Developments

Hawke’s Bay exporters, growers and farmers who have worked hard to protect the region’s GM free status are happy the environment minister has backed down from controversial amendments to the RMA that would take away the regions’ right to make their own decisions on GMOs. Hawke’s Bay’s ability to establish a GM Free food producing zone under local plans has been shielded following last minute changes to the Resource Legislation Amendment Bill. An amendment negotiated by the Maori Party exempts GM crops from the scope of new ministerial powers overriding local decision-making. A further clause – introduced by the Government after public consultation on the Bill –  that would give the minister a second route to impose GM releases on the regions has been deleted. Pure Hawke’s Bay, lobby group representing Hawke’s Bay growers, exporters and farmers was fighting to have s360D deleted altogether. Pure Hawke’s Bay President, Bruno Chambers says the best outcome for the regions would have been the deletion of 360D. “While the exemption is not as wide as what Pure Hawke’s Bay has called for, it protects Hawke’s Bay’s right to decide on the GMOs most likely to come forward in the foreseebale future. “ The exemption agreed to by the Maori Party and the Government covers the growing of GM crops. Pure Hawke’s Bay understands that that exemption covers GM crops and any outdoor growing of GM crops, whether experimental or commercial. This was confirmed by Marama Fox, who sponsored the amendment, when she told Parliament: “The Maori Party supports these amendments on the understanding that, as negotiated with the Government, they preserve the regions’ ability under local plans to regulate all types of GM crops in their territories including forestry and grasses and any activities involving the growing of GM crops whether for commercial […]

In the picture: A BloomSky weather station on display at the Farming2020 event in South Waikato. Fonterra farmers will come together to trial innovative technology that will allow them to take insights from the weather and bring greater precision to New Zealand dairy farms. Fonterra is playing its part in fuelling the revolution of on-farm weather forecasting by working with MetService and BloomSky – a smart weather camera station that delivers hyperlocal weather information in real-time to any laptop, tablet or smartphone. More than 70 BloomSky weather stations will be installed by farmers across the country in the coming months. MetService will use observations from the devices to provide forecasting and greater seasonal insights through data analytics to all users of Agrigate – the online dashboard developed by Fonterra Farm Source and LIC to give farmers the data they need to make faster and smarter decisions. Fonterra farmer Kevin Argyle is trialling the solar-powered ‘SKY2’ device as well as the wireless add-on called ‘Storm’, and has seen first-hand how the BloomSky system measures temperature, humidity, rainfall, wind speed, wind direction, UV and barometric pressure to give him a detailed view of his farm’s climate. “It really personalises it and enables us to make optimal on-farm decisions,” says Argyle. “People often underestimate the variability within relatively small geographical areas. The other day we had 29 millimetres of rain and a few kilometres down the road they had five. That’s a big difference when you’re thinking about the best time to cultivate a paddock or move stock. “Weather is one of the more significant risks that impacts a farming operation so to have a real-time app that provides insights in terms of what has happened, what the current weather is and what it’s forecast to be for your property has huge potential […]

  New Zealand’s smart hive innovation company, Hivemind, is launching a crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo to help beekeepers check their hives remotely, and take proactive action to keep their bees safe and happy. The “Hive Strength Monitor with WiFi” campaign aims to develop and commercialise an affordable and accessible WiFi version of Hivemind’s flagship satellite-based Hive Strength Monitor for all beekeepers. It is targeted at responsible beekeepers, commercial pollinators, and honey lovers alike around the world who are committed to keeping all bee colonies happy and strong. Remote bee monitoring saves bees The benefit of the new Hive Strength Monitor with WiFi and Smartphone App is the ability for beekeepers to see from their mobile device that their bees are happy and busy doing what they should be doing – pollination and honey. The system comes with sensors and remote monitoring software that measures bee activity and hive conditions, and alerts beekeepers of changes in, humidity, temperature, and bee numbers. With the hives connected to their own WiFi network, beekeepers can open their Hivemind app to quickly assess the condition and wellbeing of their hives. Large-scale deployments can also install a WiFi hotspot to provide intensive hive monitoring at minimal monthly fees. “Our Hive Strength Monitor can also help beekeepers pick up any early signs of trouble and to act quickly to prevent or minimise both loss of their bees and potential spread of disease,” says Hivemind Director, Berwyn Hoyt. “Any sudden changes in activity or temperature could mean the bees are swarming, or dying off due to disease or hunger, or that the honey from the hives is being robbed by wasps. Hivemind data alerts can allow beekeepers to proactively assess the situation and mitigate any risk to their hives quickly.” After two years in development, the launch of […]

Sustainable farming across the Horizons Region has been highlighted at the Ballance Farm Environmental Awards (BFEAs) this month. The BFEAs are an annual awards programme which recognise and celebrate farm practices that promote sustainable land management in 11 regions throughout the country. Horizons Regional Council sponsors an award at the BFEAs each year as they align well with the Council’s land management goals. “On behalf of Horizons I’d like to congratulate all of the farmers who achieved awards in their respective categories,” says Grant Cooper, Horizons land manager. “As a member of the judging panel I’m always impressed with the standard of applicants. It’s really satisfying to see so many landowners thinking about how they can apply sustainable practices that benefit not only the environment, but also their production.” Horizons councillor Pat Kelly presented the Horizons Regional Council Award for the Integration of Trees on the night. This was won by Ross Collier of Pentwyn Farms, Rangiwaea. “This award recognises a farmer who has planted trees to improve the sustainability of their property and encompasses soil erosion prevention, biodiversity, stock well-being, and aesthetics,” says Cr Kelly. “The judges were impressed with Ross’ awareness of soil types, conservation and erosion risk. His acknowledgement of these possible environmental impacts has lead to an extensive pole planting and riparian fencing programme to protect water quality.” Ross Collier says he considers soil and people to be “the two most important assets” on his farm. “My parents started planting when they moved here not long after I was born and I’ve just carried on. It’s a harsh climate at times but planning ahead, such as planting crops to combat zero winter growth, minimises soil damage and maximises production possibility.” The BFEAs were held on 16 March in Palmerston North and Pongaroa sheep and beef farmers […]

Open markets encourage investment, increase competitiveness, and allow for more consumer choice and product innovation in the dairy industry, said Fonterra’s Trade Strategy and Stakeholder Affairs Manager, Dr Francis Reid. This was the message he delivered to an audience at the Semex Dairy Conference in Glasgow, ahead of Brexit – or the formal triggering of the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union, in March. He said that Fonterra and New Zealand were examples of the success of open market policy. His talk came amid warnings of a growing protectionist movement globally. Dr. Reid spoke to New Zealand’s economic prosperity that has emerged over a period of economic liberalisation. He noted that in the early twentieth century the UK was NZ’s largest trading partner and the main market for NZ’s dairy exports. This changed when the UK joined the European Economic Community (EEC), also known as the Common Market, in 1973, which resulted in New Zealand losing its preferential access to the UK. Dr. Reid told the audience that following the end of that close trading relationship, NZ suffered severe economic shock. Initially, to counter that, New Zealand adopted protectionist trade policies, including coupled subsidy payments for farmers and a highly controlled economy, to manage the risks that this change brought. He said that eventually New Zealand opted to deregulate its economy, open its industries up to competition, remove subsidies, and pursue a policy of free trade. These policies have laid the foundations of New Zealand’s current economic prosperity and growth. The message for a post-Brexit Britain, Dr. Reid told the audience, was that open markets and pro-competition policies drive economic growth. He said if New Zealand and the UK could establish an open trading and economic relationship post-Brexit, then both countries could build upon the relative strengths of each market, […]

Waikato dairy farmer Bill Aubrey believes Agrigate, the new online tool, will be revolutionary in helping farmers improve their farm performance. Developed by Fonterra Farm Source and LIC, Agrigate combines all the key data farmers need to make faster and smarter decisions on one, easy to use online dashboard. LIC Chief Executive and Agrigate Chairman Wayne McNee says “having data in one place and working in real time makes it easier to make comparisons, see trends and make better management decisions. A key outcome will be enabling farmers to make the most efficient use of their resources – which is important in both tough and better times.” Fonterra Farm Source Chief Operating Officer Miles Hurrell says “the ultimate goal of this project is to support our farmers by giving them a tool to help maximise their on-farm performance, productivity and profitability. As a simple, easy-to-use tool Agrigate is a great example of dairy industry innovation. It allows farmers to identify areas of their business where they are performing well and areas where improvements can be made.” Agrigate has been designed to help farmers plan ahead, using existing data to assess the interaction between different on-farm factors, such as weather conditions, animal health, milk production, financials, pasture cover and fertiliser applications. Agrigate will help farmers track what effect each factor has on the others so that they can plan accordingly. For example, farmers will be able to see what impact factors like herd size; milking frequency and fertiliser use have on pasture cover, milk volume and quality, and milk solids production per hectare. Agrigate will also allow farmers to benchmark these farm factors on a scale that they haven’t been able to in the past, a feature that has impressed Bill Aubrey. “I can compare past and present, regional and national […]

And creates a market-leading food manufacturing group across Australia and New Zealand. Patties Foods Limited (“Patties”), an iconic Australian food manufacturer, has announced the acquisition of Leader Products (“Leader”), a manufacturer of quick, easy, delicious frozen convenience food products based in New Zealand. Leader was established by Tony Peterson and Richard Crabb in 1998 and over the last 18 years the business has emerged as the market leader in New Zealand in addition to exporting to Australia and Asia. The company is growing strongly and has doubled revenue in the past five years. Mr. Peterson will continue to drive the company’s growth strategy in his role as Managing Director and will maintain a stake in the combined business. Leader’s product range includes meatballs, burger patties, toppas, finger foods and meal solutions under the brands Leader, Tony’s Tucka and Kauri Coast. Leader supplies grocery retailers, distributors, sporting stadiums, convenience stores, cafes, hotels, restaurants and caterers in New Zealand, Australia and Asia. The company is the market leader in innovation and new product development in the frozen food product sector. Paul Hitchcock, CEO of Patties, said that Patties and Leader were natural partners – both focused on manufacturing high quality frozen foods known and loved by customers. Iconic brands in the Patties portfolio include Four’n Twenty, Patties, Herbert Adams, Nanna’s and Chef’s Pride. Mr. Hitchcock said: “We are delighted to be joining forces with the Leader team. We believe the combination of Patties and Leader will provide significant growth opportunities for both companies given our complementary savoury meals and snack products, manufacturing operations and sales footprints. This deal will create a market-leading food business across Australia and New Zealand. “Leader is a great New Zealand success story and we are very keen to support the team in their continued growth. For example, […]