Dairy News 26 May 2015 by Rural News Group

Fonterra to announce opening forecast payout. PAGE 3 MACHINES SET FOR DEBUT National Fieldays PAGE 31-51

HUB GOOD TO GO

Farmers pledge $1.3m PAGE 18 MAY 26, 2015 ISSUE 335 // www.dairynews.co.nz

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Fonterra to announce opening forecast payout. PAGE 3 MACHINES SET FOR DEBUT National Fieldays PAGE 31-51

HUB GOOD TO GO

Farmers pledge $1.3m PAGE 18 MAY 26, 2015 ISSUE 335 // www.dairynews.co.nz

RUGBY HELPS DAIRY WIN Farm Manager of the Year James Foote says sport has helped shape his resilience. PAGE 14-15

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DAIRY NEWS MAY 26, 2015

NEWS // 3

Predicting the forecast a tough task for co-op PETER BURKE peterb@ruralnews.co.nz

Yoghurts hit sweet spot. PG.05

High-tech farm launch. PG.20-21

Black beetle fight breakthrough. PG.28

NEWS �� 3-21 OPINION ��22-23 AGRIBUSINESS �� 24-25 ANIMAL HEALTH ��26-30 NATIONAL FIELDAYS PREVIEW �� 31-51 MANAGEMENT �� 52-55 MACHINERY & PRODUCTS �� 56-62

FARMERS SHOULD expect “something around $5.00/kgMS” when Fonterra this week announces its opening forecast for the new season. That’s the view of BNZ senior economist Doug Steel. Steel told Dairy News that trying to predict the actual forecast payout is very difficult given the difficulty of getting inside the thinking at Fonterra. BNZ’s bases its forecast on what it thinks will happen in the next 15 months and there are many imponderables, Steel says. “If you look at current pricing and where current levels are, and if those were to persist for the next fifteen months, then the payout could be a lot lower than $5.00. But if your forecast was for some improvement in international prices over the next 15 months and a lower kiwi dollar then you could imagine something quite a bit higher than that. That’s the point: it comes down to the cooperative’s view on where dairy prices will go over the coming season,” he says. Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy says he’s been closely following what’s been happening in the dairy industry but he declines to put a number on the opening forecast payout that Fonterra will announce on Wednesday. “We are in a period of volatility for the next three to six months but it could turn around very quickly,” says Guy, who owns a dairy farm

in Horowhenua. “My advice as a farmer myself, and as someone in Wellington with a bit of access to data, is that farmers should be working very closely with their banks and accountants and doing line by line cash flow analysis.” Guy admits it’s pretty tough for farmers now but says they are resilient and will get through the crisis. The last five consecutive Global Dairy Trade auctions have seen the price index drop; last week it dropped 2.2%, whole milk powder down 0.5% and skim milk powder 3.6%. Steel emphasises the payout figure to be announced this week is a forecast, so the people making this must have a view on where international pricing may go, and the currency, the product mix and cost structures. Because Fonterra doesn’t know these things in advance, setting the milk price is extremely difficult. “For example, look at the last two seasons when Fonterra forecast $7.00/kgMS at the end of May for each of them and one ended up at $8.40 and other looks like it’s going to come in at $4.50. This highlights that there is wide error around any

Skim milk powder prices dropped to US$1992/MT.

number… [predicted for] the next twelve to fifteen months.” Many factors influence dairy prices – international supply and demand, pricing, inventory and political factors, Steel says. And the weather has a strong influence. “There looks to be a large El Nino brewing and if that was to hammer New Zealand production next season the tight supplies could [cause] higher prices. From a NZ dairy farmer’s point of view it’s hardly a good way of getting prices higher, but if you are trying to forecast milk prices

Cash for drought-hit farmers THE GOVERNMENT has given $20,000 more help to drought stricken farmers in North Canterbury. Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy last week met affected farmers in Cheviot and says they’re

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then you have to factor that scenario in.” Steel agrees with other commentators that there will be little improvement over the next six months and the market is pretty sluggish. There is a lot of product around and prices are weak, resulting in a lot of downward influence on dairy farmers, he says. Russia’s ban on dairy imports from the EU and the US is a big influence. If that ban was lifted it could spark a rapid recovery, but Steel does not put a lot of weight on that happening.

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DAIRY NEWS MAY 26, 2015

4 // NEWS

Match housing costs to market – DairyNZ GARETH GILLATT

FARMERS WITH

employees living on their property should be charging them market rates to combat impressions that dairy workers were underpaid, says DairyNZ people team leader Jane Muir. The subject of low wages in the dairy industry got media attention last week when Council of Trade Unions president Helen Kelly tweeted links to job postings on the Farm Source site which she claimed proved gross underpayment of workers. Kelly tweeted links to job descriptions which she claimed were for jobs paying $12.80-$15.55 per hour. She arrived at this rate by dividing the

offered base salary by the average number of working hours – which Muir says does not fairly represent overall market offers. While farmers may offer workers accommodation, its cost is often calculated at discounted rates which, Muir says, can reflect a poor, unwarranted image of the industry. While it was common for employers to offer accommodation this was often done so at discounted rates, reducing the overall value of the package. For example, rents in the regions listed in the ads mentioned by Kelly were $240-360 a week – as much as $18,000 a year in some cases. This is no good for an industry reputedly a poor employer, says Muir. “The

Corporate farmer cautious with spending cuts ANDREW SWALLOW

Jane Muir

dairy industry is struggling for employees and when stories like this hit the media people in towns say ‘there’s no way I’d let my child enter the dairy industry for pay like that’.” Muir recommends increasing rents, then increasing salaries in line

with the rent increase to paint a truer picture of the actual industry. “We calculate that 10% of the operators reported to be paying below the minimum wage through calving would [not be unjustly accused] if they were to [charge] a market rent.”

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KNEE-JERK SPENDING cuts that compromise long-term productivity are a real risk in the face of the $4.50/kgMS payout forecast and probable low opening 2015-16 figure, leading farmers are warning. Several examples came to light at a focus day on Lincoln University Dairy Farm (LUDF) earlier this month, and the South Island’s largest producer, Dairy Holdings, also says it is maintaining strategic investment to ensure longterm productivity gains. “We’ve been investing in our farms pretty heavily and that will continue at the same rate this coming season,” Dairy Holdings chief executive Colin Glass told Dairy News. “We’ve also invested quite heavily in dairy support so this winter we will nearly, but not quite, be self sufficient.” That means the group, which has 58 dairy farms, mostly in Canterbury, has much better control over Colin Glass replacement grazing and cow wintering costs, he says. Ongoing investment in the milking platforms is part of a five year plan to upgrade infrastructure, notably irrigation, which is increasing pasture production, reducing nutrient loss and cutting the cost per kilogramme of milk production. “In our experience anything that increases the amount of pasture you can grow and harvest increases your profitability…. Strategic supplementary feed is a tool we call on from time to time but it is all about how good you are as a pasture manager.”

That said, all costs are under the microscope across the group, he adds. “Every dollar is a prisoner for us. We are looking very carefully at everything we spend. If it’s not contributing to increasing production and the bottom line then it has to be questioned.” At LUDF the importance of pasture productivity was also stressed. The high profile 560-cow unit has cut next year’s pasture renewal budget from 15% of the 160ha milking platform to 10% but it’s been done on economic analysis, Graham Kerr of Agriseeds and a member of the farm’s management team, told the focus day. “Next year is going to be tight, but you’ve also got to chase production to dilute your costs. Regrassing is still highly economic if you get a response that makes a poorly performing paddock a high performing paddock. Do the paddock analysis and the sums rather than working to a recipe,” he urged. Another more immediate corner that’s being cut on some farms – but not LUDF – is teat seal. “For us it’s a management thing,” said LUDF manager Peter Hancox. “It is quite a cost… but it’s a huge benefit in management and time not having a lot of red cows through the spring.” In fact, across the board budgets for next season are “not a lot different” from the one just gone which is heading for farm working expenses of $4.03/ kgMS, said Hancox. “We’ll still DNA the herd, keep on top of BVD…. In this type of grass only system there’s not a lot more you can pull out.” That was echoed by SIDDC executive TO PAGE 8

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DAIRY NEWS MAY 26, 2015

NEWS // 5

New yoghurts, organic milk hits sweet spot for co-op SUDESH KISSUN sudeshk@ruralnews.co.nz

FONTERRA SAYS it is hitting the sweet spot with a spate of new products in its New Zealand brands business. Two products – Anchor Uno yoghurt for kids and Anchor Greek yoghurt – were launched over the past eight months to a fantastic response from consumers, according to Fonterra Brands New Zealand managing director Tim Deane. Deane says Fonterra Brands now dominates the kids’ yoghurt market; its high-protein low-fat Greek yoghurt is also popular. “There is a high demand for our yoghurts and we have hit a sweet spot,” Deane told Dairy News. Also, the nationwide launch of Anchor organic milk this month enables the co-op to put the product within the reach of every consumer. Deane says that with other organic milk brands only available in certain regions or very expensive, Anchor is on a mission to make organic milk more

widely available at a fair price, though its product costs slightly more than conventional milk. “We want to put organic milk in reach of more New Zealanders… through our nationwide distribution and [pricing] Anchor Organic… at only about 20 cents extra per glass compared to our standard Anchor milk. “All dairy farming is challenging, hard work. However, organic farming costs more so we have to pay more for the milk. We also have the added complexity of keeping the milk separate during collection and bottling. So a lot of effort on and off the farm goes into creating a certified organic product.” Organic milk consumption in New Zealand is far behind other countries; only 2.5% of the total milk we consume is organic, versus 8% in the UK and 15% in the US. Deane says for 18 months demand has grown for organic milk, “so we decided to provide organic milk throughout the country at a fair price.” He says 72% of Kiwis tell Fonterra that if organic

milk was more affordable they would buy it more often. A further 25% say if it was available in their regular supermarket that would also make a difference. “The total organic food and beverage market is now worth $133 million and the amount of organic milk sold domestically over the past year has increased by 50%.” Anchor Organic milk drinkers will be able to trace their milk from the fridge back to the farms it comes from. “Our organic milk is sourced from Fonterra organic farmers in Manawatu. We can pinpoint the farms where our organic milk comes from and follow it from the farm right through to the supermarket shelf…. That’s a point of difference between us and some organic brands that use third parties to bottle their milk,” says Deane. Mark Flipp, a Manawatu Fonterra farmer supplying milk for Anchor Organic, says he’s excited to see his milk sold under the Anchor brand. His family farm was certi-

fied organic in 2010. “People talk about when we converted our farm to an organic operation. However, for us getting certified was more about continuing to farm the way our family always had. “Being an organic farmer is about seeing our

Fonterra Brands New Zealand managing director Tim Deane.

farm as the land within our fenceline and rather than bringing in supplies from elsewhere we pro-

duce everything we need within that fenceline. In other words we’re self-sufficient.”

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DAIRY NEWS MAY 26, 2015

NEWS // 7

Long wait for prices to come right PETER BURKE peterb@ruralnews.co.nz

IT COULD be two years before the mess in dairy prices regains some sort of equilibrium, according to Brent Love of KPMG who specialises in dairy agribusiness. He told Dairy News that even a big rise in the GDT index this week would likely take until next year to fully benefit dairy farmers. “Any improvement is going to be gradual, protracted and fraught with volatility in the market,” he says. “Bluntly speaking, the market is continually being affected by interna-

“It’s a warning shot to financiers and farmers alike, that we can see some tough times ahead in regard to the current cashflows. We are in for a bit of ride but there is no need to panic or be too emotional. It’s a time to look at the story, get a plan together and deliver on that plan, and that will be hard work.” Love says the present crisis will put a lot of pressure on dairy farmers and their families, and he feels particularly sorry for lower order sharemilkers who will be badly hit. The high retrospective payments of the 2014-15 season will not be as they were last season and, if

“Any improvement is going to be gradual, protracted and fraught with volatility in the market.” tional trade issues leading to more milk coming on the market. These issues include the situation in Ukraine which has led to trade restrictions by Russia, a weakerthan-expected economy in China, and favourable exporting terms and additional milk being exported by EU countries and the United States.” Love says problems facing the dairy industry are now in the headlights of the Reserve Bank governor Graeme Wheeler. Recently he listed the dairy industry as one of three systemic risks facing New Zealand along with the Auckland housing crisis and the overall global financial situation. In his ‘stability report’ Wheeler noted global dairy prices fell by 50% last year and the outlook is highly uncertain. Wheeler also noted the high debt levels of a small number of dairy farmers and that many farmers have negative cashflow. Love says Wheeler’s concern is two-fold: the overall NZ economy which relies on dairy as an export generator, and the effect of the low payout on a wide range of rural businesses.

anything, the dairy companies will be re-balancing retrospective winter payments following higher payouts forecast earlier in the season. Despite the industry’s pain, Love hopes there will be some positive learnings out of the adversity. “This will allow farmers to take stock of their businesses and ask whether they have the right stocking rates, whether they are utilising grass to best advantage and whether they have their labour and financial structures right.” Some dairy farmers tell Dairy News they feel misled by Fonterra which early in the season was suggesting the 201415 payout would be about $6.00. But Love points out that the rules on setting the farmgate milk price are complex and must be based on real data at the time – not on hunches about the future. “I’m sure Fonterra and other dairy processors in hindsight would love to restart the season. The 2014-15 season highlighted the downside of volatility but if you go back to 2013-14 a similar scenario occurred but it was

an upside. If you look at Fonterra’s original payout prediction for 2013-14 they weren’t predicting $8.40.” Love says while the situation is of great con-

cern, he sees underlying demand for protein, in particular milk products. Other producers are gearing up to meet some of that demand, but the

market forces will change again and there will likely be a gradual recovery in farmgate milk payouts. @dairy_news facebook.com/dairynews

Brent Love, KPMG

DAIRY NEWS MAY 26, 2015

8 // NEWS

Westland slips quietly into China WESTLAND MILK

Gregg Wafelbakker in the new Shanghai office.

has opened a company in China to market products in the lucrative market. Westland Milk Products Shanghai Ltd will market Westpro Nutrition infant and toddler nutrition ingredient pow-

ders, branded UHT milk and cream, Westgold consumer butter, EasiYo ‘make at home’ yoghurt, and Westpro milk powders, milk proteins and butter in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. Westland general man-

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ager marketing Gregg Wafelbakker has taken the added responsibilities of general manager China, working from the co-op’s head office in Hokitika. Wafelbakker says establishing a wholly owned foreign entity in Shanghai made sense for Westland. “It provides us with a foundation to grow our dairy ingredients business and expand into nutritional ingredients, consumer and foodservice products. Westland Shanghai will buy products from Westland Milk Products in New Zealand and sell them to customers throughout China. “This will enable us to have a closer relationship with those customers and understand their needs better, ultimately delivering products and service that we believe will give us a competitive edge at the top end of the market. Given the priority that Westland puts on our consumers and customers, it is essential to have people on the ground representing Westland in China.” Finding the office space was easy but setting up a company in China takes time, but that was an investment in developing

Corporate farmer cautious with spending cuts FROM PAGE 4

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a greater knowledge of the way business operates in China, says Wafelbakker. “It has been a rare privilege to start with a blank canvas for organisational culture and build something that is distinctly Chinese but resonates with Westland Milk Products’ culture and business strategy. “We started in April 2014 with one employee and today have 10. This number will grow as our business grows.” Traditionally a seller of ingredients to other manufacturers or wholesalers, Westland will venture into only its second retailready product with its new UHT milk due to come on stream in April 2016. “Our ultimate aim is to ensure we deliver the highest value for our customers and for our business,” says Wafelbakker. “We will choose the best route to market that achieves that. China is a vast country with some 600 cities with populations of more than one million people. Choosing a route to market that complements our products and the customer/ consumer base is very important.”

director Ron Pellow. “We’ve chosen a farm system that has a lot of locked-in cost.” About 50% is staff and grazing, and cuts in other areas would simply be “deferring maintenance or eroding the longterm profitability of the farm”. For example, a one-year cut in breeding costs by selecting cheaper bulls, or more natural mating, could have a six-eight year impact on herd productivity. As for staffing, while four people for 560 cows might seem over the top, Pellow suggests looking at hours worked per kg of

milk produced is a better “metric”. “The people per cow metric may not be very helpful…. We want to be looking at the long-term, not just the short-term.” More extreme system changes, such as bringing replacement rearing back onto the platform, are not on the table at this stage. “If this year is the new normal, then it is something we’ll need to look at. But if this is just two low years and the next three to five years we’re back into where we’ve been for the previous four to five years, will that be the right answer? It’s an important question.”

Clear pond. No machines? Effluent from shed

Solid Separation

Stirrer

Trialling Slurry Bugs

Pump Nitrogen oxide, Menthan, Ammonia vaporises into the atmosphere = odour

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With more steps in the process, a machine approach to treating effluent will always be costly

Effluent machines = big cost The conventional way of managing effluent solids is to use machines: machines that separate the solids; machines that break up the solids; machines that stir the solids. As every farmer knows, such equipment is very expensive. First there’s the initial cost of buying the gear. Then there’s the ongoing cost of running it. And, of course, there are the costs of maintaining the machinery.

The Brown Farm: Their one crucial question...

microscopic creatures living below the surface – anaerobic bacteria. These anaerobic bacteria would separate the effluent fibres and send them to the surface. Once reaching the surface, these fibres would combine to form the crust. Scientists realised that the way to beat crust bacteria was relatively simple: put counteractive bugs into the effluent pond. These corrective micro-organisms are called Aerobic Bacteria – SLURRY BUGS.

Can crust be prevented?

Shirley and Tony Brown own a 550 cow farm out in Pirongia, Waikato. When it came time to build a new pond, the question they asked was: how do we keep the costs down?

The Browns learned that Slurry Bugs digest effluent fibre. It’s their food. And if sufficient numbers of Slurry Bugs are in a pond eating the effluent fibre, the raw materials needed to make the crust are removed.

Hill-top complications...

That means no crust can develop.

To make use of gravity and to avoid water table pressure on the pond liner, farm manager Paul Brown wanted to construct the holding pond on a hill. But in planning, he foresaw several challenges: 1. Because the proposed hill site was 100M from the shed, the cost of getting electricity up to the pond to run a stirring machine would be significant. 2. Paul was also concerned with potential repair costs in the event that a stirring machine ripped the liner. These complications led the Browns to look for alternatives. Could crusting and effluent odour be managed without machines?

Researching Slurry Bugs Because Shirley, Tony and Paul were open to biological solutions, they decided to investigate Slurry Bugs further. Over the next two years they had further talks with Liz Russell, viewed video footage of Slurry Bugs in action in UK ponds and read independent research that drilled deeper into the biology behind it all.

After weighing up the two approaches – Machines (symptoms) vs Biology (causes) – the Browns decided to build their hill-top pond and to dominate it with Slurry Bugs from the beginning. Their rationale: if Slurry Bugs prevent crusting, we save a lot of money and get better fertliser in the process. If Slurry Bugs fail, we’ve spent very little to discover that fact and can then proceed with a machine-based approach.

The Results After 5 months, the Brown’s effluent pond looked like this: As impressive as that was, one further question remained: had Slurry Bugs dealt with the problem of sludging on the bottom of the pond? In December 2014 that question was answered when Paul siphoned out the effluent. The bottom was clear.

Where to from here for the Browns? For the Browns, the onging task is simply to keep Slurry Bugs dominant in the pond. They do that by adding a small amount of Slurry Bug powder into the pond every week. Easy.

Before you buy machines: Call 0800 4 SLURRYBUGS (0800 4 758779) or go to www.slurrybugs.co.nz

Slurry Bugs = less machinery = 1/10th cost Effluent from shed

Pump Organic N + P + K is easily taken up by the pasture

A chance meeting At the 2012 Agricultural Bio Technology conference in Rotorua, Sheryl Brown (Tony and Shirley’s daughter) met Liz Russell, the founder of EnviroSystems in the UK. For 10 years, EnviroSystems had been addressing the cause of effluent crusting and odour. Scientists had discovered that crust and sludge were merely the symptoms of the real problem and that the cause of pond solids were

The biological approach uses far less machinery and works better

DAIRY NEWS MAY 26, 2015

10 // NEWS

Winter milk bonus an insult ANDREW SWALLOW

Wilma and Aad van Leeuwen are not happy with Fonterra’s winter milk premium.

FONTERRA’S ONEOFF South Island winter

milk offer of $1.40/kgMS has been slammed as “a

complete insult to dairy farmers” by a long-time out-of-season supplier. Aad van Leeuwen contacted Dairy News after reading the cautious support for the move in the May 12 issue of this paper.

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“It’s a complete insult to dairy farmers in the region and a typical case of the co-op ripping off its own members,” he said. “You can’t produce winter milk for $1.40/kgMS… That’s less than half what they should be paying.” Van Leeuwen has one year to run on a winter contract supplying Cadbury via Fonterra from a farm in North Otago. It was set up 6-7 years ago with “millions of dollars” invested in housing cows specifically to milk through winter. “You can work out for yourself where the milk’s going to go if this is all Fonterra’s prepared to pay,” says van Leeuwen, who is in the process of negotiating winter supply terms with Oceania. This year roughly 80% of the milk from his 12,000 cows went to Oceania; next season it will be 90% and the way things are shaping up, it could be 100% the year after. Other winter milk suppliers further south are similarly disappointed by Fonterra’s paltry offer, says van Leeuwen. “Their contracts have been pulled and they spent zillions setting up for winter milk.” Cartage charges mean there’s even less of the $1.40/kgMS premium left

for them, he points out. “I find it hard to believe anyone will be interested in supplying at $1.40/ kgMS. You don’t just throw a switch to turn on winter production but I suppose if you’ve been caught without a contract $1.40 is a bit of help.” Wintering costs in the southern half of the South Island mean the premium should be at least $4/ kgMS, he says. Many farms that don’t normally winter milk have already dried off and wintering costs nudging $40/ week/cow in some parts of the south, and the low payout, mean more cows will be wintered on milking platforms with a longer dry period than normal, he adds. Fonterra, which made the offer of $1.40/kgMS less cartage to Clandeboye, South Canterbury, to suppliers in Canterbury, Otago and Southland by e-mail in April for milk produced in June and first half July, said it was to take advantage of additional demand in Asia for mozzarella. Earlier this month it said work on a new quickfrozen mozzarella plant at Clandeboye is complete, doubling capacity. @dairy_news facebook.com/dairynews

Sharemilkers share pain SHAREMILKERS ARE in the same difficult posi-

tion as dairy farm owners, says Federated Farmers sharemilker chairperson Neil Filer, who concedes the current situation is “not pretty”. The idea of sharemilking is to share the good times and share the pain, such as the industry is now going through. Filer says lower order sharemilking contracts have been designed in a way that will allow people to pay their bills and buy groceries but not much else. They certainly won’t be getting ahead in a hurry, he says. “Under the 300 cow rule, any lower or variable order sharemilkers will be getting at least 21% of the milk price.” Filer says established sharemilkers can cope with one bad season but if the situation continues it will create problems. Sharemilkers who entered the industry in the past year are at risk because they don’t have the buffer of a good season to fall back on. He advises sharemilkers to do the same as farmers – talk to their accountant and bank manager. Filer says he needs $5.30/kgMS to pay staff and other costs.

Image courtesy of Te Aroha Museum

Prosperity comes from productivity. Productivity comes from improvement. Now let’s talk about where improvement comes from.

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In 1814 there were two cows and one bull, brought into New Zealand by Samuel Marsden. Today the dairy industry has 4.9 million cows and processes 1.83 billion kilograms of milk solids per year. In early days, if you were milking more than three or four cows, you were a full-time farmer. Today, two people can milk 800 to 1,000 cows in a couple of hours.

Between 1979 and 2014, milk solid production increased by 1.3 billion kilograms. 60% of those gains came from genetic improvement. Once, farmers knew their individual cow’s quirks, characteristics and names. Today, farmers have the smallest details of every one of their hundreds if not thousands of cows at their ﬁngertips.

The story of the New Zealand dairy industry has been one of constant improvement. And at LIC, we’ve been part of that story for over 100 years, helping improve the productivity and prosperity of our farmers. Helping make New Zealand dairying the world leader that it is. Improvement. It’s in our nature. It’s in our name.

DAIRY NEWS MAY 26, 2015

12 // NEWS The latest valuation has seen a substantial fall in the market value of cows.

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values has seen a substantial fall in the market value of dairy cattle, a slight dip in the value of sheep and a significant increase in the value of beef cattle. These changes mirror closely the changes in the associated commodity prices. “The substantial fall in herd scheme values for dairy cattle presents an opportunity for dairy farmers to enter the herd scheme valuation method. This scheme is often seen as the best method over time as it ensures that inflationary gains are not subject to tax.” In general livestock is valued using either the national standard cost (NSC) or the herd scheme (HS) method. The key difference between the two is that movements in value under the NSC method are on revenue account (taxable income or deductible expenditure), and movements in value under the HS are on capital account (non-taxable or nondeductible). “When there has been a substantial fall in herd scheme values, as there has been this year, the cost of moving livestock from the national standard cost scheme to the HS generally diminishes,” Marshall says. “This is often seen as the best time to enter the HS, particularly if livestock values are expected

to increase again in the future.” For herds bought in the past couple of years a change from NSC to HS may also result in a deductible loss arising on transfer, Marshall says. “A word of caution however: once you have elected to value a type and class of livestock using the herd scheme you must continue to use that method and any further reduction in value will be a capital loss rather than a deductible one. Marshall says at the very least now is an opportune time for dairy farmers to be discussing livestock valuation methods with their accountants or business advisors so that any opportunities can be acted upon before they disappear. The values for Friesian dairy cows and Wapiti deer have also been affected by a change in the tax treatment of those types of livestock, whereby the value of Friesian, Jersey and other milking breeds have been combined as have the values of red and wapiti deer. These types have been combined due to a perceived tax advantage previously existing, whereby owners of mixed breeds could pick and choose the valuation method that gave them the best tax outcome, Marshall says.

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DAIRY NEWS MAY 26, 2015

14 // NEWS

Rugby years help shape n SUDESH KISSUN sudeshk@ruralnews.co.nz

WHO SAYS rugby and dairying don’t mix well? Just ask James Foote, a semi-professional rugby player who switched to dairying four years ago and recently notched up one of the biggest wins of his career. Foote (30) played semi-professional rugby for 10 years; today he’s contract milking 425 cows at Miranda, Hauraki Plains, for Russell and Ces Evans.

In only his fourth season in dairying, Foote was crowned the Farm Manager of the Year at this month’s New Zealand Dairy Awards. Unsurprisingly, his rugby career came to the judges’ attention during the competition. “The life skills and disciplines from his previous career as a rugby player have given him a great grounding for dairy farming. He has a strong focus on improvement and does a SWAT analysis each six months, focusing on

BREAKING NEW GROUND WITH THE low payout, James Foote’s first year as a self-employed dairy farmer has been a baptism of fire. His farm assistant Matheson Taylor is also in his first year of dairy farming. Foote says there been a lot of new ground broken on the farm this season. The low payout hasn’t helped. But he says as a contract milker, if he can get through a tough year, things can only get better from here. “It’s a real test if you can get through this year. Although the low payout’s having a negative impact, this tough season will make me and the farm owners better farmers for it. “Like rugby, one bad game doesn’t mean the end of the world; you learn from it and fine tune your game and go into the next one,” Foote says.

turning weakness into strength. We found that very refreshing,” the judges noted. Foote told Dairy News that while growing up he had two passions in life – rugby and dairy farming. In 2000, he was given an opportunity to advance his rugby career in Auckland, and spent the next 10 years playing semi-professional rugby in New Zealand and overseas. But in 2010, James and wife Louise decided to return home to pursue his other passion. Despite being born and raised on a drystock farm in Pukekawa, Foote was attracted to milking cows and the potential in dairying. “Dairy farming was a clear winner for us, with the pathways and the support you can get through it.” For two seasons starting 2011 he was second-in-charge on a farm owned by Craig Strawbridge at Ngatea. In 2013 he worked as farm manager on a 250-cow farm at Mangatangi. Foote then decided it was time to lift his game to another level. He applied to be a contract milker with the Evans. In his job interview Foote laid out his plans for the farm,

James Foote with wife Louise and children Cooper, 4 and Emerson, 18 months.

to raise milk production from 750kgMS/ha to 1000kgMS/ha. “When I came for an interview with the farm owner for this position he had never done anywhere near 1000kgMS/ha. I love a challenge.” In his first season on the farm Foote is on target to produce 135,500kgMS – 4500kgMS shy of the target. But this was no ordinary season; the Hauraki Plains was gripped by a really dry summer crippling drought. “I’m pretty happy with

the season; we had a very awards for the first time, “I told Louise the only for the feedback dry summer. Despite the regional awards had from judges that would setback this is a record taken a fair bit of our help them improve production for the farm. time; we were looking “If you come into your their business. “To win to go up to Auckland first year [for the national on a farm finals] as a bit of you inherit a holiday – time “I bring a lot of things that a lot of taken from the I have learnt from playing things from farm and the kids. rugby into dairy farming.” seasons “It was a before. pleasant surprise We have to go up there and the national title was dealt with whatever we win. In my acceptance unbelievable really. It’s inherited; we have put a speech I did promise few strategies in place to still sinking in to be Louise a holiday at some get to the 1000kgMS/ha.” honest.” stage.” Winning the Louise helps with Winning the national title has been relief milking and getting Auckland-Hauraki “unbelievable”, says cows in when their regional title was a Foote. They entered the only worker is on leave. bonus.

DAIRY NEWS MAY 26, 2015

NEWS // 15

e new farmer’s resilience However, her main role is looking after their children Cooper (4) and Emerson (18 months). She will get more involved in day-to-day farming as the children grow up. The Footes have a goal of $1 million equity in 10 years. And they plan by 2016-17 to have gone 50:50 sharemilking with 300-400 cows. Foote says the goals are reassessed regularly as circumstances can change. But they “have goals in place and are extremely motivated to get there.” His rugby career has been a good grounding for dairying, he says. “I bring a lot of things that I

have learnt from playing rugby into dairy farming; lots of things like 1% gains that all add up to getting you there in the end.” The awards have put them into contact with many people and they plan to tap into this. “We are utilising all the people we can around us; we are relatively new and it’s important we use all networks around us to go forward. People are willing to help so it’s good to have all this support.” Foote singles out his previous employer Craig Strawbridge and current employers Russell and Ces Evans for their support.

As a contract milker, he is self-employed and on a fixed payout, locked in at the start of the season. While he is not directly affected by the low payout, Foote needs to use “all the tools in our bag” to get through the tough season. “Our supportive owners help us out.”

The 160ha farm has its challenges; 120ha are flats of marine clay and 40ha of hills. The cows eat mainly pasture grown on farm; PKE, maize and grass silage are used as supplementary feed. James Foote says one bad year in dairying doesn’t mean the end of the world.

@dairy_news facebook.com/dairynews

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DAIRY NEWS MAY 26, 2015

NEWS // 17

China stops buying, prices crumble PAM TIPA pamelat@ruralnews.co.nz

THE CHINESE bought

a one year supply of milk powder from world markets then suddenly stopped buying, Alltech’s chief innovation officer, Aidan Connolly, says. That’s having a dramatic effect on prices in China, New Zealand and around the world, he told the opening day of Alltech’s REBELation Symposium in Kentucky, attended by 3000 international delegates. “Whether the Chinese government is choosing to manipulate the markets or whether [it] is buying strategically, the reality is the consumption of milk by China is tremendously affecting the price of milk around the world,” he said. “The Chinese effectively purchased a year’s supply of milk powder from the world markets and suddenly in one fell swoop chose not to buy anymore.” Connolly was illustrating how much Chinese buying was now influencing milk prices. He said until then dairy production had had a positive outlook and milk prices had been at a very high level, also extremely affected by what was going on in China. The reform of the European common agriculture policy also has tremendous implications

for milk prices, not just in Europe but the rest of the world, he said. “We are no longer living in a world where an Irish person can produce milk in Ireland and not worry about the milk price somewhere. We are no longer living in a world where it is possible to consider what is happening in some part of the United States and not be concerned about what the Chinese purchasers are doing. “Increasingly we see that these markets and that interconnection is making it extremely important to understand the world market.” Connolly, who is also Alltech’s vice-president corporate accounts, said there were big differences in cost of production: Uruguay, Argentina, New Zealand and Australia have a tremendous cost advantage. It will be interesting to see if the European Union reforms will bring down the cost of production in Europe and enable access to other countries. Due to imported feed costs, etc the cost of production in China is also still substantially higher than in Argentina, New Zealand and even the United States. The milk output from China is increasing and will continue to increase but they are limited by land. Looking at the largest

producers, he noted that Fonterra is now not just a New Zealand company; it is also present in China and other parts of the world as were all the other companies in the top 20. He said the future for milk will see a steady 1.8%

per annum growth globally. “The demand will increase faster than consumption and production levels, which should lead to us seeing a higher price.”

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WEALTH CREATION is now the world’s most powerful political force, US former Secretary of State Colin Powell said. “[That’s] wealth not just for those at the top, but wealth that allows you to bring people out of poverty,” he said. Powell was the opening speaker at the Alltech REBELation Symposium in Kentucky last week which had 3000 attendees from across the globe. He said people asked him all the time if America is still the number-one super-power. He tells them “we are still up there” but in the last 40 years China and Asia have come up, “all doing what it necessary in this world and the idea is to create wealth”. He said it is wonderful the Chinese have brought people out of poverty but they still have a lot more to do.

Delegates at Alltech’s REBELation symposium in Kentucky.

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DAIRY NEWS MAY 26, 2015

18 // NEWS

Pledges make southern dairy hub a ‘goer’

Southern Dairy Development Trust chairman Matthew Richards.

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man Matthew Richards is confident it will go ahead. “It’s a fantastic result and a huge endorsement for the hub project.” “We are grateful and thankful for the support

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from our community and are confident we will get a good hearing in front of our industry partners DairyNZ and AgResearch.” The official numbers include pledges that arrived in the mail after the April 30 deadline: 55% of farmers between Dunedin and Bluff have pledged financial support. The next step is to present figures to DairyNZ and AgResearch, Richards says. “The support of a majority of southern dairy farmers is a key factor in determining the hub’s future, as our partners wanted to see farmers supporting this. While we didn’t hit the financial target of $2 million, I’m still confident we will get the decision to go ahead.” The hub is intended as an innovation centre where ideas and concepts can be tested. It will do comparative research, demonstrate research

results and have education and training facilities. It will be located in central Southland and house about 850 cows in four herds. “We’ve been out looking for the right farm over the last couple of months – centrally located, with a mix of soil types and ideally some contour. It will be a sheep conversion to allow us to start with a clean slate.” Funding will include $10 million from DairyNZ and AgResearch, $2.5 million from the closed Southland Demonstration Farm, pledges from southern farmers and businesses, and the remainder debt. The trust expects the farm to make money from research, commercial lease space, room hireage, livestock sales and milk supply. www.southerndairyhub. co.nz

New pizza cheese plant pumping MORE FONTERRA mozzarella cheese will be topping pizzas in Asia and the Middle East. The co-op has completed a new mozzarella plant at its Clandeboye site in Canterbury, doubling production to make enough mozzarella for the 300 million pizzas made annually by global pizza and pasta restaurant chains in China, Asia and the Middle East. Fonterra managing director of global operations Robert Spurway says the co-op has seen growth in consumer and foodservice categories and this expansion will form a key part of that success. “The expansion at Clandeboye is an example of our V3 strategy in action,” says Spurway. “Foodservice products such as cheese give a high value on return and our R&D is enabling us to cut months off the production time of this mozzarella…. The additional capacity will bring volume to that equation.” The expansion is part of the co-op’s foodservice strategy, including doubling cream cheese production at Te Rapa, the recent start-up of the Waitoa UHT site and plans to expand slice-on-slice cheese capacity at Eltham. Clandeboye site manager Steve McKnight says the site began 24 hour production this month, with farmers supplying winter milk for the quick frozen grated mozzarella. “We’re seeing the popularity of cheese take off in Asia, so the timing of this upgrade couldn’t be better. To meet orders from that market, we will be producing cheese 24 hours a day, making use of our new lines and taking winter milk from our farmers in Canterbury, Southland and Otago,” says McKnight. The site expansion has brought 25 new roles. The staff have finished training and are now at work.

DAIRY NEWS MAY 26, 2015

20 // NEWS

High-tech dairy farm ticked o Most people’s bucket list has things like skydiving, walking the Great Wall of China or owning a special car. But atop Levin dairy farmer and contractor Graham Bagrie’s list was something quite different. To celebrate achieving his goal he invited home the Minister for Primary Industries, Nathan Guy, and 200 or so dairying people. Peter Burke was there for the occasion. AT THE top of Graham Bagrie’s bucket list was a new dairy shed and he’s done it in style: an estimated $1.7 million state-of-the-art dairy complex. To call it a shed is wrong because apart from the 54-bail rotary platform with all the mod cons, there is a small separate herringbone dairy shed as part of the complex. This is designed so AB technicians or vets can work with cows without interfering with the milking platform. The other week Bagrie invited all the contractors and suppliers he deals with to see the shed in

its pristine state. They wandered through the shed munching sausage rolls or sandwiches, looking at the array of technology. But more than the technology, it was the design of the complex that drew gasps of amazement. Bagrie formerly milked his 580 cows – 40% straight Jersey, 60% Friesian – in a basic 26-aside herringbone shed near his house. He says having the cowshed near the house was fine when he had young children, but now having the shed that close to home was intrusive – especially at weekends. “It was a case

of move the shed or move me and so I decided to build the new shed a long way from the house,” he says. As well as dairy farming, Bagrie runs a large contracting business on the same site on the road to Waitarere Beach, north of Levin. He employs up to 50 people in this business and still does about 1000 hours year himself on machines. But the dairy farm and the contracting business are run as separate entities. He also runs about 300 beef animals on a 200ha run-off. Bagrie’s reason for building the new high-

spec shed was because he always wanted to – arguably not a great reason he admits. “I always like a challenge in my life and have been around a lot of sheds as a contractor. When I looked around sheds it was not all about what was right or wrong but personal preference and in my case functionality. Then there’s providing a good work environment for staff and what looks right. I like a bit of elbow room and so I wanted it to be roomy with a nice staff room and an elevated office that overlooks the whole operation for the

Minister for Primary Industries Nathan and farmer Graham Bagrie in the new shed.

herd manager. After all the dairy shed is the hub of our operation.” Bagrie says his great interest was in the design; one idea was to have an integrated veterinarian

and AB set-up. This was to prevent any animal remedies contaminating the milk. The small herringbone shed was designed to make it easier for AB technicians and

was linked to the new system of heat detection installed. “One of the problems with heat detection is you must have somebody continually watching the

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DAIRY NEWS MAY 26, 2015

NEWS // 21

d off bucket list cows and there is a risk of missing one or two that are on heat. We have installed a camera to do this job and it doesn’t get tired and have a day off. It picks up the heat patches or tail paint and automatically drafts the cows to a separate pen. “The thing about this is that it over-drafts. For example, if there is manure on a heat patch the cow will be drafted out or if a patch is only just broken it will do the same. By doing this it enables the herd manager to make the final decision so it’s a good combination of technology and human decision making.” The newly designed shed is intended to be run by one person. The latest in technology from DeLaval includes automatic cup removers

and automatic feeding systems, some of which still has to be installed. LIC technology with links to Minda are part of the design. Also fascinating the 200 or so people at the open day was the underpass into the centre of the rotary. This makes it easier and safer for his staff and contractors to service the shed. Environmental issues are a big priority for Bagrie; his system meets special local conditions and link in with his contracting business. “Normally you try to clean out the stone traps with a tractor and front loader, but because we have a fleet of excavators I have made it so that I can clean it with an excavator. The stone trap is large so it won’t need cleaning as

often and in our case we have a lot of issues with sand. So it’s more to trap sand than stones,” he says. A big benefit for the 580 cows that produce about 210,000kgMS is that the new shed is 500m closer to their pastures so

their walking time will be much reduced. The farm, a mix of sandy and peat soils, can dry out badly in summer, so maize silage grown on the farm and PKE are used to keep the cows milking. @dairy_news facebook.com/dairynews

The DeLaval 54-bail rotary platform has an underpass for staff.

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NOT TOO many farmers can persuade the Minister for Primary Industries to come along and open their new dairy shed. But Nathan Guy, himself a dairy farmer, is but a few kilometres away. So the minister duly turned up on a fine day – when Wellington and the Kapiti Coast were under siege from floodwaters – and unveiled a gold plaque in the new shed. “This complex has some of the best technology available in NZ and we have an opportunity to showcase this technology and export it to the world,” Guy said. “Many countries are interested in what we do here and we have an opportunity to grow our exports of agritech and IT. If we don’t do that, other countries like Australia or Holland will.” Guy says he’s impressed that Graham Bagrie paid so much attention to making the complex people friendly. He says by 2025 the country will need 50,000 more workers in the primary sector and to reach that number our farming facilities must be good. “It’s easier to attract staff if you have a modern facility. The dairy industry needs to attract the people with higher skills and facilities such as this will help people make a career choice in agriculture.”

Restricted Veterinary Medicine. Available only under Veterinary Authorisation. ACVM No A10028

Shaping the future of animal health

DAIRY NEWS MAY 26, 2015

22 // OPINION RUMINATING

EDITORIAL

Watching the planets

MILKING IT... The full story

UNION BOSS Helen Kelly has dairy farmers in her sights over pay rates and work conditions, naming and shaming a Taranaki cocky last week and going on Radio Live to lambast dairy farmers as poor employers. Some dairy farmers may have deserved the brickbat, most did not. But Kelly and her union mates are not the kind to let facts get in the way of a good story. So, well done those dairy farmers who got straight on the blower to the radio host to balance the record by recounting cases of excellent employment practice in the industry. One example given was fairly common: a young guy with no experience but a good attitude found himself on $40k with a free house, milk, veges, meat and virtually no personal expenses, working a ten-on, two-off roster. As usual, the dairy industry is working to knock into line those few farmers who are bad employers. And as usual, the unions persist in an adversarial approach that tars all farmers with the same brush.

You can bank on it

SHANGHAI Pengxin subsidiary Milk New Zealand Holdings has expressed a desire to build its own factory here. Recently the firm took the supreme winner title at the 2015 HSBC NZ China Trade Association business awards. Does this herald another Chinese company carving a niche in New Zealand’s dairy landscape? As for the awards, Milking It reminds readers what HSBC stands for – Hong Kong & Shanghai Banking Corporation.

Cow freebies

CONTINUOUSLY DOLING out freebies and subsidies to various sections of society, the Punjab government in India has now decided go a step further and provide freeof-charge power to cows. Having already floated several schemes for “welfare of cows” –including setting up a 10ha staterun sanctuary (gaushala) in each district – the SAD-BJP government will now provide free electricity to all 472 cow shelters functional in Punjab. The decision is expected to ‘benefit’ 269,000 cows in these sanctuaries and please the state’s cow worshippers.

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No milk, just muscle

HERE’S ANOTHER threat to the NZ dairy industry. US food giant Hormel is reporting a 32% lift in sales largely due to Muscle Milk. The product contains no milk, but that doesn’t seem to hold back its sales. Hormel acquired CytoSport, the maker of Muscle Milk, in August 2014, and the investment is paying off. Despite many complaints about the misleading name, including a 2011 warning letter from the FDA and lawsuits, sales of both the protein powder and the liquid beverage are climbing.

DAIRY FARMERS will be bracing for sombre news from Fonterra this Wednesday. Six months ago, the 2015-16 season prospects were looking bright. Falling dairy prices were tipped to rebound within six months; sadly, that prediction hasn’t come to pass. With five consecutive drops in the Global Dairy Trade price index, any hope of a price bounce-back this year has all but evaporated. It’s hard to believe that Fonterra announced an opening forecast of $7/kgMS for the 2014-15 season a year ago; after several revisions, the forecast payout for the season stands at $4.50/kgMS milk price and 20-30c/share dividend. The year before, it first forecast was $7 but paid farmers a record $8.40/kgMS! So all is not lost. Dairy prices could rebound. But for that to happen, all the ‘planets’ have to align: Russia’s trade ban on European dairy products must go, China has to resume buying and oil prices must rebound to give Middle East consumers more disposable income to spend on dairy products. Throw in also some unknowns: the path of the US currency and milk production in the quota-free European Union. What Fonterra will announce this week is difficult to predict, since it will base its opening forecast on events in the coming 15 months. As one anaylyst says, if current prices were to persist for the next 15 months, the payout could be even lower than this season. But if your forecast was for an improvement in international prices over the next 15 months and a lower Kiwi dollar, then farmers would be looking for something higher than $5/kgMS. Whatever Fonterra opens with this week, farmers must brace for another tough season. Discretionary spending must be curtailed and farm management practices maintained. But then farmers deal with change all the time, ever mindful of sunshine, rain and a host of things governing a livelihood that wholly depends, ultimately, on the natural elements. This is part of the volatile world they deal with. Now, throw in commodity prices and exchange rates and you have an extremely challenging environment. This is an accepted fact of life for a farmer. Given dairy’s importance to New Zealand, our leaders are sitting up and taking notice. Problems facing the dairy industry are now in the headlights of the governor of the Reserve Bank, Graeme Wheeler. All eyes are on the dairy industry; this week Fonterra will give its take on what is likely to happen over the next 12-15 months, and we will hope, as we must, that a splendid planetary alignment will soon cause a lift in the prices.

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DAIRY NEWS MAY 26, 2015

OPINION // 23

Failing to plan is planning to fail THE NEED for farmers to have a sound strategy to avoid flip-flopping from year to year is now more important than ever. The only constant in the future will be volatility and farmers must set their businesses to be able to absorb uncertainties if they are going to survive volatile times. Historically, the old adage was that the difference between a good farmer and a bad farmer was time. In other words, all farmers do the same thing eventually; the big difference is the timing of their actions. From an operational perspective, this is still true. However, increasingly I see that the difference between a successful business and one that struggles through challenging times is that one has a plan and the other manages day to day. The key to resilience is a strategic plan that guides major decisions. This is not to say that your day to day tactical management is not important. However, to use a rugby adage, “forwards win matches, backs decide by how much”. Your strategic plan is the forward pack of a dairy farming business, securing the business in the set piece and ensuring the team will not be caught unawares by a poor climate year or a low milk price; and the tactical management (the backs) determines by how much we win the game. The need for system resilience is more important than ever before because future milk production will be set against a backdrop of increased farm business uncertainty. Fundamentally, a resilient system has three essentials: profitable every year and not just when milk price is high; a low production-cost base to insulate the dairy farm business from price shocks; and the means for the farm to generate sufficient funds in better times to exploit opportunities in lean years – when other

businesses can’t capitalise. A resilient farm business is one designed to utilise its competitive advantages. This requires a ‘fit for purpose’ system that will provide a consistent level of production at a consistent cost, within the general averages of climate, input price and milk price uncertainty. A resilient farm system will, therefore, have a plan for the appropriate stocking rate for the farm, an appropriate level of supplementary feed purchases, and key decision rules about drying off and culling cows which it will not change come hell or high water. Resilient systems still have sufficient tactical flexibility to overcome unanticipated events that can lower short term profitability (e.g. cold wet spring, dry summer, low milk price), but the foundation principles of the resilient system remain the same. At the same time you need to enjoy what you do at a personal level and have fun farming. It’s a tall order – but most farmers I know love a challenge. Markets love volatility, as Christine Lagarde, managing director of the International Monetary Fund, is fond of saying. Maybe that’s what we also must do – learn to love the thing that challenges us the most. Because it’s here to stay. Historically, farmers have focussed their learning on plant and animal husbandry, rather than developing broad management skills. Don’t get me wrong – those skills are still vitally important. As a dairy industry scientist, that is part of what I do every day: help farmers to maximise value from understanding production systems. However, modern dairy farming has increased in complexity. My firm view is that dairy farmers need an increased level of understanding of business management principles if they are to prosper in a tumultuous ‘price-taker’ environment.

It is now vital that farmers have a broader range of management skills alongside their traditional farming skills. These include cashflow bud-

geting, human resources, contract negotiation and knowledge of multiple facets of compliance. The resilient farmer has to have the science of man-

agement sitting alongside his animal and plant husbandry skills. • Dr John Roche is DairyNZ’s principal scientist.

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Shaping the future of animal health

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DAIRY NEWS MAY 26, 2015

24 // AGRIBUSINESS

California’s ‘star’ dairymen falling PAM TIPA pamelat@ruralnews.co.nz

DAIRYMEN IN Cali-

fornia see themselves as the “star model for dairying” but they are far from creaming it. The milk price of about US$13-16/cwt (1cwt = 0.0508 tonne) is about US$2 below breakeven for most farmers. They are four years into a drought and fear they will run out of water to grow crops to feed their cows. State government restrictions mean no more dairy ‘farms’ can be built in California and the dairymen believe the govern-

ment no longer wants dairying in their state. J.D. Ruan, who has a 5500 cow dairy in the Central Valley and interests in various farm businesses with up to 20,000 cows in the Central Valley alone, says it’s going to be tough in California for a long time. There are opportunities in other states, such as South Dakota, so he is looking there. But he will stick with his California operation because of the extent of his investment. “The government won’t allow more expansion in California. In Dakota they are asking for more dairies – a totally different feeling than here

Californian dairy farmer EJ Ruan shows Kiwi farmer Blair Murdoch his new medicine storage facility with fingerprint security.

in California where they don’t want us anymore.” The milk price is based

on a formula but there is definitely a correlation between Fonterra’s Global

Dairy Trade and their milk prices, he says. California’s daily dairy production is down about one million pounds on last year – that’s citing the co-op CDR, which Ruan supplies. That’s about 2.5% down on last year so far. “Beef is good and the [dairymen] are not making any money. A lot of guys Californian dairy cows.

were happy to get a good milk price and as soon as they saw it heading back down they sold out. They just didn’t want to go through another downturn.” But he says though California dairy farmers are very good at losing money, they are also good at making money when the milk price rises again and can regain all their losses. Jessica Lawrence, Alltech territory sales rep in California, and also a dairy farmer through her family’s 2500 cow operation in the Central Valley, says water and government regulation are the biggest threats to dairying. Her family operation is spending $15,000-$20,000 per annum on water quality. It is “do or die for dairy farming in California’s Central Valley at the moment, Lawrence says. “The government either

needs to relax and let us dairy or there won’t be dairy.” The government wants housing, she says. She explains that north of the Central Valley lies San Francisco, which does not understand dairy farming, and southwards is Los Angeles, which doesn’t understand either. She says they are trying to figure out the science on water, but some of the science is disproving the environmentalists’ theories so they don’t want to know. There is talk of water storage systems but it is 10 years too late. Some say to get out of the drought it would need to rain every day until the end of the year. The snow melt also needs to get back into the lakes, but another California dairyman says that snow isn’t happening and they aren’t getting the snow melt. The drought threatens the whole ag industry,

DAIRY NEWS MAY 26, 2015

AGRIBUSINESS // 25

out of favour says Lawrence. Farming is trying to adapt its practices, moving to more drought resistant crops and trees. There’s no more recycling they can do in dairy. “The only time we use freshwater is when it must be fresh – in water troughs and tank washing. Outside of that it’s all recycled. “The water threat is if we don’t have enough to grow feed we won’t have enough for the cows to eat – or any other animals for that matter.” Almost all the water in the dairies is now recycled; the only water not recycled is, for instance, cow drinking water. “Some people say we will run out of water in a year, then others say we’ve got water for 30 years.” But it is not clear what is available in underground reserves. In respect of the milk price, breakeven cost is $16.50/cwt (1 cwt = 0.0508 tonne); in April it was $13.91/cwt, but that came off a really good year, she says. It is supposed to hit $16.00/cwt by the end of the year, she understands. Milk price is based on realtime sales of whey powder, butter, cheese based on a formula. The milk price is not directly related to global prices but it still relates to them. A lot of the whey sold in California is not accounted for in this price; some are arguing they should go back on the federal system. The Market Protection Plan – an insurance scheme which kicks in when milk prices drop below a certain level - is not in effect in Central Valley as the plan is based on federal prices. Lawrence sees California as the “star model of dairies”. A lot of people come to see their dairies, from the US and overseas. Within the US the dairy facilities will be comparable. The size might be different. “The difference is what we feed; we have ability to use by-product that no one else in the world

has access to.” In February she had a nutritionist visit from Wisconsin. “He knows nutrition, he knows the dairy industry. He was blown away by what we feed and how we feed it. It’s what we feed and how we feed it and the flat land that is the success of our dairy.” In 2009-2010 many dairies went out of business. The cow numbers in California did not change – the bigger guys got bigger. The ones that are still here added facilities or cow numbers. A few facilities went – older facilities that needed to go, she says. When drought hits, the Californians don’t stop producing, Lawrence says. The farmers speculate that if they all dumped their milk they would change the market in a day. The problem is the banks lend money based on production and cow numbers. So if today you got a loan based on 2000 cows, then next day cut your herd to 1500 cows, the bank would pull your loan to give you a smaller loan. Hence the controversy: when the milk price drops, the farmers need bigger loans, but the banks say ‘if you want bigger loans, you need more cows’. “California is the biggest milk producer in the US but it does not have the most cows. We produce more milk per cow.” Government threats to viability are increasing the regulation of water and air quality; the subject of methane gas has caused a lot of talk of a tax. Air quality also includes dust control. Air quality is a lot easier to deal with than water quality, says Lawrence. She would rather see her water quality inspector once a week than once a year. She has to test her lagoon water for irrigating, measure the amount of water they are using, test well water to see if they are leaching into the water supply, and test crops at harvest and soil samples. “They say ‘water quality’

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but it incorporates a lot of different management practices.” • Dairy News reporter Pam Tipa visited California dairy farms with a group of New Zealand dairy farmers and Alltech representatives on the way to Alltech’s REBELation Symposium in Lexington, Kentucky last week.

Jessica Lawrence, Alltech, with his father Manual (centre) and brother Jonathan on the family farm.

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DAIRY NEWS MAY 26, 2015

26 // ANIMAL HEALTH/FEED

US mill churns feed for cows around the clock PAM TIPA pamelat@ruralnews.co.nz

COWS DON’T know it’s Christmas, says Brian Larson, plant manager of JD Heiskell Ltd’s Pixley branch, a big feed mill in the major dairying region of Central Valley, California. And with cows milked around the clock in the region, EJ Heiskell’s feedmill works 24/7 in eight hour shifts and never shuts down – even for Christmas. It is pushing out about 100,000 tonnes a month of feed to the Central Valley region only. The company is in nine states and has 420 employ-

ees nationwide but Pixley is the biggest. Head of quality control Melvin Martins says they feed millions of dairy cows off the mill and that’s only into the Central Valley area. Dairy News visited the site with a group of mostly Southland dairy farmers and Alltech NZ representatives as part of a tour of the Central Valley region organised by Alltech’s California representative and dairy farmer Jessica Lawrence. Alltech products are used in some mix formulas. Martins says their plant alone feeds millions of dairy cows and that’s just in the Central Valley. Feeds include corn, canola

and almond husks – in increasing supply because of a huge push to plant almonds and other nuts throughout the region for export to China. Corn comes from Nebraska, Iowa and Minnesota by train every four days and must be unloaded in 15 hours. They can unload 800t in eight minutes but Larson says that’s “kinda slow”. In Texas they are must faster, unloading a 100 cars of canola in nine hours. “In Texas they do everything fast,” he jokes. Eight gigantic silos can each hold 3000t of corn. The corn and canola are railed in, other feeds are trucked in.

Kiwi dairy farmers tour the JD Heiskell feed mill in California that feed millions of cows daily.

They can mix up to 2000 formulas a day in accordance with customer requirements and the control centre has a fulltime nutritionist with a PhD in the discipline. Calf pre-mix formula can be supplied to farms in containers, cost-

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the Central Valley to plant nut trees; by-products such as almond husks are now used. One nutritionist told Dairy News that the husks are very good feed for dairy cows, containing 35% sugar. Baking waste is also ground up; it is not their highest selling product but it is available and is used to feed dairy cows, says Martins. Cotton husks are fibrous and are said to help the rumen in calves – it is mainly used in mixed formulas. Neighbouring JD Heiskeill’s Pixley ethanol plant takes 1500 tonnes a day of corn. Larson says ethanol was booming five

years ago especially in the Midwest, but the economics did not stack up and plants shut down, some of them half built. When the boom was on the price of corn went “through the roof” and the ability to feed animals was coming under threat. The situation has now stabilised. The federal mandate on ethanol has expired and the price of oil has dropped. A dairy operation next to the ethanol plant pumps its effluent to the plant for extraction of byproducts such as methane, CO2 and clean irrigable water. @dairy_news facebook.com/dairynews

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ing US$400-600 a tonne depending on the mix required by the customer, says Todd Heuer, calf specialist. From 0-60 days, calves fed the mix average a 1.3kg/ day weight gain, and from 60-120 days, 4kg/day. The 12 month average in New Zealand is 800g/day. Martins says trends come and go in nutrition and can be determined by the nutritionist. PKE has come and gone also but choices are also dictated by economics. And though it’s “trash for humans, it’s feed for cows,” he says. With big returns and demand from China, there is a huge push throughout

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DAIRY NEWS MAY 26, 2015

ANIMAL HEALTH // 27

BCS to make bigger contribution BODY CONDITION score

(BCS) is to be included as a new trait in breeding worth (BW) from February 2016. During the National Breeding Objective Review in 2012, BCS (specifically late lactation BCS) was identified as an important trait. Since then NZ Animal Evaluation Ltd (NZAEL), a subsidiary of DairyNZ, has estimated the

economic value of BCS at $106.6 per BCS and the rate of improvement in BW could be enhanced by including BCS. The economic value of BCS comes from two main components. Firstly, the reduced costs of a cow maintaining or losing less condition, as opposed to a cow losing lots of condition in spring and then having to replenish that condition in

autumn or winter when feed is more expensive. Secondly, the value of a well-conditioned cow milking well into late lactation, rather than drying her off early for poor condition. These result in an economic value of $106.6 per BCS. The BCS breeding value is calculated using records of two year old heifers, collected in early lactation. Most come

from CRV and LIC progeny test herds. Raw scores are converted into a day 60 lactation equivalent, and then enter the AE model. As a result of a recent review a ‘breed neutral’ adjustment will be implemented into the calculation for this breeding value. This adjustment will come into effect in June.

BCS breeding value is calculated using records of two year old heifers.

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in the spring, getting heat detectors to stay on a cow can be challenging, comments animal health company Rurtec. Getting adhesive all the way to the skin certainly helps, the company says. With the spray-on glue and new applicator, its Heatmark Ero achieves this and “sets a new standard for cost effective heat detection”. The firm’s principal, Ian Carr, says the detectors can be pre-loaded into the applicator box and then removed to apply one at a time using the applicator block. “The result is quick, easy mess-free application of the detector across the backbone.” There were a good number of big users among those trying the product last season, he says. One was the Pye Group, South Canterbury, whose drystock manager Kris Murray says, “I’ve tried most of the heat detectors available and as long as they stick on good and show heats effectively then the choice really comes down to price. “We tried Heatmark Ero on about 1500 heifers and found the spray-on glue and applicator system worked well for applying them in a race. Retention was good and we have ended up with good mating results. Price-wise, we couldn’t buy better so will be using them again.” Heatmark detectors are available from vet/farm supply stores. Tel. 0800 RURTEC

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DAIRY NEWS MAY 26, 2015

28 // ANIMAL HEALTH

A natural insecticide is in the pipeline to fight the black beetle.

Natural insecticide to fight black beetle closer to fruition A PRODUCT containing a natural insecticide to fight one of New Zealand’s worst farm insect pests is a step closer following several years of research and trials by AgResearch. Research into the product, that is infused with the naturally occurring bacteria Yersinia entomophaga (Ye), will soon begin its second stage which includes investigating the optimum application rate and production scale-up. AgResearch senior scientist Dr Mark Hurst says that if successful the product would have a significant impact on black beetle populations which cannot be effectively controlled by insecticides in established pasture. It’s a great example of an effective biopesticide, AgResearch says: a natural pesticide based on microorganisms or their bioactives, targeted and safe for the environment and humans and helping to solve many insect pest and disease problems. Black beetle (Heteronychus arator) is found in warm areas of the North Island, where root feeding larvae are capable of severe pasture damage. Dry summers and autumns for three years have contributed to a population explosion. The product is based on the Ye bacterium discovered in 1996 in a grass

grub corpse during a search for alternatives to chemical pesticides such as organophosphates, which are being phased out. Ye releases toxins that ‘burst open the gut’ of the insect and cause rapid death, says Hurst, who led the research team. “The biopesticide is good at killing a large variety of insects, especially beetles and moths. But it doesn’t harm earthworms, honeybees or other beneficial organisms.” Senior scientist Michael Wilson says trials carried out in autumn and spring last year gave encouraging results and suggested that spring might be the optimum time to utilise the product. “In spring you kill the adults before they lay eggs so you get fewer larvae hatching and it’s actually the larvae that do most of the damage. It’s difficult to Black beetles are found in warm areas of the North Island.

target larvae directly with a biopesticide because they are underground, so hitting the adults in spring is probably the way to go.” Hurst says that now the product has been proven to work, they will explore the best methods for manufacture and application in existing farm machinery. Meanwhile, entomologist Sarah Mansfield is investigating the movement and feeding behaviour of black beetles for the most effective delivery technique for the product. Research into biopesticides is ongoing in the Next Generation Biopesticides Programme (NGBP), an initiative of AgResearch, the Bio-Protection Research Centre (Lincoln University) and Plant and Food Research. NGBP leader Dr Maureen O’Callaghan says all the research points to a user-friendly biopesti-

cide product being much closer. “The very promising results achieved in the field trials are the result of excellent collaboration between researchers, industry partners and farmers.” Development of the product has been supported by Ballance AgriNutrients and MPI via their PGP programme, and DairyNZ. Waikato farmers have hosted field trials as part of several Sustainable Farming Fund projects focussed on controlling pests, O’Callaghan says. The biopesticide product can be used with other techniques to control black beetle., such as sowing insecticide-coated seed to kill black beetle adults when the grass is germinating. Farmers can also use ryegrass cultivars containing the endophyte AR37.

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DAIRY NEWS MAY 26, 2015

30 // ANIMAL HEALTH Farmers are being urged to update NAIT records of all animal movements on June 1.

Minimise risk in stock moving DON’T PUT your livelihood at risk

when moving or selling stock over the Gypsy Day period, says Ospri New Zealand. It wants farmers to call OSPRI to update NAIT and TBfree details and record all animal movements. “This will help protect New Zealand’s reputation as a producer of high quality, safe food and maintain access to valuable international markets,” says Stu Hutchings, OSPRI group manager. Up-to-date NAIT data allows farmers to get back to business sooner in the event of a biosecurity incursion or food safety concern and is already being used to contain animal diseases like bovine tuberculosis (TB). “By keeping their NAIT and

TBfree details updated, farmers can have peace of mind that livestock – not animal disease – will be the only thing they move around the country on Gypsy Day,” says Hutchings. NAIT data is used to trace the movements of potentially infected stock, on and off farm, so the source of the disease can be identified and special TB testing schemes set up to contain the infection. As long as your contact details and location are updated, OSPRI can call you when your herd is due for a TB test, he says. “Updating your details is quick and easy and a pivotal part of keeping TB under control.” To protect their farming business, herd owners should follow these simple steps when moving or selling

stock this Gypsy Day. Check the TB status and testing requirements of the area into which you’re moving cattle. Correctly complete an animal status declaration (ASD) form when shifting stock and do not accept any animals onto your farm if they’re not accompanied by a correctly filled out ASD form. If you’re in a movement control area, all animals must have a premovement TB test within 60 days of being shifted off farm. Record all animal movements in the NAIT system, including movements off and onto the farm. Complete all these steps easily by calling OSPRI on 0800 482 463. @dairy_news

facebook.com/dairynews

Time for smarter herd control HOW DO you get the best out of a farm business when the payout’s low? By using the right tools, said Drury dairy farmer Sue Dyer, speaking at recent CRV Ambreed workshops on how technology can be better used to achieve herd improvement goals. Dyer has used CRV Insight online herd recording app since its launch in 2012 and says it has helped her increase her farm’s productivity. “I carry my smartphone with me everywhere, so having access and being able to enter data about my cows wherever I am on the farm – in the paddock, shed or at home – is a no brainer. “I get a great snap-

Sue and Mark Dyer, Drury dairy farmers.

shot of how my 370 Friesian, Friesian-cross cows are performing, information about my individual cows, and a full range of reports.” Global growth consultants Frost and Sullivan recently predicted that by 2018 New Zealand would have 90% smartphone

and 78% tablet ownership. Andrew Singers, information management and information technology manager at CRV Ambreed, says the dairy industry needs to keep up with a growing demand for technology on the go. “There is still a huge

amount of work to do to help dairy farmers adopt and use herd management technology to its full capacity,” he says. CRV Ambreed herd improvement products and services for dairy farmers include the free workshops referred to above.

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DAIRY NEWS MAY 26, 2015

NZ NATIONAL FIELDAYS // 35

More sites, sharper ag focus will tackle downturn SUDESH KISSUN sudeshk@ruralnews.co.nz

THE 2015 National Fieldays should be “business as usual” despite the downturn in dairy prices, says chief executive Jon Calder. He is hoping for 130,000 visitors at the four-day event next month. Though visitor numbers fluctuate every year, partly driven by the economic climate, the weather has a greater impact on turnout. Calder points out that visitor numbers is just one matrix, “certainly not the most important one”. “We have 980 companies exhibiting with us and we make sure we design and build the best event for them to be successful,” he told Dairy News. “That’s our main focus, plus a great experience for the 120,000 people who visit us during the Fieldays.” All exhibitor sites were sold out by January; the challenge now is to bring people to the exhibitors. “Hopefully we can bring the customers; with the current economic climate and low dairy payout, perhaps there could be a reduction in spending. But the three regional field days leading up to the National Fieldays [have

shown] some positive signs. “Our farmers are running large businesses and there’s a lot of forward planning. Look at the advancement in technology and systems over the last five years: our farmers are keeping up with that, so if they are not here to buy they are certainly here to learn and look at products they are looking to procure over the next 12 months.” A lot of sales leads are generated at Fieldays, Calder points out. Sales are made in the weeks and months following. Last year poor weather on the first two days affected the event, but turnout during the last two days was strong. The total was just short of

120,000 and the organisers are hoping for better weather this year. “Getting 130,000 people would be nice; it means we would have a whole lot in the kitty.” Last year the National Fieldays Society put at least $200,000 back into the agricultural sector via scholarships, grants and donations. The board wants to grow that amount, Calder says. “The financial success of Fieldays isn’t just for turning a surplus, it’s to give us more for good work.” This year the society has spent $1.6 million on improvements to Mystery Creek including, notably, filling in the lake beside the main pavilion, taking nearly 90,000

cubic metres of earth. This has added 34 sites to that area. Another 70 sites have been created on a dedicated tractor and machinery site. Calder believes the event will look and feel different. “Our physical footprint has expanded; traditionally about 94% of the event’s footprint has been agricultural and 6% rural living; the new layout has shifted agriculture up to 95% and 5% is for rural living. This is an important step; we are conscious that while lifestyle products appeal to everybody, we are an agricultural event; we never lose focus on that.” The Fieldays will also have a new precinct housing seminar rooms. National Fieldays Society

National Fieldays chief executive Jon Calder.

and Federated Farmers are teaming up to hold seminars on topics “exciting and very relevant to what’s going on in the agriculture sector now,” Calder says. Another major change is relocating the tractor pull to the back of the property, bringing it closer to tractor and machinery dealers, “to try to create a zone of activity around those companies.” Fieldays is more than a trade show, Calder says. “It’s more than coming in and buying things; there’s a huge educational component made up of demonstrations and seminars.” Fonterra tents will occupy part of the new site created by filling up the lake.

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DAIRY NEWS MAY 26, 2015

36 // NZ NATIONAL FIELDAYS

Big dairy tech secrets will see daylight TWO BIG secrets in “breakthrough, revolutionary” dairy platforms and technology are being tightly held by Waikato Milking Systems (WMS), says chief executive Dean Bell. And there’s another new product too, but farmers must wait for Fieldays to hear about them all, Bell says. “For 30 years WMS has designed and manufactured game-changing dairy technology…. The three new products we have in the wings, to be launched on the first day of Fieldays, are world-firsts and revolutionary. “One of them is the new Centrus 84-bail rotary platform but the other two are under wraps. We want farmers to be the first people to see them, hence no advance promotion. “But one marks the biggest breakthrough in the design of rotary dairies in 20 years. We’re very excited about all three products…. Suffice to say all three

will have a material impact on the efficiency of the farm dairy and on herd management.” The WMS site this year is about ‘Changing the face of dairy technology’. All the new products embody that, as do the other products now market leaders. Says Bell, “Until now many farmers have only heard about our products and this is an opportunity for them to see and talk about the technology so they can better understand how it will complement their farming system. “Our Centrus composite platform display always attracts a high level of farmer interest because its construction is so different from anything else on the market.” The Centrus rotary, 80% lighter and stronger than concrete platforms, is multi-layered, including Kevlar used to make aircraft and bullet-proof vests. “Its lightness means less electricity is

Milking platforms will be part of Waikato Milking Systems display at the Fieldays.

required to rotate it and there is less wear and tear, saving on maintenance,” Bell says. “Centrus platforms are in demand for large herds and farms milking more often than twice a day; they have particular appeal for farmers in countries where 24 hour milking is not uncommon.” Also on the WMS site will be products that improve efficiency and/or reduce the cost of milking. “Operational costs of milking machines can be significant, and our variable speed drive delivers significant power savings.” Two products are aimed at minimising mastitis, the company says.

The WMS swing arm system “perfectly aligns the cluster during milking in herringbone sheds, ensuring every quarter is milked, promoting good udder health and minimising mastitis,” Bell says. “Our SmartD-Tect automatically tests each quarter at every milking identifying [any risk of] mastitis at every milking, enabling early intervention.” The company’s electronic milk meter, introduced in 2014, “tests every cow at every milking so the farmer can see what each cow is producing, the flow rate and milking duration”. And addressing the issue of farm labour, the company says its SmartECR

automatic cup remover can be customised to suit farmer and herd preferences. Bell points to his company’s record of innovation, performance and durability, “with oversight of every aspect of every product – from design through to the finished product. We engineer complexity out of our milking solutions and build in a robustness which few can match, and we back that up with superb service”. Innovations aside, one of the most important aspects of our product and service offering is that all elements of the Waikato Milking System range are future-proofed. www.waikatomilking .co.nz

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DAIRY NEWS MAY 26, 2015

NZ NATIONAL FIELDAYS // 37

Focus on yield, prosperity HELPING FARMERS raise productivity

and prosperity will be the focus of LIC’s two sites. In addition to its main site the co-op will have another for its newly formed subsidiary business LIC Automation. Chief executive Wayne McNee says both will focus on farm improvement, the LIC Automation site displaying automation and sensor technology systems from Protrack and DAL. The co-op will show everything it has to offer “that can help our farmers improve their prosperity and productivity,” McNee says. “And it will celebrate some of the industry’s success, and how much improvement our share-

holders have achieved. “The rapid growth of the dairy industry for 100 years is a great success story. Farmers have… made the most of new technologies from LIC that help them farm more efficiently. We think Fieldays is a great opportunity to recognise that.” LIC will have knowledgeable staff on both sites, ready to discuss the co-op’s services and solutions, and talk about the challenges they are currently facing. “These conversations give us the insights to understand what our farmers need from us, so we can develop and deliver the right solutions,” McNee says. New gear on display

will include an automated heat detection system for herringbone dairy sheds and a new smartphone app to record and review health treatments, plus

tentative bull teams for the 2015-16 season, online tools to improve herd reproduction and developments in short gestation genetics.

Protrack E2 Heat herringbone system from LIC on a trial farm in Waikato.

The winning wire creation will get $8,000.

$9,600 at stake in wire art contest ENTRIES HAVE closed for the Fieldays No.8 Wire National Art Award. National Fieldays and Waikato Museum are looking to the arts community for No.8 wire innovation, offering a first prize of $8000. Fieldays head of events Lee Picken says the award draws on an iconic farm product and translates this through talent and ingenuity into an art form. “Entries must be 75% No.8 wire which leaves scope for other materials to be combined with wire to create a winning artwork. This award promotes ingenuity and takes everyday practical agricultural products into the art gallery.” Last year Fieldays doubled the first prize money to $8000 and the award was won by Te Awamutu mother and son Nick and Dagmar Elliot with Rustic Hinaki. The contest is longstanding at Fieldays and culminates in a month-long exhibition: the finalists’ work will be on show June 5-29 at ArtsPost Galleries & Shop, Hamilton.

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DAIRY NEWS MAY 26, 2015

NZ NATIONAL FIELDAYS // 39

Milk tech giant to showcase innovation ‘gentle’ teat liners and a lower-temperature CIP detergent are among the things to see on the DeLaval site. Herd Navigator milk analysis, launched 2012 for DeLaval robotic milking customers, gives farmers a “head start on health, reproduction and profitability,” the company says. The system works with DeLaval VMS robotic milkers to promptly identify problems with reproduction, mastitis, ketosis and feed balance. “The system accurately identifies cows in need

then gives information and suggests actions to improve cow reproduction and health, reducing costs, production losses and deterioration of milk quality. DeLaval’s Clover liner (launched in 2013) exerts even pressure on the teat and gives optimal teat massage. Benefits include protecting teats from exposure to high pressure, and less strip yield. “This results in gentler milking, helping reduce rates of subclinical mastitis and

Cell counter, ICC gives on-the-spot somatic cell counts.

of special attention, and gives farmers clear information on what action can be taken. The early and specific alerts enable action – improving reproduction, production efficiency, profitability, animal welfare and food safety.” Herd Navigator works by analysing milk samples during milking for indicators of reproductive disorders, heat, mastitis, ketosis and feed balance problems. The system

hyperkeratosis,” the company says. Lactisan is a natural, non-irritant biodegradable concentrated teat spray formulated from lactic acid that occurs naturally in milk. “It provides a gentler way of protecting a herd from infection, by breaking down the bacteria’s walls to let the lactic acid do its work, achieving total kill in 30 seconds,” says DeLaval. The company’s new

Reduced Temperature Detergent for dairy clean-in-place (CIP) systems can reduce power consumption by up to 25%, helps reduce a farm’s environmental impact and safeguards milk quality. The dispersion technology is said to give the same CIP results at 65 deg C as at water temperature of 85 deg C. The Swinging Brush developed for production animals is now available in a smaller form for, say, calves and goats. It promotes animal welfare, “boosting production, stimulating blood circulation, reducing the risk of skin disease, and keeping animals clean and calm.” The new Cell Counter ICC gives a farmer on-thespot somatic cell counts in milk, wherever he may

PUMPS

Hydrants,Camlocks & Effluent Pipe

The Herd Navigator identifies problems with milking, feed balance and animal health.

Hydrants

A range of high quality hydrants for 90mm OD Effluent Pipe. Manufactured from hot dipped galvanised steel and supplied with high quality Bauer fittings they are built to last. Double brackets are standard.

Camlocks

Full range of camlocks. Heavy duty agricultural grade fittings that have a smooth, reliable cam lever operation. High accuracy on machining tolerances ensure an accurate fit on installation.

Effluent Pipe Suppliers of high density pipes for all rural applications.

be in country or town. The device is used with an iPod Touch and the DeLaval ICC app. And keeping tabs on livestock and buildings is a function of the company’s Farm Monitoring Camera, for real-time monitoring via smartphones,

STIRRERS

tablets or computers. It withstands dirt, humidity and weather extremes and has a motion detecting and recording function, night vision and sound, and is a simple ‘plug and play’ set-up. Tel. 07 849 6020 www.delaval.co.nz

PONTOONS

HYDRANTS

ALL NUMEDIC products carry a 1 year warranty

FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL

0800 686 334

Numedic Ltd, 70 Riri Street, Rotorua, New Zealand P: +64 7 347 9974 F: +64 7 347 9975 E: info@numedic.co.nz W: www.numedic.co.nz

UNI SPRINKLERS

COBRA

MORE PRODUCT

WE KNOW IRRIGATORS. HI0133

MILK ANALYSIS,

Check out the latest news and information at www.dairynews.co.nz

WORLD WIDE SIRES NEW ZEALAND,

invite you to visit us at Mystery Creek Fieldays - Site PC12 - Main Pavilion. Visit our team of friendly faces and take the opportunity to chat with our staff about the strong sire line-up we have to offer you this season.

The Hi-Tech Cobra™ is a revolutionary new product that will change the way farmers irrigate their farms. Easy to move around and set up, this raingun can achieve low application depths and rates and could be perfect for your farm. Call us today to find out more.

COBRA TRAVELLING RAINGUN

For more information contact one of our local dealers, call 0800 889 7755 or visit hitechenviro.co.nz

DAIRY EFFLUENT PRODUCT SPECIALISTS

Have a look at our website for up to date information on the bulls we are marketing plus several more that are not listed in our current catalogue.

There will be a hot cup of coffee waiting for you. Fill in the entry form on site to enter our draw for $250 of free product. WORLD WIDE SIRES – New Zealand | www.wwsiresnz.co.nz | Email wwsiresnz@clear.net.nz | Free Phone 0800 60 70 70

DAIRY NEWS MAY 26, 2015

40 // NZ NATIONAL FIELDAYS

Top gear from noted Euro maker KUHN FARM Machin-

ery New Zealand will showcase a number of new machines from this renowned manufacturer. The Performer trailed cultivator is a multi-purpose unit that can work in stubble or previously cultivated ground. Based on a central spine frame of 300 x 300mm, the cultivator comprises four elements which allow individual configuration of each to suit the job in hand. Two rows of 510mm discs cut all residue across the full width of the frame, and are followed by four rows of tines with a

280mm spacing and a nonstop coil spring protection rated to 800kg for mixing or deeper loosening. The third element comprises a set of smaller diameter levelling discs for a tidy finish, and the rear element a 700mm diameter, ‘V’ profile roller with a weight of 225kg/m for final consolidation and moisture retention By adjusting or removing individual sections, the cultivator can be used for trash incorporation and mixing with all units in place, deep loosening with the front disc set lifted, or fast stubble cultiva-

tion for ‘chitting’ with just the discs lowered. Discs can be operated as shallow as 7cm, and tines have a range of 5-35cm. With operating widths of 4-5m, power requirement is from 60hp/m, with a maximum permitted of 500hp. The FC 3160 trailer mower conditioner (cutting width 3.1m) has the maker’s Optidisc cutterbar suspended under the main frame, following ground conditions closely to minimise damage to crop and ground. Each cutting disc has two quickly attached blades, and a protection

system called Protectadrive which shears the main drive to the disc around a preformed stress groove. Cutting height is adjustable up to 90mm with optional skids. This ensures minimal damage if any obstructions are hit at speed and 15 minute repair times. Following up the cutting unit is a rotor conditioner with the choice of swinging steel flails or crimping rollers for more delicate crops. Both systems are protected by shear-bolt to the main rotor. Completing the package is the Gyrodine

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it a

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power hitch headstock at the front which allows turns over 90 degrees without damaging the drive line, and oversize tyres at the rear which help carry the machine and protect the ground in all conditions. The GA 9531 is a twin rotor central delivery swather with a raking width of 8.40-9.3m. Suspended off a central spine, each rotor has 15 arms with four tines per arm, to ensure clean raking

per with a heavy-duty low chassis that enables it to handle silage bales to a 1200kg capacity. Bales are lifted onto the four belt wrapping table, while a second bale can be carried by the lifting arm as the unit is travelling for the next bale. Film is applied by a pair of reels that prestretch and apply film with a 66% overlap, so reducing wrapping times by 50%. In-cab controls allow auto or manual operation. www.kuhn.co.nz

FC 3160 trailer mower conditioner.

pays to have wrangler

HOOPER

at See us 1 Site M6

in all conditions. One of the main features of the swather is its rotor drive gearboxes with a two-stage reduction drive to ensure trouble free, extended life. Each rotor is carried on a six-wheel undercarriage to ensure good ground following and clean raking, and has hydraulically adjustable swath width to produce a neat row for different types of harvest unit. The RW 1610 E-Twin is a trailed table wrap-

Live Post keeps trickiest critters at bay TARAGATE’S NEW Live Post, launched this

Kinghitter TT

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20,990

RRP $25,540 + GST

Hooper 2500 3m Offset Disc • 114kg per blade • Taper roller bearings • Hydraulic cut/drawbar • Full contractors spec

39,900 + GST

season, uses an electrified pigtail to control “even the trickiest animals,” the company says. “The Live Post has several new and different features which add up to it being safer and easier to use. “With the larger lower section not live, there is much less chance of getting a shock and the post will not short out on long grass or crops.” The lightweight but strong spring steel shaft has the added advantage of a heavy duty 9mm foot that will not break. There is also an option for a second wire for use with smaller animals, giving added security. www.taragate .co.nz

RRP $45,350 + GST

Strongest frame design available in NZ 250mm x 150mm x 9mm

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LATEST STORIES EVERY DAY www.dairynews.co.nz

DAIRY NEWS MAY 26, 2015

NZ NATIONAL FIELDAYS // 41

V-shape offsets to x-shape tandems ready for debut NEW PRODUCT and new models across Origin Agroup’s range will be of special interest to Fieldays visitors. A new name in disc harrows and chisel plows has arrived here with the release of Gascon International. Products include disc harrows with V-shape offsets to X-shape tandems in working widths from 3.0m fixed frame up to 6.0m hydraulic folding versions. Pottinger Novacat rear mounted disc mowers from 2.62m up to 4.3m cutting widths will be on display. New features will include hydro-pneumatic suspension and an optional hydraulic ram fitted to the left hand lower link for easy attach-

ment and removal from the tractor. The new X8-ED double rear mower-conditioner with new ‘vortex’ conditioners will interest operators looking for high capacity, along with Pottinger’s popular Alpha Motion front mounted mowers. New twin rotor rakes from 6.9m to 7.6m working widths will be released along with a 1252C four rotor swather rake. A new range of mounted and fully trailing tedders from 7.81m to 13.2m working widths have a unique headland lifting system, and newly designed tine arms which produce an even spread pattern to maximise productivity and increase

forage quality. Also on display will be Pottinger loader wagons with automatic knife sharpening said to save up to 5L fuel per hour. Alpego power harrows are available in working widths from 2.5 up to 7.0m with 400hp rated transmissions. And this maker’s Roto-Pick one pass rotary cultivator, with automatic leveling board, leaves a smooth no-ridge seedbed. This machine is reckoned ideal for one pass cultivation direct into existing pasture or after crops, to save time and cost. A new Cambridge ring design (Plus Ring) has extra weight added to the roller for improved soil consolidation. Its castings are stronger to improve

Gascon International’s chisel plow will debut at the Fieldays.

reliability and service life. A three year warranty underscores this improvement. Rollers from 5.3m up to 8.3m widths, with hydraulic folding frames down to 2.5m transport width, are available. Two Hatzenbichler model seeders will be on display with from 8 to 16 outlets to suit 2.5m to

12m working widths, and suitable for fitting to any power harrow, cultivator or roller. They offer a versatile and cost effective way to quickly sow forage crops, turnips and grass. Hatzenbichler seeders use a positive cog belt and pulley seed drive system, and come in manual or electric variable drive options. They seed as low

as 1.0kg/ha at speeds of 2km/h. Bogballe GPS controlled twin disc fertiliser spreaders suit dairy, cropping and drystock farming; Bogballe’s noted 4x overlap accuracy is renowned. Bogballe uses environment-friendly border spreading controls that are simple to calibrate and adjust with optional

variable rate controllers with or without weigh scales. Manip tractor front loaders will be on site, showing new designs and features. Models and sizes are available to suit all tractor makes and models. Tel. 07 823 7582 www.originagroup.co.nz @dairy_news facebook.com/dairynews

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DAIRY NEWS MAY 26, 2015

42 // NZ NATIONAL FIELDAYS

App puts visitors in navigator’s seat AN APP downloadable free to Android and iOS devices will put Fieldays navigation and news at visitors’ fingertips. The app, using iBeacon technology, comes in English, Chinese, French, German, and Spanish. Marketing manager Rebecca Wylie says it is a “huge advance that will enhance visitors’ experience, putting their fingers on the pulse”. “They can create their own schedule for visiting favourite suppliers or viewing favourite events, receive notifications via the iBeacons on site, pin to the map where their car is parked, find their friends and check the weather. “The news section lets users choose to receive the latest Fieldays news direct to their phone, and there’s a social media function. With this, visitors, exhibitors and media have access to Fieldays Instagram, Twitter and Facebook feeds, tap into the ‘FieldaysNZ’ hashtag and capture

and share their own moments with the Fieldays camera. “We’re proud to be able to roll out something so user-friendly and innovative out to our customers.” Fieldays App features Point of interest: find the closest food vendors, first aid, and other essentials. View event information such as gate opening times, and ticket prices. Proximity-based messaging: relevant to the location of users, the app delivers content, offers and information that visitors want. Fieldays map: allows users to see

their location relative to points of interest represented by pins. Keep track of where their car is by dropping a pin on their map in the app. Friend-finder: users can share their location with Facebook friends who have the app on their phone. Fieldays schedule: lets users see what’s happening – seminars, demonstrations, Rural Bachelor heats, etc. Users can create an itinerary for their time at Fieldays. Fieldays exhibitors’s tag: users can view all 900 exhibits and get a rundown of what each offers and where to find them.

THE FUTURE IS PLASTIC. DairyFlo soft plastic long tail bends and tubing save you time, money and bother because they last more than twice as long as rubber.

A lobe pump from Corkill Systems will be on display.

Pump saves power costs, lifts yield INNOVATIONS BY Corkill Systems,

Opunake, have saved millions of dollars in electricity costs for dairy farmers who use their products, the company says. Also, the firm’s lobe pumps reduce cooling costs and give “spectacular” increases in yields by reducing damage to milk solids, says principal Steve Corkill. He says EECA trials have shown that his company’s Vari-Vac has yielded average electricity savings of 52% by 20 farmers in different locations. One is said to have achieved 73% savings. Corkill System’s electronic variable speed milk pump controller has separate milking and washing programs, and fits all milk pumps, receiving cans and plant types. It reduces damage to milk while only pumping when milk flow is at a certain level. The firm’s range of vacuum pumps (pump, electric motor, interceptor and oiling mechanism) comes in capacities

to suit any herd size. Its CSL positive displacement (lobe) pumps are installed by dairy farmers and dairy companies, Steve Corkill says. Lobe pumps cause only “minimal” damage to milk compared with other types of milk pumps and contribute to greater milk yield. “We make four sizes – 120, 240, 400 and 600L/min. The 600L/min unit can handle up to 80 sets of cups.” The pump’s built-in pressure control program protects plate coolers. “Because of the minimal damage to the milk we are about to install a larger lobe pump at an organic milk transfer station where the milk, because of its nature, has to be handled delicately.” Corkill says they have installed larger lobe pumps/controllers in several dairy plants where very large volumes have to be shifted. Factory staff report “spectacular” reduction in milk solid damage. Tel. 0800 10 7006

IF ANYONE CAN MAKE IT RAIN, RAINER CAN See us at

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Call by and see us at the Gallagher Innovation Tent at the National Field Days. Contact us now: 0800 55 33 77 I www.dairyflo.co.nz

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DAIRY NEWS MAY 26, 2015

NZ NATIONAL FIELDAYS // 43 The Vario transmission ensures the drive train operates at utmost efficiency.

SEE US

SITE D3

2 JACKETS SWAZI

VALUED AT UP TO $400

CVT transmission drives optimum economy A TARANAKI

contractor is discovering the economic benefits of Fendt’s Vario CVT transmission, reports AGCO. Wayne Prout, an Inglewood independent owner/ driver subcontracting to Ken G Moratti Contracting, does a lot of mowing and tows balers, ploughs, rakes and tedders when required. Prout, a long-time Massey Ferguson owner, had been running a MF 7480 with Fendt Vario CVT transmission. Then last July he bought his first Fendt tractor, a 716, from Field Torque Taranaki, Stratford, and is “thrilled with the decision,” AGCO says. The Vario transmission ensures the drive train operates at utmost

efficiency. It works in combination with the tractor management system (TMS) so the Fendt 716 is always working at its economic optimum. TMS ensures the tractor drives at lower engine speeds on flat terrain. On slopes, the load increases, so TMS increases the engine speed. This means the tractor works at reduced engine speed as often as possible – and that means better efficiency Prout says he drives the Fendt 716 with the Vario transmission in ‘pedal mode’, meaning he generally only has to drive it on the accelerator. “You don’t touch the brake pedal at all. It has its own automatic braking system. It holds well on the hills without having

to chop and change gears like the old tractors, and it cruises comfortably. “Stability on the hills is exceptional and it handles the mower very comfortably. Once you get into the computer system and get it set up, it’s probably the simplest tractor ever to operate.” At 165hp, the tractor has more than enough power needed for mowing, and will undertake heavy haulage in the summer, carting silage. Another major bonus cited by Prout is the extra headroom in the Fendt 716 cab, which has added much to his operator comfort. He says the quality is superior and “it will hopefully see me through until I retire”. www.agco.com.au

To qualify purchase any Numedic product to the value of $2,500 or over. Purchase must be made between 1 June & 30 June 2015. Effluent Pumps, Stirrers, Pontoons & Hydrants | EVENSPREAD Travelling Irrigators Power Drenching & Teat Spray Systems P: 0800 686 334 | F: 07 347 9975 | E: info@numedic.co.nz | W: www.numedic.co.nz

When you’re serious about

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DAIRY NEWS MAY 26, 2015

44 // NZ NATIONAL FIELDAYS

More buzz in electric fencing GALLAGHER WILL unveil its most

powerful-ever energiser, a robust “supremely portable” strip grazing unit and a clever little dual purpose insulated handle. The M10,000i Energizer packs a whopping 100 joules of stored energy to provide plenty of power over longer distances, says national sales manager Peter Nation. “Combining sheer brute force with incredible intelligence, the unit delivers advanced monitoring capabilities to give farmers peace of mind their animals are where they should be. “A controller unit monitors performance and highlight any faults in the fencing system, and can be positioned up to 50m from the main Energizer in

The M10,000i Energizer packs a whopping 100 joules of stored energy.

a conveniently accessed and highly visible location.” Optional accessories include a remote controller that enables the farmer to quickly locate faults within a monitored zone, turn the Energizer on or off remotely, and test a fence once a repair is completed. Also new to the Gallagher fencing range is the S10 Solar Energizer. Perfect for strip grazing, this robust and highly portable unit makes a great alternative to battery-powered systems, says Nation. “We’ve put it through its paces in testing. The super tough casing is drop resistant and waterproof. And it’s effective even for areas of lower sunshine as it will continue to operate for up to three weeks without sun.” The company has also extended their range of ring top posts by adding a new 728mm version that’s ideal for farmers who prefer a slightly lower fence height. Made from heavy duty glass-fibre nylon, the head eliminates the risk of shorting and makes it easier to handle and erect standards. Also on the site will be two portable fencing handles – insulated and dual

The S10 Solar Energizer is a great alternative to battery-powered systems.

purpose. The connection hook of both these products has a ring top design to ensure the handle will not bounce off the fence wire. These handles can be attached to poly wire or poly tape using

a simple loop. A streamlined design makes it easy to wind the handle in through pasture, and a large moulded hand grip avoids the risk of shock to the user. The dual

purpose handle has extra connection points, allowing farmers to safely liven the fence from either the reel or handle end. www.gallagher.co.nz

Reduce teat spray usage!

Cut your labour costs

Two nozzles deliver highly accurate bursts of teat spray.

‘Six years in the making’, Onfarm Solutions brings you the new Teatwand Exact.

Clever use of optics and twin nozzles along with the original Teatwand concept allows the perfect teat spray coverage with the minimum usage.

Don’t take a salesmans word for it, go and compare all the available systems before purchasing one of the most important systems you will install in your dairy shed!

Automate your farming operation

The Onfarm Datachain System puts control and information at your ﬁngertips.

The concept behind the Onfarm Datachain System is to automate tasks on your farm and provide control from your smartphone or PC. FInd out more at www.onfarmsolutions.com

0800 888 212 info@onfarmsolutions.com

The system removes the guesswork and much of the manual labour, making your operation more sustainable and cost effective.

DAIRY NEWS MAY 26, 2015

NZ NATIONAL FIELDAYS // 45

Shore-mounted pump set to stir interest TWO NEW develop-

ments in effluent handling will show on the Reid & Harrison site. A self-priming version of the company’s Yardmaster multi-stage pump is specifically designed for fixed installation, where high efficiency is also required. Self-priming reduces the need for manual intervention on start-up. Chief executive Keith Cooke says customers have asked for a viable alternative to the floating frame systems. “With the existing shore-mounted stirrer, we now combine the

Yardmaster self-priming pump to bring safe accessibility to the storage system. With the Yardmaster established record of reliability and low service costs we have a product designed and made by New Zealanders for our conditions.” Also new to the event is a redevelopment of the Yardmaster screw press separator. The latest version has a strengthened design for the body, frame and screen, and improved service access. Cooke says the screw press’s newly worked design is entirely for the benefit of the end user,

and keeps in with the Yardmaster brand promise of reliability and hard working.” Reid & Harrison will use the Fieldays to show two complete solutions for effluent management in shore mounted and

floating frame situations. “Seeing the products in context of a complete system is important to understanding how the products integrate,” Cooke says. www.yardmasterpumps.com

Yardmaster’s new multistage pump.

Robotic milking with Herd Navigator, the world agrees it’s a game changer. See why at National Fieldays

Nozzle for changing spray regimes

www.croplands.com.au

World leading innovation, it’s the Plus+ you’ve been looking for. DeLaval’s innovative robotic milking technology (VMS) and the new multi award-winning Herd Navigator™ combine to form the world’s most powerful milking system. These products and a range of new innovations will be on display at DeLaval’s National Fieldays® site. Step inside to see the future of productivity and profitability for your dairy operation.

Experience the DeLaval robotic milking system in action. Email nzfieldays2015@delaval.com to book an on-farm tour. TRACTA54370-DN-HN

CROPLANDS’ LAUNCH of its TurboDrop variable rate (VR) spray nozzle makes available a unit with greater flexibility of application rates than those of traditional air inclusion (AI) units. This makes the nozzles especially suitable for users who frequently need to change rates for different spray regimes. Available in four sizes (o15/02/02/fert) and with flow ranges of 0.68-5.8L/min, each nozzle has the potential to replace up to four different conventional items. As an example the 03 VR item has a volume range of 150-400L/ha at 10 km/h, compared to the 03 AI unit which can only apply 150-200L/ha at the same speed. Croplands cites the obvious benefit to a user who might spray at a forward sped of 6km/h on rugged land, then move to flat paddocks later in the day and achieve 16km/h. Alternatively, the same operator might spray at 100L/ha for a tidy-up, 200L/ha for a fertiliser application or 300L/ha for post emergence. All rates are achievable with a suitable rate controller. Retro-fit units are available for all older machines.

Visit a world of innovation at site D6-D8.

DAIRY NEWS MAY 26, 2015

46 // NZ NATIONAL FIELDAYS

Milking, handling effluent in new barn

Milfos rotary display will show the iCORE technology featured in this dairy, including iPUD display units with heads-down display.

INNOVATION IN dairy technology from the GEA equipment range will include WestfaliaSurge and Milfos milking equipment, Houle effluent handling equipment and Norbco barn systems.

GEA is working with Calder Stewart Rural Buildings to build Norbco barns and its Fieldays site will have a partial section of a Norbco barn. GEA capital equipment North Island sales

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manager Adam Franklin says the barn structure is aimed at giving site visitors a sense of scale and dimension, incorporating bails and a Houle scraper system. “With interest increasing in barn housing systems, we want to give farmers a better sense of the barn ‘experience’ and what sort of dimensions cows enjoy, and the type of equipment that integrates into a barn environment specifically designed for cow comfort.” The company is also exhibiting its Houle slope screen separator, with a screen shape and design that has no moving parts, keeping maintenance simple and minimal. GEA’s high compression XScrew press will be displayed for the first time, intended for dairy effluent output with higher than average solids content. The company’s dairy hygiene division FIL will present its ‘Quality Milk’ programme – a simple,

two step formula where a clean dairy + healthy cows = quality milk. The programme links FIL’s new dairy detergents with udder health treatments including Teatshield and Iodoshield teat sprays. A display of Milfos iCORE milking technology will show how the system can be upgraded and future-proofed for matching to the level of data capture that best suits a farmer, “safe in the knowledge that if they wish to move up another level they do not have to install a completely new system to do so”. Although the MIOne robotic milker may not physically be on site, a video feed from a farm installation will show the level of innovative technology in the MIOne system. The latest robotic arm will also be on display, showing how simply it operates and its focus on udder health. www.gea-farmtechnologies.com

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McCormick range boasts CVT

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MCCORMICK HAS begun using continuously vari-

0800 665 277 37 or 03 326 6089

able transmission (CVT) in its X7 tractors, says New Zealand distributor Ag-Tek. The VT Drive models have a ZF Ecomm transmission unit with four stepless ranges. Speed range is adjustable from 85m to 50km/h, with control by McCormick software and using an interface called Data Screen Manager, with a 12 inch touch screen. The CVT is available in five models, from 143 to 192hp, powered by either 4 or 6-cyl Tier 4 Betapower engines with Ad-Blue emission control. The introduction coincides with upgrades to the rear end of the tractors, which now have lift capacity of 9300kg and closed centre hydraulic systems of 123L/min. www.agtek.co.nz

DAIRY NEWS MAY 26, 2015

NZ NATIONAL FIELDAYS // 47

Cargos 8000 a Claas of its own OFFERINGS FROM

some of Europe’s leading farm machinery manufacturers, including Claas, Amazone, JCB and Fliegl, will be on display at the Claas Harvest Centre display. General manager retail, Roger Nehoff, says the introduction of the Axion 800 Cmatic series means the German manufacturer now offers CVT technology on 15 models from 145hp to 410hp. “The new Axion 900, Axion 800 and Arion 600/500 series have been well received by local producers and the availability of the optional Cmatic transmission will increase their popularity,” Nehoff says. “With four-point cab suspension, smart onboard technology and a range of options that allow customers to configure their tractor exactly as they want it, these are comfortable and versatile machines.” Making its NZ debut is the Claas Cargos 8000 series of ‘compact’ dualpurpose forage loader/ transport wagons. “With a loading volume of 30-41 cubic meters, these three new models have about 20% less capacity than the 9000 series and are just the right size for local conditions,” Nehoff says. “Importantly, all three models can be converted from a high performance loader wagon to a forage transport wagon in 15

minutes. Removing the loader unit allows the wagon to be used for transporting other materials throughout the year, and it increases the wagon’s capacity by three tonnes.” The new Claas Disco mowers and mowerconditioners come in 28 new models with operating widths from 2.6 to 9.1m. These include the Disco 9200 front-andrear mower-conditioner combination, which won a Machine of the Year award at the SIMA agricultural expo in Paris. All models have the new Max Cut cutter-bar, whose one-piece, waveshaped bar support allows the cutting disc modules to be set much further forward than before. In combination with the specially formed wear inserts, this creates an enlarged cutting area and ensures optimal cutting quality, efficiency and durability under all conditions. New at Fieldays will be the Fliegl ADS120 push-off spreader wagon, which enables fast and efficient spreading of manure. It holds 14 cubic metres (12 tonnes), and has a low centre of gravity for optimum stability. Features include a hydraulically adjustable drawbar and an optional tailgate which enables it to be used as a push-off trailer. The site will also display the latest spreading technology

from Amazone, “ZA-TS mounted and super capacity ZG-TS trailed models that set industry benchmarks for precision, efficiency and operational ease,” Nehoff says. The latest models have integrated weighcell and tilt sensor technology, electronically controlled hydraulics, GPS automated partwidth section control and headland systems and easy-to-use ISOBUScompatible terminals. “They’re easy to operate – you simply enter the desired spreading rate and drive off,” Nehoff says. “The two weighing cells detect any deviation between the desired application rate and the amount being discharged. Also, the on-board tilt sensor measures any deviation in the centre of gravity, front to back and left to right. The processor then automatically adjusts the electric metering shutter slides to ensure an even spreading pattern.”

Claas Cargos 8000 series will debut at the Fieldays.

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DAIRY NEWS MAY 26, 2015

48 // NZ NATIONAL FIELDAYS

Cobra gets more bite IMPROVEMENTS BY

Hi-Tech Enviro Solutions to its Cobra travelling rain gun make this irrigator even more of a standout in its field, says the company’s general manager, Brian Nicholson. “Since its launch in 2013 we have sold many hundreds of Cobras, which

have performed exceptionally well.” Notably, its design allows application depths as low as 1mm, and application rates down to 4.2mm/hour, “which avert ponding and grizzling by local authorities,” the company says. The Cobra also enables

farmers to spread over large areas, with full or partial circles and a setting that allows spreading to one side to accommodate sidling land. Now come “a number of enhancements at the 2015 Fieldays to make the Cobra an even better performer,” says Nicholson.

These improvements include a new shear bolt safety mechanism that will allow more weight to be towed. If the Cobra encounters any obstructions or excessive load, the system will activate

and protect the unit, and quickly and easily get the machine working again. Also, a wheel assembly replaces the skid at the front, reducing rolling

Cobra travelling rain gun.

resistance and making the unit easier to tow and roll on undulating ground. The wire winding system now spreads the wire evenly across the drum’s full width, with no kinks or snags. And redesign of the main cover hinges allows better access for maintenance Hi-Tech will also exhibit a shore-mounted effluent stirrer/agitator with a horizontal impellor for effective mixing and

low running noise. Features include a modular main body that will allow the differing lengths to be supplied to suit all sizes and depths of ponds, and also reduce initial transport costs. A new headstock assembly has a self-contained hydraulic system to allow easy raise/lower and lateral movement of the agitator. www.hitechenviro.co.nz

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FENCING SYSTEMS manufacturer Strainrite has used clever design and modern manufacturing technology to refine an old concept, and introduce the Tangle Free electric fence standard. The standard has a specially moulded pigtail loop insulator with no internal wire, thereby eliminating the risk of electrical shorts that ocurr when insulators wear through. Made from UV stabilised, wear resistant polymer to withstand harsh New Zealand conditions, the standard’s poly-wire/tape makes them easy to install and reduces the risk of wire/tape ‘falling out’ a fence line is being moved. The moulded profile of the loop has no sharp edges, so minimises any chafing, and the narrow tape opening prevents the annoyance of heads ‘interlocking’ – common with standard designs, the company says. Available in 6mm light, 6mm long and 7mm heavyduty sizes, all the standards have galvanised spring steel shafts and a galvanised pressed steel foot, said to be stronger than mild steel or plastic. Strainrite general manager Brian Collins says “the concept of a loop top pigtail has been around for many years. We’ve listened to users around the country to come up with this new design and we see the Tangle Free offering giving more choice to farmers.” www.robeng.co.nz

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DAIRY NEWS MAY 26, 2015

50 // NZ NATIONAL FIELDAYS

Be more than just average statistics HAMISH MCMILLAN

AVERAGES ARE a Herd Homes structures follow neither a traditional Kiwi grazing method or a traditional European housing method.

great mathematical tool and brilliant for hiding poorer performing results because they get dragged

up by higher results. Unfortunately the reverse also happens: the top performing results get dragged down into the general population. This is fine when we are only interested in trends

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10-13 JUNE 2015, MYSTERY CREEK

best of both worlds by providing shelter to cows when necessary to protect the cows or pasture or both. This allows the farmer to focus on efficiently growing and harvesting the highest tonnes of DM/ ha possible. In a number of cases this is a mix of crop and pasture with pasture harvest yields higher due to a focus on limiting damage and maintaining the grass in an active growing stage. This is achieved by the cows themselves: giving them access to shelter during poor weather means they will leave the paddock themselves, saving the paddock from greater damage. Having flexibility of feed options also means farmers can match demand far more evenly, and the cows use the feed more efficiently when out of the wet, cold or heat in some areas of the country. Effluent capture is simple on these properties and is then treated as a valuable fertiliser resource, returned to the paddocks to maximise use of the nutrients and minimise environmental runoff. In a number of cases this reduces the need for any external phosphate or potash. When wrapped together it can be a very efficient growing platform, recycling resources via feed efficient cows which allows strong profitability from a long term sustainable system. Or of course you can be average. • Hamish McMillan is the chief executive of Herd Homes.

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in the status quo, but the dairy industry today needs change. The dairy industry faces a number of challenges – environmental, welfare and profitability to name a few. But change is not driven by averages; it is driven by the statistical outliers – those farmers trying something different in all or part of their farming systems. Trying to predict the future is not a perfect science but it is reasonable to expect that environmental standards will be tighter, and in particular N leaching limits will need to be lower, animal welfare standards will be increasingly monitored by the public and profitability needs to be maintained in the face of highly variable payout. Production increases of 40% in the last two years (to 2200kg MS/ ha), N leaching levels dropping 25%, grass harvest over 18t/ha, stocking rates of seven cows/ha with no pasture damage, costs under $3.00/kgMS, high yield crops produced solely on effluent, simple high input systems – these are statistical outliers hidden by the industry use of averages. These statistical outliers are all being achieved on a number of farms with HerdHomes shelters and, as I’m sure, they are being achieved under different farm systems also. These HerdHomes farms are following neither a traditional NZ grazing method nor a traditional European fully housed system; they are developing a hybrid system which utilises the

twitter.com/Dairy_News www.dairynews.co.nz

DAIRY NEWS MAY 26, 2015

NZ NATIONAL FIELDAYS // 51

Innovation at its best DAIRY AUTOMATION

and refrigeration systems will be prominent on the Tru-Test site, as will livestock electronic ID and weighing equipment, says Verne Atmore, New Zealand sales and marketing manager. The dairy gear will include the recently released VatManager allin-one vat controller and monitor. Tru-Test Group, after 50 years of farming innovation and manufacture, “has

innovation deeply embedded in its philosophy, and strives to seek out and encourage creative thinking, drive innovation internally and commercialise great ideas from farmers,” Atmore says. “The company looks constantly at better ways to help farmers optimise their assets. Grassroots innovation has been [our foundation] since Waikato dairy farmer John Hartstone came up with his idea in 1963 on

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how to sample milk.” Atmore suggests farmers “come and talk to us about what can make a difference to productivity onfarm. We can help with NAIT requirements and managing data integration. “We can clarify what’s happening with MPI’s new cooling regulations

for raw milk and how to invest wisely in dairy refrigeration to minimise the risk of having milk rejected. “And we can show you options for identifying best producers, managing mating, drying off and culling to get the best out of a dairy herd, and growing out young stock well to optimise genetic

input. The advice is free and can save money.” The company is again sponsoring the Grassroots Innovation Award, an award seen as a ‘launch pad’ for many Kiwi inventions and ideas. www.trutest.co.nz @dairy_news facebook.com/dairynews

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DAIRY NEWS MAY 26, 2015

52 // MANAGEMENT

Candys hit the sweet spot w The night-time silence of cows quietly chewing their cud is broken by the distinctive call of kiwi. In the past four years, Okaihau dairy farmers Alister and Lyn Candy have much improved the production of their herd and the habitat of kiwi on their property. Peter Burke went to learn what they have done.

FOR THE past four years the Okaihau property of Alister and Lyn Candy and their daughter Christine has been Northland’s DairyNZ focus farm. They have benefitted from the advice of a special advisory board, DairyNZ and AgFirst farm consultant Gareth Baynham. Neither Lyn nor Alister was born locally. Alister hails from Levin and Lyn from Hamilton. Alister’s family arrived at Okaihau in the early 1960’s when his father was helping his brother to break in the land. It was tough work, in the days when marginal land loans were available to help clear scrub on land with production potential. Alister returned to the farm when his uncle wanted to move away, and began working with his father. There were various family partnerships until Alister and Lyn bought a one-third share and

took over the property in 1990. They had a rotary shed built and in the early days milked about 200 cows. The cow numbers increased as Alister cleared ti-tree and fern. Today they run 320 Jersey cows on the 103ha, stocking animals at 3.1/ha. Last year they produced 112,000kgMS. As well as the 103ha milking platform, the Candys have an 85ha run-off at the back of the property where they raise beef. A further 171ha of bush is covenanted by the QEII Trust. For years there was talk in the district about having a DairyNZ Focus Farm because there hadn’t been one for many years. Gareth Baynham was one of the drivers behind this and the setting up of the Candys farm for this purpose. He says when the idea of having a focus farm was first mooted at a local discussion group, there

Alister and Lyn Candy (right) with daughter Christine on the farm.

was widespread support for this to be Alister and Lyn’s property. He says they had an interesting farm and the personality to go with the task. Four years ago it happened. “It was a bit different in the case of Alister and Lyn, Baynham says. Five other top farmers drove the whole project and provided the support to Alister and Lyn in the first year, giving them a lot of advice. As the project progressed their role diminished and Alister and Lyn took advice or made their own decisions, the farmers and advisors saying “well done,” he says. Before they became focus farmers, Alister and Lyn were just farming. Their previous three year average milk solids production was 73,000kgMS and the goal was 100,000kgMS. This was achieved last year at 112,000kgMS. The focus farm concept breathed

manage our grass and new life into their window. We also got good about condition scoring operation, says Lyn. advice on how to better to get better reproduction rear young stock. We’d “It changed the way we managed never used our farm. We’d The Candys have had PKE before never done and just used help from consultants, but budgeting hay, balage or they, like other farmers, before. In the occasionally say consultants and other early days if some crops.” farmers from within the local With a we wanted something focus on area are the best advisors. we just went condition from our cows and have out and bought it. We scoring, Alister now a much narrower calving learned about how to dries off his cows earlier depending on their condition. On the day Dairy News visited the farm Baynham was doing the rounds of the cows and checking their condition scores. Like most Northland farms, climate and soil play a big role in the way OUT WITH the farm is managed. The Candys have had help THE OLD from consultants, but they, like other farmers, say consultants and other Replacement of the traditional (and old technology) farmers from within the local area are the best Thermostatic Expansion Valves (TEV’s) with Carel Electronic advisors. Alister says they Expansion Valves (EEV’s) provides outstanding superheat have two soil types on the control of your refrigeration plant. This in turn maximises the property – wharekohe, cooling in the milk vat. By also installing Carel FCP an old clayey soil, and Condenser Fan Speed Controls you can further maximise Okaihau loam. the plant potential. “Wharekohoe is very wet and it has a silicon ✓ Time to cool milk significantly reduced pan underneath it so the ✓ Improve milk quality due to quicker cool down water doesn’t get away, ✓ Reduce power costs so it’s not free draining. When it’s wet you have ✓ Suitable for existing or new installations Ask your Refrigeration Technician or contact to watch the cows all ✓ Pay-back in first year depending on vat design Eurotec for more information. the time when they are and refrigeration plant condition Phone us on 0800 111 990 on the wharekohoe and be prepared to take them off at the slightest hint of trouble because of the risk of pugging. Wellington: Tel. 04-499 3591 | Christchurch: 03-366 0017 When it’s wet you can’t Email: sales@eurotec.co.nz | Web: www.eurotec.co.nz take tractors on the

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wharekohoe.” Instead Alister puts PKE in trailers and brings stock from the wharekohoe to these. This type of soil also requires a different approach to fertiliser application. It requires little and often because the wharekohoe doesn’t retain nutrients for any length of the time. This is the complete opposite to the freerdraining okaihau loam soil which is also not as prone to pugging. The Candys have a travelling irrigator which enables them to irrigate about 28ha of the Okaihau loam. They have an ongoing policy of re-grassing, and chicory and other species of grass have been tried and have helped, but kikuyu (imported from Rhodesia in the 1920’s) remains a dominant species on some properties in the region. For grass species like chicory, lack of rain is the main problem and it tends not to persist. For Alister the big change has been the advice on getting cow condition right and focusing on the needs of young stock. “One day a guy came here, threw up his hands in horror and said we’d never get the cows in calf so we put them on OAD and got most of them in calf with only a 6-10% empty rate. Setting those condition score targets and having a big focus

DAIRY NEWS MAY 26, 2015

MANAGEMENT // 53

with focus farm on that right through the year has helped with reproduction. So the six week in calf rate has gone from 42% before we became a focus farm to 71% last year and 78% is the target.” The other big change that has arisen out of the focus farm programme has been a move to a ‘techno’ type system – something which seems to be catching on in Northland. The Candys now have 60 paddocks instead of the original 15 on their support block. Water has been reticulated to all these

‘cells’ and Alister says it is a great time saver and has helped in raising production levels on the property. They have also taken the opportunity to fence off creeks. For Alister and Lyn, having a lot of advice and scrutiny of their operation has been hugely beneficial. The numbers tell part of the story. Their expenses have dropped from $5.06/kgMS to $3.70/kgMS while at the same time their surplus has risen from $0.94/ kgMS to $2.30/kgMS. Now highly motivated, they are looking to achieve

new goals; any thought of retirement is on the backburner. This week their time as a focus farm will end. The last field day will be on May 26. Not only have the Candys learned a lot about themselves and their operation,

AgFirst farm consultant, Gareth Baynham.

they watch with interest as neighbours and colleagues quietly take up some of the ideas that have arisen from the focus farm field days. In every sense of the word it’s been a success. @dairy_news facebook.com/dairynews

Alister Candy with a Belgian Blue calf.

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OUT THE back of the farm is the Candys’ runoff block where the young stock are grazed. There they also run about 40 beef breeding cows behind the heifers, and keep some low producing cows which they mate to a Hereford or a Belgian Blue bull. The most famous advocate of the Belgian Blue is the well known Northland farmerpolitician, and now NZ High Commissioner to London, Sir Lockwood Smith. “When you mate a Jersey cow with a Belgian Blue bull, the resulting calf is a much better looking beef calf and sells better in the yards. We used to use Herefords but they come out too brindle and they didn’t sell anywhere near as well as the calves from the Belgian Blues,” says Lyn Candy. The run-off block is used to winter the fatter cows while the thin ones are kept up on the main block where they can closely monitor them. Next to the run-off block is the 171ha of bush covenanted by the QEII Trust. It’s a conservation measure that has benefits for the environment in preserving the bush which is a habitat for kiwis. The QEII status also saves the Candys a rates bill. “There we have a community pest control area and we are trapping mustelids, possums and rats. The result is we have seen an increase in bird life – tuis, tom tits, wood pigeons and of course kiwis. They have always been in this area and with the enhanced habitat their numbers have increased,” says Alister. The way the Candys have configured their farm is a model for others to follow. It shows that production can be substantially increased, but at the same time, the environment can be enhanced.

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DAIRY NEWS MAY 26, 2015

54 // MANAGEMENT

Getting the most from supplements EVERY TIME the milksolids payout

drops, the industry starts talking about reducing production costs. Supplementary feed is often the first target since feed and feed related expenses, such as stock grazing, are big ticket items for most farms. Reducing the production cost per kilogram of milksolids will only be viable if production levels can be maintained at an economic level. Slashing feed inputs is risky because milk output is driven by energy input. In my opinion the focus should be on making changes which enhance productivity rather than just decrease cost. Farmers can improve the returns they get from their supplementary feed spend by: Maximising pasture harvested. While pasture is not necessarily a cheap feed once you take into account the cost of the land it is grown on, most of the costs associated with growing pasture are fixed. This means that it costs you

about the same for kgDM wasted as it does for every kgDM harvested. This year the focus needs to be on increasing pasture harvest. It will never be economic to feed supplements and waste pasture. Plan to do regular pasture walks and monitor pre and postgrazing residuals carefully. Feeding the most cost effective supplements. Most New Zealand dairy cows are lacking one thing – energy. While fancy supplements and complex rations may produce a bit more milk, there is a high chance they will not generate as much profit as you would get by feeding the cheapest form of energy. Growing a proportion of their supplementary feed requirements themselves. There are many benefits from growing high yielding crops on the home farm or run-off. Generally

Slashing feed inputs is risky because milk output is driven by energy input.

the cost per kgDM is lower; cropping enhances the pasture renewal process and gives more control over crop harvest time. Maize is a great option because it can be grown in high fertility paddocks, including those with a history of effluent application, without the need for additional fertiliser.

Minimising storage and feed-out losses. If you buy a supplement for 30c/ kgDM and waste 10%, the cost is now 33.3c/kgDM eaten. If you waste 30% it rises to 42.9c/kgDM. Keep silage stacks well covered and maintain a clean, tight face. Don’t overfill feed bins. If you are feeding in the paddock put the supple-

ment along a fence line or use an electric wire to stop stock trampling it into the ground. Investing wisely in grazing off. Grazing off can be ‘cheap feed’ if your livestock are well fed and achieve growth targets, but it can be very costly if your heifers fail to get in calf, or are late doing so because they do not meet liveweight targets. Plan to check your stock on a regular basis. The first step to sensible supplementary feed use is to do a feed budget to determine how much feed you will require for the coming season. Be realistic about expected pasture growth rates and target milk production levels and use these to determine how much supplement you require and when you will need it. Then, taking into consideration the factors above, make a plan to determine where you will source the feed you need. Finally, remember it is always expensive to buy feed on the spot market when everybody wants it. • Ian Williams is a Pioneer forage specialist. Contact him at iwilliams@genetic.co.nz

Check out our websites BREAKING NEWS MANAGEMENT STORIES MARKETS & TRENDS MACHINERY REVIEWS COMPETITIONS AND MUCH MORE...

www.dairynews.co.nz

DAIRY NEWS MAY 26, 2015

MANAGEMENT // 55

One man’s trash is another’s treasure TONY HOPKINSON

THE MAY 31 traditional end of the dairying season and June 1 as the start of the next one has always been called Gypsy Day, when 50:50 sharemilkers or contract and lower order milkers move to new and often bigger jobs milking more cows as they follow a path to farm ownership. Until a few years ago many animals were walked sometimes over one-three days under permits from local councils, and requiring some cooperation where herds were liable to meet or have to cross different roads. More vehicle traffic and regulations now mean that most stock

sale. The farm gear is sold first, followed by the livestock, the milking herd then the heifers and finally the yearling calves. A recent successful clearing sale was held on behalf of Steve and Dawn Rumney at Piarere, 12km from Matamata They had owned the farm for the last 21 years and it sold at auction on April 23 to an Australian who saw it online and had a friend visit. “I had been a butcher for nine years before farming. Now, after 30 years on wet concrete, a knee operation seven years ago and now the other knee telling me something, we decided to sell,” said Rumney. Immediately following the

gained $1680 per head and calves $675 per head. “This was a wellbred herd with excellent records and in great condition; the prices reflected that,” said RD1 agent in charge Kelly Higgins.

Auctioneer Pat Sheely (right) talks potential buyers into a sale at the farm.

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Everything must go: stock and equipment sometimes 20 years old often described by neighbours as junk. auction they contacted RD1 Livestock and booked May 15 for the sale. “It’s been full on; we had been busy doing open days before the farm auction and then we had only three weeks until the clearing sale.” Rumney first assembled his machinery in a paddock adjacent to the dairy shed and goods and chattels in a storage shed. They then assembled and collated his herd breeding and production records and had catalogues printed. On sale day information sheets were available for would-be buyers containing BW, PW and LW figures for all animals plus calving dates. The sundries were sold outside on a fine day, but auctioneer RD1 Livestock erected portable yards and a waterproof pavilion for the livestock sale. They were sold in lots of two, with each animal’s details printed on a board for all buyers to see as they went through the ring. This long established CRV Ambreed Friesian herd was all sold, prices averaging $1930. Said Rumney, “We were expecting about $1700.” Heifers

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are shifted by trucks; only farm gear and chattels are taken by road. Also during this season are clearing sales, from late March to early May. They happen when farm owners have sold their farms and/or contract or sharemilkers cannot get a milking contract or have decided to leave the industry for the last time. Everything must go: stock and equipment sometimes 20 years old and often described by neighbours as junk. Equipment and implements are lined up, and scrubbed or waterblasted to help the auctioneer to extract another dollar from a reluctant bidder with the comment “cared for… beautifully presented,” etc. Invariably the machinery and equipment ends up in miscellaneous boxes, sold to a low bidder, proving the old adage “one man/woman’s trash is another’s treasure.” Catering used to be done by local playcentre or school PTA ladies keen to raise cash. These days are more professional: mobile food vendors sell hot food and drinks throughout the

Shaping the future of animal health

DAIRY NEWS MAY 26, 2015

56 // MACHINERY & PRODUCTS

New generation designed for the operator THE FOURTH generation of the Valtra T Series offers models with 155250hp and up to 1000Nm torque, a large amount of power to take on demanding tasks. They are available with two transmission variants – Versu and Direct. The Versu models have the maker’s AutoTraction automatic clutch function for its powershift transmission, which allows shifts automatically by monitoring travel speeds, unlike competitor systems that look at engine speed. Additional features such as hill-hold and hydraulic assistant aid the driver with transport and frontloader operation.

The Powershift operates with five steps in four gear ranges, plus 10 speeds in the creeper ranges, giving a total of 30 forward and 30 reverse speeds. The Direct transmission, built in-house by Valtra, offers three driving modes. The default is pedal mode (automatic): the driver sets the target speed with the drive pedal. In lever mode (automatic) the driver sets the target speed by the drive lever. In manual mode the driver can set separately the engine revs and manage the driving speed independently with the drive lever. T Series models are powered by 6.6L or 7.4L

A new stylish cab (below left) is the most striking feature of the new Valtra T series.

AGCO Power engines. Exhaust emissions are minimised by a Tier 4

Final SCR system. The SCR system and optimised turbo and engine package results in excellent fuel efficiency and eliminates the need for an exhaust gas recirculation system or

diesel particulate filter. The T174 model comes standard with Valtra’s EcoPower feature. When the driver presses the eco button the nominal engine speed drops to 1800rpm while torque increases.

This reduces fuel consumption by about 10%, lowers the noise level and extends engine life. In addition, the Sigma Power feature, standard on all models, increases engine output by 15hp when the PTO is under sufficient load. The transport boost function in turn raises an extra 15hp in the C and D ranges. The most striking feature of the fourth generation T Series is its new

cab – stylish, spacious and quiet. Pillars that curve outwards maximise interior space for the driver and keep the external dimensions compact. The cab is now 20cm wider by the driver’s seat than the previous generation, for plenty of room. Electrically heated front and rear screens, a front windscreen wiper sweeping 270 degrees, factory-fitted parking cameras, LED working and

rear lights, and six square metres of glass combine to offer unsurpassed visibility if optioned. Also, the optional roof window helps when operating a frontloader. Other features include stereo with subwoofer, cool box, TwinTrac reverse-drive system that can be adjusted laterally and a factory-fitted, fuelpowered, phone-operated auxiliary heater. www.valtra.com.au

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www.readindustrial.co.nz

COME & SEE US & COOL OFF AT

NATIONAL FIELDAYS SITE G119

DAIRY NEWS MAY 26, 2015

MACHINERY & PRODUCTS // 57

One machine, multiple tasks THE GASPARDO Contessa, a versatile cultivator/planter combination, has three key elements equipping it for multiple tasks in one pass, or individually. First is a robust frame with large carrying wheels at the rear. Underslung is a choice of Maschio power harrow or Torro or Aquilla ranges with maximum power inputs of 380 and 300hp, respectively. Second is a 2500L hopper assembly carried on a three point hitch directly above the rear wheels of the frame to spread the load; it can be used to carry fertiliser or seed for planting. The Gaspardo Flexseed roller system uses a volumetric design for fertiliser or seed output. The assembly has a wide opening with access stairs. Third is the planting element that can be set up as a vacuum operated precision unit with either 6 or 8 rows at 75cm spacing, or a new 16 row unit at 37.5cm spacing that allows high plant densities per hectare and subsequent higher yields. Alternatively, seeding can be by a more conventional doubledisc opener drill system which is normally more suited to cereal production, offering 370mm staggered discs and 320mm press/ gauge wheels that control planting depth from 0 to 8cm. With operating widths of 4.6, 5.0 and 6.0m, control by Isobus and optional features such as E-drive and auto row shut-off via GPS signal, the unit should be useful to larger scale farmers or contractors. www.powerfarming.co.nz

Advantage roll-up tonneau cover.

Versatile cultivator/ planter combo.

Ute tonneau cover locks into place A NEW roll-up tonneau cover – called

Robust frames with large carrying sheels.

Advantage – from Best Bars uses a ‘clever’ alloy frame fixed to the top of the wellside tray with specially designed brackets to lock it into place; it doesn’t require holes drilled into the sides of the vehicle. Removable ribs inside the cover keep it taut, providing a smart and attractive appearance, and keeping the weather at bay, says John Frear, the company’s sales and marketing manager. The cover simply rolls up when the ribs are removed and stored behind the cab for loading or transporting tall or bulky items. Elastic straps keep the rolled up cover tightly in place while driving. The material used is a heavy-

duty vinyl, which still retains its soft feel, even though it is tough. “The new cover combines the flexibility of traditional fabric covers, but without the need to drill unsightly holes in the side of the vehicle to install hooks for bungy cords,” Frear says. “The frame holds the cover firmly in place and it’s easy to unclip and roll back to allow access to the full cargo space, while the supporting frame prevents stretching or wear. “Installation is a breeze for ‘under rail’ liners and only minor modifications needing to be made to the liner if they are the ‘over rail’ type.” www.bestbars.co.nz

www.dairynews.co.nz

Trays

S WAD R O

CARRY ALL

R O TA R Y R A K E S KRONE Swadro rotary rakes deliver excellent outputs and a superior quality of work with features such as... Dura-Max – Specially hardened cam tracks with twice the normal hardness and impact strength. Comes with a 3 year warranty. Jet Effect – The forward coupling of the rotors provides a smooth ’touchdown’, thus avoiding soil contamination of the forage when going into work. This extensive range of side delivery rakes covers work widths from 3.5m to 19m to meet all farming requirements.

7 sizes from 1.2m x 0.75m to 3m x 1.8m 3 point linkage and Quick hitch PHONE:

sales@agriquip.co.nz

06 759 8402

FOR YOUR NEAREST DEALER

www.tulloch.co.nz

0800 88 55 624

DEALERSNATIONWIDE

DAIRY NEWS MAY 26, 2015

58 // MACHINERY & PRODUCTS

Cow housing, feed mixer lift Southland herd’s performance A COMBINATION of a

The couple milk 870 cows on a 335ha family farm at Dipton West. Seeking better performance from their cows, and to avoid pasture damage in winter, in 2013

wintering barn and a feed mixer wagon is paying off for Southland dairy farmers Louis and Angela English, reports the wagon supplier, Webbline.

they contracted Specialist Structures to build them a 5500 sq.m barn. Then came their BvL mixer wagon. “We are pleased with the BvL and to date it has

No spillage: BvL’s delivery chute system suffers from none of the spillage of the old machines.

been trouble free,” English says. “We’re impressed with the build quality and design. The machine gives a fast and consistent mix, it’s nice and simple, with no feedout conveyers to worry about, and the single axle is excellent for our setup as there is no scuffing on tyres when turning. “Going to the barn system and investing in a mixer has resulted in growing out our cows bigger, our overall cow condition and health has improved and we have increased our production from 415kgMS to 515kgMS per cow, an increase of 25%.” They first fed in the barn with their old silage wagon. But the cows were

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“picking through the feed, and the elevator of the feed wagon tended to throw some feed over the wall to where the cows were standing, causing issues with the effluent scrapers.” The BvL’s delivery chute system suffers from none of the spillage of the old machine, “so we get a consistent feed row and the cows clean everything up; there is virtually no feed wasted or picked through”. “We have had the cows inside at night since the start of May and are feeding about 8kgDM/cow – a mix of silage, PK and straw. Once we dry off, we will increase the feed to 10kgDM/cow which

will consist of whole crop, silage and straw.” English says he prefers to keep the system as simple as possible: he isn’t doing any special feed mixes, just getting the basics right in mixing his feed, which is showing up in cow performance. He loads the mixer with a large BvL 180 shear grab, “an excellent investment,” he says. “The stack face is tidy, it’s fast to load and because we are cutting a grab full of compacted silage, we are getting up to 1400kg in one shear grab full of our wetter silage. It’s easy for the staff to use and because it’s robust it is unlikely to get damaged.”

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Webbline sales manager Glen Malcolm says English’s comments about the BvL are echoed by others, notable in a low-payout year. “Forward thinking farmers are looking to increase productivity and get better returns out of their cows and more out of their feed on hand. The BvL mixers are playing a large role in achieving this. “Mixing the feed increases rumen performance…. There is enough scientific evidence out there proving the economic benefit of doing this.”

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Louis English says the BvL mixerwagon has been trouble free so far.

To view our display of diesel, PTO, and Electric Pumps along with Ferbo Irrigators and other great pumping solutions with offers you can really get your teeth into see us at the National Fieldays site S19

0800 426 296 IRRIMAX LTD www.irrimax.co.nz *SEE OUR TERMS AND CONDITIONS

DAIRY NEWS MAY 26, 2015

MACHINERY & PRODUCTS // 59

New addition bolsters compact tractor range ISEKI HAS bolstered its line of compact tractors with its new TG6000 Series. Three new models (3647hp) will “suit anyone looking for a handy allrounder to tackle tasks on farms or in groundscare applications,” the company says. The new series is powered by Iseki 3and 4-cyl water-cooled engines that develop more power and torque at low revs, but are also Tier 4 compliant for cleaner exhaust emissions. For added ease and flexibility, a choice of hydrostatic or powershuttle transmissions is available. The threerange hydrostatic

transmission and the 12 x 12 speed powershuttle transmission “provide effortless direction changes and a greater speed range”. Automotive-style cruise control is also a standard, giving greater comfort and control. Heavy-duty axles, with 4WD as standard, make the new series an ideal frontloader tractor, the maker says. Pre-plumbed hydraulic valves allow easy attachment of the loader, and open-centre hydraulics with oil flow up to 49L/min allows “lifting more and working faster”. A reinforced chassis and a linkage lift capacity of up to 1580kg

makes for versatility and easy attachment of implements. The operator platform is flat and uncluttered. The 38-47hp models can have an optional airconditioned cab. The deluxe cab has dual side

entry, “outstanding” visibility with 360 degree views and temperature control. www.iseki.com.au Iseki has improved its compact tractor range.

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Weeping walls allow a passive separation of effluent liquids and solids.

ON FARM SUPPORT

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FIL TEAM WORK Attention to detail, preventative techniques and team work is how we work at FIL. Our Area Managers are 100% dedicated to helping farmers produce quality milk

Effluent separator firm flat-out

We’re well trained and experienced when it comes to dairy hygiene and healthy udders - and want to be part of your team. + We’re all about empowering your team We believe it’s really important to arm your staff with best practice solutions for optimal dairy hygiene and animal health. Here are some things we can help out with:

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 Managing on farm costs with tailored teat spray and hygiene systems

ARCHWAY GROUP in Te Puke are acknowledged as

 Checking your equipment and application

experts in nutrient containment and control of effluent from dairy sheds and feed pads. The company works North Island wide building weeping walls, a proven means of passive (nonmechanical) separation of effluent liquids and solids. The solids are held for later disposal and the ‘green’ water collected for yard and feed pad cleaning, or it can be sprayed to pasture on lower rates. “We have been flat-out installing the weeping walls and Tri-Block bunkers as farmers see their advantages. We’ve recently installed several weeping walls for different Maori trusts in the central North Island,” said Amanda Hodgson a partner with Matt in Archway Group. The company also offers a free infrastructure plan to help farmers to assess where regulations might take them in longer term. Site visitors can fill out a questionnaire to get a noobligation visit and learn the options available. A completed form puts entrants in a draw to win 1 tonne of Sharpe’s early wean calf pellets worth $1000.

 Empowering your staff by training them on chemical safety, mixing and dilution rates, application of teat sprays and farm dairy wash procedures

Tel. 07 573 9883

 Trouble-shooting hygiene or mastitis issues Team work, hands-on knowledge, quality milk. It’s a pretty simple formula.

To speak to your local FIL Area Manager, please call 0508 434 569 or visit www.fil.co.nz

SERVICE

DAIRY NEWS MAY 26, 2015

60 // MACHINERY & PRODUCTS

Tractor model touches the magic 400hp mark THE MF 8600 series had a reputation for no-nonsense reliability and buckets of power; the new generation 8700 series takes things a step further and hits the magic 400hp mark. Powered by an AgcoPower/Sisu 8.4L engine with 8.4L capacity, the engine meets Tier 4 Final emission regulations with the use of SCR /Ad-blue after-treatment. MF introduced this technology to tractors in 2009, and the MF 8700 series, though not new, now uses exhaust gas recirculation and larger diesel oxidisation catalyst

(DOC) to keep the nasty stuff under control. This negates the need for any particulate filters (DPF) as preferred by some competitive brands. With five models from 300hp to 400hp maximum, technologies such as dual stage turbocharging, electronic waste-gate and intercooling are harnessed to produce a useful 30hp boost for PTO and transport work above 20km/h. More power can result in more heat, so the new 8700 series has a revised cooling package layout: hot air is directed up through re-designed louvres in the engine hood,

while cooler air is directed to the radiator and adjoining cooling packs. Transmission is via the maker’s well-known VT unit with two ranges and stepless speeds from 0.03 to 50km/h; it has features such as cruise control, speed supervisor, active stop and a choice of three different driving strategies. At the business end the numbers read large, as one would expect. The rear axle can be equipped with the latest tyre equipment up to 2.15m diameter to get power to the ground, while the 3-point linkage can lift 12,000kg.

Concrete Repairs and Protection for Dairy Sheds PERMACOLOUR DAIRY FIX

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Water Repellant sealer creating an easy to clean concrete surface and reduces bacteria and mould growth. All products are easy to apply yourself or we can arrange an applicator for you.

Manufacturing quality cement based products in New Zealand for 23 years!

The closed centre hydraulic system has an output of 205L/min and can be specified with up to six pairs of remote valves. Up on top the driver shouldn’t have too much to complain about with the panoramic cab offering 360 degree visibility, Optiride-Plus hydraulic cab suspension, and all

The MF8700 series uses exhaust gas re-circulation.

controls laid out neatly to hand. Control is via the recognised MF ‘T’ stick or an optional multi-pad on the

right hand console. Completing the package, all machines are factory equipped to ‘autoguide ready’ specification,

so GPS guidance can be fitted at the time of order or later. www.masseyferguson. com.au

Feeder saves time, money THE ANNUAL toil of calf rearing

just got easier with the launch of a ‘premium’ mobile calf feeder range designed to save time, money and effort, says the developer, Stallion Plastics. The new ‘2020 MG and OT mobile feeder range’ has been created to make easier the back-bending, time-consuming work of calf rearing, says chief executive Grant Allen – himself a dairy farmer. “We’ve spent a lot of time talking to seasoned dairy farmers and I look at what works – and what doesn’t – on my own farm. In particular, we get feedback from timechallenged farming women heavily involved in calf rearing and cleaning feeding equipment,” says Allen. “They’ve told us they want mobile feeders with increased stability and strength, a greater tank capacity, more accessibility and easier cleaning. So we’ve researched, designed, developed, trialled and launched a range to make calf rearing easier, cleaner, quicker, safer and more efficient.

Stallion Plastics chief executive Grant Allen has tested the feeder on his dairy farm.

“I know firsthand the pressures the low milk payout is placing on farmers’ budgets and we’re confident this range takes mobile feeders to the next level of innovation in providing a top quality, user-tailored product for excellent value for money. Farmers who’ve trialled the range have given excellent feedback.” Key features of the new range of eight different models includes: new larger 500 and 1000L tanks, redesign of tanks for easier cleaning, lower inspection visibility with

repositioned side access and new larger tank lids with three-way locking system (more accessible and built to withstand high wind). The trailer units have greater stability from their lower centre of gravity and their frames are stronger, heavier gauge galvanised steel. All are in stores nationwide from June 1. Launching at Fieldays will be a new larger 2.5L feeder bottle and a new goat feeder range. Tel. 0508 688 688 www.stallion.co.nz

Temporary Water Exclusion Penalty Rebate! Get your penalties back – sort your water issues To qualify your water exclusion problem must be fixed and tested by May 30, 2015.

CALL NOW

Leon 021 440 575 Natasha 021 440 444 info@farmmedix.com www.farmmedix.com

SEE US AT FIELDAYS IN THE INNOVATION TENT

Farm-chlor is MPI approved and offers the most economic and reliable way to kill E.coli in water.

DAIRY NEWS MAY 26, 2015

MACHINERY & PRODUCTS // 61

Swathers ready for takeoff NEW FEATURES on

2015-16 Krone Swardro swathers will enhance their reputation for good performance, low running costs and long working life, says local distributor Tulloch Farm Machines. Their maintenance free rotors and rotor gearboxes have Duramax cam tracks backed by a three-year manufacturer’s warranty. The new features will ensure even better performance on New Zealand paddocks, Tulloch says. A new tine design has a profile progressively curved from the tip and along its full length, to lift crop gently and minimise losses, and to eliminate soil contamination thereby improving crop quality. It also causes minimal damage to the sward,

resulting in faster regrowth and potential for higher forward speeds to boost daily outputs. An upgrade to the chassis uses 5mm framing, and a re-designed axle transmits less load onto the main frame, helping reduce transport or storage height to 4m maximum. An optional tine folding kit reduces this height even further. The fully pivoting rotors use the maker’s Jet Effect rotor which combines with the Tridem undercarriage to cause the rear bogies to ‘touch down’ first, followed by the front wheels when lowering and the reverse when lifting. This averts contamination from tines hitting the ground, particularly on headland turns.

The swathers are available in either TS (side delivery) or TC (centre delivery) formats, in operating widths 6.2 to 8.8m.

Tulloch says the new Krone Swadro swathers will perform better on New Zealand paddocks.

www.tulloch.co.nz

YOUR FORMULA FOR QUALITY MILK

CLEAN DAIRY

50% morE WasHEs* LoW 1mL usE raTE ExTrEmELy LoW rEsiduE risk

NEW APPROACH TO FIELDAYS MACHINES IN action on paddocks, or filmed in walk-around video tours – this pinpoints Tulloch Farm Machines’ new approach to exhibiting at National Fieldays. A spokesman says Fieldays has “always presented a challenge to exhibitors in knowing what models of large product ranges to show to potential customers from different regions in New Zealand. “This is compounded by finite stand space and the ever increasing cost of getting increasingly larger machines to Waikato.” “Tulloch Machinery will take the somewhat radical approach of bringing only one key exhibit to the Mystery Creek venue, then invite visitors and potential customers to view the entire product ranges via interactive media stations situated throughout their site.” Screens will show machines in action, walkaround videos, set-up tips and manufacturers’ brochures.

THE NEW FIL QUANTUM ONE ACID Find out if Quantum One is suitable for your dairy, call 0508 434 569 to get in touch with your local FIL Area Manager *1 drum of 1.0ml dose rate product in a 400 litre wash tub will yield 500 washes; 200L drum of 1.5ml dose rate product in a 400 litre wash tub will yield 333 washes

Check out our websites www.ruralnews.co.nz www.dairynews.co.nz

ACID DETERGENTS

SERVICE

DAIRY NEWS MAY 26, 2015

62 // MACHINERY & PRODUCTS

A new workforce for the world MASSEY FERGUSON says it has

taken the concept of a utility tractor and re-engineered it from the ground up to meet the needs of present and future farming. On offer in the power bracket is an array of build specifications, options and accessories encapsulated in the MF 4700 Global Series. “These state-of-the-art tractors are the result of a $350 million investment in a completely new, clean-sheet design,” says Simon Hole, marketing director, AGCO Australia/New Zealand. “Unlike the majority of other

ENGINE POWER

MF4700 Series features: ❱❱ MF4707, 74hp AGCO Power 3.3L, 3-cylinder turbocharged engine ❱❱ MF4708, 82hp AGCO Power 4.4L, 4-cylinder turbocharged, Tier 2 mechanical fuel injected engine.

tractors in the sector, the Massey Ferguson Global Series has been designed and built in the 21st century, purpose-built for modern applications. They retain our traditional straightforward operation, dependability and value for money. “In addition where possible we use existing design technology and components which allow us to provide local parts and service most efficiently across our whole range of tractors, wherever they are in the world.” At least 90% of the parts and components in the Global Series are entirely new, though combined laboratory and field testing for 36,000 hours saw prototypes tested in brutal conditions in Arizona, USA and Lusaka, Zambia. Engineers at MF’s Beauvais plant in France developed a new transmission with synchronised mechanical reverse shuttle for the MF4700 tractors. A constant mesh, straight-cut gear design with a large contact area means the transmission should prove easy to service in tougher parts of the world. Essential (semi-platform) models offer power shuttles activated by a

lever on the dash, while standard (footstep) units have synchro-shuttle to the driver’s left side A 12 forward/reverse speed gearbox is controlled by two straightforward levers mounted on either side of the driver’s seat; one lever shifts the gears, the other selects high or low range. An independent 540rpm system is fitted for the PTO. The rear axle has inboard reduction units and oil-immersed brakes; the front axle is offered in 2 or 4WD configuration, both with hydrostatic steering. The 4WD version has a guarded driveshaft layout under the centre of the tractor, with a spring-on/ hydraulic-off control system that ensures the 4WD is engaged when the engine is turned off. An open-centre high pressure hydraulic system uses a tandem pump to supply the pressure and flow required to control and power implements; electronically controlled maximum lift capacity is 3000kg. The tandem pump is mounted to the right side of the rear housing, with much of the system built into the cover plate

MF4700, a utility tractor revamped for modern applications.

and offers good access for routine maintenance or service. The MF4700 Series models are available with comfortable, footstep or semi-platform operator environments with logical, easy to

use controls. A fully approved ROPS frame and optional sun canopy are fitted. www.masseyferguson.com.au @dairy_news facebook.com/dairynews

Take control of the seasons ... efficiency  Feed Increases of up to 40% have been gained meaning lower cost wintering, greater weight gain or an increase in production

calving  Improved Calving with shelter means greater survival rate and less stress for staff Flexibility

 Lactation can be extended, giving greater production and profits Simple

 See the new and improved design. More loafing space, increased effluent storage and a stronger roof. Ask the farmer why they picked HerdHomes® shelters and see for yourself how it is working out. Make your own mind up.

Every farmer agrees that their farm is simpler to manage and run with a HerdHomes® shelter on it

Autumn / Winter HerdHomes® shelters users throughout New Zealand continue to talk to us about the benefits they get throughout the autumn and winter. It allows for users to manage pasture residuals and round lengths with ease. Drying off is based on calving date as all stock are wintered at home where putting on a condition score is simple

0800 HERDHOMES (0800 437 346) NZ Patent Numbers: 521150, 544190, 550635, 545042. Further patents pending. International Patent Numbers: 2003267874, 03748807.9. Further patents pending

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PALMERSTON NORTH Courtesy Motorcycles............... 06 356 2195 PAHIATUA Motorcycle HQ ................................................. 06 376 7163 MASTERTON Fagan Suzuki ................................................ 06 378 6159 LOWER HUTT TSS Red Baron ............................................ 04 569 3989 MOTUEKA Murray Thorn Motorcycles ............................ 03 528 9992 NELSON Nelson Motorcycle Centre ................................ 03 548 3786 BLENHEIM Wadsco Motorworld ....................................... 03 578 5199 AMBERLEY Arthur Burke .................................................... 03 314 0127 CHRISTCHURCH Avon City Suzuki ................................... 03 341 3490 ASHBURTON Jeff Marshall Motorcycles ......................... 03 308 2055 TIMARU Mike Gould Suzuki............................................... 03 688 4802 OAMARU Young Motors ..................................................... 03 434 5354 DUNEDIN McIver & Veitch ................................................. 03 477 0236 BALCLUTHA PowerZone Suzuki ....................................... 03 418 4672 GORE Hokonui Suzuki......................................................... 03 208 5271 WINTON Winton Motorcycles ........................................... 03 236 7231 INVERCARGILL Southern Suzuki...................................... 03 214 4467

NEW CARS FROM JUST

$76 PER WEEK*

NO DEPOSIT FINANCE ACROSS THE * AUTOS RANGE

$89 FROM JUST

PER WEEK

FREE $2K OFF ADVENTURE

SAVE $2000 ON EVERY S-CROSS MODEL

PLUS NO DEPOSIT FINANCE FROM JUST

$120

PACK

• SATELLITE NAVIGATION • BLUETOOTH • REVERSE CAMERA • NUDGE BAR • ROOF RACKS

PER WEEK

COMING SOON

SEE IT AT FIELDAYS

PLUS NO DEPOSIT FINANCE FROM JUST

$138

PER WEEK

*See IMPORTANT INFORMATION below for full terms and conditions of these offers.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THIS PROMOTION: Offers are available from participating Suzuki dealers until 30 June 2015 or while current stocks last. Excludes fleet purchases and all other promotions. Product availability: At the time of printing the number of units and colour options were correct. SNZ Ltd reserves the right to change specifications, appearances, models, colours and other items shown in this catalogue at any time without notice. Colours and specifications may differ slightly from those shown within this catalogue. MOTORCYCLE: Some prices are recommended retail excluding GST, motorcycle savings shown include GST. AUTOMOBILE: Full details of Zero Dollars Down, S-Cross Save $2,000, Grand Vitara Free Adventure Pack and Jimny Free Accessory offers are available at www.suzuki.co.nz. Zero Down weekly payments based on nil deposit, 5.9% interest rate and a 5 year term. Payments include on-road costs, a $395 documentation fee and a $13 PPSR fee. Normal lending credit criteria apply. FARMWORKER: Farm Worker interest rate of 4.95% applies on the amount borrowed. Documentation fee of $395 applies plus a PPSR fee of $13.00. Finance to approved purchasers, normal lending criteria apply. Farm Worker finance and Bullbars offers are not provided in conjunction with any other promotional activity. ACCESSORIES: Accessories are covered by their own manufacturer’s warranty conditions. SUZUKI NEW ZEALAND LIMITED 1 HEADS ROAD, WANGANUI.

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