This means that instead of treating an entire paddock, the system makes thousands of decisions in real time, targeting individual weeds while leaving bare ground untouched.

The concept sounds simple, but its implications are significant. The recently achieved milestone of more than 10 million acres being treated using the technology across Australia is not simply a measure of area covered, but firm evidence precision agriculture is moving from promise to practice.

In an environment shaped by rising input costs, herbicide resistance, labour pressures and increasingly complex sustainability expectations, growers are constantly looking for ways to be more efficient with every decision they make. Targeted spraying has emerged as one of the clearest examples of this shift.

Across the 10 million acres treated in Australia to date, growers have achieved average herbicide savings of 74%, at a time when input costs remain under pressure, those savings represent a meaningful contribution to farm profitability. Every litre of herbicide that is not applied is a litre that doesn’t need to be purchased, transported, stored or handled, while the technology supports environmental responsibility by reducing unnecessary inputs.

The milestone also provides a glimpse into where agriculture is heading next, with See & Spray Generation 2 launched earlier this year and available on MY27 400 and 600 Series Sprayers. This will deliver green-on-green capability to help farmers apply only exactly what’s needed, across more hectares and across an expanded range of crops.

www.deere.co.nz

Described as being more capable and cost-effective, for the Ideal 8 and 9 models, removing all the blanking plates from the Helix processor and replacing them with finger separation grates, increases the total separation area by 27% on the 8 and 12% on the 9, alongside meaning that all four models in the range now share the same rotor configuration.

The Hi-Wear package for the feed area and feed drum is also new to the range, offering an extended service life of key wear components, with wear plates in the feed area upgraded from stainless steel to Hardox, alongside the front wear plate and bolt guard. An expanded Hi-Wear option adds a stainless-steel base plate for the crop elevator and hard-chromed augers throughout the machine.

Next season’s models also come with a redesigned mounting system for wear plates on the front rotor scrapers, incorporating new, self-locking nylon nuts and bolts, said to offer a more stable fixing, which withstands torque under demanding harvesting conditions without additional welding.

 A new straw and chaff spreader kit uses two hydraulically driven centrifugal discs with spread width adjustment to distribute crop residues without shredding. The company notes that this configuration can be fitted in place of the straw chopper and spreader to help reduce unnecessary wear when working in maize.

Other updates include the new standard radiator for the MotionShift transmission to improve oil cooling performance to maintain optimum temperatures during long road journeys, or when operating on steep gradients.

Reflecting on the performance of Ideal machines during the 2026 harvest, a Fendt source says the new CyclonePlus cleaning system has performed well, featuring a redesigned pre-sieve with 1.0m² of concave area, 8% wider sieves and a revised airflow concept, cumulatively increasing cleaning capacity by around 25%.

Customers using the new cleaning system have reported improved grain quality, and lower losses across a wide range of settings. Meanwhile, an optional slope performance kit optimises crop distribution on the top sieve when harvesting on side slopes.

www.carrfields.co.nz

However, there won’t be quite so much enthusiasm for getting the crop covered with a sheet and tyres, with the latter being heavy, filled with cold, slimy, smelly water and a likely visit to the chiropractor after the event.

The interestingly named Tyre Tosser is a machine built by Palmerston North fabrication specialists RMI and marketed by Strautmann Hopkins, who have recently relocated to Feilding.

The machine is designed to remove the ‘chore’ and offer a relatively stress-free method of delivering tyres up onto the clamp, and indeed, an easy way of removal for feeding and stacking for future use.

Despite the name, the machine features a modular steel spine, not dissimilar to a giant chainsaw cutter-bar, with an integral, notched chain, driven by a bi-directional Parker hydraulic motor.

Hot-dipped galvanised to endure the corrosive nature of its intended working environment, the 7m-long unit is quickly mounted to the pallet forks of a telehandler, removing the need for any dedicated adapter plate, and has a capacity of around 35 car tyres.

In operation, it can be “loaded” onto the Tosser by staff manually by reversing the direction of rotation, or by picking upper-arranged stacks using the 7-metre “sword’. The load can then be lifted over the clamp, where forward rotation of the chain discharges the load under the guidance of a spotter who, when the machine is being reloaded, can place the tyres in their final position to achieve a good seal.

Weighing in at around 330kg, the unit needs an oil flow of approximately 76 litres per minute, typically delivered by the handler’s third service connection without the need for any sensors or complex electronics. The distributor notes that the unit can be modified, to allow towing between jobs.

www.strautmann.co.nz

QuadSense is a self-installable, in-line mastitis screening technology designed for conventional milking systems. Bovonic says more than 300 New Zealand dairy farms now use the technology, with almost 7500 units installed across the country.

The company says its research shows farmers can achieve a return on their investment in less than six months through fewer clinical mastitis cases and reduced antibiotic use, increased milk production, lower somatic cell counts and labour savings.

With demand continuing to grow, Bovonic says it is well positioned to strengthen its foothold in New Zealand and expand into global markets.

Bovonic is already building its presence offshore, with founder and chief executive Liam Kampshof now based in the UK to oversee the rollout of QuadSense into the UK and Ireland. An Irish distributor has recently purchased a large order of units, with the technology also attracting enquiries from other markets, alongside continued interest from investors and potential partners.

Kampshof believes QuadSense is gaining traction because it offers farmers a practical and affordable way to introduce more automation into the shed.

“A lot of farmers are interested in automation, but it’s got to make financial sense, it’s got to be robust and it’s just got to do the job,” he says.

“That’s where QuadSense fits. It solves a very real problem without farmers having to completely change the way they milk.”

The award was presented by the Sheep and Beef Cattle branch of the New Zealand Veterinary Association (NZVA) who recognised her excellence in veterinary practice, farmer education, and industry leadership.

They said Bowron exemplifies the very best of rural veterinary practice—combining technical excellence, practical farming knowledge, and a genuine commitment to supporting sheep and beef farmers to succeed.

Combining qualifications in both veterinary science and biochemistry, Bowron has dedicated her career to improving animal health and farm productivity. Throughout her years in mixed and sheep and beef veterinary practice, she earned the respect of farmers and colleagues alike for her practical advice, technical expertise, and commitment to achieving positive outcomes for farming businesses.

Bowron’s influence has extended well beyond the clinic through her leadership in farmer extension programmes, particularly as a B+LNZ Wormwise facilitator, where she has helped farmers across the South Island improve parasite management and reduce drench resistance risks, says the NZVA. She has also contributed to facial eczema education, animal health resources, podcasts, and the development of Wormwise programmes for fine-wool lamb systems.

She also sits on B+LNZ’s Northern South Island Farmer Council which guides organisational decision-making and extension delivery.

NZVA says, as both a veterinarian and sheep and beef farmer, Bowron brings a unique combination of scientific knowledge and practical experience. Her advocacy for bestpractice animal welfare, including the use of pain relief during lamb tailing and castration, has helped drive positive change within the industry.

Will Halliday, Beef + Lamb New Zealand’s senior manager for technical policy, says a waterproof backpack or container containing lamb covers, iodine spray, bearing equipment, dextrose solution and syringe, gloves, veterinary lubricant, a towel and a thermos of warm water will help give lambs the best possible chance of survival.

He says a 20% dextrose mix can be used as a last resort to revive weak or hypothermic lambs during a cold snap.

Injecting the warmed (where possible) dextrose straight into the lamb’s abdomen will give it the energy boost it needs to survive.

“It is important that this is done before warming the lamb up. If you warm the lamb up before administrating the dextrose, it can hasten its death.”

He says the ideal candidates for this treatment are lambs that are four or five hours old that have not fed off their mothers. Newborn lambs will typically respond to just being warmed up without the injection, although a dextrose injection won’t hurt them.

Halliday says farmers can buy the 20% dextrose solution off their vet. While 20% dextrose is not available to purchase, vets should be able to supply 40% dextrose already diluted with sterile water or saline solution.

He stresses that dextrose is not the same as table sugar and the latter should never be used as a replacement for dextrose.

To inject a lamb, a 5ml or 10ml vaccinating gun should be connected to the draw-off tube or the dextrose extracted using a 60ml syringe. A 10mm 18G vaccinating needle is ideal for this purpose- it must not be longer than 12.5mm.

The dosage is 10ml of dextrose per kilogram of bodyweight. Most lambs in need of this treatment will weigh less than 4kg, so 40ml is suitable dose, says Halliday.

After preparing the injection site with iodine, the needle is inserted just above the navel and pushed in at a slight angle towards the chest. There should be a slight popping sensation as the needle pierces the abdominal wall.

The solution is then gently injected into the abdomen. Any swelling underneath the skin will indicate that the needle is not in far enough.

Another option is to inject dextrose saline (which is not the same as 20% dextrose) under the skin. This requires a much higher dose – 30ml/kg or 120ml for a 4kg lamb – and this is injected under the skin around the ribs on both sides of lamb and the area rubbed.

After the lamb has received the dextrose, it can then be warmed up and put back with the ewe, ideally with a lamb cover. It will need to be closely monitored to ensure the ewe has accepted and fed it.

Energy Boost

Lambs born during a heavy cold snap can exhaust their energy stores just trying to keep warm.

Too weak to feed off their mother, they will starve and die. Injecting a 20% mix of dextrose directly into the lamb’s abdomen can give them the energy boost they need to survive. This technique is known as an intraperitoneal injection.

It can be done by the farmer, on the spot, and gives good results.

Inject lambs with dextrose who are too cold or weak to feed off their mother. You must do this before you warm the lamb.

If you warm the lamb before you ‘fuel’ it, you will hasten its death. Give the injection when the lamb is over four or five hours old. Lambs younger than this should still have enough energy stores to recover when warmed.

It is not a disadvantage to inject very new lambs. It is just that warming them should be enough.' Articles - Beef + Lamb NZ

By enabling larger controlled releases before a storm arrives, the new outlet allows OWL to build additional flood buffer within Lake Opuha while downstream rivers are still at normal levels — increasing the dam's ability to temporarily store floodwaters and helping reduce peak flood impacts further downstream.

A Historic First for the Dam

The new Low-Level Outlet (LLO) valve was commissioned on 11 and 12 August 2026, marking one of the most significant safety upgrades undertaken since the dam was built.

During testing, it delivered a historic first for Opuha Dam, with total discharge flows through the penstock of approximately 52 cubic metres per second — equivalent to about 187,000 cubic metres of water, or roughly 75 Olympic-sized swimming pools, every hour.

The upgraded outlet features a new 1.8-metre diameter Fixed Cone Discharge (FCD) valve, utilising a branch of the penstock used during the dam's original construction, which had remained buried within the dam structure until now.

How the New Outlet Improves Flood Management

The project has been designed to significantly increase the dam's ability to safely release water before and during major weather events, giving OWL a powerful new flood management tool.

The new outlet can reduce Lake Opuha's water level by up to approximately 6.5% a day ahead of a predicted significant high-rainfall event. Depending on inflow volume, this would equate to 27–32% of the lake's volume released across a five-day period.

As well as reducing reliance on the dam's spillways, advanced dewatering protects downstream stopbanks, with the dam acting as a buffer for floodwaters.

The $8 million project is one component of the wider Opuha Dam and Irrigation Scheme upgrade, supported by a government loan of up to $20.8 million through the Regional Infrastructure Fund, administered by Kānoa – Regional Economic Development & Investment Unit.

"A Landmark Achievement" - OWL Chief Executive

Opuha Water Chief Executive Bjorn Triplow says the achievement represents an important investment in the safety of the dam itself, as well as the long-term safety and resilience of South Canterbury roads, rail, bridges, stopbanks, productive land and local townships.

"This is a landmark achievement for Opuha Water, our farmer shareholders, and the community," Triplow says. "The successful commissioning confirms that the new outlet is performing as intended and provides a significant increase in our ability to safely manage water levels ahead of and during major flood events.

"While Opuha Water's farmer shareholders have funded this investment, the benefits extend well beyond the scheme itself. Increased flood management capability enhances the resilience of critical downstream infrastructure, rural communities, and productive land throughout the catchment."

Testing Confirms Record Discharge Capacity

Commissioning included operation of the FCD valve alongside the hydroelectric generation plant. Together, the two systems achieved total discharge flows of approximately 52 m³/s — the highest controlled-release capacity through the dam's penstock since it was built.

"This project demonstrates the commitment of Opuha Water and its farmer shareholders to invest in infrastructure that not only supports irrigation and renewable energy generation, but also delivers lasting benefits for the wider region. It is an investment in community resilience and the long-term security of one of South Canterbury's most important strategic assets," Triplow says.

Triplow says that while the new valve represents a step forward in flood control, further work is needed to increase spillway capacity — a significantly more expensive undertaking.

"Given that the primary beneficiary of increased spillway capacity would be publicly-owned river infrastructure, OWL is keen to work with the wider community to explore how this could be progressed," he says.

The major advantage of the LI-COR infrared gas analyser is its portability which allows GHG measurements to be collected rapidly under field conditions.

Improving the way these emissions are measured will help researchers, farmers and policy makers better understand how different pasture systems, soils, and management practices influence emissions under real farming conditions. Better measurements provide stronger scientific evidence to support future farm management, environmental policy and the development of practical mitigation strategies.

Dr Andrew Cartmill, a senior lecturer in grassland science at Massey University, says much of the research into agricultural GHG emissions has focused on animal nutrition and livestock systems. But he says direct measurement of greenhouse gas emissions from soils is much more challenging and therefore less common.

While portable greenhouse gas analysers are quite common in crop, soil and environmental research, their application in grazed pasture systems is more challenging. This is because of the spatial and temporal variability created by grazing animals, pasture management and changing environmental conditions, he says.

"One important component that's often overlooked is the soil. Soil's represent one of the world's largest terrestrial carbon stores and play a critical role in the cycling of greenhouse gases. If we don't include soil measurements, we're only seeing part of the overall picture.

"We want to make sure we're capturing as complete a picture as possible of where gas emissions are coming from," he says.

Because its portable, the infrared gas analyser can be taken directly into the field to measure greenhouse gas emissions from pasture soils. A chamber is placed over the soil surface, allowing the analyser to measure changes in carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide concentrations within the chamber over a short period. These measurements provide near real-time estimates of greenhouse gas emissions from the soil under different environmental conditions and management practices. This allows researchers to compare how soils, pasture systems and management practices influence greenhouse gas emissions under real farming conditions.

Cartmill says that a day before measurements are taken, a series of collars are strategically placed in the paddock to ensure the measurements provide the most representative assessment possible of GHG emissions from that area. Each measurement takes between one and two minutes to complete.

"The analyser provides a snapshot of the emissions at a particular place and time.

"Those measurements are influenced by several factors.

"For example, urine patches can be major sources of nitrous oxide, so whether or not a measurement includes one can significantly influence the results. Soil moisture, temperature and other environmental conditions also affect greenhouse gas emissions," he says.

Cartmill says each research site differs in soil properties, pasture composition and management, all of which influence greenhouse gas emissions. He says the more measurements that are collected, the better researchers can understand this variability and develop a more representative picture of GHG emissions across a paddock, farm or farming system.

Eduardo Sandoval-Cruz, the senior technical officer involved in the project, says his role is to make sure reliable and consistent measurements are collected in the field.

"What I particularly value about the LI-COR system is that it allows us to take many measurements across a paddock quickly, helping us capture the natural variability that exists under real farming conditions. Good data starts with good field measurements," he says.

The LI-COR infrared gas analyser is currently being used in a range of agricultural research projects on Massey University's research farms. With additional funding, there is potential for this technology to be used more broadly across commercial agriculture, industry-led research and environmental monitoring.

Cartmill says the analyser is a significant improvement on a similar equipment he worked with in the United States several years ago. Its portability and ability to provide near real-time greenhouse gas measurements make it a valuable tool for agricultural research.

"As we are a bioeconomy, having high-quality greenhouse gas data is a major benefit. Better information provides the evidence needed to help farmers, researchers and policy makers make more informed decisions about environmental management and the future of NZ's agricultural systems," he says.

Cartmill says as NZ continues to reduce agricultural greenhouse gas emissions, accurate field measurements will become increasingly important for evaluating management practices and ensuring decisions are based on robust scientific evidence.

Farmers who tested Reviva for summer feed last year say their animals did well on it, even when grazing was delayed by weather and they thought the crop might be past its best.

Bred by Barenbrug, Reviva offers high yields, multiple grazings and quality eating right to the ground, according to the company.

“It fits very well into dryland systems which rely on high energy forage crops to keep animals growing through summer,” says Barenbrug pasture specialist Graham Kerr.

In the Maniototo, where lack of rain is the biggest potential challenge to sheep and beef breeding and finishing for Matt McSkimming, forage rape is a staple crop for its hardiness.

Up to 45ha was sown in total last spring.

A small trial paddock of Reviva was planted three weeks later because of weather, but that didn’t hold it back.

“It went gangbusters, grew as high as the fence. I was a bit worried the lambs wouldn’t get through it because the stems might have got woody, but they chewed it right down,” McSkimming says.

Likewise, Chris Ensor in South Canterbury was surprised by how well his trial crop retained quality on a dryland finishing and grazing farm near Timaru.

“The usual issue with rape is that from maturity you really have to feed it quickly, because it loses nutritional value.”

Reviva got little rain after planting, but a month later, the rain started and never stopped, Chris says.

“By maturity, it was really nice and leafy, but we stayed off it because the ground was so wet, and we had heaps of grass.”

Dairy grazers finally got onto it three weeks later, and still averaged nearly 1kg liveweight gain/day over the next three weeks, he says.

King Country sheep and beef farmer and stud breeder Russell Proffit tried rape for the first time last year – including Reviva - to put weight on young cattle during a difficult time of year.

“Our biggest challenge here is during February, March and April. Between the humidity, facial eczema and poor grass quality, we’ve historically had zero weight gain in cattle no matter what we do.

“But we wanted to kill those animals before their second winter, so last season with some steers that are part of a trial with Beef+Lamb NZ and NZ Shorthorns to fatten we tried summer autumn crops of rape and kale.

“We decided to graze them on rape during February, and kale during March and April.”

As well as voluntarily grazing Reviva down close to the ground, (with a lot less stem on Reviva compared with another rape side by side) the steers did well on the crop, possibly better than they did on kale subsequently.

Lack of residue also made cultivation easier after the crop was finished.

The largest producer of kiwifruit in New Zealand and Australia, Seeka, has reported a record half-year net profit before tax of $62 million.

The listed company has also raised its 2026 full year net profit before tax guidance to $39 to $43m.

For six months ending June 2026, Seeka's revenue reached $305m. A dividend of 20c/share will be paid to shareholders this month.

Kiwifruit marketer Zespri released its first full forecast for the 2026 season with strong value expected to be returned to growers from a record crop of 225 million trays.

Average per hectare returns are forecast to exceed last year's record returns for all categories other than Green and Organic Green.

Zespri organic Sungold kiwifruit is forecast to fetch $15.67/tray and $192,000/ha. Zespri RubyRed is to fetch $17/tray and $117,000/ha.

Zespri chief executive Jason Te Brake says the forecast per hectare returns reflect this season's increased yields and the value that's been secured across global markets, despite a more challenging market environment.

Te Brake says with more fruit to sell, the focus has been on actively managing the allocation of this year's crop to help maximise grower returns.

"There's continued strong demand in North America which is helping offset some of the pressures we've seen from a more challenging market environment this season.

"In recent weeks we've also seen encouraging signs in Europe with summer fruit exiting the market, with our teams focused on closing out the season as strongly as possible."

For Seeka, investments in post-harvest automation delivered efficiency gains, lifted margins, and improved service to customers.

Seeka advanced its strategy to operate a portfolio of highly automated facilities in the regions where the fruit is grown.

Seeka's post-harvest business benefitted from investment in new technology, programmed maintenance, and automation. This included new Reemoon packing solutions, which in the first season delivered results ahead of forecast and have an outlook for further improvement as Seeka refines application of this new technology.

Seeka chief executive Michael Franks says the company has the facilities, coolstore capacity, and systems to handle an increase in New Zealand kiwifruit volumes and is considering future capacity and growth opportunities.

Meanwhile, Seeka intends on offering a new grower loyalty share scheme towards the end of the year. The scheme will be similar to the scheme offered in 2024.

Seeka says the purpose of the scheme is to reward growers with the right to receive and pay for shares in return for supplying their fruit to Seeka for a three-year period.

The growers pay for the shares in cash at the end of the scheme at today's share price, less any dividends paid over the three-year period.

The offer is subject to Seeka shareholder approval which will be sought at a meeting later in the year if the board decides to proceed with the offer.

Alongside the annual donation, a new collection of simple, budget-friendly recipe cards is helping families turn a pack of donated mince into a nutritious, filling meal the whole household can enjoy.

Recipes Straight From the Farm

The recipe cards have their roots in Pāmu farms around the country, where staff were invited to share their favourite mince recipes through an internal competition.

The result is a collection of genuine family favourites, including Chilli-Crisp Noodles, Great Nana's Kiwi Gold Pie, and Smuggled Beans Spag Bol — all built around affordable ingredients and everyday kitchen staples.

Pāmu chief corporate services officer Roz Urbahn says the initiative builds on a long-standing relationship between Pāmu and the charity.

"We have donated to Meet the Need every year since its inception. This year we wanted to add more of a personal touch. These recipes came from running a competition for recipe cards with our people on farm, using everyday ingredients, to turn a pack of mince into a family recipe to share. It is a simple way to connect what we produce on farm with the communities we are proud to support," Urbahn says.

A $25,000 Donation, 21,300+ Meals

This year the Pāmu donation to Meet the Need totals $25,000 — the equivalent of one beast per livestock farm.

On the mince end, that translates to more than 21,300 meals for New Zealand families.

The recipe cards are distributed alongside the donated mince through Meet the Need's network of community food banks and organisations supporting people experiencing food insecurity.

Turning Protein Into Practical Meals

Meet the Need general manager Zellara Holden says the partnership shows how food donations can create impact well beyond a single parcel.

"When someone receives a food parcel, having quality protein can make a real difference to what they're able to put on the table. But sometimes knowing what to do with that ingredient can be just as important. These recipe cards take something as simple as a pack of mince and turn it into inspiration for a family meal. They're practical, accessible and designed with real-life budgets and kitchens in mind."

Holden says the support of Pāmu is an example of what is possible when farmers, community groups, and food banks work together.

"It's about making sure good food reaches the people who need it, while also giving families ideas and confidence to make the most of it."

Food Insecurity in New Zealand

Meet the Need's work with Pāmu forms part of a larger effort connecting New Zealand's farmers and food producers with food banks nationwide. In the past year, Meet the Need supported 148 food banks across the country, helping deliver more than 1.27 million mince and milk meals to people experiencing food insecurity.

Holden says demand for food assistance remains high, and it can affect anyone.

"Food insecurity is not always who you think. Families can find themselves needing support for all sorts of reasons, and a food parcel can provide an important helping hand when household budgets are stretched. The generosity of farmers and businesses like Pāmu means we can get good, nutritious food into communities while also finding creative ways to make that support go further."

From Farm to Food Bank to Table

The new recipe cards will continue to be distributed alongside donated mince through the Meet the Need food bank network — bringing a little extra inspiration to the dinner table, from the farm, to the food bank, and ultimately to homes across Aotearoa.

To find out more about the partnership, or to support Meet the Need's work connecting farmers with food-insecure communities, visit the Meet the Need website.

Nor do they understand that record payouts and schedules aren’t the same thing as record profits – it is the margins that matter. Or that the risk in farming is such that interest rates are higher than for housing, and that if something goes wrong, it is the house as well as the business that might be lost.

Farmers and growers understand all these factors, but somehow the message is not getting through to society in general and some groups in particular.

Economists have tried to explain that farming is hard work with variable returns on the investment – and that the payoff isn’t in farming, it is when the farm is sold and capital gains banked that the farmer benefits. But strangely, the capital gains that are expected to be part of selling the family home are considered to be ‘unfair’ in farming.

Even more strange is the adoption of the phrase ‘farming is a lifestyle’ by those outside the industry. Although farmers use the phrase to justify the challenges of working in the industry, and to try and encourage the young to consider that they might have a future in farming, when people outside of the industry start using the phrase it tends to be in justifying why farms aren’t businesses.

New Zealand is not unique in the lack of understanding.

UK farmers are battling the Inheritance Tax. Many farm businesses are marginal or loss-making, with families surviving on subsidies (which are reducing) and off farm income. Despite this they will soon be hit with unaffordable inheritance tax bills, which in many cases will dwarf their annual profit. The television programme, Clarkson’s Farm, has been helpful in bringing the issues to the fore, but the ever-changing UK government leadership has not indicated any relief. Although Andy Burnham has pledged to “safeguard” farming and declared it a “critical sector”, the statement appears to be more about national manufacturing and food security than assistance for farmers.

Food security has also been in the news here, with statements that ‘food should be cheaper’. These statements overlook the costs of production.

Margins matter.

percentage of revenue) help pump the economy for the benefit of everybody as the money goes round. It is the rising tide floating all boats, and the tax paid to the government by profitable businesses is invested in education, health, infrastructure and other public services.

These good messages are lost in the hype about the ‘crisis’ in the cost of living.

A crisis is something that is short lived; inflation escalated during 2021 and although it has reduced at various stages since then, various weather events and global disruptions have combined to continue uncertainty and price fluctuations.

The reality with the cost of living, at least according to the Reserve Bank Inflation Calculator, is that in the last year to Q1, wages and food increased by 4%.

And despite the ongoing gloom about crises, public happiness, safety and ‘being surrounded by such diverse, breathtaking scenery’ all help to improve the country’s score.

Despite this, ‘crisis’ continues to be top of mind for people living here and food is considered to be part of the problem.

Whose job is it to explain that when the minimum wage goes up, everything increases in price at every stage?

Whose job is it to explain that record prices do not equal record margins? And who should try and explain the difference between assets and cash?

Should NZ on Air consider the equivalent of Clarkson’s Farm to raise issues while providing information and education? Some of our kiwi farming personalities could be hosts. Perhaps different episodes could be presented by past presidents of Federated farmers of New Zealand, interspersed with past Young Farmers of the Year?

Whatever the solution, kiwi ingenuity should be able to think of something to assist general understanding.

Margins matter, cashflow is important, and food inflation matches wage increases. Everybody has a part to play in getting the message through.

Dr Jacqueline Rowarth, Adjunct Professor Lincoln University, is a director of DairyNZ and Ravensdown. She is also a member of the Scientific Council of the World Farmers’ Organisation. jsrowarth@gmail.com 

It appears to be a case of Ministers ignoring the advice of the professionals who know the intricacies of drone technology and operation, and bowing to drumbeats of some farmers who think that drones are just a toy.

No doubt there are farmers, growers and orchardists who can fly drones properly and safely, but surely there need to be rules to protect those who think they know more than they do.

The NZAAA has made it clear they are open to changes to the drone rules and have long agreed that they support some freeing up of the present regulations and the cutting of red tape.

But this move is a bit akin to allowing everyone to get a driver's license without undergoing a test appropriate to their use of the vehicle.

What is missing from the narrative put out by the Ministers is that cutting the CAA regulations and supposedly stripping out red tape is just one part of the equation.

What they fail to mention is that the rules around spreading chemicals and fertiliser are strictly controlled by the regional councils. There are also strict rules on handling chemicals.

Do they realise that the spray drift from drones is less controllable than from fixed wing aircraft or helicopters?

Do Seymour and Meager plan to make changes to the new RMA and HSNO legislation? Because if they don't, a new drone may just be that - a drone on the bank balance.

Buying a drone is just one step and being able to safely fly a large drone over a paddock or an orchard is not the same as taking family pictures from high up.

Commercial drone operators say it takes months to become proficient with their machines and the legislation that controls their use.

In some ways, the narrative from the coalition Ministers sounds like a bit of a con job - who knows.

Their announcement does raise a cauldron of pertinent questions.

Wool from selected New Zealand farms is being used by Auckland-based tech company Lanaco to make filters for air purifiers.

Lanaco has partnered with Unilever-owned Blueair to launch the world's first bio-based wool filter - made from NZ wool and 100% USDA-certified bio-based material.

Wool material from Lanaco has proven effective in the toughest environments, even selected for NASA's Artemis missions to the moon and back, as part of the vehicle's emergency air protection systems.

Lanaco founder and chief executive Nick Davenport says that being selected for the Lunar missions is a tick of confidence for NZ wool.

Davenport believes NZ wool "stands at the base of a large mountain".

"Air is universal and where people breathe, there will be opportunity for NZ wool," he told Rural News.

Davenport says Lanaco is targeting the global filter media market, valued at more than US$8 billion.

The Unilever partnership is the first of several high-volume market opportunities that the company is pursuing, and more announcements around commercialisations are expected in the coming months.

The bio-based, USDA-certified wool filter based on Lanaco's Ecostatic filter that uses biodegradable alternatives while maintaining its high-performance standards.

Designed for the Blue Pure 211i Max air purifier, the new filters offer an 18-month lifetime and effectively capture allergens such as dust, pollen, and pet dander, removing 99.97% of airborne particles.

Davenport says the breakthrough of having the product make it to a global market is significant, both for Lanaco and for New Zealand wool.

"Just as Icebreaker did for wool clothing, Lanaco is bringing its branded New Zealand wool technology to the global filtration market by partnering with one of Europe's greatest consumer goods companies."

Blueair chief executive Andy Lu says Blueair has stayed true to its mission of helping people breathe cleaner, better air for 30 years, and its partnership with Lanaco, which brings the industry's first filter to market, shows what that mission can achieve.

"We have spent the past two years working hand in hand with Lanaco to bring this groundbreaking achievement to the masses. Thirty years in, and we continue to pioneer what air wellness can means for people's everyday lives."

New Zealand remains a small market for the wool filters, with some used in car air filters and DVS home ventilation systems.

The programme wins the Low Carbon Future category at the New Zealand Energy Excellence Awards in Wellington on 18 August.

Coal-Fired Boilers Replaced Across Three Sites

The four-year programme, delivered in conjunction with industrial heat pump specialist Active Refrigeration, reduces coal use with heat pumps at Alliance's Lorneville, Mataura and Pukeuri sites, using waste heat and local water sources to produce hot water for processing.

Wayne Shaw, Operations Director at Alliance, says the award recognises the scale and impact of the company's investment in lower-emissions process heat.

"This programme is cutting around 24,680 tonnes of CO₂e each year by replacing ageing coal-fired boilers with highly efficient heat pump systems," says Shaw.

"It is a major shift in how heat is supplied at large industrial processing sites and shows what can be achieved when industry invests in practical decarbonisation.

"We are proud the project has been recognised nationally. It demonstrates that large energy users can reduce emissions at scale while strengthening resilience and competitiveness."

Design, Delivery and Site Upgrades

Alliance teams work with Active Refrigeration on the design, delivery and commissioning of the integrated heat recovery and multi-stage heat pump projects.

The programme includes new buildings at Mataura and Pukeuri to house the heat pumps, while the Lorneville heat pump is installed in the existing engine room.

Significant upgrades are also made to site pipework and potable water systems so the new heat pumps can be fully integrated into daily operations.

At Pukeuri and Mataura, water-sourced heat pumps using dam and river water add capacity beyond what can be captured from refrigeration waste heat alone.

This programme is made possible through co-funding provided by EECA under its Government Investment in Decarbonising Industry (GIDI) Fund.

Primary sector groups say the changes give great clarity, reduce costly consenting processes and are in line with what the sector has been asking for. In essence, while all farmers or growers will need to produce a farm plan as such, only those deemed to be engaged in 'high risk' activities will need to have their plan certified.

The risk activities are defined as dairy farming, grazing pigs, commercial vegetable growing and land used for feedlots.

Exempt from audited plans are orchardists and vineyards, and sheep and beef farming operations will only need to have an audited plan if any of the activities on their properties are deemed high risk. In the case of winter grazing or irrigation, the auditing requirement will only kick in if the land used for this purpose is more than 50ha or 10% of the farm, whichever is the greatest.

Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says the changes to freshwater farm plans create a simpler, cheaper system focused on real risk. He says the changes fix a system which farmers said was too costly and too complicated for the risk involved on many properties.

"These changes fix that," he says.

Associate Agriculture Minister Andrew Hoggard says once the regulations are in place, the Government will be helping farmers get their plans sorted so they're ready to go under the new planning system, where they will play a key role.

He adds that a pathway has been set up for industry organisations to provide certification and audit services to their members when their plans are delivering equivalent outcomes, avoiding duplication.

"As a farmer, I hate having to do a job twice, especially if it involves paperwork," he says.

Hoggard says the changes result in a system that is risk-based, focuses on managing those actual water quality risks, avoids unnecessary duplication and reduces costs.

Greater Clarity

Federated Farmers president Colin Hurst says the changes make the system much more straightforward, practical and give greater clarity.

He says Feds have been clear that farm plans can have a role to play in improving freshwater outcomes, but only if they are practical, proportionate and reduce red tape rather than adding to it.

Hurst says his organisation is particularly pleased that not every farm plan will require certification and auditing, and where certification is required, it'll generally apply only to the higher-risk activity that triggers it, rather than the whole farm.

"That's a really big win for farmers who under the previous approach could have had their whole farm dragged into certification," he says.

Hurst says Feds have long argued that farm plans should replace and not add to regulation and adds that this is the most important issue still to be resolved.

Right Balance

Beef+Lamb NZ describes the changes as pragmatic and cautiously welcomed them.

Chair Kate Acland says B+LNZ had been advocating for a system that is practical and workable for farmers and one that takes a risk-based approach to what is required.

"In principle, we support farmers having a plan for how they manage their land - including their water, biodiversity and soil health. Land is their most important asset, after all, but plans should add value to a farming business - not simply be a compliance tool," she says.

Acland says it's critical to strike the right balance in the level of regulation around freshwater plans.

DairyNZ chair Tracy Brown says the new system is simple, more practical and lower cost. They say this means less duplication, reduced compliance burden, and greater flexibility in how environmental outcomes are achieved on farm.

Brown says DairyNZ welcomes improvements that reduce cost and complexity and provide greater flexibility in plan structure.

NZVeg, which represents commercial vegetable growers, says it applauds the Government for taking action to provide certainty in the key growing areas of Pukekohe and Levin, where regional plan changes could have seen growers walking off the land.

CEO Mike Brown says growers in these areas have been living with uncertainty for more than a decade, due to tortuous and expensive regional plan change processes.

"It was incredible to think that growers could have been forced to arbitrarily reduce vegetable production by as much as a third in some areas. And at the same time, increased prices when New Zealanders are facing a cost of living crisis," he says.

Brown says the changes will restore confidence to the vegetable industry, and support growers to do what they do best: grow fresh vegetables at reasonable prices, for the good of Kiwis' health."

But deputy leader and agriculture and forestry spokesman Daniel Eb says the party’s approach is designed to tackle some of the structural problems affecting both rural and urban New Zealand.

Eb is running in the Kaipara ki Mahurangi seat set to be vacated by former Defence Minister Chris Penk. Prior to entering politics he launched Open Farms, the national open farm day designed to reconnect urban New Zealanders with farming land.

Over the past few weeks, he has travelled up and down the country, attending events with rural Opportunity candidates, with events previously held in Masterton, Wanaka and Whangarei.

“We’re getting into more of the rural New Zealand heartland through public meetings primarily,” Eb told Rural News.

A key part of Opportunity’s pitch, he says, is a willingness to listen to experts and make longer-term changes rather than repeatedly reversing policy when governments change.

Eb points to health as an example, arguing that successive governments have created a “cycle of instability” by restructuring or abandoning policies introduced by their predecessors.

“And that’s been particularly keenly felt in health,” Eb says.

He cites changes to capitation funding, which GP practices rely on when planning staffing and resources, as an example of the uncertainty facing the sector.

“So, things like rural health just can’t really be a political football anymore. We actually need to take the politics out of health care planning as much as possible,” Eb says.

That philosophy also shapes Opportunity’s approach to agriculture.

“We’re more about big systemic, transformational changes that affect everyone because whether you’re rural or urban New Zealand, you have to participate in the tax system, you participate in the health system, you participate in the education system. And so we’re more interested in shifting the really big underlying pillars of our systems rather than little carve-outs to help this industry or little carveouts to help that industry.

“So, we’re more interested in that than, you know, what does this slice of regional New Zealand need? We think that is a recipe for more bureaucracy. And that sort of administration, that’s not always effective.”

Eb says he doesn’t believe the rural versus urban framing within New Zealand is helpful.

“You know, you sort of see this line trotted out, an attack on farming. No one is attacking farming. What we’re trying to do is enable New Zealand’s economy to take a transformational shift, right? Like we did in the ‘80s. We’ve done it prior to that before. The New Zealand story has always been about taking a big shift to the next model.

“I don’t think this reflexive pushback from some in the agricultural sector is helpful. Frankly, it’s rather, sit down, compromise, have mature adult discussions about these things, instead of labelling each other as the enemy.”

Land-Value Tax

One of Opportunity’s flagship policies is an overhaul of the tax system that includes an annual land-value tax (LVT) of 0.5% on rural land and 1.75% on urban land.

The policy is likely to be one of the more significant points of interest for farmers considering the party’s platform.

Deputy leader Daniel Eb says that for those farmers who are land rich but cash poor, a deferral scheme will be in place. This, he says, is because the party recognises farming as a “boom and bust business”.

“Prices are really good right now, but they weren’t two years ago, so that mechanism exists in the system,” he says.

The EPA is responsible for approving and setting controls on the use of new hazardous substances, such as chemicals used on farms and orchards, and also the importation of biological control agents such as parasites to control weeds. But for a number of years the agency has been the subject of widespread criticism for being too bureaucratic and taking too long to approve new organisms and hazardous substances.

Dr Barry O'Neil told Rural News the new board, new CEO and new senior staff have got the message. He says they have developed a strategy that will set the EPA on a pathway to becoming a modern regulator that understands what is happening in the real world, is connected to the stakeholders and is delivering the right outcomes for NZ in an appropriate timeframe.

These changes are starting to show, with the EPA saying that in the past year it reduced the number of applications waiting for approval by more than 36% and the level of applications approved is back to pre-covid levels.

"We are focusing on new technologies such as AI and seeing how we can use this in our regulatory processes. Some of the regulated products we are dealing with are novel, which we have never had to deal with before. What we are endeavouring to do is getting an understanding of what is coming down the pipeline and having systems in place to be able to deal with these," he says.

One of the emerging challenges facing the EPA and other similar regulators worldwide is pressure from consumers about the amount of chemicals being used to control diseases. O'Neil says there's a move away from the concept of one thing/product to solve a problem and an emphasis on 'integrated pest management' (IPM). This involves using several things, be they chemicals or biological products, to control a problem disease. These are exciting times with more tools being added to the toolbox, he says.

Consumer Focus

O'Neil says NZ has a unique environment that it needs to preserve and part of that is reducing the use of certain agrichemical products which are viewed negatively by consumers.

"Consumers are becoming very discerning, especially those who spend more money to buy NZ products which they regard as high quality, safe and nutritious. And we need to provide these for them," he says.

The other issue that is constantly being raised by those in the horticulture sector is the need for a faster approval pathway for products that have been approved in other countries with high-quality regulation - such as Australia, Canada, the UK and Europe.

O'Neil agrees that NZ needs to be better connected with what he calls "like-minded regulators" and points out that just recently the CEO of the EPA was in Australia seeking to build stronger relationships with our trans-Tasman neighbours.

However, he warns that NZ still has to make sure that a product approved in another jurisdiction does meet our specific requirements.

Overall, O'Neil says in a relatively short space of time the EPA has modernised its operating systems, put in place new quality control measures and is shaping the organisation to be a modern, effective regulator that is connected to its stakeholders.

The couple came away with the premier award at the recent awards dinner in Christchurch, the judges citing their industry leadership as much as their on-farm performance.

As well as producing a diverse range of high-quality seed and cereal crops, they were recognised for their "exceptional attention to detail, innovation, and commitment to advancing the seed industry".

While saying it was important for the industry to stay positive and not talk itself down, John McCaw told Rural News that the arable sector faced real challenges around profitability, with near static prices for an extended period while farm inflation had been running rampant.

"Farmers are having to have a pretty close look at their expenses and they really need to consider the contract terms and pricing before signing up, because some of the contracts that are on offer just simply would not be profitable."

McCaw said there was certainly a lot of land use change underway.

He was aware of six current dairy conversions in the Methven area, and others considering it. And for every dairy farm, there was a support block, he said.

McCaw said farmers putting in more kale for wintering stock, grass for silage, or trading more lambs, were decisions that tended to "fly under the radar" but were very significant and add up very quickly.

The real change on farm would be a shift in emphasis over time, from seed to feed.

"People may, for example, choose not to grow autumn feed wheat, but rather go through a crop of green feed oats for winter feed, and then grow a spring cereal crop instead because the value of that winter feed is now greater than the yield penalty of growing a spring cereal versus an autumn cereal.

"These are the things that are happening now and people are making these decisions now.

"It won't be until the autumn when the seed companies are looking to contract Autumn Zone crops that they find that actually that area is no longer available."

McCaw said that once a dairy shed goes on a farm, there's no going back.

"So, we are certainly losing, not only good land, but very good growers and a lot of skill and expertise that are leaving the industry. And that is a real concern.

"But to counter that, I think there will always be demand for high-quality seed production.

"I personally believe that a very clean well-run arable farm producing high-quality seed has a future.

"We're certainly hoping that that is thee case and we're continuing to invest in our businesses on that basis.

"But there are certainly challenges to work through with the seed companies. And I think, to be honest, it's only really just starting to dawn on the seed companies, just how serious this is."

Seed Traders

The family farm 560ha near Methven - the farm John McCaw grew up on, his parents having bought the original property in 1968.

The farm specialises in high-quality small seed production, chiefly ryegrass and cocksfoot and also vegetable seed.

They trade 5000 lambs a year, winter dairy cows and raise young stock for a neighbouring dairy farm, in a multifaceted operation.

The couple also owns McCaw Seeds seed dressing plant in Methven, servicing other growers in the province. John is also th chair of Federated Farmers' heritage seed subsection.

The McCaws also won the Seed Grower of the Year award.

The report says Chinese quotas have already led to a redistribution of global beef trade volumes in recent months. Report co-author and Rabobank senior animal protein analyst Jen Corkran says Australia reached its China safeguard beef quota in mid-June, resulting in a 71% month-on-month decline in Australian beef exports to China between May and June.

"As Australian shipments fell away, Chinese buyers turned to other suppliers and New Zealand was a key beneficiary, with imports rising 66% year-on-year, while volumes from Canada and Bolivia also increased 104% and 62% respectively," Corkran says.

Brazil is expected to reach its own China safeguard quota around August, and anticipation of reduced access to the Chinese market has already put downward pressure on Brazilian cattle prices, according to the report.

Potential EU Suspension of Brazilian Beef

Corkran says Brazil's beef industry is also contending with a proposed EU suspension of imports, reportedly driven by food safety concerns.

"The proposed EU suspension of Brazilian beef imports... has the potential to trigger a further reshaping of global beef trade flows from September," she says.

If implemented, the report estimates around 10,000 tonnes per month of Brazilian beef would need to be redirected into alternative markets, increasing competition across a number of major importing regions.

Implications for New Zealand Exporters

Corkran says the combination of trade disruptions is likely to affect the destination of New Zealand beef exports over the short-to-medium term.

"The combination of China's quota system and potential restrictions on Brazilian beef has the capacity to significantly alter global trade flows through the second half of the year," she says, adding that this creates opportunities in some markets but also greater competition as displaced Brazilian product is redirected into key destinations such as the US, Japan and South Korea.

Corkran says the key question over coming months is where displaced product ultimately lands and how quickly global buyers adjust their sourcing strategies.

"Despite the uncertainty around global trade flows, the underlying fundamentals for New Zealand beef remain constructive, and there is plenty to watch on a global trade level heading into the latter half of the year," she says. "New Zealand is relatively well positioned given the diversity of its export portfolio and continued demand across major markets."

Global Cattle Prices and Production

The report says global cattle prices pulled back modestly in July from the record levels reached earlier in 2026, with prices in Australia, Canada and the US easing by 2–6% from June.

The report attributes the softer sentiment to improved cattle availability, signs of consumer resistance to higher beef prices, and ongoing trade disruptions, and notes further price consolidation is possible over coming months.

Corkran says RaboResearch's forecast for lower global beef production remains intact.

"While quarter two data is not yet complete, production is expected to decline across key markets including Europe, the U.S., Brazil, and China," she says, adding that the downturn is expected to continue over the next 12 months, with Brazil projected to post the largest volume decline.

Overall, global beef production is forecast to fall 2% year-on-year.

New Zealand Update: Prices, Production and Exports

The report says New Zealand cattle prices continue to benefit from global beef scarcity.

According to AgriHQ indicators cited in the report, bull beef prices are holding above $9.70/kg cwt across New Zealand, with some schedules pushing through $10.00/kg cwt by mid-August, up from closer to $9.00/kg cwt at the start of the second quarter.

Corkran says manufacturing cow prices have moved well above $8.00/kg cwt, reflecting sustained demand for trim, while prime prices continue to edge toward and beyond $10.00/kg cwt. Across key categories, farmgate prices remain as much as 60% above the five-year average.

Corkran says New Zealand supply has now caught up following a slower first quarter. Stats NZ data cited in the report puts quarter two beef production at just under 214,000 tonnes, around 20% higher than the same quarter in 2025, taking first-half 2026 production about 5% ahead year-on-year. That aligns with RaboResearch's forecast for 2026 New Zealand beef production to lift somewhere in the range of 4–6%.

The report says export markets are converting tight global supply into record returns for New Zealand beef. With higher total production, quarter two exports also rose, reaching 152,405 tonnes and close to $2.04 billion in value. For the full first half of 2026, export value hit a new record of $3.58 billion, well ahead of 2025, driven by higher average export values.

The US remains the anchor market for New Zealand beef, taking 40% of quarter two export volume and 45% of total value, while China accounted for around a quarter of volume and 18% of value.

The problem is that many farm tracks have been damaged and the ground remains wet, is still moving and slips could occur at any time.

His comments mirror that of the local police who say that in the last six months they have attended at least six accidents on farms where people have been badly injured and in one case died because of the state of farm tracks or simply unstable and damaged pastures.

Hickson says there have been a lot of slips on farms, including his own hill country property out towards Castlepoint, and these have made tracks impassable. Like the police, he is warning farmers not to take risks

“With damaged tracks, there is often the temptation to get around a slip and try to push on, and that’s when accidents can happen as ground gives way with the weight of the vehicle. They should also stick to tracks and not drive on wet grass. From personal experience, driving on any wet grass is where a lot of accidents can happen because you can lose traction,” he says.

Wairarapa Police Area Commander Inspector Nick Thom says the message is to take particular care as farmers in the region are busy with lambing and calving.

The weather has caused extensive slipping on farm tracks as well as waterlogged paddocks, leaving the ground unstable, uneven, and slippery. He says police are strongly urging all farm owners, managers, and operators to review their safety vehicle protocols, particularly when navigating sloped surfaces and steep hillsides.

“Farmers are urged to choose the right vehicle for the specific job, ensure all machinery is regularly serviced, and verify that every operator is competent, trained, and wearing the correct personal protective equipment,” he says.

Meanwhile, Sarah Donaldson of the Wairarapa Rural Support Trust, says during the lambing and calving season, and through this extra challenging post-storm period, they encourage everyone to be on the lookout for one another, be aware of the impact of fatigue, and take extra precautions on the land.

“History and analysis of incidents over the years shows that injury and death can occur to even the most experienced operators, so all rural folk are urged to think carefully about their own situations and experiences when it comes to operating all rural machinery,” she says

Sarah Donaldson says in response to these ongoing challenges, the Wairarapa Rural Support Trust is actively scoping avenues to offer community farm safety courses.

The report, Adrift: What future does the Emissions Trading Scheme have? says the NZ ETS is not fit for purpose. It says it will not achieve climate goals, nor yield carbon prices high enough to significantly reduce emissions.

“Instead, it will continue to drive the planting of new forests to offset emissions, leading to a significantly larger forestry estate over time.

“That forestry estate will need to be maintained by future generations in the face of increasing risks from fire, disease and extreme weather.”

The report was tabled in Parliament last Wednesday.

Upton said the role of forestry in particular needs a fundamental rethink if New Zealand was to have any hope of achieving its climate commitments and reducing the risks that the inclusion of forestry in the NZ ETS has created.

Beef + Lamb New Zealand says the report “supports many of B+LNZ’s positions and will encourage important discussions”.

Chair Kate Acland says B+LNZ has been calling for changes to the ETS since 2019.

“We have continually raised concerns about the unintended consequences of the current ETS settings, particularly the amount of productive sheep and beef farmland being converted into carbon forests.

“Independent research we’ve commissioned shows the total extent of whole sheep and beef farms sold for afforestation since the beginning of 2017 is now 330,000 hectares. The PCE’s report shows the trees planted on that land will break the ETS from the 2030s, when there will be an oversupply of sequestration.”

But the immediate past president of The Institute of Forestry, James Treadwell, said it was carbon emitters, not forestry, that the commissioner should look to take real action, and reduce their emissions.

“At the moment, the only thing that is helping New Zealand meet its commitments internationally is forestry.

“Whilst we’d like that not to be the case, we have to continue doing that or else every single New Zealander will be paying for it in 2030 and 2050 because we’re going to have to buy units from overseas.”

Treadwell said constant changes to the scheme – for example the national annual cap of 15,000ha for new exotic forestry on class 6 farmland imposed last year – made it hard for foresters to make market decisions and do their part to reduce emissions.

“Is the ETS working wonderfully? No it’s not, but it’s working okay,” said Treadwell.

“But emitters do have to start reducing their emissions, that’s the end goal.

“We are the only people who are actually doing anything about emissions at the moment, to be frank.”

He says there’s a lot of speculation about what this weather system may throw at farmers and they need to plan and be ready for any eventuality.

One thing Tarbotton says B+LNZ is encouraging farmers to do is to plant a crop to give them a feed buffer if things turn for the worse. He also suggests following the advice of a fertiliser company and getting fert – nitrogen and sulphur – on early and making wise use of it to boost pasture growth.

“Put fertiliser on now and don’t wait until pastures dry out. Nitrogen put on now has a more gradual response over a longer period, which is just perfect underfoot of lactating ewes,” he says.

He also recommends farmers check the udders of ewes at weaning and cull any animals with defects immediately. He says it’s important to get poor performing animals off the farm early and give the young stock priority for the quality feed.

Tarbotton says selling some of the poorer lambs and getting others to finish them makes perfect sense. It means that the capital stock they want to hold are in good condition for tupping. Providing that extra quality feed is important, he says, and farmers that have flat land should make more silage and hay to build up that buffer of surplus feed.

“This is an easy management lever to pull,” he says.

Finally, Tarbotton says farmers should have a plan and do stock takes of their animals and feed throughout the season and make decisions based on the latest weather information.

That’s the question from sheep farmers in response to a new sector-led body focused on growing the value of New Zealand wool.

Last week it was announced that Wool Impact and Campaign for Wool NZ have formally merged to form the New Zealand Wool Collective.

Federated Farmers meat and wool chair Richard Dawkins told Rural News that farmers welcome the establishment of the New Zealand Wool Collective.

“New Zealand’s domestic wool industry has shrunk considerably, so consolidating effort and capability is a positive and logical step,” he says.

“For farmers, the important thing now is whether that stronger, more coordinated voice can help rebuild confidence in wool and improve returns over time.”

NZ Wool Collective chief executive Ross McIsaac says the merger builds on two years of partnership between the organisations, aligning their work, expertise and resources. 

“New Zealand wool has value that isn’t being fully realised, and capturing more of that for wool growers will require collective effort alongside the work of individual businesses.

“A number of wool organisations and businesses are doing valuable work to support the sector, and that’s helped to create a strong foundation. Many in the sector have said the lack of one focused wool sector organisation and voice has been a frustration and this merger addresses that.”

Campaign for Wool NZ chair Ryan Cosgrove says the merger secures their work.

“It’s exciting to reach this milestone. We are confident that combining the work and capability of the two organisations will create the focus and efficiencies needed to modernise the wool sector.”

Wool Impact chair Stuart Heal says the merge makes sense.

“Wool needs more coordinated effort to create demand and value across sector good and commercial entities and this supports that.”

NZ Wool Collective will need additional funding and is in discussions with Wool Research Organisation of New Zealand and B+LNZ to secure the long term financial backing needed to realise value for growers, industry participants and the wider wool sector will continue.

A funding model is being developed in consultation with growers and industry.

Sheep farmers facing lower wool prices for over a decade have been given a reprieve in recent months.

Strong wool prices are sitting over $5/kg clean, higher than at any other point in the past decade and up 55% year-on-year. However, prices have come down from their highs of May and June this year.

Supply is tight on both sides of the Tasman; that hasn’t changed and demand is consistently strong.

The Aviation Industry Association of NZ, whose members include commercial drone operators, says the new reforms are rushed and could put public safety, the environment and other air space users at risk.

Regulation Minister David Seymour and Associate Transport Minister James Meager say red tape was getting in the way of farmers using agricultural drones for spraying and other tasks. They claim the changes will slash burdensome red tape and make agricultural drone use for spraying cheaper, faster, and more efficient.

They add that farmers, growers and foresters have been clear that the current certification process is impractical and no longer fit-for-purpose and that existing rules have not kept pace with the evolving technological landscape.

"Drones have become an everyday tool in modern agricultural spraying, offering precise application of pesticides and fertiliser that helps minimise product wastage, while also reaching tricky terrain safely and efficiently," says Meager.

But the association says it was blindsided by the announcement and the changes do not provide the fit-for-purpose safeguards needed for this activity and could increase the risk of serious injuries, fatalities and environmental damage.

NZ Agricultural Aviation Association (NZAAA) executive officer Tony Michelle says agricultural drones must not become an unregulated pathway for aerial agrichemical application.

He says poorly managed operations can cause damage to other crops and infrastructure, breach environmental and regulatory controls, and jeopardise NZ's reputation for safe, high-quality primary products.

"That reputation underpins access to valuable export markets," he says.

Michelle says a national standard is urgently needed to set clear minimum requirements for pilot training, competency, chemical handling, maintenance, modifications, reporting and operational practice.

"Blanket certification for every low-risk landholder operation may be unnecessary, but allowing untrained or poorly supervised operators is an unacceptable risk. Regulation must be proportionate to risk, supporting by licensing, regular competency checks, compliance oversight and accountability," he says.

Meager says the plan is to scrap requirements for lower-risk routine drone operations to apply and wait for certification before starting work, which he claims can take up to nine months and cost thousands of dollars.

He says under the new regime only a notification to the Civil Aviation Authority ahead of time will be needed. Meager says the changes will allow routine activities such as spraying of pesticides and herbicides and the distribution of fertiliser, lime, seeds and manures across cropland, pasture, orchards, vineyards, market gardens and forests.

"These reforms build on earlier changes allowing drones under 25kg to be used for mapping, monitoring and stock shifting without certification or notification. We are now looking at ways to extend that flexibility to larger drones," he says.

He says high-risk or complex drone operations, and spraying from planes and helicopters, will remain subject to existing requirements.

The Minister is confident the new rules will strike the correct balance.

'You're Wrong, Minister'

NZ Agricultural Aviation Association (NZAAA) isn't buying into James Meager and David Seymour's narrative.

Its vice president, Dr Isaac Henderson, is a respected and recognised expert in drone technology.

He says the proposals fail to take account of the reality of flying drones and says the risk to life does not stop at the farm boundary, extending to neighbouring properties, public infrastructure and other airspace users.

"Agricultural spray drones are the size of a dining room table and can travel at more than 70kph and will almost certainly weigh more than 100kg when operating. What happens if a farmer operating one of these has a flyaway or system failure? That drone could strike a vehicle and result in a fatality. And who would take responsibility?"

Henderson says, likewise, a farmer can spray a paddock under an inversion layer and have that chemical travel five kilometres down the road, destroying a multi-million-dollar vineyard.

He says you don't improve national productivity by making one operation cheaper while exposing some of NZ's most valuable agricultural sectors to catastrophic losses.

Stats NZ Food Price Index data for July 2026 shows pork loin chops priced at $16.71 per kilogram, down 2.7 percent over the year, and roasting pork at $12.42 per kilogram, down 9.7 percent.

The same data shows pork loin chops priced close to everyday options such as chicken breast, at $14.80 per kilogram, and sausages, at $13.80 per kilogram, while roasting pork is among the lowest-priced fresh meat options listed.

"These figures, and the current commentary around how expensive some proteins have become, highlight pork's continued affordability and value for households," says Brent Kleiss, chief executive of NZPork.

With many Kiwi families feeling the squeeze from higher living costs, affordable meal options matter more than ever. Pork offers strong value without asking families to compromise on flavour, quality or the meals they enjoy."

"Whether it's a roast, chops, or quick midweek meals, pork's pricing makes it a practical choice for households looking to stretch their food dollar further."

Pork Mince Compared with Beef Mince

Kleiss says pork mince is currently selling for around $18 per kilogram depending on the retailer, compared with over $24 per kilogram for beef mince.

"For households watching their grocery spend, those different price points give consumers more choice when planning everyday meals," he says. "For families who prefer beef mince, combining it with New Zealand pork mince is another simple way to reduce the cost of everyday meals while still enjoying the dishes they know and love."

Local Production and Beef and Lamb Context

Kleiss says a common misconception is that New Zealand pork is largely exported, when in fact almost 100 percent of it is raised on local family farms and eaten domestically.

"New Zealanders are really lucky to have such a strong beef and lamb sector, with international demand driving strong returns for our farmers. But that doesn't mean Kiwis have to pay international prices for their everyday meals," he says.

"Pork is tasty, versatile and offers some really good value at the moment, particularly in the mince category."

"For families looking for practical everyday meal options to keep the grocery bill under control, New Zealand pork is a great option — raised right, right here, for New Zealanders."

Kleiss says around 60 percent of the pork consumed in New Zealand is imported, with much of it produced to lower standards, particularly in processed products.

"Whilst almost all fresh pork is from New Zealand, Kiwi shoppers should look carefully at labelling when purchasing bacon, ham or frozen products," he says.

He advises shoppers to look for "Pork sourced from New Zealand" in the fine print, rather than the "made in New Zealand from local and imported ingredients" wording, which can be misleading.

"They can also ask their retailer where it's from, if they're not sure. That way they know they are getting an excellent quality product that's affordable and produced in New Zealand to high standards."

From Monday, around eight children will share a 4WD 10-seat Toyota Hiace, provided to Kaikōura District Council by Blenheim Toyota as a temporary bus replacement. Parents have organised a roster to take turns driving the school run — a solution expected to save affected families more than two hours a day in travel time, along with significant fuel costs.

Roughly two months' worth of rain fell in the Kaikōura region between 5 and 8 July, washing out roads and cutting off communities.

The damage is still being felt along Inland Kaikōura Road, where the regular school bus cannot cross a temporary ford after the Cribb Creek Bridge was washed out.

Since then, parents have been driving for hours to reach a pick-up point where the bus can continue its normal route.

Blenheim Toyota Provides Vehicle

Blenheim Toyota CEO Scott McDermid says the decision to help was straightforward.

"When the council reached out seeking support and laid out the situation, it was a clearcut 'yes' for us to help out. A 4WD Hiace van seemed like a practical way we could take some pressure off these families, enabling mobility for the school run, while they get on with rebuilding," he says.

"We're lucky to have strong connections with Kaikōura through our customers. When a small and remote region is dealing with this level of disruption, there are always many parts of the community that rally to support, and we're proud to be part of that."

Council Response

Kaikōura District Council Recovery Manager Jo York says the council's recovery team was grateful for the support.

"An emergency event may end, but for those affected, the repercussions can continue for a very long time. Gestures like this make our job easier and make a genuine difference to the people still managing those impacts every day," York says.

"Blenheim Toyota has helped solve one of those ongoing challenges. A school run might seem like a small issue within the wider recovery, but for these families, this vehicle is a real lifeline — giving them back valuable time, reducing costs and easing one of the many pressures they continue to face."

What It Means for Families

Mother-of-four Bub Taylor is taking the first driving shift under the new roster.

"We were staying in town or commuting in and out. For me, it's a 106km round trip. I'm lucky because I have somewhere to stay in town, but that means you're separated from your home. That means you're no longer able to do the recovery work on your property. It's just not viable to keep doing that for six months," she says.

"Having this van for the school runs means we can go home. It means we don't have to stay in town anymore. It means our kids have access to schooling again without being separated from their home."

The shared roster is intended to give parents more time for farming, storm repairs and other recovery work, rather than losing hours each day to travel.

The 4WD 10-seat Hiace was delivered to Kaikōura District Council on Friday, 21 August. Parents began driving the new school route from Monday, 24 August.

Richard Dawkins, Federated Farmers pest management spokesperson, says individual farmers are already doing plenty, but their efforts are being undermined by pests reinvading from neighbouring land.

"We've spent years trying to tackle this species by species and property by property. The numbers tell us that approach isn't working," Dawkins says.

Pests Now Costing Farmers $466 Million a Year

The survey estimates pests are costing New Zealand farmers around $466 million annually through direct control costs and lost production. Two-thirds of farmers now report pest numbers have increased over the past five years — up sharply from around half in 2024.

On average, farmers are spending $6.18 per hectare each year on pest control, a rise of roughly 13% in just two years.

Hunting Effort Is High — But Not Enough

Recreational and on-farm hunting is deeply embedded in New Zealand's rural pest control effort.

Farmers, their families and staff carry out pest control on more than nine in ten farms, with recreational hunters also assisting on around half.

"There's already a huge amount of hunting happening across rural New Zealand, and pest populations are still increasing," Dawkins says. "We are not going to shoot our way out of this problem one weekend at a time."

Stocking Rates Falling as Pests Eat Into Pasture

Nearly one in three farmers are now reducing stocking rates because pests are consuming so much pasture — up from just one in nine farmers in 2024.

Beyond pasture loss, Dawkins says the financial toll extends to crop damage, reduced yields, damage to fences and gates, and disease spread by pests. One farmer reported losing around $100,000 after a leptospirosis outbreak caused widespread abortions in ewes and heifers, believed to be linked to wild pigs moving in from neighbouring properties.

Forestry and Crown Land Named as Main Reinvasion Sources

The survey found farmers consistently point to neighbouring forestry and Crown land — not other farms — as the primary source of pest reinvasion.

"If farmers are expected to control pests, then so should lifestyle block owners, forestry owners and those managing Crown and conservation land, with regional councils monitoring and enforcing compliance," Dawkins says. "Farmers should not be left carrying the cost when deer and pigs spill across the boundary."

Deer Numbers Surge as Culling Effort Doubles

Deer culled per hectare have more than doubled since 2024, and the proportion of farmers actively managing deer has risen 13%. Despite this, deer now rank third nationally for overall pest impact and are named the single worst pest by more farmers than any species except possums.

Dawkins says any national strategy needs clear, independently set population targets based on the actual damage pests cause — not the interests of any single group.

"Eighty-three percent of pest managers in our survey said the pest species on their farm had no economic value to them. This means deer numbers need to be managed around the damage they are doing to farms, forests and native vegetation, not around how many animals somebody would like left in the hills. We don't need any one interest group setting the target and then marking its own homework."

Possums, Wild Pigs, Geese and Wallabies All Increasing

Wild pigs, Canada geese and wallabies are also trending upward. Possums are a particular concern: as historic TB control programmes are wound back, farmers report possum numbers building up again after years of suppression.

"We can't spend decades knocking possum numbers down, declare victory over TB, then simply walk away and let them come roaring back," Dawkins says.

Federated Farmers Calls for a National Pest Strategy

Dawkins says coordinated pest control programmes have proven effective at reducing numbers, reinforcing the case for a nationally funded strategy with clear responsibilities across farmers, forestry, councils and the Crown.

"We've been calling for a national pest strategy for some time. These results show why it can't sit on the to-do list any longer. We've diagnosed the problem to death. It's time to actually treat it."

"This positive detection is not a surprise as these ocean-going birds can arrive on our coastlines, especially in poor weather. We expect we will continue to find more cases in wild birds," van Andel says.

The petrel is found by a Department of Conservation (DOC) ranger, who notifies MPI's exotic pest and disease hotline.

MPI's Response

"There were no signs of other issues at the site, but we will carry out precautionary checks along the remote coastline tomorrow," van Andel says.

"The risk to human health remains low and chicken and eggs are safe to eat," van Andel says.

New Zealand's Bird Flu Detections So Far

There have now been three confirmed positive detections of H5 bird flu in New Zealand, all in the Wellington region. The detections involve individual wild birds, with no mass mortality events and no detections in poultry to date.

Samples are received by MPI's Animal Health Laboratory on 14 August. Initial tests find the bird has a low level of influenza virus, requiring several rounds of testing to confirm H5 bird flu.

"Given this species is known to be affected by bird flu and the location, we wanted to be thorough with our testing despite the low viral load," van Andel says.

Ongoing Surveillance and Industry Support

"MPI remains focused on surveillance to track the movement of bird flu so we can help protect our poultry industry and support DOC's work with native wildlife," van Andel says.

"By building a precise picture through testing, we help egg and chicken producers make good decisions about the best biosecurity measures to protect their flocks and keep operating."

Alongside industry, MPI continues to offer one-on-one support and advice to poultry and egg operations in the Wairarapa and Wellington.

Since the first H5 bird flu detections in New Zealand, MPI reports a strong response from the public reporting groups of unwell or dead birds.

"MPI experts consider every notification and triage them based on internationally recognised processes for assessing H5 bird flu risk. Multiple unwell or dead birds, certain species (sea birds, waterfowl, birds that congregate in large groups), and certain locations take priority," van Andel says.

Public Reporting and What To Do

Anyone who sees three or more sick or dead wild birds in a group is urged to report it immediately to the exotic pest and disease hotline on 0800 80 99 66 from anywhere in New Zealand, or online at report.mpi.govt.nz.

The public is asked not to handle or move the birds.

More information about H5 bird flu is available at mpi.govt.nz/hpai.

New nationally representative research commissioned by HelloFresh finds that 80% of New Zealanders with dependent children say thinking, organising and planning dinner before cooking takes more effort than they wish it did, compared with 59% of those without children.

Across the wider population, 66% of Kiwis feel the same way.

The Research at a Glance

The study, conducted by Talbot Mills Research, finds the responsibility of making dinner is often concentrated to one person. 58% of New Zealand adults say they carry most or almost all of the responsibility for deciding and preparing dinner.

 The findings show the pressure is particularly pronounced among parents and younger New Zealanders. 83% of parents say making everyone happy with the meal should be easier, while 81% say the same about finding time to cook.

One Person, Most of the Load

Women are more likely to carry the load than men. Half of women surveyed say dinner responsibility falls almost entirely to them, compared with 29% of men.

Among younger adults, 75% of 18–29-year-olds and 76% of 30–44-year-olds say dinner planning takes more effort than they wish it did, compared with 46% of people aged 60 and over.

Understanding the Mental Load

Clinical psychologist Jacqui Maguire says much of the pressure associated with dinner builds before the cooking even begins.

"The mental load of dinner isn't just the cooking. It's being the person who has to remember that dinner needs solving in the first place," Maguire says.

"What looks like one task, getting dinner on the table, is actually a chain of cognitive work: anticipating what the household needs, deciding what everyone will eat, keeping track of ingredients and budgets, and fitting it around everything else happening that day."

Maguire says none of those decisions is particularly demanding in isolation. "The pressure comes from their accumulation, particularly when the same person is responsible for anticipating, remembering and coordinating them day after day."

"That distinction matters because we often notice the visible work in a household, such as who cooked, who shopped and who cleaned up, but much of the cognitive work happens invisibly in the background," Maguire says. "Reducing that load isn't simply about making cooking faster. It's about reducing the number of things someone has to hold in their head."

What Would Help

Parents are clear about what would ease that pressure.

85% say quicker recipes would help reduce the stress of organising dinner, while 80% say sharing responsibility would help.

Greater variety would help 79%, while 77% want meals suited to different dietary needs and preferences, and 64% say ingredient delivery would reduce the stress.

HelloFresh's Response

HelloFresh New Zealand Managing Director & VP Operations Claudia Baptista-Fernandes says the findings reinforce that New Zealanders are looking for ways to simplify the entire dinner process, not only the cooking.

"The research shows New Zealanders want fewer decisions, greater variety, meals that work for different tastes and needs, and fewer practical steps before cooking begins," Baptista-Fernandes says.

"HelloFresh brings these elements together through a broad choice of meals, fresh pre-portioned ingredients and straightforward recipes delivered to the door, helping make the journey from 'what's for dinner?' to dinner on the table simpler.

"A midweek win does not need to be complicated. Sometimes it is simply knowing what you are making, having everything ready and being able to enjoy the experience."

More information is available at hellofresh.co.nz.

Initially released in 2024, the Krone XDisc 710 had a design brief of short set-up times and operational reliability.

The 7.1 metre cutting width is a useful upgrade from the original XDisc 620’s 6.2m working width.

While the first XDisc 710 units had an integrated transport chassis to work exclusively with Krone’s Big X foragers, that has now been replaced with a dedicated transport wagon.

The header units feature two Krone EasyCut mower cutter bars, rigidly connected to each other and incorporating drive shafts to a central input gearbox. Each cutter bar is connected to an angular gearbox for positive-drive transmission that the manufacturer says results in a very consistent cut, even at high throughputs, which in turn helps ensure optimum chop quality.

Maintaining a consistent crop flow to the forager’s cutter-head, a 900mm diameter auger, height adjustable conveyor system, can be adjusted to match the intake housing speed using a three-speed gearbox. An internal, star ratchet clutch is said to reliably protect the auger conveyor against overloads.

On request, the XDisc 710 can be fitted with a crop press roller and side-mounted cutting blades, the former to optimise crop flow in heavy crops and the latter to cut entangled crops cleanly to minimise losses.

Krone claims to have minimised maintenance requirements and extended service life through the inclusion of a positive-mode chain drive with an active central lubrication unit.

The newly developed transport wagon has EU type-approval for a maximum authorised speed of 40kph, featuring as standard an integrated overrun brake, an automatic reverse function and a full lighting system. A two-axle design is aimed at stable handling and good tracking performance, even on tight bends, alongside the header’s unique top-mounting on the transport wagon for ease of use.

Four feeder housing mounting brackets are designed to maintain high ground clearance, incorporating hydraulic height adjustment, which also allows easy adaption to harvesters with smaller diameter tyre equipment, or non-standard configuration layouts.

See kronenewzealand.co.nz

The presentation represented a milestone for the German company, being the 200,000th Claas combine built. The company had doubled its combine production only six years after celebrating the 100,000th Claas combine in 1962, cementing its position amongst the world’s premier combine manufacturers.

Following decades of reliable service in Scotland, the veteran machine returned to the Claas UK headquarters in Saxham, Suffolk in 2025, where the machine was brought back to life by an enthusiastic service team, helped with parts support from the Claas World Parts centre at Hamm. Restoring the machine to full working order, the team were careful to preserve its patina as a nod to the battle scars it suffered during its decades of service.

Claas says the Senator was more than just another new combine model, as alongside its modern styling, it offered a new corporate identity and the introduction of the iconic Seed Green livery.

In July 2026, the combine showed it had lost none of its capacity for hard work, heading into a wheat crop in Suffolk and harvesting 20 tonnes of wheat in around five hours.

Later in the month, at Honey Hill Farm at Little Saxham, behind the Claas UK headquarters, three generations of Claas combines worked side by side in the same paddock, with the Senator joined by a 1953 Claas SF and a modern Trion 720. The event showcased the progress of harvesting efficiency with the SF harvesting around four tonnes per hour and the Trion delivering ten times that capacity at around 40 tonnes per hour.

Interestingly, Honey Hill Farm is still farmed by the Mann family, where back in the 1930s it served as the original base when Bill Mann first began importing Claas machinery, prior to moving to the extensive current Saxham site.

Export demand for New Zealand trim beef, used to make mince, is expected to remain strong for the foreseeable future, meaning consumers should not expect prices to fall anytime soon, Rabobank senior animal protein analyst Jen Corkran says.

How Much Has Beef Mince Gone Up?

Corkran says beef mince was traditionally considered a budget-friendly protein, but recent price rises mean that is no longer the case.

"Off the back of incredibly strong demand for trim beef across the last couple of years - especially out of the US - we've seen local retail prices for beef climb rapidly," she says. 

"If we go back to early 2024, the average price for beef mince was around $18 per kilo, however, since then it's been on a rapid upwards ascent, and the average price in July 2026 now sits at above $24.40 per kilo – more than 30% higher than it was just two and a half years ago."

Corkran says mince has historically been a go-to red meat option due to its versatility, but that is changing.

"It's not really the cheap option it once was," she says.

Why Are Beef Mince Prices Rising?

Corkran says the price rise is being driven largely by strong export demand for New Zealand trim beef, particularly from the US market.

She says global beef supply remains tight, both in New Zealand and internationally, and this is expected to keep prices elevated for some time.

"Here in New Zealand and around the world, beef supply is pretty tight and, as a result, we're likely to see beef mince prices remain elevated well into 2027," Corkran says. "This is, of course, great for Kiwi beef exporters, but it's much less welcome news for shoppers looking to keep their weekly food bill down."

Beef vs Chicken vs Pork: A Widening Price Gap

Corkran says the rise in beef mince prices stands in sharp contrast to price trends for chicken and pork, which have remained relatively flat over the same period.

"If we look at retail prices for chicken breast and pork loin chops for example, they're currently averaging $14.80 per kilo and $16.70 per kilo respectively, so chicken breast is actually a bit less expensive than it was in early 2024 and pork loin chops nearly exactly the same price," she says.

What Is Happening to Consumer Demand?

Corkran says Rabobank's global research team is closely monitoring how rising beef prices are affecting consumption patterns worldwide.

"In the US beef market, my colleagues there have actually been a bit surprised by just how resilient beef demand has been in spite of the record-high prices," she says. "US consumers aren't quite walking away from beef at this point, but they are changing within the category what they're purchasing, and in 2026 it appears US beef demand is recalibrating at record high prices, rather than collapsing."

She says the main concern in the US market is not that consumers have stopped buying beef, but that retailers and foodservice operators may have pushed prices close to the limit of consumer tolerance, particularly for higher-value cuts.

Foodservice and QSR Chains Turn to Chicken

Corkran says rising beef costs are prompting change at a global level, particularly within quick service restaurant (QSR) chains, where burgers are a key driver of customer traffic.

"In food service, and especially within quick service restaurant channels where burgers are a core traffic driver, operators are increasingly challenged by beef cost inflation," she says. "As a result, many chains continue to lean into chicken-based menu innovation and value offerings to protect margins and capture market share."

Corkran points to recent changes at McDonald's New Zealand as a local example of this trend. "In 2025, McDonald's introduced several new chicken items to its New Zealand menu, including the Chicken McCrispy and Chicken McWings," she says.

Could New Zealand Consumers Start Switching Proteins?

Corkran says sustained high beef prices raise the risk of New Zealand consumers trading down to lower-cost proteins such as chicken, which would reinforce a favourable demand outlook for poultry relative to beef domestically.

"At this stage we're yet to see any evidence of lower demand for beef mince here in New Zealand but, at some stage, we think there will be a point where the consumer says these high prices are getting too much for me, and this might prompt a more concerted switch to either smaller volumes purchased or lower priced protein options," she says.

The SOE says this has been achieved with better farm performance and careful cost management, delivering stronger returns for New Zealanders.

The Government will receive a dividend of $25 million during financial year 2026, with a further $15 million to be paid in early FY27.

Return on equity is 9% up from 7.3% in FY25. Net operating profit (NOP) is $113 million, up 131% from $49 million in FY25.

It points out that NOP provides a better reflection of company performance, as it excludes the impact of large and often one-off revaluations of assets, such as livestock and farms.

The company says that as a state-owned farming business, Pamu farms on behalf of the public of New Zealand, and this year’s result reflects the hard work of its farm teams, improved production, lower debt and disciplined everyday decisions across the business.

Despite global cost challenges, the result shows how practical improvements on farm, growing more feed, lifting animal performance, reducing waste, managing costs with discipline, and looking after people, animals and the environment are flowing through to stronger financial results.

Other financial and performance highlights include net profit after tax (NPAT) of $160 million, compared with $120 million in FY25 and net debt reduced by $36 million, continuing to strengthen the balance sheet.

Milk production of 15.8 million kgMS was 2.1 million kgMS increase since FY23 and 1.8 million kgMS since FY25.

Livestock production of 22 million kilograms of product including wool and velvet converted to carcass weight (2.2 million kilograms increase since FY23 and 0.1 million kilograms increase since FY25).

Pamu chief executive Mark Leslie said the result reflected a sustained lift in farm performance across the organisation.

"This is a fantastic result for Pamu, and it belongs to our people. It reflects several years of hard work across our farms and teams improving how we farm, making good decisions every day, keeping a close eye on costs, and getting more from the land and animals in our care."

While stronger commodity prices contributed to the outcome, Leslie said the result was about much more than pricing.

"Price has certainly helped, but our progress goes well beyond the market cycle. Over the past three years we've seen stronger production, improved cost control, a sharper focus on safety and wellbeing, continued progress in reducing emissions, and a stronger connection between our strategy and what happens on farm every day.

"Those are improvements we can control, and they give us confidence that Pamu is in better shape to keep delivering strong returns for future generations of New Zealanders."

Available with a standard wheelbase, the new Puma 155, 165 and 185 horsepower models have been engineered to deliver a better performance through improved transmission efficiency that offers best-in-class fuel consumption.

Operators can choose between the advanced 3x1 CVXDrive continuously variable transmission for improved efficiency, via three fully mechanical points in the set-up, or the ActiveDrive 8 dual-clutch transmission-featuring 24F/24R speeds for uninterrupted torque, fast shuttle shifts and smart automations. The latter is said to offer the benefits of near CVX-style operation, or a semi-powershift-style operation, for the likes of loader operation with repetitive shuttling.

 Independently tested by DLG for fuel consumption, 243 g/kWhr shows a best-in-class performance, while extended 750/1500-hour engine and transmission service intervals are said to offer significant operational savings and lower cost of ownership.

The new models now offer all the technology previously reserved for the higher horsepower models, adding the latest Case IH precision technology and connectivity features.

Optional ISOBUS and Tractor Implement Management (TIM) compatibility support seamless implement integration, with the expandable electronic architecture providing easy connection as new technology arrives. Operators can also access the latest capabilities of Case IH FieldOps, unlocking the benefits of Connected Services.

Ben Mitchell, ag product and portfolio manager ANZ, says the new Puma design offers improved manoeuvrability with a 20% tighter turning radius, by way of a new front axle ‘saddle’ suspension system, with twin hydraulic cylinders, combining to improve high-speed transport safety, roll control and enhanced braking responsiveness.

“In the cab, we have a very low 68 dBa noise rating, more comfort, increased storage, upgraded in-cab displays and easier access,” says Mitchell. “There is also a Pro 1200 display, upgraded MultiController Armrest, improved suspension and the optional semi-active seat designed to enhanced comfort. Externally, a redesigned hood and lighting package improve forward visibility.”

The new Puma 155, 165 and 185 models are available to order and for the foreseeable future will be complemented by the existing Puma offering, for those operators who only require a more basic configuration.

www.caseih.com/en-nz/newzealand/ 

Croplands Equipment Ltd has appointed Fruitfed Supplies as the nationwide distributor, reinforcing a partnership that dates to 1972, with a collaboration to distribute air-blast sprayers to NZ orchardists.

Developed specifically for vegetable production, the Kilter AX-1 combines artificial intelligence with advanced robotics to identify and target weeds growing among crops. Utilising patented Single Drop Technology, the robot then applies a droplet precisely onto individual weeds while avoiding the growing crop, helping reduce inputs and intervening earlier in the weed growth cycle.

In August and September, a roadshow across both islands will give growers the opportunity to see the technology operating in field conditions, learn more about its potential to reduce labour pressure and improve weed control outcomes.

The lightweight autonomous platform, developed in Norway, has undergone extensive testing in Australian vegetable-growing environments, providing the industry confidence as it introduces the technology to New Zealand growers.

Croplands New Zealand regional manager Rob Marshall says NZ vegetable growers are continually looking for ways to improve productivity while addressing ongoing challenges around labour availability, rising input costs and sustainability requirements.

“The Kilter AX-1 offers a completely different approach to weed management by combining autonomy and artificial intelligence to deliver highly targeted treatment at the plant level.”

 Lessons learned through local testing and grower engagement in Australia helped refine the platform for conditions experienced across both countries. The robot’s AI-powered green-on-green detection is said to be capable of identifying weeds at very early growth stages and accurately targeting them, allowing growers to act earlier, reduce pressure on labour resources and maintain cleaner crop beds throughout the season.

Fruitfed Supplies national product manager - machinery, Richard Flatman, says, “We see strong potential for NZ vegetable growers to benefit from the technology, particularly in high-value cropping systems where labour efficiency and precision are critical.”

The Kilter AX-1 is suitable for both conventional and organic production systems and supports a broad range of vegetable crops, with ongoing development continuing to expand its capabilities.

For roadshow details contact Richard Flatman +64 27 246 6344

Farmer lobby group Federated Farmers says it welcomes the move, claiming it directly addresses concerns the organisation has been raising for months.

"This is a really positive step for Waikato farmers and a direct response to the concerns we've been raising," says Waikato Federated Farmers president Chris Woolerton.

Why Federated Farmers Pushed for the Pause

Federated Farmers repeatedly called for the Government to put PC1 on pause, including at a public meeting at Mystery Creek. 

The lobby group has argued it made little sense for farmers to face a new set of regional rules when the Government is reworking the Resource Management Act (RMA), freshwater regulations and the national farm planning system.

Woolerton says the intervention gives farmers "breathing room" at a time when regulatory uncertainty is already high.

Relief for Whangamarino Wetland Catchment Farmers

One of the most significant changes affects more than 400 farmers in the Whangamarino Wetland catchment, who faced the prospect of needing a restricted discretionary resource consent simply to continue their existing farming activities.

Under the pause, that consenting requirement has been removed for the next five years.

Woolerton describes the previous requirement as creating a "huge amount of uncertainty and compliance cost" for farmers who were not proposing to change how they farm, only to keep operating as they were.

Removing it, he says, frees farmers to focus on production rather than navigating a consenting process that was set to be superseded by the Government's new national system regardless.

Farm-Planning Delay Aligns With National System

The Government has also delayed new farm-planning requirements in the Waikato region for five years, giving time for a national farm plan system to be developed.

Federated Farmers says this addresses a long-standing concern: that Waikato farmers risked being required to comply with a regional farm-planning framework only to then have to adapt to a separate national system shortly after.

Woolerton calls the delay "a common sense and pragmatic approach" that avoids duplication and confusion for farmers.

Land-Use Flexibility Still Unresolved

Despite welcoming the consenting and farm-planning changes, Federated Farmers says the announcement does not resolve a key issue at the centre of PC1: restrictions on farmers' ability to change land use.

Woolerton says farmers need to be able to respond to market conditions rather than remain locked into a particular farming system under rules set years earlier.

He points to potential implications for vegetable growers in the Waikato, arguing that restricting land-use change  could work against efforts to keep vegetables affordable and locally grown at a time when cost of living remains a pressing concern for many New Zealanders.

The same principle, he says,  applies to livestock farmers, including dairy farmers who may want to shift to another productive land use in response to changing market conditions.

What Happens Next

Federated Farmers says it will continue working through the detail of the Government's announcement to understand how the changes will apply in practice.

"We've got a lot of detail to work through, and we'll be looking closely at exactly how these changes will work in practice, but the direction is right," Woolerton says.

The organisation says it will continue to advocate for a resource management system that gives farmers flexibility to farm productively while still supporting environmental improvements.

In fact, a recent New Zealand survey of farmers and veterinarians found that while awareness of BVD is generally high, many farmers rely on a single control measure rather than the more comprehensive approach recommended by veterinarians.

The challenge is that BVD often goes unnoticed until it starts affecting reproductive performance, calf health or growth rates. By then, the virus may already be well established within the herd.

The most significant losses occur in breeding herds. When pregnant cows are exposed to BVD during a critical stage of gestation, the result can be empty cows, abortions, weak calves or the birth of persistently infected (PI) animals.

These PI animals are central to the ongoing spread of BVD. They are born carrying the virus and shed it continuously throughout their lives, exposing other cattle wherever they go.

From a beef farming perspective, this is particularly important because PI animals can move through trading, grazing and breeding systems while appearing outwardly normal.

A PI calf in a mob may be responsible for infecting numerous other animals before anyone realises there is a problem.

BVD can also impact growth rates and overall animal performance. Animals exposed to the virus may experience immune suppression, making them more susceptible to other diseases and reducing productivity.

One of the key findings from last year’s survey was that many farmers approach BVD using a single control method. Some rely primarily on vaccination. Others focus on testing. Some place most of their emphasis on biosecurity.

Veterinarians consistently recommended an integrated approach.

Rather than relying on one strategy, vets advocated for a layered programme that combines testing, biosecurity, vaccination and ongoing monitoring.

This approach recognises that each farm has different risk factors.

For example, purchasing breeding stock, introducing bulls, trading cattle, sharing boundaries with neighbouring properties and grazing animals off-farm can all create opportunities for BVD to enter a herd.

Understanding these risks is a critical first step.

Producers should work with their veterinarian to establish their herd’s current BVD status and identify where exposures may occur. Testing programmes can help identify infection and detect PI animals, while biosecurity measures can reduce the likelihood of introducing the virus in the future.

Protecting breeding animals is another key priority. Vaccination can be an important part of a wider herd health programme, helping reduce the risk of fetal infection and the creation of future PI animals.

However, vaccination should not be viewed as a standalone solution.

The farms achieving the strongest outcomes are typically those that take a broader approach and regularly review their BVD management plan.

To support those conversations, a practical BVD decision guide has been developed to help farmers assess their current level of risk and identify opportunities for improvement.

The guide focuses on four key questions:

• Is your herd genuinely closed?
• Do you know your herd’s BVD status?
• Are breeding animals protected?
• Is your BVD control plan complete?

Depending on the answers, the guide outlines practical next steps, including monitoring, testing, PI detection, biosecurity improvements and vaccination.

The recent survey reinforces a simple but important message. BVD control is not a one-off decision or a single farm practice. It requires a coordinated approach that reduces risk from multiple angles.

For beef farmers, that means looking beyond individual management tools and considering how the different pieces fit together.

By working with your veterinarian and adopting a comprehensive strategy, you can reduce the impact of BVD on reproductive performance, calf health and long-term herd productivity.

• Andrew MacPherson is veterinary technical advisor, MSD Animal Health

When FAW arrived, there was considerable uncertainty, Foundation for Arable Research’s biosecurity officer Ash Mills says.

“Many assumptions were based on overseas experience. Four years later, we have a much clearer understanding of where the pest fits within our maize production systems and what remains unknown.”

First detected in New Zealand in 2022, fall armyworm is one of the world’s most significant maize pests.

“The challenge was that while there was a large amount of international information available, very little of it had been tested under New Zealand conditions.”

Mills leads a three-year MPI Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures (SFFF) long-term management project, supported by Vegetables NZ, which has six months to go.

The project focuses on five key questions: where the pest occurs, when it becomes economically important, how it can be managed, how it fits within existing maize pest management, and what research remains necessary.

“Our challenge was not simply to control fall armyworm, it was to understand its place within the wider maize ecosystem,” he told the third annual FAW research workshop.

The first challenge was knowing where FAW was present and how populations changed over time.

To address this, the project established a national surveillance system combining pheromone trapping, field scouting and seasonal monitoring. It also developed identification guides, grower resources and the fallarmyworm.nz website to act as a central information hub.

“One important lesson emerged very quickly. Detecting moths (using pheromone traps) is relatively easy. Predicting crop damage is much harder.

“We also learned that effective surveillance depends on growers and advisers regularly inspecting crops, which remains one of the biggest practical challenges.”

The project shows that FAW management needs to be incorporated into existing integrated pest management programmes, but timing is earlier than for other maize pests. FAW activity is most economically important during vegetative crop stages, where yield potential remains vulnerable.

“When larvae are detected early, management options are generally effective and straightforward. As larvae grow and move deeper into the plant, control becomes more difficult.

“This is why management decisions must be based primarily on crop scouting rather than trap captures alone.”

Other species, particularly Helicoverpa armigera, also continue to contribute significantly to economic losses in maize.

Volunteer maize and other host plants may also support populations between seasons.

While the SFFF project has nearly finished, there is still plenty of work on FAW going on at research agencies including the Bioeconomy Science Institute, Ash Mills says.

“We still don’t fully understand how well fall armyworm overwinters in New Zealand or what drives seasonal population changes. Improving our ability to forecast outbreaks remain a key priority.

“Another important question is the frequency and origin of new incursions. Without frequent population genetic studies, we can’t determine what proportion of the FAW population is the result of over-winter survival versus new arrivals from Australia. This has important implications for both biosecurity and insecticide resistance management,” Mills says.

He leaned on his trusted team, including veterinarian Simon Marshall, to form a parasite management plan and tackle the problem head-on.

Kereru Farm is a 940ha (575ha effective) sheep and beef farm in Weber, Tararua district. Hales runs a 50:50 ratio of sheep to cattle at 11 stock units/ha. Today, the sheep enterprise involves 1600 breeding ewes, with no hogget mating, and finishing lambs. They run 140 breeding cows and sell yearling calves. There is a large beef trading component of bulls and steers.

Despite no indication there was a worm problem on the sheep and beef farm, a routine drench check in 2018 revealed the scale of the issue.

Production animal veterinarian with Vet Services Dannevirke, Simon Marshall, describes the result as “scary”, so much so he didn’t believe it at first. A second check proved that drench resistance was indeed present. A full drench reduction test the following season confirmed their fears.

At that time, triple drench resistance was known of but hardly spoken about – it was certainly not something you wanted to tell anyone you had. Hales has always been open to change, and he was willing to do whatever it took to reverse the resistance, even though he wasn’t sure if that was possible.

“It was probably the first time I had seen it (triple drench resistance) in reality. There wasn’t a lot around, or it certainly wasn’t commonplace,” Marshall says.

They started by going over their system with a fine-tooth comb, eliminating other possible causes, like storage of product or incorrect dosage.

Hales was lucky to have a good team around him, particularly Marshall and farm consultant John Cannon. Marshall brought the expertise in animal health and genetics and Cannon was able to run a lens over any possible farm system changes recommended, to ensure they could still run a profitable business, while tackling drench resistance.

“The business still needed to make money and that’s where John could cast a lens over it. A vet can give you best practice, but sometimes that won’t work in terms of returns, so there has to be a middle ground,” Marshall explains.

They understood it was not a problem that could be fixed overnight, and it would be a long journey. They came up with scenarios of what could work from a farm system point of view, while implementing best practice to reduce the worm burden.

Back then, Hales was running an 80:20 sheep to cattle ratio. He stopped drenching ewes, knowing he needed to drop numbers and change the ratio. Stopping drenching allowed him to identify and cull ewes he didn’t want.

They analysed the land classes and identified areas that were not returning value from sheep. This allowed them to diversify and make changes to the stock policy, with integrated grazing a core tactic to ease the worm pressure.

He also started selling store lambs, only retaining what he could fatten on the property. “It was about making sure the numbers were right and increasing different stock classes of cattle. Every part of the farm now has different classes of stock go through it.”

Feeding stock well was another key factor, reducing ewe numbers and lifting covers to feed every animal to its potential, all year round.

Finally, regular monitoring was crucial. The animal health plan set out regular intervals for drench tests and faecal egg counts (FEC), with decisions made based on information.

“Now we are farming far better than we were then. Part of it is regular monitoring through drench checks and FEC but also genetic selection has played a massive role. I select strongly on traits like dag score and worm FEC.”

A Collaborative Approach

Today, Kereru Farm is proof that drench resistance is not a death sentence.

A collaborative approach to farm systems changes led to overall improved farming practices and better productivity outcomes, with minimal reliance on the use of drench. And now, their drench status is good.

Discovering drench resistance was a trigger to speed up farm system change that would have happened regardless, Simon Hales says. All the changes made, with drench resistance in mind, have added up to increase production from his sheep flock exponentially, lifting killing weights and increasing production per hectare.

It’s been a team effort and Hales is a big campaigner for working alongside your vet.

“My vet is a key player in the game of farming. When it came to the drench resistance issue, having that relationship with production animal veterinarian with Vet Services Dannevirke, Simon Marshall, he understood my farm system and everything we put in the animal health plan, he was able to relate back to the issue we had. Everything we do now is still trying to mitigate the situation we had in 2018.”

For Marshall, it’s about being open to a conversation with your vet about the big picture, not simply asking for advice on what drench to use. Things like the farm system, genetics, good feeding and regular monitoring can all contribute to lower drench use, and should be taken into account.

“We need to be thinking about working with that farmer for the next 50 years, not just the next five years.”

• Article supplied by Zoetis

France had admitted that 9 out of 10 of their recent wildfires had been started, many deliberately, by human hands. That’s right. No surprises there for me, nor for the many others like me, who well know the media manipulation that happens behind the scenes to control the climate narrative.

Back here at home in our own great little country, our national election season is now upon us, like it or not. Parties involved have officially launched their campaigns, so all of the usual that comes with that has now gone public.

First up though, surprise, surprise, it looks like the current coalition Government will make it intact through to the elections in November. Why the surprise, you may wonder?

Well, I remember the many voices in the media back in late ‘23 and early ’24 who told us this three party coalition just couldn’t last the three full years up ahead.

The handshakes and camera smiles would surely unravel. And there was simply no-way a rookie Prime Minister facing something as complex as this could pull this off. A “Three-Headed Monster” like this going the distance? Nope, can’t be done!

I’ll be watching to see if there is any retraction, maybe even a veiled apology from the media, or possibly a conciliatory “well done”, to the three leaders.

Now to the election itself. Of course, the usual voter-courting promises will get generously splashed around. That’s the normal for election seasons. Hopefully, most of us have wised up to that by now!

Way back as a young fella, I learned that great truth - “actions speak louder than words”. And after all these years, I have never found any reason to change on that.

Anyone can talk it up at any time. But talk is simply never enough to build trust. People with any life experience and functioning common sense know that. They don’t believe what you say, they believe what you do.

And then there will be all the freebies on offer. Of course, the word free in cases like this is really a misnomer. It may be free of charge for the individuals being wooed, but the truth is, some hard-working people somewhere will be paying for it.

Yep, it seems governments get to generously spend other people’s hard-earned money for almost any fantasy of their choosing.

Over the last few days, I have been trying to think of something more financially stupid than giving away freebies, which are ultimately paid for with borrowed money.

Can you imagine a hard-working local farmer sitting down with his bank manager trying to raise a loan for that one? Or a private business owner for that matter?

I’m sure the bank manager would find some way to fit the word ‘stupid’ into the conversation somewhere!

I think it’s important to get out and vote. And I do what I can to stay informed and keep up to speed on the real issues we face as a country.

Yep, elections surely come with some very real uncertainties and unknowns. The future tends to be like that. Yet I will still sleep well, because of who I know. Keep well and God bless.

To contact Colin Miller,email thefarmerschaplain@gmail.com.

SIR – There is concern in West Germany over the falling birth rate. The accompanying graph might suggest a solution that every child knows makes sense.

HELMUT SIES – Institut fur Physiologische Chemie 1, Universitiit Dusseldorf, Moorenstrasse 5, D-4000 Dusseldorf, FRG

Professor Sies' medical and biochemical training enabled him to show the relationship between the falling human birth rate and the decline in breeding storks… approximately 94% of the birth rate is directly associated.

Does This Indicate That Storks Really Do Bring Babies?

Or is it as much of an indication that correlation is not causation as the relationship between nitrate in drinking water and preterm babies?

Media coverage has focused on the recent paper from researchers from several New Zealand universities resulting from a collaboration in a national cohort study on preterm births (PTB) and nitrate in drinking water. The researchers concluded that higher nitrate concentrations in drinking water were associated with increased odds of PTB. Under a causal assumption, their analysis suggested approximately 120 or 4% PTB per year were attributable to nitrate exposure.

Examination of various reports does not support the suggestion.

The Champion Centre based in Christchurch concluded that South Island’s West Coast, the North Island’s MidCentral district and the Tairawhiti coast were most likely to have PTB.

The Ministry of Health New Zealand data indicate that percentage of PTB is highest in MidCentral (9.2%), Hutt Valley (8.8%), Canterbury (8.2%) and West Coast (8.1%). The Earth Sciences NitrateWatch Citizen Science project has a map showing nitrate. Greenpeace and one of the authors of the new paper were involved in sample collection. The red spots (indicating high nitrate) are certainly in Canterbury – but they are also in Southland and the Waikato… and do not appear in Tairawhiti or Upper Hutt.

The overall figure for PTB in New Zealand is 7.9%, but ethnicity has an effect. For Māori it’s 9%, Pacific Island it is 8.1% and for Pākehā it is 7.1%. There are clearly more things to investigate than nitrate in drinking water

The stork and baby data come from a paper published in the Journal of Humanistic Mathematics in 2023, with the title Where do Babies Come From. It warned that “correlation simply means that there is a relationship between two factors that tells nothing about the direction of the relationship, if any. Another possibility is simple coincidence”.

Or perhaps researchers should look more deeply for causes before the alarm is raised.

So, these words are for you – the rural reader wondering if your attempt at making a living by producing the food that fortifies peoples’ bodies has really caused all the problems of the world, including degrading the waterways and making people sick.

It hasn't.

There are more people being fed to a better state of nutrition than ever before. Humans are living longer, healthier lives. They are able to have greater work-life balance than in earlier times.

Your work in increasing productivity from the land has enabled society’s well-being.

Because of you and the efforts you make in increasing productivity from your assets, lifestyles have improved. StatsNZ has the data.

The productivity gains in agriculture have outstripped most other sectors in the economic cycles since 1978 when records began.

Multifactor productivity, which takes into account labour, has been exceeded only by Information Media and Telecommunications (IMT) in the time period since 1978 (agriculture 2.5, IMT 2.7) with most sectors barely reaching 1.

On the foundation of the export economy, New Zealanders report a life satisfaction of 7.6 where the OECD average is 7.28.

Further, New Zealand tops the index (created by Remote – a global employment assistance company) in having the best work-life balance of 60 countries because of a “high minimum wage and generous leave”.

New Zealand is a pretty good place to live.

But listen to the media reports and one might be persuaded that many things are going to wrack and ruin.

The sad fact is that agriculture is often the first thing blamed.

A paper in 2023 in the Journal of Humanistic Mathematics re-examined Where Do Babies Come From and concluded that “Statisticians and mathematicians know that correlation does not imply causation. Still, many conspiracy theories, misconceptions and fake news are based on fallacious arguments that involve spurious correlations”.

Almost 99% of the divorce rate in Maine is directly associated with the consumption of margarine.

Should you be watching out for butter replacement on the dining table? Or simply keeping a wary eye remembering Mark Twain’s words: There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics.

Dr Jacqueline Rowarth, Adjunct Professor Lincoln University, is a farmer-elected director of DairyNZ and Ravensdown. She is also a member of the Scientific Council of the World Farmers’ Organisation. jsrowarth@gmail.com 

It’s time to finalise the National Organic Standard, unlock export growth, implement a fair model for certification and support growers and producers wishing to transition into organics.

Last week the Government launched consultation on how to future-proof and grow the organic sector by ensuring there is a strong and modern regulatory framework.

New Zealand is introducing a national system to regulate organic products. The aim is to make organic claims more consistent, build consumer confidence, and give businesses clearer rules.

But as Organics Aotearoa New Zealand (OANZ) says, let’s not lose time debating whether organics works.

The time has come match policy with performance, to back the sector that is delivering economic growth, environmental restoration, and social resilience.

In just four years, the value of New Zealand’s organic sector has grown from NZ$723 million to $1.18 billion.

Exports now total $606.7 million, growing at more than twice the rate of total primary sector exports. Organic dairy and kiwifruit continue to lead the charge, but significant opportunities remain in organic wine, lamb, beef, wool, and horticulture. With targeted support, these product groups can generate higher value returns from the same land area, returns that are proven and recognised in key markets.

The global opportunity is enormous. Consumers in the US, Europe, China and across Asia Pacific are seeking food that is safe, healthy, traceable and ethically produced. These markets increasingly demand verified sustainability and organic certification offers that they can trust. The global organic food and beverage market is expected to reach US$650 billion by 2033.

As OANZ says, New Zealand is well positioned to meet that demand, but only if we act now to remove the policy and trade barriers holding us back.

Only 89,500 hectares, less than 1% of agricultural land, is certified organic.

Certification costs remain a significant burden, particularly for small and medium-sized producers. And the regulatory infrastructure is incomplete, with no finalised National Organic Standard.

The consultation launched last week is a good start. Working with organic sector stakeholders, the Government can turn the fledgling sector into a high-value, low-impact contributor to NZ’s future.

His comments come as fears grow about what affect the El Nino weather system may have on the primary sector, and in this case on the unpredictable challenges facing fixed wing and rotary pilots applying fertiliser and spray on properties.

Weir says people are now starting to think seriously about El Nino which traditionally brings dry conditions on the east coast and strong winds and rain on the west coast.

Fertiliser companies are already telling farmers that they should expect greater variability in the weather and fewer ideal application windows. This warning is already being taken seriously – especially it would appear by owners of larger farming operations who are placing orders for fertiliser well in advance of when they may be needed.

According to Weir, farmers need to engage early with his members to be ready for what may evolve in the coming months. He says farmers need to book in early and also be aware that it may take longer than normal to get fertiliser applied because of high winds.

“The other thing that will come into play this season is on-farm facilities and, in the case of fixed wing aircraft, airstrip access and serviceability are key. Have you got a bin and is it dry and weatherproof and can you put your fertiliser in it and have it stored through two or three weeks of showers and wind?

“This is important so that we as an industry can make the most of the narrow weather windows we are expecting to see. In the spray game, with helicopters and fixed wing as well, the spray windows are going to be narrow,” he says.

Weir says they are asking farmers to be patient and understanding given the conditions that are likely to prevail.

He says some farmers have their eyes open and are thinking of going early, realising they need to get fertiliser on before it gets too dry. He says if they get fert on soon and soil does dry out, it will be there and ready to be effective when the rains come.

Demand for Fert

Weir says overall his members are seeing reasonably strong demand for late winter, early spring nitrogen applications.

He says the weather event that went through the Wairarapa recently probably dulled that somewhat. But he says there is certainly plenty of demand to get fertiliser on now and build up good supplies of feed for what looks to be strong lambing percentages.

“But effectively we are in a market that is still very much in the recovery from the downturn,” he says.

The price of fuel forms a large part of the cost of aerial spraying and topdressing, but Kent Weir says farmers understand the need for a fuel surcharge. He says most realised that when the Middle East crisis is resolved, prices will return to some normality.

“Right now, what we are asking from our customers is to understand that as an industry we are operating in some very narrow windows. Whilst it might be fine at your place today, the chances are that we are still trying to get through the stuff that was ordered and we were supposed to do last week."

That’s the view of Professor Paul Kenyon, head of Massey Universities School of Agriculture and the Environment, who told Rural News that graduates from his school are in high demand by employers. He says some students who will graduate in October already have confirmed jobs.

He says those with ag related degrees have no problem getting jobs, especially if they are prepared to work in the regions and not the cities. Kenyon says the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) has done some modelling which shows that people with an agricultural or horticultural degree will, in their lifetime, earn a million dollars more than those who don’t have one of these degrees.

Kenyon says enrolments in the School of Agriculture and the Environment have risen steadily over the last three years and now stand at around 370. But he says the option of doing a degree by distance is now proving very popular and that about 40% of the students enrolled in courses are doing it this way, which he says makes perfect sense.

“If you live in the regions and work in an industry that you are passionate about, why wouldn’t you do your degree over five years rather than coming to the Massey campus full time?

“What we are seeing more of is people who have been out of school for a year or two taking the distance learning option. Those that come directly from school tend to do their degree full time at the university,” he says.

Kenyon says a significant number of those working in the horticulture sector go for the distance option, but they also get students in various agribusiness occupations doing this. He says gone are days when 10 years ago a significant number of the students that did ag, hort or agri business came from, and were going back to, a farm, orchard or garden.

“Now they are coming from right across the value chain, including some who are working on farms or orchards. There will be those who are working in the service industries such as exporting, banks and the like,” he says.

There is no formal time limit on how long a student has to complete their degree by distance, but Kenyon says the hope is that they would do this in about six years – double the time it would take a full time student to do the same degree.

Graduate Diploma

To meet the changing needs of industry, Professor Paul Kenyon says in 2027 Massey is offering what is called a graduate diploma in either agriculture or horticulture.

He says this is aimed at people who already have a degree, such as accountancy, and are working for a company in the primary sector and who would like to gain a better understanding of agriculture or horticulture.

“So, they don’t want to do a whole degree, but they would like some upskilling. In which case they might do a set of second year horticulture courses and graduate with a diploma in horticulture. This will help them understand the ins and outs of the industry and what the drivers are, relating to productivity and profitability,” he says.

Kenyon says they may get support from employers but others may do it off their own bat.

Overall, there is an upsurge in young people looking to make a career in some aspect of the primary sector. This is already being reflected in secondary schools where there’s been a high demand for subjects in agriculture, horticulture and agribusiness.

That data may include location, date and time, weather conditions, fuel consumption, hours worked, individual bale weights and dry matter. They are also likely to encompass operating parameters on individual and fleets of machines, looking at location, preloaded job details and the ability to pass details and data between machines on the go.

A recent visit to Australasia by CNH’s chief technology officer, Jay Schroeder, allowed Rural News the opportunity to understand where technology might be heading. Schroeder leads the company’s global R&D community which includes technology, innovation, vehicle & implements, precision technology, user experience and powertrain.

Having visited CNH’s breaking new ground event in Phoenix Arizona in 2022, which showcased where the multi-national might be heading in the tech space, Rural News asked Schroeder which of the ideas we were shown had reached commercialisation.

Currently, those include autonomous operation of prime movers, tandem operation of machine, green on green targeted spraying operations and a greater interest in electrically powered tractors and tractors featuring generators to power electrically driven implements.

Schroeder also spoke about the group’s flagship combine harvesters, which featured impressive technology to maximise output and remove mundane tasking away from the operator. After setting pre-loaded harvesting parameters around losses, the machines are now able to autonomously look at the standing crop, then adjust forward speed drum and cleaning systems to meet the desired parameters, over real-time changing crop conditions.

Noting that CNH invested around US$750 million annually on R&D, around 25% was focused on agriculture. He also compared adoption rates of the latest technologies.

“In North America, we see adoption rates of around 95%, it sits at about 75% across much of Europe and currently, we see about 50% adoption in New Zealand,” he said.

Given that NZ is a largely pastoral landscape, Rural News asked how the latest technology could help livestock farmers justify a sizeable investment. Schroeder explained, “I understand the reluctance, as my father is an 80-year old dairy farmer back in the US. Even using basic systems such as row guidance and maybe automated steering can save up to 30% of input costs of fertiliser or sprays, when compared to application by eye.”

At the same time, Schroeder pointed out reduced operator stress, alongside peripheral savings in fuel and operating hours and a payback on the investment of typically around three years.

As me move into the increasing realm of artificial intelligence (AI) noted the role of the technology played in designing and developing new products more quickly and highlighted by the recent substantial investment at its San Matteo R&D hub in Modena, Italy.

As well as optimising supply chain logistics through highspeed robotics, a new simulation hub establishes a virtual-first methodology, meaning it identifies machine design anomalies early in the product lifecycle, reducing time-to-market by over 30%.

The operation, as an integrated digital twin, is said to minimise engineering risks, optimise field validation, and reduces testing emissions across three technological pillars, including a Dynamic Simulator, Multi-Dyno Test Cell and an Advanced Sensor Test Track.

At the same time, Schroeder acknowledged the apparent risks of access to its systems but confirmed that a dedicated resource team had establish secure and robust procedures and firewalls to thwart unauthorised use.

Speaking at the recent HortNZ conference, he said that the geopolitical tensions between the US and China and the Middle East and Russia are having a significant impact on NZ's trade. He added that the supply chain challenges that have emerged are a refreshing reminder of what we faced during Covid.

Vitalis says in the future NZ needs to be more focused on resilience and how that needs to be handled in an international context. He says this is so that the supply and value chains that we have developed and rely on to export can be sustained.

"The second big feature in the trade policy sense is rising protectionism and that is well and truly back. I think there was a time when some of us were briefly optimistic that protectionism was reducing and the future was looking good for agricultural exporters, but unfortunately, it's not possible to be quite so optimistic anymore," he says.

The other issue he noted was the rise in non-tariff trade barriers. It's well-known that many economies are finding novel and interesting ways to protect their ag sector, often to the detriment of NZ.

One example of this is the USA which has, for whatever reason, imposed 12.5% tariffs on many of our exports. Other countries have from time to time mad last minute 'technical changes' such as new food labelling rules which delay or prevent exports reach destinations.

Vitalis says another factor that NZ is having to deal with is a focus by some key export destinations on the issue of food security. With problems in the Middle East, jurisdictions such as the EU are now thinking about what they call 'strategic autonomy' - code for protectionism and food security.

"So, given all these things, the jungle has grown back and there will be more disorder and uncertainty," he says.

Vitalis says NZ's trade strategy is now about getting a more rules-based trading environment, developing resilience and innovating to try and mitigate the problems we face. He says we are a small country and need to be creative in developing new free trade agreements and dealing with the plethora of non-tariff trade barriers.

More FTAs

Trade Minister Todd McClay says he'll be making a concerted effort over the next five years to obtain more FTAs.

He says the process has already begun with Switzerland with an agreement to establish a Trade and Investment Dialogue. He says Switzerland is an important partner for NZ and one of the world's most innovative and advanced economies.

Two-way trade between the two countries were worth NZ$1.88 billion as at the end of last year.

McClay says the Trade and Investment Dialogue will lead to closer economic cooperation and enhanced collaboration, through bilateral trade and investment forums like the World Trade Organisation, the OECD, and the FIT Partnership.

"At a time of growing global economic uncertainty, it is more important than ever that like-minded countries work together to strengthen trade and investment," he says.

Beside Switzerland, McClay says Brazil and Columbia are high on the agenda for trade talks, as are Sri Lanka and Bangladesh - the latter country, which has 170 million people, has done a trade deal with the USA. He says NZ is also looking towards Africa and in particular Rwanda and Nigeria.

Members were invited to attend a Special General Meeting of the association, due to be held in Christchurch earlier this week as Rural News went to print.

The notice sent to members said the committee considered that grounds for suspension has been met because Cuttance had "behaved in a manner prejudicial to the objects of the Association and has brought the Association into disrepute".

It said the committee's decision was based on "unacceptable conduct relating to the Canterbury West Coast Branch Committee, including persistent, unsolicited, and inflammatory correspondence including personal attacks against individuals; and harassing behaviour towards DINZ personnel (which has involved legal action by DINZ personnel)".

NZDFA chairman Evan Potter said that it was an internal matter for the Association to resolve.

"If you have read the notice, that is all I will be commenting on," Evans told Rural News.

A two-thirds majority was required to confirm the suspension; otherwise Cuttance would return to full membership.

Cuttance, who is a branch committee member and previously stood unsuccessfully for the national board, also declined to go on the record prior to the meeting.

However, in previous correspondence with Rural News, Cuttance has questioned the value of the levy system, not just within deer farming but New Zealand agriculture generally, which he said squandered tens of millions of dollars annually.

He said that deer farmers now numbered less than 1500, down from 4500 in 1999, yet paid $7.7 million in annual levies to support a DINZ staff of 15 full and part-timers and a board of eight. It also spent on programmes he considered a waste of money, including the North American Retail Accelerator programme.

Cuttance farms near Oxford in North Canterbury, exporting deer velvet-based products, predominantly to the North American veterinary market.

The listed company reported operating revenue of $1.1 billion, the first time since it crossed the billion dollar mark since 2019 when it sold its seed business.

Net profit jumped 46% on the previous year to $15.6m for the year ending June 2026.

PGW chief executive Stephen Guerin says NZ's agricultural sector enters the 2017 financial year from a position of relative strength, supported by healthy international demand and favourable conditions across many key sectors.

Strong returns in red meat, dairy, and horticulture continue to provide positive momentum for rural New Zealand, supporting farm and orchard profitability, increasing investment and driving growth.

But he says that while the outlook is positive and we have seen a pleasing start to FY27, some areas of challenge remain.

Geopolitical tensions, supply chain disruption, elevated input costs, and the potential impact of El Niño conditions present risks.

In addition, election-year dynamics may contribute to a degree of caution in parts of the rural economy, particularly the rural property market. Viticulture and arable farming are also expected to remain challenging in the near term.

Guerin says spring is key for his company as 80% of sales occur between September to December.

"The forward orders in place look very good but a lot will depend on customer confidence and weather," he told Rural News.

PGW will provide a market update when it releases its first quarter results in October.

For the 2026 financial year, PGW's retail & water group achieved record revenue and growth across most business units. Operating revenue increased 10% to $851.2 million, while operating EBITDA increased 6% to $44.5 million.

Improved confidence across the sheep, beef, dairy, and horticulture sectors, particularly kiwifruit, supported increased customer spending and investment throughout the year, says PGW.

Labelled "Cool Beef", the four-year programme will explore the relationships between feed efficiency, methane emissions, and production traits. The aim is to come up with new breeding tools to produce cattle that reduce methane by utilising feed more efficiently.

The Ag Emissions Centre has come on board to fund the programme, which will be led by Beef+Lamb NZ.

Following about three years of pilot work, the programme was officially launched last week at the Te Mania Angus Stud on the North Canterbury coast near Cheviot, which will be one of the two main research sites, the other being Pāmu's St Kilda farm near Taupo.

Speaking at the launch, Beef+Lamb chair Kate Acland said it has the potential to deliver practical benefits for New Zealand beef farmers.

"Understanding how efficiently cattle convert feed into production has real value for us in our farm businesses and that's what makes this programme so important."

The goal was to generate robust science and data needed to support future breeding tools.

Acland said that every farm has different breeding objectives, selecting animals for productivity, fertility or productivity.

"Cool Beef will build on that by exploring whether additional information around feed efficiency and methane traits can help support future breeding decisions."

She said that having breeders contribute animals for the research would ensure the results would be grounded in real New Zealand farming systems.

Dr Jason Archer, head of Beef+Lamb NZ Genetics, said the challenge was in balancing three things - feed efficiency (the relationship between feed intake and production); methane intensity (how many kilos of meat are produced per unit of methane); and how much methane is produced per kilo of feed eaten.

"That's something that we really want to work on."

Archer said there were many research questions to be asked.

"What's the opportunity to reduce methane yield and improve feed efficiency together? Is it one or the other or both? We obviously hope the outcomes are both."

Some of the methodology comes from the ongoing Cool Sheep programme, which started in 2006 with similar aims. That uses trailer-mounted Portable Accumulation Chambers (PACs) to measure individual animals' methane and other emissions by shutting animals in and monitoring gas levels over a short period of time.

Cattle-sized PACs have been installed at Te Mania and St Kilda for feed intake and methane emissions data, with animals to be provided by Te Mania and St Kilda and about another eight breeders around the country. Another Pāmu location, Kepler Farm in Te Anau, will collect methane measurements directly from cattle grazing on pasture. The programme will work with Hereford, Angus, and Hereford-Angus crosses, because they represent about 80% of the national beef herd.