Cramoisy – of a crimson colour; crimson cloth.
Rural round-up
04/07/2017Rare birds flourish in Canterbury cows’ paddocks – Conan Young:
A colony of 300 critically endangered birds has found an unlikely place to nest – in the middle of a paddock full of dairy cows.
The discovery was made late last year – black billed gulls building their nests on the Canterbury farm and then successfully raising their chicks, oblivious to the cows grazing nearby and the odd shower from a pivot irrigator.
Ornithologists were amazed to see the birds nesting in an area they had not been seen in for three years.
Last year’s unusual discovery was revealed on Thursday at a seminar organised by Braid – a group dedicated to saving the South Island’s braided rivers and the creatures that live there. . .
Common pesticides can harm bees, but the jury is still out on a global ban – Phil Lester:
Some of the world’s most widely used pesticides can be harmful to bees, according to the first large-scale studies aimed at measuring the impact of compounds called neonicotinoids on bees’ health. But the effects vary widely between different compounds and different countries, suggesting that more regional research will be needed to clarify the exact scale of the problem.
Neonicotinoids, which are typically coated onto seeds before planting rather than being sprayed onto crop plants, were developed with the aim of harming only those animals that eat the plants. But they are also found in the pollen and nectar of treated plants, potentially affecting beneficial organisms like bees. . .
South Devon cattle ticket to world – Sally Rae:
South Devon cattle have taken Allanton farmer Brian Thomson all over the world.
And what he has discovered is that the breed, which originates from the southwest of England, adapts to whatever environment it is farmed in.
Mr Thomson recently stepped down as the president of the World South Devon Association after a three-year term.
He has been to every triennial world conference since 2005, seeing the breed in the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, the United States and South Africa. . .
McClay announces FTA negotiations with Pacific Alliance:
Trade Minister Todd McClay has announced the launch of free trade agreement (FTA) negotiations with Mexico, Chile, Colombia and Peru and says better market access and lower tariffs will be of real value to New Zealand exporters.
“This is a big win in the fight for better access for New Zealanders to important overseas markets. We’ve worked hard for trade talks with the Pacific Alliance over the last two years and today’s announcement will be welcome news for our exporters,” Mr McClay says. . .
Fonterra Global Foodservice Takes Supreme ExportNZ Award:
Fonterra Global Foodservice has taken out the supreme award for the 2017 Air New Zealand Cargo ExportNZ Awards for Auckland and Waikato regions.
Judges were impressed with the $1.6 billion foodservice business (which is 80% exports) and growing at around 20% per annum, returning strong margins and true added value to the dairy industry and New Zealand. In tonight’s awards, it also won the Westpac Exporter of the Year (export revenue over $25 million) category. . .
Supreme Award for Fonterra at 2017 ExportNZ Awards:
Winning the Supreme Award at the 2017 ExportNZ Awards for Auckland and Waikato is recognition the Co-operative’s product innovation is meeting changing customer expectations, says Fonterra Chairman John Wilson.
At an event in Auckland last night, ExportNZ Auckland and Waikato (divisions of the Employers and Manufacturers Association) gave their top award to Fonterra Foodservice after the Co-op earlier won the Westpac Exporter of the Year (total sales over $25 million) category. There were 25 finalists across seven categories of the awards, sponsored by Air New Zealand Cargo. . .
Bayer Auckland/Northern Young Viticulturist of the Year 2017 announced:
Congratulations to Tim Adams from Obsidian who became the Bayer Auckland/Northern Young Viticulturist of the Year for the second year in a row on Friday 30 June at Goldie Estate.
Congratulations also goes to Jake Dromgool from The Landing in Kerikeri who came second and to Nick Pett from Cable Bay who came third.
The Auckland/Northern region was added to the Young Viticulturist of the Year competition last year and now in its second year the competition has grown already with seven contestants taking part. . .
Zanda McDonald Award applications open
04/07/2017Applications for the 2018 Zanda McDonald Award have opened:
The search is on for talented young agri-leaders from New Zealand and Australia to apply for the 2018 Zanda McDonald Award. The award is regarded as one of Australasia’s most prestigious badges of honour for young leaders within the primary industry, and comes with a prize package of over $50,000.
Now in its fourth year, the award is run by the Platinum Primary Producers (PPP) Group – a network of over 130 of Australasia’s most influential agri-business men and women.
It provides the winner direct access to the wealth of knowledge that exists within the group’s membership. In addition, they receive an all-expenses paid overseas mentoring trip, a place on Rabobank’s Farm Manager’s or Executive Programme and $1,000 cash prize.
Shane McManaway, Chairman of the Platinum Primary Producers (PPP), says the award provides a fantastic opportunity for young agricultural leaders to further their career and their personal development.
“A key attraction for this award is the tailored mentoring package that the winner receives. The PPP members have an extraordinary amount of respect within the industry, and previous award winners have loved the fact that they can call on them for help, advice and guidance at any time.”
Applications for next years’ award are open to individuals 35 years or younger from Monday 3rd July. Entries close on Friday 1st September 2017.
The 2017 winner, announced earlier this year at the annual PPP conference in Melbourne, was Morgan Easton from the Waitaki Valley, NZ. Mr Easton and his wife Hayley, who have three young children, are sharemilking two properties in North Otago, milking a total of 1750 cows.
“Winning the award has been both a humbling and rewarding experience for me. The ability to tap into the expertise of PPP members has been invaluable. I now have a great network through the PPP members that I can call on for advice when I need it,” he said.
Morgan is using the opportunity to tap into PPP members’ expertise on how best to continue growing and thriving in his family business. He will soon embark on the Australian leg of his mentoring tour, where he will visit PPP members including the McDonald beef farming operation in North Queensland, which is run by the late Zanda McDonald’s parents and wife Julie, and encompasses about 180,000 head of cattle.
Application forms for the award can be downloaded from the PPP Group website.
The PPP group founded the ward in memory of Zanda McDonald, a founding member of the group.
He was a farmer, prominent in the Australian beef and livestock industry, who died in an accident on his farm when he was only 41.
Emma Black from Queensland won the inaugural award. Dean Rabbidge from Southland won it last year.