MANAGEMENT Environmental showcase ‘good farm practice’. PAGE 26-27
ANIMAL HEALTH Trial looks at improving hogget reproductive performance. PAGE 31
RURALNEWS
NEWS Talk of a billion dollar sheep dairy industry is not helpful says Maui Milk chief.
PAGE 15
TO ALL FARMERS, FOR ALL FARMERS
APRIL 19, 2016: ISSUE 605
www.ruralnews.co.nz
Feds in meltdown?
FRESH LAMB PAM TIPA
PETER BURKE peterb@ruralnews.co.nz
A NUMBER of senior Federated Farmers staff careers have recently ended abruptly, making the organisation appear more like a blood-soaked episode of the television fantasy programme Game of Thrones than a farmer lobby. It seems Feds management is in something of a meltdown mode with another two senior managers suddenly leaving the organisation last week. Communications manager Philip Clark and provincial engagement manager Jodie Campbell both left within days of each other amid speculation as to why. This follows the sudden departure late last year of Fiona Thompson-Carter, the policy manager. All three were appointees of chief executive Graham Smith who took over the
reins at the farmer lobby nearly two years ago. Smith’s restructuring of the organisation also saw other staff made redundant. Since Thompson-Carter departed no new policy manager has been appointed, causing upset amongst staff and farmer members, as Feds is still trying to work out how best to manage internal policy. However, Feds president William Rolleston plays down the issue, telling Rural News it’s not helpful to speculate. “Ever since I have been in Feds there
have been people happy and others unhappy. I guess when you have a big change of senior staff you don’t always get it right first time,” he says. But other Feds sources tell Rural News they have real concerns about the restructuring and the resulting fallout. It is now likely that Smith himself will be under pressure to explain why things have gone so wrong and the cost in dollar terms and staff morale. Another issue creating tension is that Smith is not based full time in Wellington, preferring to work part of the
time out of the Hamilton office. This has led to claims that Feds is ‘leaderless’ in Wellington. For years Federated Farmers has seen a high turnover of senior staff and these latest departures are seen continuing that trend, reducing the organisation’s ‘institutional memory’. Staff issues could be on the agenda at the Feds annual conference in Wellington in June. Mindful of the catch-cry in Game of Thrones – famous for killing off its key actors – one wonders if indeed ‘winter is coming’ for Feds.
PHOTO RICHARD COSGROVE
WATER BRINGS LIFE Jim Dennison was in his element, last week, telling journalists at the Irrigation NZ conference in Oamaru how water has turned his farm around. The North Otago property has been home to Jim Dennison for all of his 90 years and the farm is now run by his son Chris. Jim told the assembled journalists how irrigation has transformed it from a subsistence business into arguably one of the best cropping farms in the world: they have gained two Guinness World Records for crop production. See more on the Dennisons’ farm on page 14 and more on Irrigation NZ’s conference in this issue.
pamelat@ruralnews.co.nz
AN INITIATIVE selling fresh spring lamb into Countdown supermarkets was kicked off by Helensville farmer Richard Kidd, the supreme winner of Auckland’s first-ever Ballance Farm Environment Awards. Kidd approached Countdown with his proposal to bring back the celebration of new season lamb in New Zealand, merchandise manager meat and seafood, Alton Gullery, told Rural News. “Traditionally the first spring lamb of the season is shipped to the UK so consumers in the northern hemisphere can enjoy Kiwi lamb in time for Christmas,” he says. “As part of the Kaipara Lamb cooperative, Kidd and seven other family farms have been able to provide new season spring lamb, exclusively for Countdown. “New season lambs are born around June/July in the Kaipara region north of Auckland before making their way to shelves in selected Countdown stores by late October. New season lamb is very special, with only around 200 lambs being supplied to select Countdown supermarkets per week,” Gullery adds. “While the first season of Kaipara Lamb was relatively small, Countdown sold over 9000 packs of the lamb in 14 weeks -- great for customers who love lamb.” Kidd says they will start the TO PAGE 4
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RURAL NEWS // APRIL 19, 2016
NEWS 3 ISSUE 605
www.ruralnews.co.nz
New meat man sets out his priorities PETER BURKE
NEWS ������������������������������������ 1-17 MARKETS ������������������������� 18-19 AGRIBUSINESS �������������� 20-21 HOUND, EDNA ����������������������� 22 CONTACTS ������������������������������ 22 OPINION ���������������������������� 22-25 MANAGEMENT �������������� 26-29 ANIMAL HEALTH ���������� 30-33 MACHINERY AND PRODUCTS ���������������������� 34-38 RURAL TRADER ������������������� 39
HEAD OFFICE Top Floor, 29 Northcroft Street, Takapuna, Auckland 0622 Phone: 09-307 0399 Fax: 09-307 0122 POSTAL ADDRESS PO Box 331100, Takapuna, Auckland 0740 Published by: Rural News Group Printed by: PMP Print CONTACTS Editorial: editor@ruralnews.co.nz Advertising material: davef@ruralnews.co.nz Rural News online: www.ruralnews.co.nz Subscriptions: subsrndn@ruralnews.co.nz ABC audited circulation 81,004 as at 30.06.2015
peterb@ruralnews.co.nz
DEALING WITH environmental issues is a key priority for the new chief executive of Beef + Lamb NZ, Sam McIvor. McIvor has a strong background in the farming sector and says his first task is to get out and meet farmers and other key stakeholders, to get their views on the organisation and the issues farmers are facing or are likely to face. He told Rural News he wants to be on the front foot on the environment and that BLNZ will soon have five staff dedicated to this: two staff doing extension work, two policy work and the fifth managing. The aim is to be proactive and get ahead of how issues might play out. The other big issue for sheep and beef farmers is biosecurity, McIvor says. BLNZ faces the challenge of focusing on what it can influence and what work it should specifically do, and on what work it can best do in collaboration with other industry partners such as the Meat Industry Association and Federated Farmers. “We have a role in shaping the landscape to a certain extent -- working with farmers to get a play on what can be most effective. We do have an influence on these things and that’s why farmers have us doing these jobs.” McIvor says the nature of hill country farming has changed a lot in recent years and some farmers have benefited from these changes. Dairy grazing is one he points to. “So the resources we have are significant and we have to find a way to make that as efficient as possible for the industry,” he told Rural News. “Production is still important to us and if you look at lamb, as an example, it’s important that we have critical mass as an industry. And it is important that we get more and more efficient. So we must understand the resources we
of the hill country by clever investment, such as the use of improved genetics. He believes this all has the potential to make a big improvement to sheep and beef farmers’ revenue. “Our job is to provide [sheep and beef farmers] with the best opportunities, knowledge and information tools for them to do the preferred enterprise on the farm.”
have on the hill country and how we can extract more out of it, but at the same time make sure we have a sustainable, efficient resource.” McIvor says understanding the environment BLNZ is working in and how best to help farmers manage that from a production perspective is a key role for the organisation. Also crucial is what additional productivity can be got out
Sam McIvor
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RURAL NEWS // APRIL 19, 2016
4 NEWS FARM FRESH LAMB FROM PAGE 1
season earlier this year and Countdown will increase the advertising including the point of sale at selected supermarkets across the north.
The lambs leave very early in the morning and go straight to processing. “They are prime lambs straight off their mums with no drench pretty much,” he says.
“People say it tastes different because I think it has not been stressed sitting around for hours waiting to be processed. We have had good feedback.”
LATEST STORIES EVERY DAY Get up-to-date news at www.ruralnewsgroup.co.nz
Ruataniwha critics given a serve IRRIGATIONNZ SAYS it’s confident the Ruataniwha dam project will go ahead, but disputes costs for the project have risen by 50%. “What isn’t clear in this reporting is that there are two distinct parts to this project: one is the cost of building the dam and the infrastructure for piping water to the farm gate, the other is the cost of developing onfarm irrigation systems,” says IrrigationNZ chair Nicky Hyslop. “A year on, yes there is an increased cost to building the dam – $275-$330 million; and the more time goes by the more it will cost. There will never be a cheaper time to build than today. “New modelling shows us there is a small (6%) increase in water charges to farmers.” Hyslop says the land use opportunities from the proposed irrigation scheme are diverse, including apples, grapes, cropping, dairy, sheep and beef finishing, and vegetables. “Farmer uptake will be based on good information. Signing up to the scheme is a big decision for farmers and intergenerational. This is not a step to take lightly and it is common for farmers to sign up towards the end of the process. We have seen this with many other schemes around
“There are multiple benefits to large water storage projects and the community could do with a reminder at this stage that these are longterm economic, environmental and social benefits.”
the country.” Hyslop has criticised those regional councillors who are against the project and disputing the need for it, but who concede the Hawke’s Bay needs water storage. “As extreme weather patterns become the norm and drought starves our communities of potential we must think big and look to the future. It is not useful for us to get tied up in the pettiness of upcoming local elections and the positioning that goes with this. “There are multiple benefits to large water storage projects and
Irrigation NZ chair Nicky Hyslop.
the community could do with a reminder at this stage that these are long-term economic, environmental and social benefits that will see Hawke’s Bay having a resilient, sustainable and bright future.” Hyslop says the certainty of water supply from Ruataniwha will put a stop to insecurity that comes with drought and help turn Waipukurau into “the Oamaru” of the north. @rural_news facebook.com/ruralnews
KEENAN CALLS IN RECEIVERS MARK DANIEL markd@ruralnews.co.nz
IN A sign of the times, and probably not helped by the world’s troubled dairy industry, well known Irish diet feeder manufacturer Richard Keenan and Co, trading as Keenan System, on April 12 appointed KPMG as receivers. KPMG confirms the business
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will keep trading in receivership and that it is in ‘advanced’ talks to sell the company to the Irish company Alltech, an animal health and nutrition business with sales of over Euro 2 billion annually. Keenan employs 222 people, 176 at headquarters in Borris, County Carlow. The company began manufacturing feeders in 1983 and
included nutritional advice as part of its sales package. Over the years it brought other machines to the market, but stayed firmly with its paddle-style wagon design while other manufacturers’ tub style machines gained in popularity. Rural News asked the Morrinsville distributor of Keenan what effect the receivership might have on the NZ market, but it declined to comment.
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RURAL NEWS // APRIL 19, 2016
NEWS 5
Water brings life back to community “IRRIGATION SAVED this community!” is how Fraser McKenzie describes the impact of water on the Waitaki District. McKenzie, chairman of the Waitaki Irrigators Collective, was hosting a tour of the various types of irrigation schemes operating in the district as part of the 2016 Irrigation New Zealand conference and expo held in Oamaru earlier this month. The conference brought the coastal farming town to a standstill with around 450 attendees and even closed a road in the town centre for the expo. With no local venue big enough to host the formal dinner, a grain shed on the waterfront was spruced up to allow 300 to be catered for. Communities throughout the district have reaped the benefit of significant irrigation in the last 20 years, with school rolls increasing and businesses remaining viable. So Oamaru’s hosting the conference was appropriate: this community that was struggling to survive in the 1980s is now thriving. Five irrigation schemes make up the Waitaki Irrigation Collective, which represents 660 farmers and has 85,000ha under irrigation. A Hilderthorpe farmer and holder of two world
records for crop production, Chris Dennison, said “reliable irrigation has allowed me to concenChris Dennison
after farming elsewhere in the district and struggling with drought. They milk 1700 cows and produced 886,000kgMS last financial year, but believe in prioritising the environment. They have developed a 4ha wetland on their property and planted 100,000 native plants. But when Matt was chairman of the Maere-
Matt Ross
whenua District Water Resource Company in 2012, he persuaded fellow farmers to surrender their takes from the over-allotrate on farming sunshine and growing the best crops possible”. Irrigation throughout the North Otago district has transformed it from a parched drought-prone dustbowl to a champion producing agricultural region. With a reliable irrigation supply to Kokoamo, dairy farmers Matt and Julie Ross said it felt like a weight had been lifted of their shoulders and gave them the security to invest and develop their 580ha farm. The spectacular farm offers views of the Kakanui Mountains and Waitaki River valley surrounded by lush green paddocks; a guaranteed reliable water supply was an eye-opener for them
cated Maerewhenua River (a tributary of the Waitaki River and a trout fishery), so improving water flows and allowing the alloca-
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RURAL NEWS // APRIL 19, 2016
6 NEWS
Fonterra’s board changes don’t cut it – critic SUDESH KISSUN sudeshk@ruralnews.co.nz
FONTERRA CHAIRMAN John Wilson is optimistic shareholders will accept the small cut proposed to the co-op’s board. Wilson says he has mind that a shareholder vote last November supported a proposal to reduce the board to nine. Fonterra last week released its governance and representation draft proposal to shareholders; the most striking change would see a cut to 11 directors. Farmer directors would maintain control with a majority of six but with provision for an extra two farmer-elected directors and a minimum of three appointed directors Fonterra now has 13
directors -- nine elected by its farmers and four appointed. Wilson and directors will hold shed meetings this week with shareholders to discuss the proposal. At its annual meeting last year, 54% of Fonterra shareholders supported a proposal by former directors Greg Gent and Colin Armer for a nine-member board. The majority support came despite Fonterra’s board and Shareholders Council opposing the Gent/Armer proposal. Wilson says the Fonterra board has never found the 13-member too large. “An 11-member board is a bit better; at the end of the day we have landed at
what is right for the co-op and its farmers,” he told Rural News. But Armer says he would still prefer a smaller board. “We are very pleased that a proposal is out for discussion.” Armer says apart from the small cut in board numbers, Fonterra farmers will have to consider other important proposals for change. “This will include giving up their individual vote.” The review also proposes a new appointment process for all directors that moves away from the single transferable vote (STV) election system for farmer directors. Under STV a candidate could be elected by getting 25% plus one of the votes cast; it is proposed
PROPOSED CHANGES ❱❱ 11 directors including at least six farmer directors ❱❱ Change eligibility rules to allow for modern farm ownership structures ❱❱ Use of matrix to assess board candidates ❱❱ Move away from single transferrable vote ❱❱ 100% independent assessment of candidates ❱❱ Better information for farmers during the election of directors.
that to get elected a candidate must get 50% of the farmer vote. Other changes include allowing corporate farmers to be eligible for the board as farmer shareholders, forcing the board to consult the Shareholders’ Council on appointments and giving farmers more information about potential directors ahead
of annual meetings. Fonterra has appointed an independant panel to advise on the move – including former NZ Rugby Union officials Chris Moller and Dame Therese Walsh, Adrie Zwanenberg of the Netherlands and Michael Cook of the US. According to the proposal sent out to
Former Fonterra director and proponent for board change Colin Armer.
farmers, they want better access to information on the skills needed for the board, detailed information on candidates and more information on the performance of sittng
directors. A final proposal will be presented to shareholders next month; a special meeting will then be held to approve constitutional changes required to implement the changes.
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RURAL NEWS // APRIL 19, 2016
NEWS 7
Velvet leaf on the spread PAM TIPA pamelat@ruralnews.co.nz
WEED THREAT velvetleaf has been confirmed in maize and silage in several sites in Waikato – meaning it has come in through a different pathway than that found in fodder beet. Until this find, it was thought the only pathway had been through contaminated fodder beet seeds. As of last week, there were 169 confirmed cases of velvetleaf in 11 regions throughout New Zealand. Canterbury has recorded the highest number to date (88). Darion Embling, the team leader, pest plants, at Waikato Regional Council, says velvetleaf has been confirmed in maize and silage at several sites. He says it is unclear as yet how it came about. It could be via animal feed, manure or machinery, but none were confirmed when he spoke to Rural News last week. Embling says this pest threat is bad: it could cause up to 30% crop loss. The Waikato Regional Council has put about 20 staff on the job.
“We are doing a whole lot of tracing in Waikato at the moment trying to nut out where all the linkages are,” he says. “Animal feed is showing up as possible – it is a common theme. For that to be confirmed it would need a lot of testing and council is not resourced to do that.” It is relying on the Ministry for Primary industries, but it was unconfirmed whether MPI would Guy Wigley do that. “If farmers have received any manure from any source and they’ve put it on their maize crop then they should check their maize crop for any weeds,” Embling says. “If they have received maize silage from elsewhere also, they should check where that has been fed out on the farm. They should check around silage pits to see what is there.” An unconfirmed possible pathway is any manure-type fertilisers
where the animal has been grain fed. The seeds go through the guts of most animals. “Any manure you are bringing on – that is fed on any sort of grain – palletised, unpalletised grain – then check those areas for velvetleaf and if they’ve turned those areas into a crop, even more so check those areas,” Embling adds. “We need to make sure people are checking their crops for anything that is different. He says if farmers have any findings of velvetleaf, they should telephone MPI exotic pest/disease hotline: 0800 80 99 66. They should take a photo of it and record the site, but do not remove the weed as it spreads the seeds. “There’s a lot of fear out there over this and we are trying really hard to manage the welfare of farmers also,” says Embling. “They are under stress now anyway and
this is another thing they are going to have to deal with.” Meanwhile, Guy Wigley, Federated Farmers arable chairperson, says Canterbury has inspected 80% or more of its target farms. The farms that sold the seed have been identified. Other areas have not got that far. He says MPI has been working with stakeholders and doing a good job. They are looking at ways of tightening import standards. MPI warns the window of opportunity for controlling plants that haven’t yet seeded is narrowing and it’s important farmers in all areas remain on the lookout. Industries response manager Carolyn Bleach says farmers and landowners need to maintain a watchful eye until crops have been grazed, particularly as some late emerging plants have been found in crops already inspected. “It’s become apparent that velvetleaf shoots up dramatically when it goes to seed. A plant that may have been hidden by the canopy of the crop one week can appear a week or so later.”
ISOLATED FIND – AT THIS STAGE THE BLACKGRASS found in Canterbury is an isolated finding at one site and well in hand, according to Federated Farmers arable chairperson Guy Wigley. He says it is not related to the incursion three years ago when contaminated seeds blew off the back of a truck in mid Canterbury on its way to a treatment centre. Wigley says it could be as little as one plant. “But you can’t see blackgrass in a grass paddock until a seed head forms. There will be careful follow-up inspections next season.” Federated Farmers and other arable industry groups, including Foundation of Arable Research and New Zealand Grain & Seed Trade Association, are working with MPI in their investigation. Blackgrass seeds were found during a routine sampling of ryegrass seed in Canterbury last month. Wigley says it’s disappointing to have another incursion when farmers are still coming to terms with the potentially devastating impact of velvetleaf. “We are concerned about the potential implications of blackgrass for NZ’s world-leading seed production and multiplication industry. “MPI should be congratulated for finding three seeds among a 62,000kg shipment; however this is another reminder that we must be vigilant in maintaining NZ’s biosecurity and protecting our agricultural sector from unwanted pests.” – Pam Tipa
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RURAL NEWS // APRIL 19, 2016
8 NEWS
Psychological lift for hill country farmers PETER BURKE peterb@ruralnews.co.nz
THE PSYCHOLOGICAL theory of ‘self-efficacy’ is being used by Massey University agricultural and social scientists to
create greater self-belief in hill country farmers to change their farming systems and become more profitable. Self-efficacy is a theory developed by a leading psychologist, the Ameri-
can Alberto Bandura. Massey’s head of the Institute of Agriculture & Environment, professor Peter Kemp, presented a paper at the recent Hill Country Symposium outlining a three-year exten-
Massey University’s Peter Kemp.
sion programme the university ran to give farmers greater knowledge and self-belief – with an emphasis on pasture management. Kemp says a squeeze has been put on hill coun-
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try, with better land being used for dairying and viticulture and the steeper country reverting to bush. With hill country land effectively shrinking, the pressure is on farmers to get the best out of their farms, he says. “What social scientists call self-efficacy is about self-belief and is not the same as competence,” Kemp told Rural News. “It’s about a farmer believing, for example, saying they are good at establishing pasture. “This concept is at the heart of good extension and education and is coming to light more and more. A simple analogy is a good rugby player who has tremendous selfbelief in what he can do in a match,” he says. In a three-year programme, the university got together a small group of farmers who met for workshops every four months. The main focus was on growing herb species to wean lambs earlier and to put weight on hoggets. The workshops involved agricultural scientists, social scientists and the farmers. Kemp says this was a programme with a difference -- not just a case of the scientists telling the farmers what to do; there was a huge interaction between the two. “The thing that was different was having social scientists studying how the farmers learned better or not, and what worked and what didn’t, instead of just the usual thing of saying ‘a well-run workshop’. The social scientists
did detailed qualitative analysis on the learning process. “The big thing was a reminder that we all learn through conversation and creating a sort of equal community between the farmers and the scientists and building trust and integrity around that.” Kemp says they visited some of the farms to see how herb pastures might grow and farmers were encouraged to do trials and report back to the group. The objective was to create a ‘professional community of practice’ – based on good education principles and a variety of learning experiences. The programme was flexible and if the farmers involved wanted information about a specific topic, such as parasite control, an expert was brought along to one of the workshops. “A key objective was to provide learning support so that the [farmers] could make their own decisions about their own farms and not have us telling them what and how they should be doing it,” Kemp explains. “This takes time, but many of the farmers involved in the study have made big practice changes as a result of this and some still are making changes to their farms.” Kemp says he’s not criticising existing extension programmes, but believes having hard data on the learning process will pave the way for better programmes that meet farmers’ needs.
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RURAL NEWS // APRIL 19, 2016
10 NEWS
Value add key to dairy woes – PM John Key speaking at opening of Tetra Pak’s new building in Waikato, earlier this month.
SUDESH KISSUN sudeshk@ruralnews.co.nz
PRIME MINISTER John Key says Fonterra is moving up the value added chain as best it can, but needs to do more. He says the fastest way to insulate the dairy industry during commodity price fluctuations is by making more value added products. Speaking to Rural News after opening the global food processing company Tetra Pak’s new head office at Waikato Innovation Park, Key said the Government is always talking to Fonterra about its product mix. “I don’t think there is unwillingness or non-understanding by Fonterra that they need to continue to move up the value curve,” he says. “They face all sorts of issues – trade barriers and under DIRA they had to take a lot of milk in a certain time. But they are moving as best they can; they are investing in value added products and there’s lots more to be done.” For its part, Keys says the Government is putting money into primary growth partnership (PGP)
Key points out that the Government cannot control the exchange rate, weather and international commodity prices. “I wish we could, but unfortunately we can’t. So on that basis, the fastest way to insulate our way through [downturns] is to make sure we are higher up the value chain, so we are less impacted when [downturns] happen.” Tetra Pak’s market area leader for NZ, Chris Morgan, endorsed Key’s comments. “The current dairy downturn re-emphasises the need for NZ’s export businesses to hasten their diversification out of commodities into
value-added products,” says Morgan. “While this is well understood by the key players, the time to market needs to be accelerated. Tetra Pak has the portfolio, the people and the required capabilities to support our customers in this endeavour.” Waikato Innovation Park chief executive Stuart Gordon says Tetra Pak is a perfect match with the park. “We are proud to have a multinational company that is a world leader in food processing and packaging in the Waikato Innovation Park, forming an important part of the agri-business cluster.” @rural_news
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HELP, BUT NO HANDOUTS incentives and science and innovation projects. In his speech Key thanked Tetra Pak for investing in New Zealand and alluded to the company’s history of innovation and creativity. “That’s what NZ has to do,” he says. “It’s great that NZ produces a lot
of milk powder but there is a need to move more into UHT milk and infant formula. “Fonterra and other companies are working very hard to move up the value chain,” Key says. “The future of NZ lies in adding value to our milk and getting more for our farmers.”
PRIME MINISTER John Key says the Government is doing everything it can to assist dairy farmers facing their second season of low milk prices. But Key is ruling out subsidies. “We acknowledge the difficulties they are facing; we are doing every-
thing we can to assist them,” he told Rural News. “Clearly it’s not possible for us to subsidise farmers, but we are working with banks; we are also making sure we are not putting any excess costs on them.”
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RURAL NEWS // APRIL 19, 2016
NEWS 11
Crucial to survive the bad years SUDESH KISSUN sudeshk@ruralnews.co.nz
FONTERRA FARMERS have been told their longevity in business will be determined by their performance during their worst years. Global economist John Macfarlane told Fonterra shareholders last week the key is to survive the worst years. “The key challenge we have in the volatile market is to survive the bad years; the good years will look after themselves,” he says. Macfarlane and US brokerage firm head Brian Rice were invited by the Fonterra Shareholders Council to speak at eight meetings around the country. Melbourne-based Macfarlane, who owns dairy farms in the South Island and supplies Fonterra, spoke about the global economic situation and its impact on commodity prices. He urged farmers to protect their low cost production base and maintain balance sheet strength to ride out the downturn. He also urged farmers not to rely on what European farmers were doing. “We can’t sit here as farmers and say it’s irrational for the Europeans to produce milk at $7/kgMS. Relying on other people to act rationally is not a good strategy.” Macfarlane showed farmers a chart in which global growth had been revised down past two years, important because there is a strong relationship between global growth and demand for commodities. “It’s not a complicated relationship, but a linear
[one],” he says. Economies have grown less quickly and demand for commodities, including dairy products, has waned. Macfarlane says New Zealand’s major dairy trading partners -- China, other Asian markets, Middle East and Latin America -- have all been growing more slowly. He believes the tightening of fiscal policy in the US is also impacting commodity prices. Interest rates in the US have been kept at zero since the global financial crisis in 2008-09. Last December the Federal Reserve raised the rates to 0.25%, with more rises to follow. Macfarlane says according to the Federal Reserve, the rate could go as high as 3.25%. This is important because every time the US Federal Reserve has tightened its fiscal policy there have been “casualties”. In 1990, it triggered the Latin American crisis and Argentina is still struggling to recover; in the 1990s the Asian financial crisis was caused by the US dollar going up, catching many Asian economies off guard. In 2008-09, it triggered the global financial crisis. Macfarlane says commodity prices may be the first casualty of the latest US Federal Reserve move. In anticipation of rate hikes commodity prices have tumbled. He says dairy farmers should not feel they have been picked on. “A range of agri commodities, like those traded in the US, have been affected, including soya bean, orange and pork.” China is transitioning from a manufacturing to a
service and consumption economy, he says. “What China is attempting to do is incredibly ambitious; as major export partners
we should be prepared for accidents along the way.” Macfarlane says demand for dairy prod-
ucts in China remains strong, unlike iron ore which was widely used in infrastructure projects until a few years ago.
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RURAL NEWS // APRIL 19, 2016
12 NEWS
Auckland debuts in farm awards Most people think of Auckland as cafes, motorways and poorly performing rugby and league teams. However, in fact, the region has the biggest rural area in New Zealand. Pam Tipa reports. AUCKLAND CITY councillor Bill Cashmore, a sheep and cattle farmer, says 70% of the Auckland region is rural and its ag sector contributes $2.3 billion to the economy. Cashmore says that’s why it is appropriate Auckland was included in the Ballance Farm Environment Awards – albeit for the first time this year since the awards started in 1993. The awards required the local council to get on board,
which at last happened last year. “There has been a consistent and concerted message from the rural parts of Auckland Council that they would like to be part of the Ballance Farm Environment Awards so they can benchmark themselves against the rest of NZ,” Cashmore told Rural News. Cashmore, who farms in south-east Auckland, and Penny Webster, from Rodney in the north,
took this to the staff and discussed options with them. They concluded that the Ballance Farm Environment Awards would be a fairly good fit, he says. It was put through the council’s rural advisory board and the council approved. Cashmore says few people realise Auckland has a massive and diverse rural economy -- forestry, sheep and beef and intensive horticultural enterprises under glass.
“The awards are a good opportunity for the best of rural in Auckland to showcase what has been going on for generations -- improving environmental inputs and sustainability,” he says. That’s showcasing to the urban area and the rest of NZ. “The finalists showed there was outstanding work done there. It needs true recognition,” he says. He points to the example of the winners
of the Auckland Council Water Quality Enhancement Award, Alan and Gael Cole, at Clarkes Beach, near Pukekohe, who have planted thousands of plants from their own nursery. “There was one outstanding example after another of really good proactive management culminating in a rich environment including Richard and Dianne Kidd’s well deserved
IT’S ABOUT TIME! THE FIRST-EVER Auckland supreme winners of the Ballance awards, Richard and Dianne Kidd, are both delighted Auckland is now in the Ballance Farm Environmental Awards. Richard Kidd had previously lobbied the award organisers and the Auckland Council about the region joining the awards, but had reached a dead-end so forgot about it. The Kidds were surprised and pleased when they received notification they were going ahead. Dianne Kidd says councillors Bill Cashmore and Penny
Webster, with their rural background, were instrumental in getting it across the line. “It was a real coming-of-age for Auckland City and the council to recognise farming as a significant part of their economy.” Dianne Kidd says it is not well known that 70% of Auckland Council’s region is rural, which contributes $2.3 billion to the economy. “Whenever we say we have a farm and live in Helensville in the Auckland region, people don’t think we are a really mainstream
farmer – and we are,” Kidd explains. “These Ballance Farm Environmental Awards for Auckland recognise farming as a significant contributor to the Auckland economy and landscape and environment. You get feedback and benchmark yourself against others. Until the Auckland region was involved you couldn’t do that.” She says living near an urban centre makes it even more important to be environmentally conscious, contributing to a better outcome for the whole
city and region. “The Kaipara Harbour for example, taking into account that the balance for the environment is quite significant.” Richard Kidd reckons Aucklanders are lucky to only have to drive half an hour to get into rural territory. “Tourists from cruise-ships don’t have to travel far if they want to see a slice of NZ rural life. A number of farms in the area host tourists. Give them a sheepdog demo, and cook them some food on the barbecue.” – See Richard and Dianne Kidd’s full story on pages 26-27
Auckland City councillor Bill Cashmore.
supreme win,” he says (see pages 26-27). Cashmore says there are massive issues for rural in all of NZ, but particularly for Auckland. “We have challenges: the urban growth is massive so we are losing land to greenfield projects at an alarming rate. But when you get the equivalent of Taupo’s population arriving in Auckland annually, there is going to be an element of greenfields development. It is inevitable. There also needs to be... greenfields commercial development. “That needs to be planned and delivered with the infrastructure
and that is a timely challenge. You think of the amount of infrastructure there is in Taupo and we’ve got to do that every year. “In the area from Papakura to the southern part of Franklin, which I represent, we will deliver a city the equivalent of Hamilton in the next 24 years.” But the $2.3b agricultural contribution towards Auckland’s economy is not insubstantial and it is growing rapidly, he says. There is huge capital investment in all forms of agriculture, particularly high-tech growth TO PAGE 13
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RURAL NEWS // APRIL 19, 2016
NEWS 13
Farmers need to get involved PETER BURKE peterb@ruralnews.co.nz
HILL COUNTRY farmers are daft if they put their heads in the sand and ignore the prospect of central and local government regulations having an impact on their farming operations. That’s the view of Federated Farmers vice president and hill country farmer Anders Crofoot, who spoke last week at the hill country symposium in Rotorua. He says it’s also important that farmers don’t have a kneejerk reaction to regulations and that it’s better to engage with local authorities at an early stage and have input, rather than have rules imposed on them. “The purpose of my paper was to document that there are impacts and to encourage farmers to get involved with the people making the decisions,” Crofoot told Rural News. “If they don’t, they are leaving a critical part of their business to somebody else.” Crofoot says historically government policy has had a huge impact on hill country farming. He says things
such as supplementary minimum prices, land development and encouragement loans (LDLs) all had impacts. Some were positive, but LDLs – to fund the clearing of land – had a negative impact and new policies are being devised to deal with erosion prone land. He believes such schemes had limited value. Crofoot says the issue now is that the way such initiatives as the National Policy Statement (NPS) are being implemented must be on farmers’ radars. He adds that regional councils are managing the implementation of the NPS in very different ways. “Otago Regional Council is adopting an effects-based approach which is saying to farmers, in respect of stock exclusion, ‘you are not to damage the banks of rivers and how you [prevent] that is up you’,” Crofoot explains. “On the other hand, Hawkes Bay Regional Council, in the Tukituki Plan Change 6, is saying all stock except sheep must be excluded from waterways.” The more prescriptive approach by HBRC leaves
AUCKLAND DEBUTS IN AWARDS FROM PAGE 12
industries under glass, notably developments around Pukekohe, Clevedon and northwest Auckland. “There’s some very highly capitalised, high export, high value there. Business is booming ahead,” Cashmore says. “There are good news stories across all sectors of agriculture in Auckland -- grass, dairy, sheep and beef, hort – there’s lots of really good work being done. “One of the biggest challenges we have across the whole of NZ is water quality and in Auckland our biggest issue with water quality is stormwater inside urban areas. “There’s not one
urban waterway in Auckland which complies with the basic requirements for water and there are two in the rural areas that don’t – the rest do. “But we all have to work to improve water quality – whether it is stormwater, heavy metals off cars and trucks and fuel emissions -- through to dairy which in Auckland is 92% of stock excluded from waterways. “There’s been a lot of great work there. The sheep and beef guys on the hills are working on fencing, natural barriers and doing all sorts of things to improve water quality. So everyone has to do their bit, whether it is urban or rural.”
farmers in no doubt what they must do. But Crofoot says the effects-based system, while providing flexibility, causes farmers uncertainty about whether or not they have complied with the rules. Given that much decision making is at a
Fed Farmers vice president Anders Crofoot.
regional level, Crofoot is urging farmers to lobby local MPs and local body leaders to ensure a practical and sensible outcome. At a national level there is only so much Federated Farmers can do, so effort at a local level is important. “Everyone is learning
the collaborative approach; some are doing it moderately well and others atrociously. These issues are resource hungry, especially in terms of people’s time. In my view, you are either going to spend time or money, and for farmers both are scarce.”
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RURAL NEWS // APRIL 19, 2016
14 NEWS
From dustbowl to world record crops RICHARD COSGROVE
THE WEATHERED hands of 90-year-old Jim Dennison wrap around the top his walking stick as he sits down. Seated in front of every piece of
farm machinery he has ever owned, and with voice sculpted by years of working the land he loves, Dennison tells visiting journalists how water has turned his farm around. The farm is
transformed from a subsistence business into one arguably the best cropping farm in the world: they have gained two Guinness World Records for crop production.
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Drumena farm, a 400ha holding up the road from the Pukerui freezing works in North Otago, has been home to Jim Dennison for all of his 90 years. The farm is now run by his son Chris, and they
Jim (left) and Chris Dennison outlining how irrigation has transformed their North Otago farm.
own a neighbouring dairy farm – Belbingwayne. Jim’s father Henry bought the farm in 1919, but the family has been farming in the Hilderthorpe district since 1868. It was in a desolate state: couch grass was abundant, soil fertility was zero and they ran about 1.5 sheep/ha. When Jim took over the farm they tried everything to keep the farm going on the dry, parched Lower Waitaki plains. The Dennisons even converted to egg production, at one stage producing 630 dozen eggs a week, flown by Bristol Freighter to Wellington each day. In 1972 Jim got a water right for 50ha and this increased crop yields to about 3t/ha – or, as he puts it, from two bushels/acre to 45 bushels. By 1982 the farm was fully irrigated and in 1988, when Chris came into the business, they decided to shift away from sheep and beef and into dairy and arable. The farm’s proximity to the sea and heavy soils allows a longer growing season for wheat and canola. This and reliable irrigation allows the Dennisons to avoid drought and has radically transformed the farm. The Dennisons are part of the Lower Waitaki Irrigation Company, which has 25,000ha under irrigation. About 50% of it is now spray irrigation and
50% border dyke; when the scheme was originally implemented it was all border dyke irrigation. The Dennisons admit they didn’t know how to use the water when they first got access to it. Chris has since become a proponent of precision agriculture and has embraced technology on the farm. In 1990 he considered 10t/ha an excellent crop, but with the ability to truly harness the water they were getting and to maximise inputs they ensure no fertiliser is wasted; they have produced 15t/ha crops. In 2003, Chris Dennison attained the Guinness World Record for the highest yield in wheat and then in January 2015 he set his second world record for oilseed rape. The technology has also allowed expansion, but Dennison has managed to keep nitrogen levels down to 2kg/ha. Irrigation has offered security, viability and sustainability for the farmers and families in their area. Jim Dennison pulls a notepad from his pocket and recounts that when the area was dryland only there were 28 homes in the immediate vicinity; now with irrigation there are 64 homes. The local school (Papakaio) has two new classes and the roll is increasing.
HOLDEN BELMONTS ALL IN A ROW USING HIS father’s terminology, Chris says, “Dad had a good year on the farm in 1975, and was able to afford a new Holden Belmont; by comparison, in 2014 with water we had a good year on the farm and could have bought 27 Holden Belmonts!” Chris says they would be in huge hole if it weren’t for irrigation; the future of the farm looks good for his son Henry (17) who will become the fourth generation to farm at Drumena.
RURAL NEWS // APRIL 19, 2016
NEWS 15
Hype not helpful – sheep dairyman PETER BURKE peterb@ruralnews.co.nz
TALK OF a billion dollar sheep dairy industry is unhelpful, according Maui Milk chief executive Peter Gatley. Gatley heads the company, a joint venture between the Waitiuhi Kuratau Trust (WKT) on the southwest side of Lake Taupo, and a small group
of Chinese marketing and distribution experts. He says while there is room for expansion in the industry it will be done to match market demand. “I don’t see it replacing bovine at all. I certainly don’t see the sheep driving all the cows into the sea – no way at all,” he told Rural News. “Take the perspective of the dairy goat co-oper-
ative – a great business with great products, a solid base, good distribution, some happy suppliers and a waiting list of farmers keen to be involved. But they have been going for 20-30 years and they are turning over about $180 million. If we could emulate the sort of thing the dairy goat co-operative has done, but do it in 10 years that
would be great,” Gatley says.
GOOD GENETICS THE KEY TO SUCCESS PRODUCTION PER ewe has been variable -- 150-300 litres per lactation. However, working with fellow geneticist Jake Chardon, Peter Gatley’s aim is to improve the genetic base of the East Friesian flock. This includes looking offshore for new genetic material. Gatley says the process for improving genetics is much the
same for any species -- similar principles apply. But there is a close link between genetics and feeding. “With a certain type of genetics you need certain types of farm systems to match those genetics and then you spend a lot of time optimising it,” he told Rural News. “Look at the dairy cattle industry where there is an enor-
mous focus on different type of farm systems. Given the genetics we have, we believe there is a hybrid system – that is predominantly pasture-based – that would make use of the advantages we have in NZ.” Gatley says they make some use of barns because the East Friesians need to be kept out of hot sun and severe cold.
Maui Milk’s Peter Gatley says there’s no way NZ’s fledging sheep milking industry will ever replace the bovine sector.
WKT has farmed sheep and beef for many years, but just eight years ago embarked on a sheep dairy operation. While it worked well it lacked good access to market, but this changed when the Chinese business people heard about it. Since the joint venture was formed, Gatley – whose background is in genetics – has seen a fundamental change in way the business (with 3000 ewes) has been run. “With the demand for
more product we changed the system, which previously had been low input, low output with lambs reared at foot and ewes milked once a day. There was not a huge emphasis on high-energy nutrition, but now we have geared that up, rearing about 2500 lambs directly onto the platform and getting the full benefit of the lactation of the ewes,” Gatley explains. “We have fed the lambs as best we could and milked the ewes twice
a day, herd tested them, culled out the bottom end and identified the best ones for breeding.” All the milk produced at WKT goes for processing at Waikato Innovation Park into milkpowder. The reason is that powder is a stable form, easy to handle, doesn’t need refrigeration and has a good shelf life, Gatley says. “It’s beautifully packaged and marketed in Shanghai and surrounds and we need quite a bit more just to satisfy demand and to give us some efficiency in our process, as it is very expensive to make powder in small batches.” @rural_news facebook.com/ruralnews
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RURAL NEWS // APRIL 19, 2016
16 NEWS
Fronting up to farming’s ‘appalling’ safety record He was an imposing force on the rugby field and now ex-All Black great and rugby icon Richard Loe wants farmers to stand up and take notice about safety. The 49-test veteran, three-time All Black captain and farmer is the new Safer Farms ambassador for Worksafe NZ and ACC. Richard Cosgrove gets the lowdown. TAKING ADVANTAGE of the kudos Richard Loe has with his fellow farmers, Worksafe’s programme manager agriculture, Al McCone, asked the former All Black and farmer to be the front man for the new campaign. Loe had worked with McCone previously on an in-house induction video
for new staff at Landcorp and saw the merit in Worksafe’s new campaign. “We have to farm smarter,” Loe says, referring to the 96 deaths in farming since 2011 – three times more than the nearest industry (construction) and almost four times forestry. Twenty six of those
Former All Black hard man Richard Loe is leading the charge for farmers to improve their on-farm safety record.
fatalities involved quads, and McCone points out that all the 26 killed were farm workers -- none were recreational riders. Normally almost half of all agriculture fatalities involve either quads or tractors, but last year almost of 50% were from quads only. The serious harm noti-
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islation means to them into the paddocks? Was fications also paint a telland how it will affect it last year or was it last ing picture: farming is them; most are concerned month? Did you do any fourth-worst, meaning about paperwork and that when something goes stretches to warm up?” workloads. Worksafe’s Al McCone wrong in agriculture it Showing his pragmatic says a large percentage of tends to go wrong tragiside, Loe points out most farm injuries result from cally. farmers normally carry lifting and/or slips, trips McCone calls a notebook where they and falls. About 60% of the situation in NZ record data about their farm injuries involve livefarming appalling and farm -- sheep tallies, when stock, to which Loe refunsustainable: we suffer and where they spray, erences the campaign twice the fatalities of animal health conditions, catchphrase ‘manage the Australia and triple those vehicle maintenance and risk’. of the United Kingdom; servicing requirements, He says identifying clearly something needs etc. areas on the farm that to change. “This data is already can cause harm and doing And that’s where the creating a paperformer All Black trail of the processes hard-man comes in. “What are we as across the whole farm When talking about farmers doing to that can be extraposafety, Loe asks the lated into health and question, “What are prepare ourselves procedures.” we as farmers doing for the task ahead?” safety Loe recommends to prepare ourselves – Richard Loe farmers do a Workfor the task ahead?” safe audit of their farm Using Julian as he did and get the Savea’s current form in Super Rugby as an anal- things to mitigate that risk ‘tick’. “It will validate your should be second nature, ogy, Loe says look at the existing procedures i.e. spraying when it’s turnaround in his form calm and using the proper or point out areas of with two weeks of intenimprovement and that protective gear to limit sive training and apply process will make you a your exposure to agrithat to farm tasks. He better farmer,” he says. chemicals. asks, do farmers do any “It will also place your Quoting fellow All training before going out farm in a better position if Black great Michael Jones to do their work? something does go wrong, saying it is better to be “For example, say as you will have been giver than a receiver of you’ve managed to get recorded as working to pain, Loe says no farmaway for a holiday break best practice.” ers set out to hurt themoverseas and when you With the Governselves. return it’s straight into ment’s goal of reducing “So look at your whole calving, and you’re out instances of serious harm operation and look at there in all weathers liftor death across all induswhat you already do and ing calves in ever-increastries by 25% by 2020, Loe, ing numbers,” he explains. how that applies to your farmers and Worksafe will health and safety.” “When was the last be busy in the coming four Loe says farmers want time you did any serious to know what the new leg- years. lifting before setting out
RURAL NEWS // APRIL 19, 2016
NEWS 17
Rates cap in Tararua district PETER BURKE peterb@ruralnews.co.nz
TARARUA DISTRICT Council is pledging to keep any rate rise in the coming year to below 2% as the downturn in the dairy industry hits. Mayor Roly Ellis says dairying is a major component of the local economy and he’s seeing the start of problems arising from the dairy downturn. Tararua District includes four major rural towns: Dannevirke in the north; and Woodville, Pahiatua and Eketahuna
in the south. Fonterra has a big factory at Pahiatua. The district also has other farming-related businesses in its towns, including agricultural machinery production. Ellis says the region has about 350 dairy farms, and their cashflow -- and that of the businesses that service them – is a big chunk of the money that circulates in Tararua. But the downturn has changed this. “Dairy farmers aren’t spending huge amounts in shops or the agricultural service businesses. I walk
the towns about every three months to find out what’s going on and talk to the shopkeepers and agri service businesses,” he told Rural News. “I have been a farmer myself and was a rural drought coordinator here in 2007-2010. I am a trustee to a big farming enterprise and so keep my ear to the ground.” Ellis says he has not so far heard of any dairy farmers forced to sell up, but he and the council are keeping a close watch on what’s happening, hence the cap on rates.
What worries Ellis most is the predicament facing sharemilkers, especially lower order ones. They are vulnerable and subject to some of the problems now starting to show up. “What has happened all over the world -- I have seen this in Britain where I farmed -- is that you go through highs and lows, and during the highs everyone gets wonderful ideas. “In fact, the dairy farmers haven’t had a check like this for years and years and they have
suddenly realised they now have to become more efficient. Efficiencies are going to come in, I am absolutely sure of that. People who have been spending liberally until now are suddenly facing
this check in what they can do.” Ellis says this has happened in the sheep and beef sector and farmers now better understand where the dollar has to be spent. He’s been through
this and admits it hurts like hell, but farmers go on to look at different ways of running their businesses. Ellis says his council is monitoring the dairy downturn.
Tararua District mayor Roly Ellis.
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4 .7 8
n/c
4 .6 3
S te e r - P2 300kg
n/c
5 .2 0
n/c
5 .0 0
c /kgCWT
B u ll - M2 300kg
n/c
Ve n is o n - AP 60kg
5 .1 5
n/c
n/c
7 .4 5
7 .4 0
Change
c/kgCWT
P 2 Steer - 300kg
n/c
M 2 B ull - 300kg
SI
5yr Ave
Last Year
$6.0 $5.5
5.15
5.15
5.45
P M - 16.0kg
3.90
4.45
P H - 22.0kg
5.20
4.00
4.00
Lo cal Trade - 230kg
n/c
5.30
5.30
n/c
3.90
n/c
M 2 B ull - 300kg
5.00
n/c
n/c
Lo cal Trade - 230kg
5.35 4.90
3.40
3.60
5.00
5.00
5.00
3.30
3.55
Slaughter
M utto n
SI Lamb
n/c
P X - 19.0kg
M utto n
4.78
5.03
4.81
5.06
4.76
5.01
4.80
5.05
2.40
2.40
n/c
4.63
4.63
4.93
4.63
4.96
4.63
4.91
4.63
4.63
n/c
3.15
4.63
4.63
n/c
M X1- 21kg
4.78
n/c
n/c
P H - 22.0kg
Last Year
4.81
n/c
P M - 16.0kg
2 Wks A go
4.80
n/c
YM - 13.5kg
Last Week 4.76
n/c
M X1 - 21kg
2.23
4.95
2.23
2.70
Slaughter N o rth Island Weekly Lamb Kill
400k
N o rth Island Weekly Cattle Kill
60k
n/c
P X - 19.0kg
4.70
3.40
Change
c/kgCWT NI Lamb YM - 13.5kg
4.50
4.60
3.30
n/c
5.45
5.00
4.60
n/c
M Co w - 200kg
This Year
Last Year
n/c
P 2 Co w - 230kg $6.5
2 Wks A go
P 2 Co w - 230kg
P 2 Steer - 300kg
No rth Island 16.0kg M Lamb Price
Last Week 5.20
n/c
M Co w - 200kg
4 .6 0
n/c
LAMB PRICES
BEEF PRICES NI
LAMB MARKET TRENDS
300k
$5.0
40k
$4.5
Jan-9
Feb-9
Mar-9
Apr-9
May-9
200k
Jun-9
5yr Ave
20k
S o uth Island 16.0kg M Lamb Price
5yr Ave Last Year This Year
$6.0
k Jan-9
$5.5 $5.0
Feb-9
Mar-9
Apr-9
May-9
k
Last Year This Year
Jan
Feb
Jun-9
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
S o uth Island Weekly Lamb Kill 400k
S o uth Island Weekly Cattle Kill
30k
100k
300k
$4.5
200k 5yr Ave
$4.0 Jan-9
Feb-9
Last Year
Mar-9
Apr-9
This Year
May-9
20k
100k
Jun-9
k
10k
5yr Ave
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Last Year
No rth Island 300kg Bull Price
This Year
k Jan-9
$6.0
Feb-9
Mar-9
Apr-9
May-9
Export Market Demand
Jun-9
Change
$5.5
Export Market Demand
$5.0
Change
5yr Ave
$4.5
Last Year This Year
$4.0 Jan-9
Feb-9
Mar-9
Apr-9
May-9
Jun-9
S o uth Island 300kg Steer Price
$6.0
+4
95CL US$ /lb
2 Wks A go
Last Year
5yr A ve
6.70
6.45
7.70
6.17
2.02
2.60
2.26
D e m and Indicator - US 95CL Beef
$3.00
$5.5
Last Week 2.06
+2 5
NZ$ /kg
UK Leg £/lb
n/c
NZ$ /kg
Last Week
2 Wks A go
Last Year
5yr A ve
7.80
7.80
7.71
7.98
1.55
n/c
1.55
1.77
D e m and Indicator - UK Leg Price £2.50 £2.00 Last Year
£1.50
This Year
£1.00 Jan-9
$2.50
1.93
Feb-9
Mar-9
Apr-9
May-9
Jun-9
$5.0
$2.00
$4.5
5yr Ave
$4.0
Last Year
$3.5 Jan-9
This Year
Feb-9
Mar-9
Apr-9
May-9
Jun-9
This Year
$1.50 Jan-9
Feb-9
Mar-9
Change 5yr Ave Last Year
$7.5
This Year
$7.0
Apr-9
% Returned NI % Returned SI
85%
-4% -4%
May-9
Jun-9
2Wks A go
3 Wks A go
68.7%
72.9%
76.9%
80.6%
Last Year
5yr A ve
61.1%
66.1%
70.16%
$6.0 Jan-9
Mar-9
Apr-9
May-9
S o uth Island 60kg Stag Price
$8.0
Jun-9 5yr Ave This Year
80% $7.0
This Year
Feb-16 Mar-16
Apr-16
May-16
Jun-16
Mar-9
Apr-9
May-9
Jun-9
60% Jan-16
68.0%
60%
69.5%
Last Year This Year Feb-9
Mar-9
Apr-9
May-9
Jun-9
P r o curement Indicator - South I. 70%
60%
Last Year
50% Jan-9
Feb-9
Mar-9
Apr-9
May-9
Jun-9
This Year
Venison Prices
65% Feb-9
65.5%
This Year
Last Year
70%
$6.0 Jan-9
59.6%
5yr A ve
66.8%
P r o curement Indicator - South I.
75%
$6.5
59.6%
61.5%
P r o curement Indicator - North I.
Last Year
Last Year
$7.5
0.0%
62.8%
Last Year
70%
50% Jan-9
70% 65% Jan-16
1.3 %
3 Wks A go
P r o curement Indicator - North I.
75% Feb-9
% Returned NI
2Wks A go
72.4%
80%
$6.5
Change % Returned SI
Procurement Indicator
No rth Island 60kg S tag Price
$8.0
Procurement Indicator
Last Year
Change
Feb-16
Mar-16
Apr-16
May-16
Jun-16
NI Stag - 60kg SI Stag - 60kg
n/c n/c
Last Week
2 Wks A go
Last Year
5yr A ve
7.40
7.40
6.23
6.76
7.45
7.45
6.35
6.68
Beef & venison prices are reported as gross (before normal levies & charges are deducted). Lamb & mutton prices are reported nett (after levies & charges are deducted).
570 /L
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RURAL NEWS // APRIL 19, 2016
MARKETS 19 NEWS BEEF SLAUGHTER: Dairy cows are
making up the bulk of the slaughter at present, however kill rates have begun to ease a little. The cow slaughter is high, as is normal for this time of the season, but numbers are being processed without too much difficulty throughout the North Island. Space is harder to come by in the South Island, with some shipping stock to the North Island to be slaughtered. However there has seen an increase in the availability of space from areas from Otago and further south. Cow operating prices in the North Island have fallen 45c/kg in the four weeks to April 8, while 60c/kg has come out of South Island prices. Prime export slaughter prices have fared better, only easing 20c/kg over the four weeks in both islands.
STORE BEEF: Store cattle markets through the North Island have been positive for sellers lately. Schedules may be falling but store prices have held stable over the past fortnight in the North Island. Weaner prices in the South Island have come back, but this is more of a case of the market settling to a reasonable level, rather than any forces working against the market. Current South Island prices are up 6575c/kg on last year. INTERNATIONAL BEEF: US beef market has settled. The volume of cow
PRICE WATCH meat entering the market from NZ has been less than initially anticipated by US importers, while offeringsout of Australia remain limited due to their ongoing weak cattle kill. The US is heading into their grilling season, which should mean improved demand from the retail sector. US imported 90CL cow was most recently recorded at US$1.88/lb, while imported 95CL was trading at US$2.06/lb. South American beef, particularly from Brazil, continues to take up a larger share of the imported beef market in China. Throughout February 22,980t of South American beef was imported into China, making up a 62% share of the market. Australia beef made up 5914t of imports, with NZ beef less than 1000t behind Australia.
SHEEP: Store lamb markets have
been given a boost over the past couple of weeks. Decent on-farm feed levels coupled with orchardists and viticulturists entering the market have pushed prices upwards. However facial eczema has impacted on the quality of stock being traded in the North Island. Slaughter rates through the North Island have begun to tail off, while parts of the South Island are already seeing more space becoming available. Though this is partly due to the resumption of normal kill rosters after two shortened kill weeks around Easter.
WOOL PRICE WATCH
Overseas Wool Price Indicators
Change
07-Apr
31-Mar
Last Year
Coarse Xbred
+11
5.64
5.53
4.78
Fine Xbred
+8
5.73
5.65
5.26
Lamb
+9
6.24
6.15
6.25
-
-
-
-
Indicators in NZ$
Mid Micron
Wool Indicator Trends
850 CXI
FXI
07-Apr
31-Mar
Last Year
+3
3.85
3.82
3.76
+1
3.91
3.91
4.28
+1
4.26
4.25
4.90
-
-
-
-
Change
Coarse Xbred Fine Xbred Lamb Mid Micron
Wool Indicator Trends
600
LI
CXI
550
750
FXI
LI
500
650
450
550 450
Indicators in US$/kg
400 Apr
Jun
Aug
Oct
Dec
Feb
Apr
Apr
Jun
Aug
Oct
Dec
Feb
Coarse Xbred Indictor in US$
Coarse Xbred Indicator
650
350
450
600
400
550 Last Year This Year
500 450
Oct
Dec
Feb
Apr
Jun
Aug
INTERNATIONAL SHEEP: The UK lamb market is
stable at present with frozen leg prices remaining at ÂŁ3.40/kg, which is unchanged since late November. Reports also suggest the chilled Easter trade was a little
350 300
Last Year This Year
Oct
Dec
Feb
Apr
Jun
Aug
more difficult for NZ exporters this year, with domestically grown lamb providing price competition. The supply of domestic lamb is forecast to be high again this season which will work against improvements in returns. Both the US and continental Europe markets are also stable.
KingSt13394_RN_A
stay a step ahead
RURAL NEWS // APRIL 19, 2016
20 AGRIBUSINESS
Milking vodka from sheep PETER BURKE peterb@ruralnews.co.nz
FANCY A vodka? Ever thought of looking over the fence for your quaff? Well, a boutique Australian sheep milking farm in Tasmania is now making a popular vodka using whey from sheep milk. Diane Rae, an owner of the farm, Grandvewe Cheeses, was in New Zealand recently for the sheep milking conference and revealed that her son has developed the world’s only sheep vodka – so they think. A 700ml hand-painted bottle, signed by her son Ryan Hartshorn, costs $A90 – rather more than most NZ farmers get for a lamb these days. And he has made a vanilla whey liqueur which sells for $A40.
Tasmanian sheep milking farmer Dianne Rae is blown away at how quickly the industry has developed in NZ.
Grandvewe is a multi-faceted business based on sheep cheese making; other products are also sold in their café and function centre. And their tourist operation attracts about 40,000 visitors annually. Rae says the cheese production is a relatively small operation “We have about 200 dairy
sheep of which we milk 80-100 each year. We process 25,00030,000 L of milk each year, but our products are high-end and we have won numerous awards for them. “We sell our products online, at the farm and at various gourmet foodie shows around Australia. The aim is to tell our unique story and this
works well. We also sell about 10% of our products at selected stores and direct to top Australian chefs,” she says. Grandvewe makes about 12 different varieties of cheese with such appetising names as Blondie, Brebichon, Cannonball, Pamela, Pampino Sapphire Blue and White Pearl. They also produce other delicacies like sheep milk ice cream, pinot paste and smoked mutton sausage. For help around the farm Rae uses ‘woofers’ who stay for a minimum of a month. “We train them in some of the work we do, so for example they look after our sheep, help us milk them, help us pack the cheese and do a lot of the washing up in the café because we are an onfarm tourist operator as well,” she says.
INTERESTING CAREER PATH FOR PIONEER DIANE RAE is not your typical farmer by any stretch of the imagination. She clearly thrives on the success of the business and the marketing of its products. By profession she is a financial planner and a psychologist and notes that her business partners have made it clear they don’t want her psychoanalysing the sheep. “This all started 14 years ago when I went to Tassie on a holiday and fell in love with the place and decided to move there. Once I got there, I had to find some way of making a living and this was it. My contact with sheep was very limited: I’d once had six Suffolks in the back yard of a small farm,” she says. Today Rae and her business partners have built up their own dairy sheep breed – a cross between the East Friesian, and the Awassie, and some secret herbs and spices, she adds. Rae disputes any suggestion that sheep are dumb, scatty animals. Rather she says they are highly intelligent creatures that stress easily and sometimes do things people regard as stupid. “They are happy animals and if they don’t want to be in the bail you just pick them up and put them there. If they die you don’t have to get a machine to dig a hole, and they are much easier to deal with for me as a woman. I can at least lift a sheep and put it where I want to, which I can’t do with a cow,” she says. Rae says there are many advantages with milking sheep: you can milk them once a day, you need only milk them seven months of the year and – best of all – you get very high value products. Rae’s blown away by the way NZers have taken up the concept of sheep milking and have done so much so soon. She says the Australian industry began in the 1980s and has gone backwards. “What NZ is doing is wonderful to see,” she says.
behind our farmers for 40 years
see rex butterworth’s story at www.pioneer.nz www.PIONEER.nz
0800 PIONEER (746 633)
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RURAL NEWS // APRIL 19, 2016
AGRIBUSINESS 21
What’s happening in the wool market? This month we catch up with Rabobank commodity analyst Georgia Twomey, who is responsible for analysing developments in wool markets. She is one of Rabobank’s 80 food and agribusiness research analysts worldwide. Wool has had perhaps its best season since the 2011-12 wool price spike. What has driven this strength? The depreciation of the NZ dollar has had a critical role to play in the price performance of NZ wool over the past year. In saying that, even in USD terms, the New Zealand coarse crossbred indicator has certainly performed better than both other competing fibres and more broadly against many other commodities globally including oil and other agricultural commodities. The demand for particular wool types has helped to strengthen some prices to record highs. Although retreating from its peak so far this season, lambs wool, for example, continues to shine, with the average price to date around 700c/kg clean,
some 6% above last season’s average and some 36% above the average for 2013-14. Why has wool outperformed many other fibres and commodities? Abundant supply of a number of hard and soft commodities, and a strong US dollar, has been keeping a cap on many global commodity prices. One of the most relevant in relation to wool is of course the oil price, which in its fall to 12-year lows has dragged synthetic fibre prices down with it. This has made the relative strength of wool prices even more interesting. The high stocks pressuring a number of global commodities, such as oil and cotton, have not and are not expected to present an issue for wool. At the International Wool and Tex-
tile Organisation Congress in Australia this month it was reported wool stocks through the pipeline are expected to fall in the next 12 months and with global wool production forecast to drop yearon-year, supply is set to tighten. What demand factors have been driving the market; can the strength be maintained? Trade in interior textiles has in recent years stabilised following a number of years of decline in most types of wool carpet trade. This stabilisation and recovery in some segments will have contributed to the improved prices for coarse crossbred wool in recent seasons. Those wools that have fed the demand in the wool processing system for products like outerwear experienced record prices in 2015. While they have dropped back from their record levels, they remain above long term average
prices. Whether this can be sustained is reliant on continued strong demand for those types of products from consumers. The slow growth environment will certainly present headwinds, however positive consumer growth in key wool consuming markets is positive. What might the slowdown in China mean for textiles? China is a major factor in wool’s 2016 outlook and beyond, with much of the world’s wool processing and an increasing amount consumed in China. Over half of NZ wool is exported there each season, making it a crucial market. The momentum for their transition away from a manufacturing based economy to a consumer based economy looks set to continue, reinforced in the nation’s recently adopted 13th five-year plan. However for textiles it is unlikely this will be rapid. While textile hubs continue to grow in other parts of Asia and NZ, wool exports to Europe are increasing to date. China’s share of the world textile market remains dominant and will likely remain that way for some years. What about the Merino market in Aus-
tralia? Prices for fine wool in Australia have lifted, largely because of a weaker currency. Premiums for these types remain below average however because the Australian supply of wool finer than 19.5micron, although back marginally year on year, remains high. This excess supply has capped the upside price opportunity for these types, while mid micron Merino types in Australia, on the back of continued erosion of volumes, have performed better. What is outlook for NZ wool? There are definitely headwinds for the sector, such as the potential for sustained weakness in competing fibres and the impact of slower world growth on consumption. However, the dollar is playing an important role in the improvement of returns to NZ woolgrowers and if that depreciation continues there will be opportunity for continued strong prices. • Georgia will be visiting New Zealand during the week of April 18-22 to speak at Rabobank branch functions in the North and South Islands. If you would like to learn more, contact your local Rabobank branch on 0800 722 622.
RURAL NEWS // FEBRUARY 17, 2016
22 OPINION EDITORIAL
EDNA
The case for irrigation THE COUNTRY’S irrigation industry is starting to fight back against its many critics. It has begun a communications offensive, first by inviting journalists – many from outside the rural media – to attend its annual conference in Oamaru earlier this month. Many presentations during the two days suggested ways to communicate the benefits of irrigation schemes to farmers, communities and the general public. The biggest criticism the irrigators face is the environmental objection to intensified farming and the consequent increase in nutrients flowing back to waterways. Then there’s the criticism that allowing this farm intensification is destroying natural landscapes. Just last week, the Green Party called on ACC not to invest public money in the proposed Ruataniwha Dam, which it claimed “could be a disaster for the Hawkes’ Bay environment”. The Greens water spokesperson goes on to sneeringly add, “Private irrigation schemes should be privately funded, not out of New Zealanders’ pockets.” These anti-irrigation groups share a false belief that irrigation schemes only benefit farmers and provide no economic or environmental benefits to the wider community. This proposition is demonstrably false and it is good to see the irrigation sector go on the front foot to refute it. Irrigation provides an economic boost, particularly to regions traditionally hit often by long droughts. It was no coincidence that the irrigators’ conference was held in the North Otago region. The area was once a notorious drought zone. But the establishment of the North Otago Irrigation Company (NOIC) to take water from the Waitaki River has saved the district and brought many economic, environmental and recreational benefits to the region. A study released by NOIC at the conference shows that the irrigation has added $45 million to the district’s GDP and led to the creation of 274 full time-equivalent jobs. And that sort of economic gain is why both the Government and the irrigators support irrigation. But as Irrigation NZ chair Nicky Hyslop says, irrigators need to keep telling their story if they are to gain and maintain public support. And without that public support, they will not persuade an already-gunshy Government to move on with legislation.
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“I fixed the short leg on your ladder!”
THE HOUND Hooray for ‘Hen’ry
Want to share your opinion or gossip with the Hound? Send your emails to: hound@ruralnews.co.nz
Dopey move
YOUR CANINE crusader suggests it’s no wonder Labour’s primary indusA MATE of the Hound reckons tries spokesman Damien O’Connor is those who think dairy is tough now looking a little lost in the Labour going these days should spare a caucus. His fellow right-wingers are thought for former Fonterra chair falling faster than Andrew Little’s poll Sir Henry van der Heyden. The rating. ‘Shane Jones left a year or so ex-dairy boss is – among a myriad ago, Phil Goff is leaving to contest business ventures – a director of the Auckland mayoralty and Mike chicken farm Heyden Farms. This Moore protégé Clayton Cosgrove has company has been in the news announced he won’t stand again in lately for its bad animal welfare 2017. Meanwhile, O’Connor seems practices (‘colony’ chickens) and to have decided his future is aligned now its eggs have been pulled with would-be coalition partners from Countdown supermarkets the Greens: he is promoting ‘medicnationwide. As your old mate’s inal’ cannabis. The West Coast MP confidant opined: “it looks like recently entered a member’s bill in the chickens are coming home to the ballot, seeking a law change that roost for Hank!” Perhaps a $3.90 would allow access to cannabis proddairy payout is not so bad, eh ucts by people suffering a terminal Henry. illness. As one wit told your old mate, the move is less dopey than many of Labour’s other proposed plans.
Tax it
A new element
THE HOUND notes recent reports in British news media that the UK Government’s dietary adviser says people should halve their consumption of dairy food to try to avert or reduce obesity. Public Health England (PHE) says men should have only 200 calories of dairy per day, while women should have just 160 calories. The Pommie health body’s call has been savaged by nutritionists, MPs and the dairy industry, accusing the PHE of putting public health at risk with its “baffling” advice. They say the new guidance does not provide for enough calcium or iodine in people’s diet, essential for healthy bones and brain development. Your old mate wonders how long before the Greens and other do-gooders in NZ get onto this and start calling for a milk tax!
A MATE of the Hound reckons a scientific discovery has been made in the unearthing of a new element. Apparently, researchers have discovered the heaviest element yet known to science: Governmentium (Gv), has one neutron, 25 assistant neutrons, 88 deputy neutrons and 198 assistant deputy neutrons, giving it an atomic mass of 312. These 312 particles are held together by forces called morons, which are surrounded by vast quantities of lepton-like particles called pillocks. Since Governmentium has no electrons, it is inert. However, it can be detected, because it impedes every reaction with which it comes into contact. A tiny amount of Governmentium can cause a reaction that would normally take less than a second to drag on over four days to four years.
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RURAL NEWS // APRIL 19, 2016
OPINION 23
Time for the country to fight back!
Tim Gilbertson says dairy farmers need to fight back against the sector’s critics.
Former Central Hawkes Bay local body politician and the ‘worse half’ of a dairy farmer Tim Gilbertson proposes a way for beleaguered dairy farmers to fight back against the sector’s army of critics. DON’T GET me wrong, I’ve nothing against dairy farmers. In fact, I like them so much I married one! But what is wrong with our milk harvesting brothers? For years they’ve suffered in stolid silence as they get abused, maligned and vilified just for trying to make an honest dollar and keeping the economy afloat. You’d think they’d be national heroes like Spitfire pilots in the Battle of Britain. No way, Jose! Amid endless accusations of environmental terrorism, the expression ‘dirty dairying’ has passed into the national vocabulary and a once proud industry has accepted the label of pariahs of the planet without a murmur It’s not my job to tell cow cockies how to put on cups, but they need to fight fire with fire. The label ‘stinking cities’ springs to mind. The biggest danger facing planet Earth is not cows pumping out nitrogen, it is cars pumping out carbon; nearly all that carbon comes from cities. NZ dairy farmers have spent some $2 billion over the last decade to reduce nitrates and phosphates. But the cities have spent zilch on reducing carbon. There are only 1014 electric cars registered in NZ; that’s the strength of their commitment. An electric car costs the same to register as a 7L V8-powered vehicle. That tells you that, unlike the rural sector, there is no resolve, desire or urgency among city slickers for action on global warming. How hypocritical is that? Add in urban sprawl, more motorways, struggling public transport and the tag ‘stinky cities’ is a mild reproach to urbanites sitting in traffic lashing out at the humble milk producer. Dairy farmers know there is a problem and are seeking solutions. But it’s business as usual on Queen Street and Lambton Quay. Politicians and journalists are happy to beat up
the dairy industry. They scream ‘dirty dairying’ every time they see a paddock that isn’t Eden Park. Around 14,000 dairy farmers are too small a constituency to threaten parliamentary majorities or sales of newspapers and we farmers put up with this nonsense. Tourism is now said to be our major foreign exchange earner. Passenger jets are responsible for 3% of all fossil fuel emissions and high altitude carbon dioxide is extra lethal. (A Boeing 747 used to burn 40 tonnes of fuel to fly from London to Auckland.) But you don’t hear of ‘toxic tourism’ and no one demands that holiday makers paddle themselves to Fiji and back in a wooden waka. More hypocrisy. The Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment produces an annual report which always refers to the damage caused by dairying. And it also focuses on widespread and increasing urban pollution. But the media, the Greens and other politicians all turn aside from the big problems and focus on the rural sector – because they don’t want to upset the readers and voters who live in Auckland, Christchurch and Wellington. We country folk have spent decades trying to buddy up to our urban cousins, and so we should. Sadly, the romance has died. Now it’s time for tough love. For every picture of a cow standing in a river there should be a dozen shots of traffic jams in Auckland filling the skies with poison. The cow picture should be captioned “We’re doing something about it. How about you?” When reports appear on the state of the environment, the farming media should give frontpage coverage to urban transgressions -- heavy metals in harbours, trashed city streams and leaking
landfills. Don’t get me wrong, I like city people. They pro-
vide useful services like flag referendums. But they are killing the planet and
blaming us. It’s time they were outed and forced to mend their ways.
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RURAL NEWS // APRIL 19, 2016
24 OPINION
People, not animals the antibiotic problem THE ERA of ‘peak antibiotics’ might have arrived, but not because of antibiotic use in farm animals in New Zealand. In an examination of 26 EU and EEA countries in 2012, the estimated usage of antimicrobials in food producing animals varied from 3.8mg active ingredient/kg biomass in Norway to 341 in Italy. NZ’s usage that year was 9.4, third after Iceland (a country not known for its large animal population). In contrast, the overall level of antibiotic use by community patients in NZ in 2010 was less than used in Greece, Belgium, France and Italy, but was greater than in Spain and most other European countries. Research just published in the New Zealand Veterinary Journal (lead author Dr Eric Hillerton) reports that usage of antimicrobials for human health in NZ in 2012 was estimated at 121mg active ingredient/kg biomass. Of the countries compared, NZ ranked 16th.
A quick calculation suggests that use in humans was 12.9 times the use in animals. These facts are important in the blame game that is occurring because of the increase in reports of antibiotic resistance. At the beginning of April, five patients admitted to Dunedin Hospital were reported to have screened positive for an antibiotic resistant bacteria, known as vancomycin-resistant enterococcus (VRE). This has increased concerns raised at the end of last year when resistance was found to colistin, the ‘last resort’ antibiotic. The authors of the report suggested the cause was likely to be “overuse in farm animals”. Too often the distinction isn’t made about ‘where’. In many countries prophylactic anti-
biotics are administered to keep a herd or flock disease free. By operating in a disease-free environment, animals are able to grow faster or put more energy into food production than they would if they were suppressing an infection. But in NZ antibiotic use is heavily regulated. It is controlled by veterinarians of prescribing and authorisation practices and administered only in response to sickness and ill health. In considerable contrast, it appears the human population is awash with antibiotics. In the seven years from 2005 to 2012, annual per capita antibiotic consumption by community patients in NZ increased by 43% – an average of 6% a year. University of Auckland lead researcher Dr Mark Thomas stated that
“antibiotic use in NZ in recent years is comparable with those countries considered to have profligate levels of antibiotic use, and so have high levels of antibiotic resistance”. The problem for the future is that the path to approval and release of a new antibiotic is long and expensive. Heathline.com suggests that pharmaceutical companies spend an average of US$5 billion in research and testing for each new drug they bring to market. These costs cover the approximate 80% of drugs emerging from laboratories which fail during the testing process (safety or efficacy). The European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies estimates that large pharmaceutical companies need annual sales of up to US$800 million to recover R&D costs. Although smaller companies might need only US$100 million to cover investments, they also rely on larger
companies to buy their successful drugs. Overall it is more lucrative for pharmaceutical companies to concentrate on drugs that can be used regularly without losing effectiveness, such as antidepressants, statins and anti-inflammatory medications, than to develop new ones. Many pharmaceutical companies have ceased research on antibiotics, and the US Food and Drug Authority has approved only two systemic antibiotics in the past five years. This is an 88% drop from the mid-1980s. Concerns about antibiotic resistance and antibiotic use in farm animals should be used in marketing the NZ product globally, and to extract a premium price from the consumer. And everybody should consider whether they can recover from the latest bug with rest and relaxation rather than with drugs. • Jacqueline Rowarth is professor of agribusiness, The University of Waikato.
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RURAL NEWS // APRIL 19, 2016
OPINION 25
Carry on and keep everyone safe THIS MONTH marks the launch of new health and safety laws making all of us doing a job more responsible for creating safe working environments. The new law sees a shift from ‘do I have a responsibility, to what is my responsibility? It recognises that everyone has a role to play in health and safety. It is important all rural contractors are familiar with these changes, because the new law also brings in far more severe penalties, including jail, for those who don’t comply. For business owners and directors – such as rural contractors – managing the business’s health and safety risk is now as important as managing financial and reputational risk and it needs the same attention. Responsibility for health and safety is on anyone who has a significant say in the day-to-day running of an organisation, including employers and employees. The acronym used for these people is PCBU – a ‘person conducting a business or undertaking’. To meet your obligations as a PCBU, you must take all practicable steps to provide and maintain a safe work environment. This includes identifying risks and finding practical ways to manage hazards. Currently, the rural contracting industry is working hard to encour-
age and attract good people. It is all very well having a top-of-the-line tractor, but it is not much use if there is nobody to drive it. That’s why RCNZ spends a good deal of its time and resources on ensuring we are involved with and working alongside others to improve and enhance the safety of our members and their staff. For example, the work RCNZ did – alongside others – with WorkSafe NZ to ensure the opinions of rural contractors were part of any new codes of practice developed for the new health and safety laws for work done on and around farms. Under the HSE Act, employers and employees must take all practicable steps to provide and keep a safe work environment. One way to ensure this is to keep an operating health and safety plan in place, not sitting on a shelf gathering dust. Such a plan doesn’t have to be complex, it just needs to identify existing and potential hazards and put ‘controls’ in place to manage hazards. Employers also need to train and/or supervise employees so they can do their job safely. Employees have a responsibility to keep themselves and their fellow workers safe. It is not a bad idea to get an experienced worker to supervise new or untrained employees. Training helps people share knowledge and develop skills. It can also help influence
Chances are if you are doing the right thing currently in regards to health and safety; then any changes are going to be minimal.
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RURAL NEWS // APRIL 19, 2016
26 MANAGEMENT
Environmental showcase ‘good PAM TIPA pamelat@ruralnews.co.nz
ENVIRONMENTAL INITIATIVES began as just good farming practice for the first-ever supreme winners of the Auckland Ballance Farm Environment Awards (BFEA). Richard and Dianne Kidd, of Whenuanui Farm,
Helensville, began fencing and planting about 35 years ago for stock health and farm management. But enthusiasm also grew for the environmental side as they started to see the benefits. The BFEA judges described the Kidd family’s 376ha sheep, beef and forestry unit, as “a show-
piece farm on the edge of Auckland city”. Richard Kidd says about 35 years ago they started planting poplars along fencelines and fencing drains. “It meant the stock weren’t getting stuck in the drains but it also meant by keeping stock out we were improving
the quality of the water,” he told Rural News. “We pump from the streams for the stock so that immediately lifted the quality of the water we were using and of the water that would go down into the Kaipara Harbour. “Bush blocks on the farm were in gullies: if you wanted to lamb a ewe
or treat a sick one they would run down the hill and it was a hell of a struggle to get them out. “So I thought ‘if I fence off the bush they can’t run in under it’. Before you knew it, all the regeneration took place and now they are vibrant blocks of bush with lots of seedlings.
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“We’ve enhanced that and planted kauri and other native trees like rimu that weren’t here. It looks good. We have always liked trees around the farm, aesthetically and for shelter and shade for the stock. Now every paddock has a trough; they don’t have to go into streams. We’ve got good quality water for them. It started as good farming practice.” Richard and Dianne, who have three adult sons, have farmed the flat to easy-rolling property since the late 1970s. They are assisted by long-time manager Jeffrey Bradly, who oversees day-to-day stock management. The beef breeding and sheep breeding and finishing operation runs 4820 stock units on 331ha (effective), with a pine woodlot established on 18.5ha and 15.3ha of regenerating native bush. Diane says best farm practice is being able to manage your stock health, pasture and the shade for the animals. From that grew their love of the environment. “Initially there were a lot of poplars and practical shelter belts and over time we’ve learnt a lot about the native trees. “Because we’ve been doing it so long we are reaping the benefits of it so we enjoy the birdlife, the flora and fauna. Within two or three years as soon as you fence
things you see the regeneration. “The journey starts with best farm practice and you see all the benefits in the whole landscape of your farm.” Richard says when they planted they wondered if they would see them reach mature size in their lifetime. But they have some big kauris now. “Once you get into it you see other pockets and you think ‘I’m going to fence that one too because the others have come up so well’.” Dianne says you develop energy because you see the rewards early on. Now they thrill to see the native birds in their garden and all over the farm. Richard says that includes good flocks of wood pigeons. Council incentives over the years to retire parts of the farm for bush or wetlands have been helpful. Dianne says they have done some fencing every year but it has to be balanced with resources, both labour and capital. It costs a lot. “There is payback in spades in the environmental and stock health and running of the farm but you can’t do it all in a year or two.” Richard says the shade and clean water definitely show in stock health. They have always had a policy of keeping nitrogen use to what is required. “We’ve never poured on mas-
SETTING EXAMPLE RICHARD AND Dianne Kidd says there is a “huge groundswell” movement towards good environmental practices onfarm. While his advice to young farmers is to fence their bush and look after their water, he says they are already doing it. Dianne says young farmers now understand the requirements for best practice and the regulations coming in on waterways. “The [young farmers] will be the generation where it is par for the course,” she says. “It will absolutely be part of their farming practice whereas we have been part of the change era and Richard has had the vision of leading that change era by example. “You can lead by example and I think that is what we have done here. “Our [word] to young farmers is ‘we think they are doing a great job and they are probably already on board’.” But she says infrastructure is probably one of the biggest challenges to farmers just starting out on their journey, and it costs a lot of money. They were able to spread it out over a long time, but young farmers today can’t do that.
RURAL NEWS // APRIL 19, 2016
MANAGEMENT 27
farm practice’ Auckland region Ballance Environmental Farm Award winners Richard and Dianne Kidd on their Helensville farm.
sive amounts of fertiliser; always only what the land can sustain.” They do plenty of soil testing and herbage analysis. They put on maintenance plus a bit more and make use of lime. Diane says nutrient analysis available now is very sophisticated. “You can balance it from pad-
dock to paddock, you know exactly what you’re doing,” she says. Richard refers to computer programs that calculate the sustainable levels of nutrients. That’s today’s buzzword but he says they have always adhered to the principle without using the word. “We have done everything
to make sure the land is looked after.” Richard says people comment the farm is very tidy. “We keep maintenance up and machinery is well looked after. It all makes for running an efficient operation but also necessary for the health and safety that’s on every-
body’s mind these days.” In a safe environment fences and machinery are well maintained and if something needs repairing or a bridge has a broken board, they fix it. “We don’t want accidents on the place,” he says. Richard and Dianne came in 1978 to the farm – then owned by an aunt and uncle – built up equity and took it over in 1992. That’s when they sank money into capital infrastructure; fencing and planting had already started but they were able to invest more. Dianne worked in Auckland in the early days and they have increased the size by 50% through acquisition of neighbouring blocks. They now have an economic size of about 376ha. Richard says they have always been sheep and beef farmers. The main change is that the stock performance has lifted hugely. “In fact we are carrying fewer sheep and producing more lambs. The genetics have really improved.” @rural_news facebook.com/ruralnews
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RURAL NEWS // APRIL 19, 2016
28 MANAGEMENT
Challenge for NZ sheep milking A big challenge to the New Zealand sheep milking industry is that a lot of the known science is based on overseas indoor, or mixed indoor-outdoor systems and not the outdoor pasture-based NZ system. Peter Burke reports. AGRESEARCH’S DR Sue McCoard says overseas milking sheep are often fed on a ‘total mixed ration’ (TMR) – a mixture of conserved forage and concentrate, or using high concentrate feeding systems. But McCoard reckons there is a lack of scientific data on how to optimise dairy sheep production on NZ’s pasture system and that we need to fully understand how our system works to get the best long term results from our milking sheep. McCoard is working alongside Dr David Stevens’ in the onfarm, MBIE-funded Competitive Sheep Dairying programme, led by Dr Linda Samuelsson; this is aimed at improving feeding, management and farming systems to enhance lifetime milk production from a ewe and optimise lamb rearing systems. The wider programme also includes understanding the unique compositional and functional attributes of the milk to support novel product development, and the environmental footprint, of dairy sheep systems. “We are particularly focused on the impact of nutrition on the performance of the animal. Nutrition in early life is important for survival and growth of the young lamb either as a replacement animal to go into the milking flock or for meat production,” she explains. “Our research aims to optimise both artificial (i.e. by hand) and natural rearing systems, to reduce mortality and to deliver healthy lambs that grow well, and to optimise their lifetime performance. An important aspect of this is how we feed them in early life and how that impacts the future
Sue McCoard reckons there is a lack of data on how to maximise dairy sheep production on NZ pasture systems.
performance of that animal.” McCoard says the aim is to get more than just an adequate lamb at the end of the process. They are interested in the implications of early life nutrition on the physiology of the lamb for her future growth, health and reproduction and milk production – understanding what is going on inside the animal and how nutrition and management affects these production traits. She says organs and tissues undergo substantial development and growth in early life (prenatal and soon after birth) and the researchers are particularly interested in the formation of the mammary gland and how nutrition preand post-weaning affects the development of that gland, because it can affect
milk production potential. Their research is indicating that the period after weaning (12-20 weeks) is important for mammary gland growth leading up to puberty, but the longterm implications for milk production are still being evaluated. “We have been looking at what to feed young ewe replacements and how this affects the development of the mammary gland and what that might mean for her future reproduction performance and the implications for her milk production. The early life nutrition and rearing research is to develop systems fit for purpose, in terms of cost-benefit, production performance and practicality.” In NZ a lot of research has been
done on growing lambs faster postweaning using the ‘rocket fuel’ pastures plantain, chicory and red clover. While this has positive implications for growing lambs faster for slaughter, the outcomes of rapid growth may have trade-offs for mammary development in future milking ewes; so it is important to better understand what are the optimal feeding systems for young ewe replacements for dairy sheep operations, McCoard says. “Overseas studies have shown that in terms of mammary development, growing lambs too fast when they are young can adversely affect their milk production. Whether that actually occurs in our pasture-based systems we don’t know because it is harder to get animals really fat on a pasture-only diet versus grain-based concentrate feeding systems. “Feeding during key developmental time windows, such as when the mammary gland is forming prior to puberty, is important and understanding what to feed, how to feed and when to feed is quite a big challenge,” she says. In some overseas dairy milking systems, the lambs are reared on the ewes until weaning and then the ewes are milked for commercial production. But she notes that 25% of a ewe’s milk production is in the first month, so these systems can limit the yield of commercial milk. “In addition to our research into artificial lamb rearing systems, which enables ewes to be milked soon after lambing, we have recently experimented to evaluate the potential of weaning naturally reared lambs early in lamb growth as well as commercial
milk production from the ewes,” McCoard adds. “We separated the lambs from their mothers for a short time during the day from two weeks of age. This separation encourages them to eat solid feed which develops the rumen which in turn supports the transition off a milk diet onto pasture which occurs at weaning. It also enables those ewes to be milked once a day, following which they get reunited with their lambs.” McCoard says the lambs were weaned from four weeks of age versus five-six weeks for the standard system. She says their research showed that early separation of lambs from the ewes, coupled with early weaning, does not affect the pre- or post-weaning growth rates of the lambs or their survival and health. “It’s an ongoing piece of work with the ultimate goal being a system that enables natural rearing of lambs while increasing commercial milk production.” Last season they were not able to measure individual ewe milk production, but this season they will be able to. However, she says it appears that this season has resulted in an estimated 25% increase in the total commercial milk yield, consistent with overseas data. Exciting, fun and having a real practical application is how Sue McCoard describes their work. She says working with some of the major players in the sheep milk industry is rewarding and there is a good interchange of ideas between farmers and scientists to obtain a practical and commercial outcome.
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RURAL NEWS // APRIL 19, 2016
MANAGEMENT 29
Farm plans improve environmental outcome on farm BARRHILL FARMER Malcolm Cairns says the farm environment plan (FEP) process gives farmers practical tools to improve environmental and economic outcomes. “It triggers a thought process and makes you think about the impact your operation is having on the environment,” he says. “I have started making changes which will make a difference to my farm over the long term.” Cairns has bought soil moisture monitors to help him better decide when to irrigate, he has started using Production Wise, a free online crop management system provided by FAR. “Through the FEP process I saw I needed to do more to measure soil moisture levels. This wouldn’t have happened without the FEP. “Applying the right amount of water in the right place at the right time is important. Given that we’re paying a charge for water delivery, any amount we don’t use is a saving for us and for the environment.” After completing two FEPs and doing the auditing process, Cairns advises farmers to make
sure their records are upto-date. “It takes a while to get your records organised but if you’re using a good system you should have everything you need.” Aqualinc soil scientist Glen Treweek says the FEP audit process assesses whether farmers are managing well. “Initially most farmers feel apprehensive, but it’s really just a chat around the kitchen table. I look at their records and systems then we go for a walk around the farm to see how they’re doing.” For those farmers who are shareholders in irrigation schemes there is often help available to make the FEP and audit process easier. Irrigo Centre environmental manager Eva Harris has assisted 171 Barrhill-Chertsey Irrigation and Acton Farmer’s Irrigation Co-operative shareholders to complete FEPs. Harris says most farmers regard completing FEPs and audits as aspects of a continuous improvement. “Most farmers see environmental sustainability as essential to passing on a solid business to the next generation.”
Malcolm Cairns, Eva Harris and Glen Treweek.
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RURAL NEWS // APRIL 19, 2016
30 ANIMAL HEALTH
Getting it right in hogget breeding Massey Universitys Paul Kenyon.
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can be poor, with negative lifetime consequences for the hoggets, says professor Paul Kenyon, Massey University. He says hoggets need to be a minimum of 40kg liveweight at breeding (for a flock with a mature ewe breeding weight of 65kg). “This minimum is an individual minimum and not a flock average. The greater the proportion hoggets are of their mature liveweight, the higher their performance. “Alternatively if body condition score is used a minimum of 2.5 is required,” Kenyon explains. “Hopefully farmers have been weighing their ewe hoggets regularly so they have an idea of how they are tracking and have plans in place if they are falling behind the target.” He adds that exposing hoggets to vasectomised rams (teasers) in mid- to late March can increase the proportion of hoggets bred successfully and those bred early in the breeding period. “The rule of thumb for teasing is that the teasers are introduced to the hoggets 17 days -- and 17 days only -- prior to the first day of breeding. The teaser-to-hogget ratio should ideally be 1:70 although responses at a ratio of 1:200 have been found.” However, Kenyon points out that teasers should not to be used as a short term fix if hoggets are below 40kg at breeding. “Teasing at these low weights may help these light ones get pregnant, but farmers are setting themselves up to fail.” Kenyon says hoggets are shy breeders and therefore a lower ram-tohogget ratio is required than is used with mature ewes. “To maximise breeding performance a ratio of 1:50 is ideal. Hogget rams are not ideal and if they are used the ratios need to be even lower,” he adds.
“Studies have shown mature rams can be used for a cycle with mature ewes and then reused with hoggets without negatively affecting pregnancy ranks. When choosing a ram farmers need to consider the potential impact on birth weight. Sires or breeds that are likely to produce large heavy lambs at birth are not ideal due to the risk of birthing difficulties.” Hoggets need to gain about 20kg in total weight in pregnancy (including the weight of the placenta, foetus and associated fluids), which requires an average daily gain of 130g throughout the breeding period and in pregnancy. “This allows for the hogget herself to grow and for the appropriate level of development for the foetus(es). Feeding hoggets well only in late pregnancy will result in most of the nutrition being partitioned towards foetal growth and the hogget will not grow.” Kenyon says this is very likely to result in increased rates of birthing difficulties (as the hoggett will still have a small frame) and she will be lighter than hoped for at weaning, which may impede two-tooth performance. “Therefore, farmers need to have a plan for feeding their ewe hoggets appropriately throughout pregnancy. This needs to have begun by April.” - The International Sheep Research Centre team at Massey University, with funding from Beef + Lamb NZ and the C Alma Baker trust, have further hogget studies underway this year. The team is examining nutritional strategies prior to breeding and in lactation on alternative herbages; Dr Rene Corner and Dr Anne Ridler are leading a team examining risk factors for losses in pregnancies and around birth. @rural_news facebook.com/ruralnews
RURAL NEWS // APRIL 19, 2016
ANIMAL HEALTH 31
Trial looks at improving hogget reproduction performance AGRESEARCH ANIMAL reproduction scientists at Invermay are seeking ways to get better reproductive performance from hoggets. Reproduction team leader Dr Sara Edwards says a lot of work has been done to try to improve efficiency of hogget lambing using management practices. However, underlying questions remain on what was going wrong and why the reproductive performance of hoggets is so variable. A two-year trial at the Invermay farm followed industry best practice recommendations for hogget management. “We ran two groups of animals over two years, which were mated as hoggets then as twotooths, and we compared
their performance and looked at things that were difficult to look at on commercial farms,” she says. “These included whether they had attained puberty, what their ovulation rate was and how many embryos survived to around day 35. As two-tooths the same things were measured – apart from puberty – so they could be compared.” Edwards says they did very close shepherding at lambing – to record exactly what happened to every lamb – then followed the lambs through to weaning. “What we found was that hoggets have a lower ovulation rate than twotooths. This affects the maximum number of lambs they can produce, so the reproductive
AgResearch’s Sara Edwards.
performance is low to begin with. “In addition, we had a reasonable number of animals that, although they were ovulating, were not being mated. They were either not seeking the ram or not showing the characteristics of oestrus. They also
had a higher degree of fertilisation failure or embryo loss. They had more embryo loss by day 35, but from then on we found no differences in pregnancy loss or lamb survival between the hoggets and the two-tooths.” As for the next steps,
the team has some early data which suggests that increasing the ovulation rate using genetics could lead to more lambs being born. They are also testing other methods of increasing the ovulation rate, and are looking at ways to increase the number of animals that
get mated. These include studying ram behaviour and mob mating. “Some farmers are doing a really good job of growing the hoggets so that they successfully produce lambs, but there is still a gap between the performance of hoggets and mature ewes. Now we know where the gap comes from we are trying to find ways to make it smaller,” says Edwards. The paper, ‘Reduced ovulation rate, failure to be mated and fertilisation failure/embryo loss are the underlying causes of poor reproductive performance in juvenile ewes’ is scheduled to be published in the April edition of the journal Animal Reproduction Science. @rural_news facebook.com/ruralnews
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RABBIT VIRUS HAS POTENTIAL A NEW strain of virus could help New Zealand farmers slash rabbit numbers by up to a third. The virus, called RHDV1-K5, is a Korean strain of the lethal calicivirus already present in NZ that causes rabbit haemorrhagic disease (RHD). The NZ Rabbit Coordination Group is working with Landcare Research to seek approval to introduce K5 into NZ to help control rabbit damage, which costs farming tens of millions in control and lost production each year. Dr Janine Duckworth, leader of Landcare Research’s rabbit biocontrol initiative, hopes the virus will
be approved for release in NZ next autumn. Approval from MPI and the Environment Protection Authority (EPA) is required before it can be imported. Duckworth said K5 had been thoroughly tested in Australia, where it is likely to be approved for release later this year. “They’ve been testing lots of different strains and K5 is the one that looks the best. It could reduce rabbit numbers 25-30%,” Duckworth says. But she cautions K5 isn’t a “silver bullet” for NZ’s rabbit problem. “It’s hard to imagine there will ever be a silver bullet to eradicate rab-
bits,” she said. However, the new strain of virus will provide farmers with a more costeffective and efficient solution than strains currently in the field today. This should make follow-up with conventional trapping, shooting and dogs more effective and worthwhile, Duckworth adds. While K5 is expected to make a dent in rabbit numbers, Duckworth did not believe it would make as big an impact as RHD did when it was first introduced. She believes the K5 strain will be a boost to rabbit control by killing some of the immune rabbits.
Sharp farmers know Dectomax works for longer than any other injectable .
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RURAL NEWS // APRIL 19, 2016
Cattle Internal Parasites Treatment Concentration
Ingredient Dose Rate
Formulated Dose Rate
Withdrawal Meat
Milk
Safety Margin
Parasite Maturity
Tric. Axei
Active Ingredient
Ostertagia Type II
Available through
Ostertagia
Company
Haemonchus
Product
Abomasum
EON POUR-ON
Bayer NZ Ltd
ATS, Farmlands, PGG Wrightson, Farm Source
Eprinomectin
5g/L
500µg/kg
1mL/10kg bwt
Nil
Nil
5 x dose rate
OUTLAW POUR-ON
Bayer NZ Ltd
10g/L 200g/L 90.6g/L
0.5mg/kg 10mg/kg 4.5mg/kg
42 days
42 days
3 x dose rate
Bayer NZ Ltd
Abamectin Levamisole Oxfendazole
1mL/20kg bwt
BOMATAK.C MINERALISED
ATS, PGG Wrightson, Farm Source All sellers
1mL/20kg bwt
10 days
72 hours
EDGE INJECTION
Bayer NZ Ltd
All sellers
Doramectin, Levamisole
4mg/mL doramectin, 200mg/mL levamisole phosphate
0.2mg doramectin and 10mg levamisole phosphate/kg bwt
1mL/20kg bwt
21 days
21 days
2-3 x dose rate 2 x dose rate
ALLIANCE
COOPERS
All outlets
Oxfendazole Levamisole, Abamectin
10 days
35 days
3x dose rate
COOPERS
All outlets
1mL/10kg bwt
10 days
35 days
3 x dose rate
SCANDA
COOPERS
All outlets
1mL/10kg bwt
10 days
144 hours
3 x dose rate
SCANDA SELENISED
COOPERS
All outlets
1mL/10kg bwt
10 days
144 hours
3 x dose rate
PARAMECTIN INJECTION
Jurox NZ Ltd
All outlets
Levamisole Abamectin Oxfendazole Levamisole Cobalt, Zinc, Selenium Abamectin
4.53mg/kg 8mg/kg, 0.2mg/kg 8mg/kg 0.2mg/kg 4.53mg/kg 8mg/kg 4.53mg/kg 8mg/kg 0.2mg/kg
1ml/10kg bwt
CONVERGE
45.3g/L 80g/L, 2gL 80g/L 2g/L 45.3g/L 80g/L 2mg/5mL, 6mg/5mL 5mg/5mL 10mg/mL
1mL/50kg
49
49
3 x dose rate
PARAMECTIN POUR ON
Jurox NZ Ltd
All outlets
Abamectin
10mg/mL
0.5mg/kg
1mL/20kg
35
NIL
3 x dose rate
ARREST C
Merial Ancare
Veterinary outlets
Albendazole Levamisole
100g/L 75g/L
10mg/kg 7.5mg/kg
1mL/10kg bwt
14 days
35 days
3 x dose rate
ECLIPSE E INJECTION
Merial Ancare
Veterinary outlets
Eprinomectin Levamisole
7g/L 223g/L
0.2mg/kg 6.37mg/kg
1mL/35kg bodyweight 21 days
35 days
3 x dose rate
mature HHH HHH immature HHH HHH
ECLIPSE POUR-ON
Merial Ancare
Veterinary outlets
Abamectin Levamisole
10mg/mL 200mg/mL
0.5mg/kg 10mg/kg
1mL/20kg bwt
35 days
35 days
3 x dose rate
mature ND immature
EPRINEX POUR-ON
Merial Ancare
Veterinary outlets
Eprinomectin
0.5% w/v
500mcg
1mL/10kg bwt
Nil
Merial Ancare
Veterinary outlets
Moxidectin
0.5% w/v
500mcg
1mL/10kg bwt
Nil
5-10 x dose rate 10 x dose rate
GENESIS INJECTION
Merial Ancare
Veterinary outlets
Abamectin
10mg/mL
0.2mg/kg
1mL/50kg bwt
49 days
49 days
3 x dose rate
GENESIS POUR-ON
Merial Ancare
Veterinary outlets
Abamectin
10mg/mL
0.5mg/kg
1mL/20kg bwt
35 days
Nil
3 x dose rate
GENESIS ULTRA POUR-ON
Merial Ancare
Veterinary outlets
91 days
3 x dose rate
Veterinary outlets
0.5mg/kg 30mg/kg 4.5mg/kgmg/kg
91 days
Merial Ancare
5mg/mL 300mg/mL 90.6g/L
1mL/10kg bwt
OXFEN C HI MINERAL
Abamectin Triclabendazole Oxfendazole
1mL/20kg bwt
10 days
5 days
5 x dose rate
OXFEN C PLUS
Merial Ancare
Veterinary outlets
35 days
3 x dose rate
Veterinary outlets
1m/10kg
14 days
35 days
3 x dose rate
IVOMEC INJECTION
Merial Ancare
Veterinary outlets
4.5mg/kg 7.5mg/kg 0.2mg/kg 8mg/kg 4.5mg/kg 0.2mg/kg
10 days
Merial Ancare
90.6g/L 150g/L 2g/L 80g/L 45.4g/L 1.0% w/v
1mL/20kg bwt
IVER MATRIX CALF
Oxfendazole Levamisole Ivermectin Levamisole Oxfendazole Ivermectin
mature immature mature immature mature immature mature immature mature immature mature immature mature immature mature immature
HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH
EXODUS POUR-ON
Nil cattle 7 days deer Nil
1mL/50kg bwt
28 days
35 days
20 x dose rate
HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH
IVOMEC PLUS INJECTION
Merial Ancare
Veterinary outlets
14 days
20 x dose rate
Veterinary outlets
1mL/20kg bodyweight 14 days
35 days
3 x dose rate
MATRIX MINI DOSE
Merial Ancare
Veterinary outlets
1ml/10g
14 days
35 days
3 x dose rate
mature HHH HHH HHH HHH immature HHH HHH HHH HHH
SWITCH FLUKE 10
Merial Ancare
Veterinary outlets
1ml/10kg
49 days
35 days
3 x dose rate
mature HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH immature ND
SWITCH C HI-MINERAL
Merial Ancare
Veterinary outlets
1mL/20kg bodyweight 14 days
35 days
3 x dose rate
Norbrook NZ Ltd
1mL/50kg bwt
49 days
Norbrook NZ Ltd
Ivermectin
0.5% w/v
0.5mg/kg
1mL/10kg bwt
21 days
Not allowed (note 1) 11 milkings
20 x dose rate
NOROMECTIN POUR-ON PARAFEND LV
Norbrook NZ Ltd
Oxfendazole
90.6g/L
4.53mg/kg
1mL/20kg bwt
10 days
72 hours
5 x dose rate
COMBO LOW DOSE
Ravensdown
Vets, Agmax, some OTC Vets, Agmax, some OTC Vets, Agmax, some OTC Ravensdown
35 days
3 x dose rate
Ravensdown
4.53 mg/kg & 8 mg/kg 0.5 mg/kg
10 days
Ravensdown
45.3 g/L & 80 g/L 10 g/L
1mL/10kg live-weight
ABAMECTIN POUR-ON
Oxfendazole & Levamisole Abamectin
1mL/20kg live-weight 35 days
NIL
3 x dose rate
ABAMECTIN INJECTION
Ravensdown
Ravensdown
Abamectin
10 g/L
0.2 mg/kg
1mL50kg live-weight
49 days
49 days
3 x dose rate
CYDECTIN INJECTION FOR CATTLE AND SHEEP CYDECTIN POUR-ON FOR CATTLE AND DEER CYDECTIN PLUS FLUKE POUR ON FOR CATTLE DECTOMAX INJECTABLE
Zoetis
OTC/Vet
Moxidectin
1% w/v
0.2mg/kg
1mL/50kg
cattle 35 days
35 days
5 x dose rate
mature immature mature immature mature immature mature immature mature immature mature immature mature immature mature immature
HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH
NOROMECTIN INJECTION
0.2mg/kg 2.0mg/kg 0.2mg/kg 8mg/kg 4.5mg/kg 0.2mg/kg 8mg/kg 4.5mg/kg 0.2mg/kg 12mg/kg 8mg/kg 0.2g/kg 8mg/kg 0.2mg/kg
28 days
Merial Ancare
1% 10% 4g/L 160g/L 90.8g/L 2g/L 80g/L 45.4g/L 2g/L 120g/L 80g/L 4g/L 160g/L 1.0% w/v
1mL/50kg bwt
MATRIX C
Ivermectin Clorsulon Abamectin Levamisole Oxfendazole Abamectin Levamisole Oxfendazole Abamectin Tricalbendazole Levamisole Abamectin Levamisole Ivermectin
mature immature mature immature mature immature
Zoetis
OTC/Vet
Moxidectin
0.5% w/v
0.5mg/kg
1mL/10kg
Nil
Nil
10 x dose rate
HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH
Zoetis
OTC/Vet
0.5mg/kg 20mg/kg 0.2mg/kg
84 days
84 days
5 x dose rate
Veterinary outlets
0.5% w/v 20% w/v 1% w/v
1mL/10kg
Zoetis
Moxidectin, Triclabendazole Doramectin
1mL/50kg bwt
35 days
35 days
25 x dose rate
mature immature mature immature mature immature
DECTOMAX POUR-ON
Zoetis
Veterinary outlets
Doramectin
0.5% w/v
0.5mg/kg
1mL/10kg bwt
35 days
Nil
25 x dose rate
mature immature
HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH
VALBAZEN MINERALISED CATTLE
Zoetis
All outlets
Albendazole
150g/L
7.5mg/kg
1mL per 20kg bwt 1mL per 15kg* bwt
7 days
48 hours
10 x dose rate
mature HHH HHH HHH immature HHH HHH HHH HHH
®
CLINT GRAHAM // HAWKES BAY
JIM COOPER // WINTON
10 x dose rate
mature immature mature immature mature immature mature immature
mature immature mature immature mature immature mature immature mature immature mature immature mature immature
HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH
ND
HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH
HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HH
HHH HHH HHH HHH
HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH
HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH
HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH
HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HH
HHH HHH
HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH
HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH
ROB BLACKWELL // MANGAOTEA
“UP AND DOWN THE COUNTRY, WE CHOOSE ECLIPSE®.” MAL_Eclipse_8x14_advert.indd 1
HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH
HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH
RURAL NEWS // APRIL 19, 2016
HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH
ND
HHH HHH
ND
HHH HHH
ND
ND
Flukes Fasciola
Tapeworms Monezia
L/worms Dictyocaulus
Trichuris
Lge Intestine
Chabertia
Oesphagostomum
Trichostrongylus
Bunostomum
Cooperia
Nematodirus
Small Intestine
HHH HHH HHH
Contains eprinomectin. Nil milk, meat and bobby calf withholding period. Suitable for beef and dairy cattle. Also for the treatment and control of sucking lice.
HHH HHH HHH
Outlaw Pour-on is also highly effective in the treatment and control of mature and immature strains of Cooperia spp resistant to the endectocides (including eprinomectin and doramectin). Levamisole is also very active against benzimidazole-resistant strains. Also for the treatment and control of sucking lice in cattle. Contains selenium, copper, cobalt, zinc and iodine. Ovicidal.
HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH
This survey will give a ready and easy-to-follow reference to the efficacy and spectrum of the many cattle anthelmintics available. It is compiled from information supplied by animal health companies. While the information has been verified by our animal health advisor, Rural News cannot accept responsibility for any inaccuracies.
EDGE is also effective against strains of Trichostrongylus axei and small intestinal Trichostrongylus spp. and Cooperia spp. that are resistant to members of the avermectin/milbemycin family of anthelmintics.
HHH HHH HHH
HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH
ALLIANCE is a triple combination oral drench for cattle and sheep. ALLIANCE contains: 25mg Cobalt and 5mg Selenium per 5mL dose.
HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH
CONVERGE is a dual combination oral drench for cattle and sheep. CONVERGE contains: 25mg Colbalt and 5mg Selenium per 5mL.
HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH
SCANDA is a dual combination oral drench for cattle and sheep.
HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH
SCANDA SELENISED is a dual combination oral drench for cattle and sheep. SCANDA SELENISED contains: Colbalt 0.4mg/mL and Selenium 1mg/mL.
HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH
Controls sucking lice. Must be administered subcutaneously. Do not treat calves under 16 weeks of age.
HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH
Paramectin Pour On is Rain fast. Also controls sucking and biting lice.
HHH HHH HHH HHH
HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH H HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH
HHH HHH HHH Ideal use in cattle under 18 months of age due to the dual combination action against Ostertagia and resistant strains of Cooperia. The albendazole will also kill adult liver fluke. HHH
HHH HHH HHH
The world’s first dual action broad spectrum injectable parasiticide for cattle. Ideal use in cattle under 18 months of age and as a quarantine treatment. Keep refrigerated to ensure highest levels of efficacy. No other injection is more effective against parasite resistance.
HHH HHH HHH
Eclipse Pour-on is also highly effective in the treatment and control of mature and immature strains of Cooperia spp resistant to the endectocides (including eprinomectin and doramectin). Levamisole is also very active against benzimidazole-resistant strains. Also controls sucking-biting lice. Ideal use in cattle under 18 months of age and as a quarantine drench.
HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH
HHH HHH HHH
Weatherproof including rainfast. Bobby calves from treated cows have no withholding period. Controls roundworms and lungworm. Approved for use in all ages and classes of deer at same dose volume and rate as for cattle. For control of sucking and biting lice and manage mites (sarcoptes and chorioptes). Has label claim for increased milk production. Ideal use in lactating cattle.
HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH
HHH HHH
HHH HHH HHH HHH
ND
HHH HHH
HHH HHH HHH
ND
HHH HHH HHH HHH
HHH HHH
ND
ND
For cattle and deer. The potency of moxidectin gives superior persistent activity against lungworm (42 days), Ostertagia (35 days) and trichostrongylus (28 days) in cattle. Ideal use in lactating cattle.
Controls sucking lice. Has extended activity for 28 days against Trichostrongylus, Ostertagia L4, Haemonchus spp and 21 days against Oesophagostomum and Ostertagia spp and 14 days against Cooperia. Must be administered subcutaneously. Also available with B12. Contains 2mg/ml Vitamin B12. No sting formulation. Ideal use in non lactating cattle over 18 months of age. Also for the control of internal and external parasites in deer. Also for the treatment and control of biting and sucking lice. Extended activity 14 days Cooperia, Ostertagia. Rainfast. Ideal use in adult lactating cattle where a treatment for HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH ostertagia is required. HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH Also controls sucking-biting lice. Persistent activity for at least 14 days against Ostertagia. Ideal use in non lactating cattle over 18 months of age where roundworms and all stages of liver fluke require treatment. HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH
HHH HHH HHH HHH
ND
HHH HHH HHH
ND
HHH
HHH
HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH
Ideal use in cattle where Ostertagia and Cooperia are known to be sensitive to oxfendazole. Contains selenium and copper. Can be used in deer.
HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH
Ideal use in cattle <18 months of age due to the dual combination action against Ostertagia and Cooperia. Contains selenium.
HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH
Ideal for use in cattle under 18 months of age and as a quarantine drench. Ivermectin has a high safety profile in young animals and can be used in calves under 100kg. Triple combinations have been shown to significantly reduce the development of resistance within a herd. Contains cobalt and selenium.
HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH
HH
HHH HHH
HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH
HH
HHH HHH
Simultaneous control of external parasites including sucking lice and aids in control of biting lice. Label claim for persistent activity product continues to control certain worms for 7-21 days after treatment. (Lungworm and hookworm 21 days; Ostertagia 14 days, Cooperia spp. up to at least 7 days.) Ideal use in non lactating cattle over 18 months of age. HHH Also for the simultaneous control of sucking lice, psoroptes sp mites and aids in control of biting lice and chorioptes mites. Label claim for persistent activity – product continues to control certain worms for 7-21 days after treatment. (Lungworm and hookworm 21 days, Ostertagia 14 days, Cooperia spp. Up to at least 7 days.) Ideal use in non lactating cattle over 18 months of age that require roundworm and liver fluke treatment. Ideal for use in cattle under 18 months of age and over 120kg and as a quarantine drench. Triple combinations have been shown to significantly reduce the development of resistance within a herd. Contains cobalt and selenium.
HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH
Ideal for use in cattle under 18 months of age and over 100kg and as a quarantine treatment. Triple combinations have been shown to significanly reduce the development of resistance within a herd. Contains cobalt and selenium.
HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH
HHH World’s first dual combination parasite with flukicide. Ideal for use in cattle under 18 months of age and over 100kg where roundworm and immature/adult fluke treatment is required. HHH
HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH ND HHH ND ND ND ND ND ND
HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH
Ideal use in cattle under 18 months of age and over 120kg due to the dual combination action against Ostertagia and resistant strains of Cooperia.
HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH
HH
Low sting formula, persistent activity Ostertagia 14 days, Cooperia 7 days, Dictyocaulus Oesophagostomum 21 days. Also for use in pigs.
HHH HHH HHH
HHH HHH HHH
HHH HHH HHH
HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH
HHH HHH
Also controls sucking, biting and mange mites. Ovicidal.
HHH HHH HHH
HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH
Also contains selenium, copper, cobalt, iodine and zinc.
HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH
Also controls biting and sucking lice.
HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH
Persistent activity: Oesophagostomum 7 days, Ostertagia, Cooperia, Trichostrongylus 14 days, Lungworm 21 days. Also controls sucking lice.
HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH
HHH HHH HHH
Persistent activity against reinfection of Ostertagia ostertagi and lungworm for 28 days.
HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH
HHH HHH
HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH
HHH HHH
HHH Treats and controls biting and sucking lice and mange mites. HHH Rainfast. Persistent activity against reinfection of Ostertagia ostertagi for 35 days, Haemonchus spp and Trichostrongylus spp for 28 days, lungworm, Oesphagostomum and Bunostomum for 42 days.
HHH HHH
Also registered for use in sheep and pigs. Persistent activity up to 28 days Ostertagia, Dictyocaulus. Up to 21 Days Cooperia, Trichostrongylus, Oesophagostomum. Up to 15 days Bunostomum.
HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH
HH
HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH
HHH HHH HHH
HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH
Treats and controls biting and sucking lice and mange mites. Rainfast. Persistent activity against reinfection of Ostertagia ostertagi for 35 days, Haemonchus spp and Trichostrongylus spp for 28 days, lungworm, Oesophagostomum and Bunostomum for 42 days.
Rainfast. Not adversely affected if applied when the hide is wet or if rain falls shortly after treatment. Also controls sucking and biting lice, mange mites. Persistent activity against re-infection up to 28 days for Ostertagia, Trichostrongylus axei and Dictyocaulus and up to 21 days against Cooperia, Oesophagostomum and Bunostomum.
HHH HHH HHH Contains 6.8g/L Copper, 1.5g/L Selenium. *1mL per 15kg for Liver fluke. Ovicidal to worm and fluke eggs of cattle. HHH
BILL BELL // ASHBURTON
ALI MCKAY // WAIPU
CHRIS LEWIS // WAIKATO
PROUDLY AVAILABLE FROM YOUR LOCAL VETERINARY CLINIC. Merial is a Sanofi company. MERIAL NZ. LEVEL 3, MERIAL BUILDING, OSTERLEY WAY, MANUKAU, AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND | WWW.MERIAL.CO.NZ | ECLIPSE® IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF MERIAL. REGISTERED PURSUANT TO THE ACVM ACT 1997 | NO’S. A10640 & A9270 | COPYRIGHT 2014 MERIAL NZ LTD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. NZ-14-ECL-057.
15/04/14 8:59 AM
RURAL NEWS // APRIL 19, 2016
34 MACHINERY & PRODUCTS
X marks sweet spot for contractor MARK DANIEL markd@ruralnews.co.nz
THEY SAY that X is an unknown quantity, but not so when you look at the Krone Big X range of forage harvesters, seen gaining in popularity amongst agricultural contractors in New Zealand. One such operator is Phillip Parry Contractors, of Mangakino, South Waikato, which recently changed a Big X 850 for a new Big X 1100, in time for the 2016 maize harvest. Big X is certainly the right moniker for this
machine: the stats make the eyes glaze and the jaw drop. A Man V12 engine of 24L pumps out a constant 1078hp when working in applications such as maize, but it can be dialled back to a meagre 636hp for grass. The machine tips the scales at 14.8 tonnes; add a maize header of at least 4t and 1000L of fuel and quite quickly 20t is seen and gone. Rural News in early April watched the unit operating on a large maize block on the west-
ern shores of Lake Taupo, piloted by regular driver James Lamont. Partnered with a 7.5m Krone Easy Collect header swallowing 10 rows of maize, progress was effortless: the operator told us a 20 tonne was crop coming in at 39.5% DM, being chopped down to around 14mm with the engine holding steady at 1900rpm. Forward speed was around 6.5km/h in steep undulating terrain, but increased to 10km/h in some flatter areas. Lamont said the machine “never wanted
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for power” -- a key consideration in the owner’s purchasing decision. In Parry Contracting’s region a flat field is a rarity, so trucks are often challenged in their ability to hold constant speeds with the harvester. Constant truck speed averts the need for sudden downshifts which may lead to loss of traction and a risk of getting bogged down. A closer look at the machine revealed it is designed to shift crop quickly. It has an industry leading feed roller width of 820mm, taking crop over six hydraulically driven compression rollers to the ledger bar, before it goes to a 20 blade, 660mm diameter chopper drum with knives in a chevron pattern presenting at 11 degrees for smooth slicing and maximum output. Chop length can be adjusted by the driver in the cab, or the Auto-
Phillip Parry Contracting’s new Krone Big X 1100 in action.
scan system can be used to automatically adjust chop length dependent on dry matter readings, with a decrease in length as DM increases, so ensuring good consolidation at the clamp. In a machine of this size a smooth crop flow is vital so Krone equips the Big X with a hydraulic concave around the chopping cylinder which can move to allow any large lumps to pass, maintain-
ing maximum output. From the chopping cylinder crop passes through the crop processor with 144 triangular profile teeth on 250mm diameter rollers that crack the kernels and release maximum feed value. From here the crop passes through the accelerator in a constant stream to the trucks and trailers. Easy adjustment of a flap in this area serves to increase or decrease the crop speed, depending
on whether filling is to the side or rear, and allowing operators to save power in the event of side fill. This machine’s capacity has killed off the traditional family farm’s cutting of silage using a small trailed unit, and the arrival, 30 years ago, and evolution of self-propelled harvesters makes it unlikely those small machines will ever return. @rural_news facebook.com/ruralnews
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growth from the anaerobic digestion industry had now largely stopped, but they still see scope for growth in the sub-500hp category that makes up about 40% of all harvester sales. Krone spends about 7% of its turnover on R&D and has a large focus on electronics for data management and communications in farm and machine applications, offering opportunities to further increase its current 70% export ratio.
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RURAL NEWS // APRIL 19, 2016
MACHINERY & PRODUCTS 35
Offset mower/conditioners cost less MARK DANIEL markd@ruralnews.co.nz
KUHN’S RECENTLY introduced trailed mower conditioners with centre pivot drawbars are now complemented by three new models with offset drawbars. The Kuhn FC 2860, FC 3160 and 3560 TL
machines offer mowing widths of 2.67, 3.1 and 3.5m respectively, and a choice of roller or tinebased crop conditioning units. Why the need for offset or centre-pull drawbars? Without doubt centre-pull machines have the potential for up to 10% more output
SAFETY APP REDUCES RISKS MARK DANIEL markd@ruralnews.co.nz
in large areas because of their ability to operate on either side of the tractor, just like a reversible plough. By contrast the offset drawbar machines can only work to the right side of the tractor, but cost less to buy. The new units have the same key features as the centre-pull units, with Gyrodine swivel headstocks averting PTO problems, even in tight turns; and the Optidisc cutter-bar uses irregularly spaced discs to promote crop flow and clean cutting.
A gear-driven conditioner driveline is protected by the Posiguard safety system in the case of foreign objects, and offers the choice of two speeds for best conditioning effect. The conditioner is also fitted as standard with adjustable swath doors for different following machines, and it can spread to the machine’s full width if required. This is said to promote more rapid wilting, and in most cases has the potential to cut at least one following tedder pass.
THE NEW Health and Safety at Work Act has put the spotlight on employers or organisations to ensure they identify any risks that they or their employees are likely to come across on a daily basis, so the launch of an online app called Onside will be of interest to many. The app allows farmers to develop their own health and safety plan by working through pre-populated lists of potential risks which are overlaid on a satellite map of the property. Whilst saving time, the system also allows farm staff or visitors to be aware of risks and how to manage them, which should lead to less incidents, resulting in improved farm safety overall. Contractors or visitors will need to be encouraged to sign in on a smartphone as they cross a virtual ‘geofence’ that will typically be the farm’s boundaries, and in doing so will be advised of risks and asked to acknowledge them. New risks can be updated by the farmer in real time and visitors can report such risks via their smartphones. All information is cloud-stored, eliminating paperwork, and there is offline capability for areas of poor cellphone coverage. The technology allows users to map boundaries of the enterprise and uses photos rather than written descriptions to show known risks, and it allows users to access instructions for emergencies in real time. The app was developed following talks with farmers and industry experts in health and safety, then written by Jade Software. A free trial is offered for the month of April. www.onside.co.nz
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RURAL NEWS // APRIL 19, 2016
36 MACHINERY & PRODUCTS
Understated Mitsi makes an impression MARK DANIEL markd@ruralnews.co.nz
THE LATEST Outlander from Mitsubishi has a softer, more conservative look than its predecessor: the panels seem less angular by flowing into one another and the jagged edges seem to have been removed. The 2016 spec carries over the same 4-cylinder, 2.4L engine pushing out 126kW, connected to a CVT transmission to push the unit along. As with many CVT transmissions the old model had a hint of revs but no go, but for this latest version the Mitsubishi engineers have had the laptops and spanners out and changed that characteristic. Re-calibration has resulted in a much quicker response when you press the ‘loud’ pedal and everything seems a smoother. MMC says re-working the transmission has reduced torque losses by about 25% and fuel consumption by around 4%. Out on the road the engine appears quite lively and noticeably quieter than the old model; helped by lessons learned from the Hybrid project, hence the use of better sound deadening materials, thicker glass and thicker door seals.
The ride is also tauter, especially on winding or undulating roads, which we are told is the result of extra body strengthening upgrades to the rear dampers and a revised electric power steering system. The interior is a nice place to be, given the use of high grade leather on this top-of-the-range version and seats firm, but not uncomfortably so. Some might find the interior a little bland, but it appears practical and easy to look after, so it should be durable; tweaking of the detail includes the use of soft touch surfaces. As part of the VRX package front seats get power adjust and memory, and heat for cold mornings; dual zone climate control is standard and a powered rear tailgate is a godsend when arriving at the car with lots of shopping. With seven seats spread over three rows it’s certainly a family mover, and though the third row would suit only occasional use by very small people, it folds down to give a flat floor load area. The second row splits 60:40, useful for odd shaped cargo; if this and the third row are folded flat, the resultant load space is vast – good for same-day take home if you buy, say, a wardrobe during
weekend shopping, or if you decide on an impromptu camping trip to the wop wops. Technology wise Outlander is up there with the best: it has electronic 4WD offering eco mode (2WD augmented by 4WD when required), 4WD auto that adapts to drive on-the-go, and 4WD lock that deals with tough off-roading. Hill start assist, active traction con-
trol and active stability control take charge of changing conditions, and multi-mode ABS and electronic brakeforce distribution bring things decisively to a stop. Keyless entry makes access a breeze, and push button start/stop brings the motor to life. On the open road adaptive cruise control and forward facing collision avoidance add to safety, as do rain
sensing wipers. The central display shows information on the trip and 4WD settings, a 7 inch centre console touchscreen controls audio and communications – and it has a SATNAV system, and a rear view camera aids parking and trailer hitching. The Outlander warrants a close inspection: it ticks a lot of boxes if you’re looking for a mid-sized SUV. www.mmnz.co.nz
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RURAL NEWS // APRIL 19, 2016
MACHINERY & PRODUCTS 37
Improves spraying’s bottomline MARK DANIEL markd@ruralnews.co.nz
AGRICHEMICALS CAN be one of the larger costs of crop production, so a new system from leading European producer Amazone that suggests costs savings could be worth a look. The AmaSelect system, available for UX trailed and Panterra self-propelled sprayers, has four individually controlled nozzles fitted in carriers positioned at 50cm intervals along the sprayer boom. The system will automatically select the best nozzle for the job according to operating conditions and, depending on variables such as field size, working width or the number of part-sections being used, it can save up to 5% of input costs by reducing overlap. Combined with the company’s GPS-Switch section control the savings can be increased by a further 5%. In use, the operator enters the optimal pressure range for each nozzle fitted to the carriers via the
machine’s Isobus terminal. The system then selects and activates the most suitable nozzle for the application rate and forward speed. Once the optimum pressure range has been reached the AmaSelect switches to a smaller or bigger nozzle, or might even add a second nozzle, to meet specified target rates. In turn the GPSSwitch uses GPS to switch off individual nozzles over 50cm increments along the boom as the sprayer approaches headlands, crosses short ground or encounters obstacles. Another feature useful to spraying contractors encountering varying tramline spacing allows the operator to select individual nozzles to match those widths, as and when required, from his seat. As part of the standard product package all nozzles are fitted with LED lighting and the DUS Pro high pressure re-circulation system. This ensures the spray lines are always filled with a homogeneous chemical mix and ready to operate at full dose immediately across the
full working width. It also prevents deposits, blockages and segregation in the spray lines, even after a prolonged shut-off. As a further option customers can specify an intermediate kit
The AmaSelect system – seen here on a UX trailed sprayer – can save up to 5% of input costs by reducing overlap.
which sees nozzle spacing reduced to 25cm intervals to allow high volume applications and to allow target heights to be reduced to less than 50cm. www.claasharvestcentre. co.nz
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RURAL NEWS // APRIL 19, 2016
38 MACHINERY & PRODUCTS / RURAL TRADER
New balers user-friendly features MARK DANIEL markd@ruralnews.co.nz
LELY AT Agritechnica 2015, in Hanover, introduced a new range of variable chamber round balers which are now available in New Zealand.
The versatile Lely Welger RP 160V E-link Pro, replaces the respected 415 and 445 ranges. It has newly designed chamber geometry and its Constant Pressure System produces high density,
well shaped bales which combine to reduce costs and promote rapid fermentation for higher feed quality. The Lely Welger RP160V E-link Pro uses a 2.25m, 5-tine bar, camless pick up and a 13-knife
chopping rotor, with a short distance from the former to the latter ensuring good crop flow, and the heavy-duty split-gearbox driveline offering maximum performance in heavy conditions. A further option is
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to the second, stored roll and allow good inspection and maintenance. Daily servicing is aided by centrally grouped grease banks and chain life is prolonged by an automatic lubrication system. In the cabin, the E-Link Pro terminal has a bright touch-screen display for a machine overview and job recording, although the system is Isobus compatible, allowing the use of the tractor’s own display terminal if preferred
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Harry Smith, NZ service manager for Lely, who oversaw two years of testing of the new machine throughout NZ, commented “the high performance of the new RP 160V E-link Pro results from a combination of a larger capacity variable bale chamber, the hydroflex drop floor system and a range of options for feeding and chopping. The overall design is very user friendly.” www.lely.co.nz
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