Demonstration dairy farm cuts nitrate leaching 30% and stays profitable – Tony Benny:
Lincoln University Dairy Farm is close to achieving a 30 per cent reduction in nitrate leaching, while maintaining its profitability. The farm’s managers tell Tony Benny how it was done.
Like other farms in the Selwyn Waihora zone, one of 10 catchment zones under Environment Canterbury’s water management strategy, Lincoln University’s dairy farm faces new environmental limits, including reducing nitrate leaching 30 per cent by 2022.
By adopting the findings of small-scale research on a nearby farmlet, the farm has all but achieved that well before the deadline and is at the same time nearly matching the financial performance of high-profit farms against which it is benchmarked. . .
Alliance buyout targets Asia – Alan Williams:
Buying its southeast Asian marketing agent is part of a 10 to 15-year strategy to increase sales and the range of meat cuts into the region, Alliance chairman Murray Taggart says.
Goldkiwi Asia has represented the southern farmer-co-operative for more than 25 years, helping to build up customer bases in China, Hong Kong, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia and in Singapore where it is based.
The arrangement had worked very well but there was “no substitute for ownership and control” of the business, Taggart said. . .
Price direction depends on weather – Hugh Stringleman:
Dairy prices remained steady in the latest Global Dairy Auction, adding to speculation that continued wet weather in New Zealand might give the market a lift.
Already it was possible that NZ seasonal supply might increase 1.5% rather than the 3% predicted earlier.
The direction of international market prices would depend very much on weather conditions over the next month in NZ, the world’s largest dairy products exporter. . .
Australia threatens to cash in on NZ’s mānuka honey marketing heroics – Gerard Hutching:
First they claimed the pavlova and Phar Lap as their own, now Australians are arguing they have the right to use the Māori word mānuka for the expensive honey.
This week they racheted the dispute up a notch by setting up the Australian Manuka Honey Association.
“We’re the only two countries that produce it and the whole world needs it [mānuka honey]. We can’t understand what our Kiwi friends are trying to do,” Australian Honey Bee Industry Council chairman Lindsay Bourke said. . . .
Finalists say now is the right time to enter the Ballance Farm Environment Awards:
Don’t wait until you think you have the perfect farm to enter the Ballance Farm Environment Awards, say 2017 Southland finalists Derek and Bronnie Chamberlain.
“It’s all about work in progress. Set yourselves some goals and go for it. There’s always something more you can do,” Bronnie says.
“The more eyes you have on your property, the more advice and suggestions the better.” . .
Silver Fern Farms Chief Executive says the new season, which starts on 1 October, is expected to be mixed across beef, lamb and venison.
“On beef, we are at an interesting point. Store stock markets appear over-heated given where we expect volumes and schedules to end up. Current finished cattle schedules reflect a shortage of supply, which is typical at this time of the year. . .
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