Rural News 24 September 2019 by Rural News Group

WATER FOCUS

MACHINERY & PRODUCTS

NEWS

Farmers urged to stay active and engaged. PAGE 10-15

All new trio from Japanese giant. PAGE 36

Pigs thrive behind the wire. PAGE 18-19

TO ALL FARMERS, FOR ALL FARMERS SEPTEMBER 24, 2019: ISSUE 685â€ƒ

www.ruralnews.co.nz

WATER FOCUS

MACHINERY & PRODUCTS

NEWS

Farmers urged to stay active and engaged. PAGE 10-15

All new trio from Japanese giant. PAGE 36

Pigs thrive behind the wire. PAGE 18-19

TO ALL FARMERS, FOR ALL FARMERS SEPTEMBER 24, 2019: ISSUE 685

www.ruralnews.co.nz

Parker won’t budge SUDESH KISSUN sudeshk@ruralnews.co.nz

ENVIRONMENT MINISTER David Parker is ruling out giving farmers any longer to make submissions on freshwater reforms. He told Rural News that two months is enough for farmers to make submissions. “We think people can submit within that time. Two months is not too much of a rush,” he said. Earlier this month, the Government agreed to extra time for submissions -two weeks beyond the October 17 closing date first set for the consultation period. This followed requests from DairyNZ and Federated Farmers, whose president Katie Milne also wrote to the

Prime Minister seeking a three-month extension. Parker says a six-week consultation is the normal period for parliamentary select committees. He says feedback from his officials suggests the NZ-wide meetings are “progressing well”. People have been “polite” but some were wound up by Federated Farmers’ claims that the freshwater reforms could signal the end of pastoral farming, Parker claims. “It’s not surprising that those incendiary comments had some people worried, but discussions have been polite,” he said. “It’s just not correct. Federated Farmers are wrong.”

The reforms include interim controls on land intensification and dairy conversions, until councils have plans in place by 2025 through a new National Environmental Standard. Parker doesn’t expect too much pushback against this as “it’s in no one’s interest that this problem gets worse before it gets better”. “Because if it’s allowed to get worse through increased intensification that puts more burden on all the incumbents to clean up in the future. My sense is there isn’t much controversy over holding the line.” He believes there will be greater concerns about nitrogen attributes.

“We haven’t quite landed on the nitrogen attribute yet.” Parker says he plans to attend a public consultation but he hasn’t decided which one. Opening the WaterNZ Conference in Hamilton last week, he expressed confidence that NZ will meet the challenges of improving its waterways. And he said the work should begin without delay. “We need to start taking action now. We really can’t sit on our hands while water quality continues to deteriorate in many rivers and lakes. “The longer we wait, the higher the cost of fixing it will be.”

She’s the boss FOR 50 years Suzanne Giesen has been running her 137 ha sheep, beef and cropping farm at Halcombe in Manawatu. Now 84 years old, Suzanne is still working and living on the property with the help of her sons Robbie and Hamish. She says her family has been wonderful and she couldn’t have farmed without the help of her two grown sons who live nearby. While Suzanne rides her quad (side saddle) around her lambing ewes twice a day, her sons help with the docking, drenching and weighing stock. Until recently Suzanne was doing the dagging, but now she leaves that to the ‘boys’. • A full profile of Suzanne Giesen will run in the October issue of Rural News.

PHOTO JILL GALLOWAY

WHAT ARE THEY HIDING? FEDERATED FARMERS says it is “puzzled and frustrated” by the Ministry for the Environment’s (MfE) failure to immediately release the peer review of Essential Freshwater nutrient band technical reports. “We’re racing against the Government’s extremely tight submission timeframe to do due diligence on what’s proposed on new freshwater quality regulations and why,” Feds environment spokesperson Chris Allen said. “The nutrient proposals have generated considerable attention and debate, not just by farmers, and we’re especially keen to understand the technical details underpinning the main report.” Allen says that on September 8, Federated Farmers asked the MfE for a copy of the independent peer review and was told on September 13: “what was a straightforward query would be treated as a request under the Official Information Act (OIA)”. Under the OIA rules, MfE has up to 20 days to respond. “It is sound professional practice to commission independent peer review of core technical elements of proposals like this and the Essential Freshwater documents refer to, and rely on, this review,” Allen added. “We simply don’t understand why the MfE doesn’t release it immediately.”

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// JULY24, 16, 2019 RURAL RURAL NEWS //NEWS SEPTEMBER 2019

NEWS 3 ISSUE 680 685 www.ruralnews.co.nz www.ruralnews.co.nz

$million baby fails toto deliver MPI promises act sector-wide vision”. Resulting from an Official InforWITH AN estimated $1 million of mation Act (OIA) request in June ALMOST ALL the recommendations taxpayer funds already spent on Agri- 2018 about the costs and formation of from two reviewsDamien of the Mycoplasma culture Minister O’Connor’s the PSC, Rural News discovered that bovis programme been accepted, the body had an estiPrimary Sector have Counafter the ‘surge mated annual cost of cil (PSC), thein activity’ nebu- leading up to this year’s $400,000-$500,000 a lous body hasmoving still yetday. to The anything surge arose because of a backyear. deliver tangible. logMeanwhile, in tracing itanimal MPI confirmed that is also movements, which $300,000-$350,000 had stallinghad forgone timeessentially to pro- unnoticed and not fully realised been budgeted annuvidewas answers about the until April. Theand reviews commissioned ally for meeting costs, costs nameswere of the to look into room hire, airfares and members of thethe PSCcause who and possible impacts theHono backlog, and recaccommodation for the attended theof Te ommend programme could council. Meanwhile, Bootcamphow at the Stanford Primary Sector Council chair to report expected back soon. costs improve its in systems and processes. administrative University California Jager Roche’s review found that the Onethis wasyear. done by MPI’sLain chief sciwere expected to cost in July backlog, $100,000-$150,000 although smaller than ence advisor Johnset Roche. a yearfirst on The PSCDrwas up The in other April another thought, was due to issues with manwas independent review commisof this. 2018,anfor two years, at the behest of top the flow informationaccording between sioned by DairyNZ andstrategic done by advice South aging Since its of formation, O’Connor, “to provide functions, disease manageAustralia animal disease management recordsand on in thetheMPI website, the to the Government on issues, oppor- to ment team’sPSC structure and resourcing. expert Roger Paskin.facing the pri- 13-member has met 11 times, with tunitiesDr and challenges it may have allowed some Theindustries” independent Advi-a its While last meeting minutes posted onfur28 mary andTechnical to “develop sory Group has also been asked to con- ther spread of the disease, Roche did sider the impact of the backlog and is not believe it had harmed the chances DAVID ANDERSON NIGEL MALTHUS

NEWS ��1-16 NEWS ��1-20 AGRIBUSINESS ��18-19 MARKETS ��22-23 MARKETS �� 20-21 AGRIBUSINESS �� 24-25 HOUND, HOUND, EDNA EDNA �� 22 26 CONTACTS�� CONTACTS �� 22 26 OPINION ��22-24 OPINION �� 26-29 MANAGEMENT �� 25-26 MANAGEMENT �� 30-33 ANIMAL ANIMAL HEALTH HEALTH ��27 �� 34-35 MACHINERY MACHINERY AND AND PRODUCTS �� 28-30 PRODUCTS �� 36-40 RURAL 30-31 RURAL TRADER TRADER �� 40-41

HEAD OFFICE Top Floor, 29 Northcroft Street, HEAD OFFICE Takapuna, Auckland 0622 Top Floor, 29 Northcroft Street, Takapuna, Auckland Phone: 09-307 03990622 Fax: 09-307 0122 Phone: 09-307 0399 Fax: 09-307 0122 POSTAL ADDRESS PO Box 331100, Takapuna, POSTAL ADDRESS Auckland 0740 PO Box 331100, Takapuna, Auckland 0740 Published by: Rural News Group Printed by:by: Ovato Print Published Rural News Group Printed by: Ovato Print CONTACTS Editorial: CONTACTS editor@ruralnews.co.nz Editorial: Advertising material: editor@ruralnews.co.nz davef@ruralnews.co.nz Advertising material: Rural News online: davef@ruralnews.co.nz www.ruralnews.co.nz Rural News online: Subscriptions: www.ruralnews.co.nz subsrndn@ruralnews.co.nz Subscriptions: subsrndn@ruralnews.co.nz ABC audited circulation 79,553 as at 31.03.2019 ABC audited circulation 79,553 as at 31.03.2019

April 2019. It is chaired by former Zespri chief executive Lain Jager. Other council members are Nadine Tunley, Puawai Wereta, Tony Egan, Julia Jones, John Brakenridge, Stephanie Howard, Mark Paine, Julian Raine, Neil Richardson, Mirana Stephens, John Rodwell, Steve Saunders and Steve Smith. According to MPI, council members are paid a daily rate of “$800 for the chair, $500 for members and $650 for members acting as chair or leading a sub-group”. MPI director-general Ray Smith has apologised farmers. that Meanwhile, it toisaffected understood in July 2019, members of the Primary of successfully eradicating M. bovis. Sector Council joined Agriculture MinPaskin identified issues to ister Damien O’Connor andrelated travelled theStanford programme structure, staffing, to University in California training, and supportto attend management the Te Hono Stanford Booting tools. camp. He said the 1,primary an On August Rural issue News was lodged accumulation of tracesasking to andforfrom another OIA request the infected properties whichaccommohad not costs – including airfares, been followed up, in some cases, for about seven months.

dation and course fees – related to the Primary Sector Council members attending the Te Hono Stanford Bootcamp. also asked for names TOGETHER,We ROCHE and Paskin’s ofreports the members of PSC members made 43 recommendationswho to attended thesystems bootcamp. improve the and processes However, the OIA request within the M. just bovislike programme. in June last year, MPI hasregional again failed These include greater todecisionmaking, answer withintheinimportance the 20 working of day deadline obligated the OIA farmer involvement andunder improving and has instead pushed for more than structures, systems and resourcing. a month’s extension of the deadline. MPI director-general Ray Smith In a letter to Rural News on August said the two reviews had provided 27, MPI says it “...will not be concrete ways to improve the able to respond within the timeframe set out programme’s systems and processes. in the Official Information Act 1982 “We’re sorry for the impact this has (OIA) because consultation necessary had on affected farmers, and that we tohad make a decision onwe your request to take the action did at a busy is such that a proper response time of year for many of them. cannot reasonably be made within the hard normal “The programme is working 20toworking day time limit”. implement the recommendations says itstarting will reply the OIA ofMPI the reviews, with to enabling request “...no later than October more regional decisionmaking and 3, 2019”. rolling out a bespoke data manage-

FINDINGS

ment system.”

Job losses and more asset sales?

DHB concedes maternity issues SUDESH KISSUN

sudeshk@ruralnews.co.nz SOUTHLAND DISTRICT

Health Board (SDHB) claims it is stepping JOB LOSSES could be announced by up its investment primary materFonterra this week,insays investment nity services in Sullivan, rural areas. advisor Jeremy of Hamilton SDHB’s Lisa Gestro – executive Hindn Greene. director strategy, The co-op willprimary releaseand its comnew munity told2018-19 Rural financial News its results materstrategy–and nity services in(Sept the entire region have on Thursday 26) after a twoalready been systematically reviewed. week delay. ThisSullivan comes in response to a Rural expects a simplified Women (RWNZ) call -forone a wide strategyNZ from Fonterra of ranging “back toreview. basics”. “It hascould beenbe independently “There significant job reviewed andmore found that when fully losses and rationalisation of implemented will the increase services assets to rightitsize business,” he across the district,” told Rural News. she says. “We’re intowill a two year He saysone unityear holders be keen implementation to see a signal timeframe. of a return to divi-

BOARD “We recognise ELECTIONS that some aspects across the DHB’s entire, largely rural,

of this have not gone as smoothly as THE FIRST four candidates have been we’d like and are having the impleconfirmed for Fonterra’s board elecmentation to date independently tions. reviewed.” Sitting directors Donna Smit and RWNZ and others -- including Andy Macfarlane, lawyer Cathy Quinn signatories of two petitions -- are and farmer Philipp Haas have been strongly objecting to the downgradrecommended by the independent ing in April of Lumsden Birth Centre to a maternal and child hub and several subsequent emergency births at dends, otherwise there will be no the centre, oneholding in the carpark. point in them onto non-perRWNZshares. has called for urgent reinforming statement of theindicated Lumsdenabirthing If Fonterra return centre and has criticised the extent to dividend soon, this would help of current thetwo share pricereviews tick up.byItSouthland is hoverDHB. But Gestro says a down systematic ing around $3.20/share, from review of primary maternity $6.60/share 18 months ago. services

district was precisely the exercise selection panel. done from 2016 to 2018. Under Fonterra’s election rules, “There had long been calls to farmer shareholders can also nomiaddress the provision of maternity nate candidates. services across the district,” she said. The final list of candidates will be “In particular, we faced challenges announced on September 30. Two with the sustainability of the lead board seats will be contested. maternity carer (LMC) midwifery workforce.” Gestro LMC midwives Sullivansays sayswhile farmer shareholders are directly of will paid also be hopingby forthe theMinistry share price Health, recognises the particto rise asSDHB it would help improve their ular challenges balance sheets. of practising in rural areas requirewill extraalso support. Fonterra announce its She saysforthe ‘integrated primary final price 2018-19. maternity system care’ aimed to Meanwhile lastof week’s Global take view to delivered direct resources Dairya holistic Trade (GDT) good

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results for farmers. The headline price index rose 2%: the key export differently and increase the reach of product, whole milk powder, was services across the whole district. up 1.9%. “This meantproducts creating recorded maternal All major and childskimmed hubs in Wanaka, Te Anau gains: milk powder up and Lumsden support midwives 3.4%, butter upto2.7% and anhydrous inmilk those and improvfatscommunities up 0.6%. ing integration withstrategist primary Imre care Westpac market services.” Speizer says prices have been fairly Additional ‘sustainability’ stable since the decline in June.payments are made remoteatrural midWhole milktopowder US$3133 wives, with 16 LMCs in the district is close to the three-year average of taking the extra payment. US$3060. But Gestrofarmgate says they need to Westpac’s milk price think more broadlyremains about how best forecast for 2019-20 at $6.50/ to use their resources to careago forfrom rural kgMS, reduced a few weeks women and their families. $6.70. – Pam Tipa @rural_news • Mothers and babies at risk – Pg 5 facebook.com/ruralnews

RURAL NEWS // SEPTEMBER 24, 2019

4 NEWS

Farm lobbies seek PM’s support SUDESH KISSUN sudeshk@ruralnews.co.nz

DAIRY AND red meat farmer lobbies want Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern to back their climate change initiative rather than impose a farmer levy. In an open letter penned to Ardern last week, DairyNZ chief executive Dr Tim Mackle, Beef + Lamb NZ chief executive Sam McIvor and Meat Industry Association chief executive Tim Richie urged her to rethink the inclusion of agriculture in an emissions trading scheme (ETS). They urged Ardern to support He Waka Eke Noa, the primary sector climate change commitment. They described the initiative as “an innovative and world leading statement from the primary sector”. “We believe this will be more effective than taxing the sector via a levy on processors through the Emissions Trading Scheme. “The primary sector remains committed to working in good faith with your Government and Maori to implement a practical and cost effective system for reporting, reducing, and

“We believe this will be more effective than taxing the sector via a levy on processors through the Emissions Trading Scheme.”

then pricing emissions at farm level by 2025. “This approach will drive the right behaviour change and achieve reductions in emissions in a more meaningful way, which will be critically important to enable a smooth transition for the agricultural sector.” The open letter says the industry is proud of the environmen-

tal improvements made by successive generations of farmers.

It says that, like Ardern, farmers also want future generations to benefit from and enjoy the environment NZ has today. “The way we farm has changed significantly for the better over the years and we know that we need to continue to develop, improve and adapt moving forward. “That’s why we have looked to work constructively with the Government over the past few months to help drive the best possible outcome on climate change for the country.” DairyNZ, Beef + Lamb NZ, the Meat Industry Association and eight other primary sector organisations developed He Waka Eke Noa, the Primary Sector Climate Change Commitment as a collaborative proposal with the Government and Maori to help achieve a low carbon future. “We firmly believe that New Zea-

land can make the fastest progress towards managing our agricultural emissions by establishing a farm based framework focused on practical change. “Our farmers are committed to on farm changes that will reduce emissions, but they need to be supported by good policies, technology, R&D and transitional measures.” In a statement to Rural News, Ardern acknowledged that many farmers are already doing good work on their farms to reduce their environmental impact. “We welcome their ongoing commitment to a really important long term challenge for the Government and the farming sector,” Ardern said. “We start from a point of agreement on the outcome – that the Government and farmers want emissions calculated at farm level where they can manage their own emissions on their property. “I am glad New Zealanders are taking part in the consultation on the options.” @rural_news facebook.com/ruralnews

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IT’S ALL systems go for tractor, machinery and excavator manufacturer Kubota, which will formally launch Kubota New Zealand on October 1 at a new location in Palmerston North. Having enjoyed a long partnership with the Norwood camp, Kubota says its expansion into higher horsepower tractors and implements has prompted a change to its existing business model. Ian Massicks, previously brand manager at Norwood, has moved across to Kubota NZ to become marketing and business development manager, alongside key individuals in the former regime. The recent dealer and media event in Cromwell allowed attendees to get a taste of what’s new in the pipeline, including the M7-2 and M5-1 tractors and the RTV XG850 Sidekick UTV. “These new products will allow us to demonstrate what the future will be,” Massicks told Rural News. “The new entity allows us to achieve our goal to streamline our processes and offer increased support through our impressive dealer network to meet the needs and expectations of our customers.” • See page 36

“We’ve been using Optimise for 4 years now and we always get compliments on how well the lucerne is looking. Adding trace elements along with the lime mix has been key. So easy to apply.”

RURAL NEWS // SEPTEMBER 24, 2019

NEWS 5

Sheep set to join NAIT?

Work visa changes welcomed PAM TIPA pamelat@ruralnews.co.nz

REGIONAL NEW Zealand will benefit most from changes to employer assisted visa settings, says BusinessNZ chief executive Kirk Hope. He joins a chorus of primary industry sector organisations welcoming changes to temporary work visa rules. Significant changes will be made to current immigration settings, says Hope. Access to migrants to regions with low unemployment will be improved and sector agreements will be put in place. Federated Farmers says the Government has indicated the dairy industry is a likely early target group for a sector agreement containing specific terms and conditions for recruiting foreign workers. The Meat Industry Association also says the meat processing sector has been invited to negotiate with the Government for one of the first sector agreements for immigration. The sector is now short of about 2000 employees, representing about 8% of its workforce. “Labour shortages have been an ongoing issue for the meat processing sector, affecting our ability to run our plants to the desired capacity and fully process all products,” said MIA chief executive Tim Ritchie. “That deprives processors and farmers of revenue and rural communities of income.” He says the sector is committed to training and employing New Zealanders but it must recruit people from overseas to fill immediate gaps. A sector agreement is likely to include how the meat industry will attract NZers, improve productivity,

offer training and uphold employment standards, says Ritchie. “Meat processors are mainly based in the regions, so residential accommodation is available for people coming from overseas. Enabling meat processors to operate at full capacity for the season will provide additional money to the communities in which they operate.” Horticulture NZ chief executive Mike Chapman says the changes will make it more straightforward to hire skilled workers from overseas. “At the same time, the changes recognise the need to employ NZers wherever possible, but we appreciate this is not always possible. “The changes will take effect over the next couple of years as the detail is worked out with industry input.” DairyNZ chief executive Dr Tim Mackle says a consistent message from farmers is that they are struggling to get good staff on farm. “Filling skill shortages is of critical importance to our agricultural sector,” Mackle said. “We will now work with dairy farmers to ensure they understand what these changes will mean for them from 2021 when the policy comes into place, and also what it might mean in the period before then.” DairyNZ says it will seek clarity about what the changes mean for existing migrant employees. Federated Farmers is confident the simpler and streamlined process will deliver for the regions. Feds employment spokesman Chris Lewis says by ditching the ANZSCO skill level classifications (in favour of a pay rate system) there is much greater scope for a migrant worker to progress in a farm career.

SUDESH KISSUN sudeshk@ruralnews.co.nz

SHEEP FARMERS could be joining the National Animal Identification and Traceability (NAIT) scheme within 18 months. Beef + Lamb NZ (BLNZ) plans in the coming months to develop a business case before starting consultation with farmers. But electronic ear tags and individual movement recording are not proposed for sheep, whereas cattle and deer are already in NAIT and require tags and movement recording. BLNZ manager technical policy Chris Houston says its case effectively follows work Ospri and the Red Meat Profit Partnership began in developing and trialling electronic Animal Status Declarations (eASDs). These are an alternative to the paper based records now required to accompany mobs of all species of stock when moved. “eASDs proved extremely popular with farmers and meat processing companies in the pilot projects and we envisage that for farmers a mob movement record for sheep would essentially look and feel the same as completing an eASD,” Houston told

Miles Anderson

Rural News. But Federated Farmers meat and fibre chair Miles Anderson believes sheep farmers would be wary of entering NAIT because of issues now faced by dairy and deer farmers. He says while Feds doesn’t oppose mobbased monitoring of sheep for biosecurity purposes, he doesn’t think NAIT is ready to take another layer of monitoring. “Implementation and education on NAIT are lacking. We know a system that actually works would mitigate most of the non-compliance issues that currently exist in the NAIT system,” said Anderson. Dairy and deer farmers have loudly voiced their criticisms of the system, ie clunky and hard to nav-

igate, requires expensive technology, and relies on connectivity that often fails or is non-existent in rural areas. Anderson says over the last six months NAIT and Ospri have been addressing farmers’ usability problems. BLNZ agrees most sheep farmers are wary of sheep entering NAIT because many believe this would require electronic eartags and individual movement recording, as now happens for cattle and deer. “This is not proposed for sheep,” said Houston. He says sheep farmers also feel the issues with NAIT as it is now constituted must be sorted out before it gets a bigger workload. “We expect significant progress will be made on ‘making NAIT

better’ prior to any decision about introducing sheep into NAIT. And we envisage something much more simple for a farmer to achieve because it doesn’t involve putting in ear tags and electronic scanning of them.” Houston anticipates it would take at least 18 months before ‘sheep in NAIT’ or ‘eMob’ may happen. The business case also needs to stack up and receive farmer support. “Many of the biggest issues currently associated with NAIT, like ear tag retention, failure to read and record individual electronic numbers accurately, simply will not apply to this idea,” he said. • Concerns over NAIT data grab – page 32 @rural_news facebook.com/ruralnews

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RURAL NEWS // SEPTEMBER 24, 2019

6 NEWS

Sector’s star keeps rising – SOPI PAM TIPA pamelat@ruralnews.co.nz

HORTICULTURE IS again the star in primary exports revenue growth, says MPI’s Situation and Outlook September update. Hort’s revenue growth jumped 13.7% in the year ended June 2019 to $6.1 billion. But dairy was the biggest money earner, growing 8.7% to $18.1b – a $1.47b increase. Overall primary exports were also up 8.7% to $46.4b for the year ending June 2017 but are expected to drop 0.5% in the current year to $46.2b. “Prices are forecast to remain high for most products, but lower

export volumes are forecast in most sectors,” said the report. “Dairy and red meat volumes are expected to drop after benefiting from above-average pasture growth last season, and lower log prices are expected to drive a decrease in forestry production and exports.” The Chinese market’s importance keeps growing for the dairy sector, with exports growing 21.5% over the last year and now accounting for 31.2% of total dairy export revenue. Two thirds of last year’s revenue increase for dairy came from China. Milk solids production for the 2019-20 season is expected to be slightly

down (0.3%). This will translate into export volume declines for some key dairy commodities (especially WMP). But growth in high value products such as infant formula and “other” liquid milk products such as UHT are expected to continue. Relatively strong farmgate returns are expected in the upcoming 2019-20 season: the all-company average farmgate milk solids payout is forecast to be $6.86 (including any dividend). Meat and wool export revenue is forecast to reach $10.1b for the year ending June 2020, a 1% fall from the previous year due to a slightly lower production outlook. Slaughter weights

reached record highs for both lamb and mutton in the year ended June 2019 at 19.1 kg and 26.8 kg, respectively, due in part to good pasture growth. Beef production is forecast to fall slightly in the coming year to 676,000 tonnes. New Zealand’s beef and veal exports to China have doubled over the last year from $639 million to over $1.2b in the year ended June 2019. China is now NZ’s largest beef export destination. Beef prices have been strong since 2015 and sheep meat prices over the last two years. Assuming average pasture growth in the year ending June 2020 and fewer breeding ewes, lamb and mutton produc-

Primary sector exports earned the country $46.4 billion for the year ending June 2017.

tion is expected to fall slightly from last year’s level to 357,000 tonnes of lamb and 87,000t of mutton. Prices for strong wool have been subdued for the last three years and prices are unlikely to improve in 2020. Meanwhile, fine wool prices are starting to fall from the records seen in 2018 and 2019 due to weaker Chinese demand. Overall wool export revenue is

forecast to decrease 8.4% in the year ended June 2020. Horticulture export revenue is forecast to grow 3.8% to $6.3b in the year ended June 2020, with slightly lower yields in the main crops contributing to lower growth this year. NZ apple exports to China in the first half of 2019 were double those for the same period last year.

Apple and pear export revenue for the calendar year 2019 is expected to exceed $800m due to increases in both export volumes and prices. Higher kiwifruit prices bring the forecast revenue up 4.5% to $2.53b for the kiwifruit season ending March 2020, despite kiwifruit production volumes for 2019-20 being on par to slightly below last season.

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NEWS 7

Letter outlines growing concerns JILL GALLOWAY

AN OPEN letter of concern by Chris Garland about farmers and the environment has gone viral and he has done many interviews on the subject. But it is the Government he wants to influence and he says he is in the process of organising a meeting with Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor. Garland hopes O’Connor will get alongside Health Minister David Clark and Environment Minister David Parker. And he hopes to make a difference to the way the public thinks about farmers and their impact on the environment and believes he is getting traction. “The anti farmer issue is getting more credence from the Government rather than the public,” he told Rural News. Garland says any change to the environment is everyone’s responsibility, not just farmers’. He says dairy farmers have had it tough over the last few years “with low payouts for milk solids over three years, M. bovis and Fonterra problems

“Tree planting, the Zero Carbon Bill and the National Freshwater Policy are all having a profound impact on the pastoral industry and they all happened in a short time. They all have huge implications for farming and people are feeling totally overwhelmed.”

which have wiped share value off. The banks are also putting pressure on dairy farmers too, so they have every reason to be despondent”. Garland says in terms of trade, sheep and beef farmers have experienced good years with record returns, but they are also upset which emanates from a feeling of worthlessness. He says both dairy and sheep and beef farmers feel much is coming at them on the environment. “Tree planting, the Zero Carbon Bill and the National Freshwater Policy are all having a profound impact on the pastoral industry and they all happened in a short time. They all have huge

implications for farming and people are feeling totally overwhelmed.” Garland says while the public view of farmers may have improved there is still the ‘liberal left’, which has a darker view. He concedes some mismanagement has occurred in the past: cropping where it shouldn’t have been, bobby calves mistreated and erosion and sediment run-off. “But maybe only 20% of farmers might be guilty of bad environment practices,” he said. “But 80% are doing the right thing. They are making waterways healthier and there is concern about biodiversity. We need to give

Baker Ag’s Chris Garland.

those people credit.” Garland says farmers are problem solvers but they have been shut out of any consultations. “They are made to feel they are part of the problem and they have not been asked to find a solution that might work.”

He believes the Government has not had the right approach and has not read farmers well, shutting out rural people who could help them find solutions. “How does the Government expect to achieve behaviour change by constituents who are dejected and feel alienated from society?” Garland says farming in New Zealand has taken at least 100 years to evolve complex systems of pasture and livestock in place. “You don’t just turn around those systems overnight. Farmers need more time and to be involved, to adapt.” Garland’s letter says the Government’s approach to environmental management is undermining the mental health of farmers. And some of the $1.5 billion to be spent on mental health will be needed to counter the impact on the rural sector. “The Government has contributed strongly toward turning the public against farming, which has had a severe impact on farmers’ self esteem and on their ability to cope with the rapidly changing policy on the environment.” @rural_news facebook.com/ruralnews

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RURAL NEWS // SEPTEMBER 24, 2019

NEWS 9

Rural ‘omnibus’ mooted to ministers STAFF REPORTER

A GOLDEN Bay couple are calling for an ‘omnibus’ to carry school pupils and the public together to improve road safety and better connect rural communities. Deborah and Tim Rhodes want the Government to extend the existing free bus service to include not only all children but also senior citizens and fare paying adults. The service could keep the existing routes and travel times, essentially school hours. For the last three years the Rhodes have tried to get the Ministry of Education (MoE) and the local school bus operator to bend on eligibility criteria. MoE eligibility guidelines for free bus travel for school children from

year 1-8 stipulate that students must be at least 3.2 km from the school, “over the shortest public road or pedestrian route from the home roadside gate to the school’s front gate”. On the same basis, year 9-13 students must be least 4.8 km from the school. The Rhodes wanted to put their three kids Alvin (14), Bonnie (12) and Royce (11) on the Collingwood Area School bus but they were ineligible because they lived too close to the school. As high school students, Alvin and Bonnie came under the 4.8 km minimum distance for the bus, while Royce at primary school was ineligible because he lived less than 3.2 km from the school. Instead, students were forced to take their chances walking or biking

Tim and Deborah Rhodes.

along a busy, sometimes congested road. “It doesn’t have any shoulders, it’s a narrow road and it’s the road on the way to Farewell Spit so it’s incredibly busy in the summer,” Deborah Rhodes told Rural News. The road also carries 50 tonne trucks heading to a dolomite mine at speeds of 80 km/h or more. “And we’ve got four

one-lane bridges,” said Rhodes. She says they had struggled to get a sympathetic response to their safety concerns until a month ago, when a Waikato district mayor, Allan Sanson, said the region’s roads are unsafe for walking children. The Rhodes were about to give up their bus fight when they hit on the omnibus idea, know-

ing that bus companies already had discretion to “pick up children and have them pay for a ride”. Funding for an omnibus service would come from MoE, from adult passenger fares, from the Gold Card scheme, tourism, Ministry for Children and the regional development budget. As a public service the bus would pay its way partly by tourism revenue

including the growing homestay industry. “So the rural omnibus is actually broader, bigger, wider – encompassing of all transport for rural communities.” As a social stimulus the bus would improve quality of life and reduce the need for people to move into institutional care, the Rhodes argue. The omnibus would allow students to take a bus to a school of their choice, Tim Rhodes says. And it would give rural kids more social outlets. Arguing that the service could operate anywhere, the Rhodes have asked Rural Communities Minister Damien O’Connor MP for West Coast/Tasman) to investigate the creation of a new agency, Rural Omnibus, to run rural school bus services. Deborah Rhodes said

when O’Connor visited Collingwood Area School early in September he didn’t promise changes but said he had “initiated his people looking at the rules on fare paying adults and school children on school buses”. She said they stressed to O’Connor they wanted an omnibus, not a more flexible school bus. “So as far as we’re aware, Damien has taken the idea on board and has his bureaucratic team starting to look at it.” A spokesperson for O’Connor says the proposal is an electorate issue and that an electorate staff member was not immediately available to comment. Rural News asked for a response from O’Connor as Rural Communities Minister. He did not respond before press date.

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RURAL NEWS // SEPTEMBER 24, 2019

10 NEWS – WATER FOCUS

Freshwater frontman fronts up STAFF REPORTERS

IT’S TIME for New Zealand to pause in its approach to freshwater, Synlait founder John Penno says. Penno is part of the Freshwater Leaders Group advising the Ministry for the Environment (MfE) on proposed new freshwater management rules. “We need to do some things to stop things getting worse, beyond just ‘no more development,” he told the MfE public consultation meeting in Christchurch. The Freshwater Leaders Group has a focus on agriculture’s effect on freshwater “because of where the policy was going,” Penno said. The group included representatives from dairy, sheep and beef, a water ecologist and campaigners for more rigorous water regulation. Penno said the big concern for some regions, eg Canterbury, is that while water quality continues to decline, a fix-up is getting harder and more expensive. “The time has come when we’ve got to pause, because if we don’t pause, the next development -- whether it’s urban or rural -- will be putting more pres-

“It’s just a factor that the dairy sector has done a helluva lot more to address some of these things.” sure on water bodies already under pressure.” The best dairy farmers won’t be shocked by what’s expected of them in proposed national freshwater standards, he claimed. Some operators have been meeting the requirements of the proposed NPS for many years. “If you’re looking at them and thinking ‘that’s going to catch me’, I think, in a Canterbury context... you should be looking at yourself because I would almost classify you as a laggard.” Penno claimed that dairy is generally ahead of other farming sectors, ie sheep and beef. “It’s just a factor that the dairy sector has done a helluva lot more to address some of these things.” He said nitrogen is a particular issue for Canterbury, encouraging farmers not to get so “hung up on”

The Government’s freshwater frontman John Penno.

nitrogen that they dismiss the whole NPS concept. “Don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater, if you like, because I think there are a lot of very good things in here that protect high-performing farmers who have been working on these things for a long time.” Penno said he wasn’t surprised to see a packed audience at the Christchurch meeting.

“While on the one hand we have an abundance of water, [that water] is absolutely essential to everything we do, whether we’re living in the city and using it for recreation,” he told Rural News. “It’s part of our childhood memories and the special times we have with our families, or whether we’re on the land where without it we have nothing. Water is enormously important.”

Penno said farmers had mismanaged water in some regions. “In many catchments we’ve gone too far. We’ve taken too much water out of them or there’s too much nutrient or sediment or bacterial material getting into them.” The Freshwater Leaders Group has asked scientists to “describe” what a healthy waterway would look like. “The importance of this is that if you can’t describe it you can’t actually plan for it.” Waterways need to be supportive of healthy ecosystems, Penno said while some campaigners want pristine water “I think most of us are pragmatic enough to understand that we just can’t have human activity and have pristine waterways.” The proposed National Policy Statement (NPS) for freshwater is a guideline to be used by regional councils as they develop regional plans, Penno pointed out. “You could argue there is some bluntness to this, because it’s not saying there’s a national plan, but there’s a national standard that’s saying: as a national community this is where we should be aiming.”

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RURAL NEWS // SEPTEMBER 24, 2019

NEWS – WATER FOCUS 11

Fencing setbacks unacceptable – Fonterra SUDESH KISSUN sudeshk@ruralnews.co.nz

FONTERRA IS rejecting a Government proposal for five-metre fencing setbacks on all dairy farms. Co-op chairman John Monaghan points out farmer shareholders pledged six years ago to fully fence defined waterways on every farm. “Within 24 months, more than 90% of those waterways were fenced,” he said. ●● “It’s something we should all be ●● proud of. Instead this proposal punishes us for ●● being proactive with little added benefit and at huge cost. ●● “Pulling down fences and making ●● farmers start again shouldn’t be a priority.” ●● In a note to farmer shareholders last week, Monaghan described the proposed five-metre fencing setbacks as “unacceptable”. Also unacceptable to the co-op is the Government’s proposal to set ‘bottom lines’ for dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN). Monaghan believes the bottom lines for nitrogen and phosphorus in rivers need to be tailored. “The proposal must consider local contexts or ambitions, and should be backed up by analysis of the economic cost to individual farmers, our communities and wider regional economies,” he said. “In the current proposal, farms in some parts of New Zealand would have to make nitrogen reductions in excess of 50%. We would expect robust analysis to justify this decision.” Monaghan says Fonterra supports the Government’s overall goal to improve freshwater.

“Every dairy farmer understands the importance of freshwater to our businesses and our communities,” he says. “We all know NZ can have both healthy freshwater and a thriving agricultural economy.” But he wants people to take the emotion out of the debate and make

Fonterra’s commitment Farm within regional environmental limits Encourage strong environmental farming practices Reduce water use and improve wastewater quality at manufacturing plants Work together on waterway health Invest in science and innovation to find new solutions Make the products people value most.

these critical decisions based on science, data and facts. “There is a lot of emotion on all sides of this debate, and rightly so. New Zealanders are passionate about the environment. But at the end of the day we all want the same thing: clean, thriving freshwater existing alongside a thriving farming economy. “There are a number of proposals we support and we will work with you to help you meet these.” In particular, Fonterra welcomes the Government’s acknowledgement of the value of farm environment plans (FEPs). It wants the Government to go further and make them mandatory for all farmers and growers. About 23% of Fonterra farmers already have a FEP tailored to help them farm within environmental limits. “Continuing to help farmers get FEPs to iden-

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RURAL NEWS // SEPTEMBER 24, 2019

12 NEWS – WATER FOCUS

Frustrations vented at freshwater meetings STAFF REPORTERS

HACKLES ROSE over freshwater issues at a packed public meeting in Christchurch earlier this month. As in other meetings around the country on the Ministry for the Environment (MfE) consultation on a proposed National Policy Statement (NPS) for freshwater, farmers attended in big numbers. The meeting room at the Sudima Hotel was brimming. MfE director water Martin Workman said it is harder to set a national standard for freshwater than to track progress against a 2050 zero carbon target. He conceded that there is a lot

of difference between catchments and that some regions may find it harder to reach a national target. He said it is important for communities to work through what makes sense for their local areas. Workman expects a new NPS for freshwater will change the way local authorities and the Government handle resource management consents. “We’re seeing, with all this national direction, there’s a lot more Government oversight being proposed to ensure this does have teeth and that we achieve the quality of environment we aspire to,” he said. The Environmental Protection Authority is setting up an enforce-

North Canterbury farmer Jamie McFadden.

ment unit to “help councils take enforcement across the country”. Under proposed changes to the Resource

Management Act, the authority would have the power, as councils do, to take law breakers to court, Workman said.

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A North Canterbury farmer, Jamie McFadden, said he has been helping farmers to protect waterways, wetlands and waterways for the last 20 years, but it now appears those landowners would be penalised for being proactive. “We’ve got some farmers who have a lot of wetlands on their property, which we’ve encouraged them to protect. They’re going to have to incur huge costs under this freshwater legislation.” McFadden questioned how much analysis is done of the impact of regulation on different farming sectors. Farmers around him in hill country Cheviot feel under siege from a raft of demands, eg freshwater improvements and biodiversity programmes. “In our area, traditional sort of hill country farmers are getting out because they’re sick of the amount of regulation and constant penalising of good farmers. And they’re getting out.” McFadden is part of a group – the Rural Advocacy Network – which

walked away from the Hurunui-Waiau water zone committee. The group accused Environment Canterbury of using the province’s zone committees to pursue its own agenda. Workman said investigation is ongoing as part of its consultation on freshwater policy “and the intent here is not to stuff up farmers doing the right thing. It is to encourage others to be doing this”. A Fish and Game officer at the meeting said this is the first time in her nine years with the organisation that she feels hopeful about improvements in freshwater quality. But a Banks Peninsula farmer, Pam Richardson, urged policymakers to be careful what they wish for. Richardson, who has led conservation projects on the peninsula for decades, asked whether planners are taking pest and weed control into account. On the peninsula she has already noticed gorse and broom “jumping out everywhere” because

of setbacks on waterways. “I wondered if there’s been any thought put into… with all these areas fenced off, how you would manage them.” Richardson questioned the likely costs of new water policy. Many people, including city folk, are telling their councils the rates are unaffordable, and councillors are usually loathe to spend big on improvements. At Akaroa, within the Christchurch City Council territory, the local body has been reluctant to spend $34 million on the town’s sewage system, Richardson said. “The city council can barely afford that with all the other things going on. So how are we going to afford all these extra requirements from ratepayers who say, ‘we can’t afford a rate rise’?” Another MfE representative told the meeting there is a large cost for improving public water and sewage treatment services. “We are going to have to work through this as a country: just like we’re talking about on farms.”

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RURAL NEWS // SEPTEMBER 24, 2019

NEWS – WATER FOCUS 13

Farmers urged to stay active and engaged PAM TIPA pamelat@ruralnews.co.nz

FARMERS MUST stay active and engaged with the submission process, says Federated Farmers environment and water spokesman Chris Allen. He says there will be a raft of techniques through which they can give submissions, whether individually, through templates or their industrygood bodies. “There’s a lot of stress in the environment. There are some pretty concerned farmers out there.” Federated Farmers, Beef + Lamb NZ, DairyNZ and others in the primary sector will be looking at the effects of these proposals. “We want the farmers to come out and support or challenge us if necessary so we have the best submissions we can possibly have -- the most robust. “We need the personal stories. What are the effects of the new rules on farms, communities, local schools and sports clubs? It is really important that farmers get behind this with a united voice and say what is right and appropriate. “We are on a journey. We are going there but is it achievable if the limits are put in the wrong

place?” He has never had so many farmers say on any issue “we are up for all this stuff, we want to do the right thing, but the goalposts have to be somewhere we can see, not over the horizon”. Allen says farmers need to know the economic implications. “The audience at the Ashburton meeting was scathing that the Government hadn’t even bothered to do any robust economic analysis of the implications.” Allen thought the Ashburton MfE briefing was “undercooked”. “They didn’t have any detail for farmers. We wanted to hear it from the horse’s mouth, the MfE officials, about what it really means. “They brought up a few points then they went right into questions. Given that there was not enough information to digest it was hard to have a broader conversation.” To say there was some concern would be an “absolute understatement”, he says. Dairy Holdings chief executive Colin Glass is also urging farmers and rural communities to make submissions on the consultation process. “People need to talk about what they are doing to do the right thing. We

have come a massively long way. Our whole conversation has changed. Farmers are actively engaged. “They are doing more than they ever have before in the environmental space.” That has got to be recognised and given credit otherwise

[we will] lose people on the journey.” He says it could suggest the process has been orchestrated. “I really hope that is not the case.” That would be quite sad. “It is clearly going to have ramifications all around provincial New Zealand.”

Fed Farmers water spokesman Chris Allen is urging farmers to remain engaged and active in the freshwater debate.

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EXTENSION ‘LAME’ A NATIONAL MP claims the two week extension for submissions to the freshwater plan is lame and will do nothing to assist farmers struggling to meet the deadline. Waitaki MP Jacqui Dean says the two week submission extension insults farmers over their concerns and will make little difference to their ability to meet the deadline. “Let’s not forget that these freshwater proposals took almost 12 months to put together, so it’s blatantly unfair that farmers are only being given a few short weeks to have their say. “Farmers have told me they will not be fobbed off like this. They contribute significantly to the country’s economy and expect their voices to be given a robust hearing by the minister,” she said. “When I suggested that David Parker extend the consultation period, I had hoped he would see reason and give farmers extra months, not a couple of extra weeks, to be involved in this process.”

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14 NEWS – WATER FOCUS

Proposed freshwater targets are unattainable – farm leader PAM TIPA pamelat@ruralnews.co.nz

THE GOVERNMENT’S proposed nitrogen target for mid Canterbury isn’t attainable, says a Canterbury dairy farmer and industry leader Colin Glass. “It looks as though there is nothing we could do today that would even come close to achieving that target. It simply means that if that target is not amended, farming – as we know it today – is not possible. Any form of

farming,” Glass says. But that is no reason to give up on the consultation process, he adds. “The key thing is that farmers are doing the right thing. “Everyone is moving in the right direction. Now is not the time for people to lose faith or confidence in the process. “Potentially this is what these new standards [could cause].” Glass’ comments follow a Ministry for the Environment (MfE) meeting at Ashburton

earlier this month to discuss the Government’s new Essential Freshwater proposals. About 400500 people attended. “We’ve got to be very clear about what is achievable, what can be done so that we still have a vibrant community as well as healthy freshwater.” Glass, who is chief executive of corporate dairy farmer Dairy Holdings and on the board of Dairy NZ, says he is no scientist. But the observation he makes is that

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in mid Canterbury, for example, the Hines plains have a target under the Environment Canterbury (ECan) plan to get to a level of nitrate in their waterways – including coastal streams and shallow bores – of 6.9 parts per million nitrate “To achieve that target in the plan ECan has developed [would see] farming intensity dropping by 36% by 2035 along with managed aquafer recharge and stream augmentation. That is to get to 6.9.

“This new NPS (national policy standard) for nitrogen isn’t the same standard which has been there historically. This is a new standard based on dissolved inorganic nitrogen. That includes nitrate, nitrite and ammonia and that needs to be less than 1 part per million. “At a simple level, the plan already in place with ECan and through public consultation – the one farmers have really stretched and challenged themselves to get to –

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is now regarded as not being good enough. It has to get to less than one seventh of that number.” This is not achievable with any kind of farming we know of today, Glass says. He adds that what came out clearly in the discussion is that even the freshwater panel members themselves could not agree. “The Government has put this document out for submissions and the panel of experts themselves were unable to

agree on what was appropriate for various parts of New Zealand,” Glass says. “So they have almost gone out inviting feedback from the public to help guide that. That was the piece that was disappointing for me because my expectation is that a panel would have brought in the correct science, weighed up the various issues and concerns and at least formed their own view. But they didn’t do that.” @rural_news facebook.com/ruralnews

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RURAL NEWS // SEPTEMBER 24, 2019

NEWS – WATER FOCUS 15

Stock water rules challenged STAFF REPORTER

A CANTERBURY district council wants a rewrite of proposed regional council rules for excluding stock from waterways. In a submission on Environment Canterbury’s Plan Change 7, Waimakariri District Council (WDC) wants Environment Canterbury (ECan) to allow exemptions for stock in waterways as a controlled or restricted discretionary activity. This would allow exemptions from stock exclusion under certain conditions, for example so that stock could access stockwater drinking bays. WDC also wants Environment Canterbury (ECan) to change its land and water plan so it can continue community water supply and stockwater race network schemes. Defining WDC as a “principal water supplier” would require it to seek resource consent “for any discharge of nutrient onto land that would result in contaminant entering water from the stockwater race network or community water supply,” the district council said. An irrigation supplier and/or holder of a discharge permit should be responsible for complying with nitrate reduction targets, WDC says. Commenting on water efficiency, WDC says the district’s stockwater race network is not a managed aquifer recharge system. “There is incidental aquifer recharge. Mitigation of nitrate-nitrogen, and the associated costs, should be addressed and paid for by nitratenitrogen polluters with effects-based rules and mitigations,” WDC said. WDC suggests ECan remove the phrase “system used to convey water” owned or operated by Waimakariri District Council (which has no definition) and replace it with “artificial watercourse used for irrigation and/or stock water” to exclude other water

systems such as urban stormwater and wastewater networks. WDC’s submission questions ECan’s definition of natural water bodies in the catchment, particularly smaller creeks, streams and waterways which flow only periodically. The council’s submission echoes farmers’ worries about whether they can be expected to mitigate nitrate pollution into such irregular waterways. WDC says overall it is broadly in support of ECan’s proposed Plan Change 7 to the Canterbury Land and Water Regional Plan. But it challenged rules on vegetation clearance and earthworks, which had been amended to provide for freshwater species habitat. On the planning maps, the rivers and tributaries areas affected (marked in purple) are “fairly extensive”, WDC says. The district council predicts a potential duplication of powers of the Resource Management Act 1991, which empowers territorial authorities with controls in this area, and the Regional Policy Statement. WDC recommends that the definition of “principal water supplier” be altered to exclude “community and/or stock water scheme”, otherwise nitrate reduction and contaminant discharge rules will apply to the stockwater network and community water supplies. The council also argues that policies for the habitat of indigenous freshwater species are too wide ranging and unfairly restrictive to territorial authorities. WDC recommends that the definition of “surface water body” be replaced with “river, wetland or lake” to avoid the unfairly restrictive statement “in same surface water catchment”. WDC also asks ECan to consider the impact of its nutrient management proposals on urban areas. WDC says nutrient

management proposals would also “capture” an unworkable additional number of lifestyle blocks in the district. At least 1000 proper-

ties greater than 5ha and smaller than 10ha would be affected, the council says. “The compliance costs of enforcing these rules

in this district -- rules that will not apply to the balance of the Canterbury region -- would not seem to justify the perceived environmental benefits.

Farmers in Waimakariri district in North Canterbury are considering the impact of hard-hitting nutrient management rules. The district council is concerned too.

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RURAL NEWS // SEPTEMBER 24, 2019

16 NEWS

Telling NZ’s agritech story offshore PAM TIPA pamelat@ruralnews.co.nz

THE NEW Zealand Agritech Story launched last week by Trade and Enterprise will make a key difference for export

companies in the $1.5 billion sector, says an industry leader. The suite of free promotional materials highlight NZ’s leading edge. Peter Wren-Hilton, the executive director of Agri-

tech New Zealand, says the sector is highly competitive, with companies from around the world all promoting their products. “The New Zealand Agritech Story will provide us with a distinctive

voice, a way to engage with customers and communities and explain to them why Kiwi companies are different, both in the way we have developed our innovative solutions and the way we

Agritech task force head David Downs.

operate as partners,” he said. “Agritech has a significant value for NZ’s export economy. It currently contributes about $1.5b to our export receipts and campaigns like this will support its growth.” The ‘Story’ was shared for the first time internationally last week as part of NZ’s presence at Ireland’s National Ploughing Championship.

tiaki – where we have always worked in partnership with nature. From this connection we have drawn the inspiration, ingenuity and skills to create world class agri technology. “In essence, we are Powered by Place, which is the central theme of this story (and the name of the website). The Story includes four key messages: Pow-

Central to the New Zealand Story is the Māori concept of Kaitiakitanga (guardianship, for people, place and planet) and how this sense of responsibility has inspired many of our worldclass agritech innovations.

• •

For more information on Orion Agriscience maize portfolio, please visit www.orionagriscience.co.nz ™ACE and Atraflow are Trade Marks of Orion AgriScience Ltd. . Registered pursuant to the ACVM Act 1997, No. P7218 See www.foodsafety.govt.nz for registration conditions. Approved pursuant to the HSNO Act 1996, No. HSR000404 See www.epa.govt.nz for approval conditions.

The development of the agritech story fits within the framework of the New Zealand Story. Comprehensive market insights were gathered to better understand current perceptions of NZ agritech – areas of strength, weakness or possible misconceptions. The Story is designed to help respond to these issues. Central to the New Zealand Story is the Māori concept of Kaitiakitanga (guardianship, for people, place and planet) and how this sense of responsibility has inspired many of our world-class agritech innovations. David Downs, the head of the all-of-government agritech taskforce which commissioned the Agritech Story, says the international research was the first step. “It became clear that one of our greatest competitive strengths is our connection to the land and the way this has influenced our approach to developing agritech. “NZers are driven by our sense of responsibility as guardians -- or kai-

ering Great Farmers, A World of Expertise in One Country, Natural Innovators, Powerful Partnerships. Each of these messages highlight the diverse solutions that have been developed by NZ companies, from the invention of electric fencing to robots that pick apples. A range of materials is now available to assist companies and NZ organisations tell the Agritech Story, including a market insights report, emotive Story video, showcase booklet, more than 100 photos, a comprehensive user guide and more, all designed to promote NZ as a source of world-class agriinnovation. All materials have been developed by NZ Trade and Enterprise (NZTE) in partnership with Agritech New Zealand, Callaghan Innovation, New Zealand Story, MBIE and MPI, and are available for free download from Agritech New Zealand’s website. @rural_news facebook.com/ruralnews

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RURAL NEWS // SEPTEMBER 24, 2019

18 NEWS

Pigs thrive behind the wire NIGEL MALTHUS

Christchurch Men’s Prison farm chief instructor Warren Chilton with fattening pigs on one of the farm’s Freedom Farms-certified straw barns. RURAL NEWS GROUP.

SUGGEST TO farm manager Warren Chilton that he is farming people as much as he is farming

animals and he readily agrees. Chilton is the principal instructor at the Christchurch Men’s Prison farm, 804ha of mixed live-

stock and cropping surrounding the prison on the western outskirts of the city. The jewel in the farm’s crown is its 8000-strong piggery. And it runs 2000 breeding ewes, about 250 beef cows and grows about 100ha of barley. Also on site is a woodwork shop, so altogether there could be up to 40 low security prisoners “outside the wire” on any given day, training in the skills they will need on release. “We are here basically for rehabilitation of prisoners, to give them work skills, work ethics, get them work ready and hopefully find jobs for them. That’s our main focus,” Chilton told Rural News. The farm runs on a commercial basis so the prisoners get no surprises when they go into industry, he says. The prisoners also receive classroom training and work towards NZQA qualifications, with modules on quad and tractor handling, chemicals handling, shearing, drilling and fencing. About 60% of prisoners are effectively illiterate so literacy and numeracy are embedded in the training. The farm was set up at least 100 years ago to feed the inmates. As it moved towards more commercial farming, the piggery was set up because the prison needed an industry that was labour intensive and suited to its light, free draining soil. The piggery is now the major part of the farm. It runs 600 breeding sows, 66 boars as AI backup and 7000 growing pigs. Chilton describes the piggery as a “farrow to finish” operation, selling 17,000 animals to slaughter each year. Ironically, for an operation where human prisoners provide the labour, the piggery’s products are sold NZ-wide under the Freedom Farm brand. The brand certification requires a range of strict

animal welfare standards that start with no confining crates or concrete fattening pens. Sows live outdoors, each with her own farrowing hut set in a small paddock separated from her sisters by electric fencing. The farm’s pigs also have wallows protected by shade cloths during summer. Litters stay with their mothers until weaning when they start rotation through a series of light, airy barns with straw or woodchip floors. The pigs are free to wander with 24 hour access to food and water and are able to display normal behaviours in social groups. “We get a premium for our product because that’s what customers want now,” Chilton said. “They want to know where their pigs have come from and that they’ve been treated nicely. ‘They’re not lying in crates and stalls and things like that.” The piggery runs year round to a weekly rhythm. AI is done on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Weaners are taken from the sows on Thursdays, at an average age of 26.5 days and 8kg in weight. They are then reared through a series of eco-barns and microbarns before going to slaughter at 138 days and 70kg dressed weight. About 100 go on Sundays, and 200 on Wednesdays. The farm also sells about 20 smaller spit pigs a week. With two main sources of pig semen in New Zealand, the farm uses Waratah Farms semen for their replacement dam line and PIC New Zealand semen for the sire line. Chilton says this combines the best from both companies. “It’s really changed the efficiency and performance of our pigs. They’re growing faster and leaner,” he says. “If you don’t keep improving all the time you’ll get left behind.”

RURAL NEWS // SEPTEMBER 24, 2019

NEWS 19

Looking at constant improvement FROM A sheep and beef farming background, Chilton has been an instructor on the farm for about 20 years. He took on overall management about seven years ago, at a time when he says it was very run down. “We couldn’t keep sheep in,” he told Rural News. “The fences were terrible, the tracks were terrible, there were no hedges cut, no pasture management, there was nothing really. So we started from a blank canvas.” It was a challenge, but Chilton has since doubled stock units. And he set up a small dairy herd “because that’s where the jobs were”, with a small model dairy farm and a modern eightbail half-herringbone shed put in only two years ago. But that is now mothballed after a brush with Mycoplasma bovis. The farm was put under an MPI notice of direction because of some trace animals bought in. Although they tested clear the farm closed its borders and suspended

dairying at least for the duration of the M. bovis threat. As far as possible, without bringing in new animals, Chilton is building up the beef and sheep operations to take up the slack. Meanwhile, the farm also enjoyed a good barley harvest last season, yielding 7.5t/ha on light dryland soil that would normally yield 5.5t. There is now about 75ha in autumn barley. And on the day Rural News visited a prisoner, under no direct supervision, was tilling a large paddock for a spring barley crop. Chilton entered the piggery operation in last year’s Ballance Farm Environment Awards

and it made the final five for the Canterbury region. He says that experience taught him that the piggery was too narrow a base to tick all the boxes the judges were looking for. But it whetted his appetite for the competition and he is now setting out to improve the whole farm so as to enter again in about five years. That will include extensive native planting. In line with the farm’s philosophy of doing as much as possible themselves, the seedlings are already on farm and growing in pots to be planted out in a couple of years.

Pigs at a concrete feeding station on the Christchurch Men’s prison farm. The stations are built to the farm’s own design with lifting lugs to be rotated around the piggery. RURAL NEWS GROUP.

PREPARING FOR THE OUTSIDE PRISONERS WORKING on the farm are paid 40 or 60 cents an hour, officially termed an “incentive”. “But you don’t have any problem getting people out here to work,” said Corrections Department communications adviser Carolyn Murgatroyd. “They just love coming and being out here on the farm and

A curious piglet on the Christchurch Men’s Prison farm. RURAL NEWS GROUP.

doing things.” She says the message to farmers who might consider employing a released prisoner is: “We’ve got skilled people who are keen to work”. Chilton says many prisoners granted farm work may not have any prior farm experience. “For the first few days they’re not really sure, but a very short time

after that they actually just love it,” he told Rural News. “And that’s why they go on in the industry, because they realise this is a great industry to work in.” He says this means his farm is regularly re-staffed with men unsure of what they are doing. “That can be the frustrating part of it,” Chilton said. “The rewarding part is the end of that process.”

Christchurch Men’s Prison farm chief instructor Warren Chilton on the mixed-breed beef herd now being established after the dairy operation was shut down over the threat of Mycoplasma bovis. RURAL NEWS GROUP.

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RURAL NEWS // SEPTEMBER 24, 2019

20 NEWS

Farmer promises to be ‘good parent’ He has been a dairy farmer for 40 years and is eager to discuss issues affecting the rural community. away from farming, as it’s not attractive to be a hands-on farmer anymore. “When you have a region such as ours getting screwed, it’s very serious because we don’t have any viable economic alternative at the moment.” Holmes’s solution to these issues, and his vision for council, is what

he terms “exceptional governance”. “Governance is a very unsexy subject,” he said. “In simple terms, in a household you have the parents, they look after the budget, ensure the fridge is full, the children are fed and watered.” He says if the parents are fighting everyone suffers as they are not providing leadership and

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good examples for the household. “That’s what we have at regional council. The councillors, who are the ‘parents’, are responsible for employing the chief executive, setting strategy and policy and driving accountability. It is the chief executive’s right to be empowered and carry out that strategy set by council.” He believes that councillors, despite being good people, do not understand their role. “Our regional council has had a lot of criti-

cism, because the chief executive has not been given good guidance and the blame lies fairly at the feet of the councillors.” Holmes says councillors should not be involved in the day to day operations of the council but should be well informed and hold the chief executive to account. “A huge number of diverse things need to be addressed in the way the council operates,” he said. “Unless we get stronger, more effective governance those problems

and complexity are going to perpetuate themselves.” Holmes believes that with exceptional governance, WRC can achieve the correct balance of the Resource Management Act, ensuring that economic, environmental and societal needs are met symbiotically, to support each other. “Guardianship of our region demands we have the vision and strength to balance these needs, in order to generate wealth for all our communities and families.”

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He has been a dairy farmer for 40 years and is eager to discuss issues affecting the rural community. “There’s no doubt that the farming community and related businesses are being slathered at the moment,” he said. “Farmers are feeling like the ‘lepers’ of our society. There’s a lot of regulation coming through, a lot of compliance and a lot of public distaste towards them.” Holmes reckons it is getting harder to do business in Waikato and that failure is scaring a whole generation of youngsters

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POLITICS, WHETHER national or local body, is not for the faint hearted. It does, however, attract people with huge egos or myopic crusades, and a few with genuine altruistic intent. Keith Holmes, candidate for Waikato Regional Council (WRC), believes he fits the latter description. Holmes’ history in governance includes involvement with the Waikato Regional Council’s Lower-Waikato Zone Committee, the Integrated Catchment Committee and the Tauhei Flood Protection Scheme.

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RURAL NEWS // SEPTEMBER 24, 2019

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global agribusiness research analysts sharing market outlooks

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expected, as producers have been even more constrained than foreseen, and demand has remained robust in the face of trade troubles and a global economic slowing. These trends have persisted and there

is an increasing chance of market firmness turning to pricing upside as we move forward, primarily due to a lack of supply expansion. The big 7 export markets look to have combined growth in milk supply of just 0.4% in Q4 2019 which is still below the threeyear average growth rate of 0.5%. As we head into 2020, production growth looks to increase

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EU Dryness and soil moisture deficits through parts of the EU – including regions in Germany, France, the

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RURAL NEWS // SEPTEMBER 24, 2019

COUNTRIES

Content supplied by Rabobank – Grow with the bank founded by farmers for farmers Netherlands and Poland – continued to hinder EU milk production growth through June, which remained flat with only minor growth in the seven main milk producing countries (+0.3%). The accumulated milk production growth in the rest of Europe remained negative

China in the US declined through August and strong culling enhanced cash flow. Moving forward, significantly higher milk prices in 2H and into 2020 are expected to stabilize the herd and boost year-onyear milk flows to near 1% for the coming 12 months.

Mild recovery in production and strong import growth has led to some stockpile, considering stable consumption. This will result in lower 2H imports. Production growth in 2020, lured by higher milk prices, could lead to slower import growth on a high comparable base in 2019. Headwinds to consumption are a key downside risk.

uncertainty, expansions remain limited through 2020.

Australia Australian milk

production is expected to decline during the new season, despite strong price signals. Seasonal risks and an ongoing squeeze on farmer margins due to high feed and water costs will delay any production recovery. The release of June data completes the picture for the 2018/19 season. National milk production in June 2019 showed a 7.4% decrease on June 2018, while national year-todate was down 5.7%. For the season, national

production declined by 5.7% to 8.795b litres – with recorded falls in all regions. On a volume basis, basis, this represented a loss of 530m litres of milk from the system – with 50% of the falls from the Northern Vic and Southern NSW irrigation districts.

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Poor pasture and rising cost of production due to currency deflation has hindered milk production in Argentina and Uruguay. Conditions are set to improve, but due to local economic

Rural News

Milk production was flat across the first half of 2019, compared to the prior year Cow numbers

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GROWTH RATE Over the same period weaning weights (adj. 100 days) have exceeded 36kg from a lambing % consistently above 150%. & SURVIVAL COMMENTS: • All sheep DNA and SIL recorded. • No crops are grown and no supplements are fed. • Ram hoggets have been eye muscle scanned since 1996. • All ewe hoggets are mated. • Breeding programme places a heavy emphasis on worm resilience – lambs drenched only once prior to autumn. • Scored for dags and feet shape. DNA rated for footrot and cold tolerance. • We take an uncompromising approach – sheep must constantly measure up.

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RURAL NEWS // SEPTEMBER 24, 2019

24 AGRIBUSINESS

Putting succession planning into action AT LEAST 50% of New Zealand farmers identify succession planning as an issue for them, their Sandra (middle) and David (right) Innes who have made a flying start to their farm succession plan are pictured with daughter Rachael (left) and husband Glen.

family and their farm business. “I think a lot of farmers have thoughts about succession planning in their heads,” said Sandra Innes. “But they don’t know how to begin or

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how to start that communication.” But Sandra and David Innes have made a ‘flying start’ after taking part in the Red Meat Profit Partnership’s (RMPP) series of Farm Business Transition and Succession Workshops. RMPP developed the workshops to take farm businesses through the transition and succession process. Participants attend a series of halfday facilitator-led workshops over three to four months, then a one-onone clinic. The first workshop covers the importance of understanding what all family members want and need from the transition and succession process as an essential first step in developing a plan. The Innes have recently moved to a lifestyle block bounding the hill country sheep and beef farm on Banks Peninsula which they have farmed together for 45 years. David is the third generation of his family to farm the land, which is now leased to their youngest daughter Rachael and her husband Glen. “The reason we wanted to take part was that, like many New Zealand farmers, we are facing the succession of the farm business,” said Sandra. “But like many people we weren’t sure how we wanted to do it.” She says the first workshop was a great starting point for that process. “We could have just gone straight to our accountant or solicitor, but we felt the more options we knew about the better. The expert speakers at that first event were really helpful. They outlined the options for governance and structures and answered any questions we had,” she explained. “But the really huge advantage was being in a small group of farmers who were at various stages of farming, and the willingness of everyone to open up and share their experiences and con-

cerns.” Sarah Barr has extensive experience with farmers on succession planning, leadership skills and team culture through her role with Coach Approach Rural, based in South Canterbury. She facilitated the RMPP workshops in Darfield and Geraldine. “What I like about the RMPP workshop model is its focus on beginning with people, relationships and communication,” she said. “That is my approach too, but often there is a tendency to go straight into the structure. Unless you are very clear and understand what you want to achieve, the structure may go wrong.” Barr says the awesome thing about these workshops is the insights and learnings the group members get from one another. The second workshop focuses on setting up and maintaining strong management foundations in the family business, including identifying what structures and processes you need to investigate and implement to secure the management foundations. “Rachael and Glen went to that one and they found it really interesting -- particularly the legal and accounting interpretations,” said Sandra. “We all felt the speakers at the workshops we attended were very good, and the facilitation. We have good open communication as a family, so from that point of view we had a head start.” Barr says in developing your succession plan you first need to understand the needs and wants of all the family, so getting all those views and perspectives shared in one room is very valuable. “Moving off farm for the next generation is a big job. The RMPP funding for these workshops has given us an opportunity to do that job well. I hope a lot more farming families make use of this,” Sandra Innes says. @rural_news facebook.com/ruralnews

RURAL NEWS // SEPTEMBER 24, 2019

AGRIBUSINESS 25

Kia ora to horticulture MAORI FARMING organisations are increasing their investment in horticulture. The new investment strategy isn’t only for better financial returns and job prospects, but is a step towards a more sustainable future for the next generation. Rotorua-based Ngāti Whakaue Tribal Lands (NWTL) general manager Ray Morrison says any investments they consider are guided by mana whenua and kaitiakitanga values. “When we look at investment propositions, diversification plays a big part in our decisionmaking along with the value proposition for our owners, including shareholder wealth and job creation,” he said. “These opportunities must also align with our organisational values and meet our risk profiles to ensure they also make com-

NZ Avocado chief executive Jen Scoular has welcomed news of greater Maori investment in the horticultural sector.

mercial sense.” NWTL in 2007 got out of dairy farming due to environmental and commercial reasons when it reached a settlement with Bay of Plenty Regional Council under its nitrogen incentives programme. NWTL has recently tripled its forestry footprint due to the impact carbon has made on the overall attractiveness of forestry investment, and it has explored investing in horticulture. “We are part of the Te Arawa Primary Sector Group (TAPS) of Te Arawa landowners who collectively own over 30,000ha,” he said. “We collaborate where possible through joint research, information sharing and investment opportunity analysis in order to leverage any collective advantage from potential agri-

business opportunities.” United Fresh New Zealand president Jerry Prendergast says the strong interest Māori trusts are showing in investing in horticulture is exciting. “Iwi trusts have significant capital, and this combined with their long term view of investments is excellent for our industry as a whole. It utilises land in an efficient way, creates jobs, is good for our economy and enhances our reputation for growing and supplying NZ and the world with the world’s best fruit and vegetables.” In a move to diversify its portfolio, get better returns from its land and become more environmentally sustainable, Pāmu, NZ’s largest farmer, has recently converted a 40ha block to avocados. Jen Scoular, NZ Avocado chief executive, says New Zealand needs more discussion of optimal land use. “When we look at avocados, we look at market demand, infrastructure to manage growth and feasibility in our climate,” she said. “I feel that [within the growing areas for avocados] if we add a 4ha

block of avocados to the average size dairy farm in NZ, you get diversification, great kai, a succession plan -because whānau can run a 4ha avocado orchard -- and it optimises the financial return to the farmer and the country.” Māori organisations also have a strong sense of social responsibility, so making investment decisions based solely on financial returns is not how these organisations tend to operate. Katie Paul is one of the new generation of Māori governors of multimillion dollar Māori land trusts in Bay of Plenty. “Doing business with Māori trusts is not just a commercial transaction,” she said. “Our owners have strong values in sustainability and the environment. If these values aren’t considered, then this could limit your time as a governor on these trusts. “To put it simply, we are kaitiaki. We inherit the land then we pass the land on. We need to think long term and intergenerationally.” @rural_news facebook.com/ruralnews

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RURAL NEWS // SEPTEMBER 24, 2019

26 OPINION EDITORIAL

Fake news THAT OLD saying ‘lies, damned lies and statistics’ should be rephrased: ‘lies, damned lies and environmental lobby-commissioned research’. This follows last week’s laughable report claiming the Government’s freshwater proposals will have a “limited impact” on New Zealand’s economy. Forest & Bird, Greenpeace and Fish & Game commissioned an NZIER report which claims the dairy industry is “only about 3% of GDP”. It goes on, “… it’s not the bedrock of the NZ economy. So that led us to conclude, at the national level, the effects would likely be minor”. We question the motivation for releasing such a report. What are these environmental groups trying to achieve? Is this is another attempt to belittle the agriculture sector and push ongoing anti-farming agenda? It’s fake news. As economist Cameron Bagrie says, the report is quite ridiculous. He rightly points outs that the dairy industry is a massive export earner. “If you look at the numbers for dairy exports, it’s grown on average about 8% per year, volumes have grown around 6% and that’s about double the rate of GDP,” he told The Country radio show. “If the dairy sector is not going to be… there’ll be a $15 billion to $20b export hole. That’s more money we will need to make by 2030.” Ironically, on the same day as the dubious NZIER report was released, MPI’s Situation Outlook update for September reported that NZ’s primary export earnings were up 8.7% to $46.4b for the year ending June 2017. And it predicts that dairy’s export earnings alone for the coming year will grow by 8.7% to $18.1b – a $1.47b increase on the previous year. This makes an embarrassing joke of the claim by Forest & Bird, Greenpeace and Fish & Game that… “Due to the relatively small size of the dairy industry, the impacts of the Government reforms are unlikely to be major at the national level”. Perhaps highly paid, out-of-touch executives at these increasingly discredited environmental lobbies can easily and arrogantly dismiss such economic impacts. But rural and regional fishers, hunters and bird watchers – who work on farms, in meat and milk processing plants and in the small and large business servicing the agricultural sector – will be less likely to do so if milk volumes fall by over 10% and stock numbers processed drop by two thirds due to the new freshwater rules.

RURALNEWS TO ALL FARMERS, FOR ALL FARMERS

HEAD OFFICE POSTAL ADDRESS: PO Box 331100, Takapuna, Auckland 0740 PUBLISHER: Brian Hight ......................................... Ph 09 307 0399 GENERAL MANAGER: Adam Fricker ....................................... Ph 09 913 9632 CONSULTING EDITOR: David Anderson .................................. Ph 09 307 0399 davida@ruralnews.co.nz

EDNA

“That’s great Edna – hold the aerial right there!”

Want to share your opinion or gossip with the Hound? Send your emails to: hound@ruralnews.co.nz

THE HOUND Early start?

Quislings?

All talk

Snubbed

THIS OLD mutt reckons it’s no wonder the agri-based Lincoln University is going down the tubes. The woke-types in charge at Lincoln have, instead of sticking to their knitting and getting the institution back in shape, become the first tertiary provider in New Zealand to back this month’s nationwide schoolkids’ ‘strike’ against climate change on Sept 27. Acting vicechancellor professor Bruce McKenzie says although lectures will continue, Lincoln staff and students may strike without needing to take time off or explain their non-attendance. Your old mate bets that most of the Lincoln students who say they’ll attend the climate change event will, in fact, be down at the local boozer on that Friday afternoon getting an early start on the weekend’s social activities. And who can blame them?

YOUR OLD mate notes that the farming haters at Bitch & Complain (Fish & Game) are now parroting the ‘progressive’ words of both Beef+Lamb and Dairy NZ chairs Andrew Morrison and Jim van der Poel, while demonising Fed Farmers in F&G’s ongoing campaign against the ag sector. Unfortunately, for both Morrison and van der Poel, claims that their organisations are not quisling-like sell-outs of the farming sector have been irreparably damaged and undermined by the public backing from Bitch & Complain. With friends like the antifarming types at Bitch&Complain, your old mate suggest it is little wonder why farmers around NZ are questioning the value of the $100 million in levies they are charged each year to fund Beef+Lamb and Dairy NZ.

THE HOUND sees that all the virtue signalling and talk about how good it is is not paying off for Governmentowned farmer Landcorp. The company has just recorded a $11 million loss for the year ended June 2019. Of course, the virtue signaller-in-chief – chief executive Steven Carden – was quick to blame drought and a myriad other factors for his company’s woeful financial performance. Meanwhile, the minister in charge of Landcorp, Shane Jones, was quick to criticise Fonterra for its terrible financial performance. But he’s been deathly silent on the woeful performance of the business he is supposed to be overseeing. Perhaps Jones could take a leaf out of the dairy co-op’s book and freeze all pay rises for the 25% (or more) of Landcorp staff pulling in at least $100K a year.

YOUR CANINE crusader reckons it’s hard not to see why the Government is seen as anti-farming. It’s well known that Environment Minister David Parker has had a huge chip on his shoulder against the farming sector ever since his plans to introduce a fart tax – when he was last in Government – were stifled by industry protests. Meanwhile, Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor, while always talking a good game, has strongly backed every anti-farming policy that his Labour Party has wanted to introduce. So it was no surprise to your old mate that when Parker and O’Connor announced their freshwater proposals no farming sector groups were invited. However, anti-farming groups Fish & Game, Choose Clean Water, Forest & Bird and Greenpeace were all given front row seats.

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Rural News is published by Rural News Group Ltd. All editorial copy and photographs are subject to copyright and may not be reproduced without prior written permission of the publisher. Opinions or comments expressed within this publication are not necessarily those of staff, management or directors of Rural News Group Ltd.

RURAL NEWS // SEPTEMBER 24, 2019

OPINION 27

Freshwater proposals pile on pressure is one of our nation’s critical assets, perhaps second only behind our people. It must continue to be improved, but our farmers must be able to lead the way.

What is disingenuous, if not straight out destructive, is to frame up our improving water quality trajectory as false, impose targets that can’t be farmed to, provide no

economic analysis, limited the opportunity to give feedback and say you are working in the best interests of this country. • Todd Muller is National’s agriculture spokesman

Todd Muller

r fo ria ow la N mu Ra

I COMMENTED recently on the tension and anxiety around our rural kitchen tables as our farmers grapple with the pressures this Government is piling up on their family businesses. Over the last few weeks we’ve seen this further added to by the Government’s freshwater proposals and unacceptable consultation process. To explain why I need to paint a scene typical in rural New Zealand: a farming family, rivers and streams fenced, in some case wetlands created, cowshed effluent captured to be reused on farm as a fertiliser if you are a dairy farmer. You model your impact year on year on the surrounding environment to demonstrate improvement. You are working alongside other farmers to improve your catchment. You are making a difference, your local stream values are improving. Your catchment group is working with your local council to establish the previous National Party’s freshwater standards, including the first wider ranging set of minimum bottom lines of water quality announced just two years ago. Here are seen local catchments and local people finding local solutions. Then along comes David Parker from an office in Wellington, with a raft of new measures and onerous nitrogen reduction targets which under current conditions won’t be feasible to achieve. Our farmers are not the enemy in the water quality conversation. They are the people who will be implementing the solution. The rural sector is sick of being ostracised and demonised by this Government. At present, neither the consultation process nor the language of Government ministers indicate there is any intention to negotiate or partner with landowners in finding a

workable solution. No matter where you sit on the matter, this rigidity and lack of stewardship is unacceptable. The proposed reforms are misguided, misinformed and need reworking. The purpose of an effective public consultation is to work through the kinks and come out the other side with workable outcomes. Legislative overhaul of this magnitude deserves effective and inclusive public consultation. The rural constituency is an important group of stakeholders, the most financially impacted on an individual level, yet they are being branded environmental vandals for attempting to explain their position. The Government gave just six weeks for consultation (extended to a mere eight after farmer pressure) during one of the busiest times of the year and it set up just five meetings across the entire country which are farmer friendly. The documents provided for farmers to wade through have no economic analysis. In fact the Government’s own report says the modelling done on what this means for farming is ‘very limited’. Interestingly, Local Government New Zealand has done some modelling on the reforms. Their modelling focuses on our very productive Waikato/Waipa catchment and shows sheep and beef farming is expected to fall by 68% while dairy would be reduced by 13%. Plantation forestry blocks would boom by an astonishing 160%, covering up to 50% of farmland in Waikato. Is this really the outcome New Zealand wants? Above all this is the startling reality that the Government’s own freshwater quality monitoring data shows that in its monitored sites more are improving than deteriorating. It is disingenuous to frame resistance to these changes as being pro environmental degradation. Far from it. Water

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RURAL NEWS // SEPTEMBER 24, 2019

28 OPINION

Brexit heads to uncertain deadline Rural News senior reporter Peter Burke, now visiting Dublin, tells what it is like to be in Ireland as the Brexit deadline approaches. FOR THE last three weeks I have been a passive observer in England and Ireland of the shenanigans of Boris Johnson and his motley – dare I say weird or eccentric? – political mates as they make headlines for all the wrong reasons. Johnson is being likened to a drunk emerging from a pub and driving home without knowing or caring about the consequences. On every day of my visit to the ‘Disunited Kingdom’ and the Republic of Ireland, Brexit has been front page news. While some commentators see the whole thing as a joke and take delight in poking fun at Johnson – asking, for example: “Who needs Netflix with Boris and Rees-Mogg centre stage?” – others point to deep underlying fear among the Irish and the thinking people in the UK that disaster is imminent. British people are concerned about their jobs, their ability to travel freely to Europe and, oh dear, there is a warning they won’t be able to take their pet dogs with them to France on holiday without special permits, which could take months to obtain. Many are still oblivious or simply don’t care about the impact Brexit will have on the hard won 1998 Good Friday peace agreement, which ended the killings and bombings on Northern Ireland. People I sat with at the dinner table and in cafes and shops in both Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic are

deeply fearful of a resumption of violence. They point to a sudden rise in the number of bank robberies as suggesting that the private armies are rearming for battle. Some people say it may be just a matter of time before bombs start exploding in Ireland and Britain, and they are saying that if this happens Boris and his arrogant followers will be to blame – no buts. The people I met talked about the intimidation they used to suffer pre1998 when attempting to cross the border to see family in the north or to go shopping or to watch a football match. They were deliberately delayed for hours for no reason. The Irish border is the big issue: there are 300 crossing points on the 310-mile border and those are only the official crossings. Some farms straddle the border, with the farmhouse in the Republic and cows grazing in the north. Baileys Irish Cream crosses the border five times during its manufacture. Milk produced in the north is processed in the south. There are endless examples. The border crossings themselves are invisible. I went through the border town of Pettigo and the only indication that I had crossed from south to north was when UK Vodafone welcomed me to the UK and the road signs were in miles not kilometres. By and large, it seems that bridges across small streams are the most visible signs of a border crossing. There isn’t even a

A foot in both camps... This photo shows a person with one foot in southern Ireland and one in Northern Ireland on the border at the town of Pettigo. The bridge is the border and there are no other visible signs.

marking on the road. It is hard to fathom how Britain will actually benefit from leaving the EU. True the EU is large, costly and all-controlling and there is the vexed issue of immigration. But up against that is the free movement of ordinary people and goods and services – and there is the matter of jobs. Team Boris seem fixated on the proposition that all Britain will be somehow free and that its problems will be solved when the divorce from the EU is effected. But it’s common knowledge that few divorces are quick, simple and amicable. They tend to be costly, drawn out, unhappy and often bitter. Johnson has just weeks to get a

‘nice’ divorce or go back and do more counselling and perhaps not leave. His task of negotiating a deal has been made much harder by the appointment of Irishman Phil Hogan as the EU’s new Commissioner for Trade and the person that Johnson will have to deal with. Hogan is regarded as a tough, no-nonsense negotiator and a skillful politician and he will now be central to talks on the post-Brexit relationship between the UK and EU. When he visited NZ earlier this year, Hogan told Rural News that Ireland needs to be protected from the worst excesses of Brexit and that the Brexit negotiations are as important to Ireland as the 1921 peace treaty with the UK – which set up what is now the

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Republic of Ireland. Hogan also warned that there is a risk that the 1998 Good Friday Peace Agreement could be broken by paramilitary groups in both the north and south of Ireland. Johnson may well have met his match in Hogan. In the meantime, one detects an eerie sense of fear about what Johnson may deal to the people of the UK and Ireland. I have met no one in England or Ireland who wants to have a hard border between the north and south of Ireland. They want peace and prosperity which fundamentally they now have. Johnson may think he will make Britain great again, but in reality he will likely make Britain hate again.

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RURAL NEWS // SEPTEMBER 24, 2019

OPINION 29

Out of the frying pan, into the fire DAVID MOFFETT

NEW ZEALAND’S HEAVY reliance on International Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) credits makes us dangerously exposed to one of the world’s most volatile markets. Government’s own estimates put the cost (tax) at between $14 billion and $36b from 2021 to 2030 and that is likely to be the tip of the iceberg depending on supply and demand for carbon credits. Before commenting on this outrageous tax grab by this and previous governments, I researched the effects of the Paris Agreement on every Kiwi. Unfortunately, I was left with the inescapable conclusion that the Government and its bureaucracies have made understanding the implications so complicated that only the best lawyers and accountants will be able to make sense of it. The agricultural sector has long favoured a desire to manage their own emissions scheme, but has recently succumbed to Government pressure. The Government has recently announced that the agricultural sector will only be slugged with 5% of their actual obligations under the NZ ETS. This is good and bad news for the sector. Good because it is manageable. Bad because the sector will only see their contributions increase in the future, having opted for inclusion in the scheme. We don’t have an issue with the ag sector or other sectors paying this low rate but we believe they are being lulled into a false sense of security. Unfortunately, everyone in every sector will still pay for the full cost of the Paris Agreement. As outlined above this is likely to exceed $4b per annum over 10 years, and that’s just for starters. Where will this shortfall be made up? you may ask. Most likely in

increased taxes, something that the Ardern Government is expert at. Remember the capital gains tax fiasco. So, the Government has to be totally transparent (not possible with the current government) as to how they will pay for the Paris Tax. Will it be new taxes or a reduction in services? Increasing taxes is the easy and soft option for all socialist governments. So, the farming community will be hit very hard in the future, not just by the direct ETS tax but by the plethora of new taxes and tax hikes that this Government will have to raise, so that 120 politicians can ingratiate themselves with the United Nations. Remember, we all have to pay for the insanity that is the Paris Agreement. There is a better solution. The New NZ Party will pull out of Paris, following the lead of the US and develop our own system. We will abandon the multi flawed NZ ETS. Instead, we will develop our own Environmental Investment Fund which will keep all the money in New Zealand for the benefit of our environment and citizens. We will involve every sector of our country in the development and implementation of a fair system that benefits every Kiwi. The agricultural sector will be pivotal to those discussions. We will use existing taxes to fund the initiative as far as possible. It is inevitable that we will have to raise more funds, but it will be done in an open and transparent way. The choice is very clear: stick with the current bunch of politicians – Labour, Greens, NZ First and National -- and stand by as we become another Venezuela, or give the New NZ Party a crack. What have you got to lose?

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RURAL NEWS // SEPTEMBER 24, 2019

30 MANAGEMENT

Wallabies threaten to overwhelm STAFF REPORTER

A WALLABY invasion helped by humans is tearing up farms and previous plantings, says Environment Canterbury (ECan). Wallabies have been reported hundreds of kilometres outside the official containment zone, the council says. Forest & Bird Canterbury’s regional manager, Nicky Snoyink, says wallabies pose a serious threat to Aoraki Mount Cook and the fragile Mackenzie Basin. Hundreds of thousands of Bennett’s wallabies are believed to live within the 900,000ha South Canterbury containment area bordered by the Waitaki River, Lake Tekapo and the Rangitata River. ECan biosecurity team leader Brent Glentworth says the wallaby popu-

lation in the region has steadily increased since the South Canterbury Wallaby Board was disbanded in 1992, when there was a move to user pays pest control. An increasing number of wallabies are outside the containment area -in Marlborough, Amberley and Dunedin -- and some got there with human help, Glentworth says. “It is an irresponsible action that puts large areas of our landscape and habitat at risk,” he told Rural News. “It would be great to think people are more aware of the consequence of such actions and it is happening less often.” The transportation of wallaby outside of ECan’s containment zone without licenced authorisation is an offence against the Biosecurity Act, with

Poisoned wallabies from the Mackenzie Country.

fines of up to $50,000. Wallaby diet is similar to sheep and deer and the pest species prevents the regeneration of native bush and can deplete forest undergrowth. They can also foul sheep feed, destroy crops and plantation forestry and damage fences. This limits the livestock carrying capac-

ity of farms. Glentworth says ECan has a ‘user pays/user does’ approach to managing wallabies, including costs, within a wallaby pest management zone. The council’s role is to kill wallabies to keep populations below a certain level. A major target area for extermination is on

the southern side of the Waitaki River and parts of the Upper Waitaki Mackenzie catchment. Killing methods include poison bait (either wallaby Feratox/ cyanide or 1080 pellets, aerial or ground shooting, night shooting with spotlight or thermal scopes, and dog and rifle teams.

Glentworth says poison baiting is the most effective and efficient way of controlling big numbers. The job could be done by contractors or landowners with a controlled substance licence appropriate to the toxin being used. Helicopter shooting after a snow fall can also be effective. But ground shooting has limitations, Glentworth says. “In fact, shooting at high levels can spread populations or cause behaviour change (such as shyness due to overshooting). Shooting can be an effective way of maintaining low numbers after large numbers have been reduced through other methods.” ECan employs professional man and dog teams to cover likely wallaby habitat where numbers are low and to follow

up on public reports and sightings. This has been done since 2008. The council’s budgeted expenditure on wallaby work for the 2019-20 year is about $320,000. In the previous financial year it was $227,000. Over the last two years the council had trialled aerial thermal vision search and destroy operations with two companies. “This method can cover a lot of country quickly and has killed some wallaby. But most importantly we don’t know how many we are not finding.” To help with this, Landcare Research (with a Sustainable Farming Fund grant and supported by both Otago Regional Council and ECan) had been trialling ways to more precisely detect wallaby.

Announcing a totally new nutrient-balanced organic-based NPKS fertiliser for environmentally-protective dairy farmers!

Dr Bert Quin

SUPORGANIK™ Dairy - 3.5-2.5-2.5-2.5 NPKS (Fresh weight as sold basis)

* SUPORGANIK™ is a unique new fertiliser based on combining chicken litter with inoculated elemental sulphur and reactive phosphate rock. Patent pending.

* If more K is needed to meet the advertised specification, it is added as ‘organicbyproduct’ sulphate of potash (SOP) from the sugar-cane industry.

* The chicken litter is put through a short, high-temperature (50-600C) composting to kill undesirable organisms and weed seeds, without harming benign bacteria.

*SUPORGANIK™ Dairy contains 70% organic matter (35% carbon), enriching your soil’ microbiological diversity and activity, and improving soil aeration, waterholding capacity and drainage. It also has a wide range of trace elements.

* Incorporation of fine elemental S, inoculated with Thiobacillus, increases oxidation of the S to sulphate. This controls the pH of the mix, keeping it under 7.5, which minimises odour and expensive loss of ammonia gas. It also ensures sufficient sulphur nutrient is present. * Addition of RPR also serves two purposes. It ensures sufficient P is present for high-producing dairy farms. It also acts as a pH buffer. As the pH of the compost falls below 6.5, the excess acid is consumed in reacting with the RPR, increasing its rate of dissolution and maintaining a good pH level.

*All nutrients in SUPORGANIK™ Dairy are present in a combination of quick and sustained-release form, minimising nutrient run-off and leaching and gaseous losses of N, while optimising the production of lush nutrient-balanced pasture. * Typical application rates of SUPORGANIK™ Dairy are 1t/ha 3 times a year, or 1.5t/ha twice a year. Individual nutrient contents can be easily customised depending on soil test results and herbage analysis to optimise application of all nutrients. Best applied soon after grazing, and allowing a minimum of 2 weeks before regrazing.

Introductory price $189/t + GST, discounted to only $175/t + GST if you sign up for a ‘QUINPLAN’ Farm Environment Plan in 2020. Available from GrassHopper Groundspreading, Waharoa, ph 07 888 4031 or 027 280 3111 Additional supply depots to be announced IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO HEAR MORE ABOUT QUINFERT PRODUCTS, FILL THIS REPLY SLIP OUT AND MAIL TO: Quin Envionmentals (NZ) Ltd, PO BOX 125-122, St Heliers 1740, Auckland, or Scan and email to bert.quin@quinfert.co.nz, OR CALL BERT QUIN ON 021 427 572 Name:........................................................................................................................ Phone: ................................................ Mobile: ........................................................... Address: .......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... Email address: .................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. Farm type: ........................... Hectares (effective)..................................... Soil tests available:

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RURAL NEWS // SEPTEMBER 24, 2019

32 MANAGEMENT

Opposition to NAIT data grab SUDESH KISSUN sudeshk@ruralnews.co.nz

THE GOVERNMENT’S proposal to take ownership of all animal traceability core data is being rejected by key primary

sector organisations, including Fonterra. A common theme in submissions to the primary production select committee this month on the National Animal and Traceability (NAIT)

Amendment Bill show farmers and processors oppose Government taking ownership of data. The Government, through amendment 23A, is proposing that all core data become the property

of the Crown and a copy of the core data must be provided at the written request of the Minister for Agriculture. Currently NAIT data is owned by Ospri, a partnership between the primary industries sector and the Government. Fonterra’s submission, signed by general manager veterinary and risk management Caroline Murray, questions the amendment. “We question the purpose of this section. The Crown can already access NAIT information at no cost under the Biosecurity Act, and therefore this appears to be an unnecessary addition,” the co-op said. Farmer-owned co-op LIC also opposes Crown ownership. It submits that Crown ownership is not necessary to meet the stated objective of securing access to and control over the NAIT database in the future. “It is not in the public interest to grant property ownership rights. Crown ownership could cause significant issues that outweigh any perceived benefits, and the new section 23A is contrary to the purpose of the NAIT Act to encourage farmer participation and compliance.” Deer farmers, represented by Deer Industry NZ, believe NAIT data belongs to the data submitters (principally farmers, saleyards and slaughterhouses) and that the NAIT database belongs to the NAIT organisation. “It has long been the NAIT organisation’s and its stakeholders’ position that even though disclosure of data to the NAIT organisation is a legal requirement, ownership remains vested in the disclosing parties. “There is no obvious reason why the Crown would be the data owner. We note that the Crown has declined to take up a shareholding in the NAIT organisation, although its available share is no greater than that of DairyNZ and Beef + Lamb

NZ. “That the NAIT organisation is a creature of statute and persons are required to disclose data to it does not mean that the data is necessarily Crown-owned.” DairyNZ says it supports other proposed changes to NAIT but has “serious concerns” about data security. “We want to send a clear message that we are firmly opposed to any attempt to take ownership of farmers’ NAIT data. The Crown does not need to ‘own’ the data to manage the risk,” said DairyNZ biosecurity manager, Dr Liz Shackleton. “DairyNZ supports the minister and appropriate Government agencies such as MPI having access to data for the purposes of the Act but believes that anything further would constitute a significant privacy breach.” Federated Farmers meat and wool chairman Miles Anderson says his members “vehemently disagree” with the Government proposal. “This proposal raises a red flag as to why the Crown would want ownership when current legislation allows access to NAIT information in a transparent manner.” Biosecurity Minister Damien O’Connor told Rural News the purpose of the select committee process is “to thrash things out and give the New Zealand public the chance to be involved in the development of legislation”. “The select committee process still has some way to go. The committee will consider all evidence and inputs it receives,” he said. “I would encourage anyone with concerns or ideas to engage with the select committee process and have their say.”

RURAL NEWS // SEPTEMBER 24, 2019

MANAGEMENT 33

Planning spring fertiliser use BALA TIKKISETTY

WITH A refreshed National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management around the corner, there is increasing pressure for farmers to improve nutrient management in their farming systems. As the soil starts warming up over the next few weeks, farmers will be preparing to fertilise their paddocks. Finding that balance between getting best bang for buck while protecting economic and environmental bottom lines is critical for farmers and requires advice from their fertiliser reps and consultants. That’s because healthy soils are a balance of biological, physical and chemical properties, and are a dynamic mixture of minerals, organic residues and living micro and macro organisms – all of which support farm production and provide various ecosystem services. As there are a range of risks when applying fertiliser, and strategies to help you avoid them, it’s recommended all farmers have a nutrient budget and a nutrient management plan for their properties and discuss their situation with their fertiliser rep. There are a range of tools to help practice sustainable nutrient management. Nutrient budgeting is widely accepted as the appropriate first step in managing nutrient use and it’s also the preferred tool for evaluating the

environmental impact of farm management practices. Overseer, a computer decision support model, is being used to advise on nutrient management and greenhouse gas emissions. It predicts what happens to the nutrients that are brought onto the farm in the form of fertilisers and supplementary feed in the same way that a financial budget can track money. When doing nutrient budgets bear in mind recent soil quality monitoring results that reveal high fertility and compaction remain problems on dairy and some drystock sites. Another issue to consider is nitrate leaching. Plants need nitrogen (N) for healthy leaf growth. But N is an extremely mobile nutrient. If more nitrogenous fertiliser is applied than plants can take up, most of the unused nitrogen ends up leaching down through the soil into groundwater. Sometimes N will also be lost to waterways as run-off and some is always released back into the air as gas. The amount of N leaching from pastures can be reduced by: ●● Timing fertiliser application to avoid periods when plant uptake of N will be low, such as when soils are saturated, during heavy rain, colder periods and times of low soil temperatures ●● Applying N fertiliser in split dressings (as many split doses as

As the soil starts warming up over the spring, farmers will be preparing to fertilise their paddocks.

●●

possible) Irrigating farm dairy effluent to a large enough area Adjusting fertiliser policy for effluent irri-

●●

CUTS – POWE R AFFO

U CAN YO

ent traps. The nutrient phosphorus behaves very differently from N because it binds with the soil and only dissolves slowly in

gated areas to account for the nutrient value of effluent Using fenced wetlands and well-managed open drains as nutri-

RD TH

water over time. This means it doesn’t readily leach to groundwater. But it can damage the health of waterways through soil erosion and surface run off into water. Farmers can reduce the amount of phosphorus run off by keeping Olsen P to optimum agronomic levels. Other tips include: ●● Following the Codes of Practice for FertMark and SpreadMark ●● Applying fertiliser when the grass is in an active growing phase ●● Leaving a grassed buffer strip between paddock and waterway – the strip filters the phosphorus before the run-off reaches the water ●● Controlling run off

from tracks, races, feed and stand-off pads. A clear assessment of fertiliser requirements will improve economic returns from pasture and help avoid contamination of ground and surface water with nutrients, particularly nitrogen and phosphorus. In New Zealand, the common nitrogenous fertilisers are urea (46% N), ammonium sulphate (21% N), DAP (18% N) and calcium ammonium nitrate (27% N). The form of nitrogenous fertiliser best used depends not only on the cost per unit N, but also on the overall efficiency of the fertiliser N. • Bala Tikkisetty is a sustainable agriculture advisor at Waikato Regional Council.

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RURAL NEWS // SEPTEMBER 24, 2019

34 ANIMAL HEALTH

Farmers breed for worm resistance A FARMER collective breeding for parasite resistant genetics claim they are leading the pack as drench resistance becomes more prevalent and drench failure is reported NZ-wide. Ten breeders have joined forces in creating WormFEC Gold. They bring together at least 200 years combined experience in breeding highly productive, parasite resistant rams. The aim of their breeding programme – verified by Sheep Improvement Ltd (SIL) – is to strengthen flocks and save farmers time

and money by reducing the number of times flocks need to be drenched. As a group, they work to improve parasite resistant stock genetics and educate farmers about the value of including parasite résistance in stock selection decisions. Kate Broadbent, a founder of WormFEC Gold, whose flock of Nikau Coopworth is in Waikaretu Valley, says long established parasite resistant genetics in her flock mean drench has not been used on ewes since 2002. “The advantage of not

using drench on ewes is a significant time and labour saving. As well as not having to pay for drench it also provides significant refugia, helping avoid drench resistance,” Broadbent said. Her farm isn’t organic and where necessary she will drench lambs. But she is committed to “responsible use of the drench families to prolong their working life”. North Waikato farmer and veterinarian Jeremy Leigh, who buys breeding rams from Broadbent, believes drench resistance is growing at an alarming rate.

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Waikaretu Valley Coopworth breeder Kate Broadbent is a founding membr of the WormFEC Gold group.

Leigh, who is also a Wormwise facilitator, has been buying stock bred for parasite resistance from Broadbent for ten years and from Nikau Coopworth’s former owners before that. “Nationwide there are reports that up to 30% of FECRTs (faecal egg count reduction tests) in sheep are showing triple drench resistance,” Leigh said. “Often farmers don’t notice as they aren’t monitoring for it regularly. But’s a huge cause for concern.” When Leigh is buying rams, parasite resistance is one of three or four main traits he considers. As the facial eczema tolerance genetics are present in the stud, he can focus on stock with good production figures and good feet. “Factoring parasite resilience into stock purchasing decisions is vital

as we wish to maintain drench efficacy with robust stock that don’t require regular drenching. Drenches are a finite resource and so we want a flock which is productive but sustainable and which will save money and time in the long run.” Another WormFEC Gold member, Nelson stud owner Peter Moore, of Moutere Downs, says concerns about the potential of drench resistance led him to begin breeding for parasite resistance 20 years ago. “A lot of people have buried their heads in the sand hoping drench resistance would go away,” he said. “But it showed up on our property very early because our sheep graze on multiple farms, so we were forced to take action.” Moore estimates they are saving at least $6000 annually by not having to

buy as much drench. With increasing economic pressure and talk of a global slowdown, reducing on farm costs is essential. The Sainsbury’s FECPAKG2 Project (2014 2017) showed the average NZ sheep farmer producing 5000 lambs potentially loses up to $75,000 annually due to reduced lamb growth rates by using a drench that does not work. Best practice management and breeding for parasite resistance can reduce drench usage and is key to avoiding this problem and the resulting loss of income. Breeders can select stock for parasite resistance using PhenR and WormFEC through service provider Techion. Farmers who want the guarantee of parasite resistant rams to incorporate these genetics into their

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flock can find WormFEC Gold breeders on SIL. The system evaluates the natural parasite resistance of rams through the NZ sheep industry’s performance recording and genetic evaluation database SIL. The SIL database uses faecal egg count (FEC) data to generate estimated breeding values (EBVs) so they can rank and selectively breed stock with superior genetics. Collectively, WormFEC Gold members have taken over 65,000 FEC samples, with an average of 300 FEC samples each per year. Members work closely with Techion, providers of the PhenR and WormFEC service, and with AgResearch which set up WormFEC in 1994 and provides science guidance to the group. www.wormfecgold.co.nz

RURAL NEWS // SEPTEMBER 24, 2019

ANIMAL HEALTH 35

On-farm biosecurity a strict necessity Bay of Plenty dairy farmer Darryl Jensen rears calves and sees farm biosecurity as a necessity. For effective traceability and disease management he operates a ‘closed farm system’ along with a beef farmer and grazier What is your farm setup? I’ve got about 320 crossbreds on 116ha. I rear my surplus calves, sired by Hereford and Simmental bulls. When these calves are 100kg they’re sent off to a nearby beef farmer who also grazes my dairy heifer replacements. The current calves are due to go in November for fattening. After two years, the beef farmer sends them back as in-calf dairy heifers and they join my milking herd. How many NAIT locations do you have? Just my farm at Te Puke. I used to have a run-off block but nowadays it’s easier to manage the one location. Who manages your NAIT obligations? I prefer to do it myself after my experience of delegating to others. While many dairy farmers are using apps on smartphones, we still have a ‘calving notebook’ for recording the animal’s tag, the day and month and year it was born. This means the staff and I know which herd and cow the calf came from. Running a dairy farm, this is part and parcel of livestock management and it builds lifetime traceability for our on-farm animal records. How do you register your animals in NAIT? After they’re born, I register them in CRV Ambreed first and then I’ll follow up and register them in the NAIT system. This has been a point of frustration for dairy farmers, as it is essentially duplication having to transfer your animal information into NAIT and Ambreed. It’s bloody important you check the information is the same in both systems and that

any future movements are captured in NAIT, as this has implications for not just the accuracy of the NAIT system but also our national biosecurity. On-farm biosecurity is a big focus then? Absolutely. My business mantra is ‘make your farm your fortress’. The beef farmer and grazier that I trade animals with have the same philosophy and we essentially operate a closed farm system. This reduces the risk of disease spread as all animals coming on and off farm can be identified and accounted for. I’m due to introduce Simmental bulls on farm in September and I’ve used the same breeder, from Cornwall Park in Auckland, for about 10 years. For me, it’s up to the farmer to be diligent about who they are dealing with. It might mean a regular, quick phone call or text, and that builds mutual trust. Any NAIT tips for farmers? Tag retention can be a nuisance sometimes and it’s likely you’ll lose a tag or two. I recommend using secondary visual tags as well as your NAIT tags. While it’s not compulsory and it costs a bit extra, it saves a lot of hassle in the long run. I use a scanner, but the secondary tag is still great for quick visual reference. If you have a difficult animal it is safer too for reading the tag number. Why should farmers prioritise their NAIT accounts? I believe M. bovis (Mycoplasma bovis) has changed how farmers view traceability and disease management. In the past, farmers didn’t have enough information about their NAIT

obligations and were not given any reasons why they should bother. I too was one of those who weren’t convinced. Now, of course, you can see

why it’s important when you’re trying to manage a disease outbreak and reduce the risk of spread. It’s been a learning curve for everyone in the indus-

try. We all make mistakes. I got in touch with OSPRI to get my account sorted when I realised my livelihood and our national biosecurity are at stake.

Bay of Plenty dairy farmer Darryl Jensen says farm biosecurity as a necessity.

Why BVD vaccinate for 6 months when you can Bovilis for 12?*

BVD is a common and costly disease in New Zealand. Biosecurity and preventing PI cattle from entering your herd are critical to managing the risk of the disease. Vaccination is a control measure that you can take that allows you to protect your cattle and unborn calves from BVD. Bovilis BVD is the only BVD vaccine that can prevent the formation of PI cattle for 12 months.* For peace of mind all year round, ask your vet for it by name.

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Following a third dose (annual vaccination) Bovilis BVD provides 12 months fetal protection

AVAILABLE ONLY UNDER VETERINARY AUTHORISATION. ACVM No: A8237. Schering-Plough Animal Health Ltd. Phone: 0800 800 543. www.msd-animal-health.co.nz NZ/BOV/0918/0009(1) © 2019 Intervet International B.V. All Rights Reserved.

RURAL NEWS // SEPTEMBER 24, 2019

36 MACHINERY & PRODUCTS

All new trio from Japanese giant MARK DANIEL markd@ruralnews.co.nz

NEWS MEDIA gathered recently at Highlands Motorsport Park at Cromwell, Central Otago saw Japanese giant Kubota launch three new products for farmers and heard it announce it will open a New Zealand subsidiary. Heading the product launch was Kubota’s European made, second generation M7-2 tractor which builds on the previous version. The M7-2 comes in

three power options of 128, 148 and 168hp, dubbed M7132, M7152 and M7172, respectively. Rated PTO horsepower is 100, 120 and 140hp, respectively. The M7-2 has a new semi-powershift transmission supplied by industry specialist ZF. It has 30 forward and 15 reverse speeds -- up from the 24 available in the Series 1 units. Five synchronised ranges match up with six powershift steps and an auto-shifting function. This evaluates the range P

gear and automatically adjusts engine output to improve acceleration under heavy loads, helping to maximise overall productivity. Like the previous series, the new Series 2 comes in three configurations – Standard, Premium and Premium KVT. And it is also offered in a new Deluxe model with a 110 L/minute closed centre/load sensing hydraulic pump layout with a Power Beyond function. Remote hydraulic valves are controlled by H

mechanical levers to the right -- ideal for operators wanting high output but not needing timers or electronic control. The Deluxe option also has a suspended front axle system, solid wheels and 50km/h capability. Operator comfort is

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achieved with a 4-post cabin offering excellent visibility, mechanical suspension, reduced noise levels, an improved seat and 25% more air flow from the heating and ventilation system. Also on the tractor front, Kubota launched a new mid-range utility series -- the M5-1 -- to complement the current M40 Series. These are powered by Kubota’s V3800, 4-cylinder engine rated to Tier 4 emission levels with power output of 93 or 110hp.

The M5091 and M5111 are offered in Standard configuration, while the M5091 and M5101 Narrow are intended for viticulture or orchard applications. The two Narrow variants benefit from a flat floor layout and 36F/36R speed transmission with a hi-lo function. In the Standard configuration three ranges and six gears deliver 18F/18R speeds. The Cat 2 rear linkage has 3200kg lift capacity as standard, reduced to 1500kg in the Narrow

versions. Hydraulic flow is up to 64L/min with up to five remotes depending on model. Also launched was a new side-by-side utility vehicle -- Kubota’s fastest with a top speed of 64km/h, powered by a 48hp, 2-cylinder, 850cc Subaru petrol engine. Described by Kubota product manager Mark Basile as dropping into the “crossover sector”, the RTV XG850 Sidekick is built for speed but lacks none of the versatility of its RTV siblings.

Key features include water cooling, speed sensitive electronic power steering and a heavy duty CVT drive with a one-way sprag clutch for engine braking. A large diameter centrifugal clutch between the engine output shaft and the CVT system helps keep the belts tight and ensures smooth, progressive drive delivery as the throttle opening increases. Towing capacity is rated at 907kg and the load capacity of the steel cargo box is rated at 454kg. An extensive range of accessories includes windscreens, roofs, doors and winches allowing users to customise the vehicle to their needs. There are three variants: two take the traditional Kubota orange colour scheme, while the third is black with black alloy wheels and ATV tyres • Look out for the Rural News on farm test of the Sidekick in an upcoming issue.

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RURAL NEWS // SEPTEMBER 24, 2019

MACHINERY & PRODUCTS 37

Smaller one-pass U-drill released MARK DANIEL markd@ruralnews.co.nz

FOLLOWING IMPRESSIVE performance reports on its 6m machines, Power Farming has now released the 4m Kverneland U-Drill and the 4m U-Drill+. “The U-Drill’s efficiency is driven by its ability to perform multiple tasks in a single pass, ensuring perfect seed to soil contact for fast germination,” says John Chapman, Power Farming’s cultivation specialist. Up front, a tyre packer module breaks clods while firming and levelling the soil, enabling accurate depth control of the following cultivation unit. Two rows of independently suspended discs follow directly behind to produce a fine and evenly cultivated soil profile over the drill’s working width. A second tyre packer roller consolidates the soil in front of the seeding coulters, ensuring accurate depth and placement of the seed. The seeding unit has 32 narrow profile seeding coulters at 12.5cm spacing and coulter pressure adjustable up to 100kg. A following press wheel consoli-

dates soil to seed contact and provides uniform depth control. Meanwhile, the rear S-shaped seed harrows finally cover the seed. An optional set-up sees the machine equipped with 24 coulters at 16cm row spacing. Offering working speeds of up to 15km/h, the 4 m U-Drill has all the features and abilities of its bigger

brother. The Eldos system, an electrically driven metering device controlled by Kverneland’s e-com software, is ISOBUS compatible and allows application rates from 1kg/ha to 950kg/ha, dependent on speed. Important settings such as calibration and in-field adjustments can be controlled from the in-cab display, as can seeding depth, coulter pressure

and automatic headland management -- all adjustable on the go. Automatic section control ensures the metering device stops and starts automatically at the headland mark, ensuring no overlaps and reducing seed and fertiliser costs. The U-Drill is available as a standard drill or as a seed and fertiliser version dubbed the U-Drill+, both with a

hopper capacity of 3000L. In the case of the U-Drill+, the hopper is divided lengthways in a 40:60 ratio, each fitted with a dedicated metering system. The U+ version can place fertiliser between the rows or alongside the seed. - www.powerfarming.co.nz @rural_news facebook.com/ruralnews

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RURAL NEWS // SEPTEMBER 24, 2019

38 MACHINERY & PRODUCTS

Stink bug warning for importers MARK DANIEL markd@ruralnews.co.nz

A SERIOUS threat is posed to New Zealand’s agricultural and horticultural sectors by the brown marmorated stink bug (Halymorpha halys), MPI warns. With the stinkbug season now in full swing, MPI is reminding importers of vehicles, machinery and parts to be vigilant and comply with the Import Health Standards advised in mid July. A list of 33 stinkbug “problem countries” includes most of cen-

Machinery importers are being urged to be vigilent.

tral and eastern Europe, Canada and the US. Anything exported from these places after

September 1 and arriving before April 1 is subject to tougher biosecurity compliance and

administration. Importers must submit full paperwork to MPI prior to any shipment landing in

NZ, including evidence the cargo was managed under an MPI approved system. MPI also requires a cleaning certificate confirming outdoor or targeted machinery was cleaned inside and out -with partial dismantling -- before its arrival in NZ. All vehicles, machinery and parts must be labelled as having undergone a pre-shipment treatment. Details must include the treatment location, treatment type and date/time. If a whole container-load has been treated, an adhesive

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sticker must be fixed in a prominent position inside the front of the container. Of concern to the agricultural and horticultural sectors will be used outdoor and targeted machinery not shipped directly from a factory. This includes used machines in general and nearly new, new aged stock or demo machines that have been moved around a host country. Any machinery not for outdoor use but subject to biosecurity hazards is also included under the rules. This includes grain, seeds, soil, plant and animal materials. The rules also cover used parts, whether individual items or whole machines destined for dismantling. Products imported from any of the target countries must be labelled and treated by an approved method then promptly sealed. The goods must be treated within 21 days of being exported to NZ. Failure to meet these biosecurity obligations may result in ‘re-shipping without unloading if MPI inspectors consider the

WHAT IS APT? ADAPTIVE POWER TECHNOLOGY.

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Strainrite’s Agri Energizers use of patented Adaptive Power Technology (APT) on selected models ensures maximum power is delivered to the fence while minimising power losses along the fence line. With APT the energizer detects and responds to changing environmental factors, such as weather conditions (wet/dry) and vegetation growth on the fence, and adapts to the changing needs of the fence by maximising fence power and efficiency underneath the point of arcing.

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risk too great. MPI recommends that used farm machinery be broken down into key components to help in the removal of contamination. All plant material must be removed from crevices or recesses, and hollow box or tubular sections especially must be cleaned. No contamination should be left trapped behind or between electrical cables and hydraulic lines. As part of the compliance check process, a selection of consignments will be pulled aside for a biosecurity audit, including inspection of the external cleanliness of shipping containers. Any MPI concerns about this will result in them being taken to a secure facility for internal inspection. For importers deemed to be non-compliant, audits will be escalated to Level 2, meaning all future shipments will be inspected until five consecutive audits have been passed or 12 months has elapsed. www.mpi.govt.nz/biosecuritynz

RURAL NEWS // SEPTEMBER 24, 2019

MACHINERY & PRODUCTS 39

Taking tech into the paddock MARK DANIEL markd@ruralnews.co.nz

GERMAN HARVEST machinery specialist Krone has released new digital technology said to enable contractors to accurately record each job in real time, benefitting users and their customers. At the heart of the system, the Krone SmartConnect controller manages the data stream from the machine to a tablet in the operator cabin. Depending on the machine in use, the system can use GPS tracking to show the farmer/owner where each bale is in the field. It also displays the weight and moisture content of each bale and the composition, including data on fibre, starch and ME. Also, to suit administration, data can be provided on the time taken to complete a job, with track and tracing from the office to generate invoices as work is completed. The system is already

built into Krone BiG-M mower and BiG-X forage harvesters. The latter can be equipped with optional moisture and flow rate meters to measure tonnage through the machine. The newly released BiG-X 1180 flagship harvester also uses NIR (near infrared) sensors to detect the nutritional value of a crop. SmartConnect can also be retrofitted in Krone’s current round and square balers. And the BigPack square baler can collect data on bale drop position, count, moisture and weight. Comprima round balers will soon provide data on bale count, operating time and weight. The SmartConnect will in future form the interface to the ‘agrirouter’ – a universal interface, joint project between leading European manufacturers. This will allow farmers, contractors and app developers to share machine data irrespective of machine brand. As SmartConnect is

‘HALO’ EFFECT A NEW LED warning light from Narva combines a self-contained warning light and an ADR approved marker light in one product. The Halo is thought to be the first of its kind developed for the transport sector in the Australasian market. It combines a bright, Class 1, SAE approved, amber warning light function in the centre using six high power LEDs. Meanwhile, an outer marker ring in amber, red or white illumination allows the Halo to be used as a front, side or rear marker. With the choice of multi-unit synchronisation in simultaneous or alternating flash patterns and a fully weatherproof and vibration-resistant design, it suits a variety of vehicles and applications. It has great functionality and light output, and the 12/24V multi voltage range is compact and streamlined (only 19mm high). The range’s custom bezels in black, white or chrome finish allow a seamless integration into the vehicle to which they’re fitted. Peak current draw is a modest 1.35A at 12V. A 5-year LED warranty applies. www.narva.co.nz

ISOBUS capable it can also work seamlessly with similarly equipped brands. Dealer training is underway, centred on

GEA SERIES

the Krone machine data interface tool that will allow software updating and configuration of an ever-expanding range of optional equipment.

The Krone SmartConnect controller in the cabin.

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RURAL NEWS // SEPTEMBER 24, 2019

40 MACHINERY & PRODUCTS / RURAL TRADER FLY OR LICE PROBLEMS? The magic eye sheepjetter since 1989

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MARK DANIEL markd@ruralnews.co.nz

SUBARU’S LATEST SUV offering fills a need for drivers looking for something smaller and a little more potent than your average. The 2020 Levorg 2.0 GT-S, successor to the much missed Legacy GTB wagon, features 19” black STI wheels with crossdrilled brake rotors. It also comes with an STI strut brace for better cornering, a black mesh grille, black badges and matt black accents which on previous models were chrome. This all-wheel-drive, standalone model is powered by a turbocharged 2.0L direct injection boxer engine producing 197 Kw at 5600 rpm and 350 Nm torque between 2400-5200 rpm. Fuel consumption is 8.7L/100km. Factory Bilstein suspension units achieve superior handling. The Levorg has the eight-speed

The Levorg 2.0 GT-S is the successor to the Legacy GTB wagon.

Subaru Lineartronic transmission with paddle shift, complemented by the Subaru Intelligent Drive system with several performance modes from sporty to economical. A key part of the package is the maker’s third-generation EyeSight safety technology. This identifies potentially dangerous driving situations and deals with them via its pre-collision braking, adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist,

lane departure warning, lane sway warning and lead car alert. Other driver aids include rear cross traffic alert, blind spot detection and a front and side camera for easier parking. The Levorg comes with seven airbags and an ANCAP 5-star safety rating. In the cabin, premium leather upholstery (with 10-way powered driver’s seat memory) and heated front seats warm your butt on

those chilly winter mornings. Intuitive technology sees builtin satellite navigation powered by TomTom including real time traffic information. A 7-inch touch screen allows easy configuration of the vehicle’s main functions and connections to the outside world are via Apple Car play or Android auto. @rural_news facebook.com/ruralnews

SMART BELT TIGHTENS COSTS HIGH OUTPUT machinery like self propelled forage or combine harvesters are crucial cogs in a complex system. So when they break down that whole system stops, meaning lost production and many people and machinery standing idle. Continental, the well known tyre manufacturer, and harvest specialist Claas, are jointly testing a ‘smart’ drivebelt for use in the latter’s combine har-

Quality Greenhouses

vester to help alleviate this problem. The manufacturers claim that by using sensor based monitoring of a belt’s condition in real time they can improve the reliability of machines. And this enables dealer service staff to be more proactive in servicing schedules. Said to help operators avoid unplanned breakdowns, the concept should help reduce the costs of labour, materials and ultimately crop losses. With a smart drive-

belt being subjected to constant surveillance, any defects can be detected before failure occurs, so enabling a predictive maintenance approach. Currently, belts will only be changed at prescribed

intervals – as physical damage shows or as they fail – but cannot be monitored while they are in operation. During testing, data has been gathered from an area of 4220ha, with the belts demonstrating

their durability by withstanding 22 million flexing cycles. Meanwhile the electronic sensors within the belts have been subjected to 140 million cycles. “Evaluation of the data collected allows concrete statements about the conditions and stresses the belt is being subjected to,” says Continental’s Thorsten Schwefe. “This is important, as a defective or failed belt can trigger a domino effect in downtime with costs far beyond lost production alone.”

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RURAL NEWS // SEPTEMBER 24, 2019

RURAL TRADER 41

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Earthwalk Buffalo Boots have thick buffalo hide uppers which is 175% more crack and water resistant than normal leather. The nitrile rubber outsole won’t crack, split or break down in soil. And it is traditionally stitched to the leather upper so it won’t fall off. To make extra sure of this - the stitching goes all the way through the tread. The Lace Up boot offers superb ankle support on hill country, and a calfskin tongue & collar for great internal comfort. The Slip On boots are ideal for any work application. Sizes sell out quickly over Spring/ PHONE Summer - so please order early.

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THE PERSISTENT ITALIAN RYEGRASS

Vibe (right) compared to other varieties in Cropmark’s Italian ryegrass evaluation trial in the Waikato.

Higher yields, better persistence BRED FOR IMPROVED PERSISTENCE

HOLDS FORAGE QUALITY FOR LONGER INTO SPRING

Vibe is a very persistent and very high yielding diploid Italian ryegrass, having been developed as part of a 15 year plant breeding programme focused on developing more persistent Italian ryegrasses.

Vibe has another big advantage. At +26 days heading date, Vibe is up to 10 days later heading than traditional Italian ryegrasses, enabling it to maintain forage quality for longer into the spring. And with low aftermath heading, it returns quickly to vegetative state, enabling higher livestock performance potential.

Vibe handles hard grazings very well and hangs in there when most other Italians won’t, with excellent persistence and without the animal health issues caused by some endophyte containing varieties.

For further info contact us on freephone 0800 427 676 or contact your local agronomy team member:

VIBE IS AVAILABLE FROM YOUR LOCAL SEED MERCHANT OR FARM MERCHANDISE OUTLET

North Island: James Bryan Tel. 0272 354989 Upper South Island: John Pedofsky Tel. 0274 344495 Lower South Island: Richard Moate Tel. 0274 327868

New Zealand’s only fully NZ owned forage seed breeding and marketing company YEARS ANNIVERSARY

100 % NZ OWNED

www.cropmark.co.nz

freephone 0800 427 676

email: sales@cropmark.co.nz