Getting sheep shape at Pyramid Farm
The vineyards at Pyramid Farm in Marlborough’s Avon Valley have never been run of the mill, with plantings that follow the natural contours of the land, 250 metres above sea level.
Well-known sheep specialist Professor Paul Kenyon is the new head of Massey University’s Institute of Veterinary, Animal, and Biomedical Sciences.
The institute includes New Zealand’s only veterinary teaching hospital and its leading native wildlife health centre, Wildbase.
Kenyon has led or co-led at least 100 sheep research studies in the past decade, resulting in 330 scientific publications aimed at improving on-farm productivity and profitability.
College of Sciences pro vice-chancellor Professor Robert Anderson says Kenyon’s proven teaching and management skills and his strong research links in New Zealand, Australia, Asia and South America made him an excellent candidate for the role.
Professor Kenyon says there are opportunities for the institute to grow in undergraduate and postgraduate teaching and in research nationally and internationally. He aims to help identify those opportunities and develop strategies to exploit them.
“I’m honoured to be the head of an institute that is nationally and internationally recognised for its teaching and research excellence. And I’m excited by the challenges this position brings.”
Among the regular exhibitors at last month’s South Island Agricultural Field Days, the one that arguably takes the most intensive preparation every time is the PGG Wrightson Seeds site.
Two high producing Canterbury dairy farmers are moving to blended stockfeed supplements fed in-shed for a number of reasons, not the least of which is to boost protein levels, which they can’t achieve through pasture under the region’s nitrogen limit of 190kg/ha.
Buoyed by strong forecasts for milk prices and a renewed demand for dairy assets, the South Island rural real estate market has begun the year with positive momentum, according to Colliers.
The six young cattle breeders participating in the inaugural Holstein Friesian NZ young breeder development programme have completed their first event of the year.
New Zealand feed producers are being encouraged to boost staff training to maintain efficiency and product quality.
OPINION: The world is bracing for a trade war between the two biggest economies.