It is said to build on the range’s reputation for reliability and operator comfort, combining refined design, enhanced functionality, and advanced smart features to deliver greater efficiency, visibility, durability, via mechanical innovation and digital intelligence.

New Selectofix Hydraulic System Improves Implement Connection

A key innovation with the Q-series facelift is the new Selectofix hydraulic connection system, engineered to simplify the link between loader and implement, allowing safe and rapid connection or disconnection, even under pressure.

With a flow capacity of up to 60 l/min and minimal pressure drop, the system ensures reliable performance in demanding applications.

For broader compatibility, a quick adaptor with ISO/A couplings allows implements without the Selectofix format to be shared seamlessly across Q-series loaders, N-series loaders, telehandlers, and wheel loaders.

Improved Visibility and Operator Safety

Design changes see improved front visibility allows for greater precision, while new hose routing enhances side visibility and simplifies attachment and detachment procedures.

Visibility is further enhanced by the introduction of new loader lights, each delivering 1,100 lumens over a wide arc, boosting visibility in poor lighting conditions, leading to work safety and efficiency.

Heavy Duty Loader Beam Increases Durability

All models now feature a new, more robust, heavy-duty loader beam, with the key structural upgrade said to increase durability and extending the overall lifetime of the loader.

The new Q-Companion 2.0 boosts efficiency in material handling with a range of advanced features, including selfimplement calibration, covering attachment, tare and weighing. Live weight readings are offered in any boom position, alongside realtime monitoring via the Quicke Mobile App, connected via Bluetooth. Additional functions include recipe creation, automatic implement recognition, and the PDF export of machine activity logs to streamline daily operations.

Visit www.jostnz.co.nz 

While fatalities using such vehicles continue to make up alarming statistics that have life changing consequences for many rural families, lesser accidents can still result in significant personal and financial impacts.

FMG Data Highlights Ongoing Accident Costs

Rural insurance specialist FMG was supporting the event, with rural manager Alex Donald explaining that in the 2025 calendar year, the company processed around 500 claims for quads or ATVs with 50% including rollovers, paying out around $3m in replacement costs

Donald also discussed data showing that the average time off from work amounted to 82 days, noting, “we’re happy to support these events, because while we can replace machines, we can’t replace people”.

Agriculture makes up around 25% of serious accidents, while only employing 6% of the total work force. In another reporting anomaly, accidents with light utility vehicles (LUVs), some of which have resulted in fatalities, are still being reported as ATVs.

Young Farmers Receives Hands-On ATV Safety Training

Led by Andrew (Simmo) Simpson, training manager of CarNZ Training Limited, a large group of youngsters of the Growing Future Farmers Initiative were brought up to speed on the need for “active riding” when operating ATVs to establish stability and to impart changes of direction.

He also reinforced the need to always wear protective helmets and adhere to the machine manufacturer’s recommendations.

While LUVs or side-by-sides have replaced many quad bikes - offering the benefits of a substantial roll cage and greater carrying capacities - quads are still used extensively on properties with limited access.

Debate Continues Around ATV Crush Protection Devices

At the event, Simpson raised the question of Operation Protection Device or Crush Protection Devices (OPD/CPD) being fitted to the rear of ATVs.

While safety helmets are mandatory, OPDs are not, so their fitment is a personal or operational choice.

Their use is not usually recommended by the vehicle manufacturers as they have the potential to change the design limits of the machines and change the centre of gravity.

In some cases, rear-mounted devices like spray packs are being fitted to front racks and changing machine dynamics.

Simpson also spoke of feedback from OPD users, who often came out with the comment, “now I’ve got an OPD fitted-I can go anywhere on the property”.

Indeed, since being made mandatory in the Australian market (leading to all bar one quad manufacturer pulling out of that market) a recent report shows that after three years of use, engineering solutions such as OPD fitment has not resulted in a change in the number of fatalities.

Hazard Identification Central to Farm Vehicle Safety

Focusing on day-to-day use, field day attendees looked at maintenance on a daily and weekly basis, checking oil and water levels, tyre pressures and doing a general wear inspection, including looking for cracks or fractures of frames.

They were also taught proper use of key control functions, including hi/lo transmission selection, 2WD/4WD, diff-locks and the characteristics of CVT transmissions.

Simpson insisted that any off-road operations should always be undertaken with low range selected to deliver maximum torque, so removing the need to change mid-flight from high to low range, which can result in loss of momentum and a loss of drive.

Much of the discussion centred around hazard identification and safety margin assessment, using a Search-Evaluate-Execute mantra: looking at an area that was to be driven over; assessing ground conditions for mud, ruts, streams or holes; then planning on where to travel, or indeed, looking for another route.

In summing up, Simpson reminded the trainees that irrespective of their abilities, the rules of physics and gravity always applied and could be influenced by anomalies such as momentum and traction.

He encouraged them to always ask, “Is this the right machine for the job? Can I negotiate the hazard with my experience? And is it worth the risk?”.

Simpson suggested it was safer to explain to a manager that you were not happy to do a task on an ATV rather than your family having to decide on beech or oak timber for your coffin.

After the classroom session, trainees tried out the information and riding advice they had received on a specially laid out course, configured to demonstrate active riding over climbs and descents, variable surfaced such as gravel, grass and mud, alongside site assessment to determine if a task was safe to perform.

Visit www.carnztraining.co.nz 

It will offer an extended range of digital and support capabilities which build on the existing suite of tools such as John Deere Operations Center and Equipment Mobile, giving customers access to basic maintenance and operator manuals, and warranty information.

The Operations Center PRO Service offers technician-capable tools to allow customers to choose who repairs their equipment – whether that be their John Deere dealership, a local mechanic, or themselves.

Advanced Diagnostics and Repair Tools Now Available

JD Australia and New Zealand director aftermarket and customer support, Steph Gersekowski, said it gives customers access to relevant and current content in PIN/ machine‑specific manuals, as well as the ability to perform advanced actions, such as reprogramming controllers, running real-time diagnostics and carrying out interactive tests and calibrations.

“We know that when a customer decides to purchase John Deere equipment, they are choosing to invest in the latest technology and innovation, so we want to make sure they have all the tools they need, to not only support their equipment, but to get the most out of it in terms of uptime and productivity.”

Flexible Licensing Options for Customers and Service Providers

Operations Center PRO Service is a licence-based solution that can be purchased through any John Deere dealership and accessed through a free John Deere Operations Center account.

Once logged in, the user simply inputs each piece of equipment using the serial or PIN number to access the capabilities of Operations Center Pro Service.

Customers can select from three different types of licences, depending on their individual requirements. The annual licences start with a Machine licence for a single machine, while customers who have a large fleet can benefit from economies of scale with the Organisation licence.

External third-party service providers can also use Operations Center PRO Service to support their customers who run John Deere equipment through a Service Business licence, which gives users access to up to 10 local installations, with pricing varying depending on industry.

PRO Service delivers digital repair content, filtered by year and model number, and offers users additional information to help troubleshoot, diagnose, and repair their machines.

Specific features now brought together include, machine health insights and diagnostic trouble codes, PINspecific machine content, including manuals, software reprogramming, diagnostic readings, diagnostic recordings, interactive diagnostic tests, calibrations, JDLink information and warranty information.

Focus on Speed, Flexibility and Uptime

JD ANZ manager, production systems specialists, Max Cusack, says the primary advantages of Operation Center PRO Service are choice and speed.

“If you have the Operation Center PRO Service annual licence you can log in, understand what that diagnostic trouble code is and see if it’s something you might want to fix yourself or, alternatively, engage your local John Deere.”

Visit www.johndeere.co.nz 

First run in 2016, the programme was developed by Rabobank's Lower South Island Client Council with the aim of developing young farmers' skills and contacts to advancee their careers in the agricultural sector.

The programme has taken place annually in locations across Otago and Southland in the years since, and close to 200 up-and-coming farmers have now taken part.

Gore Hosts Landmark Tenth Anniversary Programme

The tenth anniversary edition was held on 13 and 14 May in Gore and featured a celebratory dinner attended by several former Rabobank Client Council members who were influential in establishing the programme a decade earlier.

The ongoing success of AgPathways in the Lower South Island has prompted Rabobank's Client Councils in the Upper South Island and North Island to replicate the programme in their areas and, across recent years, events have taken place in several other regions around New Zealand.

Programme Focuses on Practical Business and Leadership Skills

Craig Whiteside, Rabobank Lower South Island Client Council chair, launched the latest programme, saying it equips participants with a valuable set of tools to support their progress in agricultural careers.

“Across a day and a half, the 24 attendees heard from a variety of speakers covering a wide range of topics, including personality profiling, communication, farm succession planning and business strategy,” he says.

“The programme also featured a ‘war stories’ session, where two local farmers – who had attended previous AgPathways programmes – shared their personal experiences and explained how they’ve grown and adapted their farming businesses over time."

Whiteside says this section has proved a highlight at previous Lower South Island AgPathways events.

“These stories really resonated with the programme attendees as they provided valuable insights on the steps attendees need to take to advance their own careers.”

Follow-Up Session to Focus on Business Planning Goals

Whiteside says that as a follow-up to the programme, attendees will meet again in July.

“As part of this get together, participants will present back to the group a business plan on what they want to achieve in the future,” he says.

“This follow-up event is an important part of the course as it forces participants to think about and write down their goals, as well as the actions they need to take to reach them.”

Strong Reputation Built Over 10 Years

With the programme celebrating its tenth anniversary, Whiteside says it's appropriate to recognise the contribution of the past Client Council members who were responsible for the programme's development.

“A number of these Client Council members attended the programme dinner, and it was clear from my discussions with them they are very proud of the impact the programme has had over the last decade,” he says.

“The vast majority of AgPathways attendees have forged successful careers in the sector, and it’s very satisfying for the ex-councillors to see something they created still going strong a decade later.

“The programme has a really strong reputation across the Otago and Southland regions, and it’s well positioned to keep supporting and developing farmers for years to come.”

More than 400 people attended the event, which recognises the people, technologies and innovations that contribute to New Zealand's red meat sector.

AgResearch Food Integrity Team Wins Science and Research Award

Dr Gale Brightwell and the AgResearch Food Integrity Team were named winners of the Ballance Agri-Nutrients Science and Research Award.

The team has led applied science work that ensures the red meat sector continues to meet and exceed the rising expectations of global markets.

The judges said Brightwell and the AgResearch Food Integrity Team delivered essential science to support the red meat industry's market access and position it globally as suppliers of safe food.

They added that the team demonstrate great collaboration and excellence in science, and the benefits of their work are clear, important and essential to on-far economic success.

GenomNZ Recognised for Livestock Technology Leadership

GenomNZ took home the Datamars Livestock Technology Award.

For over 30 years, the company has delivered DNA analysis services to the New Zealand livestock sector.

Originally established to provide parentage testing for sheep, cattle and deer stud breeders, GenomNZ now offers genomic technologies that drive genetic gain across the red meat and wider primary industries.

The Award judges described the company as a global leader with a proven track record in the development and delivery of technologies.

They said GenomNZ carried out world-leading research and technology development with a vast number of applications and benefits.

They added that GenomNZ’s technology had amazing tenure and was continually innovating to keep our sheep and beef industry at the forefront of genetic selection. 

Tairāwhiti Whenua Charitable Trust wins innovative farming award

Tairāwhiti Whenua Charitable Trust set out to unite Māori landowners, shareholders, governance entities and farmers into a single, coordinated network in the wake of the devastation wrought by Cyclone Gabrielle. 

Formed to take a collective approach to Māori land ownership and governance, Tairāwhiti Whenua Charitable Trust represents more than 800,000 hectares of collective whenua and affiliated landholdings across Te Tairāwhiti and beyond. 

The Trust has developed a region wide Māori-led collective impact model that combines technical mapping, policy design, local wānanga, practical projects and strategic advocacy into one coherent system of change for sheep and beef country and its communities.  

Judges commented that the Tairāwhiti Whenua Charitable Trust was an impressive example of collaboration and leadership delivering multiple tangible results for rural communities. 

They said the organisation demonstrated innovation at a grand scale and added that the Tairāwhiti Whenua Charitable Trust generated fantastic economic, environmental and social benefits.

Conscious Valley recognised for premium local market strategy

Farming just eight kilometres from Wellington’s CBD, Hamish Best and his partner Caroline Flood saw an opportunity to market their beef and lamb to Wellingtonians looking for consistently high quality, low food mile red meat. 

Hamish has drawn on his sales and marketing experience to forge relationships with top Wellington chefs and restaurants. This sees their locally grown meat on the menu of many of the city's best restaurants. 

The Award judges said Conscious Valley has done a great job at asking their customers what they want and adjusting their products to suit. 

They added that while operating at the premium end of the market, Conscious valley was making effective use of all cuts and continuing to grow and adapt their product range. 

The judges concluded by saying that Conscious Valley had developed collaborative relationships which had enabled the company to grow. It was an outstanding example of an end-to-end value chain supplying the local market and modifying farm systems to meet consumer demand. 

Hawke’s Bay Farmer Wins Emerging Achiever Award

Despite growing up on a dairy farm, Ben Dawson bought his first stud sheep at the age of nine and has been a passionate sheep breeder ever since. 

Ben and his wife Molly lease a 226ha sheep and beef farm near Patoka in the Hawke’s Bay, but both have full-time jobs off their lease block, with Ben managing a 500ha drystock farm.

The judges said that Ben Dawson had demonstrated a great range of experience and achievements and was having a positive impact on his rural community through influence and leadership. 

They added that Ben had obviously thought carefully about his career and personal goals and developed a clear pathway to achieving them.

They noted that Ben is very active in his community and in the wider sheep industry and one judge commented that being asked to judge at the local pet day is a clear indication that Ben is held in high regard in his community. 

Lone Star Farms Win Rabobank People Development Award

Lone Star Farms operates six sheep and beef farms across the South Island, employing 35 people and running 95,000 stock units. 

People development was at the heart of the business, with personalised development plans, structured learning groups and ongoing leadership coaching for staff at every level. 

The judges said Lone Star Farms had demonstrated a strong commitment to people development and the organisation’s vision and purpose were both centred around people. 

They commented on the business’s focus on building capability within their farms both formally and informally with all full-time staff having personal development programmes.  

They added that Lone Star Farms had invested heavily in developing people; their training and their future. 

Shepherdess Founder Honoured with Rural Champion Award

After gaining insight into the isolation many women living rurally experience, Kristy McGregor launched Shepherdess magazine in 2020 as a way of connecting people. 

Today, Shepherdess is a social enterprise and multimedia platform dedicated to strengthening connection in rural communities through storytelling, community-building and events, engaging an estimated readership of 20,000 and an online community of 42,000 through print, digital media and social platforms. 

The Award judges said that Kristy’s Shepherdess magazine punched above its weight in shaping how rural women saw themselves along with fostering, strengthening and connecting rural communities through storytelling. 

It had influenced the way the wider public views the rural sector which supported sector resilience and reputation. 

The judges commended Kristy, who lives on a dairy and beef farm and was a former Beef + Lamb New Zealand Farmer Councillor, for creating a platform to share personal and authentic stories of women with a strong focus on women in sheep and beef farming and the experiences of rural Māori and Pasifika women. 

Dr Stewart Ledgard Recognised for Significant Contribution

Dr Stewart Ledgard’s career spanned the red meat supply chain, from helping farmers make informed decisions about fertiliser applications to protecting market access for New Zealand’s sheep and beef exports. 

He has carried out significant work on water use in New Zealand’s sheep and beef industries as well as the sector’s carbon footprint. These have shown that this country’s red meat production systems are amongst the most efficient in the world. 

The Award judges said that Dr Ledgard’s work had pioneered how New Zealand measured and managed the environmental footprint of pastoral farming. His global leadership in the science of foot printing had ensured a level playing field for pastoral systems. 

They added that his research on lifecycle assessment, carbon footprinting and nutrient budgeting tools underpinned today’s policy and market setting. 

They concluded that his work has also driven efficiencies and supported advocacy for New Zealand’s pastoral systems. 

A production animal veterinarian with Clutha Vets, Roe's practice services the South Otago region, and he observes a ris in drench resistance in the area.

"Looking at the positives, good worm management tools and strategies often align with good farming management practices. By reducing stock exposure to worms you are maximising their potential to be healthy and productive," he says.

Roe says Beef + Lamb New Zealand and Wormwise workshops have helped disseminate information to farmers, but it's still a minority of clients who have gone as far as a full faecal egg reduction test.

Resistance Often Difficult to Detect Early

"There is a thought that at the bottom of the South Island, drench resistance is not as bad as further north. Combination drenches, particularlyh triples, have largely been working on most farms up until about four years ago. Since then, about a quarter of the farms we have done reduction tests on now have triple drench resistance."

Research has shown that drench resistance doesn't stand out, clinically at least, in terms of visible production loss until drenches have dropped to around 60% efficacy.

Farms could be sitting at 80 to 85% effectiveness and this will not necessarily be showing up in lamb performance, he explains.

"We would encourage farmers to consider, just because you are getting good performance and lambs are growing well, it doesn't mean you do not have a drench resistance issue or early stages of drench resistance."

Testing Important for Understanding Farm Status

A good first step is to understand your status and what is working on your farm.

Get a faecal egg reduction test or, at the least, carry out a post-drench check on the drench you are using for the year, especially if it is a triple.

Reducing Reliance on Drenching.

Aside from monitoring, best practice includes trying to reduce drench inputs, where possible.

"We tend not to push that too much in the early part of the season, four-weekly drenching in December to January when lambs are shedding a lot of eggs is still important. It's a generalisation but I would recommend four-weekly drenching for the first two to three drenches to suppress egg production that will flow on to autumn. After that, monitoring egg counts will show if you can reduce the drench frequency."

With adult sheep, Andrew recommends avoiding blanket drenching but says there are cases where ewes will benefit from a drench, like skinnier and tail end ewes or triplet bearing ewes who could use a boost.

Integrated Grazing and FARMED Principles

Along with drench as a tool, there are other well documented strategies that can help reduce the worm burden such as using other classes of stock to mop up the worms, like cattle.

The Wormwise FARMED acronym of feeding well, avoiding exposure to pasture with a high worm burden, refugia, monitoring and effective drench should all be considered as part of developing an individual farm parasite management plan.

"We find that for people who have encountered drench resistance issues and changed things in their system to reduce their reliance on drench, stock performance increases anyway. This is because they have reduced exposure to worms in the first place, which will result in better growth rates."

Autumn Worm Pressure a Major Risk

Andrew observes that most drench resistance in the region seems to be involving Trichs (Trichostrongylus) in autumn.

If farmers have strategies in place to grow lambs quickly and get them away faster, then the majority of lambs are gone before the main worm culprit turns up in autumn.

Tailored Parasite Plans Essential

Vets have an important role to play in supporting farmers to understand their drench status but equally in helping them to develop a parasite management plan that is tailored to their individual farm.

Planning means taking the information available from the likes of Wormwise and putting it into tangible action on your farm. Vets and advisors bring an element of discipline to the process, identifying th information that is applicable to you and ensuring follow up.

A plan will depend on many factors, such as stock classes on the farm - do you have cattle to use for integrated grazing? Climatic conditions play into it, and whether you are a dryland or irrigated property.

When developing a sustainable worm management plan for a farm Andrew considers four main objectives:

• Reducing worm larvae exposure to your lambs/hoggets
• Diluting resistant worms with ones that are susceptible (not exposed) to drenches
• Maximising your lambs' ability to fight off what worms they do pick up
• Using effective drenches when you do need to drench, and using them strategically

For each farmer, he then suggests some strategies or recommendations relevant to their farm, under each of the four headings.

Article supplied by Zoetis

Levi McNae was a year 12 student at Hurunui College in Hawarden, North Canterbury, when he decided to enrol in the NextGen Dairy Farmers - a NZQA-accredited programme launched in 2024 by Dairy Training Limited (DTL), a subsidiary of DairyNZ.

The programme provides 16-to-20-year-olds with a pathway to a career in the dairy industry, while also looking to address the shortage of home-grown talent in the sector.

From Student to Full-Time Dairy Assistant

"I had no background in dairy, or farming for that matter," McNae says.

"I just wanted to do something meaningful and so I signed up."

Following a three-week pre-employment training, McNae started his training at Kohakaumu - a 900-cow Ngāi Tahu dairy farm where he is now working full time as a farm assistant.

McNae says he wants to become a 2IC (Second-in-Charge) in a year's time and is working towards eventual farm ownership - a dream he says isn't too distant.

Dairy Industry Offering Strong Career Opportunities

Head of Dairy Training Limited Hamish Hodgson says the student's testimony shows that the programme is working as intended.

"This programme is free for students, they have full-time employment while they train. They are earning NZQA micro credential qualifications on the job, and they get accommodation on farm. Some are even able to put half their income into their KiwiSaver accounts with the goal of buying a house at 22," he says.

Hodgson says the industry offers great opportunities to those who are prepared to take them.

"The added benefit of this programme is that students are fast tracked through strong support systems, pastoral care, learning advisors, and great host farmers."

Pilot Programme Shows Strong Results

An evaluation report of the pilot programme published in July 2025, comparing NextGen students to a typical new employee after six months, rated the students higher on all key competency areas, namely technical competency, work attitude and reliability, communication and teamwork, and wellbeing practice.

"We had 100% placement for the four students in our pilot and some of our host farmers have already expressed interest in participating again next year," Hamish says.

Host Farmer Backs Initiative

McNae's host farmer Jacob Damsteegt says hiring him at the end of the training was a no-brainer.

"Levi's full of energy and he's got the same awesome attitude we do.

"This programme is about Kiwis helping Kiwis. We hear a lot about how our people don't like doing the hard yards, but a lot of young people just need a chance," he says.

Damsteegt also says the support from DTL's learning advisors was key to the programme's success.

"If they weren't guiding the studednts and it was all left just to the farm owner, it just wouldn't work," he says.

Applications for the next intake of the NextGen Dairy Farmers programme are now open, closing on May 31. The programme iks seeking 16-to-20-year-olds interested in pursuing a career in dairy farming.

The Hawke's Bay Regional Water Assessment concluded that by 2040, even with significant efficiency gains, the region could face a freshwater shortfall of nearly 25 million cubic metres. Climate projections point to reduced river flows and worsening droughts. With an El Niño weather pattern forecast this coming winter, we may well see exactly the kind of drought conditions that expose how vulnerable Hawke's Bay remains, environmentally, economically and in terms of community resilience, without the water storage infrastructure that much of New Zealand already relies on.

Water security has been on the agenda here for over a decade and in that time, the rest of New Zealand has not been standing still. Canterbury, Otago and Tasman Marlborough have embedded water storage projects that have delivered real economic resilience - the South Island economy is strong, underpinned in no small part by water security driving the food and fibre sector. Northland has already built and integrated water storage. Gisborne Tairāwhiti may move ahead of us very shortly. Wairarapa is initiating its own work. Water storage is not new to New Zealand, but it is new to Hawke's Bay. Without it, we risk a flight of businesses and capital to better-resourced parts of the country. Water storage is not a point of difference we can afford to give away.

The Tukituki Water Security Project (TWSP) commissioned the New Zealand Institute of Economic Research to model what the project could mean for the region, and the findings are significant. Once fully operational, the project would increase annual regional GDP by up to $693 million per year - 5.7% of regional GDP - and add up to $452 million per year in additional household spending across the region. It would support more than 1800 new permanent jobs, equivalent to lifting total regional employment by more than 2%, while generating up to $195 million per year in additional Government revenue. Over the project's lifetime, total economic benefit ranges from $1 billion to $5 billion, with 200 to 300 jobs supported during construction alone.

The same modelling indicates the project's benefit-cost ratio ranges from 1.5 to 9.1 depending on the scenario. To put that in perspective: the Government's Roads of National Significance, widely accepted as essential infrastructure, typically come in between 1.0 and 1.1. The Puhoi to Wellsford motorway had a ratio of 0.8, meaning it cost more than it returned, and yet I am not aware of anyone calling that a fantasy. The economic case for water security in Hawke's Bay is, by any comparable measure, exceptionally strong.

The recent closures of McCain and the Heinz Wattie's frozen lines are devastating for the growers and workers affected in our region. They also demonstrate what water security advocates have been saying for years - the low-margin, high-volume processing model is under structural pressure, and growers they produce. In Hawke's Bay, with out climate and soils, the real opportunities lie in higher-value horticulture, livestock and seed production. NZIER modelling projects that TWSP would irrigate over 5000 hectares of horticultural crops. The land is suitable. The market and local opportunity for premium New Zealand produce is there. What many growers lack is secure and reliable water.

Water is the foundation of everything we grow, everyting we drink, and the health of the rivers we love. The question is not whether Hawke's Bay needs water security - the numbers make that clear. The question is whether we have the will to act while the window remains open.

In Part Two of this series, I will address the how - how the project is funded, what it means for the environment, and why the concerns being raised publicly deserve straight answers.

Mike Petersen is chair, Tukituki Water Security Project.

For more information, visit https://www.tukitukiwater.co.nz 

To this day, I still remember some of their humour and skits. I shudder to think how they might be received in today's hyper-sensitive and so easily offended world. They'd get labelled racist for sure!

In today's PC and woke culture, I have no doubt they would need to get back out on the road, to do a follow-up apology tour. That is of course, if they haven't already first been arrested for hate speech!

Don't know about you, but I'm sure we laugh much less now in this wound-up-tight world we find ourselves living in.

Mrs Google can take you to the famed Mayo Clinic, or other similar sites. They will all tell you laughter is great for your health.

For starters, it strengthens the immune system by reducing stress hormones and increasing infection-fighting antibodies. And it also enhances cardiovascular health, to name just a couple of benefits.

Yep, the evidence is overwhelming: laughter is great medicine for both body and soul. It really is important that we learn to lighten up a little.

Now, with all the above in mind, if it has been too long since you have had a good healthy laugh, or for some I make an attempt today to help you out a little, with the following story.

In a court trial, a small-town prosecuting attorney determined to make an impression, confidently called his first witness to the stand. His first witness being a bright-eyed elderly grandmother.

He approached her and asked, "Now... Mrs Jones, do you know me?"

"Why, yes, I do know you Mr Williams," she responded. "I've known you since you were a small boy and frankly, you're a big disappointment to me. You lie, cheat on your wife, manipulate people and talk about them behind their backs. You think you're a bigshot when you haven't the brains to realise you never will amount to anything more than a two-bit paper pusher. Yes, I know you..."

The lawyer was stunned! How to recover, he wondered. Not knowing what else to do, he pointed across the room to the attorney for the defence and asked: "Mrs Jones, do you know the defence attorney?"

Again, she smiled and replied; "Why, yes I do. I've known Mr Bradley since he was a youngster. He's lazy, bigoted, and has a drinking problem. He can't build a n ormal relationship with anyone, and his law practice is one of the worst in the state.

"Not to mention he cheated on his wife with three different women. And one of them was your wife, Mr Williams! Yes, I do know him..."

Now, both lawyers are more than just a little shell-shocked!

The presiding judge promptly summoned both lawyers to the bench. In little more than a whisper, he said: "If either of you two rascals ask her if she knows me, I'll have you thrown in jail for contempt of court!"

I hope that helps you lighten-up a little today and puts a smile on your face. It's great for your overall health, remember.

Now, it may come as a surprise to some, but the Good Book has several verses that pretty much say the exact same thing. The Mayo Clinic certainly didn't 'discover' this one! Take care and God bless.

To contactf Colin Miller, email thefarmerschaplain@gmail.com 

New management at an organisation doesn't always change a rotten, broken culture, which seems especially true of the Wellington bureaucracy, the Gilding On types who remain indifferent to changes on the 9th floor of the Beehive.

However, your old mate hears that changes in HQ at Mystery Creek may bode well for a long-overdue attitude adjustment with Fieldays.

For years, exhibitors at the event have complained about the high-handed indifference they've copped from the crew running NZ's biggest ag event.

 Many have stopped attending altogether, fed up wsith spiralling costs, obstructive clipboard carriers and a dubious ROI.

Time will tell if this has changed, but early rumblings are positive!

The current government has made some big changes to try and improve education outcomes, but it seems the only news coverage you'll see on this is the predictable but disappointing whinging from groups like the NZEI and the principals' association.

What we should be hearing are the numbers: school attendance is up from 65.9% to 68.6% year-on-year, a huge jump from 46.5% in 2022, and targeted interventions in maths saw students make double the progress of their peers in just 12 weeks - to list just a couple.

Which goes to show, to make an informed decision this election year, you'll need to go beyond the daily news and look up the actual data yourself.

Keeping a story quiet to protect one of their story (former One News political editor Maiki Sherman), using heavyweight lawyers to silence any media thinking about stepping out of line and breaking the story, then, once an outsider finally broke the story, 'bravely' copying that blogger's story and running all its gory details - ironically leading to the 'cancellation' of a reporter who has led the change on many a pile-on in the past.

Your old mate hears though that the real reason media kept the Sherman story quiet for a year is that they didn't want to lose access to free booze-ups in ministerial offices!

Fed Farmers and others have made a hue and cry about the July 1 hikes of 19% for unaddressed bulk mail and an extra 70c to post a letter.

Constant price hikes by NZ Post have seen their rate rises far outstrip inflation, or any other service or commodity, as our mates at the Magazine Publishers Association point out: "These aren't normal price increases. They are multiples of inflation, compounding year after year, imposed by a monopoly provider with no regulatory oversight of its pricing," says MPA chair Stuart Dick.

As he says, no other essential infrastructure service in NZ operates without independent price scrutiny.

Gas, electricity, broadband all have some level of oversight or controls.

Postal services should too.

However, they are rightly demanding their local district, city and regional councils come with amalgamation plans that meet the needs of rural communities and don't allow urban councils to dominate.

This follows central government putting local authorities on notice to come up with substantial, realistic, cost-effective plans for amalgamation within the next three months or else government will intervene.

Farmers generally support reforms provided they lock in strong representation for provincial communities.

After all, rural communities and towns don't want to be paying for city projects that deliver little benefit to them.

If decisions are made without proper rural input, they risk creating policies that don't fit or support the needs of farming families and rural businesses.

There's no doubt NZ's local government system is too complex, too costly, and too hard to navigate.

Currently, there are 78 city and district, regional, and unitary councils across the country - a high number for a council of our size.

Federated Farmers proposes that metropolitan unitary councils centred on cities of around 50,000-plus, and provincial unitary councils that merge the district councils.

This modelling could see the current 78 councils redue to less than half that number.

It also achieves the streamlining, economies of scale and capability to shoulder the regional spatial planning the Government wants.

Councils shape the places we live and the services we rely on. But for farmers, too often the system is tangled in duplication, disagreements, and decisions that defy common sense.

Getting a simple resource consent renewal is a costly, time consuming and a drawn-out affair for some farmers.

Farmers need a simpler, cost-effective system that just lets them get on with farming.

The next three months will be interesting to see how local authorities respond to the Government's deadline and whether the issue of equity between rural and urban can be achieved.

The $1.2 million project is being undertaken by AgriZeroNZ - a company half-owned by major agribusiness companies with the other half owned by the Crown through the Ministry for Primary Industries. It was set up to deliver a step-change in investment aimed at accelerating the development and deployment of emissions reduction tools for farmers.

This latest initiative is an extension of the 'Cool Sheep' programme and will focus on seeing whether low methane emitting sheep convert feed more efficiently - a factor they hope will entice farmers to breed from them. This latest project is funded by AgriZeroNZ, B+LNZ, and the Ag Emissions Centre, working alongside scientists from the Bioeconomy Science Institute.

Focus on Productivity and Emissions

AgriZeroNZ chief executive Wayne McNee says there's been ongoing work to identify low methane emitting traits in sheep, but he says the issue is how to scale this up and persuade more farmers to introduce these sheep into their flocks.

He says farmers have a lot of options now when it comes to selecting traits in their sheeps. A good example is the trait that reduces the incidence of facial eczema. But they probably can't take up every option and it comes down to what are the best and most profitable traits for them.

"Breeding for low methane is a benefit to farmers and some have already taken this up. But unless there is a greater incentive than just lower methane emitting animals, it may not be attractive in its own right. Hence if we can produce a sheep that is a more efficient converter of feed as well as producing lower methane emissions this would be an incentive," says McNee.

Farmers Looking for Commercial Benefits

He says farmers are business-focused and they want a reason for having certain traits in their sheep flocks.

"That is why we are investing in the project to see if we can add another dimension to the methane trait," he says.

Scientists Measure Significant Methane Reduction

Dr Suzanne Rowe, senior scientist at the Bioeconomy Science Institute and leader of the low-methane breeding research programme, says breeding for low methane has proven to be a highly effective mitigation tool.

She says since establishing flocks of high and low-methane-emitting sheep, they've measured an average difference of around 18% in methane emissions between the two groups.

"This trial will give us clear evidence of how high and low-methane sheep differ in the way they use feed, which will help us understand whether selecting for low methane also boosts efficienct," she says.

Part of a Wider Emissions Toolkit

McNee says this latest research programme is one of a portfolio of tools that will be available to farmers.

He says there is a need to give farmers a range of options to choose from and give them an incentive to do so.

He says the results of this latest project will be out this year.

The shipment used a customer-chartered aircraft operating from Auckland to Abu Dhabi to supply leading Middle East distributor Al Tayeb - a division of the LuLu Group, which operates supermarkets across the region.

Silver Fern Farms general manager logistics, Scott Hurdley, said the delivery highlighted SFF's commitment to finding solutions for customers during a period of disruption to sea freight.

Middle East a Strategic Market

"We have longstanding customer partnerships of over 35 years in the Middle East, and many exporters are currently experiencing difficulty servicing this important region," he said.

The Middle East is a strategic market for Silver Fern Farms, particularly for chilled lamb and beef.

SFF had done smaller-scale airfreight before but completely filling a plane was unique.

Hurdley said it needed close coordination between SFF's New Zealand and Middle East offices, Al Tayeb, Hellmann Worldwide Logistics, and Auckland Airport's airside processes, to ensure strict cold-chain compliance throughout.

Success Underlines NZ's Ability to Deliver

He said the success of the shipment underlines New Zealand's ability to deliver premium food products to international markets, even under challenging conditions.

"Silver Fern Farms is proud to be a partner of one of the leading retailers (LuLu Group) in the Middle East, with a robust network spanning multiple markets and a strong global sourcing ecosystem. This collaboration reflects our shared commitment to delivering world-class quality to our customers while ensuring a resilient and reliable food supply chain," he says.

Alliance Group Also Managing Export Disruption

Meanwhile, the Alliance Group agrees that ongoing conflict in the Middle East continues to affect the red meat supply chain.

"However, our logistics team has worked incredibly hard to keep product moving under very tough circumstances," said James McWilliam, Alliance Group commercial director.

"We have a lot of experience managing volatility in global markets, and we have had some success getting product through to key markets in the Middle East despite the disruption."

McWilliam said Alliance's procurement team has been working closely with its Dawn Meats colleagues, given that they share a number of suppliers.

"Our strong customer relationships in the Middle East have also been critical in helping mitigate the impact of the conflict on the business."

But what he calls 'jandal economics' is not helping the recovery.

He told Rural News that overall the primary sector is doing pretty well now due to a combination of good commodity prices and the weakness of the NZ dollar.

He says while the sector is having to face up to the same challenges as the rest of society, it is doing well.

These challenges include what ability the primary sector has to pass increased costs on to consumers and what resistance there might be to this.

Agricultural Productivity Outperforming Wider Economy

"But the strength of the primary sector lies in its strong productivity story. Productivity in agriculture in NZ is typically 1.5% to 2%R for the past decades has been 0.3%. That tells you that there are an awful lot of sectors across NZ that have negative productivity and that's a major economic problem," he says.

Bagrie believes that because of low productivity, NZ is facing an income crisis rather than what is often termed a cost of living crisis.

He says when there is low productivity, there are low wages, and when this happens it is much harder to deal with because there is no flexibility.

NZ Faces an Income Crisis, Not Just a Cost of Living Crisis

He believes the biggest economic concern for NZ now is inflation, which hurts people, takes money out of their pockets and makes it harder for them to put food on the table.

"Inflation is not just issue number one by a small margin, it is issue number one by a big margin," he says.

Bagrie says NZ politicians are facing the conundrum of having to deal which this short-term imperative instead of focusing on long-term strategic issues. He says there is a real tension between the two, but adds that politics tends to focus on the short-term.

"We'd like to get people to take a deep breath and sit back and think about the long game: What are the priorities we need to be addressing over the next ten to twenty years such as sustainability, climate change, productivity, and infrastructure? But the stark reality is the cost of living is dominating the thinking," he says.

Law of the Jandal

What NZ needs right now is certainty, says Bagrie, but he adds that is unlikely to happen soon due to wars and global political upheaval.

He says this is having an impact on politics here - especially as a general election looms towards the end of the year.

Bagrie notes that in the current polls the two main political parties, National and Labour, collectively have about 65% support with the remaining 35% spread amongst the minor parties.

With such a strong showing on the part of the peripheral parties, it leads to a situation where the tail is wagging the dog.

"We have got what I call 'jandal economics'. There are more economic flip flops here than the flip flops that walk the beach at Bondi in Sydney. This is a big problem because it doesn't always lead to the best policy option being adopted," he says.

The corollary of this says Bagrie is that it could lead to a series of one-term governments.

He points out that in the past, once elected, a party might reasonably expect to get at least two terms, but says now this may not be the case, a fact born out in recent elections overseas such as Australia and the UK where there is a rise in support for minor parties.

Like others, he notes the Irish situation where the two major centist parties, Fienna Fail and Fine Gael, formed an unlikely coalition to keep the periphery parties such as Sinn Fein and the Labour Party from having a say in the government.

"For this to happen here, both sides would have to swallow a few dead rats," says Bagrie.

He says people are hurting in NZ and politics is being dominated by the polls and popularism. One way of solving this is for politicians to stay away from social media, he says.

The Ohaupo farmer told Rural News that he loved coming to the annual event, which celebrates the industry's cream of the crop.

But Van der Poel and his wife Sue were surprised to be called on stage and presented with the prestigious Services to the Dairy Industry Award.

The award is given out on rare occasions to people who have contributed significantly to the dairy industry and recognises van der Poel's 40-year service to the industry.

Van der Poel says receiving the award was "a very big surprise for a start".

"I got invited along tonight to be part of these great celebrations and we always love coming to these events and so to get this award presented with us and the kind words that were said was a big surprise actually," he says.

Four Decades of Leadership in Dairy Farming and Governance

The van der Poels are no stranger to dairy awards. They won the Waikato Sharemilker of the Year in 1987 - which was just before the regional programme became national in 1989.

Apart from farming, van der Poel has played a leading role in industry governance, serving as Fonterra director and chair of DairyNZ.

As a farmer and equity partner, van der Poel has used his experience to support innovation, succession. and leadership development across the sector.

He describes his stint as a dairy farmer and governance leader as an amazing journey.

The industry has evolved and grown but van der Poel points out that all the same principles still apply.

"We're farmers, we help one another, share information and there's still great opportunities for people to enter the industry and grow in it."

He believes the dairy industry is in very good stead.

Longstanding Support for Dairy Industry Awards

He remains a great fan of the New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards because they celebrate success within the industry.

"They also recognise and identify good people coming through and offer learning opportunities for them.

"These award nights show new people that are doing great things out there, have real good leadership capability and they come to these awards, and you think, wow, this industry is in good shape."

Industry Awards Praise Enduring Legacy

New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards Trust chair Paulette Johns presented Jim and Sue with the award.

She says van der Poel is recognised as a distinguished leader across the dairy sector, having made a sustained and influential contribution over more than four decades of farming, governance and national industry leadership.

"He has done this in tandem with Sue, who is in her own right a successful farmer and business partner. We recognise her unwavering support, which no doubt enabled Jim to commit his time to the industry bodies.

"Widely respected for his integrity, cool, calm and pragmatic approach, and commitment to mentorship, Jim's achievements, impact, and influence represent an enduring legacy of service to New Zealand agriculture," says Johns.

This follows central government putting local authorities on notice to come up with substantial, realistic, cost-effective plans for amalgamation within the next three months or else government will intervene.

Feds spokesperson on local government, Sandra Faulkner, says elected councillors need to put aside parochialism and engage in open discussions on reform that will work.

She says Feds support the concept of reform.

"But we will only support reforms that lock in strong representation for provincial communities," she says.

Rural Communities Oppose Paying for City Projects

Bay of Plenty Feds president Brent Mountfort echoes this sentiment saying rural communities and towns don't want to be paying for city projects that deliver little benefit to them and notes that Tauranga has the second highest rates per household of the country's 10 metropolitan councils in NZ.

"There should be separate unitary councils for cities and provincial areas," he says.

Rotorua Farmer Warns Against Loss of Rural Input

Federated Farmers Rotorua-Taupo president Braydon Schroder says rural communities rely on local leadership that understands rural realities, from land use to infrastructure and environmental management.

"If decisions are made without proper rural input, we risk creating policies that don't fit or support the needs of Rotorua's farming families and rural businesses," he says.

Southland and Canterbury Farmers Reject Super Council Models

Also concerned about urban domination in the reforms is Southland Feds president Chris Dillon who says in a broad sense farmers want a system that delivers better representation and value for money.

He says the best solution for Southland is to have two unitary authorities - one for Invercargill and anolther for the rest of Southland.

In Canterbury, the fear of rural communities being swallowed up by a super region focused on metropolitan Christchurch has been aired by Feds North Canterbury president Bex Green.

"That would be the worst-case scenario. We are firmly opposed to a single unitary council for Canterbury," she says.

Green says its essential rural representation is protected.

Quality of Governance Is Key

The success or failure of the reforms, according to Waikato regional councillor and former local feds president Keith Holmes, ultimately depends on the quality of the governance of the new structures.

Holmes says there are vast differences between running regional authorities and urban councils and says they require different skill sets.

He says whatg a lot of people don't understand is that over time central government has been unloading work and responsibility on to local councils and not giving them the extra money to deal with these things.

Holmes says in the case of the Waikato Regional Council, there are about 140 Acts of Parliament or central government rules they have to comply with.

"So government has to sort out its own ship as well, and it's grossly unfair to blame hard working staff and elected representatives at local councils for what in many cases is beyond their control," he says.

The election of local councils has long been something of a lottery. Whereas in national politics, parties have some sort of vetting process before an individual can be selected to stand for parliament.

"In the case of councils, it's something of a 'beauty contest' where there is no proper or prior scrutiny of candidates. God knows how I got elected because I have never seen myself as beautiful," he says.

What Holmes is saying is that many people get elected to local councils because of their enthusiasm, profile, carefully crafted CV, or single issue concerns, but often they have little proven governance or business acumen.

He says local authorities are huge businesses and those elected need to have experience in governance or running a business.

He says he favours the Dutch model whereby elected councillors appoint a board to run the council. To some degree this system already exists in NZ with council-controlled entities, but how successful such a system would be in the new reforms is open to debate.

The next three months will be interesting to see how local authorities respond to the Government's deadline and whether the issue of equity between rural and urban can be achieved.

New Zealand First has picked former Federated Farmers Southland president Jason Herrick as its Southland candidate.

Herrick has spearheaded Southland farmers' push for regulation reforms and is well known in the Southland farming community.

National has roped in former Federated Farmers national president Katie Milne for the West Coast-Tasman seat.

Katie Milne and Kristine Asuncion Add Farming Credentials to National Party Line-Up

A fifth-generation family farmer from the West Coast, Milne was the vice president of the World Farmers Organisation, a director for Predator Free 2050 and served as Federated Farmers' first female president between 2017 and 2020.

National has also secured a high-profile dairy farmer for the Dunedin seat.

Kristine Asuncion, a Filipino migrant, brings over a decade of experience in dairy farming, as well as leadership in people and culture, workforce development, and migrant advocacy across New Zealand's primary industries.

Rural Support Emerging as Key Election Battleground

Herrick's candidacy signals an interesting battle for the seat currently held by National's Joseph Mooney.

While National did well in most rural seats last election, the 2026 election could be different.

Coalition partners ACT and NZ First will try to poach votes.

Bryce McKenzie, a founder of farmer advocacy group Groundswell, believes National will struggle to hold ground against both ACT and, more so, NZ First.

"Definitely from what we are hearing, people are disillusioned with National," McKenzie told Rural News.

He doesn't expect Labour to put up a fight in rural seats.

"Rural people are very wary of Labour after what they did in the last two terms they were in government. Also, their coalition partners are a major concern," he adds.

Jason Herrick Says NZ First Aligns With His Values

Herrick says he decided to stand for NZ First because it aligns "with my strong beliefs for democracy and equal citizenship".

"NZ First values around common sense have resonated with me for some years now," he told Rural News.

"I strongly believe that for NZ to move forward, we need to stop holding current citizens of NZ responsible for the wrongs of the past and move forward as one country. NZ First has demonstrated the same beliefs."

Herrick believes National has been a huge part of a coalition government but not enough has been done for the rural community.

"I believe the coalition has started moving in the right direction, but there is so much more to do.

"The economy is still in strife and the only way to get NZ out of this mess is by regional development and growth.

"I believe NZ First is the right party to do this, supported by the right coalition partners to get us moving forward."

Herrick claims farmers are still frustrated at the amount of red tape and regulation holding back productivity.

"Although dairy and the red meat sectors are showing good income levels, the costs are still extremely high," he says.

Milne Says National Backs Primary Sector

Milne says that as a lifelong advocate for farmers, she can see firsthand how National backs the primary sector.

"The National-led Government has reduced red tape to get farmers back to farming, signed new trade deals which has helped increase trade by $17 billion, and introduced [an] investment boost to encourage businesses to invest, expand, and hire more Kiwis.

"As a fifth-generation coaster, I know that our region can be more productive, with more jobs and higher wages.

"That is why I will be campaigning hard to re-elect a National government and to earn the right to be West Coast-Tasman's next National MP."

ASB is the first bank to partner with Wool Impact, an organisation that supports New Zealand's wool sector to build a more resilient, higher-value future for strong wool by strengthening market connections, stimulating demand, and building essential sector capability.

Strong Wool Prices Show Signs of Recovery

Andy Caughey, chief executive of Wool Impact, says New Zealand produces approximately 100,000 tonnes of wool each year in New Zealand.

"Over the past 12 months, we've seen average prices for strong wool increase by over $2/kg," Caughey says. "Sustaining that increase means an extra $200 million into rural communities."

He says wool now appears in new categories and new uses through the work of innovative brands, investment in product and value chain innovation, and new businesses working with wool.

"ASB has come on board at a pivotal time, and its support will help amplify these new opportunities," he adds.

Part of NZ's National Identity

ASB's general manager rural, Aidan Gent, says wool is part of New Zealand's national identity, adding that the bank sees the potential for significant gains to be made in farm returns by improving its market relevance.

"Wool Impact has been making great strides over the past the past three years, and we want to help accelerate that momentum."

The partnership is just the latest in a series of programmes designed to demonstrate ASB's commitment to help drive growth the food and fibre sector.

The bank is also backing Kiwi farmers through its Every Hectare Matters programme which provides access to advice, insights and capital to maximise farmers' land potential and ultimately build resilience and productivity over the long-term.

Gent says Wool Impact's work "aligns strongly" with the bank's focus on unlocking greater value for the food and fibre industry.

"Strong wool is a natural, renewable fibre with significant potential, and teaming up with Wool Impact will allow ASB to back practical initiatives that support rural communities, sustainable land use and long-term sector growth," he says.

Wool Impact Working Across The Sector To Rebuild Capability

Meanwhile, Caughey says ASB has signed on at a critical time for the sector.

"Strong wool is a natural, renewable fibre with significant potential, and teaming up with Wool Impact will allow ASB to back practical initiatives that support rural communities, sustainable land use and long-term sector growth," he says.

"Partnerships like this give us the confidence and capability to keep investing in the initiatives that will help unlock that value.”

Wool Impact works with wool businesses across the sector and is part of a Wool Alliance with Campaign for Wool New Zealand, Wool Research Organisation of New Zealand, and Beef + Lamb New Zealand working on what’s needed for a vibrant wool sector and how this can be funded long-term.

Caughey says the partnership is both a practical investment in wool’s future and a recognition of the work already underway. He credits MPI’s investment via its Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures fund, WoolWorks, New Zealand’s wool scourer, Silver Fern Farms and the four other main meat companies for Wool Impact’s initial backing and vision.

Alexander Eyckeler GmbH is one of Alliance's largest customers for lamb, mutton and venison, supplying retail, food service and cash and carry markets across Germany.

The company imports, distributes and key account manages Alliance’s Ashley lamb, mutton and venison brand, which has a dominant market share in Germany.

Acquisition Builds on Investment

The acquisition follows Dawn Meats' recent acquisition of Alliance Group in New Zealand.

Last year, the Irish company purchased a 65% stake in Alliance for $270 million while New Zealand farmer shareholders retained a 35% stake.

Niall Browne, Dawn Meats' chief executive, says the acquisition of Alexander Eyckeler GmbH supports the company's ongoing integration with Alliance, strengthening its ability to serve customers in-market.

“It brings Dawn closer to key customers in Germany, improves co-ordination across supply and logistics and provides continuity for the Eyckeler team and its customers," Browne says.

Four decades of partnership with the Eyckeler family

James McWilliam, Alliance Commercial Director, says the brand has a strong presence in Germany and a proud history with customers across the market.

“Alexander Eyckeler GmbH has played an important role in building that presence through long standing relationships for decades," McWilliam says.

Alliance’s relationship with the Eyckeler family spans almost 40 years, beginning when the family established an exclusive butcher shop in Düsseldorf.

Alexander Eyckeler, who passed away last year, established his own firm almost 20 years ago, building it into a specialist importer, distributor and key account manager serving Germany’s most prominent retail, food service and cash and carry brands.

The ELI filed a claim in judicial challenging a 2024 decision by the EPA that there was no significant new information about glyphosate that would warrant grounds for a reassessment of the weedkiller.

High Court Upheld EPA Glyphosate Decision

In October 2025, the High Court ruled that the EPA had acted lawfully when making the decision about glyphosate.

The judgment recognised the EPA’s role as New Zealand’s authority on hazardous substances and confirmed it has wide discretion when deciding whether to reassess a chemical.

ELI had appealed the High Court decision to the Court of Appeal but on 5 May abandoned the appeal.

EPA Says Decision Reinforces Science-Based Regulation

"As we said at the time of the ruling, this case sets an important precedent for how the EPA applies the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act 1996," says Acting Manager of Hazardous Substances Applications Dr Shaun Presow.

"It also reinforces the value of our expert scientists and our commitment to transparency and science-based decision-making."

Dr Presow says the EPA is monitoring international advice and regulations around using glyphosate as a weedkiller and ensuring New Zealand’s polices and regulations aligned.

"We are constantly monitoring international developments and will continue to review any new research relevant to the New Zealand context," he says.

Founder, Dr Hugh Jellie, says the current health of soil is contributing to increasing pressure on farm systems.

“Farmers are dealing with more variability than ever, from dry periods and intense rainfall through to rising costs and market pressure," Jellie says.

“What we’re seeing across the farms we monitor is that many soils are losing their ability to infiltrate and retain water. That has real implications for pasture growth and how resilient those systems are.”

Monitoring Reveals Worsening Soil and Land Conditions

Monitoring carried out by Āta Regenerative on 245 farms shows worsening water erosion, declining pasture diversity and reduced living ground cover over time.

Between 2021 and 2025, monitored farms recorded a 7.5% increase in bare soil, while living canopy (plant) cover dropped by 12.5%, which indicates that land health and resilience are declining over time.

Mulloon Institute Experts to Visit New Zealand

Āta Regenerative is responding by hosting leading practitioners from Australia’s Mulloon Institute this month.

Mulloon is a not-for-profit organisation recognised for its work in landscape rehydration, demonstrating how restoring natural water cycles can improve both farm performance and environmental outcomes.

The visit forms part of Āta Regenerative’s work to support farmers, catchment groups and industry leaders to build more resilient farm systems.

Together, they will focus on sharing practical, on-farm approaches, particularly landscape rehydration and restoring natural water cycles.

Mulloon’s chief executive Carolyn Hall says the challenges being seen in New Zealand are consistent with those emerging globally.

“New Zealand’s intensifying flood and drought cycles, declining water quality, and growing pressure on farming communities, mirror challenges playing out across Australia, Europe and North America,” she says.

“They're symptoms of landscapes that have lost their capacity to hold and move water the way they once did.

Landscape Rehydration Key

Hall says restoring natural water movement through landscapes can significantly improve resilience.

“When we restore the natural movement of water through a landscape, soils rehydrate, pastures remain productive deeper into dry periods, and waterways begin to recover. Productivity and the environment go hand in hand when the water cycle is functioning as it should.”

Hall says Mulloon’s work in Australia has shown what landscape rehydration can achieve at catchment scale.

“By slowing and retaining water across the catchment, landholders have seen measurable improvements in pasture resilience, water table recovery and stream health. That same approach holds real promise for New Zealand landscapes facing similar pressures.”

Regenerative Farming Approach Focuses on Whole Systems

Overgrazing, reduced plant diversity and a lack of deep-rooted vegetation can leave land more vulnerable to erosion and reduce its ability to retain water, Jellie says.

“This is made worse by high levels of bare ground and shallow root systems, which reduce the land’s ability to retain carbon and water.”

He says the issue is not irreversible, but it does require thinking differently about how farm systems are designed.

“If we improve infiltration and reduce runoff, we can hold more water in the system. That supports pasture growth, stabilises soils and helps build resilience over time.”

Jellie says the real question is how farmers build systems that are less vulnerable in the first place, which is where a regenerative, whole-system approach comes in.

“There’s no line you have to cross to become a ‘regenerative farmer’. It’s about designing your system so it regenerates your land, your business and your family. The goal is to progressively build resilience, including financial resilience, into the whole system.

“There are farmers out there who know something needs to change, but they’re not sure what that looks like. This is about giving them more ideas and a place to start.”

Rangitīkei Events to Focus on Practical Solutions

As part of Mulloon’s visit, an on-farm event in the Rangitīkei has been organised in collaboration with the Rangitīkei Rivers Catchment Collective (RRCC).

It will bring together farmers, community members and organisations to explore practical approaches to restoring landscape function at both farm and catchment scale.

This includes a public meeting and dinner on 20 May in Hunterville, followed by a hands-on field day and workshop on 21 May, where farmers will work through practical examples of how water, soil and land management interact across a catchment.

For more information about the events visit https://ata.land/rangitikei-catchment

The proposed settlement relates to certain Hino diesel vehicles acquired or leased in New Zealand between 2010 and 2025, including various 300, 500 and 700 series truck models.

The settlement is currently progressing through the approval and administration process.

Class Action Linked to Emissions and Fuel Efficiency Claims

The proceeding alleged issues relating to fuel efficiency and emissions information which Hino has denied.

No admission of liability is made under the proposed settlement which is now progressing through the settlement approval and administration process.

The class action follows Hino Motors Ltd.’s public admission in 2022 that it had falsified fuel efficiency and emissions testing data to secure vehicle certification in Japan.

Shine Lawyers NZ Urges Owners to Register

Shine Lawyers NZ is urging all potentially affected New Zealand vehicle owners to register ahead of the 18 May deadline.

“With the registration deadline of 18 May approaching, thousands of Hino owners and lessees are urged to act now. If you don’t register (or opt out) by the deadline, you risk missing out on any settlement payment,” said Heidi Gwynne, Solicitor in the Class Actions Team at Shine Lawyers NZ.

“This class action has provided a clear pathway for eligible class members to seek compensation without the delay and cost of protracted and expensive litigation,” she said.

“The key message for Hino owners is to register before 18 May so that if you are eligible, you don’t miss the opportunity to receive compensation.”

Anyone who currently owns or leases, or previously owned or leased, a new or used Hino diesel vehicle in New Zealand manufactured between 2010 and 2022 may be eligible. Class members who have registered will receive further information about the settlement administration process and next steps.

Register (or opt out) by 18 May at shinelawyers.co.nz/hinomotors

The move is said to demonstrate the company's ability to maintain reliable customer supply in the face of ongoing logistics challenges in the region.

The shipment was delivered using a customer-chartered aircraft operating from Auckland to Abu Dhabi, ensuring end-to-end cold chain compliance and product integrity for customers in the region.

The chilled product will supply Middle East distributor Al Tayeb, a division of Lulu Group, supporting ongoing demand for high-quality New Zealand red meat.

Longstanding Middle East Partnerships Supported

Scott Hurdley, Silver Fern Farms' general manager logistics, says the delivery highlights the company's commitment to finding solutions forf customers during a period of disruption across sea freight routes.

“We have longstanding customer partnerships of over 35 years in the Middle East, and many exporters are currently experiencing difficulty servicing this important region,” he says.

“This shipment demonstrates how Silver Fern Farms continues to innovate and work closely with our supply chain partner Al Tayeb to ensure we continue meet our commitments to this market and protect the integrity of our chilled products.”

Chartered Aircraft Provided Alternative Freight Pathway

The Middle East is a strategic market for Silver Fern Farms, particularly for chilled lamb and beef.

With traditional freight routes constrained, the chartered airfreight solution provided an alternative pathway to maintain continuity of supply and uphold long‑standing relationship with Lulu Group.

The plane arrived in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday, with the product successfully disembarked and distributed by Al Tayeb, and Hurdley says the airfreight was made possible thanks to close coordination right across the supply chain.

“We have done smaller-scale airfreight before however completely filling a plane was unique,” he says.

“As the proposition of our chilled product is about shortening the time between the farm and the end consumer, this shipment required close coordination right from our New Zealand-based planning teams right through to our dedicated Middle East office and Al Tayeb team,” he says.

Global Logistics Partners Supported Cold-Chain Compliance

Silver Fern Farms also worked closely with global logistics partner Hellmann Worldwide Logistics to plan and execute the shipment, ensuring strict temperature control and cold‑chain compliance from departure through to arrival.

Auckland Airport supported the operation by facilitating the airside process.

Shipment Hightlights Resilience of New Zealand Food Exports

Hurdley says the success of the shipment underlines New Zealand’s ability to deliver premium food products to international markets, even under challenging conditions.

“Silver Fern Farms is proud to be a partner of one of the leading retailers (LuLu Group) in the Middle East, with a robust network spanning multiple markets and a strong global sourcing ecosystem. This collaboration reflects our shared commitment to delivering world-class quality to our customers while ensuring a resilient and reliable food supply chain,” he says.

“Our customers rely on us to deliver consistently, particularly during periods of uncertainty. This is about protecting trust, maintaining partnerships, and ensuring consumers in the Middle East continue to access high‑quality New Zealand lamb and beef,” he says.

Ministerial Meeting of the MED9++ Countries on “Supporting Food Security and Access to Fertilizers” in Rome, Qu said the current disruptions are affecting far more than global energy markets.

“We meet at a moment of profound strain,” he told ministers and senior representatives from more than 40 countries and organizations. “This is not only a geopolitical crisis, but also a disruption at the core of the global agrifood system.”

Strait of Hormuz Disruptions Impacting Fertiliser Markets

Qu highlighted the strategic importance of the Strait of Hormuz, which under normal conditions carries substantial shares of globally traded oil, liquefied natural gas, sulfur and fertilizers.

Disruptions to maritime flows through the corridor, he warned, are already tightening fertilizer markets and increasing energy costs, with potentially severe consequences for agricultural production and food prices.

According to Qu, agriculture remains highly vulnerable because fertilizer application is tied to strict crop calendars that cannot easily be delayed.

“Agriculture operates within a crop calendar that cannot be postponed,” he said. “Fertilizers must be applied at specific moments in the crop cycle. If they do not arrive on time, yields are reduced, regardless of what happens later.”

Delayed Fertiliser Deliveries Threaten Future Harvests

Qu added that a delay of even a few weeks forces farmers to reduce fertilizer use or abandon application altogether.

He explained that the impacts seen today are not limited to current prices, but are transmitted forward into the next harvests, which would tighten food supplies into the last half of 2026 and 2027.

Qu noted that the impacts are particularly concerning because they coincide with critical planting and fertilization periods across major producing regions.

Import-Dependent Countries Among the Most Vulnerable

Import-dependent countries in Africa, Asia and parts of the Middle East are among the most exposed, especially those already facing acute food insecurity, economic fragility or climate-related shocks.

Qu emphasized that no country is insulated from the crisis and outlined three priority areas for coordinated action.

FAO Outlines Immediate and Long-Term Priorities

In the Immediate Term

Qu stressed the importance of keeping supply chains functioning by facilitating alternative trade routes, avoiding export restrictions, supporting farmers’ access to agricultural inputs and protecting humanitarian supply chains.

Over the Medium Term

Qu called for strengthened regional coordination, diversification of fertilizer and energy sources, and targeted support for the most vulnerable economies.

In the Long-Term

Qu underscored the need for structural transformation to reduce dependence on concentrated supply routes and fossil fuel-based inputs, including through investments in sustainable agriculture, renewable energy, innovative fertilizer solutions and stronger storage and logistics systems.

MED9++ Meeting Focused on Food Security Cooperation

Qu welcomed the MED9++ initiative to strengthen cooperation on fertilizer access and food security, noting that the platform aligns with FAO’s Strategic Framework and its vision of the Four Betters: Better Production, Better Nutrition, a Better Environment and a Better Life, leaving no one behind.

He reaffirmed FAO’s commitment to continue providing technical analysis, policy support and convening capacity to help countries address the evolving challenges facing global agrifood systems.

The Ministerial Meeting of the MED9++ Countries on “Supporting Food Security and Access to Fertilizers” brought together ministers and senior representatives from over 40 Mediterranean and partner countries and organizations to discuss the implications of disruptions to global energy, fertilizer and food supply chains, and to strengthen regional cooperation on food security and agrifood system resilience.

Indeed, in North America, the use of proprietary software has seen at least one manufacturer involved in an extended legal battle over the “right to repair.”

Canadian company Ursa Ag hopes to address those concerns with its new range of Cummins-powered tractors that any mechanic can work on – and at a very competitive purchase price.

Their “back-to-basics” tractors are offered in150 and 180 HP outputs featuring remanufactured 5.9-litre, 12-valve, Cummins engines, while the larger 260 HP model features an 8.3-litre unit from the same brand, typically found in large tractors and combines from the 1990s. Importantly, the manufacturer stresses that they all feature mechanical fuel injection, rather than complex electronic injection systems.

While many components are built in-house, externally sourced items like the cab carry on with the mechanical theme.

They are said to be about as simple as the engine, with little more than an air-ride seat, and featuring mechanically connected controls throughout.

There are also no touchscreens, emissions computers and dealer-locked software.

Owner Doug Wilson’s idea with Ursa Ag is to sell equipment that’s affordable and serviceable by third-party shops.

As the Cummins engines have powered everything from farm machinery to pickup trucks for many years, practically anyone with basic mechanical knowledge should find them easy to work, while parts are easy to source, so downtime is kept to a minimum.

Currently only available in Canada and the United States, the tractors are priced at the equivalent of NZ$ 160,000, 185,000 and 249,000, respectively for the 150, 180 and 260 HP versions, clearly significantly less that comparative models from the mainstream players.

The Ursa Ag branded models are manufactured by Bearco, at their Bowden facility, in the Canadian province of Alberta.

US media report the construction giant has acquired the software, electric drive technology and engineering team of the financially strapped California-based startup.

The move is said to align with Cat’s core business of construction and industrial machinery, where automation and electrification are becoming more prominent. Interestingly, the acquisition might also signal CAT making a return to the agricultural market.

Launched in 2018, Monarch previewed the MK-V prototype at the end of 2020, before moving into production in early 2023.

It featured an electric drivetrain that provided 40hp of continuous power and a short duration peak of up to 70hp.

Monarch was funded by winegrower Carlo Mondavi and former Tesla executive Mark Schwager, raising around US$250 million over the last eight years.

CNH Industrial also held a minority share in the NA startup, with Monarch technology playing a role in the autonomous New Holland T4 Electric Power prototype.

Said to represent a significant evolution in the successful MLT NewAg product line, the new MLT-X 738 boasts a maximum lift height of 6.91 metres, with a 100kg increase of the maximum lift capacity to 3,800 kg.

“As the main component of our telehandlers, the design of our boom has been re-engineered to deliver even greater performance,” explains Camille Rouvrais, global product manager.

“The MLT-X 738 features a robust Atlas-type octagonal boom where all sensitive components, including hoses and cylinders, are securely protected inside the structure, ensuring a limited risk of damage and downtime.”

Additionally, a standard compensation cylinder insulation system reduces unnecessary pressure and effort on the boom and chassis, further extending the machine’s lifespan.

Recognising the long hours operators often spend in the cab, particularly in hot and dusty environments, Manitou has heavily prioritised operator comfort and ergonomics, with a new and improved automatic air conditioning system with a 12-speed fan, delivering an airflow capacity of 500m³/h, compared to the previous 200m³/h. Additionally, a new, removable filter framework provides better cooling performance, superior protection, and easier cleaning in very dusty environments.

 Operators will also benefit from a standard floating armrest that follows seat movements and incorporates the JSM (Joystick Switch and Move). Four cab-mounted LED work lights, fitted as standard, provide exceptional illumination while consuming less energy, while for road travel, complete road lights and an LED rotating beacon ensure the machine can safely move around while being seen.

 A new integrated 7-inch digital screen offers a Smart Counting System, allowing the operator to manually or automatically count the number of filled or emptied buckets. Operators can pre-set a target and receive an on-screen alert when achieved, making for an invaluable, time-saving tool for measuring
feed mixer or trailer loading.

To tackle rougher terrain, the MLT-X 738 is equipped with four larger, longer, dynamic mudguards that offer adjustable lateral positioning, helping to protect the machine against flying sludge and debris. Maintenance is also simplified with a lightweight, easily removable rear hood that requires no tools, perfect for regularly cleaning out dust and straw.

To help reduce the cost of ownership, the MLT-X 738 is equipped with a new Stop & Start system that automatically shuts off the engine and associated hour counter when the machine is idling, configurable via a timer from 1 to 30 minutes.

When the operator interacts with the joystick or accelerator pedal, the engine automatically restarts without needing to turn the key. This system is said to significantly reduce daily fuel consumption, decrease preventive maintenance, limit air pollution, and increase the residual value of the machine.

A parking brake with both automatic and manual modes is also included as a simple and safe standard solution. For customers who already utilize mixed fleets, the machine can optionally be fitted with a carriage for JCB attachments.

Manitou is distributed by Giltrap Agrizone in the upper North Island and Carrfields across the lower North Island and South Islands.

Visit www.gaz.co.nz  or www.carrfieldsmachinery.co.nz

In what The Tractor and Machinery Association (TAMA) describes as currently being a tough and unpredictable market, March deliveries at 318 units were 37% ahead of last year’s 232-unit result.

TAMA notes that despite the continued positive primary sector outlook, it seems this is not translating into consistency of orders and deliveries for new tractors or machinery, with many cheque books seemingly consigned to the bottom drawer, following a positive end to 2025.

This variability makes it challenging for TAMA members to manage stock holdings and forward order projections.

March Tractor Deliveries Surge

The March result saw solid sales in the 100-150HP and 150-200HP categories, both ending the month ahead of last year by 47.4% and 145.8%, respectively.

First quarter Year-to-Date numbers were a tale of two Islands, with the North Island 4.7% down on the same period in 2025, with the “Mainland” a healthy 23.7% ahead. In the case of the latter, sales of 62 units in the 150-200HP category provided the greatest gains, being 93.8% ahead of 2025.

European Tractor Market Slows

In the northern hemisphere, approx. 125,100 new tractors were registered in mainland Europe in 2025 calendar year, down nearly 4.0% on 2024.

France remains the largest market at 27,916 tractors registered, but16% lower than the 33,225 units recorded in 2024. The same trend was also recorded in the second largest market, with Germany down 12.3% to 25,719, from 29,315 units in 2024.

The Bronze result (3rd) fell to Italy, who bucked the trend with registrations up 13.7% from 15,450 in 2024 to 17,573 in 2025, while the Spanish market grew by 6.4% from 10,342 units in 2024 to just over 11,000 last year and to fourth position in Europe.

Polish registrations increased 25% to 10,717 (8,573 in 2024), giving it fifth place in the overall standings, with a further five spots filled by Portugal (6th/4,845), Serbia (7th/3,865), Austria (8th/3,558), Czech Republic (2,332/9th) and the Netherlands (2,205/10th).

Looking at the overall picture, France accounted for 21% of all tractors registered in mainland Europe last year, Germany (19%), Italy (13%), Spain (8%) and Poland (8%), collectively making up 69% of the total market.

www.tama.org.nz

Recognised globally, Reman Day is led by the Remanufacturing Industrial Council (RIC) and highlights the value of restoring used components to perform like new, extending the product’s life, while reducing waste and the reliance on new raw materials.

CNH Highlights Cost Pressures Facing Farmers

Heath Joiner, Head of Parts & Service, for CNH Australia and New Zealand, comments “currently farmers continue to face increasing external financial pressures, including fuel, freight and input costs and when farm machinery parts require replacement, this can add costs further in time, money and productivity.

“Remanufacturing is a smart way to help lower costs for farmers, avoid complicated and often expensive rebuilds, and importantly maintain machinery uptime. It not only supports farmers’ bottom lines, but for our industry, while also playing a critical role in reducing waste and conserving natural resources. It really is a win-win for both the agricultural sector and the environment,“ said Heath.

Environmental Benefits Drive Industry Interest

In 2024, CNH Reman globally reduced raw material consumption by approximately 5,200 tonnes by refurbishing used components, noting that up to 85% of an engine can be salvaged and remanufactured multiple times, significantly extending its lifecycle value.

Also delivering substantial environmental benefits, remanufactured parts can require up to 85% less energy to produce compared to new components, reducing emissions across manufacturing, energy consumption and the broader supply chain. CNH is globally targeting 90% recyclability across new products by 2030.

Offering a budget-friendly option for Case IH, New Holland and CASE Construction machinery owners, thousands of parts are available across more than 20,000 applications, including transmissions, drivelines, engines, electrical components, harvest parts and hydraulics.

Remanufactured parts are OEM-backed and offered with a two-year warranty, giving customers a greater peace of mind.

www.cnhindustrial.com

The organisation says the next three months will be critical as councils work to respond to reform expectations signalled by Wellington.

Pressure Mounts for Canterbury Councils

Bex Green, Federated Farmers North Canterbury president, says there is real urgency for council to get it right.

"The starting pistol has been fired and there’s now real urgency here to get this right," Green says.

"Central Government has been very clear that local councils have three months to come together and do something, or the Beehive will step in and do it for them.

"This is our community’s best and only chance to land a locally driven solution that will actually work for Canterbury. We simply can’t afford to let that opportunity pass us by," she adds.

Federated Farmers Opposes Canterbury 'Super Region'

Green says the worst-case scenario for provincial Canterbury, and the region’s rural communities, would be a ‘super region’ centred around metropolitan Christchurch.

"Environment Canterbury has been a dysfunctional and divided shambles since its inception, but a super region would be even worse. It would amplify the problems instead of fixing them.

"Urban and rural communities have different needs and priorities. When you put them at the same table, it dilutes the voices of the communities they represent.

"The needs of Christchurch city’s rapidly growing population are very different to the needs of those who live in places with smaller rural populations like Hurunui, Methven and Waimate," Green says.

Support for Multiple Unitary Councils

Federated Farmers is firmly opposed to a single unitary council for Canterbury.

Instead, it favours two or three unitary councils representing distinct communities across the region.

"It makes sense to have one unitary authority - a metropolitan council - focusing on managing urban growth pressures and changes in Christchurch city.

"And then we want to see one or two other unitary councils that focus on the unique needs, challenges and priorities of rural Canterbury.

"That’d be better for everyone."

South Canterbury Model Suggested

In South Canterbury, there are three district councils: Mackenzie, Timaru, Waimate.

"Bringing those councils together to create one South Canterbury unitary authority, rather than having land use rules and rates set from Christchurch, simply makes sense," Green says.

"There’s uncertainty around where the boundaries might fall for Mid and North Canterbury districts, but one thing is clear - the needs of those communities are very different to those of metropolitan Christchurch.

"Whatever happens, it’s essential that rural representation is protected."

Local Government Reform Linked to RMA Changes

Green says getting local government reform right in Canterbury is crucial.

"The Government is in the process of replacing the Resource Management Act but that won’t be successful unless we have councils that can deliver it properly.

"We need a functioning local government in Canterbury that truly represents the communities they’re setting rules and managing infrastructure for.

"Council leaders now have three months to present a credible and workable solution, so we all need to get around a table quickly and get on with the job.

"Federated Farmers wants to be part of that conversation to make sure rural voices are heard loud and clear when recommendations are made to Government."

Taking out the Conventional Ploughing category with a clear lead of 90 points, Dillon took the title for the fifth time, the result qualifying him as the NZ representative for the World Event in Kenya in 2027.

Dillon also confirmed that he will be heading back to Europe in August for the World Ploughing 2026, being held in Croatia in September, after taking out the NZ National Champs in 2025.

Last month’s win at Methven was also a key measure of his ability to plan.

“Due to the huge costs in moving my tractor - a Massey Ferguson 362- and Kverneland match plough between New Zealand and the northern hemisphere, we took the decision to leave it there for the last two years, before bringing it back to NZ in the New Year for a little TLC,” Dillon told Rural News.”

Preparing for Croatia and Kenya

Now getting the plough ready for the next World Championships campaign, Dillon will head north around four weeks ahead of the event to practice in local conditions, leaving trusted staff to look after his busy business.

“Attending the world champs is a very expensive commitment, so we are helped with a grant from NZPA for some freight costs and accommodation, alongside additional support from a broad group of local businesses.”

Malcolm Taylor Wins Reversible Class

In the North Island, well-known ploughing identity Malcolm Taylor is also planning a trip to Kenya in 2027, after taking out the reversible class at Methven. He is also going to Croatia for the 2026 World Champs.

Originally a native of Gloucestershire in the UK, Taylor is now a dairy farmer in the Waikato. His interest in the ancient process of ploughing has seen him take out 10 NZ National titles, leading to appearances in 10 World events, with his best result so far being a 3rd place finish in Sweden in 2011.

Methven Conditions Challenged Competitors

Commenting on last month’s event at Methven, Taylor noted that “it was quite tricky ground, that turned over a little lumpy and cracked before the furrow was set back in place. It was also a reminder of how cold and windy the South Island can be.”

Taylor was pleased with the win, saying, “I haven’t done a lot of ploughing recently because of a dodgy hip and ploughing, like any skill, is honed by practice, practice and a bit more practice!”

Now with the hip sorted and with a capable sharemilker at home, he expects to get back into the ploughing frame of mind before he heads north.

Equipment Upgrades Ahead of World Competition

This has started off with giving his faithful McCormick CX95 tractor and KV plough, the latter fitted with his own specially designed and manufactured mouldboards, a little TLC.

Taylor explains, “it’s been about 10 years since we’ve given the plough a going over, besides routine tweaks.” That meant it was time for a rebuild to remove a decade of wear and tear.

“We found that some items had 8mm of play, which we’ve now reduced to 0.5mm. You can imagine how 8mm of ‘movement’ turns into over the length of the plough.”

Taylor also notes that the next few months will include some tweaking of his plastic mouldboards to try to address the changing preferences of the World Ploughing judges, who seem to be looking for more definition in the finished product.

Horse Plough Champs

In the Rural News-sponsored Horse Plough champs John and Sharon Chynoweth came first with 368 points.

The couple received the Rural News Horse Trophy.

In second place were John Booth and Paule Crawford on 297.5 points.

The third place went to Ian and Kathy Cummings on 249.5

www.nzplough.co.nz

The research, led by PhD candidate Joseph Adjabui at Massey University, examined how higher lamb weaning weights affect productivity, profitability and predicted enteric methane emissions (methane produced during digestion).

Research Focused on Productivity and Emissions

While previous studies have focused on the production and financial benefits, this research also considers greenhouse gas outcomes, an increasingly important factor in farm systems decision-making.

Using a system dynamics bioeconomic model, the study analysed a North Island hill country sheep and beef farm under three scenarios: a base system, a 10% increase in weaning weight and a 20% increase.

The modelling assumed a fixed feed supply, reflecting typical New Zealand pasture-based systems with limited supplementary feeding.

Higher Weaning Weights Improved Farm Performance

The results showed consistent improvements in farm performance as weaning weight increased.

Lamb carcass weight sold per hectare increased by approximately 2% under the 10% scenario, and 14% under the 20% scenario, relative to the base system. Cash operating surplus also improved, increasing by around 6% and 51% respectively.

Adjabui says the gains were driven by improved system efficiency rather than increased inputs.

“Heavier lambs at weaning meant more kilograms of lamb could be produced and sold earlier, improving both total production and farm income.”

More Lambs Reached Prime Specifications Earlier

The proportion of lambs meeting prime specifications soon after weaning also increased, reaching 84% under the 20% scenario compared with 60% in the base system.

Because total feed supply was fixed, ewe numbers were adjusted slightly downward to balance demand, helping keep total emissions broadly stable. Predicted enteric methane emissions declined marginally from the base scenario as weaning weights increased.

While total emissions remained similar, emissions per kilogram of product improved, decreasing by approximately 1.8% under the 10% scenario and 3.6% under the 20% scenario. Economic emissions efficiency also increased.

“These results show there is no trade-off between profitability and emissions efficiency under this system,” Adjabui says.

Earlier-Finished Lambs

One of the key drivers of improved performance is earlier finishing. Increasing weaning weight allows lambs to reach slaughter weight sooner, reducing time on farm, improving feed use efficiency and lifting overall system output.

PhD supervisor Emeritus Professor Steve Morris says the efficiency gains from earlier-finished lambs are clear when viewed at a whole-farm level.

“The most efficient lamb is the one sold directly to slaughter at weaning. It has been alive for fewer days, eaten less feed and required fewer animal health treatments, less labour and no shearing,” he explains.

“That feed is then available for other stock classes, improving overall farm performance. It is also often sold when prices are strongest, before peak seasonal supply.”

However, Head of School of Agriculture and Environment Professor Paul Kenyon notes there is a wider industry consideration.

“While earlier finishing improves profitability at farm level, the industry also relies on a steady year-round supply of lamb to meet export demand, which is a conflict.”

• Joseph Adjabui’s research was supervised by Emeritus Professor Steve Morris, Professor Patrick Morel, Professor Peter Tozer, Associate Professor Ramilan Thiagarajah and Professor Paul Kenyon at Massey University.

Colin Hurst, Federated Farmers' freshwater spokesperson, says that while progress has been made on repealing or replacing some of the previous Government's freshwater rules, too many of the rules still sit on the books.

Freshwater Rules Still Driving Uncertainty

He pointed to the 2020 National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management as a source for concern.

"Former Environment Minister David Parker brought in a swag of poorly written freshwater rules in mid-2020," he says.

"The current Government came into office promising to unwind them and put things right for farmers.

"The clock is really ticking now and we’re getting genuinely concerned they’ll run out of time."

When elected, the Coalition Government said it would replace Labour’s freshwater targets with rules allowing more flexibility.

Nearly three years on, Parker’s National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management 2020 remains law.

Old Rules Still Apply Despite Reform Promises

"It’s good the Government has hit pause on regional councils coming up with new rules to try to achieve the unachievable freshwater targets," Hurst says.

He says early drafts of those plans showed significant areas of farmland would need to be retired to come close to the targets.

"But in the background, Parker’s policy still sits on the books, which means resource consents must be tested against it and Environment Court decisions will also consider it.

"It’s continuing to cause real headaches across the country.

"There’s also the risk that any change in Government would mean it can be immediately turned back on and implemented."

Vegetable Growing and Water Storage Rules Still Pending

Hurst says the current Government also promised changes to make vegetable growing and on-farm water storage permitted activities - but again, that’s yet to happen.

New Freshwater Farm Plan regulations also haven’t been completed, he adds.

RMA Reform Central to Wider Policy Change

Much of the freshwater reform agenda depends on replacement of the current resource management framework.

Mark Hooper, Federated Farmers' Resource Management Act (RMA) reform spokesperson, says bringing in new legislation to replace the RMA was one of the Government’s flagship policies.

"The RMA is by far the biggest handbrake on the growth of our agricultural sector and rural economies," he says.

"From expensive resource consents to unachievable freshwater targets, these difficulties for farmers all sit under the RMA legislation.

"We were really pleased when the Government introduced two bills to replace the RMA last year, but a deep dive into the wording revealed some significant flaws.

"The Natural Environment Bill, in particular, is so poorly drafted that it risks making things even worse for farmers than the current RMA."

Concerns Over Replacement Legislation

Hooper says a major gap right now is the lack of detail around what will replace the current national policy framework.

"What we’ve got in front of us with the Natural Environment Bill is essentially the framework for the new system.

"But a lot of the real detail will sit in national policy direction and national standards, and that’s the part we haven’t seen yet," he says.

"That creates uncertainty. Farmers are being told change is coming, but we still don’t know what the replacement for things like the National Policy Statement will actually look like."

He says, in the meantime, farmers remain stuck operating under the very rules the Government has promised to replace.

"Farmers were told there would be new national standards for things like vegetable growing, water storage and gravel extraction, but none of that has happened yet.

"So, despite all the talk of major reform and quick wins, nothing has really changed in practice and the old system is effectively still live."

Hooper says that uncertainty is weighing on farmer confidence and investment decisions.

"People want clarity. They want to know what the rules of the game are before they make long-term investment decisions - and right now, that certainty just isn’t there."

Some Progress Recognised by Industry

Hurst says credit must go to the Government for moving quickly to repeal Labour’s replacement RMA in 2023, and make fixes to stock exclusion rules and winter grazing rules.

"Farmers also breathed a sigh of relief at last year’s law change to roll over existing resource consents into a promised new resource management system.

"Those are all good things - but the job is far from done."

Leadership Change Brings Cautious Optimism

Hurst  says there’s cautious optimism about new Environment Minister Nicola Grigg, who comes from a strong farming background.

"For Nicola Grigg, I think there’s a real opportunity here to cut through the noise and deliver what farmers have been waiting for.

"She’s shown she understands the issues, but I guess the challenge now is whether she can turn that into action."

Election Pressure Increasing on Policy Delivery

With only months left in the Government’s term, Hurst says time is running short.

"Farmers are watching closely, because what happens next will shape how this works on the ground for years to come.

"The Government needs to get cracking."

The farmer-owned co-operative has confirmed a distributor in Indonesia and secured its first genetics sale.

Strategic Expansion Into South East Asia

The agreement comes as Indonesia looks to increase domestic milk production, supported by a government-backed programme to provide nutritious meals, including milk, to school children.

LIC’s general manager of international, Paul Dunbar, says the distributorship reflects growing demand to support Indonesia’s dairy industry through improved herd performance.

“Indonesia has clear ambitions for its dairy sector, and LIC genetics provide a proven pathway to help lift productivity.” 

Strengthening New Zealand Dairy Expertise Abroad

Dunbar says expanding into international markets allows LIC to stay close to emerging global trends while also delivering value back to New Zealand farmers.

“Our focus is on producing the best pasture-based genetics in the world. Where there’s a clear fit, we can deliver value for farmers offshore while continuing to support our farmer shareholders at home.”

Indonesia is the fourth most populous country in the world with more than 287 million people, and a dairy industry on the rise. Milk production exceeded 550 million litres in 2025, with further growth expected in 2026.

In May 2023, 59-year-old Stevens died when his fully loaded logging truck and trailer rolled while negotiating a difficult bend on a private forestry road.

The road had no warning signs, road markers or berms, and its sharp corner was outside recommended specifications for the heavy vehicle he was driving.

Unsafe Forestry Road Conditions Contributed to Crash

The Thames District Court found the corner's turning diameter was 7.5 metres less than the minimum standard for the truck configuration.

Wet surfaces, mud-caked tyres, darkness, and a steep downhill approach made the bend even more dangerous.

Companies Sentenced for Safety Failures

The forest owner, Specialty Timbers (1987) Limited, and the transport contractor, Trevor Masters Limited, have been sentenced for their work health and safety failures.

Judge Tompkins found each party assumed someone else was ensuring the road was safe, so no one took responsibility.

Widow's Emotional Statement

"Greg's death was preventable, and if those companies had done what they should have done, my Greg would still be with me today," Caroline Stevens told the court in a victim impact statement.

She described the ongoing emotional toll on her family and called for stronger workplace safety protections.

"It is my hope that Greg's death will serve as a reminder to prioritise safety in the workplace, so no other family has to endure this trauma," she says.

"My plea is simple: let our loved ones come home from work safely."

WorkSafe Issues Strong Statement

Safe transporting of logs to the forest boundary is part of WorkSafe New Zealand's recently released approved code of practice for forestry and harvesting operations.

"No log load is worth a life," says WorkSafe northern regional manager, Brad Duggan.

"Forestry operators must understand that managing forestry roads isn't optional. If you're moving heavy vehicles through difficult terrain, you need proper risk assessment, proper consultation, and proper controls," he says.

"If you're not sure your roads are up to standard, stop and check before the next truck goes out."

“One of the most notable trends we are seeing right now is the level of uncertainty in forward ordering, and how differently customers are responding to it,” says Joe Hardman, stockfood sales manager for J Swap Stockfoods.

Market Uncertainty Driving Farmer Decisions

The Iran-US situation remains volatile, with sentiment shifting quickly with each new headline.

Hardman says this constant flow of news is making it difficult for markets to find any real footing. He says the unpredictability around what comes next, more than the events themselves, is driving behaviour, and many farmers are acting now to secure supply and manage price risk.

“A significant portion of our market has already taken a position,” he says.

“Many customers have chosen to secure tonnage well in advance, locking in supply to manage the risk of further price increases and potential availability constraints. This early commitment reflects a growing awareness that waiting for certainty in this environment can come at a cost.”

Shipping Constraints Driving Price Pressure

A key factor underpinning the current market is the ongoing reluctance from shippers to lock in forward freight rates.

Hardman says, with volatility still present across global shipping lanes, many carriers are hesitant to commit to fixed pricing too far out, preferring to “keep optionality rather than risk being caught on the wrong side of further market movement”.

“This hesitation is flowing directly into forward product pricing,” he says. “Without firm freight locked in, our suppliers are having to price in a level of risk, which is keeping forward values elevated.”

In simple terms, until shipping costs become more predictable and shippers are willing to commit, it’s unlikely we’ll see any meaningful softening in forward pricing, he says.

“Our approach remains focused on transparency and communication. We will continue to provide up to date insights as the market evolves, along with clear pricing signals where we have them. For customers still considering their position, the key is balancing risk, weighing the cost of committing now against the potential exposure of waiting.

“There is no one-size fits all answer in this market, but doing nothing is increasingly becoming a decision in itself.”

The complaint was brought by Pay Equity Coalition Aotearoa (PECA), which includes the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions, Te Kāhui Tika Tangata Human Rights Commission and RWNZ.

Complaint Targets Changes to Pay Equity Framework

The filing comes exactly a year after controversial new legislation was passed, cancelling existing pay equity claims and introducing stricter tests for bringing new claims.

Pay equity claims are raised to ensure people receive equal pay for work of equal value.

The cancelled claims covered more than 180,000 workers across sectors like care and disability support, education, health, and community and social services. The majority of the people impacted by those claim cancellations are women.

Allegations of Systemic Disadvantage

Sandra Kirby, chief executive of RWNZ, says the amendments were made without proper engagement and ignored the government's guidance regarding the protection of rural communities against policy changes that may negatively affect them.

"A year on, the women who lost their pay equity claims are still showing up, still caring for our elderly, still teaching our children, and still waiting to be paid fairly for it, in a system where the goalposts have been moved so far that many may never get there," Kirby says.

International Human Rights Framework

The complaint asks the United Nations to consider whether legislative changes have created systemic discrimination against women, particularly in relation to equality in employment and equal pay for work of equal value.

Both are protected under the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), to which New Zealand is a signatory.

The United Nations will now assess whether the complaint is admissable.

If accepted, it will be sent to the New Zealand Government for a response. Then, the CEDAW Committee will consider the case and provide its views and recommendations.

Advocacy and Ongoing Engagement

RWNZ has been advocating on the equal pay issue since May 2025 when the Equal Pay Amendment Act passed without consultation.

The organisation submitted to the People's Select Committee on Pay Equity in August 2025.

"Workers across the country were hurt, but rural communities feel it in a particular way, because so much of what keeps them alive depends on work in health, education and care that has historically been undervalued and underpaid," says Kirby.

"For 100 years Rural Women New Zealand has believed rural women deserve fairness and dignity, and we’ll keep advocating until they have it,” she concludes.

The Poo‑Dunnit of FE webinar was well attended, with farmers and rural professionals tuning in to hear what the latest season of sampling is showing.

Webinar Shares Latest Findings

The webinar was presented by Sonya Shaw, B+LNZ’s senior advisor for facial eczema research and a former vet, and Dr Cara Brosnahan, principal scientist animal health research, who co-lead the sheep poo and nested studies.

Together, they shared what the data is showing and what it means on farm. 

Facial Eczema Spores More Widespread

Shaw began by reminding farmers how much FE has shifted over time. Spores now appear well beyond the traditional hotspots, and each season behaves differently. As she explained, “Spores are widespread… right from Northland all the way down to Southland, and there is a lot of variability between farms and regions.” That variation is exactly why nearly 300 farmers have been collecting samples every two weeks. 

From their efforts, several clear patterns have emerged: 

• Most spores sit in the bottom 5cm of the pasture, so short covers increase the chance of animals grazing into the risky layer. 
• Most spores occur below 200 metres altitude, though they can still appear higher up. 
• Two fungal species look identical under a microscope, but only one produces the toxin that damages the liver. Farmers still need to assume all spores are toxic, but this discovery will help refine risk assessment in the future. 

How Faecal Testing Is Improving Risk Detection

Brosnahan then stepped through what the nested study is showing. By combining faecal samples, pasture samples, blood tests and liveweights, the team can see how spore ingestion links to liver damage and growth.

Brosnahan explained that faecal spore counts are especially useful because they show what animals are eating right now. “Faecal spore counts help confirm what the animal is actually ingesting… they are giving you the current risk,” she said. 

Hidden Liver Damage and Production Loss

Blood testing also confirmed how common liver damage is for hidden (subclinical) FE. Many animals show liver damage without visible signs, and Brosnahan noted that “Subclinical FE reduced growth without obvious clinical signs… and those animals may have up to 25 percent lost production over their lifetime.” 

The Q&A highlighted the practical challenges farmers face each season. Many wanted clarity on when to act.

Simple Advice

Beef + Lamb NZ’s advice to farmers is simple.  

Once regional pasture counts rise above 20,000 spores per gram, it’s time to start checking your own farm and planning ahead.   

Farmers involved in the study have already used the information to make earlier decisions about zinc protection, adjust grazing, and understand their own farm’s pattern rather than relying on regional averages.

Some farms peak earlier, some later, and some show risk even when neighbours don’t. The new territorial authority maps and individual farm graphs have helped farmers see exactly when their own danger period begins. 

The final season of sampling runs until May. Once all the data is combined - including weather, pasture, altitude and animal health information - it will feed into a predictive model designed to give farmers earlier and more accurate warnings in future seasons. Thanks to the farmers who have stuck with the sampling every fortnight, the clues behind FE are clearer than ever. 

Article- Beef + Lamb NZ

Robert Ngaru Kururangi, age 68, was sentencedd this week on three charges under the Animal Products Act following prosecution by New Zealand Food Safety (NZFS).

Illegal Meat Operation Investigated

According to Vincent Arbuckle, NZFS deputy director general, Kururangi operated an unregistered meat business as is required under the Animal Products Act.

This means the business was operating without the necessary checks and balances within the food safety system designed to keep consumers safe.

Compliance investigators started inquiries into alleged pig sales at Kururangi's property after previously advising him that it was illegal to sell unregulated meat.

Undercover Investigation Reveals Illegal Slaughter

The compliance investigation included an undercover officer purchasing pigs which were illegally slaughtered on the farm and cost between $250 and $300.

The officer witnessed Kururangi's farm manager slaughtering a selected pig.

"While someone buying one of these pigs may have considered it a great deal, their health was potentially put at risk because of the pair’s illegal behaviour," says Arbuckle.

Direction Notice Ignored

In November 2022, NZFS issued a Notice of Direction under the Animal Products Act for Kururangi and the farm manager, prohibiting them from selling unregulated meat or providing facilities for any person to kill an animal.

However, electronic records show they continued to offer these services illegally.

Food Safety Rules Protect Consumers

"The majority of operators in New Zealand follow the rules and understand the importance of doing so to keep consumers safe," says Arbuckle.

"When we find evidence of people deliberately flouting the law, we take action to protect consumers as in this case," he concludes.

It offers a chance to win a day’s labour support and $5,000 in funding for their nominated community project.

Student-Led Project Wins Community Support

Recent competition winners include the Te Mata Tennis Club (2024), Beaconsfield School in South Canterbury (2023), and the Te Ranga School Bush Classroom in the Bay of Plenty (2022).

The 2025 winner, Colyton School, north-east of Feilding, were selected for the student-led idea to create a project focused on revamping the school’s bike track. Previously demolished to make way for a remodelling of the school grounds, the track was missed by the students, so an entry was put together for the Rabobank Competition.

Large Volunteer Turnout for Redevelopment Day

The last day of the holidays saw 25 Rabobank staff turning up on the day, including staff from the Manawatu, Taranaki, Hawke’s Bay, Wairarapa, Wellington & the Waikato regions, alongside local community and school families, local MP, Suze Redmayne and Hamish McKay from The Country radio show.

Working with a blustery and showery day, meaning there was a bit of mud stuck to boots, the assembled team put in a long day, making use of donated plants, materials, and earthmoving equipment to create a new sandpit, reinstate the bike track and landscape both areas.

With a rollcall of 153 students, senior members also put in a day’s work, working towards their Haututanga Leadership Awards, that requires service in the local community. Principal Janine Satchwell reports that most of the roll appeared to have brought their bikes to school on the first day of term to try out the track, burning off some energy in the breaks between lessons.

Rabobank Continues Backing Rural Communities

Rabobank general manager for country banking Bruce Weir says the bank is thrilled to continue its support for rural communities through the Good Deeds Competition.

“Rural community projects play a vital role in strengthening rural areas, and we always look forward to seeing the innovative and impactful initiatives coming to fruition.

“I’ve been lucky enough to attend several of these labour days since the inception of the competition, and the local teams always roll up their sleeves and really get stuck in.”

"WoolyFil" is the world's first commercial 3D printing filament to use a wool-based colourant to replace traditional synthetic or fossil-fuel derived colour.

The innovation is the brain child of Christchurch-based ingredients manufacturer Wool Source and Tokoroa-based 3D printing filament manufacturer KiwiFil.

Turning Strong Wool Into Sustainable Pigments

The colour source comes from Wool Source Pigments, an alternative to standard pigments with 92-98% biobased carbon content, meaning the carbon is almost entirely derived from a renewable, natural source.

Tom Hooper, Wool Source chief executive, says his company's technology takes strong wool fibre and transforms it into fine, coloured particles that can be mixed into other materials for applications like 3D printing, bioplastics and screen-printing inks.

"Unlike other biobased options for textural effect or colour, our four-colour base system gives filament producers maximum colour mixing flexibility," Hooper says.

Designed for Sustainable 3D Printing

Hooper says the Wool Source Pigments product has been designed for customers keen to improve their environmental footprint while still delivering consistent colour and performance.

"The KiwiFil team was willing to have a play with it and give us some feedback - and we're delighted they decided to launch a new range with our pigments as the hero."

KiwiFil Director Eva Hakansson says the company is looking to make the most sustainable filament possible.

“We loved the idea of using New Zealand wool and a biobased pigment in our recycled PLA filament but it needed to work for everyday 3D printing customers, as that’s our market.

“Our customers are loving the totally unique look and feel and the colours inspired by nature.”

“WoolyFil” is available in two colours - Green Marble and Riverstone - via KiwiFil's website with more colours already being explored.

Expanding Commercial Uses for Strong Wool

Wool Source’s broader product range includes Wool Source Particles and Wool Source Powders, which have applications ranging from hydrolysed keratin and personal care to construction materials.

Wool Source is the commercialisation arm of Wool Research Organisation of New Zealand (WRONZ), a specialist funder of wool research and development for the New Zealand wool industry.

These latest releases follow a multi-year R&D programme to find new uses for strong wool, backed by WRONZ, wool growers, the wider wool supply chain, the Ministry of Business and Innovation and Employment and the Ministry for Primary Industries’ Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures fund.

Godzown (or Godzone, short for God’s Own Country) was the term used by Richard John Seddon, New Zealand’s longest serving prime minister, over a century ago. Godzown is the kiwi homeland.

In contrast is the description of New Zealand as ‘the last bus stop’.

In a keynote address to the Royal Society Academy Conference in 1999, Minster Upton stated that as the last bus stop on the planet we should not be comparing ourselves to Finland or Ireland. “Both sit on the edge of a continent which is home to 300 million of the richest people on the face of the earth.”

In 2022 the last bus stop description was used in a Treasury paper prepared for the Productivity Commission by Dr David Skilling, Landfall Strategy Group. Dr Skilling warned that “New Zealand’s economic geography and institutional context means that New Zealand has one of the most exposed supply chain positions across advanced economies”.

The issues are playing out through the Straits of Hormuz.

New Zealand relies heavily on “imports across a range of categories (machinery, vehicles, and energy) and multiple areas of specific import reliance,” wrote Dr Skilling. He also pointed to a lengthening of New Zealand’s supply chains in recent times and consequent geopolitical risk.

These exposures were evident through the pandemic, with delays and higher costs.

They are now being exposed through the Hormuz battle.

Dr Skilling did highlight that supply chain resilience was supported by New Zealand’s well-developed network of FTAs and other international agreements, its flexible economy, and its ability to respond quickly to shocks.

He didn’t, however, mention the role of co-operatives in enabling the 5.3 million people living on the last bus stop to have a voice in world trade.

It is the co-operatives that have been keeping the supply chains functioning in this era of international trade becoming both more expensive and important. They do this through the relationships they hold with companies overseas.

Certainly, FTAs send good signals and indicate government agreements, but it is the personal interactions that make the difference, with guarantees of product on both sides.

Co-operatives allow farmers to work together and compete in world markets. The co-operatives have built up assets and services in a manner that has not generally been copied by non-co-operative companies. Whether selling or buying, size leads to economies of scale and reliability, and makes the difference.

Co-operatives can find a better price than an individual farmer can achieve. MPI’s 2021 report calculated that “farmers now retain about 26% more of the international price for milk than what would be expected based on the previous (prior to Fonterra) historical relationships between the New Zealand farmgate price and farmgate prices in other countries”.

Research overseas has similar conclusions: dairy prices in the EU were higher in the regions where co-ops had significant market share. Further, where co-ops protected farm-gate prices, farmers benefitted across the sectors and regions concerned, not just the co-op members.

New Zealand has approximately 330 co-operatives. Almost three-quarters are in the primary sector and most farmers are associated with more than one. In contrast, only half of all farmers belong to a co-operative in the UK. They justify the decision not to join on the belief that they can achieve lower prices from independents and entrepreneurs.

Co-ops have also been more resilient through economic recessions.

And war.

As the disruption of the supply chains starts affecting the smaller players it is the strength of the co-operatives and the farmers that belong, that will keep the economy humming. Members of a co-operative do together what no person can do alone. It is the co-operatives that have underpinned the ‘last bus stop on the planet’ allowing it to maintain its description of Godzown.

Dr Jacqueline Rowarth, Adjunct Professor Lincoln University, is a farmer-elected director on Ravensdown and DairyNZ and a member of the Scientific Council of the World Farmers’ Organisation. The farms in which she has invested are shareholders in 6 co-operatives, pay levies to four levy bodies and membership to Federated Farmers of NZ.

The funding forms part of the Ministry for Primary Industries' (MPI) Primary Sector Growth Fund, with MPI investing $600,000 in a $1.675 million project with Aimer Farming.

The project is set to scale Aimer Farming's AI-powered pasture measurement and decision technology, AIMER, across hundreds of Kiwi dairy and beef farms and help fast-track new tools designed to save farmers time and reduce uncertainty in daily grazing and feed decisions.

AI Technology Expanding Across Dairy and Beef Farms

Launched in 2023, AIMER is currently used on more than 650 farms, with over 10,000 pasture measurements recorded each week.

The next phase of development focuses on ‘Ask AIMER’ - a chat‑based AI assistant inside the AIMER smartphone app that allows farmers to simply ask what to do next and receive tailored, farm‑specific recommendations.

From Data Reporting to Decision Guidance

Aimer Farming founder and chief technology officer, Jeremy Bryant says the aim is to move beyond reporting information to actively guide farmers’ decisions.

“Farmers don’t need more dashboards of information. They need a better understanding of their options, why they matter, and the confidence to back their own decisions," Bryant says. "Then they can act earlier, avoid costly mistakes and get more from every paddock and every cow.”

Ask AIMER is being built on Aimer Farming’s proprietary technology, which already generates tailored grazing and supplement recommendations for individual farm systems.

The platform uses smartphone‑based computer vision to measure pasture, forecasts feed supply, and creates grazing and supplement plans that reflect each farm’s unique setup and constraints.

By adding a conversational interface, Ask AIMER allows farmers to interact directly with that intelligence.

For example, a farmer can ask which paddocks to take out for silage this week, or how to adjust grazing and supplement plans as conditions change.

AIMER then returns a clear recommendation, along with a short explanation of what’s driving that suggestion.

Bryant says this represents a shift from software that reports information to systems that actively guide decisions.

"We’re building AIMER as the pasture operating system - the eyes to measure pasture accurately, the brain to optimise grazing and supplement plans, and now an action layer that turns insight into clear next steps.”

Productivity and Sustainability Benefits

The project aims to upskill more than 10,000 farmers and rural professionals, increase pasture monitoring by 30%, and lift on‑farm productivity.

It is also expected to support stronger sector earnings and contribute to lower net greenhouse gas emissions through better forecasting and earlier, more informed decision‑making.

Positioning New Zealand as a Global Leader

Bryant says New Zealand has a global opportunity to lead in pasture‑based farming by exporting pasture intelligence, not just agricultural products.

“Pasture‑based farming is one of the world’s most efficient production systems,” he says.

“If we can help farmers improve pasture utilisation and reduce uncertainty in feed decisions, that lifts profitability, animal performance and environmental outcomes - here in New Zealand and well beyond.”

The recent signing at a lavish ceremony in India means NZ primary sector exporters can breathe a sigh of relief.

Kudos also to National and Trade Minister Todd McClay for delivering the trade deal just as promised during the 2023 election campaign.

For the red meat sector, the FTA will expand New Zealand red meat exporters’ trade options in a challenging global environment.

Exporters are operating in a world of rising protectionism and ongoing volatility. Having a broader mix of markets and expanding reach will help spread risk and provide more stability for farmers and exporters.

India remains a market with significant long-term potential and with strong promise.

Now the world’s most populous country and is expected to become the third-largest economy within the next five years. As incomes rise in India, so will demand for high-quality natural protein.

NZ sheepmeat exports to India currently face 30% tariff and these will come down progressively. The FTA also delivers better market access for apples, kiwifruit, wool, forestry products, and honey.

But the signing of the FTA is just a start.

The full benefits of the agreement will require ongoing commitment from both government and industry.

India remains a complex and highly competitive market, and success for New Zealand lies in sustained commitment, local partnerships and a long-term approach.

Trade agreements only work when they’re underpinned by trusted business-to-business relationships.

Minister McClay and his team have done the hard yards. Now, it’s time for everyone else to put their shoulders to the wheel.

 While two-way India-New Zealand trade sits at just NZ$3.7 billion a year, India is on track to become the third largest economy in the world in coming years. The scale of the opportunity for New Zealand businesses is huge.

The award was announced at yesterday’s gala dinner at the Dairy Women’s Network 2026 Conference “Success through Inspiration” in Christchurch (5 May 2026).

Recognition for Authentic Leadership

DWN Chief Executive Jules Benton says Lobb embodies the values of the Network through her authentic and community-focused leadership.

“Leilani is a quiet achiever who consistently puts herself forward to take on opportunities that push her outside her comfort zone while supporting others. From stepping into leadership roles while moving to a new region to creating inclusive spaces where connection truly matters, she is always learning and focused on becoming the kind of leader she would want around herself.”

“She understands the importance of connection and growth beyond the farm gate, and actively creates inclusive spaces where people feel supported to engage. Whether she’s bringing together a handful of people or a larger group, Leilani recognises the value in every connection made. Her approach is thoughtful and genuine, she sees a need, builds relationships, and works steadily to strengthen her local community,” says Benton.

Building Connection Beyond the Farm Gate

Based near Kurow, Lobb works full-time as a contract milker alongside her partner, Ben, while dedicating significant time to her role as a DWN Regional Leader.

Her leadership is grounded in a strong belief in continuous learning and giving back. Her efforts are already making a lasting difference, with a focus on strengthening connections across North Otago and rebuilding a vibrant local community.

Leadership Across the Dairy Sector

Lobb has stepped confidently into leadership roles, including serving as a temporary Hub Leader for DWN.

She has also contributed to the wider sector as a member of the 2026 South Island Dairy Event organising committee and as co-founder of the Canterbury Dairy Young Leaders group.

Scholarship and Leadership Development

She will receive a scholarship for a leadership development programme of her choice.

“We’re incredibly grateful for DairyNZ’s continued support of our volunteer Regional Leaders. Their partnership plays a vital role in enabling these grassroots leaders to bring people together, create meaningful opportunities, and drive positive change across rural communities,” Benton adds.

Sector Recognition and Finalists

Benton also acknowledges fellow finalist Ashleigh Gordon for her contribution to the Network and her local community.

“Ashleigh is a committed and reliable leader who is already making a strong impact in her community. Her willingness to step up, bring ideas to life, and build trust within her community reflects exactly what DWN is about. Ashleigh has a bright future ahead as she continues to grow her leadership and influence.”

Now with the news that a purpose-built ship is being constructed to replace the present Southern Taire, there is a sense that at last there is a positive future. Editor-at-large Peter Burke reports.

Decades of Farming Under Pressure

Gary Cameron has been farming on the Chathams for 50 years and has personally experienced the many challenges that farmers on this isolated island have to face daily.

He runs 1600 breeding ewes and 100 breeding cows on his 450ha property and is generally regarded as one of the better farmers on the island.

But the biggest single impediment to all farmers, he says, is the lack of a quality, reliable shipping service.

Aging Vessel Creates Ongoing Disruption

Cameron says while a huge effort has been made to keep the 40-year-old Southern Taire going, this is compounded by the fact that there has been no reliable back-up ship.

"On occasions, the Southern Taire has been out of action for four months being repaired and, in some cases, almost capital maintenance has had to be done, and that was a problem for everyone, expecially farmers who couldn't get stock off the islands to market," he told Rural News.

The result has been that farmers have had to euthanise some stock and reduce their stocking rates, all of which has contributed to a downturn in farming on the Chathams.

Livestock Challenges Intensify Pressure

Cameron says it can be slightly easier to get sheep off the island, but cattle can be a different story because of space issues.

He says in general, getting items from the mainland to the Chathams is easier than trying to send anything back to mainland NZ.

Cameron says this is because livestock are competing with general freight going out and might involve people returning machinery or sending frozen fish to market, creating competition for space on the boat.

"We are essentially a Pacific Island because everything we need or send out relies on a ship and aircraft, and this is a huge challenge at this time," he says.

New Ship Signals Turning Point

In essence, the Chatham Islands' farming has been stymied for years by a poor shipping service, but this is all set to change with the new ship set to come into service at the end of 2027.

This long-awaited move has started to spark some confidence in the farming community, with for example the formation of a Chatham Islands Farmers Association.

Roadmap for Agricultural Transformation

Also, AgFirst has been commissioned to put together a report on the present state of farming there.

The report titled 'Chatham's Agriculture Transformed' provides a series of recommendations on ways to improve farming outcomes and how that benefits not only the wider Chathams economy, but also significantly benefits the wider NZ economy.

Lower Productivity

AgFirst's James Parsons, who authored the report, says the Chatham Islands' farming sector is under extreme pressure, resulting in significantly lower productivity compared to mainland NZ farmers.

He notes that, on average, farms on the Chathams produce just 37.3kg of carcass weight per ha from the islands' 18,000ha (eff). This compares with an average of 134kg of cw/ha on similar farm classes on mainland NZ, measured by the B+LNZ Economic Service.

"The major issue to date is farmers have no certainty when they can get stock off the islands and that affects their confidence. Low confidence in any business makes it incredibly hard to plan and also significantly undermines the investment appetite. For farmers on the Chatham Islands, if they lack confidence in the future, why should they invest? The lack of a reliable shipping service is the number one constraint," he says.

Parsons says while the average carcass weight producton per hectare is low, not all farms are performing poorly, with several operating quite respectably. This proves good production levels are possible, reinforcing the opportunity to boost profits for Chatham farmers and boost economic growth.

The Big Prize

Getting the shipping service right is number one, then redeveloping an overarching Chatham Islands farm strategy is next on the agenda, says Parsons.

He says that while isolation is perceived as a disadvantage it has the potential to be a strength. He says being small and isolated means people have to work together and the synergies associated with that can propel them forward.

“If people don’t collaborate, they will be noticed and peer pressure may come into play to get everyone working together. The prize is big. If the Chatham Islands’ farmers could achieve an average farm production of 80kg cw/ha, just 60% of similar mainland farms, this would more than double farm incomes from the islands to a combined $10.37 million per annum. When including the downstream economic activity, that adds an additional $16.2 million to the NZ economy,” he says.

The AgFirst report comes up with a series of recommendations. Including the need for a new ship and a farm strategy, there’s a need to get accurate data on stock numbers farmed on the islands, and get more accurate, up-to-date data from the shipping company, including stock weights shipped to track the islands’ production.

Parsons sees a need for a farm extension programme and recommends a shift to improved rotational grazing methods to increase pasture production, as opposed to the predominant set-stocking practiced.

Increasing the cattle ratio will make rotational grazing easier and help to mitigate the emergence of sheep parasite drench resistance. Exploring the use of virtual fencing is also an option to reduce the reliance on physical fences that degrade with the salt air and are very expensive to build due to high freight costs for materials.

Other recommendations include benchmarking, safeguarding sensitive environmental areas, communicating the opportunity to funders to invest in the islands and finally setting up an awards program to celebrate successful farmers.

“All this is going to require some paradigm shifts and that will take time. What I do know is that a lot of farmers are open to change, but they need to be confident that the change is in the right direction, and maybe a starting point is setting up a demonstration farm on the islands,” he says.

Farmer Gary Cameron says the prospect of a new ship that will serve the islands properly is starting to make people think about what the future might look like. He says what’s happened over the past six years is that everyone has gone inside their gates and into survival mode.

“We are now reactivating group activities such as Federated Farmers and have set up a catchment group supported by MPI and the Enterprise Trust looking at projects, so that when the ship comes on-line, we are ready to go. People are looking more positive and believe there’s a sound future here,” he says.

The award was announced at last night’s gala dinner at the Dairy Women’s Network 2026 Conference “Success through Inspiration” in Christchurch.

Recognition for Leadership and Purpose

The fourteenth Fonterra Dairy Woman of the Year award celebrates women who demonstrate leadership and a commitment to the dairy industry. Hine was recognised for her outstanding leadership, her deep connection to people and whenua, and her transformational impact across the dairy sector and Māori agribusiness.

DWN Trustee and Lead Judge Jenna Smith says Timutimu brings a deeply grounded perspective, with a strong connection between people, whenua and long-term outcomes.

“Her leadership is authentic and anchored in purpose. Hine leads by example, makes decisions clearly, and consistently demonstrates her ability to bring people along with her – whether she’s rolling up her sleeves planting out a stream bank or setting and implementing strategy.

“She does not seek recognition or status, but instead looks to progress outcomes for women, for dairy, and anywhere the two collide,” says Smith.

Blending Mātauranga Māori and Science

Timutimu leads a dual-enterprise model combining dairy farming and maize at Te Tawa Kaiti Lands Trust. Her leadership philosophy -guided by the whākatāukī ‘Ka ora ai te whenua, Ka ora ai te tangata’ (When the Land thrives, the People thrive) -is woven through every initiative she leads.

Timutimu brings together mātauranga Māori and western science to deliver climate resilience, biodiversity restoration, and dairy performance improvements.

Her work includes Project Te Aroha, which accelerates dairy productivity and emissions reduction through herd genomics and regenerative farming; He Whāriki mō Paekoau, a catchment restoration programme engaging schools and hapū; and Kua Āmio ki Tōna Tīmatanga, which creates bilingual resources embedding cultural knowledge into environmental action.

In 2025, Hine represented New Zealand as an expert speaker at the APEC Technical Cooperation Workshop in Bangkok, contributing to international discussions on women’s economic empowerment and sustainable agriculture.

Strong Governance and Sector Influence

She holds governance credentials spanning the IoD Company Directors’ Course, Fonterra Governance Development Programme, LIC leadership programmes, and MPI Governance Essentials, and has been selected for the Kellogg Rural Leadership Programme 2026. She is also Vice Chair of the Ballance Farm Environment Awards.

Anne Douglas, Group Director – Fonterra Farm Source and a member of the judging panel this year, says she is thrilled to see Timutimu named the 2026 Fonterra Dairy Woman of the Year.

“Her ability to bring together mātauranga Māori and modern farming practices is a powerful example of the leadership our sector needs. I’ve also been impressed by her global perspective and how she applies insights from around the world to strengthen our rural communities. Her commitment to people, to land, and to the next generation of farmers is truly inspiring,” says Douglas.

Scholarship and Future Impact

Timutimu will receive a scholarship to be part of the Kellogg Rural Leadership Programme.

The scholarship covers the programme fee, travel and accommodation, mentoring and access to DWN and Fonterra platforms to share research.

Strong Field of Finalists

Smith adds, “we also want to acknowledge the other two incredible finalists who are doing amazing things in our sector”.

LeAnne Blakelock, a dairy farmer, sharemilker and chartered accountant based in Inglewood, Taranaki, is the founder of Calf Chronicles – a farmer-to-farmer platform with over 5,800 followers across New Zealand and internationally – and the creator of the Rose Gold Veal brand, championing ethical veal production and whole-of-system sustainability. LeAnne leads with authenticity and transparency, combining commercial, farming, and entrepreneurial experience with a deep commitment to people, community wellbeing, and connection.

Rachel Short, a born-and-bred Coastal Taranaki dairy farmer near Ōpunakē, is one of New Zealand’s leading voices in organic and regenerative dairy farming. She led the conversion of both her family’s farms to organic certification from 2015, and her practical, humble, and collaborative leadership style – walking alongside others and sharing knowledge from the ground up – has made her a consistently recognised and respected figure in the sector since 2013.