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Push for young city folk to think rural

With the big OE still out of reach for many of New Zealand’s twentysomethings, a new initiative is promising to give young city-dwellers a wholly different life experience – a rural one. Think Rural is the brainchild of LGNZ’s Mayors Taskforce for Jobs (MTFJ), with funding from the Ministry of Social Development. The central idea is to attract young people from cities to rural areas where there is a wealth of jobs on offer – and give them a chance to experience a new way of life, packed with adventure, excitement and opportunity. Max Baxter, Mayor of Ōtorohanga District Council, who has helped spearhead the Think Rural campaign which launched today, says that many young people living in cities have never experienced rural life, and they’ll be surprised by what they find. “The nightlife in the country is wild – and I mean that literally. Traffic jams involve ewes rather than utes. The local folk are friendly as anything. The jobs are aplenty. Housing is still cheap. Plus, young people cooped up in apartments at Level 3 might find the country life more to their liking, where the only thing in a coop is a chicken,” says Max. “From farming to forestry, being a barrister or barista, working in a deli or dentistry, there’s a host of jobs in rural areas that are crying out for fresh talent. Whether you have a PhD, trade qualifications or left school early, think rural.” Noa Woolloff, National Programme Manager of MTFJ, is 23 and no stranger to carving out his own path. After leaving school, he jumped at the chance of supporting young people to get into employment, taking up leadership roles straight off the bat. “Many people don’t give rangatahi the chance to prove themselves – and for me, getting where I […]

A small change to farming could reduce agriculture’s climate impact by 30%

Perhaps because there are no chimney stacks belching smoke, the contribution of the world’s farms to climate change seems somehow remote. But agriculture accounts for a staggering 26% of all greenhouse gas emissions. Tractors running on diesel release carbon dioxide (CO₂) from their exhausts. Fertilisers spread on fields produce nitrous oxide. And cattle generate methane from microbes in their guts. Even tilling the soil – breaking it up with ploughs and other machinery – exposes carbon buried in the soil to oxygen in the air, allowing microbes to convert it to CO₂. Farmers usually do this before sowing crops, but what if they could avoid this step? In newly published research from farms across the UK, we discovered that an alternative approach called no-till farming, which does not disturb soils and instead involves placing seeds in drilled holes in the earth, could slash greenhouse gas emissions from crop production by nearly a third and increase how much carbon soils can store. The neat rows of raised soil on tilled fields might seem like an inevitable part of farming, but no-till agriculture has already become quite popular in other parts of the world, especially the US. Only one machine is needed to drill the small seed holes required and it’s driven over the field just once. Compared to conventional methods where farmers use a range of equipment to till, harrow, sow and firm in the seed, the amount of soil disturbed during no-till farming is very small. Tilling the soil in conventional farming creates large air pockets which fill up with oxygen, prompting microbes to turn carbon in the soil into CO₂. We compared the soil on tilled farms with fields prepared using the no-till approach by scanning them with X-rays – the same technique used in hospitals to examine broken bones. The fields without tilling had […]

Why global food prices are higher today than for most of modern history

Global food prices shot up nearly 33% in September 2021 compared with the same period the year before. That’s according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO)‘s monthly Food Price Index, which also found that global prices have risen by more than 3% since July, reaching levels not seen since 2011. The Food Price Index is designed to capture the combined outcome of changes in a range of food commodities, including vegetable oils, cereals, meat and sugar, and compare them month to month. It converts actual prices to an index, relative to average price levels between 2002 and 2004. This is the standard source for tracking food prices – nominal prices, as they’re known, which means they’re not adjusted for inflation. While nominal prices tell us the monetary cost of buying food in the market, prices adjusted for inflation (what economists call “real” prices) are much more relevant to food security – how easily people can access appropriate nutrition. The prices of all goods and services tend to rise faster than average incomes (though not always). Inflation means that not only do buyers need to pay more per unit for food (due to its nominal price increase), but they have proportionately less money to spend on it, given the parallel price increases of everything else, except their wages and other incomes. Back in August, I analysed the FAO’s inflation-adjusted Food Price Index and found that real global food prices were actually higher than in 2011, when food riots contributed to the overthrow of governments in Libya and Egypt. Based on real prices, it is currently harder to buy food on the international market than in almost every other year since UN record keeping began in 1961. The only exceptions are 1974 and 1975. Those food price peaks occurred following the oil price spike of 1973, which […]

Dairy sector calls for 1500 international staff in 2022

Dairy sector partners are calling on the Government to allow 1500 international dairy workers into New Zealand in 2022 to help meet the sector’s workforce shortfall, if borders continue to remain closed. DairyNZ, Federated Farmers and Dairy Women’s Network have asked for changes to be made to class exceptions by Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor. Along with the request for additional international workers, the organisations also support international farm workers being able to quarantine in separate housing on-farm, if fully vaccinated and following Covid-19 safety requirements while in quarantine. DairyNZ chief executive Dr Tim Mackle says difficulty in obtaining MIQ space has been a key frustration which has hindered the arrival of workers granted dairy class exception visas this year. “Severely limiting the dairy sector’s access to international labour is creating unacceptable levels of stress for farmers and their teams, which presents some risks to animal welfare and limits dairy’s future productivity at a time when our contribution to New Zealand is critical for our wider economy,” says Dr Mackle. In a recent joint DairyNZ and Federated Farmers survey half of dairy farmers reported they were short-staffed. The request comes as New Zealand unemployment rates fell to 3.4 percent to equal the lowest level seen since 2007, shortly before the worst effects of the Global Financial Crisis hit the economy. “We are seeing many core sectors facing challenges filling vacancies due to low unemployment rates. We know from our recent farmer survey that 87 percent of farmers made changes to appeal to local employees, with farmers reporting improved rosters, reduced hours, flexible milking schedules and increased salaries. However, we still have a significant workforce shortage and that’s why we need to reintroduce international staff to help fill some of the gap.” Federated Farmers immigration spokesperson Chris Lewis says farmers need […]

FlipFarm Systems takes top innovation award at Global Seafood Alliance Awards

A New Zealand company has been recognised for being a leader in oyster farm technology, picking up the 2021 Global Aquaculture Innovation Award at the Global Seafood Alliance Awards. The Award, which was handed to FlipFarm Systems at a virtual event earlier this month, recognises individuals and companies finding new solutions to the key challenges facing aquaculture. FlipFarm Systems, designed and developed by the owners of Marlborough Oysters, bet out 39 applicants from 24 countries to secure a place as a finalist, before being voted the overall winner by audience vote. FlipFarm Systems is a semi-automated oyster growing system that helps provide an ideal environment for oyster growth, conditioning and hardening, while giving complete control over fouling, pests and predators. FlipFarm Managing Director Aaron Pannell and Owner/Operator of Marlborough Oysters is delighted with the win, which further cements the company on the international stage. “Our FlipFarm technology officially launched two years ago and is used by more than 70 oyster farmers in 12 countries worldwide,” says Pannell, who runs the business with his wife, Debbie. “While carrying out the day-to-day operations at our oyster farming business, Marlborough Oysters, we identified the need for improved technology. We needed to evolve the growing process from the traditional system of plastic oyster growing bags clipped to growing lines with webbing lanyards.” The former system proved ineffective and the equipment would wear out and during stormy weather they would lose hundreds of oyster growing bags. This not only impacted their bottom line, and negatively impacted the environment, but meant staff were regularly called on to make repairs and retrieve lost equipment. Aaron knew there must be a better way, so he applied his can-do attitude and marine farming experience to design FlipFarm – harvesting equipment which would bring a new level of efficiency to […]

US$27 billion committed to tackle global malnutrition and hunger

45 low- and middle-income countries led with strong policy and financial commitments. Tokyo: Government and private sector donors have pledged more than US$27billion at the Tokyo Nutrition for Growth (N4G) Summit this week to address the global malnutrition and hunger crisis. Represented by five Heads of State and Government, 45 countries with high burdens of malnutrition and a dozen donors delivered renewed policy and financial commitments to end malnutrition. These commitments demonstrate country leadership and prioritisation of nutrition at a crucial time, as fiscal resources are constrained and malnutrition rates are on the rise due to the continuing global Covid-19 pandemic. “More than 140 million children suffer from stunting, and undernutrition is considered as an underlying cause of nearly half of deaths of children under five years old. Moreover, Covid-19 cast a significant impact on nutrition. The pandemic will likely cause 13.6 million more children to suffer from wasting,” said Japan’s Prime Minister, Fumio Kishida. “Let me recall our Sustainable Development Goal to end hunger, achieve food security and improve nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture by 2030. Now is the time for us to take action. No one should be left behind.” At the event, Japan committed over US$2.8 billion to provide nutrition-related assistance globally. Among other priorities, this investment will contribute to the achievement of nutrition in Universal Health Coverage and efforts to create more sustainable and nutritious food systems. In addition to the donor’s pledge, countries with high burdens of malnutrition led the way at the Summit, delivering pledges towards increased domestic programming, as well as promising stronger policies and programs to reduce malnutrition rates. For example, Bangladesh, represented by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, committed to cut anemia rates by one-third, stunting among children by one-fifth, and wasting among children by one-quarter within the next five years. The Government of Indonesia committed to fight malnutrition, […]

Planning key to combat higher costs to produce milk

Strong financial management, grazing management and people management skills will help dairy farmers buffer rising input costs and produce milk more efficiently. That’s the message from DairyNZ chief executive Dr Tim Mackle who says despite a high milk price, high-cost pressures are expected to continue for at least the next couple of years. Statistics New Zealand released its latest farm expense price index last month which showed large inflation costs for farmers over the past two years. Four key farming costs have experienced inflation of more than 10 per cent between 2019 and 2021, including fertiliser with a 15.9 per cent increase; cultivation, harvesting and animal feed with an 18.9 per cent increase; electricity with a 21 per cent increase; and stock grazing costs which are 36.9 per cent higher this year than they were in 2019. “The current economic climate is unique and reflects a combination of forces that seldom come together,” says Dr Mackle. “International demand for food, especially dairy products, remains strong, but poor production and high input prices worldwide have limited supply. This means world food prices are currently around a third higher than the same time last year.” DairyNZ principal economist Dr Graeme Doole says shipping prices, on average, are around 600 per cent higher than two years ago due to port delays and closures related to COVID-19, and the prices of ocean freight out of Asia have grown substantially, increasing by 15 times between March and August this year. Urea prices alone have jumped by 67 per cent since August 2020 due to greater global demand for nitrogen. FAO figures suggest nitrogen use has only increased by 1.33 per cent since 2020, but higher seasonal demand, coupled with international supply issues, have pushed up urea prices globally. “In New Zealand, China is our largest […]

Top 10 ways Government could back our dairy farmers

DairyNZ is calling on the Government to partner with dairy farmers to achieve better outcomes, invest more in research and development, and stop overloading farmers with too many regulations. Ten recommendations for Government have been drawn from DairyNZ’s latest ‘View from the Cowshed’ survey of 425 dairy farmers. DairyNZ chief executive Dr Tim Mackle says it’s critical the Government work more closely with farmers to support investment in research and development, so farmers can continue working to reduce their environmental footprint, while maintaining profitability. “This year’s survey indicates farmers are making on-farm changes to improve their environmental management and their workplaces, but are feeling under pressure from constant regulatory changes,” said Dr Mackle. “We want to see more focus on ensuring regulations are fair, practical and don’t overburden farmers with too many different requirements. “Dairy is New Zealand’s leading export sector, employs 50,000 Kiwis and is forecast to contribute over $40 billion to our economy this year, so it’s important for our country’s success that farmers are supported to keep contributing to New Zealand.” 57 percent of farmers surveyed said changing Government regulations are causing them stress, with 55 percent also saying perception of dairy farmers by the public and in media was also keeping them up at night. A further 67 percent of farmers feel there isn’t enough support for farmers dealing with mental health issues. Positively, the survey revealed 70 percent of farmers surveyed have a Farm Environment Plan – a key tool farmers use to identify and manage environmental risks through adopting good farming practices. “Dairy farmers are operating in a complex environment and managing a lot of challenges. Around half previously reported being short-staffed and 45 percent don’t have the internet service they need to efficiently run farm operations,” says Dr Mackle. In the past two years, the Government has proposed changes to policy on freshwater management, wintering, climate change, biodiversity and vehicle taxes which would all significantly impact on farmers. These issues may have contributed to 32 percent of farmers saying they feel less positive about farming than 12 months ago – despite strong milk prices. Only 17 percent reported they felt more positive. Matamata dairy farmer Sam Owen says there isn’t one cause of mental health issues in rural […]

Stainless steel pipes in a food factory. Stainless pipe fittings.

HRS meets tight spec for dairy heat exchanger

HRS Heat Exchanges has met a challenging brief to supply a client in Australia with a compact yet efficient heat exchanger to process viscous dairy products. Burra Foods is a leading Australian dairy ingredient processor, producing value-added dairy products for the global food manufacturing market. An upgrade at their processing plant in Korumburra in the State of Victoria necessitated the use of a heat exchanger to warm frozen milk products, but existing building and infrastructure meant that the available space was severely limited. The line in question produces skimmed milk concentrate and cream from frozen concentrates which are then thermalised and cooled to ambient processing temperatures. The required heat exchangers needed to raise the temperature of the product from -5°C to 18°C prior to the final heater, which includes melting the frozen product. After this, the product is then cooled from 10°C to 5°C in the final cooler. Due to the consistency of the skimmed milk concentrate and cream the product is quite viscous, so the heat exchanger needed to resist fouling and provide good heat transfer performance, while also integrating with the Plate Heat Exchangers used in the process in a very limited footprint. The solution was an HRS MI Series corrugated tube heat exchanger which provided the necessary heating and cooling requirements in the tight space available and also resulting in a small pressure drop, another important consideration for this installation. Following an initial enquiry at the end of 2019, the unit was installed in mid-2020, and has exceeded performance expectations since final commissioning, with a production capacity of 5,000 kg of product per hour. Stuart Shattock, Process Engineering Manager at Burra Foods comments: “Other suppliers couldn’t match HRS’s offering in terms of tubular heat exchangers and the level of detail provided. Once we placed the order, there […]

Nelson manufacturer wins Supplier of the Year award for 3rd Year Running

A Nelson-based contract manufacturer for products made from high-quality natural ingredients has for the third year running won the Supplier of the Year Award for New Zealand’s natural health products industry. Industry body Natural Health Products NZ recently announced Alaron Products as the 2021 winner. The award, which was decided by popular vote among Natural Health Products NZ’s members, recognises a supplier that has made a significant contribution to businesses within the sector. Natural Health Products NZ’s General Manager Kerry Warn says Alaron Products has developed an excellent reputation during nearly 30 years of custom manufacturing nutraceutical products. “Alaron has a high standard for quality control, and continuously strives for success and supports clients to deliver premium quality products to worldwide consumers. They have developed a reputation for providing exemplary customer service and high-quality products. “Alaron’s ongoing success in our Supplier of the Year this event shows the extent to which they get it right on every level.” Alaron’s General Manager Business Development Claire Quin says the third consecutive win is a very proud moment for the company. “Everything we do is with our customers in mind and the fact that our customers recognise our team’s efforts is truly rewarding. “Our team is focused on meeting customers’ needs and it takes a big effort from all aspects of our supply chain to make that happen.”

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