Te Pari Launches Modular AB Race
With the artificial breeding season creating increased activity and the need to handle cattle safely and efficiently, a dedicated AB race is becoming increasingly popular on New Zealand dairy farms.
Oamaru-headquartered Te Pari’s recent acquisition of Vetmarker from Fenemor Innovations includes all trademarks and patents associated with the sheep docking apparatus.
Te Pari says the range of patented products – created by Taihape farmer John Fenemor – have been designed to minimise lamb distress and increase efficiency during lamb docking and tailing procedures.
Lambs are placed into the apparatus and cradled by rollers as they move through the system, allowing farmers easy access for docking and tailing procedures.
The Vetmarker product range is patented, with bespoke features to ensure lambs land on their feet when exiting and a spray unit to mitigate flystrike.
Te Pari global sales manager Jeremy Blampied says the acquisition means the patented products will remain under Kiwi ownership and product manufacturing will shift from the North Island to Oamaru.
“We are delighted to introduce the state-ofthe- art Vetmarker products into our Te Pari offering,” he says. “They are complementary to our sheep-handling portfolio and fit nicely within the livestock handling and animal management ecosystem.”
With a global distribution reach, Te Pari plans to export the Vetmarker system to farms around the world, particularly in Australia and the UK.
Noting a global shift towards precision animal management, where animals are managed on an individual basis – particularly in Australia and the UK – Blampied says the Vetmarker product range aligns with this. He adds that while NZ will always be a key market for Te Pari, there are now more than 75 million sheep in Australia, and 20 million sheep in the UK.
Fenemor Innovations owner Gillian Fenemor says the time is right to sell the product line and she is thrilled the Vetmarker system will stay under Kiwi ownership with Te Pari.
“We started everything from scratch and are proud of what we have achieved over the years,” she says. “We have also been Te Pari customers for 25 years, so look forward to seeing the Vetmarker continue under their ownership.”
A partnership between Canterbury milk processor Synlait and the world's largest food producer, Nestlé, has been celebrated with a visit to a North Canterbury farm by a group including senior staff from Synlait, the Ravensdown subsidiary EcoPond, and Nestlé's Switzerland head office.
Canterbury milk processor Synlait is blaming what it calls "a perfect storm" of setbacks for a big loss in its half year result for the six months ended January 31, 2026.
More of the same please, says Federated Farmers dairy chair Karl Dean when asked about who should succeed Miles Hurrell as Fonterra chief executive.
A Waikato farmer who set up a 'tinder' for cows - using artificial intelligence to find the perfect bull for each cow - days the first-year results are better than expected.
Fonterra says it's keeping an eye on the Middle East crisis and its implications for global supply chains.
The closure of the McCain processing plant and the recent announcement of 300 job losses at Wattie’s underscore the mounting pressure facing New Zealand’s manufacturing sector, Buy NZ Made says.

OPINION: If you ask this old mutt, the choice at the next election isn't shaping up as a contest of…
OPINION: A mate of yours says we're long overdue for a reckoning on what value farmers really get for the…