AHB chief executive William McCook said the prosecution showed the AHB would take action against farmers who fail to abide by livestock movement regulations. “It is clearly unacceptable that one man put his fellow farmers at risk for his own pecuniary gain. Selling cattle from a herd that is suspected or known to harbour bovine TB could have serious consequences for the national TB control programme. “We know a vast majority of the 73,000 cattle and deer farmers in New Zealand willingly comply with movement control restrictions and expect us to come down hard on those farmers who do not.

“This conviction sends a clear message to the farming community that the AHB will vigorously enforce the rules around the movement and sale of infected herds. “This complements the other methods we use to control the spread of TB such as monitoring compliance by checking animal identification and status declarations at sale yards and shows. “We also audit animal movements out of movement control areas, investigate overdue TB tests, act on complaints and, as with the Muir case, take action through the courts when necessary,” Mr McCook said.

He said two hill country farmers he spoke to said there seemed to be a greater awareness of the erosion problem coming from the hills reports The Manawatu Standard. The sustainable land use initiative (SLUI) programme was developed around voluntary whole-farm plans which assess the farms’ physical, environmental and business resources in a structured way. They are funded by Horizons in partnership with the Government on a dollar-for-dollar deal, through MAF’s hill country erosion fund.

“The two farmers were enthusiastic supporters of the whole-farm plan approach and working with the council to develop planting programmes for the highly erodible country, ” Mr Carter said. He asked the farmers if there was more acceptance amongst the farming community for erosion protection. John Cousins, who farms at Pohangina, where the helicopter landed, said 10 per cent of the property was now planted. But he had not lost any production and carried the same number of stock as he had before the planting, he told the minister. Craig Mitchell, Horizon’s group manager of environmental management, said there are 245 whole farm plans, of which 203 are being implemented. These projects have translated into work on the ground, all aimed at reducing sediment yields from hill country into river systems and include more than 150 kilometres of fencing; 1325 hectares of forestry planted; 19,100 space planted poplar and willow poles; 700 hectares of riparian retirement.

The other 42 which had had farm plans done were on hold, as the farms were on the market or they had experienced a bad year, or other issues, Mr Mitchell said. “We’ve arbitrarily capped whole farm plans at 100 a year and we have no trouble getting that 100 a year because that is what can be managed by the people involved and funded by the community.” He said the idea is that by year 13 or 14, there will be 1500 whole farm plans done and they’ll be implemented.

About 50 people attended the field day, including dairy farmers, biological agriculture staff and Massey University staff. Mr Williams said he and his wife have 400 cows, of which half calve in spring and half in autumn. This autumn is the first season the Williams’ have kept their replacement heifers, and a few calves being raised for beef, on their mothers.

“It’s not new; our grandfathers used to leave calves on the cows. Why have we been rearing calves with all the extra work? Nature designed the cow to look after her calf. And, so far, it’s working really well. The cows and calves seem happier.” The calves were kept on the cow through until weaning, and the cows were also milked during that time.

The few beef calves that were kept were going to a beef rearer in a few days. They had been with their mothers for several days and the beef raisers were happy they were in better health as a result. The field day emphasised to farmers that keeping soil health good was vital for pasture growth.  “Farming biologically meant farming sustainably, both environmentally and economically,” Mr Williams said.  It meant farmers could shift from being “environmental sinners”, to “environmental saviours”, an Abron biological representative said.

Mr Williams said they changed from conventional dairy farming to biological farming two years ago. From five years ago, cow numbers have dropped by 80. “When we went to a biological system, we saw positive differences in six months, such as more even grazing (fewer clumps in paddocks), a complete reversal of mastitis, and last year we had no losses at calving.”

Mr Williams said the dairy industry had become too focused on increasing production, rather than increasing profit. He thought his costs were down by about $1 per kilogram of milk solids as a result of going to a biological system.

Before buying his Agpac bin, he used to throw the wrap in a heap, hoping it wouldn’t blow away. When he went to clean it up six months later, the stinking pile was always full of water. He burned the wrap because he had no other way of getting rid of it.”It didn’t matter what you did, you would still have piles of silage wrap. It’d take a whole  day in spring or summer to clean up. It’s dirty, wet, s….y stuff and it blows all over the place.”

The bin cost him $500, and liners cost $30 each. He rolls the wrap neatly so he can put as much as possible in the liner.  ”I used to just throw it in, but you learn as you go. Now I put it in properly.” A lid prevents  water getting inside the bin, and clips on the side allow the liner to be extracted easily. When the liner is full, he puts it on his ute and drops it at Inglewood contractors Ken G Moratti Ltd.

”What puts you off is the initial $500. But I don’t regret spending the money because of the time I save.”And the farm is much tidier there’s no wrap lying in heaps, and it doesn’t blow around. It’s definitely made my life easier.” He said he hoped that the cost of the liners would fall as more farmers recycled their wrap,  allowing the recyclers to make money from it.

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.

Our analyses showed that this component of the carbon footprint has decreased by over 20% during the past 15 years, as farmers have made large gains in efficiency of converting pasture to meat.” Dr Ledgard said in an interview the survey allocated emissions from a typical mixed sheep and beef farm and also took into account wool production. The study would help meat companies satisfy carbon footprint questions from customers, and provide a starting point for sheep farmers about to face an emissions trading scheme.

A recent report on the dairy industry concluded that total emissions from NZ dairy farms were substantially lower than those in Europe, and a Fonterra-commissioned report found the life-cycle carbon footprint of New Zealand ingredient and consumer dairy products was 940g for each litre of milk. Dr Ledgard was part of a team which compared the energy and greenhouse gas efficiency of NZ farming systems with those in Europe.

The team concluded that NZ was more efficient, even taking into account shipping products to Europe, which only contributed 10% of the total energy use.The study warned that intensification of dairy farming risked diminishing NZ’s comparative advantage. Dr Ledgard’s study showed that most gains from reducing emissions would come from the most complex task, that of changing the natural biology and behaviour of animals.

“Dr Jones is booked years in advance, so having her speak for a whole morning at the ”Farming Soils – Starting Today” workshop is a real honour,” she said. “She will be talking about the big picture; how the carbon, nitrogen and water cycles are intrinsically linked.  I think farmers will respect her years of experience working with landholders to restore water balance, increase biological activity and improve productivity”.

Ms Prew said all the speakers at the two-day conference are well versed in sustainable farming, including farmers who had made the switch to innovative soil-based production. “The aim of the workshop is to empower the farmer with enough knowledge to make the best decision to suit his own farming system. Integrity Soils will be giving a farmer-friendly, in-depth explanation of the simple on-farm score-card system for assessing soils. Landcare Research will be talking about greenhouse gas emissions and soil carbon issues.”

Ms Prew said the workshop will give participants all the information they need to start farming their own soils. “It really is a one-off opportunity for South Island farmers to access a high level of expertise in biological farming which is not often brought together, especially in the far south.” Co-organiser Ray Annan, from Sustainable Growing Solutions, said he had been working with different farming industries for seven years in Otago and Southland.

“I’ve seen outstanding results in my work with dairy farmers, beef and sheep farmers and vineyards. Once you get the soil working for you, everything else starts falling into place. Stock temperament and health improves, fertiliser use is enhanced, and soil structure and depth is improved. The water holding capacity of the soil is also increased, reducing water run-off and taking the pressure off rivers and streams.”

However, the farmer-owned co-operative and NZ’s biggest company, which processes 92 per cent of the country’s raw milk, said national milk production for the 2009-10 season would still be “a fraction ahead” of last season’s collection of about 14 billion litres of milk – thanks to South Island production. Drought in the upper North Island – Northland and Waikato – had cut daily milk production for this time of the year back 45 to 55 per cent on last season, Mr Deane said.

Daily milk production in the lower North Island was 12 to 13 per cent behind last season. Production in the Nelson and Southland dairying areas was starting to lag behind last year but Canterbury milk output was booming, about 10 per cent ahead of last season. Other parts of the central South Island were still producing ahead of last year. Drought has cramped the hopes – and balance sheets – of many of Fonterra’s 10,000 shareholders in a year in which the co-operative is offering one of its biggest payouts of $6.10 a kilogram of milksolids.

 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.

Lamb product prices had been reasonably stable and demand for lamb in Britain was up on the same time last year, but despite good market prices, the strong NZ dollar had eroded farmer return. Venison prices had taken a dive. They were currently $6.90 a kilogram for a 45kg to 85kg animal, down 26 per cent on the same time last year. He said prices for store stock had decreased as the year and dry conditions progressed.

Mr Grigg said crossbred wool prices had improved a little over the past year, but remained sluggish. Mid-micron prices were better, especially for 24 to 26 micron, which was up 25 per cent on this time last year. Merino prices had recovered, but not to a sustainable economic level. He hoped the coming season would see more activity from European countries, who were noticeably absent this season.

Dairy chairman Bruce Richmond said it had been a “rollercoaster” year for the dairy industry. The early pay forecast was “unacceptable” and early advances were well below break-even level at the start of the season, which caused widespread overdraft blowouts as farmers tried to deal with the most expensive part of the season with little income. The payout improved, but many farmers were still playing catch-up and dealing with huge increases in expenses, especially in electricity and fuel, said Mr Richmond. Marlborough Tbfree Committee: Marlborough Tbfree Committee chairman Chris Bowron said infection in the region was holding at two herds, both in the Upper Awatere.

In the case of Mr Avery, and all other sheep and beef farmers, it will be based on the weight of meat from their slaughtered animals. He thinks that is unfair. It makes no allowance for the way he, and many others like him, farm, which he maintains emits less greenhouse gases than others and stores more carbon. There is another reason why it is unfair. It punishes innovation. Mr Avery has worked out an innovative way to keep farming on drought-prone land.

He suffered six years of drought before hitting on the idea – and credit must also be given here to Lincoln plant scientist Derrick Moot – of grazing his sheep on lucerne. The result has been a surge in lamb growth, so much so that the lambs take eight to 11 weeks less time to reach market weights and therefore are belching and farting less methane into the atmosphere.Compared with 1990 – and he has to go back that far to find a drought- free period – when he had 3300 ewes and 900 hoggets, he now has 2200 ewes and 650 hoggets.

But by selectively breeding sheep better able to handle the conditions and by mating hoggets and growing them on lucerne, he produces more lamb meat than in 1990. Lambs finish in 12 to 14 weeks, rather than the 20 to 25 weeks of 1990. The lucerne – and he has a massive 350 hectares of it – has another benefit. It sends roots deep down into the soil – as much as 10 metres – increasing the soil carbon and its moisture content.

 He estimates he has about 5 million plants on a hectare. “Think of how much biomass we have put under the ground in the last 20 years,” he says.”That’s one heap of carbon. Any recognition? None.”

A Rahotu sharemilker, who identified himself only as Ross and who was selling his budget cows, said animals were not making what they should, considering the payout and the money spent on grazing.”Sellers are not making much. It’s because there’s not the movement in farm sales. Sharemilkers are not moving, so stock are not moving,” he said.PGG Wrightson regional manager Don Newland, of New Plymouth, said dairy heifer buyers were being cautious and selective on quality.He believed some buyers were reluctant because they were struggling to feed existing stock.

Many dairy farmers were already well into their supply of winter feed, and grazing, hay and silage were becoming difficult to find. What was available was quite costly, he said. Prices ranged from $700 to $1100, depending on quality and whether they were complete replacement lines or part lines. “But I believe if we have a favourable spring and get good grass growth, the demand will increase. The positive announcement on the payout will also increase demand,” he said.

Allied Farmers’ dairying co- ordinator for Taranaki, Kim Harrison, said the market for top- quality stock remained buoyant. While there were variations in price and quality, some heifers were fetching up to $2000. Good-quality Friesian and Friesian-cross heifers were being sold easily. However, the market for Jersey-type heifers was slower, although his company sold a top line of Jersey-cross heifers for $1200 last week.