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Reduced lactose product launched

IFF announced today the launch of Nurica in North America, providing dairy producers a new way to meet consumer health needs with a premium product. Nurica harnesses the lactose present in milk to naturally generate the highest yield of prebiotic galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS) fibers in situ, resulting in significantly reduced sugar and lactose levels while bringing balanced sweetness and natural milk clean notes. Nurica is a breakthrough innovation for the dairy industry and is marketed under the Danisco range of food solutions that is now part of the IFF family. Health and wellness are more important to consumers than ever, and food and beverages – including dairy – are a core part of their health journeys. Today’s consumers have placed an exceptional focus on their digestive health, including managing lactose intolerance and optimising fiber intake, weight management and sugar/carbohydrate reduction. Until now, it has been difficult for dairy producers to accommodate all these needs while maintaining product quality and profitability. With Nurica, dairy manufacturers now have the ability to solve these consumer challenges in fluid milk products and other neutral dairy applications. In these applications, there is no need for major process changes or additional equipment. Nurica is a simple, one-step solution that can be added directly into milk processing and ensures consistent product because the GOS fibers created remain stable throughout shelf life. “Nurica is an enzymatic solution that enables manufacturers to naturally produce dietary fibers in the form of GOS by transforming lactose that is present in dairy products,” said Collette Lentz, regional industry leader, Dairy Enzymes, North America, IFF. “GOS fibers have shown to increase the population of health-promoting gut bacteria species. With an array of opportunities, the Nurica enzyme has potential for unique innovations related to prebiotics and improving digestive health. For many years, GOS has been […]

From the ‘Should Have Seen it Coming File’…

Australia has just competed a new trade deal with the UK including agricultural products, which includes a removal of all tariffs. The UK will export to Australia cars, Scotch whisky, biscuits and ceramics. The deal makes up for EU imports lost (due to Brexit) being made up by Australia. Its a decent win for Australia and was settled after keeping the British meat producer in mind. It is also a deal keeping in mind the UK’s aim of joining a wider Asia-Pacific free trade agreement. This on top of the pressure Australia has been under by standing up to China (for the world!), losing billions of dollars of product exports – including wine – being blocked by that country. So well done Australia! Then – almost predictably – the NZ prime minister at Mystery Creek Fieldays, Hamilton had a say about all this. She said ( words to the effect) that her government was taking negotiations with the UK slower, so that we get a proper deal? Is she saying Australia hurried theirs by coming up with an Agreement with zero tariffs? These are the words of a person who worked in a fish and chip shop in Morrinsville. These are the words of someone who continues to confirm the inferiority complex that NZ has with Australia. Did she want to be invited to the G7? Damien O’Connor has just arrived in London to talk trade deals with his UK couterparts – let’s hope they come up with something similar.

Government recognises dairy workforce shortfall

Federated Farmers and DairyNZ are extremely relieved the government has recognised the crippling shortage of workers in the dairy industry by approving 200 skilled people to cross the border. This exception process will help some of the workers stuck overseas to return to their jobs on Kiwi farms. Federated Farmer immigration spokesperson Chris Lewis says now the job of working through the details with DairyNZ, Immigration NZ and the Ministry for Primary Industries will begin, to see how these 200 spaces can be fairly allocated across the country. Since the closure of the border, farmers have been crying out for dairy farm staff, with almost 50 percent of farmers surveyed reporting vacancies on farms. “I have taken many, many calls from people who are struggling to cope without their farm managers and skilled staff. It has been a desperate time for many dairy farming families,” says Chris. DairyNZ chief executive Dr Tim Mackle said this is a step in the right direction. “This is positive news for farmers who will be encouraged that government have heard our concerns and responded,” said Dr Mackle. “We will be ensuring farmers understand the detail of the class exception to be able to make an informed decision.” It has also proved very challenging to get Kiwis interested in dairy farming careers, but both Federated Farmers and DairyNZ continue to run programmes designed to encourage people to give farming a go. This includes the relaunch of GoDairy. A recent DairyNZ and Federated Farmers survey showed that 87 percent of farmers surveyed had made changes to make their business more attractive to staff. These changes included improved rosters to give more time off (42 percent), reduced hours of work (34 percent), flexible milking schedule (23 percent), increased salaries and wages (65 percent) and upskilling and training […]

Bremworth signs up to the New Zealand Farm Assurance Programme (NZFAP)

Kiwi carpet manufacturer, Bremworth, has signed up to the New Zealand Farm Assurance Programme (NZFAP), signalling its support for and adoption of a national wool standard. NZFAP provides assurance to consumers about the integrity, traceability, biosecurity, environmental sustainability, and animal health and welfare of New Zealand’s primary sector products. Bremworth joins 20 other wool industry members to transition towards sourcing their wool from 6,800 accredited sheep farms across New Zealand that meet the standards set by the NZFAP. By signing up to NZFAP, Bremworth, which is now New Zealand’s only 100% pure wool carpet manufacturer, can additionally provide customers with a product where the wool has met traceability, authentic origin and animal welfare standards. CEO Paul Alston said, “our long-term vision is to be a global leader in designing and creating desirable, high performing, safe and sustainable interior products. Ensuring that this starts on the farm is very important to our business and we look forward to working with New Zealand’s wool growers to build a successful future for the New Zealand wool industry.” Craig Smith, chairman of the National Council of New Zealand Wool Interests, said, “NZFAP provides value-chain assurances we need around land management, origin, traceability, animal health and welfare. We now have 21 New Zealand wool companies and 6,800 certified wool growers across key points in the supply chain signed up and we expect more to follow. We welcome Bremworth to this important programme.” Bremworth has commenced sourcing NZFAP accredited wool and is transitioning towards sourcing 100% of their wool from accredited sources.

DairyNZ: climate plan must set farmers up to succeed

As the Independent Climate Change Commission deliver their final advice, DairyNZ are calling on the Government to deliver not only a pragmatic emissions reduction plan – but the funding and support to achieve it too. “Dairy farmers are committed to playing their part alongside the rest of the economy and doing our fair share when it comes to reducing emissions – but the Government needs to be setting our farmers up to succeed,” said DairyNZ chief executive, Dr Tim Mackle. “In practice, that means having clear and achievable targets, pragmatic timeframes, and an appropriate level of Government investment in tools and technologies that will help us reduce our emissions. “Kiwi dairy farmers are already the most emission efficient producers of milk in the world, but we know that both our communities and our consumers expect us to continue to improve. “Unfortunately, we have already pulled many of the levers we have to reduce our footprint. Although we are always exploring new solutions through R&D, these take both time and money.” Dr Mackle said while Budget 2021 may have delivered significant investment that will help urban New Zealanders reduce their CO2 emissions, there was nowhere near the same level of support for rural communities. “The Commission were very clear in their draft advice that we will need to see a real focus on both R&D and digital connectivity for rural communities if we want to halt our contribution to further warming. “Investment in R&D is going to be critical if New Zealand is to meet our highly ambitious methane reduction targets without severe impacts for rural communities and the New Zealand economy. “The sector wants to work in partnership with the Government to deliver a clear long-term science strategy that will focus our joint efforts and ensure funding is directed to […]

World Milk Day recognises Kiwi dairy farmers

As global World Milk Day (June 1) gets underway, New Zealand dairy farmers continue to play a key role in a post-Covid economy, as a sustainable producer of milk for the world. DairyNZ chief executive Dr Tim Mackle says our communities and regional economies see real benefits from dairy, particularly with current increased global demand for dairy product. “We should be really proud of our dairy farmers for sustaining our country’s success through more environmentally efficient products, while supporting our communities and the New Zealand economy,” said Dr Mackle. “Our analysis has shown this past season’s increase in milk price delivered an additional $2.1 billion within our communities alone. The total increase in revenue for the country therefore sits at around $3.28 billion. “Our findings have shown these flow-on effects have meant the total economic contribution from dairy was around $42 billion this season.” Dr Mackle said for every $1 increase in milk price, around another $1.80 flows into other sectors within the economy. Flow-on spending pays wages and injects cash into other sectors, including farm purchases, pharmaceutical products, construction, electricity and voluntary household expenditure. “Dairy farmers achieve all this while being the most emissions efficient producers globally,” said Dr Mackle. “We are committed to remaining a sustainable producer of dairy product and, to do that, we have a wide range of work underway to enhance the environment, including reducing emissions and improving water quality, while maintaining profitability.” Farmers nationwide have fenced waterways, 100 percent of stock crossing points have bridges and culverts, while thousands of farmers are carrying out extensive planting alongside waterways. In 2019 the dairy sector accounted for more than 5 percent of GDP in seven regions – and more than 10 percent in four of those. In dollar terms, this equates to dairy contributing more than […]

Major upgrade marks new era of local pet food production for Wattie’s

Wattie’s has completed a multi-million dollar upgrade of its Hastings pet food manufacturing site, positioning itself for future growth in the pet food industry. The pet food manufacturing facility in Tomoana, Hastings produces one of New Zealand’s leading household cat food brands Chef® as well as other pet food brands Gourmet®, Champ® and a range of pet food products for export. The main focus of the upgrade was an investment in a new canning retort capability designed to increase reliability and productivity through state-of-the-art equipment that will underpin growth within the category by providing the means and space to substantially scale-up production. Neil Heffer, Managing Director of Heinz Wattie’s Limited says the Tomoana facility upgrade is a reflection of our commitment to champion New Zealand made products and the benefits this brings to the local economy. Wattie’s is proudly one of the largest producers of canned pet food in New Zealand. “Chef® is a pioneering brand that has been loved by Kiwis and their pets for more than 50 years – Catisfaction Guaranteed! We are proud of the heritage of the Chef® brand and this significant investment in its future to know we will continue producing pet food for Kiwi cats and dogs for many years to come.” According to information published by the New Zealand Petfood Manufacturers Association, “64% of households own at least one companion animal, with a total pet population of 4.35 million. … This is the second highest rate of pet ownership in the world.”[1] The upgrade to the Tomoana facility marks a new era of pet food production for Wattie’s which comes at a time when there are shortages of pet food, mainly due to global shipping delays, clearly impacting New Zealand. To signify Wattie’s continued support to the local community, it has made […]

Native plants may be weapon against soil contamination

New Zealand’s native plants may help to reduce bacterial contamination caused by dairy effluent, a new study suggests. Researchers from the Bio-Protection Research Centre, ESR, and the University of Canterbury have shown northern rātā (Metrosideros robusta) and swamp mānuka (Leptospermum scoparium) can reduce the amount of Escherichia coli (E. coli) in soil by 90%, compared with ryegrass (Lolium perenne), and in less than one-third of the time. They worked in partnership with Ngaa Muka Development Trust and Matahuru Marae in Waikato. The research, published in Applied Soil Ecology, aimed to investigate the antimicrobial properties of New Zealand native plant extracts and test if they were effective in soil. First they tested leaf extracts of 12 plants, chosen because they were either medicinal plants, poisonous, or had a strong scent. These included harakeke (Phormium tenax), golden ake ake (Olearia paniculata), mānuka (Leptospermum scoparium), kawakawa (Piper excelsum), koromiko (Veronica stricta), ngaio (Myporum laetum), golden Spaniard (Aciphylla aurea), Spaniard (Aciphylla sublabellata), and horopito (Pseudowintera colorata), as well as swamp mānuka and northern rātā. Swamp mānuka, northern rātā, and horopito showed antimicrobial properties, and so they were tested to see if they reduced bacterial contamination in soil. The scientists grew seedlings in pots, and, once the seedlings were large enough, added equal amounts of dairy shed effluent to each pot. They watered the pots to simulate rainfall, and then tested for E. coli on days 1, 3, 7, 14, and 21. Results indicated the amount of E. coli in the soil would reduce by 90% by day 14 in the pots containing swamp mānuka and northern rātā. “Extrapolation from L. perenne data indicated that this reduction would happen by day 45.” The roots of swamp mānuka and northern rātā both increase soil acidity, which researchers suggest may have caused the faster E. coli die-off. […]

Record numbers celebrate World Bee Day

New Zealand’s sizeable and growing population of bee lovers honoured the humble, hardworking bee on World Bee Day, Thursday 20 May. World Bee Day was established by the United Nations to raise awareness of the critical importance of bees, and other pollinators to the health of our planet and its people. “The world over, people are becoming more aware of the value of bees and the vital role they play in keeping us fed and our environment thriving. This is particularly true in New Zealand.” says Apiculture New Zealand chief executive Karin Kos. The most recent figures show that New Zealand has 10,340 registered beekeepers in New Zealand. In comparison, figures for the UK show the number of beekeepers there is close to 38,000, with a population 14 times that of New Zealand’s. Of the registered beekeepers in New Zealand, 75% are considered hobbyist beekeepers operating 10 hives or less. This group of beekeepers has grown significantly over the past five years, up 45%, while the number of registered beekeepers with 11 to 50 hives has increased by 50%. Ms Kos says this growth has been driven by a variety of factors. “For many people, it comes from a desire to grow their own food, and a heightened interest in health and well-being prompted by Covid-19. For others it’s about doing something good for the environment, and then many others are just fascinated by bees and want to learn more about them.” “While beekeeping is a wonderful hobby, it is a lot more complex than putting a hive in your garden and letting the bees go for it. You need to know how to identify and treat for disease and pests. Bees can travel up to 5km so if you don’t look after your bees’ properly, they can quickly spread […]

Survey of Cereal Areas and Volumes, 1 April 2021

The objective of this AIMI survey of New Zealand (NZ) cereal growers was to determine, as at April 1, 2021: The size of the 2021 NZ harvest of wheat, barley and oats. The sales channels, storage status and unsold amount of the 2021 NZ harvest. The tonnages of carry-over stocks on farms from the 2020 NZ harvest. NZ sowings and sowing intentions of wheat, barley and oats (both milling/malting and feed) for the autumn and winter of 2021. Key points: Rainfall for the 2020-21 season was below average across many regions in New Zealand. Overall, yields were down 3% compared to last season (averaged over all six crops). Also, less hectares were harvested than last season (3% down), and the net result was a 6% decrease in total tonnage compared to last season. On the survey farms, the 2021 harvests of milling wheat and malting barley were 100% completed by 1 April, with feed wheat harvest 99.9% complete and feed barley harvest 95% complete. The harvests of milling oats and feed oats were 71% and 73% complete, respectively, by 1 April. Carry-over stocks (both sold and unsold) of feed wheat and feed barley are low. Unsold stocks on hand of last year’s feed wheat and feed barley crops were 1.6% and 0.3% of the 2020 harvest tonnages, respectively. Stocks of unsold feed wheat from the current harvest are down 26% on unsold stocks at this time last year. Unsold stocks of feed barley are down 24% as compared to this time last year, and unsold stocks of milling wheat are down 18%. Soil moisture levels remain low heading into winter and growers are hoping for rain to improve soil levels and recharge aquifers for the season ahead. Autumn/winter sowings of feed wheat are predicted to be similar (down by […]

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