Improved productivity could reduce on-farm greenhouse gas emissions from sheep by up to 12%, according to the author of a study which calculated the carbon footprint of sheep. Stewart Ledgard, a principal AgResearch scientist, said a higher lambing percentage and faster lamb growth rates offered the best options for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from sheep, as opposed to reducing fossil fuel use, which was low on sheep farms compared with other intensive agricultural systems.

Dr Ledgard said the 1.9kg of CO2-equivalent produced for each 100g portion of lamb exported to Europe, was “broadly consistent with other international studies of products derived from farmed, ruminant livestock reports The ODT. His study found 57% of the sheep carbon footprint was generated by the natural process of animals utilising pasture and producing methane during digestion, but it was a figure that has been decreasing.

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The dairy boom continued in Canterbury and Southland with the South Island dairy herd up 13 per cent last year to 2.1 million, according to official figures. The South Island dairy herd is almost seven times the size it wasy 20 years ago. Canterbury was the South Island’s largest dairying region, recording 10 per cent growth to reach a herd size of 918,000, followed by Southland, where numbers grew 19 per cent to reach 589,000, according to the final results of the 2009 Agricultural Production Survey reports Stuff.

National dairy herd numbers reached a record high of 5.9 million at 30 June 2009, up 282,000 since 2008. The size of the North Island herd remained stable at 3.8 million. Factors contributing to the South Island growth include continued dairy conversions, a smaller number of dairy cows and heifers going to the beef herd, more older cows remaining in milking herds, and the sourcing of dairy heifers from the North Island. “In 2009, South Island dairy cattle numbers were almost seven times larger than 20 years ago when there were 312,000 dairy cattle,” said agricultural statistics manager Gary Dunnet.

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Nervous and aggressive cattle are a pain in the wallet reports The Weekly Times. That is the finding of a study presented recently to the Midwest American Society of Animal Science, in Des Moines, Iowa. Gary Fike, beef cattle specialist for the Certified Angus Beef brand in the US, said docile cattle in a feedlot graded premium choice and prime at more than double the rate of nervous to very aggressive cattle. Docility in the feedlot paid off with better performance, improved carcass merit and reduced morbidity and treatment costs, Mr Fike said.

Data was collected on nearly 50,000 cattle from 18 Iowa feedlots over eight years, to 2009. Using a six-point scoring system, calves were grouped into three categories – docile (DC), restless (R) and nervous to very aggressive (NVA). Calves in the study had similar arrival weights, but the DC and R calves were on average 10 days younger than the NVA calves. DC calves made up for their age, gaining 1.45kg/day compared with NVAs 1.36kg and outweighing them by 17.69kg in final liveweight.

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It had been another tough year for many of the region’s farmers, Mr Evans said in his annual report in the Marlborough Express. A cold, wet spring had produced insufficient growth in areas, in particular the high country, but other parts of Marlborough had seldom had a better run into summer. However, the good times had come to an “abrupt end” with a very dry autumn. The emissions trading scheme was a major issue for farmers and nothing less than “workplace bullying”.

 Meat and Fibre chairman William Grigg said the demand for both beef and lamb was up on last year in international markets. Mr Grigg said Australia and the United States were in a herd-rebuilding phase and a looming shortage of beef, domestic and imported, had seen prices soar in recent weeks.

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Police and the Southland District Council will take a hard line against farmers whose stock are found wandering on roads after a reported 13 crashes this year reports The Southland Times.Three drivers were injured in the crashes, seven of which involved cattle. Horse, sheep and deer were also involved.Senior Sergeant Kerrin Price, of the strategic traffic unit, said in the latest serious incident, officers were on Saturday called to deal with a “stroppy and aggressive” bull wandering in Oporo Flat Rd, near Wallacetown, that had tried to attack a cyclist.

Stock control officers were called and they recognised the bull as one they had been called out to twice four days earlier. The owner could not be found so the bull was shot because of public safety fears. A Dacre woman who narrowly escaped serious injury after hitting a cow near Woodlands last month said she wanted farmers to take more care with fences. The woman said she had little time to react when the black cow loomed up in her headlights while travelling home one night.”It’s not good enough – the farmer should have the boundary fence hotwired. Cattle have no respect for ordinary fences.” Mr Price said officers were amazed she had walked away without injury. The next motorist hitting wandering stock might not be so lucky, he said.

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Outstanding financial results alongside progressive development of the farm business gave Motu farmers Hamish and Paula Newman the edge to take out the Federated Farmers’ Gisborne-Wairoa Farmer of the Year 2010 title. At the field day celebrating their win, AgFirst farm consultant Rob Hayes said while the competition was judged only on the the past three years, the Newmans had been performing better, or at the level of the top 10 farms in the district for the past decade reports The Gisborne Herald.

Cattle had been a real strength and seven out of the past 10 years the Newman’s performance has put them higher than the top 10. Chief judge, Whangara farmer Charlie Seymour said a major factor for the Newman’s was their consistent financial performance. “It is very pleasing to see such strong results. They are clearly ahead with their EFS- (economic farm surplus) per-hectare as well as per-stock-unit.”Productivity was high and they had the strongest return on capital out of all the entrants.

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NZ dairy farmers will next season have ready access to fresh sexed semen and embryos following successful on‐farm trials by breeding companies reports voxy.co.nz. Thanks to an agreement between US‐based Sexing Technologies, AgResearch and the Waikato Innovation Park , the technology became available this season to artificial breeding and embryo companies to offer farmers fresh sorted semen and embryos for the first time in NZ.

Liberty Genetics and Animal Breeding Services (ABS) initiated a trial to evaluate the use of sexed semen in the dairy industry. 4600 inseminations were carried out in the 2009 spring mating period and further trial work is planned. Results from the trial are promising and Liberty Genetics Managing Director, David Hayman, says, “There have been valuable lessons learnt through the trial process, particularly with regards to what is required to achieve acceptable conception rates with sexed semen.” ABS is implementing the use of sexed semen in embryo production and can see several promising applications.

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The taste of lamb that we know and love so well is also appreciated by diners in Britain and Europe. Sales in this market that takes half of our exports have never been better. It is the same story for our beef in the United States reports The Dom Post.  Our sheep and beef farmers should be grinning, but they are not. The benefits of all these extra sales at high prices are not ending up in their bank accounts. By the time the exchange rate is calculated they are no better off.

It is frustrating, to say the least. NZ is a world leader in agriculture production, combining science with farm management skills to get the best out of a climate ideal for year-round pasture farming. Science has provided the tools and farmers have worked hard to use them to the best of their abilities. Commercial acumen has assisted in marketing the produce despite tough economic times.

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Saudi families hungry for NZ -style gourmet burgers have been so enthusiastic in their turnouts that they have to wait in their cars until a security guard advises they can enter, says the NZ BurgerFuel franchise’s Kiwi founder and business development manager Chris Mason.  He said the listed company’s 150-seat, 300 square metre fast food restaurant at Damman, failed to factor in the size of a typical Saudi family group, which can be up to 15 reports Business Day.

“One Thursday night, which is like our Saturday night, we did the equivalent of the average NZ store’s weekly turnover,” Mr Mason said. Friday in Saudi Arabia is the religious equivalent of NZ’s Sunday. In accordance with Saudi culture, the outlet has a separate entrance and dining area for male diners without family members.  A 280sqm outlet is about to open in the United Arab Emirates tourist resort Dubai. Mr Mason said more than 20 more outlets were planned in Saudi Arabia.

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Elders Rural Holdings Ltd. relies on its battling Australian parent for financial support and may have to sell assets if that support is withdrawn, notes to the NZ company’s accounts say. Adelaide-based Elders Ltd., which owns 50% of rural services group Elders Rural, has pledged 12 months’ support, according to notes to the NZ firm’s accounts. That support makes up for a forecast shortage of cash flow at Elders Rural, which posted a net loss of $8.98 million in the 15 months to Sept. 30, the second straight loss reports Scoop. Elders Australia made an unsecured $63.6 million advance to Elders Rural in the latest period, charging 7.25% interest.

Elders Rural is launching its Just Shorn branded wool into the U.S. market, one of several initiatives to squeeze more margin out of the fibre in a divided industry that has walked away from research as returns dwindle. Rival Wool Partners International, which has Theresa Gattung as chairwoman, owns the Laneve mark. Both groups are inking supply deals with U.S. manufacturers.

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