Ashburton Courier: November 26, 2020

RURAL
30 Ashburton Courier, November 26, 2020
Ruralco forging ahead despite Covid­19
Farmer, former Member of Parliament and
Speaker of the House of ParliamentDavid
Carter has takenaplace as director at the
Ruralco boardtable.
He replaces retiringdirectorAlister
Body, of MidCanterbury, who stooddown
from the roleearlier thisyear after nine
years.
Mr Carter has sheep and beef breeding
andfattening operations spread over three
properties at Banks Peninsula andNorth
Canterbury.
He got his bachelor in agricultural
science degree at Lincoln University in
1974, was founder and managing directorof
NZ TransplantBreeders Ltd,New
Zealand’s first commercialcattle embryo
transfer company.
It had aturnover of $1 million in its
second year of operation.
Mr Carter has chaired numerous select
committees as MP and senior cabinet
minister, before taking on the speakerof
thehouse role in aparliamentary career
spanning 26 years.
“Joining the Ruralco Board is achanceto
offer myexperience to my first passion ­NZ
agriculture. Ruralco has aunique history. I
believe with goodgovernance, good
management, and adedicatedstaff, it has
thepotential to deliver even greater
benefits to its shareholders,” he said.
As asole tradingfarming enterpriseMr
Carterhas purchased, developed, farmed
andsold anumberoffarm properties over
Ruralco directors David Carter and Jessie
Chan with chief executive officer Robert
Sharkie.
PHOTO SUPPLIED.
a48­year farming career.
He was welcomed to the board at the
annual general meeting last week. Dorie
farmer Jessie Chan, new Ruralco chair,
acknowledged pleasing 2020 financial
resultsfor thefinancialyear despite Covid­
19.
“Covid­19 wasanunprecedented
obstacle this year, but as aRuralco family
we managed to overcome it. Through the
grit and dedication of ourteam and our
farmers we continued to tradeinaway that
served our farmers’ needs,while also
meetingour financial goals,” Ms Chan said.
For the thirdtime in arow Ruralcowill
pay its owners abonus rebate thanks to
revenuegrowth and careful management
of expenses.
The$250,000 bonus rebatecomes on the
back of astrong year for the rural services
co­operative, (ATS LtdTradingas
Ruralco), which recorded operating
earnings before interest anddepreciation
of $1.2 million.
Ruralco attracted 68 newshareholders
during thelast financial year andits
marketshare increased as it focused on
efficiencies within the business.
“Crisisdoes not change who you are ­
crisis reveals who you are. Covid­19
revealed alot aboutusthis year. We are
agile, innovative andwilling to rise to the
challenge,” said Ms Chan.
It was asentimentsharedbyGroup CEO,
Rob Sharkie who said the cooperative’s
point of difference was its people; its staff,
shareholders, suppliers, their families and
the farming community.
“We have always taken great prideinour
collaborative culture, our flexible working
practices and ourabilitytoact quickly to
embed change.
‘‘The success of our rapid response to
this year’s rapidly changingtrading
environment demonstrated to us that our
team has resilience, determination and the
culturetomeet these challenges head­on.”
Willing growers find markets
Total grain production forthe 2019/20
season was well up over one million
tonnes, despite contractsfor malting
barley ­used in keggedbeer ­being down
on sales last year.
It was part of the covid­related
turbulence, accordingto
Federated Farmers arable vicechairperson
grains Brian Leadley.
He said that turbulence was still
apparentincontracts for maltingbarley.
The latest Arable IndustryMarketing
Initiative (AIMI) report found the
percentage of hectares forwardsoldfor
malting barley (as at October 10) was only
41 percent, compared to 97 percent at the
same time lastyear.
‘‘It’s known thatthe lockdown and
subsequent restrictions hit the sale of
kegged beer, though bottledbeer for
drinking at home continued apace.
‘‘I think it’s just that uncertainty factor,’’
Mr Leadleysaid.
‘‘There had been talk that China’s ban on
Australia’s barley might lead to product
landing on us from acrossthe Tasman but
it hasn’t happened.
‘‘Our local industry is pretty committed
to domestic grain,’’hesaid.
Mr Leadley,who farms at Dromore, near
Ashburton, was confidentthe malting
barley market and forward contracts
would pick up again.
‘‘It’s great to seethat willing growers are
finding willing buyers.’’
Accordingtothe AIMIreport cereal
grainproduction (wheat, barley and oats)
for the season totalled an estimated
881,800 tonnes, and maize grain 181,800
tonnes, for atotal of 1,063,600 tonnes.
Unsold stocks of grain, across all six
cropswere estimated to havereducedby
50 percent between 1July and October 10.
Even when compared to the same time
last year, unsoldstocks across all six crops
were pretty much unchanged, with an
increase in the unsold stocks of milling
and feed wheat (57,600 tonnes, up by 18,600
tonnes) offsetbyadecrease in unsold
stocksofmaltingand feed barley (38,700
tonnes, downby18,900 tonnes), Mr
Leadley said.
‘‘Obviously, we have plenty of end users
recognising the benefits of qualityNZgrown
grains, whether that’s for products
for human consumption or for stock feed.’’
The total area sown, or intended to be
sown,incerealcrops was estimated tobe
95,500 hectares, down three percenton
last year. And as of October 10, therehad
been 85 percent of this total area planted
with theremainder still to be sowed.
Mr Leadley said spring sowings in
Southland had beendelayed by wet
conditions while growersinother regions
hadreportedconcern over low moisture
levels.
It underlined the case that re­sowing
paddocks used for winter grazing by a
blanket national deadline,despite
regional climate variations, was aflawed
approach, he said.
‘‘The intent of the freshwater
regulations ­tostop nutrients frommoving
­isright, because plantshold the soil.But
to try to do it by putting atimeframeonit,
with no regard to good management
practice allied to weather conditions,is
detached from common sense.’’
Heavy sowingmachineryused on
paddocks that are too wet justcompacts
the soil.
‘‘You get adouble hit. You get run­off
from compact soil, and it also means that
you might only get 40 to 50 percent
germination of the plants. Fewer plants
means less root mass to hold the soil.’’
www.ashburtoncourier.co.nz
BRIEFS
WHEAT
COMPETITION
The MethvenA&P Association
wheat competition hasopened to
entries. Theannual eventisa
popularfundraiser. Entries for the
wheat competition can be made
in millingand feed wheat,dryland
or irrigated. Judging will take
placeinthree areas andwheat
will be critiqued on weeds,
disease,Barley yellowdwarf
virusand uniformity with afield
test on December 11.Entries
cost$70 and can be made
through the Methven A&P
Associationvia
methvenshow@gmail.com
CROPS CHERTSEY
The arable CROPS event is all
set to go ahead at FAR’s
Chertsey arable research plots
site,alongsideState Highway
One,just north of Chertsey on
December3.Inits 25th year
CROPS allows farmerstoview
demonstrationplotsinvestigating
everythingfrom cultivars to
cultivation,and to see and hear
the latest researchfindings from
New Zealand andinternational
experts.
Among the speakers are
Wakanui growerEric Watson,
Lincoln Agritech’s Peter Carey,
PGGWrightson’s Steve Shorter,
PureOil’sKeith Gundry as well
as sessionsfrom Allister Holmes
as well as FAR staff.
Theday openswith awelcome
at 9.40am,with the firstspeakers
set to start from 10am.
RAMSMOVIE
Kiwi actor Sam Neill might have
called on memories ofhis days
working for Burnetts Transportin
Ashburtonduring filming of the
rural comedy Rams. The movie is
about rival brothers who are stud
ram breeders. Regent Cinema
operator David Favel saidheand
wife Donna met Sam Neillatan
event atthe Ashburton Art Gallery
about 15 years ago. The actor said
he worked at Burnetts in the
holidays when he was auniversity
student. Rams is acomedy that
had appealacross the
generations, but especiallyfor rural
folk, David said.
It is set in Western Australia,
where the brothers have competed
against eachother for 40 years at
shows. Whenacrisishits their
valley, they have predictably
different ways of coping.
The movie is playing atthe
Regent CinemaAshburton.
Water projects farmer-led
Purpose. Environment.
Partnership.Innovation.
Excellence.
• DairyNZ accreditedEffluent
Pond Design andConstruction
• Pond Constructionand
Irrigation Development
• Hedgeand StumpRemoval
• Farm Conversions
• DairyTracks–
Lime or Gravel
• PumpHire
• Wellsand Galleries
• Bulk Earthworks
• Subdivisions
• Site Works
• Tree Shear
• Transportation
2331634
Morethan $6 millionwill be spent helping
farmersimprove waterhealth, as wellas
improving long­term land management
practices,agriculture minister Damien
O’Connor says.
Theprojects willhelp rivers,wetlands and
habitat biodiversity in Canterbury and Otago.
Fourfarmer­led catchmentgroup Jobsfor
Nature projects have betweenallocated
between $176,000 and $2.3 millionover the
nextthreeyears to fundenvironmental
improvement work across dozens of sites in
theirregions.
Theseprojects will also employ between15
and 20 people as well as specialist
contractorsover that period.
Most initiativeswere being led by
established catchment groups with hundreds
of farmer members, Mr O’Connorsaid.
The work will involve fencingand planting
aroundwater bodies,clearing of unsuitable
trees,and pest control.
Projects alsoincludebuilding awetland
board walk,and structurestoprotect
endangered fish frompredatorspecies.
Jobsfor Nature projects includeThe
Tinaku project in Ellesmere,which hasbeen
allocated$2.2 million. NorthOtago
SustainableLandManagementRiparian
Project ($362,000), LindisRiverproject,
Otago($772,000) and Pomahaka Wetland
Restoration project,South Otago ($176,000).
Afurther $2.9million investmentwill help
around 300Hurunuifarmers work towards
improvingthe healthoftheirlandand water
through applyingfarm environment
planning and sustainable land management
practices.
The Future Hurunui projectwill provide
catchmentsupporttothe Hurunui District
Landcare Group for itsmemberstouse
towardsdeveloping their farm environment
plans.
The groupwillemploy threepeople to do
this work. Theproject would help farmers
recover and preparefor thefuture withthe
farm environment plans to help improve
productivity and sustainability.”