Wairarapa Rural Outlook 2020_Spring

21

www.age.co.nz Thursday, September 24, 2020

SEPTEMBER EDITION

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Thursday, September 24, 2020 Wairarapa Times-Age

SEPTEMBER EDITION

Agricultural machine operators in short supply Despite the announcement that up to 210 “mobile plant operators” will be allowed into New Zealand under “class exceptions for border entry” it looks like agricultural machine operators will be in short supply, at least for the moment.

OUTLOOK RURAL

While welcomed by Wairarapa Federated Farmers President David Hayes, he pointed out that the hay harvesting season has already started, and the exemption would probably be of greater use next season. “We will be going in with a shortage this year.”

Tutor and mentor for the course is John Murphy who has been in the agriculture and agricultural contracting industry all his working life.

Speaking on the phone, John ÿ rst gave a shout out to three Wairarapa companies who have had a lot of input into the delivery of the course - Andrew Tulloch Contracting, Grey Brothers Contractors and Scott’s Ag Contracting.

A month ago Rural Contractors NZ surveyed its members and found that 57 contractors urgently needed 206 skilled operators.

Parton’s reading of the situation at the moment is that there is a serious shortage.

This season, the ÿ rst thing farmers will have to realise is that they are not going to get the level of service they have in the past, he says.

“Whereas they might have expected to get someone today, they will have to wait till next week.”

Introductory courses for agricultural machine operators have started at Taratahi in the North Island and SIT’s Telford

Wairarapa course provides much needed ag contracting drivers The local agricultural contracting community has come together to organise an introductory course at the Taratahi Agricultural Training Centre to get drivers behind our tractors and farm machinery as soon as possible.

Immigration Minister Kris Faafoi announced the exemption in Masterton on Tuesday.

Rural Contractors CEO Roger Parton said tens of millions of dollars’ worth of farm production and the jobs of other workers are at risk.

23

www.age.co.nz Thursday, September 24, 2020

Wairarapa farmers will not be able to expect the same level of service from their agricultural contractors, says Rural Contractors CEO Roger Parton. campus in the South Island to help relieve the shortage.

John Tulloch, Managing Director Tulloch Farm Machines, expects to see a shortage of drivers in Wairarapa but not to the degree of regions like Waikato and Canterbury.

“The situation will vary from contractor to contractor. Some will be okay while others who might normally have hired ÿ ve or six drivers from overseas might struggle to ÿ nd local ones to replace them.”

Tulloch Farm Machines has been heavily involved with the courses being run at Taratahi to ÿ ll the gap, loaning out machinery and helping to arrange tractors.

He expects the new graduates to start at the lower end of machinery operation, freeing up more experienced drivers for jobs needing higher levels of skill.

But it will be a challenging time for agricultural contractors who will have to weigh up the urgency of getting jobs done with the risk

of machines being damaged through inexperience.

“They can’t a° ord to have accidents and also don’t want to damage their machinery. So it will be a delicate balance.”

Tulloch thinks some agricultural contracting owners may need to get back in the driver’s seat themselves.

“But that is not ideal as that means that they won’t have the time to take care of running the overall business.”

“They have helped develop the course to suit their needs in the industry.

“Also, Tulloch Farm Machines managing director John Tulloch has been outstanding, supplying machinery from Tulloch’s own Krone range for training.

“Power Farming provided a tractor and machinery to use, as did Wairarapa Machinery Services.

The industry support has been outstanding.”

The courses are being run under the umbrella of Ministry of Primary Industries, UCOL and the Eastern Institute of Technology.

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article, with zero overseas drivers coming into the country due to Covid-19 restrictions, there will be a shortage of agricultural machine operators this spring and summer.

The ÿ rst six-week course has just ÿ nished with 12 participants nine already employed, six of these in Wairarapa. The second course is into its second week.

During the course, participants get a good understanding of the

because of the size of the tractors and machinery they will be using.”

The ÿ rst batch of participants included a commercial airline pilot with a further three included in the current course.

“The interesting thing is that they are not very good at backing. As one said to me, ‘We never used to have to back the airplanes’.”

John expects the new participants to start o° with

“It’s an opportunity to do something that produces food, and at the end of the day these people will have a job for life.” range of work ag contracting involves, and build their skills in driving farm machinery, basic mechanics, farm health and safety and ÿ rst aid.

Safety is a crucial part of the training, says John - “the drivers own, the contracting business they work for, and the farmers.

“We also make them spatially aware. This is very important

basic contracting work before moving up a notch. “After a couple of years they will be skilled operators.”

The feedback from local employers has been positive, John says.

“They are rapt that to have these people available to them.

Otherwise their machines would be sitting idle.”

Airline pilot Neil Johansson at Taratahi Agricultural Training Centre.

The course is fully funded and runs from Monday to Friday with self-catering available for those who chose to stay over the weekend or are from further aÿ eld and travel is not an option.

The online publicity for the course says “the future of our primary industries won’t look the same, and our Government has pointed out the need for diverse, innovative new people and skills.

“This is your chance to get started on a rewarding and ˛ exible new path, and help shape our country’s future success.”

It’s a beautiful day when John is asked what the incentives are for doing the course. He replies “Look outside today, it ain’t too bad.

need to realise where the food they pick o° the supermarket shelves comes from.

“Agriculture is seen as uncool, but I think Covid could change that view.

“We have a team of ÿ ve million producing food to feed 55 million.

“That is how good we are at what we do. And agricultural machine operators are an important part of that.”

You can ÿ nd more information about the course at http:// www.ucol.ac.nz/programmes/ agriculture/taratahi-agcontracting-course

“It’s an opportunity to do something that produces food, and at the end of the day these people will have a job for life.

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Thursday, September 24, 2020 Wairarapa Times-Age

RURAL OUTLOOK

SEPTEMBER EDITION

Bioreactor cleans up the water

25

www.age.co.nz Thursday, September 24, 2020

What’s your heat detection strategy?

An innovative but simple technology for removing contaminants such as nitrate from waterways is now available to farmers in Wairarapa.

BY SAMANTHA TENNANT, DAIRYNZ DEVELOPER

Good heat detection programmes can have a major impact on overall herd reproductive performance.

It’s di˙ cult to ÿ nd an agreed deÿ nition for good driving, people tend to have their own deÿ nitions, and most people think their skills are above average.

While the term “bioreactor” sounds intimidating, the concept is simple and bioreactors are relatively easy and a˜ ordable to construct.

A bioreactor is a swimming poolsized pit in the ground, ÿ lled with wood chip. Water from pipe drains where nitrates may be found, especially in late autumn, ˛ ows in at the top end.

By the time it ˛ ows out, the water has gone through a natural process which halves the concentration of nitrate.

The bioreactor provides a suitable environment for bacteria to convert potentially harmful nitrate (NO3-N) in the water to harmless atmospheric nitrogen gas(N2).

This process is known as denitriÿ cation This is carried out by bacteria which thrive in environments where oxygen levels are very low and there is organic carbon for energy (the wood chip).

To ensure long service from a bioreactor, the wood chips need to be waterlogged even during summer months which is why liner is required.

The technology suits low lying farms which occur in the

On farm, the same attitude can apply to reproductive performance, particularly heat detection. People may not realise or admit that their heat detection skills, or lack of, may be a constraint to improving their performance.

ABOVE: Ready for the woodchips. ABOVE RIGHT: The out˜ ow from the bioreactor Ruamahanga River basin and similar environments. A few bioreactors have been built in Southland, Waikato and Manawatu. Wairarapa’s ÿ rst bioreactor was built at Windy Farm in South Wairarapa in early 2019 and started cleaning the drainage water in May last year.

The project was administered

by Sustainable Wairarapa Incorporated with shared funding at di˜ erent stages from the Ministry of Primary Industry, DairyNZ, Greater Wellington Regional Council and Landcorp.

The trial was brought to fruition by Groundtruth Ltd, a New Zealand company that uses science, technology and community engagement in innovative ways

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to enhance the management of ecosystems and productive landscapes.

Two bioreactors were built on Windy Farm, one higher spec and one lower spec version.

But it quickly became apparent that the lower spec bioreactor was just as e˜ ective, and that design has been used as the basis for the installation guide, says Groundtruth director John-Paul Praat. Windy Farm was chosen because its land application included both dairy and piggery e˝ uent so it has to deal with more e˝ uent than a traditional dairy farm.

The drainage water has been monitored for some years at Windy Farm, which provided

good information to measure improvements against.

The bioreactor was a part of a range on-farm work trialling the e˜ ectiveness of di˜ erent methods of improving the quality of water leaving farms, the others being wetlands, e˝ uent upgrades and riparian management.

The project has been comparing the capital cost of removing contaminants such as nitrate in terms of kilograms of nitrate removed for dollars spent. The Kaiwaiwai wetlands came out best at around $90/kg N, with the bioreactor second at $250/kg N. Both these investments compared favourably with land retirement projects which costed around $400/

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kg N removed. Some dairy e˝ uent upgrades can cost over $1000/kg N removed, says Praat.

Farms in lowland areas like the Ruamahanga River basin are ideal for a bioreactor, Praat says.

The bioreactor design and installation guide, which is now available to download for free at www.groundtruth.co.nz, describes how to apply this technology on-farm to start removing nitrate from drainage water.

Wetlands used to provide a natural system for cleaning water on its way to Lake Wairarapa. Now pipe drainage - known as “tile drains” – are part of a system used to drain these areas for other land use such as pastoral and arable production.

There is always room for improvement. Upskilling your team and adjusting your tactics will allow you to reap rewards for seasons to come.

The guide provides all the information required to build a bioreactor. Anyone can build one, says Praat, but he advises farmers to hire an experienced drainage contractor, unless they have the machinery and expertise.They also need to check with their local authorities on any requirements they may have.

A bioreactor at the end of a pipe drain is an option to carry out part of what wetlands used to do.

Technology such as bioreactors which reduce nitrates in drainage water are known as “edge of ÿ eld mitigation”.

Many farmers will invest time to upskill their team on how to detect cows that are on heat but not necessarily outline the next steps between detection and insemination, and what to do after insemination. There is value in outlining all the processes surrounding heat detection and mating on farm

HAVE A STRATEGY AND A PROCESS

Visit groundtruth.co.nz to download the guide.

and breaking it down into easy to follow steps.

START WITH PRE˜MATING DEVELOP YOUR PLAN PRE˜MATING

Outline your plan. When will the cows be tail painted? With what colour? When will you change colours? Set out who is responsible for monitoring which cow has cycled and what needs to be done with this information. When do you decide if you will complete any non-cycler treatment?

TRAIN THE TEAM

Before mating starts, train new team members, and refresh others, about what they are looking for during heat detection. The pre-mating period is a good opportunity for team members to practise what they are looking for, with support.

MEET THE AI TECHNICIAN

Conÿ rm timing and plan with the team who will meet the technician and what the process will be with drafted cows before and after they are inseminated.

Identify whose responsibility it is and when they should re-apply tail paint and heat detection aids.

WHEN MATING STARTS

What heat detection aids will you use? Also consider who is responsible for their upkeep and how often they should be maintaining them.

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Discuss and decide what the farm policy is for any cows you are unsure about, and what steps to take before conÿ rming whether to submit them or not.

It is a good idea to include a ‘?’ next to their mating date if they are submitted, as this helps if they return after an odd time interval.

REVIEW DURING MATING

Finally, you’ll need to decide who is responsible for reviewing heat detection and when this happens. What is the contingency plan if there are any concerns during mating?

Heat detection is only one factor contributing to reproductive performance, but it is important to get right. It is valuable for even the most experienced teams to reassess their heat detection policy to be ready for the upcoming mating period.

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Outline individual responsibilities for identifying cows on heat, and what they should do with that information. You’ll also need to clarify who is responsible for drafting cows that have been identiÿ ed or suspected to be on heat. List how you will crosscheck that all cows identiÿ ed have been drafted.

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Thursday, September 24, 2020 Wairarapa Times-Age

SEPTEMBER EDITION

Dung Beetles colonising Wairarapa

to 15 per cent of cow pats collect around the milking shed. The rest are in the paddocks.”

It is here that Vern hopes the dung beetles will make a di° erence, “potentially doing far more in the environment for a lot less cost”.

Working in conjunction with the Regional Council, Kaiwaiwai bought three annual $3000 double packs to double the speed with which the dung beetles population increases.

OUTLOOK RURAL

There are around 350 farmers who have released over 1000 dung beetle colonies the full length of the country, including over 70 in Wairarapa.

The two people behind this colonisation are Andrew Barber and Shaun Forgie.

Andrew Barber project managed the Dung Beetle Release Strategy Group, an MPI farmer-led project to import dung beetles into New Zealand, while internationally recognised entomologist Dr Shaun Forgie was the lead scientist for the project.

Inspired by their desire to see the dung beetle improve New Zealand’s soils and waterways, the two men established Dung Beetle Innovations as a commercial enterprise.

Now they want to see as many Wairarapa farmers as possible enjoy the beneÿ ts provided by the dung beetle.

As an added incentive, Wairarapa farmers get to enjoy up to a 50 per cent discount on the purchase price of their dung beetles, thanks to funding from Greater Wellington Regional Council (GWRC).

Dung beetles only like fresh cow pats so Vern was careful to place the dung beetles in parts of the farm where they can follow the rotation of the cows around the property.

Children at Kaiwaiwai Open Gate Day get a closer look at the work of dung beetles.

“All parts of the Wairarapa get a 20 per cent discount. There are high priority catchments for the 50 per cent discount and if this isn’t used up then all farmers in the GWRC region are eligible for the 50 per cent discount. In the past, the priority catchments have not been oversubscribed and hence all GWRC farms have received the 50 per cent discount,” says Andrew.

They can buy the Four Seasons Package of dung beetles for $3000 - half the usual cost. Four Seasons, because you need at least four di° erent species to cover di° erent times of the year.

Andrew points out this is a one-o° cost, with no further spending or maintenance required.

There are 11 species allowed in New Zealand with seven presently in production. Shaun matches the species to the type of farm they will be released on, and gives advice on where to release them, which is very easy to do.

Among the Wairarapa farmers who have introduced dung beetles on their properties is Kaiwaiwai Dairies.

The dairy farm a few kilometres from Lake Wairarapa has a history of forward thinking when it comes to the environment and earlier this year was named the 2020 Regional Supreme Winner at the Greater Wellington Ballance Farm Environment Awards.

Demonstrating good environmental stewardship is a key focus for the farm, which is operated as an equity partnership with six shareholders, led by Aidan Bichan, Neville Fisher and Vern Brasell. Dung beetles ÿ t into that system, says Vern. He sees dung beetles as another tool in the farm’s environment plan.

Kaiwaiwai stocks 900 cows on a 315ha milking platform. It has spent a large amount of money on upgrading its e˛ uent system, but Vern notes that “at most, 10

He hasn’t seen many yet, “but I believe it is around ÿ ve to six years before they are noticeable.”

Vern is hoping the dung beetles will bring multiple beneÿ ts including storing carbon in the ground, helping with the holding capacity of the soil when it is wet, and enabling plants to better use nitrates and so increase productivity.

He is also hoping the dung beetles break the breeding cycle of worms, so reducing the need for drenching.

“We use rotational grazing and ensure we have healthy well-fed stock so only use drench for our calves. But dung beetles will help in this process once we get enough of them.”

For more information and to order visit dungbeetles.co.nz Phone 021 040 8685 or email shaun@dungbeetles.co.nz

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www.age.co.nz Thursday, September 24, 2020

Drench resistance - should farmers be worried?

Managing internal parasites is one of the biggest challenges that farmers face. Research shows that there is widespread resistance to several drench families across both sheep & cattle.

WHAT IS ANTHELMINTIC (DRENCH) RESISTANCE?

Drench resistance is present when previously susceptible worm populations in an animal survive after a correctly applied dose of drench has been used.

The resistant worms survive and carry on to breed, passing their resistant genes to their o° -spring.

So over time the resistant worms make up an increasing proportion of the worm population on the farm. Worms can be resistant to one or more drench (action) family.

SHOULD FARMERS BE CONCERNED?  Farmers need to balance the risk of drench resistance and yet manage worms so that production and animal welfare is not compromised.  A short term production gain may result in the longer term cost of drench resistance.

PARASITE MANAGEMENT PLAN In order to optimise animal

production in the face of parasitism, each farmer should have a parasite management plan, as part of an overall animal health plan.

The parasite management plan, and its application, will require a thorough knowledge of the parasites present on the farm, their biology, and methods that can be used to manage them. Remember that each farm is di° erent and plans need to be farm-speciÿ c.

The drenching component of the plan should strive to minimise both the impact of worms on production and selection for drench resistant worms.

All factors that impact on parasite management and animal production are inter-related and need to be considered together when developing and implementing the plan.

Don’t be afraid to ask for advice.

FEEDING  Poor nutrition or under feeding increases susceptibility to internal parasites.  All classes of stock should be provided with su˝ cient feed to enable them to attain speciÿ ed targets.  Forward planning is essential; feed budgeting, regular monitoring of live-weights and body condition should be a routine operation.

MANAGE LARVAL CHALLENGE

satisfactory feed does not need to be routinely drenched.

Drenching should be based on feed levels, age of animals, pregnancy status, parasite burdens, and other factors.

 Production beneÿ ts arise from lower levels of challenge in young stock in particular.  Plan to create low levels of larval challenge – use stock movement, grazing history, forage, weather, and stock type and classes.

REFUGIA

USING STOCK THAT ARE RESISTANT TO WORMS OR RESILIENT IN THE FACE OF CHALLENGE

 You should always know which drenches are e° ective on your farm. Drench testing should be carried out regularly, with frequency depending on drench resistance risk factors on your farm – and your drench chosen on the basis of the results.  Drenching strategies will need to be tailored to suit individual farms and stock classes, so seek advice.

DRENCHING ADULT STOCK

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 Avoid drenching more frequently than every 28 days unless there is a special need. ie animal welfare.  For sheep, avoid whole ˙ ock treatment pre-lambing with a long-acting anthelmintic product.

The aim is to allow enough susceptible worms to dilute the resistant ones without signiÿ cantly compromising animal productivity.

DRENCHING

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 Avoid drenching young stock on to ‘clean’ pasture/ low challenge grazing unless you have a plan to introduce/ maintain refugia.

Refugia involves ensuring that some drench susceptible worms are maintained in the worm population to breed.

 Use stock class mapping as part of the planning process.

This will enable you to identify where a challenge is coming from and anticipate how to deal with it.

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 Weigh animals so that they are not under dosed.

 Hoggets and two tooths often need to be treated di° erently to mature ewes.

 Rotate the type and all stock classes during the course of a year so that the worm population on the farm is continually mixed up.

 The aim should be to achieve a balance between maximising animal production and minimising selection pressure on the worm population.

An adult ewe or cow in good condition that is on

 Avoid using an ine° ective drench.

Sheep breeders have made progress with selection for resistance or resilience which give genetic options for the long term management of parasites.

There are breeding indices for these traits to help with individual ram selection. http://www. sil.co.nz/

OTHER PRACTICES TO REDUCE OR DELAY WORM RESISTANCE TO DRENCHES

 Use combination drenches even if drench resistance has not been identiÿ ed on your farm. 

Avoid using long-acting formulations that can result in an extended period of sub-lethal dosing.  Have a quarantine plan for new animals.

For more information visit Wormwise at wormwise.co.nz Wormwise is the national worm management strategy aimed at helping farmers and their advisers to manage worms sustainably for the future.

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Thursday, September 24, 2020 Wairarapa Times-Age

OUTLOOK RURAL

SEPTEMBER EDITION

Beginner friendly course offers way into local honey industry

Ex-shearer making life easier on the farm The traditional ewe cradle has been updated for today’s sheep

by Masterton man Sean Blenkin. It one of several improved designs for helping farmer out in the paddock, in the woolshed and in the yard.

Places are still available for an apiculture foundation course starting in October. The two-week course at Taratahi Agricultural Training Centre is part of the government initiative to help people who have lost their jobs due to the Covid-19 lockdown to start a new career in the honey industry.

It is a joint venture between the Ministry of Primary Industries, UCOL, Eastern Institute of Technology and three local beekeeping companies - King Honey, Comvita and Oha Honey.

The ÿ rst week of the course sees participants get practical experience with the 15 hives at Taratahi, while the second week they go on work experience with local companies, says Simon Bailey, team leader for primary industries at UCOL Wairarapa.

At the end of the course participants are equipped with some entry level skills for the apiculture industry. The course is tutored by well-known Wairarapa apiculturist Peter Ferris, who has a wealth of knowledge and is enjoying passing on what he has learnt over nearly 50 years in the honey industry.

“He does a great job with participants, he is so passionate,” says Bailey.

Sean grew up in Masterton, going to St Joseph’s College (now Chanel) in the 1970s. After a stint working at the Philip Morris factory in Masterton, he took up shearing in Wairarapa and later around New Zealand. Further career changes saw him the North Island sales manager for an oil additive company, then running his own painting and maintenance business.

The course is a great way for people to get a start in the industry, he says, “starting at the bottom and working your way up. It is a really good career path.”

Bailey has noticed a lot of the participants in the just-completed ÿ rst course are older but anyone 18 and older can come and experience the course.

Sean eventually returned to the rural sector, this time as the Australian sales manager for a New Zealand sheep handling equipment company. Two years later, he was back in Masterton and decided to invent and sell his own sheep handling products using his experience and knowledge of real-life farming.

“They are in their thirties and forties and they are motivated to work. A lot of people we see in the course are displaced from the work they used to do. They want to keep working and making an income.”

Sean was unhappy with the ewe cradles on the market which he felt weren’t designed with today’s sheep in mind, and also noticed how they were hard on the farmers’ backs.

Bailey believes the course is best for people who have a little bit of an interest but anyone can come and experience what it is like to be up close and personal with the bees.

The course is fully funded and runs from Monday to Friday with selfcatering available for those who chose to stay over the weekend or are from further aÿ eld and travel is

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Anyone interested in ÿ nding out more about the course or

enrolling should ring UCOL Wairarapa Phone 06 222 4030

“Cross-frame cradles for supporting pregnant ewes have been around for many years, but with farmers aiming for multiple births, pregnant ewes are much heavier and their udders bigger.”

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The Stock Ezy cradle frame is width and height adjustable, supporting ewes from 40kg to 120kg. It is lightweight and easyto-use with breathable fabric.

“My cradle frame is easier to load.

With the old ones, you normally have to pick up the sheep and put it in the cradle, putting a strain on the farmer’s back. With mine you simply slip the sheep into the cradle without having to lift the sheep.”

Farmers can use it for sleepy sickness, cast ewes, bearing ewes, and mothering on lambs.

“When the farmer comes across a downer on his daily rounds, he can secure it in the cradle. He then treats the ewe, carries on with his work, and returns later to release the animal when it is more stable on its feet again.”

Sean’s next design was for a fold-away fadge holder for the woolshed, drawing on his shearing days. The design was used for the 60th Golden Shears, getting very favourable reviews, and cutting the fadge replacement time from three and a half, to one minute.

It is light, tough, and structurally sound, with no weld joints or pins to lose.

After requests from gardeners around New Zealand Sean added wheels to the design. It still folds up for easy storage and transport.

The holder has endless potential and is being used by recycling depots, lawn mowing contractors

and in several industrial applications. Now Sean has invented an improved backstop for sheep races.

backstop doesn’t have springs that can be damaged or lost. Simple but e° ective, the backstops are heavy duty and will last a lifetime.

Two backstops are bolted to the side of the race – one near the front and one at the back. Each backstop has an arm that the sheep pushes past as they go up the race. The arm then simply falls back to its default position behind their rear legs.

“I took a pair out to a farm to show a farmer the other week. I ÿ tted them on the race and he said ‘They’re staying here! ‘ He wouldn’t let me take them away.”

Because it uses gravity, the

It’s all about making life easier for farmers, Sean says.

“Especially now that they have fewer sta° and are working at an

older age, and have to work by themselves.”

Sean is already ÿ nishing o° his latest design, easy ˛ ow control gates that will make it easier for farmers in the yard when they are doing draughting, weighing, drenching and so on.

You can see videos of Sean’s designs in action at www. stockezynz.com or phone 0800 785 399 / 0800 stk ezy

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GREEN HARVEST

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Thursday, September 24, 2020 Wairarapa

OUTLOOK RURAL

SEPTEMBER EDITION

Times-Age

Hemp industry champing at the bit

31

www.ag e .co.nz Thursday, September 24, 2020

Tararua iwi at forefront of hemp industry

A just released report on the potential of hemp to the New Zealand economy says it could be worth as much as $2 billion and provide 20,000 regional jobs by 2030.

Cannabinoid nutraceuticals which in the USA is 75 per cent of the total hemp market.

Hopefully, the Tararua District will have its own hemp processing plant in the near future.

“This is in stark contrast to the US Farm Bill 2018 which allows processing of the whole plant which includes access to all the cannabinoids, ˜ avonoids and terpenes from the ˜ owers and leaves.

Dannevirke-based business Pure Hear Aotearoa would already have the harvesting and processing technology it needs, from Jinzhou Qiaopai Group Company in China, if it wasn’t for Covid-19.

The NZ Hemp Export Driven Industry Report has been produced by the NZ Hemp Industries Association and authored by Dr Nick Marsh.

1. The general public ignorance, confusion, and outdated stigma about cannabis, marijuana, medicines, and hemp.

Dr Marsh argues that a fast growth hemp industry could boost regional economies that have been battered by Covid-19.

“NZ is a small country which is renowned for its food and beverage exports - in short, we are a world leader in growing and exporting food.

“But our food economy is battered by the closing of the borders and the resultant loss of tourist and student revenues.

“We therefore need to urgently expand existing food crops and develop new crops which bring capital investment into the regions - and thus jobs - to help replace the loss of international revenues and jobs,” Dr Marsh says.

In recent years hemp has been legalised across North America and the majority of OECD countries, and is undergoing an investment and consumer market

There are only two problems getting in the way, Dr Marsh says.

boom around the world, Dr Marsh points out.

leaves of Hemp - in particular CBD (Cannabidiol).

“ Unfortunately, there is still a public confusion about hemp and marijuana in New Zealand. In simple terms marijuana contains THC which can make you high, whilst Hemp contains CBD which can make you well.”

“Demand for access to CBD has rocketed in recent years. CBD is a pain killer as well as helping to relieve stress conditions like PTSD, and anxiety conditions. It o˝ ers a safe alternative to the Opioids prescribed by doctors. It is a part of the formulations of many of the cannabis medicines currently being tested around the world.”

There are three hemp product categories - Food (from seed), Fibre (from stalks), and Nutraceuticals (from cannabinoid extracts).

“Our 10 New Zealand hemp companies have achieved remarkable progress since 2017 in building a Food (Seed) market with a range of supplement, oil, and balm products both for domestic and export markets, and also a ˜ edgling Fibre industry.

“Much of the growth of consumer demand for hemp products is driven by the discovery of the many health beneÿ ts of cannabinoids which can be extracted from the ˜ owers and

The biggest market is for CBD nutraceutical products such as oils, and balms, as well as an ingredient in a wide range of food and beverage products. This market is estimated to total US$1.2 billion in the USA of which 75 per cent is CBD. The block for New Zealand is the Hemp regulations amendments in 2018 for New Zealand which prohibit processing any of the plant except the hulled seeds, and the Fibre from the stalk, Dr Marsh says.

“This removes us from the biggest market in the world which is

2. The regulatory block that is delaying our ability to compete in fast-growing global CBD markets with our own brands of hemp nutraceuticals, as well as premium bulk extracts.

The report describes two growth scenarios for hemp in New Zealand by 2030.

S CEN ARIO 1 - No Regulatory Reform with the seed and ÿ bre products estimated at $500 million with around 5000 new jobs in the regions.

S CEN ARIO 2 is Regulatory Reform with total earnings of $2.0 billion; $183 million in seed products, and $317 million in ÿ bre products, $1.5 billion in hemp nutraceuticals from cannabinoids, terpenes and ˜ avonoids, and 20,000 new jobs in the regions.

The f u l l r e p or t can b e f ou nd at: h ttp s : /he mp tod ay .ne t/w p conte nt/u p l oad s / 2 02 0/ 09 / NZ F U L L - REPO RT.p d f

TOGETHER WE VALUE YOUR TIME Growing pressures to operate in our changing

Pure Heart Aotearoa was established by Ng˛ti Kahungunu ki T˛maki nuia-Rua of Tararua, one of six rohe (regions) belonging to Ng˛ti Kahungunu.

Chairman Hayden Hape has dedicated the past three years to developing the hemp food business.

Pure Heart Aotearoa has been working in partnership with Massey University to trial and research the best hemp varieties.

“All the hemp varieties perform well throughout New Zealand. We have been getting to know which ones grow particularly well,” says Hayden.

The aim is for Pure Heart Aotearoa to contract farmers to grow hemp throughout New Zealand.

The biggest problem in New Zealand is the lack of technology, he says, which is why the business has gone into partnership with the Chinese company to

supply what it needs in this department.

The aim is to build a stateof-the-art hemp facility in the Tararua district.

In the meantime, Pure Heart Aotearoa has been developing new products with Massey University, the ÿ rst of which is nearing completion. Pure Heart Aotearoa will look to release

information on this in the coming weeks.

Up until now Pure Heart Aotearoa has been packaging imported hemp products which it sells under its own brand, similar to some other New Zealand businesses, “to give people a taste of the future”.

Hayden says the number one person the business wants to look after is the farmer.

“We will be asking farmers to put aside land for a new crop, so want to make sure that when we are up and

already made legal. There have been instances where representatives of MPI have asked the question Can Hemp food get you high?”

But despite the challenges, Hayden says these are exciting times.

“It is certainly the plant of the future.”

Hayden says it was the health and environmental beneÿ ts of hemp that made it an attractive investment for the iwi.

Ng˜ti Kahungunu ki T˜maki nui-a-Rua Chairman Hayden Hape.

“Ng˛ti Kahungunu translates to ‘people of Kahungunu’. Kahungunu is our chief, who was well known for growing crops, uplifting his people and

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One was an ill-informed public, but Hayden believes New Zealanders are becoming aware of the health and other beneÿ ts of hemp.

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The second hurdle, the report highlighted, are regulatory blocks.

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Hayden believes there are adequate regulations to get the industry started, but that sta˝ at MPI are still poorly informed, which is slowing progress down.

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The just released NZ Hemp Export Driven Industry Report found two signiÿ cant hurdles to the hemp industry taking o˝ in this country.

“Ngāti Kahungunu translates to ‘people of Kahungunu’. Kahungunu is our chief, who was well known for growing crops, uplifting his people and created prosperity by ensuring the availability of food for his community.”

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