Farmers Weekly NZ September 8 2025

Right place and time for Miraka sale

MIRAKA’s “perfect”

South Waikato location and the lure of 100 more milk suppliers in a highly competitive dairy region meant it made sense for Open Country to acquire the iwi-owned dairy company, CEO Mark de Lautour says.

The purchase has boosted the company’s footprint across the central North Island.

De Lautour said Open Country had long admired Miraka’s milk supply network and its location just north of Taupō sits nicely between Open Country’s Whanganui and Waikato operations.

It also came with 280 million litres of milk from its 100 suppliers, which had significant value in a competitive region.

“It ticked a number of boxes. We know the plant well, it’s very similar to our design.”

It also gave Open Country options to optimise milk collection in relation to the seasonal curve of milk production, he said.

De Lautour said Miraka reached out to Open Country a few days before its recent Mataura Valley Dairies acquisition had been finalised.

“We were approached and asked if we would be interested in having a look at it.”

For Miraka, the ownership

change, which has taken immediate effect, means that it will continue to operate its current name and brand in the market.

De Lautour was bemused when asked if there was a clash of company cultures in the purchase, saying Open Country was the closest culturally to Miraka, compared to others.

“We’re family owned – we’re not a corporate.

“We’re not listed on the stock exchange or foreign-owned.

We’re 100% New Zealand-owned and even Miraka wasn’t 100% NZ-owned as it had Vietnamese shareholders.”

He is proud that it is a 100% NZ-owned company that is buying both Miraka and Mataura Valley Dairies.

While both will continue to operate under their own brands, Open Country will bring in things that it believes have been critical to its success.

“There’s undoubtedly going to be change because for both of them, the previous model wasn’t working.”

Asked why Miraka was selling, he reiterated Miraka chair Bruce Scott’s comments that it was becoming increasingly difficult for it to operate with milk prices being what they are.

“At these milk prices, standalone single site operators find it very difficult, because the margins

Continued page 3

Co-op to corporate as vet services evolve

There could be fewer vet clinics – and some of them owned offshore – as the sector consolidates in line with international trends. Pictured, with dog Archie Hinton, is Mark Bryan, clinical director of South Island-owned Comhla Vet, which employs more than 300 vets in about 60 clinics in New Zealand and Australia. Photo: Gerhard Uys NEWS 9

Ngāi Tahu considers making a bid to run Molesworth Station.

NEWS 3

Discovering what ails rural health care

The three Rs are desperately needed in rural communities – respite care, rehab and refuge. As a rural nurse in private practice, Michelle Cole wants better healthcare outcomes for remote communities.

PEOPLE 16

Govt to step in over New Zealand’s growing feral pest problem. NEWS 5

Feedlots a ‘battery’ for the meat supply chain, says Phil Weir.

OPINION 19

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News in brief

Jordan seconded

Corina Jordan will be joint CEO of the Game Animal Council and Fish & Game New Zealand.

Jordan is to be seconded as CEO of both organisations for a 12-month period beginning on September 15 this year. GAC chair Grant Dodson said the arrangement is about the two organisations making the most of their shared values and limited resources.

Not so sweet

Comvita’s 2025 financial results show a difficult year marred by significant financial pressures for the mānuka honey business. Its revenue was down 4.1% from $200.7 million to $192.4m, gross profit fell 24% to $82.7m and EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation) fell 16.7% to $74.2m. On the positive side, its net debt was reduced by 21.8% to $62.4m and its inventories were down 34.4 %.

AI at hand

Beef + Lamb New Zealand has launched an artificial intelligence-powered digital assistant to help farmers.

BLNZ chair Kate Acland said the technology, called Bella, uses the BLNZ Knowledge Hub to create tailored answers and resources for farming businesses. Testing the technology has involved more than 100 farmers, students, researchers and advisers over two months, and is the end result of nearly five years of investigation by BLNZ.

Tough times

Bremworth’s unaudited financial results for the 2025 financial year show $88.9 million in revenue and a normalised EBITDA loss of $13.2m, reflecting a challenging 12 months.

The carpet manufacturer recorded a net profit after tax of $18.2m after accounting for one-off items including insurance claims, restructuring costs and provision for an onerous contract.

involved in processing milk are very slim.

“When the milk price goes up, it does squeeze the margins, and you have no way to spread those costs.”

Open Country’s scale insulates it from those costs, he said.

In a statement, Miraka’s board said that for farmers, customers and kaimahi (employees), day-today operations continue as usual and milk processing and supply contracts remain in place.

Scott said there is a lot to be proud of for Miraka over the past 15 years, having grown to become New Zealand’s second largest Māori-owned exporter.

“However, there are significant challenges that come with being a stand-alone regional processor operating in a global market. Under Open Country Dairy’s ownership, our Miraka whānau will be part of a strong NZ-owned network serving the global dairy market.”

According to the Companies Office, Miraka’s shareholdings are held by Ahuwhenua Trophy winners Wairarapa Moana Incorporation, the Tūaropaki Trust, Waipapa Group Limited, Te Awahohonu Forest Trust, Tauhara Moana Trust and Vietnam dairy company Vinamilk.

Miraka supplier and Lichfield farmer Gray Baldwin said he has no concerns about the sale. Miraka has been a great company to supply to because of its environmental initiatives and the premium he receives for winter milking.

“It’s a sad day in many ways, however, I have significant respect for the [Open Country-owning] Talley family.

“I’m understanding of the decision the board has made and I’m not worried about the future, the Talleys are strong.”

He said Miraka’s farmer suppliers were informed of the sale two hours before it was made public.

Open Country currently operates four dairy ingredient manufacturing sites around New Zealand, located in Horotiu, Waharoa, Whanganui and Awarua and will soon add Mataura Valley Milk near Gore, once its conditional acquisition agreement with current shareholders is finalised.

Ngāi Tahu eyes Molesworth bid

NGĀI Tahu is considering making a bid to run New Zealand’s largest farm, Molesworth Station.

The Department of Conservation, which manages the 180,000 hectare RangitahiMolesworth Recreation Reserve, will later this year seek expressions of interest for running the farming and other commercial operations when Pāmu’s lease expires next June.

Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu chief executive Ben Bateman said the iwi will engage with DoC as it considers its options.

“It is important that we work alongside the Crown in genuine Treaty partnership to determine how this special place is cared for, now and into the future,” he said.

Bateman said the property “is of immense cultural, spiritual, and historical significance for Ngāti Kurī and Ngāi Tahu, an ancestral connection to their whakapapa and traditions through the occupations of Waitaha, Ngāti Māmoe, Ngāti Kurī, and Ngāi Tahu.”

Ancestors accessed food and weaving materials, identifying various landmarks and ultimately bestowing the name Rangitahi on an area “considered a living embodiment of our history, identity and future”.

“As kaitiaki, Ngāti Kurī maintain

enduring relationships with this whenua.

“The protection and restoration of Rangitahi as an ancestral landscape is paramount to their identity and wellbeing,” he said.

Former agriculture minister Damien O’Connor said he is not surprised by Ngāi Tahu’s possible interest.

“I am concerned about the process since the departure of [former station manager] Jim Ward, which indicates an alternative agenda which may or may not involve Ngāi Tahu.”

He is seeking an open and honest discussion on the property’s future and clarity from the current ministers of agriculture and land.

Dairy deals mop up the middle ground

Gerald Piddock NEWS Dairy

THE ownership structure changes in the dairy sector over the past month show the importance of scale and efficiency when it comes to operating an export business.

This is key when it comes to selling overseas brands, said Lincoln University Agribusiness and Commerce Professor Hamish Gow.

When a company wants to export, if it is going to sell a generic product it needs either size and scale to succeed or it needs to operate as a very niche product within a specific market. Otherwise the costs of operating in that market make it difficult and expensive, he said.

From that perspective, he understands why Fonterra is selling its consumer business and why Open Country has bought Miraka and Mataura Valley Milk.

He said Open Country does the basics – “no branding, no advertising, minimal labour, highly efficient, very structured set of products, and they don’t waste money on innovation”.

The model works well in the other businesses run by Open Country owners Talley, in fisheries, vegetables and red meat.

For Fonterra and the sale of its consumer brands, the cost of maintaining those brands in an overseas market was too high, said Gow.

There is a “valley of death” between being a niche player such as Tatua and being a large multinational player.

Gow believes this is what caught Miraka out.

“The middle space is the really difficult space to live in. What we see in New Zealand is a range of players who come into that middle space, but it’s a difficult space to survive in.

“Miraka got caught trying to run a values-based system where they can’t extract enough economic value out of it to be able to pay what they are able to pay, and get enough market premium.”

Compounding this were the higher operating costs in the postcovid business environment as well as being committed to paying their farmers a premium.

“How much extra revenue do they need to gain in the marketplace over and above what their competitors are doing to pay that extra 10 cents?”

Gow hypothesised that this would have led to these assets been distressed. Open Country is a viable New Zealand buyer, he said.

farming to continue on the reserve.”

Pāmu has farmed Molesworth for the past 20 years and is waiting for a DoC scoping study before deciding if it will seek a new lease. That lease will be issued under the Conservation Act.

Wrenn said iwi and the Molesworth Steering Committee will provide DoC with advice. In 2023 DoC purchased the buildings and farming assets from Pāmu for $16.8 million, as required when its lease expired in June 2023.

O’Connor said a new lessee must have farming skills and the ability to control wilding trees, something he said DoC is incapable of.

DoC South Marlborough operation manager Stacey Wrenn said the department is defining what it seeks, which will include commercially viable farming practices alongside tourism, recreational opportunities and the protection of ecological, recreational and cultural values.

Wrenn said that could include retiring areas from grazing, but not the planting of pine trees.

“Farming is an important management tool which contributes to the management of pests and weeds, and we expect

That lease was later extended. When management transferred from Land Information New Zealand to DoC in 2005, Pāmu, as lessee, acquired ownership of infrastructure such as the historic Molesworth and Tarndale cob homesteads, staff accommodation, haysheds, stables, woolsheds, cattle yards, airstrips, fencing, roading and improved pasture.

Wrenn said as DoC now owns these assets, they will be available for the new lessee.

Kaikoura MP Stuart Smith wants to see the property continue to be farmed.

He said wilding trees, which he estimates cover 50,000ha, must be controlled and has raised his concerns with Conservation Minister Tama Potaka.

“It’s absolute disaster, there’s no other way to describe it.”

Smith notes that neighbouring properties successfully use Merino wethers to control the weed.

directors did not sell now, it could have made a potential sale more difficult if it got into financial trouble, says

“The choices would have been Open Country or the Overseas Investment Office, which would have taken ages and by that stage, if Miraka’s against the wall, those assets will keep on going down in value.”

For Open Country, it is a great opportunity. It has brought in its processing efficiency and Miraka gives it a brand it can leverage.

For Miraka’s directors, if they did not sell now, it could have made a potential sale more difficult if it did get into financial trouble. With so much intergenerational iwi money tied up in the factory, its owners could not afford for it to fail.

Selling the plant was good governance on their part and protected that iwi investment and their farmer-suppliers, he said.

This week’s poll question:

In your view, do the recent takeovers of dairy processors lessen competition in New Zealand’s dairy sector?

Have your say at farmersweekly.co.nz/poll

Biosecurity bottleneck chokes plant imports

Richard Rennie NEWS

Horticulture

SEVERAL of New Zealand’s largest plant importers and distributors say government regulations and fees have become unworkable and too costly to warrant bringing in new material to trial for development.

They say this has New Zealand falling behind overseas competitors in offering world leading fruit varieties for rapidly growing Asian markets.

John Morton, GM for the NZ Fruit Tree Company, which sources and develops commercial fruit varieties, said since a compliance issue at a Washington quarantine facility in 2018, NZ companies have stumbled in efforts to import new varieties.

“We lost access there through Washington. Years ticked by after that through covid, and since then it has become a whole lot more expensive, and slower.”

Fellow germplasm importer Andy McGrath outlined cost increases over the past 20 years.

“When I started importing material in the late ’80s it was about $500 per plant and took six months to get it in.

“Fifteen years later it cost $4000$6000 and took a year. By 2012 it was $15,000-$20,000 and by 2020 it was $50,000 to $60,000 and took 19 months.”

In this industry food is fashion. You must be able to move fast to keep up with consumer trends and tastes.

Andy McGrath Fruit tree importer

Today he estimates it costs $200,000 and at least two and a half years to bring a variety in, with no guarantee it will be a commercial success.

He said Australia is moving in leaps and bounds to advance new horticultural varieties to grow there.

“It used to be three years for them and six months for us. That has swapped over now. And

our Plant Variety Rights (PVR) fees are now almost double the Australians’ fees.”

McGrath said he has seen a stoney hard peach in Italy that may do well here.

“But I would have to import 12 varieties to get two that grew well, that is $2.5 million all up for importing and quarantine for two years.

“It means the two successes would have to recoup $1.25m each, plus interest. All up it would be six years to market, costing about $700,000 in interest each.”

A red fleshed apple could be grown commercially after one year’s quarantine in Australia, compared to NZ requiring three years offshore quarantine and another year here.

“In this industry food is fashion. You must be able to move fast to keep up with consumer trends and tastes.

“We rely upon foreign germplasm to generate varieties that can do well in NZ’s very good growing environment,” said McGrath.

Paul Paynter, GM of the Yummy Fruit Company and “Mr Yummy”

brand, said high demand for NZsourced produce is not going away, and it could play a big part in helping the government meet its “double exports in 10 years” goal.

“There appears though to be a zero-risk appetite around [the Ministry for Primary Industries] for importing now. It may be a hangover from the Psa outbreak, but we have never had a biosecurity incursion from importing woody plant material.”

Add to this a cost structure that includes quarantine costs of over

$5000 a month, and a refusal to accept quarantine material from high quality internationally certified offshore facilities, and it all means NZ is not an appealing place to import new material now.

“And we have old, out-of-date testing methods. How is it we only use three tests [for biosecurity risks] here of the 28 available in France?”

He has also seen no streamlining options come from the Ministry for Regulation.

“In fact, I believe it is worse than it has ever been.”

Biosecurity NZ says regulation reform is underway

Richard Rennie NEWS

Biosecurity

BIOSECURITY New Zealand

deputy director-general Stuart Anderson says his department is working to reform aspects of regulations causing issues for commercial fruit and plant breeders.

In a written response to Farmers Weekly questions, Anderson reiterated Biosecurity NZ’s commitment to protecting primary sector exports, and said

there will be no compromises in that respect.

But he also confirmed NZ’s plant-based industries need safe and efficient access to new plant material to remain competitive, improve productivity, adapt to climate change and meet evolving consumer preferences.

“This reform is about enabling that access, while continuing to protect New Zealand from harmful pests and diseases,” he said.

Workshops have been held across the country with industry input to help shape a system that works

better for users and supports access to new plant genetics.

Importers have raised the issue of a lack of equivalence with overseas facilities resulting in doubling up of quarantine steps, but Anderson pointed to six overseas facilities demonstrably equivalent to NZ where agreements are worked through on a case-by-case basis.

In response to issues around the high fees for quarantine, he said they are on a cost recovery basis from customers who benefit from the service.

But he pointed to the Ministry for Primary Industries’ differentiated fee structure, which recognises public good in viable new plants.

That includes a preferential and a general booking option, subsidised by the Crown by 2550% respectively.

He confirmed a work programme is also underway to explore using artificial intelligence to significantly reduce time to develop import standards, without compromising biosecurity.

Addressing a claimed risk

This reform is about enabling that access, while continuing to protect New Zealand from harmful pests and diseases.

Stuart Anderson Biosecurity NZ

aversion at MPI for importing new material post Psa, Anderson restated that the department is reforming the import system, in collaboration with industry.

Forests a focus in fight against feral pests

Neal Wallace NEWS Pests

THE government is taking steps to make it easier to control New Zealand’s growing feral pest problem.

John Walsh, Biosecurity New Zealand director for pest management, says the Ministry for Primary Industries is reviewing regulations to make control operations easier and improving the collection of data – initially for feral deer – to enable better coordinated control operations.

“We will also look at what can be done at a catchment level to help farmers and growers to manage the impacts of feral deer on their properties and businesses.”

Walsh said MPI’s programme is in the formative stages and has input from the Department of Conservation, Federated Farmers, Beef + Lamb New Zealand and Forest and Bird.

“We are looking to complement work they are doing and make their job easier.”

Some landowners who neighbour exotic forestry plantations claim a lack of pest control by some forest owners has

created an explosion of feral deer and pigs, which destroy pasture and crops and kill newborn lambs.

Forest Owners Association chief executive Elizabeth Hegg said pest control is a regulatory requirement but also essential for a healthy forest.

Owners employ pest control contractors and encourage recreational hunters, and some are targeting the shooting of hinds to control numbers.

Hegg said forest owners support greater co-ordination and use of data between landowners to identify pest hotspots or safe havens.

“At a regional and national scale we would get a better feel for the real hotspots, which we can target for better impact.”

The pest explosion has prompted Federated Farmers to call for a national control plan to cover pests such as pigs, deer, Canada geese and ducks.

Federated Farmers meat and wool chair Richard Dawkins said with pest management split between regional councils, Biosecurity NZ, the Environmental Protection Authority and OSPRI, there is no clear line of accountability.

Farmers in parts of South Otago

We are looking to complement work they are doing and make their job easier.

John Walsh Biosecurity NZ

where there has been a rise in forestry have complained some forest owners are not doing enough to control pests.

Luke Kane, the federation’s provincial president, said after meeting with forest owners most have improved their efforts, but

there needs to be better coordination and accountability.

“Surely anyone can see there is a massive problem here and no one solution,” he said.

Estimates on pest numbers are not available, but Mike Perry, the Department of Conservation’s wild animals manager, said numbers are increasing.

In 2022-23, wild animals populated 83% of sites on public conservation land, up from 63% in 2013.

In 2023/24 DoC targeted goats on about 1.2 million hectares and deer on 140,000 hectares.

The department, which has

or safe havens.

responsibility for the Wild Animal Control Act, has established a National Coordination Group, which includes Federated Farmers, to better coordinate wild animal management effort across the country.

OSPRI chief adviser Mark Neill said while pigs and deer are spillover hosts of bovine Tb, controlling possums, the main wildlife host, is still the most effective way to control the disease.

Regional Council Pest Management strategies focus on possums, but only deer and pigs on sensitive areas.

Ballance secures Kapuni gas – for now

BALLANCE Agri-Nutrients has secured a short-term gas supply for its Kapuni gas-to-urea plant.

The new supply is a shortterm reprieve and means its Kapuni plant in Taranaki will be able to continue operating until December 31, the company said.

“The co-operative continues to actively seek both short- and long-term affordable gas supply agreements.

“A short-term shutdown of the plant remains a possibility if further reliable and affordable supplies cannot be secured beyond December 31, 2025.”

The Kapuni gas-to-urea plant has operated since 1982 and employs more than 120 people. One third or 260,000 tonnes of New Zealand’s urea is manufactured at the plant annually, specifically for use as a nitrogen-rich fertiliser.

In August, Ballance chief executive Kelvin Wickham warned that the lack of an affordable

gas supply meant the co-op was considering the short-term shutdown of the plant.

Ballance uses natural gas in urea production. It is a significant cost in the production process and Ballance has to be able to make urea to match the international pricing as well as the co-operative paying a carbon tax.

“It’s getting harder and harder to meet that international price using the high cost of New Zealand electricity energy,” Wickham said.

“It’s a challenge for us and we

need reliable consistent gas at an affordable price to enable us to continue to produce urea in New Zealand.”

Wickham said the supply issues will not affect urea pricing or supply with spring and summer fast approaching.

“Supply is covered as we have been running scenarios and contingencies, and we have additional urea on the water now in case we cannot operate. We are very confident we have supply for our farmers to cover a potential shutdown.”

Meet Bella

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Like any good heading dog, Bella will listen to your commands - tell her what you want to know and she’ll round up an answer using only trusted B+LNZ Knowledge Hub resources.

Bella puts around $100 million of research on behalf of farmers over the past 20 years into farmers’ hands 24/7.

Bee health hangs heavy over spring

Richard Rennie NEWS Apiculture

BEEKEEPERS and orchardists are walking a tightrope this spring with hive numbers diving in the wake of the mānuka honey boom, and bee populations in a poor state of health.

Te Puke beekeeper and kiwifruit orchardist Richard Klaus said in 30 years of keeping hives he has never seen them in as poor state of health as this year.

Along with spring kicking off more slowly and colder than last year’s “textbook” season, he said, this puts the industry’s ability to pollinate vines in a perilous state.

“A lot of it is about hive nutrition coming into spring.

“Bees are now often not getting the winter food sources of protein and pollen they need. It means they are in a poorer, weaker state coming into spring, and are even more vulnerable to varroa and all the varroa related viruses. It all adds up.”

Klaus has been part of a Zesprisponsored road show talking to beekeepers as the industry works to re-connect with the valuable pollination sector.

“This would be the first time beekeepers and orchardists have really talked about this directly

for over 10 years and it has proven invaluable. We need to do it every year.”

He said all the beekeepers he spoke to on the roadshow from Waikato to Nelson were also experiencing poorer hive health.

New Zealand experienced a surge in hive numbers as mānuka honey hit its peak around 2020-2021, but the ensuing slide in returns has accompanied a plummet in hive numbers from almost a million to fewer than 500,000 today.

You have councils spraying out the likes of Spanish heath, and gorse is not particularly popular to have around either.

With the decline in mānuka honey value have come severely diminished returns to beekeepers, just as horticultural demand for bee pollination has grown with the increase in kiwifruit and other fruit plantings.

Klaus is hoping the sector will scrape by this spring but is advocating for a sector-wide effort to better nurture hives through the tough winter months.

“We used to have the Trees

for Bees programme, which was initiated by Federated Farmers.

“It promoted planting a variety of trees to meet bees’ needs throughout the year. But it does not seem to have the profile it once used to.”

He said winter “fuel” for bees can come from the likes of lancewood, gorse, Spanish heath, willows and even camelia trees.

“But you have councils spraying out the likes of Spanish heath, and gorse is not particularly popular to have around either.”

Meantime many councils are also removing willows from riverbanks due to flood damage risk.

He has recently planted more suitable species in a nearby forestry block, including willows placed well back from waterway banks.

Klaus said he applauded the work done on farms to plant riparian strips in colonising species including pittosporum, mānuka, kanuka and flax.

“But they tend to flower later in spring. It’s the winter when more suitable trees are needed.”

Dr James Sainsbury of Plant and Food Research told Farmers Weekly that pressures on beehives are greater than ever, with many beekeepers nervously following the news about recent wholesale colony collapses in the United States.

“Our ability to maintain strong productive beehives and to manage the diseases and pests they experience is critical.”

He also sees potential for more industry-wide co-ordination of hive movement along the length of NZ to better match demand for bees at different pollination periods.

Klaus said he is also working to establish a standardised auditing process to get beekeepers accredited so orchard owners know they will be getting hives of a high standard for pollination.

Healthy shift underpins kiwifruit gains

Richard

Rennie in Tokyo MARKETS Horticulture

JAPAN’s position as Zespri’s second largest export market does not deter the region’s head in seeing plenty more upside there, and playing into complex aspects of the country’s health, nutrition and social norms to achieve it.

Asia Pacific president Ichiro Anzai can proudly point to 1.7-fold growth of tray volume sales into Japan over 11 years to 32 million last year, and an impressive tripling of revenue over the same period.

“So, while we may have been seen to be a mature market, we have shown we can grow.

“And we have a target to take that further to 45 million trays over the coming 10 years.”

It sounds a bold plan in a market whose population shrunk by 500,000 last year and will continue to drop below its current 123 million for years to come, with lower birth rates and ageing demographics.

But within those shifts there remains a country where almost half its population still do not eat fruit, and that’s where the potential lies.

In contrast, despite Taiwan being

only 20% of Japan’s population, Taiwanese eat 120kg of fruit each a year while Japan lags well behind at about 40kg per capita.

“We are among the lowest of developed countries. Unlike in Taiwan, Japanese have traditionally considered fruit to be a luxury, almost like a sweet rather than a daily necessity.”

About 40% of Zespri customers in Japan also report buying fruit only once. In past years, they have reported a sour taste experience with Green, deterring repeat purchases.

We intend to be working closely with the likes of dietitians and nutrition experts to help them convey the importance of fresh fruit.

Ichiro Anzai

Zespri Japan

“But we have worked hard to improve ripening and improve the eating experience, and now in surveys they just state ‘no reason’ for not repeat purchasing.”

The difference in perception about fruit being part of a balanced diet is one Zespri is working to improve through its nutrition reform project, launched last year.

It was in part prompted by the health ministry’s finding that one in three adults in Japan was undernourished.

To help correct this the project aims to deliver 6 billion serves of high-quality kiwifruit to customers by 2030.

“And we intend to be working closely with the likes of dietitians and nutrition experts to help them convey the importance of fresh fruit better to their patients.”

Getting more fruit into consumers also requires tapping into a national institution – the bento (lunch) box culture. Getting kiwifruit into the bento box is a means of promoting fruit as a simple way to improve nutritional balance in everyday meals, often prepared in the busy morning rush.

Competing fruits like pineapple have successfully made the migration to convenience peeling and packaging so prevalent throughout Asia.

“Kiwifruit are sold pre chopped through 7-Elevens. But they do struggle compared to other fruits when it comes to making them more convenient to eat.

“We do see good opportunities just to increase consumer reach by offering samples with a health message, and have offered 9 million in the past year.”

Unlike the likes of China,

Notice of change to TB Slaughter Levy Rate for Dairy Cattle

Pursuant to Clause 10 of the Biosecurity (Bovine Tuberculosis – Cattle and Deer Levy) Order 2016 notice is hereby given that commencing 1 October 2025, the rate of slaughter levy for dairy cattle will change. Levy rate from 1 October 2025 is (GST exclusive):

• Dairy cattle $14.50 per head (increased from $12.25 per head)

Background to change

The National Pest Management Plan for Bovine Tuberculosis is funded by agreement between the Ministry for Primary Industries, DairyNZ, Beef + Lamb New Zealand, Deer Industry New Zealand, and TBFree New Zealand. Funding is through a combination of fixed funding and levies charged on the slaughter of cattle.

The respective industry shares of this funding are subject to annual adjustment based on shifts in the relative size and value of each industry. The funding received is also affected by the actual cattle slaughter volumes for the dairy and beef sectors. Each financial year, a reconciliation is made of the amount contributed by each industry and levy rates may be adjusted accordingly.

Dated this 8 September 2025

Sam McIvor, Chief Executive, TBfree New Zealand Limited

For further information on OSPRI’s TBfree programme, please visit ospri.co.nz

Zespri’s Asia Pacific manager, Ichiro Anzai, says there is plenty of room within Japan to get more consumers eating kiwifruit, given the country’s relatively low level of fruit consumption.

where two big retail distributors dominate, and South Korea with four accounting for 70% of trade, Japan has no fewer than 20 companies dominating only 20% of trade.

That leaves a very long, complex retail ecosystem to pick up the remaining 80%.

“We feel given that number, and only a sales team of five incountry, we do well to claim 98% market share in kiwifruit for the NZ season.”

• Richard Rennie’s Meeting the Market tour has been made possible with grants from Fonterra, Silver Fern Farms, Rabobank, Zespri, Alliance Group, Meat Industry Association, Wools of NZ, Beef+Lamb NZ, NZ Merino, European Union Commission and Gallagher. https://www.farmersweekly.co.nz/ meeting-the-market/

Zespri’s kiwifruit family welcomes a little sister

ZESPRI’s animated Kiwi Brothers are welcoming a new sibling to their clan, with the official arrival of a RubyRed “Kiwi Sister” rolling out in all markets where RubyRed fruit is now sold.

Created in Japan and heavily influenced by the country’s love of animated characters, the brothers have proven to be an unexpectedly big promotional hit further afield, now used to promote kiwifruit in more than 20 countries.

Zespri’s Tokyo office can claim to be the source for the brothers’ creation, which came after a deep dive nine years ago into potential character profiles to personify the brand’s fruit.

Kanako Inomata, Zespri’s Tokyo-based head of marketing for Asia Pacific, said more than 400 characters across the world were reviewed in the process.

“As Japanese, we are quite familiar with multiple anime executions from

stop-motions, puppet and various types of illustrations and we utilise different techniques to fit each execution.”

The efforts from the Tokyo team saw Inomata awarded the inaugural Kiwifruit Innovation Award in 2017 for the KiwiBrothers.

Acceptance among Japanese consumers was almost immediate, with free soft toys of the brothers reported to be quickly cleaned out by customers.

Their link to brand recognition went viral in 2022 when then New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern visited Tokyo, posing beside the two dancing kiwifruit.

The closest comparison to the brothers could be the M&M’s animated candy characters, and the brothers likewise carry personalities that cut across demographics and cultures.

A United States campaign features the brothers in a Mission Impossible-type scenario, dropping into a supermarket after hours to on a mission to “spread their sweet kiwi obsession”.

Inomata said the success of the brothers exceeded expectations, aided by their appeal across generations and cultures.

“The initial idea was to make a product hero in our communications, because fruit, or kiwifruit, is not a daily necessity for Japanese consumers, like milk, eggs etc that consumers always think of when they go the supermarket.

“The average daily consumption of fresh fruits in Japan is 93g, which is way lower to daily recommended amount of 200g.”

The arrival of the RubyRed KiwiSister accompanies the launch of Red80, a new cultivar that has been in pre-commercial trials and likely to be commercialised in late 2025.

NZ could have an anti-subsidy ally in US

APOLITICS Trade

MERICA’S top trade official has signalled the United States could be willing to work with New Zealand to help bring damaging global agricultural subsidies under control.

President Donald Trump’s distaste for Canadian dairy subsidies is well known, and Farmers Weekly understands his Trade Representative, Jamieson Greer, told Trade Minister Todd McClay that Europe’s are also in the US’s crosshairs.

McClay travelled to Washington DC last month to put the case for the 15% tariff on NZ exports to the US to be reversed.

Greer was told the recent hike meant tariffs on NZ’s exports to the US were now either equal to or greater than those paid by heavily subsidised competitors from the European Union and Canada.

“That segued into a discussion

about what are [the US] going to do about this and [Greer] made it clear that they are looking at this in a serious way themselves,” a person with knowledge of the meeting said.

NZ and its allies in the Cairns Group of agricultural exporting countries have pushed for cuts to farm subsidies through the World Trade Organisation since the 1980s, with limited success.

“We talked about the big subsidising powers, China and the EU, and whether there was something we could do ahead of the WTO ministerial next year and I will be honest I was surprised the US seemed to be up for that,” the insider said.

Talks to curtail a trillion dollars of global agricultural subsidies fell flat at last year’s WTO ministerial meeting in Abu Dhabi after India demanded a permanent exemption for its farmers for the purposes of building the country’s public stockholdings of food.

The motion was not supported by the US or the EU. At the time McClay expressed disappointment

COMMITTED: Trade Minister Todd McClay says NZ is committed to buying more from the US – but

highlights the historically balanced trade between the two countries.

that the US and the EU were unwilling to move past the public stockholding matter to allow progress on subsidies reform more broadly.

The insider said it was also encouraging to hear Greer was closely following the US International Trade Commission’s investigation into the global market for non-fat milk solids.

While the probe so far has focused on Canadian subsidies, testimony from US industry groups has also highlighted the impact of European subsidies on global dairy prices.

“The ITC report is one we are hoping catches the president’s eye

and USTR’s eye,” the insider said.

Economic modelling commissioned by the Dairy Companies Association of NZ (DCANZ) estimates an 8% price gain for non-EU dairy exporters from a halving of European agricultural subsidies.

McClay was also pressed by Greer for NZ’s response to a letter from the US, Australian and NZ dairy industries earlier this year urging their respective governments to consider legal action against Canada’s Milk Class 4, which threatens to unleash a wave of subsidised dairy products onto the US and other high-value global markets.

DCANZ believes Milk Class 4 could imperil a billion dollars of sales to the US.

Finding common ground on global trade issues is one of the angles being worked on by officials as they build their case for the 15% tariff on NZ exports to the US to be reversed.

In Washington McClay explained NZ’s plan to reduce its current trade surplus with the US. McClay said NZ was committed to buying more from the US while he also highlighted the historically balanced trade between the two countries as well as the inconsequential 0.3% tariff faced by US exports to NZ.

Co-op to corporate as vet services evolve

Neal Wallace NEWS Veterinary

IF NEW Zealand follows global trends, an increasing number of its veterinary clinics could soon be owned by offshore corporations.

Ownership of New Zealand’s 633 veterinary businesses, as of last year, is already changing as the sector consolidates.

According to a report by businesses information company IBIS World, last year there were 8.7% fewer clinics than in 2023.

NZ Veterinary Association (NZVA) president Rob Mills said 70% of vet practices in the United Kingdom are owned by corporations, a trend he said is likely to be replicated in NZ.

Mark Bryan, the clinical director of the South Island-owned Comhla Vet, which employs more than 300 vets in about 60 clinics in NZ and Australia, said the ownership model was developed to provide sustainability.

As a principal at VetSouth, Bryan began offering small parcels of shares as an incentive to retain staff and reward effort – and also to allow older shareholders to

exit or sell down their stakes.

It has proven successful and has been extended as other business join Comhla, which is Gaelic for “together”.

“It gives people a sense of engagement in a local business and brings that local understanding to the table,” Bryan said.

The initiative began when by accident he found himself a shareholder in Winton-based VetSouth, then started looking for like-minded businesses he would work with, finding one in Gore.

“It is part of my DNA to work with others in a regional perspective.”

The share parcels can be added to and the system has helped with recruitment and retention, which in turn benefits rural communities.

Comhla management is lean, with an executive team of four working in the business.

Another benefit is having sufficient size to be able to offer specialist knowledge such as orthopaedic, ophthalmology and small-animal medicine.

Mills said while there are backof-house benefits from size, it can also mean more niche services offered and more support and development for young students.

Most graduates want to work in mixed practices with both companion and large animals.

Mills’s personal view is that a key role of vets is maintaining that personal relationship with farmers and pet owners.

He said in rural practice the trend is towards more preventative medicine and away from treating individual animals, such as for pregnancy testing. Increasingly those functions will be done using new technology.

“That trend is only going to accelerate with the adoption of better technology, such as the growth in the percentage of cattle with wearables ever increasing.”

There is a role for vet clubs, which tend to be in larger businesses and have multiple clinics.

Mills said a veterinary degree is very mobile and graduates can travel extensively but when they return they tend to gravitate to the main centres.

Initiatives such as a curriculum review of the degree by Massey University and binding vets to rural areas are needed to ensure communities are better served.

The NZVA represents more than 2300 veterinary professionals and its chief executive, Kevin Bryant, said the trend is towards independent clinics being purchased by larger businesses.

From a business model perspective he does not believe one ownership model is better than another.

“They all have their strengths and weaknesses.

“What we care about is ensuring vets have access to professional development and support.

“It’s important, regardless of who owns the business, that vets are connected to each other as this supports the wellbeing of the whole profession.

“We are pleased that our membership numbers are remaining pretty steady despite changes in practice ownership.”

Along line of vet co-ops

Neal Wallace NEWS Veterinary

THERE are 14 co-operatively owned vets still operating in the country, although some have contracted out their services.

Clutha Vets in South Otago was established in 1908 and is still co-operatively owned, employing 30 full-time equivalent vets and having clinics in Balclutha, Milton and Lawrence.

Chair Stephen Bamford said as a co-operative it is not solely driven by profit motive, but to serve and treat all members the same and to treat staff well.

“We want to add value to our member’s business, not just sell more product.”

The vet club does not have a chief executive, but is managed by an executive group, with each manager overseeing an area of responsibility of the business.

Anexa Veterinary Services is a vet club that operates 11 clinics across Waikato and Hauraki Plains.

It is governed by a board of

elected farmers. The ownership model for vet services is a mix of privately owned and larger entities.

South Island-owned Comhla Vet employs more than 300 vets in about 60 clinics, including the 29-clinic Vetlife group, VetSouth, West Coast Vets and Veterinary Clinic Morrinsville, the Vet Group, Selwyn-Rakaia Vets, eight practices in Victoria and Hobart and minority stakes in others practices.

Comhla also owns 52% of Totally Vets, which has several clinics in the central North Island.

Another significant player is VeterinaryFirst, which operates 17 Farmfirst and Petfirst clinics nationwide.

Established in 1991, it is 100% NZ owned with clinics in Otago, Waikato, Auckland and Canterbury.

Vet Services Hawke’s Bay employs more than 100 people across its four clinics in the region and this year won the NZ Veterinary Association Business Excellence Award for 2025.

TURBOCHARGE YOUR PARASITE CONTROL PROGRAMME

Hard yards paying off for wool exporters

COMMERCIAL efforts

seem to be paying off for a number of wool companies – and their success could trickle down to farmers.

Speaking at a wool event in Waimahaka, Southland, Wool Research Organisation of New Zealand (WRONZ) chair Andrew Morrison said WRONZ wants to build a million-kilogram wool deconstruction plant. He said machinery to

deconstruct wool has just landed at Christchurch wharf.

Deconstruction is the process of deconstructing wool fibres into their cellular components. These components are used to develop new materials with new uses, such as commercial dyes or medical products.

As soon as WRONZ hits KPIs it set for the business case and “can pay our bills”, it will start building the plant.

Once the business case is built

WRONZ will turn to industry to take over, Morrison said.

“Pigments are the holy grail, because of the size and volume

it will consume globally and the price points we can transact at,” Morrison said.

It has set an ambitious target of taking 20% of the New Zealand wool clip with such a facility.

Nick Aubrey, the business development manager at Wool Source, a company piloting wool deconstruction and turning it into pigments and other products, said the first container of deconstructed wool products in particle form will be shipped to an offshore client by Christmas.

The deal will mean multiple containers of deconstructed wool products will be exported every year.

Associate Minister for Agriculture Mark Patterson said an application for a non-woven wool plant has just been made to the Regional Infrastructure Fund by a consortium of companies.

“That’s one of my real goals, to get the manufacturing back [to New Zealand].

“There’s demand coming,” Patterson said.

CEO of woolscourer WoolWorks, Rosstan Mazey, confirmed WoolWorks and a number of companies with different expertise in the wool industry have applied

for funding to develop a nonwoven facility adjacent to the WoolWorks scouring plant in Napier.

A non-woven machine could use a wide range of fibres, such as wool or hemp, to make a variety of products such as insulation, geo textiles, filters or medical and sanitary products, he said.

Mazey said machinery in such a plant uses a high volume of wool, which would put pressure on the national clip and hopefully mean rising wool prices.

Wool Impact CEO Andy Caughey

said it had connected with Gensler, a global architecture interior firm that bills around $2 billion per year working with the world’s top banks, airline and IT companies.

“They have set the ambitious goal of being net carbon zero by 2030. They are looking for fibres that can offer that solution,” Caughey said.

If Gensler becomes an advocate for wool as a better material for the health of building occupants and for the environment, “you’re going to end up with a fibre shortage”, he said.

We should be selling wool like fine wine

FORWARD contracts and relationships with brands are a way for farmers to secure better prices for their wool.

Speaking at an industry event held in Waimahaka, Southland, director of Glerups NZ Hadleigh Smith said Glerups has been buying wool from local growers through forward contracts with NZ Merino for 11 years.

Glerups is a Danish company that sources strong wool from New Zealand to make high-end slippers.

The contracts have made it possible for growers to get about 48% above market price for their wool.

Contracts are set for two years.

Smith said a forward contract makes it possible for farmers to plan ahead and keep growing wool.

A contract gives Glerups a fundamental base price to work with and it can control inputs.

New Zealand Merino Company NZ supply manager Pete Scarlet said last season the company

transacted 90% of its wool away from the auction system and through forward contracts.

This fetched their 700-plus growers $40 million dollars over and above the market value of wool, and included strong and fine wool.

Scarlet said there are about 100 brands now asking the company about New Zealand wool, the most interest there has ever been.

About 100 brands are now asking NZMC about New Zealand wool, the most interest there has ever been.

Pete

Scarlet New Zealand Merino Company

He attributed some of the interest to the fact that wool can solve problems for companies.

ZQ standards, a standard that focuses on animal welfare and environmental responsibility, allows brands to make claims around welfare and the environment, he said.

Also speaking at the event, Wool Impact CEO Andy

Caughey said the industry behaves as though it is in a commodity market, but should behave like the wine industry, and sell wool as a premium product.

One way to do this is by sitting down with brands and building relationships.

Wool Impact is identifying brands that can connect farmers with brands that want to use natural fibres.

Caughey said international brands are looking for much more than just buying a commodity product.

“Increasingly, legislative requirements mean that they’re going to have to have traceability and transparency.

“What we’re going to be doing over the next six to 12 months is inviting brands to New Zealand.”

He said if farmers can sit down with brand representatives and show them what it takes to grow wool, they can set prices that make growing viable.

Caughey said setting a reserve price is one of the few tools farmers have to influence pricing.

The wool market is constrained and by setting reserve prices the market price would increase week by week, he said.

Woldwide Farms comes to the market

Gerald Piddock NEWS Land

ONE of Southland’s largest and most established private dairy farming businesses, Woldwide Farms, is for sale.

Owned by award-winning farmers Anita and Abe de Wolde, the five farms have a combined land area of 2140 hectares and include five milking platforms, two runoff blocks and land for making silage.

The business currently milks 4300 cows and produces 2.4 million kilograms of milk solids a season.

The De Woldes were the Southland Regional Supreme Winners for the Ballance Farm Environment Awards in 2013.

The couple emigrated from the Netherlands in 1990 and began their Southland farming journey by converting a sheep farm at Heddon Bush to dairy.

Over the following three

decades, they steadily expanded operations, building one of the region’s most productive privately held dairy platforms.

Now in the later stages of their careers, the De Woldes have decided to transition the ownership, given that its

management systems, infrastructure and operations are fully established.

Abe de Wolde declined to comment on the sale.

The sale is being managed by Chris Lawlor of JLL’s Agribusiness and Brett Lucas of Property

Brokers via expressions of interest.

The interconnectivity of the five farms along with it being a fully self-sustained business means the sale is for the entire operation rather than each farm being offered up for sale individually.

The farm business stands out for its combination of scale, efficiency and environmental planning, Lawlor said.

“Nowhere in the world have I seen dairy operations of this scale that combine high production with such low cost. The result is an industry-leading return on investment.

“The portfolio includes livestock, fodder on hand, plant and equipment, and well-established management systems, providing an institutional-scale, turnkey opportunity.

“The five farms receive around 1000mm of evenly spread annual rainfall, enabling production levels per hectare comparable to Canterbury’s irrigated farms but without the same input costs.”

JOINT investment between emissions research company

AgriZero and the AgEmissions Centre of $6.5 million will be used to boost New Zealand’s work to develop a methane inhibitor that is cost effective.

The funding boost was announced at an event held at Lincoln University promoting the launch of the research super body, the Bioeconomy Science Institute.

In terms of the agreement the centre will invest $2.5m, with the remainder coming from AgriZero.

A commercial launch of a methane inhibitor appears imminent, with officials highlighting a

strengthened collaborative effort with animal health company Zoetis, and the transfer of IP to AgriZero from the Ministry for Primary Industries and the Pastoral Greenhouse Gas Research centre.

Signals for a commercial release of a methane inhibitor have been strengthening this year with research focusing on a narrower range of possible compounds with methane-reducing properties.

AgriZero invested $1.8m into Ruminant BioTech’s startup product in 2023, with a further $4m last August.

Wayne McNee, AgriZero’s CEO, said it is critical progress continues to be made to meet global demand for lower emission.

“And it’s critical we give farmers tools to do that.”

A limited release bolus targeting beef cattle has been confirmed, needing only to be approved by the regulator. The bromoformcontaining bolus is intended to offer 100 days of methane reduction ability with emissions cuts of up to 70% claimed.

Ruminant BioTech’s bolus won the prototype category at this year’s Fieldays.

The challenges of developing a treatment for NZ’s relatively unique pastoral farming systems were acknowledged by researchers.

Ag Emissions Centre principal scientist Dr Sinead Leahy said much overseas research focuses on giving animals a dose in every mouthful of feed.

The Woldwide group has had internal environmental, social and governance (ESG) policies in place since the early 2000s. The operation includes 160ha of mixed-age pine on the runoff blocks, offsetting a significant portion of the farm’s emissions footprint.

The farms use a barn wintering system, which has been key to their production figures and low farm working expenses and environmental footprint, he said.

Pasture silage is harvested from 230ha of cut-and-carry blocks, consistently yielding 17-20 tonnes of dry matter per hectare per year.

Lucas said current market conditions are exceptionally favourable for well-run, large-scale New Zealand dairy operations.

“The current New Zealand dairy environment is characterised by historically strong milk prices, record per-cow yields, and a clear focus on environmental responsibility. This positions large-scale quality operations like Woldwide Farms to deliver stable returns and long-term value to investors.”

Funding boost as bolus anticipation increases

“That’s just not practical for NZ farms. The beauty of this work is we are searching for what works in a pasture system first, not something that reduces methane then trying to figure out if it works in pasture.”

GASSING IT: At the official opening of the Bioeconomy Science Institute at Lincoln University,

CEO Wayne McNee announced further funding to develop a commercial methane inhibitor.

Before being able to be commercialised the inhibitor requires approval under the Agricultural Compounds and Veterinary Medicines (ACVM) Act.

In July a Radio NZ report said the Environmental Protection Agency had determined that the inhibitor belonged in the category of veterinary medicines and did not require individual approval. It would, however, require registration under the ACVM Act. NZ Food Safety deputy director Vincent Arbuckle confirmed an application had been received for registering Ruminant BioTech’s product.

Yearling bull sales off to a flying start

Hugh Stringleman MARKETS Livestock

ORTHERNMOST beef

Ncattle studs have started the spring bull sales season with full clearances and prices that are $1000 to $2000 ahead of last year.

In one of the first bull sales of the spring calendar, the Shepherd family at Kaeo, Northland, with Waimaire and Otengi Polled Herefords, sold all 50 bulls catalogued with average prices well ahead of last year.

The 18-month bulls averaged $5314 with 14 sold and a top of $6700 paid twice, including Lot 1 Waimaire Echuca 150, bought by Pampass Lane, Northland.

The yearling bulls averaged $4595 for the 36 sold, with a top of $7200 paid by Koanui Herefords, Havelock North.

There were transfers to Hereford studs Maui, Matapouri and Marua, and to Kaitoa.

Hoobees Herefords, Coromandel, sold 16 of 17 bulls offered with a top price of $9500 for Speedtail 2407 and $8500 paid for Arturo 2404.

The top-priced bull is off to the South Island to John and Liz McKerchar, Shrimpton’s Hill Herefords, South Canterbury. Hoobees vendors Bryce and Sue

Hooton, Coroglen, had an average over 16 bulls of $4575 and said they are delighted with the sale outcome.

There were a large number of attendees and their use of two Australian sires, Robert Redford and Tarcombe Mclaren, is really paying off, they said.

Hoobees Herefords’ use of two Australian sires, Robert Redford and Tarcombe Mclaren, is really paying off.

Te Atarangi Angus at Te Kōpuru, on the Pouto peninsula in Northland, had a complete clearance of 123 yearling bulls after five were withdrawn on the day.

The average price secured by vendors Chris and Karren Biddles was $5571, about $1700 ahead of last year.

The top price was $12,000 paid by Marchant Farms, South Auckland, for Te Atarangi Solution V074, by Stokman Solution out of Te Atarangi Irene with EBVs for very low birth weight, short gestation and high Angus indexes. Transfer bulls are to go to Hokianga Angus at $8000 and $7000, to Puketi Angus at $8000 and to Matapara Angus at $4500.

EXPECTANT: The line-up of early catalogue bulls offered by Te Atarangi Angus in Northland.

McFadzeans branch out with big lease farms

AHUGE expansion of commercial sheep and beef farming for the McFadzean Cattle Company of Wairarapa has occupied the big family enterprise during the past year in the run-up to the eighth yearling bull sale on Friday, September 12.

The offering will be 34 Meat Maker and Super Angus bulls, all medium frame and strong constitution, and 48 registered Angus McFadzean Cruizy Calve bulls with proven calving ease and good growth rates bred for mating heifers.

In the past year the McFadzean family has taken up three large farm leases totalling 3400 hectares along with purchasing 250ha next to Ngahere and buying more than 11,000 ewes and 800 beef cows to stock the new properties.

More than 2000 cows and heifers went to the bull in the last mating.

Two leases are of Ngāti Kahungunu-owned farms previously run by Pāmu and they are both 1300ha, one called Rangedale being east of Pahiatua and the

other being Wairio, mainly flat land alongside Lake Wairarapa.

The third lease is 850ha; this is Lochiel, the Cameron family property alongside the McFadzean’s Val’dor in the Mauriceville district north of Masterton, now farmed by youngest son Corey McFadzean.

The two home farms are Glenbrae near Masterton and Glenburn Station on the southeast coast of Wairarapa, along with smaller farm Ngahere.

I was on the road for a month or more, buying capital stock from as far south as Mt Linton in Southland.

John McFadzean McFadzean Cattle Co

Eldest son Johnie and wife Laura manage Glenbrae, and Glenburn is farmed by John and Helen and their second son, Lachie.

Family patriarch John McFadzean said the enormous purchase of capital stock took place in winter 2024, including 8000 Romney ewes at prices between $110 and $191 a head,

followed by 300 cows and 400 steers and the Mauriceville livestock of 3000 ewes and 200 cows.

“We also had to find the first lease payments and employ two more good farm managers.

“I was on the road for a month or more, buying capital stock from as far south as Mt Linton in Southland.

“In retrospect, we were buying large numbers at the right time, because all livestock prices have risen in the 12 months since.”

The two Ngāti Kahungunu leased farms are commercially and independently run with farm managers but Wairio will be used to help finish all the McFadzean lambs, steers and heifers.

“We are now well-balanced with weather risks during the year, having four summer-safe properties along with the drier country,” Johnie said.

“We have less reliance on the store market, and combined the central and coastal Wairarapa to provide options.”

Rangedale will stock Super Angus cows and Wairio will finish up to 500 bulls plus 400-odd steers and heifers, all sourced internally. McFadzean weaners and those

Trust formed to protect island’s whitetail deer

Gerhard Uys NEWS

Conservation

A TRUST to preserve the presence of whitetail deer on Stewart Island has been established.

The Rakiura Whitetail Trust was formed by the past president of the New Zealand Deerstalkers Association, Craig Benbow, along with Roy Sloan and Adam Fairmaid from the Fiordland Wapiti Foundation, and other interested parties who live on Stewart Island.

Fairmaid told Farmers Weekly that the formation of a trust had been on their radar for some time, but became more urgent with recent 1080 drops on Stewart Island, used for predator control.

He said the trust is in conversation with the Department of Conservation in the hope that in future all 1080s will have deer repellent in them.

For a whitetail population to continue on the island, the trust will have to take an ecological approach, he said.

“We want to see whitetails continue in perpetuity, but at levels that the forest can sustain and still be healthy,” Fairmaid said.

He said what a healthy forest looks like will have to be determined independently.

The extent of the whitetail population on the island is unclear. Independent research has to be done to calculate deer numbers, rather than rely on observations, he said.

It appears that there are high numbers around settled areas of Stewart Island, as, for example, dairying grass attracted them.

He believes deer numbers in forested areas are lower than people speculated, but this had to be determined independently.

of their regular bull clients are topping weaner sales year after year.

“Our top line weaner bulls sold at Masterton this year up to $1750 a head,” Johnie said.

Spending around $100,000 annually, the McFadzeans buy Angus and Simmental bulls for the Super Angus and Meat Maker breeding programmes, and the Angus genetics with calving ease, good growth rates, proven low birth weights and short gestations go into the Cruizy Calves programme.

This year they went to Umbrella Range in Southland to buy an Angus bull suitable on the

numbers specifically for Cruizy Calves, and purchased him for $33,000. They came away with another at $50,000 for Super Angus breeding.

In last year’s yearling bull sale 75 were sold with an average price of $5141, a price likely to be bettered this year.

Top price was $16,000 paid by Grassendale Genetics and the Cruizys topped out at $11,000, sold to Bullock Hills and Mt Peel Station.

This year 82 bulls are on offer and all McFadzean Cattle Co bulls are semen tested and guaranteed for two years from the date of sale.

Notice of change to M. bovis –Cattle Levy Rate

Pursuant to Clause 10 of the Biosecurity (Mycoplasma Bovis—Cattle Levy) Order 2024 notice is hereby given that commencing 1 October 2025, the rate of levy for dairy and beef cattle will change.

Levy rates from 1 October 2025 are (GST exclusive):

• Dairy cattle 0.4 cents per kilogram of milk solids (decreased from 0.8 cents per kilogram of milk solids)

• Beef cattle 40 cents per head for beef cattle slaughtered (decreased from 80 cents per head for beef cattle slaughtered)

Background to change

The National Pest Management Plan for Mycoplasma bovis (M. bovis) is funded by agreement between the Ministry for Primary Industries, DairyNZ, Beef + Lamb New Zealand, and the M. bovis programme. Funding is through a combination of fixed funding and levies charged on the production of milk solids, and slaughter of cattle.

The respective industry shares of this funding are subject to annual adjustment based on shifts in the relative size and value of each industry. The funding received is also affected by the actual cattle slaughter volumes for the beef sector and actual milk production for the dairy sector. Each financial year, a reconciliation is made of the amount contributed by each industry and levy rates may be adjusted accordingly.

Dated this 8 September 2025

Sam McIvor, Chief Executive, MBfree New Zealand Limited

For further information on OSPRI’s M. bovis programme, please visit ospri.co.nz

Getting to the root of what ails rural health

THE three Rs are desperately needed in rural communities –respite care, rehab and refuge. As a privately practising rural nurse, Michelle Cole wants better healthcare outcomes for our communities.

Stronger planning to build capability and capacity for specialist services in rural areas would make a difference, she says.

“We need to address the design of health care rurally. Look at what sort of workforce capability we want to have, and start designing it now.”

Based in the Aorere Valley in Golden Bay, Cole works as a nurse, therapist, educator and supervisor through her business, Meaningful Health. Her background is in mental health, and she does contract work providing funded services for groups including the Cancer Society and those bereaved by suicide.

Cole takes a holistic view of health and wellbeing, with an aim to support whole family units to flourish, and she wants rural people to know that they have permission to design a healthcare model that fits what their community needs.

She hasn’t always been based in the country. Cole grew up in Auckland and spent 20 years living in Australia. She moved back to rural New Zealand to be close to family when her father got sick, and never left.

“I love living rurally and I think we have such a city-centric model of health delivery. I feel really fortunate to have done all the training and it just feels right to take the skills people would normally have to travel to the

city for, to be free range out in the community. That feels like where I can really deliver.”

The three Rs are services that would make a significant difference in rural communities, she says.

Respite care is needed for older people, young people with disabilities, and those with different health needs or mental health needs.

Rehab facilities are lacking. If a parent has to go to the city to attend rehab it can put a huge strain on families.

“People have a perception that cities are where alcohol and drugs are, but we are just a microcosm of cities, but without the facilities.”

Finally, Cole believes refuge for women and children is rural areas is important.

It’s not just work, it’s life. I have a strong service flame in me and I just want justice.

Michelle

Cole Aorere Valley

When it comes to specialist services, the distance and travel required are huge barriers for those who live rurally. She acknowledges that travel is a double-edged sword. Providers also see it as a barrier, meaning a clinician is on the road for long periods of time.

“We need a stronger design and more robust conversation around paediatric rural outreach too. A lot of our specialist services and specialists sit in cities. It puts tremendous strain and travel on families.”

While tele-health does deliver, to an extent, she would like to see paediatric clinics that bring specialists out into rural communities.

“It’s important for palliative care for children. Paediatric palliative care rurally is quite thin. It’s incredibly distressing for families. If we could build capability and capacity for it locally, if we had a plan, that would be great.”

Similarly, building capability for cancer treatment in rural areas would be beneficial for children, rather than travelling huge distances.

SUPPORT: Michelle Cole takes a holistic view of health and wellbeing, with an aim to support whole family units to flourish.

For area and rural schools, access to a school counsellor is rare, unlike city schools. For many rural schools, if they do have a counsellor, it means sacrificing teaching full-time equivalents (FTEs).

Online brief intervention models are good, but don’t always go far enough.

“For example, I Am Hope offers two funded sessions, that’s a gain. But if you have a dedicated counsellor, you can build family capability to support these young people. We need to support families with coaching and education, too.”

For Cole, family is everything.

Rural communities often deal with adverse events that can cause huge levels of stress and anxiety on the whole family unit.

“We’ve had M Bovis, earthquakes, floods, droughts – all the things that impact on farming communities and the families associated.

“If we have the trust of the family when working with a young person, maybe we can see that a referral is needed for mum or dad. It’s about helping families be strong.”

In keeping with her wholepicture view, Cole says there are

OUTCOMES: Rural nurse Michelle Cole wants better healthcare outcomes for rural communities.

issues that are super “healthcentric” but she also sees gaps in services that impact on the wellbeing of young people, such as access to driving lessons or sitting their driver’s licence.

“If they live in a small town, there is probably only one GP. If they go in for birth control or an STI, anyone who’s sitting in the waiting room is probably going to know their family, or the nurse is a friend of Mum.”

Finally, Cole observes the rising number of young Māori who cannot access Kaupapa Māori services due to their location. She says cultural understanding is vital, and services delivered with a Western lens and applied to Māori families do not necessarily deliver the best outcomes.

For Cole, working in rural health is not just a job, it’s a way of life. And it’s something she has a huge passion for.

“I think, once you are in, you’re all in. When you work rurally in health you don’t just drive home at the end of the day. Every time you go to the dairy or a community event, it’s all around you and you’re immersed in it.

“It’s not just work, it’s life. I have a strong service flame in me and I just want justice.”

Supply sideswipe hits most GDT prices

Hugh Stringleman MARKETS Dairy

MILK powder prices fell 5% and milkfat product prices by 2% in the first Global Dairy Trade auction of September, when ample supply met reduced demand.

The GDT price index was down 4.3%, the largest one-event fall since July and also the biggest decline since July 2024, which was 6.9%.

While the futures market beforehand did indicate some price weakness, skim milk powder surprised on the downside with its 5.8% retreat.

Whole milk powder was down 5.3%, anhydrous milk fat down

2.6% and butter down 2.5%.

Butter milk powder was down 6.3% and mozzarella down 4.6%, with the only rise being cheddar up 3.6%.

NZX head of dairy insights Cristina Alvarado said regional demand factors were involved in the GDT event movements, with China taking half of total purchases, up from 34% in the previous auction, and all other regions falling back.

“This rebalancing of demand compounded the downward price pressure across key commodities,” she said.

On the supply side, record New Zealand milk collections in the opening months of the 2025-26 season have combined with strong output growth from the United States (+3.4% year on year in July),

PLUNGE: The GDT price index was down 4.3%, the largest one-event fall since July and also the biggest decline since July 2024.

Argentina (+7.7%), and Uruguay (+3%).

European Union production also returned to modest growth in May

(+0.2%), leaving Australia as the only major exporter in contraction (-4.0% in July).

“Exports of WMP and fats have

This rebalancing of demand compounded the downward price pressure across key commodities.

Cristina Alvarado NZX

been plentiful, reinforcing the sense of well-covered supply.

“The fundamental backdrop of expanding supply and softer demand is now exerting greater pressure.

“Overall, the GDT event outcome underscores the challenge facing dairy markets: strong production and ample export availability meeting increasingly tested demand,” Alvarado said.

Vegetable industry mulls merger of sector bodies

Gerhard Uys NEWS Horticulture

THE vegetable sector is considering a proposal to consolidate industry good organisations into a single entity, provisionally called VegeCo.

Potatoes NZ said currently members invest about $5.5

million in levies across the Onions NZ, Potatoes NZ, Process Vegetables NZ, Tomatoes NZ and Vegetables NZ.

“Fifteen staff report to 35 directors across the groups,” it said.

“Boards and growers have questioned whether this fragmented structure is sustainable, given increasing costs,

duplication of efforts, and gaps emerging in pan-sector priorities such as biosecurity, environmental research, and trade.”

Potatoes NZ chair Paul Olsen told Farmers Weekly that the motivation behind consolidating industry good bodies would in part be to explore if more can be gained from grower levies.

Grower numbers are dropping, but operation sizes are growing bigger, with growers growing multiple crops across product groups, he said.

Levies would not necessarily reduce under a new body, but would hopefully be used more efficiently, he said.

Across-sector government relations would be managed by

such a group, he said.

The current situation, with multiple bodies, is working well, but good governance means they have to explore new options, Olsen said.

Grower meetings will be held across the country from as early as this week, with growers having to mandate any change before it happens, he said.

From the Editor

What to do with Molesworth?

Craig Page Deputy editor

SEISMIC change appears to be in the wind for Molesworth Station.

The Department of Conservation has called for expressions of interest “for farming and other commercial opportunities” for the country’s largest farm.

The 180,000 hectare property is owned by the Crown, administered by DoC and leased to Pāmu. However, that lease is due to expire on June 30, 2026, which opens an array of possibilities for its future.

DoC has indicated it is prepared to spread the net far and wide to secure future opportunities for what is a unique landscape.

DoC South Marlborough operations manager Stacey Wrenn told media the property would continue to be farmed in some capacity, but the department is also open to other revenue-gathering activities, including guiding or accommodation.

LAST WEEK’S POLL RESULT

“This scoping work will safeguard the ecological, recreational and cultural values that make Rangitahi/Molesworth such a special place while ensuring a commercially viable offering,” Wrenn said.

The public already has access to Molesworth Station, which stretches from Hanmer Springs to Blenheim.

Acheron Rd, which runs through the farm, is open from October until April and there are a variety of tracks within the property that attract campers, trampers and mountain bikers.

But, given it is a working farm, public access inevitably brings issues. Despite warnings, some people travel in unsuitable vehicles and don’t follow basic farm rules, such as leaving gates as you find them and not bringing dogs onto the property.

Ensuring health and safety regulations are met is a constant issue.

Earlier this year Farmers Weekly reported that the ministers for climate change, conservation, land information and forestry planned to explore public-private partnerships to plant trees on low-value Crown land.

Documents on the proposal revealed areas suitable for such planting programmes could include vast tracts of the Mackenzie Country and Molesworth Station.

DoC was quick to play down the report, saying no decisions had been made. This

JUST over half of voters thought that Fonterra should invest in Alliance Group to help resolve its bobby calf issue.

“This is a brilliant plan. It maximises the meat potential of the poor bobbies and provides a longer kill season for the freezing workers. A winwin situation for the industry,” one said.

“It makes perfect sense, a vertical, sideways integration to solve one of the biggest animal welfare problems the industry has,” said another.

But many opposed such a move.

“I don’t see it as Fonterra’s problem to solve and dairy farmers use most of their land to feed cows in the milking platform. They don’t tend to have room for non-replacements or raising bobby calves. Additionally, Daniel Carson is talking about low-return products. Ideally, beef farmers would buy four-day-old bobby calves and non-replacements and grow them for the various products, including Mīti bars. As we know, beef cattle tend to have one progeny and therefore drystock farming is quite inefficient.

It’s not a Fonterra thing, it’s a farmer-to-farmer thing. As for processing, that’s a meat company thing to solve. Talk to the suppliers if a 12-month supply is needed for large export product potential.”

was reiterated last week when DoC said any new lease agreement would not include planting pines.

The station has had ongoing issues with wilding pines, and it has been a battle to find suitable funding to address those problems.

Recently, the station’s longstanding manager, Jim Ward, resigned, citing growing frustration with wilding pines on the property and uncertainty about the station’s future as his reasons for leaving.

What the future holds for Molesworth is already creating debate. There are fears that any reduction of farming could lead to wilding pines getting even more out of control.

The station also has significant historical and cultural heritage and is home to about 620 species of native plants. Of these, nearly 20% are threatened or at risk.

All of that needs to be taken into account when a new lease is drawn up.

However, all farms, regardless of who owns them, need to be financially viable. A growing number of privately owned properties throughout the country have diversified, introducing ecotourism or accommodation to bring in additional revenue.

Molesworth Station should not be treated differently, but it also needs to be treated with respect by its new leaseholder.

Last week’s question: Should Fonterra invest in Alliance Group to help resolve its bobby calf issue?

Letters of the week Big potential in lots of little farms

Leif Eckle Lincoln University student

READING your August 25 article “Big ideas come from Little Farms” was refreshing and inspiring. Alex Morrissey’s story in south Wairarapa is proof that small-scale regenerative farming is not only viable but essential for the future of New Zealand agriculture.

I am currently studying for a Diploma in Agriculture at Lincoln University, and have worked both in an organic market garden here in New Zealand (Mangaroa Farms) and on a regenerative cattle farm in the Czech Republic. These experiences have convinced me that regenerative and locally grown food systems are the only way forward – for our soils, our bodies and our rural communities. Many still believe that profitability in agriculture can only come from scaling up, intensifying, and relying heavily on synthetic inputs. Yet Morrissey’s example –and many others like it – show that working with nature rather than against it can produce high-quality food, maintain soil health, and create a resilient local economy.

Small farms, when connected through collaboration, can match the market presence of larger operations while avoiding the pitfalls of monocultures and chemical dependency. The “lots of little” model builds diversity, spreads risk, and fosters innovation. In an era of increasing climate extremes, this resilience is vital for food security.

The lessons here extend beyond vegetables. Livestock production, too, can be integrated into regenerative systems that prioritise soil health, biodiversity and community wellbeing.

The conventional Lincoln University student divide between “big farms” and “small farms” is false – the real divide is between systems that degrade the land and those that regenerate it. Whether it’s beef, lamb, dairy, or strawberries, farming that builds living soil will feed us in the long run. I believe New Zealand has an opportunity – and an obligation – to lead in this era. We already have the global reputation for quality food. By supporting regenerative practices and encouraging collaboration among small producers, we can set a new standard for farming that sustains both land and people.

As a young person entering the industry, I want to be a part of that change. I want to see a rural sector where farmers –large and small – are united in their care for the environment, the health of our communities, and the resilience of our food system. If we invest in soil health and local connections now, we can create a future that is profitable, sustainable, and truly worth passing on to the next generation.

This week’s poll question (see page 3):

In your view, do the recent takeovers of dairy processors lessen competition in New Zealand’s dairy sector?

Have your say at

Big, beautiful batteries

Eating the elephant

TRADIES have been back at my place, tackling jobs well beyond my everyday carpentry skill. When they unpack their kit, there’s not a cord or jerry can in sight. Just batteries. DeWalt, Milwaukee and the like power drills, lights, even chainsaws with a push-button tap. No messy fuel, no endless pullcord frustrations.

Batteries have changed how tradies work. Armed with easy access energy, they clip an everexpanding range of tools, options and possibilities on top. When helping to unload their van, I had a thought. What could farming learn from this?

Starting with how we energise our systems might be the best place to begin improving them.

Mike Casey’s Rewiring Aotearoa comes to mind first. His team

have brought electrification to the fore – powering everything from cherry orchards to pump sheds.

Banks are following, lining up with green-lending incentives for solar rollout.

But the real lightbulb moment for me wasn’t the panels – it was the battery behind them.

And it doesn’t have to be lithium-ion. Think of hot-water cylinders and chilled-water tanks as thermal batteries. On dairy farms, they store heat for washdowns or cold for milk chilling –two assets you already need.

Add a modest 30 kW solar array, feed surplus power into those vessels, and you cut peak-grid draw. Slip an electric UTV (or even Elon’s Cybertruck) into the yard, reconfigure water tanks and you’re shifting more load off the grid.

Like the tradie with his van of DeWalt, you do have to stump up upfront. You’ll spend $60-100k on panels, inverters and storage. But payback typically lands well inside a 10-year warranty.

Better still, thermal batteries smooth spikes, trim energy bills and sidestep network outages. Given the fragility of the national grid, that’s a solid example of energy self-sufficiency.

This is an electrification story that makes sense on farm – not mined exotic batteries, just smarter use of the water we already heat or cool.

That same energy-first thinking applies to another stubborn challenge: seasonal supply in the meat sector. Plants built for spring lamb and autumn beef sit under-utilised for much of the

year. The consensus is clear –we’ve got over-capacity and need a structural readjustment.

I spend a fair bit of time in Farmax models, and they all hinge on the grass curve – matching feed demand to the rhythm of ryegrass and clover growth. But Earth’s 23.5 degree tilt gives us seasons. Grass (our cheapest feed) thrives in spring and autumn, then stubbornly slows when it’s too hot or too cold. That seasonality dictates everything: calving, lambing, finishing and the “butcher’s hook” timing.

If we treat lamb and beef purely as commodities, adding expensive feed rarely stacks up. There’s no incentive to grain-finish offcurve when your neighbour is still grazing ryegrass. It’s a classic chicken-and-egg situation –processors won’t run year-round without volume, and farmers won’t invest in feed when there’s no market outside peak windows.

So perhaps it’s time to consider feedlots. Not as a replacement for grass, but as a battery for the meat supply chain. Grain-fed systems could deliver consistent supply 52 weeks a year – fulfilling our country-of-origin promise every day. Not just in March when my wife’s birthday lamb hits the shelves, but also in September when my birthday calls for a tomahawk steak.

Dairy farmers already buffer their seasons with maize pits – could red-meat systems do likewise and spread processing demand to smooth out plant utilisation?

Revisiting our feeding model

isn’t about abandoning grass, it’s about integrating grain or conserved feed more efficiently to bridge the lean months and build resilience. If we can marry grassfed credentials with year-round availability, then processors stay busy, farmers secure premiums and consumers get the beef or lamb they want, when they want it. That sounds like a sound structural shift to me.

If we’re talking about stored energy, we can’t go past irrigation. To be frank, irrigation in New Zealand has a chequered history.

The South Island’s explosion to facilitate the dairy boom was a modern-day gold rush with environmental and social licence implications. Today, irrigation and water storage in our highly regulated farming environments is more bespoke, more considered and more environmentally sensitive.

But if encouraged, it unlocks growth. Whether it’s intensifying 10% of the farm into high-value horticulture with a small dam or a bloody big duck pond (or using water to grow feed and smooth the grass curve), the step-change impact of storage and re-use on farm resilience is immense. Newton’s first law is that energy is neither created nor destroyed. It is only transformed. Batteries have transformed tradies into more resilient, efficient operators. On farm, the same principle applies. Whether it’s solar-fed water tanks, stored feed, or thermal cylinders, energyfirst thinking reframes resilience –not as a cost, but as a capability. If we want farms that work yearround, buffer shocks and deliver premium product on demand, we need to start where the tradie does. With the battery. The rest clips on top.

Fonterra’s big bet is on ‘undiversification’

In my view

THE latest OECD-FAO Agriculture Outlook offers valuable insights into agricultural commodity markets at national, regional and global scales. It serves as a stark reminder of just how unusual New Zealand’s dairy production is in a global context. Trading dairy products internationally is rare – less than 7% of global dairy production crosses international borders, with the vast majority produced for local consumption. New Zealand produces just 2% of the world’s milk, yet we export nearly all of it overseas.

Our milk powder production is equally distinctive. New Zealand dominates global whole milk powder (WMP) exports, producing 57% of the world’s supply. As the report notes, “the dominant use of WMP will continue to be in the manufacturing sector, notably in confectionery, infant formula, and bakery products”.

As farmers, it’s satisfying to imagine the nutrient-dense milk

we proudly produce being poured from a jug at a Chinese breakfast table or chosen for its grassfed credentials for a Japanese cheese board. Living on a dairy farm, I love this imagery too –but it’s simply not how most of New Zealand’s dairy exports are consumed.

When considering the future of New Zealand’s dairy exports, it seems short sighted to abandon the diversity already within our grasp.

In recent years, multinational food companies like Mars, Unilever and Nestlé have become increasingly prominent as key NZ dairy customers. They value our dairy ingredients for their consistency, large-scale availability, and competitive pricing.

The nutrient density of milk and our grass-fed systems become irrelevant when dairy serves as a minor ingredient in KitKats or Mars Bars. When did you last consider the animal welfare standards behind the milk solids in your Maltesers? Or question the naturalness of grated cheese on your frozen pizza?

One credential that ranks highly with these important customers is greenhouse gas emissions. They’ve made bold net-zero commitments and are investing heavily in technology to meet these goals.

While Nestlé and Mars work closely with Fonterra, emissions efficiency and reduction technology alone won’t suffice. Both companies have signalled intentions to reformulate products with dairy alternatives where possible to reduce their emissions profiles.

Nestlé has developed a recipe optimisation tool for product developers to model trade-offs between nutrition, cost and sustainability of different ingredients. Mars is investing $250 million in its Sustainable Investment Fund to work with companies addressing their three key industry challenges – including developing lowemissions alternative ingredients. While liquid milk remains difficult to replicate using food technology, milk powder used as a minority ingredient in chocolate bar filling presents a much easier target for substitution.

What does this mean for one of the world’s biggest producers of commodity dairy ingredients? One potential response is diversifying

New Zealand’s agricultural production.

Brilliant work is underway nationwide to determine what grows well in different regions beyond sheep, beef and dairy, and to identify barriers for landowners.

Contrary to this diversification trend, Fonterra is proposing a significant reduction in product diversity by selling its consumer division and doubling down on dairy ingredients.

According to its latest financial report, 74% of milk solids processed in the 2025 financial year already went into the ingredients channel. Nearly two-thirds of revenue in this channel comes from selling “reference products” – commodities auctioned at Global Dairy Trade that are, by definition, non-differentiated from identical products produced anywhere else in the world.

Meanwhile, Fonterra’s branded products, such as Mainland cheese and Anchor butter, comprise the consumer division, which used just 10% of milk solids in 2025.

These products end up on supermarket shelves and in consumers’ homes. They’re the only place where New Zealand’s dairy story (natural, grass-fed, free-range) is directly shared with consumers. Crucially, they’re also far less

vulnerable to disruption from reformulation – dairy remains essential to cheese, butter, and yogurt, unlike lactose and whey powder in a KitKat.

Divesting the consumer division offers an opportunity to return capital to shareholders and allow branding experts to take the wheel. It enables Fonterra to focus on their core competency – processing farmers’ milk into ingredients.

But when considering the future of New Zealand’s dairy exports, it seems short sighted to abandon the diversity already within our grasp. As global food manufacturers increasingly seek alternatives to dairy ingredients, shouldn’t we be strengthening our direct consumer connections rather than retreating further into the commodity space?

The question isn’t whether Fonterra can execute this strategy successfully in the short term –it’s whether New Zealand’s dairy industry will be better positioned for long-term resilience by putting all our eggs in the commodity basket, just as that basket faces its greatest threats.

My name and number are on page two of Farmers Weekly every week. I get a lot of emails from readers, mostly grateful and constructive, but some are from people who appear to want our business to fail.

My general response to them is:

With the limited resources we have, we support farmers in every way we can, including via the four Federated Farmers pages, giving a greater visibility to farmer-led advocacy than there has ever been.

Most farmers seem to appreciate our efforts. As an example, there were eight pages of largely farmer-paid advertising in last week’s issue alone, and we now have over 1000 voluntary subscribers.

I think we’re on the same page. Literally.

In my humble opinion, it’s time we leaned in together, to gain greater agency in the direction of sector policy and to have more of a say on the increasing amount of regulations we face. The more divided we are, the weaker our position. Identifying problems is easy - working together to create solutions takes teamwork, requires a united framework for well-informed discussions, and includes a healthy contest of ideas and opinions. I can promise you, we will continue to support all farmers in every way we can. You may not agree with everything we publish, but never forget, we care about this sector, and all the people working in it, as much as you do.

Thank you to our 1065 subscribers so far. We invite everyone else who appreciates reading our website and/or our newspaper, to join the team and start your subscription today.

The bright future of this comprehensive weekly publication depends upon it.

Kind regards,

Dean Williamson – Publisher dean.williamson@agrihq.co.nz 027 323 9407

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GE tech takes either the high or low road

Richard Rennie NEWS Genetics

PLANT breeders have been cautioned that simply having a crop that is improved with geneediting technology is only a very small part of the jigsaw in getting it over the line with consumers and growers.

David Hudson, a crop and plant consultant with over 30 years’ experience in advising companies on building new markets for crops, addressed delegates at this year’s New Zealand Plant Breeders and Research Association forum in Christchurch.

“There are crops NZ can learn from, given you have [GE] legislation coming along, learning from some of the pain we have had in Australia.”

Canola and safflower crops provided a good contrast on how a GE crop can or cannot get to market in a reasonable time frame.

“These crops highlight how

they exist only as a part of a larger supply chain.”

Gene-edited safflower now accounts for about 12,000 hectares of crop in Australia, and enjoyed a relatively quick passage to market after only being developed in 2018.

The GE version offers increased oleic acid levels of 90-92%, with multiple applications from cooking oil in the kitchen to cooling oil in electricity transformers.

We are looking at a crop that now offers both grower and processor benefits.

David Hudson SGA Solutions

“We are looking at a crop that now offers both grower and processor benefits, moving away from the primarily farmer-driven benefits of earlier crops.”

The war in Ukraine had meant a loss of sunflower crops and oil,

providing greater impetus for safflower’s uptake.

Hudson described the five-year uptake of safflowers as unheard of, and in sharp contrast to GE canola taking 25 years.

Canola’s advance had been impeded by failing to gain “permission to operate” from the supply chain it depended upon.

“It was a fragmented supply chain, with a lack of clarity on how GM canola would fit in the existing grain supply chain system beyond the grower.”

Uncertainty over how domestic and export markets would accept it, concerns by consumer groups on the GE crop’s safety, and state moratoriums all meant it had a fraught pathway to market.

It was only through a major collaborative effort across the grain industry supply chain that permission to operate was achieved, with a fully signedup “market choice framework” ensuring all were on board. This was something the safflower sector had worked on from an earlier stage.

That covered pre-commercial assessment, supply chain management and integrity, and assurances around contamination prevention to conventional crops.

This included developing reasonable (5m) buffer zones between GE and conventional crops, based on well-founded scientific work that established how far viable GE pollen would travel.

“A key is to ensure early engagement. We have companies still 10 years from releasing a

product who are already engaging with their supply chain.”

Hudson advised the NZ primary sector to break its GE needs up by sector when seeking permission to operate, but cautioned it demands strong leadership within those sectors.

“Who will take the first step to own this and kick it off? In Australia it was the Grain Growers Australia.

“It requires two to three people in the room to take responsibility for it.”

New logo to aid in rise of NZ-grown wheat

Annette Scott NEWS Arable

A NEW logo identifying New Zealand-grown grains is set to make it easier for consumers to seek out food and drink products made from domestically grown grain. While most shoppers are unaware that when they buy bread from the supermarket it is more likely to be made from imported

milling wheat, that is about to change, Foundation for Arable Research (FAR) general manager of business operations Ivan Lawrie said.

The “New Zealand Grown Grains” logo will appear in bakeries and on shop shelves.

The certification trademark is the initiative of growers via their levy organisation FAR, in collaboration with Eat NZ, which promotes locally sourced food.

Lawrie said interest in the FARowned trademark, under licence from July 1, has been shown by bakers as well as makers of breakfast cereal and plant-based milk.

More publicity around the trademark is planned in spring as food and beverage makers are signed up.

Eat NZ chief executive Angela Clifford said the campaign is a unique opportunity for farmers

to join with bakers, chefs and consumers using their grains and seeds to tell a compelling story about what makes NZ-grown arable foods so wonderful.

“From the quality to the connection to our land, from food security to social licence, we all win when our farmers and those eating the food they grow, work together,” Clifford said.

The initiative is part of a wider industry campaign to make NZ

become more self-sufficient in the growing of milling wheat, used to make bread.

Despite the arable industry’s reputation for quality product, Lawrie said at least 75% of the bread sold in NZ is made from imported grain, primarily from Australia.

Growers are keen to expand production and maintain a strong industry, but infrastructure remains a major hurdle.

FARMERS

Feds push for a national pest plan

With rising numbers of feral animals hammering farm pasture, fences and native bush, Federated Farmers is calling for a national pest strategy.

“Farmers are constantly reporting bigger mobs of feral deer, wild pigs eating lambs, and huge flocks of Canada geese and ducks fouling farmland and waterways,” Federated Farmers meat and wool chair Richard Dawkins says.

Federated Farmers has asked Parliament’s Primary Production Committee to set up a joint agency briefing to clarify the scale of New Zealand’s pest problem, what it means for climate change, and where the current governance framework is falling short.

“We need action that covers all pest species, all land tenures, and brings every stakeholder into one coordinated effort.”   Dawkins says the current fragmented approach, with responsibility divided by land tenure and function, is holding back progress.

“One example - the Department of Conservation (DOC) is tasked to manage pests on public conservation land, but its statutory responsibilities don’t extend to private land.

“This leads to pests moving freely across public estate boundaries and imposing massive costs on farmers.”   Regional councils, Biosecurity New Zealand (MPI), the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) and OSPRI (targeting TB vectors – mainly possums), all have roles.

“Responsibility is split across these multiple agencies, with no central leadership or clear lines of accountability,” Dawkins says.

“The result is gaps, inefficiencies, and inconsistent coverage – and productive land pays the price.”

He says farmers are particularly angry that some forestry companies and investors – particularly carbon forestry speculators who blanket the land in pines and walk away – leave it to farmer neighbours to suffer the pest consequences.

“It is hugely damaging and only appears to be getting worse.”

There’s also uncertainty about which agency and Minister are responsible for pest pressures that primarily affect the productive sector, especially outside of conservation land.

Similar to DOC’s different priorities, forest owners often invest in pest control until trees are no longer vulnerable to browsing damage.

“The forests become habitat for pest species. These then travel across boundaries and wreak havoc.”

Last year’s inaugural Federated Farmers National Pest Survey of more than 700 farmers left no room for doubt on the scale of the problem.

One finding was that, at a conservative estimate, farmers are spending almost $74 million on pest control each year, and shouldering another $139 million a year in costs from damaged fencing, pasture consumed and loss of trees.

“Our survey was a great start, but it’s past time that agencies worked together to build a national pest

inventory for an accurate picture of where we’re at,” Dawkins says.

“There’s no consolidated national dataset to confirm or quantify just how fast pest animal populations are rising, and what regions are worst affected.

“There’s truth in the saying ‘you can’t manage what you don’t measure’.

“While there’s no doubt that is important, we also need action. We need lead in the air, we need to eradicate these problem species.

“It’s not overly productive spending most of our resources on monitoring and planning. It’s also up to every landowner to play their part.”

Climate change and emissions factors are another reason Federated Farmers wants action.

“Our food producing sector is

being asked to make big cuts in emissions, but what about the methane and nitrous oxide coming from pests like deer, goats and pigs?

“That’s surely having a serious impact on New Zealand’s greenhouse gas inventory, especially when you consider that feral animals are also smashing our native forests, regenerating scrub and grasslands.

“We need data on how pests are affecting the carbon dioxide sequestration ability of this vegetation.”

The potential for greater sequestration across DOC-managed native bush is considerable.

“Instead of replacing productive sheep and beef farms in monoculture carbon forestry, we should be looking at other opportunities.

“The eight million hectare DOC estate surely presents better

Deer, pigs and other feral pests coming out from forestry and public conservation estates are causing huge damage and costs on farms,

opportunities for improving and measuring carbon capture.”

Wilding pines and other weeds also need to be part of cross-agency campaigns, Dawkins says.

“Federated Farmers has consistently warned that we’re losing the battle on wilding pines – an ecological crisis is unfolding on that front alone.

“We have presented cost-effective alternatives such as streamlining the grazing consent process, reintroducing crown pastoral leases, tactical burning and the use of new technology and techniques for wilding control.

“We need a pest animal and weed strategy, and cross-party support for long-term action.

“As time goes on, these issues only become larger and more expensive. The time for action is now.”

Outdated rules a red light for spring harvest

Temporary fixes are urgently needed to stop farmers and contractors being pinged this spring for simply harvesting with modern machinery, David Birkett says.

“Technology has long overtaken the law in terms of the size and axleweight of tractors, forage harvesters and combine harvesters on public roads,” the Federated Farmers arable chair says.

“Transport Minister Chris Bishop has announced a review of the rules is underway – but we need interim solutions for the spring harvest season, which starts in October.

“Unless that happens, farmers and contractors face the very real risk of being fined for ‘overweight’ farm vehicles that are standard equipment in modern food production.”

The legal axle weight limits for

farm vehicles on public roads haven’t been substantially changed since the 1970s.

“There have been changes in the trucking industry, which like us are also using vehicles with much bigger carrying and towing capacity, but even the rules governing trucks need further updating.”

Birkett says last harvest season there were numerous incidents of farmers’ agricultural vehicles being ordered off the road.

In some instances, police hit farmers and contractors with fines into five figures.

Earlier this month Rural Contractors NZ cited the case of a Canterbury member fined more than $12,000 for running a tractor and trailer in Methven.

The contractor said the trailer wasn’t overloaded, and if he’d

Farmers and contractors face the very real risk of being fined for ‘overweight’ farm vehicles that are standard equipment in modern food production.

David Birkett Federated Farmers arable chair

been moving the fodder beet within a farm property it could have safely held another three to four tonnes.

Birkett says a farm equipment supplier told him at Fieldays this year that larger modern tractors breach allowable axle weights, even before any implement is hitched to the back.

WEIGHTY ISSUE: David Birkett says interim solutions are needed now –before harvesting begins.

“That was affecting his sales, and this situation is certainly not helping farmers with efficient food production and getting the harvest in ahead of weather.

“It’s great that a review is underway but that could take months.

“Our request to the Government is to step in now and work with us on interim solutions.

“We need to make sure farmers and contractors aren’t unfairly pinged this season and can get on with growing our export revenue.”

Rural needs no longer sidelined in emergencies

Sandra Faulkner literally danced for joy when news broke that rural people and businesses will finally have an experienced voice in emergency management planning and responses.

A Cabinet paper confirms leadership of each of New Zealand’s 16 regional Civil Defence Emergency Management (CDEM) groups must appoint at least one member with knowledge, experience or expertise in the interests and needs of rural communities.

“Federated Farmers has been pushing hard for this crucial change over the last few years,” says Faulkner, Feds’ adverse events spokesperson.

“I admit I did a little boogie around my home office when I saw the announcement.

“There’s more work to do, particularly in coordination across the primary industry sector, but this

is the key breakthrough we needed.”

The Cabinet paper says rural communities have strong local networks, people and equipment

EMERGENCY BREAKTHROUGH:

Sandra Faulkner says she’s now confident the needs of isolated farming families and businesses won’t be overlooked in adverse events.

to support relief efforts but those resources are under-utilised if they’re not part of the formal emergency management system.

During Cyclone Gabrielle Faulkner experienced huge frustration with the expectation farming families and rural businesses “are resilient and will just get on and look after themselves.

“People familiar with rural needs and resources were often absent from key discussions, leaving the unique challenges of isolated land-based businesses overlooked.

“These operations are complex, weather-dependent, and span agriculture, horticulture, and forestry. Vulnerabilities can vary drastically by event and region.”

To date, the rural community needs have relied entirely on the relationship between local industry leaders and their local CDEM group – a very ad hoc approach which sees great engagement in some parts of the country and none whatsoever in others, Faulkner says.

“The changes signalled by Government give me confidence I won’t witness again farming families shedding tears at the arrival of help, saying things like ‘We didn’t think anyone knew we were here’.

“Credit to Emergency Management Minister Mark Mitchell for understanding and acknowledging the value in this improved approach.”

Faulkner says as the proposed legislation goes through the House Federated Farmers will continue advocacy for practical measures.

This includes recognition of the needs of animals in emergencies, and around RMA liability and reimbursement when farmers take action to deal with immediate risk during a flood, for example.

“But we’re over the line with the principle that people living and working on the land can be assured their local CDEM group understands their needs.”

Farmers move from frustration to action

Tired of seeing the council make decisions that ignore local jobs and farms,

Leedom Gibbs is stepping up to bring back some common sense.

“Everyone wants cleaner water, but we can’t treat the impact of environmental decisions on jobs and food production as an afterthought,” says the Federated Farmers Taranaki president.

“I’m over seeing Taranaki Regional Council separate its thinking about the environment from socioeconomic factors.

“They need to do a much better job of balancing environmental protection with real social and economic gains – and doing it at the catchment level, where solutions can actually work for the community.”

Gibbs is one of around 80 Federated Farmers leaders, exleaders and members who have thrown their hat in the ring as council candidates around the country.

Many, like Gibbs, are well-versed in council planning and regulatory debates because of their work representing farmers at plan change hearings.

“I strongly believe we need practical-minded farmers around the

council table who have a good grasp of what forms of environmental policy will actually work on the ground,” Gibbs says.

“Three years on TRC’s Planning and Policy group gives me a leg-up understanding the issues.

“I can keep up with the conversation from day one.”

Keith Holmes, who recently stepped down as Federated Farmers Waikato president, is of a similar mind.

He says his long history of leadership and governance in the region means he knows the strengths and weaknesses within the council’s culture.

“Those elected for the next triennium need to be true governors, not single-issue campaigners, because there are big questions needing sound and decisive answers.”

Unaffordable rates bills are on many voters’ hit list – and central Government has signalled rates cap legislation is coming.

But Holmes believes there are other ‘crocodiles’ in the local government swamp that need taming too.

“A bit like writhing serpents, they’re all intertwined: RMA reform, stealth taxation by central Government,

unitary councils and threats regional councils have had their day, urban/ rural wealth theft, and in Waikato’s case, an identity crisis with Auckland, the big brother next door.”

Holmes argues for less reliance on property value-based rates that unfairly hit farmers – and more use of uniform charges to spread the rates burden between urban and rural.

“Central Government has to stop loading responsibilities onto councils without matching funding.

“And RMA reform needs to land in a place where rules around environmental protection are balanced with economic drivers and property rights.

“Most of all, I want to see the traditional ‘can do’ Kiwi culture reembedded in councils’ interpretation of regulations.

“Red tape and negativity is bleeding our productive sector and undermining our international competitiveness.”

Other farmers with Federated Farmers connections are also putting their names forward in the Waikato.

Like Holmes, Robbie Cookson and Walt Cavendish are standing in the WRC’s Waihou ward, Garry Reymer, Stuart Kneebone and Liz Stolwyk are chasing votes in the Waipa ward, and Pamela Storey and Noel Smith are standing in the Waikato ward.

Further south, ex-Tararua Feds president Sally Dryland says her experience giving voice to farmers’ concerns on council issues will give her a solid platform as a Horizons councillor.

“It worries me that we went through a lot of poor regulatory push into farming with the Horizons One Plan 15 years ago and we are now repeating the same mistakes.

“The water quality targets proposed last year, aren’t backed by any sort of robust economic analysis, and again threaten the economic viability of rural communities if enacted as proposed.”

Dryland says partnership initiatives such as SLUI (Sustainable Land Use

FAIRER DEAL: Waikato Regional Council candidate Keith Holmes wants less reliance on property value-based rates that hit farmers unfairly and greater use of uniform charges.

Initiative) and the  Manawatū Accord show the way forward.

Government, council, farmers and the wider community get results faster working together.

“Farmers will get the work done if the regulatory framework is reasonable, and there’s some help with resources.”

Dryland is confident the Government’s RMA reforms will address many of the current red tape concerns for farmers.

“But I’m still worried by the amount of duplication involved in getting a consent through, with multi-iwi and regulatory body approval often needed.”

Another farmer who can hit the ground running with his knowledge of council is Whanganui Feds president Ben Fraser, also standing for election to Horizons.

Before returning to work on the family sheep and beef farm, Fraser gained a BSc in Chemistry and post-graduate credentials in Water Resource Management and Commerce, and worked as a

We can’t treat the impact of environmental decisions on jobs and food production as an afterthought.

Leedom Gibbs Federated Farmers Taranaki president

freshwater advisor at Horizons.

“So, I bring that experience, and as a farmer also offer that practical, boots-on-the-ground leadership,” Fraser says.

“My aim is to ensure a balanced approach to decision-making, where strategy avoids a wish list of niceto-haves and instead focuses on efficient core services that deliver real outcomes.”

MORE:

See Federated Farmers’ ‘10 Priorities for Incoming Councillors’ – under the ‘Resources’ tab/ Better Local Decision Making at fedfarm.org.nz

Waikato Plan Change 1: what farmers need to know

Federated Farmers is urging Waikato farmers to get up to speed on what new freshwater rules could mean for rural communities and farming in the region.

After more than a decade of submissions, hearings and court battles, Waikato Plan Change 1 (PC1) is nearing its end stages, with a final decision on most parts expected this December.

“This has been an incredibly long, complex and frustrating closed-door process,’ Waikato Federated Farmers president Phil Sherwood says.

“The unfortunate reality is most farmers still don’t have a clue what PC1 is, let alone what the implications will be for their business. That’s why Federated Farmers is speaking up now.”

PC1 will introduce a raft of new rules for farms in the 1.1-millionhectare Waikato and Waipā River catchments, stretching from Pokeno in the north to Tauhara in the south.

The new rules, a legal requirement under the Waikato River Treaty Settlement, will cover everything from stock exclusion and fertiliser use to land use changes and resource consents.

“If you farm in those river catchments, you need to be aware that PC1 is likely to affect you in some way,” Sherwood says.

“We’re expecting to see farms categorised as low, medium or high intensity.

“Low-intensity farms may not need a resource consent, while moderateand high-intensity operations likely will.

“For drystock farming, it looks like

winter stocking rates will determine your intensity category.

“The threshold for winter stocking rate that will trigger a resource consent is still being determined, but past proposals have been 18 stock units per hectare.”

Meanwhile, for dairy farmers, a Nitrogen Risk Scorecard will probably be used – and it’s expected around 75% of dairy farms will need some kind of consent.

Most farms over 20 hectares will also need a farm environment plan, outlining required practice changes to improve water quality.

“There will also be minimum farming standards related to things like fertiliser use, forage crops and stock exclusion,” Sherwood says.

“If a farm can’t meet minimum standards, a resource consent may be triggered.

“There’s also a requirement to exclude cattle, horses, pigs and deer from waterbodies on land with slopes up to 15 degrees – within 10 years of PC1 becoming operative.”

In the Whangamarino Catchment, farmers will likely face additional consent requirements.

PC1 also restricts land use change, especially conversions to dairy, which could affect land values across the Waikato.

“The need for consent to change farming types – like from forestry or dry stock to dairy – will impact how people can use and develop their land,” Sherwood says.

He says these rules could eventually have implications for farmers on the eastern side of the region too.

“While the rules currently apply only to the Waikato and Waipā

Court, PC1 will become operative soon after.

“At the end of the day it’s not us writing these rules for farmers.

S

o u t w h at u n ch e cke d c a r b

r

r y i s doing to r ur al communities, pr oductive far mland and the r ed meat sector –and w hat needs to change.

We’ve fought tooth and nail to make sure these rules are as practical as possible, but I’m very conscious that most Waikato farmers will still be frustrated with where things land.

Phil Sherwood Waikato Federated Farmers president

catchments, we also worry the council will look to take these same rules and apply them to Piako and Waihou in the future.”

The Environment Court released its interim decision in May 2025.

A final decision on most matters is expected in December, with a potential hearing in September. If there are no appeals to the High

“At that point, the clock starts ticking,” Sherwood says.

“That’s when timeframes will begin for getting your farm plan in place or applying for any consents you might need.”

Federated Farmers has been involved in PC1 from the very beginning – through hearings, appeals and direct engagement with council and iwi.

“We’ve fought tooth and nail to make sure these rules are as practical as possible, but I’m very conscious that most Waikato farmers will still be frustrated with where things land,” Sherwood says.

“The final rules will be a lot better for farmers than where they started, and we’ve managed to improve many aspects of the plan, but we haven’t been able to improve everything.

“We’ve been able to influence, and we’ve pushed as hard as we could, but we haven’t been holding the pen.

“We’re not done yet either – we’re still working through the interim decision and pushing for further improvements.”

Sherwood adds Federated Farmers membership matters now more than ever – particularly for those farming in Waikato.

“If you’re worried about unworkable farming rules and additional costs being piled on your business, the best way to fight back is by standing together.

“Every dollar farmers invest in their Federated Farmers membership goes straight back into funding our policy experts, lawyers and the rest of the team standing up for farmers’ interests.”

Ashburton 981 Back Track

Barrhill Dairy Ltd

Deadline Sale

Every now and then in this industry we get the privilege to market a truly exceptional property, we firmly believe this is one of those moments. Fourteen years ago when this property was converted by the current vendors, nothing was spared in terms of quality. The farm boasts an executive homestead set in a spacious, landscaped environment with mountain views as well as four well-maintained additional staff homes Also included is a dairy shed that any farmer would be proud to operate in with excellent automation, cow flow, nearby calf shedding, and halter collars to ensure complete cow control. When you top this off with quality arable soils and good irrigation, you come up with a farm that is genuinely not to be missed. 4 1

Deadline Sale closes Wednesday 8th October, 2025 at 12.00pm, (unless sold prior) View By appointment Web pb.co.nz/AR205001

Jason Rickard M 027 245 8495 E jason.rickard@pb.co.nz

Chris Murdoch M 027 434 2545 E chris@pb.co.nz

B u s i n e s s F o r S a l e

Location: Lower Nor th Island provincial coastal

• Turnover: $2m plus

• Net profit: $620k plus (31%)

• ROI: 22%

AV Annual growth (5Y ) : 9% per year

High-per forming specialised light manufac turing business for sale due to owner (ex-farmer) retiring Multiple revenue streams has kept this business thriving through adversity No par ticular sk ills required and clients come to you

Systems and processes up -to - date Circa $700k plant, $250k stock Leased 1500m² premises Substantial oppor tunities for growth

Ideal sk ills needed:

• Common sense and prac ticality

• Mechanical aptitude

• Creativity and visualisation Administration and financial

Low risk investment due to:

• Ver y limited competition

• Significant barriers to entr y

• O ver 35 years establishment

Contact owner for a summar y : manufacturernz@gmail.com

Confidentiality

Due to the nature of the market and to avoid any potential conflict of interest, approval for distribution of the initial Information Memorandum to interested par ties will be given on a case -by- case basis after completion of the confidentiality documentation.

Your agent may suggest you advertise in their brand publication. We suggest you remind them that this is the publication you, and every other farmer you know, reads.

• Fonterra Governance development program

• NZ Institute directors governance course

Qualifications

• Chartered Accountant

• Bachelor of Business Studies

• Diploma in Agriculture

Why am I standing for the Board?

• Promote a farmer first culture and focus

• Identify cost efficiencies that shareholders can

•

partnering with the right organisations to develop and deliver real solutions.

I appreciate your support.

SHEPHERD GENERAL

The farm is a large-scale commercial beef, sheep and dairy operation owned by the C. Alma Baker Charitable Trust for the purposes of funding agricultural research and tertiary scholarships. 1700ha supporting 9000 sheep and 1200 head of dairy beef, flat to hilly contour.

Working under the Drystock Manager, key functions of this role are having a genuine passion for the industry, be progressive, a minimum 1-year drystock experience, a proven ability to work within a larger team, exceptional livestock skills, minimum 3 working dogs under good command, be a NZ resident, have a drivers licence and own reliable transport. Accommodation is a good 1-bedroom single quarters. An attactive package is offered. To apply please email a cover letter and CV, including at least two recent referees, to: mailto:admin@cardon.co.nz Applications close Friday 19 September 2025.

to sha pe the future of water infrastr ucture in one of ural regions?

ement Ltd (RDRML) is seeking a visionary, strategic ecutive Officer to lead the organisation in the delivery effective water services across Mid-Canter bury From ation to stock water systems RDRML plays a critical nomy and environment d RDRML supports:

• Sustains more than 3 400 equivalent jobs

• Ir rigates more than 100,000 hectares of productive far mland

Reporting to the Chair of the Board the CEO will lead a collegial and high-per for ming team and oversee all aspects of RDRML s operations, including strategic leadership, infrastructure & asset management, regulatory & environmental stewardship, business acumen stakeholder engagement and team leadership

This is a unique opportunity to lead a purpose-driven organisation with a proud legacy and a bold future You ll be at the forefront of water management innovation, environmental responsibility, and regional development

If you are ready to make a lasting impact apply now to

RDRML into a future of sustainable water use and community prosperity Candidates

HORTICULTURE

NZ KELP. FRESH, wild ocean harvested giant kelp. The world’s richest source of natural iodine. Dried and milled for use in agriculture and horticulture. Growth promotant / stock health food. As seen on Country Calendar. Orders to: 03 322 6115 or info@nzkelp.co.nz

LEASE LAND WANTED

100+ HECTARE drystock block/s sought across the North Island. Experienced operator with proven record. Confidential enquiries welcome. Contact 021 453 410.

Bring your own 4X4 on a guided tour to discover more of the South Island.

Tour 1: Molesworth Station, St James, Mailings Pass & Rainbow Stations

Dates Feb 2-5, Feb 16-19, March 13-16, March 23-26, April 8-11, April 17-20

Tour 2: D’Urville Island and Marlborough Tour

Dates Feb 15-19, March 8-12, March 29-April 2

Tour 3: North Otago Tag-along Tour

Dates Feb 8-12, Feb 23-27, March 16-20

battery, and all accessories. Ideal to power irrigation pumps, electric fencing, remote monitoring systems etc. Can pass hybrid know-how free. All stocks in Auckland, ex warehouse basis. Contact greenwoodnzltd@ gmail.com

DOGS FOR SALE

EXCELLENT WELL BRED Heading pups. 8 weeks old. Sire is Scotty who is by D Schaw Trump. Dam is out of Biddy Burgess. Fully guaranteed. $600 ea. Phone Graeme Strawbridge 021 557 119. WANTED NATIVE FOREST FOR MILLING also Macrocarpa and Red Gum, New Zealand wide. We can arrange permits and plans. Also after milled timber to purchase. NEW ZEALAND NATIVE TIMBER SUPPLIERS (WGTN) LIMITED 027 688 2954 Richard.

GOATS WANTED FERAL GOATS WANTED. Pick-up within 24 hours. Prices based on works schedule. Phone Vicky Le Feuvre 07 893 8916 or 027 363 2932.

WANTED. All weights.

HIGH PRESSURE WATER PUMPS, suitable on high headlifts. Low energy usage for single/3-phase motors, waterwheel and turbine drives. Low maintenance costs and easy to service. Enquiries phone 04 526 4415, email sales@hydra-cell.co.nz

RAMS FOR SALE

WILTSHIRES-ARVIDSON. Self shearing sheep. No1 for Facial Eczema. David 027 2771 556.

TRAVEL

INDIA & SRI-LANKA package tours. Visit www. maharajahtours.co.nz or email india@xtra.co.nz or call Craig on 021 193 0091 for details.

TREES FOR FARMS

ADDITIONAL INCOME.

Stock shelter, erosion control, Truffle income, animal fodder, fireproof cork and Natives. 021garden.co.nz Litherland Truffles 021 327 637.

WANTED TO BUY

MACROCARPA AND PINE TREES. Plantations, Shelterbelts, Farm lots, Big or small, Lower North Island, Good $$$ paid. No obligation free quote. Call Grant 021 246 4329 HSF Ltd.

WHAT’S SITTING IN your barn? Ford, Ferguson, Hitachi, Komatsu, JD. Be it an excavator, loader or tractor, wherever it is in NZ. Don’t let it rust. We may trade in and return you a brand new bucket for your digger or cash for your pocket. Email admin@loaderparts.co.nz or phone Colin 0274 426 936.

ECZEMA TOLERANT ROMNEYS

RAMGUARD TESTING SINCE 1985

• 5 star rating

• Bred on challenging hill country

• Robust functional sheep that survive

• Structurally sound

• Selecting for parasite tolerance and less dags

• No ewes worm drenched, dipped or vaccinated

KEITH ABBOTT, RAGLAN

027 463 9859 | www.waiteikaromneys.co.nz @waiteikaromneys

Sound feet, bone and constitution are cornerstones of our sheep and beef breeding programme in the Gladstone hills Poll Hereford Yearling Bulls for Beef and Dairy mating available for sale now. EBVs and actual Birth Weights available. Annual 2yr Poll Hereford Bull Sale

HEREFORD BULL SALE

Livestreamed with online bidding available on MyLivestock (please register 48 hour before auction) www.mylivestock.co.nz

Vendors: LE Baker & SL Redman – 021 043 1422

NZFL Agent: Chris (Spagz) Martelletti – 027 497 3802

NZFL Stud Stock Agent: Brent Bougen – 027 210 4698

Online Bidding Available Through MyLivestock.co.nz

14th Annual Bull Sale – Monday 22nd September 2025 1358 Buckland Road, Cambridge – Undercover – 12 Noon 49 grass fed Hereford Yearling Bulls – approx 499kg l/w ave . Suitable for cows.

BW & LW provided, TB C10, EBL free, BVD negative, double vaccinated, also Lepto 7 in 1

Bred for medium birth weight, calving ease and temperament. All bull purchasers enter a draw for 2 x lots of 30 native trees from Cambrilea Riparian Services. Light luncheon & drinks provided. Signposted from Mobil Karapiro, SH1. FOR FURTHER DETAILS CONTACT:

VENDORS: HELEN & CHARLIE LEA – 07 827 6868 OR 021 833 221 | info@ratanuifarm.co.nz NZ FARMERS LIVESTOCK – BRENT BOUGEN 027 210 4698, GARETH PRICE 027 477 7310 FINDLAY LIVESTOCK – ANDREW FINDLAY 027 273 4808

Preliminary Advert THURSDAY 18TH SEPTEMBER 11.30AM START 4716 Ohaupo Road, Te Awamutu

A/c Simka Limited Outstanding Friesian Herd 290 x Cows

Agent: Stu Wells 027 282 8204

Bull Sale

Friday 19th September 2025 at 12.30pm

To be conducted at Rolling Heights Farm 500 McDonald Mine Road, Waikokowai, Huntly

Comprising of:

12 x 2yr Purebred Hereford Bulls

38 x 1yr Purebred Hereford Bulls

Livestreamed with online bidding available on MyLivestock (please register 48 hours before auction) www.mylivestock.co.nz

Contact Vendor: Cory Norman 021 024 12686

NZFLL Stud Stock: Brent Bougen 027 210 4698

* 5 steer calves = 1 Glen R bull in June

* Many of Canterbury’s highest priced calves this season sired by Glen R genetics

Thursday 11 September | 11am

TOTAL YARDING - 1200

• 230 2yr Steers

• 600 1yr Steers

• 50 2yr Heifers

280 1yr Heifers

KAUHOUROA

60 2yr Steers

50 1yr Steers

• 80 1yr Heifers

PAINGA STN

• 12 2yr Steers

• 12 2yr Heifers

• 30 1yr Steers

• 30 1yr Heifers

OKARE STN

50 2yr Steers

OHUIA BLOCK

• 50 2yr Steers

• 50 2yr Ang & Ang/Hfd Heifers

• 50 1yr Steers

KARAMU LTD 50 2yr Steers

• 50 1yr Steers

TAUWHARETOI STN

• 100 1yr Heifers

PAPUNI STN

• 50 1yr Heifers

SHANNON STN 30 1yr Steers

FARMING

• 15 1yr Steers

• 20 1yr Heifers

Follow us online for updates: www.AgOnline.co.nz

Wednesday 17 September | 11am

Te Awamutu Saleyards

Comprising of:

57 18mth & 2yr Recorded Friesian Bulls

• 24 1yr Recorded Friesian Bulls

Dam’s Production up to 920 MS, 23 bulls with Dam’s production in excess of 700 MS

• 59 Semen Straws

Auctioneers note:

Fantastic line-up of exceptionally well-bred Friesian bulls that can be used with confidence in your mating program Most are G3 profiled so their offspring can be fully recorded as replacement heifers Whether you are looking for bulls from high BW - NZ bred cow families that have supplied numerous sons to AI - or overseas genetics that have proven conformation and production traits needed in a higher input system, you won’t be disappointed when you look through this catalogue Bulls are predominately owner bred/reared & will come forward in excellent order These bulls give you different options at mating time & would be great running with a non-cycling herd & condensing the calving pattern

Semen to be sold at the conclusion of the bulls including Delta Lambda, Sandy Valley Icarus, Walnutlawn Solomon & Vogue A2P2 PP Catalogues available on www.agonline.co.nz/upcomingsales

Online bidding available via BIDR

Enquiries: Andrew Reyland 027 223 7092 Bill Moore 027 825 7505

Thursday 18 September | 11.30am

Te Awamutu Saleyards

Comprising of:

• 12 2yr Recorded Jersey Bulls

• 42 1yr Recorded Jersey Bulls

BW’s up to 425 plus, with over half in excess of BW 300

9 Straws of semen

Auctioneers note:

This year’s line-up of well-bred & presented Jersey bulls are backed by many generations of high-quality female bloodlines Sired by the best type & production bulls currently available They have been selected by their owners from the top individual cows within their herd Take a look at the footnotes in the catalogue-a large number of these sale bulls have brothers already at AI centres

Heifer calves by this year’s offering can be kept as replacements with confidence Farmers requiring well recorded high genetic merit bulls should attend this sale

Bulls have been BVD tested & vaccinated Catalogues available on www.agonline.co.nz/upcomingsales

Online bidding available via BIDR

Enquiries: Andrew Reyland 027 223 7092 Bill Moore 027 825 7505

Friday 19th September

Finch Contracting 18th Annual In-Milk Cow auction

240 In-Milk Mixed Breed cows

972 Paterangi Road, Te Awamutu, 11.30am

Agent: Ben Deroles 027 702 4196

Monday 29th September

Woodlands Trust Hybrid Bidr Heifer Auction

270 Unmated R2yr Frsn/FrsnX Heifers

430 Waikakahi Rd Taihape/Online, 1pm

(drafted/sold in lines for prior viewing)

Agent: Pat Sheely 027 496 0153

Wednesday 1st October

High Indexed In-Milk Cow Auction

120 In-milk Xbred/Jrsy cows (multi-vendor)

Cambridge Saleyards, Hickey Rd 11.30am

Agent: Luke Gilbert 027 849 2112

Thursday 2nd October

High Indexed In-Milk Cow Auction (multi-vendor)

50 Frsn, Xbred & Jrsy – Tomarata Valley cows Bidr only auction, 7pm

Agent: Craig Couling 027 292 6828

Friday 3rd October

Stevenson Dairies Annual In-Milk Cow Auction

160 In-Milk Frsn/FrsnX cows

437 Patiki Rd, Pihama, South Taranaki, 11.30am

Agent: Brent Espin 027 551 3660

Monday 6th October

Multi-Vendor In-Milk Cow auction

170 In-Milk Frsn/FrsnX Cows

Carrfields Saleyards, 253 Lower Duthie Rd Kaponga, 11.30am

Agent: Jack Kiernan 027 823 2373

THE CHOICE IS

Sale: Tuesday 23 Sept, 12noon On-farm auction, Marton or

WILLIAM MORRISON 027 640 1166 ardofarm@xtra.co.nz Morrison Farming Ezicalve www.morrisonfarming.co.nz

CHERRYBANK STUD Galloway herd dispersal

Markets

Proudly sponsored by

Daffodil Day stock drive goes gangbusters

Farmers, truckers, auctioneers and buyers all do their utmost to raise funds for local cancer charity, and this year that resulted in a record tally.

Suz Bremner MARKETS Community

ONE thing the folks in Tairāwhiti know how to do is get behind local charities and fundraising efforts, with the 27th edition of the PGG WrightsonANZ Annual Daffodil Day Sheep Drive held at the Matawhero saleyards on August 29 breaking records.

This annual stock drive raises funds for the local Cancer Society, with everything raised staying within the community.

The drive to support the local charity, along with the best year on record for stock prices, pushed the funds raised to over $70,000.

PGG Wrightson regional livestock manager Jamie Hayward said it went gang busters.

“The farming community really gets behind this fundraiser each year.

“Sheep come from all over east coast, as far down as Nūhaka, and each area has a co-ordinator in charge of getting stock to load-out points.

“The trucking companies transport the stock for free, we auction them off at no cost and buyers are generous with their

bids. This year we had a record numbers of stock donated, with 368 sheep, and two feeder calves.”

The higher tally of stock donated and the exceptionally strong market meant this was the most successful year yet.

“The opening and top line of lambs reached $300 per head and sold to Davmet, while local traders and finishers really got behind the rest. The prices paid were realistic in today’s market, but the tally and support shows the generosity of the people involved,” Hayward said.

Gisborne-East Coast Cancer Society events co-ordinator Shay Podjursky said they were “humbled by the result of today’s

stock sale. What a phenomenal contribution from everyone involved.

“Holding the job title that I do, I understand deeply the impact that this donation makes to our services year after year. We are incredibly grateful for 27 years of continued support from all those who chip in to this stock drive to make it such an impactful day. There aren’t really ways to say thank you enough times.

“The funds from this auction day stay local, for us to help our people. It allows us to provide support to those with cancer such as our massage therapy, counselling services and assistance getting to treatment,

The prices paid were realistic in today’s market, but the tally and support shows the generosity of the people involved.

Jamie Hayward PGG Wrightson

and also means we can continue offering education campaigns to the community such as the SunSmart Schools programme,” Podjursky said.

With the support of farmers donating lambs, trucking companies Heikells Transport,

Robb Brothers and Harvest Matawhero Transport donating transport and auctioneers pushing for the top bid from generous buyers, this year’s result was around $15,000 up on the previous year.

The sale started with an anonymous donation of 50 male lambs, which had been farmed specifically for the stock drive and weighed just shy of 60kg. These set the tone of the sale as they went under the hammer for $300 per head, meaning that pen alone raised $15,000.

A further 320 sheep and the two calves extended that amount and by sale end stock averaged close to $200 per head.

Cattle Sheep Deer

Weekly saleyard results

These weekly saleyard results are collated by the AgriHQ LivestockEye team. Cattle weights and prices are averages and sheep prices are ranges. For more detailed results and analysis subscribe to your selection of LivestockEye reports. Scan the QR code or visit www.agrihq.co.nz/livestock-reports

Store

Friesian cows, 505kg

Store mixed-sex lambs, most

Store Halfbred mixed-sex lambs, most

Prime ewes, most

Prime mixed-sex lambs, most

Balclutha | September 3

Charlton | August 28 | 190 sheep

Lorneville | September 2

Most regions enter spring in good shape

Philip Duncan NEWS Weather

ISAID in a radio interview last week that so far in 2025 I’ve had very few complaints from farmers and growers about the weather conditions across the year.

Yes, there have been pockets of severe weather at times in most regions, and some at the start of winter (like Nelson, Marlborough and Canterbury in particular) having major rain events, while parts of northern Hawke’s Bay and Gisborne/Tairawhiti region were often cloudy with showers.

But the number of complaints, problems and weather-related farming issues don’t seem to be up there with previous years – which suggests 2025 has brought good variety, with enough wet and dry days to keep things ticking along.

Of course, part of me addressing this as we kick off spring is because if I’m wrong I’d love to hear from you! But it’s good to see many regions have had healthy rainfall and as we get into September properly, the soil moisture levels look good for most.

Every part of New Zealand has basically normal soil moisture levels, as even those regions that lean a bit wet or a bit dry aren’t in any sort of “extreme” situation.

Hawke’s Bay, especially a pocket from Napier to Hastings and pushing inland further than that and a bit down the southern coastline, is the driest part in the country from a soil moisture point of view – and has been this way since summer, after being in a rain shadow for much of winter’s rain events.

Every part of NZ has basically normal soil moisture levels, as even those that lean a bit wet or a bit dry aren’t in any sort of ‘extreme’ situation.

Not to say it’s had no rain, but rainfall has been below normal in some catchments there.

This is one area to monitor as we go into the more westerly driven weather of spring, which can dry the east out further.

The northeast corner of the South Island, however, leans the other

way – a bit wetter than normal ... but we’re only talking 20-40mm wetter than usual.

As you may have noticed already, spring weather seems to be here in NZ now with mixes of mild/sunny/ dry days and windy/cold/wet days. There is a lot more “variety” on the way, which, being westerly driven, means the bulk of the rain will be falling on the West Coast, with lower totals the further northwards you go up the North Island’s west coast.

Not all our weather is simply cold fronts passing us. This week a large low near East Cape will churn by offshore, but looks to narrowly miss us due to high pressure growing north of NZ and pushing that low further east of us.

The high isn’t overly powerful and it’s likely to be gone by the end of this week – allowing another large low to move in behind it, this time out of the Tasman Sea just in time for Friday, Saturday and Sunday. By next week there’s another wintry south to southwest change followed by a week of windy weather. The next weak high looks to move into northern NZ by next weekend. The ups and downs of spring weather have arrived.

Soil moisture anomaly (mm) at 9am on 02/9/2025

HEALTHY: Soil moisture maps as we start September look healthy for most of New Zealand, with just one pocket of Hawke’s Bay leaning drier than normal as we start spring. Image: Earth Sciences NZ

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