When compaction is a good thing
Good silage starts by cutting the crop at the correct growth stage, followed by reducing moisture content, chopping to a consistent length, then stacking in a clamp.
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.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says the relationship between New Zealand and the US will remain strong and enduring irrespective of changing administrations.
More than 200 people turned out on Thursday, November 21 to see what progress has been made on one of NZ's biggest and most comprehensive agriculture research programmes on regenerative agriculture.
The a2 Milk Company (a2MC) says securing more China label registrations and developing its own nutritional manufacturing capability are high on its agenda.
Stellar speakers, top-notch trade sites, innovation, technology and connections are all on offer at the 2025 East Coast Farming Expo being once again hosted in Wairoa in February.
As a guest of the Italian Trade Association, Rural News Group Machinery Editor Mark Daniel took the opportunity to make an early November dash to Bologna to the 46th EIMA exhibition.
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