dairy news 14 may 2013

a class of its ownNew Kia CeratoPage 42

mastitis warningDon’t forget dry cow therapy9

Warning over One Plan’s impact on farming livelihood. Page 3, 4

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may 14, 2013 issue 290 // www.dairynews.co.nz

adios, sir Henry

Former Fonterra chairman to step down on May 31,

after 21 years in industry governance. PAGE 5

Dai ry News may 14, 2013

news // 3

news ��3-20

agribusiness ��22-23

oPinion �� 24-25

management ��26-30

animal HealtH �� 31-33

animal HealtH & stockfeeds ��34-38

macHinery & Products �� 39-44

Exciting times for young ice cream judges. Pg.23

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HORIZONS CHAIRMAN Bruce Gordon claims there is a lot of misunderstanding about his organisation’s position and this isn’t doing “anybody any good”.

It’s been suggested that nearly 90% of dairy farms in the Tararua District would require ‘discretionary resource consents’ to continue farming. Gordon says a DairyNZ report on One Plan was “lacking” in stating how HRC would deal with these.

He says the One Plan handed down from the Environment Court is a ‘green plan’ but there’s no point in apportioning blame or looking back. “We all have to be constructive now.”

After the meeting Gordon told Dairy News he thought the meeting was “highly charged” but hoped people got something out of it. “There is a gap over trust and it’s

a huge issue. We have to win the trust of the community and they have to give us the time to prove it. It’s very difficult to formulate trust when you can’t have an interactive discussion. In the smaller meet-ings I think we have developed trust, but at a meeting like this things just get a bit out of hand.”

During the meeting a staff member from HRC said the council could consider setting up an ‘independent referrals panel’ to which farmers could go if they were unhappy with any consents decision.

A motion for a vote of no confidence in HRC chief executive Michael McCartney was put to the meeting. Chairman Bruce Gordon called this an “insult” and Mc-Cartney himself said he was “affronted” by such a move. The motion was lost.

tHey don’t understand – council

Uncertainty of One Plan a killer

claims of major economic harm to the Tara-rua district, farmer stress and a lack of trust were some of the allegations levelled at Horizons Regional Council (HRC) at a public meeting last week in Dannevirke.

At least 300 people attended the meeting, organised by dairy farmers and supported by local body and national politicians, business people and others with rural interests concerned about One Plan. HRC’s chairman, chief executive and some planning staff attended.

Rabobank manager George Murdoch, for 30 years a rural banker, told the meeting the One Plan carries a risk to farmers equivalent to the mid-1980s abolition of government subsidies and concessionary interest rates on Rural Bank loans.

He predicts if One Plan goes ahead farm

incomes will drop, costs will rise and up to 30% of dairy farms in the district may not be viable.

“Productivity on some of these prop-erties is going to decline further as farm-ers and their families no longer see a prosperous future. The next generation of farmers, so vital to the industry and its sur-vival, are going to do something else or farm somewhere else. Farms will sell, but at sig-nificantly lower levels.

“Rural towns are going to suffer as lower levels of income and employment filter through and capital investment in agricul-ture and industry is likely to be reduced. Top farmers in our region are likely to leave the area and farm in other areas where the land use restrictions are less. You can say that I am over-dramatising this, but I am not sure that anyone here can get up and say this is not going to happen.”

Murdoch says that though he notes HRC has tried to provide a level of comfort about the implementation of One Plan – via discretionary consents and other assistance – a further obstacle remains.

“The main issue I see in this thing is that it’s going to require a high level of trust between both parties and that’s not something I see here today.”

Local businessman Allan Benbow, who manu-factures a fertiliser spreader, says he has sold these machines elsewhere in New Zealand and in Austra-lia – but not one in the Tararua district. “My sales manager says farmers won’t buy because of the ‘uncertainty’ created by One Plan.”

Benbow has researched the economic effects of One Plan and predicts dairy farmers will lose up to $60 million income annually, 330 jobs will be lost in the district and land values will fall sig-nificantly.

“There is no doubt One Plan will make Tararua a less attractive place to live,” he says.

Peter burkepeterb@ruralnews�co�nz

@dairy_newsfacebook.com/dairynews

George Murdoch says One Plan spells trouble for farmers.

DAi ry NEws May 14, 2013

4 // news

One Plan dominates farmers’ daily life

Discretion is the sticking point

DAIRYNZ’S RICK Prid-more says the Horizons region is the highest stress region he has to deal with because of the One Plan.

“What I am getting is wives ringing up and worrying about their husbands or husbands

ringing up and saying they can’t give the wife the lifestyle they want to. It’s basic stuff and very sad.”

Pridmore says while he understands the de-sire for a variation to be made to One Plan, he says this could take five

years and create even more uncertainty. He and DairyNZ staff are talking with Horizons to find a short term solution that meets everyone’s needs.

Some Horizons pro-posals are impractical and don’t reflect farm-

ing practices. “What we are trying to sort out with the council is how much N we have to take out of the dairy industry to please the council and the public. Then we can look at the methodology for doing this,” he says.

some ProPosals are imPractical

danneVirke lawyer Stuart Smith says the thought of dairy farmers having to rely on discretion-ary resource consents sends shivers down his spine.

“I know the HRC people have tried to convince you that it really won’t be such a problem, but I think the ‘anti’ speakers may have a different view of that,” he told the meeting. “To live with discretionary consents is going to make it very difficult for you to sell your farm to someone outside this area. Who wants to come from Waikato to buy a farm where their production is based on a discretionary consent?”

Smith says HRC is saying there is nothing they can do until the plan rolls out and becomes operative. But he believes that under the RMA, HRC has the power to apply for a variation for a plan not yet operative.

“It would be fair to say that the feeling of this meeting is that they don’t really like what they have got, so they are prepared to see what else they can get.”

Smith moved a motion against HRC initiatives to vary the nutrient management laws on the grounds that the plan in its current form would have a significant adverse effect on the economic wellbeing of

the Tararua community. His motion also called on

Horizons to consult with DairyNZ and the organisers of the meeting – the Tararua Community Economic Society. The motion was passed unanimously.

The meeting organisers say they are happy with the outcome. Rus-sell Phillips says they achieved their objective of raising the community’s awareness of implications of One Plan.

He says he hopes Horizons takes them seriously and works with them. “If they don’t listen, the community will be back again.”

sHaron sHannon and her husband Bevan are organic dairy farmers near Ekatahuna. They run 370 cows on their 140ha farm.

Sharon says they have lowered stock numbers, done riparian planting and use no nitrogen based fer-tiliser, but they will still require a ‘discretionary resource consent’ to con-tinue farming.

“Not a day goes by when One Plan is not mentioned, mulled over as to what we do, and how it will impact our business

and our lives and the lives of our children.”

Obtaining a discre-

tionary consent will cost more money but will not bring any more certainty –

a major concern, she says. “Even though they say they’ll issue a discretion-ary consent it still means you are at the mercy of Horizons. If I want to change anything within my farming system I have to go back to them and ask for permission to make the changes and get a new plan.

“They haven’t even told me how long my discre-tionary consent will be for. How can you make long terms plans for your busi-ness if you don’t know what the implications will be of the One Plan?”

Peter burke

Sharon Shannon

A public meeting on One Plan last week drew 300 people.

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news // 5

Ex-chair to sign off

Former Fonterra chairman Henry van der Heyden hands over the ‘chairman’s baton’ to John Wilson at the co-op’s agm last December.

BEING FONTERRA chairman for 10 years makes Henry van der Heyden much sought-after in corporate boardrooms.

He last month became chairman-desig-nate of Auckland International Airport.

Van der Heyden is also joining the Food-stuffs North Island board pending share-holder approval.

Van der Heyden also chairs Tanui Group Holdings and serves on the boards of Ma-nuka SA Ltd and Rabobank New Zealand Ltd and Rabobank Australia Limited.

Van der Heyden says he is building up a demanding portfolio: “For me, it’s closing down on Fonterra and taking up new oppor-tunities. It gets my energy levels up.”

board aPPointments

former fonterra chairman Henry van der Heyden will sign off his 21-year stint in dairy industry governance on May 31.

Van der Heyden’s final act as a Fonterra direc-tor will be at Tokoroa, where he was first elected a director of NZ Dairy Group in September 1992. Tokoroa farmers will fare-well him at a function on May 29.

Van der Heyden will next week attend his final board meeting at Fonterra. He served as Fonterra chairman for 10 years and stepped down in Decem-ber last year.

He says a lot has been achieved during

his involvement in dairy industry governance – the consolidation of dairy companies in the 1990s, the formation of Fonterra in 2011 and the launch of TAF to remove the co-op’s redemption risk. “I think Fonterra is in a much better shape today,” he told Dairy News.

Van der Heyden, who remains a Fonterra share-holder via his family farm-ing interests in Putaruru, believes it will remain a strong farmer-owned co-op for the next few gen-erations at least. “There is a strong cooperative ethos in Fonterra. The new chairman and chief execu-tive fundamentally agree with the co-op status.”

TAF, which allows investors to buy units in Fonterra shares, has been

sudesH kissunsudeshk@ruralnews�co�nz

van der Heyden’s signa-ture achievement. But some Fonterra share-holders strongly opposed ceding control of share units to outside investors.

Under TAF, unit prices in Fonterra shares have topped $8 after being launched at $5.50 late last year. Some farmers com-plain the high share price makes it difficult for them to buy shares to match increased milk produc-tion.

Van der Heyden is urging patience. “Let’s

wait and see. It’s still early days,” he says. “Fonterra now has a solid foundation to pursue its growth strat-egy. This wasn’t possible with capital washing in and out of the co-op.”

Van der Heyden last week addressed 500 share-holders at its annual net-workers’ conference in Hamilton. He stressed that Fonterra’s future is cemented in strong gov-ernance.

“I told them when I started out 21 years ago; I did not know what gover-

nance was. I joined NZDG at a young age and there was a lot to learn. Most of those at the network con-ference know more about governance than I knew 21 years ago.”

He urged young Fon-terra farmers to be part of “this special co-op – to become actively involved and committed to Fon-terra.”

“I’m Fonterra through and through. Nothing’s going to change that.”


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6 // news

Lincoln University’s demonstration farm is making changes in a bid rein in nitrogen losses.

Enviro policies prompts LUDF changes

DAIRY IS in and organics are out, for at least part of of Lincoln University’s farm research areas.

The University is expanding its Dairy Re-search Farm to the north across land previ-ously used for organic work.

SIDDC director Ron Pellow told Dairy News the move is a reflection of where the Univer-sity sees the opportunities for researchers and graduates coming from in the future.

“I’m sure this will continue to add to the strength of Canterbury dairy farming.”

dairy researcH rePlaces organics

imPending enVi-ronmental regula-tion, and the loss of eco-n, will see Lincoln Univer-sity’s high profile demon-stration farm (LUDF) ring the changes next season to try to reduce nitrogen loss.

It’s possible, if every-thing goes swimmingly, there’ll be no loss in profit, assuming the same payout, but there’s a real risk hun-dreds of thousands of dol-lars will be wiped off the bottom-line, SIDDC exec-utive director Ron Pellow, told a focus day on the farm last week.

“We’re grateful that the university is prepared to wear that risk.”

Pellow presented a suite of options which could be implemented without the

farm abandoning its all grass, always grazing prin-ciples.

“Our challenge is we choose, and I hope we can continue to choose, to graze our cows 24-7, 365 days a year.”

Fertiliser use, which was ramped up two sea-sons ago from a self-imposed limit of 200kg N/ha to 340-350kg/ha this season and last, will be slashed to 260kg N/ha, with no single application of over 25kg N/ha.

“If we get a very good response to that 25kg/ha, instead of the 25 to 40kg/ha (per application) we’ve been using for the last two years, there’s a good chance we can grow the amount of feed we need.”

Recognising the poten-tial that pasture pro-duction will be reduced, a provision for up to

400kgDM/cow more silage to be bought in has been made, on top of the 500kgDM/cow currently budgeted for.

Pasture composition will be tweaked as pad-docks are renewed – the plan is to do three next season – to include more chicory and plantain which has been shown to reduce N-loss from the neighbour-ing research dairy farm. Up to six other paddocks will be direct drilled with Ital-ian ryegrass in autumn to capitalise on that species’ better winter growth, and consequent ability to mop up N which might other-wise be leached.

Variable rate control-lers are to be installed on one of the farm’s two irri-gation pivots, which, with existing soil moisture and weather forecast moni-toring systems, will mean

andrew swallowandrews@ruralnews�co�nz

the ‘actively managed’ irri-gation box can be ticked in Overseer, giving a pre-dicted 2-3kg N/ha cut in N losses.

VRI will also reduce water use and race damage, hence cutting pumping and repair costs, though those savings are offset by the capital costs.

Other measures used this season with the aim of improving nitrogen use efficiency, and hence mini-mising loss, will continue, including use of gibberellic acid at the shoulders, and culling some cows early (April) on condition score and feed supply.

Cows wintered will be unchanged, at 650, as will peak cows milked, at 630. Target production of 500kgMS/cow is adjusted to a 475-500kg/cow range.

With the changes, Overseer estimates N

loss to water of 20-25kgN/ha for next season. This season it predicted a 26-33kgN/ha loss, assum-ing the intended three applications of eco-n were made. As it is, the last two of those won’t be owing to the suspension of the nitri-fication inhibiting spray.

Environment Canter-bury’s Ian Brown told the focus day a lot of farms in Canterbury, not just dairy farms, will need to look at their nitrogen losses as the zone committees roll out policies to meet the requirements of the Can-terbury Land and Water Management Plan.

“By 2017 farmers will be expected to meet the level of nitrogen loss related to

good management practice and there will be tables on these,” Brown says.

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news // 7

Dragon too much for NZ to handle alone

Hayley Moynihan

cHinese demand for New Zealand dairy products has well and truly “kicked in”, but Kiwi output is inadequate to satisfy “the dragon’s” increasing needs, provid-ing opportunities for Aus-tralian dairy exports, says a Rabobank dairy expert touring regional Victoria earlier this month.

Rabobank director of dairy research New Zea-land and Asia, Hayley Moynihan, spoke to Vic-torian farmers on the Sino-NZ dairy trade relationship, highlight-ing where the Australian industry can grow interna-tional market share.

Moynihan says Chinese demand for dairy products had sharply increased, prices skyrocketing at least 50% in the past two

months.“This price spike

has been driven in large part by the New Zealand drought limiting produc-tion potential for export, however this event shows how tight global markets are right now.

“When there is no buffer for a supply shock, markets respond with high prices. This is a ‘here and now’ story.”

Although dairy com-modity prices have eased slightly since the peak in the recent spike, Moyni-han expects the market will remain high until more product is delivered in spring this year.

Moynihan says while currency remained strong in Australia and New Zea-land, partially eroding returns on dairy commod-

ities exported, market forces have prevailed.

Regarding the free trade agreement (FTA) between New Zealand and China, she says while the arrangement allowed a specified volume of New Zealand product into China tariff-free, tar-iffs still apply on exports above this level.

“In reality, the FTA isn’t dictating overall com-petiveness for New Zea-land, as the tariff-free volumes only represent about one fifth of the volume China is import-ing. Australia is in a great position to make up some of that extra supply, even without a tariff-free pro-vision.

“The Chinese dairy market has grown so much and Rabobank expects

that consumption will continue to expand.”

Rabobank regional manager for Gippsland Scott Price accompanied Moynihan on the tour of parts of Victoria.

Price says it’s been a tough few years for the local dairy industry because of bad weather

and tight margins,. But long-term global pros-pects look positive.

“We need to keep an eye on these global sig-nals so we can try to gauge what’s coming, particu-larly with the nature of how dairy commodities work with regard to for-ward selling,” says Price.

Co-op wheeling in big gunstwo noted business commen-tators will this month speak to Fon-terra suppliers at eight seminars nationwide. The events are arranged by the Shareholders Council.

‘Grow Your Minds’ seminars May 20-24 will sustainability speaker Paul Gilding and business commentator Rod Oram.

Council chairman Ian Brown says

the seminars will be an eye opener for many farmers. “Paul Gilding is one of the world’s most experienced and respected business advisors and public speakers on sustainability, and Rod Oram is a respected busi-ness journalist and commentator.

“We want our supplier sharehold-ers to gain a greater understanding of current sustainability and com-

mercial issues, nationally and glob-ally, and how these relate to them. We feel that with Paul’s mix of envi-ronmental and business wisdom and Rod’s focus on economics we have a good balance.”

The speakers will cut to the heart of the matter to give clear, balanced insight into the changing business environment, Brown says.

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news // 9

Genomic bulls drafted out of BW lists

Feds dairy chairman Willy Leferink is concerned bulls with potential defects aren’t removed from BW lists.

bulls selected on gene analysis, before they have daughters producing milk, have been drafted out of the BW lists.

New Zealand Animal Evaluation Limited (NZAEL) last week announced agreement with LIC and CRV that such bulls would be listed separately with breeding worth expressed as gBW and breeding values for specific traits as gBVs from this autumn.

“CRV Ambreed and LIC agreed to assign the leading g term to acknowl-edge that genomic esti-mates differ from the parentage and daughter based BW produced by NZAEL, and that genomic estimates are derived by the breeding compa-nies themselves,” NZAEL general manager Jeremy Bryant explains.

“For this autumn’s breeding catalogues, gBW indicates a genomic-based breeding estimate derived

by the breeding companies and a BW with the NZAEL logo indicates a BW esti-mate derived by NZAEL.”

Bryant told Dairy News genomically selected bulls will lose the g prefix once the breeding worth is at least 75% reliable based on progeny and parentage performance and at least 10 herds have two-year-old herd tested daughters contributing to the bull’s proof data.

He doesn’t believe companies market-ing bulls with in-house genomic evaluations of breeding worth under-mines the cross-industry principles of NZAEL.

“gBW and gBV are still estimates of animal genetic merit that can be used in support of tradi-tional progeny and par-entage based estimates of genetic merit… produced by NZAEL. Farmers can still access these progeny and parentage based esti-mates as an additional, cross industry selection tool using the Bull Search functionality on the

andrew swallowandrews@ruralnews�co�nz

NZAEL website.”Having two compa-

nies investing heavily in genomic technologies “is a good situation for the industry,” he adds.

Heifers born to gBW-rated bulls will still have their BW calculated from parentage and prog-eny and won’t carry the g prefix.

Federated Farmers Dairy chair, Willy Leferink, says NZAEL’s move is “fair enough” but he remains concerned breeding com-panies and/or societies are not sufficiently rigor-ous in removing bulls with potential defects.

“It needs tightening

up because the economic implications for producers are enormous.”

Traits such as udder conformation, teat place-ment, and longevity need to be given greater empha-sis, alongside production, as long-term they are what keeps a cow productive year after year on farm.

“If you think we can double the number of cows in New Zealand to double production you’re dreaming, so we have to produce more milk from the same number of cows and to get them to sur-vive doing that they need better udders than they have currently.”

Leferink says he has “no problem” with genomic selection and has used several bulls selected in that way.

Indeed, some of the greatest dairy bulls in the world were initially selected by gene analysis.

However, producers using bulls selected on genes alone, before prog-eny performance records are available to proof those genetic selections, need to be aware of the greater degree of uncer-tainty in the breeding

worth, he stresses.“You don’t want to use

this [genomic selection] for every single bull, only a number of them. You need to select a team. If you only use one or two you might as well be natural mating!”

While the clarity of the BW lists is a good thing, greater access to the back-ground data would be ben-eficial too, he believes.

“We don’t get to see the amount of animals that have been discarded from the data set because they

didn’t grow, or had long hair. That needs to be dis-closed.”

As for the recent announcement by LIC that it has identified a gene responsible for a recurring problem of small calves*, leaving the small calf syn-drome carrier bulls in the breeding lists is accept-able, provided they are, as has been promised, clearly identified, he says.

“They didn’t cull CVM or BLAD carriers either so it’s not a problem, as long as they are identified.”

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news // 11

Synlait gearing for higher-value powdersynlait milk is to spend $15 million on upgrading its special milks drier at Dunsandel to fur-ther tap the $15 billion a year demand for infant formula in China.

The upgrade, expected to finish early 2014, will make Synlait one of only two processors in the world to make lactofer-rin spray dried powder. It will also allow dairy ingre-dients manufacturing to a pharmaceutical standard.

Lactoferrin is a pro-tein that offers antibacte-rial protection and other health benefits. It is in demand globally for health foods including infant for-mula and adult nutritional powders. Synlait expects its production to reach 18 metric tonnes within four years of commissioning.

Chief executive John Penno says Synlait’s lacto-ferrin move results from its having eight custom-ers for infant formula

including YinQiao Xi’An (the largest dairy pro-cessor in north western China), Synlait’s corner-stone shareholder Bright Dairy and A2 Corporation, which will soon launch is own a2 infant formula in China.

“There is a global shortage of lactofer-rin driven largely by the demand for infant for-mula. In China alone total sales of infant formula are worth US$15 billion plus a year and growing by 15% with the addition of 18-20 million new babies annu-ally.”

Typically, lactoferrin from New Zealand and Australia is freeze dried and milled. This can result in particles difficult to dis-solve, leaving residues when the mother mixes formula in the baby feed-ing bottle.

The market for lac-toferrin has grown from 45,000kg in 2001 to

185,000kg in 2012 and is projected to grow to 262,000kg in 2017. Lac-toferrin now fetches US$500-1000/kg.

“Lactoferrin will add to our range of special-ised health and nutritional products, a category iden-

tified recently as one of the main contributors to the Government’s target of doubling the value of New Zealand’s export earn-ings by 2025. To reach that target New Zealand must make more from milk,” Penno says.

Synlait’s infant formula drier.

in brief

growing grass in the colda RECENT study has found using the plant hormone gibberellic acid as an alternative to nitrogen fertiliser in late winter and early spring can boost pasture growth.

Dr Racheal Bryant, Lincoln University, says the study compared gibberellic acid and nitro-gen and found dry matter could be increased by 300 – 400kg/ha by one application of gibberel-lic acid in early august.

Gibberellic acid is not widely used because, until now, there has been little research. Bryant says gibberellic acid works differently from nitrogen by increasing the size of each grass plant (tiller) rather than increasing the number of grass plants.

“Whereas nitrogen will increase the density of tillers in the pasture, gibberellic acid makes each tiller bigger by elongating the leaf and stem. applying nitrogen or gibberellic acid can increase the amount of pasture in spring, but when gibberellic acid and nitrogen are applied together, you get the benefits of increased tiller size and tiller number, which equates to more grass.”

Southland’s dairy farmers will hear the find-ings this week at the DairyNZ Farmers’ Forum in Invercargill.www.dairynz.co.nz

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12 // news

As THe grass in most regions recovers from the dry, some commentators are calling for a strategic rethink on dairy farms to reduce risk from such events.

Some have suggested revisiting traditional principles, such as having two years of hay in store in the South Island, and an 18-month store in the North Island.

However, as central North Island consultant Phil Jour-neaux points out, such practices come at a cost. “It’s all well and good but it comes back to the economic pressure you’re farming under. While having such reserves is good, most can’t afford to.”

Nonetheless, he does believe the industry’s been “spoilt” for ten years by being ably simply to pick up the phone and order supplements such as PKE at short notice.

“With maize, you’ve got to make a guess in September or October whether you are going to want it or not. PKE is more flexible.”

Dairying’s growing dependence on PKE is a risk for the sector, particularly if the supply crashes, he believes.

A fall in the price of palm oil has already seen supplies of kernels available for crushing reduced, and a major com-petitor for PKE supplies coming into the market, such as China, could see New Zealand miss out.

Another downside is PKE can’t be fed as a complete ration for milking cows, whereas good maize silage can be.

With supplementary feed making up about a third of farm working expenses on average, Journeaux believes many farms have their stocking rates too high and have become over-reliant on bought in feeds to get them through.

“Some intensive operations would be better off reduc-ing their cows and reducing their feed, and they would find they’d make more money.” – Andrew Swallow

Time for a rethink?

Balance euphoria with vigilance – DairyNZ

THe MOOD on dairy farms around the coun-try has lifted into posi-

tive territory as rain falls and pasture recovery is better than expected, says DairyNZ regional team manager Craig McBeth.

Nutrients locked up in the soil by the drought

will feed strong pasture growth if managed well, he says.

“Euphoria might be too strong a word, but people are obviously a lot more positive now the rain

has come,” McBeth told Dairy News. But he warned against complacency and urged planning ahead.

“The response of the grass has been surprisingly positive. Good moisture levels have built up quickly and coupled with warm soil temperatures, it has allowed the grass to grow strongly.

“There’s latent abil-ity in the soil because the grass hasn’t been growing; it is been short of moisture therefore nutrients in the soil haven’t been taken up as much as usual. That’s there sitting ready to go. So strategic management, nitrogen fertiliser and maintaining your cows on a long round to give the plants a chance to get some new shoots up, pho-tosynthesise and rebuild their stores, will lead to a very strong and excellent growth rate.”

But he warns farmers to stay vigilant. “There’s good rain falling and fairly widely but a few locations

are waiting for more rain.” Kaipara in Northland had been particularly dry but he understood it got good rain last weekend.

“What is going to get farmers out of the feed deficit is the pasture growth. So we are advis-ing farmers to stay on that long round with their cows to make sure the grass has a chance to grow … and make sure the pas-ture is not being damaged with the wet weather. And to use nitrogen fertiliser and other supplements to maintain that long round for the herd.”

DairyNZ held its last conference call for the drought series last week. The need to plan ahead for spring was emphasised.

“Do your planning about what pasture cover you have, what body con-dition score your cows are in, how long you have got to go until calving, what the growth rates are going to be and what supple-ments you have on hand.”

pAM [email protected]

Craig McBeth

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14 // news

Please intervene

Farmer stress under the microscopeA FARM systems solution developed by Canterbury dairy stakeholders will soon be put to the test in on-farm and off-farm pilot trials.

Developed by farmers, sharemilk-ers, industry people and research-ers, it will be trialled in Canterbury in August.

Lincoln University’s Dr Rupert Tip-ples has led the DairyNZ funded ‘dairy

farming fatigue and work-related stress’ project since it began more than two years ago.

“We wanted more than a sticking plaster solution to excessive fatigue and stress in dairy farming,” says Tip-ples.

“This project has the dairy commu-nity, initially in Canterbury and now Waikato, looking at the roots of how

their industry operates.“They identify on-farm and off-

farm factors that result in stress and fatigue, pull the dairy system apart and put it back in a possible future farm system that could reduce stress, fatigue, accidents, chronic ill-health and suicides.”

WEB Research directors Dr Roberta Hill and Ken Wilson are work-

ing with the Canterbury and Waikato farmers involved.

“We begin by sitting around kitchen tables with farmers, going into milking sheds with sharemilkers and talking to farm staff – gathering infor-mation about stress and fatigue issues, from their perspective,” says Hill.

HAwKe’s BAY dairy farmer David Hunt says people in rural areas should not be afraid to offer help to fellow farmers and friends they think might be suffering from stress and/or depres-sion. The drought caused many farmers to struggle to cope and Rural Support Trusts have been active.

Hunt makes no secret of having suf-fered from depression and, as a result, is urging others to be on the lookout for signs of depression in their neighbours and colleagues.

“When you get depressed you’re not in control of the situation. One of the first things you do is stop making good decisions. You lose your decision-mak-ing ability. I can look back and see that quite clearly, but you don’t recognise it at the time. In my experience most cases of animal welfare problems are due to someone suffering from depres-sion. Most farmers don’t treat their ani-mals badly.”

Hunt says for him it started with lack of sleep – about three hours a night.

Then he stopped eating properly and his body began to wind down. “Then I’d get panic attacks and these are the most fearsome thing. You get in a panic and your heart is racing at a thousand miles an hour and you don’t even know why you are in a panic but you are. Panic attacks are very bad for you.”

A serious problem that creeps in is you fail to listen to good advice, Hunt says. And though outwardly he could present a reasonably good face, when he looked at pictures of himself when he was depressed he hardly recognised himself.

Hunt found help in the form of coun-seling and medication. He stresses that anyone suffering from depression should stick with one doctor to get good consistent treatment. He was fortunate in having income protection insurance, which yielded unexpected bonuses.

“Insurance companies don’t like paying you so they want to get you well. So the insurance company I used pro-vided all sorts of help and I got a lot of counseling paid for. Having that insur-ance opened a whole lot of doors to help that probably wouldn’t have come to me otherwise.”

Hunt observes that farmers are independent and individualistic and don’t ask for help easily, instead solving their daily problems and not, because of their nature, nature given to asking for help.

So outsiders should not be afraid to intervene and offer help if they think there’s a problem. “There are some obvious signs: some-one’s animals aren’t being attended to at their normal standard, or you don’t see them about the farm because they may be hiding in the house. Their physical appearance may be changing

because they are not eating and sleep-ing.

“Don’t be afraid to ask someone if they need a hand. You might feel you are interfering but it’s better to try to offer help than offer no help. If some-one picks up a gun it’s a bit late to say ‘Oh dear I did notice something’.”

peTeR [email protected]

David Hunt


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16 // news

Be thankful for low interest rates

iF iT wasn’t for low interest rates, and the improved payout forecast, the recent drought would have caused “chaos” in the dairy sector, says a leading farm consultant.

Phil Journeaux of AgFirst told Dairy News that MPI farm monitoring data shows mean debt servicing cost in the sector is running at $1.11/kgMS and ranges from nil to $3.38/kgMS.

As a result, the average farm needs income of

about $6/kgMS to break-even, including cattle sales which are typically worth about 50c/kgMS.

“If we’d had this drought, with a low payout and interest rates of 8 or 9% there would have been chaos.”

Journeaux says he doesn’t like to see debt servicing costs any higher than that mean $1.11/kgMS figure and suggests some farms need to be more conservative in their approach to debt.

“The main thing saving them is low interest rates, and that the banks seem reasonably willing to keep

people going.”Journeaux’s comments

come as official Reserve Bank data shows agricultural debt growth has surged to 5.2% year on year. In February the total topped $50 billion for the first time, and by the end of March it was $50.35bn.

As of June 2012, dairying accounted for 64% of agricultural debt, which suggests today dairy farms owe at least $32 billion.

While the 5.2% year on year growth in agricultural debt is a far cry from the double digit figures during the ‘noughties’, it

is the highest year on year increase since Feb 2010.

Bruce Greig, of Lincoln University’s farm management department, presented a paper on dairying’s debt at the South Island Dairy Event

in 2011.At the time, he

highlighted how average farm debt per kg milksolids produced had soared from $8.05 in 1999-00 to $21.93 in 2008-09.

Speaking to Dairy News last week he said he doubted it had reduced since.

Like Journeaux, he stressed it’s the range in debt levels around that mean figure that is important.

However, his SIDE conclusion, that there needed to be a mindset shift from farming for

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capital gain to making cash profits, does seem to have been taken on board. “The focus has been

changing. If land value increases aren’t as big then you have to change strategy,” says Greig.

Young farmers take the stage

THe BuZZ and excitement of the ANZ young farmer contest hits Auckland this week with the 2013 Annual Grand Final.

As one of the biggest dates on the rural calendar, the event showcases seven of New Zealand’s most promising young farmers.

On May 16 and 18 at the Kumeu Showgrounds and SkyCity the contestants will be put through gru-elling challenges and tasks, testing their all-round farming expertise.

The official opening takes place on the Thursday at Aotea Square where the competitors are intro-duced and begin completing a number of head to head challenges.

Friday is reserved for practical assessment which encompasses all things agricultural. The tasks range from practical hands on tests, to theory and com-mercial elements of farming where the finalists must prove their business and management acumen in a human resource challenge and panel interview.

Organisers are promising fireworks during that afternoon with the intense agri-sport test at 2.30pm. The young farmers will compete side by side in a number of tests which harness the entrants speed, skill and stamina in a challenge they complete against the clock and one another. The quality of the workmanship is the priority.

That evening the farmers will scrub up into black tie for the grand final dinner, where they will have to engage the audience with their oratory skills on a selected topic.

The Saturday morning is reserved for written examinations, followed by the climax of the contest – the televised grand final show and celebration ball.

The audience will watch the contenders in the quick-fire question round as they make their final effort to claim the 2013 champion title and impres-sive prizes worth over $60,000 including $10,000 cash.

The show will be televised on TV1 at 10.15pm Sat-urday 18th and on Heartland Sunday 19th at 8.30pm.

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news // 19

Early dry-offs trigger mastitis concerns

Jane Lacy-Hulbert

SHOOF INTERNATIONAL says an Iranian study shows “a clear reduction in environmental mas-titis among cows with trimmed tails.”

Prior to the paper, recently published in the Journal of Animal and Veterinary Advances, evi-dence that tail trimming reduces mastitis was “largely circumstantial and unproven,” says the firm.

Dairy NZ mastitis specialist Jane Lacy-Hulbert confirms that. “Previous work tended to look at docking tails or not, and whether that had an influence on mastitis.”

While she hadn’t seen the JAVA paper when Dairy News spoke to her, the theory behind tail trimming reducing mastitis risk is good, she says. “Hair holds dirt and bacteria so the less dirt there is, the fewer bugs you have around and the less the risk of mastitis… Tail trimming has got to be a good way of reducing the amount of dirt on the tail that can move down onto the udder.”

TAil TRiM linK suBsTAnTiATeD

HAve YOu dried-off cows early? Did they get dry cow therapy and/or teat seal?

Even if they did, the extended dry period means protection from antibiotic will be waning, if not completely gone, by the time they calve so mastitis risk will be raised, warns DairyNZ mastitis specialist and technical developer of the Smart-SAMM programme, Dr Jane Lacy-Hulbert.

“Most dry cow prod-ucts only have a certain length of activity. Once you’re beyond that six, eight or ten week pre-scribed period then you’re reliant on the cow’s natu-ral defences and the kera-tin plug that forms to seal the teat.

“The problem with that is if the plug leaks as she starts to bag up before calving, the bacteria can get in.”

Artificial internal teat sealants provide a more reliable plug for extended dry periods. DairyNZ’s advice has been to use something for every cow at drying off, either dry cow antibiotic treatment, an internal teat sealant or a combination of the two. All treatments are subject to veterinary advice.

A survey four years ago indicated 75% of cows in

New Zealand are treated with intra-mammary antibiotics at drying off, with half the 400 farms surveyed treating the whole herd, and the remainder selectively treating.

However, this year’s early dry-offs due to drought, and possibly associated cashflow con-cerns, may mean that some cows have gone untreated, says Lacy-Hul-bert.

Dry cow antibiotic products should not be administered after drying off so retrospective action isn’t advised. The prob-lem with antibiotic after drying off is it won’t spread through the udder – “they need to go into a milky udder to do their job” – and the risk of anti-biotic grades when the cow comes back into milk is great.

“Internal teat seal-ants are useful with heif-ers about one month to six weeks before calving but to be safely used on a dry cow, the udder would have to be very, very clean, to minimise the risk of intro-ducing infection when administering the prod-uct.”

Veterinary advice should be sought to decide what to do for cows that received no treatment at dry off, says Lacy-Hul-bert. One thing that can be done to reduce the risk of mastitis where cows

missed drying off treat-ment, or simply where the dry period has been extended, is to use teat spray.

“Ideally apply normal teat spray a couple of

times a week, particularly for the last two or three weeks before calving, especially if they’ve not been protected internally in the udder.”

The teat spray will

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20 // wORlD

UK farmers’ income plunge 14%BAD weATHeR last year wiped 14% off total farm income in the UK, says Defra. Farmers’ total income dropped by $1.435 billion in 2012 to $8.57b.

This is no surprise to anyone, says NFU chief economist Phil Bick-nell. The UK recorded its second wettest year ever in 2012, and no farming

sector was immune. Bicknell also warned

of poor weather’s drag on farming finances.

“On top of delayed planting last autumn, crop development has been slow and spring planting is behind schedule in many parts.

“For livestock produc-ers, the immediate con-

cern is a lack of fodder after a long winter, which follows on from higher feed bills in 2012. We may only be four months into the year, but the point-ers are for UK farming profitability to be further squeezed in 2013.”

NFU president Peter Kendall underlined the challenges facing farmers.

“Falling farm profitabil-ity shatters the myth that high commodity prices would mean high profits. It is vital that farmers turn a profit and that they re-invest. The reality is that low profitability and fall-ing confidence does not provide a secure frame-work for a sustainable food industry.

“In recent weeks there has been much talk of shortening supply chains in the agri-food sector. Yet it’s clear those supply chains also need viable farming businesses as their foundation.”

The role of CAP in farming’s resilience should not be discounted either, Kendall says. The weather chaos has laid bare the importance of CAP pay-ments.

“With profits squeezed, a larger number of farm-ers will again be forced to rely on CAP’s direct pay-ments to underpin their business in the year ahead. Managing risk and volatil-ity are both key and that must be recognised by the government in its CAP negotiations and in pric-ing decisions taken by the food chain.”

Peter Kendall

A uK dairy coalition, promoting higher farmgate prices for farmers, wants Government help to rein in milk buyers.

The Dairy Coalition wants Farming Minister David Heath to call in milk buyers failing to implement the vol-untary code.

Processors were given until March 31, 2013, to comply with the code by offering fairer and more balanced con-tracts to farmers. Both parties had agreed to the code, adopted by Defra as the favoured policy alternative to leg-islation proposed by the European Commission.

The Dairy Coalition, the NFU, NFU Cymru, NFU Scot-land, TFA, WFU and the RABDF has written to Farming Minister David Heath calling on him to act on its concerns over the companies not yet signed up to the code.

NFU dairy board chairman Mansel Raymond says though some large milk buyers are implementing the code, some have not made the changes demanded.

“Since our March deadline passed, the coalition has been applying pressure in various ways to get processors to act. This has included calling on retailers to insist that their supply base offers farmers compliant contracts. This however isn’t enough. We need Defra to ramp up the pres-sure to ensure the code is the success it can and should be.”

TFA dairy representative Richard Elliot says its mem-bers’ patience is growing thin. “If milk buyers can’t be trusted to do the right thing and work with farmers to deliver better contracts, then Government needs to step in. This isn’t rocket science, we just want a fair deal.”

Farmers want processors to shape up

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22 // agribusiness

Learning to manage farm risks

A2 eyes domestic launch

risK ManageMenT in farming is the subject of a short course this week at Lincoln University. Bob Simpson, senior tutor in farm management, will lead.

The university points out that management of a farm business involves the control of a biologi-cal system in a risky and ever-changing business environment.

Students will examine the risks involved in decision-making and get to understand the types of risk that can affect outcomes. They will learn the concepts of resilience, risk and risk manage-ment and develop skills in tactical management of those risks.

The 50-hour course involves self-study materi-als and two-day on-site learning in classroom and on farm.

Lincoln and Massey universities contribute to the venture, held at Lincoln’s Centre of Excel-lence in Farm Business Management. The centre is also supported by DairyNZ and the government through the Primary Growth Partnership.www.onefarm.ac.nz.

A2 milk infant formula will be available in Australia and New Zealand later this year.

inFanT FOrMuLa made from A2 milk will be launched on the New Zea-land and Australia markets later this year.

This follows the first exports to China this month of a formula branded a2 Platinum in a partnership between Syn-lait Milk and A2 Corpora-tion.

Synlait Milk general manager nutritionals Tony McKenna says on current projections a2 milk from certified herds will grow to be 8% of the company’s supply.

The a2 milk contains only the A2 version of the beta casein protein which the company says more resembles the protein mothers naturally produce than other versions of the beta casein protein found in standard milk.

Synlait Milk will begin processing a2 milk from

10 suppliers in August and will further expand production to meet the requirements of A2 Corpo-ration when a2 Platinum infant formula becomes available to mothers in New Zealand and Australia later this year.

“Synlait is unique in the way our supply base is structured to deliver the right type of milk to meet specialised demand,” says McKenna. “Our plant is also unique in that we can keep specialised milks sep-arate and process each run to meet exacting specifi-cations for high value end products.

“Our suppliers are some of New Zealand’s best. They are progressive and innovative in their approach with modern, large scale farms that allow them to easily iso-late and segregate a2 herds.

“We expect many of our suppliers to achieve the internationally accred-ited ISO 65 certifica-tion through our ‘Lead

with Pride’ programme…. Those suppliers will be the first in Australasia to gain ISO 65 accreditation.”

A2 and Synlait have

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agribusiness // 23

Exciting trip for young ice cream judges

Machinery dealer changes handsagriCuLTure MaCHinerY sup-plier Fieldmaster has changed owner-ship.

New owners Myles Cooper and Paul Ayers have years of business experience, says marketing manager Rachel Stock.

Stock, a former dairy farmer who represented New Zealand in dressage at the

London 2012 Para-lympic Games, is responsible for market-ing and events.

“We will do all we can to make sure everyone who deals with Fieldmaster from now on gets quick, fair and honest service,” she told Dairy News. “We have inherited some great product lines and we have a whole heap more in develop-ment. It’s an opportunity to consolidate on the great machinery Fieldmaster is known for, while being on the cutting edge of future technology in Agriculture

Fieldmaster’s revamped sales team

includes Dave McSorley, who spent 10 years with the company before leaving two years ago.

“Dave is back in the Fieldmaster sales team to give effective support to our dealer network. He has a long relation-ship with many of our customers and will be driving the length and breadth of the North Island,” says Stock.

Dennis King, another member of the sales team,

is a farm-machinery veteran, and Peter

Clark, known to the South

Island agriculture sector, started as Fieldmaster’s rep there in January.

Rudolf Vorschezang, who joined Fieldmaster two years ago, is the senior engineer responsible for testing and development.

Fieldmaster started in the 1950s deal-ing mainly in grass cutting equipment. In recent years, it has moved to a full line up of attachments for tractors and ATVs.

Free iCe cream made from fresh New Zealand milk would be a treat for any kid. But children from Pt England school in Auck-land got to try 18 differ-ent flavours as judges in the Kid’s Choice ice cream awards.

Teacher Laura Nalder says even crossing the Auckland Harbour Bridge to the judging at Massey University was a novelty for some of the children, and combined with the ice cream judging, it made for a “very, very exciting” trip. The children were chosen for good behaviour.

Asked to judge on a scale from “really yummy” to “really yukky” the chil-

dren had 18 tubs to test, with such com-bined flavours as banana gelato with malt and chocolate or peanut butter, chocolate and caramel.

The judg-ing was one of 11 categories in the 2013 NZ Ice Cream Awards which attracted 307 ice cream, gelato, sorbet and low fat entries, up from 285 entries last year. A new award this year, Best of Cookies & Cream, is spon-sored by Fonterra.

Jenny de Lisle, exec-utive secretary of the NZ Ice Cream Manufac-turers Association, says

silver and gold awards are chosen for each cat-egory, and there will be two supreme winners, one for manufacturers over 500,000L a year and another for boutique pro-ducers. The awards can make a good marketing tool, with some gold and

silvers now being used on packaging.

So just what was the Kid’s Choice? That’s still a secret. Winners of all cat-egories will be announced at the awards dinner on May 30 in Wellington.

PaM [email protected]

Kerstein Salima (7) and Dezarae Elliott (8) try one of 18 flavours in the Kid’s Choice ice cream awards.


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24 // OPiniOn

Head Office: Top Floor,29 Northcroft St, Takapuna,Auckland 0622 Phone 09-307 0399. Fax 09-307 0122

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Dairy News is published by Rural News Group Limited. All editorial copy and photographs are subject to copyright and may not be reproduced without prior written permission of the publisher. Opinions or comments expressed within this publication are not necessarily those of the staff, management or directors of Rural News Group Limited.

ABC audited circulation 27,478 as at 31.12.2012 ISSN 1175-463X

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SOUTH ISLAND:Kaye Sutherland ..............Ph 03-337 3828, 021-221 [email protected]

sharpen upA CONTACT of Milking It was across the ditch recently and made some wry observations about the Aussie dairy indus-try. In particular, he was surprised to hear that the average dairy farmer over there does not give prior-ity to profitability factors when selecting genetics. The priority trait, on aver-age, is conformation – how the cows look. Traditions are nice, but when your in-dustry is flat, shouldn’t the focus be on productivity?

Like Fonterra?SOME IN the meat indus-try keep touting Fonterra’s ‘one-big-player’ model as the one for red meat to aim for. However, as some wise meat industry heads have pointed out, it may not be that simple. Fon-

terra was formed by a cooperatively owned industry. Only about 56% of the meat processing industry is cooperatively owned by farmers, making the consolidation target of 80% of the industry

problematic.

World first claim wrong?FONTERRA IS copping flak over its so-called ‘world first’ light-proof milk bottles. It’s been reported the bottles have been used by companies overseas for at least a decade.But Fonterra has defended the claim, saying the packag-ing is used overseas for UHT or fla-voured milk, rather than fresh milk and cream.

A 2002 report by US industry journal Dairy Foods detailed the milk producers already using light-blocking packaging. They included the Light-Block Bottle developed in 1997 by HP Hood in Mas-sachusetts, and another, described as a three-layer bottle with a black carbon layer, made by Morningstar Foods for Hershey’s milk.

Wandering cows illegal in the usTHE OWNERS of wander-ing cows and the land-owners responsible for keeping them fenced can be sued for negligence if the meandering livestock get involved in an accident, New York’s highest court ruled recently.

The Court of Appeals reversed the decision of lower courts, which had applied the usual li-ability test for injuries by domestic animals, such as dogs or even aggressive bulls, whether or not the owner or landowner knew of the animal’s vicious tendencies. The six judges concluded the broader standard of common law negligence applies in Karen Hastings’ case: she was injured when her van hit a cow on a public road, and they reinstated her personal injury lawsuit. Under simple negligence, Hastings would have to prove the owner was negligent.

Trust us – yeah right

Got somethiNG oN your miND?

post to: Letter to the editor po Box 3855, AuckLAnd 1140. or emAiL: [email protected]

GOT SOMETHING on your mind about the latest issues affecting our dairy industry? Put your pen to paper or your fingers to your

keyboard, and let our readers know what you think. Contact us by either post or email. Don’t forget to put your name

and address. Note: Letters may be edited.

LAST WEEK’S meeting in Dannevirke about the impacts of One Plan on dairy farmers was scary for a number of reasons.

The presenters at the event showed that 30% of dairy farmers in the Tararua district could be in serious trouble, that $60 mil-lion could be wiped off dairy farmers’ incomes and that at least 300 jobs could be lost if something isn’t done soon. They pre-dicted a trickle-down effect on the local community.

The perpetrators of One Plan – Horizons Regional Council – are in a right old pickle. Their latest cries are that it’s the fault of the Environment Court for the plan they now have, that farm-ers “misunderstand them” and that they should “trust” them. Interestingly the Tui brewery with its ‘yeah right’ bill boards is based in that district. From last week’s meeting they could make at least three more new billboards.

Horizons is now scrambling around offering discretionary resource consents as a way of mitigating the effects of its plan. We’ve been told 90% of farms in the district will need these, making a mockery of the word ‘discretion’. 10% yes; 90% – yeah right!

The Tararua community is now caught in a time warp of uncertainty and that is leading to stress. It’s a fact that more suicides occur in rural than urban areas. Right now farmers in many parts of the country are in a fragile state as a result of the drought. One Plan is adding to that stress.

Given these latest revelations it’s clear the time has come for the government to do what they did in Canterbury: sack the council, appoint commissioners and put in place a sensible plan, such as the original decision plan with no appeal rights. This will give certainty, stop the temporary solutions and most impor-tantly remove the stress from farmers. Unless they act immedi-ately lives could be at risk, not to mention the economic viability of an important primary producing region of the country.

At the moment it could be argued One Plan favours a lot of exotic and a few native fish in the region’s rivers ahead of hard-working stressed farmers.


OPiniOn // 25

Power plan will bring affordable electricityPLans bY Labour to slash household electricity prices have been criticised by some in rural sector.

An article in Dairy News April 30 by Mark Warminger, an asset manager, claims the policy will cost New Zealanders. He’s wrong. Federated Farmers spokesperson Anders Cro-foot claims the policy is “suspicious”. I’m not sure where he gets that idea from.

Our proposal is about protecting New Zealand-ers from rampant profits in a monopolistic com-modity that is currently controlled by an ineffec-tive and unworkable electricity market. The Bradford reforms of the 1990s have proven, as with the unregulated finance markets, and an unregulated health and safety environment, to be an abject failure.

Labour, along with the Greens, believes a major change is required to ensure New Zealand electricity users – business and residential – have access to reliable and affordable electricity.

An Electricity Commission report revealed electricity companies made a $2 billion profit in 2008. That money came courtesy of consumers – such as pension-ers who take to their beds early in winter because they can’t afford to keep their heaters on.

And yes, much of it went back to taxpay-ers through dividends to SOEs. But, to con-tinue with the same faulty market when a

large portion of generation capacity is to be sold to investors is to hand over monopo-listic rights to a few select wealthy share-holders. It is highly likely those shares will end up in the hands of foreign investors and, once again, New Zealand businesses and consumers will be paying more than they should to bolster profits for foreign investors.

The rural and agricultural sectors are increasingly reliant on electricity for farm produc-tion, processing of raw mate-rials and for other industry services. Any increase in cost will be borne by farmers and reduce their incomes.

Despite knowing the vast majority of its members will be beneficiaries of the new policy Federated Farmers has chosen

to blatantly oppose the policy. While asset managers and traders like

Mark Warminger might have to forgo some opportunities under the proposal, Labour believes the provision of electric-ity is a core part of this country’s produc-tive sectors’ infrastructure and should not be rorted for excess profits.

Labour also believed it was important to clearly notify the market and potential investors of plans to create one electricity purchaser for people who might be con-sidering investing in the sale of shares in the SOEs. We did that. We were open and honest about a policy intended to bene-fit New Zealanders and every consumer of electricity, including farmers and rural business.• Damien O’Connor is Labour’s primary industries spokesman.

DaMien O’COnnOr

Damien O’Connor

Labour says its power plan is all about reliable and affordable electricity.

3599 Metabolizer halfpg vert.ind1 1 9/11/08 9:20:42 AM


26 // ManageMenT

Guarding the cows with his lifeDavid Hunt has been dairy farming in Hawke’s Bay all his life so he knows about droughts. But this is one of the worst, causing grief by the day. Peter Burke recently visited his property near Takapau.

iT’s nOT as though David Hunt isn’t prepared for the drought or any other adverse event. His 210ha milking plat-form on which he runs 650 cows is sup-ported by an additional 220ha. On one of these he grows 40ha of maize, on the other silage, along with winter replace-ments and some dry cows. On a further 260ha he runs bulls, but at a pinch can use this to support the dairy operation, which has happened this year.

The problems for Hunt and other farmers in Hawke’s Bay began last Sep-tember. July and August were among the wettest on record – 300mm in those two months alone. Then the wind arrived. “We went from being knee deep in mud to the winds turning up, and [then] you know something’s going to happen. So we went from mud to crusty rough ground, not advanta-geous for grass growth. It stayed quite

cold through that spring too so the growth’s just never happened. Conse-quently we haven’t stopped feeding out since last winter.”

Hunt managed to grow 30ha of maize – good considering his farm isn’t irrigated, he says. But he’s only made 150 tonnes of grass silage compared with the normal 400 tonnes. He’s also bought in 400 tonnes of maize silage but that’s it: “I’ve spent all I can on feed and we’ll just have to make it work.”

Farming in Hawke’s Bay has been tough since the 2008 drought, Hunt says. “Last year we had the very wet summer and lots of growth, which caused some problems. On the other side of things, if it wasn’t for last year we wouldn’t have got through this year. In our climate we aim to have two years supplements on hand as backup and that’s pretty much what we have

achieved. But that’s been eaten and we are now going through our maize silage at a very scary rate. I’m picking we’ll have no supplements come calv-ing unless something happens very very quickly.”

Hunt says from now on the only feed he’ll buy is meal to feed the cows in the dairy shed.

This and other droughts have taken their toll on Hunt but he says he is better able to cope than in the past. “But it’s the same thing: you make deci-sions and you think you’re right and two weeks later you have to make another decision and so it goes on – it’s almost endless.”

Now his strategy is saving the cows at almost any price. They look good, most at BCS 4.0, some at 5.0. A few are below 4.0.

“I’m not going to reduce cow num-

bers. I am guarding them with my life. My bull farm has been sacrificed to help them though. We are clinging onto dairy stock but have sold a few heifers and done some heavy culling. We believe next year’s going to be a good payout

year so we’ve got to get the animals in good health to take advantage of that.”

The key lesson Hunt takes from this and other droughts is that you can never have enough supplements up your sleeve.

David Hunt has been re-grassing some of his paddocks to try and have good feed available after calving, but even that has its challenges with the lack of rain.

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ManageMenT // 27

Finalists lined up for Farm Manager of the Year titleTHe 11 finalists competing for the 2013 New Zealand Farm Manager of the Year title are split between contract milkers and farm managers – as well as age, experience, and farm size.

Judging began this week for the finalists – four men and seven cou-ples.

It involves a two-hour farm visit covering financial planning, human resource and farm management. The final component of the judging, an interview, will take place in Wel-lington prior to the winners being announced at on May 24.

Winners in the 2013 New Zealand Sharemilker/Equity Farmer of the Year and New Zealand Dairy Trainee of the Year will also be announced and nearly $150,000 in prizes will be given away.

National convenor Chris Keep-ing says it is the eleventh year of the farm manager contest, which had also become a dual between contract milk-ers and farm managers.

The finalists this year include five contract milkers and six farm manag-ers. A contract milker is self-employed and paid on a specific dollar value/kgMS (such as $1/kgMS) to oversee the farm production system. They are responsible for some of the farm expenditure and may also contrib-ute some equipment such as a bike. A farm manager is responsible for the financial and physical performance of the farm, including recruiting and managing any staff.

“One of the great aspects of the dairy industry is that there are a number of ways people can develop their farming skills and knowledge

and build their equity to take the next step in their career.”

Keeping says most of the finalists (eight) are aged under 30 years old and one, Bay of Plenty’s representa-tive Chris Mexted, is only in his first full season dairy farming.

The oldest finalist, the West Coast/Top of the South’s Blue Benseman, is 53 years old and is also managing the largest herd (1050). Benseman is one of four finalists who had entered the awards for the first time.

It is the second time five had entered and two finalists are third time entrants, including Auckland Hauraki representative Kylie Cox. Cox has entered the dairy trainee contest twice before but is entering the farm manager contest for the first time with husband Michael, an expe-rienced builder.

CreaM OF THe CrOP

Northland – Niall & Delwyn McKenzie (34 and 32) farm managers, 320 cows.

Auckland Hauraki – Michael & Kylie Cox (25 and 24, contract milkers, 620.

Waikato – Gary McFarlane (25) farm manager, 900.

Bay of Plenty – Chris Mexted (23) farm man-ager, 435.

Central Plateau – Blair and Andrea Muggeridge (29) farm managers, 1000.

Taranaki – Michael Kavanagh and Rowena Dun-cum (27 and 26) contract milkers, 360.

Hawkes Bay/Wairarapa – Bart and Tineke Gys-bertsen (42 and 40) contract milkers, 670.

Manawatu/Rangitikei/Horowhenua – Michael & Raewyn Hills (27 and 26) farm managers, 700.

West Coast/Top of the South – Blue Benseman (53) farm manager, 1050.

Canterbury/North Otago – Richard Pearse (30) contract milker, 955.

Southland – Daniel and Emma Todd (25 and 26) contract milkers, 377.

Rowena Duncum and Michael Kavanagh.

Age no barrier: Blue Benseman is the oldest finalist.

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28 // ManageMenT

Rob Marshall

The WestfaliaSurge IQ clusters have worked for Oz farmer Rob Marshall.

IQ clusters speed up milking for Oz farmeran ausTraLian farming couple have been investigating ways to achieve faster milking without the need to outlay

for a major extension to their shed.

Rob Marshall and his fiancée, Jenni, are cur-rently milking 256 cows,

mainly Holstein Frie-sians with a few crosses, at Lardner, near Warragul, in west Gippsland.

Marshall grew up on

a dairy farm in nearby Drouin South and came to this property in 1980 from milking at Yannathan. The farm covers 67ha and in the last 12 months they have been leasing a further 60ha.

They milk on a 32 dou-ble-up herringbone shed with cluster removers that were fitted four years ago. As Rob says, “the reason that we were looking for faster milking was that the old clusters we were milk-ing with were relatively lucky to do 80-90 cows an hour.”

After investigating the options, and discussions with the team at Westfa-lia Warragul they tried two WestfaliaSurge IQ clus-ters for two months in March/April last year on a ‘try or send back’ scheme. Rob says that he was so impressed with them that they fitted out the whole shed at the end of June.

“We now do 120 to 130 cows an hour, with cleaner milking”, explained Mar-shall. “Previously the clus-ters tended to leave milk in some quarters – you could tell by looking at them. The IQs are taking the milk out of all the quarters and that is allevi-ating the risk of mastitis.

“We still have to work on that for another season, but it has certainly improved our cell count. We’ve been able to main-tain premium milk with Gippy Milk.”

The WestfaliaSurge IQ Cluster from GEA Farm Technologies is designed to move milk from each quarter with a minimum of turbulence, for faster milk out. In addition it has four separate guide cham-bers to prevent teat-to-teat cross contamination.

The IQ Cluster has a new vacuum con-trol design to keep con-taminants out of the milk line. A small stain-less steel ball located in each guide chamber of the bowl blocks the flow of air when the cups are not attached to the teats, so most unwanted mate-rial is not sucked into the

milk line. Plus if the cups are kicked off during milk-ing the vacuum automati-cally shuts off to prevent contaminants entering the milk supply.

The couple share the milking and have a milk-ing assistant who comes in five days a week. They plan to build up to 320 cows during next year and up to 400 the following season.

“We’ll need to upgrade to 20 units a side for that”, Marshall said. “We’ve been renovating the shed in stages. We fitted the new IQ clusters then about six weeks later we upgraded to a WestfaliaSurge vari-able speed vacuum pump and new jetters.

“We reduced the vacuum gradually – in steps. It’s a much quieter shed now, with no squawk-ing from the clusters.”

The flexible area of the short milk tube on the IQ liner has been almost dou-bled to improve the abil-ity of the cluster to hang properly under virtually any udder size or shape. That better alignment helps to optimise milk flow and reduce liner slips and squawks.

The measures Marshall has taken recently have removed the urgency to extend the shed. “The way prices are – and money is tight – this has been a very economical way to

upgrade our efficiency in order to increase the herd size.

“We are not heavy feed-ers; we give the cows 3kg per day of wheat in the bail and we work on profit per hectare rather than high production. For our last milking fat is 4.41% and protein 3.21%.”

They make their own hay and silage and were undergoing pasture ren-ovation at the time of our visit at the end of February. “We make mainly silage, very little hay here, because of the local climate. As the herd increases we may go to pit silage and a contractor.”[email protected]

“We still have to work on that for another season, but it has certainly improved our cell count. We’ve been able to maintain premium milk with Gippy Milk.”

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uK FarMers are being urged to back a scheme to supply TB infor-mation with cattle at point of sale.

The Risk-Based Trading Group (RBTG), set up by Defra, wants farmers to learn more about the TB history of cattle they’re buying to help them avoid bringing the disease into their herd. Defra and the industry will work together on buyer and seller guidance on TB risk to help farmers fully use the new information.

NFU vice president Adam Quin-ney says wide agreement on the many approaches to tackling TB includes better information for farmers when they buy and sell.

RBTG, with input from the live-stock and dairy sectors, wants to see a database that links animal health and cattle movement data, says Quinney.

“Other countries have shown how truly effective industry databases can help the farming industry control and eradicate disease…. The wider benefits of being able to buy and sell stock, knowing the risks, should allow farmers to purchase livestock with more confidence.”

In the short-term, the RBTG rec-ommends animals are presented at the point of sale with their TB test date, the date of the last herd test,

the date of the last routine herd test, and the length of time the herd has been officially TB free.

Farmers will also be encour-aged to look at the benefits of post-movement testing. Post-movement testing is recommended, when appropriate.

UK Farming Minister David Heath says bovine TB is a terrible disease.

“I am determined that we do everything we possibly can to pre-vent its spread. Risk-based trading based on an animals’ TB risk will be a great step forward in empowering farmers to reduce the spread of this disease.”

Better checks urged on UK cattle TB history

Messy eating contributes to gas emissions‘LiTTer FaLL’ – the feed wasted when some of each cow mouthful falls to the ground – is a hitherto little-noticed contributor to nitrous oxide gas emissions to atmosphere.

Watch a cow eating and you will notice always some of each mouthful falls to the ground uneaten; cows are messy eaters.

Dr Pranoy Pal and colleagues Tim Clough and Frank Kelliher, Depart-ment of Soil and Physical Sciences, Lincoln University, call this ‘litter-fall’. They made a study of how litter-fall occurred and its effect on nitrous oxide emissions from pastures. Once

fallen from a cow’s mouth, plant parts in the litter-fall either stay on the sur-face after falling or are trodden into the soil during grazing.

To obtain samples of the litter-fall and the original pasture, Pal marked out 1m2 (quadrats) randomly through a paddock before and after grazing by cows. Once the cows were moved to another pasture Pal used a leaf blower-vacuum machine to collect the litter-fall and calculated the rate of litter-fall. This was later analysed in a laboratory.

“In starting this research, I was relieved to find I was not required to spend days chasing cows around pad-docks, trying to hold a bag under each cow in order to collect the litter-fall.”

Litter-fall rates were found to range from 53-72kgDM/ha in a single grazing event – 4-5% wasteage of the expected total consumption of the animals.

Subsequent studies on the Lincoln University dairy farm revealed the fate of the litter-fall and how much decomposed to nitrous oxide on the surface after being walked over by the cows when feeding.

Pal showed that under suitable conditions about 1% of the nitro-gen contained in the litter-fall may be transformed to nitrous oxide and emitted to the atmosphere. • Janette Busch is a science writer with the Faculty of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Lincoln University

janeTTe busCH

Cows are messy eaters and their eating habit is contributing to gas emissions to the atmosphere.

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30 // ManageMenT

Use effluent as a tool, not a waste product

Bruce Paton

WOrK anD careful management has transformed dealing with effluent from a major chore into a valuable resource for a Whangarei couple.

Bruce and Julie Paton milk 750 cows on 265ha south of Whangarei; 300 cows are milked in autumn and 450 in spring. Patons hosted a DairyNZ effluent field day on their property late last month.

Bruce Paton says extensive use of the effluent system started 14 years ago when the couple had the opportunity to buy the neighbor’s farm and go from 240 cows to 430.

They installed a smaller pond with a view to irrigating 90ha with the liquor from the pond. But things didn’t go as planned.

“We got some really bad advice and it was a nightmare,” Paton says. “Both sides didn’t appreciate that you’re not dealing with something that flows well, like water. Over time the effluent builds up, the rot and the corrosion sets in and then things stop working well.”

They worked with local designer Phil Dreadon to come up with a three-pond system which would allow them to irri-gate over most of the farm.

The three pond system is made up of a large 7400m3 pond, smaller 4500m3 and reserve 5600m3 pond. The efflu-ent goes into the 7400m3 solids pond,

drains through the 4500m3 pond to end up in the 5600m3 pond.

Liquor can be drawn from the first and second ponds which Paton says is done during summer when they try to empty out all three ponds. This is done to get the full benefit of the extra capac-ity at calving time when it was too wet to irrigate.

“Having the ponds the size they are

now is great because now we’re able to sleep at night. Once we empty them out and the weather turns wet we are able to just get on with things.”

While most other farmers only have one effluent irrigation line going out from the pond, Patons have three. Two of the lines feed liquor out to one of two four-irrigator pod systems while the other goes to a travelling irrigator.

Having three individual pipelines means Paton is able to continuously spread liquid from the pond over the farm, even if there is a problem with part of the system. “It’s just a matter of flicking over a switch when you drive by with the bike; it means that effluent can be spread over one part of the farm while we are moving other sprinkers.”

Paton says it was difficult to empty out the ponds with one irrigator but that changed once he added irrigator pods to the system. “With just the travelling irri-gator it was impossible to keep on top of effluent pond levels. It was too easy for the irrigator to break down. With the pods we can keep irrigating all the time.”

Flexibility is a big part of the sys-tem’s success and Paton says they were careful not to even bury any pipes until they were sure the system was going to work the way they wanted it to.

“Until you actually get the effluent through the system you don’t know what the drag will be on the system and you don’t know how the irrigator will react.”

They still have a great deal of flexibil-ity built into the system – handy when machinery breaks down. “The effluent pump broke down the other day and I was able to bring a PTO pump in and keep the system going.”

The malfunctioning pump was spot-ted by a staff member who worked out something was wrong when the pump was working hard yet the level of the

pond wasn’t dropping. Ensuring staff are familiar with

the workings of the effluent system minimises maintenance downtime and allows the farm to reap the most rewards from the effluent. “The key is everybody’s looking at the ponds and everybody is aware of it so if there’s a problem we know about it straight away.”

They have been able to produce 913kgMS/ha (322kgMS/cow) for the season and the liquid from the pond has kept the irrigated sections of the farm green throughout the drought.

“People notice how green it’s been at the front of the farm. I even got a phone call and was asked if I was irrigating out of the creek but I’ve just been using the last of my liquor.”

gareTH giLLaTT

Use accredited people for work – DairyNZ

Trevor Foley, DairyNZ expects about $1.5 billion to be spent on effluent system upgrade in the coming years.

anYbODY COnsiD-ering doing major design work on an efflu-ent system should get accredited help, says envi-ronmental extension spe-cialist Trevor Foley.

Foley addressed farm-ers at a DairyNZ efflu-ent event on the property of Ruakaka dairy farmer Bruce Paton, who told farmers to use accredited workers to design and set up effluent systems where possible.

While systems needed to be designed to comply with regional rules, cap-ture effluent and treat dis-charge adequately, dealing with effluent could be a lot more difficult than deal-ing with water. Many of the specialists who nor-mally handled farm water designs would have a firm grasp on land based dis-posal systems which could

lead to long term difficul-ties.

Foley said that with about $1.5 billion expected to be spent on farm dairy effluent system construc-tion in the next few years it was better for farmers to be safe than sorry.

Infratrain, the civil engineering industry train-ing organisation, trains

company staff on how to design and construct ponds. A list of companies which have done appropri-ate training appears on the Infratrain website.

“The pond constructed by those guys comes with a guarantee that it is con-structed right.”

DairyNZ, Fonterra and regional councils have also

developed an accredita-tion system that measures the capabilities and reli-ability of effluent design companies.

Farm Dairy Effluent System Design Accredita-tion is granted to design-ers and installers meeting industry codes of practice and designing to accept-able specifications.

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eXPeCT MOre genetic break-throughs and more frequently, says LIC in the wake of the ‘small calf syn-drome’ (SCS) announcement earlier this month.

In a rare joint statement with CRV Ambreed, the farmer-owned coopera-tive revealed it has found the cause of an occasional but recurring problem of diminutive dairy cattle: an auto-zomal (ie non sex-linked) recessive gene.

The syndrome manifests itself most frequently in Holstein Friesians, less so in crossbred, and hardly ever, if at all, in Jerseys.

For a calf to be born with the syn-drome it has to be homozygous with the recessive allele of the newly iden-tified gene. While they’re otherwise healthy, they’re so small some farm-ers have called LIC. Few have been weighed over the years but one that was came in at 27kg, says LIC’s gen-eral manager research and develop-ment, Richard Spelman.

Due to their diminutive size they’re rarely reared. When they are, “they come back as two-year-olds looking like yearlings and invariably don’t make it into the milking herd,” says Spelman.

Consequently there’s no data on how they might milk, but it appears the carriers – cows with a recessive allele and a dominant, normal-size allele of the gene – suffer no adverse effect. There’s even a possibility that heterozygotic advantage may give them an edge over cows with two copies (ie homozygous) of the dom-inant gene, though as yet there’s no evidence of that.

Spelman says as there don’t appear to be linkages with other pos-itive traits, LIC, Ambreed, and, they hope, other genetics companies, aim to gradually breed SCS out of the national herd.

Average frequency of carriers in Friesians appears to be about 15%, and half that in crossbreds. Spelman says it’s unlikely the recessive gene has found its way into Jerseys. “There’s one animal out of many thousands that I’m suspicious of. If it does occur in Jerseys, it’s at a very, very low fre-quency.”

If a carrier bull is crossed with a carrier cow, there’s a one in four chance the resulting calf will be born with the syndrome, a 50% chance it will be a carrier, and one in four chance that it won’t carry the trait at all – the classic ratios of simple Men-delian genetics.

LIC says the average New Zealand herd of 400 cows could expect to have 60 cows which are carriers. Mated to a cross-section of Holstein Friesian bulls in New Zealand LIC expects one to two SCS calves would result.

Putting this into perspective, since the 1960s a quar-ter of one percent (0.25%) of calves bred from Hol-stein Friesian or crossbred type animals each season are likely to have been affected by SCS, it says.

Spelman says incidence “certainly has increased” over time but adds he would think in the last 5-10 years it’s been reason-ably stable.

Whether it exists in overseas herds isn’t known yet, though LIC’s analy-sis of “a few animals” resulting from inseminations with imported semen hasn’t found any to be carriers to date. “It is possible this was imported in the 1950s or ‘60s.”

He anticipates now the trait has been identified, genetics companies elsewhere will want to check their stock. Further research to validate the discovery and scientific papers in journals are planned.

In the meantime, farmers can expect reports from LIC on the likely number of carriers in their herds based on the bulls they’ve been using.

LIC isn’t withdrawing the bulls in its team it has identified as carriers, however no new carrier bulls will be added. Its advice for calving this year is ‘business as usual’ in respect of assessing which calves to rear, and, as always, calvings should be recorded.

Through Datamate, technicians serving cows next season will ensure no cow which could be a carrier is mated with a bull that is a carrier. “It will be just like if they’re too close and

there’s a risk from inbreeding: the technician will simply select another straw.”

Farmers who would rather not have any cows inseminated by car-rier bulls will need to make specific selections from the Alpha catalogue, instead of using the Premier Sires’ ‘bull of the day’.

Spelman stresses the genetic vari-ation doesn’t account for all small calves. “A lot of others born small have nothing to do with this. Last year from 52 samples [small calves], 20 were affected but the other 32 were due to some other cause, most likely environmental.”

In the past 20 years about eight such recessive genetic traits have been identified and eliminated but with the bovine genome now fully sequenced, that rate of problem trait elimination is set to accelerate.

“In the next 20 years you can expect to see a far greater number than eight, given the technological advances.”

Gene discoveries to accelerate


aniMaL HeaLTH // 31

anDreW sWaLLOW

THE DISCOVERY of a genetic cause for SCS is a reminder to all farmers why accurate records of parentage are important, says New Zealand Animal Evaluation spokesman and DairyNZ strategy and investment leader, Dr Bruce Thorrold.

“Our research shows that with the mis-tagging and mis-record-ing that currently happens on dairy farms, about 23% of herds, or about one million New Zealand dairy cows, are identified to the wrong sire. The LIC datamate or CRV Ambreed’s sire match can only protect cows whose parentage is accurate,” he warns.

Throrrold says NZAEL welcomes LIC and CRV Ambreed’s com-mitment to work together to manage SCS out of the industry, and expects other breeding companies to similarly screen bulls, share information, and advise farmers on small calf risk when making mating choices.

sYnDrOMe a reCOrD KeePing reMinDer

Richard Spelman

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ZOE 1017 Bovatec Big Girls Dairy News 390x110_ƒ.indd 1 2/18/13 5:30 PM


32 // animal health

New AI facility in NorthlandnORthlanD FaRm-eRS now have a new AI facility in Dargaville to help them prepare for the coming mating season.

CRV Ambreed on April 22 opened its new artifi-cial insemination training facility, promptly put-

ting ten students through the facility’s first training school.

CRV Ambreed runs a series of AI training courses throughout the country every year, teach-ing farmers how to suc-cessfully inseminate their

own cows, and enabling them to take more control of their breeding and save money on technician fees.

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■ Safe handling of equip-ment and liquid nitro-gen.

At least 1000 New Zealand farmers have taken this training over the years. Graduates are known for the results they achieve, says CRV Ambreed

“A core philosophy of the company is to offer clients choice, from choosing bulls to the ability to inseminate their

own cows.” The new facility better

meets the needs of its Northland clients, the company says.

The facility has been built with the coopera-tion of Silver Fern Farms, in Tuna Street, operating without compromising stock movement flow and staff onsite.

A series of AI courses are run at the facility every year.

Farmers learn how to inseminate their own cows.

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animal health // 33

Welfare strategy reaffirms Kiwi farmers’ top spotmPi’S ReleaSe of a ‘formal’ animal welfare strategy affirms New Zealand farmers’ leadership in look-ing after their livestock, says Feder-ated Farmers president Bruce Wills.

The strategy document is called ‘Animal Welfare Matters’.

Says Wills, “New Zealand’s farm-ers are world leaders in integrating animal health and welfare into their farm management planning, some-thing recognised by the World Soci-ety for the Protection of Animals (WSPA).

“The strategy reflects Federated Farmers own policy on animal wel-fare. It matters how animals are treated and farmers have a moral and ethical responsibility to ensure requirements are adhered to.

“Federated Farmers agrees the deliberate neglect or ill treatment of animals is not acceptable [and] makes neither farming nor commer-cial sense – quite the opposite in fact.

“Ill-treated farm animals do not produce well or gain condition, so good animal welfare is good for busi-ness, just as bad animal welfare is self-destructive.”

The strategy was launched this month by the Minister for Primary Industries Nathan Guy to set out a high level policy on how we treat ani-mals.

“The strategy ‘Animal Welfare Matters’ sets out a formal founda-tion for New Zealand’s animal welfare legislation and policy,” says Guy. “It says that it matters how animals are treated, and that we have responsibil-ities toward animals. It also says that using animals for activities like farm-

ing and racing is acceptable as long as it is humane.”

The strategy emphasises four matters: better planning to prevent animal welfare problems; better animal husbandry, science and tech-nology; clear expectations and sanc-tions, and help for people to comply; and measuring animal welfare perfor-mance.

“Animals matter to us personally. New Zealand earns about $20 billion a year by exporting animal products, such as meat, milk and wool,” says Guy. “Part of why we are so success-ful internationally is our world-lead-ing reputation for animal welfare. It is vital that we recognise and protect that.

The new strategy document will soon be followed by legislation to update the Animal Welfare Act. It follows public consultation last year that drew at least 2000 public sub-missions.

Wills says Federated Farmers cannot rest on its laurels and must help educate for and improve the animal husbandry skills of farmers, farm workers, small holders and life-style block owners.

“As an organisation, Federated Farmers is proactive in educating our members about best practice and how to meet animal welfare requirements. This is achieved through member ser-vices, working with the industry good bodies and with the Ministry for Pri-mary Industries.”

Wills says current policy works in that animal welfare compliance and enforcement must be fit for purpose. It must also include sector groups and

government working together. “We see this as a key part of the

strategy where Federated Farmers can provide effective on-the-ground sup-port to farmers. Our current [under-standing] with the MPI outlines core responsibilities during an animal wel-fare investigation. It is important that both organisations continue to collab-orate to assist farmers in need.

“With animal welfare, a strong sci-entific base is critical. Standards and codes of welfare must be supported by science-based reasoning and the strategy is strong on this.

Wills says Federated Farmers has developed its own adverse events policy and is a key member of the National Animal Welfare Emergency Management committee.

The New Zealand Animal Welfare Strategy is available at http://www.mpi.govt.nz/biosecurity-animal-welfare/ani-mal-welfare/new-zealand-animal-wel-fare-strategy

MPI has launched a new animal welfare strategy.

Bruce Wills







ZOE

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BOVATEC BIG GIRLS PERFORM BETTER IN THE SHED.

ZOE 1020 Bovatec More Giving Dairy News 390x110_ƒ.indd 1 3/20/13 9:35 AM


34 // animal health & StOckFeeDS

Palm keRnel extract is a reasonable quality feed for dairy cows when pas-ture supply is short, says

DairyNZ.There is no single, ideal

measure of feed qual-ity. However, in New Zea-

land, metabolisable energy (ME) is the factor limit-ing milk production in the majority of situations, it

says. Therefore, ME con-tent (MJ/kg DM) is the best measure of feed qual-ity for most farmers to use. It does not matter whether a supplement contains fibre, starch or sugar. The cost of each MJ ME should be how you decide which supplement to purchase.

“Palm kernel extract contains about 11.0 - 11.5 MJ ME (mechanically extracted) and is a reason-able quality feed for dairy cows when short of pas-ture,” DairyNZ says.

Cows survive and produce on: the waste products of rumen fer-mentation (volatile fatty acids); the micro-organ-isms that have grown during rumen fermenta-tion; and, the feed that was not fermented (i.e. bypasses the rumen). As a result, there are many measures of feed quality, including:

■ How much is digested (digestibility)

■ How much energy is available for production (metabolisable energy or net energy)

■ How much protein is in the feed (crude protein, true protein, soluble protein)

■ How much fat is in the feed

■ Minerals and vitamins.All of these are impor-

tant to varying degrees, depending on what is lack-ing from the diet.Digestibility

The digestibility of the feed refers to how much of the feed is digested in the rumen (rumen digestibility or rumen degradability) or along the entire digestive tract (dry mater digestibil-ity). The rumen digestibil-ity of a feed is important

for determining the growth of rumen micro-organ-isms. These supply protein and some energy to the cow. However, there is a long digestive system after the rumen, in which pro-teins, fats and some sugars are digested and absorbed. Therefore, dry matter digestibility is a better measure of feed quality as it takes into account the whole digestive system and not just the rumen. Metabolisable energy is estimated from some mea-sure of dry matter digest-ibility.Protein

Protein is important because it provides the rumen micro-organisms with nitrogen to grow, the protein that bypasses the rumen is used directly by the cow and because it also provides some energy.Fat

Fats and oils cannot be

used by the rumen micro-organisms and, therefore, do not promote microbial growth. They are instead used directly by the cow as an energy source.What about PKE?

Palm kernel is not very digestible in the rumen. Estimates of rumen digest-ibility range from 50 to 60%. However, this does not accurately portray the feed value of PKE for dairy cows. The feed value in PKE comes from the rumi-nal digestion of fibre, some ruminal digestion of pro-tein (55 to 60%), the pro-tein digested in the small intestine (40 to 45%), and the fat, although the min-erals are also important.

In the vast major-ity of situations, grazing dairy cows are short of ME. They are only rarely short of metabolisable pro-tein (that is protein that reaches the small intes-

tine). Therefore, chang-ing supplement to increase the growth of rumen micro-organisms to fur-ther increase metabolis-able protein will not be beneficial.

Metabolisable energy is the most important measure of feed quality for New Zealand farm-ers. Laboratory analy-ses indicate that PKE has an ME of about 11.5MJ/kg DM because of its rel-atively high fat content, its reasonably digestible fibre, and its protein con-tent. However, as PKE is a by-product, this figure will vary and farmers are encouraged to have their feeds tested by a reputable laboratory.

The practicalities of what supplement can be fed should be considered (e.g. liquid vs dry feed, in-shed feeding vs feeding in paddock). Supplements should only be offered to cows that do not have suf-ficient pasture (i.e. resid-uals are less than 7 to 8 clicks on the plate meter) and every effort must be made to minimise wastage.

PKE feed value high despite 50-60% digestability

Palm kernel is a reasonable quality feed for cows when pasture is short.

Estimates of PKE’s digestability in the rumen range from 50-60%.

“Palm kernel extract contains about 11.0 - 11.5 MJ ME and is a reasonable quality feed for dairy cows when short of pasture.”

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animal health & StOckFeeDS // 35

Feed additives lift rumen healththe USe of feed additives to improve feed efficiency has been common prac-tice for many years around the world. Due to feed costs being such a large chunk of overall farm costs, improving feed efficiency has a large impact on the bottom line. Feed additives are feed ingredients which do not add direct nutritional value but improve animal performance or health.

With dairy cows yielding more milk and consuming more feed to provide the nutrients to produce more, cows have to cope with higher levels of acids in the rumen. The replacement of grain with good quality roughage can allevi-ate the buildup of these acids, however, at a certain point of replacing roughage with grain, energy intake becomes lim-ited and will start to influence produc-tion.

Sub-acute ruminal acidosis needs to be considered in many of our high producing herds due to the condi-tions described above. Ruminal acido-sis effects fibre digestion and ruminal function. It reduces fertility, can lead to laminitis and increased somatic cell

counts, and affects herd health and pro-ductivity.

Rumen pH fluctuates throughout the day from a normal pH of 6 down to an acidic range of about 5.5. Where the rumen pH remains at the acidic levels for prolonged periods of time, sub-clin-ical acidosis sets in. This is due to the reduced growth and activity of fibre digesting microbes and the prolifera-tion of lactic acid producing microbes. Lactic acid production in the rumen is undesirable because it is not as well absorbed as the other acids, which leads to its build up.

Feed additives can help greatly in the prevention of ruminal acidosis and help to maintain a healthy rumen. Buf-fers are regularly fed, such as sodium bicarbonate and magnesium oxide. Most buffers on the market have a mode of action that alkalises the acids in the rumen and the better ones buffer excess acid over an extended period of time which matches acid production and the rumen outflow rates.

Another school of thought is tack-ling rumen health and feed efficiency at the heart of rumen function.

Feeding specific rumen yeast cultures helps maintain a healthy rumen environment and improved fibre degradation. These live yeast cultures stabilise the rumen pH by reducing the number of lactic acid producing bacteria and increases the number of lactic acid utilising bacteria in the rumen.

Bach et al, in research published in 2007, showed LevucellSC, a rumen spe-cific live yeast, improves the stability of the rumen pH which also led to the cows eating more regularly. Improved fibre degradation is due to indirect and direct effects in the rumen even when acidosis is not an issue. Oxygen uptake by yeasts is also an important impact due to the fact that for the optimal fer-mentation of fiber, anaerobic condi-tions are required.

Ondarza et al, in 2010 published a multiple study analysis of LevucellSC

showing how the live yeast improved milk production and increased feed efficiency significantly over the con-trol groups, due to the effects on rumen health and improved fibre degradation.

Over the last two decades feed-ing yeast cultures have gained consid-erable scientific interest. Effects of a yeast preparation are strain dependant,

so not all preparations are equivalent in efficiency. Strain guaranteed prod-ucts with guaranteed concentration and consistent efficacy are important criteria when selecting the right yeast culture. • Paul Drew is a nutritionist with Vitec Nutrition. References are available from the author.

PaUl DRewFeed additives can help greatly in the prevention of ruminal acidosis and help to maintain a healthy rumen.

Damaged ruminal papillae after acidosis.PHOTO: VETNExT

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How to achieve BCS targetsSeVeRal StRate-GieS allow farmers to achieve BCS targets at calving, says DairyNZ.

Drafting cows based on BCS, age and time of calv-ing, milking OAD and run-ning more than one herd

may be appropriate. A mix of strategies will likely need to be implemented to ensure all cows achieve the BCS targets.

Early drying-off requires a farmer to forgo autumn milk production

by drying off the cows so as to reach BCS targets before winter. The milk foregone in the autumn roughly equals the produc-tion gained in the follow-ing spring; no net change in milk revenue occurs.

The BCS targets for calving are based on individual cows and not the herd average. Different combinations of strategies outlined will suit different farms depending on the farm system, infrastructure, personal preferences, region, soil type and feed demand/supply.

A mixture of these strategies for different sections of the herd may be necessary to minimise the range of BCS at calving. The important points when planning the strategy for achieving the BCS targets are:

■ Even if cows are well fed, cows rarely gain more than 0.5 BCS units in 30 days ■ Cows do not gain BCS in the month before calving ■ It is difficult to achieve BCS gains with ‘all pasture’ winter grazing ■ Gaining more than 0.5 BCS units on winter crop is unrealistic, without very

long dry periods or having the cows adjusting to the crop when milking. Cows need time to adjust to crop before they will gain BCS

■ The speed at which a cow gains BCS in autumn does not affect the rate of loss of BCS in spring.

One cOw, One taRGet

Fertility gains can be made by ensuring cows reach BCS targets at calv-ing, estimated at $40/cow for each BCS unit. And extra benefits – not easy to value economi-cally – accrue from having cows calving at target BCS. These include the sustain-ability of the system in difficult springs and the public’s perception of thin cows.Autumn supplements

Feeding supplements in the autumn to milk-ing cows is of limited use for achieving calving BCS

gain. So they tend to be thinner in late lactation and the feeding of supple-ment results in more milk production, not BCS gain.

Experimental results suggest that supplement-ing cows with an extra 400-500kgDM/cow of a high quality supplement in mid to late lactation resulted in only a 0.25-0.50 unit increase in BCS by the original dry-off date because most of the extra feed eaten was used by the cow for milk production.Supplement feeding to dry cows

If the infrastructure exists to achieve high supplement utilisation when feeding to dry cows during winter, this can be an effective strategy to maximise lactation length while achieving BCS tar-gets. It is important to seperate the herd into dif-ferent BCS mobs to avoid some cows becoming too fat at the expense of other cows not achieving tar-gets.

Where generous intakes can be achieved with a mixture of pas-ture and good quality sup-plement (10-12kg DM/day eaten, depending on breed), 1.0 BCS unit gain can be achieved in 45-60 days.

Cows will not achieve these levels of gain solely on a pasture diet.Winter grazing

Winter grazing may look feasible in theory, but in practice it is difficult for cows to gain BCS on pas-ture alone (11.0 MJ ME/kg DM) and they need to be generously fed (i.e. leave high residuals) to gain weight. Because of this, cows rarely gain weight at winter grazing.

The quality of winter grazing needs to be assessed. If the feed is low quality (kikuyu or brown-top) or feed utilisation is poor, cows may even lose BCS.

targets unless cows were to lose BCS if not supple-mented (i.e. insufficient pasture – grazing residu-als below 7-8 clicks on the

rising plate meter). Cows selected for high milk pro-duction preferentially par-tition nutrients to milk production and not BCS

Supplementary feed for dry cows helps achieve BCS targets.Fresh Feed

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animal health & StOckFeeDS // 37

Certificate can allay magnesium concernsFaRmeRS cOn-ceRneD about losing cows and productivity to magnesium deficiency should always ask their supplier of animal health magnesium products for a certificate of analysis (COA) which will provide the appropriate information.

Ravensdown veterinarian Dr Gavin Goble says such certificates have never been more impor-tant because recent results from Analytical Research Labo-ratories (ARL) have highlighted the poor quality of many magne-sium oxide prod-ucts on the market.

Testing undertaken as a result of farmer concerns about the quality of prod-ucts used in the applica-tion of magnesium (Mg) to cows has shown serious defects in many products being sold in the market, he says.

“Variations in prod-uct quality can lead to cows not receiving enough magnesium to prevent magnesium deficiency. This could result in an

increased likelihood of grass staggers and milk fever developing at or around calving. The prob-lem is made worse by high potassium (K) levels in the diet (which reduces Mg uptake by the cows).”

To be effective and safe, it is important that Mg products must:

Contain acceptable

levels of magnesium oxide (MgO)

Be below the legal limit for heavy metals

Have the correct parti-cle size.

The industry standard for dusting grade mag-nesium oxide is a prod-

uct with a 200 mesh (90% less than 75 micron) par-ticle size and a purity of at least 87-90% MgO (52-54% elemental Mg). Under the ACVM Act 1997, the mini-mum allowable MgO con-tent is 85% and there are also legal limits on the heavy metal content.

ARL’s results showed that from 29 randomly purchased samples, 28 of them failed in at least one of these three areas, says Goble.

“It’s alarming that farmers are not getting what they have a right to expect, and in fact are not getting what is stated on the bag. It’s about having robust manufacturing and testing processes so a sup-plier like Ravensdown is in a position to provide that assurance through a certif-icate of analysis,” he says.

Ravensdown recommends a certificate of analysis for magnesium oxide products.

Gavin Goble, Ravensdown.

“Variations in product quality can lead to cows not receiving enough magnesium to prevent magnesium deficiency.”

Check out our new websiteswww.ruralnews.co.nzwww.dairynews.co.nz

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Trials show love of molassesa FURtheR round of farm trials in the Waikato has reconfirmed the value of Crystalyx Dry Cow dehydrated molasses blocks as a dry cow winter supplement, says Altum

Nutrition.The results were pre-

sented at a farm open day in Putaruru, in March, with Jackie Aveling, animal nutrition manager at Altum, saying the good

turnout reflected farmers’ interest.

“Overseas trials over some 20 years have consis-tently confirmed the per-formance of dehydrated molasses blocks, says Aveling.

“Farmers want to know if the same results can be achieved in New Zealand. Our trial work with Crys-talyx, which is specifically formulated for local condi-tions, gives them the facts they need to support its performance.”

The repeated trial work

done by Dr Mark Oliver, science director of the Lig-gins Institute’s Ngapouri Farm research station near Rotorua, saw a control herd supplemented with magnesium and trace ele-ments following current best practice guidelines, and the other Crystalyx Dry Cow.

In the first year the control cows recorded a significantly higher inci-dence of retained placen-tas (11% compared to 2.6% in the Crystalyx group (p<0.01)), while mastitis incidence also tended to be higher (9.0% vs. 3.9%, p=0.051).

Aveling says the initial trial indicated a clear link between nutrients, vita-mins and reproduction and lactation.

The repeat of the ini-tial trial, on Mark Newton and Sarah Manders’ prop-erty in Tokoroa, achieved outcomes similar to the first year.

Both herds had simi-lar low metabolic inci-dence with lower mastitis recorded in the herd fed Crystalyx Dry Cow than the control herd.

The Altum product was further put to the test on Hugh Chisholm’s farm in Putaruru, where 497 Frie-sian cross cows were win-tered on swedes and silage at his Tokoroa run off. The cows were randomly assigned to a control mob and a Crystalyx mob. The control mob received sup-plementation through

magnesium dusting on crops and trace elements through the water trough.

Chisholm and Newton were impressed by the results, and intend to con-tinue to use the product now the trials have con-cluded.

“I can honestly say the cows were quieter when they were on Crystalyx. The product really does work,” says Chisholm.

Newton also noticed a change in his Crysta-lyx mob, with the cows becoming a lot quieter,

reaffirmed when a vet vis-iting the farm commented that the herd had calmed down.

“We also noticed that the cows settled into milk-ing well early in spring, and ‘fired up’ for lacta-tion almost immediately. Based on my experience it worked extremely well,” said Newton.

“It’ so much easier than dusting, you just put the tubs out in advance and the cows just take what they want.

“Over the two years we noticed consumption was pretty consistent, so that means you are able to forecast use and budget accordingly. We will def-initely continue to use Crystalyx now that the trial is over.”

Crystalyx Dry Cow dehydrated molasses block contains a range of micro and macro nutrients contained in the molas-ses base, critical in aiding the transition through the calving-early spring period.

The production pro-cess for the block ensures a 98% dehydrated prod-uct that stock can only lick, not eat, limiting their uptake to about 200g per head a day.

This “little and often” product intake pro-vides an even intake pro-file through the animal’s grazing day, but is also invaluable in feeding the rumen’s microbial popu-lation.

“You just put the tubs out in advance and the cows just take what they want.”

– Mark Newton, Tokoroa

Hugh Chisholm (left) with Jackie Aveling, Altum.

LEVUCELL® SC helps maximize milk production

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Take off with a great start in lactation.

Even during transition, use of LEVUCELL®SC helps maximize transition diet potential and your income over feed costs

• Milk yield: +1 to +2l/cow/day • Enhanced milk fat • Reduced body weight loss• Optimized rumen pH (less risk of acidosis)

LEVUCELL®SC is a rumen specific live yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae I-1077, selected through collaboration with INRA (France).

The transition period impacts dairy cows’ performance• Transition (three weeks pre-calving and three weeks post-calving) – impacts the entire lactation period.

• This period could be a very stressful period and is casually linked to certain rumen dysfunction and thus is critical for profitability.

• Energy deficiency induces body score losses. The increase of nutrient density (more starch in the diet) may lead to rumen acidosis and cow discomfort.

• Optimized transition management therefore means peak milk production and savings on costs related to metabolic problems.

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machineRy & PRODUctS // 39

Hunt on for rural bachelors

‘Wetter’ water secret

alteRinG the atomic structure of water with electrical charges ‘ener-gises’ the water, says Energy Systems Plus New Zealand, displaying its wares at the South Island Field Days.

This occurs naturally in the clouds by lightning, the company says. “ESP is a revolutionary elec-trostatic process which adds elec-trons to the water altering the state of the water molecule which has the effect of energising the water and all that comes into contact with it,” says ESP’s Systems integration and elec-tronics specialist Bob Greer.

The process was developed in the US, where it is said to have received wide acceptance, and to be used extensively in all types of farming.

The effect is achieved by passing all water through a suitably sized pipe to which are attached the treat-ing electrodes. These can be powered by mains, battery or solar panels and there is minimal power usage. For irrigation usage it is recommended that a separate larger treating unit be used because of the volume.

The effect of the process is said to be a reduction in surface tension resulting in “wetter water”.

Greer says wetter energised water is more effective for cleaning and the water has better soil leach-ing properties. Consequently deter-gents and other cleaners become more efficient and less is needed. It penetrates soil better and faster and

because of its changed structure it can break down and leach away salts encrusted on the soil surface, in sub-soil, on plant roots, pipes, nozzles , and, it enhances digestion in ani-mals, actually, in all bio-digestive processes including effluent treat-ment ponds. Tel. 03 523 8992 or 021 626 040www.espnz.com

tOny hOPkinSOn

ESP Systems spokesman Bob Greer (left) with Michael Richards, at the South Island Field Days.

the SeaRch is on for the 2013 Fieldays Rural Bachelor of the Year. A single Kiwi bloke who can drive a digger, reverse a trailer, chainsaw a tree and then rustle up a roast dinner will be a perfect candidate for the competition.

Entries for the competition are now open and Fieldays is on the lookout for hard working rural blokes to represent the farming community. In keeping with Fieldays’ Global theme, this year it is going Trans-Tasman: two Australians will join six

good Kiwi blokes in the competition.

In an ‘Amazing Race’ style twist to the competition, entrants will be flown to a secret

location on Monday 10 June and need to make their way to Fieldays by 5pm the following day, stopping in specific towns along the way to complete various tasks. Our bachelors must be

prepared to roll their sleeves up and get into whatever is required plus be up for some mystery and fun.

Once at Fieldays the bachelors will take part in four days of events, testing their rurally derived skills, No.8 wire innovative attitude and good all-round charisma in a number of competitive heats.

Eligible contestants must be over 18, work in the rural industry, ooze Kiwi / Aussie bloke charm and most importantly, be single. www.fieldays.co.nz/ruralbachelor2013

Who has dairying’s most reliable and efficient

effluent pump solution?

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For information on your nearest Mono dealer, contact:

Nationwide Toll Free: 0800 659 012

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Christchurch: 03 341 8379 Dunedin: 03 476 7264

Our pump sets come standard with the following features and benefits, for our farming clients:• Stainless Steel Baseplate - gives long-term

protection against corrosion, unlike galvanised baseplates.

• Silicon Carbide Mechanical Seals - prevent self-priming issues common with gland packed pumps offered by others as standard. Provide long term sealing against effluent leakage to maintain a safe pumping environment.

• Pump Life Expectancy based on our 35+ years of Progressing Cavity (PC) pump engineering by the only PC pump manufacturer directly serving New Zealand farmers - gives us the unique ability to ensure our pumps operate at the most effective speeds for pumping animal effluent, which impacts directly on the maximum pump life expectancy.


40 // machineRy & PRODUctS

Rotor lifts avert swath damageOn DiSPlay on the Origin Agroup stand at the Central Districts Field Days were two of the latest hay rakes from Pottinger – the TOP 852 C and the TOP 972 C.

Their main innovation is a new rotor lifting system so that the rotors pivot diagonally rearwards on headlands giving a ground clearance of about 600mm so the finished swaths are not damaged or disturbed by the rotating rotors passing over them.

“Pottinger are an innovative company and I believe this is a great advance for their rakes,” said Origin Agroup general man-ager David Donnelly.

Both are twin rotor rakes giving a centre swath; both can alter the working width hydraulically on the move. The 852 C can operate 7.75m to 8.55m and the 972 C 9.00m to 9.8m. The transport heights of the larger diameter rotors are 3.99m or

4.6m and with tines removed 3.3m or 3.85m respectively.

They are believed to have the largest cam tracks in the market on their machines and are easily removed. To follow the con-tour better the machines have a multitast wheel in front of the six wheel chassis which give precise guidance of the tines over undulations.Tel. 07 823 7582www.originagroup.co.nz

Darryl Chambers, Origin Agroup South Island sales manager.

Technology makes it easier for graziersan anDROiD app simplifies NAIT compliance by graziers wintering heifers and cows, says Tru-Test Group. The company makes and markets the XRS EID reader and Bluetooth weigh scales.

With specific performance requirements in graz-ing contracts, any way of improving measurement and communications of results deserves careful con-sideration, the company says.

Especially this is so for graziers new to wintering heifers and cows, says marketing and sales manager Verne Atmore. “The demands can be greater than they envisaged, and the right support with the right tools can make a big difference.”

Atmore says equally valuable to farmers - in the first instance at least – can be talking with other farm-ers who are already using the technologies.

“Often the best sources of information are those already ‘in the game’ – they know what works for them and where the challenges lie.

“The technology brings lots of benefits, like being able to do NAIT movements and sending and receiv-ing weigh files while still in the yards. But there are also challenges for first-timers. It’s by talking, dis-cussing and sharing experiences that farmers will make the most of the opportunities.

“We’re all looking for ways to make stock recon-ciliation and performance measuring and reporting as straightforward and user-friendly as possible.”

Atmore says that from Tru-Test’s perspective, the big push is to simplify processes. “The introduction of the Android app is a good example of simplify-ing NAIT compliance, and we’re committed to user-friendliness in all aspects of measuring, monitoring and communication for dairy farmers and graziers.”Tel. 0800 263 278

Pottinger’s latest hay rake.

Beat the seasons Redpath’s clear roofing lets the light in for a clean, dry healthy floor

“The shelter eliminates rainfall washing effluent from the feedpad – and the clear roof keeps the cows warm and the floors dry and disease free” Waikato

“The soft floor system is easy on the cows and I can hold them inside for as long as I want, I mix the litter into my feed crop when finished” Gore

“I feedout along the sidewalls of my Redpath shelter, it saves me a lot of time and my feed waste is almost nil” Waikato

“Protects my herd and my pasture during extreme weather and lifts my farm production as a result” Northland

FREEPHONE 0508 733 728email [email protected]

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machineRy & PRODUctS // 41

Two augers take the material in opposite directions.

Slop spreader draws plenty of interestGROwinG USe of feed-pads and separators for removing and stockpil-ing effluent for later dis-posal ensured plenty of interest in the Kuhn efflu-ent spreader shown by the company at Central Dis-trict Field Days.

“This machine can handle liquid/sloppy mate-rial through to semi solid material,” says South Island sales manager for Kuhn, Warren Eagles.

It has a hydraulically operated door that seals for filling and transport and regulates flow as it is opened. The external flap, also hydraulically operated, regulates how far the material can be thrown or distributed. It can lay the material in a windrow or, fully open, the material can be thrown a great distance depending

on consistency.There are two augers

taking the material in opposite directions. They provide an even and con-sistent supply of mate-rial to the discharge. The left auger moves the mate-rial forward and the right auger, which is raised, moves the material back while keeping the left auger filled.

There are 12 ham-mers so when the material enters the discharge each hammer swings down into the material, peeling it off, pulverising it and slinging it under hand in an even and controlled spread pat-tern.

There is PTO drive line protection. Capacity is three tonnes and 60hp is needed for the PTO.Tel. 0800 585 007 www.kuhn.co.nz

The Kuhn effluent

spreader also boasts 12

hammers.

FIELDAYS FORECASTMASSIVE LOWS ACROSS NEW ZEALAND

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$3,195

Mudbug FARMBIKE

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These off ers are valid until 30 June 2012 or while stocks last, and only available at Fieldays or participating Suzuki dealers. Prices are recommended retail, excluding GST. Models shown are indicative only and may diff er to the actual sale stock. Some models may not be available at all participating dealers. Savings shown include GST. Off ers not available in conjunction with any other promotions.

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42 // machineRy & PRODUctS

Four-door sedan in a class of its ownthe new Kia Cerato sedan, newly arrived in New Zealand, is larger

than the outgoing model and is said to be the big-gest compact sedan in its class, the company says.

“It boasts an excep-tionally roomy passenger cabin and a more com-fortable and sophisticated ride, along with hi-tech steering, new engines and more convenience and

safety features.” Compared with the

second-generation, new Cerato is 30mm longer (now 4560 mm), 14mm lower (1435mm) and 5mm wider (1780mm), with the wheelbase extended by 50mm (2700 mm). The boot capacity is increased to 421 litres – among the largest in class.

“Cerato has been one of the most popu-lar models in the world for Kia and once again

we are introducing a new model that sets itself apart through outstanding inno-vation, design and qual-ity,” says Todd McDonald, general manager of Kia Motors New Zealand.

At least 2.5 million Cerato and Forte (US name) cars have been sold worldwide since the first generation went on sale in 2004.

Designed at Kia’s American Design Centre

in Irvine, California, the new Cerato has cab-for-ward styling, a coupe-like roofline, concave door contours and a rising belt-line with chrome molding extending into the C-pil-lar.

Inside are a sweeping new dashboard, with car-bon-look trim and soft-touch materials. Interior comfort is enhanced by lowering the cabin floor and the front seats by

26mm and those in the rear by 20mm and by fit-ting wider front seat cush-ions with an increased cushion angle for greater comfort and thigh sup-port.

Two all-new fuel-effi-cient engines are offered in the 2013 Kia Cerato sedan. A high-compres-sion, direct-injected 2L GDI CVVT engine powers the top of the range SX model, delivering 129kW

(173hp) @ 6500rpm (+12%) and 209Nm of torque @ 4700rpm (+8%). Other models in the Cerato range (LX & EX) are powered by the 110kW 1.8L DOHC CVVT engine.

Thanks to a lighter kerb weight (down by as much as 70kg), through greater use of high tensile steel, the 1.8 models have a similar power-to-weight ratio to the previous 2L Cerato.

incReaSeD ViSibility anD SecURity

LED DAYTIME running lights on the EX and SX models increase visibility and safety.

All Cerato models are highly equipped, including remote keyless entry with standard alarm, power windows, power/heated door mirrors, front and rear parking sensors, steer-ing wheel-mounted cruise and audio controls, 6-speaker audio systems with Bluetooth, multi-function trip computer and front fog lamps.

Among the additional features on the top-of-the-range SX are a power-operated sunroof, 3 stage heated and cooling front seats, integrated memory seat, leather upholstery, reversing cam-era, dual zone climate control, smart key with push start/stop button, Xenon headlights, rear spoiler and 17” alloy wheels and low profile tyres.

Check out our new websiteswww.ruralnews.co.nzwww.dairynews.co.nz

The new Kia Cerato

The new Cerato has a coupe-like roofline and concave door contours.

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One shot could save a hidingScours can knock you sideways – hurting your calves, your family and your income. And it can strike on any farm. With Rotavec® Corona, a single shot before calving helps protect your calves against three of the most common causes of infectious scours – rotavirus, coronavirus and E. coli. Talk to your vet today about Rotavec Corona – the easy, one shot way to help your calves stand up to scours.

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00790_MSD ROTAVEC - Farmer Ad_DN.indd 1 8/05/13 1:37 PM

dairy news 14 may 2013

Documents

meeting gordon

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