Piggery effluent polluting stream
Waikato Regional Council has sought an interim Enforcement Order from the Environment Court to stop piggery effluent from entering a waterway north of Te Aroha.
Kiwi dairy farmers tend to be lagging behind the northern Europeans in their handling of dairy effluent.
The Europeans realised long ago that efficient effluent use would go far in replacing bought-in fertilisers.
For ten years the Euro’s have also quit traditional splash-plate application, now instead favouring dribble bar or trailing shoe applicators.
These help reduce the amount of nitrogen lost to the atmosphere as ammonia, while also addressing the problems of odour and complaints from neighbours.
German specialist Vogelsang, a big player for years, has taken another step in placement accuracy, so reducing crop contamination and improving plant uptake of nutrients.
New skid technology for its Blackbird trailing shoe linkages embodies a beak-like point said to ensure an even flow of slurry while also penetrating the soil surface more easily.
The Blackbird series also uses its maker’s precision distributor/macerator — the ExaCut ECQ, located at the centre of the boon structure. Its large internal diameter and oversized distributor plates keep the slurry moving, under control and distributed more accurately.
The unit also has a large maintenance port at its heart, allowing access to all internal components so that servicing can be done without dismantling the distributor, the outlet cover or the outlet hoses and feed lines.
Also, because the rotor runs at lower speed, it needs 50% less power, and exerts less pressure on the cutting blades and inside the distributor, all these factors extending the service life of the unit.
Hose layouts are modified to prevent the typical ‘v-shaped’ spread pattern as work begins.
Meat processor Alliance Group is asking farmer shareholders to inject more capital in order to remain a 100% co-operative.
A vet is calling for all animals to be vaccinated against a new strain of leptospirosis (lepto) discovered on New Zealand dairy farms in recent years.
Dairy
Rural banker Rabobank is partnering with Food Rescue Kitchen on a new TV series which airs this weekend that aims to shine a light on the real and growing issues of food waste, food poverty and social isolation in New Zealand.
Telco infrastructure provider Chorus says that it believes all Kiwis – particularly those in the rural areas – need access to high-speed, reliable broadband.
World Veterinary Day falls on Saturday 27 April.
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