Farmers Weekly NZ August 7 2023

advisers fan out after oods

Price pain for key exports

China is driving much of this weak demand.

FARMERS face a financially lean few months as global animal protein markets remain stubbornly weak.

With the start of the new export season arriving, high global inflation is creating consumer uncertainty and the key Chinese market remains subdued, taking longer than expected to recover from the covid pandemic.

Add to that on-farm inflation of 16.3% for sheep and beef farmers and 13% for dairy, and the financial picture is grim.

AgFirst economist Phil Journeaux described the situation for dairy farmers as serious.

“The payout is dropping, we have had near-record on-farm cost inflation and interest rates have doubled.

“Most farms made a loss last year and they’re going to make an even bigger loss this year.”

It is a similar picture for sheep and beef farmers, with Rabobank noting lamb prices fell 7% in July to a five-year low.

Beef is showing some resilience and international fertiliser prices have fallen, with urea easing 15%, DAP 35% and potash 39%.

Subdued consumer activity in

A Ministry for Foreign Affairs and Trade report noted that, according to official Chinese statistics, the economy grew 6.3% in the second quarter of this year, below market expectations.

Rabobank’s Agribusiness monthly says global dairy supplies are increasing, including in China, but prices there have fallen 10% year on year.

Weak consumer confidence is behind a significant fall in last week’s Global Dairy Trade auction, which commentators said could push the farmgate milk price for the coming season into $7/kg territory.

“The price fall reinforces that global dairy market confidence remains at a low ebb, with few signs of a turnaround on the immediate horizon,” Westpac senior agri economist Nathan Penny said.

Prices in last week’s auction fell for five of six dairy commodities, causing the GDT index to drop 4.3%, led by an 8% decline in the price for whole milk powder.

Alliance Group global sales manager Shane Kingston said the Chinese government is talking about introducing policies to

Continued page 3

Science musters genetics for better dogs

Farm dog genetics are going under the microscope in an industry-led $1.77 million, three-year project aimed at producing more quality working canines.

TECHNOLOGY 12

Cyber crime has farms on radar

Agriculture’s increasing reliance on technology is leaving the industry vulnerable to cyber attacks.

NEWS 4

Zespri has filed a civil case in China over the unauthorised production and sale of its Gold3 fruit.

NEWS 3

North Island cattle-rearer Ngatai Luke is on a mission to put the ‘lifestyle’ back into farming.

FARMSTRONG 16

The increasing prominence of women in food and fibre is heartening, writes Cheyenne Wilson.

OPINION 22

Photo: Kayla McKenzie Photography

Neal Wallace, Gerald Piddock and Hugh Stringleman MARKETS Food and bre

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News in brief

Westland award

Sustainability auditor EcoVadis has given Westland Milk Products a Gold Award for a ranking that puts it in the top 5% of global companies.

The involvement of Westland suppliers in signing on to the company’s new code of conduct was one of the major factors behind the ranking.

Fire station boost

Twenty-Six fire stations have been upgraded or rebuilt, providing a boost for regional economies and a key emergency service, Minister of Internal Affairs Barbara Edmonds said.

Through the covid-19 Response and Recovery Fund, the government has invested $51.3 million for the replacement, rebuild or major refurbishment of the fire stations.

Low interest loans

ANZ has publicised a low-interest business recovery loan after adverse weather events in the North Island.

The rate is 3.49% for up to three years and a $300,000 maximum for existing ANZ customers. The bank has allocated an initial fund of $250 million for the lowinterest lending and the regions covered are Northland, Auckland, Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Tairāwhiti, Hawke’s Bay, Tararua and Wairarapa.

Carpet redundancies

Wool carpet manufacturer Bremworth is offering voluntary redundancies or redeployment of staff while it awaits completion of insurance claims for its Napier plant, which is still closed following Cyclone Gabrielle.

Chief executive Greg Smith said completing the insurance process will take several months but to provide staff with certainty, a portion of the 147 employees were given the option of taking voluntary redundancy or redeployment to the company’s Whanganui plant.

Zespri sues kiwifruit pirates in China

Richard Rennie MARKETS Horticulture

ZESPRI has filed a civil case in the intellectual property court in Nanjing, China against two defendants linked to the unauthorised production, sale and marketing of illegally grown SunGold Gold3 kiwifruit.

The action comes after China beefed up its intellectual property protection laws to make it easier for foreign companies to act and protect against forgery and breaches of IP use.

It also marks another step in what is an ongoing saga for the kiwifruit marketer, following legal action also taken in New Zealand.

In February this year Zespri successfully applied to the High Court to liquidate a company owned by an individual found guilty of offering to sell Zespri Gold3 kiwifruit cuttings to Chinese growers.

Zespri sought $15 million in damages from Haoyu Gao, who had been found guilty of breaching the Plant Varieties Rights Act and illegally taking cuttings for sale. This was later reduced to $12m.

The ex-Ōpōtiki grower had propagated cuttings to sell to associates in China.

With the case before the intellectual property court in Nanjing, Zespri staff are unable to provide any further details of the defendants or their relationship, if any, to the case in NZ.

Zespri CEO Dan Mathieson told growers in a statement that the latest case is a significant step, enabled by the strengthened IP rules for China’s horticultural sector.

These include amendments to China’s seed law, enabling Zespri to act against those selling unauthorised SunGold fruit, rather than just those growing it.

He said Zespri’s most recent assessment is that there are 7850ha of Gold3 SunGold fruit growing illegally in China, but the expansion has slowed. This compares closely to the area in SunGold in NZ.

With travel restrictions to China lifted, planning is now underway to send a NZ delegation to China to observe the current

unauthorised Gold3 industry there.

Two years ago, kiwifruit growers voted down a plan to trial marketing illegally grown Gold3 fruit in China.

The proposal, requiring 75% support, would have given Zespri the green light to continue with a commercial trial with growers in China already growing the fruit.

Dairy farmers snub low fixed milk prices

price has varied between $8.68 (March) and $7.55/kg milksolids (July).

SWINGS in the milk price futures market have delivered Fonterra fixed milk price contract offers with widely differing volume outcomes over the past five months.

Since Fonterra first made monthly offerings for the 2024 season in March, the net offer

stimulate consumer activity, but details and timing are unknown.

Kingston told the Farmers Weekly In Focus podcast that global meat markets are suffering under a “collision of a number of challenging factors”.

In addition to inflation, for red meat there are pressures from warm weather in the northern hemisphere and competition from Australian lamb exporters.

Kingston warned it could be six

Unsurprisingly, dairy farmers flocked to the first offer but shunned the most recent, when only 18 applications were made.

In March the full allocation of 15 million kg milksolids was taken up by 301 farmers.

In April the $7.74 net offer price attracted 41 applications and only 1.2 million kg were allocated.

months before red meat markets recover.

“We don’t see any particular signs of improvements in the market.”

Australia exported 20,600t of sheep meat in June, twice the volume for the same month a year earlier, and he said July export volumes look similar.

Kingston said beef has proven more resilient due to its versatility.

Dave Courtney, Silver Fern Farms chief customer officer, said the macro levers of cost-of-living

In May and June the fixed milk price (FMP) offer prices rebounded to $8.39 and around 200 farmers took up each offering, with allocations around 7.5 million kg in both months.

The 18 applicants in July took only 380,000kg, an average of about 21,000kg each.

Fonterra makes 10 monthly offers covering one dairy season – three pre-season months of March, April and May, and seven

pressures and high inventories are affecting prices, but beef shows some promise.

“We’re hoping to see increased demand for beef out of the United States later in the year, and we’re still keeping a close eye on the recovery of consumer confidence in China, which has been slower than expected and will play an important part in the recovery of pricing.”

Both Courtney and Kingston remain confident in medium- to long-term prospects.

consecutive in-season months between June and December. Therefore, halfway through the 2024 season FMP cycle just 31.5 million kg has been contracted by farmers, compared with 65 million kg offered.

Clearly farmers have a more optimistic view of the farmgate milk price than the prevailing sentiment in the SGX-NZX futures market, which has the 2024 price about $7.80 and the 2025 price

Meat Industry Association data shows June exports of red meat were 12% lower than a year ago at $935 million, due to lower volumes and value.

Compared to last June, the value of overall exports decreased by 21% to China (to $302m), 41% to Japan ($41m) and 23% to the United Kingdom ($34m).

Exports rose to Taiwan, Canada and the US, with beef exports to the US increasing 60% by volume and 43% by value ($200m), the highest monthly value since

about $7.90. Fonterra’s forecast range is $7.25 to $8.75 with a midpoint of $8, ahead of what may be a new forecast towards the end of August. The current forecast was made in May.

All that can be said with confidence right now from the FMP pathway is that Fonterra’s farmers are not prepared to lock in less than $8.

MORE: SEE PAGE 5

March 2015. MIA chief executive Sirma Karapeeva said there was some positive news from June.

“We are also now seeing the benefits of NZ’s Free Trade Agreement with the UK, which came into force on 31 May.

“Overall, beef exports to the UK were worth $3.3 million in June. Previously, beef exports would have likely been under one of the quotas with a tariff rate of 20%, so we have already seen tariff savings of around $650,000 in the first month of the FTA.”

IN COURT: Zespri CEO Dan Mathieson says stronger plant protection intellectual property rules in China have enabled Zespri to take court action against two defendants involved in unauthorised Gold3 production.

Hugh Stringleman MARKETS Dairy

Continued from page 1

Bleak financial forecast for dairy farm budgets

Gerald Piddock NEWS Finances

RISING costs and a declining payout forecast mean dairy farmers are facing a grim financial outlook, according to AgFirst’s annual survey.

The financial conditions for many in the sector are worsening, agricultural economist and survey author Phil Journeaux said.

“The financial situation’s pretty serious. The payout is dropping, we have had near-record on-farm cost inflation and interest rates have doubled.

“Most farms made a loss last year and they’re going to make an even bigger loss this year.”

Farmer morale is also taking a hammering.

“They are getting squeezed financially, they are getting crushed by all of the environmental stuff. Psychologically, they’re not in a happy place.”

The survey was released at an event at Mystery Creek on August 3. It is based on data from 25 dairy farms from Waikato and Bay of Plenty. A farm model is created based on that information – a seasonal supply farm that is 133ha, milking 368 cows, producing 135,000-145,000kg milk solids.

It represents the 3900 dairy farms in operation across the two regions.

The budget for the model is based on the current midpoint payout forecast of $8/kg MS. However, that is facing a downside risk based on current milk price futures forecasting of $7.70/kg MS, Journeaux said.

The previous season saw farmers face big increases in fertiliser, up 28%, feed and labour (both 8%) and debt servicing. This lifted by 45% on the back of rising interest rates. Cash flows through the latter part of the season are extremely tight, with many farmers hitting their overdraft limits.

Most farms made a loss last year and they’re going to make an even bigger loss this year.

Heading into this season, while overall farm working expenses are 2% down, debt servicing is up 20% due to the increase in interest rates.

Adding to this are tight feed supplies on many farms as they battle through calving, he said.

“The cost of everything has been trucking up steadily.”

The model forecasts a cash loss of $54,600. However, this is offset by the dividend and capital return being paid out to Fonterra farmers, resulting in a positive net cash position of $54,800.

That one-off capital return payment will get many farmers out of financial jail, he said. Non-Fonterra suppliers who will not receive these payments are very likely to defer their principal repayment in order to reduce the loss.

“If you’re not a Fonterra supplier or you’re a sharemilker you’re not going to get the dividend and you’re not going to get the capital return and you’re well and truly in the shit.”

The budget model does not include any possible Scope 3 emissions payments.

It calculates a break-even milk price – defined as the milk solids payout required to meet basic expenditure requirements for the model, covering farm working expenditure, debt servicing, living expenses, taxation, and capital replacement – of $8.29/kg MS.

This is almost identical to last season’s break-even figure of $8.28/kg MS. This is because it is modelling on reduced farm maintenance as a farm working expenditure.

If this expenditure is adjusted to a more sustainable level, the break-even price lifts to $8.40/kg MS.

The survey notes that the continuing increase in costs is a major concern and continues to reflect the ongoing on-farm cost inflation, which over the past five years has run at more than double the level of the consumer price index.

“Added to this is the rapid rise in interest rates, which is taking a significant bite out of available funds. The model is carrying an average debt of around $22/kg MS. If this debt was in the upper quartile, of say $34-$35/kg MS, then debt servicing in 2023/2024 would be 35% of net cash income, which would render the farm financially unviable.”

Journeaux estimated around 10-

15% of farms could fall within that upper quartile “which in itself is a frightening figure”. His advice for farmers for the coming season is to do a budget, plan and talk to their advisers. “If you are in trouble you have to absolutely talk to your bank so they can understand and defer principal repayments. You need to plan so you have some idea of what you’re facing.”

Cyber crime puts farm hacking on radar

AGRICULTURE’S increasing reliance on technology is leaving the industry vulnerable to cyber attacks, says cyber security expert Alastair Miller.

The warning comes as statistics from the government’s Computer Emergency Response Team show $5.8 million in direct financial losses from cyber crime was reported in the first quarter of this year, a 66% jump on the same period in 2022 ($3.7m).

The figures show 264 people lost between $100 and $1000 and 16 people lost more than $100,000. However, experts said most cyber crime still goes unreported. “No one is immune these days, unfortunately,” said Miller, a principal advisory consultant with Australasian company Aura Information Security.

“You might think farming is not an obvious area to target, but there is quite a lot of tech used in farming now. Even some of the tractors and combine harvesters have a surprising amount of computers inside.”

Miller said cyber crime is rampant worldwide and criminals

are becoming more sophisticated in the way they target victims. There has been plenty of publicity about scams in which criminals attempt to gain access to bank accounts or personal information, usually by sending emails with click-on links attached.

But more cyber criminals are

now targeting businesses through a company’s IOT, or internet of things. The IOT is a collection of sensors, software and other operating technology that might exist within a company.

“That’s a bit more of a sophisticated attack but these are people who can use security flaws in those systems to get into your networks.”

Miller said farms, orchards and vineyards are increasingly using technology to run their businesses. Sensors to operate heating, cooling, irrigation, security or lighting are commonplace

Once a system had been accessed, offenders generally look “to cause chaos” by altering sensor settings, which can lead to crops or product being destroyed.

“Sometimes they can hold things to ransom – ‘We’ll release it if you pay us $10 or $20,000’ type of thing.

“But sometimes people just destroy stuff because they can.”

In 2021 the world’s largest meat processing company, JBS paid the equivalent of $16.1m in ransom to end a major cyber attack.

Computer networks were hacked, temporarily shutting down some operations in Australia, Canada and the United States. JBS said

it paid the ransom to protect customers.

Miller said the IOT attacks are a more specialised type of crime.

“It is definitely on the uptake for the bigger groups, especially vineyards, who seem to be a particular target.

“I guess it’s because there is quite a lot of money riding on production.”

segregate their system networks to ensure the business IOT is not linked to the same internet network that has general access.

Systems also need to be updated as often as possible.

“Then it’s educating everyone about the things to look out for, suspicious emails, odd texts, things that might hint that someone is trying to find a weakness in the system or get access to stuff.”

If people receive an email claiming to be from banks or other businesses and seeking personal information, they should take time to read the email and make calls, if necessary, to check its authenticity before opening links.

“The few minutes spent double checking is worth the amount of money you can lose.”

There was an instance in New Zealand where a vineyard was targeted and sensors controlling wine acidity and temperature were accessed.

Miller said the system had to be stripped out and the company temporarily reverted to manual testing.

There are security steps companies and individuals can take to improve their cyber safety. Miller said it is important people

Miller said once someone has been scammed there are few options available to them. NZ’s laws regarding such offending are “pretty lax” and more often than not the offenders are based overseas so “they’re not even going to try to prosecute them”.

Fraud insurance is hard to obtain and expensive.

“The onus is really on the individual to try and protect themselves, but it’s not always easy.”

CASH TRICKLE: Agricultural economist Phil Journeaux says many Waikato and Bay of Plenty dairy farms will be hitting their overdraft limits in the latter part of the season.

Phil Journeaux AgFirst

Craig Page TECHNOLOGY Safety

STEPPING UP: Alistair Miller says there are security steps companies and individuals can take to improve their cyber safety.

You might think farming is not an obvious area to target, but there is quite a lot of tech used in farming now.

Alastair Miller Aura Information Security

Milk set to spill as dairy prices tumble

Hugh Stringleman MARKETS Dairy

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.

“While it is difficult to read too much into one auction result, it does point to prices potentially

falling by more than our updated forecast suggests.

“The price fall reinforces that global dairy market confidence remains at a low ebb, with few signs of a turnaround on the immediate horizon.”

The GDT index is now at 918, the lowest point since September 2020, and a slippery 42% below the dairy market’s recent peak in March 2022.

The average price paid for WMP fell US$236 from $3100/tonne to $2864/t, below the resistance level of $3000 that an $8 milk price is predicated upon.

Within the different contract periods for WMP offers, prices for near-term delivery in September dropped 14% while, further out, periods fell 4.5% compared with the mid-July auction.

After the 8% fall, dairy market observers will be waiting for a second substantial movement, as happened in April last year with consecutive 7% and 6% declines.

A repeat would be a strong

indication of a falling market as New Zealand enters its peak milk season.

Skim milk powder dropped by 1.4% to $2454/t, butter by 0.7% to $4680, anhydrous milk fat by 0.5%

Milestone for M bovis programme

“The programme has touched nearly every farming community across the country.”

to $4705 and cheddar by 1.4% to $3910.

These falls were surprises to market analysts going on recent futures market trends.

NZX dairy analyst Alex Winning

While it is difficult to read too much into one auction result, it does point to prices potentially falling by more than our updated forecast suggests.

Nathan Penny Westpac

said the big drop for WMP was despite China returning to the market with some determination.

“North Asia took out top buyer’s spot for both milk powders and cheddar.

“This was a shift from recent events, and a welcome one, as processors and traders watch to see the impact of the Chinese tariff lift on NZ dairy products in January.

“Compared to the last auction, North Asia increased purchases across the four major commodities.”

THERE are currently no farms infected with the cattle disease Mycoplasma bovis, halfway through New Zealand’s 10-year eradication project.

Biosecurity and Agriculture

Minister Damien O’Connor said the last known infected property in Mid Canterbury has been destocked and declared diseasefree, taking NZ to zero confirmed infections.

“Five years of hard work, sacrifice and collaboration with MPI, DairyNZ and Beef+Lamb NZ have brought us to this milestone on the road to eradication,” O’Connor said.

The eradication bid began in 2018 and has seen almost 184,000 cattle culled, 280 farms depopulated, nearly 3000 farms subject to movement controls and many undergoing on-farm testing.

The programme has cost more than $650 million to date and is on track to total over $800m, but allowing M bovis to become endemic would have cost an estimated $1.3 billion in lost production in the first 10 years alone.

time there have been no cases or investigations.

But it is not yet eradicated, and O’Connor said testing of bulk milk and beef in meat plants will continue.

He said he has no regrets about setting out to be the first country to eradicate the disease.

“Looking at what we have achieved together over the last five years, I am confident we made the right decision.

“We always knew it wouldn’t be easy, especially for the farmers affected, but when you looked at the impact that living with M bovis has on animal welfare and on farmers, we knew we had to try.”

changes to NZ farming systems, with the resulting increase in mastitis, lameness and abortion compromising NZ’s efficiency.

WIDESPREAD: The Mycoplasma bovis outbreak peaked with 40 infected properties across New Zealand.

O’Connor said the outbreak peaked with 40 infected properties across the country and while there have been periods without any infections, this is the first

O’Connor acknowledged the pain of those farmers who have had herds culled, thanking them for their co-operation and hoping they understand that it was better to try to eradicate M Bovis than to live with it.

Overseas experience showed that living with the disease would have required significant

O’Connor said the milestone is even more remarkable given there was no eradication template officials could pick up and adopt, with the whole system having to be designed from the ground up.

The response has not been perfect and he said it has highlighted the need for vigilance in tracking animal movements through NAIT and heightened on-farm biosecurity, something he fears farmers have allowed to slip. While the MPI will continue to provide oversight of the response,

O’Connor said OSPRI will take over its management via a soonto-be developed National Pest Management Plan (NPMP) for M Bovis, similar to that for bovine tuberculosis.

“We’ll be consulting with farmers and the public about the exact shape of the NPMP later this month,” he said.

He has had an assurance from OSPRI that earlier issues with tracking livestock movement have been addressed.

O’Connor said all indicators –from bulk milk testing to beef herd surveillance – give him confidence that the 10-year eradication programme is working.

Neal Wallace NEWS Disease

CHURN: Whole milk powder prices plunged despite China returning to the market with some determination.

Looking at what we have achieved together over the last five years, I am confident we made the right decision.

Damien O’Connor Biosecurity and Agriculture Minister

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MPI’s new advisers fan out after floods

contacts among whom trust has built up.

ON FARM Support, the new advisory service in the Ministry of Primary Industries, is more than halfway staffed, with a planned workforce of over 80 budgeted for next year.

MPI divisional director and chief science adviser John Roche said he has 44 staff members in the OFS, including 10 regional managers.

Speaking to Farmers Weekly, Roche read the tallies of employees in North Island regions like a commander of battlefield orderlies deployed to pick up the pieces after this year’s storms, floods and landslides.

In the north as many as 20 rural advisers have spent much of their working time in the past six months on recovery from adverse weather events for farmers and orchardists in Hawke’s Bay, East Coast, Bay of Plenty, Northland, South Auckland, Coromandel, Wairarapa and Tararua.

For those in the field, empathy with those who have been displaced and flattened by Cyclone Gabrielle is the primary requirement.

Ideally, they are also from the regions in which they are hired and have large networks of rural

“I go home to a dry house and a warm bed every night, whereas there are rural people who still do not have that,” Roche said by way of framing the task at hand.

OFS advisers are guiding applicants for government relief, holding workshops on soil and silt movements and remediation options, and running working bees for fencing.

“We don’t want anyone to miss out because they didn’t know how to apply.”

We don’t want anyone to miss out because they didn’t know how to apply.

John Roche

The agency is not a gatekeeper for government funds but provides eyes and ears on the ground for other government departments needing assessments and recommendations.

Advice is also given to regional and local authorities on infrastructure rebuilds.

MPI has employees from other divisions on the ground throughout the East Coast and in Hawke’s Bay, working in forestry, rural communities and fisheries.

OFS is also proactively moving senior team members into regions threatened by more heavy rain and high winds, when forecast.

Some events are in conjunction with Beef + Lamb New Zealand (BLNZ) and DairyNZ, for example a slip recovery workshop in Ararua, Northland, which was attended by more than 60 landowners.

“Experts in their field talked about slip movements, fertility losses, fertiliser, grass seed and stabilisation.”

Roche attends as many interdisciplinary meetings as possible and said early apprehension over the establishment of OFS from other industry bodies and rural professionals has moderated.

“As they see what we do and how it is complementary and helpful, the mood has changed.”

An example has been the BLNZ Generation Next programme to boost computer literacy among young farmers.

Another work stream is integration of farm plans across various industry groups, regions and processing companies.

Harking back to the multidisciplinary structure of the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries (MAF), OFS is working with Crown Research Institutes (CRIs) on making available specialist knowledge and resources to farmers and their advisers.

OFS has appointed two national specialists and has plans for five or six roles that extend the office of chief science adviser.

The first two are Justin France in Hawke’s Bay, a horticultural systems specialist, and Chris Arbuckle in Canterbury, for freshwater farm plans and environmental extension. Roche is on the lookout for farm systems knowledge, economists and market analysts.

“I am keen to recreate that MAF-like flow around farmers, advisers and scientists in today’s communications, whether it be webinars or podcasts, or whatever.”

Specialist advisers will reach into

the CRIs and help capture, for the benefit of farmers, all the good work done by scientists.

“And let us get the needs of farmers reflected back to the CRIs – the CRIs are really excited about this.

“I hope no one sees that as a threat, but that the government is paying for national specialist capability.

“We have a powerhouse of economic intelligence in the ministry [MPI] that farmers and growers would get value from.”

The internet has changed the delivery channels, Roche said, so the challenges is to “ensure that farmers get the right advice consistently”.

Feijoa study offers Type 2 diabetes hope

HARBINGERS of autumn and something of a Kiwi curiosity, feijoas may also soon provide an answer to the world’s Type 2 diabetes epidemic.

The humble fruit is the focus of a study committed to learning more about its possible diabetesbusting properties, thanks to funding through the National Science Challenge.

Researchers at the University of Auckland are setting up a sixmonth study focused on feijoas. They intend to give adults with elevated blood sugar a gram of whole fruit feijoa powder or a placebo every day.

Known as Ferdinand, the study requires participants to follow a low energy Cambridge weightloss diet for eight weeks and to complete a four-month weight maintenance programme while also consuming the feijoa powder or a placebo.

The principal investigator, Associate Professor Jennifer Miles-Chan, said the fruit may contain helpful compounds particularly within its skin that include polyphenols and abscisic acid that may help reverse prediabetes symptoms including elevated blood sugar.

Polyphenols are compounds often found in fruit that can contribute to its flavour, and include the likes of tannins in tea.

They have been linked to bioactive compounds found in food that can improve health.

However, the science is in its early stages, with no recommendations for bioactives made yet in the human diet.

Abscisic acid has been shown to deliver anti-diabetic effects in mice, and has become popular in naturopathy circles.

“In theory, the feijoa powder will boost the benefits of weight loss, leading to improvements in blood sugar levels,” Miles-Chan said.

The Auckland study has been prompted by a short-term study in Iran that indicated benefits of feijoas for patients with Type 2 diabetes.

The study is aimed at

individuals who are overweight and at risk of Type 2 diabetes but have not yet contracted it.

“We are really wanting to help those people who are on the borderline of developing diabetes to lower their risk, yet many people may not be aware their blood sugar levels are high,” Miles-Chan said.

She said the trial also brings the added appeal of receiving two months of free meals.

Supported by the High-Value Nutrition National Science Challenge (Ko Ngā Kai Whai Painga), the study is being conducted by the University’s Human Nutrition Unit in collaboration with AgResearch, the Malaghan Institute and Plant and Food Research.

Hugh Stringleman NEWS MPI

EXTENSION: ‘I’m here from the ministry to help,’ says On Farm Support leader John Roche.

On Farm Support Ministry for Primary Industries

Richard Rennie TECHNOLOGY Health

VALUED: Often left rotting in abundance, feijoas could yet provide an answer to a growing Type 2 diabetes epidemic.

NZ being left behind in carbon scramble

Richard Rennie NEWS

BILLIONS of dollars’

worth of carbon credits will require payment by New Zealand in a few short years, with more needing to be done to minimise the liability while still meeting the country’s Paris Accord obligations.

A Treasury report released earlier this year confirmed the Climate Change Commission’s stance that NZ is not able to plant its way out of its carbon emission targets, and will be required to purchase carbon credits offshore.

Those credits could include direct investment in offshore reduction activities, investing in international carbon funds, or purchasing Emissions Trading Scheme equivalents from other countries’ established schemes.

But the bill could be significant, with the report estimating it could range from a low of $4.2 billion to a high of $23.7bn, depending largely on carbon valuations. The Treasury report priced scenarios from a low of $41 a carbon unit to $227/unit.

These credits will have to be bought between 2024 and 2030, the first obligation deadline year.

Nigel Brunel, head of Jarden’s commodities trading division, said

NZ is moving too slowly in trying to tie down its offshore carbon credit options and risks being a late and underpriced arrival to the party.

“The reality is we can’t meet our obligations domestically, that has been known. The rationale for spending money offshore is more about aiding developing nations to meet their targets, and under Article 6 of the Paris Accord that is allowed.”

He said there has been a narrative that such markets have not yet developed, and options are limited.

But in fact some countries, including Switzerland and Japan, are already well down the path in forming relationships with developing countries likely to be seeking developed countries’ carbon investment dollars.

Brunel also cautioned that the investment offshore cannot be some sort of colonial takeover that seeks out only the low-hanging fruit in credit options.

“The investment has to be in countries that have already dealt with that and are really starting to decarbonise, and need help with this.”

He was relatively relaxed about the amount NZ may have to spend, with the upper amount set at $227 a unit when carbon prices at present are about $60.

He was more concerned about NZ’s lack of engagement with potential partner countries, a concern shared by climate scientist Professor David Frame of Canterbury University.

“I think we are well back in the pack, unless there are things going on in secret we don’t know about,” Brunel said.

He said it is risky from a price perspective.

“We should be working to get into conversations now about how we could hedge the price risk as an insurance for the future.”

Frame said NZ appears to

LET’S GO!

But he also pointed to major problems in country-to-country carbon credits.

Norway and Germany invested more than US$170 billion ($273bn) in Brazilian rainforests as a carbon credit scheme, only to have Brazil’s president sanction deforestation.

be hung up on committing to multilateral climate agreements set by the likes of the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

He said there is a desire to get a “gold stamp” from it and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, neither which has any legislative muscle over countries.

“They are run by Europeans who never have a favourable view of the likes of NZ, Canada or Australia. A more bilateral approach with specific countries may prove more effective,” Frame said.

“So, there is always the risk that Mother Nature is left holding the tab, even if one country has met its climate accounting responsibilities.”

Frame believes NZ’s approach to setting carbon levels exhibits a grasp that extends beyond its grip, and the country may yet see a major carbon policy rewrite – and sooner than later.

“We would be better to focus on what we can do, pegging ourselves against countries of a similar weight, looking at being the most carbon efficient globally in food production, electricity etcetera.”

Climate change

WIDER NET: Professor David Frame says NZ should not stick religiously to appeasing the IPCC, and consider bilateral options to access international carbon credit opportunities.

I think we are well back in the pack, unless there are things going on in secret we don’t know about.

Nigel Brunel Jarden

Risk of ‘regulating farmers into corner’

Neal Wallace NEWS Policy and regulation

FAR-REACHING freshwater reforms need more community collaboration and to acknowledge the variety of farm types, topography and climate, researchers say.

A University of Otago study, Agriculture and Human Values, looked at the implementation of the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management (NPSFM) and found it could be counterproductive because of its top-down, bureaucratic, one-size-fits-all approach.

“Policy-makers, while aiming to preserve and improve environmental outcomes, must additionally pay more attention to the social and economic costs that regulations cause, and the impact that they have on the wellbeing of New Zealanders and the future of NZ communities,” the study authors say.

the university’s Department of Botany, who co-authored the report, said there is a disconnect between the regulations and a perceived lack of appreciation by policymakers for the challenges of farming in parts of the country.

“The new rules have a real chance of producing some negative results by effectively regulating farmers into a corner and not taking localised factors into account,” she said.

Calving 2023

A participant in the study said: “I would suggest you leave it up to the locals. People that know what they’re doing. Not Wellington.”

Google the publica-

The survey questioned nine Otago farmers who favoured a targeted policy and for farms to be viewed as environmental, social and economic ecosystems that provide wider benefits to the country.

The NPSFM seeks to enhance biodiversity and freshwater quality but farmers say it fails to acknowledge the reality that the economic health of farms and whole communities depends on a healthy environment.

The authors recommend more collaborative decision-making and broader and longer consultation to allow communities and farmers to have a say on how the policy can work in their regions.

They also recommend more regionalised acknowledgment of farm types, topography and climate for activities such as nitrogen use, the suitability of land for wintering and cropping, fencing waterways and crop resowing dates.

Lead author Professor Sara Walton of the Department of Management said the research also found farmers’ attitudes and behaviour towards the environment are shifting in hand with societal expectations.

The study says the farmers surveyed met the global interpretation of what is known as Good Farmers by engaging in high environmental and biodiversity stewardship and community involvement.

“This position has always sat there, particularly with intergenerational farmers, but it is becoming outwardly talked about as part of being a Good Farmer,” Walton said. This acknowledgment was important to farmers’ identity, she said. Good Farmers have pride in their practices and the top-down, bureaucratic approach of the government’s new freshwater regulations runs counter to that.

“Complying with the changing regulations was found to be a tension in their desire to remain being seen as a Good Farmer.”

Walton said the mood of farmers was not a surprise, but the unintended consequences of the NPSFM were.

For example, the rules mean some farmers have to winter stock off farm, requiring a commute to other farms to tend to their stock, while strict rules for wetlands could mean farmers opting to drain or plant such areas in trees.

“It comes down to legislation treating farmers as one-size-fits-all.”

Associate Professor Janice Lord of

Support lifetime traceability

• Ensure all calves are fitted with a NAIT tag before they reach 180 days of age.

• Register any fitted NAIT tags within 7 days of tagging.

• All calves must be tagged and registered before their first movement. So, if you are sending them off your location, make sure you meet your NAIT obligations.

• Calves must be NAIT tagged correctly.

NEW RULES: The bureaucratic approach to new freshwater regulations could end up harming the land, environment and farmers’ self-image, the authors of a new study say.

Lessons from wideopen beef countries

emissions and maternal fertility growing areas of focus.

COLLABORATION and transparency were two key strengths New Zealand beef industry leaders observed in the North American beef sector on a recent visit.

Members of the Beef + Lamb NZ genetics team have just returned from a study tour of the North American beef industry for the Informing NZ Beef programme.

Dan Brier, BLNZ’s genetics GM, said there were some lessons for the NZ sector in the exceptional level of co-operation witnessed across academic, commercial and government groups when addressing issues like methane emissions and genetics.

As NZ producers grapple with the implications of He Waka Eke Noa and Scope 3 demands from retailers, he said, US producers’ focus has tended to be on feed conversion efficiency, something that ultimately impacts methane emissions within feedlot systems.

“It is a different problem they are trying to solve. On a feedlot if the animal is grown faster, that is, more efficiently, less methane is produced by it. In NZ, with a grass-based system, if we grow more grass than needed, we feed the extra to another animal, so the nuance is definitely there in our challenges.”

However, the United States also has 29 million head of pastoral free-range animals, so research on inhibitors is starting to ramp up, too. Brier said the horsepower behind such efforts is significant, as is the level of collaboration.

“The level of collaboration is very good, with some very smart PhD students working on quite specific problems.”

Kansas State University, for example, has 1000 students plus 100 post-grads dedicated to animal science with methane

Brier noted how in New Zealand, on the other hand, universityfocused, science-based research on the sector’s challenges appears to have diminished in recent years.

There is a real possibility NZ risks being left behind as the likes of Canada and US double down on their challenges, he said.

Collaboration in North America extends to a crossbreed programme that provides commercial farmers with a genuine means of comparing different breeds’ performance, something that remains harder to do in NZ.

generates an enormous amount of genetic data and has a germplasm evaluation programme extending back over 50 years.

As in NZ, there is a solid body of farmer sentiment that measuring methane remains difficult, and there are few clear financial signals from processors to encourage a reduction. The US’s grading system does offer a pathway to include a recognition for “low methane” beef in the future.

“They have an exceptional meat grading system that recognises composition including intramuscular fat levels or marbling,” Brier said, and adding in a grade parameter for lower methane footprint is a realistic option.

Brier said he was surprised at the focus on dairy beef production also going ahead as a relatively new area in an industry where the ratio of beef to dairy is almost the opposite of NZ’s.

too is an area the North Americans are starting to study harder.

In the US the ability to compare across breeds is partly attributable to the impressive US Meat Animal Research Centre in Nebraska.

The centre is home to an 8000-cow multibreed herd that

Extensive use of sexed semen in the dairy sector in the US has pushed for more focus on options to deal with the remaining male dairy beef stock.

Brier said NZ breeders can claim to be doing a good job in understanding and improving breeding cow longevity compared to their US counterparts, but this

“We are doing a good job, but we do have work to do on feed conversion efficiency. We were expecting to see big cows up there, but really they were not too much bigger than our own.”

As NZ focuses on methane reduction and low-carbon beef as a value proposition, the concept of “sustainability” differs somewhat for US and Canadian producers.

“It tended to refer more to being locally grown and sold, and even being part of a circular economy. One farm, for example,

was collecting waste food from its customers and feeding it back to its cows.”

An award-wining short film, Guardians of the Grasslands, has recently raised the profile on how free-range pastoral cattle can play a role in maintaining Canada’s grassland ecosystems. Brier said their US counterparts were keen to exchange more information and work with NZ on methane reduction and carbon foot printing.

“My worry is that we well be left behind in the methane game, and we need to act quickly.”

Richard Rennie MARKETS Beef

GRASSED: Padlock Ranch Wyoming, one of the cattle operations visited by the NZ delegation.

HERDED: The BLNZ delegation from New Zealand visiting the United States and Canada included breeders from all NZ’s major breed groups.

FREE RANGE: While feedlots are dominant, the US also has 29 million cattle on free range grasslands.

The level of collaboration is very good, with some very smart PhD students working on quite specific problems.

Dan Brier BLNZ

Science musters genetics for a better farm dog

Craig Page TECHNOLOGY Livestock

THE humble working farm dog is about to go under the microscope in an industry-led project aimed at breeding more top quality canines.

The $1.77 million, threeyear project is supported by the government through its Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures fund, with the Ministry for Primary Industries co-investing $770,000. Massey University, Focus Genetics and VHL Genetics will contribute $1m in cash and kind.

The project will be led by the AL Rae Centre for Genetics and Breeding, a Massey satellite campus in Ruakura, with support from Pāmu, Beef + Lamb New Zealand, and the NZ Sheep Dog Trial Association to engage farmers – and their dogs – across the country.

“We know working dogs play key roles on thousands of New

Zealand farms, helping move and muster livestock across sheep and beef country. A good dog also does wonders for farmer wellbeing,”

Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor said.

The project will apply methodology already used for elite sheep and cattle breeding to farm dogs, and minimise risk when selecting a new dog.

“There are an estimated 200,000 working dogs across the country. It’s a significant investment for a shepherd to put together a team of dogs and this project will help give them more certainty in selecting a pup,” O’Connor said.

The project will be the most detailed genomic investigation of NZ working farm dog breeds, with potential to improve dogs’ health, welfare and working performance, he said.

One aspect of the project will identify the desired traits of working farm dogs, and develop new genomic prediction criteria to aid the selection of improved dogs. Genome sequencing and

genotyping will be used to set a baseline understanding of recessive disease-causing mutations that can be carried by these breeds.

NZ Sheep Dog Trial Association president Pat Coogan welcomed the study.

“We support it. If you can eradicate any bad breeding traits within dogs it has to be a good thing.”

Coogan said the important traits

STAFF ACCOMMODATION FOR THE SEASON

of a working dog include good confirmation and feet, athleticism, a willingness to work and a good nature.

The quality of dog also comes down to its handler and its training.

“They’re no different to children. If they’re well reared, then generally they will turn out not too bad. But if there are no boundaries, guess what you’re going to get.”

It’s a significant investment for a shepherd to put together a team of dogs and this project will help give them more certainty in selecting a pup.

Damien O’Connor Agriculture Minister

With Portacom, you can scale your seasonal workers’ accommodation up or down to suit your needs.

A BREED APART: The project will apply methodology already used for elite sheep and cattle breeding to farm dogs, and minimise risk when selecting a new dog.

Photo: Kayla McKenzie Photography

Lessons pile up from school wool episode

standards are and explained why they are important to us, from both user and asset owner perspectives.

THE wool industry is lobbying government officials to avoid a repeat of the situation where the Ministry of Education chose synthetic floor coverings over wool.

One result of those discussions in that the ministry has promised to look at using wool in school areas other than classrooms.

News that the ministry chose a United States-based synthetic manufacturer to supply 300,000sqm of floor coverings in classrooms jolted the domestic wool industry, which has had members meeting with government officials to push the use of wool.

The ministry is replacing floor coverings in 800 small and remote schools over the next three years, and its decision to go with synthetics provoked an uproar and claims of hypocrisy given the government has been advocating the use of wool.

Sam Fowler, the Ministry of Education’s head of property, infrastructure and digital, said further discussions are planned with wool sector representatives.

“In these discussions we have clarified what our flooring

“We also discussed the challenges and benefits of wool flooring.”

Fowler said the ministry will work with the sector to support its development of wool products suitable for flooring applications in schools.

“We will also continue to discuss possibilities for using wool in other areas of our school buildings.”

National Council of NZ Wool Interests chair Rosstan Macey said the council is taking an apolitical and constructive position – and the wool sector is learning from the ministry’s decision.

One lesson is the need to update the carbon footprint of wool, which he said is based on outdated information.

This is happening.

The second lesson is to ensure wool manufacturers have the right commercial products available of the right specifications at the right time.

Macey said this will change in the next six to 12 months as development and scaling up of production happens.

“That pipeline will be a bit more populated, which will be more helpful.”

Fowler said that carpets in primary schools endure heavy use, wear and dirt, and the dyed nylon pile carpet option was considered a practical choice given these requirements.

“It is materially less expensive than other options, meaning it’s a more cost-effective use of public funds.”

The tenders were assessed on performance, safety, contributing to a healthy internal environment, durability, moisture retention, environmental impact, ongoing supply and maintenance, and sustainability.

“In the wool carpet tile offered, only the pile is made of wool yarn.

“All submissions we received for this tender, including the wool carpet tile option, had a significant proportion of synthetic material,

with most of the carpet tile’s mass being a synthetic backing.”

The successful tenderer’s product is recyclable and expected to last at least 15 years before needing to be removed and recycled.

Some rural schools have suggested fundraising to top up the carpet funding allocation so they can buy a wool product, a decision Fowler said rests with individual schools.

“State schools have the option to install carpets of their choice using other capital funding they receive for property improvements.”

dose,

one shot wonder.” Andy McLachlan Tararua District

Neal Wallace NEWS

Food and fibre

TALKS: Sam Fowler, the Ministry of Education’s head of property, infrastructure and digital, says further discussions are planned with wool sector representatives.

State schools have the option to install carpets of their choice using other capital funding they receive for property improvements.

Sam Fowler Ministry of Education

Ballance absorbs $51m write-down on fert

Hugh Stringleman NEWS Fertiliser

BALLANCE fertiliser

co-operative has taken two big financial hits in what it called a financial year of unprecedented challenges, cutting profit after tax by $20 million to $35m and writing off $51m on inventory.

No rebate will be paid to shareholders on products they bought during the year, compared with the $30 a tonne paid this time last year.

However, the revaluation of high-priced fertiliser stocks has cut $75-$150 a tonne off prices to farmers, who are now paying an average $450/t less than this time last year.

New, lower product prices were announced by sales general manager Jason Minkhorst on the same day the 2023 financial results were declared.

Ballance said international fertiliser prices are returning to pre-pandemic levels and the farmer- and grower-owned co-operative is committed to providing affordable nutrients in the coming season.

Comparisons between the latest FY2023 results and the 2022 annual report show that profit after tax dropped to $35m from $56m the previous year.

Revenue per tonne in FY23 was $968, compared with $755 the year before.

“The balancing of reliable and affordable supply was challenging in FY23,” Ballance chief executive

Mark Wynne said.

“Global commodity prices reached record highs, driven by an energy crisis and the war in Ukraine.

“Access to nutrients got harder as countries looked to ensure food security, and while we were able to be agile in securing supply due to our long-term partnerships, the prices we paid were higher than current market rates.”

The global commodity market is now moving towards pre-covid, long-term averages, which is evidenced by a sharp drop in prices internationally, leaving Ballance with over-valued inventory.

Chair Duncan Coull said the inventory write-down and the need to protect the balance sheet mean no shareholder rebate.

“Retaining the $35m profit

supports investment in assets that underpin operating results, innovation, and our future decarbonisation plans,” said Coull.

In line with this investment, the board has recommended a lift in the nominal share price

from $8.10 to $9.00 a share. The 2022 annual report said there were 45.6 million shares on issue across 17,000 shareholders and, assuming no substantial change in those numbers, total share equity will have increased to $410m.

DoC’s steep easement fees strike irrigators again

DoC is taking a different approach to how it calculates such fees.

ANOTHER irrigation company has been quoted an eye-watering increase in easement fees by the Department of Conservation.

The Amuri Irrigation Company in North Canterbury proposed a small scheme on the south side of the Hurunui River that required three easements over Crown land, assessed at a charge of $1600 each or $4800 in total.

Sara Black, the company’s business services manager, said the Department of Conservation (DoC) calculated the levy on each of the 30 properties that would benefit, coming up with a total of $45,000, nearly 1000% higher than expected.

The scheme did not proceed for this among other reasons.

Black said the experience shows

She said DoC staff told her a recent court ruling on charging for easements servicing a residential subdivision supported the department’s ability to charge for each benefitting property as opposed to levying one charge.

This approach could substantially increase easement charges throughout the country, she said.

The DoC’s director of regulatory services, Steve Taylor, said he is not aware of any legal precedent and that it is not new policy, but said fees are based on each benefitting property.

“This is based on our pricing policy and application of valuation principles, rather than legal precedent.”

Details on the DoC website state that where an easement services more than one lot, the fee will

be calculated by multiplying the relevant easement fee by the number of lots or beneficiaries the easement serves.

That fee depends on both the nature of the activity, be it access or utilities, and whether the applicant or beneficiary is commercial or not.

This appears to be recent policy, given both the Amuri scheme and the Otekaieke Community Water Company (OCWC) have potentially faced substantial increases in easement fees in the past 18 months.

The 23 members of the OCWC in North Otago faced an initial increase for a 0.085ha easement from $300/year to $32,678.

The easement provides nonpotable water from the Otekaieke River for use as stock water, gardens and small-scale irrigation.

The DoC initially claimed the users were “all undertaking

commercial activities”.

After consultation about their actual activities, this was reduced to $14,548. Following further discussions it was further lowered to $3663.

The DoC has refused to supply details on its price-setting methodology, a decision that Federated Farmers is appealing to the Ombudsman.

Taylor told the Farmers Weekly last month that as part of a regular review, it found the fees being charged for the OCWC easement were not consistent with its policy.

Taylor said while the department works through details with concession holders it will charge the existing fee.

An independent valuation and external advice have been commissioned to advise on guidelines for irrigation water schemes with multiple beneficiaries.

Transpower, which has extensive easements over conservation managed land, said it is “aware of DoC’s new method for setting concession fees” and is assessing the implications.

Transpower general manager external relations Raewyn Moss said the majority of the grid operator’s network assets on the conservation estate were authorised under the Electricity Act 1992, which sets out Transpower’s statutory rights to access, inspect, operate and maintain works that were in place as at January 1, 1988.

When seeking to negotiate a concession on conservationmanaged land, Transpower usually seeks a maximum concession term of 60 years under the Conservation Act and to make a one-off lump sum in compensation. There are currently 21 concessions in place.

Stay in touch with

DOWNWARD TREND: The revaluation of high-priced fertiliser stocks has cut $75-$150 a tonne o prices to farmers.

Neal Wallace NEWS Water

Living better through farming smarter

farmstrong.co.nz

NGATAI Luke runs a successful liveweight gain cattle business and works closely with farmers throughout the North Island.

Some are old hands, some completely new to farming. The business has grown into a significant enterprise with more than 12,000 stock spread across 15 farms.

He says the firm measures success according to two metrics. The first is lifting the bottom line for the farms involved in terms of dollars per hectare. The second is more surprising: ensuring its farmers enjoy a work-life balance that would be the envy of many.

“I was talking to one of our farmers recently and he said, ‘I don’t have a lot to do at the moment, I’m looking for more work.’ I said, ‘Mate, you’ve already got plenty to do, you’ve got a family, go and have a holiday.’”

Everyone talks about farming being a great lifestyle, but so many farmers struggle to achieve that. We believe that you can have both.

harder. Our business is bringing farming back to lifestyle. We are not about being busy, we are about being productive.”

He says the key to this is the company’s stock policy. “You can only control the controllables in farming and that’s why we focus on what we can do well, which is put weight on animals, but we do it in a way that’s good for the people too.”

Luke says shifting the mindset of people used to long hours and little time off can be challenging.

“Mistaking busyness for achievement is a habit that even I’ve had to train myself out of. But if one of our team is getting too busy we tell them it’s time to stop and reset, because something ain’t right. Either you’re not being smart enough or there’s ego getting involved and you’re not involving others in the team.”

He acknowledges that long hours are ‘a badge of honour’ for many in the industry.

“We all know farmers who want to show the world who they are by how many hours they’ll work and if you don’t work those hours then you’re being slack. That’s a strong part of the farming blueprint.”

But that attitude comes at a cost, he says.

“The wheel doesn’t spin right for long if you’re always at work. After a while, everything else tends to start falling around you, because that’s a pretty unbalanced wheel.

It’s a philosophy that’s striking a chord in the communities he visits, Luke says. “Everyone talks about farming being a great lifestyle, but so many farmers struggle to achieve that. We believe that you can have both. You can still run a highly productive and profitable farming system but you achieve that by working smarter not

“You’ve got to look after yourself before you look after your farm or others. Your own physical and emotional health are crucial for running any business.”

Luke is convinced the biggest influence over people’s wellbeing on farm is having a genuine sense of purpose and he’s made this a major focus of the business.

“As humans, our biggest drivers are our values and beliefs. These are often shaped when we’re young so as we grow older, it’s important

to revisit them and challenge ourselves because this is what shapes our decisions at work.

“The first thing we ask people who come and work with us is

‘This is where I get my next buck from and that should keep me alive for another month’, we want people going, ‘Right this is what I’m actually trying to achieve and that’s what fills me up.’ We are trying to create a values-driven farming community of positive, likeminded people.”

Luke recently got in touch with the Farmstrong team and has been distributing its resources through his networks.

“I really like Farmstrong’s proactive approach. We need to start thinking about mental health much more as mental fitness because the stresses of farming are always going to be there. So the real question becomes: ‘Are you mentally fit right now?’ As humans, we can usually tell whether we are or not. And if we decide, ‘I’m feeling a bit unfit’, then that’s okay, it’s just a matter of asking ‘What can we do about it? What skills do we have in our toolkit to help and let’s get on with it?’”

What about his own wellbeing? After all, these days Luke sounds ... busy.

“You’re right, I’m not a man of excuses,” he laughs, “but we’ve experienced substantial growth over the last year. Prior to that, it was five years of going to the gym three times a week and I was doing a bit of boxing there too. Nowadays, it’s a 15-minute walk in the morning but I also coach my son’s rugby team twice a week and go to the game on Saturday. That’s what I do on the physical side.

“Mentally I’m always reading something I find positive and motivating for at least an hour a day because that’s what fills me up. ”

Luke also places great store on taking time to appreciate life, especially when the going gets tough.

‘What are your goals? Family wise?

Health wise? Professionally?’ And nine times out of 10, they don’t have any. So that’s where we start. Rather than people saying,

“The science tells us that the human mind is amazingly effective at magnifying the worst things all the time and making the best things seem so small. So you need to consciously counter that, especially when you’re farming.

“For example, one of our farms in the Wairarapa floods quite a bit, but rather than get down about it all, we’ll get round a whiteboard, set out the challenge for what it is, but then look at the good stuff too. How are the people doing there? How are their kids doing? What have they got planned for the future? And all of a sudden it’s a different picture.

“Life’s still pretty good actually. That’s what we’re talking about, despite the challenges in farming there’s always another perspective. It’s yin and yang. That’s what juices me. That’s what keeps me going.”

MORE:

Farmstrong is a nationwide, rural wellbeing programme for farmers and growers. To find out what works for you and ‘lock it in’, visit www.farmstrong. co.nz

Ngatai Luke is on a mission to put the ‘lifestyle’ back into farming for those involved in his cattle-rearing business.

VALUES: Ngatai Luke, who runs a successful cattle-rearing business throughout the North Island, is on a mission to improve the lives of those who farm with him.

GOOD: ‘We focus on what we can do well, which is put weight on animals, but we do it in a way that’s good for the people too,’ Ngatai Luke says.

Ngatai Luke Place

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Visiting Kiwis hone shearing in Mongolia

Gerald Piddock PEOPLE Skills

KIWI shearers have helped advance the shearing skills of Mongolian herders during a five-week visit by a New Zealand touring party that ran training courses across the east Asian country.

The trip was undertaken as part of the Share Mongolia programme, an initiative set up in 2020 to introduce modern shearing techniques and equipment into Mongolia.

The programme saw shearing training courses in Mongolia trialled last year while four Mongolian herders also recently spent three months in NZ, where they worked as part of shearing gangs across the country.

Rabobank agribusiness manager Paul Brough said the 12-strong touring party was made up of a mix of Rabobank staff and farmers from across NZ.

“The group included members from the Waikato, King Country, Taranaki, Marlborough and South Canterbury regions, with

all attendees having significant shearing experience,” he said.

“About half of us attended the inaugural training [in Mongolia] last year, with the other half making their first trip.”

The shearing training took place between June 10 and July 15 and was funded by the United Nations, the NZ embassy in Beijing and the Rabobank Community Fund.

To reach as many herders and as many regions as possible, the team split up into three groups to deliver the training, finishing seven five-day training courses with 112 Mongolian herders across seven provinces, Brough said.

“The majority of the herders

We’ve had a few international carpet manufacturers taking an interest. And we’ve also had a pharmaceutical group from Europe get in touch and ask us to help source Mongolian wool.

Paul Brough Rabobank

taking part in the courses had little or no experience with machine shears, having previously done their shearing with scissors.

“But they picked up the skills using the electronic handpiece really well, and by the end of the course, most were able to shear a sheep in around five minutes, which was a lot quicker than the 25 minutes they were taking at the start.”

Brough said course participants in each area have been left with five shearing machines and a grinder so they can put their new skills into practice. The equipment is usually left with a local co-op to share among the participants as they see fit.

“It’s a start, but it’s not really enough equipment for everyone, and they’re already screaming out for more of these as they all want to use them at the same time.

“As a result, we’re aiming to try and raise more funding so we can supply more equipment to them in the months ahead.”

While in Mongolia, Brough said, the touring party lived with local herders, sleeping in gers (small tent-like dwellings) and enjoying local food.

The Mongolian wool industry holds huge potential with a recent Unido (United Nations Industrial Development Organisation) report finding that up to 4000 jobs could be created in Mongolia by machine shearing, and that 9000t of Mongolian wool is wasted each year due to limited resources and capacity.

“Nearly 45% of the 67 million livestock in Mongolia are sheep, estimated to be around 30 million head, with the ability to produce about 30,000-35,000t of wool annually,” Brough said.

“There are more sheep in

Mongolia than any other animal, which means there is huge scope for improving economic income by sharing the knowledge and expertise of New Zealand farmers with Mongolian herders.

“As a result, there are a lot of different government agencies in Mongolia trying to promote wool,” he said.

The Share Mongolia Programme is now attracting the interest of overseas companies keen to source Mongolian wool.

“We’ve had a few international carpet manufacturers taking an interest. And we’ve also had a pharmaceutical group from Europe get in touch and ask us to help source Mongolian wool.”

There is strong demand for future training courses and planning is already underway for courses in 2024. These might be expanded to cover other topics, including wool handling, pressing and other animal health practices, such as sheep dipping.

“A lot of the herders who attended the courses are also very keen to come to New Zealand for a stint working here,” he said.

“At least three of the herders that came out earlier this year have said they’d like to return and, if we can raise the funding, it’s possible we could have up to 10 herders heading over this way early next year.”

Fonterra cans BioKodeLab after 6 months

runs and full-scale marketing programmes.

A “FAIL fast” approach to product development and launch is behind Fonterra’s decision to discontinue its BioKodeLab wellness brand six months after it came to market.

Aimed at gamers, the powdered formulation contained ingredients to help filter blue light for eye health, along with compounds to support brain health and reduce stress levels.

Fonterra’s innovation acceleration director, Stephen Elliott, said the co-operative has an “insurgent innovation” programme aimed at developing and quickly testing the success of new products, without having to commit to large production

BioKodeLab had been available only through direct orders, and digital marketing was the main media platform for promotion.

A 300g can of the product retailed for almost $60 and remaining stock was sold off in June at half price.

The product was the first to be run through the programme, and Elliott said some significant lessons had been learnt.

“When we launched, we were aiming at the gamer market. But we found it had strong appeal among corporate execs who were also aware of the effects of blue light from working in front of computers for long periods.”

He said the company had received a lot of feedback, in

particular about the product’s taste. It was available in berry and tropical.

“The feedback was that we needed to change it.”

The product’s development was part of a process known as minimal viable approach, based on the premise customers can be provided with a new product that will be picked up by early adopters who in turn will provide feedback invaluable for the product’s larger scale development, or cessation.

“It is small batch, test and learn. It was in market for six months to validate the assumptions. At the end of six months, we could take a business case for further funding or not.

“We didn’t, but will recycle our learnings to use elsewhere.”

He said the proprietary bundles of ingredients can be applied elsewhere, both as ingredients in other companies’ products and in future Fonterra-developed ingredients.

“Corporate execs were buying it for cognitive performance and to support brain function. We absolutely believe that is a global wellness trend, and we can recycle BioKodeLab into that.”

At the product’s core are phospholipids, which are included in other brands, including Anlene and Anmum.

Elliott acknowledged such a wellness area is a risky one, but getting bigger every day.

Markets such as South Korea, with its ageing population, are drawing on a lot of Fonterra IP in developing products catering

to the active living sector, for example.

He said future areas where the innovation programme may apply include gut health, healthy ageing, and lactose-free dairy products.

STEPPE UP: While in Mongolia the New Zealand touring party lived with local herders as they shared their machine-shearing skills.

SHARING: A touring party of a dozen New Zealanders – a mix of Rabobank sta and farmers from across NZ – spent ve weeks holding workshops around Mongolia in June-July.

Richard Rennie NEWS Dairy

CANNED: Six months after launch, Fonterra opted to pull the pin on its wellness product BioKodeLab.

MONGOLIAN HERDS: There are estimated to be 30 million head of sheep in Mongolia. They are traditionally shorn using hand shears.

19 FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – August 7, 2023 News 19

Staff

C

organisation Southern Lakes Sanctuary is calling on the government to include feral cats in its Predator Free 2050 strategy.

Southern Lakes Sanctuary project director Paul Kavanagh said more than 2.5 million feral cats are now in New Zealand and the number continues to rise every week.

The pests are a significant threat to the country’s native bird life and are responsible for the extinction of native birds including the Stephen Island wren, and endangering iconic Kiwi birds such as the kea.

Kavanagh said urgent funding is required to humanely control the pests, which are now at record highs throughout the country. The non-profit charitable organisation is facing a funding cliff of June 2024.

“The reproductive potential of a single female cat is estimated at 300 kittens in her reproductive lifetime,” Kavanagh said.

“This means the feral cat population is increasing significantly every week, and we need to ramp up our efforts to control these populations to save

our native taonga species.”

The government has confirmed that a review of the Predator Free 2050 strategy will take place in 2024 under public consultation.

ONSERVATIONThe inclusion of feral cats would generate more funding to enable Southern Lakes Sanctuary to increase resources and continue its conservation work, said Kavanagh.

The Southern Lakes Sanctuary humanely captures and dispatches feral cats in the Southern Lakes region.

The feral cat population is selfsustaining – it does not rely on humans to survive and the animals are generally in remote areas.

Male feral cats captured in the South Island high country usually weigh about 3.75kg but can weigh up to 10kg.

“It’s important to distinguish the difference between types of cats,” said Kavanagh.

“We are absolutely not talking about domestic, companion cats here, or stray cats, which depend on ad-hoc human interaction. We are trying to decrease the widespread population of wild, feral cats, which are destroying our endangered birds and reptiles.”

He said that the Southern Lakes Sanctuary is careful not to endanger any domestic cats and updates in technology make this possible.

“Some of our traps have a

daytime excluder to reduce the likelihood of catching pets, and we are investigating getting a microchip feature, which would override the trap if detected,” he said.

“We also focus on live trapping to mitigate the potential risk to companion cats, and we meet with local homeowners to see what their companion cats look like. However, we are trapping in remote areas where the risk of encountering a companion cat is extremely low.”

Waikato

NEWS Livestock

farm

A WAIKATO farming company has been handed a record fine of $32,500 over its failure to notify NAIT that it was moving 910 cattle onto its farm.

Te Kuiti-based dairy and beef farming business Rangitoto Dairies Ltd pleaded guilty to one representative charge under the National Animal Identification and Tracing Act 2012 and was sentenced at the Te Kuiti District Court on July 25.

The National Animal

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Identification and Tracing (NAIT) scheme, which maintains a national database of cattle and deer movements, is a critical part of New Zealand’s ability to respond quickly to biosecurity threats.

Ministry for Primary Industries NAIT officers found that the company’s registered person in charge of animals (PICA) for the farm had failed to declare to NAIT that it received 910 cattle from 82 separate movements on farm between July 1 and 18 October 2020.

The company was responsible for the failure of its employee because it did not ensure its

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PREY: A kea rests on a rock in the Southern Lakes high alpine terrain. New Zealand’s 2.5 million feral cats are a significant threat to its native birds. Photo Geoff Marks

employee fully understood the obligations of a PICA.

It also failed to put adequate measures in place to catch any mistakes or failures by the employee or other staff involved in receiving the animals to meet NAIT obligations.

MPI’s acting regional manager of animal welfare and NAIT compliance, Stefan Halberg, said the charge involved hundreds of animals and it takes only one to potentially cause a biosecurity problem.

“We understand this is the largest NAIT sentence that has been handed down by the courts to date. ”

• Horsch Simba Pronto DC6 Disc Seeder

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reporter

reporter NEWS

hit with record NAIT fine

Letters of the week

What does my levy buy me?

Ralph Mason Marlborough

WHY do we have two farmer organisations?

I pay an $800 sub to Federated Farmers, which I have always belonged to, and I think they do a good job. I also pay compulsory levies to Beef + Lamb NZ of over $1000.

I know what I get from Fed Farmers. I know they have a team to help farmers if required. But I do not know what I get from BLNZ.

All farmers benefit from Fed Farmers, where membership is voluntary; do all the farmers who pay levies benefit from BLNZ?

BLNZ is always very quick to support the government on any policy concerning farmers. It never says no to anything. It almost seems to be working against farmers sometimes.

How well do these farmer organisations vet their staff? In the world we live in today, anti-farmer groups are out to ruin our industry any way they can .

From the Editor

Cyber scammers may have agri’s number

Craig Page Deputy editor

MICROSOFT founder Bill Gates once said: “The advance of technology is based on making it fit in so that you don’t really even notice it, so it’s part of everyday life.”

He was clearly onto something. Mobile phones, once used to call or text someone, are now mobile computers and seemingly vital to so many people’s lives. We’re using phones to check social media feeds, emails, internet banking or to do a quick spot of online shopping. They are used as a work tool, to view home security cameras and operate home appliances from afar. The technology infatuation is such that some people can’t put their phones down, even while driving vehicles and despite it being illegal and a danger to others. You only have to stand at a busy traffic intersection to witness this.

But with the increased use of technology comes an increased opportunity for those keen to make a dollar at the expense of others.

Cyber crime is on the rise and the

offenders are banking on victims’ laidback approach to technology and need to get things done quickly to catch them out. Emails or texts purporting to be from banks or businesses, but actually from scammers, arrive almost weekly.

With the influx of emails and texts its easy to open a link without reading it thoroughly, only to discover you have provided bank details or personal information to a scammer.

It is not just scammers we now have to contend with. Cyber criminals are also targeting businesses through a company’s IOT, or internet of things. The IOT is a collection of sensors, software and other operating technology that might exist within a company.

Scammers can take control of sensors and software and demand ransoms before releasing their grip on the technology. The agriculture industry, with its growing reliance on technology, is seen as a target.

The latest quarterly report from the national Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) revealed $5.8 million was lost to cyber crime in the first quarter of this year, a 66% jump on the same period in 2022 ($3.7m).

Almost 2000 New Zealanders reported

being targeted in the three-month period. Of those, 264 people lost between $100 and $1000 and 16 people lost more than $100,000.

But that is just the tip of the iceberg. An international survey estimates only 16% of cyber crime ever gets reported to authorities.

In 2016 the government invested $22.2m to set up CERT in response to the growing amount of cyber fraud. CERT supports businesses, organisations and individuals affected by cyber security incidents, providing information and advice.

It is headed by Rob Pope, a former deputy police commissioner.

Pope says scammers have changed their tactics, using search engine ads and professional-looking documentation. To complicate things, scammers can now use artificial intelligence (AI) to write more convincing phishing emails in various languages, to create malicious code, and to even impersonate people in live chats.

“We haven’t seen many AI scams reported to CERT NZ yet, but it’s only a matter of time,” he says.

There is no doubt technology is now a part of everyday life, but when it goes wrong there can be a price to pay.

Looking up the BLNZ website and asking what do they do, I get the answer: “We invest farmer levies in programmes that grow the sheep and beef industry and provide sustainable returns now and for future generations.”

What are they doing at the moment? With meat prices dropping every week, crossbred wool worth nothing, farmland being planted in pine trees, it seems to me all they do is have field days for a few elite farmers. They only just got off their backsides lately about some of these issues because farmers complained a lot.

I have farmed my family’s hill country farm all my life.

Could someone enlighten me as to what the BLNZ organisation has done to help me along the way?

Federated Farmers should be funded by levies. We only need one organisation.

The salubrious option

Richard Steele Retaruke

BACK in the mid-1980s I was on the Kuratau School committee. We wanted to divide one classroom in half to make a library. The then education department came up with a 53-page report about putting up the wall, and it was my job to read it. On page 23 I noticed that the department intended to use synthetic carpet tiles on the floor for our children to sit on and walk over.

Continued next page

Scraper

Charcoal maker Spark arrestor & ash guard

Sector must have a say on ETS settings

Sam McIvor Beef + Lamb NZ

WE KNOW there is confusion and some concern over the government’s proposed changes to the Emissions Trading Scheme.

It’s a complicated issue and Beef + Lamb New Zealand (BLNZ) has spent a lot of time examining the options and discussing this topic with our farmers and Farmer Council. It was pleasing that nearly 200 farmers filled in our recent survey on the proposed changes, which will inform our submission.

I want to clarify that BLNZ is not anti-forestry and sees huge opportunities for the integration of trees on farms. However, like many farmers and communities, we are concerned about the scale and pace of whole farms that have been sold recently to convert into forestry, which has been driven by the carbon price.

NZ is one of only two countries that allows 100% carbon forestry offsetting, and we have seen a major increase in the amount of offsetting in recent years.

All other countries have limits, and many prioritise the recognition of native vegetation sequestration over plantation forestry.

Many New Zealanders don’t realise just how far our country is out of whack with the rest of the world. It’s just us and Kazakhstan that allow 100% offsetting.

Continued from previous page

At a meeting with the three architects advising on the internal wall, I pointed out to them that the school grounds had been gifted to community by local landowners and farmers, the Tūwharetoa, and that all the committee members either worked on or owned sheep farms in the district.

I also pointed out that wool

Fossil fuel emitters have an unbridled ability to offset all their emissions just by planting trees. This diminishes the incentive to reduce their emissions at source. There are currently no policies

carpet was a much more salubrious option. They agreed.

From this small example I learnt that the education dept, and all other government departments in New Zealand, were using synthetic carpets, with no consideration given to wool.

I took this information to the minister of agriculture, and to the Wool Board as well.

Neither had any idea that this was happening.

to control how much offsetting can occur.

There are many farmers either already capturing or interested in the potential financial opportunities for integrating trees within their farming operation, entering the ETS and getting carbon revenue.

Some of our Māori levy payers see forestry/carbon revenue as a significant opportunity for income on land that they have been constrained in developing either by legislative or financial limitations. Understandably they

Things changed. For a while. And then, I suppose because Mr DuPont’s marketing was better than ours, they all reverted to synthetic again. For those who would campaign for the return of a wool levy, that’s a good idea.

But remember this: the Wool Board was useless then, and continued to be so until its demise. At its death it had millions of dollars in its reserves, and that

are concerned about the impact the proposed changes could have on their income.

The policy challenge is this –how can we find the right balance between avoiding the potential decimation of some rural communities through wholesale land use change while at the same time providing the carbon revenue opportunity for our farmers?

On one hand the carboninduced high farm sale prices have provided a great opportunity for farmers choosing to exit the industry. On the other hand these same high prices have provided a significant challenge for young farmers wanting to enter the industry.

The climate change commission has suggested about 50,000ha a year of new planting is required to meet the Zero Carbon Bill’s objectives. From 2017 to 2021 more than 175,000ha of whole farms were sold out of sheep and beef land destined for forestry. (Note that this excludes what has been happening within farms and, in some cases, whole Māoriowned farm conversions).

BLNZ’s Economic Service calculations show this would be a loss of about 1 million stock units and $218 million per year in export revenue or $3.2 billion in lost export revenue after 15 years.

As I’ve already noted, this is an incredibly complex policy area, and we acknowledge the arguments on both sides. As we engage in the process on behalf of sheep and beef farmers, we will be

whole pile of money was wasted. Who knows where it went.

And now we have a sorry state of affairs that’s been building for decades.

Having a levy again is a fine idea, so long as it is used to compete against synthetics, so long as it is not used to build up another huge pile of money that sits around doing nothing.

So long as there are some positive outcomes from the levy’s

seeking to ensure we find the right balance.

All of the options provided by the government allow for offsetting, but conditions to manage the amount going forward must be put in place.

The clear message that we’re getting, even from farmers who want to take up carbon opportunities, is that they are concerned about the future of their communities and permanent exotic carbon forests.

History has shown that farmers and communities are good at finding answers to challenges, and particularly good at observing and learning from what hasn’t worked in the past.

We need to take the time to ensure we get NZ’s policy settings right to address climate change without gutting our rural communities.

use, some real accountability. Start with promoting wool’s sustainability. That wool doesn’t pollute the ocean. That wool will not burn your butt in a fire. That the sheep enjoy not only growing the wool, but giving it up.

Our once-thriving wool industry can be great again.

Also, look at what sheep farmers are wearing and putting on their floors. We must lead by example.

Got a view on some aspect of farming you would like to get across? We offer readers the chance to have their say. Contact us and have yours.

ENGAGE: As Beef + Lamb NZ engages in the process on behalf of sheep and beef farmers, says Sam McIvor, ‘we will be seeking to ensure we find the right balance’.

We need to take the time to ensure we get NZ’s policy settings right to address climate change without gutting our rural communities.

A message to the red meat deniers: bite me

Alternative view

a 200g steak will give you 52g of protein. I’d far sooner consume a single delicious steak than 78 cups of spinach.

I would have also thought that the consumption of that amount of spinach would be definitely hazardous your health, not to mention your sensibilities.

In addition, I enjoy a good pinot noir with a steak. I can’t begin to imagine what wine would go with 78 cups of spinach!

My observation concerning vegans is there is a lot of emotion in their dialogue but minimal facts.

The issue is further complicated by the fact that historically, research dealt with meat consumed but ignored other factors. Those factors could include a generally unhealthy diet, smoking and excessive alcohol consumption.

Moving on to the Frankenfood world of laboratory-created protein, New Zealand researchers at AgResearch, the University of Auckland, Massey University and the Riddett Institute have shown that red meat is a better source of protein than a processed plantbased alternative.

IRECENTLY saw a cover on the NZ Listener that shouted out to me “Why eating less red meat is great for your health, wallet and the planet”. It didn’t impress in any category.

As often happens, the story didn’t in my view justify the headline, but it was all very worthy.

It suggested a tax on processed meat, which includes sausages, which I thought verged on the bizarre. What have poor people done to annoy the establishment?

I’m getting heartily sick and tired of angelic-looking well-scrubbed types telling me how to save the planet, generally by giving up meat altogether.

Someone should dare tell them that essential amino acids are most efficiently gained from, you guessed it, animal protein and not vegan diets. That protein is a good carrier for iron, zinc and B vitamins.

Going on the internet, I found that three cups of spinach will give you 2g of protein. Correspondingly

My position is, simply, that the vast majority of New Zealand farmers are ethical producers of quality protein. No major changes are required. The population should be encouraging us and not involving itself in uninformed and emotive criticism about natural foods.

The population should be encouraging us and not involving itself in uninformed and emotive criticism about natural foods.

An example of that criticism is that we’re continually told of the health risks of eating red meat, which I’ve never taken seriously. I’m supported by new research from the University of Washington that has shown that there is “no association between eating unprocessed red meat and ischemic stroke or haemorrhagic stroke”.

It also says “the evidence that eating unprocessed red meat leads to colorectal cancer, breast cancer, Type 2 diabetes and heart disease is weak”.

The scientists measured nutrients in the blood of participants with different diets, including the type and amounts of amino acids that come from red meat compared with the protein of the processed meat alternative. Unsurprisingly they established that “the amino acids from red meat were of greater biological value and better absorbed by the body”.

AgResearch senior scientist

Scott Knowles told me that “the new generation of plant-based meat analogues are formulated to mimic the taste and basic nutrient composition of meat”. He went on to say that little is known about their nutritional quality and health benefits, which again begs the question “Why would you?”

The cost of lab-grown meat alternatives is also horrific with a simple meat patty costing $26. It was down from over $1m 10 years ago. Chicken nuggets cost $78.80 to produce.

I heard an interview with British food critic William Sitwell on RNZ. It was fascinating. “Too much vegan stuff that apes conventional food is overprocessed, transported across the country ... To me the simpler the food the better.”

“When you see a piece of beef and the only thing its got in it is cow ... versus a piece of simulated beef created in a laboratory in Israel with a 3D printer and about 3000 ingredients. I know what I’d go for. I know what feels natural.”

You’d have to agree.

Why would anyone eat a product made in a laboratory with about 3000 ingredients? Why would you consume a lookalike product with between four and 25 times more GHG emissions than the original?

Why would you consume a food product that is made on a 3D printer?

Give me a hunk of naturally raised pure beef any time.

Internationally, the move against synthetic meat is interesting. It’s taken a while but we’re getting there.

In Texas they’ve just passed legislation that requires detailed labelling of synthetic meat, so the consumer knows what they’re getting and how its produced. We should be doing that in New Zealand.

Correspondingly, Italy has banned all cultured meat products in a bid “to preserve its cultural heritage”.

The Italians are to be congratulated. They’re setting an example the world should be following.

Wāhine toa lead the way in food and fibre

Our future

symphony of bleating sheep, barking dogs and the scattering of hooves across pebbles.

What sets this sight apart is that most of the staff working in the yards are women.

Reflecting on my teenage years, when I accompanied my dad to work as a yard manager at Mount Linton Station, I didn’t think much of the gender distribution back then; it was simply the norm.

But these strong, determined women would become my inspiration in the industry, teaching me invaluable skills and guiding me on how to take care of myself during long hours on hot summer days.

increasing prominence of women in the food and fibre sector. These women generously share their experiences and knowledge with others, passing on their wisdom and actively supporting and championing their fellow women.

Organizations such as Rural Women New Zealand have played a pivotal role in supporting young mothers in rural communities and early-career farm staff, providing essential life skills and fostering community cohesion.

Witnessing the compassion and support shown by these groups to regions affected by natural disasters and adverse weather events has been truly inspiring.

the privilege of speaking at the Generation Change courses, where I had the opportunity to formally mentor early-career women in the sector.

the Young Māori Grower of the Year: Grace Rehu, Alix Te Kere and Erica Henare, all passionate and accomplished individuals.

Grace was bestowed with the award, humbly accepting it on behalf of all three wāhine, recognising their collective success.

The efforts of women in the food and fibre industry have been remarkable, shattering the grass ceiling while actively nurturing and guiding others to follow in their footsteps.

AS THE sun rises over the horizon, casting a golden glow on the rolling hills surrounding the sheepyards, a picturesque scene unfolds, a

Growing up in the primary industries, I was fortunate to have my mum as my first role model in the shearing sheds, along with other strong female figures in my life.

It is heartening to witness the

Initiatives such as Agri-Women’s Development Trust (AWDT) and Dairy Women’s Network have emerged thanks to the recognition of specific needs in the industry.

I’ve personally benefited from AWDT courses and had

Incredibly humbled to be among the 11 female finalists in the 12-year history of the Ahuwhenua Young Māori Grower/Farmer of the Year, I take immense pride in being part of a legacy that has seen four women claim this prestigious title.

This year marked another milestone, with three inspirational wāhine toa named finalists for

Emma Poole’s recent victory as the first woman and mother to claim the FMG Young Farmer of the Year title was a historic moment in the contest’s 55-season history, and it exemplifies the impact women are making in the industry.

Adding to this, Louise

Continued next page

AMINO DISRESPECT: Countries around the world are starting to ban or restrict lab-grown meat to protect the real deal.

Alan Emerson Semi-retired Wairarapa farmer and businessman: dath.emerson@gmail.com

Cheyenne Wilson

Cheyenne Wilson is chair of the Food and Fibre Youth Network and a youth engagement coach

The efforts of women in the food and fibre industry have been remarkable, actively nurturing and guiding others to follow in their footsteps.

Keep your collaboration. I want change

Eating the elephant

SIX years ago, I moved from the comfort of the job title “rural professional” to answering the census question “Occupation?” with “FARMER”.

Getting back to agriculture was coming full circle. I’m from a family of forever dairy farmers, who brought the first Ayrshire cow to New Zealand in the 1800s (but with a father who said “Phil, you will make more money milking farmers than cows, don’t go farming”).

Having exited a business management role in a Crown Research Institute prior to farming, I was familiar with working in a matrix. A matrix is a fancy business word for complication – multiple organisations delivering multiple things to multiple stakeholders –often without much in the way of talking to the actual user of the thing (in our case, farmers).

It was an environment where the outcome of work was collaboration, rather than collaboration being a tool to get a job done better.

Now in the farming matrix, I see much the same thing. I am

Continued from previous page

Hennessy’s victory in the Young Emerging Leader Award 2023 at the Primary Industries Summit is testament to her dedication to supporting rangatahi and earlycareer researchers in science through the Māori Summer Internship programme, Te Puāwaitanga, at AgResearch.

Likewise, Laura Koot’s nomination for the award this year, alongside her work at Real Country and the Fairlight Foundation, which fosters and supports career advancement for women in agriculture, exemplifies the visionary leadership of women in the sector.

The contributions of many other exceptional women have been acknowledged in this award category, including Kristy McGregor, founder of Shepherdess, a quarterly magazine that seeks to connect, empower and inspire individuals in the industry.

As the year progressed, accolades continued to pour in, with

still unsure who in our sector is accountable for what. It seems multiple organisations are milking farmers with taxes, levies or membership fees. In the industrygood matrix, the focus is on “having farmers’ backs” in the face of regulatory change.

The work to support better farm practices or improved market access appears to have lost its gloss and focus.

While working with other farmers on land-use diversification projects, I regularly saw frustration that research and learning information was siloed by production system. Like myself, these farmers were interested in experimentation and finding the best land use for their farm.

They wanted to be part-foresters – incorporating trees for erosion control and carbon on marginal land. They wanted to be parthorticulturalists – diversifying their businesses with some kiwifruit. Others had interest in milking goats or sheep. Most also

Jessica Bills claiming the Rural Contractors’ NZ Trainee of the Year Award, transitioning from an accountancy office to a tractor seat in pursuit of her passion.

Lydia O’Dowd’s recognition as the 2023 Young Plant Producer highlights her commitment to sustainability and the development of alternatives to agrichemicals.

Notably, the Regional Young Grower of the Year 2023 titles were dominated by women, demonstrating their unwavering enthusiasm to compete and encourage others in the sector. It is genuinely encouraging to witness these young women leading the way in the food and fibre industry.

Their dedication, resilience and passion serve as beacons, inspiring others to follow in their footsteps and strive for excellence in the dynamic world of agriculture. With wāhine toa like these paving the way, the future of the food and fibre sector looks promising and inclusive for all.

wanted to retain sheep, beef and/ or dairy.

But information to support the change was siloed. The system wasn’t set up to support these busy business owners to change. With such resistance, most slowed to a stop.

Observing these challenges, I found it increasingly hard to swallow the same industry messages of “this stuff is difficult”, “we are getting better at collaboration” and “we need to tell our stories better”. Storytelling and collaboration were the consistent prescription for farming’s problems.

I started to think we needed solutions beyond collaboration and storytelling. I had the belief that the 30-year-old leadership structures across the pastoral public-good sector (levy bodies and the Crown Research Institutes) needed to be subject to the same degree of change being asked of farmers behind the farm gate.

The likes of Federated Farmers, Beef + Lamb NZ and DairyNZ are all fixated on government policy, with knowledge transfer often lost in the weeds of political lobbying.

In 2020, I gratefully received a Nuffield Scholarship and took on the topic of Restructuring Industry Good – looking at the function of Commodity Levies Act organisations.

My main point is that if we are to do better by our land and businesses, we need change at the top too.

International practice suggests separating political advocacy from research/knowledge transfer. Currently the likes of Federated Farmers, Beef + Lamb NZ and DairyNZ are all fixated on government policy, with

knowledge transfer often lost in the weeds of political lobbying.

In my report, I recommend a pastoral peak body “Ahuwhenua (Farming) NZ” – funded via compulsory levy to cover all things common across commodities (for example, bobby calves, young stock management, leadership development, knowledge exchange and agronomic research).

This centralising of research, training and knowledge would do away with duplication, reduce the need for costly organisational collaboration and better support famers to continuously change their practices and experiment across systems.

Operating like beefed-up catchment groups, this new approach would recognise that farmer identity, collective support and a shared voice are as much about place (for me the Waikato) as they are the commodity produced (beef, lamb, maize and ecosystem services for myself).

Stripped-back sector groups, such as dairy or sheep & beef (still funded by levy or membership) would remain with a focus on commodityspecific positions around policy, trade and technology. Political advocacy, given its diversity of views, would be membership funded (Groundswell, Federated Farmers or Forest & Bird are good examples at different ends of the political spectrum).

Reading back on it now, maybe the concept was not novel. He Waka Eke Noa structurally created a mechanism for a peak body. Unfortunately, it attempted to take on the sector’s most difficult and philosophically divided issue –pricing agricultural emissions.

It is the one issue where there is agreement on the need to do something – until we must decide what that something is and pay for it. It seems that collaborating more and telling our story better remain the solution when it gets hard.

Phil Weir

Phil Weir is a Waikato sheep and beef farmer and AgFirst agribusiness consultant.

GROWTH: Lydia O’Dowd was named 2023 Young Plant Producer, highlighting her commitment to sustainability and the development of alternatives to agrichemicals.

FRUSTRATED: Farmers interested in experimentation and finding the best land use are frustrated with research and learning information siloed by production system, Phil Weir says.

A seat at the table for women and farmers

Dawn Sangster finds it incredibly rewarding to provide a farmer’s perspective to the governance of some of New Zealand’s largest rural companies. She tells Neal Wallace that farmers have much more to contribute than many realise.

IT WAS a logical progression for Dawn Sangster to stand for the board of Alliance Group.

The meat company’s performance was crucial to her farming business and, having just completed an Agri-Women’s Development Trust (AWDT) Escalator leadership programme, she felt confident and equipped to contribute to that performance.

A requirement upon graduating from the programme – whose first intake she was part of – was to set a five-year goal.

Sangster’s was to be a director on the Alliance Group board.

Coincidentally, at the same time a vacancy emerged for a farmerdirector. She stood earlier than she had planned to and was elected, becoming the third woman ever elected to the co-operative board.

That was 12 years ago and this year she is retiring from the board, having decided the time is right. She is keen to pursue other governance roles.

It has been a rewarding time.

“Alliance is so important to our business as most of our income comes from Alliance,” Sangster says. “It is so important to farmers and shareholders, to all of New Zealand really.”

Her message is for people to pursue governance roles – and that many rural people have the expertise, passion and ability to contribute to the running of these businesses.

She says governance training is available through AWDT, Alliance’s Know Your Co-op programme,

Beef + Lamb NZ (BLNZ), Nuffield and the Kellogg’s rural leadership programmes.

“I love corporate boards, working with intelligent staff and directors, working with a great group of people dealing with complex problems.”

Sangster and husband David farm Glenayr Ltd, a 2870ha business incorporating three sheep and beef properties in Central Otago’s Maniototo district.

She has been active in a variety of governance roles, including spending nine years on the board of the Maniototo Area School and seven on the board of John McGlashan College.

Sangster is a past member of the BLNZ Farmer Council. She chairs the Community Trust of Maniototo, and is a director on the governance group of catchment group project Tiaki Maniototo.

Since 2018 she has been a Farmlands director.

A graduate of Lincoln University, Sangster has a Bachelor of Agricultural Commerce in Farm Management and in 2012 won the Institute of Directors OtagoSouthland Aspiring Director Award.

She is also a Chartered Member of the New Zealand Institute of Directors.

She says the 10-month AWDT Escalator leadership programme gave her the skills and confidence needed when she set out to grow her corporate governance interests.

The five modules combine leadership, governance and

personal development with practical applications.

The programme blends faceto-face group facilitation, personalised learning and executive coaching with support and input from established leaders.

Her goal when elected to Alliance was to improve shareholder involvement with the company, and that started with better communication.

There were no regular newsletters, shareholder meetings were sporadic and, more to the point, few women attended.

Her other goal was to improve the company’s performance in beef.

She feels both goals have been achieved.

Shareholder interaction is more regular, more women attend meetings and functions, three women are in the executive team and Sarah Brown is on the board as an independent director Change followed the arrival of chief executive David Surveyor eight years ago, and Sangster says she is sensing further change under his successor, Willie Wiese.

Those changes have to be focused on growing returns and value for farmers given the decline in sheep and beef numbers, she says.

Other changes have been capturing more value from the market and prioritising the reduction in workplace harm. The era also saw an end to inter-company rivalry, with the appointment of senior executives from outside the industry helping

I

Dawn Sangster Alliance director

to reduce tension.

That more collaborative approach was reflected in the aftermath of covid and Cyclone Gabrielle, when companies worked closely for the greater good.

“There is competition within the industry, but not like it used to be.”

Sangster says there is no tolerance for workplace accidents, with management setting targets and massive investment in technology such as robots to improve health, safety and wellbeing.

Governance requires passion, commitment, an ability to think strategically, a desire to make improvements and to work for shareholders.

She says farmer suppliers bring an understanding of farming systems and farmer views, which complements contributions from independent directors.

A director’s workload is reflected in fees, she says, which are set to allow the employment of staff to cover them when they are on company business.

Following an outstanding financial performance for the 2022 year, when Alliance reported $117m gross profit, Sangster says this year will be tougher for all rural businesses.

Market returns are down and costs are up, but Sangster says that is the benefit of co-operatives such as Alliance and Farmlands.

“Farmers are battening down the hatches but a co-operative does what it can to help them through.”

Rogers takes the reins at Rural Leaders Trust

LISA Rogers has been appointed chief executive officer of the New Zealand Rural Leadership Trust.

Rogers was previously the general manager of the trust, known as Rural Leaders, and has been acting CEO since May.

She replaces Chris Parsons, who resigned in April to take up the chief commercial officer role at MyFarm Investments.

Rogers brings nearly six years’ expertise and knowledge gained with the trust, as programmes manager and, more recently, general manager.

Since joining Rural Leaders in 2017, she has led the Kellogg Rural Leadership and the Value Chain Innovation programmes.

She has also helped steer the Nuffield New Zealand Farming Scholarship, which sees up to five sector leaders embark on a period of research and international travel each year.

Trust chair Kate Scott said Rogers brings professionalism and insight to the trust’s long-established leadership development platforms. She also welcomed the stability and expertise Rogers offers.

We are excited about Lisa’s appointment and what it will mean for the trust.

Kate Scott New Zealand Rural Leadership Trust

“We are excited about Lisa’s appointment and what it will mean for the trust.

“Lisa will ensure continuity of our projects, such as the Food and Fibre Leadership Development Project, while also delivering a steady operational and strategic momentum, both for our investing partners and for our team.”

She said Rogers brings a deep understanding of Rural Leaders’ operational and strategic ambitions, along with a wealth of pan-sector influences and knowledge gained from senior management roles in food and fibre, extraction and banking and finance.

“Lisa not only brings her valuable experience to the role, she is, at her core, genuinely passionate about the people in food and fibre and the growth of its leaders,” Scott said.

REWARDING CAREER: Alliance Group director Dawn Sangster is retiring later this year.

love corporate boards, working with intelligent staff and directors, working with a great group of people dealing with complex problems.

Staff reporter PEOPLE Agriculture

APPOINTED: Lisa Rogers has spent six years with the New Zealand Rural Leadership Trust in a variety of leadership roles.

New seed cert programme set to launch

A new seed certification system set to launch this month will reinforce NZ’s global status as a trusted producer of seed that is true to type. Annette Scott reports.

AWORLD-first quality control system will come into effect for New Zealand cropping farmers in the new season’s seed harvest.

The seed certification scheme has been undergoing its biggest upgrade in more than 30 years and is set for the launch of a new digital database this month.

Seed certification was introduced in 1929 to ensure that cultivars of key agricultural plant species maintain their identity through successive generations of multiplication for the ultimate benefit of end users.

NZ Plant Breeders and Research Association general manager Thomas Chin said NZ’s high quality seed is respected both at home and abroad because of a highly capable industry applying rigorous certification standards and processes.

“This has resulted in our industry enjoying significant premiums for its certified seed in our domestic and international markets.”

Chin said to keep pace with technology advances and to meet new regulatory requirements, a new online seed certification system has been designed.

Owned by the NZ Seeds Authority (NZSA), a body

representing farmers, seed companies and seed processors, the platform is thought to be the first in the world to utilise digital mapping technology to verify the area, location and paddock history of certified seed crops.

“This feature reinforces the global status of NZ has as being a trusted producer of seed that is true to type.”

The current seed certification database is a paper-based system maintained and administered by AsureQuality.

The new NZSA system will protect and grow NZ’s $400 million seed industry.

“It is long overdue. It will revolutionise, future-proof, protect and enable industry growth,” Chin said.

One of the key benefits will be in the event of biosecurity issues.

The new Seed Certification Information System (SCIS) is being developed in collaboration with AsureQuality and the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI).

The MPI oversight is to ensure SCIS is a tool that will provide the verification required by the ministry to enable it to issue credible OECD seed certification assurance to NZ’s export partners.

NZSA manager and SCIS project leader George Gerard said crops planted this season for harvesting

in 2024 will be the first to be entered in the new system.

“Growers currently making applications into the existing system will be migrated into the new system then directed how to use it for the coming harvest of the seed in the ground now,” Gerard said.

He said the biggest change that users of the new system will notice is the complete removal of paperbased application forms, with all administration completed online.

Growers will also find that the system has lots of smart tools to help them check the eligibility of their crop applications for

Tapping into digital for livestock efficiency

A FEW years ago, meat company livestock reps required a small mountain of books and paperwork when they visited their clients. Today much of that work is done electronically and the message from Silver Fern Farms is that the use of data-based information and management systems is only going to accelerate.

The company’s Plate to Pasture Farmer Conference last month

heard that activities such as booking killing space, managing store stock and filling in animal status declaration forms could soon be digitised and managed by farmers via a phone app.

Chief supply officer Dan Boulton said there is value in data and the aim is to monetise that through leveraging.

An app that will allow effective two-way interaction between the company and suppliers will be trialled within the next 12 to 18 months.

It will, for example, allow

farmers to self-manage the sale and flow of prime stock. Once space is booked via the app, it will also monitor and announce pickup times and updates.

Boulton gave an example of financial benefits from the datarich centralised M2X livestock transport system it already operates.

The process co-ordinates stock trucks with animal numbers and availability in each district so space and truck movements are managed to maximise efficiency.

Boulton said it has resulted in 16% fewer kilometres being travelled for the same number of stock, while livestock are spending 16% less time on trucks.

In the year to date, Boulton said, vehicle utilisation has improved 7%, saving trucks from travelling 580,000km while empty.

Digitisation will also make it easier to administer and audit the NZ Farm Assurance Plans and SFF’s Net Carbon Zero and Nature Positive programmes.

Boulton said digitisation will allow farmers to undertake a digital pre-audit of plans and programmes ahead of an on-farm inspection, so any shortfalls or oversights can be corrected.

Thomas Chin NZPBRA

intended for mid-July, has been pushed out to around the middle of August.

The new SCIS has been funded directly by value chain stakeholders as well as investment from the MPI’s Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures fund.

certification and to manage the information needed when they deliver their harvested crops to processing stores.

Certification assures the customer that the purchased seed retains varietal identity, genetic purity and high-quality standards, Gerard said.

He acknowledged there may be some learning challenges for farmers using it for the first time but gave the assurance that seed company agents have had training and will be able to give one-onone coaching after the system goes live.

He said the live launch, originally

Seed crops ranging from arable crops, brassicas and herbage grasses to legumes are checked throughout the growing cycle by growers, merchants and AsureQuality field inspectors to ensure good quality control, consistency and genetic purity.

Once harvested the seed is sampled and analysed by government-accredited laboratories to assess germination and purity.

The top certified seed crops are ryegrass, clover and cocksfoot. Interim statistics issued by AsureQuality show the total area of certified seed in NZ is about 44,000ha.

An analysis of the different varietal groups shows herbage and amenity grasses represent about 70% of the total certification area with legumes at about 16%, brassicas 8% and arable crops 5%.

Similarly, it allows the easy sharing of data and information with regulators to support programmes such as Net Carbon Zero.

Digitisation is key to support programmes that SFF is involved in, such as the Nature Positive project, which is looking at soil, water and vegetation health, along with other farm performance support programmes it also supports, such as FARMAX and FarmIQ.

In an example of digital agri tech, Matt Lythe, the managing director of Lynker Analytics, described how his company measures on-farm sequestration.

He said determining a farm’s carbon status involves assessing the amount and age of woody and permanent vegetation using satellite and artificial intelligence

technology. A subsequent on farm inspection validates that data, from which the farm’s carbon status is determined and a farm-sequestration map is prepared.

The map identifies species, whether natives such as mānuka and native podocarp, hardwoods or softwoods, their approximate age, area and density.

Boulton says the relationship between food producers and consumers is increasingly becoming personal and digitisation will allow them to learn where their food comes from and how it is produced.

SFF is preparing to launch a virtual farm experience next year using actual farm footage, allowing customers to see how a NZ farm operates and allowing them to engage with farmers.

TRUE: The seed certification scheme is set for the launch of a new digital database next month.

Photo: Annette Scott

It is long overdue. It will revolutionise, futureproof, protect and enable industry growth.

Neal Wallace TECHNOLOGY Digital

TREELINE: Matt Lythe, the managing director of Lynker Analytics, which measures on-farm carbon sequestration.

TWO-WAY STREET: Silver Fern Farms chief supply officer Dan Boulton said use of digital tools on farm will increase.

Perfect storm bruises UK’s orchard fruit

ABOLD strategy for growth in the United Kingdom’s horticultural sector is the only way to halt the decline in fruit and vegetable production, a Fruit Focus event in Kent has heard.

The UK’s orchard fruit area dropped by 3.3% in 2022, new figures reveal, with a 2.8% drop in the soft fruit area.

Visitors to the event were warned of a further drop in area this year, as a perfect storm of high growing costs, labour shortages, climate change and pressure on prices has gathered.

National Farmers Union horticulture chair Martin Emmett emphasised the need for a co-ordinated approach from the government to encourage domestic fruit and vegetable production, against a background of global pressure on output.

“The key to halting the decline in production and ensuring survival for many growers is an ambitious growth strategy, such as the one we have outlined involving 10 building blocks covering labour, water, energy, crop protection, productivity gains, supply chain fairness, safe import of essential

seeds and plants, access to environmental payments and constructive planning policies,” he said.

“The government has listened to our demands, but seems only willing to look at individual issues rather than a co-ordinated approach.”

John Shropshire, of G’s Fresh and author of a recent review of labour commissioned by the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), said there was a need to have the highest labour standards in the world, with good working conditions and secure job tenure to encourage domestic and overseas labour in an increasingly competitive global jobs market.

“It is not just about giving more access to EU labour, but encouraging workers from all over the world. There is little spare labour in the EU, with Romania the most recent country to announce a non-EU workers scheme of 100,000 places. Meanwhile, Ukraine, Russia and Belarus were all major sources of labour.”

Defra has also committed to a review of the horticultural supply chain.

Defra innovation and productivity team leader Andrew Powley explained that the 12-week consultation might take place after a similar inquiry into the egg supply chain because there are not enough resources to investigate the two sectors at once.

Emmett urged Defra not to delay the horticultural review because of an urgent need to examine retail practices.

Christine McDowell, NFU horticulture and potatoes adviser, said: “Members have reported buyers not answering calls about pricing from suppliers, while others have claimed that no other suppliers have raised concerns about high costs when raised by a supplier.”

The lack of supply and empty fruit and vegetable shelves are having an impact on retailers, said supplier adviser Ged Futter. He urged growers to understand the power they have and use it effectively.

“Retailers do not have the options they used to have, with supply capacity limited. Be confident and clear in what you want and be prepared to say no to a retailer if you have alternatives,” he said.

The average grower price of strawberries was just 2.6% higher in 2022 compared to the year before at £2608/tonne, (about $5400/t) while raspberry prices were 4.7% lower, although down from an all-time high of £7977/t. Dessert apple prices were 9% higher. Wholesale strawberry prices were at £5.42/kg at the beginning of July, which was 18.5% more than the year before, although average prices for the season have been similar, according to Defra. Raspberry prices were £1/kg less in early July than last year at £6.48/kg.

– Farmers Guardian

Irish sheep farmers bemoan NZ trade deal

PLANS to allow an additional 38,000t of sheepmeat into the European Union from New Zealand have been branded “yet another blow” to Irish sheep farmers at a time when prices are already dropping rapidly.

NZ and the EU signed the trade deal last month with the expectation it will come into force in 2024.

As part of the deal, an additional 38,000t of dutyfree sheepmeat will be allowed annually, with the new volume to be phased in over seven years. This comes on top of the 114,000t already permitted.

Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers Association (ICSA) sheep chair Sean McNamara said: “This agreement can only be described as kicking sheep farmers when they are down. Our sheep farmers need better prices for their produce and greater financial support, not agreements that will make an already bad situation worse.”

He said the deal was “the last thing Irish sheep farmers need”.

“It makes no sense to allow this additional product to come in when we know the negative impact it will have on local suppliers,” he said.

“It is a disgrace that instead of trying to help sheep farmers,

decision-makers within the EU have decided to not only ignore the difficulties facing the sector but also to compound those difficulties.”

As part of the deal, the EU said there will be “much better opportunities for European farmers to sell produce to New Zealand”, with tariffs eliminated on exports such as pigmeat, wine and sparkling wine, as well as chocolate, sugar, confectionary and biscuits. However, it said sensitive agricultural products, including several dairy products, beef, sheepmeat, ethanol and sweetcorn, will see no liberalisation of trade, instead allowing limited access through tariff rate quotas.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said NZ is a key partner in the Indo- Pacific region, and the deal will bring them “even closer together”.

“This modern free trade agreement brings major opportunities for our companies, our farmers and our consumers, on both sides,” she said.

“With unprecedented social and climate commitments, it drives just and green growth while reinforcing Europe’s economic security.”

– Farmers Guardian

TINY RISE: The average grower price of strawberries was just 2.6% higher in 2022 compared to the year before at £2608/tonne.

NEW MARKETS: An additional 38,000t of duty-free New Zealand sheepmeat will be allowed into the European Union annually.

Staveley 289 Winterslow Road

Greenstreet 96 Ashburton Staveley Road

24.68 ha - Winterslow Lodge

"Winterslow Lodge" is positioned overlooking the Canterbury Plains with panoramic views of outstanding natural and mountain landscapes. We are privileged to offer this rarely available opportunity of a lifetime in the highly regarded Staveley-foothills area. Featuring a high quality modern homestead, wide range of sheds and improvements on a well presented small farm land holding of 24 ha. Perfectly suited for a wide range of farming / lifestyle options or potential to lease or grazing income and enjoy the location and lifestyle. Featuring the spacious 367 m2 homestead set in sheltered and secluded country grounds with established gardens giving you peace and privacy for your family.

36.46 ha - Enviable country lifestyle

Located only a short drive from central Ashburton, this small farm offers numerous opportunities perfect for the family to enjoy the wide open spaces, large home and all it has to offer. A large open plan kitchen / dining / living that also boasts a separate lounge. Open the bi-folding doors to enjoy even more space. Four large bedrooms plus games room, three bathrooms, plus an executive sized office - this home has it all. There's also two car internal access garaging, outside entertaining plus magnificent views of Mt Hutt and surrounding mountains. There are a multitude of options from a farming perspective.

Together Stronger

Tired

Money doesn‘t grow on trees.

It grows under them.

CORK OAK TRUFFLE TREES

Trees produce truffles at around year 7, producing up to 1kg a year by year 15. Currently black truffles are selling at $2,500-$3,000 per kg, with high demand.

Great stock shade and shelter with 0% loss of grazing land. Stock protector options are available for cattle, sheep & deer.

Fantastic stock feed which is low tannin and high in carbohydrates. Produces up to 1 ton of acorns per tree each year.

Extremely resilient. Fire resistant, stabilises erosion, frost & snow resistant to -9 degrees. Drought & heat tolerant over 40 degrees.

Add value far into the future. Trees last over 200 years. Cork harvest income at year 25, then every 10 years. Potential carbon credits at 30% with a minimum 1ha canopy cover.

We currently have R2 Cork & Native Beech Truffle trees available in our Nursery for Spring delivery 2023 (limited numbers).

Pre-ordering of R1yr seedlings available in Autumn 2024.

Give Mark a call on 021 327 637 or visit truffles.nz

553 3729 or contact Steve Hibbell 021 118 1341.

CONTRACTORS

GORSE AND THISTLE SPRAY. We also scrub cut. Four men with all gear in your area. Phone Dave 06 375 8032.

DOGS FOR SALE

6-YEAR-OLD plain eyed dog, works deer, hard on cattle. $2000 ono. Phone 027 47 69 208 after 5pm.

BORDER COLLIE PUPPIES. Well bred. Ready 20/08. $350. Phone 03 578 8397.

GOATS WANTED

GOATS. 40 YEARS experience mustering feral cattle and feral goats anywhere in NZ. 50% owner (no costs). 50% musterer (all costs). Phone Kerry Coulter 027 494 4194.

GOATS WANTED. All weights. All breeds. Prompt service. Payment on pick up. My on farm prices will not be beaten. Phone David Hutchings 07 895 8845 or 0274 519 249. Feral goats mustered on a 50/50 share basis.

HAY FOR SALE

HAY AND SILAGE bales for sale. Good quality lucerne bales. Galatea. Phone 027 444 8846. QUALITY RYE GRASS and barley straw. Shed stored and covered stack. Weed free. Round and square bales, Waimate, South Canterbury. Unit loads available, can deliver. Phone Dan 021 760 407.

BALAGE FOR SALE

THIS SEASON’S QUALITY balage. 300 x $70 a bale, including gst. Located central NI. Phone 027 367 7832.

RAMS FOR SALE

WILTSHIRES-ARVIDSON. Self shearing sheep. No1 for Facial Eczema. David 027 2771 556.

RURAL MASSAGE

RELAXING FULL BODY massage in rural Ohaupo. Unwind. De-stress. www. ruralmassage.co.nz or call 027 529 5540.

WANTED TO BUY

WHAT’S SITTING IN your barn? Don’t leave it to rust away! We pay cash for tractors, excavators, small crawler tractors and surplus farm machinery. Ford –Ferguson – Hitachi – Komatsu – John Deere and more. Tell us what you have no matter where it is in NZ. You never know.. what’s resting in your barn could be fattening up your wallet! Email admin@ loaderparts.co.nz or phone Colin on 0274 426 936 (No texts please)

FARM MAPPING

MEASURE YOUR FARM’S effective area with a practical and cost-effective map. Visit farmmapping.co.nz for a quote.

HORTICULTURE

SAWN SHED TIMBER including Black Maire. Matai, Totara and Rimu etc. Also buying salvaged native logs. Phone Richard Uren. NZ Native Timber Supplies. Phone 027 688 2954.

PROMOTES QUICK PASTURE growth. Only $6.50+gst per hectare delivered. 0508-GIBBGRO [0508 442 247] www. gibbgro.co.nz. “The Proven One.”

GIBB-GRO GROWTH PROMOTANT GIBBOOST INCREASE PASTURE growth and dry matter. $5.50 per/ha ex store + GST. Phone 0508 733 343. www.vernado.co.nz

NZ KELP. FRESH, wild ocean harvested giant kelp. The world’s richest source of natural iodine. Dried and milled for use in agriculture and horticulture. Growth promotant / stock health food. As seen on Country Calendar. Orders to: 03 322 6115 or info@nzkelp.co.nz

LEASE LAND WANTED

DAIRY OR GRAZING FARM wanted. Open to leasing, equity, share farming or developing land in partnership. Rangitīkei, Manawatū or HB areas. Phone Michael 027 223 6156.

SALE TALK

A Scotsman, on the way home from a heavy drinking session with his mates, collapses onto a park bench and falls into a very deep stupor.

Some time later 2 girls walk past and on seeing him debate whether he has anything under his kilt. They decide to look and discover he’s stark naked.

“We really ought to leave him a record of our visit,” one says to the other, so giggling with delight they tie a blue ribbon round his willy before moving on.

Finally the Scotsman comes round and staggers behind a bush bursting for a pee. When he sees the ribbon he smiles and says to it “I don’t know where or what you’ve been up to, but I see you’ve won first prize!”

Here at Farmers Weekly we get some pretty funny contributions to our Sale Talk joke from you avid readers, and we’re keen to hear more!

If you’ve got a joke you want to share with the farming community (it must be something you’d share with your grandmother...) then email us at: saletalk@agrihq.co.nz with Sale Talk in the subject line and we’ll print it and credit it to you. Conditions apply

STOCK REQUIRED

SHORN MALE LAMBS

EWE & MALE STORE LAMBS 33-42kg

R1YR FRSN BULLS 180-230kg

R2YR FRSN & BEEFX BULLS 400-500kg + BEEF BULLS 400-480kg

R2YR ANG, ANG & EX X (& DAIRY X)

STEERS 420-500kg

R2YR ANGUS BULLS 400-600kg

We are pleased to announce our first sale of yearling bulls to be held on bidr August 28th – Auction 2503 Open day for viewing 20th August – 1pm to 3pm

8 Redford bulls by Injemira Robert Redford Q287

These are the first New Zealand sons available for sale from Australia’s top selling bull Jan 2021 Injemira RR semen packages 2x10, only semen for sale in NZ – release date October 1st.

3 Koanui bulls.

1503 Tairua Whitianga Road, Whenuakite Enquiries welcome Bryce and Sue Hooton 021 962 640 Bruce Orr - Carrfields Stud Stock 027 492 2122

Specialising in Ease of Calving and Heifer mating

120 YEARLING ANGUS BULLS at our Annual On Farm Sale and Hybrid Auction

5th Sept 2023, at 12.30pm

Chris & Karren Biddles, RD1, Te Kopuru, Northland

P: 09 439 1589 m: 021 795 929 e: chris@teatarangi.co.nz

A/c Rowland Family 301 Karere Rd, Longburn, Palmerston North Saturday August 12th, 11am start (refreshments on sale from 10.30am)

Comprising:

Tractors: John Deere 7810 (175HP, 11437hrs); John Deere 6420 with front-end loader (110HP, 4644hrs); John Deere 2130; International 585; Massey Ferguson converted to forklift; 5-furrow Clough plough; Supercharge fert spreader; Atchison seed drill; Fieldmaster mower; Grain transfer bin trailers x 2; near new tandem axle trailer; Taarup mower; Redback HD3 leveller; Silvan diesel tanks x 2; Cambridge rollers x 2; spring-tine cultivator; Celli Energy power harrow; Duncan tandem discs; Express 3000 discs; portable loading race; sheep race & yards; Farmgard Eco90-7 blade; chisel plough; hay rakes 4 & 6 wheel; mole plough; waterblaster; grain elevator; drill presses; compressor; chainsaws x 4; generator; electric & hand tools; grinders x 5; assorted fencing & irrigation parts; shelving & workbenches; assorted tractor tyres & parts; plus much more.

Viewing from 9am on sale day only

Payment by CASH or EFTPOS on the day of sale, unless an account holder of NZ Farmers Livestock.

To view photos of main items visit www.mylivestock.co.nz/auctions

Markets

Nightmare journey to get stock to sale

Last year’s flurry of farm sales to foresters has reached its next phase: getting the stock off the farms – and it hasn’t been pretty.

Suz Bremner MARKETS Livestock

ONE of the many issues that farmers in cyclone- and floodaffected regions have faced is getting stock off their properties, as roading and farming infrastructure have borne the brunt of the adverse weather.

That may be to the processors or saleyards, or simply off to new homes following private sales. It seems unfairly timed, then, that capital stock breeding herds are finding themselves shipped from the hills they have grazed since the large stations were established, as they make way for pine trees.

The sale of big stations to forestry over the past few years has been a contentious issue and now the trees are going in, meaning the stock must be out the gate.

One of those properties is Huiarua Station, Tokomaru Bay, which sold last year. The farm lease that followed lapses on August 22 this year.

It was one of four large-scale stations sold to forestry last year in the region, despite concerns voiced by farming groups. This has unfortunately become an all-too-

It seems unfairly timed that capital stock breeding herds are finding themselves shipped from the hills they have grazed since the large stations were established, as they make way for pine trees.

familiar outcome as rising costs and high prices paid for properties such as these made it impossible for those wishing to farm to compete.

The dust has settled somewhat on farm sales to forestry, but for many such as Huiarua Station, it is too little too late.

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Capital stock breeding ewes were still being farmed on Huiarua Station due to a lease agreement, but with the conclusion of the lease drawing near, the ewes have had to be shifted off.

PGG Wrightson agent Tony Holden oversaw the process and said it has been a nightmare.

“It has taken almost two weeks of planning to get the ewes out and that was a delay due to access issues.

“They should have been sold a lot earlier and it ended up coming down to the wire as they are due to lamb and the pine trees are already being planted.”

The nearly 2000 breeding ewes were bound for the Stortford Lodge saleyards but needed to be walked some distance to meet the

truck. They started the journey on Thursday, July 27, only to have to return to Huiarua Station due to the trucks being unable to get through.

A second attempt was made on Sunday, July 30 and after a 17km walk they were then trucked to Central Hawke’s Bay for grazing and sold at Stortford Lodge last Wednesday.

The delays meant that feed was in short supply and, though there was plenty of quality breeding through the ewes, it took its toll on their condition. They were presented to buyers in light to medium condition, which for some potential buyers that arrived at the yards was not what they were looking for.

The ewes were in-lamb to

GOING OUT OF BUSINESS SALE: The dust has settled somewhat on farm sales to forestry, says Suz Bremner, but for many such as Huiarua Station, ‘it is too little too late’.

Suffolk and Suftex rams from April 10 and had scanning percentages of 171%-181%.

The main body of the consignment were drafted into age groups and line sizes mostly varied from 170 to 360 head. The 4-tooth and 6-tooth lines sold for $127-$142, which, relative to condition and current market environment, was a fair value. The top 4-year and mixed-age ewes returned $136-$137 and the balance made $106-$120. Holden said there are still more ewes to come out from the station. “There are still around 2000 ewes left to sell, in similar condition to those offered at Stortford Lodge. Most are a month from lambing and will hopefully be sold in the near future.”

$35* per month

Weekly saleyards

Demand for prime and manufacturing cattle has been given a boost as low supply meets increasing space availability at the processors. That has had a positive impact on prices at auction for prime and boner cows, and other prime cattle.

The Friesian cow average at Temuka lifted 14c/kg to $2.20/kg, while beef cows around the country traded at $2.30-$2.50/kg. Boner cows in the North Island mainly sold for $1.80-$2.00/kg. Prime steers have mostly ranged from $2.95/kg to $3.20/kg dependent on weight and condition.

| July 27 | 402 sheep

BIG

One of the bigger sales on the calendar was the monthly Matawhero cattle sale, where nearly 750 mainly traditional cattle were penned.

It’s time we make ‘chem-casual’ toxic.

A work-related disease, can be up to 15 times more likely to kill you than a work-related accident. And regular exposure without protection or controls to common fuels, fertilisers and chemicals used on farm, can lead to conditions like Parkinson’s, Alzheimers and a shopping list of cancers.

So from handling, to storage, to self-protection... lets all be part of setting a new standard. To help us farm, with less harm.

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DAY AT MATAWHERO:

AgriHQ market trends

Cattle Sheep Deer

Fertiliser

NOTE: Slaughter values are weighted average gross operating prices including premiums but excluding breed premiums for cattle.

Forestry

NZX market trends

Dairy

Grain

FAR supports the grain, seed and maize growers by:

• Providing data to help optimise N use without compromising yield.

• Delivering options to manage disease,and protect cultivars andchemistry.

• Supporting SIRC to scale up seed research, extension and capability.

• Supporting biosecurity responses for velvetleaf and black grass.

• Exploring new crop opportunities for arable rotations.

• Delivering around 80 research trials and 100 extension eventsevery year.

Close of market

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Nice bit of chaos as we wait for El Niño

Philip Duncan NEWS Weather

EL NIÑO is still developing. That’s the latest in the August update from the Bureau of Meteorology and also NIWA.

This means New Zealand and Australia remain in a “neutral” weather pattern. Typically La Niña creates more easterlies for NZ and Australia and low pressure in the Tasman Sea, while El Niño creates more westerlies for our two nations and an uptick in high pressure in the Tasman Sea.

A neutral pattern means we have no driver from any particular direction, so we can have a bit of an oxymoron where a neutral pattern = chaotic.

El Niño also tends to bring cooler sea surface temperatures to the Tasman Sea, and while that has partially happened further away from NZ, locally we still have a marine heatwave.

Some don’t understand how much impact that has on our weather, but if you add just a degree or two to the sea it can turn small lows into bigger storms, it can turn showers

into thunderstorms or flash flooding and it can keep NZ slightly milder around coastal fringes at night. We’ve certainly noticed a reduction in frosts this year, especially in coastal areas.

While our pattern is neutral and chaotic, we may still notice some patterns forming.

El Niño is not officially here yet on our side of the world, but there are hints that it is showing up in our atmosphere with an increase in high pressure over Australia and more westerlies in NZ. You could also argue that’s similar to an early spring weather pattern.

But even when El Niño is officially declared here, it may not be a “normal” one. That’s because right now the sea surface temperatures not only around NZ, but also in the western equatorial Pacific, are above normal.

Usually they are normal to below normal in El Niño and that’s part of what links our atmosphere up with it.

So this warmer water on our side of the world is acting a bit like the “one step backwards” for the El Niño that is trying to form.

Put simply, NZ is actually in quite a positive phase of weather from a

farming and growing point of view. We no longer appear stuck in a rut as we were earlier this year with the persistent flood events hammering the same eastern and northern areas.

We’re seeing longer dry spells and temperatures generally above normal. Rainfall is continuing, and our latest ClimateWatch update at RuralWeather.co.nz talks about how rainfall will continue on for most regions heading into spring –but perhaps a little below normal for the North Island and upper South Island. That may mean a softer, more gentle transition from being super wet to drying out.

Highlights this week

• Monday and Tuesday kick off with another colder front in the South Island

• NZ generally leaning drier than average this week

• More high pressure for the North Island

• High pressure from Australia dominates NZ mid-week

• A sub-tropical low late week may bring easterlies to northern NZ

LEANING DRIER: The east and north of the South Island lean drier than usual during an El Niño spring, while a big chunk of the North Island leans drier. Those areas wetter than normal will be Southland, the West Coast and potentially parts of Auckland and Northland, which get a lot of showery westerlies in spring – but they tend to fade more in summer. Image Credit: NIWA