Silage cover reduces wastage
Waikato farmer Dave Muggeridge was fed up with water seeping in through his maize silage cover and spoiling feed.
Crop packaging company Agpac says its use of coloured silage and hay bales to raise awareness of breast cancer in rural communities is catching on in other countries.
The bales (pink for silage, pink and black for hay) are intended to get people talking about women’s health, especially breast cancer prevention.
Agpac general manager Chris Dawson says his company worked with its overseas suppliers to develop the packaging.
The company donates a percentage of sales of the pink products to Sweet Louise, which supports Kiwi women with secondary breast cancer, and their families.
“The limited supply of the pink silage wrap and pink and black netwrap we had this
year sold well,” Dawson says. “Farmers, contractors and rural newspapers have picked up the story. [It’s] been very gratifying. Thanks to this positive response we will expand the programme next year.”
Agpac asked contractors buying the pink wrap to supply it to farms near major roads so the pink bales would stand out.
Te Awamutu contractor Maurice Forkert says the pink was popular with his dairy farmer clients and especially their wives. “It was all sold by word of mouth. One farmer wasn’t so keen at first, but his daughter insisted and he came around.”
Sweet Louise, a charitable trust, offers counselling and emotional support, haircuts, wigs and hats, and helpers who do chores around the home.
Chief executive Fiona Hatton says she is thrilled at Agpac’s help, especially in regions otherwise hard to reach.
An Israeli company Tama Plastic Industry, supplied the pink and black striped netwrap, and Swedish company Trioplast supplied the pink bale wrap.
“Agpac’s Australian parent company Tapex has picked up the idea and is promoting breast cancer awareness in rural communities there,” Dawson says. “Tama is rolling out its pink and black netwrap in Europe and Israel.”
The company says it intends to add a blue bale wrap to raise awareness of men’s health and prostate cancer in support of Prostate Cancer Foundation NZ.
Farmer-owned co-operative Ravensdown is winding down the operations of its agritech subsidiary C-Dax following a long decline in sales.
The recent East Coast Farming Expo, held over two days at Wairoa, offered an insight into the current state of agriculture on the east of the North Island, at a time when the locals are remembering the second anniversary of Cyclone Gabrielle.
A Research programme supported by Beef+Lamb NZ is investigating the potential of ‘accelerometer’ sensors for early detection of conditions such as facial eczema (FE) in sheep.
In the past year, the Farmer Time for Schools programme which seeks to connect New Zealand school students with farmers, has experienced further growth.
Fresh Carriers Co. Ltd (FCC) and Zespri have completed the first ever kiwifruit charter powered by a low-emissions fuel.
New Zealand lingerie brand Rose & Thorne is expanding its virtual bra fitting service in an effort to provide rural women in with better access to specialised advice.
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