Business Rural Autumn 2021

26 | Covid, Brexit, challenge for NZ exporters NZ Meat Board and Beef + Lamb Central South Island director Nicky Hyslop, says Covid-19 has highlighted the importance of creating a flexible international trading environment for our exporters to operate in to ensure maximum value for New Zealand farmers. Karen Phelps MEAT & WOOL » Nicky Hyslop M ore than ever the world needs flexibility when it comes to how exporters are able to meet demand for key food products, says Elected Director Central South Island for Beef + Lamb New Zealand and the New Zealand Meat Board, Nicky Hyslop. “Covid-19 has highlighted the importance of creating a flexible international trading environ- ment for our exporters to operate in to ensure we continue to extract maximum value for New Zea- land farmers. We need to ensure we are agile so we can be prepared for events such as pandemics and other global crisis,” she says. Outcomes such as Brexit represent a real threat to this goal and Beef + Lamb NZ remains concerned over the split of New Zealand’s WTO quota access for sheep meat and high quality beef. She says the choice sends completely the wrong signal about the commitment to the global rules-based trading system and to trade liberalisa- tion and leadership, which is why the New Zealand Government, with the support of Beef + Lamb New Zealand, the New Zealand Meat Board and the Meat Industry Association, have voiced strong objections over the last four years regarding the EU and UK’s decision to split the quotas. Nicky says that the New Zealand exporters remain committed to working with UK and EU mar- kets to ensure a win-win outcome for all farmers. “It is about working alongside and not always competing. In New Zealand we have seasonality of supply that is different from the UK/EU,” she says. “Where we have seen significant disruption with events such as Covid-19, New Zealand exporters have done an excellent job of being able to shift product to various markets depending on need and access.” Nicky, who is in the second year of her three year term in her position with Beef + Lamb New Zealand and is also a director of Ravensdown, says she is focused on working hard for farmers in a number of key areas including Brexit challenges and New Zealand Government policy changes. “Policy affecting farmers and our communities will have the most positive effect if it’s practical and implementable. Beef + Lamb New Zealand’s role is to collaborate with our sector partners, strongly engage with government, ensure good information is at the table and all the impacts of policy are thought through and understood. Our Beef + Lamb New Zealand team is incredibly com- mitted in this space with the responsibility to have “It is about working alongside and not always competing. In New Zealand we have seasonality of supply that is different from the UK/EU.” CANAM DEFENDER, TOUGH, CAPABLE, CLEVER www.timarucanam.co.nz Ben | 021 533 144 | ben@timarucanam.co.nz 03 688 7517 Are proud to provide accountancy, tax and business advice services for Jonty & Nicky at Levels Estate 39 George Street, Timaru 7910 | PO Box 125, Timaru 7940 | Email: hcmail@hcpartners.co.nz Phone: 03 687 9222 | Website: www.hcpartners.co.nz Partners: Duncan Brand | Paul Wolffenbu�el | Craig Copland | Nick Krivan | Kalpesh Hari Consultant: John Stark We are proud to support Levels Estate 27 Holmglen Street, Washdyke, Timaru Phone: 03 6882227 | Email: admin@bleekerweith.co.nz • General & Precision Engineering • Machinery Repairs & Maintenance • Alloy & Stainless Welding & Fabrication • Guillotining & Folding • Sheetmetal • Livestock Feeders • Supplier to Farmlands Phone: 03 615 9500 Fax: 03 615 9501 Email: curtainsiders@temukatransport.co.nz is our business TRANSPORT FREEPHONE 0800 TEMUKA (0800 836 852) You can count on our professional and reliable services farmers backs while finding solutions always at the forefront of discussions. ” Finding workable solutions is always at the fore- front for Nicky as she continuously reflects on how policy will affect her own intensive fully irrigated sheep, beef and arable property on the outskirts of Timaru called Levels Estate, which she farms with husband Jonty. They have been on the property since 1997, initially managing and then purchas- ing the farm with family assistance. They are the sixth generation to farm the property, which runs 5000-5500 stock units and trades and finished lambs and beef, has a component of dairy support and cropping. “We’re thinking hard about what farming poli- cies we should look at going forward, with a par- ticular focus on our soils but also how we continue to create value,” she says. “As an intensively irrigated property we need appropriate stock policies and cropping rotation to protect our soils and environment. We are always looking at ways to improve the way we apply our irrigated water, which has seen us move from gun irrigation to centre pivots. It’s been a huge improvement in how efficiently we apply water and has also increased our productivity as a result and is easier for our staff to manage. We need to continue to invest in areas of precision agriculture. This is not just about new technology but also the mindset of management.” She says that Beef + Lamb New Zealand has a crucial role to support farmers in this journey and does this through extension programmes including Farming for Profit, Action Groups, Future Farm and continuous investment in providing accessible learning resources. It will hold its six yearly referendum in 2021, which she sees as a great opportunity to reach out to all farmers and demonstrate the significant value of farmers back- ing Beef + Lamb New Zealand with their levies to work across a wide range of sector challenges and opportunities “We can really engage with farmers to make sure we are listening to what they want, ensure we are meeting their needs and have our eyes firmly on the future.”