| 79 Crutching ewes. Simon marking calves. “The next 12 months, certainly for sheep and beef farmers, it’s going to be a real reality check; things will have to change.” MEAT & WOOL » Simon Davies “I believe we need to be doing something, there’s no question about that, it’s a reality. I kind of get the feeling even if National were to get it I don’t think they’d scrap it completely. “From a farming point of view, it’s how we make it work the most painlessly I guess.” A frustration for famers is that, environmentally, they have achieved a lot in recent years, but it will potentially take years for improvements and mitigation measures to show through, he says. Especially concerning is the constant stream of “ideological” legislation flowing from Parliament “that needs to be curtailed for a period of time”, Simon says. He and his wife Joanna have lived on their farm at the mouth of the Tokomairiro River near Milton since 2011. It totals 1400 hectare which comprises the home farm’s 750 hectares plus lease blocks of 400 hectares, and 250 hectares which was added recently. A total of 100 hectares is planted in plantation pine. Simon has a strategy for the farm up to 2030 which includes effectively reducing the stocking rate by increasing the land area. “The 250 hectares, we are going to run it basically as a hogget block, so we are going to go all grass hogget farming instead of putting in winter crop. Crop is expensive, we are being encouraged as farming operations to deintensify so we are kind of doing that.” “I have traditionally struggled to grown out my hoggets particularly well because I’m too mean with the crops so going all grass, we’re hoping we’ll grown out our hoggets better.” Simon expects the ewe numbers to stay the same at about 5000. All up, the three blocks support 350 dairy heifers, 70 beef cows and this year he plans to winter their beef weaners. • from page 78 Custom Treating Specialists TokoTimber Springfield Road, PO Box 148, Milton | Phone (03) 417 - 7341 | Email: tokotimber@xtra.co.nz Full Range of... • Posts and Timber • Hang-it Gate Hardware • Arrow nails and Staples Stockists of TOKOGATES Now stockists of Sheep & Deer Netting &Wire
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