60 | nzdairy WORLD DAIRY INNOVATION AWARDS » Landcorp Farming NZ – Pamu Pamu deer milk wins big on world stage Richard Loader Pamu has proven that New Zealand continues to be at the forefront of dairy farm innovation, with its Deer Milk winning the Best Dairy Ingredient category at the prestigious World Dairy Innovation Awards, announced in Laval, France earlier this year. Pamu Chief Executive Mark Leslie says the win in the World Dairy Innovation Awards is a validation of the hard work and innovation that has gone into creating an all-new product for the agri-sector. ‘All New Zealanders, as shareholders in Pamu, should be really proud of this win, at what is essentially the World Cup for the dairy sector. Our deer milk product has been steadily growing in popularity among high-end chefs and as a unique new ingredient in cosmetics. This win recognises the extensive application and unique properties of deer milk, and the growing recognition of deer milk as an additional milk product alongside bovine and sheep milk.” Now in its sixteenth year, the World Dairy Innovation Awards celebrate innovation excellence across the global dairy industry. This year, there were 123 entries from 19 different countries, across 21 individual categories. Hamish Glendinning, has been Pamu’s Deer Milk Business Lead for the last three years and says Pamu’s entry enabled it to benchmark itself against some of the heavy weights in the dairy industry like Yili and Yashili. “What better way to test your proposition. You can be working in your own little bubble, and thinking you’re onto something great – but what better • to page 62 Pamu deer milk took out the Best Dairy Ingredient category at the World Dairy Innovation Awards in Laval, France, earlier this year. WE DELIVER SYSTEMS THAT WORK. Our products perform year in and year out. We expect them to because of the investment that went into their development. Naturally you expect them to because you depend on them. But in today’s economic environment, it’s not enough to plant and hope. At Agricom we work to replace hope with confidence. We do this through the expertise and commitment of our people, who work with you to integrate our products into your system for maximum gain. Our people through their knowledge and expertise, ensure you optimise those tools. That sets us apart. Contact 0800 183 358 or visit agricom.co.nz PROUD TO BE A SUPPLIER TO AGC2196 Oakdon meadow fescue, a much-needed alternative With changing weather patterns, alternative pasture species for livestock are needed across New Zealand. No two farms are alike, so forage options must be adaptable to account for on-farm variability. In the Central Plateau of the North Island and Te Anau in the South Island, Pamu Farms have historically had large areas of land infested by grass grub, which cause devastating damage to perennial rye grass pastures over winter. The West Coast of the South Island is a region that has also had pastures severely damaged by a native scarab beetle, the manuka beetle. Traditionally,damaging populations of grass grub have been controlled over large areas by applying organophosphate; however this is not a sustainable practice with the increasing pressures on chemical use globally. Agricom’s tall fescues have been used on Pamu farms over the last decade to aid in the management of grass grub and manuka beetle. Tall fescue has been proven to have greater tolerance to root-feeding insects than ryegrass and Hummer tall fescue endophyte (MaxP®) also plays a role in deterring insect pests. Pamu has been proactively reducing use of insecticides and exploring alternative control options that are more environmentally sustainable. Using alternative species like cocksfoot, tall fescue and meadow fescue has allowed for permanent perennial pasture to still be sown in areas prone to pests. Agricom’s Oakdon meadow fescue is a New Zealand bred meadow fescue containing the loline producing endophyte MaxR™, which is the rst commercial endophyte to provide a meaningful deterrent effect through the plants root system. In the north of New Zealand there are locations where perennial ryegrass and even tall fescue varieties struggle to persist through all seasons, over several years; which is the calling card of true perenniality. Meadow fescue can potentially extend survival through these conditions and while Oakdon does not have the dense, deep root structure of Hummer, it has proven ability to stay green in summer and it can be more productive under fertile dry conditions. Pamu Farm Manager, Peter Strawbridge has recently incorporated a 50:50 Oakdon and Hummer pasture mix onto the fescue platform for ease of management. Peter manages Waikite Farm, north of Taupo, which has had a long history of pest issues and pasture persistence. Oakdon can be used in 50:50 mixes with Hummer to improve the palatability of Hummer while maintaining its productivity and extending the insect tolerance of the mix. Peter commented“using tall fescue has de nitely helped keep grass growth rates high in areas that would normally struggle to produce in summer dry conditions and with grass grub pressure in the winter.” Pamu’s Weka Farm (West Coast, S.I) has also been using tall fescue for the last eight years as a strategy to mitigate damage by the manuka beetle. Around 15% of all farm platforms at the complex are in tall fescue mixes and Dairy Farm Business Manager Cameron Walker noted that “since we started using tall fescue, we have noticed that these permanent pasture mixes are persisting in manuka beetle prone areas, compared to when we used predominantly ryegrass mixes. Our teams on farm are con dent with managing tall fescue as a species, which is great!” Pamu’s vision is to continue using sustainable practices and to stay engaged with agronomists to explore the use of innovative, new pasture options. For more information on Hummer tall fescue or Oakdon meadow fescue, contact your local Agricom Territory Sales Manager.
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