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In brief

Sugar – United KingdomThe net importer of sugar, United Kingdom needs to buy around 50% of its national consumption at international markets, accounting for an average of 1MMT of sugar per year. Half of that volume is supplied by the EU and the other half comes from emerging economies. The EU is basically responsible to provide white sugar, where mostly shipments are coming from France, while emerging markets supply raw. The question that is laid out for a Hard Brexit, is whether raw sugar suppliers from least developed countries and America could supplement the British famine for a sweeter taste? That could potentially boost the UK’s refining industry, although the country must underline what is the actual processing capacity and balances with the current and future subsidies it gives to sugar beet farmers (3,000 growers produce home grown sugar). From a few years back (2013) the UK was importing 700,000 mt of raw sugar to process. All the speculations are yet to be unfolded for if the UK would potentially keep its trade agreement with emerging markets or engages Europe’s bloc. On the other hand, the EU is discussing a deal with Mercosur for an additional 180 thousand tonnes of raw sugar imports. The deadline for the transition period is by December 2020, and an extension request shall be given until July this year. Sugar – ThailandThe production of cane sugar is low this year due to the drought. Out of 57 sugar factories in Thailand, only eight factories are still operating. The remaining have no raw material for the feed. Avocado – Peru Coronavirus is affecting some avocado supplies in Europe. As buyers are unaware of when or how the situation is going to be resolved, they have put a halt on their purchases. The situation is generating a […]

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Zero carbon bill inspires NZ’s first Energy Demonstration Farm

Lincoln University has partnered with the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) to build New Zealand’s first Energy Demonstration Farm, with an aim to find sustainable energy solutions to meet the Government’s carbon reduction requirements. The Energy Demonstration Farm is designed to be fossil fuel free and feature solar and wind power, bio-fuel, and energy storage solutions while showcasing the range of technology available and how it can be applied, as well as providing data for research and innovation. Leading the project are Dr Wim de Koning and Dr Jeff Heyl (above) of Lincoln University. They said the Energy Demonstration Farm would be unique in its set-up and a world-first in its scale and scope. “Transitioning to sustainable energy in the agri-food sector is a necessity,” Dr de Koning said. “The Government’s zero carbon legislation has provided a time-frame of 30 years for completion of this transition. “To meet the Government goal of 100% renewable energy by 2035, we need to start making the first major steps with urgency. Dr de Koning said the farm would show the diverse range of sustainable energy production technology currently available, from fossil fuel to circular food production systems. “It’s leading transformation through demonstration – to facilitate sustainable, feasible and bankable solutions.” “The small and medium-sized enterprises operating in the primary industries need a pre-investment proof of concept.” “They don’t have the capacity to make mistakes by investing in the wrong technology. At the Energy Demonstration Farm we can explore alternatives, not all of which may be successful. We can provide that proof so the right choices are made.” MPI Acting Director Investment Portfolio, Cheyne Gillooly, said the Energy Demonstration Farm has the potential for farmers to explore the technology and test it before they make an investment. “Farming is a high tech, high capital […]

2019 a solid year for tractor and machinery sales

Tractor and farm machinery sales were down on 2019 compared to 2018 but hopefully 2020 will see previously deferred purchase decisions realised, says Tractor and Machinery Association (TAMA) president John Tulloch. TAMA statistics showed that during 2019, overall machinery sales were 4382 units compared to 4531 of all types sold in 2018. Mr Tulloch said as these units included everything from $1000 sprayers through $500,000 harvesters, it was more useful for meaningful comparisons to focus on the key machinery areas of grass and forage harvesting. These sales were 1787 units in 2018 compared to 1665 units last year: a decline of about 6.8%. In turn there were 4007 tractor sales in 2019 compared to 4640 in 2018, a drop of 13.6%. “Anything over 4000 tractor units is still a respectable result and showed we had a pretty solid year. And certainly within the machinery sector, we had a better year than many were expecting considering the conditions.” These conditions included uncertainties around government policy on water quality and emissions plus challenges in obtaining finance as banks beefed up their equity reserves. 2020 was also shaping up to be another year of uncertainty with the unknown effects of the coronavirus and a general election. COVID19 could affect buyer confidence and there may be some impact on sourcing components from China although this had not yet occurred. “We just don’t know the actual impact yet. It could end up being positive as New Zealand is known as a safe country for food production. We have stringent and well-recognised food safety systems so could be seen as a preferred supplier. But only time will tell.” Mr Tulloch said the North Island drought conditions would have an effect on farmers although contractors might have a good season as feed reserves have been used up, […]

Fieldays 2020 postponed

Following Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s announcement yesterday, regarding the cancellation of large gatherings to prohibit the spread of COVID-19, the New Zealand National Fieldays Society will be postponing the Fieldays event scheduled for 10-13 June 2020. “The Society stands by the governments’ decision to cancel events that draw crowds over 500 in order to stall the spread of COVID-19”, says Society CEO Peter Nation. “We value our loyal stakeholders, including the many exhibitors, suppliers, volunteers, visitors, staff and their extended family, immensely. The whole event is about them. Their health and safety is of utmost importance to us and we take the government’s decision seriously.” Fieldays remains a central part of the New Zealand agricultural community and calendar. It’s a chance for friends to catch up, local and global businesses to network, cutting edge innovations are out on show and education is at the heart of the events’ delivery. “The world may be undergoing major challenges in response to COVID-19, but in this changing environment Fieldays will remain, albeit at a later date.”

The milk of human genius

The end of the cow is near as animal-free milk is likely to decimate the traditional dairy industry within the decade, and plant-based meat is set to upend the beef market Meet Daisy, a typical Australian dairy cow. Daisy is likely to be a Holstein Friesian, whose ancestors grazed the cool lush pastures of northern Germany and the Netherlands. When she was only a day or so old, Daisy would have been separated from her mother, and raised for her first few weeks on bottled milk before being put out to graze. Sometime in her first six months, Daisy would have been “disbudded”, her developing horn buds heat-cauterised without anaesthetic or sedation, to prevent subsequent horn growth. At about two years old, Daisy will give birth to her first calf, having been artificially inseminated nine and a half months previously. Within a day, the calf, if female, will be separated to be raised like her mother as part of the dairy herd. If her calf is a male “bobby calf”, he will be surplus to requirements, with only two fates possible – either to be transported to an abattoir at about five days old, or to be fattened up for a few months then slaughtered for veal. After her calf is taken away, Daisy will continue to produce milk for about 10 months. Then after a few weeks respite she will be ready to conceive again, and the lactation–pregnancy cycle will continue. For the rest of Daisy’s life, she will be a factory on legs, turning grass into something you can put on your cereal or in your coffee. Daisy’s natural lifespan is about 20 years, but she is unlikely to live past six or seven, by which time her milk production will have declined to a point where she […]

One week left to enter iconic New Zealand art award

Entries for the 2020 Fieldays No.8 Wire National Art Award close in just over a week at 1pm on Friday 13 March.There is nearly $10,000 in prize money in total, with a $7,000 first prize up for grabs. The annual award, hosted by Waikato Museum, partnered by Farmlands, and supported by the New Zealand National Fieldays Society, challenges artists to create artworks made from agricultural products, predominantly the use of No.8 wire.Judge for the 2020 award, award-winning New Zealand sculptor James Wright, says he is looking forward to seeing the artworks being entered. “This award embodies New Zealand’s rural heritage and culture. As a nation we pride ourselves on our No.8 wire mentality. This is an opportunity like no other for New Zealand artists to demonstrate this sense of Kiwi ingenuity and create something magical out of this everyday fencing material.”The Fieldays No.8 Wire National Art Award culminates in a month-long exhibition from Friday 24 April to Monday 25 May at Hamilton’s ArtsPost, part of Waikato Museum’s operation. To enter the 2020 Fieldays No.8 Wire National Art Award, go to www.waikatomuseum.co.nz/no8wire.

Global food industry deals total $665.89m in January 2020

Total food industry deals for January 2020 worth $665.89m were announced globally, according to GlobalData’s deals database. The value marked a decrease of 88.1% over the previous month and a drop of 76.4% when compared with the last 12-month average of $2.82bn. In terms of number of deals, the sector saw a drop of 17.9% over the last 12-month average with 55 deals against the average of 67 deals. In value terms, North America led the activity with deals worth $424.07m. Food industry deals in January 2020: Top deals The top five food deals accounted for 88.4% of the overall value during January 2020. The combined value of the top five food deals stood at $588.66m, against the overall value of $665.89m recorded for the month. The top five food industry deals of January 2020 tracked by GlobalData were: Green Monday, Qatar Investment Authority and Temasek Holdings (HK)’s $225m venture financing of Califia Farms The $161m venture financing of Memphis Meats by Bill Gates, Cargill, CPT Capital, Fifty Years Fund, Finistere Ventures, Future Ventures, Kimbal Musk, Norwest Venture Partners, Richard Branson, SoftBank Group, Temasek Holdings (Private), Threshold Ventures. and Tyson Foods SEA Diner Holdings’ $130m acquisition of Del Monte Philippines The $40.66m acquisition of Shanghai Ground Food Tech by China Mengniu Dairy 301,(US), Almanac Investments, CPT Capital, Greenleaf Foods, New Crop Capital, Rocana Venture Partners and Stray Dog Capital’s venture financing of SeaCo Foods International for $32m.

UBCO unveils game-changing FRX1 trail bike

Kiwi Utility Electric Vehicle (UEV) company, UBCO, has unveiled the innovative new Electric Trail Bike (FRX1). It has also launched a public capital raise of up to NZ$2m to drive further growth in product, inventory and market development, via online investment platform Snowball Effect. Pairing the power of a motocross bike with the agility of a mountain bike, the FRX1 is a high-performance, light-weight trail bike designed specifically for off-road riding – and brings UBCO closer to delivering its complete product platform. UBCO co-founder and CEO Timothy Allan says, “The FRX1 Trail Bike adds to the existing 2×2 Utility Bike and the incoming KXH portable Power Supply. Our goal is to deliver the world’s first full Off Road Electric Vehicle Platform.” Founded in 2015, the Tauranga-based company is developing a complete product platform, combining a range of two and four wheel electric vehicles, with three enabling products and services: Portable Power, Accessories and Subscription Software (SaaS). UBCO first experienced success in 2016 with the launch of the world’s first electric-powered two-wheel drive motorcycle, designed for off-road use in farming, followed by tourism, conservation and a range of other applications. It later released an upgraded dual-purpose model in response to demand for a road legal version, which expanded its use into recreational and urban environments. The unique design, functionality, safety and sustainability of its innovative products helped fuel UBCO’s successful entrance to the Australian, US and European individual and commercial fleet markets – including Agriculture, Tourism, Conservation, Food Delivery and Postal Delivery, among others. Having sold over 1,000 units since launch, and now working with over 120 dealers globally, export sales currently account for 70 percent of Global Revenue – with US sales achieving 50 percent of this. The company is forecasting a jump revenue of NZ$12.1m in FY20-21 with the […]

Setting the sustainability standard high

The New Zealand National Fieldays Society is committed to achieving its long-term sustainability goals through environmentally responsible business. “Environmental concerns are increasingly at the forefront of our visitors’ and exhibitors’ minds. Across all sectors of our organisation, from events to everyday practices, the Society aims to be a leader through sustainable practices,” says CEO Peter Nation. Fieldays 2019 saw the highest landfill diversion rate in the history of the event with 41 percent of waste diverted, or 10,285 fewer kilograms sent to landfill. The total waste fell 16 percent from 2018 and landfill waste by 19 percent. The target for composting was achieved, with 1,500 kilograms sent for composting. Fieldays continues to implement the Event Sustainability Management System ISO 20121 to ensure the event is delivered in accordance with this internationally recognised ISO standard. “This process continually challenges us to improve our event planning, processes and delivery whilst addressing major impact areas such as environmental management and carbon emission generation from the event,” says Nation. For the last eight years the Society has partnered with Instep, who have supported the design and implementation of the Fieldays sustainability programme and report. Instep director Peter Birkett believes it is these initiatives, along with actions to minimise energy consumption and specific waste management programmes, that positions Fieldays as a well-recognised leader in best practice and sustainability leadership. “As the largest agricultural event in the Southern Hemisphere, it is crucial the event is delivered in a way that supports industry and exhibitors to satisfy the market-place demand for product and technology transparency. Products and services are increasingly scrutinised in real-time by an environmentally driven global market. “Excellent support from all areas of food vendors, exhibitors and general stakeholders allows the short-term target of moving away from traditional problematic packaging and plastic material to gain […]

Our Vision is Clear: let’s all improve our waterways, without destroying rural communities

Today’s Essential Freshwater Package shows healthy and swimmable waterways are important to all New Zealanders, including dairy farmers, who share the same aspirations to protect our streams, rivers, lakes and wetlands. DairyNZ chief executive Dr Tim Mackle said the dairy sector and our farmers share the same vision communities, Maori and Government have to protect and improve our freshwater resources. “The Essential Freshwater Package announced today provides a real opportunity for everyone to have their say in this important conversation. We know we can’t farm without healthy water and land, and we reflect this in our Dairy Tomorrow sector strategy, and we need to acknowledge the work that’s already taken place,” said Dr Mackle. “Our dairy sector is already on the journey to improve and protect water quality and our farmers have been working towards this for more than a decade.” Dr Mackle said at the same time it is acknowledged that, in some catchments, community expectations for water quality has not yet been met. Here, further action is required by all land users, including dairy, to halt a decline and longer-term solutions put in place to restore the health of these waterways. “This policy package focuses not only on dairy but all land use activities, including sheep and beef, horticulture and urban activities, reflecting that we all have a part to play in improving our waterways,” said Dr Mackle. “We agree with a focus on ecosystem health and alongside this, options to better track the impact of improvements farmers are making to work towards this. However, we have serious concerns that the proposed approach of reducing nitrogen and phosphorus may not achieve improved ecosystem health and could have a significant impact on the viability of farm businesses and rural communities. We need to understand this better and what it […]

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