| 81 nzdairy DAIRY PEOPLE » Pinta Dairy Unit The view of Mt Ruapehu from the farm. Cows on winter forage crop (swede). 1. Synlait gold elite status award: Jason Halford (business manager) Tython Keti, David Vinac (obscured), Milly Barnes, Antun Pincevich, Lauren Hickman (Pamu compliance analyst), Jordain Barnes (production manager). A leader in environmental innovation Richard Loader As part of Pamu, the largest farming group in New Zealand, Pinta dairy unit has achieved Toitu carbonreduce certi cation in Pamu long-term commitment to reduce its carbon emissions by four per cent per annum to 2024. The 875ha effective farm at Reporoa peak milks 2000 predominantly Friesian cross cows through an 80 bail rotary. The platform and milking plant will be upgraded at the end of the season, something farm manager Shane Cooper is looking forward to. It will help to make the job easier; something welcome as nding labour is currently an industry challenge. Normally Pinta has a full time team of ten. At the moment that number is six, also due to two being off work sick. Normally there would be casuals to rely on but low unemployment combined with fewer offshore workers in the country has also had an impact. “But the team here is excellent and they really pull together. We nd ways to do the best we can,” says Shane. “There are lots of people interested in joining the dairy industry, which is great, but it is important to nd the right people with the right attitude. It also takes time to train them and bring them up to speed but Pamu takes a long term approach.” This approach is also indicated by the Toitu carbonreduce certi cation which saw the farm measure all operational greenhouse gas emissions required under the international standard and develop plans to continually manage and reduce these. The emissions are measured and independently veri ed annually. “It means that people can know the emissions we say we have are real and that any changes we make to the farm system we can quanti ably measure.” One of the rst trials to be held is a bid to breed cows with lower methane levels. In a project funded by the New Zealand Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Centre, LIC and CRV have identified bulls with high or low methane emissions. The next phase of the project is a joint venture with Pamu, to generate daughters of the high and low bulls. “These daughters will have their methane emissions measured, to verify that the daughters of low methane bulls also have reduced methane emissions. It will also help to establish the genetic relationships between methane emissions and traits such as milk production and fertility,” says Shane who believes this will ultimately change the structure of the farm’s herd. “Pamu has also increased its productivity practices over time to produce more product with less animals. We are also working to develop tailored emission reduction solutions for the farm and are working with our suppliers to identify more carbonfriendly practices. What I love about Pamu is we try things.” Another initiative in Pamu’s sustainability focus on Pinta is has been to plant 60ha bordering the Waikato River in lucerne in a cut and carry format. A riparian border already borders the river but this will further protect the river and eliminate risk, says Shane. Furthermore as lucerne is a nitrogen xing plant there will be no need to use nitrogen. Pamu manages 110 farms over 364,000 hectares, with revenue primarily coming from dairy and livestock farming. In 2021 these contributed close to 0.75m gross metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent and sequestered around 0.33m metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent. Shane says that Pamu is committed to being a sector leader when it comes to farming and environmental innovation and being a role model for other agriculture businesses starting their carbon reduction journey. “I’ve been here 13 years and looking after people, animals and the environment is the thing I love about working at Pamu.” • Dairy shed installations & upgrades • Service & parts for all types of milking machines • Drench pumps, teat spray systems, hoses & supplies • Effluent & Irrigation supplies • Pumps & water fittings - Galvanised, PVC & Alkathene • Stainless Steel manufacture & repair • Machine Testing • Rubberware • Trenching SPECIALISTS IN WATER & EFFLUENT DESIGN/SUPPLY/BUILD Proud to be Pinta Dairy Units preferred effluent system supplier AGRICULTURAL CONTRACTORS Miers Contractors(1995) Ltd • Harvesting • Cultivation • Supplements for sale & supply • Undersowing (all pastures & crops) • Earth moving • Truck cartage • Balage & Hay • Effluent Management 198 Butcher Road, RD2, Reporoa P 07 333 8259 | Gordy 021 593 163 | Mark 021 948 472 E mierscontractors@farmside.co.nz
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