Rural round-up

Winter won’t go – Neal Wallace:

An exceptionally cold winter and start to spring has created the most difficult farming conditions south Otago farmer Peter McNab has seen in 23 years.

There appears little respite.

Feed is short throughout much of Otago, Southland and on the West Coast with persistent rain, prompting the Ministry for Primary Industries to raise concerns West Coast livestock were struggling and to urge farmers to respond early. . . 

Taranaki farming flood victims still battling – Sue O’Dowd:

With their farm in ruins around them and unknown stock losses in the aftermath of the June flood, a Tututawa couple are focusing on the small things.

Sheep and beef farmers John and Philippa McBride have owned their 500-hectare property east of Stratford for for 38 years. 

With large stands of native trees, the farm has an effective area of 300ha of steep country and parcels of flats along the Mangaehu River. . . 

Fonterra, dairy farm debt a major concern for NZ economy, NZSA told – Fiona Rotherham:

(BusinessDesk) – The high level of debt carried by Fonterra Cooperative Group and dairy farms is a major concern for the New Zealand economy, said speakers at the annual Shareholders Association conference.

Paul Glass, director of Devon Funds Management, told the NZSA conference in Hamilton today that Fonterra, the world’s largest dairy exporter, had $7 billion of debt and less than $1 billion of earnings.

“Most banks will only lend three to four times earnings. Fonterra is very heavily indebted,” he said. . .

Farmers Encouraged To Enter Auckland Ballance Farm Environment Awards:

Entries have opened for the 2016 Auckland Ballance Farm Environment Awards and organisers have high hopes the region’s first year in the prestigious competition will be a huge success.

Mark Ball, newly appointed chairman of the Auckland Ballance Farm Environment Awards (BFEA), says all farmers, including orchardists, vegetable growers and viticulturists, are eligible to enter.

He says the competition enables entrants to benchmark themselves against their peers and receive valuable advice from expert judges on how to improve the sustainability of their operations. . . 

Eight new biosecurity detector dog teams for Auckland:

An energetic chocolate-brown pointer called Daisy is among eight new detector dog teams that have started at Auckland this week to sniff out biosecurity items carried by international travellers.

The new teams (handler and dog) finished their biosecurity detector dog training last week, along with three other new teams that have since started at Auckland and Wellington.

“The additional teams will provide extra detector dog power as we gear up for a busy summer – both in terms of passenger numbers and the heightened risk of fruit fly, due to outbreaks in Australia and other parts of the Pacific,” says Steve Gilbert, the Ministry for Primary Industry’s Border Clearance Services Director. . . 

Super biosecurity sniffer starts at Wellington:

A super-sniffing biosecurity detector dog started work at Wellington airport this week, says the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI).

Meg, a beagle-labrador cross, and her handler Meggyn Bamford started in Wellington on Monday. They finished their training last week, along with 10 other biosecurity teams who have since started in Auckland and Christchurch.

The new team brings the number of detector dog teams patrolling the city’s international airport and port up to three. . . 

Show me the money – calculating $$ return on summer crops:

If it’s a choice between doing nothing with a poor paddock this spring, or sowing it in chicory or turnips, you’re better off cropping it.

With much higher DM yield and feed quality over summer, the crops can generate surprisingly good net returns compared with run out pasture.

A new summer crop calculator based on the $3.85/kg MS payout allows dairy farmers to work out their own return on investment from sowing chicory or turnips this season.

And provided they take steps to ensure a good crop, the bottom line still stacks up very well, according to the company behind the calculator. . . 

Countdown’s Champion Apprentice Butcher of the Year:

Countdown’s apprentice butcher, Hohepa Smith, has been named Competenz Butcher Apprentice of the Year at Auckland’s Shed 10.

The Awards, which have been held for the past 20 years, are run by Retail Meat New Zealand to find the most skilled butchers in the country.

Along with the champion title, Smith has won a $10,000 scholarship to be part of an international study tour of his choice, where he will add to his winning knife skills from world leading experts.

Hohepa Smith is thrilled with the result of his performance yesterday. . .