Welcome to the November edition of the Naki News
A great time to be farming sheep
Nick Brown
Meat & Wool Chair
Taranaki Federated Farmers
It is a great time to be farming sheep with a lamb price of close to $9/kg. Early reports are that docking results are looking good with healthy lambs due to the good start to spring we have had. Hopefully this means farmers in Taranaki can take advantage of what is promising to be a great year. All we need now is the wool price to improve and I believe there are potentially some positive signs for a recovery, long term.
During the week there have been some wins for wool with NASA trialling wool in air filters for trips to Mars. Wool has also been used in a partnership between Firewire and Kiwi innovator Paul Barron to make a woollen surfboard. It has been used to replace the fibre glass component of the board without compromising the structural integrity of the board and early reports are that by using wool they are saving 40% of their carbon footprint, not to mention the obvious benefits such as wools ability to biodegrade.
In the last month I have been involved in starting an RMPP Action group with Danielle Scott and a number of farmers in our region. Every sheep and beef farmer in Taranaki is eligible to participate and there is funding available of up to $4000 per farm (up to $36,000 per group) no matter the size of the farm. Groups of 7 - 9 farmers come together with a trained facilitator and can combine their funding to research topics of their interest. It really is a great opportunity to get the expertise you need to drive your future profits, but the funding only lasts until 2020 so get in quick.
Another area where I feel sheep and beef farmers are missing out is in regards to riparian plantings and particularly of swamps. Depending on how much existing natives are present in the swamp will determine the funding, but it is possible to get 100% of the cost of plants refunded to you by the Taranaki Regional Council and also up to $6/m towards new 8 wire fencing. Also, if the area to be planted needs to be cleared of weeds it is possible for all of this to be paid for by the TRC. I would encourage farmers to take advantage of this while they can, as in the future wetlands are going to play a major part in maintaining our social license to farm through removal of sediment and nutrients from our waterways (natural filters). We have completed our first planting on our farm which was 100% funded and have a lot more planned for next year. Apart from the visual and ecological benefits it’s also a cheap way to stop stock becoming marooned in these areas.
I also understand that stress funding will this year extend to up to 30 Ha so get in quick if you want to secure the funding for your next project.
I hope everyone enjoys the busy season.
Good farm accommodation
Donald McIntrye
Provincial President
Farm accommodation is a subject which is being discussed more and more now. These days having good staff is vital to any business. One of the ways to entice staff to your business is to offer good work conditions (pay, cowshed, motorbike wet weather gear etc.) or perks, (free meat, milk, clothing, firewood). The other way is also providing quality housing, as in most farm employment relationships on site accommodation is vital to getting good staff. To get the best out of staff their housing should be at least of a minimum standard, be warm and dry, (no drafts or leaks) have a suitable heating device, a working stove, a fence around the house with a gate (to keep the children in and stock out of the garden) a reliable power supply and potable water in the taps, a shed/carport to store vehicles with good vehicle access tracks etc. There are new regulations coming in around home insulation, seek advice to ensure the accommodation you are providing is compliant.
Staff that have good housing will be better workers, they will be able to rest properly when they get home, wash, get warm and cook a meal. If they have a partner and children, they will not get sick as often when living in a warm dry house and so the staff will not be distracted by sickness.
Taranaki Federated Farmers encourage all farm owners to look at their housing. Now is the time to start planning to do maintenance and or improvements to staff accommodation, this is an investment in your staff and the value of your farm. Would you live in a house like that?
Taranaki Federated Farmers Crop Competition
Entries are now open for the 2018/19 Taranaki Federated Farmers Crop Competition, for Turnip and Fodder Beet.
After a year off, the competition is back, with the support from Farmlands and Corteva.
Entries close on 25 January 2019.
Contact Jessie at the office on
email or 757 3423 for an entry form.
Contract Milking Workshops
Are you considering moving into a contract milking role? Or are you already contract milking and looking for a new position?
These workshops will help you:
- Understand the ins and outs of contract milking.
- Secure the right role for you.
- Take steps to ensure you get the best start possible.
At this workshop:
- Hear from other farmers about the steps to finding the right role.
- Understand which is better for you - contract milking or being on wages.
- Your risks and responsibilities being self-employed.
For dates and venues,
click here
On the road
Craig Sole
Territory Manager
Congratulations on all your efforts and results as you continue to lift the bar, environmentally in Taranaki.
- Water Quality - @ 25% reported lift
- Riparian Planting – leading province in New Zealand.
The voluntary riparian planting program and your uptake, has seen farms develop their plan, fencing and substantial planting throughout Taranaki. We urge you to order your plants to complete the task by 2020 - a national target. Keep talking with TRC about your plans, talk to neighbours and other farmers to see where they are at, and for those that are not convinced, ask “Why not?” – They need to play their part in achieving the Taranaki goal with riparian planting.
Dairy Effluent and Soil & Freshwater plan
It’s recognised that over the next 1 – 4 years there are a lot of resource consents up for review with an overview of new soil & freshwater plan - a general requirement to discharge to land, rather than water.
Federated Farmers has been involved in a lot work and discussion on this front and we urge that you invite TRC onto farm and hold a discussion on future options in this regard.
Even if your resource consent is 2 – 4 years out, hold these discussions as we are aware that Taranaki has a unique environment with very high rainfalls and certain areas need to factor this into their future.
A great spring so far with everyone busy with mating, silage, crops and periodic rain. Enjoy and look after yourselves.
Policy Update
Lisa Harper
Policy Advisor
Most of my time lately has been taken up by national issues to do with biodiversity – making sure that farmers are supported in the good work they do to protect things like remnant bush on their land, and ensuring they can still clear regenerating scrub in pasture.
On the local front, we met with TRC to discuss our Coastal Plan submission. Our main submission points were about sensible management of public access to the beach, as some of our coastal farmers report having trouble with people crossing their land without permission, damaging fences, lighting fires and so on. We also argued against including farmland in special new zones designed to protect surf breaks.
NOTICES
Taranaki Ballance Farm Environment Awards
Taranaki farmers – now is your opportunity to enter the Ballance Farm Environment Awards. Right now entry numbers are low and with just over a month to go until the closing date, this is your chance to give it a go. Every year brings different challenges and you might feel you’re not ready, but it’s important to that we continue to improve and take opportunities to learn and the opportunity to have a fresh look at your farm operation.
The BFEA Awards give you the opportunity to:
(1) Benchmark your farming and growing business with others.
(2) Receive independent feedback from a team of agri-professionals.
(3) Promote the many great sustainability initiatives happening on farms.
(4) Share your own great farming story with the rest of New Zealand.
Register online in just 10 minutes
click here
Your Taranaki Federated Farmers Executive
Visit our webpage for contact details
