Developments

Lincoln grad’s new app makes field work a breeze

A Lincoln University IT graduate has completed an internship at a plant breeding and research company where he developed an app that is making life much easier for staff who carry out field work. Agriseeds science manager Colin Eady says Tao Zhou’s creation, which helps with data capture during field trials, has proven invaluable. “The modular system Tao developed simplifies data capture process, saves time and reduces errors,” says Mr Eady. Mr Zhou took on the internship as part of his Graduate Diploma of Software and IT and says he came up with the idea for the app after talking to Agriseeds staff and monitoring their workflow. “Seed data from the field used to be collected using paper and pen and keyed into a spreadsheet back at the office. After having some discussions with staff, we thought we would make things easier by developing an app,” he says. “The system is based on Microsoft Excel and runs on a tablet. It works by collecting data via a friendly, front-end interface, then the data is automatically transferred to Excel in standard format with error checking and validation. This makes it handy for preventing mistakes.” Mr Eady says the internship finished in November, but Mr Zhou continued to work at Agriseeds for a further three months to help troubleshoot any problems with the app. “During this time, he established efficient electronic capture and transfer of data between the Agriseeds Quality Assurance and Breeding team. He also helped improve a previous Lincoln University/Agriseeds collaboration concerning seed image analysis.” Before he attended Lincoln, Mr Zhou received a Bachelor’s degree in Electronic Science and Technology from Shandong University in Jinan, China, then worked in the software development and IT service industry for two years. “I worked as an engineer in the automation industry in China, […]

Rural Contractors ask: What about us?

Rural Contractors New Zealand is questioning why the Government has made recent changes to immigration rules to help Queenstown employers recruit much needed staff, but continues to ignore similar requests from the rural contracting sector. RCNZ President, Steve Levet agrees with the move made by Immigration Minister Michael Woodhouse for a new streamlined visa process – from now until June 2015 – to allow employers in Queenstown to be temporarily exempt from providing evidence of an attempt to recruit within New Zealand – except for roles that Work and Income has identified it may be able to fill. However, Mr Levet suggests a similar scheme is also badly needed in the rural contracting sector. “There is no doubt the tourism sector is an important and valuable part of New Zealand’s economy and the Government is right to make provisions for that sector,” he says. “However, we need similar provisions for the rural contracting sector as there is a gap between rural contractors’ needs for trained and experienced agricultural machinery operators, and unemployed New Zealanders who can do this work.” Mr Levet believes the rules around employing temporary, skilled people from overseas prepared to work for 6-8 months each year need to be simplified as do the regulations restricting people who have previously worked here in past seasons coming back to New Zealand to work. “Contracting is a seasonal business and one that uses sophisticated machinery that requires technical skill to operate productively,” he adds. “Part of this shortfall is met by bringing in skilled operators from overseas.” Mr Levet says despite many attempts made by RCNZ to advocate similar ideas for the rural contracting sector such as the recent tourism initiative, the Government and bureaucrats still fail to acknowledge or understand the issue. “A dire shortage of suitable agricultural machinery […]

Scales annual profit beats IPO forecast as apple exports drive horticulture earnings

Scales Corp, New Zealand’s biggest apple exporter, reported a 9.8 percent drop in annual profit, beating its offer document forecast, after better than expected apple volumes drove up earnings in its horticulture division. Net profit fell to $18.4 million, or 14.3 cents per share, in the calendar year 2014, from $20.4 million, or 16.8 cents, a year earlier, the Christchurch based company said in a statement. That beat the $15.9 million profit forecast in its June 2014 prospectus, a target the company had previously said it was on track to “slightly exceed”. Revenue slipped 3.2 percent to $263.3 million, and earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation before listing costs was 2.7 percent ahead of its offer document forecast at $39.8 million. The result highlights “the strength of Scales’ diversified agribusiness portfolio,” chairman Jon Mayson said. “The horticulture and food ingredients divisions materially exceeded their prospectus forecasts, with stronger than anticipated volumes and market prices.” In December, Scales affirmed its 2015 guidance for profit of $20.8 million and Ebitda of $41.2 million on strength in Asian and Middle Eastern markets, favourable currency movements, and cheaper shipping costs. Scales’ horticulture division today reported an 8.9 percent decline in revenue to $158.8 million while underlying Ebitda of $23.9 million was 6.2 percent higher than forecast. Apple volumes were 7.1 percent ahead of expectations. Its Mr Apple brand is expected to add 450,000 cartons of premium apples by 2018, which Scales hopes to sell into Asia and the Middle East. The company’s food ingredients unit reported a 2.7 percent decline in sales to $32.2 million, while lifting Ebitda 19 percent to $5.7 million on higher than expected volumes. Its storage and logistics segment increased external sales 2.8 percent to $66.8 percent, while earnings fell 11 percent to $12.3 million, which the company said […]

Fonterra sticks with $4.70 farmer payout

After plummeting by 50 per cent last year, dairy prices look to have turned the corner. Fonterra has stuck with its $4.70 per kg farmgate milk price forecast for the 2014/15 season and its forecast cash payout of $4.95 – $5.05 a kg. The cooperative, the world’s biggest divesified milk processor, said that although dairy commodity prices had gone up, the increase was not sufficient to raise the forecast milk price. The last five GlobalDairyTrade (GDT) auctions have shown price improvements after prices dropped by 50 per cent last year. “Since December, GDT prices for whole milk Powder have increased 45 per cent and skim milk powder prices have increased 13 per cent,” chairman Jon Wilson said in a statement. “There continues to be significant volatility in international commodity prices,” he said. “New Zealand volumes are down, with continued uncertainty in milk production due to climatic conditions in New Zealand with droughts in Canterbury, Marlborough, Central Otago and North Otago,” he said.

New feed blend set to beef up Magnesium intake

A new Magnesium-rich feed blend is being launched to help beef farmers in the fight against Hypomagnesaemia (Magnesium deficiency) and Milk Fever (Calcium deficiency) – potentially deadly and costly problems. Difficult to detect and treat due to the extensive nature of beef cattle, Hypomagnesaemia, can be a major culprit of cow death and complications at calving, with losses of up to 20% reported on properties prone to the problem[1]. Often, the first sign of Magnesium deficiency is death, meaning loss of capital stock between $1,600-2,400 per cow (based on current prices), loss of calf, plus loss of breeding potential in the herd. To help solve the problem, animal feed ingredient supplier, BEC Feed Solutions, is partnering with animal feed manufacturer and blender, James & Son (NZ) Pty Ltd. Together, they’ve developed ‘Optimiser MAG – BEEF’ – a new Magnesium-rich concentrated feed blend, featuring the innovative and highly palatable BOLIFOR® MAG33 product – specifically for beef breeding cow operations. Trina Parker, BEC Country Manager, says awareness is growing about the need for adequate Magnesium in beef breeding cows leading up to calving and for the month post-calving, resulting in increased demand for a convenient, cost efficient mineral supplementation product. “On the back of our success with the Bolifor® range in dairying, we’ve had numerous requests from beef farmers for a low-risk feed blend incorporating high levels of Magnesium,” explains Ms Parker. “Our partnership with James & Son means we can deliver these benefits in the form of ‘Optimiser MAG – BEEF’. And, because BOLIFOR® MAG33 is extremely palatable, a concentrated mineral blend such as this will be readily accepted by the herd” ‘Optimiser MAG – BEEF’ comprises a blend of vegetable and grain by products, BOLIFOR® MAG33, sweeteners and additional flavours and is delivered in 500g per day dose rates. ‘Optimiser […]

No slowing in demand to buy Canterbury farms

Local and international interest in the New Zealand rural real estate market remains extremely strong, defying suggestions demand could soften in the face of the lower Fonterra payout to farmers. Shane O’Brien, national director of Colliers Rural & Agribusiness division, said buyers were taking the medium to long-term view of the dairy industry and were still keenly contesting quality land. “We’re still getting strong enquiry both from local buyers wanting to expand their land holdings as well as from international funds and private investors.” He said international funds wanted to invest in New Zealand farming as part of the global trend to secure food production for emerging Asian economies. “New Zealand has an excellent international reputation for food production, we have world class infrastructure to support on-going investment and we’re close to the burgeoning markets of Asia and India. After Denmark, we’re considered one of the safest economies in the world in which to conduct business.” Colliers Rural & Agribusiness had recently negotiated three substantial off market sales in Canterbury to local buyers. While the deals were confidential, O’Brien said prices were equal to levels achieved over the past two years, reflecting continued confidence in the dairy industry. Buyers were increasingly sophisticated in their requirements, seeking reliable and good quality irrigation along with detailed information on nutrient management status of any given property. O’Brien said Australia’s Free Trade Agreement with China, coupled with its strong government support for investment in the dairy industry in both land and infrastructure, had yet to impact on the New Zealand rural real estate market. “Australia is looking for around $10 billion worth of external investment in their dairy industry and has government support to enable this – they don’t have the same Overseas Investment Office regulations that New Zealand has and their new Free […]

LIC forms strategic partnership with SCR world-leading cow intelligence provider

Farmer-owned co-operative LIC (NZX:LIC) has secured a new strategic partnership with the world-leading cow monitoring and milking intelligence solutions company, SCR. The partnership includes a distribution agreement whereby SCR, recently acquired by Allflex Group, will distribute the co-op’s DAL milking sensors internationally and LIC will become a New Zealand distributor for SCR’s cow reproduction and health monitoring system, Heatime®. LIC chief executive Wayne McNee says the partnership is part of the co-op’s strategy to grow the business overseas and provide New Zealand dairy farmers with more choice. “SCR is a world-leading provider of cow intelligence systems with a strong history of delivering solutions to improve farm efficiency worldwide. This agreement aligns with our vision to improve the prosperity and productivity of our farmers, and our focus on key international markets that will add value for shareholders in New Zealand. “DAL sensors are highly regarded here in New Zealand for their unique ability to measure a range of factors (milk volume, fat, protein, lactose, and somatic cell counts) while a cow is being milked. This partnership confirms the global demand for the value the sensors deliver on-farm, and ability to meet the needs of farmers worldwide. “The SCR Heatime system will be a valuable addition to our range of herd improvement and animal management solutions here in New Zealand,” McNee said. LIC and SCR have identified four initial markets for distribution of the DAL meters, with the potential to add more in the future. SCR’s Heatime will be available to all New Zealand dairy farmers from LIC, with its Protrack™ farm automation systems. Heatime collects and analyses critical data points, from activity to rumination, on every individual cow, delivering the heat, health and nutrition insight to improve accuracy and drive overall farm efficiency. Shane McManaway, general manager Allflex Australasia said it […]

Food Security Governance: Empowering Communities, Regulating Corporations

By Nora McKeon This book fills a gap in the literature by setting food security in the context of evolving global food governance. Today’s food system generates hunger alongside of food waste, burgeoning health problems, massive greenhouse gas emissions. Applying food system analysis to review how the international community has addressed food issues since WWII, this book proceeds to explain how actors link up in corporate global food chains and in the local food systems that feed most of the world’s population. It unpacks relevant paradigms – from productivism to food sovereignty – and highlights the significance of adopting a rights-based approach to solving food problems. The author describes how communities around the world are protecting their access to resources and building better ways of producing and accessing food, and discusses the reformed Committee on World Food Security, a uniquely inclusive global policy forum, and how it could be supportive of efforts from the base. The book concludes by identifying terrains on which work is needed to adapt the practice of the democratic public sphere and accountable governance to a global dimension and extend its authority to the world of markets and corporations. This book will be of interest to students of food security, global governance, development studies and critical security studies in general.

Industry partnerships behind move for new agribusiness

The agribusiness education partnership is crucial for the future of the industry. Success in creating a large-scale public-private partnership with the New Zealand primary industries is likely to see a new agribusiness secondary school subject created. The brainchild of St Paul’s Collegiate School in Hamilton, agribusiness in secondary schools is being lauded as an obvious gap that once filled could have massive economic and employment benefits for New Zealand. The new secondary school agribusiness programme was launched in November by the Minister for Primary Industries, Nathan Guy. The programme has been made possible thanks to a public-private partnership. Led by St Paul’s Collegiate School, Dairy NZ and Beef + Lamb. St Paul’s has had 48 students trial a pilot curriculum this year with another 85 signed up for next year. In addition there are now seven other schools formally involved in the project and will offering the new subject in 2016. These are: Southland Boys (Southland); Southland Girls (Southland); John McGlashan College (Otago); Christchurch Boys (Christchurch); Feilding High School (Manawatu); Lindisfarne College (Hawkes Bay) and Mt Albert Grammar School (Auckland). Following the pilot, and the Ministry of Education approval, it is hoped to offer Year 12 and 13 students at participating schools an NCEA qualification in agribusiness. The agriculture industry employs an estimated 11.4% of New Zealand’s workforce while the number of university graduates in agriculture related fields has been dropping in recent years. The curriculum development has been possible through a $2 million dollar partnership investment with principal support from DairyNZ and Beef + Lamb New Zealand. Other business partners include: BNZ, LIC, Zoetis, AGMARDT, NZ National Fieldays Society,Greenlea Premier Meats, Waikato Milking Systems, Waitomo Petroleum and Campbell Tyson. Strategy and Investment Leader for People and Business at DairyNZ, Mark Paine, says the agribusiness education partnership is crucial for […]

Farm Open Day showcases the dairy industry

Lincoln University Dairy Farm (LUDF) opened its gates on Friday 21 and Saturday 22 November to more than 900 visitors, showcasing the operations of a commercial dairy farm and giving the public an opportunity to learn about the transformation of sunshine into food. Friday was a schools only day which saw approximately 350 Year 9 and 10 students from nine secondary schools arrive in a range of vans and buses (including an old double decker bus) to be immediately taken on a guided tour of the science and business of dairy farming. School finishing times meant there was a quick view of milking at 2.30pm before departing, but not before the effects of a hot nor’wester were alleviated by a round of ice-creams. Although Saturday’s general public day was met with more moderate weather, there was still a steady supply of free dairy products on hand for sampling; such as a range of cheeses, yoghurt and more ice-cream. Visitors were given an overview of the multifaceted world of modern dairy farming; such as photosynthesis, soil types, irrigation, pastures, cows, milking, and the important aspect of collecting and processing milk for export to international markets. “The purpose of the open days are to connect visitors with the transformation of ‘sunshine into food’ and answer their questions regarding the science and technology of producing milk on farm,” says Ron Pellow, Executive Director of SIDDC. “We started the LUDF Farm Open Day last year and added a specific event for secondary schools this year. Visitors often want to view cows being milked, so we’re pleased our proximity to Christchurch enables us to give this opportunity on an annual basis. At the same time we can enhance their connection to where and how our food is produced,” he says. Overall the organisers were pleased […]

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