Rural round-up

FARMSTRONG: Sticking to the game plan:

The link between mental skills and performance is well-established in sport. Now those ideas are gaining traction in farming. Recent finalists in the Young Farmer of the Year competition have received sports psychology training to cope with pressure. Farmstrong caught up with three to see how it helped.

The Young Farmer of Year competition is one of the flagship events on the rural calendar.

By grand final week more than 300 contestants have been whittled down to just a handful. Over several days they compete over a range of practical and technical tasks, an HR challenge, a speech and a fast-paced quiz of agricultural and general knowledge questions. . . .

Farmers honour vet who found Mycoplasma Bovis in NZ :

A vet whose determination led to the identification of the cattle disease Mycoplasma Bovis in New Zealand has been recognised for her contribution to the farming sector.

More than 300 people attended the Primary Industries Summit gala dinner in Wellington last night, where Ōamaru vet Merlyn Hay received the Outstanding Contribution to the Primary Industries Award.

The audience heard Dr Hay was not satisfied she had found the root cause of the unusual and distressing symptoms she had observed in cows and calves on a South Canterbury property and left no stone unturned until the cause was diagnosed. . .

Forestry hurts rural communities – Tracey Collis:

He Tangata, He Tangata, He Tangata. Our communities are going through change and it seems like it is happening so fast we may not feel the full impact until it has already happened.

Change is good but only if there are clear outcomes sought for all involved.

The rapid expansion of forestry throughout the Tararua is causing much angst and stress for our communities and it concerns me to watch our people genuinely hurting in so many ways.

This is hurt at a local level, far removed from Government politicians and policymakers, and there are few levers to pull as we see our local democracy eroded by central government aspirations. . . .

Demand drives need for finishers – Colin WIlliscroft:

A 30% increase in demand for First Light Wagyu beef has led the Hawke’s Bay company to look for more farmers to finish its cattle.

It will have 25,000 Wagyu-cross weaners available for farmers to buy this spring, an increase of 5000, so it’s looking for 20 to 30 extra farmers.

General manager Wagyu Matt Crowther said those farmers will benefit from a short, transparent supply chain and income stability. . .

 

This quintessential Southland grub is increasingly rare to see. As a parent of a teen I see opportunities to be exploited. pic.twitter.com/BPE5TDxGJW

— New Zealand's Farmers (@nz_farmers) June 28, 2019

Representing NZ beef on the world stage – Brent Melville:

Jess Cairns is fizzing about where New Zealand beef is going.

Having just spent six days in Brazil at the International Beef Alliance (IBA) the 24-year-old Southlander is back working as a stock manager at Coalbrook Farm, a 500ha sheep and beef operation just outside Gore.

And while she loves her job, she reckons the trip to Brazil will be a tough one to beat, describing it as ”hands down the best thing I’ve ever done in my professional life.”

That’s saying a lot. Ms Cairns started with Coalbrook as a shepherd a little over a year ago, on the strength of a bachelor of agricultural science with first class honours. . . .

Apocalypse Cow – Michael Reddell:

That was the title of Wellington economist Peter Fraser’s talk at Victoria University last Friday lunchtime on why Fonterra has failed (it is apparently also a term in use in various bits of popular culture, all of which had passed me by until a few moments ago –  and a Google search).    Peter is a former public servant –  we did some work together, the last time Fonterra risks were in focus, a decade ago –  who now operates as a consultant to various participants in the dairy industry (not Fonterra).   He has a great stock of one-liners, and listening to him reminds me of listening to Gareth Morgan when, whatever value one got from purchasing his firm’s economic forecasts, the bonus was the entertainment value of his presentation.       The style perhaps won’t appeal to everyone, but the substance of his talk poses some very serious questions and challenges.

The bulk of Peter’s diagnosis has already appeared in the mainstream media, in a substantial Herald  op-ed a few weeks ago and then in a Stuff article yesterday.  And Peter was kind enough to send me a copy of his presentation, with permission to quote from it. . .

Birds at risk of local extinction – Elena McPhee:

Native birds in beech forests in Otago could face local extinction in some valleys without aerial control, the Department of Conservation says.

Mast years occur every two to four years, when trees produce high amounts of seed that drop to the ground.

This is the biggest beech mast in four decades, and populations of rats, mice and stoats are expected to increase due to the abundance of food.

Doc operations lead Colin Bishop said there was variability across Otago sites, but Doc was still projecting rodent numbers to reach levels requiring aerial predator control. . .

NZ apples everywhere here at Enzafruit/T&G in Antwerp, impressive for #ihip2019 tour to see how our apples are being received, inspected and wharehoused here before entering European supermarket shelves. Major logistics! @ENZAFRUIT @nzapples @MasseyUni pic.twitter.com/u3UAf9rm3j

— Huub Kerckhoffs (@HKerckhoffs) June 28, 2019

Aust producers gain insight into Argentina’s feedlot challenge – Mark Phelps:

AUSTRALIAN beef producers gained an invaluable insight into the South American feedlot sector during a visit to the Conecar Feedlot in Argentina’s famed Panpas region.

The 10,000 head showcase feedlot is located at Carcara in the Santa Fe Province, about 350km north west of Buenos Aires. The yard was visited during the recent Alltech Lienert beef tour to Argentina.

Conecar is predominantly a custom feed yard servicing 12 customers who supply beef into both domestic and export markets. Any spare capacity in the facility is usually taken up by the owners of the yard, who also operate a premix and stockfeed plant supplying other feedlot operators. . . 

Farmland management changes can boost carbon sequestration rates – J. Merritt Melancon:

Well-maintained pastures prevent erosion, protect water and, as it turns out, can restore the soil’s organic matter much more quickly than previously thought, according to a team of researchers from the University of Georgia and the University of Florida.

Soil contains the largest terrestrial reservoir of carbon. Tilling fields every year to plant crops releases soil carbon into the atmosphere. It’s been known for a long time that transitioning cropland to pastureland where livestock grazes replenishes the soil’s carbon, but their study showed that the process can be much more rapid than scientists previously thought.

“What is really striking is just how fast these farms gain soil organic matter,” said Aaron Thompson, associate professor of environmental soil chemistry and senior author on the study. . .

Rural round-up

FARMSTRONG: industry digests wellbeing lessons – Luke Chivers:

No one can be under pressure all the time, Farmstrong ambassador Sam Whitelock told farmers at Fieldays.

“Pressure is a good thing but only the right amount.”

“That right amount will change depending on what’s happening – whether you’re tired, you’re eating well or you’re sick.”

Whitelock, who grew up on a Manawatu farm, said locking in small improvements in lifestyle helps manage the ups and downs of farming.

“Rural wellness is a big deal right now. It’s growing in importance as demands and challenges increase on the rural community. . . 

Westland Milk shareholder Southern Pastures to abstain on Yili vote – Jamie Gray:

Westland Milk’s biggest shareholder, Southern Pastures, said it would abstain on the vote called to decide on whether the co-operative can be sold to China’s Yili.

Southern – an investment fund – said the move would allow West Coast farmer-shareholders to decide its future.

Hokitika-based Westland said in March that it had signed a conditional agreement for the sale of the co-op, which will see the Chinese dairy giant pay farmer-suppliers $3.41 a share. The deal is worth $588 million. . . 

#30 was happy to see me. #pets pic.twitter.com/kImMf7GkF7

— Brad Markham (@BradMarkham81) June 19, 2019

Zespri signals profit growth, trims expected fruit and services payment – Gavin Evans

(BusinessDesk) – Kiwifruit marketer Zespri is forecasting annual profit growth of up to 7 percent.

The firm, which markets kiwifruit on behalf of 2,500 New Zealand growers and another 1,200 in Italy, Japan, Korea and France, is expecting net profit of $182-$192 million in the current year, including licence release income.

That is up from the $179.8 million net profit reported for the year ended March, which was a 77 percent increase from the year before as the firm shipped more fruit for better prices. Total trays sold climbed 21 percent to 167.2 million last year – 85 percent of which was New Zealand-grown green or gold kiwifruit. . . 

New lobby chairman: voice for farmers – David Hill:

 A new Federated Farmers dairy-farming leader hopes to be a voice for farmers.

Karl Dean was elected as the federation’s North Canterbury dairy chairman during the provincial annual meeting at Oxford in April, replacing Michael Woodward, who bought a farm in the North Island.

”It was sprung on me a little bit when Woody got a good opportunity up north.

”But I see it as a good way to get more involved and tackle some of the issues which are going to arise with climate change and make sure farmers are aware of the legislation, and that Feds are fighting it.’ . . 

Buy-back scheme must work for rural firearms owners:

The firearms buy-back process for what are now prohibited semi-automatic firearms must work for rural firearms owners, Federated Farmers says.

The process will require farmers to travel to collection points to hand over firearms and agree on the value of the surrendered firearm. A member survey showed that at least twenty percent of Feds members had a firearm impacted by the new regulations, and these owners will be looking for good access and a smooth process for the hand-over of firearms and payment of fair compensation.

“The sooner the details of the process, including the number and geographical spread of collection points/events, are clear the better,’’ Federated Farmers Rural Security Spokesperson Miles Anderson says. . . 

1/n Worldwide, 86% of the feed consumed by livestock is NOT edible by humans! 54% of all livestock feed is #forage (#grass + #fodder). #Upcycling on a MASSIVE scale, producing essential nutrition for a global population. @AmericanForage #NationalForageWeek #AFGC2019 pic.twitter.com/W69SHSyLvc

— Peter Ballerstedt (@barusa_peter) June 18, 2019

In farm children, I see virtues that one sees too rarely these days – Mitch Daniels:

Mitch Daniels, a Post contributing columnist, is president of Purdue University and a former governor of Indiana.

Along with the rise of women and the expansion of civil rights, the most important social transformation of America’s first quarter-millennium has been the triumph of modern agriculture over famine and the ceaseless, backbreaking effort simply to feed one’s self that had been the dominant fact of human life throughout history. Most of those who preceded us lived their entire lives on the farm. A little more than a century ago, a third of all Americans were farmers.

Successive revolutions in mechanization, horticulture and biotechnology have been an enormous blessing, enabling a tiny percentage of Americans — today fewer than 2 percent— to feed the rest of us and much of the world. Incalculable human talent has been liberated to invent all the other miracles we enjoy. We spend less of our income on food than any society ever. . .

Rural round-up

Farmer beats depression by finding joy in everyday moments – Heather Chalmers:

Wayne Langford appeared to have his life sorted.  

He was in his early-30s married to wife Tyler and the father of three boys, with a successful farming business and leadership roles. 

However, something wasn’t right.

To use a farming metaphor his brain had “cooked itself” like a tractor engine.

The big get bigger in American agriculture – Keith Woodford:

Every five years the USDA undertakes a census of American agriculture. The latest survey has just come out in recent weeks. The big message is that the big are getting bigger.

Aligned to this message is that family farms continue to decline. This is particularly the case in dairy. However, it is also the case in cropping, where the new generation of prospective family farmers prefers the urban life, but does not necessarily want to sell the land. So leasing of land is huge, particularly in the cropping heartland of the Midwest.

In total there are over two million American farmers. Seventy-five percent of the production comes from five percent of the farmers. More than half of American farms are cash-flow negative. The average age of American farmers is now 57.5 years, up 1.3 years in the last five years. . . 

We've been named finalists for the @TR_NZ NZ Health & Safety Awards: ACC Best industry leadership. THANK YOU to everyone for your ongoing support. #fingerscrossed for May 28! pic.twitter.com/pq3F7AgVsG

— Farmstrong (@Farmstrong_NZ) May 5, 2019

Strengths and challenges facing Heartland communities:

AgResearch social scientist, Dr Margaret Brown and Dr Bill Kaye-Blake, director at PricewaterhouseCoopers discuss  the findings from a decade of research into the resilience of rural communities and the role it has in helping settlements to prosper. Around 20 percent of New Zealanders live rurally, but the decisions made about them are predominantly decided by from urban people – so there is a lot of room for a disconnect between the countryside and the policy makers. The results have been published in the book, Heartland Strong – How rural New Zealand can change and thrive. . .

A2 milk keeps flowing and growing:

A2 Milk Company’s sales show no sign of slowing as nine-month revenues reached $938 million, a 42% lift on the corresponding period last year.

Sales growth has continued in nutritional products and liquid milk, building on record market share in the first half of the June 2019 year, the company said in a presentation to a Macquarie Australia investment conference in Singapore.

The nine months runs to March 31. . . 

Young viticulturist shortlisted for international wine award:

Nick Paulin from Aotearoa New Zealand Fine Wine Estates (AONZ) has been shortlisted for the new international ‘Future 50’ awards.

Launched this year by the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) & the International Wine & Spirit Competition (IWSC) their goal is to “unearth the industry’s up and coming talent” and recognize fifty top young professionals.

They have teamed up to create “a unique, global platform to champion the young people shaping the future of our industry”. .  .

Tup lamb growing nicely @charollaissheep pic.twitter.com/EitbDXrJBd

— Archie 🐏 (@sheep_archie) May 5, 2019

Forestry investors log in to substantial pine plantation:

A large maturing pine forest on Auckland City’s metropolitan boundary which is ready for harvesting in the near future has been placed on the market for sale.

The 135-hectare block is located at the lower foothills of the Hunua Ranges some 50 kilometres south-east of Auckland City. Owned by the current proprietor for past 50 years, the forest was planted between 1993 and 2000 in a mix of lusitanica and radiata pine varieties.

The freehold land and forest at Stevens Road are now being marketed for sale by tender through Bayleys Counties, with tenders closing at 2pm on June 6. The forestry plantation encompasses six individual land titles which are all zoned rural under Auckland Council’s land usage plan. . . 

Rural round-up

Leaked report sheds light on mine project – Simon Hartley:

The prospect of an open pit diatomite mine in Middlemarch has caused division, and many are concerned about the effects of hundreds of trucks, mine dust, and the loss of Foulden Maar (MAAR), a “pre-eminent” fossil cache.

There are also corporate links to controversial palm oil plantation developments.

With no information released since mid-2018, Simon Hartley revisits the proposal, based on a leaked investment document penned by investment bankers Goldman Sachs.

A proposal to mine diatomite near Middlemarch for the next almost 30 years appears to have stalled as feasibility studies and regulatory hurdles take their toll. . . 

We're usually on night collection. Nice to have a chat to the @Fonterra driver today. Our milks off to Takanini! We were discussing how to get younger people in all aspects of physical work, tanker drivers are getting older too! pic.twitter.com/IXj7rCNlmN

— Julie Pirie (@nzjuls) April 20, 2019

Farmstrong: Stop and sell the roses :

Time off farm is the number one wellbeing priority for farmers but many are still reluctant to take breaks. 

Kate and Mike Gee-Taylor of Rangiwahia are on a mission to change that.

They own a typical family farm, a 566ha sheep and beef operation in hill country at Rangiwahia in Manawatu. Mike grew up there and met Kate 28 years ago. They still both love the area and the lifestyle.

But life’s thrown up a few challenges too. Two years ago Kate fell ill and nearly died. It took 30 units of blood to save her. . .

Otago farm’s food award:

The Crutchley family from Maniototo high country have claimed a top award in this year’s Food Producer Awards with their Provenance lamb.

The family’s Provenance brand won the Ara Wines Paddock Champion Award for a lamb product judges praised for its juiciness, moistness and good flavours. 

David and Glenis Crutchley’s 6121ha dryland farming operation near Naseby transitioned from conventional farming systems to biological farming eight years ago. They dropped conventional fertilisers for fish-based nutrients and a focus on building up soil micro-bacterial activity. . . 

Representing dairy in the south – Sally Rae:

On May 11, the national winners of the New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards will be announced at a black-tie awards dinner at TSB Arena in Wellington. The South will be represented by Southland-Otago share farmers of the year Cameron and Nicola van Dorsten, farm manager of the year James Matheson and dairy trainee of the year Caycee Cormack. Agribusiness reporter Sally Rae attended the regional winners field day at the van Dorstens’ property last week.

Farm ownership remains one of the goals of Taieri dairy farmers Cameron and Nicola van Dorsten.

The couple, who won this year’s Southland-Otago share farmer of the year in the New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards, are 50:50 sharemilking 575 cows on a 204ha farm owned by Ray Parker and Sharon Corcoran

Forty winks #nap #sheepdog #shepherdess pic.twitter.com/nq8F8mZpsq

— Shepherdess (@woolismybread) April 19, 2019

Businesses using blockchain, invisible ink to protect mānuka honey – Esther Taunton:

Jars of mānuka honey are being marked with invisible ink and tracked with blockchain technology in an effort to keep counterfeit products off the market.

The honey has become such a precious commodity, producers are using increasingly high-tech methods to prevent imitation.

Midlands Apiaries, manufacturers of Puriti mānuka honey, has introduced jars with 11 consumer security and anti-counterfeit features, including invisible ink and laser etching. . .

Farming is tough but we don’t always want it easy – Glen Herud:

The hard thing about doing hard things is it’s always a lot harder than you expect.

So it’s best to quit right at the start of the project. Quitting early will save a lot of heartache and pain.

The only time you should not quit is when you’re absolutely prepared to pay the price that this difficult project will inflict on you.

But the problem is we don’t really know what the true cost is until we’re well into a hard project. . .

 

Rural round-up

Waikato plans for more land loss – Richard Rennie:

After losing 4000ha of productive land from 1996 to 2012 Waikato District Council has recognised continued losses of some of the country’s most productive pastoral land will hit the region hard economically.

The council has lost the second largest area of rural land in New Zealand in that time, coming after Auckland lost 4200ha. 

That is on top of recorded land losses from 1991-2001 of 3200ha and the total puts Waikato region’s  productive land loss close to Auckland’s over a 20-year period.

The region accounts for the highest number of dairy cows and the second highest number of beef cattle after Manawatu-Wanganui. It also contains 7000ha of high-value horticultural production land, similar to Auckland. . . 

Beltex-cross lambs in demand – Sally Rae:

A sale of Beltex-cross ram lambs in Southland last week “went through the roof”, PGG Wrightson livestock genetics representative Callum McDonald said.

The Robinson family, from Glenham, near Wyndham, held their first ram lamb sale at Gore showgrounds, offering Beltex-Texel, Beltex-Suffolk and Beltex-South Suffolk ram lambs.

The sale, across the board, averaged about $1776. Top price of $8000 was paid by Guy Martin, and Grant Black from Canterbury, for a Beltex-Suffolk-cross lamb. . . 

If only one of these two could get out and open the gate… #sheep365 #shortstraw #sheepdogs pic.twitter.com/ykUrjLKjZY

— Tony Booth (@teb_7990) March 13, 2019

FARMSTRONG: Kiwi adventurers raising money:

Three young Kiwis have entered a demanding 3500 kilometre rickshaw race across India to raise money for Farmstrong. 

Crammed inside a seven-horsepower, motorised tuk-tuk with a top speed of 50kmh, going downhill, Nikki Brown, Natalie Lindsay and Gina McKenzie will battle 80 other teams as well 40C heat, dust and the free-for-all of Indian traffic for two weeks. 

The women are one of only three all-female teams.

The race is not for the fainthearted.  . . 

Dairy industry introduced to efficiency system – Ken Muir:

When you use the word ”lean” in the farming area, it’s usually applied in the context of meat and fat content, but a Lean system developed for dairy farmers is something else entirely.

The Lean management process being introduced for dairy farms has its roots with car company, Toyota. The objective being that, as with the production of cars, producing milk would benefit from smoother, more efficient processes and little waste in the system.

The FarmTune system, developed by DairyNZ for dairy farmers, is built on the principles of Lean, and helps dairy farmers sharpen their operations and increase efficiency and environmental performances. . . 

Cowmouflage! 🤣🐄 pic.twitter.com/tG2LUg0bGG

— FarmingUK (@FarmingUK) March 14, 2019

Ewe beauty! Making lamb even better:

In a boost for health-conscious red meat fans, James Cook University scientists have found that lambs fed canola oil or flaxseed oil have improved growth rates and contain more of a beneficial fatty acid that protects against disease – all with no loss in their wool quality.

JCU’s Associate Professor of Animal Nutrition and Genetics, Aduli Malau-Aduli, is the lead author of the new study. He said increased incidences of central nervous system disorders, cardiovascular diseases, and cancers in modern times have been associated with high consumption of red meat.

“This is due to the high levels of saturated fatty acids and low levels of the beneficial long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated (n-3 PUFA) fatty acids in typical red meat meals,” he said. . . 

Adama-STK distribution agreement brings fungicides to Colombia:

Crop protection company Adama and STK bio-ag technologies have signed an exclusive agreement for the distribution of Timorex Gold botanical-based bio-fungicide and STK Regev ‘Hybrid’ fungicide throughout Colombia.

In Colombia, Timorex Gold is approved for the following crops: Bananas, Rice, Ornamentals, Tomatoes, Avocados, Onions, Coffee, Corn, Tobacco, Potatoes, Passion fruit and pitahaya. Colombia has also approved STK Regev on rice, with expected label extension on bananas, ornamentals, coffee and tomatoes. . .

Rural round-up

No answers and more mystery animal killings in South Island :

The identity of a South Island livestock killer remains a mystery.

Nine months ago Peter McLeod, who farms in Kauri Bush near Dunedin, was left with nine dead lambs – cattle from neighbouring farms were also shot and killed.

But the culprit was never caught.

Earlier this week three newborn lambs were killed in Mosgiel, bringing back bad memories for Mr McLeod. . .

B+LNZ welcomes Sir Peter Gluckman’s report on agricultural emissions:

Beef + Lamb New Zealand (B+LNZ) welcomes the final report from the Prime Minister’s former Chief Science Advisor Sir Peter Gluckman which effectively endorses B+LNZ’s approach for individual farm plans as a tool for helping the agricultural sector play its part in combating climate change.

In May of this year in launching its Environment Strategy B+LNZ set itself two ambitious goals – for the sheep and beef sector to be carbon neutral by 2050 and for every farm to have an active farm plan by the end of 2021. . .

Women want more time off-farms:

Rural women want more time off-farm, better sleep and more exercise to improve their wellbeing, a Farmstrong survey has found.

More than 800 farming women did the survey online or at in-depth, face-to-face interviews.

“There was also a high interest in other topics that Farmstrong focuses on including nutrition and thinking strategies to deal with the ups and downs of farming,” Farmstrong project manager Gerard Vaughan said.

“Some of the other topic areas that the survey revealed women are interested in include mindfulness, relaxation techniques, self-confidence and self-compassion.  . .

The @Fonterra tankers been for the day and the girl's are on there way to the shed pic.twitter.com/0OjYnTRTXk

— Andrew Booth (@1farmerbooth) September 11, 2018

First NZ lifts Fonterra Fund to neutral; ComCom reiterates doubts on milk price asset beta – Rebecca Howard:

 (BusinessDesk) – First New Zealand Capital lifted its rating on the Fonterra Shareholders’ Fund to ‘neutral’ from ‘underperform’ and said the first signs of a change in approach look encouraging.

Fonterra’s full-year loss was disappointing but “with the recent changes in board chair (with annual election of three directors coming up) and CEO (interim) it was encouraging to see FSF take no time in fronting up and acknowledging the issues,” analyst Arie Dekker said. . .

Moths to combat horehound:

Two moths may now be imported into New Zealand to combat invasive horehound, following a decision by the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA).

The Horehound Biocontrol Group, a collective of farmers whose crops are infested with horehound, applied to introduce the horehound plume moth and horehound clearwing moth to attack the weed. Its application was supported by the Ministry for Primary Industries’ (MPI) sustainable farming fund. . .

OneFortyOne announces intention to purchase Manuka Island forest estate:

Australian forestry company, OneFortyOne (OFO) has announced its intention to purchase the Manuka Island forest estate in the Wairau Valley near Blenheim. The proposed purchase is now being reviewed by the Overseas Investment Office.

The Manuka Island estate is approximately 2000 hectares of forest and currently owned by Merrill and Ring. Manuka Island will be integrated and managed as one forest estate by Nelson Management Ltd, the management company for Nelson Forests. . .

Tag 10 #Ezicalve calves. Just catch up for the morning. Another 3 calves just born. And this is only my cow mob!

All on at #MangaRa! pic.twitter.com/vgm8BhiGj3

— William Morrison (@MorrisonFarming) September 12, 2018

On the farm: a guide to rural New Zealand life:

What’s happening on farms and orchards around Aotearoa New Zealand? Each week Country Life reporters talk to people in rural areas across the country to find out.

Te Tai Tokerau, Northland, turned a corner this week, the days were warmer and soil temperatures have lifted. Pasture covers are still a little ratty but in the next week grass will start growing faster than the stock can eat it. . .

Inspiring the next generation of farmers – sense of purpose – Livestock Farming:

We asked influencers in the industry why young people should choose farming as a career, they were both practical and poetic in their responses. The study of agriculture grows in popularity but how do we convey the realities of farming to encourage lengthy careers? As a strong community, it is important to show the enthusiasm and pride we have in our jobs.

RECONNECTION WITH FARMING

With meat and dairy products readily available 24-hours-a-day and even delivered to the door, it’s easy for people to forget about farming origins: “The moment that people domesticated plants and animals, settled down, and began to produce the kind of society in which most of us live today.” There is an evident rift between farming and the food on people’s plates. . .

 

Rural round-up

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 50^th 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. . .

Son #3 also sent the Red Arrows practicing above their hay job . pic.twitter.com/7wGvV8AjuO

— Shelley Dew-Hopkins (@shelleyDewHopki) July 1, 2018

GlobalDairyTrade marks its 10th anniversary:

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 appointment of new Beingmate baby & child food General Manager:

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.” . . 

Marshland grazing #nativebreeds #environmentalgrazing #redpolls #suffolkcoast #RSPB pic.twitter.com/o1bBIj9ife

— Red Poll Cattle Soc. (@redpoll_cattle) June 30, 2018