| 77 “I’ve had Ravensdown and Ballance both call to say a lot of their farmers have had to spend their fert budget on diggers and fencing.” Fine days needed to enable recovery Craig says more good weather would allow spreading nitrogen where possible. The Spreadmark programme ensures the proper placement of fertiliser for more agronomic benefit to farmers. Kelly Deeks Farmers and agricultural contractors in Wairoa at the top of the Hawke’s Bay are relying on fine weather to enable the recovery of cyclone damaged land and restoration of fertility on silt affected paddocks. Craig Henneker of Wairoa Spreading Services spends most of his working days spreading fertiliser on the flats and rolling hills. But much of the ground is still so sodden it can’t hold his spreading truck, which weighs in at 16 tonnes when fully loaded with lime. “There are some cockies who still have maize in their paddocks because the harvester can’t get on there to harvest it,” he says. “They are waiting for it to dry out so they can basically turn it over and start again. But it’s still so wet at the moment, it’s like one step forward two steps back every time.” After a week of beautiful weather towards the end of July, Craig says a second week would allow him to start spreading some nitrogen where possible and help farmers to grow some grass, but the forecast 20mm of rain would essentially park him up again until the middle of August. “The forecast for summer is for a drought and we want things to get dry but we still need enough moisture to be able to turn it over with a wee bit of fert, then come back in the middle of January once it’s up and running and give it another feed. If the weather holds, that is the plan.” While waiting for the weather through autumn, about 200 to 300ha of autumn fert just never went on. Craig says he has lost quite a bit of work to the helicopters as some farmers have been compelled to pay their more expensive cost of spreading because they need to get that fertiliser on. “I’ve had Ravensdown and Ballance both call to say a lot of their farmers have had to spend their fert budget on diggers and fencing. The budgets are blown so it will have to be next year for the fert.” When the time is right to start spreading again, Wairoa Spreading Services will be ready for action with an upgraded truck with some new technology to improve spreading accuracy and efficiency. Craig’s truck is getting upgraded spinners on the back and an upgraded feed chain for a wider, more accurate spread. “I’ll be able to reduce my footprint in the paddocks. Currently I will go up and down a paddock six times but with this new technology I’ll only go four times, reducing the damage to the paddock and getting a better spread.” Craig is making these upgrades to get his truck and his business Spreadmark certified. The Spreadmark programme ensures the proper placement of fertiliser for more agronomic benefit to farmers and growers and more protection for the environment. “I’ve had this business for three years and technology is moving so quickly. 77 | RURAL SERVICES » Wairoa Spreading Services P: 06 838 8282 M: 027 483 0644 | 027 230 8713 I upgraded the workings of the truck and all of my computers and technology inside the cab. I’m using software like HawkEye, FarmIQ, and TracMap for proof of placement, scheduling, farm mapping, health and safety, and compliance, and nine times out of ten I don’t even see the farmer on the farm.”
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