years ago might now effectively be prohibited.

Although, under the Resource Management Act, very few activities are actually ‘prohibited’ they effectively can be by virtue of the challenging a costly process that one has to navigate in order to seek approval. Councils can be very protective of their District Plan subdivision rules, often making it very hard for people to apply for

activities that are not specifically allowed under their rules. Activities that don’t fit exactly with the rules are termed ‘noncomplying’ and face a more strenuous process.

Whether you’re a forward-thinking landowner, who has taken advantage of the rules over the years and created additional titles as the rules have allowed, or perhaps you purchased adjoining land that gave you additional title – you are now in a commanding position compared to others. Most DPs still allow you to adjust boundaries between titles,

change the size and position of titles, and sometimes even move them completely. In this region, Western Bay of Plenty, Waipa District and the old Franklin part of Waikato District all allow subdivision rights to be transferred between properties under different ownership. Read this column in full at: coastandcountrynews.co.nz

Brent Trail, managing director of Surveying Services, specialises in resource consent applications for subdivisions across the Waikato, Bay of Plenty, and Coromandel. For more information, call 0800 268 632 or email: btrail@surveyingservices.co.nz

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Page 35

Page 36

CARTAGE & EARTHWORKS

A first class job at a competitive rate Barry Heke calls himself a “one-man band” – because when he gets the call to come and quote on some earthmoving work he’s the one that turns up to do the quote and the job.

“I do employ a part-timer but most of the time it’s just me. I mainly work around the Tauranga, Katikati and Te Puke areas and do any sort of work that requires a digger and a bulldozer,” says Barry, who owns Barry Heke Excavators Ltd. With the equipment he has, such as a six-tonne, 131/2 and a 15-tonne excavator he can do those big jobs or smaller jobs.

“With my excavators I can dig any sized hole for effluent ponds, swimming pools and shape farm raceways. I can even dig a hole to bury a horse or any other farm stock.”

Barry also has an eight-tonne bulldozer so he can contour land for kiwifruit and avocado orchards or new subdivisions and drive in the poles for new builds.

His 4x4 dump truck can cart

Barry Heke has the machinery to do the job.

away the excess dirt if need be.

Customers can even hire the truck and do their own cartage.

“I have had 25 years in the earthmoving business dealing with different types of soil structure

and am committed to doing a first class job at a competitive rate.

“I can advise a client on the most efficient way to get the result they require,” says Barry.

Helen Wilson

Vercoe’s fleet offers versatility

An excavator and bulldozer shifting topsoil.

G & J Vercoe Contracting Ltd at Paengaroa, in the Bay of Plenty, has been contouring land for kiwifruit orchards and farmers since 1998.

“We have five D61 Komatsu bulldozers with power angle tilt blades which enables us the versatility of being big enough to tackle large contouring jobs on difficult land into gentle sloping or flat land to make it easier for

planting,” says Jill Vercoe, who with husband Greg are managing directors of the company.

“But they’re also small enough to get through farmers’ gateways to maintain their tracks, races etc. “We also do rural shed and house sites.”

Before starting on any earthworks, there are strict guidelines to adhere to. Resource consent must be applied for from the regional council and the work must keep within the guidelines of an engineer’s report.

Having a scraper in the fleet makes removing the top soil a lot quicker, leaving the bulldozers to bulk out and reshape the lay of the land.

The Vercoe’s fleet also includes a large excavator/digger that can tackle any work in inaccessible places where trees need to be removed and disposed of. It’s also used to dig effluent ponds, irrigation ponds, wetland areas and battering banks to stabilise them from slipping, “With our wider tracked machinery we are able to work all year round depending on the soil structure though this winter has been a bit of a challenge as there has been so much inclement weather,” says Jill.

Helen Wilson

SPLASH DIRECT FEATURE

Page 37 MT MAUNGANUI 69 Hull Road T: 07 575 5697 F: 07 575 5297 E: sales@hcdnz.co.nz www.hcdflowtech.co.nz

Splash’s custom-built, one-stop shop Splash Direct managing director Craig Bell and wife Robyn Bell outside their new premises on Jellicoe St, Te Puke. Photos: Merle Foster.

Splash Direct’s move to a new, custom-built facility at 268 Jellicoe St, Te Puke, means they can provide customers with an efficient onestop shop, to meet all horticultural spraying and industrial waterblasting needs.

water blasting units as well as sprayer calibration.

The goal is to be a one-stop shop, meeting all customers’ needs. “Our workshop is still the main part of our operation and but our sales of new equipment into orchards – from trailed sprayers, self-propelled sprayers all the way through to hand guns and pipes – will be our new focus.”

Craig says Splash Direct’s mission statement is about being dedicated to providing excellent customer service to their clients, thanks to their

Splash Direct has aligned Managing director Craig Bell itself with Croplands, and is selling says Splash Direct supplies, and distributing the brand’s repairs and services spraying high quality equipment. and water blasting equipment, especially catering for orchards, farmers, crop growers years of experience.

“We supply clients with the latest technology and industrial water blasters.

“We offer specialised service to our local rural com- available, benefiting both the environment and most importantly our customer, with quality and efficient munity, with a great selection of new spraying and equipment right for the job.” water blasting units.

And their vision is to “innovate and improve – ena“Our main clients are kiwifruit orchardists bling us to keep up with global trends and offer the followed by those using industrial water blasters – most up-to-date equipment and solutions available in and now we do a lot of one-off builds for what I NZ, for our environment”. would call fringe industries.”

“But our main goal is to exceed clients’ expectations And with Splash Direct’s new premises, Craig says – and the new building is part of us wanting to make they can offer new sales, parts plus servicing and the whole experience better,” says Craig. manufacturing on many specialised spraying and

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Page 38

SPLASH DIRECT FEATURE

New building heralds new direction It’s been five years in the making but well worth the wait. Splash Direct has officially opened its custom-built new premises at its new location – 268 Jellicoe St in Te Puke.

With the two-storey building striking a presence on Te Puke’s main street, inside an impressive showroom, reception desk, dedicated parts room and large

five-bay workshop provides a new and improved customer experience for all your orchard spraying and waterblasting needs.

Managing director Craig Bell says Splash Direct has been in Te Puke for nearly 30 years – and has undergone a few growth spurts during the years which called for a new, custom-designed premises.

“It started as Splash Equipment and 19 years ago myself and my wife Robyn bought the business and

changed the name to Splash Direct, in 1995,” says Craig.

“We started off as a repair business but now we’re aligning ourselves with one of the biggest players in New Zealand’s spraying equipment industry – Croplands.”

“So we’re going into doing more manufacturing for the brand and distributing their products.”

But what prompted the build was not only a goal to grow the sales side of the business but also the fact that their previous premises 1km down the road could just no longer fit their operations.

“The business started off in a building on Atuaroa Ave, we shifted to 584 Jellicoe St in February 1998 – but basically we were too big for the building we were in, and we had to make the move.”

Craig says the process took about five years, as they waited for suitable land along Te Puke’s ‘Golden Mile’ – Jellicoe St – to become available. “So we’ve been bursting at the seams for the last few years.

Splash Direct managing director Craig Bell and wife Robyn Bell inside their new showroom.

Photos: Merle Foster.

Splash Direct parts and service man Ian Kelly in the new parts room.

Splash Direct foreman Dave Dobbe on the job in the new workshop.

Splash Direct mechanic Bjorn Kalff hard at work in his new workplace.

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SPLASH DIRECT FEATURE “The size of the equipment and the amount of work we were receiving was just untenable in the old building.”

In July 2016 number 268 Jellicoe St was purchased and construction began in September 2017.

The Splash Direct crew – of three workshop staff, two counter staff, Craig and Robyn – moved in at Easter weekend despite the building not being finished.

“All staff were operating out of the workshop.

Then we got the front finished and it’s been a massive transformation from there.”

Splash Direct was officially opened on August 31 with more than 70 clients spending an afternoon viewing the new premises.

Craig says him and Robyn drew up the plan for the building to get the best of what they wanted. “The large workshop has five bays for staff to work on equipment, the showroom is the biggest we could get in an industrial building, and we didn’t over-office the place – we’ve only got a few downstairs.”

A large lunchroom upstairs has an aerial window view of the workshop that is ideal for Craig, who is hands-on in the business, managing it but also doing what he loves most – fixing and building new equipment downstairs.

“I also liked the idea of having a large lunchroom as I hate climbing over people to get to the fridge,” says Craig.

“So we’ve set it up the way we wanted it. And with health and safety

COMMERCIAL & INDUSTRIAL

RURAL

being a priority we have the front of the workshop closed off – we will be fencing it – so all the gear is dropped and placed in the workshop and there is no access from the public thereafter.”

Craig says the building has got quite a

nice presence about it. “That’s why we clad the front differently to the back – we wanted to make it look nice, be modern but inviting.”

And working in the kiwifruit industry for the last 30 years, Craig says building a custom-designed facility

A view of Splash Direct’s new five-bay workshop from outside.

.

E G D E L OW O U R K N J E C T. RO P R U O S. Y E M O C T OU R E T T E B

in a key location improves their business efficiency – and shows Splash Direct’s confidence in the Bay’s horticulture sector.

“The kiwifruit industry in the Bay of Plenty is going ahead – we’ve had a few ups and downs – but overall I think it will always be there.”

To get a look at Splash Direct’s new premises, pop into 268 Jellicoe St, Te Puke. Opening hours are 8am-5pm Monday to Thursday and 8am-4.30pm Fridays. Plus afterhours and weekends by arrangement.

Splash Direct’s new premise is custom-built.

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Page 39

www.visionlab.nz

Page 40

KIWIFRUIT

The role of sustainability New Zealand’s horticultural sector needs to keep a close eye on the role sustainability attributes play in the purchasing decisions of Chinese consumers if it’s to maximise returns from the rapidly-growing Chinese fruit and vegetable market, according to Rabobank’s senior horticultural analyst Hayden Higgins.

My Name is Neil Woodward.

I am a director of Z-Contracting- we are family run business, our team consists of three, being myself, my son and my brother.

Our organisation has been established for over 18 years. I have been involved in applying crop protection programmes within the horticultal industry since 1966.

We specialise within the kiwi fruit industry, We have the equipment to spray orchards with our two Atom sprayers and one recently purchased Tracatom Formula tractor which is also available for mulching and mowing.

Chinese Government has undertaken a range of initiatives to tackle water and environmental issues, increase regulation of food standards and look towards reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

“These measures have increased consumers’ knowledge of broader sustainability issues and this has led to greater awareness of sustainability attributes in food products.”

As a result, Hayden says it is vital NZ’s horticultural sector keep abreast of Chinese conOrder now sumer views on sustainability for this Hayden says while food safety, Rabobank’s senior horticultural issues, such as water usage and quality and nutrition credentials are analyst Hayden Higgins. pollution, as they develop. season currently the most significant fa “The sector would be wise tors influencing Chinese consumers’ food-purchasing to monitor this situation carefully as we expect to decisions, awareness of other product characteristics – see point-of-origin sustainability attributes become including sustainability attributes, such as water usage increasingly relevant in the Chinese market.” and emissions – is growing.

“Chinese consumers are looking for food products Most significant marke which are high quality, nutritious and have strong food And a strong knowledge of consumer trends in the safety credentials and NZ’s fruit and vegetable produc- Chinese market is essential for NZ producers given it is ers have been able to command a price premium in the our country’s largest single export destination for hortiChinese market by supplying products which possess cultural products, say Hayden. these attributes,” says Hayden, who talked on the sub“While the US and EU markets are the biggest global ject at this year’s Horticulture NZ Conference. importers of fresh fruit and vegetables, the Chinese market is by far the quickest growing and during the Greater awareness period between 2010 and 2017 we’ve seen NZ fruit and “While China has historically shown little interest in vegetable exports to China increase in value by almost point-of-origin sustainability attributes if the product $400 million,” says Hayden. comes from outside of “China is now the most significant market for NZ China, we are starting fruit and vegetables by size, growth potential and proxOurtoAtoms are set up with sensors, this My Name is Neil Woodward. see some changes in radar speed imity controllers – and, accordingly, we’d expect to see the combined with fully automated sprayer and this area with Chinese NZ horticultural sector continue to place a strong I am a director of Z-Contracting- we are family run three nozzle rings enhances application efficiency and consumers becomemphasis on developing further growth opportunities in business, our team consists of three, being myself, my accuracy. ing increasingly aware this market.” son and my brother.

216 Pongakawa Bush Road Weofalso usesustainability a quad bike for strip weed wider Andspray while NZ producers could learn from sustainOur organisation has been established for over 18 applications.

Te Puke issues.” ability developments in other markets, Hayden says years. I have been involved in applying crop protection important that any positioning for sustainability be Hayden says Chinaneeded has to it’s all certificates meet Globalgap programmes within the horticultal industry since 1966. We hold market-specific, not generic. made moves in recent compliance.

To contact us: We specialise within the kiwi fruit industry, We “We’ve seen sustainability attributes become more and years to address some of We look at all challenges to help ensure we protect Phone: 021 907 621 have the equipment to spray orchards with our two more prominent in other markets around the world and itscrop ownwith natural resourcyour excellence.

Atom sprayers and one recently purchased Tracatom zcl@zanadu.co.nz NZ producers can certainlyE-mail: learn from developments in ing challenges, increasing Formula tractor which is also available for mulching awareness of sustainability these markets. and mowing.

“However, it will be crucial that any positioning develissues among Chinese Our Atoms are set up with radar speed sensors, this oped for the Chinese market is focused on the specific consumers. combined with fully automated sprayer controllers and attributes that are important to Chinese consumers.”

“In recent years the three nozzle rings enhances application efficiency and accuracy.

We also use a quad bike for strip weed spray applications.

We hold all certificates needed to meet Globalgap compliance.

We look at all challenges to help ensure we protect your crop with excellence.

Officials get tough on stink bugs 216 Pongakawa Bush Road Te Puke

Biosecurity officials are promising to take tough action agains cargo vessels to be infested with brown marmorated stink bugs To believed contact us: the 621 upcoming risk season.

Phone:during 021 907 E-mail: zcl@zanadu.co.nz Biosecurity New Zealand’s director of border clearance ser-

vices Steve Gilbert says each arriving vessel will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis.

“However, if our officers ult mately determine a ship is infested with stink bug, it will be prevented from discharging its cargo and directed to leave NZ,” says Steve.

“We’ve also introduced a very Biosecurity officers low threshold for determining intercepted contamination. If we find a single bug, we will thoroughly more than 2500 investigate whether the entire individual stink vessel is contaminated.” bugs at the border Steve says as with previous last season. stink bug seasons, there will also be increased surveillance and inspection of arriving vessels and cargo from countries with established stink bug populations.

“This is about ensuring the dangerous pest does not get a chance to establish in NZ.” Steve says biosecurity rules have also changed for this season, making it compulsory for certain types of cargo to be treated before arrival to remove the risk of hitchhiking stink bugs.

“As a result, Biosecurity NZ requires cargo such as uncontainerised vehicles and machinery to be assessed as compliant before we allow discharge from the vessel.

We’ll also no longer direct contaminated vessels to undergo fogging with insecticide in NZ.” Biosecurity NZ introduced fogging as an emergency treatment option in February following a spike in stink bug detections in vehicle carriers from Japan.

The risk season runs from September to April, when stink bugs from the Northern Hemisphere are most likely to crawl into cargo heading to NZ.

KIWIFRUIT

Plant variety rights law review The Government is beginning public consultation on New Zealand’s plant variety rights law, which regulates intellectual property protection over new plant varieties.

The Plant Variety Rights Act 1987 is now more than 30 years old and has only received minor amendments since it was first passed – but the Government says the plant breeding industry has changed significantly during this time and a review is necessary to ensure the regime is fit-forpurpose today.

Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Kris Faafoi launched the public consultation on the Plant Variety Rights Act’s Issues Paper at the Nga Taonga Tuku Iho conference on Maori cultural and intellectual property rights in Nelson last month “The Issues Paper asks for feedback on the key issues we’ve identified with the effectiveness of the current plant variety rights regime,” says Kris.

“A robust plant variety rights regime gives plant breeders intellectual property rights

over new plant varieties they have developed.

“The certainty of those rights encourages the development and dissemination of new plant varieties, which is both good for plant breeders, users of plants and seeds, and provides consumers with a wider choice of products.”

Kris says at the same time he wants to ensure NZ’s plant variety rights regime strikes the right balance between the interests of rights holders, Maori, farmers and growers, consumers and the wider economy “so the country gains maximum benefit from the regime while meeting our international and Treaty of Waitangi obligations”.

Kris says NZ also has obligations under the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for TransPacific Partnership to modernise its regime to meet international standards for plant variety rights protection, and must do that within three years of the agreement coming into force for NZ. “New Zealand also negotiated a specific exception in the CPTPP to be able to adopt any policy it considers necessary to give effect to our Treaty of Waitangi obligations.

“Ensuring the plant variety rights regime includes adequate protec-

tion and recognition of Maori interests in the regime will be an important outcome of this review.”

Horticulture NZ says it has engaged with the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment on the PVR Act Issues Paper, and will make a formal submission in consultation with product groups.

Meetings with industry are planned for October 30 in Tauranga and October 23 in Christchurch, and HortNZ is also requesting a third meeting be held in the Hawke’s Bay. Government officials will hold a number of regional hui for Maori and public meetings from October onwards.

“If you can’t make it to the hui, there are other ways to have your say and you can also provide written submissions,” says Kris.

“I want to ensure we are hearing from as widely across the sector and the community as possible, so I would urge anyone with interest in this work to review the material and have their say.”

Consultation will be open for 13 weeks, and closes December 21, 2018. Consultation documents and more information are at: www.mbie.govt.nz/info-services/ business/intellectual-property/ plant-variety-rights/review

Page 41

Organic production rule-change?

A majority of public submissions support the Government’s preferred approach of a single set of rules for organic production, says Food Safety Minister Damien O’Connor.

Currently, organic producers in NZ can choose to meet voluntary standards or back up their organic claims in other ways. Damien says NZ is out of step with many other countries that have a national standard for organic production, which gives consumers confidence they’re paying premiums for genuine organic products and potentially boosts their market access.

“During the last few months, 85 per cent of 208 people who responded to a consultation told us they support a change in the way organics is regulated, with 76 per cent supporting our preferred option of a single set of rules for organic production.

“The next step is to draft a Cabinet paper to progress work on a national standard that would help build confidence for both our consumers and producers at home and our growing organic export trade.

Damien says the Government is committed to partnering with the primary sector to work “smarter not harder and extract more value from what we do now”.

See: www.mpi.govt.nz/news-andresources/consultations/

FARM MACHINERY & EQUIPMENT

Page 42

Branching out to meet kiwifruit industry needs To meet the increasing demands of the kiwifruit industry and lifestyle sector, Cervus Equipment NZ has opened a new branch at 6 Te Puke Quarry Rd, Te Puke.

Cervus Equipment NZ’s general sales manager Tim Harty says this is the group’s ninth branch, specialising in all things John Deere, with an extensive product range including residential and commercial ride-on mowers, large and compact trac-

tors, agricultural equipment, golf and turf products and more.

“Our Te Puke branch will specialise in kiwifruit tractors, lifestyle, turf and commercial mowers. Our experienced sales team can offer expert advice to help meet the machinery requirements of homeowners, lifestylers, contractors, groundskeepers and large-scale farmers,” says Tim. Cervus offers a full range of services, including after-sales support, parts availability, service quality, expertise, experience, and finance and leasing options.

“Across the nine dealership locations you will find friendly, knowledgeable staff who are committed to helping you. They can provide service support and repairs for all agricultural equipment and have access to replacement parts for all makes of agriculture, lawn and garden equipment.”

Tim says Cervus is a world-leading equipment dealer, powered by iconic equipment brands and unrivalled support.

“Cervus acquires and operates authorCervus Equipment NZ’s new branch in Te Puke. ised agricultural, transportation and materials handling equipment dealerships. The company has interests in 62 dealerships in Canada, New Zealand and Australia, employing more than 1500 people.”

The primary equipment brands represented by Cervus include John Deere agricultural equipment, Peterbilt transportation equipment and Clark, ward with remarkable customer service and JLG, Sellick and industry-leading brands. For more informaDoosan material handling equipment. tion, visit: www.cervusequipment.co.nz Cervus keeps its customers moving for-

Strawberry tampering shines spotlight on traceability systems In light of recent Australian strawberry tampering cases, the New Zealand produce industry is taking every action possible to reassure customers their safety systems are robust.

United Fresh is NZ’s pan-produce organisation currently leading a major NZ-led project reviewing traceability systems in our produce sector.

United Fresh president Jerry Prendergast says the NZ fresh produce industry has systems in place to assess risks to the food supply and to ensure it is managed.

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This includes secure packing and distribution facilities as well as regular assessment of the supply chain processes.

“These risk mitigation strategies need to be reviewed regularly and cover all steps in the supply chain,” says Jerry.

Starting this year the project will run for three years. Co-funded by the Ministry for Primary Industries’ Sustainable Farming Fund, it involves working with the industry to ensure effective traceability from paddock to plate.

Jerry says the project reinforces the need to work continuously on defending the integrity of our food supply systems.

Fresh produce is being traced from harvest through to retail store with a view to strengthening industry-wide traceability systems. More information about this project is at: www.unitedfresh.co.nz/ technical-advisory-group/sff “The tampering in Australia, whether copycat or worse, is a major concern and we support the efforts of all of the industry and authorities both here and in Australia in dealing with these issues.

“We want to re-iterate this is an Australian strawberry issue, there is no connection to NZ-grown strawberries,” says Jerry.

FERTILISER

Page 43

Committing to long-term research on NZ fertiliser A site that’s been providing extremely useful information on fertilisers in New Zealand for almost 70 years is now secured for future use.

The Fertiliser Association of New Zealand has signed a 30-year lease with AgResearch to ensure the long-term fertiliser research trials at Winchmore Research Station in Canterbury continue.

The agreement affirms the association’s ongoing commitment to long-term research on fertiliser use.

FANZ chief executive Vera Power says the site’s existence of almost 70 years has allowed the organisation to track changes to pastoral land as agriculture evolves “and support our evidence base for sustainable management”.

“I could see Winchmore potentially following the development of NZ agriculture over centuries – that’s a really exciting prospect.”

Many changes

As the longest fertiliser trial under pasture in NZ, the Canterbury Plains site has already seen many changes in farming practices. Focused on sheep-grazed pasture, it was initially established to analyse the long-term response of pasture to irrigation and the superphosphate requirements of irrigated pasture.

However, the consistent management, meticulous record-keeping and archiving of regular soil and plant samples have also proved a rich source of material for many other studies, from nutrient cycling to the effects of

fertiliser use on earthworms. “Historical data and ongoing fertiliser treatments have been critical to evaluating and understanding the implications of soil contaminants such as cadmium and fluorine accumulation,” says Vera.

“Nobody anticipated these issues when the trial sites were established.”

Nationally significant

Many key considerations being examined over the long term, such as impact on soil healt h and function, soil organic matter and climate change considerations, can’t be reproduced elsewhere under actual field conditions.

AgResearch chief executive Tom Richardson says more than 500 science publications have drawn on research from the Winchmore site since the long-term trials began.

“The trial site at Winchmore is nationally significant, and has over the decades provided our scientists and others with an important resource to collect and analyse data around fertiliser use, soil health and farming practices,” says Tom. “This work has added to our understanding and helped improve farming practices in NZ. It’s pleasing for us to be able to commit to ongoing trials at Winchmore that will allow us to keep adding to the science to ensure continued improvement and innovation.”

This year Winchmore’s irrigation system moved from a border dyke to a centre pivot system.

This included installation of five new pivot irrigators, two new linear irrigators and connection to the irrigation scheme. Researchers will be able to monitor the impact of the new system over time. “Issues like the impact of fer-

tiliser use on soil carbon or soil health are now coming to the fore. We’re increasingly thinking about the long-term sustainability of NZ farming systems – and long-term field trails are critical for helping us understand how our actions could impact on future farmers’ choices.

“We don’t know where agricultural technology will take us next. But we do know that we’ll be there, measuring its effects so that future generations can make the best possible choices.”

ot of A drone sh search e Re Winchmor ken this ta , n o ti Sta Agresearch. year. Photo:

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Speaker: These soil results are from Washington State. The crop is apples. Voice No1: An apple a day used to keep the doctor away. Voice No2: I read that you must eat 26 apples now to equal one from after WWII. Voice No3: If you eat 26 apples these days you will need 26 specialists.

It’s sad, but the principles are true. There are several published papers comparing fruit and vegetables from the past with modern ones. In short, they don’t compare. Food can be glassy and tasteless – think tomatoes, strawberries – or floury and bland (apples), mouldy (carrots, bread), collapse (potatoes), taste awful (most greens), tasteless (bananas), or all the above (kiwifruit).

You can’t get any more modern and up-todate than we are right now, so why is our nutrition and health going backwards?

Principles

The answer lies with the way governments have sold their souls to corporations.

It is no different in agriculture. Certain corporations are after world domination of agriculture, food and medicine all under one roof. That will mean food will get worse and medicine will become even more ineffective.

How many diseases have been eradicated to date?

Name just one. We are being milked to the limit. Every single mainstream therapeutant is designed to ease symptoms; not to eliminate the root cause of the problem. So it is with agriculture. Have insect, will spray. Why not avoid insect problems in the first place? It doesn’t matter whether the problems are insects, weeds, viruses, bacteria or fungi; the principles are the same.

A citrus grower in USA bought land in 1972.

In 1976, Roundup was released.

In 1998 the grower converted to organics and peaked at 600ha of citrus.

This year, his son declared that the land purchased in 1972 was the only citrus grove in their county that had not had glyphosate.

They decided to get some researchers to investigate whether the fruit from that grove was different to fruit from spayed soil. It had off-the-scale flavonoids that were good for the heart. Other unspecified characteristics were also identified. To keep the story brief, the research was shut down.

Calcium

The dinosaur experts tell us we only need NPK to grow crops to feed to animals or humans. Sometimes sulphur is added, other times its magnesium, usually in an ineffective form, but often what went on last year or the previous 40 years gets repeated. While this is the main thrust of modern agriculture, we are doomed to poor health. Our diets should consist of two-parts calcium and one-part phosphorus.

We are getting four-parts phosphorus to one-part calcium. No wonder cancer, arthritis, osteoporosis, ADHD, eczema, asthma, sinus and ear problems are on the increase as our bodies acidify.

Yet the experts keep repeating there is no such thing as a calcium deficiency. Hands up if you’ve never been to a dentist?

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Over a short time, very few sprays will be required and with the production of superior crop quality and quantity, your bottom line will be well and truly enhanced.

When are we going to wake up to the fact we have the answers to good health and prosperity?

The answers lie in the soil. Get the soil right and throw away the drenches, dagging shears, spray rig and chemicals. When will we learn that it is not a least-cost exercise. How cheap is something that doesn’t work?

FERTILISER

Page 45

Discovering how plants uptake cadmium A Sri Lankan PhD student is undertaking research that could prove a gamechanger for managing cadmium concentration in New Zealand soils.

Nilusha Ubeynarayana, who began her research through Massey University in October 2017, says she’s excited about the experiments she will be doing. She will use a range of advanced techniques, aimed at discovering how plants uptake cadmium from root to shoot.

Nilusha’s research builds on a recent PhD study by Aaron Stafford, which analysed the cadmium concentration of 12 forage species.

This research showed that two popular supplementary feeds, chicory and plantain, accumulated significantly more cadmium than other forage

species. These two plants are an important part of animal feed as they are a drought-tolerant, high nutrient food crop.

“The big question I’m seeking to answer is why chicory and plantain accumulate more cadmium,” says Nilusha.

Nilusha will commence her three-year project by analysing chemistry of the rhizosphere, the few millimetres of soil surrounding the plant roots that is influenced by the activity of soil microorganisms and plant roots.

She will conduct experiments to study rhizosphere soil solution and root interaction.

This will help her understand how this influences cadmium uptake of various forages when phosphate fertiliser has been applied on a long-term basis.

Nilusha plans to use advanced analytical techniques such as High-performance Liquid Chromatography and Cd Nuclear Magnetic Spectroscopy. This

will provide valuable information on xylem sap ligands, which are involved in transporting cadmium in forage plants.

“An important part of my work will be developing a cadmium ion measuring electrode, because plant sap contains very low levels of cadmium concentration.

“This electrode will be able to measure very low levels of cadmium in plant saps.”

New Zealand soil is low in phosphorus, which is essential for plant growth. As a result, phosphorus fertiliser containing traces of cadmium is widely used on New Zealand farms.

“In New Zealand agricultural soils the cadmium concentration is more than double that of nonagricultural soil,” says Nilusha.

There are no indications for concern to human or animal health from the levels of contaminants currently in New Zealand soil.

Nonetheless, phosphate fertiliser use must be actively managed and soils monitored to ensure that the risks from soil contaminants remain low over the long term.

“I’m really happy to be doing this work. If I can discover exactly how plants accumulate cadmium we will be able to develop remedies to stop high

accumulation from happening.”

Nilusha’s research is funded by the Fertiliser Association of New Zealand and the Foundation of Arable Research. Her supervisors are Dr Paramsothy Jeyakumar, Professor Chris Anderson, Dr Roberto Calvelo Pereira and Dr Peter Bishop.

(Source: ‘Fertiliser Matters’ Issue 75, Sept 2018).

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FERTILISER

Page 46

New Ballance board members for North Island Ballance Agri-Nutrients’ shareholders have chosen Dacey Balle and Duncan Coull from an unprecedented field of 19 candidates to join the co-operative’s board, representing the North Island.

food business Balle Murray Taggart, Bros Group, which who retired by rotasupplies retail and tion this year, was foodservice busiunopposed in the nesses across New South Island Ward Zealand and export and re-elected to customers, and operthe Board – while ates farms across the the decisions of North Island and Gray Baldwin to not in Canterbury. A seek re-election and chartered accountant, Donna Smit to step Dacey is also a direcdown in the North Duncan Coull. tor of Open Country Island Ward, opened Dairy, Onions NZ a rare opportunity to and Potatoes NZ and secure a governance assists in the managerole within the rural ment of a family dairy business. operation.

Chairman David Duncan Coull Peacocke says the is chairman of the strength of the Fonterra Shareholdcandidates reflects the ers’ Council and “great pool of talent farms 240ha of out in rural New dairy operations Zealand, and Ballance near Otorohanga, as is fortunate to have directors joining the well as dairy grazing Dacey Balle. operations in Piopio board who have welland a 250ha dairy farm in Milton. He’s a established governance credentials”.

Global Dairy Ambassador and indeDacey Balle is a director of Open pendent chair of Naki Construction and Country Dairy, Onions NZ and Westfield Farms. A former finance manPotatoes NZ, while Duncan Coull has ager for Rabobank, he’s also a member of been chair of the Fonterra Shareholders’ the Otorohanga Development Board.

Council since 2015.

David also acknowledged the unique “It says a lot about our co-operative that we have been able to attract such an contribution made by Gray Baldwin over a long period as a director and as outstanding line-up,” says David. part of Ballance’s Leadership Team. He “We have gained two directors who also thanked Donna Smit for her contriare very experienced at representing bution to the strength of discussion, and farmers, and governing farming and the board dynamic, during her time as a food production businesses. We look forward to them joining our board table, Ballance director.

Dacey Balle and Duncan Coull joined and we also congratulate Murray on his the board on the conclusion of the Balre-election.”

Dacey Balle is managing director of the lance Annual Meeting on September 26.

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Page 47

Life’s ‘fertiliser’ – things that keep cropping up Spanning some 55 years of a very active business life and with a lot of interaction with the rural and public sectors, it is clear there are some very obvious maxims, or points that just keep cropping up, and we keep repeating the same mistakes.

Some of you may have heard all of this before, but I understand we need to hear things about five times before it sinks in. For some of us, it is even more. So here goes.

Build resilience

Build resilience in yourself, your family and your team. Resilience is a tough one to grasp because how do you actually get the paradigm shift not to give up and say it is too hard?

How do you get those around you to learn resilience and make it work?

Mr Google defines it as “the capacity to recover quickly from difficulty or toughness”.

There are many examples here, but broken relationships are an easy one to understand. Do you wallow in self-pity or get up and run again? An extreme example is bankruptcy. It is tough and hard but many get up and go again, but many do not. Or kids playing sport fall over and hurt themselves. Don’t rush up to them and try to take away “their” hurt, get them up and going again – build resilience.

The wrong road

Are you going down the wrong road so to speak? Have you made some bad decisions? The sooner you can accept the situation, stop the “rot” or the “leakage” and turn back, the better. Examples might include wrong

investment decisions. Don’t keep throwing good money after bad. Stop, turn around and go back. Accept you have made an error of judgement and learn from it.

The same mistake

Don’t keep making the same mistakes as per ‘The Wrong road’ mentioned above. I see it all the time. People go into a venture, lose money, go out of it, and then go back in for another go. Don’t do it. You see poor employers, employ good people, ruining them through lack of management and understanding, kick them out, employ new people, just to go through the same process again and again. Many dairy farmers fail right here.

Employing staff is hard and takes a special skill. Don’t have “revolving doors” in your business, as we call changing staff all the time. I have observed that tough employers who really set out what they expect with clear boundaries have staff that love them and stay.

Financial security

Please, please, please focus on providing financial security in your relationship, business and yourself.

We boys were taught to take risks and the girls taught to be careful. Overlay that on our adult life and we boys want to keep taking risks and scaring the heck out of our “be careful” partners. You have to compromise and both realise you are in it together.

We also need to build some reserves.

“Have some cash put away for a rainy day” they say. Avoid the temptation to live at the limit of your overdraft as it is unhealthy and annoys your banker. Plan early to have enough money to retire on because the pension is pretty skinny. You see people

retiring with a debtfree home (hopefully), driving a $3000 car and living out of their vegetable garden. It is not easy for them.

Avoid litigation

How many people do you see dashing off to their lawyers with simple easy to solve issues? The best solicitor will tell you to go and sort it out. So ensure you: compromise; give some ground; reduce your expectations; avoid trying to “teach them a lesson”; mediate; and expect it to cost more. But sort it out. Don’t litigate it.

Look after yourself

Look after yourself and your health because it is all you have.

This is probably a whole story on its own, but there are a few basic tips you see repeated everywhere in magazines and the media.

Exercise regularly; stay hydrated; eat sensibly; moderate alcohol intake; surround yourself with positive people; and if you feel something is not right, it isn’t.

Recently a friend was getting all the obvious signs of heart trouble; pain in the chest, sore left arm, indigestion.

Next thing he had a massive heart attack and only just survived. He’s resilient however and has bounced right back.

So remember: Everything in

moderation; listen to your body and have regular health checks and heed your doctor’s advice; and take holidays and breaks – get the heck out of it for three weeks annually to give your body and mind a good rest.

Lastly, think!

What do I mean here? Many people tear from one thing to the next. My old mum used to say to me: “Stop and think boy”! And that is what I do – now. Look at a problem, think about it, sleep on it and usually the solution is there.

Disclaimer – These are the opinions of Don Fraser of Fraser Farm Finance. Any decisions made should not be based on this article alone and appropriate professional assistance should be sought.

Don Fraser is principal of Fraser Farm Finance and a consultant to the farming industry. Callhim on 0800 777 675 or 021 777 675. A disclosure document is available on request.

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DAIRY

Page 48

Champion calf to lifelong pet In February 2001, the cover of Coast & Country News featured a little blond girl and her redand-white Ayrshire calf ‘Rosie’ draped in numerous ribbons, at the Katikati A&P Show.

Recently Rosie had her 18th birthday – pretty good for a dairy cow – living in glorious retirement on the family farm in Tirau, with Daphine Leech, now 23, still very much part of her beloved pet’s life.

Daphine vividly remembers Rosie’s birth in a pen on the family farm, on July 29, 2000.

“It was a difficult birth and my grandad, Struan Leech, had to pull her out,” says Daphine. “We all thought she was dead, but he shook her and cleared her mouth and she came to life and bit him!”

Five-year-old Daphine knew straight away that this was the calf she wanted for calf club. The name ‘Rosie’ continues the tradition of the farm stud, Aotearoa Ayrshires, for using the same letter as their mother's name for calves.

Daphine and Rosie did very well at the Tirau Primary School calf club in 2000.

They won the leading, rearing and grooming, and the dairy type classes, and Rosie was Champion Calf overall.

“We did the rounds of A&P Shows that summer, and I showed her up until she was two years old,” says Daphine.

“We won numerous prizes, especially in the Ayrshire section.”

Rosie joined the main milking herd on the farm, and had eight calves over the years. In 2013, she was retired but surprised the family with a bull calf in 2015. “My dad, Graeme, came in from the farm one day and told us Rosie had sprung,” says Daphine. “To this day

we still have no idea how she managed to get with one of the bulls!”

Daphine is now a farm assistant on a neighbouring dairy farm but is still a regular visitor to the family farm and muchloved Rosie.

“She just chills out in the paddock, eating lots and getting spoilt,” says Daphine. “She has a bit of arthritis and we put a coat on her when it’s really cold.”

A few times Daphine has called the vet out, but has been reassured that Rosie is doing well and will let them know when it is ‘time’.

“She was born on this farm, and she’ll die on this farm,” says Daphine, with a smile. In the meantime Rosie potters about enjoying all the love, attention, and good food.

Catherine Fry

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Daphine Leech and calf club champ ‘Rosie’, 18 years on.

MPI clamping down on calf abuse The owner of a pet food company has been given six months’ community detention, 180 hours of community work, and banned from owning or exercising any authority over production animals for five years at Hamilton District Court last month. His company was sentenced to pay a $90,000 fine.

The sentencing of Waikato company Down Cow Limited and its owner, Alan Martyn Cleaver, followed a longrunning Ministry for Primary Industries investigation and prosecution into bobby calf abuse.

The investigation began in 2015 and has already resulted in a slaughterman from the company being jailed in 2016

after MPI appealed his initial sentence of home detention. MPI’s manager compliance investigation Gary Orr says the abuse was unacceptable.

“These are vulnerable young animals, and they need to be treated humanely and ethically. .

“It’s always unfortunate to have to take prosecutions in the first place. However, we were pleased to see the ban from owning or exercising authority over production animals, which we argued for strongly.”

Gary says we all have a role to play in animal welfare – if people see or have information about animal abuse, call 글 MPI’s hotline: 0800 00 83 33.

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DAIRY

Page 49

Try a biologically superior form of selenium With more than 100 North Island dairy farms now using the Selisseo Mineral System, BEC Feed Solutions technical services officer Jen Ross says distinct trends of improved fertility and animal health have become common observations on-farm.

Jen says common farmer observations after using Selisseo throughout the mating period are high submission rates, strong noticeable heats, higher holding rates, less returns to service, and lowered empty rates.

“Decreased mastitis cases and Somatic Cell Counts that drop and then hold at low levels are also typical on-farm observations,” says Jen. BEC Feed Solutions’ country manager Trina Parker says New Zealand is extremely seleniumdeficient and farmers have been supplementing selenium for years.

“Yet the classic indicators of selenium deficiency such as increased empty rates, retained membranes and increasing SCC appear to be consistent issues,” says Trina.

“When a farmer says: ‘I already do selenium’ – that’s simply not

Using the Selisseo Mineral System allows selenium reserves to build in the cow, supporting strong heats and holding conceptions. enough,” says Trina.

“For selenium to be biologically effective in the cow, the form of selenium must be correct.”

Trina says dosing inorganic selenium through drinking water and relying on Selenium + B12 injections are ‘traditional’ yet very biologically ineffective ways of providing the mineral.

“Organic selenium is a biologically superior form of selenium

and our farmers are seeing fantastic mating results, when they use the right product at the right amount.”

BEC Feed Solutions encourages new farms to start on the Selisseo Mineral System at least four weeks before mating.

“This allows selenium reserves to build in the cow, supporting strong heats and holding conceptions.”

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DAIRY

Page 50

Racing into ‘retirement’

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Ross Cresswell with ‘Super Sally’, his beloved Hypermac super saloon car.

After 38 years’ dairy farming, in 2016 Ross and Liane Cresswell decided to sell their farm of 30 years.

With their four children pretty much grown-up, grandchildren on the horizon, a Kawhia beach house beckoning, and the lure of their shared passion for speedway racing, the timing was right to make some changes. A 31-hectare block near Karapiro in Cambridge was chosen as their next home.

Ross had wanted to be a farmer since he was seven years old but initially trained as a mechanic, whereas Liane had been brought up on a farm.

After meeting at 15 and marrying at 19, the couple moved into dairy farming and worked their way up the sharemilking ladder until they were able to buy their own dairy farm in Matamata. Later the neighbouring property was added, bringing the farm to 136ha in total.

Now, Ross and Liane are happy with what their new property has offered them.

“It’s more of a lifestyle block really,” says Ross.

“We needed somewhere to bring all our stuff to,

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Ross and Liane Cresswell with dogs Bear and Star. and when we saw it was 77 acres, well we had to buy it didn’t we?”

The couple have an affinity for the number 7, with 77 being doubly lucky. Seventy-seven was their dairy number on the farm, 77 is the number they always have on their speedway cars; so 77 acres was a done deal.

While Liane believes she is semi-retired, she’s still involved in farm life and very much part of their serious hobby of speedway racing. Ross is still up early every day and out milking, partly because he loves it and partly because they’ve moved into a new venture of calf-rearing. The property has an olderstyle 12-aside herringbone shed and milk produced is fed to calves, and not for factory collection and human consumption.

Fruit salad herd

As it was previously used as a maize block, Ross and Liane had to fence and gate the property into paddocks, and install a water reticulation system from scratch. They brought the older cows with them from their dairy farm, and run around 48 mixed-age, mixed-breed dairy cows.

“We call them our fruit salad herd,” says Ross.

“We’ve got Ayrshire, Shorthorn Cross (Blue), Shorthorn Cross Jersey (Brindle), Friesians and Jerseys in there. The calves that come in can be crosses with Brown Swiss, Speckle Park, Simmental or Herefords.”

Depending on the time of year, the farm has varying numbers of calves at different stages of development. The calves are reared to 110kg and sold on.

They’re fed either from a nursing cow, cow’s milk or milk powder, and pellets from one week old. Ross has a breeding programme and enjoys the learning curve of moving from dairy cattle to beef cattle.

DAIRY

Page 51 Ross Cresswell feeding the older calves.

“Next season we aim to have our cows calving earlier, and then bringing in a second mob to mother up with them later on.

“We’re looking a turnover of 300 to 400 calves in 2019.”

Rearing calves on the cow isn’t particularly profitable and Ross is the first to admit that.

“It’s too expensive a piece of land for what we are doing with it,” he says. “But it’s a helluva lifestyle even if it doesn’t make any money.”

Super Sally

An old hand at this calving business means Ross has all his animals milked, fed and checked by midmorning most days, and is able to turn his attention to the couple’s other love, speedway racing.

A rather splendid workshop is where, among all the car parts and machinery, sits their pride and joy – a Hypermac chassis Super Saloon car, named ‘Super Sally’.

Ross races the car at speedway tracks all over the country, including the Burger King Pro Dirt series. A campervan now sits on the drive, finally some comfort for their weekends away racing the car, after years of using an adapted truck with no toilet or shower.

Ross goes back to his mechanic roots and spends a lot of time “mucking around in the shed” adjusting and finetuning the 880hp Jack Cornett Ford 429 cubic inch engine. After every race the car is partly dismantled and everything is cleaned and checked.

“It’s got everything you could possibly want,” says Ross. “All the bells and whistles you’re allowed.”

Ross Cresswell feeding the one-day-old calves, using fresh milk from dairy shed.

The couple have both been heavily involved with Kihikihi Speedway Club for many years, and regularly attend their meetings. Established in 1954, it’s the second oldest speedway club in NZ and still at its original location on the Kihikihi domain. Most meetings are for fun but there are also championship meetings. Ross plays down his success but has quite a cabinet, or two, of shiny trophies – even if they aren’t allowed in the house.

There’s an air of contentment as the couple go about their business on their new property. Retirement doesn’t quite seem to be in the mix, but Ross and Liane are certainly enjoying their change in lifestyle and what it has brought to their lives. Catherine Fry

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Page 52

Warm weather and early cropping The weather is certainly a lot drier than it was, and ground conditions are a lot drier than they were this time last year – by a country mile. We’re getting drops of rain but not a lot of it.

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Last year we sprayed our swamp block on October 19 – this year we could have sprayed them by about September 24. Yet last year we had to get the digger in to drain it, and tow the spray truck around the whole block.

But in saying this, I had a few phone calls around September 17 from some farmers down on the swamps here wanting silage because they didn’t have much feed because it’s been so wet here for so long, and possibly due to pugging damage as well.

Planting crops

A week ago – about September 17 – we did some silage, which was down a bit in yield, but we were three weeks early spraying it this year.

We started planting crops September 26 – that was 10 days earlier than last year. So it’s certainly an early start to the season. But there are predictions of a dry summer. Although the last time drought was predicted we had the best growing season in years, so you never know.

But there has been a lot of drought around the world, so it’s funny old season again already.

High country farmers are growing grass, and a farmer I talked to recently was shutting grass up – very unusual for this time of year, compared to the past few years.

I believe the milk-take is up in the Waikato – so there seems to be plenty of feed there this year after a few years of trouble. This is lucky because the price of palm kernel has shot up due to high demand from other countries in drought and our lower dollar isn’t helping either.

We’ve got reasonable demand for silage for sale.

Obviously some farmers will be a little concerned over having to reduce the amount of palm kernel they can use, so they may look towards maize silage to help fill that gap.

Farmers need to make sure they’re well-organised with their own cropping programmes, because it’s drier than last year.

Soil temperatures are okay – at about 14-15 degrees Celsius on September 24 – but they are rising.

And as the ground dries out, soil temperatures will be tracking slightly ahead of last year – but it depends what happens with the cold snap predicted for September 25-26 which will cool things off again. It’s what we call winter’s sting of the tail.

Last year most didn’t start cropping until October 15 – farmers this year will have to get into it earlier. And the sooner they can get it in, the better, so they have feed ready when conditions are predicted to turn dry in summer.

There’s been pasture damage around the place – for us high yields of grass meant we had to keep breaks tight during winter to clean up the grass.

And when it rains this causes pugging and pasture damage, which is hard to control.

So some of the lower farms are still struggling for feed, with grass only starting to grow from the first week of warm temperature around September 20.

When you’re doing cropping make sure you do a full job – do the soil sampling, put the right amount of fertiliser on – and also the right kind of fertiliser on.

Target a solution

Don’t just put any old thing on, because you’ll just be throwing good money after bad. Your soil might be low in PH or missing trace elements which are crucial to good yields, so make sure you do the soil sampling and get the correct information first so you know what to target.

If you’ve had a crop or pasture system that hasn’t done any good recently there’s usually a reason behind it, so find out what this is, and how to target a solution, before investing more into the ground. Then look after your crops, monitor them for weeds and if you’re in doubt, give somebody a call for expert advice. Sort things out before they become a drama – keep on top of it!

Qualifying rounds begin for Young Farmer of the Year The first qualifying rounds for the next FMG Young Farmer of the Year begin this month, with 20 district contest and skills days to be held throughout the country before Christmas.

The events help to discover the 56 competitors to clash in seven Young Farmer of the Year regional finals early next year.

The first two district contests will be in the Manawatu and Canterbury on October 6, with the events testing practical and theoretical skills of contestants.

NZ Young Farmers’ events manager Bridget Johnston says the district contests are a great opportunity for members to benchmark themselves.

“It’s a chance to test their knowledge, make new friends, and also to have a go and enjoy the day.”

DAIRY

Page 53

A fleet of 78 trucks at your service It would be difficult to list something that Watchorn Transport Ltd at Awakeri, near Whakatane, does not cart, maybe stock.

“We do a lot of cartage work for farmers in the Bay of Plenty, East Coast and Gisborne areas. We have a fleet of 78 trucks and we can provide an excellent service to farmers,” says Watchorn Transport Ltd general manager Gary Ayling.

“Our trucks range from five-axle trailers to 44-tonners, so we can provide a service to any size farm,” says Gary.

At the moment the company is carting fertiliser and lime due to farmers starting to apply spring fertiliser. For farm races the team from Watchorn Transport Ltd can deliver metal, sand and pumice.

They also cart posts, battens and poles from the processors to the

Watchorn Transport can cart nearly anything for the rural sector. farm for fencing, especially on the East Coast after the destruction caused by the devastating weather during this winter.

“There are also a number of kiwifruit orchards going in on the East Coast and we cart posts and beams for them as well,” says Gary.

With their flat deck trucks Watchorn Transport Ltd can organ-

ise cartage for farm lots of timber from the farm to the processor.

“We endeavour to do any cartage job properly at a competitive price and to a high standard. With our large fleet of trucks we can provide a prompt service and have the ability to call on approved subcontractors to help us out if need Helen Wilson be,” says Gary.

Fonterra to make a presence in Indian dairy market Fonterra’s new joint venture with one of India’s largest consumer companies aims to help meet a growing demand for highquality dairy nutrition in the country.

Fonterra and Future Consumer Ltd, under the name Fonterra Future Dairy Partners, will see the NZ dairy produce made into a range of consumer and foodservice dairy products for Indian consumers.

Fonterra’s chief operating officer global consumer and foodservice Lukas Paravicini says partnership will enable Fonterra to establish a presence in India.

“It will allow us to prepare the groundwork and make the most of our expertise as we enter the world’s largest and fastest growing dairy industry.

“Consumer demand for dairy in India during the next seven years is set to increase by 82 billion litres – seven times the forecasted growth for China.

“The partnership will be driven by growth through profitability. Initial stages of the partnership will focus on product development, and marketing with the right capital investment made during this period.

“The first consumer products will be launched by

mid-2019, using both locally-sourced milk and dairy products from NZ. “We’ll also use this time to settle in the partnership infrastructure, learn the market and prioritise geographies.”

Lukas says the joint venture comes at a time when the Indian dairy industry is transforming itself.

“This has resulted in a big shift away from more traditional locally-based dairy businesses with limited product and brand differentiation, to a new era where more value-added and innovative dairy products are in high demand across the country.”

Future Group CEO Kishore Biyani says the association with Fonterra comes at a time when the dairy industry in India is flourishing.

Driving growth is the country’s young population where 70 per cent of people are aged below 45 years.

They are digital, live in urban areas, lead an active lifestyle, have more disposable income, and want to consume higher quality and higher nutritional dairy products.

“With Fonterra, Future Consumer will enhance its food and FMCG portfolio and will offer a variety of dairy products which are high in demand and consumed daily,” says Kishore.

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Page 54

DAIRY

Dairy farmers can benefit from fewer cows If the chat amongst farmers is correct, and it almost always is, regulation is about to be imposed on dairy farmers – and a cornerstone of it will be a requirement for cow numbers to be reduced.

The thinking is that cows are the primary producers of the excess nitrates entering groundwater – and fewer cows will mean less urine and lower levels of nitrates. That argument is flawed, and a reduction in cow numbers alone won’t deliver the hoped-for result. But should fewer cows become mandatory, dairy farmers can benefit.

Back when payment to farmers was calculated on fat, 200kg of fat per cow was genuine success, and farmers achieving it consistently were held in high esteem.

Today, 200kg of fat equates to around 350kg of milk solids. It’s important to remember at that time herds were mostly wintered at home, and supplement fed during winter was also harvested from the property.

The standard stocking rate was a cow to the acre – or 2.5 cows/ha – producing in today’s figures 850kgMS/ha. Young stock were often

carried at home and, when that is worked into the equation, production achieved from pasture alone is little different from the best operators today.

As in all industries there are a handful of operators that operate in a different realm. Their total pasture production comfortably exceeds district average. Per animal and hectare production is also superior, and their balance sheets show regular and healthy cash surpluses. It is these folk we can learn from.

There are a number of secrets to their success.

However, the most important one is the way they feed their animals, and ‘maintenance’ is not part of their vocabulary. Animals are fully fed 365 days of the year, without exception.

Their animals are not necessarily better bred, they just consume more because there is always high-quality feed available. The pasture grazed is longer than the norm, so in their naturally allotted grazing time they can consume more with less time and energy spent walking.

The target is for each animal to produce its liveweight in milk solids each year. This means

1250kgMS/ha is achieved at a stocking rate of 2.5 cows/ha.

That’s 20 per cent fewer animals than the ‘average’ stocking rate of 2.9 cows/ha in the Waikato, and 25 per cent fewer than the 3.3 cows/ha in Canterbury.

Fewer cows means less feed to maintain liveweight and hence more is available for production.

Most farmers already know this because, as animals are culled during the season, there is no loss in milk production; often an increase occurs.

Mating and herd testing costs are charged per cow, so those decline. And with better feeding, animal ill-health costs also decline.

For many farmers the current focus is on having enough animals to fully utilise pasture when it is growing most rapidly. Their attitudes and practices will have to change.

Those who’ve already made the transition are amazed at how stress-free their operations have become.

Feeding fewer cows/ha means grazing residuals are significantly longer than before.

Therefore, should there be a short-term

decline in growth there is always a buffer that can be utilised.

The focus on cow days in milk prior to the end of December no longer figures in planning, as high levels of daily production are carried forward into summer. A genuine 30-day interval between grazings means pastures are grazed a maximum of three times during summer prior to autumn rain arriving.

Maintaining the grazing interval necessary for full recovery of pasture becomes a simpler exercise. Pasture runout is largely eliminated as sufficient self-seeding takes place naturally.

To move from a low cover, rapid grazing round system requires planning and effort.

The ideal time to break the cycle is autumn, by drying off earlier, reducing animal numbers, and carrying increased covers ahead.

It can be achieved incrementally by culling low producers, and others that won’t make next season’s milking mob, late this year, with a focus on fully feeding and longer grazing intervals next year. It takes time, but it’s a stress-free way to meet the potentially coming limitations on cow numbers, by making the necessary changes in your own time without pressure.

For more information, contact Peter on 0800 843 809.

DAIRY

Page 55

0800 843 809

Private importers

With the inefficiencies in both co-ops, a plethora of private fertiliser importers have cropped up during the last couple of years such as Farm Ex, Fert Direct, Fertilisers Direct, Fert Wholesale Direct, Dickie Direct, Zealyn, Landco, Rorisons and Marsden Agri, which have been bringing in mainstream fertiliser products such as DAP up to $150/ tonne cheaper than the co-ops, sulphate of ammonia up to $100/tonne cheaper, triple super up to $180/tonne cheaper, sulphur 90 up to $100/tonne cheaper, and potassium chloride up to $80/tonne cheaper. These smaller importers have forced the two big co-ops to drop their

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Another beef I have with both co-ops www.functionalfertiliser.co.nz is that larger sheep and beef farmers and dairy corporate clients get discounts onThe Future of Farming their fertilisers compared to the average shareholder. The core base of BOP Fertilisers was small, family-owned, farmers in the Waikato, just as the core base for Fonterra was initially Waikato and Taranaki family-owned farms. If Fonterra suddenly decided to pay its larger farmers more for their milk than the smaller farms, there would be a huge protest. Yet in the fertiliser industry this differential carries on. Really there should just be a flat price for all shareholders regardless of size and volume purchased.

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With the amalgamation, consolidation and acquisitions, both co-ops decided to offer farmers in regions, such as Northland and Taranaki, fertiliser at the same price as it was ex-Mount Maunganui and Napier by providing free cartage.

This means Waikato and Bay of Plenty farmers are subsidising the freight to other regions in the North Island in the

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My wife’s grandfather, Harold Wagstaff, farmed 900 acres in the hills behind Matamata, and was one of the 11 founding members of BOP Fertiliser Company when it formed in 1955 to manufacture superphosphate at Mount Maunganui. In the early-1980s there were six superphosphate manufacturing plants in the North Island: Whangarei (Farmers Fert); Morrinsville (Kiwi); Mt Maunganui (BOP); Napier (East Coast); New Plymouth (Farmers Fert); and Whanganui (Ravensdown). In 1987 BOP Fertilisers bought out Fernzowned Kiwi Fertilisers (Farmers Fert) at Morrinsville and shut it down and Ravensdown bought out East Coast Fertilisers and shut down their Whanganui plant. In 1998 Fernz Corporation sold off their Whangarei plant to BOP Fertilisers and their New Plymouth plant to Ravensdown with the new owners shutting both plants down.

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Ballance and Ravensdown have 90 per cent of the fertiliser market in New Zealand and the past couple of years both companies have rewarded shareholders with rebates averaging around $45/tonne of fertiliser purchased, so thumbs up to both companies. There are, however, some areas of unfairness that affect smaller dairy and sheep and beef farmers in the greater Waikato-Bay of Plenty-King Country regions, who effectively subsidise larger farmers and those in other parts of the North Island.

case of Balance. In the case prices, and the only reason they exist is because they of Ravensdown, it’s the have seen opportunities in the marketplace between the Hawke’s Bay, Gisborne, price the co-ops charge their farmers and the interWairarapa and Manawatu national trading price on these products. The co-ops farmers subsidising freight should concentrate on providing cheaper fertilisers up to upper North Island front rather than priding themselves on paying high Functional Fertiliser farmers. This free freight in rebates in my opinion, and local farmers should not be Functional Fertiliser real terms will be costing subsidisingsupplies farmers in other regions. full nutrient supplies nutrient Robin Boom, CPAg, member of thefull Institute of Professional Soil the companies $30-40/ Functional Fertiliser Scientists.

Phone:based 0274448764. packages on tonne. One partial solution packages based on suppliesFunctional full nutrient to this would be for both ®Fertiliser ® packages basedfull onnutrient co-ops to have confidence supplies and supply arrangements, packages®based on where Ravensdown agrees ® to supply superphosphate to all of Ballance customFor For application by by application ers in the lower North For application by groundspreader or aerial Island and Ballance to do the same for groundspreader or aerial groundspreader or aerial Ravensdown clients in the upper North Functional Fertiliser For application by Island. Many farmers have shares in supplies full nutrient groundspreader or aerial both companies, and with both compa- packages based on nies being 100 per cent farmer-owned, ® the overall winner will be the farmer www.functionalfertiliser.co.nz www.functionalfertiliser.co.nz shareholders. Another option would www.functionalfertiliser.co.nz The Future of Farming be for both companies to amalgamate www.functionalfertiliser.co.nz into one large company, which would For application by The Future of Farming improve efficiencies and mean lower groundspreader or aerial overall fertiliser prices.

0800 843 809

The elections for directors on the board of Ballance Agri-Nutrients at their Annual General Meeting at the end of last month has got me thinking about how shareholders can get better value from their co-operative.

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Fertiliser co-operatives’ dilemmas

Robin Boom

CPAg MBSPC

Independent Agronomy & Soil Fertility Consultant

Page 56

MAIZE

Better controls for pasture pests Pests most commonly targeting New Zealand’s pastures are costing the economy up to $2.3 billion a year, an AgResearch study has found.

And this is prompting a call for investment in new and costeffective ways to better control these pests.

The study is the first of its kind to estimate the financial impact of invertebrate pests such as the grass grub, black beetle, nematodes and weevils in terms of lost productivity for pastoral farming.

Black beetle and Argentine Stem Weevil are two major insects pests that can affect maize silage crops.

The full science paper has been published in the ‘New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research’ and can be found at: www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/002 88233.2018.1478860 AgResearch scientist Colin Ferguson says total annual losses are estimated to be between $1.7 billion and $2.3 billion in ‘average’ years – and of this, up to $1.4b billion occurs on dairy farms,

and up to $900 invest in new and cost-effective ways million on sheep to better control and beef farms. these pests,” “Our research says Colin. shows that the “AgResearch is impact of the grass looking at pest congrub alone costs trol on a number of dairy farms up fronts, including to $380 million, the development and sheep and of new biopestibeef farms up to cides – naturally $205 million, occurring organeach year,” says isms that can Colin. be used to target Losses attributaspecific pest speble to these pasture cies, instead of pests are usually chemical treatdetermined either ments that can on the basis of the Black beetle is one two be expensive and amount of foliage major insect pests that can have unwanted they consume, affect maize silage crops. impacts on or reductions in the environment.” pasture production.

The study was initiated as part However, AgResearch’s study has used the reduction in pasture pro- of Pastoral 21 Next Generaduction to estimate the impact on tion Dairy Systems and funded milk production revenue for dairy by DairyNZ, Fonterra, Dairy Companies Association of New farms, and on meat production Zealand, Beef + Lamb New Zearevenue for sheep and beef farms. land and the Ministry of Business, “What this provides us is a good Innovation and Employment picture of the challenge we and – and has been completed with farmers face with pasture pests, funding from AgResearch. and it reinforces the need to

Weeds among maize need a control programme With weeds competing for valuable sunlight, moisture and nutrients alongside maize crops, it’s essential to tackle how to go about controlling them.

And with the weather warming up it’s certain you’ll see more of them sprouting up amongst your maize crop.

Weeds that grow in maize crops are usually very different from farm to farm but fall into two categories – either grass weeds or flat weeds.

So having a weed programme set up for your maize crop is key – and there’s a wide range of products available on the market for controlling almost every weed that is found in New Zealand maize crops and local advice available on how control them.

So seek the advice of a local weed expert before they get away on you.

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MAIZE

Lots of reports but little action There’s lots of reports being written of late, but seemingly little action on the problems they write about.

The Productivity Commission produced more than 600 pages recently on ‘emissions reductions’, but unless we get a Climate Change Commission set up quick smart, and they put a bomb under government departments and councils, any recommendations being shown to work before 2030 will be amazing.

But they did come to the conclusion that short-lived gases such as methane should be treated separately in terms of measurement, counting and paying separately to carbon dioxide and probably nitrous oxide too. But how to achieve this seemed rather beyond them at present.

Less cows, more trees

In the meantime they want less cows, more trees, and most of our so-called ‘less productive’ land planted up ASAP. Of course Beef+LambNZ, whose levy payers are doing quite well on lamb meat at present, immediately screamed they couldn’t be part of any Emissions Trading Scheme – and that they were already miles ahead on how many hectares of bush and trees they had. They just want mitigation of some sort, again.

Meanwhile, DairyNZ’s had another bright idea to spend seven years and $21 million trying to breed cows that burp less methane.

And the two big fertiliser co-ops are celebrating their record profits this year, from all those chemicals they’ve got farmers spreading liber-

ally around. Does it never occur to the scientists, advisors, and chemical salespersons that greenhouse gas and freshwater problems might have something to do with the pasture those animals are eating?

Which is always liberally enriched with nitrates in the form of urea, in greater quantities each year, causing endless rumen problems, methane burps and nitrogenous urine.

Fixated idea

Everyone thinks that ‘when we get the technology right’ all the problems will go away. Somehow good old nature never gets a look in with that lot. Dairy is getting most of the blame these days, and I’ve even heard of some farmers changing back to drystock; to avoid bad press and make their lives simpler.

What annoys me most is planting trees of multiple sorts in huge areas is the fixated idea for sequeste ing carbon, to cope with the CO2 problem. We have enormous areas of NZ now in pasture, and at present all carbon sequestered there is being aired or leached away. Why aren’t we focusing on sequester-

ing it in our soils, where it could remain safely locked up forever?

This idea isn’t getting research time at present. Our fixation on growing ‘fast grass’ means plants aren’t being allowed to drop dead bits, our root systems are so shallow that hard grazing is keeping root masses small, and our soil isn’t being allowed to make humus from the mixture. And it is sequestered carbon which allows the creation of humus, while urea burns it up before it can occur.

Without sufficient carbon we grow less pasture, and then rush round with the spreader to cover the shortfall, increasing the amount used every year.

Page 57

Identify an unknown pest or weed If you’re having trouble identifying pests and weeds in your maize crop there’s a free online New Zealandmade tool that can help.

AgPest, which is run by AgResearch, is a website that includes practical information to upskill farmers and their advisors on identification and management of more than 80 pests and weeds and provides alerts emailed out to registered users.

These alerts provide timely information warning farmers of pest issues in their region and suggest appropriate management responses.

The website also has a quick and easy function where you can follow prompts to identity an unknown weed or pest.

The project was initiated by a team

Visual soil assessment

Maybe all farmers should be issued with spades and instruction books on visual soil assessment, and sent out to dig small square holes and look at what comes out of them. While we go on destroying, rather than assisting, nature’s soil life, no amount of ‘mitigations’ are going to reduce our gases or clean up our waters.

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of farmers from Otago, Waikato and Northland, who were struggling with a number of pasture pests on-farm.

AgResearch’s Dr Katherine Tozer has headed the project, which was previously known as Pestweb and first went live in mid-2009 with major inputs from scientist Colin Ferguson, Dr Trevor James and other AgResearch entomologists and weed science teams.

AgPest covers four main categories: Biology, the weed or pest life-cycle and where it is found; impact, how the weed or pest affects your crops, pasture and livestock; control, different methods used to control the weed or pest; and identification, use the identify tab to identify a weed, pest or its damage.

To find out more, see: http://agpest.co.nz

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MAIZE

Page 58

Two new herbicides for maize crops this spring Orion AgriScience is launching two new herbicides into the maize market this spring – named Orion Nico Ultra and Corvette.

Orion AgriScience general manager Peter Westaway says they are both Nicosulfuron-based herbicides, but offer growers and contractors a point of difference.

“Orion has always been a very active participant in the maize market,” says

Peter. “And the launch of our two new products builds on a theme going back nearly 20 years.”

Orion was a primary mover in the commercialisation of Nicosulfuron herbicides when it launched Amaze in 2003. Nicosulfuron was the active ingredient in Amaze, and the same active ingredient is still used today in modern formulations.

“Nicosulfuron-based herbicides are highly effective for post-emergent grass weed control in maize and remain the bedrock of an effective spray programme,” says Peter.

Orion Nico Ultra is a premium oil-based liquid formulation. It contains a powerful in-built methylated seed oil adjuvant system to soften and allow more effective penetration of the weed leaf cuticle.

When used at 0.7L/ha-1.3L/ha, it provides excellent control of problem grasses such as summer

grass, barnyard grass, smooth witchgrass and couch.

Corvette is a dry granular herbicide, and it offers a more cost-effective option for contractors. When used at 50g/ha-110g/ha, it must be used with a crop oil concentrate such as Synoil. It also provides excellent control of problem grass weeds, says Peter.

“The original Amaze was a water-based formulation which required use with a flammable solvent-based activator,” says Peter. “We have come a long way with our latest formulation technology for Nicosulfuron with our two new offerings.”

Amaze is a registered trademark of Ishihara Sangyo Kaisha Ltd; and Corvette, Orion Nico Ultra and Synoil are trademarks of Orion AgriScience Ltd.

Two new herbicides in the maize market this spring offer growers and contractors a point of difference.

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FORESTRY

Page 59

Call made for China to invest more into NZ forestry The largest ever New Zealand forest industry delegation to China’s showcase Global Wood Trade Conference made a call for the superpower to invest more in our country’s forestry and timber processing.

Forest Owners Association president Peter Weir told delegates at Chongqing last month that more timber processing in NZ – before export – reduced the overall energy and carbon emissions required to produce and transport the finished product.

“There’s also a particular opportunity for primary processing of pruned logs in NZ rather than the current approach of mixing quality logs with sap-degraded logs and a subsequent loss of value by both parties,” said Peter.

Meanwhile, New Zealand Forestry Minister Shane Jones told the conference NZ is heavily reliant on access to foreign capital and also has a need to substantially increase its forest reserves.

The Minster said this is behind his Government creating a more streamlined process for investment in forestry using foreign capital “and this creates a special opportunity for those interested in working with NZ”. He also invited potential investors to consider connecting with the NZ industry representatives.

This invitation from the Minister comes at a time when there is increasing concern in China with the implications of the US tariffs.

Numerous Chinese speakers at the conference referred to the trade war with the US and that they

anticipated this to be a long drawn-out battle.

Commentators at the conference believe the impact of increased US tariffs could cost China 1.5 per cent of its GDP, according to Peter.

“On the positive side, potential Chinese investors acknowledged

the US trade problems were an opportunity to strengthen other trading partnerships and thus welcomed the invitation from Minster Jones.”

Peter says NZ forest growers and processors report constructive engagement with

PGF funding to help establish forestry school The Provincial Growth Fund is providing $300,000 to pilot a forestry training course to help solve NZ’s growing forestry skills shortage, says Regional Economic Development and Forestry Minister Shane Jones.

The full cost of the pilot is $840,000, with additional funding coming from the Eastland Community Trust, the Forest Growers Levy Trust and the Eastern Institute of Technology.

“Forestry is a key sector in Tairawhiti, but there simply aren’t enough skilled workers in the region to do the work,” says Shane.

“The ManaiaSAFE Forestry School pilot course funded through the announcement will reduce the current skills shortage by preparing individuals with the right skills needed to be successful and make forestry their career of choice.”

The pilot will take 11 trainees through 20 weeks of training, with the goal of gaining permanent employment. It will also contribute nine new jobs to the community through the running of the course.

“Current forestry training often sees students move from the classroom to a full commercial logging crew, with practical learning done on the job in a high pressure environment. This can lead to disengagement and potential health and safety risks,” says Shane.

“This pilot will bridge the gap between the classroom and commercial sites by delivering a specifically designed training programme within a controlled, commercial environment.

“The pilot has the potential to provide real benefits to the Tairawhiti region through skills train-

ing and employment for our rangatahi, while contributing to the goals of the One Billion Trees programme.

“If successful, the pilot could form the

basis for similar training courses in other parts of the country where there are forestry skills shortages,” says Shane.

members of the China Timber and Wood Products Distribution Association – the hosts of the Chongqing Conference. “The CTWPD has thousands of members across China and there has been interest from the Chinese members in both the opportunities to invest in forests and processing in NZ, as well as securing additional wood supply,” says Peter.

“A number of the CTWPD group have expressed interest in a reciprocal visit to NZ later in the year to follow up on some of these options.”

Page 60

FORESTRY

Heralding a massive land conversion to forestry Forest owners say the Productivity Commission’s call for up to 2.8 million hectares of land to be turned into forests as a carbon sink would require implementing the most ambitious land-use change project a New Zealand government has ever set itself.

Forest Owners Association president Peter Weir says the scope of afforestation proposed to get NZ to carbon neutrality by 2050 would need a new-planting rate of 100,000 hectares a year, which has been achieved only once in NZ in recent times – in 1994.

“The Government would then have to maintain this planting rate for three decades to achieve the goal.”

As a result, Peter says it’s vital the Government works closely with all land-

owning groups to ensure an efficient and equitable transition to an envisaged ‘decarbonised economy’.

“A carbon price, with a transparent and realistic system of price setting, needs to be high enough to encourage change from current activities and land use, to forestry. The Productivity Commission’s escalated price projections are realistic in that respect.”

Farm Foresters Association president Neil Cullen believes the only sufficient land area to achieve the commission’s goal is to be found on farms.

“Farmers will need to have access to the best advice on how to go about planting woodlots, and so avoid the mistakes too prevalent in the past, such as poor planning for road access at harvest time.”

“That’s not just a government job, but I believe farm organisations have a central role in helping the transformation of farm properties into an integrated land use operation with a substantial investment in forestry.”

Peter says he has a concern that there might be two ‘pools’ of methane accounting arising from the report.

“It is likely to lead to a grand-parented tradeable emission right for dairy farmers, which is denied to sheep and beef farmers.”

Neil says widespread planting for carbon fixing needs to focus on the species of trees which are best at doing that in the required time scale.

“In the distant future our new indigenous forests will be locking up a lot of carbon. But if you are to achieve efficient carbon capture in the relatively short term, that’s to 2050, there is no doubt that exotic trees, such as conifers and eucalypts, are the best candidates for the job.”

Peter says the vast afforestation envisaged by the Productivity Commission will need to incorporate whole catchments to reach the target.

“For a scheme of such as scale, we cannot afford to get either the environmental or the economic side wrong.”

Increasing wood capacity at Tairawhiti The Government’s Provincial Growth Fund is investing $500,000 in the Far East Saw Mill at Tairawhiti to increase wood processing capacity and get local people into jobs, says Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones.

The total cost to recommission the mill is just more than $3.6 million, with the remaining funding coming from the Eastland Community Trust and the Far East Saw Mill Limited.

Shane says currently only four per cent of raw logs are milled in

Tairawhiti “but there’s potential for that to increase by up to 25 per cent, which will add an estimated $120 million annually to the region”.

“Forestry is a significant economic driver in Tairawhiti and we want to make sure the region is able to take full advantage of the opportunities the sector provides.”

Shane says the announcement will help ensure any future increases can be managed locally. “Funding from the PGF will help speed up the mill’s production capacity, which is currently only operating at 10 per

cent, while also returning 50 jobs to the local economy.

“This will lead to higher value forestry products being produced and more money going back into the community via pay packets for local workers,” says Shane.

The Far East Saw Mill is a key component of the Wood Processing Centre of Excellence which aims to be a hub for wood processing, wood products, marketing and distribution, and training and research. The centre received PGF funding earlier this year for the development of a business case.

FORESTRY

Page 61

Geothermal energy key to business sustainability A Kawerau-based company believes it’s found a niche in the sawn lumber export market. Sequal Lumber says it’s found a way to tap into geothermal energy while providing a unique customer experience in a sustainable fashion.

Sequal Lumber is involved in production and export supply of Radiata pine lumber solutions throughout the Australasian, Asian, and Middle Eastern markets.

The company specialises in customised dimensional cut products coupled with reliable global chain services.

Applications

Common applications of their products include furniture, construction, pallets and packaging.

Sequal Lumber head of sales and marketing Rhys Arrowsmith says the company sources its wood from sustainable forests – and knowing the wood is dried in an environmentally-friendly manner using direct use geothermal “just completes the picture for customers”.

Philosophies

“One of our philosophies is ‘give more’ – it is about giving more in our partnerships than we take and giving back to our customers.

“Our vision is of a world class wood processing business that continually strives for excellence, maintained by creating real value for our customers, staff and the community, whilst enhancing the position for our shareholders.”

About 20 per cent of Sequal’s product remains in NZ – the rest is exported to 17 countries.

Rhys says they began exporting to Korea and have now spread throughout the world.

During the last decade the company has experienced significant growth.

Rhys says recently the business has grown so fast it is now trying to rein it in a little.

He says part of the success is down to doing things differently.

While many businesses cut up to about 40 different finished sizes, Sequal cuts lumber to about 400 different sizes set to meet our customers specification

Remain competitive

As a company with about 70 staff, Rhys says it is important to remain competitive in a heavily automated industry, something custom cutting and reducing wastage helps with.

“For some clients the custom cutting is the key, others place a significant importance on the sustainability and environmental elements.

A requirement of IKEA for instance, is that the wood needs to be 100 per cent FSC.” Many Asian countries are also developing strong positions around sustainability in forest and timber processing operations. “Geothermal completes that nicely,” says Rhys.

Unique selling point

And while he admits the geothermal aspect can be difficult to explain to overseas markets, he believes it makes a difference

that will only grow. “As consumers demand more sustainable products, it is a unique selling point.”

Without the geothermal, and the company’s strong relationship with geothermal supplier Ngati Tuwharetoa Geothermal Assets, Rhys says the options would be as a green mill not drying product, or having to use waste residue or fossil fuels for the energy supply for kiln drying.

“While the geothermal came later for our business it was always on the horizon and has natural synergy with our ethos.

It has proven to be a great enabler. We are very lucky to have the geothermal asset on our doorstep here at Kawerau.”

Bay of Connections geothermal business development lead, Andy Blair, says the Kawerau operation is a great example of the benefits of direct use geothermal.

Creating jobs

Andy was appointed to the role late last year, with the aim of connecting those with resource to those who can benefit, creating jobs in the process.

His role has the ambitious target of creating 500 jobs attributed to direct-use geothermal projects by 2025, removing barriers and speeding up investment in the geothermal industry.

A Bay of Connections initiative, it is funded by Bay of Connections, industry partners and the Government.

“The direct use happening in Kawerau by businesses such as Sequal show what can be done.

We would like to see more business parks created around geothermal, as it suits a wide range of industries such as timber drying, aquaculture, tourism, horticulture and milk drying.”

Aerial Topdressing

Airfarm Limited

COAST & COUNTRY NEWS

Page 62

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CV’s THAT STAND OUT. Don’t let your C.V. get lost amongst all the others. Get the WOW factor. A C.V. For You can provide you with a personal and professional touch.

From scratch or update existing ones. Check out samples on www. facebook.com/acvforyou or Ph/text on 021 27 27 912.

for sale

LASERS FOR SALE, two to choose from. One classic older beach boat, perfect for cruising around the harbour/lake. $1,000.

Another highly spec’d Laser, former national champs boat. Been in storage for several years. Heaps of gear, several sails and spares.

Also a complete Radial rig and sail, never used. Would suit aspiring racer as this boat has plenty potential. $5000. No beach trailers.

Both Lasers in Tauranga.

May deliver in BOP-Coromandel.

Ph 0274 996 747.

PULLETS HY-LINE BROWN, great layers. Phone 07 824 1762 www.eurekapoultryfarm.weebly.com

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KIND 30 year old Man seeking similar aged woman from BOP area for a long term relationship who enjoys rural living.

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Major International & Regional News updates

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October 7 October 13-14 LIST YOUR Grow Your Own MicroBonsai Show, Hamilton 9am-5pm, Pakaraka Gardens. See: tinyurl.com/ RURAL EVENT greens, Farm, near Thames, $150. ycoo7tnk HERE! See: www.pakarakafarm.co.nz email your listing to: October 20-21 October 9 elaine@thesun.co.nz Organic Market Gardenwith ‘Rural Event’ in the subject line.

October 6

Beginners Home Gardening Workshop, 9am-5pm, Pakaraka Farm, near Thames, $150. See: www. pakarakafarm. co.nz

Build a Weta House,

10am-2pm, Old Manawahe School (Whakatane area), for children eight-12 and their parents, includes pest control and bird call quiz. BYO lunch. Enrol with Liddy, ph: 027 569 9022.

October 13

Good & Grounded: A day

about soil, 10am-4pm, Katikati Community Centre, $15. See: tinyurl.com/ ydyrh863

October 6

October 13 Okareka

Looking at the Good Life,

Mistletoe Work Day, meet at 8.45am for weed control work organised by the Rotorua Botanical Society, free.

All abilities welcome. See: tinyurl.com/y7v4mfza

10am-5pm, near Tirau, $120. See: www.lals.nz

October 6

Moutohora Island Sanctuary Tour, 9.30am-1.30pm

from Whakatane, $89.10/ adult, $59/under 15. Booking essential, 0800 733 529 or see: www.whiteisland. co.nz

October 13 Kayak

Tour of Ohiwa Harbour Birdlife, meet

Ohope at 10am, BYO lunch (kayaks can be hired).

Booking essential. Ph Meg: 022 173 3061.

October 6-7

Plant Sales, 10am-4pm, Hamilton Gardens.

ing Workshop, 9am-5pm,

Pakaraka Farm, near Thames, $440. See: www.pakarakafarm.co.nz

October 22 Bonsai

Workshop with Will Badde-

ley, 9am-4.30pm, Hamilton, $110 for non-club members.

See: tinyurl.com/ycsdfvjl

October 25 Waikato

Horticultural Society: Birds, 7.30pm, Hamilton Gardens, entry $5. Ph Carmel: 07 859 0158

October 27 Back to Basics Herbal Medicine,

9.30am-2pm, Katikati area, $50. See: tinyurl. com/ydzbbfkj

October 27 Native

Plant Sale, 8.30am-noon, Forest & Bird nursery, Fortunes Rd, Whakatane (signposted from SH30).

Cash only.

October 27 Garden Design, 2 weeks, Fraser High

School, Hamilton, $85. See: tinyurl.com/y8nqtks5

October 27-28

Cows and Cheese, how to manage a house cow and use her bounty, Tirau, $300/$500 per couple. See: www.lals.nz

October 27-28

Open garden weekend in Kaiaua. Two gardens to visit,

free admission. Heritage roses and perennials for sale. See: www.grassrootsroses.co.nz

October 28 Soap Making, Cream & Ointment Workshop, 10am-3pm,

Katikati Community Centre, $85. See: tinyurl.com/ycdp5xnh

October 28 Bonsai Workshop, 2-4pm, Bunnings, Hamilton, free.

November 2

Morrinsville Rose Show,

November 3 Keeping Chickens & Ducks,

9am-5pm, Pakaraka Farm, near Thames, $150. See: www. pakarakafarm. co.nz

November 3 Silage & Pasture, Tirau,

$55. See: www.lals.nz

November 3-4 Plant Sales, 10am-4pm, Hamilton Gardens.

November 4 Tauranga Iris Show, 10am-4pm,

Tauranga Boys’ College gymnasium, $3.

November 4 Altrusa Garden Ramble, Te Awamutu, $25.

Tickets from the Te Awamutu i-Site, ph: 07 871 3259.

November 4 Scare-

11.30am-3.30pm, Presbyterian Church Hall, Canada St. Gold coin.

Gardens.

Tauranga Rose Show,

Pacific Rosebowl Festival,

crow Festival, Hamilton

November 3

November 7-11

11.30am-4pm, Greerton Hall, gold coin.

Hamilton Gardens, free. Public vote decides the rose trial titles.

Join Morrinsville’s iconic fun run Morrinsville is a rural community with about 6500 people, with Morrinsville College at the forefront of education for its younger citizens.

And once-a-year people, young and old, get the chance to dress up and run around the streets of the township to support the local college.

This year the 17th annual Morrinsville College Fun Run/Walk is on Sunday, October 28, offering a 5km and 10km run or walk.

The event starts and ends at Morrinsville College Sports Fields on North St, with the 10km option beginning 9.30am, and the 5km at 10am.

Organiser Sue Brownlie says the event is put together by the Morrinsville College Parent-Teacher Association, with assistance from sponsors and raises funds for various school activities.

“As a community we want to support the school as much as we can and the fun run enables the parents

of the school to raise funds, helping with security systems, a new van, motivational speakers and any special resources.”

Sue says the fun run caters to all ages and abilities and each participant receives a goody bag at the end.

“There are heaps of spot prizes kindly provided by our sponsors.”

And the event has become somewhat of a tradition in Morrinsville with good numbers taking part each year – and usually donning some crazy outfits around the circuit.

“It is always a fun day with a great atmosphere – so make sure you register now.”

To enter, see the college’s website: www.morrcoll. school.nz or the ‘Morrinsville Col- Youngsters of Morrinsville dress up for lege Fun Run’ Facebook page. their town’s iconic, annual fun run.

xterior wash B OAT | F I S H | WAT E R S P O R T N Z

S

BER TR TIM E

NT ME AT

PEPP ER

Mark Hey.

DECEMBER 2017

COAST & COUNTRY NEWS

Page 63

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Page 64

COAST & COUNTRY NEWS Darla, aged 2, with orphan lamb Start, at three days old in Te Awamutu.

Above: ‘Silly chickens!’ says Regan Shine, aged 2.5, in Waihi.

Above: Alex Rasmussen, 3, and Ryan Rasmussen, 6, with the first calf for the season in Waitoa.

Below: Ruby, 5, and Hazel, 8, turned the drain and stand off pad their dad was digging into a mud bath/slide in Hamilton.

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Pictures to Coast & Countr untry Camera” or posted every entry. kathy@thesun.co.nz “Co e a name, address and phone number with lud inc ase Ple Tauranga.

Below: Eighteen-month-old Sadie Mae is sharing her chocolate chip biscuit with pedigree Brown Swiss dairy cow ‘Sofia’ in Tirohanga, South Waikato.