canterbury farming, january 2016

January 2016 Edition30,287 copies distributed monthly – to every rural mailbox in Canterbury and the West Coast

Enjoying the humble potato

A dreamcome true

The soundand the fury

P4 P26 P45

Kings of the canalsPage 8–9

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2 January 2016 CANTERBURY FARMING

1016 Weedons Ross Road, West Melton, RD1, Christchurch Ph 03 347 2314 Email [email protected]

Canterbury Farming prints material contributed by freelance journalists, contributing columnists and letters from readers.

The information and opinions published are not necessarily those of Canterbury Farming or its staff. Canterbury Farming takes no responsibility for claims made by advertisers.

Canterbury Farming is published byNorthSouth Multi Media Ltd

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Meat exports hit record highThe first quarter of the 2015-16 meat export season concluded on December 31, 2015 and analysis by Beef and Lamb New Zealand’s Economic Service shows that total red meat — including beef, veal, lamb and mutton, export revenue reached a record high over the quarter.

The record was driven by increased shipments but the average per tonne values were down, despite the New Zealand dollar depreciation.

There was a strong rise in export revenue boosted by large shipments. New Zealand beef and veal exports generated $682 million in the first quarter of 2015-16, up 14 percent compared with the same period last season. This reflected a 15 percent increase in shipments, while the average per tonne value was down one percent.

A strong North Asian appetite for New Zealand beef and veal led to a 55 percent increase in shipments and

a 7.3 percent rise in the average per tonne value.

New Zealand lamb export returns reached a record high of $589 million from October to December, up 12 percent on the same period in 2014. Demand was particularly strong in the European Union and North Asia, where shipments increased by 24 percent and 18 percent respectively.

Strong demand from the European Union led to a slight improvement in the average value of exports to the region. In North Asia, the rise in shipments coincided with a 16 percent drop in the average value. This highlights

the economic slowdown and uncertainties in China.

The average value of chilled lamb exports improved by 4.5 percent, while the average value of frozen lamb exports dropped 8.5 percent. Chilled lamb accounted for 28 percent of total lamb exports over both the 2014-15 and 2015-16 December quarters.

Mutton export returns reached a record high of $96

million in the first quarter of 2015-16. This reflected a rise in shipments, which was partly offset by a decrease in the average value. Dry conditions, particularly in northern parts of the South Island, boosted mutton production and export volumes. Mutton exports averaged $5,070 per tonne.

New Zealand farm-gate prices for lamb and mutton dropped over the first quarter

of the season following a normal seasonal decline. The decline was greater than in previous years and was driven by dry conditions which led to an increase in New Zealand sheepmeat production over the first quarter of 2015-16.

Weaker than expected markets, particularly for frozen exports resulted in lower average export receipts, and weaker co-product lamb

and sheep skins returns than in the same period last season.

Farm-gate prices for cattle remained at near-record high levels, after several months of increases in 2015.

The BLNZ Economic Service will review its farm-gate price forecasts in the 2015-16 mid-season update report to be published in late February.

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CANTERBURY FARMING January 2016 3

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Award for service to agriculture and women

Lindy Nelson who has been a long time member of Rural Women New Zealand has been named as a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the New Year 2016 Honours.

Lindy received the award for her service to agriculture and women. She recently featured as a guest speaker at the National Conference. Married to David, a farmer, together they manage a country sheep and beef operation and she is an active participant in her community. She is passionate about encouraging rural people to grow their potential. She has channelled her business skills into developing leadership programmes for women through the Agri-Women’s Development Trust. The trust aims to develop leadership, business and governance skills in rural women. Over 1300 women have completed an AWDT programme and many are members of RWNZ. Lindy is proud that graduates have progressed to working for some of New Zealand’s largest rural organisations.

Lindy sees the New Year’s Honour as an acknowledgement for women in the sector and she hopes it inspires others. She has won several awards over the past few years including being named ‘Business Woman of the Year’ in 2013 by Next

Magazine. Rural Women NZ and Lindy are already busy working on programmes to offer to our membership and branches to foster future leaders for our organisation and council.

Rural recipients of New Year 2016 honours include:Knights Companion of the

Order of New Zealand — David Fagan ONZM of Te Kuiti for shearing services;

Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit — David Civil of Cambridge for services to the dairy industry and Robert Davison of Wellington for services to the sheep and beef industries;

Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit — Brian Powell JP of Blenheim — for services to heritage preservation and the community and Jonathon Kirk of Waimate for services to agriculture.

Lindy Nelson Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit

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ENJOYING THE HUMBLE POTATO

Born and bred in the Oamaru area, Peter Mitchell and Nick Webster are cousins working in partnership on the 1400 hectare family farm.

They are the second generation to be running the business.

BY ANN MORGAN

of 750 friesian cross cows. “Our company sells the brand Rare Earth potatoes which are known to be pure and natural, full of texture, succulence and flavour. They are grown in rich naturally fertile Totara Tar Soils known for its flavour enhancing qualities. We have been growing the potatoes for five years now,” said Nick.

“It is something I was always interested in so we decided we would give it a try and we are still growing them.

“Based in Oamaru, we predominantly grow Jersey Benne as they have always been grown here and are iconic to the region and we thought the variety would go well on our particular land.”

They are new potatoes which are different to a main crop as they are harvested early, at an immature age.

Harvesting the potatoes which have a unique Oamaru fl avour


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“The potatoes are planted generally from the first week of June onwards. It’s a bit of a lottery weatherwise. Soil preparation is important and we start this in late Autumn.

“We get the soil into a fallow state over the winter, and hope that by the end of May or beginning of June that it can be cultivated and we can get the potatoes into the ground.”

No insecticides are used as they are not in the ground for very long.

“As there aren’t as many potatoes grown down here I don’t think the insects set in and there is not as much bug pressure as there is where greater volumes of potatoes are being produced.”

Jersey Benne have been grown in the area for a long time. Nick says they love the soil in the area which also gives them their unique flavour.

“They are ready to dig in early to mid November, sometimes earlier, making them good for Christmas.

“Generally we dig through to mid-January. A small lifting machine lifts them before they are dug by hand and then packaged. We get the produce to the wholesaler or retailer as quickly as possible so they are not sitting around for a long.

“Being a small family business, we want to keep our quality good and we supply a wholesaler who supplies to

supermarkets and we supply a few catering firms.

“Being a seasonal product it is not available all year around. People do grow Jersey Benne potatoes in other regions but they don’t have the unique Oamaru flavour.

“Frost is not good. They need to be in a frost free area otherwise in a tough year you can lose the whole crop. The weather conditions also play a big part. If it is a really wet Autumn or Winter it makes it difficult and planting may not be very conducive for good potatoes.

“Depending on the Spring, if it is quite cold, the crop will be ready a lot later than usual. Like different types

of farming, weather does have a big influences such as on soil conditions and Spring temperatures.

“Typically we only apply one small application of fertilisers than maybe one or two herbicide sprays. There is generally no need for fungicide, so predominately we are spray free, we use as little as we possibly can as this crop are a lot lower in maintenance than the main crop potatoes.

“This is just a small part of our business and we enjoy doing it. Not everyone has the opportunity to grow them, it is a niche market and we want to keep producing our crop well.” Nick says

“Ideally eat them as soon as possible after purchasing them whilst they are at their prime. They come in their own boxes so leave them in a cool, dry place.

“To cook, wash them and put them in salted water. Bring them to the boil and let them simmer for a couple of minutes before adding a bit of mint and then plenty of real butter once they are drained. The real butter made from cows that is,” he says.

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Grading and packaging the potatoes ready for distribution

6 January 2016 CANTERBURY FARMING RURAL PROFESSIONALS

Ben TurnerM 027 530 1400 E [email protected]

Call Ben for confidential and professional advice on any real estate matters.

Whalan and Partners Ltd, Bayleys, Licensed under the REA Act 2008

Personalised investment adviceForsyth Barr’s portfolio management service provides you with a complete service, including day-to-day management and administration of your investment portfolio along with year end tax reporting.

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Disclosure Statements are available on request and free of charge.

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Business | Traffic | EmploymentLeeston (03) 324 3033

Email: [email protected] | www.anglands.co.nzSolicitors of Selwyn since 1965

Ronald W. Angland & SonLAWYERS

Money Talkwith Andrew Wyllie

Investment markets updateCovering the three months ended December 31, 2015

Global Equity MarketsEquity returns in local

currencies were positive over the quarter, driven by the recovery in October. Equities had been weak over July and August because of concerns surrounding China, but then recovered all these losses during October. Equities marked time during November and were weaker in December as they responded to further weakness in commodity prices and digested various Central Bank policy decisions.

In New Zealand Dollar (NZD) terms, equities delivered strong returns over the year. However, a strengthening NZD in the last quarter meant global equities declined slightly during this period.

Reviewing the individual equity markets we monitor, German, Japanese and United States equities were the best of the major international markets and managed small gains over the quarter. Japanese equities benefitted from the Bank of Japan Governor announcing a new stock-buying plan.

United States equity gains appear more sustainable and were driven by better United States data, with housing starts and personal income increases both surprising positively.

The Michigan Sentiment report in December also exceeded expectations. The weakest quarterly performers were the United Kingdom, France and Hong Kong.

French equities did not recover as much as others in October, partly due to the terrorist attacks, while Hong Kong was impacted by Chinese concerns. The United Kingdom’s poor performance was largely a reflection of the weak Great British Pound.

Australian and New Zealand Equity Markets

Austral ian equit ies performed better than most, but weaker commodities meant the weaker Australian Dollar impacted returns from an NZD perspective. Banks recovered strongly over the quarter with capital requirements now in hand and the banks undertaking ‘out of cycle’ interest rate rises to recover their profitability. Austral ian Prudent ia l Regulation Authority (APRA) keeping core equity capital requirements at 8% of ‘risk weighted assets’ also helped calm fears another round of capital raising could occur. Consumer discretionary companies also performed well.

New Zealand equities were the strongest performer over the quarter. Companies with growth attributes outperformed those with yield attributes. The healthcare and technology sectors provided the best of the returns.Fixed Interest Market

Short-term interest rates were slightly lower over the quarter following another cut in the New Zealand Official

Cash Rate. The Reserve Bank commentary suggested that further cuts were unlikely, but with the NZD/USD ‘unhelpful’ prior to the statement (and even more so now), another move lower cannot be ruled out.

In contrast, longer-term interest rates moved higher. In addition corporate bond rates were impacted by the interest rate gap between corporate and wholesale bond rates widening. New Zealand spreads had been lagging international trends, but with the recent increase in issuance, investors have been able to be more discerning, influencing the yields on offer.

If you’re new to investing please see Forsyth Barr’s Introduction to Investing guide available at www.forsythbarr.co.nz/investing-with-us/new-to-investing/ or to discuss your investment options please contact Andrew Wyllie, an Authorised Financial Adviser with Forsyth Barr in Christchurch. He can be contacted regarding portfolio management, fixed interest, or share investments on 0800 367 227 or [email protected]. This column is general in nature and should not be regarded as personalised investment advice. Disclosure Statements are available on request and free of charge.

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If you’re reading this, then so are your customers

High speedbroadband underway

by Paul Campbell

Travelling the rural roads of Canterbury over the coming months you can expect to see communications technicians going about their tasks as work gets under way in Spark’s rollout of faster broadband services in the region.

“It is a huge step change giving rural residents and farmers access to much better, faster broadband and mobile data services,” says communications advisor, Vicky Shepherd, “and as of now (February) it is underway.”

Spark is investing $14 million in an accelerated programme that, within the next 12 months, will see 4G services covering 96% of the places rural Cantabrians live and work. Previously, this rollout was expected to take at least three years.

Traditional ADSL modems connected via a copper phone line will be replaced with new fixed-wireless broadband technology that runs on Spark’s 4G cellular network.

It will also allow more Canterbury businesses to

unleash the potential of new technologies such as machine-to-machine (M2M) communications, allowing farmers to do things like soil monitoring and irrigation management or tracking herd movements via remote mobile devices.

Digital connectivity, in particular fast broadband across rural areas, is one of seven key work programmes supporting the Canterbury Reg i ona l E conom i c Development Strategy, launched in August last year.

For their par t, all Canterbury councils have agreed to work with Spark on design and consenting issues associated to ensure mobile cell tower site acquisition and consenting processes will be as fast and efficient as

possible. Spark Managing Director Simon Moutter said Canterbury will be the first region where Spark has committed to an accelerated, intensive rollout of 4G services in collaboration with local councils.

“We’ve been impressed by the way all the councils across the Canterbury region are working together on economic development, so we worked with the Canterbury Mayoral Forum on how we might do things differently to help unleash the potential of Canterbury.

“This development will be a huge step change for Canterbury.

For most rural customers, it will mean for the first time, they can get urban broadband performance at close to urban broadband pricing levels — delivered via 4G wireless rather than a physical copper or fibre connection.

“We’re talking of download speeds ranging from well above 20 to up to 135 megabits per second — compared with traditional copper line broadband which for many people in remote areas only delivers speeds of under 2 megabits — and that’s on a good day!

By December, Spark will deliver 4G to over 70 cell sites covering the places rural Canterbury residents live and work, including the vast majority of the Canterbury plains where farming is concentrated — from Kaikoura in the north, down to the Waitaki River and inland to the Mackenzie Country.

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Timely advice makes the difference

by Andy Bryenton

There was a time not so long ago when the business of many farms was carried out almost solely as a family affair — when small holdings were run by an extended family group with the minimum of paid employees. However, as farming becomes more intensive and operations grow larger, farmers are more and more dependent on attracting and retaining quality staff to ensure peak production.

This is a situation which presents challenges as well as opportunities and which adds yet another strand to the necessary set of skills of the farmer-as-business-owner. Along with the obvious impositions of occupational health and safety protocol, it has meant that the average farm owner now must have a grasp of employment law, as recent events around the country have cast into sharp focus.

Thankfully, advice is at hand to work through the process of hiring and maintaining a skilled workforce, even in situations where work is seasonal or of a more specialised nature than the traditional urban nine-to-five.

This is borne out by the fact that roughly a third of calls to the hotline set up by farming support organisation Fede r a t ed Fa r me r s relate directly to matters of employment.

Changes to the employment law in 2010 have made things easier when it comes to selecting good help — especially the implementation of the mandatory ninety day trial period for all workers. In an industry where the cycles of the seasons and of livestock make it difficult to impose holidays when the calendar demands them, the possibility of paying out one week of holiday time per year as wages is also a means

of relieving pressure on the work timetable.

But it’s when things go wrong that many farmers — who would be the first to admit that they did not enter the farming life to dissect the details of human resources protocol — may feel the need to reach out for assistance.

In this, as in many aspects of the law, a good contract at the beginning of a relationship is vital. Even within the government mandated trial period, a clear-cut and transparent document defining the roles, obligations and responsibilities of both parties in the employer-employee relationship is a great help.

Because the legislation around employment must, by dint of its universal application, be a one-size-fits-all tool, it may not seem to ‘click’ effortlessly with the

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unique demands, timetables and seasonal changes associated with working the land.

That’s why a quick call to an advisory service such as that run by organisations like Farmers of New Zealand or Federated Farmers could save a lot of headaches in the long term. Better still, consult with a lawyer conversant with rural employment law to ensure the best outcome in every eventuality.

Employment should never be an adversarial issue — after all, the aim is to forge a team who work toward the common goal of better profits and a harmonious life. This is even more important on the farm than on the factory floor — farming is often by definition a job which operates 24/7 in the place where you live. But with the right tools at your disposal, including an

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The farm was established nearly a quarter of a century ago and Mt Cook

Alpine Salmon Ltd compliance and asset manager Rick Ramsay has been with them since the beginning.

Rick was originally a journalist with the Otago Daily Times before moving on to the Mackenzie country

in 1977, working as a PR officer for the Upper Waitaki Power Development.

“I was there when the whole canal system was being built so I had an understanding of it. Then I became a councillor and deputy mayor of the Mackenzie District Council and as part of that I was

Chairman of Planning. I was also there when the resource consent was made by the pioneers of the salmon industry for a farm on the Ohau canal.

“When I heard what they were planning I suggested I might be able to help them out with my local knowledge and joined them as a labourer

in 1992. Now I’m the only remaining worker of the pioneer generation who is still working on the farm.”

The company has 80 full-time staff, most of whom are located in the central region of the South Island around Twizel and at its processing factory in Timaru with a head office in Queenstown.

Mt Cook Alpine Salmon Farm is a major employer in the Mackenzie area and combining their 45 staff with the rest of the aquaculture industry and hydro canal system takes employment numbers well over 70. The farms are significant contributors to the Twizel and Mackenzie economy and Rick

says there is an enormous spin off for freighting companies bringing feed in and taking fish out.

“The transport companies have expanded their operations and created a base here in Twizel to service the industry. There are spins off for agriculture and other industries because they are bringing freight in on a very regular basis and the whole thing has lead to an increase in services for the area.”

Being pioneers of the industry and working under unique conditions, there was a steep learning curve at the beginning as farming in hydro canals had not been done anywhere else in the world.

“You can look back and see all the mistakes we made. We didn’t know they were mistakes until things


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“It’s not unlike farming on land. You’ve got livestock and deadstock. You are exposed to environmental conditions. In our case flows are principally controlled by the power generator but you can still get floods on certain canals.”

The Salmon are hand fed and Rick says this is for both technical and practical reasons.

“One reason is that you can keep an eye on your stock. You are looking in the pens, observing their behaviour.

It’s not a factory where you can dial up a certain amount for food and toss it in because they might decide on a cloudy day that they don’t want any more so you shut

the feed off. The automated feeding systems they use in the marine environment is difficult to translate into the canal environment because the marine environments are much larger and deeper which lend themselves to computerised systems.”

Mt Cook Alpine Salmon Farm is voluntarily looking at ways it can better monitor their environmental impact in the future.

“We have been involved with the Environment Canterbury zone committee which have been looking at water quality in the Upper Waitaki.

“There is no escaping the fact that salmon farming is done in the water and we are aiming to place rules and have something like Overseer

which calculates your nitrogen and phosphorous output into the environment.

“We are trying to put ourselves on the same level of reporting our nutrient based impact as land based farms, except ours is a different formula.“

Rick says one of the joys of working on the salmon farm is getting outside and being hands on.

“I’m certainly not office bound. I try to get right around the farm when we are doing our compliance water testing. After 24 years working here, there are still challenges and problems to solve and I thrive on that.”

went wrong, but no farmer can say they are operating the same way today. You aim to get better performance out of your stock and be more efficient with your feed and have less effect on the environment and that’s the key.”

There are two hatcheries that supply the farm with the Salmon smolt and the company have complete control of the chain right through from the broodstock,


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From the Minister Nathan Guy, Minister for Primary Industries

The year gone byThis is my first column for the year and a chance to look ahead to what is going to be a very busy 2016. I hope everyone has had a break over Christmas and caught up with family and friends.

Last year was a mixed bag for the primary sector. For beef, horticulture and wine it was an outstanding year with many success stories like kiwifruit.

For dairy farmers it was very challenging with volatile global prices, but I’m more confident 2016 will be better than last year.

At the same time we are facing many of the same challenges as last year, thanks to Mother Nature. The drought conditions in parts of Otago, Canterbury and the Marlborough district are officially a medium scale adverse event and this declaration is likely to be extended very soon.

What this means is extra funding for Rural Support Trusts who work closely with farmers, providing support and guidance. Rural Assistance Payments (RAPs) are available for those in real hardship and there is some tax flexibility from IRD.

Once again it reinforces the importance of irrigation

and water storage. Last year the Government put an extra $25 million into the Irrigation Acceleration Fund and I’m looking forward to seeing more projects develop.

We also have improved trade access with the Korean FTA now in effect and the TPP due to be signed soon. This will be a major boost for our exporters, giving us greatly improved access to some of the world’s biggest economies.

Biosecurity will continue to be my number one priority as Minister and in 2016 there

will be a lot more resources protecting our borders, thanks to a funding boost of $27 million for biosecurity in last years Budget.

The new border clearance levy came into effect on January 1 and means that travellers will be responsible for funding border services like biosecurity.

Other big topics for the Government this year will be RMA reform with a new Bill introduced last November. Early this year we will also be releasing a public discussion paper on freshwater

re fo rm, look ing at important water issues and stock exclusion.

There will also be public consultation on a range of new animal welfare regulations. This will help give more clarity and certainty, and provide penalties for the few who unfortunately mistreat animals. For most good farmers these won’t have a major impact.

So it’s a busy year ahead with lots on the agenda.

All the best for 2016 and here’s hoping we get some rain in the right spots soon!

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Country Matters with Rob Cope-Williams

Stock RustlingStealing of stock has reared its ugly head again and farmers are losing stock of all sorts as low lifes take what isn’t theirs.

Why anybody would want to steal dairy cows in the present financial situation is a bit confusing, but they are.

One of the major concerns is that while 120 dairy cows vanishing out of a herd is very obvious, a couple of hundred sheep out of a flock isn’t.

As in most crimes those who steal normally have a market to sell it too, so there are more than one person involved. I understand that most house burglaries are stolen to order as in the stolen property is already pre-sold.

So who is buying stolen cows and how much are they paying.

Dairy cows are normally grazed close to homes and not out the back of beyond, and 120 won’t have been walked down the road to another paddock. That means a truck is involved, and that means several people and a lot of noise.

From my own experience I know that cattle don’t like going onto a truck in daylight so I expect they would hate it in the darkness with lights and torches being used.

So let’s take a look at the involvement and costs.

We can assume there are at least two or three people involved at the paddock gate.

Plus there’s the truck to carry them off in. Add the running of the truck from their base to the property, and then to the destination.

So the outgoings to the low lifes who take the risk will be enough to make the risk worthwhile and they will be expecting a good fee. I have no idea what is involved in changing the tags or any registration needed for the company buying the milk when there is suddenly 120 more cows filling the vats.

With the cow prices being very low, surely the person or people who are buying these

stolen animals would be a lot better off to have bought them through the proper channels and not risk being caught with cows they shouldn’t have and even running the risk of the TB laws around transporting bovines.

It is a sad thing that farmers now face security systems to protect what is theirs, but thankfully there

are systems around that will fill the bill. Gone are the days when you left your home unlocked and friends could go inside and make a cup of tea and wait for you to get back to the homestead after completing whatever you were doing. In the United States they used to hang people who stole livestock — not a bad idea really.

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Irrigating farmers experience ‘mixed bag’ with El NinoWhile drought conditions persist in many parts of the country, many irrigating farmers are coping well with the dry conditions aided by water supply from alpine-fed irrigation schemes.

Farmers taking water from rivers and lakes topped up by West Coast rain have in many cases benefitted from El Nino’s erratic weather pattern this summer. While

we support the Minister’s move to extend the official drought in the South Island, it is interesting to note that farmers connected to the big alpine-fed rivers and

and speeds along the irrigator. The second resource outlines the hydraulic and pumping considerations for irrigation systems.

Both guide books are available free of charge on IrrigationNZ’s website www.irrigationnz.co.nz under our SMART Irrigation Programme.

A soil moisture monitoring resource will shortly be available. Nominations have

opened for IrrigationNZ’s Ron Cocks Memorial Award which recognises outstanding leadership within the irrigation industry. If you know of someone who has made a significant contribution to the irrigation industry, we’d like to hear from you. The criteria includes duration and quality of service, leadership and voluntary participation and the level of actual achievement.

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Supported by principal partners Waterforce, Network Waitaki, Monadelphous, ANZ and Anderson Lloyd, the conference will also see the presentation of the Innovation Award.

This award recognises innovative developments, ideas or collaborations within the irrigation sector.

Early bird registrations for the conference close on February 23 and accommodation options are limited so be in quick to ensure you don’t miss out.

lakes haven’t struggled this season, despite low rainfall on the East Coast and an early start to irrigation with high temperatures in spring. While those irrigating from foothills-fed rivers and lakes have been on restriction for several weeks, alpine-fed irrigators have managed to maintain supply. This reinforces our argument around building additional water storage infrastructure that taps into alpine sources. Even in an extreme El Nino event like this season, alpine-fed supply offers a high degree of reliability. For future-proofing, irrigating farmers need to move in this direction.

IrrigationNZ released two new resources last month to support irrigating farmers trying to eke out water until the end of the season. A precision irrigation resource provides expert advice around precision irrigation techniques, including variable rate irrigation which applies water at different volumes

CANTERBURY FARMING January 2016 13 WATER & IRRIGATION

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Blue Skies Weather

Weather Watch by Tony Trewinnard

Decaying El NinoLike the months before it, December experienced more west to southwesterly airflow than usual over the South Island. While warm northwesterly winds were common and brought record setting warmth, there were also plenty of cooler southwesterly days as well.

Rainfall was between 50-100% of normal for most of the region, with frequent periods of thundery showers (and some hail) in regular southwest changes. Sunshine hours were above normal by 15–30%. Temperatures were near normal overall, with day time maximums warmer than usual, and night time minimums colder.

At the time of writing, the first two weeks of January have brought cloudier, cooler, and wetter weather than usual for summer, with persistent northerly airflow anomalies bringing some significant rainfalls. After mid-month the more usual northwesterlies have returned. Interestingly, this also occurred in the 2009/10 season we have been using as a template for this summer. However, in 2010 the weather patterns settled down from February with some dry months in the later summer and autumn.

In the tropical Pacific, ocean temperatures remain in

El Nino territory but the areas of warmer than normal water which has defined the current El Nino event are weakening and becoming fragmented as the El Nino decays. This decay is also apparent in other atmospheric and oceanic indicators.

All computer models we monitor continue to predict a steadily decreasing El Nino over the next three to four months. A strong La Nina event often follows, and an increasing number of predictive models are expecting this. Here at Blue Skies we think it looks increasingly likely later this year.

Decaying El Ninos of the current type often bring increased frequency of anticyclones over the North Island through the summer months. Light westerly airflow often blows over the South Island. As autumn arrives a return to stronger westerly airflow often occurs. This pattern happened in the

Rainfall Temperature Sunshine Airflow

February Drier than normal

Milder than normalSunnier than normal

More anticyclones

March Drier than normal

Milder than normalSunnier than normal

More westerlywinds

April Drier than normal

Near normalSunnier than normal

More westerly winds

May A little drier than normal

Near normalA little sunnier than normal

More anticyclones

2009/10 season we have used as a template for this season, bringing a drier (but not intensely droughty) summer with increased sunshine hours, especially inland, and temperatures a little milder than usual after a cool start.

We expect most of 2016 to see a steady trend from the current strong El Nino to a strong La Nina by year’s end. When this type of significant transition occurs, weather patterns over New Zealand are often dominated by anticyclones and westerly airflow. This raises the prospect that many months in 2016 could be drier than normal in Canterbury. The

currently developing pattern is increasingly suggestive of not one but several dry seasons ahead.

For February anticyclones are expected to be the dominant weather feature over New Zealand, especially over the North Island. This is likely to be sunnier, drier, and possibly a little warmer than normal in Canterbury. March and April may see a return to regular periods of westerly airflow but with on-going dryness, warmth, and increased sunshine. By the time May rolls around anticyclones may become dominant again, still bringing a trend towards drier, sunnier and milder weather.

STOP MEANS STOPDON’T BREAK

THE LAW


Irrigation Issueswith Dr Tony Daveron

Dodging bulletsA common saying following rainfall at New Year and latterly has been ‘we have dodged a bullet’ and that the full effects of El Niño have been missed or nullified. Let’s just say, ‘one swallow doesn’t a summer make’. Beware.

Nothing like clichés to open the New Year — bit like New Year resolutions? To be correct the first is an idiom and the second a proverb.

The first refers to the circumstance ‘if someone (or something) has dodged a bullet, they have successfully avoided a very serious problem’ — in this case by getting the recent rainfall we have avoided the full effects.

The second (the proverb) is attributed to a remark by Aristotle and refers to ‘one instance of an event (such as the arrival of a single bird) does not necessarily indicate a trend’ — in this case the welcome and beneficial rainfall (the instance) does not necessarily indicate a trend (the effects of El Niño).

Where to begin to discuss the ‘dodging of a bullet’. Sure we have had useful

rainfall since the beginning of December (little to speak of before then), and more particularly since January 1 this year.

The daily rainfall (Figure 1) is variable from station to station and it is not until January 1 that truly useful rainfall totals were recorded — more than 10-15mm. The area around Christchurch Airport (Aero) and Rangiora look to have been the greatest beneficiaries. The totals for December 1 to January 19 confirm that Christchurch Airport and Rangiora did indeed receive the highest totals with Leeston and Dorie (across the Rakaia River from each other) were the lowest rainfall totals. A little more meaningful is the rainfall from January 1 to January 19. Two sites, Leeston and Dorie have not

had enough rainfall to meet crop water demand for the 19 day period. Water use has averaged around 3mm/day over this time — a total of 57mm. This means Leeston (43mm) and Dorie (36mm) have not had sufficient rainfall to meet crop water use during this period. Sure the rainfall gives one a few days off from irrigation, but a few sunny days will mean irrigation will be back on again — and for non-irrigated crops water stress will again be imminent. Christchurch and Culverden are slightly better off because on irrigated land soil moisture will have reached field capacity (full point) and some water will inevitably have drained. On shallow soils irrigation will be required again in 5-7 days.

Have we ‘dodged a bullet’? Temporarily I would suggest.

While El Niño typically brings drier, warmer and westerly quarter weather, it does not mean it won’t rain and it won’t be warm and/or sunny and it won’t blow from the westerly quarter.

Every El Niño is different and while this year has similarities with 1997-98 it does not mean 2015-16 will follow the same weather pattern. The weekly SOI, an indicator of El Niño or otherwise type weather conditions shows no sign of weakening.

Rather in the last two weeks shows every sign of strengthening again.

I guess watch this space and hence my suggestion we have not yet ‘dodged a bullet’ — there was a small perturbation and the bullet may have been deflected slightly.

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CANTERBURY FARMING January 2016 15 WATER & IRRIGATION


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Drought announcement welcomedEnvironment Canterbury have welcomed the announcement by the Minister for Primary Industries, Nathan Guy, that the medium-scale adverse event announced last year would be extended.

“The announcement will give farmers and their families, who need it most, continued access to support, and will also highlight the dry weather challenges for farmers to the wider community,” said chief executive Bill Bayfield.

“Our people in the field are working with and supporting farmers every day. While they are pleased with the recent rain which has also given rivers some relief, we are seeing farmer stress continuing due to the need to destock and other responses to the ongoing drought.

“It is crucial that farmers have access to the water they need for stock and for consented irrigation. Access to water for these purposes is top priority both for farmers and for Canterbury’s economy.”

The ability to irrigate is not unrestricted. Almost every river in Canterbury has a minimum flow level in place to protect the environment. Water take consent conditions are written to make sure irrigation water takes stop when a minimum flow is reached.

Some groundwater takes are also subject to river low-

flow restrictions because they are directly linked to a nearby river or stream.

“Some farmers are able to continue irrigating because they have groundwater takes that are not directly linked to rivers on restriction due to low flows. If you see irrigation happening near a low-flow river, for example, that may not be having an impact on its flow,” said Mr Bayfield.

Groundwater consent holders also have conditions which include the maximum rate of take as well as a total annual volume that can be used. Most water take restrictions as a result of low river flows are updated daily by Environment Canterbury scientists and are available at www.ecan.govt.nz — go to Irrigation Restrictions in the Get it Done Online section on the home page.

If you have a water take and need further advice or have any questions contact 0800 324 636.

“If a farmer’s access to stock water or irrigation water is subject to resource consent conditions, Environment Canterbury will carefully consider those conditions and the individual’s circumstances with the current situation

firmly in mind. Don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any issues,” said Mr Bayfield.

“We will do everything we can to help farmers get appropriate access to water — we don’t want to see livestock suffering needlessly.

“While the recent rain wasn’t drought breaking it was certainly very helpful. We still have February and March to get through though.”

North Canterbury has had 75 to 100 millimetres of rain in January in two main events. Coastal South Canterbury has had 75 millimetres mostly in one week. This rain has replenished soil moisture which helps plant growth.

Many rivers have come off irrigation restriction and have had small freshes which will help clear out cyanobacterial growths. There has not been enough rain to replenish aquifers, but this doesn’t normally happen in summer — aquifers are usually replenished in winter.

‘Surface water’ means all freshwater ecosystems above the ground — rivers, streams, lakes, wetlands, springs and stormwater and ‘groundwater’ means fresh water out of sight under the earth’s surface.

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CANTERBURY FARMING January 2016 17 FORESTRY & LOGGING

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Forestry Market ReportAllan Laurie MNZIF, Laurie Forestry Ltd

Getting back into the swing of itThe regions’ sawmills are reporting market conditions to be reasonably favourable but certainly not breaking any records one way or the other. The big issue for them right now is log supply with a shortage evident as logging crews get back into the swing after a well deserved break.

The log export market focussed on China has settled down with pricing remaining largely flat for January settlements. In this case flat means stable at pretty reasonable levels and that is good for both the China and New Zealand sides of the equation.

Even more heartening is the current suggestion prices should hold at current levels through February. Right at present (mid-January) daily consumption across the Eastern seaboard is running at about 60,000 per day. This is well ahead of earlier predictions reflecting a combination of positive elements in the apartment construction sector.

As the Ch inese New Year approaches, consumption levels will drop off dramatically. We can effectively expect two weeks of February to comprise the celebration and holiday period which is also the time when many vessels of NZ logs can be expected to arrive. All eyes will be on just how many vessels do arrive and how this will impact inventory levels.

Current inventory levels are around 2.7 million cubic metres reflecting less than two month’s supply. This is the lowest level in a long time but no one is panicking. That is because both sides realise additional supply is heading to China. With the impact of the volume on its way versus current and near term consumption expectations, inventories should remain under 3.5 million which most should perceive as comfortable.

Post CNY, we can expect to see consumption spike as the market shakes off the winter and holiday blues and prepares for the spring construction season. If previous years are anything to go by, Q2 can be expected to be more volatile and prices are currently predicted to drop.

At a NZ wharf gate supply level, we are currently 6–8% behind in volume deliveries compared to last year despite prices being at pretty good levels. Some have suggested this is the consequence of a loss in logging contractor capability. Last year’s rapid and unprecedented drop in prices in Q4 has been a major with some logging companies having thrown in the towel and others have shrunk their business to reduce risk.

So it is we can be pretty critical of NZ’s log traders’ continuing failure to react appropriately to clear market signals with the consequent massive shifts in NZ log export prices in 2015. History clearly shows prices are often driven up when the clear market signals suggest otherwise. And then they tumble when the full extent of everything we already knew becomes a reality.

Importantly NZ is not a minnow the Pacific Rim softwood log trade, in fact very much the opposite. The modern computer allows us to track daily, weekly and monthly log movements and determine shifts in dynamics. Really there is no excuse for a failure to act appropriately suggesting ego and some sort of unachievable desire

for dominance are the key game players.

On the fringes of this often uncontrolled play in an often boisterous sandpit, one can observe the kids with the most toys playing a game of jostling for the opportunity to take more toys off the others and thus try and dominate the play. Regrettably, the game always ends the same way, with no winners and lots of tears. Thus history keeps repeating despite what we should have learnt in the previous play.

One a much more positive note the declining exchange rate against the US dollar is most heartening. This, as markets react to the NZ drop in interest rates, the Federal Reserve increase in interest rates, together with weakening in global Dairy and Oil prices. This movement is certainly helping the wharf gate position in NZ when

topped off with some of the lowest shipping rates in many years. Long may it continue.

Thus, it has never been more timely to remember, the only way forward for climate, country and the planet is to get out there and plant more trees.

SMOKE ALARMSSave Lives

18 January 2016 CANTERBURY FARMING FORESTRY & LOGGING

Forest Management servicesWith 25 years’ experience in the industry the Forest Management Team offer services in:

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Supporting the communityThe Malvern Lions Club supports a range of people and community projects in the region and an opportunity arose for Forest Management to support the club with the harvest and replanting of their small woodlot approximately 10km south-west of Dar� eld.

To maximise harvest returns Forest Management a long wi th Car te r Contracting — harvesting crew — Steve Murphy Ltd — log transportation and sawmillers Mitchell Brothers, all offered their support through reduced service rates.Total net return to the club from the harvesting operation was around $23,000, a financial boost that has been a huge

help with ongoing projects and could not have been achieved without the support of local businesses.

The winter of 2015 saw the replanting of the forest block with Forest Management covering the cost of seedlings and spot release spray. Members of the Malvern Lions Club and Forest Management staff pulled together to plant 3,000

radiata pines, completing the task in half a day including a well-deserved barbecue lunch for all involved.

For any up and coming forestry-related projects in your area, contact your local Forest Management branch for ideas on the areas that we can offer support.

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CANTERBURY FARMING January 2016 19 SOUTHERN FIELD DAYS

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Rugby clash highlights field days

A rugby encounter between the Highlanders and the Crusaders will kick off the 18th Biennial Southern Field Days when the gates open this year at Waimumu on February 10, 11 and 12.

“As well as rugby we will showcase the latest in rural technology, equipment and specialist knowledge from around the world, “ said field days publicity officer, Justine Williams.

“The Southern Field Days is a non-profit incorporated society run by previous and current members of the Eastern Southland Young Farmers Club. All members are volunteers apart from the secretary and caretaker, and work in the agricultural industry. The chairman, Logan Evans, farms at Mandeville and is in his first term as president.”

“Wherever possible other non-profit groups within the local community such as clubs, schools, and PTA’s are used to help set up and run the event which is an important fundraiser for them.

“The Field Days were first held in 1982 on Ken Bowmar’s proper ty at Waimumu with 60 exhibitors.

“We now own 38 hectares of our own land and last field days had over 650 exhibitors from New Zealand and Australia and 38,000

people through the gates. We are once again going to be at capacity with companies recognising this as a great way to market their products.”

This year the field days will be hosting the Farmlands Cup pre season rugby game between the Super 15 champions The Highlanders and the Crusaders at the Booth Family Park which is adjacent to the field days’ site.

“This is a great opportunity to see top level rugby locally. The game will be on Thursday 11,” said Justine.

“We have a number of new events this year including a Southern Man competition, speed shears and the Golden Pliers fencing competition along with the tractor pull and the Young Farmers’ fencing competition.

“These will be held in conjunction with the working demonstrations in the new working arena.

“Working demonstrations are a great way to view tractors and implements in a natural environment and include equipment ranging from ploughs, drills, balers

and everything in between. Anyone wishing to showcase equipment should contact the secretary or visit our website for more information.”

Ms Williams added that Southern Rural Life Farm Invention Awards have been a part of the Southern Field Days for a number of years and are a great opportunity for budding inventors to show their creations.

“There are two categories, Market prototype and Kiwi ingenuity with great prize money up for grabs. View our website for entry forms and guidelines.

“We have worked hard this year to ensure that we have a much better ticketing system. You will be able to purchase your tickets before the event at any Farmlands store.

“We have also upgraded our cell phone coverage so that it is more reliable and capable of handling the volume of traffic. For any further information please visit our website at www.southernfielddays.co.nz or contact our secretary on 0272 367 200 or [email protected]

20 January 2016 CANTERBURY FARMING SOUTHERN FIELD DAYS

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After years of frustration over losing chicken feed to sparrows, rats and mice, Bill Kirkham had a burst of Kiwi ingenuity and designed an automatic chicken feeder he called Grandpa’s Feeders.

This ingenious yet simple product has been available in New Zealand since 1995 allowing poultry owners to leave their chickens for a couple of days and take a break without having to rely on family or neighbours.

In doing so, the product also decreased the loss of feed to rats and mice and wild birds which are not only taking the valuable feed, but also spread disease.

Bill, a retired farmer, never meant for his invention to become a commercial enterprise but when he had perfected the prototype and

tested it on a friend’s chicken run it soon became apparent there was a high demand for his invention.

With the amount of lifestyle block owners increasing all over the country, and a move away from buying battery farmed eggs, many people are keeping a few dozen hens in their backyards. Lifestyle

block owners often are holding down full-time jobs at the same time so anything that frees up time can be a huge advantage. Grandpa’s Feeders also manufacture a range of specialised feeders for zoos and bird sanctuaries such as Zealandia with a feeder for their Kaka breeding programme. There are also

feeders suitable for chickens, bantams, ducks and even other animals such as cats, dogs and rabbits.

The products have now been available for more than 20 years and have become standard equipment for any poultry owner even in Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom.

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Ki rpy has been manufacturing agricultural machinery since 1912. They are an innovative company offering a very high quality line of machinery.

The Kirpy stone crusher is highly regarded in many other countries and machinery is also used for farm and forestry roading, and

construction sites. The Kirpy BPB is capable of crushing 400mm rocks down to 30mm and less in a single pass.

The first machines delivered have been used in locations ranging from Central Otago crushing schist and quartz to Mossburn crushing river rock — regarded as very tough rock to break.

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A lot of people in our Recharge Conditioning program are getting 8 to 10 years out of their batteries. Just dose them when you buy them, treat them every two years and give them an overnight charge twice a year between treatments and eliminate the sulphation problem. Yes you can treat sealed batteries, simply drill into each cell, top up with water, treat, charge and reseal with silicone, sika-flex or a plastic bung.

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Maximum battery performanceA D V E RT O R I A L

Lead acid batteries usually die prematurely from sulphide build-up on internal lead plates and according to Gerard Anselmi of Recharge Battery Revitalizer and Conditioner, this is easy to treat.

“We have been saying for years that farmers are getting eight to 10 years in our battery conditioning program.. However, most shows we do these days we meet people using our Recharge Battery Conditioning Program with 12 and 14-year-old batteries still going,” he said.

“In fact last year we had several farmers with 17-year-old batteries and one was a Canterbury farmer at the Christchurch A&P show who returned to say it was 18 years old and still starting like new.

“After 17 years on the market in New Zealand and 11-years in Australia I would not be surprised if we bettered that figure given time. The real problem is every battery you buy is already sulphated from sitting since it was made.”

“The treatment chemically reverses the sulphide build-up process, with one chemical reaction to counter another,” Mr Anselmi adds.

“Once treated, a battery is essentially running at full capacity and prevention is the key. Treat them early — repeat every two to three years and

keep them charged to stop the lead plates corroding away.”

See Recharge at the Southland Field Days site 273 on Kelly Lane. It is also available from Farmlands. The 500ml farmer pack works out at $4.50 per car battery or $8.50 to treat a light commercial battery. A more cost effective two litre commercial pack is available on line at www.

recharge.net.nz or on Ebay. As Recharge is acid based it is dangerous goods and expensive to freight. The two litre bottle is therefore the only one that we sell directly. It treats 42 x N-70 batteries or 22 x N-150 truck batteries, or about five sets of electric golf cart batteries — about $6000 to $8000 worth of batteries treated for $340 delivered.

And yes you can treat

sealed batteries simply by drilling into each cell and reseal with silicone, sika-flex or a plastic bung. Recharge is also great for deep cycle batteries like fork-lifts, golf carts, scissor hoists and lighting system batteries.

“The big deep cycle batteries we get a very good result with” says Mr Anselmi “they should go for a long time but usually don’t.”

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Natural remedies prove popularHomeopathic Farm Support Ltd began in 1997 in response to repeated requests from farmers for quality homeopathic products and professional information, education and guidelines.

Tineke Verkade is now a well recognised business woman in the New Zealand livestock and dairy farming communities. In November 2009, her company, HFS Ltd. won the Organics Aotearoa New Zealand Enterprise Award and was the Supreme Winner of the Enterprising Rural Women Award 2010.

Many conventional farmers now use homeopathy for animal health in their farming operation. More than a quarter of Fonterra’s dairy farmers and a significant number of sheep and beef producers use homeopathy exclusively or along with conventional medications, due to the success they have experienced using homeopathy to improve and maintain the health of their animals and productivity.

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Determination from MPI /ACVM “HFS Ltd exists to assist and support farmers and has always placed a high value on free information and training to empower farmers to better care for their animals in a cost effective, efficient, and most importantly, natural way.”

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Mohair expert visits New Zealandby Ann Morgan

A world’s leading expert in Angora goats and mohair arrived in New Zealand recently to share his knowledge and expertise with the country’s Angora goat farmers.

The Mohair New Zealand Inc and Federated Farmers Goats conference was held in Pukekohe, and was set to educate and inspire Angora goat farmers with delegates from all over the country attending.

“A highlight of the event was the presence of GT Ferreira, a world renowned mohair producer who made his mark as a top Angora goat farmer in South Africa. He is regarded as the world’s best producer of high-quality mohair. He has since brought his world-class genetics, global reputation and industry contacts to Australia, where he is now based,” says Mohair New Zealand chair Lynne Milne.

“Mr Ferreira demonstrated the potential of Angora goats as a sustainable and lucrative farming enterprise. To have him talking to our farmers here was invaluable.”

Mr Ferreira was meant to be joined by representatives of the Turkish Mohair Industry with the delegation led by associate professor Dr Irfan Daskiran from the Ministry of Food, Agriculture

and Livestock of Turkey and senior members of Turkish Sheep and Goat Breeders Association.

“Disappointingly, the Turkish delegates had unforeseen visa issues in Australia due to a travel agent mistake, so have had to postpone their trip and plan to come in the very near future. They are looking to arrive at the end of February as they are wanting to improve their own mohair industry.

“They are coming to see what they can learn from us to better improve their industry. We are hoping to get them into the South Island so they can see the technologies which we have to offer.

“Their industry has declined over time due to the younger generation moving to the cities and the time has come for them to come up with ways to keep their young people on the land and keep rural Turkey healthy.”

The Angora goat originates from Turkey and is named after what was once the name of the country’s capital — Angora. “Not surprisingly, Turkey has

a longstanding Angora goat farming industry and we can learn from each other about how to improve our respective sectors,” said Ms Milne.

“Attending this conference was a rare opportunity for Angora goat farmers to add value to their businesses.

“Mr Ferreira spoke about weaving fibre and quality Angoras. Weaving fibre is a superior fibre to the average knitting fibre in the mohair industry.

“It is a value added to the dairy industry and in the long term is more sustainable for the mohair producers.

“He gave insights into the industry, the future of it and the possibility of producing and marketing the product here in New Zealand. He spoke about fibre quality and medullation and how these relate to further processing of the fibre.”

There was a field day at David Brown’s farm in Waipu, Northland where there were examples of pure weaving bucks and first cross animals so that the delegates could identify the traits for themselves. “At Pukekohe

we went to John Woodwards warehouse where fibre is sorted for marketing and producers were challenged to grade fibre for themselves. This showed how it is prepared for the buyers. A talk about the recording of livestock.

“It was interesting to see how it would relate to the mohair industry. This was followed with a presentation about markers and traits in animals and how that may relate to Angora in goats.”

There was a fleece competition where producers presented their fleeces and they were judged by Mr Ferreira.

“We had a dinner where everybody had to dress to impress wearing mohair. Remembering that it is summer, this was quite a challenge.

“There were some very innovative and exciting things worn. It was a very enjoyable time and of course the menu was goat meat.

“The event was informative, educational and lots of fun. We ended with an Angora goat sale.”


Contact us to discuss your needs 0800 802 478 E: [email protected] W: www.rataindustries.co.nz

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Peter and Vera Hira’s family lived in Christchurch city for nearly 30 years where they pastored Christchurch Worship Centre. The family have now made the move to country life.

“We had been d i s c u s s i n g sell ing our

houses in the city with my in-laws before the earthquakes happened. We then had to wait for the right time after the earthquakes, but sadly my mother-in-law, Vera, passed away last year,” said daughter-in-law Sarah.

“We recently sold our properties with my father-in-law Peter and managed to find a lifestyle block with 15 acres of flat land and beautiful lush grass in the Tai Tapu area. We are very blessed to be here.”

Peter had grown up in the country and although they are still involved in

many community activities including church, they thought it would be nice to return to the country life for his retirement years.

Peter has time living in the city with his daughter Angela as well as the family property and will permanently move to the farm with Angela when they organise extra housing.

“It just made sense to make the move. When we first arrived our children Bobbie 10 years old, Tyla 8 years old and Kaci 4 years old kept rolling around in the grass just enjoying nature.”

The property came with an established vegetable garden which they have

enjoyed replanting. “We are starting to eat the produce now and Kaci can’t believe he has grown strawberries, corn and peas. He is loving the experience but didn’t really appreciate the taste of his first radish. It has been a great lesson in life for them that things don’t actually come from ‘the shop’.

“The children just had a deck to play on in the city. We wanted to have a better lifestyle that works for the family as a whole and loved the idea of country living. Now we realise how great it is.” The previous owners had horses on the property. It had no animals when they

first moved and due to the amount of grass they decided to run some sheep.

“So far we have chickens and 24 sheep which isn’t heaps but is enough to keep the grass down. The children have named them all and go out and talk to them. “

They received advice from the previous owner and produced six paddocks of hay as extra feed.

“It is such a great community here, we can call anyone for help with what to do when we are stuck. Even the lady we got the chickens from has guided me through the steps. I call us google farmer’s because I google a

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Peter Hira teaches his grandson Kaci safety around the bbq


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lot too.“We have had to learn

along the way. Steve was filling the swimming pool and forgot to turn the tap off and it ran overnight. I had a shower and said ‘gosh the water pressure is really bad’. Suddenly Steve realised he had left the tap on and it had burnt out the pump. It was an expensive mistake.

“We had to learn to reinforce our fencing as the sheep are jolly stubborn and when they want to go somewhere they just do. For a place like this you need the right equipment to have things work in your favour. We are researching things we need. Commuting is different too. You think twice before whipping out to the shops. You need to be organised.

“One of the biggest changes we have seen is the children sleep well at night as they are running around constantly. In the city they lived on their electronic devices and went to the movies.

“Now when we go to see what they are doing it is usually building a hut, climbing a tree or painting the chicken’s toe nails. They are doing things you dream for your kids and as a family we have more quality time working on the property. For New Year we put a tent

up in the back paddock. It was amazing.”

Sarah’s mum Pam lives with them too and has been tending to the rose garden and learning what tree is what.

“She is loving it. We never thought Bunnings would be

our favourite shop. We have an orchard and are going to expand it. The move from the city has been life changing. We are way less stressed, which you don’t realise until you change lifestyle.

“Now putting on gumboots and going to check the chickens is normal. It has changed our whole pace and outlook on life. We are very blessed to have this opportunity and know that my mother-in-law Vera would have loved it too.”

“They lived on their electronic devices and went to the movies”

Kaci with his grandmother Pam on the way to a picnic on the farm


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Retracing steps to LincolnIt took Irishman John Somers 35 years and a bit of luck to revisit the Springs Road site of the 1980 World Ploughing Championships at which he won a bronze medal. The Cairn of Peace commemorates the event with a plaque from each team who competed.

“My memory of that wonderful trip has stayed with me over the years and it has always been my intention to revisit New Zealand and explore this fascinating and friendly country. I had expressed a wish to visit the college and the area of the Ploughing Championships,” says John.

“My wife was sceptical about whether this would be possible as I had very little factual information. However the receptionist in our hotel found the appropriate information, together with the bus route, and sent us on our way to Lincoln University.

“On arrival at the college, the receptionist made a few enquiries and, within 10 minutes, the university photographer David Hollander arrived at the door and not only did he know the location of the Cairn of Peace, but he offered to take us to see it.” John says this was the highlight of his visit to New Zealand.

The 1980 competition was John’s second time attempt at world level ploughing. He and team mate John Treacy spent the week

before the competitions familiarising themselves with new equipment and New Zealand soil.

“On this occasion,” says John, “luck was on the side of the contestants from the Northern Hemisphere. When the overall marks of both days were counted, Vivian Samuels of Great Britain achieved first overall, John Treacy of Ireland was second and I was awarded third. Overall we brought home all nine medals.”

The first World Ploughing contest took place in Canada in 1953. The aim of the competition is to foster and preserve the art and improve

the skill of ploughing the land, to foster cooperation in producing food for an increasing world population and to encourage fellowship and understanding amongst the people of all nations.

The world event has two championship classes, using either a reversible or a conventional plough. Each country is entitled to enter a competitor in each class of the contest. New Zealand has previously organised four very successful world events, 1967, 1980, 1994 and 2010, with the WPO recently allocating the 75th world event to New Zealand in 2028.

John Somers and his wife Maureen taken at the Cairn of Peace


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by Andy Bryenton

As a young boy, pilot and business owner, Logan Mclean was fascinated by the sight of topdressing planes working among the farmland of his home town of Kaukapakapa.

It was an obsession which grew to become a vocation as the young man learned to fly, gaining all the credentials to pilot his own craft and take to the skies. From those early days at the controls of a hang-glider over picturesque Muriwai beach, he became a seasoned and accomplished airman, going on to found his own company, which operates today from Rangiora in Canterbury.

It’s that passion for the open sky which led him to the Pioneer range of light aircraft — small, nimble machines which totally and thoroughly engage the senses.

Designed in Italy, the land of the finely tuned supercar, these planes are inexpensive, responsive and beautifully designed, packing the proven technology of Rotax engines up front for easy and effortless flight.

Logan’s company, Alpi Aviation New Zealand, deliver three models from the Pioneer range to New Zealand

and uptake among local pilots has been enthusiastic to say the least.

From the little 100 horsepower Pioneer 230 with an empty weight of only 285kg, through the Pioneer 300 Kite and up to the Pioneer 300 Hawk with its retractable landing gear and grin-inducing performance, the entire range exemplify the Italian design aesthetic, coupled with flight-proven engineering and electronics.

How reliable? Well, in 2005, when Logan set out to bring his brand to Australia, he thought nothing of buckling in and heading across the Tasman in one of his own planes.

Like all pilots, Logan planned meticulously, charting route which took in Norfolk Island and Lord Howe Island on a ten-hour course. An extra gas tank was his companion, and the little Pioneer performed flawlessly.

With a growing fleet of Pioneers in the air, Alpi

Aviation New Zealand also operate a comprehensive service centre for the marque. These planes can be built up from a kitset or provided complete, and the numbers are steadily growing.

This holiday season a brand new Hawk flew in to

meet its new owner, while two more Kites are expected this month. Between looking after happy customers and enjoying some time at the controls himself, Logan is a tireless promoter of the peppy little light planes, travelling to shows, field

days and more to expose more pilots to the joy of a lighter, more responsive craft. Just like the thrill of taking the wheel in a Caterham 7 after driving through traffic in a large SUV, the Pioneer experience is both revelatory and liberating! Logan invites

pilots to give him a call and arrange a time to see for themselves what it feels like to fly a Pioneer. No matter which model they choose, this Italian thoroughbred of the skies is sure to deliver big smiles and re-ignite a passion for the open sky.

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Grain Sampling and Analysis solutions


Grain and seed handlingSampling grain has always been important in measuring key quality parameters in combinable crops. Recently, other challenges including Mycotoxins have emerged, requiring the industry to demonstrate due diligence.

There are a number of key sampling opportunities. Following these simple procedures and ensuring appropriate equipment is used will assist in maximising your return.

Firstly, it is important to know the harvested quality. At harvest, analysis can only determine grain quality if sampling is representative of grain loads coming into store/silo. Results from analysis of harvested grain will confirm if grain meets the proposed market’s criteria.

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At outloading from the store/silo representative samples are taken as trucks are loaded to provide evidence of what has been dispatched. This is the best opportunity for the grower’s and purchaser’s assessments to match.

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Designer Karen Newton thought it was odd that young children are carefully covered with sunsmart swimwear but there was nothing similar on the market for women.

“With an aging population, there is a real need for swimwear that provides more cover and more sun protection,” she says.

“Covertogs were designed following research with women aged 50-plus which showed that many women wanted a two-piece swimsuit that was easy to get in and out of, that provided sun protection — particularly for shoulders and décolletage — and had enough cover for them to feel confident to be active and out there to enjoy the water and beach.

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they also feature built-in bra cups with a front-opening zip to make them super easy to get in and out of. Baby boomers are snapping them up but also women who have had mastectomies, light sensitivities, skin cancers and surgical scars that they wish to cover.“

The fabric used is Italian Lycra with 50+ UV rating and is ultra-chlorine resistant so the fabric doesn’t lose its stretchiness in pools. They are made in New Zealand and “online testimonials indicate they definitely give women what they want,” says Karen. For information: www.covertogs.co.nz.

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Swarms and diseasesLocust swarms, invasive ants, tick borne livestock diseases and rampant aquatic weed growth are just some of the potential impacts of a changing climate on New Zealand’s agricultural and horticultural industries.

Late in 2015 the Ministry of Primary Industries (MPI) released a disturbing report, ‘Effects of climate change on current and potential biosecurity pests and diseases in New Zealand’. It sets out the major risks to the primary sector, as well as native plants and wildlife from new invasive pest species, and ‘sleeper’ pests, as temperatures warm.

‘Sleeper’ plant and animal species are already present here and currently innocuous, but their populations and extent may increase with warming temperatures to become significant pests. The MPI report describes

how migratory locusts already occur in NZ but current temperatures are not high enough to trigger the swarming behaviour that would make them a pest. A temperature increase could change this.

Current temperatures and winter frosts also limit the establishment and southern spread of other species. Alligator weed occurs in Northland and Auckland, and is toxic to livestock. Warming temperatures mean it could become more invasive on land and in the water, and spread south with its floating mats blocking waterways.

The report predicts that accelerated trade winds and bushfire weather patterns are likely to see more potential pests blown in from Australia. It warns of the risk of mosquito-borne illnesses

such as West Nile virus and bovine ephemeral fever becoming more widespread, affecting livestock and human health.

The National Government’s target of reducing greenhouse emissions by 11 per cent by 2030 compared to 1990 levels, lacks ambition. Climate experts describe it as ‘inadequate’. If every other country copied this, a future of increased plant and animal pests and diseases would be a near certainty.

When 65 per cent of our exports are from agriculture, horticulture and forestry, an unstable climate that increases biosecurity risks underlines why we must take serious action to end climate pollution. With 48 per cent of NZ’s emissions coming from agriculture, the sector must do its share

to help protect its own and our future. Government needs to provide long-term regulatory certainty on carbon pricing, and a commitment to include agriculture in the Emissions Trading Scheme after a transition period, as well as improved infrastructure planning.

In 2015, the Green Party repeatedly offered to work with National to achieve cross-party agreement on climate action to ensure durable policy. It’s disappointing these offers have been rejected.

As Green coleader James Shaw has said, “We’re not going to meet our Paris commitments to reduce our carbon pollution by letting the rest of the world do it for us. It’s time for our Government to help businesses lead the economic transition to a clean, green economy.”

A Green Perspective with Eugenie Sage, Green Party Primary Industries spokesperson

If you’re reading this, then so are your customersTo advertise in the Canterbury Farming

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A very small countryThe break from Parliament over Christmas was an opportunity for me to catch up with family and friends like many Kiwis.

Once I had battled through the small but focussed challenge of boysenberry harvesting, family time included a trip to a wedding in the far north. Farming was never far from conversation and the rain we all enjoyed put a smile on most faces. While many Kiwis may not have the opportunity to travel the lengths of the country like a roving politician, it’s not hard to gather information from one end of the country to the other.

We are indeed a small country in one big community when it comes to the big issues. Jobs, income levels, road safety, and the cost of housing affect us all in some way or another. Unless you can claim to be in the elite wealthy life is challenging in New Zealand at the moment. Even the quarter of our country’s population

that resides in Auckland are eventually alerted to the reality that farming and primary production affects their lives more than they care to admit.

The dry, and now we are told hot, climate that our country is enduring presents some tough times for farmers and other primary producers. Lack of grass, fire risk, drinking water shortages are just a few of the management challenges across the rural economy.

The need to sell livestock, buy feed and reduce costs means many farmers are having to make tough decisions. Business partners and relationships are often strained because of desperate measures that have to be made to survive. It’s easy to justify the call if it seems the only option is business failure or

bankruptcy. What is often lost in the consideration is the long term consequences of those moves. Whether it is a bank, a farmer owner, a sharemilker or a rural contractor, we should never forget that being up front, and ethical is an absolute requirement of strong and enduring relationships.

Farmers may think that the best deal on the day is the best approach, but in these tough times a strong trusting and ethical business relationship is one of the most valuable pieces of your business.

The ability to access working capital, buy good livestock and retain reliable workers all depends on your management of relationships in both the good and the bad times.

Those people in the agribusiness sectors who

have taken short cuts, burned bridges, and exploited staff will be finding it tough to battle through these challenging times. New Zealand is a very small country when it comes to local knowledge,

where bad news travels fast and rebuilding a reputation can take a generation. We all need to work together to ensure farming has a better future. Anyone or any organisation that exploits

individuals facing the current challenges will be exposed when the tables turn. It’s time to look after one another not take every advantage of the situation facing too many farmers right now.

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Power Farming CanterburyFind us on

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O’Connor Commentswith Damien O’Connor Opposition Spokesman on Agriculture


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This season Nigel’s net benefit from using SustaiN instead of urea is expected to be $2,813. To find out what your SustaiN Gain could be visit www.sustaingain.co.nz and work it out for your own farm or call your Ballance Nutrient Specialist.

* For details on the variables used in the above calculation visit www.sustaingain.co.nz or phone 0800 222 090 for more information.

BAL22791 SustaiN Gain Press Advert Update CF004 Nigel 280x172mm_FA.indd 1 22/01/16 3:38 PM

Rural connections throughout New ZealandBetter broadband and mobile coverage has been rolled out across the country this year as a result of investments made by Vodafone.

Thirty new cell sites have been built in the last 12 months and 27 existing cell sites have been upgraded under the Rural Broadband Initiative which Vodafone delivers in partnership with Chorus and the Government.

Vodafone has built a further 14 rural cell sites and upgraded 125 existing cell sites to 4G as part of its own investment.

Now almost 75 percent of rural New Zealanders have access to wireless broadband

connections capable of delivering speeds on par with, or faster than those experienced in urban centres.

“As we’re nearing the end of the RBI build phase it is exciting to see demand for our new mobile and wireless broadband services grow month on month,” said Vodafone technology director Tony Baird.

“There are more than 700,000 Kiwis living and working in rural New Zealand and they all need access to

more mobile coverage and faster broadband services — they are the powerhouse of our economy.

“It has been hugely rewarding to learn how different communities and businesses are starting to really benefit from better connectivity in rural New Zealand as a result of this investment.

“With Vodafone’s rural broadband network and new coverage innovations, our long-term vision is to reach

over 99 percent of places where Kiwis live, work and play,” said Tony.

“Earlier in the year we welcomed the Government’s 2025 target of speeds of over 50Mbps to virtually all New Zealanders — and we have the technology roadmap to deliver it.”

Vodafone will continue to deliver on its RBI contract, bringing the total number of completed RBI cell sites to 154, and upgraded cell sites to 387, ahead of contractual

Vodafone technology director, Tony Baird

dates. Upon completion of the programme, over 290,000 homes and businesses

in rural New Zealand will have access to high speed wireless broadband.

SMOKE ALARMSSave Lives

CANTERBURY FARMING January 2016 35 EDUCATION

Geraldine High School

9 3 M C K E N Z I E S T R E E T , G E R A L D I N E , S O U T H C A N T E R B U R Y • 0 3 6 9 3 0 0 1 7 • O F F I C E @ G E R A L D I N E H S . S C H O O L . N Z • G E R A L D I N E H S . S C H O O L . N Z

offers career pathways in the Primary Industries

Year 11-13 courses in Agriculture, Horticulture, Forestry and Equine are available at Geraldine High School’s Primary Industry Academy.

Thanks to Sarah Foley-Smith’s commitment and passion, our Academy is recognised as one of the best in the country, and our students are highly sought after. Sarah has abackground in farming, has presented at national conferences and is now working withNCEA developing a national Level 2 vocational pathways award in Primary Industries.

GHS Sarah Foley FRAME.qxp 13/10/15 7:39 am Page 1

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Opihi College is proud to announce the commencement of our new buildings project. This comprehensive restructure of the school site will involve a multi-million dollar renovation and replacement project to include a Wharenui, Music and Performing Arts Suite, multi-purpose Classrooms and Laboratories in a modern learning configuration alongside an upgrade to the existing Gymnasium and change facilities. This provides an exciting opportunity for learners at Opihi College to experience state of the art premises accompanied by an excellent standard of teaching and student support as cited in our recent 2015 ERO report. We look forward to accompanying your child on an exciting educational journey in 2016 and beyond.

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Organics to the foreA D V E RT O R I A L

Instruction in organic horticulture is now well established at the Lincoln-based Organic Training College with the next year-long course beginning in August.

It will be will be the eighth intake for the college and students need no prior qualifications or experience in Year One and can study full or part-time. Those who have some horticultural background can go straight into Year Two.

An added appeal of the course is that all fees are under $500, and full time students are eligible to apply for a loan or allowance through Studylink.

Course director Bill Martin says it works well to start the course year in the spring. “The organic horticulture course is all about growing so we want to start the course in spring when it is the right time to begin planting.”

Year One students get plenty of hands on training in subjects such as sowing and planting organic crops, soil management and composting.

The Year Two students have the option of using land and facilities on the Biological Husbandry Unit farm to grow and sell their own certified produce — a semi-commercial venture that gives students a real taste of organic horticulture as a business.

The students grow vegetables under the guidance of a mentor and sell them at a weekly stall at Lincoln University. “The Year 2 programme gives the students experience in a commercial

environment without any risk. It’s the icing on the cake for a lot of the students here.” As well as the year-long organic horticulture courses a correspondence programme

in organics is also available. The Organic Training College has 10 hectares of certified organic land as well as greenhouses, tunnel houses and research areas.

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How magnesium defi ciencies can be sortedSome things change over time, and others don’t, with one certainty being the daily demand for magnesium by dairy cows, particularly prior to calving.

Without adequate daily intake of magnesium a wide range of health problems occur — at one end of the scale lower milk solid production, at the other end unnecessary deaths.

The factor most mentioned, however, is the time wasted in spring dealing with sick animals, and the sense of frustration that arises from having followed best advice, and yet the problems persist.

There are, however, a growing number of farmers for whom these issues simply don’t exist. For them an animal requiring treatment is worthy of note because it’s a rare occurrence, and they operate properties where Golden Bay dolomite is applied once a year, usually in autumn.

Although it is true that older animals, particularly if they are a Jersey or have a Jersey background, are more likely to suffer, our experience is that even purebred Jersey herds on such pasture have a similarly low incidence of metabolic disorders in spring.

Weather condit ions also play a major role in calcium/magnesium related problems. Leaf magnesium concentrations vary, being highest in periods of direct sunlight. At these times the leaf content of pasture grasses may be as high as 0.25%, and animals fed well on this feed are receiving suff ic ient magnesium each day.

Magnesium concentrations decline in periods of wet, cold weather. Animals may eat less and, if another source of magnesium is not available, problems can still arise.

The most effective supplement is high quality meadow hay harvested from land that also receives an annual application of

dolomite. Hay contains the fibre essential for good rumen function, as well as useful energy and oils contained in the seed.

As one farmer recently stated, “No matter how good the salad is, it’s great to have some bread and pastry.” And where hay is made available, animals only eat sufficient to meet their requirements at that time.

Another reason for the effectiveness of dolomite spread at 220kg/ha in autumn is the calcium that is also applied. Calcium/magnes i um r e l a t ed metabolics are nearly always the result of an imbalance of the two elements, and because dolomite contains both in the ratio required

by grasses its effect is extraordinary.

There is also the obvious advantage of receiving magnesium in every mouthful of feed rather than relying on it being provided via the water system, or as dust on the leaf of a plant. As Professor Tom Walker wrote, “It makes good sense to me to correct animal deficiencies through the soil and the plant.”

When bulk deliveries of dolomite direct to farm started twenty-six years ago, most went to what were large herds at the time, those of over three hundred cows, as even on highly magnesium deficient country a single autumn application over the whole property markedly reduced the incidence of problems, reducing the reliance on variable intakes from dusting or water in troughs.

A further advantage of dolomite is the pH or ‘liming’ effect. Dolomite contains 11.5% magnesium and 24% calcium, and has a slightly higher liming effect than the same quantity of lime. 28

tonnes of dolomite has the liming effect of approximately 30 tonnes of high quality agricultural lime.

It is available throughout the country and, if not already in stock at the major companies, it can be delivered in whatever quantity is required within a matter of days. It may be added to a non-nitrogen fertiliser mix or spread separately with a typical truck and trailer load sufficient for 127ha.

There are those that state that dolomite is expensive. When higher production and less deaths are factored in, dolomite is one of the few fertiliser products that provides an almost immediate financial benefit.

However the most satisfying aspect may be the peace of mind that comes from knowing that your valuable animals are receiving the benefits from the most effective magnesium fertiliser available and which is locally sourced.

For more information call Peter on 0800 4Dolomite, 0800 436 566.

CANTERBURY FARMING January 2016 37 DAIRY

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A little rain goes a long way

by Paul Campbell

Rainfall in opening weeks of 2016 has done something for farming spirits with the falls a welcome respite from ongoing dry weather conditions in much of the country.

However, Niwa has little encouragement for dairying along with other farming sectors with the advice that farmers in drought-affected parts of New Zealand will continue to feel the impacts of El Niño for months.

January and February are usually drier months in Canterbury and while there has been some rain as this edition of Canterbury Farming goes to press, it has been hailed by MPI’s director of resource policy, David Wansbrough:

“In many of the drought-hit areas, particularly Canterbury and Marlborough, the rain was a great morale booster.

“Crop farmers have had a better start to the year, as any good rainfall like this really helps new crop growth. But where pasture has died from over a year of dry weather, more rain will be needed to break the drought and it will be months before production recovers.

“Much of Otago was less lucky and didn’t receive the rainfall of their northerly neighbours. In the Strath Taieri, some locals are saying it’s the driest they have ever seen it.“Farmers are doing a good job of working through their drought management plans. For many, destocking in November and early December means that remaining animals can be kept in good condition even under this pressure,” says Mr Wansbrough.But climate is only part of the ongoing dairy battle, with stronger-than-anticipated production out of the European Union delaying the recovery in global dairy markets. Little ‘upside’ is foreseen until the second half of 2016 according to Rabobank’s latest Dairy Quarterly report.

Dairy analyst Michael Harvey said while the dairy market was “a step closer towards a gradual

rebalancing,” much of the improvement in market fundamentals continued to hinge on a slowdown in EU supply growth, which was now not expected to show signs of waning until the latter half of this year. “European milk production is still advancing strongly following the removal of quotas seven months ago, with milk deliveries over that period up by 2.8 per cent — an increase of more than two billion litres,” he says.

Mr Harvey said despite production growth slowing considerably in the southern hemisphere and also the US, with New Zealand’s production expected to be down by seven to 10 per cent this season, the global market will remain oversupplied until “the brakes are also applied in the EU.” Rabobank’s current forecast pegs a 28 per cent increase in the world (FOB Oceania) whole milk powder price by the December Quarter 2016, to $3,200/tonne.

38 January 2016 CANTERBURY FARMING DAIRY

New Canadian manufacturedHeavy Duty Cultivator from Pluck’s

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We have just assembled our latest cultivator from Canada and it’s even bigger and tougher than before.

It has been manufactured to our design, from input we got from you, for New Zealand farm conditions and roads and still has the bullet proof Morris 2” x 11/4” Auto Reset Trip Legs.

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High-tech monitoring for the herdby Andy Bryenton

In breeding, timing is everything. Identifying when it’s the right time to bring a specific cow into the AI programme can provide a significant advantage, and the use of accurate heat information has been proven to be a vital cue in this process.

To that end, well-known herd improvement company LIC have invested in technology at the ground level, purchasing a 75 per cent share in Australian heat detection manufacturers Beacon Heat Detectors.

In this case, it’s not a reference of specific temperature — though the use of thermal imaging cameras has been on the rise

to detect, even from drones in the air, cattle which are afflicted with illness. This kind of heat detection is all to do with the natural cycle priming a cow for pregnancy and, in the past, it has been a matter of subtle signs, farmer’s know-how and a bit of luck.

Now science — with the aid of Beacon — has brought the detection of cows in heat into

the 21st century. Adopting a patch and camera system, farmers can be automatically appraised of which cows are in oestrus, ready for artificial insemination. Beacon have a long standing relationship with LIC, having helped develop a heat-sensing camera system for their in-shed automation initiative, ProTrack Vantage. As an add-on, the ProTrack EZ Heat system promises to take the guesswork out of predicting the precise time to instigate AI, meaning more successful pregnancies, with all that this means for a thriving dairy operation.

Early adopters of the technology are full of praise for its ability to accurately predict oestrus — and thus boost the bottom line.

I’ve had the camera for two mating seasons and it’s doing everything I thought it would,” says Joe Wyborn of Geraldine. “The investment in EZ Heat and heat patches has paid for itself within a year from the savings in bulls (we used to carry 28, now it’s only 12) and savings in labour.”LIC Chief Executive Wayne McNee is also enthusiastic about this strategic partnership, noting that his company’s leadership

in genetic science is now matched by this advance in breeding support technology. Of course, there are wider markets beyond Australia and New Zealand in which tech like the ProTrack system will prove extremely valuable.

“There is farmer demand worldwide for these high-qual i ty, custom-made

products which can drive gains in productivity and profitability on-farm. We will be looking at where we can market these products in international markets to deliver a good return for our shareholders.”

For now, the aim is to roll out Beacon’s tech to as many Kiwi and Aussie farms

as possible, making the precise science of genetic improvement that little bit sharper. In economic conditions, such as those faced by the modern dairy industry, the possibility of reliable 12 monthly calving cycles must seem a godsend — but in fact, it’s just solid ingenuity!

CANTERBURY FARMING January 2016 39 DAIRY

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A strategic shift in world trade?In the first few weeks of 2016 we continue to see the global slide in dairy auction prices. Whole milk powder has dropped nearly 10% in the last two auctions down to $2,188 per metric tonne. The only glimmer is AMF hydrous milk fat up 2.4% to $3,724 per metric tonne.

Fonterra’s December export record, while gratifying, leaves a question of what incentives for purchasers ensured exports at that level.

We could now be seeing a major change in world trading power with oil dropping to $27.80 per barrel. The price of diesel in New Zealand is now down to 77 cents per litre — levels not seen for years.

We see China forging new trade partnerships with Iran, with both countries agreeing to build a new railway link between them, restoring for trade the legendary Silk Route of history. China is cooperating with Iran on nuclear energy and investing in new nuclear plants in the UK.

China has also signed more than a dozen trade agreements with Iran and economic commentators predict that Iran will work and trade with independent countries. This could suit New Zealand. While America and Europe are continuing with their trade embargoes against Russia and while Europe is plagued with migrant problems, Russia and China are cooperating quietly, setting up trade agreements with not only the middle

eastern countries, but Africa as well.

I believe we are seeing a major shift with many countries seeking to avoid Western bloc meddling in their affairs. The Gulf States are seeking strategic relations with Russia and China. Russia claims a 4% annual growth in agriculture production.

Russia and China are carrying out large joint ventures such as construction of huge dairy farms. China’s underlying strategy is that

cooperation is the only way to find peace.

New Zealand’s fortunes may also gain from this new trade thinking.

Dairy farmers’ fortunes will depend on Fonterra realising around $3000 per tonne to maintain the current forecast payout of $4.60 per kg of milk solids.

On a wider horizon, New Zealands exports may also depend on the outcome of the American elections later this year and Europe and

the Americans coming to the realisation that the world economies are so intertwined that trade embargoes are not an option to force desired changes in another government’s policies.

Be my GuestBill Guest Farmers of New ZealandMembership Services: 09 439 5219 • 09 430 3758www.farmersofnewzealand.comEmail: [email protected]

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Wool PerspectiveFrom Rob Cochrane GM, Procurement, PGG Wrightson Wool

‘Time will tell’ for wool marketWelcome to the 2016 calendar year and part two of the 2015/16 wool selling season.

At time of writing and due to a variety of commitments I had been unable to review any South Island wool auctions however one auction had been conducted in the North Island.

After what was a troublesome start to 2016 on the global financial scene, the wool market was not expected to have immunity. Buyers and exporters approached the Napier auction sale with caution, however demand once again proved healthy and prices remained closely linked to those ruling at December 17, 2015 auctions held in both Christchurch and Napier.

Crossbred fleece prices were expected to ease due to the anticipated onslaught of full wool from Southland in particular during the January and February months, along with the downturn in wool quality associated with a large number of ewes having suffered an extremely difficult

wool growing season, but full-length fleece remained buoyant at Napier.

Crossbred second-shear wool prices had been, up until the end of December, level to or ahead of full length fleece prices, something which was definitely abnormal but did reflect the shortfall in demand for those wool types. Hence the market for second-shear types was also expected to ease somewhat as a flurry of those types came on-stream, mainly in the North Island, however second-shear types in fact strengthened at Napier on January 7.

Due to a large number of lambs having been slaughtered relatively early this season compared to normal (not really sure what ‘normal’ is though nowadays!), just how the supply of, and demand for, shorn lamb’s wool would pan out was a bit of an unknown. Another limiting factor in the supply of crossbred lamb’s wool

was the less than desirable lambing in several southern areas due not only to the poor weather conditions, but also to abortion. The number of forward contracts for lamb’s wool available to growers since before the beginning of the current 2015/16 wool selling season (ie since before June 30, 2015), meant that many wool growers had already opted to sign a portion of their lamb’s wool to contract, therefore side stepping the spot market. With a significant proportion of specialist types away from the market place, some exporters who had sold lamb’s wool forward expecting it to be available on the spot market, may have been disappointed and forced to pay more than they had anticipated simply to meet their commitments. On the other hand, growers who had contracted a percentage of their expected lamb’s wool production were able

to budget, knowing what that portion of their lamb’s wool cheque would look like, however if they were in the situation of having been forced to slaughter lambs early due to lack of feed they probably had very little ‘free’ lamb’s wool to sell on the spot market. Lamb’s wool generally was perhaps a little easier to buy on January 7 at Napier, than anticipated prior to the auction, but over-all demand appeared solid and observers remained cautiously optimistic for future price levels.

With the wool harvest now in full swing, wool flows in both islands are ramping up and shearers are fully employed, however with the national ewe flock dwindling constantly, wool supplies are expected to fall short of demand, which augers well for the immediate future from a grower’s perspective. I guess that ‘time will tell’.

That’s my view.

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A dog’s tail…

A reel proper National Day...“Well then Dog, just

wen we thort we hada get stuck into work aroun’ tha propitty, gess what. We got another holyday!”

Boss was chortlin’ away as we drove ova tha kattil stop. Y’see readas, me an’ Boss an’ Sharlene, their dorter Sophy and Mum, Sharlene’s mum, had bean down ta tha becch campin’ ground ona haber entrince for a bit ofa brake, campin’ and fishin.’ Well, Boss went fishin’ but orl he cood catch ina harber was sum undersize snappas, and lotsa sharks. Lost lots of hooks and sinkas to.

Good thing sum of his mates dropped off some fish for the barbee. Boss was good tho’ cos he swapped sum home kill beef stakes to his mates. Hsd some home killed sussages too.

Well, anyway, we packt upa tent and loaded everyhtin’ inta that boat and towed it home back to tha farm proppitty. That’s win Boss started blimmin’ chortlin’.

“Whytangy Day is comin’ up alreddy. Anither long weekend brake, We shooda stayed at tha beach campin’ and fishin’,” he sed.

Then Sharlene an’ Mum got ona Bosss case.

“Whytangy Day is supposed ter be fer us Kiwiz to celerbrate our national day,” sed Mum. Sharlene agreed an’ tole Boss he shud watch Teevee an’ see the pollytishins at Whytangy up north.

“Hah,” seda Boss. “That’ll be tha day. Who wants ta see that John Ki getting yelld at by tha lokils. They’ll be slingin’ mud over that Tipi Trade Deal that’s bin done, an’ there’ll be a row over tha bluddy nashnil flag.

“Nah. It’s about time they gave that nonsinse at Whytangy a big swerve, an’ hada small celebration in alla towns roun’ the country. Y’now, have a bit of a parade, an’ a picknik,an’ kids games, an’ maybe a bita ofa koncert ina park an’ stuff. Keep that pollytishin’s out of the way. Ban pollytiks from Whytangi I reckin. Make it a reel propa national day fer evryone evrywere.”

Well, readas, I wus surpised ‘cos Mum an’ Sharlene didnt reely say much at all. They seem ta think Boss actyerly had a good idea!

Then Mum spoke up later wen she was puttin’ chops out for a barbee ona deck.

(She give me a wink wen she put extra ones for me tee.)

“”Not only we got another long weekend for Whytangy,” she sed. “We can rilly celerbrate evry day. We are lucky to have any holiday . We kin take tha tent, ana boat, ana fambly, catch a fish, hava ly ona beech ina sun.. costs nuthin.. sheeshh ( neva herd Mum say that eh readas...)?,,,,

“Anyway, we got lotsa holidays like Whytangi,” sed Mum.

Boss eyes lit up.

“We can go there wiva tent, wotch the boat races, ana bathtub races, an....” but Sharlene interypted.

“An yer kin wotch tha booty contests an’ have sum cold bears, eh deah,” she sed.

Boss sota lookt sheepish. “Well, lotsa things for tha famly to do. At leest thear won’t be any pollyticks eh?

Mum an’ Sharlene seemed ta agree. So the summar rolls on eh readas!

See ya ata regatter!CheersBilly

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Record high for export revenueby Andy Bryenton

Beef and lamb make up a big part of the traditional Kiwi diet — an old fashioned roast taking pride of place on many local tables. Now figures from Beef and Lamb NZ reveal that the rest of the world are also enamoured of our grass-fed goodness, with record export numbers tallied for the start of the 2015–16 season.

The tale of the tape tells the story — demand is up across our major trading partners, with a more savvy clientele in North America and Asia enjoying a bite of Kiwi lamb, beef, mutton and veal. And while per-tonne values are down this season, the added boost in volume has contributed to big gains in both markets. American gourmands are still tucking in to Kiwi meat at a level 33% higher than the five year average. While this is a good sign of a healthy demand, the weakening NZ dollar did little to offset a drop in beef’s average value. At the same time, Asian markets were hungry for more, with 31,000 tonnes of beef and veal shipping out between October and December. That’s a 55% increase in shipments and a 7.3% rise in the average per-tonne value — a clear indication that while fears of a slowing economy in China may have played the devil with global financial markets, the emerging middle class of the world’s

second largest economy are secure in their desire for top-quality foodstuffs.

North Asia also displayed a strong demand for lamb and, along with the European Union, Asian consumers helped push the total lamb export take-up to a record setting $589 million in the October to December quarter. Once again, the sheer volume of exports to the north Asian region masked a decrease in the average value. Chilled

rather than frozen lamb was a better performer during this period — a category which made up more than a quarter of exports.

While farm gate prices for lamb and mutton were slightly weaker this season — due in part to dry conditions and high production numbers, farm gate prices for cattle remained robust. With export volumes up, farmers hope that international demand remains buoyant — while the

results of a recent survey give a shot in the arm to the domestic market.

Monday February 15 is national lamb day and survey respondents ranked a nice roast leg of lamb as New Zealand’s favourite dish. It’s hard to argue with roast spuds, mint sauce and all the trimmings — yet another reason that lamb and mutton farmers have reason to feel tentatively confident going into the 2016 stretch.

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CANTERBURY FARMING January 2016 43 LIVESTOCK

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Kiwi farmers’ feat of domesticationDuring the 1800s, colonial settlers let their nostalgia for the ‘old world’ get the better of them, banding together to introduce many European species into New Zealand. Disregarding ecological systems, many of these introductions were disasters — bringing pests and predators such as the rabbit and the stoat to a place where they ruled the food chain. But others have proven to be useful over the years — at least in domesticated captivity.

Deer were first set free in the New Zealand wilds for the sport of hunting, around 1861. Brought in from the great hunting parks of England’s landed gentry, there red deer numbered less than 250. Some wild deer from the Scottish highlands were also shipped over at what must have been, at the time, a huge expense. One can only imagine the trouble associated with capturing a wild Scots deer, then sending it by sailing ship halfway around the world, hoping to have it arrive in good health!

It was not just red deer which came to these shores thanks to the efforts of European hunters. Famed outdoorsman and United States President Theodore Roosevelt visited New Zealand at the turn of the century and gifted the young nation perhaps one of the strangest gifts ever received. A boatload of elk (commonly called wapiti) and moose were released in Fiordland in 1905, and though the last confirmed moose sighting was in 1952 there are still those who will swear that the huge beasts

roam the wilderness to this day. Certainly, wapiti have become well established, if not their elusive cousins.

In fact ‘well established’ b e c a m e a g r i m understatement for deer. By 1910 reports from farmers described an exploding population encroaching on the land they used for livestock.

By 1920, hunters lamented the poor condition of trophy deer, suffering from population-related famine. A great cull began, and in 1957 alone (the heyday of outdoorsmen in the spirit of novelist Barry Crump) 65,000 deer were shot down.

It took Kiwi ingenuity to turn the situation around. After all, deer are not only tasty — as any hunter will attest — but also provide valuable velvet, used for a variety of purposes including medicine.

The first deer farm was established, against a storm of governmental red tape, in Taupo in 1969. The example of Mr M P Giles caught on, and ten years later there were 800 farms around the country. A governing body, the New Zealand Deer Farmers

Association was formed in 1975, promoting this vibrant new rural endeavour against sometimes bitter opposition from the government. Through their hard work, though, something incredible was achieved. The domestication of deer in New Zealand is considered to be the first

Deer have gone from being a trophy for hunters, to a pest, to a valuable resource in the hands of innovative farmers

true domestication of a wild animal for farming in the last 5000 years. That’s since the

first kings of Sumeria and Egypt picked up a crown — and it happened here, in a

nation which now boasts close to two million deer on pasture.

44 January 2016 CANTERBURY FARMING RURAL WHEELS

Avon City Ford would like to welcome Andrew McWhannell, our new rural sales representative, joining us with over 30 years of experience in the rural industry.

Avon City FordCnr Main South Rd and Epsom Rd, Sockburn | 03 348 4129 | 0800 655 551Rangiora Service Centre | 78 Ivory St | 03 313 7059 | avoncityford.co.nz

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Use your

Automotive excellenceby Andy Bryenton

After what has been a stellar year for new vehicle sales the figures are in, and the motoring public have voted both with their approval and with their wallets to choose the top machines of 2015.

The Ford Ranger — winning again in 2015, both in accolades and sales figures

That popular forum of automotive excellence, the New Zealand Automobile Association Car of the Year awards, has turned up some interesting trends, with its top picks going to a few bold choices. Ahead of the pack and taking out the crown of top car for the past year is the diminutive, electrically powered BMW i3 — an indication that the reign of internal combustion is being challenged by new technologies.

It’s all petrol and diesel in the rest of the order though, with some surprises in store. Hyundai delivered a one-two blow, with their Tucson and Santa Fe SUVs scooping back to back small and large off-roader accolades. The new Mazda MX5 was a lock for best sports car. And the prestigious luxury car category went not to a Teutonic or American marque, but to the Hyundai Genesis. The statistics from the forecourts of New Zealand

tell another story though — one which is borne out by another year at the top of the AA’s polls for the evergreen Ford Ranger. The big ute with the four-year winning streak has not only cinched the title of best utility again for 2015 — it’s also been the best selling vehicle of any class. That means more Rangers took to the highway than any other kind of car, van, truck or motorcycle last year — toppling the long term favourite, the Toyota Corolla.

Opponents of the big blue juggernaut which is Ford’s flagship ute must be asking themselves how the runaway success of the Ranger can ever be superseded.

With a cosmetic re-design and new features for 2016, the Ranger continues to go from strength to strength, and figures are sure to look rosy for the new year coming into Field Days.

Can the feisty Ford make it five in a row this year? Only time will tell.

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The sound and the furyby Andy Bryenton

Big, powerful Holden V8s have always enjoyed a deserved reputation for two things. Firstly, a mountain of torque on demand, powering them up to high levels of performance on both road and track. Secondly, the unmistakable rumble and roar of that huge mill under the hood.

The new VFII may be the Commodore badge’s parting shot — the reshuffle of GM priorities has seen Aussie factories cut back in a big way. But no matter where the iconic brand goes from here, the latest iteration of that snarling V8 will echo on. In part, that’s due to the 305 kilowatts and 570 Newton-metres churned out by the 6-litre-plus LS3 engine which graces the space up front. The adage ‘no replacement for displacement’ could have been born under the new Commodore’s bonnet. But the usual symphony of burning petrol and perfectly meshed steel has been tuned like a well-loved Stratocaster guitar by Holden’s techs for this generation, adding a new level of auditory pleasure.

Along with a host of other tweaks, the VFII features a bi-modal exhaust, controlled through the on-board entertainment system.

Like a trombone blasting the low frequency beat in a big band, the bi-modal system allows air to exit the pipework under controlled conditions, producing either a refined and quiet burble, or a throaty exhalation which is sure to

put a smile on the face of blokes everywhere.

Coupled to a clever mechanical sound enhancer which operates at the induction end, this dual punch of audio engineering adds another element to the sensory thrill of driving a big Holden at full noise.

In other ways, the VFII is a feast for the senses as well. Brutally styled, intimidating and muscular, the car

epitomises the Commodore gene-line. The smell of hot metal, fuel and fresh leather creates its own atmosphere — and we’re sure there’ll be a little tyre smoke as well! The tactile push and pull of G-forces is tamed with a new, fettled suspension setup.

As for taste — well, this combo is certain to have petrolheads salivating.

But it’s the sound which will herald the coming of the

latest Commodore, and which will linger long after it powers out of sight.

Sound tuning is no new art — the black magic of audio wizardry has been a staple on Ferraris, for example, for some years now. It’s just that this is less a Vivaldi quartet, and more AC/DC at maximum volume.

A brutal serenade which matches the car’s potential to thrill.

Building on the success of the VF, the new VF2 Holden adds a bespoke engine roar to its commanding looks

DRIVE TO THE CONDITIONS

ROAD SAFETY

46 January 2016 CANTERBURY FARMING RURAL WHEELS

Avon City FordCnr Main South Rd and Epsom Rd, Sockburn | 03 348 4129 | 0800 655 551Rangiora Service Centre | 78 Ivory St | 03 313 7059 | avoncityford.co.nz

Proud stockist of the PX2 Ranger.Number 1 in NZ for 2015.Test drive one today.

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2003 International 9800 EagleTractor unit, Cummins ISX @ 475hp, 18 speed

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Polaris continues to growA D V E RT O R I A L

Last year saw a 40% increase in sales and a record for Polaris New Zealand selling more ATVs than ever before and taking signi� cant market share despite a market which decreased in size by 15% nationally.

“Ou r p ronounced growth in a challenging marketplace speaks volumes for the innovation and value offered by Polaris, along with our diverse product range designed to meet

local customers’ needs,” said Polaris New Zealand country manager, Alan Collins.“Polaris made a real commitment to supporting the local market by creating a New Zealand head office

and increasing warehousing in both Chris tchurch and Auckland for parts and accessories.

“The aftermarket support for Polaris customers is second to none. Here in

Canterbury, Drummond and Etheridge saw a large shift to the side-by-side products with Ranger 570HD and the Diesel 1000HD sweeping the market based on their robustness and value. The ETX model followed closely with its value for money being very attractive for our light industrial, commercial and lifestyle clients.”

Mr Collins added that this year the RZR Turbo has been made available to the NZ market and is the most powerful, fastest UTV ever made.

“This year will also see the release of the all-new ‘General’. This 1000cc sport utility takes the power and comfort of the RZR and teams it with the practicality of the Ranger series — watch this space. We will have more machines with active descent control and product improvements across the range.

“The team at Drummond and Etheridge is excited to bring another year of great Polaris products to Canterbury in 2016. The Polaris product range is

Epsom Rd, Sockburn, Christchurch www.avoncitymotorcycles.co.nz

03 341 3490

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diverse, with 18 models with ROPS — petrol and diesel models and high-performance alternatives for those looking for sport or recreation. Unique local features on many of the models create a point of difference that makes these machines streets ahead of the field.”

Drummond and Etheridge will be running demonstration programmess throughout the year but invite customers to contact then anytime to arrange a demonstration on-farm or at a demo site.

DRIVE

TO THE

CONDITIONS


RURAL CONTRACTING SPECIALISTS

PLEASE CONTACT US TODAY FOR A COMPETITIVE QUOTE

FOR MORE THAN 50 YEARS WE’VE BEEN HELPING TO BUILD CANTERBURY’S VIBRANT RURAL COMMUNITY

03 323 8149 | www.crmc.co.nz

RURAL DEVELOPMENT | LIFESTYLE SITE WORKS | COMMERCIAL SITE WORKS | PLANT & EQUIPMNT

As long as a wet weekMy darling mother used to use the phrase ‘As long as a wet week’ when things and time were dragging on and on, and for most city folk that would sum up the last rains.

While their children were going mad with cabin fever indoors and their gardens were turning to mud, they would be very sure that the drought is now over and the farmers are off the hook.

As the Tui beer adverts would say ‘Yeah right’.

So how do we educate the non-farming folk that while the rain was brilliant and it has done wonders, that a week of nor-westers and we are back to where we were.

Their lawns are growing like mushrooms, and those who do venture out past the airport will see green paddocks and happy stock.

It really all comes back to the fact that city folk really don’t have any understanding and in many cases don’t want to know. I know, there are those who do care and who do feel for their country cousins, so I shouldn’t generalise, but sadly farmers are the subject of ridicule when it comes to voicing their thoughts.

‘Brace of ducks, a herd of sheep, a flock of birds and a grumble of farmers’, ‘it’s

either too hot, too wet or too dry’ etc. I do suppose that the signals can be a bit confusing because stock farmers want the rain now and cropping farmers with crops that are ready for harvest don’t want it until harvest is done. But in reality both types want the sunshine.

How can someone who buys their veges and bread from the supermarket understand such things as grain sprouting in the ear? Do

they actually know that heavy rain on a mown crop can lead to a total loss of all the grass seed that was worth half the year’s income?

Listen to the screams if the power goes off in the city, or if the business owners have to pay their staff more because the holiday fell on a weekend and is moved to the Monday. Farmers just swallow hard and get on with it.

However the lovely thing is that despite the heartaches

and rubbish that the weather and those who govern us all throw at the farming world, those doing the work are really nice people who get a real buzz out of working in wide open spaces and nurturing nature while feeding and clothing a huge number of people all around the world.

It has been said that farming is similar to wetting yourself in dark coloured pants, it’s a warm feeling that no one else notices.

THE SIDE-BY-SIDETHAT’S GOT IT ALL

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