1
9 Catchment group’s head well in the game Vol 22 No 43 | November 4, 2024
View online at farmersweekly.co.nz
$4.95 Incl GST
South gets its head above water at last NEWS
Weather
S
OUTHLAND, parts of Otago and the West Coast are finally drying out after an exceptionally wet spring and farmers are counting the cost of below-average milk production, light stock condition and cultivation work that is six weeks behind schedule. In a stark contrast in fortunes, national new-season milk volumes to date are 6.5% higher than last year, with Waikato and Bay of Plenty having exceptional seasons. It has been incredibly wet in the south. Parts of Southland have had 200mm in each of September and October, while some areas in South Otago received 160mm in September and 100mm in October. A spokesperson for Environment Southland said in the first 16 days of September, parts of Southland had already recorded 200% more rain than the long-term average for the entire month. In the past week parts of the West Coast have had more than 200mm. Southland dairy farmer Hannes du Plessis said his monthly milk production is 12% behind last year and 1% lower for the season. Southland slink skin processor NZAGRI Development, established in August after the closure of Newton Slinkskins, had a record slink skin collection this spring. Technical adviser Eddie Zhi said
M
Y
CM
MY
CY
CMY
Continued page 3
Southland dairy farmer Hannes du Plessis says his monthly milk production is 12% behind last year on the back of persistent wet weather. The conditions have taken their toll and at times Du Plessis has felt responsible for everything that has gone wrong on his farm. Photo: Gerhard Uys
No excuses left for N neglect FAR’s Alison Stewart says there is no acceptable reason an arable farm system should be consistently leaching high levels of nitrogen into New Zealand waterways.
ARABLE 18-21 Warning postal delivery cuts will disproportionately impact rural communities.
NIWA admits that there are shortcomings in its NZ Drought Monitor system.
Chance to earn from environmental stewardship finally real, says David Eade.
NEWS 4
NEWS 5
OPINION 17
Tru-Test Active Tag cow monitoring insights Stay informed and reassured with 24/7 herd monitoring. Heat & health monitoring insights Intuitive, multi-user, accessible anywhere software Easily, quickly understood & actionable insights Simple plug'n'play set-up
PRICED FROM
$2.70
FREE GIF Tv alu ed :
C
they collected 170,000 lambs this season, breaking previous records. The previous highest record in the past 30 years was 120,000 slink skins, with the company’s previous owner averaging 80,000 a year. Southland agricultural contractor Daryl Johnstone said even though ground conditions have finally started to dry, it is still too wet for machinery. “Growth has just started, but September and October were extremely wet.” Johnstone, who operates out of Tokanui on the south coast, has tipped out 1400mm of rain so far this year, well ahead of the 1200mm annual average. A board member of Rural Contractors NZ, Johnstone said the pressure will start building from farmers desperate to get crops sown and grass harvested. He is urging farmers to talk to their contractors, to appreciate they and their staff will also be under pressure and to not have unrealistic expectations. Now is not the time for shortcuts in the quality of work or health and safety. “It has still got to be done properly. “It is going to be a consolidated season and we will be working flat-out but we have also got to look after everyone and that is everyone’s responsibility.” Staff should not be an issue, although he knows of some drivers
S FOECT CU OR S
Neal Wallace and Gerhard Uys
RP 5R 57 , $4
PRICED FROM
$2.90
per cow / per month
per cow / per month
Active Tag Ear Tag
Active Tag Collar
K
Receive a FREE Prattley Calf Weigh Bundle, helping you monitor calf performance for enhanced lifetime productivity. Package includes Tru-Test S3 indicator & MP600 load bars. T&Cs apply. Minimum order: 300 collars or 500 ear tags (in a single transaction). Offer available from the 1st of October to the 20th of December. PH 0800 243 282 | 8AM - 9PM | VISIT TRU-TEST.COM