A former agricultural science leader has delivered a broadside at what he sees as a lack of objectivity in the science structure, saying there is little technology transfer and it is impossible to separate “good science from company spin”. Jock Allison, the former director of the Invermay Research Centre, told the Clutha Agricultural Development Board annual meeting last week that scientists no longer talked to farmers and the competitive funding model for science did not allow for research results to be passed to farmers reports The ODT.

“Often, useful technologies are not promoted to industry as there is no financial allocation to ensure that happens,” he said. “The research bodies are just ticking off the contracts and moving on to apply for the next two- or three-year period of funding.” Dr Allison was also scathing about the impact on technology transfer of crown research institutions entering commercial alliances in which companies invest in and own the results.

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Not surprisingly, at 69, Sir Brian Lochore is not the man he once was, not physically – a few extra kilograms have been added around the girth and characterful chiselled planes and deep creases are taking over the familiar features reports The Dom Post. But there is still an imposing presence and a steely determination behind the ready smile and you get the impression that if the call came again – as it did once after his retirement – he would love nothing more than to don the black jersey and run out to do battle again.

It is not rugby that occupies his thoughts on this day, but farming. He and his wife Pam have put their three farms into a family trust and farm in partnership with son David and his wife Virginia, at Porangahau, and daughter Joanne and her husband Mark Mossman, at Blairlogie. “The last three years of drought have been the most difficult I’ve ever experienced in a lifetime farming,” he says.

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I will stick my neck out and predict that before the end of the year we will see most strong-wool growers joining together to sell their wool to their own co-operative reports Jon Morgan from the Dominion. Then, just maybe, wool returns will start climbing out of their 20-year trough. The latest attempt to breathe new life into the industry can be traced back to the setting up of a task force in 2005. This farmer-initiated effort proposed bold action – tear down the old structures and rebuild them with farmers in charge.This incensed the wool merchants and exporters who had run the time-honoured auction system, and harsh words were exchanged.

But recently tempers have cooled. The farmers’ rejection of a levy to pay for research galvanised the Government to action late last year. Another task force was set up, and this time some semblance of unity was glimpsed. The merchants and exporters still weren’t happy but were prepared to wait and see what developed. The Government appointed former Treasury boffin Murray Horn to see if he could get all the factions working together. It’s still too early to gauge his success.

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NZ hasn’t just lost its place as the world’s lowest cost dairy producer, our costs are now on a par with Ireland, a multi-national farmer with a foot in both camps told last week’s Large Herds Conference. Clinton has 1450ha and 2500 cows in Southland, plus dairy farm investments in the US and his home country, Ireland. Increased land values and a massive debt burden are key factors reports Rural News. NZ’s farmers need to recognise the problem and stop unnecessary spending, he says.

Some farmers have backed away from the day to day running “maybe a bit too much. There’s a case for a bit more personal involvement… The further you are away from milking the cows, the more it costs.”Banks should offer the lowest possible rate. Farmers are the best possible business they can get and they should be doing it as cheaply as possible. They may not get a huge margin but there are very few defaults.”

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Murray Horn is surprised his task to unite the strong wool industry has been compared with making peace in the Middle East. His surprise stems from his view that the dysfunctional and under-performing wool industry wants to change, an opinion not universally held by commentators.

Dr Horn was last week appointed by Agriculture Minister David Carter an independent convener to facilitate a meeting of wool sector organisations, to begin the process of creating a single body to speak on behalf of the strong wool sector. While not underestimating the task ahead of him, Dr Horn said he believed the industry recognised something had to be done reports The ODT.

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Dairy farmers spilling cow effluent were seen by the public as more of a threat to society than drink-drivers or murderers, Southland dairy farmer Mike Horgan told a dairy industry conference in Invercargill yesterday. His daughter Bridget, 19, and two friends, Megan Hamilton, 22, of Winton, and Virginia Armstrong, 22, were killed by a drink-driver on Good Friday in 1995.

Mr Horgan told delegates at the NZ Large Herds conference at Stadium Southland about his shift from Taranaki to Southland in 1994, and the challenges he had faced, including criticism from sheep farmers. While he admitted the dairy industry could be let down by mediocrity, Mr Horgan criticised the public and the media’s willingness to condemn dairy farmers reports The Southland Times.

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The benefits of a good winter feeding schedule that leads to ewes having better body conditions scores (BCS) at the start of lambing was highlighted at a field day last week reports The Southland Times. More than 200 farmers attended the Meat & Wool New Zealand Southern South Island sheep and beef council field day at the Woodlands research farm on Wednesday.

Dr David Stevens, of AgResearch, said it was clear poor winter feeding affected several aspects of production before, during and after lambing, and it was essential for good lamb growth, particularly multiples, to have ewes in good condition. “You’re no longer expecting one lamb and 5 kilograms of wool.”

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M&WNZ and Federated Farmers are joining forces to support wool industry rescue efforts. The two organisations will work together to advocate for farmer interests to improve the fortunes of the strong wool industry, Federated Farmers Meat & Fibre Chairman, Bruce Wills, and M&WNZ Chairman, Mike Petersen, have said.

The collaboration comes as the loss of the wool levy is about to take effect (April 2010) and follows the recommendations of the Wool Industry Taskforce. “Both our organisations are supportive of the taskforce process and its recommendations and we are pleased to see support for our long-held views on the need for targeted marketing and promotion of wool and woollen products,” said Mike Petersen.

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A new welfare code for dairy cattle has been criticised by Federated Farmers for “confusing legal requirements with best recommended practices” reports The NZ Herald. Federated Farmers Dairy vice chairperson John Bluett says he is worried the new code could mean farmers are punished if the way they farm does not meet the recommendations.

The latest Animal Welfare (Dairy Cattle) Code of Welfare 2010 released last week consolidates a range of already existing documents. “It’ll be fine if it’s used as a training guide for stockmanship, then it would help, ” said Bluett.

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Prospective buyers have shown interest in a cluster of 29 Graeme Hart-owned dairy farms around Tokoroa, but real estate agents are yet to close any deals. Carter Holt Harvey spokesman Ross Townshend told the Waikato Times there had been interest in four of the 29 farms which are on the market through Bayleys and PGG Wrightson for a combined $224.5 million.

Mr Townshend’s comments came after only 47 farms sold in January, about a quarter of the norm, only seven of which were dairy farms. The CHH farms, offered for between $5.1m and $10.4m each, support a total of 20,000 cows and produce 6,641,200 kilograms of milksolids. The Waikato Times understands an offer from a Chinese syndicate was rejected.

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