Barn or pad: how to get cows off pasture?
Measuring the actual damage caused by pugging on farms is notoriously difficult, says Massey soil scientist Dr Dave Horne.
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Science helping farms combat wet conditions
An expert in dairy production systems says farmers now have more science based tools to help them deal with the very wet conditions occurring in many regions, but good farm management still has a big role.
Fonterra opens new $150m Oz cheese plant
Fonterra’s new $150 million cheese plant in Australia will help the co-op further capture the strong global demand for dairy, says chairman John Wilson.
Getting real numbers on nitrate leaching
Dunsandel dairy farmer Tony Coltman is “100% confident” he can conform to strict new Environment Canterbury nitrogen leaching limits due to take effect by 2022.
Welsh farmers brace for Brexit
Milk production in Wales has changed dramatically in the last 30 years: in 1984 the country had 6500 producers; now it has 1730 achieving the same production.
FMG board revamp
Three agribusiness leaders have been elected to the board of rural insurer FMG.
National
Irrigators will pass "water tax" to consumers
Irrigation New Zealand chief executive Andrew Curtis says Labour's “water tax” would affect every New Zealander.
HortNZ says "let’s not do this"
Reacting to Labour statement on freshwater, and in the absence of any detailed policy to go with that, Horticulture New Zealand says "let’s not do this".
Farmers worried by Labour’s water announcement
New Labour leader Jacinda Ardern says her party will slap a royalty on water usage if elected next month.
World
Welsh farmers brace for Brexit
Milk production in Wales has changed dramatically in the last 30 years: in 1984 the country had 6500 producers; now…
Fonterra resumes pizza cheese production in Oz
Fonterra is eyeing a bigger slice of the booming Asian pizza business for its Australian-made cheese.
A farmer with a difference
Given that the average farm size in northern Italy is 9.8ha, the operation run by Dario Soresina and his family…
Aussie cattle prices start to take a dip
Cattle prices in Australia have ended their three-year golden run, says Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA).
Fonterra lifts Oz milk price
Fonterra has increased the farm gate milk price for its Australian suppliers by A20c/kgMS.
Opinion
Another revenue ploy — Editorial
Call it what you like -- water tax, royalty on water use or a water use charge -- it’s an…
RSE 10 years on and more important than ever
At the time of writing (early July) I have just spent some time at a conference in Blenheim celebrating the…
4,500 years of crop protection
Like all agricultural innovations, crop protection products have evolved tremendously since their inception.
Farmers are already paying for water use
Suggestions that farmers should be taxed for water use ignores the fact that irrigators are already paying for the water…
A good move — Editorial
Fonterra is being criticised for its expensive advertising campaign promoting the co-op, the dairy industry and its farmer shareholders.
Agribusiness
Food service is co-op’s happy hunting ground
Fonterra's Food Service division is a New Zealand success story, says director of global food service Grant Watson.
Taupo dairy sheep farm takes genetic high-road
A new sheep milking business using a world-first combined milking/feeding platform will start operating by October.
Humility, experience in award nominees
Two dairy women – “humble and leading from the heart” – are among nominees in the Westpac ‘Women of Influence’…
The next ‘big thing’ in breeding
Holstein Friesian New Zealand (HFNZ) believes the next big thing in the bull industry has arrived.
Dairy meeting environmental demands – report
The dairy industry is ready to tackle environmental concerns, including its contribution to greenhouse gasses, says an independent report.
Management
Barn or pad: how to get cows off pasture?
Measuring the actual damage caused by pugging on farms is notoriously difficult, says Massey soil scientist Dr Dave Horne.
Science helping farms combat wet conditions
An expert in dairy production systems says farmers now have more science based tools to help them deal with the very wet conditions occurring in many regions, but good farm management still has a big role.
Getting real numbers on nitrate leaching
Dunsandel dairy farmer Tony Coltman is “100% confident” he can conform to strict new Environment Canterbury nitrogen leaching limits due to take effect by 2022.
Best in show is pro fitter’s aim
“Have clippers, will travel” could be the motto of Mid-Canterbury’s Luke Gilbert.
N diverted to milk yield means less excretion
Research shows that cows bred for low urea concentration end up using more nitrogen for milk protein productions.
Farm Health
Not every orphan lamb can be warmed by fire
A Masterton farming family is giving orphan lambs a fighting chance of surviving the unpredictability of harsh, early spring weather.
New animal welfare regulations set higher standards
Pain relief for disbudding cattle will be mandatory under new animal welfare regulations.
Lambs good for training pups
Lambing is looming closer and if you have a young dog that isn’t showing much enthusiasm for sheep take advantage of the window of opportunity this season offers.
Benefits of shearing pregnant ewes
Industry funded studies in New Zealand have shown that mid-pregnancy shearing can increase multiple-born lamb birthweight by up to 0.7 kg and lamb survival by 3 to 5%.
Do the groundwork before calving
Planning and preparation make for a good calving season, says DairyNZ.
Machinery & Products
JD and Kramer in sales deal
John Deere has allied with Kramer-Werke, a German materials handling gear maker, to distribute the latter’s products via the JD dealer network.
Universal display for green machines
The new John Deere 4640 Universal Display enables customers to use the most common and popular John Deere applications in a portable display that has the latest internal components, design and user interface.
Quad quandary over passenger rule
WorkSafe's recent statement that carrying a passenger on a single seat quad might be acceptable in exceptional circumstances – particularly when there is no other alternative – appears to be something of a hospital pass.
Diesel’s days numbered?
Engine maker Cummins has been the go-to engine provider for many ag machine manufacturers for decades. And who doesn’t love the sound of a big Cummins motor under load?
Perky pivot places loads precisely
While telehandlers are gaining acceptance in New Zealand, they still only sell in relatively small numbers compared to the UK, where 50% of agricultural operations are reckoned to use them.
Motoring
Built for speed and more!
Best known for its enduring off-road ability, the Toyota Land Cruiser has added another plaudit to its CV – notching…
Drive this over the Jones
You'll stand out if you're prepared to hand over the moolah for the Jeep Brute Sport. It won’t so much…
New kid on the block
The new kid on the SUV block will have auto sales and marketing managers burning the midnight oil and scratching…
The best just got better
When we reviewed the VW Amorak in February 2016, it was fair to say we quite liked it. For 2017,…
A ute this ain’t!
The latest Land Cruiser 70 series from Toyota is a truck, so it won’t be the choice of Remuera Roamers,…
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The Hound
Nasty lot
Your old mate reckons multinational, tax-dodging political activist lobby group Greenpeace is proving just how nasty it can get when…
Not a puff
Winston Peters, has proven again to be all hat and no trousers.
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Popular Reads
What’s your future in dairying aged 20-odd?
Brent Love, director farm enterprise at KPMG, explains how to make it in dairy for 20-somethings.
New animal welfare regulations set higher standards
Pain relief for disbudding cattle will be mandatory under new animal welfare regulations.
The proof is in the pasture
Corporate farmer Colin Armer, among New Zealand’s most prominent, says dairying will prosper more by greater pasture utilisation than by…
Markets
South Island wool sale eases
The 4700 bales on offer saw a 74% clearance with mixed results, however all prices paid locally are still above…
Wool continues to ease
The 7250 bales of North Island wool on offer saw a 72% clearance with most types easing further.
Rural Life
Ozone in the vineyard
The word ozone conjures up images of big holes in the atmosphere, stronger UV light, the risk of severe sunburn…
Drones versus birds
Drones may soon be joining the armoury of weapons used to scare birds away from ripening grapes after a trial…
Boss woman has earned her stripes
Nicky Hutchinson “never dreamed” of becoming ‘The Boss’.