January 23, 2020
Sean Plunket has coined the term doomers for the people who are prophesying catastrophe as the result of climate change.
They are the ones who label anyone who questions their apocalyptic forecasts as deniers even though most of the changes they’re demanding of us are, as Bjørn Lomborg says, empty gestures which trivialises the challenge:
Switch to energy-efficient light bulbs, wash your clothes in cold water, eat less meat, recycle more, and buy an electric car: we are being bombarded with instructions from climate campaigners, environmentalists, and the media about the everyday steps we all must take to tackle climate change. Unfortunately, these appeals trivialize the challenge of global warming, and divert our attention from the huge technological and policy changes that are needed to combat it. . .
For example, environmental activists emphasize the need to give up eating meat and driving fossil-fuel-powered cars. But, although I am a vegetarian and do not own a car, I believe we need to be honest about what such choices can achieve.
Going vegetarian actually is quite difficult: one large US survey indicates that 84% of people fail, most of them in less than a year. But a systematic peer-reviewed study has shown that even if they succeed, a vegetarian diet reduces individual CO2 emissions by the equivalent of 540 kilograms – or just 4.3% of the emissions of the average inhabitant of a developed country. Furthermore, there is a “rebound effect,” as money saved on cheaper vegetarian food is spent on goods and services that cause additional greenhouse-gas emissions. Once we account for this, going entirely vegetarian reduces a person’s total emissions by only 2%.
Likewise, electric cars are branded as environmentally friendly, but generating the electricity they require almost always involves burning fossil fuels. Moreover, producing energy-intensive batteries for these cars invariably generates significant CO2 emissions. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), an electric car with a range of 400 kilometers (249 miles) has a huge carbon deficit when it hits the road, and will start saving emissions only after being driven 60,000 kilometers. Yet, almost everywhere, people use an electric car as a second car, and drive it shorter distances than equivalent gasoline vehicles. . .
Individual actions to tackle climate change, even when added together, achieve so little because cheap and reliable energy underpins human prosperity. Fossil fuels currently meet 81% of our global energy needs. And even if every promised climate policy in the 2015 Paris climate agreement is achieved by 2040, they will still deliver 74% of the total.
We already spend $129 billion per year subsidizing solar and wind energy to try to entice more people to use today’s inefficient technology, yet these sources meet just 1.1% of our global energy needs. The IEA estimates that by 2040 – after we have spent a whopping $3.5 trillion on additional subsidies – solar and wind will still meet less than 5% of our needs.
That’s pitiful. Significantly cutting CO2 emissions without reducing economic growth will require far more than individual actions. It is absurd for middle-class citizens in advanced economies to tell themselves that eating less steak or commuting in a Toyota Prius will rein in rising temperatures. To tackle global warming, we must make collective changes on an unprecedented scale.
By all means, anyone who wants to go vegetarian or buy an electric car should do so, for sound reasons such as killing fewer animals or reducing household energy bills. But such decisions will not solve the problem of global warming.
The one individual action that citizens could take that would make a difference would be to demand a vast increase in spending on green-energy research and development, so that these energy sources eventually become cheap enough to outcompete fossil fuels. That is the real way to help fight climate change.
The doomers are fixated on unrealistic and ineffective actions which would, if taken up as they demand, come at a high economic and social cost for little if any environmental gain.
That’s not okay, doomers.
Investment in research and development that will lead to innovation and technical advances would achieve far more without the economic and social sabotage the doomers’ prescription would inflict on us all.
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business, environment, Farming, food, politics, rural, technology | Tagged: Bjørn Lomborg, doomers, Sean Plunket | 
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Posted by homepaddock
January 22, 2020
China deal gives US beef an edge over NZ producers – Pattrick Smellie:
A range of import restrictions affecting New Zealand beef exporters to China will be swept away for their American competitors as part of the new “phase one” US-China trade deal signed in Washington DC on Wednesday.
However, US producers will continue to face tariffs on beef as high as 47 per cent while New Zealand beef exports enter the Chinese market duty-free under the free trade agreement in place since 2008, according to initial analysis of the deal by the Meat Industry Association. Details were still emerging, but newly appointed MIA chief executive Sirma Karapeeva told BusinessDesk there was no suggestion “that I can see” that New Zealand lost its tariff advantage over US exporters to China. . .
Application for GMO ‘imitation blood’ raises concerns:
Foods Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) has received an application seeking approval for the GE Imitation blood ingredient used in the Impossible Burger to enter the food chain.[1]
The application does not have the proper safety profile for approval of the bacterial ingredient, called leghemoglobin (SLH), derived from genetically engineered soy.
The “imitation Blood” ingredient used in the Impossible Burgers to make them “sizzle like blood” has been trialled in select meals on Air New Zealand flights from the USA. This circumnavigates NZ regulations, because the ingredient cannot be sold in this country. . .
Drop in China meat prices not expected to last – Alan Barber:
It is difficult to see any real reason for panic over the sudden pre-Christmas reduction in demand for sheepmeat and beef from Chinese importers which has led to prices coming off their peak. Livestock suppliers will already have noticed a drop in schedules from the elevated levels processors had been paying over the first couple of months of the season. It’s tempting to fear the worst given past experience with high prices paid by meat processors which have inevitably been followed by a sudden crash and a long slow recovery. This time the situation really does seem to be different, if you look at the fundamental demand for product in China.
In discussion with AFFCO Group Sales & Marketing Manager, Mark de Lautour, he sees the current situation as more of a hiccup, with traders collectively liquidating inventory in advance of Chinese New Year and the need for cashflow to cover large shipments of South American beef on the water. . .
Hawke’s Bay deer farmers pay record $102,000 for stag – Blair Voorend:
Two Hawke’s Bay men have set a New Zealand record, paying more than $100,000 for a velvet stag at a recent sale in Southland.
At the Brock Deer Sire and Stag sale, Hawke’s Bay deer farmers Jeremy Dearden and Grant Charteris paid $102,000 for the prized velvet stag, $12,000 higher than the previous New Zealand record.
Elliot Brock, of Brock Deer, told Andy Thompson on The Muster radio show that they were over the moon with the haul but that they were expecting to get something in that region. . .
Robotic technology is revolutionising farming– Mark Ross:
From weeding and spraying crops to taking care of cattle, digital technology is making its mark on agriculture.
Self-driven vehicles are picking and grading fruit as well as detecting and pollinating flowers. Now the latest technology involves detecting and managing disease – helping farmers to become more productive and sustainable. Modern agricultural machines take away some of the more time-consuming tasks and help to protect crops from disease with exact doses and targeted applications of products.
In the last decade, there has been an unprecedented growth in precision farming – with about 80 percent of new farm equipment using it. This advanced digital precision technology can help farmers to use land efficiently and maximise harvests while reducing costs and workloads. . .
Cheesemakers Encouraged to Enter NZ Champions of Cheese Awards
Entries are open for the NZ Champions of Cheese Awards 2020, which will for the first time have three Supreme Champions.
To ensure the Awards represent the all the country’s cheesemakers from boutique producers through to the very large cheese companies and every producer in between, three Supreme Champion Awards will be made this year. The Countdown Champion of Champions Commercial category for producers making more than 100 tonnes annually and Puhoi Valley Champion of Champions Boutique for companies making less than 10 tonnes per annum will be joined by the New World Champion of Champions Mid-sized category for producers who make between 10 and 99 tonnes annually. . .
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Leave a Comment » | business, environment, Farming, food, rural, technology | Tagged: Affco, Alan Barber, Andy Thompsoon, Blair Voorend, Brock Deer, Dr Frank Mitloehner, Elliot Brock, Grant Charteris, Impossible Burger, Jeremy Dearden, Mark de Lautour, Mark Ross, Meat Industry Association (MIA), NZ Champions of Cheese Awards, oods Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ), Pattrick Smellie, Sirma Karapeeva, The Musteer | Permalink
Posted by homepaddock
August 3, 2019
It’s more than 30 years since I got my first computer and I’ve only just learned this:
Hat tip: Brightside
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Posted by homepaddock
July 20, 2019
Our home has a lot of things that weren’t invented when I was a child and many of them use power.
But while we have a lot more electrical gadgets, the one that fits in our pocket or purse, has replaced lots of others.
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2 Comments | energy, technology | Tagged: Human Progress | Permalink
Posted by homepaddock
July 8, 2019
Katie Milne addresses national conference:
Kiwis can be proud of the rural women and men who produce the top quality food that arrives daily in supermarkets, and the extra which is shipped offshore as exports that help fuel our economy. Over 65% of our exports come from agricultural food production and we produce it with a lower carbon footprint than any other country in the world.
Biosecurity threats, geopolitics, alternative proteins, robotics, disruptors, food and environment sustainability…there’s no shortage of challenges and change confronting us.
But you should also know – especially if you’ve been fortunate enough to catch some of the keynote addresses and panel discussions of the inaugural Primary Industries Summit that Federated Farmers organised and has hosted Monday and Tuesday – that New Zealand also has a wealth of ideas, talent and drive to deal with these big issues coming at us. . .
Tougher bank capital rules could slice 10% from dairy profits – Rabo NZ – Rebecca Howard:
(BusinessDesk) – Stricter bank capital requirements would severely dent dairy farm profits if the Reserve Bank goes ahead as planned, warn dairy interests in submissions on the contentious proposals.
“Our initial estimates are that the proposals could – at least in the short term – result in approximately a 10 percent decrease in profit for the agriculture sector,” Rabobank New Zealand said in its submission. . .
Trees replace top cattle – Annette Scott:
As far north as sale yards get in New Zealand the Broadwood selling centre in Northland hosted one of the country’s more notable capital stock clearing sales last week.
On behalf of Mark and Michelle Hammond of Herekino, Carrfields Livestock held the sale of a Hereford beef herd that put 50 years of top-quality genetics under the hammer, the animals’ grazing land destined for pine trees. . .
Ruapehu rural reading scheme spells out a winning idea – Katie Doyle:
A pair of librarians from the central North Island town of Taumarunui are bringing a love of reading to rural school children.
Fiona Thomas and Libby Ogle have started their very own mobile library – each month ferrying a load of books to two isolated primary schools in the Ruapehu District.
The idea came to life eighteen months ago when Mrs Thomas realised some kids in the region couldn’t access the library because they lived too away. . .
Blue Sky reports best result in 8 years – Rebecca Howard:
(BusinessDesk) – Southland meat processor and marketer Blue Sky Meats says the year to March was its best result in eight years as a strategic plan bore fruit.
The company, which is due to release its annual report shortly, said the March financial year ended with revenue up by 34 percent to a record $140 million. Pre-tax profit was up 36 percent at $5 million. . .
Overseas investors fined almost $3 million for illegal purchase of Auckland properties:
The High Court yesterday ordered the overseas owners of two rural properties at Warkworth, north of Auckland, to pay $2.95 million to the Crown after an Overseas Investment Office (OIO) investigation found they were bought without consent. The properties were bought in 2012 and 2014.
The court ordered the owners to sell the properties and pay penalties, costs and the gain made on the investment.
The overseas owners – Chinese businessmen Zhongliang Hong and Xueli Ke, and IRL Investment Limited and Grand Energetic Company Limited – should have applied to the OIO for consent to buy both properties because they are rural land of more than five hectares. . .
Latest technology to be demonstrated at the Horticulture Conference 2019:
Technology that will help fruit and vegetable growers now and in the future will be demonstrated at Our Food Future, the Horticulture Conference 2019 between 31 July and 2 August at Mystery Creek, Hamilton.
‘We’ve gone all out to ensure that this year’s conference features demonstrations of technology that can help growers tackle some of the challenges that they face,’ says Horticulture New Zealand Chief Executive, Mike Chapman.
‘From biological control products for crop protection to robots for asparagus harvesting and greenhouse spraying, they will all be demonstrated during the morning of second day of the conference. . .
Ben Richards becomes Bayer Marlborough Young Viticulturist of Year 2019:
Ben Richards from Indevinbecame the Bayer MarlboroughYoung Viticulturist of the Year 2019 on 4 July following the competition held at Constellation’s Drylands Vineyard.
Congratulations also to Jaimee Whitehead from Constellation for coming second and Dan Warman also from Constellation for coming third. .
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Posted by homepaddock
July 5, 2019
Politik discusses Knowledge Wave Mark Two which seeks to boost the tech sector and quotes Helen Clark from the original Knowledge Wave conference:
Our export profile resembles that of developing countries, not that of a developed one.
Our export profile is unique among developed countries for the volume and value of primary produce and the large part that plays in our economy.
But the quote, and some policies from this government, send the message that there’s something wrong with that.
They ignore the fact that primary production does so well in New Zealand not just because of our natural advantages – the climate and soils – but because of the investment in, and application of, research and technology.
There is some comfort in David Parker’s statement:
“The agritech sector has been chosen as a key focus because it brings together two of New Zealand’s key competitive advantages – our expertise in agriculture and horticulture with our well-educated workforce,” he said.
This focus is already being undermined by government policy which incentivises forestry over food production.
Economic growth, a broader based export economy and technological innovation are all worthy goals but none should be achieved by dragging down or devaluing primary production.
Our export profile does resemble that of a third world country, but primary production in New Zealand is very much a first-world business and already part of the tech boom.
When climate change could threaten food security, our ability to produce highly nutritious food in a very efficient manner is of even more importance.
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1 Comment | business, environment, Farming, food, politics, research, rural, science, technology | Tagged: David Parker, Helen Clark, Knowledge Wave, Politik | Permalink
Posted by homepaddock
March 28, 2019
Capital Gains Tax: What it means for farmers – Andrea Fox:
Status quo:
Farms are currently not subject to a capital gains tax (CGT) when they sell. However if someone buys a property that is not their home they are taxed on its sale if they keep it less than five years.
Farmers pay GST on all purchases and company tax of 28 per cent. If they use a trust structure, any profit is subject to 33 per cent tax.
What’s proposed:
The Tax Working Group (TWG) has recommended land be subject to a CGT.
The farm’s family home would be exempt but any home site area over 4500sqm would be subject to a CGT. Increases in livestock herd value would be subject to tax.
Environmental taxes on water uptake and discharge, and pollution. . .
Developing climate change resilient crops ‘a race against time’:
Scientists trying to develop crops more resilient to climate change say they’re increasingly in a race against time.
Breeding plants with more resilient genes – such as, a greater tolerance of saltwater, resilience to drought, or greater yields – has been long touted as a saviour as climate change intensified.
Olivier Panaud, from the University of Perpignan, works mostly with rice crops, but has also been experimenting with crops in tropical areas like the Pacific. . .
Cottage cheese is the new Greek yoghurt – Robin Tricoles:
Cottage cheese faced a problem: After World War II, batches of the soft, lumpy dairy concoction developed a propensity to take on a rancid odor and a bitter taste. That changed in 1951, when dairy researchers identified the culprits, three bacterial miscreants that produced this “slimy curd defect.” To prevent the condition, researchers advised cheesemakers to keep these bacteria from entering their manufacturing facilities in the first place. Thus ended the scourge. . . * Hat tip: Inquiring Mind
T&G in apple robot first – Carl Collen:
New Zealand agricultural giant T&G Global has carried out what it has described as a ‘world first’, in using a robotic harvester for a commercial apple harvest.
According to the the fresh produce grower, packer, shipper and marketer, the move marks the culmination of four years of working with US-based technology partner Abundant Robotics, which T&G’s parent company BayWa AG invested in two years ago as part of its strategy to expand digitisation across its agribusiness, and reflects the company’s commitment to innovation-led growth.
T&G global chief operating officer Peter Landon-Lane said the company was delighted to have reached a significant milestone in the evolution of the global apple industry, and for T&G’s home operations in New Zealand to be at the forefront. . .
First mainstream hemp products in Kiwi supermarkets:
The first mainstream food product containing hemp seed is on supermarket shelves today, launched by one of New Zealand’s leading bread manufacturers, Wairarapa-based Breadcraft under its new brand ‘Rebel Bakehouse’.
Hemp seed was regulated for food use in late 2018, and Rebel Bakehouse’s new hemp seed wraps are the first of a new generation of food that consumers can expect to see made using hemp. Rebel Bakehouse is also introducing cricket protein to Kiwis, with its new cricket flour wrap:
Why transitioning a farm from one generation to the next is trickier than ever – Beth Hoffman:
At the end of December 2005, Margie and Dan First were at the movies when Dan began to feel ill, really ill. His head pounded, then he vomited. A friend recommended they call an ambulance immediately. Dan was rushed to the hospital, where they learned that he had suffered a brain aneurysm.
The events of that day, traumatic as they were, were much more life-changing for the family than anyone in the First clan could have predicted. Like many people, Dan, a 60-year-old Michigan dairy farmer, had never really thought about his own demise. And while his 15-year-old son Josh had dreamed of taking over the family’s farm, the rough plan had been for him to go to college first before deciding if running the dairy was in his cards. Now, suddenly, things were different. . .
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Leave a Comment » | business, environment, Farming, food, technology | Tagged: Abundant Robotics, Andrea Fox, BayWa AG, Beth Hoffman, Breadcraft, capital gains tax (CGT), Carl Collen, cottage cheese, Dan First, hemp, Inquiring Mind, Josh First, Margie First, Olivier Panaud, Peter Landon-Lane, Rebel Bakehouse, Robin Tricoles, T&G Global, University of Perpignan | Permalink
Posted by homepaddock
March 19, 2019
I had consulted Professor Google while planning a trip.
Shortly afterwards I was on Facebook and among the posts from friends were advertisements for accommodation and things to do at the location I’d Googled.
If Facebook and Google have algorithms that can do that, surely they can have algorithms to monitor, and act on, posts like those of the gunman who allegedly killed 50 people in Christchurch, which ought to have raised multiple red flags.
If they can monitor to sell, why not monitor to secure?
If it’s not invading our privacy to match our searches with sellers, it can’t be invading privacy to monitor searches for security alerts.
Targeted advertising makes money, monitoring for danger won’t but it should be part of these companies’ social responsibility.
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2 Comments | politics, technology, terrorism | Permalink
Posted by homepaddock
February 8, 2019
Nelson fire: Water shortage, dry conditions worry farmers –
Rural groups are rallying help for farmers, livestock and pets affected by the Nelson fires.
Federated Farmers of New Zealand provincial support person Jan Gillanders said big farms and lots of smaller lifestyle blocks had been affected.
“Farms are not just business units, families live on them,” she said.
“To see everything get ruined and damaged … sometimes you can’t get to your stock, the distress the farmers experience – over wondering where their stock are and what’s happening to the stock – is enormous.” . .
Drones proving a muster time-saver – Alexia Johnston:
Dogs and their masters are going to new heights in their bid to be the best in the field.
The Lowburn Collie Club added a drone component to its recent dog trials, testing the skills of the musterer while using the airborne device, now commonly used in the high country.
Musterer Tony Buchanan was among those who attended the event, complete with a ute full of loyal dogs and a Phantom 4 Pro.
He said the device had come in handy over the past two years while mustering sheep and cattle.
”But, you still can’t do it without your dogs,” he said. . .
Nitrogen to be focus at hub field day – Ken Muir:
Nitrogen (N) will be high on the agenda at the Southern Dairy Hub’s field day on February 20.
Hub business manager Guy Michaels said scientists will present a progress report on N leaching loss from the 2018 winter period, as well looking at feed quality with particular emphasis on N, including from the crop in winter 2018.
Other topics will include blood urea N results from winter feeding trial, soil mineral N results and crop N applications and a look at the autumn and winter plan, and how winter grazing would be implemented on farm, taking into account environmental considerations.
‘‘It’s good to be able to present some information and data from our farming systems, but we are still in the early stages of our research,’’ Mr Michaels said. ‘‘Farmers are impatient for results, which is a good thing, but it does put pressure on us.’’ . .
More money needed for rural connectivity:
The announcement this week of more funding for rural connectivity is positive but it is just a drop in the required connectivity bucket, says Federated Farmers.
The Government’s pledge of an additional $21million towards the creation of “regional digital hubs” in rural areas is good to see, says Feds Telecommunications spokesperson Andrew Hoggard.
“But the investment really just highlights to us that rural business and communities deserve as much chance as their urban counterparts to flourish.”
The regional digital hubs are a good idea, but the focus must remain on getting better connectivity to where people live and work, Andrew says. . .
New Zealand apple and pear industry targets biosecurity:
New Zealand’s world leading apple and pear industry has gained a significant funding boost to help prepare and manage biosecurity threats, through the Government’s MPI Sustainable Farming Fund.
New Zealand Apples & Pears biosecurity manager Nicola Robertson said the $420,000 grant, announced this week, would make a huge difference for protecting the industry’s future.
“We are living with the risk of biosecurity threats every day, that could have devastating impacts for growers and across New Zealand. . .
Watch the BOP’s best young fruit growers in action:
Eight of the Bay of Plenty’s best growers will showcase their horticultural expertise at the Te Puke A&P Show this weekend for 2019’s first Young Fruit Grower competition.
This year’s eight entrants for the Bay of Plenty are: . .
Nominations open for Silver Fern Farms board directors:
Nominations are now open for one farmer-elected Board position on the Silver Fern Farms Co-operative Board.
Director Tony O’Boyle retires by rotation at the Company’s 2018 Annual Meeting.
Tony O’Boyle has advised he will seek re-election.
Nominations close on Monday 4 March 2019 at 12 noon. . .
Neighbours rally around hospitalised WA farmer to harvest his crop for free – Ellie Honeybone:
Peter Carey is brought to tears when he recounts the generosity of his rural neighbours.
While the 70-year-old was being flown to hospital in a Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) plane, his friends were working together to ensure the harvest would still go ahead on his farm.
More than 20 locals put aside their own harvest plans to make sure Mr Carey had one less thing to worry about while he recovered from a serious car accident brought about through illness. . .
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Leave a Comment » | business, environment, Farming, food, rural, technology | Tagged: Alexia Johnston, Andrew Hoggard, Drew Chislett, Ellie Honeybone, Federated Farmers, Guy Michaels, Jan Gillanders, Lowburn Collie Club, Nicola Robertson, NZ Apples & Pears, Peter Carey, Sandra Goodwin, Silver Fern Farms (SFF), Southern Dairy Hub (SDH), Tony O’Boyle | Permalink
Posted by homepaddock
January 31, 2019
Brain tumour felled Fonterra’s last hands on chairman – Fran O’Sullivan:
John Wilson who died on Monday at just 54 years of age was possibly the last Fonterra chairman to take a hands on approach to governing New Zealand’s largest company.
It was inevitable that Wilson would play a strong and sometimes quite political role in public life in New Zealand – the upshot of Fonterra’s dominance of the dairy industry – at times locked into confrontational situations with equally strong-minded politicians on both sides of the House.
Wilson was passionately devoted to Fonterra; strong-willed, direct, not afraid of anyone – yet also imbued with sufficient charm, persuasiveness and an ability to ride through the hard-knuckled politics of the NZ dairy industry to survive many a battle until his last year as chair. . .
‘Outrageous’: EU votes to reduce NZ export rights – Pattrick Smellie:
The European Union’s parliament has taken a decisive step towards unilaterally reducing New Zealand’s rights to export specified quantities of tariff-free sheepmeat, beef and dairy products to the trading bloc if and when Brexit occurs.
The move has been slammed as “outrageous” by former trade negotiator Charles Finny in a Tweet and “disappointing” by the Dairy Companies Association of New Zealand.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade said the proposed moves risk compounding “growing international economic uncertainty and rising trade tensions”. . .
Expert evidence rejects water conservation order bid :
Evidence from nine experts supports Horticulture New Zealand’s evidence that a water conservation order (WCO) is not the way to ensure healthy Hawke’s Bay rivers, Horticulture New Zealand chief executive Mike Chapman says.
Horticulture New Zealand opposes the application for the WCO in the Lower Ngaruroro River and the Clive River.
“This impacts our economy and our food supply and a WCO is a blunt instrument that has been surpassed with better national and regional planning tools,” Mr Chapman says. . .
Guy Trafford analyses the sheep meat market showing the changes to where our product goes, and where our rivals are focusing – Guy Trafford:
With the uncertainty around Brexit and what the balance of future access to both the EU and the UK for sheep meat maybe it could be timely to have a look at the drivers of international sheep meat trade.
Australia and New Zealand account for approximately 90% of international trade and both have declining flock numbers. Since 1990 Australia have dropped from 180 mln down to 65 mln and New Zealand from 58 mln to around 28 mln today. It has only been the increased productivity of both flocks, in regard to meat production, that has kept the industry viable with the critical mass required to remain competitive. . .
Synlait follows Fonterra with lower forecast farmgate payout – Paul McBeth:
(BusinessDesk) – Synlait Milk has cut its forecast payout to farmers for the current season, following Fonterra’s lead, as weaker global demand and strong domestic production weighs on international prices.
The Rakaia-based milk producer expects to pay $6.25 per kilogram of milk solids for the 2019 season, down from its previous forecast of $6.75/kgMS. That projection will depend on commodity prices recovering for the rest of the season, something Synlait said it considers realistic. . .
Scott Tech, Mt Cook Alpine Salmon in automated pin boning project – Jenny Ruth:
(BusinessDesk) – Scott Technology and Mt Cook Alpine Salmon have teamed up to automate the removal of pin bones from King salmon with backing of more than $500,000 from Seafood Innovations.
Brent Keelty, Mt Cook’s processing operations manager, says the only way currently of de-boning King salmon is by hand. . .
World first IoT farming tech trial NZ
A pioneering arable farming tech trial is expected to make a quantum leap to help boost New Zealand’s primary export revenue.
New Zealand has a low understanding of how the internet of things (IoT) can assist with farm management and sustainability and adoption of precision agriculture techniques also remains low.
New Zealand’s primary industry export revenue is forecast to reach $43.8 billion for the year to June 2019, an increase of 2.5 percent from 2018. . .
TracMap Data Now Available in FarmIQ:
Integrating two of the country’s leading farm software systems means farmers can now have TracMap Proof of Application data seamlessly passed to their FarmIQ account, ensuring records are updated quickly and accurately for compliance and management needs.
“This is an important development for FarmIQ’s customers. Many farmers have been asking us for Tracmap’s Proof of Application and Proof of Placement data for some time,” said FarmIQ chief executive Darryn Pegram. . .
Should primary producers do more to protect their data?:
While farmers and horticulturalists continue to integrate new digital technologies into their businesses, this data reliance does bring with it new vulnerabilities and risks. The next generation of producers are doing away with basic spreadsheets and building their businesses using a real-time data streams and cloud-based platforms for analysis and storage.
In the past, a simple computer backup was, in many cases, all that was needed. It has now been replaced by a complex web of data-points, data validation, storage, security access and data control. . .
New funding for 31 community-led projects:
The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) has today announced funding of $9.8 million for 31 new Sustainable Farming Fund (SFF) projects.
The SFF provides funding for projects led by farmers, growers, and foresters aimed at building economic, environmental and social sustainability in the primary sector. It has recently been replaced by MPI’s new Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures (SFF Futures) programme. The 31 projects were in the pipeline prior to its launch in October 2018.
“SFF has been instrumental in kicking off both small and large innovative, community-led projects, and laying the groundwork for SFF Futures,” says Steve Penno, Director of Investment Programmes.
“The new 31 projects cover areas from apiculture and dairy to soil management and horticulture, and are great examples of innovative thinking. . .
Farmers furious at inclusion on Aussie Farms’ map – Alastair Dowie:
‘Ill-informed’ and ‘disgraceful’ are just some of the words Victorian farmers have used upon finding their details on the controversial Aussie Farms map.
Made public last week, the map identifies a large number of rural and farming enterprises, as well as some saleyards, abattoirs and intensive production operations, across Australia.
Many farmers are furious that their personal information has been displayed on the map without their permission. . . .
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Leave a Comment » | business, environment, Farming, fishing, food, rural, technology, trade | Tagged: Alastair Dowie, Beef + Lamb NZ (B+LNZ), Blair Drysdale, Brexit, Charles Finny, Dairy Companies Association of NZ (DCANZ), Darryn Pegram, European Union, European Union (EU), FarmIQ, Fonterra, Fran O'Sullivan, Guy Trafford, Horticulture NZ, internet of things (IoT), Jenny Ruth, John Wilson, Mike Chapman, Mt Cook Alpine Salmon, Pattrick Smellie, Paul McBeth, Scott Technology, Steve Penno, Sustainable Farming Fund (SFF), Synlait Milk, Tracmap | Permalink
Posted by homepaddock
January 29, 2019
Book charts history of Young Farmer contest – Sally Rae:
For 50 years, the Young Farmer of the Year contest has been part of the fabric of New Zealand’s rural sector.
Dubbed “the challenge second only to the land”, it tests the knowledge and skills of the country’s young farmers.
To mark the milestone, Hawke’s Bay writer Kate Taylor has recorded the contest’s history in 50 Years Young — A History of the Young Farmer of the Year.
But it is more than just a comprehensive history; it contains interviews with various winners, finalists and organisers, and is peppered with interesting and amusing anecdotes. . .
Farmer shocked heifers missing – Hamish MacLean:
A North Otago dairy farmer says he is in a state of disbelief after realising 60 rising 2-year Friesian heifers had been taken from his farm.
Russell Hurst, of Awamoko, said the animals, taken between the week before Christmas and New Year’s Day, could be worth $100,000.
He and his staff went ”around and round the farm in circles” double-checking the mobs on the 2500ha farm to make sure the animals had been stolen.
”It’s just disbelief, really,” Mr Hurst said. . .
Restrictions loom for river irrigators in Marlborough – Matt Brown:
New Zealand’s largest wine region could soon be facing water restrictions as record-high temperatures affect rivers.
The Rai, Waihopai and Wairau Rivers’ minimum flow rates were rapidly being approached and surface water “takes” were expected to be halted by the end of next week.
Marlborough District Council hydrologist Val Wadsworth said it was trying to “forward forecast” on the current rate of flow decline, but it was difficult to be concise. . .
Pioneer works with maize insurer – Richard Rennie:
The country’s largest maize seed supplier is working with an insurance company to settle losses incurred after seed treatment failure in some hybrid varieties this season.
Early in the maize planting season late last year a number of growers in Waikato and Northland reported stunted crops post-germination, prompting some to replant crops before mid December.
Pioneer’s investigation team head Raewyn Densley said a number of growers have . .
Taranaki honeymoon: whacking possums – Jamie Morton:
Forget Paris: for one newlywed couple, there’s no better honeymoon than killing possums in Taranaki.
Fresh from their wedding, Andrea and Max Hoegh are working at the frontline of New Zealand’s first large-scale possum eradication operation.
The biggest pest-busting project of its kind in the country, Towards Predator-Free Taranaki divided the region into pizza-slice sections around the mountain, with work kicking off in the New Plymouth area. . .
Your dinner’s in the lab – the future of ‘cell-based’ meat – Gwynne Dyer:
“Right now, growing cells as meat instead of animals is a very expensive process,” says Yaakov Nahmias, founder and chief scientist of Israel-based startup Future Meat Technologies. But it will get cheaper, and it probably will be needed.
The global population is heading for 10 billion by 2050, from the current 7.7b. Average global incomes will triple in the same period, enabling more people to eat meat-rich diets. . .
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Leave a Comment » | business, crime, environment, Farming, food, rural, technology, viticulture | Tagged: 50 Years Young — A History of the Young Farmer of the Year, Andrea Hoegh, Future Meat Technologies, Gwynne Dyer, Hamish MacLean, Jamie Morton, Kate Taylor, maize, Matt Brown, Max Hoegh, NZ Farmers, Pioneer, possum, Raewyn Densley, Rai River, Richard Rennie, Russell Hurst, Sally Rae, Towards Predator-Free Taranaki, Waihopai River, Wairau River, Yaakov Nahmias | Permalink
Posted by homepaddock
December 4, 2018
Superstar spotlights dairy efforts – Luke Chivers:
DairyNZ Environmental Leaders Forum chairwoman Tracy Brown has won a Sustainable Business Network award. She spoke to Luke Chivers about some of the challenges facing the rural sector.
Waikato dairy farmer Tracy Brown has been named a dairy sustainability champion for inspiring farmers to change on-farm practices, protect waterways, enhance biodiversity and lower their environmental footprints.
She was rewarded for her efforts by winning the Sustainability Superstar category at the NZI Sustainable Business Network Awards.
The award marks a momentous occasion for New Zealand’s primary industries, Brown says. . .
Town folks love a good farm story – Pam Tipa:
‘A good story’ was a key motivator for fourth-generation Helensville farmers Scott and Sue Narbey to open their farm to the public.
The couple opened their farm as part of Fonterra’s Open Gates 2018 day.
“We entered the Ballance Farm Environment Awards and when we started writing down all the good things we were doing we thought we were doing a pretty good job,” Scott told Dairy News.
“And we were sick of hearing all the bad things and how people perceive dairy farms. . .
A hand up or corporate welfare? – Andrea Fox:
Westland Milk Products, approved for a taxpayer-funded Provincial Growth Fund loan branded “corporate welfare” by some critics, says it would have been happy for the commercial terms to be disclosed but Government officials ruled them confidential.
The Westland dairy exporter, which in its 2018 annual report discussing a capital restructure said it had “relatively high debt and limited financial flexibility”, is to get a $9.9 million interest-bearing, repayable loan towards a $22 million manufacturing plant project to produce higher-value goods.
The annual report noted Westland’s cash flow for the year was below expectations, its milk payout to farmers was not competitive and “obtaining new capital would make a significant difference to the co-operative”. . .
People need to be told ‘what wool is about’ – Sally Rae:
Education is the key to lifting the state of the wool industry, industry leader Craig Smith says.
Mr Smith, general manager for Devold Wool Direct, is a member of the Wool Working Group, which has been working on how to create a more sustainable and profitable sector.
Made up of 20 wool producers, processors and other industry representatives, it has been charged with developing a pan-sector action plan.
Earlier this year, Mr Smith was the first New Zealander to be appointed to the global executive committee of the International Wool Textile Organisation, and he is also heavily involved with Campaign for Wool. . .
Hill country’s development risks and opportunities:
Sheep and beef farmers are increasingly finishing stock on hill country forage crops and pastures, with a resultant drop in erosion risk.
But some farmers had difficulty assessing the potential environmental impact and the financial return of hill country development, due to the unpredictability of sediment loss and the costs.
This was discovered by studies done as part of the Sustainable Hill Farming Tool project (SHiFT), says Paul Hulse, of Environment Canterbury (ECan).
The SHiFT project is to tell landowners the best ways to address these concerns, says Hulse . .
Smartphone cattle weighing technology set to expand – Lucy Kinbacher:
A HUNGARIAN developed smartphone accessory is helping producers weigh their cattle without the use of any scales or yard infrastructure.
Known as Beefie, the new technology allows producers to calculate their cattle weights in less than half a minute by attaching an external device to an Android 5.1+ smartphone and capturing a range of photographs.
Livestock are analysed from two to six metres away, even whilst in motion or partially obscured, with more than 5000 tests on animals producing a 95 per cent accuracy rate. . .
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Leave a Comment » | business, environment, food, rural, technology | Tagged: Andrea Fox, Craig Smith, DairyNZ, Devold Wool Direct, Duncan Humm, Environment Canterbury (Ecan), Fonterra’s Open Gates, Lucy Kinbacher, Luke Chivers, NZI Sustainable Business Network Awards, Pam Tipa, Paul Hulse, Provincial Growth Fund, Ross Paterson, Sally Rae, Scott Narbey, Sue Narbey, Sustainable Hill Farming Tool project (SHiFT), Tracy Brown, Westland Milk Products, Wool Working Group | Permalink
Posted by homepaddock
November 26, 2018
Does Russia belong in the West or the East? – Keith Woodford:
The issue of whether Russia belongs in the West or the East might seem a strange topic for a New Zealand agri-food systems person like me to be discussing. However, political and food systems, and the associated international trade, are joined at the hip. Politics and agricultural trade are always fellow travellers.
These last two weeks, while working in Russia, I have pondered as to where Russia belongs. From a cultural perspective, I have no doubt it is in the West. Yet from a geopolitical perspective it would seem that Russia’s future is more with China in the East. Here, I explore the dichotomy and the contradiction.
Milk flush is depressing prices – Hugh Stringleman:
Record milk collection in New Zealand over the October peak has continued to depress Global Dairy Trade prices, which, in turn, threaten a reduction in the farmgate milk price closer to $6/kg.
The GDT index fell 3.5% after the auction on November 21, the twelfth consecutive fall or sideways movement since mid-May.
World prices are now 20% below their 2018 peak and 12% lower than this time last year.
Plenty of cattle left – Neal Wallace:
Stirring international and domestic storms have conspired to undercut bull beef prices.
A combination of falling United States prices in the last two months, processors trying to maintain margins and farmers being careful with stock purchases because of Mycoplasma bovis have reduced demand and prices, AgriHQ market analyst Reece Brick says.
At a recent Feilding calf sale those bred on the vendor’s property were $30 to $40 ahead of calves that weren’t. . .
The green, green grass of Maniototo – Jono Edwards:
Green fields in the usually-barren Maniototo have some farmers casting their minds back to the 1970s.
Unusually high rainfall, including a recent heavy downpour, was welcome news for the industry after months of dry heat last year.
Gimmerburn farmer Duncan Helm said things were looking “bloody magnificent”
Mataura Valley’s multimillion-dollar milk plant opens – Margaret Phillips:
The official opening of the $240 million Mataura Valley Milk plant at McNab brought guests from all corners of the globe today.
MVM general manager Bernard May said the plant was forecast to pour about $90 million annually, directly or indirectly, into the South’s economy. Its major shareholder is the China Animal Husbandry Group. . .
Will Argentina be the first country approving a GMO wheat? -Javier Preciado Patiño:
“We mustn’t do what other countries have already done; we must do what no other country did” Self-confident and why not a little bit provoker, the CEO of Bioceres, Mr. Federico Trucco, challenged the audience in the formal presentacion of the HB4 Wheat, the transgenic wheat that added drought tolerance to glufosinate-ammonium herbicide tolerance.
The beginning of this development dates from middles ’90 when scientist Raquel Chan’s team identified a gene (HB4) that confers sunflower seed a better performance under drought condition. In 2003, Bioceres reached an agreement with Conicet (the governmental Science and Technology Comission) to develop this finding in a commercial way. In 2007, HB4 was transferred to other crops like soybean, maize and wheat, and now only one formal step is missing to release this technology to the Argentinean farmers.
Mr. Trucco explained the three step deregulation process for a GMO crop in Argentina. HB4 wheat has already been approved by the SENASA (Food Quality and Health Service) and the Conabia (Biotechnology Advisor Commission), because there is not risk to the human health, animal health and the environment, and the characteristics of this wheat are the same of conventional ones. . .
New app helps farmers finish cattle to retailers’ specifications:
A new app can help farmers finish cattle to retailers’ specifications with greater precision, avoiding lower prices for the farmer and waste in the value chain.
Changing customer tastes mean that almost half of prime beef now fails to meet ideal market specifications.
The app will help farmers finish cattle to retailers’ specifications with greater precision, underpinned by the data to evidence this. . .
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Leave a Comment » | business, environment, Farming, food, rural, technology | Tagged: (Biotechnology Advisor Commission), AgriHQ, Andrew Wright, Bernard May, Bioceres, Conicet, Duncan Helm, Federico Trucco, Gimmerburn, Hugh Stringleman, Javier Preciado Patiño, Jesus Madrazo, Jono Edwards, Keith Woodford, Maniototo, Mataura Valley Milk (MVM), Neal Wallace, Raquel Chan, Reece Brick, SENASA (Food Quality and Health Service) | Permalink
Posted by homepaddock
July 3, 2018
Moves to revive Ruataniwha dam scheme – Anusha Bradley:
A group of Central Hawke’s Bay businessmen are hoping to resurrect the controversial Ruataniwha Water Storage Scheme after buying the intellectual property from the Hawke’s Bay Regional Council for $100,000.
The regional council spent $14 million, and four years, trying to get the scheme off the ground before the Supreme Court ruled last year it could not flood a large parcel of conservation land.
Now, a company called Water Holdings CHB has bought the intellectual property and rights to the scheme from the regional council’s investment arm.
Water Holdings CHB director Gavin Streeter said owning the assets, which included consents and modelling data, would allow the community to explore options for reviving the scheme. . .
Chance for young farmers and farm workers to have their say:
Farmstrong has developed a new online survey to better understand the pressures facing younger farmers and farm workers, and asking them what works to improve their wellbeing.
The survey is being undertaken in association with NZ Young Farmers, and is open for all under 35 year old farmers and farm workers.
We have developed two surveys, one for women and one for men. Most of the questions in the two surveys are similar, but there are some that are specific to men or women, such as the networks they belong to or the print magazines they read.
The survey is confidential and only takes about 10 minutes to complete. It is open till 16 July 2018. . .
Sell-out crowd for 50th FMG Young Farmer of the Year Grand Final in Invercargill:
Finalists competing in the FMG Young Farmer of the Year Grand Final will arrive in Invercargill today.
It’s the 50th anniversary of the iconic agricultural contest, which was first held in Auckland in 1969.
A sell-out crowd of more than 1,000 people will pack ILT Stadium Southland for Saturday’s quiz and awards night. . .
AI and IoT changing the face of NZ dairying:
A fledgling New Zealand agritech company run by a rising Kiwi entrepreneur who has worked for Rocket Lab has raised $8 million, from Silicon Valley venture capital firm Data Collective, which is likely to result in massive changes to the nation’s burgeoning dairy industry.
Waikato company Halter will use the $8 million boost to help farms guide and manage their dairy cows by using IoT and artificial intelligence, sustainably increasing production, saving billions in labour costs and improving environmental compliance and animal welfare. . .
Ten years ago, Global Dairy Trade held it first online auction on the GDT Events platform with the aim of being the most credible and comprehensive provider of prices across core dairy ingredients.
By the end of June this year, GDT Events had facilitated the trade of more than US$22 billion cumulative value of dairy products to buyers from over 80 countries.
Eric Hansen, Director Global Dairy Trade says the GDT Events auctions re-wrote the rules of engagement for buying and selling dairy commodities. . .
Fonterra welcomes the appointment of Bao Xiufei (Bob) to the role of General Manager of Beingmate Baby & Child Food Co Ltd. The move was announced yesterday and follows a comprehensive search.
Mr Bao joins Beingmate from Royal FrieslandCampina China, where he had a successful career, including most recently, as Friso Chief Sales Officer (CSO) and Consumer Dairy Managing Director. Prior to this, he was the Sales Director at Wyeth Nutrition and held senior roles at PepsiCo and Wahaha Food Group. . .
Horticulture NZ asks growers to renew funding:
Horticulture New Zealand’s Board is asking growers to vote to renew the levy funding that keeps the organisation going, with voting papers going out today.
A levy rate of 14 cents per $100 of sales of the fruits and vegetables covered in The Commodity Levies (Vegetables and Fruit) Order is the principal funding mechanism to support Horticulture New Zealand’s work for commercial fruit and vegetable growers. The levy expires in May 2019 and voting to renew it, or not, needs to be completed by 13 August 2018.
“The purpose of Horticulture New Zealand is: Enabling, promoting and advocating for growers in New Zealand to achieve the industry goal (a $10 billion industry by 2020),” says Board President Julian Raine. . .
Agriculture 4.0: Technologies at the heart of agtech:
‘Agtech’ has been described as the fourth agricultural revolution – a marriage of data, farming and technological innovation that will further transform the industry and help us to achieve so far unrealised levels of productivity (such as the long-sought 20t/ha wheat yield), efficiency and environmental sustainability.
3D printing
According to Dr Larousse, eight technologies are at the heart of agtech and all have the disruptive power to transform agriculture. Four of them are software, four hardware. One of them is already being practised by Alltech: after its recent purchase of the feed solutions company Keenan, it decided it could provide a more efficient spare parts service by turning to 3D printing, allowing farmers around the world near-instant access to parts from their local dealer. “But it needn’t stop there: we could also ‘print’ food from its constituent ingredients or provide robots with the means to self-repair.” . .
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Leave a Comment » | business, environment, Farming, food, health, rural, technology | Tagged: agtech, Anusha Bradley, Bao Xiufei, Beingmate, Data Collective, Dr Marc Larousse, Eric Hansen, Farmstrong, FMG Young Farmer of the Year, Fonterra, Gavin Streeter, GlobalDairyTrade (GDT), Halter, Horticulture NZ, Julian Raine, NZ Young Farmers, Rocket Lab, Ruataniwha Dam, Water Holdings CHB | Permalink
Posted by homepaddock
June 24, 2018
Joint operation to check Nait compliance – Sally Rae:
Knowledge of the National Animal Identification and Tracing (Nait) system has increased in the wake of the Mycoplasma bovis response but some farmers are continuing to break the rules.
In a statement yesterday, compliance investigations manager Gary Orr said the Ministry for Primary Industries and Nait Ltd had been running joint operations around the country to check compliance with Nait requirements.
The disease response had highlighted the importance of tracing animal movements and having complete and accurate information available. It was critical all farmers complied with Nait and tracked all animal movements on and off their farms and those who weren’t were putting the rest of the industry in jeopardy, Mr Orr said. . .
Manuka protection needs cash – Richard Rennie:
Manuka Honey Appellation Society members are optimistic money will be forthcoming for a bid to protect the manuka honey brand as a trade mark and ultimately as a Geographical Indication (GI).
A high-level conference on manuka’s status earlier this month was met with a largely positive reception from Government officials, society spokesman John Rawcliffe said.
Rawcliffe and others in the industry hope a cash injection to protect the brand for New Zealanders will soon be forthcoming.
“So far, as an industry group, we have invested $1 million into manuka honey for its protection and we have already seen the landmark decision made in the United Kingdom where their Trade Registry has accepted the filing of the term manuka as a certification mark,” Rawcliffe said. . .
Farming at the southernmost point of NZ -Brittany Pickett:
Dot and Colin McDonald are farming at the end of the world.
Their 534 hectare Haldane farm Stonewood is only a skip away from Slope Point, the southernmost point in the South Island, making the couple among the southernmost farmers in the world.
They bought the west side of Stonewood in 2003, before buying the east side in 2005.
“We had to completely do it over,” Dot said.
Both properties were run-down, with extensive development needed. The one small woolshed was run by a generator, and other than that there were no buildings and almost non-existent fencing throughout the property. . .
Catch contest win a distraction – Neal Wallace:
Mairi Whittle is having quite a year. Last week she won the Fieldays Rural Catch competition and if that isn’t enough at the end of July she takes over her family’s Taihape sheep and beef farm. She spoke to Neal Wallace.
It is proving to be a busy few weeks for Mairi Whittle.
Having won the Golden Gumboot at the Fieldays Rural Catch Competition earlier this month she becomes the fourth generation of her family to run the 6000 stock unit, Makatote Station north east of Taihape at the end of July.
A former rural banker, Whittle, 28, and her family have been working on a succession plan, A former rural banker, Whittle, 28, and her family have been working on a succession plan, allowing her parents Jim and Maggie to retire from the hill-country sheep and beef farm. . .
Irrigation helps out with sheep production, during dry times –
While Walandi Farms White Suffolk and Poll Dorset stud was founded in 2007, moving to a new property has seen stud principals Ash and Janine Murphy seek new markets.
“We’ve moved to a new area and we thought we would open our gates to get some interest from people, where we are now,” Mr Murphy said.
Operating at Kotta, on the Echuca-Mitiamo road, Victoria, the Murphys were former dairy farmers. . .
Could agricultural robots replace glysophate –
Glyphosate is a herbicide that’s used to kill undesired plants. Pulling up plants, or “weeding,” does the same thing without chemicals, but it’s very labor-intensive. What if tireless robots could weed fields cheaply?
Professor Simon Blackmore, head of robotic agriculture at the UK’s National Centre for Precision Farming at Harper Adams University in England, says that increasingly sensitive and precise sensors and instruments are being developed that can measure the “complex nature of the growing environment” on every square meter of farmland — the soil and water conditions; the presence of pests and diseases; the location of weeds, and the size of crop plants.
In addition to measuring the state of a crop, robots will be able to actively improve growing conditions, not least by getting rid of weeds. . .
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Leave a Comment » | business, environment, Farming, food, rural, technology | Tagged: Ash Murphy, Brittany Pickett, Colin McDonald, Dot McDonald, Fieldays Rural Catch Competition, Gary Orr, glysophate, Golden Gumboot Award, Harper Adams University, Janine Murphy, Jim Whittle, John Rawcliffe, Maggie Whittle, Mairi Whittle, Makatote Station, manuka, Manuka Honey Appellation Society, Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI), National Animal Identification and Tracing (NAIT), National Centre for Precision Farming, Neal Wallace, Poll Dorset, Professor Simon Blackmore, Richard Rennie, Sally Rae, Slope Point, Stonewood, Walandi Farms, White Suffolk | Permalink
Posted by homepaddock
June 20, 2018
TV3 and several other channels disappeared from our Freeview box.
I tried various options with the remote which got me nowhere then did a search online.
That led to an 0800 number which gave me a recorded voice telling me they didn’t do technical help and I should call the people who supplied the box.
A search through the folder that holds receipts and instruction books was fruitless so I got back online and found the supplier and another 0800 number.
It was answered within a few rings and a couple of if-you-want-this-push-thats later I was talking to a real human.
He talked me through a fix and within a very few minutes the lost channels were back again.
Dealing with technology faults and call centres usually does unpleasant things to my tension levels, but this time the help line really did help and I’m grateful for that.
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Posted by homepaddock
March 10, 2018
Farmer plagued by rabbits in life and grave – Sally Rae:
Sarah Perriam finds it ironic her late grandfather spent his lifetime fighting rabbits – and he is still plagued by them in death.
Looking at signs of rabbits digging on Charlie Perriam’s grave in the Cromwell cemetery yesterday, Ms Perriam recalled how the Central Otago farmer, who died in 2009, even had a team of ferrets to try to keep numbers down on his Lowburn property.
Her own earliest rabbit-related memory was the illegal release of the rabbit calicivirus in 1997, when she was about 12. . .
Spreading of virus to begin – Hamish MacLean:
The groundwork has begun for the release of a new strain of rabbit virus now approved for use in New Zealand.
A Korean variant of the rabbit calicivirus will be released across the province in about three weeks.
Otago Regional Council staff have started laying the first tranche of pre-feed carrot in select locations around Otago with landowners’ full co-operation and permission.
None of the council’s 100 doses of RHDV1 K5 have been released yet. . .
Defection disappoints – Annette Scott:
A decision by Alliance not to adopt a nationwide meat industry farm quality assurance programme puts the industry’s integrity at risk, Anzco agriculture general manager Grant Bunting says.
Alliance will use its own programme in preference to the red meat industry’s collaborative Farm Assurance Programme (FAP).
The FAP, established to enhance customer confidence in the NZ supply chain, is funded by the Red Meat Profit Partnership (RMPP) under a Primary Growth Partnership (PGP) programme. . .
Sheep run riot as Hilux Rural Games begin in Fielding – Sam Kilmister & Bethany Reitsma:
Sheep, working dogs and bales of wool stumbled down Feilding’s main street in a celebration of all things rural.
The Manawatū town heralded the start of the Hilux New Zealand Rural Games on Friday with an array of events, including the “running of the wools”. The America’s Cup was also paraded by hometown hero Simon van Velthooven, whose pedal power helped drive Emirates Team New Zealand to victory in Bemuda last year.
People came out in force, crowding the barrier-lined streets, while a mob of the area’s finest woolly residents made their way from the saleyards to the clock tower in Manchester Square and back. . .
Smart Farmer: Ashley Wiese:
For Ashley Wiese, who owns and manages 5,000 hectares in Western Australia, sustainable farming is the smartest way to secure optimum output and food quality, but also to survive as a business in a challenging industry.
Ashley Wiese started off working as an accountant in Perth. However, he always intended to use those skills in agriculture and soon decided to go back to his roots, a farm in Western Australia first established by his great-grandfather. Today, Wiese is the Director of Yarranabee farm. Together with his wife Jo, he farms 5,000 hectares in total: 4,000 hectares of grains such as oats, barley, canola and lupins, and 1,000 hectares of sheep for lamb and wool production. . .
How can NZ agritech feed the world even more?:
How New Zealand can meet the challenge of feeding some of the predicted global population of 10 billion by 2050, will be a major focus at a Techweek event in Tauranga in May.
World-leading meat, dairy and horticultural industries have established New Zealand’s reputation as a producer of food.
But NZTech chief executive Graeme Muller says the country’s collaborative agricultural ecosystem is shifting its efforts to developing sustainable ways to feed the world. . .
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Leave a Comment » | business, environment, Farming, food, rural, technology | Tagged: Alliance Group, Annette Scott, Ashley Wiese, Bethany Reitsma, Charlie Perriam, ergot toxicity, Farm Assurance Programme (FAP), Graeme Muller, Hamish MacLean, NZ Tech, Otago Regional Council (ORC), rabbit calicivirus disease, Red Meat Profit Partnership (RMPP), RHDV1-K5, Sally Rae, Sam Kilmister, Sarah Perriam, VetSouth | Permalink
Posted by homepaddock
January 17, 2018
I’m too old to be a digital native but have younger people in my life who’ve introduced me to apps which make life easier in a variety of ways.
One of these is WhatsApp that enables users to receive and send messages and photos to and from individuals and groups.
This morning I woke up to a message from Paraguay that made me laugh and another from Argentina that started a conversation.
WhatsApp is such an easy way to communicate and share photos with friends and family near and far, and I’m grateful for it.
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Posted by homepaddock
December 27, 2017
When I rule the world* instruction manuals for native English speakers will be written in English by people whose first language is English and who write them on the understanding those trying to follow them could be technologically and mechanically incompetent.
*Accepting that global health and happiness have already been achieved.
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Posted by homepaddock
November 29, 2017
Who was Norman John Daysh?
I didn’t know until I read this – Kiwi innovator an inspiration to all farmers:
New Zealand farmers are saluting Norman John Daysh today – the godfather of the modern milking machine.
Mr Daysh is globally acknowledged for inventing a mechanism that effectively liberated dairy farmers from their milking stools.
His ingenuity is being celebrated at an anniversary event today at Hamilton to mark the commercial launch, 100 years ago.
Federated Farmers’ Dairy Industry Chair Chris Lewis says all kiwi farmers should feel a sense of pride and be inspired by Mr Daysh’s feat, which was the first notable disruption in the modern farming era.
“Cockies throughout the land should afford a smile today remembering Mr Daysh. He was truly ahead of his time-a true kiwi innovator. Apparently he started making milking machines from 18 years-old and was selling them to neighbouring families.
“His legacy has become part of farmer folklore. He had great compassion for his animals, and legend has it, he was the first milk machine designer to consider the effect on cows.
“The milkers back in the day would have appreciated him too, as the earliest milking machines were cumbersome, unreliable and actually painful to use.
“Mr Daysh had the foresight to go overseas to America to refine his prototype and gain globally acknowledged patents, this in itself was quite an undertaking for a humble kiwi farmer in 1913,” says Chris.
The DeLaval Milker was launched in 1917. A testament to its success and innovation was the fact none of the original 100 machines were returned.
You can listen to Kim HIll interview the inventor’s grandson, John Daysh here.
The milking machine didn’t just liberate farmers from their milking stools it enabled them to milk more cows which has provided massive economic, nutritional and social benefits to New Zealand and many other countries.
Recent conversion to dairying and intensification of farming has come at an environmental cost but the same ingenuity which led Daysh to develop his milking machines is being applied by scientists and farmers to repair the damage and ensure that dairy’s future environmental footprint is much smaller.
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Leave a Comment » | business, economy, environment, Farming, food, rural, technology, trade | Tagged: Chris Lewis, DeLaval Milker, Federated Farmers, John Daysh, Kim Hill, Norman John Daysh | Permalink
Posted by homepaddock
