Rural round-up

12/05/2023

Reti flags ‘resigned desperation’ of rural GPs – Neal Wallace :

It’s the exhaustion, the lack of fight, that is most obvious to Dr Shane Reti when he meets with his former rural general practitioner colleagues.

The National Party’s health spokesperson is unequivocal when he says the health system is in crisis, saying he is reiterating what those at the coal face tell him.

Several years ago health professionals were angry. Now there is what he called “a sense of resigned desperation”.

Reti, who worked as a rural GP in Northland, said not only is there a shortage of rural health professionals, but those working there are exhausted, they don’t feel valued and are underfunded. . . 

Flood and sediment lessons to learn across catchments – Richard rennie :

The devastating flood events that bowled through Northland, Te Tairāwhiti and Hawke’s Bay offer no upsides for the regions’ primary producers but may yet provide some valuable insights on how best to manage future events’ impacts upon highly productive land and production.

AgResearch scientist Dr Alec Mackay is working alongside scientist Dan Bloomer and Alex Dickson of LandWISE. 

The project they are co-ordinating aims to provide growers with advice about stabilising and restoring impacted sites and, secondly, establish baselines to support a longitudinal study of site recovery to build soils back better to increase land resilience to mitigate future events.

“In the week following the cyclone, Dan reached out to AgResearch, Massey University and Plant and Food Research looking for  information on past flooding events to put up on the LandWISE’s website for landowners to consider what was best to do with eroded surfaces or sediment,” Mackay said.  . . 

Zespri confirms quality up but New Zealand kiwifruit crop volumes well down in 2023 :

Zespri has confirmed challenging weather events throughout the 2023 growing season have contributed to a lower-than-expected New Zealand kiwifruit crop this season.

The latest New Zealand crop estimate indicates that Zespri now expects to export around 136 million trays of Green, SunGold and RubyRed Kiwifruit to more than 50 countries this season. This is down from the 171 million trays supplied in 2022, with this season’s crop potentially reducing even further as orchard assessments are completed following April’s hail event in Te Puke.

Zespri CEO Dan Mathieson says it’s been an extremely challenging growing season in New Zealand, with growers affected by multiple severe weather events.

“Like many others in the primary industries around the world, kiwifruit growers have faced a particularly tough time this growing season, including many weather-related challenges. . . 

TB: moving closer to the finish line –

OVER THE PAST decade, the disease management agency OSPRI has been edging closer to eliminating bovine tuberculosis (TB) from New Zealand.

At the start of 2023, fewer than 30 herds had TB infections, a far cry from the 1990s when the number was close to 1700 herds.

Pest management is a major part of the TBfree programme. Aerial and ground control are the main form of control for possums, the main TB spreader. While much progress has been made, elimination is still in sight.

An example of how the eradication programme is working can be seen in the upper South Island high country of Molesworth Station and the neighbouring Muzzle and Bluff Stations. With recent 1080 aerial operations, farmers in the area are feeling positive that their properties may soon be clear of TB. . . 

Apple and pear growers welcome clean-up support but need urgent information :

New Zealand Apples and Pears is welcoming the Government’s support to clean up orchards but is calling on the government to urgently talk to growers as they recover and rebuild following the devastation of Cyclone Gabrielle.

“We simply want some clarity from the Government. We don’t expect all the answers but we are currently operating in an information vacuum,” chairman Richard Punter said.

Ministers have delayed releasing any information until they get a report from the recently established Hawkes Bay Recovery Agency.

“But while they wait, growers have no answers or clarity. This lack of clarity is taking its toll. They can’t continue living in an environment and running businesses with no certainty.

Mr Punter said the impact of the cyclone is now extending to the Hawke’s Bay economy. . . 

Lab-grown meat could be 25 times worse for the climate than beef – Alice Klein :

Analysis finds the carbon footprint of cultivated meat is likely to be higher than beef if current production methods are scaled up because they are still highly energy-intensive.

Meat produced from cultured cells could be 25 times worse for the climate than regular beef unless scientists find ways to overhaul energy-intensive steps in its production.

Lab-grown or “cultivated” meat is made by growing animal stem cells around a scaffold in a nutrient-rich broth. It has been proposed as a kinder and greener alternative to traditional meat because it uses less land, feed, water and antibiotics than animal farming and removes the need to farm and slaughter livestock, …

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Rural round-up

20/04/2023

National’s getting back to farming :

National’s Getting back to Farming package will cut the mountain of red tape that has buried farmers since 2017, National Leader Christopher Luxon says.

“Labour has used regulation to declare war on farmers. National will end that war by cutting red tape.

“New Zealand has the worst current account deficit in the developed world. If we don’t earn more from overseas, there will be consequences – like lower wages and less money to spend on the public services we all want and need. 

“Farming is the backbone of our economy. Last year agriculture exports totalled $41 billion or 63 per cent of our goods exports. When farmers succeed, New Zealand succeeds. . .

Some movement in prices at latest Fonterra GDT auction, but there will need to be more – Point of Order :

At last, a glimmer of light for dairy farmers as prices rose  at the  latest Fonterra  GDT auction. It is the  first rise in more than two months.

The  question is whether the rise is  just a  flicker or  whether it will be sustained at subsequent auctions.

At the sale overnight  prices rose  an average 3.2%, reaching $US 3,362MT.

Winning  bidders  totalled 105 from a  total 158 with the  quantity sold  22,713MT. Wholemilk powder sold for $3089, up 1% and skimmilk powder,$2776, up 7%. Cheddar rose 5.7% to $4,411, butter 4.9% to $4,891, and anhydrous milkfat 4.7% to $4,981. . . 

 

Beef + Lamb wants changes to on-farm emissions plan :

Beef and Lamb New Zealand says farmers shouldn’t have to pay for on-farm emissions until a robust emissions measuring and reporting system is up and running.

Farmers are set to pay for their on-farm emissions from 2025 – with the government adopting a split-gas on-farm levy which was developed by industry partnership He Waka Eke Noa.

Beef + Lamb is part of the partnership, but chair Kate Acland said after feedback from farmers they wanted some changes.

“We’re calling for the staged implementation of an agricultural emissions framework, starting with the establishment of a robust emissions measuring and reporting system, with a price on emissions not introduced until outstanding issues are resolved. . . 

 

Pining for success: Pinoli takes home top honours at the 2023 Outstanding NZ Food Producer Awards  – Emma Rawson :

Extracting a delicate nut from within the fortress shell of a pinecone takes determination and skill. Amateur nut harvesters often abandon the quest empty-handed, despite signs of the struggle in crushed nuts and marked fingers. Marlborough’s Andy and Barb Wilshire of Marlborough have persevered and found establishing a business from pine nuts has been just as tough a nut to crack as the kernels themselves.

In 1998, Andy and Barb founded Pinoli Premium Pine Nuts in the Wairau Valley, planting their strange-looking pines on a former sheep and fodder farm. At the time, their neighbours were busy with row after row of sauvignon blanc vines.

Scientists thought only a bunch of nutters would plant pine nut trees. Neither viable nor economic declared a research paper of Pinus pinea, the umbrella-shaped pine that produces edible pine nuts and is also known as a stone pine. Pine nuts had no future as a food business for this country, said the scientists.

Andy read the report and planted 1000 Pinus pinea anyway, and the following year he and general manager Lee Paterson planted a further 40 hectares. . .

Farmlands, Federated Farmers & Stuff team up to re-fence cyclone-impacted regions :

With tens of thousands of kilometres of fencing needing to be replaced or repaired in the wake of Cyclone Gabrielle, Farmlands, Federated Farmers and Stuff are calling on Kiwis to ‘Post Your Support’ as part of their plan to help farmers and growers.

The goal is to help to re-build the kilometres of fencing lost in Northland, the East Coast and parts of the Central North Island after the cyclone by supplying the fencing materials needed and the person-power to build new fencing quickly and to a high standard. Post Your Support is encouraging Kiwi businesses and individuals to donate $20 fence posts – each of which represents about a metre of fencing that will help farmers and growers get back on their feet.

Farmlands brings its buying power and extensive supplier relationships as a rural supplies farmer owned co-op, Federated Farmers its ability to mobilise farmers from across the motu to help, and Stuff its reach to all Kiwis who want to help farmers and growers get their businesses back up and running.

Post Your Support is launching with around $650,000 of funds already available – which will support up to 25 kilometres of fence repairs or replacement. Many times this sum is going to be required, given the thousands of kilometres of new fencing estimated to be needed. . . 

Wanaka A&P Show donates 30,000 to North Island farming communities :

The Wānaka A&P Show has donated $30,000 towards ongoing support for Cyclone Gabrielle-affected farmers and rural communities.

The significant donation was raised through ticket sales from the 2023 Wānaka A&P Show, held in March. One dollar from every adult ticket sold and livestock entry contributed to the fund.

The Wānaka A&P Show’s governing body – the Upper Clutha A&P Society – donated the funds to the Rural Support Trust, an on-the-ground service supporting cyclone-impacted rural communities in New Zealand.

Upper Clutha A&P Society board chair Brenda King says the decision to donate was unanimous across the board and management team. . .

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Rural round-up

20/03/2023

Dairy farmer says ‘storm is coming’ as costs soar – Business Desk:

A Waikato dairy farmer says “the storm is coming” as forecasts show the cost of producing milk could be above the midpoint that New Zealand’s major dairy companies are currently paying. However, Fonterra chief executive Miles Hurrell says there is still confidence in the medium- to long-term outlook. 

DairyNZ DairyBase data is forecasting the total farm work costs for the current season to increase to around $9 per kilogram of milk solids (KgMS) for the current season – an 11% increase on last season’s $8.13/KgMS.

That’s about 50c higher than Fonterra’s current midpoint of $8.50/kgMS. NZ stock exchange-listed Synlait is   paying the same price.

DairyNZ said the increase was mainly driven by increases in feed, up 21%, fertiliser, up 28%, and interest costs, which saw the biggest increase, up 39%. . . 

Still mixed signals on the export price front with a worrying cloud on the edge of the horizon – Point of Order :

As New Zealand’s  export season gains momentum, there  are some encouraging  signs for the farming  industries  on the price  front.  For good measure, the NZ  dollar  has  eased in value against the  US  dollar.

The ANZ Bank’s world commodity price index increased 1.3% m/m in February, a welcome lift, the bank says, after 10 consecutive monthly falls. Stronger returns for meat and forestry products were the main drivers. In local currency terms the index gained 2.0%.

Dairy prices lifted 0.2% month-on-month in February, with the dairy auctions delivering mixed results. ANZ economist Susan Kilsby says there is a strong expectation that improved economic activity in China will drive increased demand for dairy products, but this is yet to really materialise.

She says there are strong indications that consumer confidence in China is improving, which should support a lift in demand. But price impacts may be tempered by the existing stocks of milk powder in this market and the quantity of milk being produced domestically in China. . . 

Cyclone Gabrielle’s impact on New Zealand’s fruit bowl – Tom Kitchin :

Orchards, vineyards and fields of crops in Hawke’s Bay have been torn apart by Cyclone Gabrielle, destroying people’s homes and livelihoods.

But what are the knock-on effects for consumers?

Hawke’s Bay Fruitgrowers’ Association president Brydon Nisbet has apple orchards in Puketapu, one of the worst-hit areas. He finally got to see his orchards three days after disaster struck. 

“We were kind of preparing for the worst, but believing for the best. We got there and we have a little orchard next to a large kiwifruit block that backs right up to the stopbank. That’s pretty much flattened,” he tells The Detail. . . 

Online butcher The Meat Box supports Kiwi farmers impacted by Cyclone Gabrielle :

The Meat Box, an Online Butcher specialising in fresh-cut-to-order meat delivery New Zealand wide, have announced that they will donate 5% of sales to Federated Farmers from 26th February to the end of March, to support farmers impacted by Cyclone Gabrielle. 

Cyclone Gabrielle has caused significant damage leaving farmers without homes, land, stock, and essential equipment. As a business that relies on farmers to provide high-quality meat, The Meat Box recognises the crucial role that farmers play in their success. The company is committed to supporting farmers during this difficult time as they face the aftermath of Cyclone Gabrielle. 

“We want to support our fellow Kiwis during this challenging time,” said The Meat Box CEO Wayne Kennerley. “Farmers are the lifeline of our business, and we owe it to them to provide assistance and help rebuild their livelihoods. We encourage our customers to stock up on their Meat Box favourites and join us in supporting farmers in need.”

Customers can purchase their Meat Box favourites from www.themeatbox.co.nz and know that 5% of their purchase as well as any additional donations made by the customer will go towards supporting farmers impacted by Cyclone Gabrielle, thanks to their partnership with GoGenerosity. GoGenerosity is a platform that connects businesses and consumers with charities and causes that align with their values. . . 

Northland Dairy Industry Award winners committed to meeting challenges :

The 2023 Northland Share Farmers of the Year have a passion for growing and breeding animals and are committed to meeting the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead in the dairy industry

Matthew & Kortne Snedden were named winners of the 2023 Northland Share Farmer of the Year at the region’s annual awards dinner held at Copthorne Hotel and Resort Bay of Islands in Waitangi on Wednesday night. The other major winner was the 2023 Northland Dairy Trainee of the Year Bill Hamilton.

Due to the impact of the adverse weather conditions in Northland, the last of Northland’s Dairy Manager entrants could not make judging and the category had to be cancelled for this year.

Matthew and Kortne placed third in the Northland Share Farmer category in 2019, while Matthew was named 2014 Northland Dairy Trainee of the Year. . . 

NZDA raises concerns over police’s proposed firearms licensing fee increase during cost of living crisis :

The New Zealand Deerstalkers Association (NZDA) is deeply concerned with the recent proposal by the Police to significantly increase firearms licensing fees.

The proposed fee hikes have the real potential to severely impact public safety, Aotearoa New Zealand’s conservation and biodiversity goals, and other community good outcomes, particularly in terms of our ability to educate firearms users in the safe handling and storage of firearms and ammunition.

Additionally, the proposed fees unfairly target lower-income recreational hunters and shooters, many of whom depend on hunting to provide food for their families, especially during the current cost of living crisis.

At the NZDA, we believe that the proposed fee increases will not necessarily improve safety and security of firearms in New Zealand, instead the fee hikes will be used to pay for high-paying government jobs in Wellington. . . 

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Rural round-up

30/01/2023

Southland contractors see ‘bumper season’ while parts of North Island suffer from wet season  – Sally Murphy :

Rural contractors in Southland cannot keep up with bumper grass growth, while those in parts of the North Island are having problems from the recent wet weather.

Southland has had a warm summer with consistent rain providing the perfect conditions for strong growth.

Southland Federated Farmers arable chair Sonya Dillon said farmers were happy to be out in the fields harvesting solid crops after a dry summer last year.

“We’ve been really lucky we’ve had a bumper season. It was a bit dull in November, which probably stole a bit of the yield, and now we are starting to get some dry patches, which has stolen some of the weight. . . 

Farm leaders are watching whether O’Connor keeps Agriculture as the climate lobby presses for methane action – Point of Order :

Farming leaders  are watching  closely  whether  Damien O’Connor keeps the key portfolios of Agriculture and Trade when Prime Minister Chris Hipkins  restructures his Cabinet.

O’Connor  has been one of the  few ministers during Labour’s term in office who has  won broad support for what he has done as minister, but  he  is now in his 65th year   and  the  heavy  load  he  has  carried  as minister  would have exhausted  any  but  the  fittest.

Hipkins  could be  under  pressure  from climate change lobby groups to put  a  new minister into  the Agriculture  role  to enforce tougher policies on reducing methane emissions from livestock  which make up nearly 40% of NZ’s total greenhouse gas emissions.

Only this week  lobby group Greenpeace said polling showed 61% of New Zealanders  favoured regulating the dairy industry to reduce  water contamination and greenhouse gas emissions.  Greenpeace spokesman Steve Abel said this is a significant increase from 48% in a similar poll only a year ago, in December 2021. . . 

Farming without a road – Joanna Grigg:

Farmers in parts of the Marlborough Sounds have been cut off from truck access for months and now rely on service by sea. Joanna Grigg reports.

Farms in the Marlborough sounds carry about 35,000 stock units, with six large farm businesses carrying a fair chunk.

Emma Hopkinson and her husband ‘Hoppy’ run 6000 stock units over three farms: the home farm at Kenepuru, a 20-year lease block at Titirangi and a smaller lease block at Waitaria Bay. She wants those making roading decisions to know these farms are productive and earn export dollars for New Zealand.

“Without truck access, our business is hugely affected,” Emma says. . . 

Biosecurity NZ launches campaign to stamp out wallaby populations –

Wallaby populations continue to grow in New Zealand, something which has prompted the launch of the first national awareness campaign.

The Tipu Mātoro: Wallaby-free Aotearoa is designed to shine a light on the extensive damage wallabies can wreak on the environment, asking Kiwis to report wallaby sightings.

John Walsh, Biosecurity New Zealand’s director of response says wallabies silently prey on the futures of forests and farms.

“We are working in partnership with regional councils, local iwi, farmers and landowners through Tipu Mātoro to manage and reduce populations, but we need everyone’s help.”

Leading US scientist to clear the air on methane and livestock – Sheep Central :

LIVESTOCK producers will have the air cleared on the measurement of methane in agriculture in a special lecture in Perth next month.

‘How well is methane calculated to determine livestock emissions?’ will be the topic for discussion at a public lecture in Perth and online next month by leading United States animal scientist and air quality specialist Professor Frank Mitloehner.

The professor from the University of California at Davis will speak on new methane accounting methods for agriculture and the and the climate neutral challenge.

The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) and the Western Australia Livestock Research Council are hosting Professor Mitloehner, who is director of the Clarity and Leadership for Environmental Awareness and Research (CLEAR) Centre. . . 

Take your pick from Seeka’s seasonal job variety :

Over 400 jobs are up grabs as this year’s Kiwifruit season takes off in Taitokerau, and there’s something for everyone.

Horticulture employer Seeka has collaborated with Ministry of Social Development (MSD) to deliver a series of job expos for the upcoming 2023 kiwifruit season.

Expo attendees will have the opportunity to speed interview for any one of these roles next month and walk away with a job, and a kete of information to support their employment.

New Zealand’s premier produce company has positions for forklift operators, graders, packers, and supervisors for the 2023 season. . . 

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Rural round-up

28/12/2022

Methane reduction discussion missing the mark – Neal Wallace:

New Zealand livestock farmers are being sold short by methane reduction policies that fail to acknowledge the role of methane sinks and that fossil fuels are increasing emissions of the greenhouse gas.

Scientists addressing an Ag@Otago webinar organised by the University of Otago group said virtually all NZ sheep and beef farmers and most dairy farmers would be carbon dioxide-equivalent neutral due to the naturally occurring element hydroxyl, which removes methane from the atmosphere.

Nature has and continues to provide methane sequestration, they say.

They also expressed doubts an effective methane vaccine for livestock will be developed because of the difficulties overcoming the complex biology of ruminant animals. . . .

Pricing farm emissions can’t lead to cuts in production – West Coast Council – Brendon McMahon:

The West Coast Regional Council has given “partial support” to some of the proposals under the government’s Pricing Agricultural Emissions document.

But it raises concerns about psycho-social, health and economic impacts on the region’s largely rural community.

“We are extremely concerned at the impact this proposal will have on our communities,” the submission for the council’s Resource Management Committee said.

Incentive payments to reduce emissions should not come from reduced production, or promoting different land use, the council said in one of ten key points the submission raised. . . 

New RMA signals huge change for food and fibre production  :

“Changing the resource management framework is inter-generational change and it is needed. What’s not needed is more restriction, more compliance, and more uncertainty,” says Chief Executive of IrrigationNZ Vanessa Winning.

“The Natural and Built Environment (NBE) Bill, which has been introduced to Parliament to replace the Resource Management Act, will impact the entire food and fibre sector; every grower, farmer, harvester, and producer – particularly as it relates to water use.

“We agree on the importance of restoring and protecting our precious natural resources. We also believe that this can be done while enabling the careful use of water to underpin reliability and flexibility needed for our growers and farmers as they continue to reduce their production impact and emissions profile. Reliable water is the biggest enabler to lower emissions land use.

“We are worried the NBE Bill will lead to more uncertainty and more unnecessary compliance for water users involved in food and fibre production, and as a result that it will inhibit positive change, rather than enable it. .. 

Northland weather goes nuts – peanut trial impacted due to extreme wet :

The planting of Year 2 of the Northland Peanut Trials has been impacted by the ongoing wet weather soaking the region over the past three months.

Of the eight planned sites, three of the four Far North sites were planted, with two being successful. Unfortunately, one crop planted on heavier soil failed to germinate as a result of the wetter conditions. None of the four sites across the Kaipara were planted due to continual saturated soil conditions. In total, 0.51 hectares of trial crops were successfully planted.

Like many of Northland’s growers, crops have been severely impacted by heavy rain creating soil conditions too damp to successfully plant in, resulting in less than one quarter of the planned 4.03 hectares of peanut crops being planted.

Northland Inc Project Manager, Greg Hall, says: . . 

Synlait Milk confirms full-year underlying profit outlook :

Synlait Milk has confirmed its full-year underlying profit outlook, but the half-year result has been hit by rising costs.

The company previously announced it expected underlying profit for the year ending July to be similar to 2021, which was s $37.3 million.

Delayed shipments of ingredient products resulted in about a 45 percent drop in sales volumes in the first four months of the financial year ending in July, but had since returned to near normal.

In addition to supply chain issues, Synlait Milk’s investment in technology and inflation added to costs. . . 

Summer fruit season starts well :

The summerfruit season has started well, with plenty of high-quality fruit available and the workforce to pick it.

‘Cherry, nectarine, peach and other summerfruit growers are reporting a positive start to the 2022-2023 season,’ says Summerfruit New Zealand Chief Executive, Kate Hellstrom.

‘Fruit quality is good plus there are more people than last year available to pick the fruit. This is due to the attraction and retention campaigns that the industry has been running for the past few years, and the fact it is easier to enter New Zealand now our borders have been freed up.

‘Having enough people to pick and pack is vital. There is nothing worse for a grower than fruit being left on trees and going to waste, which is the situation some of our growers have been in, in recent years.’ . . .

 

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Rural round-up

28/09/2022

Research set to improve safety over calving – Bronwyn Wilson:

Research into sprain and strain injuries over calving has identified some simple ways farmers can reduce injuries on dairy farms.

The three-year DairyNZ project, funded in partnership with ACC’s Workplace Injury Prevention programme, is researching the causes of sprains and strains on dairy farms – and developing practical solutions to reduce injuries.

“Around 40 percent of injuries on dairy farms are sprains and strains, with the highest risk from August to October. As calving progresses, fatigue can set in and increase injuries,” says DairyNZ senior scientist and research lead, Dr Callum Eastwood.

As part of the Reducing Sprains and Strains project, 370 farmers were surveyed on how they managed health and safety, and whether injuries had occurred. . .

Mycoplasma bovis Mid Canterbury update – enhanced biosecurity measures in the Wakanui area :

Beef + Lamb New Zealand, alongside DairyNZ and the Ministry for Primary Industries, is a partner in the Mycoplasma bovis (M. bovis) eradication programme.

The M. bovis programme is now targeting the remaining known pocket of confirmed infection with depopulation starting on a mid-Canterbury feedlot in Wakanui and strict new biosecurity measures for the surrounding area.

Although further detections across the country are possible in future, the only properties known to have infected cattle are located in this small area, where there are three Confirmed Properties, including the feedlot.

M. bovis is known to be most commonly spread via direct contact between infected and uninfected cattle. However, despite recent thorough investigations, the programme has been unable to confirm the pathway(s) by which disease has been spreading in this area. . .

Gisborne drone spraying trial deemed a success – Hamish Barwick:

Gisborne based vegetable grower LeaderBrand recently trialled the use of drones for spraying at its Makauri Farm with positive results.   

LeaderBrand research agronomist Chris Lambert said the trial took place over three months during winter, an ideal time as the ground was too wet to operate a tractor on.

“We wanted to manage our weeds in winter. Rather than spray over a wide area, which is a big waste of chemicals, the drone was able to target weed clumps.”  

He said the advantage of drones is that they don’t compact soil like tractors do and they’re also more agile than helicopters. . . 

High-tech strawberry farm aims high in Foxton – Country Life:

Slip behind a bee-proof mesh curtain in an old Foxton factory building and a sweet surprise awaits.

“Welcome to our secret laboratory,” Matthew Keltie says.

Under the bluish glow of the high-tech lights, pops of red catch the eye.

A bee buzzes past and quiet music overlays the faint gurgle of nutrients swishing through tubes. . . 

Meryn Whitehead wins 2022 Young Grower of the Year national final :

Meryn Whitehead, a 28-year-old supervisor at Vailima Orchards, has won the national title of 2022 Young Grower of the Year, held in Nelson.

“It is a real privilege to be named the winner of this year’s competition, especially given the impressive talent on display,” says Meryn.

Meryn was one of six contestants that vied for the grand title in a series of practical and theoretical horticulture modules across two-days. The competition encourages young people to take up a career in horticulture as well as celebrating their success in the industry.

Despite being Meryn’s second year entering the competition, she says the experience has been nonetheless valuable. . . 

Proposed Bill would support wine tourism in New Zealand :

New Zealand Winegrowers is thrilled the Sale and Supply of Alcohol (Cellar Door Tasting) Amendment Bill, proposed by Stuart Smith MP, has been drawn from the Member’s Bill Ballot today.

New Zealand Winegrowers has had longstanding concerns about aspects of the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act as they apply to winery cellar doors. This Bill would help to address some of our key concerns for wineries.

We congratulate Stuart Smith MP on having this Bill drawn from the ballot. As the Member of Parliament for New Zealand’s largest wine region, he understands first-hand the importance of this proposal.

Winery cellar doors are an important part of wine tourism, yet the current legislation does not permit wineries holding an off-licence to charge for tastings. “The current legislation is out of date,” says Philip Gregan, CEO of New Zealand Winegrowers. “It either forces wineries to give wine away for free, or forces them to go through significant cost and time to acquire and maintain a separate on-licence.” . . 

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Rural round-up

07/06/2022

Why this is not the time for government to be heaping regulatory costs on farmers and requiring a culling of the dairy herd – Point of Order:

On-farm inflation is at its highest level in almost 40 years, according to Beef + Lamb NZ’s Economic Service, and costs are expected to increase.  Meanwhile Federated  Farmers  says farmers’ satisfaction with their banks is relatively stable but more are feeling under pressure and the costs of finance are rising.

“Inflation is putting many New Zealanders and businesses under pressure, and our food producers are no different,” Feds President and economic spokesperson Andrew Hoggard says.

While Consumer Price Index (CPI) data has the annual inflation rate at 6.9%, the latest on-farm inflation rate has hit 10.2%  – the highest it’s been since 1985-86 (13.2%).

B+LNZ is concerned increasing regulatory requirements from the Government, such as freshwater and biodiversity rules, will stretch farmers even further. . . 

Another solid season looms – Rural News:

 Given what’s happening around the world, New Zealand dairy farmers are on to a pretty good thing with its internationally envied farming system.

A record milk price this season and another solid opening forecast for the new season bodes well for farmers’ income.

Dairy demand is still quite strong and supply remains constrained globally, especially in the US and Europe.

However, there are some short-term challenges: Covid, China’s most recent lockdowns and the unrest in Sri Lanka – a key market for Fonterra milk powder. . .

Tough conditions produce good stock – Shawn McAvinue:

Extreme weather conditions on a high-country station in the Maniototo allow for the best breeding of Charolais cattle in the country, Glen Ayr Station manager Drew Dundass says.

“The cream rises to the top.”

More than 80 people attended the 28th annual Taiaroa & Cotswold Charolais Bull Sale on Glen Ayr Station in Paerau Valley last week.

Of the 28 bulls on offer, 26 sold for an average of $6392, and the top price was $11,500. . . 

Queen’s Birthday honours unofficial mayor of Tarata gets official – Ilona Hanne:

He’s the unofficial mayor of Tarata, and now Bryan Hocken is officially a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM).

Bryan was made an MNZM in the Queen’s Birthday and Platinum Jubilee Honours List 2022, for services to agriculture and the rural community.

Announced on Monday, June 6, it’s an honour he describes as having left him “blown away”.

“I wasn’t expecting it. When I saw the email telling me, I just couldn’t believe it.” . . 

Tea Estate back on the boil – Sudesh Kissun:

New Zealand’s only tea farm is back on the boil.

The 48ha Zealong Tea Estate, near Hamilton, is preparing to welcome back local and international visitors after a two-year hiatus.

Home to 1.2 million tea plants, Zealong is the world’s largest internationally certified organic tea estate. It has a philosophy of enhancing the soil quality using carefully managed organic farm practices.

General manager Sen Kong says the company is excited to start welcoming visitors back after a challenging two years. . . 

RSPCA state New Zealand is judged to have higher welfare than UK – John Sleigh:

Flying largely in the face of what is perceived in the UK, New Zealand is the one country globally that can be judged to have better farm animal welfare standards than the UK – that’s according to animal protection body, the RSCPA.

Animal welfare has been put in the spotlight as the UK and New Zealand thrash out a potential Free Trade Agreement, where it is proposed traded food products must be produced to similar standards. UK opponents have been using the welfare issue as a potential block, citing better standards in the UK.

However, when giving evidence to Westminster’s International Agreements Committee, the RSCPA stated: “New Zealand is the only country with whom the UK is negotiating a Free Trade Agreement where there is broad equivalence on animal welfare standards. In some areas, New Zealand’s farm standards are above the UK’s.”

The RSPCA lists non-stun slaughter, increased lameness in sheep, legal live exports and poorer access to the outdoors for dairy cattle as areas where the UK lags behind on welfare. Whilst in other areas, the charity stated that the UK was ahead of New Zealand with our ban on sow stalls, more free range hens and henhouse cleanliness rules. . . 

 

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Rural round-up

05/11/2021

Hey Glasgow we’re way ahead of you :

Federated Farmers believes Climate Change Minister James Shaw should not hesitate to sign the global commitment to reduce methane by 30% by 2030, because New Zealand is already playing its part and working hard to become even better.

The pledge, signed by more than 100 countries, is a commitment to work together to collectively reduce global anthropogenic methane emissions across all sectors by at least 30 percent below 2020 levels by 2030.

The pledge does not mean that New Zealand must or should increase our current domestic 10% by 2030 biogenic methane reduction target, which already goes well beyond what is required for the GHG to achieve warming neutrality.

The pledge is clear in recognising that the mitigation potential in different sectors varies between countries and regions, and that the energy sector has the greatest potential for targeted mitigation by 2030. . . 

Farmers are making good money from milk but they should brace to meet commitment to reduce the methane – Point of Order:

A surge in  prices  at the latest  Fonterra global  dairy  auction once  again underlines  how  New Zealand’s dairy  industry  is the  backbone of  the  country’s export economy.  At  the level they  have  reached, dairy farmers  can  look  to  a  record  payout    this  season  from  Fonterra.

Overall,  prices rose 4.3% in  US dollars, and, better  still, 5.1% in NZ$. Star  of the  show  was  the  cheddar  cheese  price, which shot up  14%,  with other  foodservice products also  strong.

The average price for whole milk powder, which has the most impact on what farmers are paid, lifted 2.7% to US$3921 (NZ$5408) a tonne, prompting speculation it will push through US$4000/t.

A  record  payout  is  already  mooted  by  some some  economists  in  the agricultural  sector. Above  $8.80kg/MS, it might  dispel  the  gloom  being  cast across the industry  by Cop26, where the  focus has  shifted to the  need  to  cut methane  emissions. . . 

Food security needs certainty :

The Government must act now to ensure New Zealand growers have certainty in how Covid will handled, says National’s Horticulture spokesperson David Bennett.

“We are indebted to our growers and producers that provide the food security our country needs at this time.

“But Covid is here and it will inevitably impact essential services such as growers. . . 

Kit Arkwright appointed chief executive of Beef and Lamb New Zealand Inc,:

Beef + Lamb New Zealand Inc (BLNZ Inc) has appointed Kit Arkwright as the organisation’s new chief executive.

Mr Arkwright, who has been fulfilling the role of acting CEO during the recruitment process, has been with the organisation since 2017, most recently as General Manager – Marketing.

Prior to working for BLNZ Inc, he worked in the UK for Great British Racing – the central promotional body for the British horseracing industry – tasked with marketing the sport to the British public.

He succeeds Rod Slater, who retired earlier in the year after 27 years in the role. . . 

Horticulture students place in top three in international food marketing challenge :

Two teams of high-flying university students from Massey and Lincoln Universities have placed in the final three in the recent International Food Marketing Challenge.

The Lincoln University team, consisting of Grace Moscrip, Grace Mainwaring, Kate Sims and Emma Ritchie, came in third place. The Massey University team, consisting of Dylan Hall, Sre Lakshmi Gaythri Rathakrishna, George Hyauiason and Reuben Dods came in second place.

Massey student Sre Lakshmi Gaythri, who’s in her final year of her Agricommerce degree, says this year’s competition was essential for putting her learning into practice.

“It was a great way to challenge ourselves to learn about the structure of the agricultural industry in the US, working on the challenge problem and coming up with solutions all within a short period of time,” says Sre. . . 

Secure water supply offers exciting opportunities in Northland :

The new Kaipara water scheme now underway offers the opportunity to tap into this Northland farm’s horticultural potential. This Te Kopuru property provides a chance to secure an investment in a green field site with secure water access for high value horticulture, offering scale and superior soil types in a highly desired location.

Learn more about how the Te Tai Tokerau water storage project will transform Northland into a horticulture hub for high value crops – www.taitokerauwater.com

Horticultural investors looking beyond the Bay of Plenty for horticultural land with scale and water security can invest in a large Northland property offering excellent growing conditions. . . 

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Rural round-up

17/10/2021

‘Reality hasn’t hit’: Concern at low vaccine rate in rural Southland – Matthew Rosenberg:

As vaccine data rolls in for the backblocks of rural Southland, Jo Sanford says she feels concerned.

The Tūātapere Medical Centre practice manager is entrusted with trying to get as much of her community vaccinated as possible, but numbers remain low for much of rural Southland.

A lot of people have already made up their mind, she says, and despite her practice going the extra mile by calling patients, many won’t be moved.

Her concerns are pieces of a familiar mosaic: there is a growing divide between vaccination rates in urban and rural areas. And in Southland, a district that sprawls out into some of the most remote sections of the country, the theme holds true. . . 

Follow the leader – Rural News:

For a small milk processor, Tatua has been punching above its weight for many years.

Every year, towards the end of September the co-operative comes out with its annual results.

And every year it receives applause for showing the rest of New Zealand processors, including the world’s sixth largest milk dairy company Fonterra, a clean pair of heels when it comes to the final milk price for the previous season.

This year has been no exception. On September 30th, the Tatua board met to finalise its accounts for 2020-21 season. And, as is the tradition, Tatua chair Steve Allen and his board members then rang each shareholder to relay the good news. . . 

Avocado prices tumble, everyone’s going to run at a loss this year – Maja Burry:

Avocado growers are having a tough run this season, with large volumes of fruit coupled with weaker than usual demand pushing down returns.

The industry group New Zealand Avocado said less product was being exported to Australia because of an oversupply there of locally grown avocados, while in New Zealand Covid-19 lockdown restrictions had dented sales to restaurants and cafes.

Bay of Plenty grower Hugh Moore described the situation as a “perfect storm”. Another challenge for exporters was Covid-19 related freight delays and higher shipping costs, which made reaching markets in Asia harder than usual, he said. . .

Commission releases draft report on Fonterra’s 2021-22 milk price manual:

Today, the Commerce Commission invited submissions on the draft report on its annual review of Fonterra’s Base Milk Price Manual for the 2021/22 dairy season. The Manual describes the methodology used by Fonterra to calculate its base milk price – the amount farmers receive from Fonterra for each kilogram of milk solids in a dairy season.

Our preliminary conclusion is that the Manual is consistent with both the efficiency and contestability dimensions of the purpose of the base milk price monitoring regime, with the exception of the rule for the asset beta. We now consider that a number of issues from previous years have been resolved and there is more transparency overall as a result of changes by Fonterra. . .

 

Sam Neill puts acclaimed Gibbston vineyard up for sale:

Renowned Kiwi actor Sam Neill is selling his Gibbston vineyard as he looks to grow his acclaimed Two Paddocks winery, presenting an outstanding lifestyle and income opportunity for a new owner.

Nestled in the heart of the celebrated Gibbston winegrowing district, The First Paddock is a certified organic vineyard in a stunning rural Otago setting, only 25 minutes from Queenstown.

The 8.33ha property boasts 4.6ha of pinot noir vines, plus 3.2ha of additional land that could be planted or developed to provide an idyllic Gibbston lifestyle. . .

Melrose Station offers fantastic finishing country :

The rare opportunity to purchase quality finishing country in Hawke’s Bay has presented itself, with Melrose Station’s subdivision opening up 390ha of quality land that lends itself well to intensive livestock farming.

Bayleys Hawke’s Bay salesperson Tony Rasmussen says with the back portion of Melrose already sold and committed to forestry, the station’s easier front country represents the best of what the district can offer. Its free draining productive soils have been accentuated by the property’s careful fertiliser plan across well farmed, easy country lending itself well to cultivation.

In the four years the present owners have had the property they have capitalised on some good seasons’ income, investing significantly back into the property. . . 

 

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Rural round-up

06/10/2021

Keeping sheep out of the sunset – Paul Burt:

With more than 30 years of sheep farming behind him, Paul Burt hopes to see a halt in the decline of the industry.

When you stick at something long enough you witness a world of change. In 1988 farms were relatively cheap (ridiculously so in hindsight) but with interest rates at 20% my brother and I didn’t have enough capital to make the risk worth taking. 

Lamb prices were depressed but we saw an opportunity in a big lease block and tendered for it on the basis of an all-wool, low-input policy. Shearing costs were 10% of the value of a full fleece. We made the shortlist but eventually missed out. The ROR was potentially very good but it’s crystal ball gazing to guess where a successful bid might have taken us.

It wasn’t too many years after that I attended a presentation about the economic potential for keratin powder made by reducing wool fibre to it’s base components. It was a surprise to see in last weeks’ press, the process being reclaimed as a breakthrough.  . . 

North Otago farmer positive about region – Sally Rae:

North Otago Sustainable Land Management’s long-serving chairman Peter Mitchell recently stood down from the position. He talks to rural editor Sally Rae about why he is so passionate about farming in the district.

For 150 years, North Otago has provided opportunities for the Mitchell family with their farming business.

The current generation actively farming Rosedale, near Weston, are Peter and Sandra Mitchell, who were joined several years ago by Henry, one of their two sixth-generation sons.

“We’ve had a wonderful run really when you look back on it, on the farming side of things, a lot of family involvement,” Peter Mitchell said. . . 

Finding the winners – Rebecca Greaves:

Analysing data to find the winners, whether it’s selecting sires or identifying trends, appeals to Emma Pettigrew’s competitive side.

She’s relishing her new role as research and development manager at Wairarapa sheep stud, Wairere, where she has been working since October last year.

Her role is primarily data analysis and administration, but she can be called on to help out on farm at busy times, which suits her just fine.

Stud breeding has always been part of life for Emma, 28, who grew up on farms in the Pohangina Valley and Kimbolton, in the Manawatu. . .

From honeymoon to dairy farming – Valu Maka:

Dairy Women’s Network member Lauren Badcock traded a career in law for greener pastures.

Alongside husband Ollie, the pair moved to New Zealand from the United Kingdom in 2018.

‘‘We gave up our jobs in the UK and came to New Zealand for our honeymoon and we didn’t go back home.

‘‘I got a job with Ollie on the farm and I haven’t really looked back.’’ . . 

Connected Farms New Zealand launch innovative ZOLEO device to address lone-worker safety concerns :

Connected Farms New Zealand Launch Innovative ZOLEO Device to Address Lone-Worker Safety Concerns.

In 2020, there were 22,796 farm-related injury claims accepted by ACC. That’s over 60 incidents a day, taking a huge toll on farms, families, and the rural community whenever a farm worker is hurt on the job. Today, Connected Farms New Zealand is launching ZOLEO Satellite Communicator, a farm safety device designed to transform the way rural communities approach on-farm connectivity and safety. Now, tens of thousands of NZ farmers across all farm types can remain accessible, connected, and safe regardless of how isolated they are, with the ZOLEO device.

Operating on the Iridium network, ZOLEO Satellite Communicator facilitates 2-way communication from anywhere including the highest, remotest high-country station. This multi-award winning product is easy and intuitive to use with a familiar messaging experience when integrated with smartphones, improving remote communications simply and effectively. This allows farmers and lone-workers to check-in to let others know they’re ok, or get help quickly and easily, even outside of mobile phone range. . .

Entries open for refreshed NZDIA programme:

Entries are now open and excitement is high for the refreshed 2022 New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards (NZDIA) programme, which gives New Zealand dairy farmers the opportunity to challenge themselves, earn a regional or national title and to share in substantial regional and national prize pools.

All three categories have been refreshed and revamped, after months of consultation, feedback and discussion.

Entries can be made via www.dairyindustryawards.co.nz with full details of the changes available there also.

NZDIA General Manager Robin Congdon says it’s very important that the Awards programme remains relevant and that issues raised in feedback were addressed. . . 

 

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Rural round-up

28/09/2021

Fear forestry conversions impacting farming communities – Shawn McAvinue:

A Swiss company has been given consent to buy a nearly 500ha farm in South Otago for forestry conversion.

The Overseas Investment Office has approved the sale of the farm in Hillend, about 20km north of Balclutha, to 100% Switzerland-owned company Corisol New Zealand Ltd.

Corisol paid the vendors — Alistair Lovett, Mark Tavendale and A R Lovett Trustees — $4.8million for the farm, which in the consent was described as a breeding and finishing unit.

The consent states Corisol intends to subdivide and sell about 71ha of land and its dwellings and covert about 400ha to commercial forestry. . . 

Charity funding rural counselling – Mary-Jo Tohill:

It is something of a misnomer to think because farmers are used to isolation, that things such as lockdowns do not affect them the same as other people.

“I think this would be particularly true of South Island farmers,” Will to Live founder Elle Perriam said.

Her mental health charity has just launched the RuralChange initiative to fund counselling sessions for rural people of all ages.

Ms Perriam did a Young Farmers online event recently with well-known farming personalities Tangaroa Walker (Farm4Life) and Kane Briscoe (FarmFitNZ). . . 

 

The schemes and drams over reducing cow methane – The Detail:

Millions of dollars is being spent on getting cows and sheep to produce less gas.

The projects in train range from genetics experiments, using seaweed in burp-free feed, and toilet-training cows. Some of it sounds ridiculous – but the animals produce methane, and New Zealand must do something urgently on reducing the amounts our agricultural industry is contributing to global warming.

Farmers argue that the country’s sheep and cows are the lowest methane emitters in the world but nearly half our total greenhouse gas emissions come from agriculture.

These schemes are aimed at doing enough to get farms to our targets – by 2030 biogenic methane emissions should be cut by 10 percent on 2017 levels. By 2050 the goal is for methane emissions to be 24 to 47 percent lower than they were in 2017. . . 

Technology behind Covid wastewater testing helping farmers identify disease in herd :

A new test detects whether the bacteria responsible for Johne’s disease is present in a farm’s effluent wastewater.

The same technology used to detect Covid-19 in wastewater is now being used to help dairy farmers manage Johne’s disease in their herd, a contagious infection estimated to cost New Zealand more than $40 million in lost production each year.

Johne’s disease is caused by a bacterium which infects the gut of dairy cows and other ruminant animals. Common side effects include lower milk production, difficulty reproducing and rapid weight loss. . . 

Synlait Milk reports ‘largest ever’ loss of $28.5m :

South Island dairy company Synlait Milk has posted its forecast loss as it was hit by disruptions for its major customer, but predicted a return to “robust” profitability this year.

Key financial highlights

(compared to previous financial year)

  • Net loss $28.5m vs profit $74.3m
  • Revenue $1.37bn vs $1.30bn
  • Full year payout $7.82 vs $7.30
  • Forecast 2022 payout $8.00/kilo of milk solids

Synlait’s loss was at the top end of its forecast range of $20m-$30m as it bore the cost of sharp fall in orders for infant formula from its major customer A2 Milk.

Huge boost for local growers as Genoese Pesto moves to source all basil in NZ:

New Zealand’s number one pesto retail brand has moved to source all its basil onshore, exponentially increasing the basil-growing industry and helping sustain it through the challenge of COVID-19 Lockdowns as well as boosting the local economy.

Genoese Pesto, based in Horowhenua, had until recently obtained all the fresh basil that went into their award-winning products from Fiji, having anywhere from a few hundred kilograms to a tonne per week flown in.

However, issues around supply continuity, freight costs, biosecurity, and a concern for the environmental impact of the air miles involved led Genoese to find a New Zealand grower, securing a contract with Southern Fresh Foods in Cambridge, Waikato.

Genoese Pesto co-owner Andrew Parkin says they had been maxing out the volume of supply from the farm the business owned in Fiji, and when the first COVID-19 lockdowns occurred, they knew they needed to look for the security of supply here in New Zealand. . . 

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Rural round-up

14/09/2021

What sounds good may not be – Jacqueline Rowarth:

 “The carbon market is based on the lack of delivery of an invisible substance to no one.”

This was investigative journalist Mark Schapiro’s description in a 2010 article in Harper’s Magazine, under the title of ‘Conning the climate’. The problem? The lack of ability to verify what was going on.

This, he explained, contrasts with traditional commodities, which must be delivered to someone in physical form. Schapiro avoided ‘the emperor has no clothes’ analogy but indicated that the people benefitting from the trading game were auditing companies who weren’t always employing appropriate people. He used the terms ‘flawed, inadequate, and overall failure to assign assessors with the proper technical skills’.

There are lessons in this for New Zealand. . . 

Industry withers in spring as strict lockdown rules bite:

The commercial flower industry is being left out in the cold in this latest lockdown. It’s an industry that can’t close its doors and get a wage subsidy to pay its staff. It’s a constant process of planting, toil and regeneration, National’s Horticulture spokesperson David Bennett says.

“Commercial growers are unable to send their products to market despite sales channels being open to other products. One grower told me they can buy ‘donuts and alcohol, but not flowers’.

“Horticulturists have been selfless and patient in complying with lockdowns like other New Zealanders. However, they do expect a fair playing field where they can undertake contactless delivery with consumers and other essential service retailers. . .

Latest lift in auction prices is an encouraging sign for the fortunes of dairy farmers – Point of Order:

The good  news   was  running  in  favour  of  New Zealand’s  meat  producers early this week.  Today it is running in  favour  of our  dairy  farmers.

The  first  Fonterra  global  dairy  trade  auction in  three weeks  had  the  most  bidders  in  a  year and  charted  prices  on   a  rising  trend,  confirming  the  firm  tone  at the  previous  event   was  not  a  one-off.

The global dairy trade price index posted its biggest increase since early March, when it jumped 15%.

The key WMP product rose 3.3%, SMP was up 7.3% and both butter and cheese each rose almost 4%. Prices rose 4% overall in USD terms, although they were only up 1.2% in NZD terms, held back by a firming currency. . . .

Council’s waste plan puts Manawatū food production at risk – Emma Hatton:

Landowners in Manawatū are anxious their plots will be swept up in plans for the country’s largest-ever wastewater to land treatment system.

Productive land is caught up in the Palmerston North City Council’s proposal to discharge treated wastewater onto between 760 and 2000 hectares, instead of primarily into the Manawatū River.

Peter Wells’ family has been on the land since 1884. He and his wife run a farm and a wedding business on it.

“We would likely be included in the 760, certainly in the 2000. . . 

MPI expecting small number of M bovis infections this spring – Maja Burry:

More cases of the cattle disease M bovis are expected this spring, with bulk tank milk testing last month picking up 61 farms requiring further investigation.

The government has been working to eradicate Mycoplasma bovis since 2018. As part of that work, so far 172,000 cattle from 268 farms have been culled and $209.4 million has been paid in compensation to affected farmers.

Figures from the Ministry for Primary Industries show at moment there are just two farms, both in Canterbury, actively infected with M bovis.

MPI’s director of the M bovis eradication programme Stuart Anderson said it wouldn’t be surprised to see a small number of new cases this spring. . .

Orphan lamb rearing with Kerry Harmer –

Kerry Harmer and her husband Paul farm Castleridge Station in the Ashburton Gorge and were concerned about the economic loss associated with lamb wastage, as well as the animal welfare implications.

Determined to address the issue, the couple have set up a lamb-rearing system – which includes automatic feeders – that minimises lamb losses and generates a profit of $50/head (including labour costs).

Kerry was a popular presenter on Beef + Lamb New Zealand’s Ladies’ Virtual Muster and joins Regional Associate Briar Huggett to discuss the Harmers’ journey and tips and tricks she has for other lamb rearers. . .

CSIRO, governments and industry put $150m into farm sector research – Kath Sullivan:

Increased exports, drought mitigation and new foods are at the centre of $150 million in research spending by governments and Australia’s farming industry.

It is hoped that the CSIRO-led research will help generate an additional $20 billion of value for Australia’s farm sector by the 2030.

CSIRO has committed an initial $79 million, with governments and industry kicking in $71 million, to fund the five-year research program, which will involve three key “missions”.

“We’ve decided to really focus our efforts on three big challenges that we think are existential for farming in Australia,” CSIRO agriculture and food deputy director Michael Robertson said. . . 

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Rural round-up

23/07/2021

Urban dwellers lack of knowledge of the work farmers do for the environment distressing – Jacqueline Rowarth:

A rat race is an endless, self-defeating, or pointless pursuit. The term was coined in the early 1930s, but in Alice Through the Looking Glass, published in the early 1870s, Lewis Carroll had the Red Queen tell Alice that “here it takes all the running you can do to keep in the same place. If you want to get somewhere else, you must run twice as fast as that”.

That is the point of the “howl of a protest” that was made by the convoy of tractors, utes and dogs last week.

Farmers were expressing frustration at the deluge of regulations and paperwork.

The work they do for the environment is being overlooked. . . 

Full of pride for mother in ute with dogs – Anna Campbell:

Climate change is a global problem, a problem shared and a problem far bigger than New Zealand politics.

Climate change is a problem that the majority of farmers recognise, one in which many are adapting to daily in dealing with the increasing numbers of droughts and floods. Farmers are improving their environments by changing their farming practices, whether that be fencing waterways, developing Land and Environmental Plans, planting trees or altering winter grazing practices. Change on-farm is happening at a significant scale across the country.

On Friday morning, I was worried about the Groundswell farmer protest, I was worried that it would look like farmers were trying to shirk their responsibility and avoid change, despite what they are already doing and despite their plans for doing more. I was worried farmers would look like rednecks and I was worried about the ever-increasing rural-urban chasm. Let’s not call this a divide any more.

On Friday, I apprehensively left my centrally heated office to stand in the Octagon and lend my support to the protest — who knew Otago had so many farmers? . . 

This might have been our first successful farmer protest – Craig Hickman:

I’ve never made a secret of the fact I’m no fan of farmer protests; there had never been a successful one in my living memory and there has been a tendency recently for them to backfire and paint farmers in a bad light, usually as ignorant racist misogynists.

People fondly recall Shane Ardern driving his tractor up the steps of Parliament in 2003 to defeat the proposed “Fart Tax”. They point to this as an example of a resounding success.

I don’t know how you measure success, and sure the Government of the day appeared to back down, but there’s the small issue that the protest didn’t actually work. While farmers weren’t asked to pay for emissions research via taxation, our industry bodies agreed to pay for it via levies instead, with the Government reserving the right to reconsider the tax should payments ever stop.

Not only is it difficult to measure whether a protest has been successful, they can be harmful too. . .

Grimes’ grouches with the effects of govt policies on Kiwis’ wellbeing may sting more than the Groundswell protest – Point of Order:

The  Ardern  government may  have been  stirred,  but  it  wasn’t  shaken,    by  the  nationwide protest  by  farmers  last  Friday.  And no matter how  far  the protest may have  turned   heads   in  the  rest  of  the  population,   it  leaves  farmers  no  further   advanced  in  persuading  ministers  to  modify  or  revise  the  policies  which  their  action targeted.

So  if  ministers  won’t  back  down  on their  environmental reforms or their climate change  policies,  where   can  the  farmers  go?  Parade  through  Wellington  to  Parliament?   Mount a 24-hour  vigil  in  Parliament  Grounds?

So  far  there has  been   silence  from the  originators   of  the   Groundswell  and if  there  is  a  new  sense of  unity  in  the  rural regions,   it   has yet  to  be  channelled into the  kind  of  pressure that   automatically  achieves  change. . . 

The little-known world of sheep and beef by-products and co-products:

There’s more to beef and lamb than steaks and Sunday Roasts

When you think about meat processing it would be no surprise that the first output you thought about, was food. But what happens to the rest of the carcass? The parts that are not suitable or desired for consumption? That is where byproducts and co-products come in.

Referred to in the industry as the ‘fifth quarter’ co-products (materials intended for human consumption) and byproducts (materials that can be edible and non-edible) are valuable and account for over half of a carcass. These co-products extract maximum value and minimise waste.

With new technology and innovation, the use and application of co-products are constantly developing across a range of industries. Where once tallow was used for soap and candle making, now it is being converted to create a biofuel that burns cleaner and reduces emissions. . . 

Talk of the Town: How country mums are using social media to shift from the good paddock – Samantha Townsend:

Mum, I don’t want to be mean but I reckon that (weight loss program) will really benefit you. You are like really beautiful but you have a big bottom”.

That’s what my eight-year-old daughter told me at the start of this year while watching television one night.

Now I’ve certainly been in a good paddock and I can’t blame my kids anymore, it’s been six years since nappies.

But it made me think about the power of advertising and social media, and how it influences our lives these days. . .

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Rural round-up

27/03/2021

Kill rate sparks breeding flock concern – Neal Wallace:

A high mutton kill has commentators worried the country’s core ewe breeding flock could take a sharp fall.

AgriHQ senior analyst Mel Croad says 3.1 million ewes were forecast to be killed this year, but up to February 13 – 19 weeks into the season – the kill was well on the way, sitting at 2.2m.

The five-year average kill for the remaining 33 weeks of the season is nearly 1.5m, potentially pushing this year’s ewe kill to about 3.7m.

Croad believes some farmers are looking at the capital tied up in breeding flocks and looking for less financial risk. . . 

Meat man’s mission ending – Sudesh Kissun:

It was around 27 years ago when Rod Slater agreed to step in as interim chief executive of Beef + Lamb New Zealand (B+LNZ).

He recalls getting a call from then-chairman Dennis Denton, who was worried about the future of the organisation. The chief executive had “gone AWOL” and things were looking dire.

Slater, then a board member of B+LNZ, had just sold out of Mad Butcher, the iconic NZ chain he had started with Sir Peter Leitch.

Slater told Rural News that was happy to help bail out B+LNZ. . .

Mid-Canterbury sheep milking business looks to expand – Maja Burry:

A Mid Canterbury sheep milking business is looking to establish itself as a major player in local industry with plans to take on more than 20 farmer suppliers over the next three years.

Matt and Tracey Jones from Sheep Milk New Zealand began commercial milking in 2019. As well as selling raw milk to other producers, they have developed their own fresh milk product range Jones Family Farm and a skin care range Sabelle.

Matt Jones said at the moment it had two farmer suppliers, but it would be taking on five more this coming season and 17 more were lined up for the season after.

“We’re building more processing facilities for that … because someone’s got to buy the milk and we’ve got to process it and sell it.” . . 

Millions of South Canterbury sunflowers heading for bottling plant – Eleisha Foon:

It’s hard not to miss the bright sea of yellow which turns heads just south of Timaru on State Highway 1.

Millions of sunflowers on a South Canterbury farm, are just weeks away from harvest.

Row upon row, standing two feet tall, they’re past their best now and are beginning to sag.

By next month the sunflower seeds will be processed into cooking oil, making it one of New Zealand’s only locally grown sunflower oil – soon to be ready for the domestic market. . . 

HortNZ welcomes Govt’s moves to improve housing supply – but not on highly productive land:

HortNZ says the Government’s latest moves to improve housing supply are welcome but the new houses must not be built on highly productive land used for vegetable or fruit growing.

‘Every New Zealander deserves a house just like every New Zealander deserves fresh, healthy locally grown vegetables and fruit,’ says HortNZ Chief Executive Mike Chapman.

‘We can have both but current policy settings favour housing over food security, and keeping New Zealand’s most highly productive soils safe from urban creep.

‘In August 2019, the Government launched its draft National Policy Statement on Highly Productive Land. This was at an event attended by two Government Ministers in Pukekohe, where some of the greatest pressures are. . . 

Actress Antonia Prebble joins Spring Sheep Milk Co to launch toddler milk:

Actress and mum to 20-month-old Freddie, Antonia Prebble is delighted to be helping introduce New Zealand to a brand-new source of toddler nutrition. Antonia is working with Kiwi company Spring Sheep Milk Co. as it launches its new premium Gentle Sheep Toddler Milk Drink, a product made with grass-fed New Zealand sheep milk.

Antonia was drawn to Spring Sheep Milk Co.’s gentle approach to nutrition for Kiwi toddlers and the rich nutritional and digestive benefits of sheep milk.

“I am really mindful when it comes to what I give Freddie to eat and drink, and working with the team at Spring Sheep, I saw early on that they are just as passionate about what goes into their product. . . 

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Rural round-up

28/01/2021

Farmer-led petition to close this weekend – Sally Rae:

“Farmers need to get off the fence and stand with us against stupidity.”

That is the message from Greenvale sheep and beef farmer Laurie Paterson, whose petition seeking a rewrite of the controversial new freshwater rules closes on Saturday.

The petition was organised by Groundswell NZ, a group which stemmed from a tractor trek in Gore in October expressing farmers’ feelings about the new regulations.

It had been signed by more than 1600 people, and Mr Paterson hoped it would reach at least 2000 signatures. . . 

Fire risk in drought affected Northland and Far North –

Fire and Emergency says fire danger in Northland and the Far North is at a high level with many areas continuing to dry out and long range forecasts suggesting only minimal relief on the horizon.

FENZ wildfire specialist Graeme Still says despite what might look like green pastures, the soil underneath is full of dead and dry material which can fuel fires. He’s appealing for people to take extra care with any activity that could spark a blaze in hot spot areas. And Federated Farmers Northland, President John Blackwell and the Chair of Rural Support Trust, Neil Bateup tell Kathryn how arid farming communities have fared so far this summer. . . 

Challenge to accelerate innovation in the food, fibre and agritech sector :

The need for transformative innovation in the food, fibre and agritech sector is at the core of the latest Supernode Challenge which is now open to applications.

The Food, Fibre and Agritech Supernode Challenge, presented by ChristchurchNZ, KiwiNet, AgResearch and the Canterbury Mayoral Forum, seeks to accelerate ideas for disruptive solutions to some of New Zealand’s most pressing challenges.

With a total prize pool of $130,000, the Challenge is looking for ideas that are transformative and have the potential for commercial success on a global scale while also delivering positive environmental outcomes. It will provide both financial resources, in-kind, and expert support for teams with an ambitious vision about the future of food, fibre and agritech in Canterbury. . . 

Champion cow owners used to sleeping rough at Horowhenua AP and I Show stables – Paul Williams:

Sleeping rough with your prize cow the night before a competition is all part and parcel of showing cattle.

There were almost 40 people that slept overnight in the stables at the Levin Showgrounds at the weekend, watching over their animals ahead of the annual Horowhenua AP&I Show.

With months spent grooming their animals for show, all the hard work could be undone if a cow was to roll over and spend the night lying on a poo.

Allowed to settle in, the resulting stain would be near impossible to remove from a cow’s coat the following morning. The quicker it was attended to the better. . .

Pics Peanut Butter to trial gorging peanuts in Northland :

Pic’s Peanut Butter has kicked off a project to look at the feasibility of growing peanuts commercially in Northland, with backing from the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI).

The $91,320 project is led by Picot Productions, and MPI is contributing more than $59,000 through its Sustainable Food & Fibre Futures fund. Research expertise is being provided by Plant & Food Research.

The project will trial growing peanuts in three locations – Ruawai on a kumara farm, Poutu Peninsular near Dargaville, and on Māori land in the Kai Iwi Lakes district. If successful, peanut farming could bring new employment opportunities to the Northland region

“We’ve selected three locations with different soil types and environments to see where the peanuts grow best,” says Declan Graham, Business Manager – Science at Plant & Food Research, which is managing the project trials. . . 

On the whole koalas are smarter than PETA – Vic Jurskis:

Animal activists from PETA staged a rally outside the NSW Premier’s office this morning, unfurling banners featuring a bloody koala on a meat tray and the slogan that “Eating Meat Kills Koalas”. This registered charity targets pastoralists, first because they put meat on our tables and, secondly, because they claim clearing by graziers is destroying koala habitat. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Koalas are an irruptive species —  that is, when applied to animals not quite so cute, a pest. There are many more koalas over a much wider range than there were before pastoralists disrupted Aboriginal burning. They irrupted as a consequence of thickening vegetation. Other more common animals disappeared. Our world-famous mass extinction of small mammals occurred in semi-arid areas where there was no logging or clearing. Thickening vegetation and scrub choked out the delicate and diverse ground flora that had sustained the cute little creatures.

Aborigines ate koalas, but not many because they were actually quite rare. They lived in very low densities in mature forests. Each koala had thousands of trees in its huge home range. They were invisible.  . . 

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Rural round-up

26/09/2020

Farmers natural guardians of biodiversity new study says – Tracy Neal:

A study of sheep and beef farmers’ attitudes to managing biodiversity on their farms showed more than 90 percent supported its merits.

The survey by AgResearch, AUT University, University of Canterbury, and the Catalyst Group, highlighted that many farmers associated a range of values and benefits with biodiversity on the farm, spanning social, environmental and economic themes.

As part of a study funded by the Biological Heritage National Science Challenge, 500 farmers around the country took part in the survey that was published in the New Zealand Journal of Ecology.

Auckland University School of Biological Sciences associate professor Bruce Burns said that while the results showed most wanted land protected for future generations, there were barriers to conservation efforts, such as the cost and time needed to do this. . . 

IrrigationNZ pleased National will promote water storage keen to see more detail:

IrrigationNZ is encouraged to see that the National Party has been bold enough to promote water storage as part of its agriculture and horticulture policy, announced today in Gisborne.

“All New Zealanders are reliant on accessing water when it is needed, but we have become increasingly vulnerable to dry weather patterns which restrict this right.”

“Despite being an obvious solution to this increasing vulnerability – water storage has unfortunately become the elephant in the room,” says IrrigationNZ Chair, Keri Johnston. . . 

New project to increase tomato yield in winter – Maja Burry:

A new tomato venture in Northland could go some way in easing the spike in tomato prices seen during the winter period.

Rohe Produce Limited plans to build a $70 million, 8.9-hectare, high-tech glasshouse at Marsden Point to grow organic speciality tomatoes.

The glasshouse will be the first of its kind in New Zealand with the use of 100 percent LED lights, which Rohe Produce said would increase yields by 50 percent per square metre. . . 

Strong Wool Action Group appoints executive offices, meets with industry:

The Strong Wool Action Group has made rapid progress with the appointment of an experienced Executive Officer and a first meeting with the wider wool sector to lay out its vision for strong wool.

International wool industry marketer Andy Caughey has been appointed as the Executive Officer for the Strong Wool Action Group.

Mr Caughey has been involved in the wool sector in New Zealand and internationally since 1988. In 2011 he founded Armadillo Merino, a global company specializing in advanced next-to-skin clothing for tactical operators and professionals operating in high risk environments. . . .

Hawke’s Bay rugby team to pay tribute to region’s farmers :

Hawke’s Bay’s rugby team, the Magpies, will take to the field this weekend wearing special jerseys as a tribute to the region’s farmers.

A farmer-style swandri with a checked-shirt pattern will replace the black and white hoops the team usually wears as a reflection of the bird which is its mascot.

The jerseys will be worn against Canterbury at McLean Park on Saturday.

Afterwards, they will be auctioned off to raise money for farmers who sweltered during drought last summer and autumn. . . 

Yes cows fart – Uptown Farms:

The rumors are true.
Cows fart.
I thought we had gotten over this conversation the last go round, but I’ve got two boys so I understand the stay ability of a good fart story.
Cows burp too, which actually releases way more methane than their farting but isn’t nearly as fun to talk about (apparently).

You know what else is true? . . 

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Rural round-up

31/12/2019

Land Champion: helping girls gain confidence – Neal Wallace:

Laura Douglas has successfully slayed her demons and is now using everyday farming skills to help teenage girls confront theirs.

Depression four years ago thrust the 32-year-old Southlander into some dark places, places unimaginable today given her boundless energy, endless positivity and zest for life and people.

Douglas addressed her depression by taking small steps, getting out and doing things such as volunteering at a horse refuge and celebrating small achievements. . .

Alliance aiming for ‘greater value’ as part of evolution – Brent Melville:

Southland-based  farmer co-operative Alliance Group wants to capture “greater value” from its products as part of its evolution to a food and solutions business, chairman Murray Taggart says.

Last month, Alliance Group announced a profit of $20.7million before distributions and tax, on revenue of $1.7billion.

It has now paid $9million to its supplying shareholders.

Mr Taggart said it was the best trading result since 2010.

“While this year’s result enabled us to reward shareholders with a profit distribution, we recognise the need to lift the profitability further. . . 

Land Champion: Many string in Jones’ bow – Annette Scott:

From humble beginnings 19 years ago Matt and Tracey Jones now do business worldwide to help Canterbury farmers staff their farms and have launched a world class learning environment in rural Mid Canterbury to provide elite education to strengthen New Zealand primary industries. Annette Scott caught up with the agribusiness entrepreneurs.

Mid Canterbury couple Matt and Tracey Jones’ agricultural staffing businesses is going world-wide recruiting and training people to work across all sectors of New Zealand’s primary industries.

Starting out as Mid Canterbury Casual Employment Services in 2001 their recruitment and training business has evolved and expanded to meet agriculture’s increasing needs. . .

$42.55m in I billion trees project funding:

Figures released by Te Uru Rakau (Forestry New Zealand) this week show 228 grant applications were received for funding under the Government’s One Billion Trees Programme this year, a total of $42.55million being allocated across 42 projects.

Te Uru Rakau acting deputy director-general Sam Keenan said $22.2million of that had been approved across 10,758.4 hectares of new planting.

“To date approximately 17,056,165 trees comprised of 9,785,067 native and 7,271,098 exotic trees have been funded.” . . 

Ngāi Tahu hopes to raise funds for undaria management by selling the seaweed – Louisa Steyl:

It’s a frigid morning off the coast of Dunedin when a wetsuit-clad diver rises to the surface clutching a slimy prize.

The trophy is a seaweed known as undaria pinnatifida – a pest native to Japan and Korea – and physically cutting it out is the only way to control it. 

On board the Polaris 2, a research vessel stationed just a few metres away, members of Ngāi Tahu is processing and packing the seaweed for research.

Its trying to determine the possible uses of undaria in the hopes that harvesting it could pay for control efforts.  . . 

 

Planning to feed? Try the calculator app to help come with complex decisions :

Livestock producers are now planning for difficult conditions through summer and autumn, going into winter.

NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) and Local Land Services have advised producers to use available tools and tactics to develop feasible solutions for worst case to best case scenarios.

DPI sheep development officer, Geoff Casburn, said the free Drought and Supplementary Feed Calculator app is available from the Apple App Store and Google Play to help calculate feed requirements, costs and budgets and develop cost effective feeding strategies. . . 

 

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