North Canterbury News: September 16, 2021
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RURAL LIFE<br />
The <strong>North</strong> <strong>Canterbury</strong> <strong>News</strong>, <strong>September</strong> <strong>16</strong>, <strong>2021</strong> 25<br />
Boost for seasonal workers<br />
The rural sector is set to get aboost in its<br />
bid to find seasonal workers.<br />
The first stage of oneway quarantinefree<br />
travel with Samoa, Tonga and Vanuatu<br />
will begin in October, initiallyfor seasonal<br />
workers from those countries, COVID19<br />
Response Minister Chris Hipkinsand<br />
Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor<br />
announced last week.<br />
‘‘We want to provide certainty to the<br />
horticulture industry that we are moving<br />
forward with safe quarantinefreetravel<br />
for seasonal workers in time for the<br />
upcoming picking season,’’ Mr O’Connor<br />
says.<br />
‘‘We need to take acautious approach to<br />
opening up quarantinefree travel with the<br />
Pacific.While Samoa, Tonga and Vanuatu<br />
haven’t had any community cases of<br />
COVID19, we know firsthand how quickly<br />
Delta can spread if it gets in,’’ Mr Hipkins<br />
says.<br />
To minimise the risk, additional health<br />
measuresare being put in place for those<br />
workers. These include being vaccinated<br />
with at least one dose predeparture,<br />
completingaperiod ofselfisolationon<br />
arrival and returning negative Covid19<br />
tests at days 0and 5.<br />
‘‘We are starting solely with seasonal<br />
workers for several reasons,’’MrHipkins<br />
says. ‘‘Seasonal workers come to New<br />
Zealand in acohort,and stay in employerarranged<br />
accommodation. This helps<br />
mitigate any additional risk from Covid19<br />
by ensuring they go into selfisolation in a<br />
preorganised place immediatelyupon<br />
arrival.’’<br />
Change of direction ... Lincoln University Dairy Farm manager Peter Hancox (left)<br />
and demonstration manager Jeremy Savage discuss the farm’s progress at apast<br />
focus day.<br />
PHOTO: FILE<br />
Changeofdirection<br />
The Lincoln UniversityDairy Farm is<br />
launching three new farm systems<br />
initiatives in abid to improve<br />
sustainable dairy farming practices.<br />
Research intovariable milking<br />
frequency,movingthe foragebase to<br />
include plantainand replacementrate<br />
reduction will be the farm’sfocusasit<br />
looksaheadtothe year2030.<br />
Lincoln University deputyvicechancellor<br />
Professor Grant Edwards<br />
says the South Island Dairying<br />
Demonstration Centre (SIDDC)<br />
partnership, which overseesthe running<br />
of the farm,iscommitted to takinga<br />
leadershiprole in the dairy industry.<br />
‘‘It’s important that the partnership<br />
regularly reassess and revisitsthe farm’s<br />
systems to consolidateits position at the<br />
vanguard of currentand future<br />
scenarios.’’<br />
DairyNZ general manager for new<br />
systems and competitiveness, Dr David<br />
McCall, saysthe dairysector is<br />
committed to remaining the most<br />
sustainable milkproducers.<br />
‘‘As aSIDDC partner, we support<br />
Lincoln University Dairy Farm<br />
implementing new farm systems.<br />
‘‘It is also exciting to see the adoption<br />
of variable milking frequencies,<br />
following DairyNZ’s threeyear flexible<br />
milking projectwhich highlighted the<br />
opportunities this system presents<br />
farmers.’’<br />
The variable milking programme to be<br />
implemented from the <strong>2021</strong>/22season<br />
involves moving from the traditional<br />
twiceaday milking to amore flexible<br />
milking regime with 10 milkings over<br />
seven days,which‘‘suits both cowsand<br />
farmstaff’’, says AgResearchsustainable<br />
productionlead Dr RobynDynes.<br />
SIDDC demonstration manager<br />
Jeremy Savage says variable milking will<br />
providebenefitstothe farm.<br />
‘‘A variable milking programme will<br />
not only improve cow welfare through<br />
lesslameness, better overallhealth<br />
condition andenhanced vigour.<br />
‘‘Itwill also liftthe safety and<br />
wellbeing of staff,with kinder rosters,<br />
fewer earlystartsand more condensed<br />
workloadsallowing for betterwork/life<br />
balance.’’<br />
The farm expects to achieve improved<br />
outcomes withoutimpacting<br />
profitability, saysLIC Genetics business<br />
and strategy Greg Hamill.<br />
Mr Savagesays farm staff willplant at<br />
least 10 percent of the farm into plantain<br />
eachyear,beginning next month.<br />
‘‘This is aforagethat may significantly<br />
reduce nitrogen leaching.<br />
‘‘With cow intakes of 30% plantain or<br />
higher we anticipate the farm will<br />
achieve further improvements to its<br />
nitrogen leaching results.<br />
‘‘The potential benefits of reducing onfarmnitrogen<br />
leaching by up to 20% by<br />
managingthe cows’ diets,and without<br />
reducing overallherd numbers, are<br />
obviousand compelling.’’<br />
The farm’s management will apply<br />
research fromthe forages for reduced<br />
nitrate leaching project.<br />
Greenhousegas emissions modelling<br />
suggests significantgains can be madeby<br />
dropping the 28% replacement rate to a<br />
targetof1518%.<br />
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