Grief over grain drain
A whole generation of farmers don’t seem to know about the advantages of feeding NZ-grown grain to livestock, claims Jeremy Talbot.
YIELDS ARE good and headers ahead of schedule as cropping farmers reel in this year’s grass, cereal and small seed crops.
A few suffered some hail and wind damage early last month but a fine fortnight since has helped make amends.
“Yields are back on last year but still reasonably good,” Federated Farmers’ Grain & Seed chairman Ian Mackenzie told Rural News.
“The heat around Christmas has probably taken the edge off grain yields but grass seed seems to have done reasonably well.”
On his own farm, wheat he’d not irrigated did 11-12t/ha where it might have done 14t/ha if it hadn’t been so hot.
“We’ve not done any irrigated wheat yet so it will be interesting to see if that’s good, bad or indifferent.”
For some without irrigation, the harvest is all but home, such as the Clarksons, at Greendale, Canterbury, who finished wheat last week.
“This year’s been much more straightforward than last year,” noted Lloyd, heading the last paddock of Savannah feed wheat for brothers John and Andy.
Yielding at least 9t/ha it was well above average off the Templeton silt soil. “Six to eight tonnes is more the norm off this ground.”
In Southland, John Gardyne says autumn barley yields are average or just under, probably due to late frosts, but harvest weather has been fantastic.
“The humidty was down to 34% yesterday.” Consequently grain’s coming in with good colour and no drying required. Meanwhile spring barleys and wheats are ripening fast, which is a possible concern for yields.
“I almost daren’t say it, but the wheats need another drink.”
Federated Farmers herbage seed section chair Hugh Wigley says yield reports of earlier grass cultivars have generally been “up to expectation” though he hadn’t harvested any of his own crops near Waimate, South Canterbury.
According to ASB, Fonterra's plan to sell it's Anchor and Mainlands brands could inject $4.5 billion in additional spending into the economy.
New Zealand’s trade with the European Union has jumped $2 billion since a free trade deal entered into force in May last year.
The climate of uncertainty and market fragmentation that currently characterises the global economy suggests that many of the European agricultural machinery manufacturers will be looking for new markets.
Dignitaries from all walks of life – the governor general, politicians past and present, Maoridom- including the Maori Queen, church leaders, the primary sector and family and friends packed Our Lady of Kapiti’s Catholic church in Paraparaumu on Thursday October 23 to pay tribute to former prime Minister, Jim Bolger who died last week.
Agriculture and Forestry Minister, Todd McClay is encouraging farmers, growers, and foresters not to take unnecessary risks, asking that they heed weather warnings today.
With nearly two million underutilised dairy calves born annually and the beef price outlook strong, New Zealand’s opportunity to build a scalable dairy-beef system is now.

OPINION: The Greens have taken the high moral ground on the Palestine issue and been leading political agitators in related…
One of the most galling aspects of the tariffs whacked on our farm exports to the US is the fact…