Rural roundup

02/10/2023

Canadian diplomacy curdles when it comes to milk – Andrew Bevin :

A dairy dispute between New Zealand and Canada has both claiming victory 

New Zealand’s trade dispute with Canada has taken a sour turn, with both nations claiming victory and Ottawa issuing an uncharacteristically “ungracious” and vaguely threatening statement.

The outcome of the dispute, about how Canada administers its dairy quotas under the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement, was pushed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the Minister for Trade and Export Growth Damien O’Connor as a “significant win” for New Zealand.

However, if you’d only read commentary out of Canada’s government, you’d be forgiven for thinking they mopped the floor with New Zealand, labelling it “a clear victory”. . . 

Local lamb on Chinese menus – Hunter McGregor:

Consumers in China are constantly changing, which is always a challenge and an opportunity. The speed of change is also much faster than in New Zealand, which is one of the primary reasons I operate a business in China.

You now see Chinese lamb as a promoted main dish in some high-end western restaurants. This would not have been the case a few years ago. It is a significant consumer shift, and highlights two things:

    1. Consumers are willing to pay top dollar for Chinese products
    2. The product is high-enough quality for the chefs to use it.

As things continue to change, the Chinese consumer now sees some Chinese products and brands as trendy, excellent and high quality. This has been happening outside of food for a while, but in the past couple of years is now across everything, especially food. . . 

Tararua Federated Farmers: what’s great about farming? – Sally Dryland :

What is it that makes farming attractive as a career?

A fun part of my role in Tararua Federated Farmers is the promotion of farming as a career option.

Promoting prizes for colleges, providing leadership training, having robust contracts, conversations, and allowing farmers to focus on what they are doing on the farm are all ways we as a local organisation try to support and build the local ag community’s attractiveness as a career pathway.

Preparing this week for the Dannevirke High School Careers Day with three executive members in their 20s gives fresh enthusiasm to promoting a career in farming. . .

Sheep of the future transformational for NZ sheep farming :

Sheep with finer wool, greater tolerance for hot weather, top meat quality traits, and lower methane emissions. That is the vision for Pāmu and partners who are working on sheep genetic advances with potentially huge benefits for Aotearoa New Zealand.

Pāmu (Landcorp Farming Ltd), the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) and Focus Genetics, a Pāmu subsidiary, with support from AgResearch, have joined forces on the innovative ‘Sheep of the Future’ programme.

The vision includes finer wool genetics (20-25 micron) that can be farmed beyond the arid areas that have traditionally been the home for Merino sheep, advances in strong wool breeds to decrease disease tolerance, low-input traits to make farming less costly, continued breeding selection for animal growth and meat quality traits, and for rumen function with lower levels of methane emission.

Pāmu CEO Mark Leslie said: “This groundbreaking seven-year initiative aims to transform sheep-based production systems. It will lower production costs and enhance farming businesses’ viability while  . . 

Kiwifruit Innovation Award awarded to Dr Annette Richardson :

The 2023 Kiwifruit Innovation Award has been won by Dr Annette Richardson for her work in exploring budbreak – a crucial stage in the growth cycle of kiwifruit.

Dr Richardson, a Plant & Food Research scientist, is an expert in plant physiology and has explored kiwifruit growing techniques to support future production throughout her almost 40-year career. Her work around budbreak has led to advancements that have helped increase yields and contributed to the overall quality of kiwifruit crops. She has extensively researched budbreak in kiwifruit to support grower returns with increased yields of fruit with reduced variability. One of Dr Richardson’s first pieces of work was her involvement in the introduction of Hi-Cane – a budbreak enhancer applied once to vines in the dormant winter period – to the kiwifruit industry back in 1988. She continues to lead in this field as a vital part of the team researching alternative ways to support budbreak in kiwifruit and learning more about the fundamental science behind this process. . . 

New Zealand wine company Indevin Group appoints Simon Limmer as CEO :

Indevin Group, New Zealand’s largest producer and exporter of quality wine and owner of the iconic Villa Maria brand, announced today that Silver Fern Farms CEO, Simon Limmer will replace Duncan McFarlane early 2024, further cementing Indevin’s leadership and commitment to the thriving New Zealand wine industry.

McFarlane, who founded Indevin Group in 2003, will retire after 20 years at the helm of the business, a period which saw exponential growth from a contract wine maker to New Zealand’s largest wine company. After his long and successful tenure as CEO, McFarlane will remain a valuable member of Indevin Group as a Board Director and consultant for critical strategic projects, while continuing to serve the New Zealand wine industry in a range of advisory roles.

After five and a half years at Silver Fern Farms, and previously 10 years leading Zespri’s global operations, Limmer joins Indevin Group with an aligned vision of sharing the best of New Zealand with the world. . . 

Enter Dairy Industry Awards to win a trip to Queenstown :

Entries for the 2024 New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards open this Sunday 1st October, with all entrants eligible to win a trip to Queenstown for the National Final Gala dinner in May 2024!

All national finalists will win flights to and accommodation in Queenstown for Finals Week, with the Dairy Trainees also experiencing a trip of a lifetime via a Study Tour around the region.

NZDIA General Manager Robin Congdon says the Awards are not only a prestigious programme with hundreds of thousands of dollars in prizes, they are a learning platform where people can secure their future, learn, connect and grow, both personally and professionally.

“In addition to these benefits, entrants also have an opportunity to experience National Final week and Gala dinner in the incredible Queenstown environment.” . .

 

Leave a Comment » | business, environment, Farming, food, politics, rural, trade | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by homepaddock

Rural round-up

11/09/2023

Land-use change impacting livestock numbers and rural communities :

Land-use change continues to have an impact on livestock numbers, according to a study by Beef + Lamb New Zealand (B+LNZ).

The B+LNZ Stock Number Survey, which provides an assessment of New Zealand’s sheep flock and beef cattle herd, shows the breeding ewe flock continues to decline with a 0.9 percent reduction following a 5.2 percent reduction last year.

“The breeding flock is the key indicator of the future flock size. It’s trending down and is expected to continue to decline, one of the contributing factors is land-use change,” says B+LNZ Chief Insight Officer Julian Ashby.

“The amount of sheep and beef farmland being converted to forestry, along with the cumulative impact of a range of other policies on farm viability, is concerning.” . . 

New Operator in dairy industry is setting the pace with price, to the relief of its farmer-suppliers – Point of Order :

One of NZ’s main exporters—the dairy industry—is being buffeted in its biggest market, yet this season it has a new operator, Singapore-based Olam,  manufacturing milk powder at Tokoroa.

What is more, the company is paying suppliers above the price they would be getting currently from Fonterra. Its milk powder factory  in which it has invested more than  $100m  may be the forerunner of other processing plants, with the next possibly in the South Island.

Olam, set up as Olam Food Ingredients (OFI), is majority-owned by Temasek Holdings, a conglomerate owned by the Singapore government which manages a total of $US496.59bn in assets as at December last year.

Olam learned its way around the $20bn dairy export industry as a former shareholder of Open Country Dairy, the country’s second-biggest dairy processor and exporter after the farmer-owned co-operative Fonterra. Olam has already lured one of NZ’s biggest  names in the dairy industry: Colin Armer, previously  a large Fonterra  shareholder and a former director, has confirmed his business is among those supplying it. . . 

Alliance Group begins consultation process after review of operating model – Monique Steele :

Some meat workers’ jobs may be on the chopping block as farmer-owned processing company Alliance Group signals cuts to come.

The red meat processor has announced that a review of its operating model has resulted in a number of staff facing changes in their roles and reporting, potential re-deployment and some redundancies.

Its general manager of people and culture Stephanie Manning said the review was to ensure the company reflected the needs of farmers, customers and conditions in global markets.

She said it had started a consultation process with impacted employees. . . 

Lab-grown meat up to 25 times more costly for environment than beef – Emma Gatten :

Meat grown in a lab could be 25 times more costly for the environment than beef, a study has found.

‌Cultivated meat is grown using animal cells, eliminating the need for rearing and slaughtering animals.

‌Its backers, including the Government, say it could also reduce the emissions from meat production, particularly methane from livestock, which accounts for around six per cent of global emissions.

‌But a new study suggests that the process is so energy intensive that the global warming impact could be between four and 25 times higher than beef, typically the most polluting meat. . . 

Silver Fern Farms Simon Limmer to step down as chief executive :

Silver Fern Farms Limited has today announced that Simon Limmer will be stepping down after five and a half years as Chief Executive. Mr Limmer will stay in his role during the transition to a new Chief Executive and will remain involved with the company in a strategic role going forward.

“On behalf of the Board of Silver Fern Farms Ltd, I have regretfully accepted Simon’s resignation however I am also very grateful for his immense contribution to the business and our industry over the last five and a half years,” says Silver Fern Farms Ltd Co-Chair Rob Hewett.

“Since joining Silver Fern Farms, Simon has doubled-down on the company’s Plate to Pasture market-led strategy and he will leave a business which is in great health and with a clear direction,” he says.

“While the company’s financial performance, investment, and returns have all increased under Simon’s tenure, one of the biggest contributions he has made has been to the development of culture and leadership.” . . 

Northland Peanut trials set to continue :

The Northland Peanut Trials are back on track, following a washout of the 2022 crops.

Year three of the trials will see five planting sites across Kaipara and the Far North, with an estimated 5 hectares of peanuts to be planted in October/November.

Funding through the Ministry for Primary Industries’ (MPI) Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures fund has enabled the project led by Northland Inc to continue for a third season. To date the project has yielded promising results for the potential of a commercial peanut growing industry in Northland.

Northland Inc Project Manager Greg Hall says after the Year One trial where four cultivars were successfully harvested from sites across Northland, hopes were high for continued success in Year two. . . 

Leave a Comment » | business, environment, Farming, food, rural | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by homepaddock

Rural round-up

21/08/2023

The return of animal sacrifice – Brendan O’Neill :

We look back with bewilderment at the ritual sacrifice of animals by our ancestors. Whether it was the Celtic people’s sacrifice of livestock to appease pissed-off deities or the Ancient Romans’ slaughter of oxen so that Jupiter might be more sparing with his stormy weather, it was all a bit mad. We would never be so superstitious, we tell ourselves. I’m not sure that’s true. Consider the proposed slaughter of hundreds of thousands of cattle in Europe in the holy name of Net Zero. This is the return of pagan lunacy, surely.

Irish farmers are under pressure to ‘cull up to 200,000 cows’ in order that Ireland might meet its ‘climate goals’, reported the Financial Times at the weekend. The Irish government is considering proposals to bump off that amount of cattle over the next three years to help it achieve a 25 per cent reduction in its agricultural emissions. Cows produce methane, you see, and methane is bad. It’s a greenhouse gas. Farming accounts for 40 per cent of Ireland’s greenhouse-gas emissions, so it has become a natural target for the Net Zero zealots. Every EU member state is under pressure to make strides towards Net Zero, and if that entails the sacrifice of livestock, so be it. Save the planet, slaughter the cows.

It’s so superstitious. A ‘mooted cow massacre’ to try to offset the angry climatic conditions apparently caused by man? If someone can explain how this is any different to an ancient people’s ritualistic killing of a poor bull in a desperate bid to placate the weather gods, I’d be most grateful. In fact, if anything, the proposed cow-culling in Ireland is worse than the paganistic antics of our ill-educated forebears. At least they were wise enough to offer up only one or two beasts to the gods of thunder – the neo-pagans of the Net Zero cult are offering up whole herds to try to assuage the heatwaves and floods they think furious Mother Earth has in store for us.

And they seem to care little for the consequences of their heathen carbon-offsetting. Irish farmers are seriously worried for their livelihoods. The dairy industry is worth €13 billion a year to the Irish economy. It provides 54,000 jobs. It brought in a staggering €6.8 billion in exports in 2022 alone. What will become of all this fruitful work if cow slaughter in the name of Net Zero takes off? We’re portrayed as ‘climate killers’, complains one Irish farmer. Indeed, eco-activists marched in Dublin with banners saying ‘Meat + dairy = climate crisis’ – a perfect snapshot of out how out-of-touch the urban elites are, who probably never give a second thought to the question of who produced the luscious cream that appears atop the €20 pancakes they scoff for Sunday brunch in a hip Dublin eatery. . . 

Farmers are being hit hard – Todd McClay :

Fonterra’s recent announcement that the milk price will drop to $7/kg – on top of falling lamb and beef schedules – is devastating news for farmers.

With the forecast dairy payout falling, and lower lamb and beef prices, many farmers face a season of losses with their books going into the red. Rising interest rates and Labour’s excessive regulation of the rural sector means many dairy farmers now need $8.20/ kg just to break even.

The Government must take urgent action to get farmers’ costs down. It should rein in its ill-disciplined spending and stop their assault on farmers. Six years of piling on costs for farming has increased the price of food and put farmers and the New Zealand economy at risk.

A prime example is how farmers and their stock have been caught in a stressful bureaucratic nightmare created by Labour. As part of the current Government’s regulation overload, farmers must have a farm plan for winter grazing – or apply for a resource consent. . . 

Deep pockets for kids – Leo Argent,

Agri banking specialist Rabobank and food education charity Garden to Table recently announced the launch of a new free teaching resource to develop money management skills among New Zealand children.

Rabobank New Zealand chief executive Todd Charteris says having teamed up with Garden to Table earlier in the year to develope and expand across New Zealand, the idea for the teaching resource – called Deep Pockets, Hōhonu te Pūkoro – stemmed from discussions about the ongoing development of the Garden to Table programme.

“Both organisations believe that learning basic money management skills is incredibly important and that these skills can help set up a young person for a successful future,” he says. “We discovered a gap in hands-on learning resources to support knowledge development in this area and decided to create a new teaching resource that connects leaning to grow and cook food with improved financial literacy.”

Garden to Table curriculum and community relations manager Victoria Bernard says the current cost-of-living crisis – particularly the significant price increases for many food items – only reinforced their view that this type of resource was necessary. . . 

ECan approves new consent regs – Annette Scott :

New rules approved by Environment Canterbury will streamline the consents process and strengthen restrictions on some activities to improve water quality across significant parts of the region, the council says.

The changes, bundled together in a suite of amendments to the Land and Water Regional Plan, were approved at a meeting on August 16.

As well as making Plan Change 7 to the Land and Water Regional Plan (LWRP) partially operative from September 1 2023, it also agreed to make Plan Change 2 to the Waimakariri River Regional Plan fully operative.

Environment Canterbury (ECan) deputy chair Craig Pauling welcomed the changes as positive for the environment and the community. . . 

Pay deal could worsen rural nursing shortage – Neal Wallace :

The current shortage of nurses working in rural practices could become more accentuated with recent pay parity and pay equity agreements excluding those in community and primary facilities.

The wage difference between those working comparable jobs in community-owned rural hospitals and those run by Health NZ (Te Whatu Ora), could now be $20,000 a year following those agreements.

“If nurses are doing an equal job then they should get the same pay regardless of where they work,” Rural Health Network (Hauora Taiwhenua) chair Fiona Bolden said.

Adding to the disparity is the 5% increase in the annual capitation payment to community and primary health providers, which she said is not enough to meet pay parity let alone cover rising costs. . . 

WRONZ backed wool source hitting stride :

A commercial production adoption programme backed by Wool Research Organisation of New Zealand (WRONZ) for strong wool-derived products is gathering pace and attracting strong international interest.

WRONZ established Wool Source in 2021 as a commercialisation venture to test market potential for products developed via the New Uses for Strong Wool programme. This WRONZ-lead programme was supported by wool growers, supply chain participants, Ministry for Business and Innovation and Employment (MBIE) and the Ministry for Primary Industries’ Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures Fund and awarded Gold Status for the final report by MBIE. WRONZ holds the intellectual property rights and patents for the world-leading technology it generated.

Wool Source CEO Tom Hooper says with the close of the seven-year research programme, the focus on commercialisation for its wool-derived powder, pigments and particle products is starting to yield results.

“We’ve had an incredible response from the different sectors and industries we’ve been introducing to our products. The value proposition wool offers is not only those natural performance benefits of wool, which we’ve retained as we’ve transformed the fibre into new forms, but its credentials as a natural, renewable, biodegradable and ethically sourced product.” . . 

 

Leave a Comment » | business, environment, Farming, food, rural | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by homepaddock

Rural roundup

04/08/2023

Farmers take shearing machines to the Mongolian steppes :

New Zealand farmers have shared their shearing knowledge with more than 100 Mongolian herders during a five week tour of the country.

It was done as part of the Share Mongolia Programme, an initiative set up in 2020 to introduce modern shearing techniques and equipment in Mongolia.

Rabobank agribusiness manager Paul Brough helped set up the programme, and said last year four Mongolian herders spent three months working in shearing gangs throughout New Zealand to sharpen their skills. So this time it was great to travel to Mongolia to share more knowledge.

He said the contingent of 12 farmers from throughout New Zealand split up into three groups to deliver the training. . . 

Milk set to spill as dairy prices tumble – Hugh Stringleman :

The largest fall in prices across five out of six dairy commodities in the latest Global Dairy Trade auction has exporters and analysts reaching for the red pens to cut milk price forecasts.

The 4.3% fall in the GDT index along with the 8% fall in whole milk powder prices takes farmgate milk price predictions into $7/kg territory, having lost touch with the $8s and $9s of the past two seasons.

Fonterra’s forecast mid-point of $8 for the season now looks to be 20c too high, Westpac senior agri economist Nathan Penny said.

He slashed $1.10 from his own forecast two weeks ago but now says $7.80 has downside risk. . . 

Huge response to Year of the Farmer – Shawn McAvinue :

The Otago Daily Times and Rural Life have been overwhelmed by the support and enthusiasm for the 2023 Year of the Farmer initiative, which celebrates the South Island’s food and fibre producing champions.

ODT business editor Sally Rae said screeds of nominations were received, covering the length of the South Island, and they made for heart-warming reading.

‘‘They reflected exactly why we implemented this initiative; to showcase the work of farmers to create an environmentally, economically and socially sustainable future while also making a positive contribution to their rural communities.’’

The nominations had been narrowed down to 52 — representing the weeks of the year — and they will be profiled by Ms Rae  and her team of rural journalists in a special publication, to be published on August 30, she said. . . 

Entries invited for 2024 Ballance Farm Environment Awards :

Farmers and growers across the country are encouraged to enter the Ballance Farm Environment Awards and help continue to grow a healthy future for farming. Run by the New Zealand Farm Environment Trust, the awards champion sustainable farming and growing and celebrate good practice and innovation across the primary sector.

NZFET General Manager Sarah Harris invites farmers and growers at any point of their sustainability journey to get involved.

“Being part of the awards programme is a positive way to receive feedback on your business, help identify strengths and learn from others who are passionate about the food and fibre sector.”

Through the BFEA programme, farmers and growers have the opportunity to showcase, benchmark, and improve the sustainability of their operation through a constructive process where agribusiness professionals provide feedback, recommendations, and commendations. . . 

MPI announces 2023 Good Employer Awards finalists :

The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) has announced finalists for the 2023 Primary Industries Good Employer Awards.

Now in their fourth year, the awards celebrate and recognise good employers who show genuine passion for ensuring the success of their people.

“We were blown away by the record number and high calibre of entries in this year’s Good Employer Awards,” says Beth Davie, Manager Workforce at MPI.

“We received entries from a range of different employers in the food and fibre sector including dairy, forestry, horticulture, meat processing, and food production. . . 

Chicken welfare top of the pecking order for the 2023 AgriFutures Research Awards :

A groundbreaking animal growth and welfare monitoring, detection and notification system has been awarded the annual AgriFutures Research Award for 2023.

Developed by Dr Cheryl McCarthy, a mechatronics engineer at the University of Southern Queensland’s Centre for Agriculture Engineering, the Novel Detection of Chicken Welfare Using Machine Vision project will see the development of a proof-of-concept system for monitoring chickens and their behaviour in chicken sheds. The system will seek to provide instant remote notifications to the shed supervisor to indicate when conditions could be affecting flock welfare.

Dr McCarthy said the award recognised how important ongoing research is for improving efficiencies in the chicken meat industry.

“I am very excited to receive this award for research to develop new machine vision technologies for monitoring chicken flocks,” Dr McCarthy said. . . 

Leave a Comment » | business, environment, Farming, food, rural | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by homepaddock

Rural round-up

26/06/2023

Farmers are alright by Kiwis, survey shows – Gerald Piddock :

A public perception survey of livestock industries and its welfare practices paints a positive picture of how the country sees its farmers.

And the perception has changed for the good more than any other industry in New Zealand in the past three years, the Research First survey shows.

“The sheep and beef and dairy sub-sectors saw a significant increase in positive perception and no significant change to negative perception,” Research First’s Liz Morley said.

The results are from an online survey of 380 New Zealanders. The research included other industries, among them healthcare, tourism, construction and retail. . . 

Methane reducing supplement for cows still trapped in regulatory limbo – Monique Steele :

It has taken nearly two-and-a-half years for the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) to decide if a feed supplement promising to slash a cow’s methane output should enter the New Zealand market.

The hazardous chemicals regulator is yet to give the go-ahead for Bovaer, developed by Dutch animal health firm DSM, since it first applied in February 2021.

Research has found Bovaer can reduce a cow’s methane output by 30 percent in non-pasture cattle. Fonterra also announced it would team up with DSM to trial the product in early 2021.

The EPA application has gone back and forth between the regulator and DSM, due to what the EPA calls a range of hazard classification, technical and procedural matters. . . 

Farmer satisfaction with banks continues to slide, Feds survey shows :

Farmers’ satisfaction with their bank relationship continues to slip and more perceive they are under undue pressure, the latest Federated Farmers Banking Survey shows.

Although a majority of the 1,017 respondents to the May survey remain satisfied with their banks, with 56 percent very satisfied or satisfied, this was down 3 points from the previous survey in November 2022 and is the lowest since the biannual surveys began in May 2015.

“Interest rate and cost increases are making it tough for many New Zealanders and businesses and the rural sector isn’t immune,” Federated Farmers President Wayne Langford said.

“But the survey results indicate the banking sector has work to do lifting the standard of their liaison and service to the agricultural sector. . . 

Prices steady at Fonterra GDT auction as dairy farmers seek new techniques on methane reduction – Point of Order :

Expectations that prices would fall again at the latest Fonterra  GDT auction were blunted in the event, with the  average price steady at $US3247/t.  

The average price for whole milk powder, which has the most impact on what farmers are paid, fell 3% at the last auction a fortnight ago, and the SGX-NZX Dairy Derivatives market was this week picking a further 3% decline. However at  the  latest auction the price  was unchanged at  $US3,172/t. Pleasingly  the price  for butter  rose another 5.5%  to  reach $US5,379/t. Anhydrous milk fat also rose, by  0.5% to $US4,758/t, but cheddar  was down  3.3% to $$US4,555/t and skim milk powder  fell 2.3%  to $US$2,667/t.

Fonterra reduced the volume available at this auction, citing “tight seasonal inventory positions”. But it also brought forward more volume for the July and August auctions, saying the change would better align GDT offer volumes with milk supply and collection profiles.

As dairy farmers  get their into their  seasonal stride, they are also focussing  on  how  they can mitigate methane emissions. . .

Feds – immigration changes are a step in the right direction but concerns remain :

Federated Farmers welcome changes to immigration settings announced earlier today, but some concerns still remain that need to be addressed says Dairy Chair Richard McIntyre.

“Extending the Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) from three to five years is a really positive step that will give both employers and employees a lot more certainty moving forward,” Mr McIntyre says.

“It will also smooth out the process for those farm staff who progress into herd management, which is a green list occupation and has a pathway to residency”.

Previously there has been a situation where applicants need three years’ experience to get onto the green list, but at the time of applying most had two and a half. This meant they had to go through the effort, expense, and frustration of applying for an additional visa in between.

“While it’s great to have a pathway to residency for herd management roles, we should also be providing pathways for those who enjoy their jobs as dairy assistants and are happy to continue at that level,” Mr McIntyre says. . . 

Underground irrigation trial boosts efficiency :

Gary and Penny Robinson have received positive feedback on water use efficiency and increased grass growth from Maniototo sharemilker, Luke Jeffries, after installing a Subsurface Drip Irrigation (SDI) system on the Central Otago farm.

Gary and Penny are involved in a Next Generation Farming project designed to help farmers meet tough nitrate caps while maintaining their viability. As part of this project, the couple are using innovation to demonstrate productivity and environmental benefits to their neighbours in the region and beyond.

Waimakariri Landcare Trust (WLT) and Waimakariri Irrigation Limited (WIL) have partnered with the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) for the project, with support from MPI’s Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures fund along with Environment Canterbury, Ballance, and DairyNZ.

Gary says the SDI trial on a 15-hectare block of the Maniototo Dairy Partnership farm which Luke sharemilks has highlighted the benefits of the system during a sweltering Otago summer. . . 

Modest kiwifruit harvest leaves growers under par :

  • Growers disappointed with volume of kiwifruit produced in 2023
  • Another year of financial pressure burdens kiwifruit growers
  • Eye kept on kiwifruit quality as it gets exported to overseas markets
  • Light at the end of the tunnel in 2024

The 2023 harvest of kiwifruit, New Zealand’s largest horticultural export, has largely ended with the crop now being shipped to overseas markets.

New Zealand Kiwifruit Growers Inc. CEO Colin Bond says that this was one of the most financially unrewarding harvests in recent memory due to the low volume produced. “The kiwifruit industry did relatively well during COVID because we were allowed to continue to operate”, says Colin. “However, the last two years have been our equivalent to the economic strains experienced by other industries throughout the pandemic – now it’s our turn”. The raft of problems for growers began with quality in late 2022 and have continued into 2023 with poor pollination, wind, flooding, hail and cyclones reducing the crop size. Originally thinking 160 million trays of kiwifruit would be produced, the final number is more likely to be well under 140 million trays, a far reach from 2022’s 175 million trays. On average, each tray has around 30 pieces of kiwifruit. . . 

Leave a Comment » | business, environment, Farming, food, horticulture, immigration, rural | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by homepaddock

Rural round-up

19/06/2023

New Zealand farmers should be celebrated for addressing climate change – Kate Acland :

Beef + Lamb New Zealand has been out on the road listening to farmers in a series of woolshed meetings over the past few weeks.

Clearly, many farmers are frustrated at the overwhelming wave of regulations coming down the pipeline.

The farmers that I talk to certainly aren’t anti-change. The weather, global market prices and evolving expectations from consumers mean change in our sector is constant.

Ultimately, the prevailing mood among many farmers in these woolshed meetings has been driven by the varying views about how our sector should play its role alongside the rest of the nation and global competitors in addressing climate change. . .

Farmers called Labour’s bluff ahead of the election – Heather du Plessis Allan :

New Zealand farmers have called Labour’s bluff on the climate tax Labour was planning, and they’ve won this thing. 

After yesterday’s announcement from the Nats, there is now very little chance- actually probably no chance at all- that Labour will put any kind of tax on farmers before the election.

Because what happened yesterday is that farmers got hope. All they have to do is hold on for the next four months.

Don’t agree to anything, wait until October, and if National and ACT get elected- and the three most recent polls say that’s what’s going to happen- they won’t be burdened with the enormous tax Labour was planning for them. . . .

Luxon makes pitch to farmers at Fieldays – Gerald Piddock :

National leader Christopher Luxon pitched his case to farmers at Fieldays ahead of this year’s election, saying the party is focusing on common sense policies that advance agriculture.

“We want our farmers to be the best in the world in the next 50 years and we back them big time,” he said.

“They need to be deeply valued and not treated as villains as they have done over the past six years as they have been by this government. We want to make sure we deliver on our climate emission goals but also, we want to make sure we deliver on growing our economy.”

He called the government’s decision to rule out a fertiliser tax proof of it “being all over the show” when it comes to agricultural policy. . . 

No more sheep jokes – Richard Harman :

It’s time to stop the sheep jokes; a Government report out this morning confirms what many have begun to realise over the past few years, and that is that sheep farming is a dying industry.

The annual Ministry of Primary Industries’ Situation and Outlook for the agriculture sector has a new set of forecasts showing meat and wool earnings will barely move over the next four years.

In contrast, dairy earnings are expected to rocket ahead by nearly 30 per cent, with dairy exports earning $2.40 for every dollar earned by beef, lamb and wool exports.

The importance of the dairy industry was underlined yesterday, with Prime Minister Chris Hipkins rejecting any idea of a fertiliser tax. . .

Genetically modified food could help fight against climate change – Andy Allan:

A gene-edited plant is thousands of times less risky biologically than a plant bred naturally. National’s policy suggests the long-term use and apparent safety of these plants overseas would mean they’d be considered safe to grow here

Opinion: The National Party has released its Harnessing Biotech policy on ending New Zealand’s effective ban on gene editing and the growing of genetically modified organisms (GMOs). The policy itself is well-thought-out and offers some hope that a rational approach to new technologies in New Zealand may be around the corner.

It is also a pity that this is again a political issue. In a rational world, questions of whether to develop gene-edited crops or animals (or if gene editing should be used for medicine) should be about the evidence, the data, and whether there will be a big gain (health, social, environmental and economic) with low levels of risk. This would be on a case-by-case basis as recommended by the Royal Commission on Genetic Modification in 2001, before pressure groups successfully lobbied for a zero-GMO country approach.

Two developments have shifted the argument after 25 years of ‘debate’. The first is the development of the CRISPR-based gene-editing tool which was quickly adopted around the world, which allows for a very efficient way of making “nature-identical” changes to the genetics of an organism; single base pairs in the genome (made up of 100s of millions of base pairs) can be changed without adding any new DNA. . . 

Act to slash rural red tape :

“ACT will rein in the bloated bureaucratic beast that the Ministry for Primary Industries has become and get it back to basics and focused on supporting farmers to do what they do best”, says ACT’s Primary Industries spokesperson Mark Cameron and ACT Candidate Andrew Hoggard.

ACT can reveal that MPI has 52 per cent – or 1,277 – more staff now than it did in 2017. The average salary at MPI is $101,700, so that’s about $130 million more in salary costs each year.

“MPI has grown by 52 per cent, but have farmers received 52 per cent better service from them? No. It’s feathering its own nest, taking on new and unnecessary functions, none of which make life for farmers any easier.

“The Labour Government’s answer to everything is more bureaucrats in Wellington, and it’s no different in the primary sector. . .

Leave a Comment » | business, environment, Farming, food, politics, rural | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by homepaddock

Rural round-up

13/06/2023

Gene tech must drive mitigation of emissions: Nats – Neal Wallace :

Beef + Lamb New Zealand welcomed National’s policy, saying it aligns with its own position. 

The National Party’s policy to remove the ban on gene technology is a crucial element in its plans to reduce agricultural greenhouse gas emissions.

Announcing the policy today, its agriculture spokesperson, Todd McClay, said removing the gene technology ban would give farmers tools they need to reduce methane emissions, such as gene-edited crops, feed and livestock.

Its genetic modification policy was announced on Sunday and includes establishing a dedicated biotechnology regulator within the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment to oversee it and to manage ethical concerns. . . 

Federated Farmers gives National’s environment policy five stars:

Federated Farmers gives the National Party climate policy announced today ‘five stars’, the farming organisation’s President Wayne Langford says.

“Last week we released a rural roadmap outlining our 12 key policy priorities for restoring farmer confidence this election.

“That roadmap included a clear call for the next government to urgently review our methane reduction targets, support the better use of technologies, and to rethink our ETS forestry rules,” Langford said.

“We’re really pleased to see the National Party have picked up on those important issues and are making commitments to put in place solutions that will work for farmers. . . 

Biotech and agritech firms welcome National’s plan to rethink genetic modification ban :

Biotech and agritech firms are welcoming a potential rethink on genetic modification, saying New Zealand lags behind other countries where the practice is already common.

The National Party has said it would overhaul restrictions on genetic modification (GM), which were last amended 20 years ago, if it leads the next government.

Under the current rules, genetic research is permitted in laboratories, but trials outside the lab need approval, which often resulted in scientists heading overseas to continue their research.

BiotechNZ executive director Dr Zahra Champion said modern biotech research had the opportunity to add value to the agriculture, forestry, marine and health industries. . . 

Farmers are being let down by Wellington bureaucrats – Doug Edmeades :

The Ministry for the Environment (MfE) recently released a report on the state of New Zealand freshwater (“Our Fresh Water 2023”).

I read it from the perspective of a farmer, who enthusiastically joined the local catchment group focused on improving water quality. What information, I asked myself, would such a farmer expect to see, or wish to see in such a report?

The 2023 report begins cautiously: “Many of the issues identified by the Parliamentary Commissioner of the Environment in his 2019 system review still challenge current reporting.

These issues are evident in the content of Our Freshwater 2023: there continues to be gaps in data, inconsistencies in methods and monitoring, lack of accessibility…”

Farm viability improved through precision agriculture :

Reduced input costs and nitrogen fertiliser use, along with improved environmental outcomes are key benefits realised by Roscoe Taggart over the last two years on his family’s 730 hectare arable and sheep farm in Cust.

Roscoe has achieved greater efficiency through precision agriculture and the use of a new Yara N sensor during a Next Generation Farming project designed to help farmers meet tough nitrate caps while maintaining their viability. As part of this project, farmers like Roscoe are using innovation to demonstrate productivity and environmental benefits to their neighbours in the region and beyond.

Waimakariri Landcare Trust (WLT) and Waimakariri Irrigation Limited (WIL) have partnered with the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) for the project, with support from MPI’s Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures fund along with Environment Canterbury, Ballance, and DairyNZ.

As the harvest season draws to a close, Roscoe says this harvest has been a mixed bag due to wet weather conditions, however his new maize for seed and evening primrose crops have provided positive results. . . 

GM innovation strategy trends pointing to productivity risks for New Zealand – Mike Manning :

As a co-operative, Ravensdown has a responsibility to monitor market and industry trends for farmers and growers.

Today, it’s no secret that the predominant trend in the fertiliser industry currently is one of low levels of purchasing by farmers.

Looking at the previous Spring and Autumn periods, we’ve seen total fertiliser volumes across New Zealand decrease by around 20-30 percent, but farmers are spending about the same. When interest rates, fuel and labour are generally uncontrollable costs, fertiliser management can be one of the first levers farmers can pull to manage price pain on farm.

Looking more broadly, we’re all aware of an even more dominant trend affecting the wider agri-industry. And that’s the trend of softening farmgate profitability – especially in the dairy, and sheep and beef sectors. So, we have been thinking about where these trends might take the country. . . 

Leave a Comment » | business, environment, Farming, rural | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by homepaddock

Rural round-up

11/04/2023

Events have soured quickly for dairy farmers as prices fall sharply at latest Fonterra GDT auction – Point of Order :

Events  have gone sour quickly for the  dairy  industry,  and  in turn for the country’s external accounts, with a sharp  fall in the latest Global Dairy Trade auction this week.

Prices fell 4.7% overall – the fourth consecutive decline — to an average of $US3,227 ($NZ5,112) per metric tonne. This comes just two days after Fonterra cut its farmgate milk price for the rest of the current season.

 It’s the seventh fall over the past eight auctions.

Whole milk powder, which peaked in March 2022 at $US$4757/MT, plunged 5.2% to an average of $US3053/MT.This is the lowest the commodity has been at since November 2020. . . 

Rising cost of dairy reminder that without farmers there’s no bread and butter :

It is bad news for dairy farmers with the Global Dairy Trade index (GDT) recording its fourth consecutive decrease today. The 4.7% decrease is significant and adds further pressure to Kiwi farmers already burdened with increased costs and regulations,” Groundswell NZ spokesperson Bryce McKenzie says.

“Whole milk powder fell by 5.2% alone and skim milk powder by 2.5% with butter falling by 3.3%”.

“There are a lot of global factors at play, but our Government needs to recognise that the deluge of policies, regulations, and legislation they have imposed on the sector is making a challenging situation frankly unbearable. We will see more dairy farmers exiting the industry if this keeps up.

“Prime Minister Chris Hipkins has repeatedly stated that he is focusing on New Zealand’s ‘bread and butter issues’ and it is high time he remembered that without farmers there is no bread and butter. . .

RAT on horizon to manage facial eczema on farm :

A rapid antigen test (RAT) aimed at early detection of facial eczema (FE) in ruminants will help manage a disease that costs the New Zealand economy more than $200 million each year.

The Ministry for Primary Industries’ Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures fund is investing more than $35,000 in a project with Tokaora Diagnostics to develop a prototype facial eczema RAT and undertake field testing. The test could be used with sheep, cattle, and deer but initial trials will focus on dairy cattle.

“FE is a disease of the liver and often doesn’t show physical symptoms until it’s too late to save the animal,” says Steve Penno, MPI’s Director of Investment Programmes.

“Currently there’s no cheap, on-farm diagnostic on the market, so we’re supporting Tokaora Diagnostics to take their proof-of-concept test to the next stage.” . .

Otago Ballance Farm Environment Award winners announced :

Continual improvement and guardianship sees Auldamor owners take out the Regional Supreme Award at the Otago Ballance Farm Environment Awards

Steven and Kellie Nichol of Auldamor have been announced as Regional Supreme Winners at the Otago Ballance Farm Environment Awards in Dunedin this evening.

Steven and Kellie are constantly evolving their farming business though diversification and adapting production systems, all while considering environmental impact. Their 1,498ha property is located at Clarks Junction, Otago. The Nichol family has been farming in the area since 1871, meaning they have a strong connection to the land and consider improvements and guardianship a priority.

In 2007, Steven leased 976ha from his parents and purchased it outright in 2010. In 2019, the farming operation was extended with an additional 522ha neighbouring lease block. During his tenure, Steven has continually strived to improve, develop, expand and adapt the farming business. . . 

1100 avocado lovers hit Auckland’s Aotea centre this week :

Despite Aotearoa beating out both Mexico (and Kenya) to the coveted hosting right of the 10th World Avocado Congress, 200 Mexican avocado aficionados have arrived to tautoko (support) the event.

New Zealand Avocado CEO Jen Scoular says she is humbled by their support, as they are the largest travelling group from an overseas country.

In total 1,100 international experts descend on Auckland’s Aotea Centre this week to discuss talk all things avocado.

The Congress brings together growers, scientists, researchers, marketers, retailers, tech innovators, and investors from 32 countries around the world. . . 

Macra anger at ‘family farm’ definition – Catriona Morrissey :

Macra president John Keane said he was seriously concerned about the use of the words “typical” and “average” when defining the family farm. . . .

 

Leave a Comment » | animal welfare, Uncategorized | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by homepaddock

Rural round-up

14/02/2023

HWEN legislation unlikely before poll – Neal Wallace:

Speculation is mounting that the government will run out of time to pass the He Waka Eke Noa legislation before this year’s general election.

But interested parties disagree on whether any delay on HWEN laws would simply be a timing issue or if it could allow changes to the legislation.

Federated Farmers president Andrew Hoggard said  the organisation’s own analysis and well-placed sources have told him the government will not have time to pass the empowering legislation before the election.

He said legislation still has to be drafted and with Parliament not resuming sitting until February 14, it will be March or April before any documents are ready to be put before Parliament. . . 

Herb added to cows’ grazing crops reduces farm nitrogen escaping into waterways – research – Jimmy Ellingham, :

It is a common and even unwelcome sight in lawns throughout New Zealand.

But the tall stalks and black heads of plantain could help clean up the country’s waterways, according to a dairy industry trial.

New research out of Massey University in Palmerston North has shown adding the leafy herb to cows’ grazing crops can reduce the amount of nitrogen escaping from dairy farms into waterways by 20 to 60 percent.

Glenn Judson, an animal nutritionist from crop and pasture company Agricom, said everybody would recognise the plant, even if they did not realise its powers. . . 

Deer milk boosts muscle mass, bone density study finds :

An 18-month-long ground breaking clinical trial investigating the health benefits of deer milk shows it improves muscle mass and bone density in older adults.

Government-owned farming company Pāmu, along with a South Island farming couple, milk 300 deer – 200 in Southland and 100 on the Central Plateau.

Pāmu has been pursuing deer milk as a viable dairy product for many years and deer business lead Hamish Glendinning said scientifically proving the nutritional benefits was vital when building market demand for New Zealand deer milk.

A new clinical trial was set up in conjunction with Massey University in June 2021. . . 

Entries open for the 2023 good employer awards :

New Zealand’s top food and fibre sector employers are being called on to enter the 2023 Primary Industries Good Employer Awards.

Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) director investment skills and performance Cheyne Gillooly says people are at the heart of New Zealand’s food and fibre sector businesses.

“These awards are a fantastic way to showcase innovative ways in managing staff and spreading excellence throughout the sector,” he says.

“We’re on the lookout for employers, both large and small, who go above and beyond by creating productive, safe, supportive, and healthy work environments for their people.” . . 

Government should promote New Zealand’s excellent mining industry :

The Government should promote New Zealand’s excellent mining industry, not scare off investors with anti-mining rhetoric, says Straterra CEO Josie Vidal.

Straterra spoke to the Economic Development, Science and Innovation Select Committee at Parliament today in support of its submission on the Crown Minerals Amendment Bill.

“We don’t support this Bill or its anti-mining tone. But if it proceeds, we want to keep the word promote in the purpose,” Vidal says.

“What’s in a word? A lot when it comes to the attractiveness of New Zealand to the investors we need for capital intense development, because we have a small population and not a lot of money. . . 

Rotorua to host international remote sensing forestry conference :

Rotorua and Whakarewarewa Forest will be the backdrop to a global forestry conference that is set to attract up to 500 remote sensing specialists to the city in just over 18 months’ time.

Scion has successfully secured a bid to host ForestSAT 2024, the most prestigious international conference on the application of remote sensing technologies for forest monitoring and modelling.

Previous conferences have been held in Germany, USA, Chile, Italy, Spain, France, Sweden and Scotland. For the first time the conference will be in Australasia over five days, starting 9 September 2024.

Scion’s general manager for Forests to Timber Products, Dr Henri Bailleres, says the event will be an incredible opportunity to showcase New Zealand and Scion. . . 

 

Leave a Comment » | business, environment, Farming, food, forestry, politics, rural | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by homepaddock

Rural round-up

08/02/2023

Tough economy not the time for more red tape, Feds survey finds :

Farmer confidence in general economic conditions has hit a record low, according to a Federated Farmers January survey.

Of just over 1,100 responses from farm businesses around the country, a net 65.2 percent considered current economic conditions to be bad. That’s 17.4 points worse than the survey in July last year and the lowest level of confidence expressed in the 27 biannual Farm Confidence surveys Feds has conducted since 2009.

A net 81.8 percent of farmer respondents expected economic conditions to deteriorate over the next 12 months, 0.9 points down on the survey six months ago.

“It’s not just inflation and rising farm input costs,” Federated Farmers President and economic spokesman Andrew Hoggard says. . . 

Virtual fencing technology proving its worth on North Canterbury farm – Tim Cronshaw :

A North Canterbury couple has signed up their large dairy herd for hi-tech collars and fence-less farming, writes Tim Cronshaw.

Culverden farmer Emlyn Francis likes to call the GPS-controlled collars on his dairy cows the way of the future.

As he strolls towards a collar-wearing mob lounging around a water tank, he points to distant fence lines.

They’ve been made nearly redundant by the virtual technology, which is being taken up by a small, but growing group of farmers throughout the country. . . 

More woolly thinking or a good idea? – Leo Argent :

New Zealand strong wool could bring a bounce back into soft upholstery – and woolgrowers’ bank accounts – through a new project seeking an alternative to synthetic fillers.

The Ministry for Primary Industries’ (MPI) Sustained Food and Fibre (SFF) Futures fund is committing $790,000 over three years to a project led by Wisewool aimed at increasing the market potential of woollen knops – the small, light fluffy balls used as a filler ingredient.

“This project has the potential to improve returns to our strong wool producers and provide an environmentally friendly alternative to existing synthetic products,” says Steve Penno, MPI’s director of investment programmes.

“Woollen knops can be used in baby bedding and insulated clothing as well as mattresses, so it’s a versatile product with plenty of scope.” . . 

Mid-Canterbury farms M. Bovis eradication not dependent on knowing transmission route  – Jonathan Leask :

The Ashburton mayor says it isn’t a major concern officials are unsure how Mycoplasma bovis began circulating Wakanui farms in Mid-Canterbury last year because they continue to close in on eradication.

An independent expert review into M bovis infection in Wakanui has failed to produce a definitive explanation for transmission of the disease but programme director Simon Andrew said it showed appropriate steps were being taken to remove infection in the area.

The review was commissioned by the programme’s partners, MPI, DairyNZ and Beef + Lamb New Zealand, in mid-2022 after it became apparent that infection was circulating in a small geographical area despite the use of disease control measures, which have proven successful in other areas around New Zealand.

Mayor Neil Brown said the report didn’t provide a definitive answer on transmission but what it showed was appropriate actions were being taken to keep the eradication programme on track. . . 

Promising apples season to come for Central Otago :

The apple harvest is just around the corner and the Central Otago crop looks to be in good shape.

The stone fruit season is in full swing at the moment as apricots are well through the season as are nectarines and peaches.

After that the apples will begin to be picked and nationwide it is shaping up to be a promising season.

Horticulture New Zealand released a statement this week which said the apple industry expected fruit of good quality and size as it headed into the 2023 apple export harvest season. . . 

NSW farmers offering to help repair rural roads for free are hitting red tape – Amelia Bernasconi, Laura Williams and David Claughton:

Fixing thousands of kilometres of roads after record-breaking floods in New South Wales may take councils years to complete, and some farmers with heavy machinery want to lend a hand.

But those offering their services are being knocked back by local councils and the state government because they are unable to get liability cover.

The roads around Braidwood farmer Peter Jansson’s property are so bad he mothballed the farm and bought a house nearby. 

The property was damaged by the Black Summer fires, and the flood damage to the roads was the last straw. . . . 

 

Leave a Comment » | business, environment, Farming, food, horticulture, rural | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by homepaddock

Rural round-up

24/01/2023

Out of pocket and patience with illegal hunting – Guy Williams:

Otago and Southland already have the highest rate of unlawful hunting in the country, and now landowners, police and legitimate hunters say poaching appears to be on the rise in the region.

Public Interest Journalism Fund reporter Guy Williams looks at what could be behind the trend and what is being done to combat it. 

Pursuing a poacher on a farm near Lindis Pass last year left hunting guide Chris McCarthy with a broken ankle and thousands of dollars out of pocket.

Mr McCarthy was guiding a client on Forest Range Station on April 5 when he spotted Otis Feehan-Price through binoculars. . . 

Mates out to create buzz over alcohol brewed from honey – Annette Scott :

Two Kiwis on a mission set out to show the world that all of NZ’s native honeys – and not just mānuka – can make premium products.

New Zealand’s diverse native flora treats beekeepers across the country to a range of native Aotearoa honeys: kāmahi, pōhutukawa, rewarewa, rātā… the list goes on. 

But a singular focus on mānuka, say Wilbur Morrison and Edward Eaton, means beekeepers with rich natural native plant diversity walk away from their unprofitable hives.

And because native honeys that aren’t mānuka are being forgotten, NZ apiculture is becoming less sustainable.  . . 

Feds call for government inquiry on Tairāwhiti. damage :

Einstein’s words that insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results is relevant to storm damage in Tairāwhiti.

And it’s why Federated Farmers is calling on the government to promptly establish an inquiry into the factors that contributed to flooding and smashed infrastructure from ex-tropical Cyclone Hale, with the aim of not making the same mistakes again.

Feds national board member and former Gisborne-Wairoa president Toby Williams says no-one can do anything about heavy rain – “more than 300mm of it on our farm, that’s a quarter of our annual rainfall in January so far and the month isn’t over”.

But in a letter to Emergency Management, Forestry and Associate Environment Ministers, Federated Farmers said residual woody material/slash left in situ after exotic forestry harvesting was a significant contributing factor to increased damage and would need to be part of the brief provided to the inquiry team. . . 

Forestry see merit in a review of Tairāwhiti resilience :

The forestry industry is in support of an independent review of the challenges faced by the East Coast following ex-tropical Cyclone Hale, believing it will be beneficial for the region in the future.

The weather event affected a significant part of the country earlier this month. However, like Cyclone Bola in 1988, it was once again the East Coast community who felt the brunt of the weather with roads and bridges damaged, and power taken out.

Speaking for the Eastland Wood Council, Chief Executive Philip Hope noted the combination of factors that makes Tairāwhiti so vulnerable.

“We are managing an area almost twice the size of Auckland with three percent of their population, whilst sitting on some of the worst eroding country in the world. It’s a big challenge for many including the Council, but we are committed to the Tairāwhiti community.” . . 

Developer eyes turning gravel into gold – Jill Herron :

As a local council moves to corral burgeoning growth within its town boundary, a private developer is again looking to take it into the hinterland

An application for a 543-lot subdivision 10km north of Cromwell will be publicly notified within the next few weeks by the Central Otago District Council.

The developer is roading and infrastructure company Fulton Hogan, which is looking to develop a quarry site, one of 30 the company owns in the South Island.

With shops, travellers’ accommodation, business and industrial zones and a pencilled-in school site, the proposal would form a satellite town if it did not already have urban neighbours on its southern boundary. . . 

M. Bovis confirmed properties continue to decrease :

The Mycoplasma bovis Programme, led in partnership with MPI, DairyNZ and Beef + Lamb New Zealand, continues to make good progress towards the eradication of the disease from New Zealand.

All properties in the high-risk area in Wakanui, which is under a Controlled Area Notice (CAN), have now been cleared of cattle. Testing will be underway shortly on the properties in the surrounding area. The CAN is on track to be lifted in mid-March.

The number of active confirmed properties has decreased this week with two properties now cleared of M. bovis and preparing return to farming without restrictions. There is one new farm infected with M. bovis which has well-established links to another already infected property.

“This brings the current number of Confirmed Properties to five (compared to 40 at the height of the outbreak), and we expect all of these farms to be cleared within the first half of 2023,” said M. bovis programme director Simon Andrew. . . 

Leave a Comment » | apiculture, business, environment, Farming, food, forestry, rural | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by homepaddock

Rural round-up

18/01/2023

Contrary to Govt opinion, it’s growers who know how to grow – Gerrard Eckhoff :

One of the biggest problem our country faces is the continuous supply of false prophets who have the ear of government.

They come with ideas that sound workable but in practise turn out to be well less so. Their greatest ability is to ignore the realities which contradict the theory.

This is never more the case than when the politics of the environment (see rural NZ) are dissected. Our Government overrides and/or ignores the overwhelming success of the primary sector’s capacity to produce at a level which supplies significant capital for our health, education and welfare sectors to meet much of the needs of our wider society.

This is a result of the constant rational application to change which now seems to have been set aside in favour of a more “natural” process without the use of science. . . 

Government’s response to East Cost flooding is insulting – Clive Bibby :

Normally, when a state of emergency is called, as it was on the East Coast last Wednesday when Cyclone Hale reached its peak, you expect all the local and government agencies who are charged with mobilising the relief effort to be operating in unison to help those in need. 

As one of those living at the epicentre of the destruction (we live on the Paroa Road inland from Tolaga Bay), l am able to give an accurate account at what happened immediately after and since the storm decimated a good portion of our rural community. 

I am pleased to report that the local Civil Defence effort throughout the region was as good, if not better, than l have ever seen. They no doubt saved lives with their swift response across the board. They all deserve medals. 

However, the Government’s response has so far, been non existent – throwing a few hundred thousand dollars at us and offering to send a bus load of “Taskforce Green” people who can do little more than watch from the sidelines as the heavy machinery and related contractors deal with the carnage.   . . 

Ewe-topia or bust: Sunny visions of tourism to come – Matthew Scott :

A famously animal-shaped building in rural Waikato is up for lease – just like the hopes of the tourism sector in general

It’s one of the most iconic pieces of architectural kitsch lining the highways and byways of rural New Zealand – the giant corrugated iron ewe in the small Waikato hamlet of Tirau.

The ewe and its equally quintessential companions, a dog and a ram, have greeted travellers since the 90s and become a common stopping point for tourists en route to the more in-demand sight-seeing locales of Rotorua and Taupo.

But despite its fame, the ewe is a sheep without a shepherd. For the second time in as many years, it’s been listed online in search of a new leaseholder, following the departure of woolcraft store The Merino Story in late 2021. . . 

PINZ throws the spotlight on food and fibre innovators :

The hunt is on for the latest crop of innovators who have helped move New Zealand’s reputation for producing high quality foods and fibres to even greater heights.

The fifth annual Primary Industries New Zealand Awards will be held in Wellington on July 3, a highlight of the two-day PINZ Summit.

“The hard graft and long hours that our farmers, growers and processors put in is the core reason food and fibre make up more than 80 percent of the nation’s merchandise exports,” Federated Farmers chief executive Terry Copeland says.

“But giving us that edge in highly competitive international markets, and helping us meet environmental, biosecurity and other challenges are those researchers, technologists, cross-sector collaborations and producers who find better ways of doing things. . . 

Right forest, right place :

It is time for the forest industry to have a conversation with itself about putting the right forest in the right place in the brave new world where ex-tropical cyclones are the new normal, says Dr Sean Weaver, CEO of environmental forestry company Ekos.

“The damage to Tairāwhiti property and infrastructure from Cyclone Hale is a sign of things to come if clear cut plantation forestry continues to be undertaken on erosion-prone landscapes,” Weaver said.

“We need to stop doing clear cutting on erodible lands and transition to continuous cover forestry and permanent forests in vulnerable parts of the country” Weaver said.

“If the costs to clean up the mess and compensate people for property and infrastructure damage from forestry sediment trespass were factored into forestry investment models, clear cut forestry would be far less profitable in such places and probably would not happen,” he said. . . 

Wool project aims to put money back in farmers’ pockets :

New Zealand strong wool could bring a sustainable bounce back into soft upholstery – and woolgrowers’ bank accounts – through a new project seeking an alternative to synthetic fillers.

The Ministry for Primary Industries’ (MPI) Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures fund is committing $790,000 over three years to a project led by Wisewool aimed at increasing the market potential of woollen knops – the small, light fluffy balls used as a filler ingredient.

“This project has the potential to improve returns to our strong wool producers and provide an environmentally friendly alternative to existing products made from synthetic materials,” says Steve Penno, MPI’s Director of Investment Programmes.

“Woollen knops can be used in baby bedding and insulated clothing, as well as mattresses, so it’s a versatile product with plenty of scope. . . 

Leave a Comment » | business, environment, Farming, food, horticulture, politics, rural, weather | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by homepaddock

Rural round-up

07/12/2022

Sham marriage! – Peter Burke :

There is widespread anger and disbelief among farming leaders over the actions of MPI and MfE within the He Waka Eke Noa (HWEN) partnership.

Both ministries were touted by the Government as being ‘partners’ along with iwi and a number of farming organisations in HWEN, which had been involved in working on a joint counter proposal to put to government to deal with agricultural emissions and avoid them going into the ETS.

However, Rural News has discovered that with about a month before HWEN’s proposal was due to go to the Government in May, the Ministry for the Environment (MfE) and Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) suddenly announced that they would not be signing it because they were “conflicted”.

This last minute walkout by the two ministries came as a complete surprise to the other members of the partnership who say they were led to believe the two ministries were ‘genuine partners’ like themselves. However, it seems they weren’t. Rural News has been told the other HWEN partners felt they had been misled. . . 

Exporters take a double blow as prices fall and currency rises – Point of Order :

NZ  exports have been  hit by falling world prices and a rising NZ dollar. It’s a sharp reversal from earlier in the year when ANZ Bank  was reporting its  commodity price index  had returned to its record breaking run  and stood  nearly  20%  above the level  where it had been  12 months previously.

The price index has fallen 3.9% in November on the previous month to be 11.5%  lower on the same month a year earlier.

The  pain is all the more severe, since overseas markets  are suffering  from inflation and one might have expected  returns to be higher.

 ANZ Agricultural economist Susan Kilsby said exporters suffered a “double whammy” because the NZ dollar had risen in value knocking export returns by 9.1% for the month, with returns at their lowest level since January 2021. . . 

Three year cashmere scheme launches – Sally Rae:

New Zealand Cashmere is hoping goats will float the boats of the country’s farmers.

A three-year programme aimed at “restarting” the cashmere industry has been launched, led by New Zealand Cashmere and backed by the Government via a $900,000 contribution over that period through the Ministry for Primary Industries’ Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures Fund.

Textile manufacturer Woolyarns has commissioned a multimillion-dollar cashmere processing facility at its Lower Hutt operations to meet customer demand.

The programme is led by Woolyarns general manager and New Zealand Cashmere director Andy May, who said it was focused on assisting farmers with advice and support structures to restart the industry and sustainably farm cashmere-producing goats within their existing farming systems. . . 

ED nurse shortage hits provincial areas :

Emergency department’s will continue to be under immense pressure this summer as the health workforce shortage remains, National’s Health spokesperson Dr Shane Reti says.

“Every day, our emergency department staff go to work to provide critical services to New Zealanders, knowing that they will be understaffed and over worked.

“Data revealed to National show that as of 2 November 2022, there are over 230 emergency department nurse vacancies across the country, with our provincial areas being hit the hardest.

“Northland is currently 42 per cent short of the 66 emergency department nurses it is meant to have. . . 

Why diversification from exporting to China must be a deliberate choice – Gareth Kiernan:

There is a deliberate focus needed to diversify away from China.

Since New Zealand’s free-trade agreement with China came into force in late 2008, the share of our exports heading to China has increased from 5% to as high as 32% last year.

This well-documented trend clearly reflects the economic benefits to New Zealand of being hooked into the fast-growing Chinese market.

But the increasing concentration on a single market has also raised questions of New Zealand’s over-reliance on selling into a country where human rights and foreign policy tensions could easily lead to a breakdown in diplomatic relations. . . 

Tony Bouskill takes out fencing top title at Fieldays :

The winners of the annual New Zealand Fencing Competition (NZFC) held annually at Fieldays has been announced after a fierce battle between competitors from across the country.

Reigning champion Tony Bouskill was announced as this years winner of the coveted Golden Pliers by WIREMARK Singles Championship trophy for the fourth year running, while Sander Visser worked hard to take out the top spot in the Bill Schuler competition, named after legendary Waikato-born fencer Bill Schuler who passed away in 2018.

Tony was the one to beat this year as he and his father Shane Bouskill took out the Fieldays Silver Spades Doubles Championship, showing great teamwork and dedication to the job at hand. This not the first time the duo has won the Fieldays Silver Spades Doubles Championship, having competed and won the same championship and award in 2017, 2019 and 2021. . . 

Leave a Comment » | business, environment, Farming, food, rural, trade | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by homepaddock

Rural round-up

05/12/2022

Ardern government seeks to butter up farmers with bold export forecasts and on-farm sequestration changes – Point of Order:

Farmers  had plenty to digest this week:  first, the Ministry of Primary Industries assesses exports from the sector will hit a record high $55bn  in 2023; second, the government took an important step back on the on-farm sequestration programme; and third, Field Days at Mystery Creek engrossed  those who attended (though perhaps not the Prime Minister, given the cool reception).

The MPI data showed Dairy again NZ’s largest export sector with forecast revenue due to top $23.3bn. That underlines how important the dairy sector has become in the NZ economy.  Red meat and wool exports are also expected to hit a record at $12.4bn.

Horticultural export revenue is projected to grow 5% to $7.1bn and processed food by 3% to $3.3bn.

Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor doesn’t mind taking the credit for the primary sector’s success, but please, don’t mention  soaring costs. . . 

National plays the field at Fieldays – Jo Moir:

The country’s biggest farming show was a lightning rod for strong political views from the agricultural sector

Farmers have been placed right in the centre of the political fracas over the past months with policies like taxes on emissions and environmental regulations earning the ire of the agricultural sector.

It’s left hundreds of thousands of votes up for grabs by whichever party can curry the favour of primary producers, and at this year’s summer Fieldays it was readily apparent.

The mud and rain was replaced with a smaller crowd and the sun beating down on politicians like Jacinda Ardern and Christopher Luxon, each of whom took to the streets of the southern hemisphere’s largest agricultural event to press flesh. . . 

Sustainable future – how climate conscious consumers could revive wool industry – Nikki Mandow:

Wool is natural, sustainable, biodegradable and versatile but NZ’s coarse wool industry is in more dire trouble than ever – a situation a new three-year strategy hopes to change

It costs your average New Zealand farmer around $3 a kilo to shear your average New Zealand coarse-wool (not merino) sheep. That same average farmer will receive as little as $2 a kilo for that wool – a third of what they would have got five years ago.

That’s seriously flawed economics: a loss of up to $1 a kilo (or $160 a bale) for a product that was once the mainstay of the New Zealand economy. It’s lucky for farmers that sheep produce meat too.

Covid has played a part in the collapse of the wool market in recent times. Port closures and other supply disruptions meant China, our biggest buyer by some way, imported $100 million-worth less wool in 2020 than in 2019, a drop of 40 percent. . . 

FCANZ members raise 15000 for charity :

Fencing industry body Fencing Contractors Association NZ (FCANZ) recently presented the Whatever With Wiggy charitable trust with a $15,000 donation from its members. The funds were raised at an impromptu auction held at the recent FCANZ annual Conference, with Association Partners and some members donating the items to be auctioned.

“We were astounded by the generosity of not only our members for bidding on auction items but also for the support shown for this Charity by Association Partners who continued to donate items throughout the evening.” says Phil Cornelius, President of FCANZ.

Auction items ranged from tools, augers, wire, netting and Y-posts to white water rafting trips and even the shirt from the back of auctioneer Stephen Caunter. “The willingness for people to donate and bid shows just how highly they value the work that Wiggy is doing” said Cornelius. . . 

Dairy, horticulture tipped to drive record rise in primary exports :

Food and fibre exports are predicted to reach a record $55 billion dollars in the year to next June.

The Ministry for Primary Industries has just released its Situation and Outlook for Primary Industries report which looked at how different parts of the sector are tracking – and it was good news for all.

Dairy export revenue is expected to grow six percent to $23.3 billion driven by strong global prices and a weakening New Zealand dollar.

Red meat and wool exports are forecast to remain steady at $12.4 billion and horticulture is forecast to grow five percent to just over $7 billion thanks to high yields from this year’s grape harvest and rising prices for avocado, onion and wine export prices. . . .

 ofi announces almond hull feed trial for NZ :

ofi (olam food ingredients) today announced it is commencing a trial of a new animal feed for New Zealand dairy farmers that has the potential to help reduce both methane emissions and input costs on farm.

ofi operates large-scale almond orchards in Australia. The trial will see the almond hulls and shells that are currently a by-product of almond processing repurposed into a nutritious feed source for dairy cows in New Zealand.

“Almond hulls are a proven source of nutrition for dairy cows. As part of our research for the trial we met with Australian dairy farmers successfully using almond hulls as a source of fibre in a pasture-based system. That gives us confidence the model will work well here,” said Paul Johnson, GM Milk Supply for ofi New Zealand.

The feed will be supplemented with Agolin Ruminant (Agolin) which has the potential benefit of reducing methane emissions and increasing the feed conversion rate, which in turn will support milk yields. . . 

 

Leave a Comment » | agriculture, business, environment, Farming, food, rural | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by homepaddock

Rural round-up

02/12/2022

Who scuttled HWEN? – Rural News :

Around the traps, rumours are flying as to who scuttled the so-called joint agri sector response to dealing with agricultural emissions.

Two government departments, Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) and Ministry for Environment (MfE), were both part of the partnership which came up with an agreed solution and put this to the politicians and officials. The farming industry groups trusted the departments and, when they put in their proposal, they had every reason to believe that the deal had effectively been done.

Not so. It seems that a whole new lot of officials, or maybe the same ones as well, and then the politicians started to get their grubby little hands on two years of hard work and negotiation and put their spin on the proposal.

Do such people know much about agriculture? For example, do they believe they’ll find a cryptorchid in a glasshouse? Who knows, but the honest brokers of HWEN must be wondering about the credentials of the people or political motives behind the Government response. . . .

Netherlands to close 3000 farms to comply with EU climate rules –  Paul Homewood :

The Dutch government plans to buy and close down up to 3,000 farms near environmentally sensitive areas to comply with EU nature preservation rules.

The Netherlands is attempting to cut down its nitrogen pollution and will push ahead with compulsory purchases if not enough farms take up the offer voluntarily.

Farmers will be offered a deal “well over” the worth of the farm, according to the government plan that is targeting the closure of 2,000 to 3,000 farms or other major polluting businesses.

Earlier leaked versions of the plan put the figure at 120 per cent of the farm’s value but that figure has not yet been confirmed by ministers. . . 

Moving forward with methane levies – Keith Woodford :

Split-gas breaks the link to charging methane emissions based on contentious carbon dioxide equivalence. It opens the door to a levy based on research, development, extension and education (RDE&E) needs rather than simply a tax

In my last article I asked whether, in seeking a way out of the current policy mess relating to agricultural greenhouse gases, we might agree on two overarching principles.  

The first principle is that pastoral agriculture must remain vibrant and prosperous. This is essential, not because farmers have any right to a protected future, but because New Zealand’s export-led economy is highly dependent on pastoral exports.

Pastoral exports comprise approximately 50% of merchandise exports, with primary industries in total comprising approximately 80% of merchandise exports. It is in the interest of all New Zealanders that pastoral agriculture thrives. . . 

Tough spring and production decline more than likely – Gerald Piddock :

The so-called spring flush is appearing more like a trickle across some North Island farms as the wet spring weather continues to affect pasture growth.

It’s reflected in production numbers, with Fonterra’s NI milk collection down 6.3% for September and 5.9% for the season to date.

Anecdotally, some farms are definitely down in production in both single- and double-digit numbers. It’s also starting to flow through in mating with submission rates back on last year because the tough autumn and winter have meant farmers have simply not been able to put on the right amount of condition on their herd.

The GDT has fared no better, lumbering on in October with three consecutive falls before surprising everybody by lifting 2.4% on November 15. NZX in its analyst opinion cautioned that is potentially a technical bounce before prices keep easing. . . 

17,000 flock to National Fieldays on a wet opening day – Sudesh Kissun :

A wet start to the 2022 National Fieldays saw a smaller crowd, compared to previous events pass through the gates on the opening day.

A statement from National Fieldays says nearly 17000 people attended day one of the four-day event.

“We’ve had just under 17,000 visitors through the gate, which is a bit softer than previous years, but not unexpected due to the weather across the North Island,” says Fieldays chief executive Peter Nation.

With the weather set to improve for the remainder of the event, organisers are looking forward to three more days of agricultural trade, entertainment and innovations. . .

Crop production in Brazil outpaces storage capacity – Joana Colussi, Gary Schnitkey, and Nick Paulson:

While Brazil hits successive records in grain production, Brazilian farmers face an old problem: a deficit in grain storage. The Brazilian government projects national grain output will be 313 million tons of soybeans, corn, cotton, rice, and wheat in the 2022/2023 crop season – which would be a new record. That would be 15% higher than last season, when Brazilian farmers harvested an all-time high of 271 million tons of grain (see farmdoc daily, August 29, 2022). If projections for a record Brazilian harvest occur, the storage deficit could reach more than 100 million tons in Brazil. Storage capacity growth since 2010 has not been proportional to increases in crop production in the same period. In this article, we review changes in Brazil’s grain storage capacity over time, including off-farm and on-farm capacity.

Between 1982 and 2000, Brazilian grain storage capacity was higher than grain production, according to data from the National Register System of Storage Units of the National Supply Company (Conab), the country’s food supply and statistics agency. Grain storage capacity is the total quantity of grain that can be stored at one time in physical structures such as warehouses or silos. In 2001 there was a reversal: production exceeded this capacity.

From 2010 to 2022, total grain storage capacity in Brazil increased 35%. At the same time, total grain production increased 82%. In the last crop season, when Brazilian farmers harvested an all-time high of 271 million tons of grain, the total grain storage capacity was 183 million tons, resulting in a storage deficit of almost 90 million tons. If a new record is established in the 2022-2023 season, the storage deficit could reach more than 100 million tons (see Figure 1). . . 

 

Leave a Comment » | business, environment, Farming, food, rural | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by homepaddock

Rural round-up

09/11/2022

Young farmers the angriest of all, says Todd Muller – Jo Moir :

It’s been two-and-a-half years since Todd Muller last held the agriculture role for National. He tells political editor Jo Moir the hopelessness and anger in the rural sector right now is palpable in a way he’s never seen before

National’s recently reappointed agriculture spokesperson is determined to find a way to strategically manage water as an asset in a way he says successive governments have failed to do.

“If you had coal in the 19th Century you were rich, if you had oil and gas in the 20th Century you were rich and if you have water then you’re rich in the 21st Century.

“It gives you options and frankly successive governments haven’t been able to appropriately resolve the tension that has existed in the community around how to manage water,” Muller says. . . 

Wairoa uprising over farm emission plans – Peter Burke :

The battle lines are being drawn between the small, isolated northern Hawke’s Bay farming town of Wairoa, pop. 8000, against the big guns of Jacinda Ardern and what they see as her anti-farming government and its plans to unfairly tax agricultural emissions. Peter Burke reports…

So furious were the locals that the mayor, and farmer, Craig Little hastily arranged a meeting of the local community so they could voice their concerns to Labour ministers Stuart Nash and Meka Whaitiri and representatives of MPI and Beef+Lamb NZ.

Helping him do this was Nukuhia Hadfield, a prominent, influential and award-winning local Māori farmer who also heads the committee which organises the prestigious Ahuwhenua trophy for excellence in Māori Farming.

This David and Goliath battle is one that could see other districts in heartland NZ now join the army of protest at what some commentators are saying is one of the worst decisions to be foisted on rural NZ for many decades. . . 

Political leaders missing from the frontlines – Neal Wallace :

The lasting memory is of anger laced with fear.

I began my journalism career in 1983, just in time to cover the heartache of farmers as they weathered the economic reforms unleashed by the David Lange-led Labour government.

Such was the pace and scale of change as subsidies and support payments were axed overnight, many farmers were financially hurting, they were angry, frightened and felt betrayed.

In my subsequent 38 years as a journalist I never again saw that level of sustained anger and frustration – until now. . . 

Ministry bungling costs forest owners millions :

Some foresters could be millions of dollars out of pocket due to a poorly communicated change in application deadlines, National’s Forestry spokesperson Ian McKelvie says.

“Last month, the Ministry of Primary Industries sent an email to foresters announcing that they were moving the effective deadline to register forests for the Emissions Trading Scheme from the last day of the year to 25 October 2022, simply due to long processing times in their office.

“This left forest owners just three working days to submit their applications. After that date has passed, their applications will not be processed until 2023. This change will prevent some forest owners from claiming five years’ worth of backdated credits to 2018.

“Some forest owners stand to lose millions of dollars as a result of this poorly communicated change. An owner of a large native forest in the South Island claims he will lose $6–$8 million. This is more than just incompetence, it is theft. . . 

ANZ’s support of agribusiness recognised with major award :

New Zealand’s agribusiness sector is an economic powerhouse for the country, contributing billions of dollars to GDP. And right now, the industry is undergoing rapid change as it pivots to more sustainable practices and reduces its carbon footprint.

Within this context, business partnerships with banking providers are increasingly important. Banks are supporting the sector with financial products that reflect the industry’s changing needs. Canstar recognises the value of this support with its coveted Agribusiness Bank of the Year Award.

This year, the Canstar assessment panel considered five providers to come up with the winner, which we’re proud to announce is ANZ!

Jose George, Canstar New Zealand General Manager, said given agribusiness’ value to the country, it was important to recognise banks that underpin its growth. “Our farmers are hugely valuable to our country, as are our ambitions for the sector to innovate and show global leadership for a sustainable future. . . 

Grazing is a crucial part of nature – Peter McCann:

In the first part of a three-week series, Peter McCann looks at the basic principles of regenerative agriculture. . . 

 

Leave a Comment » | business, environment, Farming, food, rural | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by homepaddock

Rural round-up

19/10/2022

Has He Waka hit the rocks? – Peter Burke :

The Government’s proposal to deal with agricultural emissions has stunned many rural communities who warn that it will decimate them and replace sheep and beef farms with pine trees.

Under the proposal, the Government states its intent to reduce emissions by 10% by 2030 and that farmers will start paying for their emissions by 2025.

But according to Federated Farmers president Andrew Hoggard, this plan put up by government will cause massive economic and social consequences in rural communities. He says the plan would see sheep and beef production drop by up to 20% and dairy by 5%, costing NZ $3 billion.

“We didn’t sign up for this. It’s gut wrenching to think we have a proposal by the Government that rips the heart out of the work we have done and to the families who farm the land. Feds is deeply unimpressed with the Government,” he says. . .

Our climate policy is confused and flawed – Allan Barber:

There’s an argument for rebuilding it from the bottom up, without Kyoto-era flaws.

Two reputable climate change scientists, Adrian Macey and David Frame, have recently published a five-part series of articles in BusinessDesk.co.nz which seriously questions the government’s climate change targets and policy. Macey is New Zealand’s first climate change ambassador and an adjunct professor at the NZ Climate Change Research Centre at Victoria University, and Frame is the centre’s director, which gives their opinions serious credibility.

At the same time Simon Upton, the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment, has issued a report that confirms the inappropriateness of planting huge swathes of pine forests to offset methane emissions and a note that questions the rationale for treating long-lived greenhouse gases and biogenic methane differently. He asks why fossil fuel emitters to buy carbon credits as offsets, while livestock methane emitters are not. Forests remove carbon dioxide, not methane, from the atmosphere, but Upton argues it should logically be possible for forestry to be used as an offset against warming in general, including methane. He also warned about the impossibility of planting enough trees to solve the warming problem.

In his report he states: “Reducing livestock methane emissions could have real economic and social impacts on people and ways of life. A fine balance needs to be struck between having regard to economic and social dislocation and finding a position that New Zealand can defend in international climate change negotiations, while remaining competitive in global food markets with growing consumer demand for low-emissions products.”  . . 

The shifting ground beneath farmers’ feet – Tony Benny :

Much has changed the position of farming in New Zealand society since 1973, when the sector lost its privileged access to a large and lucrative market.

“That cued up a series of crises that got worse and worse, culminating in 1984 with Rogernomics and really the first moment in the colonial history of New Zealand where a government decisively turned its back on farming. Things have never quite been the same,” Otago University’s Professor Hugh Campbell, an expert in the sociology of agriculture, told the Embracing Urban Agriculture hosted by Lincoln University’s B Linc Innovation centre.

He listed a series of fractures over the past 40 years or so that changed how urban and rural New Zealand relate, starting with a series of food scares in Europe including the Chernobyl disaster and Mad Cow Disease, which shook consumers’ confidence in food safety.

Consumers were also shaken by biosecurity issues including rabbits and the illegal release of calicivirus in an effort to control them, as well as the PSA virus that hit kiwifruit growers. . . 

New median wage to hit farmers in the pocket – Jessica Marshall:

Moves by the Government to raise the wage threshold for migrant workers have some farmers up in arms.

Last week, Immigration Minister Michael Wood announced that a new median wage of $29.66 per hour would be adopted into the immigration system from 27 February next year.

“The Government is focused on moving New Zealand to a higher wage economy, increasing the skill level of migrant workers, and encouraging employers to offer competitive wages and improve career pathways for New Zealanders,” Wood said.

“Updating the median wage thresholds regularly is necessary to ensure the Government is delivering on its immigration rebalance goals and that existing policy settings are maintained in line with market changes.” . . 

Southern women recognised in NZI Awards  :

Southern women feature as category award winners in this year’s NZI Rural Women New Zealand Business awards.

Jody Drysdale, from Balfour, who won the innovation category, is behind Hopefield Hemp, with her husband Blair. The couple decided on hemp after looking for ways to diversify their farming operation to include a value-add, direct-to-consumer product.

Hopefield Hemp grows, harvests, presses and markets hemp seed oil. It is small batch pressed and is available in bottles and capsules. In response to one of her children experiencing skin irritation, Mrs Drysdale researched and developed a recipe to make a soothing cream using her hemp seed oil and Hopefield Hemp’s skin care range was launched.

Serena Lyders, from Whānau Consultancy Services, Tokanui, won the rural champion category. Passionate about the shearing industry, she is a sixth generation member of a shearing family and the industry and the people in it were close to her heart. . . 

New project to help farmers gain regenerative agriculture certification :

Interest in food produced using regenerative practices is gaining momentum across the globe – and the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) is backing a project to help more New Zealand sheep and beef farmers capture this premium market.

MPI has committed $142,480 over two years through its Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures fund towards the $356,200 project with Lean Meats Limited (trading as Atkins Ranch). It aims to scale up the number of verified lamb producers that meet the regenerative certification requirements of the US Savory Institute’s Land to Market Programme.

New Zealand-owned company Atkins Ranch has been a partner of the Land to Market Programme since 2019. It sells premium grass-fed lamb into the US market and has supply contracts across five regions of New Zealand. The company has been piloting regenerative farming practices since 2019 with a core group of 23 farmers, and this is now expanding to more than 70 farms.

“I see regenerative agriculture as leaving the land in a better state for future generations,” says Atkins Ranch chief executive officer Pat Maher. . . 

Fonterra announces new sustainable finance framework :

As part of Fonterra’s commitment to sustainability and implementation of its strategy, the Co-operative has today released its Sustainable Finance Framework (Framework). This Framework aligns Fonterra’s funding strategy with its sustainability ambitions and reflects the evolving preferences of lenders and debt investors in this area.

Fonterra’s Framework outlines how the Co-operative intends to issue and manage any sustainable debt, which could include Green Bonds and Sustainability-Linked Bonds and Loans. The Framework has been developed with Joint Sustainability Co-ordinators HSBC and Westpac NZ and has been independently verified by ISS Corporate Solutions confirming alignment with globally agreed sustainable finance principles.

“This new Framework is a step on our sustainable financing journey – aligning with our Co-operative’s broader sustainability ambitions,” says Simon Till, Fonterra Director Capital Markets.

“Over the next decade we intend to significantly increase our investment in sustainability-related activities and assets throughout our supply chain to both mitigate environmental risks and continue to differentiate our New Zealand milk. By FY30 we intend to invest around NZ$1 billion in reducing carbon emissions and improving water efficiency and treatment at our manufacturing sites. In doing so, we will be taking significant steps towards our aspiration to be Net Zero by 2050 and we plan to align our funding with this approach.” . . 

Leave a Comment » | business, environment, Farming, food, rural | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by homepaddock

Rural round-up

17/10/2022

Farmers react to government’s HWENN stance– Richard Rennie & Annette Scott:

Masterton farmer and Beef + Lamb NZ councillor Paul Crick says there’s a fundamental unfairness in the government’s interpretation of He Waka Eke Noa, one that conflicts with its own policy goals.

“Reading the ‘Fit for a Better World’ policy document, in Damien O’Connor’s foreword he writes how its aim is to build a more productive, sustainable and inclusive food and fibre sector. That appears a lot throughout the document, ensuring a better future for farmers and growers. How then do we throw that lens over what we heard on HWEN this week?”

Crick said there is a fundamental unfairness in the removal of the ability to sequester methane against farm vegetation, and in ignoring the 1.4 million hectares of woody vegetation already growing on NZ drystock farms that could be applied.

“It seems they are saying on one hand we will take it, and on the other we will take it as well. There is no balancing of the ledger there.”  . . .

Why blame cows Maori farmer rejects ETS money grab? – James Perry:

Paki Nikora, a trustee of Te Urewera-based Tātaiwhetu Trust, says he can’t fathom why farmers continue to be blamed for the world’s greenhouse gas emissions.

“Mēnā tātou ka whakaaro i te wā ka pā mai te mate uruta kia tātou, ka makere mai ngā ēropereina i te rangi, ka makere mai ngā motuka i ngā huarahi ka mārama te kitea atu i te taiao ki te whare rā anō o te atua. Kei te whakapae rātou nā ngā kau kē te hē.
(If we think back to when the covid pandemic hit us and the planes were grounded and cars were off the roads, it was clear to see the improvement in the environment. But they still want to blame the cows.) 

He describes the government’s emissions reduction scheme is a “senseless tax” on the industry.

“Kāore au i te mārama he aha rātou e huri mai nei ki te tāke i a tātou whenua. He mahi moni noa tērā.”
(I don’t know why they keep trying to tax us on our whenua. It’s just a plain money grab) . . 

Why New Zealand meat is outstanding in its field – Annette Scott :

Going from the laboratory to the family dinner table, a multi-year research programme looked into the relative nutritional benefits of grass-fed beef and lamb, and plant-based alternatives. Annette Scott found out why grass is so great.

A New Zealand research programme has found pasture-raised beef and lamb beats both grain-fed beef and plant-based alternatives when it comes to health and wellbeing benefits for consumers.

The four-year programme brought together researchers from AgResearch, the Riddet Institute and the University of Auckland and included two ground-breaking clinical trials to look at the impact of red meat on the diet.

The clinical trials assessed the physical effects on the body from eating beef or lamb raised on grass, grain-fed beef and plant-based alternatives, and looked at measurements of wellbeing such as satisfaction, sleep and stress levels. . . .

 

Mt Cook Alpine Salmon to build innovative land-based salmon farm :

A prototype for New Zealand’s first sustainable, land-based salmon farm is in the early stages of development, with backing from the Ministry for Primary Industries’ Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures (SFF Futures) fund.

SFF Futures is committing $6.7 million over six years to the $16.7 million project, which was officially launched in Twizel today. Oceans and Fisheries Minister David Parker attended the launch and visited the freshwater salmon farms to hear about Mt Cook Alpine Salmon’s plans for building the prototype.

“Demand for healthy, sustainably produced aquaculture products continues to grow, and land-based salmon farming will enable New Zealand to boost the supply of this high-quality, high-value product,” says Steve Penno, MPI’s director of investment programmes.

Mr Penno says the project aligns with the Government’s aquaculture strategy, which outlines a sustainable growth pathway to an additional $3 billion in annual revenue. . . 

Fonterra revises milk collection :

Fonterra Co-operative Group Limited today revised the forecast for its 2022/23 New Zealand milk collections to 1,480 million kilograms of milk solids (kgMS), down from its previous forecast of 1,495 million kgMS.

Fonterra last reduced its 2022/23 milk collections forecast in early September. Fonterra CEO Miles Hurrell says this was due to weather conditions in parts of New Zealand causing a slow start to the season.  . . .

 

My food bag launches homegrown taste adventures to celebrate Nadia’s farm :

My Food Bag has released its latest meal kit offering to enable Kiwi foodies the opportunity to recreate dishes featured on Three’s new programme, Nadia’s Farm.

My Food Bag is a proud sponsor of Nadia’s Farm, an unfiltered look at Nadia and her husband Carlos as they re-establish Royalburn Station, airing Wednesday nights on Three and ThreeNow.

Bringing the fresh and high quality ingredients seen on television direct to Kiwi kitchens, My Food Bag is releasing meal kits inspired by meals seen on Nadia’s Farm and has launched a farm shop filled with products from Royalburn Station, and other boutique New Zealand suppliers.

Jo Mitchell, Chief Customer Officer of My Food Bag, says supporting Nadia’s Farmis a way to celebrate the best of New Zealand food and what happens on the farm to make that possible for us. . . 

 

Leave a Comment » | aquaculture, business, environment, Farming, floriculture, food, research, rural, trade | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by homepaddock

Rural round-up

11/10/2022

Mindset is everything in uncertain times – Shawn McAvinue:

Wellbeing, Maniototo farmer Emma Crutchley reckons, begins with mindset.

Ms Crutchley is a third-generation farmer on Puketoi Station near Ranfurly. A qualified agronomist from Lincoln University, she spent nearly six years working as a rural professional before coming home to the family farm.

Despite enjoying her childhood on the farm which is relatively remote, she found returning in her late 20s to be quite a culture shock.

“I had been away at boarding school, university and then lived in towns and central Wellington when I was working as an agronomist. It was actually really tough when I came home; trying to find my place and especially as a young female, the weekend sports on offer weren’t really what I was into.” . . 

AgResearch seeks to trial GM grass in Aus – Neal Wallace:

AgResearch is applying to conduct field trials in Australia for its genetically modified high metabolised energy ryegrass.

AgResearch farm systems scientist Robyn Dynes told a Farmax panel discussing how to match consumer expectation with farm business realities that recent United States trials confirmed the promise shown in the laboratory by high ME ryegrass.

The genetically modified grass grows at twice the rate of conventional ryegrass, stores more energy, has greater drought tolerance and reduces by up to 23% the methane released by animals.

Dynes said the US trials have confirmed that promise but research now needs to be scaled up to field trials to prove its efficacy, hence its application in Australia. . . 

New Mycoplasma bovis strain detected – Peter Burke :

A new strain of M Bovis has been discovered on one of four farms infected with disease in Mid Canterbury.

MPI’s M. bovis programme director Simon Andrew says recently completed genomic testing from a single property, which was previously confirmed with M.bovis, had identified the strain.

He says the new strain doesn’t behave any differently than the strain MPI have been dealing with, and their existing testing will pick it up, as it has done in this case.

Simon Andrew says as a result of finding the new strain MPI’s testing programme will be stepped up and a thorough investigation will be carried out to see how arrived on the farm.

Not for the fainthearted – the trials and tribulations of raising pet lambs – Virginia Fallon,:

Raising a pet lamb is Kiwi as, but before you bring little Barbara, Shaun or Rosemary home this spring those in the know have a few words of advice. A traumatised Virginia Fallon reports.

It was lambageddon, that long ago spring.

Every few days more of them arrived, spilling from hessian sacks onto the barn floor in a jumble of skinny woolly legs. Some were still covered in afterbirth, others caked in mud.

While the weakest ones lay dangerously quiet on the straw-covered concrete, the rest screamed for attention. Incredible how such little scraps can be responsible for so much noise. . . 

Lifetime love of land and livestock :

Jenni Vernon reckons her love for the land and livestock was forged as a child, helping her grandfather feed out mangels on farm.

Today, after more than four decades in farming and public sector leadership, she remains passionate about giving back to the industry.

Vernon has taken on the role of independent chair of the steering committee for the Hill Country Futures Partnership programme. It’s a task she combines with her job as a principal adviser for the Ministry for Primary Industries and other governance positions – including with the Agri-Women’s Development Trust (AWDT) and the National Fieldays Society.

Vernon was also New Zealand’s first female Nuffield Scholar and the first woman chair of Environment Waikato. . .

Kapiti and Wairarapa dominate NZ Extra Virgin Olive Oil awards :

Kapiti and Wairarapa Olive Oil makers have dominated the annual New Zealand Extra Virgin Olive Oil Awards, winning four of the five major awards for Olive Oil Excellence.

The New Zealand Olive Oil Awards began in 2000 and recognise excellence in New Zealand Extra Virgin Olive Oils (NZ EVOO). The winners were announced tonight at the Olives NZ 2022 Award Ceremony.

The top awards were as follows:

Best in Show – Waikawa Glen Blend, Kapiti . . 

Leave a Comment » | business, environment, Farming, food, rural | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by homepaddock

Rural round-up

30/09/2022

Voluntary sequestration schemes create opportunities as well as confusion – Keith Woodford:

Native forests that began regenerating prior to 1990 are excluded from the ETS. This opens opportunities for voluntary schemes independent of Government.

In a recent article, I wrote how carbon credits are not created equal. This inequality is now leading to game-playing and confusion across society. Terms like ‘greenwash’ as the carbon equivalent of a ‘whitewash’ are increasingly heard and there is increasing talk of ‘hot air’ carbon claims.

Since writing that article, I have been wrestling with the challenge of further deepening my own understanding of how the carbon game is being played. It is a game where different players are playing by different sets of rules, as are the certifying referees.  Many of the certifying rules are far from transparent.

Here in this article my focus is specifically on the rules surrounding sequestration that removes carbon from the atmosphere. That leaves other aspects of the carbon rules for another time. . .

Better free trade outcomes an illusion – EU politician – Sam Sachdeva:

EU trade committee chair Bernd Lange argues the grouping’s trade deal with New Zealand is a “gold standard” agreement – even if Kiwi farmers disagree. Lange spoke to Sam Sachdeva about China’s coercive trade practices, cracking down on forced labour, and how the Ukraine invasion has changed attitudes on trade

Even a typically miserable Wellington spring day can’t shake the good mood of European parliamentarian Bernd Lange.

Speaking to Newsroom at the end of a week-long visit to New Zealand, Lange says the grey skies and rain remind him of his roots in northern Germany – although his cheer may be more down to the free trade agreement between the European Union and New Zealand he is here to discuss.

Lange visited New Zealand in late 2017 for a “fact-finding mission” with other members of the European Parliament’s international trade committee which he chairs. . . 

Synlait posts $38.5m annual profit –

The South Island dairy company Synlait Milk is back in the black as its ingredients division saw higher than normal sales, while its major customer rebalanced inventory levels.

Key numbers for the 12 months ended July compared to a year ago:

  • Net profit $38.5m vs $28.5m loss
  • Revenue $1.66b vs $1.37b
  • Total average payment $9.59 vs $7.82
  • Forecast 2023 payout $9.50 per kilo of milk solids

Synlait chair John Penno said the past year was “an important period of refocusing”. . . 

Fonterra trials world first in sustainable electricity storage :

A new organic, low-cost, safe, sustainable and long-life battery being trialled by Fonterra, could support greater energy security and distributed electricity generation for New Zealand.

PolyJoule, a Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) spin-off, is partnering with Fonterra on the application of the battery made from electrically conductive polymers, an organic based compound with the ability to act like metal.

Late last year the world’s first industrial scale organic battery was installed on a Fonterra farm at Te Rapa. The battery was cycled daily, supporting dairy shed operations for 10 months. The Co-op is now moving this battery to its Waitoa UHT site, which can be impacted by power disturbances leading to downtime and waste.

Fonterra Chief Operating Officer Fraser Whineray says as a significant electricity user at about 2.5% of the national grid, a sustainable and secure electricity supply is vital to the Co-operative’s local sales and exports. . .

Primary sector exporters buoyed by opportunities for a closer India-NZ relationship but different approach necessary :

Primary sector exporters recently returned from a visit to India are excited about the opportunities for a closer partnership between the two countries, however they are urging the New Zealand Government to adopt a more flexible and focused approach to trade.

New Zealand’s agriculture exporters and industry bodies, including representatives from the red meat, kiwifruit, apples & pears and dairy sectors, were part of an India New Zealand Business Council (INZBC) delegation which coincided with a visit from Trade Minister Damien O’Connor.

“India has come out of COVID-19 with growing confidence and strength, and its leaders have a clear focus on accelerating economic growth including through trade,” says INZBC chair Earl Rattray, who has dairy interests in India.

“India is on track to become the world’s third largest economy within the next decade. There is a modern economic miracle unfolding there, with an openness to explore mutually beneficial ways to strengthen trade relationships. This is a good time for New Zealand business to embrace India.” . . 

NZ Young Farmers and Ministry for Primary Industries partner to boost wellbeing :

The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) is supporting NZ Young Farmers (NZYF) to fund a series of events for NZYF members as part of an initiative to improve the wellbeing of young people in rural communities.

MPI is contributing funding for the events, which will offer a channel for young people across the country to connect and learn ways to manage mental health and build resilience.

NZ Young Farmers Chief Executive Lynda Coppersmith says mental health is a key concern in rural communities, where factors such as isolation and high workloads can impact overall wellbeing and mental health.

“The mental and physical wellbeing of young people is a big focus of our organisation and is essential for the ongoing viability of many rural communities,” says Lynda Coppersmith. . . 

Leave a Comment » | business, environment, Farming, food, rural, trade | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by homepaddock

« Previous Entries