Fresh developments on climate change measures in the dairy industry a wake-up call to farmers – Point of Order :
The NZ dairy industry faces climate change hurdles beyond the levies the Ardern government has indicated it will impose on farms. Fonterra CEO Miles Hurrell drew attention to them when he told an interviewer at the Fieldays at Mystery Creek the giant dairy co-op and its farmers risk not being able to access debt funding in the future if they don’t meet banks’ sustainability expectations.
Banks are wanting to set Scope 3 carbon emissions targets, which includes emissions they are indirectly responsible for, and not meeting their expectations could result in less favourable funding rates or ultimately not being able to access funding in the future.
“That’s something that we need to be aware of but it’s not a conversation we’re having with our banks at this moment,” Hurrell said.
Over the past four years, Solagri has worked with farmers and engineers to build and refine a solar solution optimised for dairy farm operations. Solagri Energy’s capital-free solution means farmers can have an innovative state-of-the-art grid-connected solar generation system without the significant upfront cost.
“The technology is advanced, but the model is pretty simple,” says managing director Peter Saunders. “Farmers provide us with a small parcel of land, about a quarter of a hectare, where we build the solar array. “In return, they receive solar electricity generated on their own farm at a fixed price for 20 years. There is zero capital cost to the farmer, any unused power will supply the local grid.” . .
Increasing costs and price-shy customers lave stock transport companies struggling – Sally Murphy:
Stock transport companies are struggling under increasing costs with large customers not willing to pay more.
Stock moving companies are a vital part in the supply chain – moving stock between farms, to sale-yards, and to processing plants – but some are now struggling to make ends meet.
Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand chief executive Nick Leggett said increasing staff, compliance and maintenance costs were all starting to have an effect.
Stock transport companies had a fuel adjustment factor in place so the increasing cost of diesel could be passed on, but other increases could not be done so as easily, he said. . .
New agri board game to feature as part of New Zealand’s NCEA school curriculum :
A new board game – developed to help build knowledge and understanding of food production – will be used as a study tool by secondary school students across New Zealand in 2023. The new ‘Grow’ board game was officially launched earlier today at the Fieldays Opportunity Grows Here Careers Hub.
Developed as part of a joint initiative between Rabobank, Te Whare Wānaka o Aoraki Lincoln University and the Agribusiness in Schools Programme, the game was created to support learning by year 11 students studying National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) Agribusiness.
It touches on all the major topics included within the agribusiness curriculum and provides students with a fun way to acquire and reinforce the course content. Copies of the board game are now being mass produced and several sets will be sent to the more than 100 schools participating in the Agribusiness in Schools programme in time for the start of the 2023 school year.
Rabobank New Zealand CEO Todd Charteris said the idea for the new game came about following discussions between Rabobank’s Upper South Island Client Council – a group of the bank’s clients from the upper half of the South Island who meet regularly to discuss the challenges facing the agri sector – and Lincoln University. . .
Get to know the 2022 Fieldays innovation Award winners :
While they were enjoying the elation that comes with winning a Fieldays Innovation Award, we went to the Innovation Hub to find out more about the winners and what makes them tick.
The University of Waikato won the Prototype Award this year for their Kiwifruit Human Assisted Harvesting (e-BIN), a product that was created during the 2021 lockdown in part, to solve the issue of staff shortages – one of the kiwifruit industrys biggest problems. Funded by Zespri, the electronic fruit bin can potentially revolutionise the picking industry by taking most of the heavy lifting out of picking produce, bringing people that potentially weren’t physically able to get into picking jobs into the industry. The group have consulted with representatives from the picking industry and have worked to refine the fine motor skills on the e-Bin to reduce fruit damage.
Nick Pickering, a lecturer at the University’s School of Engineering says that there is a real need for people in the Kiwifruit industry and physicality can be a barrier to filling in this labour shortage.
During testing next kiwifruit season, we will be working towards solving that labour shortage in the kiwifruit industry and increasing productivity while also making sure that the quality of the kiwifruit is not impacted in any way. . .
Italian manufacturers buying more NZ skins and pelts :
An increasing number of luxury Italian leather products such as gloves, handbags and upholstery for Ferraris are starting their journey on New Zealand farms.
The Meat Industry Association said exports of cattle hides to Italy in October increased by 110 percent compared to the same month last year.
Italians were also eating more New Zealand lamb – buying nearly $4,500,000 of meat compared to virtually none at the same time last year.
The Meat Industry Association’s chief executive Sirma Karapeeva said the exports to Italy were worth $26m – the highest monthly value for more than four years. . .
Wide ranging report on Otago rural industries released :
A new report on farming and growing in Otago surveys over 150 years of practices for six primary industries, collating information on their production systems, size, distribution, key features and markets – needed to support development of the Land and Water Regional Plan.
“In essence, it’s a window into rural businesses and their production systems in 2022 – at a time when the region, and New Zealand, appears to be heading into territory that is new” – the report concludes.
The report, Farmers and Growers in Otago, was developed by an ORC Industry Advisory Group and is being publicly released today. It is the first of five studies that comprise the ORC’s economic work programme, which supports the new Land and Water Regional Plan.
“In completing this first report, the organisations involved have created a valuable resource for Otago and shown their commitment to the region,” the summary says. . .