Rural News 07 April 2020

NEWS

MANAGEMENT

COVID-19

Business as usual for milk processors. PAGE 5

Dairy awards show goes on.

Nerve-racking week for Feds’ boss PAGE 8

PAGE 18

TO ALL FARMERS, FOR ALL FARMERS APRIL 7, 2020: ISSUE 698

www.ruralnews.co.nz

Proactivity praised! PETER BURKE peterb@ruralnews.co.nz

PRIMARY FOOD production is in business. But it’s not business as usual – as we used to know it. That’s the message from the MPI director general, Ray Smith, speaking to Rural News from his office in Wellington. He says the organisation has been preparing for the events that have unfolded since January – when it became apparent that the virus would spread here. Smith and his executive team have met every day since then to develop ways to manage the implications of Covid-19 in respect of the primary sector. “When the lockdown came, we were ready for action and had our own critical services in place to support essential primary producers.” Smith was just one of three staff working in MPI’s headquarters in Wellington last week – an office which normally houses 1200 people. The rest of the Wellington-based staff are working from home. This includes include half the executive team, which has been done as a precaution in case there is a particular problem. “We hold a two-hour conference call at the start of every day and then one later in the day to make sure we have all the plans in place to support the people working out there in the agricultural and horticultural sector.” About 90% of MPI’s staff are now working from home, but Smith says some staff, by the nature of their jobs, have to work out in the field.

MPI director general Ray Smith was just one of three staff working at MPI’s headquarters in Wellington last week – an office which normally houses 1200 people

“We also have people out on the road undertaking verification duties, there are still people who need to cer-

tify products for export and all those sorts of things that are needed to keep the systems flying. Some will still turn

up on farm depending on what the circumstances are,” he says. Smith says, for example, the M

Bovis programmes will continue to run. However, MPI have had to make adjustments on how this is done during the lockdown. “We can do that by doing many more things remotely and farmers are very comfortable with that. Huge progress has been made on the M Bovis programme and this will continue.” Smith says in February his department was involved in dealing with the logistical problems faced by exporters trying to ship product overseas – especially to the likes of China. “We were very proud to see our primary producers and food beverage producers being able to maintain essential services status. “They do amazing work every day to feed all of us in NZ and to supply food to other nations so that they can feed their people.” Smith says the primary sector faces huge challenges. He says to comply with the new Covid-19 health requirements people can expect production to drop, in some cases, by between 30-50%. Smith recently spoke to 100 farming leaders on a video link about the crisis. “I told them I can’t change the virus to suit the needs of your operation, but you do have the opportunity to change your operation to manage the transmission of this virus and everybody took that on board.” Smith says he’s been hugely impressed with the attitude of all the primary sector leaders to find innovative solutions and to yield a little where necessary to make things work.

Thank you, farmers It takes a team to keep food on the table for all of us during these challenging times. Like you, we’re working hard and are ready to help. We have fertiliser, animal health, agchem and seed products available. To place your order, contact your agri manager or call our Customer Centre. Remember you can also order online via My Ravensdown or HawkEye.

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TOGETHER WE WILL ENDURE Farming is the backbone of a proud nation carved out by our early pioneers’ strength, determination and hard work. Resilience and an inherent belief in a better way forward still drive’s our farmers desire and need for perpetual innovation. These same qualities are the foundation of Zimmatic. We are proud to lead the way in irrigation technology and to be part of the enduring legacy our farmers leave for future generations.

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RURAL NEWS // APRIL 7, 2020

NEWS 3 ISSUE 698 www.ruralnews.co.nz

Rural broadband customers stiffed?

NEWS ��������������������������������������1-10 MARKETS ��������������������������� 12-13 HOUND, EDNA ����������������������� 14 CONTACTS ������������������������������ 14 OPINION �����������������������������14-15 MANAGEMENT ���������������������� 18 ANIMAL HEALTH ������������������� 19 MACHINERY AND PRODUCTS ���������������������� 20-22 RURAL TRADER �������������������� 23

HEAD OFFICE Top Floor, 29 Northcroft Street, Takapuna, Auckland 0622 Phone: 09-307 0399 Fax: 09-307 0122 POSTAL ADDRESS PO Box 331100, Takapuna, Auckland 0740 Published by: Rural News Group Printed by: Ovato Print

NIGEL MALTHUS

ALL THREE big telcos – Vodafone, Spark and 2degrees – are offering 24/7 unlimited data for urban broadband users in response to the Covid-19 lockdown forcing people to stay at home. Meanwhile, both Spark and 2degrees have also applied this offer to their rural broadband customers. However, Vodafone claims it can’t. Instead the company is only offering unlimited data between midnight and 9am. Rural broadband runs on the mobile phone system rather than the high-capacity fibre now common in urban areas. Vodafone says it has more rural customers, but less radio spectrum available. Sharina Nisha, Vodafone NZ’s head of networks and platforms told Rural News that the company had heard the calls from its rural customers who want more data during level 4 lockdown. “We would love to offer unlimited data to our rural customers at all

Both Spark and 2degrees have lifted caps for their rural broadbank customers, however, Vodafone claims it can’t.

times – but the rural network has a limited data supply and is simply not built for the hugely increased capacity we’re experiencing at the moment,” she explained. “This would require additional radio spectrum and Government investment via the Rural Broadband Initiative (RBI). This means that if we removed data caps now, it would

degrade the experience overall.” Vodafone’s wholesale & infrastructure director, Tony Baird, says the company “entered new territory” as New Zealanders turned to their devices to stay connected during the lockdown. He claims overnight data usage climbed 40%, showing that the overnight unlimited offer has been wellreceived.

“Overall, we’re seeing massive increases in data and voice traffic,” Baird told Rural News. “To provide an analogy, if the internet was a road; we’re seeing anywhere between 20-70% more cars join the highway all at once. “But our network is built to handle traffic peaks, and we’re doing all we can to keep New Zealanders connected.” He says more Government support is required to further increase capacity on the rural networks – with additional spectrum allocation being a quick fix. “In the longer-term, additional investment into the Rural Broadband Initiative will go a long way to keeping rural customers connected at times of crisis like we currently find ourselves in.” The midnight to 9am unlimited offer also applies to the country’s largest specialist rural broadband provider, Timaru-based Farmside, which Vodafone acquired in 2018.

Country keeps economy ticking AN ANALYSIS by two Christchurch economists has underlined the value of the farming sector to the country during the Level 4 Covid-19 lockdown. David Dyason and Peter Fieger have produced an analysis of who is likely still to be working and who may not be, based on the Government’s definition of essential business

CONTACTS Editorial: editor@ruralnews.co.nz Advertising material: davef@ruralnews.co.nz Rural News online: www.ruralnews.co.nz Subscriptions: subsrndn@ruralnews.co.nz ABC audited circulation 79,553 as at 31.03.2019

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(although the definition is changing as exemptions develop). They say based on 2019 figures, approximately 123,800 people in Canterbury are employed in essential services, which represents 40.6% of all employment within the region. This is almost identical to the national economy at 40.4%. However, a detailed look at the

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territorial authorities within Canterbury shows wide differences across the region. “The most revealing result is that in both Waimate and Hurunui districts, the number of people employed in essential services is at 73% and 68% respectively,” says their report. “Both these districts have strong food production and processing activ-

ities. In theory, the implication is that both these areas will experience relatively less disruption to employment compared with other regions where this share is lower.” The Waimate and Hurunui figures compare with 35.5% for Christchurch city, while all the other territorial authorities lie between 42% and 56.7%. – Nigel Malthus

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RURAL NEWS // APRIL 7, 2020

4 NEWS

Yes

Will not doing this job within the lockdown affect your ability to produce food?

Will not doing this job within the lockdown negatively impact your animals’ welfare?

Can the job be done safely, while maintaining social distancing? Yes

In light of the recent COVID-19 outbreak, Federated Farmers and Conferenz have made the decision to postpone the date of the Primary Industries New Zealand Summit and Awards to the 23 - 24 November 2020.

Can the job be stripped back or modified to allow for appropriate H&S measures?

Yes

This event will still be held at Te Papa Te Papa Tongarewa in Wellington. PINZ award nominations To nominate, visit: will remain open from now until the new closing https://primaryindustries.co.nz/awards/ date of 31 August, with finalists announced on how-to-enter. the 5 October.

Proceed with the modified task. Don’t forget to sanitise all work surfaces and maintain social distance!

Can the job be done safely, while maintaining social distancing?

Yes

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No

Go ahead and get the job done. Don’t forget to sanitise all work surfaces and maintain social distance!

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Proceed with the modified task. Don’t forget to sanitise all work surfaces and maintain social distance!

Can the job be stripped back or modified to allow for appropriate H&S measures? No

Delay the job and ask an appropriate agency, such as the Ministry for Primary Industries or your local Rural Support Trust, for their help and advice.

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RURAL NEWS // APRIL 7, 2020

NEWS 5

Business as usual for milk processors

RAIN EASES DROUGHT WORRIES PETER BURKE peterb@ruralnews.co.nz

SUDESH KISSUN sudeshk@ruralnews.co.nz

FOR THE country’s two largest milk processors, it’s business as usual: milk is coming in, being processed and products shipped to offshore markets without any major hitch. Both Fonterra and Open Country Dairy say they are not facing shortage of shipping containers as Covid-19 wreaks havoc globally. Fonterra’s director global supply chain, Gordon Carlyle says at this stage, the co-op hasn’t experienced significant interruption in its end-to-end supply chain. Carlyle says farmers’ milk is still being collected and processed as normal and collection volumes are not “wildly different” to previous seasons at this time of year, considering this season’s challenges included a significant drought in the North and flooding in the South. This time last year Fonterra’s full year milk forecast was 1,530 million kgMS: this year, the co-op is sitting at 1,515 million kgMS to the end

Fonterra says, at this stage, it hasn’t experienced any significant interruption in its supply chain.

of the season. “We would update the market if the milk forecast changed,” Carlyle told Rural News. Fonterra’s isn’t experiencing any issues with exports leaving NZ ports: while some ports in some markets have slowed, Fonterra exports are still getting through. “We haven’t experienced any shortages of shipping containers or chilled capacity. “As part of our business continuity plan; we have identified extra storage space, but as of yet we have not needed it. At this time of year, we generally always have storage over and above our fixed footprint.”

“Our sales team carries on selling as per our policy, and we see continued demand for dairy products.” Like Fonterra, OCD’s milk volumes are tracking close to forecast. “We might experience inefficiencies here and there as everybody settles into the new norm. But we have, so far, not had any restrictions on ordering raw materials or shipping containers, which is a better result than many would have expected at this point in the process,” he says. “The milk is coming into the sites and volumes are tracking to forecast.”

FARMING WITH COVID-19 BEETHAM SAYS Covid-19 has unquestionably changed the way farmers farm. He told Rural News the closure of the sale yards came at a critical time when people traditionally buy and sell stock. He adds this combined with drought and delays in getting stock processed at the works is a concern. Beetham says farmers are having to put in place a number of changes to keep their businesses going during the pandemic. “Farmers are having to constantly change how they do business as the

situation evolves.” Beetham has three properties – two in the Wairarapa and one on the Kapiti Coast north of Wellington – that presents challenges for himself, his wife and six full time staff. “For example, making sure that you are disinfecting vehicles, tracking any contractors that come on farm and social distancing and a whole raft of other things,” he explained. “Also making sure that staff have a letter that if they need to travel, which they can show to the police. They also have to carry photo ID,” he says.

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Carlyle says one of Fonterra’s advantages is its scale: both in manufacturing, product mix and international marketplaces. “We have the ability to flex and change to adapt to hot-spots around the world. This is a key benefit of having a global customer base and multiple selling platforms – consumer, food service, supply contracts, GDT and spot sales.” OCD chief executive Steve Koekemoer told Rural News most of its markets are also operating as essential services: customers continue to manufacture as normal in the food sector.

FARMERS ON the lower east coast of the North Island have welcomed heavy rains, which have fallen in the last week or so. Wairarapa Federated Farmers president William Beetham says where he farms, just out of Masterton, they had 150mm of rain. Other areas had up to 200mm and further north, in the Tararua district, about 50mm fell. “This is absolutely gold because it has recharged the waterways and dams and has started to soak into our soils,” Beetham told Rural News. “The rain comes at exactly the right time when the sun is out and it’s still warm and we’ll really be able to grow feed for winter.” He says, until the rains came, the situation was dire for many farmers –

even though the Wairarapa is known for its summer droughts. Many were faced with delays in getting space for their stock in freezing works, due to the slowdown in exports to China caused by Covid-19. There has also been an ongoing shortage of supplementary feed as farmers have been forced to feed this out early. “With this latest rain we will be able to grow feed for winter, but we will have to manage things really carefully through this time so we can build feed for winter and look after stock,” Beetham says. “A lot of farmers will still be feeding out supplementary feed for a while yet. There is still quite a bit of straw, hay and grain available. But baleage, which is pretty critical, has been very difficult to get hold of there is basically none left in the North Island.”

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RURAL NEWS // APRIL 7, 2020

6 NEWS

Rural GPs feel the impact CARING FOR THE CARERS

PETER BURKE peterb@ruralnews.co.nz

MANY DOCTORS in rural parts of NZ are facing a cash-flow crisis due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Dr Fiona Bolden, chair of the Rural General Practice Network, told Rural News that in some cases rural practices have suffered a 90% drop in the cash coming across their counters. She says with less money coming from consultations and a huge drop in ACC related claims, some rural practices are facing a financial crisis. “Our people still have to pay the rent and staff, and nobody wants to lay off staff, but I have heard anecdotal stories about that happening around the country. Those staff

DR BOLDEN says the other issue facing health professionals in rural areas is how to deal with people who need regular care. She says the whole issue of career support is a big national problem because a lot of the carers – who are working so hard with the elderly – also have their own elderly parents that they are looking after at home. “So, we are going to see that the number of careers who are available to care for elderly drop off as they have to self-isolate because of their own reasons.

are going to be needed as people start to get sick,” Bolden says. “This crisis has involved massive change management implications because everyone is having to work really hard on top of all the other stuff. Our people are trying to manage the anxiety and uncertainty

Then when people get ill there is a big query about how we look after those people in their own homes as much as possible.” Bolden is not confident that mental health facilities in rural areas will be able to cope with the demand for help as the crisis continues. She notes that many farmers are already facing problems on farm dealing with drought, M Bovis and a rapidly changing financial situation – not to mention Covid-19. She believes there will be more fallout from this as time goes by.

and getting used to new ways of working.” Dr Bolden, who’s also on the GP’s Leaders Forum, says they have approached the Ministry of Health for special assistance and some money is being available. Last week, Dr Ashley Bloomfield – the director general of the MOH

– told media that more funding would be made available. She notes that some rural practices are managing the situation well, while others are struggling to deal with the situation – especially when many of the cases of Covid-19 are occurring in rural areas.

Chair of the Rural General Practice Network Dr Fiona Bolden says rural practices have suffered a 90% drop in the cash coming across their counters.

“The practices that were struggling with their practices beforehand are under even more stress than before.” Bolden told Rural News this also depended on how well practices were set up for remote consultation before-

hand, with some obviously better set up before Covid-19 came along. “But for some, this has been a massive, massive changeover and has happened very quickly because they were already under a lot of pressure.” She says one of the

unique problems facing rural GPs is the influx of people from cities and towns into small rural communities where these folks have baches and are self-isolating there. Bolden says this is putting huge pressure on local rural surgeries where these people are trying to get flu immunisation and they are not registered with that medical practice. “We are having difficulty meeting the needs of our own patients – let alone people from elsewhere. Lots of people have been doing that and the Coromandel has been badly affected as has the Lakes area in Central Otago. With people coming in from outside the district it is increasing the risk of community transmission in the local population.”

Rural midwives virtually indispensable RURAL MIDWIVES are still providing care and are still the first point of contact but will move to more virtual or phone consultations, says NZ College of Midwives advisor Jacqui Anderson. “They will be providing midwifery advice and some appointments. It will just look a bit different,” she told Rural News. Information will be gathered by in virtual or phone conversations first and then the midwife and the woman

will decide whether a face to face visit is required. “Following the Covid-19 requirements that face-to-face visit will be quite short and only to do the required physical hands-on assessment. The rest of the information will be gathered and shared in a virtual or phone consultation either just before or after the face to face.” There may not be as many face-toface visits. There will still be contact with their midwife and if they need

referral either when they are pregnant or during their labour and birth then that will happen. All previous facilities available for births are still available. “The only difference is women who have – or are suspected of having – Covid-19. The small birthing units all over the country are not set up for isolation care so those women will have to go to hospital. “Those are for people who have been diagnosed, or have symptoms

or have been in contact with the disease.” The majority of women will have their midwifery care by the known midwife. If they do have Covid-19 or significant risk factors for it then they will be required to give birth in a hospital and the hospital team will look after them. That is no different for urban or rural women. Anderson says there is no evidence of mother to baby transfer of infection. “So if somebody feels they

might have been exposed there is no evidence that the virus is in the fluid around the baby or in the placenta at this point. “And definitely they have not been finding it in breastmilk, so women are encouraged to continue the usual interaction with the baby. “If at any time they feel unwell with some kind of flu-like symptoms they should ring the health line and get advice and inform their midwife.” – Pam Tipa

Nine AboutFacts P Fertilisers Regarding Meeting Water2025 Quality Limits TenBasic BasicFacts Fertiliser You Must Know and Adopt2025 to Meet Water Quality Limits: Dr Bert Quin

Fact ofsoluble solubleP Pfertiliser is by far largest causecause of P run-off andand leaching, andand thetherefore decline of in the thedecline qualityinofthe Kiwi waterways. FactA. 1. The The overuse overuse of is the by far the largest of P run-off leaching, quality of Kiwi waterways. Fact 2. Once you have Olsen P levels that are more than a third of the P retention (ASC), application of additional soluble P is very prone to loss to the

Fact B. True RPRs maintain high production as well as soluble P, but are far, far less susceptible to run-off and leaching. And RPR is cheaper! environment. Fact 3. If you want to build up your soil P in an environmentally-protective way, simply apply RPR. It does not get leached or lost directly in run-off, but

Fact C. Quinfert Algerian RPR isforthe only low-cadmium, internationally- recognised true RPR available in New Zealand. releases P in a sustained fashion plants.

Fact 4. There is nothing to lose and everything to gain. RPR-based fertilisers are even cheaper than super-based products as well! Added sulphur bentonite

Fact D. It doesn’t meet the industry-backed Fertmark 30-minute citric acid solubility test, introduced about 40 years ago. (sulphur 90) is far more efficient than the excess sulphate in super.

Fact 5. Following 1-4 above will greatly reduce P run-off and leaching. This should be done before anything else, and the situation reassessed before

Fact E. So what. This test is not used anywhere outside NZ. It has been widely criticised as not being fit for purpose, given the knowledge spending huge amounts of money! that exists today, because it gives artificially low solubility tests for RPRs that contain free lime or dolomite.

Fact 6. It is nonsensical to give in to pressure to install expensive mitigations riparian strips, excessively large wetlands and ‘phosphorus walls’ when you have no idea of their long-term effectiveness and maintenance costs, and before you have established whether changing to sustained-release RPR is all Fact F. Quinfert Algerian RPR contains 7% free dolomite. This is a plus. But the dolomite consumes citric acid, meaning the Fertmark test you need to do! gives an artificially low solubility result. Fact 7. in any case simple fenced-off 3-metre wide grass riparian strips are essentially as effective and vastly cheaper than more complex strips. Both reduce bacterial and sediment losses. Neither will have any significant long-term beneficial effect (on a whole -farm basis) on soluble P and nitrate-N loss. Fact G. In agronomic trials, and in the ‘Watkinson Dissolution’ proposed replacement Fertmark test, Quinfert Algerian RPR at least matches But grass strips can be harvested in summer to be fed out, to improve P and N cycling. the performance of other true RPR’s as a maintenance P fertiliser. Fact 8. In a nutshell, for maintenance of P levels any genuine RPR (not an RPR/Boucraa mix please!) can be used. Just check the Cd content. For low fertility situations or low rainfall, use a blend of RPR and high-analysis soluble P. Fact H. If you want your P to be available in 30-minutes, use straight super, TSP, DAP or MAP. Fact 9. For N, rather than granular urea, use prilled urea, sprayed immediately prior to, or during, the spreading with urease inhibitor. Use of N can be literally cut in half with big savings. Fact I. If you want a licence to farm from 2025 however, I strongly recommend that you start using RPR. It’s as simple as that. Fact 10. Potash is more efficient, and must less likely to cause metabolic problems, if applied in small doses 4 times a year, adding up to 50-60% of the total annual amount you are using now. Easy to mix with your prilled urea. Leaching of anions like nitrate will be minimised as well.

For more info. email Bert Quin on bert.quin@quinfert.co.nz, or phone 021-427 572, or visit www.quinfert.co.nz For more info, email Bert Quin on bert.quin@quinfert.co.nz, or phone 021 427 572, or visit www.quinfert.co.nz

RURAL NEWS // APRIL 7, 2020

NEWS 7

Salesyards remain closed, but hopes for a limited opening SLOW UPTAKE OF ONLINE OPTIONS

NIGEL MALTHUS

STOCK AND Station agents have put together a set of protocols, which they hope will allow the country’s saleyards to reopen as soon as possible as the Covid-19 lockdown progresses. All yards are currently closed, leaving just private paddock-to-paddock sales and online trading available. The Covid-19 lockdown has come at a bad time of year, when autumn sales would normally be coming into full swing. New Zealand Stock and Station Association (NZSSA) chairman Steve Morrison told Rural News he’s put together a discussion document hoping to convince MPI that it is possible to set up revised

Stock and Station agents have put together a set of protocols, which they hope will allow the country’s saleyards to reopen as soon as possible.

protocols to allow saleyards to reopen. This is intended to apply to special sales that need to progress urgently, whilst national COVID19 response measures are still in place.

While not expecting immediate changes, Morrison says farmers need the yards to be open at this time of year, when stock transitions between farms – more so this year, going from drought into

NEW PROTOCOLS IN PLACE FOR MEAT PROCESSING them informed about what we are doing. peterb@ruralnews.co.nz Ritchie says there has been really MEAT PROCESSING plants through- good collaboration between all the out the country will continue to oper- parties involved and in the case of the ate during the Covid-19 lockdown companies, collaboration has taken precedence over individual competi– albeit at lower production. The Meat Industry Association tiveness to put the protocol together. The companies have also (MIA) says production agreed that if there is a problevels will be a lot lower lem at a competitor’s plant than normal. MIA chief others will step in to assist. executive Tim Ritchie says The seven-page protocol it’s too hard to tell just how is an overarching document, slow production levels will which allows for companies be. But says, in the case of to tailor it to meet their indisheep chains, it could 30 or Meat Industry vidual needs. Ritchie says it’s 40% lower than normal. Association chief In the past week the executive Tim Ritchie. impossible to be too prescriptive due to the differMIA, the individual meat processing companies and MPI have ent configuration of plants. He says been working ‘around the clock’ to put he expects production throughput will together protocols that can be used by be lower on sheep chains where there all companies to allow them to operate is a need to provide distance between and still meet the strict safety guide- workers, whereas on beef chains, workers are normally further apart. lines for Covid-19. “The protocol also covers how “The prime objective is people and to preserve the safety of workers but people should come to work and go at the same time allowing the works home and keep separation at work. to operate as close to normal as pos- It also points out to people not to do sible,” Ritchie told Rural News. “This silly things outside of their work, which is important given the fact that farm- could impact on a whole plant. Ritchie says other sectors are aware ers in many parts of the country are in the grip of a drought and the need to of the protocol the meat industry has developed and have expressed interest get stock killed.” He says they have also been in con- in copying it. He says the MIA will help tact with the unions and have kept out in any way it can. PETER BURKE

winter. “There’s plenty of farmers looking to what they’re wanting to do with stock and getting a little bit concerned,” he says. “Some may be able to live with four weeks, but they are need to do something very pressing before winter.” Morrison says the proposal outlined a “more Covid-friendly” way to operate a saleyard but acknowledges that there had to be a lot of changes to normal sale yard operation for it to be acceptable. Many stock sales have already gone online – and Morrison’s own company, NZ Farmers Livestock Ltd, runs its MyLivestock system – but he says getting the yards back in operation would certainly

help. Jesse Dargue, general manager of South Canterbury’s Peter Walsh and Associates, said online trading systems like BIDR or StockX had not been particularly well taken up before Covid. “Part of the challenge is that farmers like going to the auctions and having a look at the stock themselves,” he told Rural News. Dargue says livestock companies could register as essential businesses because stock trading still had to take place, for the welfare of the animals. He says livestock agents are fortunate to be able to operate at all when many businesses cannot but are very much restricted in the way they could work. PGG Wrightson gen-

THE NZSSA proposal notes that autumn trading in certain stock classes has historically relied heavily on auction selling on-farm and in saleyards. “There has been negligible uptake of on-line sale options for good reasons, and paddock sales are difficult in the circumstances and likely to introduce other COVID-19 related risks,” it says. “Price discovery in the present market is a challenge without yard or farm-based auctions.” The proposal applies initially to run weaner sales – noting that many breeding farmers are not well placed to hold weaners on farm, and certainly are unable for a range of reasons (animal welfare included) to farm these through the winter. It also points out dairy herd clearances – which happen in a narrow time window for individual farmers, from April to June – are often the only option short of killing cows. Pending proof of the concept, NZSSA says other stock class sales could be included if urgent and with specific MPI approval. “An area we are considering is cull cows where processor capacity is compromised by other COVID-19 impacts.”

eral manager livestock, Peter Moore, says traditional on-farm sales – where lots of clients gathered on farm presented a challenge – but bull sales don’t traditionally start till the middle of May. “There’s still time to work through options of ways to move stock while complying with the rules around the movement of people,” Moore says. “Livestock companies like our own are going through a process of becoming an accred-

ited essential provider, and we have obviously got farm sales, paddockto-paddock sales, and we also have got our online trading platform BIDR – which we have opened up for other companies to use as well.” Moore says the uptake of BIDR, which has been running six months, had been “variable” up until now. “What we’re seeing at the moment is a lot of interest in it as being a viable way of trading livestock.”

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8 NEWS Katie Milne says Feds have been at the forefront of discussions between Government and the rural sector on how to manage farming services during the lockdown.

Nerve-racking week for Feds’ boss SUDESH KISSUN sudeshk@ruralnews.co.nz

FEDERATED FARMERS president Katie Milne has described the first week on Covid-19 lockdown as

“good but nerve racking”. The West Coast farmer says with Covid-19 numbers climbing in rural areas, the farming sector is also feeling vulnerable. Milne told Rural News

that farmers were getting on what they can within the rules of the Alert 4 Level lockdown. “We are all getting on with what we can safely – distancing from each

Sending animals off to grazing? The movement must be recorded in NAIT

onto a small number of economic life rafts. “Farming is one of them. “The export income we continue to earn is crucial now, and as we recover at the other end of this crisis.” But the seriousness of the Covid-19 was catching up in rural areas. Milne says farmers are also feeling as vulnerable as those surrounded by people in cities now that numbers of Covid-19 cases are also climbing in rural areas. She is urging farmers to stay in their “bubbles” during the lockdown. Using separate vehicles to get to other farms is all part of what should be done if those needed on the job are not part of your “at home bubble’. “Keeping our personal bubbles intact is paramount for our family safety as well as our wider communities.”

LIFE POST-LOCKDOWN KATIE MILNE says the Feds is also looking at how to help farmers ease out of the lockdown. She points out that the work backing up during the lockdown has to be completed before winter. “Last thing we need will be for farmers to rush to catch up on stuff that got put off and end up getting injured through working every hour of the day and night. Maybe, some things that weren’t essential at the start of lockdown may become so and vice versa. “This will become clear as time rolls on: things are moving fast as we are all in uncharted territory with this.”

• Farmer must create the sending movement • Grazier must confirm the movement (or create a receiving movement).* Need help? Call 0800 482 463 or contact your information provider.

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NAIT is an OSPRI programme

other’s bubbles and sanitising,” she says. “All are on tenterhooks hoping all our service providers like meat companies, dairy companies, vets, pack houses and others stay well so we can carry on preparing for winter.” Milne and Federated Farmers have been at the forefront of discussions between Government and the rural sector on how to manage farming services during the lockout. She says it not too farfetched an analogy to say the nation is at war: this time the enemy is microscopic but still deadly. “And just as farming and food supply was regarded as essential services during both World Wars, the Government has again given us that status under the COVID19 lockdown. “As we face huge economic disruption, as a country, we’re holding

ospri.co.nz

RURAL NEWS // APRIL 7, 2020

NEWS 9

Hort sector adapts to new normal PAM TIPA pamelat@ruralnews.co.nz

THE GOVERNMENT moving from level 2 to 3, and then to 4 in pretty quick succession sent shockwaves through the labour pool, says James Trevelyan, managing director of Trevelyan’s kiwifruit coolstore and packhouse. It had them moving very fast, he says, and had similarities to the Psa event. However by early last week, the situation had already begun to stabilise. “All of a sudden what we would deem our normal staff were not available - your backpackers and your RSEs because they couldn’t come in to the country. Your backpackers were shut off – it was tough,” he told Rural News, recalling how it unfolded. “Then people came to

Packhouses have put new systems in place and production has started to rise.

the realisation they had lost job and they started to look. “I am a lot more optimistic. We still need more staff but they are probably there. But you go back a couple of weeks as we changed from one labour pool to the other I was questioning where

are they or what does labour look like. Trevelyan says when things change rapidly you get this kind of freefall. “It was like Psa, you don’t know what the norm is, you don’t know what you are doing,” he explained. “But as soon as every-

one in the community understand the new rules, and how we need to operate in this new environment, slowly you getting some order back and you start getting your processes up and going. “That is what it has been like. Psa was a great founding for an event like

this. I have seen or felt that before.” By early last week, he says they had systems in place and production had started to rise. The two metre rule had “slaughtered” production but they got smarter and put dividers in to protect staff. “We have done a lot of work in a week. We are no different, postharvest are all the same I am sure. “The initiatives have been put in. “The site is basically shut down [to outsiders]. We scan everyone on site for temperatures. We have doubled security. We have a paramedic led Covid team walking the floors day and night answering questions, hearing concerns, taking everybody’s temperature. “We have doubled all the cleaning staff, they are focusing on risk areas,

ACTING EARLY JAMES TREVELYAN says they started early with planning. They have a Covid-19 improvement team which meets every day. Another group on the floor looks after people and listens to concerns. They have a number of people working at home. The team set up a mental health help video to help them particularly if they feel isolated. “So, it is just connecting in and changing the norm. Looking at the opportunities in the problems. How do we look at this differently? How do we solve this? That is how we have been chipping away which I doubt is any different to anyone else.” They are confident they will handle the harvest. A couple of weeks back it looked more tenuous, but the phone has been ringing with people wanting to work. People can still apply for jobs with the primary sector as an essential industry. They can apply on line. Trevelyan says they will handle the harvest but they need to add more shifts to production. “We need more staff all right.”

handwashing is huge. “It is extra time to get people to smoko room, releasing 120 people at two metre intervals. We had a staff room that used to hold 200, but now it holds 40. We have

had to hire big tents to allow people to have a cup of tea, or lunch or dinner. “You just have to get your head around it, move on and move to the next challenge.”

Tough time on farm for many PETER BURKE peterb@ruralnews.co.nz

UNDER PRESSURE Woodville dairy farmer Ben Allomes says: ‘we can’t shut our doors and just walk away’. Last week’s rain has helped his situation, but he says more rain is needed to deal with the drought. Allomes told Rural News the effects of the drought are being exacerbated by the Covid-19 virus. He says there’s been an inability to source feed and the price of PKE has spiked and all of this has created uncertainty

for beef prices. He’s been trying to get cull cows to the works, but a combination of Covid-19 and drought has seen him forced to retain animals that he would like to be rid of. Allomes also had to take back young stock from graz- Woodville dairy farmer Ben ing properties who Allomes: ‘we can’t shut our doors and just walk away’ have run out of feed. Meanwhile, his family and staff had been preparing with hand

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for the possibility of a lockdown long before the Government announcement last week. Ben and wife Nicky took their children out of school early to protect the health of the family. He says that he and his staff had talked about the situation and had been selfisolating on the farm. “There has been a huge focus on hygiene wipes on tractors, staff

wearing gloves and keeping a safe distance from each other,” he told Rural News. “The good news is that our staff have still got jobs and we can still operate as business.” Allomes says he and other farmers have been engaged in what he calls ‘cautious stocking up’. “We are making sure we have got some beer, we stocked up on fence posts because we can do some fencing while we are locked down. Others have stocked up on gorse spray or paint to get a few things done during the lockdown.”

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Allomes says the big thing for him is the realisation is that no matter what, he and his team have got to get up every single day and still go out and milk the cows and keep our animals alive. He says there is lot of talk around the fact that as food producers’ farmers have got to produce. “But I am not even thinking about making milk,” he says. “I am concerned about keeping my animals alive because I have got to get through the next spring and the drought and making milk is actually secondary for me.”

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RURAL NEWS // APRIL 7, 2020

10 NEWS

Ag contractors still in business RURAL CONTRACTORS NZ has confirmed that agricultural contracting is regarded as an essential service through the COVID-19 shutdown. RCNZ president David Kean says the essential services list produced by the Government allows rural contractors to continue to support farmers as entities involved in food production. “That’s the vast majority of our work and many of us are still flat stick with work including maize production, grass harvesting, sheep dipping and other tasks.” Many agricultural contractors report that their operations are still in full swing, with maize cropping and grass harvesting, in particular, still to be completed. A number of contractors around the country are dependent on mostly Irish and English contract recruits to fill out a shortage of skilled machinery operators. Some of these have left for home as the COVID-19 crisis bites, but many still have a month, or more’s work and are opting to see that out. RCNZ chief executive Roger Parton said the Approval in Principle to bring in operators for the 2020/21 season was progressing. As for the risks posed by COVID-19, Kean says contractors were taking the same sorts of precautions as most employers, urging use of hand sanitisers and soap as well as

The Shearing Contractors Association has put out a set of guidelines on shearing in conjunction with Fed Farmers, which has been provided to MPI and Beef+Lamb.

SHEARING NOT CUT OUT

RCNZ president David Kean says ag contractors are only able to provide services that are essential to supporting food production during the lockdown.

PAM TIPA pamelat@ruralnews.co.nz

CONFERENCE OFF, CE STAYS MEANWHILE, KEAN says the RCNZ Board met via an urgent video conference last month to consider a range of issues arising from the COVID-19 crisis. “We took the decision that putting off the conference for a year was the only option. We will look to have the conference in June 2021 in the same Rotorua venue.” He says the RCNZ Board has also

encouraging staff to take leave if they felt unwell. He noted that contractors were at much less risk than many people. “We’re often working alone a lot of the time and effectively that’s selfisolation.” Kean pointed out that both farmers and contractors need to be aware, that contractors are only able to provide services that are essential to supporting food production

halted its plans to recruit a new chief executive to replace Roger Parton, who was due to retire in September. “We were just about to start advertising but in the current circumstances we felt it was best to put a hold on a new hire. Roger confirmed he could stay on for a year to provide continuity through the Corona crisis and we’re very pleased to retain him.”

over the next month. “This will include crop protection and grass production, but not at this time spraying a paddock of thistles.” Waikato-based RCNZ vice-president Helen Slattery says the drought was hitting farmers hard and creating major concerns for their mental health. Contractors were also facing pressure with maintaining skilled operators some of whom had

returned home early to Europe. However, she said Kiwi operators from industries such as forestry seemed to be more available than previously. Slattery says rural contractors expected to be affected by COVID-19 but less than other sectors. “Farmers have to keep going as they are an essential industry and we have to support them.” @rural_news

SHEARING HAS been deemed an essential service, but people must come first, says Mike Barrowcliffe, NZ Shearing Contractors Association president. “The last thing an 80-year-old farmer wants is a whole lot of young people who haven’t been self-isolating turning up to his place to shear his sheep,” he says. Everyone should put safety first throughout the whole supply chain – from the farmers themselves to contractor employees, Barrowcliffe told Rural News. “They need to ask the questions, is it essential and can it wait?” he says. He says while everyone wants to go to work, not all can at the moment for many different reasons. “We have to be mindful and respect people’s opinion. They might have an underlying health issue; someone they are caring for may have one or it may just be the age demographic.” Barrowcliffe says everyone is taking Covid-19 very seriously. “The self-isolation, the farmers

preparing their work sites, what the shearing contractors are doing to get their staff to work, and while at work and once they have left work as well.” He says animal welfare issues also must have priority. “Let’s use preventive animal welfare issues rather than reactive ones.” The New Zealand Shearing Contractors Association has put out a set of guidelines in conjunction with Federated Farmers which has been provided to MPI and Beef+Lamb. “As long as everyone follows those and respects the intent of those well, I can’t see a problem with the current information we have and how to manage or control Covid-19.” He says with so many jobs and tasks in farming you have to apply the rules as is required to each situation. Barrowcliffe adds that flexibility is needed, but so is social responsibility. “Reinforcing that yarn that farmers need to be proactive and think about what essential jobs are coming up, put steps in place to make sure that their work sites are set up for us to enter and for us to make sure we have got suitable staff that can come on and do the job for them.”

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global agribusiness research analysts sharing market outlooks

12 MARKETS & TRENDS

Rabobank supports clients from farm to fork in

40

COUNTRIES

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farmers to connect Content supplied by Rabobank - Growing New Zealand Together with worldwide , a Better

Difficult times lie ahead NEW ZEALAND farmers are in good shape entering the Covid-19 crisis. Coming to the end of a fourth good season in terms of market conditions, the processing sector is in good shape and on-farm debt has been reduced somewhat. The NZ dollar depreciation will provide some shelter from falling prices for New Zealand producers. The worse the pandemic gets, the lower the NZ$ will fall, as capital is reinvested in lower risk financial markets like the US and Japan. This will ensure that the contraction in farmgate prices in local currency terms is less than seen on world markets.

Dairy

NEW ZEALAND milk production continued to show signs of weakness

Global Dairy Prices, 2014-2020

across February 2020 as dry conditions impact grass growth and yields. February milk production was behind by 3.4% compared to the same time in 2019, bringing season-to-date milk collections down to -0.8% YOY. Rabobank forecasts milk

collections to remain slow across the final months of the season and ultimately declining by between 0.5% and 1% YOY, with the range reflecting whether the late March 2020 rain has been enough to end the production slide.

Global dairy commodity prices continue to drift lower – led by milk powders. There is a shift in global market fundamentals in the pipeline. Milk production in many key export regions is leading to a slow build in exportable surpluses. While a rapid drop in New Zealand milk production has provided some price support, the EU spring flush is fast approaching and will test markets from a supplyside dynamic. A sizeable hit to dairy demand in many parts of the global dairy market is underway. This is driven by the flow-on impacts of Covid-19 management; and the subsequent drop in discretionary spend. In most parts, a bump in retail sales will not be enough to fully offset the drop in foodservice sales.

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Rabobank is expecting global dairy prices (in US$ terms) to trade lower in the coming months. A recovery will take time and a material lift in prices may not happen until 2021.

Beef

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North Island Bull Price

sors operate under alert Level 4 will put downward pressure on farmgate prices in the coming months. Kill space will become increasingly difficult to secure, particularly for prime cattle (with weak demand for prime cuts). Slowing domestic cattle supplies, combined with robust demand

from the US market, saw March farmgate prices lift in the North Island and stabilise in the South Island. As at the end of March, the North Island bull price is up 5% MOM, averaging NZ$ 4.95/ kg cwt, with the South Island bull price ending the month where it started it at NZ$ 4.65/

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Rabobank supports clients from farm to fork in

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RURAL NEWS // APRIL 7, 2020

MARKETS & TRENDS 13

COUNTRIES

Content supplied by Rabobank - Growing a Better New Zealand Together kg cwt. It has been reported that compliance with Covid-19 spacing requirements will initially reduce bovine processing capacity by approximately 30%. This will increase processing costs and significantly reduce the level of procurement competition that would have otherwise put some degree of upward pressure on pricing during this phase of the season.

Sheepmeat

RABOBANK EXPECTS Covid-19-related disruptions both domestically and globally to have a negative impact on pricing in the coming months. This will likely

We interpret market signals as remaining positive, but supply chain disruption remains a risk in key markets as Covid19 continues to spread around the world. For these and other products where export markets currently remain open, demand and disposable incomes currently remain

March, before retreating 8% and 6% (in US$ terms) respectively. For urea, this was the highest

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prevent farmgate prices in the second half of this season lifting to the historically high levels experienced in 2018 and 2019. Slowing domestic supplies combined with improving Chinese demand saw March farmgate prices hold steady for the first time since December. As of the end of March, the price in the North Island averaged NZ$ 7/kg cwt (YOY), while South Island lamb averaged NZ$ 6.80/kg cwt (+1% YOY). The Covid-19 pandemic will reduce demand for lamb in some key export markets, due to supply chain disruptions, reduced foodservice activity, and declining consumer incomes. We see these key mitigating factors to help partially offset the impact this will have on New Zealand farmgate returns.

Horticulture

HARVEST IS in full swing for both apples and kiwifruit, which are both dealing with impacts of containment measures impacting efficiencies.

in place, and foodservice is not a factor, downside risks to all these factors remain. But a depreciating NZ$ will continue to act as an offset. On a positive note, exports to China were up in value by 14% YOY or NZ$ 1.4m in February. This period comes after the fresh cherry window, showing demand remained in place in China in the early stages of Covid-19.

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GLOBAL INPUT supply chains remain operational despite the growing pressure from Covid-19-related containment measures. To date, restrictions have led to a small number of production cuts and port closures. Given the importance of fertiliser to food production, we expect government restrictions on fertiliser production to be limited. However, the risk of greater interruption, either to production or logistics, remains high. Global price benchmarks for both phosphate and urea peaked in mid-

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RURAL NEWS // APRIL 7, 2020

14 OPINION EDITORIAL

EDNA

Well done! ON THE third day of the lockdown, everybody working in food – from production through to sales – was thanked in the 1pm press conference that is now a feature of life. New Zealand also has ‘Clap for our Champions’ at 7pm daily. Overt thanks are being given to those who deserve it. However, the champions are too hard at work to hear their applause. Everybody to do with health and food are hard at work. Increasingly there is recognition from analysts at banks, law firms and in the media, that the agricultural and horticultural sectors are continuing to support GDP and the export economy. Doing so will enable New Zealand to move more quickly into economic normality than would otherwise have been possible. For the agricultural sector, buying New Zealand and showing support would go a long way to ensuring the country moves forward strongly; it would assist with burying the term ‘rural-urban divide’ which repeated surveys have shown is more in the mind of the media than society in general. It isn’t just in New Zealand that the ‘worm has turned’ (a reference to the political voting line, not to some biosecurity breach). Headlines around the world are echoing the importance of domestic food supply. In some countries, the result might be an increase in subsidies which already average approximately 20% of gross farm receipts in the EU. Or it might be increased food prices, meaning that people will be paying more of the actual costs of production, as they do in New Zealand. Maybe margins along the food chain will be pared. Whatever the decision, the future will be different. Some farmers and growers are already seeing the opportunities for the future and aligning their current decisions with future possibilities. This is showing the attitude that grew from number-8 wire to a culture of innovation, adaption and adoption that the rest of the world admires. Applause is happening for all the work that you have done, are doing and will do in the future. Good on you. – Jacqueline Rowarth [Editor’s note: Dr Jacqueline Rowarth’s monthly opinion piece perfectly sums up Rural News’ view of the stellar work people in the primary sector are currently doing and we have run it as our opinion leader.]

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“Nah mate – we had a Corona once, but I traded it on a new Corolla!”

THE HOUND No connection While the entire country unites to fight the spread of Covid-19, your old mate reckons some companies are not playing the game. The Hound believes Vodafone – a multi-national telecommunications and internet provider – is treating its rural customer base appallingly. With many people forced to work from home and schools and universities closed for at least a month, most internet providers have dropped their caps on broadband. Vodafone proudly announced it was lifting any caps on broadband to ‘help fight the crisis’ until at least the end of June. However, it is not doing so for rural broadband customers. After copping criticism for abandoning its rural customers, Vodafone then said it would lift the rural broadband caps – but only from 12 midnight till 9am. So much for helping out the heartland!

Shut up!

Celibate times

Deafening silence

Your old mate reckons one good thing about the current Covid-19 situation is that most of the antifarming whining and moaning from the usual suspects has shut down – as the country focuses fighting the corona virus. Unfortunately, this has not been the case from multinational, tax-dodging, professional fundraising lobby Greenpeace. However, it appears the tragics at the professional fundraising lobby have missed the fact that since the lockdown, NZ’s greenhouse gases have plummeted – as people stay at home and air travel has ground to a halt. Yet the country still has exactly the same number of dairy cows, beef cattle and sheep numbers as it did before the lockdown! And it will be these dairy cows, beef cattle and sheep that help NZ out of the economic malaise – not lecturing from irrelevant Greenpeace activists.

A mate of the Hound’s reckons the Covid lockdown must be getting serious when we are being told not to have casual sex during this time. The NZ Aids Foundation recently sent out a warning against breaking the requirements of the lockdown to ‘engage in casual or anonymous sex’. “People should not even be considering leaving the house for casual or anonymous sex and should not be inviting people into their homes,” said the foundation’s chief executive Jo Myers. She recommended as alternatives to casual sex during the lockdown, consensual phone sex, webcam sex and masturbating! “We acknowledge that sex will continue to be a part of our lives in the coming weeks and months,” Myers concluded. Phew, that goodness for that!

Your old mate reckons it’s incredible how people’s attitudes have changed since the Covid-19 crisis hit us. It was only a few weeks ago that the Government announced it was going to spend $12 million in helping out the many parts of the country ravaged by drought. Despite the vast majority of this funding being spent on ensuring drinking water is available to regional towns in drought-hit parts of the country, the ill-informed, ignorant, antifarming keyboard warriors were out in force claiming farmers were getting handouts and having the taxpayer bail them out. However, when the Government announced a $12.1 billion package to soften the economic blow of Covid-19 – which, by the way, most farmers will not qualify for – these same keyboard warriors were deathly quiet. The Hound suggests they will have been far too busy filling out the necessary forms in an effort to get their taxpayer handouts!

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RURAL NEWS // APRIL 7, 2020

OPINION 15

Don’t let fear overcome you BEFORE WRITING my column for this month, I have had to sit by and wait this out. The reason? Things are changing so rapidly. By tomorrow, today’s breaking news may well be out of date. There is a good chance, by the time this lands at your place, our world may be quite different again. So yes, I will need to conclude with something that has no ‘use by date’. We were in Brisbane when our PM announced the need to be back in NZ before midnight March 15. This was soon revised

FARMER’S CHAPLAIN

Colin Miller

have noted from offshore: Calling 911 for toilet paper ●● Calling the police on your neighbours because you heard them coughing ●● Toilet paper being ●●

One could be forgiven for reaching the conclusion that the most vital item you absolutely must have in your possession to fight any pandemic is … heaps and heaps of loo paper! one hour, to 1:00 am Monday morning. Arriving after that would mean you must self-isolate for 14 days. We landed Monday afternoon, so we are in the middle of the self-isolation thing as I prep this. Too easy for us I guess, we already live rather isolated. While we were in Aussie, I watched a short interview with a lady who has a PhD in one of the human behaviour fields. The interviewers asked her for her best advice in relation to this current pandemic. She made some interesting points, which I actually totally agreed with. One of the points was: we need to think with our logical mind, not our anxious mind, as she termed it. I am sure readers will be aware of the crazy panic buying that has been raging so widely. Here are some others I

smuggled across the southern border in the US ●● Armed police guarding a truck unloading … you guessed it … loo paper ●● Supermarket shoppers brawling over … yep, loo paper again Across the creek in NSW police will be patrolling supermarket isles … yep, loo paper isles too! One could be forgiven for reaching the conclusion that the most vital item you absolutely must have in your possession to fight any pandemic is … heaps and heaps of loo paper! Barricade yourself in with it, I guess! I am very happy for you if you choose to think the above behaviour comes from thinking with one’s logical mind. But for me, I would put it all and other similar stuff firmly with the other

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option – the anxious mind. I am quite sure most people will readily see which of these two minds fear will flow from in abundance. Now, fear will always magnify the negative. By magnify I mean to make much of or enlarge. And we’re surely seeing plenty

of that! Fear, and its best mate worry, can suffocate you from the inside out. I am not saying this current situation is not bad, but let’s keep a good and healthy perspective here. Quite contrary to fear, faith is actually the opposite. Faith will magnify and make much of the

positive. One can paralyse you if you let it, and even destroy your health; the other will encourage and empower you. Both will affect you on the inside. The Good Book carries a story of a nation that totally lost the plot in one night. And

it wasn’t over the loo paper! Things changed from ‘normal’ to a fear filled quivering mess in one night! That’s right. If you ask me, it points to a human thing, and how much we need help! I’m thankful to have an active and effective faith. Times like this

highlight that for me. If you feel it would benefit you to chat to a Chaplain, then you are welcome to email me. Stay safe. Take good care of yourself, and God Bless. To contact Colin Miller email: farmerschaplain@ ruralnews.co.nz

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RURAL NEWS // APRIL 7, 2020

18 MANAGEMENT

Dairy awards show goes on SUDESH KISSUN sudeshk@ruralnews.co.nz

LIKE MANY other rural events, the New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards programme has been also disrupted by Covid-19. Only seven of the 11 regions had announced their regional winners before the Level 4 Alert came into force. Organisers decided to announce the final four regional winners on Facebook; without the glitzy dinner night, MC Hamish McKay read out the winners’ names live on Face-

DECISION COMING! MEANWHILE, THE NZDIA Covid-19 committee will decide on how to proceed with the rest of this year’s programme, including the national judging and national weeks culminating in the national awards night. A spokeswoman says a decision will be made this week.

book. Two regions announced, last week, were Canterbury/North Otago and SouthlandOtago. Ralph and Fleur Tompsett took out the Canterbury/North Otago Share Farmer of the Year

title. The couple are equity partners and 50% sharemilking 1130 cows for Craig and Susan, Karyn and Grant Fleming on their 297ha Ashburton farm. They won $10,250 in prizes plus one merit award. 2020 Canterbury North Otago Share Farmers of the Year, Ralph and Fleur Tompsett.

Ralph (34) holds Primary ITO Level 4 Dairy Farming and Fleur (37) holds Bachelor of Law and a Bachelor of Arts and has completed the governance essentials course through Institute of Directors. “Dairy farming has provided fantastic opportunities for us to grow,” says Ralph. “I love the technical side of the farm and the variety of skills I can apply to my role.” “Farming allows us to live rurally with plenty of space and a great community.” The first-time entrants were encouraged to enter the Awards by one of their rural professionals and saw the process as an opportunity to better understand their business and benchmark against the wider industry. In Southland/Otago Sam and Karen Bennett were announced Share Farmer of the Year. The Bennetts, both aged 31 years, are contract milking 630 cows on Andrew and Jenny Calder’s 223ha farm in Wyndham. They won $10,850 in prizes plus two merit awards. Both come from farming backgrounds, with Sam working as a qualified builder before entering the dairy industry in 2014. Karen trained and worked as an A.I technician while studying

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towards her degree in science, (majoring in animal science). She has been the Southland area Fertiliser New Zealand representative for the past nine years. “We went contract milking in 2016, and are currently contract milking two separate farms,” says Sam. “Diversification is a key strength of our business. As well as running two farms, we have also diversified into investment properties which helps reduce any risk.” “Purchasing four investment properties was a huge achievement for us. We’re also proud we achieved our goal of record milk solid production on one of our farms, which was a massive accomplishment for us and our team.” The Bennetts acknowledge there have been challenges to overcome, with their biggest being the flooding from the Mataura River at the beginning of February. “We’ve never experienced flooding this bad. Dealing with the aftermath was very challenging as we had 100 hectares go under water which meant we had 100 hectares to clean up afterwards,” they say. “Rural support was fantastic, and we were extremely grateful to receive help from volunteers in the Farmy Army!”

LATEST STORIES EVERY DAY Get up-to-date news at www.ruralnewsgroup.co.nz

RURAL NEWS // APRIL 7, 2020

ANIMAL HEALTH 19

Bovis programme continues NIGEL MALTHUS

THE MYCOPLASMA bovis eradication programme is continuing to operate as an essential service under Covid-19 restrictions. MPI says it is imperative that the programme keeps momentum and maintains the gains achieved so far, while also taking the necessary steps to protect farmers and staff from Covid-19. “Reducing the spread of disease and reducing the number of farms involved in the programme remains a priority as we all adapt to living and working while the country is under Level 4 Alert. “We know farmers, especially those of you under M. bovis

testing and movement restrictions, are dealing with a number of challenges at present. There are tools and resources available to support you at this time if you feel you need it. We encourage you to tap into your support network or call your local RST for support.” The programme has put increased safety measures in place. Case managers will not be on farm during the lockdown period, except as required to deliver essential services. They will phone ahead, wear PPE, and practice social distancing. New processes for conducting on-farm sampling during this period have been developed and sampling

on-farm continues. New cleaning and disinfection processes will take place, although activity may be paused while these are developed. MPI says all legal notices, including Notices of Direction restricting cattle movements, and Restricted Place Notices

remain in effect. Any new Notices of Direction will be issued over the phone. The purchase and transport of feed continues as normal, as do planned depopulations and the movement of cattle to slaughter. Welfare support will still be provided to farmers and

compensation claims will continue to be processed and paid. MPI says staff will continue to work with all affected farmers to manage their specific situations. The new procedures come into effect at a time when the latest figures on the Mycoplasma

bovis epidemic show some potentially positive trends. As at the latest update, March 27, there had been no new confirmed infections on any dairy farm for nine weeks, since late January. Confirmed infections on properties classed as beef or other (lifestylers,

calf rearers and graziers) continued to creep up, however. Current figures are 244 confirmed – 58 dairy, 133 beef, and 53 other – of which 32 are active and 214 cleared. Properties under a Notice of Direction stand at 170 – the lowest it has been since May last year.

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THE GOVERNMENT has announced tax relief for certain farmers with stock slaughtered under the Mycoplasma bovis eradication programme. Farmers affected are those whose culled cattle are valued under the National Standard Cost scheme. They may be liable for a significant tax bill when they replace their breeding animals, as the cows they buy in will be valued at their purchase price and cannot be written down to the same value as the cows they replaced. Revenue Minister Stuart Nash says Cabinet has agreed to change the law so they may be eligible to spread their income over several years to avoid an undue tax burden. While the extra tax will be clawed back over the next 5-6 years, as the replacement animals come onto the books at National Standard Cost, there will be significant cash flow and interest implications over that period. Technical information on the measure is available on Inland Revenue’s website, at https://taxpolicy.ird. govt.nz/

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RURAL NEWS // APRIL 7, 2020

20 MACHINERY & PRODUCTS

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The Vari Master plough’s system automates furrow entry and exit in order to achieve a straight entry and exit – regardless of working conditions and shape of the plot.

shocks and shaking during subsequent headland. Manual management of the plough bodies from the cab provides the driver with the possibility of lifting or lowering one or more bodies in order to adapt to the working conditions, especially when the power requirement becomes too high.

limiting the risk of spread. For an operator perspective, the automation of the individual body lifts coupled with GPS geolocation simplifies ploughing., allowing the driver to focus solely on driving the tractor. In addition, the creation of a straight and unbroken boundary between the ploughed land and the headland greatly reduces

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AMAZONE HAS released the flagship model in the next generation of highperformance Avant cultivator-drill combinations. With the Avant 02-6002-2 system bringing together the new FTender front-mounted hopper, a six-metre folding rotary cultivator and a seeding rail of 40 parallelogram-suspended TwinTeC double disc coulters. The KG rotor is said to deliver an ideal seedbed, featuring 20 rotors fitted with “on-grip” tines that help pull themselves into the soil profile to maintain working depth, reduce soil particle size and incorporate organic matter. Springloaded, height adjustable side plates retain the soil in the machine while allowing stones and other obstacles to pass through.

removed completely from the rotary cultivator unit. All settings, including section and variable application rates, can be controlled using AMAZONE’s AmaTron 4, AmaPad 2 terminals or any ISOBUS terminal. Avant 6002-2 can be fitted with an optional transport chassis to enables the unit to be moved safely and comfortably without exceeding the rear axle load limit. The Avant 02 system is also available in 3 and 4 metre rigid configurations.

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The adjustable levelling board is now guided by the roller, removing the need to adjust the tines of the levelling board as the working depth varies. A range of rollers, including the popular wedge ring, matrix tyre, tooth packer or trapeze ring options, are available to achieve optimal reconsolidation in different soil types. The seed rail can be equipped with twin adjustable track markers if desired. In operation, seed is transferred from the 1600 or 2200 litre FTender front-mounted hopper, to the segmented distribution head via dual pipes, then onwards to the maintenance-free TwinTeC coulters, which are set at a 15 cm row spacing. Working depth can be adjusted from 0 to 6 cm using the universal oper-

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RURAL NEWS // APRIL 7, 2020

MACHINERY & PRODUCTS 21

Fastrac 8000 fully suspended MARK DANIEL markd@ruralnews.co.nz

JCB HAS extended its active front-and-rear axle suspension system to its flagship Fastrac 8000 series tractors. The company says this provides greater stability and comfort while operating heavier equipment. Originally developed for the 4000 series, the JCB Advanced Suspension is now fitted as standard equipment. This allows faster and more productive working speeds in the field and the stability and axle control required for high-speed road travel. Operators can adjust the ride height of the front and rear axles independently to help balance the tractor, the hydraulic cylinder actuators can be set to maximum pressure to minimise axle movement, when undertaking operations such as buck raking on a silage clamp.

The new suspension system also sees the maximum permitted operating weight increase by 13% to 18 tonnes, allowing the use of larger implements, equipment or ballast. In addition, the rear deck capacity has doubled to five tonnes, making it a more practical proposition to mount seed or fertiliser hoppers and liquid fertiliser tanks. The Fastrac 8330, rated at 335 hp and climbing to a maximum of 348 hp, is powered by the same 8.4litre six-cylinder engine found on the previous models. It is also equipped with DPF and SCR systems to comply with European Stage V emissions rules. Service intervals, have been extended to 600 hours, with a new engine autostop feature switches off the engine after a predetermined period at idling speed to prevent

unnecessary fuel use.” Power and torque are channelled through a robust and durable CVT transmission that provides a selection of operating modes to suit different applications.

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TOP GONGS THE AMERICAN Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE) has named two New Holland innovations as winners of its 2020 AE50 awards. These recognise innovation, engineering advancement and impact on the agricultural, food and biological systems markets. New Holland’s SideWinder Ultra armrest groups the tractor’s key controls ergonomically and logically in a single location. These include engine and transmission, including speed and end-of row functions, three-point-hitch limits, media and climate control. The SideWinder Ultra is a fully customizable operator interface that works in conjunction with the IntelliView 12 touch monitor. Meanwhile, the Ground Speed Management II system adds features to the New Holland Dynamic Command tractor with a fundamental target premise of increasing efficiency. A vehicle operating interface and speed control system, like that of the Auto Command CVT, interacts with key gearbox and engine loadings to maintain the speed requested by the driver. This serves to reduce fuel consumption and improving operating efficiency with minimal operator input. In other news from the New Holland and Case IH camps, CNH Industrial NV has announced an agreement to acquire ATI Inc, a global manufacturer of rubber track systems for high horsepower tractors and combine harvesters. CNH says this will provide customers of its global agricultural brands with access to factory-fit track technology, enabling them to tailor their choice of specific floatation, suspension and traction requirements. @rural_news facebook.com/ruralnews

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RURAL NEWS // APRIL 7, 2020

22 MACHINERY & PRODUCTS

Roomy RAM offers V8 power MARK DANIEL

ON THE RIGHT SIDE

markd@ruralnews.co.nz

HAVING ARRIVED in New Zealand in 2019, the journey for the RAM 1500 continues in 2020 with the introduction of the all-new Express Crew V8 Hemi. Sitting one step above the entry 1500 Express Quad and under the hi-spec Laramie, the Express Crew features more space, higher specification and a sportier appearance . Priced from $89,950 plus on-road costs, the full-size 1500 Express Crew truck features the larger cabin found on the Laramie – meaning more head, shoulder and leg room for passengers than any other five-seat ute on the market. Outside, the 1750mm tub, features a hard-wearing, spray-in bed liner and

RAM TRUCKS Australia began re-manufacturing lefthand drive heavy duty models into right-hand drive vehicles in late 2015. Each truck undergoes a re-engineering process that designs and produces right-hand drive trucks for Australia and New Zealand. This includes using 400 locally sourced re-manufacture parts. As a result, RAM Trucks Australia is the world’s only factory-authorised RHD manufacturer of RAM Trucks and Australia’s only 24-hour vehicle manufacturing facility.

can be optioned with the innovative RamBox Cargo Management System. These lockable storage units are built into the side rails of the tub and feature lighting and drainage. Power is again delivered by the legendary 5.7litre V8 Hemi engine, the only V8 currently available in the full-size pickup segment – with 291kW and 556Nm of torque – combines to deliver a

maximum braked towing weight of 4.5 tonnes. The 1500 Express Crew builds on the wellequipped Express Quad by adding updated connectivity with the 8.4” Uconnect Touchscreen system featuring Apple CarPlay and Google Android – as well as dual zone air conditioning. To further enhance the already tough looks of the truck, it comes with a Sports Hood, black accent

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BETTER LIGHT THOSE WANTING more light for working under the bonnet, or around a tractor, harvester, SUV or truck, might want to take a closer look at a pair of new workshop lamps that have been added to Narva’s Advanced Lighting Solutions (ALS) workshop range. These latest lamps offer a powerful, adjustable light output supported by a lightweight, sturdy

construction and a multitude of accessories to deliver seamless, hands-free lighting across an entire engine bay or vehicle perimeter. With selectable output/brightness, users can choose from 2-to-4 hours operating time with 3-to-4-hour charging time. Both units offer adjustable lengths that range from 1.2 metres up to 2 metres, which enables them to fit most vehicle

bonnets, using detachable brackets for easy mounting and storage. Optional extras include two heavy-duty tripods (with or without wheels), multi-functional fasteners, spare chargers and batteries, along with the UV charge base and torch for model 71430. www.narva.co.nz @rural_news facebook.com/ruralnews

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RURAL NEWS // APRIL 7, 2020

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NZ’s finest BioGro certified Mg fertiliser For a delivered price call... 0800 436 566

m Made in Japan since 1991 – sold in NZ since 2005 m Diesel is approx. 30-50% less than “on demand” Electricity or Gas m Our installation advice is free – installers NZ wide. m It uses the same fuel as your Tractor or Ute m No wood to cut, cart or store m No ashes, no soot, no dust, NO indoor diesel odours.

• Robust construction • Auto shut gate • Total 20 jets • Lambs only 5 jets • Side jets for lice • Adjustable V panels • Davey Twin Impellor Pump • 6.5 or 9.0hp motors

SHEEP JETTERS SINCE 1992

GUARANTEED PERFORMANCE QUICK TO SETUP – EASY TO USE – JOB DONE

PH 06-835 6863 • MOB 021-061 1800 JETTER VIDEO: www.craigcojetters.com

Installs on any external wall. No fire surround or hearth required. The almost invisible “through the wall” Flue is supplied and installs in less than an hour. (NO TALL FLUE REQUIRED).

FLY OR LICE PROBLEMS?

On the coldest winters day the 9.5kW Laser FF95 delivers more heat than 2 or 3 average Heat Pumps. Leave internal doors open and “surplus heat” will spread throughout your home.

Quality construction and options • Get the contractors choice

The Laser heater is supplied with standard “through the wall” flue assembly, “everything to make it go” except for the fuel tank and the copper pipe that connects the Laser FF95 to the fuel tank. Sole NZ Agents:

Electric Ltd (Est 1939)

25 Taurus Place, Christchurch

The magic eye sheepjetter since 1989 Featuring...

• Incredible chemical economy • Amazing ease 1500+ per hour • Unique self adjusting sides • Environmentally and user friendly • Automatically activated • Proven effective on lice as well as fly • Compatible with all dip chemicals • Accurate, effective application

$3890 incl. GST

PH: 0800 379 247

www.avonheating.co.nz

ONE STOP WATER SHOP 300mm x 6 metre .......................... $410 400mm x 6 metre .......................... $515 500mm x 6 metre .......................... $690 600mm x 6 metre .......................... $925 800mm x 6 metre ........................ $1399 1000mm x 6 metre ...................... $2175 1200mm x 6 metre ...................... $3475 ALL PRICES INCLUDE G.S.T.

CULVERT PIPES

New Zealand’s CHEAPEST Culvert Pipes! FREE joiners supplied on request. • Lightweight, easy to install • Made from polyethylene

Check out our NEW website www.mckeeplastics.co.nz

07 573 8512 | dipping@electrodip.co.nz – www.electrodip.com

Phone

06 623 4181

or

0800 625 826 for your nearest stockist

Joiners supplied FREE with culvert pipes

NEW ZEALAND’S MOST SUCCESSFUL

TAG TEAM. Great retention starts with great application. A tag is a tag is a tag, right? Wrong. When it’s a TagFaster Tag correctly applied with a TagFaster Multishot Applicator it goes on once and stays on. So if your flock’s poor retention rates are costing you time and money, switch to the tag team with more staying power.

FREE TagFaster Multishot Applicator When you purchase 750 or more TagFaster HDX/RFID tags*.

*Applies to new customers only.

TRACTA62711_RN

Talk to your rural retailer or visit ztags.com