Gisborne - From The Land February 2026

FEBRUARY 2026

Yardweaningbenefitscalfgrowthrates

Suppliedby:Beef+lambNewZealand

Ascalfweaninggetsunderway, Beef+LambNewZealandis encouragingfarmerstoconsider yardweaningaswaytogetcalvesoffto greatstart.

Australiantrialsfoundyardweaned calveswere15.3kgheavierafterthree monthsandhadalowerincidence ofrespiratorydiseasethanpaddock weanedcalves.

Thetrialfoundthatyardweaned cattlewereeasiertohandleovertheir lifetimeandweremorelikelytoadjust quicklytofeedlotorcellgrazingsystems, improvingthechanceofsuperiorweight gain.

AfarmtrialcarriedoutinGisborne showedevenmoreimpressiveresults. YardweanedAngus/Hereford/ Simmentalcrosscalvesgained10kgover asix-and-a-half-dayyardweaningtrial comparedto0.5kginpaddockweaned calves.Allcalveswerearound140days old.

Beef+LambNewZealand’sSenior

AdvisorBiosecurityandAnimalWelfare, WillHalliday,saysyardweaninginvolves keepingcalvesindryyardsforfouror fivedaysafterweaningandgivingthem accesstohighqualitysilageorhay (qualityisimportant)aswellasclean, freshwater.

Stressingtheimportanceofproviding qualityfeed,Hallidaysayscalvesaged betweenthreeandsixmonthsrequire feedthatcontainsatleast10.9MJ/kg DMtomeettheirnutritionalneeds. Supplementssuchasgrainmay thereforeberequiredtoboostenergyin thedietifthehay,silageorbaleageisof poorquality.

Concentratesshouldbeintroduced slowly,buildingupthemaximindaily amount.

Allfeedshouldbekeptofftheground topreventspoilingandideally,foodand watershouldbewithinashortdistance ofeachother.

Tohelpsocialisethecalves,atleast onepersonshouldwalkthroughthe yardsatleasttwiceadaywithoutdogs.

Hesayscalvesbetween180kgand

260kgshouldbeallowedatleast4m square/headwhilesmallercalvesshould beallocated2.5msquare/head.Itis importantcalvesarekeptreasonably closetogetherasthishelpsquieten themdown.

Puttingyardweaningintopractice CentralOtagofarmerCurtisPannett hasalwaysyardweanedhiscalves,a practiceputintoplacebyhisfathermany yearsago.

“I’veneverknownanydifferent,”he says.

Curtis,whofarms3400haintheTeviot Valley,runs360mixed-ageAngusand Anguscrosscowsand70first-calving heifersonthefamily’breedingand finishingoperation.

Thecowsarerunontheirextensive countryandthecalvesgrownoutand finishedonthefarm’sirrigatedflats.

Curtissayshewantshiscalvestobe settled,withtheirheadsdowngrazing whenonthefinishingblocksandnot worriedaboutpeopleornoises.He findsyardweaningtobeasure-fireway togetcalvesusedtopeopleandbeing

handled.

“Thebestcalvesarethosethatjustput alltheirenergyintoeatingandgrowing.”

Curtishasspecialweaningyardssetupwithwaterandabaleagefeederand thenewlyweanedcalveshavead-lib accesstobothduringtheirthree-to-four daystay.

Hehasaround100calvesintheyards atanyonetime,soweaningisstaggered toallowallcalvestobeyardweaned.

ForCurtis,themostimportantfactor inyardweaningisjustspendingtimein theyards.

Hesaystheircalvescomeoffrun countryandhavehadminimalcontact withpeople,soitisamatterofgetting themusedtohumans.

Curtisstartsbyjustspendingfive minuteswiththeyardedcalvesmorning andnight,graduallyincreasingthetime hespendswiththemeachday.

Hefindsmostofthemwillbewalking towardshimwithinadayortwo,buthe likestoidentifythemorenervouscalves, gettingthemusedtobeinggently movedaroundtheyards.

Foraroundtwoweeksafterbeingyard weaned,Curtissaystheymakeapointof pullingthecalvesupandbringingthem backtothegatewaytheyhavejustput themthrough,ratherthanjustdropping themoffinanewpaddockandletting themracetotheend.Thisstrategyalso allowsthemtogetusedtodogsand bikesandbeingheldingateways.

CurtisPannettsaysthemostimportant factorinyardweaningisjustspendingtime intheyards.Photocredit:ShawnMcAvinue

Fire-smart farming: Practicalsteps forTairawhiti landowners

Suppliedby:

TairāwhitiFire&EmergencyNZ

Forfarmersandlifestyleblockowners acrossTairāwhiti,fireriskisnot theoretical—it’spartofrurallife. Whetheryou’reclearingslash,managing pasture,ormaintainingshelterbelts, thedecisionsmadeonyourproperty caneitherreduceriskorincreaseit.Fire andEmergencyNewZealand(FENZ) offerspracticalguidancethateveryrural landownershouldtreataspartoftheir seasonalplanning.

Beforelightinganyburn-off,thefirst stepissimple:checkthefireseason statusforyourarea.Evenoutsidepeak summer,conditionscanshiftquickly. Duringrestrictedseasons,apermit mayberequired,andduringprohibited seasons,nooutdoorfiresareallowed. Toolssuchaswww.checkitsalright.nz provideup-to-datelocalinformation. Importantly,evenwithapermit,the personwholightsthefireislegally responsibleifitescapes.

Forfarmers,burn-offscanbeauseful landmanagementtool—buttimingand preparationarecritical.Avoidlighting firesduringwindy,hotordryconditions. Establishfirebreaks,keepwaterand equipmentonhand,andsupervisethe burnuntilitiscompletelyextinguished. Firesleftto“burnoutovernight”area commoncauseofunwantedincidents. Smokedriftcanalsoaffectneighbours, roadsandstock,sowinddirection mattersasmuchaswindspeed.

Beyondburnpractices,reducingfuel aroundhomes,shedsandstockfacilities isoneofthemosteffectiveprotective measures.FENZrecommendscreating defensiblespace,sometimescalled safetyzones.Inpracticalterms,that meanskeepinggrassshortaround dwellings,clearingleavesfromgutters, andremovingstackedfirewoodorhay fromagainstbuildings.Machinerysheds andwoolsheds,oftenfullofcombustible materials,deservethesameattentionas thefamilyhome.

Vegetationchoicesalsomakea difference.Whilenoplantiscompletely

fire-proof,somespeciesareless flammableandslowertoignite.When establishingshelterbelts,landscaping aroundhomes,orplantingonlifestyle blocks,considerlower-flammability optionsandmaintainthemwell.Keep densemānuka,kānukaandunmanaged scrubwellclearofbuildings.Spacing plantingstopreventcontinuousfuel andavoidingbarkmulchdirectlybeside structurescansignificantlyreducerisk.

Forlifestyleblockowners,particularly thosenewtoruralliving,it’sworth rememberingthatsmallacreagescan stillcarrysignificantfireload.Longgrass, unmanagedpaddocksandaccumulated greenwastecreatefueljustasreadilyas largerproperties.

Fireresilienceisnotabouteliminating riskaltogether—that’sunrealisticin ourclimateandlandscape.It’sabout managingitsensibly.Withgoodplanning, responsibleburnpracticesandsmart vegetationmanagement,Tairāwhiti’srural communitycanreducethelikelihoodof preventablefires.

Protectinghomes,stockandlivelihoods startsatthegate.Afewpractical stepstodaycanpreventacostlyand devastatingfiretomorrow.

WildCapebeehivesnestled alongtheEastCoastduring spring’smanukahoney floweringseason.

HowanEastCoastbeekeeper builtaglobalbrand

By Sophie Rishworth

Tucked quietly along Bushmere Road, far from the noise of global markets, sits the processing and packing plant of one of the East Coast’s most successful exports WildCape

Mānuka Honey is on supermarket shelves around the world, bought for its antibacterial properties and how good it is

WildCape was founded by Gisborne man Bill Savage about 14 years ago but Bill’s been a beekeeper since he was 12 What began as a regional honey business has grown internationally with three core markets in Singapore, Japan, and the United States

WildCape is the main label, but it’s also distributed under the Mountain Harvest and Healthy Harvest brand names and all three have a loyal following

One supermarket chain in Japan bought 50,000 jars last year In Singapore, 20 dedicated promoters share Bill’s story about how the mānuka honey is gathered on the East Coast of Aotearoa WildCape even invested in its own temperature-controlled distribution warehouse in Los Angeles

“Thereviewsaregreat,”saidgeneral managerSimonGardiner,themarketing leadwhorebrandedWildCapein2018 andtookittotheworld.“Peoplesayit hasthesmoothesttexture,andthatit’s unparalleledintaste.Theyloveit’ssingle source,thatBillisthebeekeeper,and everythingisdonerighthere.”

Despitetheglobalreach,theheartof thebusinessremainslocal.Bill,originally fromWaimataValley,andhispartner Mandyarecommunitymindedandevery SaturdaymorningMandysellsthehoney attheGisborneFarmersMarket.

Therearemorethan100mānuka honeybrandsglobally,mostofwhich don’townhivesoremploybeekeepers. ThiscreatesWildCape’sbiggestpointof differencebecauseBillandhisteamdo theentireprocessfromthetrees,tothe hivestojars.

So,it’sBill’sstoryaboutwhathe’s createdforthisregionthat’sleveraged thebrandbeyondtherest(evenifhe’sa reluctanthero).

AbouteightyearsagoBilloversaw theplantingof1.2millionmānukatrees across1,000hectaresofEastCoastland. Thesetreeswerefromseedcollected offparenttreeswhoseflowersBillhad analysedfornectarquality.Hisnectar analysisidentifiedthosetreesthat producedflowerswiththehighestlevels ofDihydroxyacetone(DHA),theprecursor toMethylglyoxal(MGO)whichgives mānukahoneyitsnaturalantibacterial propertiesandcontributestothehoney’s UniqueMānukaFactor(UMF).

ThehighertheUMFgrade,thegreater thehoney’suniquequalitieswith WildCapeproducingmorethan100,000 jarseveryyearofUMFmānukahoney

plusanother60tonnesofhoneytoother markets.

BillpaysEastCoastlandownersa combinedtotalofmorethan$250,000 eachyeartoplacebeehivesontheir propertiesduringthemānukaflowering season,whichbeginsinearlyOctober. Heentersmulti-yearcontractstogive everyonecertainty,moremānuka treesareplantedandtheselong-term relationshipshavebecomeadefining partofthebusiness.Manyofthose landownerswerehisfirstcustomers, tastingthehoneyproducedontheirown whenua.

WildCapenowhas10beekeeperswho lookafter200hivesites,includingon Bill’sAhititiStation.

Beekeeping,however,onlyprovides workforhalfayear.Tokeephis19staff employedyearround,whichincludeshis specialistextractionandprocessingteam, Billplantedninehectaresofmandarin andlemontrees.Thishascreateda wintercropandsteadywork.Mostof theWildCapecrewhavebeenwiththe businessfor10to15years,atestament tothecultureBillhasbuilt.

Thebusinesscontinuestogrow.Last month,WildCapeintroducedautomated packing.There’salsoacustom-built processingplantthattakesthehoney throughamulti-dayrefinementprocess tooptimiseconsistencyandquality. Everybatchisindependentlytestedat leasttwice,onceafterextractionand againafterpackingintojars,plusMinistry forPrimaryIndustries(MPI)monitors thehoneythroughoutitsjourneyuntilit leavesNewZealandforexport.

Billknowsthemānukahoneyindustry hashugepotential.

“Butweneedmorescience.There’s nocentralbodycombiningfundingfor industry-goodresearch.”

There’stheUMFrating,butBillknows mānukahoneycandosomuchmore throughtheanecdotalreviewshis companyreceives.

AcustomerinAustraliatoldthem recentlytheirchild,who’dbeeninand outofhospitalwithstomachissues, improveddramaticallyaftertakingone teaspoonofhigh-UMFWildCapehoney aday.

“Thatsortofthingkeepsyou going,”saidBill.Billhashisteaspoon atnightwithtea.Theeconomics,and internationalmarkets,arechallenging. Billcallsitaclassiccommoditycycle. Sometimesyou’reholdingtight,waiting forthemarkettoturn.

ButeverydayBill’supbeforedawn toworkhardbesidehisteamtoward somethinghebelievesisgoodforthe wholeworld.Muchlikethehivementality ofbees.

PowerupyourmentalfitnesswithFarmstrong

SuppliedbyFarmstrong Rugbylegendandfarmer SamWhitelocklooksbackon nearlyadecadeofbeingthe AmbassadorofFarmstrong,the nationwideruralprogramme thatsupportsfarmersto managepressureandgetmore outoflifeandwork.

“Igrewupinasmallcountryinthe Manawatū,soafterfinishingmyrugby playingcareer,it’sbeenreallynicetobe backonfarm,sharinganotherpartofmy story,andtheFarmstrongstory.Mywife HannahandIjuggleabusyfamilylifewith arangeofonandoffthefarmjobs.

I’vemadeFarmstrong’sFiveWays toWellbeingpartofmylifeandIreally encourageotherfarmersandgrowers todothesame.TheFiveWaysprovide balance,supportandasenseof perspectivewhenthegoinggetstough. OneoftheFiveWaysistokeeplearning. Asaprofessionalsportsman,learning alwayskeptmefreshandcreativeand gettingbackintofarminghasbeenthe same.

BeingFarmstrongisaboutenjoying farming.That’ssomethingthatIthink alotofpeopledowhentheyfirststart outandthenallofasuddensomeofthe pressuresgetontopofpeople-that’s whyit’simportanttoprioritiseyour wellbeingsoyoudon’tburnout.

Whenwegetbusyduringcalving,

lambing,orharvest,it’seasytoletour wellbeingslipdownthelistofpriorities. That’swhyIfindithelpstothinkabout yourwellbeingabitlikeabankaccount andmakeregularinvestmentsinthings thatboostyourwellbeingwhenthings aregoingwell,soyouhavesomething todrawonwhentimesaretough.Alittle bitlikeapiggybank,theideaistomake smalldepositsonaregularbasisrather thanwaitinguntilourwellbeingissolow thatwe’vegotacrisisonourhands.

Forfarmersandgrowerswhowantto getinvolvedinFarmstrong,thereisalot ofgreatadviceavailabletofarmerson theFarmstrongwebsite,whichoffersa rangeofpracticalresourcesandguidance tohelpfarmersandgrowersmanage workload,stressandchallenges.The Farmstrongtoolboxofmentalskillsis anothergreatresourcetohelpyoustay safeandwell.

I’vebeenFarmstrong’sambassador since2016,andwhatIlikebestaboutthe programmeisthatit’ssopracticaland achievable.IfyouwanttobeFarmstrong startbylookingafterthebasicswell, thingslikeyoursleep,eatingwell,and schedulingindowntime.Thebest approachistobuildsimplehabitsinto yourlifeonadailybasisandyouwillfeel thebenefits.Differentthingsworkfor differentpeoplesofindoutwhatworks foryouandlockitin.

Lastyear,20,000farmersattributed animprovementintheirwellbeing toFarmstrong.Whyarefarmersand growersmakingthesechanges?Because theyknowtogetthebestoutofyour farmororchard,first,youneedtogetthe bestoutofyourself.”

Forfreetoolsandresourcesvisit farmstrong.co.nz

ALLYOURFENCINGSUPPLIES

Wehavethebiggestrangeof fencinggearintheregion

Timber:Rough-sawn,H3.2orH4treatedfor durability.Thelargestrangeofpostsintown. Rounds,halves,quarters,strainers&poles. Comeandseeusfor:Wire•Netting•Permane e •Nails•Staples•BugleScre s•Gatesandhard are•Andmore

Newgenetics.Samestandard

SuppliedbyGoldCreekSimmentals

GoldCreekSimmentals enters2026withpurpose, progressandproven performance.

2026marksasignificantstepforwardfor GoldCreekSimmentals,withtwomajor developmentssettostrengthenthestud’s positionasoneofthecountry’smost trustedsuppliersofperformance-driven Simmentalgenetics.

Thefirstistheacquisitionoftheentire

RissingtonSimmentalherd-theoldest SimmentalprefixinNewZealand-amove thataddsvaluabledepth,consistencyand long-termgeneticsecuritytotheGold Creekbreedingprogramme.

Thesecondisacarefullyconsidered evolutionthatreflectschanging commercialbeefdemands:forthefirst time,BlackSimmentalbullswillenter theGoldCreeksalering.StudManager TomSansonsaysbothdevelopmentsare partofaclearlong-termdirection,nota suddenshift.

“ProgressatGoldCreekisdeliberate, notrushed,”Sansonsays.“We’renot chasingtrends-we’rebuildingastudherd thatdeliversmeasuredperformance, structuralintegrityandlong-term profitabilityforourclients.”

WhileBlackSimmentalsareanew offeringforthesale,GoldCreekisclear thatthefoundationoftheprogramme remainsunchanged.

“Thisisn’tamoveawayfromtraditional Simmental,”Sansonsays.“Ourcorefocus remainsthesame.Theblacklineissimply anextensionofthesamephilosophy thatbuiltGoldCreek-functionalityfirst, performanceproven,noshortcuts.”

Sansonexplainstheblackprogramme developednaturallythroughthesame selectionpressurethathasalwaysdefined GoldCreek’sbreedingdecisions.

“Thisbullwasn’tkepttomakea statement-hewaskeptbecausehe wasgoodenoughtokeep,”hesays. “Phenotype,structure,dataandreal-world performanceallaligned,andwhenthat

happens,colourbecomessecondary.”

GoldCreek’sintroductionofblack geneticsisdesignedtomeettherealities ofmoderncommercialbeefsystems, whilestilldeliveringthefertility,high growthandpayweightSimmentalcattle areknownfor.

“Someofourverybestyoungbulls todayhappentobeblack,”Sansonsays. “That’snotastrategyshift-it’ssimplythe outcomeofapplyingthesamestandards wealwayshave.”

Importantly,Sansonacknowledgesthat blackSimmentalswon’tbeforeveryone, andthat’sokay.

“They’reanexcitingaddition,butnota replacement.OurtraditionalSimmental bullsremainthefocus,andtheRissington purchasereinforcesthatcommitment.”

GoldCreek’s2026on-farmbullsale willbeheldMonday18Mayat2pm,with viewingavailablefrom12pm.Atotalof 45bullswillbeoffered,includingaselect groupofBlackSimmentalsthatmeetthe GoldCreekbenchmark.

It’sthenewblack,withthesameGold Creekstandards.

Highpricesrewardtherightbullsandtherightgenetics

SuppliedbyWhangaraAngus

BeefmarketsacrossNewZealandare strong.Butwhilerisingschedules liftthefortunesofsome,notall herdsbenefitequally.Inaseasonwhere premiumgeneticsincreasinglyequateto premiumreturns,thedifferencebetween averageandelitebreedingstockhas neverbeenclearer.

AtWhangaraAngus,outontherugged hillcountrynorthofGisborne,the messageissimple:marketsdon’treward hope-theyrewardperformance.

WhangaraAngusisn’tafarmthat pampersitsbullsunderidealised conditions.Theircattlearebredandrun inreal-world,commercialenvironments -steepterrain,variablepasture,andthe

dailyrigoursthatanycommercialbeef producerwillrecognise.Ifananimal doesn’tthriveunderthoseconditions,it doesn’tstayintheherd.

StudManagerTomSansonsaysthatnononsensephilosophytranslatesdirectly intomeasurableperformancewith:

•Morecalvesontheground

•Morekilosatweaning

•Morecarcassweightatslaughter

•Morecowscyclingandconceiving again

“Thesearethecleareconomicdrivers thatputdollarsinpocketsbeforeany carcassgradeorprocessorpremiumis paid”,Sansonsays.“It’swhyWhangara Angusbullsaredescribedas“branded bulls”-geneticsthatstandupnotjust onpaper,butinpaddocksandpastures

wherecommercialproducersoperate.”

EachWhangaraAngusbullisbredwith traitsthatcount:carcasscharacteristics atorabovebreedaverage,strongAngus Puregrading,andthegrowthpotential thatproducerswanttosee.Thesearen’t noveltybulls-they’rebuilttoputmore qualitybeefontherail,andmoreprofitin thebank.

Theproofisinthesaleringtoo. Recenton-farmsaleshavedrawnstrong interestfromacrossthecountry,with buyersrecognisingthevalueofstructural soundnesspairedwithwell-documented geneticperformance.Bullswithdepth ofdataandprovenbreedingvalue consistentlydrawcompetitivebidding -clearevidencetheindustryvalues

geneticsthatperformundercommercial conditions.

Beyondtheeconomics,theteamat WhangaraAngusisalsocommittedto offeringchoicetoproducers.Discussions aboutindividualbusinessgoalsandherd needsarepartofhowtheymatchbulls tofarms,notjustsellingbulls,butselling solutions.

Markyourcalendar: theon-farmbull salewillbeheldTuesday23Juneat 11am,withviewingfrom9am,followedby theTawaHillssaleattheWhangaraAngus salescomplex.

Formoreinformationvisit whangaraangus.co.nzorphone TomSanson0272489098.

Meetthewomangrowing irisesandchickensbyhand

BySophieRishworth

Hand-pollinatedirisesfromAmericaincludeGus’Dream (namedafterGarry)(above)andHereComesTrouble (namedafterMaggie)(right).Maggiesellsallherhybridised irisplantsonlineoreveryweekattheGisborneFarmers Marketoverthelatesummermonths.Picturessupplied.

Sheepmeaslescontinues tocostfarmersacrossthe country.Thesolutionis simple-dosealldogswho residenearsheeporgoats withPraziquantel™ monthly,oratleast48 hoursbeforeheadingnear grazingareas.

Foryouron-farmlivestockinspection,paddocksale/ purchases,primestockdraftingoranylivestockbusiness requirementyourmayhave,pleasedonothesitateto contactoneofourexperienceteams.

HereComesTroubleisthenameofanIrisnamedafterMaggie Asplet.Maggiewillbeknowntomanybecausefor18years, sheandhusbandGarryGriffinhaverunastallattheGisborne FarmersMarket.Justshyofwhenthemarketfirstopened.

Whattheysellfromtheirweekly stallvariesbutit’sallbeen grownontheir4.5acreproperty SunriseOrchardsandIrises,onMatawai Road,justpastOrmondSchool.

IrisesareMaggie’spassionandevery yearshetravelstoOregonintheUnited States.Thereshereconnectswith ThomasJohnsonwho,togetherwithhis husband,runsoneofthelargestnurseries intheworld-theMidAmericaIrisGarden andSebrightNursery.AnditwasThomas whonamedtheirisafterMaggie.

“Thomasisthemostgenerousperson, andwe’reoftenthererightinthemiddle ofhisbusiestseason,”shesaid.While visiting,Maggiehandcreatesnewhybrid irisesusingtweezerstotransferthepollen fromonebloomtoanother,crafting extraordinarynewvarieties.

Maggiecarefullynumberseachflower shepollinates,andthefollowingseason, theseedisbroughtbacktoNewZealand andcheckedbyMinistryforPrimary Industries(MPI),assheentersthe country.

TheresultswhengrowninGisborneare alwaysasurprisetoMaggie.

Shesellsthemonlinethroughthe orchard’swebsite(sunriseorchards.co.nz) wherephotosofthebloomscanbeseen. Theseuniqueirisesaresoldthroughout thecountryforgardenbedsandatthe GisborneFarmersMarketduringthelate summermonths.

Alsoattheirstallarefreerangeeggs,

tree-ripenednaveloranges,meyerlemons andwalnutsfromtheirgianttreedried carefullybyGarry.

MaggiealsosellsHy-linechickens, whicharegreatlayers,topeoplewho wanttohavetheirowneggs.Herbest customerisMoCooper,fromMahia RestorationTrust’sOceanEggs,whobuys 225younghenseverysixweeks,andisa neighbourattheFarmersMarket.

Thechickens,borninNewPlymouth, fly(byairplane)acrossthecountryatone dayold.TheyallloveMaggiebecauseher facehasbeenimprintedonthemfrom dayone.Shelovesthemtoo.Chickens arefun,saidMaggie.“Theyallhavea personality.Theyarequiteintriguing. “Everynowandthenwhentheylookat you,youcanseetheJurassicmonster look.”

At12weeksthey’resoldandby17 weeksyoucanexpectthemtostart laying.

Therearequiteafewpethenstoo, includingTwistwhohasonedeformed legsowalksabitlopsided,andwhose constantbuddyandprotectorisachicken calledNake.

It’shardworkraisingchickens,but Maggiegrewuponafarm.At73-yearsyoungshecreditsherworkethicand generousnaturetoherMum,whoalways remindedherthatwhatgoesaround comesaround.

MaggiemovedtoGisbornein2006 tobewithGarry,77,whoisfromhere.

Theirpartnershipbroughttogether threechildrenandthere’snowfive grandchildren.

In2020Maggiejoinedthelocal GisborneCameraClub,notlongafterthe countrywentintolockdown.Bytheend

of2024she’dcompletedaDiplomain PhotographywiththeSouthernInstituteof Technology.Maggieisalsoamemberof thePhotographicSocietyofNewZealand andwasawardedherLicentiatein2025, thefirstlevelintheirhonour’ssystem.

FederatedFarmers warnsof‘watertax’risk

FederatedFarmerssayswhile itsupportstheintentof theGovernment’sresource managementoverhaul,adeepdiveinto thedraftlegislationhasrevealedsome seriousconcerns.

Mostconcerningareprovisions allowingfreshwaterrightstobe auctioned,tendered,orlevied–effectivelyenablingfreshwatertobe taxed,saysFederatedFarmersRMA reformspokespersonMarkHooper.

“It’snotanexaggerationtosaywe werealarmedwhenwereadclausesin theNaturalEnvironmentBillthatgive futureMinisterssweepingpowerstotax watertomanagedemand.

“ThereisnowayonearthFederated Farmerscanorwillsupportthat.

“I’llbeseekingurgentclarification fromtheBeehive,becauseanyreform thatallowswatertaxesbystealthis completelyunacceptabletous.”

LastDecembertheGovernment releasedtwonewbills–thePlanning BillandtheNaturalEnvironmentBill–to replacetheResourceManagementAct.

HoopersaysFederatedFarmersstaff havespentthepasteightweeksworking throughthedetail.

“It’simportanttostateupfrontthat FederatedFarmersiscompletelyon boardwiththeaimsofthereform.

“Thepromiseofastrongerfocuson propertyrights,atighterscope,fewer

resourceconsents,morestandardisation andlesslitigationallsoundlikethereset farmershavebeencallingfor.

“Butaswe’veworkedthroughthe detail,it’sbecomeclearthatthereare partsofthesebillsthatdonotalignwith thoseaimsatall.”

Hoopersaystheriskofwatertaxes isnottheonlyconcern.Ascurrently drafted,thenewsystemmaybemore permissivewhereenvironmentallimits arecomfortablymet,butsignificantly morerestrictivewhereacatchmentisat ornearitslimit.

“Councilsoftensetlimitsthataimto maintaincurrentwaterqualitylevels,so thiscouldmeanmanycatchmentsare immediatelyatorbeyondenvironmental limitsfromtheoutset.

“AstheNaturalEnvironmentBill becomesmorerestrictiveascatchments approachthoselimits,thatcouldactually meanmoreresourceconsentsfor farmersasthebillsarecurrentlydrafted.

“Thisisontopofrequirementsforall farmerstoalsohaveaFreshwaterFarm Plan.

“FederatedFarmerssupportsashift toafarmplanapproach,butonlyifit replaces,ratherthansitsalongside,the needforaresourceconsent.”

Anotherareaofconcernisthewording aroundwhencouncilsmustcompensate landownersforlossofpropertyvalue.

HoopersaysFederatedFarmers

welcomedtheGovernment’searlier commitmenttocompensationwhen restrictiveoverlays–suchasOutstanding NaturalLandscapesandSignificant NaturalAreas–areimposedonfarms.

“Butnow,whenwereadthedraft legislation,we’reseeingacompensation regimethat’smuchmoreuncertainthan manyexpected.

“Itreliesonprovinga‘significant impactonthereasonableuseofland’, whichmeanscompensationcouldbe verylimitedandwillultimatelydepend onhowfuturecourtcasesinterpretthat threshold.”

Hoopersaysanothermajorconcernis thatWaterConservationOrdersremain largelyuntouched,despitebeingan outdatedplanningtool.

“Farmersandgrowersarepretty baffledthattheserelicshaven’tbeen ditched,asthey’reaverypoorwayto managefreshwaterresources.

“Theyallowanymemberofthepublic tooverrideregionalcouncilprocesses andpushforstricterfreshwatercontrols.”

Hoopersaysmuchofthemost importantdetailintheNatural EnvironmentBill–includingthemeaning ofkeygoals,thescopeofregulation,and whatregionalplansmustcontain–is deferredtofuturenationaldirectionset bytheMinister.

“Thatcreatesa‘trustusandwait’ modelandopensthedoortowildly

FederatedFarmersbacksreformoftheRMA butmoreworkisneededonthereplacement legislationtogetitright,MarkHoopersays.

differentinterpretationsbyfuture governments.

“Farmersneedcertaintyifthey’re goingtoinvestintheirland.Asystem thatleaveskeydetailsuptofuture Ministerscreatesrisk,delaysdecisions, andunderminesconfidenceinthewhole reform.”

FederatedFarmersispreparinga strongsubmissionaimedathighlighting weaknessesinbothbillsandsupporting theSelectCommitteeprocesstoamend bothbills.

“We’llbedoingallwecantoensure thereformdeliverswhatfarmerswere promised,”Hoopersays.

Facialeczemainsheep

WrittenbyAndrewCribb,Owner/ VeterinarianatEastCoastFarmVets

Facialeczemaremainsapersistent challengeinourregion,particularly throughlatesummerandearly autumnwhenwarm,humidconditions allowPithomycessporestothrive.This createssignificantpressureforfarmers andcanhaveseriousconsequencesfor sheephealth,productivity,andoverall flockperformance.Withtheweather patternswe’veexperiencedoverthepast month,thisseasonisalreadyshowing signsofbeingapotentiallyhigh-risk period.

NewZealand’stemperateclimate, combinedwithwarmtemperaturesand regularrainfall,createsidealconditions forthisfungustodeveloponpasture. Assporecountsrise,sheepbecome increasinglyvulnerabletoingestingthe toxicsporeswhilegrazing.

Theeffectsoffacialeczemaaremost visibleontheface,ears,andwoolfreeareasofthebody.Affectedsheep mayshowsignsofdiscomfortsuch asexcessiveitching,rubbing,andthe developmentofskinlesions.Inmore severecases,facialswelling,woolloss, andliverdamagecanoccur,leading toreducedweightgainandpoorer reproductiveperformance. Managingfacialeczemarequiresa proactiveandpreventativeapproach. Monitoringsporecountsisoneofthe mostimportanttoolsavailable,asit allowsfarmerstoidentifyhigh-risk paddocksearlyandmakeinformed managementdecisions.

Practicalpreventionstrategiesinclude:

•Regularlytestingpasturesporelevelsto identifyriskareas

•Movingsheeptopaddockswithlower sporecountsorusingsupplementary feedtoreduceexposure

•Removingaffectedanimalsfromhighriskareasandadjustinggrazingplans duringpeakperiods

•Providingshelterandshade,assunlight canworsenskindamage

•Applyingtopicalzincointmentto protectexposedareasandsupport healing

•Usingpasturemanagementtools, includingcoversandstrategicfungicide use,tohelpreduceexposure

•Supplementingwithzincduringhighriskperiodstosupportliverfunction andreducetheseverityofclinicalsigns

•Consideringselectivebreedingforlongtermresilience,assomesheepshow greatertolerancetofacialeczema Facialeczemapreventionisnot reliantononesingleaction,butrather acombinationofmonitoring,pasture management,andtimelyintervention.

Aswemoveintothehigher-riskperiod, we’realsolookingtoworkalongsidea smallgroupoflocalfarmstomonitor sporelevelsmorecloselyandshare practical,real-timeinformationwith thewiderfarmingcommunity.Ifyou’re interestedinbecomingamonitorfarmor wouldliketostartsporetesting,please getintouch.

Withcarefulplanning,consistent monitoring,andtherightpreventative measuresinplace,wecanreducethe impactoffacialeczemaandhelpprotect flockhealthandproductivityacrossthe season.