| 75 Planning through the seasons vital The expansive property supports 3000 Merino ewes, 600 wethers and 100 Angus breeding cows. Russell Fredric MEAT & WOOL » Wairua - Russell Smillie A love of land, livestock, dogs and horses is a big drawcard for Russell Smillie and Kate Taylor in running their 3600 hectare hill country farm and Wairua Merino stud in South Canterbury. Located at Cattle Creek in Hakataramea Valley, the expansive property comprises 3000ha of Crown lease and 600ha freehold. It supports 3000 Merino ewes, 600 wethers and 100 Angus breeding cows. Despite its size, Russell and Kate do not employ staff so logistical planning and organisation through the seasons is vital. Wairua Merino was established through the purchase of a Mackenzie country stud three years ago and is a partnership between Russell, Stephen Kerr and their respective partners Kate Taylor and Susan Kerr. There was a pre-existing relationship as Russell had bought rams from the stud and Steve, who is from Fairlie, previously worked with it. Russell saw the purchase as a good opportunity to acquire and develop the genetics it offered which are based on Peppin bloodlines from Australia. “Steve’s had a lot to do with Merino’s over the years, he was brought up on Grampians Station in the Mackenzie, he’s had a keen interest in Merino’s all his life. I think there’s a good balance between what he brings and what I bring.” Steve’s extensive knowledge of the stud’s pedigree is key to the breeding decisions, along with the use of Nextgen Agri, a genetic and farm advisory company which provides expertise in breeding values, in tandem with the expertise of Michael Elms, a sheep classer from Australia. “We are able to source great genetics from Australia which we used recently to introduce polled Merino’s by AI. We are getting longevity, quality wools and quaility carcass traits.” Wairua Merino had an open day last year to provide an opportunity for farmers to check out the stock and this resulted in a few sales. The first full ram sale will be held in January using a helmsman auction with the online platform ‘yourbid’ run by David and George Giddings of Meadowslea genetics. The stud runs solid-framed stud ewes of around 65kg which can cope with the extremes of the country and climate and which produce wool of 17 to 19 micron. “Good constitution is the key of any sheep. If it can’t carry it’s fleece to the woolshed it’s not much good to you. With the genetics that we’ve got, we have that hardy sheep that will survive. We are getting longevity, quality wools and meat along with desirable carcass traits.” While there has been a shift towards more of a dual purpose Merino, Russell believes this is to the detriment of the wool quality. “A decent bodied sheep gives you good lambing percentage and that carcass by default. We are still concentrating on wool as our primary target on a very structurally sound sheep; if you’ve got a structurally sound sheep you’re a long way down the road.” One road that Russell is not keen on travelling is the one recently proposed by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern to charge the agricultural industry for greenhouse emissions. “Hill and high country farmers are being targeted more severely than some of the other parts of the industry so it is a big concern. It’s extremely dramatic what they are proposing.” WƌŽƵĚ ƚŽ ďĞ ǁŽƌŬŝŶŐ ŶĂƟŽŶĂůůLJ ĨŽƌ ŽǀĞƌ ϭϬϬ LJĞĂƌƐ E &ĂƌŵĞƌƐ >ŝǀĞƐƚŽĐŬ ŝƐ ĚĞůŝŐŚƚĞĚ ƚŽ ƐƵƉƉŽƌƚ tĂŝƌƵĂ DĞƌŝŶŽ ĂŶĚ ƚŚĞŝƌ ƐƵĐĐĞƐƐĨƵů DĞƌŝŶŽ ^ƚƵĚ͘ ƚ E &ĂƌŵĞƌƐ >ŝǀĞƐƚŽĐŬ >ƚĚ ǁĞ ĂƌĞ ϭϬϬй E ŽǁŶĞĚ ĂŶĚ ŽƉĞƌĂƚĞĚ͕ ĂŶĚ ŚĂǀĞ Ă ůŽŶŐͲƐƚĂŶĚŝŶŐ ĂŶĚ ĞƐƚĂďůŝƐŚĞĚ ŚŝƐƚŽƌLJ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ůŝǀĞƐƚŽĐŬ ŵĂƌŬĞƚ͘ tĞ ĂƌĞ ĐŽŵŵŝƩĞĚ ƚŽ ǁŽƌŬŝŶŐ ǁŝƚŚ ĨĂƌŵĞƌƐ ĨŽƌ ĨĂƌŵĞƌƐ͕ ĂŶĚ ĂƌĞ ĚĞĚŝĐĂƚĞĚ ƚŽ ĞŶƐƵƌŝŶŐ LJŽƵ ŐĞƚ ƚŚĞ ďĞƐƚ ƐĞƌǀŝĐĞ͘ KƵƌ ĚĞĚŝĐĂƚĞĚ ĂŐĞŶƚƐ ĂƌĞ ĐŽŵŵŝƩĞĚ ƚŽ ƐƵƉƉŽƌƟŶŐ ŽƵƌ ĐůŝĞŶƚƐ͘ &Žƌ ŵŽƌĞ ŝŶĨŽƌŵĂƟŽŶ͕ ƉůĞĂƐĞ ĐŽŶƚĂĐƚ ZĞŐĂŶ >ĂƵŐŚƚŽŶ Ͳ ϬϮϳ ϰϰϬ ϲϳϮϮ Žƌ ǀŝƐŝƚ DLJ>ŝǀĞ^ƚŽĐŬ ƚŽĚĂLJ͘ DIRECT DRILLING HAY & SILAGE +64 27 309 0693 | brscott21@hotmail.co.nz 03 444 9194 | Stu: 021 224 2320 s.l.duncan@xtra.co.nz Proud to support Wairua - Russell Smillie Waitaki Spraying Ltd Supporting our local farmers
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