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Saving the bee through social enterprise

The world’s honey bee population is under threat, meaning global food security is . . . well, anything but secure. The honey bee is responsible for agricultural production through pollination, meaning the species are literally responsible for one out of every three bites of food we eat. New Zealand beekeeper Andy Cory oversees 3000 hives in New Zealand and 1000 in the Pacific Islands, and is considered one of the Pacific’s leading apiculturists. Fortunately, Cory and a group of friends are working together to safeguard New Zealand and the world against Colony Collapse Disorder (as the honey bee’s demise is commonly referred in the Northern Hemisphere) and the answer lies with our Pacific neighbour, Niue. The group, a partnership between Niue Honey Company Ltd and Mighty River Honey Ltd., are converting current operations into a retail focussed social enterprise operating out of Niue, with the goal of selling honey, and other bee products, under the brand Save The Bee. A share of the profits from the sale of the Save The Bee products goes toward the development of a global bee sanctuary on Niue, which is home to the healthiest last known and sufficiently isolated stock of Italian honey bees in the region, and likely the world. “The Italian honey bee (Apis mellifera ligustica), which is a major contributor towards global agriculture and horticulture, was brought to Niue from New Zealand many years ago, well before the major honey bee diseases, parasites and associated chemicals afflicting today’s bees could affect them,” tells Mighty River Honey managing director Richard Duncan. “They’ve since been relatively isolated in a tropical paradise for bees. Therefore, ongoing protection and preservation of these bees is critical to global agriculture, as well as for New Zealand – it’s like an insurance policy for us,” said Duncan. “If […]

Biowaste key ingredient for growing profits

New research at Lincoln University suggests biowaste can be utilised on former pine plantations to generate big economic returns. Four years of research in a greenhouse environment found the waste, which might include sewage and dairy shed effluent, can be used to rapidly establish native vegetation on former pine forest soils. Early estimates suggest the natives could produce a financial return of over $200 million annually. “The signs from our greenhouse trials are extremely positive,” Associate Professor Brett Robinson says. He says the research team have focused primarily on growing native species such as mānuka and kānuka, which can be used to produce valuable products such as honey and essential oils. “Not only is this a great way of rapidly kick-starting low-fertility soil and a productive use of unavoidable waste which is currently disposed of either inappropriately or expensively, but in focusing on mānuka and kānuka, we can grow the market in products not easily adopted by overseas competitors.” Currently, around 1.8 million hectares of New Zealand soil is under pine plantations. This figure is decreasing, however, as there is little economic incentive to replant timber crops. Historically, pine forestry was an effective means of providing an economic return for low fertility soils, but this is no longer the case. Growing pine trees followed by logging also often results in depleted, nutrient-poor soils. Converting this soil into productive farm land requires the constant application of high rates of fertiliser. Associate Professor Robinson says his research challenges this approach. He says initial findings suggest the use of biowaste can significantly accelerate the growing capability of these soils by increasing the water and nutrient holding capacity, and providing essential elements. It has also been found that, when used alongside pine waste and some charcoals, the leaching of nitrates is dramatically reduced. These […]

New Zealanders treat soil like dirt

An international soil scientist claims that, too often, New Zealanders treat “soil like dirt” when it should be revered because “our lives depend on it.” Dr John Baker says human life exists because of soil yet all that most people do is walk on it, dirty their shoes or dig it up and put buildings and roads on it. “Soil is a living entity. It provides us with up to 90 percent of our food. There are more living organisms in a cupful of healthy soil than people on the planet,” he says. Dr Baker says alarming figures provided by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the UK Farmers Weekly suggest that the quality of soil is rapidly diminishing. FAO predicts the world, on average, has just 60 more years of growing crops left while the Farmers Weekly claims that only 100 harvests remain in the UK. Dr Baker says New Zealand’s rotation of arable crops and pasture land gives us more time but many arable farmers both here and around the world are still unknowingly but progressively destroying the soils. “Eventually crop yields will decline to the point where the world’s ability to feed its ever-increasing population will be compromised,” he says. “Crunch point is expected to be about 2050 by which time there’ll be famine in some developing countries.” Dr Baker’s comments are in line with the US Senate, the FAO and he’s twice been nominated for the World Food Prize. However when he took his case to parliament’s Primary Production Committee this year, he was told it didn’t relate to any items of business currently being considered by the committee. He says because soil isn’t sexy, is not on our radar and is metaphorically beneath us, it’s taken for granted by many farmers […]

Could global warming incite greater interest in tropical dairy breeds in New Zealand?

New Zealand dairy farming is being confronted by climate change and Hamilton company CRV Ambreed is ready. The herd improvement company has recently widened the focus of its tropical dairy genetics scheme, which has sparked the interest of a handful of Northland-based farmers. Once only common in parts of Central America, South America, Asia and Africa, CRV Ambreed introduced Sahiwal and Gyr genetics to its breeding programme to meet a growing overseas demand for heat tolerance and tick resilience, combined with the added benefits of New Zealand’s grazing genetics. A number of New Zealand farmers dealing with sub-tropical environmental conditions have since started using the crossbred option to build heat and parasite resistance in their herds. Sahiwal, a popular high merit dairy breed in Central America, South America, Asia and Africa, sires small, fast-growing calves that typically have good temperaments, ease of calving, heat and drought tolerance, and parasite resistance. Gyr, a common dairy breed in Brazil, displays similar traits to the Sahiwal. CRV Ambreed genetic strategist Phil Beatson said while tropical breeds tend to have lower milk production than the temperate dairy breeds like Friesian and Jersey, their key strength is heat and parasite tolerance. He explained that when crossed to the temperate breeds, the crossbred cattle have higher milk production than the straight tropical cattle. As the proportion of tropical make-up decreases, it is expected that milk production will increase. For example, 25 per cent tropical cows will have higher production than 50 per cent tropical cows. “Results show that in Northland, 34 per cent Sahiwal, 66 percent Friesian cows in a once-a-day system produced up to 1kg of milk solids per day for the first 100 days of lactation. 20 per cent Sahiwal cows produced up to 1.3kg milk solids in the same system,” said Mr Beatson. […]

Farmers need to step-up their human capital risk planning

Farmers aren’t paying enough attention to human capital risk planning, says Hastings-based Crowe Horwath Risk Adviser Tim Ewen. Although the intellectual property underpinning the farm’s wealth was often tied up with the owner, too little focus was placed on the “what-if?” factor, he said. In the event of a farmer becoming either temporarily or totally disabled, or passing away, planning was essential to make sure the farm business could continue to provide for family members. “Farms rely on key people to make the business work,” said Mr Ewen. “Farmers need to take account of the human capital risk and ensure they have appropriate planning in place so the right money goes to the right people at the right time.” Crowe Horwath cited a recent Financial Services Council survey, which found only 20 per cent of New Zealanders have income protection insurance, compared with 95 per cent who have their car and home covered. It also noted a recent Kelloggs Rural Leadership research paper by Michelle Wilson, which found that while 80 per cent of farm widows have life insurance, in hindsight only 20 per cent found it was sufficient. Meanwhile, 40 per cent said they should have had enough insurance to provide for a farm manager for 12 months. In addition, insurers typically pay out much less than is claimed. Mr Ewen said farm owners should also be aware there could be advantages in altering their ACC structure. “ACC will only pay 80 per cent of your pre-disability income, less tax,” he said. “And farm incomes can fluctuate markedly. In some instances the books may show little if any profit after all expenses are allocated, so it makes sense to lock-in an agreed value cover that will also cover the farmer for sickness as well as accident, regardless of how […]

Contractors can help farmers out

Farmers facing financial stress and mounting pressure on-farm and exacerbated by the increasingly dry weather, should reach out for help as should agricultural contractors, advises Rural Contractors New Zealand. RCNZ President, Steve Levet says with the on-going dry in many areas around the country – on top of the lower forecast milk price –could see some farmers feeling overwhelmed and under huge pressure. “However, there are things on farm that have to be done – no matter what – such as supplementary feed and crop harvesting,” Mr Levet explains. “Contractors are professionals and are especially set up to help out when these jobs need to be done on-farm.” He also encourages farmers who may be having trouble or struggling, due to the dry conditions and/or prospect of a lower payout, to acknowledge that there is a problem and to talk to someone. “The same goes for contractors who are feeling under the pump. It is crucial that in times of stress they communicate with support networks— including advisors, rural professionals, other farmers and contractors as well as family about what’s going on.” Mr Levet reiterates advice given recently by others – including the Rural Health Alliance and Federated Farmers – that dealing with stress and feelings of helplessness on your own will only make it worse. It is also important that those in the rural sector keep an eye out for others who may be suffering from stress and if appropriate, see if they can help in any way or encourage that person to seek help. “If possible, take some time off the farm and/or contracting to get a different perspective on life and remove yourself from what is causing you stress.” He says reviewing where you are at with your business regularly is important. As is communicating regularly with […]

Weeds cost the NZ economy millions

There’s something worse than vampires rising up from the ground. They’re weeds and an international soil scientist says they’re sometimes regarded as a benign problem because they can be dealt with. However Dr John Baker says some of the treatments may not be as benign as first thought. He points out that options range from waiting until they die of natural causes or speeding the process up by burial, uprooting, burning, cutting, crushing or poisoning. “Waiting for natural causes to take effect only applies to annual weeds because they’re designed to live for one year. The problem is that nature isn’t silly and all annuals go to seed before they die,” he says “To control annual weeds in this way, you need to remove and dispose of the seed heads before they die and this involves careful timing.” Instead burial or uprooting has been used for years and is the main reasons why the mouldboard plough was invented. “But we now know that any form of cultivation progressively kills off the soil biology and this has detrimental effect on soil health and its ability to grow crops sustainably,” he comments. “It’s about the most inorganic thing you can do to soil.” Dr Baker explains that burning may be one step better than cultivation, but not much. Burning turns the plant material into carbon dioxide and kills seeds and pests but it pollutes the air and ensures that none of the organic matter returns to the soil to feed the soil biology. Cutting and crushing can also be effective but only on plants that die as a result of these actions. Sadly, that does not include most perennial weeds, which have remarkable powers of recovery. Finally, there’s poisoning. Surprisingly while it’s almost universally regarded as the least attractive and environmentally responsible […]

Treotham presents igus roller e-chain for targeted irrigation with savings potential

New precision irrigation carriage reduces water and fertiliser consumption by 75% – e-chain in a trough guides hoses with additional energy saving The aim of the precision irrigation carriage from Rathmakers Gartenbautechnik is to use water resources sensibly whilst protecting the groundwater at the same time. With the new automatic irrigation system, the water reaches exactly where it should: directly to the plants. For the safe and compact guidance of hoses and cables, the developers rely on an igus energy chain system consisting of roller chain and guide trough. Water shortage is a major problem worldwide, which is why solutions are needed, especially in agriculture, which bring water in a targeted manner to the plant. For this purpose, Rathmakers Gartenbautechnik has developed a precision irrigation carriage together with Landwirtschaftskammer NRW. Whereas conventional irrigation carriages with a continuous jet stream waste a lot of water, the precision watering carriage irrigates and fertilises in a stipulated way. The unique system is especially suitable for outdoor potted plant cultivation and ensures that water is delivered precisely into the middle of the plant’s growing pot. By using this new technology, savings of 50 to 75 per cent are possible in irrigation water, plant protection and fertiliser, depending on the pot size. This also reduces the nitrogen input into the groundwater. The precision irrigation carriage has a span of 40m and a travel of 208m. The cables and hoses for the water supply were pulled behind the carriages until now. A loop was created, which required about 2m of space between the carriage guide and the plants. A safe and space-saving hose with cable guidance was required. Therefore, Ralf Hormes, CEO at Rathmakers Gartenbautechnik, contacted igus. “Together with the igus experts, we decided to design a roller energy chain in a guide trough”, explains Ralf […]

Guardian Everywhere Hub: reliable safety for remote workers

Guardian Angel Security has signed an exclusive distribution agreement for Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands with US-based Everywhere Communications for their global product suite for communication, location and monitoring solutions for remote workers. Guardian Angel Security, industry-leading provider of lone and remote work solutions in Australasia, has launched the Guardian Everywhere Hub for robust and secure 24/7 communication, monitoring and local response co-ordination for remote workers; incorporating dual-mode cellular and satellite communications technology solutions from US-based Everywhere Communications. Guardian Angel Security has signed an exclusive distribution agreement for Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Island with Everywhere Communications for the use of their global suite of product solutions for communication, location and monitoring of remote workers via satellite devices, smartphone apps, a web portal, location-based services, and APIs using patented deployed technology. Everywhere Communications’ fully integrated multi-mode communications solutions utilise the Iridium satellite constellation, including the newly launched Iridium NEXT satellites, as well as Wi-Fi and cellular networks, to provide always-on connectivity globally, including the over 80 per cent of the world beyond the reach of cellular service. The Guardian Everywhere Hub, compatible with the Garmin inReach Mini, SE+ & Explorer+ devices, allows users to view a snapshot of their entire remote workforce. Colour-coded teams enable users to see the current location of each member or see a historical bread crumb trail. Remote workers can communicate via a chat-style text messaging interface or, when equipped, voice text. Workers with equipped devices can also share geo-tagged pictures, video clips and audio clips. Proactive health and welfare check features include requests of a user’s status – I’m OK, or I’m Not OK. Users can create a virtual geofenced perimeter to surround key worksites for the safe management of personnel in specific zones, and entry and exit alerts can be sent […]

DairyNZ supports winter grazing solutions proposed

DairyNZ supports recommendations to the Government from an advisory group looking to improve winter grazing rules for farmers and achieve better environmental outcomes. The Southland Advisory Group was formed after concern from farmers and sector organisations that a number of new winter grazing rules were impractical, challenging to meet and costly for councils to implement. The rules are part of the Government’s National Environmental Standard for Freshwater. “While we support the intent of the Government’s regulations, which is to protect the environment, the rules need to be fair, reasonable and achievable,” said DairyNZ strategy and investment leader Dr David Burger. “We are pleased to have worked with farmers and sector organisations to develop clear and practical recommendations for on-farm wintering actions which will lead to better outcomes for the environment and local communities.” The advisory group is made up of two farmer representatives and representatives from DairyNZ, Beef + Lamb New Zealand, Environment Southland, Federated Farmers and Fish and Game. It was formed after farmers expressed their concerns about the regulations, wanting fair and pragmatic solutions. “This collaborative approach is the way forward for developing regional council plans as the National Environmental Standard for Freshwater takes effect over the next few years,” said Dr Burger. “We know farmers have made significant strides in improving their wintering planning and care for the environment and animals, and acknowledge there’s more to do – we are on the journey.” The group is unanimous in its recommendations, which have been presented to the Minister for the Environment David Parker and the Minister of Agriculture Damien O’Connor. Taking onboard the areas of concern from farmers, DairyNZ and the other advisory group members have recommended to the Government these changes be made: The group agrees that farm plans are the future for managing freshwater and whilst […]

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