Rural Roundup - February 18th, 2014 · 2014-10-08 · time to do sub-soil drainage before you work...

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Young Farmers Cluba chance to let loose

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MEMBERS of Te Kawa West Young Farmers Club come to grips with the art of rafting.

Te Kawa West Young Farmers Club are anenthusiastic group of young people with apassion for agriculture — and fun.

Club members are mostly dairy farmers, butthere are a few contractors and university students.

Mostly being a social group they like to organisefun trips to various places. Recently they went tothe races in Auckland and to Taupo’s high ropescourse.

The club is also highly sportsminded and hasseveral club organised sports, such as squash on aweekly basis through winter, netball — currentlythey have teams playing in both the Te Awamutuand Pirongia summer leagues, and cricket —mostly amongst themselves or against other socialteams.

Each year there are various interclub compe-titions. These include a raft race, go cart racing,clay bird shooting and many more.

Members are also community minded. Themain fundraiser each year is picking up hay as wellas covering silage stacks.

In previous years they spread bark in aKindergarten playground and helped with the

Pokuru Farm Day.Last year the club put together a derby car for

the Kihikihi Speedway and raised money fromsponsorship, which was donated to the CancerFoundation.

Another big part of the Young Farmersmovement is the National competition — span-ning all areas of agriculture including dairy, sheepand beef, machinery as well as importantagribusiness skills such as interviews, financialbudgets etc.

Each year several clubs members enter into thedistrict finals in hopes of moving up the ladder tothe regional event. This is a great learningopportunity for all levels of experience and weencourage everybody to get involved.

The club also built and entered a float into lastyear’s Christmas Float parade — an effort to getthemselves more noticed in the community and fora bit of fun.

■ The clubmeetsmonthly on the thirdMonday,7.30pm,WaipaWorkingmens Club. Forinformation phone 0274 TKWYFC (024 859 932).

Tuesday, February 18, 2014 Rural Roundup 3

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Vets backShelterBoxrelief effortsNew Zealand’s largest veterinary

group, VetEnt, has donated$12,000 to international disaster

relief charity ShelterBox for its TyphoonHaiyan Emergency Appeal.This donation will cover the cost of eightShelterBoxes, which contain immediateshelter and essential items, including afamily-sized tent, blankets, groundsheets,warm ponchos, cooking utensils, plates,cutlery, a stove, water purification, mos-quito netting, tools and children’s activi-ties.Each box will enable an extended familyor group to survive for six months whiletheir homes and lives are rebuilt followingthe devastation wrought by the 315kphwinds which hit the islands in November2013.Founded in 2000, the ShelterBox charityhas become the fastest responding emer-gency shelter programme, deliveringemergency shelter, warmth and dignity topeople made homeless worldwide.It constantly earns the respect of outsideagencies, not least because the reliefeffort actually gets to those affected.It is strongly supported by the GlobalRotary Club Project, becoming the organ-isation’s first project partner in 2012.ShelterBox is able to deliver boxes within48 — 72 hours of a disaster and hasresponded to over 200 natural or man-made disasters in almost 90 countries,supplying aid to more than a millionpeople to date.VetEnt CEO John Harrison of Te Awa-mutu says as a group of vets, it’s ourbusiness to help people, and we wantedto do something significant for the peopleof the Philippines.‘‘It’s the vulnerable that suffer in a disasterof this kind — young children and animalscome strongly to mind — so if we can doour bit to enable families to get back ontheir feet, those who cannot help them-selves have a chance of survival,’’ he says.

Rotary back Shelterbox relief

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KIHIKIHI Rotarians (from right) president Ruth Cunningham, vice-president Ross Turner andDave Southcombe with the ShelterBox set up at Waipa’s 150th Commemoration launch atKarapiro on Waitangi Day.

BY DEAN TAYLOR

Kihikihi Rotary Club usedWaipa’s 150th Commemora-tion launch at Karapiro on

Waitangi Day to promote their cluband the work of international disasterrelief charity ShelterBox.The charity is strongly supported bythe Global Rotary Club Project, whichwas the organisation’s first projectpartner.Kihikihi Rotary donated a ShelterBoxto the Typhoon Haiyan EmergencyAppeal earlier this year.President Ruth Cunningham says at$1500 per ShelterBox it representsgood use of aid money.She says each ShelterBox, which isassembled in England, has a hugeamount of equipment making it suit-able for a number of purposes in manyparts of the world.The club set up the equipment atKarapiro and people who visited wereimpressed with the tent and the gear itcontained.Mrs Cunningham says as well asemergency housing, the ShelterBoxeshave been used for hospitals and eventemporary classrooms.And while they are mostly associatedwith disaster zones in other parts of the

world, they were used in Christchurchfollowing the major earthquake.Mrs Cunningham adds that anothergreat feature for donors, is that every

ShelterBox is numbered, so when oneyou donate is deployed, you knowexactly where and how it is beingutilised.

Kihikihi Rotary Club, which celebratesits own milestone next year — turning40 — will continue to support thisworthwhile charity.

RURAL BUSINESSPROFILE

VetEnt expanding South Island operations

VetEnt has bolstered its presence in the SouthIsland with five new clinics. Until now the TeAwamutu based company has had a strong

representation in the Waikato, the East Coast andCanterbury, but not so much further south.

Christchurch’s Pets’n’Vets Ferrymead clinic hasjoined VetEnt, as have clinics in Mosgiel, Queens-town and Cromwell, while Ashburton’s clinic with itsdedicated companion animal team has relocated tocomplement VetEnt’s larger farm animal veterinarybusiness at Riverside.

Now rebranded as VetEnt, the total number ofclinics in the portfolio is 24.

The new Otago stronghold complements themove by Central Vets’ Alexandra and Ranfurly clinicsto join VetEnt earlier this year.

It is largely pet-focussed, complementing theChristchurch satellite clinics, but balancing the morefarm-oriented clinics in South/Mid Canterbury and inthe North Island.

CEO John Harrison says there were manybonuses to be had for both parties from the move.

‘‘It’s a win-win situation, and one we’re all veryexcited about,’’ he says.

‘‘Working as part of the VetEnt group means theclinics will be able to tap into a much bigger best-practice knowledge and resource pool, and pass thatknowledge on to customers.

‘‘But keeping the clinics local team and flavour ispositive for VetEnt too. There’s much to be gainedfrom retaining the local ownership, knowledge andtalent. Customers like the reassurance of a familiarname and face when it comes to their pets.’’


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Applause for water reformsThe Fertiliser Association of New Zealand

has released its submission to the Ministryfor the Environment on the proposed

amendments to the National Policy Statementfor Freshwater Management 2011.

‘‘The Fertiliser Association supportsenvironmentally responsible, scientifically-based nutrient management and we applaud thegovernment’s commitment to a nationallyconsistent approach that allows regionalcouncils to manage water quality in an inte-grated and sustainable way,’’ says Dr PhilipMladenov, Chief Executive of the FertiliserAssociation of New Zealand.

‘‘The government has gone a long waytoward correctly identifying the problems cur-rently associated with implementing theNational Policy Statement for Freshwater Man-agement and providing an approach to themonitoring of progress towards freshwaterobjectives.’’

‘‘The fertiliser industry has a unique positionin discussions about water management

because it is influential right across the agricul-tural sector.

‘‘The Fertiliser Association’s member com-panies supply products that are essential tonearly all New Zealand farming systems.

‘‘We also provide research, decision supporttools and training and certification programmesthat support both environmentally sustainablefarming practices and the government’s exportgrowth agenda.’’

‘‘The Fertiliser Association looks forward toa complete package of legislative reforms andamendments to the National Policy Statement,as well as to further guidance on cost benefitanalysis and collaborative processes that willlend clarity to this important endeavour.’’

■ The The Fertiliser Association’s submissionto theMinistry for the Environment on theproposed amendments to the National PolicyStatement for Freshwater Management 2011 isavailable on its website atwww.fertiliser.org.nz

Finalistsfor MaorifarmingawardT he three finalists for the 2014

Ahuwhenua Trophy BNZ Maori Excel-lence in Farming Award will be

announced at a special function at Parliamenttomorrow.

The annual Ahuwhenua Trophy Competi-tion alternates between sheep and beef anddairy farming and the 2014 competition is forthe top performing Maori dairy farm.

The three finalists will be chosen from anumber of Maori trusts, incorporations andindividual farmers from around the country.

Following their selection as finalists, they willthen be subject to another round of judgingwhich will include each of them staging a fieldday at their individual properties which will beopen to members of the public.

These will be held in March so that peoplecan see the farms in action before the cows aredried off in the late autumn.

The Chairman of the Ahuwhenua TrophyManagement Committee Kingi Smiler says thereason for announcing the finalists at a functionin Wellington, is to draw greater attention to thesignificance of the Ahuwhenua Trophy and tohighlight the significant contribution that Maoriagribusiness makes to the New Zealand econ-omy.

‘‘For example, Maori are significant playersin the dairy industry with ten percent of the milkproduced in the country coming from Maorifarmers.

‘‘In Taranaki a large Maori Trust, Parininihiki Waitotara is Fonterra’s largest supplier. It isalso important to realise the importance thatMaori place on sustainable farming practices.This is an integral part of our farming systems,’’he says.

As well as announcing the finalists in thetrophy for the dairy awards, Kingi Smiler saysthey will also be promoting the award for theYoung Maori Dairy Farmer of the year.

‘‘We have some great emerging talentcoming through the industry and this competi-tion is a great way of encouraging our youngpeople to make a career in farming,’’ he says.

Kingi Smiler says the Ahuwhenua TrophyCompetition is a great opportunity for Maoritrusts, incorporations and individuals to showcase their successful dairy farming operations,some of which he says are among the topperforming farms in the whole of the country.

The Ahuwhenua Trophy Competition wasinaugurated eighty one years ago by the greatvisionary leader, Sir Apirana Ngata and theGovernor General at the time, Lord Bledisloewith the aim of encouraging Maori to improvetheir farming operations.

Kingi Smiler says Sir Apirana was able toconvince Lord Bledisloe that such a competitionwould not only reap benefits for Maori, but alsofor the New Zealand economy.

‘‘The value and intent of both Sir Apiranaand Lord Bledisloe remains as relevant todayand it was eight years ago.

‘‘While farming systems and technologyhave changed, the Maori value of kaitiaki oftheir lands for future generations remain.’’


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NZITO and Primary ITO join forces

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NEW ITO Chairman John Parker with Prime Minister John Key.

T he New Zealand Industry TrainingOrganisation (NZITO), the industrytraining provider for the meat

processing, dairy manufacturing and sea-food sectors, officially merged with thePrimary Industry Training Organisation(Primary ITO) on February 1, as theGovernment’s strategy to amalgamateITOs continues.Primary ITO provides industry trainingacross the agriculture, horticulture,equine, water and sports turf industries.The two organisations share a naturalsynergy and the move will help tostrengthen and enhance the linksbetween the producer and processorsectors.The merger also means Primary ITO isnow officially the largest ITO in thecountry.As well as training the workforce involvedin the production and processing ele-ments of the food chain, Primary ITOalso provides qualifications for peopleworking in the service sectors connectedto the primary industry.While these sectors are not exportfocused, they still have an important roleto play.NZITO Chairman, Graeme Sutton, says‘‘we’ve created an organisation thatoffers the complete primary industrytraining package. There’s enormous cap-acity for training and education to raiseglobal and national awareness of NewZealand’s primary industry.’’‘‘Our export industry is socially andeconomically vital to the country andcentral to the Government’s growthagendas, adding pressure on the sector toproduce more value for exports.The coming together of all of the primaryindustry ITOs will help to support theposition of our industries in inter-nationally competitive export markets,’’Mr Sutton says.Outgoing Primary ITO Chairman, CliffTipler, says ‘‘this is something that ITOsin the sector have been talking about forsome time and it’s exciting to see it come

to fruition.We appreciate the strong support wehave received from our industrystakeholders to make this merger hap-pen. As I come to the end of mychairmanship and hand over the reins tonew Chairman, John Parker, I’mdelighted to leave Primary ITO in such astrong position.’’Incoming Primary ITO Chairman JohnParker says ‘‘I’m looking forward tochairing the new entity. Its scale andbreadth makes possible improved effec-tiveness, efficiency and the delivery of topquality training experiences to thoseworking in New Zealand’s most import-ant industries.It is now up to the directors to capturethese opportunities.’’Mr Parker retired recently from theChairmanship of Port of Tauranga but hiscareer has been largely in New Zealand’sprimary sector, including dairy farming,farm forestry, kiwifruit, salmon farmingand directorships of ENZA, the NZ GameIndustry Board, Richmond Meats andDairy Holdings Ltd.A larger scale organisation comes withmany benefits including more choice forcustomers and innovation in trainingcontent and delivery.However, the larger scale will not causedetrimental effects to the individualsectors and Primary ITO will retain afocus on all industries. The organisation’sIndustry Partnership Groups (IPGs)ensure the voice of each and everyindustry sector is heard. ‘‘The key to ourongoing success is working alongsidewell-connected industry people to deliveron our mandate,’’ Mr Parker says,‘‘which is why the IPGs are vital.’’Primary ITO is closely aligned to theTertiary Education Commission (TEC)and the Ministry for Primary Industries(MPI).NZITO officially merged with PrimaryITO on Saturday, 1 February 2014 andnow comes under the Primary ITObanner.


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Prepare for dry summer managementDarren SuttonWaikato FarmWise Consultant

‘If the dry continues, thenreducing overgrazing of

pastures will become veryimportant.’

A t the risk of making it rain I predict weare in for a dry summer, for Februaryat least, so now it a good time to go

over those key areas of dry summer manage-ment now.

SET A PLANWith the predicted pay-out being where it

is, the goal is to keep as many cows in milk foras long as possible. So long as this does notimpact on the businesses performance nextseason.

Have a plan in place but revise it every twoweeks as dry conditions continue and vari-ables change.

If this dry spell turns into a drought, thenby March some major decisions will need tobe made as to the numbers of cows that canbe kept milking and how often.

SUPPLEMENTSRing fence any supplements that you

know you will need for winter first, then think

about what you have on hand and how thiswill be best fed out.

The cheapest and most readily availablefeed is currently palm kernel, and theeconomics of this in a feed deficit stacks upwith it costing about 35 cents landed per kgof DM. When cows are grazing to a 1500residual or less, then we can expect 80-100 g

MS responses per kg of DM eaten. So there isa good margin that should allow yourmarginal feeding costs to be covered whenworking on an $8.30 milk price.

Currently energy is all that is reallyneeded, but in another 4 weeks of no rain,then the crude protein (CP) levels in thepasture will be dropping away, and may bebelow 16% CP. At this level we can start tosee some milk responses to feeding asupplement that has higher CP. Palm kernelis about 14-16% CP, so it only holds its own.Maize silage is 8-9 %CP, so this drops thetotal CP in the diet, but is still worth feedingwhen cows are at risk of being underfed. Youcan look to add dried distiller grains (DDG) orcottonseed to your PKE mixes to help lift thetotal CP levels in the cows diet, but theseproducts do quickly lift the cost. Seek goodadvice when designing these mixes.

With pastures being so dry now, when it

does rain (50mm plus) a lot of the pasture willsoften quickly and will reduce cow intakesfurther for the next 3-4 weeks while thepastures get growing again. To help reducethe fall in milk production at this time, try tosave some grass silage that you can feed toreplace the ‘‘melting’’ pasture.

Revise now what your supplementcontracts look like. Have you enough set outfor the next two months in particular?Depending how much risk you are preparedto accept as to how far you need to gocontracting volumes.

STOCKING RATEStocking rates need to be reduced where

possible, as soon as possible. This can bedone by culling cows that you know you willnot be keeping for next season. These will becows that are older and have had mastitis andare currently helping hold the SCC higher.Also any cows that are obviously dryingthemselves off and now and putting excess-ive condition on her back.

If you have done a 12-week PD already,then you will know those cows that are likelyto be empty. Again, look through this groupthat are low producers (using herd test datawhere possible), and have SCC issues. At thisstage if you have empty cows that may becarried over or are exceptionally goodproducers, then feeding supplements tothese cows can be profitable.

If you have not done a 12-week PD scan,get you final PD scan booked for 5-6 weeksafter the bulls have been removed.

ROTATION LENGTHHopefully you are on at least a 25-day

round length now — a 30-day rotation wouldbe better. A slower round length allows forhigher average pasture covers, whichreduces the amount of evapotranspiration. Italso helps when drought-breaking rains doarrive to maximise re-growth rates.

OAD OR THREE IN TWO MILKINGSMilking OAD or three times in two days

will help keep as many cows milking forlonger into the summer and autumn beforedrying off decisions have to be made. Mostcows will naturally tend to partition energyaway from milk production and will hold orgain some BCS. Ideally the best time to moveto OAD is before a feeding pinch as cows candrop further than the typical 10% when donein December or early January.

Feeding levels should not be droppedwhen going onto OAD, but should actuallybe lifted for the first week to reduce theproduction drop.

Having culled your high SCC cowsalready will help keep SCC manageable.SCC will typically double and then settleabout 1.5x what the SCC was on TAD.

The best option as this stage whenrunning two herds, is to put all the two andthree year olds onto OAD first to minimiseSCC issues, and buy some time before theolder herd goes onto OAD. This will helpprotect the younger cows from stripping toomuch weight off.

SACRIFICE PADDOCKIf the dry continues, then reducing

overgrazing of pastures will become veryimportant. The best way to do this is to milkthe cows into their allocation of 12 or 24hours of pasture (milking frequency depend-ent), then once a 1500 kgs DM/ha residualhas been achieved, remove the cows onto asacrifice paddock for supplements to be fed.They can remain there until the next milking.

The best type of paddock will be aperhaps a poorer performer that needsrenovating, but good water and shade andclose proximity to the cowshed are veryimportant as well.

By doing this, you will reduce the area ofthe farm that will need under-sowing oncethe rains do arrive.

REPLACEMENTSHave you checked your replacements out

at grazing in the past 30 days? If your farm isdrying out, then there is a high chance thatso is your grazier’s. Out of sight should notbe out of mind.

The next three months are often whengood calves turn into below target R1s. Don’tassume, go and check and work out a plan ifneeded to protect them through the dry.

Now is the time to write your plan of whatactions you will take and when — if no rainarrives to arrest the situation.


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Auckland siphoningWaikato’s future

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PLANS to take more water from the Waikato River for Auckland’s use could hurteconomic opportunities in the Waikato.

Federated Farmers is con-cerned that the AucklandWatercare firm’s appli-

cation to take water from theWaikato will see lost opportun-ities for economic growth inthe Waikato.

‘‘This part of the WaikatoRiver is already nearly fullallocated with water takes, at10% of its one in five year lowflow (Q5), so if this applicationis approved, Waikato rate-payers lose out,’’ says JamesHoughton, Federated Farmersprovincial president for Wai-kato.

‘‘Watercare is asking for afurther 200,000 cubic metersa day on top of the 150,000they already take, to supply acity that doesn’t pay rates inthe Waikato.

‘‘Our council needs to be

thinking long term here andwhat benefits there are ingiving away Waikato’sresources, which are needed tomaintain and build Waikato’seconomy.

‘‘If this consent proceedsunder the current rules it isgoing to strangle Waikato’sability to grow.’’

‘‘Right now, under theNational Policy Statement forFreshwater Management, weare meant to be sitting downwith our regional councils andcollaborating on setting valuesand objectives for our localwaterways.

‘‘Yet before we have hadthe chance, a significant per-centage of our resource couldbe supplied to another regionentirely.

‘‘To properly understand

the impact this take would haveon the local economy andenvironment, the council needto do the ground work beforegiving away our resources.

‘‘Under variation 6 in theDistrict Plan, the council wouldhave to take water away fromits ratepayers to supply Auck-land the extra 20 percent ofthe current take it is asking for.

‘‘Auckland has long beenfacing resourcing and infra-structure issues due to itsgrowing population, but whyshould Waikato lose out as aresult.

‘‘If Auckland is expected togrow by 800,000 people inthe next 30 years they need tocome up with a long term andsustainable option rather thanleaning on their neighbours,’’says Mr Houghton.


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2014 RURAL 2014 RURAL ROUNDUP DATESROUNDUP DATES

For Further Information please phone:Advertising: Alan Price

Editorial: Dean Taylor or Cathy Asplin

CourierTe Awamutu

The Rural Roundup is our monthly farming feature delivered to 12,216 homes including 5282 rural clients in the Te Awamutu and surrounding areas from north of Otorohanga in the south, to Kaipaki/Te Pahu in the north and out to Oparau/Kawhia in the west.To assist with your forward planning below are the datesand features for the Rural Roundup for the balance of 2014.

March 11 Regrassing & Maize Silage

April 14 Maize Grain Harvesting and Regrassing

May 13 General

June 10 Fieldays and Welcome to the District

July 15 Calf Rearing

August 19 Grow Maize 2014/15

September 16 Summer Crop options and Silage Making

October 14 Cropping, Silage and Hay

November 18 Hay/Silage and Calf Club Results

Phone 871 5151

RURAL BUSINESSPROFILE

High standards continuewith high-tech digger

TC180214RR08A

MUCKING IN: John Austin Ltd’s new 12 tonne digger.

Long-established agricul-tural contractor John Aus-tin Ltd is now offering a

new service with the addition ofa 12 tonne digger operated byAndrew Neilson.

Mr Neilson says the digger isset up on 700mm wide tracksfor a light foot print andequipped with thumb and tiltbuckets, as well as the latest GPSsystem from Topcon.

‘‘The new system allows usto set drain falls and alignmentsfrom the cab and level offbuilding pads without the needof laser levels.’’

Mr Neilson has been operat-ing earthmoving machines forthe past 15 years on a widevariety of jobs ranging from roadworks and farm works to largeconstruction jobs.

‘‘I have a passion forearthworks and like to see a jobdone to a high standard fromstart to finish.’’

Services available include allfarm drainage, new effluentponds, new races and mainten-ance of old, paddock contouringand also demolition and siteworks.

‘‘We also have tractors and

trailers for on-farm work andtrucks and trailers to cover allcartage of metal, animal feedand fertiliser.

‘‘We have the technologyand equipment, with friendly andexperienced operators.

‘‘With existing servicesalready offered by John AustinLtd, we have you covered fromyour backyard to your backpaddock. We are your one-stop-shop for all your agriculturalcontracting needs.’’

■ See also advertisementpage 20.


Aussie tractor trekaids Child Cancer

TC180214RR09A

TRACTOR TREK organisers Ron and Kerry Bywaters with ‘Tail End Charlie’.

TC180214RR09

READY TO ROLL: Eight 9G’s that will be part of the New Zealand adventure.

T en enormous orangetractors have beenshipped across the

Tasman to take part in aSouth Is land adventurewhich will raise money forchildren with cancer in NewZealand.

The restored tractors,manufactured mostly in the1960s, will be the mode oftransport for a very unusualtrek around the South Island,organised by an intrepidgroup from the Chamberlain9G Tractor Club of WesternAustralia.

The trek starts in Christ-church on Wednesday, Feb-ruary 19, heading up the eastcoast to Havelock in thenorthern-most point beforeheading down the westcoast.

The trek finishes 25 daysand 2,500km later in Meth-ven on Saturday, March 15.

Tractor Trek organiserRon Bywaters has visitedNew Zealand before and wasimpressed enough to return.

‘‘We decided that it wouldbe an ideal location to hold atractor trek.

‘‘The scenery is spectacu-lar, the people friendly andas our speed will be 30-40kph, we will have time to‘smell the roses.’

He says the club has beenraising funds for charitableorganisations since its incep-tion and over that time some$140,000 has been raised.

‘ ‘Our bene f i c i a r i e sinclude the Royal Flying Doc-tor Service and Children’sHospitals. As our children,

grand-children and great-grand-chi ldren are ourfuture, we concentratemainly on providing help inthat direction.’’

Most of the group hasprevious trekking experiencearound Mainland Australiaand Tasmania.

Eight also trekked acrossthe USA in 2009, a threemonth trip from Los Angelesto Maryland.

The Aussies will be joinedon this trip by North andSouth Island Chamberlain9G owners.

The 9G (named becauseof its nine speed gear box), isan icon in the Australiantractor world.

It made a name for itselfoutside the tractor world in1957 when it took part in anInternational car rally aroundAustralia and earned thenickname of ‘‘Tail End Char-lie’’.

Capable of speeds of upto 100 kph, this particulartractor assisted broken downand stranded competitorsinto check points throughoutthe 18,000 km rally.

The Aussie trekkers willstay mainly at holiday parksand will be hosted by ChildCancer Foundation branchmembers and children alongthe way.

Other highlights wil linclude breakfast with theMcLeans Island Vintage andMachinery Club in Christ-church, a trip to the West-land Industrial HeritagePark, attending the MethvenA & P Show and a possible

trip to the Mt Hutt Ski Fieldand Coronet Peak.

Members of the publiccan support the tractort r ekke r s a t h t tp ://childcancerfundraising.org-.nz/event/TractorTrek. Youcan also text ‘‘tractor’’ to206.

The Child Cancer Foun-dation (CCF) is very gratefulto the tractor trekkers fortheir support. ‘‘We receiveno government funding andso rely on public generosity.

‘‘We are delighted to wel-come this wonderful group,’’says acting CCF CEO SimonLala.’’


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Fruit fly restrictionslifted in Whangarei

‘We have received our finalresults from trapping and fruit

examination and I amdelighted to say . . . New

Zealand’s fruit fly-free statusremains intact.’MPI’S ANDREW COLEMAN

T he Ministry for Primary Industries(MPI) confirms that all restrictions onthe movement of fruit and vegetables

in Whangarei have been lifted.MPI Deputy Director General, Com-

pliance and Response, Andrew Coleman,says this marks the milestone where twoweeks of trapping, fruit sampling and testingfor the presence of the Queensland fruit fly iscompleted.

‘‘We have received our final results fromtrapping and fruit examination and I amdelighted to say that our rigorous checksfound no further sign of the fruit fly in theWhangarei area. New Zealand’s fruit fly-freestatus remains intact, as it has throughoutthis response. There is no longer any needfor residents in the area to be restricted intheir movements of produce.’’

A fortnight ago the Ministry put in place a1.5 km diameter Controlled Area aroundwhere a single male Queensland fruit fly wasfound in a surveillance trap in the suburb ofParihaka. Residents were asked not to movewhole fresh fruit or vegetables outside of thiszone, which took in Parihaka, Riverside andparts of central Whangarei.

The move was precautionary while MPIcarried out intensive checks for any furtherflies. Had a population been found, thecontrols in place would have prevented anyspread of the pest fly out of the area.

‘‘MPI would like to sincerely thank thewider Whangarei community and the North-land Regional Council for the fantasticsupport throughout this operation,’’ MrColeman says.

‘‘This community help was vital. Queens-land fruit fly is a major pest of a wide range ofcrops. Had this pest become established inNew Zealand, it would have had seriousconsequences for our home gardeners, horti-cultural growers and the wider New Zealandeconomy.’’

Mr Coleman says while the controls arelifted, this does not signal the end of work in

the area.‘‘MPI will continue with its routine fruit fly

surveillance programme, with an additional33 traps left in high-risk locations such asnear landfills and industrial areas.’’

Anyone with concerns, particularlyinsects or larvae in fruit, should contact MPI’sPests and Diseases Hotline — 0800 80 9966.


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YAMAHA TTR110 2008 21119 $1,800

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Plantain a popular pasture alternative

TC180214RR011

GROWTH BOOST : New studyshows stock graised on plantainfatten faster.

A Hawke’s Bay on-farm trialshows lambs fatten faster onplantain and yield better than

lambs grazed on pasture. AwapaiStation, which is a ram breeder forFocus Genetics recently carried outtrials and then held an on farm fieldday for other farmers to find out moreabout plantain management.

The field day comes as morefarmers turn to plantain as a popular,affordable alternative to pasture forfattening lambs and improving thecondition of livestock for mating.

Many sheep and beef breedersand traders say plantain helps pro-duce better growth rates.

Awapai farm manager, ShaneTilson says he has planted 80hectares of mixed clover and tonicplantain in the last four years and isnow seeing outstanding results.

“We did a research experimentthis season where we grazed half ourHighlander ewe hoggets with theirPrimera lambs on plantain and halfon grass for the last month oflactation in December. The lambsthat were weaned off the plantainwere a kilo heavier in carcass weightthan the lambs that were grazed onpasture. And the ewe hoggetsweaned 1.2 kg’s heavier than thoseon pasture.

“48% of the lambs weaned off theplantain mob graded better off mumcompared to 21% off the grass mob.It was clear the plantain lambs gradedbetter, yielded better and put onweight faster.”

Mr Tilson says the lambs on theplantain put on 350 grams a day onaverage from date of lambing toweaning, which was a far betterlactational growth rate than everexpected.

“The plantain is very palatable andseems to digest well. I find the lambsgraze the whole paddock very evenly.

“Having plantain meant that dur-ing last years drought we were able to

grow all our Primera rams out to meetcontractual demands from farmers.Without plantain we would have beenvery challenged.”

Mr Tilson says plantain enablesthem to get their replacementhighlander ewe lambs to a maturebody weight earlier.

“We can mate our hoggets earlierso we can get the genetic gains earlierwithout compromising growth rates.

“We just weaned our hoggetreplacements in January. They cameoff the plantain at 66.5 kilos. Theyhad put on 4.5 kilos while also rearinga lamb, so we were thrilled with theirperformance.”

Mr Tilson says to reap the benefits

of plantain it must be managed well.“You really have to keep on top of

it. We graze it when the height of theplantain is the height of a stubby beerbottle and we take the stock out whenit’s the height of a stubby beer bottlelying on it’s side. You can’t just stickyour stock in there and forget aboutthem.”

Opepe Trust Farm Manager,Ryan Mason has planted over 300Hectares of tonic plantain on hisCentral Plateau farm and says it’sbeen one of the best decisions he hasever made.

“We have light soil and poorfertility as well as challenging climaticconditions so we need a crop that can

handle our harsh environment. Weneed something that can give usgrowth all year around and plantainprovides the answer.”

Opepe Trust grazes dairy heifersand calves on the plantain and alsofinishes its Primera/Highlander andPrimera/Romney lambs on plantain.

The farm produces 10,500 lambsand sells some fat and some store.

“Plantain has enabled us to lambearlier and get better results. Wedrafted 50 percent of our lambs offmum fat this year which is a record forOpepe Trust, given we farm in such atough climate.”

The property used to have 100percent brown top grass but ten

percent is now plantain and MrMason says he is looking to growmore.

“Plantain is a good year roundplant that is low cost and is easy toestablish in a low fertile environment.We have piece of mind knowing wehave the feed available going into thewinter and during droughts. Thisenables us to focus on good geneticsand management.”

Agricom Eastern North IslandSales Manager, Hamish Best says itstonic plantain sales have increasedover the last three years as farmersare seeing it as a cheap year roundcropping option.

“Tonic plantain is the next bigstep forward for hill country breedingunits. Farmers are now able to puttheir ewes having multiples onto afeed source that puts weight on theewe and her lambs, improving thepercentage of lambs weaned direct toslaughter.”

Focus Genetics chief executive,Gavin Foulsham says he haswelcomed farmers’ interest in plan-tain and was pleased with the field dayturn out at Awapai Station.

“Shane had told us of his out-standing results, and it was importantfor us to share these with otherfarmers.”

Mr Foulsham was keen to encour-age farmers to challenge their gen-etics to deliver on the promise, andreap the rewards of that investment.

“I think Awapai’s results demon-strate the value of matching yourinvestment in forage, with an appro-priate investment in genetics or viceversa.”

“It makes sense that if you aregoing to invest in quality genetics, youneed to ensure that you are providingthem with the forage that allows theanimals to express their geneticpotential. Awapai’s results with plan-tain have really hammered home thatmessage!”


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TC180214RR012

DRY conditions mean planning will be key for farmers over the rest of the summer.

Farmersurged topreparefor dryweatherWith the Waikato experiencing dry

conditions again this summer, DairyNZ isencouraging Waikato dairy farmers to

plan how they will manage their business to ensurethat they maximise production and profitability thisseason without comprising next season.

‘‘So far this year there’s been very little rain andsoil moisture levels are as low as they were lastJanuary. We will need at least 50mm of rainfall toallow for good pasture growth to avoid a repetitionof last year,’’ says DairyNZ regional leader forNorth Waikato Duncan Smeaton.

‘‘Having a plan and reviewing it regularly,preferably weekly, is key to getting through a drysummer.

‘‘Early decisions can reduce the need for drasticmeasures later.’’

Because of the lack of moisture, pasture coversare down and farmers are advised to makemanagement decisions based on current (notexpected) pasture covers to avoid problems if thedry period continues.

‘‘It’s important to manage pasture conditionand not over-graze, so that when it does rain,pastures are in good shape to respond. Rotationlength should be around 30 days to allow plants torecover from grazing and optimise the amountthey can grow,’’ says Mr Smeaton.

Wade Bell, DairyNZ regional leader for SouthWaikato, says using supplementary feed will helpto maintain production, avoid over-grazing andmaintain cow body condition.

‘‘Supplementary feed needs to be usedwisely,’’ says Mr Bell.

‘‘Only feed supplements that are surplus toautumn and winter requirements and save enoughsupplement to feed for three weeks after theautumn rains.

‘‘If buying in supplementary feed such as PKE,make sure that it’s suitable for your farm and thatits use will be profitable for you. Profitability willdepend on how long it stays dry. The immediatemilk response is unlikely to fully cover the cost, butif feeding allows you to maintain more milkingcows, when it does rain, the returns will besignificant.’’

If conditions remain dry into February thenfarmers need to focus more on protecting nextseason’s production. This includes ensuringreplacement heifers are on target to achieverequired growth rates.

‘‘Drying-off low producers, young animals andthin cows, culling low producers, grazing-off allnon-milking cattle and switching to an alternativemilking strategy such as once-a-day are all actionsthat should be considered,’’ says Mr Bell.

If switching to an alternative milking strategy,farmers will need to pay increased attention tomastitis detection and planning. ‘‘The importanceof planning and taking positive action cannot beoverstated,’’ says Mr Smeaton.

‘‘Make good use of the resources at yourdisposal.’’


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MORE farmers are taking up the opportunity to recycle agrechemical containers for free.

Agchemempties‘goanotherround’

‘Thanks to the support ofour 57 brand owners morethan 3,000 commonly usedproduct containers can be

recycled for free. This numberis increasing all the time,

particularly in dairy hygienewhere we’ve just welcomed

Farm Guard into theprogramme.’AGRECOVERY FOUNDATION CHAIR

GRAEME PETERS

Agrecovery Rural Recycling is turning thewell known slogan ‘‘make your emptiesgo another round’’ on its head for their

latest container recycling promotion.‘‘It’s an iconic statement,’’ says Agrecovery

Foundation chair Graeme Peters, ‘‘but this timewe’re talking empty agrichemical, animal healthand dairy hygiene containers.

‘‘We’re encouraging farmers, growers andother agchem users to throw their empties on theback of the ute, as they would with their emptybeer bottles, and bring them in to our extensivecollection network for free recycling.

‘‘It’s a simple process, plus we’re giving thechance to win one of ten $500 vouchers tospend at their preferred rural retailer when theyrecycle in February or March.’’

According to Agrecovery, recycled con-tainers ‘‘go another round’’ right here in NewZealand where they are processed by AstronPlastics and commonly made into undergroundcable cover.

In the last financial year, enough containerplastic was recycled through Agrecovery to makecable cover stretching from Auckland to Invercar-gill and back.

Mr Peters says the Agrecovery Containerrecycling programme is well utilised in horticul-ture and viticulture where Agrecovery is part ofquality assurance programmes such as NZ GAP,however uptake continues to be slow in pastoralfarming and the dairy sector.

‘‘Thanks to the support of our 57 brandowners more than 3,000 commonly usedproduct containers can be recycled for free. Thisnumber is increasing all the time, particularly indairy hygiene where we’ve just welcomed FarmGuard into the programme.

‘‘However, people sometimes need a littleextra encouragement and this is will be the thirdyear we’ve offered financial incentives. It hasworked really well in the past with big jumps inrecycling volumes during the promotion.

‘‘Given that a recent report by EnvironmentCanterbury stated there are potentially around700,000 kg of containers burned, buried in afarm pit or stockpiled annually in Canterburyalone, it’s clear that we need to be doing more toencourage a change in disposal habits.

The promotion goes hand in hand withAgrecovery’s recently launched initiative ‘‘Target

200’’.The initiative challenges the primary industry

to adopt the recycling targets of this industry-good programme as their own, helping tosupport NZ Inc’s threatened clean green imageby eliminating unnecessary burning and dumpingof plastics.

‘‘For 2013/2014 the aim is to recover 200tonne of container plastic. By 2016/2017 theaim is to grow this to 330 tonne, or about 50percent of all the packaging sold by ourparticipating brands,’’ says Mr Peters.

Anyone recycling eligible containers withAgrecovery will automatically go in the draw towin one of ten $500 vouchers to spend with theirpreferred rural supplier.

■ Competition terms and conditions areavailable at www.agrecovery.co.nz.


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Helping grow the country

Getting the most from silageOnce your maize silage

crop has reached silageharvest point, your focus

needs to shift from maximisingcrop yield and quality to minimis-ing losses. Good stack manage-ment coupled with the use of aproven silage inoculant can helpensure you lose less drymatterand nutrients and gain morefrom your maize silage invest-ment.

Silage inoculants. Most cropslack sufficient numbers of theright bacteria to ensure a fast,efficient fermentation. Silageinoculants contain large num-bers of tested and proven‘‘good’’ bacteria. When added tothe crop at harvest time theymultiply, controlling thefermentation process. As a resultless energy and drymatter is lostduring ensiling and you get morefeed energy which your cowscan use to produce milk.

The positive effects of silageinoculants observed in controlledindustry and university studiesinclude:

● Lower silage pH● Greater drymatter recov-

ery (less shrinkage, spoilage andrun-off)

● Improved silage digesti-bility (higher feed energy levels)

● Increased animal perform-ance (more milk or more meatper tonne of silage fed)

Just as two cows differ intheir ability to convert pastureinto milk, silage bacteria differ intheir ability to convert sugar tolactic acid and make good silage.Research shows that proven

products such as Pioneer brand1132 can deliver up to $13.14return per dollar invested whencompared to an untreated con-trol1. Don’t waste your moneyon an unproven product, alwaysask for product-specificinoculant trial data.

Reduce heat. Maize silage ismore prone to heating at feed-out time than other silagesbecause it contains a high con-centration of starch and sugars.Silage inoculants like Pioneerbrand 11C33 can help keepsilage cooler for longer. In fact apublished New Zealand trialshowed 11C33 inoculatedmaize silage stayed cooler 55.5hours longer than an untreatedcontrol2. Less heating meansyour maize silage loses lessenergy so your herd can producemore milk.

Compact well. Compactionremoves air from the silage stackso the fermentation process canbegin. Ensure your maize is wellcompacted by matching the sizeand number of compactionvehicles with the rate of maizesilage delivery to the stack. Abetter compaction will beachieved if maize is spread inthin (100-150mm) layers.

Seal the stack. Seal the edgesof the stack or bunker using sandor lime. Use a high grade plasticcover and weigh it down secure-ly using tyres which are touch-ing. Place rodent baits in stationsaround the stack and refill themon a regular basis.

Opening stacks or bunkers:While the maize in your stack or

bunker can be fed out immedi-ately, its feed value will increaseslightly over time asfermentation bacteria improvethe availability of nutrients,especially starch. For this reasonit is recommended farmersalways keep a stack of maizesilage on hand so last year’ssilage can be fed out while thenew silage is fermenting.

Face and pace: Two criticalfactors associated with reducingsilage losses are management ofthe front (or face) of the stack,and feed-out rate. Design yourbunker or stack so you canremove 15 — 20cm from stackface each day. Keeping the stackface tight throughout the feed-out period will reduce theamount of time the silage isexposed to the air. This willdecrease the risk of mouldgrowth and spoilage and helpminimise energy and drymatterlosses.

Get more maize silagedrymatter and energy andreduce spoilage and losses byusing a Pioneer® brandinoculant and following goodmanagement practices this har-vest time.

Your cows will thank you bydelivering more milk!

■ Formore information onPioneer brand inoculants talkto your local Pioneerrepresentative, call the PioneerTechnical Advice Line toll-freeon 0800 PIONEER (0800 746633) or visit websitewww.pioneer.co.nz

1. Returns are calculated relative to an untreated control using drymatter recovery data fromPioneertrials,Washington State Universitymilk production trial results and amilksolids payout of $8.60/kgMS2. Kleinmans et al, 2011. Using silage inoculants to improve the quality of pasture andmaize silage in NZ.Proceedings of theNZ Grassland Association 73: 75-80.Whilemaize silage can be fed immediately afterharvest, maximumaerobic stability gainswill bemadewhen it is fermented 30 days prior to feeding.


9532671AA

Initiative to combatlabour shortage

HANDS ON: Trainees are getting valuable work experience.

A new ‘hands on’ initiat-ive, which brings theclassroom into the

orchard, is helping combat thelabour shortage in the horticul-ture industry.

The Eastern Institute ofTechnology (EIT), Work andIncome and local iwi haveteamed up with John Bostock,owner of JM Bostock Ltd, tohelp get people off the unem-ployment benefit and into per-manent employment.

The partners have workedtogether to establish an EITlevel three sustainable fruit pro-duction course, which has boththeory and practical modules.

The theory mirrors theorchard cycle to enhance thestudent’s learning. In 2014 the

programme will start earlier inthe year to better coincide withorchard practice.

Mr Bostock who providesan orchard for the trainingcourse says the programme is ahigh quality-training schemethat ticks the right boxes forgrowers with real job prospectsat the end for graduates.

‘‘The key for us is gettingthese trainees into full timeemployment rather than justseasonal jobs. We are helpingup-skill them, so they can easilyapply what they learn to a realjob in the orchard.’’

Fourteen studentscompleted in November 2013,and all gained employment.

Jason Cunningham and histwo sons graduated from the

course in November and movedinto permanent employmentwith JM Bostock Ltd.

‘‘We have job security now,so it takes the stress away. I usedto get really low when I knew theseasonal work was coming to anend and I had to go back on thedole. But this course now givesme more purpose in life and realdirection.’’

EIT Horticulture tutor, ErinSimpson says that having theclassroom on an orchard helpsthe students get beneficial handson experience. While teachingthe theory, Erin was able to takestudents from the classroom intothe orchard to bring the theoryto life.

Continuedpage16.


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565 MAHOE STREET | VETFOCUS.CO.NZ | 872 000424/7 EMERGENCY 0800 843 83895

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Beating back theshed ‘nuisance fly’

Rachel FraserVeterinarian at VETFOCUS

It’s funny how the idyllic Kiwisummer we all imagine, withlong clear days and fresh

nights, seems a little too faraway when we are stuck in thecow shed pit on a muggyafternoon.

Hot and grumpy cows, frus-trated staff, and the dreaded flyinvasion can quickly turn anevening milking into a livingnightmare. So while we don’thave the recipe for rain just yet,there are a few ways to keep theflies out of the shed, makingthose hot summer days a littlemore bearable.

The fly responsible for allthis distress in cowsheds acrossthe North Island is calledStomoxys calcitans, or nuisancefly. Nuisance fly multiplies dur-ing the summer months, with itslifecycle being completed in just12 days when temperatures arearound 27°C.

The average adult fly livesfor around one month, and inthis time a female may layanywhere up to 3000 eggs.When temperatures start tocreep up to 27°C for a few daysin a row as they recently have,we see a massive rise in flynumbers in what seems likeovernight due to this short andproliferative lifecycle.

They lay their eggs onrotting vegetation, silage andeffluent areas, so remember toclose the windows when theirrigator is in the house pad-dock. When the weather finallycools down in autumn, some ofthe adult flies go into a state ofsemi-hibernation and live overwinter, ready to start the cycleall over again next summer.

These nuisance flies aren’tjust a nuisance in a mild, peskysort of way — they feed off theblood of animals (including

people), and have been shownto reduce milk production by upto 40-60 percent with as little as25 flies per cow.

Cows affected by nuisanceflies spend more time moving,kicking, and generally wastingenergy, and less time grazingwhen in the paddock. They willkick the cups off more duringmilking, leading to longermilking times for the whole herdand increased teat damage.Nuisance fly is also a transmitterof several diseases includingpink-eye and mastitis.

‘Major Economical Loss fly’might have been a more accu-rate name.

Thankfully, there are a fewways to control flies in the shed.Industrial sized fans at the frontand back of the pit (or at cupson and off) lessen the fly burden,and have the added advantageof cooling off whoever ismilking.

Big sprinklers in the yardwhen the cows are waiting arealso great for keeping the flies offin the shed — remember, youhave to get the cows soaking wetwith drips running off them formaximum effect, otherwise youare just creating humidity.

It has been shown that a cowwho is wet down thoroughly atmilking time will have a lowercore body temperature for up tofour hours following, which isgreat news when it comes tofighting heat stress too. Somefarmers even switch to once-a-day milkings when the fliesarrive, thereby avoiding flies in

the shed altogether.Simple measures such as

ensuring there are not piles ofrotting supplement lying aroundcan help reduce the number offlies you see on farm, by reduc-ing their breeding areas. Keep-ing the shed nice and clean, andhosing down between rows tokeep everything wet will alsokeep numbers down whenmilking. And if all else fails, youcould always try the old clearmarbles in a bag of water trick todistort their vision — althoughthis may be just as effective as arain dance.

There are also a range ofinsecticides commonly used oncows. Blaze gives one monthprotection against flies, and hasa 28 day meat withhold (nil milkwithhold). Speak to your vetabout the safest and most effec-tive way to use this product.

Ripcord has also beenapproved for meat and dairyproducing animals, and has a 24day withhold period on meat (nilmilk withhold). If you are usingeither of these products, be sureto apply after milking and makesure the product does not comeinto contact with their teats orcontaminate the milk in any way— this means no Ripcord in theteat-spray.

You can also Ripcord theshed to keep flies from hangingaround on the walls and metalware. Always read the labelbefore using any of these sorts ofproducts.

Try a few of these measuresto reduce the fly burden on yourfarm, and make the rest of thesummer an enjoyable one.Because before you know it, thedays will be short and cold, andwe will all be dreaming of theidyllic Kiwi summer, with its longclear days and fresh nights . . .

Combating the labour shortageFrom page 15.

‘‘Industry buy-in has beenkey to this course taking off. Itensures that we are providingprogrammes to meet industryneeds. The students start withpruning, pest and disease con-trol, tractor driving, orchardmachinery usage, irrigation,maintenance, and then thin-ning, so it’s sequential throughthe season and means at theend of it all they have the rightpractical skills to get a job.

‘‘The timing is idealbecause when they finish thecourse in November there areplenty of jobs out there for

them.’’Mahi Hauparoa says the

course was challenging andthere were times he wanted togive up.

‘‘I got to a stage where Iwas going to throw it in, butI’m thankful I stayed deter-mined and finished because it’smade me a lot happier.’’

Mr Bostock has beenencouraging other growers toget in behind the sustainablefruit production programmeand as a result more growersare providing support. ‘‘If weall get together and each do alittle bit we can make a bigdifference. Unemployment

creates social challenges inHawke’s Bay, so if we are allpaddling in the same directionit will help.’’

The first time graduateswere treated to a specialgraduation ceremony at the TeAranga Marae in Flaxmere onWednesday where their lifechanging achievements wererecognised.

Applications are open forthis industry-focused coursenow. The next 20-week wintercourse starts in March.

■ For more information ph0800CALL EIT (0800 22 55348)


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From small calf sheds to covered feed pads ...We are your undercover agents

Keep pets hydratedas summer sets in

‘While thehabits of cats

tend to see themexposed to hightemperaturesless often thandogs, they aremore prone todehydration.’DR PATRICK FOLEY

Just like pot plants, ourpets don’t do so wellwhen they’re not pro-

perly hydrated.With the hottest summer

months here, Pet.co.nz andveterinary partner Dr PatrickFoley are reminding Kiwis toensure their pets are kept wellhydrated.

Foley says dehydrated catsand dogs are at risk of devel-oping potentially lethalhypothermia (a body tem-perature over 41° Celsius) ifexposed to high environmen-tal temperatures.

Use generic pic of pet ifdoesn’t fill page please.

‘‘While it might be astretch comparing pot plantsto faithful pets, water is thesingle most important nutri-ent to all living things,’’ saysFoley.

‘‘If you shut a dog in a hotcar without water, it candevelop hypothermia in lessthan 20 minutes. The samecan be said for a dog runningwith it’s owner for 45 minuteson a hot day.

‘‘While the habits of catstend to see them exposed tohigh temperatures less oftenthan dogs, they are moreprone to dehydration. Thiscan result in increased stresson kidney function and car-diovascular health.’’

Dogs and cats need toconsume 60-70mls of waterper kilogram of body weighteach day. An average cat(4.5kg) will need 300ml perday and an average dog

(25kg) will need 1,600ml perday. Well hydrated animalsare able to maintain normalbody temperatures and organfunctions even when airtemperatures increase.

‘‘Dogs are naturally moreinclined to drink than cats andwill generally drink enoughwater to replenish themselvesevery 24 hours.

‘‘However, cats can takeup to six days to completelyrehydrate themselves and willgenerally remain betterhydrated as they’re often ableto source the i r waterrequirements through theirdiets,’’ adds Foley.

‘‘Cats and dogs rely onpanting to regulate their bodytemperature when they’reexercising or air temperaturesare high, but this is onlyeffective if they’re sufficientlyhydrated with access to waterto maintain that hydration.’’

Symptoms of pet dehy-dration include thirst, loss of

skin elasticity (most oftennoted in cats as their furappears to stick up and not lieflat), sunken eyes, loss ofappetite and lethargy.

Dr Patrick recommendspet owners talk to their vet orafter hours provider immedi-ately if they suspect their petis suffering from hypothermiaor any dehydration relatedconditions.

Tips from Dr Patrick onkeeping pets hydrated

● Never leave your petalone and without water in ahot car

● Always have a supply ofwater (ideally fresh) availableto your pet

● When travelling or dur-ing outdoors activity, ensureeasy access to bowls andalways take water with you

● Ensure your dog cancool off in the sea, lake orunder a hose if it has beenexercising

● Pets need more water insummer, and even morewhen they’re exercising insummer

● Check your attic orrooms before closing doors.Cats locked up anywherewarm without water couldsuffer from dehydration orheat stress.

● If your dog is tied upoutside, ensure he will stillhave access to water shouldhe get tangled

● Consider feed ingcanned or moist food to yourcat during the warmer monthsof the year


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Scanning can help prevent stock loss

TAGGED: Electronic scanning and tagging systems canhelp reduce lost stock.

MINDA allows farmers to add calving information to theirherd records with a mobile device.

F armer stock lossesthrough winter graz-ing, and increased

disputes over stock owner-ship, can be prevented by theuse of electronic scanningsystems, says Michael Lee,Audit Principal in CroweHorwath’s Invercargill office.

‘‘The herd is the mostvaluable asset on a dairyfarm,’’ said Mr Lee. ‘‘Missingand lost stock are part andparcel of farming, but thesedays technology is availableto ensure timely identifi-cation of farm animals.’’

Mr Lee noted that thou-sands of head of valuablestock disappear every yeardur ing win ter graz ing .Graziers are often dealingwith multiple farm herds overthe winter, and mistakes dohappen. Stock numbers aresometimes incorrectly talliedand herd ownership can bemixed up. Stock disputes arege t t i ng more commonamongst owners and mana-ge r s/ sha remi l ke r s andgraziers, he said.

‘‘Electronic scanning ofall farm stock ensures that anaccurate stock count can bemade on a timely basis,’’ saidMr Lee.

Since July 2012, all stockanimals have had to betagged with National AnimalIdentification and Tracing(NAIT)-approved radio fre-quency identification devicetags. Scanning can identifythe animals based on theirbirth records through theNAIT scheme and their Elec-tronic Identification Devices(EID’s).

‘ ‘We recommend

implementing a scanningsystem in conjunction withan independent farm advisorin order to develop an actionplan, and assist with set-upand interpretation,’’ he said.

‘‘We believe a stockauditing system protects allparties — the farm manager,contract milker, sharemilker

and farm owners — particu-larly absentee owners. Theowners have peace of mindknowing that the cows thatthey purchased are the cowsstill on their farm. This bene-fit is also extended to thestaff working on the farm asthey to know that they areprotected due to our inde-pendent counting of thestock.’’

Recent stock disputesdealt with by Crowe Horwath

include:● Potential fraud by a

farm manager looking tomanipulate stock records ofdeaths and missing with thegoal of taking ownership ofmilkers/calves.

● Stock returned fromgrazing, but not to the rightfarms.

Costs not only include theloss of valuable animals —with a current average priceof $2300 per cow — but thelost production during a highmilk payout season. CroweHorwath has also encoun-tered cases of non-farmstock being illegally grazedby employees on the farm-owner’s land.

Utilising the scanning ofNAIT tags allows each ani-mal to be identified and helps

ensure they remain on thefarm. By comparing thescanning results, farmers candetermine:

● Any missing animals(by identification, rather thanmissing numbers ).

● Any new animals (suchas any lower value cowsbeing exchanged for highervalue animals).

● Animals that are notfarm animals (non-farmstock being grazed at theowner’s expense or animalsthat have been brought in forthe count to make sure cownumbers are correct, only todisappear afterwards).

‘‘Electronic scanning ismuch better than just a physi-cal count,’’ said Mr Lee. ‘‘Itmeans you can identify theownership of individualcows. Scanning your cowscan help to prevent anddetect fraudulent movementsof stock and ensure that youranimals remain your prop-erty.’’

Scanning recommenda-tions

The MINDA system uses acombination of the EID tagsystem and scanning toreport on stock numbers,trace by individual cow andcompare the cows actuallyrecorded in MINDA withprev ious scans. CroweHorwa th sugges t sconducting four scans a year— in May, August, October/November & March/April.

● First scan — May (initialscan). The May scan is timedto coincide with the start ofthe new season, prior to off-farm winter grazing andbefore on-farm staff changes

occur. This scan will take thelongest, in order to identifycows that might be missingEID tags, cows not recordedon MINDA, inaccura teMINDA records etc.

● Second scan — August(post-grazing/pre-calving).This scan would coincidewith the cows return fromoff-farm grazing and also apre-calving scan. If cowshave come back from thegrazier that do not belong tothe farmer (potentially with alower value than the cowssent to grazing) this scanningwill identify the specific cowdetails. This scan will alsoprovide the correct opening

numbers for the on farmmanagement coming in.

● Third scan — October/November (post-calving).This scan wi l l conf irmmovements over the calvingperiod and will give the ownerquick information as to thenumber of deaths that haveactually occurred duringcalving. This scan will alsoidentify young stock on handand will serve as a basis todetermine if MINDA recordsare accurate and up-to-date.

● Fourth scan — March/April. The purpose of thisscan is to identify cows thathave been culled or are nolonger in the herd.


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RURAL ROUNDUPM A R C H 2 0 1 4

Maize Silage and Regrassing

CourierTe Awamutu

9532903AA

Is a tired employeea workplace hazard?

Sue Garmonsway Gallie Miles Associate

Farm environments pose aunique situation when itcomes to workplace haz-

ards and safety. Your staff maybe dealing with a number ofobvious hazards in their dailyfarm work — livestock, machin-ery and chemicals — but oftenthere are a number of things thelaw sees as a hazard that are notso obvious.

Know a hazard when yousee one

Under the Health and Safetyin Employment Act 1992(‘‘HSEA’’), a ‘‘hazard’’ includesa situation that creates actual orpotential harm, including aperson’s behaviour, and theirphysical or mental state. Thisbread definition can include staffthat are stressed, or staff that aretired and fatigued. Not so muchof an issue at this time of theyear, but during calving whenhours are long and staff aresleep deprived, as an employeryou have an obligation to recog-nise and mitigate this risk.

It surprises many of myclients to find that the behaviourof other staff can in itself be aworkplace risk. A staff memberwho regularly turns up formilking hung over, or who yoususpect is indulging in legal (orillegal) highs could be a work-place risk if their behaviourimpacts on the safety of othersin the working environment. Ifyou are aware of the behaviour,you have an obligation toaddress it.

Properly train and supervisestaff

Likewise, as an employer

you have a legal duty to properlytrain and supervise staff. Super-vision must be provided bysomeone who is properlytrained themselves. Employersneed to consider this whenasking staff to supervise eachother — is the person provingthe supervision properly experi-enced to do this? Remember, ifthey are not, it could be you asemployer who is ultimatelyliable.

Recognise the workplacerisks.

The farm environment cangive rise to very specific risks inthe workplace. It’s importantthat staff are aware of theserisks, and properly prepared todeal with them. Clear proce-dures need to be in place to dealwith things such as injury,chemical or effluent spills andvat contamination. If staff arehandling chemicals orpesticides, they need to beproperly trained to do this, andprovided with appropriate safetyequipment. Training on howsafety equipment operates isalso vital. If staff are using a workvehicle to move between differ-ent work locations (such as fromthe farm to the run off), it’s yourobligation to make sure thatvehicle is appropriate, roadworthy and properly operated.

Penalties for getting it wrong

As an employer, you have aduty to identify, reduce and,where possible, eliminate work-place hazards. If you are awareof a workplace hazard and donothing about it, you could beliable under the HSEA. Thepenalties can be hefty, includingfines of up to $250,000 if youfail to identify, reduce or elimin-ate a workplace hazard. A fineof up to $500,000 or imprison-ment for up to two years can beimposed if you are aware of aworkplace hazard, know thatthere is a risk of serious harm tothat employee or someone elseif no action is taken, and fail totake reasonable action. It’s vitaltherefore that you know yourobligations and take action if yoususpect there is a risk.

How then can you protectyourself?

o Take staff complaintsabout potential hazards seri-ously.

o If you suspect a staffmember is dealing with alcoholor drug issues, be upfront inaddressing these.

o Be proactive in makingsure staff take their scheduledbreaks and holidays.

o Consider sending staffhome if they are fatigued orshowing signs of stress.

o View staff training as aninvestment — in both thedevelopment of your staff and inprotecting you from potentialliability.

If you are unsure about anyaspect of your health and safetyobligations, contact me for afree ten minute discussion.


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Rural Roundup - February 18th, 2014 · 2014-10-08 · time to do sub-soil drainage before you work...

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Transcript of Rural Roundup - February 18th, 2014 · 2014-10-08 · time to do sub-soil drainage before you work...