viewpoint
December 2014
with John Barnes – Managing Director
I was interested to see a recent headline in the NZ Herald 16.12.2014…
In this article the Federated Farmers share-milkers section Chairman Neil Filer is reported to have said, “Survive the pay-out drought by going back to farming basics – and if you don’t know how to farm the old fashioned low cost way, ask someone”. He concludes by saying that “Grass is the cheapest feed”.
I have to say that I agree with Neil on both of these statements, and if farmers think that “going back to basics” is a step backwards I would like to differ. New Zealand farmers have always been known to have a low cost farming system, mostly all grass feeding. Over time this has changed. It is at times like this that we stop to think. Some of our farmers are doing quite well on a $5.00 pay-out. Here is why – grow quality grass. It must have about 30% clover – clover is calcium, and calcium is needed for bone structure. At Fertilizer New Zealand we say calcium is king. Usually we are talking about calcium in the soil but the same applies to calcium in the leaf. Clover has a lot more calcium than the standard rye grass. Rye grass for bulk and clover for energy.
The number of cows you have per hectare isn’t a measure I am comfortable with. I have noticed over the years a programme of controlled starvation has been put in place by some. Full feeding cows is a far better option. In many cases I have observed that cutting cow numbers and increasing the feed intake of the others has lifted milk production. Other aspects that need to be addressed are ensuring that the calcium, magnesium and sodium ratios in the soil are correct and the potassium levels in the soil are not too high. Some of the standard fertiliser tests will not show if these are correct. This is an area which we specialise in and by doing this, many of the grass staggers, milk fever and bloat problems simply disappear. I have noticed that if some of the sub-clinical animal health problems are solved, cows will lift production by a further 10%.
Federated Farmers National Dairy Chairman Andrew Hoggard believes next year’s winter and spring will be a struggle with lower payments and similar costs to last year’s bumper pay-out. I believe that it will pick up even within this current season.
On a personal note, it is important to talk about your position on your farm. I found as I was calling on farmers that many believed they were the only ones facing problems. I well remember growing up in a small rural community where the culture was, “big boys don’t cry, keep a stiff upper lip and carry on”. We need to talk! We need to understand the vast majority of dairy farmers are finding it tough and there is a way through all of this.
Please find someone to talk to.
Conversely, if you know of someone who is struggling don’t be afraid of staying in touch. While we had the “stiff upper lip” thinking in the community, we still had the community spirit.
I remember when I was very young… one day my dad having an accident and the neighbour arriving at milking time unannounced to say he was here to milk the cows. To my knowledge he didn’t even want payment for it.
This past year has seen its fair share of challenges. Over the next few weeks, even though there is so much happening, take some time for family and friends. We all need to stop and smell the roses!!
The team at Fertilizer New Zealand wish you a very happy and safe festive season. We look forward to working with you during 2015.
In May of this year, the Primary Production Select Committee received a briefing from the New Zealand Fertiliser Quality Council and subsequently published their findings in a report which is available to the public.
The Government withdrew from providing fertiliser auditing services back in 1992 and the New Zealand Fertiliser Quality Council was formed to do the task. The day to day services are provided by an independent auditor contracted to “Fertmark” which is the brand used by the Council along with “Spreadmark” which audits spreading operators. These audits are paid for by the fertiliser industry.
The Primary Production Select Committee had heard that the auditing of some fertiliser companies was suspect and that the process was not robust. In other words, all companies were not treated in an equal fashion. The committee was assured that a review of procedures in 2013 re-invigorated the organisation restoring the previously high standards.
Cadmium in the soil was of concern to the committee and they were told that this had been a result of the high cadmium content of imported phosphate rock over the years. However the only real answer is to import rock with a lower cadmium level.
Another real concern to the committee was the issue of fertiliser run off and leaching, which is concerning not only the farming population, but all New Zealanders, who want to retain water quality in our rivers and lakes.
Fertilizer New Zealand was pleased to see that the powerful Primary Production Select Committee had taken the first tentative steps to look at these issues. Although the report is couched, in diplomatic terms there is no mistaking the concern that gave rise to fertiliser issues being made the subject of a briefing.
Solving these problems has been at the heart of what we do at Fertilizer New Zealand and we search the world to obtain product in its purest form. The Reactive Phosphate Rock which we import typically has a cadmium level of around twenty parts per million, which we can safely claim to be the lowest levels in the industry.
Not only that, the level of leaching from our product is around 2%. When it is known that other types of phosphate can leach at anything up to 30%, this is a huge saving and one which is going to lead farmers to making decisions on their fertiliser choices in a very different way. Instead of asking how many dollars per tonne the fertiliser is costing they will be asking, “How much per retained kilogram of phosphate?”, which is really the only figure that matters. You would not keep a car that leaked 30% of fuel out of the tank each time it was filled up, that is for sure.
Another point that was raised at the select committee was one of research funding. There is a desperate need to look at the new and innovative products that are now available from overseas because they will help with some of these issues.
The days have gone where our farmers should be asked to simply accept one product that supplies phosphate and one product that delivers nitrogen. There are slow extended release options of both these products available now and we are proud to import them. We need some testing to be done on these, and if, as the committee suggested, that is to happen at Massey University then that is great with us. Sadly we cannot see that happening any day soon because they did not come up with any viable options for funding. Governments today do not appear to want to get back into that particular field but they should. Agriculture is what underpins the lifestyles of all of us and one only need look at how quickly the government finances are headed to deficit following the fall of the dairy price to see that.
Our representatives in the field are keen to engage in discussions on these and other fertiliser related issues because we care. There will be new and innovative products coming onto the market from what I see overseas and Fertilizer New Zealand will bring them to you after they have been trialed and rigorously tested in their home countries.
Let’s have that conversation.